FAYETTEVILLE Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Matt Jones is "disappointed in himself" following his arrest in connection with felony possession of cocaine, the father of the former Arkansas star said Friday.
Steve Jones said his son is spending time with his family after being arrested early Thursday morning in Fayetteville. He described the past two days as a "tough time," but said the wide receiver is determined to turn the situation something positive.
"We're going to fight through this thing," Steve Jones said Friday afternoon. "Matt is disappointed in himself and disappointed in a lot of things. We're going to fight through this."
Matt Jones was arrested after officers spotted several men in an SUV in an unlit parking lot behind Dickson Street early Thursday morning, according to a police report. The report said as an officer approached the vehicle, he saw Jones in the back seat chopping up a white powdery substance with a credit card.
Police searched the vehicle and found 6 grams of cocaine, a Foot Locker card with suspected cocaine residue, two print cards with suspected cocaine, a glass jar suspected of containing marijuana residue and a small plastic straw with suspected cocaine residue.
The police report said a test on the white powdery substance was positive for cocaine.
Jones was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail. Two other passengers, former Arkansas tight end Jared Hicks, 25, and Benjamin Cook, 26, were arrested on a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Thursday, Steve Jones told local TV station, KNWA, his son was anxious to make a statement but had been advised not to until speaking with his attorney.
In addition, Jones' father said "we want to make it clear that Matt was not in possession of any drugs, but that there were drugs in the vehicle and were located in the closest proximity to Matt. He does not claim any responsibility for the drugs."
When asked about the statement Friday, Steve Jones said he "can't talk any more about that." However, he said Jones will fight through the trying times.
"It's a tough situation and Matt is here and there's been a lot of talking and a lot of soul searching," Steve Jones said. "We're going to make something positive out of it."
But the arrest does leave Matt Jones' future in jeopardy.
His status with the Jaguars already was in question this summer after the former first-round pick spent much of the 2007 season at odds with Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio.
The Jaguars had publicly criticized the receiver's commitment to the team, questioning his work ethic during the season. Still, Jones remains under contract after signing a five-year, $8.45 million deal in August of 2005.
Steve Jones said his son has spoken to Del Rio since his arrest, but declined to go into detail about what was discussed. It's unclear how the Jaguars will handle the situation, although owner Wayne Weaver said Thursday they will collect the facts first.
The same can be said for the NFL, which could suspend Jones. It's unclear if the wide receiver has any prior violations of the league's substance abuse policy because the information is not made public.
But Chris Mortensen, an ESPN NFL analyst, said Jones will at least land in the league's substance abuse program if it is his first offense.
"He is going to be contacted by somebody in the program and have a session with doctors and they will evaluate him," Mortensen said. "Whether or not he needs counseling, treatment, random testing, you don't know."
