University of South Carolina steroid scandal
Encyclopedia
In October 1988, Sports Illustrated
published a lengthy article on alleged steroid
abuse in the football program at the University of South Carolina
. The article, titled "The Nightmare of Steroids" and written by University of South Carolina football
player Tommy Chaikin in collaboration with Sports Illustrated' s Rick Telander
, alleged the widespread use of steroids in the football program at the school. Following the article, a federal grand jury indicted
four University of South Carolina football coaches in connection with steroid distribution to players. Three of the coaches pleaded guilty in plea-bargain arrangements and the fourth was acquitted. The episode was listed among "some of college football's biggest scandals" by sports reporter Tom Weir of USA Today
.
. The article begins with Tommy Chaikin, a defensive lineman on the University of South Carolina (USC) football team
, vividly narrating his steroid-induced experiences the day before the annual South Carolina-Clemson
football game in 1987. In his own words, Chaikin describes himself sitting in his dorm room on the USC campus with a loaded handgun
pressed to his chin. The story continues in stream of consciousness fashion to describe how he had arrived at the brink of suicide
, and includes other significant factors in his three year odyssey with steroids including peer pressure
, the physical and mental effects of the drugs on himself, the coaches he alleged were involved, and his eventual rescue by his father. In the article, Chaikin alleges that half the USC football team was using steroids, however this claim was never substantiated.
, an investigation by South Carolina's Fifth Circuit Solicitor James Anders was announced. Based on the results of this preliminary investigation, a joint state and federal probe was announced on November 11, 1988. On April 19, 1989 a federal grand jury indicted USC defensive coordinator
Tom Gadd, defensive line coach
James Washburn, tight ends coach
Tom Kurucz, and strength coach Keith Kephart in connection with steroid distribution to players. A fifth person, John Landon Carter of Bethesda, Maryland, was also charged with dispensing anabolic steroids to four former Gamecock players: Tommy Chaikin, David Poinsett, Heyward Myers and George Hyder. The indictment
s charged that illegal acts occurred from 1984 through December 1987. Gadd, Washburn, and Kurucz were accused of conspiring to "provide money to certain players and athletic personnel of the university for the purchasing of steroids for use by athletic personnel." The indictments stated that the three monitored training programs to enhance steroid use and "would arrange to obtain sources for the purchase of unprescribed, misbranded steroids which were thereafter utilized by football players." Kephart was charged with conspiring with other members of the USC athletic community to obtain steroids illegally across state lines, and the indictments charged that he and unidentified others "would administer the steroids to each other to improve athletic performance and to enhance physical appearance." The United States Attorney
, Vinton D. Lide, said he would not charge players or graduate assistants with crimes because he considered them to be victims.
jury on June 21, 1989. On August 10, 1989, the remaining four were sentenced. United States District Judge G. Ross Anderson sentenced John Carter to serve three months at a community security facility. Among the coaches, Tom Kurucz received the harshest sentence: six months in a halfway house
house and three years probation
. James Washburn and Keith Kephart were sentenced to three months in a halfway house and given three-year probationary terms. The University of South Carolina received no sanctions from the NCAA as a result of these events.
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
published a lengthy article on alleged steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
abuse in the football program at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. The article, titled "The Nightmare of Steroids" and written by University of South Carolina football
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
player Tommy Chaikin in collaboration with Sports Illustrated
Rick Telander
Rick Telander is the senior sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Hired in 1995 from Sports Illustrated where he was a Senior Writer, Telander's presence at the newspaper was expected to counter the stable of sports columnists the rival Chicago Tribune had.Telander is a native of Peoria,...
, alleged the widespread use of steroids in the football program at the school. Following the article, a federal grand jury indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
four University of South Carolina football coaches in connection with steroid distribution to players. Three of the coaches pleaded guilty in plea-bargain arrangements and the fourth was acquitted. The episode was listed among "some of college football's biggest scandals" by sports reporter Tom Weir of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
.
"The Nightmare of Steroids"
"The Nightmare of Steroids" was featured in the October 24, 1988 issue of Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. The article begins with Tommy Chaikin, a defensive lineman on the University of South Carolina (USC) football team
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
, vividly narrating his steroid-induced experiences the day before the annual South Carolina-Clemson
Carolina-Clemson rivalry
The South Carolina–Clemson Rivalry is an American college rivalry between the South Carolina Gamecocks sports teams of the University of South Carolina and the Clemson Tigers sports teams of Clemson University. Both institution are public universities supported by the state of South...
football game in 1987. In his own words, Chaikin describes himself sitting in his dorm room on the USC campus with a loaded handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
pressed to his chin. The story continues in stream of consciousness fashion to describe how he had arrived at the brink of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, and includes other significant factors in his three year odyssey with steroids including peer pressure
Peer pressure
Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member , or a social clique...
, the physical and mental effects of the drugs on himself, the coaches he alleged were involved, and his eventual rescue by his father. In the article, Chaikin alleges that half the USC football team was using steroids, however this claim was never substantiated.
Reaction
Shortly after the article ran in Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, an investigation by South Carolina's Fifth Circuit Solicitor James Anders was announced. Based on the results of this preliminary investigation, a joint state and federal probe was announced on November 11, 1988. On April 19, 1989 a federal grand jury indicted USC defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Tom Gadd, defensive line coach
Defensive Line Coach
A defensive line coach is a coach that is in charge of the defensive line in gridiron football. This position is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The defensive line coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator. A defensive line coach works primarily...
James Washburn, tight ends coach
Tight ends coach
A tight ends coach is a coach in charge of the tight ends in American football. The tight ends coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator....
Tom Kurucz, and strength coach Keith Kephart in connection with steroid distribution to players. A fifth person, John Landon Carter of Bethesda, Maryland, was also charged with dispensing anabolic steroids to four former Gamecock players: Tommy Chaikin, David Poinsett, Heyward Myers and George Hyder. The indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
s charged that illegal acts occurred from 1984 through December 1987. Gadd, Washburn, and Kurucz were accused of conspiring to "provide money to certain players and athletic personnel of the university for the purchasing of steroids for use by athletic personnel." The indictments stated that the three monitored training programs to enhance steroid use and "would arrange to obtain sources for the purchase of unprescribed, misbranded steroids which were thereafter utilized by football players." Kephart was charged with conspiring with other members of the USC athletic community to obtain steroids illegally across state lines, and the indictments charged that he and unidentified others "would administer the steroids to each other to improve athletic performance and to enhance physical appearance." The United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
, Vinton D. Lide, said he would not charge players or graduate assistants with crimes because he considered them to be victims.
Outcome
Following the indictments, Washburn, Kurucz, Kephart, and Carter entered into plea-bargain agreements with the federal prosecutor. They were awaiting sentencing when Gadd, who elected to fight the charges, was acquitted by a United States District CourtUnited States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
jury on June 21, 1989. On August 10, 1989, the remaining four were sentenced. United States District Judge G. Ross Anderson sentenced John Carter to serve three months at a community security facility. Among the coaches, Tom Kurucz received the harshest sentence: six months in a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
house and three years probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. James Washburn and Keith Kephart were sentenced to three months in a halfway house and given three-year probationary terms. The University of South Carolina received no sanctions from the NCAA as a result of these events.