NFL Prospect Randy Gregory Fails Drug Test

Randy Gregory, expected first round pick and former outside linebacker for Nebraska, has failed his NFL combine drug test for marijuana. Gregory has had problem with the drug in the past, failing two tests during his short stint in college — if he failed one more time, he would have been thrown off the team.

“I blame myself,” Gregory told the NFL Network. “And I know it sounds cliché, but there’s really no one else I can blame.”

In his time at Nebraska, he has posted some amazing numbers: 120 total tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in just 24 games. Obviously, this kid has star potential and this is not even mentioning his fantastic size.

He is expected to go in the first round and, initially, many believed he would go in the top ten, but this failed drug test could hurt his stock: especially with his past, this ‘marijuana problem’ could be seen as a liability.

“Am I worried? Yeah, I’m worried,” Gregory continued. “At the same time, I’m confident. I know I’m going to be all right in the end.” Still, he has surrounded himself with a good support system, even getting former NFL coach and ESPN analyst Herm Edwards as a mentor.

On top of this, he has been aggressive about his former problems, talking to all prospective teams about the issue. “Obviously this is new news — that I failed the test at the combine — but the fact that I’ve smoked in the past isn’t a mystery,” Gregory stated. “I’ve had conversations with [NFL] coaches. I believe we all have an understanding of why I did it. But I feel like I’m improving. I know I am.”

Furthermore, he sees this as solely a stepping stone. He knows why he used it in Nebraska and wants to move forward. “I don’t want my career to be defined by the fact that I had failed a drug test or anything of that sort,” Gregory told NFL. “I want people to remember me as that top ten, top five that had a ten-year career, a number of championships… I don’t want to be known as a bust or that guy who came in with a drug habit.”

In the end, he still failed a drug test, which will hurt his stock. However, he has proclaimed his own stupidity, while also stating that he has not smoked since December: the failed drug test was just a remnants of his former idiotic ways. Either way, the world shall see what team will be brave enough to draft him on April 29 at 2015’s NFL Draft.

Article by Anthony Falco