ASHBURN, Va. -- The latest in a season-long series, trying to give you a little more insight into some of the Washington Redskins. This week: Kory Lichtensteiger.
Position: Center
Age: 29
College: Bowling Green
Best season: Lichtensteiger started every game in 2012 coming off knee surgery the previous year. It took him time to get his game back, but his run blocking was pivotal in the successful outside zone game.
Person you most admire: My grandfather and my father. They've always been a great example in my life, both how to be a father, a grandfather, take care of a family. They've been good role models for me.
Biggest obstacle you have overcome: I immediately think of the birth of my son. I’m 19 years old in college. I’m just trying to scrape it all together, stay in college, stay in school, stay on the team. I had a lot of help with that. That was certainly a tough time. I guess probably what helped me the most is you don’t know any better. We didn’t know we were poor and we didn’t have much. My grandparents and parents helped out a lot. [Bowling Green State] University helped me out, taking all the housing and food school money and giving it to me in the form of a check so I could pay my own way.
Favorite football memory: I haven’t been on a whole lot of good teams. 2012. I mean, winning the division and going on a seven-game win streak. That’s probably the only time in recent memory where you feel you’re an unstoppable team and destiny is with you. I scored one touchdown in high school. They put me back there for a handoff and I ran through the middle. It was my senior year and the coach threw me a bone and let me score one. But that really doesn’t stick out as a favorite memory.
What you dreamed of being as a kid: A wrestler. I never thought about a career. Honestly, in junior high I was convinced I’d be a WWE wrestler. That didn’t last long, because after eighth grade, wrestling fell off the face of the Earth for a little bit. I stopped watching it.
When you knew you could play in the NFL: I knew I was going to have a shot at it my junior year of college. That first year here when I started in 2010, you move into the starting rotation and you start splitting series with Derrick Dockery. It was that year. I was like, I’m not just on the roster, I’m a starter. They were putting some faith in me.
What you like to do away from the field: Other than spending time with my family of course, I like to golf. I can usually stay in the 90s, but there are definitely times when I’m above 100. I see movies. I don’t do this as much as I’d like to, but I like to fish.