- Feb. 07, 2024, CLEVELAND, Ohio – Former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter was arrested Friday in Columbus after a state trooper found cocaine in his car, according to court records.
The arrest marks the latest drug case against Schlichter, 63, who has struggled with addiction for years.
An officer of the Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped Schlichter near East Hudson Street and Hamilton Avenue in the Linden area after seeing a disabled vehicle, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
Records indicate Schlichter handed the officer a crack pipe out of his pocket. Officers also found cocaine and other drug paraphernalia, records show.
Schlichter, of Washington Court House, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a fifth-degree felony. He is scheduled to appear in Franklin County Municipal Court on Monday.
Schlichter has an extensive criminal history. Most recently, a Franklin County judge in September sentenced the 63-year-old to a year of probation for cocaine possession. The charge was filed after Schlichter was found unresponsive in a hotel in June 2022.
Schlichter led Ohio State to the 1980 Rose Bowl. He later signed with the Baltimore Colts, which later moved to Indianapolis. But he soon was sentenced for gambling and other charges. He left football in 1985.
