by JOHN McCLAIN, Staff , The Houston Chronicle

The collective bargaining agreement between the players' union and the league prohibits one-on-one drills during the OTAs and minicamp. But guard Dan Stevenson and former offensive tackle Jordan Black claim in grievances filed with the league that they were two of three players who suffered season-ending injuries participating in illegal contact drills.

The CBA specifies that no pads are worn from the end of the season to training camp, and contact drills are prohibited. A team will lose a week of OTAs for a first violation, and the head coach can be fined. If a second violation is discovered within a calendar year, the team could lose the fourth-round pick.

Former center Chukky Okobi (triceps), Stevenson (shoulder) and Black (shoulder) were injured during the May minicamp in one-on-one blocking drills with defensive linemen. All underwent surgery.

"This has been a difficult and challenging time for me," Stevenson said from Los Angeles. "Just the whole process. We've tried to talk to (the Texans), but they've denied it happened."

Stevenson is considering filing a lawsuit against the Texans.

"Per club policy, we are unable to comment as these matters are in arbitration," Texans vice president of communications Tony Wyllie said.

When he failed to get what he wanted from the Texans, Stevenson went to ESPN with the story. Stevenson provided the network with video showing the offensive and defensive linemen doing one-on-one drills.

"There are pending CBA grievances that have been filed on this matter," NFL senior vice president of public relations Greg Aiello said.

In its report, ESPN.com said Stevenson took a video camera into the Texans' meeting room and filmed the team's video of the workout. Teams are required to tape all practices.

Others offer support

Stevenson got signed affidavits from Jordan and former guard Fred Weary to bolster his grievance.

"We got the affidavits, (and) we did go to the team," said Jim Ciapciak, who is Stevenson's Boston-based attorney. "The team denied it ever happened. We told them we had sworn statements and video. And they denied it ever happened again.

"We said, ?Don't you even want to sit down and talk about it?' and they said no. When ESPN called, we agreed to meet with them."

Weary refused to be interviewed by ESPN and said he didn't know his affidavit was going to be part of a story on ESPN.

"I signed the affidavit to help Dan's grievance," Weary said. "I was contacted by ESPN, and I wouldn't do an interview with them."

Weary, who underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee in December, also filed a grievance against the Texans claiming he was placed on waivers when he was still injured. He's seeking the $800,000 he would have made last season.

"I have thoughts about my situation, but that doesn't have anything to do with (Stevenson's) situation," Weary said. "The Texans did a lot for my life, and I can't say I have any bad feelings towards them."

Coaches conducting illegal drills in offseason workouts is commonplace in the NFL, say seven current and former NFL players contacted Thursday. ESPN's Mark Schlereth, who played guard during a 12-year NFL career, said on the network Thursday that 95 percent of teams do illegal offseason drills.

"The coaches set the parameters," Weary said. "You get off the ball, take four or five steps and just use your hands. That's the way you learn in one-on-one drills.

"But you got some young guys trying to make the team, and they go hard. Then you have the young linemen like Dan Stevenson trying to make the team, and it becomes a competitive drill."

Stevenson said the Texans' player representative, kicker Kris Brown, and tight end Mark Bruener, a member of the NFLPA's executive committee, met with Kubiak and reminded him the drills were prohibited.

"The player reps went to the coach after the first day it happened and told him this is prohibited by the collective bargaining agreement, (but) they refused to stop the drills," Ciapciak said.

When contacted Thursday, Brown declined comment and deferred to the NFLPA. Calls to the union were not returned.

"I was shocked," Stevenson said about the drills continuing. "This is something I want to protect players from in the future. It's upsetting for me to have to go through all this and possibly lose my occupation because the team decided to do something prohibited by the CBA."

Wants to play again

Stevenson underwent surgery on his right shoulder June 11 in Los Angeles.

"I'm not healthy," he said. "I'm still rehabbing my shoulder. ... I'd love to play again."

Ciapciak said the Texans sent Stevenson, who spent last season on injured reserve, to Los Angeles to continue his rehabilitation.

"Two days ago, they bought him a one-way ticket to L.A., and didn't give him a choice," Ciapciak said.

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