Marijuana Presents A Problem for NFL This Year

Remember Ricky Williams?  The former college football superstar has spent much of his pro-career dealing with the consequences of failed drug tests, which by his own admission were partially responsible for his brief early retirement and have caused controversy throughout his career.  With a lot of his past behind him, Williams is successful again playing for the Miami Dolphins.  As NFL coaches and scouts are finding though, his drug use (marijuana) is by no means limited to him or other players.

As Don Banks covers over at Sports Illustrated’s website (SI.com), some head coaches are now describing marijuana use among potential draft picks as an “epidemic.”  Beyond the legality of smoking marijuana, possible drug use is a huge issue for teams in the NFL.  Do you pass on a superstar like Percy Harvin because of a failed marijuana drug test?  And if you don’t, how do you deal with the controversy, bad press, fines, suspensions and possible jail sentence that comes with an athlete that fails a drug test?

Coaches seem to be investigating drug issues player by player, especially if the drug in question is marijuana – harder drugs do not receive such a level of tolerance.  Imagine if you are on the verge of a possible contract in the millions with a professional football team – and this is what you must worry about.  It’s a pretty scary thought.  Ricky Williams is a pretty great football player, but his journey to playing in the NFL on Sundays again was a lot harder than it had to be.