I would think a couple of bucks to help a bro would be easy:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/2009/01/29/2009-01-29_nfls_current_players_ignoring_retired_ve.html

Ditka's been at this for years. As the article says it's sad these guys can't give a little to the guys who paved the way for them.

nfl ain't the only ones.

bob coosey died broke.

How is it that after you make millions of dollars, you some how are out of money and cant live?

MANY, many, many families dont make a million dollars in a lifetime and make it through life fine.

The old guys didn't make millions of dollars. Also, they have crappy pension plans and high health costs. I'm sure loads of players squandered their money, but lots of players in the early days made less in a season than some modern players make during a timeout.

Even if you retire by choice and in good health, your health expenses later in life would be high.

Now just imagine if you don't get to retire when you want to, but are forced to retire because of injury.  Then what do you have?  You haven't played nearly as long as you could have, meaning less time to save money, AND you've got serious medical issues.

Frankly, I think NFL owners and league officials should be embarassed by the way players are just cast out once their usefulness to the team is over.  Those guys put their own health and well being on the line, more often than not playing with some sort of injury, to make other people rich.