When NFL fans think of players and cannabis use, former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams probably comes to mind, or even Super Bowl champion Chris Long.

Williams and Long have spoken out at length about using cannabis for a variety of reasons, including for pain management over other painkillers that have been pushed in the past.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey is also in a group of former NFL stars advocating for cannabis use as a physical and mental recovery tool. Bailey is a community outreach liaison for Trulieve, the world’s largest cannabis retailer.

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The former Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos standout told Fox News Digital in a recent interview he partnered with Trulieve to help the company secure a license in Georgia. Since that was completed, Bailey has been tasked with educating the public about marijuana and breaking the stigmas about it.

Bailey played in the NFL from 1999 to 2013. He was a 12-time Pro Bowler, a three-time first-team All-Pro selection and was named to the Hall of Fame All-2000s Team. He said he started using cannabis to help him early in his career.

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“But, fortunate enough for me, I stayed away from it until I was mature enough to really take part in it. And it wasn’t until my second, third year in Washington when I was exposed to it. I always had some exposure to it from a social standpoint, but I never took part in it. And that’s just because of where I was raised. I never thought of it being a benefit to my health,” he explained.

“But once I saw professionals, like myself, doing it, I felt more inclined to try. For one, I didn’t want to go down the road of alcoholism or addicted to any drugs. So, I made it a point to … let’s just crawl before I walk. I did it a few times, and it worked for me. And it calmed my mind, my body. If you’re familiar with anything in the NFL, it’s one of the toughest sports to play. For me, it was just, ‘How do I bounce back and stay at the highest level of my game?’ Well, this helped me do that.

Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) warms up before the start of a game against the Cleveland Browns at Invesco Field in Denver, Colo., Sept. 20, 2009. (Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports)

“Fortunately for me, I found something that benefited me, and it’s more now, ‘How do I educate people on what it did for me so they can potentially look at it as a positive use for them?’ But, of course, everybody has to walk their own path. I recommend guys all the time just talk to your doctor about it. 

“I talked to mine about it. So, it’s one of those things. Let’s stop being shy about talking about it and potentially go down that road. The only way you’re gonna learn is being open and honest about your use or your interest in using. That’s sort of been my journey and that journey continues.”

Bailey explained to Fox News Digital his mission was to break the stigma about indulging in the drug that was illegal in most states before 2012. Washington and Colorado were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana use, and California was the first state to legalize medical cannabis in 1996.

Bailey said he uses himself as an example.

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“I’m a good example. I really just use my story to get people to understand,” he told Fox News Digital. “But then it’s also encouraging others to tell their story. I’m not the only guy that played football, basketball or any pro sport and use cannabis. A lot of guys do it more than you think. But for some reason, athletes are put on this pedestal, and we all have to walk this fine line and appear to look clean.

“Well, cannabis is part of our regiment for a lot of us. So, using those stories helps break those stigmas. I think about the adults I grew up with. I couldn’t have these conversations with them 10 years ago because they all see it as a gateway drug, and I’m like, ‘Well, if that’s the case, then why haven’t I used that gateway to go do something else that’s harmful to me and many of my guys that have done the same?’ Those are the ways you break those stigmas. You have to use your stories.”

Dealing with teammates in an NFL locker room is a little different, but less difficult to show.

An NFL team is made of up players from different backgrounds, faiths, creeds and points of view. If someone is smoking marijuana, which was mostly illegal and against NFL rules when Bailey was playing, a player would get the side eye.

Former professional football player Champ Bailey talks to a fan during a pregame event at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Sept. 10, 2023. (Brent Skeen/USA Today Sports)

“I played a long time, so I got to see a wide range of different personalities and different beliefs and where people come from. There’s not a more diverse environment than being in an NFL locker room. Guys would find out some of us were smoking, and they were appalled until they really see, ‘Oh, this actually works for them’ because they’re able to stay dialed in to what we’re doing. ‘Oh, how do we act when we’re on it?’ OK. Now we’re at work, does it affect us? No. This actually helps me come to work and perform at the high level I do,” he said.

“So, that’s the way we were able to break those in the locker room. But it takes strong leadership and really standing for what you believe in because, again, it was illegal, and it was against the rules to do it. I would never go out of my way to encourage anybody to do it (at the time). It was just more, ‘This is what works for me.’ If you’re curious, talk to somebody about it, especially your doctor, then go from there. It works for me and several others. I just share my experiences. There’s no other way to do.”

Skirting the rules was another thing.

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Ricky Williams was one of the top running backs in the NFL at the prime of his career. He lost games and even a season for his failed drug tests for marijuana.

Bailey suggested that NFL players who were using the drug at the time knew when the tests occurred and stopped using marijuana before they were tested.

“They were very strict back then, but I wouldn’t say in a way they wanted to catch you. Like, we knew when the tests were coming, so we always quit at a certain time, which … even at the time, you realize that was at a detriment to my recovery because the times we had to quit was in the offseason when they would have these yearly tests. 

“It’s one of those times where you’re working harder than you work during the season because you’re training to get back in shape, and those are the times you really want it,” he said. “I could just remember guys always talking about what we had to quit when. Some guys would get tested earlier than others, so guys would get back on it and others were still waiting. It was a topic of conversation to figure out how to navigate that, but we all stuck together — the ones that were using — and we made sure that we all got through it.

Champ Bailey before a game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., Oct. 6, 2024. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

“Some did pass, some did it. We’ve all had our experiences with the drug program in the league. But, for better or worse, it was a waste of time. When you look back on it, I think the league realized they wasted a lot of resources on something that could actually benefit us, and things have changed. Things have changed over time. And I’m proud to say that they give me the courage to really speak up more because they’re starting to turn the page on what it means to use cannabis.”

Bailey said he’s seen how marijuana use helped firsthand.

He recalled a teammate going through drinking issues when he turned him on to marijuana.

“He knew I consumed so it was more he wanted to figure out what was better,” he said. “And once he started doing it, he was like, ‘Man I’ve been missing out.’ And that became his vice, so to speak, because now he realized this actually contributed to this success.

“He ended up playing double-digit years in the league, great career. So, no regrets there. I was just happy enough that I was in a position to show him that there was a better way. And there’s a lot of stories guys have about other interactions they had. I just want to encourage guys to be open and reveal more of these stories because it helps.”

Bailey said he would encourage more people to learn about the benefits of cannabis.

“It’s not what it was taught 20-30 years ago,” he told Fox News Digital. “I think people are turning the corner. We just got to continue to tell our stories. If you’re a user, speak up about it and educate people on why you use it and how it benefits you. The more we can tell those stories the better off we’d be.

Washington Redskins running back Ladell Betts (46) runs past Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) in the third quarter at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Nov. 15, 2009. (Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports)

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“I think that’s why my vision aligns so well with Trulieve because they believe in the same thing. It’s not all about pushing their brand. It’s more, ‘How do we get people to come around to what cannabis can do for you and, really, see it as a benefit to society and not a negative thing?”

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