MIAMI, Fla. - Brian Hartline, professional football player for the Miami Dolphins, has been spending the offseason "freezing his butt off" by working at a Smart Stop convenience store/drive-thru in Ohio, where he??s also part owner.

While being interviewed about his new five-year, $31-million NFL contract, he mentioned how he??s been keeping busy: "Me and my buddies have always wanted to (own a convenience store)," Hartline explained. "(My friend) ran a lot of them in Ohio with his family since he was 15 and we wanted to go into business. We bought our first one in January," he told Dan LeBatard on 790 The Ticket in Miami.

LeBatard asked what type of dream owning and operating convenience store is. "The dream," said Hartline, is the American dream. "Owning your own business."

Larry Brown Sports wrote: "The fact that Hartline has become a small business owner and is taking an interest in the day-to-day operations of his company is admirable."