1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: I got lucky to get some number two position by 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: the time we opened the season against the University. 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 2: Of Miami Boys, and you know, ray Lewis. 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Is their middle linebacker and there are some other terrific 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: players on that team. 6 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 2: And coach Donaghue just said, you know you're in there 7 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 2: like go, just go. You know, there was no there 8 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 2: was no uh, you know, hard to heart. 9 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: Or hey, everything's gonna be okay, they're gonna die. 10 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 2: Get in there. 11 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 3: Welcome into another exciting edition of Good in the Game. 12 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 3: I'm LeVar Arrington. I'll be your host on this journey. 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 3: Today we're gonna talk to a guy, really, really super 14 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 3: special guy by the name of Kay mcnapp. That's right, 15 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 3: went to u c l A was a quarterback, played 16 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 3: for years. He's done some pretty extraordinary things. And you 17 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 3: know what the game, the game played a part and 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 3: why this man is so extraordinary. We're going to jump 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 3: into this interview and we're going to talk. We're gonna 20 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 3: have a great conversation. So many things to touch on, 21 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 3: his mom being a part of his childhood. He went 22 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 3: into finance after he was done with the game of football. 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 3: He had his appendix removed. SSH talk about dealing with adversity, 24 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 3: and it happened his junior year of high school, which 25 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 3: is one of the most important years to get recruited 26 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 3: to a college. How did he overcome those things? You'll 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 3: find out. Stay tuned right now here we go three 28 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 3: two one, good in the game, and obviously everybody knows 29 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 3: without any introduction being needed to be made, this is 30 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 3: Kate McCown UCLA, great Chicago Bear. We won't you know, 31 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 3: we won't go to all the other teams, but you 32 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 3: know you are College Hall of Famer class of twenty twenty. 33 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 3: Had a brilliant career. In fact, your career is so 34 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 3: brilliant that your passing yards record still has yet to 35 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,839 Speaker 3: be eclipsed by any UCLA quarterback. And by the way, 36 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 3: there have been some pretty dog going good UCLA quarterbacks 37 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 3: in the history of the school, so to hold that 38 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 3: record is tremendous and amazing. 39 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: You are twelfth overall pick. 40 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 3: And now you're in finance and which I'm going to 41 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 3: be interested to hear more about what you've done off 42 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 3: the field than some of the things that we will 43 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 3: touch on on the field. But you know, appreciate you 44 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 3: coming on. Excited to have this opportunity to talk with you. 45 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 3: And let's start off with this. You're born in Oregon, 46 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 3: you end up playing ball in California and California Hollister, 47 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 3: I believe, if my memory serves me correctly. Uh, whereas 48 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 3: it's sand San Mark Marta, Mark Margarito saying there's a 49 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 3: old there's so many of them out here. Oh my gosh, 50 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 3: there's so many out here. But you played well in 51 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 3: in high school. You get to u c l A 52 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 3: and you did something that no one has ever done. 53 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 3: You started, You started all four years and you beat 54 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 3: the rival of the crosstown rival all four times that 55 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 3: you were there, which is man, if you were to say, 56 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 3: somebody is going to do that to USC and it's 57 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 3: u c l A at this point, I think people 58 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 3: would would debate that fiercely. 59 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: Kay, So let's start there. 60 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 3: High school leads you into a place where you clearly 61 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 3: must have felt you were confident enough to come into 62 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 3: u c l A and win the job. Walk us 63 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 3: through that. 64 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, it starts back at as you as you 65 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: referenced San Benito High School San in Hollister, California, also 66 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: known as Hollister High School. But uh, you know It's 67 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: kind of an interesting journey for me to even to 68 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: get to U c l A. Because I managed to 69 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: earn the starting quarterback position running a wing t offense 70 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 1: at Hollister my junior year, but just a few games 71 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: into my junior year, I actually ended up having an 72 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: emergency appendectomy, which UH, which ended up eliminating the balance 73 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: of my season. 74 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 2: So I was really. 75 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: You know, looking forward to that as you know, that 76 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: junior year is a big one when you're looking to 77 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: h to play at the next level and too to 78 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: be going into an operating room a few weeks into my. 79 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 2: Junior year and and get get cut on. 80 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: I remember, I remember getting getting the procedure UH and 81 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: asking if I was going to be okay to play 82 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: the game later that week, and the doctor, I remember, 83 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: kind of laughed at me. He's like, no, no, you 84 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: and I and I cried my eyes out. I was, 85 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: I was, you know, pretty devastated, but UH managed to 86 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: kind of get myself back on the recruiting map in UH. 87 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: In the spring that year, there was a rebok combine 88 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: up in h at Saint Mary's College in Maraga, California, 89 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: and ended up going there, and there are a lot 90 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: of UH recruiters there for from various universities and and 91 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: I performed okay, but but ultimately I ended up moving 92 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: up to Oregon that's for my senior year and having 93 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: to kind of start all over. 94 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: But but managed to have a pretty good season. We're in. 95 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: We we made it to the state semi finals that year, 96 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: and really what kind of happened is you know, you know, 97 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: you know it better than I do nowadays the way 98 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: kids get recruited. I mean, everybody's got their own videos, 99 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: and you know, it's all digital and you could just 100 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: send it to anybody. And I actually was lucky that 101 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: I've got a brother who's four years older than me, 102 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: who went down to the local cable station that recorded 103 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: all the games and he worked with somebody there to 104 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: kind of highlight reel. I put it on a VHS tape, 105 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: and oh, I sent it to five different schools, and 106 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: they were all schools I was interested in attending. The 107 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,239 Speaker 1: only one that I sent it to that that would 108 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: not take me seriously, not that they weren't taking me seriously, 109 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: but they'd already committed to another player was Notre Dame. 110 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 2: I'd actually gone there also for football camp. 111 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: You know that was back in the days when when 112 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: you know, Rudy was coming out and a lot of 113 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: people were paying attention to note And I'm going going 114 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 1: back and spending a week in South Bend. 115 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 3: That would have been Paulus when you were in your time, right, Romish. 116 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was there and and you know, Lou Holtz 117 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: was the coach, and and I remember going back there 118 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: and and and being really interested in going, but they 119 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: had already committed to somebody. So the other schools that 120 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: I sent it to all expressed interest kind of late. 121 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: I mean, this was going out, you know, kind. 122 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: Of in December of my senior year, and I ended 123 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: up getting offers to UH. 124 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 2: For visits, and my first visit was to u C. 125 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 2: L A. And UH. The other schools that I had, 126 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: I think I sent. 127 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: That tape to were Stanford, UH, Washington and Oregon and 128 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: you know, and then you start getting the recruiting letters 129 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: and all that sort of stuff. But but my first, 130 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: my first official visit was to U C. L A. 131 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: And Terry Donahue UH towards towards the end of my 132 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: visit invited me into his office and said, hey, listen, 133 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: I'm interested in in two quarterbacks and if you say 134 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: you're coming, I'm not interested in the other And I. 135 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 2: Said, I stood up and I shook his hand and 136 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 2: he said, along cooming. You see, so I was I 137 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 2: was an easy I was an easy guy for them 138 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 2: to get. 139 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: Ultimately, I liked what I saw and I heard it 140 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: from coach Donahue and I said, well, I'm coming. 141 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 2: So that's that's what That's what ultimately got me to 142 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 2: U c l A. 143 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: I ended up making that commitment on on you know 144 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: national you know. 145 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 2: Letter of inten day, I think February first in nineteen 146 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: ninety five. And yeah, never never looked back. 147 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: I was I made the right decision, and I was 148 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: thrilled to get down there and and and compete. I 149 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: was not certainly offering any sort of starting job or 150 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: anything like that. I just I just wanted to go 151 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: to UH, a great university with a great academic profile, 152 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: and a place ultimately where I could also where I 153 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: felt like I had a chance to be on a 154 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: winning team where we could win the Pac ten title. 155 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 3: Well, I'll first start off by saying, when you have 156 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 3: a coach that believes in you and believes enough in 157 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 3: making that type of bold proclamation. I'm with you there 158 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 3: one hundred percent on ye take that. 159 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 2: And that's one funny side note before. 160 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: I sure it's kind of kind of amusing talking to 161 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: a Penn State guy about it, but I remember getting 162 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: a recruiting letter from Penn State thinking to myself, boy, 163 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,079 Speaker 1: you know that that Joe Paterno, he's he's pretty old. 164 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: You know, I don't know if he'll be around much longer. 165 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: And and Terry Donnie who was so young, and you 166 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: know he'll definitely coach Donnie who left after one year, 167 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: and Paterno stuck around for. 168 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 3: About about fifteen twenty more so. And now that would 169 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 3: have been Carry Collins when you were when you were 170 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 3: coming in, right, it would have been Collins. And then 171 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,359 Speaker 3: what Wally Richardson would have been a quarterback. 172 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, you guys played actually the Penn State, I believe 173 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: the Penn State Oregon. Yeah, that is just on the 174 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: Rose Bowl field in the nineteen ninety five game. 175 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 2: When I went and visited the Rose. 176 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: Bowl to wow about that Penn State paint and the 177 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: Oregon paint. 178 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 3: We had a different outcome for that game that year 179 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 3: than we did this year in the Big Ten championship. 180 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 3: But it's not about Penn State. This is about Cave Now. 181 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,679 Speaker 3: Obviously the u c l A. Brewing great the quarterback 182 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 3: that that did some amazing things. So you did go 183 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 3: through some adversity in your recruitment getting the surgery done with. 184 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 3: You know, you said your appendix right avdect toy. That's uh, yeah, 185 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 3: that's that's I had to do in a hernia surgery. 186 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 3: So anytime they got to go into your your core 187 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 3: like that, man, that's always like, that's a thing talk 188 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 3: to me about the The name of this show is 189 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 3: Good in the Game, all right, And there's the level 190 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 3: of high school and to college, college to pro pro 191 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 3: into real life and then we're now old enough to 192 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 3: be real life. It's it's removed really so much from 193 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 3: any really you know kind of what we can say. 194 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 3: We still relate to the game, but we're really in 195 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 3: real life of our lives. So there's different phases of 196 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 3: what Good in the Game has represented for us foundationally speaking. 197 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 3: How did you did you play for a long time? 198 00:11:54,800 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 3: Were you a few years player? Did you develop coping mechanisms? 199 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 3: What was a part of your experience as as a 200 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 3: football player at the younger age, you know, whether it's 201 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 3: high school, whether it's even beyond before that, leading up 202 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 3: to having to deal with some of the adverse situations 203 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 3: to even get the opportunity to get a scholarship. Just 204 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 3: walk me through a little bit of what like, what 205 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 3: do you remember vividly in terms of how the game 206 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 3: was good for you? 207 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, as you know, it is a it is 208 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 2: a tough game. 209 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: And I get asked a lot my parents, you know, gosh, 210 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 1: you know, what do you would you let your kids 211 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: play football? And and all this kind of stuff, and I, 212 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: you know, my answer is is always the same. 213 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 2: If your kid likes to hit, please let them play football. 214 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: If if your kid doesn't like to hit, don't make 215 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: them play football, because you're either the bug or the 216 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: windshield out there, and if your kid doesn't want to 217 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: be the windshield, he will be the bug. 218 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 2: And right, And I loved hitting. I mean I could not. 219 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: I My parents didn't want anybody, any of us, any 220 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: of the two boys playing football till high school. But 221 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: my brother, who's four years older than me, got to play. 222 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: And I threw a fit in the fifth grade and 223 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 1: somehow managed to get them to uh to acquiesce and 224 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:23,839 Speaker 1: allow me. 225 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 2: To play pop orner football. 226 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: But I got started playing offensive guard tackle, you know, 227 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: detackle because I was a bigger kid, and then slowly 228 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: moved my way into like full back linebacker, you know, 229 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: eventually kind of outside linebacker, running back, and then and 230 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: then ultimately into this sort of free safety quarterback on 231 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: both sides. 232 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 2: And you know, but but to. 233 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: Your question about some of the things, I remember vividly 234 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: and and you know, just take for a second the. 235 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:56,679 Speaker 2: Difficulty of the game. 236 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: And then kind of later on, I remember hearing uh, 237 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: an inspirational speaker come to our high school one year, 238 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: and one thing that I took away that day was, 239 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's not what you do when the 240 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: coach is looking, it's what you do when the coaches 241 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: aren't looking that really makes the difference. And I remember 242 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: taking that very very literally and seriously, to the point, 243 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: when the coach wasn't looking, I would run harder, I 244 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: would I would push myself more. 245 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 2: I was. 246 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: I was kind of kind of crazy about that, and 247 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: and and and as you know, sometimes when the quarterback 248 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: who's not as fast as everybody else is beating everybody 249 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: else in in wind sprints and everything else else, it 250 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: doesn't always make people happy. 251 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 3: Whether you like it or not, you got to step 252 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 3: it up, you know. 253 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: So I always, you know, and I always felt like, 254 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: you know, regardless of the leader, you never ask the 255 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: people that you're trying to lead to do something you're 256 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: not willing to do yourself. And you know, I was 257 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: just I was very serious. I love football. I loved 258 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: playing football. I mean I played a lot of sports, 259 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: and I loved really whatever was in season quite frankly, 260 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: but but football was always my favorite sport. 261 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 2: And uh, I just I just remember, you know, you know, 262 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 2: very early on, you know, all the all the work 263 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 2: that goes into the game. 264 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the game is kind of you know, that's 265 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: that's really the fruit that comes out, but all the 266 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: all the hard work is what is what. 267 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 2: Gets you into that position to have success. 268 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: And I took it very seriously and and all the 269 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 1: way through through college, I was. I was a very 270 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: dedicated UH teammate, a very dedicated UH player. I just 271 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: I just never wanted to look back at any moment 272 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 1: in my in my life, just kind of knowing even 273 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: then as I got older, I never wanted to look 274 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: back and think, Gosh, I wish I. 275 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 2: Would have prepared more I could. I could have tried harder. 276 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: I wish I didn't go out that night, and I 277 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: you know, I could have done better. 278 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 2: I just I just never wanted to have those regrets 279 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 2: and and and I don't. 280 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I always joke, you know, I didn't you know, 281 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: I didn't drink you know anything when I never drank 282 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: alcohol when I was in college, you know, not that 283 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: you can or can. 284 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 2: I just I just chose not to. 285 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: I figured I was I wasn't talented enough to be 286 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: able to do that and then still still be a 287 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: performer on Saturdays. And so I I just I avoided 288 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: all that and I was, uh, I was just super 289 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: dedicated and I love it. And I look back and 290 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: you know, both good and bad, whatever came of it, 291 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: it wasn't for a lack of effort or preparation or 292 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: anything that I could control that, you know, something maybe 293 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: maybe a bad decision was made or in a game 294 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: or we lost a game or something. I never have 295 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: to look back with with any regrets in college football 296 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 1: that I wasn't all in and prepared and giving one 297 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: hundred percent. 298 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 2: So I was pretty lucky to have that mentality. I 299 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 2: guess what did. 300 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 3: All in look like for you. I know you mentioned 301 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 3: not drinking. I know you mentioned running the wind sprints hard. 302 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 3: But give me, do you have an example of what 303 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 3: all in represented? 304 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 2: It? 305 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 3: Was there a moment in particular that represented all in 306 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 3: for you? I know for me when I was in 307 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 3: high school, my all in moment was I played against 308 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 3: Woodland Hills my freshman year and they beat the breaks 309 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 3: off of me and I quit during the game. I quit. 310 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 3: I took my helmet off on the sideline. I sat 311 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 3: on the bench and I said, I quit. I'm done. 312 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 3: I'm not going back in, and I'm never going to 313 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 3: play ever again. 314 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 2: I quit. 315 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 3: And my quarterback, thirty three, the greatest football player I've 316 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 3: ever seen, no matter what, I don't care what it is. 317 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 3: He's the reason why I want to stay. Title the 318 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 3: only title I've ever had in my entire life. I 319 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 3: had a quarterback and thirty three comes up to me. 320 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 3: Eric Kasparovitch comes up to me and he tells me 321 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 3: that your special. Your special, and everybody knows it. And 322 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 3: you're either going to gut up and you're going to 323 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 3: deal with what comes with being special, or you can 324 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 3: bow out right now. 325 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 2: Now. 326 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 3: I could say in the moment like now after everything 327 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 3: has happened. That was the magical moment in that moment, 328 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:45,919 Speaker 3: but I was resistant to it. But he planted the seed. 329 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 3: It was the most impactful moment of understanding what adversity was. 330 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,160 Speaker 3: Then I started paying attention to him running the wind 331 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 3: sprints faster than everybody. I started paying attention to him 332 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 3: and how he was breaking down the film. I started 333 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 3: paying attention to little things like how how the coaches 334 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 3: responded and communicated with him. If he didn't want to 335 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,399 Speaker 3: do something, they talked about it and they would not 336 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 3: do it. And I got to a point in my 337 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 3: young stage where I said, I want that to be me. 338 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 3: I don't I don't play quarterback. I don't want to 339 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 3: play quarterback, But who he is and what he represents 340 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 3: to this team, I want that to be me. And 341 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 3: I started to evolve after that. Do you recall any 342 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 3: type of moments that kind of hit you in a 343 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:43,719 Speaker 3: way where it made you see that there was something 344 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 3: more for you, It made you realize that you could 345 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,439 Speaker 3: be more than what you even thought you could be. 346 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 2: Gosh, that's a great, great question. 347 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: I mean, I feel like I had some of those 348 00:19:55,000 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: conversations with some of my teammates the way. 349 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 2: You're guy did with you, that's for sure. I would say, 350 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 2: I would say a lot of. 351 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 1: It, you know, for me, the probably the moment that 352 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 1: I sort of believed I could. I don't know that 353 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: I I mean, I was probably incredibly naive and and 354 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: I was. You'd probably be hard pressed to find people 355 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: to tell you that I didn't believe in myself. 356 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 2: I might have. I might have overly believed in myself 357 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 2: at times. 358 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: But uh, you know, I'll credit that to my mother 359 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: and father for for drilling that into into my head. 360 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 2: So talk about it, talk about it. 361 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 3: It's all. It's all relevant. It's all again, it's all relevant. 362 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 2: It is. 363 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I give a lot of credit 364 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: to uh, you know, certainly to my mom. My mom 365 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: you know, has a very has like rose colored glasses. 366 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 2: Everything's everything, everything's good, and maybe. 367 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: And really believing, you know, and saying to me, like 368 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: you know that I'm you know, probably better than I am. 369 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 2: So you know, I probably had an. 370 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: Overly inflated, uh view of my capabilities. But but I 371 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: would say, but I would say, you know, with my 372 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: my freshman. 373 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 2: Year at U c l A. 374 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: You know, I I just kind of got lucky to 375 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 1: get into the position to be the number number two guy. 376 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 2: You know, when I got there, there were probably. 377 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,400 Speaker 1: Five or six quarterbacks on the depth chart, and being 378 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 1: a true freshman, I you know, certainly wasn't you know, 379 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: shooting up very quickly. Yeah, exactly, I'm I'm in the 380 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 1: back of the line. But through you know, I think 381 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: it was just through at some level performance, but also 382 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: some injuries to other guys ahead of me, you know. 383 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: And that's that's another thing I try to remind people 384 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: before they want to, you know, transfer schools or you know, 385 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: go here, go there. It's like you're one play away, 386 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: maybe two plays, right, I mean, people get hurt all 387 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: the time. 388 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 2: So I got lucky to get to the number two position. 389 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: By the time we opened the season against the University 390 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: of Miami, and UH our starting quarterback ended up getting 391 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: knocked out of the game literally. 392 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. 393 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 3: And it was some boogie monsters out there when you 394 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 3: played against them. 395 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I and you know, Ray Lewis is their 396 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: middle linebacker, and there are some other terrific players on 397 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 1: that team. And and I'll never forget the you know, 398 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: it was a big nationally televised game and everything, and uh, 399 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: you know, I'm three months out of my lunch line 400 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: in high school and you know, I'm standing on the 401 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: sideline at the UCLA football game. I mean I just 402 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 1: watched them play uh, Nebraska the year before from a couch, 403 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,440 Speaker 1: so this is this is a big deal. 404 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 2: And all of a sudden, our guy gets knocked out 405 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 2: and coach Donahue just said, you know you're in there, 406 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 2: like go just go. You know, there was no there 407 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 2: was no uh you know, heart. 408 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: To heart or hey, everything's gonna be okay, they're gonna die. 409 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 3: Get in there. 410 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 2: Let's just get in there. 411 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: And and I said okay, and I was and I 412 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 1: and I remember his whether it was real or fake, 413 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: you know, his confidence, at least from what I perceived 414 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: his confidence and not even not even talking about anything, 415 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 1: just get the play and get in there. 416 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 2: I was like, well, this is let's go. 417 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm getting you know, I get I get 418 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:47,399 Speaker 1: chills thinking about it still. 419 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 2: So it was really it was. It was great. 420 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 1: And I ended up you know, I think it was 421 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 1: probably five plays we picked up a first down and 422 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: then we ended up kicking a field goal and then 423 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 1: the guy went you know, the starter went back in 424 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: but that was that was that was a moment for 425 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: me where I was like, Okay, I'm here. 426 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 2: And the next week he gets knocked out again, and 427 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 2: this time I have to finish the game. 428 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: And ended up having a really good game and against 429 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 1: BYU and Provo and and UH ended up starting the 430 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:23,359 Speaker 1: third game because you know, at that time, back to 431 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,120 Speaker 1: back weeks of concussions, you were you were considered out 432 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: for at least a week. So I started the next 433 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: game and we ended up losing a heartbreaker on the 434 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: last play of the game. We had a chance to 435 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: beat Oregon at home and ended up losing. And and 436 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,919 Speaker 1: you know, he started the next week, and I played 437 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: half the game, and at that point it was like, 438 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: who knows what's going to happen. 439 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 2: We were I think, uh, you know two and two 440 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 2: at that point. 441 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: And there was a big lead up to that week 442 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:57,360 Speaker 1: against Fresno State my my freshman year, and we were 443 00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: both sort of taking in an even an even amount 444 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: of apps during the week with the with the first team, 445 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: and coach Donahue did not tell anybody who was going 446 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: to start UH that week and until right before kickoff, 447 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: and he walked over to me that game he said 448 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: you're you're in and and so that I started every 449 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: game from there till the end of my college football career. 450 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: And and and just I always felt like having the 451 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 1: confidence of of my coaches, Uh, that belief and and 452 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: sort of empowering me to to to go out there 453 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: and and you know, have have the team in my 454 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 1: you know, in my hands, was a very powerful statement. 455 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,639 Speaker 2: And I took it very seriously. I knew it was 456 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 2: a it was a. 457 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 1: Privilege to be out there. I didn't ever for a 458 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,199 Speaker 1: minute feel a sense of entitlement. You know, from my 459 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 1: freshman year to my senior year, I always felt very 460 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: very lucky and privileged to be playing for UCLA and 461 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: and being the starting quarterback at a at a university 462 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 1: that had seen you know, many many incredible players over 463 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 1: the years, not not just quarterbacks but. 464 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 2: Across the board. And you know, I took I took 465 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 2: it very seriously. 466 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: And but that was certainly early on, uh, encouraging for 467 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 1: me to go out there and have. 468 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 2: The support of my coaches. I love that. 469 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 3: How did it play a part? You're a cerebral dude 470 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 3: like I would have I would have enjoyed playing against 471 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 3: you in college, not so much pros because they they 472 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 3: used me differently. But you're cerebral, so I would have 473 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 3: been looking at you and I would have been trying 474 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,439 Speaker 3: to read you and figure out what you're communicating to 475 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 3: your your players. You're a communicator, I can tell, and 476 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 3: you're very It's it's there now makes me wonder about again. 477 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 3: You brought up the academic aspects of what it is 478 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:57,719 Speaker 3: U c l A is an amazing, tremendous school for academics. 479 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 3: How did this mindset you take it very seriously and 480 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 3: opportunities that were being created and coming your way in football, 481 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 3: how did you balance that out with being a superior academic, 482 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 3: you know, a student athlete at the time of trying 483 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 3: to balance out all of the athletics as well. 484 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 2: LeVar, First of. 485 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 1: All, I'd love to tell you I was a superior 486 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: student throughout my years at UCLA. 487 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 2: I cannot say that. 488 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 1: I probably carried closer to a three point zero average 489 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: in college, although I did not have enough credits completed 490 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: at the end of the fall of my senior year, 491 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: so I ended up having to come back years later. 492 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 2: I finished my degree for you, I didn't have the. 493 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: Pressure year, but I will say when I came back 494 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 1: and I did not have the full time job that 495 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 1: is being a college football player. My my results in 496 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: the classroom, we're far better. 497 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 2: I say, all you got to do is get up 498 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:05,640 Speaker 2: and go to class and take tests. 499 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 3: Go figure, right, it's not that hard, right. You got 500 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 3: to be there, you got to be present. That's really 501 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:12,679 Speaker 3: all it is. 502 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 2: And I tell my four kids, I say, listen, school 503 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 2: is not that hard. 504 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 1: You go in, you listen to what they say, you 505 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: repeat it back to them in the form of a 506 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: test or whatever else. And you know, if you're listening 507 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: and you're doing what you're supposed to do, you're probably 508 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 1: going to do pretty well. Where it gets challenging is 509 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 1: when you've got a you know, pick your number of 510 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: hours a week job, like you know, being a college 511 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: football player and having to meet all those expectations and 512 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: then balance that. That gets a lot more challenging. So 513 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 1: during the season certainly much more challenging. But even in 514 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: the off season, you're training a lot, your body's tired. 515 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: You know, when your body's tired, it's hard to get mentally, 516 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, up to task. And so it's it's it's 517 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: always a challenge. And I don't think you can really 518 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: do it well out without being all in and fully committed. 519 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: You know, I would say my my social uh focus 520 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 1: was was minimal uh in college and so but that 521 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: was very intentional. I just knew those four years were 522 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: going to come and go, and you know, whatever the 523 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: average age that you know we may live is going 524 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: to be for four years is very very small, and uh, 525 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 1: I just I just did not want to let any 526 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: opportunities slip by, uh where I could have been been 527 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: better about making sure that that they happened. 528 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's a great piece of advice. I 529 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 3: hope everybody out there listening and watching right now hurt 530 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 3: what what you just said. Sometimes the sacrifice of now, 531 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 3: you know, is you doing what you have to do. 532 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 3: You are doing what needed and what must be done 533 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 3: that ultimately put you in position to do what you 534 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 3: want to do. And and that is is definitely a 535 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 3: tremendous piece to all of it. Kaye, talk to me, 536 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 3: Talk to me about you know, you're connected to the 537 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 3: National Football Foundation. Obviously, talk to me about what that's 538 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 3: meant to you, that that connection and you know, obviously 539 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 3: understanding that the balance of what the NFF represents is 540 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 3: such an important piece to to everything that that takes 541 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 3: place for us within our own community is being great 542 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 3: in the community, being great and in the you know, 543 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 3: in the classroom, being great on the field, being great 544 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 3: as people. You know. That's that's been my experience since, 545 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 3: you know, joining and being a part of the NFF, 546 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 3: the National Football Foundation. What's your experience been, Well. 547 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 2: It's it's just been an incredible experience. 548 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: And the National Football Foundation and what it stands for 549 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:10,959 Speaker 1: and what it promotes are are just incredible values promoting 550 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 1: the game of football. Uh and and really all the 551 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: all the life lessons football instills in us. It's it's 552 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: it's it's just really really important for kids to get 553 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: to experience that if they can. And you know, as 554 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: you know that the game is always shifting and changing. 555 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 1: You know, when we grew up, it seemed like there's 556 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: a Pop Warner team in every town, you know, many 557 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: many teams in some cases. And I would say in 558 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,959 Speaker 1: some of the bigger cities, especially I live in Los Angeles, 559 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 1: I would say it's not as popular as as it 560 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 1: used to be. Certainly the NFL and the attention at 561 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: the high level is there, But I would say that 562 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: at the younger levels. There's a lot more flag football, 563 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: there's lacrosse. There are all sorts of other sports that 564 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:10,080 Speaker 1: are popping up that. 565 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 2: People are paying attention to. 566 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: And and you know, when we were growing up, it 567 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: was kind of a rite of passage and it was 568 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: something you just needed to do. You had to be 569 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: on the football team. I don't know that that's necessarily 570 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: the case anymore in certain areas. In other areas, it's 571 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: continued and grown tremendously, you know, certain. 572 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 2: States throughout the South, the Midwest, et cetera. 573 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 1: But the values that we get to learn and understand 574 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 1: and be a part of because we've got to play 575 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: football are so important. And the fact that the National 576 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: Football Foundation is out promoting that across the country is 577 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: something that I just would not want to miss out 578 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: on at all. So to be a part of this 579 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: in some small way is something I'm very proud of, 580 00:32:58,920 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: very thankful for. 581 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 2: In fact, one of the things I've gotten involved in over. 582 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: The last ten years was something started by my old coach, 583 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: Terry Donahue called the California Showcase, where he basically put 584 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 1: together a combine for kids to be able to be 585 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: seen by lots of other colleges and universities around the 586 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: country that aren't necessarily the one a top one hundred schools, 587 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: but have scholarships to give, you know, in football, and 588 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 1: sort of just providing a venue to allow those recruiters 589 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: to see these kids. And what's been great is they're 590 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: not out raising money. The scholarship dollars are already there. 591 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: They're just creating the combine to make that to bring 592 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: the money and the kids in need together and have 593 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: been able to give out or actually connect well north 594 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 1: of ten million dollars in scholarships over the last you know, 595 00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: several years, and it's just a it's a terrific venue. 596 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: So being asked to be a part of that by 597 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: the late great Terry Donahue was a pleasure. I still 598 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: I still help out, and you know, I try to 599 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: be helpful in in in a number of ways around 600 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: the game, and including being visible with the with the foundation, 601 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:22,439 Speaker 1: obviously coming back and getting to participate in the College 602 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 1: Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony like we did this 603 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: past week. And continuing to be a part of that 604 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 1: and finding ways to add value in. 605 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,879 Speaker 2: Whatever way I can is something I'm interested in doing. 606 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:43,800 Speaker 3: So you went to finances, so clearly you know finances numbers. 607 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,399 Speaker 3: Numbers are like a school of fish to me, Kate, 608 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 3: like I can keep them in a school for a 609 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 3: little bit, then they start going every which direction. Man, 610 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 3: you know what I mean? Like, numbers are crazy. They 611 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 3: give me, give me motion sickness at times. And that's 612 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,239 Speaker 3: o hey, because we all have our strengths, we all 613 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:05,640 Speaker 3: have our weaknesses. Clearly it was a strength for you. 614 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:10,399 Speaker 3: You're working for a prestigious advisory group right now, talk 615 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 3: to me a little bit about what you have going 616 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 3: on now, and just for us to wrap it up, 617 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:20,720 Speaker 3: how did your time as a football player play a part, 618 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 3: How major a role is that and what it is 619 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 3: that you do now and if you could tell us 620 00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:27,959 Speaker 3: how that is, that would be great too. 621 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,359 Speaker 1: Well Listen, I won't I won't make this a pitch 622 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: for what I'm doing now, but I will say that 623 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,279 Speaker 1: that what I am doing now is something I'm very 624 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 1: excited about. It's it's a little bit of a culmination 625 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 1: of many of my life's experiences when I when I 626 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 1: first got out of football, I found my way into 627 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: uh into finance through the wealth management channel. I went 628 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: to work for for ubs briefly, and then JP Morgan 629 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,280 Speaker 1: in the private bank, spent some time there, and ultimately 630 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:06,839 Speaker 1: got myself into a uh, a business that helped advise individuals. 631 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:06,760 Speaker 2: On their. 632 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:10,319 Speaker 1: You know, on their wealth, so kind of a wealth 633 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: management business within an independent framework, and ultimately got myself 634 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 1: into a into a business that does private equity and 635 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: private credit investing across. 636 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 2: A range of of of industries. You know. 637 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 1: It's it's sort of been a long journey, but ultimately 638 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 1: I now, UH about six months ago, joined a firm 639 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:42,040 Speaker 1: called Redbird Capital h that interestingly invests in sports, media 640 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: and entertainment and financial services. 641 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 2: It's a private equity. 642 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:49,640 Speaker 1: Firm, and and we're doing, believe it or not quite 643 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: a bit in collegiate athletics, we're doing in partnership with 644 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:58,280 Speaker 1: the NFL, and then and and doing various things around 645 00:36:58,480 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: media and entertainment as well. 646 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 2: So it's really if you if you. 647 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:07,240 Speaker 1: Took a ven diagram of sort of my my life 648 00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 1: experiences and overlay it with our. 649 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:15,440 Speaker 2: Investment portfolio, it would look very very they'd look very similar, 650 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 2: which is fun. 651 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:19,839 Speaker 1: I get to have some some level of subject matter 652 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 1: expertise around around you know, what we're investing in, which 653 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:25,240 Speaker 1: is really fun. 654 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:31,359 Speaker 3: That's awesome, And so looking at that and being competitive, 655 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 3: how does it compare? How does how does doing what 656 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 3: you do now compare to Because you're a competitor. I 657 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 3: mean I can see it, and I can see the 658 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:44,320 Speaker 3: intensity in you and and the feelings that you feel 659 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:47,400 Speaker 3: in talking and discussing the things that we're talking about. 660 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:50,399 Speaker 3: How does that intensity play a part in what you're 661 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 3: doing right now? How does it compare? 662 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:53,359 Speaker 2: Yeah? 663 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: I know, in fact, just just earlier we were talking 664 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,960 Speaker 1: about you know, uh, some of the things we endure 665 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:02,479 Speaker 1: in college and setting us ourselves up for later in life. 666 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 2: And I'll I'll. 667 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: Never forget every great football team had a great uh 668 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 1: training group and and a and a strength and conditioning 669 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,319 Speaker 1: program and those people in there that that push you. 670 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 1: That's that's when you're really forming yourself. And and I remember, 671 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:25,120 Speaker 1: uh my my junior year are strength and conditioning coach 672 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: yelling at everybody saying, guys, we are going to make 673 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:31,160 Speaker 1: you do the things you don't want to do so 674 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: you can be who you want to be. And what 675 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 1: you realize when you get out of football that now 676 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,240 Speaker 1: I have to make myself do the things I don't. 677 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,319 Speaker 2: Want to do. To be who I want to be. 678 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:44,799 Speaker 2: And that's another that's another challenge. But but but you 679 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:45,279 Speaker 2: do it. 680 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:49,839 Speaker 1: And in my business, you've got to be patient, but 681 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 1: you've got to be persistent. And you know that's that's 682 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: no different than than the long term nature of of 683 00:38:57,440 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 1: of building yourself in the game of football. 684 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,840 Speaker 2: You know, it starts when you're young. You're developing yourself. 685 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: When you started playing in junior high school or high school, 686 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:07,200 Speaker 1: you weren't ready to play in the NFL. 687 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 2: It takes time. Your body's got to develop, your mind's 688 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:11,760 Speaker 2: got to develop. 689 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 1: And what you realize what you get into the NFL, 690 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 1: especially your rookie year, is that guy who's in that three. 691 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:19,960 Speaker 2: Technique across from you, he might have been. 692 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:23,920 Speaker 1: In that three technique now for twenty years between the NFL, 693 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 1: college football, high school. You know, that free safety, he 694 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 1: may have been doing these these tricks for twenty years. Right, 695 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 1: I'm fresh meat, and so you got to you got 696 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:37,640 Speaker 1: to understand that even though you're all on the same field, 697 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:42,839 Speaker 1: some are just far, you know, much further ahead than 698 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 1: you are. And so for me to start in a 699 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:50,040 Speaker 1: career where many of my contemporaries in my career started, 700 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:52,840 Speaker 1: you know, in college and then right out of college, 701 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: I you know, I started much later. 702 00:39:55,239 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 4: So so having a balance of sort of expectations around 703 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 4: my ability to perform, you know, based on my age, 704 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:09,840 Speaker 4: and then you know, being realistic about all the knowledge 705 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:12,680 Speaker 4: that I need to ultimately gather and the experience that 706 00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:16,080 Speaker 4: I need to have to be effective is something that 707 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:17,080 Speaker 4: you just got to. 708 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 2: You got to wrap your head around, and it takes 709 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:20,400 Speaker 2: time you don't get. 710 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:22,680 Speaker 1: To And I think I think that was that for me. 711 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:26,400 Speaker 1: The silver lining in you know, hurting my shoulder. I 712 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 1: had a shoulder separation halfway through my second year with 713 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: the Bears. 714 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:35,720 Speaker 2: They try to try to come back, ultimately got traded twice. 715 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:38,400 Speaker 1: I mean I was damaged goods when the Dolphins got me, 716 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: and even more damaged by the time I got to 717 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:42,000 Speaker 1: the forty nine ers. 718 00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 2: But yeah, but if you're fortunate, you've been there. 719 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:47,239 Speaker 3: Yeah. 720 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:50,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, but but the silver the silver lining getting out 721 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 1: of professional football at twenty. 722 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:57,000 Speaker 2: Six is still young. You're still young, still young. I 723 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 2: could I could start, I could sort of start that 724 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:01,919 Speaker 2: ernie at a time that. 725 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: Allowed me, within reason to be you know, a grunt, 726 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 1: you know with other brunts that might be younger than me. 727 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 1: But you know, that's the challenge when you get out, 728 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,799 Speaker 1: you know, you get into your thirties, you know. 729 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:18,399 Speaker 2: And then you want if you want to go down 730 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:20,480 Speaker 2: another path, it's very very challenging. 731 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 1: Now Ideally at that point you've also financially done quite 732 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:30,800 Speaker 1: well and set yourself up hopefully to be in great 733 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: shape for a long time. 734 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:37,760 Speaker 2: But for me, recognizing that I had to start all over. 735 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:41,399 Speaker 1: Again at twenty six was to me more manageable than 736 00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:44,400 Speaker 1: trying to do that, you know, six, seven, eight years later. 737 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:47,480 Speaker 2: And I'm happy. I mean, look, I'm very happy with 738 00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 2: how things turned out. If I could have rewritten it 739 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:51,240 Speaker 2: what I've loved. 740 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 1: To play ten twelve, fifteen years, absolutely I wanted to 741 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:00,000 Speaker 1: go and win championships and do all that that stuff. 742 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 2: But I'm still very happy with how things have turned out. 743 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:08,440 Speaker 1: And I feel very lucky, especially at forty seven today, 744 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 1: with many many years ahead of work and raising kids 745 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:15,080 Speaker 1: and you know, there's a lot to do. 746 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:16,040 Speaker 2: I feel like I'm on. 747 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 1: A very sustainable, manageable path that will allow me to 748 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:26,319 Speaker 1: grow in my business life tremendously well. 749 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,920 Speaker 3: So love that, love that answer, because that's really what 750 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 3: good in the game represents. Is being able to have 751 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:38,319 Speaker 3: that humility, being able to have that self awareness that 752 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:43,640 Speaker 3: you know, start over and if you're starting over, you 753 00:42:43,719 --> 00:42:47,120 Speaker 3: don't start at the pro level, and just knowing that 754 00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:50,759 Speaker 3: you got to trust the process, learn the process, do it, 755 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:53,799 Speaker 3: do it from every angle you mentioned. It goes back 756 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:56,640 Speaker 3: and I'll close out with this. It goes back to 757 00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:01,239 Speaker 3: your statement in the beginning, got into the game and 758 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:03,760 Speaker 3: you didn't even play the position you ended up playing. 759 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 3: Isn't that a lot like how life is. You start 760 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:09,600 Speaker 3: out and you end up playing this position, you play 761 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 3: that position, you play this position, then it's over there, 762 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,399 Speaker 3: that's way out there, But hey, I'm gonna do it, 763 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:19,640 Speaker 3: and you learn all of these different positions, and ultimately 764 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:24,000 Speaker 3: it's teaching you the game. Right now, you understand the game. 765 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:26,160 Speaker 3: You understand what those guys got to deal with that 766 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:28,280 Speaker 3: are in front of you. You understand what they're thinking 767 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:30,320 Speaker 3: on the other side of the ball or out there 768 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:33,640 Speaker 3: on the outsides, whatever it may be. And that was 769 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:37,560 Speaker 3: something that I've made very clear with my kids and 770 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:41,040 Speaker 3: how I raise them. Don't be resistant to when somebody 771 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:43,520 Speaker 3: asked you to do something that you didn't want to do. 772 00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 3: Maybe you did want to be a receiver, but they 773 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,279 Speaker 3: put you at tight end. Maybe you want it to 774 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:50,360 Speaker 3: be a tight end, but they put you at d line. 775 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:54,760 Speaker 3: You know. The bottom line is is that learn learn 776 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:57,319 Speaker 3: what it is that they're doing, so that if you 777 00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 3: do get that opportunity to do what it is that 778 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:02,279 Speaker 3: you want it to do, you'll have an appreciation for 779 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:04,360 Speaker 3: what other people are doing. And that's a lot like 780 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:06,960 Speaker 3: how business is. You know, you learn it, you know, 781 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:09,719 Speaker 3: and that you know a lot of us we could 782 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:13,239 Speaker 3: stand to learn that lesson of be the donut guy. 783 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 3: Rookie year, you're the donut guy, you're the breakfast sandwich guy. 784 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:19,000 Speaker 3: You got to learn how to be the donut guy, 785 00:44:19,239 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 3: you know, And that's that takes some humility. But it's 786 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:25,680 Speaker 3: also why I believe our game is so amazing because 787 00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:28,759 Speaker 3: that's a lesson that some people don't get to learn 788 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:32,560 Speaker 3: in real time when they're growing up. It's certainly a 789 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:36,600 Speaker 3: lesson we do in playing this game. So kay, I 790 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:37,760 Speaker 3: appreciate your time. 791 00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:38,000 Speaker 2: Man. 792 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:42,240 Speaker 3: Let me tell you something as impressive as it gets. 793 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:46,759 Speaker 3: And yeah, I mean I appreciate you coming on and 794 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:51,000 Speaker 3: giving us some of your time and obviously continued success 795 00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:54,880 Speaker 3: with everything that you're doing and Yeah, just just humbled 796 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:57,879 Speaker 3: to head opportunity to talk with you men and hear 797 00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:00,440 Speaker 3: your thoughts on on what this game has meant to 798 00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:02,040 Speaker 3: you and how. 799 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:03,080 Speaker 2: It's shaped your life. 800 00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 3: So appreciate the time, my guy. 801 00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:05,759 Speaker 2: Thanks LeVar. 802 00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:08,439 Speaker 1: Well listen, if you ever get a chance to get 803 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:10,120 Speaker 1: yourself interviewed, I want to. 804 00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:13,040 Speaker 2: Do it, all right, Okay, we'll do it, because I 805 00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:15,399 Speaker 2: will do it. I got a lot of questions for you. 806 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:20,120 Speaker 3: All right, all right, everyone, that was Kate McNown I'll 807 00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:23,840 Speaker 3: tell you what he is. As advertised, he had a 808 00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:27,839 Speaker 3: lot of great things to say, a lot of information, 809 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:31,120 Speaker 3: a lot of wisdom, and a lot of experience. I 810 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 3: enjoyed speaking with this man. He's from my era. As 811 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:39,600 Speaker 3: you heard in the interview, he's got it. He's got 812 00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:42,719 Speaker 3: it together. He's a sharp guy. And just being able 813 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:45,640 Speaker 3: to listen to the things that he's experienced and the 814 00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:50,040 Speaker 3: things he's overcoming, the things that he has achieved, ultimately 815 00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:54,120 Speaker 3: serves the purpose as to why we do this show 816 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:58,359 Speaker 3: good in the game, Kate McCown, you are what's good 817 00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:02,880 Speaker 3: about the game, and you are ultimately good in the game. 818 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:03,399 Speaker 2: That's right. 819 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:08,960 Speaker 3: Thanks to the National Football Foundation, and thank you for listening. 820 00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:12,200 Speaker 3: All right, stay tuned in, subscribe, check us out, and 821 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:15,719 Speaker 3: I'll talk to you soon. All right, Slavar Arrington, I'm 822 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:16,359 Speaker 3: signing out.