Tre Mason, former star for an Auburn team that went to the national championship and a third-round pick in the NFL draft, will find himself back in a Florida court on April 7.
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The court appearance is in connection with his arrest for evading police last summer, and is the latest in a long-line of troubles for a still young player (23) who once held tremendous promise.
But Mason's mother told deputies on-field injuries have crippled her son. Mason has a "10-year-old's mentality" due to head injuries sustained from playing football.
"Tre is not himself," Tina Mason told police. "He's not making good decisions."
RELATED: The latest story involving Tre Mason is by far the most bizarre
Mason's mental health became the subject of serious debate this past summer when he was a no-show for Los Angeles Rams training camp. Head coach Jeff Fisher said he had no contact with the third-year player and had no idea of his whereabouts.
"I haven't personally spoken with Tre since the season ended," Fisher said in early 2016. "I tried numerous times to reach him. Tre has made a decision not to communicate with us, not to talk."
His latest criminal case has been pending for a while.
According to a report in the Palm Beach Post, on July 27 around 3 p.m., Mason was spotted in a local park doing wheelies on an ATV, then driving carelessly and "tearing the place up" on roads around Boynton Beach.
When police tried to stop Mason, he sped away from them. He was not wearing a helmet at the time, police said. Mason reportedly then drove to his mother's house and walked into the home.
Mason, 23, was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail Tuesday and charged with fleeing and eluding without regard for others' safety after fleeing from police on an ATV. He was released on $5,000 bond.
Police said a warrant was issued for Mason's arrest in August, but no details were given as to why it took so long to apprehend him. Mason was reportedly admitted for psychiatric evaluation in July after his mother called Palm Beach County Sherriff's deputies and told them her son was behaving erratically.
Upon arriving at the scene, police said Mason told them he was going to call the White House and they were all going to lose their jobs.
In addition to this incident, Mason — who didn't play in the NFL last year — has had more than a dozen traffic violations the last seven months.
