by Bob McManaman - Sept. 11, 2012 08:15 PM
azcentral sports
Question: I understand you married Erik Widmark's daughter, Erika. We know Erik from the years he worked in the Cardinals organization as a pro personnel guy, a scout and other job titles. How'd you meet Erika?
Answer: We met in college. She played volleyball at Oregon, and we met my redshirt freshman year. We've been together ever since.
Q: You know, Erik used to be the "turk" in training camp, the guy assigned to go collect playbooks from the guys who got cut. Were you aware of that?
A: (Laughs) Yeah, I think I've heard that. But I think knowing him has actually helped my career. He knows a lot of people.
Q: How'd you propose to your wife?
A: I proposed at a lake house in Idaho. I sent her to go get dinner and I went out to the dock and lined it with tiki torches and made a big heart out of rose petals with some candles. I really tried to do it up.
Q: OK, wait. We've got teammates listening in on this. Maybe we should move on, what do you think?
A: No, I'm OK with it. The guys can tease me if they want, but it worked, so I'm happy about it.
Q: I see you studied journalism and public relations in college. Why?
A: I really like to write, so I thought getting into journalism would be the best, but it worked out that PR was the best option.
Q: So I can't help but notice you linemen have a little, tiny stereo you listen to on this side of the locker room and the defensive linemen have this massive stereo right over there that looks like a car. What's up with that?
A: Yeah, (Darnell) Dockett's got that huge thing over there and hey, look, he wins. It's enormous. But when it's just the O-linemen sitting here, we'll play the tunes. Usually, it's '80s music. Huey Lewis and the News and that kind of stuff.
Q: Hmm. OK then. What's your favorite artist or band?
A: I'm more of a genre guy. I like punk rock.
Q: Nice. My colleague, Kent Somers, mentioned that he saw you and Daryn Colledge riding in a glass elevator during the preseason trip to Tennessee. He said you looked deathly afraid. Got a fear of heights or something?
A: (Laughs) Things like roller coasters, I've got no problem with. Airplanes are fine. But when I'm like standing on an edge looking over, it freaks me out. I just don't want to be around it. The Grand Canyon is my biggest fear.
Q: I can relate to that. So do you have any other issues, other than that? I mean, anything else that totally freaks you out?
A: I'm not a huge fan of scorpions. I've had some of them around my house.
Q: What do you do about them?
A: I have a golf club and a black light and try to go out and hunt them down.
Q: Any in the house yet?
A: No, thank goodness.
Q: Well, don't you think you ought to knock on wood?
A: (Knocks on his locker, which is made of wood) Thanks.
Q: Dockett has a dislike for anything 49ers. Since you came from there as a free agent, were you concerned about having any problems with him?
A: We've had some battles, man. I think I've played him 14 times. I was a little nervous to see how it would go, how he'd react and how I'd react. But it was great. We shook hands and eventually began to have conversations. We talk about stuff that's going on, and he's made me a better player, having to go against him every day in practice.
Q: Every player has injuries, and I hate to even talk about it during the season, but what's the longest needle you've ever had to endure to get you through the pain?
A: I've been fortunate enough to -- again, knock on wood -- not have any serious issues. So it was just a normal syringe when I've needed something small done.
Q: OK, last one. I always ask for a guy to name one teammate he thinks is going to have a breakout-type game. Who's the one you think will come up huge this Sunday at New England?
A: I'll say Michael Floyd. He's ready. He doesn't have a reception yet in a regular-season game, but I've been watching him, and I think he's going to be the guy.
