Todd Marinovich arrested for possession of marijuana


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Former USC quarterback Todd Marinovich was arrested for possession of marijuana after police found him naked in a backyard in Irvine, according to the Orange County Register.

Police reportedly received a call around 9 p.m. last Friday about a naked man on the Venta Spur Trail, and found Marinovich in a backyard nearby.

The 47-year-old was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and trespassing. According to police, he was carrying the items in a brown bag.
Marinovich, who spent two years at USC, started at quarterback in 1989 — his freshman season — becoming the first freshman to do so since World War II.

A talented high school recruit, Marinovich was pressed into action right away with the Trojans after starting quarterback Pat O’Hara suffered an injury. Marinovich led USC to a 9-2-1 record and a Rose Bowl victory in 1990.

He has had numerous incidents involving drugs throughout his playing career, including an arrest for possession of cocaine shortly after the Sun Bowl in 1990.

Drafted ahead of Brett Favre by the Los Angeles Raiders in the first round in 1991, Marinovich again struggled with drug addiction and was released before the 1993 season.

Marinovich never played in the NFL again, and a brief stint in the American Football League in 2000 with the Los Angeles Avengers was derailed after he was arrested for possession of heroin.

Marinovich continued to run into trouble with drugs and the law following his football career, with incidents in 2004, 2005 and 2007. In recent years, he has made attempts to clean up his image, starting a career in art.

In 2011, he told TMZ that he had been sober for three years. An ESPN documentary titled The Marinovich Project that same year chronicled the quarterback’s fall from grace. In part, it described how Marinovich’s father, Marv, worked relentlessly on turning his son into a “perfect” quarterback.
Last year, Marinovich spoke with the Daily Trojan on a story about concussions. He admitted that he suffered from concussions during his career and described his feelings after former teammates Junior Seau and Scott Ross passed away.

“Something broke in them,” Marinovich said. “We need to figure out how to keep these players from being broken.”

In 2014, Marinovich reflected on his career struggles to the Los Angeles Times.
“If I make it to my 70s,” Marinovich said, “I will be surprised.”