It is always sad to see former NFL players going through hard times after the bright lights go away, especially players whose careers were cut short due to injuries. That is why it was sad to see ProFootballTalk reporting that the former Raider’s 3.6 million dollar home was surrendered in a foreclosure case.

According to the Associated Press, Culpepper bought the 9,867-square foot home in 2006 for about $3.6 million. He owns another home nearby, but nore than $3 million is still owed on the home which was turned over to SunTrust Bank in April. The bank dropped a lawsuit against him earlier this month.

Caulpepper played for Oakland during the 2007 season, starting a handful of games and memorably leading the Raiders past his former team in the Miami Dolphins. He will forever be remembered for his time with the Vikings, connecting with Randy Moss to form one of the game’s most memorable quarterback and wide receiver combos, but never quite achieving postseason success.

Injuries inevitably hamstrung Caulpepper’s career and after failed attempts of catching what he had in his early Vikings years in stops at Miami, Oakland, and Detroit, Caulpepper finally called it quits in 2009. Now he appears to be facing some serious financial trouble that appears to stem from spending to projected earnings before injury problems ruined his career.

It is very common to see these types of cases happen with former NFL players who spent beyond their means once their earnings potential gets drastically cut after their last big guaranteed contract. Think of the bankruptcy case of Warren Sapp as one of the more recent benchmarks of former NFL stars gone broke after their playing days. Three million dollars in bank debt is a serious amount of owed money, here is hoping that Caulpepper manages to turn around his financial situation.

Featured Image courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.