Julian’s NFL Connection Meet the Players of Orange County!
I said on Page 1 that my son, Kaden, and I love football, but what I didn’t mention is that he’s been lucky enough to work with several retired and soon-to-be NFL players right here in Orange County. Kaden goes to a local Christian high school, and a former Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers player helps out his football team with their strength and conditioning. He also has a daughter around Macy’s age, so our family knows him that way. Last year, his kindness made Kaden’s whole 2020. Because of the pandemic, Kaden couldn’t play football last year, but he still wanted to stay in shape and ended up reaching out to him to check in. The gyms were closed, so he invited Kaden over to work out in his home gym! I’ll never forget how excited Kaden was when he got back that night.
“The whole time we worked out in his garage, I could see his Steelers and Bears helmets on the wall!” he told me. “It was like getting a one-on-one personal training session.”
That wasn’t Kaden’s only celebrity football encounter. The famous NFL quarterback brothers Jordan Palmer (formerly of the Washington Football Team) and Carson Palmer (formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals) grew up in Mission Viejo. Jordan still runs quarterback camps here. He brings in kids to catch balls for the quarterbacks in training, and Kaden was one of them! Through those camps, he has been able to work with current, future, and former NFL quarterbacks like Josh Allen , who is playing for the Buffalo Bills right now. The Palmer brothers, Josh Allen, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas , and Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith are some of the best players to ever come out of our area. I love watching these local legends on screen, and I feel lucky to walk the same streets they once did! Hopefully they come home in retirement and bring their NFL wisdom to another generation of football players.
–Julian Manrique
EASY CRANBERRY- APPLE SALAD
HAVE A LAUGH
Inspired by CookieAndKate.com
Want the taste of fall without the calories? Try this quick and easy salad, topped with homemade apple cider vinaigrette.
For the salad: • Ingredients
For the dressing: •
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dried pumpkin seeds
• • • •
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• •
5 cups salad mix
1 1/2 tsp honey
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
• • •
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Directions
1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until fragrant, then set aside. 2. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients, then set aside. 3. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing until lightly coated, then toss and serve!
Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 3
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