Arrowhead Addict Exclusive Interview: Chiefs LB Mickey Pimentel

Chiefs linebacker Mickey Pimentel, aka the Cuban Missle, and the folks over at YardBarker were nice enough to hook us up with an exclusive interview with the young LB. Thanks to both Mickey and everybody at YardBarker, where Mickey has his own blog. Be sure to check it out! Here’s the interview:

1. What was it like to finally realize what must have been a lifelong dream and make an NFL roster?

"man o man. when i first got the news that i was on the Kansas City practice squad i just got out of class and i was in the middle of the street walking to my scooter. my agent told me the good news. i dropped my books and started jumping up and down in the middle of the street lol. people were looking at me crazy. so the feeling that i had when i made the roster was 10 times better. i smiled for the whole day and called everybody and let them know the good news. it is a feeling i cant really describe in words."

2. You’re originally from Cali, San Diego I believe. What do you think of Kansas City (other than the weather)?

"well i was born in long beach california, i lived there until i was 12, then we moved to san diego. it’s funny because all the LA cats that i have met, especially at cal, tell me i’m from san diego. probably because LA cats hate a lot. but after all that hating i didnt want to claim la. instead i claim san diego and CUBA, because that is were my parents and sister are from. san diego has better high school football anyways lol. KC is pretty coo. the thing that i love about KC is the people and their BBQ. the people are the nicest people in the world."

3. How do you stay in shape during the offseason? Any secret Rocky-like training methods?

"well i don’t really think i have an off-season. i’m always running and working out to get bigger faster stronger. i might take breaks here and there, but i don’t want to not be in shape. in the off-season i work out everyday with maurice jones-drew, derrick landry, matt gutierez, and justin forsett who is entering the draft this year. we have a real good trainer named coach mike. i cant really spell his last name lol, but i think that the group of guys i work with and coach mike made me 2x better than i was last year. we do all kinds of stuff like running stadiums, or jumps. we do a lot of explosive type things. so the best advice i have is always stay in shape, and you will never get out of shape."

4. What are your goals for the 2008 NFL season and beyond? Post-football?

"i just want to learn. my main goals are to learn about the community, the people. i want to help the community – especially the youth. i remember growing up and always looking up to athletes, so i know we have some kind of power where we can influence the youth. one of my other goals is to learn about business. i am involved in a internship that is teaching me the basic things i need to now about business. as far as football, i talked to the great jerry rice on the university of california pro day and one of the questions i asked him was what do i need to do as a rookie to stay in the N.F.L. he said the biggest things rookies do is put too much pressure on themselves, and that leads to mistakes. he said just relax and work hard – let the game come to you, and everything else well take care of itself. then he said “and be in the best shape of your life” lol."

5. Chiefs fans are very interested in your ex-teammate DeSean Jackson. What can you tell us about him as a player and a person?

"DeSean Jackson is a very exciting player. he is super fast and elusive. he is a threat at all times. he is a home run hitter and defenses and special teams players all hold their breath when he gets the ball. he ran a 4.33 at the combine but i’m telling you he is faster than that. people are giving him stuff about his weight and all that but at the same time marvin harrison isn’t that big and look how he came out. i think whoever drafts him is going to have a great football player on their team. as a person he is a cool dude. you can joke with him and have fun. advice for his upcoming teammates: please don’t talk about long beach poly. you will never hear the end of it, and he is an LA cat, too, so you already know he is a hater lol."

6. What’s your all-time favorite movie? What do you watch on the tube?

"my all-time favorite movie is the lion king haha. people always give me stuff for that, but i have to be honest. growing up i felt like i could relate to simba in all aspects of his life. he went through a lot to get to where he was, and he also fought to get to where he was. i just think that was the best movie ever and it is a classic. so far as youtube i am always on youtube. i look up youtube singers because i want to learn how to sing really bad. so i try to mimic them and step my vocal game up lol if you know what i mean. i look at the best N.F.L linebackers like my ideal ray lewis. or i look at stuff that me and my friends made. you can check out me and my friends brandon hampton and justin forsett singing on youtube. just type in hamp,pimentel and you can check out my vocals lol."

7. What’s your favorite aspect of the linebacker position, possibly the most intense position in all of football?

"my favorite aspect as a linebacker is you are pretty much the captain of the team and you have to lead them to be a dominant force…and the hitting. when you get that wooo hit, man o man i just got goosebumps."

Thanks again to everybody at YB and most of all Mickey P., who I expect us Chiefs fans to get to know in the near future. He was a great player at California and I think we’ll see him on the field for the Red and Gold in ’08.