1
00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,080
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Person Behind the Pads podcast, a chat

2
00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,120
Speaker 1: with a Colts player about life off the grid iron.

3
00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,440
Speaker 1: Now here's Matt Taylor, the voice of the Colts.

4
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,360
Speaker 2: Welcome back to another Person Behind the Pads podcast. I'm

5
00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,239
Speaker 2: Matt Taylor, joined today by Julian Blackman. And Julian you've

6
00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,400
Speaker 2: seen these before, you know what this is all about.

7
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,720
Speaker 2: This is a get to know you conversation. We'll talk

8
00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:30,280
Speaker 2: about anything and everything. One rule though, no football. We

9
00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,360
Speaker 2: are not allowed to talk about football as we get

10
00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,000
Speaker 2: to talk about you and share some stories and talk

11
00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,480
Speaker 2: about your background. So I want to talk about growing

12
00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,159
Speaker 2: up in Utah. I want to talk about your older brothers,

13
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,599
Speaker 2: a couple of older siblings that you have, and your

14
00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,520
Speaker 2: musical background, like your dad and your mother and you.

15
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:51,159
Speaker 2: You guys all share this musical talent and so we'll

16
00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,600
Speaker 2: get into all of that. But growing up in Utah

17
00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,200
Speaker 2: and playing a couple of different sports, did you always

18
00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,800
Speaker 2: know how athletic you were? I mean, you were probably

19
00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,160
Speaker 2: the always the most athletic kid on your teams and

20
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,479
Speaker 2: every sport. When did you realize that you were kind

21
00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,120
Speaker 2: of head and shoulders the best athlete growing up?

22
00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,319
Speaker 3: Honestly, at a young age, I was always messing with

23
00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,480
Speaker 3: my brothers, So I never necessarily knew that I was

24
00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,480
Speaker 3: the best athlete because my brothers were the best.

25
00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:17,720
Speaker 4: You know.

26
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:19,800
Speaker 3: They would always beat me up, and I would always

27
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,080
Speaker 3: be like, one day, one day, one day, I'm going

28
00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,119
Speaker 3: to grow up right and really be better than you guys.

29
00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,080
Speaker 3: So I trained, you know, I had the discipline at

30
00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:27,920
Speaker 3: a very young age to tell myself I'm going to

31
00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:29,760
Speaker 3: go to the NFL. I mean, like, that's what I

32
00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,280
Speaker 3: declared for myself at the age of seven, you know.

33
00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,679
Speaker 3: So for me, it was just I'm going to prove

34
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,960
Speaker 3: to my brothers that when I'm better than them, Because

35
00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,440
Speaker 3: everyone was like, oh, you're Johnny and Dreess little brother,

36
00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:40,760
Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, no, my name is.

37
00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,440
Speaker 4: Julian but cool, right, yeah, I've got a name age.

38
00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:45,520
Speaker 3: So I definitely had like a chip on my shoulder

39
00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,160
Speaker 3: at a very young age. But uh, you know, immatured

40
00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,080
Speaker 3: and it became more of like I want to prove

41
00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:50,600
Speaker 3: it to myself.

42
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:51,840
Speaker 4: Yeah, I thing as I grew up.

43
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,680
Speaker 2: Well, let's unpack that, because, like you said, your oldest

44
00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,440
Speaker 2: brother six foot five, more than three hundred pounds. I

45
00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,720
Speaker 2: read he's a he played guard Southern Virginia. And then

46
00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,520
Speaker 2: your closest brother in age, he grew to six foot seven.

47
00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,480
Speaker 2: He's a basketball player, was a basketball player at you see,

48
00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,799
Speaker 2: Santa Barbara. And when you were younger, your dad went

49
00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,960
Speaker 2: out and bought helmets and shoulder pads, the whole gear,

50
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,200
Speaker 2: and just let you guys go to work out in

51
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,519
Speaker 2: the yard, right, and just let you guys have at.

52
00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:20,160
Speaker 1: It, so to speak.

53
00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,400
Speaker 2: I mean those I guess you know, those backyard brawls,

54
00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,640
Speaker 2: if you will. How much did that help you in

55
00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,959
Speaker 2: terms of building toughness and trying to keep up and

56
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:30,560
Speaker 2: adding that chip on your shoulder?

57
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:31,200
Speaker 4: Man?

58
00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,960
Speaker 3: First of all, it was it was one thing that

59
00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,680
Speaker 3: kind of taught me about fear, you know, because my

60
00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:38,600
Speaker 3: brothers were huge, you know, I was little. I mean,

61
00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:40,400
Speaker 3: I've always been the run in my family. My brothers

62
00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,520
Speaker 3: are all really big guys. And it just kind of

63
00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:45,440
Speaker 3: taught me that it's okay to feel it, but to

64
00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,920
Speaker 3: never let that, you know, stop you from going for

65
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,360
Speaker 3: your dreams, right. And so that's just a life lesson

66
00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,320
Speaker 3: in itself. And you know, for me, it just kind

67
00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,880
Speaker 3: of taught me to always attack and don't be afraid.

68
00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:57,919
Speaker 3: But you know, the preparation will take away that fear.

69
00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:59,520
Speaker 3: And so I just had to learn how to hit

70
00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,120
Speaker 3: those guys and how to not be afraid to hit.

71
00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,280
Speaker 3: And then, you know, my dad would always be like,

72
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,720
Speaker 3: until you hit him, you're gonna stay out here.

73
00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,560
Speaker 5: So I'll be wow, all right, here I go.

74
00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,000
Speaker 3: And so it's like at a really young age, because

75
00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,840
Speaker 3: I remember one of my first football games ever, I

76
00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,320
Speaker 3: got hit and it was cold. I told my dad

77
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:16,840
Speaker 3: I don't want to play anymore. I was like, I

78
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:18,640
Speaker 3: don't want to play. And so after that he was like,

79
00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:20,560
Speaker 3: all right, you're you're going to tackle your brothers until

80
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,000
Speaker 3: you're not got to fix this, right, I mean it worked.

81
00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,160
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm sure you guys went out there sometimes.

82
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,760
Speaker 2: I suspect me. I've got an older brother, So if

83
00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,600
Speaker 2: it's anything like he and I, you go out there

84
00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,480
Speaker 2: sometimes and you sort of you're playing out there in

85
00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:35,480
Speaker 2: jest and you're kind of joking around, and then all

86
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,720
Speaker 2: of a sudden, like a switch is turned, and then

87
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:40,520
Speaker 2: and then it gets real a little bit. Did you

88
00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,200
Speaker 2: ever have those like tipping point experiences in the backyard

89
00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,400
Speaker 2: with your brothers where it kind of got serious there.

90
00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:46,680
Speaker 1: A little bit?

91
00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,520
Speaker 3: Oh, definitely, Yeah, especially because like they weren't gonna take

92
00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,520
Speaker 3: it easy on me. Yeah, my brothers always told me

93
00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,600
Speaker 3: as I grew up that they saw something different in me,

94
00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,600
Speaker 3: but they never wanted me to just have it. So

95
00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:58,720
Speaker 3: they kind of, you know, whatever they could do to

96
00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:00,839
Speaker 3: help me get better. That's that was kind of their thing.

97
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:02,640
Speaker 3: And so for me, it got really real in that

98
00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:04,080
Speaker 3: backyard because no one was saving me.

99
00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:06,360
Speaker 2: So I want to go back to that letter that

100
00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,680
Speaker 2: you talked about, or that that dream that you had,

101
00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,120
Speaker 2: you talked about at age seven, somewhere in there in

102
00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,160
Speaker 2: that middle score the elementary school range, you write a

103
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,559
Speaker 2: letter to yourself and you declare your aspirations of wanting

104
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:20,800
Speaker 2: to go to the NFL. Can you tell us about

105
00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:22,520
Speaker 2: that letter, like what did you what did you write

106
00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,480
Speaker 2: to yourself? And how determined were you at such an

107
00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,200
Speaker 2: early age to make a big life for yourself.

108
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,240
Speaker 3: Yeah, honestly, I still remember a little bit of what

109
00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,839
Speaker 3: I wrote. It was in the fourth grade and we

110
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,320
Speaker 3: all got to talk about our dreams and our aspirations,

111
00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,039
Speaker 3: what we want to do with our lives. And for me,

112
00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,440
Speaker 3: I never wanted to have a plan B And I

113
00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,120
Speaker 3: told myself, you know, I just want to play at

114
00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:43,839
Speaker 3: the biggest stage, and I want my family to be

115
00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:45,200
Speaker 3: there and I want to watch. I want them to

116
00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,640
Speaker 3: watch me score touchdowns. I mean, I mean I'm on

117
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:48,960
Speaker 3: defense now, but every one.

118
00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:49,520
Speaker 4: So it was cool.

119
00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, but uh yeah, for me, it was kind of

120
00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,720
Speaker 3: like it's either this or you know, nothing else. But

121
00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,640
Speaker 3: I just very very quickly, like I told you earlier,

122
00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,360
Speaker 3: just learned, you know, the di plenning.

123
00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:00,640
Speaker 4: I would.

124
00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,760
Speaker 3: I would go out by myself and just work, you know,

125
00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,640
Speaker 3: because that's that's all my dad would teach us, is

126
00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:06,000
Speaker 3: you know, when we got in trouble, we were working.

127
00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,200
Speaker 3: We were running hills, I was running miles, and so

128
00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,360
Speaker 3: you know, it just kind of taught me to go

129
00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,640
Speaker 3: after what I really want and the only way to

130
00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:14,799
Speaker 3: do that is through preparation and hard work.

131
00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,320
Speaker 1: No doubt about that. Do you still have the letter?

132
00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,200
Speaker 3: I do, well, my mom has it, so uh yeah,

133
00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:20,680
Speaker 3: my teacher actually sent it to my mom.

134
00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:21,039
Speaker 1: When you kids.

135
00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,200
Speaker 2: Okay, so if it was for school, then it was

136
00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,240
Speaker 2: even better, even better. Do you remember, I mean, what

137
00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,400
Speaker 2: was what was their reaction to you and by your

138
00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:29,960
Speaker 2: family when you wrote that letter.

139
00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,120
Speaker 3: I mean, they they were they were always in food support, right,

140
00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,120
Speaker 3: My parents were always like, Hey, if that's what you want,

141
00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:36,480
Speaker 3: just do one thing for us.

142
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,120
Speaker 4: Continue to be Julian Blackman. You know.

143
00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,000
Speaker 3: That was that was one thing that as I grew up,

144
00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:41,440
Speaker 3: I kind of was like, huh, I see what my

145
00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,160
Speaker 3: dad's saying. It never changed, but always know where I

146
00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:45,840
Speaker 3: come from, you know, all right.

147
00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,200
Speaker 2: And then going back to your athleticism in high school,

148
00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,480
Speaker 2: you play high school basketball. Uh you you're on the

149
00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,960
Speaker 2: track team, and you joined the track team just on

150
00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,400
Speaker 2: a whim, right, just for fun, and you win a

151
00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,640
Speaker 2: state championship in a long which I don't know how

152
00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,679
Speaker 2: you do it. I mean, people like you drive people

153
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:05,600
Speaker 2: like me crazy because you can just pick something up

154
00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,840
Speaker 2: and and be so so excellent at it. But you

155
00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,479
Speaker 2: actually received Division one offers to play college basketball.

156
00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:13,799
Speaker 1: You turn those down.

157
00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,120
Speaker 2: But in high school, your high school basketball team won

158
00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,839
Speaker 2: the state championship with you as the point guard. I

159
00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:21,760
Speaker 2: know it was for you. It was all about football.

160
00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:23,839
Speaker 2: But how special of a memory was that for you?

161
00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,440
Speaker 2: Winning that state championship in high school basketball?

162
00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:27,039
Speaker 4: Utah?

163
00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:30,280
Speaker 3: It was really special, you know, especially because I look

164
00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,280
Speaker 3: up to my brother so much as I grew up.

165
00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,080
Speaker 3: His name is Drees, and I just wanted to always

166
00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:36,640
Speaker 3: be with him do what he did. You know, I

167
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:38,800
Speaker 3: was always following in his footsteps and to win that

168
00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:39,320
Speaker 3: with him.

169
00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:40,919
Speaker 4: You know, that's a core memory for me that he

170
00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:42,440
Speaker 4: was on the team with you. Yeah, he was.

171
00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,760
Speaker 3: He was a superstar. So I mean, I'm always feeding

172
00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:46,880
Speaker 3: him the bomb. I haight go crazy, j Book, go crazy.

173
00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:47,400
Speaker 4: I'm gonna go.

174
00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,400
Speaker 3: Get the rebound dog whatever you But yeah, it was

175
00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,160
Speaker 3: just so fun to watch him as a player, and

176
00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,200
Speaker 3: I was just so inspired by him. And that also

177
00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,200
Speaker 3: helped me want to be great for myself, you know,

178
00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,040
Speaker 3: because I just saw the work that he put in

179
00:06:58,160 --> 00:06:59,960
Speaker 3: for himself from basketball, and I wanted to do this

180
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,320
Speaker 3: saying for football because I knew I was a little short,

181
00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,960
Speaker 3: and you know, football was more realistic for me, So

182
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,120
Speaker 3: that's why I chose that. But that's a core memory

183
00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,720
Speaker 3: for me, you know, Winters State and then staying in state,

184
00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,120
Speaker 3: going to Utah, you know, just being a hometown hero

185
00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,080
Speaker 3: and being around all the fans and all my family.

186
00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,559
Speaker 3: You know that my mom and my my little sisters

187
00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:19,000
Speaker 3: were able to come to all my games, and it

188
00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:20,880
Speaker 3: was just you know, his heartfelt thing for me.

189
00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, So the story goes take me back to the

190
00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,960
Speaker 2: situation of the state championship game. You drive the lane,

191
00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,320
Speaker 2: you dish it off to one of your teammates, he

192
00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,760
Speaker 2: hits the game winning bucket with a couple of seconds left.

193
00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:32,800
Speaker 1: Take me through that scenario.

194
00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,760
Speaker 4: Actually it was. I was supposed to go score.

195
00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not even gonna lie. Matt Craig and I

196
00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,000
Speaker 3: got you, bro. Appreciate you, bro. But I was going

197
00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:42,560
Speaker 3: up to shoot, but I just wasn't strong enough to

198
00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,000
Speaker 3: get the ball up. So I just threw it and

199
00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:44,800
Speaker 3: it went straight to him.

200
00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:45,520
Speaker 4: I said, that's a past.

201
00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:47,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like an alley type deal.

202
00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,080
Speaker 4: That's really cool. But yeah, I know.

203
00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:50,680
Speaker 3: My coach was like, what do we want to run?

204
00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,800
Speaker 3: My brother was like, go forward down. It was just

205
00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,440
Speaker 3: the isolation play for me. Yeah, and I was like,

206
00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,960
Speaker 3: all right, I'll take it. I'm not scared to take it,

207
00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,480
Speaker 3: but it was sure. It was cool that my brother

208
00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,960
Speaker 3: wanted me to the shot, you know, so I tried to.

209
00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,040
Speaker 3: But I'm just glad that Craigan was there to make

210
00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:04,600
Speaker 3: the shot.

211
00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:05,200
Speaker 1: No doubt about it.

212
00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,760
Speaker 2: Again, football has always been it for you, But how

213
00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,480
Speaker 2: close were you to play in basketball in college?

214
00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,320
Speaker 1: Was that at all close to it for you?

215
00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,160
Speaker 3: Not really, you know, the only reason why I would

216
00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,480
Speaker 3: have was to play with my brother. Yeah, But I

217
00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:22,080
Speaker 3: had dreams of my own, like I said, and I

218
00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,440
Speaker 3: wanted to stick to my plan and what I thought

219
00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:26,800
Speaker 3: that I was being told to do with my life,

220
00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,400
Speaker 3: and so football was always.

221
00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:30,280
Speaker 4: The thing that I wanted to do.

222
00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,840
Speaker 3: There was always things that almost, you know, it took

223
00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,439
Speaker 3: me away, whether it be going on LD's mission because

224
00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,920
Speaker 3: I thought about doing that, yeah, or you know, just

225
00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,560
Speaker 3: playing basketball. But I just felt really strong about football,

226
00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:41,720
Speaker 3: so I just continued on the path.

227
00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:42,000
Speaker 1: Yeah.

228
00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,720
Speaker 2: Going back to that family support that you talked about,

229
00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,480
Speaker 2: and You've always had trials and tribulations for a professional athlete,

230
00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,439
Speaker 2: everybody goes through them. You've certainly had that with an

231
00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,360
Speaker 2: ACL tear, you tore your achilles, And I've told you

232
00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,240
Speaker 2: this before in other interviews. You just blow me away

233
00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,200
Speaker 2: with your positivity and your attitude and always, I mean

234
00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:03,920
Speaker 2: everything for you is always on the up and up,

235
00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,240
Speaker 2: no matter where you're at or the perception around you.

236
00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:09,400
Speaker 1: Where does that come from for you?

237
00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,240
Speaker 2: Why are you always able to keep such a fresh

238
00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,599
Speaker 2: perspective on things even when you're going through adversity.

239
00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:17,080
Speaker 4: It comes from my family.

240
00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,240
Speaker 3: It comes from my mom, you know, just watching her

241
00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:24,000
Speaker 3: battle through her life and continuing to follow God and

242
00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,280
Speaker 3: to follow her plan and his plan for her. You know,

243
00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,840
Speaker 3: just watching her and how strong she was, it also

244
00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,160
Speaker 3: made me want to do the same thing and have

245
00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,680
Speaker 3: that also following into my life. And so, you know,

246
00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,120
Speaker 3: with those injuries, I didn't want to get myself in

247
00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,240
Speaker 3: the dark place, because of course, you kind of you know,

248
00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,319
Speaker 3: you're by yourself when you come through those things, when

249
00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,840
Speaker 3: you go through those things, But for me, it was

250
00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,200
Speaker 3: more of a how can I look at the bright

251
00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,400
Speaker 3: side and what can I do right now in order

252
00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,760
Speaker 3: to stay happy and stay positive about this thing? And

253
00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:55,440
Speaker 3: so I just took it day by day, man, because

254
00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:57,559
Speaker 3: that's all we get, that's all we're giving, that's all

255
00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,080
Speaker 3: we're blessed with is today. And so for me, I

256
00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:01,800
Speaker 3: just really learned how to be present in the moment.

257
00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,240
Speaker 3: And as soon as I started to really you know,

258
00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,880
Speaker 3: be present and be here, I started to realize that

259
00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,160
Speaker 3: I'm okay, you know, I'm not My injuries. They don't

260
00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,400
Speaker 3: define me, sure, just you know, things that happened that

261
00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,959
Speaker 3: can help me learn how to be a better human,

262
00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,720
Speaker 3: be a better football player, a more professional person, honestly,

263
00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,440
Speaker 3: and so for for those things that happened for me, truly,

264
00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,840
Speaker 3: we're a blessing just because they taught me how to

265
00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,720
Speaker 3: truly care for myself and to take care of myself.

266
00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,439
Speaker 2: Yeah, do you see that perspective rubbing off on your

267
00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,240
Speaker 2: other teammates or other people in the building as they

268
00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,560
Speaker 2: are around you frequently and they get to know you better.

269
00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,000
Speaker 2: Do you do you find yourself rubbing off on other

270
00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:40,559
Speaker 2: people with that same perspective?

271
00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:41,800
Speaker 4: Man, I certainly hope.

272
00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,679
Speaker 3: So, you know, that's that's one thing that I always

273
00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,480
Speaker 3: take pride in, is you know, my attitude and hopefully

274
00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:49,200
Speaker 3: other people can be the same way. I just feel

275
00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,000
Speaker 3: like I have an open mind to whatever comes my way. Sure,

276
00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,120
Speaker 3: and I just want everybody else to be happy, Like

277
00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:55,640
Speaker 3: that's just how I am. I'm a happy person. I

278
00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,600
Speaker 3: want everybody else to. So, you know, Regal came to

279
00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,200
Speaker 3: me a couple of times about the and you know,

280
00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,160
Speaker 3: I just was telling them, Hey, take it day by day.

281
00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,280
Speaker 3: You still got so many positive things in your life.

282
00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,680
Speaker 3: You know, your daughter, your wife, and there's there's so

283
00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:09,920
Speaker 3: many things outside of football that you know can bring

284
00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:10,480
Speaker 3: you happiness.

285
00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:11,920
Speaker 4: You just got to find it within yourself.

286
00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,319
Speaker 2: It's amazing stuff right there. All right, let's go back

287
00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,640
Speaker 2: to your mom and dad. Your father used to be

288
00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,920
Speaker 2: a local performer in the Salt Lake City area. Your mom,

289
00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,600
Speaker 2: she was a staple in the choir at the church

290
00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,640
Speaker 2: that you went to. She got a great voice. How

291
00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,120
Speaker 2: how is music always kind of played a big part

292
00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:28,640
Speaker 2: of your life.

293
00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:33,520
Speaker 4: Music is another way for me to escape, you know.

294
00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:36,080
Speaker 3: You know sometimes I didn't do I don't do my

295
00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,560
Speaker 3: best with my emotions, but I know music is a

296
00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:41,400
Speaker 3: way that I can, you know, get it out and

297
00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,320
Speaker 3: let everything out and you know, just be myself, just

298
00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:45,720
Speaker 3: express myself in a different way.

299
00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,880
Speaker 4: And you know, I'm just glad that I had a father.

300
00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,320
Speaker 3: Who was so artistic in that way and and was

301
00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,040
Speaker 3: just in love with music.

302
00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:53,840
Speaker 4: Same with my mother.

303
00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:55,800
Speaker 3: You know, she was always in the choir, like you said,

304
00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,480
Speaker 3: always singing and always like every time I would hit

305
00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,280
Speaker 3: her not she's like, ah, you really need to be

306
00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,160
Speaker 3: a little bit, like you need to be stronger.

307
00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:03,280
Speaker 5: Here he's your core, here's your cool.

308
00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,480
Speaker 3: And so I'm like, okay, I got you. So it

309
00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,880
Speaker 3: kind of was just always in our family. We always

310
00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,760
Speaker 3: had instruments around, you know, play the piano, you know

311
00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,080
Speaker 3: you did. I can yeah, yeah, I can play that

312
00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,480
Speaker 3: a little bit of the ukulele, I pick up the guitar,

313
00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,400
Speaker 3: a little bit, just depends. So, you know, we grew

314
00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,080
Speaker 3: up with those things, and me and my brothers used

315
00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:23,440
Speaker 3: to always just make songs together on the piano and

316
00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,040
Speaker 3: sing together like we were the Jackson five.

317
00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,439
Speaker 5: You know, we really we really thought we were something.

318
00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:28,880
Speaker 4: But it was always fun. You know.

319
00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:30,840
Speaker 5: Those are things that just always made us happy.

320
00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,320
Speaker 3: And uh, those are things that we always talk about

321
00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:34,120
Speaker 3: when we get together.

322
00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,040
Speaker 5: We're like, hey, remember when we made that song. It's like,

323
00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:37,120
Speaker 5: what were you talking about?

324
00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:37,880
Speaker 4: I don't even know.

325
00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,000
Speaker 2: I was like, I'm sure they still have those. And

326
00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,360
Speaker 2: your your dad was he was he a piano player?

327
00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:45,240
Speaker 4: Uh yeah, No.

328
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,160
Speaker 3: He made a lot of songs on his piano and

329
00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:48,640
Speaker 3: he would take them, you know, back in the day

330
00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,640
Speaker 3: they didn't have like digital, you know, so he had

331
00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:53,520
Speaker 3: to take his keyboard in and he had to go

332
00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,600
Speaker 3: and like actually replay the song on the in the studio.

333
00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:58,680
Speaker 3: And so yeah, that's where I got it from, which

334
00:12:58,679 --> 00:12:59,760
Speaker 3: my dad was like, yeah I made this.

335
00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:00,840
Speaker 4: I'm like, okay, I'm gonna.

336
00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,079
Speaker 1: Go try And what kind of music did he play?

337
00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,240
Speaker 4: He's more of an R and B soul kind of guy.

338
00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, so he would just sing, you know, more about

339
00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,880
Speaker 3: whether it's you know, God or yeah, love and you

340
00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,040
Speaker 3: know things, things that people don't talk enough about these days.

341
00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,240
Speaker 3: I think you So that's what I kind of lean

342
00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,480
Speaker 3: towards his R and B you know things that right

343
00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:19,480
Speaker 3: like that the real music that can get to your heart.

344
00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,199
Speaker 2: So I take it you were singing a lot around

345
00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,600
Speaker 2: the house. If your mom is is that you know,

346
00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:26,920
Speaker 2: instructional if you will.

347
00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,880
Speaker 3: All the time. I'm singing all the time, I mean

348
00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:30,640
Speaker 3: even now. I mean that's my team. Is that I

349
00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,680
Speaker 3: just stop, bro like I'm bad.

350
00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,080
Speaker 2: So take me back to I guess it would be rookie,

351
00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,599
Speaker 2: your rookie season training camp. I don't know what the

352
00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:41,000
Speaker 2: right word would be. In doctrination. It's always a fun

353
00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,200
Speaker 2: exercise where everybody, I mean and all the coaches, all

354
00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,880
Speaker 2: the players are on site. The rookies have to put

355
00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,920
Speaker 2: on a talent show, so to speak. And you get

356
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,040
Speaker 2: up there, you grab the mic with no hesitation, and

357
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:53,720
Speaker 2: then what what else happens after that?

358
00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:54,880
Speaker 4: I sing p y T.

359
00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,080
Speaker 5: They were I just remember Michael Jackson rolling up.

360
00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, Michael Jackson guys were crumbling up the paper. That's

361
00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,040
Speaker 3: what you do when you're getting ready to boot somebody.

362
00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,280
Speaker 4: I'm like, okay, you're going to watch this boy, Hey,

363
00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,400
Speaker 4: you go ahead and hold that paper. I'm about to sing.

364
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,560
Speaker 3: Go ahead, and I just went crazy and they were

365
00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,440
Speaker 3: like oh and then and then I got this going right.

366
00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:13,360
Speaker 5: I was like, let's go all right, yeah, keep it up.

367
00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:14,600
Speaker 4: And so it was really fun.

368
00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:16,240
Speaker 1: I mean, how many guys knew you could do that?

369
00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:18,040
Speaker 4: None of them. I didn't tell anybody.

370
00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,280
Speaker 3: So when they told us you be ready to sing,

371
00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,720
Speaker 3: I was like, perfect, Okay, I wanted to do.

372
00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,200
Speaker 1: Man, this is gonna you know, this is a dragon

373
00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,120
Speaker 1: that you get up there. You just hustled everybody. You

374
00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:27,920
Speaker 1: hustled everybody.

375
00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:29,840
Speaker 4: I was excited about it. I just didn't get booed.

376
00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:30,720
Speaker 5: That's all I care about.

377
00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,040
Speaker 4: I was like, yeah, let's go.

378
00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,440
Speaker 2: So Michael Jackson is your guy? I mean, is that your.

379
00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,560
Speaker 5: Favorite Michael Jackson? Michael's my guy?

380
00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:37,480
Speaker 4: Michael.

381
00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:39,680
Speaker 3: So everything he does is just the way he moved

382
00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:41,640
Speaker 3: and you know the way he sang. Him and Chris Brown.

383
00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:42,600
Speaker 4: I really love Chris.

384
00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:43,640
Speaker 1: I read that about you.

385
00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, So I just would watch them, you know, I

386
00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,920
Speaker 3: try to dance like them, but yeah, nothing like them,

387
00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,000
Speaker 3: but yeah, definitely gave me inspiration.

388
00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:51,240
Speaker 1: So what's in your car right now?

389
00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:53,840
Speaker 3: If I'm in my car and I'm listening to music,

390
00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,400
Speaker 3: I'm listening to Michael Laura.

391
00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,200
Speaker 4: I'm making my own kind of music. Yeah, I like

392
00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,240
Speaker 4: to make my own stuff. I'll just be in there.

393
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:00,520
Speaker 4: Just listened to thisstrumentals.

394
00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:02,720
Speaker 5: I'm like, all right, how can I make somebody crowd

395
00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:03,680
Speaker 5: to day with what I have to do?

396
00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:06,800
Speaker 1: So then you go straight forward?

397
00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:08,560
Speaker 4: Yeah, I just go. I just go for it.

398
00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,080
Speaker 2: Speaking of that, I mean, I know again you talk

399
00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,520
Speaker 2: about like these these Instagram posts, these social media videos

400
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,520
Speaker 2: or these instances. Uh, you know you you've also been

401
00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,560
Speaker 2: captured singing to your child. How much do you enjoy

402
00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,680
Speaker 2: that bringing that part of your life into a new generation,

403
00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:25,840
Speaker 2: if you will, I love.

404
00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:26,280
Speaker 4: It so much.

405
00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:28,680
Speaker 3: It's funny because I sing so much to the point

406
00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,080
Speaker 3: where my daughter is like, Daddy, stopped, Like she'll look

407
00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:31,720
Speaker 3: at me stop.

408
00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:33,800
Speaker 4: I'm like, all right, I'm done.

409
00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,600
Speaker 5: I guess I'm doing it too much.

410
00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,800
Speaker 3: But no, she's she's doorable, fantastic sings herself, So all right,

411
00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:41,920
Speaker 3: I get her to sing a little mermaid. You know

412
00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,240
Speaker 3: anything nice, all the classics, right, She'll be in there

413
00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,400
Speaker 3: going crazy. She likes to sing Happy Birthday all the time,

414
00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:48,960
Speaker 3: and so just just start singing Happy Birthday to me

415
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:49,880
Speaker 3: and then she'll pretend to.

416
00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:51,920
Speaker 4: Blow out a can on. I'm like, right, yeah, So

417
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:52,320
Speaker 4: do you.

418
00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:53,720
Speaker 1: Have music on game day?

419
00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,280
Speaker 2: Like, do you have certain songs or certain playlists that

420
00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:56,840
Speaker 2: that you go to?

421
00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:57,640
Speaker 4: Yeah?

422
00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,640
Speaker 3: Absolutely so when it comes to full although, I have

423
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:02,880
Speaker 3: to switch the vibe, you know, I listen to more

424
00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,240
Speaker 3: more upbeat music, you know, things to get me into

425
00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:05,640
Speaker 3: the zone.

426
00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,080
Speaker 5: So I'm listening to a little Dirk meek Mill, you.

427
00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:08,720
Speaker 4: Know, J Cole.

428
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, guys like that. Those guys kind of really get me.

429
00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,640
Speaker 3: Like all right, I'm focused, and but that's the only

430
00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:15,840
Speaker 3: time other than that, I'm listening to R and B.

431
00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:18,200
Speaker 5: Something slow, something chill, right, Yeah, for.

432
00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,160
Speaker 2: Our summertime playlist to get you between now and training camp.

433
00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:22,280
Speaker 4: But yeah, because I love the dance.

434
00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:24,760
Speaker 3: So if I'm if I'm in, if I'm in the summer,

435
00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,360
Speaker 3: I'm listening to Miguel I'm listening to Chris Brown, like

436
00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,680
Speaker 3: I'm listening to those guys, guys that will really get

437
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:31,560
Speaker 3: my get my legs going, because I love the dance.

438
00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:32,280
Speaker 4: I'm alright moving.

439
00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:34,800
Speaker 2: Tell you what, man, one of the most talented guys

440
00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,280
Speaker 2: there is, one of the best guys and most humble guys.

441
00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,080
Speaker 2: That's this guy right here, Julian Blackman, with all of

442
00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,040
Speaker 2: your talent and skills and athleticism. Can't thank you enough

443
00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,240
Speaker 2: for the opportunity to talk to you a person behind

444
00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,440
Speaker 2: the pads. Have a great summer coming up and we'll

445
00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:48,120
Speaker 2: see in training camp.

446
00:16:48,120 --> 00:17:03,920
Speaker 3: I appreciate you for having me met