New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison will be suspended for four games after being linked to Human Growth Hormone (HGH).
According to sources Harrison admitted to federal investigators that he acquired HGH through an internet pharmaceutical ring that the federal government and New York state officials investigated for two years.
Although the admission by Harrison has never been made public he is believed to be among several athletes in various sports to be involved in purchasing HGH and other performance enhancers.
Harrison had a meeting in New York City with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday sources told ESPN. The Patriots could announce the suspension as soon as Saturday.
An NFL spokesman had no comment on Harrison, who along with the Patriots could not be reached for reaction to the report.
Harrison would miss games in New York against the Jets, home games against the San Diego Chargers and the Buffalo Bills and a Monday night game in Cincinnati against the Bengals. He would return in Week 5 for a game against the Cleveland Browns in Foxboro.
Update: This is the same investigation that netted the 10 WWE wrestlers earlier this week.
Harrison’s Statement is after the jump.
From the Boston Globe:
Here’s the statement Rodney Harrison delivered on a conference call Friday night at about 9:30 p.m. . He did not answer questions.
“I’m basically here to let you all know that tomorrow the commissioner will annouce that I’ve been suspended by the NFL for violating the league policy on substance abuse. That suspension will be for four games. I want to make it clear that not once did I use steroids. I did admit to the commissioner that I did in fact use a banned substance. My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge. Rather, my use was totally for the purpose of accelerating the healing process from injuries I sustained playing football.
“I haven’t made excuses, nor will I make excuses. I made a mistake and I’m very sorry for that. I understand that I’m a role model to high schools, colleges, young kids. I don’t condone my decision, my behavior. I’m very, very embarrassed by it. I’m disappointed in myself. And to any young person, any high schooler, any college athlete, I sent the wrong message with my actions and I would want to be the example to them to never jeopardize what they believe in, never jeopardize their health. And they always have to love themselves.
“At this time, because I know you have a million questions for me, this is a mistake that I’ve done, nothing that my teammates were involved in, and I ask at this time that the respect of my teammates not be violated. This is something that Rodney Harrison did, Rodney Harrison did alone. My teammates didn’t do it. So as they’re preparing for the Jets and the San Diego game and Cincinnati and those games after that, I would ask that you give them the respect not to badger them with questions. Because they don’t have any information dealing with it, and neither does my family. I have kids, I have a wife and I’d ask for the respect for my family. This is something that I did and they shouldn’t have to go through.
“I will be absent from the team for the next four weeks, that’s the penalty I have incurred, after which I intend to return and help this team in any capacity I can to get back to winning the championship. It’s been a tough time for me, the last week or two, even before this. I’ve apologized to my family, which has supported me, to my friends. And I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my teammates. Like I said before, they were never involved in this. This is something I did and I apologize to them, because this is the last thing we need going into the regular season. I should have never done this to them.
“I apologize to the entire New England Patriots organization and the fans that have supported me so faithfully over the past five seasons here. Through Super Bowls, through injury, they have supported me, I definitely, definitely appreciate it.”
