Panthers' Peppers suspended 4 games

Carolina Panthers rookie defensive end Julius Peppers was suspended for four games by the NFL on Thursday for violating the league&#39;s substance-abuse policy, his agent said. <br> <br> Agent Marvin Demoff said the league office told him that Peppers had tested positive for a banned substance in a dietary supplement. A source close to Peppers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Peppers did not test positive for steroids. <br> <br> Demoff said Peppers would appeal the suspension, meaning he can play in Sunday&#39;s game against Tampa Bay. <br> <br> In a statement released together with one from his agent, Peppers said he couldn&#39;t discuss the suspension until there&#39;s a ruling on his appeal. <br> <br> ``While I would like to provide the fans with more information due to the legal ramifications I cannot comment on the situation and I will not be able to until the appeal process is complete,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> Peppers practiced with the Panthers (3-6) on Thursday, but did not make himself available to reporters. <br> <br> The 22-year-old player was an All-American at North Carolina, and after he decided to leave after his junior year, the Panthers kept him in his home state and made him the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. The 6-foot-6, 283-pound player has made an immediate impact, leading the NFL with 10 sacks. He also has one interception. <br> <br> Peppers can keep playing while his appeal is heard. <br> <br> ``My understanding is, he will be our starting left defensive end this Sunday,&#39;&#39; said coach John Fox. ``And all of my focus - and his, too - is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> If the suspension is not overturned, Peppers would begin serving it immediately. Normally, appeals are heard on a Tuesdays, the regular day off for NFL players. <br> <br> Panthers linebacker Mark Fields said the situation did not create a distraction for the team Thursday. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s not that serious, so we&#39;re not looking at it like it&#39;s that serious,&#39;&#39; Fields said. ``We&#39;re playing Tampa Bay Sunday, and he&#39;s playing.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> If Peppers is suspended for all four games, he would lose $235,000 in salary. He signed a seven-year, $62 million contract in July, the richest deal in team history. <br> <br> the league suspends him for four games, it would cost him about $235,000 from the seven-year, $62 million contract he signed in July. Peppers is the highest-paid player in Panthers history. <br> <br> Another Panthers defensive lineman, Brentson Buckner, was hit with a four-game league suspension on Nov. 4 for violating the league&#39;s anti-drug policy. George Mavrikes, Buckner&#39;s agent, said his client took a dietary substance in training camp to help him lose weight. It contained one of the substances now banned by the league.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/11/187632