Ohio State football: 5 great players who didn’t live up to the NFL hype

Off-field issues doomer Art Schlichter’s NFL career.

The trajectory of Art Schlichter‘s football career can only be described as a tragedy. He was an unforgettable presence for Ohio State football, without question. But there is a chance that his NFL career wouldn’t have panned out regardless of other outside factors. However, it’s those outside factors that make what happened with Schlichter all the more saddening.

Schlichter’s accomplishments in Columbus were numerous. He led the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season as a sophomore while starting all four years at quarterback for the Buckeyes. Moreover, he finished in the top six of Heisman Trophy voting in each of his final three seasons in the program. He finished his career as Ohio State’s all-time leader in career passing yards and passing touchdowns, both of which have since been beaten.

After his prolific college career, Schlichter was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft. However, he didn’t win the starting job after a battle with fourth-round pick Mike Pagel. More harrowingly, though, his compulsive gambling habits that began in college grew out of control, which led to a downward spiral.

Playing in only 13 career games, Schlichter struggled when on the field. But he was also suspended for the entire 1983 season due to his gambling and serving as an informant for the FBI after incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars in gambling debt. He was out of the league after 1986 when the Bills got Jim Kelly back to be their franchise quarterback.

Schlichter is currently serving a federal prison sentence for stealing money in relation to his gambling addiction.