I thought this was really interesting. I'm always intrigued by value in the NFL Draft - whether it be failed drug tests, character issues, suboptimal size, etc. - so Gregory's weed issue test caught my attention initially. Ever since though, something strange has been going on. Shane Ray got cited for possession, yet he is still very firmly entrenched in the 1st round predictions. Meanwhile, Gregory, a better prospect playing a similar football role has fallen out of the 1st round entirely according to many, including Todd McShay. Deadspin ran a piece yesterday with the same title as this thread. http://deadspin.com/something-weird-is-going-on-with-randy-gregory-1701010088 They link to some articles from NFL.com and Florio, both making very vague allusions to some kind of mental issue that could essentially kill his career before it starts. It's really strange. The there's this: It sounds like he could have a significant case of anxiety and/or depression, the former of which Gregory himself cited as the reason he smokes weed. Its going to be really interesting to see where he goes. Shane Ray will likely still get drafted in the 1st round, while Gregory may actually be completely off many teams' big board.
Lots of smoke here now that the first round is complete and he's still available. The speculation sounds like he has some sort of mental illness that is severe enough that he's self medicating with weed - even in the face of ruining his entire career as a football player and losing millions of dollars.
I struggle with Anxiety, Bipolar, OCD. Weed does help without a doubt with all of those conditions. Mental health needs more awareness. Is it serious for the individual? Sure. Is it managable? Absolutely. Mental health sucks, it's hard but it doesn't make you crazy or a headcase. If teams pass on him for that, that will sadden me a lot. It would be a shame because I know I'm not a freak or crazy, I'm just a guy with a condition. Something I live with just like any other person. Mental health is reversable and treatable, it's also something that shouldn't effect his football play at at all. So it would be a shame if teams are scared off by that because it shouldn't be a issue.
The flip side is that you are a success case. There are plenty of cases where, even with treatment, the mental illness is too strong to overcome, either because of its severity or the length it went untreated.
Mental health is complex but I don't think what he is struggling with is something that is extremely concerning. Especially if its just an anxiety disorder. If its just anxiety, then that is not something that will effect his football play or others. Its more of an indivual effecting disorder that can be overcome a lot faster than other mental disorders. I guess we will see as we go. Even with other disorders, they are extremely manageable. When it becomes a big problem is when the person with these disorders shut down and refuse to overcome or accept the help needed to manage it. We'll just have to wait and see what really is what I guess.
If Gregory suffers from an anxiety disorder, it just means the team will need to go out of it's way to provide him with support. As someone who suffers from an anxiety disorder (been also been diagnosed as bipolar, but I don't believe it) I can say that this isn't something you can see just by looking at a person. It's very easy to hide your pain and make people believe nothing's wrong. But when times get really bad, it sometimes seems as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and worse. It won't stop Gregory from being successful or unsuccessful in the NFL, but it's not something that can be ignored. He would need an increased level of monitoring to make sure he doesn't melt down. If he has problems worse than anxiety disorders, such as substance abuse that goes beyond marijuana, that's another story entirely...
hey - we've got Brandon Marshall, we're clearly not afraid of mental disorder. I'm all for Gregory, the man understands how to play football. Also, I smoke all day every day.
