Ahh, the offseason. A time when most athletes kick back, relax, and enjoy some quality time off the field.
Keyword: most. Because for Green Bay Packer Jordy Nelson, offseason R&R doesn't come quite so easy. When football takes a back seat, he has another day job: working the family farm.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.
Although the NFL star signed a $39-million contract, he still puts in 12-hour days on his family's farm back in Kansas during the offseason.
The wide receiver opened up about his Midwestern upbringing in an interview with ESPN the Magazine, saying he identifies "more as a farmer [than a football player]."
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images.
When he's not catching footballs, he's driving a combine to harvest wheat and rounding up about 1,000 cows.
"Growing up on a family farm, that's where our income came from, and we relied on everyone to do their part," Nelson told the 700 Club back in January 2015. "You have to be disciplined with what you're doing and know what you're doing in order to get it done correctly to provide for the family."
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.
You'd expect Nelson — who has 49 career touchdowns and played in the 2015 Pro Bowl — to have a somewhat bigger ego. But he keeps a low profile, which is why you've probably never heard about his other full-time job.
He admits: "I hate the spotlight. I just prefer to do my job every day in practice, and in the game, and then go home and hide out with my family."
When it comes to the stereotype of a pro athlete, Jordy sure does buck the trend.