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Former Ohio State WR, Columbus Aviators head coach Ted Ginn Jr. arrested for DUI

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh04/12/26griffin_mcveigh

Ted Ginn Jr. has been arrested in the state of Texas for DUI, it was revealed on Saturday night. Ginn is currently a head coach in the UFL, leading the Columbus Aviators. At the time of writing, bond has not been posted.

Now, the Aviators are going to have a little bit of a different setup moving forward. Ginn will not be on the sideline on Sunday afternoon, where they are set to play the Dallas Renegades. Instead, offensive coordinator Todd Haley will take over as the interim head coach.

Kickoff at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, TX, between the Aviators and Renegades is scheduled for noon ET and 11 a.m. local time. Columbus is off to a poor start, losing its first two games of the season. The opposite can be said of the home team, as Dallas is 2-0 to start the year. Both are looking to get in the win column, just for different reasons.

This is the first season of the Columbus Aviators, as the UFL expands the league. The team shares a stadium with MLS franchise Columbus Crew. One of the team’s goals was to get a heavy Ohio State presence, partly with Ginn as the head coach. Now, there might be some questions about his status moving forward.

Ted Ginn Jr. in the coaching world for the first time

Prior to the Aviators’ job, Ginn had never been a coach — at least at the professional ranks. No college experience is on the resume either. Ginn was last involved with football back in 2020 as a member of the Chicago Bears. Six different NFL cities were considered home for Ginn over a career spanning over 14 years.

Most people remember Ginn for his big-play ability. Special teams is where Ginn would really shine, taking punts and kick returns to the house for touchdowns. None more famous than in Ohio State’s BCS National Championship loss over the Florida Gators. Ginn took the opening kick home, beginning what turned into a disappointing night for the Buckeyes.

Offensively, the wide receiver position is where Ginn played. He caught 412 passes in the NFL, going for 5,742 yards and 33 touchdowns. No singular season was better than 2015 with the Carolina Panthers. Ginn went for 739 yards on 44 receptions and a career-high 10 touchdowns. It turned into what was a consistent stretch on the backend of Ginn’s career.