Lakeland high school football coach faces drug possession charges

LAKELAND, Fla. — A high school football coach, who used to play in the NFL, was arrested in Lakeland Friday night and faces drug possession charges, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies arrested Laroni Gallishaw, the head coach of the Teneroc High School football team, during a traffic stop for an expired tag around 11:40 p.m. on Memorial Boulevard near Chestnut Road.

As the deputy began walking up to the car during the stop, he said he saw Gallishaw trying to hide something between the driver’s seat and the center console.

With Gallishaw’s permission, the deputy searched the car and found a razor blade and a small amount of cocaine in the cup holder, according to the sheriff’s office.

Gallishaw was placed under arrest and taken to the Polk County jail.

Once at the jail, deputies said they saw Gallishaw reach into his underwear and try to hide something in the seat next to him while he was waiting to be booked.

A deputy entered the holding cell and found what investigators determined to be a rock of cocaine and a small amount of marijuana, officials said.

Gallishaw was a standout running back for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts football team during the 1999 state championship. He played college football at Louisville and Murray State before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2005.

"I'm a football fan and I have watched Gallishaw play since he was at Lakeland High School. He was a great athlete and a good role model. His arrest is disappointing to me, to the kids who looked up to him, and to the community,” said Sheriff Grady Judd in a release.

"Every employee of Polk County Public Schools is held to a higher standard because we all serve as role models for our children. The charges brought against Mr. Gallishaw are completely against our school district's values and are totally unacceptable. This type of behavior will not be tolerated, and I have instructed my HR staff to immediately begin the process of terminating Mr. Gallishaw's employment,” said Jacqueline Byrd, Polk County Schools Superintendent, in a statement.

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