In the history of American and Canadian Football, there have not been a lot of footballers who have played in the two leagues especially those of American heritage. Dexter Manley is one of the few players who led a successful career in these two leagues and earned himself the nickname, Secretary of Defense for his impressive skills as a defensive end.
Dexter Manley Bio
Dexter Keith Manley was born on the 2nd of February 1959 in Houston, Texas to Carl and Jewellean Manley. Dexter had three siblings – two brothers and a sister. His brother, Reggie has been dead for a long time while his other brother, Gregory, and his sister Cynthia are still very much alive.
This football player has always had an issue with education and when he was in high school, Yates High school, he struggled with school work and was dubbed mentally retarded because of how long it took him to grasp the lessons he was taught; he had to be assigned to the Special Ed class for disabled kids.
Manley’s failing in school caused a strain on the relationship he had with his father who was a stickler for educational excellence. His performance, as opposed to that of his siblings, was a cause of concern for the family. To please his father, Dexter took to playing football and he joined his school’s team where he shone.
The only way that Dexter Manley was able to go to college was by getting football scholarships; he got a total of thirty-seven. He decided to go to Oklahoma State University.
His Career
Dexter Manley’s professional career began in 1981 and he was picked in the fifth round of that year by the Washington Redskins. Although Manley was an important member of the team, he kept having issues with drug abuse. He was with the Redskins for a total of eight years and in that period, the team won the super bowl twice. The next club he played for was the Phoenix Cardinals; he was part of this club for a year before moving on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His sacking of Quarterbacks has been described as a sight to behold as he employed unconventional tactics in his style of defense. For fans of football who followed the game in the 80s the name Manley was one that inspired awe and admiration.
By 1992, Manley moved to the Canadian Football League; he joined the Ottawa Rough Riders and once more, his career was threatened by his incessant drug use and after spending a year with the Riders he moved to the Shreveport Pirates. This was the last team he played with as he was convicted of cocaine possession in 1995. He was given a four-year sentence but ended up spending only two years in prison. In his entire career, he was banned once for violating the NFL policy against substance-abuse.
Dexter Manley’s Net Worth
Dexter Manley had a successful career in football and despite the odds of life stacked against him with his failings at education, he managed to find a career he could excel in and make lots of money from. But his drug abuse problem, which he got rehabilitation for derailed his career, his net worth is not known.
Wife and Family
Dexter Manley has been married a total of three times. The first time he got married was in 1977 and it was to a woman called Stephayne Baker. He had just gotten out of high school and got married immediately, he and Stephayne had a son together and in 1980 they got divorced.
His next wife was called Glinda, they met each other while they were both taking a ride, the both of them tied the knot in 1984 and they have two children together, Dexter and Dalis. Glinda was the one who helped him with his grammar and pronunciation. It is not known when exactly she divorced him but the couple split up for his cocaine use sometime in 1994.
Manley got remarried in 1997. His third wife, Lydia Lang is one of the people that helped with the sobriety he enjoys today.
See Also: Dat Nguyen Biography, Wife, Family, Career, Net Worth, Height and Weight
Height, Weight, and Other Facts About Dexter Manley
Playing the defense in a game like American football means that being big is a necessity. Dexter Manley has been described in ways that speak to his gigantic size, especially his laughter which has been said to have the power to arouse more laughter. Manley is 6 feet and 3 inches tall and weighs 115 kg. Below are other facts to know about him.
1. In 2006, Manley had a15-hour surgery on his brain to get rid of a Colloid Cyst.
2. His daughter Dalis suffers from fibrous dysplasia.
3. Manley in 1989 claimed to be functionally illiterate.
Complete profile of Dexter Manley
Dexter Manley |
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Full Name | Dexter Keith Manley |
Date of Birth | February 2, 1959 |
Age | 61 years |
Zodiac Sign | NA |
Nationality | American |
Birth place | Houston, Texas, United States |
Ethnicity | African-American |
Profession | Former American football player |
Education | Oklahoma State University, Yates High School |
Father | Carl Manley |
Mother | Jewellean Manley |
Siblings | Brother-Reggie(dead), Gregory Sister- Cynthia |
Marital Status | Married |
Spouse/Partner | Lydia Manley |
Girlfriend | NA |
Kids | Dexter II Manley, Dalis Manley, Derrick Manley |
Religion | NA |
Estimated Net Worth: | NA |
Source of net worth | Football career |
Height | 6 ft 3 inches (1.91 m) |
Weight | 115 kg |
Eye color | Brown |
Hair color | Black |
Social media | Twitter |
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