OT: Randy Gregory tests positive for marijuana at NFL Combine
Did my due dilligence and didn't see it out there, but just found this article. Randy Gregory, a Nebraska defensive lineman who tallied 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons, tested positive for marijuana at the Combine.
“I blame myself,” Gregory told NFL Media’s Kimberly Jones in an interview. “And I know it sounds cliché, but there’s really no one else I can blame.”
I know its not the first time its happened, nor will it be the last, but a shame for someone to potentially jeopardize their future over something like this.
March 26th, 2015 at 12:36 PM ^
The point isn't whether smoking weed is a big deal or not, the point is do you have control over using it. Not being able to lay off for a month so as to not jeopordize a huge paycheck likely means they can't lay off enough to not be high at practices and games.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
First of all, these players can't go work for another company that doesn't drug test or move to another state where it's legal as that wouldn't help.
Second, this issue is much bigger than just the NFL and it's looking like they are on the wrong side of history. Your explanation could also apply to other social issues in years past and is a simplistic viewpoint on a complex issue. Sure, for today and tomorrow, someone is playing with fire if they're smoking (as I'm sure a very large percentage of players are), but that doesn't mean the NFL shouldn't get critcism for antiquated views on marijuana.
March 26th, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^
"First of all, these players can't go work for another company that doesn't drug test or move to another state where it's legal as that wouldn't help."
Sure, they can go. They can go play Arena Football or for some semi-pro team. There are options. They can also go to Canada.
Is the NFL the *best* place to play football? Sure it is. So play by their rules.
Or you could always go and get another job working for an accounting company, running a Buffalo Wild Wings, selling real estate, etc.
But I fear such logic will fall on deaf ears.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
fucking stupid. So he smoked a little weed, big goddamn deal.
March 26th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
is stupid is that he's being made to take the test in the first place. What someone does on their own time is none of their employer's concern.
Testing for PED's is fine. They're related to job performance. But to knock a guy for choosing to smoke a joint to relax instead of drinking a pint of vodka just seems petty, vindictive, controlling, and completely out of place in a "free" society.
What someone does on their own time is none of their employer's concern. - What about crime. Certainly employers can terminate employees if they commit crimes on their own time.
March 26th, 2015 at 12:57 PM ^
I think to the NFL the big deal isn't his use of pot but rather his lack of impulse control when he knew he was going to be tested. NFL teams invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into players so they want to know what kind of people they are first. It isn't like he is banned from the NFL now. He still has 2 more strikes if I know thier substance abuse policy correctly.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:02 AM ^
Good for whichever team grabs him after he falls a few spots due to "character issues."
March 26th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
It baffles me how this kind of stuff happens. I hope the NFL doesn't draft him and he becomes a vagrant. Look at our most recent example - Mitch McGary. He's turned to a complete degenerate. Drinking cough syrup from a hobo's boot, providing sexual favors for small amounts of THC. He has rendered himself physically incapable of playing a sport that he has been around his whole life.
That's just the thing with marijuana. One puff and you're like one of those purple minions from Despicable Me 2. Just tweaked out of your mind. You lose total control of your life. I can't count on one hand the number of close family members I have lost to the weed. It's a miserable slide to an early grave, I tell ya.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:06 AM ^
I'm glad I continued reading past your first two sentences.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
Here's comes the downvote annnddd wait no! Upvote instead
March 26th, 2015 at 10:26 AM ^
Nice post, you won the Internet today.
Not sure where he was projected in mock drafts, but Lions could use some help on the DL.
March 26th, 2015 at 12:13 PM ^
NO THE RULES ARE THE RULES AND THERE IS NO QUESTIONING THEM!
March 26th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
He will play in the NFL. A team will draft him.
March 26th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
Seahawks and Broncos can draft him, no problem, it's legal there.
The Redskins, too, as long as he lives in the District and does it at home, but not at practice facility (in VA) or game day (in MD).
That makes me think, the Skins are probably the only team, in any major US sport or frankly even college, that practice in one state, play their games in a second state, and are named for a third state (er, geographical district). Woo. Go file that under "useless information I'm sorry I bothered to learn."
March 26th, 2015 at 11:20 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
support for the complete legalization of marijuana has recently surpassed 50% according to several reliable polling companies. And that's even when you include the idiot states in the southeast. Do a poll of just the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast (aka where most of the people live), and you're likely to find that support to be above 60-65%.
Ok, I'm done ranting about this topic.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:05 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 10:06 AM ^
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March 26th, 2015 at 11:22 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
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March 26th, 2015 at 10:06 AM ^
I have no sympathy for someone who fails a mandatory, scheduled drug test.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
but I somewhat agree. Whether or not you agree with the policy of weed legalization, the test wasn't a surprise. If you know the rules and know when the test is coming, why would you set yourself up to fail? Just not very smart of him and like he said, he has no one but himself to blame.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
I agree that it was dumb and he only has himself to blame, but I also feel sympathetic towards a kid who is being punished and could impact his career for something so harmless. Yes it was stupid, but I wouldn't go so far as 0 sympathy like the post above yours.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:33 AM ^
On one hand, its harmless I do agree on that. But HE KNEW the test was coming! I mean... its not like this was unannounced or something. Can't you just put it away for a month before an interview for the biggest job offer of your life? Zero sympathy is quite extreme, but I'm not feeling that sorry for him if he knew what the consequences could be if he popped positive.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:38 AM ^
Most people have to drop to get a job, why is this any different?
March 26th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
I said I was still sympathetic, Robo Mayor Ogden.
March 26th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
Bite my shiny metal ass.
March 26th, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
Wanna get high Billie?
March 26th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ^
It really has nothing to do with marijuana. It's about priorities and self control. You're about to accomplish a dream and enter a career that you can make millions over the next several years. You know you are going to be tested, so how do you not make sure you can pass a test? It's a fair question for an NFL team to ask.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:37 AM ^
I wouldn't say I have no sympathy, but I do agree with your sentiment. I am about as pro marijuana as they come and while I do not agree with drug testing for non safety sensitive positions, the fact is that a mandatory scheduled test becomes more of an IQ/EQ test than a drug test. A decision making test. If you know the test is coming and you can't or won't lay off for a few weeks then your priorities aren't straight or you have incredibly poor foresight.
March 26th, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
1) There's no denying this is a moronic move on his part
2) The NFL needs to get out of the past
I suppose you can focus on whichever one you please.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
If he had tested positive for alcohol in his blood, would anyone care? His stock might go up, because performing at a high level stoned with any substance is fairly impressive.
I see this causing his stock to drop approximately 0 spots. My guess is that a majority of players in the league partake of a bit of weed on a regular basis, and not just those in Denver and Seattle, and no one gives a flying fuck.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:16 AM ^
Mike Adams was a Top-5 offensive lineman in his draft year before failed one of these. He dropped to the end of the 2nd round.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:23 AM ^
That was 4 drafts ago, and he's a starter at PBGH. If I'm an owner, I'm hoping that it causes Gregory's stock to drop so I can draft him, but weed wouldn't scare me off in the least.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
But that;s not what happened. Adams was a question mark all the way through the process. Some people had him as a first rounder. Some didn't. Also, he had a couple of previous suspensions.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
I think you're half-right. NFL teams aren't dumb enough to avoid drafting the guy they want because he smoked marijuana. They probably will consider whether he's exhibiting behaviors that will likely get him suspended during his NFL career. The NFL penalties for failing drug tests are pretty harsh, and a lot of NFL careers are being disrupted by drug test failures. Gregory failed two drug tests in college and now this one, which he probably knew was coming and important. Even if the actual transgression here wasn't serious, teams might worry a bit about the behavior pattern.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:12 AM ^
I watched the combine, and Gregory stood out to me as clearly the best defensive player. I get the feeling that he will be a perennial pro bowler.
Any team able to get him later than about pick number 10 is getting a steal.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
One of Matt Taibbi's annual recommendations in his combine and draft analysis is to tell teams to take the weed guy in the draft. The thought is that the weed issues seem to cause their draft stock to fall out of proportion to the actual benign nature of their offense I recall Janoris Jenkins being one of these weed guys, and he is doing pretty well.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:13 AM ^
March 26th, 2015 at 10:26 AM ^
That is quite the hot take.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:15 AM ^
I'm expecting to accept a new position in the next 1-2 weeks, and am expecting to take my first ever drug test. Not a big smoker, but still have smoked twice in the last month. Should be interesting to see if I manage to pass.