How have you managed your rugby income?
In 2016 I bought a house in Coventry for around £450,000 with a £70,000 down payment. I had a short mortgage, about 15 years, because I wanted to pay it off. I don’t buy cars; I lease them because I like to hold my money.
Usually I got special clearance deals. We had a BMW deal with England, so I had to get my cars there.
Then I had my own relationship with BMW and I would get loaner cars.
Why did you trade rugby for the NFL?
I wanted to test myself against the very best athletes in the world to get more out of myself, as I was only functioning at about 60-70 percent of my capacity.
So it was a question of money?
Money is a useful resource, but tapping into my true potential was the priority. “The money will follow later” is still my belief.
How much were you paid in the NFL?
In the NFL, you are on the practice squad or in the 53-man squad. I had been with the Buffalo Bills since April 2019, but injured my shoulder before the first season started.
So the first two years I was on the practice team (paid $150,000 a year). If you make the 53-man roster, the minimum you’ll get paid now is $600,000 a year I believe.
But last year I was in the injury reserve, so I was paid just over $400,000 a year.
And I still had my Adidas sponsorship that I’ve had throughout my career, providing gear.
Are you a saver or a spender?
A spender in my early years, now more of a saver. When you’re young and earning money, you want to live a little.
I had my insurance, pension, and an Isa that I would pay out maximum each month so that no matter what happened, I wouldn’t be abandoned.
Since I’ve been in America, I’ve been making money here and paying taxes, and we’ve got a retirement fund—for every dollar I put in, the NFL puts in $2.