Watching some of the replay of the Congressional Baseball Steroids hearings on TV last high-school, made me Reminisce about the research  paper I wrote in high school back in 1989.  I can vaguely remember the title of report which at the time constituted 30 percent of my overall grade. Yet, the subject was about steroid use in high-school athletes. What possessed a 16 year old who at that time weighed about 135 pounds to write a paper about the steroids? The main reason why was because of an article I read in Sports Illustrated magazine about and high school football player by the name of Benji Rameriz.  The year was 1988 and Benji was a star player for his Ashtabula, Ohio, high-school football team.  Then he collapsed during practice one day, dying from what was an apparent heart attack. It was speculated back then that the Benji was taking anabolic steroids and that was what ultimately led to his sudden and painful death. Since then, and out of the respect and fairness to the family of Benji Rameriz.  The Kids Endangered Now Heart Association has a brief statement that refutes the claim of that steroids cause of death for Benji Rameriz.

The Statement Reads as follows:

“Benji's autopsy showed no trace of steroid use. In 1988, there was not as much research about sudden cardiac arrest and sudden death in youths and athletes. He has had many family members die of heart disease, including his cousin Fernando, who is shown on this site. He also died of cardiomyopathy at the age of 24, outliving Benji by 7 short years. Benji's classmates and coaches spoke very highly of him. Most people knew those that placed undetermined blame were wrong. This was proven, but not reported.”

As 135 pound frail looking fella in high-school who wanted to to play football. The thoughts ran across my mind to take steroids.  However, after that Sports Illustrated article and the additional research I did on steroids and its effects. I was scared to point that it wasn’t worth the risk. By the way I never made the football team (fact is I never tried out) . So it was a moot point.

The steroid problems in athletics has been around long before Jose Conseco wrote about baseball’s abuse in his so called tell all book.  In 1989 Congress held a series of hearings in reference to steroids. The commissioner of the National
Football League, at the time Pete Rozelle,  was joined by NFL Executive Vice President Jay Moyer and coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Chuck Noll in testifying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs and in professional football. Pete Rozelle was quoted as saying  "As is true under our policy on cocaine and other so-called street drugs," Rozelle explained, "we will not hesitate to remove those who use steroids from professional football.

Maybe Bud Selig should had taken his que from the late Pete Rozelle.