Jacksonville receiver jailed for contempt

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. " Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matt Jones was jailed Monday after violating terms of his plea deal in a drug possession case by testing positive for alcohol.

The former Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback was booked into the Washington County Detention Center on Monday night on a contempt of court charge after a random drug test in February showed he violated a rule against using drugs or alcohol.

Jones was charged with one count of cocaine possession in July, when a Fayetteville police officer saw him inside a parked car allegedly cutting up cocaine. He was later suspended for the last three games of the 2008 season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

In October, Jones reached a plea deal on the charge and was accepted into a program requiring him to participate in NFL-sponsored substance-abuse counseling and random drug testing through the end of the football season, then return to Fayetteville to complete the program.

Jones' agent, Dave Butz, said the drug court's judge pointed out that Jones has been very respectful and compliant during his time in the program.

"The only issue was Matt admitting to the court that he drank a couple of beers while playing golf last week with his friends," Butz said.

Lisa Dennis, a deputy prosecuting attorney for the drug court, told The Florida Times-Union newspaper in Jacksonville that Jones had complied with the program and was frank with the judge about the alcohol violation.

"But the judge wanted to emphasize that even having a beer is against the rules," Dennis told the newspaper. "It's not a terrible infraction, but he broke a rule."

A first-round draft pick in 2005, Jones was having the best year of his career before he was suspended, with 65 catches for 761 yards and two touchdowns.