It seems that there is always a story breaking on the news in where you hear about a famous athlete being arrested on drug charges. No matter how famous, rich or popular the athlete may be, it seems that drug addiction will follow their success.

Here is a list of some of the more famous stories of drugs and athletes.

Ricky Williams – Saints, Dolphins, Argonauts and Ravens

With 11 seasons in the NFL, the now retired running back Ricky Williams was consistently in trouble for breaking the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Within a time span of 10 years William’s was busted 4 times for using marijuana.

Since he has had consistent issues with the drug, the University of Texas alumni has been granted the label of “stoner”.

Michael Phelps – Olympic Swimmer

Perhaps one of the greatest Olympians of all time, Michael Phelps has won 8 Olympic gold medals and has become a house hold name. However, in 2009 a photo of Phelps smoking a joint leaked and as a result he lost his sponsorship deal with Kellogg’s.

Darryl Strawberry – Mets and Yankees

The drug of use for this MLB all-star is a combo of cocaine and alcohol. It’s unfortunate that this talented athlete’s reputation has been tarnished due to his substance abuse. For 8 years in a row Strawberry was voted to the All-Star game.

Lance Armstrong – Cyclist

Probably one of the more famous cases of an athlete using performance enhancing drugs, is the tale of 7 time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong. Throughout Armstrong’s career he was accused of doping, which he consistently denied. In 2012, the truth came out that he had been illegally doping and as a consequence he lost his titles.

Lance Armstrong, having survived cancer, is the founder of the Livestrong Foundation.

Allen Iverson – 76ers, Nuggets, Pistons, Grizzlies and Besiktas

Iverson was a star athlete in high school having received the prestigious Associated Press High School Player of the Year Award in both basketball and football. Later in life he made his move to the NBA. Soon after, he was busted with marijuana possession.

John Daly – Golfer

As a result of heavy alcohol abuse this golf pro’s career went downhill. Having won 2 majors, Daly hit a losing streak that lasted for 6 years.

Michael Irvin – Cowboys

This former Dallas Cowboy is one of the NFL’s top players of all-time. Having won 3 Super Bowls, Irvin also competed in the hit TV show “Dancing With the Stars”. In ’96 the super athlete was caught with cocaine and marijuana.

Money, power, fame and drugs. For some reason all these things seem to go hand in hand. It is always a shame when you see a talented athlete throw away their career or lose it due to drug abuse and addiction. It’s a sad story when an athlete waits to get busted to seek help.

Drug addiction is a serious problem for a lot of athletes, so there is a lot of respect for those who abstain and set a good example for their fans. What are some of the infamous stories that you remember the most of your favorite athlete and drugs?