Just two short days before the Super Bowl, how can I not love a story like this? Although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I should that I live in Indianapolis and am required by law to be a fan of the Indianapolis Colts, and could therefore be run out of town for highlighting the Saints. I shall, however, try to be fair.
Anthony Hargrove is getting ready for Sunday.
Just eight months ago, he completed a last May from Transitions, where he spent 10 months cleaning up his life after years of smoking marijuana, snorting cocaine and flunking NFL drug tests. Now he's back, in Super Bowl XLIV, an unbelievable stop in his life journey. He grew up in Brooklyn, where he lost his home to a fire and his mother to AIDS.
Just last year, during his year long suspension from the NFL (after his third failed test), he watched the Super Bowl from inside the rehab center, hoping that one day, he too would make it to that game, but never imagining it would be this soon.
Very few addicts have the kind of opportunity Hargrove does – to come so close to throwing everything away and then making a comeback like this. The responsibility is great – can he stay clean? His team is counting on it, as are the thousands of fans who will be rooting for him this weekend.
Well done, Anthony. Now stay away from Peyton.
