UK Football player arrested on drug charges, kicked-off team

FRANKFORT, Ky, (WTVQ) – A University of Kentucky football player, who had been in trouble before, was arrested early Monday morning on drug trafficking charges and subsequently kicked off the team. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says 21-year old Jason Hatcher, a junior defensive end/linebacker from Louisville, was initially pulled over for speeding on Interstate 64 in Franklin County around 1:00 a.m.

Deputies say Hatcher told them he was driving back to Lexington after visiting his mother in Louisville.

Investigators say they observed an odor of marijuana in Hatcher’s vehicle. Deputies say a search of the vehicle turned up a pound of marijuana. Investigators say Hatcher had stuffed a quarter pound of pot down the front of his pants and there was another three-quarters of a pound in the vehicle.

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

He was taken to the Franklin County Detention Center.

Later in the day, Hatcher appeared in Franklin District Court where he pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. He was released from jail on his own recognizance.

He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 15 at 1:00 p.m.

Hatcher played in 21 for Kentucky.

This isn’t Hatcher’s first run-in with the law. Court records show he was cited for marijuana possession in 2014.

He was suspended for two games in 2015 for violating team rules.