Dexter Manley Drug Addiction, Recovery Symbolized in Super Bowl Ring
A ring is part of the up-and-down story of Dexter Manley’s drug addiction and recovery.
In what some call the ultimate symbol of the power of drug addiction, Dexter Manley, a football legend and 1983 Super Bowl ring holder, took his famed ring to a pawn shop to help fund his cocaine addiction. Years later, while preparing for the 2010 Super Bowl, Dexter’s wife phoned him with the news that she had re-acquired the ring, which became a symbol of Dexter’s new life that’s fully committed to drug addiction recovery.
Manley’s football career is marked with periods of relapse and recovery from drug addiction, beginning with a position on the Oklahoma State University team and then an eleven-year span with the NFL Washington Redskins. Three decades ago, Manley experienced a long-remembered moment in his drug addiction story, when he faced an NFL ban in 1991 for unsuccessful drug tests. Reports indicated jail time and multiple arrests for substances including crack cocaine.
Manley had a chance in 1999 to regain possession of his Super Bowl ring when his family attorney presented it to him – but the football star gave it back, saying he needed to be in full recovery before reclaiming his prized possession. A few years following the event, Manley saw more jail time for cocaine offenses. When his wife, Lydia, gave him the ring again in 2010 Manley accepted, marking his progress along the drug addiction recovery path.
The football legend’s bouts with drug addiction are believed connected to the pressures of the occupation and to the athlete’s personal struggles, including dyslexia. Manley has said in emotional speaking engagements that he has the disorder and struggled to read, even though he is a college graduate. Positive personal relationships along Manley’s addiction journey are also highlighted in reports, including with recovering alcoholic and high-profile attorney John O’Quinn, who passed away in 2009. Manley requested the return of the Super Bowl ring previously from O’Quinn, but the attorney did not return it for fear that Manley had not yet conquered his addiction.
Headlines addressing the famed Super Bowl ring continue to describe Manley as coming full circle with drug addiction. Today, Manley’s personal focus on recovery includes active speaking engagements at high schools. Students who have attended have commented on the athlete’s obvious passion toward a life free of drugs as he recounts all that the drugs have cost him, including relationships, finances and career accomplishments. His presentations are said to be strikingly bold and honest as he talks to students about overcoming addiction – and avoiding drugs altogether.
Refusing to hide from the addiction is also a key factor in his success, says Manley, and it’s part of the message he brings to the public as he strives to help others learn from his story.
