Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche was asked about a December incident in which he was charged with possession of marijuana after falling 15 feet from a hotel room window during a Friday media session at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Robert Nkemdiche says Laremy Tunsil was present during December hotel incident
Robert Nkemdiche revealed that his Ole Miss teammate Laremy Tunsil was present during a December hotel incident in which he fell out of a window and was charged with marijuana possession.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nkemdiche reiterated his claim that the marijuana discovered in the hotel room by police did not belong to him. He also revealed that teammate Laremy Tunsil, a likely top-five pick in this year's draft, was there in the room that night.
There was no specific implication that the marijuana belonged to Tunsil, but when asked about the inconsistency -- he said he was drinking before the marijuana was found in the room -- he replied that there were “more people” in his room.
“The hotel was under my name,” Nkemdiche said. “Nobody wanted to take the fall. It had to go under my name. It just happened to play out like that.”
When asked if the media tarnished his name or if he did, Nkemdiche said that it was his mistake.
“I told them the truth,” Nkemdiche said of NFL teams inquiring about the incident, including his exit through the window that left him hospitalized. “It was a rash decision by me. Uncharacteristic and not who I am. That’s not what I stand for, that’s not what my family stands for.”
Nkemdiche repeated that he was drinking and irresponsible, and said that most questions from NFL clubs have been about his character. He also addressed concerns that he lacked effort on the field and was inconsistent, admitting that there were times he “didn’t finish,” and that he was “lazy.”
He was suspended for the incident in the hotel, missing his team’s appearance in the Sugar Bowl. Nkemdiche declared for the draft shortly afterwards, and it’s still not clear how this will impact his draft stock. He wants to take responsibility for being in the situation as a whole, but he’s adamant that he had nothing to do with the marijuana at the scene. Teams will have plenty of questions for Nkemdiche about the incident ahead of the NFL Draft. The revelation of who was in the room with him likely means that Tunsil will have to answer his own set of questions stemming from the incident.
See More:
