The 50 Most Infamous Criminals in Sports History

Image via Complex Original

Sport: Basketball
Criminal History: Maiming by mob
Time Behind Bars: 4 Months

It's hard to get through high school without getting into at least one fight. Hormones are on overdrive, kids are cruel, and, as a minor, you're impervious to the law. Usually. During his senior year, Allen Iverson flipped a few chairs and split some lips in a bowling alley brawl and, as a result, received a five year prison sentence. Seriously. The scandal and subsequent racial divide (no white teens were arrested in the incident) led to a pardon of Iverson by Governor Douglas Wilder. With a second chance at life, A.I. took full advantage by only getting arrested a handful more times, making millions in the league, and blowing most of it on stupid shit.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Attempted criminal possession of a weapon
Time Behind Bars: Two years

Were it not for Plaxico Burress, we wouldn't know the dangers of carrying a loaded pistol in our sweatpants. For that, he's a hero. While partying at a nightclub, the Jets receiver accidentally fired a round into his own leg when his gun slid out of his elastic waistband. A witness reported hearing a loud "popping" sound and turned to see a clearly pained Burress. She reported that the Super Bowl champion said simply, "take me to a hospital" while standing in a small puddle of his own blood.

Unfortunately for Burress, a self-inflicted gunshot wound was the least of his problems. New York has some of the harshest concealed weapons laws in the country. After doing two years in the slammer, Burress continued his living hell by joining the '11 Jets.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Theft, fraud, forgery
Time Behind Bars: 10+ years

The Big Ten may be an embarrassment to college football, but if there was an AP Top 25 ranking for student athletes/degenerate criminals the conference would be a buzz saw. Art Schlichter was a highly touted first round draft pick out of Ohio State. He may have been a good quarterback, but he was too busy gambling with other people's money to be bothered with football. 

By his own admission, Schlichter stole almost $2M from friends and strangers with cons and bad checks and blew it all in Vegas casinos. He spent most of the '90s behind bars and was once thrown into solitary confinement for four months when he was caught gambling in prison. After founding a gambling awareness non-profit organization and seemingly pulling his life together, Schlichter was charged with felony theft and tested positive for cocaine while on house arrest. In a courageous effort to redefine what it means to hit rock bottom, Schlichter was sentenced earlier this year to an 11-year prison sentence for what a authorities called, "a million dollar sports ticket scandal."

Sport: Baseball
Criminal History: Drug possession with intent to distribute, gun possession
Time Behind Bars: 20 years

Baseball is a game of eras. The "Expansion Era" of the '60s. The "Steroid Era" of the '90s. And, of course, the fabled "Coke Era" of the '80s.

Several Kansas City Royals were arrested on drug charges in 1983, including Willie Aikens. The man who hit four home runs in the '80 World Series would see his career fade into the darkness and his life follow suit. Arrested in a crack house in '94, the former first basemen was broke, disoriented, and weighed over 300 pounds. Refusing to rat out his dealers in a plea bargain, Aikens did 14 years in prison before his release in '07.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Assault and felony vandalism, drug possession, disorderly conduct, public intoxication, resisting arrest
Time Behind Bars: N/A

If there's a melee at a strip club, 50/50 shot Pacman Jones is involved. A couple years ago dude couldn't go a month without being the center of a police investigation and although he's never done serious time in jail, he's been arrested almost a dozen times since declaring for the NFL draft in 2005.

After winning $120K gambling at the Palms, Jones went H.A.M. at the Minxx gentlemen's club reportedly dropping $40K in singles on dancers during a stage show. Frustrated with naked girls for, you know, gathering bills instead of dancing, Jones allegedly grabbed a stripper by the hair, punched her with a closed fist, and bounced her head off of the stage. Then, an alleged member of Pacman's crew began firing.

When the astroglide settled and the glitter cleared, three people suffered gunshot wounds and a club bouncer was paralyzed. Proving that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there, Jones was suspended for a year by the NFL and was ordered to pay $10.5M to the shooting victim.

Sport: Hockey
Criminal History: Drug smuggling, theft, pimping
Time Behind Bars: Seven years

Known as a fighter on the ice, Durbano once led the league with 370 penalty minutes during the '73 NHL season. Unfortunately for mouthy club goers, his aggression was not limited to hockey games. Durbano was routinely arrested in bar brawls and was charged in 1983 for trying to smuggle a half million dollars worth of cocaine into Canada. In an effort to show off his versatility as a criminal, the disgraced hockey star was arrested in the late '90s for running a prostitution ring. Durbano reportedly met with an undercover police officer and discussed price point for "services" and was hauled to jail after donning her with a code name.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Felony cocaine possession
Time Behind Bars: N/A

Michael Irvin's been arrested a handful of times for drug possession. He reportedly split the lip of a referee during a charity basketball game. And in the why-isn't-this-a-more-famous-story segment of our show, famously mooned Gene Upshaw during an argument about player contracts.

But his most infamous incident involves a knife fight (doesn't it always?) over, of all things, a haircut. During Cowboy training camp in '98 Irvin claimed "seniority" in trying to split the line for a free buzz. When offensive linemen Everett McIver refused to budge from his spot, the two tussled resulting in a two-inch cut to McIver's neck that required eighteen stitches.

Sport: Figure Skating
Criminal History: Hindering a police investigation, DUI
Time Behind Bars: One month

If you can't beat 'em, club 'em. In the skating world, Nancy Kerrigan was the prom queen to Tonya Harding's white-trash flunky. So, naturally enough, Harding hired a goon to bash her knee open with a pipe. Easy enough.

Kerrigan recovered from the injury and ended up landing a silver medal in the '94 Olympics while her jealous, hateful nemesis was forced to withdraw from USFA. Since the incident, Harding's continued her upright spin-out in the free skate of life with arrests for DUI and domestic violence.

Sport: Hockey
Criminal History: Disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, bribery
Time Behind Bars: N/A

The partying goalie played the "Do you know who I am?" card like a boss when he was cuffed during an out of control, drunken episode at a hotel. Ed Belfour reportedly offered the arresting officer a bribe of "one billion dollars" to drop the charges. Thankfully for Belfour, police turned down his offer saving himself $999,999,500 when he posted a $500 bond at the jail to be released.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Drug trafficking
Time Behind Bars: Three years

Kids are expensive. When you have 11 of them by 10 women, even highly paid superstars need to find supplemental incomes. Despite penning a 5-year, $23M contract with the Broncos, Travis Henry became a kingpin, operating a drug trafficking operation that ran cocaine between Colorado and Montana. The former running back ultimately earned three years in prison for his need to enterprise.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Attempted murder, releasing arrest, drug possession
Time Behind Bars: Five years

In January '03 Barret Robbins wrecked, what on the surface, was a pretty amazing life. As a highly paid NFL star, the Raiders center was days away from starting in the Super Bowl. Then, shit happened.

In a manic state Robbins disappeared from the team, surfacing days later with drugs in his system. The Raiders center (who was responsible for pass-protection calls) blamed himself for Oakland's 48-21 Super Bowl XXXVII loss. After undergoing treatment, Robbins regained his position with the team only to be released after testing positive for steroids.

His life continued to spin out of control when a brawl with police officers in Miami left the bipolar former football star with three gunshot wounds and five years probation. Robbins was sentenced to a five-year prison sentence last year for drug possession and probation violation.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a 41-year sentence

Rams cornerback Darryl Henley stood to do 20 years in prison for drug trafficking when it was discovered that he'd attempted to hire a contract killer to murder the presiding judge and a witness. Oops. Since judges tend to frown on having their lives threatened, the former All-American at UCLA had another 21 years tacked on to his already dire sentence and isn't scheduled for release until 2031.

Sport: Baseball
Criminal History: Drug trafficking, embezzlement, money laundering, mail fraud
Time Behind Bars: Eight years

Student loans are a pain in the ass but if you want a truly crippling debt, get in deep with the Syrian mob. With his career tanking and out of money by the mid '70s, Denny McLain made the awkward transition from major league pitcher to loan shark and was ultimately indicted by the Federal Government.

In addition to having his toes dislocated with a heel stomp by one of his "coworkers," McLain was convicted of extortion and cocaine trafficking. After a three year prison stint and with his life seemingly back together, the Tiger pitcher was convicted on charges of embezzlement, money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy, after taking almost $3M from a company pension fund in the mid '90s.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Manslaughter
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving an 18-year sentence

When the wife and mother of his four children asked the former wide receiver for a divorce, Kane allegedly grabbed her by the hair, dragged her to the kitchen, bounced her head off the floor, and stabbed her in the neck. Kane landed a controversial plea bargain that dropped his second-degree murder charge to manslaughter, but was still sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Sport: CART Racing
Criminal History: Check fraud, theft, child endangerment, failure to pay child support, felony eluding
Time Behind Bars: Five years

The real-life Ricky Bobby raced in seven Indy 500's before a horrific crash involving a dozen cars and some 13 injured fans ended his career. After developing a debilitating addiction to pain killers, Salt Walther was convicted of child endangerment, failure to pay child support, and was once arrested for stealing a golf cart from the Indianapolis Speedway.

His most infamous incident was one that he got away with—well, almost got away with. At large and with an active arrest warrant, Walther was spotted by a police officer at a gas station in Ohio. Walther bailed from the scene and led police on a high speed chase. Driving recklessly and weaving in and out of traffic, Walther evaded police but was arrested two weeks later and sentenced to three years for felony eluding.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Drug trafficking
Time Behind Bars: 30 months

Don't let Nate Newton borrow your car. Especially when he says he has to "run an errand." In November of 2001 Newton was pulled over on a Louisiana highway and detained when it was discovered he was carrying 213 pounds of marijuana in his van. While out on bond he was pulled over again, this time with 175 pounds of grass. The two arrests were made within five weeks of one another. While serving a two year prison sentence, Newton estimated that he made roughly $75K per drug deal.

Sport: Baseball
Criminal History: Tax evasion
Time Behind Bars: Five months

For years, Pete Rose vehemently denied betting on baseball while manager of the Cincinnati Reds. His gambling records showed otherwise. Investigators discovered payments to bookies made through the summer months, a time in which major league baseball was the only active sport. Oops. Rose's illegal gambling got him thrown out of baseball and, in the early '90s, he did a five month jail sentence for tax evasion.

Sport: Boxing
Criminal History: Assault, impersonation of a police officer
Time Behind Bars: Three years

Sonny Liston fought much of his career with mafia leaders owning his contract and learned how to box while serving time in a Missouri penitentiary. He once assaulted a cop, stole his gun and, upon his release, was arrested again for impersonating a police officer and throwing another uniformed guard into a garbage can. During a confrontation with Muhammad Ali in a Vegas casino, Liston fired what was believed to be two gunshots at Ali's head. In reality, Liston carried a firearm loaded with blanks for that very sort of occasion. How clever. The incident caused Ali to famously say, "I act crazy. He is crazy."

Liston died under curious circumstances when his body was found in his Las Vegas home. The cause of death remains a mystery (some medical reports suggest a drug overdose, while others indicate heart disease). 

Sport: Basketball
Criminal History: Aggravated assault, covering up a crime
Time Behind Bars: Two years

After an injury ended his NBA career, Jayson Williams' life went into a tailspin. He was charged with DWI for crashing his car into what has to be the only tree in Manhattan and punched a man in the face outside of what has to be the only nightclub in North Carolina. Then, Williams continued his "active retirement" by giving one hell of a tour of his house. The former Nets center was showing off his palatial estate and toying with a shotgun when it went off, blasting a hole in his chauffeur's chest and ultimately killing the driver. He was eventually acquitted of manslaughter, but was sentenced to five years in prison for covering up the shooting in 2010.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Felony assault with a deadly weapon
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a 31-year sentence

We've all felt like running over smart ass kids after a pickup football game. But few of us have ever actually done it. Actually, only one person has done that—Lawrence Phillips.

The former Nebraska running back took sore losing to a whole other, much more pathetic level when he drove his car into the opposing team after a pickup game. Three teens, ages 14, 15, and 19 years-old were injured in the assault and Phillips was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The conviction was preceded by a pair of domestic violence cases involving his then-girlfriend bringing a total sentence to 31-years. By the time Phillips is eligible for parole, he'll be 57-years-old.

Sport: Boxing
Criminal History: Attempted murder, armed robbery, grand theft auto, and two counts of child kidnapping
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving 150-year sentence

In what might be the worst day at the office ever, Clifford Etienne went completely bonkers at his check cashing business. Frustrated with his employees for "not working fast enough," the boxer fired a round into the ceiling with a handgun. When the police arrived, Etienne tried to escape by carjacking two different vehicles with children inside before being apprehended.

Etienne was charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, two counts each of armed robbery and second-degree kidnapping. The man who's famous for being knocked out by Mike Tyson in 49-seconds will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Sport: Boxing
Criminal History: Murder
Time Behind Bars: 10+ years

Esteban De Jesus held the WBC lightweight championship belt for almost two years. Like many on this list, he started dabbling with drugs and his life took a turn. On Thanksgiving weekend of 1981 De Jesus found himself in a heated traffic dispute with a 17-year-old man. De Jesus shot the teenager in the street.  

While in prison, De Jesus became a born-again Christian preacher and was pardoned by a Puerto Rican Governor when it became public knowledge that he was suffering from AIDS. The embattled boxer died of the disease in 1989.

Sport: Soccer
Criminal History: Running a brothel, car theft, counterfeiting, smuggling pornography, disorderly conduct
Time Behind Bars: Three years

The Arsenal footballer struggled to adjust in his life beyond soccer. After his retirement, Storey was fined for running a brothel. Then, he was convicted of smuggling pornography in the tire of his jeep. Wait, what? That's a thing? Smuggling porn from Europe in a spare tire is a crime? Anyway, we'd like to give Storey a pass until he was arrested again, this time for car theft and counterfeiting gold coins. Dude's got range.

Sport: Diving
Criminal History: Manslaughter
Time Behind Bars: Four years

The Olympic diver was dubbed "The Comeback Kid" when he won a bronze medal in the '82 World Championships, less than a year after being severely injured by a drunk driver. Sadly, Bruce Kimball would later inflict a more intense trauma on a group of kids while racing down a hillside road intoxicated.

Less than a month away from the '88 Olympic trials, a drunken Kimball drove his car into a crowd of kids gathered at a street-end hangout known to locals as the "Spot." Two teenagers were killed, four others were injured in the crash. Kimball pled guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter and, ultimately, served less than five years of his 17 year sentence.

Sport: Soccer
Criminal History: Wounding, fraudulent use of a vehicle, handling stolen vehicles, sexual assault, criminal damage
Time Behind Bars: Three years

The footballer served less than two years in prison after sexual assaulting a woman at a nightclub, leaving her with a broken nose a split lip. He'd served a previous stint in jail when he was caught driving around a stolen BMW. But, perhaps, his crime that deserves the longest explanation was his arrest for chasing two women with a belt wrapped around his hand. One of the women claimed that King had attacked them for "no apparent reason." 

For good measure, the Birmingham City striker recently had his license suspended for driving his Mercedes 130 mph down a motorway in Leicestershire. Somebody tag this guy. Please.

Sport: Boxing (Promoter)
Criminal History: Manslaughter, fraud
Time Behind Bars: Four Years

Don King's made $200M over the course of his grimy career by robbing guys who are trained to knock other grown men unconscious. He allegedly put a hit on Meldrick Taylor, bribed a hospitalized Muhammad Ali, and stole tens-of-millions of dollars from Mike Tyson. But the repeated extortion of planet Earth's scariest humans is perhaps the least alarming of King's transgressions.

In 1954, while growing up in the Cleveland projects as a numbers runner, King shot and killed a man who he suspected of stealing from him. After beating the body with a "justifiable homicide" ruling, King pistol whipped another employee and stomped him to death on the street. A judge reduced the charges from second-degree murder to manslaughter and King received a pardon from the Ohio Governor after doing almost four years in prison. He'd later say of the event, “His head hit the ground. Those are the things that happen.” 

Sport: NASCAR
Criminal History: Felony larceny, drug possession
Time Behind Bars: Currently facing 14-year prison sentence

The embattled race car driver had been suspended by NASCAR after failing multiple drug tests. Then, things got worse. The DEA discovered over $100K worth of stolen goods from Mayfield's home and seized 1.5 grams of methamphetamine from his possession. Amongst the items found in Mayfield's home was audio equipment reported stolen by Red Bull Racing, surface plates from Fitz Motorsports, and heavy machinery stolen from Lee Family Real Estate. If something's missing from a racetrack, there's a good chance it's in Jeremy Mayfield's garage. Or, at least, a pawn shop near his garage.

Sport: Baseball
Criminal History: Drug possession, domestic violence, soliciting a prostitute
Time Behind Bars: 11 months

Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden were supposed to be the New York Mets saving grace, the cornerstones of a dynasty. Instead, their brilliant careers were overshadowed by a series of off the field incidents that played out like a baseball crossbreed of Hard Knocks and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. 

Although no criminal charges were filed, Strawberry was arrested on at least three occasions for domestic violence. In one incident he was alleged to have threatened a woman with a .25 caliber handgun after hitting her in the face. He and his agent were indicted on federal tax evasion charges for failing to report some $500K in income. Later, he was arrested and charged with soliciting a prostitute and cocaine possession when he allegedly offered and undercover police officer $50 for sex.

Now, more famous for his arrest record than being a member of the 30-30 Club, Strawberry reportedly owes the IRS $500K in back taxes and another million to his ex-wife in child support.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Obstruction of justice
Time Behind Bars: N/A

Nothing good happens at a club after midnight, especially when you're talking mad shit to a pro bowl linebacker. In January 2000, Ray Lewis was out with friends when some shoving in an Atlanta bar led to punches in the parking lot and eventually the stabbing death of two Akron 20-somethings.

The Pro Bowler and his crew sped away in a stretch limo, allegedly ditched Lewis' blood-stained suit in a fast food dumpster, and then lied to investigators in the days following the incident. Murder charges were reduced to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice when Lewis agreed to testify against a couple of his friends.

Sport: Baseball
Criminal History: Falsifying financial statements
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a three-year sentence

Lenny Dykstra might be the worst person in the world. He's never done anything right. During an All-Star career with the Phillies, his high energy style of play was fueled by steroids. As a business person, he exaggerated his prowess by falsifying financial statements. Then, as just some asshole with a computer, he solicited a housekeeper on Craigslist, allegedly told the woman the job required a massage, exposed himself during the act, and later held a knife to the woman's throat. Yikes, man.

The appropriately nicknamed Nails was able to build a reputation as a business guru. But when he fell behind on his $18M mansion and lot full of luxury cars, Dykstra was exposed for who he is: a fuck-up white collar criminal.

While he's currently serving a three year sentence for grand theft auto, Dykstra's biggest legal nightmare could come this winter. After pleading guilty to bankruptcy fraud, Dykstra's awaiting sentencing for allegedly hiding and destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars in property that should have gone to his creditors and then lying about it under oath.

Sport: Bodybuilding
Criminal History: Murder
Time Behind Bars: 17+ years

If ever there was a PSA to keep kids off of steroids, it's Sally "Killer Sally" McNeil. After taking up bodybuilding, McNeil became a menace purportedly pulling a gun on her ex-husband, dropping a 70 lbs. weight on his car from a balcony, and was subdued with pepper spray during a physical altercation with police officers. Later that year, she beat a woman severely at a competition because she suspected she was "sleeping wit her husband."

On Valentine's Day of 1995 the violence turned deadly when she pulled a shotgun on her then-husband and murdered him in cold blood. To date, McNeil has claimed no wrongdoing and has painted her husband as an abuser. McNeil recently celebrated her 50th birthday in a California prison for women.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Armed robbery, aggravated robbery, felony alluding, weapons charges
Time Behind Bars: Three years

Maurice Clarett could have been an Ohio State legend but ended up, like most All-American Buckeyes, a cautionary tale. After scoring 18 touchdowns his freshman year, Mo was involved in a public coaching dispute, an academic fraud scandal, and falsified a police report before being dismissed from OSU. You know, the kind of stuff that gets you kicked out of school early so you can go make millions in the league. Cha-ching!

In 2006, Clarett was implicated in several armed robberies. Then, later that year, he led police on a high-speed chase. When Clarett was obtained (after an alleged violent struggle with officers) police discovered one hell of a weekend getaway package: a loaded AK-47, two handguns and an open bottle of Grey Goose.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Murder, check kiting
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a life sentence

Upon being released by the St. Louis Cardinals, Robert Rozier joined "The Brotherhood" a cult founded by Yahwey ben Yahweh. In order to be accepted he was required to murder a "white devil" and return with a body part. Proving to be a more ambitious executioner than he was a football player, Rozier admitted to killing seven people and cutting off various body parts to please Yahweh.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Federal charges of creating a drug-distribution network,
Time Behind Bars: Currently facing 10 years to life

Sam Hurd was a mediocre pro football player, but he might be the world's worst drug dealer. The ex-Bear special teamer is currently awaiting trial for trying to move Colombian cartel-like weight. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

The aspiring drug kingpin reportedly made a deal with an undercover cop to move between five and 10 kilograms of cocaine and one-thousand pounds of marijuana per week in the Chicago area. Because if ever a city deserved drugs, it's Chicago.

The juiciest facet of the story may be in what lies ahead. The Bears wide receiver allegedly told a co-conspirator that he dealt with high profile clients, including NFL players. While out on bond recently, Hurd failed two drug tests and tried to arrange another drug deal. 

Sport: Hockey
Criminal History: Conspiracy to commit murder
Time Behind Bars: Five years

The Mike Danton case is like HBO's Dexter, he's a killer you can root for. Sort of. The former NHL player did a five-year sentence for hiring a hit man to kill his junior hockey coach and agent David Frost. The case is complicated by alleged sexual exploitation towards both Danton and his family. After attending a hockey camp when he was 13, Danton's parents filed a complaint that their youngest son Tom was bound naked to a bed and photographed by Frost, forced to dance naked on a table, and shot by a BB gun while hanging from a tree.

After his release from prison, Danton attempted a hockey comeback. While playing for a Swedish third-division club, one of Danton's teammates fell to the ice after a hard hit. Using the first-aid training he received in prison, Danton dropped to his side, waited for his jaw to unclench and then shoved his hand into his teammate's mouth to stop him from choking on his own tongue. His teammate was taken to the hospital, but Danton may have saved his life.

Sport: Boxing
Criminal History: Rape, road rage, possession of narcotics
Time Behind Bars: Three years

There may not be a more sympathetic convicted rapist than Mike Tyson. He has an absolutely deplorable criminal history that we mostly overlook because he was, like, really funny in The Hangover. 

His most famous run-in came in '91 with the aforementioned rape of an 18-year-old beauty queen. "Iron" Mike always denied any wrongdoing but didn't exactly endear himself to anyone in a 2006 interview, "I just hate her guts. She put me in that state, where I don't know, I really wish I did now," Tyson said. "Now I really do want to rape her."

Sport: Martial Arts
Criminal History: Drug trafficking, attempted murder, possession of a firearm, two murders
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a life sentence

The kickboxing champion was convicted of two professional hits and investigated in connection with another murder. Implicated in the 1983 Melbourne Gangland Killings, Goussis was involved in an underground network of criminal figures who began a tit-for-tat, retribution-fueled killing spree that resulted in almost 40 murders.

Sport: Baseball
Criminal History: Attempted murder
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a 14-year sentence

Ugueth Urbina was one of the league's most accomplished closers and due to make a ton of money in free agency. That is, until he made the worst off season move since Baltimore's signing of Albert Belle.

Suspecting that one of his laborers had stolen a gun from him, Urbina and a group of friends allegedly gathered the workers, tied them up, and poured paint thinner on the men before burning them and cutting their hands with machetes. Don't mess with Ugueth's shit, for real. In 2007, Urbina was sentenced to 14 years in a Venezuelan prison.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Leaving the scene of an accident, statutory rape, patronizing a prostitute, attempted drug possession
Time Behind Bars: N/A

Lawrence Taylor had a handful of arrests during his playing days but nothing that compared to post-retirement shame spiral. In 2010 Taylor was arrested in New York for paying $300 to have sex with a 16 year-old girl. The Giant legend ducked jail time, but is awaiting the conditions of his probation, which includes registering as a sex offender.

Sport: Boxing
Criminal History: Burglary, rape
Time Behind Bars: 26+ years

Boxing is a sport that pays its top performers millions of dollars to punch people in the face until they're unconscious. Then, when the match ends, they go out in to the real world and things get weird.

Tony Ayala Jr.'s promising boxing career came to an end when he sexually assaulted a woman and received a 35-year prison sentence. After 16 years, he was released and made the most of his second lease on life by getting arrested again for possession of drug paraphernalia in '04. He's current serving a 10-year sentence for parole violation.

Sport: Soccer
Criminal History: Murder
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving life sentence

After discovering more than 20K pounds in drug money missing from his home, Gavin Grant sought retribution. The Bradford City midfielder and an accomplice allegedly gunned down a 21-year old man in the violent Stone Bridge neighborhood of London. In 2010, Grant was sentenced to life in prison.

Sport: Skateboarding
Criminal History: Rape, murder
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a 31-year sentence

The San Diego skateboarding legend known as "Gator" went into a free fall when he was dumped by his then-girlfriend Brandi McClain. After the break-up, Rogowski broke into her home repeatedly and allegedly made several face-to-face threats against McClain's new boyfriend.

When McClain's friend, Jessica Bergsten (a woman Rogowski hadn't talked to in years), asked Rogowski to show her around San Diego, the professional skater obliged. After spending the day together, Rogowski brought Bergsten back to his apartment and, in a twisted act of revenge against his ex-girlfriend, beat, raped, and murdered Bergsten. Rogowski, currently being held at Men's Colony in California, has been in prison since '92 and will not be up for parole again until 2018. 

Sport: Basketball
Criminal History: Burglary, robbery, drug possession, sexual assault on a minor
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving multiple life sentences

The NBA All-Star started piling up convictions in the '80s for burglary, drug possession, and battery. But his multiple sexual assault convictions (including the rape of an 8 year-old girl) will have Johnson behind bars for the rest of his life.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Conspiracy to Commit Murder
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a 24-year sentence

Athletes will do anything to get out of paying child support. Most lie about their earnings, others litigate, and Rae Carruth murdered his pregnant girlfriend. As you'll learn in this story, falsifying your tax returns is a much more effective way to flake on your responsibilities as a father. 

After a night at the movies, the Panther receiver's then-pregnant girlfriend was driving home when a car pulled alongside hers and opened fire. The 24 year-old woman clung to life long enough to tell first responders that "Rae" shot her. At the hospital, she wrote notes to investigators claiming Carruth insisted she follow him to her house and, before they left, overheard him say, "We're leaving now" in a phone conversation.

Carruth was arrested and convicted of hiring a hit man to kill his girlfriend. The baby survived and was successfully delivered during an emergency Caesarean section. A loss of oxygen to his brain during the shooting left the baby severe physical and mental disabilities.

Sport: Basketball
Criminal History: Rape
Time Behind Bars: 25+ years

Tom Payne was a star at the University of Kentucky and a promising pick in the '71 Draft for the Atlanta Hawks. Payne's career ended before it really began when he was convicted of a pair of rapes in the Atlanta area. During his time in prison, he was involved in a riot and did almost half of his five year sentence in solitary confinement. 

Upon his release, Payne was extradited to Kentucky and convicted for another rape. After getting paroled in '83, Payne moved to Los Angeles to being a fledgling acting career before, you guessed it, he was arrested for attempted rape in 1986. 

Sport: Bodybuilding
Criminal History: Murder
Time Behind Bars: 15+ years

Suspecting infidelity can be a trying moment—especially when you're daily intake of crocodile steroids is 3,000 milligrams. Bertil Fox was a muscle-building prodigy before he shot and killed his girlfriend and her mother inside of a clothing store. Bertil, who was convicted in the Caribbean isle of St. Kitts, was originally scheduled to be hanged for the double murder before a 2002 ruling turned his punishment into a life sentence.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Sponsoring a dog fighting operation
Time Behind Bars: Two years

According to federal agents, Michael Vick hanged dogs. That's all you need to know, really. The Eagles quarterback started up a dogfighting enterprise, lied about his involvement, and ended up doing about two years (548 days) in the slammer for it. Wait, two years? We're not saying that Vick hasn't paid his debt to society but that's, like, what guys who sell mushrooms at Bonnaroo get.

Proving that you can get away with pretty much anything as long as you're a valuable fantasy football player, Vick recently signed a $100 million deal with Philadelphia less than three years after his release from prison.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Robbery, kidnapping, domestic violence, coercion, conspiracy
Time Behind Bars: Currently serving a 33-year sentence

After beating a body or two in '95, Simpson spent a decade "looking for the real killer" and golfing—mostly golfing. He's run in to various legal troubles since his murder trial including a tax lien in '99 and an arrest for road rage after reportedly scratching a man's face during a heated argument about a blown stop sign.

O.J;'s currently serving time for an armed robbery in which Simpson and a group of men broke into a Las Vegas hotel room to steal sports memorabilia at gunpoint. The former Heisman winner will have to wait until 2017 for his first parole hearing.

Sport: Football
Criminal History: Child sexual abuse
Time Behind Bars: Facing a life sentence

If you ever want to get over a breakup or recently deceased family pet, read the grand jury indictment against Jerry Sandusky. It snaps life into perspective and yours could be a lot worse.

The former Penn State defensive coordinator was recently convicted on a laundry list of sexual abuse charges that range from highly disturbing soap wars with young boys to on-campus rapes. Sandusky who apparently never spent more than a half hour without molesting a kid will spend the rest of his time behind bars.