Brett Favre - Green Bay Packers

1) Brett Favre was an NFL quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2016. Brett also played for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings but spent the majority of his career (1992-2007) in Green Bay.

2) Brett attended Southern Mississippi University from 1987-1990. Favre held nearly every passing record at Southern Miss after his senior season, but most were broken by QB Austin Davis by the end of the 2011 season.

3) Brett was drafted in the second round of the 1991 NFL draft (33rd overall) by the Atlanta Falcons. After the Green Bay Packers traded a first round pick to acquire Favre after his rookie season Atlanta, Brett went on to have one of the greatest NFL quarterbacking careers of all time. A 3-time NFL MVP, 6-time First of Second team All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowl selection, and a Super Bowl winner, Brett will go down as one of the greatest Packers and players to ever play in the National Football League.

Danny: Who were your favorite wide receivers to pass to?

Brett Favre: I don't know. Sterling Sharpe was good, Donald Driver was good, Antonio Freeman was good.

D's Follow Up: Those are probably some of the best receivers the Packers have ever had. I like Sterling Sharpe the most and I have a football card of him. Davante Adams is my all-time favorite receiver for the Packers.

On Saturday night, September 14th, I surprised Danny and our friends Jane and Phil when we got to Green Bay that we would be meeting one of their favorite all time players, Brett Favre. Jane has been inviting Danny and I to Green Bay for the past 3 years to visit Lambeau Field, spend the weekend with her family, and take in a Packers game from the 5th row. In order to show my appreciation for all she has done for us, I thought meeting the Hall of Famer would be the perfect way to show her how much we've enjoyed the past 3 years. It's been a special bonding moment for Danny and I and although Danny's favorite player Ha Ha has moved on to the Bears and they are now his favorite team, the Packers still rank high up there for him!

Meeting Brett may have been a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us. According to the fans in line, he doesn't make many public appearances, so it was a rare opportunity for everyone in attendance to meet him. Never in a million years did I think I would meet #4 considering I'm a lifelong Bears fan and he terrorized my team for so long. But at the end of the day, I love the NFL and I also realize what a tremendous player he was and I will always take advantage of an opportunity to meet one of the all time greats.

Brett was great with Danny and had no problem answering D's question about his favorite receiver to play with. Not only did Danny ask him about the receivers but he also asked him to throw him a pass. Unfortunately, I was not recording the video but it was a memory the four of us will always have. If you ask me Brett threw Danny one last INT but if you ask everyone else in the room, Brett threw one last TD and it happened to be to my son.

Dave Robinson - Green Bay Packers

1) Dave Robinson #89 is a former NFL linebacker who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1963-1972 and the Washington Redskins in 1973-1974.

2) Robinson was a key contributor in Green Bay's Super Bowl I and II victories and won 3 NFL Titles with the Packers in 1965, 1966, and 1967.

3) Dave Robinson is the most recent member of Vince Lombardi's championship winning teams to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2013). He's also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (1997) and the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame.

D: What was the best part about playing for Vince Lombardi?

Dave Robinson: Well, all I ever wanted him to do was pat me on the back and say "Nice play Dave!", every day. That was the best part.

D's Follow Up: I think he would love Vince to say "Nice job Dave" because he's one of the best coaches ever. He's such a famous coach.

J: What was your favorite part of playing in Super Bowl I?

Dave Robinson: Man, that's a hard question. I guess winning that trophy for the first time. You know, we were the first ones to ever win it and hold it. It was just a great, great feeling.

J's Follow Up: It had to be fun to win the first Super Bowl. I don't think he thought the Super Bowl would be as big as it is today.

Photo credit / Tony Tomric Getty Images

We made our first visit to Packerpalooza at Will's Northwoods Inn on Saturday, April 28th, where Danny the Packer boy took us to meet Dave Robinson, star linebacker for the Vince Lombardi led Super Bowl I and II champion Green Bay Packers. Dave Robinson is the second Green Bay player we've met from Super Bowl I. We also took Danny to meet Paul Hornung, "The Golden Boy", last spring at the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, WI.

We arrived near the end of Dave's signing time (12:00-2:30) at Packerpalooza and he was all smiles from the moment we walked in. Dave was thrilled to talk football with Jordan and Danny and within seconds we could tell how proud he is to be a Green Bay Packer, Super Bowl Champion, and Hall of Fame player. Dave took the time to tell Danny and Jordan that they asked him great questions and he also told us we had a nice family. It was a pleasure to meet NFL legend Dave Robinson and he was the perfect player to kick off our first Packerpalooza experience. There is little doubt that Danny will have us back at Will's Northwoods Inn next April to meet more of his Packers heroes.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Davante Adams, Vince Biegel - Green Bay Packers

                Photo Credit / Getty Images

1) Ha Ha Clinton-Dix #21 is a Pro Bowl free safety who plays for the Green Bay Packers of the NFC North division in the National Football League. Ha Ha is also the founder of Ha Ha's Hero Foundation whose mission "is to provide economically-challenged students with a voice of motivation, empowerment and encouragement so they can be Heroes by achieving academic excellence, developing positive personal skills and making positive decisions to avoid high-risk behavior."

                                        Photo Credit / Getty Images

2) Davante Adams #17 is a Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the NFC North division in the National Football League. A second round draft pick in 2014 out of Fresno State, Davante was the Paul Warfield Award winner in 2013, given to the nation's top collegiate receiver.

                                                                      Photo credit / Getty Images

3) Vince Biegel #45 is a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFC North division in the National Football League. Vince grew up near Wisconsin Rapids, WI and attended the University of Wisconsin after a stellar high school career that culminated in being named the 2011 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year and the Gatorade State Player of the Year.

(Note: we didn't get an exact quote with Davante because we were soaking up the moment with him and we will paraphrase our conversation in italics)

D: What's your favorite healthy food, fruit or vegetable?

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: Mangoes

D's Follow Up: I like mangoes because they taste good and are really sweet. I like it when my Gramma, Mom, and Dad cut them up for me so I can eat them off the peel. Mangoes are my favorite.

J: What are your favorite healthy foods?

Davante Adams: I'm a mango guy like Ha Ha.  
He also told us there is a restaurant in Green Bay that makes him a special Mahi Mahi dish with a cream sauce that he loves. Davante also noted that he likes asparagus and broccoli too.

J's Follow Up: Mangoes are not one of my favorite fruits. I think they are a little too sweet and the flavor is not my favorite. I do like broccoli though but I'm not a big fan of asparagus either. My favorite is mandarin oranges, cherries, and cherry tomatoes. 

J: What was the best part about playing for the Wisconsin Badgers?

Vince Biegel: That's a good question. I would say playing for the fans. Playing for you guys. And then game days are fun too when we get to run around with everybody.

D's Follow Up: It's fun because I'm also a Wisconsin Badgers fan too. I really want to go to a football game there someday to watch the Badgers. I want to see the Badgers play my other favorite teams Alabama and Ohio State. 

On Saturday, April 28th, our family went on another Danny Packer adventure as we made our visit to Packerpalooza, which took place at the Packers and Wisconsin themed bar, Will's Northwoods, on Racine Avenue in Chicago. The guests scheduled to be in attendance included Danny's favorite player and buddy, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, along with Davante Adams, Vince Biegel and Hall of Famer Dave Robinson. Danny always has to deal with the wrath of being a Packer fan in Chicago, so we thought it was only fair that we feel what it's like to be surrounded by nothing but Packers fans for a day. Although it was a little tough at times, especially listening to "The Bears Still Suck" on repeat, we can admit we did have a good time.

Our visit started out great as we quickly rushed in to meet HOFer Dave Robinson from Super Bowl I and II. Dave complimented us by saying we had a nice family and was happy to answer D and J's questions. From there, let's just say things got a little...crowded. We waited about an hour to move fifteen feet and the boys were struggling while waiting to meet the other three Packers...that's until Ha Ha found Danny in the crowd and scooped him up and out of my arms and took him up to the signing table with him, Davante, and Vince. We love Ha Ha and the fans love him too and they cheered for Danny as he was whisked away. Fortunately, that helped us move up near the front of the line too. 

Danny had another amazing opportunity to hang with Ha Ha and Davante up at the signing table as they met with fans. We realize that Danny is likely the luckiest kid on the planet to get an experience like this but we also know Ha Ha and this is the type of man that he is. He has a knack for making everyone feel special, especially kids.

Ha Ha regularly visits with the youth in his home state of Florida and makes frequent school visits to interact with the students where he encourages them to get good grades, take a greater interest in reading, and to make positive choices within their community. Ha Ha also works with students in Green Bay and other areas of Wisconsin too. Yes, Ha Ha is an amazing football player and awesome at his job, but Ha Ha is a greater person and he is making an impact away from the field that is making our world a better place. We are grateful for how Ha Ha has treated our son over the past two years and we are proud that Danny calls Ha Ha his HERO. We will never be able to thank him enough for taking Danny under his wing.

Each meeting between Danny and Ha Ha has been special but this was the first time Mom got to be with us and she was excited to meet the person that Danny talks about all the time. Packerpalooza turned out to be an extra special day for our family as older brother Jordan was also invited up to the signing table and got to interact with Ha Ha and Davante too. Danny knows his buddy Ha Ha well and he brought him an Alabama basketball (pictured below) that he won for him at Six Flags Great America and he also signed a picture to Ha Ha from their last meeting in October. Vince Biegel was extremely nice, Davante Adams was excited to meet D and J and showed off some sweet basketball moves, and Ha Ha continues to make the Packer boy who lives in a Bears house feel like he's on the team! I'll admit it, Packerpalooza was a great time and I'm sure there's a good chance Danny will have us back at Will's Northwoods again next year!

Kevin King - Green Bay Packers

1) Kevin King is a rookie cornerback for the Green Bay Packers who was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft (33rd overall).

2) Kevin played college football for the University of Washington Huskies from 2013 to 2016 where he tallied 164 tackles and six interceptions.

3) King was a track star in high school as he won league titles in the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter hurdles as a junior and senior for Bishop O'Dowd in Oakland (CA)

D: What's your favorite healthy food?

KK: I'm going to go with carrots. How about you? (Danny: I like peas) Wow, I don't think I've ever heard any kid say peas were their favorite.

D's Follow Up: I think carrots are good. They are probably my second favorite veggie to peas. I think he probably eats carrots almost every day. 

D: Who's your best friend on the Packers?

KK: Ha Ha (Clinton-Dix) of course! 

D's Follow Up: Ha Ha and Kevin both play defense and they are only one number away from each other (20 and 21). I think Ha Ha is a funny guy and fun to be around, so that's probably why Kevin and Ha Ha are friends.

It was a great night for Danny and I at the Green Bay Distillery as we were able to see Ha Ha again and Danny also got to meet his second favorite player on the Packers, Kevin King. This was an autograph signing that was put together by Packer Connection, a company who has held signings with multiple players throughout the season. The signings have taken place the night before Packer home games and we were beyond lucky that these two were the players that were scheduled on the weekend we were planning to be in Green Bay. We were also very fortunate to win an extra VIP pass so our friend Jane and her husband Phil, along with her parents were able to meet Kevin too. I think Jane and her family may have had the most fun watching Danny hang with his heroes, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Kevin King. 

The boys and I watched many of the NFL combine drills in March before the draft, so we knew quite a bit about Kevin's athletic ability and his career at Washington. We knew he was rated the third to fifth best prospect at his position in the draft depending on the draft evaluator. Once the Packers drafted Kevin in the second round, I think Danny watched his Washington highlight tape on YouTube 30 times or more. He has talked about Kevin frequently throughout the season and always looks for #20 on defense. Danny was able to get another priceless experience as he had got the opportunity to hang out with Kevin and talk football while his bud Ha Ha was off taking pictures with fans. Danny mentioned that they talked about John Ross, who is a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals and a former teammate of Kevin's at Washington. John Ross is most known for being the fastest man ever at the NFL Combine as he set the 40 yard dash record at 4.22 seconds!

Kevin was also happy to answer Danny's questions as they met up for a photo opportunity. Kevin quickly named carrots as one of his favorite healthy foods. Carrots are a favorite of everyone in our family and we usually have them at least once a week during dinner and the boys also like to have them for a snack. Loaded with Vitamin A, C, K, potassium and many other nutrients, carrots are a true superfood. Just a few of the health benefits include preventing heart disease, lowering blood pressure, they help prevent cancer and more. Thanks for sharing Kevin! Danny will eat even more carrots now that he knows you love them.

Finally, Danny wanted to know who Kevin's best friend is on the Green Bay Packers. Without hesitation, Kevin said "Ha Ha, of course!". This comes as no surprise to us as we can see that Ha Ha is not only the leader of the defense on the field but he is clearly an awesome guy off of the field. Ha Ha is always engaging and looking to have fun wherever he is. If we were Packers players or lived in Green Bay, Danny and I would want to hang out with Ha Ha as much as we could. Ha Ha is the perfect role model for Danny to look up to and he's also a great mentor for a rookie like Kevin to have by his side. Kevin is certainly fortunate to have Ha Ha in his corner as he looks to have a long and successful career in the NFL!

Thanks for your time on October 21st Kevin! It was a night that Danny will never forget.

Martellus Bennett, Imagination Agency, Green Bay Packers

1) Martellus Bennett started The Imagination Agency, a multimedia company that creates children's content including books, apps, movies, and more. Our favorite is his first children's book, Hey AJ, It's Saturday! and we look forward to checking out his new comic, Towel Boy.

2) Martellus is entering his tenth NFL season having played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and now the Green Bay Packers.

3) Part of the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, Bennett won his first Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots. After erasing a 28-3 deficit, the Patriots won Super Bowl 51 defeating the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34-28.

J: Who is your favorite super hero and who's your favorite character that you have created?

MB: My favorite super hero has to be Deadpool or Wolverine. I like Wolverine because even though he's so dark he always helps everyone out. He always looked out for everybody. I love Wolverine. Batman, too. I also love Batman. 

My favorite character I've created is AJ. AJ's my favorite because she's my first character and she's based on my daughter Jett. She's very personal to me.

J's Follow Up: Wolverine is one of my favorites in the X-men too. I like his healing power and his bone claws too. Black Panther is my favorite super hero of all time. He has the ability defeat opponents that are stronger than him and he has so many powers. Speed, strength, agility, and healing power. I like that he sticks to himself but also can join a team and help out when others need him too.

D: What is it like to play football with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, two of my favorite players? I'm so happy you play on my favorite team the Packers. 

MB: Those are two of the best quarterbacks ever in the history of football. Tom Brady was awesome but I'm looking forward to playing with Aaron Rodgers. I think he's going to be really good, so far we've been on the same page, so it's been fun. Plus I look good in green.

D's Follow Up: I'm happy that he's on the Packers and I think he looks good in green too. I think he's going to be a great tight end. Aaron Rodgers will be happy to have him because he's a great a quarterback and Martellus catches great. I was cheering for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl and I'm so glad he won but I like the Packers the most.

This past Saturday, my wife and I took Danny to meet Martellus Bennett at Rotofugi, a designer toy shop in Chicago. They had an event for a special release of his first vinyl toy, SkyDiver McGuire. Martellus and his friend and comic book author/illustrator Skottie Young did Q & A session so we got to hear all about his passion for creativity.

Martellus and Skottie shared their thoughts on their own creative processes and where they get inspiration for their stories. The most memorable takeaway for me was when Martellus shared that he plays football because he wants to but he creates because he needs to. He shared his mission to help bring more diverse characters to books. If you look at the stories we see published today, you'll see there is still a long way to go. Like every parent, I want my children to read stories with characters they can relate to. Martellus aims to fill this gap for his daughter Jett but there are so many kids who would benefit from seeing themselves in stories too.  This is also Jen's main focus in her writing and she will share more about the need for more diverse books in Mom's Take below.

Martellus' new vinyl toy SkyDiver McGuire is a hispanic character who represents Martellus' alter ego. He comes in five variations including The Playground model, Theme Park model, Black Licorice model, Sandbox model, and Nighthawk model. We picked out the Theme Park model pictured below as it represents our love of theme parks and excitement to seek out the latest and greatest thrill rides. This toy looked right at home with the other colorful and unique toys on display at Rotofugi on Saturday and is the perfect addition to our wild and high-energy house. We admire Martellus' creative side and can't wait to see what he will come up with next!

Bennett not only excels off the field but he is a Pro Bowl caliber tight end when he hits the field on football Sundays. He's played for some of the most storied franchises in NFL history to date. Martellus now joins the Packers with perennial Pro Bowl QB Aaron Rodgers after winning the Super Bowl with Tom Brady, the QB widely considered the best to ever play the game. Danny is certainly excited that the Packers got such a great player to add to their already awesome receiver group. I believe that Green Bay got a major upgrade at tight end and I know that the Rodgers to Bennett combination will wreak havoc against my Chicago Bears defense next season. But teams aside, Martellus is an amazing person and in the end, football is just a game. I wish him the best of success off the field as well as on it. Thanks for taking the time to answer Danny and Jordan's questions and hosting such a cool event in Chicago!

I first met Martellus Bennett at a Bears' Kids Club event when they showed his animated short film Zoovie: A Warm and Fuzzy Tale. Before they started the movie, Martellus answered questions that kids in the crowd had for him. Our son Jordan asked him if he had a favorite book and I turned to Chad with wide eyes when he started rattling off more than your typical children's book. I was impressed, this guy didn't only read and love Harry Potter, he really knew children's literature. Afterwards, I introduced myself to Martellus and told him how much I loved books too. Since then, it's been awesome to see how dedicated he is to pursuing his passion for creating off the field.

As an educator, I've been blogging since 2010 about mentor texts at my blog Teach Mentor Texts. Mentor texts are any kind of writing that can be used to influence your own writing. I believe teachers can incorporate mentor texts into writing instruction. I'm a supporter of Nerdy Book Club, a crowd-sourced blog that celebrates books and a love of reading, and I've been involved with Teachers Write, a virtual summer writing camp for teachers, since it started in 2012. When I started writing with my own students, I realized I have my own stories to tell. Like Chad mentioned, I'm passionate about the We Need Diverse Books campaign. Being Latina myself, I grew up reading books with mostly white characters written by mostly white people. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized the impact of not seeing myself in books. It took me years to embrace it and to be proud of being Latina. Writing helped me to identify with my Latina side and now I hope to inspire others. 

If you want to support diversity in children's literature, WNDB has lists of where you can find diverse books. The best we can do to support creators is to read and share their work. If you can buy books, request books from your local library, and share your reviews on social media, it really helps them out. I'm sure you're super intrigued about Martellus and all he has created off the field, right? You can visit The Imagination Agency Shop to check it all out!