25-year-old Bucs wide receiver spends his offseason making $11 an hour picking up and driving people in wheelchairs

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May 25, 2017 10:00 PM

Bernard Reedy has made enough money in his up-and-down NFL career to be financially stable, but he continues driving for Care Ride to be "grateful."

NFL teams are back in action for offseason workouts, but for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Bernard Reedy, he's maintaining some hours at his side job.

According to ESPN's Jenna Laine, Reedy, a 25-year-old receiver who's yet to play in a regular season NFL game, spends his offseasons with Care Ride, a company similar to Uber or Lyft but for wheelchair and ambulatory support.

The job pays $11 an hour, and Reedy had to earn a special license to operate the lifts in the vans.

According to Laine, Reedy began working for Care Ride in 2015 after being waived by the Atlanta Falcons, working five days a week, eight hours a day.

In 2016, Reedy signed a deal with the Bucs, but tore his meniscus in the preseason and was waived. He re-signed with the Bucs practice squad after he healed in December and made $85,879 for two games, according to Laine.

According to Spotrac, Reedy has made $173,840 over two years, which he realizes puts him in a much different tax bracket than many of his peers. He explained to Laine that he needs to work so he's not dipping into his savings, but that it's also fulfilling to do his work Care Ride.

"All my other teammates that I know that I personally talk to, they all caked up -- they all got money, a whole lot of money. When I get to that tax bracket with them, I’m going to continue to work here during the offseason. ... You always want to be grateful."

...

"The money in your savings is only going to last so long. I had to go out and get a job so I could continue to live. You want to always have something you fall back on."

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