Texans’ Cushing denies he used drugs

Associated Press

Houston

Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing said Thursday he never used any banned substances even though he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

Cushing was suspended for four games without pay last week for violating the NFL’s drug policy. His appeal was denied.

Cushing confirmed he tested positive for HCG, a fertility drug that is on the league’s banned substance list.

“The question of how it got into my body is still unclear,” he said. “It’s something that I’m very personally concerned about, just the fact that how it’s there and what’s going to determine it from happening again, and that’s something we’re going to have to medically investigate.”

He said that after failing the test, he was told HCG can get into the body from injecting it or because of tumors. He said this information led him to believe he had tumors. He did not say what kind of tumors.

“I personally know I’m not injecting myself with anything,” he said. “I played the whole season thinking this could not only be my last season, but my last year.”

Cushing added he is concerned about his health and plans to undergo tests to see “how this got into my body” and to try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Dr. Gary Wadler, who leads the committee that determines the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned-substances list, said there have been cases of malignant testicular tumors producing HCG. Still, those cases are “extremely rare.”

“If he had a tumor that produced HCG, he wouldn’t be playing football,” Wadler said of Cushing. “He would be under treatment.”