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Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison is willing to meet with the NFL about a report that linked him to performance-enhancing drugs but only if commissioner Roger Goodell shows up at his house for the interview. Harrison wrote in an Instagram post Sunday night that the meeting must take place at his house before training camp begins.
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"I never had a bully before in my life and I'm DAMN sure not about to have one at this point," Harrison wrote. "But since I'm a nice guy & don't mind helping to clear the air in the name of the NFL Shield, I'll do this interview. WITH THESE STIPULATIONS: The interview will be done at MY house. BEFORE training camp. On a date of MY choosing. AND Mr. Goodell must be present."
The NFL sent a letter to Harrison and Green Bay Packers linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews last week to set up interviews with the players named in a six-month-old Al-Jazeera America report linking them to PEDs.
NFL senior vice president of labor policy and government affairs Adolpho Birch informed the NFL Players Association that the league will meet with the three players before the start of training camp.
Harrison posted a copy of the NFL's letter scheduling his interview for Thursday, July 28, the day before the Steelers open camp in Latrobe, Pa.
Now-retired Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was the highest-profile name linked to PEDs in the Al-Jazeera America documentary that aired in December. The report alleged that Manning was given a supply of human growth hormone in 2011 from an Indiana-based anti-aging clinic.
As a retired player, Manning is no longer a member of the players union. He has vehemently denied accusations he used human-growth hormone or PEDs during his recovery from neck surgery in 2011. Manning was not mentioned in the letter but the NFL investigation is still progressing, according to a USA Today Sports story Friday.
The allegations in the Al-Jazeera report were made by Charlie Sly, a former anti-aging clinic intern who was secretly videotaped as part of the documentary. Sly has since recanted his story.
The Al-Jazeera report claimed that Harrison was among the players to receive shipments of a new performance-enhancing drug called Delta-2. Harrison denied the allegations.
The NFL has also requested an interview with free agent Mike Neal.
The NFL has tried since April to conduct interviews with players but has received resistance from the NFLPA, according to USA Today.
"The NFL has chosen to initiate an investigation of these players based upon now-recanted statements that appeared in an Al Jazeera report," The players' union said in a statement. "The NFLPA requested from the NFL any additional evidence supporting an investigation of the players; the NFL did not provide any such evidence, nor did they inform the NFLPA or the players that any such evidence exists. Instead, the NFL has decided to publicly pressure the players into submission. We will continue to advise our players about their rights and hold the NFL accountable."
