Former Arizona player admits he was a dope

TUCSON, Ariz. — Driving back to Tucson after being arrested with a truckload of marijuana in Illinois, Justin Levasseur thought about turning around.

It would have been easier, the former Arizona tight end admits thinking, to head back home to Antioch, Calif., and wait for things to cool off.

After all, his Dec. 3 arrest for possession of 87 pounds of marijuana had been all over the news.

But that's exactly why Levasseur kept going. After eight days in an Illinois jail, he wanted to return and save his reputation.

His hope was to rejoin the team he loved. His request was denied.

His plan was to complete his bachelor's degree in communications no matter what. He has.

"I made a big mistake," Levasseur, 23, said in his first interview since the arrest. "I ask myself all the time, 'What was I thinking?' I was so dumb. I threw it all away."

Levasseur pleaded guilty July 3 to possession of marijuana with a street value of $276,000. It was part of a plea agreement that led to the other charges — drug trafficking and intent to deliver marijuana — being dropped. He expects to be placed on four years' probation instead of the possible four- to 15-year prison sentence carried by the felony charge.

"I just want to get back on with my life," Levasseur said. "I wanted nice cars before. That is not important (now). Through all of this, family is the most important thing. I was getting further away from my family. They have given me so much support when so many other people have turned their backs on me."

The former high-school valedictorian plans to attend ITT Technical Institute in Tucson to gain experience in the field of management information systems. He currently is working as a waiter and bartender.

Methodically, he is trying to rebuild his reputation.

"I don't want people to think I do drugs," Levasseur said. "I would be willing to take a drug test every day in the week for the rest of my life to prove that to people. I don't even think my parents realize I have never done drugs. I never even experimented."

But after being asked repeatedly to deliver drugs from Tucson to Detroit after the 2002 season, Levasseur said he eventually caved in to pressure and temptation.

Police reports indicate Levasseur would have been paid $4,000 for his illegal journey.

"It was more than that — way more than that," Levasseur said. "But I don't want to say how much it was."

Levasseur's U-Haul was stopped for speeding in Illinois.

"Everything in the truck was loaded in the back," Levasseur said. "I never looked back there. It was brought to my house, locked. ... I was driving for somebody else out of greed to make money. I was so dumb."

Levasseur recalls seeing other Arizona students around campus, with nice cars and seemingly bottomless credit cards. He wanted more for himself, but he didn't want to keep taking money from his father.

He thought he needed more than his scholarship check provided, especially to offset the money he was investing in his prized possession, his Z28 Camaro convertible.

"Every second I had, I was trying to figure out what I could do to it. I am a car buff. I love cars, and I love sports," Levasseur said. "That is all I wanted, but now all I want is a good family and a good life."

In a humbling moment, he eventually sold his car for $11,000 to help pay legal fees.

"I sold the car that helped corrupt me. I got greedy," Levasseur said.

"It is a hard life if you are an athlete and don't have a lot of money. Don't expect it to be all glamour. There are not boosters giving you money. That is not how it is."