Former Drug Dealer Wants To Make Good

By Michael Pope

These days, Tony Suggs teaches a class called "boxercize" at an Alexandria recreation center. But he looks back on his youth as time misspent. He had a promising boxing career, and he was on his way to the Olympics when drugs took all that away.

"I spent my best prime years in jail, when I was at the peak of my career, when I was on fire, when I was on fire, you know, I spent it in jail, in and out of jail, on drugs," says Suggs.

Instead of competing in the 1988 Olympics, he watched them on television. From prison. Now he and another former drug dealer are scheduled to speak to students about the dangers of drugs. But former School Board member Pat Hennig says it's inappropriate.

"If you're a convicted drug dealer, you've already shown your complete and total disregard for society. You've already shown your complete and total disregard for people's health, for people's lives. I don't think this is appropriate," says Hennig.

Suggs says he's served his time, and now he wants to make a contribution.