We like to check in on past members of the San Francisco 49ers from time-to-time, but this time around, it is not good news. Former 49ers running back Derek Loville was recently sentenced to 15 months in prison for his involvement in a drug and gambling ring.
Loville started his career with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. He eventually would spend two seasons with the 49ers and three with the Denver Broncos. He was on the 49ers 1994 Super Bowl team, and also took home two rings with the back-to-back Broncos championship teams.
Things went south in a hurry for Loville, according to his attorney. He had started gambling on a site run by a former college walk-on football player, Owen Hanson. His NFL career resulted in “more than 20 concussions, joint injuries and fractures.” He got the usual run of pain killers from NFL doctors, and after his career he tried medical marijuana and various pain pills.
According to his attorney, Loville started getting oxycodone and ecstasy from Hanson. It sounds like the combination of his drug and gambling habit got him in a position where Hanson was able to leverage him into a middle man. That’s not to take away from Loville’s own responsibility, as I imagine his attorney is offering some manner of embellishment. At the same time, Hanson sounds like the bigger problem in this whole thing.
Loville is one of 22 defendants taken down with Hanson. Once Loville gets out of prison, his lawyer made it sound like he will have plenty of medical issues to deal with as he looks to get his life in order.