1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast, an NFL podcast for 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: the players, by the players. Here is your host, fourteen 3 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: year NFL veteran and Hall of Famer Anius Williams. Hello, 4 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast. I am Anius Williams. 5 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: Today we're talking about fatherhood, but not just fatherhood. We're 6 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: talking about fatherhood raising daddy's little girls. More specifically, as 7 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: we would call Gridiron, dad's two girls. Big strong NFL players, 8 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: raising young ladies. And I have the pleasure of introducing 9 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: to my friends and to legends who have been serving 10 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: legends throughout probably the past four or five years, and 11 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: that's Lennard Wheeler and Mike Rutger. So as we get 12 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: into this podcast, the first thing I ask you, guys, 13 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: what's the first thing that got your attention? What you're 14 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: let's go with your first daughter, Mike, I think, um, 15 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: I agree when when you're saying, like, you know, you're 16 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: a guy and playing sports, like you just want this boy. 17 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: You want to make sure you have a boy. And 18 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:23,199 Speaker 1: first it's always like I want I want my kids 19 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: to be healthy, and then I want that boy, you know, 20 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: carrying the name and so forth. In the family, and 21 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: so we didn't find out what we were having. So 22 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: when we go into the to the emergency room and 23 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: we have and our daughter and she comes out first, 24 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: you just excited. So you and your wife decided we 25 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: are not going to find out. No, we're not gonna 26 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: find out. So the whole time, did y'all have any inklings? 27 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: Like I had none? None? You know you have all 28 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: you know, where's your belly at this and that? But 29 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, like when when when 30 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: your first kid, there's a lot of emotions going on. 31 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: So when you have your first kid, you know, you 32 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: count your toes, everybody healthy, yes, and then it's just 33 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: like you just look at your your girl like this 34 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: is my girl and um, and in my mind it 35 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: was like this was my girl, it's my boy. It's 36 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: all wrapped in one. And that's the way our relationship 37 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: UM has been, and that's the way it started. It 38 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: was just rough. She's rough, she's tough. UM. When I 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: go through the injuries that she's had, and we just 40 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: talked about this a couple of weeks ago. The stitches 41 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: and and the broken arms and all those kind of 42 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: things that that fits her personality, that fits her being 43 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: the first child, she was rough and tough. If she 44 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: could have played football, she would have played football. Um 45 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: built like my mom, built like my grandma. We're we're 46 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: a family of women, and so it was just fitting 47 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: for for us to have, you know, a girl right 48 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: out the back. And literally we've talked about your daughter. 49 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: Can she out run you? Yet she cannot. I told 50 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: her that she'll probably be able to run me when 51 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: I'm around seventies seventy, not even close right now. Well, 52 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna say, hold on, you didn't ask was 53 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: it close? And it really depends on the distance, because 54 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: that's what I was gonna ask you. It depends on 55 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: the distance the four hundred. No, she cannot run. No, 56 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: she would not be even if I had a poor hamstring, 57 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: I would crawl through the finish. Life got you. So 58 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: you still have that, dad, I still have that down 59 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: like this game on, let's go. So your first moment, Yeah, 60 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: what your daughter? What being that gridiron dead? What was it? 61 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: That moment? Like probably my first moment when she was 62 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,119 Speaker 1: in the hospital, she took her breath before she came 63 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: out of the womb, and so they had to kind 64 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: of rush her out. So that they can suck it 65 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: out of her nose. So I noticed that that initially 66 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: she was going to be impatient. I mean she was 67 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: ready to do She was ready to come into the 68 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: world before she was ready to come into the world. 69 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: And so when she came into the world and she 70 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: took that first breath, it really she really captured my 71 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: heart right there, because at that time, you don't want 72 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: anything to happen to your kids. And so at that point, 73 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: just the just the compassion and the love that I 74 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: saw in her eyes, I was like, I'm done. That 75 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: was my baby all day. There's a question, did you 76 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: guys cry? I don't think I did. Know. I was 77 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: feeling too much to cry. I was feeling everything. Is 78 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: this the meal answer? Or or am I getting hold on? Now? 79 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: You're asking when you but I okay? Are you saying 80 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: did we cry when we first saw them? When you 81 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: first saw your daughter? No, I didn't cry when I 82 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: first saw But did I have did she have my 83 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: heart string? Would you describe that since there were no 84 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: tears evident? What what does that mean? Your heart strength? 85 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: That there was nothing that I would not do to 86 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: protect her? In my head because I looked at it 87 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: almost as the father looks at me to say, I'm 88 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: responsible for you. And so that sense of belonging to 89 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: this world literally just just catapulted me to a different 90 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: level of responsibility as a man to say I will 91 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: do everything I have to do to make sure that 92 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: you are okay. Wow, Mike, I didn't cry. Um, thinking 93 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: about it, now, I didn't. You didn't, not. I didn't 94 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: because she was upside down and so they had to 95 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: use an instrument to to pull her out. And so 96 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: I remember when she came out, she had, uh, it's 97 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: kind of a suction cup and so she had a 98 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: cone head. And all I can think of was is 99 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: that gonna stay like that? You know? And so that's 100 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: where my mind kind of was at. But then once 101 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,559 Speaker 1: they said absolutely not, it will go down, just because 102 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: of the suction cup that they had to use. Um, 103 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 1: so I think that initial emotional peace was different than 104 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: than you know, the crying peace other but um, but 105 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: I'm hearing two strong football guys. You were sounding like 106 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 1: you were in the room. Oh yeah, like all into it. 107 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: Like I was used to be a time where a 108 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: man told me, don't tell me about the paint. You 109 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 1: just delivered the baby no, no, no, I wanted. I 110 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: wanted to deliver the baby actually, but they wouldn't allow me. No. 111 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: I was in it. I was in it all day 112 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: to win it. I wanted everything to do with it. Now, 113 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: Mike Lenna mentioned one daughter. So I'm asking you, because 114 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: you have a daughters and son. Learning mention his daughter 115 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: got his heart string. You use it on here that 116 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: when a boy is born, right, how would you describe that? 117 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: So between the daughters and your son being lawn again, 118 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: you know, then I was like, okay, um, you know 119 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: we've got one of each, and so my boy, it 120 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: was totally different. Right. So, um, this story behind that 121 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: is we're a young organization with the Carolina Panthers, and 122 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: we have just made the playoffs and we have a 123 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: home playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, and we knew 124 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: that we would be on the road if we would 125 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: go to the Super Bowl year, we'd be on the road. 126 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: And so she wasn't due for another two weeks. So 127 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: we had to make a decision to go into the 128 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: hospital to have the child, induce, induce or go and 129 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: and risk me being on the road somewhere. And this 130 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: going on, and you can already imagine the tussles of 131 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: emotions that you have to do there. So we beat 132 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: the Dallas Cowboys. Maybe six eight hours later, we're in 133 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: the hospital and we induced in and we had our boy. 134 00:07:55,120 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: So again, the emotions were totally different because you you 135 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: just laid it out on the field less than like, 136 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: you know, twelve hours ago, you know, on TV playing 137 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: the football game, and here you are totally different emotions 138 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: of having your second child and finds out you know, 139 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: it was a boy, and so um, so some two 140 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: different emotions. But then again I was just happy because 141 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: now I had, you know, a girl, and then I 142 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: had a boy and he was a big boy. So 143 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: I always felt like you know, um, you know, we 144 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: were checked the boxes there of having one of each. 145 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,319 Speaker 1: How did you handle the difficulties you mentioned your daughter 146 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:40,079 Speaker 1: ingesting oxygen immeatly in the wombs right then your daughter 147 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: being flipped? Yeah, how did you handle that? Because we 148 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: try to handle things as athletes, right, how did you 149 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: handle that? There are so many different emotions that goes 150 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: through your mind. Tell us about the no. But seriously though, okay, 151 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: so one of the things I don't know how other 152 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: cultures do, but African American culture, we have a thing 153 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: that where look at the color of the ears that 154 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: will tell you how dr baby is gonna be. Yes, 155 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: I've never heard that I'm gonna I'm gonna check your 156 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: car later, but anyway, so so so we always have 157 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: a thing to say, look at the baby's ears, and 158 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: that will tell you how doc they're gonna be right 159 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: and so so when she was born, I was like, okay, 160 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: let me look at the ears and you're serious. No, 161 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: I am not kidding. So all of these things come 162 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: to your mind because growing up in different cultures you 163 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: learn different different things whatever, those different beliefs, et cetera, 164 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: and so and so when Lindsey took her first breath 165 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: before she came out, it kind of shifted me because 166 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: I had a mindset of things that I wanted to 167 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: kind of check off. So when she took her breath, 168 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, okay, now they have to take 169 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: care of my baby. So they had to get her 170 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: out of there, take her over into another room, you know, 171 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: suction her nose and the whole deal. So it just 172 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: just like Mike said, those emotions continues to just follow 173 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: your baby and you just want them to be okay. 174 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: Being in all of male dominated culture football, right, what's 175 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: been your biggest challenge raising a girl? I'll tell you 176 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: one I realized just recently. My youngest daughter and three girls, 177 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: and we're all at the table for dinner, and so 178 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: we're typically going around the table and everybody say, how 179 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: is their date? What's happening? Or my youngest daughter she 180 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: tells she tells a story, but she wants every detail, 181 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: like and they could take her half an hour. I'm like, sweethearts, 182 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: you got to speed it up, so everybody else, But 183 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: it just like having that patience to know how important 184 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: it is for her to express like the details versus 185 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: like we get out assignments like hey, let's go, let's go. 186 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: Are are you finding yourself? You patiently listening outside? But 187 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: then we're like, can we get the show in the 188 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: row or something like that. So what was your what's 189 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: been your challenge? I think for me is that she's 190 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: like me, so she thinks like me, she acts like me, 191 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: And it hasn't been uh, it's been up to like 192 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 1: I would say, in the last probably six months that 193 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: we've kind of found a way to communicate because it's 194 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: almost like I'm communicating with myself, and so whether it's 195 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: the way that we're going to start a conversation or 196 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: how we're going to debate. She knows my techniques and 197 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: I know her techniques, So it's kind of like battling myself. 198 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: So you you like the Will Smith movie, what just 199 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: kind of came out somewhere like that the female side. 200 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: So just in the last day six months, she's a 201 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: senior in high school. Um, she knows where she's going 202 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: to college. So we've done all that. We're kind of 203 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: in that phase of, you know, how do we start 204 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: to communicate as adults, you know, as she works and 205 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: has jobs and stuff like that, and so we found 206 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: a good space to where I need to just be 207 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: able to listen, you know, so many times as a dad, 208 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,680 Speaker 1: like I'm trying to prepare her for this big world, 209 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: and there's things that she's already learned along the way 210 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:20,079 Speaker 1: that I just need to listen more and not and 211 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: talk less. And I think that's helped our communication because, um, 212 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: I'm not battling myself in the mirror now, I'm listening 213 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: almost to myself and having a conversation with my daughter 214 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: and knowing that she is the one that observes. So 215 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: she she's one that might not talk a lot, but 216 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: she observes, and so she's learning through that. And so 217 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: for me, I needed to realize, like, she's she's good, 218 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: she's ready, and I don't need to talk so much. 219 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: But now it's time to listen and enjoy this this 220 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: time um of of before she gets out of the 221 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: house and starts her own journey. So I would say 222 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: that's been in the last six months of our evolution. 223 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:06,199 Speaker 1: Has anything happened when Lindsay has surprised you? An example 224 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: what I mean but that my second daughter, who a 225 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: little more antsy, anxious, and I would wonder, man, when 226 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: she starts to drive or something like that. Well, she's 227 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: been one of the best drivers in a family, right, 228 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 1: so she kind of surprised me how well she drove 229 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 1: and did she went away to college and how well 230 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 1: she did away because I was wondering how she would do, 231 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: how she would have adapted. Anything Lindsay has surprised you, 232 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: Maybe she has really surprised me in a lot of 233 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: different ways. I started dating my daughter when she was 234 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: two years old. Alright, explain that, well, and there's what 235 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: fun do you want? You will come back to one 236 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: of the one of the reasons I started dating my 237 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: daughter is that. So when Lindsay was born, I said, 238 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: I want to be a better dad that my dad 239 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: was to my sisters. Okay, I grew up with two sisters, 240 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 1: to biological sisters and a half sister, And I said, 241 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: how do I become a better dad that my dad was? 242 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: Seriously like, that was my focus. I said, I want 243 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:17,319 Speaker 1: to make sure that she understands that when she looks 244 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: at me, I'm the first man that she dates. I 245 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: am the first man that my daughter days, You're the standard. 246 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: I'm the standard. And so how do I want her 247 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: to continue to evaluate and to assess her relationships moving forward. 248 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to set the pace for that. And 249 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: so I remember I started dating her when she was little, 250 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: and then she started wanting clothes for our days. She's like, well, 251 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to wear this for for my day 252 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: with dad. And so we would go out and we 253 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: would go to our movies and and we would have 254 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: instances where I'll have her head done and then we 255 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: get to the place and she's back there with her 256 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: hair all up in her hand, and I'm like, Lindsey 257 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: what are you doing? We get ready go into the 258 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: restaurant and so, you know, so who set the presidents. 259 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: They just set the stage and her expectations for being 260 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: in relationships to me, and so that was very important. 261 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: I started doing it when she was almost two years old. 262 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: The surprise and he's surprised. You know what the surprise 263 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: was About three months ago she was asked to go 264 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: to Paris to model for social media. And you know, 265 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: she's an influencer on on social media and and how 266 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: many followers she has almost she has almost six hundred 267 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: thousand followers. Yeah, so she has almost six hundred thousand followers. 268 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: She was asked to go to Paris, and she was like, damn, 269 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: I'm so excited. And I'm thinking like, okay, I have 270 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: some secret servicemen that I know. I'm gonna have them 271 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: watch her get off the plane and then I'm gonna 272 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: have to track your phone. And man, she handled it 273 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: like a pro and and I just had to I 274 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: had to sit back and I think, inc it's almost 275 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: like the word says, raised a kid up the way 276 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: they should go. If they go away from there, come back, 277 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: I think, what what we have to do? It like 278 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: Mike is saying, we have to trust what we put 279 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: in we and we have to also trust that the 280 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: father isn't more controlled than we are. Sometimes we think 281 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: we're really in control, and the fathers like, oh no, 282 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: you're not right, and he has them. So that was 283 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: just so she handled it like a pro. That's good. 284 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: Both of you guys have athletes. So, Mike, what trade 285 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: does your daughter have in her athletic lane similar to yours. 286 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: I think it's um wanting to win and in the 287 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: part of being a perfectionist at the craft that we've 288 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: done so UM for a number of years she played 289 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: volleyball UM, and just her the way that she attacked it, 290 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: the way that she would bring other people along with her, 291 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: UM is something that I would see in myself. And uh, 292 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 1: you know, we had conversations. I think UM as a father, 293 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:14,920 Speaker 1: you know, sometimes we try to UM imprint them with 294 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: us and our DNA. They have our DNA, but like 295 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: our fingerprint on them. And so I I as a father, 296 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: had to learn also that she might do it differently, 297 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: or she might do this differently. And the thing about 298 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: being athletic UM was that she had some of the abilities, 299 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 1: but there there came a point to where she was like, 300 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: I don't want to do this anymore, right, And she 301 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 1: had her career path. She knew what she wanted to do, 302 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: she knew what she wanted to to grow up and 303 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,440 Speaker 1: go off to do, and so some of the athletics 304 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: was kind of interferen And so as a father of 305 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: growing up and playing multiple sports, I had to come 306 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: to grips with that that that's okay and and that 307 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: I needed to do that. How did you come to 308 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: grips to it? I think I think it's inside. It 309 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: was like, at the end of the day, she's healthy. 310 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: And if if a kid can tell you what they 311 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: want to do, I think as a parent, that's half 312 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: the battle. So then that allows me to support them 313 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: whatever they want to do, versus trying to force feed them. 314 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: And hey, I was a baseball player. My kid needs 315 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: to go to college and play baseball. Um, it was 316 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,159 Speaker 1: supporting her and what she wanted to do, just like 317 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: I wanted to do what she wanted to do, Just 318 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 1: like there was somebody out there to supporting me when 319 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 1: I wanted to play football and invested in me. And 320 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: so that's when the switch turn and said look and 321 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:33,880 Speaker 1: she knows what she wants to do, she knows where 322 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 1: she wants to go to school. How can now I 323 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,959 Speaker 1: use my resources to help her in her endeavor and 324 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: not be my endeavor? How did you handled Lindsey heaven 325 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: over six d thousand followers, most famous than you? You 326 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: know what? I actually love it, right? Um? I celebrate 327 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,719 Speaker 1: her as much as I can. Um. You know, I 328 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:07,479 Speaker 1: am a disciplinarian by nature, but I just I love it. 329 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: I support her and everything that she's ever done. And 330 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, just like what Mike 331 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,360 Speaker 1: is saying, we want to make sure and I've met 332 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: your daughters, you know, we want to make sure that 333 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: at the end of the day that they feel supported, 334 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: that they feel heard, and that they feel valued, and 335 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 1: that they understand their worth. Like we it is our 336 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: job sometimes to make them feel that they have worth 337 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: in this world. And I think at the end of 338 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: the day, we just have to continue to celebrate where 339 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: they are. How did you guys coach your daughters or 340 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: did you coach your daughters? Um? So, just like you, So, 341 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: Lindsey wanted to cheer in the fifth grade, and so 342 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: she said, hey, Dad, I want to go out for 343 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: children out like no, not chilling, but in my hand 344 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:58,439 Speaker 1: this sound effects did you well you like like that 345 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: inside right? I learned so but but so so so 346 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: she didn't know how to do real cart wheels and nothing. 347 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: So I remember literally we did cart wheels every night. 348 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: We did cart wheels every night. I had her jumping 349 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: off both suit balls to do splits in there. The 350 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: whole thing. I just just like what you said. We 351 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: had to coach our daughters and the same thing went 352 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: all the way through college. Man, all the way through college. Well, 353 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: the oldest one she played volleyball, so the wife did that, 354 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: so there were some coaching techniques there. She played basketball, 355 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: so I you know, coached there. My youngest one, uh 356 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: did cross country and so neither one of us had 357 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: done cross country, so it was new to both of us, 358 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: which was actually good because we couldn't tell her what 359 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: to do, and so she learned on her own in 360 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,120 Speaker 1: a good way with our support. But um, and now 361 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 1: she jumped in the chair again. Neither one of us 362 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: exposed to that. So this has been new to all 363 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: of us. Were in some new chartered territory because like 364 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,160 Speaker 1: Leonard said, with the cheers, like it could be weight 365 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: all day and they go and right there for like 366 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 1: a minute thirty seconds. And we're down in Atlanta and 367 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 1: we just spent the whole weekend for a minute thirty seconds. 368 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 1: So there's some adjustments going on with us, but again 369 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 1: she loves it. So we're there in some capacity to 370 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: support her. And there's I have a story, so lindsay, Okay, 371 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,719 Speaker 1: So Lindsey went to Georgia chech to run track when 372 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: I'm trying scholarship the whole thing. Her first track meet 373 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: was at Vanderbilt, and she didn't know I was gonna come. 374 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 1: So I surprised her and drove the Vanderbilt from Charlotte. 375 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 1: So I'm sitting. So I'm sitting in the stands and 376 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: I'm looking at her, and she caused my phone. I'm like, 377 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: what is she doing? She caused my phone. She's over 378 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 1: in the corner. She goes, hey, Dad, Now she has 379 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: no idea. I'm looking at that. You're there, right, What 380 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: should I do to warm up? Now? I've been training 381 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 1: her my whole life. She already has been training with 382 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: the coaches, but she trusting my training initially, and I said, hey, baby, 383 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 1: you have to trust your coaching. I didn't tell I 384 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: told you have to trust your coaching, And I said, 385 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: by the way, I mean the stands looking at you 386 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: in the corner. And she started laughing, and so I 387 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: had to release her. I had to release her from 388 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: me at that moment where you have to trust your coaching, 389 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: like they know what you're doing. Final question for legends 390 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: that don't have girls, what did What do you wish 391 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: they could experience? Letter understanding the importance of the emotional 392 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: awareness that needs to exist with happening a daughter. The 393 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 1: emotional emotional awareness, the emotional engagement exactly of what he 394 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: needs as far as emotionally to be an active listener, 395 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:08,399 Speaker 1: an emotional engager to where he is. Uh. He's engaging 396 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: with a certain level of sensitivity uh and empathy, you know, 397 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: because I think it it takes him back to his 398 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 1: mom and it allows her to be able to see 399 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: something totally different than him as a man. But you might, 400 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: I agree with Leonard said, with the with the empathy 401 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: and the emotion part, because with my first girl, it 402 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,360 Speaker 1: was a mindset if we never have another child. Um, 403 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,679 Speaker 1: she was my girl, she was my boy, she was 404 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: she was all that wrapped up in one and I 405 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: think looking back, that's kind of how I treated her, 406 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: was like my boy, and that might be why she's 407 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: kind of like me. And so with my third girl, 408 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: I mean with with my youngest girl, UM, that relationship 409 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: is different and that emotional piece, like Leonard was talking 410 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: about from me being a male being able to tap 411 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: into that and having to switch gears and to understand that, Um, 412 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: it isn't one size fits all. So when I grew up, 413 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: there was three boys in the house and a younger sister, 414 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: So there wasn't a lot of interaction with my sister, 415 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 1: you know, So I didn't get a lot of that 416 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 1: emotional side of me that the girls have pulled out 417 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: of me as as a father. UM that I think 418 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,360 Speaker 1: that has made me a better person, um overall overall, 419 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: and when I'm in the workplace, when I'm interacting, um 420 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: with with females and and UM, that's helped me out personally. 421 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,199 Speaker 1: I know that that last question. But something came to 422 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 1: my mind when or if your daughter ever tuned you 423 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: out when I get that moment like whatever that letter, UM, 424 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: when when I'm talking too much and I'm not listening, 425 00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: are you aware that she's yes, yes out? You can 426 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: you can tell like if like if if there's a 427 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: little extended time and not returning text messages and like 428 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: return my text message, what's wrong with you? I will 429 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: stop paying for stuff right now. So you have to 430 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: throw out a little threast. But but probably when when 431 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,199 Speaker 1: I'm not listening and I and I really just she 432 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 1: just needs my presence. Sometimes all they need is your presence, 433 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: not your words. They don't need your words. It's been great. 434 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: Man who does legends were talking about our girls, our 435 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: girls girls. That doesn't get any bee doesn't get better. 436 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:43,119 Speaker 1: Thank you Leonard, Thank you Mike. That's been amazing. Thanks 437 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: for listening in the best is you have to come. 438 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,880 Speaker 1: This has been the NFL Legends podcast. To provide feedback 439 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,199 Speaker 1: or request the topic for discussion, email us at NFL 440 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: Legends at NFL dot com. SA