Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston said the 23-year-old Thomas was charged Monday morning.

The officer who pulled him over detected the odour of marijuana, Preston said, and when Thomas retrieved information the officer had requested from the glove box, small plastic bags with marijuana fell out.

Thomas appeared in magistrate court for an initial arraignment and was released on his own recognizance.

It's unclear whether he has a lawyer, but Preston said he did not have one in court.

Thomas was a rookie for the Bears in 2011 and spent the season on injured reserve. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native was a three-year starter at West Virginia.

He was in town with some former Mountaineer teammates over the weekend to visit WVU Children's Hospital and to host a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation.

His J.T. Thomas Foundation promotes leadership, education, youth sports and awareness of childhood disability. Morgantown was the next-to-last stop on his "Ready Ready Road Trip," which had started in Fort Lauderdale.

The trip included a stop in Chicago, where he surprised a 14-year old epilepsy patient with Super Bowl tickets. The teen and his mother attended the game with Thomas.