His gambling continued unabated; he blew his entire $350,000 signing bonus by midseason. His gambling spiraled out of control during the 1982 NFL strike; he lost $20,000 betting on college football. By the end of the strike, he had at least $700,000 in gambling debts. Years later, he said his massive losses stemmed from desperate efforts to make good his previous losses. After losing $20,000 in the first week of the strike, he doubled up the next week and lost again—starting a cycle that would continue for over a year.