The Sports Xchange

Three days before the 2015 NFL Draft, Missouri defensive end Shane Ray was ticketed for marijuana possession, and the citation could wind up costing him millions.

Ray apologized in a statement released Monday night after being cited for possession of marijuana. A projected top-15 pick by NFLDraftScout.com, it’s impossible to know the precise impact of the poor decision, as many NFL owners and evaluators view such offenses through different lenses.

“I’d like to apologize to my Mother, Fans and prospective NFL teams for my poor judgement Monday morning,” Ray said in the statement. “I am embarrassed and realize there are consequences for my actions. I was not under the influence nor impaired, therefore I was not detained. Fortunately, Mondays incident only resulted in a citation. I will make better choices in the future. It is imperative that I continue to strive to better myself. My future NFL career has been something I have always dreamed about and is very important to me. I commit that my actions will represent that. There are no excuses here and I will take the necessary steps to ensure this will not happen again. I will not jeopardize my ability to have a positive impact on and off the field moving forward.”

Ray and Nebraska outside linebacker Randy Gregory could be dinged by prospective NFL employers because of their marijuana-related offenses.

While there are teams that don’t flag players for a single offense, repeated pot arrests or failed drug tests can be viewed as a serious concern. Former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon entered the league through the supplemental draft with concerns about such off-field issues and after repeat violations as a pro, his NFL future is very much in doubt at age 24.