Not-guilty plea for Colts' Ahmad Bradshaw on Ohio pot charge

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Indianapolis Colts running back pleaded not guilty today to a marijuana possession charge after being stopped this month by state troopers on an interstate highway in western Ohio.

Preble County court officials said a Dayton attorney filed the plea for Ahmad Bradshaw, who also played for the Super Bowl-winning New York Giants. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Bradshaw, 28, was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 70 on Feb. 5. He was charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of a small amount of marijuana and with after following another vehicle too closely.

Trooper J.A. Barhorst said in a statement he "smelled the strong odor of raw marijuana" coming from inside the Cadillac driven by Bradshaw after he pulled it over for a traffic violation.

He said both Bradshaw and his passenger denied marijuana was in the vehicle. Barhorst said while patting down Bradshaw, he felt a small container in his pocket. He said Bradshaw agreed to let him remove the container, which the trooper said contained a brown substance. The trooper said after being read his rights, Bradshaw said he had found the container in the vehicle, which he had borrowed for his trip.