Former NFL Stars Who Are Surprisingly Poor

By now, stories of NFL stars losing millions of dollars from fortunes they earned playing pro football and from other business endeavors hardly surprise us. In July 2019, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reported running back Adrian Peterson, one of the greatest offensive players of his generation who has a spot guaranteed for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was facing financial difficulties. Peterson "has made about $100 million in salary, and millions more in endorsements, during his NFL career," per Smith, but the ball-carrier "trusted the wrong people who ripped him off." 

The NFL Players Association works with first-year rookies and proven veterans as it pertains to learning about wise investments, smart short-term spending, and planning for events such as injuries and work stoppages. That wasn't always the case, which explains why some former stars freely spent more than they earned and ended up surprisingly poor. It's also worth noting that not all lessons are taken to heart by young men who believe they'll play at the highest level for a decade, if not longer. Truth be told, many of the stories about former NFL stars burning through cash to the point of bankruptcy are downright sad. They're also cautionary tales about how it's almost always easier to lose money than it is to gain a fortune back. Here are former NFL stars who are surprisingly poor.

Warren Sapp will forever be remembered as one of the greatest defensive tackles to ever play in the NFL. Named to seven Pro Bowl squads and six All-NFL Teams (four-time First-Team All-Pro), Sapp won Defensive Player of the Year in 1999, and he was part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that routed the Oakland Raiders to win Super Bowl XXXVII. Unsurprisingly, Sapp was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013, his first year of eligibility. Following his retirement, Sapp became a fixture on NFL Network programs and broadcasts. 

Per the Sporting News, Sapp earned over $82 million during his career. By April 2012, however, he reportedly had less than $1,000 in his checking account. According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Sapp owed "more than $6.7 million to creditors and back child support and alimony" at that time. His situation became even sadder in February 2015 when he was arrested on charges of soliciting a prostitute and assault. NFL Network terminated his contract, but those charges were dropped later that year.

Terrell Owens is different things to different people. Some see him as one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history who deserved to be voted into the Hall of Fame his first year of eligibility and who heroically returned from a serious injury to start for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Others within the football community remember him as the quintessential diva receiver, a me-first player who became an outcast with three separate franchises and who cared more about his touchdown celebrations and his brand than about winning a championship. 

In October 2017, Owens told the Associated Press (h/t Business Insider) he had run "through most of the $80 million he made during his 15-year career, thanks in part to bad investments and business deals." As Bleacher Report wrote, T.O. claimed in 2012 that bad financial investments and child support payments had left him broke and with "no friends." Perhaps that's why the eccentric wideout continues to appear on MTV reality shows, video-game covers, and at his own Hall of Fame ceremony. He also joked about returning to the NFL for the 2019 season; well, we're assuming he was joking. You never know with Owens.

William Perry, affectionately known as "The Refrigerator" or "Fridge" because of his imposing size and alarming athleticism, was arguably the most popular player who featured on the all-time great Chicago Bears defense that helped the club win Super Bowl XX. Perry's limited use as a fullback in short-yardage situations only increased his commercial appeal, and he tallied a rushing score in that championship win. While he struggled with his weight throughout his career, he managed to play from 1985 through 1994. 

Perry's downfall has been almost as well-documented as his on-the-field achievements. In 2011, ESPN's Tom Friend wrote about Perry's struggles with alcoholism and with health issues such as diabetes. In June 2016, Sports Illustrated reported Perry was "at least 150 pounds overweight" and that his earnings were "long gone." Before that story was published, Perry's older brother, Michael Dean, told Fox 32 Chicago that Perry was "living off a monthly social security disability check" and "some disability money from the NFL."

The Detroit Lions selected defensive lineman Luther Elliss in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Elliss became a starter directly out of the gates, and he was named to the Pro Bowl for the 1999 and 2000 seasons. The Lions parted ways with Elliss after the 2003 campaign, and he spent one year with the Denver Broncos before retiring. Years later, he claimed that he earned over $11 million while playing for the Lions. 

As Kyle Meinke of MLive wrote, Elliss filed for bankruptcy in 2010 following years of extravagant spending. Unlike some NFL players who trusted the wrong people or who have blamed others, Elliss freely admitted to Meinke that he blew his money "on property and bad business ventures." Elliss has since spoken at NFL rookie symposium gatherings to prevent others from repeating his mistakes. In February 2017, the University of Idaho football program hired Elliss as a defensive line coach. He entered his third season with the school in the fall of 2019. In May of that same year, Kaden Elliss, Luther's son, signed a rookie contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Few former players can adequately touch upon the highest of highs and lowest of lows an NFL star may experience better than former wide receiver Andre Rison. "Bad Moon" made the Pro Bowl every season from 1990 through 1993 and again in 1997, and he was with the Green Bay Packers when that storied franchise defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Rison also famously lost a home in a fire started by then-girlfriend and pop star Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. That, we'd later learn, wasn't his only asset that eventually went up in (figurative) flames.

As Ross Maghielse of MLive wrote, Rison filed for bankruptcy in 2007 because of overdue child support bills. Per Grantland's Wesley Morris, Rison went through the $17 million he earned with the Cleveland Browns, and that doesn't account for other NFL contracts he signed during his 12 years in the league or money he made in the CFL. In the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Broke," Rison claimed to have spent at least $1 million on jewelry. He also said that he "lost back-to-back houses at one point during his career."

Deuce McAllister earned back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003. Two years later, the New Orleans Saints rewarded one of the greatest running backs in franchise history with a new contract. According to ESPN, it was one of the most lucrative deals ever signed by a player at the position at the time. McAllister remained with the Saints until the end of the 2008 season, when he became a salary-cap casualty. The Saints gave him a championship ring even though he wasn't an active member of the Super Bowl XLIV roster, and he's in the team's Hall of Fame. 

McAllister wasn't as good at selling cars as he was on the field. In 2009, Nissan sued the former back and claimed he owed the company $7 million. In August 2011, The Times-Picayune reported a home once owned by McAllister, who filed for bankruptcy two years prior, was auctioned off for nearly $900,000. Nissan again sued McAllister in January 2013, per the Louisiana Record, after claiming he hadn't paid on a judgment stemming from the previously mentioned case. As of August 2019, he was working as an analyst for New Orleans Fox affiliate WVUE-TV.