Marinovich Is Arrested on Drug Possession Charge

The erratic career of Todd Marinovich could be over after the Arena Football League quarterback was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of drug possession.

Los Angeles police, who arrested Marinovich after stopping him at 2:20 p.m., said the drug may be heroin.

Marinovich, 31, was booked at Parker Center police headquarters in downtown Los Angeles and later released on $10,000 bail.

John Tamanaha, spokesman for the Los Angeles Avengers, said team officials were “still learning about the situation and would have no comment at this time.”

But another team official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Marinovich’s Arena league career would be over if the charges were true.

The Arena Football League has a stringent drug policy, albeit one based on testing. The first time a player tests positive for illicit drugs, he is banned from the league one calendar year. If the player tests positive a second time, he is banned for life.

Although he did not have a positive test last season, the team official said Marinovich could be released from his contract because of his past drug history.

Marinovich has been one of the more celebrated Southland football players, beginning with his high school career. At Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley High he passed for a national-record 9,194 yards. He went on to play two seasons at USC before being chosen in the first round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Raiders.

Marinovich played two seasons with the Raiders before being cut in 1993. He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League but suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first practice. He did play for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian league until signing with the Avengers last March.

He still had hopes of playing again in the NFL. The San Diego Chargers had some interest in Marinovich, and he worked out at their training facility, but they decided not to sign him. If he does not play in the Arena league again, Marinovich could draw interest from the brand-new XFL, which begins play in February.

Still, while considered a great talent with a strong left arm, Marinovich has had several brushes with the law. In April Marinovich was arrested by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of sexual assault. But the district attorney’s office later dropped the case after determining the sex had been consensual.

In 1997, Marinovich was arrested at his Dana Point home after Orange County sheriff’s deputies found marijuana plants, a syringe and prescription medicine not in his name. He later pleaded guilty to a felony charge of cultivating marijuana and a misdemeanor charge of illegally possessing the prescription medicine, and served a three-month jail sentence.

Before the Raiders drafted him, Marinovich was charged with a misdemeanor for possession of cocaine and marijuana. He was cleared after serving in a one-year diversion program for first-time offenders.

Marinovich recently signed a one-year deal with the Avengers after a successful rookie season, in which he passed for 2,552 yards and 45 touchdowns in eight games. Against Houston, he tied a league record with 10 touchdown passes. He was named to the all-rookie team.