University players were tested at the CFL combine in Edmonton in March and three of the top players tested positive for banned substances.
http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=459926Three of the top players in Canadian college football have tested positive for banned substances, a development that comes with doping experts saying Canada's university athletics have become a "wild west" where athletes are gaming the system.The players tested positive during a training camp for the top 37 collegiate players that were hosted earlier this year in Edmonton by the Canadian Football League,…
Pierre Lafontaine, chief executive of Canadian Interuniversity Sport, the governing body for university athletics in Canada, confirmed "multiple players" tested positive for banned substances at the March CFL combine.The players’ names have not been disclosed publicly. It’s unclear which schools they attend and what drugs they took. Lafontaine said schools may disclose details about the tests next month.
"It's a wild west because we have no (effective doping) controls in place and the athletes know,
CFL spokesman Jamie Dykstra said the league pays for the testing of prospects at combines but since they athletes are still in university, "they don't fall under our drug policy which was collectively bargained with our players association."Copeland said he’s been struck by the fact that second-string players are just as likely users of steroids as A-list players.
“I can see why users might justify this in the U.S. for the chance to land a big contract, even though it’s still a long shot, but these guys in Canada are taking these risks for the chance for an entry-level contract in the CFL,” Copeland said. “That’s a $50,000 contract. It doesn’t make sense.”