Thursday, July 25, 1996
NFL drug policy requires Michael Irvin to
take frequent drug tests
By Ed Werder
The Dallas Morning News
(July 25, 1996)
AUSTIN (KRT) - The NFL substance-abuse policy that Cowboys' owner
Jerry Jones has profusely claimed to support has suspended wide
receiver Michael Irvin for five weeks without pay.
If Irvin forces another suspension from Commissioner Paul Tagliabue,
it would be considerably longer.
If Irvin fails an NFL test or refuses to cooperate with administrators
of the program, he could be suspended for one year. But that
should be the least of his concerns since he also would confront
a 20-year prison sentence for violating terms of his probation.
The Cowboys and Irvin have denied the receiver has a drug problem.
If he does, the increased drug-testing procedures Irvin must
follow should detect it.
As a participant in the league's program, he must submit to as
many as 10 random drug tests per month for the next two years.
That is a two-year total of 240, compared to the two advance-notice
tests other NFL players must pass during the same period.
The league had probable cause to enroll Irvin in the first phase
of the drug program when Irving police found him in a hotel room
with drug paraphernalia. He already has submitted to the mandatory
evaluation and testing phase.
In his letter to Irvin, Tagliabue advised the wide receiver to
take advantage of the support system the league's confidential
program offers under the direction of Dr. Lem Burnham.
"I encourage you to take full advantage of any and all of
these resources in an effort to address the problems underlying
your conduct of March 4, 1996," Tagliabue wrote.
(c) 1996, Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
All content copyright 1996, KRT, The
Abilene Reporter-News and Reporter OnLine
|
