Charles Thompson is a businessman, motivational speaker and former American football player best known for his tenure and spectacular downfall as the quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners. A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Joe Montana, an American quaterback. ... The University of Oklahoma features 16 varsity sports teams. ...

Rise with the Sooners

Raised in Lawton, Oklahoma, Thompson proved to be a highly skilled athlete and was recruited by the University of Oklahoma, a premier NCAA Division I-A program, under head coach Barry Switzer. He was also drafted by Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds as a second baseman; however he decided to focus on football. As a redshirt freshman, Thompson became the starting quarterback of the nationally ranked Sooners for the 1987-88 season. The highlight came on November 21, 1987, when Thompson led the offense of then #2-ranked Sooners to a dominating victory over the #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers in a game that was heavily hyped as the Game of the Century II. Thompson subsequently appeared on the cover of the November 30 issue of Sports Illustrated as the Sooners took the #1 spot in the polls. While the Sooners would drop their final game of the season in the 1988 Orange Bowl and finish 11-1, Thompson's status as a nationally famous collegiate athlete was confirmed. Lawton is a city located in Comanche County, Oklahoma. ... The University of Oklahoma, often called OU or Oklahoma, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced N-C-Double-A or N-C-Two-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... Division I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States. ... The head coach in sports coaching is the coach who is in charge of the other coaches. ... Barry Switzer (born October 5, 1937 in Crossett, Arkansas) is a former American football coach, in the college and professional ranks, between 1962 and 1997. ... The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is held every year in June by conference call among the 30 Major League clubs. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890-present) Central Division (1994-present) Current uniform Ballpark Great American Ball Park (2003-present) Major league titles World Series titles (5) 1990 â€¢ 1976 â€¢ 1975 â€¢ 1940 1919 NL Pennants (9) 1990 â€¢ 1976 â€¢ 1975 â€¢ 1972 1970 â€¢ 1961 â€¢ 1940 â€¢ 1939 1919 AA Pennants (1) 1882 Central Division... The position of the second baseman Second base redirects here. ... In college sports, a player may redshirt one athletic season. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Nebraska Cornhuskers, or Huskers, are the athletic teams of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. ... The phrase Game of the Century refers to several contests in the history of college football in the United States. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Matthews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... The Orange Bowl can refer to: The Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami, Florida. ...

During the 1988-89 season, Thompson, now a redshirt sophmore, led the Sooners to a 9-3 record an an appearence in the 1989 Florida Citrus Bowl. Thompson was a successful quarterback, named to the All-Big Eight Conference - 1st team. Off the field he was a celebrity, volunteering to speak to at-risk youth about how to succeed in the face of adversity and, ironically, the danger of illegal drugs. The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football game played in Orlando, Florida, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl (1947-1982) and the Florida Citrus Bowl (1983-2002). ... The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored American football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska, and Washington University of... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events...

Downfall

Arrest

On January 26, 1989, the F.B.I. video taped Thompson selling 17 grams of cocaine for $1,400 to an undercover agent. On February 13, 1989, Thompson was arrested in Norman, Oklahoma and charged with dealing cocaine. He was released to his mother's custody on February 15, to await trial as Thompson waived his right to a preliminary hearing. In the meantime, the Sooners suspended him from the team. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the federal criminal investigative and intelligence agency, which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... This article is about the drug cocaine. ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bizzell Library, University of Oklahoma Norman is the largest city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Within some criminal justice systems, a preliminary hearing (evidentiary hearing) is a meeting, after a criminal complaint has been filed by the prosecutor, to determine whether, and to what extent, criminal charges and civil cause of actions will be heard (by a court), what evidence will be admitted, and what...

Aftermath

The cover of Sports Illustrated that defined Thompson's career.

A media frenzy followed the arrest, peaking when a picture of the handcuffed Thompson in a prison jumpsuit notorious appeared on the cover of the February 27, 1989 issue of Sports Illustrated, accompanied by accusations that the Switzer-led Sooners were out-of-control. Switzer's Sooners had already been under heavy public and media scrutiny before the incident as players had been arrested, in separate incidents, for assault with a deadly weapon and rape. With the national coverage brought by his star quarterback's arrest, Switzer resigned as head coach soon afterwards. February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Assault With a Deadly Weapon is the term used to describe the act of threatening to harm one or more people by using a weapon (usually a firearm). ...

Trial and prison

At his trial at a Federal Court in Oklahoma City, Thompson pled guilty, saying he knew he had done wrong and would take his punishment. The plea waived his rights to a jury trial and grand jury consideration of his case. He was convicted on April 26 of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and sentenced on August 31 to two years in prison. He entered a Federal prison in Big Spring, Texas on September 20, 1989. Nickname: Capital of the New Century, OKC, O-City Location in Oklahoma County and the state of Oklahoma. ... A jury trial is a trial in which the judge of the facts, as opposed to the judge of the law, is a jury, made up of citizens who are usually randomly selected and are generally not legal professionals. ... A grand jury is a type of jury, in the common law legal system, which determines if there is enough evidence for a trial. ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more natural persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... This is a list of U.S. federal prisons. ... UNDER CONSTRUCTION ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

While in prison, Thompson spoke out on the pressure and vices that can befall big time college football. He was interviewed for ESPN by Chris Fowler, and, with Allan Sonnenschein, wrote the 1990 book Down and Dirty: The Life and Crimes of Oklahoma Football (ISBN 0881846236). ESPN (formerly an initialism for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Chris Fowler is a sports broadcaster for ESPN known best for his work on College GameDay for college football. ...

After prison

Return to football

Although his sentence carried a maximum term of 27 months and a minimum term of 21, he was released after 17 months and transfered to Central State University, a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. He joined Central State's then-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics football team primarily as a running back, and helped them win the 1992 NAIA Division I Championship. As a 24 year old junior, Thompson carried 200 times for 1,018 yards and five touchdowns and caught 29 passes for 439 yards and 7 touchdowns. He decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 1993 NFL Draft; but his past proved to be too much and he went undrafted and never played in the NFL. Central State University is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. ... In the United States, Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCU) (a type of minority-serving institution or MSI) are colleges or universities that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the African American community. ... Wilberforce is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in Greene County, Ohio. ... The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (better known as the NAIA) traces its roots to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball. ... High school running back A running back, halfback or tailback is the position of a player on an American and Canadian football team who lines up in the offensive backfield. ... The NAIA national football championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA college football teams in the United States. ... The NFL Draft (officially the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting) is an annual sports draft in which National Football League (NFL) teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players. ...

Post-football

With his football career over, Thompson completed his degree, reaffirmed his Christianity and married. He found success as a motivational speaker, and his turn around was featured in a Sports Illustrated "Where are they now?" feature. He currently lives with his wife and three sons in Oklahoma City. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Trivia

• Thompson's appearences on the covers of Sports Illustrated are considered a prime example of its supposed cover jinx.

The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Matthews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ...

References

External link

• Charles Thompson's motivational speaker biography