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'The truth will come out': Vikings OL Oli Udoh speaks on arrest at Miami nightclub
Vikings offensive lineman Oli Udoh spoke Wednesday after being arrested at a Miami nightclub during the bye week for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Oli Udoh spoke for the first time Wednesday from TCO Performance Center in Eagan since being arrested late last week on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence at a Miami night club.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday, and was on the practice field with his teammates on Wednesday.
The Vikings were on a bye week after beating the Miami Dolphins 24-16 to improve to 5-1 on the season. An initial report from the incident says Udoh followed a woman into a bathroom at a nightclub, refused to leave resisted security officers trying to remove him.
Udoh’s attorney, Brian Bieber, released a statement Wednesday morning stating that the allegations against Udoh are "100 percent false." He said Udoh never followed a woman into the restroom, and never prevented a woman from going anywhere. Bieber says the two engaged in a conversation at the nightclub that resulted in them exchanging phone numbers.
Bieber also said the woman reached out to him, saying that the allegations against Udoh are false.
"Oli committed no crime whatsoever under Florida law, and we look forward to a speedy resolution of this case – one in which he never should've been arrested," Bieber said in a statement.
Speaking from his locker Wednesday, a visibly shaken Udoh deferred to the statement put out by Bieber.
"After everything, the truth will come out. It’s an ongoing legal matter, but once the truth comes out, I feel I’ll be alright," Udoh said. "It is what it is, it’s unfortunate that the team has to see this. But once the truth comes out, I’m confident that my role is the exact same as always."
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the situation before Wednesday’s practice as they prepare for the Arizona Cardinals, saying he wants to let the legal process play out. Udoh reached out to O’Connell after the incident, and the two have spoken multiple times since.
"I can say Oli called me immediately Sunday morning and we had dialogue throughout the day. He’s been very honest and open, not only about the situation, but some disappointment for forcing us to get that phone call and him having to make that phone call," O’Connell said. "The person and player that I’ve gotten to know very well, I have a lot of confidence that as we let this process play out, I have a lot of confidence in Oli, the person, the human, the teammate that he is in this building, that things will positively play out for Oli."
The Vikings drafted Udoh in the sixth round in 2019.