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Stephen Paul "Steve" Courson (October 1, 1955 – November 10, 2005) was an American football player, playing lineman for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.
Courson was originally from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He played for the Steelers from 1978-1983 and retired in 1985 after two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 1991, his book False Glory: The Steve Courson Story, about his life in football when he used steroids, was published. He was one of the first American football players to admit to using steroids and harshly criticized them, making nearly 100 speeches a year to high school and college athletes about their dangers. Courson bench-pressed 605 pounds but came to feel ashamed and guilty that he really didn't lift the weight – it was the power that steroids gave him. Courson was one of the first players to confess he had been using steroids during his playing career. He suffered from a heart condition which was believed to have been caused by his steroid use.
After his career Courson was effectively blackballed by the NFL because of his outspoken stance on steroids. He had a spell as a high school football coach in the 1990s. Courson's wife Cathy committed suicide. After her death he met Denise "Dee" Masciola, who became his girlfriend.
Courson stayed near Pittsburgh for the rest of his life. In November of 2005, he died in an accident at his home in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Courson had been cutting down a 44-foot tree on his property, but a gust of wind changed the direction of its fall, and he moved into its path while attempting to prevent his dog from being struck. The dog, a black Labrador retriever, was found alive near Courson's body when the tree was removed [1].
