A Run-In with Danimal

A Run-In with Danimal
I was with my family on a cold Saturday afternoon in the winter of 2002. We were running a few errands before my brothers' basketball game they had later that day. My dad decided to make a stop at Lowe's, but I chose to wait in the car with my mom and one of my brothers while my dad and other brother went inside.

Not long after they went into the store, my mom's cell phone rang and my dad told my mom to have me to run inside the store right away. He said Dan Hampton was coming to do a free autograph signing (as part of his Hall Of Fame induction appearances) at this Lowe's in just a little while. Well I needed no further persuasion to get in the store as fast as I could.

When I got inside the store I saw this big long line of people waiting in front of an empty table. So I jumped in line with my mom while my brothers and my dad ran to another store to go buy some Bears hats for Danimal to sign for us.

We waited for about 45 minutes, and then in walked Dan Hampton. Instantly all of us fans who had faithfully been waiting for the Hall Of Fame inductee began to cheer and applaud.

Well my brothers and dad showed up with the Bears hats, and we waited for another half hour when I got my chance to meet the Bears great Defensive Lineman. It was a really cool feeling to get to talk to him. He signed my hat for me, talked to me for a little bit, shook my hand and took a picture with me. It was an incredible moment for a 13 year-old Bears fanatic to experience. My brothers and dad all received autographs as well, but me being the most avid Bears fan in the family, it was just that much more special to me.

My run-in with Danimal is a moment I will never forget.