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9 students admit to using steroids
Exclusive: Colleyville Heritage High football coach had denied athletes involved
By GREGG JONES and GARY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News
COLLEYVILLE – Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students have admitted using banned steroids, one of the largest cases of confirmed steroid use at a U.S. high school, The Dallas Morning News has learned.
BRAD LOPER/DMN
Heritage football coach Chris Cunningham had denied steroid use among his players. In response to questions submitted this week by The News, a Grapevine-Colleyville ISD spokeswoman said Thursday that eight seniors and one junior confessed to using the muscle-building drugs "for a short period of time in the spring of 2004."
The students "also provided information about an adult source who sold them steroids," Robin McClure, director of public information for the school district, said in a written response to the questions.
She said that the district is still considering whether to discipline the students and that its investigation is continuing.
Several Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board members declined Friday to discuss specifics of the investigation and referred questions to district spokeswoman Robin McClure. Some said they had learned about the athletes' admissions Thursday, as district administrators prepared responses to The News' inquiries.
School board President John Eubanks said he was disappointed when he heard of the illegal steroid use at Heritage. He said the revelations has "probably opened our eyes" to the situation.
"Clearly, the use of steroids seems to be a growing problem," said Mr. Eubanks, a Colleyville resident. "We see it in major-league sports. I think everyone has really seen ... the damaging effects these products have on athletes."
Mr. Eubanks predicted that the district would start awareness programs for students and parents. He added, however, that it was too soon to know whether the district would consider testing its athletes for steroids. Heritage has no such policy in place.
Also Online
Steroids disclosure no surprise to some
Preview: Sunday's four-month Dallas Morning News investigation into use of illegal steroids at North Texas high schools
Tell Us: How widespread is steroid use among high school students?
Video: Gary Reaves
A Heritage athlete interviewed by The News twice in the last four months said he bought steroids last spring from a senior starter on the school's football team. The athlete said a dozen or more football players had used steroids, including at least three juniors.
The athlete said he injected the steroid nandrolone decanoate – known as Deca – for six weeks last spring.
"Nobody's afraid of getting tested because they know the school can't afford it right now," the athlete told the newspaper.
Heritage doesn't test students for steroid use. Possession or sale of steroids without a doctor's prescription is a federal offense, punishable by up to one year in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine.
The News interviewed the athlete and his mother after she discovered the steroids in his bedroom closet. They agreed to tell their story on the condition that their names not be disclosed.
In an interview with The News in November, Heritage head football coach Chris Cunningham vehemently denied steroid use among his players.
Information/tips?
Do you have information or tips about steroid use in your community or school? Please e-mail us at [email protected].
"In the nine years that I've been here, I do not know of a single case," he said. "And I'm talking about our entire athletic program."
He also denounced the mother, who a few weeks earlier had reported to school administrators that athletes were using steroids.
"This lady is a liar," Mr. Cunningham told The News during the interview. "She's got a son she caught taking steroids, and she just wants someone to blame."
The coach said he did not know her identity.
Over the last week, The News has made several attempts to contact Mr. Cunningham. On Monday, he sent an e-mail saying he would only respond to written questions because of the subject's sensitivity.
In its response to those questions, the school district said it began investigating the possibility of steroid use after an "anonymous parent" called the school last fall and alleged steroid use by Heritage athletes.
"Campus officials made repeated inquiries through multiple individual and group meetings with athletes during the fall 2004 semester," the school district said. "In every instance, the student response was to deny steroid use."
Eventually, nine students came forward and admitted to using steroids last spring, the school official said.
Ms. McClure said the information about the adult steroid dealer has been provided to law enforcement authorities. She did not indicate which agency.
The only other known instance in which several high school students admitted using steroids occurred in Buckeye, Ariz., in fall 2003, a search of news databases shows.
In that case, the mother of a Buckeye Union High School football player found steroids in her son's room and called police. Under orders from school officials to get answers, football coach Bobby Barnes questioned his players one by one over several hours. Ten admitted using steroids and were suspended for the remainder of the season. Another player implicated had already quit the team.
"The best advice I could give him [Mr. Cunningham] is to communicate with the parents of the kids and make them understand that any discipline that is doled out is for their own good," Mr. Barnes said Thursday evening.
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD hasn't taken action against the nine Colleyville students because their admitted steroid use occurred "within the 2003-2004 school year," Ms. McClure said in her statement to The News.
"District officials are currently conducting a review to determine whether disciplinary action is appropriate," said Ms. McClure. "An investigation as to whether any other students are using steroids is ongoing."
Heritage football players contacted Thursday evening by The News refused to speak with reporters.
"I have no comment about that," said one football player after answering the door of his home in Colleyville, an affluent Northeast Tarrant County suburb. "Our coach – we're just not talking about it. I don't want to get into any of that."
"I have nothing to say to you guys; thanks a lot," the father of another athlete said as he slammed the door.
In mid-December, Mr. Cunningham contacted the Plano-based Taylor Hooton Foundation, which conducts school seminars on teen steroid abuse. He asked about holding a steroid seminar at Heritage, said Don Hooton, foundation chairman.
Mr. Hooton blames the July 2003 suicide of his 17-year-old son – a Plano West baseball player – on steroid-related depression.
The Heritage admission of steroid use is "not necessarily the tip of the iceberg, but there is probably a lot more going on there than they have uncovered yet," said Mr. Hooton. "I think we'd be kidding ourselves if we said it wasn't happening right now."
Mr. Hooton said he received another phone call from Mr. Cunningham on Thursday about hosting a seminar – just hours before the school district released its statement to The News. "The solution to this problem begins with admitting you have one," Mr. Hooton said. "It's a giant hurdle to get over."
Exclusive: Colleyville Heritage High football coach had denied athletes involved
By GREGG JONES and GARY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News
COLLEYVILLE – Nine Colleyville Heritage High School students have admitted using banned steroids, one of the largest cases of confirmed steroid use at a U.S. high school, The Dallas Morning News has learned.
BRAD LOPER/DMN
Heritage football coach Chris Cunningham had denied steroid use among his players. In response to questions submitted this week by The News, a Grapevine-Colleyville ISD spokeswoman said Thursday that eight seniors and one junior confessed to using the muscle-building drugs "for a short period of time in the spring of 2004."
The students "also provided information about an adult source who sold them steroids," Robin McClure, director of public information for the school district, said in a written response to the questions.
She said that the district is still considering whether to discipline the students and that its investigation is continuing.
Several Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board members declined Friday to discuss specifics of the investigation and referred questions to district spokeswoman Robin McClure. Some said they had learned about the athletes' admissions Thursday, as district administrators prepared responses to The News' inquiries.
School board President John Eubanks said he was disappointed when he heard of the illegal steroid use at Heritage. He said the revelations has "probably opened our eyes" to the situation.
"Clearly, the use of steroids seems to be a growing problem," said Mr. Eubanks, a Colleyville resident. "We see it in major-league sports. I think everyone has really seen ... the damaging effects these products have on athletes."
Mr. Eubanks predicted that the district would start awareness programs for students and parents. He added, however, that it was too soon to know whether the district would consider testing its athletes for steroids. Heritage has no such policy in place.
Also Online
Steroids disclosure no surprise to some
Preview: Sunday's four-month Dallas Morning News investigation into use of illegal steroids at North Texas high schools
Tell Us: How widespread is steroid use among high school students?
Video: Gary Reaves
A Heritage athlete interviewed by The News twice in the last four months said he bought steroids last spring from a senior starter on the school's football team. The athlete said a dozen or more football players had used steroids, including at least three juniors.
The athlete said he injected the steroid nandrolone decanoate – known as Deca – for six weeks last spring.
"Nobody's afraid of getting tested because they know the school can't afford it right now," the athlete told the newspaper.
Heritage doesn't test students for steroid use. Possession or sale of steroids without a doctor's prescription is a federal offense, punishable by up to one year in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine.
The News interviewed the athlete and his mother after she discovered the steroids in his bedroom closet. They agreed to tell their story on the condition that their names not be disclosed.
In an interview with The News in November, Heritage head football coach Chris Cunningham vehemently denied steroid use among his players.
Information/tips?
Do you have information or tips about steroid use in your community or school? Please e-mail us at [email protected].
"In the nine years that I've been here, I do not know of a single case," he said. "And I'm talking about our entire athletic program."
He also denounced the mother, who a few weeks earlier had reported to school administrators that athletes were using steroids.
"This lady is a liar," Mr. Cunningham told The News during the interview. "She's got a son she caught taking steroids, and she just wants someone to blame."
The coach said he did not know her identity.
Over the last week, The News has made several attempts to contact Mr. Cunningham. On Monday, he sent an e-mail saying he would only respond to written questions because of the subject's sensitivity.
In its response to those questions, the school district said it began investigating the possibility of steroid use after an "anonymous parent" called the school last fall and alleged steroid use by Heritage athletes.
"Campus officials made repeated inquiries through multiple individual and group meetings with athletes during the fall 2004 semester," the school district said. "In every instance, the student response was to deny steroid use."
Eventually, nine students came forward and admitted to using steroids last spring, the school official said.
Ms. McClure said the information about the adult steroid dealer has been provided to law enforcement authorities. She did not indicate which agency.
The only other known instance in which several high school students admitted using steroids occurred in Buckeye, Ariz., in fall 2003, a search of news databases shows.
In that case, the mother of a Buckeye Union High School football player found steroids in her son's room and called police. Under orders from school officials to get answers, football coach Bobby Barnes questioned his players one by one over several hours. Ten admitted using steroids and were suspended for the remainder of the season. Another player implicated had already quit the team.
"The best advice I could give him [Mr. Cunningham] is to communicate with the parents of the kids and make them understand that any discipline that is doled out is for their own good," Mr. Barnes said Thursday evening.
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD hasn't taken action against the nine Colleyville students because their admitted steroid use occurred "within the 2003-2004 school year," Ms. McClure said in her statement to The News.
"District officials are currently conducting a review to determine whether disciplinary action is appropriate," said Ms. McClure. "An investigation as to whether any other students are using steroids is ongoing."
Heritage football players contacted Thursday evening by The News refused to speak with reporters.
"I have no comment about that," said one football player after answering the door of his home in Colleyville, an affluent Northeast Tarrant County suburb. "Our coach – we're just not talking about it. I don't want to get into any of that."
"I have nothing to say to you guys; thanks a lot," the father of another athlete said as he slammed the door.
In mid-December, Mr. Cunningham contacted the Plano-based Taylor Hooton Foundation, which conducts school seminars on teen steroid abuse. He asked about holding a steroid seminar at Heritage, said Don Hooton, foundation chairman.
Mr. Hooton blames the July 2003 suicide of his 17-year-old son – a Plano West baseball player – on steroid-related depression.
The Heritage admission of steroid use is "not necessarily the tip of the iceberg, but there is probably a lot more going on there than they have uncovered yet," said Mr. Hooton. "I think we'd be kidding ourselves if we said it wasn't happening right now."
Mr. Hooton said he received another phone call from Mr. Cunningham on Thursday about hosting a seminar – just hours before the school district released its statement to The News. "The solution to this problem begins with admitting you have one," Mr. Hooton said. "It's a giant hurdle to get over."
