Stevens' latest arrest likely ends Seahawks career

Jerramy Stevens was alone, driving a rented Chrysler in Arizona when he was pulled over early Tuesday morning. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and cited for possession of marijuana.

Later that day in his home state, the Seahawks, who drafted Stevens into the NFL, finished a deal with someone else to play tight end while the college coach who recruited him to the University of Washington could only shake his head.

"I'm just disappointed in the fact that he's still on a very destructive track," Jim Lambright said.

Stevens is 27. This is his second arrest since entering the NFL in 2002, and it adds to a history he has spent so much time saying is behind him.

After five years with the Seahawks, he is now an unrestricted free agent. He was not in Arizona on a free-agent visit.

Attempts to reach Stevens were unsuccessful, his agent did not return messages and the Seahawks had no comment. The Seahawks signed tight end Marcus Pollard to a one-year contract Tuesday. Pollard was in town for a visit Monday, before Stevens' arrest.

The Seahawks never commented publicly on Stevens' future with the team, but there were indications they were going in another direction. They targeted New England's Daniel Graham, who chose Denver. Seattle also re-signed backup Will Heller and then added Pollard.

Stevens' legal record


A timeline of Jerramy Stevens' encounters with the law:

June 2, 1998: Stevens arrested on charges of second-degree assault armed with a deadly weapon and fourth-degree assault. Stevens and a friend engaged in a fight with a 17-year-old, according to the police report. Stevens' friend struck the man with a baseball bat, and witnesses said Stevens stomped on the man's face after he fell, according to the police report. Stevens agreed to a charge of misdemeanor assault.

July 10, 1998: Stevens tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. He was sent to jail five days later. He was sent home on Aug. 5.

July 27, 2000: Stevens arrested for investigation of sexual assault.

July 28, 2000: Stevens released from jail after prosecutors determined they wouldn't be able to charge Stevens in the 72-hour window of his arrest. He was never charged in the incident.

May 4, 2001: Stevens cited for reckless driving and hit and run after crashing into a concrete apartment building in Northgate on May 3 while a 93-year-old woman was sleeping.

June 1, 2001: Stevens pleaded guilty to hit-and-run causing property damage, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 240 hours of community service. A 90-day jail sentence and $1,000 fine were suspended.

April 3, 2003: Stevens was stopped by Medina police after rolling through a stop sign in a residential neighborhood. Two open bottles of champagne were seen on the car floor in front of the passenger's seat. Stevens was charged with driving while intoxicated.

June 10, 2003: Stevens pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving.

June 12, 2003: Stevens sentenced to five days in jail for violating probation on the 2001 charge of hit-and-run property damage.

June 23, 2003: Stevens sentenced to two days in jail for the reckless driving charge, fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 25 hours of community service, picking up trash. The judge disclosed the breath-test results, which measured Stevens' blood-alcohol concentration at 0.14 percent and 0.17 percent.

March 13, 2007: Stevens arrested in Arizona and charged with driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana.

Stevens was stopped just after 2 a.m. Tuesday in Scottsdale. After being pulled over, Stevens told the officer he had "four or five margaritas" at a bar called Salty Senorita, according to the police report. Asked to step out of the car, he "dropped his cellphone and wallet on the ground, bent down to pick them up, then stutter-stepped," police said.

The arresting officer wrote Stevens agreed to field-sobriety tests but stopped after the first exercise. He then refused to take a breathalyzer test. Three hours later, Stevens agreed to give two vials of blood after police obtained a warrant.

After Stevens was placed in handcuffs, the arresting officer stated he found a "green, leafy substance" stuffed in a napkin in Stevens' back pants pocket. The second officer at the scene stated in the report that the substance was believed to be marijuana. The report of property seized estimated the value of the substance at $20.

"My reaction is disappointment," Lambright said, "and ... just a waste of such great potential. [He has] a wonderful family and great athletic ability that isn't going to reach its potential."

Stevens was arrested for suspicion of DUI in 2003 but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving.

Lambright was the coach at Washington where Stevens enrolled after serving about three weeks in jail in 1998. Stevens pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault. He was sentenced to jail after he tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

"He was a good player for us," Lambright said. "He came into the university with the understanding that he had to walk a pretty tight path because of his final year at high school, and he did that."

Lambright was only there for the first of Stevens' four seasons at Washington. Stevens redshirted that year and played the next three seasons for then-coach Rick Neuheisel.

Stevens was arrested for investigation of sexual assault in 2000, but he never was charged. He was cited for reckless driving and hit and run in 2001 after crashing his car into an apartment. He pleaded guilty to hit-and-run property damage and was suspended for one half of the Huskies' first game.

Stevens was taken in the first round of the 2002 draft. His best NFL season was 2005. He caught a career-high 45 passes and scored five touchdowns. He underwent knee surgery after the season, reinjured that same knee in training camp and missed the first five games of 2006. He finished the season with 22 receptions.

His former team's status at his position is now pretty straightforward. The Seahawks have moved on. Stevens' status is less clear. He visited Tampa Bay the first week of free agency, but did not sign.

It could not be determined whether Stevens has been cited in the NFL's substance-abuse program, which is confidential.

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