Young Athlete Loses Career to Drugs, but Finds a New Purpose in Recovery
Zeke Pike was a promising young quarterback recruited by Auburn after a spectacular high school performance. But Auburn didn’t know that he’d already started using marijuana and drinking and downing the occasional pill. For awhile, his college football kept him on the straight and narrow but an arrest for underage drinking made serious waves in his local community. In actual fact, that event was the beginning of the end for his career.
He walked away from Auburn, admitting that he found his new celebrity lifestyle at Auburn overwhelming.
He found a new opportunity at the University of Louisville, closer to his Kentucky roots. But UL had a starting quarterback and Zeke didn’t spend much time on the field. He started spending more of his time high—this time on Xanax. After a horrific car accident that should have killed him and his girlfriend Dani, he was suspended from the team. The scathing criticism in the press hastened his descent into desperation and addiction.
His folks got him into a recovery environment and he did well, but Dani’s overdose death sent him back to the oblivion of drugs again.
There was one more shot at college, football and a scholarship, but heavy drug use and another DUI arrest put an end to it. He was broke and began to sell drugs and even considered suicide. An arrest before he could complete that task saved his life and was the beginning of his recovery.
After six months in jail, he founded a ministry that works to prevent the same kind of disaster happening to young men and women in Kentucky high schools. By sharing his story, he hopes to motivate them to build the lives they want so drugs don’t have a chance to derail their dreams.
Fast Fame, Huge Paychecks and Addiction
There’s such a long list of fine athletes in every sport who damaged or lost their careers to drugs or alcohol. Like Dwight Gooden, Steve Howe, Darryl Strawberry, Diego Maradona, Andre Agassi. Some even lost their lives, like Len Bias, Derek Boogaard and Darrell Porter.
Many professional athletes are not prepared for the life in the spotlight, where every weakness is pounced on by the press. Fat paychecks means drugs are available. They may be able to conceal their substance abuse but when use escalates, careers are going to be brought to a halt.
The Perfect Environment for Recovery
Over the last fifty years, the Narconon drug and alcohol rehab program has helped tens of thousands of people reclaim their sober, productive lives. Some were athletes or entertainers and others were simply moms and dads who wanted to be able to take care of their kids properly again. At Narconon Ojai, we offer a special, caring and private environment for those in recovery. Here, it’s possible to regain one’s sobriety without relying on medications. Instead, deep detoxification restores clarity of thinking and helps reduce cravings. Life skills training puts a person back in charge of his own life and future.
Learn how the rehab program at Narconon Ojai can help someone you care about get back in control of his career in a private and luxurious environment. Call today to learn more.
