Does the name Tank Black ring any bells to you? If not, you're not alone, but in the early 2000s, Tank Black was on trial for defrauding millions of dollars from players he represented including former Jaguars and Florida Gators great, Fred Taylor.
The saga of Tank Black started in the late 90s. He landed Taylor as a client, and the two quickly built a relationship. Following the success and admiration of Taylor, Black was able to spread his brand, and he quickly became one of the NFL's top agents.
Everything was going great between Black and his clients until he was charged with money laundering by federal prosecutors.
After briefly defending his agent, Taylor soon found out that the charges were completely legitimate. The low point came when Taylor had to apply for a $100,000 loan to get himself through the 2001 season. Through all the hell that he was put through, including losing $3.6 million to Black, Fred Taylor has reportedly found it in himself to forgive his former agent.
According to Eric Adelson of Yahoo! Sports, Taylor called Black this summer and forgave Black, saying that the experience helped shape him into the person he is today.
"I had to forgive him. I was pissed for a while. I was pissed for a long time." -Fred Taylor [via Yahoo! Sports]
Fortunately for Taylor, the scam that cost him millions occurred near the beginning of his career, and if the incident helped shape Taylor for years to come, it may have helped him realize the value of wise financial decisions. Taylor has since recovered from Tank Black's scam, now owning four houses.
Unfortunately, it often doesn't take a rogue agent to derail an NFL players' finances. Terrell Owens' financial woes have been covered relentlessly over the past couple of years, and former Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell lost his fortune on a series of poor real estate investments just as the housing market collapsed in and around 2008.
The fact of the matter is that even though players often make more money in a couple of seasons than many of us will make in our lifetimes, it's not always easy to manage. Players often make investments, and sometimes they lose in a big way. Other times, they simply spend themselves into oblivion.
Regardless of the circumstances, it's hard to imagine forgiving a man that was responsible for losing $3.6 million that you worked tirelessly to get. That's the type of compassion that only a select few could muster, and that's exactly the type of thing I have come to expect from Fred Taylor.
