I had the distinct pleasure of spending a few hours with 3 of the greatest defensive players in WVU history... Marc Magro, Grant Wiley, and Adam Lehnortt. A quick little intro... After leading WVU's defense to a dismantling of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, Marc has been preparing for the NFL draft. Grant, WVU's all-time leading tackler and ex-All-American, has taken up acting/modeling and resides in NYC. Adam ended his career 5th amongst WVU's all-time tackle-for-loss leaders. He now lives in South Jersey and co-owns 2 restaurants. I had a blast, and this "interview" is more-so a scattering of conversations we shared while the players socialized with some of the Mountaineer fan base.
[Jim]:	(to Grant) I actually DVR'd All My Children to catch your episode. So, what at WVU prepared you for your role as a bar patron? [laughing]
[Grant]:	Bent Willey's. Bent Willey's got me fully prepared.
[Jim]:	So what are you up to now, Adam?
[Adam]:	I'm a part owner in 2 restaurants in South Jersey.
[Jim]:	Wow. Where in South Jersey?
[Adam]:	Bayside Pizza & Pasta House in Wildwood Crest and a restaurant, Bella Mangiata, in the Villas, NJ.
[Note: as some of you may know, I grew up in South Jersey, not too far from Wildwood Crest and Villas. So, this was pretty cool to me. After speaking to the folks back home, I learned my mom had been to Bella Mangiata too. She even said it was very good!]
[Jim]:	Did you open it after football was done?
[Adam]:	Yeah, but I came back for my MBA.
[Jim]:	But did you grow up in New Jersey?
[Adam]:	No, Oil City, north of Pittsburgh.
[Jim]:	Grant, how much weight exactly have you lost?
[Grant]:	60 pounds.
[Jim]:	Geez.
[Jim]:	I think I know the answer to this, but Marc... who from the old coaching staff do you miss the most?
[Marc]:	Barwis.
[Jim]:	Did you watch his YouTube video? (Watch it now)
[Marc]:	Yeah. I laughed. I called him that night.
[Grant]:	What video?
[Marc]:	You know Mike. Something in Michigan where he starts talking about [Marc started using all kinds of conditioning lingo that went way over my head]
[Jim]:	Grant, you were during the transition of Coach Nehlen and Rodriguez, right?
[Grant]:	I was Nehlen's last 2 years.
[Jim]:	Did you ever consider transfering?
[Grant]:	Yeah, I did.
[Jim]:	What made you stay?
[Grant]:	I thought about it. But, I would have lost a year.
[Jim]:	Any of you guys ever been in Amos' (Zereoue) restaurant? (Amos opened Zereoue in NYC a few years ago)
[Grant]:	I have. It was delicious. And, I'm not just saying that. Have you?
[Jim]:	No, but I hope to... next time I'm in NYC.
[Grant]:	French-African cuisine. An infusion.
[Jim]:	My wife is fully aware of this thing I have for Queen Amidala (Star Wars) and Roller Girl from Boogie Nights. What movie character is your Roller Girl?
[Adam]:	Halle Berry's character in James Bond. I just remember her on that beach.
[Grant]:	Hilary Swank in The Black Dahlia. She plays the murderer.
[Jim]:	That turns you on?
[Grant]:	You have to see it.
[Jim]:	Marc?
[Marc]:	I don't know the character. But, Penelope Cruz.
[Jim]:	Well, on the lines of Boogie Nights... if you were a "character" in that movie, what would your "screen name" be?
[Marc]:	"Marc the Destroyer"
[Adam]:	"Keyser Soze" (Adam said it was a reference to a character in The Usual Suspects)
[Grant]:	"Tnarg Yeliw"
[Jim]:	Ohhh... like Oprah and Harpo?
[Grant]:	Harpo!
[Jim]:	Any rituals you guys had during your playing days?
[Grant]:	Every Thursday night the week of a game, to Marc's mom's. We'd have an extraordinary feast and watch Marc yell at his mom. [Note: keep reading for an example!]
[Jim]:	Adam, you were with Coach Nehlen too, right?
[Adam]:	One year.
[Jim]:	Have any favorite Nehlen-isms?
[Adam]:	I guess "daggonit".
[Adam]:	I have a Nehlen story for you.
[Jim]:	Excellent!
[Adam]:	Practice one day, linebackers were going against tight ends. Chris Edmonds vs Sean Berton. Here's Chris Edmonds, 3 times the size of Coach Nehlen. Nehlen is in his face yelling and screaming trying to get them psyched up. He's running between them and he steps right on top of a football. Fragile little Coach Nehlen. [At this point, Adam really starts laughing as he tells it] Down he goes! His whistle came flying over his head. Everyone came running over. Tough old guy. He brushed himself off and starts yelling, "Come on! Get it going!"
[Jim]:	(to Adam) What coaches were you closest with?
[Adam]:	Coach Kirlav. Coach Casteel. Those two.
[At this point, Marc's mom arrives. Apparently, she picked up a pair of thong panties from our underwear table.]
[Marc's mom]:	Graaaannnttt... will you sign something for me?
[Grant]:	Marc... your mom wants me to sign her panties.
[Marc just shook his head and laughed. His mom starts joking with me about how she likes to embarrass him]
[Jim]:	(to Marc's mom) What are you planning on doing for the draft? You having a big house party?
[Marc's mom]:	Oh no. I'm leaving town.
[Marc]:	Mom, you're not allowed to talk. [everyone is laughing]
[Jim]:	(to Marc's mom) Any funny stories from Marc's childhood?
[It took a while, but they alluded to Marc being naked and chasing the babysitter around the house with a knife or something. Fortunately, Marc assured me it was when he was really young. Otherwise, "Marc the Destroyer" would scare me!]
[Jim]:	Adam, what's your signature dish on your menu?
[Adam]:	We have a great chef from Atlantic City's culinary school. Italian Pork Chops... Pork chops, glazed... with a balsamic reduction.
[Grant]:	A balsamic reduction. Mmmm.
[Marc's mom]:	Have you met Grant's mom (Lynne)?
[Note: I explained the following story... Grant's final year in school, I wore a #6 jersey... like many fans did. At the first game, with full tailgate momentum flowing, a woman comes up to me and introduces herself as Grant's mom, and says she is making a scrapbook of all the people she meets during the year wearing #6. We get our picture together and she gives me a big hug. This encounters repeats itself a few more times that season. WVU ends up in the Tire Bowl in Charlotte. My friends and I go. As I'm walking into the stadium, I hear "#6 guy!! #6 guy!!". My friends and I turn around and Lynne is running towards me with an envelope. I got my usual hug and learned she brought me (well, and several others too) an envelop with copies of the pictures we had taken together throughout the year... in the event she ran into anyone. I was amazed, and still think that is one of the coolest things I've seen. I can only imagine how I would be if my son is lucky enough to don the Gold & Blue]
[Marc's mom]:	Lynne had tailgates at the Friends Inn. My introduction to football was at her tailgate parties.
[Jim]:	Marc, funniest thing to happen on a road trip?
[Marc]:	(after some deliberation) It's not really funny, well sort of. At the Sugar Bowl... a good ways before the game... we were there a while. Phil Brady, the punter. In the hallway. 3:00 in the morning. He was hammered, cigar in his mouth. We're trying to sleep. I told him to get the hell to sleep. I yoked him up.
[Jim]:	"Yoked him up"?
[Marc]:	Yeah. It was a business trip for me.
[The Oliverio family (Oliverio's restaurant) popped in, and seemed to have a past friendship with at least Adam and Grant.]
[Jim]:	(to Grant and Adam) You're back in Motown. What are the plans for tonight?
[Grant]:	We can't decide... Hummers or Oliverio's. We all know Hummers has the better food. [everyone laughs]
[Jim]:	Grant, we all know the "Goal Line Stand" (tackle in 2002 @ Va Tech). Besides that, any moment on the field you'll never forget?
[Grant]:	My freshman year against Ole Miss (2000). It was early in the game. Deuce McAllister. All we heard was how good he was. I got to drill his a**. Pardon my language.
[Jim]:	Adam, you?
[Adam]:	The Maryland game, my senior year (2004). I made a play. I came off the field and three guys came up to me and said, "that was a big league play". That meant more to me than anything, for my teammates to say that.
[Jim]:	Grant, your mom mentioned you tripped over a dog or something on the set of Lipstick Jungle. What's the story on that?
[Grant]:	[laughing] I was running. I made eye contact with one actress. I was trying to seduce her with my eyes. It wasn't working. When I turned around, I ran into a lady walking her dog. She was cool about it though.
[Note: that episode hasn't aired yet, and not sure if the scene escaped the cutting room floor or not]
[Jim]:	(to Marc) Any specific memories of Mickey (Furfari)?
[Marc]:	His big tape recorder. He'd just stick it in your face. He gets priority. Mickey gets priority.
[Jim]:	Fellow Cheat Laker... besides yourself, of course, who's the best athlete to come from Cheat Lake?
[Marc]:	Gyorko.
[Jim]:	Scott or Jed?
[Marc]:	Scotty. Jed's yet to see Scotty, but he's got a good start.
Lastly... earlier in the day, Marc and I chatted for a bit while we waited for Grant and Adam to arrive. We talked about the upcoming draft and what he's been doing, his training, NFL combines, etc. And, he said he and Owen (Schmitt) have spent a lot of time skeet shooting. I asked about the latest prognosis from the NFL. He said late rounds. He said he knows it's probably better for his future chances to go undrafted than to be someone's 7th round pick, but... "It would be nice to hear my name called though."
Sincere thanks to all three, and best of luck in each of your individual efforts... Marc: the NFL, Grant: the acting career, Adam: the restaurant biz. I'm definitely hitting the Bella Mangiata next time I'm in South Jersey.
-- Jim