It’s always encouraging to hear of a young athlete embracing frugality to make his money last. However, former NFL great Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson took things to an entirely new level.
During a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast Club Shay Shay, Johnson, and Sharpe discussed the former’s reputation for minding his money. It was then that Johnson revealed he lived in the Bengals stadium for the first two years of his career.
“You gotta remember, I stayed at the stadium the first two years because I didn’t want to spend no money,” Johnson 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 at Paul Brown? Showers, cafeteria, TV, couch, gaming system. What’s the point?”
Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals during a game against the New York Jets at Metlife Stadium on November 25, 2010, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images)
After year three, when Johnson sprung onto the national stage as one of the league’s premier receivers, then-Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis told his receiver it was time to broaden his horizons and get his own place.
“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 said. “I moved right down the street.”
Former NFL player Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson attends as athletes and YouTube stars team for DOOM Videogame Tournament at Siren Studios on March 29, 2016, in Hollywood, California. (Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Bethesda Softworks)
This really isn’t a bad idea, though. It will be harder to get into trouble when you’re living in the team facility. So why not spend the first two years living at the stadium? It’s easier to stay out of trouble, and players can add a couple of years of maturity before moving out on their own.
Of course, if there were 20 of them living there, maybe things could get out of hand. Maybe just let the first and second-rounders live at the stadium.