 "Photo: Jeffrey McWhorter")
Texas defensive lineman Lamarr Houston was arrested for driving while intoxicated not long after the Longhorns' 52-10 opening game victory over Florida Atlantic University.
The starting junior defensive tackle from Colorado Springs, Colo. was booked early Sunday morning after being involved in an accident on Interstate 35 and 11th Street, according to police reports.
Houston failed a field sobriety test and was sent to jail on a $3,000 bond, according to police. DWI is a Class B misdemeanor and is punishable by up to $2,000 and 180 days in jail, according to the Texas Penal Code.
Texas coach Mack Brown suspended Houston for this week's game at UT-El Paso and said Houston apologized Sunday in front of all of his teammates.
"Lamarr's a great kid, and this is the first time anything negative has happened with him," Brown said. "When we make decisions for things like this, we consider what's best for the player and what's best for our team. It's not fair to punish the other 104 players who did the right thing, and the fact that Lamarr got up in front of all of his teammates and apologized also factored into our decision."
Junior linebacker Jared Norton said Brown seemed calm in reaction to the event. Norton roomed with Houston his freshman year.
"He's a preacher's kid, so I would never have expected it," Norton said. "I have a lot of respect for him for the way he apologized to the team and was really sincere. He did it all on his own, and that's tough."
Houston recorded three tackles, two for losses, in Saturday night's game. Any suspension Houston undergoes may hurt the Longhorns' depth, since they are already thin at defensive line. Houston started 11 games in 2007 at defensive end before moving to tackle this season.
Houston spent his senior year of high school raising funds for the national organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He got involved with the organization after hearing a story from a mother whose son was injured in an accident in which the driver was drunk.
"It can happen to anybody," Houston told the Texan in September 2007. "You don't have to be intoxicated to be in a car crash."
A Longhorn football player has not been arrested since former Longhorn safety Tyrell Gatewood on Sept. 13, 2007. Six Longhorn players were arrested between the period of June 2007 and Sept. 18, 2007.
In January, Brown moved running backs coach Ken Rucker to the new position of director of High School Relations and Player Development. Part of Rucker's job is to enforce Brown's midnight curfew, which he instituted after the Holiday Bowl. Only players who live on campus have a curfew, and Houston lives off campus.
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