WEBVTT - Good Sport 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:04.360 This is How Men Think with broths Like and Gavin 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:08.240 de grab and I hear radio podcast. Welcome to another 0:00:08.280 --> 0:00:10.280 episode of How Men Think. My name is Brooks Like 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:12.640 and we have a new co host in here with 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:15.320 us today. And it's always a joy of mine when 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:18.160 we bring on. I always look at these guys as brothers, 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:21.040 brothers or sisters because they are athletes. And we have 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:25.800 a professional athlete. We have a retired I don't I 0:00:25.840 --> 0:00:28.080 don't even want to say that because it's not my 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:31.880 spot to say it, but a former uh National Football 0:00:31.920 --> 0:00:35.240 League player NFL player played to the Buffalo Bills, Jackson's 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:39.920 Bille Jaguars and my Skins, my Washington Redskins. He's a husband, 0:00:39.960 --> 0:00:43.120 he's a father. We have Michael Cosson in with us. Michael, 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:45.120 welcome to the show. Brother, Thank you, thank you, Brooks 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:48.320 appreciate it. Man. Dude, did I see your last last name? Right? 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:51.600 You did? You did? And that's that's my wife's biggest 0:00:51.640 --> 0:00:54.760 gripe about being married with me. Really is my last 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:58.560 name because legally her last name is Corson and no 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:01.360 one can pronounce it over phone. Everyone thinks when you 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:04.400 say s, they say F like, oh, coffin, got it 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:08.400 got We're like, no, okay, whatever, oh cause my last 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:10.600 name gets butchered all the time. My last name is 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:14.240 like although it looks like late and so I'm always like, 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:16.480 I just want to say people's names right. So, rather 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:18.920 I appreciate you for being on the show, Um, I 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:22.280 want to dig into your journey because the reason I like, 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:24.440 I always loved the journey of an athlete because I 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:26.640 was one, but like your journey in reading your bio 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:29.080 and seeing your transition from sport to what you're doing 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:33.640 now is is just aligns with me. So, Um, you 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:36.240 were a professional football player, which goes to you do 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:38.600 that is a freaking beast of a sport that is 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:42.120 a hard, hard sport. Um, And now you've come out 0:01:42.160 --> 0:01:45.640 of the sport as I have, and I want you 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:48.840 to share with our listeners to then maybe I haven't 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:52.200 listened to your podcast yet, but what the transition has 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:54.919 been like for you coming out of the sport, moving 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:58.640 in transitioning to trying to find a new passion. For sure, 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:01.000 it's one of those things that you know as an 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:03.000 athlete you can kind of relate to when you're in it, 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:05.360 when you're in your sport. It does feel like it's 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:07.120 you're going to be in it for your life, Like 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:10.480 you can't really foresee you not doing it. You know 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:14.000 inevitably you have to stop, but you just that's not 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:16.160 a reality for you. It's just for athletes. We get 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:19.480 stuck in our bubble, in our mindset because it consumes 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:22.280 you so much. So when you come out of that 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:26.119 bubble and out of that pink cloud of of reality 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:28.720 of you know, being an athlete and going back into reality, 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:32.560 it's it is, though, what now? Like you can prepare 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:34.800 all you want And I did that too when I was, 0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:37.840 you know, playing the NFL Externships every season, and I 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:41.880 try to set myself up, but then life happens. I 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:43.680 meet my wife, I've moved to a different state. All 0:02:43.720 --> 0:02:47.480 my kind of connections were back east, so things are 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:50.120 just different, and you you roll with those obstacles. So 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:53.120 it was just you know, I guess I say to 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:57.080 your listeners, imagine not doing the thing you've done your 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.480 entire life and then just starting all over. It's like, 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.720 what does that look like? So I think that's so 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:04.800 important because I think a lot of people are going 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:07.000 through that. I don't think it's just something that professional 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:09.760 athletes go through. And so as a listener of this podcast, 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:12.280 it's gonna be Michael and I sharing our stories in 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:15.600 relation to hockey and in relation to football. But it 0:03:15.639 --> 0:03:18.600 can be just a midlife pivot. It can be maybe 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:21.480 COVID has interrupted your business or your career and maybe 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:24.200 now you're looking for a pivot. So in this in 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.120 this episode, we're going to get into possible pivots or 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:31.760 transitions in career, lots of purpose, shake ups, um, things 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:34.400 that are outside of your control that maybe redirect you 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:36.320 on a new path. And we're also going to dive 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:39.360 into some listener questions about why men like sports so much? 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:42.320 So who better to answer that than you, buddy? Uh, 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:46.320 but what have you found being the biggest challenge um 0:03:46.840 --> 0:03:52.520 for you personally in in finding something post sports? What 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:54.880 has been the biggest challenge for you? Has it been 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:57.440 letting go of sports or has it been finding something 0:03:57.480 --> 0:04:01.360 else that you're passionate about. It's it hasn't been letting 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:03.960 go of sports, because I'm sure you can relate. It's 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:07.360 like the first couple of seasons after you retire, you 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:09.000 don't want to be around it. You don't really want 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:10.920 to talk about it. You can't watch it. I don't 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:16.640 even think about that right Why it's too close to 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:19.279 home still because you see all these guys that you 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.599 either played beside, played against, and you're like, this guy 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.440 is still playing and you just you miss. And not 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:27.680 that you're judging that person for not being good enough 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:30.240 to still play, but you just miss being out there. 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:33.720 You know, you ask any of us, nine percent of 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:35.120 us are gonna say, what do we miss the most? 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:39.120 The locker room, the camaraderie, the guys, that environment. And 0:04:39.160 --> 0:04:41.440 so it's just when I would watch it, I would 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:43.080 start to think of those things, and think about that 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:46.200 brotherhood and and think about my connection with my teammates 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:48.599 and everything, and so I couldn't watch it the first 0:04:48.640 --> 0:04:51.599 couple of years. Now five years removed, I'm to the 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:53.479 point where I can watch it as a fan again. 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:58.279 I enjoy it um But it's the biggest struggle for 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:00.960 me has been so letting go of the game was 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.719 was fine. It's it really is finding that purpose, that 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:06.680 thing that gets you up in the morning. And again, 0:05:07.440 --> 0:05:10.799 most professional people in general, but especially athletes, are days 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:14.520 are scheduled from top to bottom, and so when you 0:05:14.560 --> 0:05:18.440 go when you have that lifestyle for so long and 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:22.320 then it just ceases to exist. It's like, wait, I'm 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:24.600 used to someone telling me what my day is gonna 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:26.560 look like, or at least in the offseason, I know 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:28.800 I'm scheduled with trainers, I'm scheduled doing their things I 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:32.719 need to do. Now it's like, uh, what you know? 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:34.880 Trying I'm like lost, I'm like what do I do? 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:36.640 I don't have to do this, I don't have to 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:39.000 do that. So that's been the biggest struggle for me 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:41.039 is on a day to day basis, just trying to 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:45.000 find a routine. Mine has been. That's interesting, mine has been. 0:05:45.040 --> 0:05:47.280 I bet a lot of people listening can assimilate with 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:51.240 that because they're their routines have been disrupted with COVID right, 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:52.280 all of a sudden, you at home, all of a 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:54.200 sudd now you gotta be a parent and like a 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:57.000 teacher and do your job, and your gym is closed 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:59.440 and your church is closed, and like jeez, you used 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:03.000 to travel, but oh you can't see family now. Like um, 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:06.520 a lot of routines have been disrupted. My biggest struggle 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:10.799 struggle has been finding something that I'm equally as passionate 0:06:10.800 --> 0:06:14.800 about to actually two struggles. One I missed the Uber competition. 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.080 I miss lining up with and playing against the best 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:21.919 in the world, and that measuring stick. I missed that 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:25.880 so much so I missed the Uber competition. Um. And 0:06:25.920 --> 0:06:27.919 then the other thing I miss is just something that 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:34.480 I am so consumed by and and driven to accomplish 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:39.920 and proud of and just fascinated with, the pursuit of mastery. 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.200 I missed the pursuit of mastery because as an athlete, 0:06:42.200 --> 0:06:44.919 that's what you are. You're pursuing the mastery of your craft, 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:50.679 excellence within yourself to be excellent at this craft. And 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.719 I haven't shown up that way in other things that 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:58.800 I have done. Um, since I have lost not yeah, 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:01.400 even the way I say it lost hockey since my 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:04.800 career says it has been over. So UM. I try 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:07.320 and be a better podcast host. I try and study 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:11.120 podcast host, I try and get better at conversations. UM. 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:14.680 But I'll even admit it's not to the level that 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:17.720 I was as an athlete. That was a suit every 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.280 single day for every decision you made. And so part 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:23.840 of my heart breaks the fact that I am not 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:27.640 that committed like I was as an athlete to the 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.160 podcast or other little endeavors that I do. My heart 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:32.720 just breaks a little bit for that. Well, think about 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:34.320 this too, and this is you know, I know we 0:07:34.360 --> 0:07:36.360 have a question today about like why men love sports 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:39.480 so much. My answer to that, but also to what 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:43.520 you're saying, is what else in life do does anybody 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:46.480 have that makes them as excited and passionate as sports? 0:07:47.120 --> 0:07:49.640 There's nothing but maybe gambling, you know, if you went 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:53.640 a big back. But besides that that instant you know, uh, 0:07:53.960 --> 0:07:57.480 euphoric feeling of of of happiness and success. There's nothing 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.720 that gets you to jump out of your seat. Sports does. 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:04.600 So when you're playing doing that as a career and 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:07.600 you have that high and low of working your ass 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:09.600 off and feeling those feelings, it's like and then you 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:12.120 go into something else. Like you said, Posca, I try 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:13.320 to do the same thing. I try to get better, 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:15.280 I ask you questions. I try to be a better 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:18.000 host or be at a husband. But there's nothing else 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:21.000 for that that that gratification of I've seen your hard 0:08:21.000 --> 0:08:23.720 work payoff or whatever it may be. There's the's nothing 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:25.360 that really gets you out of your seat. So it's 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:29.600 hard to find a substitute. Yeah, and the sudden victory 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.080 and the sudden death of it, like the and because 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.880 the sudden victory when you see athletes, this is sharing 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:37.520 to anybody listening, when you see grown men or women 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:41.960 athletes just overcome by joy and elated at a moment 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:44.280 of success when they get a touchdown or you score 0:08:44.280 --> 0:08:46.800 a goal or something they win like they just like 0:08:47.720 --> 0:08:51.000 the pure emotion comes out. The pure emotion comes out 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:55.920 because they're You're competing against somebody that's equally as talented, 0:08:56.120 --> 0:09:00.560 equally as committed, equally as driven, you know, uh, And 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:04.080 to find your way to overcome that and to beat 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:08.240 them is such is such a reward because so much 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:10.600 goes into it. We're not just talking about a month 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:14.120 of preparation. We're talking about years and decades of preparation 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:18.079 that go into that moment of overcoming and winning and achieving. 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:21.800 And that's been hard for me to replace in in 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:25.000 the transition years of my life right now. But Steve Young, 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:27.199 who I don't know if you ever played against Steve, 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:31.040 he was probably out of the league before, but Steve 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:33.000 is a friend. He gave me great advice one time. 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:35.839 Steve is three time Super Bowl winner. Uh. He said, 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:39.240 appreciate your life as an athlete for what it was, 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:42.240 the building, the sounds of the building, the games you 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:44.520 got to play, and being on TV is like, appreciate 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:47.160 all of that, Appreciate the heck out of that, but 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.840 know that you're never going to replace that in your life. 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:54.080 So don't move into being a former athlete thinking that 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:57.240 you're going to find something that replaces that. He said, 0:09:57.320 --> 0:09:59.839 find something else that you love and that's really for 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.000 feeling and joyous for you, and focus on that, not 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:06.240 trying to replace sports with that, but just accepting what 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:09.080 sports were, loving what they were, being grateful for them, 0:10:09.120 --> 0:10:11.480 and now putting your heart into this. So I've tried 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:13.960 to remind myself of that, but it's been tough. Are 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:16.200 you able to let me ask you this? Because I 0:10:16.200 --> 0:10:19.760 know personally certain things are hard for me because I 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.200 set out you know, obviously, we set out goals and 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:24.559 and and points that we want to reach in our 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:27.839 professional career when it came to sports, have you been 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:30.360 able if there is anything that you didn't achieve, have 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:32.480 you been able to let those goes? Because those are 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:34.960 the things that have really sat more with me that 0:10:35.440 --> 0:10:37.480 I didn't I wasn't able to accomplish certain things I 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:41.319 set out to do. Do you have a specific because yes, yes, exactly. 0:10:41.360 --> 0:10:43.240 Do you have any specifics you want to share of 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:46.320 goals or dreams that you had growing up that you 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:49.679 were not able to professionally achieve. And I'm I'm sorry, 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:52.480 I'm poking the dark spot, but you don't have to 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:54.560 if you don't want to. It's no, it is, it's good. 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:58.720 It's I mean, you know, I spent five years in 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:03.360 the NFL, and that was probably longer than really I 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:05.480 thought maybe that it would last because I was just 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:07.200 a guy. I was just a guy. I was you know, 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:10.080 college walk on, free undrafted, free agent, just a guy 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:13.840 that just made it happen somehow and by the way, 0:11:13.960 --> 0:11:18.040 I appreciate it. And so but still there are things, 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.679 you know, Um, I was able to start the second 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:23.120 half of one of my years, which was good. So 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:24.600 you know, I was able to like check that box 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:26.960 start a game, like even just one game. But there 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:29.839 are just certain things statistically or personally, or I've never 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:32.040 went to the playoffs, or I didn't play as long 0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:34.440 as I wanted to, I didn't have the statistics that 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:37.680 I wanted to. Um, So it's just things like that 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:40.520 that you know, I worked so hard for that. We 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:43.160 worked so hard for that. It's just like, man, you 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:45.839 just kind of left that box unchecked, and it's just 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:48.680 it's just one of those things that's taken longer to 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:52.760 let go. Yeah, mine is never winning a Stanley Cup. 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:56.760 So um, that was my goal the whole time. Mine 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:58.360 was winning And one of the hardest things for me 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:01.080 is to let go of that dream, to to accept 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:04.680 the realization that as a player, I will never win 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:08.160 a Stanley Cup. But further to that, it's my parents, 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:10.640 it's my brother, it's my sister, it's my best friends, 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:13.360 it's the people my coaches throughout my life. It's the 0:12:13.440 --> 0:12:16.600 people that have supported this journey for me that I 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:18.760 always wanted to bring a Stanley Cup to. It's my 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:20.640 hometown of a Wolda that I wanted to bring the 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.840 cup back to. Um, that's a big one for me. 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:25.720 That's a really big one. It's hard to let that 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:28.080 go because I feel like I disappointed so many people. 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:31.120 There are personal stats. I wanted to play a thousand games. 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:33.120 I ended up short of that. A couple of injuries 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.960 caused me, uh short of my career. The release I 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:39.760 was released. At the end, I didn't retire, you know, 0:12:39.800 --> 0:12:41.840 I didn't say I'm good with this, I'm on my 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:45.240 own way out piece with this support, like I check out, 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:48.760 I'm done. I was released. That's a hole in my heart. 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:51.079 So there were so many things that I didn't accomplish. 0:12:51.280 --> 0:12:53.280 But when I when I have good days, Michael, when 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:55.520 I look back at it, my good days are filled 0:12:55.520 --> 0:12:58.599 with gratitude. My bad days are filled with what I 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:01.560 didn't accomplish. And when I actually focus on the fact 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.880 that my actual dream wasn't just winning a Stanley Cup. 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:11.000 My dream was expressing myself through my sport every single day. 0:13:11.360 --> 0:13:14.760 I actually lived my dream every single day. Right, this 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:17.079 cup would have been great. But what I can reflect 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:20.679 with that kind of a mindset, um, So for anybody 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.280 else that's going through like a transition of career or 0:13:23.360 --> 0:13:26.400 a loss of career or something and hasn't accomplished goals, 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:29.320 that's what I would encourage you. Like your your actual 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.120 goal was probably to express yourself through the thing that 0:13:32.200 --> 0:13:36.079 you love. You grateful for that. So there's there's one 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.400 thing I wanted to mention that that sparked it when 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:40.800 you said your goals that you weren't able to accomplish. 0:13:40.880 --> 0:13:43.040 And that was I tell my wife this all the time. 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:47.560 My biggest actual disappointment that that I remember now is 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:51.200 I always I was single through my NFL days and 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:56.480 always envied the guys that after practice or after games 0:13:56.480 --> 0:13:58.599 their kids come onto the field and hug them and 0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:00.920 they'd run around the field on with the kids. And 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:03.439 I was just when I was playing my playing days, 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:05.160 I was like, man, I can't wait for that, Like 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:07.080 I can't wait for my kids to like run on 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:09.760 and see daddy in his pet And I never got that, 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.480 And so that is one thing that's the biggest thing 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:16.400 for sure. I wish I would have had that memory 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:20.040 with my kids now. So that's amazing, Yeah, that's I 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:22.040 get that because it was so awesome to see guys 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:24.120 bring their kids through the locker room and stuff like that. 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:26.840 And for me, it's even further like you're a you're 0:14:26.880 --> 0:14:31.280 a father, you have a daughter. Um for me, you 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:34.360 have one daughter, right, one daughter and a son and 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:35.960 a son. So you have a daughter and a son 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:39.080 For me, I don't have kids yet, So my kids 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:43.640 won't know me as that athlete. They'll be like, really 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:45.880 you are that, Like they won't be able to wear 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:48.840 my jersey at the game, you know, which would have 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:52.240 been a really cool memory to have. So Um, but 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:54.200 that's by my own choice. You know, that was by 0:14:54.200 --> 0:14:55.800 my own choice. I knew that, But I always thought 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:58.040 i'd play, as every athlete does, think that we would 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:02.600 play longer. Um, give me, give me your favorite one 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:07.280 of your favorite personal memories, or something that you're really 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:12.680 proud of about your career as an athlete, Michael, something 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:15.520 internally that you're so just warms your heart and proud of. 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:20.840 Here's the thing I will say, And this is something 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:28.280 I always It's kind of intangible and immeasurable. Where I 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:32.120 never changed. And I say that with confidence and pride 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:35.920 that the people that knew me before, the people that 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:37.960 knew me during, the people that knew me after, I 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:42.960 was the same person. And I tell people too. I 0:15:43.040 --> 0:15:45.600 tell young guys that don't mentor or talk to who 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.320 are in college or or or trying to be in 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:51.400 you know, in the NFL or whatever. I tell him. Look, 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:54.720 I knew everyone's name from the janitor to our g M. 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:57.720 I was like, I should have been cut two years 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:01.080 prior to when I actually was by buff Low. But 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:05.440 I truly believe the reason I wasn't was because I 0:16:05.520 --> 0:16:09.280 was a positive guy around the facility. I was just 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:11.480 one of those guys that like, okay, so we're like, 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:13.720 he's a he's a good dude. He like brings the 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:16.120 team up, he's here every day, he works hard. He 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:19.120 never missed it. He just I was consistent. I was 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:21.400 the same person every day. And so that's one of 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:23.760 those things that I look back on and no one 0:16:23.800 --> 0:16:25.360 can take that away from me because I was like 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:29.120 I never changed. Yeah, that's awesome. I love that about you, man, 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.400 because I feel the same way about myself. Like you 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:35.440 said the janitor to the gm UM, I missed those relationships. 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:39.120 I miss seeing the the staff at the rink, you know, 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:43.760 the dorman or the locker room staff or anybody. It 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:45.400 could be the guy in the elevator, could be the 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:47.760 lady at the parking when we get there. Like, I 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:50.360 miss seeing those faces and just being involved with those 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:55.320 people's lives um and knowing that you you are part 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:59.640 of something. You aren't the something, correct, you know. So 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:01.960 there's there's athletes that are like that. They're like, I'm 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:04.119 the show. I'm here, You're here to serve me, But 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:06.520 there's so many other ones that aren't that are like, 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.159 I'm part of this. We are all part of this, 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:13.040 and they share in your winds, you know, like the 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:17.240 fun part. They share in your winds. So yeah, um, 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:21.600 your favorite NFL memory? Favorite NFL memory? Home man like 0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:25.359 asking athletes this, what's one? What's one memory? Maybe a 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:27.680 play you made, maybe like a feeling looking up and 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:31.840 see eighty thousand people in the anthem, the planes flying over, Like, 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.000 I don't know what's What's a memory that stands out 0:17:34.000 --> 0:17:38.720 to you? There is a weird plane. So I grew 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:41.399 up in the d C. Area. Okay, so I grew up. 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:45.119 I grew up a Skins fan and we were playing 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:50.280 the Broncos. Was it two? There's two thousand and On 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:52.159 a play, I was stretching out and I went to 0:17:52.160 --> 0:17:55.440 go block Champ Bailey yea, and I blocked them and 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:57.520 did my job. It was great, but it was it 0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:00.560 was one of those moments that I'm like, I'm like 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:02.720 kind of jogging back to the huddle. I'm like I 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:04.960 was a kid watching him. You know. It's just at 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:06.840 that moment you play with these guys who you looked 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:08.679 up to or you were fans of and it's just 0:18:08.760 --> 0:18:11.399 like that's surreal moment that you're like, wait, what what 0:18:11.640 --> 0:18:14.960 just happened? Immediately you feel like you're twelve years old again. 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:17.960 So that's one of those. I had a few of those, 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:20.400 but that was one of those moments because I grew 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:22.359 up a Redskins fan and it was Champ and he 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:23.840 had been in the league at that point like fifteen 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:25.760 years or whatever it was. I was just like, Yeah, 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:28.119 he's the man. And then so did this happen for you? 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:30.840 Because I had that same thing where you're like, yeah, 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:32.920 you're not that good man. I'm on your level now, 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:37.000 you know for sure. You're so proud of yourself. You're like, yeah, 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:41.160 he's just human. He's human, but he's human with you, brother, 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:43.560 Let's go for sure. And I've also had the reverse 0:18:43.600 --> 0:18:46.040 of that where I've also where I've also go to 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:47.439 hit a guy and I went to go hit like 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:49.719 te Kio Spikes when he was with the Chargers and 0:18:49.800 --> 0:18:52.159 he is a brick wall and I went up and 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:54.879 I was two pounds when my playing days. I went 0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:57.440 up and snacked him. I didn't it was like hitting 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:00.199 a tree like that. He didn't go anywhere and not 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:03.480 even like office foot or anything. I just kind of okay, 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:06.240 you got it, my bad, I'm just getting running back. 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:09.520 That happens too. Sometimes you'll get a guy you're like, yeah, 0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:11.719 you ain't that bad man. I'm I'm right here with you. 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.840 I'm here, I'm here. And then other times you'll you 0:19:15.000 --> 0:19:16.840 get a guy you're like, oh damn you. Yeah, okay, 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:21.720 I get it, you got it, And that's why you 0:19:21.800 --> 0:19:24.439 still got it. You're the man. I love it, um. 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:26.399 But it was that was that was something for me 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:29.119 my first ten games in the NHL, I was looking 0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:31.720 around it like these guys. That was just like these 0:19:31.720 --> 0:19:34.720 are my childhood idols. I play them on Sega Genesis 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:37.879 I haven't guys. And then and then you know, you 0:19:37.960 --> 0:19:39.960 get us. You take a puck from them, like you said, 0:19:39.960 --> 0:19:42.640 you block Champ Bailey, and you're like, okay, I can 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:45.840 I can hang here? You know, they're great. Great, It 0:19:45.840 --> 0:19:48.600 gives me something to strive to to become and be 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:50.600 better at. But yeah, I deserve to be here. I 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:54.520 can hang here so good. Yeah, awesome man. So I 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:57.960 want to get into more sports with you, um. And 0:19:57.960 --> 0:20:01.040 we're also gonna bring on another tastic guests and the 0:20:01.200 --> 0:20:03.920 hilarious guests. Um, and we're gonna have a conversation about 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:06.360 sports in generals, what it means to us as men. 0:20:06.760 --> 0:20:08.600