FSU Star Safety Reportedly Missed Memphis Loss Due To July DUI Arrest

The redshirt junior was reportedly arrested in early July after being stopped for traveling 117 miles per hour.

Florida State football safety Shyheim Brown takes part in the final Tour of Duty winter workouts ahead of 2024 spring practices on Thursday, March 7, 2024. / Ehsan Kassim/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

Florida State ruled out five players prior to its home game against Memphis earlier this month, including redshirt junior safety Shyheim Brown. At the time, the reason for Brown's absence was unclear as he wasn't among the Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell mentioned as dealing with an injury leading up to the contest.

It's now become known why the star defender was on the sidelines in street clothes during FSU's loss to the Tigers. On Thursday, Warchant's Ira Schoffel reported that Brown was arrested in early July by Florida Highway Patrol for speeding and driving under the influence (DUI). He was transported to the Jefferson County Jail and released the next morning after posting a bond of $500.

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The report went on to state that Brown was traveling at a speed of 117 MPH in a 70 MPH zone. He was the driver of a Dodge Charger on I-10 West along with an unnamed passenger during the weekend of July 4.

Brown reportedly admitted to taking two shots of Tequila two hours before being stopped and a 'nearly empty' bottle of the liquid was recovered from his car. A 9MM handgun was also found in the vehicle and turned over to deputies on the scene. Brown agreed to a field sobriety test and lost his balance 'repeatedly' while going through the assessment.

The report added that Brown provided two breath samples. The first registered a BAC (blood alcohol content) of .203 and the second one came in slightly lower at .199. Both samples are more than double the legal limit of .08 in the state of Florida.

Brown then was taken to the Jefferson County Jail, where he reportedly agreed to provide breath samples; the first one registered a blood alcohol content of .203, and the second registered .199, according to the report. Both results would be more than double the legal limit in Florida of .08.

The Florida native has court appearances scheduled for the misdemeanor DUI charge (October 8) and speeding ticket (October 11). Brown's attorney has entered a plea of not guilty for both charges. Both of those dates fall during a BYE week for the Seminoles following a home game against Clemson on October 5.

NoleGameday reached out to a Florida State spokesperson in the aftermath of the Warchant report. The spokesperson stated that Brown "faced internal discipline which resulted in him being unavailable for the game against Memphis" when asked for comment. We've also contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for a statement.

In three appearances this season, Brown has recorded 32 tackles and one tackle for loss. That includes 13 tackles and one tackle for loss against Georgia Tech and 11 tackles in his most recent outing against Cal. Brown is listed as Florida State's starting Buck safety on the depth chart for Saturday night's game in Dallas.

Brown signed with the Seminoles as a three-star prospect in 2021. He's become an example of development under Florida State's coaching staff, going from an overlooked high school recruit to an all-conference selection in Tallahassee. Brown is coming off a career year in 2023 where he started all 14 games while recording 53 tackles, two sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, and four pass breakups as he earned third-team All-ACC honors.

It's unclear if the arrest will have any impact on Brown's availability moving forward. Head coach Mike Norvell has not released an official statement on the matter.

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