For plenty of players, reaching the NFL means finally having the money to make a purchase they once could only dream about.
That doesn’t appear to be much of a priority for three former Clemson standouts.
Blake Miller, Peter Woods and Antonio Williams were all included in ESPN’s recent look at how members of the newest NFL rookie class are handling their first significant professional paychecks. Their answers had a similar theme: having more money doesn’t mean they suddenly feel the need to spend it.
Miller is already thinking about one of the biggest purchases anyone can make, but his reasoning is much more practical than flashy.
The Detroit Lions used the No. 17 overall pick on the former Clemson offensive tackle, and Miller said buying a place to live is at the top of his list.
“I’m trying to be smart with it and not be a big, big spender,” Miller told ESPN. “But, I guess a place to live would be it.”
Miller had already been introduced to managing significant money before leaving Clemson. He played during the rapid expansion of NIL opportunities in college athletics, something he believes gave him valuable experience before signing an NFL contract.
“Obviously being in college in the whole NIL era, that helped a little bit because I kind of was there when it was getting going and you get to see the progression of it,” Miller said. “Like guys now, you don’t just get a big chunk of money deposited in your account. You’re still making good money, but it’s not as crazy as it is now. So, I feel like that kind of helped me be able to deal with more and more money, and then my parents as well set a good example. They’re always there with questions or anything, and they’re really helpful.”
Miller spent four seasons at Clemson and never missed a start, opening all 54 games of his college career from 2022 through 2025.
Woods entered the league in an even less urgent position when it came to finding something expensive to buy.
The Kansas City Chiefs first-round pick said the money available to college players during his time at Clemson allowed him to enter the NFL without feeling like his first professional paycheck needed to immediately change his lifestyle.
“Nah, I’m just kind of letting my money make money right now,” Woods said. “I had a pretty blessed college situation [at Clemson]. It’s a different landscape [now]. It allows me to kind of be disciplined in that area. I’m not really worried about it, for real.”
That doesn’t mean Woods completely avoided celebrating his move to the NFL. After being drafted, he gave two Maseratis to members of his family after holding his draft party at a Maserati dealership.
Williams’ first major purchase came with an eye toward making his new day-to-day life easier.
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After the Washington Commanders selected him in the third round, the former Clemson receiver purchased a home only minutes from the team’s facility.
“My first big purchase was a home about 10 minutes away from the [Commanders’] facility,” Williams said. “I’m not a big spender. I feel that was a good investment. No cars, nothing crazy, man. I didn’t want to make any dumb decisions.”
The NFL can create financial freedom almost overnight, particularly for high draft picks, but Miller, Woods and Williams don’t sound interested in proving anything with their wallets. All three left Clemson with different career paths ahead of them, yet each appears to be entering professional football with the same basic idea: enjoy what comes with making it to the league without letting the money become the story.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: ESPN asks Clemson rookies: What did you spend your first NFL paycheck on?