HGH in the NFL: A growing menace

Vikings safety Harrison Smith says some players will always look for an illegal edge. "If they test for (human growth hormone)," Smith said, "the guys taking it now will probably find something else they can take instead. I'm sure there's always something else out there." (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- As soon as the three letters are mentioned -- H-G-H -- the player laughs. Human growth hormone? In the NFL? Come on. HGH use is rampant, this NFC starter says.

"It's like clockwork nowadays," he said, estimating 10-15 players on each team use the banned substance. "Not tested and it's easy to get. Nowadays, dude? In 2013? (Expletive) yeah. I'm just being real."

When the NFL and NFLPA ended their labor dispute in 2011, they agreed that HGH testing was needed. The problem was acknowledged. Two years later, the problem still has not been addressed. The NFLPA claims it wants a fair process. The league has yet to do much beyond tough talk.

What's certain is that HGH is prevalent and the pressure to fuel one's body with performance-enhancing supplements runs high. As long as there's no stringent HGH testing in place -- with clear, steep consequences -- its use will continue.

While many current players insist they want testing, they want a clean game, they want doubts extinguished, the truth remains clouded.

This NFC starter has heard all of the off-season talking points. He calls such rhetoric "nonsense."

Considering the pressure players face, he says HGH should not even be an issue.

"I say, just let guys do it," he said. "This is our career. We're putting on for fans. I say ... HGH isn't anything. I say, do it... . You're going to get hit hard regardless whether you're clean or not clean. It's just a matter of how hard you get hit. I

A growing athlete

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HGH in the NFL: A growing menace