Monday, January 09, 2006

It Was a Prescription for Disaster

Jason Peter was one of the best players in Nebraska history, but he paid a price for gridiron glory. While in college, the defensive tackle developed chronic back pain and started to take pain pills. The Carolina Panthers selected Peter in the first round of the 1998 draft, but his pro career resulted in more injuries, more pain and more surgeries. Peter increased his dependence on drugs, and when his NFL career ended after the 2001 season because of spinal injuries, he was working his way to 80 Vicodin a day. Eventually, he turned to crack cocaine, followed by heroin. Today, Peter is drug-free, but his battle is far from over.

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