aaron-hernandez-uf.jpg

Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez catches a pass in front of Alabama's Mark Barron during the Crimson Tide's 32-13 win in the 2009 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. (Hal Yeager/al.com)

(Updated at 9:11 a.m. to include comments from Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley.)

(Updated at 8:02 a.m. to include a response from the University of Florida.)

Two words for any coach, administrator or fan who thinks the SEC doesn't need a league-wide drug policy:

Aaron Hernandez.

Before the New England Patriots tight end got himself mixed up in a murder investigation, before he got hit with a civil suit for allegedly shooting a man after a night at a strip club, Hernandez played at Florida.

He played tight end for the Gators, played it so well that he became the first SEC player to win the John Mackey Award as college football's best tight end.

So how did someone with his talent and production slip all the way to the fourth round in the 2010 NFL Draft? In an April 27, 2010, story right after Hernandez was drafted,

:

"According to sources with three NFL teams, the Florida product's precipitous fall was because of multiple failed drug tests for marijuana as a collegian."

The Globe quoted one "longtime NFL executive" who suggested that Hernandez had failed as many as six drug tests at Florida.

Last week,

, reporting that "Hernandez also admitted to NFL teams that he failed numerous drug tests prior to the 2010 NFL Draft."

Florida officials dispute those reports. Steve McClain, senior associate athletics director, texted AL.com: "I would go on record saying he didn't fail six drug tests (at Florida)."

Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley told AL.com, "The information from the NFL sources is wrong."

How many games did Hernandez miss in his three years at Florida?

One. He was suspended for the 2008 season opener and later acknowledged it was the result of failing a drug test for marijuana. After the 2010 Boston Globe report, Hernandez issued a statement that said he failed only one drug test at Florida.

The reporting, if correct, raises the possibility that Hernandez was able to continue smoking marijuana at Florida and continue playing for the Gators. Foley strongly disagreed with any suggestion that the school looked the other way for the tight end or any other athlete.

"The University of Florida follows its drug-testing policies," Foley said this morning. "We do not deviate from our drug-testing policies for anyone. We never have, and we never will."

Two more words for any SEC coach, administrator or fan who thinks the SEC doesn't need a league-wide drug policy: competitive advantage.

If one school in the league has a three-strikes-and-you're-out drug policy, and another requires four failed tests before dismissal, that can give the second school an edge in keeping its best players on the field.

That's assuming each school sticks to its stated drug policy in every case. Hands up if you believe that.

Anyone?

Consider the curious case of former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu.

t

hat, according to an NFL assistant coach, when asked by that team how many drug tests he failed at LSU, Mathieu said he "quit counting at 10."

Asked about that report,

, "I don't really have the numbers there."

Mathieu was suspended for one game during the 2011 season, reportedly for failing a drug test for synthetic marijuana - he was later dismissed from the team before the 2012 season - but typically, it takes multiple failed tests for a player to miss even one game. Again, that number differs from school to school.

Why?

With millions of dollars at stake based on winning SEC and BCS championships, there's incentive for a school to maintain a softer policy that helps keep players on the field. There's also incentive for a school to bend its policy for a star player.

McClain, the senior associate AD at Florida, raised an issue that would be resolved if every SEC school followed the same protocols on drug education, testing and punishment. How frequently does each school test its student-athletes?

"We test more frequently than most if not all league schools and would rank very high nationally," McClain said. "Our athletes get tested once (each) semester they're enrolled so most are getting tested four times a year minimum."

Can every SEC school say the same?

Each SEC school already farms out its drug testing to an independent company of its choosing. Why not let the schools as a group choose one company to test league-wide ... and standardize the number and frequency of tests ... and set the threshold for positive tests ... and determine the penalties for positive tests ... and let the league administer the penalties?

A league-wide drug policy would reinforce the idea that the schools are in this together, especially on the critical subject of player health and safety.

At its spring meetings,

taking the national lead on this issue by becoming the first conference to institute a league-wide drug policy but decided instead to continue the status quo.

You know. Your school, your rules.

How many teams will continue to benefit from that approach? How many players will continue to suffer?

Drop a civil comment below.

Email:

Follow:

Listen: Weekdays from 6-10 a.m., on

on the Smashmouth Radio Network.