The Columbus Aviators were surely looking for something to save their season. But they definitely didn’t expect a shakeup. Especially not just hours before the kickoff was about to begin in Texas. Following a late-night incident in Tarrant County, Aviators were forced to make an emergency shift, which left their usual head coach on the sidelines for Sunday’s matchup against the Renegades.

With the top spot of Ted Ginn Jr. suddenly vacant, the team turned to offensive coordinator Todd Haley to steady the ship. Haley, a former Kansas City Chiefs head coach known for his hard-nosed leadership style, stepped in as the interim lead for April 12 game.

“Former NFL WR and current Columbus Aviators coach Ted Ginn Jr. was charged with driving while intoxicated in Tarrant County, Texas, on Saturday. Ginn will not coach on Sunday and Todd Haley will handle head coaching duties vs. the Dallas Renegades.”

Columbus Aviators head coach and former NFL star Ted Ginn Jr. was arrested in Texas early Saturday morning, just one day before his team was scheduled to play. The 41-year-old was booked into the Tarrant County Corrections Center on a charge of driving while intoxicated (DWI). He was released later that day after posting a $1,000 bond.

The incident began around 1:00 a.m. when police in Euless, Texas, pulled Ginn over for traffic violations. According to police spokesperson Brenda Alvarado, officers performed a field sobriety test at the scene before taking the coach into custody. This legal trouble comes at a difficult time for the Aviators, an expansion team that is currently winless three games into its first season.

Because of the arrest, Ginn was not on the sidelines for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Renegades. The league earlier announced that Todd Haley, the team’s offensive coordinator, will serve as the acting head coach for the matchup at Toyota Stadium.

Ginn was hired as the head coach for the United Football League (UFL) last year. But after his arrest over the weekend, his coaching duties have been suspended for a while. It looks like the curse of bad luck has even followed him into his coaching arena.

Ted Ginn Jr. addressed his mistake, as bad luck continues to follow

After his recent arrest, Ted Ginn Jr. is taking ownership of his mistake. This is especially important given his new leadership role as a head coach. Ginn addressed the situation directly, stating,

“I want to address the situation that took place over the weekend. I made a serious mistake and take full responsibility for my actions. I’ve always believed in accountability and now it’s my turn to live that standard. I understand the responsibility that comes with being a leader & role model, and falling short of this is not something I take lightly. I’m committed to learning from this, making better decisions, and earning back the trust of my players, our organization, and the fans.”

He expressed gratitude for those standing by him while the legal process plays out.

Ginn continued, “I appreciate the support of my family and the United Football League, and I respect the process as it moves forward. My focus now is on taking the necessary steps to grow from this and represent the Columbus Aviators and this community the right way.” 

While he is focused on moving forward, this DUI setback adds another chapter to a career that has often been defined by bad luck.

Before coaching, Ginn, a first-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2007 NFL Draft, spent 14 seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for several teams. He has played for the Dolphins, 49ers, Panthers, Cardinals, Saints, and Bears. 

His career stats, as per records, show that in over 193 games, he recorded 412 catches for 5,742 yards and 33 touchdowns. Despite these solid numbers, his career was often marked by incredibly bad luck in the postseason.

He reached the playoffs eight times with four different teams, but faced a string of heartbreaking losses that seemed out of his control.

These disappointments began early. It started early in 2011, when a trip to the Super Bowl was ruined by two costly fumbled punts, followed by a direct loss in the championship game the very next year. His luck didn’t improve with other teams either.

During his time with the Panthers and Cardinals, he faced constant setbacks like turnovers right before the end zone and the freak occurrence of losing two starting quarterbacks to knee injuries in just one month.

Even his best year, a dominant 15-1 season, ended in a disappointing Super Bowl defeat. Finally, during his time with the Saints, he was on the receiving end of two of the most famous heartbreaks in football history, which were a last-second miracle touchdown by the opponent and a massive refereeing mistake that cost his team a spot in the Super Bowl.

After retiring on his own terms in 2021, Ginn transitioned to leadership, but now his bad luck has followed him once more, as his coaching career has now come to a temporary halt.