Tuesday scrimmage: Ellis Johnson speaks

[RunInRed 16,454]

Auburn DC Ellis Johnson on his impressions from the last scrimmage: "I still think our two-deep is a bit murky."

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Johnson confirms he's still not sure who his 3rd linebacker is, mentions Anthony Swain: "Right now it's not clear cut who the third LB is."

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Johnson says true freshman Raashed "Kennion's making some progress," could be a situational pass rusher.

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Johnson says Jonathon Mincy & Jonathan Jones are the team's best corners right now. Josh Holsey dealing with knee injury, Mincy at boundary.

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Johnson says sr. DE LaDarius Owens had a setback recently w/ an infection, hasn't been able to get any practice reps recently.

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Johnson says Rudy Ford is ahead at boundary safety, Derrick Moncrief is the no. 2 at the position.

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Auburn freshman DB Stephen Roberts (from Opelika) practiced today after suffering a hip pointer the other day.

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Ellis Johnson: "In our conference, I'm not big on redshirting. … If you can play him, play him."

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Johnson says game planning for Arkansas will start next week, but already got a little bit of work in today.

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Ellis Johnson says team is concerned star Robenson Therezie won't be available to start season: "He hasn't had a lot of practice reps."

@AUBlog

Johnson on the Star position: "We're not sure about our depth there behind Justin (Garrett)."

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Johnson said true freshman safety Markell Boston isn't back at practice yet. "He's day-to-day."

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Johnson said Holsey's injury is to the same knee that he tore last year and ended his season early.

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Johnson said that true freshman Tre' Williams has shown enough playmaking ability that he has to keep him in the mix for the rotation.

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Johnson on who the team's third linebacker is behind Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy: "That's a good question."

@wareagleextra

Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said first team was OK in recent scrimmage, but not so much new guys and backups

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Auburn coordinator Ellis Johnson on QB Nick Marshall: "Think he's obviously gotten a lot better. His accuracy and timing seems better to me"

@AUGoldMine

Johnson: Tre' Williams making "typical freshmen mistakes"

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Johnson: T Reed at field corner w/J Jones. J Mincy hurt his shoulder and is working at boundary corner.

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Johnson: "The nagging injuries have had a two-step forward, one step back" effect

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Johnson: game prep will begin in full next week

@JamesCrepea

[Mikey 16,679]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

It's my understanding that there is an appeal process. I put "could" in there because I don't know any specifics of his situation.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

What injuries are piling up? Are we talking about the minor injuries to Owens, Holsey, and Lambert? That's next to nothing. We've had two major injuries this offseason. One on each side of the ball. I don't think that constitutes "injuries piling up." Georgia lost Malcolm Mitchell (again) and a FB had to give up football. It happens, and the minor injuries always happen. Get them ready for opening kickoff.

[bg5 536]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

Usually you do have that option if you disagree with the results. In most companies you have to pay for the retest yourself and they reimburse you if the result is different.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,368]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

Perhaps he's claiming a false positive on a test. Could be any number of things. I, for one, hope he can fight through whatever he's got going on and get back on the field ASAP.

You're on the right track. I read the test came back "dilute", which also counts as a failed test.

[Tiger 8,830]

If it was diluted that was probably intentional

[Auctoritas 2,828]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

Perhaps he's claiming a false positive on a test. Could be any number of things. I, for one, hope he can fight through whatever he's got going on and get back on the field ASAP.

You're on the right track. I read the test came back "dilute", which also counts as a failed test.

If so, he may have a case. Dilute samples can occur if someone drinks too much fluid. Normally, it means that someone put water in the sample or used a mock urine. The tests look for kidney markers and ketones, etc, and if they're not present at a certain level it flags it and the testing company will not even test it . It is not too much of an imagination exercise to be able to argue that he overhydrated either before or after practice, which has been known to dilute the samples in some cases. Tough sell, but not undoable if that were the actual case (or, hell, even if it wasn't and he was just good at legal strategy).

(source: did drug testing professionally)

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

This is my question as well. At this point they would have the results from a re-test. Seems pretty cut and dry...either you pass or fail and the team makes the changes need but maybe not it's not that cut and dry. I've heard the rumors before last week. They were out the end of July...even were posted on twitter during that time. Just seems like a long time to figure out a situation like that.

[Auctoritas 2,828]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

This is my question as well. At this point they would have the results from a re-test. Seems pretty cut and dry...either you pass or fail and the team makes the changes need but maybe not it's not that cut and dry. I've heard the rumors before last week. They were out the end of July...even were posted on twitter during that time. Just seems like a long time to figure out a situation like that.

A little more background on appeals, cut & dry, etc:

Normally, when these tests are done, they are 2-sample tests, meaning one sample is given by the person being tested, and then it split between two vials, which are sealed, labeled, and controlled via chain of custody procedures. When sent to the lab, only one of the vials is tested. The other is kept sealed and stored. If the results come back any kind of positive, the person being tested has the right to ask that the other sample be tested to ensure accuracy (as someone noted, at their expense).

Normally, it does not work. In this case, it may - I have had a couple samples before that the first one came back diluted, and the intervening time was enough for the kidney markers to somehow concentrate enough that they were able to test it. As someone noted, a sample that is diluted is considered a positive, but has not been TESTED as positive.

What this also may come down to is whether the sample tested as diluted/positive or adulterated/positive. Adulterated is when foreign substance is found, which can happen if someone is using a fake urine. If the sample was adulterated, there really is not a defense. Generally, the only thing that comes from the kidneys is urine. Or, if you are me, renal calculi.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

This is my question as well. At this point they would have the results from a re-test. Seems pretty cut and dry...either you pass or fail and the team makes the changes need but maybe not it's not that cut and dry. I've heard the rumors before last week. They were out the end of July...even were posted on twitter during that time. Just seems like a long time to figure out a situation like that.

A little more background on appeals, cut & dry, etc:

Normally, when these tests are done, they are 2-sample tests, meaning one sample is given by the person being tested, and then it split between two vials, which are sealed, labeled, and controlled via chain of custody procedures. When sent to the lab, only one of the vials is tested. The other is kept sealed and stored. If the results come back any kind of positive, the person being tested has the right to ask that the other sample be tested to ensure accuracy (as someone noted, at their expense).

Normally, it does not work. In this case, it may - I have had a couple samples before that the first one came back diluted, and the intervening time was enough for the kidney markers to somehow concentrate enough that they were able to test it. As someone noted, a sample that is diluted is considered a positive, but has not been TESTED as positive.

What this also may come down to is whether the sample tested as diluted/positive or adulterated/positive. Adulterated is when foreign substance is found, which can happen if someone is using a fake urine. If the sample was adulterated, there really is not a defense. Generally, the only thing that comes from the kidneys is urine. Or, if you are me, renal calculi.

Certainly understand the process but i guess i was speaking more on the amount of time it has taken rather than the process. I'm sure it takes time and a lab would want to make sure they go about the process correctly. Being that i actually heard the rumor the end of July...just thought it would be resolved at this point no matter what the result is. But it appears that it is not.

[macauburn 6]

Guess we will find out shortly (two weeks) if the season will be a disaster. Lots of troubles so far. Bodes poorly.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,368]

Guess we will find out shortly (two weeks) if the season will be a disaster. Lots of troubles so far. Bodes poorly.

THE SKY IS FALLING!

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

If it was diluted that was probably intentional

"Diluted" tests can result from just being really well hydrated and passing urine that has a specific gravity essentially indistinguishable from water. It need not be intentional. Heck, I had to redo some tests from my last physical at the VA for exactly that reason.

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

Perhaps he's claiming a false positive on a test. Could be any number of things. I, for one, hope he can fight through whatever he's got going on and get back on the field ASAP.

You're on the right track. I read the test came back "dilute", which also counts as a failed test.

If so, he may have a case. Dilute samples can occur if someone drinks too much fluid. Normally, it means that someone put water in the sample or used a mock urine. The tests look for kidney markers and ketones, etc, and if they're not present at a certain level it flags it and the testing company will not even test it . It is not too much of an imagination exercise to be able to argue that he overhydrated either before or after practice, which has been known to dilute the samples in some cases. Tough sell, but not undoable if that were the actual case (or, hell, even if it wasn't and he was just good at legal strategy).

(source: did drug testing professionally)

Reckon I should have read the next few posts before I replied. Good to hear it from a pro.

[AURex 2,025]

I'm really saddened to hear this about Therezie -- after such a good season last year, to miss half of his senior season because of something like this. You would think that, by the time they are seniors, their highest priority would be to play, if they hope to make it to the next level.

[passthebiscuits 6,866]

You would think that if 'it' was such a mild drug that it would be easy for guys not to partake, especially when it's against team rules, jeopardized your playing time and was your second strike.

[MCPeePants 231]

When I was in college, I had to take NCAA urine tests. As a track athlete, I had to keep ridiculously hydrated and at one point I had been chosen for a random testing. First test came back really, really close to the SG line, albeit under. The administrators kept me at testing for 4 hours to let my urine concentrate.

I am surprised they only take 1 sample and are done. Is that usual?

EDIT: I guess I didn't really think back to the internal testing. I guess we did usually give a single sample and leave. They didn't even do a field specific gravity test.

[caleb1633 1,418]

One reason Johnson's remarks about Therezie are less than clear could be that Therezie has filed an appeal and that's not settled yet.

If there is no legal trouble, ie he failed internal tests, then what is there to appeal? You don't get to appeal when you fail a drug test for employment, licensing, etc.

Usually you do have that option if you disagree with the results. In most companies you have to pay for the retest yourself and they reimburse you if the result is different.

Finding legal help to overturn the results of a drug test is not hard. I would actually say it is more difficult to uphold the results, at least in court. It comes down to whether or not the person who took the urine sample can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the urine came from that individual. I could go more into detail but it may not be appropriate for a family forum, but you may pick up what I'm putting down.

[alexava 6,973]

You would think that if 'it' was such a mild drug that it would be easy for guys not to partake, especially when it's against team rules, jeopardized your playing time and was your second strike.

^^^^ very disappointed.

[NoALtiger 3,868]

Good for Rudy, kid is gonna be special.

[AU64 10,122]

Thought Gus was going to eliminate this kind of stuff and bring discipline? ....at least according to some comments here in the past....but the reality is that we have a bunch of guys (just like everyone else) who apparently are either selfish, undisciplined or dumb or perhaps all three. No excuse for this kind of thing by guys on scholarships worth $75K per year.

[war eagle6 0]

Who was it that said Rudy or t-reed wouldn't get meaningful reps this year? Oops, somebody is gonna have to eat crow

[SumterAubie 3,031]

I'm beginning to feel uneasy about this team. We now have had 3 seniors, and not just seniors but leaders, on both sides of the ball involved with weed. Hell maybe the whole team smokes it. It seems they aren't as focused on winning as they should be. If they can't put that stuff aside for the sake of the team. We'll know in a few weeks I guess.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,368]

I'm beginning to feel uneasy about this team. We now have had 3 seniors, and not just seniors but leaders, on both sides of the ball involved with weed. Hell maybe the whole team smokes it. It seems they aren't as focused on winning as they should be. If they can't put that stuff aside for the sake of the team. We'll know in a few weeks I guess.

I'm sure a large portion of the team smokes marijuana. It's the same for every team in the country.

[war eagle6 0]

I'm beginning to feel uneasy about this team. We now have had 3 seniors, and not just seniors but leaders, on both sides of the ball involved with weed. Hell maybe the whole team smokes it. It seems they aren't as focused on winning as they should be. If they can't put that stuff aside for the sake of the team. We'll know in a few weeks I guess.

it's like that cigarette commercial where the guy is being bullied by his cigarette, unfortunately that's what's happening to most of the guys on this team. They can't say no, which is very sad.