24. Mario Williams (DE) - $120.4 Million

24. Mario Williams (DE) - $120.4 Million

A defensive end standing at 6'6, weighing in at 295lbs, that has the ability to run a 4.66 40-yard dash is a scary sight. The two-sport high school athlete decided to take his talents to North Carolina State University where he would play three seasons from 2003 to 2005. In those three seasons, Williams set the North Carolina State single-season tackles for loss record with 27.5 and the single-season sacks record with 14.5 in 2005.

After such an impressive performance as a member of the NC State Wolfpack, Mario Williams was selected 1st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans where he played six seasons out of his eleven-season NFL career. Williams racked in a total of $56.5 million from the Texans during his tenure in Houston. In 2012, Williams signed a six-year contract worth $100 million, $49.5 million guaranteed, but had the contract terminated after he was released in 2016. That same year, Williams was signed to the Miami Dolphins for two years, $17 million, but only played one season before being cut. Williams is officially retired but was able to rack in over $120 million throughout his career.

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Did You Know...

I

When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.

II

Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.

III

It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.

IV

In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.

V

You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."

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