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During a recent appearanceonClub Shay Shay,former NFL starChad “Ochocinco” Johnsonshared a surprising fact about his first two years in the league.
Johnson, 45, told hostShannon Sharpethat he lived inside the Bengals stadium for two years when he first started playing for the Cincinnati team. The former Bengal explained that the stadium had everything he needed, and that saving money on living expenses was important to him.
“You gotta remember, I stayed at the stadium the first two years because I didn’t want to spend no money,” Johnson said on the show.
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Johnson said that during his third season with the team, Bengals then-head coach Marvin Lewis told him it was time to get his own place. “That’s when Marvin [Lewis] came in and said, ‘It’s time for you to be responsible. Spread your wings. Get your own place,'” said Johnson.
“I moved right down the street. One little bedroom,” he said.
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“I never bought real anything when I was playing,” Johnson said of the jewelry and watches he wore during his time in the league. “Everybody’s caught up in image and looking a certain way and being rich,” he explained.
source: people.com