American footballers are super athletes with fans across the globe. These professionals spend years of their lives training and honing their skills to meet the demands of the sports. While most of them retire joyfully and honorably, some throw their careers away by getting into trouble with the law. There have been many terrible cases over the years, but we will focus on four athletes who single-handedly ruined their careers.
O.J. Simpson
Every criminal lawyer Indianapolis knows the bizarre case of O.J. Simpson. The infamous man was a talented professional footballer. He was a running back who got Hall of Fame recognition due to his impressive skills. However, his life drastically changed in 1994 when he faced accusations of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. During the trial, the prosecutors failed to establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to his acquittal.
Following his acquittal, he penned the book If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. He detailed the murders of his ex-wife and her friend but made it seem like a hypocritical situation. O.J. Simpson eventually spent nine years in prison for armed robbery until his release in 2017.
Rae Carruth
From 1997 to 1999, Rae Carruth was a rising star in American football with Hall of Fame Potential. The wide receiver was one of the best talents of his time when he was playing with the Carolina Panthers. He secured the All-American honors in 1996 after playing professionally for one year. However, his career came to a dramatic end when Carruth paid a hitman to kill Cherica Adams, his pregnant girlfriend, over a domestic dispute.
The hitman, Van Brett Watkins, broke into the house of Cherica Adams and shot her four times. Among other charges, the court convicted Rae Carruth of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. 2018 saw his release after serving eighteen years in prison.
Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez is another talented footballer who sacrificed his life. The NFL drafted this gifted athlete in 2010 after he played college football from 2007 to 2009. Unfortunately, Hernandez's life took a tragic turn when he was convicted of killing Odin Lloyd, his close friend, in 2013. In 2017, he was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, throwing his talent and life away. Unable to live with the shame of what he did, Hernandez took his own life while serving his sentence.
Michael Vick
The last athlete on our list wasn't just careless and incredibly cruel. Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in 2006, faced serious career damage when he was exposed for having a dog fighting ring. Vick was charged with animal cruelty and other crimes related to the activities of the ring. Despite his conviction, Vick only completed 18 months of his 23-month sentence. Following his conviction, the NFL suspended Vick for two years, and the Atlanta Falcons dropped him. After his release, he eventually joined another team, but the stain of his crimes ruined his reputation forever.
Conclusion
Being good at the job doesn't always mean you are a good person or above mistakes. The professionals on this list put themselves in difficult positions and threw their lives away despite their incredible talents.
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