Beyond the Gridiron with OL Tom Kaleita

Published on March 22, 2012 under Arena Football League (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


TAMPA BAY - It would be nearly impossible for Tampa Bay Storm offensive lineman Tom Kaleita to do any more to help those around him, either on the field or off of it.

The Storm veteran, now entering his fifth season with the team, will again serve as a stalwart up front whose job is to protect the quarterback, but will also juggle those responsibilities on the turf with others that extend beyond the playing surface.

In fact, perhaps the only thing more impressive than his on-the-field accomplishments is his ability to balance both.

"Well, I've always said work ethic goes a long way, whether it applies to football or anything else," Kaleita said. "The guys who really shine are the ones who work hard. So, it's that sort of carryover that I've learned on the field that has really helped me be successful in things I do outside of football."

There are plenty of them.

In addition to playing for the Storm, Kaleita serves as the general manager of an industrial and construction supply store called Fastenal, in which he oversees the day-to-day aspects of the business including monitoring inventory, assisting with customer service and driving sales.

Although he has only been employed by the company for a brief six months, Kaleita said that his intangible skills as an athlete helped make for a seamless transition into his new off-the-field endeavor due to the characteristics that each require.

"Football is a lot like business," Kaleita added. "You have a drive, you know you have to work and you have to be competitive too. That just doesn't mean winning at sports, but it also applies to getting ahead in business and always trying to take your game to the next level and move up."

Kaleita is attempting to do just that, not only to meet his own personal goals, but also because circumstances require him to.

Recently Kaleita and his wife welcomed their first child to the world, a son who will turn one year old by the time the regular season kicks off, which has now added even more responsibilities to the offensive lineman's daily workload.

More or less, a day in the life of Tom Kaleita will now go like this: Football practice. Work. Family time. Repeat.

With Storm practices no longer set for the evening, Kaleita will be forced to make yet another adjustment in his schedule. He has no complaints, however, as the change in his daily routine allows him to spend more time with his loved ones.

Outside of football, Kaleita is a family man who admits he's still in the process of training.

One of Kaleita's primary goals as a father is to teach his son a good work ethic and to also have integrity in everything he does. From his own experience, Kaleita already knows a lot about both.

On one hand, his hard work during high school and college allowed him to meet his potential for the game of football, while on the other, his time volunteered as a Youth Group coordinator at his church has taught him a number of core values that he hopes to pass along to his son.

"My main hope for him is that he grows up to be a good person," Kaleita said. "I'd love for him to see me play football and remember me as a football player, but even more than that, I want him to work hard at whatever he does. For me personally, I want to set an example for him."

When the opportunity comes, Kaleita said many of those lessons will translate over from the football field and be applied to life, proving that what an individual learns on the field is just as useful when utilized off of it.

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