Though we’re mostly known for our interviews with journalists, talking to athletes can be just as fun. There was the time Curtis Granderson of the Tigers fielded some questions from us last year, and a couple of months ago we sent reader/blogger Bucktown Skins Fan to sit down with Rampage Jackson. Today, another athlete treat: We sent BSF on the ultimate mission - track down his mancrush, Chris Cooley, and see if the much-loved, bushy-haired blogging tight end of the Washington Redskins would talk to us. When Cooley returned from his honeymoon - he married a cheerleader - he obliged. He talks football, cocky USC players, and what score on the Wonderlic makes you a dumbass.

A mancrush, as defined by Urban Dictionary, is when “a man… has a crush on another man without sexual attraction.”

I am happy to admit to the world that I, BucktownSkinsFan, have a mancrush on Chris Cooley; and I don’t care who knows it. Now I just need to get some people to start voting for him here. I think we can shoot straight past Joseph Addai, and into the Top 10.

BucktownSkinsFan: Are you excited to get back to football, or does training camp put a bit of a damper on the next 2-3 months?

Chris Cooley: I’m excited every season to get back to football. I love the excitement of the games, and I love the fans. Training camp can be especially miserable. I’ve spent days before training camp pacing around the housing wishing I wouldn’t have to leave. The good thing for me is it has gotten easier and easier every season. This year could be tough though, since we report July 19. That’s 10 days earlier than usual.

BSF: Head coach Jim Zorn will represent your third offensive philosophy in five years. How daunting is it to have to learn a new offense? How has the process been this off-season?

CC: Learning a new offense has become routine for the Redskins. I would compare learning a new offense to learning to speak another language. Football has all kinds of terminology and every offense is worded differently. The good thing is the more you learn new things the better you get at it. I feel very comfortable in the football world.

BSF: H-Back, Fullback, receiving TE, blocking TE … you’ve seen a lot in your four years. What do you see your primary responsibilities being in Jim Zorn’s new offense?

CC: I would imagine that I will assume many of the same responsibilities as I have in the past as a tight end. Good coaches try to take advantage of what their [players] can do best. I’m sure that I will be put in the best position to succeed, I’m also sure I will have an opportunity to catch a ton of balls this year.

BSF: As far as the new offense goes, are you excited, nervous or somewhere in between?

CC: I’m always excited for change. The new offense has been interesting and is definitly a big change from our offense last season. A new offense is like a new girlfriend. There will always be the new and exciting qualities, but part of what you liked will be missing.

BSF: Have you been working with Jason Campbell at all this off-season?

CC: Jason Campbell and I have worked together a lot during every offseason since he was drafted. It’s been important that we get on the same page with the new offense. We have a great relationship and hopefully we can continue to build on what we’ve started.

BSF: Did you, or do you still, ever have trouble understanding his Southern accent in the huddle?

CC: When Jason came to Washington quite a few of the guys had a hard time understanding him in the huddle. Growing up in the northwest I sometimes have a hard time understanding some words from people with a southern accent. Throughout the last couple years something Jason worked hard on was annunciation. I think he can turn it on and off when he wants to draw out the accent, but he is very clear in the huddle now.

BSF: Could Joe Bugel still step onto the field and pancake a D-lineman?

CC: Joe Bugel has become a skinny old man. I’ll give him that he is in great shape, but physically he couldn’t budge an NFL defensive lineman. On the other hand I wouldn’t be surprised to see his personality put anyone on the team flat on their back. He can be extremely intense, but I think all the guys love it.

BSF: Greater thrill: Catching a first down over two defenders, pancaking a LB coming after Campbell or leveling a DB while running free?

CC: I think my greatest thrill on the football field would be running with the ball. I actually made a joking goal in college to never get tackled and it kind of stuck as my football motto. Nothing feels better to me than running through guys to make a big play. Touchdowns work too.

BSF: Do college rivalries carry over into the NFL? In what way; bets, trash talking, etc.?

CC: College rivalries tend to become small beans in the NFL. You will always see someone from Michigan wearing an Ohio State shirt, but that seems to be the extent of it. One thing I have noticed is USC guys like to relive college glory. We haven’t had very many SC guys on the skins, but when we do you can bet you will hear about it.

BSF: You never seem to lose your cool on the field. Would you consider yourself an extremely competitive person? If so, does that competitive fire extend to off the field?

CC: I can’t say I never lose my cool on the field. I can a least maintain composure until I make it to the sidelines [and away from the camera]. I am a very competitive person, especially with myself. If I drop a ball, it’s a guarantee something is getting smashed on the sideline, usually my helmet. I try not to carry competitiveness off the field, but I do. It’s just uncomfortable for me to lose in anything, even ping-pong to my mom. She does beat me about half the time though.

BSF: Are there really “locker room leaders” and, if so, what do they do for a team? What is the real value of a “locker room leader” when it comes to resigning players; can they be replaced, or should that be a factor in whether or not a team resigns a player?

CC: There are always vocal players in every sport. It’s honestly hard for me to be motivated by someone yelling and screaming. I think play on the field shows more about someone than anything else. I don’t it’s ever a factor in keeping someone if they are a good locker room guy. On the other hand, someone terrible in the locker room or off the field can easily be packing their bags.

BSF: What is it like playing @ Dallas, @ Philly and @ NY Giants? Can the fans actually affect the players in any way other than pure stadium volume?

CC: Playing away games in the NFC East is unbelievable. I have so much respect for how loyal and intense Dallas and Philly fans can be. I actually try to talk trash to the fans before the games. It’s a blast for me and I think everyone has a good time even in the most horrible verbal exchanges. For me, fans really do not effect a game other than noise. Noise is a major contributing factor in the outcome of a lot of games though.

BSF: Who is the best coverage LB you’ve ever ran a route against?

CC: I honestly feel that if I ever am covered man to man with a linebacker that I will win. I can’t name a linebacker who is best in coverage. If I were a D-cordinator I would blitz or zone drop my backers. I think they have too many disadvantages in man coverage.

BSF: In a 7/23/07 post on Dan Steinberg’s DC Sport Bog, Skin Patrol from Hogs Haven submitted a list of Skins who he would most like to “have his back” in a scuffle. You made the list. Which teammate would you choose?

CC: If I had to pick a teammate to have my back in a scuffle, I would take Mike Sellers. First of all he is enormous and incredibly strong, but then consider that he has a completely nasty side. He would be tough to take down in a fight.

BSF: What’s your first thought when it comes to rookies: (A) “Screw’em… they’ll catch on by themselves,” (B) “Can’t wait to help them learn their playbooks,” or (C) “Where’s my athletic tape, electric razor and icy hot?”

CC: As far as rookies I’ve really tried to help guys. It’s gotten harder and harder because it seems like all the guys I make friends with end up getting cut. So this season im going with A. They can catch on by themselves and when guys make the team we can all hang out.

BSF: What was the inspiration for the CC47 blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

CC: We started the blog for fun. We looked at quite a few athlete sites and thought so many of them were very “blah.” I started the website with my friend Jake and my brother. We have all had a blast trying to come up with original ideas as well as cool stuff to write about.

BSF: What can we expect from the CC47 blog in the future?

CC: I would like to continue to do at least two posts a week on the blog in the future. One of our goals is to have two or three teammates contribute to the Cooley Zone. Todd Yoder did a blog for us this week and we thought he did a great job. Everyone writes different and that could make it very cool.

BSF: Do you read other athlete’s blogs?

CC: I rarely read any other athletes blogs. I’ve tried to keep my own ideas and do my own thing.

BSF: As a popular athlete on a DC based sports team, do you feel intimidated by the success of Gilbert Arenas’ blog?

CC: Like I said I really don’t read other athletes blogs. Gilbert has some pretty good stuff going and I think thats cool. I just have a fun time typing all my own stuff.

TBL: You grew up in Utah and went to college at Utah State. Dennis Rodman and even Ric Bucher have claimed that there isn’t much to do in that fine state. Agree? Disagree? What’d you guys for fun?

CC: I loved growing up in Utah. I’m an outdoors kind of guy so we found all kinds of stuff to do. I was a big fly fisherman, we did a lot of hunting. Cliff-jumping was way popular. Of course skiing; I don’t know how anyone can live in Utah and not ski or board. It’s not much for nightlife - Logan, Utah has two bars that close around 12 o’clock - but I was rarely bored.

TBL: Everyone makes a big deal out of the Wonderlic. Being a veteran in this league, would you say that the test is worthless? Is there some merit to it? Have you ever been around a teammate who seems so brain dead that one day you asked him his Wonderlic score and when you learned of his low score, you were like, ‘I could have guessed that!’

CC: Of course the Wonderlic has very nothing to do with athletic ability, but if I were a coach it would be something I would look at. One thing is for sure - it will determine exactly who the dumbasses are. The sad thing about the Wonderlic is there is only three or four different versions of the test and guys are able to get copies to study. I missed six or sever questions on purpose so it didn’t look like I was cheating. So for anyone to get less than a 15 is pretty bad. The test has 50 questions and a player is allowed 12 minutes to answer.