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San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman has vowed to fight allegations of steroid abuse as he faces a four-game suspension under the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Reports over the weekend said the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year had tested positive for steroids at the same time as Atlanta Falcons guard Matt Lehr and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, both of whom were suspended last week.
Merriman was not banned as he has appealed the penalty.
His lawyer, David Cornwell, did not deny that nandrolone was present in a test submitted by Merriman but said it had come from a supplement the player believed to be safe.
Speaking at a press conference after training with his team-mates on Monday, Merriman insisted he would clear his name.
"This whole thing that's happened to me is hard to process but I'm dealing with it," Merriman said.
"I've had a chance to speak with my team-mates and coaches already and I've had full support from everybody.
"I've apologised to them for what has been a distraction, especially with the incredible time we've been going through as a team," he added, referring to the Chargers' impressive start to the season prior to Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
"Basically, I've apologised for the whole situation and explained the process where I'm not suspended.
"I'm not running from this situation. Nobody will have to chase me asking questions. I'm going to be straight up and honest about this and try to deal with it accordingly.
"Hopefully nobody makes any kind of judgment or anything that make me guilty for anything because nothing has been done wrong on my part and I will try to get it straightened out as soon as possible.
"As of right now I'm not missing any time and what is important to me is to get back out on to the field and help this team win. That's number one for me."
Merriman played on Sunday, registering eight tackles in the loss.
The appeal process could take anywhere between a week to several months, and Merriman insisted his focus is on preparing to play St Louis next Sunday.
"I have no reason to do anything wrong, especially when I'm already in the spotlight and doing things and trying to present to people the right and wrong way to go about things," Merriman said. "This is obviously a mistake that has to be dealt with correctly.
"I will be taking responsibility for everything. I'll not be running from anything."
Cornwell called for a proper regulation of supplements to help protect athletes.
"I know that people get tired of hearing it, but it is a fact and it is not going to go away until the Congress of the United States deals with it," Cornwell said.
"Supplements are not regulated and it is a dirty fact of this industry that many of them are tainted with prohibited substances and men like Shawne get hooked up and get penalised for taking something that they didn't know was present in the supplement.
"That's why this is such an evil process," he added. "He has been playing, unwittingly, Russian roulette with his career because he's been taking the same supplements, and it has been subjected to testing, and hasn't yielded a positive test. So he thought the supplements that he was taking were safe.
"He did not go into the back alley somewhere and put a needle in his butt for steroids."
Merriman, who earned the nickname 'Lights Out' last season, is the leader of the San Diego defence.
The 22-year-old has registered five and half sacks and 27 tackles in six games this season.
Selected 12th overall in 2005 out of Maryland, the 6ft 4in, 272lb Merriman was a major force during his rookie campaign last season, when he collected 10 sacks and 57 tackles in 15 games en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
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Source: Sporting Life |
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