Former NFL Quarterback Todd Marinovich Found Naked With Meth

WJ Cope9 years ago

Todd Marinovich was a first round pick by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991, but lasted just two seasons in the NFL due to repeated drug problems. Yesterday, he was found naked and in possession of drugs in an Irvine, California, neighborhood.

From ESPN:

Irvine Police Cmdr. Mike Hallinan said Monday that Marinovich was arrested Friday night after a call saying a naked man was on a hiking trail near homes. The officers found him in a backyard holding a brown bag containing marijuana and a substance that appeared to be meth but police are awaiting lab results.

The 47-year-old Marinovich was cited for trespassing, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, Hallinan told the Orange County Register on Monday.

Hallinan said Marinovich, an Irvine resident, was in a backyard of a home and had been seen naked on a neighborhood jogging path.

“He was carrying the items in a brown bag,” Hallinan said.

While Johnny Manziel has taken the spotlight in recent years for his out-of-control partying, I respect that Marinovich is taking a stand for an older generation of NFL quarterbacks. This is the same guy that got in trouble for cocaine possession a few months before he was drafted, three years before Manziel would even be born. If Manziel wants another chance at being ousted from football for rampant drug use, perhaps he should try to play for a minor league team as Marinovich did in 2000. Marinovich was able to return to glory that year with the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League, getting cut after being arrested on suspicion of heroin possession.

Legends live and die over the years, and ones as great as Marinovich might even be able to work a little magic long after their prime, showing up naked for the world to witness. A great American poet once spoke of not going quietly into the night. Here’s to you, Todd, you beautiful disaster..

[via ESPN]

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