Former NFL player Gosder Cherilus has publicly addressed an incident on a Delta Air Lines flight to Dublin, where he was accused of urinating on a fellow passenger. Cherilus, who was a first-round draft pick for the Detroit Lions in 2008, took to social media to explain his actions and apologize.
He attributed the incident to the effects of a sleeping medication he had taken due to a significant delay before the flight’s departure from Boston’s Logan International Airport.
Cherilus explained that the flight was delayed for four hours and did not depart until after midnight. In anticipation of the overnight journey, he took a sleeping aid that he was not accustomed to, which he claims led to behavior uncharacteristic of him. In his statement, he apologized to the passengers and crew, expressing regret for the disruption caused by his actions.
The police report on the incident provides further details, stating that Cherilus appeared intoxicated when boarding the plane. He allegedly engaged in an argument with the flight crew over his seat and later, about an hour into the flight, urinated on an elderly passenger. Additionally, Cherilus is accused of assaulting another passenger before passing out in their seat.
Following the incident, Cherilus was arrested and arraigned in court, facing charges of disorderly conduct, disturbing a flight crew, and resisting arrest. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 11 for a pretrial hearing. The situation has garnered significant media attention due to Cherilus’s prominence as a former professional football player.
Cherilus, who is now 40 years old, had a nine-year NFL career. He spent five seasons with the Detroit Lions as a starter on the offensive line before signing with the Indianapolis Colts. However, his time with the Colts was cut short after two seasons, and he concluded his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, retiring in 2017.
