The 20 Most Notorious Retired Athletes

There is no question that many sports require aggressiveness, self-confidence that often borders on the belief of invincibility, and the ability to handle pressure, quirky as the methods to do so may be.

Most athletes are able to compartmentalize these traits, keeping them on the field rather than off. But there are always cases of those athletes who become as notorious in retirement as they were during their career, be it for crimes committed or severely odd and self-destructive behavior.

On this slideshow, we take a look at some of those athletes whose lives took a few wrong turns after the playing days were over.

Note: The "rankings" in no way, shape or form are a comparison or valuation of various crimes. I attempted to organize the slideshow by the infamy of the situation discussed at that time in history, and I obviously put events unrelated to crimes lower than those in which crime was involved. Thus, the "rankings" are simply an organizational device.

Fair or not, Joe Namath will always be remembered for two things: guaranteeing a victory for the Jets over the Colts in Super Bowl III, and his drunken desire to kiss Suzy Kolber on national television in 2003.

Namath would enter rehab for alcoholism after the incident.

If you want the full story on the interesting beliefs of ex-Phillies catcher Darren "Dutch" Daulton, go here. Here is a sample from Franz Lidz's SI.com story on Dutch:

Home alone in Tampa, Daulton spends much of his spare time typing up his mystical musings. The notes read like they were dictated by the True Believers who hitched a ride with Comet Hale-Bopp. "Reality is created and guarded by numeric patterns that overlap and awaken human consciousness, like a giant matrix or hologram," writes the .245 lifetime hitter. "They are created by sacred geometry -- numbers, the language of the universe, codes of awakening -- such as 11:11, which represent twin strands of DNA about to return to balance. Eleven equals BALANCE."

Oh dear.

Ryan Leaf was a hothead when he played, and arguably the worst bust in NFL Draft history.

But things seemed to be going better for him during his three-year tenure as the West Texas A&M in Canyon quarterback's coach. Leaf resigned from the post in 2008, however, and two years later was hit with ten years of parole and a $20,000 fine after pleading guilty to eight felony drug charges.

Perhaps most troubling, however, was this quote from Randall County District Attorney James Farren:

"Everyone knew if you got injured you'd get a visit from Ryan Leaf," Farren said. "And when he left he had half their pain medication."

But Leaf seems as though he is trying to, well, turn over a new leaf. He has recovered from his painkiller addiction, and apparently saved money from his playing days. He comes across in interviews as an individual who has matured and regrets the way he handled his past.

Barret Robbins was a Pro Bowl center for the Raiders in 2002, though he became best-known for disappearing the day before Super Bowl XXXVII between the Raiders and Buccaneers. Robbins would be diagnosed with bipolar disorder after the incident.

But Robbins problems would continue after being released from the Raiders in 2004 for testing positive for steroids.

In 2005, Robbins was arrested after brawling with three police officers, and Robbins was shot in the melee.

In 2010, he was again arrested after violating his parole for a cocaine possession.

In March of this year, Robbins was sentenced to five years in prison for the parole violation.

Canseco turned out to be one of baseball's greatest muckrakers during the steroid scandal. But he also did some head-scratching things after he retired, according to Wikipedia:

He was knocked out by Vai Sikahema in a Celebrity Boxing match. In 2008, his home in California was foreclosed. He pled guilty in 2008 to misdemeanor charges after attempting to smuggle a fertility drug into the United States from Mexico. He was charged with two counts of aggravated battery after a 2011 fight.

And in my personal favorite, he sent his identical brother Ozzie to fill in for him in a Celebrity Boxing match, according to MyFoxBoston.com, this March, and the fight was cancelled when the switch was discovered.

And he loves—and I mean, loves—steroids, according to Slate.

Everyone knows about the Nancy Kerrigan incident. But I think the following paragraph, from MSNBC.com, sums up quite nicely Harding's life after that incident:

Harding was banned from figure skating, and ever since, her life has seemed to be one embarrassing episode after another — a DUI conviction; a charge of assaulting her second husband with a hubcap; participation in a celebrity boxing match with Paula Jones, who had accused President Bill Clinton of sexual assault.

Oh, and there was the whole sex tape that was released on the Internet—via Cracked.com—ordeal...

Since leaving the NBA in 2001 after a career riddled with off-the-court issues, Rider has compiled a laundry list of offenses, including domestic violence and felony cocaine possession, among the many others.

For a more extensive breakdown of the laundry list of offenses too long to include here, visit his Wikipedia page here.

From a 2005 Associated Press article:

"I've always been competitive, I've always been in sports," said Newton, a six-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman who retired after the 2000 season. "I couldn't see myself not being the biggest dope man."

Newton was referencing 2001, when he was arrested twice for possession of marijuana. In November of that year, he was pulled over for a traffic violation, and 213 pounds of marijuana was found in his van. Six weeks later, while free on bond, Newton was again arrested after being found with 175 pounds of marijuana.

Newton spent two and a half years in a Louisiana prison.

Mark Ingram Sr., father of the recently drafted Mark Ingram of Alabama, would have had a prison sentence of seven years and eight months after pleading guilty to charges of money laundering and bank fraud.

But Ingram jumped bail in 2009 to watch his son play in that year's Sugar Bowl, landing him an additional two years of prison time.

Ingram had his fair share of legal issues since retiring from the NFL, spending six months in federal prison in 2001 for possession of counterfeit cash and a year in jail in 2004 over a stolen credit card.

His email to his son Mark, and the subsequent reaction, was one of the signature moments of this year's NFL Draft.

Photo from News One

One of the NFL Draft's biggest busts, Schlichter had a devastating gambling problem that permeated his short-lived NFL career and defined his retirement.

Schlichter was refused reinstatement in 1987 after multiple gambling incidents, and the gambling issues continued to control his life.

Between 1995 and 2006, Schlichter spent ten years in prison for "theft, forgery and money laundering," and was even thrown into solitary confinement for 120 days in 2004 for gambling while in prison.

A timeline of Clarett's incidents in 2006:

January: Clarett is arrested and accused of aggravated robbery stealing a cellphone and demanding money from two people outside of a Columbus bar.

August: Clarett is again arrested, found carrying a loaded assault rifle, three handguns, a half-bottle of vodka, and is wearing a Kevlar vest. Police are forced to use mace to subdue him.

September: Clarett pleads guilty to charges of aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon. He is sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, with the possibility for release after three and a half.

This past season, Clarett—who was granted early release from prison—played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL.

Henderson was a linebacker for a Cowboys team that reached three Super Bowls in the 70's, winning one in 1977. But Tom Landry cut him from the team in 1979, citing Henderson's drug use.

He would find himself with serious legal issues soon after:

Then in 1983, Henderson was arrested after smoking crack cocaine with two teenaged girls. Police said he threatened the girls with a .38-caliber pistol, sexually assaulted one of them and held them against their will. The former gridiron star served 28 months in prison.

Lawrence Phillips had endless potential, but he was a headcase during his brief stint as an NFL running back.

In 2010, Phillips was sentenced to 31 years in prison for assault and other crimes after attacking his girlfriend and running his car into three teens in 2005.

Ex-NFL running back and kick returner Dave Meggett was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on charges of criminal sexual conduct and burglary in 2010.

What is it with ex-Giants?

Taylor hasn't done himself many favors upon retiring in 1994; there are simply too many incidents to list here.

But to paraphrase, Taylor has been arrested on drug-related charges, convicted of tax evasion, made several bad investing decisions costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars, and most recently in March plead guilty to misdemeanors of sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute, who was only 16 at the time.

Taylor is now registered as a "Level 1" sex offender.

Rose spent years denying that he had ever bet on baseball during his time as a player or manager. But in 2004, he relented, admitting in the book My Prison Without Bars that he had bet on baseball, though he claimed never to have bet against his team.

The timing was suspect, as Rose finally admitted he bet on baseball just two days before the 2004 Hall of Fame Inductees were announced.

Despite the fact that Rose lied to the public for 15 years, there remains a healthy debate as to whether Rose should be reinstated and made eligible for the Hall of Fame. As great as Rose's career was, his legacy will always be connected to the scandal and his handling of the situation after being banned from the game.

Lenny Dykstra has hit some tough times since retiring, filing for bankruptcy and facing a 13-count indictment related to selling assets without the court's permission.

In response, Dykstra penned an article in his defense to the NY Post. From that article:

Are they allowed to shuffle me from jail to jail in what was left of my street clothes that they made me wear for seven days without even being permitted to take a shower? Are they allowed to then lock me up in a cell at three different courthouses, on three different days, and not even let me see a judge? Are they allowed to physically and mentally assault me and tie me up like I was some kind of animal "because they thought it was funny?" Are they allowed to torture me to the point where two nurses happened to be walking by and saw me —came to my rescue—took my blood pressure and registered it at 180 over 120?

Sounds like "Nails" feels he is getting unfairly hammered. But keep in mind that Charlie Sheen posted $22,500 in bail for Dykstra in April. And that Dykstra has been implicated as a steroid user. And he's been sued multiple times.

In other words, "Nails' may have some credibility issues.

Last November, ex-MMA fighter Lee Murray had a ten-year prison sentence in Morocco extended to 25 years for masterminding a $92 million bank heist at the British Securitas depot in 2006. 

It's a wild tale that includes extradition issues between Morocco—where Murray fled—and the UK, legal issues and a stabbing outside of a London nightclub in 2005 derailing his career, and an attempted prison escape with tiny saws.

The ex-MLB pitcher's legal issues began before he retired in 1973 for his part in a bookmaking operation in Flint, Michigan, though post-retirement McLain fell apart:

Eventually, the U.S. Justice department began to sniff around McLain's associates, several of whom were willing to talk. In March 1984, McLain was indicted on charges of racketeering, extortion, and cocaine trafficking. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Thirty months later, an appeals court threw out the verdict on procedural grounds, setting McLain free, with the government eventually deciding not to retry the case.

In 1996, McLain was "convicted on charges of embezzlement, money laundering, mail fraud, and conspiracy," and spent six years in prison.

I'm not touching the "did he/didn't he" argument here, though I would be remiss if I didn't point out that anyone who went through that trial and then tried to publish "If I Did It" is a lunatic and an insensitive (insert your expletive of choice here).

And then, O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison (with the possibility for parole after nine) after being convicted of "12 charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, robbery, assault and kidnapping with a deadly weapon." Simpson attempted to take sports memorabilia from Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley that Simpson claimed was his own.