Vince Young. Tiki Barber. Terrell Owens. These are all players Darrius Heyward-Bey doesn’t aspire to be, at least financially.
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, who’s earned more than $35 million in his career thus far, told ESPN.com he’s barely spent any of his earnings . That’s mainly thanks to his financial manager – his mom Vivian, who’s helped him save a fortune. Heyward-Bey operates on a monthly allowance his mom helped figure out.
“I get an email (from her) every Tuesday,” said Heyward-Bey, who pays a commission for her mother’s work. “I can read it over, check it up, I see where the money is going.”
With some NFL players flashing money around and spending exorbitant amount of money on incredibly wasteful things (Young reportedly spent 5k at The Cheesecake Factory), Heyward-Bey keeps things simple, which he admitted to when it comes to spending.
“I don’t have any kid and I’m not married, so the money I spend is on me. It’s really easy to say no to myself,” Heyward-Bey said. “I keep things real simple. I’m not really a flashy guy. I understand what I want to buy. I invest my money well and pay my taxes.”
It’s smart bookkeeping by Heyward-Bey and his mother. His NFL career isn’t going to last forever, but by being smart about investing and saving, his wealth should.
If only all players had a mom like Heyward-Bey’s…
