Shawne Merriman Laughing, Joking, Smiling -- 'I'm Totally Fine!!!'

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Shawne Merriman
Laughing, Joking, Smiling
'I'm Totally Fine'

Shawne Merriman looked like a million bucks walking out of the gym today in L.A. -- completely laughing off rumors that he suffered from a drug overdose last night.

As we reported, the 29-year-old retired NFL star was transported from Colony nightclub to an L.A. hospital around 9:30pm Sunday night, following a 911 call reporting that he had possibly OD'd.

The caller said Merriman was "barely conscious" -- but just hours later, following his brief trip to the hospital, Merriman was back at the club looking like normal.

Watch the video. Merriman explains everything that happened and couldn't be nicer ... bottom line, stay hydrated.

Shawne Merriman -- Appeared Incredibly Sober ... After Alleged Medical Emergency

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Shawne Merriman
Appeared Incredibly Sober
After Alleged Hospitalization
8:20 AM PT -- Merriman is now acknowledging he was hospitalized, and tweeted that he was just "dehydrated" -- which might explain why he looked so sober and coherent in our video.

Dehydrated. @tmz got me good though this morning lol m.tmz.com/#Article/2013/…

— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) June 10, 2013

Mystery solved?
For a guy who was allegedly hospitalized at 9:30 pm Sunday night, retired NFL star Shawne Merriman appeared incredibly SOBER when TMZ shot him out just 3 hours later.

The whole situation is bizarre ... considering law enforcement has confirmed with NFL.com that the former NFL All-Pro was transported to an L.A. hospital for an undisclosed "medical emergency" around 9:30pm Sunday night.

In fact, law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... officials responded to a "possible overdose" at Colony nightclub with a caller reporting a man who was "barely conscious."

Sources tell us ... the 29-year-old former NFL All-Pro had been inside the club -- but was "escorted out" after people inside believed he appeared like he was going to pass out.

In short -- our sources are ADAMANT Merriman was hospitalized last night.

Which brings us to the video ...

Our TMZ photog noticed Merriman leaving Greystone Manor (a short cab ride from Colony) around 12:26 am on Monday morning ... and struck up a normal TMZ conversation with the guy.

In the footage, Merriman appears lucid, conversational ... and in no way like a person who was "barely conscious" just 3 hours before the video was shot.

At one point in the video, Merriman asks us "So, what's up?" Our guy responds, "Just livin'."

Merriman quickly jokes back, "Yeah, me too."

Plus, Merriman was tweeting around 2:40 am ... telling people he was partying with rapper The Game.

So, what REALLY happened Sunday night? Seems the jury is still out.

Shawne Merriman -- I Did NOT Overdose on Drugs

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Shawne Merriman
I Did Not OD on Drugs

Retired NFL star Shawne Merriman is adamant ... he did NOT overdose on drugs at an L.A. nightclub last night ... telling TMZ he was simply dehydrated. 

The 29-year-old -- who was transported from Colony nightclub to an L.A. hospital around 9:30pm Sunday night -- tells us ... "I didn't feel well and they called the ambulance for me to make sure I was good."

Merriman says he doesn't know who called the ambulance.

We're told the person who called 911 reported that Shawne was "barely conscious."

After Merriman was admitted to the hospital, the ex-NFL star says, "They told me to drink some fluids and sent me on my way."

Shawne says he's been running himself ragged recently -- "I've been finishing my MBA, shooting a bunch of films, launching my LightsOut [company] and still training."

In fact, Shawne says he had just gotten off a plane from Canada ... and went straight to the clubs last night.

Shawne's rep tells us, "At the hospital, he got fluids and felt fine ... so he went right back to the club."

As for reports that Shawne was treated for a drug overdose, the rep tells TMZ ..."That's absurd ... if you had a drug overdose, you wouldn't be at a club right after."