MY BAD,AJC POSTED THIS ON DOWN THE PAGE.
Steroid Tests Will Be Held at UTEP in Football, Track
By CHRIS ROBERTS
.c The Associated Press
EL PASO, Texas (May 10) -- One day after two Texas-El Paso football players were charged with possessing steroids, athletic department officials announced Wednesday the school will begin random monthly tests for the performance enhancing drug.
"The message is we're not going to tolerate it,'' coach Gary Nord said at an afternoon news conference. "We will test them. I told them that today.''
Chad Matthew Kennedy, listed as UTEP's No. 1 punter, and Joseph Antonio Young, a backup defensive back, were arrested at 7PM ET on Tuesday by U.S. Customs Service officials who discovered nearly a pound of the controlled substance in their car. The two were driving back to El Paso from Ciudad Juarez.
The drugs, more than 14 ounces of steroids that included oral and injectable forms, were found in the spare tire compartment, said Customs Service spokesman Roger Maier. Inspectors became suspicious after a short conversation with the athletes.
When asked if he thought the drugs were to be distributed among his players, Nord responded, "I feel real strong that they were not coming back to be used by our team.''
UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said the football and track programs will begin randomly testing one or two athletes every month. The first monthly tests will be done in June when athletes return, he said.
UTEP began random testing for steroids in the spring, but it was only going to be done twice a year, he said.
Since he became head coach last year, Nord said he has picked about 10 athletes who gave indications, through appearance or mood, that they might be using the drug. They all tested negative, he said, adding that he will continue to test any player who appears to be using the drug.
Stull said the athletic department uses a number of methods to discourage drug use, including testing for street drugs, distributing the team's drug policy and bringing in speakers.
"We feel like we're a little beyond what most people do,'' Stull said. "We're going to try to be a little more specific about our region and the problems we have. It's just more available'' here, he said.
Some drugs that are regulated in the United States, such as steroids, aren't controlled in Mexico, which makes Juarez a relatively easy source.
Kennedy, a freshman from San Antonio, and Young, a sophomore from Santa Monica, Calif., were being held Wednesday afternoon in the El Paso County Downtown Detention Center. They were each charged with a first-degree felony of possessing a controlled substance over 400 grams, said Rick Glancey, a spokesman for the El Paso County Sheriff's Department.
He said bond for each had been set at $75,000. Glancey said the charge carries a penalty of between 10 and 99 years in prison.
Ryan Pyle, a tight end who was suspended as a redshirt freshman after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance in 1996, was interviewed for a December ESPN investigative story on steroids.
Pyle told ESPN he obtained the steroids from a veterinary pharmacy in Juarez. Neither Nord nor Stull were working at UTEP in 1996.
By CHRIS ROBERTS
.c The Associated Press
EL PASO, Texas (May 10) -- One day after two Texas-El Paso football players were charged with possessing steroids, athletic department officials announced Wednesday the school will begin random monthly tests for the performance enhancing drug.
"The message is we're not going to tolerate it,'' coach Gary Nord said at an afternoon news conference. "We will test them. I told them that today.''
Chad Matthew Kennedy, listed as UTEP's No. 1 punter, and Joseph Antonio Young, a backup defensive back, were arrested at 7PM ET on Tuesday by U.S. Customs Service officials who discovered nearly a pound of the controlled substance in their car. The two were driving back to El Paso from Ciudad Juarez.
The drugs, more than 14 ounces of steroids that included oral and injectable forms, were found in the spare tire compartment, said Customs Service spokesman Roger Maier. Inspectors became suspicious after a short conversation with the athletes.
When asked if he thought the drugs were to be distributed among his players, Nord responded, "I feel real strong that they were not coming back to be used by our team.''
UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said the football and track programs will begin randomly testing one or two athletes every month. The first monthly tests will be done in June when athletes return, he said.
UTEP began random testing for steroids in the spring, but it was only going to be done twice a year, he said.
Since he became head coach last year, Nord said he has picked about 10 athletes who gave indications, through appearance or mood, that they might be using the drug. They all tested negative, he said, adding that he will continue to test any player who appears to be using the drug.
Stull said the athletic department uses a number of methods to discourage drug use, including testing for street drugs, distributing the team's drug policy and bringing in speakers.
"We feel like we're a little beyond what most people do,'' Stull said. "We're going to try to be a little more specific about our region and the problems we have. It's just more available'' here, he said.
Some drugs that are regulated in the United States, such as steroids, aren't controlled in Mexico, which makes Juarez a relatively easy source.
Kennedy, a freshman from San Antonio, and Young, a sophomore from Santa Monica, Calif., were being held Wednesday afternoon in the El Paso County Downtown Detention Center. They were each charged with a first-degree felony of possessing a controlled substance over 400 grams, said Rick Glancey, a spokesman for the El Paso County Sheriff's Department.
He said bond for each had been set at $75,000. Glancey said the charge carries a penalty of between 10 and 99 years in prison.
Ryan Pyle, a tight end who was suspended as a redshirt freshman after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance in 1996, was interviewed for a December ESPN investigative story on steroids.
Pyle told ESPN he obtained the steroids from a veterinary pharmacy in Juarez. Neither Nord nor Stull were working at UTEP in 1996.
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