Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison said in an affidavit sent to the NFL that he never met nor communicated with the source of a media report that linked him and other players to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Harrison has insisted that league officials have to provide "credible evidence" before he agrees to an interview. The NFL Players Association sent a letter on Harrison’s behalf along with the signed affidavit to NFL executive Adolpho Birch on Monday.
"Neither the CBA nor the Policy state that a player must agree to an in-person interview based upon random, baseless verbal remarks or face discipline for a failure to co-operate with a league investigation," union attorney Heather M. McPhee wrote.
"In the absence of the existence of any documented, credible evidence, this affidavit constitutes reasonable co-operation by (Harrison)."
The other active players implicated by the Al-Jazeera report are Green Bay linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers, and free-agent linebacker Mike Neal, who played the past six seasons with the Packers. Peyton Manning, who is now retired, also was cited in Al-Jazeera’s doping report in December.
The NFL first notified Matthews, Peppers, Harrison and Neal about its investigation into the report on Jan. 11.
Al-Jazeera America reported allegations by Charlie Sly, who worked as an intern at an anti-aging clinic. But Sly later recanted his claims.
"I have met thousands of people during my career, but to the best of my knowledge and recollection, I have never met the individual who is apparently named Charles Sly," Harrison said in the affidavit.
The 38-year-old Harrison, who was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, also said: "I have never violated the NFL Policy Performance Enhancing Substances."
