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." OPEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY EVENINGS UNTIL 9:00 i' 5 boy, do our blue cotton denim jeans have pockets! Nine in all. . .two in front plus a coin pocket, and two back triple pockets to hold plenty a nd make a great pattern. They're the kind of jeans you can dress down or up with a switch of shirt depending on where you're going. 29-38 waist, 36 inseam. $20 - - R EE PARKING IN YHE ADJACENT RAMP 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."