Arizona Cardinals organization no stranger to drug abuse

The NFL has had a history of drug use among it’s players, and the Arizona Cardinals franchise has contributed to the epidemic

Daryl Washington of the Arizona Cardinals had the world at his feet. It was September of 2012, and the star linebacker had just been handed a six-year contract worth tens of millions of dollars. Five years later his Cardinals’ career appears to be over.

Washington’s marijuana use led to his downfall. There was also a domestic violence incident that certainly didn’t help matters. A promising career appears to have been wasted, and the talented player is now hoping a team, any team, will give him a chance to redeem himself.

Washington’s tale is just one of many drug-related sob stories that the league has been privy to. It’s also not the only one the Cards’ family has had to endure. The following are a few more that have affected the franchise.

Tyrann Mathieu could have easily followed in Washington’s footsteps. The “Honey Badger “, a play-making defensive back currently roaming Arizona’s secondary, was kicked off of LSU’s football squad for repeated drug violations. Would the player’s college indiscretions affect his NFL Draft status?

Unfortunately it did. Considered a first-round talent, Mathieu tumbled all the way down to the third round. That’s where Cardinals’ general manager Steve Keim decided to gamble, selecting him with the 69th-overall pick.

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Up until this point at least, it looks like a brilliant move. Injuries aside, Mathieu has been excellent, representing the club in the 2015 Pro Bowl. The “Badger” is a prime example of an individual making the most out of a second opportunity in life.

Former St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals’ left tackle Luis Sharpe, a Pro Bowler for three straight seasons (1987-89), fell prey to crack cocaine. His habit ended up costing him his wife and home, before eventually landing him in prison. Tragedy struck Sharpe when his 23-year old daughter Leah was murdered in 2007, apparently in a drug-related incident.

Quarterback Max Hall played two seasons with Arizona (2010-11), before falling victim to Oxycontin, cocaine and alcohol. Hall was a classic “flash in the pan”, playing in just six NFL contests and throwing just one touchdown pass. He hit rock bottom when he was arrested for cocaine possession and shoplifting in 2014.

Running back Earl Ferrell played his entire career with the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals (1982-89). He led the team in rushing yards during the organization’s first two years in the desert. Ferrell’s addiction to cocaine got him banned from the league in 1990.

Another former Card and roommate of Ferrell’s, Vai Sikahema, described his teammate’s addiction in an article he wrote for the Deseret News in 2012. He quoted Ferrell in the piece; “If you put me in a room with two tables, one had an ounce of coke and the other was stacked with $100 dollar bills to the ceiling, I’d never see the money”.

Sadly, drug abuse is a part of life for many people. Even for some NFL players that we find ourselves cheering for every week. Even for a few of our beloved Cardinals.

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