Former Bucs player Chris Hovan faces DUI, child neglect charges

OLDSMAR — Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Chris Hovan is accused of driving while impaired with a child in the car, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident took place Monday about 7:40 p.m. Deputies pulled over Hovan, 42, on Tampa Road just west of Forest Lakes Boulevard, according to an arrest affidavit. He “showed signs of impairment” while performing field sobriety tests, deputies said.

A Breathalyzer exam revealed that his blood-alcohol content level was 0.309 and 0.315, the report said. That is more than three times the level at which Florida law presumes a driver is impaired, which is 0.08 or greater.

He was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge and a felony charge of child neglect. The child, whose name was not released by the Sheriff’s Office, was in the passenger seat when deputies stopped Hovan. The child was not injured.

Hovan spent 10 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 25th pick of the first round in 2000. He signed with the Bucs in 2005 and spent five seasons playing in Tampa Bay. He was released in 2010.

He has served as an assistant coach with the University of South Florida, the Tampa Bay Storm, the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and Steinbrenner High School in Lutz.

Hovan was convicted on DUI charges 2015. In 2018, he was ordered to stay away from his family in a domestic abuse case.

He was released from the Pinellas County jail on Tuesday morning after posting $5,500 bail.