Eagles' Joselio Hanson Suspended for Violating Steroid Policy

Philadelphia cornerback Joselio Hanson -- who was unexpectedly absent from practice Wednesday -- has been suspended four games for violating the NFL's steroid policy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the suspension.

Lawyer David Cornwell said in a statement that Hanson took "a pill that turned out to be a diuretic" prior to the NFC title game last January.

"Joselio accepts his responsibilities as an NFL player," Cornwell said. "Nonetheless, we suspect that he is a casualty of the looming labor war in the NFL. Here's hoping that he is the last."

DelawareOnline's Geoff Mosher, after Hanson was a no-show at practice, received the following comment from Hanson via text message: "I'm just going to say that the NFL don't treat players the same."

That's a reference, no doubt, to the ongoing StarCaps case that reached a congressional subcommittee last week. Minnesota's Pat and Kevin Williams, along with New Orleans' Charles Grant, Will Smith and former Saint Deuce McAllister, tested positive for StarCaps, a weight-loss drug that contains bumetanide -- a substance that is banned by the league's drug policy.

The league attempted to suspend the Williamses, whom were then allowed by a federal appeals court to fight their suspensions in a state court. The ruling allowed the Williamses to continue playing while the case remains unresolved. The NFL subsequently announced that it would not immediately enforce suspensions for Smith or Grant, saying that it would be unfair to do so while the Williamses were allowed to continue playing.

Hanson has 29 tackles and one interception so far in 2009.

His suspension comes at a particularly bad time for the Eagles -- head coach Andy Reid announced Wednesday that cornerback and special-teams player Ellis Hobbs would be placed on IR with a neck injury. Hobbs had 11 tackles this season and also averaged 24.1 yards on 20 kick returns.

Philadelphia signed free-agent cornerback Ramzee Robinson and signed another cornerback, Jack Ikegwuonu, off its practice squad to try and compensate for the losses of Hanson and Hobbs.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-11-2009 @ 3:23PM

Michael gifford said...

I can't decide whether or not these guys STILL taking steroids are stupid or arrogant...maybe it's a little of both...

To put ANYTHING in your body, that you don't know what it contains, while in FULL awareness of the league's policy is either stupid or arrogant and depending on the person and instance, it could be either...

What? do they think the league isn't going to test? do they think they should get away with it? that it's no big deal?

nfl players are already all over the news for strip clubs, shooting themselves in the leg, dui etc...what is the frickin problem with simply staying inside the law???

11-11-2009 @ 10:32PM

The Momly One said...

Michael, the laws and rules don't apply to NFL players. Hey, you can go to prison and still get a job playing when you get out.

Amazes me that it's still the number one sport in America.

11-11-2009 @ 11:44PM

burnsengine said...

Mike... you can't look at the size of these players and say "I can't decide whether or not these guys are taking steroids."
Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to be insulting - but you'd have to be blind to see they're not still taking them. The human body can't get that big without steroids or HGH.
I know because I've been around many of them since the late 80's.. both professional and semi-pro. Some of the tell-tale signs: Bad complexion on face and especially the back (even though they're 15 to 20 years past puberty), short fuse (gets angry quickly and for trivial reasons), multiple and large stretch marks due to explosive muscle growth, more pronounced and larger jaw (hgh), calcium deposits showing through skin, etc.
The thing that always stands out to me: when someone retires, they lose the muscle weight and size within a few short months though it took years and years to amass.
Another thing: look at the players in the 70's and compare them to today's players. It's not diet, that's for sure!! And it's not supplements either - they give you about a 10 to 15 percent boost... maybe.
When I played football and baseball in hs and college - I never took steroids, although I was tempted. In hs, I was one of the biggest guys in my class: 6'4, 225lbs, bench 350, squat 550 - by my 2nd year in college, most of the guys were much, much bigger than me...... and I was taking supplements like they were going out of style. Needless to say, I didn't stay on the team for long.
Thanks for letting me rant~

11-11-2009 @ 11:46PM

As far as them beating the system?
Keeping an extra urine bag hidden in a locker always helps. Plus, don't think for one second they're not tipped off by either a coach or front-office personnel. Those are the only ways I know. I've heard a steady diet of vinegar also works, but that may be bs.

Jocko said...

What's the problem? Is there a mental disconnect in the NFL? Maybe it's because most never finished college and left before they could read?

11-12-2009 @ 8:05PM

Munch said...

Oh, that's the most ignorant comment of the evening (CLAP CLAP). Many do finish. Just like you....or did you? There are a lot of smarter people that didn't go to college and more successful than those of us that did. Read up.

11-12-2009 @ 7:46AM

Steve said...

NATIONAL FELONS LEAGUE, AT IT'S BEST. WHO OUT THERE IS SHOCKED???????????

11-12-2009 @ 7:53AM

Larry said...

Obviously, Goodell and the NFL don't take their "No-Drug" policy very seriously. They are more worried about the big money than ethics or rules.

An 8-game suspension for the first offence, 16 games and no post season for the second, and banned for life for the third would put some teeth into it.

It would be so easy for the NFL to set up an interior Web site with a list of the drugs and a cross reference to brand names. If a player can't handle that, or is unsure, each team has trainers that could handle it for him.

That would eliminate the pansy excuses of :I didn't know" or "I couldn't tell".

If most jobs, a first drug violation can/will get you fired. In many professions, it can also result in loss of license for life.

11-12-2009 @ 8:37AM

Jim said...

Two things:

1) "Hanson took "a pill that turned out to be a diuretic", and

2) "prior to the NFC title game last January."

So he took pills without knowing what they were. How stupid is that? Why was he taking them?

And

Why did it take the NFL so long to test his sample and respond?

This is some of the worst BS I've heard in a long time, even coming from the National Felon League.

11-12-2009 @ 8:46AM

Vic said...

Hey Steve and Jim, I guess you never watch all these felons play football anymore, am I right? What a couple of ignorant ass's.

11-12-2009 @ 9:33AM

Hey there, Vic:

Pretty lame when the only way you can express yourself is by resorting to senseless name calling. AOL constantly runs ads about how the average IQ of an NFL player is about 83 or 84. I'd guess yours to be about a 60.

The NFL has deserved its nickname.

Of all US professional sports, what sport or league has more violations/arrests for drugs, assault, domestic violence, drunk driving, vehicular manslaughter, conspiracy, and weapons violations and shootings per the number of players than the NFL?

Run the stats. Oh, you have to know math first.

Watching a sport being played has nothing to do with commenting on the flaws of its operations. But, that assumes that you are not blindly ignorant.

11-12-2009 @ 9:36AM

darthebeastmastr said...

go eagles, mcnabb is greatest of all times

11-12-2009 @ 11:11AM

kevin said...

thanks just bring on the eagles weer trying to get to denver...lol

11-12-2009 @ 12:17PM

Pete said...

Just more bark and no bite by the NFL. An organization that likes to make rules, but won't really enforce them. Just a show for the public while they continue to make $Billions in profit.

Side story: Several years ago, Arizona was trying to get the Super Bowl played there. The NFL refused, saying that Arizona did not honor Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a State holiday.

Arizona called the NFL's main office on MLK day and found them to be running business as usual.

So yes, the NFL talks out of both sides of its mouth.

11-12-2009 @ 1:22PM

Jimbo, the MAN said...

If the NFL really wanted to end steroid use, they could. Just adopt the Inernational Olympic Committee policy. They really don't want to end steroid use, only provide the public with a plausible deniability.Look at those guys, that is not natural!!!

11-12-2009 @ 1:24PM

dcbrandtpd said...

11-12-2009 @ 10:20PM

Ben said...

Vikings players - no suspension, fighting the NFL. Saints players - no suspensions, given a FAIRNESS PASS BY THE NFL ( never called for flagrant interference or off sides in a game, either ) Eagles player - SUSPENDED ! Nobody bats an eye about the fairness though. ever see how many truly questionable flags get thrown at the eagles, or the common lose-a-yard spots on the field? the NFL is fake and a disgrace. OchoCinco was right to hand the ref a dollar during the review - it is a statement we have all been thinking!