Vince Young Broke, NFL Star Harshly Criticized
Former NFL star Vince Young has fallen into financial distress this week and has been flacked with criticism for his unwise spending.
Once the third NFL player selected in the draft, the former quarterback now has no team and only a fraction of the $26 million contract he was guaranteed.
"I would just say that Vince needs a job," Trey Dolezal, Young's attorney, explained of the athlete's financial condition while speaking to the Associated Press.
Troubles began in August when Young sought a protective court order to stop a company from collecting nearly $1.7 million on a loan he said he had never taken out.
Also, the Buffalo Bills QB was rumored to have spent thousands at chain restaurants such as T.G.I. Fridays in the past, according to SportsGrid.com.
Young is not the first athlete to find himself broke, as it seems to plague many sports stars. Mike Tyson and Deuce McAllister once filed for bankruptcy, while more recently, T.O. and Warren Sapp were forced to deal with serious debt, to name a few.
"You'd think it would be hard to blow that much money," said Kenneth Shropshire, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business where the business of sports if often taught.
The professor described Young's troubles as "very dramatic," according to Jackson Sun.
His reckless spending and fading NFL stardom have Twitter users and critics talking on Thursday, with many questioning Young's intelligence and the ability of his advisors.
"If Vince Young is broke, he has spent $7,000 A DAY (after taxes) from the day he signed w/ the Titans in '06 thru today," ESPN reporter Drren Rovell pointed out on Twitter.
Nate wrote, "Problem with pros like Vince Young is that they act like billionaires when they are just multimillionaires. Rich aint wealthy."
"If the stories about how Vince Young blew his money are true, then he deserves no one's sympathy… Pretty unbelievable," wrote Albert.
Meanwhile, Young is denying reports of his financial crisis and took to Twitter to defend himself.
"It's a shame to see people revel and rally around negativity in the media but I guess it's to be expected. Yes, I need a job, who doesn't," Young posted on Wednesday.
"Yes, I want to be out there playing the game I love and earning a paycheck, who wouldn't," he added. "We are working to rectify some unfortunate finical [sic] losses, which stemmed from betrayals by those I trusted most."
The athlete went on to denounce the rumors as "disheartening and untrue."
"I'll keep pushing through regardless," Young wrote. "God Bless. Trill"