Irv Smith Jr. - Minnesota Vikings

1) Irv Smith Jr. is a tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. 

2) Irv attended the University of Alabama from 2016-2018 before declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior season. In Smith's junior season, he posted 44 catches for 710 yards and 7 touchdowns while earning his second SEC championship (2016, 2018).

3) At just 20 years old, Irv Smith Jr. was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft (50th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. He went on to have 36 receptions for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns in his rookie season with the Vikings.

Photo credit Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

Danny: What was your favorite memory of your rookie season in the NFL?

Irv Smith Jr.: Beating the Saints in the playoffs.

Danny's Follow Up: I did not think the Vikings were going to win that game and I thought the Saints were unstoppable. They went 13-3 because of Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and the rest of the team. That was a really good win for the Vikings.

Jordan: What other sports did you play growing up?

Irv Smith Jr.: I played basketball and started playing football in 8th grade.

Jordan's Follow Up: Basketball is my favorite sport to play. I'm sure he was hard to stop being that tall and strong.

On Saturday, January 24th, we made our return to the Super Bowl Experience. Our second major event of the day was heading to the autograph stage where Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. and Steelers WR Diontae Johnson were meeting fans. Irv was a must see for Danny because Danny loves his Alabama Crimson Tide players and he loves to ask if they know his favorite player Ha Ha! Of course, Irv knows Ha Ha and that made Danny's day to know they were friends.

Photo credit Star Tribune via Getty Images

The three of us believe Irv Smith Jr. is ready for a huge year in his second season in the NFL. He has tremendous speed and size for a tight end and I think he could make the jump to be considered one of the top targets in football in 2020. As a Bears fan, I hope he has a tremendous year against the rest of the NFL but when he plays Chicago two times next season he is welcome to take it easy on the navy and orange. Irv Smith Jr. was a cool guy all the way around and we wish him a long and successful career in the National Football League.

Shawn Marion - NBA (Suns, Mavericks, Heat, Raptors, Cavaliers)

1) Shawn Marion is a former NBA star small forward/ shooting guard/ power forward who played for the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. 

2) Marion began his collegiate career at Vincennes University (a junior college in Indiana) where he garnered 2nd team All-American and 1st team All-American honors as a freshman and sophomore. Following his sophomore year, Shawn attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) for one season (1998-99)  before getting drafted 9th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1999 NBA Draft.

3) Shawn Marion finished up his illustrious 16 year NBA career with 4 NBA All-Star selections, he was named All-NBA 3rd team two times ('05, '06), and finished his 2011 season on top with an NBA Championship in which his Dallas Mavericks defeated the Lebron James and Dwyane Wade led Miami Heat in six games.

Jordan: What brand of shoes were your favorite to wear when playing in the NBA?

Shawn Marion: NIKE

Jordan's Follow Up: That's cool because Nike is what I rep. I almost always wear Nike.

Andrew Bernstein / Getty Images

Danny: What is your favorite NBA memory?

Shawn Marion: I have lots of great memories. Not just one. Getting drafted was a great one as I started my career in the NBA. But also winning the championship and the All-Stars, I've got a lot of them.

Danny's Follow Up: Winning the championship sounds awesome. It would be pretty cool to be an All-Star too because it means you are one of the best players in the league.

The Vincent family was all over Chicago during the weekend of February 15-17th as the NBA held their All-Star festivities in Chicago for the first time in over 30 years. Our team decided we would try to take advantage of all of the amazing opportunities for fans to take part in while the NBA was in our city. Our first stop of the day was the AT&T flagship store on Michigan Avenue where we knew Shawn would be attending later that afternoon. After trying out all of their interactive photo and game opportunities we made our way back to meet The Matrix!

It was 2:30 pm and Shawn was right on time. He greeted all four of us with a hand shake and asked both Jordan and Danny for their names. Jordan jumped in right away with his shoe question and Danny followed by asking about his favorite NBA memory. With 16 years in the league, it's understandable that so many moments stand out to Shawn. My boys are up to date on nearly every current NBA star in the league and many legends but it was fun to catch them up on the career of Shawn Marion on our way into the city. I told them that he was born in Waukegan (just 20 minutes from us in Mundelein) and turned himself into a tremendous NBA player. From his run and gun days with the high speed Phoenix Suns to the unforgettable late comebacks in the fourth quarters of the Finals against the Heat, Marion got to be a part of it all in his time in the league.  

Big thanks to Shawn for giving our team a special experience and spending his time meeting with fans in Chicago during All-Star weekend! 

Derrick Jones Jr. - Miami Heat

1) Derrick Jones Jr. is a small forward/ shooting guard for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. 

2) Derrick attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) for one season (2015-16) before leaving to play professional basketball.

3) Jones Jr. won the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest after an incredible head to head matchup with Aaron Gordon that went to overtime dunks. Derrick came out on top with his final dunk (windmill dunk just inside the free throw line) scoring a 48 with Gordon's dunk receiving 47 points. 

Photo credit Eddy Matchette / Getty Images

C: What was your favorite dunk of the night?

Derrick Joes Jr.: All of my dunks (were my favorite)

C's Follow Up: All of Derrick's dunks were special on All-Star Saturday night. My favorite Jones Jr. dunk was through the leg dunks over two people. 

Photo credit Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press

Jen: How did you celebrate your big win last night (Saturday)?

Derrick Jones Jr.: I went out and had dinner with my family.

Jen's Follow Up: That seems like a great way to celebrate. Derrick was a really nice guy.

What a crazy experience it was to meet the AT&T Dunk Contest Champion just 14 hours after he won his title in one of the most epic dunk contests of all time. Jen and I had made our way back to the city (my 3rd time in a row) to take in more all-star weekend festivities and ultimately end up at the all-star game on Sunday evening. While sitting in the coffee shop AT&T posted that Derrick would be making his return the flagship store and it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up.

Derrick was as advertised when he arrived at the store. He was a humble guy but at the same time knew he was worthy and deserving of the trophy that was on display next to him. On All-Star Saturday Night, our family was all eyes on the dunk contest and we couldn't have been more impressed with each and every one of Derrick's dunks. He said they were all his favorite and I understand how it would be tough to single one out. One thing that is for certain is that Derrick has some serious bounce and I know our team hope that he enters one more time next year to defend his title. Thanks to Derrick for his time and to AT&T for the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the champ just hours after his win.

Josh Jacobs - Las Vegas Raiders

1) Josh Jacobs is a running back for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League. 

2) Josh attended the University of Alabama from 2016-2018. He finished his college career with 21 total touchdowns, a college football national championship, and two-time SEC championships.

3) Jacobs was selected in the first round (24th round) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and is the front runner for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

D: What is your favorite Alabama memory?

Josh Jacobs: I would have to say the very first game. Yeah, probably my very first game at Alabama was my favorite moment.

D's Follow Up: My favorite college is Alabama and I would be really happy to play there. That would be awesome to run out of the tunnel and play for Bama.

Photo credit Getty Images

D: Do you know Ha Ha (Clinton-Dix) 😊?

Josh Jacobs: Ha Ha? Yeah! That's my dog.

D's Follow Up: It seems like all the Alabama guys know each other. That's so cool. I can ask any of them if they know Ha Ha and they all say yes.

J: Who was your favorite NFL player growing up?

Josh Jacobs: Ladainian Tomlinson 

J's Follow Up: I like Ladainian too. He's one of the best running backs of all time. I've had three different jerseys of LT and he'll always be one of my favorites. By the way, Josh Jacob's sweatshirt is baller.

On Saturday, January 24th, we made our return to the Super Bowl Experience. Last year, we attended the event in Atlanta and had so much fun that we decided to do it again in 2020. The only way to describe the Super Bowl Experience is to say it's a Disney World for football fans. With opportunities to take pictures with the Lombardi trophy, kick field goals through the uprights, run through drills like the pros, and meet the NFL's top stars, the NFL Experience is a must for anyone who loves football and the NFL.

On the 24th, we made our way back to Miami Beach Convention Center for our second visit of the day because it was a must for our family to meet Raiders superstar rookie, Josh Jacobs. Not only was Josh a rookie sensation but he also went to Danny's favorite college, Alabama. There was no way we could pass up an opportunity to meet the NFL star who will now be playing in Las Vegas and one of the superstars for Alabama during their championship run. The Super Bowl Experience offers up these opportunities to meet the NFL stars for free. Josh was awesome and our family enjoyed spending a few minutes with him. Good luck to Josh as he finds out tonight if he wins the NFL Rookie of the Year.

Tito Santana - WWE

1) Tito Santana is a former professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and many other promotions throughout his 43 year wrestling career. 

2) Tito has won a total of 26 championships in his career. His most notable title reigns include winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship 2 times and becoming a 2-time WWE Tag Team Champion, once with Ivan Putski and the other with Rick Martel.

3) In 2004, Tito Santana was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Photo credit wwe.com

D: What is your favorite WWE memory?

Tito Santana: My biggest memory that will last forever is being the opening match at WrestleMania 1. That was quite an honor.

D's Follow Up: It's cool that he was the first match at WrestleMania and it's even cooler that he won the first ever match. 

J: What's your favorite match of all time?

Tito Santana: My favorite match is when I beat Greg Valentine in a cage match in Baltimore. 

J's Follow Up: The match was cool and looked painful because of being a cage match. It wasn't as bad as they are today though. The Intercontinental belt is one of my favorites.

Chad: We did some research on you before we came and we saw that you might be a Spanish teacher. Are you currently a Spanish teacher?

Tito Santana: Yes. I started out as a PE teacher for my first four years. This is my nineteenth year teaching Spanish. So this is twenty three years.

Chad: This guy right here is in 7th grade Spanish. Go ahead and start talking.

Jordan: No. I don't really know anything. I just know "What's your name."

Tito: Como te llamas? How do you finish "Como te llamas?"

Jordan: Me llamo Jordan.

Tito: Muy bien. You have no idea how important it is to be able to communicate in Spanish. You don't even have to be fluent, you just need to be able to communicate.

It was quite the honor to be able to meet the legendary Tito Santana with my family at the SSW Supershow in Kenosha on Saturday, December 28th. I have been watching Tito wrestle since I started watching wrestling around 7 years old. I would watch him year after year and I found it amazing that he wrestled in the first nine WrestleManias. 

Of course, I also loved the fact that he is a Spanish teacher for nineteen years and started out as a PE teacher like me for his first four years. I can't even imagine what I would have done knowing that Tito Santana was my teacher. 

Tito was engaging with the fans and you could hear how he grateful he was for all wrestling has given him. He even put his wrestling boots back on and won his match at the Supershow against local superstar Jeff Luxon. At 66 years old, he had the crowd chanting "You've still got it." We will remember the night we met the legendary Tito Santana.

Tarik Cohen - Chicago Bears (Take 2)

1) Tarik Cohen is a third year running back for the Chicago Bears.

2) Tarik was drafted by the Bears in the fourth round (119th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft out of North Carolina A&T. He was the tenth running back taken in the 2017 draft.

3) Cohen was named a First-team All-Pro special teams player and selected to the Pro Bowl in 2018 as a punt returner. Tarik was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate this past season.

D: When did you do your first backflip?

Tarik Cohen: I was probably like 10 or 11 (years old)

D's Follow Up: That's baller. I'm 9. I can do a front flip on a bed, a trampoline, and a diving board. I tried doing a backflip at my friend's birthday party once and it didn't go well. I landed on my neck and couldn't move it for a while.

J: Who was your favorite player growing up?

Tarik Cohen: Reggie Bush

Photo credit: Getty Images

J's Follow Up: Reggie Bush is cool. He was a really good player who won the Heisman trophy and I have one of his college jersey football cards from his last game at USC.

Bonus questions from October 2017 at a live taping of the Chicago Huddle show

D: What's your favorite healthy food?

TC: Shrimp. I also like broccoli

D's Follow Up: I think shrimp is bad even though I haven't had it. My dad likes shrimp though. I think broccoli is really good and it's good for your body. I love all veggies except lettuce and spinach. Tarik sounds like he's a healthy eater and that's probably why he's so fast.


J: Who's the best player you've ever juked?

TC: Deion Jones (LB) from the Atlanta Falcons is probably the best player I've juked. 

J's Follow Up: I have heard of Deion Jones but I don't know him very well. I just watched his highlight video and he is one of the best players on the Falcons defense. Juking Deion Jones does not look easy because he's so fast.

On December 17th, 2019, I made a visit to the new Bears Fit facility with my friend Wally to meet Tarik Cohen at his appearance showcasing his new hat collection. Tarik designed 6 new hats for Chicago fans to wear around town and according to the boys they are extra swaggy. 

I ended up buying Jordan the white 29 winter hat that I'm wearing in the photo and I also purchased the "Dad" hat with a special Bears rubber logo on the front with a small 29 in the corner that also has a Bears inspired Chicago city flag on the back. Each hat purchased allowed one fan to meet Tarik at the new fitness facility in Vernon Hills. 

Here's a quick look at the interview from Chicago Tribune writer Phillip Thompson and a link to his article.

https://twitter.com/_phil_thompson/status/1207121244556070912

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-chicago-bears-tarik-cohen-20191218-hiaf7ytlj5hgbmohfn2mydnxzy-story.html

Wally and I both had a good time spending our Tuesday night meeting the Chicago Bears running back. We all know the season didn't go as planned but we believe the team will be back on top next season. This is our last post of 2019 and we hope next year at this time we'll be dreaming about a Bears Super Bowl as the team prepares for the post season. #vincentsgo3on3

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.