State Trooper to Running Back Michael Dyer During a Traffic Stop: 'dumbass'

The former star back at Auburn was set to join the Arkansas State Red Wolves, but he’s been dismissed from the team in what looks like a response to a traffic stop back in March. Dyer, who will turn 22 in October, was stopped at 2:20 a.m. in White County, Arkansas, and cited for doing 96 in a 70 mph zone.

That was bad enough, but then the Jonesboro Sun and the Searcy, Ark., Daily Citizen got ahold of the video of the traffic stop through a freedom of information request. You’ve got to fork over $.99 to get past the paywall, but the Sun’s account is a great blow-by-blow of what happens when a state trooper realizes he has pulled over a troubled star jock.

Also in the vehicle with Dyer: a handgun, a 24-year-old woman and a substance that Royce Denney, the state trooper, refers to in the video as weed. Denney gives Dyer the talking-to that every Arkansas State fan would like to deliver right about now. “Carrying a pistol around. Uncool,” he says. “You’ve got a career ahead of you, but you’re being a total dumbass right now.”

How much of a career Dyer has left is certainly in doubt. The second running option to Cam Newton at Auburn in 2010, he racked up 1,093 rushing yards to break Bo Jackson’s school freshman record. Of those, he ground out 143 yards against Oregon to win Offensive Player of the Game honors in the BCS national title game.

As a sophomore he raced for 1,242 more yards and was first-team All SEC but earned a suspension for undisclosed reasons before Auburn’s bowl. When Arkansas State tapped offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn as its new head coach, Dyer followed the fellow Arkansan to Jonesboro. The former Little Rock prep star had yet to play a down for the Red Wolves and was to have sat out in 2012.

In the video of the stop, Denney tells Dyer he’s going to call up Malzahn — “however you say his name?” — but admits some reluctance. “I really don’t want to tell him about this because of the NCAA crap. I know there’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind closed doors between coaches and players but I’m still in a predicament. You need to think, man. What’s the best way to make you think? You’re a grown man and I’m not trying to treat you like a kid.”

Dyer responds: “I’m done with this. This is my second chance over here.”

The two men come to an agreement that Dyer doesn’t need the gun. “If you think it makes you look cool,” Denney says, “you’re stupid.” Dyer tells him, “I don’t need it. You keep it.”

The Sun includes this fun detail:

"There are a couple of missing parts in the video where Denney apparently decides to turn the camera off. Denney is currently under investigation by the Arkansas State Police for his actions in the traffic stop, according to the state police."

The paper also details the conclusion to Dyer’s legal proceedings for the traffic stop. “He appeared in White County District Court, Searcy Division, on May 10 and was fined $17. He was also ordered to perform five days of community service and take a defensive driving class.”

The paper couldn’t get Malzahn on the horn but it did include a statement the university issued last night. Said the coach: “I am truly disappointed that it didn’t work out here at ASU for Mike.” The public revelations around the gun and the possible drugs appear to have been a factor in things not working out at ASU for Mike. Ten days ago, Dyer and Malzahn held a joint news conference in which they proclaimed that Dyer was going to forgo any other transfers or NFL Draft eligibility this year to stick around and serve as a role model at Arkansas State.

Previously: Former Auburn Star Michael Dyer Testifies His Gun Was Used By Teammates in Alleged Robbery