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You have a very interesting story and we was reading it, you know, the last couple of days. So you said your first contract, correct me if I'm wrong, you made your contract with one point two million.
Yeah.
Well say now you had like thirty five forty thousand, yeah, So yeah, can we just kind of break that down because to me, it's interesting as far as like NFL players, because you have an off season, so a lot of people don't aren't familiar, like do you get paid on the off season or how frequent do you get paid, And then there's a thing called the jock tax where you go to different states and get taxed differently.
It's not all guaranteed. So yeah, can you kind of just break that down?
Yeah, man, it's layers to that, layers. So yeah, So the way I think of the NFL is nothing is guaranteed unless you have certain stipulations within your contract and all that type of stuff. Right, So if you're one of those players, which is you know, more players are seeing that, that's a great thing and a blessing to have.
But when you see these big contracts, you know, Russell Wilson one hundred and forty million, I can't remember how much guaranteed, maybe sixty five, yeah, something sixty quarunteed, right, that's what he can bank on. Right, you see the big number. But but if Russell Wilson gets hurt in year four, year five, whatever, right, he's not seeing the rest of that money potentially. So that's different from basketball.
That's different from baseball and others sports. So as I entered the league in twenty thirteen, I was undrafted out of University of Pennsylvania. I remember the Baltimore. Ravens called me my hometown team. I'm like, man, Actually, to be quite honest with you, I was pissed off, right, Not because I was pissed off that I didn't get drafted. That was really what it was, right, and it just
had a big chip on my shoulder. So for me, I've been fortunate to just have this lens on life and perspective where I'm not really a fan of too much or anyone. So I remember, as a rookie enter in the locker room, and this is my hometown team. These are the guys I looked up to growing up, and I remember this is fresh off of Super Bowl, fresh off of Super Bowl. I remember, actually, you know
what a perfect story that might describe me. As my agent at the time, he took us out right before the draft, took us out in New York to some club up there to just celebrate that night before the draft of like all the work you put it in and all that type of stuff. And I remember, you know, like I said, I grew up in Baltimore, that purple and black, you know. I remember being in the house and seeing them, you know, win the Super Bowl and bragging all my roommates and all that type of stuff.
Wearing that with pride and in the club. That for me was like my introduction to the NFL, even though I wasn't even in it at the time. But you had all of these different That was when the draft was still in New York, so you had all these different rappers and in different sections. My agent had gotten us a section. I wasn't spending anywhere. My agent got
us a section. And the other guys there when you had Adrian Peterson with a section, Ludacris across the way g Z and there was ray Rice, and I remember Ray Rice walked up and I remember speaking to him and I'm like, yo, I just want to say, you know, you really put on for the city. That was amazing what y'all did. Man, Like, I appreciate you, respect you. But a couple of days like I'm gonna be in the NFL too.
So.
I ain't none of that fans stuff in the war right, like we competition, right, But before that, I want to tell you how much I respect you. So anyway, I say all that to say a few days later, I get get the call go to the Ravens. Had that chip on my shoulder. But the weird thing about the NFL is, like I said, I keep it. I've been blessed to be able to keep things in a perspective and understand that, Okay, I just got this call that says, hey, you're get a chance to sign up and you're a
Baltimore Raven. Now no, I'm not right, Like, there's still another step to actually make the fifty three or make practice squad whatever.
Right.
Sadly, there's a lot of guys who are like, oh, I'm in it. No, right, Like next week you might be cut or after this rookie mini camp you might be cut.
Right.
So at that time, again, like I said, I signed a three year, one point two million dollar deal. However I got cut going into the actual season, made it all through preseason and all that stuff, got cut going into the actual season, and that jumped my money down to a practice squad guy. After four weeks, I got cut from Baltimore, so I really got four weeks of pay. And then again, I mean there were guys who got cut in the middle of training camp. There's guys who got cut after three days.
So that there's a process after you get drafted, right, because that's even a little confusing.
Right.
There's OTA's that you have to make the team, yep. Then there is training camp that you have to make the team. Then you got four preseason game yeah, and so trying to make the team.
Right. So the way I would think of it is you're never really on the team. You know, depending on who you are, you're never really on the team. Like I even joke with my students this semester and even right right now, like I could get this phone, go start ringing, Nigga, call be like listen code, like you bring your iPad up here, like we were going in a different route, right, And that's just the nature of
the beast. So, like you said, every single day, I mean they always say that every day is an interview, but like literally, like I think people don't understand that. Again, depending on who you are, right, your first round, second round, you probably are guaranteed that first year, right, But that doesn't mean you're guaranteed three years from now, four years from now, right, And that's you. You just hope and pray that young guys come in and understand that. And me,
fortunately I understood it. It was what motivated me to want to be great and make the team and still be here seven years later. Right, But for a lot of guys, like I remember rookie years, some guys would go to this mall across the street from my hotel,
and I remember getting on Snapchat. Snap was like a big at the time, and getting on there and they literally walking in there selfie videos stunting like we're about to census sag And I'm like, bro, y'all all making the same thing I'm making right now, which is like like maybe one hundred and fifty bucks.
All right, so you had a one point two million dollar contract, Yeah, but then you four weeks in you got demoted to practice team.
Right now, so so you get drafted or undrafted in the spring. So like our rookies just showed up this weekend. So where we may whatever we are right now, we train, train, training, You can be there's guys being cut, there's guys being signed that entire time, like that roster is fluctuating. And then by the time you get the training camp, you start training camp in late July with ninety guys on
the roster, that roster fluctuates a bit. And then by the end of August, beginning of September, that roster cuts down the fifty three, and then on top of that fifty three you have ten practice squad guys. I made it from that May all the way through to August. I got cut, became one of those practice squad guys where your salary goes from a minimum of like four hundred thirty thousand to one hundred thousand. And then four weeks later, four weeks into the season, that's when I
got released from the team. And that's in Baltimore.
That's in Baltimore. So none of that one point two million was guaranteed, none of.
It, not even nonhing I wish it looks good on paper. Though it looks good, it sounds good. So there's also that that's the problem that that that you see that headline and then the vultures come get it right, family, everybody.
Because now it's like on paper, it look oh he's a millionaire.
Yeah, but that's interesting. I think people don't fully understand that, Like I can't drive that home. All right, you got a one point two million dollar contract, none of it was guaranteed.
You probably netted how.
Much you net probably probably like thirty maybe that's how much you made from the Baltimore Ravens, probably like thirty because in the spring I made money in the spring, So like right now, you might be making what maybe a couple hundred a week because they take your hotel and stuff that the team doesn't cover it. They cover it, but it's coming out of your damn type of thing.
The cover it, but you just don't know, you know, you don't really have a Yeah, so you're making maybe a few hundred a week, and they cover your meals and all that stuff on the weekend, so you don't really have too many expenses. But then as you get to preseason, now you're making I want to say, seven hundred a week before taxes, so you know, and that's what maybe five to six weeks, so you really like four you know, who knows that is four hundred a
week after all dollars done. Dollars, yeah, dollars yeah. And then once the season hits. As a practice squad guy, I was making I was seeing about four k after taxes. I think my check was like seven thousand and seventy five hundred per week before, so about four thousand after And Lisa did that for four weeks, so that's about sixteen right there. So I probably made a little less than thirty from the Baltimore Ravens. And then two weeks
later I got cut week four. Two weeks later, I got picked up by the Tennessee Titans practice squad with them for a bunch of weeks. I got cut by them. A lot of people don't notice too. It's like in my family, they understand, and it's so funny that so at Tuesday at four pm Eastern is when your money is guaranteed for the week. So for me and the way that my career has been, and I'm not superstitious, but I just I have certain things. I have my routine.
My family knew. Don't call me Tuesday after four pm Eastern, right, So and where's that come from? Like I've been cut at three point fifty six pm Eastern, wild right.
So you don't get paid, don't get paid?
Wow? So if you get cut at four h one pm, I'm paid for that week, Erners, what's up?
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So when I was in Baltimore, they cut me on Wednesday morning because they were like, hey, we're playing on your back. You know, it's showing good faith you. You know, we like you all that type of stuff. We just need to make some other roster changes. Blah bla blah blah. So you know, take the time off, you know, go work, stay stay in shape, but we'll bring you back this week. Then still waiting on that. But then Tennessee one time, these dudes, man, I it's funny. I went and did
like a whole charity out event for him. I went, we went to a high school and uh, you know, Tennessee Titans jerseys and all that type of stuff. And on the way not on the way back. Later on that evening, I had some rehabs set up a massage appointment and it's three fifty six. I get the call. I'm like this random Tennessee number, pick up the phone and man, we need you to bring in your op. Oh man, y'all knew.
This before you send me on the event, the whole they sent you on the whole charity of thing and all that, and then they waited four minutes before the deadline of country.
So you don't get paid for the week four minutes. What about the massage?
You have to cancel it or to be quite honest with you, I told myself, I was like, I probably should cancer because I don't know when that next check you comes right right, you know what, hey man, you gotta I probably need it right now. You know, I probably need to just relax. So uh so yeah, so my family literally they would know, don't call me on Tuesday, so literally at four to one, so years later, four one pm, whenever I was good, I'd send them a bunch of gifts, a bunch of money we count making
it Raine and all that type of stuff. And then after you get to year five, uh, once that ball is kicked off in your first in the fel game, then you're guaranteed your salary for the whole year. So like last year that for veterans. You're a veteran, so last year was my first, you're having that. So after that first game, I just sent them like sixty you know, sixteen different ones. But it's it's a lot of that
goes into it. Basically, you know what you're getting at is there's a lot that goes into it that people don't think about. They don't understand. Yes, you see that big contract, you see that big number, and that is great, right, but what are you really getting from that one? You got a fifty fifty percent of it gone off?
The talk about that because a lot people don't fully understand how taxes work, right, and they're like, well you should, you should set up corporation. Like their employees, they get paid just like how you get paid, right, so they don't have opportunity to defer the income.
It's it's not an option, right, your boss ain't going for that exactly.
So I because social media, a lot of times people write that like well they if they were smart, Like, no, it doesn't work like that, just like if you were smart, you were doing that right. No, you don't have that option so automatically, because you know how you tax automatically goes to tax gone off the red. Depending on what state tu're in, it's even higher, right then the state tax they take that out of your paycheck every time you get paid in that in that particular.
Yep, yep, they'll do that. Uh like if you so, if you're playing in California, so you look at the schedule, you're like, dang, I got three games in California right West coast trip that you know you get taxed at that California rates thirteen percent.
And it's crazy because Rod Smith shout out to Rod Smith.
He's he's been a loyal follow up from the beginning, and anybody has no Rod Smith.
He's a Hall of.
Famer frint uh not yet, but a legend, a legend.
And deva Denver Dever Broncos wide receiver, Denver legend.
So I put a post up a while ago and me and him he was common and he was like, yeah, when people don't realize it's that a right, California has the highest state tax in the country, right, like thirteen percent. Like you said, let's say you played it in for
Miami Dolphins Florida, right, which Florida has no state income tax. Right, So what happens is that you might practice in Florida from Monday to let's say Thursday, right fly when you fly out for a Sunday game Saturday Saturday, So you practice from Monday to Saturday in Florida.
You are in Florida.
You're in California for Saturday and Sunday, maybe like Monday morning early. So you only spent two days in California, but the whole week is taxed in California because that's where you played the game.
Man.
So even though you prepared, like only spend forty eight hours in that particular state, and you practiced in the state that you actually live in, but it doesn't matter. You played that game in that space. So for the whole week, the whole week's paycheck is taxed in California.
Yeah, you guys played Jersey state tax or is it Jersey? Right, that's what it got played.
Yeah, okay, but I wouldn't be surprised. New York trying to take a little bit of that too. I'm thinking like New York, but I wouldn't be surprised. Trust me, I'd have seen a lot I've seen, like you said. Every So when we play a team in Texas, it's like, okay, cool, right, London games London and or national taxes they cost a bit too, right. Florida teams you know, you see Miami or Tampa ballion schedule, you likes Tennessee, you know cool. Another thing, you know, a few years ago, there was
a guy in the locker room when I was in Detroit. Detroit, they have the city tax and the state tax, so they'll tax you in Michigan and then they'll tax you in Detroit. Now when we so, one guy got very very smart financial advisor account and got very very smart with it. Because again, like you said, if you guys are want to play the game with me, of like, okay, hey, I'm only here for twenty four hours. You know, sometimes we fly in at five pm, we out the next
day at five pm. After the game kickoffs at one. You know, I'm only here for twenty four hours. You're gonna tax me for the whole week.
I remember.
His issue was Detroit was taking tax every single week as if we trained there, played there, and all that stuff, like we were there for the whole week. So when you when you play with the Lions, the our facilities in Allen Park, the stadium is in Detroit, Michigan. It's like a twenty minute ride. But Detroit was trying to take taxes as if you were there every single play. So they'll actually literally break down the days and be like, well, you know, you were here one hundred and such and
such days. So he was like, you know, okay, I'm actually only there out of the what eight home games. I'm there Saturday night when we stay at the team hotel, and I'm there Sunday when we played. So them one hundred and eighty days. Now you got sixteen of them, right, And so he ended up going back and getting some money from Detroit on that.
So the interesting thing is like the way your mind's working right now. You're like, if I play in Texas, right, if I'm playing the Cowboys or the Texans, I know there's no state tex How many of your counterparts have that same mind frame?
I think a lot do?
I think a lot do? Because I mean, at that point, you're talking about thousands, right, Like you're not talking about like you're talking about the difference in you know, depending on what you're making. You're talking about the difference in like sixth sex your grand by playing somewhere else versus you know, I mean some guys, I mean the way they get paid some guys. You're talking a good fifteen twenty grand difference, right, So guys are thinking about it again,
you know, not to take up all yall time. But there's different things that people out there just don't understand, like the fact of like you have to have multiple places of residency, see right, Like sometimes like you literally just have to. And I've never wanted to be that guy having Like I'm a frugal person, right, I'm cheap school with me, right, I have no problem. I'm proud
of it. But like, I literally I have a home base here in New Jersey with my wife and I. When I was playing in Detroit, she works in Manhattan and she's from here, we had home base here. So now play with the Jets, I'm like, man, okay, Like we can just have home base, like and that's the crib. Well, guess what home base for me is forty five minutes away from here in no traffic. So if I wake up in the morning and it's raining hard. I remember my first day trying to come in and reporting to
the Jets. It was raining hard, and my driving from forty five minutes no traffic. And this is like six thirty in the morning right to an hour and fifteen minutes. Now people are like, oh, well, just wake up early and all that type of stuff. Well, guess what if you're late to your job, you get a slap on the risk, right, you bost You know, at a certain point you can't keep being laid. You'll get your you get fired. But for me, if I'm late, that's a
thirteen thousand dollars fine, right, Like that's ill. You know what I'm saying, I'll go ahead. And so last year I had to rent a place. I have a house forty minutes from here, and I had I mean, some people might be like, well, you didn't have to know, Like for me, I had to rent a place seven minutes. It's not worth the risk, right, It's not worth the risk. It's not worth being a few minutes. And then also it's just the cost of doing business.
Right, he's going travel at forty five minutes.
Yeah, forty five minutes when I'm like, I told people it's an investment as well, right, Like forty five minutes. That's forty five minutes I could be working on my body getting ready for the next week's game. That's forty five minutes that somebody is literally watching film with just how am I gonna whoop Brandon coping this week?
Right?
And I need that forty five minutes to make sure I'm prepared for him as well. So there's a bunch of different costs. You know, guys talk about transporting vehicles back and forth, right, Like I live in California, but you know, on my home base, I'm born and raised in California. I have everything over there. But now I'm with the Jets. Right, how's my vehicle getting back and forth? Or am I gonna uber it every day? Am I gonna walk every day? Bike every day? What about when
it's snowy? So do I need to pay the transport back a car back and forth? Do I need a rental car? Do I need to buy a car? Some of these costs that we see guys with with like, you know, we just assumed like, oh, this guy, he's being extra, he's doing you know, some of this stuff is just a cost of like convenience and doing business at a high level. Right, And that you know, again, it was not a woe is us, Right, I'm thankful to have those type of problems as opposed to others.
But you know, those are costs that you just can't escape from.
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