Ex-Men Monday (Part 4) The Linebacker

In honor of the Super Bowl and the Steelers victory I will tell you about the football player from my past. About 6 months after I dated Jarhead my room-mate Tiffany worked at Oriana House. She would go into the local jails and assess inmates to see if they were appropriate for the Oriana program. She became friends with several of the Summit County sheriff's Deputies. This one guy was always calling and coming around. One day he told me had a friend he would like to introduce me to. He asked if it was okay to give him my phone number. I told him that was fine. I was used to be the "fix up" girl. Everyone who knew me wanted to fix me up with someone (brothers, friends, cousins, co-workers, etc...). I was always laughting over it. So, this guy calls. He was very interesting. We ended up talking for probably an hour. He told me he had played football for WVU. He was a linebacker and he played in The Sugar Bowl (not this past year but the time before this year). He was very smart. I liked he was athletic and had brains. He also played the violin. He played it for me on the phone during the first conversation. Well, you already know how I feel about musicians (are you sensing a pattern?). We agreed to go out ASAP. He came to my house to pick me up. This guy was a GIANT! He was 6'5" and weighed about 290. He was large but very solid. He took me to the Winking Lizard. I ordered a Guinness. I thought he was going to propose to me right then and there. I thought he was okay but I wasn't that into him. I didn't really know why. Looking back I don't think I was really ready to date. After all, I had been pretty devastated over Jarhead. I did have fun with the Linebacker but I always felt like he liked me WAY more than I liked him. I always told him that....he wasn't concerned. I began to feel liked me just because he wanted a girlfriend. That annoyed me. I told him that I was looking for someone who was inspired by me. He wanted me to explain. I told him I wanted someone who I could inspire to write a poem or to do something wild and crazy. The next day I received an email from the Linebacker. It was a poem he wrote. He didn't get it. I didn't want him to write a poem...I wanted him to....I don't know, I just didn't believe he really liked me. I wanted him to be spontaneous, I guess. Once he invited me over his place, he wanted to cook me dinner. It was a frozen veggie lasagna he heated up. He took me out to lots of restaurants. Another thing that annoyed me...everywhere we would go, people would ask about his Sugar Bowl ring. Football. He told me stories about being in Louisiana???? for a football game and how a lot of the guys went to the massage parlors to find companionship. I asked him if he did. He said "No, and I can prove it." I thought, well this should be interesting...How? He said well, I didn't purchase the whole deal but I received manual pleasure (I am trying to make this kid safe, Kellen reads sometimes!). He admitted he paid for "hand pleasure". Not attractive. At All. I never figured out why he felt compelled to be so honest with me. I used to like football players. After the stories he told me, I am sickened by them. I know they aren't all like that but....chances are, they have been there and done that. I can't get over it.

While dating the Linebacker was that I never allowed him to meet my friends. We dated from Halloween to Valentine's day and I think the only friend he ever met was Tiffany...only because I lived with her. I was embarrassed by him. Not because he was awful...but because he was like a lovesick puppy dog following me around. I hated it. To top if off, I hated his job. He worked in collections for some company. He was a total jerk and talked about people with credit problems (had he checked his girlfriends credit, duh???). Now he works for this company, Household Bank. I read this "quote of the year"...it says it is from an employee, I swear it is from him. I don't think two people could feel more differently on this issue.

"“The consumers with their complaints are the pieces of s**t that do not know how to manage money. Get an education and use it. Stop buying things and using credit cards. Invest in some real estate and drive a crappy car through your pitiful lives. At least you will retire thinking you accomplished something."

Don't get me wrong, I believe people should pay their bills but I know stuff happens (called life) and people make mistakes. His attitude coupled with the massage parlor escapadeses were the end of our relationship. I broke up with him. I didn't choose the most mature route to do it. I just started avoiding him. I never answered the phone. If he stopped over, I wouldn't answer the door. It was mean. I felt bad and thought about getting in touch with him a couple of years later but then I met Jake and that was that. He is married now and lives in Kentucky.