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George: How Cowboys will handle Randy Gregory's issues with drugs, mental health
By BRANDON GEORGE Follow @DMN_George bgeorge@dallasnews.com
Staff Writer
Published: 01 May 2015 10:40 PM
Updated: 02 May 2015 12:32 AM
IRVING – The Dallas Cowboys landed one of the draft’s best pass-rushers Friday night by using their 60th overall pick on Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory. But they also took on another off-the-field challenge.
Six weeks after the Cowboys signed controversial free agent defensive end Greg Hardy, they selected a player in the second round of the draft who scouts say has Top 10 talent but also brings a lot of uncertainty to Valley Ranch.
Gregory tested positive for marijuana at the NFL scouting combine in February. He learned about the positive test in mid-March and said at a news conference then that he has struggled with marijuana use for years. He also said he last smoked marijuana in December leading up to the combine.
“I don’t wake up every day saying, ‘I’d really love to go smoke,’” he said in March. “It’s not a struggle for me every day [now]. In the past, hell yeah, it’s been a struggle.”
But Gregory brings another potential obstacle to the locker room. Sources said Friday night Gregory also suffers from bipolar disorder. The Cowboys have a history of working with defensive players who have battled mental health issues.
During a conference call with Dallas-area media Friday, Gregory was asked if he struggles with depression or bipolar disorder.
“Not anything like that,” he said. “I think I have the same kind of anxiety that a lot of guys in my position have. After talking with the staff, I think they were comfortable enough to be able to support me in that way. This is something that I’ve been working on for a while.”
Deryk Gilmore, Gregory’s agent, was also asked about his client’s mental health.
“That’s private,” he said. “We’re not talking about that.”
During Gregory’s pre-draft visit to Valley Ranch, he requested that the Cowboys put a structure in place for him that will help keep him out of trouble off the field, he said. The structure the Cowboys use to help Gregory, a source said, will be similar to how they assisted receiver Dez Bryant after he was arrested in the summer of 2012 and charged with assaulting his mother.
The Cowboys had a rotating three-man security team – led by private investigator David Wells – that called for at least one man to always shadow Bryant. But Gregory is described as a player who doesn’t like to party as much as Bryant and won’t need as much security, a source said.
Gregory was asked what sort of system the Cowboys will use to help him.
“It’s a lot of different things. I can’t really go into too much detail, but I definitely will be working with Jerry Jones and the rest of the staff,” Gregory said. “It was something I mentioned and something I felt like I needed. It kind of worked out because they felt the same way about it.”
Gregory will enter the NFL in the league’s substance abuse program that will mandate he is tested often. If he tests positive again, he’ll be subject to an immediate three-week fine and advance to Stage Two, which will then make him subject to unannounced testing up to 10 times a month.
“I think he’s a good person,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “He has great football character. … I believe in the young man.”
Gilmore also said Gregory will have a nutritional plan in place he’ll follow with the Cowboys. Gregory said he weighs about 240 right now but his average weight is close to 260.
Gregory made more than 20 pre-draft visits with teams across the league and faced the same marijuana questions at every stop. He didn’t make three of his pre-draft visits, he said. He missed his flight for one scheduled visit. The two other visits were canceled and the two teams were given a week’s notice, Gilmore said. Neither team had Gregory ranked high on their draft boards, Gilmore added.
“People said he had character issues. He failed a marijuana test. That has nothing to do with his character,” Gilmore said. “That’s crazy to me. I think there is a big misunderstanding about this kid. This kid has great character. He made a mistake and it was a wake-up call to him.
“We’re going to sit down with Dallas and go through everything we need to and we’ll put a great plan around him and they’re not going to have to worry about him.”
By BRANDON GEORGE Follow @DMN_George bgeorge@dallasnews.com
Staff Writer
Published: 01 May 2015 10:40 PM
Updated: 02 May 2015 12:32 AM
IRVING – The Dallas Cowboys landed one of the draft’s best pass-rushers Friday night by using their 60th overall pick on Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory. But they also took on another off-the-field challenge.
Six weeks after the Cowboys signed controversial free agent defensive end Greg Hardy, they selected a player in the second round of the draft who scouts say has Top 10 talent but also brings a lot of uncertainty to Valley Ranch.
Gregory tested positive for marijuana at the NFL scouting combine in February. He learned about the positive test in mid-March and said at a news conference then that he has struggled with marijuana use for years. He also said he last smoked marijuana in December leading up to the combine.
“I don’t wake up every day saying, ‘I’d really love to go smoke,’” he said in March. “It’s not a struggle for me every day [now]. In the past, hell yeah, it’s been a struggle.”
But Gregory brings another potential obstacle to the locker room. Sources said Friday night Gregory also suffers from bipolar disorder. The Cowboys have a history of working with defensive players who have battled mental health issues.
During a conference call with Dallas-area media Friday, Gregory was asked if he struggles with depression or bipolar disorder.
“Not anything like that,” he said. “I think I have the same kind of anxiety that a lot of guys in my position have. After talking with the staff, I think they were comfortable enough to be able to support me in that way. This is something that I’ve been working on for a while.”
Deryk Gilmore, Gregory’s agent, was also asked about his client’s mental health.
“That’s private,” he said. “We’re not talking about that.”
During Gregory’s pre-draft visit to Valley Ranch, he requested that the Cowboys put a structure in place for him that will help keep him out of trouble off the field, he said. The structure the Cowboys use to help Gregory, a source said, will be similar to how they assisted receiver Dez Bryant after he was arrested in the summer of 2012 and charged with assaulting his mother.
The Cowboys had a rotating three-man security team – led by private investigator David Wells – that called for at least one man to always shadow Bryant. But Gregory is described as a player who doesn’t like to party as much as Bryant and won’t need as much security, a source said.
Gregory was asked what sort of system the Cowboys will use to help him.
“It’s a lot of different things. I can’t really go into too much detail, but I definitely will be working with Jerry Jones and the rest of the staff,” Gregory said. “It was something I mentioned and something I felt like I needed. It kind of worked out because they felt the same way about it.”
Gregory will enter the NFL in the league’s substance abuse program that will mandate he is tested often. If he tests positive again, he’ll be subject to an immediate three-week fine and advance to Stage Two, which will then make him subject to unannounced testing up to 10 times a month.
“I think he’s a good person,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “He has great football character. … I believe in the young man.”
Gilmore also said Gregory will have a nutritional plan in place he’ll follow with the Cowboys. Gregory said he weighs about 240 right now but his average weight is close to 260.
Gregory made more than 20 pre-draft visits with teams across the league and faced the same marijuana questions at every stop. He didn’t make three of his pre-draft visits, he said. He missed his flight for one scheduled visit. The two other visits were canceled and the two teams were given a week’s notice, Gilmore said. Neither team had Gregory ranked high on their draft boards, Gilmore added.
“People said he had character issues. He failed a marijuana test. That has nothing to do with his character,” Gilmore said. “That’s crazy to me. I think there is a big misunderstanding about this kid. This kid has great character. He made a mistake and it was a wake-up call to him.
“We’re going to sit down with Dallas and go through everything we need to and we’ll put a great plan around him and they’re not going to have to worry about him.”
