Missouri pass-rusher Shane Ray was cited Monday morning for misdemeanor possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana by the Missouri State Highway Patrol just outside of Columbia.
Ray was stopped for speeding at 5:46 a.m. and was also issued a citation for failure to drive in the right lane. The officer noted that Ray was cooperative and didn't show signs of impairment.
Released at the scene, Ray was never taken to the police station. He is due in court on June 30.
According to information gathered by five NFL teams, Shane Ray failed a drug test early on in his career at Missouri, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported Monday. Over the last three months, clubs had shown a willingness to overlook that, but Monday morning's incident changes the complexion of Ray's file, Breer said.
A Missouri spokesman declined to comment when asked about the failed test, and repeated attempts to reach agents Tony Fleming and Mitch Frankel were unsuccessful, per Breer.
The citation comes less than a week after NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein reported that some teams believe Ray will require toe surgery that could sideline him for three-to-five weeks.
Ray released the following statement Monday night, obtained by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport:
"I'd like to apologize to my Mother, Fans and prospective NFL teams for my poor judgement Monday morning," Ray said. "I am embarrassed and realize there are consequences for my actions.
"I was not under the influence nor impaired, therefore I was not detained. Fortunately, Mondays incident only resulted in a citation. I will make better choices in the future. It is imperative that I continue to strive to better myself. My future NFL career has been something I have always dreamed about and is very important to me. I commit that my actions will represent that. There are no excuses here and I will take the necessary steps to ensure this will not happen again. I will not jeopardize my ability to have a positive impact on and off the field moving forward."
