Vikings player didn’t know of banned drug

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS

Minnesota Vikings lineman Pat Williams echoed teammate Kevin Williams in telling a judge he didn’t know an over-the-counter weight-loss supplement contained a substance banned by the NFL.

Pat Williams, a 13-year veteran, testified Wednesday he first took StarCaps when he was with the Buffalo Bills, where a trainer told him it was a legal supplement. Williams also said he checked out StarCaps online and “everything looked legal.”

The NFL is trying to suspend the Williamses for four games each for testing positive in 2008 for the banned substance bumetanide, a diuretic that can mask steroids. Neither player is accused of taking steroids.

Both the Williamses are suing the NFL, alleging it violated state labor laws in applying its anti-doping policy.

Wearing his right arm in a sling following elbow surgery, the 37-year-old Pat Williams testified he has high-blood pressure and gout, a painful joint inflammation. He said some of his medications are diuretics, which promote fluid loss, and that he took StarCaps for his gout.

Before the 2008 season, Pat Williams said he was “stressing out” over his mother’s sickness and had stopped training. His ankles and knees were swollen, he said.

“It was real bad,” he said.