Terry Crews has carved out a prominent place for himself in Hollywood, known for his versatility in taking on diverse roles. However, before his success in the film industry, the Brooklyn 99 actor harbored dreams of making it big in the NFL. His dream materialized in 1991 when he was drafted by the Rams as the 11th overall pick. Unfortunately, the reality of the NFL left him almost broke and penniless.
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Despite securing a spot in the NFL, Crews spent the majority of his career as a practice squad linebacker, participating in only 32 actual games over three seasons. In contemporary times, even practice squad players make enough. However, during Crew’s time, if a player wasn’t starting every week, financial challenges could arise, and that’s exactly what happened with Crews.
During his four-year stint in the league, Crews bounced around the league, playing only a handful of games. During a particularly challenging period, he had to rely on his artistic talent to supplement his meager income. Painting portraits for teammates, he charged up to $5k. Generosity from teammates and odd jobs here and there kept him afloat, enabling him to provide for his wife and kids, as per CNBC.
Faced with repeated cuts from rosters, Crews decided to relinquish his football dreams and announced his retirement. He and his wife opted to move to LA to pursue a career in acting. Initially, he landed a security job on a movie set, which became a turning point in his life. As luck would have it, he was soon offered a gig on the game show “Battle Dome” and later he clinched a few more small roles in movies like “Friday After Next” and “Training Day.”
Terry would have made a lot more if he played in today’s NFL. Experienced practice squad players make around $15,400 per week, and nearly $50,000 per week if they make the game-day roster. Crews, despite playing for only 4 years, played for 3 different teams and made it to the practice squad of two more.
Which Teams Did Terry Crews Play for in the NFL?
Drafted in the 11th round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Rams, Terry had a journeying career. After playing just six games, he was released from the team. He then went on to sign with the Packers on their practice squad in 1993, but couldn’t make the final roster and was subsequently released. Fortunately, the Chargers signed him in that same season, and Terry played ten games for them.
He was released by the Chargers as well after a single season and he spent a season as a free agent before getting signed by the Redskins in 1995. He played a full season for them before being released once again. His NFL career came to an end when he signed with the Eagles as a practice squad member but was released before the start of the season. He retired from the NFL after that.
Which Year Did Terry Crews Play in the NFL?
The “Everybody Hates Chris” actor had a short NFL journey that started in 1991 with the Rams. After being released, he spent 1992 as a free agent. He spent the 1993 off-season on the Packers‘ practice squad and the regular season with the Chargers. He was then released in the next season and was again a free agent for the 1994 season.
The Redskins signed him for the 1995 season, and after playing 16 games for them; Terry was once again released. He spent the 1996 off-season on the Eagles’ practice squad. However, he was unable to make it to the final squad and announced his retirement. Despite being rich now, a little to no proportion of his wealth came from football.
How Much Did Crews Make in the NFL?
While there is no exact figure as to how much Terry Crews made during his time in the league, he once stated that he was being paid $150 a week. In frustration, Terry remarked that he would have made more if he had worked at McDonald’s.
However, Terry has come a long way since then, amassing a whopping $25 million in net worth. But it couldn’t have been possible if he hadn’t taken the risk and left the league for Hollywood. Most NFL players end up directionless and bankrupt after retirement. Terry, however, channeled that drive into acting. He feels his success came because he started doing something he loves and takes pride in.
“If you pursue jobs you’ll genuinely enjoy and take pride in doing them well, money will follow. I have more money now than I ever had in my entire life because people understand equity and honor,” Terry said. “People make money, but if they don’t have any equity or honor, it all falls away — and that sounds real existential or spiritual, but it’s for real,” as per CNBC.
We can expect to see more of Terry Crews on our screens in the future. The former football player recently became the talk of the town after Grammy host Trevor Noah playfully panned the camera at him (again and again) while making a quip about the attention Taylor Swift gets at football games.
