You might think that, given the value of the contracts that players sign and the exertion they subject themselves to for their clubs, an NFL player would be happy just to play football for their living. That’s not the case, however. They’re highly motivated and some are simply not the type to sit around doing nothing. Away from the football field, some players work in other jobs or start businesses or other ventures as a side hustle. This is especially the case in off season, where they can balance the side hustle with their training until it’s time to play again in the regular season. Below is a look at some of the NFL stars who have a side hustle going.
Jason Kelce
The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the favorites to lift the Lombardi trophy in the NFL odds. The prospect of potential Super Bowl glory might be enough for some players, but not necessarily Jason Kelce. The Eagles center and elder brother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is as industrious off the football field as he is on it.
As well as learning about business and investing, he’s pursuing a passion for the cattle and beef industry and has bought 11 cows in Missouri. This isn’t his only interest though. One of the NFL’s most popular players also loves trucks and has invested in aftermarket truck parts and accessories retailer RealTruck. Through his investment he has joined the advisory board, which consists all of athletes, and he’s using the opportunity to learn how a board works and how many of the decisions are made.
Cassius Marsh
Chicago Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh may love being out on the field, but off it he has a major passion for fantasy trading cards, especially Pokémon and “Magic: The Gathering.” The cards provided a lot of comfort to him when he was a child being raised by a single working mother. The linebacker has capitalized on this fondness for the cards in a way no one ever saw coming: by setting up his own trading cards business, Cash Cards Unlimited. Marsh observed the rebirth in popularity of trading cards and opened his store in Westlake Village, in California. The business has been very successful.
Von Miller
Von Miller serves the Buffalo Bills as a linebacker, but what you might not know is that the Bills man majored in poultry science and then started a chicken farm. When his teammates during his time with the Denver Broncos first heard of Miller’s plans to set up a chicken farm, they thought he was joking. More cynical people may also have believed he was merely putting his name to the farm to increase its value. All parties are wrong. Miller has a genuine love of chicken farming and spends time working at the farm. The long-term plan is to work there full-time when he retires from his highly successful time in the NFL.
Brandon Copeland
Brandon Copeland has played for several teams in the NFL, including the Atlanta Falcons, the New England Patriots, the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens. The former linebacker has always been acutely aware he wouldn’t be able to play football forever and his career could end at any moment, which is why he began developing multiple income streams by investing in the stock market, real estate and private startup ventures. Having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and completed a couple of internships on Wall Street, Copeland entered the NFL with a firm financial background. When not on the football field, he works at an asset management firm.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is a former NFL player who not only played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets, but also holds a doctorate in medicine and a master’s degree in surgery. However, he never completed the residency program. In 2020, he took time out from the NFL to support the medical community. He took further time out from the league in 2022 to begin a residency program and stated that if all goes well and he received an offer he’d take it, and that if he still felt he had to play football in front of 80,000 fans, he’d go but wanted it to be more on his own terms. He was confident he’d be able to find another team to play for if things didn’t work out.
When NFL players head out onto the gridiron, they gave their all for the team and the game they love. However, some of these highly motivated, ambitious individuals will take on extra jobs so they can follow their passions outside of the NFL.
