With the National Football League (NFL) Draft taking place in the coming weeks, some of Topeka High’s biggest NFL fans were interviewed about their favorite teams and their expectations for the upcoming draft.

Rodney Johnson

Rodney Johnson is a division principal at Topeka High School. He has been an avid Saints fan since birth and grew up in New Orleans following the team.

AC: “What’s your story as a Saints fan?”

RJ: “I’m a die-hard Saints fan. I’ve been a Saints fan born and bred and I’ll be a Saints fan till I’m dead.”

AC: “What would be one word to describe your time as a Saints fan?”

RJ: “Excitement. I remember as a young kid, growing up in New Orleans, [Tulane University  tight end] Raymond Hester bought us tickets to go to a Saints game. It was the first game coached by J.D. Roberts, who was the head coach. Tom Dempsey ended that game against the Detroit Lions kicking a 63-yard field goal. Players then jumped into the stands and began shaking hands. That’s where the excitement comes from.”

AC: “When were you most satisfied as a Saints fan?”

RJ: “I’ve always been satisfied because I enjoy the game of football, but the most exciting times that I would’ve had was when they won the Super Bowl against the Colts in 2009. [My family and I were] sitting down in my basement, the man cave of course. I’ve got all my Saints memorabilia all over. I’ve got a toaster, got lights, got a rug, I’ve got slippers, I have jerseys. You name it, I have it. I’m a Saints phanatic. And so we’re sitting down there, the game is real tight. I’m thinking ‘Oh my God, are they going to hang in there?’ And then [Peyton] Manning throws an interception. We took it into [the endzone] to get our 31st point. That was exciting because Manning was driving at the time. What’s so ironic about that for me was, growing up in New Orleans, I used to work out with his dad, Archie Manning, when I was in high school. He was the Saints’ number-one draft choice and me and a couple of friends used to run up to Tulane Stadium to catch passes from him and Bobby Douglas in the evenings throughout the summer and it was so exciting to see things come full circle.”

AC: “What are you hoping the Saints can accomplish in the draft?”

RJ: “Well, we need some defense, secondary help desperately, but [Amari] Cooper coming out of Alabama would be a great match to replace Kenny Stills because, with [Jimmy] Graham, if you noticed, once Graham got hurt his first year, his production went down. And Stills kind of replaced him to be the go-to guy. They went to Graham a lot in contest, but when he fumbled the ball against Atlanta on the one-yard line, I was done. So, I’d like to see them get a go-to receiver because they re-signed [Marques] Colston, but they shipped Kenny Stills off to Miami, so they need an Amari Cooper.”

Kevon Seats

Kevon Seats is a junior at Topeka High and a defensive lineman on the football team. He has rooted for the Philadelphia Eagles since beginning his passion for football.

AC: “As an Eagles fan, what’s your story?”

KS: “I’ve been an Eagles fan since I started watching and playing football. I started playing when I was six. I’ve always watched football with my dad and one team that really caught my eye was the Eagles. They’ve just been my team from then on out. [I always liked] Donovan McNabb. Then, once he retired, they got Michael Vick and then LeSean McCoy. That’s my favorite tailback, LeSean McCoy, but they just traded him, so I’ve got other players to keep my eyes on now.”

AC: “What keeps you coming back to the Eagles year-after-year?”

KS: “We make a lot of changes every year. And every year, whether [the win-loss record] is good or bad, we usually have a pretty good season. A couple of years ago, we almost made it to the Super Bowl. We lost in the conference championships and I thought we were going to rebuild and come back even stronger next season, but we didn’t. And then this past season, we had Nick Foles get on a hot streak, but he got hurt about midway through the season, so there ended up being a lot of chemistry issues.”

AC: “When were you most satisfied as an Eagles fan?”

KS: “When we played the Patriots in 2008. It was the year the Patriots went undefeated in the regular season and it was a close game down to the wire. We ended up being one of the three teams who were within three points [of beating the Patriots]. That game was just an emotional game for me. I was sitting on the couch, then standing and yelling with dad. That was a pretty fun game to watch even though we still lost. I was still satisfied with their performance.”

AC: “What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to most in the draft this year?”

KS: “Initially, I was hearing that Chip Kelly was going for Marcus Mariota and it was pretty nice to hear. I mean, we lost Nick Foles, but Mariota would fit right into the Eagles’ offense, so that was good to hear, but then I heard we got Sam Bradford for Nick Foles from the Rams, so it was kind of like, ‘Well, what about Mariota? What are we going to do about him now?’, but I would say, right now, offense because we haven’t lost too many players on defense, but offensively we lost all of our leaders, so they’re in training camp and preseason, now they’ve got to see who’s going to step up and be a leader [for the offense].”

Matt Garza

Matt Garza is a freshman at Topeka High School and an offensive lineman on the football team. Garza has always loved football, but has been a Chiefs fan since birth.

AC: “As a Chiefs fan, what’s your story?”

MG: “I became a Chiefs fan not only because I play the sport, but because I grew up around [the Chiefs] with my grandparents and my mom and dad, who were all Chiefs fans. I’ve been to many games, I’ve watched them for a long time. I watched them a lot when I was younger and then I started to grow apart from them until I really picked them back up last season. Now, I’m probably more into the Chiefs than I have been in my entire life.”

AC: “What’s one word you could use to describe your time as a Chiefs fan?”

MG: “Disappointing, or exciting. It’s been different as well because of how many ups and downs the Chiefs have gone through with coaches and quarterbacks, player injuries and so forth.”

AC: “When have you felt the most disappointed as a Chiefs fan?”

MG: “When we got rid of Tony Gonzales. I thought that was probably one of the biggest mistakes we had made in a long time. If we still had him today, he’d probably be playing with everyone who’s here now. I mean, they made a decision and we are where we are now. We’ve gotten a lot better since then, but still, it was probably one of the most disappointing times for me as a Chiefs fan.”

AC: “Going into the draft, who are you hoping to see the Chiefs select?”

MG: “I do want to see them pick up Tyler Lockett out of K-State. We did pick up Jeremy Maclin and I like that we’re building up our receiving corps. I’d like to see them pick up some decent rookie linemen. Really any guard, tackle, or center because we just really struggle at those positions. And then, if Eric Berry doesn’t get back to full health, which I hope he does, I’d like to look for a safety. We need receivers and lineman. That’s what we need to focus on in my opinion.”

Thomas Rutherford

Thomas Rutherford is a freshman at Topeka High. He plays football, baseball, and is also a wrestler.

AC: “What’s your story as a Ravens fan?”

TR: “I became a Ravens fan when I was about six because it was always fun watching Ray Lewis play football, also watching younger players develop under him and Ed Reed, who’s another one of my favorite players.”

AC: “What about Ray Lewis stood out to you?”

TR: “I liked how he was a true leader. He wanted to rule that locker room with a way of respect and dignity towards all the players. He wanted that entire team to show respect and dignity as well.”

AC: “What’s kept you coming back to this team?”

TR: “Probably the nine and ten win seasons. And watching them beat the Patriots or teams of that caliber is fun to watch because, who doesn’t want to beat the Patriots? Also watching them draft players that I liked watching in college. It’s really cool to watch them grow up and play in this organization.”

AC: “What do you hope the Ravens can accomplish in the draft this year?”

TR: “Bettering their receiving or secondary. Maybe with Jaelen Strong [a wide receiver] out of Arizona State, or Trae Waynes or Marcus Peters, two of the best cornerbacks in the draft. Those are three guys I’d like to see play for the organization, but I know they’ll likely be off the board before the Ravens could select them.”