As a kid growing up in Alabama, Demond Williams dreamed big and lavish. He dreamed of playingprofessional football and cashing huge paychecks. He envisioned the day he would receive his first paycheck and buy something expensive, "like a Lamborghini.'' Well, the dream didn't quite turn out that way.
Williams, a rookie defensive back out of Michigan State, plays for the Boise Burn in the arenafootball2 league.
Last week, he earned his first paycheck: $205 after taxes.
He spent the money on small items, some necessities and sent the rest to his girlfriend and their 2-year-old son in Tucson, Ariz.
For now, the lavish lifestyle and the Lamborghini will have to wait. So will the pair of shoes he wanted.
"I didn't get a chance to get the new shoes," Williams said.
League rules allow active players to be paid $200 for every game, or $250 if they win. Practice squad players make $100 each week and players on injured reserve are paid $133 before taxes.
Money is deposited into players' bank accounts each Thursday. The maximum a player can make in the16-game season is $4,000. Burn players made $3,200 after finishing 8-8 last season.
"Really, these guys play for the love of the game," Burn assistant general manager Scott Conklin said. "They aren't playing for the money."
Players in the af2 make considerably less money than players in the parent Arena Football League, which has a national television contract. The average salary in the AFL is $85,000.
"This is more of a steppingstone for people here in (af2) to get to the big leagues, so you have to sacrifice some to gain a lot," Williams said.
Despite the low pay, players aren't starving. Many players have full-time or part-time jobs - Williams works at Rocky Mountain Fitness in Boise.
The Burn pay housing for their players and help out with groceries. Team sponsors pay for two meals a day, Monday through Thursday, and there is a free team meal every Friday night before home games in Qwest Arena.
Players receive $31 in per diem money each day they are on the road for a game.
"We do want to do as much as we can," Conklin said.
