It is probably no surprise that former Bengals cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones smokes marijuana, but he admitted on his recent podcast/YouTube show that he smoked weed before every game.
"I had to smoke before the games," said Jones. "The one year that I was in the (NFL "Intervention Program") I really didn't play that good. It kind of messed up my routine of things, and could've played a whole lot better, but I didn't. So, I thought that me smoking was my way of getting my things together to get ready to play."
NFL players have long lobbied for marijuana to be allowed to use as a pain suppressant after games. The NFL has softened its position on marijuana recently, essentially to a non-existent state, but just a handful of years ago it was an entirely different story.
Players who tested positive for THC faced short or season-long suspensions.
Jones played in the NFL from 2005-18, including from 2010-17 with the Bengals. He missed the 2007 due to a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy and missed the entire 2009 season.