Who would have thought that 72-year-old former Jets quarterback Richard Todd would face assault from his own wife? Things took a shocking turn after which his wife was arrested.
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According to PEOPLE, Richard Todd’s wife, Debra Darby Todd, was arrested for allegedly hitting her husband with pliers during an argument at their home in Florence, Alabama. The incident reportedly happened around 11 p.m. on November 9. Darby Todd is now facing a charge of second-degree domestic violence.
According to court documents obtained by Fox News, Debra allegedly hit Richard with pliers during their argument. He suffered several cuts on his arms but did not need medical treatment. He also refused to go to the hospital.
After her arrest, Debra was taken to Lauderdale County Jail. Her bail was set at $30,000. However, her name was no longer listed in the jail’s records, indicating that she may have paid the bail and been released, Fox 54 reported. PEOPLE also contacted the Lauderdale County District Court for more information.
Debra’s court date has not yet been announced. Richard has also not spoken publicly about the incident.
Richard Todd faced an assault complaint in 1981, long before the recent incident involving his wife. At that time, he was playing for the New York Jets and was accused of getting into a physical argument with a sportswriter.
According to a UPI report from November 17, 1981, Todd allegedly pushed New York Post sportswriter Steve Serby into a locker at the Jets’ training camp at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The incident reportedly happened on November 4 of that year after the two exchanged words.
Serby filed a complaint against Todd with the Nassau County District Attorney’s office on November 5. He also reportedly received treatment at a medical center for bruises on his neck and nose.
However, an investigation found that Serby had not suffered any physical injury, according to Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon. As a result, the authorities dropped the criminal charges, and Todd was not prosecuted.
“This is a matter that does not belong in the criminal justice system,” Dillon said. “There are other remedies available to both parties.”
Right now there’s no update from Richard or his wife about the incident, but things did turn chaotic.
But unlike his personal life, he had a solid NFL career.
Richard Todd’s NFL career
Richard Todd played quarterback for the University of Alabama from 1972 to 1975 under coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. During his college career, he helped the team win four SEC titles and share the 1973 national championship. In his final year, he was named to the All-SEC first team.
The New York Jets picked him sixth overall in the 1976 NFL Draft and helped the Jets reach the playoffs in 1981 and 1982. In 1982, he led the team to the AFC Championship Game, where they faced the Miami Dolphins.
Todd ended his NFL career with 20,610 passing yards and 124 touchdown passes.
Now, let’s dig into his work outside of the NFL.
Richard Todd’s career after the NFL
After retiring from football, Richard Todd decided to build a career outside sports and moved into the financial business. He first joined Bear Stearns, a finance company, where he worked in investment banking and securities trading.
In a 2019 interview with the New York Jets’ official website, Todd explained that he wanted to try something different after spending years in football, but things changed.
Todd had studied physical education at the University of Alabama and once planned to become a coach. However, after leaving the NFL, he wanted to try a different career. His interest in the stock market led him into the financial industry.
He earned a Series 7 license, which allowed him to work in the securities business. He began by selling stocks and later moved to selling bonds. He eventually became a bond salesman for large financial institutions.
By the time he spoke to the New York Jets in 2019, Todd had been working as a managing director at J.P. Morgan for 11 years.