Art Schlichter is a former Ohio State Buckeyes and Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts quarterback, best known for the four-decade long compulsive gambling habit he possessed, which ultimately destroyed him.
While in college a biography entitled “Straight Arrow” was penned about him, and the book proved to be the ultimate example of irony. Schlichter would go on to serve time in 40 different jails and prisons and he is currently serving ten years in federal prison for stealing millions of dollars in order to pay off his gambling debts. The story of Art Schlichter is one of a small town farm boy who had it all going for him, but became undone by the power of addiction.
The fourth overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft, he would go on to become the first player suspended by the league for gambling in over two decades. His career flamed out quickly, as he ended up tossing just three touchdown passes in the National Football League.
Art Schlichter is a cautionary tale of a white collar criminal who utilized all sorts of methods (Ponzi schemes, embezzlement, fraudulent checks, thefts, threats, duress and the long con) in order to compensate for the millions of dollars he lost to the world of wagering. Along the way he got involved with the end of Woody Hayes and one of the richest people involved in the Wendy’s fast food fortune. His story kicks off season two of Let’s Get Weird Sports on the Hammer & Rails/SB Nation/Vox Media network. Enjoy!
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Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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