On Thursday, four former Louisiana State University football players were arrested on drug charges.

According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, Karnell Hatcher, Derrick Bryant, Tyrann Mathieu, and Jordan Jefferson were all picked up on marijuana-related charges.  Jefferson and Mathieu were charged with simple possession of marijuana, Hatcher was charged with simple possession of marijuana (second offense) and Bryant was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The four former football players were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.  Bryant’s bond was set at $9,000, Hatcher’s was $3,500, and Jefferson and Mathieu’s were each $500.

According to police, Mathieu, Bryant, and Jefferson had all bonded out by Friday morning.

Officers were dispatched to an apartment around 3:30 PM Thursday in response to a call about a man trying to force his way through an apartment complex’s security gate.  The man had been seen coming out of an apartment earlier.  When police arrived, they went to that apartment and smelled marijuana as soon as the door was opened.

Mathieu opened the door, according to a police report.  The report states that, “Officers immediately smelled a strong odor of marijuana and obtained consent from Mathieu to search the apartment.  Inside, they found three other men, including the one who had allegedly tried to force his way through the gate.  He was identified as Jordan Jefferson.”

Inside the apartment, police discovered a marijuana grinder, a digital scale, and 10 bags of high-grade marijuana.  Three of those bags were discovered in Bryant’s backpack.

All four men had promising football careers before being removed from the LSU team.  Mathieu was removed from the team earlier this year for failing multiple drug tests.  He entered rehab as a result, hoping to turn it around and regain his spot on the team.  Hatcher and Bryant were defensive backs for the team who exhausted their play eligibility.  In 2011, Mathieu was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, but he was suspended last season for failing a drug test for synthetic marijuana.

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