Elliott Admits To Drug Use At Ohio State
via The Sports Xchange
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, facing a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, admitted to using drugs while at Ohio State.
The revelation, first reported by the Dallas Morning News on Friday, came as Elliott, while under oath, was being cross-examined by an NFL attorney during the running back’s appeal hearing this week.
While being quizzed by NFL lawyer Daniel Nash, Elliott said that he liked to party and get drunk and acknowledged that he used drugs in college.
“I do like to party,” Elliott answered per a document obtained by the newspaper. He offered a simple “yes” when asked if he liked to get drunk.
Nash then asked: “You like to do drugs?”
Answered Elliott: “I did in college.”
The 22-year-old Elliott is appealing a six-game suspension for domestic violence. The punishment was issued by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Aug. 11 after a 13-month-long investigation revealed Elliott allegedly assaulted Tiffany Thompson, who said she was Elliott’s girlfriend.
During interviews with league investigators, Thompson said she saw Elliott use both marijuana and cocaine.
Elliott was accused by Thompson of five domestic assault incidents in July 2016 in Columbus, Ohio. Elliott denied the allegations and was never charged or arrested.
The NFL Players Association filed a request in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on Thursday to block any suspension upheld by arbitrator Harold Henderson involving Elliott.
The players’ union accused the league’s appeals process of being “fundamentally unfair” and citing new facts revealed during this week’s hearing that wrapped up Thursday.
The union’s petition alleges the league deliberately hid critical information from Elliott and the union that could have been used to exonerate him, including that the NFL’s lead investigator on the case, Kia Roberts, produced an internal memo in which she had issues with Thompson’s credibility.
Inconsistent statements from Thompson resulted in Roberts recommending that Elliott receive no suspension, according to multiple reports.
On Friday, the NFL denied hiding “critical information” in the case.
“They’re trying to create a grand conspiracy story where none exists,” league spokesman Joe Lockhart told NFL.com on Friday.
Lockhart said the allegation that league executives conspired to keep the opinions of Roberts from commissioner Roger Goodell is not accurate.
Elliott, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft, led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards during his rookie season.
