4 Athletes Whose Reputations Changed After Their Playing Days

When you hang up your cleats/sneakers after a long pro sports career it's not necessarily where your legacy is cemented. In today's world the book is still being written and these 4 athletes are prime examples of that.

When I was a kid, not knowing more about the personal lives and personalities of my favorite ball players would drive me mad. Today, I've give just about anything to not know them (with the exception of Jordan). These guys rarely live up to the image or personality you want them to have and who could?

We build up these ideas about the kind of people they are based on another thing altogether, their athletic ability. The truth is they are more likely to be unappealing people if they are so physically gifted. Why bother being a person of character or personality when you've been given a physical gift that makes people love you no matter what?

That's why I like the good guys in sports, guys like Tim Tebow. They have no Earthly reason to be decent, kind or have a personality but they do because they want to be the best they can in every facet of life, that's an admirable quality. Don't just lean on the gift you've been given, instead let it be a doorway to other greatness.

I have some honorable mentions for the list but I didn't think they changed enough to make the big list:

• Derek Jeter - As much as this pains me to say, his stock has fallen since retirement.
• Randy Moss - Randy was never known as a great teammate, today he's a great NFL broadcaster and mentor
• Bill Romanowski - One of the most savage and hateful guys on an NFL field, now he does Adam Sandler movies.