WEBVTT - DOUG WILLIAMS 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:02.640 This is cut to It with Steve Smith Senior at 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:08.920 production of The Black Effect and I heart Radio. I'm 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:11.720 Steve Smith Senior, and I'm a little John and this 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:16.000 is cut to it. Good do it, Good do it. 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:19.479 Let's get down to do it. Good do it. We 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:22.920 asked the questions you always want to know, but no 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:29.080 one ever asked, let's cut to it. You ain't heard 0:00:29.120 --> 0:00:34.720 about it, then we're about to let you. Now it's 0:00:34.800 --> 0:00:42.360 all We're gonna jump right into it. Well, hey, it's 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:47.560 honor and privilege. Uh, welcome to the cut to a podcast. 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:52.360 A guy that I ad my respect, m VP of 0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:57.440 super Bowl twenty two, co founder of the Black College 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:01.200 Hall of Fame, senior. I are not really sure what 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:06.479 a senior advisor does compared to advisor for the Washington Commanders, 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:13.200 A father to eight and most importantly, a proud Grambling 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:18.360 State Tiger. Welcome to the cut to a podcast. My man, 0:01:18.160 --> 0:01:21.160 a man, honor and and it's a privilege to call 0:01:21.280 --> 0:01:26.600 friends and uh and worker co worker. Uh, Doug Williams 0:01:26.600 --> 0:01:31.440 take food three thread many Yeah. Uh, the senior party 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:34.600 because of the age. Oh is that I didn't know? 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:37.800 You know, I'm a senior too, but it's not because 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:40.040 my age, just because I want to make sure that 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:44.160 junior doesn't take my good credit report as he gets older. 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:47.880 It's taken years to get this credit report up. You 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:49.880 know what I mean, pack pack bell bills I had 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:54.280 to pay from back in the day. Yeah, but you 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:56.600 know what, walking around his building, you know, most of 0:01:56.640 --> 0:01:58.240 the guys didn't look at me and they say, O 0:01:58.400 --> 0:02:00.760 g Yeah. You know, you know you at that age, 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.440 you know ge walking around the building. So you just 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:06.080 deal with it from that standpoint. All right, well, let's 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.680 let's let's get right into it. Man. We have some fun. 0:02:08.800 --> 0:02:11.680 We're gonna talk some truth. We're talking about manhood, We're 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:14.800 gonna talk about you know, job, just everything, every direction 0:02:14.840 --> 0:02:17.760 you want to go. Um okay, uh and just let 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:20.600 you just let your story tell storytell about your life. 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.359 So we're gonna start off with uh. So little ice 0:02:23.400 --> 0:02:27.240 breakers get you relaxed a little bit. Um. You know, 0:02:27.880 --> 0:02:30.800 obviously you're you know what you said as senior advisor. 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:36.880 So seniors, older men have routines. What is your daily routine? 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:42.840 My my daily routine? You know, I come here, here's 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:46.560 eight o'clock every morning. You come here? Where is here 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:50.760 here to the building facility where where all the players are. Okay, 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.480 and uh, you know, go to breakfast, eat breakfast, and 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:57.440 come into my office. Um, I do have office here, 0:02:57.520 --> 0:02:59.440 you know, down the hall on the rest of the folks. 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:01.799 But I got all that's a good part about it. 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:04.040 And I can look out the one I can see 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:06.600 my car if I wanted to leave out the side 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:08.079 door when I get in my car and I leave. 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:12.600 Why you gotta go? Why you gotta Why do you 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:16.280 have to hit all of the stereotypes. You gotta make 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:21.240 sure you know our car is just in case. In case. Well, 0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:23.240 you know what, if it wasn't the truth, I wouldn't 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:28.960 say no. But but no, you know, I come in 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:32.079 and when the president is here, you know, I got 0:03:32.080 --> 0:03:33.639 a chance to go sit down with him to find 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:36.240 out what's going on for that week. And UM do 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:38.560 a lot of zoom with the other people who are 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:42.040 part of the sales and tickets and things like that 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:44.480 that are not housed here, A lot of them over 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:47.600 at the stadium. And that way you got to zoom 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:51.400 in and talk about what's happening daily. And hadn't been 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:54.360 on this side. So I'm learning a whole lot because 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:57.160 as being on the personnel side a little different than 0:03:57.200 --> 0:04:00.040 being on the side where people sell tickets and and 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:04.040 advertisement and everything else, and you just learn what they do. 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.200 So I'll be in the zoom listening to them. I mean, 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.480 I don't know a whole lot that that they do, 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:12.280 but I do listen and realize that that has to happen. 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:17.600 And um, you know, being alumnied as organization, um, the 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.520 president and and all other folks, they depend on myself 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:23.360 and a couple of guys to try to lead them 0:04:23.360 --> 0:04:27.320 into what this franchise is being over the years, and um, 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:29.599 you know, trying to tell him what's what's out there 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:32.200 from a fan base and what's good for for the 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:34.400 team and things like that and what not to do 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:38.160 because you know, remember we got everything has changed over 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:41.280 here with with Jason Wright being the president. We got 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:44.200 so many new people in here that they've never been 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:47.520 a part of this except for the last year. So 0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:49.960 so like a waking and weapon at home lunch and 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:53.000 that we have every year, Well, there's only two three 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:55.880 people in this whole organization on this side of the 0:04:56.240 --> 0:04:59.640 evolve that had been to a weapon at home. Uh, 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:04.120 so you got the blind leading the blind. Well, I 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:07.520 can see, so I'm trying to help them. So you're 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:09.919 trying to get my idea of what it's like, you know, 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:12.800 because everybody got different opinion how we can do this 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.400 and how we can do that. So what's the best 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:18.119 part of your routine, your daily routine that you enjoyed 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:21.280 the most. What's your favorite part, you know what going 0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:24.400 out and watching Like now we're in o T and 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:27.760 going out watching the guys and and run around and 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:30.400 doing things and see who might be the guy that 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:32.960 we might have to depend on this year. And you know, 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:36.240 being out there for anywhere from thirty five forty minutes 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:39.039 an hour and just just watching those guys you know, 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:42.200 walk around and you know, for me, football has always 0:05:42.240 --> 0:05:45.440 been part of my life. So therefore going to see 0:05:45.640 --> 0:05:49.240 these young guys do what they're gonna be asked to, dude, 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:52.240 during the season, it's it's it's really the most important 0:05:52.240 --> 0:06:01.400 part of my job. There's a lot of alumni from 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:07.120 Gramlins State, obviously including yourself. Let's just do a little test. 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:11.680 Do you know any other alumni from Gramlin State that 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:18.320 is air quotes notable besides your stuff? Ji Harris number one, 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:22.039 James Harris, Jack Harris played quarterback for the Rams ye 0:06:23.240 --> 0:06:28.320 before me. He's one of nineteen sixty nine. Yeah, Buffalo Bills. 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:32.080 You know, we got some guys. We just gotta make 0:06:32.080 --> 0:06:34.320 sure you know. You can't be proud if you don't know. 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:37.680 I mean, if they were with the Grammar I know. Okay, 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.480 and you got guys who passed on like Buck Buchanan 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.640 and Willard Davis and Learning Ladder. And then you got 0:06:44.640 --> 0:06:46.359 the Sammy White who was Rookie of the Year, you 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:51.080 got the um, you got Andrew Glove who played tight end, 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:55.800 and the Raiders. I'm saying, I'm trying to thank Jake, 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.080 you gott you had. Jake played wide receive with the 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:01.920 Minnesota Vikers, and of course you had Amazon Walls, who 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:07.880 played the Dallas Cowboys. How about well, let's read where 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:15.480 I'm going with football. But this is this is my podcast, 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:18.040 so I get to snag any name I want to. 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:25.520 I'm sorry, Steve, We're trying to We're trying to expound 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:30.560 on football, right, who can forget the captain man? Yeah? Okay, 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:37.400 how about let me go with the East Coast guy. Okay, yes, 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:43.840 he's a rapper beyond me now, but but he's already 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:46.480 been around for a long time. You can even throw 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:51.400 Eric about doing that if you want. Look at you. 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:55.240 I'm just you know, I got the strong and the 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:58.040 stronger one time with the strongest man in the world. 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:05.679 I like that. Okay, all right, last one, Charles Blow 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:09.600 New York Times. You're writing for New York New York Times. 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:12.160 Every time you look at more and he said he's 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:16.760 talking about the association, ye blowing. Yeah, okay, cool, I'm good. 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:19.680 I'm gone now. I just I wanted, I wanted to 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:24.320 expound on the alumni outside of football, and you know, 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:27.240 and and I agree with that, and I certainly appreciate 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:30.040 that man because if they went to Grammling and then 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:33.480 somebody I know him, and they got some some people 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:35.520 that are not somebody that I know Grammling, and you 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:38.719 probably wouldn't know. But that's Grammar is all about the 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:44.160 manto at Grammar is where everybody is somebody, and that's 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:48.200 the most important thing. There's so much about your story. 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.400 So I'll start off with where are you from? Um 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:54.719 in a place you call your hometown. Good. Yeah, I'm 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:58.920 from a small town in Louisiana, zach or Louisiana. That's 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:01.920 about twenty minutes, you know, kind of give you some proximity. 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:04.559 About twenty minutes north the Batton Rouge I on the 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:09.600 half from Natchez, Mississippi. Uh, listen, all town, and you 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:12.720 know everybody in that town. Knew everybody in that town. 0:09:12.760 --> 0:09:15.559 And I stayed outside the city limits exactly, so it 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:19.079 wasn't exactly. I was always outside. There's only two people 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:22.040 and Zachary that you probably would would know, and one 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:24.320 of them has passed away. That was lay On the 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:29.480 Clampets and and Doug Williams. So so we're two people 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:33.760 that's from Zachary, Louisiana. And you know it's small town. 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:35.680 And I try to get back as much as I 0:09:35.760 --> 0:09:39.400 possibly can. I still have two sisters down there and 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:44.120 three brothers and UM daughters and cousin Auntie and everybody. 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:46.720 So you know, zach we gonna always be my home. 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:49.400 So that's that's how I look at it. So growing 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:54.120 up in Zachary, Louisiana, what did you experience as as 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:58.760 as a young young Douglas growing up? Man? You know, 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:02.280 when the old the more I realized what it was like, 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:06.160 because during that time, um, it didn't seem like it. 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:08.760 It was like that because I didn't know no better. 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.600 I just knew what the rest of the community did 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:13.480 and what we had to do. And when your mom 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.240 tell you you can't walk those streets at night, you 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.240 got to get out, you know, up to we just 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:21.280 call it up the road, down the road where you're 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:24.360 going busy guys and people like that. But we couldn't 0:10:24.360 --> 0:10:26.440 do that once dark came, we had to get off 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:30.120 the street. And not knowing why until I got older, 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:33.560 and then all of a sudden, you know, every weekend, 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:36.920 you you had these guys. I lived in on Plank Road, 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:39.719 which was like it was a cross road half a 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:42.240 mile to my right, a half mile to my left, 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:44.880 and in between that was all. It was all black, 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:47.760 you know, everybody living there was was minorgas and black. 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:53.000 And they used to brun across every Friday on the corner. 0:10:53.720 --> 0:10:56.280 And not understanding, being being a young boy, didn't you 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:58.720 understand why they told you couldn't go out there. It 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.240 was a scare, a tactor, you know, it was. It 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:03.319 was more or less keeping them in. They played, let 0:11:03.360 --> 0:11:06.600 them know where they staying. You know, when I look 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:08.880 back at that's why they did it. And a lot 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:12.000 of the older men in the neighborhood would take off 0:11:12.040 --> 0:11:14.240 in their trucks and cars or whatever with their guns, 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:17.920 trying to catch whoever set the set the fire the 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.320 cross burner, because nobody knew when it was gonna happen, 0:11:20.440 --> 0:11:22.719 if it was gonna happen. So it wasn't like they 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:24.680 went down and said at the cross road. I'm sure 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:27.160 if they did, it wouldn't have happened. But they always 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:30.160 did it when nobody was around. But but if you know, 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:32.679 it's a reason why your mom your dad used to 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.040 tell you, hey, when you go to certain places, just 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:37.800 be careful and not really knowing that when you're young, 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:41.000 but when you got older, you realize that people tried 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:43.640 to scare you put the scare tactic because so many 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:46.040 things happening you're talking about. I was born in nineteen 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:49.440 fIF five Civil rights movement and all that peace movement, 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:53.400 so you understood what was happening to young black men 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:56.440 and women during their time where we kind of stayed 0:11:56.480 --> 0:11:59.280 off the road during that time, and they like, come, 0:11:59.400 --> 0:12:01.920 you know, we were back out there. But at the time, 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:05.040 you know, you knew what to do growing up, and 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:07.480 nobody had to tell you how to handle yourself. Because 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:11.520 your mom, your dad, your grandmother whoever had already hit 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:15.960 you to on them and they didn't stand around and 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:17.720 and and go over what it what it was like 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:22.480 being black a mom this time a year when Blue 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:25.079 Clug claimed everybody else was burning crows. They didn't sat 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:27.480 down and tell you that. They just told you to 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:31.800 be careful and what you couldn't do at the dark. Hmm. 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.320 So how did that shapehim? Mold you moving forward as 0:12:36.360 --> 0:12:40.040 a young man when you know what, Like, like I said, 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:43.520 now that I've gotten older and over the years, I 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:45.960 kind of understood what was like, but but during that 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.800 time I didn't. And the only thing we had to 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.360 do in that community was to hold on to sports 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.000 one night with baseball, basketball and football. And we had 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:58.440 so many young men, young guys in that neighborhood during 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:00.920 that time, you know, we did and that all day 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:03.040 when we wasn't at school, if it was out of school, 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:05.360 that's what we did all day. You know. We was 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:08.160 even chasing a baseball. We was over there playing touch 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:11.440 of whatever, football, tackle football, you name it. We was 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:14.120 doing that, and we was playing basketball. We didn't have 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:17.760 like they have today, a a you we didn't have 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:20.839 no no Y M c A and anything we played on. 0:13:22.480 --> 0:13:25.840 We played on dirt court and we didn't have a goal. 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.559 We took one of them twenty each rim and nailed 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:30.560 it on the board. And I mean we we found 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.160 a way to get it done growing up. So you know, 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:35.240 when I look back down and I see all the 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:37.640 things that these guys got men, and like, I got 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.120 two girls right now, younger girls. Don't know why I 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:44.960 did it, but I got two younger girls four teen 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:47.640 and sixteen. I don't know if you know. I know 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:49.600 you old, but I don't know if you know there's 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:53.720 something activities you do to get that now I'm learning. 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:58.360 But the thing about that they both played AU basketball 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:00.960 and every weekend I'm going on and I'm sitting there, man, 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:06.680 I'm saying to myself, I got too. I'm saying if 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:08.640 we would have had this growing up, I don't know 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:12.400 what I would have been. But but I'm enjoying watching them, 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:15.520 you know, and my my tenth grader, you know, she 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:18.320 was lucky enough the last few weeks to get offers 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:23.680 from Florida State, Maryland State and a bunch of playss. 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.680 So to me, that's that's what it's all about. But 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:29.000 we couldn't do that back then because we didn't have 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:32.160 no swimming pool now the neighborhood, we didn't have nowhere 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:35.200 to play basketball into that. So I grew up in 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:38.280 a tough era. But you made me and my brothers 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:41.200 and sisters. I think it made us and other people 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:48.240 around us better individuals. So you're you're one of eight children, 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:53.760 one of eight. You look at it, I'm the I'm 0:14:53.800 --> 0:15:06.000 the third youngest, or the sixth oldest, third youngest, the sixth. Yeah, 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.200 depending on what you did, it was either the sixth 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:12.880 oldest or the the he was just young. I was 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:14.960 just the third younger. It all appears how you look 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:17.440 at and um, you know, I look at it now. 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:21.440 The whole clans were all old. My oldest brother just 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:25.120 turned eighty one, and um, you know, my youngest brother 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:29.440 just turned sixty what sixty three years old? Sixty four? 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:33.080 And and I got one that's two years younger than me. 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:35.480 So we were all old. We but we we got 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:37.680 a bunch of kids. We got a bunch of nieces 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:40.800 and nephew that somebody has to take the rein like myself. 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.680 I got I got seven grandkids. I just had one 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:46.880 a couple of weeks ago. I got six boys and 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:50.120 one girl, grand grandkids, you know, so I'm looking for 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:56.640 over there. Man. That's that's that's exciting, It really is. 0:15:57.240 --> 0:16:02.280 So at what point as a young man did you 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:05.720 really start to see sports? Was it was the way out? 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:10.080 When when did it click for you? You know, I 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:12.720 used to be football wasn't in my life. I want 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:14.840 to know part of football, Steve. I wasn't as tough 0:16:14.840 --> 0:16:17.760 as you was. When I was a little boy. You know, 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.280 I didn't want to get hit. You know. I used 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:22.400 to say, hey, if I'm playing football with the boys 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:24.320 on the other and something, they always chose me for 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.840 some reading. The bigger balls always chose me. And I 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:29.160 told him I'm playing wide receiver. And during that time, 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:32.520 they're playing tackle football with no path and I would play, 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:37.080 why wide receiver. I couldn't run a lick, but I 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:40.080 played because I was gonna get in that contact. But 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:43.120 but now if it was baseball or basketball, you know, 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:45.760 I didn't mind. And and when I was like six 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:47.920 or seven grade basketball, it was a player in the 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.360 l s U during that time by the name of 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:54.600 Pisto Pee Merrick. And you know, I was playing middle 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:58.240 school basketball. I thought, I really thought I was Pisto Peak. 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:00.600 You know. I used to have big up his socks 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:03.840 hanging down my ankle. And when it came to playing, 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:06.359 I played no defense. So everybody get a rebound, I 0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:10.320 waved down, Hey, throw it to me, you know. So 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:13.640 that's what I did, and and and you know, and 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:17.800 and grew up and eventually, you know, going to my 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.359 ninth grade year probably taught me the biggest lesson in 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:24.280 my life, which and that was coach Lucas, who was 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:27.600 also the head football coach, was my junior voss to 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:33.160 the basketball coach, and we were playing the JB game 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:35.960 and we was beating somebody to death. You know. He 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:37.800 was about to score to a hundred, and he had 0:17:37.840 --> 0:17:39.600 the second team and at which I was on the 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:43.600 second team at that time, and and and everybody to 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:46.080 crowd to my weed want a hundred, We want a hundred, 0:17:46.320 --> 0:17:47.520 you know what I'm saying. We got to give him 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:49.600 a hundred. And the next thing I know, I heard, 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:54.000 I heard the home blowing. He substitute us, you know, 0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:56.480 with about three minutes left in the game, and game 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:59.280 not even close, and he put the starters back in, 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:04.280 and you know, I walked by and I said, say, 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:06.080 how the war a, you're gonna put a pull us 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:08.879 out during this time? And he didn't say anything. So 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:11.240 when the horn blew his time, he took me in 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:13.359 a dressing whom he said, young man, I'm the coach. 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:16.720 I make the decision. So I pulled my uniform off 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:18.480 of my shoe and not throw it in his face. 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:22.040 But what did I do that for? Because my oldest 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:25.080 brother just so having to be the vossitive basketball coach. 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:28.880 And so he came back there, and you know, back then, 0:18:28.960 --> 0:18:31.840 we didn't have when he took ping pong table, they 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:34.240 had what they call a horse that you set the 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:36.080 table on top of where he pulled one of the 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:39.280 boards off off that table and came back there with 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:41.920 that board. And I ain't gonna say it, but he did, 0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:46.000 but he did behind and made me go in and 0:18:46.240 --> 0:18:50.040 beg coach lucas partner, and I did. And eventually, you 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:51.800 know that towards the end of year, I ended up 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:53.600 being a start. And in that time that was the 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:56.600 biggest lesson that I learned. No matter how good you 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:58.360 thank you are, you're not as good as you are. 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.399 And I learned and that at that particular time. And 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:04.680 after that I became a mother citizen, a mate student 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:07.639 athlete and did what I had to do. Yeah you 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:11.560 know what they say, Yeah, a hard head make a 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:15.080 soft off behind period that a lot of time, Me too, 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:18.199 I didn't really hear a lot my my behind felt it. 0:19:19.520 --> 0:19:22.399 Well we did too, But you know, my mom was 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:25.520 was the enforcement. My dad was a little nicer. So 0:19:25.600 --> 0:19:28.320 when he did get you, he reminds you of everything 0:19:28.400 --> 0:19:30.639 you didn't do when he told you to do it. 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:38.080 He'd be whipping you and bringing out all that. You know, 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:40.800 you know what they call that now? What they call 0:19:40.840 --> 0:19:45.200 it child that childer being what I tell my girls 0:19:45.240 --> 0:19:47.640 that all times. And y'all talking about child abuse, let 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:50.040 me tell you something. Blessing my mama soul, bless my 0:19:50.119 --> 0:19:52.720 dad is. So if they we had a call and 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:55.560 they would still be locked up, Yeah, yeah, they wouldn't 0:19:55.600 --> 0:20:00.680 get out because underneath anything, my mom hand, her hand 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:04.159 would not extend your card. But not even when the 0:20:04.600 --> 0:20:07.880 lamp caves a baller, it don't matter. He was gonna 0:20:07.920 --> 0:20:13.040 get the iron cord before she plugged it in, Like 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:16.359 I got a whoop, and before the iron she ironed 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:18.720 her close and then with me again or fresh out 0:20:18.720 --> 0:20:22.439 of the shower, shout if you got one when you 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:24.600 was in the bed. Sleep Yeah, I got one of 0:20:24.600 --> 0:20:28.920 the best sleep listen. Almost cussed out of two because 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:33.800 that's how scared I got. I know. And see, my 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:35.760 dad used to have a bunch of dogs because he 0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:37.400 wasn't one of the guys that went hunting all the time. 0:20:38.160 --> 0:20:39.840 And he used to tell her, don't you run. He 0:20:39.880 --> 0:20:44.600 didn't even have to hold and we didn't don't know better. 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:46.720 He said, don't you run. I tell my dogs loots 0:20:46.720 --> 0:20:48.679 on you. And we just stood there and took it. 0:20:48.720 --> 0:20:50.960 And then when that weapon was over, what you did 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:53.880 when got a bun that cover? Because don't wemp man hurt? 0:20:54.000 --> 0:20:56.960 There wasn't no joke. It would hurt to sit down 0:20:57.000 --> 0:21:00.919 to school the next day. Were you I ain't go home. 0:21:00.960 --> 0:21:02.520 I ain't going to school and tell him I got 0:21:02.560 --> 0:21:04.040 a whip it because I could have took my shirt 0:21:04.080 --> 0:21:06.680 off his shoulder man whipped. But but I wouldn't know 0:21:06.800 --> 0:21:08.920 tell nobody I got a whipping. I thought, let warning 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:16.480 them that look good. Good individual. I love cut to 0:21:16.680 --> 0:21:20.000 it and I love it even more when you download 0:21:20.080 --> 0:21:23.440 us and subscribe and you can follow us on social 0:21:23.480 --> 0:21:26.480 media too, Smithie where where at that's at? Cut to 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:31.560 it on Instagram? What about Twitter? At? Cut to it Facebook? 0:21:32.320 --> 0:21:35.680 Cut to it featuring Steve Smith singr. What about online? 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:38.600 And you can follow us at cut to It podcast 0:21:38.720 --> 0:21:41.800 dot com where you can buy merch and you can 0:21:41.840 --> 0:21:45.280 subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got 0:21:45.320 --> 0:21:48.760 all my answers questions, Um, yeah, I got all my 0:21:49.000 --> 0:21:52.400 questions answered. That's what I'm here for. A brother, cut 0:21:52.480 --> 0:21:58.040 to a podcast dot com. How would you describe your dad? Wow? 0:21:58.880 --> 0:22:01.879 My dad was was a strong, worlding looking man of 0:22:01.960 --> 0:22:06.360 big hands, you know, big neck. He wasn't as tall 0:22:06.400 --> 0:22:08.720 as I was by six feet, but he was. He 0:22:08.880 --> 0:22:11.960 was built. You know. He told me, he told me 0:22:12.000 --> 0:22:15.200 this one time at that time you say, he said, 0:22:15.240 --> 0:22:17.480 look a white man told me one time, said, boy, 0:22:18.200 --> 0:22:20.000 your hand is big enough to go for that hunted 0:22:20.040 --> 0:22:22.560 with your with your fists. And my dad said he 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:24.760 told him, and say they got some little bails out there, 0:22:27.280 --> 0:22:29.960 you know, but that's what it was. And and my man, 0:22:30.160 --> 0:22:33.480 my dad was a strong straight in the bid, uh 0:22:33.760 --> 0:22:36.320 you know, on Friday nights. And and I'm gonna say this, 0:22:36.440 --> 0:22:39.400 my dad, he'll be all right with this. My dad 0:22:39.520 --> 0:22:43.600