The saga of former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla continues with more bad news, as Lyerla was arrested in Eugene, Ore., for cocaine possession Wednesday night, according to a report in The Oregonian.
A police report from the Lane County Sheriff's Office, obtained by The Oregonian, said Lyerla was observed using the drug in a parked car.
According to the police report, Lyerla was in a parked vehicle "snorting what appeared to be a white powdery substance." When approached by police, the report said, Lyerla admitted to using and possessing cocaine. He then agreed to meet with detectives at his residence to continue the investigation. But the report says that once at the residence, Lyerla ran from the vehicle into a nearby apartment. Lyerla was arrested when he emerged from the residence a short time later.
Lyerla (6-foot-5, 246 pounds) was considered one of the nation's top tight ends entering the season, but he had just two receptions in three games before leaving the team Oct. 6 for what was termed "personal reasons." He still was considered a draftable prospect, but this arrest likely changes things.
Last week, Lyerla signed with an agent and reportedly began to work out with a private trainer to prepare for workouts with NFL teams.
Lyerla's current and former teammates reacted to the news on Twitter. Ducks wide receiver Josh Huff wrote late Wednesday night that his "heart just dropped ... dude has all the talent in the world. Pray that God gives him strength."
Guard Kyle Long, a first-round pick of the Chicago Bears last April, expressed his feelings for his ex-Oregon teammate Thursday morning:
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.