A paycheck from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dating back to October 2004 has set off a storm of speculation after it appeared on a now-defunct YouTube channel focused on thrift store finds. The clip, uploaded without context, showed a remarkably detailed pay stub filled with jaw-dropping numbers, and a few clues fans believe could reveal the identity of the mystery player.
The check showed a net payment of $170,855.98 for a single pay period, with year-to-date earnings topping $1.4 million. The document also listed the player’s marital status, fines, bonuses, and even deductions for hotel stays and a $50,000 luxury suite at Raymond James Stadium. One detail that really stood out? A $5,000 fine.
Fans play detective with dollar signs
NFL fans quickly turned into amateur sleuths, scouring the footage and matching it against public salary records and known events from the Bucs‘ 2004 season. The most popular theories narrowed the possibilities down to two names: cornerbacks Brian Kelly and Ronde Barber, both part of the Super Bowl XXXVII-winning team.
While Barber’s salary around that time seems to match the gross earnings on the paycheck, one Reddit and YouTube user pointed out that Brian Kelly was fined $5,000 that very season, lending weight to the theory that the check may have belonged to him. Still, others caution against jumping to conclusions, many players receive fines that never make headlines.
A time capsule of NFL wealth
Beyond the guessing game, the leak offers a rare glimpse into the financial details of early 2000s NFL life. The federal tax deduction alone, over $93,000 for the month, is enough to make most viewers wince. Add in six-figure bonus payments and training camp earnings, and it becomes clear how much top-tier athletes were already pulling in two decades ago.
While the paycheck’s authenticity hasn’t been officially verified, the level of detail suggests it’s real, and that someone, somewhere, donated a little piece of NFL history to a thrift store shelf. The channel that leaked the video has since vanished, but the mystery lives on among fans still trying to match numbers to a name.
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