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QuickTake:
Kayvon Thibodeaux plays for the New York Giants. He’s touring universities to share tips on how students can invest in themselves, and he stopped by his alma mater recently.
As an edge rusher for the Ducks, Kayvon Thibodeaux was dominant: In 32 games from 2019 to 2021, he recorded 19 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss.
He graduated after three years from UO’s School of Journalism and Communication with a major in advertising and was drafted by the New York Giants with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft. He signed a four-year rookie contract worth $31.3 million.
Thibodeaux returned to the Ducks’ Hatfield-Dowlin complex, adjacent to Autzen Stadium, Friday, May 8, to talk to Ducks football players.
Now 25, and working with JP Morgan Chase, Thibodeaux is on a tour of five universities to engage with football teams about financial literacy and athlete empowerment.
He’s helping them “make the most of the NIL era and the professional opportunities ahead of them,” according to a release about Thibodeaux’s speech to the Ducks. NIL stands for name-image-likeness, and it allows athletes to earn money from endorsement deals without sacrificing their athletic eligibility.
Media were not allowed to attend the talk, but Thibodeaux gave short interviews, including with Lookout Eugene-Springfield, afterward. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Lookout Eugene-Springfield: What brings you to Eugene?
Kayvon Thibodeaux: I’m here at the University of Oregon, visiting my alma mater. Today, I had a session on financial health with the student athletes, giving them my insight on NIL, saving, budgeting, taxes, investing in themselves.
What do you say to a player who’s not going to make it to the NFL?
You know, I tell them to just utilize all their resources. I think when you go to college and when you sign that dotted line, regardless of the status you have on a team, it’s your duty to make that agreement or the partnership with the school mutually beneficial.
And the way you do that is by getting your degree and by excelling in school and utilizing the relationships to build a foundation for yourself in whatever career you choose. So I would say, again, using the university and then also building and using the characteristics that football shape to go into the workforce.
Was your message well-received?
Definitely. I come back every year, but this is my second time talking finances and financial health. So it’s been really good. It’s been received really well.
Do they have specific questions?
Yeah, I would say, you know, a few specific questions they had were just about like, how to build your team, you know, what to look for when trying to find an agent and adviser, and how to build trust with these people.
What did you tell them?
Ask questions. The people that I found to build trust with are people who are willing to share knowledge without any personal gain. Yeah, you know, I think we all have the ability to pass knowledge down, and that’s kind of why we’re here. So finding those people that are willing to do that without an ulterior motive is one piece of the puzzle.
Did you have any stupid purchases after you signed your first contract?
I would say there’s no such thing as a stupid purchase. Getting a lease, I think, not even just my rookie deal, but when I got an NIL, I signed a five-year car lease on a Mercedes, and it was nice. It wasn’t stupid, until 4½ years go by and you’re like, “Wow, I’m still in this Mercedes.” I wish I would have got out of it, but, let me learn.
What kind of Mercedes was it?
It was a 580, a 2021 580, brand new. It was nice. I would say, you know, the dumbest mistake I made was just not asking more questions. And I asked a lot of questions, but just keep asking questions until every one is answered.
Do you follow the stock market?
A little bit.
Do you check daily on your investments or do you leave that to your team?
Well, no one checks daily. If you’re checking daily on investments, then you’re not really investing.
Well, I look at it every day, just out of curiosity.
Don’t do that.
I think it’s fun.
It is fun.
What would you say to a student who’s not an athlete? Any advice for those people facing an uncertain job market and student loans?
I would say: Know the difference between good debt and bad debt. For me, good debt is anything that helps you get further in life. So, you know, get in debt for education, get in debt for a house, get in debt for things that will build to who you are and pay you back. I think those are worth it.
So, you know, as students kind of find their way, I think, you know, apply it to the real world. As you go through these classes, continue to think about how you can turn into a business. Stop being a consumer and start being an owner. Ask questions. Believe in yourself.
Rich people didn’t get rich by thinking about being rich. Rich people are rich because they conquered the moment that they’re in currently. So whether it’s studying for class, whether it’s taking a test, whether it’s just navigating through relationships, just be in the moment and dominate the moment and all the dreams will come true in the future.
