"I've had the opportunity to work hand and hand with a lot of military members through the NFL. Soldiers have always been a class of individuals that I hold in high regard. That's why I decided I wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with them."
Colledge is a former lineman for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.
During his fifth and final season in Green Bay in 2010, the Packers won the Super Bowl.
"I was going to originally join the Army out of high school, but I was fortunate enough to get an athletic scholarship to play football at Boise State University. I (then) played in the NFL for nine years and, after I retired, I was too young to not do anything. I felt like the climate in the world was changing and it was time for me to get off the couch and serve my country.
"It's difficult being 34 (in Basic Combat Training) and dealing with 18- and 20-year-olds. For some Soldiers I've offered guidance and tried to be a mentor and offer leadership ... and some Soldiers don't want to hear that. Some of them have taken that advice to heart and used it to their advantage.
"I knew that when I joined I would be in this situation, and I thought I had the best advantage to try to give these Soldiers a leg up ... let them know what the future is going to look like and some of the pitfalls that I've seen or experienced in my life.
"A lot of Soldiers that are ready to join the Army at Fort Jackson I'm proud to call battle buddies, partners and brothers.
"I've always been a hands-on guy, outdoor guy. So things like field training exercise, grenade courses, dealing with the shooting ranges, that's all stuff that interests me. The great thing about basic training is that you're consistently learning, and I'm the type of person that wants to
constantly grow and develop. Every day is excellent to me because I get to learn something new. This last week has been the hardest week because now we're not doing anything. We're just cleaning stuff."
"I'm a 15T, a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter Repairer. I'm (already) a private pilot. I grew up flying
with my father. My father flew a bush plane in Alaska, where I'm from. So I've always had a passion for flying. When I got in the NFL and had a little bit of money in my pocket, I (learned) to fly and became a pilot, and I've been chasing that passion ever since. The Army gives me the opportunity to continue flying, but also work on helicopters, which is something I've been interested in. I've always been interested in mechanics.
"My long-time goal is to do this until I'm told I can't do this anymore. This will be the last thing I do. I did the NFL, now I'm done with that ... and now I have a situation where this will be my career until I retire. I was fortunate enough to do whatever I want to do, and what I want to do is serve my country.
"I think every mother always worries when their son or daughter decides to take the step to take up arms and defend their country, but I've gotten nothing but overwhelming support from all the members of my Family.
"Basic Combat Training is hard in it's own way, but for me the Army is easy because it's just hard work. You show up on time, they feed you, they clothe you and you just work as hard as you can, and that aspect I really enjoy the Army. I can get onboard with it because (it's all just) hard work and that's something you don't necessarily just find out in the civilian world."
Colledge was named the student leader of the cycle for his company.
(Editor's note: This article is part of a series spotlighting a Soldier on Fort Jackson.
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