Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback great Art Schlichter has spent the vast majority of the last few decades in prison due to financial fraud and theft stemming from a severe gambling addiction, and it looks like he could be headed back to a prison cell again this week.
Back in October, Art Schlichter was charged with possessing cocaine after an apparent overdose when police found him unresponsive inside a central Ohio hotel room with drug paraphernalia throughout the room. As a result, there’s now a chance that the 62-year-old former Ohio State star could be sent back to prison.
According to Schlichter’s attorney, Steven S. Nolder, the former Buckeye great’s fate is now in the hands of the judge.
“Do we admit or deny the violation occurred? Obviously, given the nature of the violations, they will be admitted,” said Nolder according to the Indy Star. “It’s up to the judge what sanction to impose.”
Based on the charges, Schlichter is expected to face between eight and 14 months in prison. But the judge could give him more prison time, or give him no prison time.
“The judge can say, ‘Boom, eight months. We’re going to start that today,'” Nolder said. “He can do 14 months or he can say, ‘Get your head out of your a**, get your head with the program, we’ll come back in three months and see where you’re at.”
Schlichter suffers from suffers dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and, according to his lawyers, “too many addictions to count.”
Before all the legal troubles, Schlichter was a star football player. He played for the Buckeyes from 1978 to 1981 and threw for 7,547 yards and 50 touchdowns in 48 games. Schlichter was selected by the Colts with the No. 4 pick in the 1982 NFL Draft before his playing career was derailed by his gambling addiction.