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Former Bomber Willis charged with DUI in Atlanta
Odell Willis (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store
Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive end Odell Willis has been arrested in the United States and charged with driving under the influence.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders -- who acquired Willis from the Bombers last month in a trade that sent two draft picks in the upcoming 2012 CFL draft to Winnipeg -- released a statement Thursday morning from Riders general manager Brendan Taman:
"It has been brought to our attention that Odell was charged with one count of Driving Under the Influence on Sunday evening in Atlanta, Georgia. We have spoken with Odell and are gathering as much information as possible into the incident. Odell and the Roughrider organization are taking this matter very seriously and we won’t comment any further until the legal process has run its course."
Bombers GM Joe Mack took some heat from Bomber fans last month for trading Willis, who was the CFL co-leader with 13.5 sacks in 2011.
But Bombers executives said privately at the time that Willis had become a disruptive influence in the Bombers locker room last season and his increasingly erratic conduct during the off-season -- including a demand that the Bombers allow him to pursue an NFL tryout that was precluded by his contract -- prompted the club to ship him to Regina.
In exchange for Willis and a conditional fifth-round pick, the Bombers got Saskatchewan’s eighth and 23rd overall picks in next month’s CFL draft.
Contacted by the Free Press Thursday morning, Mack expressed concern for Willis’s well-being.
"I hate to see anybody have any hardships," Mack said. "I only wish Odell the best and I only hope he has the ability and the chance to perform well for the Roughriders this year... I wish him nothing but the best."
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