To most of us, the idea of getting paid millions of dollars for doing something we love is… To most of us, the idea of getting paid millions of dollars for doing something we love is only a distant dream. But to Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman, this dream became a reality – that is, until he was suspended from the NFL for a year after violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Thurman, 24, was initially suspended for the first four games of the 2006 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy – which could have been the result of either failing or missing a drug test. The league then extended Thurman’s suspension to a full season after he was charged with driving under the influence while already suspended, according to The New York Times. After his suspension was extended, Thurman enrolled in, and completed, an inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation program.

A year later, Thurman – prepared to help to pull the Bengals out of a sinking season – applied for reinstatement into the NFL, claiming that he had gained control of his drinking problem. But Commissioner Roger Goodell decided to reject Thurman’s request and continue his suspension for another year.

Why? Goodell claims that Thurman’s conduct in the rehabilitation program had led the league to believe he would not be able to continue the rigorous substance abuse program if reinstated into the league. Goodell also admitted that the league’s medical staff had not had enough time to evaluate Thurman’s progress since he completed the program.

While Thurman’s suspension might have begun as an issue of substance abuse in professional athletics, the NFL’s decision has now turned it into a case of rights for the disabled. This is because Thurman, a self-professed alcoholic, believes that the league’s decision to suspend his reinstatement directly violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which categorizes people as disabled if they have a record of alcoholism and pursue treatment.

Thurman has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which has yet to make an official ruling on the case.

What’s interesting in Thurman’s case – and what has caused many to look at it outside of the typical black and white nature of other disability suits – is that he is a professional athlete making millions of dollars, who also serves as a role model for children across the country.

And with a series of misbehaving athletes in the news – most recently Adam “Pacman” Jones and Michael Vick – the league has been trying to come down hard on athletes who break the rules.

The thing is, however, that while Thurman might have violated the league’s substance abuse policy, his status as an alcoholic who has received treatment classifies him as disabled. And, despite its glamorous perks and high salaries, the NFL still counts as an employer.

Ultimately, the law is on Thurman’s side. The EEOC will probably rule in favor of Thurman, but this could take years – a substantial portion of a professional football player’s career span.

Unfortunately for Thurman, the quickest way back to the NFL will be through the NFL, if he decides to apply again for reinstatement in 2007 – and, hopefully they will allow him back.

It’s just a shame that by then, he will have missed a year – at least a tenth of his career – because of bad decision making and bureaucratic inefficiency.