Bernard Reedy used his NFL off-season to make even more money.
The former NFL wide receiver made hundreds of thousands of dollars during his career yet also had another job — taxi-driving.
Reedy spent three seasons in the NFL between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.
However, he was never able to really hold down a spot in any team as a result of injuries.
In an interview with ESPN back in 2017, Reedy admitted that when he is not on the football field he can be found in his hometown, St. Petersburg, Florida, driving for Car Ride.
Car Ride is a transportation company for people in wheelchairs. Reedy picked up the gig after being cut by the Falcons in 2015.
Reedy explained the job has kept him humble through the ups and downs of his NFL career, which can be notoriously unstable.
In 2014, Reedy entered the league as an undrafted free agent, initially signing for the Falcons.
When Reedy was cut by the Falcons in 2015, he spent that entire year with Car Ride, working eight-hour shifts, five days a week, including Sundays.
He would later sign a contract in 2016 with the Bucs.
Despite the turbulent times, Reedy told ESPN that he has never got discouraged by it because there are people in even worse conditions.
“What about the people on life support? What about the people who can’t walk that want to walk again?” Reedy said.
“That stuff’s way more serious than running around and playing football.”
With his job, Reedy was able to work a flexible three day a week schedule during a off-season, enabling him to keep up with the demands of his NFL schedule.
The 33-year-old received a wage of $11 an hour for his job despite having a $465,000 base salary with the Buccaneers in 2017.
Reedy’s commitment to his job was best demonstrated when in 2017 he opted not to escape Hurricane Irma by taking a plane with his Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Instead he stayed to transport Car Ride clients to evacuation centres.
The individuals he was driving were those with special needs.
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Reedy made headlines in 2018, as after being a part of the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, he still went back to Florida to return to his taxi-driving job.
It’s why his co-workers said they loved working with him.
“He was one of the youngest employees we’ve ever hired,” manager Vince Cocks said. “He’s done a wonderful job for us.
“He’s very personable. We get calls from our clients just saying how good and polite and safe [he is]. And he takes the time with them.”
Reedy signed with the New York Guardians of the XFL on January 7, 2020. He was waived during final roster cuts later that month.
He signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL on March 20, 2020 and was released on July 19, 2021.
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