Did you know that Shaquille O'Neil has an MBA? And former NBA sharpshooter Kerry Kittles does too? FINS offers an interesting look at former professional athletes who have made the transition into financial services.

Andrew Kline, a burly guard, played in the NFL before injuries ended his career. But he has since started up an investment bank in Los Angeles that advises sports teams.

Remember Penn State University's 1986 National Championship quarterback John Shaffer? He's now a managing director at Goldman Sachs; he made the cut in 2010. Former NFL quarterback Dave Brown is now at Greenhill & Co. Former Fab Five guard Jimmy King, after a stint in the NBA, went to Merrill Lynch for a while.

Other athletes are eying a similar transition. Mark Madsen, who played many years in the NBA, is now at business school at Stanford. His future would appear to be golden. But it's no cake walk. Former athletes are not trotted out like mere mascots. They are expected to work and win, the way all other employees do.

Some think that athletics and finance go hand in hand. But there have been some notable blow-ups. Former baseball player Lenny Dykstra comes to mind. He was once flying high as an investor and stock-picking columnist. But things have not ended well. We'd like to think he's the exception rather than the rule.

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