Steelers Super Bowl champion explains why he turned to weed - “Toradol shots after Toradol shots”

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch played 15 NFL seasons. The physical toll of the sport led him to rely on multiple pain medications, taking as many as eight pills daily.

He described how NFL players managed intense pain during the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Miami, Florida.

“They continue to just pump out pain medication. It's just Toradol shots after Toradol shots, whatever that looks like.”

This made several players dependent on painkillers. But when his playing days were over, he turned to marijuana to address his physical issues. It helped him walk and sleep better.

Batch said:

"When I started that transition, it was like, wow. I started seeing my body react in different ways that it had never reacted before. These improvements led him to establish a regular regimen with cannabis, leading to significant changes in his life."

"Now, here I am. All these years later, I walk 30 to 35 miles a week, something that I could not do prior to that happening."

The former Eastern Michigan standout said that his wife introduced him to weed. She went to California for a week to learn more about its medicinal benefits. When she returned, she suggested what her husband could take to relieve the pain.

Charlie Batch also mentioned that he did not take marijuana during his playing days with the Steelers because it was against the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

However, he would be happy to know that the NFL has loosened its view on pot. While players who test positive for the first time won’t be suspended, they could face a three-game suspension after their fourth offense.

A Summary of Charlie Batch’s Stint with the Steelers

Batch suited up for the hometown team for 11 seasons. By the time he retired in 2012, he was the second-longest-tenured Pittsburgh quarterback after Terry Bradshaw. But Ben Roethlisberger broke Bradshaw’s record, relegating Batch to number three.

He was mainly a backup quarterback for Roethlisberger during his years in Pittsburgh. The most he played in one season for the Steelers was eight games in 2006. He also started nine games throughout his tenure in Steel City.

Batch missed two NFL seasons due to injury. In 2004, a knee injury that required surgery brought him to season-ending injured reserve. Four years later, a broken clavicle led him to another season-ending IR. Despite signing with the team in 2002, he did not play a single snap that year.

While playing second fiddle to Ben Roethlisberger for most of his career, he was a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams (XL and XLIII).

Prior to joining the Steelers, Charlie Batch played for the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and he ended up starting 12 games in his rookie season. Batch lasted four seasons in Detroit.

He finished his career with 11,085 passing yards, 61 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions.