National Football League

Dion Jordan to complete college degree during suspension

Published Apr. 30, 2015 11:27 a.m. ET

foxsports

By Jason Rowan

Miami Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan has been suspended for the entirety of the 2015 NFL season as a result of again violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

While this development is an incredibly severe setback in his professional football career, Jordan at least will attempt to turn his one-year exile into something positive by returning to school to complete work on his college degree.

The defensive end announced his plan for the next year in a statement released on Thursday by the NFLPA in which he apologizes for his suspension.

“I’m very disappointed that I will not be playing in the NFL in the 2015 season. Because of past positive tests and my status in the drug program, the consequence of dilute (not positive) tests is severe. I deeply regret putting myself in this position, and I apologize to my teammates and the Dolphins organization. I will use the time away from playing to finish my college degree. I will stay in excellent physical shape and look forward to returning to the NFL as soon as possible. I’m deeply grateful to my family and friends for their continued support.”

As Jordan notes in his statement, his latest violation was the result of a diluted sample, not a failed test. But that still constitutes a violation, the third of his short, two-year NFL career.

Jordan first violated the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy in July of 2014, which netted him a four-game suspension. That suspension was later lifted after two games but then he failed a second test later that September, only this time it was for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Jordan then had four games tacked on to his suspension, meaning he missed six games in total during the 2014 season.

The Dolphins traded up in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft to select Jordan third-overall out of Oregon. He presumably will return to the same school to complete his degree.

Jordan arguably at least deserves some credit for attempting to turn lemons into lemonade out of this latest setback.

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