Kansas City Chiefs: The women behind the player, Gehrig Dieter edition
By Chris Taylor
Nicknames, Bulldogs, and some final advice from Meg Kraft
As the preseason comes to an end, many of the same feelings that arose last season have reappeared this season for Gehrig and Meg. You’ve found out that Gehrig is a romantic and a hard worker. You’ve learned that Meg has a genuine fear of closed blinds and has a deep love for her soon-to-be husband.
It’s time to loosen up and as we close the interview with random tidbits and Meg gives some very valuable advice for the many ladies that will be taking this same path in the future.
Coach Reid has a nickname for your fiance (Sheepdog). Do you have a nickname for Gehrig?
G had been dubbed “the Goose” by his collegiate teammates (hence our dog’s name). I’ll never forget watching the first preseason game and listening to the announcer talking about his nickname, assuming he was giving the backstory on “Goose”, only to find out it was a whole different animal!
Sheepdog fits him perfectly. I’m actually big on nicknames. I call him “G/Gehr”, and to his dismay, “Rig”. But I also call Patrick “Rick”, so I think “Rig and Rick” is pretty cute.
Can I persuade you to name something he is good at and something he isn’t good at other than football?
The dude is annoyingly good at everything – golf, disc golf, tennis, baseball, any sport really. He’s an excellent dog dad, awesome at grilling and above average at Jeopardy. He is not good at putting his laundry in the hamper. If I ever need to know where he is in the house I just follow the trail of socks.
What is a hamper?
In our house, we have had an ongoing argument as to who loves each other the most. Who wins that argument in your house?
HA! I would say I love him the most because of the sacrifices I’ve made (moving away from my family, turning down job offers) for him to chase his dreams. There is genuinely not one other person on this earth I’d do those things for. He’s worth it though.
I’m assuming you are the wedding planner. Is it more difficult planning your own?
It’s so much harder now that it’s my own, but I love every second of it. I blog weddings, write and work for wedding magazines, so I have seen all the concepts, trends, and color palettes – everything.
Narrowing all the details down has been the tough part. It’s also 12 hours away in Cleveland so planning long distance has had its frustrations. Our theme is a balance between French bulldogs and football, so I know it will be perfect for us.
No, I have not received an invite. Yet.
So tell us about these furry children of yours.
YES! We have three French bulldogs who run our world. We chose Frenchies because we couldn’t decide between Rottweilers(G’s family dogs) or Labs (my family dogs). We did our research and picked them for their downlike personalities, wrinkles, and the fact that they are great apartment dogs and travelers. We love these dogs and treat them like our own human children.
Goose- Our first! Named after his dad. He’s more reserved and when we go to the dog park, he sits with the people instead of playing with other dogs.
Lou – Also named after his dad (kind of). If he was a person he would be the president of a fraternity who wins food eating contests. Loves to bug his brother and follows his dad around like a shadow.
Maggie – We recently adopted Maggie and she is six years old. She’s the sweetest girl and fits right in with this circus. She will break up the boys if their wrestling gets too rough for her liking.
You can follow their antics on Instagram – @SmooshSiblings
Can you list the unheralded things that football wives(or soon to be) do on a weekly basis?
I don’t think I can answer this properly. I’m still a rookie with no kids and I work full time. There are a lot of women whose entire lives revolve around caring for their men and making sure the guys perform their best.
I cook each night so G eats right. I think the unsung heroes are the moms who are single-handedly raising their kids, running their households, and supporting their other halves simultaneously.
How is the relationship between the player’s families who are “on the bubble”?
It’s a very interesting dynamic. On one hand, I think we’re closer than ever because we know what we are all going through. On the other, We’re all competing for the same spot. I genuinely root for our friends and pray for their health and I hope they do the same. When it is all said and done, we are all on the same team.
Last but definitely not least, What advice would you give to other families coming into the same situation?
My dad always says, “God didn’t bring you this far to only bring you this far”, so keep the faith, as tough as that can be. Know that this time in your lives us short and fleeting. Make memories in the places you live with the teammates you meet. Lean on each other and enjoy this roller coaster. Only so many people are lucky enough to ride.
This is the first installment of many. I hope you enjoyed reading this as Meg opened up her life to us. These stories and many more to come will shed a light never before seen. Stay tuned for the next installment, and follow me @CTaylor1911 on Twitter to find out who the next guest will be.
Next. Top 15 Quarterbacks to target in '18. dark
Remember this. That which you see is through very narrow lenses. There is so much more than what meets the eye.