The Post’s Steve Serby chatted with the Jets’ 27-year-old center in the lead up to today’s AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh.
Q: Do you remember the first Super Bowl you watched?
A: I don’t remember which one it was, but I procrastinated long enough on an art project where I had to stay home instead of going out to dinner with my family. I had to finish my art project and the Super Bowl was on while I was working on it.
Q: What kind of art project was it?
A: It was some sort of water color. I forget all the requirements of it. It was quite time-consuming. I put it off to the last day possible, so I don’t think I did very well on the project. But I at least finished it.
Q: When did you start dreaming about the Super Bowl?
A: It wasn’t really until I got into the NFL that I really started dreaming about the Super Bowl. Going through high school, I dreamed of winning the state championship. Going through college, I dreamed of winning the national championship.
Q: What do you remember about your first Super Bowl dream?
A: Just confetti coming down and having that trophy there with all the guys on the team.
Q: How often have you had the dream this week?
A: Not too often. This one has been an AFC Championship dream. It’s been about every night.
Q: Do you throw a big block in your AFC Championship dream?
A: No, not really. There’s no football being played in my dreams, unfortunately. It’s usually the confetti coming down, being on the podium and everything . . . and usually I wake up to go (to the bathroom). . . . You never get to see the score. I just know we won. I need to talk to a dream weaver or whatever you call them.
Q: What will it be like for you tonight standing in the tunnel right before the game?
A: There’s a cold ball of nervous excitement that sits in your stomach as you get ready to go out. You have to contain those emotions. If you let them take over, you end up getting spent by the end of the first quarter.
Q: What is the mentality of these Jets heading into this AFC Championship?
A: It’s an understanding that we don’t want to be where we were last year with the way we walked off the field. It was miserable. Everyone’s been working to make sure we don’t have to deal with that again.
Q: How long did it take you to get over it?
A: It took a while. I ended up going straight down to Miami for the Pro Bowl and had to see the Colt guys there for the game as they were getting honored. Then (it lasted) a couple of weeks after that, just knowing how close we were and let it slip out of our grasp.
Q: The biggest single difference now in Mark Sanchez?
A: His command of the offense. He’s head and shoulders above where he was last year.
Q: He calls himself goofy. Can you give me some examples?
A: Yes, but most of ’em are X-rated. . . . I’m trying to think of something that wouldn’t get me in trouble . . . just the way he likes to joke around with guys. Every time we’re in the huddle, T-Rich (Tony Richardson) stands right next to him. Any time he’s got a specific part in the play call for Tony, he’ll tap him pretty forcefully on the helmet, and it bothers T-Rich to no end.
Q: So how does Richardson react?
A: He just gives him a disgusted look. Then he usually cracks a smile after it.
Q: Does Sanchez crack jokes in the huddle?
A: Every once in a while. I think he usually leaves it up to Meat (Brandon Moore) to do the joking part of it.
Q: What is Moore’s on-field mentality?
A: He has such a fierce nature about him it’s kinda scary to see. He’s so into the game.
Q: Nick Mangold?
A: I try to stay even-keeled. There are gonna be good parts of the game and bad parts of the game, and you gotta be able to do your best to level out the emotions.
Q: Matt Slauson?
A: You can see there’s an inner crazy guy just waiting to come out. He seems like he can go off at any moment.
Q: D’Brickashaw Ferguson?
A: Goes about his business. He’s gonna do his job. Doesn’t make a lot of noise. He’s gonna get the job done.
Q: Wayne Hunter?
A: He’s got that killer instinct, where if he gets on a guy, he’ll go after him during a play.
Q: How many Super Bowls have you been to?
A: Zero.
Q: You were going to go to Colts-Bears in Miami, though?
A: I had a couple of media things over at the stadium, and then it started raining. So I gave my ticket to some guy standing there and went and watched it at a bar.
Q: You gave your Super Bowl ticket to a stranger?
A: Yeah. And I ended up getting a ride from Anthony Munoz back down to South Beach at the hotel we were staying at.
Q: Why did you pick out that particular person?
A: He was one of the first guys who caught my eye as I walked out. He had a sign that said, “Looking to buy a ticket.”
Q: Did he ask you “how much?”
A: I just told him to take it. We never talked about money.
Q: Your analysis of Mark Sanchez’s playoff beard?
A: It’s coming along. It’s difficult when you start it right after the beginning of the playoffs. It has the potential to be fantastic.
Q: Why is that?
A: The dark complexion of his hair really sticks out with the white helmet.
Q: Do you expect him to he growing it until the Super Bowl?
A: I would imagine. I think that is the definition of a playoff beard. I think he’d be growing it until he hoists that trophy.
Q: Was it your boyhood dream to play in the NFL?
A: Yeah, I wanted to play in the NFL and I wanted to be an architect. It’s the George Costanza in me. Well, football got in the way of that. Since football was paying the bills in college, when I realized both had huge time requirements, football won out.
Q: Are you recognized when you go out?
A: Every once in a while. It’s just, “You’re a really big guy,” or “you really look funny, I imagine you’re in sports.”
Q: Have Jets fans acted differently since Rex Ryan took over?
A: The Jets have a very passionate fan base. It’s always been positive when I run into people. It’s unfortunate we haven’t been able to give them the success that we have in the past two years. Everyone’s waiting for that Super Bowl.
Q: Memories of Santonio Holmes at Ohio State?
A: He’s the same guy he is now, just a little bit older. He’s got an amazing passion for football. He loves winning. He always seems to be making the big plays. He works so hard to put himself in the right position. He’s a fantastic competitor.
Q: Biggest play he made at Ohio State?
A: I think he had a couple of punt returns that were real impressive. . . . I can barely remember what I did last week. I’m getting old.
Q: Best catch you’ve seen him make?
A: It had to be last week’s. The way he was able to get both feet down while making the catch over his shoulder.