NFL Arrests by Year Since 2000

This is part two of our series comparing how different factors have influenced the arrest rate in the NFL over the years. Part one looked at crimes by month committed. With this post you can see things like how DUI’s have gone down dramatically since the rise of Uber and Lyft and how drug offenses increased after the NFL strengthened the steroid policy in 2005. 

When looking at this data it is important to remember that the crime rate in the NFL is typically less than the overall crime rate for men from ages 20-39, according to a study by the University of Texas. Mess around with the data and see what inferences you can draw, then let us know on our Twitter. 

NFL Arrests by Month

Since the turn of the century there have been 1,010 arrests of NFL players. While that number may seem high, it’s actually less than the US average for men ages 20-39. Because they are constantly in the spotlight, the general public hears about these arrests frequently. After collecting the data and categorizing it in a variety of ways, the National Football Post will be releasing a series of visualizations starting with NFL arrests by month. 

You can play around with the data to sort by type of crime and see what inferences you can draw. Some categories have a lot of arrests, like drug crimes, which dramatically increase in the offseason, when tests become sporadic. Some categories only have a single arrest in the last 18 years. 

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