Nice athletes and coaches

Jake Delhomme is pretty nice to defenses

 

The most surprisingly nice player I've ever interviewed was Rocket Ismael.

I expected him to be an arrogant jerk, but he was everything but.

He even offered his hand for a shake after a post-game lockerroom interview.

 

Tony Skinn.

 

Sean Morey - Not sure if he violates the obscurity rule, but he did make the Pro Bowl a couple times as a special teams player.

Christian Fauria

Troy Brown

Roman Phifer

Ken Dryden

 

I'd rather have 'respectful' and 'professional' than nice because nice doesn't always translate into good quotes or material. Nice athletes?

Jesse Tuggle
Matt Franco

Not necessarily 'nice,' but consummate pros with the media:

Joe Torre
Jason Varitek
Tom Glavine

 

Nicest I've interviewed are NHRA driver Ron Capps, pitcher Paul Byrd and Jimmie Johnson...the NASCAR one (although I'm sure helmet hair might be nice, as well.)

I was doing an interview I expected to last for 10 minutes with Byrd and he ended up talking to me for about an hour by his own choosing, which was pretty gracious considering how low on the totem pole I am.

 

If my experience and that of a former co-worker of mine were any indication, he was just making up for Qadry being suck a prick.

I'm shocked 93Devil didn't start this one with Jerome Bettis. I know some people really got sick of him during his final season, but there is a reason the guy was so well-liked by his teammates and the media. He was great every time I dealt with him.

Is Marc Bulger too obscure for this?

 

I was thinking of a person who would hold a door open for a little old lady or help a lost kid find their mother.

Nothing to do with quotes or stories, but nice people.

 

Tim Howard

 

Bo Jackson, although a touch arrogant, was a pretty nice guy.

 

This is away from the media presence, or at least the post-game press conference.

College hoops division:
Phil Martelli
Mike Rice
Jamie Dixon
John Dunne (St. Peter's hoops)
The late Skip Prosser
Ron Hunter (IUPUI)

NHL division:
Max Talbot
Colby Armstrong

Actually, a good chunk of hockey players are pretty down to earth and friendly. All around good guys.

 

I met Chris Bosh standing in line at the cage in Wynn Las Vegas a few years ago. He shook my hand and was nice enough to talk for a minute. He was really reserved and quiet. Even when he was approached by a horde of really hot chicks, he was quiet and not flashy at all. IIRC, this was during the time when Team USA was having a training camp in Vegas. The horde of girls that approached Bosh had just met Battier.