Free-agent tight end Stevens runs into trouble with law again

Unsigned free-agent tight end Jerramy Stevens was accused of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana after police stopped his car in downtown Scottsdale, Ariz., early Tuesday.

A Scottsdale patrol officer noticed the car traveling erratically and made the stop about 2:15 a.m.

Stevens, an unrestricted free agent after five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, told the officer he had “four of five margaritas” at a downtown bar.

According to the police report, the officer smelled alcohol and noticed Stevens’ eyes were “bloodshot and watery and half-closed. Stevens spoke with slow, slurred speech.”

As he got out of the vehicle, the report said, Stevens “dropped his cell phone and wallet on the ground, bent down to pick them up, then stutter-stepped to walk” toward the officer.

A second officer arrived and began a field sobriety test, but after Stevens “almost fell down” during the “walk-and-turn” test, the player declined to participate in any further testing.

Police said they found a “leafy green substance” believed to be marijuana in Stevens’ pocket.

Stevens refused a breathalyzer test and declined to give a blood sample until police obtained a warrant about 5 a.m., the report said. Stevens was booked and posted bail and an initial court appearance was set for April 2. The blood test results haven’t yet been released.

In June 2003, Stevens pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a plea deal after being stopped in the Seattle suburb of Medina on investigation of drunken driving. He got a two-day jail sentence for that offense.

He received another five days in jail for violating his probation after he drove into a nursing home in 2000 in a hit-and-run case. Stevens was a student at Washington at the time of that incident.

The 6-foot-7, 265-pound player was a first-round draft pick by the Seahawks, the 28th selection overall, in 2002. He had a career-best 45 catches for 554 yards, a record for Seattle tight ends, in the Seahawks’ 2005 Super Bowl season.

Last season, Stevens caught 22 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns.