Articles
05-11-2005, 07:27 PM
Attorney: Kit 'useless' to Smith
Last Update: 5/11/2005 4:06:48 PM
KFAN dot com
Less than 24 hours after a report surfaced that Onterrio Smith was in possession of a kit designed to produce clean urine samples when he was detained at an airport security checkpoint last month, his attorney and the NFL said the running back probably couldn't have used the equipment to pass a league-mandated drug test.
Smith, a two-year veteran who was suspended four games last season for a repeat violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy, reportedly told airport police he was taking "The Original Whizzinator" and a bottle of pills labeled "Cleansing Forumla" to his cousin when he was stopped at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on April 26. The story first was reported by the Star Tribune in its Wednesday editions.
"The kit was given to Onterrio and it was obvious that it would be useless given the collection procedures under the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse," Smith's attorney, William David Cornell, Sr., said in a statement sent to the league Wednesday. "He placed the kit in his bag and simply forgot about it.
"The NFL has confirmed that their collection procedures, which include frontal observation and partial disrobing, render a kit such as this useless. While his current status under the Program is confidential, the fact that Onterrio is enthusiastically preparing for the upcoming season demonstrates that he does not use prohibited substances."
In a seperate statement, the league concurred that the device probably wouldn't have helped Smith under its strict testing regulations. The statement also declined to discuss potential disciplinary action.
"Under the terms of our policy, a deliberate attempt to substitute or alter a specimen during collection is a violation," league spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement. "But the possession of paraphernalia outside of a testing situation will be investigated and action taken if appropriate.
"Our program requires that players be visually observed from the front giving the sample with their shirts off and pants down to their knees, making the effectiveness of such an effort remote."
If an investigation reveals Smith intended to use the paraphenalia to pass a mandatory NFL drug test, he could face a season-long suspension for his third violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Smith entered the league in 2003 in Stage 1 of the program because of off-the-field problems in college.
The 24-year-old running back was kicked off the University of Tennessee football team in 2000 for marijuana use. He finished his college career at Oregon, where he was arrested for DUI in 2001.
Smith was suspended last season after failing a drug test in training camp. He finished the season with 124 rushes for 544 yards and two touchdowns -- a dropoff from his rookie-best 579 yards and five touchdowns on 107 carries in 2003.
The 5-foot-10, 214-pound back currently is second on the Vikings' depth chart behind Michael Bennett. Barring a suspension, he is suspected to compete for the starting job in training camp.
Last Update: 5/11/2005 4:06:48 PM
KFAN dot com
Less than 24 hours after a report surfaced that Onterrio Smith was in possession of a kit designed to produce clean urine samples when he was detained at an airport security checkpoint last month, his attorney and the NFL said the running back probably couldn't have used the equipment to pass a league-mandated drug test.
Smith, a two-year veteran who was suspended four games last season for a repeat violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy, reportedly told airport police he was taking "The Original Whizzinator" and a bottle of pills labeled "Cleansing Forumla" to his cousin when he was stopped at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on April 26. The story first was reported by the Star Tribune in its Wednesday editions.
"The kit was given to Onterrio and it was obvious that it would be useless given the collection procedures under the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse," Smith's attorney, William David Cornell, Sr., said in a statement sent to the league Wednesday. "He placed the kit in his bag and simply forgot about it.
"The NFL has confirmed that their collection procedures, which include frontal observation and partial disrobing, render a kit such as this useless. While his current status under the Program is confidential, the fact that Onterrio is enthusiastically preparing for the upcoming season demonstrates that he does not use prohibited substances."
In a seperate statement, the league concurred that the device probably wouldn't have helped Smith under its strict testing regulations. The statement also declined to discuss potential disciplinary action.
"Under the terms of our policy, a deliberate attempt to substitute or alter a specimen during collection is a violation," league spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement. "But the possession of paraphernalia outside of a testing situation will be investigated and action taken if appropriate.
"Our program requires that players be visually observed from the front giving the sample with their shirts off and pants down to their knees, making the effectiveness of such an effort remote."
If an investigation reveals Smith intended to use the paraphenalia to pass a mandatory NFL drug test, he could face a season-long suspension for his third violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Smith entered the league in 2003 in Stage 1 of the program because of off-the-field problems in college.
The 24-year-old running back was kicked off the University of Tennessee football team in 2000 for marijuana use. He finished his college career at Oregon, where he was arrested for DUI in 2001.
Smith was suspended last season after failing a drug test in training camp. He finished the season with 124 rushes for 544 yards and two touchdowns -- a dropoff from his rookie-best 579 yards and five touchdowns on 107 carries in 2003.
The 5-foot-10, 214-pound back currently is second on the Vikings' depth chart behind Michael Bennett. Barring a suspension, he is suspected to compete for the starting job in training camp.