Athletes Who Insured Their Body Parts

We have insurance for some of our biggest assets which include our homes, cars, and for some of us, that big rock on our finger. However, when it comes to being a Hollywood star, their biggest and most precious asset that might need the most protection is that one thing that makes them the most money — themselves. 

Model Heidi Klum has insured her legs for two million dollars, while actor America Ferrara had her smile insured thanks to Aquafresh for $10 million. Even former Playboy playmate Holly Madison made the move to take out a one million dollar insurance policy on her chest, once sharing to People in 2011, "I've heard about people getting body parts insured and I thought, why not? Because if anything happened to my boobs, I'd be out for a few months and I'd probably be out a million dollars ... They're my primary money makers right now."

It's not only celebs who are making sure their vital assets are covered either. While it's common for athletes to obtain insurance on themselves if they ever suffer a career-ending injury, it's less common to see these athletes insure a specific body part. From a soccer star's legs to a race car driver's thumbs, these sports stars below made sure that the parts of their body that are making them winners are insured. 

Troy Polamalu played his entire 12-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had an impressive career as a strong safety in the 2000s and won two Super Bowl championships with his team. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 2020, his nickname on the field was "the Tasmanian Devil" because of his "range, explosiveness and impact on the field." Aside from his remarkable career, Polamalu is also remembered for his long, curly black hair. 

Polamalu's hair became a huge fascination with fans and even popular brands like shampoo company Head and Shoulders, for which he became a spokesperson. To ensure that the player's trademark hair would always remain at its curliest, the company insured his then-three-foot-long locks for $1 million in 2010, per ESPN. The policy was granted by Lloyd's of London, an insurance company known for insuring celebs' body parts like actor Betty Grable's legs and America Ferrera's smile. According to the Guinness World Records, Polamalu held the record for "highest insured hair."

In 2011, Polamalu told Allure about being hesitant to let his locks flow during games. "In my rookie year, I used to wear it in a ponytail. But one game, I actually just took it out, and my uncle was like, just let your hair go — it'll be symbolic of how you play; just let it loose. I owe a lot of credit to my uncle for that, among other things."

The name Merv Hughes may not ring a bell to sports fans in the U.S., but he was once a crowd favorite among Australian cricket enthusiasts. Playing throughout the mid-'80s to the '90s, the right-arm fast bowler represented the Land Down Under in 53 Test matches, ending his career with 212 wickets, per ESPN Cricinfo. Hughes was known for his big personality and bigger handlebar-styled mustache, which was rumored to be insured for around $370,000 per Time. 

How Stuff Works reported that Hughes reportedly took out the insurance policy with Lloyd's of London, the same company that insured NFL player Troy Polamalu's trademark hair and legendary singer Bruce Springsteen's voice, among other odd celebrity body part insurances. Although he was known as a legendary cricketer, his mustache has received just as much attention. 

According to Cricket, Hughes was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2021, with the former player sharing, "Everyone has an opinion and you've got to ride with that. If people want to remember me as a character that played and had fun, well, I certainly did that. If you want to remember me as someone who trained hard and had a go, I certainly did that too."

Iker Casillas is highly regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of soccer. Retiring from the sport in 2020, he spent most of his career playing for the Spanish soccer club Real Madrid and played for the Spanish national team. Like German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Casillas also felt that it was necessary to protect his most valuable assets while playing — his hands. 

According to CBC, Casillas insured his hands with Groupama Insurance for about $10 million in 2007. The policy reportedly covered the goalie's hands even when he wasn't playing, with the star becoming the face of the insurance agency. After insuring his precious hands, Casillas shared, "If I damage my knee, I'll pretend my hand hurts." 

According to Real Madrid's website, Casillas is "the best goalkeeper in Real Madrid's history and in the history of Spanish football." He's won a World Cup and two European Championships with the Spanish national team. His incredible skills have also won him a place in Real Madrid's Hall of Fame, so it only made sense that this legend did anything he could to protect those mitts. Upon retiring at the age of 39 after suffering a heart attack in 2019, he shared on Twitter, which was translated by ESPN, "My football career started 30 years ago and it has been a long path and like any journey, it's had its good times and sad times. Looking back and at this stage of my life, I can say it's been well worth it."

Soccer legend David Beckham played the majority of his career with the English soccer club Manchester United and was part of the England national team. Not only is he an icon in the world of soccer, but he made waves in the world of entertainment ever since marrying Spice Girls pop star Victoria Beckham — and it also didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes. 

In 2006, it was only right that the soccer star took out an insurance policy on his legs. According to Insider, Beckham insured his legs for a whopping $195 million, which was then considered the largest personal insurance policy taken out by a professional athlete. The insurance policy also reportedly protected his good looks, as Beckham was the face of several campaigns, including Armani, H&M, and Gillette.

According to the National Football Museum, Beckham had his career start in 1992 with Manchester United and went on to win six Premier League titles with the team. In 2003, he joined the Spanish soccer club Real Madrid and later made his way to the U.S. where he signed with MLS club LA Galaxy. He retired in 2013, playing with French club Paris Saint-Germain after having an exceptional 20-year career.