Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was arrested Friday in his Montana hometown of Great Falls on burglary and drug possession charges, police said.
The
circumstances surrounding Leaf's arrest were not immediately clear.
Great Falls Police Sgt. Dean Bennett, who confirmed Leaf's arrest, said
Friday night that he had not seen a report detailing the allegations
against the ex-football player.
"I've made some mistakes, and have no excuses," Leaf said Friday
night in a statement. "I am using the tools I've learned to move forward
rather than backwards, and will be open to talking about the details in
the days to come. I am confident that there will be further
understanding when the facts are revealed, and feel very blessed for all
of the support, especially from my friends and family."
Leaf was
booked on felony charges of burglary of a residence and criminal
possession of dangerous drugs, plus a first-time charge of misdemeanor
theft, Cascade County Detention Center Officer Robert Rivera said.
Leaf was freed on $76,000 bond and is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Monday.
Leaf, a former standout quarterback for Washington State, was the No. 2 pick in the 1998 draft behind Peyton Manning. But Leaf flamed out as quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, gaining a reputation as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
There
is no phone listing for Leaf in Great Falls. A message left at his
parents' house was not immediately returned Friday night. It was not
clear whether he had hired an attorney.
Last year, Leaf had surgery to remove a benign tumor from his brain stem and later underwent additional radiation treatments.
On
March 21, Leaf told an Associated Press reporter in an email exchange
that he had struggled through treatments and had an MRI scheduled for
the end of the month, but "I'm doing/feeling much better and am excited
for the rest of 2012."
Friday's arrest also raises the question of
whether his arrest means the 10-year probation plea agreement he
negotiated with Texas prosecutors stemming from drug and burglary
charges in 2009 will be revoked.
James Farren, the Randall County
district attorney who negotiated the 2010 plea agreement, did not
immediately return a text message seeking comment on Leaf's arrest in
Montana.
In 2008, when Leaf was a quarterbacks coach for Division
II West Texas A&M, he was accused of burglarizing a player's home.
An investigation turned up that Leaf had obtained nearly 1,000 pain
pills from area pharmacies in an eight-month span.
He resigned
that year, was indicted in 2009 and the next year pleaded guilty to
eight felony drug charges. Besides the 10 years probation, Leaf was
fined $20,000.
Last year, he authored a book titled "596 Switch"
-- the name of a passing play in the Washington State playbook -- that
focused on the 1997 season when he led the Cougars to their first Rose
Bowl in six decades.
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