Stubblefield subpoenaed in drug case

K.C.'s Morton also among players called to testify before grand jury

? Two Oakland players confirmed Monday they were among several Raiders subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury investigating a lab that supplies elite athletes with nutritional supplements.

Defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield — a former Kansas University standout — said he was subpoenaed “a while ago,” but doesn’t know exactly when he will be in court. Running back Tyrone Wheatley also said he was subpoenaed in the case involving the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO.

“I didn’t do nothing wrong,” Stubblefield said. “It’s something you’ve got to deal with, I guess.”

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Johnnie Morton also was identified as one of the players subpoenaed.

Also Monday, Atlanta reserve linebacker Artie Ulmer said he had been called to testify before the grand jury in December. Ulmer said BALCO founder Victor Conte was his nutrionist for a few months.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Ulmer said. “All I can tell you is Victor never said anything about drugs or steroids to me.”

All player testing samples taken this season were being re-screened for the recently discovered drug, a league spokesman said Monday, and anyone who turned up positive would be suspended under the league’s steroid rules.

“The way we view this is that our program prohibits steroids and related substances,” spokesman Greg Aiello said. “(THG) has been identified as a steroid.”

Dozens of top Olympic and pro athletes — from baseball’s Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi to boxer Shane Mosley — have been subpoenaed. Being subpoenaed doesn’t imply wrongdoing, and the scope of the probe is unclear. Federal officials have refused to comment.

BALCO was raided by the Internal Revenue Service and local drug agents in September, and the attorney for Conte has confirmed his client is the target of the grand jury investigation.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has said it believes a sample of the steroid THG, which until recently was undetectable, came from BALCO.

At least five track and field athletes already have tested positive for THG, and the NFL said it would recheck players’ drug tests to look for the steroid.

Sunday, CBS’ “NFL Today” cited unnamed sources in reporting that 10 NFL players had been subpoenaed. Six were from Oakland: Stubblefield, Wheatley, Chris Cooper, Chris Hetherington, Barret Robbins and Bill Romanowski.

CBS identified the other players as Ulmer; Josh Taves, a former Raider; Kansas City’s Morton; and Larry Izzo of New England.

Cooper wouldn’t comment Monday.

Raiders coach Bill Callahan said he was aware several of his players were subpoenaed. He hasn’t talked to them and doesn’t plan to, saying he’d let authorities handle it.

“Absolutely it could be a distraction,” Callahan said. “How it’ll all play out and how the situations evolve, I don’t know.”