“I Saw Two Murders Before I Was 9”: Hope Bryant Narrates His Incredible Life Story on Cam Newton’s Show

Hope Bryant’s life story is one for the books. A financial literacy entrepreneur and businessman now, the 59-year-old didn’t always have it easy. But he wants to spread the hope that leaving your harsh beginnings behind is possible to build a new life.

Usually opting to focus on the X’s and O’s or the latest drama within the world of football, Cam Newton’s Funky Friday show allows him to put a spotlight on topics and individuals that exist outside of the gridiron. During his latest interview, the former Carolina Panther sat down for a two-hour discussion with the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Operation HOPE.

Hope formerly managed the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund at the U.S. Department of Treasury. The self-touted “largest minority owner of single-family rental homes in America,” Bryant gave Newton his entire backstory. In detailing his origin, Bryant explained that

“I was homeless when I was 18 years old, six months of my life. I saw two murders before I was nine. That’s not somebody’s story, that’s my story. I sit here as a testimony that you can go from the bottom quartile to top 0.1% in income and in wealth, legally.”

Proving that there are ethical ways to amass wealth, Bryant noted that he came from a long line of successful, independent business owners. Influenced by everyone from his father to his grandmother, Bryant’s success is just the latest in what seems to be an ever-improving bloodline. 

“My second great-grandmother was a slave. My grandmother owned a shotgun shack in east Saint Louis… My mother owned seven homes, I own 700.”

Believing in the importance of financial literacy, Bryant hopes that by being on Newton’s show he can reach the minds of young and impoverished Americans. 

Hope Bryant’s financial advice 

During a previous podcast appearance, the 2015 MVP winner admitted that he is still struggling to replicate the financial success that he enjoyed while playing in the NFL. Confessing that “There’s nothing that I have created yet, that can provide a million dollars in a week,” the retired signal caller looked to Bryant for advice during their discussion. 

The Auburn product may not have directly mentioned his own financial state, but he still was able to walk away from the conversation having understood that the concept of financial literacy is a journey rather than a destination. Bryant made this clear, admitting that he did not feel as if he was financially literate until much later in life. 

“When I understood rich, I was 40ish. When I understood wealthy, I was about 50. I just turned 59.”

As both the capitalistic market and the marketplace of ideas continue to shift and evolve, so too will our understanding of monetary success. To best take advantage of the current landscape at any given time, it’s best to adhere to Bryant’s philosophy of “You want to go where the puck is going, not where the puck is.”