Penn State wrestling: Aaron Brooks breaks silence on PED testing rumors

Penn State wrestling star Aaron Brooks is not concerned about reporting this week of a failed drug test that has some speculating he may be ruled ineligible for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Telling his side of the story for the first time to Justin Basch on Baschamania Friday, Brooks says the incident occurred last year at the U23 World Championships and resulted from a paperwork issue for a drug he was legally prescribed by his doctor. The four-time National Champion for the Nittany Lions expressed no doubt that he will represent the United States in Paris this summer.

Failed PED test sparks eligibility rumors for Penn State wrestling star

Aaron Brooks was drug into a circle of controversy this week after reports surfaced on social media claiming the Penn State wrestling star had failed a drug test at the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania, last October. Brooks won Gold at 86 kg in his first international competition since 2018.

“There was apparently an issue or error with reporting the script, and some red tape came up,” Pat Mineo (The Wrestling Room) wrote on Twitter/X on May 6. “He [Brooks] received a temporary waiver to compete at [U.S. Olympic Team] Trials and will not know if he’s suspended (or what a suspension may look like) until the end of next week. Apparently, lawyers are confident they can get the full approval, but as of now, he’s still in limbo.”

Justified or not, there was much speculation in the days that followed regarding Brooks’ potential status for the Summer Olympic Games. Adding to the madness even more, the immediate replacement if Brooks could not participate would be Penn State wrestling icon and new Oklahoma State head coach David Taylor, who confirmed the end of his competitive career this week.

Aaron Brooks gives his side of the story

But now, Aaron Brooks has spoken out for the first time since these rumors circulated earlier in the week. Appearing on the podcast Baschamania with Justin Basch on Friday, the former Penn State wrestler says that the issue has been misconstrued online.

“First and foremost, I’m surprised it took this long for people to twist it, right? The negatives and the wrongs,” he said. “I thought this would happen right away. Like, ‘Oh, he’s using steroids.’ But I have no ill will against people. They’re just trying to stir up the pot. They’re trying to do what they do for their platform, right?

“But I looked at it [the report], and I laughed at first. Because, one, it’s [the drug] not even Adderall, dude. It’s Vyvanse. Whole wrong medication, so I already know someone is twisting it.

“But what had really happened was, I had been prescribed that for college just because I was really struggling in school. And my first overseas tournament, honestly, since I first got into college…I go overseas and I’m still in classes, like I’m still [dealing with] mid-semester workload, all these things. I’m traveling, and I’m doing school as well.

“Whenever I went to take the drug test, I even wrote down the medication on it. It wasn’t like I was hiding something. But I didn’t put the prescription, which is what the doctors needed. So because I didn’t bring the prescription, it flagged as maybe he got it off the streets. So, what I then had to go do was show that I was prescribed it. Get it to lawyers and then to whoever it was: WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency], USADA [U.S. Anti-Doping Agency], whatever it is. And they just had to put it through the clearinghouse.”

Close call at Olympic Team Trials

The entire wrestling world was captivated last month by the matchup of Penn State wrestling greats David Taylor and Aaron Brooks in the 86 kg Olympic Trials Championship. The reigning Olympic Gold Medalist who had lost one match since 2018, Taylor was swept by the college senior running on almost no sleep after staying up until 2 a.m. to cut weight.

But that epic matchup almost didn’t happen. Brooks explained that due to the complications stemming from that drug test at the U23 World Championships in October, he was not cleared to compete until the day before Olympic Team Trials.

“That’s why I was able to wrestle at Trials. At first, I wasn’t because they had to accept that it was my prescription, talk to the doctor that gave it to me, and just make sure it was legit. Then it got cleared the last Thursday before Trials. So that was that.

“It’s funny how things come out after you win something or someone loses. Like, someone is going to make an excuse and kind of cry about it. That’s someone’s character; if you’re looking for excuses, you’ve already lost.”

Whatever the cause, ultimately, the Penn State wrestling star’s time in the spotlight is expected to be short. Brooks said that he anticipates the matter to be resolved within the week, allowing the first-time Olympian to prepare for Paris with a clear head.

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