Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Le’Veon Bell admitted recently that some of his best games for the franchise came immediately after dabbling in marijuana before games.
Marijuana legalization has been a divisive topic in the United States for the better part of the last 50 years. For decades the substance was illegal in many states, and all professional sports had also banned use. However, there has been a major shift over the last two decades where there’s been more of a consensus on the benefits of cannabis.
Related: NFL power rankings – Ranking all 32 teams heading into the summer
Now, 21 states have completely legalized the substance and another 18 allow use for medical reasons. The change in legalization in half of the country has also led to adjustments in drug policies in various professional sports leagues, including the NFL.
In 2021, the league made changes to its guidelines, and now players are only required to test for marijuana just once at the start of training camp.
Le’Veon Bell Pittsburgh Steelers stats: 1,228 rushes, 5,336 yards, 35 TD
However, it seems the stricter guidelines in the previous decade did not stop former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro Le’Veon Bell from using the substance before games for the team. On a recent edition of the “Steel Here” podcast, explained how some instances of pre-game marijuana use actually came before some of his best performances for the team.
“Looking back on this, that’s what I did. When I was playing football, I smoked, bro. Even before the games, I’d smoke and I’d go out there and run for 150, two [touchdowns].”
– Le’Veon Bell
Bell had an outstanding start to his Pittsburgh Steelers career as he was a Pro Bowler in three of his first five seasons from 2013 to 2017 and ran for over 1,200 yards in each of those standout years. However, due to a contract dispute, he sat out all of the 2018 season.
He would eventually be traded to the New York Jets and go on to have a disappointing run before his tenure there also came to an unceremonious end. The one-time Pittsburgh Steelers starting running back would then follow that up with forgettable stints in Kansas City, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay.
He has not played since the 2021 season and has recently taken his talents to the world of boxing. Bell claims he is not officially retired from the NFL yet.