Broncos QB Peyton Manning Denies HGH Use

Over the weekend, allegations stemming from an Al Jazeera documentary on athletes and HGH use had Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning “furious” and “disgusted” that his name was linked.

The Dark Side chronicles a hurdler who went undercover to expose the extent of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports.

The undercover probe claimed Manning was one of several high-profile athletes who were supplied performance-enhancing drugs from an anti-aging clinic. A man named Charlie sly claimed that in 2011 Manning was given HGH following his neck surgery while still playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Manning denied the report, and the source later recanted his story.

Sly alleges that the clinic mailed growth hormone and other drugs to Manning’s wife, Ashley Manning, so that the quarterback’s name was never attached to them.

“All the time we would be sending Ashley Manning drugs,” Sly says in the video. “Like growth hormone, all the time, everywhere, Florida. And it would never be under Peyton’s name, it would always be under her name.”

Manning addressed the report during an interview Sunday with ESPN’s Lisa Salters

“Absolutely not, absolutely not,” Manning said. “What hurts me the most about this, whoever this guy is, this slapstick trying to insinuate that in 2011, when more than less I had a broken neck — I had four neck surgeries. … It stings me whoever this guy is to insinuate that I cut corners, I broke NFL rules in order to get healthy. It’s a joke. It’s a freaking joke.”

Manning also said he was disgusted that the information was included in a report after the individual admitted he lied.

“I think I rotated between being angry, furious,” he said. “Disgusted is really how I feel, sickened by it. I’m trying to understand how someone can make something up about somebody, admit that he made it up and yet somehow it gets published in a story. I don’t understand that. Maybe you can explain it or somebody else can.

“It’s completely fabricated, complete trash, garbage — there’s more adjectives I’d like to be able to use. It really makes me sick.”

Other names linked in the piece include:

• Ryan Howard
• Clay Matthews
• James Harrison
• Taylor Teagarden
• Mike Neal
• Julius Peppers
• Ryan Zimmerman
• Mike Tyson
• Dustin Keller