Gophers Drake Lindsey talks underage drinking arrest: ‘I can’t make those decisions’
Gophers Drake Lindsey talks May arrest: ‘I can’t make those decisions’
University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck and quarterback Drake Lindsey spoke Tuesday for the first time since Linsey’s May arrest in his hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas, for underage drinking and having a fake ID.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck and quarterback Drake Lindsey spoke Tuesday for the first time since Linsey’s May arrest in his hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The incident happened shortly after the Gophers had wrapped up their spring football season for their Spring Game. Players got time off away from workouts, but started their summer program on Monday. Lindsey turns 21 in August.
‘Drake’s got to make better decisions’
The backstory:
Lindsey was arrested May 1 at an Arkansas bar for underage drinking and possessing a fake ID. It was enough to be taken into custody, and have to take a mug shot. Lindsey said Tuesday he immediately apologized to the team, and will learn from it.
"As the leader of the football team, I understand I can’t make those decisions. I’ve certainly grown from them and learned a lot. I apologize to the administration, our staff, all the players and I’ll certainly grow from this," Lindsey said. "I Apologized, straight-forward, took accountability. That’s what a man and a leader has to do. I’ll continue to do that."
Fleck runs a tight ship with his team off the field, where incidents involving arrests have been almost unheard of. The last phone call he wanted to take was to learn of his starting quarterback and one of his captains being arrested.
What they're saying:
"First and foremost, Drake’s just got to make better decisions, just like all the players on our team. Take accountability for those decisions, learn from those decisions and be better for it," Fleck said. "That’s the only thing you can do with your football team is continue to educate them, and I know he’ll be way better for it, and he has been."
Will Drake Lindsey miss time?
Why you should care:
The Gophers open the 2026 regular season, Fleck’s 10th with the program, against Eastern Illinois on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Huntington Bank Stadium. The question remains if Lindsey will be out for the first series with the Gophers’ offense, or if Fleck will discipline him with some sort of suspension.
While the offense in itself seems minor, the fact that it's a starting quarterback, captain and one of the faces of the program matters. Fleck wouldn't say definitively what that decision will be.
"We’ll handle all that internally, we already have. It’s not considered in the past, it’s ongoing. We’ll keep that all internal," Fleck said.
In his first full season as a starter in 2025, Lindsey completed 63% of his passes for 2,382 yards, 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions, three of which came against Iowa.
Some NFL Draft analysts are projecting Lindsey to have the potential to be a first round pick after this season.