The NFL Scouting Combine serves as an opportunity for some of college football’s biggest stars to set the record straight on any questionable incidents or events from their college days that will be cause for alarm in the NFL Draft process. Quarterbacks Connor Cook and Christian Hackenberg had mild concerns to address yesterday, but on Friday, it was time for Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss to share his side of the story regarding his bizarre fall from a hotel window in Atlanta last December.
As you might have imagined, alcohol was involved.
“I was drunk,” Nkemdiche admitted today while meeting with the media in Indianapolis. Nkemdiche denied he was also under the influence of marijuana (which he was charged for), but said there were other players in the room with him, including Laremy Tunsil. “No one wanted to take the fall,” Nkemdiche said, per Pro Football Talk. A brilliant choice of words by Nkemdiche, considering that’s literally what he did.
“It was a rash decision,” Nkemdiche said. “It was embarrassing.”
There’s really no better way to sum it up than that. It was embarrassing, and it is certainly a bit of a caution flag for his prospective employers now. Nkemdiche was also suspended by Ole Miss for the Sugar Bowl, at which point he opted to declare for the NFL Draft. The odds were good he was already going to pass on one more year at Ole Miss regardless of the hotel incident.
Nkemdiche is also facing questions about his performance on the field, admitting he was lazy at times. There is a wealth of potential and talent in Nkemdiche’s massive frame, and when he is locked in, he is one of the best defensive linemen in the class. The fact he is acknowledging his faults and questionable behavior the way he is seems to be a positive sign. It remains to be seen just how much these factors will figure into his final draft position, but he is doing what he needs to do right now to suggest he is changing his ways.
