Athletes are revered by celebrities and become celebrities themselves through all the time on the air they spend playing and staring in commercials as well as movies. Many athletes are big in the community donating their time and money to the city they play for as many purchase a home where they play. Unfortunately there are downfalls of athletes that shake their very foundation which leads a career downfall as well. The following are different types of downfalls as well as athletes that faced these obstacles.
Substance Abuse Issues
Darryl Strawberry could have high one of the highest ceilings in terms of talent to go far in Major League Baseball. Crack cocaine ruined his once promising career with which he still retired from baseball with great stats for a career lasting a little over a decade. Any athlete that is suspended 3 times for violating the substance abuse policy of the MLB should have received help. Josh Howard is another great talent that has repeatedly been suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. This turned Howard into damaged good with the only team being the Patriots taking a chance on him only to watch him fail another drug test.
Car Accidents And Motorcycle Accidents
Car accidents have derailed a few careers in major ways and motorcycle accidents have done the same. Bobby Hurley a once promising point guard from Duke University was injured severely in an accident almost losing his life. While he did play a few seasons after the accident this type of trauma leads fans to wonder how great he could have been. Following this around a decade later Jay Williams who was playing for the Bull crashed his motorcycle and was lucky to be alive. Unfortunately Williams never really played at a high level again with the crash dashing his hopes of an extended NBA career. Different types of car accidents have different implications so it is always important to stay aware behind the wheel.
Arrests
Aaron Hernandez is the best example of a young athlete with loads of potential throwing it away by committing a heinous crime. Aaron was charged with the murder of a friend and charged in another crime. This is all after the star tight end signed a large contract with the Patriots. Hernandez was found dead in his cell from an apparent suicide as he was looking at multiple life sentences. This shows that many athletes cannot separate themselves from where they came from as Aaron was from the Boston area. If he were drafted by another team it brings into question whether this would have transpired. It can be difficult to see the opportunity at hand when people try to bring an athlete down that are supposed to be friends.
Father Time Finally Wins
Muhammad Ali had a few fights far after his prime that many people say contributed to all of the damage done to his brain. Watching Ali in his last few fights it was sad to see him lose his spring in his step. What was even worse is what became of one of the most charismatic men to ever walk this earth. The damage his brain sustained left him a shell of the man that he used to be although those close to him say he still had his quick wit. This is a great example for athletes that are fighting or playing beyond their prime in when to call it quits. A person does not want their quality of life impacted negatively for the rest of their life due to an injury they sustained well after they should have retired.
Seeing sports stars hurt their own careers can be devastating for fans that look up to them. The above situations prove that our favorite star are just like us, they are human.
