May 8, 2014

Quinn Smith tests positive for banned substance

Pawel Dwulit/CFL.ca

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO — A drug test administered at the 2014 CFL Combine in Toronto has confirmed that Concordia University’s Quinn Smith has tested positive for a banned substance.

Smith, who performed as both an offensive and defensive lineman at the Combine, made the announcement through a Concordia statement.

“It is with deep regret that I inform you I have been notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) from an out of competition doping control test on March 21 in Toronto,” said Smith in a statement.

“I accept full responsibility for the result of Stanozolol metabolite in my test. I can assure you it was not my intention to use a banned substance or to try to beat the system. I did not properly research the contents of supplements I obtained online and I will accept the consequences of my actions. Since it was inadvertent on my part, I have asked to have my B sample tested and am waiting for the results,” he continued.

I have the deepest respect for the CFL, the CIS and Concordia University and am thankful for the opportunities they offer young people like myself. I have brought undue negative attention to these organizations and for this I am truly sorry. I would like to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support through this difficult time.”

The six-foot-two, 305-pound Scarborough, ON. native impressed scouts at the March Combine, registering strong numbers in both on and off-field testing.

On Saturday, Smith tallied 28 reps on the bench press, jumped 27.50″ in the vertical jump, and finished day one by leaping 8’3.00″ in the broad jump.

One day later, he ran a 4.808 40-yard dash, a 7.56 in the 3-cone drill, and a 4.62 in the shuttle. Smith also turned heads in the one-on-one drills, catching the attention of scouts across the league.

His strong performance throughout the weekend saw him soar up the CFL Scouting Bureau Rankings, coming in at #4 in the final pre-draft list. Prior to then, he had not been ranked among the top 15 prospects.

“It’s very disappointing that this player tested positive for a banned substance,” said Michael Copeland, President and Chief Operating Officer for the CFL. “If he is drafted and signed by one of our teams, and the positive test is confirmed, he will immediately be subject to mandatory testing as governed by our drug policy.”

When the CFL introduced its drug policy in 2010, it also entered into a separate agreement with Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) to annually fund the testing of the top 80 CIS prospects for that year’s CFL Combine and CFL Canadian Draft. The CFL’s Drug Policy states that if a player tests positive for a banned substance, that player will enter the league with a first violation which subjects him to mandatory testing. Should the player fail a second test he will automatically be suspended for three games.

“While we never want to see a player test positive for a banned substance, it does demonstrate the benefit and effectiveness of testing prospects as they prepare for the CFL Combine and Draft,” said Copeland.