New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard used his contract extension to help reward his widowed mother.
When some NFL players receive their first big contract extension, they like to “flex” with the money. They buy a new car or a new house, basically anything where they can flaunt how much they’re truly worth.
When the New York Giants gave wide receiver Sterling Shepard his four-year, $41 million contract extension in April, he didn’t show it off. Instead, he used the money to reward his widowed mother.
“I paid off my mother’s house, which is something I’ve always wanted to do for her,” Shepard said on ESPN’s The Adam Schefter Podcast. “She has worked extremely hard to provide for three kids after my father passed away. I kind of just wanted to reward her for that. That’s something that, ever since I got in the NFL, I told her I was going to do.”
Shepard’s mother was more than grateful when he decided what to do with the money.
“She was extremely excited,” Shepard said. “She is such a hard worker. She works for an oil and gas company out of Oklahoma. It just lifts that weight off of her shoulders and gives her some security. I was happy to be able to do that for her. That was probably the least I could do from what she has done for me.”
When the Giants traded Odell Beckham Jr. and extended Shepard’s contract, they made it clear they wanted Sterling to be part of their plan for the future. Shepard is looking to be the No. 1 receiver for Big Blue for years to come. He appreciates the confidence the organization has in him.
“Besides the fact of being able to provide for my family, it shows the trust that the Giants organization has in me leading this group of wide receivers,” Shepard said. “That’s what I took from it: They have a lot of faith that I’ll do things the right way.”
