Terry Crews was known as a hustler who never gave up on his career, even though his NFL dreams didn’t ultimately pan out. Despite being in the league for six seasons, he only played sporadically as a linebacker for about three, and for different teams each time. So, he found another way to provide for himself and his wife financially during those years.
Advertisement
What exactly did Crews do to hustle some extra cash for himself? He sold art. Sounds crazy, right? An NFL athlete chasing a side gig? But Crews never made much money during his football career. In fact, during a stint on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad, he was making just $150 a week.
The White Chicks actor was once famously quoted reflecting on that time in his life, revealing that he would’ve made more working at McDonald’s. Which, unfortunately, was true. That’s why he turned to art.
Crews is actually quite talented with a paintbrush and would often paint portraits of his teammates. He was recently reminded of this and decided to post one of his best portraits on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
It’s a beautiful portrait that Crews painted of former All Pro running back Brian Mitchell. It looks incredibly realistic and lifelike. The sculpting and shading bring out impressive detail. Crews should be proud of the work.
In the caption of the post, the actor reflected on how he made the portrait during a very difficult time in his life. He was struggling to pay for food and bills while supporting a wife and two kids, so he would charge his teammates around $5k per portrait.
Mitchell took a moment to commend Crews’ drive in the comments.
“I remember those days and your dream. You always worked hard and it paid off. Most people don’t know the struggle. They just know the success. Keep grinding, bro,” Mitchell wrote.
But it wasn’t just Crews’ former teammate who took the time to comment. Other celebrities chimed in, surprised that he was such a talented artist.
“This is really inspiring. You were insanely talented both on and off the field,” wrote analyst Jesse Palmer.
“My guy…” former wide receiver Donald Driver penned.
Another one of Crews’ former teammates mentioned that he remembered him painting while in San Diego as well.
“You did incredible work on canvas. I remember your talent. Your former Charger, teammate and friend, John Carney,” the former player expressed.
It is quite a sight to see the painting of Mitchell. It’s hard to believe that a football player had such a steady hand and good artistic skills, but Crews clearly broke away from that mold. He would eventually take his NFL and portrait earnings and quit the league, moving to Los Angeles.
Not long after, Crews was starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie The 6th Day. And as he says, the rest is history.
In conclusion, it’s a great story of perseverance. Although he never achieved the stardom he dreamed of in the NFL, Crews used his drawing skills to earn money when times were tough. He then used that money to build a new, more prosperous life. In the end, it all paid off for Crews, with a net worth of $25 million.
