Last time we took a look at the some National Football League offensive players who filed for bankruptcy protection. This article lists the best defensive players who filed bankruptcy. Bankruptcy helped these players resolve their financial problems and set them on a course for a fresh start.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Harvey Martin. Martin played 11 years for the Dallas Cowboys, which included four Pro Bowls. Martin was named MVP of Super Bowl XII. He filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 1982 and attributed his financial problems to bad investments and careless spending.
Warren Sapp. Sapp played thirteen seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders and earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl ring in 2002. His debts included a judgment of $988,691.99 to PNC Bank, IRS debt of $853,003, and alimony and child support arrears in the amount of $876,000. Sapp filed Chapter 7 in 2012.
LINEBACKER
Lawrence Taylor. Taylor is sometimes named as the greatest player in NFL history. This Hall of Famer was selected to 10 Pro Bowls, was three times the NFL Defensive Man of the Year, and won the Super Bowl twice with the New York Giants. Taylor filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1998 to save his home from foreclosure.
CORNERBACKS AND SAFETIES
Dick Lane. Hall of Fame cornerback and 10 time Pro Bowl selection, "Night Train" Lane was named the best cornerback of the first fifty years of professional football. Bad investments and a hard partying lifestyle quickly bankrupt Lane after his playing days.
Dave Duerson. Duerson played 11 years in the NFL and was selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls from 1986 to 1989. he was part of two Super Bowl winning teams, with the Chicago Bears (Super Bowl XX) and the New York Giants (Super Bowl XXV). Duerson listed $14.7 million in liabilities during his Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2011.
Rick Sanford. Sanford played for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks from 1979 to 1985. He filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2009. In 2011 Sanford pled guilty to bankruptcy fraud and was given 30 days’ home confinement and 100 hours of community service.
PUNTER
Ray Guy. Guy, a seven time Pro Bowl player, was selected as the punter on the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994. Guy filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2011 and sold his three Super Bowl rings to pay creditors.