This former NFL star has rewritten his story.
Jason Brown served seven years in the NFL, beginning with the Baltimore Ravens as a fourth-round draft pick before moving to the St. Louis Rams under a five-year deal totaling $37.5 million.
At one point, Brown became the highest-paid professional center in the league. However, despite a gleaming future ahead, he felt there was a higher calling in his life and he refused to ignore it.
He played for the Rams from 2009 until 2012 when he was cut from the team. At this point, Brown had earned $25 million, and his career was yet to be over.
With immense success in sport came the luxury lifestyle with it and all the perks along, but that did not satisfy Brown as he says that he felt lonely at the top of the mountain.
You won’t see Brown playing on Sunday nights, however, because despite receiving an offer from the Baltimore Ravens he gave up his career to become a farmer. And not only that, he’s farming to help feed those in need.
Photo credit: CBS via Business Insider
He runs a 1,000-acre farm in Louisburg, North Carolina, and donates the food he grows sweet potatoes and other vegetables to food pantries. Amazingly, Brown learned to farm by watching YouTube videos and with the help of local farmers.
“My agent, he told me, ‘You’re making the biggest mistake of your life,'” Brown told CBS. “And I looked right back at him and I said, ‘No I am not.'”
The former NFL star has donated 46,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and 10,000 pounds of cucumbers.
“When you see them pop out of the ground, man it’s the most beautiful thing you could ever see,” he said of harvesting the sweet potatoes.
Photo credit: CBS via Business Insider
The devout Christian knew that he wasn’t living a life of service that Jesus wants every son and daughter of His to live and here he was just living a materialistic life. “The kicker was when I looked in the mirror…and I saw his reflection looking right back at me, and he asked, ‘what are you doing with your life Jason that’s so great? “What are you doing with your life that’s so special?’”
Brown said that at that moment he couldn’t answer and he felt in long time his heart was wide open. He said, “All of those seeds from my youth that had fallen on rocky soil – about love and loving thy neighbor and being selfless. All of a sudden they began to take root and germinate.”
Although Brown had no idea what working on a farm was, he moved in faith and gave it a try and today doesn’t regret his decision.
Watch the video report here: CBS/Youtube
Sources: OpposingViews, Business Insider, Good News Network
