Two BGSU football players were cited for possession of marijuana early Saturday while sitting inside a car parked in the northwest section of campus.
Anthony Turner, expected to be BG’s starting quarterback in the fall, and Ryan Patrick, a recent transfer to the University, were each cited with possessing less than 100 grams of marijuana. After campus police sensed suspicious activity, an officer approached Patrick’s GMC SUV, and detected a strong odor coming from the vehicle at about 1:30 a.m. in Lot 7 near the Offenhauer dormitories.
Turner made his initial appearance at Bowling Green Municipal Court on Monday, and received a continuance tentatively set for 2:30 p.m. on April 3. Patrick went to court Wednesday, and will make his next appearance at 10 a.m. on April 5.
The two could face up to $150 in fines through the judicial system for the minor misdemeanor. Additionally, they will most likely serve a year probation at the University and be required to enroll in counseling through the Wellness Connection on campus, according to information obtained from the Office of Student Life.
BG coach Gregg Brandon declined to comment yesterday on the arrests, deferring all questions to J.D. Campbell, assistant athletic director of communications, who said the situation will be handled internally by the coaching staff. The Falcons begin spring practice tomorrow, and it is unknown at this point whether Turner and Patrick will participate.
Upon arriving to the scene of the crime, officer Sean Beavers saw a rubber container holding marijuana seeds and stems on the floor of Patrick’s vehicle. A bag of marijuana was later found on Turner by officer Jeremy Davies, who assisted Beavers at the scene. According to Beavers, Patrick admitted to smoking weed and said other players were involved that evening.
Turner, who will be a redshirt sophomore in the fall, is the favorite to fill the void at quarterback left by the early departure of Omar Jacobs. Turner saw action in eight games this past season, starting two when Jacobs suffered a separated shoulder and couldn’t play. He completed 52 of 85 passes for 492 yards and two touchdowns and was 1-1 as a starter.
Patrick, who transferred to BG from Ball State in January, was Turner’s high school teammate and classmate at Dayton Chaminade-Julienne. A defensive back, Patrick compiled 40 tackles and three pass deflections in nine games this past season for the Cardinals. He had three tackles in Ball State’s 40-31 loss to BGSU on Sept. 10 in Muncie, Ind.
In a similar instance involving a college football player, Ohio State running back Erik Haw was arrested in May after OSU police cited Haw for smoking a marijuana cigarette outside a campus dormitory. As punishment, Haw was forced to enter a management and education training program and undergo frequent evaluation.
Turner’s citation isn’t his first incident with the law since arriving to BG in 2004. He was warned by Bowling Green police for dispatching fireworks at 211 State Ave. on July 12 of last summer. Setting off fireworks is illegal in Ohio.
Freddie Barnes, a redshirt freshman, will likely be Turner’s primary competition for the starting quarterback spot.
