The first $1 million earning is memorable for any NFL player. But for someone like Justin Jefferson, he never had such big dreams. As a kid, all he dreamt of was playing for LSU. He would religiously watch their games. What about the NFL? Well, he never even thought that far.

He not only went on to play for LSU but also signed a humongous $140 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Yet humbleness prevails. In a 2021 interview with GQ magazine, the highest-paid WR in the league shared details about how he spent a part of his first $1 million on his house. “I got a townhouse in Minnesota.”

“Well, that leads me back to having supportive parents that knows a lot, walking me through everything- whether I should rent a place, or if I should buy a place. I also have a dog too. So a condo would have been too small for my dog. They thought it was going to be a great idea if I bought a place instead of renting one … First Minnesota house. $405,000.” he shared with GQ.

It includes more than 2 bedrooms and bathrooms and has a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. It is just minutes away from where he practices. He hasn’t shared much pictures of his house. But from what he has shared on social media, his kitchen has dark, sleek cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The house also has a wide garage for the professional’s car collection.

But what about the interior design of the house? As shared by the athlete himself, he left it all to his mother since she happily worked on decorating his house. From his first million, he also bought a $150K worth AMG Mercedes GT 63- a matte black car that some people refer to as the batmobile.

He has learned quite a lot about managing money from his parents. Jefferson said, “There is more to life than you know spending money on shoes, clothes, cars, big old houses. So, manage your money. Football is not always gonna be there for the rest of your life. So, learn how to take care of your money. Put it toward good causes. I mean, learn how to build up on your money. You know, we don’t want to go broke.”

At the same time, he believes in standing up for the community through philanthropy:
1. The WR donated 10,000 masks to Children’s Minnesota-St. Paul Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. In 2021, distributed turkeys on Thanksgiving through his charitable JJets Foundation.
2. In 2023, he also provided laptops to Northside Achievement Zone scholars.

Justin Jefferson: When he couldn’t help but count his blessings

In a 2023 interview with Bleacher Report, the WR shared how he felt blessed to be a part of a two-parent household. His father, John, was a salesman, and his mother, Elain, was an administrator. As both did well in their careers, Jefferson could follow his dream: playing football.

“So money wasn’t my main need. It’s really all about playing the game that I love, playing the game that I’ve been playing since I was 7 years old. Now it’s to the point of contract talks and being one of the highest paid. That’s a dream that I would love to happen someday, but it’s not my main priority.”

As a receiver, Jefferson might not need to worry about money. However, the running backs in the league have been facing a money crunch.

But coming back to Jefferson, he has come a long way. The 5’7” kid, who couldn’t crack the varsity team at Destrehan High School until his junior year, is now 6’1” and an integral part of the Vikings. His pairing with QB Kirk Cousins is one of the most successful in Vikings franchise history.

What a rise!

Did you know? Jefferson’s parents were pretty sporty, too. John and Elaine played basketball. So when their three sons, (Jordan, Rickey, and Justin) were young, they thought the boys would play the same sport. But the kids had a natural flair for football!