Not training for a military-themed reality show sounds like a miserable plan.
But that’s exactly what Chicago native Tony Simmons did as he geared up for “American Grit,” which debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday on Fox.
Oh, and the show is hosted by pro wrestler John Cena, which ups the intimidation factor just a tad (note sarcasm).
“I didn’t prepare for it, that’s the thing,” said Simmons, a 41-year-old former second-round NFL draft pick. “My daily routine is to stay fit, to make sure I’m a better athlete every day.
Viewers will soon find out if his approach is enough to put his team over the top. Simmons, who now makes a living coaching football in Poland, joins one of four four-person teams vying for a $1 million prize.
How did your background in football, as a player and a coach, prepare you for the show differently from your other competitors’ backgrounds?
Well, I’ve been an athlete all my life, mostly. What prepared me? I can take direction, as a coach. And there are other coaches on there, and trainers, so we all know how to give directions. And sometimes we’ve got to learn how to take directions and also how to become a leader as a coach and taking responsibility for the decisions you make.
Are there any examples of exercises from the show you plan to incorporate into future football practices?
We actually did something that’s similar to the trust fall; it’s called the trust walk. The trust walk technically puts you through a series of obstacles that you had to walk through blindfolded without the person holding you. You just had to listen to the person’s voice and actually take direction from someone else that was leading you versus someone walking with you and holding your hand. What it basically taught me was that everyone communicates differently.
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In the show there is one situation where something happens to one of your teammates and it cuts to you concerned and tearing up. Were you expecting to become so close so quickly with your teammates and concerned about their well-being?
[My teammates] became my family right away, and when anything happens to my teammates, even when I’m playing football or when I’m coaching with my guys, I am really concerned and I bring them into my family and I bring them into my care.Going off that, what was it like losing teammates and knowing each week that someone could be going home?
Well, you know in that situation it’s a competition. So you lose a teammate and have no clue what’s going to happen. And in football, you lose teammates to injury. You don’t know if they’re going to come back if they break a leg, someone could actually be gone for a year, or retire from sports. You don’t know what is going to happen, but you need to be prepared for it. And that’s the one thing about this competition: Some things you just can’t prepare for.
Could you talk about what kind of influence Chicago has had on your life, as a player and as a coach?
Chicago has played a big role in my life; it taught me how to survive. I was living down in the South Side, and it taught me how to push myself harder. I wanted to move forward in life and get more out of life. I had to push myself harder than I’ve ever pushed before. One thing I did learn how to do in Chicago was run. I learned to run and climb gates and have all of those obstacles in front of me. One of the good things about Chicago was it really taught me how to be a land animal.
So it’s a military-themed show, it’s kind of a tribute to the military; did it make you more appreciative of or change your opinion of military members?
I always had an appreciation; I had friends that went into the military. I was going to go into the military out of high school because I couldn’t afford to go to college, and I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin. But I respect all members of the military, and now I respect them even more. I know what they go through, because I went through it in sports.
Interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Lena Blietz is a RedEye intern.