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Can you believe it’s been three years since the Cowboys drafted Randy Gregory?
The former second-round pick has only played in 14 of 48 games for the Cowboys in that span, mostly due to suspensions.
It’s been a frustrating few years with all this going on, and in the process Gregory has had a lot going on in his life. Getting things together off the field has always been the utmost concern, and it appears he is now at a place where he’s looking to get back to football.
Gregory’s latest infraction came in the early days of the 2017 calendar year. He was suspended for at least one year after violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse. This type of offense calls for the offender to apply for reinstatement. According to reports, Randy is indeed clean and ready to roll.
UPDATE: We're told Randy Gregory camp is ready to present to NFL the fact the #Cowboys DE has passed a large number of drug tests, hasn't failed one since July 2016. https://t.co/Hjgu2CqRtC
— mike fisher ✭ (@fishsports) April 20, 2018
The process of applying for reinstatement can be a bit arduous, but it’s one that Gregory has to take nonetheless. He has to prove to the NFL that he’s not only clean, but that he’s serious about remaining clean moving forward.
Thankfully for him, he’s got a lot of backing. Many are voicing support for him.
This is what I've heard as well. Full-throat endorsements of Gregory's reinstatement from all sorts of people: teammates, coaches, Hall of Famers, business leaders, and even a celebrity or two.https://t.co/tGsTWsxLtp
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) May 9, 2018
Add Sean Lee and Jeff Heath to the list of Cowboys who have written letters to the league on Randy Gregory’s behalf per source informed https://t.co/2hfbGMqLRA
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) May 9, 2018
In terms of active players it’s mostly faces from the Cowboys leadership council that have come to Gregory’s defense (this also where potential new captains could be derived from). As far as what can be done at this juncture, it really does seem like he is doing all he can.
Jerry Jones also commented on Gregory:
“I have been proud of Randy during this offseason,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “I’m very aware of how hard he’s working to get back in the league and get back on the field. We know that his talent level. It’s concerning that he needs to be in a team environment and needs to be a part of the regime of preparing to actually compete, and so all of that will be a challenge for him, but very doable.
“I know him to be of the character and the kind of individual that is very capable of not only competing and overcoming the fact that he hadn’t played this past year. I think he’s capable of that. But I don’t want to be presumptuous in any way whether or not he’s going to qualify to be reinstated.”
If the Cowboys are able to have Randy Gregory at the start of the season, it’s safe to say that they’re playing with house money at the position. It looked like the team had somewhat moved on from the idea of him playing when they took Taco Charlton in the first round last year.
Randy Gregory still has a long road ahead of him before considering the football side of things is within sight. The important things to note though are that he’s finally on the road and that it’s been traveled by NFL players before (Josh Gordon).
Here’s to hoping.