Johnny Unitas is arguably responsible for professional football being as popular as it is today. Prior to the media spectacle that was Johnny Unitas there rarely was a quarterback that garnered the attention of a celebrity like Unitas did. On top of his drawing personality, Unitas was also the quintessential blueprint for the modern-day quarterback, his pocket precision, laser for an arm, and ability to read defenses caused trouble for many defensive coordinators and game planners. The Pittsburgh-bred athlete attended the University of Louisville from 1951 to 1954. Despite only weighing 145lbs during his freshman season, Unitas led the Cardinals to a 5-5 record as a freshman. After the university de-emphasized sports and Unitas was forced to take a square dancing class an elective, the Cardinals went 7-18 during Unitas' tenure with the team.
Despite Unitas lackluster collegiate football career, he was selected 102nd overall in the ninth round of the 1955 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers but was cut from the team before the season started. In 1956, Johnny Unitas joined the Baltimore Colts where in his NFL debut he went 0-2 and threw one interception. It wasn't until 1957, Unitas picked up steam throwing an NFL-high 2,550 yards for 24 touchdowns. After establishing his confidence, Unitas led the Baltimore Colts to three NFL Championships (1958, 1959, and 1968), a Super Bowl victory (Super Bowl V), became a 10x Pro Bowler, and 3x NFL MVP. Unitas led the league in passing touchdowns for four consecutive seasons (1957-1960) and held the record for most consecutive games with a passing touchdown for 52 years before Drew Brees broke it in 2012. Sadly, Johnny Unitas passed away at just 69-years-old in September 2002 after suffering a heart attack. Never to be forgotten and always remembered, Johnny U.
Not all celebrities have fame and fortune, some are just famous – and in a ton of debt. They came from rags to riches, then went back to rags. Whether they’ve filed bankruptcy, ended up in court, or just can’t stop spending, celebrities mismanage their money just like everyone else. They just hide it well.
50 Cent coined the term “wanksta,” then “partied like it was his birthday” until he filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015. The rapper was said to be anywhere between $10 million and $50 million in debt. In 2016, a federal bankruptcy court judge in Connecticut approved a plan for the founder of G-Unit to pay his debts back. He was able to get his bankruptcy discharged in February of the following year.
Following a 45-year-long career in Hollywood, acting in more than 70 films, actor Gary Busey found himself in more debt than he was worth. In 2012, it was reported that Busey owed between $500,000 and $1 million worth of debt, but only had $50,000 to his name. The 74-year-old actor owed money to hospitals, banks, the L.A. Waterworks District, and even a storage company. He filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy that same year. Despite his longstanding career in Hollywood, Busey's net worth is now only $500,000.
Burt Reynolds is still worth five million dollars, but his battles with debt date back more than 20 years. Between bad investments and a pricey divorce from actress Loni Anderson, the 1970s superstar had to deal with over $10 million in debt and decided to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996. While testifying in a 1994 custody hearing, the South Florida native said he spent $40 million getting through his divorce.
The former Hollywood bad boy, Charlie Sheen owes the IRS nearly $5 million. But that's not all. In 2016, his net worth was reportedly still as high as $150 million, but he was nonetheless $12 million in debt at the time – including mortgages, legal fees, and taxes. That same year, Debt.com reported Sheen owed nearly $300,000 on an American Express card alone.