Ex-Cowboy, current Saint Matt Lehr juiced on steroids; NFL endorsed masking agent

A Texas steroids distributor says Ex-Cowboy Matt Lehr ingested and injected a ton of steroids and HGH.  The masking agent finasteride -- complete with NFL log -- covered this use, until the NFL nailed Lehr with dirty urine in 2006.  The Dallas Morning News carries the story:

Convicted Plano steroids trafficker David Jacobs said publicly for the first time this weekend that he sold large amounts of illegal performance-enhancing drugs to ex-Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Matt Lehr.

He also said that in 2006, Mr. Lehr used a hair-loss-prevention drug that can also act as a masking agent for steroid use. Mr. Jacobs said federal investigators confiscated a bottle of that medicine from Mr. Jacobs – a bottle he says Mr. Lehr gave to him. The label bore an NFL team logo, along with Mr. Lehr's name, Mr. Jacobs said.

Excellent paradox -- the NFL logo on the masking agent.  Lehr's agent seems to be masking things too, using a pretty tired old line about 'fame':

Mr. Lehr tested positive for a banned substance while with Atlanta in October 2006 and was suspended for four games. Authorities in Mr. Jacobs' case are investigating Mr. Lehr on allegations that he distributed steroids, possibly to other players, but he has not been charged with any crime.

Mr. Lehr's lawyer says that his client has not used banned substances since his suspension and has passed NFL drug tests.

"Mr. Jacobs has peddled these tales to the government unsuccessfully," said Paul Coggins, Mr. Lehr's attorney.

"He is a confessed felon awaiting sentencing, and is desperate to implicate others to shorten his sentence," Mr. Coggins said. "He has also told many individuals that he would end Matt's career because Matt would not pay Mr. Jacobs' attorneys' fees. The clock on Mr Jacobs' 15 minutes of infamy has long since run out."

The NFL blissfully seems to endorse finasteride -- prescribed for hair loss.  In one more paradox, anabolic steroid use causes hair loss.  Looks like the product wasn't completely successful:

In an e-mail Saturday, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league's "independent scientific and medical advisors reviewed finasteride several years ago and did not recommend its addition to the prohibited list. It was reviewed again in 2005 when the World Anti-Doping Agency decided to ban it, but the advisors' recommendation was unchanged. Consistent with our normal practice, however, we review our policy each off season and consider potential additions to the Prohibited List." The NFL, Mr. Aiello pointed out, does ban some substances that WADA does not.

Mr. Jacobs, 35, said, "I sold steroids and a significant amount of growth hormone to Matt Lehr." He said Mr. Lehr's purchases totaled tens of thousands of dollars from spring 2006 to spring 2007, significantly larger quantities than could be for personal use.

The NFL prescription: finasteride to mask those steroids, and to cover the hair loss propagated by the drug.  Perfect.  Lehr and his dealer Jacobs appear to be in deep to this juicing:

At one point, Mr. Jacobs said, Mr. Lehr agreed to have boxes of raw steroid powder from China shipped to Mr. Lehr's house in Georgia. Mr. Jacobs said he asked his former friend to do this because too many packages headed to his Plano house were being seized by U.S. Customs. (more after the jump)

The other NFL players seem to be gracious that Jacobs nad Lehr helped them out:

Mr. Jacobs said that when Mr. Lehr took him to visit other NFL players, they thanked him for his help. He declined to publicly name those players...

Mr. Jacobs said Mr. Lehr and other football players got their prescriptions by telling their doctors they were "losing their hair because of pulling their helmets on and off."

Much more in the article on this developing story of NFL juicing.