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Detroit Lions’ sophomore running back Mikel Leshoure doesn’t appear to be a man who is sorry for letting both himself and his team down by getting arrested for marijuana possession twice in less than a month (Feb. 18 & March 12) and he makes no excuses for feeling that way. And why should he? From the sounds of it, no one in the Lions’ organization seems to think it’s a big deal.
Speaking with reporters after the Lion’s first OTA workout during which he mostly observed (this due to his on-going recovery from Achille’s surgery last season and not from his legal troubles), Leshoure said, “Everything has been positive. Mentally I am good. Physically I am good. My confidence is there, it’s growing. There maybe was a week or two when I got down and got depressed. But since then I’ve been happy and moving along.” According to Leshoure his coaches and teammates have been nothing but supportive. “People make mistakes,” he said. “Coaches know you make mistakes. Coaches, players, staff, everybody makes mistakes. There was nobody I had to earn respect from. It was nothing like that. I am back. I am around my teammates and I am moving on.” So after a season when Leshoure brought absolutely nothing to the on field success of the Lions because of a preseason sidelining injury, he doesn’t have to earn respect from anyone in regards to his off field antics? This notion actually shouldn’t be all that surprising. Marijuana use was a hot topic during the 2012 draft and many reports claimed it just wasn’t considered ‘that big a deal’ in the NFL anymore. The Detroit Lions’ didn’t seem to care that much during the draft that one of the players they brought in for pre-draft visits, Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatick, had been arrested for marijuana possession earlier in the year (a charge that had later been dropped). Kirkpatrick told the media after his meeting with the Lions, “They know I was just in a bad place at the wrong time….. The charges have been dropped, so ain’t nobody stressing about it.”
Well they might not be stressing about Leshoure either but he should be stressed about the legal troubles he has yet to face. Despite already paying restitution to the Berrien County District Court, enrolling in the league’s substance abuse program, and being subjected to ongoing drug tests, Leshoure will have to reappear before the court in a year, maintain his sobriety, and face suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Although the new collective bargaining agreement calls for a suspension of up to four games for drug related matters, it is suspected he will only get two games.
I’m sure if I got arrested for marijuana possession two times in one month it would be considered a big deal. Leshoure gets to brush the matter off saying, “It’s over with. You live and you learn. You learn from your mistakes and you move on. That’s what I’m doing.” Funny, you’d think it would have only taken one arrest for him to learn his lesson.
