Onterrio Smith, the ex-Minnesota Vikings running back whose promising NFL career was cut short in large part because of drug problems, was reportedly jailed last night on drug charges.
The Sacramento Bee reports that Smith was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 80 in Truckee, California, at around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. The driver was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, and Smith was arrested after a routine check revealed that he had an outstanding warrant from Sacramento for possession of a controlled substance.
Smith’s bail was set at $15,000.
Smith had 107 carries for 579 yards as a rookie in 2003 and 124 carries for 544 yards in 2004, but he never played in an NFL game after being suspended for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy during the 2005 off-season. He is best remembered as the player who was stopped in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport with dried urine and a device called the Original Whizzinator.