Get knocked out by a smaller man? Check.
Lose your title because you’re an EPO using drug cheat? Check.
Have it come out that your other samples also tested positive for EPO? Check.
TJ, buddy, if you think that personal trainer is fucking your wife, all recent evidence suggests he is – you should also make sure your kids are, ya know, yours.
I messed up. I’m having a hard time trying to forgive myself for this – which I should have a hard time. I understand the criticism and the scrutiny coming my way. But what I really feel bad about is the bad light I’m bringing on my coaches, my family, my teammates. They had no involvement in this and I feel the worst for them. I’ve got a 15-month-old son and I want to be a role model for him.
I’ve got to man up to what I did. I accepted all penalties – I didn’t try to fight this thing. I’m going to sit for the next two years.
Jan. 18, 2021, is when I’m allowed to come back. I had shoulder surgery (Thursday) on my right shoulder. Two months later, I’m getting my left one done. I’ve had torn rotator cuffs and labrums for the last two and a half years I’ve been dealing with – it’ll be nice to get those healed up before I come back.
I’ve had people tell me I should just disappear and let this stuff die out, let this thing die out for the next two years and just disappear. But I don’t think that’s the way to handle this thing. I’m showing my son we made a mistake – face it to its face. Trust me – I’d love to run away and go hide in a cave the next two years and continue to grow out this (expletive) beard, but it’s been weighing on me, and it should. This is who I am. I’m a fighter. I’ve got to fight my way through this one.
I want to apologize to my fans, anyone I’ve let down – obviously my family, my coaches and my teammates. I can’t say sorry enough for the stuff you’re dealing with because of me. But this won’t be the end of me. I’ll be back and I’m making you a promise now that I’ll be back better, I’ll be back stronger, and I’ll prove the hard work I’ve done is what got me where I’m at and not the bad decision that I made. That’s all I can do. All I can do to redeem myself is work hard. I’ll be better. I want to be better, and I will.
