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Todd Marinovich, Ex-USC And Raiders QB, Arrested Naked With Drugs In Stranger’s Backyard

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 06:55 PST, Aug 23, 2016

Former USC star and Raiders quarterback Todd Marinovich has been arrested naked and with drugs in someone else’s backyard in Irvine, California. Marinovich was cited with trespassing, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana. The charges are said to likely increase after testing is done to prove that the currently unknown substance is methamphetamine. Todd Marinovich, 47, has had problems with the law and drugs in the past, but this is one of the stranger run-ins for the former football player.

But before being found in a stranger’s Irvine, California, backyard naked with a bag of drugs, Todd Marinovich was part of one of professional sports cautionary tales about controlling helicopter parenting when he was groomed to be a football player seemingly from infancy, says Heavy.com. Todd Marinovich’s father, Marv Marinovich, pushed his professional football aspirations (a frustrated Marv played in only one pro football game) on his son from a very early age, starting him in sports conditioning as soon as he could walk. Today, Marv Marinovich admits he was a fanatic but believes you can’t achieve things in life without focus.

Todd Marinovich entered USC as a star, becoming the first freshman to start as quarterback, and after two years, he left college to play in the NFL. But not unlike Johnny Manziel, whose success fizzled when he went off the rails, Marinovich’s NFL days were short-lived. Marinovich rebelled against his father, the NFL, and everyone who he perceived were trying to control his life. Todd Marinovich found happiness as an artist, but he also became involved in drugs.

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Marinovich was taken into custody at 9 p.m. on Friday night after calls came in complaining about a naked man running through the community, according to Commander Mike Hallinan.

“The caller stated that there was a naked person on Venta Spur Trail,” said Hallinan, referring to a paved bike and walking path that runs along a greenbelt between homes.

The naked guy was Todd Marinovich, and he was carrying a brown paper bag containing drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Todd Marinovich, who is a resident of Irvine where he was found, was drafted into the NFL ahead of star quarterback Brett Favre, but he soon showed that he was unraveling. He was involved with drugs early on, even in his college days when he was arrested for cocaine in 1990. In recent years, he has been arrested near Newport Beach for drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Us Weekly says that after the police came to the Irvine backyard to investigate, they found a naked Marinovich with his bag of marijuana and another substance, and they took him into custody.

Todd Marinovich’s drug arrests started in 1990, and after entering the NFL, he failed three drug tests before exiting football for good. Marinovich has spoken publicly about his drug use and the positive effect he believes drugs have on him, including LSD.

“Pot just really relaxed me. I could just function better in public. I never played high or practiced high. It wasn’t as hard on my body as drinking. I thought, man, I have found the secret. I was in love.”

Marinovich, a father of two himself, stated publicly in 2011 that he had been clean and sober for three years.

The Irvine police are testing the drugs and paraphernalia that they believe contain methamphetamine, and charges will be adjusted for Marinovich.

What do you think will happen to Todd Marinovich?

[Photo by Kevork Djansezian/AP Images]

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