PFW: Three of the Top 10 Draft Picks Admit to Smoking Marijuana

[theogt]

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW...xtra041807.htm

The Way We Hear It — NFL draft edition
Three potential top-10 draft prospects admit to marijuana use

By Nolan Nawrocki
April 18, 2007

PFW has learned that three potential top-10 picks have admitted to using marijuana. The admissions were recorded during standard interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine administered by the league to every player in attendance and submitted to all 32 teams for review.

Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, Clemson DE Gaines Adams and Louisville DT Amobi Okoye, according to multiple sources who have watched the interviews, all admitted to using marijuana.

Such admissions are viewed indifferently by many teams’ decision-makers who do not consider marijuana experimentation to be abnormal. In the case of Johnson — who is being considered by the Raiders with the first overall pick — his stock is not expected to be affected at all, given the strength of his character. That he admitted to using the drug, to some teams, is a sign of maturity.

Honesty is highly encouraged in the interviews, and those who are not honest and later proven to have lied are likely to be punished more severely, as LSU’s Claude Wroten was a year ago. Regarded as a top-10 pick entering draft meetings, he wound up sliding to the third round.

For Adams and Okoye, however, there could be more severe ramifications given some questions that exist about the consistency of their play.

“It should scare (teams), especially when you see how laid-back (Adams) is in his play,” one team official said. “No one disputes the great physical ability. What is disputed is how passionate he is and how physical he is. Physically, from an athletic standpoint, he has all the tools. He is the No. 1 pass rusher in the draft, and I don’t think many people would argue with that.”

As for Okoye, scouts have a love-hate relationship with him. Some teams who became aware of his admission in the past month have said they did not think it would affect his draft stock at all. Others have deeper concerns about his work ethic, maturity level and fluctuations in his weight.

Considering NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s hard-line stance on players who run afoul of the law, teams could place a higher premium on character than ever before.

“The commissioner is going to be all over any team that drafts players with borderline character,” another team official said. “You are not going to see a draft like, for instance, Cincinnati’s (in 2006), where they took four criminals in one draft, because the owners are going to start getting fined.”

[Billy Bullocks]

Oh no, MARIJUANA!!!! Seriously, guys should get rewarded for using this drug. I don't see how it enhances your perfomance what so ever.

And I think it's high time (no pun intended) that we start to become realistic about Marijuana and Alcohol use in our society. I mean, the politicians of today are now the kids who grwe up in the 60's and 70's, and people act shocked about these "revalations"

[EMMITTnROY]

That just means that 7 guys are smart enough to keep their mouths shut..

[Hostile]

Originally Posted by Billy Bullocks

Oh no, MARIJUANA!!!! Seriously, guys should get rewarded for using this drug. I don't see how it enhances your perfomance what so ever.

And I think it's high time (no pun intended) that we start to become realistic about Marijuana and Alcohol use in our society. I mean, the politicians of today are now the kids who grwe up in the 60's and 70's, and people act shocked about these "revalations"

Unreal. I don't believe I just read that.

[GloryDaysRBack]

Originally Posted by EMMITTnROY

That just means that 7 guys are smart enough to keep their mouths shut..

this guy pretty much hit this 1 on the head....my exact thoughts...when i first read the title my initial instincts were ONLY 3???

[theogt]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Unreal. I don't believe I just read that.

I think they should be rewarded for their honesty, because I guarantee they're not the only ones in the top 10 that have ever smoked.

[L-O-Jete]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Unreal. I don't believe I just read that.

Not a big Stepnoski fan huh?

[Billy Bullocks]

Originally Posted by hostile

Unreal. I don't believe I just read that.

Figure of speech.

That just means that 7 guys are smart enough to keep their mouths shut..

Yeah they are dumb for even admitting it, unless they had smked in thats couple of weeks and were covering their *** if they had a bad UA.


BTW, I don't smoke weed anymore, but I honestly feel it is probably the dumbest drug to have illegal. Though I drink, I honestly feel that aclohol is FAR worse than Marijuana. But this doesn't seem like the place to discuss this at any rate.

[ABQCOWBOY]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Unreal. I don't believe I just read that.

Well, hang around these kinds of places long enough........

[masomenos]

For Akoye it's really no different than him saying he's gone to parties and had a few drinks.

I really don't think it's a big deal at all.

[Iago33]

I'm sure they didn't inhale!

On a more serious note, it is an issue to look into (as significant alcohol abuse would be) but the admission itself should not cause them problems.

[tyke1doe]

Originally Posted by EMMITTnROY

That just means that 7 guys are smart enough to keep their mouths shut..

[Avery]

I don't consider it a big deal provided it's not something done on a daily basis. Lots of kids in college do it, the smart ones only do it every once in a while or never at all.

[Billy Bullocks]

Originally Posted by masomenos85

For Akoye it's really no different than him saying he's gone to parties and had a few drinks.

I really don't think it's a big deal at all.

It shouldn't be. I dont think that they should be out blowing blunts in public, but let's be honest here, ALOT of people in this country smoke weed. I don't think that marijuana should be punished by the league. The tests are confidential until someone fails them, so if you don't make weed taboo, you could let it slide. But I guess from a PR and "role model" position, the NFL has to be firm on the subject.

[5Stars]

Originally Posted by Avery

I don't consider it a big deal provided it's not something done on a daily basis. Lots of kids in college do it, the smart ones only do it every once in a while or never at all.

Millions of people smoke Cannibus...but, only a few, make millions of dollars...