tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32822427946358353222011-11-27T15:52:02.609-08:00Insight to my journey and experience as a professional football player.Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.comBlogger491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-24915604631428469312010-02-25T09:08:00.000-08:002010-02-25T09:41:54.845-08:00

It was right around this time last year when I set out on my journey into the unknown. I remember how anxious and excited I was to embark on the adventure and to immerse myself into a new culture and way of life. From the second I stepped foot on the plane, there was a plethora of thoughts and images swirling around in my head of what to expect. The quickest thing I learned is to expect the

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-76035534311340599872009-12-11T02:12:00.000-08:002009-12-11T02:30:59.042-08:00

As my time here in Italy draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the past 10 months. When I made the decision to come to Italy, I had no idea what to expect. I had a fantasy in my mind of Italy and what to expect, which was created by pop culture, film, television, and books. Reading the novel “Playing for Pizza” before arriving here only perpetuated this fantasy even more. The funny

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-47030816901566162682009-11-27T03:10:00.000-08:002009-11-27T03:17:14.919-08:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. This holiday brings everyone together and helps to remind us of the many things we should be thankful for. I am thankful for many things. I am thankful for this wonderful opportunity I have had to live here in Italy and be surrounded by such wonderful people. It is because of the people that the experience has been truly life altering and the reason for such an

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-81408182806964277542009-11-16T04:18:00.000-08:002009-11-16T04:19:48.541-08:00

Yesterday we played our second game of the season with the under 21 Doves youth team. The matchup was with the top team in the division and also the champions of the Series A this year, the Bolzano Giants. In each of the Giants’ previous games this season, teams struggled to do anything productive versus them and they cruised to 3 easy victories. Last night, however, was a much different story

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-10313890720655263322009-10-24T11:20:00.001-07:002009-10-24T11:46:13.751-07:00

Last night we had our last and final practice before our first game. The practice came on the third consecutive day of heavy rain. Despite, the cold and wet weather, to my surprise, we still had a good number of guys at practice. Unsure of what we would do, they took a while milling around in the locker room to come out for practice. Finally at 8:30 (a half hour after our supposed starting

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-61545156548331867652009-10-19T05:10:00.000-07:002009-10-19T05:21:22.803-07:00

It’s that time of year again, yup, its fall which can only mean one thing…football season. I love this time of year. I love the weather, the crisp air, the smell of firewood, and the leaves as they change color... although the temperature is getting cooler, there is a feeling of warmth about this time of year that is very tranquil and comforting. This time of year last year was not quite as

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-41182807619165403382009-09-09T03:39:00.000-07:002009-09-09T03:42:10.669-07:00

Being that my time remaining here in Italy is undefined and fueled by the pressing need to start making some money if I am to stay, it is time to be proactive and think about what assets I have in which there is a demand of here in Italy. Given that I came here to play football and help others here to increase their knowledge and ability of the game, I want to expand on that by providing a

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-16844955318487637852009-09-04T09:41:00.000-07:002009-09-04T09:51:53.264-07:00

I know these updates have become less and less frequent, but it is summer time and my time here in Italy may be winding down. I hope to make a decision within the next two weeks as to whether I will be staying here for a while longer or instead return home. The exact timing of this decision may not be entirely in my hands because the situation with the Doves is still unsettled. The money still

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-70832502706929386312009-07-19T02:45:00.000-07:002009-07-19T02:53:07.750-07:00

I apologize for the delayed response, but it’s been difficult to find the time to write because I’ve been busy hopping about all over the place out here. After about 3 ½ of traveling, I finally returned to Bologna. What I found when I returned however wasn’t what I had in mind. After traveling for so long, I just wanted to relax, get back into a good workout routine, and reunite with the

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-2748560471818320242009-07-01T02:53:00.000-07:002009-07-01T03:20:12.870-07:00

I’m currently sitting at Charles De Gua airport in Paris. After 5 days in Milan, 2 days in Paris, a day in Nice, a day in Cannes, and then one more night in Paris, I am heading back to Italy to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. I finally have some time to sit and write for a bit because they over-booked me on my flight from Paris back to Bologna. I am now instead taking a flight into Rome, but

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-71225136057775137292009-06-18T01:54:00.000-07:002009-06-18T03:38:48.075-07:00

The first of the Americans has left Italy. Burl left this Tuesday on a flight back to the states. During the short month and a half that he was here, he injected new life into the Doves through his constant pranks, sayings, and as we like to call it…jerrying. Burl came here in response to the shoulder injury that I suffered. He provided valuable WR and DB knowledge to our guys and his

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-42974316380262420342009-06-13T06:56:00.000-07:002009-06-13T07:03:48.482-07:00

So things in France didn’t go quite as planned. Our aspirations of making it to the EFAF Championship game fell short. As far as the game is concerned, we played toe to toe with them the first half. It was 7-7 with a couple minutes left in the half. They moved the ball down the field to approximately the 10-yard line. With 7 seconds left on the clock, they tried a sweep play. I came down

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-21003094953390192572009-06-03T03:27:00.000-07:002009-06-03T03:48:47.999-07:00

After 3 months of a roller coaster season, the long awaited and highly anticipated game of the year is now over…resulting in the Doves being able to stake our claim as Champions of Bologna! This was definitely a special game. The enthusiasm and eagerness that the guys had all week leading up to the game was something that we didn’t have all season. The practices were great, the team spirits

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-5778328397932312492009-05-30T07:35:00.000-07:002009-05-30T07:37:55.176-07:00

After almost 100 days here in Italy it is finally here…THE DERBY. This game is the first game that was mentioned when I stepped foot off the plane and met my new Italian teammates. The countdown had begun long before I arrived, but they didn’t waste a single second to make sure I was aware of what this game meant and why the countdown was for this game and not just until the start of the season

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-9705536471267780352009-05-19T03:17:00.000-07:002009-05-19T03:22:20.052-07:00

Here is the clip from Terrell's incredible game-winning touchdown...this is what you call NOT BEING DENIED!!!

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-34168621498120318092009-05-18T06:31:00.001-07:002009-05-18T07:19:49.442-07:00

These two simple words may have changed our season. A team on the brink of collapse…a team with their backs up against a wall…a team with individuals challenged to look themselves in the mirror…made a decision. The decision was these two tiny little words… WE WILL! Although seemingly insignificant and small when separate these two words together evoked courage, determination, desire, and heart

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-54186718807468291912009-05-18T03:50:00.001-07:002009-05-18T07:22:56.494-07:00

After the Belgrade game, we are now ranked number 19 in Europe by EFAF ranking system.http://test.efaf.info/text.php3?Inhalt=top20&MenueID=131

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-57024883415485585862009-05-12T04:15:00.000-07:002009-05-12T04:20:43.655-07:00

Last night the top finally blew off the kettle. With three close losses in a row, the frustration has been building each and every week. These past three weeks we have searched for answers as to why we were losing these close games…to teams that were inferior to us. We thought maybe we were just unlucky, or maybe it was because we are just a young team, or maybe it was because we had many guys

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-76596407679543801942009-04-30T10:02:00.000-07:002009-04-30T10:12:42.343-07:00

Just like the weather here in Bologna, our season has taken a bit of a turn south. There has not been a lot of “shining moments” here in Bologna this month of April, both literally and figuratively. It has rained far more than it is typically supposed to. Its been raining constantly. The worst part is that it will tease us. I'll wake up and it will be sunny and I think it's going to be a

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-2335389132441123852009-04-19T04:29:00.000-07:002009-04-19T04:52:37.435-07:00

Yesterday we played our first game of the EFAF Cup against the Badalona Dracs from Spain. The last couple games have been tough for us as a team. We have been decimated with injuries. Last game we probably had half our defense out of the game with injury and we also lost Terrell due to an ankle sprain. It was a game that I know we could have won, had we stayed healthy. So, after two losses

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-44470169403440465432009-04-06T02:41:00.000-07:002009-04-06T02:58:07.111-07:00

It was an ugly one this week. We got dragged through the mud, LITERALLY. Due to the rain here over the past week the field was in terrible shape making it impossible to keep your footing. It was like being on roller skates out there. The field wasn’t the only problem. We simply weren’t ready to play. I’m not sure if it had to do with the fact that it was warm and our first day game and that

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-31766571156136137642009-03-31T04:02:00.000-07:002009-03-31T04:06:04.066-07:00

I have put the links to a few websites on the blog. They are displayed in the upper right hand corner in purple script, and you will be re-directed to the respective site simply by clicking on one of the links. They are the official website of the Doves, the Doves YouTube site where you can see game highlights, and the link to the Italian Football League where you can view stats, standings, and

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-91246318785722844882009-03-30T04:23:00.000-07:002009-03-30T04:44:51.951-07:00

This week our game was in Reggio-Emilia against the Hogs. As I stated earlier, the Hogs run a Wing T on offense, which can be tricky and potentially disastrous for undisciplined teams. Going into the game, I knew that we were the better team, but I wasn’t sure how we would handle this trickery. We took a bus into Reggio Emilia that should have taken around an hour, but instead, the bus driver

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-46472159201421645252009-03-27T10:22:00.001-07:002009-03-27T10:24:44.924-07:00

Yesterday, the Doves and I had a special invitation for a mass held by the archbishop in the San Pietro Cathedral of Bologna. Our President, Giacomo, arranged the mass. Upon entering the cathedral, I was blown away by the beauty and architecture of this magnificent church. The ceilings were about a hundred feet high, held up by huge columns that were common architectural structures used during

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-56487489775762892242009-03-25T04:19:00.001-07:002009-03-25T04:31:16.814-07:00

This past week was our one and only bye for the season. I’m not a fan of having the bye week so early in the season, but it was useful I suppose for several reasons. After a physical battle with the Giants, the week could have served useful to get guys healthy who were banged up. I know my body hurt after this game, as did Terrell’s and Drew’s. However, the bye week backfired on us more than

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-72573160784166740082009-03-17T04:18:00.000-07:002009-03-17T04:22:31.296-07:00

Here is a song that one of my teammates brought to my attention. Thanks Andrea!

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-59800694541055808202009-03-17T04:11:00.000-07:002009-03-17T04:16:09.501-07:00

Here is the article and photo from the game...I told you us Doves could fly. Haha.

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-37576726993150008472009-03-16T03:45:00.000-07:002009-03-16T03:52:52.318-07:00

We played our first game this past Saturday against the Super Bowl champions of last year- the Bolzano Giants. In preparation for the game, we tried to simulate some of our pre-game routines of the states that we have grown accustomed to over the years. Being here makes you appreciate all the luxuries of playing in college and the NFL. Unlike in college and the NFL where you wake up and have a

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-71196394285730775612009-03-12T05:43:00.000-07:002009-03-12T05:47:58.455-07:00

It’s just about that time now…GAME TIME! We are just a few days away from my first game here in Italy. I’m excited, anxious, and ready to get on the field again and do my thing. So far, it’s been a great week!!! I’ve started to have dreams about the game and I see myself doing great things. I have those butterflies creeping into my stomach and a focus in my mind that tells me it’s that time.

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-888539497101154752009-03-09T17:47:00.000-07:002009-03-09T17:53:47.514-07:00

Finally…it’s about that time. We play our first game (or match as they like to say here) this Saturday night against the Bolzano Giants. In preparation for this, several members of the team, several coaches, and I took a little road trip to Bergamo to watch the Giants play the lions. We left Sunday morning around 9:30 and arrived in Bergamo about 2 hours later. When we got there, we were all

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-10920646684635947582009-03-07T04:18:00.000-08:002009-03-07T04:22:51.380-08:00

If only it were this easy...Maybe I should grow a moustache.

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-22515744634791604432009-03-06T03:59:00.001-08:002009-03-06T04:18:41.245-08:00

Just when we thought we had it all under control...The other night after grabbing some dinner and heading out for a bit, we come back to the car only to find a big empty space where the car once was. We didn’t want to believe that the car had actually been towed despite the obvious signs (several tow trucks hauling vehicles away on the street where we had parked and police officers walking up

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-48726580418733357272009-03-04T07:48:00.000-08:002009-03-04T08:28:22.612-08:00

Here are some of the pics that I've taken so far. Enjoy and be jealous because its beautiful here!!!These pics are of the Piazza Majore, in here there is a library where I have been using the Internet until now:Me in front of Neptune StatueScooters and Bikes Galor!The Two TowersA cool Venice looking street we randomly came across on one of our many walking adventures.A HUGE bowl of pasta at

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-7824744511158510012009-03-04T07:16:00.000-08:002009-03-04T07:19:51.117-08:00

The long awaited arrival of my home and portable Internet access for my laptop is finally here!!! Now I can connect with many of you via skype (cmando27), facebook, or whatever other means of technological communication you prefer to use. Hit me up!

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-6347132889039784102009-03-03T03:59:00.000-08:002009-03-03T04:44:47.904-08:00

Its been another week now, and I’m sorry to say that I’m still without Internet. Its been a couple weeks now that we’ve been told we are getting it, but it’s just the way things have been going out here that nothing is a rush. The President is the man in charge and he’s busy with his other job and I guess its tough for him to attend to all the needs of the team as well as his commitment to his

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-45212079225015869472009-02-23T04:54:00.000-08:002009-02-23T04:58:22.998-08:00

Its been a little more than one week now since my arrival in Bologna. I absolutely love it here and I’m really happy I decided to come. I’ve always wanted to visit Italy and learn the language, and now I’m actually LIVING here! Its going to be an amazing adventure. As far as everything goes, the guys on the team have been great. They have welcomed us with open arms and have been a big help

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-30283979068279173262009-02-11T23:26:00.000-08:002009-02-11T23:56:25.563-08:00

The decision has been made, I'm packing my bags and I'm off for the adventure of a lifetime. For those of you who haven't heard, I'm off to play football in Bologna, Italy. I will be playing for the Bologna Doves. This is something that I've always thought about doing and now is my opportunity to experience. I leave this Friday. I fly from LAX to Paris. Then from Paris to Bologna. I have

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-38900908764889499402008-12-18T20:30:00.000-08:002008-12-18T20:59:31.046-08:00

Hi all. I know its been a while since you've heard from me on here and I apologize for that. The way things turned out in KC was a tough thing for me to deal with and I've had to do a lot of soul searching and thinking about what it is that I want to do next. I have been mulling over whether I want to keep trying to play football or whether I should just move on to the next phase and chapter

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-28159572885045461762008-08-29T11:02:00.001-07:002008-08-29T11:02:55.440-07:00

Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.Vince Lombardi

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-33810058693246052162008-08-13T08:01:00.000-07:002008-08-13T08:23:11.107-07:00

Its been a very long three weeks, but finally our time in River Falls, WI is nearing its close. Its been 3 weeks straight of endless meetings and practices...football, football, football 24/7. Its been both physically and mentally exhausting. Training camp is like the movie Groundhog Day, you wake up and its the same thing over and over and over again. Each morning you wake up a little more

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-1323527489722808562008-07-14T20:47:00.000-07:002008-07-15T16:40:27.378-07:00

I've spent the last month back in my hometown of Newport Beach, CA. Newport is a great place to come back to whenever I have time off from football because it is really a vacation in itself. Between the great weather, the beach, friends, family, and fun, I really couldn't ask for a better place to relax, recollect my thoughts, get focused and concentrate on my goals than here in Newport.

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-41700214330815100082008-06-09T17:02:00.000-07:002008-06-09T17:31:38.706-07:00

Here is the link to an interview I did regarding OTA's. As to give a brief update, OTA's have been going really well. I am doing a good job at learning the offense and at competing to win the starting fullback job. We just finished our mini camp this past weekend which also went extremely well. For mini-camp we had practice all weekend...Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This was tough after a

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-75597918259588884932008-05-25T17:43:00.000-07:002008-05-25T18:05:59.609-07:00

Last weekend I participated in the Herm Edward's Youth Football Camp. The camp was an all day event that took place on both Saturday and Sunday last weekend. There were over 1,000 kids that attended the camps from all age groups, the oldest being 17 year olds. I had the opportunity to help coach a team of kids that were in the oldest age group of 13-17. It was interesting reflecting back at

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-4034559573742356092008-05-07T12:39:00.001-07:002008-05-07T12:44:10.220-07:00

Follow the link to check out my interview for this Cheifs site.http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2008/5/7/481848/inside-the-mind-of-a-fullb

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-69880101717145754052008-05-07T12:17:00.000-07:002008-05-07T12:33:41.558-07:00

Last weekend I went through my first mini camp as a Chief. Although technically a "rookie" mini-camp, I was one of five veteran players to be invited. It was a good opportunity to learn the new offense and show what I can do on the field. The camp consisted of two practices on Friday and then one practice on Saturday. Many of the guys at the camp were players competing to earn a contract as a

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-8476556066424846312008-04-22T17:19:00.001-07:002008-04-22T17:47:23.933-07:00

Last night I experienced my first Kansas City Thunderstorm. It came through at 2 in the morning. For those of you that know me, you know I have very crazy and vivid dreams. I was lying in bed and saw flashes of bright light. I was sound asleep at the time, but the lightening and thunder woke me. Because I was still half asleep, my imagination took hold and I thought someone was outside taking

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-35154091150131070852008-04-20T19:25:00.001-07:002008-04-20T20:16:11.029-07:00

After a week of being put up at the Sheraton, it was time to find my own place. It was such a quick process. I went from being in California one day to living in Kansas City the next, with less than a week to find a place to live. I really wasn't interested in doing an extended stay hotel again. I did that in Cinci and it got old pretty quick...it just never felt like home. Its been a wild

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-84478814984690901112008-04-14T15:45:00.000-07:002008-04-14T16:21:51.343-07:00

After an amazing weekend up north in Berkeley for the Cal Alumni NFL weekend, I hopped on a plane to Kansas City to begin the next chapter in my NFL career as a Kansas City Chief. After a long weekend and an even longer plane flight, (I got delayed in Phoenix for over 2 hours) I finally hit the pillow of my hotel room at 2:30 a.m. Kansas City time. I struggled to fall asleep due to the anxiety

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282242794635835322.post-80740395541927005972008-03-26T22:32:00.000-07:002008-03-31T11:24:37.192-07:00

My journey in the NFL began with a phone call late Sunday afternoon on April 30, 2006 simultaneous with a two-time Kobe Bryant buzzer beater. I remember watching the draft come and go without my name being called and waited anxiously in the following hours for the phone to ring...presenting me with that unique opportunity that thousands of kids across America dream of their whole life...to play

Chris Manderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05089052283273653613noreply@blogger.com1