When Colt Lyerla was a surprising inactive against the Tennessee Volunteers it was a surprise to many but nobody could have imagined what would unfold over the next month. Lyerla would leave the Oregon football program on October 7 and it all led up to Wednesday night when he was arrested for unlawful possession of cocaine and interfering with a police officer, the arrest was first reported by Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller (@NFLDraftScout).

Lane County Sheriff's officers arrested Lyerla on Wednesday night when “detectives observed Lyerla in a parked vehicle snorting what appeared to be a white powdery substance. Lyerla was contacted by police and admitted to using and possessing cocaine” according to the police report obtained by The Oregonian. Lyerla agreed to meet with police at his home to continue the investigation, but Lyerla ran from his vehicle and into a nearby apartment.

Lyerla has run into problems before, Bleacher Report’s Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) reported Eugene police previously detained Lyerla in April 2012 for appearing under the influence and assaulting three men but no chargers were filed. Unlawful possession of cocaine is a Class C felony in Oregon and carries a maximum sentence of five years. Lyerla appeared his arraignment on Thursday and now has the chance to have the two charges dismissed with his agreement to attend drug court where a judge will decide if Lyerla is a drug addict and if he can attend a treatment program out of state. If Lyerla can receive successful treatment the chargers will be dropped and he can go on to live his life, but what does this mean for his future in the NFL?

Before the season many including myself viewed Lyerla as the best tight end prospect in the 2014 class and a first-round talent. While he was still developing as a receiver the raw talent was evident and it was something NFL teams crave to have. There were rumors about potential drug use while at Oregon, but nothing was ever confirmed and talent masked for any concerns. But when Lyerla left the football program on October 7 his draft stock went into a tailspin and we started to learn more about Lyerla’s personal life. In an investigative story done by Jeff Risdon, we learned about Lyerla’s troubled childhood dealing with an unstable household with an absent father and a mother with a history of drug problems. It was certainly a rough childhood, one that Lyerla managed to get out of thanks to a scholarship from Oregon. But the problems carried over for Lyerla and the pressure of being a college football player just built and the drinking and drug use carried on to him. He is an immature kid with a rough childhood who has made a lot of mistakes in life, but is it worth it for an NFL team to take this great talent while risking money and time on a person who has a lot of growing up to do off the field before he can do anything on it.

I believe that this is Lyerla’s second chance at life, a chance for him to turn his life around and leave his past behind him. Leaving Oregon and committing himself to drug rehabilitation might be just what he needs to turn the corner and grow from his mistakes. It’s more than just drug/alcohol problems that Lyerla will have to change, he needs to show more respect for authority and commit himself more to being in a structured environment and following directions. He has made mistakes that plenty of young, immature college kids have made, but they are the same mistakes that you can’t make if you want to play in the NFL. If Lyerla can commit himself to making change with his life, becoming a better person and accepting the drug treatment, he will turn himself around.

Yes, there are NFL teams that will take chances on players with off the field issues. We have seen it recently with successful players like Tyrann Mathieu, Janoris Jenkins, and Adam Jones. But for every success there are ten more players that didn’t make it like JaMarcus Russell, Dwayne Jarrett, Titus Young, Rolando McClain, Josh Brent, and most recently Aaron Hernandez. Teams always took caution with players who had legal concerns, but Hernandez most recent arrest for murder is bringing a whole new level of scrutiny. Now Lyerla will have a lot of questions to answer when he arrives in Indianapolis in February for the NFL Combine, but that is only if he avoids more legal trouble. If he can avoid any more trouble in the coming months and he is cleared of the chargers, he will have his chance to prove himself in the interview room with coaches, scouts and executives. If he leaves a strong impression with them, Lyerla will be drafted in the late rounds as a high reward/low risk selection. If he can’t successfully make it through the drug program or has more problems with the law, he will not achieve his dream of being draft in May.

Nobody will ever question Lyerla’s talent; players with his ability just don’t come around very often. If you were drafting solely on talent Lyerla would be a top-20 pick and likely go on to have an outstanding career in the NFL. But talent doesn’t mean success either in the NFL or in life. Nothing is given to you, you have to work and fight for everything in your life and career. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and unfortunately we see that sadness far too often. Here is to hoping Lyerla can leave his past behind him and become successful in life and in the NFL.