Most NFL players dedicate their offseason to relaxing and working out, but Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline has himself a summer job. Hartline inked a five-year, $31 million contract extension with the Dolphins last week, but he has decided to keep his day job despite having a tremendous amount of financial security.
On Wednesday while he was speaking with Dan LeBatard on 790 The Ticket in Miami, Hartline said something about being too busy working a drive-thru to keep up with NFL news. LeBatard fluffed it off at first, but quickly realized he was serious.
“Me and my buddies have always wanted to (own a convenience store),” Hartline explained. “(My friend) ran a lot of them in Ohio with his family since he was 15 and we wanted to go into business. We bought our first one in January.”
The hosts then began ribbing Hartline and asking him what type of dream owning and operating a convenience store is.
“The dream,” he said proudly. “The American dream. Owning your own business.”
The stores are called Smart Stop, and Hartline said he and his buddies are trying to make them become the next Circle K. Interestingly enough, the 26-year-old is not the first NFL receiver we have seen working the job of the common man this offseason. And if free agent linebacker Justin Durant really did apply to that fast food restaurant on Thursday, he may not be the last.
It may sound funny now, but how many professional athletes do we hear about blowing all their money before they retire and being left with nothing? The fact that Hartline has become a small business owner and is taking an interest in the day-to-day operations of his company is admirable.
H/T Philly Inquirer via The Big Lead
