Top NFL prospect Shane Ray cited for pot possession days before draft

Former Missouri defensive end Shane Ray received a misdemeanor citation after a state trooper found marijuana in his car early Monday morning, three days before the NFL draft.

The SEC defensive player of the year has been projected to be a first-round pick, with the Washington Times selecting him for the Redskins at No. 5 overall in the Los Angeles Times’ beat writers mock draft last week.

After pulling Ray over for speeding on Interstate 70 west of Columbia, Corp. Scott White with the Missouri Highway Patrol smelled marijuana, but not marijuana smoke, in the car. White conducted a probable-cause search and found a small amount of pot.

Ray, who was said to be cooperative and not impaired during the stop, was cited for possession of 35 grams or less of marijuana and a lane violation.

He was released with a summons for a June court appearance and put out this statement Monday night:

“I’d like to apologize to my Mother, Fans and prospective NFL teams for my poor judgment Monday morning. I am embarrassed and realize there are consequences for my actions.

“I was not under the influence nor impaired, therefore I was not detained. Fortunately, Monday’s incident only resulted in a citation. I will make better choices in the future. It is imperative that I continue to strive to better myself. My future NFL career has been something I have always dreamed about and is very important to me. I commit that my actions will represent that. There are no excuses here and I will take the necessary steps to ensure this will not happen again. I will not jeopardize my ability to have a positive impact on and off the field moving forward.”

A lingering foot injury could also affect Ray’s draft status, although he told ESPN he doesn’t need surgery but just to “take it easy through rookie camp and continue to focus on rehab and healing.”

Twitter: @chewkiii