The Atlanta Falcons suffered another hit to their tarnished image Tuesday.
A Texas man, ensnarled in an international anabolic steroids sting called "Operation Raw Deal," pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids. The man claims to have ties to the Falcons and the Dallas Cowboys.
Both teams denied knowing of Jacobs or of ever having employed him.
"We have no knowledge of David Jacobs," the Falcons said in a statement. "He was never authorized by the Falcons to work with, assist or train any of our players. Consistent with NFL policies, the league office handles matters such as these."
The Falcons declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.
The National Football League, under commissioner Roger Goodell, has taken a hard stance on player misconduct.
"We look forward to learning the facts underlying today's developments in this case and to assisting the federal investigation in any way possible," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Consistent with our policies, we will deal with any NFL-related involvement promptly and aggressively."
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