Josh Gordon Would Drink and Get High Before ‘Probably Every Game’ in College and the NFL

Josh Gordon had a routine down for getting high before every college and NFL game.

As his NFL return draws nearer, Browns receiver Josh Gordon has begun to open up about the extent of his drug problem that has led to his extended absence. In a short documentary released last month, Gordon detailed the various substances he has abused, from alcohol and marijuana to Xanax and codeine. Now he tells GQ he regularly used drugs before games.

I used to make a ritual of it before every game. If I had already been drug tested that week, or the day before the game, I knew I had a couple days to buy to clean my system. Even before I was getting tested for alcohol, prior to my DWI in 2014, I would take the biggest bong rip I could. And try to conceal all the smell off all my clothes. I'd be dressed up to go to the game. A bunch of guys smoke weed before the game. But we're not talking about them.

I would have these little pre-made shots. I used to love Grand Marnier. I could drink it down smooth. I could usually drink a lot of it. But if it wasn't that, it might be a whiskey or something. And I would drink probably like half a glass, or a couple shots to try and warm my system up, basically. To get the motor running. That's what I would do for games.

Gordon estimates he did this “Probably every game of my career,” including in college at Baylor. Gordon previously said in the Uninterrupted documentary that people at Baylor had enabled his drug use. 

Gordon’s repeated failed drug tests have kept him sidelined since 2014 and derailed a promising NFL career. When he was on the field, he was one of the most explosive receivers in the league, leading the league in receiving in 2013. The NFL conditionally approved his reinstatement last week and he could return to game action by Week 13 if he abides by the NFL’s terms.