Le’veon Bell says he’s been blood-tested for HGH five times
Jets running back vows he won’t take a sixth test
Le’veon Bell’s frustration spilled off the field Wednesday when he voiced his disgust at being targeted by NFL drug testers. The Jets veteran running back, who has twice been suspended for substance abuse violations of the league’s drug policy, announced on Twitter that he will refuse another blood test after already taking five in the first 10 weeks of the season.
“I done had 5 ‘random’ HGH blood test in 10 weeks ... @NFL,” Bell tweeted. “I’m not doing another after today, whatever y’all lookin for it obviously ain’t there & I’m not about to keep allowing y’all to stick me with those dirty ass needles.. find the players who really do that HGH BS & get off me.”
The NFL doesn’t actually administer the testing. The NFL Players Association and the league collectively bargained the policy that is conducted by a jointly appointed administrator, per the policy guidelines.
According to policy, a total of 40 players across the league (five players from eight teams) are randomly selected via a computer program.
Although the NFL drug testing policy details that players can be subjected to as many as six blood tests each year, the powers that be can administer more tests if a player is “in reasonable cause testing.” Those players are subject to a maximum of 24 urine and/or blood tests per year, per the collectively bargained policy guidelines.
Bell must be the unluckiest guy in the league since he’s already been selected five times for tests. However, threatening not to take another test isn’t a sound tactic. Skipping tests would ultimately trigger an automatic suspension.
If anyone knows that, it’s Bell, who was suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season after missing three tests in nine months. He was also suspended for two games in 2015 after a DUI arrest that included admitting to police that he smoked marijuana.