Butkus to high schoolers: Steroids are for wimps

A video montage of former Bears Hall of Famer Dick Butkus captivated the room full of teens at Soldier Field Friday.

Known for his crunching hits and fearless demeanor, many consider the linebacker the meanest, toughest man ever to play football.

So does good old No. 51 think steroids and human growth hormones make you tougher?

"Well no, that's the misconception, that this stuff makes you tougher," Butkus said bluntly. "OK, yeah, it does increase muscle mass, but as far as a skill in playing a particular sport, it doesn't help.

"If you're a (bad) player, you're now a (bad), muscular player."

That's the message Butkus and other sports notables delivered at Friday's rally, aimed at educating high school students - including 27 athletes from Conant High in Hoffman Estates - about performing-enhancing substances and side effects like increased risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer; facial hair growth in females; and breast development in males.

It was the first such event for "I Play Clean," a nationwide campaign operated by the nonprofit Butkus Foundation that Butkus and his son, Matt, plan to take to high schools across the country. The group points to a 2007 Centers for Disease Control survey reporting 500,000 teen athletes have experimented with steroids.

"What about the ones that lied and did try it?" Butkus said.

He remarked about how much the world has changed since he was young. There are now records with asterisks, doping scandals, stars stripped of their medals.

"We didn't have anything like this growing up," he said.

Those at Friday's rally were invited to sign a statement that they "believe in healthy lifelong alternatives, training hard, eating well and playing with attitude."

Butkus also warned the allure of steroids extends to athletes of all sizes, not just bulky football players.

Jackie Smith, a Conant cheerleader and softball player, said seeing video testimonials on how steroids could lead to depression and suicidal thoughts shocked her.

"I had no idea it was like that," said the senior from Elk Grove Village.

Conant football player Craig Davies was in awe of Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Anthony Munoz, who stressed success comes from hard work without cheating.

"People talk about him all the time and you're like, oh yeah, you'd like to see him, and then you do," Davies said. "This is really good to see these guys and have them talk to us about it."

Former Bears quarterback Jim Miller also appeared Friday. Though positions like quarterback aren't stereotypically associated with steroid use, Miller stressed education at an early age. He found himself in trouble with the NFL in 1999 after he said he took an over-the-counter supplement that triggered a positive steroid test result. The league suspended him for four games.

"It's not only anabolic steroids. It's over-the-counter drugs," Miller said.

Miami Dolphins defensive lineman and "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Jason Taylor also addressed students via video.

Even Da Coach was present. He didn't speak during the presentations, but afterward Mike Ditka stuck around, talking about how, after having problems with his hips in recent years, he was given cortisone, a type of steriod. But he said it only made his hips worse and he ultimately had to have each replaced.

Ditka also blamed temptation to use steroids on quick paydays for young athletes who lack experience. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also recently criticized the guaranteed money teams pay rookie first-round draft picks.

"You look at what they're making now ... if a kid gets $33 million in the bank before he steps on the field or throws a pass," Ditka said. "The NFL has to reexamine where they're going, because they're stupid, but that's their business."