Chad Johnson wore fake jewelry and flew Spirit Airlines during his career in an attempt to save money.

Former NFL wide receiver Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson has admitted wearing fake jewelry and flying Spirit Airlines in an attempt to save money, confessing that keeping on top of his finances saved 83 percent of his salary during his tenures. game days.

Private flight? I’m not going to fly in private,” the Bengals great said on Shannon Sharpe’s ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast. ‘Put me in the exit line Spirit. window seat That’s all I need. As long as I go from point A to point B. I don’t need private.

The 45-year-old made just over $48 million in his 11 NFL seasons during his stints with the Bengals, Patriots and Dolphins between 2011 and 2012, according to Spotrac, though he insists he never got carried away with materialistic things, like many professional athletes tend to do so once they reach the heights of fame and wealth.

Johnson earned more than $48 million in his 11 NFL seasons with the Bengals, Patriots and Dolphins

‘I never bought anything real when I was playing. Never,’ Johnson also said. ‘What was the point? I went to Claire’s house. So that? What am I doing it for? Women are going to deal with you anyway, because of who you are, and then the other women, who are really doing their homework, googled how much you already make.’

“Why am I buying a $50,000 watch, an $80,000 watch?” he continued, before adding, “I’ve saved 80 [to] 83 percent of my salary.

Johnson then had a message for players in the league today: Don’t increase your spending if you’re getting better pay for your performances.

“If you can get to a point in your career where your name is bigger than anything you can buy, that’s where your value is,” said Johnson, who once legally changed his last name to “Ochocinco” before changing it again. to Johnson in 2012.

Johnson played 10 seasons for the Bengals before joining Tom Brady on the Patriots.

By choice, Johnson became one of those high-profile names who would tip waiters and waitresses generously. He also interacts with fans on his live stream on Twitch, where he has 32,200 followers.

“Everyone is caught up in the image and they look a certain way and they are rich. It’s me. It doesn’t make sense,’ added the 2006 receiving yards leader. ‘Do you know how hard it is to live like this all the time, consistently, and fly every day?’

Johnson was drafted as a second-round pick by the Bengals in 2001. During his time in Cincinnati, ‘Ochocinco’, which means ‘eight’ and ‘five’ in Spanish (Johnson wore number 85 throughout his career), was named NFL player. first team All-Pro three years in a row from 2004 to 2006.

He was also named a six-time Pro Bowler from 2003-2007 and in 2009.

Johnson spent the 2011 season with the Patriots and was on the Dolphins’ practice squad in 2012 before leaving the NFL for good. He played for the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL before joining Fundidores de Monterrey for a single season in 2017.

Johnson finished his career with 766 receptions for 11,059 receiving yards and 67 receiving touchdowns.