Rams cornerback Troy Hill suspended for first two games of season

Rams cornerback Troy Hill has been suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy and program for substance abuse, the league announced Monday.

The NFL did not identify or release details regarding the violation.

Hill is eligible to participate in preseason practices and games. He must sit out the regular-season opener against Indianapolis and also against Washington – both home games – before he is eligible to return in Week 3.

Hill, 25, was arrested in November on suspicion of driving under the influence after he was involved in a collision with a big-rig on the Ventura Freeway near Encino. The incident occurred the day before the Rams played the Miami Dolphins at the Coliseum.

On March 8, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 36 months of summary probation, a $390 fine, 100 hours of community service and three months of alcohol counseling, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney’s office said.

Hill had started four games before his arrest, but the Rams made him inactive for the Dolphins game and released him a few days later. They re-signed him to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.

“I think people deserve second chances in life,” former coach Jeff Fisher said at the time. “I think he learned from it, but I was just disappointed in his choices.”

Said Hill at the time: “It’s a humbling experience and I’m thankful for these coaches,” he said. “I let them down and they gave me this second opportunity. So it’s a humbling experience and I just want to do everything I can to show them that I can be trusted and work my way back.”

Hill eventually was activated and finished the season with 38 tackles in 12 games.

The Rams acquired free-agent cornerbacks Kayvon Webster and Nickell Robey-Coleman in the off-season, adding to a position group that includes Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines, Michael Jordan, Hill and others. Lamarcus Joyner has moved to safety but also is expected to play in situations at cornerback.

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