1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: All right, welcome in. Um, I just got done watching 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: the Super Bowl. Welcome to this edition of All Bob, 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: very special one because we gonna talk a little bit 4 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: of basketball, very very little. Um. But if you watched 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: the Super Bowl, you heard the name Tam Davis. You 6 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: saw him on a commercial, and you saw him get 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: recognized as one of the honorary Captains for what he's 8 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: doing as an educator. UM. And that's that's just a 9 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: smidge of the story. That's what he's doing now, providing 10 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: resources for students who don't have them. So look, he 11 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: played basketball for my brother who was an assistant sanegor State, 12 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: and uh, I lost my voice a little bit coaching 13 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: youth basketball this weekend. So just a quick side note. 14 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: The Doug Got Leave shows daily three to six Eastern, 15 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: twelve to three Pacific, Fox Sports Radio, the Radio app. 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: This is an incredible story and so I had to 17 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: share it with you. Tremaine Davis is a great player, 18 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,839 Speaker 1: power forward, tending State. But his life story is really 19 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: worth listening to, understanding and sharing with as many people 20 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: as you can because if you think you had it 21 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: tough coming up, wait do you hear this? Yeah? So 22 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: Tremaine you're you're an honorary captain for the Super Bowl. 23 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: I'll get We'll getting your story in a moment, but 24 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: what so what do you actually get to do today 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: on Super Bowl Sunday. I get to be on the field. 26 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: I'm one of three captains who will be presenting a 27 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,919 Speaker 1: referee with the with the coin to do the coin toss. 28 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: What they told me thus far is to make sure 29 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: I don't trip and fall when I get out on 30 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: the field. Uh, and be there to support. We have 31 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: one person who was a captain who her name is Susie, 32 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: who was a nurse here in a local Tampa area, 33 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: and she will be the actual person that is presenting 34 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: the coin to the referee pretty much there to to 35 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: be her her more support, um, and just to be 36 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: on the field and take any entire experience, followed by 37 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: an opportunity to sit up in a in a suite 38 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: that's right on the fifty yard line, which is I'm believing. 39 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: So so, so let's get into it. Okay, where were 40 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: you born? I'm born in Pittsburgh, California's in the East Bay. 41 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: It's about Pittsburgh, is I was a three minutes east 42 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: of Oakland. Uh. You know we're near the Antioch uh 43 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: conquered area. For for the folks who are maybe familiar 44 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: with like St. Mary's and Moraga, we're not that far 45 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: away from there. Okay, So wait you were you were 46 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: awarded the state at birth or was it when you 47 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: were Yes, I was. I was worse than at birth. UM. 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: Both of my parents at the time was severely addicted 49 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: to heroin UM. I was prematurely born. My mother had 50 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: me when she was six and a half months pregnant 51 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: with me UM. So with the conditions that was going 52 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: on with my mother UM as well as their their 53 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: drug habit, I was given am meetly to to the 54 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: to the state of California and I was placed in 55 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: foster care and I was three years old where my 56 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: paternal grandmother adopted me. How big were you at birth? 57 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,959 Speaker 1: I was small man, well, like six and a half 58 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: months like your pound. But do you know, yeah, maybe 59 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: maybe I would say I maybe maybe skated around two 60 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: pounds maybe, But yeah, I was very small. You know. 61 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: I was gonna ekey for a very long time growing up. 62 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: At the young child had a lot of health conditions. 63 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: I had asthma very bad. I was in out at 64 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: the hospital all the time, and all of a sudden 65 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: something just happened. I don't know. I think it's just 66 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: the love, the love and care of my grandmother. Uh, 67 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: start to get healthy and started to grow a little bit, 68 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: and um, you know that that has like ancient history. Now. 69 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: I tell people that sometimes they don't believe me because 70 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: you know, I'm six seven now, about three bills and 71 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: some change, and so it's hard to believe that I 72 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: was once, you know, two pounds born, born to earth. 73 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: It's really amazing. Okay, so your grandma's bring you up? 74 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: And then did your parents come back in your life? Yeah? 75 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: You know, I think the fourth and the thing about 76 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: being adopted by my paternal grandmothers that my family was 77 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: always around. You know, I was always surrounded by my family. 78 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: I knew where my mother was, I knew where my 79 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: father was. But I also knew the reality as to 80 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: why I couldn't. I wasn't raised by them. You know. 81 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: For most of my life, my father, you know, struggled 82 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 1: with his addictions. My mother eventually became sober, went back 83 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: to school Culler g D. And you know, was was 84 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: a functioning person. And I was very excited for her 85 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: right before she passed, I was supposed to move in 86 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: with her, and I was very excited for that. Like 87 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: she passed away, Uh, the day before we were supposed 88 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: to move in with each other. And so that was 89 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: a tough time. So you're fourteen years old, Yeah, you're 90 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: getting ready to your mom's finally clean and sober. Yeah, 91 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: what happened. She had a brain aneurysm and just you know, 92 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: all of a sudden passed away immediately. And that was 93 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: a tough time, you know, that was that was a 94 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: very tough time in my life. I when I happened 95 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: to me, I had I had this feeling like I 96 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: wasn't supposed to have a mother, and uh, you know 97 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: it was it was dark. Yeah, I was trying to 98 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 1: see the light of things, but like life around me 99 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: was happening so fast that I had to keep up 100 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: with what was going on. Um. A week after my 101 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: mother's funeral, Uh, I found out that my father was 102 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: very ill, and UM, me and my grandmother found that 103 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: that my father had AIDS. So we became um caregivers 104 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: from my father. So I didn't even have a time 105 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: to like process that I lost my dad. It was like, 106 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: I mean excuse me, my mother. It was like going 107 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: to the next team, and here I am with my grandmother, 108 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: you know, signing up papers and taking CPR classes and 109 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: get an education on AIDS and how to treat AIDS 110 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: in the medication my father was taking, because I was 111 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: responsible for my father's medication while my grandmother was at work. 112 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: So I just was forced to kind of like grow 113 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: up very fast and adopt to a life where I 114 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: was gonna have to give sacrifice something of my own 115 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: to give to my father. And that was a very 116 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: tough transition that I'm not gonna lie to you and 117 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: act like it was something that was easy because my 118 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: father was not in my life. It's times I saw 119 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: my father. It was when my father was strong out. 120 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 1: I remember one time I was walking home. I was 121 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: I was in the fifth grade. I'll never forget. I 122 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: was walking home from school and I see three people 123 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: running towards me and asked the people coming closer to vision, 124 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: it's my father, And my father has something hanging out 125 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: of his hand, and as he comes he passes me by. 126 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: It's a car. It's a car stereo, and it's two 127 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: people chasing after him like he just broke this on 128 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: one's car running up down the streets. So like, these 129 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: are the things I had, you know, going on about 130 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: my father. So when my mother made a decision that 131 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: we were to be his caregivers, that's the first time 132 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: I ever like kind of talked back towards my grandmother. 133 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: I was like, wait, we you know, like why why me? 134 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: You know, he hasn't he hasn't done anything for me, 135 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: Like why do why have to do all this for him? 136 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 1: Why I realized in that moment is that this is 137 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: a this is a village, and although this was my father, 138 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: this was my grandmother's son. So I'm hurting one way. 139 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: She's hurting the whole another way because this is her son. 140 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: You know, she has to take care of and get 141 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,799 Speaker 1: this news that you know, he's he's close to dying. 142 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: When he came to stay with us, Doug, my father 143 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: had twelve te sells left. You know, that's that's like 144 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: your superpower, that's like your super immune system, that's the you. 145 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: Only your born was so a certain amount of tea 146 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: sells and at once they leave, that's it. So like, 147 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,239 Speaker 1: you know, he only had like they said, six months 148 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: to live, but he ended up living for for two 149 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: more years, and that was the greatest blessing I think, 150 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: you know, having my father in my house because I 151 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: was able to talk to him about the harsh realities 152 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: of how he ended up the way he was, and 153 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: he didn't sugarcoat anything from me. And I was asking 154 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: some real a dope questions about how did you end 155 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: up this way? Because my father was an incredible basketball 156 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: player himself. My father still has the record at his 157 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: high school most points scored maber. One time high school, 158 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: I had to get a game. I scored about thirty 159 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: seven points and so I come home and I'm gloating 160 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: about it. You know, I'm talking to my father about 161 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: He was like, oh, that's a great son. Yeah, hey, 162 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: go get that scrapbook over there, opening up to the 163 00:07:57,720 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: third page. So I'll opened up to the third page. 164 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: My father was a junior and he averaged forty eight 165 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: points as a junior. So this is the high school 166 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: at the time was called Pacific to High School. It 167 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: was in West Pittsburgh, California. That high school is now 168 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: turned into a middle school called River Review Riverview Middle School, 169 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: and that's the middle school I went to. But my 170 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: dad was a baller, so so so what happened how 171 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: fa Uh? What he told me is that, you know, 172 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: he was someone who always got it himself. He never 173 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: had real self esteem. He always wanted to be the 174 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: person that was liked all the time, so he did 175 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: everything to get cool points from people. He played sports, 176 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: not because he liked to play sports, because people liked 177 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: the fact that he played sports. Uh, he said. When 178 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: you know, when it was during the time in the 179 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: seventies when everyone had big afros, he wanted to make 180 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: sure he had the biggest afro. And when social drugs 181 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: came on the scene, he wanted to be the first 182 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: to have him and try him so that everyone can 183 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 1: still give him his cool points. And then from near 184 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: he just slipped on down and the addiction became, you know, 185 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: took over his life. He told me this at fifteen, 186 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: you know, and if it changed my life because I 187 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,319 Speaker 1: got a chance to see him as a person who 188 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:11,719 Speaker 1: and for whatever reason, I understood that the things that 189 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: I was upset with him about it was his addiction. 190 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: It wasn't necessarily him, but his addiction had took him 191 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: over him. So, you know, he was he was fighting 192 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: that demon, and we were able to move one to 193 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: put a healthy relationship with one another, which I'm so 194 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: thankful I had. Okay, so buried in this is a 195 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: bunch of other stuff. I want to get to the basketball, because, um, 196 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: but you were in special head came through twelve. Yes, 197 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: so what was initially like did they did they tell 198 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: you had a learning disability? Did they use the R word? Like? 199 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: What was the like? What? What? How were you treated 200 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: social development? Due to me being a ward of the state, 201 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: being raised by someone who was born in the third this, uh, 202 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:05,079 Speaker 1: my case worker, my social worker at the time, and 203 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: the child Protective Services judge felt that I would have 204 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: a better opportunity to adapt more to my social environment 205 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: by being in special education. And of course, right right, 206 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 1: it sounds like right, yes, we talked about this now 207 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: in two thousand and twenty one. It sounds complete, like 208 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 1: what what are we talking about? But you know, this 209 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: is back in. That's the opposite of it, right, it 210 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: is the opposite past. This is right, this is this 211 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: is correct, and that's what happened. That's what that was 212 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: my experience. And you know, my my grandmother, you know, 213 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: being someone that's from Hope, Arkansas, born in the thirties, 214 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: sixth grade education. She doesn't, you know, She's just trying 215 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: to do what she feels what was best for me. 216 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 1: And so I was placed in there um in the 217 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: third grade and stayed in there until the end of 218 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: my junior year. It wasn't until I met someone by 219 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: the name of Aaron Bines, who was my assistant principal 220 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: at Pittsburgh High School, who taught me about advocating for 221 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: myself to like test out and um, I'm so thankful 222 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: that he came into my life when he did, because 223 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: that really helped me, even though I only had like 224 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: one full year of college prep courses that helped change 225 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: the trajectory of my life or even someone even seeing 226 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: the potential that I had. Aaron Vines after aaronbody still 227 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: keep in contacting him to this day. He's still an educator. 228 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: He is. Uh, he is a vice president at a 229 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,959 Speaker 1: at a community college school in a in a l 230 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: A area. Okay, So, um, when did you start playing who? 231 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: I always played basketball? Basketball was a sport in my neighborhood. 232 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: You know, I think I started like really playing like 233 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: competitively when I was around eleven years old and I 234 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: was playing with my older cousins older uncles. Sometimes you 235 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: have to wait until like all the older all the 236 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: older men will get off the course and we can 237 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: finally get on or you're kind of seqre we hurt. Hope, 238 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 1: hope someone with like spraining ankles you can get on 239 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: the court. So you know, I always played with like 240 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 1: older people, and um as I continue to grow and develop, 241 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: like my skills got a little bit better in my coordination, 242 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: caught up with my height, and then I was, you know, 243 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: able to hold hold my weight down there on court 244 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: a little bit. But I always played basketball. What was 245 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: the name of you grew up playing it? So I 246 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,439 Speaker 1: grew up in Pittsburgh, so we had we had the 247 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: Leader's Service Boys and Girls Club, which is on Railroad 248 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh, so I grew up playing there. There was 249 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: another red center called Ambrose Park which is in West Pittsburgh, 250 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: so I grew up playing there as well. There was 251 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: parks all the way around my house. There's a different 252 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: elementary schools. We'll go, we'll we'll find a game and 253 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 1: we'll play. So you know, I'm thankful that U that 254 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: generation where we'll go outside all day until like the 255 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: street lights start to come on, and we have to 256 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: hurry up and go home, but I'll be out outside 257 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,319 Speaker 1: all day playing basketball. Like that's what we did. So 258 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: you go to high school, Okay, how good were you 259 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 1: as a freshman? I was okay. You know, I feel 260 00:12:57,559 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: like I was a very raw athlete. I was good 261 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: enough to to make varsity, but not gonna enough to 262 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 1: start one varsity. Um, So I played varsity all four 263 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: years in high school. Uh, I was okay my freshman year. 264 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: I feel like I didn't come into my own until 265 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:14,319 Speaker 1: my junior year. That's like when I really really came 266 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: together for me. Um. Okay, But you're you're playing hoop, 267 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: but you're also in specialized classes up until your senior year. 268 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: So like did these man knew all the same hood? 269 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: But like, how did guys treat you? How did you 270 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: know in terms of you know, being there equal intellectually? Yeah, 271 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: jokes stopped when we got on the court. Jokes, the 272 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: jokes stopped when we got on that basketball court, because 273 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: like that, to me, that was my equalizer. That was 274 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: my way to get back at all the jokes, you know, 275 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: all the things people had to say. Unfortunately, special education 276 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 1: we went. We we went to school later and got 277 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: out of school earlier. So we would get to school 278 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: during second period where everyone is walking through their classes, 279 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,679 Speaker 1: are small yellow bus it's pulling up to school. So 280 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: you can imagine the jokes that was coming out during 281 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: that time, right, yeah, I mean we've all told the jokes, right, right, yeah, 282 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:16,559 Speaker 1: you get off like I'm actually not and right yep yep. 283 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: And so it was like, all right, i'll see you 284 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: at lunchtime. I'm gonna see you on the court, you know, 285 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna see you at practice. And that was my 286 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: way to get even with everyone. And so I think 287 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: from there people start to respect me, but also to 288 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: like interest in social gatherings. I was a sponge soaking 289 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: up everything, and I wanted to make sure that when 290 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: I was able to have a conversation, people will see 291 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: that like I had some intellect about me. And so 292 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: I was always into like reading books. I was always 293 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: into learning about our history Michael X dr King because 294 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: I wanted to try my best emulate these people who 295 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: were regarded for their intelligence and so um, I was 296 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: always into the into those folks and and that also 297 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: helped me too along with school as well. It sounds 298 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: like your grandma's pretty amazing person. She was incredible. Man. 299 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: My grandmother is is one of the greatest people I know. 300 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: People say that a lot about, you know, their elders, 301 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: but literally, my grandmother, my grandmother can have a movie 302 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: about her life, just like her journey from Pope Park 303 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: in Stall, California, the reasons why she left um able 304 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: to sustain control of household, buy a house. All of 305 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: this was a sixth grade education from a woman who 306 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: was born in the nineteen thirties. I think that's one 307 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: of the most incredible stories. And you know, a lot 308 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: of a lot of my foundation of my determination comes 309 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: from her, well obviously, and and it's like it's like 310 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 1: you're desire to read, like that's just not that's something 311 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: that it's because of your grandma. You know, Like kids 312 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: don't always gravitate towards picking up books, right, especially guys 313 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: that can hoop. Right, that's your that's your grandma. That's 314 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: how you raged, you know, and neither you do or 315 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: you don't. And that's that's that's part of part of parenting. 316 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: Uh as I've got to learn, you know, Um, okay, 317 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: so how did how like you're you're going through all this, 318 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: you know, Mr Vines says, hey, you can, you can 319 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: test out of it. Yeah, at what point in time 320 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: was playing college basketball a thought of a possibility. My 321 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: junior year, I think that's when, like it was, it 322 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: started to become like, this is actually something that can 323 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 1: really happen. Um. And I wanted to go to college. 324 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: I thought maybe I was going to go to the 325 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: community college out and then transferred to a four year 326 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: But going to college was always my goal. Um, I 327 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: just didn't know how to get there. Um. But my 328 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: junior year, that's when things start to pick up. Started 329 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: a couple of letters here and there in the mill 330 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: from different colleges, and uh, that starts to figure out, Okay, 331 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: this is going to be my plan. This is this 332 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: is how I'm going to be able to get through it. 333 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: You know. So I was able to I was able 334 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: to really have a focus. But I knew that the 335 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: other piece of that was the academic peace, and I 336 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: was I was constantly worried about, like, how am I 337 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: going to get a chance to prove myself. How am 338 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: I going to get chest to show them like I'm 339 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 1: actually capable of college work? Um, standardized testing. I know, 340 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: we we talked about standards testing a lot, and yes 341 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot to talk about as far as the 342 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: cultural biased things of that nature. But honestly, me taking 343 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: the s A T was a neutral fact of showing 344 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: my intelligence because I test well on the s A T. 345 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: I think I got I got a thirteen seven year 346 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: my T, so you know, like I tested it well. 347 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: And it's interesting though because because there is a narrative 348 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: that there's a racial component to the s A T. 349 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 1: You know, and I think you know again Saturay testing 350 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: is is fascinating, you know, for maybe a longer discussion, 351 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,440 Speaker 1: because there there is some value to it because oftentimes 352 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: there are parts of the test which it's based upon 353 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: the quality of the actual education. But you're looking for 354 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,919 Speaker 1: is the quality of the mind, you know, to to 355 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: process things right. And and also there's a there's a 356 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: work ethic element to it because in college it's not 357 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: always about how smart charts about how hard you work 358 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: and that's what you put in a right time. How 359 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:11,919 Speaker 1: did you get to say in years take because I 360 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 1: know the other side to it obviously my brother being 361 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: on staff, but how did it happen for you? So 362 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: for me again my junior year, um going at the 363 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: end of my junior year. This is the first time 364 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 1: I'm introduced to the concept of a AU basketball. Before then, 365 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: I had no idea about AU basketball. My first year 366 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: playing was the summer of my going to going into 367 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 1: my senior year. This is also the summer where my 368 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: father passed. So my father passes away to fourth of July, 369 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: you know when he passed. Um the summer of two thousands. Yeah, sixteen. 370 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: Yere young too, is right? Young? I'm young, right, I'm 371 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: the last I'm the last person to talk to my 372 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 1: father alive. I went to go see him in the 373 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 1: hospital when we had a red Converse station, and one 374 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 1: thing he said to me, he said, your main please 375 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: try your best to remember me how I am. Now. 376 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: I don't want you to remember me how I was. 377 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: And I said to him that it wasn't for how 378 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: you was. We wouldn't get to the space of me 379 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: remembering you how you want me to remember you. So 380 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: I'm going to remember you as a whole person, you know, 381 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: because that's what led us to get to this point. 382 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: And that was the last conversation we had, you know 383 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: anyone has with my father. Um, They said, I though 384 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: I left about five hours later, like around midnight, he 385 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: went to sleep and never woke up. So that's that's 386 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: amazing that you said that. It's like so in my job, 387 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: you know when you cover especially college basketball, at times 388 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: you'll have coaches that or you know, or parents or 389 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: players whatever, and the only one wants you to say 390 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: the good things. You're like no, no, no, no, Like look, 391 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: we're all flawed on some levels of human being. You know, 392 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,120 Speaker 1: you tell the whole story and it's still there's goodness there. 393 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: It's like your dad he was a yeah, obviously had 394 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: a good soul, yes, but there's a there's lessons to 395 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: be learned for the path and the punishment that he served. 396 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: I'm guessing you know he got it from a dirty needle, right? 397 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: Is how he how he contracted HIV? You ultimately aids whatever? 398 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: Like yeah, and and he can't tell you yet. But 399 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,159 Speaker 1: did you This is my question, this is an honest one. 400 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: Did you feel when he passed and maybe now obviously 401 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: years later, did you feel like you kind of bared 402 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: your soul to him, like you like he knew you, 403 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: knew how you felt about him, knew did did? Is 404 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: there is there? Because when when my dad died. I 405 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 1: think he knew, but I'm not sure if I ever 406 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,719 Speaker 1: because I was actually gonna fly and he was much 407 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: older obviously, but I was gonna fly to California for 408 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving and he died literally the day before we fling 409 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 1: out there, And so I don't know if I truly 410 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: kind of cleanse my soul, did you? Yeah? Yeah, no, 411 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 1: no doubt. Every every day, every day that we had 412 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: that we had a relationship, we talked about it. You know. 413 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,479 Speaker 1: I let him know like a part, a part of 414 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: his healing process, a part of his ability to sustain 415 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: his life for as much as he he was able to, 416 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 1: was us pouring up into him. And I reminded him 417 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,440 Speaker 1: every day that, like this next half of your life, 418 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: you're gonna live with a purpose. We need you. I 419 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,719 Speaker 1: need you. You are value, You are important to me. 420 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: I need to understand that. So, without a doubt, he 421 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: knew exactly. Yes, Okay, so you're so you're playing a Yeah. 422 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 1: So I played for the North cowp Magic, which I 423 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 1: don't even know if that AU team is around. You know, 424 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:45,400 Speaker 1: we we were outshadowed by like the Oakland Soldiers, the Rebels, 425 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: you know. Um, we played in North Oakland. We played 426 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: out the Boys and Girls cub and bush Fide out 427 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 1: of North Oakland as what was our home base, you know. 428 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: But I had I had a great I had a 429 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: great team. I had Nate Robinson. Nate the Great was 430 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: was my point guard on my AU team, so you know, 431 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 1: playing with him was incredible. But we went into we 432 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: went into did this big Time tournament, if you recall, 433 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: and I hope I don't mess anything up as far 434 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:12,159 Speaker 1: as a sponsor in regards what we just went to 435 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: the Big Time tournament. And so this is a year. 436 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: This is a year where Tyson Chandler is in Slam 437 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: every single magazine cover. He's got all covers of Slam magazine. 438 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,920 Speaker 1: Jenny Fry is the biggest thing out of the West 439 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: Coast besides Tyson Channel. And then you have Eddie Carey 440 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 1: on the East coast. And they're all in my bracket. 441 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 1: They're all in my brackets. So I'm hitting up against 442 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: these guys who have futures in the NBA. And I 443 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: remember we saw Tyson team come out of the locker 444 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,439 Speaker 1: room and then walk into the gym and we're like, 445 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:47,120 Speaker 1: you know, just getting ready to get pumped to play 446 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: a game, and we wasn't playing them just yet. But 447 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: when they came in and my team, everyone stopped talking 448 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: and everyone was just like in awe of Tyson Chandler 449 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,360 Speaker 1: and I got up and I was like, it's wrong 450 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 1: with y'all. Like this new tie. He shoes the same 451 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: way tie our shoes. He who we who? Like? He 452 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,679 Speaker 1: ain't nothing special? And I'm saying this loud, you know, 453 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: like so everyone can hear me, and like he kind 454 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: of looks back and we catch eyes and I continue 455 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: to talk, and so he's looking like who is this dude? 456 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: Like the nerve of him? And so he goes in 457 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: and then we play our game. Their game ends, they 458 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 1: come over to watch us play, and that I don't 459 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 1: I was out of my mind that summer that I've 460 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: never played basketball the way I played basketball that summer. 461 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: But it was my way of getting all this stuff 462 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: off my chest. I just lost my father. I never 463 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: had time to mourn my mother, you know. So I'm 464 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:42,959 Speaker 1: going through all this. I'm trying to figure out how 465 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get to college basketball. Scenes like it's gonna 466 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: help me get there, but I don't know. So I 467 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: gotta put everything on. I gotta put everything in this 468 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 1: and that's what I did. I had an incredible run 469 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: that tournament, incredible run. UH played against Chenni Fry ate 470 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: him up, oh shout, an incredible run. So um SO 471 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: at San Diego State was one of the first teams 472 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 1: that actually sent me a letter. They're the first one 473 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: of the first schools to say, hey, we're interested in you. 474 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: And from there, I've had conversations obviously with your brother, UH. 475 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: Coach Dutcher was someone who would come back and forth 476 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: to my games. Coach Fisher was sending me notes all 477 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: the time. And then when you know, you go through 478 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: the process and schools would say, hey, send us a 479 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,959 Speaker 1: copy of your transcripts. So every single school that was, 480 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: you know, recruiting it was Kansas State at one point, 481 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: Marquette at one point, um Oregon State at at one point, 482 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 1: you know, was was But when I sent out those transcripts, 483 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: everything stopped. So when I talked to San Diego State, 484 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: you know about this opportunity of me taking the st 485 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: A T, I told them, I said, uh, if I 486 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: had my I'm going to sign my letter of intent. 487 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 1: And Coach Dutch was like, no, when you pass your 488 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: say T, come on down, we'll have a visit and 489 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: it will take very So they always empowered me. They 490 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,120 Speaker 1: always believed in me, and at one point did they 491 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: ever fall and say, hey, we're worried about you know, 492 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: your transcripts. They always stayed with me, and so when 493 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,920 Speaker 1: I passed, it was a no brainer. I went on 494 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:28,440 Speaker 1: my visit as a formality just to just to be there, 495 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 1: but I knew I was going to go there and 496 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: I'm happy that went on mysel. Did you know that 497 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,479 Speaker 1: Coach Fisher had to go to admissions and vouch for 498 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: you in order to get it done. Yeah, he he 499 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: told me, you know, And and there was a part 500 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: of that where I had to, like I had to 501 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: do an interview with admissions. He told me, he said, 502 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: you know, this is going to be an uphill climb. 503 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: What I can promise you is that I'm going to 504 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: do my best. I'm going to do the best job. Yep. 505 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: It was like, you know, I want to tell you 506 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: that I want to give him my all, but I'm 507 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: gonna need you to do your part. And I'm like, yes, Coach, 508 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:04,479 Speaker 1: I got you. I'm gonna do my part, you know. 509 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,880 Speaker 1: So but he did, and you know, we were able 510 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: to get it done. But you know, folks, was was 511 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 1: banking on me not not staying in school. People thought 512 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,400 Speaker 1: that I was, you know, just gonna be there. One 513 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 1: of I was that. But I was determined. Man. You know, 514 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: no one of my family graduated high school, you know, 515 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: let alone go to college. So I wanted to make 516 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: sure that I that cursed that that area was going 517 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 1: to be broken with me. And I was determined to 518 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: get there. And so you know, that's that's why I 519 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:38,200 Speaker 1: was focused on that. That's amazing to change the cycle, right, 520 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 1: That's that's really you know, to to change the cycle. 521 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 1: And it's one of the things that you know, Look, 522 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: I understand in respect that schools make money off of 523 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: college student athlete. I get it. They make money off 524 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:52,159 Speaker 1: all the students. Man, it's part of the part of 525 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: the deal. But I don't think we do we give 526 00:26:56,280 --> 00:27:00,679 Speaker 1: enough credit in my business for the benefit of just 527 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: that the basketball just getting into school. How hard that is, right, Like, 528 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: if you're not recruited by San Diego State, you don't 529 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:13,120 Speaker 1: go to Sanego State. I don't know, it just doesn't happen, right, 530 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:17,120 Speaker 1: And it doesn't create an opportunity for you. And obviously 531 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: Mr Vines helped you. Um, you're you know, you're AU 532 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: coach or high school coach and now the Sandy State program. Okay, 533 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: so you get there? Yeah right, You've only been in 534 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: regular high school classes for one year. Now you're in college. 535 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:35,879 Speaker 1: Real deal, how did you survive? I used all of 536 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,919 Speaker 1: my resources. There is never one time where I shied 537 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: away from my resource and so, like you know, everybody 538 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 1: has a department where they help students that have maybe 539 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,920 Speaker 1: a different approach to learning or learning disability. At Sanego 540 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 1: State it was called the DSS Department Disability to Start 541 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: Students Services, and I unized all of my resources. I 542 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: made sure that when I had a mid term, I 543 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,439 Speaker 1: got an extra time. Um, I did study hall. I 544 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: was always in study hall. I didn't look at study 545 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: hall as something like, oh this is something that I 546 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 1: wanted to I knew that I needed to be around 547 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,880 Speaker 1: that space. I advocated for myself. I asked for tutors. 548 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,359 Speaker 1: The tutors that sometimes that they had my major was 549 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 1: Africana Studies and sometimes that that was Privy Africana Studies. 550 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: So I'll work with my dean of my department to 551 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: have them assigned me a tutor that will visit that 552 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 1: would be with me um in study hall. So I 553 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: was someone was advocating or like, listen, I need help, 554 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: where can I get it? And we're gonna make this happen. 555 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: And so I really stuck to that. I was in 556 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: study hall Monday through Friday. They were never a day 557 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: I was not. This just not work with. This was 558 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: not work with the narrative. Okay, this is not where 559 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: the narrative is that colleges bring kids in school, doesn't matter, 560 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 1: they don't care. They just want you to play. I 561 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:57,960 Speaker 1: don't care about your major once you major in the 562 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: easiest thing possible, just edible that nobody says. That's what 563 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: they say. But I'm I'm living proof that that is 564 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 1: not true. Well, I say that's not true. I can 565 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: slowly speak from my experience at San Diego State that 566 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: was not true. Uh, Coach, your brother, Um Dutch, Marvin Mizzy's, 567 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 1: all of them was help. I had what I needed. 568 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: There are times where I had to miss practice because 569 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: I had an assignment to do or there was some 570 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: kind of program that I had to attend, and so 571 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: I had to let them know. Coach, I'm I can't 572 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 1: practice today. Because of this, and of course they were 573 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: reluctant to let me go, but they knew that, you know, 574 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: I had to do it. There was no other way, 575 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: Like I get it done. How did you guys turn 576 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: that thing around? I mean, because like, look, I'm I'm 577 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: older than you, but I mean we played in two 578 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: thousand played they were so bad first year and I 579 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: mean it was like forty fourteenth a half and my 580 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: coach turned me at halftime. He's like, you tell your brother, 581 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: they got your player brother, And yeah, you know what, 582 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell you this, and I don't think so. 583 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: So let me say this. The success that coach Dutcher 584 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 1: is having right now is no surprise to anyone who's 585 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 1: ever played for him. If you recall, in two thousand 586 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: and one, coach Coach Fisher lost his mother unfortunately, and 587 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: so he went back. He went back home, and so 588 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: Dutch was was coaching us, and Dutch lit a fire underneath. 589 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: We were a subpart team at that time. But Dutch 590 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: the fire in us and said that we got we 591 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: have something that we have to play. We have something 592 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: that's bigging ourselves that we have to play for. We 593 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: gotta figure out what that is and we rallied behind 594 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 1: the passing of coach momp and to make sure that 595 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 1: we did what we could do to honor him and 596 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: to honor her. And that's when we came together. That's 597 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: when things geled. The biggest thing, the biggest thing was 598 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: was getting our players to play unselfish. We had Tony 599 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: Bland who transferred from Syracuse. You know who is. You know, 600 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: he is a legend in l a and in southern California. 601 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: Tony is a legend. We had Ray Hold who had 602 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 1: a short career with with the with the Chicago Bulls 603 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: for for a minute, you know. And we had other 604 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: guys who thought they were just as good, if not 605 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: better then those guys. Someone had to make a sacrifice. 606 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: The play came. We're in the tournament, the Mountain West Tournament, 607 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: and Randy had an opportunity to take a gay winning 608 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: shot but passed it to Al Fox and that and 609 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 1: that was incredible. Man. I think that that summed up 610 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: like the sacrifice that the team made and that's how 611 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: we turned it around. And from there. You know, when 612 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: once once the school becomes a program, that's one something 613 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 1: more people want to come. And that's what happened, you know, 614 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:48,239 Speaker 1: and then we get to land a quiet and then 615 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 1: the rest is history. And now we are a legit 616 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: respectable program, which is phenomenal. Always tell people like you 617 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: can tell how respected we are because we went from 618 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: being sponsored by so Athletics and now being sponsored by Jordan's. 619 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: That says everything right there. That's a great that, that's 620 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: a great one. I didn't think of that. Um did 621 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: you walk? I'm sorry what you say? Did you walk? 622 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 1: Did you graduate? Oh? Yeah, absolutely, yeah, the whole thing. 623 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: Hold on, hold on, So what is that emotion like 624 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: for somebody who everything you've been through, no, when your 625 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: family have been through high school? Yeah, you get to college, 626 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: you play, you make the tournament, you graduate from college. Yeah, 627 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 1: what is that feeling of accomplishment like at that At 628 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: that time, that was the greatest That was the greatest 629 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: accomplishment I could ever have. At that time, that was 630 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: by far like the and still to this day, it 631 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: ranks up there to tow the things that I've been 632 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: I've been able to be successful at um it holds 633 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 1: that the high of a rank, like I would say, 634 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: besides being married and having children, um me, graduating from 635 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: college means that much to me. What have you done 636 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: since graduation? I've dedicated my my time, I've dedicated my my, 637 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: my passion um to education because one thing that I 638 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 1: want to make sure that doesn't happen is that there's 639 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: someone else like me that doesn't have the support. I've 640 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 1: really um tried, really trying my best to make sure 641 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 1: that I advocate for students that are in similar situations 642 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 1: like the one I was um. And unfortunately, I've been 643 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: very forced to be around great people, great educators, people 644 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: who really are passionate about not only the work, or 645 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 1: are passionate about the students that they served. And I've 646 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: been fortunate to be around certain things that's happened that has, 647 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 1: like you know, made a grand impact at the institutions 648 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: that I worked at. And so that's what I'm about, 649 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: you know, I just I was saying that I'm an 650 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,560 Speaker 1: edgaction at it, but I'm I'm a I'm a strong 651 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: advocate for those who are sometimes being overlooked, and I 652 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: want to make sure that I continue on the on 653 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,239 Speaker 1: that path. How can how can somebody else, somebody who 654 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,839 Speaker 1: sitting like me, or somebody listening to this podcast, like man, 655 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:18,799 Speaker 1: that's that's incredible. How can I be a part of that? Well, 656 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 1: I think the first thing is just to to to 657 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 1: one we we have to do a better job of 658 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: keeping our our ears open. We we have to we 659 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,720 Speaker 1: have to keep constantly in our minds. We can't forget 660 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:33,840 Speaker 1: how we got somewhere. All of us have gotten somewhere 661 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: because it was someone who opened the door for us, 662 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,480 Speaker 1: was somebody who helped us. And we can't forget that. 663 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 1: Once we get somewhere, we can't shut that door pretend 664 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 1: like we down here on our own Like that, I 665 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: think that becomes the most important aspect of is to 666 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: keep that mindset up. I'm here because somebody else helping, 667 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:52,879 Speaker 1: so now it's my turn. It's my responsibility to help 668 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: somebody else out. And so so as long as we 669 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 1: keep that, I think that's how we can continue to 670 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,400 Speaker 1: move it to grow. And they can be something easy 671 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: as volunteering, you know, on the school board. It can 672 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: be donating you know, some time to to the to 673 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,719 Speaker 1: the y m c A or something of that nature. Um, 674 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: but most of the things we have to be able 675 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 1: to advocate for those who need that help. Because I 676 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 1: think the biggest thing in my life that that's helped 677 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: me get to why I'm that is that I never 678 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: was silenced enough to the point where no one could 679 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 1: hear me. I've always had someone there to help me 680 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,319 Speaker 1: grow my voice so that can be louder. And so 681 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: that's what I try to do with my students now. 682 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:35,400 Speaker 1: Who helped you get recognized by the NFL? Uh? Angela 683 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:38,319 Speaker 1: le Chica, who is so funny it is, also was 684 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:41,920 Speaker 1: a part of the single State um basketball program as 685 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,239 Speaker 1: a team manager while I was While I was there 686 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: as a student athlete, she was one of the team 687 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,520 Speaker 1: managers and she's got don't know this aspect to it, okay, 688 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: but coach didn't want to keep her, and he was 689 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:56,719 Speaker 1: concerned because she's a she was a very pretty young 690 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 1: woman right right, and she he was like, you know, 691 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 1: I don't know if I want to know, have a 692 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 1: pretty student manage in it right right and right now 693 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,879 Speaker 1: she's just she's she has her own pr for yes, 694 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: and she she helped your story get recognized, Like how 695 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,520 Speaker 1: amazing is that you talk about people along your path 696 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: that have helped you. She recognized who you were and 697 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 1: what you were about and because of it, like you're 698 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: you're gonna be at the coin toss of the Super 699 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 1: Bowl and get recognized for the human people. It's incredible. 700 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 1: It's incredible. But I think it also goes to say, like, 701 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: we we have to be open. If I ever was closed, 702 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,520 Speaker 1: if I ever was like, oh I'm good, I don't 703 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: need help. If I was closed off and I didn't 704 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: like open up and share my story with people, I 705 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:44,560 Speaker 1: would not be here. So having that that that falseness 706 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,879 Speaker 1: of pride of thinking that you can do something by yourself, 707 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,359 Speaker 1: you will never land. You would never be as great 708 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: as you as you're planning to be because you can't 709 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 1: do this by yourself. None of us make it make 710 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 1: it by ourselves. So to have opportunities to to to 711 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:02,320 Speaker 1: work with people who've been there a part of my journey, 712 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: who now could come back to help me get highlighted 713 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 1: in a higher space means that I have a bigger 714 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:11,799 Speaker 1: responsibility to make sure that when this is all said 715 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:13,919 Speaker 1: and done, I go back and do the same thing. 716 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: Um okay, So if you could connect with somebody who's struggling, right, 717 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: and there's different types of struggles. Thankfully, not a lot 718 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 1: of people go through Mom and Dad addicted to heroin. 719 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 1: Mom gets clean, She passes away, Dad gets aids, he 720 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 1: passes away, you know, thought to be special needs, you know, 721 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 1: and turns out actually really really bright college graduate. But 722 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 1: if you were to connect with somebody who's going through 723 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: a tough time, how do you persevere? Because there are 724 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 1: times in which a lot of people like, man, the 725 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 1: world is against me, just the world is against me. 726 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 1: The world seemed to be against you, right, I believe 727 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 1: in you. Try believe in you that the world seemed 728 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 1: to be against you, and you push back against it. 729 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:09,960 Speaker 1: How would you connect with somebody and tell them to persevere? 730 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 1: I I will First I would take the time to 731 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:17,399 Speaker 1: listen to where they are. I would take the time 732 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:19,359 Speaker 1: to listen to where they are in their life and 733 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: why do they feel that the world is against them? 734 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: And if there is something that I can relate to 735 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 1: as they tell me their story, then I will connect 736 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:29,919 Speaker 1: with that and I'll let them know that if they 737 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:33,640 Speaker 1: just take the time to continue to take steps forward, 738 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:36,919 Speaker 1: take the time to see this thing through, it's going 739 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,359 Speaker 1: to turn out better on the other side. Because I'm 740 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: improved of that. But I think we have to make 741 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,840 Speaker 1: sure that we don't go in guns are blazing. Hey, 742 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,799 Speaker 1: I didn't you can do it too. It's deeper than that. 743 00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:54,319 Speaker 1: It's taking the time to understand where this person is 744 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:57,319 Speaker 1: coming from, the conditions that are making them believe that 745 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:01,319 Speaker 1: the world is against them, and from fair together we 746 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 1: figure out what's going to be the next step so 747 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:08,279 Speaker 1: that you feel that you have more people that supporting you. Um, 748 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,560 Speaker 1: and we move on and we go from near. I 749 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:14,680 Speaker 1: don't I don't take a cookie cut method when I 750 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: work with students. All my all the students I've ever 751 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:19,840 Speaker 1: work have different things that's pointing on, and it's important 752 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:23,000 Speaker 1: for me to find what peace can I identify with 753 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 1: to help them get alone the way? UM. And if 754 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,520 Speaker 1: I can't, and sometimes I can't, who do I know 755 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:31,360 Speaker 1: that can? Who do I know? That it's going to 756 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 1: be just as relateless as I am that's going to 757 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:37,440 Speaker 1: help them move forward? And fortunately I know people like 758 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 1: Angela Lechica, I know people like like your brother. You know, 759 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:43,640 Speaker 1: I know folks school are around that can help them 760 00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: we get to the next step. And so that's what 761 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:49,919 Speaker 1: it's about for me, you know. And I'm thankful. I'm 762 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: so thankful that I I've all the stuff that's happened 763 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:55,200 Speaker 1: to me. I'm thankful that it did, because if it didn't, 764 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:57,759 Speaker 1: what you were on that today, this wouldn't be as 765 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: powerful if it was just a typical student athlete graduated college. 766 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,520 Speaker 1: Da da da da. If somebody wants connect with you, 767 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:07,040 Speaker 1: how could they do that? Because they're gonna be people 768 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:09,399 Speaker 1: here this listen to this pod and then I got 769 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: just thank this guy for it. I gotta meet him, 770 00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:12,799 Speaker 1: I gotta know him. How can I connect with you 771 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,800 Speaker 1: don't get yourself phone like social media? How can somebody 772 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:20,280 Speaker 1: count I'm very easy to find a couple of different 773 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 1: social media is the one is Tremaine Davis. Just at 774 00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: Tremaine Davis. I have a podcast that's called the Manifesto 775 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: pod show. Both our public you can you know at me? 776 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:34,440 Speaker 1: I want generation where I still check my Facebook, so 777 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:38,080 Speaker 1: I go on Facebook as well. Um, but yeah, I'm 778 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:40,879 Speaker 1: I'm very easy to access. I don't know how long 779 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,839 Speaker 1: that's gonna stay with all everything that's happening now, but 780 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:47,280 Speaker 1: my best to be accessible to people as much as possible, 781 00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 1: because again, well you're incredible man and incredible success story. 782 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 1: And this is only this is not the last chapter 783 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:56,719 Speaker 1: of the book, right, this is we're in the middle 784 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: chapters of things. And man, I can't tell you how 785 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,399 Speaker 1: how proud everybody who knows you and knows of you 786 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 1: and all you've been through to see you on the 787 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,799 Speaker 1: field in a couple of hours the super Bowl, and uh, 788 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:12,880 Speaker 1: I really really on this special day. I really appreciate 789 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: you taking time, um Man, I appreciate it. Thank you 790 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:17,840 Speaker 1: so much for for allowing me to be here and 791 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:20,200 Speaker 1: to share your platform this way and this This is 792 00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:23,480 Speaker 1: incredible and I'm thankful. Man, I'm very thankful, and I 793 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:26,080 Speaker 1: want to make sure that I do my best to 794 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:29,399 Speaker 1: not let those folks down, because that's what it's about. Hey, 795 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: last thing you said, books, one book somebody should pick 796 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 1: up right now. So I just got done reading the 797 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,759 Speaker 1: autobiography of John Thompson. I just read that before I 798 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:42,960 Speaker 1: took off to come here to Tampa. Incredible book is 799 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 1: called I Came. I Came from Shadow. It's the book 800 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: about John Thompson, who you know, we know as the 801 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:52,640 Speaker 1: former coach of Georgetown University, you know, the first African 802 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,759 Speaker 1: American coach to win a national championship. Very powerful book. 803 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:58,919 Speaker 1: I love that book so much. Reminds me so much 804 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: a coach Fisher. As I read that book, so it's 805 00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:04,440 Speaker 1: it's a powerful book. Treman, have a great, wonderful day, man, 806 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:06,400 Speaker 1: and enjoyed the spoils of all your hard work. I 807 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 1: appreciate it. I appreciated family. Thank you so much. All Right, 808 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:14,200 Speaker 1: that's my talk with Tremayne Davis. We have other pods 809 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:17,239 Speaker 1: coming out. We're obviously creaking right here into n s 810 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:19,279 Speaker 1: A basketball season. I have a lot of thoughts in 811 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:22,520 Speaker 1: the Mountain West. Just saw Nevada beat Boise State twice. 812 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:26,560 Speaker 1: Obviously the Pac twelves kind of upside down. Kid Cunningham 813 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:31,000 Speaker 1: didn't make a couple of shots, but Oklahoma State did 814 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:35,759 Speaker 1: beat Texas in double overtime. I'm gonna call Kansas Oklahoma 815 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:39,840 Speaker 1: State tomorrow night as with the time of actually tonight 816 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: at the time of this drops, and I could be 817 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:44,200 Speaker 1: my thoughts on Kansas and where that program goes from here, 818 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:46,400 Speaker 1: and my thoughts on Kid cunning It. Watchington played for 819 00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:49,560 Speaker 1: the first time in personal season long. In the meantime, 820 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:51,480 Speaker 1: thanks for listening, I'm to Gottlie and this is all 821 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 1: ball