Art Schlichter
The former first-round draft pick out of Ohio State has had 10 convictions since 1995, many of them stemming from his gambling addiction, and was sentenced to 15 years in an Ohio prison.
Former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter tells all in latest book
By Carlos "Big C" Holmes | Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 05:26 PM
Dayton Daily News
Busted: The Rise and Fall of Art Schlichter;
New Book from Orange Frazer Press on Sale Nationwide September 1st;
Autobiography Details How Gambling Wrecked Family, Pro-Football Career
In 1978, Art Schlichter was one of the most actively recruited high school quarterbacks in America, chased by some of the legendary college coaches of the game, Bo Schembechler, Woody Hayes and Joe Paterno among them. But after a record-breaking four years at Ohio State, Schlichter’s bid at a pro-football career nosedived in a dramatic and public way.
In a new book from Orange Frazer Press, Schlichter and co-author Jeff Snook describe how Schlichter, a first round NFL draft pick in 1982, would fall more than $1 million in debt, become one of the biggest NFL flops of all-time and a full-fledged gambler and con man committing dozens of crimes that would send him to prison for more than a decade.
Busted, the Rise and Fall of Art Schlichter, tells the compelling story of how someone with fame, fortune and matinee idol looks was driven by the demons of a gripping addiction to steal from family and friends to support his gambling habit. The book is scheduled to go on sale nationwide on September 1.
An All-America collegiate player and top 10 Heisman trophy contender, Schlichter reveals his father’s burning desire to mold him into an idolized athlete who would win championships and make millions. Schlichter describes how a fateful interception led to Woody Hayes resignation and his frustration and anger with Earle Bruce’s conservative offense.
Drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1982, Schlichter also reveals the causes behind his complete failure as an NFL quarterback and his suspension from the league in 1983. Schlichter also details how he used gambling to numb his self-inflicted pain until he contemplated suicide, and how he gambled away more than $120,000 in two days.
The father of two daughters, Schlichter’s compulsive gambling wrecked his marriage. Now living in Ohio in his boyhood hometown, Schlichter has been out of prison since 2006 and works as a sports commentator and helps others whose lives have been ruined by addiction.