Steelers LB James Harrison denies PED allegations in affidavit
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Steelers linebacker James Harrison submitted an affidavit on Tuesday denying allegations of performance-enhancing drug use.
Harrison was one of the athletes implicated in the controversial Al Jazeera documentary that linked football and baseball players to an Indiana clinic that provides clients with human growth hormone and other substances. Peyton Manning was the highest-profile player named by Charles Sly, a former employee of the Guyer Institute.
Sly later recanted the statements he made in the documentary, noting that they were recorded without his knowledge or consent.
Harrison’s affidavit, submitted through the NFLPA in response to an interview request from the NFL, denies the claims against him in the documentary and states that he never communicated with Sly in any way. In the documentary, Sly tells an undercover reporter that Harrison had been supplied with “some stuff” and that he was taking Delta-2, a performance-enhancing substance.
A cover letter attached with the affidavit states that “in the absence of the existence of any documented, credible evidence, this affidavit constitutes reasonable cooperation” from Harrison as an employee of the league.
Harrison had previously said he was willing to grant the NFL’s interview request, but only if it took place at his home on the date of his choosing before training camp. He also stipulated that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell be present at the meeting.
Harrison, 38, is entering his 15th NFL season.
