Banned track star Dwain Chambers aims for NFL

Posted January 11th, 2007 at 1:43 PM by Jennifer Lipman

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Drugs In Sports

After being banned from track competition in 2003, Dwain Chambers has recently come out with his decision to pursue a career in the NFL, following in the steps of his role model, Renaldo Nehemiah.

Chambers tested positive for THG, a banned anabolic steroid, and was banned from track in October of 2003. The UK 4X100m relay team he ran for also lost their silver medals from the World Championships that same year.

In 2006, Chambers was allowed to return to the track circuit under the condition that he pays back all his winnings from races he won under the influence of THG. However, after several disappointing finishes, his track career seemed in peril.

Now, at 28 years old, Chambers has shifted his sights towards the Euro NFL training camps in hopes of making a team. Chambers stated:

“My heart is not in track and field at the moment and people might say that I did was I did so I should suffer the consequences of my actions but I went out there last year and faced the music despite my discrepancies. The problem is I don’t want to do a job that I am only going to be loving 50 per cent.”

Despite his age and the controversy that has surrounded him in the past years, Chambers’ display of talent was impressive at the training camp in Cologne, and he is determined to make it as a football player. His growing aggression over the past two years has finally found a haven to let loose in.

However, David Tossell, the director of public affairs for NFL International stated that he has gone over and discussed how difficult this journey to becoming a professional football player may be for Chambers.

After participating in the first camp in Cologne, Tossell commented on Chambers’ performance, telling BBC Sport:

“Dwain did better than they had expected - he was tougher than they thought … The important thing was to see was how he’d react when hit, and he picked himself up and carried on.”

Chambers now awaits news of whether he is being invited to the training camp in Florida later this year, in hopes of landing a contract with one of five professional European football teams. He will be attending another camp in Barcelona in mid-January for further evaluation of his skills.

Research sources and for further information: [BBC], [Voice-Online], [BBC Sport]

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