Tampabaystorm.com interviewed Tom Kaleita this week. Get to know the
THRILLing side of Tom and what he thinks about catching a pass as a
lineman.

Tell us a little bit about where you grew up, and how it compares to
living in the Tampa Bay area?

TK: Kingsley, Michigan is my hometown. It's a small town of about
5,000 total, the city limit actually says "village limit." This time
of year it's a lot colder. Last December I went back and that was
enough of the wintertime I needed to see. I got enough snow in those
three days to last me a year. We've got nice beaches there too. It's
really close to Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. The beaches are
not exactly like the ones down here. There's not quite as much sand,
and not quite as much beach. The summertime is really nice because
it's not as humid as it is down here. Right now, I'm definitely
enjoying the Florida weather.

During the summer, you returned home for a special event in your life…

TK: I got married on August 2nd to my wife Tracy in Traverse City. It
feels like a long time ago because we've been together for a really
long time. She's from back home and we actually met in high school.
We had a good time at the wedding. I saw a lot of people that I
hadn't seen in awhile, and surprised people with some of the dances
that were a bit out my character. We had Brett Dietz cut some of the
audio together and Geir Gudmundsen did the voiceover for our
introductions. Each person came in to a different song like we're
being introduced to a game. When they came out, each person did a
little dance. That was really fun because no one had ever seen that
at a wedding and they thought it was a really cool introduction. For
the first dance, we started with the traditional first dance to "Bed
of Roses." Then the music cut. Everybody was freaking out because it
was the first dance and the music stopped. We pretended to yell at
the DJ, then all of a sudden I had a white glove on my hand, and we
were dancing to "Thriller".

You recently participated in the Great American Teach-In; your wife
Tracy is a teacher in the area. Is that how you got involved?

TK: Yeah pretty much. She is a friend with the person that was
coordinating it in the school. When I met him last year, he asked me
to do it. Last year Marcus "Snowball" Owen, Geir Gudmundsen, and
myself taught the kids. This year Brett Dietz and I were a little
more prepared because it's a very long day. It really gives me a
respect for what teachers do.

What was it like?

TK: It was a good time and a lot of fun. We taught sixth, seventh,
and eighth graders about what we do, the rules of the game, and how
each of us got to where we are today. It's nice being a role model
for the kids. We really stressed education, not to do drugs, and all
the positive messages that every good role model should teach. My
favorite part is when we had the kids come up and do touchdown
dances. We did a touchdown dance contest with four kids from every
period, and gave out little Storm bags to everyone that participated.
The kids enjoyed that, and I got some new ideas for next season.

Besides getting married, what else have you been doing in the off-
season?

TK: I've been working out, and hanging out with some of the guys that
are still in the area. We've been doing a little passing and
practicing. My wife and I stayed in the area for Thanksgiving, and
we'll be here for Christmas. We may actually go to Disney at some
point in December. Tracy's never been there, and I haven't been since
I was young. For the most part, I'm enjoying married life.

How are you preparing for next season?

TK: Brett Dietz and I work out together three to four times a week.
I've been doing some conditioning, agility, lifting weights, running,
and different things like that. Every once and awhile, we'll go with
some of the other guys. It depends on who's available because a lot
of the guys are not around. I think, as we get closer to the season,
we're definitely going to start going more as a group. What I really
want to do is document some of the players I've gone against. I like
to go through and break down film, so I already know some of their
favorite moves when I play against them.

Brett Dietz was at your wedding and you practice together. Are you
pretty close friends?

TK: He's my best friend around here. He just got married a year ago.
So we're kind of in the same boat that way. When he first came to the
team, he was my roommate. That's how we really became friends.

You once played tight end, now you're a lineman. Which position do
you prefer?

TK: When I was in high school, I was a tight end, and I went to
college as a tight end. After my freshmen year at Eastern Michigan, I
got bigger and was moved to tackle. I couldn't keep my weight down,
as the weight program there would make anybody do.

I was a very athletic tackle, but wasn't really happy at the time.
Later I found that there's a different type of pride being an
offensive linemen. There's not really any glory in it, but a lot of
pride just being one of the dirty guys on the line that has to
dominate other guys and not let them do anything they're supposed to
do. I enjoy what I'm doing now and technically I am a tight end. It's
brought me back a little bit because I caught six passes last year.
It's a lot of fun. I love arena football.

How does it feel as lineman to get the ball and score a touchdown?

TK: The funny thing is that I never had any idea about the rules on
the first day camp. I went out on two routes and scored two
touchdowns in the first practice. To me, I questioned if I was ready
for this or to do this again. At that point, I didn't know if this
was what I was about because I had really concentrated and changed my
attitude as far as not being the guy for glory anymore. I had some
mixed feelings going back into that, but now it's cool getting the
ball every once and awhile.

Where's your favorite place to play and why?

TK: Besides Tampa, I like to play in Grand Rapids. The [Tampa] home
fans are great and it's a lot of fun playing in front of them. As far
as away places, I like playing in Grand Rapids because I can play in
front of my family and friends that are from the area.

What is your most memorable moment of your career?

TK: I graduated on a Saturday, and signed with the Detroit Lions on
Sunday. I got my degree, and the next step was right there. It was
pretty cool.


Source: www.tampabaystorm.com