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NOBODY IS EVER surprised when they hear athletes like Rory McIlroy or Peyton Manning are among the highest-paid in their sport.
However, in an era with skyrocketing salaries there are also some athletes who are not superstars who have also made a ton of money in their careers.
Most of these athletes are not household names, and yet their career earnings rank them close to their superstar teammates and rivals. Others are superstars or were at one point and yet the surprise is just the sheer amount of money they have been paid in their career.
Here are 21 of the biggest surprises.
Cristie Kerr – $15.9m
Sport: Golf
All-time rank (within sport): No. 2
2014 Earnings: $824,737
Career highlights: The top golfers on the LPGA make about $2 million per year, or about $9.4 million less than Billy Horschel took home in one week on the PGA Tour. But Kerr, who has won two majors in her career, has the advantage of longevity, having played her first season on the LPGA Tour in 1997. She has won 16 tournaments in her career.
Caroline Wozniacki – $18.3m
Sport: Tennis
All-time rank (within sport): No. 11
2014 Earnings: $2.3 million
Career highlights: Wozniacki is just 24 and has never won a Grand Slam event. Yet she is already 11th on the WTA career money list. She does have 22 career singles titles and has reached the finals of the US Open twice.
David Ferrer – $240m
Sport: Tennis
All-time rank (within sport): No. 9
2014 earnings: $2.1 million
Career highlights: Ferrer has had a healthy career despite never winning a Grand Slam title and having played his career in the shadows as arguably the fifth best player in the “Big 4″ era of men’s tennis (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray).
Steve Stricker – $40.7m
Sport: Golf
All-time rank (within sport): No. 7
2014 earnings: $1.2 million
Career highlights: Stricker is a perfect example of a very good golfer who came along at the perfect time when prize money on the PGA Tour soured. He has never won a major, with just one top-3 finish (runner-up at the 1998 PGA Championship) and has just 12 career wins on the PGA Tour.
Jim Furyk – $61.9m
Sport: Golf
All-time rank (within sport): No. 4
2014 earnings: $6.0 million
Career highlights: Furyk has won a major (the 2003 US Open), but has just 15 other career wins on the PGA Tour and has never won more than three events in a single season.
Vincent Lecavalier – $91.5m
Sport: Ice hockey
All-time rank (within sport): No. 2
2014 earnings: $6.0 million
Career highlights: Lecavalier has had a solid, if not spectacular, NHL career as a 4-time All-Star. He has finished in the top-5 of the MVP voting just once in 15 seasons.
Matthew Stafford – $101.7m
Sport: American Football
All-time rank (within sport): No. 13
2014 earnings: $5.5 million
Career highlights: Despite just six years in the NFL and a career record as a starting quarterback of 25-38, Stafford has over $100 million in career earnings. Stafford was the top pick in a draft prior to the NFL putting a limit on rookie contracts. After just four years in the NFL, he signed a new contract with a hefty $27.5 million signing bonus.
Carson Palmer – $117.6m
Sport: American Football
All-time rank (within sport): No. 8
2014 earnings: $10.0 million
Career highlights: Palmer is on his third team in 11 seasons and has never won a playoff game as a starting quarterback, losing in both appearances. Palmer’s big deal was a 10-year, $119.5 million of which he ended up earning $69.5 million in six seasons.
Shawn Marion – $130m
Sport: Basketball
All-time rank (within sport): No. 14
2014 Earnings: $9.1 million
Career highlights: Marion is a 4-time NBA All-Star but has never been first or second-team ALL-NBA in 15 years.
Torii Hunter – $147.8m
Sport: Baseball
All-time rank (within sport): No. 9
2014 earnings: $14.0 million
Career highlights: Hunter is another player who parlayed longevity into a ton of earnings. His big payday came in 2008 when he signed a 5-year, $90 million contract with the Angels.
