Irvin Is Suspended for Drug Violation
Ram cornerback LeRoy Irvin, in the midst of his best training camp in years, was suspended for 30 days Tuesday for violating the National Football League’s substance-abuse policy.
Irvin, 31, was a Step 2 violator, having tested positive for marijuana two years ago. He has been tested twice weekly since.
The league does not release the substance abused in its statements but Irvin would have drawn the same 30-day suspension whether for anything ranging from alcohol to cocaine.
Former Ram tailback Charles White, for instance, was arrested in August of 1987 on misdemeanor cocaine charges. He was reinstated immediately because he was only a Step 1 offender under the NFL’s new drug policy.
White then received a 30-day suspension last summer, after he violated the policy again, although it was revealed that the substance was alcohol, not cocaine.
Ram sources said Tuesday that Irvin’s problem was not comparable to White’s life-long struggle with cocaine.
Irvin released a short statement through the team:
“I regret that this has happened and I apologize to my teammates, coaches and fans. I will do everything asked of me during this suspension and hope to return ready to help the Rams have a great season.”
Irvin could not be reached for further comment. A spokesman for Irvin said the defensive back had gone fishing in Mexico.
Tight end Orson Mobley of the Denver Broncos also was suspended for 30 days for violating the substance abuse policy.
Mobley, in his fourth season with the Broncos, last year caught 21 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
In recent years, Irvin had become a prominent figure on the Orange County sports scene and was actively involved with youth sports in the Fullerton area.
He is one of 16 Rams involved in the team’s “Children’s Football Card Crime-Prevention Promotion.”
Picture cards of the players, with crime prevention messages on the back, are to be distributed by the Anaheim Police Dept. to school districts in the Anaheim area. The cards will also be distributed to all fans in attendance at the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Anaheim Stadium Oct. 8.
Under the terms of the suspension, Irvin cannot return to Rams Park until Sept. 28 and will miss at least the first three regular-season games of the 1989 season. He is eligible to return Oct. 1 for the game against the 49ers in San Francisco.
“I don’t know what to say other than obviously, it’s a blow to us,” Coach John Robinson said. “He is having a great preseason and working very hard. He had been a model of dedication and work. I think he’s very determined to have a good season.
“This is obviously a setback. We’ll have to evaluate him during the suspension and his willingness to do what’s asked of him, and we’ll make a judgment about his future when the suspension is lifted.”
Irvin will not be required to enter a drug-rehabilitation center.
“But I think he will continue with frequent testing,” Robinson said.
Robinson couldn’t say what affect Irvin’s suspension would have on the team. Either rookie cornerback Darryl Henley or second-year man Cliff Hicks will replace Irvin.
“He’s not there, somebody else is there,” Robinson said of Irvin’s absence. “I think it’s disruptive if people start throwing touchdown passes over our right corner. Everybody obviously feels sorry for him, and feels a sense of loss when a teammate falls into these circumstances. But responding and adjusting to problems is part of the challenge of being successful.”
This is Irvin’s second suspension as a Ram. He was benched for one game in 1987 for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Irvin, who was nearly traded that season, had an off-year in 1988 but rebounded strongly this summer, intercepting two first-half passes against Phoenix on Aug. 21.
Ram Notes
To get down to the 60-man limit, the team released wide receivers Anthony Sargent and Brian Hawkins, fullback Robert Harrison, kicker Marty Zendejas, safety Greg Coauette, center David Diaz-Infante, tight end Gary Knudson, cornerback Louis Brock, tackle R.C. Mullin, and defensive lineman Byron Darby. Darby, 29, was a Plan B free agent acquired in the off-season from Indianapolis. Robinson said Darby was released early to give him a chance to catch on with another team. “We felt it was in our best interest to go with the younger people,” Robinson said.
Free agent offensive lineman Mark Schmidt was put on injured reserve with a neck injury. . . . The Rams have received two-game roster exemptions for tailback Greg Bell and tackle Robert Cox, who signed contracts Monday. Robinson, however, says both will play in Saturday’s exhibition game against Detroit, meaning he’ll need to make two more roster cuts on Friday.
STEROIDS: Thirteen NFL players test positive for using performance-enhancing drugs. Story, Page 3.
IRVIN’S CAREER STATISTICS
TACKLES INTERCEPTIONS Year G Solo Asst No Yds TD 1980 16 32 8 2 80 0 1981 16 48 15 3 18 0 1982 9 19 7 0 0 0 1983 14 35 11 4 42 0 1984 16 61 15 5 166 2 1985 16 52 15 6 83 1 1986 16 47 14 6 150 1 1987 10 20 4 2 47 1 1988 16 48 4 3 25 0 Total 129 362 93 31 611 5
