WEBVTT - Austin Ekeler 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:02.600 This is cut to It with Steve Smith Senior at 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:08.879 production of The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. I'm 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:12.559 Steve Smith Senior and I'm and this is cut to it. 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:16.919 Good do it, Good do it. They're getting down to 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:20.720 do it. Good do it. We asked the questions you 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:24.200 always want to know, but no one ever asked, let's 0:00:24.200 --> 0:00:30.000 cut to it. You ain't heard about it, then we're 0:00:30.040 --> 0:00:40.559 about to let you know. It's all I was. I 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:42.760 was with it with some guys I was meeting, and 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:48.080 we were just kind of discussing business and um business, 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:52.080 football and kind of like where we are today and 0:00:52.080 --> 0:00:54.960 then you know, foundation and all that stuff. And so 0:00:56.880 --> 0:00:58.880 I had a guy reminds me of a story that 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:02.160 he heard about and said it was extremely intriguing. It 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:04.720 was a two minute drill, he said. He heard me 0:01:04.720 --> 0:01:07.119 speak out the event, and he said that the way 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:09.440 I articulated the two minute drill and apply that to 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:14.800 my life. Um, he was really he was thrown back 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:18.360 by h M. I really excelled it into minute drill too. 0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:20.000 Minute drill is one of those things in the in 0:01:20.040 --> 0:01:24.040 the game so much controlled chaos, but in and and 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:27.880 it's it's like, you know, being on the on the 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:30.720 boat and it's it's rain wins, all these things that 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:34.600 you have to score. You're trying to achieve something that's unachievable. 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:37.120 The defense is coming at you. They're they're coming in 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:38.880 and try to get a sack, and you got guys, 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:43.479 and all you're doing is literally very little verbal conversations. 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:52.200 It's all hand signals and unspoken words. It's looks, it's 0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:56.720 winks and just body languages all that stuff. And you know, 0:01:56.720 --> 0:01:58.520 I gotta read the corner and all that stuff. And 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:00.600 so I used to really love the two minute drill 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:02.880 because two minute drill really was a place where I 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:05.600 really excelled the best because it was exactly what I 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:10.080 was raising in l a control chaos or some people 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:13.080 say non control. Say it may not have been control 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:16.400 because and I've I've heard you, I've been blessed enough 0:02:16.400 --> 0:02:18.359 to been around you a lot, and I've heard you 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:21.680 use that analogy a lot, and it's that it's that, 0:02:21.960 --> 0:02:24.680 you know, kind of bouncing between the two minute drill 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:27.359 is a place where there is chaos. Like you said, 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:29.639 there's there's all these different things, all this information that's 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:33.079 been um that's going back and forth, and you're saying 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:36.000 you thriving that where a lot of people would say, 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:38.320 I don't know if I can handle this. It's a 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:41.400 it's a high pressure situation. Now I'm thriving based on 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:45.639 how you were raised. And it's chaos, but like the 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:48.840 cliche terms, it's organized chaos. Like if you don't practice it. 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:50.960 We knew we were going into. If you don't prepare 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:55.360 yourself for different situations and that two minute drill, it 0:02:55.480 --> 0:02:58.960 is gonna be chaos. But like that's life in general. 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:01.480 So if you can prepare your self for something like that, 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:04.120 and where Steve's going is what life's all about. It 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:06.560 it's it's you gotta move on on a dime. You 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:09.360 gotta be prepared. But you got your work and effort 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:12.200 in the gym in the morning, or in your books, 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:15.440 in your office or in your building and your contractors. 0:03:15.639 --> 0:03:19.359 You've gotta be prepared. So when those situations happen, it 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:23.000 looks like chaos to all of us, But in your mind, man, 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:24.920 this is what we work for every single day to 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:27.560 be that way. But see, the thing is, not everybody 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:30.040 handles the two minutes drill. You see, sometimes there's a 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:33.320 lot of mistakes. Guys. You get or you get the 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:36.480 fatigue and it makes you lazy, and it makes you well, 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:39.440 I I'm so tired, I can't go back a step. 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:41.800 So then you get off size penalty two or three 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.280 times in a row, like the Steelers in the Chicago 0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:48.080 game where the fatigue that's here, that that two minute. 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:49.920 I love it because I used to love it because 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:54.200 I would sit there and everything's going on, and Jake 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:58.200 or whoever it was, mainly Jake would give me because 0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:00.960 when cams are was a different offense and we would 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.360 have we would speak, but with Jake we would just 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:08.880 had numbers one huntry circle too, tender lay three which 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:13.680 is three D and four wards. Reno. Now Reno actually 0:04:13.840 --> 0:04:15.760 was to play if you go back when I heard 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:17.920 my leg that was an under route in which a 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:24.360 former teammate Hannibal Navy's uh horse collar um. And then 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:27.760 I was also when uh Roy Williams horse collar uh 0:04:28.600 --> 0:04:31.080 um t o as well that year they've banned a 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:34.640 horse collar. So that was on the reno. So we 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:37.480 go out there and everything's going on that man Jake 0:04:37.640 --> 0:04:39.720 is giving me hand signals and I'm just sitting in 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:41.320 my little side. If I'm on the right or the 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:44.479 left side man, and why everybody's going. You gotta whoever 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:45.880 gets the ball has to throw the ball to raft. 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:47.200 Then you gotta go line up and then all you 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:48.760 on the ball, are you off the ball? And I'm 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:52.480 sitting over there. Just give me my number. He gives 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:55.440 me a one huntry circle. That's a hitch and under 0:04:56.279 --> 0:05:03.400 a streak and uh uh stop and in a circle 0:05:03.480 --> 0:05:05.760 by the running back. Man. I'm sitting there, and I 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:07.320 look at the safety, I look at the linebacker and 0:05:07.360 --> 0:05:09.000 see what the defense is. And then we run another 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:11.520 plate tend delay. Uh. Then I got a double end 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:13.960 or I got there. So all of that stuff, and 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:20.000 yet through all of that, I'm sitting calm, collective, just 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:22.719 giving me my assignment so I can go to work. 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:26.880 And when I as I got older, that two minute 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:30.920 drill became as it became more and more chaotic because 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:32.880 I learned more and more what it was, and it 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:37.160 was a valuable time and critical point, and I understood 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:41.760 the gravity of if we don't execute this two minute drill, 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:45.760 we have the opportunity to lose the game. But when 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:48.240 I was younger, I never thought about losing the game 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:52.240 because I knew how to operate in this because I 0:05:52.400 --> 0:05:55.320 was I was kind of naive. As my old coach, 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:58.280 UH Richard Williams say, blind dog in the meat house. 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:01.280 You don't know, you know, you don't know what you 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.080 don't know. You just you just smell it and you 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:06.360 follow your sense. And when you're young, you follow your sense. 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:11.280 You and you uh, you are aimlessly just going about 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:14.120 your business. But when you become older. I became older, 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:16.120 and I started to realize that I actually don't like 0:06:16.240 --> 0:06:19.320 the two minute drill because the two minute drill became 0:06:19.360 --> 0:06:23.400 a place of that chaos where I wanted to relax. 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:26.920 I wanted to allow my craft to do his work 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:31.200 and not just just running around while my head cut off. 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:36.760 And so man, I always liked and I really think, 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:40.160 and a lot of athletes saying, man, how you handle sports, 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:44.839 it's how you're gonna handle life and life and sports 0:06:45.160 --> 0:06:47.800 really to some degree, depending on which way and which 0:06:48.040 --> 0:06:52.320 which side of the verdict or the result your own 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:54.440 really in the case, how you handle it. I find 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:57.839 it interesting though, that as you got older, you became 0:06:57.839 --> 0:07:01.320 more uncomfortable, even though your knowledge of the game increased 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:07.760 so much. Because the knowledge of the game made me 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:11.640 think so much more that I was not willing to 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:13.640 just give me a number and I run it because 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:17.720 sometimes that fool didn't pick the right number sometimes or 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.720 the defense we'll trick us. So you lost some of 0:07:21.800 --> 0:07:24.120 that blond dog in the in the in the meat 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:27.560 store a little bit. As the more that you gained 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:29.960 the information you lost a little bit. I don't want 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:31.800 to say instinct may not be the right word. It 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:36.760 was more of you became more calculated. That makes sense. 0:07:37.560 --> 0:07:40.560 And I think the calculation of it right, and so 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:42.680 and how do I try? How do I do that? Is? 0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:45.240 I looked at the I looked at the football field 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:50.520 and playing football as like the pc H Highway. If 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:53.760 you ever been in California, PC Highway goes from like 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:58.600 Santa Monica all the way up to the Golden State 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:01.840 Bridge out in San Francisco. You can you could go 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:06.960 through Santa Santa Cruz up to Berkeley up to San Francisco. 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:13.520 It's awesome. The PC Highway is a beautiful strip of 0:08:13.640 --> 0:08:17.120 land over eight nine hours that you can see some 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:19.400 of the best red woods and see some of the 0:08:19.480 --> 0:08:22.760 most gorgeous sunsets and some of the best beaches. You 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:24.920 can see. Santa Monica. You can see Venice, you can 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:32.679 see Malibu, Pacific Palisades, see all these remarkable homes. But 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:35.599 there were so many times that I was on PC Highway, 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:38.760 meaning the NFL, and not one time did I stop, 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:44.679 put my son roof down, pull over and take a 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:48.360 selfie with the wife in the sunset. I never really, 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:52.040 I never really enjoyed the view. I was too busy 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:57.199 focused on the outcome. I really saying, let your side 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:00.360 effect be your confidence. But also I have that positive 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:05.040 self talk and also enjoy and be grateful for whatever 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:08.640 you are dealing with that there is a PC Highway 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:15.440 in your path. Stop smell roses, taking the sunset, hold 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:19.880 your man or your wife's hand, and enjoy it because 0:09:19.960 --> 0:09:21.959 I'm telling you you're gonna look up one day. You're 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:26.840 gonna realize sixty years later. Damn, I never took that selfie. 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:36.040 Who we got coming up on the Cut to It podcast, 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:39.160 We've got Austin Ekeler, the starting running back for the 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:42.280 Los Angeles Chargers. He's one of the NFL's leaders in 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:46.120 rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns, but he's also a fantasy 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:50.120 football guru and a mainstay on Twitch Austin Ekeler on 0:09:50.200 --> 0:09:55.079 the Cut to It podcast. Yeah, thanks for me a 0:09:55.200 --> 0:09:57.679 man looking forward to it. We're excited. We're excited. Our 0:09:57.720 --> 0:10:00.959 first segments called get iced Up. All right, what's the 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:04.439 pet peeve that gets under your skin? Pet peeve that 0:10:04.480 --> 0:10:08.720 gets under my skin? Um? I have a few. We'll 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:11.080 start with the locker room and people have dirty locker 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:14.040 next to mine? Right, I got a cataract, So locker 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:16.280 if you have a dirty locker every every year at 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:19.040 the beginning of the year, I established whoever's around me 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:21.080 using some running backs. All right, here's the common area. 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:22.680 This zero. I don't care what you do in your area, 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:25.640 but the common area needs to stay clean. Another one 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:30.040 at home dishes in the sink. Can't do it, can't 0:10:30.080 --> 0:10:32.319 do that. Come on, that's that's one passed on from 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:34.680 from from mama's Why why can't you pass on? They're 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:37.319 gonna be there to them all Ah, No, man, I 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:39.360 just need this. I need the kitchen to look clean 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:40.679 every time we go to bed, so when I come 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:42.400 down in the morning, it's like, yeah, that looks beautiful. 0:10:42.400 --> 0:10:46.800 So to me, do you cook? Yes, you can you cook? Cook? 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:50.839 I mean I'm not like or mat or anything. But 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:53.680 like what what what is the dish that you've cooked 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:56.240 that that was certified? Because if you say I can 0:10:56.280 --> 0:10:58.400 make a grilled cheese, that ain't a cook. So if 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:01.240 you cook, you can't be come fighting eating. You can't 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:05.040 you If you can't cook, you can't complain about Look. 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:07.320 Look I can get by cooks fish. I can use 0:11:07.400 --> 0:11:11.720 the grill like you put fish on the grill. Yeah, 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:15.640 you can't put fish on the Yeah, you get some butter, 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:18.560 you get some parsley, get a little garlic salt. Oh yeah, 0:11:18.559 --> 0:11:23.600 I put it on there. Yeah, Smithy got a theory 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:28.520 on that. Yeah, hold up, Yeah, I think that. I 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:33.920 think that's one of your pet ps. Fish on the grill. Seriously, 0:11:34.080 --> 0:11:37.520 what about on a smoker like smoking like smokes amon, 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:41.120 I mean that's what a restaurant does. Yes, So that's 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:43.439 what I'm just saying. That's okay, But I don't put 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:45.560 fish on the grill. I'm not, but I'm just saying, 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:47.079 if you just like if you put it on like 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:49.800 a wood plank and you smoke it over like low, 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:52.439 would you do that on my grill? No, I'm not 0:11:52.480 --> 0:11:55.599 asking what I'm saying. A smoker in the grill like 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:58.360 I'm talking about a grill bird, Oh my grill. I 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:00.680 ain't talk much. I'm just saying period at your house 0:12:00.880 --> 0:12:04.040 maybe okay. And you know, if I'm coming over to 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:06.240 your house, you probably wouldn't even do it, because you 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:08.440 know I may say something, Oh my girl, I'm quick, 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:15.840 whatever what I want. But do you smoke? Sam? It's delicious, Okay. 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:21.880 I ain't putting on fish on my damn grill. Disrespectful. Uh, 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:24.640 you might as well come to my house and try 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:26.679 to bring your meat trying to put it on my 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:29.480 little pause? Are you one of those guys? If you 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:31.880 want those guys? I can't say I've done that. No 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:34.640 good I had to do one time come to my house. 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:37.400 Hey man, do you mind? I looked at him. His 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:39.439 name was Willie. I said, hell, no, you can't cook 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:42.839 on my grill. Bro. He goes really, I said no, 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:48.080 not walts into someone's house and start operating. There also 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:53.280 be intruders, right, you know how we handle intruders. Look 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:59.040 at Austin is totally he's totally done with We're good, brother. 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:03.959 Let's go all right. Your favorite favorite memory as a kid. Gosh, 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:07.320 that's a hard one. Yeah, there's nothing that really stands out. 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:09.600 I guess I really they haven't thought about it. Okay, 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:16.320 we just skipped out. Okay, all right, the last song 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:22.040 you listen to before you go out and play on 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:25.640 playing the game. I actually have been on a no 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:29.280 music vibe this last couple a couple of weeks. But 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:34.319 when it Dad would explain what happened. Man, huh, oh wow, 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:39.360 we're talking. I had to you know, I'm all right now. 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:44.520 I've actually been using this like visual This visualization ain't working, bro, 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:49.719 you need to go back to the music working. I've 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:54.720 been using the all season, not just this last game. 0:13:55.040 --> 0:14:00.679 Last game, we gotta ask it. That's what it was. Yeah, 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:03.040 the Ravens. Yeah they brought it. Man, I know, I know, 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:08.000 you know he was there and you did visualize. Oh 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:13.280 my god. Oh all right, you want to know you 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:15.719 want to know one of mine? Yeah? What you got 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:21.440 a deal? Bro? Really? Yes? There before the game is 0:14:21.560 --> 0:14:26.160 savage mode. Okay, he wants to say something, but he's 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:29.600 not sure. No, I gotta open mind, man. I'm not 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:36.520 very judgmental man, like I'm a damn. That reminds me 0:14:36.600 --> 0:14:38.960 of MJ. The Last Dance where m J pre game 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.960 is listening to Kenny Lattimore and some savage stuff. Bro. 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:47.160 I like a deal Bro she her new song fire. 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.240 I might listen to it, you know what. It got 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:54.520 me a little bit. Though. What's the song called? Uh like, 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:59.640 it's called yeah easy. I hope we got right to this. 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:05.160 I mean we we we can't afford that. We're still 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:09.600 on the budget. Shout out of our heart. I'm gonna 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:14.640 look into it. No. Um, Yeah, I like a Dell though, 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:16.840 bro Easy owner is pretty good and sold my goal 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:21.320 to though. What's that rolling in a deep? I can't 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:24.640 go wrong with that? Yeah, I can't. I roll it 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:26.680 a deep and then go go peel back on the 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.240 lineback and before they hit the rule. That was before 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:35.800 they hit the rule boom deep. All right, all right, 0:15:35.800 --> 0:15:37.840 here's the last one. This is the This is actually 0:15:37.840 --> 0:15:39.600 a really good one, and I think you can really 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:42.400 appreciate it. And this is you're gonna steal it and 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:45.480 that's that's cool. Just make sure you uh make sure 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:48.800 I get the credit. All right? If you were if 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:53.920 you were president and you had three people to assist you, 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:59.400 who would you pick? And why? Wow? Yeah, so we're 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:01.720 not even is on the president part? Just the three 0:16:01.800 --> 0:16:04.320 people that would help you, And why would you pick 0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:10.960 those three people? My mother absolutely, she's been my caretaker. 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:13.520 She's single mom raised me and my little bro. Who 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:15.840 would be my other pick? Because that's family. That's my 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:18.720 closest family. So that I got. So if that's your 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:23.400 closest family, is he the clean up guy? Clean? Because 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:25.280 we all got a family member that we roll with. 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:28.680 They don't really know how to do anything but the 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:33.000 clean up yours. That's here's the thing, man, he's gonna learn. 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:34.680 My little brother he's a grinder just like I am. 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:39.040 He's gonna learn. Right, he's a cleaner, he's regardless of 0:16:40.840 --> 0:16:45.800 everyone's got the role. Bro a your mom brother. And 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:49.080 then Cameron Weiss, He's become one of my best friends 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:53.360 over over the years. He's also my attorney, um, my 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:55.360 business partner, one of my best friends that I've been 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:59.600 working with for a while a long time. Yeah, he 0:16:59.680 --> 0:17:02.640 got his little house of cards. You got to cleaners. Yah, 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:08.240 got the physical cleaner and it didn't happen the mastermind 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:12.200 behind it right alright? Cool? Alright, So how are you 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:15.520 doing today? I'm doing great, man, doing great Tuesday, which 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:17.680 is usually my community day where I'm really trying to 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:20.840 uh connect and just get out there and talk to people. 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:25.239 You got a whole day designated to community a priority. Man, 0:17:25.320 --> 0:17:28.120 we feel honored them that you're gonna spend that community. 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:31.359 I honestly feel on it. Like I love when people 0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:32.920 have podcasts when people want to bring me on because 0:17:32.960 --> 0:17:34.520 I'm like, yes, Like I think this is something that 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:36.920 guys in the league, just people people in general have 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:39.119 a platform to do more often, because I don't think 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:42.960 people understand the actual importance of media and community and connecting, 0:17:43.160 --> 0:17:45.480 especially for after your sport is over, Like that's when 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:47.159 it really plays a part so you can actually go 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:49.159 out and do something that you want to do. Um, 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:51.760 it's not often that a lot of people think about 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:53.960 that at this point in their career. Why is that 0:17:54.040 --> 0:18:00.680 so front of front of mine? For you, Millennaise, It's 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:03.040 because I never thought I was gonna be in the NFL. Mhm. 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:07.919 I never sat out. I was never like, oh, I'm 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:09.480 gonna go to the NFL when I'm playing in college, 0:18:09.520 --> 0:18:12.560 I went to a division to school. I focused everything 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:15.800 I could on my involvements, which is football and my education, 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:17.920 and I thought I was gonna go into business world. 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:19.359 I thought was gonna get into real estate, and then 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:21.920 football gave me an opportunity, and I put everything in 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:24.520 my power to go and take advantage of the opportunity 0:18:24.560 --> 0:18:26.600 to try to make it work. Ended up working out, 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:28.880 and so that mindset stayed with me. I always knew 0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:31.080 football was going to be a starting point for me, 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:33.880 but not the endpoint, right, And so now I'm in football, 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:35.720 I have this platform. I'm gonna use it as a 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.000 tool to better myself as a person and also connects 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:41.480 UM and get a head start on kind of you know, 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:44.399 the things that I had perceived me. I kind of like, 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:47.439 I guess me back up my passions, right. It's pushing 0:18:47.440 --> 0:18:49.440 me towards my passions and helping me connect with people 0:18:49.480 --> 0:18:51.600 in that space. And my passion is connecting with people 0:18:52.040 --> 0:18:54.320 and helping people. That's why my foundation, that's why I started, 0:18:54.359 --> 0:18:55.920 like some of my companies that I have, is to 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:58.960 help people better themselves by giving them resources so they 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:01.000 can learn more about themselves, so they can become a 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:04.639 better version of themselves. And I really find fulfillment in that. 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:06.560 So that's why I'm using this platform to get back 0:19:06.600 --> 0:19:10.119 to that um. And so that's why you know, I 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:12.920 think my mindset is based on that because it was 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.960 never about football for me and now I'm using football absolutely, 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:19.160 but still more about people. How do you keep focused 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:26.080 on the sport, playing football and performing and not making it? 0:19:26.200 --> 0:19:28.440 You know, you hear people, You hear I say, millennials. 0:19:28.480 --> 0:19:29.840 You hear a lot of young guys now in the 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:33.240 league talking about their brand and you know, you know, 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:34.800 being a part of the p A. I was a 0:19:35.040 --> 0:19:37.400 player rep. So hearing about the pas, you know, hearing 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:39.120 about all these young guys talk, my man, I gotta 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:41.480 make sure my brand is on point. But if your 0:19:41.520 --> 0:19:43.720 brand if you can't. If you you could be a 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:50.920 brand corner, but you can't stop nobody that brand. Here's 0:19:50.920 --> 0:19:53.720 the thing that football is giving me all these opportunities 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:57.240 that I've had to this day, and so playing though 0:19:57.760 --> 0:20:01.560 and make your plays to maintain percent, you have to 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:04.320 be relevant, you know, and the more relevant you are, 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:06.040 the easier it's going to be to get connection. Stuff 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:09.360 like that. You can still get connections just having being 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:11.000 part of the shield, but it don't run as deep. 0:20:11.560 --> 0:20:13.880 But here's the thing. My mindset has been football because 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:16.000 this is what's got me here at this point. So 0:20:16.119 --> 0:20:18.399 that's why that's how you don't get distracted. That's why 0:20:18.440 --> 0:20:20.560 Tuesday is a big day for me. I like that 0:20:20.680 --> 0:20:24.119 because there are times where guys consume themselves with their brand, 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:27.520 and then they start to believe that their brand is 0:20:27.600 --> 0:20:30.119 so big, and then you look at their stats and 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:34.520 they don't. You're all starting the community, but you're a 0:20:34.600 --> 0:20:39.800 bench warmer on the field. I'm serious. So you see, 0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:42.280 I think you said a lot where people skew more 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:44.600 towards the brand and forget why that they're in the 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:47.199 first place. I tell you what, talking to Austin right 0:20:47.320 --> 0:20:52.119 now being a Los Angeles charger, not talking about his 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:54.000 sam but there's some dudes on his team right now 0:20:54.080 --> 0:20:58.199 are average, but because they're in a big market, they 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:03.320 think they're a lot better than what they are. A snicker, 0:21:04.400 --> 0:21:06.160 you know what I'm talking about that. I'm sure it's 0:21:06.160 --> 0:21:08.040 easy to get connected when you're in when you're in 0:21:08.080 --> 0:21:12.080 one of those large markets New Yorker or Miami, You'll 0:21:12.119 --> 0:21:14.679 be talking to guys and I'm like, I'm sitting there, 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:20.800 going he's on special teams and it's not the wrong 0:21:20.880 --> 0:21:22.720 of being on special teams. But then when I'm talking 0:21:22.800 --> 0:21:25.240 like I've had conversations with dudes where I felt like 0:21:25.880 --> 0:21:28.119 I gotta go, man, I gotta google myself because I 0:21:28.520 --> 0:21:31.800 just had this interaction was off a phrase i'd like 0:21:31.840 --> 0:21:33.440 to say. He's gotta keep the main thing, the main thing. 0:21:34.440 --> 0:21:37.199 That's true though, the main thing, the main thing, right, 0:21:37.280 --> 0:21:39.119 and then you know, then you can do stuff on 0:21:39.160 --> 0:21:41.480 the side. But yeah, absolutely, you gotta make a presence. 0:21:41.720 --> 0:21:44.959 Um just obviously build a brand that's you know, substantial. 0:21:45.040 --> 0:21:49.280 But now I feel you, man, it's you gotta stay 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:53.119 on track. He's giggling because he knows there's some guys 0:21:53.160 --> 0:21:56.560 on this team right back. That's every team. No, it's 0:21:56.640 --> 0:21:59.920 on bigger, bigger city teams though, because you ain't. I don't. 0:22:00.000 --> 0:22:02.600 I don't run up against the dude. I never ran 0:22:02.680 --> 0:22:08.560 up against dude. And since NAT thinking, you know what, 0:22:08.640 --> 0:22:13.600 I'm a little home man, like, excuse me, So where 0:22:13.680 --> 0:22:15.639 was that I forgot, which I was somewhere in the 0:22:15.720 --> 0:22:17.520 dude was like, yeah, man, you know, I check you 0:22:17.600 --> 0:22:19.280 out here and there. I looked at him and said, 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:23.840 excuse me, you check me out like he was like 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:26.040 he was like telling me like he did me. He 0:22:26.160 --> 0:22:30.359 was doing me a favor, and I was just like, uh, man, 0:22:30.440 --> 0:22:33.800 it's he in a big market that big market got 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:37.040 him confused with himself. Look, you gotta use it though, 0:22:37.160 --> 0:22:38.840 That's what I'm saying, man, you gotta you gotta use 0:22:38.880 --> 0:22:40.720 the market. If you have it, use it. You can't. 0:22:40.800 --> 0:22:43.280