NEW YORK: Minnesota Vikings defensive end Spencer Nealy was handed a four-game doping suspension by the National Football League for using a banned stimulant that he claimed was taken unknowingly.
The second-year NFL player was signed in 2013 as a reserve by the Vikings, who went 5-10 with one drawn last season, last in the National Conference’s North division.
The league does not announce exact substances for which a player tests positive, citing US medical confidentiality laws.
Nealy, in a statement released through the players’ union, said he ingested the stimulant in a tainted food supplement.
“I worked with my agent and the union to investigate the test results and I learned that a supplement I took contained a banned stimulant,” Nealy said.
“I’m very sorry for the impact of this situation on my teammates, the Vikings organisation and Vikings fans.”AFP
