Q&A: Catching Up With 7 Former Green Bay Bombers Players
By: Mallory & Mara Allen, Interns
On June 17th, the Green Bay Blizzard will welcome a collection of Green Bay Bombers alumni back to their old stomping grounds as part of the Blizzard's "90s Night" home finale. We caught up with seven of these players – Joel Banda, Dave Diemel, Heath Garland, Tom Hess, Ryan Hinske, Shane Konop, and Dan McCarty – who reflected on their time with the Bombers and shared where they are now.
How did you get involved with the Bombers and indoor football?
Banda: I heard that a few of my college teammates made the team, so I called [Coach] Mario Russo and he told me to come in for a try out.
Joel Banda (1998-2000)
Image Credit: Rick Schaffer
Diemel: I played football at UW-Stevens Point until 1995 and had some former college teammates on the Bombers squad. I wanted to continue my football career, as I loved football. I did the tryout and became a member.
Garland: I was a graduate assistant football coach at Northern Michigan University and wanted to continue playing. I drove down to GB for the tryout.
Hess: After college I was pursuing professional football. I bounced around on a few teams and Green Bay was a special stopping place for me.
Hinske: After my senior year in 1997 at UW-Oshkosh, I played professionally in the FIAF in Italy for the Ancona Dolphins during the '98 and '99 football seasons. When I returned, I knew some guys that had a great experience playing for the Bombers. Having accepted a teaching job in Appleton, I was thrilled to be able to continue playing professionally for the Bombers because it was local. It was the perfect situation.
Konop: Once I was done playing at UW-Stevens Point, I wanted to extend my playing career. I heard of the Bombers starting up and I was invited to a try-out by Mario Russo. After the try-out he invited me to Green Bay and the rest is history.
McCarty: I heard about the tryout from a friend that I played ball with in Germany the previous year.
What did you enjoy most about playing for the Bombers?
Banda: Traveling to Hawaii and winning the league championship in 1999.
Diemel: I enjoyed meeting and getting to know all the team members and coaches with all different backgrounds. We were able to work well together and bring home the Gold Cup!
Dave Diemel, #51, and Tom Hess, #26 (1999)
Image Credit: Rick Schaffer
Garland: Being with diverse but like-minded men. We had the common goal to continue playing and I enjoyed the camaraderie and support from my teammates.
Hess: I enjoyed our playoff run and winning the 1999 championship.
Hinske: Being reunited on the same team with my Oshkosh Titans roommates, Brian Tomalak and Aaron Longley, and making new lifelong friends, like Randy Smith. Also, the post-game celebrations at The Bar and the epic bus rides home from road games. Finally, Coach Bud Keyes gave me the opportunity to really shine on the football field and showcase what I could do as a player. He's an incredible coach and an even better person.
Konop: My teammates. I loved those guys!
McCarty: I enjoyed being around the guys and the relationships I had with my teammates.
What was the toughest challenge you faced in your time with the Bombers?
Banda: I was also a full-time teacher, coach, and father at the time. Living two hours away, it was challenging at times to get to Green Bay.
Diemel: I was already married to my wife Nancy at the time and we already had our first son, Dayton. I was also working a full-time job as a Service Manager at a Ford dealership. The toughest challenge I faced was balancing all my commitments, including performing on the field.
Garland: Leaving during my last season to take a coaching position for another team in the league.
Heath Garland (1998 & 1999)
Image Credit: Rick Schaffer
Hess: I was with the team to start the season, then left to pursue another opportunity, then came back to finish the season. Proving my worth and earning the trust of my teammates and coaches was a challenge.
Hinske: I was experiencing an amazing season and having the time of my life playing; I led the league in touchdown receptions (13 TDs in six games), the team was winning, and I was getting looks from teams in the Canadian Football League and advancing my football career. Suddenly, with one wrong cut, everything changed; I tore my ACL in the middle of the season. I went from being on top of the world to dealing with feelings of depression that I never had to go through before. You don't realize what you take for granted in life until it's taken away. But I learned a ton about myself as a man, as well as my desire to play and my love for the game of football. I was selected to the NIFL All-Star Game even though I only played half the season and I was still injured, which I was extremely honored by. It was a classy gesture by the league that I really appreciated.
Image Credit: Rick Schaffer
Konop: Having a decent place to practice. We couldn't always use the Brown County Arena, so our coaches were quite creative. You should have seen some of the places we practiced in!
McCarty: I was driving back and forth twice a week for practices and games from Eau Claire where I was currently coaching at and going to school. Spent most of my check on gas!
How did playing for the Bombers influence your life?
Banda: The dream of getting paid to play football on a smaller scale was a great accomplishment.
Diemel: It was a great experience traveling around the country playing in different venues while winning with teammates with such vast backgrounds. I am currently in Operations Leadership, and I often look back on my experience as a Bomber to see the importance of creating great teams to be successful!
Garland: It continued to provide me opportunities to compete at a high level, overcome adversity, reap the benefits of hardwork, be a team player, and demonstrate leadership.
Hess: Being a part of hard work and championship football has really shaped my life for the better.
Hinske: My positive experience with the Bombers led me to attack the rehab process to recover from my ACL injury, working every day with my mindset that I was going to get back on the playing field. In 2002, I signed to play with the Lincoln Capitals in the NIFL (since the Bombers folded) and played for the La Crosse Night Train in 2003 to complete my football career. Although those were great experiences too, nothing measures up to the time I had with the Bombers. Playing for the Bombers allowed me to fulfill my potential as a football player while playing alongside some of the best teammates ever. Those lifelong memories are something I will always cherish.
Konop: Playing in Green Bay influenced my life by giving me the opportunity to play past college and to pursue a dream I've had since I was a young boy. I didn't make it to the NFL, but the experiences I've had and people I've met are memories that will be with me forever.
Shane Konop (1998-2000)
Image Credit: Rick Schaffer
McCarty: Looking back at it, I always knew we had a great coaching staff. I've stayed in touch with some of those coaches that have become great resources for me over the years.
What does life look like for you now?
Banda: My children are all adults and own their own businesses (Julian: Pine River Butcher; Jaiden: J-Custom Pallets; Trinity: Sweets by Binny). I also own a bunch of small companies.
Diemel: I am currently employed as a Plant Manager at Aalberts Surface Technologies in Oshkosh. My family and I moved back to the Green Bay area (Seymour, WI) last year. My wife Nancy and I have three boys: Dayton, 24, who lives in Clemson, South Carolina; Dakota, 16, and Daxton, 11. We love to travel and spend time at our cabin in northwest Wisconsin.
Garland: I am happily married to Kelly (15 years) and we have two sons: Landon (13) and Kellan (10). I work for the Howard-Suamico School District and will be serving as the Interim Principal at Bay View Middle School beginning on July 1, 2022.
Hess: I'm a high school head football coach and strength/conditioning teacher. My wife, Stephanie, and I just moved to Las Vegas. My son, Julian, played at Eastern Illinois like his dad, and my daughter, Josie, is playing volleyball at Parkland College, where she just won a national championship!
Hinske: I live in Appleton with my beautiful wife, Andrea, and my two amazing kids: my 10-year-old daughter, Hayden, and my 8-year-old son, James. I'm a teacher/football coach at Kimberly High School and have been fortunate enough to be a part of eight State Champion football teams (Go Makers!). I enjoy coaching my kids, staying active playing baseball, basketball and golf, and traveling.
Konop: I live with my beautiful wife Stephanie and son Jarek in Menomonie, WI. I work as a Category and Key Account Manager for Bill's Distributing and also work as a paid on-call firefighter for the City of Menomonie.
McCarty: Life now is still football, as I'm the head football coach at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. My wife, Katrina, and I have 3 girls (Sophia, 19; Liv, 12; CeCe, 10).
Dan McCarty (1999)
Image Credit: Rick Schaffer
Authors' Note: Don't miss out on your chance to see these former Bombers players make their return to Green Bay on Friday, June 17 at 7:05 p.m for the Green Bay Blizzard's "90s Night" home finale! It will feature a pre-game block party and concert by The Astronomers, the world's largest game of Singo (song bingo), a 90s costume contest, and a $3 drink special on Bud Light Seltzers. Get your $9 tickets (in honor of 90s night!)
HERE!
