WEBVTT - S1 Episode 5: Bigger Than A Game 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.599 Drafted as a production of tree Fort Media, Clutched Sports 0:00:02.600 --> 0:00:06.160 Group and I Heart Radio. Okay, I'm having get my 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:12.360 camera and yeah, you need to uh, you're right, yeah, 0:00:12.360 --> 0:00:17.880 I know, I'm kind of I need to get on 0:00:18.040 --> 0:00:23.560 in the lifetime thing. You know, I'm missing concent Welcome 0:00:23.600 --> 0:00:26.720 back to draft It. In this fifth episode, we're checking 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:29.600 in on cornerback Bryce Hall. Hold on, I'm missing you. 0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:32.600 Get this fade though, hold on, hold on, hold on, 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:37.760 let me get it right real quick. Whose girlfriend and 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:41.440 Zelville jun is making a documentary about his draft process. 0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:44.839 Whoever is listening to this, I'm telling you, the fade 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:51.000 is everything in a change in life. I mean I'll 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:53.440 be like in the background like Copers, just like Okay, 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:58.520 now he's doing yeah, and we're going to hear from 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:01.240 two other NFL hopeful for Kutap. I know growing up, 0:01:01.560 --> 0:01:03.600 it could have been easy for me to um give 0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:07.800 up and kind of just accept my reality is what 0:01:07.840 --> 0:01:11.039 it was instead of trying to recreate it. So I 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.680 really left somebody else take away fifty yards worth the 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:15.959 work for me, just to make him feel better. I 0:01:16.000 --> 0:01:18.360 feel like I cheated myself in this process and like 0:01:18.880 --> 0:01:22.959 I'll never get over that. Never again. We're looking at 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:25.800 how the challenges they faced and overcome have shaped them 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:28.120 into the men who are now knocking on the door 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:35.119 to the NFL. So what's the platform today? So right now, 0:01:36.160 --> 0:01:38.399 right now? So I'm first off, I'm about to do 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:41.800 these ankle exercises to get right. We're about to get 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:44.880 a little snacking, going for a little run. After we 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:47.800 come back, we're gonna eat some more food, and then 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.240 we're gonna just chilling to the draft that I'm thinking 0:01:50.280 --> 0:01:52.880 about watching the Last Dance you know, shout out Michael 0:01:52.920 --> 0:01:55.480 Jordan's he got the major keys to greatness. So I'm 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:57.280 gonna have to apply some of the things I learned 0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:01.160 in the Last Dance documentaries so we can make my 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:05.640 own Last Dance run whatever you call it. So yeah, 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:12.639 I love it. As the draft approaches, it's Enzel who 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:15.040 carries a lot of the weight in her relationship with Bryce. 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:20.600 All right, I'll carry the kettle bell. Are you sure 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:26.600 he's strong enough? Boy? I lived you lift the kettle bell. Yeah, 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:32.280 it's I'm strong. You're right. Maybe I can work out 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:35.440 with this deal bell today, do a little bit of squats. 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:40.280 That'll change in life for real. You might get a 0:02:40.320 --> 0:02:48.080 bigger button than me after that rail. All Right, I'm 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:51.280 gonna just let you think that right now. She may 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:55.000 be Bryce's part time documentarian, part time trainer, and full 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.840 time girlfriend, but Enzel also happens to be a great 0:02:57.840 --> 0:03:03.120 athlete in her own right. And they scored right back 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:08.239 and trick it has check it up three one league 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:13.720 and so Bill Jill. She was an all a CEC 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:16.720 field hockey player at the University of Virginia, where she 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:20.440 met Bryce as a senior. Alright, I'm on my hit 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:24.800 you you've been too far out of the game. Huh. Yeah. 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:26.480 I mean look when I go around, I don't round 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:31.359 the hills. I woke the hills and unfet dies. Right yeah, 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:36.040 hold on, let me give a little context for that. Listeners, 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:38.560 We're just on a little nature job right now. It's 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:45.240 twelve five and we just need to get some fresh air. Walked. 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:48.680 Only five months ago, Bryce had surgery on his broken 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:52.040 ankle and torn ligaments, so running with his girlfriend like 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:55.280 this wasn't an option. So I'm running get you, okay, 0:03:55.600 --> 0:04:00.160 So if you need to go to an if I 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:06.560 can keep Yeah, I ain't trying to die today. It's 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:11.560 just like a therapeutic run. Just get a little movement 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:18.040 to get the least cast it out. I just got nice, 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:30.040 just same right fact before getting hurt, Bryce's trajectory seemed 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:32.760 clear my sophomore year going into my junior year, I 0:04:32.800 --> 0:04:36.200 just remember when I was at a place where everything 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:39.599 it looked like everything outwardly looked great. I had played 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:42.120 my freshman year. I had a chance to go to 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:44.159 the NFL my junior year if I did really well 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:47.920 that year, And I just remember just kind of questioning 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:50.920 why I was doing what I was doing, like what 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:55.400 my purpose was, because I felt like I was kind 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:58.000 of in like a law, like I knew what my 0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:01.960 dream was, but I didn't know like necessarily, like why 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:04.720 fully I wanted it. And the thing is like every 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:07.440 day in practice, our coaches job and their goal was 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:10.279 to create those situations where they would push us to 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:12.760 the limit. Every day I'd be putting my body on 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:16.719 the line going through tough training, and my coaches they 0:05:16.800 --> 0:05:20.359 were getting on us every day, yelling and just really 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:23.200 getting on us mentally. And I remember thinking, when you 0:05:23.279 --> 0:05:28.320 go through difficult situations, if you don't have a purpose 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:31.920 or a reason why to push through those certain situations, 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.640 It's very hard for you to to work through those situations, 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:37.679 to overcome them and come out on the other side 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:40.599 if you don't have a purpose or meaning for why 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:44.040 you must go through it. And I was questioning, like, 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:46.039 is this really something I want to do for the 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:48.880 rest of my life? Like how dangerous we know the 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:51.240 game of football is, with concussions all that stuff. I'm 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:54.960 putting my body through hell every day in practice, and 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:58.039 I was thinking, you know, like is this really worth it? 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:04.000 A once obvious path to success was thrown into question 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:09.400 after that software season, Bryce walked away from football. We 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:12.520 have a very unique approach at the University of Virginia, 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:17.000 and so our program is very, very challenging. That's Bronco Mendenhall, 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:19.839 Bryce's head coach at the University of Virginia. I'm surprised 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:21.840 it took Bryce to a sophomore year at the question. 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:25.280 My goal is actually to have each of our young 0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:28.760 people uncover why they would be playing as soon as possible, 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:33.279 to make things so significant, so challenging that once decided, 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:37.880 there's clarity on how come. And so Bryce moved from 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.840 receiver to defensive back. Here comes a brand new coaching staff. 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:44.240 None of whom recruited him, nor did he know in 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:46.839 a program to expects more than I think anyone might 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.800 even think it is reasonable. And so here's all of 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:52.040 this commitment, here's all of this effort, here's all that's 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:57.160 being required, and certainly why now, why would I do this? 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.960 And so it's actually pretty normal and it was an 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:06.120 amazing though the transformation once the clarity and the choice came, 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:08.560 is this something I really want to do? Rice then 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:13.800 took that, internalized it, and then he wrestled with it. 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:17.640 The dream that formed in the far reaches of Bryce's mind, 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:20.920 the dream he visualized in a picture in kindergarten when 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:22.880 he told his teacher that he wanted to play football, 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:27.000 was still there, but fifteen years later he lost some 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:29.680 of the motivation to achieve it. The best gift I 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:33.560 could give Bryce Hall isn't the football mastery or that knowledge. 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.200 It's the defining moments, or the possibilities to have the 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:39.680 defining moments. So before he leaves college, he's ready and 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:42.480 much more certain and clear about what he wants, who 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:50.320 he is, and how we'll navigate the world. After he 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:52.720 left the team, he searched for something to give him 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:55.280 a sense of direction, but he didn't know exactly what 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:58.520 that was. He was empty inside waiting to be filled, 0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:04.080 but with what he no I didn't really have a 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:06.320 strong relationship with God at the point, but I was 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:08.760 just kind of searching, like is this really what I'm 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:10.880 supposed to be doing. I think that's where I leaned 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:13.920 in to where my faith became so strong, because I 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:16.560 felt like in in those times where I was just 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.200 kind of seeking and like is there more to this 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:21.560 and why I'm doing this? And I felt like God 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:25.080 just placed this burden on my heart to like that 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:26.800 he has a purpose and the plan for me, and 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:30.640 it's not necessarily for me, but it's so that I 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:32.880 can be a light and help other people going through 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:35.440 these situations and knowing and it kind of gave me 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:37.520 purpose as to why I was playing the game of football. 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:41.200 He discovers a sense of purpose bigger than money or fame, 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:44.640 and he rejoins the Cavaliers one week before his junior year. 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:47.720 I feel like with the game of football is preparing 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:50.320 me for whatever I have coming after that. How Like, 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:54.080 football teaches me so much about life and at the 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:57.040 same time, football is just taking me places where I 0:08:57.080 --> 0:08:59.400 never thought I could go and meet people in different 0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:01.600 things like that, and it's something I love to do. 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:04.360 It's a gift and I really want to utilize this time. 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:06.000 And I feel like I'm learning so much from the 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:09.040 game of football to make a difference to people that 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:12.160 come behind me, you know, the younger generation and even 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:15.959 you know, it's a really dark industry, just sports and entertainment. 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:18.439 And if I can be a light in that industry 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:20.960 and just be a positive inspiration for people that come 0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:24.240 after me, I think that gave me extra juice. Like 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:27.240 why I'm playing this game is it is bigger than 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:30.360 just me. But like I can endure those things because 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:32.840 I know, like God has prepared me for this, He's 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:35.200 called me to do this, and there's something bigger that 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:37.400 I'm playing for and not just myself. And when you 0:09:37.600 --> 0:09:40.720 move past just yourself, I think it gives you way 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:47.479 more like purpose and meaning. Then the injury after discovering 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:50.600 his mission a blind siding setback in the Miami game, 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:54.400 Bryce Hall is hurt and that's not good for Virginia 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:57.920 because Bryce Hall is one of their very best players. 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:00.880 They got that air cast whatever you wanna call it, 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:05.280 wrapped around his lower left leg, ankle. We're not going 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:08.120 to show you that the injury is not pretty quiet. 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:12.000 Virginia sideline Bryce Hall, an amazing kid, thought about going 0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:14.080 to the NFL last year, prayed about it in the 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:17.000 off season, decided to come back. So our thoughts are 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:20.439 with one of the best players in college football. So 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:23.000 in the course of my career UM, one of the 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.920 things that has an increasingly difficult toll is when a 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.560 player gets hurt because most of them have recruited and 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:33.720 gotten to know and our program is so challenging and difficult, 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:37.120 and they've contributed and worked and and remained dedicated. And 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:39.080 then in Bryce's case, you just take all of that 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:42.280 and then just turn the dial to eleven, right, like 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:45.080 it has to be a new category. And and I 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:48.520 actually had him contributing on punt return, So this wasn't 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.680 a defensive snap. This was a special team snap. And 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:54.040 in the world of college football, that's usually looked at 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:57.760 UM as a lesser than snap, even though it's not. 0:10:57.960 --> 0:10:59.920 But that's usually how it's looked at. And rarely are 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:04.120 your very best players UM contributing on those units at 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:07.280 the level Bryce was for us, which was the personal 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:11.840 choice UM and a cultural choice that I made to 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:13.959 put him out there. So I see Bryce go down 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.000 and the very first, my very first thought is what 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:19.439 a poor choice by me as the head coach to 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:21.760 have Bryce out there on that play. And so is 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:26.520 an immediate acknowledgement of responsibility of I'm totally responsible for that, 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:31.640 and and so I felt awful it would require ankle 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:35.600 surgery and months of rehab. Bryce's resolved from a year 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:43.480 prior is suddenly tested in an enormous way. I felt 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:45.080 like I put on my heart that I was supposed 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:47.360 to come back and all that other stuff. And when 0:11:47.400 --> 0:11:51.400 I um when that happened in that moment um, yeah, 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:54.040 I was frustrating, and I think one of the things 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:57.920 I was thinking was like, okay, what, like, what's the 0:11:57.960 --> 0:11:59.920 purpose in all this? And one of the things I 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.400 knew is like people were looking at me, especially family 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:05.559 and other people that looked up to me. They were 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:07.720 going to react how I reacted, you know, if I 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.520 was gonna a fit and you know, act like I 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:13.040 was the victim and just like sob which I had 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:15.560 the right to do, they were gonna follow in that lead. 0:12:15.600 --> 0:12:18.480 I think knowing that I was just kind of sitting 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:20.680 and I'm like, Okay, what's the purpose and all this? 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:24.000 I truly believe God works everything together for our good 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:27.079 and that he never causes bad things like these to happen, 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:29.440 but he can use them for our good. And I 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:31.520 just remember trying to figure out, like what is the 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:36.359 purpose and all this, and honestly, like so much good 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:39.960 came out of that, you know, bad situation, and like, 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:44.040 I think it's helped prepare me for what I'm going 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:59.200 into now we'll be right back right studies his life 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:02.360 the way other players analyze game tape, trying to use 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:05.520 every experience as a teachable moment, trying to learn from 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:09.080 any setback and use it to create his carefully planned future. 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:20.920 You gotta show our children this stuff. That's true. That's true, 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:23.959 and I look back to trying that's my mom doesn't 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:27.120 like to watch my video. She says, it's sad to see, like, oh, 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:31.520 you know, like my kids growing up. Yeah, but we're 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.040 gonna be with him the whole line, so it won't 0:13:34.040 --> 0:13:37.640 be like you know what I'm saying. I was thinking 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:42.880 the other day, just being excited about starting like a 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.640 legacy for I got a family, and it's like we 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:50.680 get to start like a generation line for years and 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:53.120 years and years to come. Probably we can design how 0:13:53.160 --> 0:13:55.920 he wants to look, you know. Yeah, like you're controlling that. 0:13:57.000 --> 0:14:03.319 It's like that turned back. Should we turn back? Yeah? 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:07.400 Even after we're are you dead and gone? It's are 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:15.200 we It's like that generation that's just gone on. Yeah, 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:22.320 if I it's solid enough. Yeah, family, cute little babies, 0:14:26.920 --> 0:14:34.520 bro our baby, they got wet. They we gotta protect them. 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:42.760 Ain't no, but anybody too, you know anywhere. We do 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:51.200 want thishere anywhere anywhere. And it's not like build a 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:54.760 family or just like beat like go to have a 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.360 vacation spot when I'm done, And I'm not telling you both, 0:14:57.440 --> 0:14:59.560 so like where would you spot with like a nice 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:01.880 house river? But then also where would you want to 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:03.960 build your family? And there's no restrictions. It's like you 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:06.280 have a nice you have everything you ever wanted in life. 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:10.280 Where would you want to sell? That sounds good? That's 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:14.120 for you. Well, I lived in Kansas when I grew 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:16.760 up in Kansas, Open in Park, Kansas. I love that 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:19.800 people in the Middlewest so friendly. It's a nice slot. 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:23.040 It's like the center. Like granted it's not going to 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:28.560 be the best weather all year round. But exactly, you 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:33.000 know what this postestenither and so I'll take that. Yeah, 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:37.440 so it's beautiful. I loved it. I love like and 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:39.400 it's just like I feel like it's a great place 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:43.680 to raise a family in Kansas. Like I love that 0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:48.480 it was it was it was slotting for me. Okay, 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:54.360 I'm gonna run this hill. Stop. For Bryce, the loss 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:56.440 of his mother in fifth grade, the loss of his 0:15:56.680 --> 0:15:59.760 faith in his life's direction in college, even the potentially 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:02.880 we're ending injury this past season, all heels he had 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:05.960 to climb, mountains he had to scale, each with a 0:16:06.000 --> 0:16:09.200 differing degree of pain, moving him towards a purpose that 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:13.160 maybe taking shape. It's just the right time. Why I'm 0:16:13.200 --> 0:16:15.880 playing this game is is bigger than just me. I 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:18.960 can endure those things because I know like God has 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:20.920 prepared me for this, He's called me to do this, 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:23.480 and there's something bigger that I'm playing for and not 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:26.800 just myself. And when you moved past just yourself, I 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:29.440 think it gives you way more like purpose and meaning. 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:32.720 And that's what I feel like I've learned through this 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:35.720 adversity and what's helped me just get through a lot 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:40.840 of tough times. Is is leaning on that coach Bronco Mendenhall. 0:16:41.320 --> 0:16:43.720 When people will interact with Rice, they're gonna have this 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:47.360 maybe first impression of veteran of the league or a 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:50.520 veteran of life. And he's like fifty five years old 0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:56.040 and he's packaged in this college athlete, young person now 0:16:56.120 --> 0:17:00.400 professional athlete um form. It just is weight and talking 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:02.480 to the Dali lama here or like who who is 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:04.800 this person? You know, there's there's kind of this kind 0:17:04.840 --> 0:17:07.119 of wise old stage there, and I think there's a 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:12.000 difference between intelligence and wisdom, and there's wisdom for him. 0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:14.919 Brace's most difficult moments in football have brought him a 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:18.240 newfound sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of the game, 0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:22.399 and an unshakable faith in his path through life. That 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:26.480 horrible senior year injury created the circumstances for his relationship 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:31.440 with an Zel. That's where it gets good right here. 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:47.160 I love this. You gotta push yourself to finish this one. 0:17:48.600 --> 0:18:00.160 It's gonna feel so good after. It's exactly the set 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:03.440 that have been stepping stones to improving his life. Incidents 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:06.399 when most players would understandably get discouraged or give up, 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:10.320 Bryce used as opportunities, which is why in just three 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:16.159 days he has the chance to be drafted. All sports 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:18.960 are filled with success and failure, but in football, the 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:22.560 moments of defeat are more pronounced and visceral. Two hits 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:26.360 are bigger, injuries are more common, careers are shorter. It's 0:18:26.400 --> 0:18:31.879 an unrelenting, merciless league playfully dubbed not for long Clutch 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:35.040 Sports Group Agent to Mary's Bilbo, the NFL is a 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:37.760 league in which, you know, you take the things that 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:41.000 we all know, you know, the short lived careers. There's 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:43.040 a draft every year for every sport, but there's a 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.960 draft in football where you're looking at two plus guys 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:49.280 coming in the league. It's such an easy turnover in football. 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:53.000 One year the Saints have Adrian Peterson and mark ingram 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:56.399 on Arosity, get Alvin Camarona third around, and two or 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.879 three years later Alvas only one there those guys are 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.200 other teams, So you know. The challenge with football is 0:19:03.240 --> 0:19:07.199 a supplethetor of players, so many, so much change, with 0:19:07.320 --> 0:19:10.600 hundreds of new prospects fighting for roster spots, coupled with 0:19:10.640 --> 0:19:13.480 the physical toll of the game, it's not surprising that 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:19.440 the average NFL career last three point three years. When 0:19:19.480 --> 0:19:22.360 you see the greatness of a Calvin Johnson and then 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:26.159 you see how quickly is saying that his career passed by, 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:29.480 that's real stuff, you know, Like you saw Calvin going 0:19:29.520 --> 0:19:31.080 to league and then it was like that he was 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:34.439 gone when he played nine years, you know, and is 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:37.160 thirty plus years old and not in the NFL. Now, 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:44.040 even when you've succeeded in football, failure could be around 0:19:44.040 --> 0:19:47.600 the corner. Kelvin Johnson set the NFL record for most 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:52.280 receiving yards in a season, an undeniable superstar, and still 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:56.160 players like him often only endure for a decade or less. 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.840 It's a brutal, unforgiving sport, even for those at the 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:05.280 up overcoming failure, having the mental fortitude to turn every 0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:08.560 setback into a step forward. Only those who can do 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:12.440 what Bryce has done will survive. I know what it's 0:20:12.440 --> 0:20:14.679 like to go and drafted. I knowiced like to get cut. 0:20:14.960 --> 0:20:17.120 I noticed like to hate my coach. I know its 0:20:17.160 --> 0:20:19.679 like to feel like I'm getting the unfair treatment and 0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:22.080 I'm better than the next man. I know this feel 0:20:22.119 --> 0:20:24.840 like to you know, not have a job and and 0:20:24.920 --> 0:20:28.400 have a kid on the way, or not know that Hey, 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:30.679 do I really want to use this college degree right 0:20:30.720 --> 0:20:32.520 now or what? Or do I want to keep giving 0:20:32.520 --> 0:20:35.000 it a shot and keep pursuing my dream? I know 0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:37.120 all of this stuff. Those are real questions and you're 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:39.480 gonna have to face that when your football career is over. 0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:41.840 I want to be that guy that pushes you every 0:20:41.880 --> 0:20:45.120 year to explore other things, because let's be honest, men, 0:20:45.240 --> 0:20:48.840 you call somebody a Fortune five CEO or a big 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.280 time alumni, they don't give a damn. They're not gonna 0:20:51.280 --> 0:20:54.119 ask the phone change. Young calls, or he wants to 0:20:54.119 --> 0:20:56.840 get connected, Kula wants to get connected. One of these 0:20:56.840 --> 0:21:00.240 guys wearing the NFL uniform. It's a lot easier. So 0:21:00.440 --> 0:21:02.960 use it while you have it, you know, because we've 0:21:02.960 --> 0:21:06.800 all seen, you know, Ohio State, the Maury's Clarress story, 0:21:06.880 --> 0:21:10.080 We've seen the JaMarcus Russell's at l s U. These 0:21:10.160 --> 0:21:13.199 university are pushing these players out left right. Which players 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:16.720 are gonna take that platform and say, let me build 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:19.720 out resources because I don't know how long I'm gonna yet. 0:21:19.800 --> 0:21:22.240 My contracts as five years, they probably cut me in 0:21:22.280 --> 0:21:25.040 three and Dan, where am I? It's that level of 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:29.080 relentless competition and need to always improve that keeps players 0:21:29.080 --> 0:21:39.359 on edge. Tremaine and offensive tackle from Clemson, focused on 0:21:39.359 --> 0:21:44.080 this gongged pursuit of getting into the league. I felt 0:21:44.080 --> 0:21:46.920 a lot, but I guess that's that's that's what makes 0:21:46.960 --> 0:21:51.120 me me, is that. Yeah, I wasn't high school kid 0:21:51.160 --> 0:21:53.760 coming in. Oh he's gonna start. I was, what the 0:21:53.840 --> 0:21:55.960 hell is this kid going here? And I was skinning 0:21:56.119 --> 0:22:01.240 to our un guy, like you know my challenges. But 0:22:03.440 --> 0:22:07.320 it's rough, man, you know, like you can work harder 0:22:07.320 --> 0:22:10.359 than everybody and I only get an answer podcast. But 0:22:11.880 --> 0:22:15.920 you know, I guess that's it's part of a that's 0:22:15.960 --> 0:22:19.640 you a man? Is this how blucks can you? Yeah? 0:22:20.600 --> 0:22:22.880 How much can we take? How much shake can you take? 0:22:22.960 --> 0:22:29.320 And still keep going? Door survived? Have some resilience, you know, 0:22:31.240 --> 0:22:34.359 But how does the player develop this necessary grit and resilience? 0:22:34.520 --> 0:22:37.120 How do they find the mental strength to keep going 0:22:37.200 --> 0:22:40.200 in the face of terrible adversity? For Bryce, it took 0:22:40.280 --> 0:22:44.439 quitting the game entirely. It took finding his faith story time, 0:22:48.480 --> 0:22:51.119 Tremaine learned some of these skills from his father, like 0:22:51.200 --> 0:22:54.080 we heard an episode two, but there were also other 0:22:54.160 --> 0:22:59.000 defining moments for the last I don't know. Four or 0:22:59.000 --> 0:23:04.320 five weeks, me and my buddies were running hills and 0:23:04.440 --> 0:23:06.159 we had made it a thing on Friday mornings to 0:23:06.240 --> 0:23:10.560 always run hills like our little conditioning test. And you know, 0:23:11.280 --> 0:23:14.320 we run five up this eight yard killed. It's sucking massive. 0:23:15.119 --> 0:23:18.680 First week was five, second week was six, next week 0:23:18.760 --> 0:23:20.720 was seven, eight, nine. We had did this all the 0:23:20.720 --> 0:23:22.919 way up and had killed us last time, just kill us. 0:23:23.000 --> 0:23:24.320 And so we get to the week ten and we're 0:23:24.320 --> 0:23:29.520 already and when my boys he comes, he said, hey, 0:23:30.080 --> 0:23:35.480 what if we started from halfway up? And rant? Immediately 0:23:35.520 --> 0:23:37.480 I was like, what the funk? If this that makes sense? 0:23:37.520 --> 0:23:39.320 Like why do you want to do that? He was like, 0:23:39.440 --> 0:23:42.480 I just feel like it'd be better. I ain't better. 0:23:43.440 --> 0:23:46.280 Me being the kind of guy I want to please everybody, 0:23:46.280 --> 0:23:50.560 I was like whatever. So we started from halfway and 0:23:50.880 --> 0:23:52.960 I convinced him enough to back it up just ten 0:23:53.040 --> 0:23:56.760 more yards, so instead of at being eighty, it was 0:23:56.800 --> 0:24:01.679 probably about sixty seventy and and get starts out really 0:24:01.720 --> 0:24:03.800 easy and then we're like, yeah, it's gonna get harder. 0:24:03.840 --> 0:24:06.640 As I'm going I'm like, I'm breathing heavy, but it's 0:24:06.640 --> 0:24:10.840 not the same. Bird out of my mind. I'm like, damn, 0:24:12.080 --> 0:24:16.000 it's even better. But the same time, I'm like, maybe 0:24:16.040 --> 0:24:18.080 maybe John has the point here. And so we get 0:24:18.080 --> 0:24:20.800 to thirteen and I'm like huh. And sometimes he's like 0:24:21.000 --> 0:24:24.080 it's so good and I'm like, I don't know. I'm 0:24:24.080 --> 0:24:26.280 not passed out tired, and run down the hill all 0:24:26.280 --> 0:24:27.520 the way back to the start point. I'm like, I'm 0:24:27.520 --> 0:24:29.720 gonna do this and finish it out the right way, 0:24:29.920 --> 0:24:32.320