Friday, August , 1977
THE MICHfGAN DAILY
t'age tleven
ridoy, August 5, 1977 THE MICHIGAN DAILY roge tleven
Trfpped out
QB Gilliam dumps drugs, dreams of stardom
By The Associated Press
VERiD BEACH, Fla. - Co-
oine. Heroin. Marijuana. Up-
trs. Downers, Arounders.
"You name it, I took it,"
ighed Joe Gilliam, the former
ittsburgh Steeler who dream-
I of becoming The First Great
lack Quarterback.
The white stuff put him in
he Virginia Drug Treatment
:enter for 5% months, where
ie shook his addiction cold
akey r- no medication, just
witching nerve ends and
:old sweat and dry heaves.
Now, Gilliam has returned
om hell to the football wars.
He is a reclamation project
r ew Orleans Saints coach
enry Stram, who needs a tal-
ited passer desperately be-
use the one he has, Archie
anning, is a glass house.
Gilliam is here at the Saints'
aining camp for one reason:
o can throw coppery streaks
ross the skyline like few oth-
m men.
Stram says Gillianit could
start for the Saints, that Gil-
jam is clean and, if he stays
hat way, "will be every bit
s good as he ever was, and
e swas very good."
On a recent sultry afternoon,
ilium spoke of his troubles-
long history of drug use, two
sts.
"fitir in myself and in God
p sing through the trou-
ed 's," he said. "My faith
1ile 'e through. That time
a y life was rich in experi-
ice Now I just want to
myself.,
It is a sham, A speech for
he media. Perfected through
epetition. Like the one he
used to make four years and
a thousand crash landings
ago as a Steeler rookie. "Be-
ing black won't make any
difference . . . I'm not wor-
ried .. ." Ad infinitum.
He hides behind those kind of
words, Joe Gilliam does. They
protect him from the real ques-
tions he must face every time
it gets quiet. Is he afraid? He
has to be. The dream could die
in this place. If it does, will he
go back to the street? Could he
make it without the dream?
He wants more than anything
else in this world to be not just
a competent NFL quarterback,
but to be Jefferson Street Joe.
Heir to Unitas and Namath and
Starr.
The dream drives him. "I
knew I could do it. I always
knew," he said, finished with
his media speech. "I could
have started my rookie year. I
could do it, man. I could do
iti,
Gilliam will not discuss
his reasons for turning to
drugs, or when he did. He is
saving that for a book and/or
movie, about which he has
been contacted.
"Sure I realize why I got
hooked," he said. "But that's
one thing I'm not going to talk
about. Hell, I heard the rumors
about me for a long time be-
fore they were true. Maybe
Court reverses ruling;
innesota on probation
I just figured I might as well Stram.
be hung for a wolf as a sheep." "He's like a piece of fine sil-
Everyone seems to agree Gil- ver that's laid around. We're
Ham's dependence on drugs is taking the tarnish off. But, you
over, know, he's sterling.
"It's first and 10," said "He can do it."
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WE WILL VALIDATE YOUR TICKET
By The Associated Press
IINNEAPOLIS-University of Minnesota ofi-
as met today to discuss an Eighth Circuit
nrt of Appeals ruling which put the school's
n's athletic program back on indefinite pro-
tion.
the penalty had been imposed by the NCAA
sinst the University last year for alleged rules
ulations. However, in December Judge Edward
Devitt of U.S. District Court issued an injunc-
n that lifted the penalty.
tHE RULING reipstating probation was handed
sn Wednesday by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of
peals in St. Louis.
the NCAA originally put the University on pro-
lian after the school refused to declare Gopher
sketball players Michael Thompson, Dave
ney and Phil Saunders ineligible because of
eged rules violations.
'Obviously, I'm disappointed in the decision,"
id University President C. Peter Magrath, who
dlined to comment further until University
icials have a chance to review their options.
tIlE PROBATION means that no individual or
lB may participate in postseason competition
d that teams are prohibited from appearing on
evi;ed events sanctioned by the NCAA.
The Gopher basketball team, which finished as
nner-up to Michigan last year in the Big Ten,
scheduled to appear on a national telecast and
itt regional telecasts in the upcoming season,
t the games are not controlled by the NCAA.
The injunction originally had been granted after
l University argued that to declare the players
tligible would violate their constitutional rights.
fever, the three-judge panel meeting in St.
555 ruled the players' rights would not be
lected and ordered the injunction dissolved.
mpson, highest-scoring player in Minnesota
history with his senior year still ahead of him,
said he would remain with the Gophers despite
the ruling.
"IT'S QUITE A shock because I never thought
of us losing the case," Thompson said. "But
there's no question about me coming back."
Thompson was accused of violating NCAA rules
in his freshman year by selling two season tickets
valued at $78 for $180. Winey was accused of
making two visits to the cabin of a member of a
basketball boosters club; and Saunders allegedly
received a night of free lodging at the summer
basketball acmp of former university coach Bill
Musselman.
Winey has one year of eligibility remaining,
but Saunders has completed his eligibility.
MAGRATH SAID it would take some time to
study the appeals court decision and would not
speculate on whether the University might appeal.
"It is a serious matter and we obviously will
be thinking about it and discussing it in the next
few days," he said. "I wish I could indicate a
timetable for some further decisions but even
that's premature until we have a chance to see
how complicated the legal opinion is."
Magrath said the possible options, in addition
to accepting the appeals court decision, include
an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
At the same time, Gopher baseball coach Dick
Siebert reacted to the recent ruling with disap-
poltment-but not surprise.
"I ALWAYS FELT it would work out this way,"
he said. "We're in the NCAA. I guess that means
we play by their rules even when we don't agree
with them,.
"The injunction helped us. It allowed our base-
ball team to go to the collegiate World Series a
couple of months ago. So I'm at least grateful
for as far as it got us."