Ohio State's Pet Drug Addict

It's nothing new that a kid with a checkered and tarnished past puts it all behind him, gets into college, and turns out to reach his potential.

Jaamal Berry doesn't fit this mold. He is trying to shake his present. Something just doesn't seem right here.

A few years back the University of Miami, along with almost the entire nation, went after a troubled youth named Willie Williams. Williams had a record a mile long but at the same time had a remarkable academic record.

What made the Williams situation such a difficult one was that he had such a long list of offenses. Eventually he signed with Miami who put a tight leash on him and all it took was Williams missing a study hall and he was shown his walking papers.

I'm a big believer in second chances. I'm a big believer that payers who make mistakes early in life can turn things around. I'm also a big believer that Berry isn't just some kid who was looking to get high or who made a stupid mistake. I believe Berry has a drug problem.

I don't know Berry nor have I ever spoke to him. I don't know about any past drug use. I do know that over 20 grams of marijuana is a lot.

At what point is it a player with a checkered past and an inner city upbringing trying to turn it around and when is it a kid with a current problem being overlooked because he has game-breaking speed?

Berry's arrest isn't in the distant past. It happened well after signing his LOI and within three months of the start of the season.

When Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel received word of the arrest, he said he would look into the facts before commenting. There have been no "facts" released that I have seen that say Berry wasn't in possession of illegal drugs.

While the amount is a felony in some states and a misdemeanor in others and for some reason drug possesion isn't against NCAA rules, it is against the law of the United States.

While I do believe Berry deserves a second chance someday, I don't believe someday should be within a month of his arrest. Berry should pay the consequences like any other member of society.