Players to meet with NFL this week to have appeals heard

Nov 17, 2008 - 4:37 PM By PA SportsTicker

A group of players who reportedly tested positive for a drug on the NFL's list of banned substances are expected to meet with league officials this week to have their appeals heard.

Multiple media outlets have reported that a trio of players with the New Orleans Saints - running back Deuce McAllister and defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant - will have their hearings on Tuesday.

Defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings and Grady Jackson of the Atlanta Falcons also are expected to have their appeals heard later in the week.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello would not comfirm the hearings, citing league policy.

"We do not comment on the appeals process of specific cases," Aiello said in an e-mail to PA SportsTicker.

"I don't know, so you all know stuff that I don't know," Pat Williams told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Sunday. "I've never heard nothing."

The players were identified as testing positive for Bumetanide, a diuretic which can mask the presence of other substances, including steroids.

Last month, McAllister admitted that he was among the players being investigated, although he insisted he always has tried to play by the rules.

Jackson also has not denied he was on the list of players who tested positive. In fact, last week Jackson filed a class-action lawsuit against the Nikki Harrell's StarCaps diet pills - the manufacturer of the alleged diuretic, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The lawsuit also names Balanced Health Products, the maker of StarCaps. Jackson is seeking restitution and damages for false advertising and unfair business practices against the company and retailers of StarCaps.

The company acknowledged the lawsuit in a message posted on its web site, StarCaps.com.

"We've received notice of a problem with an NFL player," the statement read. "We have referred the matter to our counsel and are taking all necessary steps to ensure that our customers receive product that is safe and effective. We have temporarily suspended shipping of StarCaps pending the results of our investigation."

FOX 31 in Denver initially broke the story last month, reporting that the league has had a "rash" of positive tests. McAllister and Smith were the only players named by the station, which reported that as many as 10 players tested positive as a result of taking water pills in an effort to lose weight.

Under the league's policy regarding anabolic steroids and related substances, a first violation typically results in a four-game suspension, although it can vary depending on circumstances.