While most other NFL newcomers would live it up with a lavish lifestyle, Chad Johnson, upon signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001, opted to keep things low-key, going as far as to live inside the Bengals' stadium for the first two years of his career.
Johnson, who played 11 seasons in the NFL, opened up about the decision during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay."
"You gotta remember, I stayed at the stadium the first two years because I didn't want to spend no money," Johnson, who went by the last name Ochocinco for four years, said.
"What's the point? Why are you telling me to go rent a house, go buy a house, or go rent a condo when everything I need is right here in the facility?" he continued. "Showers, cafeteria, TV, couch, gaming system. What's the point? I was so locked in. It wasn't about having my own space."
Johnson said that his grounded approach provided a strong foundation upon which he could build his career.
"I needed that one year lock-in to catch the rhythm. In the second year I got that rhythm," he said.
Johnson, who spent 10 seasons with the Bengals before playing his remaining days with the New England Patriots, added that it was Bengals coach Marvin Lewis who eventually persuaded him to get his own place.
When he did, Johnson still opted to maintain a conservative lifestyle, refraining from spending money on luxurious items. He even claimed to have never bought real jewelry, saying that to this day he did not believe in spending his fortune.
"There is nothing I can buy that's bigger than my name alone," he said. Johnson estimated that he saved over 80% of his playing salary.
"Everybody is caught up in image, and looking a certain way, being rich. It's pointless," he added.
Johnson first revealed that he lived at Paul Brown Stadium in 2018 in a since-deleted tweet, cited by the Cincinnati Enquirer, which also revealed another tweet in which Johnson reportedly claimed to have been wearing the same outfit for nine consecutive days.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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