Blaine Dalton
Blaine Dalton may have put an end to his college career at Missouri before it ever had a real chance to get started.
Head coach Gary Pinkel suspended Dalton indefinitely on Friday after the freshman quarterback was arrested Thursday evening, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported. According to reports, Dalton was found to have been in possession of 10 pills of the prescription painkiller Hydrocodone and alcohol after being pulled over by Columbia police around 11 p.m. on a traffic stop.
Arresting officers also detected the scent of marijuana coming from within Dalton's vehicle. In all, the Blue Springs, Mo., native was arrested on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance, minor in possession of alcohol, possession of false identification, and three traffic violations.
He was later released from Boone County jail after posting $4,800 bail. If convicted on the controlled substance charge, a Class C felony, Dalton could face up to seven years in prison as outlined by state law.
In accordance with a Missouri athletic department policy, Dalton will not be allowed to rejoin the team until the matter is resolved.
Even if Dalton is fortunate enough to escape criminal prosecution, his role with the Tigers has undoubtedly suffered a huge and potentially deadly blow. The former Blue Springs High School standout had spent the bulk of spring practices taking the snaps with the third-string offense, and reportedly had the inside track on fellow freshman Ashton Glaser in obtaining the No. 3 quarterback job heading into the summer.
Like Glaser, Dalton had enrolled at Missouri a semester early to participate in spring workouts after enjoying a successful prep career. As a high school sophomore in 2006, Dalton led Blue Springs to a Class 6A state title. The Jaguars returned to the title game last season but lost to Hazelwood Central (St. Louis). Last December, Dalton was given the Thomas A. Simone Memorial Football Award, which is bestowed annually to the best prep player in the Kansas City area.
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