Long Road to Recovery from Brendan Sullivan on Vimeo.

Former Husker football player Ricky Simmons, a wide receiver from 1979-83, was introduced to cocaine while playing professionally.

“Cocaine convinced me that football was getting in the way of my using” said Simmons, who walked away from the NFL to be a “full-time drug addict.”

After decades of drug use, it was a letter he received in jail from former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne that changed his life forever.

Simmons now serves as a substance abuse counselor and motivational speaker helping others steer clear of drugs and avoid the dark path he went down for many years.

The documentary “Long Road to Recovery” details how Simmons overcame his addiction and why he has now devoted his life to helping others do the same.