Mark Brunell was one of those quarterbacks that was so extremely dominant as an adolescent and during his collegiate football career, he might have underperformed to the masses expectations throughout his official professional football career. His ability to find work around the league for a total of nineteen seasons might also be the cause of his inflated numbers. While Brunell was mediocre at times, he was a steady option at the quarterback position for many clubs during his tenure in the NFL. Brunell attended the University of Washington from 1989 to 1992 where he would have to battle for starting quarterback rights his entire four-season tenure with the Huskies. The 6'1 quarterback would go on to lead the Huskies to a National Championship in 2001 and be crowned the Rose Bowl MVP.
After his rollercoaster college career came to an end, Mark Brunell went on to be drafted 118th overall in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers where he would only play a total of two seasons and not take a single snap under center during his first season with the team. However, Brunell's most prominent years during his career would happen to take place in Jacksonville (1995-2003), where he would become a 3x Pro Bowler and lead the team to the playoffs four times out the nine seasons he played with the Jaguars. Brunell would eventually pick up a ring as a backup quarterback in New Orleans after Brees led the Saints to a victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Brunell would see short stints with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets before officially retiring in 2012.
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.