Ed Johnson, who was a defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts, has been waived less than 24 hours after being arrested for drug possession. Johnson was stopped for speeding on Wednesday, September 10 between midnight and 1 a.m. 
Johnson, who played his college football at Penn State, was starting his second professional season after being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007. In his first season with the Colts, the six-foot-two, 296-pound DT played in all 16 regular-season games, making 41 tackles (28 solo), notching one sack and forcing one fumble.
Johnson has had a sketchy past. Although it was thought that he had the potential to be a first-day NFL Draft prospect, he was not chosen in the 2007 draft. At Penn State, he was temporarily expelled in 2005 after a sexual misconduct incident and for confining another student against his/her will. In 2006, he was reinstated but he missed the Outback Bowl after violating team rules.
Last season, Johnson had a better-than-expected rookie season and Indy was hoping that he could offer the team even more in 2008. In deciding how to proceed with Johnson, the NFL will consider past indiscretions as well as present charges.
The loss of Johnson comes at an unfortunate time for the Colts. In their first game of the season, the defense gave up 183 rushing yards (4.7 YPC) in a 29-13 loss to Chicago. The Colts’ next two games will be against Minnesota and Jacksonville, which field two of the finest running games in the NFL.
