They believed it, and they achieved it, but then they threw it all away. Here are 15 professional -- yet loopy -- athletes who took Nike's advice, and applied it to breaking the law.
15. Tonya Harding - Conspiracy to Hinder Prosecution
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15. Tonya Harding - Conspiracy to Hinder Prosecution
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With a competitive nature to match every man on this list, Tonya Harding went on to win the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships after her husband Jeff Gillooly -- along with two other henchmen -- attacked Harding's heated rival Nancy Kerrigan and injured her knee.
Harding may have won in 1994, but she lost in court as she was convicted of conspiracy to hinder prosecution and banned from U.S. figure skating for life.
14. Travis Henry - Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
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14. Travis Henry - Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
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Travis Henry had nine children to nine different women. With child-support bills mounting, the talented running back decided to try his hand as a drug dealer. It didn't work out as Henry was arrested shortly after for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
13. Adam Jones - Conspiracy to Commit Disorderly Conduct
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13. Adam Jones - Conspiracy to Commit Disorderly Conduct
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While Adam 'Pacman' Jones has cleaned up his act of late, lest we forget what happened in a Las Vegas strip club back in 2007.
Jones was making it rain when a stripper started piling the cash into a bag. Jones decided to throw civility out the window, and began attacking the entrepreneur. A fracas with bouncers ensued and gun shots were fired. Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 NFL season.
12. Mike Danton - Conspiracy to Commit Murder
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12. Mike Danton - Conspiracy to Commit Murder
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In April 2004, Mike Danton was arrested for conspiring to have his agent David Frost murdered. It was later revealed that Frost abused Danton's younger brother, and repeatedly took advantage of the youths he was in control of.
Danton was sentenced to over seven years in prison, but it's difficult not to pin Frost as the criminal in this case.
11. Sam Hurd - Attempted Purchase and Distribution of Cocaine and Marijuana
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11. Sam Hurd - Attempted Purchase and Distribution of Cocaine and Marijuana
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At some point during a six-year, mediocre career, Sam Hurd decided that running drugs was more lucrative than running routes in the NFL. He may have been onto something if it weren't for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, who arrested the wideout in November of 2013.
He is now serving a 15-year prison sentence at the FCI Bastrop in Bastrop, Texas.
10. Ryan Leaf - Burglary, Theft and Drug Possession
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10. Ryan Leaf - Burglary, Theft and Drug Possession
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As if being the biggest bust in NFL history weren't enough, Ryan Leaf has also become the biggest bust in criminal mastermind history.
After his career, and a rehab stint in British Columbia, Leaf was arrested by U.S. Customs agents on burglary and controlled substances charges. More recently, Leaf was arrested on charges of burglary, theft and drug possession.
Leaf is living proof that some people are just bad at life.
9. Mike Tyson - Rape
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9. Mike Tyson - Rape
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Mike Tyson seems like a nice enough guy these days, but in his heyday, he was quite the opposite. Putting the ear-biting incident aside, Iron Mike was convicted of raping a beauty queen and sentenced to six years in prison.
8. Plaxico Burress - Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon
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8. Plaxico Burress - Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon
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For a time, Plaxico Burress was the apple of New York's eye. But, then he got shot in the leg -- by himself. That's right, Burress accidentally shot himself in a New York City nightclub, and was convicted on charges of attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
In related news, his friends now call him Mr. Big Shot.
7. Sonny Liston - Robbery
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7. Sonny Liston - Robbery
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Sonny Liston's birth date is unknown. His cause of death, not really known.
What we do know is that Liston was convicted of robbery in 1950 and that after he served his sentence, he fought 12 times under the control of underworld figures. It's hard to say which one is crazier, but judging by his untimely and suspicious death, you could say nothing's nuttier than associating with the mob.
6. Tommy Kane - Murder
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6. Tommy Kane - Murder
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Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Tommy Kane spent four seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks. He recorded 142 catches and nine TDs in 57 games before leaving the NFL for the CFL, where he played only five games with the Toronto Argonauts.
After his playing career, Kane dabbled in the world of drugs, and in 2003 he stabbed his wife in his mother's home. He is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence.
5. Ugueth Urbina - Attempted Murder
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5. Ugueth Urbina - Attempted Murder
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Former MLB All-Star and World Series champion Ugueth Urbina had it all, including a family ranch in his native Venezuela. What was missing? Apparently a firearm, and Urbina suspected that a worker on his ranch was to blame.
So, Urbina did what any sane member of society would, and exacted revenge by attempting to kill five workers with a machete.
It's unclear if the firearm was ever discovered, but Urbina did find a 14-year prison sentence.
4. Jayson Williams - Manslaughter
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4. Jayson Williams - Manslaughter
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Whether it's smashing a beer mug over someone's head, firing a semiautomatic weapon into a parking lot, a DWI or a bar fight, Jayson Williams has done it all. However, the straw that broke Williams' back was the accidental shooting of a limousine driver at his home.
Williams was convicted of manslaughter for that mishap. He's since been released, and is currently a danger to everyone around him.
3. Oscar Pistorius - Culpable Homicide
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3. Oscar Pistorius - Culpable Homicide
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When Oscar Pistorius was just 11 months old, both of his legs were amputated. Rather than let his disability defeat him, Pistorius became a medal-winning sprinter in the Paralympics and the first ever double amputee to compete in the Olympics.
Today, Pistorius faces the possibility of going from inspiration to incarceration after being found guilty of culpable homicide in the February 2013 shooting of his model-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
2. Rae Carruth - Conspiracy to Commit Murder
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2. Rae Carruth - Conspiracy to Commit Murder
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Most soon-to-be fathers are excited at the thought of fatherhood. Not Rae Carruth. After learning that his girlfriend was pregnant, Carruth hired a friend to shoot her as she and Carruth were coming back from a movie. Unfortunately, his girlfriend passed, but thankfully, the baby survived.
As for Carruth, he's currently in prison for extreme cowardice and conspiracy to commit murder.
1. O.J. Simpson - Kidnapping and Armed Robbery
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1. O.J. Simpson - Kidnapping and Armed Robbery
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The glove didn't fit, and the jury felt that was enough to acquit O.J. Simpson in the killing of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. A civil court felt differently and ordered Simpson to pay millions to the family's victims. Yes, the judicial system can be confusing.
Simpson decided to try his luck again in 2007, but this time he was found guilty of numerous charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery.
He's finally in jail.
Jeff Pearlman is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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