Home > Waco Breaking News > Archives > 2009 > February > 11 > Entry
Baylor football recruit arrested on marijuana possession charge
A Baylor football recruit was arrested on marijuana possession charge 10 days before signing his letter of intent Feb. 4.
Willie Jefferson, a 6-foot-7 wide receiver from Beaumont’s Ozen High School, was arrested in Orange, Texas, on Jan. 25, when police found a “small bag of marijuana, a marijuana cigarette and several cigars in a cavity on the floorboard of the vehicle” Jefferson was driving, according to the arrest report.
The arrest charge is a Class B misdemeanor.
A second-team Class 4A all-state player last fall, Jefferson, 18, is considered one of the best athletes of Baylor’s 2009 recruiting class.
Jefferson ran a stop sign with three passengers — one male, two female— in his car, shortly before 1 p.m. Jan. 25, the arrest report said.
When Jefferson was pulled over, the officer “noticed him to have a green leafy substance on his pants, which (the officer) believed to be marijuana,” the report said.
After asking Jefferson to get out of the car and issuing the traffic citation, the officer asked if there was any marijuana in the vehicle. Jefferson told the officer no, but said marijuana had been in the vehicle at an earlier time.
The officer asked the other three passengers— Jefferson told him that he and a friend had picked up their girlfriends from Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School— to get out of the car and conducted a search, which revealed the marijuana, the report said.
Baylor officials were mum on any possible consequences Wednesday.
“Until the situation is resolved by the Orange County authorities, we believe it would be inappropriate for Baylor to comment on this matter,” Baylor senior associate athletics director Nick Joos said.
A message left on Baylor head football coach Art Briles’ cell phone was not returned Wednesday evening.
Staff writer John Werner contributed to this story.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F
Post a comment
Before you comment, please take a few moments to make sure that what you're saying is civil and respectful. We don't tolerate personal attacks, insults, name-calling, impersonations or generally hateful comments — they don't make for a pleasant (or productive) conversation. We want to raise the level of debate and encourage a wide diversity of viewpoints — and that means disagreeing without being disagreeable. If you wouldn't say it to your grandmother, you probably shouldn't say it here.
Your comment will be removed from WacoTrib.com if it runs afoul of these guidelines or anything else in our site's visitor agreement.
*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.
Comments
By Colleen McCool
February 12, 2009 8:58 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
It is reefer madness to equate use with abuse and to punish nonviolent people for a safer choice. Marijuana is less addicting than caffeine and has never caused an overdose death.
Cannabinoids occur naturally in the human body. Patients testify to it being an effective, safer replacemant for dangerous pharmaceuticals.
Servants of tyranny are good at ignoring history and science while catering to the needs of special interests. The tobacco, alcohol and prescription drug gangs cause more death annually than all illicit drugs.
We, the people want a better drug policy about saving or rehabilitating lives instead of ruining them. Regulation, science based education and treating abusers as patients not criminals or harm reduction is a better drug policy that increases public safety.
By CS Native
February 12, 2009 10:08 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Obviously you have taken your medicine this morning! I don’t think this football player has health issues that warrant a prescription for pot? Even if he was using it as medicine, he should not have been driving. It slows down your reaction time. You are not speaking for me when you say we the people.