Been There, Done That: Henderson, Marcol offer advice
By Tom Silverstein
and Gary D'Amato
of the Journal Sentinel staff
May 18, 1996
Two prominent former substance abusers applaud quarterback Brett Favre for his decision to come forward with his addiction problem, but they say if he wants to be cured, he will have to practice abstinence.
Former Dallas linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson and former Green Bay Packers kicker Chester Marcol, who both overcame addictions to alcohol, cocaine and painkillers, advised Favre to go completely clean.
"My one fear or concern for Brett Favre is that he does what Roy Tarpley, Steve Howe, Doc Gooden and all the other great documented relapsers did, that (he) goes on drinking beer," said Henderson, a former substance abuse counselor and current lecturer and film-maker.
"They think, 'Boy, I'm 20-some years old, I'm in America, it's not illegal for me to drink beer. Get off my (expletive) back. . . .' My one (hope) is that Brett will hear this, whether it's from me or others in treatment, that you've got to leave it all alone."
Favre entered a substance abuse treatment program Wednesday after revealing that he had an addiction problem. He did not directly identify the substance he was abusing, but addicted to the painkiller Vicodin.
At least one source has indicated that alcohol abuse is as big a problem and will have to be addressed during rehabilitation. Irvin Favre has acknowledged that at times he has been worried about his son's drinking habits and wants him to be evaluated for all substances.
The scenario in which Favre ran into trouble is familiar to Marcol, who played for the Packers from 1972-'80 before his career bottomed out because of substance abuse. He also started with pain pills and alcohol, later seeking highs from various other street drugs, including cocaine.
He eventually tried to commit suicide by drinking battery acid. He spent 14 days in an intensive care unit and was given his last rites. To this day he must undergo a procedure every six to eight weeks in which his esophagus is stretched with a tube.
"That's how my drug addiction started," Marcol said of pain medication. "I drank before that, but my problems really started when I started using pills."
He wound up abusing "everything on earth," he said. He first tried cocaine in August 1980 -- just before the start of his final season with the Packers -- and it quickly became his drug of choice.
"I went head over heels," he said. "Cocaine just took me over the edge."
Marcol, who said he was in the process of writing a letter of support to Favre, also said he believed the Packers quarterback will have to be free from alcohol for the rest of his life. He warned that the road ahead would not be easy.
"I'm going to tell him to watch out for the pitfalls," he said. "The bottom line is, this is just the beginning for Brett."
Henderson was a star when he became addicted to cocaine at the same time he was drinking heavily and taking pain pills. He finally entered Camelback Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 1980.
When he got out of the clinic after a 60-day stay, Henderson said he had kicked the cocaine habit but was still smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. He said his life continued to spiral downward even though he was performing well on the football field.
"I was cursed like Elvis," said Henderson, who is working with professional golfer John Daly to help him overcome his substance-abuse problem. "Elvis' voice never failed him. My legs never failed me.
"The one thing I could do drunk, loaded, screwed up, I could play linebacker. It was the other parts of my life that were deteriorating. My marriage, my social life, paranoia, the psychosis and everything else going on with cocaine abuse that makes you pretty crazy."
Because he suffered a career-ending neck injury with the Miami Dolphins in 1981 before he had become completely clean, Henderson said he never played sober again. He couldn't predict how Favre's career would be altered on the field, except to say that any personal problems that had been tugging at him might be relieved.
Whether Favre maintains his edge as a gun-slinging, throw-caution-to-the-wind type competitor is anyone's guess. He has never been afraid to scramble out of the pocket or make a tough throw just as he was about to be hit.
Henderson thinks Favre's threshold for pain could change. No longer will he be able to hide behind powerful painkillers when it comes time to play.
"I think the Green Bay Packers are going to have to handle him differently, and that is if he's hurt on some occasions he may not be able to play," Henderson said.
Favre will also have to be his own strongest supporter, Henderson said. Because he comes from a background where alcohol consumption is prevalent, he's going to have to learn how to say no, especially back home in Kiln, Miss.
"Brett has to tell people, 'I don't drink, give me a Coke, give me a club soda,' " Henderson said. "And he has to stand firm. I think people will respect him. I don't think anyone will try to force anything on him.
"Just like he stands in the pocket with 300-pound ends and tackles after his (expletive), he's going to have to let his decision to be clean and sober be his pocket.
"People in Wisconsin and Mississippi need to respect his decision and educate themselves and know that this man has made a step forward with a substance-abuse problem."
Marcol, who believes his substance abuse-problems curtailed his career by six to 10 years, said he hoped those in treatment with Favre would treat him as just another person instead of a "superstar football player."
"I hope, for his sake, the treatment is tough," Marcol said. "The tougher, the better. People have to understand that he's in there to get better. It doesn't matter if you're a superstar or some guy who makes $10 an hour. The problem is the same."
http://www.jsonline.com/packer/arc/0522/favre518.html
