Why do so many NFL players go bankrupt?

[TheSmurfs22]

Years ago when I worked with the Panthers I got to know Donnie Shell and one of his primary jobs was to work with rookies and players who had just received big contracts. When Shell played obviously the money was not what it is today so many of those guys had other jobs, thus they learned to manage money.
Also, the minute someone figures out you can go pro everything is "handled" so it is easy to lose perspective on the real world. Although it is easy for kids who are not going to pro to blow money or run up massive credit card debt. Maybe more time should be spent on this in Freshmen 101 than the worthless crap they make you do.

We had a player who did not understand why he could not rent a car. Well the guy forgot to pay a couple of speeding tickets, even though we had literally put the address and stamp on the envelope so he could mail it in.