Travis Henry Tests Positive For Marijuana - Possible 1-Year Suspension

by John Bena on Oct 4, 2007 9:00 PM MDT Comment 17 comments

UPDATE #2 -- ESPN's Len Pasquarelli has weighed in on the matter, and has even gotten ahold of the NFL regarding Henry's pending litigation against the League.

According to League Vice President of Public Relations Greg Aiello, the NFL is involved in the court action with Henry and that the league hopes to have his motion dismissed. Citing confidentiality policies that are a part of the substance abuse program, Aiello declined to address the results of any tests involving Henry.

Aiello said the NFL is attempting to have the case moved to a federal court in Brooklyn, because the collective bargaining agreement and the interpretation of the accord between the league and the NFL Players Association is a matter for federal purview. The league filed those papers on Monday, he said.

The issue being challenged by Henry is that the NFL would not allow his expert to observe the testing of the "B-sample." Although the collective bargaining agreement permits a player to have an expert present for the testing, Aiello said that expert cannot be affiliated with any laboratory. The expert presented by Henry did have such an affiliation.

The league provided Henry with the names of 10 independent experts as reference for his potential use.

If Henry is suspended, it might also prompt the Broncos to attempt to recover a portion of any bonus money paid him. As part of his contract, Henry reportedly was guaranteed about $12 million.

UPDATE #1 -- This story is getting better by the minute. Henry reportedly is suing the NFL as a result of the positive test and its disclosure. This process supposedly began on September 20th, with Henry attempting to get a restraining order in Suffolk County Supreme Court to block the NFL from using a urine specimen against him and to stop the league from disclosing the test results.

Court papers filed in the state court action couldn't be reviewed late Thursday, and Henry's attorney Robert Dapelo of Patchogue declined comment. But papers filed by the NFL on Monday in federal court suggested that Henry may have failed the test because the documents stated that Henry was trying to stop the league from testing his specimen and "suspending from his employment with the NFL."

While the Suffolk court granted the temporary restraining order against the NFL, the league got an appellate court to vacate that order, court papers disclosed.

The NFL is seeking to have the litigation transferred to Brooklyn federal court because the issue involves interpretation of the league's collective bargaining agreement, which generally is covered by federal labor laws. Henry claims that the NFL violated league substance abuse policy by not allowing his experts to be present for testing of his urine specimen, court papers stated.

More To Come.....

Travis Henry has reportedly tested positive for marijuana, and if accurate could lead to the running back being suspended for 1-year.

Below is an excerpt from MYFoxColorado.com --

Fox 31 News has learned that Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry, the team's leading rusher, has tested positive for marijuana use and could be subject to a one-year suspension.

Henry, 28, previously served a four-game suspension from the National Football League for violating the leagues substance abuse policy in September 2005 as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Henry can appeal the latest violation. However, if the appeal is denied, he will begin serving a one-year suspension immediately.

Henry can file for reinstatement 60 days prior to the end of the suspension.

The Denver Broncos had no official comment, instead, deferring to the NFL.

The Broncos signed Travis Henry in the off-season to a five-year, $22.5 million contract with $12 million in guarantees.

The news of Henry's marijuana bust comes as lawyers try to collect back child support for the NFL star's nine illegitimate children.

A document filed in Denver Country court shows that, despite his football contract, Henry failed to pay child support in the amount of $6,400 for a daughter living in North Carolina.

This comes after a FOX 31 investigation revealed that a Georgia judge made the unprecedented move of ordering Henry to establish a trust, in the amount of $250,000 to support a different child living near Atlanta.

He was more than six months behind in support payments for that child.

Repeated calls to Mr. Henry's agent and attorneys throughout our investigations have never been returned

I know Henry's time in the NFL's Substance Abuse Program was about to clear, though the timing of Henry's positive test have yet to be released. If this turns out to be true, and by the looks of it, it is, the Broncos' gamble on Henry would have failed miserably.

Henry Is In A World Of Trouble

Earlier this year I reported on the Henry's status in the NFL's substance abuse program. Here is a snippet from that entry from March 7, 2007 --

Bill Williamson put a snippet in his Denver Post column regarding Henry his status in the "Program". Says Williamson --

Henry will rotate out of the NFL's substance abuse program after the third game of the 2007 season if he doesn't have any drug violations. If he does have a violation before then, Henry would be suspended for the entire season.

Players rotate out of the program after two seasons if they don't have any further violations.

Henry was suspended four games in 2005, his first season with the Tennessee Titans, after testing positive for marijuana.

Henry, 28, was signed by Denver on Monday and will be the team's primary tailback. Henry is Denver's most experienced and most expensive tailback since Terrell Davis. Henry signed a five-year contract worth $22.5 million, with $12 million in guarantees.

"I'm just focused on being a good Bronco and helping the team win," he said Monday.

As Jules Winfield would say, "Well Shiiiite, Bill Williamson, that's all you had to say!".

If Henry can get through Week 3 clean he's back to square one, and Broncos fans will exhale in relief.

Can you believe that? He was to roll off the program after week 3. The timing of the positive test ought to be very interesting....

Only one word comes to mind...STUPID!

H.T. to WABronco & BroncoDude793 for breaking this

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Comments

WOW!

I can't believe this. He is such an idiot!!! Now what do we do?

by FLBroncoFan on Oct 4, 2007 7:34 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

What the hell

is he thinking???

What's that flushing sound I hear?

DAMMIT!!!

by jbooth17 on Oct 4, 2007 7:49 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

absolutely unreal

and it sounds like it was pre-October 1 based on this Denver Post article so it would be a 1 year suspension unless his lawyers manage to get the test thrown out (but I would not bet against the league in matters like this).

by MattR on Oct 4, 2007 7:57 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow

I'm the guy who just shat his pants getting Selvin young in every fantasy league I could. lol.

Guru, no love for sending you an e-mail????

To watch the Colts game or to not watch the Colts game? Tis the question my heart rate depends on.

by broncodude793 on Oct 4, 2007 7:58 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

You are right...

I will give you some love....

-TSG

www.milehighreport.com

by John Bena on Oct 4, 2007 8:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank You, Guru

Yet, I would like to write a letter to Henry in the form of Selvin.

Dear Mr. Henry,

What the hell were you thinking? You got on ESPN and said all that crap about being clean after you signed. You hurt our football team a lot. Jay, Javon, Brandon and Daniel are all going to miss your production, but me, being an undrafted rookie, have already climbed to take your spot. I am sorry you were such a dumbass, but watch how I do things.

Signed,
Selvin

Selvin Young!!!

by broncodude793 on Oct 4, 2007 8:09 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Should we be suprised???

This is the same person that fathered 9 kids with 9 different women!

Strap it on Selvin, Mike Bell and Cecil! You're called for duty.

by mdierk on Oct 4, 2007 8:10 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Will this bring the return of Kyle Johnson? n/t

by MattR on Oct 4, 2007 8:12 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Uhhhh.....I'm now in full countdown mode for 2008.

Besides the fact our defense is pretty rotten and we can't keep our best players healthy, the main cog in our offense looks to be done for the year.

Sorry if I seem negative but I'm not sure what there is to be positive about right now.

I'll cheer hard as hell for my Orange and Blue but right now I want to go and hide in a corner and come out in August of 2008.

Thanks Travis.

Rod Smith is a Hall of Famer.

by Jake The Stash on Oct 4, 2007 9:48 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Fully agree

this killed my spirits (not that they were all that high to begin with) for this season. I'm really bummed. This was a rock.

Just totally bummed.

Travis, you betrayed us. You're done in Denver, bub. I feel dirty. Now give Bell his number back so he can let TD's go.

by SlamDunkTheFunk on Oct 5, 2007 3:31 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Titans fan here...

...I believe I commented back when Travis first signed with the Broncos.

You were asking about his drug problems, I responded that the suspension when he was with the Titans was based on a test while he was still with the Bills and he had really cleaned himself up in Tennessee.

I guess I was wrong.

Sorry about that.

by hartley on Oct 4, 2007 10:42 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Bonehead....

I used to dabble in the killer green stuff back in the day, but the second I became an ADULT, I got rid of that crap and never touched it since! But then again, I never had a multi-million dollar contract to piss away on pot and child support. What a friggin moron.

All I gots to say is that I am ecstatic that I picked up Selvin Young last week in all of my fantasy leagues. Problem is I also have Travis Henry in all my fantasy leagues! lmao

I can't get over his stupidity...but at least he isn't a moronic as Mike Vick. Pot never shot, drown, or electrocuted any dogs last I checked...oh or picked a dog up and threw it onto the ground over and over again until the dog finally died. Sorry but even Henry isn't that much of a bonehead.

Dammit...I am irritated. This testing having just come out today means that the sample was probably taken several weeks ago...there is no telling how long that "GAG" order was in place by the first court ruling.

by Tim Lynch on Oct 5, 2007 12:03 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I really feel...

like I want to say something about this, but all that comes to mind is to chime in with everyone else:

Travis Henry is a complete fool.

Travis Henry is finished in Denver, regardless of how this comes out.
He has utterly let down the team we all root for. Now they face yet another challenge, the RBs need to step up, and not just Young.

I swear, the character of every facet of this organization has been challenged since we fell out of the playoffs last year. It is almost unreal.

by Jeremy Bolander on Oct 5, 2007 12:47 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Thought

of something to say.

Glad this shook out now instead of much later when we might have had a lot more riding on this guy.

Vrooom *ba-bump*

That was the Bronco-mobile moving on without Henry.

Looked like a short guy wearing 35 was driving.

by Jeremy Bolander on Oct 5, 2007 1:04 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm actually ecstatic

I was never in favor of the Henry signing in the first place and I think Young is the next stud runningback in the nfl.

I'm glad Henry was such a fool. If we were to cut him, would be have to pay off all of his contract?

Selvin Young!!!

by broncodude793 on Oct 5, 2007 4:54 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Embarrassed

I have been a Bronco fan for all but the first two years of my life. This is the most embarrassed I have ever been to be a Bronco fan. We have had issues come up in the past, but that was durring a time of winning, and those issues could be overlooked.

I was excited but skeptical of the Henry signing, for this exact reason. How can you take one of the most prized jobs in the NFL, being a Denver Bronco Running Back, and jepordize that by doing something so stupid?

This, along with the other on the field problems our team has had this year, has given me an outlook on this season that I have never had as a Bronco fan. A season that looked so bright, appears to be heading in the wrong direction. There is time to right the ship, and there are other players that can take Henry's spot. I seriously hope that the team gives Selvin Young a good long hard look, and a fair chance, as the teams featured back. I don't think Mike Bell is going to cut it as our featured back, or we would not have signed Henry in the off season.

by dpurvis on Oct 5, 2007 6:40 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Plan of Action

I say if he comes up positive and is suspended a year, cut him, cut him now. We can go sign Kyle Johnson back to fill in at fullback with Sapp, then run the one two punch of Young and Bell. I really don't think we'd lose that much a HB, if at all. If you look at the stats Young is averaging a sick 10yrds per carry. (I know that stat can be deceiving being a backup, but still) I don't like attitudes like Henry, we have no place for them here. Give the kid a chance that's worked to be here, not the one that's thrown it away.

by Crosshare on Oct 5, 2007 7:50 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs