10-year NFL QB who shoved reporter into locker joined $18bn firm that triggered global financial crash

Richard Todd swapped the high-stakes NFL for a career on Wall Street.

The quarterback broke the state shot put record while attending  Davidson High School in Mobile, Alabama.

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He played college ball under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant for the Crimson Tide.

After catching a 25-yard touchdown pass in a loss to Notre Dame for the 1973 National Championship, he led Bama to a Sugar Bowl victory at the end of the 1975 season.

Todd did enough to convince the New York Jets to select him sixth overall in the 1976 NFL Draft. It took until the Miami Dolphins swooped for Tua Tagovailoa for another Crimson Tide quarterback to go in the first round.

He was brought in to replace Alabama legend Joe Namath, who was named MVP as the underdog Jets won Super Bowl III in 1969.

Playing with Namath was “a dream come true” for Todd, who stepped up after his idol was released at the end of the season.

Unfortunately, his time as Gang Green starter was a disaster and he threw more interceptions than touchdowns in his first five season.

After being booed by fans, he infamously shoved reporter Steve Serby into a locker for saying that backup Matt Robinson should replace him.

In 1980, Todd broke the NFL record with 42 completions and his mark stood until Drew Bledsoe broke it 14 years later. Later that season, he broke another by throwing a pick for the 15th game in a single campaign.

Playoff football followed thanks largely to a defense known as the New York Sack Exchange, but Todd was traded to the New Orleans Saints in 1983 after going 7-9 and throwing two pick sixes to Miami’s Mike Kozlowski in his final game.

Todd lasted just two years in the Big Easy and retired after a brief return to the Jets in 1986 with around $5 million in career earnings.

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In all, he had 20,610 passing yards, 124 touchdowns, and 161 interceptions, with another 932 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.

Looking for options, he wound up on Wall Street.

“I went to Alabama and majored in P.E,” Todd in 2019. “I always wanted to coach.

“And then when I got out of football, I just wanted to get a job away from it.

“I had a little money and looked at the stock market and stuff that I was kind of interested in, and it kind of went from there.”

Todd opted for investment bank Bear Stearns and worked there for 22 years until 2008.

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Valued at $18 billion at the time, his firm was one of the first dominoes to fall in the meltdown which shook the global economy to its core.

People lost their homes and livelihoods and the government was forced to step in to ball out financial institutions.

JPMorgan Chase acquired Bear Stearns in a cut-price sale and Todd was made Managing Director of Fixed Income Sales at JPMorgan Securities.

It isn’t a normal path after the league, but Todd isn’t the only one to walk it.

Giants icon Justin Tuck joined Goldman Sachs

Two-time Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck joined $300 billion giant Goldman Sachs after his playing days and has risen as far as managing director.

“[What’s a better gig? Playing in the NFL or Goldman Sachs?] Goldman Sachs. I gotta hit anybody, and nobody can hit me back,” he told Street journalist Adam Glyn.

Tuck works within the firm’s Private Wealth Management division and encouraged current players not to blindly follow the typical route into broadcasting or podcasts.

“I would say, follow your passion,” he added. “If you love what you’re doing, you’re never working. I know that’s cliché, but I’ve had great fortunes and blessings with what I do.

“So while it’s still complex and hard and good and bad days, it’s what I like to do.

“That’s something I encourage all these players, whenever you think about transitioning, don’t follow the trends of what everybody else did.”

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