Aqib Talib

Cleveland-born Aqib Talib is (maybe) best known for being cornerback for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. His heroes were Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin. He is all about the art of the interception. Talib, 30, is also known for fighting — even with one of his own teammates. He’s known for getting arrested (twice in three years from 2009-11). And who could forget when he was suspended last season for poking the eye of Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen? Talib had actually gone months without incident before he was shot in his right thigh in the early-morning hours of June 5 at a park in Dallas (though he is expected to be ready for training camp when it commences on July 28). Talib is also a newlywed and a father of three — and he weirdly refers to MySpace like it’s still on-point. Talib likes Future, is about his money, and is afraid of getting the dreaded crying Michael Jordan face on social media. He also has not one game on his phone (not even Sesame Street’s Elmo Calls), and he might just win Dancing with the Stars one day.

Last podcast you listened to?

Never listened to one.

Why?

Podcasts are more like radio, right? I don’t do too much of the radio. When I’m in the car I’m listening to music on my phone, or I’m probably watching TV.

What’s your favorite show?

NFL Live, and NFL Total Access. A little NBATV to keep up on my basketball. I watch a bunch of reality TV shows due to my wife — all the housewives of everywhere.

Artist?

Future got a nice wave going on.

Favorite Future song ?

Forever Eva (2015). I like the verses. It’s an old song. If I find myself listening to one of his old songs, then that’s one of my favorite songs.

What’s that one app you really love?

This Fidelity app. I go look at my money 10 times a day. I don’t know who else loves that Fidelity app — but I know I do. Sometimes you’ll see a $60,000 decline, then sometimes you’ll see a $100,000 incline. It varies. Lately, I’ve been loving it.

Game on your phone you love the most?

I took them all off because when I have games on my phone, my kids always want my phone.

Which game did they play the most?

I had this game that my son used to say ‘Dad, I want to play Elmo.’ It’s like a Facetime with Elmo. He was 1½ or 2 at the time. That used to be his favorite game. For the older kids, we had a Call of Duty game, but then they’d want to dominate the phone. It was using up all my battery.

What’s your favorite meme right now?

I don’t really know the memes like that. I’m not on the social networks. I don’t do the Instagrams, Twitters, Facebook, the MySpace. I don’t really do Snapchat. I don’t really do none of them. The memes I get are the ones my teammates put in the group chat and stuff. I think, probably, the funniest ones right now have to do with the Jordan crying. I can’t really think of any other ones.

Are you afraid someone will put the Jordan crying meme over your face?

Maybe. I don’t know, hopefully we won’t be in a situation where it’s sad. Hopefully we keep winning games so the Jordan crying doesn’t really involve me.

What question are you asked the most by fans?

‘Why did you grab his facemask?’ A bunch of kids ask me that. I just tell them ‘I had to get him down, right? I couldn’t let him score, right?’

Are they understanding when you tell them that?

Of course. They’re football players, most of them, so they know you can’t let guys score.

What’s the last thing you googled?

‘ESPN TV schedule.’

Before that?

‘O.J. Simpson.’

He was before your time, but did you look up to O.J. as a player?

I didn’t. I just probably knew he was one of the old running backs: O.J. Simpson, Jim Brown, Marcus Allen. I probably just heard of him, but I really didn’t know too much about him at all.

Music you’re embarrassed by the most?

I listen to Rihanna. That’s not really embarrassing? I don’t really like listening to country or nothing — maybe a little Hector Lavoe. Some Spanish, see. My wife put me on. But not really the original Hector Lavoe, it’s the remixed Hector Lavoe that Marc Anthony sang. Because Anthony made a movie playing Lavoe (2006’s El Cantante). I like that Marc Anthony version of Hector Lavoe.

Which pro athlete would you trade places with?

Right this second? Von Miller. He’s on a great wave right now… He got that Super Bowl MVP. Now every time I’m on the internet or see something about the Broncos, it’s Von, man. It has to be superfun for him.

Would you ever want to be on Dancing with the Stars?

After going up there with Von, I don’t think I’d mind doing it. It looks like a lot of fun. He told me it’s a lot of hard work. I saw him — he lost about 12 or 15 pounds, he’s all chiseled up. That’s from just dancing and moving around all day, doing a lot of core work.

How well do you think you’d do on DWTS? I’d win. If I did it, I’d win.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.