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Speaker 1: Hey, can you just uh any frequent weeks done several

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Speaker 1: as he was talking just about how excided you are

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Speaker 1: about this opportunity, but can you kind of go from

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Speaker 1: there and just address what you've done with your sobriety

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Speaker 1: and counseling to allow you to reach this point and

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Speaker 1: just where you feel you are on your journey back

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Speaker 1: right now. Yeah. So it has been a journey indeed,

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Speaker 1: and the journey that I am grateful for. I've had

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Speaker 1: time to really work on myself and take, um, take

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Speaker 1: advantage of all the support and things that have been

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Speaker 1: offered to me. And the way I looked at um

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Speaker 1: where I am now to who I was in the past.

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Speaker 1: I was a you know, a young twelve year old

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Speaker 1: or you know, young teenage boy in a man's body.

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Speaker 1: So I was a man on the outside, but a

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Speaker 1: boy inside. And the way that I handled the issues

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Speaker 1: life and everything was in that immature manner, and that was, uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, fear based and just not handling things away

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Speaker 1: that I should have. And what's the time that I've

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Speaker 1: been that had to work on myself. It's allowed me

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Speaker 1: and giving me the chance to grow into the man

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Speaker 1: um that I am now. So the man on the

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Speaker 1: inside sits how the man on the outside looks. And um,

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Speaker 1: it's just giving me, um a new perspective outlook on life.

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Speaker 1: And it's allowed me to do things like be able

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Speaker 1: to return to this sport. UM, and I feel like

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Speaker 1: I am ready to give it all. And well, what

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Speaker 1: do you credit for that growth? What was that? I'm sorry? Yes,

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Speaker 1: what do you credit for that growth? Where? Where did

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Speaker 1: that come from? Um? Well, it comes from within, I

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Speaker 1: think for me, but like with most people, I think

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Speaker 1: if anybody really wants the change to come from within.

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Speaker 1: And so I got to a point where, UM, I

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Speaker 1: was fed up with how I was living my life

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Speaker 1: and I knew I needed to change if I wanted

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Speaker 1: to be something and and give my life, just get

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Speaker 1: to get back a hold of my life. So, UM,

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Speaker 1: I had people around me that was supportive and I

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Speaker 1: was willing to um trust to people to help me

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Speaker 1: out and guide me in the right direction. Was there

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Speaker 1: a moment when you said, you know what, enough is enough?

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Speaker 1: I need to turn my life around. When did where

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Speaker 1: did that come? Where did that start? For you? Um?

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Speaker 1: There were a couple of moments, but I think the

45
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Speaker 1: last year, UM, my grandma passed last year, and that

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Speaker 1: was she was somebody who I was very close to

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Speaker 1: and around the time she passed, and my life wasn't

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Speaker 1: where I wanted it to be, and she was somebody

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Speaker 1: who meant a lot to me. And um, I remember

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Speaker 1: the last time he spoke, she had ALS and so

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Speaker 1: she she passed at an earlier age and she you know,

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Speaker 1: should have and als. It takes away a lot of

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Speaker 1: your body functions, so she couldn't speak. But before the

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Speaker 1: last time I've seen her, she was able to, you know,

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Speaker 1: get some word, to get a message to me, and

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Speaker 1: that was just you know, do better and basically go

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Speaker 1: out here and get what you deserve. And that stuck

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Speaker 1: with me. So that her passing, along with me being

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Speaker 1: totally defeated and surrendering to the problem that I had

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Speaker 1: with my drinking, I was ready to turn my life around.

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Speaker 1: And um, I was happy that I had a place

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Speaker 1: to go and people around me that were willing to

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Speaker 1: help out. Alden. Did that come up immediately after that

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Speaker 1: or did it still after her passing, or did it

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Speaker 1: still take you some time to reconcile that that you

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Speaker 1: had to be approached things to and do things a

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Speaker 1: little bit differently. UM, No, it wasn't. It was really

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Speaker 1: it was time. It wasn't something I thought it was.

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Speaker 1: It was, um, it was something that I was ready for,

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Speaker 1: and I I was ready for it. When did football?

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Speaker 1: When did it returning to football become a possibility in

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Speaker 1: your mind? Was it was your focus just to live

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Speaker 1: your life, live a better life, not about football? When

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Speaker 1: did those two things kind of merge? Agat? I think

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Speaker 1: they they emerged together pretty quickly. Um. One of the

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Speaker 1: things that I I was trying to figure out is, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, what was my purpose? I think I lost

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Speaker 1: my I lost my way along the way, and I

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Speaker 1: wasn't sure, um, why what my purpose was? And I

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Speaker 1: know football is one of my many purposes. Um that

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Speaker 1: I'm that God has put me here. And so once

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Speaker 1: I was able to do some self um self reflecting

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Speaker 1: and self work, it was like, what are the things?

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Speaker 1: What am I good at? What am I grateful for?

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Speaker 1: And obviously the guy giving me this gift, this this talent,

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Speaker 1: and um can't to play. I was like, I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: go out here and give it a shot. I mean

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Speaker 1: it's something that I'm good at, I enjoy doing, and

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Speaker 1: something that I didn't finish the way I wanted, or

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Speaker 1: just finish in general. So um, it was like, as

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Speaker 1: I'm bettering myself, you know, you're bettering yourself in all

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Speaker 1: areas of your life. And that was just it only

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Speaker 1: made sense when you ran into last December. Uh did

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Speaker 1: you think that, oh maybe I could get back, you know,

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Speaker 1: in the league again. So when I met UM coach

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Speaker 1: McCarthy in la Um, I was just sharing my story

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Speaker 1: meeting somebody who I had previously you know, played against.

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Speaker 1: But I was just meeting him and just having a conversation.

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Speaker 1: When I when I meet people or when I meet

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Speaker 1: when I met him, it was I was just sharing

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Speaker 1: who I was, what I had gone through, and my

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Speaker 1: story with him. What do you think that you can

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Speaker 1: still contribute and how do you think that you'll be

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Speaker 1: able to get acclimated back to the NFL game after

105
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Speaker 1: having several years off. I still feel great, I still

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Speaker 1: feel young, I still can move well. I still have

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Speaker 1: a great knowledge of the game, if not a better

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Speaker 1: knowledge of the game. Um. I learned a lot from

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Speaker 1: the guys I played with in California, and they taught

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Speaker 1: me a lot of good things. And um, you know,

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Speaker 1: I know how to be a leader. I know how

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Speaker 1: to win, and also with our everything that I've just

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Speaker 1: gone through and learned throughout life, I feel like I

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Speaker 1: can be a m a source of you know, people

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Speaker 1: can talk to me about whatever they need, and so

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Speaker 1: I'm just looking to offer bea help on the field

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Speaker 1: and off the field. What are some things you learned

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Speaker 1: from Jim Thompsila and your time together with forty Diners

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Speaker 1: and what excites you about being reunited with your former

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Speaker 1: coach here in Dallas. Yeah, getting back and being with

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Speaker 1: Jimmy's um definitely exciting. We had a great time together

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Speaker 1: with the group of guys that we had and the

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Speaker 1: successes that we had there, and I just love how

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Speaker 1: Jim allows us to go out and be free on

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Speaker 1: the field and not feel like we're in a box.

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Speaker 1: So UM joining him, I'm just looking forward to what

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Speaker 1: we can do with these good group of guys that

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Speaker 1: we have here. How much did that influential decision to

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Speaker 1: play to join the Cowboys, either meeting with Mike the

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Speaker 1: way you did and knowing that Jim was here, what

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Speaker 1: kind of impact did that have? It had had a

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Speaker 1: big impact. UM, it just seemed like the best fit.

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Speaker 1: UM being with Jim in San Francisco, him being here,

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Speaker 1: the meeting that me and Mike had, and um, the

135
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Speaker 1: way that that that went seemed like we we quick

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Speaker 1: the first time we talked, and then just the overall

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Speaker 1: group of guys that we have here in Dallas. Um,

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Speaker 1: it all played a part in UM, me wanting to

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Speaker 1: be here. What will be? What just prolonged lay off?

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Speaker 1: What do you feel will be? What will you be

141
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Speaker 1: looking at in yourself to gage? Just where you are

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Speaker 1: physically as far as coming back, Um, I physically feel great. Um.

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Speaker 1: I obviously haven't played football against other guys in quite

144
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Speaker 1: some time, but I will know the first couple of

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Speaker 1: days or times I put on paths and compete where

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Speaker 1: I stand. But UM, I don't. I'm looking forward to

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Speaker 1: it all. Then the Cowboys took a chance on somebody

148
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Speaker 1: coming off a domestic case with Greg Hardy. It did

149
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Speaker 1: not end well. How can you reassure the organization and

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Speaker 1: the fans that with your history in the San Francisco case,

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Speaker 1: that this will be different. Well, my situation, I am

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Speaker 1: a much better version of who I was in regards

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Speaker 1: to that case. That was something that was unfortunate. And

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Speaker 1: if anybody's willing to look deep, I never was physical

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Speaker 1: with that woman, and I just want everybody to know

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Speaker 1: that I don't stand for being physical with women. So

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Speaker 1: I'd like to make that clear. But as far as

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Speaker 1: what I can do is I can just continue to

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Speaker 1: keep being the person who I've become to be. And

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Speaker 1: that's somebody who I'm proud of, somebody that the Cowboys

161
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Speaker 1: thought it was good taking a chance on, and somebody

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Speaker 1: that the NFL thought was good taking a chance on.

163
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Speaker 1: And as long as I keep being who I am

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Speaker 1: and growing into the man I am becoming, um, I

165
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Speaker 1: think everybody will appreciate the decision of uh letting me

166
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Speaker 1: back and having me. Were there any other teams you

167
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Speaker 1: were considering or was it just the Cowboy There were

168
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Speaker 1: a couple of teams I was considering, but um, this

169
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Speaker 1: seemed like the best fit. What's this week? Then? Like

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Speaker 1: to be in these meetings with with your something maybe

171
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Speaker 1: some guys you know, or a lot of guys maybe

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Speaker 1: you don't know very well. Um, it's been good to

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Speaker 1: just be around other football players, UM, be in the

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Speaker 1: environmental locker room and just be in the building. Um

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Speaker 1: uh just see you guys. So, UM, I've met some

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Speaker 1: of these guys you know at at games, et cetera.

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Speaker 1: But everybody's been really been really genuine and looking forward

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Speaker 1: to playing some both with them. I don't know how

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Speaker 1: emotion how emotional was it for you when you've got

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Speaker 1: the word from the NFL that you were reinstated, It's

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Speaker 1: I was really excited. I'm I'm just looking forward to

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Speaker 1: being able to go out there and so and show

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Speaker 1: what I have because there's been a tremendous amount of

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Speaker 1: people who have had my back, supported me through this process,

185
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Speaker 1: and have been instrumental in me getting back to where

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Speaker 1: I am. And not only do I want to do

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Speaker 1: it for myself and everybody, but just for everybody who's

188
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Speaker 1: had my back along this way. So I'm looking forward

189
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Speaker 1: to You had a real infrastructure in place there in

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Speaker 1: Los Angeles between where you were living to where you're training,

191
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Speaker 1: to make sure that you were working towards being you're

192
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Speaker 1: the best version of yourself. What sort of incement structure

193
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Speaker 1: is in place here in Dallas for you to continue that? Um,

194
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Speaker 1: nothing's really changed. Things are the same different locations, But UM,

195
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Speaker 1: I have I have a support system here in place

196
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Speaker 1: that I UM feel like I have my best interests

197
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Speaker 1: in mine, and um, things are going well, all, then

198
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Speaker 1: two things for you. One if you could tell us

199
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Speaker 1: your grandmother's name if you don't mind, that's okay. And

200
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Speaker 1: then two Jay Glazier among those reporting that in the

201
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Speaker 1: gym your weight might be aft to as much as

202
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Speaker 1: two eighty seven or something like that. Can you give

203
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Speaker 1: us your your physical stature if you please. My grandmother's

204
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Speaker 1: name is Julia Edwards. And um, right now I'm waiting

205
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Speaker 1: in at around two hundred and eighty five pounds. Do

206
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Speaker 1: you want to play at that weight or what might

207
00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:57,240
Speaker 1: tack go down a little bit? I feel fast, I

208
00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,719
Speaker 1: feel good as long as my weight isn't it's it's

209
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Speaker 1: a it's a very fit to eighty five. What did

210
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Speaker 1: you play at before? Um? I think I may have

211
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Speaker 1: played two seventy. It just depends. My weight has always

212
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Speaker 1: kind of been something I haven't had to worry about.

213
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Speaker 1: So yeah, have the luxury of being able to eat

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Speaker 1: what I want and they'll go out there and produce.

215
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Speaker 1: When you were away, did you follow the game at all?

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Speaker 1: Or did you follow football when you when you've been

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Speaker 1: apart from it for so long? Um? And went in waves. Um,

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Speaker 1: there were times I would pay attention. There were times,

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Speaker 1: um I wouldn't, so it just went in waves. Well,

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Speaker 1: then you were talking earlier about how you kind of

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Speaker 1: look back and you were a twelve year old or

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Speaker 1: a team najure in a man's body. You're obviously been

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Speaker 1: very self reflective during this process to get back to

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Speaker 1: where you are. When you look back on that, dude,

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Speaker 1: do you recognize who you were before? Do you feel

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Speaker 1: like that person at all? Do you feel that you?

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Speaker 1: I guess how do you reconcile the two where you

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Speaker 1: are now and who you were then and what you

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Speaker 1: were doing? Then? It looks like we lost Let me

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Speaker 1: trying to dialing back real quick, m al Than either Yeah,

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Speaker 1: all right, I'm sorry about that. All you you were

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Speaker 1: saying earlier when you you were kind of like you

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Speaker 1: felt like a twelve or a teenager, uh in a

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Speaker 1: in a man's body, And you've been very reflective getting

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Speaker 1: back to this point. When when you look back on

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Speaker 1: that period now in your life, do you do you

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Speaker 1: even recognize who you were? Is it difficult to reconcile

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Speaker 1: who that person was versus the person you want to

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Speaker 1: be becoming right now? I think, um, I do recognize

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Speaker 1: it because I understand what that person was going through

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Speaker 1: and just not knowing it or being ready to handle

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Speaker 1: the tough things that I needed to handle to get

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Speaker 1: to where I am now. So because it gives me

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Speaker 1: a greater appreciation for who I am now. If I didn't,

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Speaker 1: if I was so quick to forget about you know,

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Speaker 1: where I where I've came, I don't think it would

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Speaker 1: matter as much to me at in. The odds can

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Speaker 1: be pretty long on getting back where you were after

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Speaker 1: this long out of the game. Do you do you

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Speaker 1: think about that at all? Or do you just you

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Speaker 1: talk earlier about feeling so good you just you feel

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Speaker 1: like physically you're at a point where you're going to

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Speaker 1: be able to beat those odds. What are the odds?

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Speaker 1: I guess we've not seen a player that half a year.

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Speaker 1: I had myself on mute, sorry about that. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: mean four years away from the game. You know, guys

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Speaker 1: can be out a year or two and it seems

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Speaker 1: very difficult to get back. I mean, this is a

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Speaker 1: pretty long layoff. I mean, I guess you're answering the question.

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Speaker 1: I know you don't really look at those odds. I

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Speaker 1: just wonder how you view that kind of thing. I

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Speaker 1: don't think about that. I know how I feel, I

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Speaker 1: know what I'm capable of doing, and I just plan

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Speaker 1: on going on executing what I believe I can do. Aldon,

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Speaker 1: you mentioned your support system and that you know it's

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Speaker 1: not much different here than it was in California. How

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Speaker 1: much do you feel like at this point, as you've

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Speaker 1: matriculated through this this comeback and trying to be a

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Speaker 1: better person, how much do you feel like you rely

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Speaker 1: on that support system now or do you feel like

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Speaker 1: you've gotten to a point where you can so to

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Speaker 1: me do it yourself. So I'm not trying to become

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Speaker 1: a better person. I am becoming a better person. And

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Speaker 1: with the help of the people that I've been in

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Speaker 1: my life, the people that I've reached out and with

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Speaker 1: me just wanting what's better for myself, that's been able

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Speaker 1: to happen. So I continue. Like the journey to being

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Speaker 1: a better person isn't just, you know, so that I

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Speaker 1: could get back and play football. It's something that's a

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Speaker 1: I think everybody should have, is just to be a

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Speaker 1: better person. So I will always reach out and use

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Speaker 1: the resources that are available to me, and when I

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Speaker 1: have an issue or even when things are going good.

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Speaker 1: I will bounce ideas, thoughts, whatever it is, off of

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Speaker 1: those people because they've had my back. They understand what's up,

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Speaker 1: and I feel comfortable talking to them. There have anything

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Speaker 1: else for him? All right? Thanks Alvin, appreciate your time. Thanks,

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Speaker 1: appreciate you, Thank you time, Alvin, thank you, thank you,