A top WR talent tests positive for marijuana before draft
One of the most talented receivers on the draft board has dug himself into a deeper hole.
Former Florida receiver Antonio Callaway failed a drug test at the NFL combine after testing positive for marijuana, ESPN reported.
A person with knowledge of the situation says NFL teams were made aware of the result Tuesday. NFL Network first reported Callaway’s failed test.
Upon learning of the positive result, Callaway reportedly left his old agent, Melvin Bratton, and hired Malki Kawa, who said Tuesday the test produced a diluted sample.
It was the latest misstep for a talented but troubled receiver who was once considered a lock to be a first-round draft pick. Now, some teams surely will take the 21-year-old Callaway off their draft board. Failing a drug test at the combine, a place prospects know they’re going to be tested, is widely considered one of the more head-scratching results of the pre-draft process.
For Callaway, it’s another huge red flag.
Callaway was suspended all of last season as part of an investigation into felony credit card fraud. He also was cited for marijuana possession in May 2017, stopped by police while riding in a car with a career criminal, and was part of a Title IX investigation in 2016 that centered on an alleged sexual battery. He testified during that case he was high on marijuana during the incident and was later found not responsible for the alleged misconduct.
At Florida’s pro day last month, Callaway said every NFL team he spoke to at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and since wanted to know about the same thing: His past.
“They already know I’m a good athlete. Just know I’m not a bad person,” said Callaway, who appeared out of shape and was working with his second agent in less than six months. “Somebody’s just got to believe in me.”
Callaway also said the recent birth of his first child, a daughter, changed him.
Callaway caught 89 passes for 1,399 yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons at Florida. He hasn’t played since the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2, 2017.
The Miami native was one of nine Florida players suspended during the 2017 season while being investigated for fraud.
According to police, Callaway used a stolen credit card to add $1,970 to his campus bookstore account and then used the money to purchase a high-end computer and fancy headphones. He eventually entered a pretrial intervention program that could result in the dismissal of the felony charges.
With AP