When Dancing With the Stars' 14th season kicks off March 19, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver will trade his football cleats for dancing shoes to compete alongside Peta Murgatroyd.
Here, Us Weekly gets to know the athlete competing as part of DWTS' new cast.
1. Regardless of how his stint on DWTS pans out, Driver plans to throw around the pigskin for as long as the NFL will have him — ideally until his 40th birthday. "If the Packers don’t want me, I've got to go somewhere else and play," the 36-year-old — who has played 13 seasons in the NFL — has said. "I don't have a choice. I'm not ready to hang the cleats up. My wife feels like I still got it. I feel like I still got it. If my family feels that way, then I'm going to continue to play. It's up to the organization to make that decision."
2. Falling victim to poverty at a young age, Driver turned to a life of crime, stealing cars and dealing drugs to support his family. After a few brushes with the law, Driver was sent to live with his grandmother at the age of 14, in hopes of starting a new life. Excelling at sports at Houston's Milby High School, Driver went on to attend Alcorn State on an athletic scholarship, and could have qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics with his high jump skills.
3. You may not know his name, but you just might know his voice. During his time with the Packers, Wisconsin-based Driver has appeared in marketing campaigns for brands including McDonald's, AirTran Airways, Kwik Trip, Goodwill and Time Warner Cable.
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4. A dad of two, Driver has authored three children's books: Quickie Handles a Loss, Quickie Makes the Team, and Quickie Goes to the Big Game. Basing the books on his own storytelling experiences with his own family, Driver inherited the nickname "Quickie" from his mother, who was forced to chase him around the house in his younger years.
5. Philanthropy is a cause close to his heart. Launching the Donald Driver Foundation in 2001 with his wife, Betina, the athlete works tirelessly to assist ill kids with medical bills and provides housing for homeless in his local area. Awarded the Ed Block Courage award by his Green Bay teammates in 2005, Driver recently helped place two homeless families in brand-new, fully furnished homes.
