NFL star moonlighting as a farmer.
That was the story of retired Green Bay Packer great, Jordy Nelson.
When Nelson wasn’t Lambeau Leaping into the crowd or putting defensive backs on skates, you could find him on his family’s 4,000-acre Kansas farm during the offseason.
Back in 2015, ESPN’s Anna Katherine Clemmons visited Nelson on the farm and got a behind-the-scenes look at his second career.
A job that he enjoys very much.
“Working cattle is my favorite farm duty,” Nelson said.
“It’s interactive, and you’re on your feet all day.”
The man with the second-most receiving yards in a single season in Green Bay history behind Davante Adams, even said he leans more towards being a farmer than an NFL star.
“I probably identify more as a farmer [than a football player],” he said.
“Around here, I’m just the farm kid that they have always known.”
Nelson played 11 years in the NFL, 10 with Green Bay and one with the then-Oakland Raiders.
He made a Pro Bowl, was a second-team All-Pro in 2014, and helped lead the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with old friend Aaron Rodgers.
He caught 613 balls for 8,587 yards and 72 touchdowns.
Nelson is considered one of the most underrated wide receivers of his generation.
In Super Bowl XLV, he caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.
When the Packers had to make the tough decision to release Nelson in 2018, Rodgers posted an emotional message thanking his former number one wide receiver.
“Hard to find the right words today to express what 87 means to me,” Rodgers wrote.
“No teammate exemplified what it means to be a Packer quite like him.
“From living in GB full time, his incredible contributions to the city, state, and region, to his consistent, reliable play on the field.
“Definitely a sad day and the toughest part of this business. There will never be another quite like white lightning.”
The Manhattan Kansas native was a second-round pick out of Kansas State in 2008.
He would go on to become a Cheesehead icon.
He retired in 2019 and has kept a low profile since.
But if you are ever wondering where Nelson is, or what he could be up to, just ask the cows and chickens, they’ll show you the way.
Stay up to date with the latest from across the NFL via our talkSPORT Facebook page, and subscribe to our Endzone YouTube channel for news, view and exclusive interviews as we build up to the NFL Draft in April
