The staggering escalation of salaries for professional athletes over the past 20 years has meant that many players learned a lot about stocks, bonds, mutual funds and annuities. A handful of former pros enjoyed investing so much and were so adept at it that they actually decided to become a part of the financial services industry.
This article features an interesting assortment of former pro athletes who are now reps--John Hannah and Willie Lanier, two Hall of Fame football players; Terry Puhl, a baseball all-star; Paul Cavallini, a hockey all-star; and Jim Spanarkel, who played in the National Basketball Association Finals.
According to Hannah, who is considered one of greatest offensive linemen in National Football League history, the stock market is the ideal career for former athletes for two reasons.
"The one thing an athlete gets hooked on is adrenaline, and the market offers that because it's always changing," Hannah says. "As an athlete, you have to prepare every day for a new game. At the end of the day, you know how you did by looking at the scoreboard. That's compatible with what a stockbroker faces every day."
