1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: Big ten rival. Man, we're gonna kill UCLA. You gotta 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: play him in a winter though. Oh, I think it's awesome. 3 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: And I obviously I'm a huge basketball fan so before 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: my time, but knew who Bill Russell was. But I 5 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: think coming here, um and just learning this story, I 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: think initially all we know, especially younger people, bill Russell 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: champion a winner, um, but just his willingness and vulnerability 8 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: to be very open about what he went through and 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: wont and change. And I think, as uh an athlete 10 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: that gets to play in this area, I drew a 11 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: lot of inspiration and motivation, um from how he viewed things. 12 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: And I think the role that he paid four black 13 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: athletes to be able to be successful in this city, uh, 14 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: in sports in general. Uh So I just think about 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: his life and you know, I know obviously for his 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: family to be able to have a father or a 17 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: grandfather or uncle to look up to and know that 18 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: he wasn't just a great athlete, but he was a 19 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: better person. I think that's what all of us here 20 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: we strived to be like Bill Russell. And a day 21 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: where you know, he's gone, I think it's great to 22 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: be able to talk about him, talk about the sacrifices, 23 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: talk about what he meant obviously to basketball, but to 24 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: all sports to go out there and I think, just 25 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: stand up for what you believe in and to go 26 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: through some terrible things, but I think turn around and 27 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: openly say hey, this is wrong, let's change this. And 28 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: obviously him and that that picture with him, Jim Brown, 29 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: Muhammad Ali, I'll do jabar. All of us know that 30 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: picture and what that means to sports, but I think 31 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: bigger to our country. And you know, obviously I've tried 32 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: to do a lot of different things with my time here, 33 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: and a lot of that has been reading about Bill Russell, 34 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: reading articles he wrote, different things that he stood for. 35 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: I've tried to emulate it and following his footsteps to 36 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: think about this community. I just try to keep doing UM. 37 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: We always talk about in life not being I know, 38 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: as athletes, you talk about not being content with whatever 39 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: you've accomplished or done. UM. And I was listening to 40 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: the Pivot podcast when Mike Thomlin was on there and 41 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: he said the biggest thing he does is flight complacency 42 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: every day, and I think that is one of the 43 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: biggest things that we have to do as people. UM. 44 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: Is not kind of look back at what you've done 45 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: and just try to keep doing more. So uh, I 46 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: know one day I'll be probably barely able to walk 47 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: and sitting on the couch and telling grandkids about some 48 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: of the things I was able to be a part of, UM, 49 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: and I'll be fun and you know, I'll have a 50 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: lot of joy in that. But for right now, just 51 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: continue to try to do more and you know, obviously 52 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: helped this team win as many games and uh, find 53 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: as many things I can get involved off the field team, 54 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: serve my guys on the other teams. Yeah, yeah, I 55 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: mean you talk about being selfless. I think anytime you 56 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: decide to make those decisions, you don't know who's gonna 57 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: go with you. Who's gonna say, hey, man, like I'm 58 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: for this, but that's a little too Like you don't 59 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,839 Speaker 1: know that, UM. And to be able to just say, 60 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: you know what, like this is the right thing to 61 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: do and just believe in overall the people that you 62 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: go to work with every day that they're gonna believe 63 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: what's the right thing to do. Uh, takes a ton 64 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: of courage in I think, especially in those times, it 65 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: took probably even more than courage you. You got to 66 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: think about the safety of you, your family. UM. To 67 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: go out there and do that, I think is you 68 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: only do that when you believe a cause is bigger 69 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: than yourself and UM. To be able to do that 70 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: consistently and to get people that's supposed to be your opponents, 71 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: your rivals, to agree, I think it speaks to the 72 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: character of the man uh to be able to do that. UM. 73 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: And you know, I think everything you've ever seen about 74 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: them or players talk about the current players, people who 75 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: play with them against them, you see his character as 76 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: what drew people in it and what people try to 77 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: follow and emulate. An NFL career is only so long 78 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: for anybody from start to finish. You give them an 79 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: opportunity to have more influenced every day that you're an 80 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 1: NFL player than maybe any day that comes after that 81 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: for most people. Is it you have to kind of 82 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: make the most of these opportunities, to make four things 83 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: that are off the field, because this is the greatest opportunity. 84 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: You'll have no doubt about it. I remember when I 85 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: came into the league, somebody said everybody's NFL career is 86 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: like a window closing. The window closest really fastest over 87 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: just like that other people. It's a kind of slow window. 88 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: And I think about on the field, off the field, 89 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: it's the same thing that span that time. I'm in 90 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: the year thirteen, and it feels like yesterday where I 91 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: came in here as a rookie, following behind Kevin Falk 92 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: and Vince woolf For and all of those guys, and 93 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: now I look up, I'm the old guy. So UM. 94 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: I think being able to be involved in all of 95 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: the passions that you have within off the field, but 96 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: also cherishing every moment on the field, talking trash with 97 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: your teammates, just simply being in the locker room. And 98 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: I think most importantly talking about being men, husband's, father's 99 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: role models. Those are the things that we do in 100 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: that locker room that I know someday I won't be 101 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: able to wake up and just walk into that environment. 102 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: You have to create it on your own. Um. But 103 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: I think from that stems a lot of off the 104 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: field things, the things guys want to be involved in. 105 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: It is from seeing each other kind of grow as men. 106 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: And I've been very fortunate and my thirteenth year to 107 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: see guys come in here twenty something years old and 108 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: now look up married kids. All of that. I think 109 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: it's a beautiful thing and I try to cherish all 110 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: those moments. Look especially Oh it sounds simple, but really 111 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: take it one day at a time, one play at 112 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: a time. Told the young guys a lot of times. 113 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: Don't get too high on your good plays and don't 114 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: get too long on your bad plays. Training camp is 115 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: a process all the way throughout. You know, you no 116 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: one's gonna have the perfect day and then tomorrow it 117 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: doesn't matter like that just doesn't happen. You have to 118 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: come out and do those things day in day out. 119 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: And obviously, you know, I told the guys today, the 120 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: first day of pads are kind of easy to get 121 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: up for. It's about the following days. How do we 122 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: kind of regroup. How do we come back out, come 123 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,119 Speaker 1: with the same energy, the same discipline, take what we're learning. 124 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: As more stuff rolls in, how do we kind of 125 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: know that stuff and get better at Because that's what 126 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: the season is. You know, we're gonna play a game, 127 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: it's gonna be good, it's gonna be bad, But next week, 128 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: no one's gonna care. We gonna have to play another game. 129 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: So you know, I think that's a challenge for us, 130 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 1: and you want to use these training camp days to 131 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: kind of have that example of the season to come 132 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: out and try to do that as a unit. Right now, 133 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: we're offense. Defense, we come together a little bit, and 134 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,119 Speaker 1: special teams, mostly defensive guys on special teams anyway, because 135 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: Slate's really a safety, not a receiver. So I think 136 00:06:58,320 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 1: that's what it's about. You know, that side of the 137 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,559 Speaker 1: all is gonna try to bond together, come out and 138 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: you know, go out there and go and then you 139 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: know that first preseason game, we're gonna try to put 140 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: it all together and go out there as a team. Um. 141 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: And that's the fun part of training camp. It's battle, 142 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: battle opponent, go at each other. Then we come together 143 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: and if we do it the right way, we're a 144 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: better team when we come together. Yeah, man, in training 145 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: camp is a lot different than when I first got 146 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: in the league. Like those first few practices without pads, Um, 147 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: you were tired like we were. You were up and 148 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: down the field running. Um. But now that's cool. Uh, 149 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: Now now you get some time and then coming off 150 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: an off day, I think guys really got to get 151 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: their juices going come in here, do your rehab tubs 152 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: and everything. Um it's fun man, I think you know, 153 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: like I said, to be able to play football, fullpad, 154 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: whatever you want to call it, to be able to 155 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: come out here, um I try not to take that 156 00:07:57,760 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: for granted. You don't know how many more you got 157 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: left in It's fun to see all the guys getting 158 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: ready to go. And again it's all about what we 159 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: do tomorrow and the day after. Now appreciate it. H