Over at Revenge of the Birds, the Arizona Cardinals blog, there is a new podcast being featured. On the most recent episode of the podcast, they had new offensive lineman Daryn Colledge on as a guest. He discussed his decision to join the Arizona Cardinals, working with Hall of Famer Russ Grimm and adjusting to the Arizona heat.
Colledge, an Alaska native who had played before this season in Green Bay, Wisconsin with the Packers, has not had to live in heat like we have here. Having training camp in Flagstaff "was a nice transition" with the weather to get ready for the hell that is the Phoenix summer.
Coming to Arizona was a fairly easy choice for Colledge. Besides the five-year contract he got, which for him "wasn't even the most important thing," he "wanted the opportunity to come to a team that [he] thought had an opportunity to win." That was an interesting comment, considering the season that the Cardinals had a season ago and the fact that he comes from a team that just won a Super Bowl.
Working under Russ Grimm was another key factor. He admires how Grimm treats the linemen "like men," and at the point in his career that Colledge is in, he still desires to improve as a player. "I had the feeling that if I had the opportunity to work under Russ," explained Colledge, "that if I'm not going to get better here, I'm probably not going to get better anywhere."
If you haven't noticed Colledge on Twitter (@DarynColledge71), you will see that he is one of the more accessible players to fans via the ever popular social media. Connecting with the fans is something that is a priority for him. Said Colledge at the end of his interview, "Our interaction with the fans is extremely important to us, because If it weren't for you guys, we wouldn't have the opportunity."
He's a player who seems to have everything in order. He wants to improve, he has experienced winning, he wants to continue winning and he remains accessible to the media and fans to be able to connect with the public.
It would appear that the Cardinals have made a solid signing and, with a five-year deal, Colledge will likely be a mainstay here in the community.
Catch more Cardinals coverage at Revenge of the Birds.