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Rough times for the AFA football program. I couldn't find a single article on the spring game, just a 3-line press release about it being on April 14.
Steroid cases shock AFA coach
By TODD JACOBSON THE GAZETTE
March 28, 2007 - 1:10AM
In the wake of the Air Force Academy’s recent steroid scandal, strength and conditioning coach Allen Hedrick said he and other officials need to do a better job of preventing the use of illegal strength-enhancing drugs. Four Air Force cadets were charged with steroid-related offenses last week, including football players Overton Spence Jr. and Matthew Ward. Cheerleader Jonathan S. Belkowitz and senior Eric M. Swartz were also charged, and a fifth investigation is ongoing. The charges against Spence, Belkowitz and Swartz include allegations of distribution. “We had thought we were doing a good enough job to educate our athletes not to make these decisions,” said Hedrick, who added that he believes steroids are not a problem at the academy. One source told The Gazette last week that use was “rampant.” “Depending on the outcome of the investigation, it may be shown that maybe we need to do a better job of that.”
A random steroid testing policy was instituted at the academy last month. Before that, tests could be ordered by commanders if warranted by suspicion. The NCAA also tests for steroids in football and track and at championship events. Otherwise, the athletic department operated under a prevention program based on education. Coaches warn against the use of the drugs, and the consequences of getting caught are dangled in front of athletes, former athletic director Randy Spetman said. “Like every other university in the world, we talked about it in our briefings,” said Spetman, who retired Jan. 2 and was hired July 1 as the athletic director at Utah State. “The things we always emphasized is in the military, you can get kicked out for it. We had a bigger stick than any other university.” Hedrick handed out fliers warning of steroid-use side effects, hung them in the academy’s intercollegiate weightroom, and e-mailed athletes to keep them up to date on illegal drugs. Hedrick said he would try to do more to educate athletes in the wake of the investigations, including a more pro-active approach to education. However, he said it’s tough to reach everyone, and almost as tough to notice steroid use.
“Some of the primary markers would be significant increase in body weight,” Hedrick said. “We keep track of their (football players) weight on a regular basis. We do test them three to four times a year typically. If we were seeing someone who was demonstrating well beyond what would be expected in terms of strength levels then that would obviously catch our eye.” Hedrick said he had not noticed any unusual weight or strength gains by Ward or Spence. Ward was listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds on the Falcons’ junior varsity roster in 2002, when he was a freshman. On Air Force’s recent spring football roster, he is listed at 175 pounds. Spence was listed at 6-2, 205 pounds as a freshman on Air Force’s JV roster in 2002, and at 6-2, 230 pounds this spring. “I don’t have any test results that I would look at and say, ‘Man, this guy has really put on a bunch of weight all the sudden. He has really demonstrated a significant increase in strength. I am really curious as to how he achieved that,’ ” Hedrick said. “I don’t have one athlete (like that).”
“If I had I would have brought it to the appropriate people’s attention and made sure we followed up on that,” Hedrick said. “It’s not something we would ever tolerate.”
It’s not something Hedrick ever expected, either. “Maybe I was living in a fantasy world where I didn’t think this would ever happen,” Hedrick said. “I am sure all of us within the department have been made aware that we need to make sure that we do a very thorough job and maybe a more thorough job than we did in the past.”
Steroid cases shock AFA coach
By TODD JACOBSON THE GAZETTE
March 28, 2007 - 1:10AM
In the wake of the Air Force Academy’s recent steroid scandal, strength and conditioning coach Allen Hedrick said he and other officials need to do a better job of preventing the use of illegal strength-enhancing drugs. Four Air Force cadets were charged with steroid-related offenses last week, including football players Overton Spence Jr. and Matthew Ward. Cheerleader Jonathan S. Belkowitz and senior Eric M. Swartz were also charged, and a fifth investigation is ongoing. The charges against Spence, Belkowitz and Swartz include allegations of distribution. “We had thought we were doing a good enough job to educate our athletes not to make these decisions,” said Hedrick, who added that he believes steroids are not a problem at the academy. One source told The Gazette last week that use was “rampant.” “Depending on the outcome of the investigation, it may be shown that maybe we need to do a better job of that.”
A random steroid testing policy was instituted at the academy last month. Before that, tests could be ordered by commanders if warranted by suspicion. The NCAA also tests for steroids in football and track and at championship events. Otherwise, the athletic department operated under a prevention program based on education. Coaches warn against the use of the drugs, and the consequences of getting caught are dangled in front of athletes, former athletic director Randy Spetman said. “Like every other university in the world, we talked about it in our briefings,” said Spetman, who retired Jan. 2 and was hired July 1 as the athletic director at Utah State. “The things we always emphasized is in the military, you can get kicked out for it. We had a bigger stick than any other university.” Hedrick handed out fliers warning of steroid-use side effects, hung them in the academy’s intercollegiate weightroom, and e-mailed athletes to keep them up to date on illegal drugs. Hedrick said he would try to do more to educate athletes in the wake of the investigations, including a more pro-active approach to education. However, he said it’s tough to reach everyone, and almost as tough to notice steroid use.
“Some of the primary markers would be significant increase in body weight,” Hedrick said. “We keep track of their (football players) weight on a regular basis. We do test them three to four times a year typically. If we were seeing someone who was demonstrating well beyond what would be expected in terms of strength levels then that would obviously catch our eye.” Hedrick said he had not noticed any unusual weight or strength gains by Ward or Spence. Ward was listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds on the Falcons’ junior varsity roster in 2002, when he was a freshman. On Air Force’s recent spring football roster, he is listed at 175 pounds. Spence was listed at 6-2, 205 pounds as a freshman on Air Force’s JV roster in 2002, and at 6-2, 230 pounds this spring. “I don’t have any test results that I would look at and say, ‘Man, this guy has really put on a bunch of weight all the sudden. He has really demonstrated a significant increase in strength. I am really curious as to how he achieved that,’ ” Hedrick said. “I don’t have one athlete (like that).”
“If I had I would have brought it to the appropriate people’s attention and made sure we followed up on that,” Hedrick said. “It’s not something we would ever tolerate.”
It’s not something Hedrick ever expected, either. “Maybe I was living in a fantasy world where I didn’t think this would ever happen,” Hedrick said. “I am sure all of us within the department have been made aware that we need to make sure that we do a very thorough job and maybe a more thorough job than we did in the past.”