My Gas Station Interview with G Ryan Lilja

After yesterday’s visit training camp, I needed something to drink.  It was hot out, I was sweating and I needed a drink.  Also because I have the bladder the size of a 4 year old, I really had to use the restroom. So before getting on the interstate and heading home, I stopped at a gas station.

Wouldn’t you know that as I was walking towards the door, so was an offensive lineman from the Colts!

It was their last day of camp and I’m sure they were all in a hurry to get home.  As I neared the door this Colts player even held the door open for me.  The only problem was that I couldn’t place who the player was! He didn’t have a jersey on and I couldn’t place his face at all! He looked older than anyone I could remember and even had a bit of gray spreckled through out his hair.  Narrowing it down to Ryan Lilja or some no name back up, my brain could not decipher who it was. And then as I walked in the door the following conversation ensued:

Me: Hey thanks man.

Colts player: Yeah, No problem.

Me: So how do you feel?

Colts player: Good man, really good.

Me: So you feel good about training camp?

Colts player: Yeah man, real good.

Me: Are you excited for the season to start”

Colts player: Yeah, really excited, I can’t wait.

And that was it, he was walking the other way and I did not want to be bothering him. Also I really had to pee. So that’s what I did.  And as I hurried to finish – thinking to myself -“shoot man, hurry up and pee and run to the car and get your recorder and actually ask him some real questions, no matter who really is” – it was all too late. He was gone and I missed my chance at a real interview.

Still racking my brain for who it was … I felt like an idiot.  The whole way home I was upset with myself for being such a goofball.  Because ofcourse, when I got home and looked it up, naturally it was Ryan Lilja.  A player who missed last season with a knee injury and a key component to this year’s offensive line. And potentially, a key component to this year’s success.

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