Mark Brunell was one of those quarterbacks that was so extremely dominant as an adolescent and during his collegiate football career, he might have underperformed to the masses expectations throughout his official professional football career. His ability to find work around the league for a total of nineteen seasons might also be the cause of his inflated numbers. While Brunell was mediocre at times, he was a steady option at the quarterback position for many clubs during his tenure in the NFL. Brunell attended the University of Washington from 1989 to 1992 where he would have to battle for starting quarterback rights his entire four-season tenure with the Huskies. The 6'1 quarterback would go on to lead the Huskies to a National Championship in 2001 and be crowned the Rose Bowl MVP.
After his rollercoaster college career came to an end, Mark Brunell went on to be drafted 118th overall in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers where he would only play a total of two seasons and not take a single snap under center during his first season with the team. However, Brunell's most prominent years during his career would happen to take place in Jacksonville (1995-2003), where he would become a 3x Pro Bowler and lead the team to the playoffs four times out the nine seasons he played with the Jaguars. Brunell would eventually pick up a ring as a backup quarterback in New Orleans after Brees led the Saints to a victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Brunell would see short stints with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets before officially retiring in 2012.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.