Le’Veon Bell played eight seasons in the NFL with the Steelers, Jets, Ravens, Chiefs and Buccaneers as a running back. While he last appeared in a game in the 2021 season, the 31-year-old Bell hasn’t officially retired and remains interested in a return to the league. In the meantime, he’s taken up a professional boxing career.
The running back position is one of the most violent in the sport, and it’s unsurprising when players have pregame habits in which they need to get themselves in such a mindset. But, as the NFL has loosened restrictions on substances it tests for and has stopped suspending players for positive marijuana tests, former players have admitted to doing so before games. And Bell is just the latest.
Bell admitted as such during a recent appearance on Barstool Sports’ Steel Here podcast.
🚨 New Episode 🚨
Le’Veon Bell drops some BOMBS on this one.
“The Grass Isn’t Always Greener.”
Streaming Now https://t.co/6Lby4ljY0P pic.twitter.com/Bbj8vSMAlw
— STEELHERE (@_STEELHERE) May 26, 2023
“I got a misconception about me with the whole weed thing,” Bell said. “Regardless, I was wrong. Just because man, like I shouldn’t have smoked in the car regardless. But, looking back on this, that’s what I did. When I was playing football, I smoked, bro. Even before the games, I’d smoke and I’d go out there and run for 150, two [touchdowns].”
While he wanted to set the record straight on some misconceptions, Bell and then-Steelers teammate LeGarrette Blount were arrested in 2015 for possession. According to USA Today, police said they found about three-fourths of an ounce of marijuana in Bell’s car during a traffic stop. He was later reprimanded by the league.
If Bell had admitted this prior to 2020—when the league changed its policy on testing for marijuana—perhaps this admission would be a bit more shocking. In any event, it seems rather commonplace in today’s NFL, especially when considering the violence of the sport.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.