Chargers’ Top Pick Tested Positive for Steroids

The Chargers confirmed Monday a Pittsburgh Press newspaper report that Burt Grossman, their first-round selection in Sunday’s National Football League draft, tested positive for steroids at the January scouting combine workouts in Indianapolis.

The Monday report said Tom Ricketts, an offensive lineman at Pitt and former college roommate of Grossman, also tested positive. The paper quoted Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Chuck Noll as saying the Steelers were aware of Ricketts’ positive test even before they made him the 24th player selected in the first round.

Noll said it was his understanding that Ricketts’ steroid use was small in dosage and only for the purpose of healing a sprained arch.

“I believe that’s exactly the story with Grossman,” said Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers director of football operations. “It (the steroid use) was to help his injury heal.”

Grossman suffered through much of the 1988 season with a sprained ankle. According to new NFL steroid guidelines, Grossman could be subject to weekly steroid tests for up to two years.

“Our guys are not worried about it,” Ortmayer said. “We are not at all concerned.”

The testing ends as soon as the traces of steroids clear the body.

Monday was Billy Joe Tolliver’s first chance to meet the local media. And Texas Tech quarterback, the Chargers’ second-round draft pick, lived up to his Texas-style name.

He said he grew up in the tiny town of Boyd, Tex. (population 800), about 35 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

“Let me tell what an adjustment this is for me being in San Diego,” Tolliver said. “I can remember when I was about 4 or 5 years old, we lived out in the country. We didn’t have a lot of money and it didn’t take much to get by.

“One day, my dad just decided he was gonna take me and my mom down into Fort Worth to let her window shop. My mom didn’t get to do much (in Boyd).

“We get into Fort Worth and we go into this big ol’ store, glass on the outside and everything, and we walk inside and my dad tells my mom, just go on and look at all the stuff she wants to see and we’ll just stand here and wait for her.

“So we’re just sitting there in the lobby and my mom, she’s just having a day out there. Now I look down the hall and there’s these two big silver doors. I asked my dad, I said, ‘Pop, what are those down there?’ And he said, ‘I don’t know. Let’s go look at it and find out.’ So we walked down.

“I can remember looking at these doors and my pop standing there checking them out. And all of a sudden they open up and we’re just standing there amazed. And this lady walks up and she had to be the ugliest woman I’d ever seen in my life.

“I was only 4 at the time, but she was really ugly.

“She walked inside those doors in that little closet and then all of a sudden they closed up and I’m looking at it and I see numbers flashing--2-3-4-5-6. And then it stops.

“I’m looking at my dad and he’s looking at the numbers. Then all of a sudden it goes 5-4-3-2-1. And the doors open up and the best looking woman you’ve ever seen in your life stepped out of that thing.

“I’m looking at my dad and I said, “Pop, what is that? How’d that happen?’ He goes: ‘I don’t know, boy. But you need to go get your momma. We’ll run her through it a couple of times.

“That’s how small a town we are.”

The rest of Monday was devoted to announcements of the Chargers’ late-round picks. They started in the seventh round by selecting Florida State’s Marion Butts, a 6-foot-1, 248-pound fullback. According to Seminole offensive coordinator Wayne McDuffie, Butts is “John Dillinger in head gear.” The Chargers were especially impressed with Butts’ special teams’ play.

Later in the same round, they chose Tulane quarterback Terrence Jones. Henning compared Jones to Miami utility back Jim Jensen, who can line up at wide receiver, running back or quarterback.

The Chargers’ eighth-round pick was Nebraska wide receiver Dana Brinson, who is only 5-9 but an excellent punt returner. In the ninth round, they opted for Syracuse tight end Pat Davis. In the next round, they got Ricky Andrews, an inside linebacker from Washington. And their last selection of the day was Florida State running back Victor Floyd.

The Chargers traded their 12th-round choice to Washington for the Redskins’ 12th-round selection in 1990.