Riders DL Leonard apologizes to Rider Nation for his 3 game suspension
Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive lineman A.C. Leonard is apologizing to fans and the team after he was suspended for three games.
Leonard failed to provide a sample for a drug test following the Riders’ Labour Day Classic game against Winnipeg on Sept. 6, which resulted in an automatic two game suspension. The 29-year-old was then handed an additional game suspension due to a verbal abuse and unacceptable behaviour towards the doping control officers.
“I want to apologize to Rider Nation. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I want to apologize to my coaches,” Leonard said on Tuesday. “I also want to say I’m appreciative of them and just working through the whole situation.”
Leonard said he was Mosaic Stadium until 2 a.m. trying to provide a urine sample and left frustrated after he couldn’t.
“I knew if I didn’t pee I knew what my consequences were. As a man I accept full responsibility and I kind of didn’t want to put my team through all of this. I kind of just want to take my suspension and get it over with and put it behind me,” Leonard said.
Leonard knows that by failing to provide a drug sample, he’ll likely be targeted more frequently for drug tests following games and at practice.
“I have nothing to hide at all. I’m willing to cooperate with the league and do whatever it takes for the rest of the season, the rest of my career if I have to test every week, that’s fine with me. I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” he said.
Riders’ veteran defensive back Ed Gainey said the team is supporting Leonard through the suspension process.
“We’re all professionals so I mean we have to deal with the consequences of that and we’re all here to support him, we’re his teammates, no ones mad at him, no one’s kicking him while he’s down,” Gainey said.
“Hopefully it was a learning experience for him. Other guys as well. They won’t have to go through that they can see him, use him as an example of what not to do.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.