Kentucky dismisses Jason Hatcher after trafficking marijuana arrest

The Kentucky Wildcats dismissed Jason Hatcher after he was arrested on charges of trafficking marijuana.

The offseason is the worst time of year for college football coaches because this is the time of year when players find themselves in trouble with all the free time they have on their hands.

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That was the case for Kentucky defensive end/strong-side linebacker Jason Hatcher who was arrested on a number of charges after he was pulled over for going 11 mph over the speed limit in Franklin County.

When the officer approached the vehicle the smell of marijuana was apparent and a search of the vehicle found a quarter pound of marijuana inside Hatcher’s pants and three-quarters of a pound in another bag on the floor of the vehicle.

Hatcher was charged with trafficking in marijuana, tampering with evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia and speeding.

The Kentucky football team promptly dismissed Hatcher for violation of team rules.

This wasn’t the first time Hatcher found himself in trouble with the law and with the team. As a freshman, Hatcher was cited for marijuana possession and suspended for one game. He was also suspended for the first two games of last season for a violation of team rules.

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The 6-3, 252-pound Louisville native 39 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last year as a junior. For his career, Hatcher has 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

With Hatcher no longer on the team, the onus falls on rising sophomore Josh Allen to fill the void at the strong-side linebacker position that Hatcher was expected to hold this season.