WEBVTT - Player Wives - Successful Partnerships

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast, an NFL podcast for

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<v Speaker 1>the players, by the players. Hello and welcome to the

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<v Speaker 1>NFL Legends Podcast. My name is Darryl Campbell, former NFL

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<v Speaker 1>player and current associate producer in NFL Films. I am

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<v Speaker 1>sitting in for our main host, the one and only

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<v Speaker 1>Hall of Fame great Anius Williams Um. Today we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>speaking with two awesome and amazing NFL player wives, Shannon

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<v Speaker 1>Whitehead and Desire Vincent Levy. I'm saying that right there

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<v Speaker 1>is right is it? LEVI? Is that Levy? See Bayham

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<v Speaker 1>already messed it up from the jump, but that's okay.

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<v Speaker 1>Set in Whitehead and desire Vincent Levy. Um. They will

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<v Speaker 1>shed light and inside on how they manage things that

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<v Speaker 1>arise in the NFL household, from parenthood to social justice initiatives,

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<v Speaker 1>COVID nineteen pandemic, RELO location, trying to stay sane with kids,

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<v Speaker 1>and all sorts of things rolling around. But I think

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<v Speaker 1>at the core of this, when we get done, we

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<v Speaker 1>want to have a better understanding of who you are,

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<v Speaker 1>your voices, and let's just jump right into it first

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<v Speaker 1>and foremost full transparency. This thing was supposed to happen

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<v Speaker 1>a long time ago, and it is my fault wholeheartedly.

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<v Speaker 1>My schedule has not been forgiven, and I apologize for that.

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<v Speaker 1>Lady here, you know how you know it's it's crazy,

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<v Speaker 1>and I know you guys can understand because things are

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<v Speaker 1>just popping off left and right. Um, but yeah, it

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<v Speaker 1>should have haven a long time ago. And I'm just

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<v Speaker 1>glad and blessed that you guys are on. Um, dad's

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<v Speaker 1>got the butter whipped, that's spinning up into the top.

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<v Speaker 1>I love it. You know, was saying she got the

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<v Speaker 1>hair down. She would have had the bonding on this,

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<v Speaker 1>and she would have had the bonding on us. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>jump right into it. I want to get to know

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<v Speaker 1>you guys. I want your voices to be heard. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>talk about your husband's let's talk about how you guys

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<v Speaker 1>have met, and let's just get a little bit of

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<v Speaker 1>your story. Sin you went first. I was seventeen when

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<v Speaker 1>I met my husband. Um, he had a crush on me.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't really want them, but we're here now right now. Um, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I was seventeen. Um, we grew up in Jersey, both

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<v Speaker 1>Jersey kids. Um, and yeah, it's it's it's been on

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<v Speaker 1>and on from then. Uh, he went to Temple, I

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<v Speaker 1>went to Morgan State until he got drafted. Um we

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<v Speaker 1>got drafted. I say we because it's been a team

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<v Speaker 1>effort since day one. Um, he got drafted by the

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<v Speaker 1>team and pulled me right along with him. We first

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<v Speaker 1>started off in Detroit, the Detroit Lions. Um we played

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<v Speaker 1>there for six years. Um. Originally I was at Morgan

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<v Speaker 1>when he got drafted, but he said he wasn't going

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<v Speaker 1>without me, and I gotta finish school. So I ended

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<v Speaker 1>up transferring to um see Central Michigan University, and I've

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<v Speaker 1>graduated from there. I'm sorry and A yeah, it's the

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<v Speaker 1>best is still in written. So we're going. We're still

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<v Speaker 1>going going strong today. And uh so, so Shannon, your

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<v Speaker 1>husband's name is tire tire white head is am I

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<v Speaker 1>saying that I don't want to. You said it right, Whitehead? Um,

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<v Speaker 1>who's he played for? How long has he been playing?

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<v Speaker 1>Dropped that on me? So it'll be it's nine years

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<v Speaker 1>this year. Um we were we started off again with Detroit,

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<v Speaker 1>then we went to the Raiders for two years, and

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<v Speaker 1>now we are with the Carolina Panthers. Um, we're doing good.

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<v Speaker 1>So we're in North Carolina. We're in Charlotte right now. Awesome, Awesome,

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<v Speaker 1>talk to me. Yep. So, my husband's name is DeAndre Levy. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>We actually were in Detroit and tie here. Um, but

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<v Speaker 1>we met in college freshman year. We lived in the

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<v Speaker 1>same dorm area at u W Madison. We didn't actually

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<v Speaker 1>date in college, we were friends. UM stayed in touch

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<v Speaker 1>and then some years after actually um, I was living

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<v Speaker 1>in New York and he was in Detroit, and we

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<v Speaker 1>started a long distance relationship that eventually closed in on

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<v Speaker 1>me moving to Detroit, and we got married and have

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<v Speaker 1>been building a life here um ever since. Awesome. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>talk about the next thing. Let's talk about family, man.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about the babies. You got four of them.

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<v Speaker 1>You you, you, you are all removed from a pumpkin

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<v Speaker 1>patch right now, Nanny, I need to hear about them

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<v Speaker 1>from well. My life is a circus. We four boys.

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of people ask me all the time how

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<v Speaker 1>I do it. I don't. I just roll with the punches.

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<v Speaker 1>You just keep it moving the best way. You know how,

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<v Speaker 1>You try your best and you pray the rest. That's

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<v Speaker 1>what I say all the time. And it's just it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's it's a revolving door, something always going on. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a lot of fun. But you had to also

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<v Speaker 1>laugh when it's not fun, because if not, you'll lose

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<v Speaker 1>your mind. But we have four little boys. We have

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<v Speaker 1>a six month old, we have a three year old,

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<v Speaker 1>we have a six year old, and we have eleven

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<v Speaker 1>year old. Took me twelve next month. Mhm, nice, nice? Alright,

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<v Speaker 1>does you already know I'm coming for the cheeks on you?

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<v Speaker 1>Because that little baby girl got them? You know what

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<v Speaker 1>she tell me about it? Um. We had our first baby,

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<v Speaker 1>uh in March with twenty nineteen. Her name is Rosie

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<v Speaker 1>got that is pregnant. How you doing that? No? We

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<v Speaker 1>now we got to rewind what you mean talking about you? Now?

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<v Speaker 1>This is fun story. So me Andre, we were where

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<v Speaker 1>were we coming from? Who knows? We were coming from Paris?

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<v Speaker 1>The travel coples coming from Paris always they're always somewhere.

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<v Speaker 1>It's crazy, never ever in my life. Yeah, but we

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<v Speaker 1>were coming from Paris and we had our layover actually

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<v Speaker 1>in Atlanta, and we just didn't tell the white heads.

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<v Speaker 1>They knew we lived there, but they didn't tell us.

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<v Speaker 1>Hold on, y'all lived at this No there, No, we

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<v Speaker 1>were all walking through the airport and we like so random,

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<v Speaker 1>random to Shannon and time here, and I feel like

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<v Speaker 1>we started talking and I think maybe told you that,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, we were thinking about trying to have our

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<v Speaker 1>first child or something like that. And then Shannon told

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<v Speaker 1>me how every time she interacts with someone, they end

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<v Speaker 1>up pregnant. Um. But I told her to rub my

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<v Speaker 1>quote I said, just touched my hand and she was

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<v Speaker 1>like what. I was like, touched my head. It's nothing crazy,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not I'm just the Lord has just blessed me

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<v Speaker 1>to be fruitful. And I just listened. I said, go

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<v Speaker 1>I said watch, it's like weird. I said, go ahead,

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<v Speaker 1>and I said, touch my You'll be pregnant next month.

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<v Speaker 1>And do you know that she caught me. I was like,

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<v Speaker 1>you'll never believe this, and she's like, we're pregnant. Oh again,

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<v Speaker 1>got a pregnant. It's it's weird. It's weird. But I

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<v Speaker 1>just think I just like, I truly believe that you

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<v Speaker 1>speak things into existence and we have positive energy, positive people,

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<v Speaker 1>and I pray for my people, and I just I

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<v Speaker 1>was like, watch, you're gonna be pregnant. And then just

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<v Speaker 1>like that just like that really was but like so,

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<v Speaker 1>but just to be technical, um, I was doing the math.

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<v Speaker 1>I was technically just love killing on it here. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>i'll tell you what. Let me can I get saying it?

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<v Speaker 1>Can I just get a digital high five right now?

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<v Speaker 1>Just because I want to have a baby girl and

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<v Speaker 1>I need that. I don't know none about girls, even

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<v Speaker 1>though she had a girl, I don't look. I can try.

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<v Speaker 1>We can try lose am that I got two of them.

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<v Speaker 1>That way I can. Yeah, there we go. All right, Well, girl,

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<v Speaker 1>I need your help with with the girls. I need

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<v Speaker 1>everybody's help with the girl. You're trying to get one too.

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<v Speaker 1>We we now, I want to girl. I never wanted

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<v Speaker 1>a girl before. I always said that I wanted all

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<v Speaker 1>boys first, and then I would do a girl. Do

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<v Speaker 1>a girl because she might be a lot. I'm a lot. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>all right? UH want the boy? You want? You on

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<v Speaker 1>the best of both worlds day. You're trying to get

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<v Speaker 1>a boy with you know whatever, whatever we're blessed with,

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<v Speaker 1>I'll be happy with. That's it. That's all right. Next

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<v Speaker 1>up on the doc, let's let's jump into this COVID

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<v Speaker 1>because it's affecting everybody. Thousand cases reported daily. We're shuffling

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<v Speaker 1>broadcasts around just so we can get games because you know,

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<v Speaker 1>players are you know they're contracting this thing. Um. It

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<v Speaker 1>was so good in the beginning and now I just

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<v Speaker 1>like it was crazy, Like it was like it was

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<v Speaker 1>we thought it was cool, smooth ceiling, and then bam

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<v Speaker 1>we get our first second. It's unbell lievable. But how

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<v Speaker 1>are we coping with that family saying like, I know

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<v Speaker 1>you gotta tell you you know, tiers out there bawling

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<v Speaker 1>doing this thing. I mean, how are you nervous? Are you?

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<v Speaker 1>How you how you handling this thing? UM proceeding with caution,

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<v Speaker 1>We just Um he doesn't come home until he's tested negative,

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<v Speaker 1>which is kind of midweek, and even then it's still

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<v Speaker 1>a risk. He kind of walks around with a mask

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<v Speaker 1>all day. He really doesn't interact with our baby, UM

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<v Speaker 1>because he's again six months and you'd have to hold him.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's just been really just it hasn't been fun. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>We're getting through it. Our team has not had any

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<v Speaker 1>to my knowledge, UM, which I think I know, but

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<v Speaker 1>UM hasn't had any players that UM tested positive for

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<v Speaker 1>the virus, So we've been good thus far. But I

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<v Speaker 1>know a lot of teams that we have UM or

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<v Speaker 1>are going to play, or a lot of other teams

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<v Speaker 1>in the NFL have tested positive. And it's been really

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<v Speaker 1>are wrecking for a lot of the women. I know.

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<v Speaker 1>In the beginning, UM, everybody was just super nervous about it.

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<v Speaker 1>It actually went off pretty well in the beginning, but

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<v Speaker 1>now it just seems like everything's crumbling. Um. Some women

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<v Speaker 1>are with their husbands this season because of it. UM,

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<v Speaker 1>and the NFL has really tried their best, and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>I definitely appreciate their efforts in trying to get us

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<v Speaker 1>connected with our husband. Still I am here, but a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of women did not come. UM. I know one

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<v Speaker 1>girl that her husband purchased a trailer on their their

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<v Speaker 1>their land so that he can be home without really

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<v Speaker 1>being home. UM. Yeah, So it's just been weird, just

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<v Speaker 1>weird things that we've kind of had to come up with. Tired,

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<v Speaker 1>we don't sleep together in the same bed, and if

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<v Speaker 1>ever it's been long enough since he's you know, quarantined

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<v Speaker 1>and tested negative consistently, we might sleep He'll sleep with

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<v Speaker 1>his feet towards me and his head the other way.

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<v Speaker 1>It's just we've just come up with different things to

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<v Speaker 1>kind of just ensure everyone's safety. Um, and it really

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<v Speaker 1>really stinks. It really stinks. It's been rough, but we're

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<v Speaker 1>trying to get through it. So straight. He hasn't even

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<v Speaker 1>held the baby yet because of the COVID stuff without

0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:12.760
<v Speaker 1>a mask, I mean until unless it's been because for

0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:15.240
<v Speaker 1>my understanding, the way the virus works, it can live

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<v Speaker 1>dormant in your body for a couple of days. So

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<v Speaker 1>he maybe, like towards the end of the week, he'll

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<v Speaker 1>interact a little more, but when he comes from from game, well,

0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:25.440
<v Speaker 1>he doesn't come home from games, and then eventually he'll

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<v Speaker 1>come home wear a mask for a while, and right

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<v Speaker 1>before the next game is when he finally feels comfortable

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<v Speaker 1>enough to interact. But then we're going right back in.

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<v Speaker 1>So maybe a couple of days out the week, right, man, Wow,

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<v Speaker 1>that's crue. I wouldn't know what to do if I

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<v Speaker 1>can hold my baby boy or just even my wife.

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<v Speaker 1>Man sleeping, I know, I sleep wild anyway, so I

0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:50.840
<v Speaker 1>probably I do all types of damage. But anyway, that's

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<v Speaker 1>neither here nor there. Plus my feet ain't really all

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<v Speaker 1>that great anyway, him, that's just a lot of years

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<v Speaker 1>on them. Um. Yes, talk to me about how you

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<v Speaker 1>feeling about this COVID stuff and everything, especially with the

0:12:01.880 --> 0:12:06.040
<v Speaker 1>baby girl, and you know, talk to me. Yeah, So

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<v Speaker 1>I won't um like be in close quarters with anyone

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<v Speaker 1>unless I know and I like I need hard facts

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<v Speaker 1>and receipts straight up all being tested. The mutual space

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<v Speaker 1>is safe. But my daughter, she hasn't been um in

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<v Speaker 1>a store or anything like that probably since early March now,

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<v Speaker 1>just because she's at that age where like everything goes

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<v Speaker 1>in her mouth and she's and I would make it

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<v Speaker 1>a headache, you know, going to the grocery store or

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<v Speaker 1>to Target or anything like that. But so one thing

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<v Speaker 1>I just wanted to add to mental health is at

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<v Speaker 1>top of mind for me, especially as we're going into

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<v Speaker 1>the wintertime, because historically I've dealt with seasonal effective disorder.

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<v Speaker 1>So one of the things that I've been talking with

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<v Speaker 1>my counselor about a lot is just being proactive and

0:12:57.640 --> 0:13:00.840
<v Speaker 1>like coming up what's my strategy. So, like, the one

0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:04.920
<v Speaker 1>thing that we talked about was what she's calling like

0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:07.440
<v Speaker 1>owning the season. And one of the ways that I'm

0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:11.040
<v Speaker 1>gonna own the season is walk every day, so it

0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:17.160
<v Speaker 1>doesn't matter if it's raining, snowing, cold, whatever, I'm gonna

0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:19.280
<v Speaker 1>get up and I'm going to commit to myself to

0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:22.400
<v Speaker 1>walking for thirty minutes every day. Um, just as one

0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:25.880
<v Speaker 1>of my tactics to kind of manage mental health within

0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:28.400
<v Speaker 1>the wintertime. But then with the layer of you know,

0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:30.200
<v Speaker 1>COVID on top of that and just all of the

0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:33.880
<v Speaker 1>anxiety and things like that that are um related to it.

0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:36.240
<v Speaker 1>And I agree with that. I know a couple of

0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.280
<v Speaker 1>my friends they've gotten into meditation real tough. And I

0:13:39.280 --> 0:13:40.880
<v Speaker 1>didn't really know what it was. And I thought, it's like,

0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:43.440
<v Speaker 1>you know, when you watch like old school Samurai show

0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:46.200
<v Speaker 1>Down Samurai Samurai Sunday, you see the the ninjas just

0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:48.640
<v Speaker 1>sitting there just like doing their thing, you know, And

0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:50.480
<v Speaker 1>I thought that was what meditation is. And I'm like,

0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:52.360
<v Speaker 1>I ain't doing that in my office. That ain't gonna

0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:57.000
<v Speaker 1>it ain't gonna suffice. But when I learned a little

0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:58.439
<v Speaker 1>bit more about it and I tried to get and

0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:01.040
<v Speaker 1>I gave it a chance, it was something that actually

0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:03.800
<v Speaker 1>can you help you decompress and you know, get in

0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:05.439
<v Speaker 1>a mental space where you can, like you said, you

0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:09.160
<v Speaker 1>just win the day, you know what I mean sees today, Um, Sanna,

0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:10.920
<v Speaker 1>do you do anything like that? I mean, you got

0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:14.040
<v Speaker 1>four boys. I can Oh, you need that for real

0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:18.800
<v Speaker 1>talk to me. So it's every day is a battle.

0:14:18.920 --> 0:14:23.440
<v Speaker 1>Every day is different. But UM, I think we talked

0:14:23.480 --> 0:14:25.520
<v Speaker 1>about this a while ago. For the first time ever,

0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:30.280
<v Speaker 1>I hired a nanny. I hired a nanny because I

0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:32.800
<v Speaker 1>am in the process of doing some things for myself

0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:35.640
<v Speaker 1>for the first time ever, UM and getting in touch

0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:38.000
<v Speaker 1>with myself. If I didn't have her, I wouldn't been

0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:41.120
<v Speaker 1>able to do anything. So I'm still trying to find

0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:44.160
<v Speaker 1>my way and figure out what works for me. But

0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:48.320
<v Speaker 1>before her, I had zero time to myself. UM. So

0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:52.800
<v Speaker 1>that's the biggest UM. As a mom. I realized that

0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:55.480
<v Speaker 1>if I'm not good, nobody else is, including my husband.

0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:58.000
<v Speaker 1>If I'm not straight, UM, and I haven't taken care

0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:01.200
<v Speaker 1>of my mental everything else is going to fall apart.

0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.040
<v Speaker 1>So my answer to you is, no, I don't have

0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:09.440
<v Speaker 1>anything in specific, UM, but I'm working on figuring out

0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:12.680
<v Speaker 1>what it is. But I definitely make sure that there

0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:15.960
<v Speaker 1>is a certain time every day that I get to

0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.920
<v Speaker 1>spend with just myself, whether it's going to the grocery

0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:23.640
<v Speaker 1>store by myself, whether it's um painting my toe nails,

0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:28.000
<v Speaker 1>which I can't do, whether it's just literally just just

0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:30.360
<v Speaker 1>whatever it is that day that I want to do,

0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:32.680
<v Speaker 1>I do it by myself and I can focus on me,

0:15:32.720 --> 0:15:35.480
<v Speaker 1>even if it's just sitting outside and looking at the birds.

0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:39.600
<v Speaker 1>That's what I'm gonna do. So it's important, It's definitely important.

0:15:40.240 --> 0:15:41.960
<v Speaker 1>Can we tell we can we talk about that that

0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.200
<v Speaker 1>one piece where you said, you know, hey, you gotta

0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:48.520
<v Speaker 1>take you gotta take care of your husband too, Because

0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:50.760
<v Speaker 1>let me just go ahead and put this out there.

0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:52.800
<v Speaker 1>This is the only part of this whole thing I'm

0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:54.400
<v Speaker 1>gonna make about me. And this this is because it's

0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:58.200
<v Speaker 1>my wife too. I am a giant toddler. Okay, I

0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:00.680
<v Speaker 1>am a giant baby when it comes to any and

0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:03.360
<v Speaker 1>everything that goes on in my household. If it wasn't

0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:04.960
<v Speaker 1>for my wife, I wouldn't even be here. I wouldn't

0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:06.960
<v Speaker 1>be doing this, you know what I mean. So can

0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:10.560
<v Speaker 1>we talk about that piece? How it's not just Shannon

0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.520
<v Speaker 1>with your four boys, You gotta fifth entire year. Okay,

0:16:13.680 --> 0:16:17.720
<v Speaker 1>And you know, I can't speak for DeAndre, but I

0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.160
<v Speaker 1>know that all of us players are in that giant

0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.400
<v Speaker 1>tydler phase and it never goes away. Talk about that

0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:25.360
<v Speaker 1>piece for a for a second. It is the same

0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:28.560
<v Speaker 1>way with them ever grow up. I tell people that,

0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:33.080
<v Speaker 1>and I might getting concur we don't. I'm getting trumble

0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:36.160
<v Speaker 1>for that later. What do you mean? But you know what, um,

0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:39.920
<v Speaker 1>strong neck, what do you mean? I don't. I don't.

0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:43.200
<v Speaker 1>He's not don't get me wrong. He is the leader

0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:46.440
<v Speaker 1>of our family. He is an excellent leader. But every

0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:49.600
<v Speaker 1>head needs a neck and every other body. Absolutely, I

0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:55.960
<v Speaker 1>definitely hold it down seriously, wife like right the neck.

0:16:56.680 --> 0:17:00.680
<v Speaker 1>But I totally um a great I I tell people

0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:02.680
<v Speaker 1>all the time when I'm kind of aggravated, I said,

0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:06.359
<v Speaker 1>I got four kids, not including my husband. Um. But

0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:11.840
<v Speaker 1>at the same time, UM, I just he's the leader

0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:14.120
<v Speaker 1>of the home, but I am the maker of the home.

0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:17.960
<v Speaker 1>So just to double back when when I'm not good,

0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:20.040
<v Speaker 1>I realized that I set the tone in the home.

0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:24.040
<v Speaker 1>If I have anxiety, if I am frantic, if I

0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:28.119
<v Speaker 1>am unhappy, if I am aggravated, it literally is like

0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:33.720
<v Speaker 1>a domino effect. Everything starts to collapse. I noticed that, Um,

0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:37.600
<v Speaker 1>when I'm tired. If I don't, if I'm tired or

0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:42.879
<v Speaker 1>something's bothering me, my patience level depreciates, you know, it's

0:17:42.560 --> 0:17:47.520
<v Speaker 1>it goes. So that is one important thing that I

0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:50.480
<v Speaker 1>learned that I have to and it's gonna sound so crazy.

0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:53.560
<v Speaker 1>I have to put myself first because when I put

0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:56.920
<v Speaker 1>myself first and make sure that Shannon is well rested,

0:17:57.200 --> 0:17:59.560
<v Speaker 1>Shannon is fad. I forget to eat. I forget to

0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:03.160
<v Speaker 1>eat um, and then I'm breastfeeding. So it's like when

0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.639
<v Speaker 1>you forget to eat, you gotta the baby sucking the

0:18:06.720 --> 0:18:08.960
<v Speaker 1>life out of you. And then it's like, I'm really

0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:12.399
<v Speaker 1>just out of it. So when I put myself first,

0:18:12.720 --> 0:18:14.679
<v Speaker 1>and again that was a that was hiring it in.

0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:18.359
<v Speaker 1>That was just saying, hey, I'm realizing the pattern here

0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:22.040
<v Speaker 1>um that my husband I he comes home from work

0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:27.199
<v Speaker 1>and my energies immediately transferred to him. So everything just

0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:29.119
<v Speaker 1>started going. I said, you know what, I need to

0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:31.960
<v Speaker 1>just start putting myself first in a weird way. Yes,

0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:34.399
<v Speaker 1>my I'm putting my family first by putting me first.

0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:37.679
<v Speaker 1>That makes sense. That makes absolute sense. There's you got

0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:39.439
<v Speaker 1>any chime or that you feel like you gotta have

0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:41.760
<v Speaker 1>those moments where you gotta put yourself first when you

0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:47.240
<v Speaker 1>come home. You know, well, I feel like putting yourself

0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:50.920
<v Speaker 1>first as a constant, always, an ongoing um, the thing

0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:53.760
<v Speaker 1>that I hold on to where I can't remember if

0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:55.640
<v Speaker 1>I got this from my mom or for someone else.

0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.600
<v Speaker 1>But you can't serve or pour from an empty cup.

0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:01.680
<v Speaker 1>So you need to make sure all the ways that

0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:04.240
<v Speaker 1>you need to be well to show up in the world,

0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:05.879
<v Speaker 1>to show up in your family or wherever else you

0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:09.960
<v Speaker 1>need to show up that you are well. And I

0:19:09.960 --> 0:19:12.720
<v Speaker 1>mean I know myself best to know what those things are,

0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:15.280
<v Speaker 1>how how I feel when I'm showing up in a

0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:17.600
<v Speaker 1>full way. UM. So one of the things that we,

0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:23.880
<v Speaker 1>after some um, really detailed discussions, have we worked out

0:19:24.520 --> 0:19:27.760
<v Speaker 1>is having a schedule UM, which I know that's not

0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:30.399
<v Speaker 1>realistic for everyone because everyone doesn't have like, you know,

0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.640
<v Speaker 1>two parents at home and only one working right now

0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:39.000
<v Speaker 1>or whatever. But we have a schedule basically Monday through Thursday.

0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.720
<v Speaker 1>We split the day at two thirty, so one half

0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:45.359
<v Speaker 1>of the day, UM DeAndre has taking the lead with

0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:47.320
<v Speaker 1>our daughter. Some of that my hands are free to

0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:50.919
<v Speaker 1>just do whatever that is, Like if it's me needing

0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:52.960
<v Speaker 1>to work, me needing to just take care of me

0:19:53.080 --> 0:19:54.679
<v Speaker 1>or work out or whatever it is, I can do

0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:57.840
<v Speaker 1>that um. And then we split the day UM so

0:19:57.880 --> 0:20:00.399
<v Speaker 1>that h DeAndre has seen say it is free to

0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:02.639
<v Speaker 1>do and focus on whatever he needs to focus on,

0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:07.919
<v Speaker 1>and then on Friday's I have a full day, Saturday,

0:20:08.080 --> 0:20:10.040
<v Speaker 1>he has a full day, and then Sunday is our

0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:13.680
<v Speaker 1>family day. UM. So that's how we split the week,

0:20:13.760 --> 0:20:17.160
<v Speaker 1>and since we've been really committed to that timeline, it's

0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:20.959
<v Speaker 1>worked out really well. Um with someone being you know,

0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.160
<v Speaker 1>focused and attended to our daughter, but then also both

0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:25.840
<v Speaker 1>of us just having the time and freedom to do

0:20:25.880 --> 0:20:28.359
<v Speaker 1>what we need to do. That's pretty cool. I should

0:20:28.400 --> 0:20:31.080
<v Speaker 1>be taking notes to this right now because implement that

0:20:31.160 --> 0:20:33.119
<v Speaker 1>right you know what I'm saying. I need that hairdresser

0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:36.320
<v Speaker 1>can't catch me on Friday. I got up and he's

0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:41.520
<v Speaker 1>gonna have to Just I'll tell you what you know.

0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:44.560
<v Speaker 1>Being on with y'all, I mean, I'm feeling like it's

0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:47.159
<v Speaker 1>Friday today. Man. I'm just I'm soaking this all in.

0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:53.880
<v Speaker 1>I need this right now. I appreciate you'all for real. Um. Next,

0:20:54.000 --> 0:20:56.400
<v Speaker 1>next on the doctor, we got social justice and community

0:20:56.440 --> 0:20:59.640
<v Speaker 1>service initiatives. Talk to me each of you about everything

0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:03.320
<v Speaker 1>that you're involved with with respective social justice community service

0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:07.560
<v Speaker 1>day is. I'm gonna start with you what you've got going. Yeah, well,

0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:11.240
<v Speaker 1>so I guess I'll start where I am right now.

0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:14.840
<v Speaker 1>So currently, UM, I work, I've worked since my daughter's

0:21:14.840 --> 0:21:17.879
<v Speaker 1>and born. I work freelance. UM. So currently I have

0:21:17.960 --> 0:21:22.240
<v Speaker 1>a contract with the Michigan Voting Coalition UM on their

0:21:22.240 --> 0:21:26.560
<v Speaker 1>election protection program, and I've been spearheading all of their

0:21:26.640 --> 0:21:29.600
<v Speaker 1>creative work in the community. So we have a public

0:21:29.680 --> 0:21:32.920
<v Speaker 1>arts initiative that's been rolling out in its murals and

0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:36.800
<v Speaker 1>six cities across Michigan that has a high population of

0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:43.520
<v Speaker 1>historically disenfranchised voters. UM. We're also recruiting pole workers and

0:21:43.880 --> 0:21:46.359
<v Speaker 1>UM we've been writing now your Rights guides and a

0:21:46.359 --> 0:21:50.640
<v Speaker 1>whole slet of things that is focused on educating voters

0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:54.080
<v Speaker 1>in Michigan of their options to cast their ballots UM

0:21:54.119 --> 0:21:58.480
<v Speaker 1>early and on the elect on election Day on November three. UM.

0:21:58.520 --> 0:22:02.200
<v Speaker 1>So I'm gonna be doing that, Yeah, I guess through

0:22:02.280 --> 0:22:03.639
<v Speaker 1>the rest of the year more or less. I mean

0:22:03.680 --> 0:22:05.600
<v Speaker 1>obviously the election of November three, but that's not my

0:22:05.680 --> 0:22:10.320
<v Speaker 1>primary focus, and then all of the follow up after UM.

0:22:10.359 --> 0:22:13.280
<v Speaker 1>But outside of that, Deander and I have a scholarship

0:22:13.320 --> 0:22:16.760
<v Speaker 1>that we started in Detroit called the Regenerated Detroit Scholarship,

0:22:17.359 --> 0:22:22.399
<v Speaker 1>and it's a full tuition UM culinary arts scholarship for

0:22:22.520 --> 0:22:25.199
<v Speaker 1>students from the Detroit Food Academy that would like to

0:22:25.240 --> 0:22:30.640
<v Speaker 1>pursue food or culinary arts as a professional career. UM

0:22:30.720 --> 0:22:35.760
<v Speaker 1>that started, oh man, now wow four years ago. He

0:22:35.880 --> 0:22:41.320
<v Speaker 1>feels like a lot longer um. But outside of that,

0:22:41.320 --> 0:22:44.880
<v Speaker 1>that's we we I mean, we certainly give our time

0:22:44.920 --> 0:22:47.960
<v Speaker 1>and our resources to organizations and people who you know,

0:22:48.000 --> 0:22:50.560
<v Speaker 1>we're doing work in community to fortify and lift up

0:22:50.560 --> 0:22:53.160
<v Speaker 1>the efforts that that they have. But outside of that,

0:22:53.240 --> 0:22:56.800
<v Speaker 1>we've kind of just in this moment um have more

0:22:56.840 --> 0:22:59.439
<v Speaker 1>or less beon being still just to see what the

0:23:00.440 --> 0:23:02.520
<v Speaker 1>what are the emerging needs in the Detroit and the

0:23:02.520 --> 0:23:06.680
<v Speaker 1>Traite community from COVID because every day there's something new

0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:09.359
<v Speaker 1>and just kind of keeping a close postal on that

0:23:09.480 --> 0:23:12.520
<v Speaker 1>to see what makes the most sense to support UM.

0:23:12.600 --> 0:23:15.760
<v Speaker 1>And that's mostly in the spirit of not feeling like

0:23:16.000 --> 0:23:19.520
<v Speaker 1>the need to recreate the wheel and that there are

0:23:19.520 --> 0:23:23.080
<v Speaker 1>people who are in a lot closer proximity to issues

0:23:23.160 --> 0:23:27.320
<v Speaker 1>that the community Detroit are experiencing. So just trusting their leading,

0:23:27.320 --> 0:23:30.359
<v Speaker 1>their judgment on what they need and supporting that. I

0:23:30.400 --> 0:23:32.560
<v Speaker 1>think that's the for for everybody that's listening to this.

0:23:32.680 --> 0:23:34.359
<v Speaker 1>The first step to any type of change that we

0:23:34.400 --> 0:23:37.160
<v Speaker 1>want to see out here, get to them, pose and vote. Okay,

0:23:37.400 --> 0:23:43.480
<v Speaker 1>that's what we need to do for sure. Oh yeah, Shan,

0:23:43.680 --> 0:23:45.520
<v Speaker 1>what you got. I know you involved. Know both of

0:23:45.560 --> 0:23:47.919
<v Speaker 1>you and Tire are involved some things. Talk to me

0:23:48.920 --> 0:23:52.719
<v Speaker 1>all over anything that comes our way, any opportunity that

0:23:52.760 --> 0:23:56.199
<v Speaker 1>comes our way we're taking part in. Whether it's a

0:23:56.320 --> 0:24:01.199
<v Speaker 1>friends um fundraiser or reading to it's just anything that

0:24:01.240 --> 0:24:03.720
<v Speaker 1>we can get into, we do. We probably spread ourselves

0:24:03.720 --> 0:24:08.080
<v Speaker 1>tooth in. Um we are in the process. I know.

0:24:08.119 --> 0:24:11.720
<v Speaker 1>They just called me today. Tiger has a recreational center

0:24:11.800 --> 0:24:14.879
<v Speaker 1>in North New Jersey that was named after him because

0:24:14.880 --> 0:24:17.080
<v Speaker 1>we do so much with them. They actually that's his

0:24:17.160 --> 0:24:20.720
<v Speaker 1>building now because he does so much for his city. Um.

0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:22.480
<v Speaker 1>He literally says that he wears his city on his

0:24:22.520 --> 0:24:24.680
<v Speaker 1>bag and he does everything he does he does for

0:24:24.720 --> 0:24:27.760
<v Speaker 1>our home like you know for Jersey, for Nork, he

0:24:27.840 --> 0:24:32.360
<v Speaker 1>does for Nork. So Um, we always say Jersey raised us.

0:24:32.520 --> 0:24:38.040
<v Speaker 1>So we're big on home. Um. But um everything they

0:24:38.040 --> 0:24:40.480
<v Speaker 1>just called us today about doing it. Yeah. Last year

0:24:40.520 --> 0:24:42.720
<v Speaker 1>we did a Turkey Um. We we put on I

0:24:42.720 --> 0:24:45.359
<v Speaker 1>think for like four or five dred people. We through

0:24:45.400 --> 0:24:47.520
<v Speaker 1>Thanksgiving dinner and we're doing it again this year. Of course,

0:24:47.560 --> 0:24:50.840
<v Speaker 1>we had to do it in a different way UM

0:24:50.880 --> 0:24:54.760
<v Speaker 1>this year because of COVID. UM we gave At one

0:24:54.760 --> 0:24:57.439
<v Speaker 1>point when COVID was really really when the whole country

0:24:57.480 --> 0:25:03.320
<v Speaker 1>was shut down, we UM fed UH UM Home and

0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:07.040
<v Speaker 1>Shelter for Children. UM. We fed them for a week

0:25:07.400 --> 0:25:10.960
<v Speaker 1>because they said that they had relied so heavily on

0:25:11.440 --> 0:25:14.040
<v Speaker 1>the schools to feed the kids. This was when no

0:25:14.080 --> 0:25:16.399
<v Speaker 1>one had figured anything figured out. Now everything is a

0:25:16.400 --> 0:25:20.800
<v Speaker 1>little bit better, but they relied heavily on breakfast and

0:25:20.880 --> 0:25:23.359
<v Speaker 1>lunch being given at school, and they fed the kids dinner.

0:25:23.520 --> 0:25:25.639
<v Speaker 1>We decided to step in and say hey, because they

0:25:25.640 --> 0:25:28.520
<v Speaker 1>were it was a food shortage. UM. It was just

0:25:28.560 --> 0:25:30.480
<v Speaker 1>a lot of different things that we did. COVID has

0:25:30.520 --> 0:25:32.240
<v Speaker 1>really made it hard to do a lot of things.

0:25:32.240 --> 0:25:34.600
<v Speaker 1>We put on a carnival and a football camp, and

0:25:34.640 --> 0:25:37.800
<v Speaker 1>then here does a segment where he brings in police officers,

0:25:37.840 --> 0:25:41.719
<v Speaker 1>he brings in UM lawyers, he brings in UM public

0:25:41.760 --> 0:25:44.480
<v Speaker 1>health administered, he brings in a lot of different people

0:25:45.080 --> 0:25:48.199
<v Speaker 1>UM financial people to teach the kids financial literacy. He

0:25:48.280 --> 0:25:52.080
<v Speaker 1>does this whole big convention weekend. We were unable to

0:25:52.119 --> 0:25:54.359
<v Speaker 1>do that this weekend this year because of COVID, So

0:25:54.359 --> 0:25:57.200
<v Speaker 1>we do so many different things, but COVID has really

0:25:57.200 --> 0:25:59.439
<v Speaker 1>just been in the way. So we're trying our best

0:26:00.520 --> 0:26:04.119
<v Speaker 1>to stay involved. But right now he can't go anywhere,

0:26:04.200 --> 0:26:08.480
<v Speaker 1>he can't do anything. Uh So we're trying. We're trying,

0:26:08.560 --> 0:26:12.359
<v Speaker 1>but we we definitely, UM, we get involved in anything

0:26:12.400 --> 0:26:14.360
<v Speaker 1>we can do. I know Christmas is coming and that's

0:26:14.400 --> 0:26:18.600
<v Speaker 1>really gonna be crappy because, um, we do a lot

0:26:18.680 --> 0:26:20.879
<v Speaker 1>during Christmas. We take kids. Last year, I think we

0:26:20.960 --> 0:26:26.520
<v Speaker 1>took three two hundred something kids shopping, um, and then

0:26:27.600 --> 0:26:30.600
<v Speaker 1>just for toys. This year, I actually, UM, my plan

0:26:30.840 --> 0:26:34.360
<v Speaker 1>is to give money to single mothers. UM. We are

0:26:34.400 --> 0:26:37.680
<v Speaker 1>trying to coordinate that now because I believe that as

0:26:37.680 --> 0:26:41.159
<v Speaker 1>a mom, one of the hardest things I couldn't imagine

0:26:41.200 --> 0:26:44.000
<v Speaker 1>not being able to provide for my kids on Christmas.

0:26:44.400 --> 0:26:46.400
<v Speaker 1>It's one thing when the kids know that it's being

0:26:46.400 --> 0:26:50.600
<v Speaker 1>given to some big in their eyes, big rich NFL player,

0:26:50.680 --> 0:26:53.480
<v Speaker 1>that's cool. But to wake up on Christmas and feel

0:26:53.520 --> 0:26:56.119
<v Speaker 1>like your mom and your dad or Santa whoever. I

0:26:56.119 --> 0:26:58.680
<v Speaker 1>don't I don't know, but you don't have anything on

0:26:58.760 --> 0:27:01.040
<v Speaker 1>Christmas Day that you think gifts from santor you think

0:27:01.080 --> 0:27:03.280
<v Speaker 1>it's from your parents. As hard as a mother UM,

0:27:03.280 --> 0:27:07.600
<v Speaker 1>I couldn't imagine because Christmas morning, when the kids wake up, UM,

0:27:07.640 --> 0:27:11.639
<v Speaker 1>it's everything. So I wanted to instead of giving we

0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:13.959
<v Speaker 1>could still do the kids, but instead I wanted to

0:27:14.040 --> 0:27:17.760
<v Speaker 1>give single moms or single parents, because it's not just

0:27:17.800 --> 0:27:19.800
<v Speaker 1>single moms out here. There are some single dads that

0:27:19.840 --> 0:27:22.560
<v Speaker 1>are really doing it. UM. I wanted to give them

0:27:22.560 --> 0:27:27.080
<v Speaker 1>the opportunity to go and buy gifts for their children

0:27:27.160 --> 0:27:30.240
<v Speaker 1>so that they could then give it to their kids

0:27:30.400 --> 0:27:33.040
<v Speaker 1>like it's from them, and it is from them. UM.

0:27:33.080 --> 0:27:34.480
<v Speaker 1>That's what I wanted to do this year. I wanted

0:27:34.520 --> 0:27:37.399
<v Speaker 1>to work with single parents that are struggling. UM. So

0:27:37.440 --> 0:27:39.800
<v Speaker 1>we're still trying to find a way to do that, UM.

0:27:39.960 --> 0:27:42.600
<v Speaker 1>And so really any which way we can, we're just

0:27:42.600 --> 0:27:44.880
<v Speaker 1>trying to get involved. As if you got anything, send

0:27:44.920 --> 0:27:49.720
<v Speaker 1>it my way. And seriously, UM, we're just trying to

0:27:49.720 --> 0:27:52.840
<v Speaker 1>do everything we do every We really do too much, probably,

0:27:52.880 --> 0:27:57.200
<v Speaker 1>but we're trying to trying to get it in find

0:27:57.240 --> 0:28:01.920
<v Speaker 1>folksing back to the your voices and and I think

0:28:01.920 --> 0:28:05.159
<v Speaker 1>it would be important for legends to hear this UM

0:28:05.160 --> 0:28:09.480
<v Speaker 1>from you guys obviously, UM, can we talk about how

0:28:09.560 --> 0:28:13.719
<v Speaker 1>your husbands are sounding boards for your voice to advocates

0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:16.520
<v Speaker 1>for you, champions for you. Can we talk about that

0:28:16.560 --> 0:28:19.240
<v Speaker 1>a little bit, Yes, let's let's let's start with you

0:28:19.280 --> 0:28:25.639
<v Speaker 1>in DeAndre. Yeah. So, UM, I don't think that Deonder

0:28:25.680 --> 0:28:28.320
<v Speaker 1>and I would be together if he were looking for

0:28:28.560 --> 0:28:32.199
<v Speaker 1>or expecting me to be an individual that UM didn't

0:28:32.200 --> 0:28:35.000
<v Speaker 1>share or have my own thoughts in my own opinions. Um,

0:28:35.040 --> 0:28:37.840
<v Speaker 1>that was actually one of the things that attracted me

0:28:37.920 --> 0:28:40.000
<v Speaker 1>most of him, like when we kind of started talking

0:28:40.040 --> 0:28:43.520
<v Speaker 1>and eventually started dating. It's just he was such a

0:28:43.560 --> 0:28:48.000
<v Speaker 1>fan of like my development, UM, in my career. He

0:28:48.160 --> 0:28:54.080
<v Speaker 1>was your fan. I saw, I saw how you just

0:28:54.160 --> 0:28:56.960
<v Speaker 1>dropped that in the in the section I saw that

0:28:59.120 --> 0:29:01.640
<v Speaker 1>he was. He was such a fan of I mean

0:29:01.840 --> 0:29:03.760
<v Speaker 1>everything that I have going on and even now, like

0:29:03.800 --> 0:29:06.480
<v Speaker 1>the ideas that come to mind or different boards that

0:29:06.520 --> 0:29:10.520
<v Speaker 1>I joined or whatever. He's a he's a he's a

0:29:11.040 --> 0:29:15.480
<v Speaker 1>great support system and I was able to be that

0:29:15.600 --> 0:29:18.280
<v Speaker 1>for him, you know when he was actively playing and

0:29:18.360 --> 0:29:21.080
<v Speaker 1>now that he's been in this transition, you know, finding

0:29:21.160 --> 0:29:25.200
<v Speaker 1>his his next step and when he has inklings of

0:29:25.520 --> 0:29:27.640
<v Speaker 1>where what that might be or the direction he might go,

0:29:28.160 --> 0:29:31.040
<v Speaker 1>I feel excited because I'm like excited for him to

0:29:31.080 --> 0:29:33.320
<v Speaker 1>figure this this what kind of feels like a puzzle piece,

0:29:34.120 --> 0:29:40.120
<v Speaker 1>UM the next move out. So that's not UM something

0:29:40.120 --> 0:29:43.040
<v Speaker 1>that I've been particularly challenged with with him. But I

0:29:43.200 --> 0:29:46.320
<v Speaker 1>also know that for any variety of reasons, that's not

0:29:46.520 --> 0:29:50.800
<v Speaker 1>the case for for everyone UM. And I think if

0:29:50.800 --> 0:29:53.120
<v Speaker 1>I'm were to part anything on record, just want to

0:29:53.120 --> 0:29:59.000
<v Speaker 1>say that every UM partner who's attached to a player

0:29:59.800 --> 0:30:05.080
<v Speaker 1>is firsthand experiencing this life of football UM off the field,

0:30:05.520 --> 0:30:09.520
<v Speaker 1>and sometimes might even be the experts on what life

0:30:09.560 --> 0:30:12.520
<v Speaker 1>of football off the field is. So their voices for that,

0:30:12.600 --> 0:30:14.720
<v Speaker 1>and because of their own desires, should be listened to

0:30:14.760 --> 0:30:17.040
<v Speaker 1>and should be honored UM for for what it is.

0:30:17.880 --> 0:30:20.920
<v Speaker 1>Senna talk to me about t I know he'd be

0:30:20.960 --> 0:30:24.160
<v Speaker 1>he'd be publing one on my phone right now. See

0:30:24.680 --> 0:30:29.800
<v Speaker 1>when he gets when they get a break. I kindly

0:30:30.000 --> 0:30:32.120
<v Speaker 1>answered the phone. He heard that we were doing something,

0:30:32.200 --> 0:30:34.640
<v Speaker 1>and he ended up sitting a text like I am

0:30:34.680 --> 0:30:37.680
<v Speaker 1>doing me right now and it feels so good UM,

0:30:37.720 --> 0:30:40.560
<v Speaker 1>And he loves it. He pushes for it. UM. Is

0:30:40.560 --> 0:30:42.680
<v Speaker 1>he used to it? No, because now we have to

0:30:42.760 --> 0:30:45.840
<v Speaker 1>balance versus before it was like hey babe, I got this,

0:30:45.840 --> 0:30:47.640
<v Speaker 1>this this, and I was like, wait, hold on, I

0:30:47.680 --> 0:30:51.360
<v Speaker 1>got this, this, this, we gotta figure it out. Um.

0:30:51.400 --> 0:30:53.320
<v Speaker 1>But yeah, sorry, baby, now he's gonna watch this to

0:30:53.360 --> 0:30:57.600
<v Speaker 1>me like, oh that's okay, I get it now. Um,

0:30:57.680 --> 0:31:01.800
<v Speaker 1>I I love doing me. I never imagined in a

0:31:01.840 --> 0:31:06.880
<v Speaker 1>million years that I would be doing the football white thing. Um.

0:31:07.200 --> 0:31:09.880
<v Speaker 1>Tier went to a smaller school. Well it was now

0:31:09.920 --> 0:31:13.240
<v Speaker 1>it's like Temple's bigger, But when he went, it was

0:31:13.560 --> 0:31:19.520
<v Speaker 1>considered a smaller school and it wasn't Clemson, it wasn't

0:31:19.680 --> 0:31:23.560
<v Speaker 1>you know, Alabama. So it was like he just really

0:31:23.720 --> 0:31:25.760
<v Speaker 1>came from a city where he got it out the

0:31:25.840 --> 0:31:28.800
<v Speaker 1>mud and just wanted to kind of be somebody great.

0:31:28.840 --> 0:31:30.440
<v Speaker 1>And he was like, I'll be a state trooper, you know.

0:31:30.520 --> 0:31:32.320
<v Speaker 1>I'm just trying to get a degree and that's what

0:31:32.360 --> 0:31:33.800
<v Speaker 1>I'm told I gotta do, and I'm trying to make

0:31:33.840 --> 0:31:37.120
<v Speaker 1>it out. And then this NFL thing came along. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

0:31:37.240 --> 0:31:41.000
<v Speaker 1>I had my own dreams, I had my own um ambition.

0:31:41.120 --> 0:31:43.520
<v Speaker 1>So now I'm finally getting to it. After taking a

0:31:43.560 --> 0:31:45.360
<v Speaker 1>break from what I wanted to do for the longest

0:31:45.400 --> 0:31:47.640
<v Speaker 1>to kind of adjust and get him where he needed

0:31:47.680 --> 0:31:50.720
<v Speaker 1>to be or support him in getting where he needed

0:31:50.760 --> 0:31:54.160
<v Speaker 1>to be. I'm doing me now, So it feels great. UM.

0:31:54.200 --> 0:31:56.160
<v Speaker 1>I know a lot of women we struggle for a

0:31:56.160 --> 0:31:59.720
<v Speaker 1>while in the NFL finding ourselves and finding our voice. UM.

0:31:59.760 --> 0:32:04.080
<v Speaker 1>And some men don't know how to support Um they're women.

0:32:04.120 --> 0:32:06.440
<v Speaker 1>They don't know how. They don't know how. It may

0:32:06.480 --> 0:32:08.880
<v Speaker 1>not be that they just simply don't want to. They

0:32:08.960 --> 0:32:12.440
<v Speaker 1>don't know how. UM. And then it's hard. It's just

0:32:12.520 --> 0:32:15.560
<v Speaker 1>hard being a homemaker and loving our kids the way

0:32:15.600 --> 0:32:18.400
<v Speaker 1>we're supposed to or the way it's said that we're

0:32:18.440 --> 0:32:24.320
<v Speaker 1>supposed to. UM. It just can create so much different thing,

0:32:24.520 --> 0:32:27.920
<v Speaker 1>so many different things. But it's important to take time

0:32:27.920 --> 0:32:31.320
<v Speaker 1>out to focus on yourself, to do something for yourself,

0:32:31.360 --> 0:32:33.520
<v Speaker 1>and to not lose yourself in the midst of him.

0:32:33.560 --> 0:32:37.400
<v Speaker 1>I'm his partner, he's my partner. Um, he's my biggest fan,

0:32:38.000 --> 0:32:41.760
<v Speaker 1>just like I'm his biggest fan. UM. And I think again,

0:32:41.760 --> 0:32:43.800
<v Speaker 1>it just falls back on if I'm not good, no

0:32:43.840 --> 0:32:46.840
<v Speaker 1>one else's and my dreams. Really, growing up, when I

0:32:46.840 --> 0:32:48.200
<v Speaker 1>was a little girl, I never said I wanted to

0:32:48.200 --> 0:32:50.520
<v Speaker 1>be a football life. That was never a thing. That

0:32:50.560 --> 0:32:53.440
<v Speaker 1>was never who I wanted to be. So I had

0:32:53.480 --> 0:32:56.120
<v Speaker 1>to remember that and say, hey, Shannon is somebody and

0:32:56.120 --> 0:32:58.520
<v Speaker 1>Shannon needs to. I want my kids to look back

0:32:58.560 --> 0:33:01.960
<v Speaker 1>and say, Wow, my mom did her thing too. UM.

0:33:02.000 --> 0:33:04.800
<v Speaker 1>You know it's important. But he is, He's right on that,

0:33:04.920 --> 0:33:06.720
<v Speaker 1>He's right with that, and I don't. I think he

0:33:07.000 --> 0:33:11.160
<v Speaker 1>enjoys having a strong life. UM. He loves bragging about

0:33:11.200 --> 0:33:13.360
<v Speaker 1>his wife just as like, just as well as I

0:33:13.400 --> 0:33:15.520
<v Speaker 1>like ragging about him. So it's a it's a it's

0:33:15.520 --> 0:33:20.840
<v Speaker 1>a partnership. It's a partnership. I definitely like he'll he'll

0:33:20.880 --> 0:33:23.560
<v Speaker 1>he'll do the autographs and do the waves, but I'm

0:33:23.560 --> 0:33:25.640
<v Speaker 1>the one behind the scenes making it all happen. And

0:33:25.680 --> 0:33:28.920
<v Speaker 1>he knows that it wouldn't be good without me, and

0:33:28.920 --> 0:33:32.040
<v Speaker 1>I wouldn't be good without him. So we're partners. I

0:33:32.120 --> 0:33:36.640
<v Speaker 1>love that. I love that one thing that UM, I

0:33:36.680 --> 0:33:39.000
<v Speaker 1>just want to like add to talking from like the

0:33:39.040 --> 0:33:42.360
<v Speaker 1>other side of the game. So on the retirement side

0:33:42.360 --> 0:33:47.040
<v Speaker 1>of things, UM, something that's really important. Uh. I know

0:33:47.080 --> 0:33:49.959
<v Speaker 1>that like in the Legends community, this is really communicated

0:33:50.000 --> 0:33:53.240
<v Speaker 1>to players, but like thinking about your next step, figuring

0:33:53.280 --> 0:33:55.320
<v Speaker 1>out the ways that you can from your seat as

0:33:55.320 --> 0:33:58.560
<v Speaker 1>a player, UM, take advantage of all the resources at

0:33:58.560 --> 0:34:01.680
<v Speaker 1>the NFL offers for that. On the other side, that

0:34:01.760 --> 0:34:05.360
<v Speaker 1>goes to me, that's very true for UM the partners

0:34:05.360 --> 0:34:10.160
<v Speaker 1>and wives of players as well, because if on the

0:34:10.160 --> 0:34:12.720
<v Speaker 1>other side of the game, you know, for example, DeAndre

0:34:12.880 --> 0:34:15.840
<v Speaker 1>is figuring out his next step, if I were also

0:34:16.120 --> 0:34:19.439
<v Speaker 1>just now for the first time thinking through what's next

0:34:19.480 --> 0:34:22.799
<v Speaker 1>for me, on top of him thinking about what's next

0:34:22.840 --> 0:34:26.840
<v Speaker 1>for him, it could create uh a lot of challenges

0:34:27.560 --> 0:34:31.400
<v Speaker 1>uh in our home. And I think me having some

0:34:31.520 --> 0:34:34.239
<v Speaker 1>of my own interests and my career kind of going

0:34:34.719 --> 0:34:39.160
<v Speaker 1>and developed, UM, it created a degree of stability so

0:34:39.200 --> 0:34:42.960
<v Speaker 1>that once he transitioned, you know, he had that space

0:34:43.040 --> 0:34:46.160
<v Speaker 1>and has a space to focus, but I had my

0:34:46.200 --> 0:34:51.160
<v Speaker 1>mind occupied elsewhere because I have things going on for myself. UM.

0:34:51.239 --> 0:34:55.440
<v Speaker 1>And I think that when when he was playing, that

0:34:55.520 --> 0:34:58.000
<v Speaker 1>there were opportunities that I wish that if I had

0:34:58.040 --> 0:35:01.080
<v Speaker 1>thought more about it, UM, Like for example, I went

0:35:01.120 --> 0:35:03.399
<v Speaker 1>to business academy. I wish that I would have taken

0:35:03.400 --> 0:35:05.680
<v Speaker 1>advantage of that while he was playing, UM, just to

0:35:05.719 --> 0:35:07.239
<v Speaker 1>see if there were different things that we could have

0:35:07.280 --> 0:35:10.200
<v Speaker 1>done while he was still an active player, because your platform,

0:35:10.239 --> 0:35:13.880
<v Speaker 1>you still have a platform, you know, after retirement, but

0:35:13.960 --> 0:35:17.040
<v Speaker 1>it's not always the same UM as when you're an

0:35:17.040 --> 0:35:20.040
<v Speaker 1>active player. So just like thinking hard about what are

0:35:20.120 --> 0:35:23.439
<v Speaker 1>things that would benefit me and benefit my family right

0:35:23.480 --> 0:35:26.080
<v Speaker 1>now that we should be and could be seizing being

0:35:26.120 --> 0:35:29.360
<v Speaker 1>a part of this NFL family and for all the

0:35:29.480 --> 0:35:35.000
<v Speaker 1>legends that are listening to this key word partnership. Okay, partnership.

0:35:35.480 --> 0:35:39.440
<v Speaker 1>And these two lovely ladies are unbelievable partners to their

0:35:39.600 --> 0:35:44.000
<v Speaker 1>NFL player husbands. But at the same time they understand

0:35:44.040 --> 0:35:45.799
<v Speaker 1>that it's it's a two way street. They can't do

0:35:45.800 --> 0:35:48.440
<v Speaker 1>none without them, and you know, we can't do none

0:35:48.440 --> 0:35:50.560
<v Speaker 1>without y'all. That's just how it is. So um, I

0:35:50.640 --> 0:35:54.800
<v Speaker 1>want that to be known to everybody as we wand down. Ladies,

0:35:54.880 --> 0:35:57.560
<v Speaker 1>this has been awesome. I want to know what's next

0:35:57.560 --> 0:36:00.239
<v Speaker 1>for both of y'all individually as a family, what you

0:36:00.320 --> 0:36:02.480
<v Speaker 1>got going on? Basically, what I want to say is

0:36:02.840 --> 0:36:06.600
<v Speaker 1>I don't want to miss nothing in this podcast. I

0:36:06.600 --> 0:36:09.040
<v Speaker 1>don't want nothing to slip through the cracks. You know

0:36:09.440 --> 0:36:12.960
<v Speaker 1>that I miss anything. Let's can we choose estable slightly

0:36:13.040 --> 0:36:16.720
<v Speaker 1>back onto the social the social injustice part. We already

0:36:16.920 --> 0:36:18.520
<v Speaker 1>we were already in there. We want to go ahead, dad,

0:36:18.520 --> 0:36:22.839
<v Speaker 1>but let's do it. Want to do it now? Um,

0:36:22.880 --> 0:36:25.279
<v Speaker 1>I don't know who is going to be watching this

0:36:25.360 --> 0:36:28.680
<v Speaker 1>whether it's player, whether it's retired player, whether it's don't

0:36:28.719 --> 0:36:32.440
<v Speaker 1>stop using your voice. Um, I just I'm tired of

0:36:32.440 --> 0:36:35.080
<v Speaker 1>that narrative. I'm trying to change it, even if it's

0:36:35.120 --> 0:36:37.680
<v Speaker 1>just me by myself. Every time I get a chance

0:36:37.719 --> 0:36:40.240
<v Speaker 1>to have the conversation, I'm having it. I'm not backing

0:36:40.280 --> 0:36:45.560
<v Speaker 1>away from it. Um, keep using your voice because even

0:36:45.600 --> 0:36:48.160
<v Speaker 1>if it's negative feedback, it's feedback that means it's being

0:36:48.200 --> 0:36:51.600
<v Speaker 1>talked about and the only way it gets the attention

0:36:51.600 --> 0:36:55.680
<v Speaker 1>that it deserves is the conversation. Um. And I just

0:36:55.719 --> 0:36:58.680
<v Speaker 1>I'm tired of seeing we love the fans. I mean,

0:36:58.719 --> 0:37:01.880
<v Speaker 1>we're nothing without fans. But at the same time, these

0:37:01.880 --> 0:37:06.600
<v Speaker 1>players are not just players, They're not just athletes. They

0:37:06.600 --> 0:37:09.560
<v Speaker 1>have families. I have four black sons. Let's have the

0:37:09.560 --> 0:37:12.719
<v Speaker 1>conversation because when you take off that uniform, they are

0:37:12.840 --> 0:37:15.840
<v Speaker 1>exactly who they were born. Um. They are black males

0:37:16.000 --> 0:37:19.040
<v Speaker 1>majority of them. So it's it's it's it's one of

0:37:19.080 --> 0:37:21.080
<v Speaker 1>those things that it has to be talked about. I

0:37:21.120 --> 0:37:24.439
<v Speaker 1>just want people to stop the whole narrative of shut

0:37:24.520 --> 0:37:26.600
<v Speaker 1>up in play. That has to stop. It has it

0:37:26.680 --> 0:37:32.040
<v Speaker 1>bothers me to my core because um, it's just it's

0:37:32.120 --> 0:37:35.920
<v Speaker 1>not a political issue, has nothing to do with it's

0:37:36.000 --> 0:37:38.640
<v Speaker 1>politics because the laws need to be changed and be

0:37:39.160 --> 0:37:42.640
<v Speaker 1>made to benefit all. Um. And that's just a whole

0:37:42.640 --> 0:37:44.719
<v Speaker 1>different conversation. But I know that was one of the

0:37:44.760 --> 0:37:47.040
<v Speaker 1>topics that we decided to discuss. And I don't want

0:37:47.040 --> 0:37:48.480
<v Speaker 1>to let down I don't want to let up one

0:37:48.520 --> 0:37:54.040
<v Speaker 1>that or that we have the conversation. Um. And if

0:37:54.080 --> 0:37:57.279
<v Speaker 1>you are someone who understands what's going on, it is

0:37:57.360 --> 0:38:02.279
<v Speaker 1>your job to educate others. So um, yeah, I just

0:38:02.320 --> 0:38:07.279
<v Speaker 1>had to say that, I'm sorry, you made a huge point. Uh,

0:38:08.120 --> 0:38:12.320
<v Speaker 1>this ain't politics politics, this is this is human decency.

0:38:12.400 --> 0:38:14.960
<v Speaker 1>This is respect for your fellow man. This is respect

0:38:14.960 --> 0:38:18.080
<v Speaker 1>for people. You know what I'm saying, especially are black men.

0:38:18.239 --> 0:38:24.880
<v Speaker 1>And it's real, this whole it doesn't exist thing, it exists.

0:38:25.200 --> 0:38:27.000
<v Speaker 1>I grew up in an area where I had to

0:38:27.040 --> 0:38:31.240
<v Speaker 1>deal with it. I've seen it firsthand. I've heard about

0:38:31.280 --> 0:38:36.080
<v Speaker 1>it from family members. I've just we it. Just it's real.

0:38:36.400 --> 0:38:39.719
<v Speaker 1>It's real. And the minute we start accepting that it's

0:38:39.760 --> 0:38:43.040
<v Speaker 1>real and start truly putting ourselves. I don't care what

0:38:43.080 --> 0:38:45.640
<v Speaker 1>color your skin is, you put yourself in a certain

0:38:45.640 --> 0:38:48.680
<v Speaker 1>predicament and imagine it being you or one of your children,

0:38:48.680 --> 0:38:52.200
<v Speaker 1>and you're gonna feel really differently. Um, it's real, it's real.

0:38:52.280 --> 0:38:53.719
<v Speaker 1>So I just had to say that it's it's real.

0:38:54.040 --> 0:38:56.360
<v Speaker 1>It's real. It is real. You can you can't watch

0:38:56.640 --> 0:39:00.200
<v Speaker 1>what happened to George Floyd having some officers on his

0:39:00.360 --> 0:39:02.759
<v Speaker 1>neck for eight minutes and forty some seconds and not

0:39:02.880 --> 0:39:05.359
<v Speaker 1>feel something and know that there's not a problem going

0:39:05.400 --> 0:39:08.640
<v Speaker 1>on in America. You can and then to see other

0:39:08.800 --> 0:39:12.680
<v Speaker 1>videos just like the George Foyd video, where there are

0:39:12.760 --> 0:39:16.880
<v Speaker 1>other um people that aren't black males that get stopped

0:39:16.920 --> 0:39:20.960
<v Speaker 1>for something else just worse ten times worse than what

0:39:21.000 --> 0:39:23.959
<v Speaker 1>George Floyd was stopped for, and they're fine and they're

0:39:24.000 --> 0:39:26.880
<v Speaker 1>taking into custody. And I know, I saw one video

0:39:26.920 --> 0:39:28.799
<v Speaker 1>where a kid, a grown man, hopped out of a

0:39:28.800 --> 0:39:32.040
<v Speaker 1>car and beat up to police officers, hopped in the car,

0:39:32.120 --> 0:39:34.640
<v Speaker 1>installed the police car, not his car, hopped in the

0:39:34.680 --> 0:39:37.000
<v Speaker 1>police car. You know, I know, you know, Betty, I'm

0:39:37.000 --> 0:39:39.160
<v Speaker 1>talking about Dad's I wish I knew the kid's name,

0:39:39.160 --> 0:39:41.239
<v Speaker 1>but he stole the police car. And I said, oh wow.

0:39:41.280 --> 0:39:44.880
<v Speaker 1>And I had that been anyone else that was of

0:39:44.920 --> 0:39:48.400
<v Speaker 1>a different skin complexion, they would have been killed and

0:39:48.440 --> 0:39:51.759
<v Speaker 1>that's just the truth. And I'm tired of sugarcoating the situations.

0:39:52.360 --> 0:39:55.160
<v Speaker 1>It's gotta stop. I just don't I don't understand it.

0:39:55.200 --> 0:39:56.759
<v Speaker 1>There's I know you had to staying on this because

0:39:56.760 --> 0:40:01.399
<v Speaker 1>we talk about it. Um. Yeah. I think one thing

0:40:01.440 --> 0:40:06.000
<v Speaker 1>that I read that really put this in great context

0:40:06.760 --> 0:40:10.160
<v Speaker 1>is the racial injustice in the United States is not

0:40:10.280 --> 0:40:14.279
<v Speaker 1>going to change until people who are not experiencing it

0:40:14.680 --> 0:40:16.520
<v Speaker 1>don't view it as something that they just need to

0:40:16.560 --> 0:40:19.000
<v Speaker 1>sympathize and empathize with and see it as their problem

0:40:19.080 --> 0:40:23.960
<v Speaker 1>to fix as well. So, you know, if black men

0:40:24.000 --> 0:40:27.239
<v Speaker 1>continue to be gunned down, um, black women gunned down

0:40:27.280 --> 0:40:29.719
<v Speaker 1>and not even talked about, um, because the focus is

0:40:29.760 --> 0:40:33.200
<v Speaker 1>always on the man. But black people gunned down, we're

0:40:33.200 --> 0:40:35.920
<v Speaker 1>now seeing it on video and all the ways that

0:40:35.960 --> 0:40:38.680
<v Speaker 1>we have the ability to capture, like from our pocket.

0:40:39.080 --> 0:40:43.880
<v Speaker 1>But this is a storied history. So the engagement in

0:40:43.960 --> 0:40:49.360
<v Speaker 1>the the will to you know, be on the in

0:40:49.400 --> 0:40:52.279
<v Speaker 1>the posture of like doing something about it. It has

0:40:52.320 --> 0:40:55.320
<v Speaker 1>to be beyond you know, the next time something goes viral,

0:40:55.360 --> 0:40:57.919
<v Speaker 1>because then we're just waiting until the next thing when

0:40:58.239 --> 0:41:00.080
<v Speaker 1>we need to be doing everything that we can and

0:41:00.520 --> 0:41:03.160
<v Speaker 1>from changing hearts and minds to change the laws and policies,

0:41:03.160 --> 0:41:06.239
<v Speaker 1>like Shannon said, for things to change into and to

0:41:06.320 --> 0:41:09.600
<v Speaker 1>get better. Yeah, and and and I see so many

0:41:09.640 --> 0:41:11.360
<v Speaker 1>comments to bring it back to the player in the

0:41:11.440 --> 0:41:14.640
<v Speaker 1>NFL aspect, I see so many comments under these guys

0:41:14.719 --> 0:41:18.360
<v Speaker 1>when they when they whether it's kneeling, whether it's wearing

0:41:18.400 --> 0:41:21.480
<v Speaker 1>a name on their helmet, whether it's just speaking up.

0:41:21.880 --> 0:41:24.640
<v Speaker 1>I see so many comments. And social media as a tool,

0:41:25.120 --> 0:41:27.759
<v Speaker 1>I see so many comments saying things like, oh, yeah,

0:41:27.840 --> 0:41:31.280
<v Speaker 1>you're so oppressed, you're you're paid millions. I don't remember

0:41:31.320 --> 0:41:33.760
<v Speaker 1>the last time money had anything to do with being black.

0:41:34.239 --> 0:41:37.760
<v Speaker 1>I don't remember the last time that money had anything.

0:41:37.920 --> 0:41:40.120
<v Speaker 1>First of all, let me tell you something humble beginnings.

0:41:40.400 --> 0:41:43.080
<v Speaker 1>We didn't always have money. And before we had money,

0:41:43.080 --> 0:41:46.120
<v Speaker 1>we were back and and when we didn't have money,

0:41:46.120 --> 0:41:48.640
<v Speaker 1>and when we were black, we were definitely in a

0:41:48.680 --> 0:41:52.040
<v Speaker 1>place of being of oppression. And we definitely came up

0:41:52.239 --> 0:41:54.400
<v Speaker 1>in an area where we didn't have much and we

0:41:54.480 --> 0:41:57.680
<v Speaker 1>saw things for what they were and didn't have adequate schooling,

0:41:57.760 --> 0:42:02.040
<v Speaker 1>and we didn't have education on on different laws and

0:42:02.040 --> 0:42:04.560
<v Speaker 1>and how things were, and we had no idea anything

0:42:05.000 --> 0:42:07.200
<v Speaker 1>we we we did not always have money. So now,

0:42:07.320 --> 0:42:10.759
<v Speaker 1>as players with a platform and maybe a little bit

0:42:10.800 --> 0:42:13.520
<v Speaker 1>of money, it is our job to pull everybody else up.

0:42:14.040 --> 0:42:17.400
<v Speaker 1>So I don't want to hear the shut up and play.

0:42:17.440 --> 0:42:19.560
<v Speaker 1>I'm tired of it. If I sound passionate about it,

0:42:19.560 --> 0:42:23.160
<v Speaker 1>it's because I am. It's because before my husband was

0:42:23.200 --> 0:42:25.839
<v Speaker 1>an NFL player, he was a black mail growing up

0:42:25.840 --> 0:42:29.719
<v Speaker 1>in an area that is not serviced the way other

0:42:29.800 --> 0:42:32.960
<v Speaker 1>areas are. And at the end of the day, he

0:42:33.239 --> 0:42:38.120
<v Speaker 1>it is his duty too to remember, reflect and bring

0:42:38.160 --> 0:42:41.720
<v Speaker 1>about change. It is not his duty to get some money,

0:42:42.520 --> 0:42:45.520
<v Speaker 1>get a platform and change and and and and not

0:42:45.520 --> 0:42:48.440
<v Speaker 1>not bring about change, or not try and be somebody

0:42:48.480 --> 0:42:51.600
<v Speaker 1>better and be a better example, or try and educate.

0:42:51.719 --> 0:42:54.440
<v Speaker 1>It's it's it's his job. It's his duty to speak

0:42:54.560 --> 0:42:57.759
<v Speaker 1>up and and and remember his people. Because I don't

0:42:57.840 --> 0:43:00.160
<v Speaker 1>vote based on who i'm and I'm sorry may be

0:43:00.239 --> 0:43:02.120
<v Speaker 1>people do. I don't vote based on who I am now.

0:43:02.120 --> 0:43:05.359
<v Speaker 1>I vote on my people, for my people, the people

0:43:05.400 --> 0:43:08.319
<v Speaker 1>that need it, and I vote as a person that

0:43:08.360 --> 0:43:11.120
<v Speaker 1>loves people, not just what is gonna benefit me. I

0:43:11.120 --> 0:43:15.080
<v Speaker 1>think we're selfish in a lot of ways. Um, and

0:43:15.280 --> 0:43:17.719
<v Speaker 1>I'm always remember who I am, where I came from.

0:43:17.800 --> 0:43:20.120
<v Speaker 1>And that's just me. I don't know about y'all, but

0:43:20.800 --> 0:43:26.319
<v Speaker 1>absolutely I ain't even always had it. So yeah, there,

0:43:26.440 --> 0:43:28.719
<v Speaker 1>you got anything more you want to add? Yeah, just

0:43:29.400 --> 0:43:33.560
<v Speaker 1>I think the most important thing, uh, to also add

0:43:33.600 --> 0:43:35.839
<v Speaker 1>to this. I think I heard you and Shannon say,

0:43:36.000 --> 0:43:38.880
<v Speaker 1>you know the importance of educating other people so they

0:43:38.880 --> 0:43:43.880
<v Speaker 1>can understand. But another really important and maybe more important

0:43:43.880 --> 0:43:48.800
<v Speaker 1>to me, part of that is people educating themselves and listening.

0:43:48.880 --> 0:43:52.239
<v Speaker 1>I've seen so many, in too many comments from people

0:43:52.280 --> 0:43:55.880
<v Speaker 1>who don't have the lived experience of you know, being

0:43:55.920 --> 0:44:02.080
<v Speaker 1>in fear of police or experiencing casual, everyday racism, saying

0:44:02.400 --> 0:44:04.880
<v Speaker 1>things like they've never they don't think it exists, or

0:44:06.040 --> 0:44:09.520
<v Speaker 1>they don't anything of that. Ilk if it's not your

0:44:09.560 --> 0:44:13.600
<v Speaker 1>lived experience, then just take the time, step back, maybe

0:44:13.680 --> 0:44:18.759
<v Speaker 1>even be quiet, and listen and learn so that you're

0:44:18.800 --> 0:44:21.840
<v Speaker 1>speaking from an educated perspective. Because while you're lived experience,

0:44:22.040 --> 0:44:24.120
<v Speaker 1>you know you're an expert on that, that doesn't mean

0:44:24.120 --> 0:44:27.640
<v Speaker 1>you're an expert on what everyone else's experience. And we

0:44:27.719 --> 0:44:30.680
<v Speaker 1>all live in extolling lives in life in different ways.

0:44:31.800 --> 0:44:35.360
<v Speaker 1>Everybody is an expert in their own frame of reference.

0:44:35.360 --> 0:44:37.280
<v Speaker 1>When they feel like they have access to the results.

0:44:37.360 --> 0:44:39.280
<v Speaker 1>You know what I'm saying. So if you're gonna spend

0:44:39.280 --> 0:44:41.960
<v Speaker 1>those results to your own worldview but not take into

0:44:41.960 --> 0:44:46.000
<v Speaker 1>account the other person or the other race, you got

0:44:46.000 --> 0:44:49.320
<v Speaker 1>problems and you need to wake up. That's just real facts,

0:44:49.360 --> 0:44:51.800
<v Speaker 1>that's just raw. That's where we need to be heading

0:44:51.840 --> 0:44:56.200
<v Speaker 1>as a country. There. As you said this before, change

0:44:56.239 --> 0:44:58.560
<v Speaker 1>is gonna take a while, but we need more people

0:44:58.960 --> 0:45:01.359
<v Speaker 1>with both of your mind sense to make sure that

0:45:01.360 --> 0:45:06.239
<v Speaker 1>that change is effectively realized. We do, And I just

0:45:06.280 --> 0:45:08.000
<v Speaker 1>want to add one more thing, um like, as a

0:45:08.040 --> 0:45:11.200
<v Speaker 1>note of encouragement. Something else I've heard and really sit

0:45:11.320 --> 0:45:15.240
<v Speaker 1>with me is when you don't know and when you're

0:45:15.320 --> 0:45:20.120
<v Speaker 1>learning something new, welcome yourself to suspend your first judgment

0:45:20.200 --> 0:45:23.600
<v Speaker 1>about what you think is happening. Just really humble yourself

0:45:23.640 --> 0:45:27.600
<v Speaker 1>to be in the posture to learn. Um just just learn.

0:45:27.719 --> 0:45:30.799
<v Speaker 1>Because I think that when we're in close proximity to

0:45:30.840 --> 0:45:32.759
<v Speaker 1>each other and like you know, we're having a conversation

0:45:32.880 --> 0:45:37.400
<v Speaker 1>right now, it provides an opportunity for people to be connected.

0:45:37.440 --> 0:45:40.080
<v Speaker 1>I think that when there's a lot of distance and

0:45:40.520 --> 0:45:42.960
<v Speaker 1>it makes it easier for people to be mean and

0:45:43.000 --> 0:45:45.560
<v Speaker 1>disrespectful to each other. But if we just really like

0:45:46.360 --> 0:45:49.319
<v Speaker 1>I guess, like think about intimacy as in closeness as

0:45:49.320 --> 0:45:52.760
<v Speaker 1>a bomb um. It's an opportunity for people to connect

0:45:52.800 --> 0:45:55.480
<v Speaker 1>and really just like learn from each other and hopefully

0:45:55.640 --> 0:45:59.680
<v Speaker 1>broaden you're a world view so that you're not making

0:45:59.800 --> 0:46:02.960
<v Speaker 1>an or comments or just doing stuff for the sake

0:46:03.000 --> 0:46:06.000
<v Speaker 1>of publicity when like think actions can be genuine and

0:46:06.080 --> 0:46:10.440
<v Speaker 1>authentic because you're learning and getting your perspective um informed.

0:46:11.040 --> 0:46:14.000
<v Speaker 1>I love that for change to come about that way,

0:46:14.239 --> 0:46:17.000
<v Speaker 1>you also have to be an active agent for reconciliation.

0:46:17.400 --> 0:46:19.959
<v Speaker 1>You have to see things that it's core from both

0:46:20.000 --> 0:46:23.400
<v Speaker 1>sides and then come to baseline and then make that

0:46:23.480 --> 0:46:27.120
<v Speaker 1>change of reality. That's perfect as I love that. That's perfect.

0:46:27.960 --> 0:46:30.200
<v Speaker 1>Oh man, I think, man, I could be talking to

0:46:30.280 --> 0:46:33.319
<v Speaker 1>y'all all day. You notice, you know I could. I

0:46:33.440 --> 0:46:35.640
<v Speaker 1>just want to thank you all for breaking bread with me,

0:46:36.080 --> 0:46:39.640
<v Speaker 1>being active agents for change and being the champions that

0:46:40.400 --> 0:46:45.640
<v Speaker 1>govern the households of both current players and legends alike. So,

0:46:45.719 --> 0:46:49.920
<v Speaker 1>in the words of our NFL Legends podcasts main host

0:46:50.680 --> 0:46:55.839
<v Speaker 1>Aenius Williams, the best is yet to come. I love

0:46:55.880 --> 0:47:02.359
<v Speaker 1>your family, Thank you, thank you for having this has

0:47:02.400 --> 0:47:06.480
<v Speaker 1>been the NFL Legends podcast. To provide feedback or request

0:47:06.520 --> 0:47:09.920
<v Speaker 1>a topic for discussion, email us at NFL Legends at

0:47:10.040 --> 0:47:20.760
<v Speaker 1>nfl dot com.