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A day after news broke that Robert Nkemdiche fell out of an Atlanta hotel window on Saturday night, we're now hearing that the Ole Miss defensive tackle has been formally charged with marijuana possession. According to ESPN's David Ching, police confirmed that seven "marijuana cigarettes" were found in the fourth-floor hotel room from which Nkemdiche fell.
On Sunday, Fox 5 in Atlanta reported that police believed drug use may have played a factor in Nkemdiche allegedly breaking out the window in his room, climbing out onto a wall and then falling about 15 feet (there are reports that he fell four stories, but the actual police reports says 15 feet). When police arrived on the scene, a bloodied Nkemdiche reportedly told them he did "not know how he ended up on the ground." The police report stated that the Atlanta Narcotics Unit showed up at the scene.
Ching also tweeted this:
Spoke to a guy yesterday who said he witnessed Nkemdiche's fall. If that guy's story is true, Nkemdiche's body must be made out of titanium.
— David Ching (@ESPNChing) December 14, 2015
Won't get into all details, but gist is that Nkemdiche falls four floors and actually gets up and tries to walk it off.
— David Ching (@ESPNChing) December 14, 2015
From the initial reports, it seems that Nkemdiche suffered some superficial cuts and that he was hospitalized more for his mental state.
We're still waiting to find out how these charges will affect his Big Rob's status for the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Eve, but it certainly doesn't look good. Hugh Freeze said in a release on Sunday that he is "still learning about the matter, but obviously Robert's well-being is our greatest concern."
Nkemdiche's impact on the defensive line is obviously irreplaceable, but the Rebs have a pretty solid backup in freshman Breeland Speaks, who started when Rob sat out against A&M with a concussion.