If it wasn't for the death of his father, at the tender age of seven, and his step-father's encouragement to play sports, Jim Hart might have never pursued a career in professional football. However, that one piece of fatherly influence led Hart to become a three-sport athlete in high school and he even lettered in basketball a total of three times. After becoming known for prowess on the football field, Hart was granted a scholarship to football for the Southern Illinois University Salukis where he played from 1963 to 1965.
Unfortunately, after going unnoticed throughout his collegiate stint at Southern Illinois and declaring himself into the 1966 NFL Draft, Jim Hart went undrafted. Luckily, his former coach Don Shroyer sent him an invite to try out for the St. Louis Cardinals that same year which led to Hart getting a backup quarterback position behind Terry Nofsinger. The following year, in 1967, Hart earned the starting quarterback position where he would start sixteen years out of the seventeen seasons he played with the team. While he did lead the team to multiple ten-plus win seasons, Hart was never able to get the team to the Super Bowl. The 4x Pro Bowler also developed a knack for throwing interceptions throwing a total of 247 in comparison to the 209 touchdowns he threw throughout his eighteen-season NFL career. Hart also threw an NFL record five interceptions in the1977 Pro Bowl. Eventually, Hart would call it quits after becoming a backup quarterback for the Washington Redskins for a single season in 1984.
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.