The Dangerous Drug the Football Kids Are Doing

Why you should care

Because if you’re a football fan during the off-season, you probably still want to know what’s going down with your fave players.

Over the course of his six-season NFL career, Nate Jackson received a steady course of painkillers and anti-inflammatory meds from doctors. These pharmaceuticals crucially helped keep him on the field despite injuries as a tight end with the Denver Broncos.

But it wasn’t enough. Jackson also self-medicated with marijuana — a substance that is banned by the NFL and was illegal in Colorado at the time. That ban didn’t stop him as he sought relief from both the physical and mental stress of playing pro football.

Read more: The Perils of Synthetic Weed in the NFL | Fast forward | OZY