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David Krieg

David Krieg played football as a quarterback for the D.C.

Everest Hornets before moving on to play for Morton college, and then being accepted into the Seattle Seahawks.
Later in his 19-year career he played for the Chiefs, Lions,
Cardinals, Bears, and Oilers.
How did you first become interested in football and other sports in general?
I was born and raised in Iola Wisconsin and we moved to Auburndale Wisconsin when
I was five; that is the first recollection I have of being interested in sports after we
moved. Even though I had a cast on my knee that did not stop me from playing sports;
I had to have the cast replaced 4 times because I ruined it from playing outside throwing a baseball on the roof and running over to catch it. In the dead of winter I would
stack tires in the garage and use them as a basketball hoop. I remember watching football at the young age of five. Not just any football; it was the Green Bay Packers in the
1960s. What a great inspiration to watch the Packers led by Vince Lombardi. You
couldnt ask for any better of a teacher! I always saw the game differently than my dad
did. I saw the linemen pulling, the receivers running, and the quarterback dropping
back and I would ask, Whats he looking at? My dad would only just think about the
end result; he would just think about whether they got a pass completed or not. It still
interests me today that at such a young age I was looking at the process.

Did you always feel a special connection to football?

Yes, but it wasnt just the sport of football that I loved; I loved the competition and
leading a team to victory. I loved basketball and baseball as well. I played basketball
and baseball all the time but, it was my dream to play professional football. I actually
never told anyone about my dream of playing professional football because they would
have thought I was nuts. So, I just kind of kept it to myself. Not many colleges came to
recruit us at DC Everest when I went there. Some of my friends got scholarships, I did
not, but I didnt let that deter me from my dream. I had no idea where I wanted to go to
college. Its funny because I ended up at a college that doesnt exist anymore in Milton,
Wisconsin. I still have a special connection with the Packers from the 60s and on. Not
only can I still remember their names when I had the opportunity to meet them I made
sure to thank each and every one of them for giving me my first glimpse into professional football. I can remember the offense and defense from 1963 to 2015. That is a lot
of years.

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Can you tell about your career in general?

My first introduction to organized sports was playing little league baseball in Rothschild where we eventually moved when I was in 5th grade after living in Germantown
my third and 4th grade year. My dad was the coach and my two brothers were also on
the team. My first year I was too young to
play any other position than catcher, playing
that position taught me toughness and focus. ...I intercepted a pass
When I was in 6th grade I played my first orin the first quarter and
ganized football, flag football; then in 8th
grade, was when I first played tackle football. one of my first plays
I even ended up being the starting quarterwas a touchdown pass
back! The first time I played football was at
D.C. Everest in middle school. Then, we were
the D.C. Everest Hornets. Everybody wanted to Mike Trowbridge...
to try out to be the quarterback, as did I. I
had always played quarterback when playing with the kids in the neighborhood in my
backyard. I was usually the smallest kid but I was good at playing quarterback. Plus, I
knew how to throw the football. I remember my first touchdown pass I threw to John
Ogiba. I will never forget the exhilaration of throwing a touchdown pass and how happy
all of my teammates were. On our team that year, we won one game, we lost one game,
and then we tied two games. We were 1-1-2 in the very first historic season of the D.C.
Everest Hornets! I also played a lot of basketball because we had a basketball team in
middle school.
Then in ninth grade Mr. Brandt, the coach, switched to the wishbone offense, and another kid got to be the quarterback. But I did get to play quarterback in the 5th quarter
when the game was over. In my sophomore year, the coaches put that kid on varsity, so
I had the chance to play a lot again. In my junior year I made varsity but I didnt play
quarterback in the beginning of the season like most people would think, I played
strong safety; after the 4th game my coach Dick Ambrosino decided to start me as a
quarterback and told me to call my own plays. I was so excited I went to the library to
read books about quarterbacking. One of the books I read was by Bart Starr, he mentioned the best time to throw a pass is after a turnover. Ironically I intercepted a pass in
the first quarter and one of my first plays was a touchdown pass to Mike Trowbridge,
just like Bart Starr said in his book. Not only was it exciting for me, my dad who sacrificed playing sports so I could, was standing by the bus beaming from ear to ear. Any
more emotion from my dad would have brought tears to us both. A large part of success
in sports comes from confidence that game gave me the confidence to at least think I
could do this. If you think about it, the Evergreens colors are green and gold, just like
the Packers. So, when I went to my first DC Everest High School game in 5th grade I

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felt like I was watching the Packers. I can remember most of the Everest players
names. They were my first icons that I saw in person. There was Kurt and Lance Spychalla, Lester Cheyka (that name just sounds like football! What a great name), and my
idol Doug Neukie Pelot. I realized that I could be like the high school players were
and I could wear the green and gold just like the Packers.
After I finished my senior year of high school
I decided to go to Milton College. The deciFour years of college
sion was last minute because I didnt have
any college offers so I didnt know if I where
football was good onI would attend college. My dad said, If you
dont go to college, you are going to have to
the-field training for my
work in the paper mill or on the farm every
dream.
day. That motivated me to think more about
college! Then, my high school coach told me
about a coach he knew at Milton College, and thats where I ended up. I still worked at
the paper mill and Roto-Rooter during the summer to pay for my college education. I
even started my last five football games my freshman year. Four years of college football was good on-the-field training for my dream.

What was the hardest part about being a professional football player?
For me, it was a big culture change. I went from D.C. Everest to Milton College, where
we also played on a high school field for home games. I was just a small town kid, and
when I went out to Seattle, Washington, a huge city, to play with the Seahawks, it was
unbelievable. I was 21 years old, when I left from the Central Wisconsin airport to go to
the Minneapolis airport. I was so excited to fly on a plane for the first time. I saw the
paper mills, farms, and Wisconsin River from the air for the first time, I still remember
that vividly. The NFL practice field in Seattle was the best field I had ever played on.
One other thing about being a pro compared to being a high school or college
player was the expectations that were put
on me. I had to grow up really fast, I was
now a professional; that meant I had to
study plays, know how to execute them, and
represent the team, which included calling
the play in the huddle and being interviewed my TV, radio, and newspaper. I had
never been interviewed for anything in college, it was all so new to me. It taught me
many lessons I could use later on in life. My
first coach Jack Patera and my quarterback

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coach Jerry Rhome told me 50% of football is 90% mental preparation. I first went to
minicamp and then I got asked back to training camp. I didnt think I would make the
team but I did! The intensity was magnified I learned that it wasnt just fun and
games like it was in college, this was my job. They even filmed our practices. Imagine if
you were at work every day and your every move was filmed, that is what it was like.
That was just my first year!

I value the friendships

Tell us more about your early pro career.
I have made througout
The first year after I made it, everyone had a
big party for me at a small bar called The
my career. The bonds
Ranch in Rothschild. There were so many
made in sports is indepeople that we packed up the whole bar including all of my friends from high school
scribable.
and college. I remember thinking I made it
into the NFL for one year, thats pretty cool!
My friends were probably thinking YOU made it into the NFL? I have always tried to be
a great ambassador for the Wausau area and the whole state of Wisconsin. I am proud
of where I am from.
What was it like being in the NFL?
After 19 unbelievable years it is hard to say in one sentence what it was like. To put it
simply, it is just like the progression of any other job, you learn, you get better and then
you try to be the best you can be. Thank goodness my upbringing on the farm taught
me the value of a good work ethic. It is still incredulous to me that coming from such a
small town I ended up playing in front of 70,000 to 100,000 people per week and the
games were televised. I value the friendships I have made throughout my career. The
bonds made in sports is indescribable.

Can you tell me about your life in Wisconsin?

I am most proud of my last name, and where I came from. My dad grew up on a dairy
farm in Halder, WI. Thats where my grandpa was from as well, and the dairy farm is
also where I got my work ethic. The cows always have to be milked at 5:00 in the
morning and 5:00 at night. In between, I would bale hay and shovel manure. I had to
learn to have a good work ethic quickly. Who would want to pick rocks out of fields?
My grandpa made all of his grandsons go around picking rock, and he would be on the
tractor working. I remember thinking, I want to have the job my grandpa has. My
dad didnt get to play sports because he had to work on the farm, my mom also worked.
When I went down to Milton, my dad was given the job of recording defensive statistics, he felt like part of the team. I thank my parents for coming to every game, home

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and away games, for four years straight. They were so proud. It made me so happy to
see that. My brothers were very supportive. I have great brothers in Danny and Brian.
They didnt let my ego get big. Thats one thing I love about Wisconsin: its not what
you do, its who you are.
How else has coming from the
Wausau area affected your career?
Playing in Pro Bowls
Coming from Wausau has helped me to respect hard work and the people that I have
and playoff games was
known since 5th grade. After high school,
these people were working in the paper mill, something I never
building furnaces, and laying down tile.
dreamed of!
Their work ethic is amazing! Even though
Seattle is a large city I still kept my small
town values. We have Rib Mountain and
they have Mount Rainier. But, I could never ski on Rib Mountain though, because it
was too expensive. I had never skied down it once.

What was the most gratifying experience you had?

The most gratifying experiences I have had are the births of my three children Matt,
Mikey, and Coley. I have had many other gratifying experiences, too many to list, but I
will name a few. One of them in high school was playing with my teammates. I got to
play with Greg Hammes, Bill Hinner, Dave Wrycha, and Rory Draeger. Playing with
them was the coolest thing.
The funny thing is I never made any All-conference honors back during high school.
Then I went to Milton College, and I was All-Conference, All-American, Freshman of
the year, and MVP of our conference. I was so surprised because I never received any
of those accolades in high school, no one ever told me that I was that good. Then I
went to the NFL, and I had to fake it till I made it. Playing in the NFL and meeting all
of the players was also very gratifying. That is the coolest thing. Remembering what
you did and the accolades you earned are not as important as remembering your teammates. That's the thing that I miss the most from playing football. I mean I got to play
on the same teams as Kenny Easley, Curt Warner, Derrick Thomas, Marcus Allen, Joe
Montana, Barry Sanders, Steve Largent, Mike Webster, and many more. Playing in Pro
Bowls and playoff games was something I never dreamed of! What a ride! Now I have
something to tell my kids and even if they dont believe me its in this book!

What is your family like?

My family was small I have two younger brothers Dan and Brian. I have a lot of relatives in the Wausau area, but at home it was just the 5 of us. My brothers and I did

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everything together growing up; we hunted, fished and played sports year round.

My grandparents on my dads side were Frank and Agatha Krieg. My dad had two
younger brothers Gary and Keith. On moms side, the Hack family, were my grandparents George and Josephine Hack who had 9 children including my mom Joan. All of
my other family lives in Mosinee and Halder,
so I have uncles and aunts just about everyThe advice I would
where in Marathon County.
I married Sue Heneghan and we had two
boys Matt, and Mikey. Later my second wife
Brett McMillian and I had one daughter,
Coley. My children are the ones who keep me
the most humble, because they dont see me
as a football player, Im just Dad, and I try to
be the best at that also. One time, I took
Coley when she was five to a Seattle Seahawks game, people were staring at us; she
said in her strong southern accent, Daddy, I
knew you were a little bit famous!. That was
so sweet.

give is to make sure

that the sport you are
playing you realy want
to play and you are not
doing it for someone
else.

What advice would you give to young athletes?

The advice I would give is to make sure that the sport you are playing you really want to
play and you are not doing it for someone else. Once you decide, and you have taken
care of all of your responsibilities at school and home you will need to sacrifice and find
time to work out and stay in shape. Also remember to work not only on your strengths
but more importantly your weaknesses.
Education is of upmost importance. In order to get anywhere in life you need to be
knowledgeable. The better you know something the more confidence you will have in
doing it. Plus, only a small percentage of people make it into pro sports so you always
have to be prepared. Getting a college degree can lead to more opportunities and expand your horizons. I would also like to add that being an athlete means added responsibility. By that, I mean, people will recognize you and peer pressure will come your
way. There are many temptations in life; when you are an athlete the more you can
avoid the better.

What do you like about football?

One of the great things about team sports is the camaraderie. Working with a group of
people to accomplish the same goal and learning to sacrifice your individual wants for

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the team. I have made great friends throughout my life because of sports, we are all
family. Not many people get to play pro sports. The bond in the NFL is even more
amazing because you spend more time with your teammates than you do with your
family once you turn pro. In football since the relationship becomes like family the personal life problems are there just like anyone elses.
Do you regret anything in your career?
In football, I regret
In football, I regret every time I turned the
ball over, or when I didnt play a good game.
every time I turned the
When you are the quarterback, you get a lot
of the credit, but you also get a lot of the
ball over, or when I didblame, it taught me that when we won I gave
out a lot of credit to the rest of the team but nt play a goood game.
when we lost I took most of the blame because I thought I was the one mostly responsible. One of my biggest regrets was losing the AFC championship game in 1983. If we
won that the next stop would have been the Super Bowl. Just the thought of going to
the Super Bowl made the game seem bigger than it was. I remember being at a nice
hotel near LA, and we would play in the Los Angeles Coliseum where they held the
Olympics. I have learned that some of these regrets or failures were another lesson
to learn. I do regret throwing the ball and getting some receivers hurt! I also regret
some of the losses that happened before the Super Bowl, but I found out that some of
the greatest quarterbacks have never even been to the Super Bowl.

Who is your favorite team to watch?

Right now I like watching all kinds of football. My favorite NFL teams to watch are
Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. My ultimate loyalties and what Im most
proud of is where I grew up. The D.C.
Evergreens, the Milton College Wildcats, the Green Bay Packers, Brewers,
Bucks, and all the state colleges are who
I root for the most. I also root for Seattle because thats where I played, but I
love the Wisconsin teams.
Did you ever have any major injuries?
Not when I played in high school or college, just the usual bumps and bruises,
no surgeries. Playing in the NFL my in-

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juries started to pile up. I broke my thumb needing 21 stitches, my nose has been broke
7 times, elbow surgery, cartilage damage on both sides of my ribs, dislocated both
shoulders, many sprained ankles and knees and concussions. After retirement I had
back surgery on my L4-L5 vertebrae.
Would you still play football today?
I would. They have better safety equipment
now. The helmets are better. I put on Aaron ...at least now they
Rodgers's helmet in 2015, it is technologihave concussion protocally so much better than the old helmets
that had little padding. I would still play
cols whereas back when
with the equipment changes they made, now
with what everyone is learning about concus- I played they just put
sions everything is totally different; at least
now they have concussion protocols whereas you back in the game.
back when I played they just put you back in
the game. The players today are much faster
and stronger so the hits are more violent. Teaching players where to hit their opponent
is also a benefit. I would play football again but there are certainly are consequences,
no doubt about it. But, we always said, if you do something you love and you get paid
for it, you never work a day in your life.

Was it hard to retire?

Yes. I walked off the field and thought, Im never going to play again. I cant really
play pickup football games. I can play basketball at the YMCA and with baseball you
can get some guys together, but you cant play pickup football like when I was a kid.
With football, once you are done, you are done.
I do remember the feeling even walking off the field in high school and college thinking
Will I ever play again? In the NFL you dont wonder, you know youll never play
again. Ironically my first three years I was hoping not to get cut, which would have
ended it and my last three years I was hoping I would make it another year.
Some of my high school teammates are saddened by that too, they walked off the field
after high school, and they didnt get another chance to play like I did. But thats the
cool thing about my teammates. They did not get very jealous of me, they were happy
that they got to live vicariously through me. They would say, I played football with
Dave Krieg in high school! That was nice. My college teammates were like that too. I
think about that a lot.
I dont think I hardly ever lost a game while playing the Packers, but when I played in
Wisconsin I always knew that my family and friends would be back there watching the
game. That was not like the weight of the world on me, but it was much more of an in-

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spiration. People from Wisconsin are great. They really, really are. The nice thing
about my brothers and my kids is that its not a big deal for them. I always told them
that when they in grade school, Dont you ever go to school and say that My dads
Dave Krieg, the football player. because all of the other kids dads are just as important
to them as I am to you. Its as simple as that. Im no different than anybody else. My
brothers and my kids really keep me in
check. They always say You were pretty
I tell kids, if your goal
good at football, but you fumbled a lot. Or
they would say, You cant even fix a car.
was to make it to proMy first friend that I had in 5th grade was
Dave Mascotti when I moved up there.
fessional sports and
Some of my other friends growing up were
you dont, thats why
Bruce Lubbe, Lance Lyon, Kevin LaPorte,
John Ogiba, Max Muzynoski, Kerry Brigheducation is vital.
sprecher, Bill Hinner, Greg Hamas, Jerry
Topcheski, the famous Filipiak wrestling
boys; these are just a few of the names, there
are too many to mention. It was an honor to play in the NFL and represent. I had so
much respect for our wrestlers in high school. They had to do situps and wrestle up
there in the heat. They worked so hard for the six minutes on the mats, they were an
inspiration! The longer you play in the NFL the more you will miss it when you are
done. You have made new friends for the last 19 years of your life playing at the highest
level. I sometimes now think back and realize that I was one of 32 guys who could do
what I did. You miss the camaraderie of your teammates and basically going to battle
with a bunch of guys every week. I tell kids, if your goal was to make it to professional
sports and you dont thats why education is vital.

Who influenced your life the most?

I know that most kids from Wisconsin would say the Green Bay Packers. I didnt really
have any specific people who influenced me, but I respected what everybody did,
whether they played football or not. I didnt care if someone played sports, I was still
friends with them anyway. If they worked on a farm, I would understand, because I
was a farmer too, and I get it. All of the people that I played with at Everest influenced
me. Jeff Zollpriester was a great friend of mine, who owns the grocery store near the
high school. He started off as a bag boy there at the bottom of the ladder, and ended up
buying the store. He was the grocer of the year in the whole world! He really inspires
me as well. There are other guys who have done a lot more than I did, but the weird
thing about our society is that doctors, soldiers, police, firemen, teachers, and coaches
do not get the credit that athletes do. Our society is so built on what athletes and
celebrities do. We might be role models in a certain way, but if your parents arent the

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principal role models in your life, then you are misguided.

Im also very respectful with my past coaches. My high school coachs name was Coach
Dick Ambrosino. LaVern Brandt was my first football coach. Other coaches I had were
John Solheim and Mr. Larry Wolfe who taught me to work on my weaknesses because
that makes you the most well rounded and best you can be; he saw me playing basketball once and he told me that I could shoot
and dribble with my right hand well enough,
The locker room was
but then he asked me what I could do with
my left hand. He told me to do a left-handed
always the best place in
lay-up, and I didnt do well. He made me
practice thousands and thousands of leftsociety in the sense that
handed lay-ups before I got good at it. That
no one cares what color,
taught me that you need to work on what
you are not good at in order to get better.
Dale Langbehn was my basketball coach, as race, or religion you
well. I learned a lot from them.

are.

When you return to Wisconsin, how

are you treated?
When I first came back to Wisconsin it was a big deal but my friends soon remembered
that I was still David. I was still the guy who couldnt change a spark plug in a snowmobile and Id tangle my fishing reels. Basically I was the same guy they grew up with except I had to wear a helmet for my job.

Im not perfect by any means and my friends know that Ive had struggles of my own.
But if I came back to Wisconsin, we would hardly even talk about football. I would talk
about snowmobiling, hunting, fishing and family. There are people in the NFL who
would say, Ice fishing? Are you fishing for ice? I would say, No, you go on the ice to
get the fish. Some people havent even seen snow before! I played with a diverse group
of people in the NFL. The locker room was always the best place in society in the sense
that no one cares what color, race, or religion you are. In society there might be problems with those things, but in the locker room we didnt have many problems like that.
It might be different for other people, but when you are an athlete, it doesnt matter
what color someone is. The only thing that matters is what color their uniform is. So,
all in all, coming back to Wisconsin always feels like coming home.
What did you do after retirement?
Retirement is difficult. Having played professionally for 19 years you always have itineraries telling you where to be and what to do. Once you are retired you have to build a
new life. Sports and football in particular have always been my passion. I went to NFL

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Europe to become a broadcaster for a couple years in 1999 and 2000. I was always
going to do that, but then my kids started playing hockey, and I thought that if I was a
broadcaster, I would have to be gone every weekend. So I brushed that to the side. But
there is no amount of money I would trade for hanging out with my kids and watching
them play. To see my kids play was worth every penny. I have no regrets at all.

Is there anything else you want to

I value the friendships
add?
I value the friendships I made and built with
I made and built with
my friends and their parents from Wausau,
these are relationships that have molded me my friends and their
my whole life. So big shout out to the state of
parents from Wausau,
Wisconsin especially the little village of
Rothschild.
these are relationships
Im grateful to the people who gave me my
first jobs at the gas station, paper mill, and
that have molded me
Roto-Rooter.
I am so honored, and flattered to be intermy whole life.
viewed for a book like this. I owe everybody
in Wisconsin a huge debt of gratitude. I am
so thankful for everything Wisconsin has done for me. I love every corner of Wisconsin. It is the best. It is my favorite state, and Wausau is my favorite town. I also hope
that my family respects their name, which was my dads name, and his dads name before that. The heritage is amazing that we have in Wisconsin. Now I get the chance to
thank all of the people in Wisconsin that have helped me out. It is a great experience. I
would be remiss if I didnt thank Bill and Charlene Creske and their families; I have
known them for so long. All of those people have been so nice to me.
Some of the things this book has reminded me of recently: my left guard, Bill Hinner is
going through cancer right now. Dale Saari was a teammate of mine; he is no longer
with us. He was the littlest guy on the team and he tried to tackle Jerry Topcheski. Dale
was about 96 pounds, and Jerry was 280 so it didnt go too well. There was one drill
where they both went against each other. Jerry said, I cant go against this little guy!
Dale said, Come on, I can take you! Dale caught Jerry right in the ankles and knocked
him right over. That was a funny day. Two other guys that come to mind are Jay Seiler.
He may have been one of the best athletes to come out of DC Everest, tragically he is no
longer with us. And lastly one of my best friends Rory Draeger; he was my center in
football and my catcher in baseball. He may have been the one who inspired me the
most if I had to pick one person. He sacrificed his life defending our country, he flew F15s for our Air Force in Desert Storm. Meet you at the crossroads my friend. There are
so many experiences and friends I will always remember.

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What was your experience like being a football player in college?

Milton College! I could go on and on about that experience! It was awesome! We only
had 300 students so like high school, everyone knew each other. It was an experience I
wouldnt trade for anything. We didnt have much, like big time schools, but it made us
appreciate what we had. Walking a mile
from the gym to the field to play our games
In college, my coach
at the high school fields, the 4-6 hour bus
trips, playing baseball there we also bussed
was Rudy Gaddini.
everywhere. The longest trips being spring
training where we took vans to faraway
Without him, I would
places like Orlando, Nashville, and Oklahave never made it to
homa City. That brought closeness to our
team.

the NFL...

In college, my coach was Rudy Gaddini.

Without him, I would have never made it to the NFL, because he sent some tapes to
Seattle. He had known some of the coaches from earlier in his career. I also owe it to all
my teammates at Milton, but especially Joe Grafenauer, and Brian Bliese my quarterback coaches. They were both the quarterbacks before I got there, and both of them had
try outs in the NFL. They only lasted for 4 or 5 days. But, they were a big help to me at
Milton. I still cant believe that you guys are going to put me in a book! As Im looking
back through my old tapes, Im thinking maybe I am somebody. It is just weird that you
are asking me this stuff, because I would never go back to Wisconsin and act like a big
deal.
What was it like being the 7th string quarterback?
7 must have been my lucky number; I was 7th string at Milton and Seattle. I think I was
a late bloomer because I was always a year-year and a half behind all of the other kids
physically.

So, I visited Milton with my dad, and then two weeks later, practice had already
started. I had to be in shape and everything, but I didnt know all this stuff that you had
to do, although, I was always in shape, because I was always running around. I was the
seventh string quarterback. We had two linebackers in front of me, and two tight ends,
so thats four. We had three other guys who were actually quarterbacks, so I didnt actually start until the 4th game, because we had three or four quarterbacks. In the first
game I played, I threw 4 passes, and 4 of them went for touchdowns. It was just one of
those are you kidding me moments. I started the next three and a half years at Milton. When I went to Seattle, I was the seventh and last string quarterback as well. There

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was nobody below me; I was the last string quarterback. The other draft picks were
used to being pampered in college because they were All-American this and that. I
was never pampered like that. I earned everything I got, because I did all the studying
and work that they didnt want to do. They all ended up homesick and didnt like getting yelled at by the coaches. I just wanted to make that team, and thats what I did. I
did whatever it took. If I wouldnt have
played, then I may have tried working at
I was just happy to get
Wausau Insurance.

Did you start to doubt your career

after you were undrafted?
out for a team in the
No because I was just happy to get the opNFL. They say ignoportunity to try out for a team in the NFL.
They say ignorance is bliss. So my lack of expectations was a benefit. When I got there, I rance is bliss.
didnt know what I should have known about
being undrafted. For me it was all brand new; it was the first time I flew on a plane. It
was a chartered flight. I didn't even know how to tie a tie. It was the first or second
game back, and I was walking down the aisle, and Steve Largent noticed that I was
wearing a clip- on tie. He snatched it off me and showed everybody in the plane. He
said, Hes got a clip on tie!! I learned how to tie a tie really quickly after that experience. I almost got cut when I was with the Seahawks, I thought. The first minicamp
that I went to was two or three days of practice, and then I would go home. The first
day of practice was okay, and I dont really remember how I did, on the second day of
practice, I was out in the field. Someone said, Hey, Mr. Mansperger wants to see you.
I asked, Right now?!?! I went up there and I was thinking that I was getting cut!
When I got up there, he said, You dont have a contract! I wasnt aware of that. I said,
Well, I dont have an agent either! So
they offered me the standard contract
of $25,000, $30,000 and $35,000 for
my first three years. I also had a nice
signing bonus of $500, which I was really excited about. I didnt play for that
much money back then. People are so
surprised when they hear that.

the opportunity to try

Did the climate ever affect you

during a game?
Growing up in Central Wisconsin

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toughened me up. Once you grow up there, you are hardened by a lot of things. You
grow up in the snow. Then it comes to spring and that is not the nicest time. The summers are kind of hot, not too bad. And then the fall and winters are so cold. Doing the
things I did snowmobiling, and ice fishing helped me out. One time John Ogiba asked
me to cut a cord of wood; I didnt know how much a cord was. So I just started cutting
wood and then he came back and said, You
cut a cord of wood in less than an hour!
Thats pretty good. I thought he was going I played, practiced,
to help but he just watched me do the whole
and prepared as though
thing!
I learned if I could work outdoors in Wiscon- someone was trying to
sin I could play football in any climate, altake my job.
though QBs dont like the windy days.
What was it like playing football and
knowing that you are not guaranteed to be the starter?
I played, practiced, and prepared as though someone was trying to take my job. There
are times when you know you are the starter but sports are a very fickle job, one or two
bad games and you can go from the top to the bottom. All of a sudden the fans that
were cheering for you are booing you and wanting the backup to replace you.

You just have to be a professional. Even if you are in a bank working, or in the paper
mill, you still have to do a good job and do it to the best of your ability. I would always
talk with my dad who said If youre going to work for Roto-Rooter, youve got to be the
best Roto-Rooter guy you can be. Thats what helped me to be a good football player.
I just tried to be the best football player I could be.

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David Krieg retired from playing football in

1998 after playing with the Tennessee Oilers
for two years. He was later accepted into the
Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor, having
played with them for 11 years. He now enjoys spending time with his wife and three
kids, and he likes to visit Wausau frequently
to take part in activites such as hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.