Reports: NFL draft prospect Christian Ballard tests positive for marijuana
Iowa defensive lineman Christian Ballard failed his drug test at the NFL scouting combine in February, according to a report by Jay Glazer and Alex Marvez on FoxSports.com.
Citing multiple sources, Ballard and George linebacker Justin Houston both tested positive for marijuana.
ProFootballWeekly.com later confirmed the report and added a third name, Florida lineman Maurice Hurt.
Eric Edholm of PFW wrote: “Rumors of Ballard’s failure ran rampant last week but could not be confirmed until late Monday night. Several league sources told PFW recently that Ballard informed teams during the interview process that he suspected he might test positive.”
Wes Bunting, the director of college scouting for the National Football Post said he doesn’t think the news, on the eve of the NFL draft, will hurt Ballard.
“The NFL teams have known about that since the combine,” Bunting said. “It’s not like this is news to them.”
Nearly every spring a few names are linked to failed drug tests at the combine.
The list includes well-known NFL stars Warren Sapp and Percy Harvin. Both may have slipped a few spots in their respective drafts.
“If he fell out of the third round I’d be shocked,” Bunting said. “I’ll say he goes somewhere mid-to-late second round, somewhere in there.”
Bunting said a positive test won’t scare teams off a defensive lineman.
“If you look at all the defensive linemen throughout the NFL, they’re not angels,” Bunting said. “You don’t play with a full deck of cards if you’re a defensive lineman. You’ve got to be a little nuts.”
Ballard did not respond to a HawkCentral.com request for comment.
The NFL draft starts Thursday with the first round and concludes on Saturday.
Please check back for updates.
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
That would explain his fall from late first/early second round projections in February/early March.
Not smart if it’s true – and if it’s not, the timing could not be worse for him!
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What do you mean “if it’s true”? He failed the test and told teams he might fail it..
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What the heck are these guys thinking? smoke your dubies in the off-season. MY god!!
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In all fairness, we don’t know how long he was rolling them up. He might be one of those off season tokers. Can’t relate this to the Hawkeyes at all…just what he did recently, and that he’s a former Hawkeye. College testing at all schools isn’t as sophisitcated as it should be.
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Is this another example of the “gaps and inconsistencies” that exist in the UI drug testing program? Seems like the NFL has figured out a system that can’t be bypassed.
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He’s not tested weekly at the UI program (nor is anyone) and finished with classes in December, meaning he’s not even a member of the program anymore = no more drug tests.
It’s great to rip a (former) player with completely stupid comments – goes to show a truly classy individual – NOT!
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Hey Christian, pass the dutchie!
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Another brilliant and heady intellectual post. Where do these idiots come from? Actually, it’s much worse reading posts from CNN and Fox stories. They are looney, you’re just childish. But if you’re going on the road with this stuff, you better come up with some better material or they’ll use the hook to drag you off the stage. Take it back to Ames and work on it.
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Go Hawks
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I generally make it a policy to not publicly chastise players so I will have to bite my tongue once again.
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Good man. People in here speculate and then condemn.
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If this report is true, Mr. Ballard is a shoo in for the dumbest man on earth competition. Good luck with things, Cristi.
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I wouldn’t even put him in the top 100…Gadhafi is way up there above him, waiting for the next smart bomb to get him one night when he’s dozing off.
I thought you were up there somewhere on the list, if I recall some of your old posts.
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Wow. I really hope the 2011 team takes note of what NOT to do this year. Sheesh. Coaches can’t be everywhere – time for these guys to take some personal responsibility and STOP messing with the illegal stuff. I hope we don’t see a rash of this next season.
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“I’ve talked to scouts who have said this guy should be a top 40 pick,” Bowen said. “So then you’re looking at late first, early second.
“If he’s still on the board in the middle of the second round, I’d be shocked.”
Not anymore! I just don’t understand why these players, with so much on the line to have the golden opportunity to get into the NFL, can’t seem to keep their noses clean. It’s just marijuana but the timing for such risk taking is unbelievable.
UI should teach classes on how not to be stupid!
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Na, that’s an elective at pervert U.
How’s that drug testing credibility at Iowa working for you?
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Hey, cyfan2, better get used to this in Ames with your basketball team. Why do think Izzo kicked off those two guys?!
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How come you know and the western world does not? What secret knowledge does the average uneducated dumbo hackeye have that would give him such great insight to Tom Izzo’s mind and the press does not know or expose?……Stay smoking the same dope as the rest of your doped up athletes and you will be just as clueless as Ballard, DJK and the rest of the dopers in Iowa City
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Christian, didn’t DJK teach you anything??? If you’re good enough to play in the NFL nothing will stop it from happening. However, you just cost yourself a boatload of cash..
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For sure. Now I have to go. It’s time to roll one up.
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I never thought about that part that the NFL teams don’t get to upset about this kind of thing–especially for a defensive lineman. They think those guys are a little bit off anyway…
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