Matt Cushing is here to tell you: The old line about not looking for love at a bar is a bunch of phooey.
“I met my wife at Kam’s my sophomore year, so Kam’s holds a special place in my heart,” says the former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end, Class of ’99 member and president of First Choice Dental Lab of Downers Grove.
“We spent many nights there since she worked as a bartender, celebrating everything from football wins — not enough — to her graduation. We just hit 18 years of marriage so I guess you can sometimes find love in a bar.”
Cushing’s runner-up favorite location: the tailgating lots around Memorial Stadium.
“I loved arriving on the bus for the game and seeing fans out there enjoying and celebrating the day,” he says. “My sophomore year, we played Penn State in a late afternoon game that had one of the best atmospheres I experienced for a home game. We were playing well and Penn State was a top-five team. The game was close but the day started for me arriving on the bus and seeing the lots packed with fans.
“There is nothing like the college football experience on a fall afternoon, and arriving to see the support of all those Illini fans will always stay with me.”
