DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Former Brown Ricky Feacher arrested on drug charges

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CRYSTAL RIVER - A former National Football League player for the Cleveland Browns, and a substitute teacher and coach at Weeki Wachee High School, was arrested on numerous drug and traffic charges Tuesday night, according to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.


Ricky Feacher, 59, of Crystal River, was charged with fleeing or eluding law enforcement, possession of a controlled substance, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, with a total bond of $11,000.


Feacher is a 1972 graduate of Hernando High School who was inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Last year, Feacher was an assistant football coach at Weeki Wachee High School. WWHS athletic director and head football coach Mark Lee said he was aware of Feacher’s arrest.


A spokeswoman in the district’s human resources department said Feacher had recently been hired on as a paraprofessional at Eastside Elementary, and that Wednesday would have been his first day. Instead, effective Wednesday, the district terminated Feacher’s employment with the district.


Feacher’s coaching supplement was not related to his transfer to the para-position he was recently hired for at Eastside Elementary.


An arrest affidavit shows a Citrus County deputy was conducting traffic enforcement in a known high-drug traffic area near Northeast 11th Street and Northeast Eighth Avenue when the deputy saw a black SUV park in front of an apartment complex.


The driver, Feacher, never left the vehicle, but stayed parked for about two minutes before proceeding down the street and taking a left on Northeast 11th Street, not wearing a seat belt and talking on a cellphone, according to the report.


The deputy then turned around, pursuing Feacher with activated overhead emergency lights including his siren. Feacher continued driving, turning onto five streets, using his left turn signal for right turns and his right turn signal for left turns “in an apparent attempt to elude this deputy.”


Feacher also drove in the left lane while making right turns, and drove in the right lane while making left turns, not stopping for any stop signs with “complete disregard for the public,” the affidavit shows.


Feacher eventually stopped about a mile later at New Serenity Funeral Home at 713 NE Fifth Terrace, partially blocked from view by a white van belonging to the funeral home. The deputy got out of his car and ordered Feacher to step out, at which time Feacher was detained.


Another deputy arrived on scene to assist, and Feacher was searched and placed in the back of a patrol car. Feacher told the deputies he was aware that law enforcement was behind him, but had not stopped.


Another deputy arrived on scene with a dog named Zeus, who sniffed the outside of Feacher’s vehicle, which “alerted” the dog. A thorough search of Feacher’s vehicle was conducted, revealing a half-full bottle of Canadian Limited Whiskey inside the driver’s side door panel and an empty bottle of Crown Royal in the driver’s side seat.


Outside of the driver’s side door on the asphalt was the corner of a clear plastic baggie containing cocaine, and beside it were two white Marlboro cigarette packs crumpled up. Inside the cigarette packs was another small baggie containing marijuana ans a straw with cocaine residue on it.


Altogether, deputies found one bag with 1.8 grams of marijuana, another with 1.9 grams of marijuana, a bag with 0.2 grams of cocaine, another with 0.2 grams of cocaine, another with 0.9 grams of cocaine, and a bag with cocaine residue.


Feacher’s car was placed in a Citrus County evidence storage facility, due to it being placed under forfeiture. Feacher was also issued a criminal traffic citation for eluding law enforcement, a $166 fine for parking in a roadway, a $116 uniform traffic citation for not wearing a seatbelt, and another $166 traffic citation for having an open alcohol container in his vehicle.


Feacher played nine seasons in the NFL from 1976-84, primarily for the Cleveland Browns. Feacher also worked in management for the Browns, rising to director of player development following his retirement, until the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996.


Feacher was hired as a substitute teacher with Hernando County School District on Feb. 16, 2012, and as of October 2012, still held the position.


Weeki Wachee High School Principal Troy LaBarbara took the day off, according to his assistant, and could not be reached for comment.

I wonder if Sam Wyche is Head Coach at Weeki Wachee High School? He should be.

Too bad about the "Beautiful Dude" getting in trouble with drugs, though. He was a funny guy, and a decent WR, back in the day.

If Sam Wyche were HC at Weeki Wachee HS, he would tell Ricky Feacher:
"You DON'T Coach at Okeechobee! You coach at WEEKI WACHEE!"



I'll stop now.

Stupid question .....

Is 20 grams of marijuana a lot?

From the "there is no honor amongst thieves" file, I would argue his greatest sin was how he was screwing his customers...

Two bags of blow at .2 grams and one bag of .9 grams...he was screwing his peeps out of a tenth on every purchase of a gram, and .05 on every quarter-gram...akin to you paying for a gallon of gas but receiving .9 gallons

I'll never forget the two touchdown passes he caught against the bungles in game 16 in 1980. I was there at riverfront stadium....the Browns needed the win to make the playoffs, and those catches sealed the deal. It was also the game that Thom Darden laid out Pat Macinally in "the hit heard 'round the world". We thought he killed the guy. We were in the 3rd deck loge section and heard the hit.

I saw that hit on tv! Didn't that guys helmet go flyin'?

I don't recall his helmet coming off. They carted him off, and he actually came back in for a play late in the game. I gave him a standing ovation.....along with everybody else in the stadium.

I am very shocked at this news. Ricky really is a good guy I know him Played 18 holes of golf with him twice before and he really is just a nice guy. Down to earth and just one of the normal guys, so I am going to hold all judgement on this till all the facts come out, and even then if he is found guilty I'm still in his corner as none of us are perfect and we all make mistakes and have our own demeans to deal with

Agreed with your sentiment, GM...

...but it does make me ask the question: Why do folks allow themselves to do such mindless stuff?

How does a middle-aged man (who should presumably know better) make a series of choices that puts him in such a spot? I mean... if you have a life that involves drug use, there MUST be safer, smarter ways to conduct oneself than parking in sketchy neighborhoods, driving suspiciously, and carrying 'product' on the streets.

A 20-something kid- fresh into the league, with zero maturity and few developed life skills- I can almost understand.... but a guy who's older than me? With almost 60 years on the planet?

I just don't get it.
I ask, not specifically about Ricky Feacher, but in general.
Stories like this always make me shake my head-

I don't get it either, BUT even if it's true I still got his back. Like I said none of us are perfect and we all have our own demons to deal with

Agreed. 100%. Still.

I've backed personal friends who have 'messed up,' ...and they've backed me when I've done the same, so I totally 'get it.'

I have a 'pet saying,' GM:

"If Life was perfect, we'd all be chunks of 100%... instead of 98.6. That 1.4% is what makes Life so exciting- and so unpredictable."

I guess I'm still trying to 'unlock the secret' behind that 1.4%.


If even one of us can do that, imagine what changes he might make in his own life.... not to mention in the lives of so many others whom we care about. A lot of messy crap would just fall by the wayside.

But then again... what would replace it? Are we (as a species) hardwired to deal with the change? Or would "perfection" be merely a gateway to another level of 1.4?

Maybe we're fundamentally flawed from the start as part of some Grand Existential Plan that we're too limited to see. What a cruel (and cosmically Perfect) joke upon us THAT would be- eh?

Just wondering out loud (with my Dawgs), you know?



Wow. All this from a byline about an ex-Browns player getting into a scrape with The Law. (I'm staying up too late, these days- and thinking way too much....)

Quote:

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As Toad pointed out, the guy was skimming in order to support a habit

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How do you know this? Just asking because I am clueless when it comes to stuff like this.

I remember that game. Took my Dad down there. First Pro game for either of us.

the soft is a controlled substance charge.....and the multiple baggies nets him some trafficking BS....

Another petty crime made into something bigger, and another person branded with a big scarlet letter...god-bless America....