When you think of the NFL, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Ray Rice or Adrian Peterson. The NFL, at least this season, has been dominated by the shadow of a string of high-profile domestic violence incidents. But football appears to have another serious issue that is going under the radar
"There have been a lot of players that have been addicted to painkillers," said Bret Lockett, a former safety in the NFL. "I know that for a fact."
Lockett may know because he saw it. He was around NFL locker rooms for a handful of seasons with the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and New York Jets. But the general public isn't too aware of it.
Did you know that retired NFL players misuse opioid pain medications four times more than the general population, according to the scientific journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence? The main reason is because their bodies became overly dependent on painkillers during their careers. NFL teams are pumping their guys up with drugs, and most of the time that medicine isn't even coming from a legal source. Sixty-three percent of retired players who used painkillers received the medicine from a non-medical source, i.e., a teammate, coach or trainer. More than half of the participants in the survey admitted to using prescription pain medication during their careers, while 71 percent of them said they abused the drugs.
The Drug Enforcement Agency showed up unannounced on Nov. 16 to inspect the medical staffs of three visiting teams. The San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks were all investigated in an ongoing operation by the DEA into potential violations of the Controlled Substance Act.
No arrests were made and the teams involved were not targeted specifically. But former players are claiming in lawsuits that teams mishandled prescription drugs such as Vicodin, Oxycodone and others. The DEA believes that numerous non-licensed team personnel are distributing prescription drugs, while doctors are prescribing them at an alarming frequency.
"I mean, there is a lenient access to painkillers because you're surrounded by doctors all the time and they write you a prescription instantly," Lockett said. "These guys can pop pills and they don't really monitor it. They're like, 'Hey, I'm out of pills,' and they [doctors] will write it for you."
The number of former NFL players that have joined the lawsuit exceeds 1,200. This includes handfuls of players that were active as recently as 2012. Even if NFL medical staffs were inappropriately distributing prescription medication, Lockett believes that the players need to take responsibility for their own actions.
"I think, as an adult, it is up to you to monitor your use of those drugs," Lockett said. "The only time I ever used hardcore drugs was when I had surgery because the pain was that unbearable. But if I could take the pain, then I'm not just popping a Vicodin just to feel good."
So, how do you stop the problem?
"Monitor how many they are taking. The players need to make sure they're only taking two a day, and the doctors need to make sure they're not giving out more than two a day for them to take," according to Lockett.
Lockett is a smart guy. He never allowed himself to become reliant on painkillers. And, unlike many young NFL players, he had a plan in place for his post-playing career. He's currently a senior partner at M2Jets, a full-service private aviation company devoted to luxury travel.
"Our goal is to be one of the innovators in the private aviation world. It's been really dull up until this point. We're trying to breathe some life into it."
For Lockett, there is a viable tomorrow.
But for many former players, the dependency on drugs hasn't waned. Fifteen percent of participants admitted to abusing prescription medication in the 30 days prior to the survey. Their daily attention is stolen by addiction; there is no business plan to combat that.
The primary objective of NFL medical staffs appears to be getting players to play, not looking out for their long-term health. That would help explain why there is a legion of former addicts suing the NFL right now.
Lockett was an undrafted free agent. He had to claw his way into NFL circles as opposed to strolling across a stage like a first-round pick.
"You're a pawn in a big game," Lockett said of players on the fringes of rosters.
He could just as easily have been talking about any player doped up on pain meds and sent out there to be our gladiator.
