Former NFL first-round draft pick Robert Nkemdiche is reportedly facing legal trouble after being arrested in Georgia last week following an alleged shoplifting incident at a Kroger grocery store.
Nkemdiche, 31, was selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and earned nearly $5 million during his professional football career. The defensive tackle last spent time with the San Francisco 49ers before being released in August 2022.
According to a report from TMZ, a police officer conducting a routine check of nearby businesses noticed Nkemdiche walking through the area with what appeared to be large objects hidden inside his sweatpants. Authorities reportedly believed the shapes were consistent with concealed grocery items.
The officer called for backup as Nkemdiche walked into a nearby gas station, where he was later detained and placed in handcuffs.
Although the grocery store reportedly declined to press charges, employees did request that Nkemdiche be formally banned from returning to the property. Police still transported him to jail, where he was booked following the incident.
This is not the first time the former NFL player has found himself in legal trouble.
In 2015, while playing college football at Ole Miss, Nkemdiche was charged with marijuana possession after falling from the fourth floor of a hotel in Atlanta. At the time, he issued a public apology.
“I want to apologize to Rebel Nation, my teammates and coaches for my actions,” he said in a statement. “I made a mistake and put myself in an environment that doesn’t reflect who I am as a person.”
During his NFL career, Nkemdiche played for the Arizona Cardinals from 2016 to 2018 before spending time with the Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers.
Since leaving the NFL, he has also had stints with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League and the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League.