Former Colts quarterback Art Schlichter, a bust as the fourth overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft and a man who has been convicted of several crimes, has been released from his latest stint in prison.
Schlichter was paroled over the objection of Ohio prosecutors.
“My advice to anyone coming upon Mr. Schlichter is that they not engage in any business transactions or any purchases or any other transactions that would involve giving him any money,” Franklin County prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "[He] is a career criminal engaged in fraud as a career. He just cannot help himself. He will do this the rest of his life.”
After a successful college career at Ohio State, Schlichter was selected by the Colts in 1982 with the idea that he would be their franchise quarterback for years to come. But he spent more time gambling on football than playing it as a rookie, and in 1983 he went to law enforcement saying he feared for his safety because of the money he owed to bookies.
The NFL suspended him for the entire 1983 season, he returned and played poorly in 1984, and he was cut after one game in 1985. He never played in the NFL again but did find some success in other leagues, including being the Arena Football MVP in 1990.
After quitting football his life spiraled. He went to prison in 1995 for passing bad checks and was in and out of prison for years after that. He made some public appearances and briefly appeared to have his life turned around in the late 2000s, but in 2011 he was caught engaging in a scheme that fraudulently charged people for tickets to sporting events, and he was sentenced to the 10-year prison sentence that just ended.
