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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Drake Stoops was suspended two games earlier this month after he violated the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. If Stoops makes a 53-man roster this year, he’ll be forced to sit out the first two weeks of the regular season.
Being suspended is bad enough, but the reason behind Stoops’ ban makes it an even tougher pill to swallow.
Stoops, a second-year receiver out of Oklahoma, revealed why he was suspended by the NFL and it’s just an innocent mistake. He told The Oklahoman that he took half an Adderall pill to stay awake while driving home, which is what caused his failed drug test this offseason.
This suspension could’ve been avoided, too, had Stoops applied for a waiver to take Adderall.
“So, that is a very valuable lesson that I have now learned the hard way, but it was just an honest mistake,” he said.
Stoops made it clear that he didn’t take any drugs that would give him an edge over his opponents, saying he would never try to get an “unfair advantage or cheat the game.”
“It's not steroids or anything like that, and I would never try to gain an unfair advantage or cheat the game or the process in any way like that,” he added.
After spending last season on the practice squad, the Rams signed Stoops to a reserve/futures contract this offseason. That allows him to stay on the 90-man roster through training camp until rosters are trimmed to 53 players in September.
It doesn’t guarantee he won’t be cut before then, but he’ll at least get a chance to compete for a roster spot in OTAs, minicamp and likely training camp.
Stoops is thankful that the Rams were supportive after learning about his suspension.
“When I reached out to the Rams, they were nothing but supportive and great about it,” he said. “They've had my back the whole entire way and that means the world to me. So, I'm excited to have that behind me now and go forward and just put my best foot forward.”
Stoops is the son of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and was signed as a free agent after going undrafted last year. He did not appear in a regular-season game but showed enough promise in practice to earn an offseason contract this year.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams WR Drake Stoops explains reason for 2-game PED suspension
Continue reading...
Being suspended is bad enough, but the reason behind Stoops’ ban makes it an even tougher pill to swallow.
Stoops, a second-year receiver out of Oklahoma, revealed why he was suspended by the NFL and it’s just an innocent mistake. He told The Oklahoman that he took half an Adderall pill to stay awake while driving home, which is what caused his failed drug test this offseason.
This suspension could’ve been avoided, too, had Stoops applied for a waiver to take Adderall.
“So, that is a very valuable lesson that I have now learned the hard way, but it was just an honest mistake,” he said.
Stoops made it clear that he didn’t take any drugs that would give him an edge over his opponents, saying he would never try to get an “unfair advantage or cheat the game.”
“It's not steroids or anything like that, and I would never try to gain an unfair advantage or cheat the game or the process in any way like that,” he added.
After spending last season on the practice squad, the Rams signed Stoops to a reserve/futures contract this offseason. That allows him to stay on the 90-man roster through training camp until rosters are trimmed to 53 players in September.
It doesn’t guarantee he won’t be cut before then, but he’ll at least get a chance to compete for a roster spot in OTAs, minicamp and likely training camp.
Stoops is thankful that the Rams were supportive after learning about his suspension.
“When I reached out to the Rams, they were nothing but supportive and great about it,” he said. “They've had my back the whole entire way and that means the world to me. So, I'm excited to have that behind me now and go forward and just put my best foot forward.”
Stoops is the son of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and was signed as a free agent after going undrafted last year. He did not appear in a regular-season game but showed enough promise in practice to earn an offseason contract this year.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams WR Drake Stoops explains reason for 2-game PED suspension
Continue reading...
