Speaker 1: Commander's family is the bye week, but we still got
Speaker 1: next man up for y'all. Johnny Knew and Jermander pulls
Speaker 1: up to the studio to talk about his bye week
Speaker 1: and what his rookie season has been like so far.
Speaker 1: Then we're bringing it back. We're bringing in the Washington Legend.
Speaker 1: Chris Baker joins the show to talk about how he's
Speaker 1: recovered from his stroke and how he's trying to move forward.
Speaker 2: In his life. All that and more. Right now, our
Speaker 2: next man.
Speaker 1: Up commanded standing for our next man up. We have
Speaker 1: somebody extremely special up and very excited. Talk to this
Speaker 1: Cadgy because I haven't talked to him since he was
Speaker 1: drafted and signed that contract.
Speaker 2: Welcoming in Juramander. Johnny Knew into the building.
Speaker 3: What's up, brother, I'm done good. Appreciate it for having.
Speaker 4: Me, man.
Speaker 2: I'll bring it in.
Speaker 5: Man.
Speaker 4: I'm happy to be with you.
Speaker 3: I'm feeling good.
Speaker 2: It's always good vibes talking to you.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 1: It's crazy to think last time we said and spoke,
Speaker 1: you had just got in the building. Yeah, I don't
Speaker 1: think you really even knew what to expect. We didn't
Speaker 1: even know that you were struggling with an injury at
Speaker 1: that time or none. We had no clue what was
Speaker 1: going on then and now we're here. So first things first, man,
Speaker 1: how has it been man, your rookie year?
Speaker 3: It's been great.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 6: Not a lot of brothers, A lot of brothers on
Speaker 6: this football team, you know. Uh, great coaching staff, everybody
Speaker 6: bringing that energy every single day. And uh it's been
Speaker 6: great through the highs and lows. You know, a lot
Speaker 6: of brothers. Uh, this has been a great feeling, you know.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 6: When the team bring that energy every single day, it's
Speaker 6: just like it's fun coming to work.
Speaker 1: Has anything surprised you so far about the NFL? The speed,
Speaker 1: the pace, the work it takes anything surprised?
Speaker 6: Uh, Yeah, for sure. When I first got into speed,
Speaker 6: of course, like these girl men I have you gotta
Speaker 6: get you gotta get adjusted to that speed immediately.
Speaker 3: But other than that, man.
Speaker 6: Just uh seeing people that I grew up watching, That's
Speaker 6: that's the craziest thing for me.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 6: And playing with some some legends really, but realizing that
Speaker 6: we are human at the end of the day. I
Speaker 6: grew up watching them boys play. Starstruck when I see
Speaker 6: a lot of people, but we human at the end
Speaker 6: of the day, So that's always cool.
Speaker 1: And it's been an interesting start for you man, because again, man,
Speaker 1: you started with with an injury coming in here, and
Speaker 1: you had to deal with that and find your way
Speaker 1: back on the field. Man, that's not easy to do,
Speaker 1: especially somebody like you that's just hungry to get out
Speaker 1: there and compete. Man, what was that like getting back
Speaker 1: on that field when you started your NFL career.
Speaker 6: Yeah, for sure, it was a great feeling. You know,
Speaker 6: I had the injury too.
Speaker 4: Well.
Speaker 6: I had the injury before I got drafted than the
Speaker 6: injury after I got drafted. It's really just like my
Speaker 6: life story though, you know, for like always got to
Speaker 6: work and uh just had to work for that to
Speaker 6: get back healthy.
Speaker 5: Uh.
Speaker 6: I never really had no major injury, so I just
Speaker 6: attacked it with that same mentality. And once I got
Speaker 6: on the field, Uh, I came in week two, so
Speaker 6: lucky got through into that fire.
Speaker 3: But it was a great feeling.
Speaker 6: No, this is my dream, So like I said, I've
Speaker 6: been working hard for it, working to get to it,
Speaker 6: and still working to improve myself and be the best.
Speaker 1: And you said it you never dealt with anything like
Speaker 1: that before, man, And was it tough?
Speaker 4: Was it hard.
Speaker 6: Yeah, it was tough mentally, like right when it happened,
Speaker 6: that's it hit like, man like another setback. It was
Speaker 6: just like what happened before I got drafted, before the
Speaker 6: comeby and we found out my right woe was broke.
Speaker 6: I was like, man like, I also to come out
Speaker 6: of my whole life. Wanted to go out there run
Speaker 6: my forty and uh. And then once I got drafted,
Speaker 6: I like, man like, it's right in right before camp.
Speaker 6: OTA's all the stuff. So but man, like I said,
Speaker 6: we got great people in the building. So I came
Speaker 6: in here every day like, man, I'm finna go like,
Speaker 6: I'm finna go practice something like, Man, let me go
Speaker 6: kill this little workout real quick.
Speaker 3: This is let rehab.
Speaker 6: I was coming here bright and early, even though some
Speaker 6: days when the team wasn't here, I was still coming
Speaker 6: here trying to get better, get healthy.
Speaker 3: And uh, I'm glad I did because I look around
Speaker 3: that now.
Speaker 1: Yeah, man, And during that whole process you talk about
Speaker 1: the people in the building, dan Quinn, all this coaching stuff, man,
Speaker 1: they still showed you a lot of love.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 1: Not a lot of times where you know you can't
Speaker 1: get that rookie on the field immediately. Do you still
Speaker 1: hear so many great things about his work ethic, about
Speaker 1: his speed, about his power, And that's the stuff we
Speaker 1: heard about you.
Speaker 2: What did that do for you?
Speaker 5: Man?
Speaker 1: Having the culture staff, these people are new to you,
Speaker 1: They don't really know you like that, but they trusted
Speaker 1: you enough to draft you, bring you in here, and
Speaker 1: then they still hold you to a high regard even
Speaker 1: though you ever got to play yet.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, it just shows that they trusted me. Honestly.
Speaker 6: They saw me rehabbing my treatment. They're come in there
Speaker 6: some morning six am, I being there already breaking out rehabbing,
Speaker 6: so they knew that I was hungry, you know. Like
Speaker 6: I said, I attacked the rehab like I attack a
Speaker 6: practice or a game like full speed, full thrilled, or
Speaker 6: like I mean what I do and I'm passionate about it.
Speaker 6: So if it was anything to get me back on
Speaker 6: the field quicker, I was full thought a at it.
Speaker 6: And uh, it just shows everybody in the buildings like
Speaker 6: trust and belief in not even not as just a
Speaker 6: character like upbringing anybody. Like like I said, we all
Speaker 6: won all a family in this building, so uh, just
Speaker 6: installing like that family aspect, I feel like it's like
Speaker 6: it's real and it building, you know. And uh, I'll
Speaker 6: give a shout out to Dylan Thompson because uh he
Speaker 6: played a big role in all of that, and uh
Speaker 6: give us a lot of words of wisdom.
Speaker 1: Can you can you spell on that a little bit?
Speaker 1: What about dealing? Like what made you want to shout
Speaker 1: him out?
Speaker 4: Just now?
Speaker 2: Talk about those words of wid.
Speaker 3: Yeah for sure.
Speaker 6: Uh, just the talks he'd be giving the team, uh
Speaker 6: to the rookies, just uh that intars a lot of
Speaker 6: confidence and us and uh cools us down definitely as
Speaker 6: a rookie, you know. Uh, Like I said, the highs
Speaker 6: and lows, but at the end of the day, like
Speaker 6: I can miss go out there and miss five sacks,
Speaker 6: He'll still give me the biggest hug. And that's from
Speaker 6: the top to the bottom like everybody.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 6: When I was at my worst, uh the Steelers game,
Speaker 6: Uh that a mistake that I had. Uh, he was
Speaker 6: right there like like man, I got you, shot me
Speaker 6: in text, Man I got you. You gonna be all right,
Speaker 6: and uh just like things like that, and uh it
Speaker 6: just spreads throughout the building. So that's a guy that
Speaker 6: like I'm really thankful and grateful for man.
Speaker 1: And since you mentioned it, let's talk about that Steelers
Speaker 1: moment because I got to be on the field during it. Man,
Speaker 1: I got to see how visibly upset you were. Man,
Speaker 1: how much that tore you apart. Just bring us back
Speaker 1: to that moment, man, and what's going through your head
Speaker 1: because we know as players, right, we know it's not
Speaker 1: one play that makes a game, right, but I know
Speaker 1: for you, you took it as that.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 2: Just bring us back to that moment and what you
Speaker 2: were going through.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I got that champion mindset. So everything I do,
Speaker 6: like I said, I take personal. Like like I just
Speaker 6: said earlier, I want to be one of the greats
Speaker 6: to do it, if not the best I ever do it.
Speaker 6: So every little mistake, I'm like real critical about myself.
Speaker 6: And that was just a bad moment for me. But
Speaker 6: I learned from it immediately, Like I rewatched it, Like, man,
Speaker 6: why did I do that? But Nah, Yeah, I was
Speaker 6: hard on myself. Just showed a lot of emotion, But
Speaker 6: that's just who I am as a player, Like I
Speaker 6: care about it.
Speaker 3: I care about.
Speaker 6: Winning and I'll do anything to help the team win.
Speaker 6: So in that moment, I was just really upset with
Speaker 6: myself that I did that I should have known better,
Speaker 6: but I definitely learned from it.
Speaker 1: And you talk about these ebbs and flows of the
Speaker 1: NFL season and these lows that you have experienced, the injury,
Speaker 1: that play. But you're coming into a room Jonathan Allen,
Speaker 1: darn pain Mathis. You have guys that were drafted also
Speaker 1: high coming from big schools and have also played at
Speaker 1: a high level.
Speaker 2: How was that unit and that team helped you get
Speaker 2: through all this?
Speaker 1: Because we talked to Mathis last week and he said
Speaker 1: that he was like, Jonathan Allen was huge and just
Speaker 1: helping me be mentally ready for when I come back
Speaker 1: from the injury.
Speaker 2: Is that the same for you?
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 6: We sat right next to each other, so uh he
Speaker 6: Alway tells him like, man, I can't wait for you
Speaker 6: to get back, and I'm like, man, he don't even know.
Speaker 6: Like he like, I've been looking up to John Allen,
Speaker 6: like I was scrolling through my Twitter, like I'm following people.
Speaker 6: There's like random people, and he was I scroll all
Speaker 6: the way to the bottom to like the people who
Speaker 6: are like my first followers, and he was like the
Speaker 6: tenth one, Wow, And I had my Twitter a Concerts
Speaker 6: twenty sixteen. So I should tell you how long I've
Speaker 6: been like John. That's really when he says something like
Speaker 6: it means something to me.
Speaker 3: Doron too.
Speaker 6: Man, he came right after John, but man, I was
Speaker 6: Thembama boys on some boys.
Speaker 3: My whole life.
Speaker 6: So like like if you watch football you played like
Speaker 6: no way you damn watch them and be like, man,
Speaker 6: like I can't. I want to look like them boys.
Speaker 6: And those are the boys our girl watching when they
Speaker 6: in the same room now. So like, for instance, John hurt,
Speaker 6: but he's still be in the building, still giving me
Speaker 6: wise words, uh, having my back, telling me what to do,
Speaker 6: what not to do, helping me. And same as Duran,
Speaker 6: Like we on the field together, me and Duran communicating
Speaker 6: and like do this, do that?
Speaker 4: Do this?
Speaker 3: Do that?
Speaker 6: He telling me what he see and uh, it just
Speaker 6: helps me out so much and makes me comfortable and
Speaker 6: makes me enjoy the game.
Speaker 1: And it's interesting when you say that because Jonathan Allen,
Speaker 1: a guy like that that's done so much in his career.
Speaker 2: He don't owe you anything. You don't even have.
Speaker 1: To come and short for you, especially because now you're
Speaker 1: getting a lot of minutes when he's not on the field.
Speaker 1: What does it mean you to see a guy like
Speaker 1: that still be a leader, still short for his team,
Speaker 1: even though he's going through such such a tough injury.
Speaker 6: Man, that's just I don't even know how to explain it.
Speaker 6: That's my big brother. My big brother, was big brother.
Speaker 6: That was my big brother for shuw though. Man, But
Speaker 6: that just shows you how great of a person he is.
Speaker 6: Like outside of football, I saw of all of the
Speaker 6: achievements that he's had, like he was just a great
Speaker 6: guy overall, like putting people before itself all the time,
Speaker 6: like no matter what instance, like he'll always have our back.
Speaker 3: I feel like I could.
Speaker 6: Call John at any time any advice for anything and
Speaker 6: it just talk to me about it. Like he's just
Speaker 6: like a person you could just go and talk to,
Speaker 6: you know, listen and great life advice. Man, he don't
Speaker 6: been there, done it. So like I said, that's my
Speaker 6: big brother, and I'm with a row.
Speaker 1: To die And for Darien says something very interesting and
Speaker 1: he was like, you know, the injury almost ended up
Speaker 1: being having a positive to it as well, because it
Speaker 1: brought y'all even closer together because y'all want to win
Speaker 1: for him, y'all want to dominate, dominate for Jaya. Can
Speaker 1: you talk about that a little bit and what that
Speaker 1: means to just go out there and put on form
Speaker 1: since he can't.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. I texted him right when it happened.
Speaker 4: I was like, man, like.
Speaker 6: It hurt me, like because I know how it was
Speaker 6: when I was like, man, I know I want to
Speaker 6: get on that field, and we shot that same mentality like, man,
Speaker 6: I can still play hurt. So, Uh, I just know
Speaker 6: how he felt. But man, they hurt me. They even
Speaker 6: think about like when he told us he was wanting
Speaker 6: to get surgery, but I know he worried though, so
Speaker 6: I knew he was gonna do whatever to get back
Speaker 6: on the field. I mean, he still is doing everything
Speaker 6: in the spower to get back on the fielding. It
Speaker 6: just shows me, like that grit. He has the love
Speaker 6: for the game, and uh, I love that because I
Speaker 6: love the game.
Speaker 3: Man, That's that's my life. I'm passionate about it.
Speaker 6: And uh and I always go out there to represent
Speaker 6: my brother's name on the front of the name on
Speaker 6: the back. So every time I get I'm gonna put
Speaker 6: on phone.
Speaker 1: And it's well the timing because it seems as if
Speaker 1: when he left. It was when you were really starting
Speaker 1: to come back, and now thankfully we have you here
Speaker 1: to be able to fill in and make up for
Speaker 1: those minutes. How do you make the most of this
Speaker 1: opportunity you're getting now because J's healthy and drawn pain.
Speaker 1: I mean, you're gonna be doing playing a much different role.
Speaker 1: You're more of a rotational player. But now you're getting
Speaker 1: really great minutes. Man, how are you making the most
Speaker 1: of this right now while you have that chance?
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure?
Speaker 6: Just going out there, playing fast and physical, trying to
Speaker 6: dominate whoever in front of me. Just getting used to
Speaker 6: the game, more comfortable with the game, more comfortable with informations,
Speaker 6: block recognitions, and just learning the game as I go.
Speaker 6: You know, I don't like I like I always said,
Speaker 6: I don't like being considered a rookie, but like, like,
Speaker 6: I'm still learning everything, and I feel like, I mean,
Speaker 6: you always learning, but I'm picking up stuff faster, recognizing
Speaker 6: stuff faster, and just game more comfortable with the game.
Speaker 6: Like I see some of the vests they know step
Speaker 6: before even and I'm like, man, I'm still working towards that, so, uh,
Speaker 6: just getting more comfortable with the game. And like I said,
Speaker 6: whenever I go out there, I'm doing everything I can
Speaker 6: to help the team win. So that's trying to dominate
Speaker 6: a man in front of me.
Speaker 1: I don't know if is a better place to be
Speaker 1: when you talk about learning in this place, Daryl Tap,
Speaker 1: Shari Floyd Rka, talk about energy. Man, those guys have
Speaker 1: not only played at a high level, but now they're
Speaker 1: coaching at a high level. Talk about them and how
Speaker 1: they've helped you acclimate to the NFL.
Speaker 6: Yeah, for sure, Like you said, coaching at a high level.
Speaker 6: They bring that energy every day. Man, we break it
Speaker 6: down every single day and uh good or bad, Tap
Speaker 6: go coming there with great energy and it just like
Speaker 6: flows throughout the room. Like I feel like our D
Speaker 6: line room so close, man, probably like the closest room
Speaker 6: I don't been in my whole life. Just how we
Speaker 6: interact in the room, do stuff off the field, going
Speaker 6: out with each other like like we've real like real
Speaker 6: life like first cousins and they family like got closed
Speaker 6: with them been and uh that just come from the
Speaker 6: higher up. That's how Reef, Ryan and Tap is with
Speaker 6: each other. Like I said, we all working to be great.
Speaker 6: So that's being the greatest D line in the NFL,
Speaker 6: So that's what we're working towards every single day.
Speaker 2: Have you experienced the brotherhood like this before?
Speaker 6: Man, Illinois was all about family, you know, and it
Speaker 6: was like everybody was real, real, real clothes. But I
Speaker 6: feel like here, like like it's like every day it's
Speaker 6: like going out to a cookout with your family. That's
Speaker 6: how I feel. You know, I got them uncles that's
Speaker 6: gonna bring that in. And that's the coaches, the little
Speaker 6: kids out there playing football, that's us. So that's how
Speaker 6: I feel every single day, just like a great time.
Speaker 2: Hey, Johnny Man, I'm so glad you're having a great time.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 1: It's been so great watching you progress through this rookie year. Man,
Speaker 1: I know you're gonna only do great things and for
Speaker 1: I'll let you go. Maybe we got the bye week
Speaker 1: five weeks here, man, how are you feeling it? Are
Speaker 1: you like, yes, the bye weeks here?
Speaker 4: Man?
Speaker 2: Because this is a very late bye week for NFL.
Speaker 6: Yeah, Man, I like playing football, Like I'm still young.
Speaker 6: I could get groovy, man, So I like bacon, egg
Speaker 6: and cheesing people. So I mean the bye week, yeah,
Speaker 6: it's go feel good for our bodies. But I can't
Speaker 6: get back. I can't wait to get back to playing football.
Speaker 6: But Barbie Week definitely need it. You know, everybody needs
Speaker 6: a break sometime in their life in week next week,
Speaker 6: so it'll feel great to you know, just chill, relaxed,
Speaker 6: be with the family. But I can't wait to beckon
Speaker 6: ake and gee somebody.
Speaker 1: Yes, sir man, it's all about the bacon, egg and cheese.
Speaker 1: We love that, Johnny, Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 4: Brother.
Speaker 2: We appreciate you. Man. Enjoy your bye week. Man, get
Speaker 2: so much. You need to rest cause you deserve it.
Speaker 1: Man, command this family, our next man up, you're mander,
Speaker 1: Johnny do mister bacon.
Speaker 3: Egg and cheese.
Speaker 1: Command this family for our next man. That we have
Speaker 1: a very very special Washington legend joining us.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 1: I'm just so happy this brother gets to be here
Speaker 1: and even just talk to us. And it's healthy to
Speaker 1: be here with us.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 1: Let me shout out our defensive lineman, Chris Bacer.
Speaker 4: Brother, how you doing Chris great? Great?
Speaker 2: Yes, sir man.
Speaker 1: Even hard to even do that intro, Man, because I
Speaker 1: know how much you've been through and for me, I've
Speaker 1: had family members that have suffered a stroke and have
Speaker 1: dealt with that and I know that there's not always
Speaker 1: coming back from that. So to just talk to you
Speaker 1: man and see you looking good and healthy and strong, man,
Speaker 1: it just makes me really happy.
Speaker 4: Man. Welcome on the show, brother Man.
Speaker 5: I appreciate it. Man, It's been a real blessing. You know,
Speaker 5: I'm here for a reason. What reason I don't know,
Speaker 5: but God has helped me figure that out. But you know,
Speaker 5: I had a stroke and it was like I walked
Speaker 5: out in there like nothing happened. And it's like when
Speaker 5: you go to church, they always have this all same.
Speaker 5: Thank God, I don't look like what I've been through,
Speaker 5: So I just think that he's, you know, keeping his
Speaker 5: hands on me and allowing me to continue my life
Speaker 5: as normal as possible.
Speaker 4: Amen.
Speaker 1: And that's a great perspective to have, because again, you
Speaker 1: are here for a reason. Not everybody makes it from
Speaker 1: that and is able to walk away from that or
Speaker 1: the fact that you did. Man, it's a huge blessing.
Speaker 1: And it's also a shane that you know, you are
Speaker 1: supposed to be here, meant to be here. So we
Speaker 1: thank you so much for taking that time. So let's
Speaker 1: just really dive into that because again, I know I
Speaker 1: have family members that have suffered from that, and I
Speaker 1: know people all around the world have had that issue
Speaker 1: with family members or themselves as well.
Speaker 4: So do you know what causes a stroke? Initially?
Speaker 2: Do you know what happened? It happened back in twenty
Speaker 2: twenty three, right.
Speaker 5: Uh, yeah, I'm not sure. It could have been stress,
Speaker 5: it could have been COVID related. I'm not sure.
Speaker 4: And a lot of people would they have away because.
Speaker 5: I was thirty five years old I had a stroke,
Speaker 5: and I'm like, what, I'm still trying to figure out
Speaker 5: if I really want to retire, if I might want
Speaker 5: to come back and give it a shot.
Speaker 4: So it's like, what do you mean, I'm having a stroke?
Speaker 2: That's wowd Man Exuce.
Speaker 1: I mean a lot of people like from a stroke,
Speaker 1: you might like you lose the way you talk or
Speaker 1: the way you move or like motor functions.
Speaker 2: Have you did? Did anything change for you after that stroke?
Speaker 5: No?
Speaker 4: Yo, It was.
Speaker 5: Crazy because when I had the stroke, I was so
Speaker 5: alert to the point when I came back to and
Speaker 5: I was really moving around and They're trying to like
Speaker 5: put these belts, I mean to help me with balance,
Speaker 5: but I'm like, yo, I'm a football player.
Speaker 4: I'm good leave me alone. I'm not old.
Speaker 5: I'm not an eighty year old man. But they had
Speaker 5: to follow hospital procedure. But it was like a couple
Speaker 5: of days after I had the stroke and I was
Speaker 5: moving around, I was really I really never lost consciousness,
Speaker 5: you know what I mean.
Speaker 4: So I always felt like I was good.
Speaker 5: I'm like, am I checking out so I could go
Speaker 5: help with my dad plowers snow that we have a
Speaker 5: landscaping company here in Connecticut. So I'm feeling that normal.
Speaker 5: They're like, yo, You're gonna be here for a while.
Speaker 5: I'm like, what what are you talking about? I'm about
Speaker 5: to I thought, I'm thinking I'm about to leave to
Speaker 5: gold plow snow. And that's how normal I felt.
Speaker 1: Wow, wow, so you really didn't that. That's actually really crazy.
Speaker 1: But again a blessing, a blessing that you were able
Speaker 1: to walk away from that when something like that happens.
Speaker 1: And we're gonna get into your whole career, right, But
Speaker 1: when something like that happens, how.
Speaker 2: Does that affect your life to this day?
Speaker 1: I'm sure probably change your perspective on everything almost definitely.
Speaker 5: I mean, you go from being what you feel like
Speaker 5: it's super healthy to overnight having a stroke and just
Speaker 5: shine and recovery.
Speaker 4: You know, it puts things into perspectives.
Speaker 5: But I just think, God, nothing really happened to me
Speaker 5: where it really put me down.
Speaker 4: I was still the normal Chris. I just I just
Speaker 4: had a stroke.
Speaker 2: What were you doing when it happened.
Speaker 5: I was just sitting at the house, just chilling, and
Speaker 5: then I slipped and fell, and I couldn't figure out
Speaker 5: how I felt. But after I replayed everything, I had
Speaker 5: this stroke in my left side probably went numb. So
Speaker 5: when I went to go take a step, I just fell.
Speaker 5: I couldn't figure out how I just fell. But now
Speaker 5: that I know I had a stroke. When I tended
Speaker 5: to take a step, when I went to go step
Speaker 5: on my left side, my foot just gave out. So
Speaker 5: I fell on the ground. And so I'm just laying
Speaker 5: there and no one was home that I was staying
Speaker 5: with my friend at the time. She comes home from
Speaker 5: being out with her friends and I'm just sitting on
Speaker 5: the couch looking for help because my phone was on
Speaker 5: the left side. It was on my left side. So
Speaker 5: she's calling me from being out with her friend. She
Speaker 5: callsed me three times and I don't answer, so she
Speaker 5: wound up just coming home. When she comes home, I'm
Speaker 5: laying on the ground. I'm like, yo, I got a pee,
Speaker 5: I got a peek. He help me get up with peek? Now,
Speaker 5: mind you, I'm probably like three ten, three fifteen at
Speaker 5: the time, and I'm like, help me get up, and
Speaker 5: she's trying to help me get off the ground so
Speaker 5: i can go peek. But obviously i'm dead wade at
Speaker 5: that time, so she can't. I'm not budgeting. So she
Speaker 5: was like, well, I'm about to call nine one one.
Speaker 5: I'm cussing around, like what the hell are you doing?
Speaker 5: Like I'm straight to help me get up to peek.
Speaker 5: And then when she caught the ambulance or nine one one,
Speaker 5: they said, tells him to look at you and smile.
Speaker 5: And when I smile on my left side of the
Speaker 5: face wasn't moving. It was like, yo, he's having a stroke.
Speaker 5: But I'm talking to her like everything is normal. I'm like, bro,
Speaker 5: just got a peek.
Speaker 2: How long were you laying there before she got there?
Speaker 4: Like thirty maybe like thirty to forty minutes. I was
Speaker 4: just chilling.
Speaker 5: I'm not thinking nothing's wrong, even as I'm having or
Speaker 5: the stroke that is going on I still don't think
Speaker 5: nothing's wrong.
Speaker 4: I'm like, yo, I got a peek.
Speaker 2: That's all you could think about.
Speaker 1: So even though you're laying on the ground, you could
Speaker 1: feel that you can't move your body A registering.
Speaker 5: I didn't know what to think because my left side
Speaker 5: was numb. And then I was trying to like get
Speaker 5: up off the ground, but I could not move on
Speaker 5: my left side right. But I couldn't figure out, like
Speaker 5: what is wrong? I don't know what's wrong. But something's wrong,
Speaker 5: But I don't know what's wrong. I'm like, how did
Speaker 5: that fall? And why can't I get up? I couldn't
Speaker 5: figure out why I couldn't, like, we'll go to the
Speaker 5: left side of whither to the right side and just
Speaker 5: get all the way up. But my whole left side
Speaker 5: must have went numb. But I didn't know. I'm just
Speaker 5: thinking I slept wrong or took a nap wrong, and
Speaker 5: my fucking arms just sleep. Yeah you know what I mean.
Speaker 5: So the fire people came, I remember everything. They came
Speaker 5: and got me up, and all I kept telling was yok, yeah,
Speaker 5: put me down, so like a pete. Then we get
Speaker 5: into the ambulance and they're asking questions about my date
Speaker 5: of birth and and name and addressing all this stuff.
Speaker 5: So my friend at the time, Shakiri, she was giving
Speaker 5: all information. She said, he's thirty four. I'm like, no,
Speaker 5: I'm thirty five. Like I was that conscious, you.
Speaker 4: Know what I mean.
Speaker 5: And then next thing you know, I went to the
Speaker 5: hospital and they knocked me out and then went through
Speaker 5: my bring and cut the stroke on my brain and
Speaker 5: I was bad too.
Speaker 1: Wow, man, well, thank good as she was able to
Speaker 1: come and you weren't laying there any longer. It's while
Speaker 1: to think about the things that go through our heads
Speaker 1: during travesy. So I'm sure your friend seeing you was
Speaker 1: probably freaking out and realized how big a deal it was.
Speaker 2: With you being in it.
Speaker 1: Being this big strong man, you probably are just like, man,
Speaker 1: I'm fine, Like I'll be able to shake this off.
Speaker 4: So it was.
Speaker 5: But it was like a lot of people who have strokes,
Speaker 5: you could tell that they had a stroke, But with me,
Speaker 5: I would have to tell you I had the choking
Speaker 5: order for you to know I had a stroke.
Speaker 1: Well for sure, because even just talking to you right now,
Speaker 1: the way you're talking everything, she's very normal. Again, I
Speaker 1: have you know, family members who have dealt with strokes
Speaker 1: and they were never the same again the way it
Speaker 1: impacted them. Man, So again a huge blessing, thank you
Speaker 1: for sharing that cause I think, like, you know, that's
Speaker 1: something I know fans wondered. You know, when you hear
Speaker 1: news like that and you hear one of your favorite
Speaker 1: players go through something, they.
Speaker 5: So much of a deeper conversation. But I don't get
Speaker 5: really emotional about it because YO, like.
Speaker 2: Ah, it's okay, man, that's what this is about.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 1: You got to you gotta be able to get that
Speaker 1: stuff out because it's it's a traumatic thing you went through, man,
Speaker 1: and you know.
Speaker 4: To talk about that's hard. Bro.
Speaker 5: It's like, how do I go from being an NFL
Speaker 5: athlete a good dad to being a stroke patient?
Speaker 4: You know what I mean?
Speaker 5: That's difficult, you know for sure, But I thank god
Speaker 5: I've been able to really recover and not really get
Speaker 5: into the slumps of really having a stroke, you know.
Speaker 5: But at the same time, it still had health issues
Speaker 5: to the like outside of the stroke. I had got
Speaker 5: not to put all my business on there, but I
Speaker 5: had got diagnosed with and just the part tell you
Speaker 5: so that on top of the stroke, it was like,
Speaker 5: what's going on?
Speaker 4: Like how I'm an NFL player, I'm going through all
Speaker 4: these self issues.
Speaker 5: I thought retirement was supposed to be fun, and since
Speaker 5: I retired, I've been sick, you know, so it's been rough.
Speaker 5: On top of that, you're trying to be a dad
Speaker 5: and then you have health issues. So it just in
Speaker 5: case everything. You know, it's like everything's hitting me like
Speaker 5: back to back back, you know, so that it's been
Speaker 5: rough in the roast couple of years.
Speaker 1: Chris Man, I appreciate you sharing that, and just just know, man,
Speaker 1: no matter what sicknesses you've been through, the things you're
Speaker 1: going through, those things don't change. You're still an NFL player,
Speaker 1: You're still an NFL legend, You're still beloved by everybody
Speaker 1: that rocks that burgundy and gold, and you're still a father.
Speaker 1: You're still loved by your kids, you're still loved by
Speaker 1: your family, and you're needed and appreciated by so many people.
Speaker 1: So hope you remember that, man, that even though you're
Speaker 1: going through these hard times and these ebbs and flows
Speaker 1: of life, just know it doesn't change the man that
Speaker 1: you are.
Speaker 2: And again you said it to start this because the.
Speaker 1: Reason you made it through because we could be talking
Speaker 1: about you and not with you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: So like the fact that we're even talking to you
Speaker 1: right now and you're able to have this testimony and
Speaker 1: you're able to cry and wipe the tears out your eyes,
Speaker 1: that alone is a blessing. And just remember, man, like
Speaker 1: it doesn't change who you are. You are still an
Speaker 1: NFL player, and that's why you know what I'm saying,
Speaker 1: You're You're able to have these conversations with you still
Speaker 1: gotta let them in jacket on, not because you bought it,
Speaker 1: because you earned it, you know what I mean. And
Speaker 1: nothing can change that, brother. So I just want you
Speaker 1: to know.
Speaker 4: That appreciate it, man, Appreciate it, yes, sir man. And
Speaker 4: so you know what thank you for about.
Speaker 5: Coming back home to Washington, Man, that's home for me.
Speaker 5: Man there I can't explain to other people. You just
Speaker 5: got to be there and be with me to understand
Speaker 5: the true love that the Washington fans get me into
Speaker 5: what I have for them.
Speaker 1: And that's why talking to y'all to a point where
Speaker 1: I've loved this season of Next Man Up is because
Speaker 1: I've gotten to really talk to the legends and sitting
Speaker 1: here for you guys and all y'all said the same things.
Speaker 1: Even though you're from Connecticut, all these other legends are
Speaker 1: from different places. This ends up becoming home, and it's
Speaker 1: because of the way the fan base loves you guys,
Speaker 1: and rides for y'all.
Speaker 2: Supports for y'all. So man, let's get into some football.
Speaker 1: Man, Let's start in the beginning, because you had an
Speaker 1: interesting journey before you got to the Burgundy and Gold.
Speaker 1: You you were on a couple teams and it didn't
Speaker 1: really work, it didn't actually see the field.
Speaker 2: But then you get to the Burgundy and Gold and
Speaker 2: you find a home.
Speaker 1: Talk to us about that part those first few years
Speaker 1: in the NFL when you're trying to figure it out
Speaker 1: and you know, make a name for yourself in this league.
Speaker 4: Well, I drafted free agent.
Speaker 5: So I always felt like that stacked up against me
Speaker 5: because I was looking at guys who were drafted in
Speaker 5: the first round, second round, third round getting all these chances.
Speaker 5: But I couldn't figure out, Yo, why am I not
Speaker 5: getting a chance. I know I'm better than them. If
Speaker 5: you put me on film, you put my film against
Speaker 5: their film.
Speaker 4: We're doing good. I'm doing just as good as them.
Speaker 5: But their first found and so they're gonna get a shot,
Speaker 5: but me, I never got a shot. So I was
Speaker 5: just a guy that always made the team. They never
Speaker 5: played me. So like my rookie year, I was an
Speaker 5: undrafted free agent and never I was on an active
Speaker 5: roster the whole roster the whole year, but I only
Speaker 5: played in one game and then I get released. The
Speaker 5: next year, I go to Miamia pretty much the same situation.
Speaker 5: I'm undrafted, I make the team on practice squad, did
Speaker 5: not make the team that I played on one game.
Speaker 5: Then the NFL lockout havings and I have shut And
Speaker 5: while I'm recovering from my surgery, I happened to be
Speaker 5: watching the preseason game and it's when Washington was playing
Speaker 5: Baltimore in the preseason and Jarvis Jenkins had just got hurt.
Speaker 5: So I called my agent, like, hey, Jarvis just hurt.
Speaker 5: Defensivelignment from Washington just got hurt. So he called Washington.
Speaker 5: I was there in the morning for a workout. When
Speaker 5: I worked out for the team in Washington. That was
Speaker 5: my first time working out on grass from when I
Speaker 5: had my first THOAP surgery. So I went there on
Speaker 5: a humbug, like Lord, just let me, make it through
Speaker 5: this workout, please, And I made it through the workout
Speaker 5: without my knee swelling or anything any complications, So it
Speaker 5: was great. I made the practice squad, but I knew
Speaker 5: for myself practice squad wasn't for me. I'm Chris Baker,
Speaker 5: I'm somebody I feel like I could make this roster.
Speaker 5: Just give me a chance, and I'm I'm gonna take
Speaker 5: it from there. So I was working every week just
Speaker 5: kicking those guy but in practice. And me, I didn't
Speaker 5: understand because I was a young guy who's never played
Speaker 5: through a season, so I didn't understand what your body
Speaker 5: actually go through as an NFL veteran. So as a
Speaker 5: young guy who hasn't played, I'm juiced up ready to
Speaker 5: kick ass in practice, and guys who played six, seven,
Speaker 5: eight years, they're like, bro chill out. I just played
Speaker 5: the game a couple of days ago, but I'm trying
Speaker 5: to play, so I didn't care. Like the only way
Speaker 5: I'm going to be able to feel like you or
Speaker 5: be able to play is that they's going to see
Speaker 5: me in practice. So I had to be a dog
Speaker 5: in practice. That's what people don't understand is the game
Speaker 5: is played in practice once you do it in practice,
Speaker 5: the game becomes second nature. But if you practice the
Speaker 5: right way, the game become easy. But you have to
Speaker 5: learn that as a professional.
Speaker 1: And when you're going through this time right because again
Speaker 1: you're undrafted, so there's nothing promised at all to somebody
Speaker 1: like you coming on to this here today, had gone
Speaker 1: tomorrow what they said nfls would not full on, especially
Speaker 1: for undrafted guys.
Speaker 5: Who came in for the week and then was out,
Speaker 5: then came back and then was going. It's like some
Speaker 5: guys been on six teams in one year, and it's like,
Speaker 5: bro how and I was always fortunate enough to get
Speaker 5: on the team and lock in.
Speaker 4: It's like they always kept me.
Speaker 5: I found a way to stick and then I finally
Speaker 5: get an opportunity. I'm in Shanahan his office every week,
Speaker 5: like coach, is my doing enough to get activated?
Speaker 4: And my doing enough for my doing enough?
Speaker 5: To the point where my defensive line coach at the
Speaker 5: time was Jacob Birdie. He said, Baker, leave shannonhan alone.
Speaker 5: He watches everything in practice. When she's ready to put
Speaker 5: you in, he's gonna put you in, but leave him
Speaker 5: alone because you're gonna piss him off. And when you
Speaker 5: getting his dog huss no getting out, you know what
Speaker 5: I mean. So I was like, all right, I'm not
Speaker 5: gonna say to him, leave him alone. Let my practice
Speaker 5: film speak for itself. So I can see to come
Speaker 5: to work every day working my butt off, and I
Speaker 5: finally get an opportunity. I guess there and I'm from Connecticut,
Speaker 5: so I have made a big Facebook post. I'm super happy.
Speaker 5: And then at the time, we didn't have a bubble.
Speaker 5: So when it rained, now he had X me, we'll
Speaker 5: go to the gym. So we go to the gym
Speaker 5: and Marcus White is over there doing windmills and three
Speaker 5: sixty dunkins. So I was a basketball player in my
Speaker 5: whole life, so I'm like, man, let me show them
Speaker 5: I can still jump. I go to try and jump.
Speaker 5: I tear my quad. This is the day after I
Speaker 5: got activated, so I'm I'm panicking. I'm an undrafted free agent.
Speaker 5: I finally got activated to the roster. I tear my
Speaker 5: quad the next day. But then I'm I'm nervous because
Speaker 5: technically hurt myself not playing football, but it was before
Speaker 5: practice technically, so I'm like, yo, they gonna cut me,
Speaker 5: and they're gonna not give me no money, Like, what's
Speaker 5: gonna happen. So some of the other guys are laughing
Speaker 5: because it was funny because I hurt myself jumping. But
Speaker 5: to me, I'm like, bro, shut the hell up.
Speaker 4: Bro.
Speaker 5: I hurt myself preparing for I didn't hurt myself trying
Speaker 5: to dunk a basketball. I was nervous, bro. But once
Speaker 5: I got hurt and I recovered that next year in camp,
Speaker 5: I never looked back. I was battling with with Chris
Speaker 5: Neil for the backup position for Barry Coolefield, but he
Speaker 5: wound up tend his acl But that year I finally
Speaker 5: got a shot to play, and nobody was taking my
Speaker 5: position from that point on.
Speaker 4: And that's what happened.
Speaker 2: To even get to that point.
Speaker 1: From everything you're talking about, you're dealing with, man, the
Speaker 1: mental fortitude it takes to just keep going, because there
Speaker 1: had to been times during that time when you were like, Man,
Speaker 1: should I just call it quick? Should I just not
Speaker 1: do this no more quick?
Speaker 5: Because outside of being in college, that was my first
Speaker 5: time not being the guy. I've been the guy my
Speaker 5: whole life until I went to Penn State. Now, the
Speaker 5: first time someone was able to dominate me I've been
Speaker 5: to dominate person my whole life, and so to get
Speaker 5: into the league where I feel like, yo, I'm nice,
Speaker 5: I could do this, and to not play, I'm like, bro,
Speaker 5: I'm not no scrub. How am I not playing? But
Speaker 5: then when every time I would get a shot to play,
Speaker 5: they were like, Yo, this kid bakery, that's pretty nice.
Speaker 5: So I'm like, well, keep me in the goddamn game.
Speaker 2: Was it hard not to quit on yourself during that time?
Speaker 3: Man?
Speaker 4: Nah?
Speaker 5: I always believed in myself. I just knew I needed
Speaker 5: a shot, I said. I always to say, as soon
Speaker 5: as that let me play, I'll be okay. And every
Speaker 5: time they kept letting me play more and more and more,
Speaker 5: it was like, Yo, we got to leave this kid
Speaker 5: in there.
Speaker 1: Where does that belief and self come from? Especially such
Speaker 1: a young guy? Man, Where did that belief itself come from?
Speaker 5: I had a really good supportive team growing up, like
Speaker 5: my parents. They always yo, was there for me and
Speaker 5: supported me throughout my whole childhood and sports. Then they always,
Speaker 5: you know, just told me to believe in myself. And
Speaker 5: I grew up very confident. And where I'm from, it's
Speaker 5: either you're gonna be confident or you're gonna be in punk,
Speaker 5: So I wanted no punk. So I always you know
Speaker 5: how it was not to talk stuff and back my
Speaker 5: stuff up.
Speaker 1: So what was it about being in the Burgundy and
Speaker 1: Goal when you finally got here and you got settled?
Speaker 4: What about being here worked for Chris Baker?
Speaker 5: I finally got an opportunity and then I just had
Speaker 5: veterans that I could actually learn from. And once I
Speaker 5: got my shot, just took it and ringing. It was nothing.
Speaker 5: I didn't do anything different from where I was on
Speaker 5: other teams. I just finally got a chance to play consistently.
Speaker 5: And once I got a chance to play, they finally
Speaker 5: paid me. It was like, Yo, we're not gonna let
Speaker 5: this guy go.
Speaker 1: And then you get to spend years here man. Pretty
Speaker 1: much you whole career here with Washington. And when you
Speaker 1: look back on those days man and you're playing, and
Speaker 1: what are some of the memories that stick out to
Speaker 1: you the most, that are like your favorite when you
Speaker 1: think about playing for Washington.
Speaker 5: One is the fight with Philadelphia's You're gonna say that,
Speaker 5: I mean that hit kind of like if you didn't
Speaker 5: watch football, you didn't know anything about football, and you
Speaker 5: didn't know who Chris Baker was? After that hit, you
Speaker 5: knew who Chris Baker was because they've played that as
Speaker 5: the main story on ESPN for about a month straight.
Speaker 5: So even if you didn't know anything about football, you
Speaker 5: just watched sports in it, and I'm like, who is
Speaker 5: Chris Baker?
Speaker 4: What happened in that fight?
Speaker 5: I just got my my what do you call it
Speaker 5: when people notice it or whatever? My note writing became
Speaker 5: through the roof after that game, and then that season
Speaker 5: I happened to have one of my best seasons that
Speaker 5: I've ever had in the league.
Speaker 4: So it's just.
Speaker 1: Sometimes you need that. Sometimes you need that energy around you.
Speaker 1: For those of y'all that don't know what he's talking about.
Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was Nick Foles
Speaker 1: and you.
Speaker 4: Broke his jaw. Is that what happened? Huh? It?
Speaker 2: It was Nick Foles and you broke his jaws?
Speaker 4: That what happened. I didn't break his jaw.
Speaker 5: I just hit him hard, and then me and Jason
Speaker 5: Peters got the fighting and the whole team started fighting.
Speaker 1: Take us back there, man, tell us what went down
Speaker 1: from your perspective, from start to finish.
Speaker 2: Man, give us the story all right.
Speaker 5: So I felt like I almost got a sacked on
Speaker 5: that play. So I get up, I see Threelan has
Speaker 5: an interception. I see him returning the ball to me right,
Speaker 5: and then I see Nick Foles taking like three steps
Speaker 5: towards him. And from the time he ever started playing football,
Speaker 5: they always said get the closest man to you. So
Speaker 5: when I get off the ground, the closest man to
Speaker 5: me was Nick Fos. He was attempting to run as
Speaker 5: if he was about to tackle Brilliant. If Brilliant breaks
Speaker 5: through that tackle, the next person that tackled him is
Speaker 5: Nick Fos.
Speaker 4: Like he had to go you know what I mean.
Speaker 5: And like they always say, even backyard football, the thing
Speaker 5: is always keep your head on the swivel. He was
Speaker 5: lacking and I caught him lacky.
Speaker 2: Bet he learned after that.
Speaker 5: Yo, I said, said, from that point for it, I
Speaker 5: bet he never ran his ass to another interception. He
Speaker 5: probably say I hope somebody trip me.
Speaker 1: I think that was a message to all quarterbacks around
Speaker 1: the league. If you're gonna get involved.
Speaker 5: In and really, do you see them actually chasing, they
Speaker 5: gonna They're gonna look to the side and like, hey,
Speaker 5: I'll try next time.
Speaker 1: Now fans will ask and be like, why didn't the
Speaker 1: quarterback do more to get the tack on all that.
Speaker 2: That's the reason why, because it could be very dangerous.
Speaker 4: For you like me waiting for him. Come on, if you.
Speaker 1: Want to now that you're trying to back end, like
Speaker 1: now that you're done with you know, the NFL, have
Speaker 1: you had any conversations with folks from Philly about that
Speaker 1: moment at all?
Speaker 2: Have you been able to talk to anybody involved in that.
Speaker 5: Nothing more than trolling people on Instagram with Twitter? Well,
Speaker 5: I don't mind it, you know, but it's fun. But
Speaker 5: you know, Philly, those fans are freaking crazy. That makes
Speaker 5: you kind of want to act crazy like bro, I
Speaker 5: am a person on talking to me like I'm some
Speaker 5: little punk like bro.
Speaker 1: So then you have this career in Washington, but you
Speaker 1: also go through your trials and try relations. So I
Speaker 1: have to ask you, Chris, do you feel you were
Speaker 1: able to leave it all on the field or do
Speaker 1: you feel like you still have some more to give
Speaker 1: to the game Because you said it before your show
Speaker 1: you were even contemplating do I make a comeback?
Speaker 2: Where are you at now with that?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 5: I'm completely good with my career. I wish I could
Speaker 5: have done things better, or I wish I could have
Speaker 5: like had like that dominant person in my position and
Speaker 5: I could really learn from I never had like for instance,
Speaker 5: like when I went to like Tampa Bay, it was
Speaker 5: Gerald McCoy. Jero McClay was all pro. He'd probably be
Speaker 5: a Hall of Famer, but he had a hell of
Speaker 5: a work ethic something that I've never been able to
Speaker 5: see in my life for someone to like like, I've
Speaker 5: never seen someone work as hard as Gerald point in
Speaker 5: my life.
Speaker 4: And this is at the end of history.
Speaker 5: So I can only imagine if I had someone like
Speaker 5: that to look up to and model, I don't know
Speaker 5: how my career may have ended up. I was just
Speaker 5: good off natural. I worked hard. I worked hard enough
Speaker 5: to be in shape, but I didn't do more than
Speaker 5: than enough, you know what I mean. You look at
Speaker 5: players who are who are really on the cups of
Speaker 5: greatness or or is great depending on who you talk to. Yeah,
Speaker 5: great in his own way, Like I like Jerald McCoy,
Speaker 5: but he has a work ethic that has never seen
Speaker 5: in my life.
Speaker 4: But if I was able to.
Speaker 5: See that and was like, yo, this is Tom supposed
Speaker 5: to prepare for the upcoming season, and every single day
Speaker 5: my career could have been way different.
Speaker 4: I was.
Speaker 5: I had a good career, but I could have had
Speaker 5: a great career if I actually worked the way I
Speaker 5: Hall of Famous work.
Speaker 4: If that makes sense, No, for sure, definitely does. Man.
Speaker 1: And when you think about those advices that you got
Speaker 1: for maybe a Jerald McCarey, other guys, or even while
Speaker 1: you were here, what is the advice that sticks out
Speaker 1: to you that you would share, Because if you look
Speaker 1: at our defensive line right now.
Speaker 4: A lot of young guys.
Speaker 1: We got a guy in Johnny Newton, very very young,
Speaker 1: dealt with some injuries early. Now starting to get that
Speaker 1: opportunity that you talked about, Man, what was that advice
Speaker 1: you would share to these young guys that you got
Speaker 1: during your time.
Speaker 4: Just enjoying a moment, cherish the moment and leave it
Speaker 4: all online.
Speaker 5: You don't know when your last snap is going to happen,
Speaker 5: when your last year is going to be it last year,
Speaker 5: So just lay it all online when you're done. Don't
Speaker 5: have any regrets that say I wish I could have
Speaker 5: I wish I did this down of a third. Just
Speaker 5: give it all you got because like the NFL stand
Speaker 5: for not for long, so you could be in there
Speaker 5: for two years, three years, it could be eight nine.
Speaker 4: Just never know. You just praying and hope for the best.
Speaker 1: And now you get to watch the Burgundy and Gold
Speaker 1: kind of rejuvenate this fan base, rejuvenate the city.
Speaker 2: You know, there's there's hope again. There's great things happening.
Speaker 1: Man, when you watch this team and what do you
Speaker 1: see on the field that makes you happy about the
Speaker 1: future of the Washington Commanders.
Speaker 5: I'm just happy we win and I get to talk
Speaker 5: stuff to my cowboy fans. But now I can't talk
Speaker 5: after this weekend.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you got to cut a pause for a little
Speaker 2: bit now.
Speaker 5: But I'm just happy I get to finally talk junk
Speaker 5: and could hold my can hold myself in a good
Speaker 5: conversation and say, hey, we nice. It feels good and
Speaker 5: we haven't really beden even say that since like the
Speaker 5: Kirk Cousins in r G three days. You know, but
Speaker 5: that energy is back in the city and it feels good.
Speaker 5: I can't really explain to people we had just like
Speaker 5: won the division and made it to the playoffs, and
Speaker 5: our whole state, our whole parking lot, after the game
Speaker 5: was packed with fans from Ashburn stay in the room.
Speaker 5: It was it was like, we just won the super
Speaker 5: Bowl and all we did was made it to the playoffs.
Speaker 4: So if we actually.
Speaker 5: Start winning, the the way that this uh, the way
Speaker 5: that Ashburn or Virginia, Maryland DC, the way they're gonna
Speaker 5: get behind this team is going to be crazy. I
Speaker 5: can't imagine, because like if we if we really start winning,
Speaker 5: I can only imagine how crazy it'll be. We made
Speaker 5: it to the playoffs. We just made it to the playoffs.
Speaker 5: We didn't win a game with nothing. We just made it.
Speaker 5: And that it was. It was like we walked. We
Speaker 5: just won the super Bowl. But that's what this town
Speaker 5: has been waiting for. Now it got the juice. So
Speaker 5: it's this is back.
Speaker 2: And that's a testment to this fan.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 1: That shows what this fan base is willing to do
Speaker 1: for their commanders. And you've been to a couple different teams,
Speaker 1: have you ever seen a fan base like what Washington
Speaker 1: has here?
Speaker 5: I think the teams that I've played for the closest
Speaker 5: thing that I would say would probably be the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 5: They have a really good fan base. But I wasn't
Speaker 5: there long enough to really like feel the love. But
Speaker 5: in Washington, I loved it, but I was there for
Speaker 5: a while to really feel the love. But Denver is
Speaker 5: a great football town. I love it out there, And.
Speaker 1: You mentioned earlier out in Connecticut, But you come back
Speaker 1: here a lot. What do you get when you come
Speaker 1: back out here, when you come back to Northwest Stadium,
Speaker 1: when you're around these fans, man, what is that reception
Speaker 1: like for you?
Speaker 5: Bro?
Speaker 4: I get in love, man, and I love it.
Speaker 5: Bro. I literally have started conversation with anybody just so
Speaker 5: they could talk football, because I just love being around
Speaker 5: people who love football and just to be accepted. No
Speaker 5: matter anywhere I go, everyone always has something great to say,
Speaker 5: and they're willing to take a picture. I'm willing to
Speaker 5: sign autographs. Like when I was younger, my role model
Speaker 5: was Marcus Campy and he was from Hertford. He used
Speaker 5: to always come around with his NBA friends. I remember
Speaker 5: being a little kid and asking him for an autograph,
Speaker 5: and he always signed whatever I wanted, gave us sneakers
Speaker 5: and everything. So I always told myself, you know, if
Speaker 5: I ever become famous or a famous NBA player or
Speaker 5: NFL player, if someone asks me for an autograph, I'm
Speaker 5: always going to give it to him, and I kept
Speaker 5: that promise for the most part. If you ask for
Speaker 5: a picture or autograph, I'm going to give it to
Speaker 5: you and I'm gonna have a conversation with you.
Speaker 4: That's just how I am.
Speaker 5: I like to love because you know, football has kind
Speaker 5: of been born since you stopped playing football. Son, Someone's
Speaker 5: actually interested in you and know who you are. Great,
Speaker 5: let's talk. Let's talk football all day.
Speaker 1: So Chris, man, now that you're you know you've gone
Speaker 1: through what you went through in twenty twenty three. Now
Speaker 1: you are here, man, tell us what you've been doing.
Speaker 1: What is Chris Baker up to these days?
Speaker 4: Man?
Speaker 5: I'm just getting my life back together and just getting
Speaker 5: healthy one day at the time and really trying to
Speaker 5: get my focus back on my foundation because that's kind
Speaker 5: of my purpose.
Speaker 4: None of that football is over.
Speaker 5: I could really dive into my foundation and really help
Speaker 5: kids and this next generation become better than what I
Speaker 5: and what I've been, because my whole thing is how
Speaker 5: great could I have been if I had someone like
Speaker 5: me in my life? And now I make myself accessible
Speaker 5: to all the kids from my neighborhood from my high school.
Speaker 5: I want to have these talks with them, and I
Speaker 5: make myself available to them so they understand what I
Speaker 5: went through in college, how I made it as a pro,
Speaker 5: what it actually take to outside of football and workhoffs.
Speaker 5: I want to be a mentor to young men, and
Speaker 5: I feel like that's my purpose. So but my foundation.
Speaker 5: That's why I'm trying to really get my foundation back
Speaker 5: running so I could be purposeful to young men.
Speaker 2: What's the name of a foundation?
Speaker 4: Chris Baker ninety two Foundation, Chris.
Speaker 2: Baker ninety two Foundation.
Speaker 1: Commandags, Fans, y'all make sure y'all support and show love
Speaker 1: anyway Chris needs and Chris, how can fan and help
Speaker 1: and support you through this part of your journey?
Speaker 4: Man?
Speaker 5: Just show up and support anytime I have some type
Speaker 5: of events or things like like, for instance, I'm going
Speaker 5: to get everything back organizing stuff, but I got to
Speaker 5: come down for Santina in any nine ways. I want
Speaker 5: to have my presence like that in DC and in Connecticut.
Speaker 5: But yeah, so once I start having my events, show
Speaker 5: some support. Go ahead, Swaggy about a million dollars in
Speaker 5: foundation money.
Speaker 1: I'm glad you mentioned that because That's why I wanted
Speaker 1: to end the interview. Man, I saw the nickname swaggy.
Speaker 1: Where does that come from?
Speaker 4: Man?
Speaker 2: How did you get that nickname?
Speaker 5: Yo? I had a good friend name John Walker, and
Speaker 5: we happen to be playing PlayStation one night and we
Speaker 5: was wrapping having the freestyle battles. He kept saying swaggy,
Speaker 5: this swaggy that. It was so funny to me at
Speaker 5: the time. So I go to the locker room and
Speaker 5: I start saying I started calling myself swaggy, and next
Speaker 5: you know, a reporter I had a good game and
Speaker 5: appreciation and the gain, and the reporter said, the name
Speaker 5: of the article is like Chris Swaggy Baker, And from
Speaker 5: there it just stuck.
Speaker 2: That's hard, man, that's pretty tough.
Speaker 5: Man, Yo, I ain't gonna call you swagging and you
Speaker 5: ain't got no swag. I'm like, well, I got enough swag.
Speaker 2: I want to say that jacket tough. I'm seeing all
Speaker 2: the swagging with that jacket.
Speaker 5: I'm not a fashionable guy for the most part. You're
Speaker 5: gonna see me in a white tea in the chain.
Speaker 5: But that's what I like. I'm not really I don't
Speaker 5: get into all that fashionist so I like to be comfortable.
Speaker 2: When you got real swag, you don't got to do
Speaker 2: all the extras. Man. When you got real swag, you
Speaker 2: come as you are.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 2: So I appreciate that, Chris and Chris. Please, Man, when
Speaker 2: you do get.
Speaker 1: Your foundation up and you start doing things out here, Man,
Speaker 1: come back on the show.
Speaker 2: How at me?
Speaker 4: Man?
Speaker 2: You have my information?
Speaker 4: Bro?
Speaker 1: Please any way that I can help, Please let me know, Man,
Speaker 1: because this has become my community as well. And I
Speaker 1: just love when you guys come back because I know
Speaker 1: what it means to this fan base, of what it
Speaker 1: means to just everybody to have you guys around. Chris,
Speaker 1: So thank you so much, Man, thank you for opening
Speaker 1: up with us.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 2: I'm so glad to talk to you.
Speaker 4: Brother.
Speaker 1: I'm glad you're healthy and doing good man. And again,
Speaker 1: just remember, Bro, no matter what you go through in
Speaker 1: this life, it doesn't change the things you have accomplished,
Speaker 1: all of the great things you do, all the people
Speaker 1: you've inspired already, and all the people that love and
Speaker 1: care about you.
Speaker 2: Chris Man, thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 4: Brother, Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1: Sir, Commanders, family, this is our next man up. Washington legend,
Speaker 1: Chris Baker, Chris bro It's always good brother.
Speaker 2: The third Command is Family.
Speaker 1: We hope you've enjoyed this episode of Next Man Up.
Speaker 1: If you want to do something during your bye because
Speaker 1: you're missing the commanders so much, we got something for you.
Speaker 1: Check out the most recent episodes of Next Man Up.
Speaker 1: They're all in the Commander's YouTube page, or you can
Speaker 1: stream the audio wherever you get your podcast until next Friday.
Speaker 1: Command is Family. I'm Brian Cole Jr. And this is
Speaker 1: Next Man Up.