Under the Helmet: Khan-founded jokers!

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/09/2010 (5538 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A quick chat with Bombers centre Ibrahim (Obby) Khan

BORN: Oct. 8, 1980 in Ottawa

ALMA MATER: Simon Fraser

COLLEGE CREDENTIALS: Won the J.P. Metras Trophy (top lineman in the CIS) in 2003.

CFL RESUMé: Drafted second overall in the 2004 Canadian draft by Ottawa. Spent two seasons with the Renegades (2004-05) before coming over to the Bombers via the dispersal draft. Started all 18 games for Winnipeg in 2006. Suffered through injury and serious surgeries in 2007 and 2008. Played all 18 games last season.

FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Used to be How I met Your Mother, but now it’s Modern Family.

ON THE IPOD: I’m a big movie score guy — Last of the Mohicans, Black Hawk Down. My younger days, I used to listen to a lot of heavy metal.

FAVOURITES? Metallica, Guns ‘n’ Roses — the usual.

CURRENT VEHICLE: Nissan Cube.

GAME DAY MEAL: Three eggs, fruit, pancakes, toast, and a protein shake. No lunch.

FAVOURITE MOVIES: Black Hawk Down, Star Trek (new one), Top Gun, The Last Samurai.

TALENT YOU’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE: Being able to fly or being able to read minds.

THINGS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel — a lot. No. 1 is to go to Mecca, No. 2 is to go to China. Europe, Hawaii, I want to see the wonders of the world. Everything…I want to see it all.

THREE PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, TO ROUND OUT YOUR FOURSOME IN GOLF: I’m a religious guy, so Jesus Christ, the prophet Mohammed, and the third one…my dad, who passed away a couple years ago.

HERO: Man, that’s a tough one. Most people would say their parents, so I’m going to say my father, Iftikhar. He gave me the motivation I needed so that I could come back to football.

FAVOURITE TEAM GROWING UP, ANY SPORT: Montreal Canadiens growing up, until we got the Senators. Then I jumped ship and hated the Habs.

FAVOURITE ATHLETE: Wayne Gretzky.

YOU’RE THE FIRST PERSON NOT TO SAY MICHAEL JORDAN: I’m a Canadian boy.

BEST MOMENT AS A PRO: I have a few of them. Coming back after my surgery (he had a large chunk of his intestine removed due to colitis) was one, being drafted was another. The biggest one was the Miracle at Commonwealth (2006), when Milt (Stegall) caught that touchdown to win it. That was incredible.

DO YOU THINK A LOT ABOUT COMING BACK FROM THE SURGERY? For sure. Especially when I come out of the tunnel here, because coming out as the 13th man in 2008 was really important to me. Every time I come out now, I think about that.

BEST PERK ABOUT BEING A BOMBER IN WINNIPEG: Driving a Nissan Cube (laughs). No, seriously, being recognized around town is nice. It shows people care.

BEST PLAYER IN THE CFL: Um…any position?

ANY POSITION: OK, D-lineman, Doug Brown; running back, Fred Reid, O-lineman, Obby Khan…

BEST THING ABOUT THE CFL: The fans and the tradition. The game is uniquely Canadian.

FINALLY, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD A ‘WRATH OF KHAN’ REFERENCE? I would say a million, but I’ve heard a million and one Obi-Wan Kenobi references.

WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE THE LEAST? I hate Obi-Wan Kenobi. People are going to see this and bug me about it, but I really hate it.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca