21 Surprising Athletes Who Have Made An Insane Amount Of Money

Sport: Tennis

All-time rank (within sport): No. 11

2014 Earnings: $2.3 million

Career highlights: Wozniacki is just 24 and has never won a Grand Slam event. Yet she is already 11th on the WTA career money list. She does have 22 career singles titles and has reached the finals of the US Open twice.

Sport: Tennis

All-time rank (within sport): No. 9

2014 Earnings: $2.1 million

Career highlights: Ferrer has had a healthy career despite never winning a Grand Slam title and having played his career in the shadows as arguably the fifth best player in the "Big 4" era of men's tennis (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray).

Sport: Golf

All-time rank (within sport): No. 7

2014 Earnings: $1.2 million

Career highlights: Stricker is a perfect example of a very good golfer who came along at the perfect time when prize money on the PGA Tour soured. He has never won a major, with just one top-3 finish (runner-up at the 1998 PGA Championship) and has just 12 career wins on the PGA Tour.

Sport: Golf

All-time rank (within sport): No. 4

2014 Earnings: $6.0 million

Career highlights: Furyk has won a major (the 2003 US Open), but has just 15 other career wins on the PGA Tour and has never won more than three events in a single season.

Sport: NASCAR

All-time rank (within sport): Unavailable

2014 Earnings: $471,643

Career highlights: Burton has never won a NASCAR championship and has just four wins in the last 13 seasons. But his 22 years on the circuit and 21 career wins is enough for nearly $80 million in career earnings.

Sport: Football

All-time rank (within sport): No. 17

2014 Earnings: $11.1 million

Career highlights: Thomas came into the NFL as a high draft pick (3rd overall) at a time when teams were putting a stronger emphasis on protecting the quarterback and high draft picks were given absurdly large contracts. Thomas earned his rookie contract and then received a 7-year, $80.5 million extension. He has never missed a start in his 8-year career.

Sport: Hockey

All-time rank (within sport): No. 2

2014 Earnings: $6.0 million

Career highlights: Lecavalier has had a solid, if not spectacular, NHL career as a 4-time All-Star. He has finished in the top-5 of the MVP voting just once in 15 seasons.

Sport: Football

All-time rank (within sport): No. 13

2014 Earnings: $5.5 million

Career highlights: Despite just six years in the NFL and a career record as a starting quarterback of 25-38, Stafford has over $100 million in career earnings. Stafford was the top pick in a draft prior to the NFL putting a limit on rookie contracts. After just four years in the NFL, he signed a new contract with a hefty $27.5 million signing bonus.

Sport: Hockey

All-time rank (within sport): No. 1

2014 Earnings: $14.0 million

Career highlights: Weber has never finished in the top-1o of the MVP voting, but following the 2012 season, he was offered a 14-year, $110 million contract with a whopping $68 million signing bonus from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Nashville Predators matched the offer. Weber has been runner-up for the Norris Trophy twice as the top defenseman.

Sport: Football

All-time rank (within sport): No. 8

2014 Earnings: $10.0 million

Career highlights: Palmer is on his third team in 11 seasons and has never won a playoff game as a starting quarterback, losing in both appearances. Palmer's big deal was a 10-year, $119.5 million of which he ended up earning $69.5 million in six seasons.

Sport: Baseball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 13

2014 Earnings: $2.5 million

Career highlights: Paul Konerko is a 6-time All-Star but has never finished higher than 5th in the MVP voting and has never led the league in a significant statistical category.

Sport: Basketball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 14

2014 Earnings: $9.1 million

Career highlights: Marion is a 4-time NBA All-Star but has never been first or second-team ALL-NBA in 15 years.

Sport: Football

All-time rank (within sport): No. 4

2014 Earnings: $8.5 million

Career highlights: Peppers has had a solid NFL career as a 3-time NFL All-Pro selection. So it is not surprising that he has been well-paid, just surprising that a defensive player is so high on the NFL's all-time list.

Sport: Baseball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 11

2014 Earnings: $16.0 million

Career highlights: Ramirez is a 3-time All-Star and has never finished higher than ninth in the MVP voting.

Sport: Basketball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 9

2014 Earnings: $21.5 million

Career highlights: In 2010 the Nets gave Joe Johnson a 6-year, $123.7 million contract. He is a 7-time All-Star, but has never been on the All-NBA first or second team.

Sport: Baseball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 9

2014 Earnings: $14.0 million

Career highlights: Hunter is another player who parlayed longevity into a ton of earnings. His big payday came in 2008 when he signed a 5-year, $90 million contract with the Angels.

Sport: Baseball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 6

2014 Earnings: $7.5 million

Career highlights: Burnett has never finished in the top-10 of Cy Young voting and has never been an All-Star.

Sport: Basketball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 7

2014 Earnings: $4.0 million

Career highlights: Brand has been an All-Star just two times and yet twice he signed contracts worth more than $60 million with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sport: Basketball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 6

2014 Earnings: $2.0 million

Career highlights: O'Neal is another player with a solid (6-time All-Star), if not spectacular career. O'Neal took advantage of a time when players were allowed to go straight from high school to the NBA and before the NBA cracked down on NBA salaries.

Sport: Baseball

All-time rank (within sport): No. 3

2014 Earnings: $3.0 million

Career highlights: Unlike many of the others on this list, Santana was at times one of the best in his sport, winning the Cy Young Award twice with the Twins. However, he has made just 21 starts in the last 4 seasons and he has been paid $79.6 million during that time.

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