Vikings Hall of Famer Eller pleads guilty to DUI

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller has pleaded guilty to drunken driving as part of a deal that calls for a $1,000 fine, probation and community service.

Golden Valley City Attorney Frank Rondoni said the former Minnesota Vikings' great pleaded guilty Monday to fourth-degree drunken driving, a misdemeanor, in a branch office of the Hennepin County District Court.

Rondoni said Eller, 64, won't spend time in jail, but was given five days of community service and two years' probation. Rondoni said the sentence was typical for a first offender.

Court records indicate that Feb. 28, a state trooper clocked Eller driving 97 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone. A preliminary breath test indicated a blood alcohol concentration of .117. The legal limit is .08.

Eller's attorney, Dennis Johnson, told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that Eller accepted responsibility. "He was wrong, and he wanted to move on," Johnson said. "He felt horrible about this."

Eller was member of the Vikings' famed "Purple People Eaters" defense in his 15 years as an end with Minnesota. He played in six Pro Bowls and all four of the Vikings' trips to the Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Eller has acknowledged his history as a substance abuser, became a treatment counselor and spoke publicly to groups about the problems of chemical dependency.