When Matta was hired on in July '04, I was valeting cars at the Blackwell. His first few nights on the job were spent napping in one of their finest suites, I'm sure, and I actually spoke to him a few different times while being his go-fer. I also met his wife, who was in town shopping for a home, doing the same job.
Anyhow, the first night he stayed there, I was closing valet at 11:00, and I was moving the valet stand in (I will admit it may have been 10:56), and I remember seeing headlights at that red light. I was hoping that car did not pull in, and I was done for the evening. It pulled in, and I was kind of annoyed at first. So I go over to the driver's side, and the door opens, and it's Thad.
He had some stuff to unpack, and the only thing I can remember asking him was if he needed a 3 point shooter on his bench (I'm, um, short), but I do remember him saying that he knew he had to beat Michigan, and he would be alright.
Consider it job security. What, 9-1 now?