In the 1980s, the NFL had no salary cap, no modern free agency, and no real drug testing. Offensive linemen needed massive size and power to move 300-pound defenders. Players did whatever it took to get big, and coaches did not ask questions. However, the scale of the epidemic, as former Dallas Cowboys safety Crawford Ker shared, is unbelievable.
Exposing this unspoken culture on a recent podcast, he discussed the era’s performance-enhancing drug use, including specific details about a racial split in how players used these substances. His comments are now viral on social media.
Ex-Cowboys Crawford Ker admits wild PED use differences in old NFL era
In 1985, the Cowboys drafted Crawford Ker to add pure size and brute strength to their front line. He quickly became an absolute iron man in the trenches. Ker started 86 out of 91 regular-season games from 1986 to 1990. He secured the bag as Dallas’s highest-paid offensive lineman before signing a new deal with the Denver Broncos in 1991.
Appearing on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Ker kept it 100 about how players got their strength during his time. “I mean, I would say probably 70% of the white guys in the strength positions did it. And maybe, 20% of the black athletes did it,” Ker said.
He added, “And it is in my book too. When I went to junior college, I would do a cycle for four weeks or something like that and then get off. But it was part of the game when I got there.”
“I mean, I would say probably 70% of the white guys in the strength positions did it. And maybe, 20% of the black athletes did it.”
Former Cowboys OL Crawford Ker on steroid usage in the NFL in the 1980s: pic.twitter.com/cAHZ5PQTKR
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) May 14, 2026
To macth his claim regarding substance abuse, there are many historical receipts available from the era. Former Steelers lineman Steve Courson testified to Congress that 75% of interior players used performance-enhancing drugs.
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Just to recap, the league did not implement drug testing until 1987 and players faced zero suspensions until 1989. So, former linebacker Jim Haslett also admitted to juicing, noting the practice was completely normalized because the substances were still legal.
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Receipts from a UNC health study back up this wild era as well. Researchers reached out to nearly 3,700 retired ballers and 2,552 hit them back with honest answers. The data proves steroid use went out of control in the 1980s, with 20.3% of players from that decade admitting they used performance-enhancing drugs during their careers.