There are stupid mistakes and then there's this: former Missouri defensive end and projected first-round pick in the looming 2015 NFL Draft Shane Ray was cited for marijuana possession early Monday morning, according to a report from ESPN.
"Ray was pulled over for speeding while driving westbound on Interstate 70 at 5:46 a.m., according to Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Cpl. Scott White. According to White, the officer detected the smell of fresh -- not burning -- marijuana, and after conducting a search found a 'personal amount' in one of the car's compartments."
The defensive end/outside linebacker was issued a misdemeanor citation for possessing the marijuana and a traffic violation for failure to drive in the right lane of the highway.
Ray, per Cpl. White, was cooperative and showed "no signs of impairment." He was also given a ticket for speeding and has been ordered to appear in court in Cooper County on June 30.
"I'd like to apologize to my Mother, Fans and prospective NFL teams for my poor judgement Monday morning," Ray said in the statement, via Denise White, CEO of EAG Sports Management. "I am embarrassed and realize there are consequences for my actions. I was not under the influence nor impaired, therefore I was not detained. Fortunately, Monday's incident only resulted in a citation. I will make better choices in the future.
"It is imperative that I continue to strive to better myself. My future NFL career has been something I have always dreamed about and is very important to me. I commit that my actions will represent that. There are no excuses here and I will take the necessary steps to ensure this will not happen again. I will not jeopardize my ability to have a positive impact on and off the field moving forward."
Unfortunately for Ray, it seems the marijuana citation - in conjunction with reports that he may need toe surgery - has dropped him off some team's boards.
"Can cross Ray's name off list for Cleveland at 12. They're not messing around with any potential off-field red flags with 12 or 19," Pete Schrager of FOX Sports reported.
Of course, considering the fact that the Browns suffered through abysmal rookie seasons from both Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert last year, it's not really surprising that they'd be one of the first teams to strike Ray's name from their big board.
Still, other teams are likely to follow suit and Ray, expected to appear at the NFL Draft in Chicago, may suddenly be facing a freefall later this week.
