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Joejuan Williams told the Boston Globe that he's taking his finances seriously, and not treating a second NFL contract like it's promised.
- New England Patriots rookie defensive back Joejuan Williams is committed to saving for his financial future.
- Speaking with Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe, Williams said that he saves and invests 90% of his game checks, saying he'd rather "live like a prince for the rest of my life than live like a king for my NFL career."
- Williams' story is similar to that of other NFL athletes, including former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and fellow rookie Gardner Minshew.
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It's been a pretty good rookie year for New England Patriots defensive back Joejuan Williams.
Selected by New England with a second-round pick out of Vanderbilt, Williams has joined one of the best defenses in the NFL, jumping out to an 8-1 record through the first half of the season.
With a four-year, $6.6 million contract, some might think Williams would be eager to celebrate his good fortune, but instead, he's choosing to save and invest.
Speaking with Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe, Williams said he saves and invests 90% of his game checks - an amount he hopes will ensure his long-term financial security regardless of how his NFL career winds up.
"I want to be set in the future when I'm not working," Williams explained. "Grind now, sacrifice now, be happy later. I'd rather live like a prince for the rest of my life than live like a king for my NFL career and then go back to square zero."
Williams isn't the only athlete to commit to their savings. Jaguars quarterback and fellow rookie Gardner Minshew is notoriously frugal, driving a used Acura from his high school days rather than a splashy new car that his NFL salary could afford.
Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was also a dedicated investor. Rather than spend his game checks, Gronkowski borrowed a savings strategy from late-night host Jay Leno, never spending a dime of his playing money and instead, living solely off the money made off of his endorsements.
Williams also stressed the importance of saving early, as NFL careers are notoriously short, and there was no way to guarantee that he'd land another contract in a league where turnover is so frequent.
"In the history of this league, there's a higher chance that you'll never see a second contract," he said. "If you're spending so much money, like, 'Oh, I'm going to make it back next year. I'm going to make it back the year after that.' If it doesn't happen, then you're back at square zero."
While he doesn't plan on making any outlandish purchases, Williams said that the one big-ticket item at the top of his list is to buy his mother a home, having already paid off her student loans and bought her a new car.
You can read Yang's entire story on Williams and his saving habits at the Boston Globe.
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