As a new NFL season begins, Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Joe Thomas is spending much of his time on a very different field.

The former Cleveland Browns offensive tackle now raises cattle at Hall of Fame Farms, his roughly 4,100 acre operation in Wisconsin.

Thomas became famous for playing an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps. These days, however, tractors, cattle and farm work have replaced much of his time in the football trenches.

Farming was an ambition for Thomas long before his playing career ended. Although he grew up outside Milwaukee and did not come from a farming background, he said he had always enjoyed being outdoors.

Here's What They're Not Telling You About Your Retirement

"I grew up outside of Milwaukee, did not grow up on a farm, but always just had a passion for being outside," Thomas said in a recent Fox News interview.

"And then when I had the opportunity to go into the NFL, I said if there's only one thing I get out of the NFL, I want to be able to buy my own piece of dirt. I just want to have my own little farm."

Thomas acted on that goal while he was still playing for the Browns. In 2012, he purchased the original 1,200 acre property and established his operation with only five cows and a bull.

Hall of Fame Farms has grown substantially since those early days. Thomas told Fox News that the operation now covers about 4,100 acres and raises hundreds of cattle, with an increasing focus on Wagyu beef.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

His interest in producing his own food became stronger after he retired from the NFL in 2018. No longer required to maintain the massive frame of an NFL offensive lineman, Thomas began paying closer attention to nutrition and lost about 70 pounds.

"I wanted to try to focus on my health and be more intentional about eating real food," Thomas said.

"And, so, I lost about 70 pounds when I retired, and I thought, 'Hey, what a great way to also know where my food came from.'"

That focus connected his health goals with the farming ambition he had carried through his football career. Raising cattle offered Thomas a way to build the Wisconsin farm he had once dreamed about while also knowing where his food originated.

The operation has also drawn attention beyond Wisconsin. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently visited Hall of Fame Farms and praised Thomas as an example of someone who entered agriculture despite not growing up in the industry.

"He started with five mama cows and a bull," Rollins said.

"So, it's not like he came in and wrote a giant check and became a hobby farmer. Like, he literally built this thing from nothing."

Thomas also joined Rollins at the White House as President Donald Trump signed two executive orders last week aimed at supporting United States ranchers. His appearance reflected the growing profile of the farming operation he began during his years in professional football.

Even with his expanding work in agriculture, Thomas has not completely left the sport that made him a household name in Cleveland. He has continued working in broadcasting and remains connected to football.

Meanwhile, as NFL players begin another season pursuing victories on Sundays, Thomas is continuing a different kind of long term project hundreds of miles from an NFL stadium. His focus is now on raising cattle, producing high quality beef and developing the Wisconsin property he once hoped professional football would allow him to own.