Bucs cut TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins after DUI arrest

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins was arrested for DUI early this morning, his second such arrest in three years. Now, the team has cut him loose.

The Florida Highway Patrol says Seferian-Jenkins, 23, was stopped while entering southbound Interstate 275 near State Road 60 for going 75 to 80 miles an hour in a 55 mile-per-hour zone.  Troopers say he was also weaving back and forth in the lanes and even cut off a state trooper who was driving in a patrol car.

When troopers pulled him over, Seferian-Jenkins was "was agitated, exhibited slurred speech, and also was leaning on objects for balance," the arrest report stated.  He "...failed to provide a breath sample and only asked for a lawyer instead."

"The troopers don't care who you are," FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins offered.  "You can be a Bucs player; you can be the owner of the Bucs or any other football team or any other personality.  It doesn't matter.  You're not to drive drunk on the state's highways. FHP troopers are here to remove those kind of people because he's a danger to everyone else -- including himself -- on the roadway this morning, to include the trooper who was cut off by this individual."

Gaskins said Seferian-Jenkins later refused a breathalyzer test at the Hillsborough County Jail.

Seferian-Jenkins was charged with DUI and violation of an ignition interlock device restriction from a 2013 arrest in Washington.  He bonded out of jail early this afternoon and climbed into a waiting car with no comment to the media.

Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter initially said he'd wait to review the facts before making a decision on whether Seferian-Jenkins would face discipline, but the team ended up waiving the tight end this afternoon.

"Thank you TB! Next chapter," Seferian-Jenkins tweeted, apparently in response.