20 Athletes Who Ruined Their Legacies After Retirement

Legacies Ruined After Retirement

There's nothing quite like a star athlete having a once-in-a-lifetime career and just throwing it all away in retirement, or simply getting caught for their sins during retirement, or their sins basically forced them into retirement, or ... I think you get the point.

Sad but true, legacies have been thrown away many times after retirement, and these 20 former athletes were the best in the business at pulling off that feat.

Note: The players are listed in no specific order, so take that as you will. Also, some of these athletes did some horrible things during their careers that forced them to basically retire, and then their legacies were shot.

There's nothing quite like a star athlete having a once-in-a-lifetime career and just throwing it all away in retirement, or simply getting caught for their sins during retirement, or their sins basically forced them into retirement, or ... I think you get the point.

Sad but true, legacies have been thrown away many times after retirement, and these 20 former athletes were the best in the business at pulling off that feat.

Note: The players are listed in no specific order, so take that as you will. Also, some of these athletes did some horrible things during their careers that forced them to basically retire, and then their legacies were shot.

20. Darren Sharper

Darren Sharper is a convicted serial rapist. Legacy officially shot. I don't care how many Pro Bowls he made or what he did out on the football field.

19. O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson is the prime example of a person who tarnished his/her legacy to the max.

If you don't know the stories, just Google his name.

O.J. Simpson is the prime example of a person who tarnished his/her legacy to the max.

If you don't know the stories, just Google his name.

18. Aaron Hernandez

If you don’t know what Aaron Hernandez did, I am not sure where you have been the last few years? Basically, Hernandez’s brutal crimes forced him into “retirement” — because he is going to be behind bars for a very, very, very long time.

17. Marion Jones

Marion Jones was once on top of the track world, but steroids are a very nasty thing that some athletes can't avoid. Although she did them during her career, of course, she had to pay for it after she did her damage in sports.

16. Lenny Dykstra

Lenny Dykstra has a bucket full of things that went wrong once he retired. You know, like lying under oath, bouncing a check to a prostitute and the list goes on and on.

15. Warren Sapp

Warren Sapp made headlines semi-recently. Usually when a former athlete makes headlines, it's for all the wrong reasons.

14. Lawrence Taylor

From drug addiction to sexual misconduct involving a 16-year-old, no one messed up their legacy more than this former NFL great — well, other than Simpson, and maybe a few others.

13. Sammy Sosa

Flintstones vitamins and all, Sammy Sosa used to be many people’s hero.

Unfortunately, it appears that there was some added juice in those special Flintstones vitamins.

Flintstones vitamins and all, Sammy Sosa used to be many people’s hero.

Unfortunately, it appears that there was some added juice in those special Flintstones vitamins.

12. Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong hurt a lot of people in his time. Sportswriting superstar Rick Reilly would likely agree with that one.

11. Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds would have gone down as arguably the best player in MLB history. Unlike too many athletes in his sport, PEDs got in the way of that, and the dude now has one tarnished legacy.

10. Roger Clemens

Like I said, baseball players used to love chomping on those roids, or being accused of chomping on said roids.

Technically, they did their damage while playing, but legacies were tarnished later on regardless.

Like I said, baseball players used to love chomping on those roids, or being accused of chomping on said roids.

Technically, they did their damage while playing, but legacies were tarnished later on regardless.

9. Jose Canseco

Jose Canseco is the biggest dirtbag of them all, and he tried to take everyone down with him.

8. Hulk Hogan

WARNING: Be careful what you say ... at all times and in all settings. Your words can come back to bite you years later.

7. Mark McGwire

It's a shame that a player like Mark McGwire, who punished baseballs during his MLB career, will likely never end up in the Hall.

6. Rafael Palmeiro

The cloudy suspicion of PED use clearly sunk too many players in the fine sport of baseball.

5. Brett Favre

Brett Favre is retired, right?

Favre could have certainly done much worse, but he apparently didn't fully understand what the word "retire" meant.

Brett Favre is retired, right?

Favre could have certainly done much worse, but he apparently didn't fully understand what the word "retire" meant.

4. Joe Namath

I just don't think Joe Namath can ever live this one down.

Clearly, there are worse crimes in the world, and this was more for entertainment purposes than anything.

3. Curt Schilling

Social media is a very dangerous place, so be careful what you say on it. Curt Schilling now knows that — I hope.

2. Michael Jordan

Admittedly, this is more of a joke than anything. Consider it an early trick or treat for Halloween, if you will.

Here's the deal: J.J. Watt is amazing at all things football, so fans can basically say Watt is good at everything — because he has yet to fail.

Michael Jordan would have definitely fit into the category of being good at everything ... if he didn't take a swing at baseball.

Jordan's legacy isn't really tarnished (not from this at least), but he now has a blemish on his resume. Basically, Jordan tried to tarnish his own legacy, and it's a good thing he returned to the basketball court.