Steroids

Professional athletes are reluctant to talk about their steroid use because they fear fans’ reactions, former offensive lineman Steve Courson said.

“Admitting to steroid use while they played minimizes their athletic achievement,” said Courson, 35, who played with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He was among athletes interviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a telephone survey of 506 retired NFL players about steroid use. Of those interviewed, 37 players (or 7%) admitted having used steroids, the newspaper said.

The survey showed that 57% of those who had played in the league at least four years said use of steroids increased during their careers.

Courson said he could understand the reluctance of other players to discuss steroid use, even though the drugs were not against NFL policy at the time.

In the newspaper survey, 21% of those who said they used steroids also said they experienced side effects, including high blood pressure, aggressive behavior, abdominal cramps and severe headaches.