Iowa football player drunkenly mistakes cop car for Uber, gets arrested and suspended for a game

A University of Iowa football player has been suspended for the first game of his junior season after being arrested and charged with public intoxication over the weekend.

Defensive tackle Brady Reiff attempted to open two doors of a parked police cruiser around 2 a.m. Saturday morning in Iowa City, university police told the Gazette.

When asked by police what he was doing, Reiff asked for a ride home. “He thought that was our job,” the police report states.

Reiff, 22, was then asked if he thought the car was part of the ride-sharing service Uber. He answered, “Yes.”

According to the police report, Reiff took a breathalyzer test and blew a .204. He was arrested for public intoxication, a simple misdemeanor, at 2:44 a.m. and released at 9:30 a.m., according to police records.

Because of the incident, Reiff will not play in the Hawkeyes’ opening game against Northern Illinois on Sept. 1, coach Kirk Ferentz said Monday at the Big Ten media days in Chicago.

Reiff, 6 feet 3 and 272 pounds, had 13 tackles and one sack in eight games last year. He is listed as a starter for the upcoming season.

His brother, Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Riley Reiff, also was arrested for misdemeanor public intoxication, as well as interference with official acts, in Iowa City back in 2008. He pleaded guilty to both charges.

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii