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Posted by Aaron Wilson on June 7, 2009, 9:02 p.m.
Battling an addiction to painkillers that stemmed from his injury-plagued time in the NFL, former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Sam Rayburn is free on bail after being charged with two felony counts of attempting to obtain a banned substance through forgery or fraud.
Rayburn acknowledged to Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he stole a doctor’s prescription pad and forged prescriptions for two painkilling drugs: Lortab and Percocet.
The former University of Tulsa player said he has been clean for 80 days after conquering a painkiller habit where he was taking 100 pills per day earlier this year.
Per the report, a plea bargain could be in the offing with Oklahoma prosecutors where Rayburn could receive probation.
Rayburn told the Inquirer that he began taking painkillers when he played for the Eagles, but said he kept it to himself and that it didn’t get out of hand until he stopped playing in 2007.
“Especially toward the end, when I was taking obscene amounts, I was hiding it from everybody,” Rayburn said. “I was even hiding it from myself.”
Rayburn said he has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on painkillers since he stopped playing.
Before his recent span of sobriety, Rayburn was heading down a dark path.
“I think it would have led me either to jail or to death,” Rayburn said. “I don’t think there was really any other option. . . . It all stemmed from playing football. My knee, my elbow, some spinal problems - if I was to bend down, I couldn’t stand up. Immobility was really the only thing that could alleviate the pain - or medication, obviously. . . .
“They dull the pain, but they don’t turn you into a zombie. They would give me energy to the point where I could function. If I didn’t have them, I couldn’t do anything except lay in bed and throw up and roll around and ache.”
Rayburn was cut by the Eagles in 2007 and was unable to jumpstart his career with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins or the Detroit Lions.
Rayburn didn’t want to talk about who provided him painkillers when he was playing football.
The Eagles declined to comment on Rayburn.
Battling an addiction to painkillers that stemmed from his injury-plagued time in the NFL, former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Sam Rayburn is free on bail after being charged with two felony counts of attempting to obtain a banned substance through forgery or fraud.
Rayburn acknowledged to Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he stole a doctor’s prescription pad and forged prescriptions for two painkilling drugs: Lortab and Percocet.
The former University of Tulsa player said he has been clean for 80 days after conquering a painkiller habit where he was taking 100 pills per day earlier this year.
Per the report, a plea bargain could be in the offing with Oklahoma prosecutors where Rayburn could receive probation.
Rayburn told the Inquirer that he began taking painkillers when he played for the Eagles, but said he kept it to himself and that it didn’t get out of hand until he stopped playing in 2007.
“Especially toward the end, when I was taking obscene amounts, I was hiding it from everybody,” Rayburn said. “I was even hiding it from myself.”
Rayburn said he has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on painkillers since he stopped playing.
Before his recent span of sobriety, Rayburn was heading down a dark path.
“I think it would have led me either to jail or to death,” Rayburn said. “I don’t think there was really any other option. . . . It all stemmed from playing football. My knee, my elbow, some spinal problems - if I was to bend down, I couldn’t stand up. Immobility was really the only thing that could alleviate the pain - or medication, obviously. . . .
“They dull the pain, but they don’t turn you into a zombie. They would give me energy to the point where I could function. If I didn’t have them, I couldn’t do anything except lay in bed and throw up and roll around and ache.”
Rayburn was cut by the Eagles in 2007 and was unable to jumpstart his career with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins or the Detroit Lions.
Rayburn didn’t want to talk about who provided him painkillers when he was playing football.
The Eagles declined to comment on Rayburn.
