Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving thought the NFL had erred when he received word of a failed drug test.
“I was pretty upset,” Irving said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “As soon as I got the letter I called right away, like, ‘What the [expletive]! This has to be a mistake.’ But it wasn’t. I made the mistake.”
Irving, who earned NFC defensive player of the week honors when he forced three fumbles and had a sack in 19 snaps against the Packers in Week 6, will miss the first four games after violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy. Irving used an over-the-counter substance he hoped to endorse.
“Everything listed on the bottle was fine,” Irving said. “It was supposed to be all natural, but [it had] a hidden ingredient. It was a substance that actually wasn’t even listed on the bottle. When I asked about the substance, they don’t even know the substance. I guess my testosterone levels were too high.
“It gets you going. I started taking it after the season when you’re not working out with the team, you know, something to get my ass in the gym. It’s funny, I thought I was hitting a second puberty.”