Shannon Sharpe, alongside his “Nightcap” co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, discussed their admiration for wide receiver Keon Coleman, who was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills last week.
The pari was impressed with 20-year-old Coleman’s press conference after the draft. And what impressed these two NFL veterans, especially the frugal Johnson, was Coleman’s quotes about saving money while shopping.
During the press conference, Coleman was asked about his jacket and if he gotten it from Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo. The former Michigan State receiver replied, “Nah. Macy’s. What you mean? They be on sale on the rack, all the colors. $79, $89, nice lil’ deal. You get the trench coat for like $100. I’ll take you there, personally. I might go get some more colors. I need a blue one and another red one,” Coleman said.
He went on to explain that shopping off-season saves money.
“I shop like my mom. I get my coats in the summertime. You gotta shop like a season or two before and they be cheaper”
Sharpe and Johnson praised Coleman’s shopping smarts during the April 28 episode of their podcast, during which they also highlighted Coleman’s journey from college ball to being drafted by the Bills. Sharpe particularly emphasized Coleman’s potential as a star, attributing it not only to his on-field talent but also to his prudent approach to finances.
“He could be special because you can hear the way he talks. So that means advertisers and sponsors love to get behind him. He’s got the personality, he’s got charisma. You see the thing that I like about him is the thing that a lot of athletes make mistakes,” Sharpe said on his podcast. “You know what they do? They spend money they haven’t received yet. And that’s where you run into the problem. Why am I spending what I don’t even have? You gotta pay it back. You’re gonna pay back money with interest when you could just wait and you ain’t gotta pay for no interest. You see that’s what people don’t understand.”
“What, interest rate 7, 8 percent?” he added.
Sharpe and Ochocinco discussed on the show the likelihood of an agent being aware of new players like Coleman’s financial situation. They speculated that the agent might seek a bank loan using future earnings as collateral. Sharpe, who has previously mentioned never taking out a loan except with his brother, expressed confidence in Coleman’s financial stability.
Joining the conversation, Ochocinco, known for his frugality, advised Coleman to indulge himself and show gratitude to those who supported him on his NFL journey.
“Yeah, got his head on right. And that starts at home. That’s from mama. That’s from mom, mama, and old boy. That’s all, that’s all parent right there. And the discipline is over there. But Keon, I know you’re gonna see this. Even though you got your head on right, where you put in too much work, you put in too much work to get to this point in your life. You gotta treat yourself. You gotta treat,” Ochocinco said.
Coleman is set to earn $10,074,258 throughout his initial four-year contract with the Bills, according to Over the Cap, equating to an average annual salary of $2,518,565. His contract encompasses an anticipated signing bonus of $4,089,448, according to On3.
Coleman played last season at Florida State, racking up 50 catches, 658 yards, 11 touchdowns, and an average of 13.2 yards per catch. Throughout his college career, which includes his first two seasons at Michigan State, Coleman accumulated a total of 115 catches, 1,506 yards, 19 touchdowns, and an average of 13.1 yards per catch.
