From One Field to Another: 11 Professional Athletes Who Farm
Few events seem to shock the world like athletes walking away from their multimillion-dollar deals. And it’s even more shocking when they leave those jobs to take up life on the farm. But you might be surprised to learn just how many professional sports players are eager to trade in their jerseys for overalls and cleats for work boots. While this list is hardly exhaustive, here are 10 of the world’s growing number of athletes who farm.
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1. Jason Brown
Former NFL player Jason Brown made waves in the sports community when he made the unconventional decision to leave behind his $37.5 million contract to pursue a farming venture in North Carolina. Brown says his decision came down to religious convictions and a multitude of how-to-farm videos on YouTube that inspired him to take on his 1,000-acre First Fruits Farm in Louisburg, North Carolina. His newfound passion has led not only to more time in the great outdoors but also to many local philanthropic efforts. Brown donated 100,000 pounds of homegrown sweet potatoes and 10,000 pounds of homegrown cucumbers to local food pantries shortly after making the leap from football to farming.
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2. Giovanni Carmazzi
Giovanni Carmazzi was a third-round draft pick for the NFL in 2000, but he has since retired to establish a small goat farm in northern California. He was the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers before retirement and later spent some time participating in NFL Europe and the increasingly popular Canadian Football League. These days, however, he splits his time between running his own company, indulging in yoga and busying himself on the goat farm.
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3. Jordy Nelson
Jordy Nelson of the Green Bay Packers knows how to do more than catch passes. Before he launched his career in the NFL, he worked 12-hour days on his family’s farm in Kansas. Even now, Nelson spends a portion of his time driving combines and working cattle and says he still feels more like a farmer than a football player. Like many other athlete farmers, he also credits his childhood on the farm with teaching him the hard work necessary to thrive on the football field.
4. Gary Larsen
Would you have guessed Gary Larsen grew up on a wheat and sugar beet farm? He was known as the “policeman” drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the early 1960s but soon after joined the Minnesota Vikings, where he stayed from 1965 to 1974. His career led to a renowned two-time Pro Bowl selection as well as being named one of the 50 Greatest Vikings, but his childhood was firmly rooted in the family farm driving tractors and feeding chickens.
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5. Chad Greenway
Chad Greenway was the 17th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft and has earned his stripes playing as the linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings. But he didn’t grow up wearing a jersey. Greenway’s parents raised him on a South Dakota farm where he says he learned all the skills he needed to be successful as an athlete. Today he not only applauds football and agriculture but also speaks up on behalf of the America Needs Farmers Initiative.
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6. Victor Martinez
Victor Martinez of the Chicago White Sox didn’t want to spend his retirement on the golf course. He instead decided to indulge in a lifelong dream: owning a cattle ranch. The 37-year-old hitter did his research before purchasing around 2,400 acres in Florida, which is home to an estimated 500 cows. Like many other athletes who own farms, Martinez grew up with fond memories of family farming and wants his children to enjoy a similar experience.
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6. Brent Burns
San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns may have a reputation as an elite NHL player, but he is just as heavily invested in his family ranch back in Texas. Interestingly, he doesn’t raise traditional livestock but instead populated the ranch with wild game like white-tailed deer, antelope and wildebeest. He not only strives to educate the public on sustainable practices but also enjoys hunting and farming his own food out of a genuine love for nature and wildlife.
8. Hunter Smith
Former Colts punter Hunter Smith has traded in one field for another, shifting his focus from football to farming in Indiana with his family. He began thinking about what he wanted for his children as they grew up, and he ultimately decided agriculture was essential. After all, he grew up on a farm in Texas and gives the farming lifestyle all the credit for his success on the playing field, which appears to be a common theme among athlete farmers.
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9. Brock Lesnar
Best known for his career in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and his status as an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion, Brock Lesnar is spending a little less time in the ring and a little more time on the farm these days. He says growing up on his family’s dairy farm in Webster, South Dakota, gave him a strong work ethic, which many athletes who farm agree contributes to professional success. This heritage seems to have inspired him to move his family to Saskatchewan, where he purchased a sprawling property where he can give his own children a similar upbringing.
10. Andre the Giant
Born Andrew Rene Roussimoff, better known around the world as Andre the Giant, is a former World Wrestling Federation (WWF) wrestler with a reputation for his towering height of 7 feet 4 inches. But a lesser-known fact about him is that he grew up on a farm near Moliens, France. After making a name for himself in wrestling, Andre purchased a 46-acre cattle ranch in North Carolina. A few of his former colleagues spread his ashes on the farm after he passed away.
11. Avery Williamson
In June 2023, former Tennessee Titans linebacker Avery Williamson moved back to his hometown of Milan, Tennessee, to manage and expand the 200-acre commercial cattle farm where he grew up. Reflecting on his journey from West Tennessee and back again, Williamson says working the farm as a kid gave him the life skills to succeed as a professional athlete and now as a farmer and businessman.
See more: Former NFL Star Avery Williamson Returned to His Family Farm