7:57 AM PT -- A rep for the Amherst County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Smoot's arrest warrant stemmed from his failure to appear in court for minor traffic violations.
According to the rep, Smoot had a misdemeanor traffic citation for driving without a license. He also had a traffic infraction for expired tags.
Ex-NFL star Fred Smoot -- who played for the Vikings and Redskins -- was arrested in Virginia on Thursday and TMZ Sports has the pics.
Law enforcement tells us, 40-year-old Smoot was taken into custody in Loudoun County around 7:15 PM local time.
A witness says multiple cops were waiting for Smoot at his home when the ex-NFL player arrived there. He was placed in handcuffs and taken to a nearby station where he was booked into county jail.
We're told Smoot was taken in on outstanding warrant stemming from a failure to appear in court in Sept. for a previous issue. Unclear what the previous issue is at this point, but we're working on it.
Smoot was previously arrested in Washington D.C. in 2014 for domestic violence stemming from an issue with his girlfriend. But, when the case went in front of a judge in 2015, he was found not guilty.
Besides being a pretty solid defensive back, Smoot was famously involved in the Minnesota Vikings "Love Boat" scandal back in Oct. 2005 ... when several players were accused of hiring prostitutes for a sex party on water.
Smoot later pled guilty to disorderly conduct and being a public nuisance on a watercraft stemming from the incident.
Originally Published -- 6:36 AM PT