Hines Ward's manager denies he was drinking and driving

Soon after news of his July 9 arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol in Dekalb County, Ga., Hines Ward's manager has come out against the charges.

"He cooperated fully with the police and truthfully answered all of their questions," Andrew Ree tells TMZ. "We are currently in the process of ascertaining all the facts. From our preliminary investigation we can tell you that we are confident that the facts will show that Hines was not impaired by alcohol while driving."

The Pittsburg Steelers wide receiver, Super Bowl MVP and reigning "Dancing With the Stars" winner was released on a $1,000 bond shortly after being pulled over early Saturday morning.

"Hines is deeply saddened by this incident," Ree adds, "and apologizes to his fans and the Steelers organization for this distraction."

Earlier in 2011, during his time on "DWTS," Ward suffered a misunderstanding with the police, where he was briefly detained for riding in a vehicle that was reported stolen -- though he was sitting shotgun with the car's owner.