Linebacker Natrez Patrick was one of two Georgia players arrested late Saturday night on misdemeanor marijuana charges.
A Barrow County sheriff’s deputy arrested Patrick and reserve receiver Jayson Stanley on Georgia Highway 316 around 11:50 p.m. Saturday, only hours after the No. 6 Bulldogs upset No. 2 Auburn 28-7 in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Stanley, a junior from Fairburn, Georgia, was arrested for DUI, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and speeding.
Patrick and Stanley were held overnight at the Barrow County detention center in Winder, Georgia. Online jail records show Patrick was released on $1,030 bond on Sunday.
According to people familiar with the reported incident, Stanley was driving the car when the deputy pulled them over for speeding. They said the officer smelled marijuana coming from their car, and that the players attempted to throw a bag of suspected marijuana from the car.
It’s the third marijuana-related arrest for Patrick and the second this year. He was arrested in October on misdemeanor marijuana charges and served a four-game suspension. He was also arrested on the same charges as a freshman in 2015 and was suspended one game.
Patrick is Georgia’s sixth-leading tackler with 35 stops, and he had three tackles in the SEC championship game. Stanley has three tackles on special teams and hasn’t had a reception in 11 games.
Georgia Athletic Association policies mandate that student-athletes be dismissed from the team following a third drug-related incident. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and a team spokesman weren’t immediately available for comment.
Georgia is the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff and will play No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual on New Year’s Day.
credit:espn.in
