Aaron hasnt given me an opinion on my facial hair other than nickname me Wolverine. Thats just his M.O., to call people names like that. I was just Ginger for awhile, and then I guess I let my sideburns get a little bit out of control, so now Ive become Ginger Wolverine together.
The sideburns, really, its two things: One, Ive had them since high school, so theyve really become a part of me, and two, I dont really pay attention. So I havent groomed myself as well as I probably should. My wife, she kind of just looks at me and shakes her head. But she doesnt fight it.
You know, Aaron is great. Hes a really inclusive guy. He really pulls the team together. The thing Ill never forget about Aaron, when I first got here back in March, I was in the Hutson Center holding for Mason, and they were doing quarterback school. They were taking a break, and he came over and started razzing me, yelling my name and stuff. And I was kind of taken aback. I didnt think this guy even knew my name. I had been in Indianapolis, and Peyton (Manning) and I never had an exchange or anything. I was like, just recently signed, who knows if Im going to be on the team in the fall. I thought that was cool, that he took the time. Now, if he would pay a little less attention to me and not be yelling my new name, thatd be great.
My wife Amanda and I, we both went to the University of Kentucky. We met there in accounting class our sophomore year. We were friends, and then we started dating at the very end of our junior year, got engaged shortly thereafter and got married after college. Shes been everything for me. We got married when I was with Indianapolis, and shes had to put up with us living apart the first three, four weeks of being married we were apart. Then I got released and came back to Lexington, and she had a full-time job and I picked up a part-time job tutoring to have a stable income. She worked at a bank in Kentucky and now shes working at Pioneer Credit Union in Howard.
Its just great because my value to her doesnt change at all regardless of if Im in the league or out of the league, if I have a job or dont have a job. Shes just been great.
Free agency is a tough thing. Its just tough to keep working really hard when you dont know if youre ever even going to get another shot, another look. The four and a half months where I was a free agent, it was all through football season, so watching games on Sunday and continuing to work out, staying in shape and working on punting, its a hard thing. You just dont know if its ever going to happen. And I didnt want to jump into another career because I was still giving this a shot. Its a hard thing. And even when I got signed by the Packers, youre still trying to make it. Its not like you sign a contract and youre on the team. Its a difficult thing, but its good to go through. Theres challenges in life, and this was one of those.
I drive a 2006 Chevy Cobalt, which is great I enjoy driving in and out of the stadium, because I know people never think Im a player coming in and out. I have a good time with that. But its been a trusty car, so I have no reason to get another one.
I like the show "House." I dont watch a ton of TV. I watch "SportsCenter" and stuff, football games and sports in general, but thats about it. The one show my wife and I watch is "The Amazing Race." We would love to be on "The Amazing Race." We joke around about sending in the application. Whether or not were actually going to do it, I dont know.
I have an iPod, but I dont use it too much. I actually have two iPods. One has some music on it, but I dont really use that. I have another iPod that is full of sermons from pastors all around the country that a friend of mine gave to me, and I take that with me sometimes when we go on plane trips and stuff.
Jesus Christ is my all-in-all. Hes my Lord and Savior, and so that is most important in my life. And I guess I dont come on heavy about it, and I may not come on as heavy as I should. Its one of those things where, I try to live out my faith and talk about it when I think its good to talk about. I may not always be wise in when I broadcast it and when I dont.
I havent been to many movies since the season started, but I do like movies a lot going to movies, watching them at home. We make it every once in awhile. I was lobbying to see the "Wall Street" sequel, but we ended up going to see that movie about the couple that becomes parents "Life As We Know It." Which was fine. I lost that one.
We love Grazies. Thats our favorite Green Bay restaurant hands-down. I always get the chicken curry, and she always gets the bruschetta chicken salad. So were boring, we wind up getting the same thing every time.
Sports has always been my thing. Its always been my passion. Not football as much, but growing up I played soccer, basketball and baseball. I lived for sports and did them year-round. I was always in-season for something. I still feel the same way. I picked up football when I was a junior in high school, and started playing wide receiver and stuff and loved it. High school football was a blast. I still pinch myself thinking, I get to play competitive sports for a living. I love it. It was a quick journey. I just worked hard at the craft all along and now Im here.
I have four brothers and one sister. Im No. 2, the second-oldest. My sister is the youngest. It was competitive, and we all love sports. Me and my older brother, and my next youngest brother, we were always competing pick-up basketball, baseball, golf, soccer, whatever. We just competed. I do think sometimes that competing with my older brother because he was better than me at everything I was always having to play him one-on-one and it was really tough. I think he helped me a lot growing up with his work ethic and just competing with me.
My parents always told me to work hard, but I think their best advice was that they always told us to listen to their advice, but at the same time make your own decisions. Dont just do what we think or what we say.
Im on Twitter. I actually opened it in training camp. I dont even know why I did it. I think I just thought, Maybe thatd be fun. But then I never Tweeted. I kind of forgot that I set it up. And then last week, I did an interview with CheeseheadTV.com, and they asked me something about Twitter. And so I told them my Twitter its @TimMasthay and in my settings, I guess I put in for them to send me an e-mail anytime anyone follows me. So as soon as I finished that interview, on my BlackBerry, which gets e-mail, the thing just blew up with more than 100 messages. So I was like, I guess I better give this thing a shot. Ive only Tweeted like three times. My wifes been helping me, telling me what things to say. So Im still a work in progress. But Im going to go with it.
My closest friends on the team are Mason Crosby and Brett Goode. I work with them every day a lot, and weve become close. I really cherish those relationships.
What would I be doing if I wasnt playing football? My wife and I, we have a strong interest in going into the Peace Corps. Im not sure well get to do it, but theres a good chance that if we werent doing this right now, wed be overseas right now in the Peace Corps.
I wish I was better at Sheepshead. My debt is growing daily. If I could get better, that would help me out a lot. Its usually me, Mason, Brett and when the quarterbacks go on break, Matt Flynn and Aaron come and play. Aaron doesnt like it when Im his partner and his fortunes are tied to mine.
The game against the Jets, that has to be my best moment as a Packer so far. Theres something about winning on the road. It is just a blast. I mean, its fun to win at home, too, dont get me wrong. I love winning at home. But theres something special about being able to go into someone elses house and beat them. That game, a defensive battle, a special teams battle, to have a good game and have Mike (McCarthy) say the things he said to me, that meant a lot. That was a special moment in my life.
When my career is over, I would like to go back to school. Id like to go into the Peace Corps.
I love to go visit my grandparents my dads parents in Carlsbad, California. I always like going to see family. Now, my immediate family lives around Dayton, Ohio. I grew up in Murray, Kentucky, where Murray State University is. I dont have any family back there anymore. In December I wont be able to be a part of it but my family is going out to visit my grandparents in California, and I have a great-grandmother there whos 103. And my brother has a son, and were all hoping they can get together and take a picture. Itd be a five-generation picture, which I think would be awesome. Thatd be pretty cool. Can you imagine being 103?
I get back to UK every once in awhile. I may try to go back on the bye week. Im hoping to go back for their game on Saturday. Lexington will always be a special place to me. I do enjoy going back there and seeing friends and being around the program.