"I didn't think they were steroids..it was over the counter" - New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez once claimed he was oblivious to the nature of the substance he was consuming

New York Yankees star shortstop Alex Rodriguez admitted, in a press conference he organized in Tampa, Florida, in February 2009, to using performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers during a three-year period beginning in 2001.

"#BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Alex Rodriguez’s DEA confession: Yes, I used steroids from fake Miami doctor" - Miami Herald, Twitter

A dejected A-Rod bravely spoke his heart out to ESPN's Peter Gammons, saying:

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform and perform at a high level every day"

"I did take a banned substance. And for that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful"

"Back then, [baseball] was a different culture." It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.”

A-Rod also mentioned that it was his cousin who injected him with the drug, which was sourced from the Dominican Republic. He hoped it would give him an energy boost, nothing else.

How long a suspension did Alex Rodriguez serve

Alex Rodriguez was handed a lengthy ban for his involvement in consuming performance-enhancing drugs. While he initially faced an elongated spell on the sidelines, the worst was yet to come.

"@Yankees release statement on Alex Rodriguez: “The New York Yankees respect Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the arbitration process, as well as the decision released today by the arbitration panel.” #MLB #Yankees #ARod" - YES Network, Instagram

He was suspended from August 8, 2013 until the end of the 2014 season for violations of MLB’s PED policy. He was set to miss 211 regular-season games, plus any additional post-season games.

While the standard MLB suspension under the drug policy is 50 games, they had no choice but to have him do something longer than that because of the severity of the issue. However, in January, the decision was upheld and the ban was effectively reduced to 162 games.

Third baseman Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees participates in a spring training workout on February 26, 2015 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

Rodriguez played his first game since his suspension on the opening day against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium in 2015. He only played for a couple more years before deciding to hang his cap.

Controversial or not, you have to tip your hat to a superb career, and more importantly, an incredible person.