Joe DeFranco, a personal trainer who has worked with Texans linebacker Brian Cushing throughout Cushing’s high school, college and NFL careers, says that Cushing tested positive for PEDs because he took DHEA.
Although DHEA is a legal supplement sold in many nutrition stores, it is banned by the NFL and many other sports leagues. DeFranco said on his podcast that Cushing knows DHEA is banned and took it anyway.
“He knows it’s a banned substance,” DeFranco said. “He didn’t blame a tainted supplement. . . . He knowingly took a banned substance. He’s wrong. I don’t agree with the decision and, yeah, he’s got to be punished. It’s a banned substance in the NFL and when you take a banned substance you get suspended.”
Cushing was suspended 10 games because it was the second positive performance-enhancing drug test of his NFL career. After his first positive test, for HCG, Cushing claimed he hadn’t taken the substance and said overtraining must have changed the hormone levels in his body. After this more recent positive test, Cushing apologized and didn’t offer any excuses.