ASK THE STEELERS – JEREMY BLOOM – PART 2
Steelers.com brings you the Ask the Steelers feature. Fans submitted the questions that were asked. Please understand that we receive an incredible number of questions for each player, with many of the questions being similar, and not all of the questions can be answered. We selected as many as possible, and took your questions to the current subject to get your answers.
From Bill Chiaramonte in Erie, Pennsylvania: What will you bring to the Pittsburgh Steelers as far as attitude and skills?
Jeremy Bloom: My attitude is: There is no job too big and no job too small. My strengths are my speed and quickness.
From Erin Jamison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: What is the toughest adjustment to life in the NFL?
Jeremy Bloom: The toughest part was getting my body back in football shape after the 2006 Olympics. It took longer than I expected.
From Jennifer Andy in Washington, Pennsylvania: What was the biggest influence when you decided to stick with football over skiing?
Jeremy Bloom: The biggest factor was the challenge that exists in the NFL and my love for the game.
From David Brady in Verona, Pennsylvania: What was it like to represent the United States in the Olympics? Was it an amazing experience?
Jeremy Bloom: I wish there were words to accurately describe the amount of honor and accomplishment that I felt in representing our country at the Olympics. Growing up my family was crazy about the Olympics. My dad would cry almost every time an American would win the gold medal. Opening ceremonies at The Salt Lake City Olympics was one of the most magical experiences of my life.
From Mark Elridge in San Diego, California: What is the feeling like when waiting at the top of the hill for your race to begin? What goes through your mind?
Jeremy Bloom: It's a mixture of anxiety, nervousness, and excitement. I would hear the starter count down the skier in front of me and after he would go I would slide into the gate. As soon as I got set in the start gate my mind would become very quite and clear. I wouldn't have a thought going through my head. It was a great feeling.
From Jamie Armond in Dover, Pennsylvania: Did you have any fears of injuries when skiing since it appears to be so fast and easy to get out of control?
Jeremy Bloom: I don't think it would be human not to have some sort of fear when you are competing in such a dangerous sport. But for me being able to manage and reduce my fear to a minimum has been a very important ingredients to my success.
From Maija Tamminen in Helsinki, Finland: Do you still go skiing just for fun?
Jeremy Bloom: I love to ski and it will always be a part of my life. However, I have not skied since the Olympics. I am committed to reaching my full potential in the NFL right now and I don't want to jeopardize this opportunity.
From Sarah Burke in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Have you had a chance to look at the Steelers schedule and does it surprise you how tough it is being that it's ranked near the top of strength of schedule in the NFL?
Jeremy Bloom: Nobody knows who is going to be good next year. Just because a team had success last year doesn't mean that they will be successful this year. On top of that, this is the NFL.
