Hines Ward's Management Team Says It's Not a DUI

No question, it's a tough weekend for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Sandy Springs resident Hines Ward.

He was arrested early Saturday morning for DUI near the intersection of Buford Highway and Briarwood Road, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitition.

A Saturday evening Facebook post by his agent/manager, Andrew Ree, read:

On July 9th Hines Ward was stopped by Dekalb Co. police for suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence. He cooperated fully with the police and truthfully answered all of their questions. We are currently in the process of ascertaining all the facts. From our preliminary investigation we can tell you that we are confident that the facts will show that Hines was NOT impaired by alcohol while driving. However, Hines is deeply saddened by this incident and apologizes to his fans and the Steelers organization for this distraction.

DeKalb police told the AJC that Ward was stopped about 2:30 a.m. after a DeKalb officer noticed Ward, in his Aston Martin, failing to maintain a lane and then hitting a curb.

Ward failed a field sobriety test, and refused to take a breathalyzer test. He told officers he had been at a downtown club, and had two drinks.

According to police, a passenger in Ward’s car had not been drinking, and he was allowed to drive the car instead of it being impounded.

Ward was released from Dekalb County Jail on $1,000 bond following his arrest overnight for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

Ward is not only a two-time Super Bowl champion, his charisma and dancing skills won him the “Dancing With the Stars” trophy in the spring. He has nearly one million Facebook friends. On Friday, he posted comments on his bad habit of texting and driving.

More than 1,700 Facebook comments both supporting and chastising Ward were posted on Saturday night after Ree's statement.