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Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins shared in a recent LinkedIn post that he spends part of each offseason in finance classes at Clemson University rather than paying someone else to manage the money he has earned over 13 NFL seasons.
Hopkins, who attended Clemson from 2010 to 2012 before being drafted by the Houston Texans in 2013, has been returning to his college campus to sit in finance courses, treating the classroom as an extension of his professional preparation rather than something left behind when he turned pro.
His LinkedIn post framed the decision around a pattern he saw among peers early in his career.
He described watching players who received large contracts end up with very little once their careers were over. That observation became the motivation.
"I've made almost $140 million in the NFL. Instead of paying people to manage it, I went back to school.
"In the offseason, while other guys are training or resting, I take finance classes at Clemson. A 13-year vet sitting in a college classroom, learning how money actually works.
"Early in my career, it didn't dawn on me that you have to educate yourself before you hand your money to someone else. I watched teammates make fortunes and lose them because they trusted the wrong people and never learned the game. I didn't want to be one of them.
"So now I do the work myself. I read the deals. I ask the questions that make me look like I don't know anything, because that's how you actually learn. I'd rather understand every company I'm in than trust that somebody else does.
"This isn't only about sports. Anybody who earns money eventually decides whether to understand it or hand it off and hope. I chose to understand it.
That's the work that turns an athlete who invests into a real one, and it's how I'll build my own fund."
He invested in Beyond Meat before it went public
His recent post also revealed that he invested in Beyond Meat before the plant-based food company went public, and that he co-owns Aruma, a coffee shop in Tempe, Arizona. Neither investment came through a financial manager recommending it.
"In 2019 I put money into a plant-based meat company most people doubted. Then it went public and took off.
"That was Beyond Meat, before the IPO. Plenty of people called it a fad. I looked at it differently. I saw where food was heading, and a brand people would actually get attached to.
"That's become my whole approach. I bet on consumer brands I believe regular people will love, not just the ones that look good on paper. It's why I got into Zico, into OLIPOP, into a coffee startup called Diamond Brew that most people haven't heard of yet.
"That read has paid off more than it hasn't. I trust my own eye on where things are heading more than I trust the crowd.
"This isn't just an athlete throwing darts with money. It's a habit anyone can build: pay attention to what people actually use and love, and think a few years ahead of the crowd.
"That instinct is the whole reason I'm building toward my own fund."
More news: NBA insider claims Lakers framed LeBron James's exit to preserve his dignity
Hopkins has been one of the most productive receivers of his generation. A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, he spent his most prolific years with the Texans before stints with the Cardinals, Titans, Chiefs, and Ravens.
He reached Super Bowl LIX with Kansas City in 2025, where he caught a touchdown in the championship game. He has not confirmed his plans for the 2026 season.
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