Roids Rumour Refuted?

It was report earlier by NFL Draft Bible that USC linebackers Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, specifically anabolic steroids.

Contrary to that rumour, the Clay Matthews camp has come out and said that this claim is false and that Clay Matthews has not tested positive for anabolic steroids. The letter from Clay Matthews' agent reads as follows:

"Our office represents Clay Matthews. Your website is reporting, via unnamed sources including one NFL team, that Clay tested positive for steroids at the NFL Combine. As I’m sure you know, the NFL Policy on Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances clearly states that “any Club or Club employee that publicly divulges, directly or indirectly, information concerning positive tests or other violations of this Policy (including numerical summaries or specific names of persons) or otherwise breaches the confidentiality provisions of this Policy is subject to a fine of up to $500,000 by the Commissioner.

Further, neither Clay nor our office has received notification of any positive test, whether for steroids or any banned substance. I also have been informed by an attorney at the NFL League Office that they have not received notification from the Independent Administrator of any Draft-eligible players testing positive for steroids during the pre-employment drug testing conducted at this year’s Combine, and likewise, that they have not informed the member NFL clubs of any drug testing results. Govern yourself accordingly."

Whether this will hurt Brian Cushing or Clay Matthews draft stock remains to be seen. I think it is false information used as a smokescreen used to deter teams from drafting Cushing or Matthews. But considering the offices of Matthews are adamant about him not testing positive, I'm sure Cushing's representatives will be coming out of the wood works soon to refute this claim as well. Both USC linebackers are likely to be first round selections but this could be a detractor to some teams, it is very similar to the Luis Castillo story that occurred a few years back where he tested positive for steroids to recover from an injury but yet he still was a first round selection.

It should be interesting to see where this story goes and if there is any validity to accusations made by NFL Draft Bible.

-Matty