NFL insider: SEC alums could be hurt by past association with marijuana
By Andrew Olson
Published:
A little over one year ago, the Associated Press found that Power 5 schools are easing up on punishment for marijuana-related issues. The thinking was that with recent trends toward decriminalization and legalization in certain states, that schools and the NCAA were beginning to view the drug differently. That’s great for many college football players while on campus, but not so much when it comes draft time.
For the NFL, however, it’s still a major red flag. Saturday Down South senior writer John Crist caught up with NFL insider Mike Florio, NBC Sports commentator and creator of ProFootballTalk.com, at the NFL Combine to discuss how past marijuana-related arrests and suspensions might impact SEC alumni projected in the early rounds. Even if a player impresses while getting evaluated medically and on the field, teams may take issues with what they discover about pot use from investigation and interviews in Indianapolis.
“Ultimately, there’s a very linear, black-and-white issue here,” Florio told Saturday Down South. “The rules are the rules. They aren’t changing, and you have to do what you have to do to stay on the right side of what the NFL requires.
“And when a guy has a history that would suggest the existence of a red flag, you need to be sure that when you use that first-round pick or second-round pick or any-round pick, that you’re not going to have it all blow up in your face at some point down the road.”
Fans and media members may consider the NFL’s stance behind with the times, but it’s something draft hopefuls will have to deal with for the foreseeable future.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
