You may have seen him on television the past few years representing Dr. Pepper, his name is Larry Culpepper. The vendor extraordinaire claims he invented the College Football Playoff, and he’ll be out on the road this season tailgating at various big football games representing Dr. Pepper.
Maize N Brew was able to catch up with Larry while he was at the Gators vs. Wolverines game.
Larry Culpepper interview:
How did you invent the College Football Playoff
“I was having a receiver dream. I was out there doing two-a-days with the team and I passed out because I didn’t hydrate. I then saw two goal posts and the playoff just came to me in a receiver dream. It’s a wonderful thing. I should have got a trademark on it but I didn’t, I did it pro-bono. How stupid.”
Have you ever worked a game at Michigan Stadium?
“No. I can’t enter the state of Michigan for legal reasons, and litigation is still going on so I can’t really talk about it, there’s a non-disclosure agreement. It’s been a dream of mine to work a game at Michigan Stadium. I thought you changed the name to Ann Arbaugh?”
Who would you invite to dinner, alive or dead?
“I’d invite Steve Spurrier, Abraham Lincoln, because they’re buddies. Who’s that guy in Knight Rider? David Hasselhoff. "
What players or coaches with have you enjoyed working with most?
“Me and Nick Saban are just like brothers. We get together all the time, in my mind. We go to Cinnabon, we scrapbook, because he’s a very sensitive fella. Actually, I’ve never even said one word to him.”
What do you think of Jim Harbaugh?
“I call him the nine million dollar man. I think he looks a lot smarter when he wears his glasses. He should be more of an extrovert, seems like a very shy guy. I think if he was more of a people person it would make a difference.”
Who could drink more Dr. Pepper, Nick Saban or Harbaugh?
“I think Saban would have the advantage because he’s from the SEC, and there’s a lot of Dr. Pepper down there.”
The famous Alabama running back Forest Gump once drank about fifteen Dr. Pepper’s, what does it say about Mr. Gump?
“It shows that he’s a hero, in my book. Shows he’s a real American. He’s from Alabama, that’s basically all they drink down there. It flows through the city water pipes around Christmastime, in most major cities in Alabama.”
What advice would you give Michigan to help them beat Ohio State?
“I’d say score more points, get the ball over the goal line more than Ohio State. And I think that’s simple, but if they do that they have math and arithmetic on their side. You can’t argue with more points on the scoreboard. Is that too technical for you?”