Former UTEP running back Aaron Jones was arrested before his first NFL start at Dallas with the Green Bay Packers back on Oct. 1, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Monday morning.
The NFL rookie is now facing charges after admitting to smoking marijuana. The arrest was previously unreported.
According to Wisconsin court records, Jones has pleaded not guilty to counts of driving a vehicle with a controlled substance in his system, speeding and driving without a valid license.
Michael McCarthy, the head football coach for the Green Bay Packers, said he is aware of the situation and that he had a chance to speak with Jones.
“I spoke to Aaron after the incident,” McCarthy said. “It’s been a while since, I don’t recall the date. He made a mistake, and I know it’s a pending legal situation. But yes, I am aware of it.”
The Journal Sentinel reported that Jones was pulled over at 11:37 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1 after he was driving at 79 miles per hour in a 55 mile-per-hour zone.
State trooper Dilon Larson reported that Jones’s eyes were red and that he smelled marijuana from his car. Jones’s car was searched but no narcotics were found.
Jones was taken for a blood test at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay and was released from custody at 1:33 p.m. after Donatello Brown, a cornerback for the Packers, signed a responsibility agreement form to take care of Jones.
Jones will have to be present at a final pre-trial that is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2018.