Lewis denies doping allegation

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NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis Wednesday denied he tried to obtain a banned substance to speed his recovery from an injury.

Lewis, in New Orleans for the Ravens' Super Bowl battle against San Francisco Sunday, said Mitch Ross, the owner of an alternative medicine clinic, was a "coward" and "foolish" for telling Sports Illustrated Lewis tried to obtain deer-antler velvet extract that comes in a spray form that contains IGF-1, which is banned by the NFL, USA Today reported.

"It's a joke if you know me," Lewis said Wednesday at a news conference. "I tell [teammates] all the time: 'Don't let people from the outside ever try to disturb what's inside.' That's the trick of the devil. The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do."

Lewis said the allegations about what he did to recover from a torn triceps left him "agitated."

"It really just shows you how people really plan things and try to attack people now," he said. "It's foolish, very foolish, and the guy has no credibility. He's been sued four or five times over this same BS. Just to entertain that, I can't. I won't. I just truly believe he doesn't have the privilege for me to speak about it again."

Lewis' teammates and coach expressed their support for him.

"It's petty gossip for the simple fact that we saw how hard he worked. He did it at the facility and at no time was he injected with anything," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "The man just stayed working out. He just stayed at it. We're not even going to waste our time with it. We just thought it was hilarious that they have another reason why we're on this run, but that's alright.