PEORIA, Ill. (July 8, 2007) -- Former NFL player and Fox Sports broadcaster Bill Maas was charged with drug possession and weapons charges following a roadside safety check.
The 45-year-old Maas and a passenger in his Hummer, Sarah J. Murphy, 27, were arrested late July 6 by Illinois State Police. During the stop, police indicated Maas seemed nervous, and he agreed to a search of his vehicle.
Police found a .22-caliber revolver, 5 grams of suspected marijuana, 6 grams of suspected cocaine and 28 pills of Ecstasy. Maas and Murphy were charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Maas was also booked on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon.
"We didn't recognize him until about 5 p.m. this afternoon," Trooper Tony Halsey told the Journal Star of Peoria on July 7.
Halsey said he had no idea why Maas and Murphy, both residents of Lee's Summit, Mo., were in the area.
They were taken to the Tazewell County Jail in Illinois and will appear for a bond hearing before a county circuit court judge.
Maas was drafted from the University of Pittsburgh by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984, and was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was a two-time All-Pro selection. He played with the Chiefs until 1992 and joined the Green Bay Packers the following year.
Maas joined Fox in 1996. From 1998-01, he served as studio anchor and game analyst for NFL games. Last season he reported games for the network.
