An upcoming ESPN: The Magazine story references the U. Oregon as a prominent example of rising marijuana use by college football players, with both current and former players suggesting that anywhere between 40 and 60 percent of team members used the drug.
The article claims that 19 Oregon players (past and present) confirmed a high amount of use over the past 15 years, while a current player — who remained nameless — suggested that “about half the team smokes” and stated, “It’s a team thing. Like video games.”
Recent studies cited by the ESPN article show that, at a national level, 26.7 percent of college football players smoke marijuana, as opposed to 22.6 percent of all athletes.
Oregon law, of course, precludes head coach Chip Kelly from using a random drug testing policy, and on Wednesday Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens stated to The Register-Guard’s Rob Moseley that, “Student-athletes at the University of Oregon are tested for illegal substances to the full extent possible under existing Oregon state law…We continue to work diligently to educate our student-athletes on the harmful impact of illegal substances. In addition, we have articulated our illegal substances policy to our student-athletes and have clearly defined sanctions for a positive test.”
According to University of Oregon policy, student-athletes can only be tested on “reasonable suspicion,” and not based on pure speculation. A coach or administrator must personally witness whatever it is that prompts this suspicion, be it ”physical or mental deficiency, medically indicated symptomology of tested-for drug use, aberrant or otherwise patently suspicious conduct, or unexplained absenteeism.”
Neither Mullens nor Kelly chose to provide comment in the ESPN story.
The most famous incident at Oregon involving marijuana, of course, occurred last summer when former Duck cornerback Cliff Harris was pulled over for speeding and claimed to have “smoked it all” when asked about the presence of marijuana in the car. Former Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas was also in the car, and faced questions about his own drug use when he spoke to the media during 2011 fall camp. He claimed to have never used marijuana.
Harris was suspended and later kicked off the team after being cited for marijuana possession in his hometown of Fresno, Calif.
Former quarterback Jeremiah Masoli also had marijuana in his car when he was pulled over back in June of 2010 — the final incident in a long saga that led to him being kicked off the team.