Former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla was arrested on Wednesday night on charges of unlawful possession of cocaine and interfering with a police officer, according to multiple reports out of Eugene.
The police report says that officers picked Lyerla up after they allegedly saw him snorting cocaine in his car. He allegedly admitted to using the drug and allegedly agreed to meet the police at his house to continue the investigation. Once he got to his residence, he allegedly raced out of his car into a nearby apartment. He later came out and was arrested by the police.
The incident is the latest plot twist in Lyerla’s saga. The former 5-star recruit from the Hillsboro, Ore., area, was a big weapon in the Ducks offense as a 2012 sophomore and appeared destined for stardom. But public feuds with head coach Mark Helfrich eventually led to the junior missing a couple early-season games and then ,three weeks ago, he abruptly quit the team after catching just two passes for 26 yards this season.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder had long been rumored to have a dark side, but his outstanding athleticism always outweighed those fears. Now, it will probably factor into destroying whatever chances he had of being a first round pick in the next NFL draft.
At this point, he’d be lucky to have a cup of coffee in the league.