For all the issues Trent Richardson has had on the football field since he was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, it sounds like he has had even bigger problems off of it. Unfortunately, his family and friends are at the root of much of it.
In an in-depth interview with ESPN’s Shelley Smith for “E:60,” Richardson revealed that his family and close friends blew threw $1.6 million of his money between the months of January 2015 and October 2015. While many professional athletes are reckless with their own spending habits, Richardson said his only issue was allowing others to take advantage of him.
“I finally just looked at my bank statement, and I was just like, ‘Where did this come from? Where did that come from?'” Richardson recalled. “And my guy was sitting there telling me, ‘Man, we were telling you.’ I know he was telling me, but that’s just like telling a kid to stop running in the hall. They’re going to still do it when you turn your back.”
The money was apparently spent in a variety of ways. Richardson told Smith that at one point there were 11 Netflix accounts and eight Hulu accounts under his name, and he doesn’t use either service. He also said he noticed several charges from Amazon.com. Richardson’s friends and family also often ordered bottle service and VIP packages at nightclubs, and the 26-year-old running back says he doesn’t even drink.
“I was like, ‘How did y’all spend this money?’ I spent $300 in two weeks,” he said. “Y’all are trying to live a lifestyle that I’m not even living, that y’all think I should be living.”
Richardson’s rookie deal with the Cleveland Browns was worth $20.5 million, all of which was fully guaranteed. He’s fortunate enough to not be broke, but he said he had to reevaluate his entire financial situation. That included cutting off his brother Terrell, who Trent was paying $100,000 per year to be a “personal assistant.”
“It’s just one of them moments to where I was just blinded by my heart, by loving everybody and thinking that everyone was for me,” Richardson admitted. “I know they love me. I know they do care. But at the time, they took advantage of it.”
While he recently set some very lofty goals for himself (you’ll want to hear this), Richardson may never play in the NFL again after he was waived by the Baltimore Ravens. It was wise of him to get his book-keeping in order.
