Personality Test: Charlie Batch

Charlie Batch has had Pittsburgh's back, on and off the football field, for a very long time.

From 2002 to the end of last season, the former Steelers quarterback, currently a free agent, was a reliable, calming presence when trouble was brewing for the team, just as he continues to be through his Best of the Batch Foundation (www.batchfoundation.org) and other charitable endeavors. The Homestead native also serves as a national spokesman for the Dignity & Respect for Youth Campaign.

In January, he became the fourth Pittsburgh Steeler to receive the Byron “Whizzer” White Award, presented by the NFL Players Association to a player who is just as dedicated off the field as he is on it. He joins Andy Russell, Rocky Bleier and Franco Harris.

Batch established the foundation in 1999 in memory of his sister, Danyl, who was murdered in 1996, an innocent victim of gunfire between rival gangs in Pittsburgh. Its mission is to help financially challenged youth.

After graduating from Eastern Michigan University in 1997 with a degree in criminal justice, Batch completed programs through the Harvard Business School, Wharton Business School and Kellogg School of Management.

Batch still has some decisions to make about his football future, but he is clear that he will continue to have his beloved hometown's back as his foundation undertakes fundraising for a state-of-the-art education facility.

The star who would play me in the movie version of my life:

Will Smith. He's a Pennsylvania guy and knows what it's like to persevere, motivate and inspire.

Childhood hero:

My mother, Lynn. She was my mother, father and hero. She taught me the importance of hard work, determination and self-discipline.

Pick one:

A. Go Gos

B. Goo Goo Dolls

C. Lady Gaga

D. Yo Gabba Gabba

Go Gos, because of their determination in the music world to be the first female band.

The superpower I wish I had in real life:

To fly; get from point A to point B faster

I can't live without my: iPod, cell phone, DVR or laptop?

All of the above

My favorite reality show:

“Deadliest Catch”

App I wish I could invent:

One that could feed and let my dogs out in real time

Favorite brunch food:

Chicken patty, egg and cheese on an English muffin

Favorite guilty pleasure:

Vanilla ice cream

Best mistake I've ever made:

Failing sixth grade and my mother taking sports away from me. It made me understand the importance that sports and education go hand in hand.

Favorite lunchtime spot:

Dukes Upper Room in Homestead

Saturday mornings, you'll find me:

On my couch, watching TV with my laptop on my lap with my dogs next to me.

In five years, I'd like to:

Be the general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The piece of memorabilia from my childhood I wish I still had:

Original Nintendo console

TV marathon I could watch all day:

“Law & Order”

Star I'd like to dance with on “Dancing With the Stars”:

Jennifer Lopez

Pick one:

A. Pirates

B. Penguins

C. Steelers

D. Other

E. I hate sports

Steelers

My favorite Pittsburgh athlete:

Dan Marino

My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:

Di Salla's Pizza (Munhall)

Top thing on my “bucket list” to do before I'm gone:

Travel to Australia and play with kangaroos and koala bears

Something I would do over if I could:

Start Feb. 18, 1996, over again. My sister would still be alive, and I could have at least said goodbye and told her that I love her.

Three people I'd love to have dinner with:

Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, Ellen DeGeneres

My favorite thing about Pittsburgh:

It will always be home. It's a city of history and tradition.

My quirkiest inherited trait:

My long toes

My favorite sandwich, plus fixings:

Baked Italian hoagie, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, dressing

One word my mother would use to describe me:

Stubborn

Celebrity crush:

Halle Berry

The oldest thing in my refrigerator:

Relish

The person I'm most often mistaken for:

John Legend

If I was auditioning for “American Idol,” my song would be:

“Deep Waters” by Incognito

Best new gadget I've tried recently:

Sony NEX camera

In high school, I was:

Clumsy, because my feet were too big.

The most famous person I ever became friends with:

Shaquille O'Neal

The movie that always makes me cry:

“Freedom Writers”

My most treasured fashion accessory:

Super Bowl rings

What you'll always find in my glove compartment:

Ketchup and napkins

My most embarrassing junk food:

Pitted prunes

When I was 10, I wanted to be:

A Steeler

Exercise I hate most:

Running

I'm deathly afraid of:

Snakes

Favorite Pittsburgh-area landmark:

Smoke stacks at the Waterfront. This reminds me of the steel mills growing up.

If I wasn't a football player, I'd be:

Working in the criminal-justice field with juveniles.

The last book I read:

John Maxwell's “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”

Movie I could watch every time it appears on cable:

“Forrest Gump”

My favorite website:

www.batchfoundation.org, www.charliebatch.com

If I could live my life as someone else, it would be:

No one

My childhood nickname:

Chuck

My favorite “bad” movie:

“Scary Movie”

The song that always gets me out on the dance floor:

R.Kelly's “Step in the Name of Love.” I love the beat.

My first job:

Paperboy

My worst job:

Landscaping

My favorite cable channel:

Discovery

The first band I saw in concert:

TLC at Eastern Michigan University, 1992

The best concert I've ever seen:

Prince

The worst advice I ever received:

“The Squirrel Hill tunnels don't close til 11 p.m.” I sat in traffic for an hour.

My most memorable fashion mistake:

Saying, “Black goes with everything”

Life would be better without:

Violent crimes

If I could tour with any two bands, they would be:

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly; Prince

I never travel without:

My pillow, named “Snuggles.”

People would be surprised to know that I:

Don't know how to tie a tie.