Posted on: Saturday, February 19, 2005

Ex-Saint Louis QB Gesser pleads guilty in DUI case

Advertiser Staff

Jason Gesser, a former Saint Louis High and Washington State quarterback, pleaded guilty yesterday to drunken driving in Honolulu in February last year.

Honolulu District Judge William Cardwell fined Gesser $150 and ordered him to attend 14 hours of alcohol abuse classes and pay $307 in fees. The judge also revoked his driver's license for 30 days, the usual terms for first-time drunken driving cases.

The sentencing terms were the usual terms for first-time drunken driving offenders, according to the city prosecutor's office.

Gesser, 25, was charged after he allegedly ran a red light and failed a sobriety test Feb. 15. The red light traffic citation was dropped, the prosecutor's office said.

Gesser's lawyer Paul Cunney said his client is remorseful.

"It's not going to happen again," Cunney said. "He matured a lot. He realized he did wrong."

Gesser was an all-star quarterback at Saint Louis and three-year starter for Washington State. Gesser later joined the NFL's Tennessee Titans but was released in September.

Cunney said Gesser entered the National Football League substance abuse program days after his arrest.

Gesser, now a Washington resident, plans to leave tomorrow for Tampa, Fla., to try out for the NFL Europe football league, Cunney said.