The Sports Xchange

The Atlanta Falcons’ second-round draft pick, cornerback Jalen Collins from LSU, is subject to the NFL’s substance-abuse program after previously failing multiple drug tests.

“Yes, a player in that situation is subject to being entered into the program,” league spokesman Greg Aiello told ESPN.com on Saturday. “It is handled on a confidential basis by the medical professionals that run the program.”

Collins reportedly failed three drug tests while at LSU. According to ESPN, multiple teams said Collins’ failed tests were related to marijuana, based on their pre-draft reports.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn expressed confidence in Collins moving forward.

“This is a situation where we’re very mindful of making sure that the people fit in, and we believe that he’s a good fit for this organization,” Dimitroff said. And the further research that we did with him and people with our contacts at LSU — Dan’s as well as ours and our staff — we feel very confident about the fact that (Collins) is going to be in the right place here and be with the right people. He’s heading in the right direction on everything. He’s definitely a good person that we’re looking forward to working with.”

Quinn said, “When a guy has a setback, how do you recover from it? Are you able to come back through the other way and do well? And that was certainly the case with Jalen. All of us have had setbacks off the field, in some way. For a guy like him to come back and do well, it answered a lot of questions for me.”

Collins started just 10 games in three seasons playing for the Tigers, including seven last season, when he totaled 38 tackles, nine pass breakups and an interception.

Collins underwent surgery after the NFL Scouting Combine to repair an incomplete fracture in his right foot. After redshiring as a freshman in 2011, he opted to skip his senior season in college to enter the draft.

The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Collins said the off-the-field issues are behind him.

“Those tests were all in the past,” Collins said during a conference call with reporters. “And I was making some bad decisions (and) not hanging with the right people. But what I told the Falcons, and what I’ve been telling everybody, is that stuff is behind me. I’ve been making smarter decisions all this past year. Trying to become a better person and a better football player. I think it’s been helping me.”