Even some of the most iconic and legendarily skilled players aren't safe from financial ruin and bankruptcy. "According to a 2009 Sports Illustrated article, 35% of National Football League (NFL) players are either bankrupt or are under financial stress within two years of retirement..." - Wikipedia. These aren't great odds for some of the famous faces, past and present, to grace the football fields of our favorite teams. And yet, even with millions at their disposal, "financial advisors" to their left and right, these broke NFL players weren't able to stay away from terribly-sound financial decisions, shady characters, and an abundance of court fees and overdue child support. Thankfully, not all is lost. Some of these major names were able to claw their way back from bankruptcy. But for most, their finances are still looking pretty poor...

As one of the shining stars in Cleveland Browns history, quarterback Bernie Kosar made about $19 million before retiring in 1996. However, come 13 years later in 2009, Kosar was deeply in the red – so much so he had to declare bankruptcy. Through an expensive divorce, several poor investment decisions, and stealing by financial advisors, Kosar was left with $44 in his bank account, just over $1100 in monthly income, $9.2 million worth of real estate and assets, but a huge debt of $18.9 million, before a final bankruptcy would help the former quarterback start over.

Charlie Batch, a longtime backup quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, won several Super Bowl Rings with the team during his league tenure. However, many inadequate real estate deals left him reeling with debt. Not only could Batch not pay off the mortgages on the several properties he bought into, he defaulted on their loans… meaning he lost many of his properties outright, along with any money previously invested into each of them. Like Kosar, Batch was forced to declare bankruptcy. 

Known lovingly as “The Refrigerator,” William Perry was a massive Chicago Bear, playing defensive tackle and occasionally fullback during the 80s, most notably for the Super Bowl-winning 1985 team. His league salary, in addition to bountiful advertising and endorsement gigs, should have lasted Perry must longer than it did. By 2011, he auctioned off his Super Bowl ring, manages off $14,000 a year from social security, and lives in South Carolina at an assisted-living home. 

Former first-round draft pick, Mark Ingram, Sr., selected by the New York Giants in 1987, is best known for his game-winning touchdown during the 1991 Super Bowl game against the Buffalo Bills. Upon his retirement in 1996, Ingram, Sr. was forced to make ends meet through criminal activity. These included defrauding the IRS and participating in a money-laundering scheme. Not only did he have to spend seven years in prison, he had to repay a $250,000 million dollar fine. 

Deuce McAllister played his eight seasons in the league with the New Orleans Saints as running back. Sadly, after retiring in 2008, he would blow through his $70 million savings in a mere two years. Not only did his purchase of a Nissan dealership fail, he was sued by the car company itself for exceeding credit terms and defaulting on payments. At the end of the day, McAllister was $7 million in debt, even having his $1.8 million home seized by the bank.

After his 1993 retirement, legendary New York  Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor went hard with the purchase of alcohol, drugs, and prostitutes. In fact, he would later state that at one point, he was spending literally thousands a day on drugs. Worse yet, he was found guilty of tax evasion and his company – All-Pro Products, became worthless. With a minor uptick in his finances in 2009, he shortly thereafter filed for bankruptcy.

Between 10 different women, former running back Travis Henry is the “proud” father of 11 children. However, with all those children, the child support was costing nearly $200,000 each year. With no income from the NFL to supplant these expenses, it was a given he was going to miss payments. However, he tried to make it all work. He switched into the lucrative world of drug trafficking… financing a cocaine-dealing enterprise. He was caught and spent three years in prison.

As soon as the video depicting Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, in an Atlantic City casino in 2014, was released, his world was turned upside down, rightfully. Not only was the Baltimore Ravens star’s NFL salary gone, endorsements with Nike, Vertimax, and EA Sports were instantly decimated. On top of that, he was going to be facing a long list of expensive legal fees related to the punching, contracts, and taxes.

Between 1994 and 2011, Mark Brunell earned about $50 million playing as a quarterback for Green Bay, the New York Jets, Washington, and New Orleans. In retirement, he purchased 11 Whataburger franchises, and made some pretty lousy real estate decisions… none of which that net him any profit. Literally $0. With $25 million in debt, and a lowly $5 million in assets, Brunell would declare bankruptcy in 2010. Nowadays, he’s coaching high school football in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Over 10 years ago, Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick, was publicly condemned for financing a dog-fighting ring in 2007. Losing his NFL salary, sponsorships, endorsements, and with mounds of legal fees, Vick was in trouble. In addition to purchasing lavish jewelry, cars, homes, and supporting friends and family, Vick was screwed. He declared bankruptcy in 2008. However, with a second chance with the Eagles in 2015, Vick was able to fight his way back from out of bankruptcy. These days, he’s launching clothing lines and managing football camps for children.

Terrell Owens supposedly earned over $80 million during his 1996 – 2010 stay in the league. Unlucky for him, bad home and condo purchases during the 2008 recession, several women seeking thousands of dollars in child support, and poor friends/advisors would end up stealing, losing, or costing the entirety of his net worth. These days, sporadic media events and a job in the Indoor Football League are making his finances looking pretty weak.

Tiki Barber was a one-and-only starting running back for the New York Giants. In 10 years, he made about $25 million. Unfortunately, it’s just about all gone. In 2010, his wife of 11 years was about to give birth to twins… but Barber left her for a 23-year-old NBC intern. For his public infidelity, he was publicly released from NBC. Then, the cost of divorce and child support began to quickly chew away at his remaining cash reserves. 

In 2007, JaMarcus Russell was the first NFL draft pick, signing a $61 million contract from the get-go. Unexpectedly, he became a near-instant bust. He would be released by the Raiders in 2010 and only continued to spiral down from there. He would be unable to pay for his Oakland, California mansion and be caught with un-prescribed codeine. Depressingly, he contacted all NFL owners by letter, offering to play for free. There was no interest from all 32 owners.

In six years, Vince Young made a respectable $35 million playing in the NFL. However, eight years after his leave, he filed for bankruptcy. His financial advisor even noted he was spending too quickly and too frivolously. He spent $300,000 on his own birthday (just one of them), bought an entire Southwest Airlines flight going somewhere, and spoiled his friends with extremely expensive dinners and drinks, some nearing $6,000 a night. Further, he had several children with four mothers. Four mothers who all sought child support.

Warren Sapp is a Hall-of-Fame NFL defensive tackle. It’s suspected he made roughly $40 million during his NFL career, not including any sponsorships, endorsements, advertising gigs, and media appearances. And even with all that money, he wasn’t able to overcome his ridiculous spending: a 33rd-floor Hollywood Beach condo, 240 pairs of Air Jordans, a 15,000 square-foot mansion, and the monthly cost of alimony and child support.

A final product of Washington and Denver, running back Clinton Portis ran for nearly 6,000 yards in four seasons… his first four seasons. This productive player retired in 2009, earning $43.1 million from the NFL alone. However, two shady NFL financial advisors took advantage of Portis. They had him invest $3.1 million into an Alabama casino gone bust. He had to spend countless more on baby mammas. A few million went toward IRS fees, and he even owed his mother some amount when the dealings got rough. In the end, Portis was out more than $5 million.

Raghib Ismail was an interesting player. This wide receiver from Notre Dame was expected to be the number one draft in the NFL. Instead, he signed with Canada’s league, specifically with the Toronto Argonauts. Nonetheless, he would earn $20 million between Canada’s league and the NFL. Through several bad investments – a Hard Rock Cafe knockoff, financial backing for a religious-themed film, several calligraphy shops, a phone card dispenser startup, failed music label, questionable cosmetological treatment, among others, Ismail would lost at least $4 million. 

Throughout 13 years, Dermontti Dawson remained a lifelong Pittsburg Steeler. He started in 181 of 184 of his games, becoming a Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Sadly, Dawson invested millions with multiple real estate partners, only to claim a minor controlling interest in all of them. By the time the 2008 housing crash had ended, Dawson was left with debts totaling over $70 million. He declared bankruptcy as he only had $1.42 million by the time he called it quits in 2010.

In 1995, Johnny Unitas drafted and quickly cut from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played semi-pro football before the Baltimore Colts signed him, back into the pro league. The rest is history. Unitas would go on to throw 290 touchdowns with 40,239 yards in 18 seasons. Yet, success on the field does not equate to success off of it. Unitas would go on to start a bowling alley chain, a Florida-based real estate company, freight company, and purchase National Circuits, an electronics company in 1984 for $5.3 million in loans. With personally guaranteed loans, Unitas dug himself into a hole when National Circuits went under. By 1991, Unitas declared bankruptcy.

Aside from one final season with Denver, Luther Elliss was a career defensive linemen with the Detroit Lions. Before retiring in 2004, Ellis finished his NFL tenure with 29 recorded sacks and 331 combined tackles. He even managed to earn a cool $11.6 million from 2000 until his retirement. Like Unitas, Elliss personally guaranteed loans… which is unsound as he had invested in failed internet and real estate ventures. He also spent way too much on personal mega-mansions. The father of 11 eventually filed bankruptcy in 2010 as he had over $4 million in outstanding liabilities with smaller assets unable to match. 

Between 1983 and 1999, Dan Marino became a Miami Dolphin legend. He earned over $51 million due to his performance as a quarterback – 420 touchdowns and 5,000 completions for a whopping 61,361 yards. In 2012, Marino would once again become a media-friendly name. Dan was an investor in Digital Domain Media Group, a company known for producing holographic Tupac Shakur a few years back. He invested $14.5 million into the company, However, when the company bailed, his investment was worth less than $1 million. All in all, he lost $13.6 million on just this one poor investment.

Former Broncos quarterback John Elway is currently worth around $145 million, but questionable financial decisions after he retired from the NFL in 1999 left him with money troubles.  In 2010, news came out that Elway had invested $15 million into a Ponzi scheme, losing at least $7 million in the process. Lucky for him however, he’s since managed to bounce back through lucrative investments in car dealerships and other industries.

Chris McAlister was once a cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens with a $55 million contract, but after some financial struggles he went completely broke. After child support battles with his ex-wife and a several-years-long stint with unemployment, McAlister said in 2011 court documents: “I live in my parents’ home. My parents provide me with my basic living expenses as I do not have the funds to do so.”

O.J. Simpson is so famous for the 1994 murder trials of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman that we often forget he was once an incredibly gifted running back with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers. Although O.J. was acquitted of the murders in criminal court, he was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the families of the victims. Today he’s serving time for unrelated crimes, and it’s not looking very likely he’ll ever make up the money he once earned in his days as a star NFL running back!

Muhsin Muhammad II was once a star wide receiver with the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears respectively, making two Pro Bowls and leading the league in receiving yards in 2004. But ultimately with big NFL paychecks came big spending, and when he couldn’t pay back his credit card debt, he was sued by Wachovia Bank. He was eventually forced to sell his home to pay it off.

Archie Griffin won an unprecedented two Heisman Trophies during his decorated college career, then went on to have a relatively unremarkable, yet consistent 7-year career in the NFL. Griffin was handsomely paid throughout his time in the league, however a series of bad investments in the sneaker injury wiped out nearly all of his NFL earnings.

Adrian Peterson was one of the NFL's biggest stars in the 2000s, rewriting the running back record books for the Minnesota Vikings. At one point, Peterson was worth close to $100 million. However a mixture of lavish spending, unpaid debts, and tax issues decimated his bank account, and likely forced the possible future hall-of-famer to play longer than his body should have allowed.

Dick "Night Train" Lane was one of the NFL's first superstars. The Hall of Fame cornerback played in the league from 1952 to 1965, being selected to the Pro Bowl in seven times in that span. Unfortunately for Lane, his post football life was a melange of alcoholism, drug addiction, failed marriages, and bad business deals.

Andre Rison had a fantastic NFL career, highlighted by a Super Bowl Championship with the Green Packers following the 1996 season. However, Rison's off-the-field issues (including a violent relationship with musician Lisa Left Eye Lopes) and wild spending (literal millions on jewelry) left him with little to show for his success financially.

Shawne Merriman burst  on to the NFL scene in the early 2000s, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years, becoming a superstar for the San Diego Chargers. However a series of off-the-field issues - highlighted by a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a Playboy employee who claimed that a date-rape drug Merriman slipped into her drink led to her death - brought his career to a screeching halt, and led to bankruptcy.

During the 2018 season, the New England Patriots paid Rob Gronkowski a base salary of $8 million, increasing his contract maximum to $9 million one year later.   Despite being one of the league's highest-paid tight ends, the 29-year-old is proud to share he hasn't spent "one dime of my signing bonus or NFL contract money," he revealed in his 2015 book, "It's Good to Be Gronk." Instead, he's been living off of his promotional earnings since his rise to fame in 2010. Gronk explained in an episode of "Kneading Dough" hosted by Maverick Carter that  "If I like the clothing, if I like the shoes, I'll wear those shoes and I'll wear that clothing down to the rags."

Kirk Cousins, the current Minnesota Vikings quarterback has some sound advice for his NFL teammates. “You don’t know how long you’re going to play,” Cousins quipped during a 2016 interview.  “You’ve got to save every dollar even though you are making a good salary.” Cousins was driving a 16-year-old GMC Savana at the time of the interview. “It’s better to buy appreciating assets than depreciating.  There will be no yachts or sports cars." Not only did has he eliminate the typical NFL supercar, but he also bypassed the traditional celebrity mansion.

After signing a five-year, $57.5 million contract with the Washington Redskins in 2015, pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan ended up finding a clever alternative to costly Washington housing prices.  Per the Wall Street Journal, Kerrigan chose to share an apartment with childhood friend Andrew Walker. Kerrigan also manages to keep his food costs as low as possible, according to Walker, who added, "He makes most of his own meals but, when he does splurge, he goes to Chipotle."

Since being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, Darius Hayward-Bey has earned millions of dollars: According to ESPN, the wide receiver made around $35 million in 2016. He successfully manages his finances thanks to an allowance agreement he worked out with his mother. “I grew up knowing what to spend and what not to spend,” Heyward-Bey said. “It’s easy when you don’t have money to not spend. That's how I was raised."  During his active season, he even cancels his cable just because he's not home to watch it. "I keep things very simple," he explained.

Since being drafted in 2009, the Detroit Lions safety known as Glover Quin earns an average of $6.5 million per year, has been saving 70% of his post-tax pay. Quin is an astute investor as well. He invests 10 to 20% of his savings in private equity firms, intent to double his income. The plan has always been to “save as much money as I can and spend as little as I can in the time that I have in the league."

Giovani Govan Bernard is currently a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although his base salary isn't necessarily huge, Bernard makes up for the pay discrepancy by living pretty cheaply. He has no shame in renting out a smaller apartment and driving a borrowed minivan. As he's familiar with the seriousness and severity of running back injuries, it would make sense to save as much as possible. In a league full of hard-hitting battles, we give Bernard props for planning.

These days, AJ Francis may be a signed wrestler with the WWE, but his money-earning stunts during his Dolphins, Seahawks, and Redskin days are to be respected. Namely, during his time with the former Washington Redskins, between 2016 and 2017, the team's nose tackle spent his free time giving rides to the citizens of the Washington metropolitan area. That's right, Francis worked for the ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft. The grind for that extra dollar is real.

For a short three seasons, between 2014 - 2016, John Urschel played guard and center for the Baltimore Ravens. He retired at the age of 26, citing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as his reason for departure. Amazingly, Urschel is also kind of a genius. Little did his teammates know their guard was secretly attending MIT for a Ph.D. in mathematics. These days, Urschel is writing peer-reviewed articles and working as an advanced stats columnist for The Players' Tribune.

Jordy Nelson is a former wide receiver that retired in 2019. His lifetime football earnings stand near $56.9 million. In a recent interview, Nelson admitted that the inspiration for his frugal nature is derived from his childhood. Nelson, a Green Bay Packer at the time, likened his NFL work ethic to the repetitive, agricultural, labor-intensive farm work during his upbringing. When asked about his reputation, he responded, "I am extremely cheap." Nelson told the hosts about his road-trip routine of staying in his hotel room and eating NFL-provided snacks to avoid wasting his per diem dinner money unlike his peers.

Marshawn Lynch is a recently retired running back who was once regarded as one of the NFL's best. He earned a whopping $56.8 million on the field, but he also made millions as a pitchman for Pepsi, Skittles, Progressive, Nike, Activision, and Microsoft. Don't even forget about the profits earned through his Beast Mode clothing line. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Lynch has saved every penny of his on-field salary since being drafted in 2007. "Marshawn Lynch has a lot of money... He has never, ever spent a dime of his actual playing money," Rapoport said.

Andrew Luck was once the highest-paid player in the NFL, signing a $123 million contract extension with a $32 million signing bonus in 2016. Unfortunately, injuries sidelined the completion of his contract. Still, thanks to  Nike, TD Ameritrade, DirecTV, BodyArmor, and Panini, Luck has been in major luck. Funny enough, Luck made a name for himself through continued use of a dated flip phone. Luck told USA Today that “I don’t think I want to be connected 24/7, and this phone is maybe sort of a reminder that you don’t have to be connected. And it’s nice to getaway. It’s nice to turn your phone off.”

Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders is the 28th highest-paid defensive guard, even with a contract worth $7.75 million.  However, it's increasingly likely that he may invest himself into a wealth bracket that would make today's highest-paid NFL stars jealous. This possibility comes from his strict adherence to a $3,500 a month budget.   Nassib saves and invests a hefty 85-percent of his income. Focused primarily on index funds, he specifically takes the time to invest in electric utility companies. He cites electric cars as his motivation for the specific industry.

Morgan has prioritized socially conscious investments with the $42.1 million he accumulated during his time with the Tennessee Titans. The former linebacker figured his wealth should support social justice and eco-friendly initiatives. The former pro discussed the topic with The Undefeated in 2019. “I wanted to use my money to match my values and make more of an economic impact on the community. You start to make investments to directly impact the people you want to help."

Ryan Broyles was a former Detroit Lions wide receiver for a mere three seasons. His "blink and you'll miss it" career was carefully choreographed to allow Broyles a comfortable "retirement." Shortly after signing his $3.7 million rookie contract, with $1.4 million guaranteed, a financial advisor gave the young wide receiver some valuable advice. Broyles was suggested to live "comfortably" for the next several months and take note of his income and expenses. Broyles then set $60,000 a year as his annual living expense. Everything after that was invested.

These days, legendary quarterback Tom Brady is worth about $270 million. Although he once personally removed $24 million from an old contract with the New England Patriots to help fund the team's offseason activities, he's still an everyday man looking for a deal. As just one example, Brady took issue over an $8,500 expense regarding a new pool cover. From an outside party, this seems ridiculous. But for a power couple that invests in smart real estate transactions, $8,500 may have been a punch in the gut.

Aside from a brief stint as quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Joe Flacco has largely remained a New Englander. Flacco now throws for the New York Jets but his longest tenure resides with the Baltimore Ravens (2008 - 2018). In 2013, Flacco signed a whopping $120.6 million, six-year contract. And yet, the multi-millionaire decided to treat himself with a pretty frugal meal. Instead of splurging for a private chef, Flacco opted for a McNugget meal from his closest McDonalds.

Brandon Copeland is a former American and Arena football wide receiver. His pro career lasted from the late 2000s through the early 2010s. When Copeland was a Jet, he was only spending 10% of his salary. “This career can end at any moment. Any money I make I’m trying to extrapolate that out for life, I’m trying to save as much as possible.” Copeland was aware of the industry, making his past investments into stock, real estate, and venture start-ups quite lucrative.

Christian Wilkins is a former Clemson Tiger and two-time College Football Playoff National Champion. Laughably, he knew “My teammates know I’m the cheapest guy in the world." He states that “And I’m not ever willing to spend much. I’m very low-maintenance when it comes to my needs," but some of his habits prove otherwise. For example, instead of ordering lemonade, Wilkins will order water and six lemon slices. From there, he'll squeeze the slices into his cup, naturally, and add several packets of free sugar found on many restaurant tables. This was just one of his many cost-saving measures during his college days.

As of 2021, Alfred Morris is a free agent that last played for the New York Giants. With an uncertain NFL future, his choice to be frugal will keep him wealthy for decades to come. In fact, he still drives the 1991 Mazda 626 Sedan he had purchased from his pastor for a whole $2. Morris refers to his Mazda as "The Bentley." Hearing of his devotion to his car, Mazda refurbished his car to like-new condition in 2013.

In 2019 the New England Patriots selected Joejuan Williams out of Vanderbilt University as the draft's 45th pick. After watching his mother go through financial struggles as a teen, he developed a longstanding frugal mentality. In high school, an economics class taught him about stocks, funds, and other investments. Since joining the NFL, Williams saves 90% of his income. With a four-year, $6.6 million contract, he's clearly on his way to a very happy retirement. Further, he wishes to create a financial literacy program for underprivileged teens to best set them up for later-life financial success.