It was a gift with some awful strings attached.
Toward the end of his sophomore year at Ohio State University, then-star swimmer Derek de Jong discovered that he was a lock for one of just a dozen spots in the school’s prestigious exercise science program — and that the team physician, Richard Strauss, had made it happen.
De Jong said he had not even considered applying because his grades were nothing special and this was a highly competitive program.
“Strauss found out that I was interested in medicine,†de Jong told NBC News. “He intervened on my behalf without my request.â€
But Strauss wanted something in return, he said.
“When I got in he congratulated me and asked, ‘When do you want to repay me for it?’†de Jong said.De Jong said he knew what Strauss was after.
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