The total number of players from the University of South Carolina football team arrested since the end of the season now stands at 11. Sophomore linebacker Josh Johnson, sophomore defensive back Ty Erving were arrested for marijuana possession . That’s not the bigger issue.
The real issue is the team’s drug policy. According to a newspaper report, the Gamecocks drug testing policy is pretty liberal:
Under USC’s wellness program, athletes who test positive for drugs a first time are required to submit to regular testing for 18 months and participate in a counseling program. The coach also has the option to suspend them.
A second positive test brings an automatic dismissal. Athletes involved in drug-related incidents generally are tested shortly after the incident.
So this means that a Gamecock player can use drugs, get caught and still play for the team. What message does that send to the players on the team who work hard to avoid the temptations of drugs while playing football?
This affects team chemistry, pardon the pun, and Steve Spurrier isn’t known for developing team chemistry.