We all love sports and the athletes that play them. But have you ever wondered what it took for them to become the legend or superstar that they are today? Here are some of the highest paid male athletes in the world and their high school origins.
Jack Nicklaus is an American retired golfer and considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. Nicklaus was born on Jan. 21, 1940, and he grew up in Upper Arlington. Nicklaus, also named the golden bear, grew up in Columbus, Ohio and attended Upper Arlington High School. He started playing golf at 10 and won five straight Ohio State Junior titles at age 12.
During his high school career, he became the youngest qualifier into the U.S. Junior Amateur and also won the Tri State High School Championship at 14. While in high school, he didn’t just excel in golf, he was an all-around athlete. He played football, baseball, tennis, and track and field. During his senior year, he also received some offers from basketball programs.
While in college, he was even more successful. Nicklaus attended Ohio State where he won the U.S. Amateur twice and an NCAA Championship. According to Golf Digest, Nicklaus won 27 events in Ohio from age 10-17. He won 117 professional tournaments in his career and 18 major championships. These are just some of the many successful things Jack Nicklaus accomplished that earned him the title as one of the greatest golfers of all time. Making Nicklaus one of the highest paid male athletes earning around $400 million.
Arnold Palmer was an American professional golfer. Palmer was born on September 10, 1929, in Pennsylvania and learned golf from his father. While playing for the Latrobe High School golf team, Palmer lost only one match in four years.
Palmer attended Wake Forest College on a golf scholarship but ended up leaving due to a death of a close friend. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, and he built a nine-hole course and continued to practice his skills. After his time in the Coast Guard came to an end, he returned to college and golf.
Palmer won the 1954 U.S. Amateur in Detroit and decided to turn professional later that year. According to the Arnold Palmer website, in Palmer’s professional career, he won various events like the Canadian Open, Masters, U.S. Open, and 29 PGA Tour events. Although he was a great golfer, what captured America’s hearts was his personality.
He was known to be very charismatic, and it made people want to watch not only him but the game of golf. During his career, he won many accolades like the Hickok Belt as the top athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Sportsman of the Year” award. He was ultimately given the nickname “the king” and also became one of the highest paid male athletes earning almost $700 million.
Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods is an American golfer and is referred to as one of the greatest golfers of all time and one of the highest paid, earning $800 million. Woods was born on December 30, 1975, and grew up in Orange County, Calif. Woods was introduced to golf before the age of two by his father and according to Celebrity Net Worth, Woods was given the name “Tiger” in honor of his dad.
When Woods was 15 and attending Western High School, he became the youngest U.S Junior Amateur Champion among many other titles including, Southern California Amateur Player of the Year and Golf Digest Amateur Player of the Year. Woods was highly recruited, and he chose Stanford University. During his professional career, Woods won so many accolades that not all can be listed, but according to Celebrity Net Worth, some include 15 professional Major Tournaments, 81 PGA Tour wins, 41 European tour wins, and five Masters wins. He has been ranked number one for more consecutive weeks than any other player and has the lowest scoring average of all time. Woods was also recognized by magazines like Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press.
Finally, our number one highest paid male athlete is Michael Jordan. This legendary basketball player is the highest paid athlete of all time earning $2 billion. Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, and attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington. His road to the top definitely had some challenges. He tried out for his varsity basketball team during his sophomore year but was cut due to his height. Although that discouraged him, it didn’t bring him down for long.
He became the star of the Laney’s JV basketball team and averaged several 40-point games. The following summer, he grew four inches, trained hard, and made the varsity basketball team. Even being selected for the All-American game. Jordan went from being cut from his high school basketball team to being the third overall pick in the NBA draft.
Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. But Jordan has proven to be a pro on and off the court. He was the main reason for the success of Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers, which everyone loves to this day. Jordan also starred as himself in the animated film Space Jam and is the main focus of the Emmy Award-winning documentary The Last Dance. He became part-owner of the Hornets in 2006, and in 2014 Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history. All of this earning gives him the title of the greatest and highest paid basketball player of all time.
