Column by Jim Peters
He could've breezed in, cut a big check, shook a few hands, mugged for some cameras and been on his way.
But that's not how Jeff Samardzija rolls.
When it came to the concept of giving back, the former Valparaiso High School star had something more personal in mind. That's why the Vikings football team, starting next season, will be decked out in "sick" (as the Shark described on his blog) Under Armour uniforms with his own design in mind.
"Jeff's big on where he came from," brother/manager Sam Samardzija said. "He's going to stay involved no matter what changes in his life. He wants to give back to the kids coming up doing what we did, 14- to 18-year-olds playing football. And what cooler way to do it?"
When it all comes together, there will be a public unveiling of the new threads, which are a long time coming. Sam didn't want to say it, but Valpo's duds need to progress from the wing-T era to something a tad more modern.
"It'll be in line with how college football jerseys are," Sam said.
Eighty to 85 sets of jerseys and pants will be made, with Blythe's serving as an exclusive provider of accessories such as cleats, gloves and socks. If you want to visualize a concept, check out Texas Tech, Maryland or South Carolina, the three major colleges outfitted by UA, which will also be incorporating Jeff into an upcoming cross-training apparel theme.
"We want to make it like an elite thing for the kids to strive for," Sam said, "give them something that they'll wear with pride, something nobody else around has."
Not to mention a way for them to connect with Jeff. We all saw how his Notre Dame jerseys disappeared from the store racks. Heck, I went to Purdue, I don't like the Fighting Irish (sorry about the 1-7 record, Jeff) and we've got a Fiesta Bowl replica 83 hanging in my sons' closet.
The kid's just got a flair about him that transcends allegiances. And between Notre Dame and the Cubs, he has been or is a part of two of the most well-known sports teams in the world. It stands to reason why BuzzFeed.com rates the blog on his Web site as one of the 10 best sports blogs on the Internet. Jeff-Samardzija.com, a collaborative effort of the brothers, was launched after the Sugar Bowl back in January.
"It's a way for Jeff to interact with fans and give them a chance to see behind the scenes a little bit, to find out about him as a person, not a player," Sam said. "He'll go on there -- he's got an Apple iBook -- and answer questions from little kids like what music does he listen to (Flaming Lips), what pitches he throws. He's got a lot of time on his hands when he's on the road so the blog's a good thing for him."
Currently, Jeff's living the high life, enjoying some rare time off at palatial Shark Manor in Valpo. It's good to be him.
This column solely represents the writer's opinion. Reach him at jpeters@nwitimes.com.
