This week, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Indianapolis Colts tight end Ben Utecht.
In his interview with Easton Jr., Utecht discussed his inspiration for developing the Shower Sockᵀᴹ after dealing with a painful condition and his thoughts on Patrick Mahomes’ unique success in the Kansas City Chiefs offense.
“When I was playing in Cincinnati with the Bengals, I contracted a pretty severe foot fungus injury that took three to four months to diagnose and cure, and it was the first time that had ever happened to that level,” said Utecht. “I mean, an athlete’s foot is pretty rampant across the world, but I got a different type of infection, which was very painful.
“It caused scarring in between my toes because of the skin cracking. And it was painful. I could practice and play through it, but it was definitely on my mind, which you never want as an athlete. You want to be able to focus completely on what your job is.”
After experiencing a terrible foot infection, Utecht was inspired to create the Shower Sockᵀᴹ so that others would not have to endure the same experience.
“So when I retired and entered civilian fitness life, I was at a leading national fitness brand, in their locker room, sitting in their steam room, and just couldn’t believe it,” Utecht explained. “What the floors look like. I remember sitting there thinking Man, I’ve never been a flip-flop wearer. I’ve never enjoyed wearing sandals in the shower. Because you’re just taking those sandals and throwing them back in your gym bag, and you don’t clean them. You never disinfect them.
“I thought, man, has anybody ever made a disposable antibacterial and fungal shower sock I can put on to wash my foot with preventative applications that shield me from bacteria and fungus? Then I can throw it away, and it’s highly affordable, so I can protect my foot cheaply every time I step onto a tile floor. To my surprise, it has never been created.”
Utecht has shifted his focus from football to leading the charge to save millions of athletes’ feet. He expressed his appreciation for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s work with his feet on the field as part of his fantastic skillset.
“You’ve got somebody like Patrick (Mahomes), who is very dangerous outside the pocket. That enhances your ability as an offense to put the defense in compromising situations, and it also changes your attitude as an offensive skill player, right?” said Utecht. “Because when you have a pocket passer, you know you’re significantly dependent upon the routes in their current physical expectation, but when you have an outside, when you have someone that can get outside and is incredibly mobile.
“Now you have to be ready on every single play to adjust that route, to adapt to his mobility, to make plays and to get open. So there’s a whole other level to the route that gets incorporated into a Patrick Mahomes offense. That’s systematized, and those receivers on the Chiefs do it very well Because of the hours upon hours of practice that make that offensive scheme perfect.”
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