C-Mac
04-05-2005, 02:11 PM
This week, Chiefs QB Trent Green and FB Tony Richardson are helping out a Kansas City family on the set of ABC’s hit reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Along with host Ty Pennington and his “extreme” squad, Trent and Tony are pitching in as local firefighter Stephen Johnson and his five children have their 1,200-square-foot house transformed. Even though the episode won’t air until the middle of May, Trent and Tony are sharing their experiences exclusively on kcchiefs.com.
Here’s the first of a special two-part look behind the scenes at the Johnson residence thanks to two-time Pro Bowler Tony Richardson:
kcchiefs.com: Tony, why don’t you tell us a little bit about what you did today?
TR: Well, Trent (Green) and I went down to visit the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” set. It was such an amazing scene. The love that poured out from the people there working was just inspiring. I can’t wait to see what the final product looks like.
kcchiefs.com: What was the first order of business for Trent and yourself today?
TR: First, we stopped off and visited with some of the workers as they ate lunch. That in itself was a humbling experience. I was amazed at the dedication these workers had for a family that they didn’t even know. We heard stories about how they would work for something ridiculous like 20 hours straight and then get a mere two hour break before they headed back to work. They were willing to put everything on the line to try and help out this family that they didn’t even know. It was a big help that Mrs. Vermeil was also there with Trent and I because she could really understand where they were coming from. After all, she lives that type of lifestyle because of Coach Vermeil’s dedication to the team.
kcchiefs.com: What did you do after visiting with the workers?
TR: After that, we were escorted to the house where we met Ty Pennington and the rest of his crew. Let me just say how cool and totally down to earth he was. You could tell this whole experience went well beyond a pay check to him. On a side note, I found it kind of funny that I play with some of the most eligible bachelors in Kansas City and yet most of my female friends were calling me before I arrived to tell me that I needed to make sure that I said hello to Ty for them.
In any case, after we met Ty we called the family. They were actually at one of Disney’s water parks when we called so they were fresh off of the water slide. Ty started off the call by asking all of these trivia questions about Trent and myself. He asked them what number the Chiefs quarterback wears and what his name is and the same type of questions pertaining to me. The kids knew every answer with out any prompting. Then Trent and I got on the phone to say hey. We had a very brief conversation with them. We didn’t want to spend too much time on the phone and risk telling them anything about what we were doing there… but they’ll find out soon enough.
kcchiefs.com: Can you tell us anything about what the house looks like?
TR: I wish I could share some information about the interior of the house but I didn’t really see it because there was so much foot-traffic going in and out. Everyone was scurrying about to get everything in order. I can tell you that Trent and I had some special gifts for the family. I can’t really get into any specifics but they will be integrated into the final design. Let’s just say that I’m sure that the family will enjoy it!
kcchiefs.com: Can you give us any hint as to what these special “gifts” are?
TR: No. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for the family. I can tell you that part of the surprise will be incorporated into what Ty was preparing for them. It is pretty cool to think that, in a little way at least, Trent and I will be a part of that family’s joy. To know that I’ll be able to stop by and see a little piece of myself involved in their house is an amazing feeling.
kcchiefs.com: What was the most moving thing you experienced today?
TR: That’s easy! Trent and I got the opportunity to speak with Mary Seymour, the MAST paramedic who nominated the Johnson family. By now, I’m sure that mostly everyone knows that she was shot in the chest while attending to someone and she was pinned down by gunfire. Even in the face of that danger, Stephen Johnson and some of his colleagues came to her aid rushed her to safety.
The part that touched me about meeting her was when she told Trent, Mrs. Vermeil and I that she would have nominated Mr. Johnson had he not saved her life. She was so touched by the type of person that he is. She raved about how giving he is not only as the single-parent to his own three children but also to his two adopted children as well. Her stories about Mr. Johnson’s dedication to his family were so inspiring.
By the time that Trent and I were done hearing about him, we both wanted to grab a hammer and get to work.
kcchiefs.com: Does that mean that we’ll see you both getting down and dirty readying the Johnson house?
TR: No. I think that Ty was smart enough not to take us up on our offer to try and help the build crew. I can tell you that we would have loved to be involved in actually building this house. I mean, that would have been great. It would have been the least that we could have done for such an incredible family.
Still, I think our time there was very important. Spending time with the workers and offering words of encouragement was something that I’ll always remember. I hope that Trent, Mrs. Vermeil and I made a mark on the process by our visit today.
kcchiefs.com: Both Trent and yourself have quite an interest in house building and interior design, don’t you?
TR: You know, we do. I just finished getting my new house laid out and built not too long ago. Trent is in the process of readying a new home for his family. There were a couple of times that we both really wanted to pick Ty’s brain about some stuff.
kcchiefs.com: Is it safe to say that you are an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” fan now?
TR: Actually, I was even before today. I remember watching a show at home only a month or so ago. It was the episode (Season 2, Episode 16) when they helped out the Harris family who had sextuplets. As I sat there watching that episode, I was so moved that I began crying. I remember thinking to myself that I wish I could make that kind of difference myself. Needless to say, when I heard that Ty was asking if Trent and I would come to help out on this project, we both jumped at the opportunity.
kcchiefs.com: As most people know, the Chiefs have had some ties to the film industry. Johnnie Morton is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and your buddy Tony Gonzalez was just involved on the pilot episode of a new reality show. Have you been bit by the acting bug now?
TR: I think that a lot of people know that I’ve said for quite some time that I would love to work in the front office for the Chiefs and maybe even become their General Manager down the road. After today’s experience, I might be reevaluating that. You never know, I might decide now that I want to move to Hollywood and become a movie star. (laughs)
kcchiefs.com: Does that mean that Chiefs fans have to worry about you leaving the gridiron for your film career?
TR: Nothing like that. (laughs) The fans don’t have to worry about me pulling a Jim Brown and walking away before I feel like I’ve used up everything I have in my tank. I’m hoping that I’ve got at least a couple of year’s left in my body! I seriously don’t think that I’m the Hollywood type. I’m more of a Kansas City person. This community has been so good to me and that will never be lost on me.
kcchiefs.com: Rumor has it that you won’t have a chance to be involved in welcoming the family to their new home.
TR: Unfortunately, I won’t. I had already agreed to attend a special seminar at the Harvard Business School so I leave for the east coast tomorrow. You know me, education is very important on my list of priorities. When this opportunity opened up, myself and a few of my teammates signed up right away. It makes me sad that I won’t be involved with anything else pertaining to the house but when you make a commitment, you have to stick with it!
But don’t worry… I’m sure that Trent will have some cool stories for you all tomorrow.
kcchiefs.com: We sure hope so Tony. We can’t wait to hear from Trent tomorrow!
Here’s the first of a special two-part look behind the scenes at the Johnson residence thanks to two-time Pro Bowler Tony Richardson:
kcchiefs.com: Tony, why don’t you tell us a little bit about what you did today?
TR: Well, Trent (Green) and I went down to visit the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” set. It was such an amazing scene. The love that poured out from the people there working was just inspiring. I can’t wait to see what the final product looks like.
kcchiefs.com: What was the first order of business for Trent and yourself today?
TR: First, we stopped off and visited with some of the workers as they ate lunch. That in itself was a humbling experience. I was amazed at the dedication these workers had for a family that they didn’t even know. We heard stories about how they would work for something ridiculous like 20 hours straight and then get a mere two hour break before they headed back to work. They were willing to put everything on the line to try and help out this family that they didn’t even know. It was a big help that Mrs. Vermeil was also there with Trent and I because she could really understand where they were coming from. After all, she lives that type of lifestyle because of Coach Vermeil’s dedication to the team.
kcchiefs.com: What did you do after visiting with the workers?
TR: After that, we were escorted to the house where we met Ty Pennington and the rest of his crew. Let me just say how cool and totally down to earth he was. You could tell this whole experience went well beyond a pay check to him. On a side note, I found it kind of funny that I play with some of the most eligible bachelors in Kansas City and yet most of my female friends were calling me before I arrived to tell me that I needed to make sure that I said hello to Ty for them.
In any case, after we met Ty we called the family. They were actually at one of Disney’s water parks when we called so they were fresh off of the water slide. Ty started off the call by asking all of these trivia questions about Trent and myself. He asked them what number the Chiefs quarterback wears and what his name is and the same type of questions pertaining to me. The kids knew every answer with out any prompting. Then Trent and I got on the phone to say hey. We had a very brief conversation with them. We didn’t want to spend too much time on the phone and risk telling them anything about what we were doing there… but they’ll find out soon enough.
kcchiefs.com: Can you tell us anything about what the house looks like?
TR: I wish I could share some information about the interior of the house but I didn’t really see it because there was so much foot-traffic going in and out. Everyone was scurrying about to get everything in order. I can tell you that Trent and I had some special gifts for the family. I can’t really get into any specifics but they will be integrated into the final design. Let’s just say that I’m sure that the family will enjoy it!
kcchiefs.com: Can you give us any hint as to what these special “gifts” are?
TR: No. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for the family. I can tell you that part of the surprise will be incorporated into what Ty was preparing for them. It is pretty cool to think that, in a little way at least, Trent and I will be a part of that family’s joy. To know that I’ll be able to stop by and see a little piece of myself involved in their house is an amazing feeling.
kcchiefs.com: What was the most moving thing you experienced today?
TR: That’s easy! Trent and I got the opportunity to speak with Mary Seymour, the MAST paramedic who nominated the Johnson family. By now, I’m sure that mostly everyone knows that she was shot in the chest while attending to someone and she was pinned down by gunfire. Even in the face of that danger, Stephen Johnson and some of his colleagues came to her aid rushed her to safety.
The part that touched me about meeting her was when she told Trent, Mrs. Vermeil and I that she would have nominated Mr. Johnson had he not saved her life. She was so touched by the type of person that he is. She raved about how giving he is not only as the single-parent to his own three children but also to his two adopted children as well. Her stories about Mr. Johnson’s dedication to his family were so inspiring.
By the time that Trent and I were done hearing about him, we both wanted to grab a hammer and get to work.
kcchiefs.com: Does that mean that we’ll see you both getting down and dirty readying the Johnson house?
TR: No. I think that Ty was smart enough not to take us up on our offer to try and help the build crew. I can tell you that we would have loved to be involved in actually building this house. I mean, that would have been great. It would have been the least that we could have done for such an incredible family.
Still, I think our time there was very important. Spending time with the workers and offering words of encouragement was something that I’ll always remember. I hope that Trent, Mrs. Vermeil and I made a mark on the process by our visit today.
kcchiefs.com: Both Trent and yourself have quite an interest in house building and interior design, don’t you?
TR: You know, we do. I just finished getting my new house laid out and built not too long ago. Trent is in the process of readying a new home for his family. There were a couple of times that we both really wanted to pick Ty’s brain about some stuff.
kcchiefs.com: Is it safe to say that you are an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” fan now?
TR: Actually, I was even before today. I remember watching a show at home only a month or so ago. It was the episode (Season 2, Episode 16) when they helped out the Harris family who had sextuplets. As I sat there watching that episode, I was so moved that I began crying. I remember thinking to myself that I wish I could make that kind of difference myself. Needless to say, when I heard that Ty was asking if Trent and I would come to help out on this project, we both jumped at the opportunity.
kcchiefs.com: As most people know, the Chiefs have had some ties to the film industry. Johnnie Morton is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and your buddy Tony Gonzalez was just involved on the pilot episode of a new reality show. Have you been bit by the acting bug now?
TR: I think that a lot of people know that I’ve said for quite some time that I would love to work in the front office for the Chiefs and maybe even become their General Manager down the road. After today’s experience, I might be reevaluating that. You never know, I might decide now that I want to move to Hollywood and become a movie star. (laughs)
kcchiefs.com: Does that mean that Chiefs fans have to worry about you leaving the gridiron for your film career?
TR: Nothing like that. (laughs) The fans don’t have to worry about me pulling a Jim Brown and walking away before I feel like I’ve used up everything I have in my tank. I’m hoping that I’ve got at least a couple of year’s left in my body! I seriously don’t think that I’m the Hollywood type. I’m more of a Kansas City person. This community has been so good to me and that will never be lost on me.
kcchiefs.com: Rumor has it that you won’t have a chance to be involved in welcoming the family to their new home.
TR: Unfortunately, I won’t. I had already agreed to attend a special seminar at the Harvard Business School so I leave for the east coast tomorrow. You know me, education is very important on my list of priorities. When this opportunity opened up, myself and a few of my teammates signed up right away. It makes me sad that I won’t be involved with anything else pertaining to the house but when you make a commitment, you have to stick with it!
But don’t worry… I’m sure that Trent will have some cool stories for you all tomorrow.
kcchiefs.com: We sure hope so Tony. We can’t wait to hear from Trent tomorrow!