Daunte Culpepper’s No. 11 Minnesota Vikings jersey was the first NFL jersey I ever purchased. I’ve always been a collegiate sports fan, but never really invested much time in the NFL.

As I was finishing up my degree at UCF, he was just starting his career in the NFL. How exciting? My college’s quarterback was drafted first round by the Minnesota Vikings. He was a dynamic and exciting player to watch at UCF and I couldn’t wait to see him lace up and play in the NFL. Loyalty. I wanted to root and cheer him on no matter what team he played for.

A couple weeks ago when Jackie Brockington told me she was coordinating an interview, I was excited to hear what he’s been up to since retiring from the NFL. I had seen his new restaurant on University Boulevard, Culpepper’s, and was quite interested in hearing his take on being back in the Central Florida community.

The plan was to meet Daunte on campus at Bright House Networks Stadium. We arrived about 20 minutes prior to the scheduled interview time to set up all out gear and do lighting and microphone checks. Then we waited. Ten minutes went by, then 15, which at this point you start to get nervous as a producer. Here’s a guy with a very demanding schedule, he’s got a lot going on, is he going to have to cancel? Before I had a chance to get disappointed, Daunte came strolling up the section ramp of the stadium where we had set up. If you’ve never had the opportunity to meet him in person, let me say he’s a giant guy! No wonder defenses struggled taking him down! He smiled and introduced himself and apologized for running a bit late.

As our photographer Jason mic’d him up, he jokingly asked Jackie, “so you have all your questions written down or in your head.” He broke the ice before we had a chance to. Jackie asked him a lot of questions from growing up in Central Florida (he graduated from Vanguard High School), to why he picked UCF as well as his transition to the NFL. If there’s one theme that was consistent, it was his loyalty to the Central Florida area. He shared how he was highly recruited in high school by many colleges, but in the end selected UCF, allowing a lot of his followers from his playing days at Vanguard to come down for the games on Saturday. While at UCF, there was interest in the NFL, but Daunte stayed his senior year to play at UCF before entering the 1999 draft.

After retiring from the NFL, Daunte remains loyal to the Central Florida area. With the help of some friends, he recently opened a new restaurant in the UCF area named Culpepper’s. It’s a high-end sports bar filled with Daunte’s memorabilia from high school to college to the pros.

His name and memorabilia is not the only touch he put on the place.

“My favorite meal that my momma made for me growing up was a fried chicken," Daunte shared. "Southern fried. Home-style southern fried chicken with creamed corn and mashed potatoes. So that’s named after my mom, Emma Culpepper.”

You will also find a burger on the menu called "Daunte’s Inferno." It’s a cheeseburger with pepper jack cheese and a fried egg. Daunte admitted to Jackie he’s not a cook, but he knows about good food.

“What I do know I’ve had eaten in a lot of good restaurants," Culpepper said. "I’ve had a lot of great service, I’ve had a lot of bad service. And I think the restaurants that I have gone back to are the ones that the food’s good and the service is good.”

His game plan? Much like the football field. Be aggressive and win.

A new restaurant, an assistant coach to his son’s basketball team, multiple charities that he’s involved in, but what does he do for fun, when he has the time? He’s hung up his football cleats and now laces up the golf shoes.

"When you’re a competitor, you don’t stop competing just because you’re not a pro anymore. You compete in other things. So you know, right now, I’m competing. I’m trying to be a golfer. I wanna be good,” Daunte said.

Jackie asked him if he missed playing and being out on the field. He looked over to the field at Bright House Network Stadium and in honesty said he missed being out there. But he said his playing days are done.

In his loyal tradition he added, watching UCF play is special to him. ”I’m definitely the biggest cheerleader right now. Biggest cheerleader for sure.” A loyal Knight returns.