The Indianapolis Colts have had a fair share of ups and downs, but there have also been a good number of legends making their way through the franchise. Yet for every Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney, there are busts like Steve Emtman and Jeff George. They can't all be winners, of course, but there may never be anyone quite as bad as Art Schlichter - not just in Colts history, but in the history of the entire NFL.
Warning Signs
Ohio State University (OSU) quarterback Art Schlichter had a promsing enough career in college, throwing 50 touchdown passes and 7,547 passing yards, as well as 1,303 rushing yards and thirty-five touchdowns. He was, at the time, OSU's all-time leader in total offense; as a sophomore, he led the team to an undefeated regular season. On the surface, drafting Schlichter made sense, which is exactly what the Colts did. He was drafted fourth in the 1982 NFL Draft.
But even then, there were already signs of a massive problem. Schlichter is believed to have started gambling as early as high school, though by the time he was in college, his gambling habit was in full swing. His gambling began at Scioto Downs, betting on horses, and by his junior year, he was betting on sports, too. He had lost thousands of dollars, but was still seen gambling with one of his own coaches - Earle Bruce - who helped cover it up.
Downfall
Schlichter was meant to be the Colts' franchise quarterback, but he almost immediately was a disappointment. He lost the starting job to Mike Pagel when he showed up to practice out of shape, and by the next year, was under investigation by the FBI for his gambling while in college. He was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and had been suspended by the league. After agreeing to seek treatment for his gambling addiction, he was eventually reinstated, but the Colts likely wish he hadn't been.
To put it mildly, Schlichter's NFL career was a disaster. He appeared in just nine games for the Colts, during which he threw just three touchdowns... and seven interceptions. Yet the Colts still weren't prepared to cut him until they found out he was still gambling. Despite the suspension and FBI investigation, Schlichter never stopped gambling.
Prison
After being let go by the Colts, Schlichter bounced around to several different teams before being arrested for participating in a multi-million dollar gambling scheme. That ended up being the final nail in the coffin of his NFL career, and though he was sentenced to just probation, he continued to be arrested over and over again.
Schlichter was described as a con artist who used women to help him, including his public defender, who smuggled a cell phone into prison for him... so he could continue making bets. "That’s been his nature all these years. He's always been able to get money from females," Arnie Wexler, an expert on compulsive gambling, told the IndyStar. "He will con the pants off of anyone. The guy's really smart, but he’s also really sick."
He convinced another woman, a wealthy heiress and widow named Anita Barney, to steal nearly half a million dollars for him to use for betting. He stole from his wife, including pawning her wedding ring, and his mother.
Arrested again in 2011, he remained in prison until 2021, when he was paroled. But almost immediately after his release, he went straight back to his old ways - and worse. Schlichter has since been repeatedly arrested for drug use, and is currently set to stand trial for another recent drug arrest.
The story of Art Schlichter is, by turn, sad, infuriating, tragic, and heartbreaking. The man with the honor of being the worst Colt of all time is far more than just that - he may very well be the worst NFL player of all time, too.