WEBVTT - Senior Bowl Practices Recap 0:00:01.280 --> 0:00:06.120 Fires touch stop by Waddles knocked into the end zone 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:10.280 Miami type rome tip window. They had to get that 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:14.480 touchdown on that play, they gave it. What is up, 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:18.520 Dolphins And welcome to the Drive Time Podcast, part of 0:00:18.520 --> 0:00:24.240 the Miami Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.680 How's it going everybody? I am your host, Travis Winfield 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:30.000 and as always I am here to bring you your 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:33.840 daily dose of Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:36.960 it's a very special edition of the Drive Time Podcast. 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:41.400 We are honoring linebacker Jerome Baker and his nomination as 0:00:41.440 --> 0:00:44.839 the Dolphins representative for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:48.479 the Year Award. In one We're gonna talk to Jerome Jr. 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:51.720 As well as his father, Jerome Baker Sr. About living 0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:54.000 a life of service and the work they both do 0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:57.560 in their communities from the Baptist Health Studios inside the 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:01.720 Baptist Health Training Complex. This is the Drive Time Podcast 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:12.200 one announcement. So every team uh in the league just 0:01:12.400 --> 0:01:15.560 to nominate a player was a Walter Payton Man of 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:22.240 the Year Award. So this first we nominated someone who's 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:26.920 not just excellent on the field, but more portly does 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:28.920 a lot of things in the community, makes an impact 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:33.360 on people, uh, you know, outside of football, all right, 0:01:33.400 --> 0:01:36.720 So to be on to be uh nominated as a 0:01:36.880 --> 0:02:01.720 great honor this year's nominee is drumming. Being nominated to 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:05.200 be what Walter Payton a Man of the Years, It's 0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:08.160 it's a great honor. I think it uh kind of 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:11.520 highlights um the player on the field, but more importantly 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:15.080 off the field and in the community. And I think 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:19.320 Jerome's made an impact obviously with our team on the field, 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:22.600 but you know, certainly in the in the community as well. 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:25.760 I'm just thinking to the about the Haiti situation. I 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:29.840 know he was very involved in and UM and helping 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:33.040 them UM during that situation. And he's he's he's a 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:37.079 he does a lot for the community, so UM and 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:39.240 I'm proud of him for that. And it's certainly an 0:02:39.280 --> 0:02:42.320 honor I'm gonna be nominated. Well, you know, the thing 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:44.919 that sticks out about Baked to me is, you know, 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:48.000 he's a very even killed guy. I think he's got 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:52.240 a good perspective on Uh, you need balance in life, 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:58.000 and I think that uh, you know, are our soul focused, um, 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:02.000 you know, when we're in the building is really about 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:08.000 getting better and executing better, coaching better, and uh, becoming 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:12.360 better football players. I think, you know, oftentimes what gets 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:16.399 lost in that is the balance of being a good 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:21.600 human being and uh, you know, being kind, being considerate, um, 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:26.560 being able to be compassionate by listening and uh. I 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:29.560 think Bac embodies all those things. I think he's got 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:33.639 a good balance of football. Uh, and he knows when 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:38.360 to um, you know, put in the time uh solely 0:03:38.480 --> 0:03:42.720 for football, and he also has that um you know, 0:03:43.000 --> 0:03:45.160 once he leaves the building. There's a lot of other 0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:48.720 things that he embodies, uh that I think he shows 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:50.960 why he's in the building and when he's out. So 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:54.240 I think he does a good job of, you know, 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:57.640 just having that balance in life that probably all of us, 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:01.840 regardless of profession, are searching for. So in order there, 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.520 we had Brian Flores his announcement to the team talking 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:08.880 about Jerome Baker being the Dolphins nominate nominee for the 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:10.920 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Then we had 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:14.400 Coach Flores and his press conference on Wednesday morning talking 0:04:14.480 --> 0:04:16.760 about that nomination of what Jerome Baker means that this 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.719 team and this community. And then last there was Josh Boyer, 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:23.400 Dolphins defensive coordinator, talking about the same thing Jerome Baker 0:04:23.680 --> 0:04:25.520 and what he means here to South Florida, not just 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:29.120 the football team, Miami Dolphins, but also within the community. 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:31.359 We're gonna hear from Jerome here in just one second, 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:33.839 but first let's go ahead and talk to Pops. Jerome 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:36.880 Baker Senior joins the podcast and we are very happy 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:39.520 now to have Jerome Baker Senior on the podcast here. 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:42.080 And you mentioned this before we started recording Jerome about 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:44.640 not talking about Mr Baker Senior, but I've got to 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:47.000 differentiate somehow with you guys here, so we're gonna have 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:51.160 Jerome on later. So Jerome, welcome into the podcast. Thank you, 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:53.000 thank you, glad to be here. We're very happy to 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:54.920 have you on. And you know, before we get started here, 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.120 I just wanted to ask you, I think Jerome had 0:04:57.120 --> 0:05:00.240 asked answered a question at the press conference after the 0:05:00.279 --> 0:05:03.680 game last weekend. Did the Ohio State Michigan result kind 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:07.680 of hit you the same way it hit Jerome? I 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:11.040 don't think so, right, because you know, Jerome played at 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.480 Ohio State, he lived Ohio State, and I just over 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:16.680 the years just followed Ohio State. And that's a really big, 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:23.320 big difference right to where um um he had then 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:26.680 actual opportunity to experience what that really means. I'm just 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:29.200 a fan, you know, like being a fan is one thing, 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.400 being a player and being part of that family is 0:05:31.520 --> 0:05:33.880 something totally different. So you know, when something happens to 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:37.520 your family, it's different than uh, you know, a friend, 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:41.360 uh you know, hearing about the same situation. Right, So 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:44.160 I'm a fan. You know, he was part of that family, 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:46.400 and so I'm quite sure it impacted him, you know, 0:05:46.560 --> 0:05:48.600 more than an impacted me. And I was disappointed. I 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:52.080 have a lot of friends who are Michigan uh uh 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:55.440 you know that supports Michigan. Uh. And so yes, I 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:57.720 was disappointed, But I didn't play at Ohio State. I'm 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.440 just an Ohio State fan. So you that's just the 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:03.200 difference for me. Yeah, by association. Right. My my wife 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:05.000 wears a shirt that says I married into this with 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:07.360 a Dolphins logo, So she's becoming more and more of 0:06:07.440 --> 0:06:09.880 a fan. But she she's uh, she knows, she knows 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:12.280 where her bread's buttered. So I just wanted to kind 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:14.240 of start off there was something like Jerome because I 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:15.960 want to ask you about so much here with with 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:17.960 your son and all the incredible things he does downe 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:19.960 here in South Florida. But first, can you tell us 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.320 a little bit about men men of Central and Jerome 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:26.360 Junior's involvement in that. Sure sure, so like at the 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:28.200 present time, you know, we are actually the men and 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:30.880 women of Central right. And so initially when I started 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:33.000 the organization, and I don't like to say when I started, 0:06:33.040 --> 0:06:35.280 but it's true. You know, when I started organization, it 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:39.520 was really a mentoring program to support youth and essential 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:42.680 community of Cleveland, because you know, there's you know, various 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:46.279 challenges that young folks, you know, African Americans faced within 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:49.000 our urban cities. And so part of my dream was 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:51.080 always I lived out of town for a long time 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:53.160 in New Jersey as an adult, and I moved back home, 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:55.160 and so one of my dreams is always to come 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:59.920 back home and UH provise some support if you will, 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:02.120 or some leadership. And it was in my own community, 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:04.320 and so I started that through the menu one of 0:07:04.360 --> 0:07:07.640 the central mentoring mentoring youth and UH in the neighborhood. 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:11.200 And so um I always brought my children along with 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:13.560 me to see to show them what that looked like, 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:17.480 and so, um, you know, uh, even at a young age, 0:07:17.560 --> 0:07:20.600 you know, I called him you know, Rome was always 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:25.360 a part of that through our minimum programs, passing out supplies, 0:07:26.000 --> 0:07:31.800 participating in programs, being our photographer, being in every aspect 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:33.240 of the work that I was doing. As I was 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:35.800 learning and doing, he was watching me, you know, so 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:37.840 he grew with me at the same time. So that 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:40.200 was pretty awesome. I have to imagine that was a 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:42.840 big part of instilling these values that he obviously still 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:46.600 carries today. I mean with Football Unites, Uh, his his 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:48.920 foundation that he also is part of it. He's always 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:50.480 working with kids. I have to imagine that was a 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.040 big part of instilling some of the values that he 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:57.960 still carries today. Right absolutely. So you know, unfortunately sometimes 0:07:58.000 --> 0:07:59.640 you know, there's a there's a lot of youth who 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.960 do not our fathers and their home and uh, you know, 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:05.600 I've always valued them ports of fathers. I wanted to 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.000 demonstrate them in all aspects. What that meant to my 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:10.360 truth you're not just from my perspective, but what the 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:14.120 responsibilities you know require with that title, and so, um, 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:17.200 you know, I always poured into other truths and other 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:20.200 than my own rather be my nieces and nephews or 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:22.520 younger cousins or you know, people in the community. And 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:24.640 he had the opportunity to grow up just seeing it 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:27.240 every day, you know, So it's no surprise to me, 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:30.840 you know, how he interacts with his younger cousins, his 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:34.160 nieces or his nephews, that he's taken on that same 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:38.360 type of spirit and attitude. And uh, you know, I'm 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:40.280 just really proud just to him, you know, taking it 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:43.280 to to this level for real. Yeah, It's it's incredible 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:45.600 to hear. And there's there on the same podcast here 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:48.560 you're gonna hear from both Brian Flora's and Josh Boyer, 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.640 Dolphin's defensive coordinator and head coach, about what Jerome means 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:53.240 and his work in the community. There's some some very 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:55.439 high praise there for you, and I'm sure you'll you'll 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:57.839 look forward to hearing that. On that same kind of 0:08:58.120 --> 0:09:00.360 thought there, you know, what was the most importan thing 0:09:00.760 --> 0:09:03.240 to you as a father to for your children, like 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:05.360 what was your non negotiable that you really had to 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:10.280 instill in them as as as children non negotiable? Wow, 0:09:10.440 --> 0:09:17.120 that's a very good question. Thank you. Nonnegotiable. Like so, uh, 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:19.760 you know, as a as a fifty six year old 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:22.439 man today, and then how I raised my children, you know, 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:25.040 when I was in my early forties of forty or 0:09:25.080 --> 0:09:27.559 whatever the case may be. Uh, you know, education was 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:30.400 like really important to me in family, right, and so 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:35.240 behavior in school was non negotiable. Bad behavior rather in 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:38.240 school was non negotiable. Right. I would tell my children, 0:09:39.160 --> 0:09:41.200 I'm hoping that you'd be the smartest person in the class, 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:43.880 smartest person in the school. But if that's not the case, 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:47.640 bad behavior is unacceptable. So if the teacher or the 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:51.079 counsel of her or the principle whoever, has to call 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:54.120 me and say, you know, uh, you know my child 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:57.679 is behaving in a way that doesn't represent you know, 0:09:58.120 --> 0:10:00.719 our family, there's gonna be a problem, you know. And 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:05.439 so bad behavior has always been unacceptable in school for 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:07.760 all of my children. So do you think Drem took 0:10:07.800 --> 0:10:12.040 pretty well to that. He didn't have no choice, non negotiable, right, 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:16.520 it was nonnegotiable. And I probably say I've never had 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:22.000 you know, any issues of no major issues of with 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:25.880 Jerome in school. Like sometimes truldren are so smart that 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.319 they can become lazy sometimes because they may not be 0:10:28.480 --> 0:10:33.120 challenged at times. Right to Droms, intelligence was he can 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:35.160 pass all the tests that you can give them, but 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:39.720 when it came to homework sometimes maybe not so much, right. Uh, 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:42.120 And so either he got an A or he got 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.199 to ELF. There was no in between, uh you know, 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:47.559 which which was always kind of you know, crazy to me. 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:50.320 But it was never from a behavioral standpoint, never had 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:53.560 any any of my children never had any behavior issues 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:55.959 in school. So U I think, you know, me and 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:57.920 my wife did a real good job in terms of 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:01.599 like expectations of how to conduct yourself now as a 0:11:01.720 --> 0:11:05.000 person in school, within the community, within in the public places. 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:07.000 And so I'm really proud of all of my children 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:09.160 from that perspective. For sure, he either did it or 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:10.719 didn't do it right, and it was always good work 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:11.800 when he did it, and if he didn't do it, 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:15.360 obviously you don't get the credit for it. Interesting perspective there. 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:17.160 You had also told me the story before he began 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:20.800 recording the podcast about him selecting it was a Pop 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:22.800 Warner football team. Can you can you kind of repeat 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:26.000 that story again? Yeah? Yeah, So like you know, when 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:29.679 you uh, drone started playing football, at like six or 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:31.839 seven years old. And the craziest thing he asked me. 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:33.920 You know, we was moving from the suburban to into 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:36.160 the city at this particular time, and you know, we 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:39.040 were selling our home, was having home built, and he 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:40.679 was like a daddy, I'm want to play football. And 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:42.320 I was under like a tremendous a lot of stress. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:44.360 And I was like, son, let me sell this house 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:45.760 and let me you know, we're building his other house. 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:48.160 I surely can't pack for the two homes. So I said, uh, 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.000 let me find a place for you to play. And 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:55.880 so he has exceled so well in early ages of 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.199 his football, and so it comes to that point you're 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:01.120 by like ten or eleven or twelve, uh, and so 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.000 um he had grew kind of, you know, to a 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:06.960 nice size and so you can only play certain positions 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:10.599 at pop warn on some leagues, and um, so he 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:12.319 was like, you know, I don't want to be restricted 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:15.480 to play like a center or offensive lineman or you 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.400 know whatever. And uh, a lot of teams was recruiting 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:20.439 them at like eleven and twelve years old, which was 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.439 it was it was crazy, and uh, we would have 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:27.240 these conversations. I said, we're wrong Uh, we're gonna look 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:29.520 at the pros and cons, and you tell me what 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:31.319 the pros and cons are, and then that's how we're 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:33.160 gonna select the team. So I really want him to 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:36.839 think about it. And uh. We we sat down and 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:38.840 had a conversation. I still remember sitting in my living 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:40.439 room and he's like that, I want to play for 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:43.080 the Denville buck Eyes because there is no weight limit. 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:45.880 The competition is going to be, you know, tough. Uh, 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:47.599 and I could play any position I want to and 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:52.400 we would travel throughout Ohio, I said, And he spoke 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:55.760 about the coach. He said, uh, um, the coach is excellent. 0:12:55.880 --> 0:12:58.719 He really teaches the kids, he really pours into them. 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:00.360 And I think that would be a great for me. 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:04.240 What an awesome selection process that was. It wasn't linebacker 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:07.360 and running back is his positions. Well, he was playing, 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:10.160 you know ever since even a small kid. He played 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:13.560 multiple decisions. So he played running back in linebacker around 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:16.560 that particular time, but he ended up switching to quarterback 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:21.280 right also because just some changes because you know, sometimes 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:23.320 you know, young guys don't want to play that position, 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:25.719 so he ended up playing quarterback also. So it was 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:28.760 like one of the best decisions I think, uh we've 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:31.840 made for his football career for sure. Yeah, I mean 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:33.719 it sounds like that's a big part of kind of 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:36.360 his versatility, which as you know, is very well valued 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:39.800 down here in Miami under coach Brian Flores. One more 0:13:39.920 --> 0:13:42.000 question for you here, Jerome, I just wanted to ask you, 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:43.920 you know, the Walter Payton, man of the your nominee. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:46.439 It's it's no small matter, It's a really big deal. 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:48.240 What does it mean to you when you saw that 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:51.240 news break? I'm n let me tell you something I 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:54.600 followed wart and paid over the years, you know, as 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:56.800 a football player and as a man, right and so 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:00.440 uh specifically as as as as a black as African 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:02.960 American man, and how he conducted himself as a human being, 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:06.160 you know, first and foremost. Uh, it is a pleasure 0:14:06.240 --> 0:14:08.719 to be spoken in terms of as a human being 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:13.440 with comparison to Water Payton, like seriously, and to understand 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:16.719 like his athletic attributes, and then what he meant to 0:14:16.800 --> 0:14:18.720 the community. I mean, you know, we could be here 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:23.000 all day talking about water, uh seriously. So for my 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:27.040 son to be uh selected and thought of in those terms, man, 0:14:27.440 --> 0:14:29.000 it is the greatest feel in the world for me. 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:31.920 I mean, my son has had all the football attributes 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:35.440 that you can probably imagine, right, but there's nothing that 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:41.280 speaks to my being proud of his accomplishments as a 0:14:41.360 --> 0:14:43.680 young man. Right. And I said tell him all the 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:45.920 time growing up, I said, wrong, football is what you do. 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:48.280 It is not who you are. Football is what you do. 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:50.920 And to see him roll into this role as a 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:53.000 as a training for a year old man on and 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:56.160 off the field, I can't express enough how proud I 0:14:56.200 --> 0:15:00.440 am as as a father. Uh. I kind of expressed 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:02.920 enough how part I am of him as a as 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:05.400 a young man, and that you know, sometimes you think 0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:08.840 your children may not be listening or watching, uh, but 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.640 he really My goal for my son has always been 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:13.560 to be better than me, To be smarter than me, 0:15:13.680 --> 0:15:15.320 to look better than me, be more outlet than me, 0:15:15.360 --> 0:15:16.880 have more money than me. I want your wife to 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:18.720 even be pretty than my wife. I want everything to 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:20.760 be better than me. And I still tell him I 0:15:20.800 --> 0:15:22.720 sick room. But you know, like I ain't those slouts, 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:24.160 So don't think that's gonna be like a walk in 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:29.040 the park. Right. But to see him be uh nominated 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:32.640 for such a prestigious award is better than any award 0:15:33.000 --> 0:15:34.520 that can be given me. I mean, I know, super 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:37.520 Bowls and playoffs and championships, all that stuff is important, 0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:39.760 but that stuff is you know, it's going to subside 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.640 and you gotta live in the real world eventually. So 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:45.480 I'm just extremely proud of my son and being nominated 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:47.560 for this award. Well, you certainly give him a good 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:49.640 example to follow after. And I'm not sure if he 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.280 ever told you this, but the local media down here 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:55.000 has a good Guy Award that they're the person who 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:57.280 was most cooperative and easy to talk to for the 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:00.040 media among all Dolphins players, and he won that. I 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:01.440 think it was the last year or two years ago. 0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:02.400 I don't know if he told you that, but it 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:06.080 kind of speaks to your behavioral standards, right absolutely, you know. 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:09.520 And uh, even after the game, if he ever follows 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:13.160 Rome after the game, so uh, he signs autographs after 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:17.520 every game. He makes himself accessible after every game. Because 0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:19.920 I'm proud. I don't never want to make things about 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:21.880 me when it comes to my son, but I'm so 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:26.640 proud that, um, he heard, you know, some of the 0:16:26.760 --> 0:16:28.480 things I was teaching him, and that he's taking it 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:30.800 to the next level in terms of like what it 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:33.080 means to be a quality human being, what it means 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:35.120 to serve, what it means to give back, what it 0:16:35.160 --> 0:16:36.960 means to continue to develop, to be the best person 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:39.320 you can be. And so, yes, he's only twenty four. 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:41.080 Yes he has a lot to grow in, lots to 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:44.440 still to do, but uh, he's doing okay. You know, 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:47.440 his father is always been his number one family. He's 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:48.960 a kid. I was always talks it wrong. You know, 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:50.760 I'm a number one fan. He was seven years old, 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:54.280 you know, and so he grew up hearing you know, uh, 0:16:55.040 --> 0:16:57.240 you know you might superstar. So from he was seven 0:16:57.320 --> 0:16:59.520 years old, you know, I'm your number one fan. And 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:02.040 so uh in aviagees from him being a person and 0:17:02.160 --> 0:17:05.120 football players. I'm just really extremely proud of him. Yeah, 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:06.920 that that's great. There's nothing else I gotta ask you 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:08.399 about that. That's That's a properate way to wrap it 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:10.280 up right there. Thank you so much for your time. 0:17:10.320 --> 0:17:13.320 I'm sure all of Northeast Ohio will be casting their 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:17.320 votes for Jerome Baker Jr. For the Walter Payton Man One. 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:18.960 Thank you so much for your time today, Jerome. We 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:22.080 really appreciate Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, enjoy the 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:25.120 rest of your day. Thanks you too, and there he goes. 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:27.400 How good was that. Let's go ahead and jump straight 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:31.080 into our next guest, Jerome Baker Jr. Joining us now 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:34.680 is the one Miami Dolphins Walter Payton Man of the 0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:39.520 Year nominee linebacker for your Miami Dolphins Jerome Baker. Baker, 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:41.479 thanks for taking some time. Let's day man. I really 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:45.159 appreciate it. Thank you. Good to be being here. And 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:48.680 you know, see, so what's the before I get to 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:50.840 the questions here? What does the bye week look like 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:52.960 for you? Are you stay at home kind of guy 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:57.119 or maybe you're a jet setter? Um, so yeah, I'm 0:17:57.160 --> 0:18:01.080 definitely gonna just chilling hit the beach a little bit. 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:04.040 That's kind of been my main thing is I actually 0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:06.919 want to relax and um just give my mind right 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:09.280 and come finishing season shrump. I don't want to give 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:10.919 you to give away your your hot spot or your 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:13.240 secret spot. But what where's the beach of choice down 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:14.840 here in South Florida. You don't have to give away. 0:18:14.840 --> 0:18:17.200 I don't want to. Yeah, so I definitely go to 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:19.880 a lot of the beach um, you know South beaches. 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:23.480 It's a little hectic. UM, so I definitely just go 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:25.000 to four a lot of Dale and show a little 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:27.399 bit head over Dania Beach right by the airport there. 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:29.119 It's pretty quiet spot if you ever interested in some 0:18:29.520 --> 0:18:32.720 a little more private beach style there. But I digress. 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:35.200 Let's let's get into the real stuff here. Jerome. What 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:37.240 does this nomination mean for you? I mean, you talked 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:39.000 about in your press conference about how this was very 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:41.520 important to you. What does this, this nomination for the 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:44.119 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award mean to you. Oh, 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:46.440 it is truly honor. UM. I think this is like 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:50.000 the one award I trually wanted to um win and 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:54.200 UM really have since the beginning of the year. You know, 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:56.760 I talked to so, I talked to you know, my 0:18:56.840 --> 0:18:59.200 friends and my family, and it was one of those 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.280 awards I knew that, you know, deep down, I can 0:19:02.320 --> 0:19:05.360 definitely win and UM and it was kind of cool. 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:08.000 You can win about just giving back and I'm doing 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:10.119 things for the community and that's why I love to do. 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:13.119 That's why I truly, um, you know, take pride in 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:16.720 and I'm just to be nominated. It's truly honor. You 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:19.800 got a chance to watch the coach Flora's announced the 0:19:19.880 --> 0:19:22.080 nomination to the team after practice of the day. What 0:19:22.280 --> 0:19:23.800 was going through your mind that when coach made that 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:28.840 announcement after practice. Uh, I don't know. It was like 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:31.720 one of those I didn't really know what he's about 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:34.399 to say and then sprung it up. It was like 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:37.080 my heart started racing a little bit, like maybe you know, 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:39.520 I do have a chance to win in Once he 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:43.399 said my name, it definitely, Uh, it made it all 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:45.919 worth it. It truly meant a lot to me, and um, 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.359 it's definitely an honor to win it. I saw your 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:52.760 teammates calling for a speech there. Did you oblige them? Um? So, yeah, 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:56.719 I had a speech. But it wasn't nothing, especially at all. 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.240 I say that no problem, no problem. That we saw 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:00.560 him kind of cut away. It looked like you were 0:20:00.600 --> 0:20:02.119 just kind of trying to be humble and accepted in 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:04.840 so we'd expect nothing less. Man. I wanted to ask you. 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:07.000 I told you we had your father on the podcast 0:20:07.080 --> 0:20:08.840 here and he talked a little bit about men of 0:20:08.960 --> 0:20:11.560 Central and now it's men and women of Central. I 0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:13.480