Court grants diversion program sentence for Cincinnati QB Collaros on underage drinking charge

Cincinnati’s Collaros in 1st-time offender program

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati backup quarterback Zach Collaros has signed up for a first-time offenders’ program to avoid jail time on an underage drinking charge.

Collaros (Coh-LAHR’-us) on Monday told Hamilton County Municipal Judge Bernie Bouchard (Boo-SHARD) that he had signed up for the court-mandated, eight-hour class on the ills of underage drinking. Collaros’ guilty plea would be erased upon completion of the program.

Collaros is now 21. He was 20 when cited for presenting a fake ID to get into a bar near campus. The judge last month threatened him with jail if he didn’t get moving on the program.

The unbeaten, fourth-ranked Bearcats will play Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

Collaros took over at quarterback for the team while senior Tony Pike recovered from an arm injury.