Hard work and athleticism paid off when Detroit Lions wide receiver Ryan Broyles signed a four-year, $3,678,500 contract with the team.
In college, Broyles played for the University of Oklahoma Sooners football team and was selected as an All-American in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons. With the exception of an injury near the end of the 2011 season, Broyles' collegiate career went about as well as he could have hoped.
As a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Broyles knew he was in for a pretty big payday. And he was ready.
Broyles getting ready to take on the Florida Gators during the 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship. Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images.
What Broyles did with that paycheck is somewhat unusual for your average NFL millionaire: He saved it.
I can't even begin to imagine what the temptation to go on a spending spree is like for someone who just signed a multimillion-dollar contract, but Broyles has stayed strong. He and his family have been living on a fixed income of, as he tells ESPN's Michael Rothstein, $60,000 a year, "give or take."
While Broyles is all about bringing home the bacon, he knows that once you've got it, you should probably set some of it aside.
Broyles was shown the money, but now it's in, like, a 401(k) and other long-term investments. GIF via "Jerry Maguire."
And he's right on the money, too (if you'll pardon my wordplay).
According to the NFL Players Association, the average career lasts just 3.2 years.
In 2011, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pushed back on that number, saying that for players who make a team's opening day roster, it's closer to six years. Even so, that's not exactly a long time.
Combine that with the fact that there's a lotof concern about the long-term effects of some common injuries players deal with, and it's not a bad idea to save some money for a rainy day.
The risk of injury is real, and it's driving some players out of the league at an early age.
Take, for example, former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland, who after signing a four-year, almost $3 million contract in 2014, retired after just a single season because he feared that the game would take too much of a toll on his health.
As a result, he earned just $574,359, forfeiting the rest.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images.
"That has been the biggest surprise for me. People can't get over the money," Borland told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of his decision to retire at only 24 years old. "That's all they think about. But your health is a little more important."
Many NFL players go broke, and some file for bankruptcy.
Stat-heavy website FiveThirtyEight concluded that nearly 16% of NFL players file for bankruptcy within 12 years of leaving the sport.
Fancy cars, huge houses, and large living have a steep cost. But Broyles still sticks with driving Mazdas, and a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer. When he needs a rental car, he picks a Ford Focus from the lot.
Off the field, Broyles has been involved in promoting a "Financial Football" video game.
Financial literacy is an issue close to his heart. Not only does Broyles want to shore up his own financial well-being, but he wants to help others do the same, starting as young as 11.
It's a lot like that saying, "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime."
Broyles during a 2012 game against the Houston Texans. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images.
What's Broyles' secret to success? Staying humble, listening to others, and focusing on what he loves to do: play football.
"I studied as much as I could," Broyles told ESPN. "Talked to people wealthier than me, smarter than me. So that definitely helps."
"When I come to work, I don't think about the money, man. I can tell you that, without a doubt. There might be some guys that do but I put myself in a position where I come out here and have fun. ... I don't have that pressure, you know what I mean. My wife has no worries. My child has no worries. For the most part, I can help my family, you know."
