Manny Hendrix, the University of Utah's director of athletic relations, read with regret and sadness the recent article on former Ute footall player Luther Elliss and his monetary troubles.
But was he surprised? Not at all.
Hendrix, a former Utah basketball player, helps athletes adjust to collegiate life in his primary role. He also counsels outgoing athletes as well. He works as a liaison between athletes and agents and does his best to inform athletes what they can expect at the pro level. He advises them to hire financial advisors, advises them to be smart with their money and advises them to know who their real friends are. Then he crosses his fingers and hopes some of his wisdom got past their starry-eyes and into their brains.
Unfortunately, as in the case of Elliss, often even his best advice can't protect athletes.
Elliss is the former Ute and retired Detroit Lions' defender who was paid almost $11.6 million from 2000 to 2004, but recently filed bankruptcy after losing all his earnings in failed investments and debt. He, his wife and 11 children are relying on charities and friends to help them make ends meet.
"My first year, Luther was a senior," he said. "Luther isn't a guy who isn't well informed. It shows it could happen to anyone and I see it happen all the time. There are a lot like Luther who only play three or four years but you don't read about in newspapers who are in the same situation."
The problem, as Hendrix sees it, is twofold. First, the same kind of stubbornness and confidence that makes athletes successful in their sports can also lead to their downfall.
"They'll sit there thinking, 'That isn't going to happen to me'," he said. "Sometimes I'll talk to them as freshmen and they all think they are going to go pro. I tell them they might have a 1 in 1,200 chance and they honestly think they are that one."
They think they are that one too, who is going to manage the big paychecks just fine. But there is something to be said of the cliché that the faster you make money the faster you lose it. Poor investments, a poor circle of friends and family and poor choices in lavish purchases can all make millions disappear quickly.
"There can be so many people pulling at you and that commitment can be so strong to help them that a lot of them make bad choices," Hendrix said. "We do the best we can, but it's like a marriage, there is no blueprint. You just have to do the best you can to be successful."
Hendrix wishes players' associations did more, believing they should take on more responsibility than colleges. "We want to promote education, not pro sports," he said of universities.
Nevertheless, all the workshops and all the seminars in the world may not be enough, he said.
"If you don't properly plan, it can hurt you," he said. "There are just so many things that are hard to say 'No' too."
