INQUISITR.COM / Sports

Troy Smith, Former Ohio State QB And Heisman Winner, Arrested

By Pam Wright
Published on: 05:31 PST, Apr 3, 2016

Troy Smith, the former Ohio State quarterback and Heisman trophy winner, has been arrested on charges of driving under the influence and marijuana possession.

Police told CBS affiliate WBNS in Columbus that Smith was pulled over at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

According to police, the 31-year-old was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence, possession of marijuana and improper display of a license plate.

Smith was pulled over for missing his front license plate and weaving, according to the arresting officer. He blew a 0.143 on a Breathalyzer test, well over the legal limit.

Smith, who played for Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel from 2003 to 2006, became the seventh Buckeye to win the Heisman trophy for most outstanding player in college football in 2006 and was named an All-American.

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, by his mother, Smith had two other siblings. The family later moved to the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland.

Smith became interested in football while playing in Baltimore, where he played for the Glenville A’s, initially as running back and tight end. His coach, Irving White, later moved Smith to the position of quarterback, which stuck.

Smith and his siblings went into foster care in 1993, and he lived with his coach after Smith’s mother faced personal difficulties.

During his first two years in high school, Smith played at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, but was thrown off the team after elbowing an opponent in the head while playing in a varsity basketball game. He then transferred to Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Smith threw for 969 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior year.

Smith joined the Ohio State Buckeyes after receiving an athletic scholarship and became the team’s starting quarterback his junior year.

Smith’s college football career came to an end in 2007, after he and the Ohio State Buckeyes were beaten by the Florida Gators in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game, 41-14. Smith completed just four of 14 passes for 35 yards along with an interception, a fumble, and was sacked five times.

Smith graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor’s degree in communications, before being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. Despite winning the Heisman trophy, Smith wasn’t drafted until the fifth round.

In 2010, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN listed Smith as the “Big Ten player of the decade.”

“The league’s lone Heisman Trophy winner tops the list. Smith took home the Heisman, the Walter Camp and the Big Ten MVP awards in 2006. He also led Ohio State to a Fiesta Bowl championship following the 2005 season.”

He spent four years in the NFL from 2007 to 2010, playing for the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.

Smith has advocated for the passage of the FIT Kids Act, federal legislation that would require school districts to report on students’ physical activity and to give health and nutritional information to children.

Smith was released from police custody and is scheduled to be in court at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

WBNS reports Smith is currently a free agent.

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]

Share this article: Troy Smith, Former Ohio State QB And Heisman Winner, Arrested
Ohio State Buckeyes
More from Inquisitr