By: Tyler Ward
Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Antwan Odom has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy. The suspension will go into effect immediately and will miss the following four games, starting with their October 24th game against the Atlanta Falcons. He will then miss games against the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Indianapolis Colts.
The report did not name a specific drug, but Odom apparently took some of his wife's weight loss supplement. Odom's attorney, David Cornwell, said that the NFL's drug policy should be less strict.
Cornwell stated, "Antwan did not take a steroid or any other performance enhancing substance. While driving after midnight from Alabama to Cincinnati to report to training camp, Antwan's wife mistakenly opened her prescription pill bottle instead of Antwan's and gave him one of her prescription weight-loss pills instead of Antwan's medicine. Naturally, Antwan's preseason urine test was positive for his wife's medicine."
The attorney would then go on to say, "The NFL did not dispute the facts in this case and accepted the Cincinnati Bengals' weight records showing that Antwan's target reporting weight was 275 lbs. and that he actually reported at 255 lbs., confirming that Antwan had no reason to take a weight-loss medicine. The steroid program's administrator, Dr. John Lombardo, testified that no competitive advantage was gained by this mistake and that no physical difference would be apparent to Antwan from taking his wife's medicine as opposed to his own."Odom has struggled so far this season and left last week's game against the Buccaneers with an undisclosed injury. So far this season, Odom only has four tackles and zero sacks.
The former Alabama player was forced to have surgery last October to fix a torn Achilles tendon. He was immediately placed on injured reserve after the injury and was having the best season of his career. At the time of the injury, Odom was tied for the league-lead in sacks, with eight. After Odom went down, the Bengals struggled against the run and were never the same. He was their top pass-rushed and was expected to continue the pace this season. But, he has not lived up to expectations and he may not get the chance to.
