Photo: Courtesy Today
Jared Veldheeris tackling a new position after 11 successful years in the National Football League.
In an interview withTodaythat aired on Tuesday, the retired 34-year-old NFL lineman opened up about hisnew role as cafeteria kitchen director at St. Paul the Apostle School in Grand Rapids, Michigan— the school his young daughter and son both attend.
The role requires preparing and cooking meals for 300 students, as well as ordering supplies. And while trading in a football uniform for an apron might seem like an odd choice, especially for a 6'8", 330-lb. offensive tackle, Veldheer said there’s actually a lot of similarities between the two gigs.
“I mean, it seems, seems a lot more mundane, but trust me, if one of those things falls out of step, then your whole operation is is in jeopardy, and then the quarterback gets sacked,” Veldheer explained to Harry Smith in a pre-taped package on the NBC morning show.
Veldheer has been working the job since last fall, and over his time in the position has stepped up the quality of food — adding items like chicken tikka masala, beef bulgogi, and chimichurri flank steaks to the menu.
“It looks like a restaurant menu,” school principal Michelle Morrow toldToday.
Veldheer himself was a picky eater as a kid, but developed into a “serious and curious foodie” over the years. “There’s so much around cultures globally centered around food. Getting together, having a meal, having a conversation,” he said on the program. “For me it’s not only nourishing to my body but also my soul.”
He also learned a lot about nutrition as a pro athlete, and wanted to bring those lessons to the students. “I realized there’s foods I need to incorporate more to have my body feel good from week to week,” Veldheer recalled. “You have to be really smart and calculated about it and teach yourself to like new things and get out of the box.”
Courtesy Today
Parents soon took notice of his masterful menu. And though some were doubtful Veldheer could deliver at first, many now volunteer at the school to get their own taste of Veldheer’s culinary creations.
“We started getting more [parent] volunteers in the lunchroom because our volunteers get to eat the food,” Morrow added.“And we constantly get [asked], ‘Are you going to offer takeout?’ "
Asked how good the food is, one parent admitted toToday, “It’s outstanding,” confessing that he “tried to duplicate it at home myself” after tasting it.
Students also sung Veldheer’s praises, telling Smith that the food has most definitely improved once Veldheer started.
Those same students can be be tough critic, though. Veldheer joking that they’re not afraid to tell him that they don’t approve of his meals. “They’re very honest, I’ll say that,” Veldheer said. “It’s helpful … because they’re happy to tell you if they like it, but they’re also happy to tell you, ‘No, that’s disgusting.’ "
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Veldheer began his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders, and throughout his time in the NFL, played for that team as well as the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and Indianapolis Colts.
source: people.com
