UPDATE, May 22, 2012: DONALD DRIVER WINS THE MIRROR BALL TROPHY!
During the finale, Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews offered words of encouragement to their teammate:
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The Green Bay Packers showed their support for Donald Driver as he performed in the Dancing With the Stars semifinals.
From the Green Bay Press-Gazette:
If it were a Green Bay Packers game, it would be all tied up late in the fourth quarter and just one spectacular Donald Driver catch away from victory.
As the Packers wide receiver has done all season on "Dancing With the Stars," he got awfully close to crossing the goal line — including the lofty one set by impossible judge Len Goodman — on Monday’s semifinals but again came up just short of a ballroom touchdown. He and partner Peta Murgatroyd are in third place with a 57 out of 60 heading into tonight’s elimination, which will narrow the field to the final three for next week’s finale.
...With such a close field and no obvious choice for the next couple to go, Packers fans could find themselves in unfamiliar territory tonight — sweating Driver’s fate for the first time in nine weeks. But for anyone nervous, just heed the words of Driver’s young son, Christian, who said adorably in a segment for the cameras with his sister, Christina, "When he stands at the end, it’s gonna be a 10. And I know it will."
...With Green Bay Packers players Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy cheering him on in the front row of the audience, Driver and Murgatroyd, both visions in white, performed an enchanting waltz to “Kissing You" from “Romeo + Juliet" that the judges found worthy of a 28.
...Driver and Murgatroyd switched gears in the second round for a more flirty samba to “Mr. Big Stuff" that Goodman found “here and there a little bit careful," Tonioli praised for being outside of the traditional realm of Brazilian dance and Inaba classified as “A+ game." On a night when two couples got perfect scores, Driver came up just a point shy with a 29. And yep, it was Goodman who still didn’t give up the 10.
...Each of the four stars shared the stories of their upbringings in videos. Driver talked of growing up in a tough neighborhood in Houston, his dad in prison and his mom struggling to raise five children. He teared up as he told how his mother, unable to care for all her children, sent Driver and his brother to live with their grandparents. Driver found trouble there, including crime and selling drugs.
"I was a great athlete, but I was always a troubled kid. I stayed a troubled kid all the way through college. The turning point was when I met my wife," he said.
Betina Driver recalled their first date at McDonald’s — "the only thing we could afford in college" — and how she told him it was either going to have to be the drugs or her. "If you love a person that much, you’re willing to give up everything to be with that person," Driver said. "And I was willing to give it all up."
Rodgers also appeared in the segment, saying, "Donald has always let his playing do the talking for him, and then he backs it up with that incredible smile and personality."
Very inspiring.
Where would Donald Driver be today if he hadn't met Betina?
What a great influence she had on him!
It was nice to see Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews and Mike McCarthy in the audience to support Donald Driver.
It was a surprise to me. I didn't know they were going to be there, even though it was no secret.
Usually, after Driver dances, we see a shot of his smiling wife and adorable kids. This time, we also saw three men applauding Driver. I didn't recognize them at first. Then, I realized it was Rodgers. I also noticed Matthews. I didn't have time to identify the third in the trio. After Driver's second dance, I saw it was McCarthy.
I hope Packer fans don't let Driver down. I did all I could to help get him to the finals. I cast my votes.
Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers are on the set of @DancingABC to support Donald Driver. See #ClayRod here: twitpic.com/9l66kl
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 15, 2012
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