Trouble for Wade Wilson?
By GARY MYERS and T.J. QUINN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS
New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Wade Wilson have both admitted to league officials that they received illegal performance-enhancing drugs as part of an Internet drug scam, the Daily News has learned.
Harrison will be suspended for four games, sources said, and Wilson, whose career as a quarterback ended in 1998, faces a yet-to-be-announced punishment.
Harrison, speaking on a conference call last night after his suspension was reported by ESPN, apologized to fans, especially those in "high school and college."
"I want to make it clear that not once did I ever use steroids," Harrison said. "I did admit to the commissioner that I did use a banned substance. My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge. Rather, my use was solely for the purpose of accelerating the healing process from injuries I sustained."
Wilson admitted receiving human growth hormone and anabolic steroids while a coach with the Chicago Bears, where he worked from 2004-2006. League officials were interested to know whether he used the drugs himself or whether he supplied them to players. Harrison admitted to receiving human growth hormone. Although the league does not test for HGH, a player can be suspended under the NFL doping policy if he admits or it can be proven that he took or possessed anything on the banned substances list.
The two are the first of what is expected to be many connected to the NFL to arise in the investigation. Sources said officials from the Albany Co. District Attorney's office approached NFL officials about Harrison and Wilson, saying that both had received drugs from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando. Under the scam, in which nine have pleaded guilty, doctors, hired by "anti-aging" clinics, signed prescriptions for patients they never saw, and those prescriptions were filled at Signature and other pharmacies. Albany and Florida law enforcement agents raided the pharmacy and several clinics in February.
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS
New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Wade Wilson have both admitted to league officials that they received illegal performance-enhancing drugs as part of an Internet drug scam, the Daily News has learned.
Harrison will be suspended for four games, sources said, and Wilson, whose career as a quarterback ended in 1998, faces a yet-to-be-announced punishment.
Harrison, speaking on a conference call last night after his suspension was reported by ESPN, apologized to fans, especially those in "high school and college."
"I want to make it clear that not once did I ever use steroids," Harrison said. "I did admit to the commissioner that I did use a banned substance. My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge. Rather, my use was solely for the purpose of accelerating the healing process from injuries I sustained."
Wilson admitted receiving human growth hormone and anabolic steroids while a coach with the Chicago Bears, where he worked from 2004-2006. League officials were interested to know whether he used the drugs himself or whether he supplied them to players. Harrison admitted to receiving human growth hormone. Although the league does not test for HGH, a player can be suspended under the NFL doping policy if he admits or it can be proven that he took or possessed anything on the banned substances list.
The two are the first of what is expected to be many connected to the NFL to arise in the investigation. Sources said officials from the Albany Co. District Attorney's office approached NFL officials about Harrison and Wilson, saying that both had received drugs from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando. Under the scam, in which nine have pleaded guilty, doctors, hired by "anti-aging" clinics, signed prescriptions for patients they never saw, and those prescriptions were filled at Signature and other pharmacies. Albany and Florida law enforcement agents raided the pharmacy and several clinics in February.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:45 AM
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