When I first enrolled at EIU I knew there were not many "famous" people to come out of Eastern Illinois, but I always thought it would be cool to meet one of the few famous alumni. In the past few years I have had the honor of meeting some of Eastern's biggest names. My Sophomore year I met MLB All-Star Marty Pattin.
Trivia Break-> Did you know the bar Marty's was named after Marty Pattin.
My junior year I met Tony Romo and got to be on the field when he got the key to the city and his number retired.
Then this past week I got to meet a Super Bowl winning coach who graduated from EIU back in 1986 and also played in the NFL for a few seasons, including one with the Chicago Bears. His name is Sean Payton. He was a great guest and treated everyone the same, he did not act above anyone else and was not a snob like some others before him. He took a photo with anyone who would come by with a camera and even chugged a beer with some frat brothers. He gave fans a high five if they reached their hands out and was respectful to all. I saw him make his way around Billy's backyard, also known as the tailgating area and on the football field and he was nothing but a class act. Not only is he a champion on the field, but he is also one off of the field.
I have been lucky my four years at this University and got to meet some really cool people in my time here. When my college career comes to an end in May 2011, one of my more fond memories will be the time I got to meet Sean Payton.
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