CRAZYDOLFAN305
We Are Still Going To The SB
Behind The Scenes With Zach Thomas
May 29, 2002
What is your favorite type of music?
I like hip hop and trash disco, you know, that old 1970’s music. I’ll pretty much listen to anything.
What is your favorite movie?
I would say Braveheart and Scarface are my favorite movies.
What is your favorite food?
Grilled chicken. I eat a lot of it. I learned to make once I got into the NFL and learned how to eat right. I’ve got to keep slim so I eat a lot chicken.
What is your favorite television show?
I guess you could say The Sopranos and Frazier.
How do you like to spend your off day?
Just relaxing and watching television. Sometimes I’ll go to a movie or go out and eat. Really, just sitting at the house and relaxing with my girlfriend.
How do you like to spend the offseason?
I like to travel. When I’m done playing football, I’m going to travel around the world. Right now, we really don’t have that much free time in the offseason, so I just travel around the United States and see the sites. Next year I’m going to get into SCUBA diving.
Describe your personality off the field?
I’m a laid back person. I’m a lot different than I am on the field. I’m stress free. I don’t like to let anything bother me.
What makes you the happiest?
Just being stress free and relaxing.
If you could spend one day with any person on this earth, who would it be?
Jesus. Spending time with him would be awesome. He could answer all of my questions and give me a great perspective on life.
Describe your perfect vacation?
I love going to Colorado. My dad has a cabin up there and it is miles away from anything. I love going up there and kicking back and doing some fishing and checking out the wildlife,
What scares you the most?
Failure is what I’m scared of. I’m a little scared of dying, but failure is the biggest thing.
What do you do to unwind after a game?
I’ll usually go somewhere to have dinner and then back home for a nice relaxing evening. I’ll check out on some scores. Sometimes I’ll just get in the pool and watch SportsCenter from the pool.
What are your favorite things to do on the internet?
I really don’t have that much time for it. I got this little text-messaging pager and I use it to check the news while I’m here.
What is the toughest thing about you your girlfriend has to put up with?
The time I have to spend away from her during football season. She understands that a football player’s career is very short and if I take care of business now, I won’t ever have to worry about working when I’m done. Then, we can spend as much time as we want together, but you have to sacrifice now.
What is the most extravagant thing you’ve purchased?
I bought myself a HumVee. I love the vehicle and I take it to the Everglades, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t buy it. I bought it at a time last year when I was feeling sorry for myself because I was hurt and couldn’t play.
What is the one thing you want fans to know about you?
That football is not what makes me. I love to play that game, but that is not all I am about. A lot of guys get caught up in that and think they are something special. Just because you go around tackling people for a living doesn’t make you important.
What one player do you least like seeing on the other side of the field?
To be honest, if you are scared to face somebody, then you’ve already lost. There are players that have gotten into me and won our match-up, like a center or a guard, but that just helps me focus the next time we play them.
Where do you think you’ll be ten years from now?
Hopefully I’ll still have my business back home. I own a gym called Zach’s Club 54 and I know I will have other business opportunities as well. I don’t think I’ll still be playing in ten years, but they are going to have to run my out of here. I try not to look ahead because it could all be over tomorrow. I do know one thing, even though I’ll probably be back in Texas, I’ll never leave South Florida. I’ll always have a little apartment or condo to come back to when it gets too cold in Texas.
If you weren’t playing football what would you be doing right now?
I’d either be working for my dad and I’d be coaching football. I was planning on coaching football because I can’t give this game up. It’s the game I love.
Why did you start playing football?
I started playing because of my brother. He was a stud and I wanted to be like him. I really love playing because you can let your frustrations out by hitting people as hard as you want and it is legal. It’s a great sport because you can get mad and crazy and still play well.
How do you prepare for hurricane season?
I don’t. I always wait until the last minute. The thing with a hurricane is you have time. You’ll always get two or three days notice to get ready. Being from Texas, I am used to tornadoes. You don’t get any warning with those things.
If you could play another position, what position would that be?
I’d be a running back. That is the position I was recruited at coming out of high school.
May 29, 2002
What is your favorite type of music?
I like hip hop and trash disco, you know, that old 1970’s music. I’ll pretty much listen to anything.
What is your favorite movie?
I would say Braveheart and Scarface are my favorite movies.
What is your favorite food?
Grilled chicken. I eat a lot of it. I learned to make once I got into the NFL and learned how to eat right. I’ve got to keep slim so I eat a lot chicken.
What is your favorite television show?
I guess you could say The Sopranos and Frazier.
How do you like to spend your off day?
Just relaxing and watching television. Sometimes I’ll go to a movie or go out and eat. Really, just sitting at the house and relaxing with my girlfriend.
How do you like to spend the offseason?
I like to travel. When I’m done playing football, I’m going to travel around the world. Right now, we really don’t have that much free time in the offseason, so I just travel around the United States and see the sites. Next year I’m going to get into SCUBA diving.
Describe your personality off the field?
I’m a laid back person. I’m a lot different than I am on the field. I’m stress free. I don’t like to let anything bother me.
What makes you the happiest?
Just being stress free and relaxing.
If you could spend one day with any person on this earth, who would it be?
Jesus. Spending time with him would be awesome. He could answer all of my questions and give me a great perspective on life.
Describe your perfect vacation?
I love going to Colorado. My dad has a cabin up there and it is miles away from anything. I love going up there and kicking back and doing some fishing and checking out the wildlife,
What scares you the most?
Failure is what I’m scared of. I’m a little scared of dying, but failure is the biggest thing.
What do you do to unwind after a game?
I’ll usually go somewhere to have dinner and then back home for a nice relaxing evening. I’ll check out on some scores. Sometimes I’ll just get in the pool and watch SportsCenter from the pool.
What are your favorite things to do on the internet?
I really don’t have that much time for it. I got this little text-messaging pager and I use it to check the news while I’m here.
What is the toughest thing about you your girlfriend has to put up with?
The time I have to spend away from her during football season. She understands that a football player’s career is very short and if I take care of business now, I won’t ever have to worry about working when I’m done. Then, we can spend as much time as we want together, but you have to sacrifice now.
What is the most extravagant thing you’ve purchased?
I bought myself a HumVee. I love the vehicle and I take it to the Everglades, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t buy it. I bought it at a time last year when I was feeling sorry for myself because I was hurt and couldn’t play.
What is the one thing you want fans to know about you?
That football is not what makes me. I love to play that game, but that is not all I am about. A lot of guys get caught up in that and think they are something special. Just because you go around tackling people for a living doesn’t make you important.
What one player do you least like seeing on the other side of the field?
To be honest, if you are scared to face somebody, then you’ve already lost. There are players that have gotten into me and won our match-up, like a center or a guard, but that just helps me focus the next time we play them.
Where do you think you’ll be ten years from now?
Hopefully I’ll still have my business back home. I own a gym called Zach’s Club 54 and I know I will have other business opportunities as well. I don’t think I’ll still be playing in ten years, but they are going to have to run my out of here. I try not to look ahead because it could all be over tomorrow. I do know one thing, even though I’ll probably be back in Texas, I’ll never leave South Florida. I’ll always have a little apartment or condo to come back to when it gets too cold in Texas.
If you weren’t playing football what would you be doing right now?
I’d either be working for my dad and I’d be coaching football. I was planning on coaching football because I can’t give this game up. It’s the game I love.
Why did you start playing football?
I started playing because of my brother. He was a stud and I wanted to be like him. I really love playing because you can let your frustrations out by hitting people as hard as you want and it is legal. It’s a great sport because you can get mad and crazy and still play well.
How do you prepare for hurricane season?
I don’t. I always wait until the last minute. The thing with a hurricane is you have time. You’ll always get two or three days notice to get ready. Being from Texas, I am used to tornadoes. You don’t get any warning with those things.
If you could play another position, what position would that be?
I’d be a running back. That is the position I was recruited at coming out of high school.
