Chad Ochocinco reveals when ex-Bengals HC Marvin Lewis kicked him out of the facility

During Friday's episode of "Green Light with Chris Long," Chad Ochocinco engaged listeners with a housing crisis he faced during his playing days.

He shared the story of how Marvin Lewis forced him to leave the Cincinnati Bengals' facility after his third NFL season.

When Lewis arrived in Cincinnati in 2003, two years after Ochocinco’s rookie campaign, he realized his young wideout was still sleeping inside the team complex. For Ochocinco, the idea of spending money on rent felt absurd.

"I didn't understand," Ochocinco said. "I'm coming from college. I come from nothing, yeah? So all of a sudden, I made it to the NFL, and everything where I'm playing at my job has everything I need. So why am I buying a house? Why am I getting a condo? But by the time we got to my third year, Marvin made me leave.

"He said, 'You can't do this. You have to be a man. You have to take care of responsibilities. You have family. You have kids when they come in town where they're gonna go?' And to the hotel is what I told him. I was taking advantage of the situation. That was good, but Marvin was like when we got the year three, like, 'You can't do it.'"

Green Light with Chris Long

@@greenlight

For the first couple years of

@ochocinco

’s career, he enjoyed all the amenities of the bengals facility by living there until Marvin Lewis said you can’t anymore 😂

https://x.com/greenlight/status/1930999192173924781

Ochocinco’s decision to live at the stadium during his first two season wasn’t just a quirk — it was born of necessity. On “Club Shay Shay” in February 2023, he explained to Shannon Sharpe that renting a house or condo made no sense when the team facility provided everything.

“I stayed at the stadium because I didn’t want to spend money,” Ochocinco said. “Why rent a place when I’ve already got showers, a cafeteria, TV, couches — right where I practice and play?”

When Lewis insisted he move out, Ochocinco set up shop in an apartment just a short drive from Paul Brown Stadium.

Chad Ochocinco is still in “beast mode” off the field

EA Sports Presents The Madden Bowl - Arrivals - Source: Getty

More than a decade after hanging up his cleats, Chad Ochocinco continues to shock fans with feats of strength. On Thursday, he shared a clip of himself on X curling 120-pound dumbbells, captioning it with, "120lb dumbbell warmup."

The previuous day, ex-Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald posted a video effortlessly pressing 130-pound dumbbells — which went viral. At a listed playing weight of 284 pounds, Donald’s lift set the bar high. However, Ochocinco — roughly 192 pounds — handled plates only 10 pounds lighter.

True to form, he couldn’t resist weighing in on the discussion. When a Pro Football Action’s comparison began circulating, Ochocinco reposted its story with one line of text: “I’m bigger, stronger … and would beat him up.”

Donald’s 130 pounds versus Chad Ochocinco’s 120 might seem small on paper; however, they have almost a 100-pound bodyweight difference.