A History of Drug-Dealing Athletes

A look back at ballers who moved weight but couldn't outrun the law.

August 26, 2011

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Intro

The combo of athletes X drugs is hardly shocking to any sports fan today. Whether they're using steroids to gain an edge on the field or recreational drugs to lose their edge off of it, stories of ballers getting caught up seem to always be in the headlines.

However, the real shocker comes when sports stars (many of whom are multi-millionaires) get caught being involved in large-scale drug operations for profit. Such was the case for former NFL running back Jamal Lewis, who was charged with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms of cocaine back in 2004. Lewis celebrates his 32nd birthday (and we're pretty sure his freedom, too) today. His unique story got us thinking though — how many other professional athletes have been arrested for their involvement in drug trafficking despite seemingly having no reason to do so? Turns out a lot more ballers have moved rock off the field of play than you think. From Olympic medalists to a world champion kickboxer and even a Super Bowl champion, here is a History of Drug-Dealing Athletes...

Mercury Morris

SPORT: Football
DATE: 8/19/1982
COMPLEX SAYS: During his NFL career, Eugene "Mercury" Morris made history as a member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to complete a perfect season (sorry, Pats fans). After retiring from the game, Morris thought moving weight would be the perfect retirement plan. The police finally caught on to Mercury and raided his place where they "seized a large quantity of cocaine, three vehicles, a large sum of money and assorted firearms." Eventually, homie was charged with one count of cocaine trafficking, three counts of cocaine delivery, three counts of cocaine possession, one count of conspiracy to traffic cocaine and one count of marijuana possession. All that dirt on dude who remains one of the most annoying people in sports today.

David Jenkins

SPORT: Track and Field
DATE: 4/18/1987
COMPLEX SAYS: Olympic silver medalist David Jenkins once admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs. Who would've thought that would only be the beginning of his long-winding, treacherous ride with the illegal drug? After his competitive years were past him, Jenkins went to Mexico and met laboratory owner Juan Javier Macklis. The two partnered together to manufacture steroids in Tijuana and smuggle them everywhere from Los Angeles to Miami. While the money was getting long (somewhere in the range of $100 to $300 million), everything was bound to come crashing down. US Customs and the FDA soon came after Jenkins, and he was eventually imprisoned for seven years starting in 1987.

Evangelos Goussis

SPORT: Kickboxing
DATE: 1989
COMPLEX SAYS: Before beginning his career as a world champion kickboxer, Evangelos Goussis was convicted on heroin trafficking charges and one count of attempted murder. After kickboxing, his life of crime would continue as he became a hit man and was convicted of two murders in the Melbourne gangland killings in 2004. Damn, we're expecting to see this guy's biopic on the big screen in a few years.

Floyd Mayweather, Sr.

SPORT: Boxing
DATE: 1993
COMPLEX SAYS: The former pro boxer who's now known for helping train his son, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., to an undefeated career record and multiple titles was convicted of trafficking cocaine in the early '90s. Mayweather, Sr. was allegedly part of a drug ring that would smuggle cocaine in laundry detergent boxes. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Seems like a tale straight out of a trap rapper's dream. Oh wait, it is.

Darryl Henley

SPORT: Football
DATE: 1995
COMPLEX SAYS: Don't think things can ever go from bad to worse? Just look at Darryl Henley. After five seasons playing cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams, Henley decided to traffic cocaine and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Then he attempted to hire hit men to assassinate the judge who sentenced him and another 21 years was added to his prison term. SMH. #thingscouldalwaysbeworse

Bam Morris

SPORT: Football
DATE: 2000
COMPLEX SAYS: In an interview, former NFL running back Bam Morris mentioned that "A guy told me, 'You know what, Bam? If you go to prison and gain the understanding and knowledge you need to live your life, then there's no reason to look at prison as a bad thing.'" He was later found guilty of two counts of drug trafficking and served 30 months in jail. After spending only one year out of prison, homie violated his parole and had to serve nearly three years. So Bam, do you still think prison wasn't such a bad thing? Worst. Advice. Ever.

Christian Hosoi

SPORT: Skating
DATE: 2000
COMPLEX SAYS: Skate heads already know that back in the '80s Christian Hosoi was right up there with the best vert skaters in the game. Homie had endorsements and his own pro models. Don't even start to compare him to his well-known rival Tony Hawk, though. Dude's public image took a major blow (pause, no pun intended) when he was caught at the Honolulu airport attempting to smuggle in over a pound of crystal meth from Los Angeles. He served four years.

Jamal Lewis

SPORT: Football
DATE: January 2005
COMPLEX SAYS: After Jamal Lewis was caught using a cell phone to try and set up a drug deal in late 2000, the running back received a pretty light sentence of four months in jail despite facing much more time for drug conspiracy and attempted cocaine possession charges. But c'mon Jamal, haven't you seen the movies? They treat your phone like your favorite jumpoff; tapping it whenever they feel like it. Zing!

Tim Montgomery

SPORT: Track and Field
DATE: 10/10/2008
COMPLEX SAYS: Tim Montgomery gained praise and fame by collecting a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and later winning gold at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He was also in a relationship with track star Marion Jones. However, by 2005 he was stripped of his medals after he was found to be using performance-enhancing drugs. Things got from bad to worse when he was was convicted of selling over 100 grams of heroin in the Virginia Beach area and sentenced to five years. Yeah, we'd be sporting' the screwface too if we lost all that in a matter of a few years.

Travis Henry

SPORT: Football
DATE: 6/15/2009
COMPLEX SAYS: After spending seven seasons as a running back in the NFL, Travis Henry picked up an unconventional and completely illegal hobby in retirement. In 2009, Henry got three years in the slammer for financing a drug ring that moved cocaine between Colorado and Montana. Oh yeah, and don't forget about the baby mama drama. Yikes.