SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- Don Hooton never in a million years thought his son was using steroids.
In fact, Don says he just thought his son was getting bigger by going to the gym and eating better.
"Taylor put on 30 pounds of muscle in a three month period," Hooton said. "We didn't know to equate that with the behavior."
A popular kid in school, Taylor Hooton was the starting pitcher for his Dallas JV baseball team.
"Used to joke with Taylor 'for you, girls are kind of like a bus,'" said Hooton. "If you wait long enough another will come around."
Then Taylor's dad said a coach told him he needed to get bigger to make the varsity team.
"Coach never told him to use steroids, he didn't have to because what the coach really didn't know was half the boys on Taylor's baseball team we're already doing anabolic steriods," Hooton said.
Taylor's father says he started injecting himself everyday.
Seven months later, Taylor went into a state of depression and killed himself.
"It has just been a nightmare," Hooton said.
Now, several years later, Don and his other son, Donald, started a foundation in Taylor's name and have dedicated their lives to making sure another kid doesn't end up like Taylor.
This week the men have teamed up with the Scottsdale Charros to talk to parents, students and coaches about steriod use.
"Two point five percent of high school seniors in Maricopa County admitted to using steriods," said Mark Stanton of the Charros.
That's higher than the use of meth according to Stanton.
What's even scarier? He says the fastest growing group of users are young girls.
Hooton and Stanton say those girls are doing it to get the six pack abs.
"If we just focus on sports, than we're missing all the users," Hooton said.
To reach Taylor Hooton or reach Don Hooton go
www.taylorhooton.org.
