By By Chandler Myers
On Monday night, I had one of the greatest experiences I have had during my short time as a journalist.
I was able to attend the media night dinner for the Under Armour Senior Bowl at Battleship Park in Mobile and interviewed and met with several of the elite college football players that will play Saturday.
One person above all stood out to me though as I asked him question after question.
Colin Peek, the former starting tight end for the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide, took the time for me to interview him and blew me away.
The sincerity of his answers was something that impressed me because of how humble he is for all the great things he has gone through in the last few months.
Peek is a massive individual not only in size at 6’6, 255 pounds, but also in the size of his heart.
As big as the honor is to be competing in the Senior Bowl, Peek seems dumfounded by one achievement that he received following the SEC Championship win over the Florida Gators.
He graced the cover of “Sports Illustrated” for the amazing catch he made that went for a touchdown in the game.
Peek said being on the cover of the magazine surprised him, his family and friends.
Being on the cover is something that he said he is still just in awe about and probably won’t hit him until a couple of years down the road when he looks back on his collegiate career.
Although he only played one season for the Crimson Tide, Peek’s presence will always be remembered because he was a key piece on the team that won the BCS Championship.
He transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech because the Crimson Tide runs one of the best Pro-style offenses in college football.
Peek gives credit to his coaches and also enlightened me on the type of person coach Saban is.
According to Peek, he loves the man and coach that Saban is.
Everything that Peek has accomplished has not made him cocky or snobby. It has made him just as humble as any person could be.
He is grateful for the opportunity’s he has received.
I hope that he receives more opportunities in the future.
At the end of the interview, I pulled out my “Sports Illustrated” with Peek on the front, and the tight end proudly autographed the image of himself.
Walking away from that interview, I was humbled by the fact that there are still athletes out there who are stunned by their own success.
Peek made an impression on me that will last a lifetime.
Chandler Myers is sports editor of the Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123 or by e-mail at sports@atmoreadvance.com.