The litany of professional athletes, NFL players among them, whohave blown their earnings has prompted much reflection on whatcauses millionaires to end up back where they started.

The reasons often cited are a desire to invest in startups (mostfail), a line of family and friends needing financial help, andgeneral overspending on luxury items without planning for thefuture.

While stories of fortunes lost generate the buzz, many NFL starswalk away from the game set for life and even increase theirwealth. Visa has even joined with the NFL and current players tohelp spread the financial literacy message in a programcalled Financial Football.

The website celebritynetworth.com catalogs thefinances of the rich and famous using public information. Whilemany on the list of NFL players are current players raking inmega-salaries, this round-up concentrates on those who played whensalaries were not in the stratosphere. Check out eight ex-NFL starsworth a fortune.

8. (Tie) Deion Sanders

Net Worth: $40 million

“Neon Deion” was most famous for his exploits on the footballfield, but he carved out a baseball career at the same time forseveral Major League teams. In the NFL alone, he took home about$47 million. He also had endorsements for Pizza Hut, Nike andothers as well as his baseball salary. A career as a TV footballanalyst has followed, and despite the electric nickname, Sandershas apparently stayed grounded on the financial front.

8. (Tie) Fran Tarkenton

Net Worth: $40 million

Tarkenton was known for scrambling to avoid the fearsome passrushers of the 1960s and '70s. His quick feet helped lead theMinnesota Vikings to the Super Bowl, although he never quitegrabbed the brass ring. The scrambling continued after he hung uphis jersey for good and he was swept up in a securities fraudinvestigation. The Associated Press reported that Tarkenton agreedto pay $100,000 to settle the charges against his software company.That fine barely put a dent in Tarkenton's millions, made in largepart from various educational software businesses.

6. Michael Strahan

Net Worth: $45 million

Strahan's strength allowed him to set the NFL record for sackingthe quarterback in a single season. His $60 million in NFL pay(minus some lost in a high-profile divorce) allowed him to put awaya nest egg. And don't forget his second career as co-host of “Live!With Kelly and Michael” and as a regular on “Fox NFL Sunday.” HisTV salary is pegged at $10 million a year, mostly from “Live!”

5. Gale Sayers

Net Worth: $50 million

The shifty Chicago Bears running back had a meteoric career cutshort by knee injuries. Despite playing just seven seasons, Sayersis considered among the greatest of all time. Adding to his lusterin the popular imagination is his friendship with teammate BrianPiccolo whose battle with cancer was chronicled in Sayers' book “Iam Third” and the TV movie “Brian's Song.” Through his SayersFinance Corp., the former gridiron star has ridden the ups anddowns of the financial markets to make his fortune.

4. Jim Brown

Net Worth: $50 million

Jim Brown is considered by most to be the greatest running backof all time. Perhaps the greatest athlete, as he is widely regardedas the best collegiate lacrosse player, too. He walked away fromthe Cleveland Browns at the peak of his career and headed toHollywood (think “Dirty Dozen” and “Any Given Sunday”), as wellbecoming a social activist, founding Amer-I-Can, an organizationthat helps equip young people with the skills needed to contributeto society.

3. Joe Montana

Net Worth: $80 million

Montana was a comeback kid from his quarterback career at NotreDame to his days leading the dominant San Francisco 49ers teams ofthe 1980s. His pay was a fraction of what players make today (theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote in 1990 of Montana's salaryof about $3 million finally matching his play). Still, shrewdinvesting in tech companies, as reported by Fortune and others, andhuge fees for public appearances have landed him high on the list.

2. Brett Favre

Net Worth: $100 million

Favre, famed for his gun-slinging ways on the field, apparentlyavoided the pitfalls many professional athletes fall into wheninvesting their money. The quarterback, who raked in $139 millionin salary during his career with four teams, famously had a fallingout with his main team, the Green Bay Packers. That's all patchedup now as Favre lives a quiet retirement with a few commercialpitches and public appearances sprinkled in.

1. Roger Staubach

Net Worth: $600 million

Staubach's story read like something Hollywood would dream up.First, there was his Heisman Trophy winning collegiate career atthe Naval Academy. Then, after serving a hitch that included a tourin Vietnam, he led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories.His ability to guide the Cowboys to comeback wins is legendary. Hispost-football life is just as impressive. Staubach started a realestate business that provides investment and professional servicesthat was sold to Jones Lang LaSalle in 2008. The ex-signal calleris the firm's executive chairman.