The life of the professional athlete seems like a dream to most of us. To spend your days playing a game – and one at which you excel and have a genuine passion – is great in itself. But add to that the big money, the fame, the adoring fans and the lucrative sponsorship deals and you can see why it is a fantasy for so many youngsters.
Of course, unless your name happens to be Tom Brady, you are also likely to be retired long before your 40th birthday. That might sound like part of the attraction, but it leaves a lot of years to kill. What's more, for every millionaire NFL quarterback, there are a hundred journeyman pros who made enough to live on, but certainly not to keep them in comfort for a 40 to 50 year retirement. For many sports stars, the phrase "life begins at 40" takes on a whole new meaning, as the following examples demonstrate.
Richard Seymour – poker pro
Events like the World Series of Poker have turned a simple card game into something that is almost a sport in its own right. Perhaps that is why so many sports stars want to be a part of the game. There are individuals like Usain Bolt and Cristiano Ronaldo who get involved as brand ambassadors for the major casino sites, and whose name have become synonymous with the brands they represent. In the ultra competitive world of online casinos, dozens of sites offer materially similar gaming experiences from slots to poker to live roulette, so this sort of brand building is an essential part of their marketing strategy.
With Richard Seymour, however, things are a little different. This guy is the real deal in the poker world. The former defensive tackle spent seven years with the Patriots and three more with the Raiders, but today, you'd be more likely to see him on The Strip in Las Vegas. He regularly participates in WSOP events, and has accumulated earnings of more than half a million dollars, with a largest single pay day of $20,000.
Jim Brown – actor
When Jim Brown was a pro back in the early 60s, nobody expected the NFL to set them up for life financially – even if you were, like Brown, one of the superstars of the era. After retirement, some players went into coaching while others took routine manual jobs. Brown, however, surprised everyone by heading straight to Hollywood, where he launched a successful acting career.
A bit part in The Dirty Dozen led to his first leading role in war adventure The Mercenaries. His acting career continued into the new millennium and today, his net worth is an estimated $50 million. Brown hasn't been seen so much in recent years, but given that he recently turned 83, nobody would blame him if he finally decided the time was right to retire for real.
Gary Player – golf course architect
Arguably the greatest player ever to pick up a golf club, Gary Player was always going to have his name etched in the history books when he finally hung up his playing boots. Like many golfers, he continued playing into his senior years, but by that time he had also made a name for himself as the foremost designer of golf courses.
Examples of his work can be seen across five continents and 36 countries, including two championship courses in Sun City, South Africa, the Alta Vista in the Philippines, Bent Creek in Florida and Kau Sai South in Hong Kong, to name just a few. One thing is certain, his name will literally live on in golf indefinitely.
David Beckham – the worldwide brand
He was an immensely talented soccer player who captained his national team, played in more than 100 international and represented Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy in a playing career that spanned more than 20 years. Yet his fame is such that his footballing exploits seem almost a footnote to his overall career. At the height of his footballing prowess, he was described by one UK publication as a brand as recognizable as IBM or Coca Cola. With his pin-up looks and his pop star wife, he had all the ingredients for celebrity success, and has also proved to be a shrewd business man.
Today, Beckham has multiple business interests, both inside and outside football. Last year, he announced plans to launch a new football team in Miami, Inter Milan CF, which will join the MLS circuit in 2020. As well as numerous sponsorship deals with the likes of Adidas and Walt Disney, he has invested in property across the globe. Today, his estimated annual earnings are around $65 million, and he continues to invest – only last week he announced that he would be setting up his own media company.
George Foreman – grill guru
When George Foreman followed in the footsteps of so many boxers before him to come out of retirement and resume boxing in 1987 at the age of 38, there were those who predicted disaster. It was also seen as evidence that Foreman might be struggling to pay the bills. Whatever the reasoning behind the reboot, his second stint lasted for 10 years and had more highs than lows, featured memorable title wins against Evander Holyfield and Michael Moorer. However, it was what he did after retiring for the second time at the age of 49 that really raised eyebrows.
The George Foreman Grill is something that we have all heard of, and when it first appeared, more than a few were mocking the seemingly shameless and somewhat meaningless celebrity endorsement. After all, what has a boxer got to do with a grill? Why would anyone buy it? Ultimately, however, Foreman had the last laugh. The grill proved spectacularly popular, and according to a New York Times article at the time, Foreman was paid a cool $137.5 million for the use of his name. Now that's a tidy pension pot.
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