Why a star football player traded NFL career for a tractor

[freebuddy]

Why a star football player traded NFL career for a tractor

STEVE HARTMAN CBS NEWS

Dec 26, 2014 7:00 PM EST

LOUISBURG, N.C. - At one point number 60, Jason Brown, was one of the best centers in the NFL.

At one point he had a five-year, $37 million contract with the St. Louis Rams.

And at one point he decided it was all meaningless - and just walked away from football.

"My agent told me, 'You're making the biggest mistake of your life,'" said Brown. "And I looked right back at him and I said, 'No I'm not. No I'm not.'"

So what could possibly trump the NFL?

Jason Brown quit football to be a plain, old farmer -- even though he'd never farmed a day a in his life.

Asked how he learned to even know what to do, Brown said:

"Get on the Internet. Watch Youtube videos."

He learned how to farm from Youtube.

Thanks to Youtube and some good advice from other farmers here in Louisburg, N.C., this week Jason finished harvesting his first, a five-acre plot of sweet potatoes.

"When you see them pop up out of the ground, man, it's the most beautiful thing you could ever see," said Brown. He said he has never felt more successful.

"Not in man's standards," said Brown. "But in God's eyes."

But God cares about the NFL, right? There are people praying to him on the field all the time.

"Yeah, there's a lot of people praying out there," said Brown. "But, when I think about a life of greatness, I think about a life of service."

See, his plan for this farm, which he calls "First Fruits Farm," is to donate the first fruits of every harvest to food pantries. Today it's all five acres--100,000 pounds--of sweet potatoes.

"It's unusual for a grower to grow a crop just to give away," said Rebecca Page, who organizes food collection for the needy. "And that's what Jason has done. And he's planning to do more next year."

Brown has 1,000 acres here, which could go a long way toward eliminating hunger in this neck of North Carolina.

"Love is the most wonderful currency that you can give anyone," said Brown.

"Are you sure you played in the NFL?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Because I feel like cuddling you right now."

"Don't do that!" he said.

Brown may have left the NFL, but apparently holding is still a penalty.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-nfl-player-farms-for-good/

[nucklehead]

I hate sweet potatoes. Fortunately I can afford normal potatoes. I was also raised on a small farm by foster parents who beat me daily and forced me to work while collecting tax payer money and never once hearing or knowing I was loved. So, for me the idea of farming is connected to a childhood of misery and is the last thing I'd ever want to do.

Perspective is a relative thing obviously.

But good on him for knowing what was important to him and pursing it.

I'm all over that.

[MayRayDown]

St. Louis is where football careers die at

[hatedkid666]

That's awesome that he isn't looking for material objects but instead for happiness.

But still 37 million dollars...

[smithers joe]

it must have been a john deere...

[Violator]

I hate sweet potatoes. Fortunately I can afford normal potatoes. I was also raised on a small farm by foster parents who beat me daily and forced me to work while collecting tax payer money and never once hearing or knowing I was loved. So, for me the idea of farming is connected to a childhood of misery and is the last thing I'd ever want to do.

Perspective is a relative thing obviously.

But good on him for knowing what was important to him and pursing it.

I'm all over that.

Id probably beat you to for not liking sweet potatoes

[nucklehead]

Name a time and place.

[Buddhas Hand]

I hate sweet potatoes. Fortunately I can afford normal potatoes. I was also raised on a small farm by foster parents who beat me daily and forced me to work while collecting tax payer money and never once hearing or knowing I was loved. So, for me the idea of farming is connected to a childhood of misery and is the last thing I'd ever want to do.

Perspective is a relative thing obviously.

But good on him for knowing what was important to him and pursing it.

I'm all over that.

Hey man i am really sorry to hear about your early life , that really frackin sucks.

Hope your life is better now.

Good to see someone choosing to help others and making the choice between himself and others.

[Violator]

Name a time and place.

What did sweet potatoes ever do to u

[etsen3]

[Offensive Threat]

The last statement by the Rams was that Jason Brown was released by the team. not that he chose to leave. This may be just semantics but then maybe he didnt just quit.

If he wanted to help the poor why not just keep playing and donate the money to charities? It would equal a lot more than what he has farmed so far. But still he seems to be a big hearted guy whos following his faith. Good for him.

[JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo]

That duck dynasty guy gave up a career in football so he could go duck hunting.

[RonMexico]

The last statement by the Rams was that Jason Brown was released by the team. not that he chose to leave. This may be just semantics but then maybe he didnt just quit.

If he wanted to help the poor why not just keep playing and donate the money to charities? It would equal a lot more than what he has farmed so far. But still he seems to be a big hearted guy whos following his faith. Good for him.

Giving food to those who need it is much more charitable than throwing your money at a charity.

[Offensive Threat]

Giving food to those who need it is much more charitable than throwing your money at a charity.

If he can learn to farm online Im sure he can find out which charities conform to his desires to help. Like the Food bank where he delivered the produce. Give them a few grand worth of potatoes or donate his mutli-million dollar salary. Its easy to see which would be more beneficial to the poor and hungry in that area.

[Buddhas Hand]

If he can learn to farm online Im sure he can find out which charities conform to his desires to help. Like the Food bank where he delivered the produce. Give them a few grand worth of potatoes or donate his mutli-million dollar salary. Its easy to see which would be more beneficial to the poor and hungry in that area.

I pay $3.75 a kilo for sweet potatoes and the guy that runs the fruit stall i am buying them from told me he is paying the grower $2.50 a kilo , that makes that crop of 100,000 lbs worth more than $100,000 to the farmer

To quote from the article

" Brown has 1,000 acres here, which could go a long way toward eliminating hunger in this neck of North Carolina.

Jason is 31 , he has another potential 40-50 years of providing food for the hungry in his part of the world and maybe his kids might follow in their dads footsteps .

Give a man a fish he eats for a day , teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.

[Ghostsof1915]

Well I'd rather him be a farmer, than blowing up a school, or being a tele-evangelist.

[Apple Juice]

"When you see them pop up out of the ground, man, it's the most beautiful thing you could ever see," said Brown. He said he has never felt more successful.

Love the story and it's a touching story, but this quote right here got me and I started laughing a bit because it really sounds like a made up story. Good for him. Chose what made him happy instead of going for the cash.

[Buddhas Hand]

Love the story and it's a touching story, but this quote right here got me and I started laughing a bit because it really sounds like a made up story. Good for him. Chose what made him happy instead of going for the cash.

I am a farmer and have been for the best part of 50 years ,I always get a buzz raising seedlings or striking cutting's and when the buds take on my roses ,it really does give one a good feeling.

[Apple Juice]

I am a farmer and have been for the best part of 50 years ,I always get a buzz raising seedlings or striking cutting's and when the buds take on my roses ,it really does give one a good feeling.

Yeah I can understand the feeling, but not to the extent of the first seedlings growing, but in other ways.. Just the way it was worded made me chuckle a bit cuz it sounds comical but it's not.

[sam13371337]

cannot see any rationale reasoning behind this. I agree with his agent.

if his intention is to help people, he could have played out his contract and donated the proceeds to charity.

that would have had a much bigger and more positive impact.

if he is doing it just for passion, there is no way it couldn't have waited a couple more years?

I just don't see the rationale behind this. I have nothing against people being altruistic and all. But this man is simply an idiot.

good luck on the potato farm..