New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson, who was charged with three felonies last month after allegedly fleeing police at 105 mph and threatening to sexually assault the arresting officer's wife, has a long history of problems on Florida's roadways.
Anderson has been charged with traffic-related violations on 10 different occasions in Broward and Orange counties since 2014, according to Florida court records. That includes five speeding tickets, with two in a 15-day span last spring.
While we're not talking about serious crimes, the pattern of behavior -- coupled with two arrests in the past nine months -- raises red flags.
Anderson's problems started in 2014, the year he was out of football. Because of bad grades, he was thrown out of Temple and went home to Florida, unsure of his future. Perhaps not coincidentally, he was charged in five separate traffic-related incidents in 2014, including one that resulted in misdemeanor charges for reckless driving and resisting arrest. The latter was eventually dropped. He paid a $401 fine and was required to attend driving school.
A few weeks later, on Aug. 28, 2014, Anderson was charged with speeding again (86 mph in a 65 mph zone) and his license was temporarily suspended. There was one non-traffic misdemeanor in 2014 -- disorderly conduct -- but that, too, was dropped.
Anderson returned to Temple in 2015 and despite an impressive year, he went undrafted in 2016. Off-the-field concerns hurt his draft stock, according to two opposing scouts. He wound up signing with the Jets as a free agent in April 2016. Since then, he has had five run-ins with police -- two speeding tickets, a seat belt violation and two arrests.
In fact, he was actually pulled over twice on the same day -- last March 29. At 11:25 a.m., he got hit with a seat belt infraction. At 10:57 p.m., he received a speeding ticket (86 mph in a 45).
On April 13, Anderson was nailed yet again for speeding (82 mph in a 45). As it turned out, the case was dismissed because the officer was a no-show in court.
Three weeks later, he made headlines for the wrong reason. On May 8, he was arrested at a music festival in Miami, where he was charged with resisting arrest with violence -- a felony. That case still is pending.
The most recent arrest happened in Sunrise, Florida, on Jan. 19, resulting in nine charges. He tried to elude police by speeding away and, once in custody, he resisted arrest, per court records. The most serious charge is threatening to harm a public servant or family member, a second-degree felony, stemming from his alleged comments about the officer's wife. Anderson pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Jets coach Todd Bowles still hasn't commented on Anderson's behavior or his status with the team. If the Jets wanted to cut him, they probably would've done it already. He's subject to league discipline under the personal-conduct policy and could be hit with a suspension. His Miami-based attorney, Edward O'Donnell, didn't return a call for comment.
Anderson, 24, who led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns last season, is an ascending player. The team recognizes he has maturity issues, but they appear willing to give him another chance.