News Article: ESPN article on Scott Cochran and his issues (lnk)

[Cruloc]

Former Georgia, Alabama football coach Scott Cochran's new life after addiction

By 2015, three years after getting his first prescription, Cochran said he had developed an addiction, taking 10 pills per day. He crushed and snorted the pills, so they'd get into his bloodstream and rid him of his migraines faster. Cochran said he obtained prescriptions from a doctor in Alabama and another one in Mississippi. He bought additional pills from dealers off the street.

"I had to go to docs outside of the building to get more and more and more," Cochran said. "But the one thing was, it fixed my headaches, which was crazy. It was literally like, 'Oh, shoot. I can coach all day.' Like, my head doesn't hurt. I don't have to put my head into the ice tub between every workout group, you know?"

He was the most famous strength coach in college football. Now, Scott Cochran opens up about his addiction

Scott Cochran was a rising star coach at Alabama and then Georgia while hiding what he calls an addiction to painkillers. He is now sober and is out of coaching, trying to help others going through similar struggles.

www.espn.com

 

[dtgreg]

He was the most famous strength coach in college football. Now, Scott Cochran opens up about his addiction

Scott Cochran was a rising star coach at Alabama and then Georgia while hiding what he calls an addiction to painkillers. He is now sober and is out of coaching, trying to help others going through similar struggles.

www.espn.com

I was always suspicious of the "Adderall" story. Although, he could have been abusing that, as well. Kind of a homemade "speedball", maybe? Who knows?

I'm sure we'll never know the real truth but I'm glad he's alive and hope he can be happy and good to his family and the people around him. Addiction, and opioid addiction in particular, is a horrible thing. I've seen too many people made miserable and die from it.

 

[Padreruf]

IMHO, he's too early in recovery to be leading anyone...he needs to get his own house in order and show that he can be sober for several years. Although speaking is cathartic it also can allow one to feel one's self to be a fraud and relapse.

 

[cbi1972]

I couldn't spend one hour at his level of intensity without being hospitalized

 

[CB4]

IMHO, he's too early in recovery to be leading anyone...he needs to get his own house in order and show that he can be sober for several years. Although speaking is cathartic it also can allow one to feel one's self to be a fraud and relapse.

I tend to agree with you Padre, as we was discussed when the story first broke a few months back. To your point, I know the medical director who managed a former Alabama football player’s initial detox and treatment. After a few months of clean time, this player was “encouraged“ by those around him to do what Cochran is doing now. This medical director told me that he and the counselors working with this player were adamantly opposed to him doing this. They told those around him “too early, too soon and relapse is a high probability“. To no avail.

And relapse is what happened, eventually leading to myriad of legal and health problems, and eventually his death.

As a side note, I think it is somewhat misleading to state Cochran is leading a life “after addiction”. He is living a life “in recovery“ at this point. As an addict, you are never “cured”. You are always one drink, one snort, one bet away from relapse and back to living a life of insanity and chaos.

Can Cochran do it differently? Maybe. I wish him well. I just think this early in his recovery is tremendously risky.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Tough story, hoping Cochran can keep on the straight and narrow. It's hard on everyone around him, but it sounds like he has the support to pull through.