Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 11y

Ten(ish) Questions with... WR Kris Durham

Each week during the season, we'll chat with a different Detroit Lions player or coach for a look into their lives on the field and off in a feature called "Ten(ish) Questions with ..."

Previous Ten(ish) Questions: Tight end Brandon Pettigrew, defensive tackle Justin Bannan

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Kris Durham is a proud Georgian, went to Georgia, has fond memories of the state and is having a bit of a problem picking a baseball team to root for lately.

The wide receiver is in his second season with the Lions after being drafted by Seattle in 2011. He has two catches for 44 yards this season. We caught up with him to chat about life, baseball and the Hunger Games.

What’s your favorite football memory?

Kris Durham: My favorite football memory to date? There’s a few. It depends on college, high school, pro. Probably the most is when I had a touchdown against Georgia Tech on senior night my senior year in college. My entire family was there. It was the only game I was able to get every single person in my family to come to.

Going more personal now, your brother-in-law, Blake Wood, is a pitcher for the Indians. Did you almost have to become an Indians fan?

KD: I do. When they play the Tigers I root for the Tigers and when he’s in, I hope he does his thing.

Wait, what did the Braves do to you?

KD: The Braves are my team, now.

So why the Tigers and Indians?

KD: Same division. The Braves, if it came down to the Tigers and Braves in the World Series, I would be very... it would be a good problem to have, I’ll just put it at that. I grew up a Braves fan, been a Braves fan my entire life. Went to Opening Day, been to a lot of games.

(His sister met her husband in college). Were you like, you’re dating an athlete?

KD: Uhh, well, my sister is actually the smart one. She has a pharmacy degree, so she’s technically the doctor.

Are your parents annoyed at that?

KD: I think they are all right. They have a son-in-law who is a pitcher, a daughter who has a doctorate and I play in the NFL. I feel bad for my nephew, that guy has to live up to a lot.

What’s he do?

KD: He’s like 1. His mom’s a pharmacist, his dad plays in the MLB and his uncle plays in the NFL. My uncle played football at Clemson. My dad did the decathlon and was an All-SEC decathlete.

So if he isn’t good at sports then, he’s in trouble?

KD: He better be good at golf or really smart. That’s what I’m saying.

What’s your pre-game ritual?

KD: I like to get to the stadium early and I like to look through a little bit of film. Take my time getting ready. I like to not be in a rush. When I’m in a rush I feel like I’m in a rush to go warm up and a rush to go do this and it throws me off. The only real ritual I have is I like to get there three hours before the game starts.

That’s pretty early. For a 1 p.m. game when do you get up?

KD: Probably 8 or 8:30, have some breakfast and then drive over to the stadium around 10, 10:30 from the hotel.

What’s the quirkiest thing about you? The one thing people don’t know about you.

KD: I like to read a lot, but that’s not really quirky. I read a lot of different stuff. I go from religion books to almost suspense thrillers. I even read the Hunger Games trilogy because I saw the first movie and thought it was interesting.

Isn’t that young adult fiction?

KD: Yeah, but I liked the first movie so went ahead and read the books. But quirky, I used to race BMX. I was ranked in the Top 15 in my age group when I was like 12.

Why did you stop?

KD: I outgrew my bike. And I started get into football and basketball a little more. I was in middle school, so I didn’t have to focus on one sport. I could just do that.

You could have gotten a bigger bike.

KD: I did, but it was like, I was just kind of like, ‘It was fun.’ I rode from the time I was in third, fourth grade until seventh grade.

Coolest place you raced?

KD: I raced all over the US. California, Nevada, New York, Georgia, Florida.

Baja?

KD: No, Minnesota. Just all over.

You miss it?

KD: No, not really. When I first stopped, I did, but I kind of filled that void with baseball, football, basketball, that stuff.

If you ended up not playing football, what would you have done?

KD: I have a degree in teaching, so I would be doing teaching and coaching. I am certified to teach history in the state of Georgia. And I could take the test. I also studied science, so I could teach science as well.

How would that go for you?

KD: Kids seemed to like me when I did my student teaching, so I guess it’d be all right. I prefer what I do, but I did enjoy it.

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