OXNARD, Calif. _ Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is playing football again for the first time since being banished from the NFL following the 2016 season finale for repeated violations of the substance abuse policy.
And to hopefully ensure his success after so much time away, Gregory must adhere to strict guidelines outlined by the NFL and his own treatment professionals.
That includes submitting to a drug test before joining the Cowboys at the team hotel in Oxnard, per a source. He can be randomly tested up to 10 times a month in Stage 3 of the league's substance abuse program.
It also will require him to room with a professional accountability partner during camp, rather than a teammate like the other players, per sources.
That accountability partner will also live with him when he returns to Dallas after camp.
He will continue with a counseling-and-treatment program that has helped pave the way for his possible final chance at making it good with the Cowboys and the NFL.
A source close to Gregory feels good about him succeeding because the NFL has allowed his own treatment professionals to design and administer his rehab, recovery and treatment with some oversight from the league.
But this is a program that was developed by Gregory's doctor and was instrumental in him being drug-free during an intense treatment plan over the last year that ultimately was approved by the NFL and paved the way for his reinstatement.
Gregory's reinstatement, however, is just the beginning.
He will be in the punitive Stage 3 of the drug program for two years before he can apply to be removed for no failed or missed tests in 24 months.
Gregory has played in just 14 games since the Cowboys picked him in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played in 12 as a rookie. In 2016, he missed the first 14 games under NFL suspension after twice failing drug tests, and returned for two games at the end of the season before being suspended indefinitely Jan. 16, 2017.
He has 20 tackles and one sack in the 14 games he has played.
