In December 2002, a former Olympic bobsledder named Ian Danney formed a fitness training business in Arizona that soon became all the rage with many big-name clients in pro football and baseball.

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow is an avid customer of his. Other patrons over the years include Justin Upton in baseball and James Harrison and Demaryius Thomas in the NFL.

But Danney also has had several clients who have tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs. And now he’s coming under fire in a lawsuit that raised questions about off-the-books treatments, unapproved injections and drugs that might have been imported illegally.

In pretrial deposition testimony July 25, Danney admitted he imported an anti-inflammatory drug from Australia called pentosan and injected it in at least one client despite not having a medical license.

He also invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions 46 times during that testimony, including whether he ever gave injections to Tebow and former NFL first-round draft pick LaRon Landry, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

The testimony stems from a federal civil lawsuit filed last year by current Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Corey Liuget, who accuses Danney of injecting him with a banned substance without his consent in 2017 — ipamorelin, a growth-hormone peptide. Liuget ended up being suspended four games last year because of that positive drug test, leading him to sue Danney for damages and use the lawsuit to elicit a series of potentially damning admissions.

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In court records, Danney, 49, has denied injecting Liuget with a banned substance and is fighting the lawsuit. His attorney, Jeffrey Springer, said in an e-mail to USA TODAY Sports that evidence will show that Danney was not the source of the banned substance ipamorelin.

“However, there is no doubt that Mr. Liuget’s performance was clearly subpar at the time of his test and it was highly questionable as to whether the high salary he was being paid was justified by his lack of production on defense,” Springer said. “That he would seek help from a trainer of the skill and caliber of Mr. Danney is not surprising. Blaming Mr. Danney is surprising, given Mr. Liuget’s good character.”

Pleading the Fifth

Besides Liuget, Danney testified that Landry and current Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Trent Murphy were clients who tested positive for banned NFL substances. Landry was suspended by the NFL three times for violating its policy for performance-enhancing drugs and is no longer in the league.

“Did you ever inject Mr. Landry with anything?” asked Liuget’s attorney, Peter Ginsberg.

“Mr. Danney is going to decline to answer the question under the Fifth Amendment,” Springer responded, according to the deposition transcript.

Tebow, a client of Danney’s, also became a subject of questioning by Liuget’s attorney.

“Let me ask you about Tim Tebow,” Ginsberg said. “Have you ever injected him?”

Springer then asked his client if they needed to confer before answering. Danney said he did, and the two left the room, according to the deposition transcript. After returning, Springer said, “Mr. Danney is going to invoke his rights under the Fifth Amendment and decline to answer the question.”

“Have you ever given Mr. Tebow any anabolic steroids?” Ginsberg then asked Danney.

“No,” Danney replied.

“Have you ever provided to him any illegal substance?” Liuget’s attorney asked.

“No,” Danney replied.

“Have you ever provided to him anything that required a prescription?” Liuget’s attorney asked.

Springer then asked Danney if he needed to confer. Danney said yes and the two left the room again.

After returning, Springer said Danney would not answer according to his Fifth Amendment rights.

A message left with Tebow’s representatives was not immediately returned. Springer told USA TODAY Sports that he instructed Danney not to answer certain questions because those questions “not only intruded on his rights, but also those of other individuals who were not present to respond to the scandalous allegations made by Mr. Liuget about his fellow athletes.”

The dispute stems from events in November 2017. That’s when Danney injected Liuget’s feet with an anti-inflammatory to help him with the demands of playing in the NFL. He told Liuget it was an over-the-counter medication, according to court filings. But soon after the injections, Liuget provided a routine urine sample to the NFL as part of its performance-enhancing drugs policy.

Liuget then got a letter from the NFL saying he tested positive for the banned substance. He was suspended four games, which led to him losing millions, according to his lawsuit.

Liuget’s attorneys are trying to get the judge to rule in his favor with a motion for partial summary judgment based on Danney’s admissions and lack of answers. They stated in court filings that Danney didn’t have the license to administer prescription medicine or make injections, among other facts they say establish Danney’s liability. Ginsberg declined further comment.

The drug from Australia

Besides the ipamorelin found in Liuget’s system, Liuget’s attorneys have stressed Danney’s possession and injections of pentosan.

“Defendant admitted that he was in possession of large quantities of Pentosan Polysulfate, enough to administer 40 to 50 injections, and that he does not have a license to possess or administer prescription medications,” Liuget's attorneys stated.

Danney testified he imported 100 milliliters of pentosan polysulfate from Australia in 2011 and used it on Liuget but didn’t import it specifically for him, according to the deposition transcript. He testified in July he had some of the drug left over but refused to answer whether he provided it to anyone other than Liuget.

In the U.S., pentosan is approved for prescriptions in capsule form to treat bladder pain or discomfort associated with interstitial cystitis. Injections of it are not approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, according to FDA spokeswoman Sandy Walsh.

Walsh said she could not comment on specific cases. But speaking generally, in most circumstances, she said it is illegal for individuals to import drugs or devices into the U.S. for personal use “because these products purchased from other countries often have not been approved by the FDA for use and sale in the U.S.”

Springer didn’t immediately respond to a follow-up inquiry about the importation and injections of pentosan.

Danney testified he didn’t have documentation of pentosan purchase.

“Is that because you know it's illegal to have it in the United States that you don't have any records of it?” Ginsberg asked.

“No,” Danney replied.

“Why don't you have any records of it?” Ginsberg asked

“Didn't feel a need to keep a record,” the trainer said.

Danney also testified he didn’t document the pentosan injections.

“Why do you have documentation of supplements on two occasions and not the other items you administered to Mr. Liuget?” Ginsberg asked.

“We don't keep medical – sorry, we don't keep records of those types of things for the protection of our clients,” Danney testified.

Liuget was selected in the first round of the NFL draft in 2011 by then-San Diego Chargers and says in his lawsuit that the positive drug test cost him about a quarter of his salary in 2018. He also said the Chargers used Liuget’s suspension as leverage to renegotiate his contract, resulting in a decrease in compensation of approximately $15 million. The relocated Los Angeles Chargers this year declined an option on his contract, leading him to recently sign with the Raiders.

Danney’s business, Performance Enhancement Professionals in Scottsdale was incorporated in 2002, according to Arizona state business records, though its website says it was founded in 1995. In 2008, Danney also started a dietary supplements business in Arizona called Optimum EFX.

Danney’s client, Murphy, now with the Bills, was suspended for four games by the NFL in 2017 for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Landry, a former defensive back, was suspended four games in 2014 and 10 games in 2015, both times for violations of the league’s policy for performance-enhancing drugs. He hasn’t played in the NFL since then after being suspended indefinitely.

Danney’s business facility in Scottsdale bears his name – the Danney Center.

“He’s known as the secret weapon amongst a select group of NFL stars, providing the very best in bespoke training and nutrition packages from his five-star facility in Scottsdale, Arizona,” his business website says.

A trial is scheduled for Feb. 4 in Santa Ana, Calif.

Follow reporter Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com