How many players the National Football League do you think use marijuana? As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I often discuss drug use among athletes with me students.
According to a survey of my last class of 23 students, the average percentage of players using marijuana was 25%. It would be hard for me to imagine that so many players would jeopardize their careers to get high for a few years.
One textbook example is of course, Rickey Williams who recently retired. He was originally the #1 pick in the NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, when then head-coach Mike Ditka traded all eight of his draft picks for the right to the #1 pick- a young running back out of the University of Texas.
Williams aside, there is one NFL player who thinks marijuana use is rampant in the league.
Former NFL offensive lineman Lomas Brown, an ESPN analyst, believes more than half of NFL players smoke marijuana. He said that three marijuana-related arrests of Detroit Lions players this offseason are just examples of what is a widespread problem in the league.
Brown said the problem was much worse when he joined the NFL in 1985, when he believes perhaps 90 percent of players smoked marijuana.
A very recent found that four out of 10 draft-eligible players this year failed at least one drug test at school and two of 10 failed more than once. About 70 percent of prospects at the draft combine admitted to using marijuana.
In 2009, roughly one-fourth of all football players admitted to marijuana use over the past year, which was the highest of any sport surveyed. This according to Yahoo Sports.
Man, perhaps the NFL should make all rookies take a mandatory drug class. A drug class would be a good idea for high school and college ball players too!