Report: Alexander Gets 4-Game Drug Suspension
November 22nd, 2015
Damn, Kwon.
Sickening news for Bucs fans this morning.
Veteran Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings reports that rookie starting middle linebacker Kwon Alexander has been popped by the NFL for violating league policy on performance enhancing drugs and will be served a four-game suspension.
Cummings says Alexander will play today. The suspension will become official later this week, and Alexander could appeal.
Of course, those appeals rarely work.
What a mess. And what a stupid move, if Alexander screwed up like this. Joe can only speculate. Perhaps being drafted as a 227-pound linebacker had Alexander nervous that he was too small? And he sought some artificial assistance?
Damn. The 2015 fourth-round pick, a potential Rookie of the Year candidate, seems to have screwed up.
If Alexander sits, then look for Bruce Carter to move into the MLB role the Bucs expected him to play when he was signed from Dallas as a free agent in March.
November 22nd, 2015 at 8:50 am
Idiot!!
November 22nd, 2015 at 8:50 am
So disappointing. Our silver lining has a new cloud.
November 22nd, 2015 at 8:52 am
Seems to have screwed up indeed, not to use stronger words. Wow, I wasn’t expecting this at all. Color me shocked. After all that has happened to him this year – the solid play, the death of his brother, the rise as probably the best player on defense -, I don’t know what to think now.
November 22nd, 2015 at 8:53 am
Reports say over the counter item. I do not understand, just go to the training staff and ASK ” is this ok”. Crap there goes the D playing well.
November 22nd, 2015 at 8:56 am
I just hope he doesnt make the same mistake twice. He is a rookie and rookies do make mistakes. Lets keep our fingers crossed for his future decision making.
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:02 am
Lol, thundering they can reportwhatever they want. Nobody but the lab and the players. The players always lie about and you’re naive if you think otherwise. The real concern here is if needed to cheat to be as effective as he was. Scary to think that maybe he will play like a 4th rounder once he returns and is off the juice.
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:04 am
Damn, Joe, talk about ruining my morning with this news. Sickening is an understatement. I can’t wrap my mind around it. Sure, hopefully he’ll learn from this and never do it again. But damn man, he’s letting down everybody now. He betrayed everybody with this boneheaded move. What do I have to think now? Was his play affected by whatever drugs he was taking? I’m not exactly an expert on such things, so I’m asking. Needless to say, the Bucs didn’t need this at all. Damn.
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:04 am
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:05 am
😡
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:07 am
Isn’t aderall considered PED’s by the NFL ?? Let’s calm down with this “Juice ” talk . If I had to bet I would say it’s aderall which guys
Like Talib and Sherman have both tested positive and countless other players in the NFL ..
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:11 am
Love how this came out b4 the game this is the kiss of death
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:14 am
We will never truly know what drug it is but when winning is everything and there is so much pressure to perform, players do things to compete. We have grown to really like this young man on and off the field and we can only hope that this will be a one time issue and that he can learn from this.
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:16 am
Roy Cummings is a jerk for releasing this BEFORE the game! You just added a HUGE distraction. Are you a Bucs fan Mr. Cummings? Because your decision to release the story now just killed our chances to win today!
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:21 am
Great day today for long suffering Yucks fans.
Starting rookie MLB’s season tainted by PEDS suspension while starting rookie QB is featured in a CNN documentary on sexual assault.
We’ve got the sex and drugs covered … no rock and roll?
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:26 am
WTH? But you know, this figures!!!thfk!!!!!!!!
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:27 am
So either incompetent Lovie Smith’s staff is not adequately informing the players about proper protocol for what they put in their bodies or Kwon is too stupid to follow directions. Either way this falls on the incompetent one. My guess is Kwon’s intelligence is not the issue.
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:27 am
FK u biff!!
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:28 am
Kwon’s been hanging out with Easy E(Eric Wright) maybe. Or spent the weekend with Josh Freeman?
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:30 am
James Walker,
I wouldn’t go that far. Cummings is just doing his job, he’s supposed to report news. In my opinion, it’s better that it came out now rather than later, because should we get a W again today, this news would have ruined it all, af far as I’m concerned. And if I was a male and a player for this outfit, I’d use this news as motivation and try to beat the Eagles anyway. Next man up. The best teams seems to have that mentality. Kwon should be held accountable in the locker room for what he did. No free passes just because he is a rookie and due to personal tragedies. He’s part of something now, and he has to respect the work of those around him and battling with him on the field. Hopefully our leaders will take care of this and it won’t ever happen again.
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:30 am
Wow this is not the news that I wanted to wake-up to on game day. Hopefully it’s adderall or a an over the counter item.
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:33 am
CJ, c’mon man. I will say this again, the players can claim whatever they want and it can’t be refuted. If they claim it was Adderall nobody (coach, GM, owner, test lab, etc) can say otherwise. Every player says it was either over the counter or Adderall. Both of these things sound better than admitting to steroids. Talib and all of these other guys can claim anything they want without proof or the threat of the actual results being released. With all of the money on the line do you really think all of these players are only doing Adderall and Sudafed?
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:42 am
Many do it and he got caught or so it appears. Too bad his last name isn’t Brady. No complaints from me today. Go Kwon! Go Bucs!
November 22nd, 2015 at 9:46 am
Looooove being a Bucs fan
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:06 am
The players know what will show up. It’s on them. They want to be stupid then they pay. The bad thing is so does the team.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:15 am
We gotta get them before they get us, America’s trillion dollar wasted war on drugs.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:16 am
I figured the way he was playing was to good to be true, he just tarnished everything he accomplished this year. This team takes one step forward and 3 steps back it seems like.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:35 am
Barrett Ruuuuuuuuud
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:39 am
Damn.
Until the CBA allows transparency on what the poz test was for, I assume the worst for any player. This whole cold medicine or supplement excuse for players is just that. That goes for college players too 😉
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:45 am
This is hilarious he was caught in training camp any continue to use performance-enhancing drugs that is the definition of an idiot want to Alexander deserves to be kicked off the team.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:52 am
What a farce, performing enhancing drugs that is. An aspirin can be considered a performance enhancing drug. This whole NFL police state action just reeks of BS.
November 22nd, 2015 at 10:53 am
Man that hurts.
He plays today and can appeal which takes several weeks. Wonder how they will proceed. Take it sooner to get it over with or try and delay it.
Tough choice indeed.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:01 am
So what, the team doesn’t give it’s players a list of DO NOT TAKE THIS OVER THE COUNTER DRUG?
I’ve lost a loved one recently too, but man up Kwon.
Next man up Bucs.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:14 am
Well, if I had my choice between a guy thats a jackwagon, beats women and plays vs a respectable nice guy that supplements for a competitive edge and does not play. I would rather the guy that supplements… He will learn and grow from this…. Something’s you can change some things you can’t….
We still love you King Kwon… Stay clean work hard and you will be fine…
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:15 am
@JamesWalker
Are you a Bucs fan Mr. Cummings?
NO!!! Elle nailed it. Mr. Cummings is a REPORTER who covers sports.
He is not a blogger and this was not written as part of an opinion piece or editorial. It is simply straightforward reporting…his JOB!
As far as Kwon…first off Dallas..realist..and tmax. Could you just give it a freaking rest. Yes we are all WELL AWARE of your vitriolic hatred of Lovie Smith. And your hatred is causing horrible posts.But you guys are growing boring and wearing out my scroll wheel.
Again if a Buc player farted loudly on national TV you guys wouldn’t get any humor out of it because you’d post…Lovie is sooo stooopid he doesn’t even know how to advise his players on their diet. Really its just growing incredibly tiring and boring.
As for Kwon….it was PED’s not weed, coke or booze. He’s not Johnny Football…he did it to gain an edge. I’m not supporting it; simply saying that he’s not a bad kid and this incident doesn’t cause fear for the future. Unlike say Tanard Jackson’s love of Mary Jane.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:20 am
I expect Kwon to make a big impact in todays game, big pharma police state be damned.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:32 am
DAMNIT JOSEPH!! You ruined my MORNING WOOD!!
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:35 am
GOOD JOB BUCS…….I KNEW YOU’D F*CK IT UP SOMEHOW!!!
I am not at all surprised…….disappointment is standard when you’re a Bucs fan
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:35 am
According to the updated drug testing policy of 2014, a player will be suspended for 4 games for a first-time violation for anabolic steroids, stimulants, or HGH. Players are not suspended for recreational drugs until the 4th violation, so if the report is true, it’s definitely for a PED and not a recreational drug.
The legal definition of anabolic steroids requires the substances to have specific molecular structures, so I’m not sure how any over the counter supplements would violate the policy. If it was something OTC, then it’s probably a stimulant in one of those pre-workout supplements. It could be something as benign as ephedrine or yohimbine.
In any case, it’s a shame this happened and spoiled a terrific rookie season. He needs to be very careful because if he gets caught a second time, it’s a 10 game suspension. A third violation is a 2 year suspension.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:37 am
Shawn Merriman 2.0
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:47 am
Let’s not all be naive. Kwon screwed up! I get that. But if we think he’s the only guy using PED’s we’re really sticking our heads in the sand.
Back in the day I used to spend time in the gym with bodybuilders. They all roided out. Also had some football players who were all roided out.
This was long ago and the “drugs” have changed. I never saw HGH. With simple Anabolics however there is an effective way to use them. Say you wish to jump your bench from 275 to over 300. An 8 week schedule of roids may get you to 325. As soon as you go off the roids you begin to lose some of that strength and perhaps drop back to 300. No problemo because you just jacked your bence 25lbs in 8 weeks. You take appropriate masking drugs..you make sure to complete your cycle long before any testing and nobody is the wiser.
I suspect however as has been suggested by Johnny Deejay that this may have been an OTC product that mimics roids.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:48 am
What an absolute moron. And here we were thinking we got the steal of the draft. We ended up getting an idiot. Should’ve known some dumb@ss from LSU would try it.
Eric Wright, Aqib Talib, Josh Freeman, the Seattle Seahawks. Some people just never learn.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:50 am
Bet you anything he thought, “If I can buy it in a drug store, it can’t be illegal,” and didn’t think to check it with the staff.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:54 am
It’s ridiculous how stupid some of these guys can be. Ask before you take anything! What an idiot!
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:56 am
Oh my go some of you are so naive!
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:03 pm
Trust me he knew the steroids he was taking were banned!!!
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:04 pm
This is Roy Cummings’ breaking news? ‘It is believed Alexander tested positive for a banned substance during training camp, the source said.’
The thing I’m not getting is ‘Why so much speculation?’ What source? What substance? When did it happen? Haven’t seen anything definitive on this; just a ‘It is believed …’.
Far too many fans have already jumped to far too many conclusions about what’s going on in this instance. No one has all the facts yet. In any event, thanks Roy for screwing with our starting MLB’s head right before a critical game.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:05 pm
I don’t care if they are high on acid, let them play. If there is no victim, there is no crime.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:09 pm
Call it naive, call it “you don’t know the situation”, call it whatever you want.
The fact remains, if you get paid 6 or 7 or even 8 FIGURES A YEAR to play a GAME that kids play in their back yard, and you decide to pop a pill or take a stimulant that could throw it all away, you’re a MORON! I will root for Kwon and want him to continue to play well and recocer from this. But he’s still a MORON!
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:35 pm
The timing was not good. Not the report but Kwon needs to know when cycle down. Maybe Tom Brady can mentor rookies at the symposium on how to pass these tests. You know the guy that is playing better at 38 than 27 but PED’s are never mentioned. It’s the same sh*t they said about half of the veterans of MLB years ago. There next to nothing that is OTC that is illegal. Please stop it.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:39 pm
If it is OTC medication, it could be as simple as NyQuil.
Personally, I think suspension for OTC meds is stupid. A simple fine should have been enough.
At any rate, I’m not judging without the facts. You people should consider the same.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:40 pm
@MTM
No OTC is “illegal”, but there is a long list of OTC items that are against league rules.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Dang, we are in deep trouble with this.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:47 pm
NOTE:
The test was in Training Camp. It took them this long to address it.
Not to excuse anything, but he was depth at the time.
November 22nd, 2015 at 12:59 pm
“NOTE:
The test was in Training Camp. It took them this long to address it.”
Yes, very strange the length of time for this report to come out, today, before it is “official”. Who leaks this stuff?
They did bring up a LB from the PS, so looks like the real deal.
I hope the young man has a great game today, because he will be watching his teamates for awhile, sitting on the couch with the rest of us.
November 22nd, 2015 at 4:39 pm
Move lansanah to mike and cater to sam…very simple people…yes bonehead move but thankfully we are deep at lb.