WATCH: Thomas Davis reveals he’s been suspended 4 games for violating NFL’s PED policy
By Adam Spencer
Published:
On Friday, former Georgia LB Thomas Davis revealed he had been suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Davis, a veteran defender for the Carolina Panthers, spoke about his suspension at length on his Twitter page, releasing a two-minute video.
As you can see below, Davis says he never intentionally took anything that would trigger a positive result. He also adds that, because of the suspension, perhaps this won’t be his last year in the NFL:
This is by far one of the saddest days of my NFL career. I never thought that this would happen to me. I’ve worked extremely hard to do things the right way on and off the field. Panther Nation please know that I am not a cheater. #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/zUppMfm6yk
— Thomas Davis (@ThomasDavisSDTM) April 6, 2018
“I just want to take a few minutes today to share the news with you guys that I received from the NFL,” he said. “I was informed that I tested positive for a banned substance. I was completely caught off guard by this. I’ve never in any way done anything to try to intentionally cheat the game. It’s one of those situations where the NFL rules clearly state that you are responsible for what you put in your body. I’ve taken the same supplements for the last seven or eight years and never had any issues. Been tested numerous times over the years while taking the same stuff, and, unfortunately, these are some of the things that happens when you take supplements.
“I’ve never tested positive for a steroid or HGH. It’s not one of those situations. It ended up being an estrogen blocker that triggered a positive test for me. I just want you guys to know that in no way would I ever do anything, like I said, to cheat this game or to try to create a competitive advantage over anybody. I’ve always tried to do things the right way and that’s something that I’ll continue to do when I’m able to get back on the field. I can honestly tell you guys that my conscious is clear in this situation, and as bad as it hurts me to sit here and tell you guys this, I know it’s going to hurt a lot of people that have looked up and believed in Thomas Davis over the years. Just know, in no way, in no way, have I done anything intentionally to try to cheat this game. I’m going to serve this four-game suspension and I’ll be back ready to go back out there with my teammates. And, you know, who knows? Maybe this isn’t my last year.”
At age 35, Davis is entering his 13th year in the NFL. Now, it sounds like he has motivation to return for a 14th in 2019.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
