ATLANTA — Ben Cleveland, a player for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League, has been charged with driving under the influence in Georgia, according to a report from local law enforcement officials. The incident took place last Wednesday when Cleveland was pulled over near Milledgeville, Georgia.
The sheriff’s report indicates that a deputy observed Cleveland’s black pickup truck weaving between lanes and even leaving the roadway at times. In the report, a Baldwin County sheriff’s deputy described the vehicle as having turned and entered the opposite lane of traffic, coming close to crashing into a ditch.
Upon being stopped by the deputy, Cleveland admitted to spending time at a nearby country club where he consumed approximately three to four beers but claimed he hadn’t drunk anything in the last two hours. He consented to a blood alcohol content test, which registered at 0.178—well above the legal limit in Georgia.
Cleveland faces charges for driving under the influence and for failing to maintain his lane. As of now, jail booking records do not indicate if he has engaged an attorney to represent him. Attempts to reach out to various representatives from the Ravens for comments about the situation have not yet yielded a response.
Cleveland stands at 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 343 pounds, earning him the nickname “Big Country” during his college football career at the University of Georgia. He was recognized as a first-team All-SEC player and was selected as an Associated Press third-team All-American in the 2020 season, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since being drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Cleveland has participated in 54 games. However, his professional career has been marred by injuries, leading to only seven career starts, with most of his playing time coming on special teams in the last season. Notably, at the time of his arrest, Cleveland was wearing a medical boot, as he mentioned to the deputy that he was experiencing ankle pain, which hindered his ability to perform certain field sobriety tests requiring walking and standing.
In a positive turn for Cleveland, he received a game ball from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in October after successfully blocking a 52-yard field goal attempt during a 30-23 victory over the Washington team.
