The Giants gained one safety and lost another yesterday, and the prescription drug Adderall played a part in the return and departure.
Will Hill, the promising first-year safety who made a big play on special teams in Sunday’s 41-27 victory over the Browns and was a growing presence on defense, has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. If this sounds familiar, it is because it’s the same violation that forced another safety, Tyler Sash, to miss the first four games of the seasonafter he was suspended by the league.
Sash was added to the 53-man active roster yesterday, taking the place of Hill.
Both Sash and Hill had prescriptions for Adderall, which is a banned substance. Adderall is a stimulant commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Hill’s suspension begins immediately; he will be eligible to return to the Giants’ active roster on Nov. 5, following the Nov. 4 game against the Steelers.
Sash’s suspension was completed last week, but he was not activated for the game against the Browns though he was eligible to return. Sash said he used Adderall to help deal with anxiety. Now the second-year safety moves into the special teams role Hill occupied, but the Giants do not consider Sash to be comparable to Hill in terms of athletic ability at the safety position. Hill also was asked to play nickel cornerback and was not exploited in coverage.
According to Hill, he received a doctor’s prescription for Adderall prior to signing with the Giants. Hill said his appeal to the league was denied.
“I accept full responsibility for this situation, and it won’t happen again,’’ Hill said in a statement. “The Giants have given me a great opportunity when nobody else would, and I don’t take that for granted. I feel badly this has happenedI will work hard and stay in great shape these next four weeks so I can come back and contribute to this team after my suspension.”
Hill has played in all five games this season. Against the Browns, he had three unassisted tackles and forced a fumble on a Josh Cribbs kickoff return that was recovered by Stevie Brown and led to a Giants touchdown.
Hill played at St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey and left Florida after his junior year. Once considered a top pro prospect, he is no stranger to trouble. He was suspended at Florida in 2010 for violating team rules, and he scared off potential NFL suitors with wildly inappropriate posts on his Twitter account about marijuana and having sex with prostitutes.