Football Valley- Three Carolina Panther players had steroid prescriptions filled less than two weeks before they played in Super Bowl XXXVIII last year, according to a report on “60 Minutes Wednesday” airing tonight.

The TV show obtained lists that showed punter Todd Sauerbrun and offensive linemen Todd Steussie and Jeff Mitchell had prescriptions written by South Carolina doctor James Shortt, who is the subject of a Drug Enforcement Administration probe for allegedly prescribing steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

In a news release yesterday, the CBS show said Steussie obtained 11 prescriptions for testosterone cream over an eight-month period last year.

Mitchell filled a testosterone prescription seven times.

Sauerbrun, one of the league’s top punters, obtained testosterone as well as syringes and the banned steroid Stanozolol.

Testing for testosterone can be difficult because the body produces it naturally, and it can be tough to prove raised levels are not natural. The TV show interviewed one of Shortt’s former employees who said she shipped Human Growth Hormone to players. Mignon Simpson says that “possibly a half dozen” professional football players received HGH. There is no effective urine test for HGH.

Stanozolol is easily detected, though, because it is not produced naturally. Charles Yesalis, a Penn State professor who has studied steroids for more than two decades, thinks Sauerbrun’s alleged use of the substance may mean the NFL’s policy is not as tough as they claim it is.

“There are three explanations why someone would use Stanozolol,” Yesalis said. “They’re a moron. They know they’re not going to be tested or if they are tested they knew they were bullet proof. Someone needs to explain that. That’s the elephant in the living room.”

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league is cooperating with the DEA probe and conducting its own investigation.

The Panthers have been cooperating with a federal subpoena for players’ contact information as part of the DEA investigation.

Authorities raided Shortt’s office and Congaree Pharmacy in West Columbia, S.C., in September. State and federal agents seized computer data, at least 21 boxes of patient and medical records and 256 audio cassettes, according to a report in The State.

CBS said Mitchell and Steussie did not respond to interview requests. When contacted by the network about Shortt, Sauerbrun first said, “I like the guy very much.” He called back 10 minutes later and said, “Dude, we got our communications confused. I don’t know this guy.”

The prescription list CBS obtained shows the players had prescriptions filled less than two weeks before the Panthers lost 32-29 to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.