45 : NFL Pro Interview : Tutankhamen Reyes

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Strauss : Why do you make it important to connect to the fans?

Reyes : Well… Twitter is the easiest way that I can connect with the public.  Everyone is on it. I don’t feel as if I’m bigger than anyone or untouchable so I guess its my way to reach the fans and people that support me.

Strauss : And, what was your favorite NFL team growing up?

Reyes : My favorite team growing up was the Giants. In high school, I wore #87 and played tight end like Howard Cross did who played tight end for the Giants at that time.

Strauss : Who was your childhood star? Why?

Reyes : My childhood star was my mother.  She was the one that kept me on the right path and instilled values in me that I live by today. In terms of a sports figure it was Ricky Henderson.  He played outfield for the Yankees and was the fastest man in baseball.  I liked the confidence and swagger he brought to the game, and nobody could catch him stealing bases.

Strauss : If you weren’t playing in the NFL, what would you want to do?

Reyes : If I wasn’t playing ball, and baseball didn’t work I would have wanted to be a businessman of some type.  I just knew if I wasn’t playing ball I would want to wear a suit. I always admired the people I saw going to work in a suit.  As a child I thought it was cool to have to get dressed up and look sharp just for work, haha.

Strauss : If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

Reyes : If I could meet anyone dead or alive I would want to meet Bill Gates.  I would want to know how he amassed and kept his wealth over the years.  We have the same birthday so I figure I have that potential in me as well haha.

Strauss : What is your favorite song to listen to before a game? What pumps you up?

Reyes : One of my favorite songs to listen to before a game Is Jay-Z “Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)” The intro lets me know rest time is over “5 Seconds Is Up…Let’s GOOO!”

Strauss : What is your favorite movie of all time?

Reyes : My favorite, hmmmmm, I’d say Scarface. But any gangster movie is good with me.

Strauss : What is your favorite snack food?

Reyes : My favorite snack food is Golden Oreos….nuff said haha

Strauss : What is your favorite type of pie?

Reyes : My favorite pie is Sweet Potato Pie.

Strauss : What is your favorite TV-Show?

Reyes : My favorite TV-show is Martin, although I’m really feeling Entourage right now.

Strauss : What is your favorite meal?

Reyes : My favorite meal would have to be my Mother’s Thanksgiving dinner.  Turkey, Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potatoes, Greens, Stuffing, Corn Bread, Salad, Macaroni Salad.

Strauss : What is your favorite video game?

Reyes : My favorite video game would have to be Godfather.

Strauss : What is the one thing you can’t leave your house without?

Reyes : One thing I can’t leave my house without is my blackberry. Definitely need that…

Strauss : When did you see your first live NFL game?

Reyes : Ummm first live NFL game had to be my 1st pre-season game against the Jets.  I was on the Saints and we lost.  But it was cool because my 1st NFL game was in New York, and I had like 25 people there to see me play.

Strauss : How long have you played football?

Reyes : I’ve been playing football since I was at least seven. That’s as far as I can remember.  But organized ball, Pop-Warner, since I was 12.  I’ve been in the NFL for ten years.

Strauss : Did you play any other sports in high school?

Reyes : My favorite sport growing up was baseball. I thought I would play professionally.  My favorite experience was hitting 2 home runs in a game when I was twelve. It meant even more because my mother was there to see it.

Strauss : When did you realize that you were going to play football in college and in the NFL?

Reyes : I always believed I could play in college and professionally, but I guess I realized I had a chance to play in college in my sophomore year in high school. I had to be about 15. My high school coach said I could play at any college in the country if I focused and stayed committed.  I realized I could play in the NFL my senior year in college. My roommate and former Chicago Bear Terrance Metcalf was the one who drilled it in that I had a real shot at the NFL.  It meant a lot coming from him because I always thought he was a better lineman than I was.

Strauss : What is your favorite memory from Mississippi?

Reyes : My best memory would have had to be my last home game played, which was senior day.  At Ole Miss we walk through the Grove, which is a park, before the home games.  It’s a way to greet the fans before the game. I brought my son with me on the walk through the grove. He slept right through all the noise and cheering.  As the seniors were announced and they said my name, I held my son up for the world to see.  It was like the scene from Lion King haha. I was so proud to have a little man.

Strauss : Why did you choose the number at Mississippi?

Reyes : I chose 76 at Univ. of Mississippi because I moved from tight end to offensive line.  I wanted 77 because that was the year I was born. That number wasn’t available so I went with 76.  I loved it at the time.

Strauss : How has the number process working for you since you’ve been changing teams?

Reyes : The number process isn’t that important to me after 10 years in the NFL…

Strauss : What impact did your high school coach have on your college and professional career?

Reyes : His impact was that of a supporter and a father figure when I was in college.  He passed while I was in college and didn’t get a chance to physically see me reach my dream of playing in the NFL. I know he is proud though. He told me I could make any Division-1 College if I focused and he was right and some.