Joshua Cephus, a star wide receiver for UTSA Football, was charged with a Class A misdemeanor last month for driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of more than twice the legal limit. The charge arose seven months after he was arrested for a suspected DWI after rolling his car over near the main campus while returning from a nightclub last December.
Following the accident, Cephus was promptly suspended from the UTSA football team. He did not attend the Roadrunners’ final game of the season — the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fl. — though the exact reason for his absence was undisclosed at the time.
Coach Traylor publicly supported Cephus in the months leading up to his charge. He commended him for his honesty and transparency and stated that he did not expect the player to receive any further punishment from the school.
According to police reports, the accident occurred at 3:25 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9 on the corner of Babcock Road and UTSA Boulevard.
Cephus told an officer he was coming from Privat Social Club, about three miles east of the crash site. He was traveling southbound on Babcock and tried to turn left at a green light when he “lost control of his vehicle and proceeded to roll his vehicle over, coming to a rest at a nearby light.” Although cooperative, Cephus was reported to have glossy, bloodshot eyes, strong-smelling breath and slurred speech. He could not tell the responding officer what time it was.
Cephus rated his sobriety a “five or less” on a scale of zero to ten, with zero being sober and ten being “the drunkest he had ever been.” He was arrested at the scene, although technical difficulties with the breathalyzer test prompted his release upon providing a blood sample, taken approximately two hours after the accident.
San Antonio police obtained a warrant for Cephus’ arrest in late June after receiving the results of his blood specimen. According to court records, the blood sample showed that Cephus’ BAC was 0.15 or higher. The legal limit for BAC in Texas is 0.08.
Cephus was booked on July 10 but was released after posting his $1,500 bond. He has since hired two seasoned defense lawyers: Desi Martinez of Martinez & Associates and Marc LaHood of LaHood Law, who stated on his website that he has “successfully fought and won 4 DWI blood draw trials.”
UTSA issued a statement on July 11 addressing Cephus’ suspension: “Joshua Cephus was suspended from team activities in December 2022 and did not participate in the Cure Bowl. He was allowed to rejoin team activities in January after fulfilling the terms of his suspension. Any further actions will be determined by a student conduct committee.”
Cephus’ pre-trial conference is scheduled for Sept. 12.
