The NFL Star Who Doesn’t Spend His Salary

Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints has earned $18.7 million from his NFL contracts. How much has he spent so far? Nothing. 

The running back said that he only spends money from his endorsement deals and hasn’t touched anything from his NFL contracts, during an interview on Kneading Dough, a show produced by Uninterrupted. 

“I’m like, ‘OK, this is more than I’ve ever had. My mom ain’t never had this much,’” Kamara said. “It would be a shame if I got this and lost it.” 

Kamara was influenced by growing up with a single mom, two siblings, and little cash to spare. “I’m gonna keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing — [buying] what I need, and that’s it. I’m not about to go over the top, I’m not gonna live beyond my means,” he said.

Though Kamara gets his spending cash from his endorsement deals, he’s selective with them: “All the brands that I work with I can call directly and talk to a CEO or somebody high up and have a regular conversation with them.”

The NFL star said that material possessions were never a real source of happiness for him, especially compared to his philanthropic work in New Orleans.

“A lot of [charitable] things that I do, no one really knows that I’m behind it — besides the couple of people that need to know. It’s what makes me happy, knowing that I was able to help somebody.”

Kamara’s savings account is about to get a lot larger. In September, the Saints inked him to a 5-year, $75 million deal.