Runnin' and Gunnin'

Dante Colepepper

Meshack and tha Animal

D.C. means a lot more than our nation's capital in the world of Professional Football. Ask the good people of Minnesota what that means and they'll say means a Super Bowl Ring if all goes well. Ask Randy Moss and he'll tell you it's the one most important thing between him and a touchdown. Ask Doug Williams (the only Black Starting Quarterback to do so in the History of the NFL) who D.C is, and he'll tell you he's Damn Close to doing what he did! D.C. stands for Dante Culpepper. He just so happens to be one of not-so-many Starting Black Quarterbacks in the League today. Young, confident, and down with Hip Hop, Dante looks to take his team all the way. And he leads his hungry squad to that which has eluded them four times in their long franchise run. With a solid team, a new coach, and of course, the fastest wide receiver in the Game, Mister Culpepper plans on success by RUNNIN' & GUNNIN'

KRONICK: 10-20 yards, 30-50 yards, or 60-70 yards: what's your best passing range shot?

DANTE: Anytime I throw, that's my best. I ain't just any Quarterback! (To Animal) Talk to him man! Hook your boy up with some information, baby!!

KRONICK: Well Brotha, it ain't like I knew I was gonna see you at this Big Tymers Video Shoot on a yacht an shit! Why don't you break us down from the College years up to the Pro's

DANTE: It's alright. Off-top I represent from 9th Ave in Ocala, Florida which is about an hour north of Orlando. I went to Ocala Vega Art, then I was signed to a full scholarship to the University Of Central Florida. After that I was a first round draft pick to Minnesota Vikings

KRONICK: Did you play any other positions growing up? You know how coaches wanna put you at Cornerback or Safety, or Wide Receiver when you're a Black Quarterback!

DANTE: No sir. I've played Quarterback all my life.

KRONICK: So what was it like working under former Coach Dennis Green, who happens to also be a Brotha?

DANTE: He was my man because he took a chance on me by drafting me. You know, I came from a small college and a lot of people didn't think I was capable handling my business on an NFL level. He still took a chance and I'm glad he did that. I'm always thankful for the opportunity he gave me.

KRONICK: Well my man, small college or not; first round draft means you were doin' the damn thang! So how's the transition been since Coach Green's departure?

DANTE: This will be the first year since he left, but I think we're gonna be a great team. Mike Tise, who was the Assistant Coach up under Coach Green for many years, is now the Hard Coach. So we're all familiar with him. We also have a lot of young players and a lot of hungry players, so I think we'll go farther and get closer to that Super Bowl ring.

KRONICK: How important is education for a young Brotha coming up in athletics these days?

DANTE: It's extremely important for the simple fact that you never know when your last play is. You know, you can blow your knee out in one play and that'll be it. So even if you got a lotta money, you still gotta know how to deal with your money and have the smarts and brains to manage it.

KRONICK: Do you have any outside investments away from the league that you'd like to share with us and the young people reading this?

DANTE: Nah, I can't get into all that. But I can tell Œem to be smart with their money and it's always good if you can to finish college. That's really what it's all about.

KRONICK: Assess the last few seasons and tell me where you'd like to see your team at the end of this upcoming season.

DANTE: We didn't make the playoffs this past year, but we did the year before. So we had an off year, but I got a feeling we're gonna take it all the way. That's just how I feel.

KRONICK: Who do you like on the team to hand the ball off to and who do you like throwing to?

DANTE: Well first of all I gotta represent for Randy Moss. He's one of the greatest Receivers in the Game right now, if not THE GREATEST! I think he's the greatest because I see him everyday and I now what he does everyday. I got him, then I've got Michael Bennett who's a Running Back. Then I've got Brian Mc Kinney who was just drafted from Miami, and he's a great Offensive Lineman

KRONICK: How important is the Offensive Line when you snap the ball to go back for a pass?

DANTE: Extremely important, because that's my livelihood. I gotta feel positive that they can block for me. Peace. And thanks for representing. They're calling me for my Cameo shot in this video now. Oh Yeah!