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The recently retired Chris Long never shied away from being against the grain. The two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive end has shown support towards his Black teammates who protested during the National Anthem, and now he has revealed that he is also an advocate for marijuana use.

Stopping by on The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday, Long told the radio show host that he was a frequent user during his 11-year career. He also admits that he found ways to circumvent the faulty NFL drug policy and hopes the league keeps from punishing their players using the drug.

“I certainly enjoyed my fair share on a regular basis through my career,” Long said around the 90-second mark. “I was never afraid to say that, but I’m able to say it more explicitly now. Listen, if not for that, I’m not as capable of coping with the stresses of day-to-day the NFL life.”

Long managed to get through the drug testing system due to the test being once a year through a pre-determined date. He would cycle off to prepare for the test and then once that was over, he would resume his toking practices. He does realize, however, that other players would struggle to cope during those cycling periods and would seek more harmful alternatives to dull the pain of a physical 16-game season.

“In that month or two that you stop, you’re going to reach for the sleeping pills, you’re going to reach for the pain-killers and you’re going to reach for the bottle a little bit more,” Long said. “If you’re serious about players not using, you’d be testing more often. I hope they go the opposite direction and just kind of realize how arbitrary that one test is.”

The NFL is starting to take the first step in studying marijuana for pain management, following a report from the Washington Post. The league and the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) will form two committees to study cannabis’ effects on the mind and its medicinal purposes for physical ailments.

Watch Long speak with Dan Patrick in the clip below.