After years of downplaying his role in the steroids scandal,Patriots special teams captain Larry Izzo is prepared to testify atBarry Bonds's criminal trial that Bonds's personal trainer, GregAnderson, gave Izzo performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 withinstructions and a schedule for using them, according to federalprosecutors.
Izzo will testify that he contacted Anderson by phone, then metwith the trainer and submitted a number of urine samples in theprocess of obtaining the performance-enhancing substances,prosecutors stated in a document outlining their witness list forBonds's trial.
Izzo, 34, a 13-year NFL veteran and three-time Pro Bowler,previously has acknowledged testifying before a federal grand juryinvestigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), aCalifornia firm at the center of the steroid scandal in sports. Buthe has not publicly admitted obtaining performance-enhancing drugs.
Izzo and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not return messages lefton their cell phones, and the Patriots declined to comment on thedevelopment.
The government's witness list, filed last week in US DistrictCourt in San Francisco, did not specify the types of performanceenhancers Izzo received from Anderson or whether Izzo used them.Anderson, who was convicted in 2005 of conspiracy to distributesteroids and money laundering for his role in the BALCO scandal, wasconsidered by numerous athletes to be an expert in helping them passdoping tests.
Izzo is the only NFL player on the government's witness list.Like many athletes who have admitted obtaining performance-enhancing drugs, he has not been charged with a crime. The onlysports figures who have been prosecuted during the steroids scandalare those who have been accused of lying under oath or otherwisetrying to cover up their involvement.
The government's disclosure about Izzo comes less than 18 monthsafter the NFL suspended Patriots safety Rodney Harrison four gamesfor purchasing a banned substance, human growth hormone, through anInternet site with a bogus prescription he obtained from a doctorwho never examined him.
An NFL spokesman said the league had no comment on the news aboutIzzo.
Court documents indicate Izzo acknowledged to prosecutors that hereached out to Anderson between the last game the Patriots played in2002 - a 27-24 overtime victory against the Dolphins Dec. 29 inFoxborough - and his appearance in the Pro Bowl in Honolulu Feb. 2,2003.
"Mr. Izzo will testify that he was a professional football playerand that he first contacted Greg Anderson by phone in approximatelyJanuary 2003," the prosecution's court filing states. "Mr. Izzo willalso testify that he first met Anderson in person in approximatelyMay 2003 at BALCO and submitted a urine sample at BALCO atAnderson's request. Mr. Izzo will also testify that [he] submittedadditional urine samples to Anderson at later times as well.
"Mr. Izzo will also testify about receiving performance-enhancing substances from Anderson, about instructions from Andersonabout how to administer the substances, about the schedule Andersongave to him for administering the substances, and about what Mr.Anderson told him about the efficacy of those substances."
Izzo's next season with the Patriots, in 2003, was his mostproductive to that point, as he played in all 19 games and led theteam in special team tackles with 31 in the regular season and fivein the postseason, en route to victory in the Super Bowl.
A number of athletes told the grand jury investigating BALCO thatAnderson gave them performance enhancers known as "the cream" and"the clear" that were considered undetectable in doping tests. Theyalso testified that they provided urine samples to Anderson beforehe gave them the performance enhancers. Those athletes includedbaseball players Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield, who testifiedbefore the grand jury Dec. 11, 2003, the same day as Izzo. (Hesandwiched his appearance between Patriots games against theDolphins Dec. 7 and the Jaguars Dec. 14, both in Foxborough.)
"I'm not concerned at all about it," Izzo told reporters inJanuary 2004 about his grand jury appearance. "I went out and had alegitimate relationship with a supplement company and unfortunatelyhad to testify. But it's all done and there were no repercussions."
Izzo was among 10 NFL players subpoenaed in 2003 to appear beforethe grand jury. After one of those players, Dana Stubblefield,pleaded guilty last year to making false statements to investigatorsin the case, the Globe asked Izzo again about his involvement withBALCO and his grand jury testimony.
"It was a long time ago and it's in the past," he said. "Itestified and said what I needed to say, so there's no reason toworry about it. I know what my situation is. I really don't want toget into the details of that; it's grand jury testimony and it'ssealed. I went out there and told the truth. That's all I need tosay about it."
Izzo will become an unrestricted free agent Feb. 27, and thePatriots have appeared open to him returning for his ninth seasonwith the team (he spent his first four pro seasons with theDolphins). He has established himself as one of the team's mostpopular rank-and-file players, especially with his charity work formembers of the armed forces. As part of the effort, he has raisedmore than $600,000 through his annual "Larry-oke" benefits and hastraveled the world to visit US troops.
Prosecutors in San Francisco also notified the court last weekthat they are prepared to present 10 pages of documents related toIzzo's involvement with Anderson and BALCO. They also filed a listof exhibits that include syringes, human growth hormone kits, andvials of "the cream" and "the clear," though they did not specifywho allegedly used the items.
In addition to Izzo, the government's list of 39 potentialwitnesses includes seven current or former Major League Baseballplayers. Four of them, including Benito Santiago and BobbyEstalella, played with Bonds for the Giants. The others includeGiambi and his brother, Jeremy, who testified that he beganreceiving performance-enhancing substances from Anderson in November2002. The Red Sox acquired him from the Phillies a month later.
The defense submitted a much shorter list of potential witnesses,including two medical experts and two former trainers for Bonds.Both sides reserved the right to opt out of calling any witness. Thetrial is scheduled to start March 2.
Bob Hohler can be reached at hohler@globe.com.
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