Former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter was charged with fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine on Friday, according to Cleveland.com. He was found unresponsive at a Hampton Inn in Hilliard, Ohio, with a substance later found to be cocaine in his room, according to court documents. He was resuscitated with the help of Narcan, a nasal spray used for overdose treatement.
A fifth-degree felony carries a potential prison term of six to 12 months, according to Ohio law, per Cleveland.com.
Schlichter’s life has been plagued by a gambling addiction that cut short his professional career, and he has spent numerous stints in prison. Most recently, he served a nine-year sentence after pleading guilty to federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and filing a false tax return stemming from a scheme in which he promised but failed to deliver tickets to NFL and college football games. He was released in June 2021.
Schlichter played for Ohio State from 1978 to ’81, passing for 7,547 yards and 50 touchdowns in 48 games. He helped lead the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl in the 1979 season and then to the Fiesta Bowl the following season. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Schlichter became the No. 4 pick in the 1982 NFL draft, though he ultimately appeared in just 13 games for the Colts and was suspended a year for gambling.
