What Art Schlichter's Life In Prison Was Really Like

Art Schlichter was on the road to a successful football career. He was the star quarterback for Ohio State Buckeyes and was later the fourth overall pick for the Baltimore Colts in 1982, per Bleacher Report. However, it wasn't long before Schlichter found himself in some legal trouble that caused his football career to be cut short. Many athletes have been in trouble with the law for various reasons, and Schlichter struggled with gambling.

Schlichter was gambling long before he was making big bucks as an NFL star. According to the Indy Star, his gambling addiction started in high school. The ex-Colts quarterback would place bets at the local racetrack, and while it began with small wagers, they quickly became larger. Schlichter realized his gambling could go beyond racing, so he began gambling on college basketball games. Soon enough, the football star found himself in thousands of dollars of debt. His gambling tendencies only continued as he went into professional football.

Just a year after he was drafted by the Colts, Schlichter was the center of an FBI investigation after he lost nearly 400 thousand dollars to gambling, per Indy Star. NFL commissioner, Pete Rozelle, decided to suspend the Colts quarterback indefinitely. Rozelle said, "Schlichter will not be reinstated until the league can be solidly assured that the serious violations of cardinal NFL rules he has committed will not be repeated." Although he was reinstated, Schlichter's career was never the same, and his gambling troubles caused him prison time.

After the FBI investigation in 1983, Art Schlichter found himself in trouble with the law again in 2011. According to Bleacher Report, the ex-Colts star pleaded guilty after he ran a ticketing scam. Schlichter accepted payments from individuals and promised to get them tickets to college and NFL games. The football star never came through with his promise and used the money to fuel his gambling addiction. The Indy Star reports Schlichter was officially convicted in May 2012. He was sentenced to 11 years in a Federal Correctional Institute in Colorado and an additional 10 years in an Ohio penitentiary.

Many individuals in prison tend to learn a lesson from their wrongdoing, but Schlichter only kept up his bad habits. The football quarterback was close to being released when prison officials discovered he was having people gamble on his behalf, per Indy Star. Emails and phone records proved this to be true, so he was banned from emails for 90 days.

Schlichter's attorney, Stephen Palmer, attempted to get the former quarterback released early due to dealing with Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and dementia, per Indy Star. However, Schlichter's bets in prison seemed to be why Judge Chris Brown denied the motion. Brown said, "He is past the point of rehabilitation. To release him now would be to subject the people of Franklin County to further criminal conduct. I have no faith he is going to get out and conduct (himself appropriately)."

Despite his gambling stint in prison, Art Schlichter was finally released on parole in June 2021, per Indy Star. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction put the ex-Colts star on "APA Supervision" for the five years following his release.

Prosecutor, Ron O'Brien, was one of the people that wanted Schlichter to remain in prison. O'Brien said, "My advice to anyone coming upon Mr. Schlichter is that they not engage in any business transactions or any purchases or any other transactions that would involve giving him any money." O'Brien even claimed gambling is part of Schlichter's nature. He said, "[Schlichter] is a career criminal engaged in fraud as a career. He just cannot help himself. He will do this the rest of his life." Although O'Brien was concerned Schlichter would gamble again, it wasn't what had him back in custody.

According to Indy Star, Schlichter's parole required him to agree to a contract to follow several rules including not using illegal drugs. However, in 2022, the ex-Colts quarterback was charged with fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine, per SI. Schlichter was found in Ohio unresponsive due to cocaine intake. Because of the incident, Schlichter violated his parole, and the fifth-degree felony can cause him to serve six to twelve months in prison.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).