Robert Mathis suspended 4 game for PEDs

[BobGnarly]

Never would have suspected it from him

 

[Clayton]

Anyone noticed how most of the players in the NFL top 100 interviews have funny goat shaped heads?

Id be stunned if less than a third of the league was on PEDs of some sort

 

[TDs3nOut]

[MEDIA=twitter]467406846744346624[/MEDIA]

Never would have suspected it from him

I guess so. Then again, having perhaps his best season in the eleventh year of an already very good career is a bit unusual. Perhaps that isn't just a coincidence. I know that he also switched from 4-3 DE to 3-4 OLB, so maybe that is why he had such an unusually large number of sacks last year.

 

[Hangman]

Linebacker Robert Mathis has been suspended without pay for the Indianapolis Colts' first four games of the 2014 regular season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Mathis will be eligible to return to the Colts' active roster on Monday, Sept. 29, following the team's Sept. 28 game against the Tennessee Titans.

He released a statement detailing his explanation for the positive test:

"It is difficult for me to address the circumstances surrounding this suspension because they involve very personal medical information, but it is very important to me that my fans, particularly young people, understand what did and did not occur. Like many families, my wife and I faced fertility challenges, and I sought medical assistance. I specifically asked the doctor if the medication he prescribed for me would present a problem for NFL drug testing, and unfortunately, he incorrectly told me that it would not. I made the mistake of not calling the NFL or NFLPA to double-check before I took the medication at the end of last season.

"The union has worked very closely with me to present all of the facts and medical records for consideration of discipline that does not include a suspension because of the unique facts of my case, but the commissioner refused the request. I am deeply saddened that this situation will prevent me from contributing to my team for four games, and I regret that I didn't cross check what my doctor told me before I took the medication. I hope that my fans will understand the unique circumstances involved here and continue to know that I am a man of integrity who would never intentionally circumvent the performance enhancing substance policy agreed to by the NFL and my union.

"The incredible blessing of this very upsetting situation is that, after I took the medication very briefly at the end of last season, we learned that my wife is expecting a baby. We are thrilled that we will be welcoming a new member in several months, but I apologize to my teammates, coaches and Colts fans that I will not be able to contribute to my team for the first four weeks of the 2014 season. I will work extremely hard during that time to stay in top football shape and will be prepared to contribute immediately upon my return."

Denise White, Mathis' spokesperson, said the player's mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophogal cancer last August. To help give her another grandchild, Mathis began consulting a physician, Steven Morganstern in Atlanta, about fertility drugs. His wife, Brandi, was unable to take them due to a health situation, so the doctor recommended Mathis taking Clomid to speed up the process.

He began taking Clomid last November and stopped taking it after he found out his wife was pregnant. Mathis was notified this year that he violated the league's substance policy. He had appealed the decision and lost. His wife is pregnant with a girl and is due this fall.

Mathis' mother still is alive.

"We have learned that Robert Mathis will be required to serve a four-game suspension under the league's policy on prohibited substances," a statement from the Colts read. "We recognize the extreme seriousness of this matter and will honor the confidentiality requirements of the league's program. We nevertheless wish to assure Robert and our fans that he remains an honored and cherished member of the Colts family and that we support him as he deals with this difficult challenge."

Losing Mathis is a substantial blow to the Colts' defense. He had 19.5 sacks last season, and Indianapolis will miss his presence because its first two games in 2014 are at Denver, which led the league in scoring this past season, and against Philadelphia.

He remains eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games.

Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and ESPN Colts reporter Mike Wells was used in this report.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Wow… I agree that I probably would have never suspected it from him.

 

[cdumler7]

Well with it being a fertility drug he gets a bit of a pass in my book but at the same time these guys should know how important it is to call the league and check. It is very easy and confidential so it is just stupid when these guys get caught and say they didn't know.

 

[BobGnarly]

From what I've read a lot of roiders use Clomid after a steroid cycle to control their estrogen levels. Not sure I buy his whole fertility excuse. Either way teams communicate to their players to check every drug they plan to take with them, he being a veteran should have known that.

 

[Stomp]

Wow… I agree that I probably would have never suspected it from him.

Huge jump in production late in his career I'm sure that's just what the "random testers" look for.

 

[BobGnarly]

Statement from the NFL:

As Mr. Mathis’s agent acknowledged today, his client failed to follow the protocols in the policy that the NFL and NFLPA agreed upon to address precisely these kinds of claims. That policy also prescribes the disciplinary consequences of a positive test. The policy does not provide – nor should it provide – for the commissioner to override the policy's procedures and assess discipline on an after-the-fact, ad hoc basis. Here Mr. Mathis actually withdrew his appeal and accepted discipline at the union’s suggestion. His hearing took place only after the Players Association requested that the appeal be reinstated. The drug for which Mr. Mathis tested positive is not approved by the FDA for fertility in males and is a performance-enhancing drug that has been prohibited for years. Importantly, Mr. Mathis did not consult with the policy's Independent Administrator, a physician jointly approved by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Nor did he consult with his team doctor, the team's training staff, the NFLPA, the league office or the hotline established under the policy to give confidential information to players. Each of these sources would have warned against using this substance. A cornerstone of the program is that a player is responsible for what is in his body. Consistent application of the policy's procedures is critical to the integrity of the program.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Well with it being a fertility drug he gets a bit of a pass in my book but at the same time these guys should know how important it is to call the league and check. It is very easy and confidential so it is just stupid when these guys get caught and say they didn't know.

Exactly, if you arent 100% sure, you better check. No excuse is necessary or acceptable.