According to a new Indianapolis Star profile of the athlete, the 22-year-old spent the Colts bye week this month in Raleigh, North Carolina, working behind the counter at a location of fast-food restaurant Bojangles, known for its fried chicken

NFL Star Nyheim Hines Spends His Bye Week Working at Bojangles Despite $400K Salary — Here’s Why

Unlike many professional athletes, Nyheim Hines of the Indianapolis Colts knows exactly what he wants to do when his NFL career comes to an end.

According to a new Indianapolis Star profile of the athlete, the 22-year-old spent the Colts bye week this month in Raleigh, North Carolina, working behind the counter at a location of fast-food restaurant Bojangles, known for its fried chicken.

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“What are you doing?” Hines recalled customers asking as he worked the drive-thru window or handed out change, according to the Star.

The youngest member of the Colts already makes $480,000 a year and is expected to earn more than $2 million by 2021, the Star reported. So why the side gig?

“Let’s be real. You could play the next game and get hit and never play again. That’s sad to think about, but you have to,” Hines told the Star‘s Zak Keefer.

Hines hopes to someday own at least five locations of the Bojangles franchise, and wants to understand every aspect of running the fast food joint before doing so.

Image zoom Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire/Getty

He credits his parents, Darrin and Nannette, for “keeping my head in the right place.”

Hines has always loved Bojangles, the Star reported.

He told the outlet, “Best fries in the fast food industry. The chicken’s really good, and they have these things called boberry biscuits. Nothing like them.”

Though he often frequented the eatery as a student in North Carolina, his professional relationship with the franchise didn’t begin until he tagged them on Instagram when he moved to Indianapolis. There aren’t any franchise locations north of West Virginia, and Hines wanted the restaurant to know he’d “miss” it.

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According to the Star, shortly after, restaurant reps sent him a list of the closest locations for every one of his away games. Then he asked about spending some time as an employee. Naturally, Bojangles agreed.

Ultimately, though, his decision came down to practicality, the outlet reported.