The National Football League is a tough business. There was no pun intended. Rookies have a lot of stress and pressure to perform. Using drugs and alcohol is not the solution.
If one Pittsburgh Steelers rookie continues his actions, he will drink his career away. As reported in www.post-gazette.com.
For the second time in his life, Steelers rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu is facing charges of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. The young player has made his situation worse and is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor counts after a police chase.
Ta'amu was a fourth-round draft choice from Washington.
He faces felony counts of fleeing police and aggravated assault while driving drunk; and three counts of aggravated assault for nearly running down police officers with his vehicle. He also is charged with 10 misdemeanors, including resisting arrest and attempting escape. During the chase his 2006 Lincoln Navigator collided with and severely damaged a number of other vehicles. What the heck was he thinking?
Ta'amu’s first DUI came from an incident in December, 2009, when Ta'amu was playing for the University of Washington.
It would be nice to see one of the veteran players, like his idol Dan Hampton, take him under their wing and make sure he gets help for what is obviously a drinking problem. He needs to take an alcohol class and get professional counseling as well. The NFL Players Association provides a program called "Safe Rides" in which players can call for a ride home if they feel as though they are unable to drive.