Athletes and entertainers face unique wealth management opportunities, considerations and challenges. The athletes and entertainers we interviewed shared their personal stories and perspectives to highlight the need for more financial education in the sports and entertainment world. We thank them for being strong advocates of financial literacy.
* Formerly the Washington Redskins
Sage’s advice
Sage’s advice
“You don’t need a background in finance or accounting to learn about investing. I was a marketing major. I retired at age 35 without worrying about finding another job or how I would take care of my family.”
A childhood with room to roam
Sage grew up on 10 acres in the Iowa countryside with parents who raised chickens and grew their own organic fruits and vegetables. His dad, Robert, sold wood-burning stoves, and his mom, Jamie, was a midwife. They had moved from Chicago to raise their five kids in an idyllic place where they didn’t have to lock their doors at night. “I was taught that material things were not the goal. Having things was not the key to happiness.” It’s a perspective that has kept Sage grounded throughout his NFL career and beyond.
Winning the NFL lottery
A five-sport letterman at Maquoketa High School, Sage won a football scholarship to Iowa State University, where he was a star quarterback. The Washington Football Team chose him in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. From the beginning, Sage was keenly aware that careers in professional football are short-lived. “Every year I made it in the NFL was like winning the lottery, and there was no guarantee I would win again.”
Sage got married in college and was a young father. He saved as much as possible so he could take care of his family, regardless of what happened with his football career. At the time, he was making around $600,000 per year with salary and bonus playing for the Miami Dolphins. “Every dollar I saved was a dollar I didn’t have to earn later.”
Given the physical toll of playing, Sage knew that even in the best case scenario he would retire from football in his thirties. Only a small stratosphere of superstar athletes is able to monetize their celebrity status after retirement, so that was not something Sage could count on. He wanted the option of never working again after football. “I didn’t want to be the 35-year-old intern in the workforce. My classmates would be a decade ahead of me in their careers. I’d be the rookie at any company.”
Every year I made it in the NFL was like winning the lottery, and there was no guarantee I would win again.
Retirement-level money
In 2006, the Houston Texans offered Sage a four-year, $6 million contract, $2 million of which came as a signing bonus. He started asking himself how much money he needed to retire after football. “What’s my yearly burn? What do I need to be happy? That’s the key.” The standard advice Sage heard was for players to save 30% of their income. He saved 80% and still enjoyed a nice lifestyle. The values he was raised with helped him avoid the temptations of flashy spending.
Sage cautions that professional athletes come across money at a young age, when they have little experience with finances. “Just because you have money doesn’t mean you know a lot about money.” Although he was a marketing major who never formally studied finances or accounting, he made it a point to educate himself about investing. “I knew there was an overall number that I needed to reach before I could comfortably retire. I estimated I could earn around a 5% average annual return by investing long term in stocks and bonds. I let my money work for me.”
Start here
Start here
Together, we can help establish the legacy you want to leave.
Browse more profiles
Browse more profiles
Disclosures
This white paper has been prepared by UBS Financial Services Inc. (“UBS”) and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be construed as a solicitation or an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities, investments, strategies or products that may be mentioned herein, including estate planning strategies, or to participate in any particular strategy. Persons included in this report may or may not be clients of UBS but were not selected for inclusion based on any existing or prospective relationship with UBS. The recipient should not construe the contents of this report as legal, tax, accounting, regulatory or other specialist or technical advice, or services or investment advice, or a personal recommendation. No representation or warranty, either express or implied, is provided in relation to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information contained herein, nor is it intended to be a complete statement or summary of the matters or developments referred to in this report. This report should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment. Any opinions expressed in this report are those of the respective persons and not of UBS or any of its subsidiaries and/or affiliates, and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by other business areas or groups of UBS as a result of using different assumptions and criteria. In addition, the information is current as of the date indicated and is subject to change without notice. UBS is under no obligation to update or keep current the information contained herein, and past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. UBS and its affiliates do not provide legal or tax advice. Clients should consult with their legal and tax advisors regarding their personal circumstances. Neither UBS nor any of its affiliates, or their respective directors, officers, employees or agents accept any liability for any loss or damage arising out of the use of all or any part of this report or reliance upon the information contained herein.
All opinions and views expressed in this paper are those of the author or respective persons and do not represent—and may differ or be contrary to—the views and opinions of UBS or its affiliates. The individuals profiled in this document were selected based on their experiences and professional history. Neither UBS nor any of its employees or affiliates participated in any of the professional trajectories, corporate formations, capital funding, financing, sales, deals, transitions or other events discussed in this paper. This paper is not intended to be and should not be considered or construed to be a testimonial or endorsement of UBS or any UBS product or service. The individuals profiled make no representation regarding any experience or satisfaction with UBS or any UBS product and service. This material does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation or offer for the purchase or sale of any security and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. UBS, its employees, and/or clients may hold positions in the securities discussed in this paper.
As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers investment advisory services in its capacity as an SEC-registered investment adviser and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC-registered broker-dealer. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that clients understand the ways in which we conduct business and that they carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide to them about the products or services we offer. A small number of our financial advisors are not permitted to offer advisory services to you, and can only work with you directly as UBS broker-dealer representatives. Your financial advisor will let you know if this is the case and, if you desire advisory services, will be happy to refer you to another financial advisor who can help you. Our agreements and disclosures will inform you about whether we and our financial advisors are acting in our capacity as an investment adviser or broker-dealer. For more information, please review the PDF document at ubs.com/relationshipsummary.
NFL and Super Bowl are the registered trademarks of NFL Properties LLC. Used with permission. Other marks are the trademarks of their respective owners.
UBS specifically prohibits the redistribution or reproduction of this brochure in whole or in part without the written permission of UBS, and UBS accepts no liability whatsoever for the actions of third parties in this respect.
©UBS 2026. All rights reserved. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA/SIPC.