By Kris Leonhardt
Editor-in-chief
A children’s book section isn’t the first place that you’d expect to find a six-foot, 247-pound running back, but that is exactly where you might find one these days.
On July 11, Green Bay Packers A.J. Dillon held a launch party at Johnsonville Tailgate Village at Lambeau Field for his new children’s book “Quadzilla Finds His Footing.”
The book’s lead character, Quadzilla will sound familiar to Packer fans.
“My rookie year we played the Tennessee Titans, and I had a good game scoring my first two NFL touchdowns. My breakout game if you will, after that a lot of fans on Twitter had funny nicknames and memes of me. Quadzilla was the overwhelming favorite, and we rolled with it. It has become a staple, not just only amongst Packer fans but league-wide,” Dillon said.
Through the narrative, Dillon creates a character that gets discouraged when he isn’t as skilled at certain activities as his friends, therefore encouraging readers not to give up while finding their niche.
Dillon inspires the reader to try new things even when it is difficult, while also trying to foster a passion for reading.
“I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing growing up. With my mom being a teacher it was something that was always encouraged in our household as well,” he recalled.
But, the book is also a gift for his nine-week-old son, Trey.
“In preparation of becoming a father, I was thinking about my legacy, things that I could pass down to my son. Although the story of my career and what I continue to do off the field hasn’t been written yet; I thought it’d be a great project for the off-season and something that I’ll be able to share with him and hopefully pass along the story of Quadzilla throughout our family for years to come,” he said.
“I don’t think becoming a father has changed who I am, but rather made everything I do much more purposeful. Every person I meet or event I’m a part of I’m hoping to leave a great lasting impression because not only do I represent myself but also him and my family. Years down the road who knows he may want a job somewhere and a kid who was at the Quadzilla Finds His Footing book launch might be the boss who’s reading his application.”
The book was published by Orange Hat Publishing of Waukesha, who heard about 15 pitches from Dillon before landing on Quadzilla.
“A.J. tweeted that during the off-season he was going to write a children’s book,” said Orange Hat Owner Shannon Ishizaki.
“So, my staff saw that and contacted him through Instagram and said ‘You should publish with us. We are local, we’re Wisconsin-based. We’re family-owned.’ And he was like, ‘I really want to stick with local, and I love supporting small businesses.’”
“It really took a village, but I had a lot of awesome help — just like the book — great teamwork, great friendship, great connections,” Dillon added.
What’s next for Dillon
“Before we start training camp — which I know everyone is excited about — two days before on July 23, we are going to be hosting the first-ever player camp at Titletown. A youth camp for a range of ages. We are going to have some players there and coaches. We’ve got some local coaches from the community. It’s going to be great to kick off the season with the youth in the community,” Dillon said.
While Dillon is excited to get the community together, his focus is squarely set on being a positive role model for the next generations.
“Green Bay is home to me and my family. I think it’s very important to always help others if you have the ability to and it’s something you feel strongly about. Right now while I have the platform I do, it’s humbling to be able to help and spread awareness on great causes. Being involved in the community is something that’ll stretch long beyond my football years, however right now it’s great to try to inspire and be a positive role model for the kids who are looking up to me. Including my own,” he explained.
“When I was growing up my role model was my mom. As a single parent, she graduated college and worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. Still somehow was always there to make sure my homework was done, get me to practice, and be at all my games. She was and is like a superhero.”
For more on Dillon’s book, visit www.packersproshop.com/hc-quadzilla-finds-his-footing.
To learn more about July 23 youth camp, visit https://hardcountathletics.sportngin.com/register/form/455813226.