Photo Credits: Michael A. Clifton, USO
(1) Carolina's Mike Rucker, center, and San Diego's Luis Castillo, right, were among a contingent of NFL players on a mission to Afghanistan where they spent time with U.S. troops. (2) Bears lineman Tommie Harris, shown climbing a helicopter, said lending support to troops was a priority during the trip. "You don't want to talk," he said. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
(1) Carolina's Mike Rucker, center, and San Diego's Luis Castillo, right, were among a contingent of NFL players on a mission to Afghanistan where they spent time with U.S. troops. (2) Bears lineman Tommie Harris, shown climbing a helicopter, said lending support to troops was a priority during the trip. "You don't want to talk," he said. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
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The injured soldier eating homemade chocolate chip cookies in the hospital bed made the biggest impression on Mike Rucker.
The treats were sent to the medical unit in Afghanistan from an unknown well-wisher in the United States. And they were a sweet taste of home, a distraction from the dangers lurking for the American servicemen and women there.
Rucker, a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, visited with troops on a 10-day NFL-USO trip. Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris and San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo joined him on the trip.
The players heard first-hand tales of wartime perils — snipers, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), road-side mines and grenades landing near soldiers' feet. And the NFL crew was happy to serve as a distraction.
"You don't want to talk," Harris said from Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan on Sunday. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States Afghanistan Bears San Diego Chargers Carolina Panthers Rex Grossman Luis Castillo Black Hawk Tommie Harris Mike Rucker Bagram Airbase
The conversation inevitably pointed toward the playing field. Harris joked he heard "about 60" inquiries regarding Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, whom the team benched for six starts last year before re-signing in February.
The popularity of the NFL stood out for Castillo. Soldiers told him of finishing up missions of 10 or 15 days with one major priority: game updates. "Once they get done with whatever was occupying them," the Chargers defender said, "they get on the radio and get an idea of what the score was or who won the playoff game.
"We provide a small distraction for them and provide some moment that's not life and death."
Camaraderie is key to the soldiers' sanity in the war zone, Castillo said. The players joined in for some late-night bonding and practical jokes that, when the visitors are gone, help to ease the tension of the dayside dangers.
"If they thought about it solely as life-and-death situations," Castillo said, "I don't know how they'd be able to do their jobs.
"They joke to make it easier for them to deal with."
Rucker and Castillo toured a small area of the Afghanistan terrain in a Black Hawk helicopter. Though the players were limited to areas that posed little danger, they still wore bullet-proof vests. Rucker was surprised by how uncomfortable the vests fit, and said his NFL brethren would be hard-pressed to operate with similar agility.
"I had to tip my hat," Rucker said. "It's not like these guys are giants. They're guys (that) in the football world might be a kicker. And here they are carrying an 80-pound backpack and a weapon for a long period of time."
The trip to Afghanistan, which took roughly 40 hours in each direction, concluded Sunday. And what was the one guilty pleasure soldiers said they missed most? A beer, according to Harris.
"It's a dry campus out here," he said.
Visit with troops in war zone humbles NFL linemen - USATODAY.com
The treats were sent to the medical unit in Afghanistan from an unknown well-wisher in the United States. And they were a sweet taste of home, a distraction from the dangers lurking for the American servicemen and women there.
Rucker, a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, visited with troops on a 10-day NFL-USO trip. Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris and San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo joined him on the trip.
The players heard first-hand tales of wartime perils — snipers, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), road-side mines and grenades landing near soldiers' feet. And the NFL crew was happy to serve as a distraction.
"You don't want to talk," Harris said from Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan on Sunday. "You just want to be there for them … let them vent and ask questions."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States Afghanistan Bears San Diego Chargers Carolina Panthers Rex Grossman Luis Castillo Black Hawk Tommie Harris Mike Rucker Bagram Airbase
The conversation inevitably pointed toward the playing field. Harris joked he heard "about 60" inquiries regarding Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, whom the team benched for six starts last year before re-signing in February.
The popularity of the NFL stood out for Castillo. Soldiers told him of finishing up missions of 10 or 15 days with one major priority: game updates. "Once they get done with whatever was occupying them," the Chargers defender said, "they get on the radio and get an idea of what the score was or who won the playoff game.
"We provide a small distraction for them and provide some moment that's not life and death."
Camaraderie is key to the soldiers' sanity in the war zone, Castillo said. The players joined in for some late-night bonding and practical jokes that, when the visitors are gone, help to ease the tension of the dayside dangers.
"If they thought about it solely as life-and-death situations," Castillo said, "I don't know how they'd be able to do their jobs.
"They joke to make it easier for them to deal with."
Rucker and Castillo toured a small area of the Afghanistan terrain in a Black Hawk helicopter. Though the players were limited to areas that posed little danger, they still wore bullet-proof vests. Rucker was surprised by how uncomfortable the vests fit, and said his NFL brethren would be hard-pressed to operate with similar agility.
"I had to tip my hat," Rucker said. "It's not like these guys are giants. They're guys (that) in the football world might be a kicker. And here they are carrying an 80-pound backpack and a weapon for a long period of time."
The trip to Afghanistan, which took roughly 40 hours in each direction, concluded Sunday. And what was the one guilty pleasure soldiers said they missed most? A beer, according to Harris.
"It's a dry campus out here," he said.
Visit with troops in war zone humbles NFL linemen - USATODAY.com
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