Former OSU Star Quarterback Art Schlichter Accused of Stealing $1 Million from Widow

 Former Ohio State University star quarterback Art Schlichter was charged on Monday, February 14^th,  with stealing $1 million from the widow of a former Wendy’s chairman and chief executive.

Schlichter, 50, who has had a long history of career and legal troubles related to his gambling habits, voluntarily surrendered to the Franklin County prosecutor. He has offered to cooperate with a continuing investigation of investments, loans, or sale of 2011 Super Bowl tickets and Ohio State football tickets, prosecutors said.

Art Schlichter

Credit: Wellbiteme.com/Sports Illustrated 

Franklin County prosecutors charged Schlichter with stealing $1 million from Anita L. Barney, 68, in a fraud scheme. Barney is the widow of Robert Barney, who helped lead the Wendy’s hamburger chain in its early decades.

Because of Anita Barney’s age, the potential penalties are increased under Ohio law, prosecutors said. Schlichter, who has already served prison time for fraud and forgery convictions, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Schlichter was picked fourth in the 1982 NFL Draft (in the same class that included Jim McMahon of Brigham Young University and Marcus Allen of the University of Southern California) by the Baltimore Colts (who moved to Indianapolis two years later). Expected to be the starter, he lost the job to Mike Pagel, but was expected to be the Colts’ quarterback of the future. 

His gambling continued unabated; he blew his entire signing bonus by midseason. He also bet on NFL games (though never on Colts games) and charted scores from out-of-town games on which he’d bet when he should have been charting plays. His gambling spiraled out of control during the 1982 NFL strike, when he lost $20,000 on a college football game.By the end of the strike, he had at least $700,000 in gambling debts.

In the winter of 1982 and the spring of 1983, Schlichter lost $389,000 betting on basketball n games, and his bookies threatened to expose him if he did not pay up (the NFL forbids its players from engaging in any kind of gambling activity, legal or otherwise). Schlichter went to the FBI, and his testimony helped get the bookies arrested on federal charges.He also sought the help of the NFL because he feared the bookies would force him to throw games in return for not telling the Colts about his activities. The league suspended him indefinitely. Schlichter was the first NFL player to be suspended for gambling since Alex Karras and Paul Hornung were suspended in 1963 for betting on NFL games.

He was reinstated for the 1984 season, but later admitted that he’d gambled during his suspension (though not on football). He was released five games into the 1985 season in part because the Colts heard he was gambling again.He never played another meaningful down. He signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills in the spring of 1986. However, he appeared in only one preseason game, and was cut after Jim Kelly signed what was then the largest contract for an NFL quarterback.

In January 1987, Schlichter was arrested in New York City for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar sports betting operation. He pleaded guilty to illegal gambling in April, and Commissioner Pete Rozelle refused to permit him to sign with another team. He made another bid for reinstatement in 1988, but was turned down. That same year, he filed for bankruptcy to shield himself from creditors.

In parts of three seasons, Schlichter played only 13 games, primarily in backup or “mop-up” roles. He threw 202 passes and completed 91 of them. He amassed a quarterback rating of only 42.6, and is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

Schlichter briefly signed a contract with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League, but was released midway through the season.

He played for the Arena Football League for the Detroit Drive in 1990 and 1991, leading them to a third consecutive league title in 1990 as the league’s MVP. He signed with the Cincinnati Rockers in 1992, but was arrested that July for passing a bad check. He admitted suffering a relapse, but the Rockers were willing to stand by him. They worked out a deal with Schlichter in which they put most of his paycheck into an account to pay his gambling debts, except for $300 which they gave to his wife, Mitzi. However, he announced he would not return to the team in 1993, intending instead to focus on curing his gambling addiction.

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