National Football League

Detroit Lions' Fairley arrested on drug charges

Published Apr. 4, 2012 12:58 a.m. ET

foxsports

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested Tuesday in Alabama on a charge of possessing marijuana, authorities said.

Citizens called to complain that Fairley's Cadillac Escalade was speeding through a lower-middle class neighborhood in Mobile, said city police spokeswoman Ashley Rains. Officers smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and found a small amount in an ashtray, Rains said.

Fairley and a passenger were booked into Mobile's metro jail facility on a misdemeanor marijuana possession. Fairley was released a short time later on $1,000 bail.

Fairley was a standout at Auburn University and the Lions' first-round draft pick. As a junior, he was the Lombardi award winner as the nation's top lineman and helped led the Tigers to the 2010 national title.

His arrest comes after Lions running back Mikel Leshoure was caught chewing marijuana during a traffic stop March 12 in southwestern Michigan. A police report said Leshoure was a passenger in a car stopped on Interstate 94 in Lake Township. The officer reported seeing him chewing marijuana and noticed small pieces on his shirt. Leshoure and the driver were ticketed for marijuana possession.

The Lions released a statement saying they were aware of what happened with Fairley and that they were continuing to gather information.

''We hold all of our players to a high standard of behavior and the recent charges against Nick and Mikel Leshoure are not consistent with those standards,'' the statement says. ''We are extremely disappointed.''