'The Search for Jackie Wallace'

[Slacker]

In the 1970s, an NFL contract didn’t create instant millionaires as it does now. In 1974, Wallace played for $27,500 a year and a $25,000 signing bonus. In his seven years in the league, he estimated, he made between $325,000 and $400,000, including bonuses for playoff appearances and the Super Bowls. That was good money in the ’70s, but like so many players of his era, Wallace never saved or invested a share of his earnings.

With no money to fall back on, Jackie struggled to adjust to regular life. For a while, he worked as a Class B gauger on an oil production platform. He said his yearly pay matched that of a year in football, but without the structure and discipline that a team sport imposes, Wallace’s attraction to alcohol began to take a toll.

A year after his football career ended, two events changed his life: His mother died. And a cousin introduced him to crack cocaine.

“That’s when the ‘vortex of darkness’ began,” he said.

The search for Jackie Wallace

 

[YankeeFan]

Just finished reading that. Some story.

Sad that he had gotten it all together, only to go through hell all over again.

 

[murphyc]

Slacker, thanks for the link. What a powerful, and incredibly sad, story. Hoping Jackie can be found and can get clean again.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Powerful and sad story.

 

[YankeeFan]

Slacker, thanks for the link. What a powerful, and incredibly sad, story. Hoping Jackie can be found and can get clean again.

Powerful and sad story.

A lot of you may have missed this. It’s subtle. But, to the trained eye, these back to back posts are a clear indication that @murphyc and @Baron Scicluna are the same person!

 

[Baron Scicluna]

A lot of you may have missed this. It’s subtle. But, to the trained eye, these back to back posts are a clear indication that @murphyc and @Baron Scicluna are the same person!

Murphy is my masked babyface alter ego.

 

[John B. Foster]

Murphy is my masked babyface alter ego.

 

[murphyc]

A lot of you may have missed this. It’s subtle. But, to the trained eye, these back to back posts are a clear indication that @murphyc and @Baron Scicluna are the same person!

Baron is newspaper me, I am the real me.