Most of the media guide the Eagles put out each year is full of stats and career highlights for each player on the team.
But then there are what the Eagles call "Three Step Drop," basically little factoids about each player. There are some interesting ones. Throughout the season, we'll take a closer look and do some real investigative reporting.
This week, we wanted to ask rookie offensive lineman Matt Pryor about his first job. In the media guide, it says he was a bouncer at the Varsity Tavern "near TCU's campus."
Pryor certainly fits the bill of a bouncer. He's 6-foot-7, 332 pounds.
Me: How old were you when you started?
Pryor: I think I started sophomore year. I feel like that's just the typical offensive lineman job. A couple of the seniors were working there. They put me on with the manager, I went in. And, of course, because I was the biggest guy there, he always put me in VIP. It was the most stressful area. Because you have to watch the dance floor, make sure they don't push into the VIP section, you have to let VIP people in and out and then I gotta keep the stairway clear.
Me: OK, so you had a lot to do. What kind of spot was it? Was it more like a club than a bar?
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Pryor: It was kind of both. They did like a restaurant in the morning and a bar at night. It was nice; it was where everybody went. It was on Seventh Street. That's where all the bars are.
Me: The VIPs, who would they be?
Pryor: They would be random people. You'd have some of the (Texas) Rangers, they'd be down there. But most of the time it was just random people.
Me: Do you have any good stories from that?
Pryor: Most of them are just kicking people out.
Me: Did people try you?
Pryor: Yeeees. I don't know why. You get real confident when you're drunk, I guess. Yeah, people get real confident when they get drinks. And then they realize I'm bigger than them. Even girls. Girls would give you attitude. One girl, it was her birthday. I'm like, ‘I don't want to kick you out on your birthday, but come on now, you're doing too much.'
Me: How many years did you work there?
Pryor: Maybe three years.
Me: How many people do you think you kicked out? Did you keep a little tally sheet?
Pryor: Uhh. Maybe like 20. It's a bunch of us and I'm only stuck in that one area, so only in that area, unless the owner comes up and is like, ‘Hey, this guy. He gotta go.'
Jordan Mailata: Question: Who is the biggest guy you ever kicked out?
Me: That is a good question.
Pryor: This dude … Jordan Mailata.
Mailata: I heard he kicked your ass. That's what I heard. He told me he kicked your ass.
Pryor: I heard Australians are liars. Let's not dig into that story.
Me (laughing): Thanks, man. I appreciate it.
