Back in the day NFL salaries were so modest that even star players had to take offseason jobs to make a living.
Two-time MVP Don Hutson, for example, worked in a lumber mill along with some Green Bay Packer teammates. Bears tackle Willis Brennan was a Chicago cop. Cleveland’s John Wooten taught high school math.
Even the great Jim Brown, arguably the best running back of all time, was a marketing rep for Pepsi in the 1960s.
It was said this helped connect athletes with fans. They were one of us. And maybe it did.