It’s finally here.
The steroid scandal that swept the nation officially hit home Wednesday. Wasn’t it only a matter of time?
The news that former Northwestern defensive lineman Luis Castillo tested positive for andro and admitted steroid use to all 32 NFL teams means steroids are creeping ever closer to the NU community, if they’re not already here.
But at football practice Thursday, NU coaches and players offered boatloads of support for Castillo, who was categorized as a great human being with exceptional character who took some bad advice.
Randy Walker said he stands behind Luis with his “strongest endorsement.”
That’s great. Except the guy tested positive for drugs.
Luis is a nice guy, someone who told me in the fall: “Most people can’t comprehend and understand how you look into your teammate’s eyes and you can’t let him down, so you’re going to go out and play regardless of what you feel.”
It sounded great at the time. But right about now, it sounds like a joke.
While players and coaches continue to show support, the man who is being portrayed as the God of Great Character wasn’t exactly thinking of his NU teammates. In fact, he was just plain selfish.
Because of the stupidity of NFL general managers, Castillo still will get a big fat check when he’s picked up in the second or third round of the draft.
Castillo still is going to have an NFL career, and he now looks like a great guy for sending letters to the teams admitting he made a mistake. Maybe he’ll even get to talk to a bunch of kids about what a bad boo-boo he made, and then he’ll look even better.
So who’s the loser in this situation? NU, of course.
There’s no evidence the school has done anything wrong, and no football player has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs under Walker’s tenure.
But on Wednesday, the school had prime placement on SportsCenter for one of the first times since the tragic death of Rashidi Wheeler.
And despite the fact that NU says Castillo never tested positive while playing for the Wildcats, the school just can’t separate itself from the controversy. Athletic Director Mark Murphy made a statement about the school’s drug-testing policy, a statement that certainly had to be made.
Why? Because we all had the same questions when we were shocked by Castillo’s admission: Did it happen at NU? Does it happen at NU?
I was disappointed when I and a Daily writer showed up at Castillo’s door Wednesday. Luis opened up long enough to say, “nothing.” Then he shut the door in our faces, muttering, “You guys are crazy.”
No, Luis, you’re crazy. Because while you’re moving on and making a reputation as one of the NFL’s “great” guys, NU athletes still will bear the burden of suspicion. And it’s because you abandoned your teammates and made one of the gravest mistakes a professional athlete can make.
NU made SportsCenter. And once again, it wasn’t because our football program did something well.
Sports editor Teddy Kider is a Medill sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected].
