Some interesting parallels can be drawn between farming and football. Both require long hours of hard work, meticulous strategizing and the right equipment. A strong degree of perseverance and patience are prerequisites for success in both endeavors. 

As a result, numerous examples can be found around the U.S. of former players and coaches making successful transitions to agriculture. Here is just a sampling of those making the move to farming. Some grew up on family farms and are carrying on traditions, while others caught the farming or ranching bug during their athletic careers.  

Former college football coach Danny Ford summed up the parallels of football and farming last year in an interview with Farm Press. Ford, who coached at Clemson and Arkansas, farms hemp and other crops on his farm in Upstate South Carolina. 

“The better the soil you have, the better the crop,” Ford said. “Just like in coaching, the better athletes you have, the better your chance to win. You have to put in the work. Athletics teaches you that you have to get better, stronger, faster and you have to learn to work with a team. You have to have good equipment.” 

Former Miami Dolphin wide receiver Duriel Harris always wanted to be a cattle rancher. He achieved that goal relatively late in life, developing a beef operation in Louisiana as he approaches the age of 70. 

One of the more publicized examples of the transition is former UNC Tar Heel and Baltimore Raven offensive lineman Jason Brown. Retiring early from the NFL, Brown created First Fruits Farm in Franklin County, N.C. The farm grows cucumbers, sweet potatoes and other crops, donating most of it to local food banks.  

Former Iowa Hawkeye and New York Jets player Matt Kroul grows sweet corn, pumpkins and other crops on his family’s farm near Mount Vernon, Iowa. Kroul, a third-generation farmer, is co-owner of the farm, which focuses on sustainable farming practices. 

In Illinois, former NFL player Cody White is making a name for himself in soybean circles. Last year, White was named one of the Illinois Soybean Association’s 20 Under 40 Young Leaders. White played for Illinois State in college.  

Indianapolis Colts punter Hunter Smith turned to farming in Indiana after retiring several years ago. Smith raises cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys while practicing regenerative farming in Zionsville, according to the Indianapolis Star.   

More recently, longtime Philadelphia Eagle player Jason Kelce, who retired in March, told the Philadelphia Enquirer he is considering segueing into ranching. 

Another example of a football-to-farm transition is Jason Watts, a former starting center for the University of Kentucky in the late 1990s, who had a brief career in the NFL. Watts, who grows blueberries, muscadines and other crops at Florida Best Farms in Haines City, Fla., was named Florida Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year in 2024.