The Dallas Cowboys are expected to have one of the worst defenses in the NFL this year, and it may be worse through the first four games of the season than many anticipated. Orlando Scandrick, a veteran starting cornerback who played in all 16 games in 2013, has reportedly been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s drug policy.
According to The Dallas Morning News, Scandrick tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance after he drank a cocktail that included the drug “Molly” and another stimulant. He is said to have taken the drug on a Saturday while vacationing in Mexico and was drug tested on Monday when he returned.
“I would like to apologize to my children, my family, the Jones Family, my coaches, my teammates and my fans,” Scandrick said in a statement Monday. “Failing a drug test is far out of my character, and although I never knowingly took a performance enhancing-drug/banned stimulant while on vacation in Mexico, I take full responsibility for what goes in my body and more importantly for the embarrassment of a failed drug test.”
In other words, Scandrick is claiming he was drugged. He appealed the league’s ruling and was denied.
Scandrick played as well as he could last season on a defense that was ranked dead last in the NFL. Third-year defensive back Morris Claiborne, who was competing for a starting job with Scandrick in camp, will now be leaned on heavily in the early part of the season.
