Again, not everyone lives in California. I bought my three bedroom home for $112K (admittedly at the bottom of the market), and I live in a great area of Las Vegas. A new truck costs $40-$60k? Only if you're tricking the thing out. A 2020 Chevy Colorado is $21k MSRP. Make a smart decision and buy a brand new 2019, and you're looking at even cheaper for a brand new car.
And again, this is all assuming you are getting taxed 50% of the minimum $480k. A rookie for the Las Vegas Raiders will take home $312k after playing one year. That is enough to buy a car, and if not a full house, at least to put down a generous amount on a home that you have to finish paying off with a "normal" job. I'm not saying you're a big baller living in luxury, but it's so much better than many others. With almost everything paid off, making $45k a year with very few expenses is a damn good life.
Again, I feel like your experiences must be skewed by making a bunch of money in a state like CA where everything is inflated.
I have a buddy who played three years for the Chargers, and he owns two homes, three cars, and a boat, all while now working as a corrections officer for a normal person's wage.