Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell was dumb-but-honest when he was pulled over by cops this summer and admitted to smoking marijuana then driving, on the way to catch a team flight to a preseason game.
But he said he’s learned from the experience (which means he’ll either stop smoking weed and driving or telling the truth).
“It’s a mistake that obviously [I] can’t do it again,” Bell said, via Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “It’s something I definitely regret doing but I apologized to my teammates for it.”
Bell waived a preliminary hearing yesterday, which allows for his case to go to trial or for him to enter a plea, with his next hearing in December.
That likely stalls any league punishment until next year, as he hopes to enter a first-offender program that could get the charges dismissed.
On the field, he’s been excellent this year, second in the league in rushing. He needs to be, especially at a time when coach Mike Tomlin is ripping players left and right after last week’s loss to the Browns.
“It definitely caught our attention,” Bell said. “When guys are called out, you have to respond, and all Coach Tomlin wants for guys to do is to respond. I know I’m going to respond and I’m pretty sure everybody in this locker room has the same mindset, and we understand we can’t have another embarrassing loss like that.”
Or embarrassing arrests on the way to the airport.
