Josh Gordon said his year-long suspension was necessary for him to slow down, the Cleveland Browns receiver said in a video released Tuesday on the ProAthlete TV channel on YouTube.
“Since that day that the suspension was announced, in a sense I was kind of relieved,” Gordon said from Art Basel in Miami Beach, where he was displaying some of his art work. “I was distraught and embarrassed, but I was like, ‘Man, I’ve been ripping and running too much, too fast.’
“I needed to slow down. I’m glad that somebody gave me a quick kick in the ass to let me know what’s real and what’s not.”
Gordon was suspended for the entire 2015 season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He had been suspended for 10 games in 2014. Gordon said on a previous Internet post in February that his suspension came from drinking. The NFL has not commented on the reason.
Gordon's artwork, which he creates on a computer with PhotoShop and Illustrator, was part of the Art Basel event held earlier this month. He also spent time visiting other galleries and shows.
Gordon said art helps him cope with not being in the NFL and helps him release tension and pent-up frustration.
“In the sports world it’s all about making everybody happy,” Gordon said on the video. “It’s politics. It’s not morality issues. It’s not morals. But I respect it and I learned it, so you have to grow up and become more professional.
“I lived and I learned. For sure I took my lumps. I plan on bouncing back in a good way.”
