Grant Calcaterra, firefighter.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
The former Oklahoma star tight end is well on his way to becoming a firefighter in Los Angeles, California, after earning his EMT certification earlier this week, he told The Daily on Thursday. Calcaterra announced his retirement from football in November after suffering multiple concussions throughout his three-year career as a Sooner. He caught 41 passes for 637 yards and nine touchdowns, including the game-sealing score against Texas in the 2018 Big 12 Championship.
To everybody who's been a part of my football journey, Thank You. Philippians 1:6 pic.twitter.com/OmOlUsLiMV
— Grant Calcaterra (@grcalcaterra) November 22, 2019
Since his retirement, Calcaterra has been working toward his other dream: becoming a firefighter.
In order to earn his EMT certification, he had to pass a class and an EMT test. In early March, after moving from Norman, Calcaterra took a 12-hour-a-day class for 14 days straight in Phoenix.
"You basically pack an entire semester in to two weeks. It's grueling," Calcaterra said. "You have to do a bunch of physical exams as well, running through a lot of medical trauma scenarios."
When Calcaterra returned home in the middle of March, he had hoped to take his EMT exam in his hometown of Rancho Santa Margarita, California. But, due to COVID-19, the majority of testing centers were closed except for one in Redlands, approximately an hour from his home.
He took the test Monday, April 13, and received his certification the following morning.
"I checked Tuesday morning and they told me I passed," Calcaterra said. "You need your EMT certification to apply to any city fire department, so I was pretty excited."
Calcaterra has already applied to work at the Los Angeles Fire Department in hopes of achieving his firefighting dream soon. However, due to coronavirus, the Los Angeles Fire Department has put the majority of hiring on hold. In the meantime, Calcaterra plans to either make it on an ambulance working as an EMT or begin working in an emergency room as an ER tech.
Either way, Calcaterra said he has enjoyed his life after football so far.
"It's overall been good. I definitely have those ups and downs," Calcaterra said. "Sometimes while I'm working out, I'll have those moments where I'm like 'Damn, I should suit up again' and whatnot. But it's all about keeping the right mindset."
Calcaterra, like many across the world, has found something to keep himself busy during this global pandemic. He's still chasing his dream and could soon find himself on the frontline fighting this disease.
He'll be ready, though. He may not be dodging a defender or making a game-winning grab. But he's ready for his future — whatever it holds.
"Football doesn't last forever," Calcaterra said. "It's important to have things that you like to do that are not football, so you're not stuck in this constant wanting-to-play mindset. And mine was firefighting. I tried to do everything I could with that and take the transition in stride. I think it's gone fairly well."
