14 Biggest NFL Scandals of All Time

8. DeBartolo Extortion

It’s not every day that we see owners forced to give up their teams, but we’ve seen it happen. Edward J. DeBartolo was suspended from NFL for a year in 1998 after his reputation was tarnished in Edwin Edwards corruption case. Edwards, former four-time Louisiana governor, was indicted, and then sentenced for extortion, racketeering, and money laundering among other things. DeBartolo was caught within Edwards’ scheme after paying him $400,000 for a riverboat casino license. Of course, 49ers owner never received the license, and he subsequently decided not to return to their helm. Instead, his sister Denise DeBartolo York took the helm, while the current owner is her son Jed York. At least, 49ers are still in the family. Fans, however, will never forget DeBartolo as the most successful owner in NFL history, percentage-wise. Under him, 49ers won no less than 5 Super Bowls in as little as 14 years. Players and fans alike still love the man who turned the franchise into eighties’ powerhouse and ownership model into the family model.