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Cory Driggs grew up in San Antonio before moving to the Phoenix area for high school and then attending Arizona State.

So the 31-year-old did not need any introduction when he faced off against Sean Elliott in an episode of "Pros vs. Joes," Spike TV's reality show that pits former athletes against regular jocks.

"The first thing that came out of his mouth was 'Scum Devil,' " Driggs said of the former UA and Spurs player.

Driggs, a medical-supply salesman who lives in Tucson, faced off against Elliott in a game of 21 — a modified one-on-one contest. He also tested his arm against former NFL quarterback Jeff George and fielded fly balls off the bat of former big-leaguer Brady Anderson.

The episode, tape-recorded at The Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, airs March 13. The father of three — with a girl due any day — was curious how he would fare.

"I guess I fit the bill of an average Joe with something to prove," he said.

Driggs attended Mesa's Westwood High School, where he played golf, baseball, basketball and football. He was an all-state defensive back and attended Mesa Community College for one year.

That is when he left for a Mormon mission to Argentina.

"When I came home, I had different goals after being in a Third World country," he said. "I wanted to fly through school.

"I came to the realization I probably wasn't going to go pro."

Driggs was tipped to the show when two of his college friends appeared as contestants last year. Neither won the overall show title.

"They corralled around me and told me I needed to go back and take care of unfinished business," Driggs said.

He made an audition tape and went to Los Angeles for a tryout.

Once in New Orleans, Driggs was relieved to see that the athletes — namely Elliott — were good sports.

"They were there to have a good time," he said. "But you turn cameras on, and everybody's elevation of cockiness or trash-talking kicks in."

Driggs cannot say whether he won but was thrilled to get a shot at beating pro athletes and today is not left wondering what could have been.

"That gets my 'what if' checked off," he said.

Driggs is hoping to gain bragging rights in his own family. His father was a national champion in the modern pentathlon; his mother a national champion baton twirler at ASU. His sister won a junior national title as a synchronized swimmer and a national title as a high school cheerleader. His wife was a 1996 Arizona high school high jump champion.

"I'm around everybody that's excelled at a championship level," he said.

Driggs was accidentally shot in the right eye with a BB gun when he was 16 and no longer has full vision. Driggs played that up on the show.

"I don't have full vision in my right eye," he said. "And look what I did. Just imagine what I could have done with two eyes."

Driggs sells coronary stent implants around Southern Arizona. He said his job is unbelievably intense — not like those of athletes.

"In the audition, they want you to project yourself as cocky," he said. "One of the things I told the producer was running a 15-yard out for 15 seconds and resting for a million dollars — that's not pressure."

Driggs' college nickname was "The Driggonator." At the urging of producers, Driggs was called the name by host Petros Papadakis. It messed with his head.

"I got a hard time about that," he said. "It's all in good fun."

Driggs bloodied his left elbow during the football competition.

He tore up his left hand diving for a ball during the basketball game against Elliott and got blood on the former UA player's jersey.

Producers stopped tape-recording when they thought Elliott was bleeding, Driggs recalled; they continued taping when they realized it was only Driggs' blood.

Driggs said he was sore all over "for days" after the show.