Sports stars seem to have everything — fame, fortune, and the adoration of millions.
Yet no matter how far an athlete can jump or how fast they can run, the one thing they
can't outrun is themselves.
Here's a tragic look at sports stars who ruined their careers — and lives — in a matter
of seconds.
Rae Carruth
During the 1997 NFL Draft, the upstart Carolina Panthers selected wide receiver Rae Carruth,
who seemed to be a surefire superstar.
But just two years later he was out of the league and in prison after hiring three hitmen
to help him murder his pregnant girlfriend, 24-year-old real estate agent Cherica Adams.
Adams' baby, Chancellor Lee Adams, was delivered by emergency Caesarean section and diagnosed
with cerebral palsy and permanent brain damage, while Carruth was convicted in 2001 of conspiracy
to commit murder and sentenced to 18 to 24 years without parole.
In a 2018 interview from prison, Carruth told WBTV he regretted his actions.
"If I could change anything, I'd change the whole situation.
His mother would still be here and I wouldn't be where I'm at."
Johnny Manziel
A dual-threat quarterback for Texas A&M, Johnny Manziel earned the nickname "Johnny Football"
for his sensational play on the field, making him the first freshman to win the coveted
Heisman Trophy award as the best player in college football.
That was enough to convince the Cleveland Browns to pick him in the first round of the
2014 NFL Draft despite questions about his character after an off-the-field incident
where he was arrested for disorderly conduct and giving a fake ID to police.
But drafting Manziel turned out to be a mistake.
After just his third preseason game, Manziel was fined $12,000 for "making an obscene gesture"
at Washington's bench.
After a stint in rehab following that season, Manziel was pulled over by police after an
argument that "got out of hand" with his then-girlfriend.
Charges of domestic violence were eventually dismissed.
In 2016, after just two seasons, the Browns waived Manziel, who has since revealed he
has been diagnosed as bipolar and continues to work on a comeback.
Oscar Pistorius
The first double-leg amputee to compete in the Olympics, the man nicknamed Blade Runner
was a worldwide inspiration to millions.
So the world was shocked in 2013 when South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was arrested
for shooting his girlfriend to death on Valentine's Day.
Supermodel Reeva Steenkamp was in the bathroom when Pistorius shot her four times through
a closed door.
He claimed his mistook her for an intruder, but the courts didn't buy it, convicting him
of culpable homicide and eventually sentencing him to 15 years in prison.
Ryan Leaf
After being selected 2nd overall behind Peyton Manning by the San Diego Chargers in the 1998
NFL Draft, quarterback Ryan Leaf said,
"I'm looking forward to a 15-year career, a couple of trips to the Super Bowl and a
parade through downtown San Diego."
Instead, he became known as arguably the biggest draft bust in NFL history thanks to erratic
behavior, beginning with a fine before his first season even started and peaking with
an infamous locker room meltdown.
"f----- don't talk to me, alright?
Knock it off!
"F------ bitch!"
Leaf later said that was the moment he knew his career was over — just three games into
his rookie season.
During the next two seasons, he served a four-game suspension for an "obscenity-laced tirade"
directed at Chargers personnel, had to be forcibly stopped by coaches from going after
a heckling fan, and was rumored to fake a wrist injury so he could skip practice and
play golf.
After finishing the 2000 season 1 and 15, the Chargers cut him, and not longer after,
he was out of the NFL for good.
After struggling for years with addiction, Leaf was arrested in Montana in 2012.
"I felt like my career was a failure, I mean I went to my lakehouse in Montana collected
as many pills as I could, and I'd disappear for like three months."
He ended up spending two years in prison, an experience that proved transformative,
as he got sober and now works as a outreach ambassador for a recovery program.
"we're going to go down to the library and help prisoners who don't know how to read
learn how to read.
And it's the first time I've been in service to anyone but myself."
Sometimes, things eventually work out for the best.
Good luck, Ryan!
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