More than just a way to get to the stadium

By Tamara Warren

updated 2:16 p.m. ET Jan. 29, 2008

Orpheus Roye is not a small man.

At 6'4" and 330 pounds, he is a defensive tackle for the National Football League's Cleveland Browns.

Befitting a man of his physical stature, Roye likes his cars large. His fleet of seven vehicles features some of the biggest rides from an array of mostly luxury manufacturers. Among them are a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class coupe, a 2005 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged, a 2006 Bentley Flying Spur, a 2007 Mercedes S550 sedan, and the most massive of all, a 2007 Maybach 57S.

Most of the cars are black, but his latest, the Maybach, is white. "The Maybach makes me feel like I’m a king," Roye says, shortly after finishing up a grueling Friday practice earlier in the season.

Roye says he didn’t have much growing up, and he thinks of his vehicles as a symbol of making it. They are a reward he gives himself. "I work hard enough," he says.

But not all of them are rewards. At least one is kept as a reminder of his roots — Roye still hangs on to his first car, a 1996 Buick Regal.

To some in professional football, owning luxury cars is not only a way to celebrate their success, it's a way to fit in with peers. Players pull up to practice in the latest sports cars, SUVs, and rare classics, and teammates take note.

"You go in the parking lot and you see these nice exotic cars coming in. As a young guy, you’re like, 'I want to get a car,'" says cornerback Christian Morton, who was recently picked up by the Denver Broncos.

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Morton recalls noticing fellow players' preference for luxury automobiles during his first NFL season with the New England Patriots in 2004. "I remember going in the parking lot and seeing all the Escalades rimmed up with 24s. There were about 15 Escalades, about 10 Range Rovers. You had the Phantom and some little Lexuses. But it seemed like there were a million Escalades."

Morton’s parking lot awe is not uncommon. “There is a social pressure to fit in,” says Christopher Henry, director of NFL player development. “There is a pressure to keep up."

But for some NFL veterans, practicality is still a priority.

Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, says he sold the 2002 Lamborghini Murcielago that he once owned, even though it was the coolest car he has ever driven. It was “Cowboy blue,” with blue suede inside. “I didn’t drive it enough,” he says.

Smith, who retired from the game in 2005 and is now an ESPN analyst, played for 14 years, 13 of them with the Dallas Cowboys. He won three Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys and was named to the Pro Bowl eight times.

He owns three vehicles. He has a Hummer H2 for himself — it’s either a 2003 or 2004 model, he isn’t sure. He says a 2005 Mercedes-Benz 600 V12, which he calls “a classy car,” is for both him and his wife. And Smith, a father of four, has a 2008 Cadillac Escalade ESV as the family vehicle.

Smith says he is “a big fan of automobiles that are tricked out” and wants to put 24-inch rims on his Escalade.

The players said they do a lot of research before they buy a vehicle, from asking each other for recommendations to scouring magazines for cutting-edge trends.

“You can get a lot of ideas talking about cars in the locker room,” Morton says.

Morton owns a 2003 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2005 Bentley Continental GT, a 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, and a 2007 Lexus LS 460. “I wanted to get a Mercedes S550 because everyone was talking about it, but then I realized I didn’t want to be like everyone else,” he says.

That urge for uniqueness aside, many players seem to share the same taste in vehicles. “Every player wants a Yukon, Tahoe, Denali, Escalade, or a Range Rover,” says Kevin Shuler, manager of Elite Auto Concierge, an Atlanta-based shop that deals in new and classic car sales and modifications. “You’re not a ball player if you don’t have one of those in the garage.”

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