This Tuesday the New York Jets contacted a gentleman named Keith Fitzhugh with some great news, they wanted him to play for the team again! Unfortunately Keith ultimately decided to turn the team down to continue his “steady job” on the railroad because his past experiences being dropped by NFL teams make him nervous about the potential to support his parents in the long term.
Hopefully the Jets get some more money up for Keith!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I can understand. NFL isn’t secure at all. Most players never even see the field. He’s very smart and responsible.
^^^^^^^^this. perhaps in another life, without his responsibilities to family, maybe.
no its not the least u can get paid in the NFL is over 100k
im pretty sure he wont make that much money working in the Railroad
Ummmm… 100K a year is 50K in a 2 year period or 25K for 4 years. In other words the NFL is not a steady job. 100K means nothing if your unemployed for the next 1-4 year AND then afterward, the job you get pays you LESS than the job you left to go play the NFL..
It sounds all good, but knowing about money and financial freedom can help make decisions like this one easy. He made the right choice.
The NFL would have to pay me 300K to go play… still not sure it will work.
league min for first year players is 325,000, and goes up with the amount of years of experience, but that money isn’t guaranteed.. and you have to play.. doesnt’ include practice squad or in this case partial schedule..
that is allot of money but I think he made the best choice, ESPECIALLY since his Mom is sick. I don’t know if the NFL has medical coverage extended to family or not but paying for health care is expensive.
Also taxes would have eaten anywhere between 1/3 to half of that 325,000 so its really 200-150K he would take home.
And what if he gets hurt?
Wouldn’t take it either.
good for him…. such integrity…. nfl better offer more money because he has a wife and kids at home!
A Great story.
He’s a strong, smart man with superior values; the kind of man who makes a woman truly happy in ways ballers could never fathom. I’d take him over a Kobe any day.
and what makes you think kobe would want you? GTFOH!!
Great decision on his part – railroad probably offers steady pay, benefits, retirement, tax benefits, etc. Way to go!!!
What a pu$$y, u get an oppertunity people will kill for and you turn it down cuz your scared u might fall. This isn’t something to be applauded, its unamerican. How secure is a rail road job anyway? in this economy no job is secure. This is a terrible decision from a economic perspective. The expected value of his NFL job on the long term is tremendous even if he only has like a20% chance of making the team long term. its not like hes a doctor or some high level exec where he’s giving up something great. Terrible decision.