Travis Henry -- Cocaine Dealer

The popularity of the story of Travis Henry's drug-saturated demise reflects the public's disappointment in those who seem to have been given a golden chance at life. He's just been arrested for a multi-kilogram cocaine transaction in Colorado.

Not only was he doing drugs, he was selling them, in large quantities.

According to the AP:

The case has its roots in Montana, where a trooper and DEA agent stopped a car that was carrying six pounds of marijuana and about three kilograms of cocaine on Sept. 16, the affidavit said.

A passenger in the car, whose name was not disclosed in the affidavit, told authorities Mack and Henry had supplied him with the drugs, which he was supposed to deliver to customers in Billings. The man said he was supposed to be paid $5,000 for delivering the drugs and transporting about $63,600 in sales proceeds to Henry, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit indicated that separately, the passenger and another customer in Billings already owed Henry about $40,000 in drug proceeds. The passenger told authorities Henry had threatened him and his family over the debt.

The passenger agreed to cooperate with authorities and set up a drug deal Tuesday with Henry that led to the arrests of Mack and Henry, the affidavit said.

Sports have been part of his life since high school, where he received national recognition. In college he attended the University of Tennessee, where he still holds the record for number of yards rushed.

That Henry had talent on the football field can't be denied. 2002 saw him at the ProBowl, and most years he had a rush record of at least 1,000 yards.

His history of substance abuse reaches back to at least '05, when he played for the Titans. He was suspended briefly, only to test positive two years later, when he was with the Broncos.

I have to wonder why the Titans traded him, because his rush record was soild. Could it be that they saw him as a troublemaker?

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan came out in defense for him the first time he tested positive while with the team. Although Shanahan was later sanctioned by the NFL for speaking positively about Henry despite the drug test, you have to wonder-is it less about a drug policy and more about cutting loose a player that isn't performing up to par anymore because of injuries? Would they have fired him if he had stayed on the field and done as well as he had previously? He was suspended for a year because of the second positive test for marijuana.

Most people reading this, who watch these athletes but don't have the talent to be on the field with them, wonder how he could have thrown away the last part of his career on a temporary high. Of course, he could be dealing drugs so he can pay child support for his nine children, most of whom came from different women.

At 30, he's not going to be getting many second chances. The cocaine arrest is just the latest blemish.

I've always thought the drug reviews in the NFL take inordinately long time. Anyone have any thoughts on that?