Former Saints Director of Security Accuses Payton, Vitt of Vicodin Theft

The name of a second New Orleans Saints coach accused of taking the painkiller vicodin from the team’s medical locker has been revealed. Linebackers coach Joe Vitt has been accused along with head coach Sean Payton of stealing 130 vicodin tablets, in what has turned into a federal investigation for the Super Bowl champs.

New Orleans’ former security director, Geoffrey Santini, turned over files to the feds before resigning from his position with the Saints last August. Santini, a former FBI agent, demanded a $2 million settlement from the Saints before doing so. In return, Santini offered to keep his findings quiet. The Saints have repeatedly said the lawsuit has no merit and they are not afraid to let federal authorities do their job.

The use of prescription drugs by former and current professional football players is not something that comes as a surprise to most people,but the abuse and theft of such controlled substances from the team’s personal drug locker would be a new one. General Manager Mickey Loomis reportedly put a hidden camera in the trainer’s office to order to catch the culprit that had stolen close to 100 pills earlier in the week. The next day, the camera supposedly caught Vitt, who was prescribed the medication, going into the drug locker and taking 8 pills. The camera caught him taking 12 pills the next day.

Anyone involved with the NFL has access to pain management doctors that prescribe painkillers like vicodin, oxycodone and oxycontin. We would be foolish to think that some of these players and coaches don’t abuse the privilege of having such highly trained personnel at their service, but you would also think each team, individually, has a program in place to keep problems in house and deal with abusers on a case to case basis. Every NFL team is responsible for reporting every pill that is dispensed, in accordance with state and federal law.

Peter King’s article on the subject is excellent. While he keeps his distance from making accusations, he also reports the story in detail. The accusation can go a number of different ways. Nobody would be surprised if the DEA does a full investigation that takes months to finish or simply takes the evidence and makes sure the Saints keep better records.

The worst thing that could happen for all parties is for the Saints to counter Santini’s lawsuit with one of their own in order to prove their innocence. It would keep this story in the public eye for a longer period of time than is necessary and would also give Santini a podium to make his accusations public. Santini has already named his price which makes one doubt his moral stance on the situation. Now it becomes a matter of how headstrong he becomes in the prosecution of the men accused.