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Speaker 1: The following presentation of the Jaguars Podcast Network is presented

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Speaker 1: by five Star Credit. Jimmy Smith isn't a complicated man.

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Speaker 1: His life in professional football, however, was anything but simple.

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Speaker 1: Smith's name hangs high above the field in Jacksonville, where

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Speaker 1: he found glory. Is one of the game's best receivers.

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Speaker 1: How he arrived in though offered no clue of what

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Speaker 1: was in store for the young player or the expansion franchise.

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Speaker 1: This is perspectives, the story of the Jacksonville Jaguars first

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Speaker 1: twenty five seasons, told by the people who built the

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Speaker 1: franchise from the ground up. This is Jimmy Smith. He

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Speaker 1: is the best receiver in Jaguars history. Alan Robinson has

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Speaker 1: more touchdowns in a single season, and who knows. D. J.

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Speaker 1: Chark may own that record before is over. But neither

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Speaker 1: of them are in Smith's class. He's got fifty first,

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Speaker 1: got twenty, There goes ten, but put down with Jacksonville.

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Speaker 1: Smith was big, strong, fast, and just another guy hoping

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Speaker 1: to find another shot at playing in the NFL. When

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Speaker 1: he arrived in, the man who had finished his career

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Speaker 1: with eight hundred and sixty two catches more than twelve

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Speaker 1: thousand yards and sixty seven touchdowns, plus Pro Bowls and

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Speaker 1: All Pro honors, made a very quiet entrance to Jacksonville. Well,

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Speaker 1: not knowing what to expect. What to expect was That's

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Speaker 1: exactly what was going on with me. You know, when

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Speaker 1: Jacksonville and Carolina were awarded their teams, you know, I

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Speaker 1: didn't think that they were a real team, that these

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Speaker 1: were real teams. So I wanted to go or stay

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Speaker 1: with an established team like the Cowboys in Philadelphia and

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Speaker 1: and uh, you know, teams who have had history. I

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Speaker 1: didn't want to come into a situation where there was

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Speaker 1: I guess I should say, a revolving door where they

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Speaker 1: going to be bringing players in and shipping them right

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Speaker 1: back out. And uh, that's what I thought the expansion,

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Speaker 1: the two expansion teams were. Uh. And I had a

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Speaker 1: conversation with my father. He's like, you know, right now,

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Speaker 1: so you don't have a job, so you gotta go

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Speaker 1: down and give it your best shots. So I, Uh,

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Speaker 1: I decided to come down to Jacksonville for for a workout.

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Speaker 1: And I think it was about fourteen receivers. Uh, none

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Speaker 1: of them knew knew who you know, no one knew

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Speaker 1: who I was. I had never been on this side

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Speaker 1: of on this side of the country before, and I

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Speaker 1: put on a good workout, and uh, you know I

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Speaker 1: had one thing, well a couple of things going and

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Speaker 1: uh for me, Larry Pasquale was a special team's coach

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Speaker 1: uh for the Jaguars that first year, and he just

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Speaker 1: so happens to be the special team's coach for the

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Speaker 1: Philadelphia Eagles the year I was there. And I had

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Speaker 1: an awesome pre season with the Philadelphia Eagles the previous

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Speaker 1: year under Larry Pasqually played on all all four special teams,

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Speaker 1: ran back kickoffs, and you know, I still I was

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Speaker 1: still released from the team. And then there was a

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Speaker 1: guy named I don't want to mess up his name,

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Speaker 1: Ron Heell. I think he was a scout. He had

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Speaker 1: scouted me when I during my days of Jackson States,

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Speaker 1: and uh, I was considered a first rounder, but I

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Speaker 1: I didn't play, you know, my first couple of years

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Speaker 1: when I was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round. So, uh,

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Speaker 1: I had those two guys you know in my corner.

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Speaker 1: You know that that knew me, and uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: knew of my abilities and knew that that I was

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Speaker 1: a high round draft choice and I just hadn't had

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Speaker 1: a chance to show what I could do. Um and uh,

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Speaker 1: you know from having a conversation with Larry Uh, the

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Speaker 1: special team's coach. He he told me one day that

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Speaker 1: he walked into Pete's Carmichael, who's the receiver coach at

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Speaker 1: the time, Pete Carmichael's office, and uh, he asked Pete Carmichael,

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Speaker 1: what grade did you give Jimmy Smith? How did you

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Speaker 1: evaluate him? And Pete Carmichael said, well, I ave my

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Speaker 1: f He said, what are you crazy? We gotta have

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Speaker 1: this guy I needed for special teams. You know, this

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Speaker 1: guy played for me in Philly. And Larry told me

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Speaker 1: he left Pete Carmichael's office and walked down the conflerence

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Speaker 1: office and he he said, uh, he told me that

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Speaker 1: he told Conflin, hey, we we gotta have this guy,

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Speaker 1: Jimmy Smith. Uh. You know, he's a good player. He

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Speaker 1: will make this team. And Larry said the Conflince said, well,

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Speaker 1: if if he's so good, Larry, why is he sitting

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Speaker 1: at home? Which was a good point. And you know, fortunately, uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, everybody knows the story about the book that

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Speaker 1: my mom put together, the notebook with all my press

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Speaker 1: slipping from college, all my accomplishments being a you know,

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Speaker 1: all American and you know, all conference player when I

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Speaker 1: was at Jackson State, and apparently that was instrumental. And

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Speaker 1: uh and and Coughlin couflin bringing me in. You know,

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Speaker 1: he didn't know my history, so that was key, I

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Speaker 1: think in me getting an opportunity, too, proved that I

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Speaker 1: could be on this team. He was a special teamer,

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Speaker 1: a backup, a guy filling a roster spot for most

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Speaker 1: of that expansion season. During a seven game losing streak,

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Speaker 1: he wondered if he'd ever get a chance, if he

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Speaker 1: couldn't break through on this bad football team. The chance

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Speaker 1: arrived in mid December in Denver, near the end of

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Speaker 1: the season. Everyone involved was just hoping would end because

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Speaker 1: Coughlin was he was hard to play for a lot

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Speaker 1: of veteran guys gave up and that gave the the

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Speaker 1: younger guys an opportunity to step in. And that's and

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Speaker 1: to get to that that Denver game, from what I

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Speaker 1: can remember, uh, late in the season, and I just

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Speaker 1: knew that that was my opportunity, you know too, springboard

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Speaker 1: in my career, I guess I should say, because I

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Speaker 1: hadn't caught balls my rookie year. I hadn't caught any

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Speaker 1: balls my sophomore year in Dallas, and uh you know

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Speaker 1: here I am and I didn't catch any balls in Philly,

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Speaker 1: so here I am in Jacksonville. So I'm like, this

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Speaker 1: is my last time trying to make a football team,

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Speaker 1: and uh you know here here's December, and uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: that was an awesome game. You know, I struggled with

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Speaker 1: one thing that sticks. I struggled with asthma all my life,

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Speaker 1: and being in an altitude, it was a struggle just

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Speaker 1: trying to get through that game. You know, Kauughlan knew it.

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Speaker 1: You know, the training staff knew it because every time

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Speaker 1: I went on the field and came off, I had

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Speaker 1: used myn healer um. But the game, uh, we matched

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Speaker 1: up against Denver for some reason. You know, early in

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Speaker 1: our Jaguar year is pretty good and uh, I think

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Speaker 1: I think I can remember it was a tight game.

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Speaker 1: At first touchdown, I think it was a block punts

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Speaker 1: um by Harry Colin, who played defensive back for safety.

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Speaker 1: Came up through the right the left side and I

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Speaker 1: came up to the right side and he blocked it.

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Speaker 1: It took a couple of bounces and it was bouncing

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Speaker 1: around in the end zone and I just happened to

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Speaker 1: to jump on the ball and uh, you know, corral

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Speaker 1: the ball before we went out the back of the

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Speaker 1: end zone. That was the first touchdown. The second touchdown

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Speaker 1: they called. We had been working on this, uh, this

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Speaker 1: reverse pass where I kick our return team. Desmond Howard

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Speaker 1: was I kick our return, and he was a man

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Speaker 1: and he brought the Heisman trophy and uh and uch again,

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Speaker 1: so everybody was keen on him. And I kicked out

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Speaker 1: return and I was pretty much the guy who was

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Speaker 1: blocking for Desmond. So we ran the return pass where

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Speaker 1: Desmond called the ball, ran to the right side of

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Speaker 1: the field and I read to the left side of

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Speaker 1: the field. He runs about ten yards stop and laterals

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Speaker 1: the ball back to me and uh, you know one

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Speaker 1: thing and I never said, is Desmond made an incredible

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Speaker 1: throw about thirty yards across the field lateral about you know,

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Speaker 1: two yards behind them, and uh, I caught the ball.

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Speaker 1: It timed up grade, you know, plays like that, after

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Speaker 1: time up grade with the with the blocking, it timed up.

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Speaker 1: I got a block from Dave Thomas, and uh, once

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Speaker 1: I got that block from Dave Thomas, I was down

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Speaker 1: the left sideline and that was the second touchdown, the

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Speaker 1: third touchdown. Uh, I started playing getting in rotation more,

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Speaker 1: uh from special teams, but I gotta start getting in

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Speaker 1: the rotation on offense more. Uh. In the second half

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Speaker 1: of the game, and it was late in the game,

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Speaker 1: and I think we were still down, but we were

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Speaker 1: trying to score. We may have been down ten points

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Speaker 1: or something like that. But UH, I remember Steve Burlin

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Speaker 1: being the being the quarterback and we had the ball

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Speaker 1: in in the red zone and trying to score on

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Speaker 1: Denver and uh, they called my number. It was a

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Speaker 1: double slant. Well they didn't call my number. What they

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Speaker 1: called the play double slanting and you know, Steve just

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Speaker 1: happened to to to come my way with the ball

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Speaker 1: and uh, I called the ball broker tackle and uh

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Speaker 1: and the ends and I went and that that seemed

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Speaker 1: to be in my career in ninety five a springboard

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Speaker 1: for the following year because I was on a one

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Speaker 1: year contract, so I needed to have, um, you know,

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Speaker 1: some good games, you know, and I hadn't had the

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Speaker 1: opportunity and all the ninety five other than special teams

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Speaker 1: too to proved that I could, that I belong, and

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Speaker 1: that I was worthy of coming back the year of

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Speaker 1: So that game really sticks out as the game the

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Speaker 1: supreme board in my career. I remember talking to Jimmy

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Speaker 1: in the locker room after that game. He knew he

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Speaker 1: wouldn't make a better case for his future in Jacksonville

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Speaker 1: than that day at Mile High Stadium. Still, the Jaguars

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Speaker 1: weren't sure. They offered former Chicago Beart Washington Redskin and

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Speaker 1: Cleveland brown Keenan McCardell's a very healthy deal in the

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Speaker 1: spring and signing enigmatic Andre Risen in the summer. Smith

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Speaker 1: endured as the Jaguars rose and fell through their second

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Speaker 1: season until one fateful day in November when he walked

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Speaker 1: into the locker room to get dressed for practice and

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Speaker 1: realized everything was different coming in on that uh Wednesday. Uh.

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Speaker 1: I just remember Andrew Risen always got to work late.

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Speaker 1: It was always one of the last players coming in,

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Speaker 1: So you know, I got there my usually time, usual time,

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Speaker 1: and I was surprised to see Andre Rising there and

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Speaker 1: I glanced over and some sitting in his locker and

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Speaker 1: he had a couple of players uh around him, and

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Speaker 1: I'm like man, what's going on? So I kind of said,

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Speaker 1: what's uping and kind of just went to my locker

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Speaker 1: and uh, uh, someone said, you know, they just cut

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Speaker 1: Andre Andre Rising. Um. I was shocked. I was shocked,

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Speaker 1: So you know, I went over and just kind of

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Speaker 1: told Andrey, I'm sorry, man. You know, I'm glad, you know,

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Speaker 1: and I learned a lot from you. You always be

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Speaker 1: my my guy. Um. And but for me, for him

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Speaker 1: to get released, they gave me a chance to be

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Speaker 1: the starting, well, you know, one of the starter, starting receivers,

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Speaker 1: you know, over the weeks the first half of the season,

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Speaker 1: I'm like, man, I'm I'm leading in yardage, you know,

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Speaker 1: I'm I'm up there. I got I'm halfway through the season,

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Speaker 1: I'm leading the a f C in yard is and

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Speaker 1: I'm not even a starting receiver. But I was a

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Speaker 1: starting receiver because I was going in as in the

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Speaker 1: starting spot when I went in the game, and uh,

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Speaker 1: you know that Pittsburgh game came where we're uh, Andre Rising,

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Speaker 1: you know, ran a post route when he was supposed

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Speaker 1: to running an out route and we was in a

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Speaker 1: battle with Pittsburgh and we needed to win. And uh

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Speaker 1: that was like when he ran that route and Mark

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Speaker 1: bret New through the interception to DN figures that was

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Speaker 1: like the last strong for Andrey Rising, because you know

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Speaker 1: he had done a lot that didn't sit well with

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Speaker 1: Kaughlin or or really uh help us win. Now. Credit

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Speaker 1: to Andre he brought a lot to the table early

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Speaker 1: on leadership, that swag or that belief that we could

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Speaker 1: go out and beat some teams, because we didn't have

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Speaker 1: that prior to him being here. Um he always talked

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Speaker 1: about I used to hear him all the time and say, hey,

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Speaker 1: I got three d and sixty five moves off the

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Speaker 1: line of scrimmage. I used to hear him say all

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Speaker 1: of that, and uh, you know, saying that that's what

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Speaker 1: you need as a I didn't know at the time,

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Speaker 1: even though I played in Dallas and played behind Michael Irvian.

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Speaker 1: But you gotta have that sef motivation, whatever it takes,

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Speaker 1: if it takes you know, talking yourself up, or whatever

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Speaker 1: it takes, you gotta do that in order to perform

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Speaker 1: in this league. And and that's what Andre Rising brought. Um.

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Speaker 1: So he was cutting and after the Pittsburgh and I

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Speaker 1: think we played Baltimore up in Baltimore again. We needed

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Speaker 1: we needed to we couldn't lose another game, I don't

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Speaker 1: think or we you know, there was no shot of

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Speaker 1: us getting to the playoffs. And uh, I remember Keenan

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Speaker 1: coming to me before the game. He said, okay, man,

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Speaker 1: you were started now, all right, so we gotta work

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Speaker 1: together as a tandem to make this offense go because

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Speaker 1: we had a running game, we had two solid backs,

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Speaker 1: we had Natron manas James Stewart, and we just needed

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Speaker 1: you know, we we always found ourselves coming back. That's

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Speaker 1: why we had such great numbers because we were always behind.

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Speaker 1: But this was a chance and I never forget Keenan

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Speaker 1: telling me this. He was like, this is a chance

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Speaker 1: for us to really, uh show what we can do.

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Speaker 1: And that was great leadership coming from from Keenan at

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Speaker 1: the time because I wouldn't have start. I'd never been

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Speaker 1: a starter before and he was. He was, you know,

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Speaker 1: the primary receiver at the time, and uh he received

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Speaker 1: all the double coverage when I came in the game

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Speaker 1: if there was any double coverage, and I just had

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Speaker 1: single coverage, and it was easy for me to go

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Speaker 1: out there and light it up. And that went on

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Speaker 1: throughout the remainder of the season. Started having bigger and

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Speaker 1: bigger and bigger games because teams hadn't had a lot

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Speaker 1: of film on me as a starting receiver. They had

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Speaker 1: film on me as a you know, coming into a

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Speaker 1: third receiver. But you know, and I had a knack

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Speaker 1: for getting off the line, exploding down the sideline, saving

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Speaker 1: real estate on the sideline, not letting the defensive back

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Speaker 1: squeezed me to the sideline. And Mark been a left

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Speaker 1: hand quarterback. For some reason, we just started connecting. We

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Speaker 1: you know, we you know, we just started seeing things

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Speaker 1: on the field that we could, we could, we could, uh,

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Speaker 1: we could, we could accomplish and be good together. You know.

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Speaker 1: There were some routes to go route the hitches. The

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Speaker 1: out route was almost incredible, almost impossible to stop because

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Speaker 1: he was excellent and throwing the out route and I

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Speaker 1: was excellent at running it. And we kind of got

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Speaker 1: by with those three routes, and the rest is history.

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Speaker 1: You know. We went on and we ran off I

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Speaker 1: don't know how many games we're in seven seven straight games.

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Speaker 1: We read off seven straight games and got our shot

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Speaker 1: to go to the playoffs against Buffalo. Well, let me

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Speaker 1: back up in a minute. You know, after beating Atlanta

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Speaker 1: to advances to the playoffs, and then they gave us

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Speaker 1: new life. And still we we we didn't think we

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Speaker 1: had a shot, you know, in the back of our minds,

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Speaker 1: but we were going to being coached by Tom Copston,

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Speaker 1: we were going up there and giving it a good

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Speaker 1: you know, giving giving ourselves a chance to win the

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Speaker 1: ball game. And uh you know, and that's when Natron

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Speaker 1: Means came alive. And that's what we needed, a solid

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Speaker 1: running game because we could throw the ball because we

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Speaker 1: were always behind, and but we just needed to be

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Speaker 1: able to run the ball. And they trying Means started

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Speaker 1: lightening up and that's all We were unstoppable as a team.

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Speaker 1: It was just like a dream comes true. It was,

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Speaker 1: you know, going through that, you know, you didn't have

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Speaker 1: any time to sit back and recollect. You know, it

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Speaker 1: was just, uh, man, I'm living a dream and you

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Speaker 1: know it's it's not stopping, you know, you know, you

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Speaker 1: know it was one game. Then you know, you can't

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Speaker 1: celebrate the one game because you got to prepare for

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Speaker 1: the next game. And uh, I remember, you know, going

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Speaker 1: up to New England for the SC Championship game. You know, man,

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Speaker 1: we were one game away from the Super Bowl. And

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Speaker 1: we're playing the great New England. They weren't great then,

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Speaker 1: but you know we're playing playing New England Patriots and uh,

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Speaker 1: you know we gave a good shot. Uh we had

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Speaker 1: that one and over and going down to score and

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Speaker 1: that that that was the NF our run. More perspectives

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Speaker 1: following this from Bistar Credit Union advis Star. We believe

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00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:22,280
Speaker 1: in better, better convenience, so members can bank anyway they want,

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00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,600
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00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,119
Speaker 1: at one of more than twenty thou fee free a

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00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,679
Speaker 1: t M s across North America. We believe that people

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00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,359
Speaker 1: have better things to do with their time. If you

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00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,879
Speaker 1: believe that convenience is better, Join by Star. We never

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00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,360
Speaker 1: forget that it's your money. All loan subject to approval,

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00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:48,080
Speaker 1: insured by n c U. A Smith McCardell and quarterback

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Speaker 1: Mark Burnell emerged as a powerful offense during the Jaguars

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Speaker 1: run to the a f C Championship that season. Over

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Speaker 1: the next six seasons, which we include the playoffs, in

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Speaker 1: no quarterback or wide receiver standing in the NFL would

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Speaker 1: put up the numbers that the Trio did. They powered

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Speaker 1: a team that burst onto the scene and was one

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Speaker 1: of the best units in the league for the next

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Speaker 1: three seasons. Listen to any of the three men today

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Speaker 1: and their appreciation for one another and what they were

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Speaker 1: able to do is to hear how short that time

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Speaker 1: period actually was. There is remorse for what they left

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Speaker 1: on the table when the salary cap caught up with

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Speaker 1: the Jaguars after two thousand one. And we'll put in

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Speaker 1: a lot of work for the end like that. You know,

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Speaker 1: we put in a championship season. A lot of people say, oh,

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Speaker 1: they had a week schedule. There's no such things that

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Speaker 1: we schedules when it comes down to it in the

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Speaker 1: NFL week on paper, but when you go out there

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Speaker 1: every Sunday, you can be beat by anyone. And we

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Speaker 1: went fourteen in two and uh we lost of the

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Speaker 1: Titans three times that year, you know, twice in a

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Speaker 1: regular season and that last dreadful a f C championship game,

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Speaker 1: and um, that was a remarkable year. But cause that

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Speaker 1: was that year that that was the best football team

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Speaker 1: that that I played on. And I'm talking when I

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Speaker 1: think about the cowboy teams that I played on in

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Speaker 1: the early nineties. You know, I take man for man

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Speaker 1: and I would take that Jaguar team over that Cowboys

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Speaker 1: team that was winning those Super Bowls any day. They

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Speaker 1: had Emmon Smith. We had Fred Taylor, and in my mind,

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Speaker 1: Fred Taylor was a more electric, exciting back than Mitt Smith.

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Speaker 1: In my mind as I played with both of them.

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Speaker 1: UH had better receivers and we had a better quarterback.

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Speaker 1: Our defense was just as good, UM, But we just

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Speaker 1: didn't finish the deal. And that was going to a

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Speaker 1: Super Bowl and have an opportunity to become the world

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Speaker 1: Championship Bowl, world champion. UM. But it was an exciting

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Speaker 1: year on both sides of the ball. We had players

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Speaker 1: and we had a lot of talent. Our defense was

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Speaker 1: outstanding in ninety nine. Our offense, I think we led

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Speaker 1: in rushing or passing that year. UM, And that was

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Speaker 1: our year. And for us to to lose in the

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Speaker 1: ANFC Championship game considering that, you know, coming out that

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Speaker 1: second half of the game, they had about three or

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Speaker 1: four starters that were out of the lineup and we

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Speaker 1: just couldn't again, we just couldn't finish to advance us

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Speaker 1: to the Super Bowl. You get that combination of among

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Speaker 1: us three me, Keenan and Mark. You've got three guys

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Speaker 1: that we shared similar stories you know, Keenan was cut

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Speaker 1: five times, and you know Mark was the backup with

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Speaker 1: Brett Farve, and we were all warning our our chance

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Speaker 1: to shine and in and fail and make a market

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Speaker 1: you know in the NFL. We we didn't know what happened,

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Speaker 1: but we knew that this was on our opportunity with

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Speaker 1: all three of three of us starting. And we used

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Speaker 1: to have conversations, you know, you know we you know,

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Speaker 1: and we and we were all around the same aging

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Speaker 1: and we grew together. That's one thing. Um. And I

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Speaker 1: know Keenan's history. You know, he had some struggles, you know,

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Speaker 1: was trying to stick on teams, and I had struggles

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Speaker 1: trying to hang in their own teams. And uh, you

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Speaker 1: just had three guys who share similar uh, who had

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Speaker 1: the same kind of history of struggling trying to hang

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Speaker 1: on hanging there for the NFL that had their shot

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Speaker 1: to finally make their market in NFL. You know that

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Speaker 1: salary cap really uh heard us because it cost me

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Speaker 1: my running buddy, which is Keenan, you know, because we

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Speaker 1: worked so well together. You know, he ran the intermediate

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Speaker 1: out something ran the deep rows and we were good

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Speaker 1: at it. And losing coach Coughlin. Uh, even though it

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Speaker 1: was tough to play for when you look back at it,

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Speaker 1: that's what it took for us to be successful, like

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Speaker 1: we were to have a coach like Tom Coughlin. Losing

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Speaker 1: him was devastating. Uh. And to tip it off, you

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Speaker 1: know a year after that, you know, to to lose

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Speaker 1: Mark Burnell, which is uh, you know my you know,

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Speaker 1: we grew, we grew together, so it was like starting

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Speaker 1: all over again. And Uh, that feeling of a new

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Speaker 1: coach like Jack del Rio and I was talking about

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Speaker 1: this last night to uh, it's no started with a

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Speaker 1: new coach. Mostly coaches come in they want to bring

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Speaker 1: in their own people. And you know, we were kind

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Speaker 1: of so to speak on pins and needles because we

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Speaker 1: didn't know what was going to happen, even though it

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Speaker 1: beene Fi Pro Bowls. Uh. To feel the energy, you

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Speaker 1: know when once you talk to someone that you really

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Speaker 1: not wanted there, no matter how great I was. I

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Speaker 1: knew that I was great, I knew that fans loved me.

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Speaker 1: I knew that I would probably be here. But when

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Speaker 1: you feel energy from a person that they really don't

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Speaker 1: want you on the team, they wanted to bring in

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Speaker 1: their new guys and start fresh. Guys could feel that.

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Speaker 1: And when you hear statements in the locker room that

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Speaker 1: it's going to be a lot of turnover, or you

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Speaker 1: hear you know, you hear the head coach says it's

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Speaker 1: gonna be a lot of turnover, guys, you know, we

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Speaker 1: started looking at each other. You know, God, we're we're

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Speaker 1: the coughling guys. He's trying to get us out of here.

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Speaker 1: And uh, whether you said that to motivate us or what,

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Speaker 1: you know, it was just, Uh, it wasn't the right

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Speaker 1: kind of energy that we were accustomed to when Coplom

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Speaker 1: was here. One thing, we may have had one winning,

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Speaker 1: two winning seasons or something like that, and uh, that

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Speaker 1: olden arrow was was you know, you know, we were

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Speaker 1: reaching back for the golden era. Once we we lost

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Speaker 1: we lost Coughlin. Most folks will remember Jimmy's off the

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Speaker 1: field issues with substance abuse. It's water under the bridge

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Speaker 1: by now. Few though we'll recall the other off the

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Speaker 1: field issue. It's Smith brought with him in. Smith had

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Speaker 1: an emergency appendeck to me while with the Dallas Cowboys

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Speaker 1: in and lingering issues compounded by the gruel and physical

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Speaker 1: demands and professional football re emerged. In two thousand one,

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Speaker 1: Smith returned to football and his remarkable career, but for

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Speaker 1: a time, he lay in Baptist Hospital at the Beaches

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Speaker 1: and was closer to losing both his career and his

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Speaker 1: life than anyone knew. You know, I had had this

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Speaker 1: issue before with having UH had to have an emergency

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Speaker 1: appendic to me, I had a ball obstruction. I had

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Speaker 1: to get my pennace taken out. But complications developed during

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Speaker 1: the surgery, and you know it, the surgery didn't go well,

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Speaker 1: and uh, it cost me my my season, my second

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Speaker 1: season in Dallas. Not knowing that I would probably have

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Speaker 1: another episode later on in my career, which uh, which

429
00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,560
Speaker 1: did happen in two thousand one, I believe, And I

430
00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:21,639
Speaker 1: was like, oh man, here will go again. I just

431
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,960
Speaker 1: started developing stomach cramps. You know. It was the off season,

432
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,720
Speaker 1: I believe, Yeah, it was the off season. I went

433
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,680
Speaker 1: to the hospital and uh, you know, it was one

434
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,760
Speaker 1: thing after another, one thing after another, and you know,

435
00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:35,480
Speaker 1: I had a battle of structure and they had to

436
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,679
Speaker 1: cut six inches of my small intestins out and it

437
00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,639
Speaker 1: was just one complication on top of another. And I

438
00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:48,960
Speaker 1: was in the hospital for three months, and it wasn't

439
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,120
Speaker 1: about even though I was saying, hey, I gotta get

440
00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,320
Speaker 1: back on I gotta get back to the field. It

441
00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:57,040
Speaker 1: got to the point to where it was about me

442
00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:03,040
Speaker 1: just staying alive. You know, football was just second, well

443
00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:07,040
Speaker 1: probably even more than that. You know, it was my health.

444
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,679
Speaker 1: It was family members worrying about me, teammates worrying about me,

445
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:21,280
Speaker 1: and you know, and it was something to see, even

446
00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:23,920
Speaker 1: though it was uncomfortable at the time doing whileut doing

447
00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:28,320
Speaker 1: my hospital my three month hospital stay, it was very

448
00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:33,359
Speaker 1: special to see coach Coughlin leave the mini camps that

449
00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,239
Speaker 1: they were having here and drive over and sit by

450
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:41,639
Speaker 1: my bedside. That was That was very That was that

451
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,159
Speaker 1: was something because he didn't have to do that. He

452
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,880
Speaker 1: could have come one time and visit, you know, but

453
00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:49,919
Speaker 1: he came every day. I would be looking out my

454
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,480
Speaker 1: window with twos running all all through my body. I

455
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,520
Speaker 1: didn't really know what was going on. Doctors couldn't figure

456
00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,720
Speaker 1: out what was going on, and that made it real scary.

457
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:05,440
Speaker 1: And for coach Complin to show up, if not every day,

458
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:09,320
Speaker 1: it was every other day. And uh man, that that

459
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,640
Speaker 1: meant a lot and a lot of people don't know

460
00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,000
Speaker 1: that he was making that trip to the hospital as

461
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:21,360
Speaker 1: often as he was, and uh, it wasn't about football.

462
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:23,960
Speaker 1: It was about you know, man, I just want you

463
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,919
Speaker 1: to stay alive because no one knew it was wronging man.

464
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,679
Speaker 1: I didn't have a clue. I was medicated all the

465
00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:32,960
Speaker 1: time and just hanging on a limb, just trying to

466
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,760
Speaker 1: stay alive. So you know that it's always been an

467
00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:42,200
Speaker 1: emotional point in my life because, uh, you know, you know,

468
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:46,960
Speaker 1: having Keen and come, having you know, Mark come, you know,

469
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,840
Speaker 1: all these guys coming and visited, you know it. You

470
00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:55,000
Speaker 1: know it was real special. More perspectives following this from

471
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:59,640
Speaker 1: Vice Start Credit Union Advice Start. We believe in better,

472
00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,640
Speaker 1: especially in helping build a better financial future for our members,

473
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Speaker 1: so we reviewed our offerings from the ground up. We've

474
00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,600
Speaker 1: lowered or eliminated over half our fees and enhanced our

475
00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:13,720
Speaker 1: already competitive rates, saving members more than a million dollars

476
00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,280
Speaker 1: this year, in addition to the millions we saved them

477
00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,400
Speaker 1: every year. If you believe that saving money is better,

478
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,520
Speaker 1: joined by Star, We never forget that it's your money.

479
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Speaker 1: All loan subject to approval, insured by n c U.

480
00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:33,000
Speaker 1: A Smith's time in Jacksonville was marked by some incredible

481
00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,760
Speaker 1: highs and some very painful loads, both on and off

482
00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,800
Speaker 1: the field. Smith wouldn't trade it, though, for a number

483
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:44,120
Speaker 1: of reasons and one special man. Yeah, that's my buddy. Man,

484
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,280
Speaker 1: that's my buddy. Actually we were suppose I have a

485
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,479
Speaker 1: cigar when I came into town, but I'm like, how

486
00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,360
Speaker 1: are you gonna do that? You gotta game, dude, But

487
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,560
Speaker 1: I'm tell me it's it's always special when you know

488
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,160
Speaker 1: we reach out to one another. Word this meek, you know,

489
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,080
Speaker 1: reaching out to him, on him reaching out to me.

490
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:05,280
Speaker 1: You know, you know he I could be down one

491
00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:07,880
Speaker 1: day for whatever reason. We all get down from days

492
00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,000
Speaker 1: and days, and I make it a call from him

493
00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:14,480
Speaker 1: and then a light up my week my next two weeks. Man,

494
00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,800
Speaker 1: my boy gave me a call. And that's what friendship

495
00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,440
Speaker 1: is all about. Man. You know, we don't talk every day,

496
00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,400
Speaker 1: but we love each other and every time, you know,

497
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,280
Speaker 1: we see each other as a special energy. Whether you

498
00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:29,440
Speaker 1: know we were here a couple of weeks ago for

499
00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:33,640
Speaker 1: the gala and uh, nothing playing. You know, I'm just

500
00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,840
Speaker 1: gonna see him. Hey, buddy would talk a little bit,

501
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,920
Speaker 1: but we didn't leave each other's side the whole gala,

502
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:42,120
Speaker 1: now that I think about it, when he walked in

503
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:46,200
Speaker 1: the door, we were just together there entire time. We

504
00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:49,120
Speaker 1: didn't walk around do any of that, but we just

505
00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:53,760
Speaker 1: stayed in one spot together. So and my mom always said,

506
00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:58,440
Speaker 1: you know, you two like brothers, and uh, I guess

507
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:01,040
Speaker 1: you could really say that we're we're like brothers because

508
00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:06,520
Speaker 1: we we share uh struggles in our NFL career that

509
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,760
Speaker 1: were similar. We had the same agent, we had the

510
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:14,520
Speaker 1: same upside downs, so trying to stick with the team. So, um,

511
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:18,520
Speaker 1: that's that's my best friend. These days. Jimmy splits his

512
00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:21,920
Speaker 1: time between Mississippi and Dallas, and between his business interests

513
00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,240
Speaker 1: and his kids. He doesn't put his feet on the

514
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:27,000
Speaker 1: ground in Jacksonville often, but he's never too far from

515
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,760
Speaker 1: the place where he lived a life that felt to

516
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:32,680
Speaker 1: him like a dream, one that came true. It makes

517
00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:36,840
Speaker 1: me feel greatly appreciated and everybody, everybody needs to feel

518
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,360
Speaker 1: appreciated during their lives. But you know, like I said,

519
00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:43,160
Speaker 1: well I'm having a bad day or whatever, I can

520
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,240
Speaker 1: always think, hey, my name is in the stadium. People

521
00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,120
Speaker 1: in Jacksonville loved me, and that's because I've always treated

522
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:52,360
Speaker 1: you know, when I was in Dallas. I used to

523
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,160
Speaker 1: see certain players not signed an autograph or you know,

524
00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,520
Speaker 1: because they thought they were too big. I said, you

525
00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,720
Speaker 1: know what, I don't want to be that guy. You know,

526
00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:03,320
Speaker 1: if there's a kid, there's an or anybody, I'm gonna

527
00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:08,000
Speaker 1: take time and acknowledge that person, you know, because you

528
00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,440
Speaker 1: never know what that person is going through. You think

529
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,360
Speaker 1: I'm having a bad day, that person could be having

530
00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,040
Speaker 1: a bad day. And just the fact that I acknowledge

531
00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,640
Speaker 1: that person, they change that or may do something in

532
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:22,200
Speaker 1: their lives and make them a better person. And that's

533
00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,960
Speaker 1: what kind of guy am you know. And uh, Jacksonville

534
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,120
Speaker 1: and these fans have showed me appreciation for being that

535
00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,160
Speaker 1: type of guy, taking the time out to say hello,

536
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,680
Speaker 1: throw a kid a glove, or just shake someone's hand.

537
00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,560
Speaker 1: Even today, you know, I was in the car with

538
00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:47,080
Speaker 1: two Jets fans and they were so appreciated. They just

539
00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,440
Speaker 1: they said, we paid for the camp fair, we're just

540
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:52,320
Speaker 1: happy to write with you. And just a handshake and

541
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,560
Speaker 1: a picture was all those guys needed. And they were

542
00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,880
Speaker 1: so happy. I don't it just I just looked back

543
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,960
Speaker 1: at them and they were just bumble bundle of joy.

544
00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:06,120
Speaker 1: And I like when I get the chance to make

545
00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 1: someone's day or spread and enjoy. You know, I enjoy

546
00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,720
Speaker 1: doing that for for a personal Yeah, and I love

547
00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:14,200
Speaker 1: this town.