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Last time I spoke with the Anthony Madison, the personable fourth-year player out of the University of Alabama, he told me that if he had strictly followed the money right out of college, he would have signed with the Houston Texans rather than the Pittsburgh Steelers following the 2005 NFL Draft.

 

Madison had offers from a few clubs as an undrafted free agent, and the Texans' offer included a signing bonus that was $3,000 higher than any other offer.  Being a typical college student who was strapped for cash, he was ready to sign with Houston to give himself a better financial start.

 

But when he and his agent dove deeper and looked at where his best opportunity would be, he signed with the Steelers instead. As a result, the $3,000 sacrifice paid off with a Super Bowl ring at the end of his third NFL season.

 

If you ask me, that's a pretty good tradeoff.