Posts tagged Duracell
Patrick Willis and Michael Oher Talk Some Smack
zaymer Back in October, we interviewed Patrick Willis and he told us all about the Duracell Trust Your Power program. He also told us that Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson were the two toughest guys to tackle in the NFL. During that same interview session, WIllis also fielded a call from Michael Oher, you know, The Blind Side guy. Well these guys were teammates at Ole Miss and both dudes faced a lot of challenges when they were growing up. As they get to square off against each other this Sunday, it’s worth sharing this surprise conversation they had when Oher called in to chat with Willis during his Duracell time:
Feb 1st
Patrick Willis Interview
Last week I had a quick chat with 49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis, a beast of a guy with the most intimidating neck you will ever see. Willis has been a tackling machine ever since he has drafted out of Ole Miss in 2007. The guy’s never missed the Pro Bowl. In any conversation about the best linebacker in the NFL, Willis tops the list. Dude’s just a monster.
He also had a really tough upbringing. The guy grew up in extreme poverty, supported his younger siblings and had to leave home because of an abusive father. But he always believed in himself and his abilities. And he’s promoting that sense of self-will with a new Duracell campaign.
The Duracell Trust Your Power campaign encourages people to trust the power they have within to achieve their dreams. When fans tweet #TrustYourPower or comment on the Trust Your Power YouTube video (below), Duracell will make a $1 commitment to provide disadvantaged youth scholarships to ProCamps, an organization that runs sport camps for kids ages 7-14.
We talked to Willis about his head coach, the hardest guys to tackle in the NFL, how long he plans on playing and what advice he has for kids going through tough times. Here’s the interview:
Patrick Willis Interview
CS: Coach Jim Harbaugh – I get the feeling that guy still wants to suit up and play.
PW: Oh yea.
CS: Can he still fling it?
PW: You know what, he can. He gets out there every day before practice and throws some passes with the guys and whatnot. He’s out there running around and sometimes he even does some of the drills. One time he tried to do a special teams drill and coach slipped and fell completely on his backside. There’s no doubt in my mind that if he could suit up today, he would.
CS: So he can be used as an emergency QB?
PW: Yea, I think so. He wouldn’t be able to move that much. He’d probably just sit in the pocket.
CS: (laughs) Who do you think is the toughest player to tackle in the NFL?
PW: Toughest player… I don’t know. I’ve played against a few of ‘em. Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. Those two guys, from the running back position, those are two tough guys to bring down. There’s more, but those two guys really stand out.
CS: Do you plan on playing as long as Ray Lewis?
PW: I’m going to play as long as my body allows me to. As long as my mind and body tell me I can still do it and my production level is still good, then I’m going to play.
CS: You had kind of a rough upbringing. What words of encouragement do you have for kids who find themselves in similar tough circumstances?
PW: Really, you got to look at this campaign – Trust Your Power. Only you know what you’re capable of. Only you know what you can give. At the end of the day, you know inside that you have all the power in the world and trust it and go after what you want to go after. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Nov 7th
Summer Sanders Interview
Oh man, back in the day, I had the biggest crush on Summer Sanders. She’s a four-time Olympic medalist in swimming, but I knew her as the sexy-fit host of Sandblast, an MTV show from the mid-90s that featured two teams battling it out in fun events at the beach.
After racking up two golds, a silver and a bronze at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Summer flourished as a sports host/journo on shows like NBA Inside Stuff, US Olympic Gold, The Sports List and Skating with Celebrities. You’ve seen her in Jerry Maguire, Celebrity Apprentice, Good Morning America, the Winter Olympics, Rachel Ray and Inside Out with Summer Sanders. After hanging it up in ’92, she’s had a good run with this second career thing.
Summer’s in London covering the Olympics, and I had the chance to chat with her last Thursday, just before the opening ceremony. Summer’s working with Duracell to launch Virtual Stadium, a new interactive initiative that encourages friends, family members and fans to send message of support to Olympic athletes via Facebook and YouTube. Your photo, text or video message can fire up an Olympic hopeful, and you can also win prizes like a $500 Visa Gift Card or a trip to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
Check out the interview below. We had some audio issues during the interview, so my questions are appear transcribed:
If you find yourself totally wrapped up in the Summer Olympics, visit the Virtual Stadium. Send a shout-out to an athlete that could use your support. All this social media stuff wasn’t around back when, but with the right tools at your finger tips, your quick message of encouragement could go a long way.
Jul 31st
