Former players file lawsuit alleging NFL violated federal drug laws

A group of former NFL players filed a federal lawsuit alleging the league violated federal drug laws, supplied players routinely with opiate painkillers, and circumvented advice from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on how to track and distribute controlled substances.

An uncensored version of the lawsuit was obtained by Laura Wagner from Deadspin, which previously included redacted portions of the filing.

The lawsuit shows multiple instances of teams trying to circumvent DEA protocol. Cincinnati Bengals trainer Paul Sparling asked for a copy of an agent's DEA certificate in an August 2009 e-mail, while trying to avoid scrutiny during a routine investigation.

Anthony Yates, a former Pittsburgh Steelers doctor, also claimed players lined up to receive the powerful painkiller Toradol for years, in a ritual called the "T Train."

Numerous teams avoided comment on the lawsuit, but the NFL sent an official response to The Washington Post's Rick Maese.

"The NFL clubs and their medical staffs are all in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act. The NFL clubs and their medical staffs continue to put the health and safety of our players first, providing all NFL players with the highest quality medical care. Any claim or suggestion to the contrary is simply wrong."