The Giants’ shiftiest wide receiver didn’t sidestep the tough questions he faced Wednesday after an independent arbitrator upheld his four-game suspension for violation of the NFL"s performance-enhancing drugs policy.

Golden Tate can participate in the preseason games and practices but cannot be around the Giants for the first four weeks of the regular season.

Here are the answers to frequently asked questions by fans and Tate’s explanation of what happened:

What was the banned substance that triggered a failed PEDs test?

Clomiphene (commonly called Clomid). It is not approved by the Federal Drug Administration for use in males. It is typically a prescribed infertility treatment for females.

What was the timeline leading to the suspension?

According to Tate, he took the drug in April, was randomly tested soon after under the NFL’s PEDs policy, was alerted to its illegality before the test results came in and self-reported usage to the authorities hoping for an act of leniency.

Why was Tate optimistic about his appeal given the NFL’s zero-tolerance policy and history of rejecting similar appeals?

“I just thought after we looked at the facts and the situation that the NFL would be understanding,” Tate said. “It’s kind of a non-tolerance policy. They upheld the suspension.”

Tate and his wife welcomed their first two children born since January 2018, including a son born in February. Why were fertility drugs needed in April?

“That’s very personal. Very, very personal. I don’t want to get into it.”

Tate said he wants to be a part of reforming the NFL PEDs policy. What does he want to see changed or added?

“I don’t have all the answers,” Tate said. “It’s a slippery slope. If you let my situation slide, then you have other guys that would probably try to say the same thing and it can open up a can of worms. That’s what I’m assuming. I have some ideas that I’m going to present to the NFL when the time comes. I think there are some ways to work with the players.”

Could Tate have received a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) from the NFL if he alerted the NFL of his prescription before using?

“I believe so, yes," Tate said.

Why didn’t Tate check with the NFL before taking the drug, knowing he is responsible for what it is put into his body under the policy? Did he just take a private doctor’s word for it?

“I think ultimately because the doctor had said, ‘No, it’s not a banned substance and I have prescribed it to other NFL guys,'" Tate said. "If the doctor says, ‘I’m not sure,’ I would have 100 percent looked into it. If the doctor said he had never given it to other NFL players, I 1,000 percent would have looked into it. I’ve gone through the TUE process for a couple medicines and I completely understand it.”

Your doctor told you he prescribed it to other NFL players, so did you contact them and maybe ask if they could testify on your behalf in the appeal?

“Because of HIPAA, he wasn’t able to reveal those people,” Tate said.

Will this hurt Tate’s reputation around the NFL? He was signed to as part of the Giants’ shift towards a team-first culture.

“Look at me, I’m not trying to cheat," Tate said. "I think I have represented the NFL shield pretty well in my career. I have achieved a lot of things, and I hope this doesn’t smear that reputation that I have worked very hard for.”

In 2013, you called two of your Seattle Seahawks teammates “selfish” when they were suspended for substance abuse violations. What would you say to new teammates who might be forming the same opinion of you?

“I think that’s a completely different situation than me taking a substance to try to have another kid. It hasn’t been asked of me, so I haven’t had to address it. I’ll think about that one, though.”

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.