For some professional athletes, retirement in their respective sports has to be somewhat depressing. You’re no longer making millions a season, you’re not on live television being admired across the country, and you simply aren’t a big deal, unlike Ron Burgundy.
Some athletes fail to stay successful or in the spotlight once they retire. However, a number of athletes found a way to be just as successful once they retired.
Today, we take a look at 10 Pro Athletes who were successful after their careers.
Which sports athletes were successful after retirement?
10. Wayne Gretzky
The Great One dominated the NHL landscape for nearly two decades, leading the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cups and holding virtually every scoring record in existence. Tough to stay so successful once your career ends if you are The Great One, right?
Well…Gretzky purchased a small portion of the Coyotes partnershipship and became head coach after the lockout, and was Executive Director of Team Canada’s 2002 Men’s Olympic gold medal-winning team. He was also an ambassador in helping Vancouver secure the 2010 Olympics.
In 2016, the Oilers hired him as a partner and vice chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group.
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9. Carl Weathers
Weathers played for the Oakland Raiders from 1970 to 1971 before spending four years with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Though it’s cool enough that he got to play football on both sides of the border, Weathers found more success in the film industry.
All of you ‘80s and ‘90s kids who saw Adam Sandler’s classic movie, Happy Gilmore, may remember Weathers as Chubbs Peterson, the golf pro who had his hand bitten off by an alligator.
Weathers also appeared in four Rocky films that starred Sylvester Stallone, as well as the In the Heat of the Night television series. Weathers has appeared in many television shows and has had small roles in other mega films like Predator!
8. Terry Bradshaw
Bradshaw was a key piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the ‘70s, leading them to four Super Bowl championships. The Pro Football Hall of Famer is well-known today as an NFL analyst for Fox. You kids may not know that he also has a solid Hollywood resume.
Bradshaw made appearances in mega-popular TV series like Everybody Loves Raymond and Malcolm in the Middle. Bradshaw also appeared in multiple notorious films, including the 1978 blockbuster Hooper.
The well-known sports athlete earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001.
7. Pele
The greatest soccer player of all time was a legend in his native country of Brazil. Pele led his nation to three FIFA World Cup titles and led his Santos club to a pair of championships.
His 1,281 career goals in 1,363 put him on top of any other footballer. Period.
Long after his career, Pele became the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and was given an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. He also appeared in the 1981 film, Escape to Victory, with Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone.
6. Bill Russell
Russell led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships, was named to 12 All-Star Games, and took home 5 NBA MVP awards. Undoubtedly, one of the best and most accomplished NBA players of all time.
Russell was also the head coach for the Boston Celtics for 3 years, leading them to the 1968 and 1969 NBA Championships. He coached Seattle for four years and Sacramento for one season. He went 341 and 290 in his coaching career.
Russell was also given an honorary doctorate from Suffolk University and an honorary degree from Harvard in 2007.
5. Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq Daddy dominated the game like few others, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a dynasty three-peat from 2000 to 2002 while adding another championship ring with the Miami Heat in 2006. The 15-time All-Star and 3-time NBA Finals MVP averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds in his career.
In 2012, Shaq was awarded a Human Resource Development PHD from Barry University. In late 2016, O’Neal was named a sheriff’s deputy in the Jonesboro part of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department.
O’Neal also purchased a Krispy Kreme location in Atlanta and has appeared on television numerous times, including at WrestleMania 32. This sports athlete can do it all.
4. Ken Dryden
Dryden came out of nowhere to become a cornerstone of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty. He led them to six Stanley Cups in the ‘70s and won five Vezina Trophies as the league’s best goalie. The Hockey News listed him as the NHL’s 25th-best player ever in 1998, too.
Dryden became a writer and commentator after his career and teaches at McGill University — the most prestigious post-secondary school in Canada.
Dryden was also heavily involved in the Liberal Party of Canada and became an officer for the Order of Canada.
Quite a life the man has lived.
3. Connie Mack
Mack played Major League Baseball for three teams from 1886 to 1896. He batted .245 and finished with 659 hits and 265 RBIs. But Mack also managed the Pittsburgh Pirates in his final 3 seasons as a player.
Mack also managed the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 to 1950, and no, that is not a typo. We had to triple-check to make sure that we read that right — 1901 to 1950. He led them to 5 World Series championships. He managed 7,679 games and won 3,731, one of them.
Is that not successful for this sports athlete?
2. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan was the heart and soul of the Chicago Bulls dynasty that won six NBA championships in the ‘90s. MJ was a five-time NBA MVP, 10-time scoring champion, and averaged 30.1 points per game. It’s easy to see why most claim he’s the best basketball player ever.
Since retiring, Jordan has become the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets franchise, which helped him earn billionaire status. The Air Jordan shoe brand has also netted more fortunes than Fort Knox.
Jordan has also invested aplenty in multiple businesses, and frequently appears in celebrity golf tournaments and television commercials. He remains a key figure two decades after crushing the entire NBA with the Bulls.
1. Magic Johnson
If Michael Jordan isn’t the best NBA player of all time in your books, then we presume your choice is Magic Johnson?
Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to 5 NBA Championships in the 80s, was a 12-time All-Star and was a 3-time NBA MVP and 3-time NBA Finals MVP.
Since retiring, Johnson has become active in AIDS/HIV prevention and promoting safe sex since being diagnosed with the virus. Johnson’s group also purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
He was also an NBA commentator on TNT for seven years. It’s been nothing but Magic for Johnson since retiring. He’s a sports athlete who earned more after retiring.
