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- New York Giants running back and second overall pick Saquon Barkley says he is going to invest his NFL earnings and spend his endorsement money.
- Barkley already has endorsement deals with Nike and Pepsi, while his NFL contract is expected to be around $31 million.
- Barkley said he wanted to follow in the steps of NFL players like Marshawn Lynch and Rob Gronkowski, who have developed similar models.
New York Giants running back and second overall pick Saquon Barkley already has a prudent plan for managing his finances.
Barkley told reporters at the CC Sabathia Celebrity Softball Game on Thursday that he plans on investing his NFL earnings and only spending the money he makes off of endorsements.
"Once I realized when I declared for the NFL draft and kind of realized where I was going to be drafted, that was something I was like, You know what? Kind of want to follow the Marshawn Lynch method. I don't want to touch that," Barkley said (via ESPN's Jordan Raanan). "I want to invest it, put it in the right people's hands and learn as I continue to make investments. And just live off the endorsement deals."
NFL running back Marshawn Lynch has reportedly saved all of his NFL earnings, spending only the endorsement money. Rob Gronkowski has followed a similar model.
While Barkley hasn't signed his rookie contract yet, according to The New York Daily News, Barkley's contract is likely to be around four years, $31 million. Last year's No. 2 pick, Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, signed a four-year, $29 million contract.
According to ESPN, Mitchell already has endorsement deals with Nike, Pepsi, and Panini America.
Barkley recently bought his family a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, near where he grew up.
"I've been promising my mom, I think since I could talk, honestly 2 or 3 years old - I know it sounds crazy, but I swear I'm not lying to you guys - that I'm going to buy [my mom] a house one day ... I kind of left it up to my mom. I said, 'You pick a house that you like and you feel that will be comfortable enough for you and Dad and the rest of the family.' And she decided on that home. To be able to buy a house is truly probably the best accomplishment I have so far," Barkley said.
Barkley gave his team credit, saying they've helped him make good investments.
"I just hope I can set an example for future athletes and other athletes that, planning on doing something like that, I was able to do that without signing my contract," he said. "That just shows that so far I've been making a lot of right decisions and surrounding myself with a great team. They have been able to help me a lot. I have to give a lot of credit.