Travis Henry’s Cocaine Bust Has An Unhealthy NFL Precedent

With the news that former Broncos running back Travis Henry has been revealed to be the major cog in a rather significant cocaine ring (allegedly, of course), we had to sit back and ask ourselves: just how common are such activities in the NFL? How many players before Henry saw Goodfellas and thought to themselves, “I want to see helicopters, too!” More than you might think. Here we have the hall of fame of NFL drug dealers…men who saw cocaine not as a dangerous recreational drug, but as a dangerous stream of extra income. Join us with a trip down memory lane… well trip’s a bad word choice. How about a long rambling trip down memory lane where you have a hankering to clean your bathroom at 4 AM.

• 1. Jamal Lewis: The current Cleveland Browns halfback got into a bit of a jam in 2004, when investigators said they heard him discussing the purchase of five kilos of cocaine for a buddy. Lewis, who was playing for the Baltimore Ravens at the time, initially denied the charges, but eventually plead guilty and served four months in prison. The NFL handed Lewis a rather light, considering the circumstances, four game suspension. These days you can match that number if you look at the commissioner cross-eyed.
• 2. Mercury Morris: The old man that spent all of last season running his mouth on ESPN about how the 2007 Patriots were no match for his own undefeated 1972 Dolphins (And they proved him right!) has his own history with serious weight. In 1982 Morris was sentenced to 20 years after he was caught attempting to sell cocaine to an undercover federal agent. His conviction was overturned in 1986, and he has since led an exemplary life as both a model of recovery and the bane of Boston.



• 3. Dyshod Carter: Just a few months ago Carter, a mediocre cornerback for both the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, was one of four men arrested in Glendale, Arizona for attempting to sell seven kilos of cocaine to an undercover DEA agent. When they were arrested Carter and his boys were relieved not only of the coke, but of $104,000 and a loaded AK-47. It’s unclear how much time Carter faces if convicted. We think his time in two NFL purgatories should count towards the sentence.



• 4. Troy Hambrick: Just days after Carter’s May arrest Hambrick, a former running back for the Cowboys and Cardinals, was sentenced in Florida to five years for selling 200 grams of crack to an undercover cop. Carter and Hambrick missed each other by a year in Arizona, so there appears to be no chance this was part of a larger, red and white cartel.



• Honorable Mention—Nate Newton: Sure, it ain’t coke. But the former Cowboys offensive lineman more than makes up for that when you look at the sheer volume of what he was cartin’. In November 2001 Newton’s van was pulled over by cops in Louisiana, who found 213 pounds of weed inside. A few weeks later, while out on bail for the original charge, no less; Newton was pulled over again, this time hauling 175 pounds of the sticky icky. Newton did about 2 ½ years in jail but has since gone straight, and often lectures children about the mistakes of his past.

Newton said that he stood to make $75,000 per deal when he was selling, so it’s not hard to see how the allure of fast cash might draw in people who know better. We would never condone illegal activity, but the moral of the story here seems to be that the guy you’re about to offer cocaine is probably an undercover cop, and your days of freedom are numbered. Maybe you should stop, toss the drugs, and go make a few calls to some semi-pro teams.
Images [AP; Sports Steve; Deadspin; Daylife; usversusthem.com]