Fansided

John Elway trolls 1st round pick Shane Ray with friendly reminder

By Kyle Franzoni

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Shane Ray (Missouri) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Shane Ray (Missouri) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Shane Ray dropped down draft boards before landing with the Denver Broncos at #23, but general manager John Elways was quick to remind him why.

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The last thing an NFL Draft prospect wants to have happen just days before the draft is to have a drug arrest slapped on their record. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened with Shane Ray, who was pulled over and found in possession of marijuana four days before the NFL Draft.

Arrests prior to the draft can have a negative impact on teams looking to select a top prospect, and it rang true for Ray as well, as the Missouri defensive end slid out of the top 10 and plummeted to the number 23 pick. Fortunately for Ray, the Denver Broncos were there to cushion his fall.

However, while the Broncos were eager to move up and grab Ray at #23, general manager John Elway was also quick to make sure Ray knew that marijuana usage would not be tolerated, even in the pot-friendly confines of the State of Colorado. “It’s still illegal in the NFL,” said Elway when asked about whether he anticipated a problem with Ray playing in Colorado, where recreational marijuana usage is legal.

Due to his citation, Ray will now be placed in the NFL’s substance abuse program, where he will be tested frequently. However, that doesn’t seem to both Ray, as he came out saying all the right things.

"“I’m ready to move past that in my life. I’m not going to let that define me as a person and all the good I’ve done,” Ray said. “I’m not going to let it define my character. This is a great opportunity for me. Coming to Denver, I will not have any off-the-field issues. I’m not a person that has off-the-field issues. I plan on once again giving everything I can to the program.”"

That’s a solid step in a series of quality moves by Shane Ray. Ray showed a lot of character by first attending the draft, but then facing the media and strongly asserting that he is ready to move on and be a productive part of the Broncos future. He also didn’t hurt himself when he made it known that he will use the motivation of falling out of the top-10 to fuel him during his career.

"“All teams that passed on me, that were in the top 10, I felt like they made a huge mistake,” he said. “As a Denver Bronco, I plan on showing them about the mistake they made.”"

Shane Ray will now become a key part of a Broncos pass rush corp that also includes Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. In 2014, Ray registered 14.5 sacks and 65 tackles (22.5 for a loss) as a member of the Missouri Tigers.

(h/t Associated Press)

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