NFL star Laremy Tunsil took an infamous viral video of him smoking marijuana released during the 2016 NFL Draft that likely cost him millions and has made it into a nonfungible token that will go to auction, Tunsil announced in a tweet Wednesday morning, and a portion of proceeds from the NFT sale will go to an organization fighting for cannabis criminalization reform.

Key Facts

Key Background

Widely projected to be the top tackle in the 2016 draft class leading up to the draft, Tunsil was the third offensive tackle selected in the draft in a fall largely attributed to the bong video. Tunsil quickly established himself as one of the league’s top young offensive tackles before the Dolphins traded him to the Houston Texans in 2016 for two first-round picks. Tunsil earned Pro Bowl selections in the 2019 and 2020 seasons and signed a three-year, $66 million contract extension in 2020 that made him one of the NFL’s top-paid players.

Big Number

More than $7 million. That’s how much in guaranteed signing bonus money Tunsil lost out on by falling from the sixth pick, where the first tackle was selected in the 2016 draft, to the 13th pick.

Crucial Quote

“To this day, I still play with the anger, because I have to prove myself, because I feel like I’m not getting the accolades I deserve because of the gas mask,” Tunsil said in a 2021 interview with Complex, his first public comments on the video.

What To Watch For

The 2022 NFL Draft begins Thursday, and Tunsil’s NFT announcement was likely intended to coincide with the draft.

Further Reading

Laremy Tunsil Is Over the Gas Mask Incident. Why Isn’t Everybody Else? (Forbes)

Five years later, Laremy Tunsil’s gas mask and his Dolphins’ draft impact (ESPN