Latest news with #Vilma
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Jonathan Vilma, NFL analyst and ex-Jets star, arrested in Miami
Former Jets linebacker and current Fox NFL analyst Jonathan Vilma was arrested Wednesday in Miami for driving with a suspended license, according to reporter Andy Slater. Vilma reportedly had been stopped because his tag had expired. He just completed his fifth season calling games for Fox alongside Kenny Albert this past season. 4 Jonathan Vilma in April 2025. Getty Images for Global Champions Arabians Tour Miami Beach The 43-year-old also served as a college football analyst. Vilma joined the media ranks after a successful collegiate and professional career. He was a standout for Miami from 2000-03 before being drafted by the Jets with the No. 12 pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Vilma's collegiate prowess, including 2003 First-Team All-American honors, has him as a candidate for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame. 4 Vilma in 2005 with the Jets. Anthony J Causi Vilma won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and appeared in 55 games for the Jets from 2004-07, including a 2005 campaign in which he led the league with 173 combined tackles (128 solo) and earned his first Pro Bowl nomination. The Jets then traded him to the Saints for a fourth-round pick and a conditional pick before the 2008 season, and he won his lone Super Bowl with New Orleans in 2010. 4 Vilma with the Saints in 2012. AP Vilma spent six seasons with the franchise from 2008-13 and earned two Pro Bowl selections in 2009 and 2010. He appeared in 70 games for the team. He tallied 110 tackles and two sacks during the team's run to its lone Super Bowl. The Saints inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2017. 4 Vilma in 2012. AP Vilma had a run-in with Miami law enforcers during his time with the Saints after being arrested in 2009 on a felony charge for resisting arrest with violence and being hit with misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and obstruction of justice, according to ESPN. Prosecutors later dropped the charges, per the outlet, and he donated $1,000 to a hospital trauma center as part of the negotiation. 'I appreciate that the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office did their due diligence and decided not to file charges against me regarding the arrest that occurred on January 16, 2009, in Miami,' Vilma said in a statement at the time, according to ESPN. 'I believe the State Attorney's Office did the just and right thing in this matter. I would like to thank my family and friends, the New Orleans Saints organization, and my fans for supporting and believing in me.'
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints celebrate Super Bowl-winning linebacker Jonathan Vilma's birthday
Saints celebrate Super Bowl-winning linebacker Jonathan Vilma's birthday Happy birthday, Jonathan Vilma. The New Orleans Saints legend, Super Bowl champion, and former Miami Hurricane celebrated his 43rd birthday on Wednesday, March 16. And while his time in the city was brief, all things considered, Vilma cemented himself as a fan favorite in New Orleans. Vilma only spent six years with the Saints, appearing in 70 regular season games (plus six playoff games), but he made the most of them. He was selected for two Pro Bowls in 2009 and 2010. He intercepted 6 passes, sixth-most among all linebackers in Saints history; Jim Merlo led the group with 8, and four other players tied for second-most, with 7. Vilma also finished his career with the third-most tackles for loss among Saints linebackers (26), but that stat has only been tracked since 2008. His most important quality was leadership. Vilma gave the Saints a presence to rally around which they were missing, defensively, and someone just as cerebral as Drew Brees and Sean Payton for them to duel with at practice every day. Brees introduced Vilma when he was highlighted on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011, ranking at No. 37, which you can watch here. Injuries forced Vilma to hang up his cleats, but he was selected for the Saints Hall of Fame in 2017 and continues to share his analysis as a color commentator for Fox Sports.
