One of my favorite non-playing people in the NFL is Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. This fondness comes from his football path. I don't think that he ever played the game but he sure had a passion for it. He grew up with football as his father was a coach and scout. The younger Dimitroff did everything from picking up jock straps to breaking down film. He just wanted to be around the game. His path first caught my attention when I learned that he was discovered by Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli while working on the Cleveland Browns grounds crew. This was his big break as Belichick and Pioli are two of the best at bringing out the best in football minds. It didn't work out for Belichick and Pioli in Cleveland but it sure did in New England. Once there they brought in their football friend from the grounds crew. Dimitroff moved up the ranks until he was one of the hottest personnel men around. The Falcons grabbed him.
Dimitroff has appeared on Rich Eisen's podcast several times and he's always entertaining and informative. He's a bit different from most football people. For example, he's a vegetarian. I recently heard Dimitroff talking with Peter King of Sports Illustrated on another podcast. King was recounting his training camp visit with the Falcons. Dimitroff invited King to "high tea" later in the day. Intrigued, King accepted the invitation. Later that day, Peter King and Thomas Dimitroff had a pleasant conversation over green tea and organic cookies. The cookies replaced the more traditional biscuits. King was a little stunned by this experience at an NFL training camp. It reminded him of traveling with John Madden in his cruiser. As they rumbled across the nation, Madden came to a stop to inspect some wild flowers along the side of the road. With field guide in hand, Madden stopped to identify those flowers. "High tea" and wild flowers are things you just don't imagine experiencing in football.
Dimitroff is one of the brightest personnel men in the league. He's also one of the most interesting. He's carrying on the open-minded football work of Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli. Everyone in the Falcons building has a voice and is heard. The NFL is a much better place with people like this.
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