WACO, Texas (AP) - Former TCU linebacker LaMarcus McDonald was sentenced to seven years in prison Wednesday, a day after pleading guilty to a drug charge.

McDonald was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance with a deadly weapon.

Police said McDonald, 26, was driving a car last year with two toddlers and an infant inside when they pulled him over and found 2.18 grams of crack cocaine in an aspirin container and a .380-caliber pistol. A jury on Wednesday found him not guilty of the weapon charge and sentenced him to seven years on the drug charge, said Ellen Watson, a spokeswoman for the 19th state District Court in Waco.

Watson said McDonald will be eligible for parole after serving a quarter of his sentence.

McDonald played for TCU from 2000-2002, starting 22 of 33 games. He had 231 tackles and 16.5 sacks on a defense ranked among the best in the country. He was the Conference USA defensive player of the year in 2002, when the Horned Frogs won the league title and beat Colorado State in the Liberty Bowl.

McDonald signed as a free agent with New Orleans in 2004 but was never on the active roster in the regular season.