by Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson made close to $50 million in his NFL career, and there’s a good chance he had a lot of it when he hung up his shoes.
The former Cincinnati Bengal said he regularly bought fake jewelry and flew commercial flights to save money while in the NFL.
Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals in the dugout during a game against the New York Jets on November 25, 2010 at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ
(Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)
“Fly private? I’m not going to fly private,” he said on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast. “Put me on Spirit. Exit row. Window seat. That’s all I need. As long as I’m going from point A to point B. I don’t need private.”
Ochocinco was widely considered one of the best receivers in the game when he played. His excellent game combined with his antics made him a household name.
TRAVIS, JASON KELCE MAKE FIRST COMMENTS ON FIGHTING OUT IN SUPER BOWL
That’s why he never got caught up in excessive purchases.
“If you can get to a point in your career where your name is bigger than anything you can buy, that’s where your value is,” Johnson said.
Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals during a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Charlotte, NC
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
“I never bought anything real when I was playing. Never. What was the point? I went to Claire’s. What for? What am I doing it for? Women are going to deal with you anyway for who you are. And then the other women , who are really doing their homework, they googled how much are you already making why am I buying a $50,000 watch, $80,000 watch?
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“Everybody’s stuck in the picture and they look a certain way and they’re rich. It’s me. It doesn’t make sense,” he added. “Do you know how hard it is to live like this all the time, consistently and fly every day?”
In total, he estimates that he saved 83% of his earnings with his thrifty expenses.
Johnson is well known for giving out four-figure tips for a quick meal at drive-ins.
Chad Johnson talks about “Warriors of Liberty City” with the Build Series at the Build Studio on September 4, 2018 in New York City.
(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Johnson caught 766 passes for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns in his career with Cincy and the New England Patriots.
He made six Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams, both first-team.
