We've had a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who stocked shelves. A Pro Bowl kick returner used to drive a beer delivery truck. Now, the Carolina Panthers have their very own smoothie maker.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Panthers signed kicker Todd Carter to be their kickoff specialist after losing previous kickoff ace Rhys Lloyd to the Vikings.
When Carter graduated from Grand Valley State in Michigan last year and saw firsthand how tough the job market was, the former soccer goalie-turned-placekicker ended up working part-time at the Tropical Smoothie Café.
His haul at the café? Solid minimum wage.
His contract at Carolina? One year at $320,000.
Carter’s new career wasn't the result of pure luck. Since graduating, the kicker has worked out with former-NFL punter Filip Filipovic in a pro-active attempt to break away from the confines of smoothie making.
Once Carter impressed the Panthers at a kicking combine in Las Vegas, the job was his. As long as he doesn't perform too poorly in camp, he'll have an NFL gig come next September.
Another out-of-nowhere NFL talent begs the question: Where will the next one come from?
