Four Penn State Football Players Charged with Marijuana Possession

Penn State Police charged four Penn State football players with marijuana possession Monday, marking the second such incident in the past month.

Police charged Lance Dixon, Daequan Hardy, Joseph Johnson III and Terry Smith with misdemeanor possession following an August incident. The Centre Daily Times first reported the news.

"We are aware of the charges against football student-athletes Terry Smith, Daequan Hardy, Joseph Johnson and Lance Dixon," Penn State's athletic department said in a statement. "These alleged actions do not reflect the values and standards of our program and will be addressed. We will not comment any further as this is an ongoing legal matter."

In August, police charged three Penn State football players with drug-related offenses, including one with possession of a controlled substance. Those three players, Devyn Ford, Caedan Wallace and Sal Wormley, have preliminary hearings scheduled for later this month.

Police also have charged former Penn State player Brandon Taylor with possession, according to the Centre Daily Times. Penn State said recently that Taylor, a freshman in the 2020 recruiting class, no longer is with a team because of an unspecified rules violation.

Police charged Dixon, Hardy, Johnson and Smith after an officer smelled marijuana outside their campus apartment in August, according to the Centre Daily Times' recount of the affidavit of probable cause.

Dixon, a redshirt freshman linebacker, played in three games last season. Hardy, a redshirt freshman defensive back, played in two games. Smith, a running back, redshirted last season. Johnson is a freshman cornerback.

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