The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Gordon to GQ: I was high for every game
Browns coach Hue Jackson should buy his extra-strength Tylenol in the 20-pound economy size with a spare jar under his desk for times like these.
Josh Gordon, the talented wide receiver due back in Browns headquarters Nov. 7 after being suspended the past 51 games for substance abuse violations, decided to stop by the GQ Magazine office before his visit with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Nov. 1.
Gordon convinced Goodell to reinstate him on a conditional basis, and since Gordon’s contract still belongs to the Browns despite all the time missed, that means if he really is going to play again, he’ll play for the Browns unless they release him, and right now they have no plans to do that.
But check out what Gordon told GQ to get an idea what Jackson is in for on top of everything else: the 0-8 record, the botched trade last week for Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron, constant rumors of a rift between the coaches and the front office plus constant rumors Jackson will be fired at the end of the season.
Gordon told GQ he had something in his system “every game.”
“Probably every game of my career . ... I used to make a ritual of it before every game. If I had already been drug tested that week, or the day before the game, I knew I had a couple days to buy to clean my system.
“Even before I was getting tested for alcohol, prior to my DWI in 2014, I would take the biggest bong rip I could and try to conceal all the smell off all my clothes. I’d be dressed up to go to the game. A bunch of guys smoke weed before the game. But we’re not talking about them.
“I would have these little premade shots. I used to love Grand Marnier. I could drink it down smooth. I could usually drink a lot of it. But if it wasn’t that, it might be a whiskey or something. And I would drink probably like
half a glass, or a couple shots to try and warm my system up basically. To get the motor running. That’s what I would do for games.”
The GQ interview did not change Jackson’s opinion of Gordon. He is eager to get Jackson back on the practice field (Nov. 20) and in games (starting Dec. 3).
“I’ll sit down and have a conversation with Josh,” Jackson said after practice Nov. 6. “Obviously, I think when guys go through what he’s been through — I’m not privy to that conversation or seen any of that, but obviously, that is what was said — I think when guys come out of cleansing and those things, things get said. I think they let it all out.
“Again, we’re accepting him back into our organization. We’re going to give him another opportunity. He’s done everything right to get himself into the National Football League, and that is where I have to leave it at
this point, but we will discuss things that were said.”
It is fair to wonder how forgiving the Browns would be if this were any other receiver on the roster. But Gordon has special talent; he had 1,646 receiving yards in 2013 to lead the NFL, and he did that in 14 games.
“He’s a really good player — very physical, very fast, strong, could catch, run every route that we have in our system and can contribute to our football team,” Jackson said.
Jackson refused to talk about the failure to trade for McCarron. Earlier in the day, Executive Vice President Sashi Brown said the Browns and Bengals did not complete the necessary paperwork before the 4 p.m. Oct. 31 deadline.
“I’m not going to take any questions about anything that happened here last week,” Jackson said. “You can try. I’m not going
to answer; I’m going to be very honest with you.”
In the past, Jackson has said the relationship between the coaches and players is just fine, but he did not say that Nov. 6. Earlier in the day, Brown said there is no disconnect between the coaches and personnel department.
“I’m not going to talk about any of those things,” Jackson said. “I think Sashi addressed all of that. I’m going to focus on coaching this football team and getting this team to win, getting our coaches better, getting our players better and find a way to win football games.”
Jackson seemed invigorated with his players back from the bye. Corey Coleman, after missing six games with a broken hand, has been designated to return. Coleman practiced Nov. 6 and is eligible to return Nov. 19 in the game with Jacksonville.