FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Fayetteville police said former Arkansas Razorback and current Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matt Jones was arrested early Thursday after officers found him in a parked car, cutting up what was suspected to be cocaine.

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A police report said officers on foot patrol in a parking lot at 313 W. Dickson Street approached a Toyota 4Runner just after 12:40 a.m. Thursday and found Jones, 25, inside, using a credit card to chop up a white substance. Police said an officer drew his handgun on Jones after he did not immediately show his hands.

Police said they found a jar with possible marijuana residue inside the car and a plastic bag with what was likely cocaine inside. Officers said Jones admitted he had cocaine. Jones was arrested and charged with felony drug possession.

Police said two others inside the car, Jared Hicks, 25, and Benjamin Cook, 26, were also arrested and charged with misdemeanor drug charges. Officers say all three are former Arkansas football players.

Local Reaction

Residents in Fort Smith remembered Matt Jones as the local star athlete who made it big in the professional league.

"We've been fortunate over the years to have several really good athletes, and Matt is one of the most recent ones and was high profile," said Don Tate, owner of Benson's Grill.

Tate said he's surprised to hear of Jones arrest on drug charges, because he remembers the Northside High School Hall of Fame player as a guy with unmatched talent on the field and on the court.

"Matt has such tremendous physical skills and abilities that so many people don't have. I watched him play football and he could single handily beat guys and he was a great basketball talent, playing two sports at the University of Arkansas for a season," Tate said.

Michael Stevenson, an incoming sophomore, plays for Northside's basketball team and said the arrest hurts young athletes.

"It makes me kind of angry. I didn't think he would do anything to hurt his career," Stevenson said. He remembered getting a football autographed by Jones a few years ago.

"We still have that football and we're going to keep it," he said.

Stevenson's teammate Caleb Hogan said Jones's bad decisions will push aspiring athletes to do better.

"It kind of tarnishes Northside, because that's the only player we had in a couple of years that went pro. It makes you get down, but you have to work harder and do better than they did," Hogan said.

Many said news of Jones' arrest will be the topic of discussion for a while, but hope he's able to bounce back.

"It's a local guy that's made it to the biggest stage athletically, and perhaps that may be in jeopardy now," Tate said.

"He was a good athlete and gave us something to look up to, but this is a serious charge," Stevenson said.

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