From alcohol to prescription drugs to steroids to marijuana, players in recent years have seen their fair share of substance abuse violations.
LaVon Brazill, Tanard Jackson, Spencer Nealy and Dion Jordan have recently been suspended for their abuse of illegal substances during 2014. Former Colts’ WR LaVon Brazill was suspended for the entire 2014 season and former Redskins’ DB Tanard Jackson was suspended indefinitely, while Nealy and Jordan both received suspensions for four games.
Most of these players are incredibly valuable to their teams, yet they make decisions that put their team’s future and their own futures in jeopardy.
Taking a Stance on NFL Substance Abuse
For many years substance abuse has been an underlying problem in the NFL. This past week The New York Daily News reported a recent lawsuit brought about by over 1,300 former NFL players on the issue of prescription drugs.
“The allegations in our lawsuit, that the NFL has violated state and federal drug laws, have been confirmed by over 1,300 former NFL players,” Steve Silverman, an attorney for the former players, told The News on Friday. “We are pleased to learn that the DEA and United States Department of Justice are also taking our clients’ allegations seriously and are actively protecting the welfare of NFL players.”
This lawsuit was said to have prompted an investigation by the U.S. DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) on the use of prescription drugs by players and how the NFL was involved.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration has quietly launched an investigation into the abuse of prescription medication in NFL locker rooms, three sources familiar with the probe told the Daily News.”
Whether it be personal conviction, physician recommendation or something else entirely; players in the NFL are hurting physically and use prescription drugs, alcohol, marijuana and other substances to cope with the pain and pressure of being an NFL player.
According to current NFL and NFLPA drug policies, “The National Football League prohibits players from the illegal use, possession, or distribution of drugs, including but not limited to cocaine; marijuana; opiates and opioids; methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA); and phencyclidine (PCP). The abuse of prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and alcohol is also prohibited. For example, the use of amphetamines and substances that induce similar effects, absent a verified and legitimate need for appropriate dosages of such substances to treat existing medical conditions, is prohibited.”
As well, teams are supposed to provide or at least offer treatment to those players with substance abuse problems.
The drug policy states, “In Article XLIV, Section 6(a) of the 1993 NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, as extended and amended (the “CBA”), the NFL Management Council and the NFLPA (hereinafter referred to individually as “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”) reaffirmed that “substance abuse is unacceptable within the NFL, and that it is the responsibility of the parties to deter and detect substance abuse . . . and to offer programs of intervention, rehabilitation, and support to players who have substance abuse problems.”
Unfortunately to those players in cases such as Josh Gordon, Tanard Jackson and many others, repeat offenders are all too common.
In an article published this week by former Seahawk RB Justin Forsett, Forsett enlightened us on the hypocrisy and problems on both sides of the complicated substance abuse issue.
“Throwing a guy in a treatment program and hoping he returns a better person will not always work. I believe if a team is willing to walk through the issue with its player as opposed to watching him walk through it alone, it can send a powerful message. And we may see better results,” Forsett said. “The fact that an organization would take the time and effort to care for me — the person, not the football player — would speak volumes. Maybe this could be a step in the right direction because right now, in many instances, we simply try to alleviate symptoms without attempting to cure the disease a person is dealing with.”
In the long and short of it, substance abuse comes down to responsibility, not just on the part of the team or player, but on the league itself. Regardless of whether alcohol, marijuana or any other artificial relaxant or stimulant is used by NFL players, the NFL as a league needs to understand that people and players need help sometimes. The NFL needs to understand that just because a players’ are out of sight, does not mean that they should be out of mind.
From a players’ perspective too, making responsible decisions is what will keep you in this league. Cases like Josh Gordon remind us that too many times the decisions of one player can affect the overall success of a team of countless individuals. Sure players make their own decisions, but when certain actions are preventable, accidents are no longer accidents. It’s both the player’s and team’s responsibilities to ensure that a player who has a substance abuse problem receive the proper support.
It is important, not just for the health of the player, but for the health of the team, the league and football as a whole. Forsett could not have stated it better himself in his column.
“I understand the NFL is a business, and if a player consistently fails to abide by the rules, it may be time to apply tough love and let him go. But dumping a troubled player doesn’t mean dumping him as a person. Teams can still provide resources and assistance to try to ensure that, eventually, he can land on his feet. As teammates and friends of people who deal with these problems, we should be constant encouragers. When personal struggles are made known to the world through the media, a player can go into isolation. So I think it’s important he knows that he has people in his corner rooting for him to succeed…You have an amazing opportunity with this game to better your life and the people around you. Please, don’t waste it”
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Main Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
