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Robert Mathis and the NFL's PED Policies
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Lots of news outlets have been throwing around the term "PED policy", so it's important to understand what exactly that is. PED's, or performance enhancing drugs, are substances that football players use to boost their playing abilities. The most common PED used in all levels of football are steroids, which is a drug that increases protein in cells and has similar effects as testosterone, inducing the growth of male characteristics such as a deeper voice, larger muscles, and increased body hair.
Although the NFL does random drug tests, the amount of money on the line can make it quite a temptation to take the drug. If your winning the next game were to put a million dollars into your bank account and the only way to win was through taking a drug, would you do it? As you can see, the temptation is strong.
Of course, not all people have such selfish intentions when they take PED's. Take for example, the Indianapolis' pass rusher Robert Mathis, who was announced last Friday as being dealt a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy. The NFL uses "PED" as an umbrella term to include all banned substances. In Robert's case, he was caught using a fertility medicine that he said he was taking in order to increase the odds of his wife getting pregnant. That drug also happened to be a substance proven to enhance gameplay performance.
Mathis even asked his doctor who prescribed the medicine if it would set off NFL alarms and the doctor said no. We see here how you shouldn't be so quick to take a doctor's words, and also why you should ask your employer if it is against policy to take a certain drug first.
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