Shark Week 2018 is right around the corner (begins July 22nd) and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time will be appearing on Shark Week.
Green Bay Packers signal caller Aaron Rodgers is afraid of sharks, but he wanted to conquer his fear which is why he wanted to be on Shark Week. Fans will happy to know that he did in fact conquer his fear (and above all else was safe!!), but the experience seemed terrifying, as told to NBC Sports' Peter King:
“The only reason I wanted to do the shark thing,” he said, “is I have two main fears: sharks and heights. I’m not gonna jump out of a plane. But sharks, I don’t know. I watched “Jaws” when I was a kid and always felt like they’re in the water, out in the ocean water, and one’s got my name on its back and it’s gonna munch on me. I wanted to conquer that fear because I love the water. I love paddle-boarding. So they [the Discovery Channel] came to me and my agent and I said, ‘Yes. A hundred percent yes. I want to do it. They got Gronk too, and Lindsey Vonn. It was in the Pacific, outside San Diego. There’s a big continental shelf that drops off and the depth goes to thousands of feet. There’s an upswelling of water and there’s a bunch of predators there. So we went out to that spot. They found this blue shark and got me in the water, nose to nose. It’s crazy.”
“What was it like?”
“Terrifying,” he said.
Eyes don’t lie. Rodgers’ got bigger just then.
“Seriously. I was terrified. I was just thinking about what the expert they brought in had told me. He said there’s three sharks in the water. There’s the blue, the white, and the mako. The mako, if it’s bigger than you, get out. If it’s not, stay in and keep your eyes on it at all times. Never turn your back to it. The white, you look at it straight in the eyes the entire time. The only way it’s gonna come near you is if you’re not looking at it. And the blue, he’s gonna come right up to you. When he comes up to you, he’s got a long nose. You just Miyagi that.”
“So this blue, he literally came up to me—spoiler alert—I put my hand on his head. I pushed him down to the right. Nicely, gently. But I was terrified. Honestly, I was blacked out. It just came up to me and all I was thinking was, Oh my god it’s actually happening. What do I do? Okay, boom. I just moved his head down to the right. But it was fun. I have a different appreciation for sharks now. I’m okay with ‘em.”
Even if you're not afraid of sharks, just being that close to one has to be a terrifying experience.
It's also probably an unforgettable experience and one that Rodgers will never regret because he faced his fear and conquered it.
(H/T: NBC Sports)
