Steve Courson dies after a tree falls on him

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Steve Courson died last week after a tree fell on him while he was doing yard work. He played for Pittsburgh from 1978 until 1983, and he played for Tampa Bay for 1984 and 1985. He was an outspoken opponent of steroid use after coming down with a heart condition that he blames on his use of the drug in his college and NFL careers.

“It’s as much drug abuse to take steroids as heroin or cocaine,” Courson said in 1990. “When most people imagine drug abusers, their thoughts are of street people living in the gutter. Realistically, these people can’t afford drugs, but professional athletes and middle and upper class teenagers can.”