Robert Nkemdiche denies using synthetic marijuana, apologizes for hotel incident

According to Robert Nkemdiche, synthetic drugs did not play a part in the bizarre hotel incident that left him hospitalized in Atlanta over the weekend. In a statement released through Ole Miss on Tuesday, the star defensive tackle shot down a Fox Sports report before apologizing for a "lapse in judgement."

I want to apologize to Rebel Nation, my teammates and my coaches for my actions last weekend. I made a mistake and put myself in an environment that does not reflect who I am as a person. Contrary to a report by FOX Sports, I did not use synthetic drugs. I realize the dangers of drugs and alcohol and regret the lapse in judgement. This does not reflect the core values that my mother and father instilled in our family. I am a very spiritual person, and drugs have no place in my belief system. As I move forward, I have learned a valuable lesson about the ramifications of a bad decision. I have worked very hard to have this platform, and I want to use it in the right way and be a role model for young players. I am sorry for putting Coach Freeze in this position and will accept whatever consequences are necessary, but my hope is to finish this year's journey with my brothers.

The report he's disputing was published by Clay Travis earlier in the week. It alleges that Nkemdiche, after smoking synthetic weed, "was paranoid and convinced someone was chasing [him] when he broke through his hotel room windows and plummeted more than 15 feet to the ground."

To be clear, it seems Rob is still admitting to some form of drug and alcohol use precipitating the incident, he's just denying that said drugs were synthetic. Police formally charged him with possession on Monday, saying they found seven "marijuana cigarettes" in Nkemdiche's room.

Putting the synthetic stuff would be a particularly bad look for Nkemdiche considering his older brother, Denzel is rumored to have been hospitalized for the same stuff last month. Travis' report claims that Denzel "was found near the edge of the roof of his off-campus town home, wrapped in a blanket, terrified that someone was after him."