Jason Brown Quit Football In 2012 After Earning More Than $25 Million; Former St. Louis Rams Center Now Owns 1,000 Acres Of Farmland And Is Helping To Feed The Hungry [PHOTO]

Many people were surprised when St. Louis Rams player Jason Brown quit football in 2012 after making more than $25 million of his $37.5 million NFL contract. This is largely because of what he did afterwards: buy 1,000 acres of farmland and devote his career as a farmer to feeding Missouri's hungry.

According to Business Insider, Brown was drafted 124th overall in 2005 and played nine seasons in the NFL before getting cut by the Rams in the spring of 2012. At the time, he was 29 years old and had many opportunities to continue his football career - he had numerous offers from other teams, including the Baltimore Ravens.

However, he walked away from the game. Brown stated, "My agent, he told me, 'You're making the biggest mistake of your life...' And I looked right back at him and I said, 'No I am not.'"

People Magazine reports that Brown learned how to farm largely from watching YouTube videos and gathering advice from local farmers in Louisburg, North Carolina. Currently, he is growing mostly sweet potatoes and cucumbers, and his first harvest yielded 100,000 pounds of food. And the best part? He donated it all to local food pantries. This fall, he has already given away 46,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and 10,000 pounds of cucumber.

Rebecca Page, who organizes food collection for the needy, stated, "It's unusual for a grower to grow a crop just to give away... And that's what Jason has done. And he's planning to do more next year," conveying her surprise at Brown's act of charity.

Brown really seems to be enjoying himself during the process. He told People Magazine, "When you see them pop up out of the ground, man, it's the most beautiful thing you could ever see," referencing his recent sweet potato crop.

This unusual act of charity and life transformation shows that football players really can change their lives and the lives of others after their careers are over. Watch a CBS report on the subject and video showing Brown farming here.

Tags
Jason Brown
farmer
st louis rams
NFL
Missouri
charity
Local Food Pantries
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