Dennis Rodman - Chicago Bulls

1) Dennis Rodman is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

2) Dennis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and finished out his NBA career with 5 NBA championships (2 with the Detroit Pistons and 3 with the Chicago Bulls) and led the league in rebounding for an astounding seven seasons in a row from 1992-1998.

3) Dennis Rodman is know as "The Worm," a nickname given to him by his mother as he twisted and turned like a worm while playing pinball as a child.

J: What is your favorite memory of your time with the Chicago Bulls?

Dennis Rodman: Probably winning the three championships with the Bulls.

J's Follow Up: I don't think there's anything better than that. Winning a championship is a special thing that doesn't happen often. I bet playing for the Bulls was his favorite.

Photo credit Nathaniel S. Butler/ Getty Images

J: What was your favorite part about becoming a professional wrestler?

Dennis Rodman: Wrestling with Hulk Hogan against the Macho Man at Sturgis. That was fun.

J's Follow Up: That sounds fun. I'm gonna try and see if I can find a way to watch it. I like Macho Man for sure and I'd like to meet Hulk Hogan and ask him if he remembers wrestling in that match.

D: Who is the toughest player you've ever played against?

Dennis Rodman: Probably Shaquille O'Neal.

D's Follow Up: Shaq is a really big guy and he was really good at basketball. He blocked shots and dunked a lot.

D: Did this move hurt when you saved the ball?

Dennis Rodman: No, that didn't hurt. I practiced that move a lot in practice, so no it didn't hurt.

D's Follow Up: That would hurt me for sure. It looks like he was playing really hard.

On Sunday August 19th, we made the short trip to Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills to meet Hall of Fame basketball player Dennis "The Worm" Rodman. My Fan Cave, located on the lower level near JC Penney, hosted the signing with the NBA great and our entire family got to take part in the fun. There were over 100 in attendance to meet one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

We were ticket number three and we were VIP for the afternoon, which meant we got to take a posed picture and also receive an autograph from "The Worm." By basketball terms, Dennis was of average height at 6' 7", but when we came face to face, he was larger than life and towered over the four of us. Dennis was upbeat throughout the event and happy to answer the boys' questions. 

Danny was up first and forgot his original question...then the next time up Dennis asked him if he remembered his first question. The two laughed about it and we all thought it was a cool moment between them. Jordan loves wrestling and wanted to make sure he asked him about his time in the WCW. We recently watched his match against Karl Malone and Jordan was mesmerized. 

Of course, we were not surprised by his response when he said Shaq was the toughest player he ever played against. At 7' 1" and 326 pounds, Shaq was one of the most physically dominating and imposing players to ever play the game. It was always entertaining to watch the two of them go head to head.

It was a rare appearance in Chicago for Dennis and we were so fortunate to meet him so close to home. The '96, '97, and '98 Bulls were my favorite teams of all time and I'm grateful to have been there with my family to meet one of my favorite players of all time.

Marcus Childers - NIU Huskies

1) Marcus Childers is the starting quarterback for the Northern Illinois University Huskies football team who play in the Mid-American Conference.

2) Marcus was selected as the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2017 by league coaches.

3) Marcus Childers attended Adairsville High School in Adairsville, Georgia where he passed for more than 1,000 yards and ran for over 1,500 yards in two seasons as starting quarterback. Marcus also led the Adairsville Tigers to the most points in a season in school history with 499 points in 12 games. 

Photo credit Sean King/ Shaw Media

J: What other sports did you play besides football in high school?

Marcus Childers: I played everything. Basketball, baseball, track. I just wanted to show coaches that I was versatile.

J's Follow Up: He's so good at football because he played all those sports in high school.

D: Who is the toughest college team you have played so far?

Marcus Childers: Probably Duke to open up last season but I would say Toledo is a close second.

J's Follow Up: I think Duke and Toledo are both really good. I think Toledo will probably the hardest game this year too but Utah and Iowa are good.

D: What is your favorite vegetable?

Marcus Childers: Broccoli.

D's Follow Up: Broccoli is my second favorite veggie behind carrots. Almost all players say they love broccoli.

On Saturday, August 4th, the boys and I made our way back to Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb for NIU's family day and the first practice of summer camp. While at camp, the boys and I hoped to go face to face with our favorite college QB who runs the show for our favorite college football team, the NIU Huskies. 

Photo credit Kurt Steiss/ The Toledo Blade

We waited in line in hopes to talk to Marcus, take a photo, and J and D were hoping he would sign the cleats that they had just purchased at the first ever NIU gear sale. The cleats are just like the ones that the Huskies wear during practice or on game days. Sure enough, the boys were able to get up close and personal with the redshirt sophomore QB who will help lead the Huskies into Kinnick Stadium to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes to kick off the 2018 season. Marcus was friendly, signed their cleats, and happy to answer their questions. They talked about him all the way home.

It feels like we've waited forever for football to be back and we are so excited that the day has finally arrived. We look forward to cheering Marcus Childers and his teammates on and we hope they can knock off the Hawkeyes from the Big Ten in their season opener. We'll see Marcus in person next week at Huskie Stadium as our Huskies battle Utah in the home opener. These Huskie Pup Club members will hope to high five Marcus before the game and I'm sure they'll be on the lookout for him after the game to say hi. Thanks to Marcus for the cool experience and we wish him a great season ahead!

Matt Davidson - Chicago White Sox

1) Matt Davidson is a Designated Hitter for the Chicago White Sox, who play in the American League Central division of Major League Baseball.

2) Davidson is known for becoming the fourth player in major league history to hit three home runs in a single game on opening day. He completed the feat in a 14-7 win against the Kansas City Royals on March 29, 2018. 

3) Matt made his Major League Baseball pitching debut on June 29, 2018 where he pitched one inning and retired all three batters. Davidson has made three relief appearances to date in 2018, allowing just one hit. Before this season, Matt's last time pitching in a game was in 2009, during his senior year in high school.

Photo credit Jonathan Daniel /Getty Images

J: What is your favorite Major League Baseball memory?

Matt Davidson: Honestly, my favorite memory so far has been pitching. I really enjoy pitching a lot.

J's Follow Up:  I expected him to say hitting three home runs on opening day was his favorite memory. That's cool that he is pitching in MLB even though he hasn't pitched since high school.

J: What sports do you like to play other than baseball?

Matt Davidson: I love to play all sports but I really enjoy tennis right now.

J's Follow Up: I like tennis too. I just started playing this tennis summer and I went to tennis camp at the high school. 


D: What are some of your favorite healthy foods to eat before a game?

Matt Davidson: Before the game, I usually eat a lot of vegetables and rice. My favorites are asparagus and broccoli.

D's Follow Up: I'm not really a big fan of asparagus but I'm really love broccoli. Broccoli is my second favorite veggie behind carrots.

Photo credit Ed Zurga / Getty Images

This was the first time that VincentsGo3on3 had just one of the three of us present to meet one of our favorite athletes. It was the first week back at school for Jordan and Danny, so I went solo to meet White Sox DH Matt Davidson at the Bucky's Express customer appreciation event on North Avenue in Glendale Heights on Friday, August 17th. 

I was fortunate to still be hanging on to summer by a thread, so I decided not to miss out on the fun and made the trip to Glendale Heights to meet Matt. Bucky's had a tremendous customer appreciation event as they had free hot dogs, chips, drinks, t-shirts, and White Sox prizes for all in attendance with the highlight being a chance to interact and take a photo with White Sox DH, Matt Davidson.

It was a weekday at 11 am, so you never know how many fans will be able to be in attendance but there were an estimated 150 fans in line to meet Matt. He shook hands, signed as many autographs as requested, and posed for photos with fans. Matt was willing to answer Jordan and Danny's questions and was quick to note that he loved getting out to the mound to pitch and that he is really into tennis at the moment. He also was kind enough to sign pictures for me to give out to my students for prizes in the upcoming school year. I'm thankful that Matt was able to meet with fans and although they couldn't be there with me, J and D were excited that we could add him to our list of favorites on Vincents Go 3 on 3!

Booker T - WWE

1) Booker T is a former professional wrestler and current color commentator for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He is also the founder of Reality of Wrestling (ROW), an independent wrestling promotion in Texas City, Texas.

2) Booker T won 42 titles spanning over 23 years throughout his wrestling career. Booker was the 16th Triple Crown Champion (winner of three different championships in a single promotion) and the 9th Grand Slam Champion (winner of four different titles within a single promotion) in WWE history.

3) On April 6th, 2013, Booker T was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Photo credit wwe.com

D: Who is the hardest opponent you've ever gone up against?

Booker T: Big Show...but I beat him though.

D's Follow Up: Big Show is a big man like my favorite wrestler ever, Andre the Giant. They are so big and one slam would put you out for a match. It's amazing that Booker was able to beat Big Show.

J: What's your favorite WWE memory?

Booker T: Probably going into the Hall of Fame. Going into the Hall of Fame, that was pretty cool, ya know.

J's Follow Up: That means that he's one of the best wrestlers of all time and I'm excited that he made it in to the Hall of Fame.

Chad: What is your favorite match you've ever wrestled in?

Booker T: There are too many matches to pick from. There were so many good wrestlers I went up against...Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho.

Chad: I know superstars wrestle around 300 days a year or more, so I understand it would be tough to pick a particular match over so many years. He definitely had some classic battles with Mysterio and Jericho but I will always remember Booker T most for becoming the King of the Ring in 2006 and his reigns as tag team champion with his brother Stevie Ray as the Harlem Heat in WCW.

It was an honor to be in the presence of royalty as we met the former King of the Ring and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T on Wednesday, August 8th at the Kenosha Kingfish baseball game. The baseball game turned out to be great but make no mistake, we were in attendance to meet the legendary Booker T. Thanks to sponsor Lynch Chevrolet, fans in attendance got to take a picture and get an autograph from one of the greatest wrestlers to step foot in the squared circle.

Photo credit wwe.com

Booker T spent over two hours meeting with fans of all ages. Our family loved meeting with Booker and asking him questions. We greeted him with the famous "All hail....King Booker" chant, which we've been using in our house for years, and he jumped right into character. Booker T made it feel like we were old friends and he noted that his favorite part about being a WWE superstar is meeting with fans. We are thankful to have had the opportunity to be there the night that Booker T became the King of Kenosha. All hail, King Booker!

Sutton Smith - NIU Huskies

1) Sutton Smith is a defensive end for the Northern Illinois University Huskies of the Mid-American Conference. 

2) Smith had a breakout 2017 season where he led the nation in sacks (14), tackles for loss (29.5), and quarterback pressures (73). Sutton was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year, First-team All-Mac, and a Consensus All-American. He enters his junior year as one of the top returning pass rushers and defenders in the country.

3) Sutton Smith attended Francis Howell High School in Missouri where he was a star RB while also playing other positions. He finished his career as a First Team All-State running back and was also named Large School Player of the Year. 

J: What sports did you play growing up?

Sutton Smith: I ran track in high school. I played soccer all the way up to 8th grade and I played a little bit of tee ball. I lived in Texas for 10 years of my life and football is a religion in Texas. So we base most stuff around football. So I mostly played football.

J's Follow Up: I'm thinking about doing long jump in track and I love to play soccer. I've been playing soccer since first grade and I love to watch it on TV too. I play flag football in the summer. I'm guessing Sutton Smith was really fast in track because he's so fast getting to the quarterback and getting sacks.

Photo credit / Getty Images

D: Who is the toughest college team that you've played?

Sutton Smith: The hardest team was probably Toledo. Last year, Toledo was a really good team. They had quarterback Logan Woodside who was pretty good. He was a gunslinger.

D's Follow Up: Toledo is a good team. I think the Huskies will beat them this year. Alabama would be the best team he's played against if they played each other.

D: What are your favorite healthy foods?

Sutton Smith: I like smoothies. You can't really go wrong with them. I like them with strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, blackberries, and bananas. I also love chicken breast too, any way you want to make it.

D's Follow Up: I love smoothies too. My favorite smoothies have mangoes, strawberries, blueberries, and juice. Sutton's smoothie sounds good too. I like chicken like Sutton too.

Photo credit / Getty Images

On Saturday, August 4th, the boys and I made our way back to Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb for NIU's family day and first ever gear sale. NIU is my alma mater along with Jen and we love to make it back with the boys to cheer on the Huskies as often as we can. With an opportunity to purchase some amazing items that NIU athletes have worn and to have the chance to meet them after practice, you can count us in every time!

The gear sale was amazing. We wish we had gotten to the Chessick Center (practice facility) a little earlier but we were still able to get t-shirts, golf polos, volleyballs, shorts, bags, and we even bought a few pairs of cleats that NIU athletes would wear on game day. The boys had two players in mind that they had hoped would sign their cleats, Sutton Smith and QB Marcus Childers. Fortunately for them, they got them both!

    

                            QB Marcus Childers

Sutton Smith was very approachable and was happy to answer J and D's questions. They were excited to hear about Sutton's favorite healthy foods, the sports he played growing up, and D is still proud that Sutton told him he saw a vein while flexing his muscles.

Sutton Smith is one of the best college football players in the nation and like most NIU players, he is still underrated and doesn't get the recognition he has earned. The Huskies do things The Hard Way and NIU opponents learn quickly what that means when the ball is kicked off on Saturdays (or Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, lol). They are motivated and excited to prove to the nation what they are all about. We can't wait for the season to kick off on Saturday, September 1st in Iowa vs. the Hawkeyes and we'll be in the house for the home opener against Utah on September 8th. You'll find us in our Huskie gear as we cheer as loud as we can for our favorite team in red and black. Until then, Sutton and the Huskies will grind through fall camp and continue to do things #TheHardWay.

Trae Waynes - Minnesota Vikings

1) Trae Waynes is a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. 

2) Waynes played college football at Michigan State University from 2011-2014 where he became a Big Ten Champion (2013), Rose Bowl Champion (2014), First Team All-Big Ten (2014) and Cotton Bowl Champion (2015). He entered the 2015 NFL Draft after his junior season where he was the 11th overall selection by the Vikings.

3) Trae Waynes attended Bradford High school in Kenosha, Wisconsin where he was teammates with Melvin Gordon, running back for the Los Angeles Chargers. Waynes was a three sport athlete in high school and starred on the track and field and baseball teams.

Photo credit / Getty Images

D: Who are the toughest wide receivers you've played against in the NFL?

Trae Waynes: Second toughest receiver to go up against is Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs and the toughest guy I've covered in the NFL is Antonio Brown from the Steelers. (Note: Danny asked these questions while participating in the football camp, so we paraphrased Trae's answers) 

D's Follow Up: I'm a little surprised because I think Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb would be harder to guard. I do think that Antonio Brown and Tyreek Hill are awesome too.


D: What are your favorite fruits and vegetables?

Trae Waynes: Strawberries and broccoli.

J's Follow Up: Those are two of my favorites too. I eat them almost every week. I eat broccoli at home all the time and every time I go to my Gramma's house.

On July 20th, the boys had an incredible opportunity to take part in a free football camp hosted by Kenosha natives and NFL superstars, Trae Waynes and Melvin Gordon. The three hour camp took place at their alma mater, Bradford High School in Kenosha, WI. 

With thunder and lightning covering the sky at the start of camp, the athletes started inside in the gymnasium and later made their way outside for the second half of camp as the weather cleared up. The boys worked on a range of football skills including receiving, footwork, throwing, and defensive drills. Jordan noted that players were allowed to pick their position group and he chose defensive back and joined just four other players and got nearly an hour of personalized instruction from Vikings defensive back Trae Waynes! 

Rain poured down once again at the end of camp, which sent campers and parents running for their cars. We we made our way back to camp about 30 minutes later and J got to take pictures and say goodbye to Trae and Melvin. It was 10 pm and Danny was tired, cold, and frozen, so he didn't make his way back from the car. Overall, the guys had a tremendous time and hope to be back for next year's camp. Thank you Trae for giving them an amazing experience!