Tunsil may start season with one strike

On Monday, a report from ESPN indicated that Dolphins rookie tackle Laremy Tunsil would not be placed in the first stage of the league’s substance abuse program as a result of the gas mask bong hit video that surfaced just before the start of the first round of the draft last week.

The NFL, via spokesman Brian McCarthy, says that it is premature to make any assumptions about what Tunsil’s status will be because the program’s advisors have not made an evaluation of Tunsil at this point.

...players can be placed in the first stage of the program without a positive test if their “behavior” shows “physical, behavioral, or psychological signs” of drug use.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/05/03/nfl-inaccurate-to-say-laremy-tunsil-wont-be-in-substance-abuse-program/

sounds like video evidence and perhaps being involved in the Nkemdiche incident might be enough get him one step closer to a punishable offense.

Makes sense.  The video or Nkemdiche incident alone should be grounds for putting him in the substance abuse program...the two taken together should make it a slam dunk.  It sucks, but I do think Tunsil should be in the program.

He hasn't failed a drug test yet. Whether he starts in the program or not is immaterial. Kid better stay clean. As I believe he has for the past two years or so.

white1 wrote:He hasn't failed a drug test yet.  Whether he starts in the program or not is immaterial.  Kid better stay clean.  As I believe he has for the past two years or so.

Being in the substance abuse program or not is HUGE.  Once you're in the program, the penalties increase each time you get nailed. 

Not failing a drug test in college is meaningless.  I think chances are very good that Tunsil has been smoking pot the last two years.  I do not believe he quit right after making the gasmask video.  I have also heard that he was hanging out with Nkemdiche the night he fell/jumped from a window while high on synthetic marijuana.  It is reasonable to assume that Tunsil was getting high that night as well.  Synthetic marijuana is currently not traceable in drug tests, by the way, which is one reason a lot of these guys are able to pass tests (and I'm sure star players also get some help from their schools when it comes to passing drug tests).

But yeah, he better stay clean.  Not an easy thing to do when playing with Pouncey...oops, I mean playing in Miami.