16 Richest Athletes In Sports

4. Roger Staubach – $600 million

Roger Staubach is famous for turning his NFL salaries into a side business in real estate that eventually became extraordinarily valuable.

In 2008, he sold his real estate firm, The Staubach Company to Jones Lang LaSalle for $640 million.

During his NFL days, Staubach was key in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s.

He led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl victory and was named MVP in Super Bowl VI. Staubach was described by legendary coach Tom Landry as “possibly the best combination of a passer, an athlete and a leader to ever play in the NFL”.

Staubach retired from football in March 1980 as the second-highest-rated passer of all time at 83.4 (behind Otto Graham at 86.6), and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1999, he was ranked #29 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the second-ranked Cowboy behind Bob Lilly.

Staubach was one of the most exciting NFL players of the 1970s. Known as “Roger The Dodger” for his scrambling abilities, “Captain America” as quarterback of America’s Team, and also as “Captain Comeback” for his fourth quarter game-winning heroics, Staubach had a penchant for leading scoring drives which led the Cowboys to improbable victories.

Perhaps Staubach’s most famous moment was the “Hail Mary pass” in the 1975 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. With seconds on the clock and the Cowboys trailing 14-10, Staubach launched a 50-yard bomb to wide receiver Drew Pearson, who caught the pass and strode into the end zone for a 17-14 victory. After the game, Staubach quipped he prayed a “Hail Mary” after throwing the pass.

Since then, any last-minute pass play to the end zone in a desperate attempt to score a game-winning touchdown is referred to as a “Hail Mary pass” in reference to Staubach’s famous play.