Chris Long played 11-years in the NFL. He was a defensive end, who retired in 2018 and helped the Eagles win their first Vince Lombardi Trophy during the 2017 season.
Long joined the Eagles after a season with the New England Patriots and eight years with the St. Louis Rams. He was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2008 draft. When he joined the Eagles in 2017, he racked up five sacks and 28 tackles with four forced fumbles. In 2018, he registered 6.5 sacks with 23 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Since his retirement, Long has become an advocate for marijuana use, especially to treat pain. He told Fox News Digital he used cannabis at first to help him sleep.
“What made me turn to cannabis is actually sleep. So, for me, it was insomnia, sleeping pills — all types of bad side effects — and it really just had a negative overall effect on my mental health and just on my sleep,” he said. “And the best day of my life was when I stopped using marijuana for recreation. I was like, ‘Oh, I can get real use out of this, this plant. This is a very functional thing for me and making that switch was such a game-changer. I also like to use cannabis for a whole host of reasons. But for me, what got me on was sleep.”
Long has previously said he used marijuana to treat pain and help him sleep while he was playing. The NFL was much harsher when it came to failed drug tests for marijuana. Long suggested that getting around the drug tests was simple because players knew when the date of the test was, but trying to stay clean in the days and weeks leading up to the test was tough.
Today, Long said using cannabis isn’t just for pain. Among other things, he said he used the drug to help treat his own social anxiety and would rather have a joint than a couple glasses of wine.
Long is never too far away from the football. He hosts the “Green Light” podcast and is the founder of the Waterboys foundation, which help bring drinking water to communities in need. He’s also keeping an eye on the 2022 Eagles, who enter Sunday 11-1.
Philadelphia is the best team in the NFL with quarterback Jalen Hurts emerging as an MVP candidate, wide receiver Devonta Smith taking a giant leap in his career and the acquisition of A.J. Brown paying tremendous dividends.
“I was surprised because how could I see an MVP candidate come in this quick,” Long said of Hurts. “The guy was essentially a rookie like a year ago because Carson (Wentz), the whole situation his rookie year, like he couldn’t really get a true rookie year and that’s a tough situation to be dropped into. I think his resilience is amazing. His leadership qualities are evident, and it’s really easy to see that guys rally around him. And he throws a beautiful ball outside the numbers in deep, which is like, just watching him and A.J. Brown working together, it’s like they’re made for each other.”
The Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings have the best records in the NFC with the Dallas Cowboys not too far behind. The one key for the Eagles to get to the Super Bowl will be getting the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Chris Long of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Photo courtsey of Focus on Sport/Getty Images
