Getty Image / Patrick Smith
Former NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith is a wealthy man. He spent 9 seasons in the NFL and earned over $30 million in salaries along the way. He brought in $3.479 million in 4 seasons with the Ravens, $16 million in 2 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, $5 million with the Philadelphia Eagles, and $6 million with the Carolina Panthers.
I don’t think anyone would be shocked by a person like that flaunting the money they earned. I wouldn’t. With that much in career earnings, he could be set for life if he invested properly and just live out his days off of the investments. But Torrey’s gone much further than that.
In a Twitter thread, Torrey Smith shared the 5 reasons he doesn’t flaunt his wealth like some other NFL players out there. He’s only 31-years-old but the 2-time Super Bowl Champion has already moved onto the next phase of his life and his rules for how he spends his money seems to really have struck a chord with a lot of fans out there.
Here’s what he had to say:
1. I can buy a fancy car but I’m not really worried about it. It’s going to stay dirty anyway 🤷🏿♂️
2. I have a personal challenge to myself to pretend my first career didn’t happen so I can keep the same hustle. If my next career can’t afford it, I can’t afford it.
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) May 12, 2020
It’s the same reason why I will not buy a Rolex even though I love them. I don’t feel comfortable being around my family or any family that my struggle financially with a $40,000 watch on my wrist. That money could change their life. There is a time and place for everything.
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) May 12, 2020
If those tweets aren’t loading for you for whatever reason (maybe Twitter’s blocked for you at work) here’s what Torrey Smith had to say about how he does or doesn’t spend his money:
1. I can buy a fancy car but I’m not really worried about it. It’s going to stay dirty anyway 🤷🏿♂️
2. I have a personal challenge to myself to pretend my first career didn’t happen so I can keep the same hustle. If my next career can’t afford it, I can’t afford it.
3. My family struggles financially so I want to show them that material things are cool but they aren’t everything.
4. I do a lot of work in area’s that people struggle financially so I don’t want them to feel like having a cool car is everything.
It’s the same reason why I will not buy a Rolex even though I love them. I don’t feel comfortable being around my family or any family that my struggle financially with a $40,000 watch on my wrist. That money could change their life. There is a time and place for everything.
That certainly sounds like the words of a man who has managed his money wisely and has been responsibly planning for retirement one day. It doesn’t sound like he’s living in the now but thinking about the future, and the self-awareness about spending tens of thousands of dollars on material items when those closest to him (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc) might be struggling financially is pretty refreshing to see.
Some of the responses to his tweets are ‘spending money on fancy things is stupid when you can invest it’ which on a certain level, I understand. But once you’ve made enough money you can 100% treat yourself to luxuries if you’d like. What he’s saying is he hasn’t reached that point yet and he’d rather set an example for those around him which I respect.
Anyway, you can click those tweets above to see the responses over on Twitter if you’re so inclined.