Thursday, September 12, 2002
Buchanan, Moore suspended for substance abuse
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan and Chicago Bears safety Damon Moore were suspended for four games each for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Buchanan, one of the NFL's best defensive backs, tested positive for steroids. He insists he took them by mistake.
Moore told the Chicago Sun-Times his suspension was the result of a failed drug test in February. He said he did not take steroids but declined to specify what the test detected.
“I don't want to make a big deal. We went out one night and had some fun and I tested positive,” Moore told the newspaper. “It wasn't cocaine, nothing like that.”
Both were suspended Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Buchanan can have no contact with the Falcons during his suspension, which lasts through the Oct. 13 game against the New York Giants.
“Evidently, I took a supplement of some sort that had a steroid derivative in it,” Buchanan said. “Either way, it was my mistake, and I will serve my penalty. I would like to apologize to my teammates, the Falcons organization and the Atlanta Falcons fans. I will learn from this.”
Moore, acquired in the offseason as a free agent after playing three seasons with the Eagles, had been on the Bears' injured list. He tore a knee ligament in the NFC championship game in January.
He will be eligible to return to the team's facilities on Sept. 30.
Buchanan will miss more games during the suspension than he has in his previous nine seasons. He has played 81 games in a row since signing with the Falcons in 1997.
Falcons coach Dan Reeves said the league told him last week that Buchanan might have tested positive for steroids. Under league rules, a second test was performed, confirming the results.
“Ray? You're kidding?” defensive end Patrick Kerney said. “Obviously, it's a shock to everyone.”
Buchanan, a Pro Bowl player in 1998, has 27 interceptions over the last five years, tied for the most in the NFL over that period.
He has played 142 of 145 games since entering the league, sitting out three games for Indianapolis with a thigh injury in 1996. He led the Falcons last season with five interceptions and has 43 in his career.
The Falcons replaced Buchanan by signing cornerback Rodney Heath, who played three seasons with Cincinnati and was waived last week by Carolina.
Juran Bolden, bothered by a cramp in his right hamstring, is expected to start in Buchanan's place.
Buchanan re-signed with the Falcons before last season. He received a six-year, $36-million contract that included a team-record $8 million signing bonus.
Moore is the second Bears player to be suspended for violating the league's banned substance policy.
Fullback Daimon Shelton was suspended last season. He missed the Bears' playoff game in January and must sit out the first three games this season. Shelton said he took an over-the-counter fat burner.
Also last week, the NFL suspended Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker T.J. Slaughter for four games after testing positive for steroids. Slaughter will not be eligible to return to the active roster until Oct. 7, after Jacksonville's game against Philadelphia.
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Buchanan, Moore suspended for substance abuse 
