SEATTLE — University Washington wide receiver Kasen Williams was pulled over for speeding in May and the stop resulted in a citation for being under 21 and operating a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol or marijuana.
Williams, 20, was not charged with a DUI, but received a 24-month deferred sentence, paid a $695.50 fine and was placed on probation for two years.
News of Williams’ trouble emerged on Tuesday after Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian released a statement saying the school was aware of the incident. Williams, who will be a junior this year, was Washington’s leading receiver last season with 77 catches for 878 yards and six touchdowns. In two seasons, Williams already has 12 touchdown receptions.
“We are aware of an incident involving Kasen Williams in Chelan County on May 26,” Sarkisian said in his statement. “As a matter of policy, any disciplinary measures taken as a result of this incident will remain internal to the team.”
A Washington State Patrol trooper stopped Williams for going 45 mph in a 30-mph zone, acccording to the police report. This was the fourth time during a 14-month period from March 2012-May 2013 that Williams has been pulled over for speeding.
The trooper in this case reported Williams’ eyes were “very watery and lightly red.” The trooper also noted the smell of alcohol and marijuana coming from Williams’ car as he approached the vehicle and that a “large glass smoking device commonly used for the ingestion of marijuana” was near the unidentified passenger in the vehicle, according to the police report.
Williams was cooperative and told the trooper he had consumed one drink, the police report said. Williams agreed to a breath test and both tests came back under Washington’s legal limit of .08 — .059 and .056.
The citation makes Williams the second star UW football player to be involved with drinking while operating a motor vehicle in the past four months.
Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins was charged with misdemeanor DUI March 9 when his car ran off the road in Seattle’s University District. Seferian-Jenkins, also a junior-to-be, was second on the Huskies with 69 catches for 852 yards.
Seferian-Jenkins was suspended from the team for the duration of spring football. He has a July 15 pre-trial hearing that is expected to resolve his DUI case, which has dragged out in part because he switched lawyers.
The infractions leave Sarkisian to decide if either his top receiver or top tight end will be suspended for any games for the 2013 season.
UW’s official student-athlete code of conduct states in part: “When a student-athlete has been arrested or charged with a violation of criminal law, the student-athlete will be placed on administrative suspension from all team activities pending further investigation. If the alleged criminal activity would constitute a misdemeanor offense, the head coach may lift the administrative suspension after obtaining the approval of the sport administrator. If the alleged criminal activity would constitute a felony, the administrative suspension may be lifted only upon authorization of the Director of Athletics.”
That language leaves the suspension decision to Sarkisian in both Williams’ and Seferian-Jenkins’ cases. Washington opens revamped Husky Stadium on Aug. 31 against Boise State, its most difficult non-conference foe.
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