DeMarcus Lawrence Confesses: I Was Completely Broke After Third Year With the Cowboys

Four-time Pro Bowl winner and DE, DeMarcus Lawrence, signed a four-year, $5,506,650 contract with the Cowboys which included a $2.3 million signing bonus and over $3.8 million ten years ago. However, he found himself penniless within three years.

Lawrence opened up on a recent episode of “The Level Up Lifestyle” podcast, where he recalled the shock when his accountant informed him that not only did he have no savings—the account was in the negative:

“I’m like, ‘What do you mean no more? You mean like $0? Like, what are you saying?’ He’s like, ‘I mean, like, negative $100.'”

The situation got even worse when his father, Tyrone reached out for financial help over the phone and Lawrence had to break the news about his bankruptcy.

As Papa Lawrence gave him an earful and him “stupid,” the jab hit the NFL star hard and made him realize how he had “squandered” his financial blessings.

However, going bankrupt early in his career was a blessing in disguise. It pushed the young DE to take control of his finances for rainy days and make smarter decisions in the long run.

Notably, the Cowboys star’s reason for going bankrupt can be attributed to his use of amphetamines in 2016, when he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Leaving all the past behind, Lawrence’s next contract came in 2018, after his breakout year in 2017, when he signed a 1-year, $17.14 million deal under the franchise tag. The team re-signed him in 2019, with a 1-year, $20.57 million contract.

In the same year, the Cowboys rewarded Lawrence with a 5-year, $105 million extension, including $65 million guaranteed after realizing his key role. As his last contract was about to expire, Lawrence last signed a 3-year, $40 million extension in 2022.

Currently, the Defensive End’s net worth is $20 million and his career earnings stand at $117,349,519.