Atlanta Falcons: Joe Hawley suspended for four games
Atlanta Falcons' Jacquizz Rodgers (22) celebrates his touchdown catch against the Carolina Panthers with teammate Joe Hawley (61) during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011. AP
FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons lineman Joe Hawley was suspended for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy on Monday.
“Joe Hawley of the Atlanta Falcons has been suspended without pay for the team’s next four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances,” according to a statement from the league.
Hawley’s suspension begins immediately. He will be eligible to return to the Falcons’ active roster on Monday, December 17 following the team’s game against the New York Giants on Dec. 16.
Hawley tested positive for Adderall and not any anabolic steroids, according to his agent Kevin Omell.
In September, Joe Hawley made a mistake by taking an Adderall pill. He did not file the paperwork to apply for an exemption for this medication, and now understands that the NFL/NFLPA drug policies have strict rules.
“He is sincerely sorry to his teammates, coaches and Falcons fans for the consequences of this oversight,” according to a statement released by Omell. “Joe will work diligently every day of this suspension to stay in top football shape and be ready to help the team continue the success they’ve achieved thus far this season. He has chosen to be immediately accountable for the situation which is why he will not exercise his appeal rights and will begin serving the suspension immediately.”
Adderall has been on the league’s banned substance list since 2006.
The NFLPA issues a handbook to players each year with list of the banned substances.
Hawley made a mistake and plans to immediately serve his suspension, according to Omell.
Hawley is the backup center and guard. He played one play against Arizona, when Todd McClure left the game with an undisclosed injury.
Hawley started 12 games last season at guard and center. His spot on the game-day active roster will likely be taken by rookie Phillipkeith Manley.
Peter Konz, who starts at right guard, would assume the backup center role.
Hawley tested positive during a routine test administered by the NFL. Adderall, which can be used to treat symptoms linked to attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy, is among the league’s list of banned substance but can be used legally in the NFL as long as a player applies for an exemption from the league.
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78 comments Add your comment
CONservative Johnson
November 19th, 2012
4:10 pm
Awesome. Hope McClure is fine . . .
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
4:13 pm
Say it ain’t so Joe……………..!!!
Four games? Ouch!
Bama Dude
November 19th, 2012
4:14 pm
Hawley is juicing? He needs to find some better stuff then.
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
4:16 pm
reprinted without permission:
Hawley’s suspension begins immediately. He will be eligible to return to the Falcons’ active roster on Monday, December 17 following the team’s December 16 game against the New York Giants.
Gman 84
November 19th, 2012
4:23 pm
Great stuff Joe
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
4:25 pm
Adderall is a Schedule II Drug
http://tinyurl.com/bssykba
Please Tell Me
November 19th, 2012
4:26 pm
Why does ATL need a new Dome to get a super bowl but the 40 year old rat hole in New Orleans can still get them?
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
4:28 pm
ED REED SUSPENDED ONE GAME FOR HITS
JSS
November 19th, 2012
4:28 pm
Ha ha, Jeff Fish couldn’t keep up with rotating his PEDs?
BB
November 19th, 2012
4:36 pm
Isn’t a 4 game suspension indicative of a 2nd offense? If that’s the case then this probably wasn’t an “accident”.
Loyalfalconfrmthemississippi
November 19th, 2012
4:38 pm
Well that is no good, dammitt joe!!!!!!
DirtyBirdinCali
November 19th, 2012
4:40 pm
@Please Tell Me – it’s because New Orleans and the French Quarters are more of a tourist attraction. The shelf life for their dome is longer. Eventually though, New Orleans will have to build a new stadium. I’m just curious where it will be (other than the existing site)??
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
4:46 pm
Ya know, lookin at that Caints game Oakland out gained them in Rushing and Passing………Caints got one TD on a pick 6 and Carson Palmer had another interception in the end zone …..Caints next three games come against teams currently in first place, starting with a home game next week against the Bay Area’s other team, the San Francisco 49ers, followed by games against Atlanta and the New York Giants. Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden lit the torch honoring late Oakland owner Al Davis, hmmm wonder if Brees tried to get Coach Payton invited to attend that. Roman Harper had 9 tackles, 2 assists, that tells me Oakland was getting into their secondary……quite frequently it would seem. Wow, Curtis Lofton had ONE tackle. Oakand beat them in First Downs, Total Yards, wow, the Caints had 11 penalties for over 100 yards. Oakland won the Time of Possesion battle as well……………they beat them just didn’t score more points.
kledbetter
November 19th, 2012
4:46 pm
You falcone fans out there. Listen up If the falcons don’t start playing better football than they are rightnow on both sides of the ball. I will gurarantee that come playoff time the falcons are goning to be in the playfoffs for one game and that will be the one and only game for 2012 a season does not win super biows. The falcons kinda remind me of the braves a good team through the year and what happens comes play off time they choke WAIT AND SEE IF I’M RIGHT i am an ex falcon fan
Hawley Suspended Four Games « The Falcon Project
November 19th, 2012
4:46 pm
[...] Atlanta Falcons have announced center Joe Hawley has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance [...]
Otis
November 19th, 2012
4:54 pm
Aderall – omg!
NFL is very afraid that Aderall users might actually apy attention at practice M-F while “all stoked up”, then play better on Sunday. Wouldn’t want that…
JSS
November 19th, 2012
5:05 pm
“A(d)drall – omg!”
Because in over-conditioned athletes it can lead to heart failure…
jase
November 19th, 2012
5:34 pm
just for aderall? i dont see the big deal. lame
jdawg
November 19th, 2012
5:39 pm
To the so called ex fan, you need to come up with something new instead of repeating what joe blow thinks on some sports show. Take a look back and see what the teams accomplished when they beat the falcons in the playoffs. It’s not like the falcons were put out by some team that got put out the next game, they went to the superbowl and won. If you can’t stick with your team no matter the outcome you are not a true fan anyway and we don’t need you. Go falcons I’m behind you all the way and have been my whole life. Now to Joe which is what this was about originally, everyone makes mistakes brother and we pay for them and learn fromte them then we are better afterwards. Keep your head up. The team is behind you and so are the fans.
Esquire
November 19th, 2012
5:40 pm
Please Tell Me
November 19th, 2012
4:26 pm
Why does ATL need a new Dome to get a super bowl but the 40 year old rat hole in New Orleans can still get them?
*******************************************
Personally I don’t think Atlanta needs a new stadium…..but if they build one I would still like to see it on the old GM site in Doraville. Keep in mind that the money spent on the Superdome post Katrina was more than the original cost of the facility. So essentially it’s brand new…………well, 2006 brand new which must be ancient in dome years.
LOL at The Aints
November 19th, 2012
5:41 pm
Kbedwetter or whatever, I’m guessing you were never a Falcons fan, Go Birds.
Man...
November 19th, 2012
5:44 pm
The Oline needs to find some legal stuff to get on, fix up the run game.
ijonathan
November 19th, 2012
5:47 pm
Falcon player suffers a hangnail, JSS blames Jeff Fish. You can set you rwatch to it.
Hawes
November 19th, 2012
5:49 pm
Any OC on the scrap heap? They would be in the bin next to the RBs. Maybe we could buy in bulk?
LOL at The Aints
November 19th, 2012
5:56 pm
Who’s JSS.
LOL at The Aints
November 19th, 2012
6:00 pm
OH! That JSS,, yeah his Jeff Fish jokes are about as fresh as a foghat concert. LOL
Disgusted
November 19th, 2012
6:19 pm
This personal conduct policy and substance abuse nit picking is garbage
Fire Roger “Go to Hell” Goddell.
Ayatollah Goddell is the worst person in the history of the world.
hiramsaint
November 19th, 2012
6:20 pm
oh what a blackeye and an asterik that puts on what WAS turning out to be a good season
Sorry, but Joe...
November 19th, 2012
6:20 pm
…must be really bad if he cheats and is still a back-up player…
fan
November 19th, 2012
6:21 pm
DUI’s and drugs, say it ain’t so dirty birds. What a bunch.
catfish252
November 19th, 2012
6:28 pm
I just don’t understand how these players keep getting caught on Adderall, The league furnishes the players a list of banned substances, if thats true then he or his Doctor should have known that drug was on the list. The were several NFL players caught with it earlier this year and it made the news big time, players and their Doctors can petition the NFL for approval of it’s use. That being said if you can get permission for it’s use why wouldn’t you. I forgot and I didn’t know don’t cut it any more. You either didn’t care or you were willing to take a chance on not getting caught. In either case I think the Falcons ought to release him. He’s a backup player who obviously doesn’t ever want to be first string.
jdawg
November 19th, 2012
6:32 pm
Man… on your comment on the run game. Do you really think it’s the oline or is something wrong with Turner either physically or mentally? I have been sticking up for him all season saying stuff like the oline not opening holes for him, not getting enough touches to get started good, or bad play calling but after watching him get blown up in the back field by a 185 pound Db I don’t know what to think. I know I’ll be praying for him to get back to his ground and pound ways.
ATLJacket
November 19th, 2012
6:52 pm
test comment
JSS
November 19th, 2012
6:52 pm
It is your team and you morons keep making excuses for his sorriness… Fish is as dirty as professional cyclists… When it hits the fan, don’t moan and groan…
Foghat? Dang, you are tired… Take a vacation, all of those losses to players like Rodgers, Manning, and Brees is warping you! Now go and spin that turnover feast some more!
D man
November 19th, 2012
6:57 pm
Who cares, this guy never plays and will be off the team soon anyway…
extremus
November 19th, 2012
6:57 pm
So McClure is banged up and his closest backup gets suspended for stupidity. Not good. Add yet another item to the offseason’s “to do” list, regardless of this season’s outcome. I love my Falcons but I’m also a realist; they have way too many serious issues (and mounting injuries) to feel confident about them going into the playoffs.
Yorker
November 19th, 2012
7:16 pm
You Atlanta fans should be proud and maybe need someAderrall. Being 9-1 is a great place to be. Better than 30 other teams. Win 2 more games and the NFC South is clinched. Both NY teams are in trouble.
RGB
November 19th, 2012
7:31 pm
“In September, Joe Hawley made a mistake by taking an Adderall pill.”
What the heck it that supposed to mean?
That’s a meal mouth comment designed to shirk responsibility. He needs to fess u and man up.
Whopper Dawg
November 19th, 2012
7:39 pm
So, Hawley is even abusing and this is all he’s got??????????????????????
BravesFan79
November 19th, 2012
7:39 pm
Im all for releasing/cutting woman beaters, and other serious crime offenders. But adderroll? COMMON MAN…….. some of you fellow fans are just over dramatic. I took half a adderroll to wakeup just the other night while out dancing with my girlfriend. Shes one hard woman to keep up with! Never really used it for school, but living in a college town, id say at least 50% of the students take it regularly, so its very very easy to find.
billyho55
November 19th, 2012
7:39 pm
YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THAT ADDERALL WILL BECOME THE “NEW” DRUG THE PLAYERS WILL BE GETTING CAUGHT WITH IN THE FUTURE! IT FUNCTIONS SIMILARLY TO THE OLE’ GREENIES THAT WERE TAKEN IN THE 70′S AND 80′S! ADDERALL, GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT NEED IT FOR ADD/ADHD BECOMES A MAJOR STIMULANT FOR THESE GUYS THAT ALLOWS THEM TO STUDY LONGER, WORK HARDER, AND GENERALLY GIVES THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANTAGE OF MORE ENERGY! THIS IS COMING FROM A GUY WHO WAS PRESCRIBED THIS DRUG IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL! NOT A JUNKIE, JUST EDUCATED ON THIS MATTER!
BravesFan79
November 19th, 2012
7:54 pm
Someone needs to force feed a entire bottle of Adderroll to Michael Turner so he wakes the hell up!
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November 19th, 2012
7:57 pm
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Samuel
November 19th, 2012
8:10 pm
It affects the continuity of the offensive line, Players have to be smart. Even though your’e a backup…
Ledbetter blocked me
November 19th, 2012
8:14 pm
Adderall is the lie players use when they are busted. Nice to know the Falcons are cheating!!
JSS
November 19th, 2012
8:20 pm
Enter your comments here
Herpes Butter
November 19th, 2012
8:43 pm
What about weed?
JSS
November 19th, 2012
8:55 pm
NFL network predicts Falcons #1 in nfc, Tampa last playoff spot and Aints out.
jaz
November 19th, 2012
9:00 pm
Obviously the Adderall wasn’t doing it’s job….
Dav
November 19th, 2012
9:24 pm
WHAT’S ALL THIS B.S. “JUST WIN BABY”
hiramsaint
November 19th, 2012
9:31 pm
I think Vitt will be a better fit in NO than Sean. Jerry will get him after the suspension. Vilma is running out of time and all OJs lawyers are deceased. I think I got concussed by a Falcon fan for the hate blogging the best I can recall. So, I went to church Sunday to ask for forgiveness of my sins.
Beau Bock
November 19th, 2012
10:18 pm
Joe Hawley should’ve consulted me first.
Falcon James
November 19th, 2012
10:33 pm
This is not good news. I was looking forward to Hawley replacing McClure to improve the run game. Guess we will just have to wait.
Todd
November 19th, 2012
10:59 pm
Hawley wasn’t gonna replace McClure this season though unless there was an injury.
Sham Newton
November 19th, 2012
11:17 pm
Bravesfan79 that was a funny A$$ comment on Turner about the adderall I had tears on my eyes laughing, but I think Turner needs more than adderall maybe a combination of pink lemonade 5 hour energy a rocking chair and a room at the nursing home. If his lucky he can have half of my Viagra, that’s only if he can get off the rocking chair to the Super Bowl I mean Toilet Bowl from 1 yard away.
LOL at The Aints
November 19th, 2012
11:25 pm
Nice Try JSS, but that was pretty lame LOL!
LOL at The Aints
November 19th, 2012
11:30 pm
Moron?
LOL at The Aints
November 19th, 2012
11:37 pm
JSS, been studying up on that whole question mark thing you speak of, I find it very usefull when conversing with you., Loser,, LOL
LOL at The Aints
November 19th, 2012
11:41 pm
Somebody needs a nap and it aint me LOL,,
Loser
November 19th, 2012
11:41 pm
FIRST
JSS
November 20th, 2012
4:07 am
@ Ledbetter…
Absolutely typical gutless user-name stealer…
(FAKE) JSS
November 19th, 2012
8:20 pm
“Enter your comments here”
(FAKE) JSS
November 19th, 2012
8:55 pm
“NFL network predicts Falcons #1 in nfc, Tampa last playoff spot and Aints out.”
JSS
November 20th, 2012
4:29 am
To my detractors and since most of you have the mentality of 12 year olds, here’s something even you can understand!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBhQuMS5E9M&feature=relmfu
Millard Baker
November 20th, 2012
6:20 am
So amphetamines were freely permitted in the NFL until 2006?
Jimmy Crack
November 20th, 2012
7:53 am
Adderall, whatever. At least it wasn’t a starter like BakerBWAHAHAHAHA.
Susan
November 20th, 2012
7:58 am
Soooo he is suspended for ’substance abuse’, but Turner – the same man that was arrested for DUI isn’t? Wow….How unfair is that!!!!!
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November 20th, 2012
9:18 am
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DR. FALCON
November 20th, 2012
9:46 am
DUMB ASS! ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR THE FRANCHISE! YOU KNEW IT WAS WRONG! THE NFL IS VERY OPEN ABOUT THESE THINGS! YOU KNEW BETTER! NO EXCUSE! MGMT, SHOULD RELEASE YOUR ASS! THAT’S REAL TALK!!!!!
frankie
November 20th, 2012
9:55 am
why is it the first thing these athletes say is they did not know what they were taking…do they routinely put things in their mouths that they know nothing about..
Cut his bumm and pick up a real player..
frankie
November 20th, 2012
9:58 am
@susan….how is alcohol changing the way you play..it has no long lasting effects or body/performance enhancing qualities…
i am sure that if Turner “the slow cooker” does t again he will get a game suspension..
Hell how does a white kid get 6 months for possession of cocaine and a black kid gets 20years for the possession….of crack
just sayin…
cybo
November 20th, 2012
9:59 am
@ jdawg
TURNER IS DONE. SORRY TO GIVE YOU BAD NEWS.
Atlanta Falcons: Joe Hawley suspended for four games | football-feed.com
November 20th, 2012
10:04 am
[...] to Original Content From Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog): read more Related Articles Share About Author [...]
Dwayne
November 20th, 2012
10:24 am
Frankie, find another site for your crack/cocaine comments.
dap01
November 20th, 2012
11:18 am
I hope that all taxpayers are able to contribute to the Falcons getting a new dome. We all need to feel our duty to help wealthy people make more money. The GA Dome is so old, it is embarrassing for ATL to have such a run down facility.
We need a new structure like the Superdome in New Orleans in order to get a great team and a chance to host the Super Bowl.
We owe Author Blank so much for owing the Falcons. Perhaps Author will share some revenue with the taxpayers each year.
Flacons R idiots
November 20th, 2012
12:26 pm
As sorry as he was and the drugs did nuttin to help? Just imagane how sorry he will be now.
PB
November 20th, 2012
12:29 pm
Whoever said this is Roger Goodell’s fault and he should be fired, is wasting their time. He works for the NFL owners, and they seem to like him. And players like Joe Hawley know the rules regarding all the legal and illegal supplements.
North FLA Falcon
November 20th, 2012
12:29 pm
Hawley has not impressed. No biggie. Time for Konz and Holmes to step in. Konz has proven himself. Let’s see if Holmes is a bust or not.
goFalcons
November 20th, 2012
1:15 pm
The rules are VERY strict. They are not even allowed to take any OTC pre energy powder mixes from any workout store because thanks to Utah, they do not have to list the ingredients in the drink. Before to long it would not surprise me if drinking red bull or monster energy drinks will make you test positive. GO FALCONS
GO Falcons..!!!
November 20th, 2012
1:41 pm
They’ll have to start passing more. 52+ per game. Short underneath routes.