The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 17, 1988, Page 8, Image 8
I
Sports .*
3 THE GAMECOCK Wednesday, February 17, 1988 j]
Testing recruits befor
could aid athletes, co
USC athlctic department officials about to be tested a
Monday did what they were expected These two facto
to do. athlete ammunition
They defended the school's drug tests and the notice
testing policy at a press conference at ready for them.
Williams-Brice Stadium. Altering this test
And yet, USC, like many other effective could onl>
major colleges, has seen its athletic user that already
program hurt by drug problems. scholarship, though
A little more than two months But the NCAA co
Jlftpr I I9r cfnrtino rcntpr Wnnrlu tO holn universities
Myers was denied a chance to play in from getting on tl
the Gator Bowl because of testing recruits for drugs 1
positive for steroids, wide receiver college scholarship
Ryan Bethea was arrested on cocaine should be explored,
charges. There are advan
With the graduation of All- vantages to instituti
America wingback Sterling Sharpe, The NCAA mighi
Bethea was to be counted on heavily jor stumbling block
to provide depth at his position. program.
Instpari hp hac hppn hanrlpH an in. It mioht also cav
definite suspension. being treated unfair
Then on Feb. 13, less than 10 days they be subjected t<
after Bethea's arrest, Rico Leroy to enter college wh<
Marshall, a Gamecock recruit, died tive students don't?
after swallowing crack apparently to These arc just a f<
avoid detection by police. problems this systei
There is no obvious evidence of a But there would 1
drug problem for the whole First, a drug test
Gamecock football team. But just as would give univers
easily as any other group of college members an indicat
students can become wrapped up in this recruit is taking
rlrno ahntc atlilptpc rrmlrl If a nrr?hlpirt is rl
To avoid this, a drug testing pro- 18-year-old hasn't
gram has been instituted. life because of drug
Gamecock football players are time to do somel
submitted to announced and random problem.
drug tests. j^e unjversj(y w
They are given a brochure outlm- WQrry about ,he $h
ing how long certain drugs stay in the rassment a drug sea
b,??<! st""ean]- as a result of havinj
This brochure could be problem user on thc tcam
. could go to an ath
Why give any athlete the Use drugs,
knowledge of how to deal with the
drug test? Unfortunately, i
Why notify athletes that they are Marshall.
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USC officia
w I By KAY BUSH
I bjt Staff writer noti
JLM\> The recent drug-related arrest of atlil
USC wide receiver Ryan Bethea has altei
brought the university's drug-testing the
innfnn program under fire. B
? The death of Rico Marshall, a testi
USC recruit, after swallowing several at hi
chunks of the cocaine derivative
crack Saturday has worsened the "
blow. pra
m w wit I
But despite the criticisms of USC's "W
?? a
ItJMlUg (JIVJ?lUIIi, /VUIH.UL I/I I ^VIUI 11
?2 Hr&PV Marcum said l^e testing pro- son
gram instigated by the athletic son
department is successful. or t
it all? "I don't know of any other school ^
rs oniy give the in the country that has tested their .
to beat the drug athletes as much as we have," Marthey
need to get cum said. "While we realize our program
is certainly not infallible, we "
to make it more believe it is a benefit to our student che
' hinder the drug athlete." use
has a college What has brought the testing pro- ath
gram under fire is the announcing of ave
uld do something testing dates and times three to four of
stop drug users days in advance. Critics of prior test
ic team. Testing
icfore they a
tages and disad- wRSkJj
ng such a system. j^'
[ list cost as a ma- M _ *1 * ;
are
? why ^V ?/ ^~\.:
a drug jM 1 jMV Pf^P
other prospec- |?r 4|^MF jflHBnrijnBMi^pj
ew of the obvious '
u might face.
be advantages.
at this early stage jE'y'
iities and family ^ Hi fh
ion as to the path
? Wfofr- . >'
letected, a 17- or ^Kfedei&&. jfK&MtiBtSjmr jm
wasted an <^r.A
s. He would have
thing about the
ilete that doesn't
USC receiver Ryan Bethea, shown here t
t's too late tor The 6-foo(-4-inch Bethea was later "indefin
11, ,ii pii ^'
KM^OM
Tl V _ l'? TT^* 1_ ti
ly nreaaea risn
EAT $3.69 SUNDAYS ONLY | 1
ut with three Crispy Breaded fish fillets
savory seasoning, thick-tut fryes, fresh f .
hi and hushpuppies. After that ? it's all j_;
n eat! Offer good for a limited time ? 5
in eat-in orders only. Feast on it! 5 *
i
ON HWY 378 NEAR 1-26 |
?* I
I
lis defend drug-to
ce before testing contend that Akers added that druj
ctcs given warning are able to not all the program does.
r their lifestyles in order to pass 44~
. . 1 'Our program is a
urinalysis. . , ,, A
. . ... . UIUKIUII1, * i
ut Marcum said prior-notice . . K .. '
... i . ? .i Certainly the side that s
ing is not tlie only testing the USC ., ... .. ..
... . the publicity, the most n
etic department requires. . . . . .. ,
the substance-abuse side.
We have pulled athletes off the What he ,hinks is equ
dice field and tested them (an( js tjie t tjic prc
lout prior notice, Marcum said. ing with thc athlctes.
,e re not about to put together a voIvemcnts such as
ing program that is based on volvemen,s with other stu
le farce. If so, we would do like fear Qf academic failure,
le institutions and only test once management skius and tl
w.ce a year and forget about it." ,jon from family and frie
athletic ohvsician Dr. Paul Akers
1 the main emphasis of the pro- , A"olncr T?' ha:
m is to help the athletes. the heat on the USC test,
is a pamphlet distributed
i don't intend to go out and dent athletes that suposse
ck the bushes to try to find drug the athletes on how to
rs," Akcrs said. He also said test. The pamphlet, U
letes arc tested randomly on an Control Program: Que
rage of 10 times, with two or three Answers, was distributed
the tests announced prior to the dent athletes this past
dates. prior to a drug test givei
at ' ^8 Slg
ryinn to catch u pass in 1986 against Georgia, was arrested Fe
itely suspended" from the team by head coach Joe Morrison in
How to st
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, Vttm, 11 18111
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1 W*** ig "'
I8L bmkB Im ^Lt^ '1^1
esting policy
; testing is month. The brochure was researched
and published by the United States
Olympic Committee. '0
,n athlete- lint \y1arr-iim nnpctinnc fhr
kkers said: accusations. \
got most of
otoricty, is "Believe me. J don't think the
NCAA and the United States Olympic
Committee is interested in
ally impor- developing material to tell the
)gram deal- athlete, 'This is how you beat the
other in- test.' 1 just don't think that is the
their in- purpose and certainly not the pur- ji,
dents, their pose of this document."
their timeleir
scpara- Marshall's death displayed the
nds. dangers of athletes involved with
n..< i itr oil
ui uga. iJUi uovy iiluu luuiuau vuavu
s turned up Joe Morrison said he had no idea of
ng program the recruit's drug involvement.
to USC studly
informs "There was no indication what- Js
"beat" the soever," Morrison said. "In fact, we
SOC Drug got the impression ? and I think
stions and rightly so ? Rico was an outstanto
the stu- ding, not only athlete, but individual.
November "We missed it. His parents missed
n that same it as well."
km.iHw jfi^
mgg j Uwm jjjjj
JHigwVidiKUMHManc fMOBsms
hit Hhoto
b. 4 when police said they found drugs in his car.
connection with the allegations.
and out
i
i crowa.
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