NFL says HGH testing set to begin

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday the league intends to start testing players for human growth hormone within two weeks.

Goodell divulged the time frame for the drug testing following a meeting NFL officials and player representatives had with congressional leaders in Washington, The Washington Post reported.

Details for how the testing program will play out have yet to be worked out, the newspaper said.

NFL Players Association representatives said the drawing of players' blood for the tests would commence only once the union's concerns about safety and reliability are addressed.

The Post said league and union officials will meet again with U.S. Rep. Darrell E. Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House committee on oversight and government reform. and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the ranking Democrat, within 30 days.

"I think the chairman has been very clear that testing should begin in the next two weeks or else he will expect to see us all in here again," Goodell said. "He expects to see us all in here within 30 days under any circumstance to give an update on how the process is taking place."

Goodell said it was "the chairman's instructions" that the drawing of blood begin within two weeks and that "everybody at the table agreed to that."

Union official George Atallah said the process would start "as soon as we have a fair and safe process in place."