Jim Gazzolo column: Repaying on an old debt
Published 2:18 pm Thursday, February 12, 2026
Stevin “Hedake” Smith knows of what he speaks.
This week, Smith told his cautionary tale to McNeese State athletes about gambling and how quickly a friendly bet over video games can ruin one’s life and dreams.
His story is a personal one.
A college basketball star at Arizona State with a promising future, Smith set school records and earned all-American honors while playing for the Sun Devils between 1991-94. But during his final days at ASU, he got caught up in a point-shaving scandal, much like the one that…