WORDS: KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS: BRIAN McGEE
M
ark Sanchez may play football on
the East Coast, but he’s a Southern
California boy at heart. Currently
residing in Philadelphia, PA, for the season as
the backup quarterback for the Eagles, the fan
favorite Sanchez loves to soak up Cali rays during
the off-season in his Jeep Wrangler JK. We spent
the day with USC’s former quarterback before the
current NFL season and learned that despite all
the fame, he’s a humble, laid-back guy who loves
the beach, his dog and his Jeep.
“The Jeep is great; It’s a cross between
a convertible and a pickup for me,” Sanchez
explains. “It’s a great ride for living at the beach in
California because the weather is always nice and I
can keep the top down. I have a chocolate English
Labrador, Oso, that rides with me and he loves it.
I’m usually driving around with a bag of footballs
and other training equipment and the Jeep makes
it easy to throw my gear in the back and take off.”
74 | DUB MAGAZINE 2015
He linked up with us here at DUB Magazine,
via a mutual friend, to help him add a few things
to the Jeep and give it a little more swag. Although
he left most of the mods up to DUB, he did choose
the Arctic digital camo pattern for the wrap. “It’s
unique and looks great. My nephew, Nico, thinks
it looks like something out of Minecraft.” He also
requested new rims and tires, and went with set
of TIS 535B wheels and Nitto Trail Grappler tires.
Another highlight for Sanchez is the Smittybilt
front winch, which he mentions can pull him or
someone else out “of a jam on the beach.”
Completely blown away when he first saw his
upgraded Jeep, it’s become his daily driver when
he’s in Cali, especially when he’s heading to offseason training and workouts or to have a chill day
at the beach. “It really went from a basic Jeep to a
California beach machine,” he admits. “The audio
was completely upgraded and it looked much
better lifted with the upgraded tires and rims.”
The Jeep is great;
It’s a cross between
a convertible and a
pickup for me. It’s a
great car for living at
the beach in California
because the weather is
always nice and I can
keep the top down.”
DUB MAGAZINE 2015 | 75
downs, completions and completion percentage.
I’d like to improve on those achievements and do
whatever it takes to get to the playoffs. I’ve been
one win away from a Super Bowl two times now.
It’s been right there in front of me. I really want
an opportunity to play in and win a Super Bowl.
That’s what drives me every day.
What do you do in the off-season to get away
from the pressures of playing in the NFL?
Best case scenario, the off-season doesn’t start
until mid February – that means we are playing
in the Super Bowl. But generally speaking, I try to
take some time off right at the beginning of the
off-season to get away and decompress a little
bit. The season is all focus and grind, so when
you get a chance for a break, it feels good to blow
off a little steam and relax.
How’s playing college football different from
the NFL?
College is different because all of the guys on
the team are pretty much the same age and are
going through very similar experiences. In the
NFL, guys are at various stages of life and in their
careers. Take a look at any NFL locker room and
you have young rookies that are single, wideeyed and in their early 20s. At the same time,
you have 10 year veteran players, who are married
with kids and playing for their third team. Not
everyone is at the same stage in their lives and,
as a quarterback, it is your job to bring everyone
together and create a unified group that can
succeed together.
Then there is the speed and overall ability of
the players themselves. When you think about it,
the guys on the field in the NFL were the absolute
76 | DUB MAGAZINE 2015
best players on their college team. That means,
there are no soft spots out there; everyone you
face was an all-star or All-American player. You
have to step up your game and preparation
becomes critical to your success because the
talent level and speed are so elevated.
What can fans expect from you this season?
I’m going to compete to be the quarterback for
this team and help us win as many games as
possible. It was a new offense for me last year,
but I feel that I was able to grow in the system
and now I’m ready to succeed in Coach Kelly’s uptempo offense. The goal is simple, win. We have
to stack up enough wins to get into the playoffs.
For me personally, it will be to build off of last
year. We set franchise records on offense last
year, including points scored, passing yards, first
I really like the ocean and I try to get down
to the beach as much as possible during the offseason. My dad has always taken us fishing and
I try to get out on the water with him during the
off-season. I love to fish, both with rod and reel
and spear fishing. This summer we traveled to
Cabo San Lucas with my dad and won a marlin
tournament, which was a lot of fun. I also go
hunting with my dad and my brothers when we
can all get some time off.
I’m not sure if I’d consider myself a foodie,
but I love eating at great restaurants. I’ve been
around some great restaurants while playing in
New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia. I have
an appreciation for the way a chef puts together
a restaurant concept and then delivers a great
meal and an experience for the customer. I’ve
had a chance to meet and eat with some great
chefs like Jose Garces, Mario Batali, Bruno Serato,
Michael Mina and my friend from Nobu that
recently passed away, Shin Tsujimura.
Then I get back home and get started with
my training. I think most folks would be surprised
at how much work goes into the off-season. I do
a lot of preventative maintenance work on my
body to help avoid injury and I build strength that
can be lost over the course of a season. I also
work a lot on my core, using specialized workouts
and yoga. At the same time, I watch all of the
tape from the previous season to evaluate the
good and the bad. It makes for pretty long days
that sometimes run about 12 hours.
TECH SPECS: JEEP WRANGLER JK
WHEELS & TIRES
• 20x9 TIS 535B wheels
• 285/55R20 Nitto Trail Grappler tires
SUSPENSION
• Pro Comp 2.5” Suspension Lift
ARMOR & PROTECTION
• Smittybilt XRC Front Bumper
• Smittybilt XRC Rear Bumper
• Smittybilt XRC Rock Sliders
I also try to train with teammates for about a
week during the off-season; usually a few weeks
before training camp. We get together to watch
film and work on the field to gain some continuity
on the more technical pieces of the offense.
Before you know it, it’s time to report to camp
and chase that Lombardi trophy one more time.
they were great people who loved the Trojans and
had embraced me as the USC quarterback. There
were a couple of Jets fans that took on the same
look while I was in New York. They wore luchador
masks and held the “Viva Sanchez” signs as well.
I know my mom met them at a few of the games
and had a blast.
What’s the craziest/weirdest fan story?
There have been lots of interesting encounters
with fans. I remember back at USC that there
was a strong contingent of Hispanic fans that
would come to games in luchador gear with “Viva
Sanchez” signs. They would wear luchador masks
and cheer like mad men at the Coliseum. I had a
chance to meet them after one of our games and
Then there was a time on vacation that I came
across some Jets fans on a remote beach in
Mexico. I was on vacation, but still throwing and
training on the beach. I was going through my
workout on an out-of-the-way beach that you
could only reach by boat. There were very few
tourists there and even fewer American tourists.
Then, out of nowhere as I was going through
RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
• Smittybilt XRC Comp 9.5K lbs. Winch
• Factor 55 ProLink Winch Safety Thimble
EXTERIOR
• Smittybilt XRC Flat Fender Flares
• American Fastbacks Front Grille
• Avery Arctic Camo Vinyl Wrap installed by
DH Wraps
• PIAA LED Lights
INTERIOR
• Roadwire Leather Seats
• Husky Liners X-Act Contour Floor Mats
• Alpine Head Unit
SOURCES
AMERICAN FASTBACKS AMERICANFASTBACKS.COM | AVERY DENISSON GRAPHICS.AVERYDENNISON.COM | DH WRAPS INSTAGRAM.COM/DHWRAPS
FACTOR 55 FACTOR55.COM | HUSKY LINERS HUSKYLINERS.COM | NITTO TIRES NITTOTIRE.COM | PIAA PIAA.COM | PRO COMP PROCOMPUSA.COM
ROADWIRE LEATHER ROADWIRE.COM | SMITTYBILT SMITTYBILT.COM | TIS WHEELS TISWHEELS.COM
78 | DUB MAGAZINE 2015
my workout, a young boy and his father walked
up and said, “Hey, aren’t you Mark Sanchez?” I
looked up and laughed because I didn’t think
anyone would ever spot me working out at such
a remote location. Turns out they were big Jets
fans from New York also on vacation. We took a
couple of pictures and I threw a few passes to the
young guy. They were great people.
We heard that you do a lot of charity work,
which foundations do you support and can you
detail why they’re so important to you?
I enjoy working in the community, especially
with young people. In Philadelphia I’m part
of Community Monday, and each week we
collaborate with a local organization to support
young people. I’ve had an opportunity to meet
some great kids through Children’s Hospital
Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat
for Humanity, Philadelphia Horticultural Society
and Eagles Youth Partnerships.
In California, I’ve had a longstanding
relationship with Danny Hernandez and the
Hollenbeck Youth Center in East Los Angeles.
I connected with the HYC during my USC
days. Danny and the kids have always been so
supportive of me and I’m proud to have been part
of organization over the years. I also have worked
with a number of charitable groups in Orange
County, including Orangewood, CASA (Court
Appointed Special Advocates), Caterina’s Club,
Children’s Hospital Orange County and Food for
Kids in Long Beach.
I think it’s important to use any platform I’ve
been blessed with to help others around me. Every
time I’m in the community I’m inspired by the kids
and it reminds me to keep a perspective on life
and to truly value what is most important.
LRG 109
PIKE
MACHINED SATIN BLACK
www.lrgrims.com
LRG 111
111
CLASSICO
CLASSICO
SATIN BLACK