NFL and Pain: League Zeros in on One Pain Medication

Toradol, the players’ drug of choice, carries high risks but may soon be banned. During a 13-season NFL career, defensive tackle Warren Sapp cherished those days he was close to pain-free, those games he could race onto the field with nothing but adrenaline pumping through his veins. “I was in the trenches, boss, with contact every time,” Sapp recalls. “And trust me, when I was feeling good, it was a great feeling to go into a ballgame without a shot, without a pill, without two Advil. Oh, man. Come on. I wanted it that way.” And when did that exhilarating, pain-free feeling typically wear off? “About Week 3,” Sapp said.