Well the first thing I would do is tell him to pay taxes. North Carolina state income tax is 4.4%. So his gross annual income is $410K, if the numbers provided are correct. Not assuming deductions, not worth the time, his income tax is 39.4% leaving him with approximately $250K per year. If he makes the NFL he made the right decision. If he does not make the NFL he made the right decision. Hope he invested most of that money. However, even if he invests the entire amount, it will not last a lifetime.