Chris Long, who won Super Bowls with both the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 and 2018, revealed that he not only used to smoke cannabis during his time in the league, but he also did so fully knowing it was banned.
The 11-year defensive lineman told Fox news that he needed to use cannabis to sleep because he struggled with insomnia and didn’t want to turn to sleeping pills.
“What made me turn to cannabis is actually sleep. So, for me, it was insomnia, sleeping pills — all types of bad side effects — and it really just had a negative overall effect on my mental health and just on my sleep,” Long told Fox News. “And the best day of my life was when I stopped using marijuana for recreation. I was like, ‘Oh, I can get real use out of this, this plant. This is a very functional thing for me and making that switch was such a game-changer. I also like to use cannabis for a whole host of reasons. But for me, what got me on was sleep.”
The National Football League is very strict on cannabis, so Long had to figure out a way to bet the test.
“You know when they are,” Long said of the drug tests. “The couple of weeks that I needed to be off, honestly, the time I would spend off cannabis before my test, I was the worst version of myself because I wasn’t restful. I was anxious. All the stresses of a pro football season, which was usually coming up, because it was usually in camp where we got tested. Those things were bubbling to the surface. And certainly to relax after a hard day of workouts and that sort of thing, I missed that. And so, as soon as I got tested, it was a lot better. Then you can start, and then you kinda knew when to stop.”
Over the past few years, cannabis has been legalized both recreationally and medicinally in many states across the United States, but the NFL has remained steadfast on not permitting it.
Since his retirement, Long has become an advocate for marijuana use. These days, he also uses it to help treat his own social anxiety.
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“I’m using it for social anxiety because I’ll go somewhere and everybody else is drinking three or four drinks or whatever, and I’m not really into, you know, going to a dinner party and putting 4-6 back,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’d like to smoke a joint in the parking lot before I go. And because, for me, that’s my 1-2 glasses of merlot or something.
“So, sometimes it can take the edge off that way. Sometimes, it’ll help me work in some capacity. Sometimes it’ll help me focus on what I need to be focused on and then, depending on the usage, it can help me sleep. Really, it’s up to people to figure out responsibly and careful because this is powerful stuff, and it’s a powerful solution. You also just have to be just responsible about how you get into it and just see what’s right for you. That’s the way I would talk to another player or an athlete or person.”
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2008 draft joined the Eagles after a season with the New England Patriots and eight years with the St. Louis Rams. When he joined the Eagles in 2017, he racked up five sacks and 28 tackles with four forced fumbles. In 2018, he registered 6.5 sacks with 23 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Long appeared in 162 games throughout his career, while notching 103 career starts. When on the field, he was disruptive. He recorded 332 total tackles, 85 tackles for loss, 15 forced fumbles, and 70 total sacks. He also notched 150 total quarterback hits.
