Taylor Hooton
Taylor Hooton was a student and baseball player at Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas, who, in July 2003, committed suicide.
Taylor Hooton, a 16-year old, 6' 2", 180 pound high school student committed suicide on July 15, 2003. A number of experts from around the world reviewed this case and their consensus opinion is that the severe depression that led to his suicide resulted from his use of anabolic steroids.
Taylor's dad, Don Hooton, formed a foundation in Taylor's name, the Taylor Hooton Foundation (taylorhooton.org). This non-profit organization is dedicated to educating others - youth, parents, coaches and others about the dangers of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Most people are unaware of the dangers of anabolic steroids and are also unaware of the widespread use of these drugs by the youth of North America.
Don has testified as an expert witness on this subject before Congress on 3 separate occasions. He has spoken to multiple state legislatures, met with the governors of several states, and has spoken to over a quarter of a million people across the US and Canada on this topic.
www.taylorhooton.org
For his work in this field,
- Don was named the Texas Sports Personality of the Year by the Dallas Morning News in 2005.
- In 2009, he was named the 15th Most Powerful Sports Person in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex by the Dallas Observer,
- He was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport, and
- He was presented with the Distinguised Service Award by the United States Sports Academy.
Taylor was a cousin of Burt Hooton, a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
