Seahawks RB Quinton Ganther arrested on suspicion of DUI

Seahawks running back Quinton Ganther was arrested in central California early Saturday morning on suspicion of DUI.

Ganther, 25, was signed by Seattle in March. He played for the Redskins last year and was signed by the Seahawks to compete for a spot on the 53-man regular-season roster as a reserve running back and special-teams contributor.

Ganther was arrested by California Highway Patrol at approximately 3:15 a.m. near downtown Sacramento. He was booked into Sacramento County main jail, bail set at $1,482 according to the inmate registry. He was released from custody later on Saturday. A court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Sacramento.

The state limit for blood-alcohol content (BAC) in California is .08 percent.

A statement from the Seahawks said, "We are aware of the situation, and in the process of gathering information." The statement concluded the team had no further comment at this time.

Ganther, who is 5 feet 9 and weighs 214 pounds, signed with Seattle this offseason. He played last season for Washington, where the coaching staff included Sherman Smith, now the Seahawks' running-backs coach. Smith was Ganther's position coach in Tennessee, where Ganther began his NFL career in 2006.

The Seahawks' backfield situation is one of the most competitive on the team. In addition to signing Ganther this offseason, Seattle also traded for LenDale White — who was subsequently released — and Leon Washington from the New York Jets. Justin Forsett and Julius Jones have been the top two backs for most of the offseason workouts. Washington is recovering from a broken leg suffered last season and is expected to be ready for training camp. Louis Rankin, a former UW Husky, is also on Seattle's roster.

Ganther attended Utah, but went to high school in California. He was chosen by Tennessee in the seventh round of the 2006 draft. He rushed for 201 yards with the Redskins last season, most in his career.

Ganther is the second player to be arrested while on the Seahawks' roster this offseason. Leroy Hill was arrested and charged with assault/domestic violence in April. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled to begin as soon as this month.

Safety Kevin Ellison, signed last month by the Seahawks, was arrested in May, police alleging that he was in possession of Vicodin tablets without a valid prescription. He was on the San Diego Chargers' roster at the time. San Diego subsequently waived him.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com