A top Merrill Lynch adviser and his NFL cheerleader daughter suddenly left the firm and no one knows why

A top ranked Merrill Lynch financial adviser and his NFL cheerleader daughter suddenly left the firm earlier this month and it's unclear as to why, according to the New York Post.

Thomas "Tom" J. Buck, who was ranked by Barron's as a top adviser, ran The Buck Group based in Indianapolis with about $1.2 billion in client assets. (A webpage for The Buck Group is no longer available.)

AdvisorHub, which cited an email from unnamed Merrill source, reported that Buck was fired and that his daughter resigned.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch confirmed to Business Insider that Buck has left, but declined to comment on why.

There's a rule that Bank of America Merrill Lynch has to file a form (it's called a U-5) within 30 days with FINRA when a financial advisor departs. That's a standard procedure for every Wall Street firm. If there was a termination, usually there's an explanation.

Buck, a former Indiana University linebacker, spent 33 years at Merrill, according to FINRA records.

His daughter Ann, who also graduated from Indiana University, had been with Merrill since October 2009, FINRA records show. Outside of work, she's been a cheerleader for the Indianapolis Colts for the last four years.

She told the Colts in a spotlight interview that she loved her job as a financial advisor.

"The people I work for and with everyday are, by far, the best part of my job, but I also LOVE to learn. Even though I have been out of school for a few years now, being a financial advisor provides me with the ability to learn something new every single day. Every single person in the world has a story to tell, and I am lucky enough to be in the position where I get to listen to their stories every day. Also, I am a huge nerd (I know) and enjoy reading the Wall Street Journal and economic research reports to hear about what is going on in the world and how that affects the lives of the people I work with. It's a wonderful feeling to listen to someone's story and be able to relate to them (and hopefully help them) in some form or another. The world is a massive web of knowledge, and I feel very blessed to have a job that lets me explore and learn about the many avenues life has to offer."

According to the New York Post, Ann said her dad is fine and that she's planning on trying out for next season's cheer squad in April.