Robert Nkemdiche says Ole Miss teammate Laremy Tunsil was present for Atlanta incident

INDIANAPOLIS -- Standing before media at the NFL Combine on Friday, Robert Nkemdiche shed some light on the incident at an Atlanta hotel that led to his mid-December arrest, and now that light shines on an Ole Miss teammate too.

Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, projected by many to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, was with him at the hotel, Nkemdiche said.

Before Nkemdiche was charged with marijuana possession there was a broken hotel window and his own fall from 15 feet high.

Atlanta police at the time said several "associates" were present with Nkemdiche, but no one else was named or charged.

Asked if any Ole Miss teammates were with him Nkemdiche said, "Umm, yeah Laremy was there."

NFL clubs have peppered Nkemdiche with questions about the incident. Now it's likely Tunsil will field those same questions.

When offensive linemen at the combine met with media Wednesday, Tunsil described himself as a guy who stays out of trouble.

"I think I'm a hard worker, a humble guy. I'm low key. I don't do much, man," Tunsil said.

Nkemdiche said he had been drinking in Atlanta and was drunk but was not under the influence of marijuana. Nkemdiche said he was arrested because the hotel room was in his name, and "Nobody wanted to take the fall," he said.

The Atlanta weekend has led Nkemdiche to slide in some draft projections. Most, not all, still have him going in the first round.

Last fall, Nkemdiche was ranked the No. 9 overall pick by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper.

Nkemdiche calls the whole thing a "blunder" and says he remains hopeful that he hasn't done irreparable damage to his draft standing.

"I'm doing everything I can to make teams believe me and believe the person I truly am. I made a mistake as a 21-year-old. I've just got to keep moving forward and hopefully they believe me, and I can do what I have to do on Sunday to make them see my athleticism. Hopefully I will go as high as possible," he said.

Nkemdiche says he's had one formal interview so far, that with Washington.

Nkemdiche has also faced questions about college production that seems disproportionate to his immense physical ability.

Nkemdiche had seven tackles for loss last year which did not rank in the top 50 nationally.

He has answered more questions about character than production, he said. Now he wants to convince NFL executives that he has changed.

"I don't try to create an act, because for the people that do know me as a person ... that wasn't me. That was rash. It was blunder," he said. "I tell (teams) the truth. I know what's at stake, and I know what I have to do as a player to be great in the NFL."

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Robert Nkemdiche says Ole Miss teammate Laremy Tunsil was present for Atlanta incident ."