A bombshell allegation emerged on Saturday with news organization Al Jazeera linking Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning to usage of human growth hormone in 2011.
Manning responded Saturday night, telling reporters the allegations are "complete garbage." He spoke out again Sunday, telling ESPN he is rotating "between being angry, furious, disgusted, sickened by it" and that the story is "completely fabricated."
"It’s completely fabricated. Complete trash, complete garbage," Manning said. "There’s some more adjectives I’d like to be able to use. It makes me sick. Makes me sick that it brings Ashley [his wife] into it, her medical history, her medical privacy being violated. I don’t understand that."
Manning, speaking to Lisa Salters in the middle of a throwing workout, vehemently denied ever using performance enhancing drugs.
"Absolutely not. Absolutely not," Manning said. "What hurts me the most about this is whoever this guy is, this slapstick, trying to insinuate in 2011, when I had more or less a broken neck. I don’t know -- four neck surgeries, broken neck, I’m sure there’s a difference in there. I busted my butt to get healthy. Put in a lot of hard work. I saw a lot of doctors. Went to the Guyer Clinic to a hyperbaric chamber. Time ended up being probably my best medicine along with a lot of hard work.
"It really stings me whoever this guy is insinuating I cut corners, broke NFL rules in order to get healthy. It’s a joke. A freaking joke."
Asked about the reports of his wife receiving the treatments in question, Manning denied the allegations.
"I don’t know this guy. I’ve never heard of this guy. Never met this guy. Any medical treatments my wife received, that’s her business," Manning said. "Nothing that’s ever been sent to her or my wife has used have I ever taken. Absolutely not. I have my treatments and she may have hers and that’s her business and there’s no connection between the two."
Manning was asked about what treatments he underwent during 2011 when recovering from neck surgeries and said he used a hyperbaric chamber, "something called ECCP" (designed to increase bloodflow in muscles) and "some nutrient IV therapies."
He wouldn't comment on other athletes' issues with performance-enhancing drugs
"I can’t speak for any other athlete. I know how hard I’ve worked. There are no shortcuts in the NFL," Manning said. "I’ve done it the long way, I’ve done it the hard way. To insinuate anything otherwise is a complete and total joke. It’s defamation and it really ticks me off."
The Broncos got Manning's back calling the report "false" as well.
“Knowing Peyton Manning and everything he stands for, the Denver Broncos support him 100 percent," the team said in a statement. "These are false claims made to Al Jazeera, and we don’t believe the report."
The Broncos added Manning was "rightfully outraged" by the reports.
