Darrius Heyward-Bey Made $38 Million In The NFL – Being Fast Paid Off
The dearly departed founder of the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders, Al Davis, was a man who loved speed. And that is a big reason why Darrius Heyward-Bey made $38 million in the NFL, being fast paid off for him. Davis couldn’t help himself selecting Heyward-Bey in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He ran a blazing speed of 4.3 at the NFL Combine 40 yard dash.
Analysts thought Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin would be selected before Darrius. However, Davis made him the first wide receiver picked and seventh pick overall. They agreed to terms on a five-year deal with Heyward-Bey worth $23.5 million.
His rookie season turned out to be a disappointment, in part due to multiple hamstring injuries. In the 11 games he played in 2009 he caught 9 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. He did make improvements in his second year. But he didn’t have the kind of production expected of someone who was drafted so high.
However, Heyward-Bey did tend to rack up big yardage despite having a low number of targets. For instance, in 2011 he had 4 receptions for 70 yards in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he didn’t evolve into the big play receiver they were hoping for. So the Raiders released him in March 2013.
He spent the 2013 season with the Indianapolis Colts on a 1-year deal worth up to $3 million. From there he signed two 1-year deals with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014 and 2015. In 2016 he agreed to a three-year, $3.8 million contract. He ended his career with the Steelers in 2018 when they elected not to re-sign him.
Darrius Heyward-Bey Made $38 Million In The NFL – Being Fast Paid Off
So how did he end up worth more than he earned? He listened to his mother. She is a certified accountant and helped him design a budget to carefully manage his money. He paid her a commission to help him track his expenses and allot him a monthly allowance.
Therefore, the lesson is if your talents help you earn big money then you need to use your smarts to keep it. Other NFL players have demonstrated their financial savvy as well. Athletes nowadays are investing in other sports ventures during and after their careers. And it’s paying dividends. But like Heyward-Bey they gotta be fast to keep up.
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