1 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: I let you down, and had I been there, it 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: would have been different. And I said, you know what 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: gets me more than anything, I still think I can 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: play well. He's looking at me, and he said, why 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: don't you? 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 2: And I said, I'm fifty nine. And then it was 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 2: three four decades ago for me. 8 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: I knew that I couldn't change the past, but I 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: thought I can change the meaning of the past. If 10 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,159 Speaker 1: I can help a bunch of young men now and 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: substitute it for those guys that I let down, then 12 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: for me, that changes the meaning of my past. 13 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,919 Speaker 2: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. 14 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 2: I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father, 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 2: I'm an entrepreneur, and I'm a football coach in the 16 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 2: inner city Memphis. And the last part a few years 17 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 2: ago somehow led to an Oscar for a film about 18 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 2: team I coached. That movie's called Undefeated. I believe our 19 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: country's problems are never going to be solved by a 20 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 2: bunch of fancy people in nice suits using big words 21 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 2: that nobody ever uses on CNN and Fox, but rather 22 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: by an army of normal folks. Guys, that's us, just 23 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 2: you and me, deciting. Hey, you know what, maybe I 24 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 2: can help. Maybe I can be a solution. That's what 25 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 2: Mike Flint, the voice you just heard, has done. Mike 26 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 2: got kicked off as college football team for one too 27 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,839 Speaker 2: many fights, and he lived with the regret of letting 28 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 2: down his teammates for literally decades until he forged one 29 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 2: of the greatest redemption stories you'll ever hear, becoming the 30 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: oldest linebacker in the history of NCAA football at fifty 31 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 2: nine years old. He's the subject of Angel Studio's latest film, 32 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 2: The Senior, and I can wait for you to meet 33 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 2: him right after these brief messages from our general sponsors, 34 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 2: Mike Flint, Welcome to Memphis. Thanks glad to be here, coach. 35 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 2: How was the right down just from Nashville area? Right? 36 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 3: Oh, yeah, yeah, it's it's a great drive. 37 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: Drive. 38 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's gorgeous day. Fall is in the air. 39 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 2: That means football, That's right. It's like I was telling somebody, 40 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: this past weekend was my Christmas. You know, his first 41 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: weekend for football and high school football and college kickoff 42 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: and everything else. Falls in the air. That's my Christmas. Yeah, 43 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: I do like a kidney andy store when football starts 44 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: so thanks for joining us, everybody. Mike Flint is an 45 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: interesting dude, and you're gonna love his story. It's it's 46 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 2: a little outside of our normal service stories, although his 47 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 2: story is packed with service to his teammates and redemption candidly, 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: but we talk a lot about on the Army and 49 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 2: normal Folks, how it's never too late and Army and 50 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 2: Normal Folks is about normal people you've never heard of, 51 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: doing extraordinary things in their communities, and we tell the 52 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 2: stories trying to inspire our listeners to understand that if 53 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: this average normal person can do something, we'll soak in 54 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: you and there's no need to have trepidation or fear. 55 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 2: All you need is a little bit of courage where 56 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: you match your passion and your abilities an area of 57 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 2: need and do things that hopefully inspire others. And then 58 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: one of the taglines to that that Alex and I 59 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: always talk about, it's never too late. Doesn't matter if 60 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 2: you're sixty and had involved yourself in some philanthropic project 61 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 2: you can. It doesn't matter if you think the opportunities 62 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 2: have passed you by to do extraordinary things. As long 63 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 2: as you wake up and the sun's up and there's 64 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 2: your lungs. It's never too late to make a difference 65 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: in your world, and I think you're the epitome of that. 66 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: I can't even believe I'm saying this. Mike Is And 67 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: I remember your story. I remember watching on ESPN and 68 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 2: thinking you were half out of your mind but also 69 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 2: cool and crazy too. Mike Flint, everybody is the oldest 70 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 2: linebacker in the history of NCAA football. At fifty nine 71 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: years old. He used his last year of college eligibility 72 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: playing for Sullivan Ross State effectually known as Soul Ross 73 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 2: State in Alpine, Texas. There have been people that have 74 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 2: kicked and punted that were old, but this dude played 75 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 2: the linebacker. He is now the subject of Angel Studio's 76 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 2: latest film, The Senior, which is in theaters on September nineteenth. 77 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 2: And I think it's opening in your hometown of Franklin, 78 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 2: tennes See. Right, Oh yeah, which is awesome. 79 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, ideos, it really is. You know, that's pretty special. 80 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: So we're going to get to your story, and we're 81 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 2: going to start at the beginning, because I think a 82 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 2: lot of the way you came up really unpacks what 83 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 2: you ended up doing. But you also wrote a book, 84 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 2: and the book is titled The Senior My Amazing Year 85 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 2: as a fifty nine year old college football linebacker. I 86 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 2: just I can't even match. I just turned fifty seven, 87 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 2: and I think if somebody hit me hard right now, 88 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 2: I would disintegrate fifty nine. But to give everybody a 89 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 2: glimpse into the world of the book, your story, the movie, 90 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 2: and what led to it all, I think I'm going 91 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 2: to read the ford to your book. It was written 92 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: by this some guy named Lebron Shames, some dude named 93 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 2: Lebron James, that was him. Yeah, before I read it. 94 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: How did Lebron James write the forward of your book? 95 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 2: How'd you make that connection? 96 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: Lebron and his Maverick Carter, who was manager of lr 97 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: MR Marketing, contacted me during the season that you know, 98 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: amazing season that I had in two thousand and seven, 99 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: approached me about coming back to Cleveland to a game, 100 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: watched Lebron play. They wanted to talk to me about 101 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: a management contract. 102 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 2: Very cool. 103 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: So that's how the relationship started. And then it was 104 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: in two thousand and eight, after I had signed a 105 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: management agreement with Lebron's company that I was working with 106 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: Don Yaeger that was co writing my book with me, 107 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: and we reached out to Lebron asked if he would 108 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: you know, we sent him some you know, act chapters, 109 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: you know, from the book, so he would get an 110 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: idea of where things were going with it. And he 111 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: loved it, and he said absolutely he had write the forward. 112 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 2: So here's what Lebron James writes. When I grab a 113 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: book or magazine in search of a little mental escape, 114 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 2: I'm always looking for a good story. I want to 115 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 2: read about others who have overcome obstacles, about people who 116 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: have shown that limits are something you place on yourself. 117 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 2: I read to be inspired. That's what drew me to 118 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 2: the story of a fifty nine year old man trying 119 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 2: to make a college football team in South Texas. As 120 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 2: soon as I read the story in a magazine, I 121 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 2: wanted to know more about him and why he was 122 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: taking the risk. The more I learned about Mike Flint, 123 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 2: the more I wanted to learn. The more of the 124 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 2: story I knew, the more I wanted to help him 125 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 2: tell it. When I started my management company in two 126 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 2: thousand and five with childhood friends, I knew exactly what 127 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: I wanted to do. I wanted our approach to be 128 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 2: seen as visionary in the business world and totally different 129 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 2: than any other management company out there. I had complete 130 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 2: confidence in my plan, but I knew I needed to 131 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 2: surround myself with people who shared my values, people of 132 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 2: character who inspire and help others to be better. That's 133 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 2: why Mike Flynn's story is one that I chose to 134 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 2: highlight as the first of many we hoped to be 135 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 2: associated with our company. Mike never gave up his dream, 136 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 2: even at fifty nine. He never allowed anyone to take 137 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: away that dream, no matter how old he was or 138 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 2: what he went through, and that's why I was so 139 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: inspired by his termination. I first first met Mike at 140 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 2: one of my Cleveland Cavaliers home games in November of 141 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 2: two thousand and seven. I had a chance to talk 142 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 2: to Mike after the game, and I told him I 143 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 2: thought he had an incredible story. To return to college 144 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 2: and finish his long delayed senior season of football after 145 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,319 Speaker 2: nearly four decades was amazing to me. Here was a 146 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 2: grandfather who was eight years older than his head coach 147 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 2: and had two children older than his team mates. Readings 148 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 2: Mike's story reminded me a lot of my own story. 149 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 2: Had many obstacles, to overcome in my youth, and like Mike, 150 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 2: always believed that one day my dreams hauld come true. Still, 151 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 2: there are so many people across the country who need 152 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 2: what Mike has to offer in this book to help 153 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 2: them win their own personal vitals. I'm about the same 154 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 2: age as many of Mike's most recent college teammates, so 155 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 2: I can relate to the impact he had in their lives. 156 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 2: I know that in my busy life someone might tell 157 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 2: me something valuable and it may go in one ear 158 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 2: and out the other. But when you tell me a 159 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 2: great story, you have my attention. This is not just 160 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 2: a feel good story. This is a story of redemption 161 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 2: and giving back. Pretty high praise from Lebron James. 162 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 3: Well, it was very humbling in what he wrote. 163 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: And the thing about about Lebron that kindred spirit that 164 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: we had. As I said, I spent a lot of 165 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: time with Maverick, and Maverick grew up with Lebron, and 166 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 1: Maverick told me about an. 167 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 2: Eight year old boy. 168 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 3: The first day of third grade. 169 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: The teacher had everybody sit down and she passed out 170 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: a three by five card everybody in the class, and 171 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: she told them she wanted to just number one, two 172 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: three on the card. Put their name on that card, 173 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: just number one, two three, and then write down their 174 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: first choice or second choice and their third choice for 175 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: what they wanted to do when they finished with their schooling, 176 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: and pass passed the cards. 177 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 3: Forward, and she would talk about them. Well. 178 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: She was going through the cards, talking about different occupations 179 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: that the kids had written down and how much schooling 180 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: was required for those different occupations, and then she comes 181 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: to this one card and she looks at it. 182 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 2: She looks at the class. She looks back at the. 183 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: Card and she said, Okay, someone has written NBA, NBA, 184 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: NBA for all three choices. He should I need to 185 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: know who wrote this card. And he raised his hand 186 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: and she said, first of all, you have any idea 187 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: how difficult it is to make it in the NBA, 188 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: to even make the college basketball team, but to make 189 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: it in the NBA is almost impossible. And she said, 190 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: you've got it listed as all three of your choices. 191 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: Why is it all three of your choices? And he said, 192 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: for me, there are not any other choices. That's what 193 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to do. Lebron James knew when he was 194 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: eight years old what he wanted to do and he 195 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: was sold out to it and living on the streets, 196 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: the things that he went through as a young boy. 197 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: To date, he has no idea who his dad is. 198 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 1: He had no idea he was going to be six 199 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: or nine weigh two hundred and fifty pounds. His mother, 200 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: I've met his mother, a small woman. 201 00:11:59,480 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 2: You know. 202 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 1: Lebron was always studying, always took care of class work, 203 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: but he was always on a basketball court somewhere, no 204 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: matter where he lived, in different Foster homes, there were 205 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: a group of people that actually took care of him. 206 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,079 Speaker 3: But out of high school he was drafted. 207 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: Number one by the Cleveland Calvaliers. And so, you know, Lebron. 208 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: Whenever Lebron wrote what he did in my forward, I 209 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: didn't appreciate it to the degree that I did after 210 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: Maverick told me that story, and then it took on 211 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: a whole new meaning for me, because this was a 212 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: guy that everything he described in me, he was basically himself. 213 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 3: He was in spades. 214 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 2: You know that he just saw so much of his 215 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 2: relentless pursuit of his goals in the story of a 216 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 2: fifty nine year old guy Inlet's pursuit. 217 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 3: Of this, And I was so honored umbled by what 218 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 3: he wrote. 219 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: He's just he's an amazing guy. 220 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 2: And now a few messages from our gender sponsors. But first, 221 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: I hope you'll consider signing up to join the army 222 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: at normal folks dot us. By signing up, you'll receive 223 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 2: a weekly email with short episodes summaries in case you 224 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 2: happen to miss an episode, or if you prefer reading 225 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 2: about our incredible guests, we'll be right back. Pretty cool. 226 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 2: That sets up your story already. Our listeners are going, Bill, 227 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 2: are you talking to a crazy person? And yeah, I 228 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 2: think all of us have a little crazy in us, 229 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 2: but you have to be a little crazy to just 230 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 2: go after it. But set us up. Even how your 231 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,479 Speaker 2: parents met kind of an interesting story, I think, and 232 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,319 Speaker 2: kind of how they met and where you come from 233 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 2: and how you were raised, because I think that's your 234 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 2: maine to a lot of what happened later in your 235 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,079 Speaker 2: life when you're married. Yeah. 236 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: Absolutely, My dad was born and raised in in Mississippi. 237 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 2: Old Miss. I'm an Old Miss guy. Yeah, And but 238 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 2: I think he was from Hattisburg, so he was alster 239 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 2: to Southern miss Yeah. 240 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: Well, you know, he had a third grade education and 241 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: so you know he loved He loved football and always 242 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: thought that he would be a good football player, but 243 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: that was never in the cards for him. World War Two, Uh, 244 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: you know, he enlisted, was shipped to England in preparation 245 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: for the D Day invasion. During that time period they 246 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: were there for almost a year. He met my mother. 247 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: She's I was born in Nottingham, raised there. 248 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 2: In Robin Hood And yeah, is that not? Is that 249 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 2: the same Nottingham same, noting him, Yeah, I'll be that go. Yeah. 250 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 3: And uh, so they met in London. 251 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: He came in on uh you know, various they would 252 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: get time off leave or whatever and they would they 253 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: would come into to London. And he always told me 254 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: that she was like porcelain doll. The first time you 255 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: ever saw her, he just you know, he absolutely fell 256 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: in love with her English rose. Yeah, and so uh 257 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: they uh spent a lot of time together and then 258 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: he was shipped out for D Day. Uh went over 259 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: uh the D Day in Normandy. Uh then on into 260 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 1: the Battle of the Bulge and he. 261 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 2: Was with your father was in the Battle of the Bulow. Yeah. 262 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: He ended up losing a leg to the uh injuries 263 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: he had from the Battle of the Bulge and but 264 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: he was shipped back to London for rehab, and he 265 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: reconnected with mother and uh they got married. Then he 266 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: would shipped back to the US. Mother had to wait 267 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: until the wives and children and whatnot of soldiers and 268 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: American soldiers that had married married foreign women. 269 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 3: Could be before they could be shipped. 270 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 2: To the US. 271 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: And I remember him telling me that he received a 272 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: telegram that morning saying when mother would be in, when 273 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: the boat would be getting in and in New York. 274 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: And he received a telegram that night saying that Patricia, 275 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: their daughter, had been run over and killed by a 276 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: truck in England. 277 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 2: And England, yeah, your sister. 278 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, my older sister. Yeah, how old was she she was? 279 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: She was only uh two, She just had started walking 280 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: and she my aunt was watching her. 281 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 3: Reconstruction was going on. 282 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: It was just chaos all over London and mother was working. 283 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: Patricia got out, a truck backed over and killed her, 284 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: and so terrible. 285 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 3: My mother. 286 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: Left her country, everybody that she knew, moved to a 287 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:22,479 Speaker 1: foreign country with only my dad there. And my dad's 288 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 1: family did. 289 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 2: Not accept her because she was English. 290 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,439 Speaker 1: Because she was foreign. They felt like she had basically 291 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: tricked my dad into a relationship in marrying her. 292 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 3: But it wasn't. 293 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: Until I was probably five six years old that I 294 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: kept looking at this little girl picture of little girl 295 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: on my mom's dresser, and I knew it wasn't my 296 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: older sister. And I knew it wasn't my younger sister, 297 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: and so I asked my mom, I said, who is 298 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 1: this little girl? And then she sent me down and 299 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: told me about Patricia what I just shared with you. 300 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: And that was the first time that I realized my 301 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 1: people have asked me, you know, throughout my life, you know, 302 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: who are your heroes? You know, It's never been a 303 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: doubt in my mind, it's my mom. It's always been 304 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: my mom because of everything that she went through, what 305 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: she was able to overcome and deal with u through 306 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: the loss of her daughter and moving to a foreign 307 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: country where she wasn't you know, embraced with open arms. 308 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 1: And I've never known anyone that worked as hard as 309 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: she did. You know, worked two jobs, and she was 310 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: always happy, always. You know, she was the favorite of 311 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 1: all my friends. They love just sit and listen to 312 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: her talk. 313 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 2: Engli. 314 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, and uh, it was it was so funny that 315 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: she taught us all how to play play cards, and 316 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: the guys had come over and they mom had to 317 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,159 Speaker 1: be there to play it, mainly because they wanted to 318 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: get their money back. 319 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 2: It's interesting I think of this, this rough and tumble 320 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,680 Speaker 2: guy from Mississippi with a third grade education who came 321 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 2: up blue collar and probably with very little means and 322 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 2: the Battle of the Bulge and all the toughness that 323 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 2: you think of when you think about but in hindsight, 324 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 2: maybe it's your mom with the real toughness she was. 325 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:37,959 Speaker 3: She was amazing, she really was. 326 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: But that that was how my my parents got together. 327 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: My dad worked in a cabinet shop there in Hattisburg 328 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: and things were slow and he was hearing about West 329 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 1: Texas and the old boom that they were having out there, 330 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 1: and you know, people needed cabinets, and so he loaded up. 331 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 3: They moved Odessa. 332 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 2: It doesn't get any more west than it. 333 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: Does not, so we were right in the middle of 334 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: the old fields and uh. 335 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 2: But that's that's high school football country, right. Yeah. A religion. 336 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, we didn't know that at the time. 337 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: After we got there, you know, it was it was 338 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 1: still not a parrot at that time, but it was 339 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,879 Speaker 1: big because we put the pads on in the third grade. 340 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: When I was in the third grade, they had the 341 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: head Hunter Award and it was a new helmet. There 342 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: were three guys selected off the third grade team that 343 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: got new helmets if they were a head hunter. And 344 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: I got one of those helmets. I got one of 345 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:49,640 Speaker 1: those helmets. 346 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 2: And uh, you know, I think I read or Alex 347 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:57,360 Speaker 2: told me or something that your dad actually had you 348 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 2: boxing at six or seven years old. 349 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, he. My dad loved me very much. And 350 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: my uncles, his three brothers, told me after I was, 351 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: you know, a young man grown in my twenties, in 352 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: talking with them, how World War II had changed him 353 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: and that he was a totally different man when he 354 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: came back from. 355 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,880 Speaker 2: And they certainly didn't have what they have for service 356 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 2: members today in terms of mental health help. It was 357 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,959 Speaker 2: called shell shock back then, and you just gritched your 358 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 2: teeth and buried it. Yeah. 359 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: Well, what he did is he he took so many 360 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: things that he learned in the military, and he felt 361 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 1: like that it was his responsibility in West Texas because 362 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 1: you've got cowboys out there in abundance, you've got the 363 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: roughnecks in the oil field, and then you got football. 364 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 3: It's tough, and so, yeah, there's there's fistfights. 365 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I mean it's a it's a regular occurrence 366 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: West Texas at that time. And so he he's gonna 367 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: train me. And when I was six, he handed me 368 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,199 Speaker 1: I can't call me in. I was out playing with 369 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: some of the neighborhood guys. They'd call me in and hem, 370 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 1: he boxing clothes and we started that day. It went 371 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: on for seven years. And at time he called it 372 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: boxing and I was young, but I was pretty sure 373 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: what we were doing was fighting. 374 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 3: Really Uh yeah, yeah, he because. 375 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 2: What did your mom say about all that? 376 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:38,160 Speaker 1: She would intervene some Yeah, when blood, when my nose 377 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: would be bleeding, or he'd bust my mouth, and uh, 378 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: she would step in and she'd get upset and everything. 379 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: He would, you know, get him a drink of beer 380 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: and say he's tough enough, he can take this. 381 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 3: And I could. 382 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: I was always okay, I you know, I knew that 383 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: I could. But we we boxed for uh for. 384 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 2: Seven years, no kidding. 385 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: Now, But Bill, the thing that had the most lasting 386 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: impact on me was it wasn't the physical training. 387 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 3: It was the mental training. We would sit. 388 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 1: Sometimes for hour two hours, and he would I called 389 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: it mind games. I named it that years later, but 390 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: he just called it being ready, and he would sit 391 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: and groom me. Here, I'm eight, nine, ten years old. 392 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: The only bar I've ever been in is at the 393 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: American Legion. One that'd take us out there with them. 394 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: He would start telling me about where I needed to sit. 395 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 3: If I go in. 396 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 1: Someplace and there's a crowd of people and there's people drinking, 397 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 1: you sit. 398 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 2: In your booth. To the law, you sit in the booth. 399 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: You don't sit on the inside. You sit on the 400 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: outside where you can get on your feet. 401 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 3: You never respond. 402 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 1: If you're sitting down as somebody says something and to you, 403 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: you sit there and just ignore it whatever they say 404 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: until they step away where you can get on your feet. 405 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: It was always about positioning and things that I would 406 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: need to do to recognize who troublemakers were, because Daddy was. 407 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: He was hard and fast about troublemakers. He said, if 408 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 1: I hear of you starting to fight. 409 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 3: Well you're getting whipping when you get home. 410 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: And if I hear somebody starting to fight with you 411 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 1: and you don't fight, you're getting a whipping you get. 412 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 3: So if you fight and don't win. 413 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 2: You're getting a whipping you get home. 414 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 3: And so I had to mind, don't start to fight. 415 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:39,360 Speaker 2: If someone starts with you, you better win, got to win, 416 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 2: otherwise you're getting a whipping. 417 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:41,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right. 418 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,880 Speaker 2: It's old school yeah stuff. 419 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 1: And I never ever condone the idea of me justifying 420 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: starting to fight. 421 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 3: It wasn't there. That just it's it's not there. 422 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: But if somebody needs your help, if you you see somebody, 423 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: one of your sisters or somebody somebody's bullying them or 424 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: trying to hurt them, you better jump in. You better 425 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 1: take care of business. 426 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 2: We will be right back, you know. On the face 427 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 2: of it. When I heard you boxed from six to 428 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 2: thirteen with your dad, here's an admission. I boxed. I 429 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 2: wasn't six or eight. I was more thirteen fourteen, and 430 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 2: I actually enjoyed it. It made me more confident attendidly 431 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 2: because I didn't really fear getting into a fight because 432 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 2: i'd been hit. I know what it tastes like to 433 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,159 Speaker 2: munch on aluminum foil. If you've ever been hit in 434 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,120 Speaker 2: the face, you know what that taste tastes like. And 435 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 2: I wasn't great, but I felt like some jackass on 436 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 2: the road. I could defend myself, you know, So that 437 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,880 Speaker 2: was good, and so I wanted my children to learn. Well, 438 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 2: I wasn't going to box with them, but I did 439 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 2: buy my kids boxing gloves when they were eleven and 440 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 2: just had to spar with each other, and Lisa would 441 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:17,880 Speaker 2: come out raising hell if anybody got a bloody lift. 442 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 2: But I just wanted them to learn how to just 443 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,679 Speaker 2: be able to defend themselves and everything else. And we 444 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 2: had some of the same rules. You never start anything, 445 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 2: but I don't think I took it to the extreme 446 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 2: your dad did. But anyway, on the face of it, 447 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 2: it seems extreme, but candidly when I hear the rules, 448 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 2: they're just old school do the right thing rules. Really. 449 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: He was so clear in the pictures that he painted 450 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: and where I wasn't here. Again, I'm a kid. I've 451 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: never been in a bar, you know, I don't know, 452 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: but he had been in plenty of them. And then 453 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: he would tell me stories about different things that he 454 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: had done, fights that he had been in, how he 455 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: won those fights that maybe he should never have won. 456 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: And so I had all this stuff that I was 457 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: processing and and I learned that it didn't start to 458 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: kick in for me until Actually, I was almost out 459 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,199 Speaker 1: of high school because I never drank. I was I 460 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: was such a puritan in my body and working so 461 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: hard always to try to improve myself that the last 462 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 1: thing I was going to do was drink, you know, alcohol, 463 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: you know of any kind. But then when I stepped 464 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: into that environment, into that world, all of that came back, 465 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: all of those mind games, all those things, and I 466 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 1: began to find myself. When I'd walk in someplace, I 467 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: could tell you in five minutes where the troublemakers were. Really, 468 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: I could tell I could pick them out. I atually 469 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: was or a bad thing. 470 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 2: Well it was. 471 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,719 Speaker 3: From from a mental standpoint, it was. 472 00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: It was a good thing when I learned to channel, 473 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:03,239 Speaker 1: because there were so many of the other areas that 474 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: I could use that same technique that same I did 475 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 1: it in football, I had twenty four tackles in one game. 476 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,880 Speaker 1: But what I finally learned to do as a linebacker 477 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: is once I had game film which I could watch 478 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: the offense in the quarterback, then I have my own 479 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,880 Speaker 1: game films. I have my own mind games that I'm playing. 480 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: Every step that I make. Everything that I. 481 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 3: Do is successful. 482 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:35,919 Speaker 1: I sacked that quarterback again and again, I get into coverage, 483 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: I intercept passes, I do all of that in preparation. 484 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: So now when I go out on the field, I've 485 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: already got this mental approach. 486 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 2: It's funny I've always talked to when I coach football, 487 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 2: I almost think mental reps are more important than physical 488 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 2: reps in a football game. 489 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's especially first score players. You know the 490 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: thing about the mental reps as you always. 491 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 2: Win, That's right, you win. 492 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: Now, you win every time, and the mental reps you 493 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: can do again and again, and once you become disciplined 494 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: in it, you take advantage of those opportunities where you're 495 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 1: alone to do just that. And it served me well 496 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 1: in that regard. There were other times that I feel 497 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: like in looking back on my life and people have 498 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: asked me if I regretted a lot of the things 499 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: my dad did, and I don't. I really don't, because 500 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: of God working all things, you know, together for good. 501 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: And you know that verse train of a child and 502 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: the way she go when even when he's old, and 503 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: I'll not depart from it. 504 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 3: Well, that's a double edged sword that is do ed. 505 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: And so you know that was something as I got older, 506 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: and particularly when I got it and my relationship with 507 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 1: the Lord. I had to change some things about the 508 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: way that I looked at things. I could no longer 509 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: walk in a room and start saying, okay, that negative 510 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 1: approach that when I was younger was dominant. 511 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 2: Had to retrain your brain. 512 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 1: The last thing that I was going to allow happen 513 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: was to someone surprise me. I knew better than to 514 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: walk into that environment and not know who it was 515 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: that I was going to be dealing with. 516 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 2: So you were thirteen and you had your last boxing 517 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,959 Speaker 2: match right with her dad? How'd that? Why was thirteen 518 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 2: the magic number? 519 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: It was really baseball game of the week. It was 520 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: a Saturday that he was trying to watch. He was 521 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: still down on his knees boxing with me because I 522 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: was too I was still too small for him the box. 523 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 1: With standing up, I begin to notice that every time 524 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 1: that he would look over. 525 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 3: At the TV set, he had separated his guard. 526 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:54,479 Speaker 1: And so you know, I set my feet and I waited, 527 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: and he looked, and I unloaded on him. I mean 528 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: I hit him full and flushing the side of the face, 529 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: and he had to catch hisself keep them falling, and 530 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 1: he got up, shook off his gloves and looked at 531 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: me and he said, Okay, that's it. You know, you're 532 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: not big enough for me to box with standing up, 533 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 1: You're too big meet a box with on my knees. 534 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 1: He said, we're not We're not boxing. 535 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 2: You trained up well enough. Yeah. So then high school football, Yeah, 536 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 2: tell me about your world and high school football. 537 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: Well, we had a group of coaches that had been 538 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: there for a couple of years at Permian High School. 539 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 2: That's Friday night lights. Yeah, yeah, the real live Friday 540 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 2: night lights, the real deal. Wow. 541 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 1: And so I was not getting the attention that I 542 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: felt like that I should have because of the player 543 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 1: that I felt. 544 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 3: Like that I was. 545 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: But I was at that time. I was maybe five eight, 546 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: about one hundred and forty pounds, And. 547 00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 2: You might have been Hilasius in high school, but that 548 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 2: doesn't equate Division one tight linebacker. 549 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 3: Now, and well I was a defensive back in. 550 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 2: High but still even so, yeah, five eight, you know, 551 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 2: they there's just not a lot of five eight guys 552 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 2: playing Division one Division one football. 553 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: And going into my senior year, Jeen Mayfield comes in, 554 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: they fire the whole coaching staff. Jeen Mayfield comes in 555 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:31,760 Speaker 1: and calls a meeting, team meeting, he tells us. He said, Okay, 556 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 1: we're gonna be a defensive football team. If you can't 557 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 1: score on us, you can't beat us. So we're gonna 558 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: play defense. And he said, I want to tell you 559 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 1: right now the stories I've been hearing about this football 560 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: team and the players on this team. The country club 561 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: set is what people call you sit around the pool 562 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: and drink beer. He said, no more. He said, You're 563 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: gonna everybody in this room is going to have chance 564 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 1: to start on this football team. Everybody's gonna have to 565 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 1: prove that they have earned their spot. The minute he 566 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 1: said that, I thought, Okay, this is all I've been 567 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 1: waiting for. I was the starting defensive back, all district 568 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 1: defensive back on that first state championship football team at 569 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: Permian High School that started Mojo and that winning tradition 570 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:31,720 Speaker 1: that inspired the book in the movie Friday Night Lights. 571 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 2: No kidding, Yeah that is so cool. Yeah all right, 572 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 2: so football, you're in it. You're taking care of your 573 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 2: body everything else, and you want to go play college ball. Yeah. 574 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 1: I don't have a lot of guidance at home. Daddy's 575 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: a workaholic. Mom works as well, and you know, they're 576 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: so excited about me, and I've got multiple scholarship offers 577 00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: and I ended up going to a junior college. 578 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. 579 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: One day at practice, we were having the coach Coach 580 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: Hensley and in fact, Coach Hensley is going to be 581 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 1: my last living high school coach is coming to the premiere. 582 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: Uh soetemporary and say, yeah. He called me yesterday. Uh, 583 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:17,359 Speaker 1: he's gonna be able to be he and his wife 584 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:18,800 Speaker 1: are gonna be able to make it to the premiere. 585 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:19,960 Speaker 2: That's fantastic. 586 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,320 Speaker 1: But he called me, I'd already, you know, finished my eligibility. 587 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: We won state championship and they were having spring practice 588 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,760 Speaker 1: and he uh called me into the into the coach's 589 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,359 Speaker 1: office that morning and he said, do you think you'd 590 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:37,359 Speaker 1: have time to come out to practice early today? We 591 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 1: need a defense. We need some guys to play defense. 592 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 1: We're going to have you know, running backs and everything 593 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,760 Speaker 1: going through drills and we want somebody. I want somebody 594 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: to pop them. And they said you've come out here. 595 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 1: I said, huge, Yeah, absolutely, I love to see that. 596 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 3: So I'm out there. Well, coach Robinson from University of. 597 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 1: Houston is there and I didn't I had no idea 598 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 1: he was there Billy Dale, all state running back that 599 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 1: we had that was a all conference running back at 600 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 1: the University of Texas on their national championship team. 601 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 3: They handed him the ball. 602 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,640 Speaker 1: It was a you know, a fake pass, the hand 603 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 1: off to the running back, and I read it, you know, 604 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,400 Speaker 1: and I mean I was at full tilt when he 605 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: hit the line of scrimmage and he went one way, 606 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:27,320 Speaker 1: ball went the other and anyway. I jumped up and 607 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 1: they were helping Billy Dale up and I looked and 608 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 1: Coach Robinson was walking off. He just left left practice 609 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: and I thought, well, that's weird. Did he just get 610 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: to leave practice? 611 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,319 Speaker 2: I think that's all he needed. I said, it was it. 612 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:43,919 Speaker 1: Coachingsley came up to me after practice, he said, Coach 613 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,880 Speaker 1: Robinson said that you've got a full ride University of Houston. 614 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 3: He said that one tackle was all he needed to see. 615 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:53,759 Speaker 3: He said, the year's guy, Well, I ended up going 616 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:55,240 Speaker 3: to Ranger Junior College. 617 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,880 Speaker 2: Why didn't you go to Houston? G I r L 618 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 2: I'll do it. Yeah, yeah, And that is not an acronym. 619 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 3: I'm telling you it was. 620 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: It was one of the stupidest decisions that I've ever made, 621 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:15,360 Speaker 1: because I had other offers too, you know, and where 622 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 1: well Arkansas and uh then s m U. 623 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,720 Speaker 2: You could have played at s m U or Arkansas Houston. 624 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,400 Speaker 2: You went to junior college over a g I. 625 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 3: R L Coach Fry told me at at s m U. 626 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 2: Hayden Fry, Well there's a that's a legend. 627 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, he said, you can play. You can play 628 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: for us. He said, uh, have you had any other offers? 629 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: And I said, yeah, I just got an offer from 630 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: the University of Houston. He said, University of Uston offered, 631 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,440 Speaker 1: made you a full offer. And I said yes, sir, 632 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: And he said, can will you come to s m U. 633 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: And I said, well, you know, I see, I have 634 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: all these plans with this girl, and she was going 635 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 1: to go to a junior college. I was going to 636 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: go to the junior college and then we were going 637 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: to go off together. And so that last one semester 638 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 1: I went to this junior college and it was a nightmare, 639 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:09,879 Speaker 1: it really was. But the thing about it was is 640 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:14,360 Speaker 1: I met for the first time, I met a bunch 641 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:18,720 Speaker 1: of black athletes that see, I had never in West Texas. 642 00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 1: We didn't have any black athletes playing on any of 643 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: our teams. 644 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:27,239 Speaker 2: Well, there weren't many black people in West Texas. Noway no. 645 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 1: But so I get to range your junior college and 646 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 1: we've got half of our team or black guys, and 647 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,840 Speaker 1: then we've got the basketball players that are all black, 648 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 1: that most of them are from New York. 649 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:42,240 Speaker 3: And so this is a whole new. 650 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 2: Life for me. 651 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 1: Here's a kid that's dad is from Mississippi, that's raised him. 652 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: So all of a sudden, I'm in this environment. It 653 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: was amazed. I realized that all the things that I'd 654 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: been told as a young man about that in the 655 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 1: racial issues, it was a lie. It was all a lie. 656 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:06,880 Speaker 1: It totally changed me as a man and as a person. 657 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:11,960 Speaker 1: And so that one semester, you know, I said, was 658 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: a absolutely abysmal decision from a athletics standpoint. It was 659 00:38:18,719 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: one of those life lesson opportunities that I wouldn't trade 660 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:24,000 Speaker 1: for anything. 661 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:25,359 Speaker 2: It was. 662 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 3: It was amazing. 663 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 2: And that concludes part one of my conversations with Mike Flint, 664 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,799 Speaker 2: and trust me, you don't want to miss part two. 665 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 2: It's now available to listen to. Together, guys, we can 666 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 2: change this country, but it starts with you. I'll see 667 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:43,359 Speaker 2: in part two