The arrests of Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount who represent nearly the entire Pittsburgh Steelers running back depth Wednesday was troubling for so many reasons.
According to Detective Brian Kohhepp of the Ross Township, Pennsylvania Police Department, Bell, Blount and a female passenger were pulled over after a traffic officer allegedly smelled marijuana. The complaint alleged that the driver Bell admitted that all 3 had recently purchased the marijuana found in their possession. All 3 individuals were charged with possession of marijuana and Bell was charged with driving under the influence of marijuana (DUI).
The complaint further alleged that Bell said that “I didn’t know that you could get a DUI for being high. I smoked two hours ago. I am not high anymore. I am perfectly fine. Why would I be getting high if I had to get on a plane to make it to my game?” Bell reportedly had blood drawn for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana.
First, these are allegations, not convictions. However, the Steelers had seemingly been relatively free of controversy and injuries in the first two games of the preseason. These allegations are serious and seemed to be a factor in the team’s lackluster performance against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night. Head Coach Mike Tomlin made Bell and Blount play almost as punishment for an alleged stupid act.
But what is most troubling, true or not, is why Bell would even put himself in this position. He was poised to become the Steelers’ stud running back for years like Franco Harris or Jerome Bettis. Why is Bell seemingly so oblivious to the risks of smoking marijuana in a state where its use and possession are still illegal?
Blount’s participation is more of a clear indication that he has no ambition to be a number one running back. Bell’s conduct is worse in that it is extremely reckless to a possible Hall of Fame career and apparently so naive about the use, possession and driving under the influence of marijuana. Josh Gordon arguably may be the best wide receiver in the NFL, but he may not even play this year due to convicted and alleged marijuana use issues.
If Bell’s quote is true, which has not been verified at present, Bell seemed to be completely oblivious to not just that driving under the influence of marijuana is a crime, but that use and possession of marijuana is not legal in Pennsylvania. Even if Bell played for the Denver Broncos or Seattle Seahawks, you cannot legally drive under the influence of marijuana in any state in the nation.
Blount is in reality small potatoes. The Steelers can cut Blount and recover at least by 2015. However, the Steelers cannot cut Bell without serious consequences to their future. The Steelers cut ties with former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes for alleged marijuana use. Blount may no longer be in the Steelers’ long term future.
But, it is truly amazing that very promising Bell is not more protective of his reputation and career in the NFL. Yes, the use of marijuana is legal in two states. The NFL needs to handle that issue at some point. However, for Bell and other NFL players, the use of marijuana is still illegal in 48 states. Right or wrong, it is not legal in almost all areas of the country.
The question going forward is whether Bell is serious about becoming a dominant running back in the NFL in an era where running backs are no longer valued as they formerly were. Bell hopefully will learn from this incident and take his job seriously.
If not, the Steelers will have wasted a high draft pick on Bell when they could have drafted Eddie Lacy who at least at present seems to understand the importance of being a professional in the NFL. Lacy and Bell’s success will forever be intertwined in that many argue the Steelers should have taken Lacy instead of Bell.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL will likely not take punitive action against either player until 2015. In light of the Ray Rice controversy over treating domestic violence less seriously than the use of marijuana, Bell may escape a suspension longer than 1 game in 2015. However, the most immediate question is whether the Steelers or anyone can trust Bell and Blount in the future to take their careers and legacy seriously.
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