George Fant says he's still trying to process his new job
SEATTLE -- It's been an incredible year for George Fant.
Fant - who until very recently thought he would make a career out of playing basketball after playing for four years at Western Kentucky - not only successfully made the transition to football, he landed a job as the Seattle Seahawks' starting left guard.
Oh, and in the middle of all that, he had his first son.
Fant sat down this week for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Q13 News' Michelle Ludtka as the Seahawks prepared to play the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. The complete interview will air Saturday morning on Q13 FOX.
Saturday's game kicks off at 1:35 p.m., but coverage begins at 6 a.m. on the home of the Seahawks, Q13 FOX and JOEtv.
You can also check out the highlights of our exclusive interview with Michael Bennett here:
If you could pick one word to describe this last year, what would it be, and why?
Amazing. It’s been an amazing year. I’ve had so many blessings go down in my life. I had my first son. This football thing has been a blessing for me, but I think the one word that will sum it up would be amazing.
What is it that has enabled you to handle all the changes? Like you said: You had your first son, you moved across the country, you’re starting at left tackle, you switched careers completely, went from college to professional life. How have you been able to handle it?
Well, I’m not going to sit here and say I’ve handled it great. I’m still learning how to handle it, there’s still bumps in the road, still different challenges I have to overcome. But I’m just pushing it. Every morning I get up and look at my family and know I’ve got to do something to keep doing better and keep providing.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: George Fant #44 of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers shoots a free throw during a game against the Saint Joseph's Hawks at Madison Square Garden on November 27, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Was there ever a time in your life that basketball didn’t come so easy, and there was a learning curve?
Yeah, 7th grade was a bad learning curve for me, it was hard. But once I understood it, and once I started playing a little AAU basketball and stuff, it started coming to me a lot easier and a lot faster, so that’s why I stuck with it.
Why was it so hard?
Just because I hadn’t played in an organized structure in so long. Pickup is different from anything else, so I wasn’t in an organized structure, and then once I got in I was good, I was fine, I was able to play. … So once I added some structure to my game, I was fine.
And basketball pretty much runs through your blood?
Yeah, yeah, it does. That too.
Was there big family support for you to pursue your career in basketball?
Oh yeah, for sure. My mom was a basketball player, my cousin, Jimmy Daniels, was a basketball player. So at that time, it was pretty much destined for me to play basketball. That’s another reason why I stuck with basketball.
What did you love so much about the game?
I think I understood it so much, and I had a passion for it at the time. I really wanted to be great at it, so that’s probably part of the reason that drove me. And I kind of took that and applied it here, just being a student of the game, applying that passion to my game. So that’s pretty much it.
What was the process like when you decided, no more basketball, I’m going to put everthing into football.
It was tough. It still is tough. There’s so much I have to learn, so much I have to do. Catching up from behind. But the good thing is, I’m learning on the job. I’m working and I’m learning while I’m playing, so that’s the good thing about it.
How eager are you to succeed in this new chapter?
There’s no other option for me. I just want to succeed, I want to keep getting better, I want to be a student of the game and get better every day. That’s it.
Can you put this experience and what this last year’s been into words?
It’s unbelievable. People joke and mess around it about the story in general, but I’m still trying to gather it in myself, while also on a playoff-contending team at left tackle. SO I gotta put that on the backburner and keep learning and getting better every day.