NFL star bought chicken wings with first paycheck and refused to spend a cent of $75m extension

Alvin Kamara is a rare example of a running back producing into his 30s thanks to a disciplined life on and off he field.

The New Orleans Saints icon tied an NFL record with a ridiculous six-touchdown game against the Minnesota Vikings in 2020.

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His performance came just three months after signing a $75 million extension that cemented him as one of the biggest stars at his position.

At the time, only Christian McCaffrey‘s $16million-a-year deal could surpass it among running backs.

Well aware that NFL careers are short, Kamara revealed in 2021 that he was not planning on spending a cent of his earnings, preferring to live of endorsements like New England Patriots icon Rob Gronkowski.

He sat down for an episode of Uninterrupted’s Kneading Dough, which is hosted by former Cleveland Browns wideout Andrew Hawkins, and revealed how seeing his family struggle with money shaped his beliefs from an early age.

“I’ve always known the value of a dollar,” he said. “As a kid, I saw my mom work multiple jobs only to be able to afford the bare essentials.”

Kamara remembers bread and peanut butter providing a safety net in lean times growing up in Atlanta, Georgia.

He still stocks the essentials in his own kitchen.

The Saints selected Kamara 67th overall in 2017, landing him a rookie deal worth $3,855,902, including a signing bonus in the region of $972,000. 

He bought a box of wings with the money and put the rest into savings and investment accounts.

“I’m like, ‘Okay, this is more than I’ve ever had,” he explained. “My mom ain’t never had this much.

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“It would be a shame if I got this and lost it. I’m gonna keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing, [purchasing] what I need and that’s it.

“I’m not about to go over the top, I’m not gonna live beyond my means.”

Kamara won’t represent any brand just to net a quick buck, only partnering with companies he believes in.

He once built a throne out of boxes of Airheads — his favorite candy — in the Saints locker room and later saw a childhood dream come true with his very own flavor.

Kamara was linked with a trade out of New Orleans during the 2025 season amid reports he could look to join a contender and give the Saints some capital for a rebuild.

He quickly shut down those rumors, claiming he would retire if he was traded.

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“I saw a lot of people looking at that and saying, like, I was holding the Saints hostage by saying that if they traded me, I would retire,” Kamara said. “Which is not at all what I was saying. What I was saying was the same thing I’ve said my whole career. I want to be in New Orleans, right? Period. In the simplest of forms. I want to be in New Orleans.

“If I were to have to play football somewhere else, then I don’t want to play football, that’s all I was saying. It’s the trade deadline, so things get read into a little bit more. It’s like ‘Well, they went to Alvin and asked him if he wanted to be traded. And he told Mickey Loomis that if they trade him…’ I wasn’t holding anybody hostage.

“At the end of the day, that entity, that team, they swing the gavel. So, I’m never going to go up there and be like if you trade me, I’m going to go home.”

Saints linked with Breece Hall trade

Kamara is the wrong side of 30 — an age where running backs typically begin to sharply decline.

And while his pass-catching chops and locker room presence mean he can still be valuable, the Saints could look to add young talent around rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.

John Sigler of Saints Wire recently touted a move for free agent Breece Hall, who could leave the New York Jets.

“Hall, 24, is probably going to be the most coveted rusher on the market,” Sigler wrote. “Given his age, big-play ability, and consistent production behind a series of bad offensive lines, he should be seen as a plug-and-play starter for half the league.

“Given how few running backs expect to be drafted early in April, the bidding for Hall in March could get intense.”

Long out of the running for Super Bowl LX, which fans can watch here, Kamara will have some time to rest his body ahead of the final year of his contract.

If that does prove to be the end, he will be able to do so safe in the knowledge that his future is secure.

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