WEBVTT - Raven's Bradley Bozeman talks about personal experiences with bullying

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<v Speaker 1>Hi, am and s Williams. Welcome to the NFL Legends podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm here with Bradley Bozeman and we're gonna talk about

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<v Speaker 1>reading our country with bullying and I would say a world.

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<v Speaker 1>We also talked about high in the world here and

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<v Speaker 1>his wife lived in an RV while playing for the

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<v Speaker 1>raven for the Ravens for a year. And also the

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<v Speaker 1>success in the admiration with the University of Alabama and

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<v Speaker 1>what has caused the consistency of the excellence competitive excellence

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<v Speaker 1>that Nick Saban taught not only the Bradley but every

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<v Speaker 1>young man that came through the University Alabama. Well, we're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna start with the house, Bradley, I'm hearing University Alabama

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<v Speaker 1>not all. This is just don't equate to me, all right,

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<v Speaker 1>going to the Universe Alabama playing with the Ravens union

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<v Speaker 1>wife Nikki end up living in the r V. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>just start there. How in the world does a professional

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<v Speaker 1>athlete end up living in the r V for an

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<v Speaker 1>entire year. So we have the Bradley Nicky Boseman Foundation,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's a foundation that is based on childhood bulling

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<v Speaker 1>and we focused and fight against childhood bulling. We go

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<v Speaker 1>uh school to school, and then we were getting all

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<v Speaker 1>these conversations from you know, Arizona, Texas, California. I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to fly us out to come to their schools to talk.

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<v Speaker 1>You know. We were like, well, we can't just fly

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<v Speaker 1>out every weekend. So we planned a trip. We bought

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<v Speaker 1>an r V and in the meantime we decided to

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<v Speaker 1>live in the r V. Lived there for eleven months,

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely loved it, met some great neighbors. Nicky and I

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<v Speaker 1>worked on a communication skills because there's nowhere to hide

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<v Speaker 1>in the in the r V. So you know, it

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<v Speaker 1>was just a great experience. We bought a house right

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<v Speaker 1>before COVID and didn't have to go through quarantine and

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<v Speaker 1>in the trailer, so happy about that. But uh yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it was an amazing experience. And went across country to

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<v Speaker 1>um from Maryland to California and back and talked to

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<v Speaker 1>over ten thousand students in twenty two different states. Now, Brad,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm looking at you. You're not a little guy, so

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<v Speaker 1>it's not like you walking around high school with somebody

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<v Speaker 1>bullying you. How did you end up with this passion

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<v Speaker 1>to anti bullying when you were probably least likely at

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<v Speaker 1>least once you got you got to high school to

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<v Speaker 1>be bullied, right. So for me, you know, I was

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<v Speaker 1>always tell the kids they look like a gust s

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<v Speaker 1>glue from Tarling and Chocolate Factory. I was like a

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<v Speaker 1>gust of Schluey from Charlton and the chocolate factory. So

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<v Speaker 1>you know he falls in the in the chocolate fountain

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<v Speaker 1>and all that stuff. But um, I was a big

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<v Speaker 1>teddy bear. You know, I was a big kid teddy bear.

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<v Speaker 1>People taking advantage of that and they bullyed me. They

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<v Speaker 1>picked on me. I had a um a reading challenge

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<v Speaker 1>when at a young age, I was called stupid, slow,

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<v Speaker 1>whatever you want to call it. You know that that

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<v Speaker 1>affected me. And so looking back and Nicky was the

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<v Speaker 1>same way. Nikki is six ft Once she played basketballt

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<v Speaker 1>University of Alabama. She was the tallest kid in her

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<v Speaker 1>grade for a really long time. People uh picked on

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<v Speaker 1>her for that. And so we we saw that we

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<v Speaker 1>were asked to come to a school or actually do

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<v Speaker 1>a video for this little girl that was getting picked

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<v Speaker 1>on simply because of her her race. You know, she

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<v Speaker 1>was beautiful, she was smart, she was athletic. I mean

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<v Speaker 1>she was everything that a kid wanted to be. But

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<v Speaker 1>she wasn't the right race apparently to some of these kids.

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<v Speaker 1>So we were asked to do a video, and we said, well,

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<v Speaker 1>instead of doing the video, why don't we just come

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<v Speaker 1>down to the school and talk to the girl and

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<v Speaker 1>the kids that are buoying. So get down there. And

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<v Speaker 1>the principle was like, well, you know, we set up assembly,

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<v Speaker 1>so you guys, if you don't mind just talking to

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<v Speaker 1>the old school, if you knowing me at the time,

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<v Speaker 1>not a public speaker, like sweaty hands, like summing over

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<v Speaker 1>my words, like I just can't hold myself together. But

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<v Speaker 1>my wife is like she thrives and she loves it.

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<v Speaker 1>So she's like, no, we're gonna do this. She's gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be fine. And so she was my girlfriend at the time,

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<v Speaker 1>and so we got in there, we started talking, the

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<v Speaker 1>words started to flow, and the emotion started rolling, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was just it was such a beautiful thing that

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<v Speaker 1>had happened there. We got to the car and her

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<v Speaker 1>and I both just started started bawling. I mean, it

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<v Speaker 1>was like, this is this is what we're called to do.

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<v Speaker 1>So now we've talked over a hundred thousand students since

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand and eighteen, and it's been such a life

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<v Speaker 1>changing organization for us. And then we switched to Food

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<v Speaker 1>and Secure. After Food and Security after once COVID kind

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<v Speaker 1>of shut down all the schools and everything. So we

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<v Speaker 1>fed one point four million meals over the last five

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<v Speaker 1>months to Baltimore area. Why did you get this philanthropic spirit?

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<v Speaker 1>Why did you guys get this from so our parents?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, nick and I were both blessed to grow

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<v Speaker 1>up with amazing parents that taught us life lessons and

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<v Speaker 1>values of being a good person and helping others. And

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<v Speaker 1>then Nicky and I kind of just took that ran

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<v Speaker 1>with it. We had the opportunity, were given the platform

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<v Speaker 1>by the NFL, by football, and to have that platform

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<v Speaker 1>and not use it, I feel like it's a little selfish.

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<v Speaker 1>So to to use that and to try to take

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<v Speaker 1>this to another level and to help as many people

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<v Speaker 1>as we can. It is such a big passion of ours.

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<v Speaker 1>Why did you and Nikki discover what you've been teased about?

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<v Speaker 1>Your big right and she's tall, end up playing basketball,

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<v Speaker 1>You end up playing football. I was also a tease

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<v Speaker 1>feet too big, No, it's too big. He was too

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<v Speaker 1>big and I had to dip in my head. But

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<v Speaker 1>those big feet allowed me to cover ground. Then big

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<v Speaker 1>nos allowed me to breed them more air so I

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<v Speaker 1>could have endurance. When did you guys realize that what

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<v Speaker 1>you're being teased about became your assets? Yeah? Absolutely, And

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<v Speaker 1>that's what that's what our mention is to the kids, like,

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<v Speaker 1>you don't know what you know Jim or John is

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<v Speaker 1>going to turn them to be. You don't know what

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<v Speaker 1>their future holds for them. You don't know their background

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<v Speaker 1>at home, you know, you don't you don't know what's

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<v Speaker 1>going on behind closed doors. And for us, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>to to go out and use that and to um

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<v Speaker 1>show these kids that you know, athletes and you know

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<v Speaker 1>professional athletes and college athletes go through the same thing

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<v Speaker 1>as as they're going through and to give them a voice,

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<v Speaker 1>to someone to talk to and someone to to relate

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<v Speaker 1>with is just so powerful to us. So a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of the young people that you guys spoke with, do

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<v Speaker 1>you find they think that we're exempt as far as

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<v Speaker 1>athletes because we're in this bubble. Do they look at

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<v Speaker 1>athletes say Okay, they can't relate to like what you

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<v Speaker 1>just said. They don't understand what it's like being bullied.

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<v Speaker 1>Il could Bradley, who was at the University Alabama, come

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<v Speaker 1>back now and tell us our story. So how do

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<v Speaker 1>you get them to realize that we're just everyday people. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>so we just we tell them our story. We start

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<v Speaker 1>from the top, you know, like I told you, we

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<v Speaker 1>start with I like a gusts plue from Charlie and

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<v Speaker 1>Chocolate Factory. You know, Nikki goes through her her whole

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<v Speaker 1>her story was a bus situation where this kid picked

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<v Speaker 1>on her every single day the bus every single day,

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<v Speaker 1>would not leave her a long just constantly was just

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<v Speaker 1>just harassing her. She saw that there was a flower

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<v Speaker 1>for basketball trits practicing the mornings and you practicing that

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<v Speaker 1>from so for her, hey, I get off the bus.

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<v Speaker 1>So that turned into playing, getting the scholarship and play

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<v Speaker 1>at the University of Alabama starting for four years, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>doing such amazing things. I mean, she's a better athlete

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<v Speaker 1>than I am, but but I mean, you know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>just that for her turned into something very special. And

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<v Speaker 1>so to to use that and to talk to these

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<v Speaker 1>kids and just be real, like just be every day

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<v Speaker 1>people to them. And we always open up the floor

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<v Speaker 1>at the end of the day whenever we're talking these kids,

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<v Speaker 1>we've talked to fifth through eighth grade. For the most part,

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<v Speaker 1>I think no one's gonna share their story, no one's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna talk about what's going on. But every we've never

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<v Speaker 1>had a session where a kid didn't raise a hand

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<v Speaker 1>and start talking. And I mean, just it's the most

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<v Speaker 1>powerful thing. You're sitting there, You're listening to these kids

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<v Speaker 1>that are, you know, twelve fourteen years old. They're talking

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<v Speaker 1>about committing suicide and talking about, you know, wanting to

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<v Speaker 1>kill theirselves and just all this powerful stuff. As a

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<v Speaker 1>thirteen year old, I've never thought of And you know,

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<v Speaker 1>they shouldn't have a care in the world. It shouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>it shouldn't be an issue for them just to go

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<v Speaker 1>and live and love life. There's with social media, there's

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<v Speaker 1>been such a rise in in suicide rates and young adults.

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<v Speaker 1>So to to try to change that, to try to

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<v Speaker 1>help and try to to take that statistic down, it's

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<v Speaker 1>such a big cost to us, you know, social media.

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<v Speaker 1>When I even when I was growing up, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I went to school, I'd get picked on, I got home.

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<v Speaker 1>I was safe. For these kids, they wake up in

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<v Speaker 1>the morning, it's on theirselves. They go to schools. At school,

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<v Speaker 1>they get home, they get on their video games, on

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<v Speaker 1>the video games, and it's on everything. There's so much

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<v Speaker 1>access to these young people and they're constantly going through

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<v Speaker 1>this this challenge every single day. It makes sense, and

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<v Speaker 1>it makes sense why why suicide rates have risen so

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<v Speaker 1>high for young adults. It's a second leading killer among

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<v Speaker 1>young teens. What I hear is when you do those assemblies,

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<v Speaker 1>not only the victims, but it has to be enlightening

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<v Speaker 1>for those that are building absolutely when they now here

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<v Speaker 1>what the impact of what they're really doing absolutely right. So,

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<v Speaker 1>Denzel washed you to play the movie called Equalize It,

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<v Speaker 1>where if somebody was done wrong, he's this uber driver

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<v Speaker 1>guy and he'd go right it. How do you manage

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<v Speaker 1>your passion when you see someone I saw someone being bullied,

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<v Speaker 1>but now you're this big guy. How did you manage that?

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<v Speaker 1>What you did? Hey be about to stop, leave you,

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<v Speaker 1>but leave him on? How did you balance that in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of manage it to make sure you didn't go

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<v Speaker 1>now I'm gonna thump you said you bully somebody else?

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<v Speaker 1>How did you manage that? Um, it's a great opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>when you see it, especially now knowing everything that I

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<v Speaker 1>know going through the things that I've gone through to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to use it as a learning tool, to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to walk over and it's like, all right,

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<v Speaker 1>so how is this making you feel? How is this

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<v Speaker 1>making you feel? Why are you doing this? Because usually

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<v Speaker 1>there's an underlying issue with the kid that is bullying.

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<v Speaker 1>There's an underlying issue, whether it's home life, it's school,

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<v Speaker 1>it's it's something, and they're they're using, you know, picking

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<v Speaker 1>on someone else as a either a cry for help

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<v Speaker 1>or a just just to relieve theirselves and to be

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<v Speaker 1>able to go and neutralize that situation. I think there's

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<v Speaker 1>a set out there that even for kids to intervene,

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<v Speaker 1>there's one person intervenes on someone being bullied two percent

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<v Speaker 1>of the time, the bullying stops for the remainder of

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<v Speaker 1>the year or the remainder of the lifetime. So it's um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, your your voice is a very powerful no

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<v Speaker 1>matter how big or small it is. Speaking of bullying,

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<v Speaker 1>how do you keep people from bullying? Let's transition to

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<v Speaker 1>the ring events. How do you keep guys from bullying Lamar?

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<v Speaker 1>When Lamar runs? What is that like? What is it

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<v Speaker 1>like blocking for Lamar Jackson? The dual threat? What is

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<v Speaker 1>that like? It's I mean, it's great as always start

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<v Speaker 1>with Lamar is. Lamar is a better person than teammate

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<v Speaker 1>that is a football player. And guys had every opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>to have a big head, to be arrogant, to to

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<v Speaker 1>go and just be this the snob. But he hasn't.

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<v Speaker 1>The guy has stayed the same person as he walked

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<v Speaker 1>in those doors, hungry and driven. I mean, he's just

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<v Speaker 1>the ultimate teammate, the ultimate person. I mean, guy shows

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<v Speaker 1>up at at our charity events, he's you know, he

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<v Speaker 1>does everything. He's being mobbed by people and he's just

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<v Speaker 1>like it's fine, Like I'm not I'm not worried about this,

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<v Speaker 1>you know. He said, I was like, thank you so

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<v Speaker 1>much for coming to our to our event. He's like,

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<v Speaker 1>that's we're family. That's that's what we do. Like, Lamar

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<v Speaker 1>is just he's an amazing person. But blocking for him

0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:09.960
<v Speaker 1>is a whole another animal. That guys is special to

0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:13.000
<v Speaker 1>get us out of situations where things are looking too great.

0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.240
<v Speaker 1>I mean he is, he is a great, great football player,

0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:17.720
<v Speaker 1>and he gets me out of a lot of sicks.

0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:21.800
<v Speaker 1>So that helps a lot too. So you gotta you

0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:24.320
<v Speaker 1>gotta just stay blocking with him. You know, you gotta

0:11:24.320 --> 0:11:26.760
<v Speaker 1>stay engage the entire time because you never know he's

0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:29.000
<v Speaker 1>gonna end up, but he usually makes it look good.

0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:31.959
<v Speaker 1>So when your office of alignement and you have a

0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:34.360
<v Speaker 1>mobile guy like Lamar, first I got a chance to

0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:37.560
<v Speaker 1>know him. We uh we actually Hall of Famous win

0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:42.520
<v Speaker 1>against he and some other current players on family feud, right,

0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:44.679
<v Speaker 1>and just to shout out and make sure everybody know

0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:47.400
<v Speaker 1>we beat him. So but that's what I meant and

0:11:47.520 --> 0:11:51.520
<v Speaker 1>realized his humility is probably the power of the secret,

0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:55.920
<v Speaker 1>absolutely of that ability. As an office of lineman. Take

0:11:56.080 --> 0:11:59.920
<v Speaker 1>us into when you have a jewel at the quarterback

0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:05.320
<v Speaker 1>position like that, how do you guys see man like

0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:07.760
<v Speaker 1>if somebody trying to bully him, like hitting him on

0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.680
<v Speaker 1>the ground something like that, how do you guys view that?

0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.280
<v Speaker 1>As an office the line unit, You're you're gonna protect

0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:15.440
<v Speaker 1>those those type of guys, I mean, like they're the

0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:18.520
<v Speaker 1>family jewels. You know that those guys are special. Now

0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:21.680
<v Speaker 1>you get some you get some quarterbacks that are arrogant

0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:24.280
<v Speaker 1>or cocky or whatever you want to call it, and

0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:26.320
<v Speaker 1>you want to protect him. Obviously that's your job. That's

0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:29.280
<v Speaker 1>that's what there we're there for, you know, But you

0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:31.800
<v Speaker 1>know you're not you're gonna have their back. But at

0:12:31.800 --> 0:12:33.199
<v Speaker 1>the same time, when you have a guy like Lamar,

0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:35.600
<v Speaker 1>like you know, you'll live and die by the guy.

0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:37.959
<v Speaker 1>You know, he's just a he like you said, he's

0:12:37.960 --> 0:12:41.400
<v Speaker 1>a jewel, like he's a great teammate, not just a

0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:48.240
<v Speaker 1>great quarterback. The final question has released to professionally what

0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:53.240
<v Speaker 1>makes a good officer the line um and the key line,

0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:56.040
<v Speaker 1>because you guys have to be on the same page, right.

0:12:56.280 --> 0:13:00.760
<v Speaker 1>It's communication and just that opportunity to work together to

0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:04.280
<v Speaker 1>mesh too. I know, if I have a combination block

0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:06.440
<v Speaker 1>with my center, what foot he's stepping with and he

0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:08.120
<v Speaker 1>knows what a foot I'm said that we're not stepping

0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:10.560
<v Speaker 1>all over each other. We're not stumbling over each other

0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:12.920
<v Speaker 1>my tackle, I know what kind of pass pro said

0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.760
<v Speaker 1>he's gonna take, So that way I can adjust myself

0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:18.840
<v Speaker 1>with him. Because he's the initial setter, you know. So

0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:21.880
<v Speaker 1>if if he's setting flat, I can't set back because

0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:25.200
<v Speaker 1>we're gonna get picked. But if he's you know, jumping

0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:27.400
<v Speaker 1>way back and I'm setting up, I'm gonna get picked.

0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:30.920
<v Speaker 1>So it's just about knowing knowing your fellow offensive lineman

0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:33.559
<v Speaker 1>to go in there and just play balls to the wall.

0:13:34.040 --> 0:13:36.480
<v Speaker 1>Didn't know that those guys are gonna give you everything

0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:39.160
<v Speaker 1>they have. So I think that's the definitely the key.

0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.040
<v Speaker 1>So here a couple of random questions. You're in the

0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:45.600
<v Speaker 1>r V park, but that year you're at Nikky War

0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:50.240
<v Speaker 1>in the r V What was it like what your

0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:56.360
<v Speaker 1>neighbors seeing Brantley Ravens player living in their RV park?

0:13:56.480 --> 0:14:01.800
<v Speaker 1>What was that like? It was pretty common, honestly, So

0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:03.679
<v Speaker 1>I was like, I don't, we don't. We don't talk

0:14:03.720 --> 0:14:05.720
<v Speaker 1>about it much. You know, we're normal people, you know,

0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:07.560
<v Speaker 1>we we just football is what we do for a living.

0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:09.760
<v Speaker 1>So the first time they found out was the first

0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:12.520
<v Speaker 1>two people that found out where they're groundsmen that worked there. Uh,

0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:14.880
<v Speaker 1>they're Gary and Bill. They're great people, you know, they

0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:17.880
<v Speaker 1>have great families. You know, they helped us out tremendously

0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.840
<v Speaker 1>through that whole like getting everything set up and getting

0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:23.600
<v Speaker 1>new gravel in and all types of stuff. But you know,

0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:26.400
<v Speaker 1>it was definitely a funny. It was. It was funny.

0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:28.320
<v Speaker 1>It's like you've been been They didn't know for like

0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.120
<v Speaker 1>two months, Like you've been living here for two months

0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:32.040
<v Speaker 1>and we had no clue like that what you did?

0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:34.440
<v Speaker 1>They eventually asked me. And it's hard for me to

0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:36.840
<v Speaker 1>lie to people about what I do, so I'm just like, yeah,

0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:39.520
<v Speaker 1>I played for the Ravens like like no way, and

0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:42.640
<v Speaker 1>just they loved it, so you know, they kept on

0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:44.480
<v Speaker 1>the download For the most part. We had some good

0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:48.160
<v Speaker 1>close neighbors that that were really respectful and uh, you know,

0:14:48.200 --> 0:14:51.160
<v Speaker 1>they come over for dinner and different stuff. But um,

0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:53.160
<v Speaker 1>they were so cared about the people we were rather

0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:54.720
<v Speaker 1>than what we did for a living. So it was

0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:57.160
<v Speaker 1>it was always a good, good combination. All right. I

0:14:57.240 --> 0:14:59.000
<v Speaker 1>want to close out what I called the half Fields

0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:03.560
<v Speaker 1>and McCoy's. That's those families at always at war. University

0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:08.720
<v Speaker 1>of alban University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. You tell me you

0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:14.040
<v Speaker 1>live within sixty miles of the University of Aubura. You

0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:18.240
<v Speaker 1>end up going to the University of Alabama. First, did

0:15:18.280 --> 0:15:22.760
<v Speaker 1>anybody in your city give you an evil eye? He

0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:26.200
<v Speaker 1>chose Alabama? Yeah, for sure. Um, you know there for

0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:28.000
<v Speaker 1>a while, I mean I was wearing some Auburge stuff.

0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:29.560
<v Speaker 1>You know, I was a difference, and I would I

0:15:29.560 --> 0:15:32.000
<v Speaker 1>would start just wearing Aburge stuff just to make the

0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:37.000
<v Speaker 1>Alabama people and everybody listening. No, there's no in between, Like,

0:15:37.080 --> 0:15:39.040
<v Speaker 1>it's not we all from the state of Alabama, we've

0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:41.800
<v Speaker 1>all been in Alaba, we all want them to win. No,

0:15:42.240 --> 0:15:44.920
<v Speaker 1>it's if Alabama's in the National championship, albrage sharing for

0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:48.600
<v Speaker 1>Hoover's playing against him, and vice versa the other way. So,

0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:50.760
<v Speaker 1>I mean, you know it was growing up, it was

0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:55.000
<v Speaker 1>there was no proteins. There was no you know, pro baseball, basketball, football, nothing.

0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:58.520
<v Speaker 1>It was Alabama or Auburn. And you know, if you

0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:00.760
<v Speaker 1>you whoever you picked at bird was who you stayed

0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:03.080
<v Speaker 1>with the rest of your career. At birth, you were

0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:06.040
<v Speaker 1>you were your point. And this is like the baby

0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:08.200
<v Speaker 1>gets when they come out the womb, and then there

0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:10.520
<v Speaker 1>was a decision. There's a swaddle that's put on the

0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:17.840
<v Speaker 1>baby if it's Alabama Albard. So usually whatever, I'm serious. Yeah,

0:16:18.080 --> 0:16:19.680
<v Speaker 1>I mean you kind of you're kind of born into

0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:21.480
<v Speaker 1>the family and you have the kids that kind of

0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:24.880
<v Speaker 1>branch off. But I want to be different. But um,

0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:26.760
<v Speaker 1>I grew up in an Alabama family. You know that.

0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:29.480
<v Speaker 1>My my family was Alabama. My grandmother was Auburn. She

0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:32.400
<v Speaker 1>absolutely loved album. My dad was was Alabama. You know,

0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.360
<v Speaker 1>it was, yes, definitely, you you picked the team you

0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:37.920
<v Speaker 1>you rocked with him, But yeah, I love messing with

0:16:37.920 --> 0:16:39.480
<v Speaker 1>my people in my hometown because they were like, Oh,

0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:41.360
<v Speaker 1>you're gonna go to Auburn. Nope, it's like you're going

0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:44.360
<v Speaker 1>to Alabama. I don't know yet, but yeah, So I

0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.600
<v Speaker 1>grew up, you know, forty five minutes from Auburn UM.

0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:50.360
<v Speaker 1>But I loved Alabama. Alabama was my was my team,

0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:52.480
<v Speaker 1>was my dream. That's what I dreamed of doing my

0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:55.440
<v Speaker 1>entire life. Yeah, I told my dad was really young

0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:57.720
<v Speaker 1>kids like I want to win Multipleness Championships. I wanna

0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.600
<v Speaker 1>be a team captain. As ten years old, you know,

0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:03.160
<v Speaker 1>I want to do all these these great things. I

0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:04.639
<v Speaker 1>want to win the Rimmington Award. I want to win

0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:07.840
<v Speaker 1>you know, I want to do all these things. Was

0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.280
<v Speaker 1>ten years old, you know about all the names of

0:17:11.359 --> 0:17:14.399
<v Speaker 1>Eastward Yeah, I mean yeah, I did. I loved it

0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:17.000
<v Speaker 1>like we I loved album football and it was my

0:17:17.080 --> 0:17:20.160
<v Speaker 1>dream to go and play there. And so, Nick Saban,

0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:23.560
<v Speaker 1>how do you first come in contact with the universal

0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:25.480
<v Speaker 1>out of men when it comes down to recruiting? When

0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:28.960
<v Speaker 1>did you meet Nick? So? I met coach Saban after

0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:32.680
<v Speaker 1>my freshman year. So I was in finish up ninth grade.

0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:36.840
<v Speaker 1>I had. We had connections through UM Tommy Hill, which

0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:42.240
<v Speaker 1>was our UM apparel provider, and he had connections with

0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:44.440
<v Speaker 1>the coaching staff up there, and he got me in contact.

0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:47.399
<v Speaker 1>We changed information that got me up to a thing.

0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:49.480
<v Speaker 1>It was a day, so I got up there and

0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:51.199
<v Speaker 1>then coach Saban is coming around in his you know,

0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.520
<v Speaker 1>his blue suit. He always wears a funny colored suit

0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:58.880
<v Speaker 1>whenever a day. And so it's like the spring game.

0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:01.960
<v Speaker 1>So it's like, you know, the red team versus white team,

0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:04.720
<v Speaker 1>the offense firsus defense, and so you know he comes around.

0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:07.240
<v Speaker 1>It's like, holy smokes, that's that's an excapment right there.

0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:09.119
<v Speaker 1>And so you know, we got got the picture and

0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:11.800
<v Speaker 1>shook hands, you know, did the whole whole spill, and

0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:13.600
<v Speaker 1>you know, it was great, and then went on from there.

0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.000
<v Speaker 1>We went over fifty visits there UM, So it was

0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:19.479
<v Speaker 1>it was a great experience going through there and and

0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:23.560
<v Speaker 1>having the opportunity to play. Last question, what would you

0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:27.240
<v Speaker 1>say is the key to close sab in the universe

0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.960
<v Speaker 1>of Alabama success? Why have they been had? They have

0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:33.439
<v Speaker 1>great talent, a lot of teams do. How has he

0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:38.280
<v Speaker 1>managed to be consistently excellent? I would say discipline and

0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:43.960
<v Speaker 1>probably mental strength. He he builds mental strength, their mental character.

0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:47.480
<v Speaker 1>Everything is geared towards that. Our practices are geared towards

0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.760
<v Speaker 1>you know, gonna break you down. Are running conditioning is

0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:53.600
<v Speaker 1>gonna break you down. And just to have that that

0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:56.520
<v Speaker 1>mental fortitude to continue to go forward and make your

0:18:56.600 --> 0:18:59.760
<v Speaker 1>legs take that extra step to just you know that

0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:03.440
<v Speaker 1>the practice to go that extra period, it's just it's

0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:07.520
<v Speaker 1>it builds it in you. Wow. This has been great. Absolutely,

0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:09.920
<v Speaker 1>thank you, Thank you very much. Please tell Ma you

0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:11.600
<v Speaker 1>we say a little keep up the great work too.

0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:18.880
<v Speaker 1>I will do I'll stand well do. Yeah. This has

0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:23.000
<v Speaker 1>been the NFL Legends podcast. To provide feedback or request

0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:26.440
<v Speaker 1>a topic for discussion, email us at NFL Legends at

0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:38.639
<v Speaker 1>nfl dot com