DETROIT – Growing up in Macomb County, Greg Suhajda played baseball at Warren Mott High School.
He dreamed of taking the field in the big leagues as a catcher.
Suhajda did play AA ball in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, but the kid from Warren had no idea he would one day land in a different big league: The United States Secret Service.
"Getting to the President is still considered the pinnacle," Suhajda said.
He stepped up to the plate to protect President Bill Clinton for four years during the 1990s.
"It raised the hair on the back of your neck and you had to be at the top of your game," he said. "You had to prepare. You had to do well. You had to be smart. You to be physically fit and ... the closest parallel is elite athletics."
After a nine-month interview process and six months of training, Suhajda spent several years working cases for the Secret Service on the streets of Detroit before he was called to move his family to Washington D.C.
"Certainly, there were butterflies because you are very public with everything you do, so you are exposed," he said. "Every single day, history is being made and you have to be on your toes. There is no complacency. There is no room to slack off."
While he can't talk about classified information, Suhajda said working for a President is a sobering responsibility, knowing at all times history and your life are on the line.
"Your role is to intervene, intercept, get in the middle of and do what you have to do to protect the President," he said. "If the incident involved a gun and shot, then yes, you are expected to take a bullet."
Life at President Bill Clinton's side
Protecting the President is anything but a 9-5 job.
"It makes you old fast," Suhajda said. "You were totally tapped. You weren't sleeping. The days were 18 to 20-hour days. Until you heard Air Force One wheels up you couldn't relax."
When Clinton wanted to go for a run, Suhajda was there.
"Had a lot of fun running with him in different areas. Sometimes it was just you and him and you could chat about any number of things. He was just like you and I think that is what is great about him. He is a real, genuine person."
However, jogging presented safety concerns. Suhajda said Clinton would often make unexpected stops to visit with people. One time they stopped at a McDonald's restaurant.
"We were going for a run and he just wanted to go in and talk and grab something to eat as well. And that started a pattern that made our job more difficult," Suhajda said.
Life at college with Chelsea Clinton
When Chelsea Clinton went to Stanford University, Suhajda was there.
"We would go to class with Chelsea," he said. "I had a lot of fun being there with her for two to three weeks at a time with her class and socially."
He said his job took him to incredible places, but it got old.
"Wherever he went we were by his side. Camp David, you name it. It's exciting for the first three or six months, but becomes very rigorous and you don't appreciate where you are at as much as you should," he said.
Suhajda's job also had him in the presence of remarkable people.
"Kings and queens and presidents from all over the world," he said. "A lot of royalty. A lot of celebrities. A lot of the Hollywood group."
Life away from loved ones
The demanding schedule took Suhajda away from other important people.
"You missed your wife. You missed your kids. Did I miss good chunks of my kids growing up? Yeah."
That's why Suhajda said his fondest memories of being in the Secret Service were the White House Christmas parties when his family would join the Clinton family.
"(Clinton) would take a lot of time to meet the wives and the families and the kids," he said. "And that was a moment you can't just forget."
Now a president of the Rehman group in Troy, Suhajda looks back on his years at the Secret Service knowing it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"The world is watching," he said. "The reputation of the Secret Service is golden. It's always been one of the highest integrity and still is."
On the Secret Service scandal: 'Wait for all the facts'
With the alleged Secret Service scandal in Columbia being the talk of the nation, Suhajda is following developments very closely.
"These are simply accusations," he said. "We'll see how it all pans out. I hope it's not true and if it is it's an isolated incident. The Secret Service are considered to be elite and you would expect them to act to that level."
He said the Secret Service is a tight-knit group which is used to avoiding the spotlight.
"You don't hear much about the Secret Service because they're doing their job," he said. "If they're not doing their job, something bad is going to happen."
Suhajda also said before anyone starts making judgments about the Secret Service they should wait for all the facts.
"There's no idea how it's going to pan out," he said. "They're willing to give up their life for our country and let's make sure all the facts come out before we come to a conclusion."
He said an internal investigation needs to run its course. Several law makers in Washington say they want to conduct their own investigation.