New details emerge surrounding Aaron Brooks’ failed drug test

The father of Aaron Brooks is speaking out following the recent reports of the Penn State wrestling great’s failed drug test.

This weekend, John Brooks told the Hagerstown Herald-Mail that the failed test resulted from an over-the-counter supplement his son purchased after being hospitalized for four days with double pneumonia in April.

“He finally gets out [of the hospital] and is looking at his doctor’s report and all the things he’s lacking in. And he went to get supplements to replenish whatever it is that needs to be replenished,” Brooks said. “One of the things he purchased was right next to the fish oil. It’s just a supplement, a natural, plant-based supplement, so he picked it up and started taking these things.

“It wasn’t a matter of being able to compete. It was a matter of feeling better, being able to walk up steps without being out of breath. He didn’t read the label, which was his mistake, to see if it was something that he can’t take.”

Brooks said the case could be reviewed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) as soon as this upcoming week. “Being that he was fresh out of the hospital for a life-threatening situation, we don’t anticipate anything big,” he continued. “We think that he’ll get negligence, not necessarily intent to cheat.“

The former Penn State wrestling star is facing a potential two-year ban from competition for the failed test, according to reports on Friday. Such a suspension would still allow Brooks to defend his Bronze Medal at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Although no one in the Brooks camp has acknowledged the substance flagged in the test, wrestling insider Pat Mineo – who broke the original report on Friday – indicated that the supplement was Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Labeled as an anabolic agent, DHEA is banned by the USADA.

UPDATE: The supplement Aaron Brooks was flagged for is DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone). DHEA is sold at Wegmans and banned by USADA as an anabolic agent. As noted, Brooks father has stated that he took this to “replenish his levels” after a bad case of pneumonia. https://t.co/DJm7yTCg81 pic.twitter.com/HuLETVGsaF

— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) June 29, 2025

“To the next and upcoming generation, always be mindful of what you put in your body,” Brooks said in a statement on Friday. “Ignorance kills and even something that seems innocent at your local grocery store can cause consequences. I’ll be back soon.”

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