Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson told police he was reaching for a dropped cell phone when he lost control of his car and smashed into another vehicle head-on early Sunday morning ... cops say.
Shaq -- the team's 2015 1st round draft pick -- was behind the wheel of a 2016 Chevy SUV which slammed into a 2004 Lexus SUV driven by former Duke QB Anthony Boone at 7:45 AM.
When cops arrived to the crash scene near Shaq's Charlotte-area home, the NFL player was given a breathalyzer -- which turned up traces of alcohol .