Football Rumblings

Football athletes who had gambling problems

Posted on March 3, 2010 by James W

Hitting up the casino or playing online bingo on occasion is not a bad thing. That is, if you know how to control yourself. These football players have had major debts with casinos or have had a gambling addiction.

Art Schlichter – Went to Miami Trace High School in Bloomingburg, Ohio. Schlicter was a key player for the school and caught the eye of Ohio State football decision-makers in 1978. By 1982, he was the quarter back for the Baltimore Cults (later on known as the Indiana Colts). By the end of that season, he was already $700,000 in gambling debt. The extent of his NFL career ended in 1987.

Adam Jones – Went to Westlake High School in Atlanta, GA. Jones’ school has been known to create many athletes drafted to the NFL. In 2002, he was selected to attend West Virginia University to be the college’s cornerback. From there, he went on to be a key player for the Tennessee Titans; he later on signed a contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Jones was criminally charged with having $20,000 owed to Caesars Palace.

Rodney Landingham – Former cornerback of the University of Nevada, Reno. In 2004, Landingham was charged with two accounts of bank robbery and two accounts of using a firearm. This was the result of his gambling addiction and has been imprisoned due to his actions.

Steve Halpin – Mesquite High School football coach in Mesquite, TX. Back in 2007, Halpin pawned the school’s sports equipment to use as gambling money and would get the equipment back before they were gone for good. For over a year, he pawned 270 items which totaled a little over $2,000.

Are these any different than celebrities who gamble in WSOP? Or are they on the same level?