Ex-NFL TE Christian Fauria: I bought HGH, but never used it

Ex-NFL tight end Christian Fauria says he bought human growth hormone but never used it. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Former NFL tight end Christian Fauria said he bought human growth hormone and contemplated using it to help him recover from injury, but says he didn't use the performance-enhancing drug because he was scared to take it.

Hobbled by ankle problems late in his career, Fauria said he bought HGH from an amateur pharmacist in San Diego, but did not use it because he had no idea about the drug's long-term effects.

"Too chicken to go through with it," Fauria told The Los Angeles Times.

"I did my research. I had tons of ankle problems, and I was looking for a way to get back faster. I purchased it.… But what you had to go through to do it, at least the guys I talked to, I was like, 'No way. You can't regulate that stuff.' I had no desire to be shooting myself up with a needle once or twice a week. I just wasn't doing it."

EPSTEIN: A First Step Toward HGH Testing—in the Wrong Direction

Fauria played 12 seasons in the NFL, winning two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.