Body camera footage of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave’s Monday arrest appears to show the star wideout attempted to use his occupation to get in good with the local police.
There was one problem for the officer who took the former Ohio State football star into custody: He didn’t care.
ESPN reported Olave, 23, was arrested in Kenner, Louisiana, on Monday on suspicion of reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
A complaint against the player alleges he was driving double the speed limit — 35 in a 70 — when he was pulled over while driving a Dodge Charger.
Police in Kenner say Olave was also weaving in and out of traffic.
As the Kenner Police Department put it, Olave was “observed traveling at the high rate of speed, recklessly maneuvering between lanes and around other drivers on the roadway.”
The department released footage of the player’s arrest on Tuesday afternoon that shows Olive exiting his vehicle just after 11 p.m. on Monday.
“Turn around,” the officer told him as the player was handcuffed.
As the arresting officer explained to Olive why he was pulled over and why he was being handcuffed, the 23-year-old made an unusual statement.
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As he was informed he was going to jail, Olave expressed some remorse over his alleged dangerous driving.
“My bad, dawg. I play for the Saints, man,” he said as he was about to be placed into the back of a police cruiser.
It isn’t clear if Olive’s arresting officer is an NFL fan, but he definitely wasn’t impressed by the statement.
The officer shot back, “And?”
WARNING: The following video contains language that might offend some viewers.
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Throughout the remaining six minutes of the video police released, Olave never again attempted to name-drop his employer.
The young man is presumed innocent and doesn’t appear to be facing any kind of punishment he can’t afford to navigate.
Perhaps being so young and having the world at his fingertips made Olave feel invincible, which is understandable, given his age, wealth and fame.
But speed kills.
Speed doesn’t just kill those with lead feet but can also kill innocent people whose goals in life are not catches, yards and touchdowns — as the league should have stressed more to its young players following the tragic 2021 crash that saw then-Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs kill a 23-year-old woman in Nevada.
Ruggs was said to have been drunk and driving and going 156 mph in his Corvette just before he slammed into the back of Tina Tintor, who burned to death with her dog, NBC Sports reported.
A life was ended and a career was also cut short, as Ruggs is now an inmate in Nevada’s penitentiary system.
Thankfully, Olave didn’t harm anyone Monday.
But it’s abundantly clear that the NFL’s young stars need to learn from the mistakes of their peers. Talented young men need to keep their speed on the field and the NFL should come down hard on Olave if it’s proven he indeed acted recklessly.
NFL players are supposed to represent their communities and they shouldn’t be out menacing them.
Monday was a perfect opportunity for Olave to learn a lesson.
Hopefully, he has.
