Written by James Walker at ESPN.com
Miami Dolphins rookie Laremy Tunsil is expected to get a clean slate from the NFL and will not begin his pro career under Stage 1 of the league’s substance abuse program, a source told ESPN.
The source added, however, that the league will closely monitor and support Tunsil in the event intervention is needed.
A video posted on social media minutes before the start of the NFL draft last Thursday night showed Tunsil smoking from a bong through a gas mask. The Dolphins and Tunsil confirmed the video was from two years ago, when the offensive lineman was a college player at Ole Miss. Tunsil’s draft stock plummeted Thursday night until Miami selected him with the No. 13 overall pick.
“I do not have a drug problem,” Tunsil said to the Miami media after getting drafted. “You can check all my college tests. I never failed one.”
There is a behavior clause in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement that would make it possible for Tunsil to enter Stage 1 of the program.
The clause states: “Behavior [including but not limited to an arrest or conduct related to an alleged misuse of substances of abuse occurring up to two football seasons prior to the player’s applicable scouting combine] which, in the judgment of the medical director, exhibits physical, behavioral, or psychological signs or symptoms of misuse of substances of abuse.”
But the NFL will give Tunsil a fresh start, according to the source. Most of Tunsil’s transgressions are issues that Ole Miss now must deal with, including his recent admission that he took money from a Rebels coach.
The Dolphins did an extensive background check on Tunsil during the pre-draft process and were comfortable with his character and the selection. Tunsil was the No. 2 overall player on Miami’s draft board, according to the team.
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