Records detail Steussie's steroid use, By: Jim Thomas

08/29/2006

WHAT HAPPENED A newspaper reports that medical records show several instances in which the Rams' Todd Steussie obtained illegal steroids while with Carolina and Tampa Bay.


Medical records made public in court documents showed that Rams offensive tackle Todd Steussie obtained illegal steroids on multiple occasions as a Carolina Panther and Tampa Bay Buccaneer from convicted doctor James Shortt.

According to the Charlotte Observer, court documents showed seven instances in which Steussie received prescriptions for items such as testosterone cream or humane growth hormone from Shortt.

Along with several other former Panthers, Steussie's name has been linked to Shortt for more than 18 months. But the Observer report in Sunday's editions provides details about the timing and frequency of the prescriptions.

According to the Observer, Steussie had three prescriptions for testosterone cream from Shortt between March 1, 2003, and March 16, 2004, with each prescription renewable five times.

"This wasn't just a passing flirtation with these prohibited substances," Dr. Gary Wadler told the Observer. "When I see (prescriptions) renewed five times, I say, 'What are you trying to accomplish?' "

Wadler is a steroids expert who reviewed the medical records for the U.S. Attorney's office.

Steroids can improve strength, muscle mass and endurance of athletes. But steroid use also is linked to several health problems, including heart disease, stroke, high-blood pressure and liver disorders.

Three of the five starting offensive linemen for the Panthers' 2003 Super Bowl team were mentioned in the Observer report as obtaining steroids prescriptions from Shortt. Besides Steussie, one of those starters was Kevin Donnalley, a St. Louis native who is now out of football.

According to the Observer, the medical records show that Steussie and a former Panthers teammate -- Louis Williams -- were given prescriptions for a total of five banned substances little more than a week before Carolina appeared in Super Bowl XXXVIII against New England. The paper also reported that Steussie received a prescription for testosterone cream on March 16, 2004, or one day after he signed a six-year, $20 million free-agent contract with Tampa Bay.

Steussie, now 35, hasn't been a full-time starter in the NFL since the 2003 season with Carolina, and hasn't started a game since 2004. He was released by the Buccaneers last March after two seasons with Tampa Bay.

On April 14, Steussie signed a one-year deal with the Rams worth $850,000 -- the veterans' minimum base salary of $810,000, plus a $40,000 signing bonus. He is the team's No. 3 tackle, backing up starters Orlando Pace and Alex Barron.

Through a team spokesman, Steussie declined comment Monday about the Observer report. Rams president of football operations Jay Zygmunt also declined comment Monday.

In what may be stating the obvious, the Rams were aware of Steussie's link to Shortt, and his alleged steroid use when they signed him. The team routinely does background tests on players before signing them, and checks on any possible substance-abuse issues with the NFL office.

Shortt, who is from West Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced last month to one year and one day in prison after pleading guilty to illegally distributing steroids and human growth hormone. None of the players linked to Shortt were prosecuted. In fact, none have ever failed an NFL steroids test, prompting questions about the league's testing program. In the wake of the Shortt investigation, the NFL and the NFL Players Association last year agreed to several changes steroids testing, including:

• An increase in offseason testing.

• A lower threshold of what constitutes a positive test for steroids use.

• More substances added to the banned list.

• The ability to re-test players' urine samples.

Even before these changes, all players were tested for steroids at least once per year in training camp. And seven players from each team are selected randomly each week for testing. A first-time positive test for steroids results in a four-game suspension without pay.

Last September, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue told the Washington Post that every player who was part of the Shortt investigation would be subject to additional testing.