A retired NFL football player is in Virginia training to become a Blackhawk helicopter mechanic.
The Virginian-Pilot newspaper reports that former Arizona Cardinals guard Daryn Colledge is stationed at Fort Eustis, a U.S. Army base near Newport News. He joined the Idaho National Guard in March.
The Alaskan-born Colledge played for the Cardinals from 2011-13. He was a second-round NFL Draft pick, the highest-ever selection for a player from Alaska.
He played in nine NFL seasons and won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2010. He finished his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins in 2014.
Colledge played in 141 NFL games and started 137 of them. The 34-year-old says being a solider keeps him physically active and in a team environment.
Colledge's enlistment has drawn comparisons to former Cardinals and Arizona State Sun Devils player Pat Tillman. The former safety became an Army Ranger before being killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004.
Colledge will return to Idaho after his National Guard training.
