Last year, when Giants safety Will Hill was suspended for four games, he blamed Adderall. This year, Hill has been suspended four games again, and he says marijuana is to blame.
Hill told reporters at Giants training camp today that he had several positive marijuana tests last season, and that he spent several months appealing the tests, which is why he won’t begin serving his suspension until Week One of this season. Hill said smoking pot became something of a coping mechanism for him when dealing with trouble in his hometown.
“It’s from family members, everyone reaching their hand out thinking I’m an ATM, and people who think you owe them something,” Hill said, via Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger. “It was just a situation where I was visiting back to my hometown and a guy pulled a shotgun on me right then and wanted money. How do you deal with those situations? I really can’t so I dealt with it the best way I knew how.”
Off-field issues have been a concern surrounding Hill since before the 2011 draft -- and those issues are the primary reason he wasn’t drafted and had to start his career in arena football. But Hill has shown promise since signing with the Giants, and he’s expected to play an increased role in the Giants’ defense this year, once his suspension ends.