steroids and the Huskers

[Eric the Red]

I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.

 

Huskers used steroids, Waverly man claims

 

By NATE JENKINS and BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

 

Husker football players "definitely" were users of steroids funneled to an alleged distribution ring in Lincoln, according to a Waverly man who acknowledged he received some of the drugs in the mail.

 

"There was … Husker football involvement," Mathew Ochsner said Friday. "Definitely."

 

According to a search warrant executed in November, Ochsner is one of four area men who received a total of more than 20 packages last year that may have contained steroids. The packages had New York return addresses.

 

Two of those packages were sent to Ochsner's Waverly address, according to the search warrant that led to the November arrest of Levi Lewis, 24, of Lincoln, for possessing and intending to deliver drugs.

 

Lewis was arrested after investigators intercepted a package addressed to him in mid-November that contained steroids.

 

Last week, Lewis and two others — Chad Case, 30, and Kenneth Thompson, 23 — were charged with felony drug charges. If found guilty, the men could receive up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 fines each.

 

The Lancaster County attorney's office also charged Lewis with possession of a controlled substance and with possession of illicit drug money.

 

Ochsner, who served in the military with Thompson, said he will be a witness in the cases and is aiding the investigation. Officials involved with the case could not be reached Friday to substantiate Ochsner's role, if any, in the investigation.

 

Ochsner declined to name specific Husker players.

 

Lewis on Friday denied Husker football players and other college or high school athletes bought or were given steroids allegedly sent to Lincoln and Waverly between July 2003 and November 2004.

 

"Absolutely not," Lewis said. "There was absolutely nothing," going to athletes. He refused to answer other questions.

 

Sandro DeAngelis, a former Nebraska football player who lived with Lewis in 2002, said he knew of no steroid links between Lewis and Husker players. DeAngelis, though, did say Lewis knew several Nebraska football players.

 

"But nothing like true friendships," DeAngelis said. "You'd see him in the (campus recreation center) or whatever, but nothing like hanging out on a good-friend basis."

 

Ross Pilkington, who played at Nebraska from 2002-04, said he knew Lewis through other friends.

 

"I met him at the bar one night through one of my buddies who doesn't play football," Pilkington said. "He worked at GNC, and I would buy protein and stuff there."

 

Pilkington said he never saw Lewis hanging out with NU football players on a regular basis.

 

Asked if he knew of NU football players who took steroids, Pilkington said: "No. Not that I know of. I don't think it was anything that was present. I don't know what guys do behind closed doors, but nobody ever talked about it. But you never really know what's going on."

 

Thompson could not be reached for comment and Case, a former Wesleyan football player, said he had "no knowledge whatsoever" of steroid deals, let alone possible transactions, with Husker football players or other athletes.

 

Sgt. Glenn Elwell, an investigator with the Nebraska State Patrol, has said some of the steroids went to college athletes and bodybuilders. But no NU athletes or administrators were questioned as part of what he called an ongoing investigation.

 

That wasn't necessary, Elwell said, because investigators were able to nab suspected dealers — usually the target of drug investigations — without mining buyers for primary information.

 

"In this investigation, we were lucky enough to walk into the chain on a much higher level," Elwell said.

 

According to the November search warrant, Ochsner received packages believed to be from New York Oct. 19 and again Nov. 5.

 

Each weighed about 1½ pounds, approximately the same weight as the other 20 packages sent to Thompson, Lewis and a roommate of Thompson's between February and November of last year.

 

Assuming a UNL connection would be presumptuous because nobody at the university had been interviewed, Elwell said Thursday, a day before Ochsner made his allegation. Elwell could not be reached for comment Friday.

 

Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson said Friday he had no information linking any Husker student-athletes to the case.

 

He also said he was not allowed to discuss any disciplinary action involving athletes who might have been suspended for taking steroids or any other banned substances.

 

Nick Povendo, an offensive lineman at Nebraska from 2001-04, said he'd heard of Lewis, Case and Thompson but didn't know them.

 

"Some of those guys tried to hang around football players all the time," Povendo said.

 

Povendo said he didn't know of steriod use on the football team. Nebraska tests regularly for steroids, he said, and he knew of no players who tested positive in the 2004 season.

 

Nebraska football players, though, have been suspended in past years for steroid use, according to a former player. Offensive lineman Tim Green, in a February interview with the Journal Star, said he knew of four players who were suspended for steroid use during his years in the program. Green, who played from 1999-2003, declined to name them.

 

Reach Nate Jenkins at 473-7223 or njenkins@journalstar.com. Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.

 

UNL drug-testing policy

 

NU student-athletes in every sport are tested randomly for banned substances — including steroids — a minimum of three times a year.

 

Tests are conducted both in-season and during the offseason.

 

NU athletic director Steve Pederson said random tests can be conducted in the summer.

 

"We aggressively test," Pederson said. "We have Big 12 tests additionally."

 

Pederson added, "that all has been heightened in the last year given all the national publicity surrounding this topic."

 

Student-athletes testing positive for steroids, amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, phencyclidine (PCP), ecstasy, barbiturates or opiates are subject to the following:

 

First offense: 1. Notification of family; 2. Frequent urine testing through remainder of academic year; 3. Probation; 4. Education program participation; 5. Substance-abuse evaluation.

 

Second offense: 1. Suspension; 2. Extensive drug evaluation and rehabilitation required before rejoining squad; 3. Enrollment in in-patient drug-rehabilitation program or other treatment as recommended by a substance-abuse professional; 4. Permanent suspension if situation warrants; 5. Frequent testing if allowed to rejoin team.

 

Third offense: 1. Permanent suspension; 2. Conviction for possession of illegal drugs and/or conviction of crimes while under the influence of alcohol will result in suspension or other appropriate disciplinary measures. Additionally, selling drugs generally will be grounds for immediate and permanent suspension.

 

(Note:The NCAA and Big 12 conduct their own testing and have separate policies)

 

Big 12 Conference

 

Every Big 12 institution is subject to the league's policy regarding steroids, which will be expanded during the 2005-06 academic year.

 

Steroid tests are conducted randomly on campus, year-round, as well as at conference championships.

 

A confirmed positive test indicating use of a banned substance will result in the loss of eligibility for the student-athlete for one calendar year from the date of the first test, and the student-athlete is charged with the loss of a season of competition in all sports.

 

There is an appeals process for individuals who test positive.

 

Street drug violations are handled according to each institution's policy.

 

Other area colleges

 

The other colleges in Nebraska that have testing are the NCAA Division II members: UNO, UNK, Wayne State and Chadron State. The Division II policy is that every football team (12 players and four additional student-athletes) will be tested once a year.

 

The state's smaller colleges are members of the NAIA and it does not have a steroid-testing policy. Schools may test, but they are not obligated to do so. Nebraska Wesleyan, a member of the NAIA and NCAA Division III, has no on-campus testing, but individuals who reach national championships may be subject to testing.

 

"We have our suspicions, just like other schools in the state, but if we test one person, we have to test all athletes and we just can't afford that," said Concordia University athletic director Grant Schmidt.

 

NWU football coach Brian Keller said Wesleyan also chooses not to test on campus because of the cost.

[kramer]

I would bet that this is used against Nebraska in the recruiting front!!

 

It does sound funny that a Nebraska player is a room mate of one of the three being charged. I hope SP and all the coaches have long talks with their players and tell them point blank what is going to happen to them if they test positive. I would even let the press in on the meetings with the agreement that they are not aloud to ask questions at the meeting. This way they (media) cannot say Nebraska is trying to cover anything up or just looking the other way.

[Eric the Red]

ANy updates on this? Will anything happen to the program or ex-players?

[StuckinChicago]

Of all people, Sandro fricken Deangelis is the one most often mentioned with this steroid crap. Your a kicker Sandro. What the heck were you doing within twenty lightyears of steroids?

[Huskerfan66]

Well I can guarentee Sandro didnt use them, because he sucked! This just looks like an accusation to get us into a hole....I am not too worried about it.

[Pedro Guerrero]

He roomed with one of the guys for a couple years. He said he had no idea the guy was dealing.