10 September 2022
Life is full of second chances, especially if you’re an NFL quarterback, and few know that better than Brad Quinn.
Why? Because When it comes to football roller coasters, Quinn has lived the life, ridden the ride, and then some. He’s gone from college hero to pro-bust to college broadcaster, so his life is definitely worth exploring to see how he handled the challenges and came out the other side.
[ez-tpoc]
Life After the NFL
Quinn made good money as an NFL QB, especially when he threw his rookie contract into the deal. He could have coasted indefinitely, but Quinn was determined to stay in the game, so he joined FOX Sports as an analyst.
Unlike many athletes who go easy on their football brethren once they leave the field and hit the booth, Quinn isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
He took some serious shots at former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly for leaving South Bend to coach at LSU, calling the move a money grab that was unfair to the recruits Kelly left behind.
Quinn isn’t shy about taking on the NFL, either, which is unusual since FOX Sports carries pro games and is at least partially responsible to some extent for Quinn’s salary. Specifically, Quinn blasted the NFL for the league’s combine rules, calling them an effort to silence the players about questionable tactics that forbid players from speaking out and breaking combine “rules.”
Quinn has certainly been in that position himself, and he went on to laud both the agents and the NFLPA for standing up for the players.
The NFL is basically a money-printing machine, and Quinn accused the league of trying to make a profit off athletes who hadn’t signed a contract and had yet to be drafted.
Quinn’s comments have gotten him noticed. They don’t seem to be part of a concerted effort to put himself on the map, but it’s too soon to tell what Quinn will become as he gets deeper into his broadcast career.
Brady Quinn, Quarterback
Notre Dame is pivotal to Brady Quinn’s sports journey, for it’s where he had his initial success as a college quarterback. He set 36 ND records leading the fighting Irish, and he played in the Fiesta Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. He also won the Maxwell Award as the best college football player in 2006, along with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award for being the best quarterback.
Life in the NFL wasn’t nearly as kind. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Quinn quickly went from highly touted prospect to NFL bust, and his football life truly was that of a journeyman.
He played for six teams in seven years, and he managed to play for a total of ten seasons before hanging up his cleats for good in 2013. Injuries were part of the problem as well, and there was a time when Quinn was best known for complaining about his bad luck in that department.
Salary, Family, and Net Worth
Quinn makes good money for speaking his mind. His salary as FOX Sports is estimated at just under a million a year, and obviously, the job security is a lot better than what Quinn had as an NFL journeyman.
His monetary status gets even more intriguing when you consider his overall net worth. According to Spotrac, which tracks the salaries of pro athletes, Quinn made over $10 million during his 10-year career, which doubtless provided him with a nice nest egg when he got married and started a family. His net worth is generally listed at that $10 million figure.
He also has an intriguing marital situation. Quinn began dating Alicia Sacramone back in 2009, and while most such scenarios lack staying power, Quinn’s was the opposite with Sacramone. They got engaged in 2013 and were married in 2014.
The marriage has had some serious staying power, too. Quinn currently has three daughters, and they maintain a charity foundation called 3rd and Goal that Quinn founded in 2011.
In another interesting spin, Quinn’s sister Laura is married to AJ Hawk, the former Ohio State linebacker who went on to star with the Green Bay Packers.
It’s the ultimate version of a football family and yet another indicator that Quinn has successfully bounced back from the setbacks that characterized his NFL playing career.
