Alex Smith among Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Athletes


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SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah alumni Alex Smith has had respectable career in the NFL, and he’s being paid very well for it. So well that he made his debut on the annual Forbes list of The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes. The list ranks the top 100 earners based on their salaries, prize money, and bonuses paid out between June 1, 2014, and June 1, 2015. Smith came in tied at number 90 on the list, bringing in a total of $19.6 million.

Smith, after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs in his first season, was rewarded with a four-year $68 million contract, $45 million of which is guaranteed. Smith finished the 2014 season with 3,265 yards passing, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Chiefs are expecting more out of Smith this upcoming season since they added former Philadelphia Eagle Jeremy Maclin. Maclin finished ninth in the NFL in total receiving yards (1,318).

Smith was one of 16 NFL players to make the list.

The athlete coming in at No. 1 was no surprise. Floyd Mayweather hauled in an outrageous $300 million, most of which was made during “The Fight of the Century” with Manny Pacquiao. This is the third time in four years that Mayweather has topped the Forbes Highest-Paid Athletes list. Pacquiao came in at No. 2 with $160 million.

Coming in at Nos. 3 and 4 were soccer phenoms Cristiano Ronaldo ($79.6 million) and Lionel Messi ($73.8 million). Tennis legend Roger Federer came in at No. 5, hauling in $67 million.

The NBA boasted 18 players on the list headlined by LeBron James at 6 with $64.8 million, Kevin Durant at 7 with $54.1 million and Kobe Bryant at 10 with $49.5 million. Former Jazzman Deron Williams came in at No. 72 with $23.1 million.

Golf royalty Phil Mickelson ($50.8 million) and Tiger Woods ($50.6 million) came in at Nos. 8 and 9, respectively.

Baseball led all sports with the most appearances on the list with a whopping 27 athletes.

The youngest athlete on the list was professional soccer player Neymar. At age 23, he’s No. 23 (appropriately) on the list and making $31 million.

The only two female athletes to make the list were superstar tennis players Maria Sharapova (No. 26 with $29.7 million) and Serena Williams (No. 47 with $24.6 million). Nathan Harker is a sports writing intern currently enrolled at Brigham Young University majoring in Broadcast Journalism. Nathan can be reached at nathan.harker32@gmail.com or via twitter @nharker3207.

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