The Worst Suspensions in Sports History

Defensive lineman David Irving of the Dallas Cowboys was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league’s policy and program for substances of abuse. It was the third suspension of his career for the then 25-year-old lineman, who was banned for the first four games of both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Irving joined the Cowboys in 2015 and played with Dallas for four seasons. He did not play in 2019 and went to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 where he played two games before leaving the NFL.

Darrell Russell, a two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman with the Oakland Raiders, spent much of his life fighting personal demons off the field, and in 2001 and 2002, the NFL suspended him for drug abuse. His life came to a tragic end in 2005 when he and a former teammate at USC died in a car crash following a high-speed chase in Los Angeles.

Leon Lett, the Pro Bowl defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, won three Super Bowls with America’s Team. He became famous for his premature touchdown celebration in Super Bowl 27 in 1993. After Lett recovered a fumble, he galloped 64 yards only to have the ball knocked out his hand as he neared the end zone. Lett was suspended three times in his career for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, which included a 16-game ban divided between the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Josh Evans was a defensive lineman for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans who later joined the New York Jets and helped them reach the playoffs in 2002. After that season, he played only seven more games with the Jets, and was suspended for substance abuse in 2003, after he violated the league’s substance-abuse policy for a third time. After playing one game in 2004, he left football. In 2021, Evans died after a battle with kidney cancer.

One-time Pro Bowl running back Ricky Williams never hid the fact that he liked to use marijuana during his 11-year career in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Baltimore Ravens. He claimed he used it for pain management, depression, and social anxiety disorder. He had been suspended for several games for using marijuana until 2006, when he was suspended for one year for using drugs in addition to pot. Williams’ career ended in 2011 after he was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy on several occasions.