/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65681926/1182946392.jpg.5.jpg)
Can you believe it!?
Our master e-mail account sent out an e-mail with “interview Eric Ebron” and I chuffed, as one chuffs when an opportunity akin to winning the lottery comes along. You see, I don’t make content to meet the players I cover. Don’t get me wrong, I love football, love the players and would love to talk to as many of them as I can, but I respect peoples’ boundaries. I fully expected to spend the rest of my life making Colts/football content and never meet a player during their career. Former players make themselves particularly available (so the dream is still alive to interview Peyton, Andrew, Marino, Young, Montana, Favre, etc. etc.). Active players don’t typically do interviews and they certainly don’t do them outside their organization.
Monday night at Arsenal Technical High School, Eric and his mom, Gina Jackson, and a bunch of underprivileged kids prepared and served a full formal dinner for their mentors as part of Campbell’s Champions of Chunky Campaign. Campbell’s is committed to making meaningful donations to important causes. They’ve pledged 10,000 bowls of soup across Indianapolis Public Schools (read: the most under-funded/poorest school system in Indiana gets aid from Pro Bowl NFL player) and had a dinner on Monday night.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19368509/Campbells_Ebron_001.jpg)
My wife and I dropped in as the event ended and were whisked to a side room to quickly meet with Eric and Gina.
I want to apologize up front. I was nervous and should have been better prepared to properly engage both Eric and Gina. When I initially replied on Friday, I was hit back and said full up. I heard nothing all weekend. Monday morning 8am I have an e-mail where a spot has opened up. I replied that I would do it half-expecting a “oh, nevermind” e-mail to follow.
Not today, universe!
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19368520/Campbells_Ebron_002.jpg)
I had a 10-minute window.
Bear in mind that I have only ever been interrogative as Hell in person and the only reason I bring that up is I have no formal interview experience that isn’t employment related.
I wrote down questions I wanted to ask:
Moss someone or Bo Jackson someone. If you need this explained... didn’t come up. My bad dawg.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19368562/Campbells_Ebron_004.jpg)
Am I right that Matt Stafford has no touch? Basically.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19368563/Campbells_Ebron_006.jpg)
Is it also true that Cam Newton has no touch? Can’t confirm or deny. Maybe he asks Funch? “Yo, does Cam have a rocket?”
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19368564/Campbells_Ebron_008.jpg)
How excited are you to eventually play with all 11 healthy players? Very. Duh.
When did you know Jacoby was the truth?
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19368565/Campbells_Ebron_009.jpg)
Also, he said something that will stick with me every single day from now on.
“The best ability is availability”.
Bang. Print that. Mic drop.