David Vobora kept himself busy during his league-mandated four-game suspension. When he wasn't working out three times a day, the Rams linebacker took the time to add another tattoo to his, uh, collection.

"My mom doesn't know about it yet, so don't say anything," Vobora said.

Too late now. The latest tattoo, wrapped around his ribs, reads: Greatness is not made in a day. But greatness is made daily.

So, apparently, are tattoos.

"Two of the worst hours that you could ever imagine," Vobora said. "Rib tattoos are not so nice on you."

Neither are four-game suspensions. Vobora, the Rams' second-year linebacker from Idaho, returned to practice Wednesday following his suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

"He was fresh," coach Steve Spagnuolo said after practice. "He has some fresh legs. When he did some kickoff stuff with the special teams, he was ahead of everybody."

Wednesday also marked Vobora's first comments to the media about the suspension, which began after the Sept. 27 game against Green Bay. According to Vobora and his agent, he was suspended for using a banned substance that was found in a tainted workout supplement.

The NFL began a supplement certification program in 2004, and the supplement used by Vobora was not league certified. Vobora's agent, Marc Lillibridge, said Vobora called the NFL's supplement hotline, read the ingredients over the phone, and was told that none of the ingredients would produce a positive test.

But since the supplement was not a league-certified product, Vobora was suspended after testing positive. Lillibridge told the Post-Dispatch earlier this week that a lawsuit is still planned against the company that produces the supplement.

"It's going to be something we're going to continue to pursue, and we expect to be made right," said Vobora, who was docked $90,588 — or four weeks' pay.

During the suspension, he could not participate in team activities or use the club facilities.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever gone through, having to watch (Rams games) on TV, and watch my teammates," Vobora said. "But it was definitely a humbling experience, and I've learned a lot through it and I feel good about coming back now."

Vobora said he learned of the positive test and looming suspension in July. (In the NFL, suspensions don't begin — and aren't announced — until the appeals process is exhausted.)

"Right from the get-go, I approached Spags and (general manager) Billy Devaney, and I said, 'Listen, here's the exact situation. I have nothing to hide,' " Vobora said.

"They could have easily said, 'Too bad, we don't want to deal with it.' They stuck by me. They know what kind of person I am, the kind of character I have, the kind of work ethic I have. I took each opportunity in camp, preseason, and I'm going to continue to do the same thing now to make the most of it."

The interesting point about the timeline described by Vobora is that the team decided to cut veteran linebacker Chris Draft three days before the season opener knowing that sooner or later Vobora probably would be serving a four-game suspension.

"I could have appealed this thing till day's end," Vobora said. "The NFL said, 'Hey listen, you have a great court case (against the supplement company), a great case of law. As far as the four-game suspension, it's going to have to be served.' "

After exploring a possible appeal of the suspension, Vobora decided to just get it over with. A concussion he suffered in the Green Bay game "played a large role" in deciding when to start the suspension, Vobora said.

Vobora said Wednesday he wouldn't have been cleared to play the following week (at San Francisco) anyway because of the concussion, so he decided to start serving the suspension at that time.

"The system is difficult because I made every move I possibly could to check on the certain supplement," Vobora said. "There's a lot of gray area in the situation. So my whole deal learning through this process is to hopefully talk to other players in this league, younger players, about the dangers of it.

"Because even though I knew a guy who was in the league who used it, and I know a number of other people that have used that product, you can't ever be careful enough. And that's what I'm going to say.

"Because you could call the hotline and say, 'I have a broccoli supplement.' And they're going to say, 'Well, there's nothing in broccoli that would test positive, but you still take it at your own risk.' "

Because of the pending lawsuit, Lillibridge has declined to identify the company or the banned substance.

The Rams have a one-week roster exemption on Vobora. If he plays Sunday, that exemption must be lifted. Spagnuolo wouldn't commit Wednesday to playing Vobora, but all signs point to that being the case Sunday in Detroit. Vobora took the majority of snaps with the first-team defense Wednesday and didn't seem to miss a beat.