6. Michael Vick
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Michael Vick was one of those athletes with once-in-a-generation talents. He ran the 40 yard dash in less than 4.35 seconds, had one of the strongest arms in the NFL, and one of the fastest releases the league had seen since the days of Dan Marino. He was supposed to be an evolutionary version of Randall Cunningham, and the most lethal dual-threat quarterback in the history of the NFL. With all the fortune and fame Vick earned in the NFL, he should have bought some new friends. Members of his inner circle were arrested multiple times by the police for things like selling drugs or burglary. Eventually, it was an investigation of drug charges for one of his cousins that ultimately led the police to discover “Bad Newz Kennels,” Vick’s disgusting dog fighting venture that he financed and directly participated in.
As part of these illegal dogfighting activities, Vick admitted that his colleagues killed dogs who did not perform well, with Vick himself hanging or drowning as many as eight dogs. For the illegal interstate gambling charges, as well as the state-level animal cruelty charges, Vick spent almost two years in federal prison. But no amount of jail time can wash the blood from his hands. (Image Credit: ASPCA/Getty)