National Football League

Report: NFL to give ex-players HGH

Published Aug. 15, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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Former NFL players will reportedly be given human growth hormone as the league and the NFL Players Association study the impact on players' HGH levels.

According to USA Today, the plan being considered would involve about 100 former players, with two-thirds getting the HGH and the final third getting a placebo. Citing "three people with knowledge of the plan," the report says that HGH levels will be measured before and after the study.

The initial story says that it is not certain if any former players had yet to agree to the study or how the HGH would be administered. However, as has been widely reported in recent weeks, as the league and NFLPA work to come up with an agreed-upon plan for blood testing, questions have arisen about the need to have a baseline that deems what a "normal" level is in a player.

In a subsequent USA Today report, former NFL defensive back Solomon Wilcots was quoted as saying that he’d volunteer "in a heartbeat" if asked to participate in the study while former tight end Shannon Sharpe appeared more hesitant.

"Hey, I'm not just going to be somebody's guinea pig just to prove a point to see what's going on," he told USA Today. "If I talk to enough people to get enough reassurances that everything is going to be OK, then no problem. Then I'm happy to help.

"Do you mean I'm going to go from a size 13 shoe — since I was 13 years old — and all of a sudden I'm walking around with a size 16? If you give somebody human growth hormone, what does that consist of? There are a lot of moving parts. Give me some more information. How long is this study going to go?"
 

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