A judge in Indiana has sentenced Bears Hall of Famer Dan Hampton to a year of probation and other conditions after pleading guilty to drunk driving last month.
According to the indictment, Hampton, 64, had an open jug of wine in his truck and had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit when he was pulled over by a Winfield police officer on November 20.
Lake Superior Judge Julie Cantrell accepted his application on Dec. 22, court records show.
“Mr. Hampton deeply regrets the decision he made that evening, but he has accepted responsibility for his actions and looks forward to the successful completion of all conditions of his probation,” Matt Feh, his attorney, said Monday.
On December 21, he admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol, which is a class A misdemeanor. In return, prosecutors dropped other misdemeanor charges against him. Hampton will participate in a court-ordered substance abuse program, a victim impact assessment panel, take a safe driving course, and be given the opportunity to spend 10 days in jail or community service.
An officer stopped a Hampton black Chevrolet truck in the 11700 block of Iowa Street just before 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 while it was traveling 68 mph in a 40 mph zone, according to court documents.
According to the documents, Hampton, who lives three miles from his home in Winfield, claimed to have drunk five bottles of beer at a friend’s home in Lowell. Later in the hospital, he learned that his blood alcohol level was 0.189. The legal limit in Indiana is 0.08.
“It’s very expensive,” he whispered before an officer took him to jail, the documents said. On November 23, he posted a $2,500 bail.
Known to fans as “Danimal,” Hampton played as a defenseman for the Bears from 1979 to 1990, including the 1985 Super Bowl championship team, and is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He hosts The Hamp and O’B on WGN Radio with former Bears Ed O’Bradovich, Glen Kozlowski and host Mark Karman.
He was initially charged with driving with a certain amount of alcohol in his body, class A misdemeanor, driving under the influence of alcohol endangering a person, both class A misdemeanors and driving under the influence of alcohol, class C misdemeanor .
Hampton had already been arrested for drunk driving in 2002 in Arkansas, days before he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. According to CNN, he spent a week in jail and was fined $1,000. He also had alcohol-related arrests in 1996 and 1997, according to media reports.
