A rash of NFL players have been suspended by the league this season for using the prescription drug Adderall.
New York Giants safety Will Hill received a four-game suspension in October for Adderall use, which violates the NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy. Hill this week warned that banning the substance -- which he began using last spring to treat ADHD -- will lead to problems.
"It is a medical condition, and people do take it for medical (purposes)," Hill told Tom Rock of Newsday. "I know there are other people who do take it for like, to be up, to have fun, things like that, but some people really need to take it because if they don't take it, then what? There's going to be problems. People are going to be agitated, and things are going to go on. There'll be people like me, I can't take it no more."
Hill is incorrect on one account. The NFL permits players to use Adderall if they secure a league exemption. Giants running back Andre Brown followed that path and was granted permission to use the drug. The league lifted Brown's potential suspension because he went through the proper channels ahead of time.
Hill told Newsday he knew he was in trouble after signing with the Giants. The team warned him Adderall was on the banned list, but he'd already begun using it.
Players dealing with ADHD can, in fact, make Adderall part of their treatment. The paperwork might be a hassle, but the league has provided a work-around for its athletes.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
