Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson had a very big home during his first two years in the league. The former NFL wide receiver recently appeared on Club Shay Shay and was talking to Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe about how he lived inside the Cincinnati Bengals stadium for two years. He explained that staying inside the stadium helped him save money.
“You gotta remember, I stayed at the stadium the first two years because I didn’t want to spend no money,” Johnson said, per PEOPLE. “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? Showers, cafeteria, TV, couch, gaming system. What’s the point? I was so locked in. It wasn’t about having my own space.”
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Johnson went on to say that in his third season with the team, the-head coach Marvin Lewis told him it was time to get his own home. That’s when Marvin [Lewis] came in and said, ‘It’s time for you to be responsible. Spread your wings. Get your own place,’” Johnson explained. “I moved right down the street. One little bedroom.”
Saving money has always been something big for Johnson. He made $48 million in his NFL career and revealed to Sharpe that he saved 83% of his career earnings since he played his last NFL game. “How much that cost me?” Johnson said after asking Sharpe for the time since he doesn’t buy expensive watches, per Media ite. “Cause time is free, so what am I paying for it for? For what? I’m Ocho. What’s the point? There’s nothing I can buy that’s bigger than my name alone, so it made no sense. But everybody’s caught up in image and looking a certain way and being rich. It’s me; it’s pointless.”
Johnson was selected in the second round by the Bengals in the 2001 NFL Draft. He spent 10 seasons with the Bengals and was selected to the Pro Bowl six times while being named to the All-Pro Team four times. After his time with the Bengals, Johnson joined the New England Patriots and was a member of the team that reached the Super Bowl. He signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2012 but was cut before the start of the season. In his career, Johnson caught 766 passes for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns.
