By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. Release your inner James Joyce and show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
Don’t bother looking for my college you won’t find one for me. I know how you Pinesters like to revel in the schools of all these guys featured in Who Am I? Yeah, I went from high school to the National Football League. Well, kinda. You see, I was a rookie at the age of 26. Spent the entirety of my seven-year career with one team. Otis Redding might have had the theme song for my career because I was “playing” by the dock of the bay. I made the Pro Bowl once. Got a safety that year. My team made the playoffs every year except my last. We won one Super Bowl. You might know me because of my extra-terrestrial reputation. You see, I had a shaved head. Back then, I might have been the only guy with a bald head. When I took off my helmet, and the steam poured out of my head, I might have looked like I was from another planet. Combine that with what I did between high school and the NFL, and people joked that I was from Mars.
Who am I?
First shaved head, played for Raiders or Niners. 26 year old rookie. All that and I’m still blank. Memories of a non-college pro are very vague in my head. Defensive back. Probably played with The Assasin. BTW, who was the big DE for the Raiders back in the day; Ben something. Guy on Steelers reminds me of him; red hair, beard.
My initial thought was that I have no idea, but then between Pete’s DE comment and the shaved head hint, I think I got it.
Are you Otis Sistrunk?
By the way, the rest of the hints did me no good. Bald guy who played in the Bay area. That’s what did it…that is, if I’m right.
I think you got it, Chas. Wasn’t Sistrunk a nose tackle though? Anyway, he was a career Oakland Raider.
Nice work.
Geeeez … you guys were determined early birds, weren’t ya?
Pete — Are you thinking of Big Ben Davidson?
Big Ben Davidson is it! Thanks Wally. And I do believe Chas nailed it with Sistrunk. Good job, buddy.
Yeah, the thought finally popped into my head that it’s Wednesday morning, so I should check the WAI before heading into work. I was a bit rushed though, so here’s some further explanation of how Pete helped lead me to the answer.
When I read the bay comment, I was fixated on the 49ers. By the way, Casey, as soon as you said Otis Redding, I knew that was the song you were referring to. Also, was the fact that the singer shares a first name with the player a subtle hint?
Anyway, like I said, I was fixated on the 49ers, so Pete’s comment about a DE on the Raiders got me to thinking about Raiders’ defensive linemen. I didn’t really care that I remembered Sistrunk as short (by lineman standards), so that he probably was a nose tackle or defensive tackle. The baldness was the important part. I just had to remember the last name. I believe I even got the spelling right.
By the way, I know I downplay my football knowledge, but I guess the mid-’70s to mid-’80s are in my wheelhouse…when I was young and impressionable and players didn’t change teams as much. I also probably had my share of football cards too. 🙂
Football cards, baseball cards, basketball cards, hockey cards – our conduit to statistics.
Right on, Casey.
I didn’t get the first name connection until NOW!
I think you’ve proven on more than one occasion that you’re a little slow, Pete. 🙂
Most definitely, or you could take “little” out.
Don’t pick on Pete- he is used to getting extra time as he’s been special ed most of his life…I mean he has WORKED with special ed students… yeah, that’s what I meant to say…
Wasn’t it said, Casey, that Sistrunk attended the University of Mars? Did he ever graduate?