Payton Turner’s plans for first NFL paycheck? Fix his parents’ swimming pool

Let it be known that Payton Turner is a dutiful son. The New Orleans Saints’ rookie first round pick is busy soaking up all the knowledge he can from his more experienced teammates, but when he isn’t studying or training the former Houston Cougars standout is looking for ways to help out his family.

Namely, repairing his parents’ swimming pool. Turner relayed his first summer in the NFL to longtime Houston Texans reporter Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk 790, saying of his first paycheck: “When I got my first installment of my signing bonus, that was pretty cool. Opening your bank account and seeing two commas is pretty cool. That was kind of the moment. I showed my parents the pay stub. I love them and they were so excited for me.”

Some rookies are quick to enjoy that first payday, but Turner is taking it all in slowly. Between his $660,000 base salary and $6.4 million signing bonus, he’s going to reel in more than $7 million this year. Turner did joke about his “boring” financial advisors influencing his decisions, but for now he wants to help his parents out with some home repairs.

“I’m still waiting on my parents to give me the quote for the pool,” Turner continued. “They’re kind of dragging their feet. They’re going to get mad when they see this, too.”

There’s a lot riding on Turner’s arrival in New Orleans, so it’s good to see how grounded he is. He won’t be asked to start right away with Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport anchoring each end of the defensive line — but his selection signals the end of the line for one those two starters in a few years, depending on how each of their career arcs turn out.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Turner certainly isn’t. For now, the rookie is just excited to experience his first NFL training camp and chase his potential, and put in the work to bring another Super Bowl victory to New Orleans. And if he’s able to help out of his folks at home while doing that, well, just as well.

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