Dolph Ziggler- WWE Superstar

1) Dolph Ziggler is a nine time WWE champion (2x World Heavyweight Champion, 5x Intercontinental Champion, 1x United States Champion, 1x Tag Team Champion)

2) Dolph was a collegiate wrestler at Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference where he won 3 MAC Championships in the 165 lb weight class.

3) A Cleveland native, Dolph Ziggler is a huge fan of the Browns, Cavaliers, and Indians and can often often be spotted watching his favorite teams in person!

D: Who is the strongest wrestler in the locker room and what sport would you like to play if you weren't a wrestler?

Dolph Ziggler: I would play hockey if I had more time and Cesaro is definitely the strongest wrestler in the locker room.

D's Follow Up: I thought Jinder Mahal was the strongest wrestler in WWE. I do think Cesaro is strong because he does the Cesaro swing and wears cool athletic tape on his muscles. I think Dolph would be pretty good at hockey too. I've played floor hockey with my friend Colin and it was fun.

J: What was the best part about wrestling at Kent State in the MAC conference?

Dolph Ziggler: The best part was leaving Kent State with the most all-time wins at the school.

J's Follow Up: I think it's pretty cool that he did real wrestling before he went to WWE. It's also cool that he won so many MAC Championships.

We've been fortunate to meet many of WWE's top superstars like John Cena, Kevin Owens, Dean Ambrose, Cesaro, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and more. Having had the opportunity to spend time with Dolph Ziggler last week, I can say that he is right at the top of the list when it comes to interacting with us and his excitement to answer Jordan and Danny's questions.

Danny was surprised that Cesaro was Dolph's pick for strongest wrestler but I'm not surprised at all. He tends to test his strength in each match, holding suplexes for extended time, catching opponents off of the top rope, lifting heavy athletes into the Cesaro swing, and sending them spinning around the ring for what seems like a full minute. If I had to guess another that would be close, my pick would be Braun Strowman. He is massive and he is known to throw athletes in and out of the ring with ease.

We love that Dolph wrestled in college before entering the WWE and we especially appreciate that he competed in the Mid American Conference. As a graduate of Northern Illinois University which is in the MAC, I always root for MAC athletes who go on to the highest level of competition and have continued success. Working side by side with athletes from the MAC as a football equipment manager, I know how tough Dolph's feat of having the most wins in school history would be to achieve. The MAC constantly produces high level division 1 athletes that compete well versus any university. What an awesome honor for Dolph to leave Kent State with the most wins and I can see how that would be his greatest memory. Dolph Ziggler has always been a fan favorite here in our home and we are grateful for the awesome opportunity we had to visit him at Cricket Wireless in Wheeling!

Charles "Peanut" Tillman - Chicago Bears

1) Charles "Peanut" Tillman played 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears including two Pro Bowl selections and one season with the Carolina Panthers.

2) Charles was named Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2014, given to one NFL player annually honoring their off field and charity work as well as excellence on the field.

3) Tillman founded the Cornerstone Foundation in 2005. The mission of The Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation is "to improve the lives of critically and chronically ill children throughout Greater Chicago by providing daily support and life changing experiences." Check out all of the programs the Cornerstone Foundation provides to chronically and critically ill children including Charles' Locker, Tiana Fund, Field of Dreams and more. Please consider making a donation for this amazing foundation here in the Chicagoland area. A perfect way to start is with a $33 donation like the number Charles wore with the Chicago Bears!

4) OVERTIME- Peanut's childhood story is featured in our favorite book series The Middle School Rules as told by Sean Jensen. My boys and I love to read stories about our sports heroes and this book takes us to the young days of Charles who overcomes challenging times and surrounds himself around people who will help him out on and off the field. My boys and I learned some valuable lessons within this book that are good reminders for everyone regardless of age.

D: I want to beat my older brother Jordan at sports like football and basketball like you did with your brother Duck (as told in Middle School Rules of Charles Tillman)? What do I need to do to keep getting better?

Peanut: It wasn't until high school that I finally caught up to Duck and starting beating him. He started to get complacent and I kept working harder and getting stronger every day. I never lost to him again after that. So keep working harder than him and get stronger and you will catch up to him. It won't happen right away though.

D's Follow Up: I hope to beat my brother one day. I will keep doing workouts like push-ups, sit-ups and the bicycle to get stronger than Jordan. I hope I beat my brother when I'm in 6th grade.

J: What was the best part about living in so many different places and traveling the world?

Peanut: Learning about the culture and customs of each place and meeting so many new people of different nationalities and making new friends along the way was the best part.

J's Follow Up: I've already been to one country other than the United States. I went to Guatemala last summer. I liked it because the people were friendly and everyone was happy. It was fun to go to the markets and I climbed a volcano and visited the beaches and ruins. I think it would be cool to live in another country like Peanut did. I do think speaking different languages is hard and I would miss my friends but making new ones would be fun too.

I must admit I can't believe it took until the third post to feature a Chicago Bears player on our blog...but the time is now and there's no better Bear to showcase than Charles Tillman. Not only is Charles one of the greatest players in Chicago Bears history but he is also an outstanding human being and a great role model.

I've had the opportunity to meet Charles once before but last week my students and I were presented with a special opportunity to host a short commercial shoot featuring The Middle School Rules of Charles Tillman with Charles in attendance at our school! It was a special experience for all as Charles was hanging out on our school's playground to film the short spot. Two of my students got the chance to audition for the main role with Charles.

When he was at our school, he played catch, answered questions, signed autographs, and took pictures with the lucky fifteen students who were invited to attend. Thankfully Jordan and Danny were able to be a part of the fun too. This was the perfect opportunity to interview Charles for the blog. I noticed that the questions they came up with were more personal since we've read The Middle School Rules of Charles Tillman three times together and learned so much about Charles' childhood.

Danny's question was about his big brother Jordan who seems to beat him at everything just like Peanut's brother Duck used to beat him at every sport or game they played. Danny is having the same struggles and he can't beat Jordan at any sports or games. Even rock, paper, scissors seems to always go Jordan's way. It's tough because Danny would like to win at least one time. That's not too much to ask, right?

There is a three year gap between the two, Jordan just turned ten and Danny approaches seven in a about a month. Danny seems to be ahead of where Jordan was when he was seven, especially athletically. Because Jordan is already doing so much, Danny spends his time trying to keep up. I wonder if Jordan will get complacent like Charles' brother Duck and allow Danny to reach his level....but at the same time, Jordan is super athletic. He was named most athletic in his fourth grade class this year. The good news for Danny is that even before Charles answered this question, Danny has been obsessed with doing push-ups, sit-ups, and other excercises in an attempt to get stronger and faster. He's gotten even more serious about this thanks to Charles. It might not happen by 6th grade like Danny hopes but I think he'll close the gap at some point and Danny will have his day on top of the mountain and never look back.

Jordan asked Charles about living in many different places. Born in Chicago and making a stop in Germany, Charles attended eleven different schools during his childhood. Charles definitely knows a thing or two about traveling the world. His dad Donald Tillman Jr. was a sergeant in the United States Army and that is why Charles' family constantly needed to relocate. Although it's obvious it would be tough for a kid to move so many times and have to start fresh at eleven different schools, Jordan wanted to know what was the best part about seeing so many new places.

I've always lived in Illinois so making a big move isn't something I've been experienced. And Jordan doesn't know about this either. We did make a big family trip to Guatemala last summer to see my wife's family and her mom's native country. We've always loved the Guatemalan culture so we were able to adapt pretty quickly and take on the culture and customs of this new place quickly. It's possible for us to see how Charles could adapt so quickly to his new surroundings and make new places feel like home quickly. It's just the uncertainty of not knowing when the next move will happen and leaving new friends behind seems so tough. These experiences are what shaped Charles into the person he is today. While we don't plan on moving, we hope to give Jordan more opportunities to travel the United States and other countries to have his own unique experiences and meet new people along the way.

A huge thank you to Charles for taking time to connect with my boys and agreeing to be featured here on Vincents Go 3 on 3!

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - Green Bay Packers

1) Ha Ha was drafted 21st overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.

2) In 2011 and 2012, Ha Ha won two straight BCS National Championships with his college football team, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

3) Clinton-Dix represented the NFC as he was selected to his first Pro-Bowl after the 2016 NFL season.

D: My favorite number is #21. How did you pick your number?

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: Honestly, I didn't pick it. They (Packers) actually gave me 21. Charles Woodson wore that number. It means a lot to me and I'm going to wear it for pride and I'm going to wear it for you too Danny, alright.

D's Follow Up: Wow, that feels really good! It feels good that he said that to me. He is really nice. Ha Ha is my favorite football player and I want to wear #21 like him. I'm asking for his jersey for my birthday.

J: Do you have a healthy pregame meal that you like eat?

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: Nope. I eat pizza and chicken all day. Sorry I can't help you. (LOL)

J's Follow Up: I think it's pretty funny because he's a professional football player and he's one of the best. It's crazy that he can play so well eating that way. I think it all tastes good and pizza is my favorite meal too.

First of all, as a die hard Bears fan, having a Green Bay Packer player in our blog is something I never thought could be possible. How did this all come to be? It all started nearly two years ago when Danny went to kindergarten. The first two boys he met became his best friends and of course... they loved the green and gold. How could two boys he just met trump his dad whose life revolves around the Monsters of the Midway, the Chicago Bears? I'm still shaking my head. 

Danny had met over 40 Bears players at that point but it took no time at all for Danny to go to the dark side and when a Vincent finds something they like, they dive in ALL THE WAY. So now,  all we hear at breakfast, lunch and dinner is Rodgers, Lacy, Nelson, Ha Ha, Cobb, Adams, Matthews and the list goes on and on and on and on. His passion for Green Bay surpassed his friends in no time and he started asking for jerseys, hats, shirts and watching Packers highlight videos on YouTube.

As a dad, I tried everything in my power to turn him back. I offered to buy jerseys, hats, cards of the Bears. What more could he want?!?!

Last fall, I was given tickets to the Bears vs. Titans game. Danny had never been to an NFL game so I was excited for him to go to Soldier Field to experience it with me. I thought maybe this would bring him back to the Bears' side. I'll always have that moment but it was still all about #gopackgo for Danny. (Still shaking my head...)

Then it happened.

I'll never forget the day.

I walked into Kohl's with my 20% off coupon and there it was. 

A Packers jersey. 

And it was on sale too. 

That's when I did the unthinkable. 

I spent my own hard earned money on a green and yellow jersey with the #12 on it for Danny. After a year and a half, I actually bought my son an Aaron Rodger's jersey and decided to surprise him with it. It became a dad moment and it was no longer a football moment. We all want to see our children happy and I knew this is what he wanted more than anything. Needless to say after this purchase he told me I was the best dad in the world. It still felt so wrong on so many levels. At least, at the time it did.

It was the beginning of the end. 

I officially lost him to Green Bay forever on Saturday, December 3rd and Sunday, December 4th, 2016. Thanks to the amazing hospitality of my co-worker Jane, lifelong Packer fans and season ticket holders, we were invited to spend the weekend at her parents' house in Green Bay and to watch our first Packers game at Lambeau Field. It was a dream come true for Danny. 

Saturday we went on a full stadium tour, visited the Hall of Fame, and took an extra long trip to the pro shop. I'll admit, it was a really amazing experience and Danny was in heaven. Sunday we watched the Packers play the Houston Texans from our seats in the north end zone in the 5th row. We were blown away. Of course, Danny made the JumboTron with his sign, Jordy Nelson scored two TDs right in front of us, a fan upgraded Danny's first visit to Lambeau to the first row in the fourth quarter and he got a picture with a cheerleader he had been smiling at all game. GAME, SET, MATCH. Packer fan for life. It can't get much better for Danny, right?

I would be wrong. 

It could get better for Danny. 

We decided to take an impromptu family trip and fly down to Disney World for a VIP experience at a Pro Bowl practice. We were all be excited to see our favorite players and visit the happiest place on Earth. Jordan, Jen, and I planned to wear Bears gear and meet rookie phenom Jordan Howard and Danny couldn't want to say hi to his hero and meet his first Packer player, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. As to be expected, the players were completely bombarded by fans and it became too dangerous for the boys to battle with adults for autographs and high fives. That's when Danny spotted Packer fans in the stands wearing all GB clothing with the number 21. He decided to go over and say hi and believe it or not,  it was Ha Ha's family! Anyone with Green Bay clothing is certainly a friend to Danny so he had no problem meeting his new friends. They connected right away. Ha Ha's family was unbelievably kind and a week later, a signed Pro Bowl football and 8 x 10 picture was delivered to our doorstep addressed to Danny. Danny was over the moon!

Then the unbelievable happened. We learned that Ha Ha would coming to Chicago for the Fanatics Authentics sports show to meet with fans in May. May 5th arrived and Ha Ha was expecting Danny to be in attendance and he certainly went out of his way to make him feel special. This man spotted him in line, called him by name, and gave Danny time to interact and officially cement his spot in the Packers family. As his dad, nothing could make me happier than the smile on his face and the moment he got to spend with Ha Ha. I can admit now that I am so happy that Danny has found his team and I'm proud that he sticks to his guns and is his own person. Danny loving the Packers makes our life more fun as a family and I wouldn't change a thing. What's even crazier is that I didn't mind standing in line with other green and gold fans like Danny. It felt great to stand and watch my son have one of the best moments of his life.

As far as my response to the questions the kids asked, how crazy is it that Ha Ha was given number 21? Charles Woodson was an unbelievable player in the league and it makes sense that the Packers would hope Ha Ha could come close to the standard that Charles set. I was blown away that he said he would wear it for Danny too... I just know Danny will always be watching and Ha Ha will ALWAYS be his favorite player. I know Ha Ha will continue to be a great role model for Danny and he couldn't have picked a nicer player as favorite. We are all fans of Mr. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix now. Danny now looks forward to his next meeting with his hero!

When it comes to pizza and chicken being the go-to meals for Ha Ha. Honestly, they're our favorites here in our house too! We find it a little wild that the Packers don't have him on a healthier diet but you can't complain with the results. If it's not broke, don't fix it. When I have visits at school from Northwestern University athletes, they tell me about the 80/20 nutrition plan they follow. They try to eat healthy options like fruits, veggies, lean protein and other healthy foods 80% of the time and save 20% for the foods we shouldn't be eating too much of like pizza, fried chicken, and desserts. It's important to not deny ourselves those foods but to still try to limit them. I fall a little closer to 50/50 myself most of the time because I love pizza so much...but I know moderation is key. 

Matt Ryan - 2016 NFL MVP

1) Matt Ryan was the 3rd selection in the 2008 NFL Draft behind Jake Long and Chris Long. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles.

2) #2 Matt Ryan has been selected to four NFL Pro Bowls in his career.

3) Matt was named NFL MVP for the 2016 NFL season beating out Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

D: What exercises do you do to help you stay strong?

Matt Ryan: Push ups and sit ups, do 'em all day.

D's Follow Up: I like sit ups more than push ups but I like to do swimmers like my dad taught me to do.

J: What other sports did you play growing up?

Matt Ryan: Basketball and baseball.

J's Follow Up: It's pretty cool because basketball is my favorite sport. It makes me wonder what position he played in baseball too. He'd probably be great at pitcher or outfielder.

I love that Matt Ryan told D to do push ups and sit ups! He has been doing them all the time ever since. Push ups really do work the whole body and are an important part of fitness and muscular strength and sit ups are the perfect compliment. Many would be surprised how much stronger you can get from doing 20 first thing in the morning and 20 right before bed. Come to think of it, I should do some right now!

As far as the other sports go...we haven't met a professional athlete yet that hasn't done multiple sports! According to Wikipedia, Matt played quarterback in football, small forward in basketball, and pitcher and shortstop in baseball when he was in high school. I try to tell that to my students too. Many kids specialize too soon and get worn out too fast. Enjoy multiple sports and don't be afraid to try new activities. The skills transfer between sports and will actually help you improve the sport you may want to specialize in down the road. J and D love to play everything and I wouldn't have it any other way.