From Murder On Valentine's Day To Being Blackballed For Activism, Here Are 15 Stories Of Athletes Who Destroyed Their Own Careers

This nonfiction mentions intersexual battle and suicide.

We've seen truthful galore athletes clang and pain implicit the years. Some stories are gut-wrenching and sickening. Others consciousness much similar well-deserved karma. While successful immoderate cases, we consciousness atrocious for the person. Whether done their ain vices, crimes, mistakes, oregon activism, these 15 athletes destroyed oregon severely derailed their ain careers.

1. Colin Kaepernick mislaid his vocation not owed to immoderate crimes oregon horrible vices. He mislaid his vocation due to the fact that helium decided to protestation against constabulary brutality and the execution of unarmed Black radical astatine the hands of instrumentality enforcement.

Michael Zagaris / Getty Images

Prior to his viral kneeling campaign, which drew the ire of President Trump, Kaepernick was the backmost of the San Francisco 49ers and led them to an NFC Championship successful 2013, losing to the Baltimore Ravens 34–31 successful Super Bowl XLVII. He brought the 49ers backmost to the NFC title the pursuing year, and earned a six-year declaration hold successful June 2014.

However, successful 2016, Kaepernick began kneeling during the National Anthem successful protest, which led to him losing his vocation and allegedly being blackballed by the NFL, for which helium sued the league. Kaepernick settled his collusion grievances against the NFL successful 2019, though helium ne'er returned to the league.

2. Mike Tyson is considered 1 of the astir brutal and effectual boxers of each time, but his idiosyncratic controversies derailed his vocation and person outgo him dearly financially.

He became the youngest heavyweight champion astatine 20, and held each 3 large belts (WBC, WBA, IBF) simultaneously. Although helium earned implicit $400 cardinal during his boxing days, helium filed for bankruptcy successful 2003.

His lavish spending is astir arsenic legendary arsenic his boxing skills. Reportedly, Tyson blew hundreds of millions of dollars connected luxury vehicles, exotic animals similar his Bengal tigers (which outgo him astir a 4th cardinal a twelvemonth to provender and groom), monolithic mansions, uncommon jewelry, and connected allowing his immense entourage to walk astatine will.

But the wealth is lone fractional the story. Although helium has ne'er been convicted of home abuse, Tyson's past of it has ne'er near the press. He joined histrion Robin Givens successful the '80s, but their national was little aft she claimed being with Tyson was, "torture, axenic hell, worse than thing I could perchance imagine" and that helium had an "extremely volatile temper." She filed for divorce, citing his rage and home maltreatment arsenic the main causes.

Tyson would aboriginal admit to hitting Givens, stating successful Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson, “She truly offended maine and I went BAM. She flew backwards, hitting each partition successful the apartment. That was the champion punch I’ve ever thrown successful my full life."

In 1992, Tyson was besides convicted of raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington successful Indiana. He was sentenced to 10 years successful prison, with 4 suspended, and served 3 years earlier being released connected probation. And portion yes, Tyson is inactive a personage who we person seen successful movies, commercials, and ads, his abusive quality and reckless spending habits person enactment an irreparable dent successful his legacy.

3. Antoine Walker feels similar the archetypal blueprint for Victor Wembanyama. He was a large antheral with a large leap changeable and won a title with the Miami Heat successful 2006.

Although helium earned implicit $100 cardinal during his NBA career, Walker filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy successful 2010, conscionable 2 years aft retiring. His spending habits were to blame: Walker was infamous for supporting a ample entourage and was known to effort to outspend others erstwhile the accidental arose.

He besides had a agelong database of gambling debts. "When I went done my fiscal difficulties and yet filed for bankruptcy successful 2012, I truly got a accidental to spot each of the mistakes that I made," helium stated. Since then, Walker has worked astatine Morgan Stanley's Global Sports and Entertainment Division, helping to usher others down a smarter fiscal path.

4. Tonya Harding's autumn from fame was 1 of the biggest scandals successful sports history.

In 1994, 1 time earlier the U.S. Figure Skating Championship Singles match, skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked and suffered a bruised and swollen genu aft being struck successful the limb with a metallic baton. This caused her to retreat from the competition, clearing the mode for Harding to "win" the U.S. title.

However, the attackers were rapidly caught, and admitted they were hired by Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard. Ultimately, Harding confessed to her engagement and took a plea deal, receiving a condemnation of 3 years of probation. The United States Figure Skating Association besides banned her for life.

In 2002, years aft losing everything, Harding won a celebrity boxing match against Paula Jones, which jump-started her nonrecreational boxing career. Her archetypal nonrecreational lucifer ended successful defeat, and she competed successful lone a fistful of fights earlier retiring owed to asthma. Her last grounds was 3-5.

5. Lenny Dykstra was a shot prima who won a World Series with the New York Mets successful 1986, but helium efficaciously cratered his bequest aft racking up a lengthy rap sheet.

First, Dykstra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy successful 2009. He was forced to auction disconnected his World Series ringing for $56,000 to assistance wage disconnected implicit $30 cardinal successful debt. However, this full bankruptcy contented was a scam, arsenic Dykstra was aboriginal accused of lying nether oath, improperly hiding and selling assets, and acting "in a fraudulent and deceitful manner" passim the case. In the end, helium pleaded blameworthy to felony bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets, and wealth laundering.

Then, successful 2011, Dykstra was charged with 25 misdemeanor and felony counts of expansive theft auto, attempted expansive theft auto, individuality theft, and possession of cocaine, ecstasy, and a quality maturation hormone. He was sentenced to 3 years successful prison. Dykstra was released successful 2013 connected probation and was required to service 3 years of supervised release, on with being admitted to a substance maltreatment programme and serving assemblage service.

But the communicative keeps going. In 2018, Dykstra was arrested for cause possession aft allegedly holding a gun to the caput of an Uber driver. The operator claimed that Dykstra held a "black pill container with an object" believed to beryllium a weapon to his caput aft the operator refused to alteration the destination and threatened to termination him.

At that point, the operator pulled into a parking batch adjacent a constabulary station, honked the horn, and fled connected foot. Although a weapon was not recovered, constabulary recovered cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy successful Dykstra's possession. He pleaded blameworthy to a reduced complaint of disorderly behaviour and was fined.

6. Curt Schilling is simply a legendary pitcher who won 3 World Series, was named World Series MVP, and is simply a subordinate of the 3,000-strikeout club, but mislaid everything helium had with 1 atrocious investment.

Ever perceive the phrase, "Don't enactment each your wealth successful 1 pot?" Schilling whitethorn not have. He enactment his bosom and psyche (and each his wealth too) into 38 Studios, a video crippled company. Famed comic publication innovator Todd McFarlane and writer R.A. Salvatore joined forces with Schilling to make a single-player RPG crippled called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The crippled was released successful 2012 successful concern with Electronic Arts for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Prior to the game's release, the Rhode Island Board of Economic Development loaned $75 cardinal to 38 Studios successful an statement to grow the workplace and bring hundreds of caller jobs to the tiny state. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sold comparatively well, but underperformed overall, and 38 Studios defaulted connected their indebtedness to Rhode Island. The workplace had to unopen down, which was a messy ordeal: They had resettled caller workers nether a relocation bundle but failed to merchantability their aged homes nether those conditions, leaving those employees with a second mortgage.

Rhode Island and respective affected employees sued Schilling and his company, with total settlements reaching $61 million. Schilling admitted that, "The wealth I saved during shot was astir apt each gone" owed to the failed concern endeavor.

7. Marion Jones is simply a erstwhile Olympian and way prima who was connected apical of the satellite earlier admitting to utilizing steroids earlier the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

It each started successful 2004, erstwhile the laminitis of BALCO (Bay-Area Laboratory Co-Operative), Victor Conte, revealed that helium had personally fixed Jones 4 antithetic amerciable performance-enhancing drugs before, during, and aft the Olympic Games. However, Jones denied these claims and had ne'er failed a cause test.

There was not capable grounds to determination guardant with the allegations, truthful Jones was successful the clear. Then successful 2006, it was reported that an "A" illustration of Jones's urine failed a cause trial for PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs). But her "B" illustration passed the test, erstwhile again clearing her name.

However, the study poked holes successful immoderate of Jones's stories, and soon after, she admitted to lying nether oath astir her steroid usage earlier the 2000 Olympics. She was stripped of her 3 golden and 2 bronze medals, and served six months successful situation arsenic portion of her plea deal.

8. In 2007, Michael Vick was astatine the highest of his vocation erstwhile the Bad Newz Kennels investigation uncovered a dog-fighting ringing operating connected a spot owned by Vick successful Virginia.

This 1 truly deed maine successful the gut, arsenic I was a HUGE Vick instrumentality astatine the time. Over 70 dogs, mostly pit bulls, were seized by instrumentality enforcement. Many of the dogs showed signs of injury.

The Bad Newz Kennels was allegedly liable for canine fighting, gambling, and the brutal executions of dogs. Vick pleaded blameworthy to financing the dogfighting ring, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL, and sentenced to 23 months successful national situation (of which helium served 19 months and was released connected location arrest).

The full ordeal near a lasting content connected Vick, who has since go a vocal advocator against carnal cruelty and works with the Humane Society.

Although Vick returned to the NFL aft his jailhouse condemnation and won Comeback Player of the Year successful 2010, his estimation and vocation ne'er afloat recovered. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy successful prison, and mislaid implicit $100 cardinal successful contractual earnings, deals, and endorsements.

9. Tight extremity Aaron Hernandez lone spent 3 seasons with the New England Patriots earlier helium was indicted successful 2013 for the execution of Odin Lloyd, a person of his.

Lloyd was recovered with aggregate gunshot wounds to the backmost and thorax successful a parkland astir a mile distant from Hernandez's house. Although a motive was ne'er intelligibly discovered, immoderate investigators judge that Lloyd had learned of Hernandez's alleged bisexuality, starring the jock to termination him successful fearfulness of being outed.

The disgraced choky extremity was besides aboriginal indicted connected execution charges for Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu and Safiro Teixeira Furtado, though helium was aboriginal acquitted of their killings.

After astir 2 years of warring the Lloyd case, Hernandez was recovered blameworthy of murdering him, and sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole. He spent 4 years successful lockup, earlier helium took his ain life. Other prisoners claimed that Hernandez became obsessed with K2, the faux-marijuana drug, which was fashionable astatine the correctional facility. He allegedly smoked it heavy successful the days starring up to his death.

After his death, it was reported that Hernandez had "John 3:16" written connected his forehead successful ink, and that his compartment level was covered successful shampoo with cardboard stuck nether the compartment doorway to forestall anyone from entering. There were besides drawings successful his ain humor connected the walls displaying a pyramid with the all-seeing eye, and the connection "illuminati" written underneath.

10. Oscar Pistorius' vocation came crashing down erstwhile helium killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, successful 2013 connected Valentine's Day.

Pistorius was released connected parole successful 2024, truthful you whitethorn person seen his sanction connected your feeds recently. He was born successful 1986 without fibulas, truthful doctors amputated some his legs beneath the genu astatine 11 months. Pistorius began racing with moving blades successful 2004, and people acclimated to the sport, becoming a rising star. He is 1 of lone 10 athletes to vie successful some the Olympics and Paralympics, having won six gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze astatine the latter.

All of that is overshadowed by the information helium killed his girlfriend, Reeva. He admitted to sidesplitting her, saying helium mistook her for an intruder successful the aboriginal hours of Feb. 14. Prosecutors argued that helium murdered her successful the vigor of a fight. Reeva was changeable 4 times.

Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter. But successful 2015, prosecutors appealed this condemnation and won, getting the complaint upgraded to murder. His condemnation was accrued to 13 years and 5 months, but helium was released connected parole successful January 2024.

11. Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker destroyed his vocation aft making respective racist, xenophobic, and sexist statements during an interrogation with Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Pearlman successful precocious 1999.

During the interview, erstwhile asked if helium would ever play for New York teams similar the Yankees oregon Mets, helium responded, "I'd discontinue first. It's the astir hectic, nerve-wracking city. Imagine having to instrumentality the 7 Train to the ballpark looking similar you're riding done Beirut adjacent to immoderate kid with purple hair, adjacent to immoderate queer with AIDS, close adjacent to immoderate dude who conscionable got retired of jailhouse for the 4th time, close adjacent to immoderate 20-year-old ma with 4 kids. It's depressing."

"The biggest happening I don't similar astir New York," helium continued, "are the foreigners. You tin locomotion an full artifact successful Times Square and not perceive anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish radical and everything up there. How the hellhole did they get successful this country?"

His connection was met with near-universal backlash successful the media, and Rocker was initially suspended for a period and fined $20,000, but helium appealed, and an arbitrator reduced the punishment to 2 weeks with a $500 fine. He was besides fined $5,000 for threatening Pearlman and took sensitivity training. And yes, Rocker returned to playing professionally aft his little suspension, but the unreality of his comments hung implicit him, and his vocation derailed, starring to his status 3 years later.

In 2014, Rocker appeared connected the 29th play of Survivor with his woman Julie McGee. But different competitors recognized him for his arguable statements, and helium was 1 of the archetypal 3 radical voted out.

12. Lance Armstrong and his Livestrong bracelets are among my astir vivid memories from precocious school. He was a hero, but his vocation was dogged by doping allegations.

Still, Armstrong won the Tour de France 7 times successful a row, mounting a grounds and becoming the poster-boy for redemption aft surviving cancer. But successful 2012, a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) probe discovered with "conclusive and undeniable proof" that helium had been utilizing PEDs passim his illustrious vocation and was besides astatine the halfway of a monolithic team-run doping conspiracy.

The probe went connected to report that continued winning lone "led him to beryllium connected EPO, testosterone and humor transfusions but also, much ruthlessly, to expect and to necessitate that his team-mates would likewise usage drugs to enactment his goals if not their own."

"It was not capable that his team-mates springiness maximum effort connected the bike, helium besides required that they adhere to the doping programme outlined for them oregon beryllium replaced," the study continued. "He was not conscionable a portion of the doping civilization connected his team, helium enforced and reinforced it. Armstrong's usage of drugs was extended and the doping programme connected his team, designed successful ample portion to payment Armstrong, was monolithic and pervasive. Armstrong and his co-conspirators sought to execute their ambitions done a monolithic fraud present much afloat exposed. So ends 1 of the astir sordid chapters successful sports history."

Armstrong was already retired astatine this point, successful what galore saw arsenic a measurement backmost portion helium was being investigated. Although the erstwhile champion denied each the allegations astatine first, successful 2013, helium admitted to doping.

Armstrong received a beingness ban from each sports and was stripped of competitory results starting successful August 1998, including his 7 Tour de France wins. All his large endorsements were lost, including Nike, Trek Bicycles, and Oakley, and helium mislaid astir $75 cardinal from lawsuits, settlements, and mislaid deals.

13. Ray Rice's NFL vocation ended abruptly successful 2014 aft TMZ released footage of him assaulting his then-fiancée and now-wife.

Rice was a beast connected the tract for the Baltimore Ravens, earning 3 Pro Bowl selections and winning a Super Bowl. He looked similar the adjacent large thing, until his arrest.

Both Rice and his fiancée, Janay Palmer, were arrested and charged with carnal battle successful Atlantic City aft an elevator statement turned violent. Rice was initially suspended for a mates of games; however, erstwhile TMZ released the afloat video of the elevator attack, it was over. The Ravens released him immediately, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. The video showed Rice brutally attacking Palmer, punching her successful the look and knocking her unconscious, past dragging her retired of the elevator.

Rice appealed the NFL suspension due to the fact that helium was already suspended by the Ravens for the aforesaid incident, which was against league rules. While helium did triumph his appeal, and was reinstated successful the NFL, nary squad would motion him afterward and helium ne'er played different crippled successful the league.

Palmer, who is inactive joined to Rice, stated, "It was ne'er a thought whether I was going to permission oregon not due to the fact that I knew that wasn't him successful that moment. This is idiosyncratic I've known since I was 15. I knew that we had enactment to do, and I was consenting to determination guardant and enactment successful the work."

14. Henry Ruggs III lone played successful the NFL for nether 2 afloat seasons earlier helium was arrested for vehicular manslaughter.

Ruggs enjoyed a palmy assemblage shot career, winning the 2018 title with the Alabama Crimson Tide. And In 2020, helium was drafted by the Raiders.

However, his vocation was chopped short. In 2021, Ruggs and his woman had spent the nighttime drinking astatine Top Golf connected the Las Vegas Strip. Investigations recovered that the 2 near the determination and, astatine astir 3:30 a.m., deed a Toyota RAV4 portion traveling astatine 156 mph.

In the RAV4 was 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her aureate retriever, Max. The collision caused a monolithic fire, and Tintor and her canine were burned to decease portion trapped successful the SUV.

Ruggs III and his woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries. They were brought to a hospital, and a humor trial taken hours aft the mishap revealed Ruggs had a BAC of 0.161%, much than treble the limit. The Raiders ended up dropping Ruggs, and helium pleaded blameworthy to DUI resulting successful decease and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He is inactive successful prison.

15. And lastly, it's astir arsenic if Tiger Woods is surviving successful a never-ending rhythm of car accidents. He is arguably the astir celebrated golfer of each time, and is simply a fable connected the course. However, helium has been embroiled successful contention since 2009.

That year, the National Enquirer had released a sprawling portion detailing Woods's infidelities. Days later, Woods crashed his SUV into a histrion aft jumping a curb and striking a occurrence hydrant. The windows to his SUV were bashed in, which galore suspected was caused by his then-wife Elin Nordegren.

Woods was not charged with a DUI, and got disconnected with a careless driving citation instead. However, the harm from the exposé portion would not beryllium arsenic easy fixed. Public scrutiny and a increasing database of women who came guardant to uncover they had an matter with the golfer forced Woods to travel clean, issuing a nationalist apology and stepping backmost from golf.

"I knew my actions were wrong," helium stated. "I convinced myself that mean rules didn't apply. I ne'er thought astir who I was hurting. Instead, I thought lone astir myself. I ran consecutive done the boundaries that a joined mates should unrecorded by. I thought I could get distant with immoderate I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my full beingness and deserved to bask each the temptations astir me. I felt I was entitled." Woods and Nordegren finalized their divorcement the pursuing year.

Following the scandal, Woods mislaid an estimated $22–$50 cardinal annually successful endorsements, arsenic large sponsors similar Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade, and Gillette axed his deals oregon attempted to region themselves from him. His sponsors' banal worth besides took a monolithic hit, with studies estimating a $5–$12 cardinal nonaccomplishment successful shareholder capital. That wasn't the extremity of it, though.

In 2017, Woods was recovered unresponsive successful his SUV, which had level tires and a damaged bumper. He was initially charged with DUI, though helium had a BAC of 0.00. It was aboriginal revealed that a operation of medicine drugs had caused an adverse reaction. “I recognize the severity of what I did and I instrumentality afloat work for my actions. I privation the nationalist to cognize that intoxicant was not involved,” Woods said successful a statement. “What happened was an unexpected absorption to prescribed medications. I didn’t recognize the premix of medications had affected maine truthful strongly." Yet 4 years later, Woods would clang different vehicle.

In 2021, Woods deed a halfway divider and a histrion successful a rollover accident. He was not charged with immoderate wrongdoing successful the crash, with erstwhile Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva saying the incidental was “purely an accident.” Then AGAIN, successful March 2026, Woods was progressive successful different rollover crash. Allegedly, helium was trying to walk a motortruck towing a trailer erstwhile helium clipped the vehicle, tipping his SUV onto its side. He was capable to flight without wounded but was taken into custody connected suspicion of being intoxicated. However, Woods passed a breathalyzer test, but officers say helium showed "signs of impairment." He was released the aforesaid day.

What are immoderate different stories of athletes destroying their careers that you tin remember? Let maine cognize successful the remark section!