Florida Institute of Technology quarterback Brandon Ziarno.
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Florida Institute of Technology quarterback Brandon Ziarno was arrested Friday on marijuana charges after a routine traffic stop yielded 65.7 grams of pot in small, plastic bags, according to police.
Ziarno, 21, told officers he would tell them anything they wanted to know after he was pulled over for running a stop sign and police smelled marijuana coming from his vehicle on Country Club Road, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
Police reports state that Ziarno, a Melbourne Central Catholic graduate, confessed to selling marijuana to a "few" of his Panthers teammates.
Ziarno was charged with possession of cannabis over 20 grams and possession of cannabis with intent to sell or deliver.
For the past two seasons, Ziarno played backup to starting quarterback Marquis Cato Robins, who was also arrested on a DUI charge after police say he got drunk and crashed into a Melbourne home.
Cato was then suspended from the team, allowing Ziarno to step in during a playoff game during the team's first postseason run during only its fourth year as a team. Cato was reinstated as starting quarterback for the 2017 season.
Ziarno, heading into his junior year at Florida Tech, passed for 7,000 yards during his high school career at MCC before signing with the Division II Panthers.