[Buckskin86]

NFL star Will Smith controversy: ?I did nothing wrong?
By RON MOSHIER
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Apr 27, 2009

Will Smith is a former Thomas R. Proctor High School and Ohio State University star who has played five NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He is returning to Utica this weekend to host his first ?Evening of All-Stars,? a banquet honoring the O-D?s 2008 All-Mohawk Valley Football Team selections, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Daniele?s Banquet Specialists in New Hartford. A first-round draft pick in 2004, Smith was a Pro Bowl defensive end in 2006, and last year he signed a new contract that made him one of the highest-paid players at his position. He has recorded 36.5 sacks in 78 NFL games.

Question: How did your ?Evening of All-Stars? come about?

Answer: I thought this would be a good way to pay respect to these players. These guys should be acknowledged. They should have this as a memory. These guys might not be well known (state-wide or nationally), but they have excelled at their level. I would like to do this annually, not just for one year, just some type of celebration for these guys, so the players and their families can meet each other and interact.?

Q: What will your message be at Saturday?s banquet?

A: That with hard work and dedication at any level, you can use football to your advantage.?

Q: You were one of several players suspended for four games last December after testing positive for a banned diuretic that, according to The Times-Picayune, the players claimed was an unlisted ingredient in StarCaps, an over-the-counter weight-loss product. The NFL Players Association filed a federal lawsuit on the players? behalf, claiming the league and the independent administrator of the testing program knew that StarCaps was a tainted product but withheld that information, and you were able to finish the season. What was your reaction to the suspension?

A: I did nothing wrong. The fact of the matter is, we weren?t using it to mask steroids. None of us were. That?s a fact. It was something to help us lose weight. If you read the bottle, (the label) says ?all natural.? There?s nothing that is a banned substance. We thought it wasn?t a big deal, then it because a huge deal. I was more afraid of the perception than the penalty. I never thought I would be suspended. I did nothing wrong. Absolutely not. That?s why I was never concerned about being suspended. It was clear it was being used for weight
loss.

Q: You had surgery to repair a sports hernia in January. Did it affect your play in 2008?

A: Without a doubt. I played nearly the whole season with it. After the first four games, it really started aggravating me. I thought I could play through it, and I played all right. But I didn?t play up to my ability, not up to my expectations. You can play through that injury, and try to help your team win, but having a great season or being real productive? You can?t really do it, but that?s football.

NFL star Will Smith controversy: ?€˜I did nothing wrong?€™ - Utica, NY - The Observer-Dispatch