College football QB charged with having cocaine — he claims it was bird poop, and the charges were dropped

A college football quarterback was charged last month with cocaine possession for a substance he claims was bird poop, and the charges against him were dropped Thursday, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts was pulled over for speeding on July 31. During the traffic stop, the officers discovered a "slime-like, white substance" on the hood of the car, leading to the following exchange:

"What's the white stuff on your hood, man?" the officer asked Werts, according to The George-Anne.

"Bird s**t," Werts answered.

"That ain't bird s**t," the officer said.

"I promise you, that's bird doo-doo," Werts responded.

"I promise you, it's not, though," the officer said.

"I swear to God, that's bird doo-doo," Werts said.

The officers conducted a field test on the substance and the test came back positive for cocaine.

"Unless the bird inhaled cocaine. ... I'm not sure how to wipe this stuff up," one of the officers said.

However, when the test was sent to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for further evaluation, it was determined that there was no controlled substance.

Prosecutors also said that even apart from the test, they didn't feel they could prove that Werts had knowledge of the substance on his hood or what it was.

"As prosecutors, it's quite simple. We view a case as it relates to a courtroom and what our burden of proof is, and that is beyond a reasonable doubt," Al Eargle, the deputy solicitor for the 11th Judicial Circuit, said. "After I extensively looked at everything that law enforcement presented to me, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't meet that burden of proof."

Werts, who was subject to a one-game suspension for the drug offense, had his suspension lifted after the charges were dropped.

"It's very bizarre," Werts' attorney William Jones said. "You don't see these. I've been doing this for 30 years, and you don't see ones like these very often. Fortunately, in my view, the appropriate outcome has been reached and in a timely way. I commend the prosecutor for taking the time to get on it."

Werts has started 24 games for the Eagles the past two seasons. In 2018, he ran for 908 yards with 15 touchdowns and passed for 987 yards with 10 touchdowns.