HarveyWallbangers
05-18-2006, 03:42 PM
Dexter McNabb pulled a Bryce Paup.
:D
Scott Venci column: McNabb warms up to life in Green Bay
Green Bay Press Gazette
If you would have told Dexter McNabb six months into his career with the Green Bay Packers that he someday would make his home in this area  and become a football and track and field coach at West De Pere High School  he probably would have called you crazy.
After being born and raised in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., and after starting two years and being a four-year letterman at the University of Florida from 1988 to 1991, the South was all McNabb knew.
And he loved it.
When he was selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL draft, he wasn’t prepared for life in Green Bay.
He had no idea how many African-Americans lived in the city. He was shocked when he found out how few did.
“I really was,†said McNabb, who played two seasons for the Packers and had stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles.
“I remember me and Edgar (Bennett) walking to K-mart from the Midway Hotel and not seeing a lot of people like ourselves, other than in the locker room. It was a culture shock. It wasn’t a frightening experience, but it was an educational experience.â€ÂÂ
It took McNabb until the middle of his first season to get adjusted. It helped to have players he knew from college, like former Florida State defensive back LeRoy Butler, on the team. It also helped to have Bennett, who was drafted one round ahead of McNabb in 1992, by his side.
But it still wasn’t enough for McNabb.
He couldn’t handle not being able to get good Southern food at local restaurants. He woke up in the morning longing for grits and sweet tea, but couldn’t get either.
“You play a game on Sunday, you go in on Monday and you get done by (noon),†he said. “Me and Edgar were so homesick that we were thinking about driving home and making it back by Wednesday morning. I mean, it was bad.
“It is hard for a lot of people to understand. It is hard to put African-Americans in situations that when they are coming from mostly a place with all types of races, as is the case in Florida, and then putting them in a society where it’s pretty much 90 percent Caucasian population.â€ÂÂ
Eventually, though, McNabb began to fall in love with the area.
He met his wife, Tracy, a West De Pere alumna, and the couple had two children together.
He has gotten used to the cold winters, has become a fisherman and even shot his first buck last year.
Perhaps best of all, during his time here, McNabb has seen Green Bay go from having just a few African-Americans to a city that is starting to become a little more multicultural.
“When I got here in 1992, there weren’t a lot of African-Americans working in the stores or in the businesses,†McNabb said.
“Now, it’s totally better. It seems like Green Bay and the surrounding area has adjusted.
“Itââ €šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s a totally different game now.â€ÂÂ
:D
Scott Venci column: McNabb warms up to life in Green Bay
Green Bay Press Gazette
If you would have told Dexter McNabb six months into his career with the Green Bay Packers that he someday would make his home in this area  and become a football and track and field coach at West De Pere High School  he probably would have called you crazy.
After being born and raised in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., and after starting two years and being a four-year letterman at the University of Florida from 1988 to 1991, the South was all McNabb knew.
And he loved it.
When he was selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL draft, he wasn’t prepared for life in Green Bay.
He had no idea how many African-Americans lived in the city. He was shocked when he found out how few did.
“I really was,†said McNabb, who played two seasons for the Packers and had stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles.
“I remember me and Edgar (Bennett) walking to K-mart from the Midway Hotel and not seeing a lot of people like ourselves, other than in the locker room. It was a culture shock. It wasn’t a frightening experience, but it was an educational experience.â€ÂÂ
It took McNabb until the middle of his first season to get adjusted. It helped to have players he knew from college, like former Florida State defensive back LeRoy Butler, on the team. It also helped to have Bennett, who was drafted one round ahead of McNabb in 1992, by his side.
But it still wasn’t enough for McNabb.
He couldn’t handle not being able to get good Southern food at local restaurants. He woke up in the morning longing for grits and sweet tea, but couldn’t get either.
“You play a game on Sunday, you go in on Monday and you get done by (noon),†he said. “Me and Edgar were so homesick that we were thinking about driving home and making it back by Wednesday morning. I mean, it was bad.
“It is hard for a lot of people to understand. It is hard to put African-Americans in situations that when they are coming from mostly a place with all types of races, as is the case in Florida, and then putting them in a society where it’s pretty much 90 percent Caucasian population.â€ÂÂ
Eventually, though, McNabb began to fall in love with the area.
He met his wife, Tracy, a West De Pere alumna, and the couple had two children together.
He has gotten used to the cold winters, has become a fisherman and even shot his first buck last year.
Perhaps best of all, during his time here, McNabb has seen Green Bay go from having just a few African-Americans to a city that is starting to become a little more multicultural.
“When I got here in 1992, there weren’t a lot of African-Americans working in the stores or in the businesses,†McNabb said.
“Now, it’s totally better. It seems like Green Bay and the surrounding area has adjusted.
“Itââ €šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s a totally different game now.â€ÂÂ