The Washington Football Team wasted no time cutting ties with running back Derrius Guice after he was arrested on domestic violence-related charges earlier this month, but the team may still have a role to play in this unfortunate story. According to a recent report from The Washington Post, the then-girlfriend of Guice told police that Guice actually informed the team that he had "anger issues" months before he was arrested.
The former second-round pick is facing a felony strangulation charge, counts of assault and battery, and one count of destruction of property. The girlfriend told investigators the team referred Guice to a counseling service and he attended three sessions around January or February, according to the search warrant filed in Loudoun County. The search warrant does not say whether Guice informed the team of three separate incidents during which police say he pushed and strangled the woman.
On Friday, a team spokesman released a statement in response to questions about the search warrant:
"We will refer you to our August 7th statement on the release of Derrius Guice which stated that the Washington Football Team learned of domestic violence-related allegations against Derrius on the day prior to his release. ... We cannot confirm or deny any information regarding a private health-related matter for one of our current or former players."
Guice, who holds LSU's single-game rushing record and is currently No. 5 on the Tigers' career rushing list, was expected to be a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but reportedly fell down draft boards due to character concerns. After his arrest a report from USA TODAY alleged that the running back raped two women during his time in college, and that the university was less than helpful in investigating the allegations. Guice struggled to stay on the field during his two seasons in Washington, and played in just five games due to a torn ACL and a torn meniscus.
