Defensive end Dion Jordan, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft who was suspended for a drug policy violation, has applied for reinstatement and is determined to make the most of his second chance.
Jordan spent the 2015 season suspended after his diluted sample in December 2014. Already regarded as a monumental draft bust after underwhelming even when on the field, the now 26-year-old doesn’t want to mess things up again.
“I’m not about to waste it. I can’t waste it. And I (expletive) love doing it,” Jordan told USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. “Who doesn’t love running out in front of 30,000-plus fans and you get that rush? But it’s also things that you can get that rush from that can be very satisfying and can carry you on to a successful life after football.”
Jordan, who has just three sacks in 26 career games, admitted that he got into drugs during his rookie year and enjoyed the life of an NFL player a bit too much.
“Like a lot of rookies, you enjoy being a professional for the first time and having that cloud or whatever,” Jordan said. “I realized that’s not what it’s about. I realized real quick once I got in trouble.”
Jordan has been working out and sounds ready to jump straight back into the league. The Miami Dolphins still have him under contract, and it remains to be seen what they’ll choose to do with him in the event that he is reinstated. Perhaps his former college coach could be interested in bringing him to San Francisco for his second chance, just as he was reportedly poised to do before his suspension was handed down.
