Ray Lewis denies using banned deer antler spray

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports</span><span class="asset-metabar-time asset-metabar-item " style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; color: #999999; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative; text-align: center;">11:59p.m. EST January 29, 2013 From: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.usatoday.com</a></span><span class="asset-metabar-time asset-metabar-item " style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); 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border-left-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; color: #999999; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"></span><br /><div class="article-metadata-wrap" style="color: #222222; float: left; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; height: auto; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 30px 0px 60px; position: relative;"><aside class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 20px; position: relative; width: 180px; z-index: 100;"><div class="image-wrap" style="box-shadow: rgb(200, 200, 200) 1px 1px 5px; cursor: pointer; padding: 3px; position: relative;"><img alt="2013-01-29-ray-lewis-media-day" class="expand-img-horiz" itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/01/29/2013-01-29-ray-lewis-media-day-4_3_r536_c534.jpg?1b79b3da202957124496e3768cfb7b67cdb10c81" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 131px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span class="toggle" style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/sprites/asset-sprite.png); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; bottom: 0px; height: 21px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 21px; z-index: 200;"></span></div><div class="image-credit-wrap" style="color: #646464; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;"><span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 400;">(Photo: John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports)</span></div></aside><div class="article-metadata" style="position: relative;"><aside class="comp story-highlights " style="clear: left; float: left; margin: 0px 0px 20px; min-height: 60px; width: 180px;"><h3 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(212, 212, 212); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #999999; font-family: 'Futura Today Bold', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px auto; text-transform: uppercase;">STORY HIGHLIGHTS</h3><ul style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; left: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><li style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/components/story_highlights_bullets.png); background-position: 0px 17px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: rgb(212, 212, 212); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #646464; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; padding: 12px 0px 12px 15px;">Sports Illustrated reports Ravens linebacker inquired about deer-antler velvet extract</li><li style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/components/story_highlights_bullets.png); background-position: 0px 17px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: rgb(212, 212, 212); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #646464; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; padding: 12px 0px 12px 15px;">"Two years ago, that was the same report. It's not worthy of the press," Lewis says</li></ul></aside></div></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">NEW ORLEANS — Ray Lewis returned to Super Bowl media day with another controversy: allegations of cheating.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">According to <i><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130129/the-strange-lab-that-lured-numerous-athletes/#all" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130129/the-strange-lab-that-lured-numerous-athletes/#all">Sports Illustrated</a>, </i>the iconic Baltimore Ravens linebacker tried to obtain deer-antler velvet extract in an attempt to speed the healing for a torn triceps that sidelined him for more than half the season.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Lewis approached the makers of the deer-antler velvet extract — Sports with Alternative to Steroids — the company's owner Mitch Ross told <i>SI</i>. Deer-antler spray contains IGF-1, which is on the NFL's list of banned substances. Using the spray would be a violation of the NFL's steroids policy.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">During a podium session packed with news media, Lewis dismissed the story.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"Two years ago, that was the same report," he said. "It's not worthy of the press."</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">When asked directly whether he had used the spray during his recovery this season, Lewis said, "Nah, never."</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><img src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/v2/brightcove/videos.usatoday.net/Brightcove2/29906170001/2013/01/29906170001_2127923287001_still-b58949e39ffc0c03280f6a70670009c9_r542_c540x304.jpg?436a289f03cde4e0ed45f12ec0d66270cf41bc9a" /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The last time Lewis was at a Super Bowl, questions swirled about his involvement in the murders of two men after a Super Bowl party in Atlanta in 2000. Murder charges were dropped against Lewis, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Interest in the case has been renewed in recent weeks as Lewis announced his intent to retire after Super Bowl XLVII and family members of the victims have spoken out about whether he revealed everything that he knew about the murders.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Before the <i>SI</i> story, it was expected that Lewis would be asked to revisit the murder case. Instead, Lewis was pressed to address the fresh controversy.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Asked a second time if he could respond to the report, Lewis said, "Not really. Why would I give that any press."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he isn't concerned about the story or its implications, noting that Lewis has never failed a drug test.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"Ray has passed every test for substance abuse that he's taken throughout his entire career," Harbaugh said.</div><br /></div>

Ray Lewis denies Ray Lewis denies using banned deer antler spray

Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports 11:59p.m. EST January 29, 2013 From:  http://www.usatoday.com   (Photo: John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports) ...

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