Clinton Portis Almost Murdered His Financial Advisor After Losing Most of His $43 Million NFL Fortune
Clinton Portis should’ve been set for life financially after playing nine seasons in the NFL. The former Washington Redskins running back made over $43 million over his successful career. However, a string of bad investments and trusting the wrong people nearly cost Portis his entire NFL fortune. Things got so bleak for Portis that at one point he seriously contemplated murdering one of his financial managers. If his friend didn’t talk him out of it, Portis would most likely be in prison today.
Clinton Portis made over $43 million in the NFL
Clinton Portis may not be considered one of the greatest NFL running backs ever, but he sure was paid like one. Portis made $43.1 million during his nine-year pro career.
After two promising seasons with the Denver Broncos to start his career, the Redskins saw enough to make him a record-setting offer. In 2004, the Redskins offered Portis the richest contract for a running back in NFL history. The deal was worth $50.5 million over eight years.
Portis didn’t exactly live up to the hype in Washington created by his massive contract. He made just one Pro Bowl with the Redskins and flamed out after five seasons.
After Portis rushed for over 1,500 yards in each of his two seasons with Denver, he never reached that mark with Washington. He did rush for over 1,000 yards four times with the Redskins, but the franchise expected more when they made him the richest running back of all time.
Clinton Portis lost most of his NFL fortune and filed for bankruptcy
Portis’ NFL fortune set him up for a comfortable retirement, but it was almost all gone after a few short years away from the league. Some of it was his own doing, but most of it was not. Sports Illustrated told the story of Portis losing nearly his entire NFL fortune a few years after he retired.
After Portis officially retired in 2012, he trusted two NFLPA financial advisors with his money. Jeff Rubin and Jinesh Brahmbhatt were both registered financial managers employed by the league, but their intentions were far from pure.
Unfortunately for Portis, he became one of the many former athletes who trusted the wrong people with his finances. By 2014, his advisors had run him dry and Portis was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Rubin alone took $3.1 million out of Portis’ personal account, and Brahmbhatt was later banned by the NFLPA for running a Ponzi scheme.
Portis almost murdered one of his financial advisors
According to Sports Illustrated, Portis became so angry at one of his financial advisors for stealing his money and causing him to go bankrupt that the former running back contemplated murdering him.
Portis didn’t just think about doing the heinous act, though. He actually drove to an office building in 2013 with a loaded pistol fully planning on killing the man. The SI article does not say who the target was.
“It wasn’t no beat up,” Portis told Sports Illustrated. “It was kill.”
Luckily, Portis never pulled the trigger thanks to an anonymous friend who talked him out of the crime. She convinced him that not being rich is better than letting his children grow up with their father behind bars.
Portis gave the gun to his friend while he settled down. Thankfully, Portis can raise his children and be an active father today, which wouldn’t have been the case if he pulled the trigger that day.
All contract stats courtesy of Spotrac, all football stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
