Q+a [kevin James]

The 37-year-old star of CBS's King of Queens was a multisport athlete growing up in Stony Brook, N.Y., and at 250-plus pounds he's what you could call an XXL fan.

SI: You love the Mets, Jets, Islanders and Knicks, just like Doug Heffernan, your character on the show. Is there any difference between you and Doug?

KJ: Just that Doug is four pounds heavier. I beef up before every taping.

SI: In the Oct. 7 episode Doug prayed for Jets quarterback Vinnie Testaverde to throw a game-winning pass. Have you ever prayed for one of your teams to win?

KJ: I've summoned the Lord many times. I'm still paying God back for the '86 Mets.

SI: You were a sports-management major at SUNY-Cortland. If you were running the Mets, whom would you hire as manager?

KJ: I would probably bring in Tony Robbins and start fresh.

SI: As a standout tailback at Long Island's Ward Melville High, what kind of runner were you?

KJ: I wouldn't go out-of-bounds—unless I was forced out or I needed Gatorade.

SI: Former pro wrestler Mankind was on your high school wrestling team. Who won your practice bouts?