WEBVTT - Austin Ekeler + Clinton Portis + And NFL Insider Adam Schefter | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders | NFL 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:03.000 Welcome in command his family. This is the Next Man 0:00:03.080 --> 0:00:05.400 Up Podcast. I'm Brian Corber Junior. And we will have 0:00:05.720 --> 0:00:08.200 Austin Eckler come in and talk about his tandem with 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:11.719 b Rob. We will have the legend Clinton imports talking 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:13.960 about what he's doing these days and what is so 0:00:14.040 --> 0:00:17.239 different about the things going on here in Washington. Then 0:00:17.440 --> 0:00:19.520 we had to get you an NFL insider with all 0:00:19.560 --> 0:00:22.520 the things happening. Adam Schefter joins the show. All that 0:00:22.560 --> 0:00:28.520 and more starts right now on Next Man Up too. 0:00:35.080 --> 0:00:37.400 Comn his family. Welcome into the Next. 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:39.800 Man Up Podcast. I am your host, Brian Colbert Junr. 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:42.320 And our next Man Up is our new running back 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:44.360 and in the league for a minute. 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:46.120 It's only getting better. 0:00:46.159 --> 0:00:48.760 His shirt even says it one percent better every day. 0:00:48.800 --> 0:00:50.840 Welcoming in Austin Eckler. 0:00:50.880 --> 0:00:53.320 Brother, you having man I appreciate you having me on. 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.240 Yeah, compound and interest, that's what it's about, a little 0:00:56.240 --> 0:00:58.040 bit every day and it starts adding up, Yes. 0:00:58.040 --> 0:00:59.279 Sir man, and last time we sat here. 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:00.920 So it's funny because as you guys can see, we 0:01:00.960 --> 0:01:02.240 are in a different room than the studio. 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:05.480 You know, we're getting some new things changed. But imagine last. 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:07.480 Time you will hear you were signing your contract right, yeah, 0:01:07.520 --> 0:01:08.360 sitting right over there. 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:11.880 Yeah, yeah, take it. Are but in in to the papers? 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:12.160 Yeah? 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:14.080 And then right after that you came to the studio 0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:15.600 and me and you had our interview when we sat 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:17.320 and talked and you had just getting your feet wet 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:19.399 in the DMV man, I mean you had just got here. 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:21.199 So how has it been justin since? 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:23.360 Yeah, when we first talked, I don't I didn't have 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:25.840 enough time to really appreciate the area or the culture. 0:01:26.560 --> 0:01:29.279 But been around a little bit, been to a community event, 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:31.680 been around some of the fans as well at our 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.520 home game now the preseason, so looking forward to to 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:37.000 more of that during the season. Been down to DC 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:39.440 a little bit as well, feeling the love from the community, 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:41.959 taking a few pictures with fans. So I'm starting to 0:01:42.000 --> 0:01:44.399 feel what people are talking about. And they're like, Oh, 0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:45.920 you're gonna love it out here because everyone that we've 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:47.400 talked to, My wife's in the room as well, in 0:01:47.440 --> 0:01:49.080 the background for those of you who can't see it, 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:49.400 They're like. 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:51.160 Oh, you're gonna love the East Coast. You're gonna love DC. 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.000 It's really clean, like a lot of history, great food, 0:01:54.040 --> 0:01:56.440 and it's definitely been that, so it's growing on us. 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:58.240 This is definitely the best place to be on the 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:00.000 East Coast. Now people will say it might be the South. 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:00.960 I don't feel that way. 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:02.400 I feel like this is the East just like you do. 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:04.320 But this is definitely a great place to be. Mess. 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:07.360 We're happy you're getting acclimated in, you know, the next 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:09.600 man up. We talk extras and those, but we talk 0:02:09.639 --> 0:02:12.280 a lot about the player behind the helmet. But before 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.440 we do that, you mentioned preseason. Yeah, you cause a 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:17.040 little trouble. I don't know if you really you caused 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:19.840 a little trouble what we did want. So we are 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:22.920 doing our sidelines what me and you are doing our 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:26.079 sideline interview, and I asked you about Jayden and how 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:28.880 he was in the huddle in the pocket, and you revealed, 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:31.400 because nobody else knew this, that Jayden checked out of 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:32.720 a screenplay to make that. 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.079 To them, I gave away too much, gave away so good. 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:38.320 So I was gonna ask, did you get any heat 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:39.679 for that? But clearly you didn't hear about it. No, 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:40.520 I didn't hear about that. 0:02:40.520 --> 0:02:42.320 Well, but I tell you, I mean I didn't get 0:02:42.320 --> 0:02:43.600 no heat about it either. I was just making sure 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:45.120 we were good. Okay, that's all me. That's how I 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:46.639 think we're good. Yeah, No, I mean, don't worry. 0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:48.680 We changed, We changed our plays, we changed our signals. 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:49.880 That's what it is. We got you anyway. 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:51.720 Yeah, but I think that was a great moment and 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:54.200 great insight because it would allow Dan Quinn allowed Jayden 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:56.359 to talk about that moment and not a lot of 0:02:56.440 --> 0:02:58.480 rookies are going to check out us something their first 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.880 NFL drive. Jayden did, then, I think that encompasses what 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:04.720 we've seen from Jaden. You talk a little bit about 0:03:05.080 --> 0:03:07.200 what you've seen from not only that one Precon games. 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:10.359 I was the last time we talked, but since Yeah, 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:13.079 something that I appreciate, you know about just any quarterback 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:15.160 coming in is really the communication. 0:03:15.280 --> 0:03:17.160 I want to see the communication be alive. 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:19.960 And that tells me a few things actually, But first 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:22.600 of all, it tells me, Okay, you care enough to 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:24.240 come and be on the same page with me, and 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:27.280 you you want to see that that connection happen, and 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:29.160 you're going out of your way to make it happen. 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:31.600 And what also tells me, because he's a rookie, is 0:03:31.639 --> 0:03:33.840 that he wants to step into that leadership role as well, 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:35.800 because he doesn't have to do that. He could easily 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:37.960 behind hide behind the rookie. Oh I don't know, Like 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:39.520 I'm just going to kind of, you know, let things 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:41.880 come to me. He's the one that actually out there 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:44.080 making it happen, right, stepping up as a leader. 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:46.000 To go and communicate. So I love that about him. 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:48.560 And then as far as just his mentality of being 0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:51.040 on the field, wants to continue to compete, you know, 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:51.640 we gotta get this. 0:03:51.560 --> 0:03:53.200 Guy to slide, you know, things like that. 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:56.560 You know, he's learned be a pro, and so it's like, yeah, 0:03:56.600 --> 0:03:58.440 we love that fire in him, you know, and so 0:03:58.480 --> 0:04:00.840 he'll continue to learn, like I mentioned, how to be 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:03.880 a pro and just continue to progress down this path. 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:07.160 And the trajectory that he's going down is a pretty 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:09.120 steep one right now. So I'm looking to see him 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:11.040 continue to grow exponentially. 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:12.680 And he recently was named the starter. 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:14.680 What was that first conversation, like when you found out 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:15.800 he was going to be your starting quarterback? 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:18.239 I'm sure you had an idea, but yeah, got that official. 0:04:18.400 --> 0:04:19.880 You know how this league works, man, If you get 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:23.640 drafted second overall, Heisman you're you're expected to be in 0:04:23.680 --> 0:04:26.360 that role. Man, So it doesn't mean you're gonna get 0:04:26.360 --> 0:04:27.760 that role. Like, you still got to go out there 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:29.960 and earn it. Like, don't get me wrong, Like you 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:31.640 don't just come in and walk in and get a spot. 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:33.640 You got to make sure that you check the boxes 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:35.880 saying yep, okay, he did that. He was a leader, 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:37.800 He made good decisions, he did all the things he 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:39.880 needed to do, and that's exactly what he came in 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:42.400 and has done. And so he still has a long 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:45.599 way to go. Just because quarterback. I've been around some 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:47.760 of the greats, been around Philip Rivers who had been 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.320 there year seventeen, and I've seen what a true veteran 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.480 quarterback with that many years of experience looks like. Also 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:56.279 been around Jay Herb you know, out in LA and 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:58.560 see him grow into you know, for four years we 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:01.120 played together. And so I Jayden's on the right track 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:02.880 based off of what I've seen from those other guys. 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:04.320 And we know you're gonna help to being here. 0:05:04.320 --> 0:05:05.599 And like I said, we'll talk football a little bit, 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:08.120 but I want to talk about the man behind the helmet, 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:10.599 because there's a lot of layers to you there's. 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:11.359 A lot of layers to me. 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:13.080 I had a coach tell me one time that I'm 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:15.160 probably the most unique person in the in the NFL. 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:17.719 That's a great compliment to have because there's a lot 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:20.360 of personalities. There's a lot, there's a lot. 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.640 I mean, dude, you're you're an investor, you're a gamer, 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:28.040 you're a businessman, you're a husband, you're all of these things. 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:29.320 And I want to focus on that because we got 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.120 wife here right now. So course we don't want to 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:33.400 bury the lead, right You just got married recently. Tell 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:35.039 us about the wedding. Where did you get married and 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:35.960 tell us about your wife. 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:40.799 Yeah, yeah, so we got married recently out in Las Vegas, 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:43.120 and so it was a beautiful wedding. Shout out to 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:46.160 my wife for basically planning the whole thing. She's all 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:50.680 small right now. So yeah, it was an amazing time. 0:05:50.720 --> 0:05:53.960 Got our families together, and we're continuing to you know, 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:56.960 make this, make this journey a beautiful thing, and looking 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:59.359 forward to spending some time together out here on the 0:05:59.360 --> 0:05:59.880 East Coast. 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:01.920 It's the first time we've really. 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:03.599 Been in the same place for a long amount of 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:05.400 time now, and it's been it's been great. 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:05.800 So far. 0:06:06.000 --> 0:06:09.280 Hey man, congratulations, appreciate that. And that's beautiful that I 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:11.320 can see how she loves you and supports you. And 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:12.480 so she's a dancer. 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:17.160 Indeed, she's a dancer, very talented dancer, very very talented dancer, 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:22.600 tap dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, anything you name it, 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:23.080 she got it. 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:24.800 What about you? You cut a rug a little bit. I 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:26.600 cannot cut it. I am very stiff. 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:27.240 You know. 0:06:27.560 --> 0:06:29.760 You know, I got a little rhythm sometimes, but it's 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:34.360 in spurts. She says, she's a dancer, So I'm gonna 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.440 take a work for in spurts. Though in spurts it's 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:38.680 not maintained. You know, you know, everyone's got like a 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:39.880 move or something. You know you're feeling. 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:41.640 I got a little too stiff, little movie, got a 0:06:41.640 --> 0:06:43.360 little little hot little job. 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:47.279 So with the wedding, right, like we know that there's 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:50.600 that that first dance, that first moment. Yeah, marrying an 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.159 actual legitimate dancer, did you have to learn like a 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:54.640 whole choreograph thing? 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:57.640 Like what was that? Absolutely? So you know for us 0:06:57.720 --> 0:06:58.839 we choreographed something. 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:02.360 It was very basic, like there was some traditional dancing 0:07:02.400 --> 0:07:04.520 in there. But then when the chorus would come we'd 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:06.320 have like our little routine that we do just to 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:08.680 put a little flair on it, okay, and the flares 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:10.720 continue to get a little bit bigger and bigger. But 0:07:11.040 --> 0:07:13.680 it was it was just enough for me where I 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:15.040 was able. I was able to. 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:17.840 Wrap my head around it and actually nail it. It 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:21.120 wasn't too technical, man. I wish hopefully. 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:22.400 I know you're not going too but I would love 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:23.440 for you to send me that video so I can 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:25.520 watch it because I'm sure you did a great job. 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:27.120 And the way she's small and supporting you, man, that 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:31.840 is a beautiful thing. So again, congratulations on that business now. Yeah, 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:33.800 because the husband, you know, that's the most important thing. 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:36.480 But now you have a businessman as well. Tell us 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:39.040 about that. Man, You do so many different things, not 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:41.920 just for yourself, but you also work to inspire other 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:43.600 athletes and other people to get into business. 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:44.640 Tell us all about it, man. 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:48.600 Yeah, for myself, you know, my journey to the NFL 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:50.440 and I that conversation that I had with that coach 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:52.160 where they told me I was really unique is because 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:55.360 for me, I wasn't really aspiring to be in the 0:07:55.440 --> 0:07:59.080 NFL like that wasn't like my north star. Yeah, and 0:07:59.120 --> 0:08:01.200 that's because I came from a really, really small town 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.280 and was grew up in the cowboy life. You know, 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:07.320 have ridden bulls in my life, riding horses like that's 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:09.320 me in the cowboy hat, like that was me out 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:12.680 there in the cowboy life. And then got into some 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:15.840 traditional sports, but continued to progress through that and then 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:17.800 you know, found a love for football. That was my 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:20.720 best sport. Didn't have any Division one offers or anything 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:25.600 like that. I grew up around around entrepreneurs. I grew 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:28.680 up building barbier fence in the summers, and if you 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:32.319 know anything about manual labor, it's not fun, you know, 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:34.640 especially out in the summer. Barbarier fence will definitely teach 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:36.400 you how to work hard. And so that's that was 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.160 a blessing in disguise. You know, hated every minute of it, 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:42.000 but definitely learned how to work. And that mindset has 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:45.080 stayed with me ever since, even still to this day. 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:47.360 And so going into college, as I mentioned, I didn't 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:49.520 have any Division one offers, went to a small school. 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:52.480 So my anticipation for me in the future was, Okay, 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:54.760 I'm gonna have to get some type of degree and 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:56.960 use my mind to get my next opportunity. And so 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:01.000 I really focused on my education and also really took 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:03.720 football seriously because I did have a small scholarship and 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.160 that a Division two, you don't get a full ride, right, 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:08.559 and so to increase your scholarship, you got to continue 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:11.400 to get all conference, all Americans. So I'm hyper locked 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:13.840 in on football and my education. And that was what 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:15.760 it was for me growing up, and that's kind of 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:19.440 what has continued to progress me forward into different businesses 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:21.240 and things like that, because that's I've always had a 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:21.880 passion for it. 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:24.439 And I mean, you've seen so much success in nfol 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:26.760 Yes they maybe that wasn't your initial dream, but you 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:27.480 made it. 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:29.000 You have this success. 0:09:29.160 --> 0:09:31.920 So let's talk about that. Yeah, because you know, going 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:35.160 into college, you know, I start my first year. I 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.160 actually left the day I graduated, Like I threw my 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:38.760 hat up in there, and I'm like, I'm going to 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:40.440 get acclimated to this team. 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:41.720 I'm going to go dedicate myself. 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:43.280 I'm gonna get up there in the summer and I'm 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:45.160 gonna start going to work like I'm ready to work, 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:47.360 Like let me get myself going, let me get my opportunity, 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:49.280 let me get my life on its feet and start 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:52.360 pushing it forward. And for me, it was like, Okay, 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:54.439 football is the first thing I can get into. School 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:56.280 doesn't start until the fall, but it's the summertime. So 0:09:56.280 --> 0:09:58.640 I'm up there working out. I got myself a summer job. 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:00.560 I was a rat guy taken down. You know, you 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:01.839 want to go down the guns from river, I could 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:03.480 take you down the river winnaissance. 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:05.480 Man, That's what it was at the time. Man, you 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:06.720 don't have to get it how you live it, you know. 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:08.679 So I had to pay rent somehow, and I was 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:11.280 up in the mountains, and so I'm doing that and 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:13.240 I'm one of the strongest guys on the team already 0:10:13.240 --> 0:10:14.679 already lived in the weight room before then. 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:15.640 Like that was my passion. 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:17.559 That was my getaway, and that was my therapy, was 0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:19.960 getting in the weight room. And my work ethic just 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:21.679 because of the upbringing that I had was a lot 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:22.880 different than the guys around me. 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:24.040 Like for me, this it. 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:26.600 Wasn't just playing football, Like I'm not just playing football 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:28.600 like this, this is my life in my hands right 0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:31.760 here right Like for me, this is the opportunity that's 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:33.000 going to bring me to the next one. 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:35.720 So I can't let this slide. I can't just go 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:37.840 about this casually. It's not casual. 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:40.240 There's so much that rides on this for me to 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:42.920 have some type of success, because that's going to show 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:45.559 and project the magnitude of my next opportunity. 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:46.840 I didn't know if it was gonna be in the NFL. 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:48.240 I thought I was going to be in the business route, 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:49.320 so I wanted to make sure I didn't have a 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:50.680 ton of debt coming out. So I want to continue 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:53.560 to increase my scholarship, so I'm locked in school finally starts. 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:57.080 I'm locked in making sure I'm getting good grades, all 0:10:57.120 --> 0:11:00.800 of that stuff as well. And then you know, my 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:03.120 freshman year, there's only three seniors on the team, so 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:04.439 leadership was terrible. 0:11:05.040 --> 0:11:07.120 Seniors had left or transferred out or quit. 0:11:07.440 --> 0:11:10.920 And I remember my freshman year, our first away game, 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:13.320 we go on the on the road and everyone's messing 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:15.600 around talking during meetings, on their phone during meetings, and 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:17.439 our offensive ordinary gets up and he's like, hey, man, 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:19.120 does does anyone have anything to say? 0:11:19.440 --> 0:11:21.640 And I was I came from a. 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:23.760 Culture we never lost, We didn't lose games, you know, 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:25.280 And like I said, this is more than just football 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:26.160 to me. And so I was like, I got to 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:28.560 say something, you know, and I wasn't really a leader 0:11:28.600 --> 0:11:30.040 at that time, but I got up in front of him. 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.080 I hey, coach, I got something. I remember my voice 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:35.040 just trembling because I'm so nervous. But I cared so much, 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:37.199 and I'm like, you guys are treating this like a vacation. 0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:39.720 This is some bullshit, like we need to be locked in. 0:11:39.800 --> 0:11:42.079 We're here, we're on a business trip, you know. And 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:44.160 it didn't come out as as smooth as that, right, 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:46.559 because I'm trembling, you know, like nervous. I'm starting to 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:48.800 get to your eye because I cared so muchy since 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:50.959 you know, I'm eighteen up there, I got some twenty 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:54.080 year olds of the room. I'm the young guy, and 0:11:54.120 --> 0:11:56.040 ever since then, I was a captain. But then, like 0:11:56.240 --> 0:11:58.600 I just my emotion played into it so much because 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:00.640 that was the intensity that our rot to the things 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:03.040 that I'm involved in. And it was no different for 0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:05.319 my business side as well, as I continued to build, 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:07.800 you know, in the real estate. That was my first passion. 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:09.560 That was my first thing that I was learning about. 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:11.360 I was going to get into oil and gas. 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:13.080 That's what I went to school for. Energy management. 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:14.960 I was going to use capital from that to get 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:17.760 into to get into real estate and start house hacking 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:20.480 and start house flipping and get into a real estate portfolio. 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:22.520 So that was plan A. I was Plan A. 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:25.000 That was Plan A. I was planning, not a bad 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:28.960 plan B or C being an Well, you know, the 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:32.280 NFL wasn't planned B. It just wasn't necessarily in the 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:35.240 plans at all. Right, it was like, okay, yeah, that 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:36.440 would be great if that happened. 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.720 But I'm knowing for my school has ever gone the NFL. 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:40.720 So you're trying to use logic to plan out your 0:12:40.760 --> 0:12:41.920 life as any man is. 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:44.719 Right, thinking of, okay, what's what's a path that if 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:46.800 I do well, I can see the most success at 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:48.400 the earliest age for myself. 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:51.280 And I had never been around the atmosphere around NFL professional 0:12:51.320 --> 0:12:51.959 sports at all. 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:55.720 And so after my junior year, well, I had great 0:12:55.800 --> 0:12:58.360 year my freshman year, you know, Freshman of the year, 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:00.319 great sophomore year. 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:03.280 Like there we were. We were terrible. We were terrible. 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:06.560 We want two games my freshman year, four games, four games, 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:08.480 and seven games my senior year. But I still average 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:11.080 two hundred yards a game and two touchdowns, right, And 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.000 so I'm I'm out here dominating. 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:14.520 You're getting dominating. 0:13:15.360 --> 0:13:17.480 And after my junior year, my coach comes to me 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:19.200 and he's like, hey, man, like you have some NFL 0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:20.200 scouts asking about you. 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.400 I'm like, what the heck like NFL scouts. I'm blown. 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:26.160 I'm like, these are like mythical beings to me, right, 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:29.880 Like you mean NFL scouts, Like they're calling, they're calling 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:30.559 up to Western. 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:32.880 You know, I've never seen one on campus before. 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:36.480 And sure enough, after my senior year, they're on campus 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:38.520 and they're watching me practice. And then it became real 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:41.000 for me, Like okay, like this is a real opportunity 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:45.000 for me. But you know, all throughout my my college career, 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.160 like I lived in the gym, I do our morning 0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:49.040 weight room. We're a team with the team, and then 0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:51.600 there's like three of us that after weights and after 0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:53.960 study hall and after school and everything, we'd be back 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:57.040 in the gym and we're, you know, we're just being guys, 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:58.040 you know, pushing each other. 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:00.760 You know, you gotta get your bigger you know, you can't. 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:04.280 Do that, you know, just just testostero boosting. 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:07.400 Oh yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:10.360 And so that was what we did, and that's how 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:12.760 I continue to get really strong and stay really fit 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.920 in shape. And that was the mentality a year round. 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:17.840 And when you're around that type of energy of just 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:19.840 push better. It got to be better, it got to 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:23.400 be better. Then it just brings in with the mentality 0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:25.320 of myself that this is not just a game. This 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:28.720 is way more than that, Like you immerse yourself into it, 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:31.000 you know, and it's more survival instinct because it's not 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:33.400 just I'm just doing this because it's fun and I 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:35.600 want an opportunity. It's like, no, this is my life 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:38.600 that's on the line. I got to get it done. 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:40.840 And that continued to stay with me as I got 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:43.600 into the to the league as well. So, like I mentioned, 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:45.480 it wasn't that the NFL's Plan B. It just wasn't 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:47.280 in the plans. Until about my junior year it was like, okay, 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:49.760 now that's Plan A because that's the bigger opportunity. Now 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:52.280 that's on the table, and it's exactly how I treated it. 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:54.520 And so for me it was okay, if this is 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:56.760 a real thing. I finished my senior year, had another 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.360 great year, was like one hundred ninety yards a game. Again, 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:01.600 it was all right, I'm gonna drop out. I'm just 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:03.360 gonna go for it. I'm gonna go for it. 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:05.400 I'm not I'm gonna take the semester off. 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:07.280 I'm just gonna go train because if this is really 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:10.520 something that's an opportunity for me, I'm putting every ounce 0:15:10.520 --> 0:15:12.160 of my energy into it, so that at the end 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:14.600 of the day, I can say that was everything. That 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:15.880 was everything you could have got for me. 0:15:16.080 --> 0:15:18.800 And that's clearly your personality. Your work ethic is everything 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:21.400 to you. Right, You're gonna put everything into the main task. 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:24.520 So with being an NFL player, you end up becoming 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:26.360 one of the best to ever do it at your position. 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:29.360