Almost everybody wants to be famous, and becoming an elite athlete is one way to get there. However, one thing we don’t think about when we picture our names in lights is the pressure that comes with celebrity status. It’s ridiculously intense and many people struggle to deal with it. This often leads to substance abuse for escapism.
Unfortunately, that often ends badly. Today we’re going to examine 40 athletes who used these substances with negative consequences. Maybe they were party animals and allowed it to go too furthers. Others simply sought relief from the world. Some are more serious than others but they all lost out because of drugs and alcohol. Check out the full list below via Bleacher Report.
40. Mike Tyson
Let’s kick off this list with one of the most notorious athletes in sports history. Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time when he won his first title at the age of 20. He was a wrecking ball of destruction as none of his opponents could contend with his power. However, Tyson endured many well-documented problems outside of the ring. This was because he was surrounded by many negative influencing factors.
Tyson admits that he consumed a lot of drugs throughout his time as a champion. But he took even more when he retired and ballooned in weight. It’s not unusual for athletes to suffer significant weight gain after retirement. However, ‘Iron Mike’ made problems much worse for himself with a lot of substance abuse. In the end, Tyson bounced back and cleaned up his act by giving up cocaine.