Getty Jashon Cornell gets consoled by Dabo Swinney.
The Detroit Lions sustained one piece of bad news last week with the loss of defensive lineman Joel Heath, and this week, sustained another piece of tough news in the loss of another defensive lineman Jashon Cornell.
While Heath was lost for the season with injury, Cornell will simply be missing the first three games of the 2021 season after being suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
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Cornell commented on the matter, and offered an apology as well as a straightforward explanation on Twitter while revealing the news himself on Thursday. Here’s a look at what he wrote:
I was informed today by the NFL that I would have to miss the first 3 games of the season. Last year after losing a dear friend of mine I made a mistake that was out of my character. I have owned it and worked on learning from it.
Since then I have grown as a person and now a better man. With that being said I apologize to the Lions organization and the fans. I have learned from my mishap.
It’s refreshing to see Cornell open up so honestly about what happened and offer an apology, even if none was needed. It was a personal matter for the player which is being handled, but it only speaks to Cornell’s character that he was willing to offer that, as well as the first news of the suspension taking place.
Cornell is obviously a standup guy, and it’s safe to say this will only help in endearing him more to the Detroit fanbase.
Why Cornell Was Suspended
As Cornell admitted, the suspension stems from an incident in Minnesota in 2020 where he was ticketed with fourth-degree driving while impaired. As explained by Cornell himself, the incident stemmed from a time when he was mourning the loss of a good friend and was a simple mistake.
On Jashon Cornell’s suspension, he was convicted of a misdemeanor in March for fourth-degree driving while impaired in Minnesota. The incident occurred in July, 2020. It also resulted in 30 days of legal confinement and two years of probation.
With the legal proceedings in addition to the suspension, it’s clear that Cornell is paying his price for the mistake and will be pushing through the matter once the suspension ends and is in the past. From that point on, all will be forgotten on the matter.
Cornell Once Called Underrated Talent
Coming into the league, injury prevented Cornell from taking a bigger step in 2020. That was unfortunate, because Cornell was an under-the-radar talent entering the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Cornell was one of the most productive interior defensive players in college football last season. Interestingly, his 90.2 rating compared favorably with Derrick Brown, a player the Lions were reportedly considering selecting in the No. 3 slot of the draft.
Cornell, of course, slipped to Detroit with a late pick considering he wasn’t high on the depth chart while playing with the Ohio State Buckeyes until his solid senior season, but obviously, these numbers show there is pro potential for the player once he takes the next step into the league.
Another thing working to Cornell’s advantage? He joins a wide-open Detroit defensive line that is seeing plenty of change. In the new scheme, Cornell could fit like a glove given his ability to play inside out, and the team will likely continue working him into the game plan in the hopes he can be a contributor after the suspension ends later this year.