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He's one of the best linebackers in the Canadian Football League and Toronto Argonaut Kevin Eiben says he's just as tough on the streets. That's why the CFL all-star drives a 2003 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer edition.
"I like the trucks. I'm not a car guy. I've never owned a car. I just like being higher up on the roads," says the Delta, B.C., native who turns 29 next week.
"And I like a little power behind the pedal so when I'm looking to go into 4x4 it's easy to push the button and you're switching over," Eiben says.
"It's a pretty strong vehicle.," says the 6-foot, 221-pound athlete. It's got the strength of a linebacker — more of a little linebacker, like myself, with a bunch of speed."
Kevin Eiben says his three-year-old dog, a black lab Australian Shepherd mix named Blade, ‘was raised’ in his 2003 Ford Explorer. (Tibor Kolley/The Globe and Mail)
He acknowledges that the Tahoes that are the choice of some of his teammates "are a lot stronger than mine," but says his wheels serve a purpose. "It fits every function I need in it — it works perfectly with my life.
"I needed a car that could hold my dog and carry a bunch of stuff to the cottage or camping," says the bachelor, whose four-legged pal is a black lab Australian Shepherd mix named Blade.
"He comes with me everywhere. He's my little companion on the road. I've had him since he was three months," he adds. "He was raised in the truck. He always came with me to practice since he was little. Then I take him out on the field to get some running in."
Eiben may be a jock, but he's no gear head — he knows only the basics when it comes to his Explorer. "It has got a V-6. I know what I need to know to make sure it functions. You want me to put together an engine and there's no way," he laughs.
Eiben likes the Explorer's all-season reliability. "It's a great vehicle for 4x4ing in the winter — it goes everywhere. And it's nice driving in the summer as well. It's got the nice sunroof."
His Explorer is fully loaded with a leather package and upgraded audio system. The sunroof is his favourite feature. On the downside is fuel economy: "It's still a V-6, but with the gas prices these days, the gas is its worst feature."
Still, it's better than his last set of wheels — a Dodge Dakota Sport four-door truck, which he traded in for the Explorer, his first Ford.
"The Dodge I had was in B.C. and I had no air conditioning in it," says Eiben, who joined the Argonauts in 2001. "Once I got out here, I was like, 'whoa, whoa, whoa — a little warm out here,' so I had to switch over."
While his Dodge was "really good," he opted for the Ford "because it was a deal I couldn't pass up and, when I have my dog, it's just so easy to get him in and out of the back — the seats fold down so there's a lot of room for him.
Eiben, who attended Bucknell University in central Pennsylvania, has logged a lot of miles on the road since he started driving at 16. "Passing my driver's license test is my best memory behind the wheel. I was driving my mom's 1984 Audi — it was an old boat," he recalls.
"When I was going through high school, me and the brother and sisters, we were sharing a vehicle — a Mazda B3000 — an old, old truck ... It was a two-door with a big back hatch, or canopy, so we used to always fill it up with snow and ice and just put a bunch of beers in the back and have some fun with it."
These days, Eiben prefers a slower pace on the road than on the field. "If I'm late for something, I'm gonna get a little aggressive out there. But the majority of the time, I'm a mellow guy who likes to just get there in one piece.
"I've had a couple of tickets, yeah. But I mean, who hasn't, right? I got caught once for no seat belt and a couple of speeding tickets. But the majority of the time, I'm safe and cautious," he says.
"A couple of times I've been driving around 15 to 20 minutes with the blinkers on. Those are some embarrassing moments — people flipping you off as they drive by," he laughs.
He loves the open road. "I like going up to Wasaga Beach, going up to the sandbanks, hanging out near the beach and water. I'm definitely a lake guy," says Eiben, who makes his home in Oakville.
"My favourite stretch of road would have to be the I-5 on the West Coast," he says, referring to the U.S. interstate highway that runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean from Canada to Mexico. "I drove that from B.C. down to California once. That was a great drive on the Pacific in my Dakota."
So far, he has no plans to trade his Ford for something else. "Nah, this will be my car for quite some time. I don't go the leasing route. I buy my car out; life is better when there are no payments. This will be my car until it dies. I drive them to the ground."
But if he could have his dream wheels, it wouldn't be a truck. "I'm a big fan of the Porsche Cayenne. That thing is so mean ... it's got that engine that says, Don't mess with me!"
