The Associated Press reports 'purple drank' has seen an increase in popularity over the last decade, and has now hit the NFL. Former Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was arrested for possession of codeine syrup, a key ingredient in purple drank. The concoction: typically codeine and the antihistamine promethazine mixed with Sprite or 7Up and Jolly Ranchers or other hard candy. Former NFL player Marcellus Wiley doesn't believe consumption is widespread within the league, "but obviously I think it's picking up some steam. It doesn't have the negative connotation it should, the same negative connotation there is with crack cocaine or heroin," said Wiley, an ESPN analyst. "People think of this purple drank as kind of a cool thing. Because people think it's cool, it invades that mentality, invades that culture, without alerting people to the dangers of it." Our View: Russell is not the only NFL player to get in trouble over codeine. Packers DL Johnny Jolly is scheduled to go to trial later this month after getting arrested in 2008 allegedly for illegally possessing at least 200 grams of codeine. Hopefully these two cases help discourage other NFL players from using this illegal concoction.