Once a pothead, always a pothead.
At least, that’s what people seem to think about former NFL running back Ricky Williams. Earlier this week, Williams was asked for his thoughts about the NFL changing its marijuana rules in the new league drug policy. The 37-year-old insists he would have never even ended up in the NFL’s drug program if the threshold for a positive test was 35 nanograms like it is now. He also said he has given up smoking pot.
“When I go places, people offer me pot all the time,” he told USA Today Sports with a laugh. “And then I have to say, ‘Well, I’m sorry, I don’t do that anymore.’ And they look so disappointed.”
However, Williams stood by comments he made a year ago about how marijuana was like “spinach for Popeye” for him when he was still playing. He said he no longer smokes because his stress and pain have gone away.
“It worked for me,” Williams said. “It was better for my body. It wasn’t necessarily better for my career.”
Williams failed multiple drug tests during his career and was suspended for the entire 2006 season because of it. The former Miami Dolphins star said the old drug testing system simply came down to luck, with collectors testing Sample A to see if it was above the threshold and not bothering with Sample B if so.
I’m not sure how much the new system would have helped someone who loved weed as much as Williams, but it certainly seems to make more sense.
