Darren Waller might not be a household name, but his suspension today for 1-year by the N.F.L. caused a huge conversation about how the league deals with cannabis and how it suspends players.
On June 30, the NFL announced the one-year suspension of Ravens tight end Darren Waller for violating the league’s substance abuse policy after testing positive for marijuana. It’s his second suspension in the last two years.
The league often issues harsh penalties when players are found failing a drug test. Pittsburgh Steelers running back D’Angelo Williams came out today to condemn the N.F.L. for how it handles players who are suspended for drug issues.
Per ESPN
This is the issue that I have with the NFL. We preach family, family, family, family, family, and as soon as something happens, we’re an individual. We are individual,” Williams told ESPN’s Know Them From Adam podcast released Wednesday. “… So if a guy gets busted for pot or street drugs or something like that, they suspend him for four games. He can’t come around the guys that’s gonna keep him from the pot. They put him in, they gonna put him right back in there with the guys he got busted with.”
Suspended players would be better served by being around their teammates in the locker room atmosphere, Williams said
The N.F.L policy, however, does allow players who are suspended for four games for substance abuse violations to remain with the team for training sessions and meetings until the final preseason game. Once the regular season begins, it is the team’s choice if the player can attend training sessions and meetings during suspensions that are four games or less in length.
Williams had to pull a heavier load than was expected last season for the Steelers when star running back Le’veon Bell was suspended for violating the leagues drug policy.
Weird fact about Waller. He is the great-grandson of blues legend Fatts Waller. Waller made several cannabis related songs in his life including “Viper Room” and “The Reefer Song“.
