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Speaker 1: Welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast, an NFL podcast for

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Speaker 1: the players, by the players. Here is your host, four

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Speaker 1: team year NFL veteran and Hall of Famer Anius Williams. Hello,

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Speaker 1: and welcome to the NFL let this podcast. I am

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Speaker 1: as Williams. Today we sit down with three NFL legends

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Speaker 1: to discuss life working as a black man in the

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Speaker 1: league office and how they use their NFL platforms to

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Speaker 1: inspire change. Our three guests today are Osama Young, safety

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Speaker 1: and Super Bowl forty four champions when my native New

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Speaker 1: Orleans Saints. That's right, he brought the Super Bowl home

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Speaker 1: to my hometown. He also was outstar in a Super

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Speaker 1: Bowl forty four commercial by his dad at Leroy. He

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Speaker 1: is a player engagement manager in the league office. Our

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Speaker 1: second penelt fullback Darrell Young, not related. I'm starting to

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Speaker 1: wonder if you have to be young in order to

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Speaker 1: work in the league office. He also engagement player relations manager. Lastly,

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Speaker 1: we have defensive lineman Darrell Campbell, d C and associate

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Speaker 1: producer at NFL Films. Gentlemen, I am so excited to

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Speaker 1: have you on. Welcome than you. Let's die right in

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Speaker 1: on the NFL Legends Podcast. To focus with guests former

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Speaker 1: players has always centered around their journey. Probably the most

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Speaker 1: critical point along everyone's path has been dealing with transition.

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Speaker 1: And if you play in the National Football League or

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Speaker 1: have them played, you will transition, and as you guys know,

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Speaker 1: not always when you're ready. Can each of you talk

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Speaker 1: a little bit about your transition from the gridiron to

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Speaker 1: the league office? And that's what the first question? What

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Speaker 1: was it like? And how did you get into the

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Speaker 1: league office? But first talk about the transition from the league. Well, well,

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Speaker 1: I'll take I'll take the range first. It was tough

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Speaker 1: for me. First off, I got injured, you know, uh

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Speaker 1: my my first time getting seriously injured. I fractured a

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Speaker 1: vertebrae and I bounced back. I came back the next year,

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Speaker 1: and the next very next year, I told my knee

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Speaker 1: up bad, A c L L C L hand me

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Speaker 1: off the bone and I tried to bounce back, but

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Speaker 1: I couldn't. It was the first time I truly felt

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Speaker 1: like my body failed me and my mind couldn't push

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Speaker 1: me through it. And even though I had thought about

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Speaker 1: how I was going to transition and what I was

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Speaker 1: going to do after my playing experience, it still was

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Speaker 1: tough because mentally I thought I could do it. I

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Speaker 1: just knew I could do it. I had done it

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Speaker 1: so many other times before. And now it's transitioning into

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Speaker 1: the league office, and and it wasn't that smooth of it.

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Speaker 1: I'm just going to work with the league. I I

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Speaker 1: did job shadows, I did internships. I was going to

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Speaker 1: different places trying to figure it out what specifically, where

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Speaker 1: specifically I would land. And I took advantage of the

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Speaker 1: Legends Development program and was fortunate to meet the rail

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Speaker 1: and several others in the League office. But I landed

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Speaker 1: that position, and it's no looking back. So I remember

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Speaker 1: a song by the name of the late artists Prince.

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Speaker 1: He had the songs uh that Usama that said when

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Speaker 1: doves cried, When did that tear drop fall from your eye?

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Speaker 1: When you knew it was over? It does criss right there.

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Speaker 1: I love it, you know what, I knew it was over.

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Speaker 1: And it just so happened that, uh, my dad passed

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Speaker 1: away shortly after uh after my my injury. He was

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Speaker 1: he was able to see my last game out in

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Speaker 1: Oakland at the Coliseum and and he was there with

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Speaker 1: me along with along with my my family. We we all,

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Speaker 1: we all, we we had those tears, but we knew

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Speaker 1: we were going to come back. And guess what. My

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Speaker 1: father passed away the next year, you know, during my recovery,

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Speaker 1: and then my daughter was born and I said, wow,

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Speaker 1: my my life isn't just football anymore. More. The priority

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Speaker 1: is now, Hey, let me let me show this baby girl,

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Speaker 1: my baby girl. Are you that that I'm able to

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Speaker 1: do much more than just play football? And how how

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Speaker 1: is she going to see me? How? How is she

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Speaker 1: gonna see that legacy that I'm going to leave behind

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Speaker 1: that my dad left for me and left some huge

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Speaker 1: shoes to feel. As you all saw in that commercial,

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Speaker 1: it was that was that tier right there. It was.

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Speaker 1: It was a tear of joy having a baby girl,

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Speaker 1: but it was also you know, those tears are sorrow

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Speaker 1: being that, hey, I'm no longer able to play this game,

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Speaker 1: which we know eventually what happened most times sooner than

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Speaker 1: later for others. How about you, Darrell, What was it

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Speaker 1: like what your transition from a grid arm? Oh? Man,

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Speaker 1: it was, uh, it was tough. You know. The transition

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Speaker 1: really started for me in the Redskins. Well, excuse me.

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Speaker 1: I was doing an internship with under Armor and the Redskins.

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Speaker 1: I went into Jay's office and said, Hey, what are

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Speaker 1: you gonna do. I know you don't value fullbacks right now,

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Speaker 1: but you know that's where I've been my career, so

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Speaker 1: you know that's what I want to do. And it's said.

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Speaker 1: He looked me in my eyes and said, we're not

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Speaker 1: gonna bring you back. We're gonna allow you to to

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Speaker 1: try free agency, and uh, you know, be ready if

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Speaker 1: we do bring it back. And I said, Jy, I've

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Speaker 1: been here in this business long enough to know that

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Speaker 1: you're not gonna bring me back, so thank you for

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Speaker 1: the opportunity in the last seven years. Fast forward, you know,

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Speaker 1: the next year I signed in UH Chicago for a

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Speaker 1: short Stanton in Carolina and then UH Carolina drafted a

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Speaker 1: fullback and he's still on the roster now. But I

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Speaker 1: remember going into the room and they said, hey, you're

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Speaker 1: gonna be out starting fullback while I was out looking

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Speaker 1: for places come back. An hour later, they cut me

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Speaker 1: and I said, you know what, I'm done with this.

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Speaker 1: So that day I reached out to Stephen Bone, who

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Speaker 1: was in the league office now, and I said, Hey,

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Speaker 1: that opportunity that you were speaking on, that you spoke

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Speaker 1: so highly on is that's still available and that was

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Speaker 1: his Legends Development internship. I applied driving back on that day.

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Speaker 1: Literally by the time I got in Maryland, I had

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Speaker 1: submitted my resume driving and uh, typing up a resume.

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Speaker 1: I don't encourage it, but I did it. Um submitted

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Speaker 1: that and three weeks later, you know, got to call that.

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Speaker 1: You know, I was chosen for the second round of

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Speaker 1: the interviews, so I had a decision to make. San

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Speaker 1: Francisco called me. Kyle Uschek got hurt. I was on

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Speaker 1: my way to the airport. John Lynch called me and said,

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Speaker 1: you know what, we had a player could hurt today

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Speaker 1: be ready for next week. And I said, with all

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Speaker 1: due respect, Mr Lynch, I'm done. So that day the

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Speaker 1: League office. The next day, the League Office offered me

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Speaker 1: the internship, and that was part of it. It was

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Speaker 1: one of the hardest things I've ever done. And you know,

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Speaker 1: talking about crying man, that was in the car Boo

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Speaker 1: who and when the rage kids bringing me back, man.

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Speaker 1: But that was the first time in my life where

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Speaker 1: I felt like I wasn't on it outside of being

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Speaker 1: cut my first year being on practice squad. But you know,

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Speaker 1: I was ended up coming back and being a starter

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Speaker 1: for six years after that, so that that that was

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Speaker 1: part of the transition. It was hard. It's still hard

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Speaker 1: thinking about it, knowing that I think I still can play,

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Speaker 1: and even got a call that next season Atlanta wanted

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Speaker 1: to bring me in for workout in Tennessee, and uh,

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Speaker 1: I just said, you know what, I'm gonna go with

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Speaker 1: the career now the experience is over. It's interesting, Durrell,

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Speaker 1: you use the word the first time you realize you

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Speaker 1: are not wanted versus Okay, my career may be ended.

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Speaker 1: But from that psychological standpoint, you said not wanted, how

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Speaker 1: did you reconcile that, Because there's a different between Okay,

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Speaker 1: I know I played. Uh I see the right on

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Speaker 1: the wall. Uh No one's gonna offer me a job.

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Speaker 1: It's a whole different psychology from the legend a former player.

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Speaker 1: When you say I wasn't wanted, how did you surmise that? Honestly,

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Speaker 1: I've been playing football since I was six years old.

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Speaker 1: It was you know, no one ever tells you you're

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Speaker 1: done playing, and that's the hardest piece. So dealing with

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Speaker 1: that mindset and not feeling wanted, I had to come

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Speaker 1: to reality that, you know what, I had my daughter,

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Speaker 1: she was three. I had to be in a position

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Speaker 1: where I had to take care of my family at

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Speaker 1: that time. So that's what encouraged me to be a

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Speaker 1: better person each and every day. But it was the

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Speaker 1: hardest thing I've ever been through in my life. Talking

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Speaker 1: about crying, talking about finances, like all the things that

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Speaker 1: you think about. It was. It was. It was different,

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Speaker 1: you know, And it's something that I still think about now.

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Speaker 1: And when players talk about their transition, them like, I know,

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Speaker 1: I get it. I don't want to lecture, but this

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Speaker 1: is how I dealt with it. So it was. It's

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Speaker 1: one of the hardest things. And I'm glad to have

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Speaker 1: guys like Osama and d C on this on this uh,

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Speaker 1: on this podcast with me to to to tell those

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Speaker 1: stories and to to uh just look back and say,

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Speaker 1: you know what, we had the opportunities to do what

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Speaker 1: we did, and you know what's next. So no, what

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Speaker 1: about for you, d C? Every time I'm on the

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Speaker 1: podcast or you and I converse, it sounds like you

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Speaker 1: on top of the world. Tell us about your transition.

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Speaker 1: I love your enthusiasm. The biggest reason for the enthusiasm

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Speaker 1: and this is because I get to, uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: be amongst people like just like Darrell said, him and

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Speaker 1: Usama and you know, honestly, even you and everybody on

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Speaker 1: this podcast. I I derive a great deal of my

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Speaker 1: energy from the team. When I played, I was a

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Speaker 1: team guy. Was the Philly one of the bunch. I

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Speaker 1: was the one that you know, people look to me

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Speaker 1: and say, yo, d C, like you're gonna be right

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Speaker 1: when the season is over, because you know, you're, yeah,

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Speaker 1: your boys with your two we come back because you know,

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Speaker 1: everybody disperses and goes the separate war years after a season.

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Speaker 1: And you know, for me, my journey was was one

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Speaker 1: where um, how can I put it? It was it

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Speaker 1: was It was a great deal of scratching and clawing.

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Speaker 1: Came into the league No. Three toward my A c

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Speaker 1: L the week before the draft, was slotted to be

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Speaker 1: a second third round draft pick, and uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: God bless me um by, you know, having Lovey Smith

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Speaker 1: come in um with Chicago um and his training staff

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Speaker 1: and and and and and the organization rehab me on

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Speaker 1: their own time. And then it was just six years

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Speaker 1: in the league of scratching and clawing, you know, shuffling

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Speaker 1: from the practice squad rosters to the act of roster

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Speaker 1: and we all know what this business is like. But

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Speaker 1: you know, I, I truly am thankful to God for

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Speaker 1: the opportunity's and the teammates that you know, I've I've had,

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Speaker 1: you know, the opportunity to be around. My last stint

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Speaker 1: in the league was two thousand nine. Got released in

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Speaker 1: Baltimore early on in that season, picked up in Canada,

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Speaker 1: went a great Cup with Mark Trustman's Montreal Alouettes, and

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Speaker 1: then again I had to deal with you know, like

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Speaker 1: you said, d why that that feeling of not being

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Speaker 1: wanted anymore? Um? But the mental let down, I guess

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Speaker 1: from from my perspective, was just that what do I

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Speaker 1: do now? Because what do I chase? You know what

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Speaker 1: I mean? The passion I had for the game of

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Speaker 1: football is still in me. I still want to continue playing,

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Speaker 1: but it just kind of seems like, you know, my

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Speaker 1: number is up. UM. I called my defensive line coach

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Speaker 1: in Montreal, Michael Sinclair's a longtime great NFL defensive end

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Speaker 1: for Seattle and a bunch of other teams, and um,

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Speaker 1: he told me something really profound. He said, d C,

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Speaker 1: You've always taken care of this game. And somebody told

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Speaker 1: me this, if you take care of the game, the

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Speaker 1: game will take care of you. Um, I suggest that

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Speaker 1: you reach out to UH to coach trustman and see

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Speaker 1: if there's UH if there might be an opportunity through

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Speaker 1: people he knows or you know, I'll be looking on

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Speaker 1: on on for your I'll be looking out for you

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Speaker 1: on my behalf as well. So I wrote him a

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Speaker 1: long email. I'm talking about pages long, all types of

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Speaker 1: stuff in there. Man. I probably was just crying with words,

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Speaker 1: you know what I mean. And then uh, you know

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Speaker 1: Mark Mark hit me back and he said, hey, listen,

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Speaker 1: I have a friend and this is the this is

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Speaker 1: the cool thing about networking and being around brothers like

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Speaker 1: you know, Sama and d Y. You know what I mean.

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Speaker 1: When when you when you when you're part of a team,

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Speaker 1: you know, he said, listen, I got a good friend

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Speaker 1: of mine at NFL Films. His name is Greg Cosel.

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Speaker 1: I know you're an exo guy. You know you're also

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Speaker 1: a tech guy. Used to cut all the highlights and

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Speaker 1: stuff for the team while I was playing in Montreal.

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Speaker 1: It was I've always had an affinity and a knack

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Speaker 1: for technology, And he said, listen. You know I was

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Speaker 1: looking like Kimbo slow ex back then. Man, I had

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Speaker 1: like a face thro I mean that went from the

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Speaker 1: beard all the way around the head. And I mean

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Speaker 1: you could you could just see my eyes. It was crazy.

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Speaker 1: Um and uh he said, you know, I would suggest,

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Speaker 1: you know, doctoring up your appearance. UM. Uh, going to

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Speaker 1: you know, NFL films with the shoot suit jacket. Talked

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Speaker 1: to my friend and UM, you know, see what happens.

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Speaker 1: I'm not promised you anything, um, but just see what happened.

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Speaker 1: So I came in. The first person I met in

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Speaker 1: the lower level UH atrium at the front door was

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Speaker 1: Steve Sable Um, and he came out. He said, hey, listen,

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Speaker 1: are you here for to to talk to someone? And say, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I'm here to speak with Greg co Sell for NFL matchup.

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Speaker 1: He said, h we'll, we'll, We'll get around to him

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Speaker 1: and in the second just come come roll with me.

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Speaker 1: So I'm rolling around films with Steve saying when he's

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Speaker 1: just showing giving me a tour. We eventually end up

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Speaker 1: in Greg's Greg's office. Greg's watching all twenty two tape

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Speaker 1: like he all he does. Legs kicked up on the desk,

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Speaker 1: and um, he's picking my my my brain about knowledge.

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Speaker 1: And you know, one hour turned the two and it

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Speaker 1: seemed to be having a good time. And the next thing,

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Speaker 1: you know, you know, a couple of weeks later, says, hey,

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Speaker 1: I want you to come in as a seasonal and

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Speaker 1: learn and and and that's what I did. And you

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Speaker 1: know the rest is history, and I'm on with you. Uh,

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Speaker 1: I'm blessed to be on with you fellas. Right now, Dearyl,

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Speaker 1: did you know you were walking around with the legendary

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Speaker 1: Steve Sable? Oh yeah, with our questions. Well, first once

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Speaker 1: he told I saw his face and I was like,

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Speaker 1: this can't be life right now, like that Steve Sable

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Speaker 1: right there, and and and then he was like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: come roll with me. I'm like, yep, I'm not. I'm

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Speaker 1: not gonna say no. Um, and and like he just

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Speaker 1: he he's such a brilliant man. I mean from all

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Speaker 1: the art we have around this place. He I mean,

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Speaker 1: he told me a story like how this whole place

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Speaker 1: came to be, the old building the current building. Now,

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Speaker 1: it was just unbelievable. And and and to this day,

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Speaker 1: you know, those are moments with him, I won't forget um.

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Speaker 1: I I remember just being you know, my second third

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Speaker 1: year editing, even when you know Steve was battling cancer

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Speaker 1: and he was you know, uh he had to he

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Speaker 1: he was relegated to a wheelchair and coming. He would

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Speaker 1: come in just to watch me edit. He would say

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Speaker 1: a couple of things here and there with the strength

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Speaker 1: that he had, you know, for suggestions. But he cared

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Speaker 1: so much about people, and that's one of the things

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Speaker 1: that made me fall in love with this this place,

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Speaker 1: and it's it's it also fuels that enthusiasm and fire

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Speaker 1: because I love people. You can't do anything without the

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Speaker 1: people that you surrounded with your team. Durrell who something.

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Speaker 1: I feel the same way about you all boys. I

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Speaker 1: love you dearly and I'm super proud of what you

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Speaker 1: guys are doing at the league office because your boots

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Speaker 1: on the ground and you care about all of our

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Speaker 1: brothers that's coming off that field to make sure that

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Speaker 1: you know there's a place for him. So you know,

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Speaker 1: as long as you know God has me in this

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Speaker 1: position to be associated with that, you know, I'm all

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Speaker 1: aways had that energy and ENTHUSIASTM Well, guys, when we

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Speaker 1: had the discussion about what we would call former players,

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Speaker 1: and we end up coming and I'm talking about the

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Speaker 1: league office come up with the term legend. Well, we

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Speaker 1: got some kicked back a little bit because the some

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Speaker 1: of the Hall of Famers said, well, if you call

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Speaker 1: every former player a legend, then what are we And

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Speaker 1: what we wanted the Hall of Famers to understand was

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Speaker 1: a legend if you're one percent every guy has played

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Speaker 1: in the league, one percent of high school players playing

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Speaker 1: the league. So no matter how long a guy played,

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Speaker 1: if he had made it to the league, he was

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Speaker 1: a legend wherever he came from. Even though depending on

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Speaker 1: the length of the career, that player may not feel

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Speaker 1: like their legend, but to them back home, they are

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Speaker 1: a legend. So d C tell us about those dynamics

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Speaker 1: and that psychology actually becoming out the ball getting called

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Speaker 1: my perspective on it, and you hint it, You hinted

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Speaker 1: at it with just my enthusiasm. So my perspective on

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Speaker 1: it is where all legends. We all made sacrifices to

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Speaker 1: get to this point, to to have careers, regardless of

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Speaker 1: the length um but even more than that, and because

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Speaker 1: I'm a man of faith, we're all blessed to to

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Speaker 1: to be able to say that. And I think that

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Speaker 1: in and of itself means a lot. And that is,

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Speaker 1: you know, just something that should be cherished, should be respected. UM.

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Speaker 1: And I think even when I when I got when

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Speaker 1: I signed up for the the NFL Legends community, prior

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Speaker 1: to even any projects with respect to this podcast and

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Speaker 1: and and other adventures that we do overheit NFL films, UM,

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Speaker 1: I was I was star struck because you know, some

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Speaker 1: of the guys, like the warren SAPs of the world,

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Speaker 1: you know, guys that I studied film on just to

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Speaker 1: try to emulate a fraction of what it is that

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Speaker 1: he was able to do. Um. You know, I was

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Speaker 1: like that, dude is a legend. That does that mean

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Speaker 1: I'm a legend? You kind of think about it in

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Speaker 1: those tournals. I'm like, man, I just like my career

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Speaker 1: was back and forth, our practice squad rosters. I mean,

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Speaker 1: can I even you know say that. But at the

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Speaker 1: end of the day, Um, we all share common experiences

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Speaker 1: and and and and honestly it heightens the common bond,

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Speaker 1: you know. Um. Again, even to to my brothers on

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Speaker 1: this this podcast here d y new Sama, you guys

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Speaker 1: had amazing careers. Um. And you know, I've I've watched

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Speaker 1: YouTube clips on you guys, highlights on you guys, and

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Speaker 1: I'm like, man, it's it means so much to me

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Speaker 1: to just say, man, you know what, those are my

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Speaker 1: brothers through this, through this legends community, through our common

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Speaker 1: bond and experiences that we've shared. Regardless of the length

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Speaker 1: of career, I can say the that I can with

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Speaker 1: conviction state that you guys are my brothers. And that's

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Speaker 1: why I'm so excited when I see you. That's why

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Speaker 1: I root for you and cheer for you when you

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Speaker 1: guys are doing things at the League office and you know, um,

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Speaker 1: and that's why I always have your backs. Legend. Any

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Speaker 1: other term of endemnment that that it might get changed

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Speaker 1: to noe makes no no matter to me because it's

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Speaker 1: all about that common bond and um the brotherhood. So

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Speaker 1: thank you, d seeing who song. I got a different

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Speaker 1: question for you and and maybe Durrell. How different is

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Speaker 1: that working of the league office versus being on the field.

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Speaker 1: What does that psychology are? Like? Wow, Wow, that's uh,

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Speaker 1: that's everyone. That's an everyone because you know, they both

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Speaker 1: take a vast level of commitment. Uh, they both take

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Speaker 1: a vast level of of knowledge and understanding. Uh you know,

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Speaker 1: one of them beats up your body and your brain,

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Speaker 1: and another one is more so just the mental, the

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Speaker 1: brain and the social and emotional. But uh uh, I'll

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Speaker 1: say that looking at my my NFL experience and you know,

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Speaker 1: now transitioning and being a legend, just to allude to

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Speaker 1: your last question is wild for me because to even

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Speaker 1: say myself as a legend, but I like to recognize

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Speaker 1: my brothers that are on the line right now and

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Speaker 1: others and saying those guys are legends. And then we

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Speaker 1: stepped into the the corporate space of the NFL and

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Speaker 1: the business side, and we're rookies again. You know, we

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Speaker 1: know the game, we know the business of the game

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Speaker 1: to an extent, but the corporate side of it, that's

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Speaker 1: that's the challenge, you know. I uh, I think the

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Speaker 1: other guys on the on the phone as well, we

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Speaker 1: all we all had learning experiences when we first stepped in.

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Speaker 1: And you know d C mentioned, you know, a cleaning

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Speaker 1: up coming in with suit when I first met the

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Speaker 1: reil indeed, why we were both suited and booted as well,

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Speaker 1: and we were both like, where's the bathroom? The same

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Speaker 1: way as the same way you come in and you're

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Speaker 1: like looking for the training room. Where's the training room?

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Speaker 1: How do I get my ankles taped? You know, and

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Speaker 1: you feel you feel like a vet to some degree.

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Speaker 1: But then in your first meeting, people aren't listening to you.

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Speaker 1: They're not waiting for your ideas. They're not they're not

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Speaker 1: they're not waiting for you to provide input. And when

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Speaker 1: you do, if it's not heard, you always want to

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Speaker 1: go back to speaking on the the experience as an

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Speaker 1: NFL player to show them, Hey, I do know what

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Speaker 1: I'm talking about. I have experienced things that that very

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Speaker 1: few or if not any of you have experienced it.

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Speaker 1: And I and I have some valuable input to display.

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Speaker 1: But but still like a rookie like the I say,

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Speaker 1: the most of the successful rookies you put in at

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Speaker 1: extra time to be successful at your craft. And I

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Speaker 1: think that's what all of us have done. You know,

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Speaker 1: we we ask questions, we look for mentors. Sometimes the

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Speaker 1: mentors come to us. You know, we've been we've been

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Speaker 1: blessed to have people and you know, right right right

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Speaker 1: and out at our disposal, and say a Troy who

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Speaker 1: played the game and transitioned into this space and and

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Speaker 1: others throughout the building who who have opened up to us.

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Speaker 1: But if we don't take that initiative, or if we

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Speaker 1: don't speak on it, that stigma exists as just the

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Speaker 1: guys that played the game that are in the building

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Speaker 1: and don't necessarily have value correct the role. Who comes

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Speaker 1: to you with a quick question, but to you d

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Speaker 1: C the end of the veterans make you bring donuts

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Speaker 1: when you're a rookie, man, uh, it's it's funny. It's

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Speaker 1: funny that you just you should say that, because, um,

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Speaker 1: first off, you gotta understand and you know that. And

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Speaker 1: to to to Sama's point, when you come in as

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Speaker 1: a rookie, the difference that I like to say that

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Speaker 1: I've seen on the field with you know, guys like

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Speaker 1: Brian Urlacker or um um, Derek Brooks and stuff like that,

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Speaker 1: who I have the you know, the fortune to play with.

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Speaker 1: They understood the power of taking advantage of every opportunity.

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Speaker 1: They understood the power to studying. You know. Usami said,

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Speaker 1: you come in and you know you have to ask

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Speaker 1: those questions, you have to learn um and and you

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Speaker 1: know in some instances you have to go get donuts.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's just one of those things you might

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Speaker 1: when you come in, you might have to go get

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Speaker 1: the executive producers glasses from you know, Lens Crafters or

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Speaker 1: somewhere because he can't do it because he's putting together

427
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:51,919
Speaker 1: a show. But at the same time, those are the

428
00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,040
Speaker 1: those are the lumps that you have to take while

429
00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:58,280
Speaker 1: you retool and reinvent, reinvent yourself and educate yourself to

430
00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,280
Speaker 1: the nature of the business so that later on you

431
00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,120
Speaker 1: can make strides and you can um, you know, showcase

432
00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,600
Speaker 1: your talent within this new space on this new field.

433
00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:11,640
Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean as a rookie, I've I've I've

434
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,560
Speaker 1: done plenty of late nights and studying and you know

435
00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,160
Speaker 1: analytics that never got you know, used on the show.

436
00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,520
Speaker 1: But you know, uh, now you know I'm in a

437
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,119
Speaker 1: position nowhere. You know, I don't have the title of

438
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:26,960
Speaker 1: playing the show, but you know I kind of put

439
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,240
Speaker 1: the show together visually, so you know, you just have

440
00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:34,400
Speaker 1: to Your time always comes. Is That's what I'm trying

441
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,280
Speaker 1: to say. Hey, Durrell, did you take advantage of any

442
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:41,240
Speaker 1: of the NFL programs to help you train for what

443
00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:44,760
Speaker 1: you do? You know what I didn't know about NFL programs.

444
00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,000
Speaker 1: I did the p A programs and I did an

445
00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,760
Speaker 1: internship at UNDARMED. One of the things that I did

446
00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,760
Speaker 1: there was learned how to use Microsoft Outlook. That was

447
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,240
Speaker 1: the best thing that I could have learned during that time,

448
00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,720
Speaker 1: but also how to network. But in terms of the

449
00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,159
Speaker 1: NFL programs, I was not aware about all the resources

450
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,080
Speaker 1: that were available. And you know, I just got off

451
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,560
Speaker 1: the fielding twenty seven team. But one of the things

452
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,600
Speaker 1: that you know changed up when we came into building,

453
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,880
Speaker 1: Troy said, we want to be intentional and we want

454
00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:11,640
Speaker 1: to have you guys go off to the teams, not

455
00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:13,760
Speaker 1: to not to just be that player rep, but to

456
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,120
Speaker 1: build relationships and talk about the information that's out there

457
00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,919
Speaker 1: for players. And then fast forward, we have the Player Portal.

458
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,160
Speaker 1: So we have so many different resources now that allow

459
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,600
Speaker 1: players to engage with the league office that weren't there

460
00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,480
Speaker 1: necessarily three years ago, or they were there but we

461
00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:30,720
Speaker 1: just didn't know about them. Well, we know what these

462
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:35,680
Speaker 1: transitions become become obstacles. Were you being three African American

463
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,479
Speaker 1: men in the league officers, Well, what has been your

464
00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:44,439
Speaker 1: experienced with stereotype, stigmas, unconscious bias maybe while working in

465
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:55,200
Speaker 1: the league office. DC oh Man we we we here. Uh.

466
00:25:55,680 --> 00:26:01,760
Speaker 1: I guess the word the word culture comes to mind

467
00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:03,720
Speaker 1: when I say that. And I don't mean that in

468
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:05,680
Speaker 1: a negative way. I mean that in a way where

469
00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:10,359
Speaker 1: you have to understand and and and and Oussama d

470
00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,600
Speaker 1: y no, you guys can are gonna add into this

471
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,840
Speaker 1: when you get to the league. Right, what's the nine

472
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,520
Speaker 1: times I'll attend. The first thing you have to deal

473
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:23,360
Speaker 1: with is the the change in speed of the game. Right,

474
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,920
Speaker 1: the things are just moving at such a frantic pace

475
00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,520
Speaker 1: and you're trying to catch up right here in the

476
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:36,639
Speaker 1: NFL films. UM, I believe that the culture here has

477
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:41,399
Speaker 1: been a certain way for so long, UM. And since

478
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:47,080
Speaker 1: there isn't very much representation African Americans in particular, UM

479
00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:52,479
Speaker 1: that it's it's an opportunity for for for growth in

480
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,880
Speaker 1: this area. It's an opportunity for a better understanding, UM

481
00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,480
Speaker 1: with respect to what you know, UM african Arians go

482
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:05,200
Speaker 1: through when they do enter spaces like this, and in particular, UM,

483
00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,480
Speaker 1: people didn't know me, and they only knew the football

484
00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:14,480
Speaker 1: football side of things, and so my the way people

485
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,800
Speaker 1: looked at me was, hey, you're just a football player,

486
00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,960
Speaker 1: UM that's in this space and you know what You're

487
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:28,160
Speaker 1: gonna go to the place where all football is, which

488
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,919
Speaker 1: is NFL Matchup. It's all about xos is at all

489
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,360
Speaker 1: twenty two footage. That's we feel like, that's comfortable, comfortable

490
00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:36,160
Speaker 1: for you. You go there and you do your thing

491
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,879
Speaker 1: in there. The only problem with that is that is

492
00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,919
Speaker 1: not the business of NFL films. The business of NFL

493
00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:48,600
Speaker 1: films is making stories, is making documentaries. Is UM showcasing

494
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:53,080
Speaker 1: the lives of many NFL football players and put it

495
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,600
Speaker 1: in putting it on the big screen. So the show

496
00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,440
Speaker 1: that I was on was was basically an outlier show.

497
00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,000
Speaker 1: UM a great show because it's been around for years.

498
00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:02,280
Speaker 1: I know when you know I played the game, I

499
00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,520
Speaker 1: would be watching it like game David. You know it's

500
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,919
Speaker 1: NFL Matchup, you Jaws and Hodge and and everybody on

501
00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:13,359
Speaker 1: UM on the set. I saw that dynamic. Um, I

502
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,119
Speaker 1: saw the fact that I was on this show because

503
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,440
Speaker 1: I'm only seen as an athlete, and so that's where

504
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,800
Speaker 1: the athletes are gonna go. What I did and I

505
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,840
Speaker 1: had to the same thing you do in sports. Okay,

506
00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,560
Speaker 1: what what are my assets here? If I'm a defensive lima,

507
00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,480
Speaker 1: like I mean, I got a pretty sick inside club move.

508
00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,399
Speaker 1: Uh my first step is pretty all is pretty good.

509
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,320
Speaker 1: But you know that if if he catch me with

510
00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,040
Speaker 1: that arm up, I'm gonna get bammed out the way.

511
00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:39,160
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. Right now, everybody's kind of

512
00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:40,840
Speaker 1: looking at me just like an athlete. You know, I

513
00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,840
Speaker 1: don't really get too many opportunities. Uh, even though I'm

514
00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,520
Speaker 1: waving my hand, and you know, there are a couple

515
00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,880
Speaker 1: of things, a couple of talks and discussions I have

516
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,040
Speaker 1: to take on the chin and I know, and if

517
00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 1: I'm being quite frank here, if I was white, nobody

518
00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,239
Speaker 1: would be talking to me this way. And you know

519
00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,400
Speaker 1: what I did, instead of saying, you know, a getting

520
00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:02,080
Speaker 1: down to myself and saying pretty much f the situation,

521
00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:06,200
Speaker 1: I said, let me let me, let me let me retool. Okay.

522
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,760
Speaker 1: I specialize with technology. I went to school for operating

523
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,640
Speaker 1: systems grad school for operating systems. I was computer science major.

524
00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,600
Speaker 1: So really I saw a bunch of systems in here

525
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,120
Speaker 1: that everybody was only utilizing one way. So I said,

526
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,800
Speaker 1: you know what, maybe there's a way for me to

527
00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,880
Speaker 1: to get in that way. So I went to the

528
00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:26,440
Speaker 1: tech side of the building. I talked to all the

529
00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,320
Speaker 1: engineers I learned about, you know, the inner workings of

530
00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:32,440
Speaker 1: how information is transmitted from the production side to the

531
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:34,560
Speaker 1: tech side. You know what that started to teach me

532
00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,200
Speaker 1: about workflow. And so what I started to do is

533
00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:41,480
Speaker 1: become a master of that. And then once I understood

534
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,040
Speaker 1: that workflow, then I could take that back to the

535
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,600
Speaker 1: editing grounds, the production grounds, and then people would confide

536
00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:50,440
Speaker 1: in me about things they didn't know about, and then

537
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,840
Speaker 1: I would help them. And then I feel like that

538
00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:58,440
Speaker 1: was my end to the story, the story world. And

539
00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:03,280
Speaker 1: I got my first opportunity the with um inside the NFL,

540
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,800
Speaker 1: and then the rest was history. Because then my co workers,

541
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,400
Speaker 1: my teammates said, you know what, he's not just a

542
00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:14,920
Speaker 1: football player. He actually and this is this is quite funny.

543
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:17,760
Speaker 1: They say, you know what, he can write, he's thoughtful

544
00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,479
Speaker 1: and you know he's profound and he can can do

545
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,120
Speaker 1: these things. Now, in my mind, the stigmas and things

546
00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:28,360
Speaker 1: are associated there before I even did anything. But as

547
00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,560
Speaker 1: an athlete, what do we do someone? What do we do?

548
00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,560
Speaker 1: Do you why? You know, even if they're looking at

549
00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,720
Speaker 1: it in a way of color, we have we we've

550
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,960
Speaker 1: always done it. Since we played the game, We adapted,

551
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,960
Speaker 1: we came in, we retooled, we we we reinvented, and

552
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,240
Speaker 1: and then just like the one percent you were talking about,

553
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:50,800
Speaker 1: it is we we excelled. You know now as brothers

554
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,560
Speaker 1: were part of the Letanis community at NFL Films. Now,

555
00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,920
Speaker 1: I'm a I'm an associate producer, and I come to

556
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,960
Speaker 1: work with people I called my teammates, and some of

557
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,560
Speaker 1: them were people back then who said, you know, we'll

558
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,680
Speaker 1: never get a full time job here. That's just that's

559
00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,760
Speaker 1: just kind of a little bit of of what what

560
00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:14,360
Speaker 1: what happens? But you know, still keep that enthusiasm, still

561
00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,800
Speaker 1: keep that excitement, and and and and and and guess what,

562
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:19,760
Speaker 1: this is the same people that said, hey, you'll never

563
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:22,400
Speaker 1: get a job A high five in the hardway, and

564
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,040
Speaker 1: I call them brothers. Hey, d C, d C. I

565
00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:26,880
Speaker 1: want I wanted to add to that, man, because I

566
00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,920
Speaker 1: love the fact that you pointed out some uh, some

567
00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:34,360
Speaker 1: very very valid points in terms of you know, being

568
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:39,640
Speaker 1: black is one thing. Being a former player legend is another.

569
00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,560
Speaker 1: You know, you're celebrated for your accomplishments on the field,

570
00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,400
Speaker 1: and and that's the main thing, the one thing that's

571
00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,640
Speaker 1: cool about the guys on this on this podcast right now,

572
00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:53,239
Speaker 1: is I recognize the fact that y'all a man at

573
00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:57,000
Speaker 1: the year, winners for your respective teams, and Byron was

574
00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,560
Speaker 1: a white representatives and and we give back to our

575
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:06,120
Speaker 1: communities consistent or recognized for all that while playing, you know,

576
00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,200
Speaker 1: and and then stepping into the office space. Most people

577
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,560
Speaker 1: don't want to talk about that. They want to talk

578
00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,200
Speaker 1: about those on the field accomplishments, which is cool, we

579
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:17,240
Speaker 1: can celebrate that, but they don't want to know about

580
00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:22,120
Speaker 1: the internships and job shadows and in teaching and philanthropic

581
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,760
Speaker 1: efforts that that you've done, and and all the other

582
00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,360
Speaker 1: commitments that you've made to to to at least be

583
00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,640
Speaker 1: seen as on the same level of your colleagues. And

584
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,760
Speaker 1: you know me, I'll speak from myself in d wise

585
00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,280
Speaker 1: point of view. Being in player engagement, it's one thing

586
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,360
Speaker 1: that we're there and we're we have this dream job.

587
00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:46,880
Speaker 1: We want to be involved in strategy and business. So

588
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,760
Speaker 1: we said, you know what, we gotta get leadership certifications

589
00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:51,960
Speaker 1: and we want to we got to go back to

590
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:56,200
Speaker 1: school and get our degree, our master's degree, and we

591
00:32:56,280 --> 00:33:00,600
Speaker 1: hire executive coaches, and we take so many different different approaches,

592
00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:05,040
Speaker 1: and again they are still sometimes ignored and which can

593
00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:09,400
Speaker 1: be frustrating, but just like you said, we're always going

594
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:11,720
Speaker 1: to keep on pushing and that's one of the things

595
00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:15,120
Speaker 1: that like I think make up that less than one

596
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,080
Speaker 1: percent that we keep on bringing back. Like we're all

597
00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,480
Speaker 1: about that commitment and we're gonna bring it to the

598
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:22,800
Speaker 1: field and we're gonna bring it to the office as well.

599
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,160
Speaker 1: I love that, do see it? Love it? Man? And

600
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,000
Speaker 1: would you say the experiences of being in the league

601
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,440
Speaker 1: being African American required, because what DC just talked about

602
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:37,440
Speaker 1: as well as Usama is it looked like it required patients.

603
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:42,320
Speaker 1: Can you talk about that drill? Yeah? Absolutely, So you

604
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,080
Speaker 1: know each and every day you know it's a it's

605
00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:47,440
Speaker 1: a new challenge. And you talk about patients. Well, for me,

606
00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,520
Speaker 1: being from the practice squad to waiting behind the great

607
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:54,120
Speaker 1: Mike Sellers to starting in the position to getting cut

608
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,840
Speaker 1: the waiting game was the hardest thing on the field,

609
00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:58,960
Speaker 1: but I learned how to adapt to that is both

610
00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:01,640
Speaker 1: of these gentlemen eluded to. You adapt to that. You

611
00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,600
Speaker 1: you you put yourself in a situation where you say,

612
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,840
Speaker 1: you know what, that's not gonna work today, but that

613
00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,240
Speaker 1: inside zone, we might come back to that in two weeks.

614
00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:11,439
Speaker 1: You know, like you said, you wait some things out

615
00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:14,240
Speaker 1: and you have your opportunity, but you have to be ready,

616
00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:17,120
Speaker 1: you know, and uh you could. I don't know if

617
00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,400
Speaker 1: you're ever you're ever ready, you can prepare for it,

618
00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:20,960
Speaker 1: I should say, I don't know if you're ever ready,

619
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,399
Speaker 1: But when that challenge comes, I know I'm gonna put

620
00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,359
Speaker 1: myself in the best situation for that opportunity. So here's

621
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:29,600
Speaker 1: a here's a fantastic question, all right, being DC, being

622
00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:33,600
Speaker 1: in films, Salmon Durrell being the league office as well,

623
00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,640
Speaker 1: how did you guys make the transition as relates to

624
00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:42,760
Speaker 1: the I would say, the etiquette in the locker room

625
00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:47,400
Speaker 1: versus being in corporate and also things said on the field,

626
00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,960
Speaker 1: how things are sit in the locker room. Now you

627
00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:56,520
Speaker 1: you're also working with females as well. Tell me about that, DC.

628
00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,560
Speaker 1: I think it has a great deal to do with one,

629
00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:04,960
Speaker 1: you know, behavior, corporate behavior um understanding the boundaries that

630
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,879
Speaker 1: have to exist when you're in the corporate space as

631
00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:11,839
Speaker 1: opposed to you know, that natural exchange that you have

632
00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,359
Speaker 1: in the locker room, where you know that locker room

633
00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:18,000
Speaker 1: space is comfortable space and you can talk about anything.

634
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:22,560
Speaker 1: In corporate America, uh, and NFL Films we're a bit

635
00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,240
Speaker 1: more reserved and and we stick to our our business,

636
00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:31,240
Speaker 1: which is you know, making stories, um, but also dealing

637
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:33,520
Speaker 1: with you know, like like females and stuff like that.

638
00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:36,160
Speaker 1: You just you just have to understand that that the

639
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:40,200
Speaker 1: corporate space takes again back to that point we alluded

640
00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,960
Speaker 1: to a great deal of patients to negotiate. I think

641
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:47,480
Speaker 1: workflow UM is key. Teamwork is key, and then and

642
00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:51,439
Speaker 1: and and understanding that and and having I should also say,

643
00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,799
Speaker 1: like an open mind us to say, hey, what it

644
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,920
Speaker 1: is that that I'm suggesting might not be um used,

645
00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,040
Speaker 1: what it is that I'm this thing might not be

646
00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:05,359
Speaker 1: put on the forefront of any initiative that might go

647
00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,560
Speaker 1: on around here because maybe it's just not time for

648
00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:11,000
Speaker 1: it yet or maybe you know, I have a good

649
00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:13,520
Speaker 1: deal of growth yet to do. And and like to

650
00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:15,920
Speaker 1: that point that I was talking about, you know, you

651
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:19,000
Speaker 1: can prepare, you can prepare for things. You can prepare

652
00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,160
Speaker 1: or you know, to try to prepare for the corporate space.

653
00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:25,640
Speaker 1: But you know, but you can't always be ready for it.

654
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:29,319
Speaker 1: You can't always be ready for uh those situations that

655
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,560
Speaker 1: come up, um until you're actually in them. And then

656
00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:35,120
Speaker 1: you know what, that's another notch on the belt that

657
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:37,319
Speaker 1: you know you you praise God that you got through

658
00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:40,680
Speaker 1: and then you're able to act accordingly the next time.

659
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,799
Speaker 1: All of us on the football field is immediate in

660
00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:48,399
Speaker 1: terms of you if you score or get a sack, uh,

661
00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:54,920
Speaker 1: pancake as a blocker, we high five is all. Exuberance

662
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:59,280
Speaker 1: is excitement, right you get corporate all of a sudden

663
00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:02,200
Speaker 1: you may have just great idea, man and great presentation.

664
00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:06,440
Speaker 1: It was like, okay, we'll all go back to our offices.

665
00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,359
Speaker 1: How did you How did you deal with that psychology

666
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:14,960
Speaker 1: thrill oh man? So for me, it was, uh, it

667
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,960
Speaker 1: was tough, you know. But it's one of the things

668
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,120
Speaker 1: where I started reading more, I started educating myself more.

669
00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:23,840
Speaker 1: I started asking questions. That's what the Solmo mentioned. I

670
00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:25,960
Speaker 1: always told myself, and this is the quote I live

671
00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,200
Speaker 1: on in life. Uh. I always told myself, if you know,

672
00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:31,120
Speaker 1: you can't complain about having a lot on your plate

673
00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:33,520
Speaker 1: when your goal was to eat. So regardless of how

674
00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:35,640
Speaker 1: that takes, how how it takes to get there, I'm

675
00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:43,760
Speaker 1: gonna get but it's the truth. I can't complain about

676
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:45,480
Speaker 1: having a lot on my plate when my goal is

677
00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:47,719
Speaker 1: to eat. That's what I said day one. So how

678
00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:49,680
Speaker 1: it takes to get there, whatever it takes to be

679
00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,160
Speaker 1: that captain of that ship, I'm gonna figure out how

680
00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,480
Speaker 1: to do that while treating people the right way. Talk

681
00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:58,480
Speaker 1: about office etiquette, talk about ethics, just fairness, integrity, all

682
00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:00,479
Speaker 1: of those things that come into play. You think about

683
00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:03,000
Speaker 1: that as you as you try to get into the position.

684
00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:05,520
Speaker 1: But as as DC alluded to, I'm a servant man,

685
00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:08,759
Speaker 1: so I'm honest to myself, I'm honest the peers around me.

686
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:11,480
Speaker 1: I'm gonna treat people just like they want to be treated.

687
00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,960
Speaker 1: The Golden a little. In addition to focusing on the

688
00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:18,000
Speaker 1: journey and transition with this podcast, the other things with

689
00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:22,000
Speaker 1: all of this, some unrust, social unrest been in the

690
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:25,840
Speaker 1: positions what you guys are have any new passion has

691
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:29,280
Speaker 1: been ignited while working under each of your league roles

692
00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:33,799
Speaker 1: and if so, what are they who summer? And you

693
00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,839
Speaker 1: know what? Uh? With with all that's going on, it's

694
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,160
Speaker 1: it's been a reminder for me to think about how

695
00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,200
Speaker 1: how blessed we are to be in the positions that

696
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:46,680
Speaker 1: we're in. You know, we we're we're we're working for

697
00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,799
Speaker 1: the best, the best professional league out there. And I'm

698
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:54,240
Speaker 1: biasing saying that because I spent most of my younger

699
00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:58,960
Speaker 1: adult years playing playing in the league. But now I

700
00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,799
Speaker 1: understand how much influence and impact we have with the

701
00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:06,520
Speaker 1: NFL and the players that make up this lead provide

702
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,239
Speaker 1: to the communities that that they serve in and that

703
00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:13,759
Speaker 1: there that they were born in. So working in player

704
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,920
Speaker 1: engagement is one thing, but Social Responsibility, the Social Responsibility

705
00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:22,080
Speaker 1: Team and Inspire Change has has provided us an opportunity

706
00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,279
Speaker 1: to have a voice in those rooms. Uh, sometimes I

707
00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:30,000
Speaker 1: challenge the group, I challenge others to speak up. We

708
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,640
Speaker 1: we might see something that we know isn't right and

709
00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,239
Speaker 1: we don't say anything about it. So it's like, hey,

710
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:38,560
Speaker 1: we're just as bad as the person that's performing the act.

711
00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,839
Speaker 1: And and if we don't speak up about it, if

712
00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,279
Speaker 1: we don't say something, if we don't put us, if

713
00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:47,400
Speaker 1: we don't stand for something, we don't stand for anything.

714
00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:50,879
Speaker 1: We we started to take an intentional approach to say, look,

715
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,200
Speaker 1: how do we highlight specifically what we stand on, Like

716
00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:58,040
Speaker 1: we're doing so much in these communities, these underserved communities,

717
00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:01,960
Speaker 1: these COVID hot spots, and and but we haven't actually

718
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,480
Speaker 1: put a word on it we haven't actually said anything,

719
00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,040
Speaker 1: and now we've got different things, different items going on

720
00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,120
Speaker 1: for the players. It takes all of us to end racism.

721
00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,839
Speaker 1: Where players are speaking up, we're welcoming that, we're encouraging that,

722
00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:18,120
Speaker 1: and being in those meetings. It's uplifting. At times, it's

723
00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:23,120
Speaker 1: a challenge because oftentimes you know, it's something that's mentioned

724
00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:26,520
Speaker 1: that doesn't necessarily get brought to the forefront, but it's

725
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,359
Speaker 1: still an opportunity to provide input. And I love that.

726
00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:32,960
Speaker 1: I love the fact that I cannot only do that,

727
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,520
Speaker 1: but I can go back to the young leaders that

728
00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:39,560
Speaker 1: I served with my foundation and and and empower them

729
00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,680
Speaker 1: through mentorship and talk about some of these initiatives that

730
00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:44,840
Speaker 1: we're doing, and talk about how they have a voice

731
00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:48,960
Speaker 1: as well, and challenge them in the real I don't

732
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:50,920
Speaker 1: give a scenario. I want you to speak to your

733
00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:54,160
Speaker 1: experience in the league office. A lot of times people

734
00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:57,279
Speaker 1: refer to things as prejudice, in other words, prejudice within

735
00:40:57,280 --> 00:41:02,440
Speaker 1: the corporation, unconscious bias. Would each of you guys start

736
00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:08,960
Speaker 1: with Darrell say, I found when you don't have proper

737
00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:15,560
Speaker 1: representation at the table, there is just many times things

738
00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,040
Speaker 1: you don't even think about because you don't have somebody

739
00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:21,560
Speaker 1: that represents something that may not be on your radar

740
00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:24,880
Speaker 1: or it may not be something you're literally conscious of.

741
00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:28,640
Speaker 1: How important has it been being in the league office

742
00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:32,480
Speaker 1: to be that voice as an African American to have

743
00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:37,359
Speaker 1: that that that that too to share in the room

744
00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:41,920
Speaker 1: our perspective not that you represent all African Americans, but

745
00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:47,759
Speaker 1: you represent African and African American. Does that make sense? Drill? Yeah?

746
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:51,280
Speaker 1: It does. Yea. You ask a great question, and I think, uh,

747
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,640
Speaker 1: to be honest with you, I haven't been to the

748
00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:57,600
Speaker 1: table too many times in those situations, but when asked,

749
00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,520
Speaker 1: I feel like we've had had some out comes where

750
00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:02,279
Speaker 1: we can say, Okay, we've made we moved the needle

751
00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:03,880
Speaker 1: a little bit, and not saying that people in the

752
00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:06,560
Speaker 1: room haven't done it, but it's just speaking from a

753
00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:09,920
Speaker 1: player perspective, speaking from an African American perspective, you know

754
00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:11,920
Speaker 1: you're gonna you're gonna bring something different to the table.

755
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:14,400
Speaker 1: So but it comes back to that strategy piece, and

756
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:16,359
Speaker 1: I think we've been doing a better job, you know,

757
00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:19,359
Speaker 1: since the George Floyd's situation in terms okay, what do

758
00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:21,880
Speaker 1: you all think? What can we do? And I'm not

759
00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:24,360
Speaker 1: gonna say we shied away from before, but it wasn't

760
00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:26,960
Speaker 1: like that until the world had to pause and say,

761
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:29,200
Speaker 1: look what just happened. What do we need to do

762
00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:32,319
Speaker 1: to address these issues in the workplace? And we've been

763
00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:34,719
Speaker 1: part of these conversations, and you know, Osama has been

764
00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:36,400
Speaker 1: leading a charge to be honest with these one of

765
00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:38,839
Speaker 1: those guys who his boots on the ground, he's been

766
00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:41,600
Speaker 1: doing it. Art McAfee has been doing it. Now things

767
00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:44,040
Speaker 1: are coming back full circle. Okay. You know you talk

768
00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,440
Speaker 1: about voting education, what we were doing that with Fritz

769
00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:49,680
Speaker 1: Pollard the past few years, but people weren't taking advantage

770
00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:51,680
Speaker 1: of it because you know, it may not have been

771
00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:54,359
Speaker 1: important at the time. But now we're seeing, Like I said,

772
00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,400
Speaker 1: because of COVID, the world had to slow down, and

773
00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:58,480
Speaker 1: it was good for us all. But now having to

774
00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:00,919
Speaker 1: see at the table, I feel like not saying that

775
00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,160
Speaker 1: I specifically contributed to it, but there would have been

776
00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:06,279
Speaker 1: some instances well I felt like I've added value to

777
00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:09,439
Speaker 1: it some how. Have you spoken up after the death

778
00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:13,000
Speaker 1: of George Floyd? You guys have spoken out frankly to

779
00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:16,440
Speaker 1: your co workers about your own personal experience. Tell me

780
00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:21,879
Speaker 1: about that wow, you know, you know it was it

781
00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:24,560
Speaker 1: was tough. It was tough for me. And just listening

782
00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:28,520
Speaker 1: to d Y, you know you hear that humility. He

783
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:31,200
Speaker 1: He's like, nah, I didn't have a lot. Man. I'll

784
00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:33,319
Speaker 1: be straight up on the mic right now. Yes, you have,

785
00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:36,719
Speaker 1: you have you You've challenged me, You've pushed me to

786
00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,640
Speaker 1: speak up, and I think others have followed the lead.

787
00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,560
Speaker 1: Uh with with with our voice when it comes to

788
00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:47,240
Speaker 1: you know, after George Floyd as d what I mentioned,

789
00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:51,480
Speaker 1: this has just been going on for so long, and

790
00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:55,880
Speaker 1: and when when we had our our staff meeting, I

791
00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:58,880
Speaker 1: had to share an experience that I had when I

792
00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:02,919
Speaker 1: was a child and I was I was handcuffed, and

793
00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:06,160
Speaker 1: I know for a fact, looking back at it, how

794
00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:09,400
Speaker 1: how hurt I was, how hopeless I felt at that

795
00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:14,600
Speaker 1: given moment. And I can't imagine imagine having a knee

796
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:19,719
Speaker 1: on my neck, being choked, suffocated and fighting for my

797
00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:23,560
Speaker 1: life and and begging for my grandmother or my mother

798
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,520
Speaker 1: or I can't imagine it. So I said, man, I

799
00:44:27,040 --> 00:44:29,719
Speaker 1: can't remain mum on this call. And at first I

800
00:44:29,760 --> 00:44:31,759
Speaker 1: wasn't going to say anything that I said, you know what,

801
00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,400
Speaker 1: I'm gonna write and I wrote, wrote, wrote, I wrote

802
00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:38,200
Speaker 1: out what I what I experienced, and I shared it

803
00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:42,759
Speaker 1: with my my, my team and player Engagement and and

804
00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:48,760
Speaker 1: f CM Football Communication and Marketing, and they were receiving.

805
00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:52,760
Speaker 1: They were receptive of it. They listened and immediately I,

806
00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:55,799
Speaker 1: I mean, I started crying. But other people you could

807
00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:57,839
Speaker 1: see the hurt, you can see the hanks, you can

808
00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:00,680
Speaker 1: see the surprise. And for me, that was a reminder

809
00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:04,040
Speaker 1: that tag on they really had no clue that the

810
00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:07,080
Speaker 1: other black people on this call, our other black team members,

811
00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:10,919
Speaker 1: several of them have similar stories. And when we got

812
00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:14,680
Speaker 1: on our all league meeting, I had to do it again,

813
00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:18,080
Speaker 1: which was even tougher for me to bring myself back

814
00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:22,640
Speaker 1: to that point and do it again for probably five

815
00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:25,319
Speaker 1: hundred to a thousand people that I don't know, that

816
00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:28,600
Speaker 1: have never met me. And in the response from it,

817
00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:32,360
Speaker 1: with several emails, a few texts, calls, you know, people

818
00:45:32,440 --> 00:45:35,319
Speaker 1: checking in and everything, And in my response to that was,

819
00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:39,360
Speaker 1: I thank you. Let's do the work. Now we've got

820
00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:42,279
Speaker 1: a job to do. And and since you do know,

821
00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:46,120
Speaker 1: and since we can't hide, we can't hide anymore. And

822
00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:51,799
Speaker 1: now it's it's evident that their injustices throughout our entire community,

823
00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:54,960
Speaker 1: our society. We've got to do something about it. And

824
00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:58,480
Speaker 1: stepping up, speaking up about it is one thing. Changing

825
00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:03,800
Speaker 1: laws is another, as locating is another. Providing support, that's

826
00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:07,759
Speaker 1: that's that's major. So uh I was fortunate to have

827
00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:11,480
Speaker 1: that platform, and uh I was encouraged by my colleagues

828
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:14,320
Speaker 1: and everything, and and now we're at a point where

829
00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:16,839
Speaker 1: I think we are seeing change. But we've got a

830
00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:19,279
Speaker 1: lot of work to do when it comes to diversity,

831
00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:21,759
Speaker 1: when it comes to equality, when it comes to so

832
00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:25,840
Speaker 1: much in our communities, d C and and really Darrell,

833
00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:28,680
Speaker 1: uh some any of you guys can answer this question

834
00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:32,760
Speaker 1: when all of us for players, there are a number

835
00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:37,440
Speaker 1: of legends and current players, I think the league is

836
00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:44,640
Speaker 1: against them. How have you from your prospective scene, how

837
00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:49,200
Speaker 1: much work and how the league really does care for

838
00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:53,200
Speaker 1: the player and for the legends. I do not believe

839
00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:55,560
Speaker 1: that the league is against players. I don't. I don't.

840
00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:58,319
Speaker 1: I don't believe that's I don't think that's the thing.

841
00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:03,800
Speaker 1: What I'm encouraged by is durrell a new Sama speaking

842
00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:08,080
Speaker 1: up because their work, they're them being boots on the

843
00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:12,440
Speaker 1: ground has a direct effect on you know, me over

844
00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:14,600
Speaker 1: here to NFL Films, and I'm not in the league office,

845
00:47:14,640 --> 00:47:17,080
Speaker 1: but this is NFL Films. Is one of the three

846
00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:19,719
Speaker 1: league officers, L A and Y and then us out

847
00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:23,359
Speaker 1: here there. There aren't very many black folks here. I mean,

848
00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:27,240
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna get into the numbers, but they just aren't. Um.

849
00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:29,840
Speaker 1: And even more than that, I'm the only former player

850
00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:34,760
Speaker 1: in the building. So when I come in every morning

851
00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:39,080
Speaker 1: and before COVID times, eb Hard Press wanted to see

852
00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:42,040
Speaker 1: another black person in the building and a couple of

853
00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:45,000
Speaker 1: I could go to three days without seeing somebody. But

854
00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:48,839
Speaker 1: now because of it's it's it's a direct correlation with

855
00:47:48,880 --> 00:47:51,200
Speaker 1: what it is that do saman d y do with

856
00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:54,319
Speaker 1: player engagement and with making sure that you know, we're

857
00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:58,040
Speaker 1: talking about these issues. I see I've seen an uptick

858
00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:01,680
Speaker 1: in you know, African Americans and black people and people

859
00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:05,399
Speaker 1: of color color through our internship program. I've seen um

860
00:48:05,680 --> 00:48:08,800
Speaker 1: more talks and discussions that the Black Engagement Network is

861
00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:12,720
Speaker 1: having with leadership here. There is anyone who's African American

862
00:48:12,719 --> 00:48:16,279
Speaker 1: on our leadership uh committee. UM. But again, you know,

863
00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:19,360
Speaker 1: I'm encouraged that as long as these conversations and discussions

864
00:48:19,360 --> 00:48:22,720
Speaker 1: continue to happen because of what d Y does and

865
00:48:22,719 --> 00:48:25,520
Speaker 1: and the new Sama do that you know at some

866
00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,279
Speaker 1: point that will change. It has has changed the game

867
00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:30,560
Speaker 1: for me. I've seen Howard Barbieri, who is a former

868
00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:33,080
Speaker 1: you know, offensive lineman for the Giants. He's come through

869
00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:36,440
Speaker 1: here over the last few years. Um Um Chris Wilson,

870
00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:39,680
Speaker 1: who's the second round draft pick for uh KNSA City Chiefs.

871
00:48:39,719 --> 00:48:42,520
Speaker 1: He's he's here right now on his second stint um

872
00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:44,520
Speaker 1: as a seasonal. And I hope he gets full time,

873
00:48:44,760 --> 00:48:48,319
Speaker 1: a full time gig because he's um an independent filmmaker

874
00:48:48,760 --> 00:48:51,640
Speaker 1: and you know he's that's that's his life, that's what

875
00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:54,600
Speaker 1: he's been doing. I mean, I'm starting to see change

876
00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:56,640
Speaker 1: because of what it is that these brothers are doing.

877
00:48:56,719 --> 00:48:59,560
Speaker 1: So when when people say that, hey, the league is

878
00:48:59,600 --> 00:49:02,800
Speaker 1: against this or anything like that, ay, I looked to

879
00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:04,400
Speaker 1: my left and all right, I see d Wy and

880
00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:07,320
Speaker 1: do something. I say, Na, it's not because these brothers

881
00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:10,200
Speaker 1: are making change that I that I feel directly every

882
00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:12,840
Speaker 1: time you know, we have a meeting or a discussion

883
00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:15,879
Speaker 1: or you know, I come out my office and I see,

884
00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:17,600
Speaker 1: you know, the things are changing. The people like me

885
00:49:17,719 --> 00:49:20,480
Speaker 1: in the building, I like the time man, and that too.

886
00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:23,120
Speaker 1: It needs because I'm wouna be honest man. When I

887
00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:24,600
Speaker 1: was on the field, I said, the league don't care

888
00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:26,440
Speaker 1: about us, man, they sent me a fine letter. How

889
00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:28,839
Speaker 1: they're gonna send me a fine for twenty two and

890
00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:31,200
Speaker 1: care about me? But that was a young being not

891
00:49:31,440 --> 00:49:33,640
Speaker 1: understanding that. I also didn't get off the couch to

892
00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:36,160
Speaker 1: go vote in those PA meetings to make a difference.

893
00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:40,040
Speaker 1: So now I understand that things are negotiating one, but

894
00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:42,400
Speaker 1: two being in this space in the league office and

895
00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:45,080
Speaker 1: the resources that are there. But when you can go

896
00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:47,160
Speaker 1: back to school for free, when you can you have

897
00:49:47,200 --> 00:49:49,440
Speaker 1: all these resources and benefits, I think it's about the

898
00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:51,520
Speaker 1: player now, and now we have to start looking at

899
00:49:51,560 --> 00:49:54,719
Speaker 1: ourselves and evaluating are we putting ourselves in the best

900
00:49:54,719 --> 00:49:57,759
Speaker 1: situation as players? Not when it not when we're in

901
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:01,440
Speaker 1: times of need. But while I'll while that check works

902
00:50:01,440 --> 00:50:04,240
Speaker 1: on Instagram and we verified when people respond to you,

903
00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:06,520
Speaker 1: what are you doing to better yourself during that time?

904
00:50:06,719 --> 00:50:08,640
Speaker 1: And that's what we do. The challenge players. I don't

905
00:50:08,719 --> 00:50:11,120
Speaker 1: question you, I'm just challenging you to be better than

906
00:50:11,120 --> 00:50:14,000
Speaker 1: you were yesterday, to be better than you were today today.

907
00:50:14,360 --> 00:50:16,919
Speaker 1: Now I don't feel bad because I know, God, there's

908
00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:20,160
Speaker 1: so many opportunities. There's so many resources. We're meeting players

909
00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:22,920
Speaker 1: where they are in terms of social media, face to

910
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:26,440
Speaker 1: face interactions. We have transition coaches, we have the Legends community,

911
00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:29,040
Speaker 1: we have you know, player engagement. There's so many different

912
00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:31,600
Speaker 1: avenues now that it's just an excuse at this point

913
00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:33,839
Speaker 1: if you don't utilize the resources that are there for you.

914
00:50:35,160 --> 00:50:38,279
Speaker 1: It's outstanding. As we calls out, I want to talk

915
00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:42,239
Speaker 1: about the future, uh from the grid, our journey as

916
00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:46,760
Speaker 1: African men, and a corporate meta fold to your unique

917
00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:52,200
Speaker 1: perspective on inspired change succinctly and quickly touch on what's

918
00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:55,280
Speaker 1: next to your journey the lead and make a difference

919
00:50:55,280 --> 00:51:01,120
Speaker 1: in the league office DC uh is I can possibly

920
00:51:01,120 --> 00:51:03,400
Speaker 1: put it. I'm just going to continue to put my

921
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:06,480
Speaker 1: passion in people and my faith and God that uh,

922
00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:09,239
Speaker 1: you know, things will change. And as long as I'm

923
00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:11,400
Speaker 1: surrounded by brothers like the RelA New Sama and we

924
00:51:11,440 --> 00:51:19,640
Speaker 1: all are like minded, that's gonna happen. Sama. Uh. My

925
00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:23,280
Speaker 1: mission is to continue to be a servant to others

926
00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:26,680
Speaker 1: and and take on more of a mentorship role to

927
00:51:26,840 --> 00:51:30,320
Speaker 1: those that are new and looking to make a career

928
00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:35,360
Speaker 1: here but outside of that. I want to continue to inspire,

929
00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:38,439
Speaker 1: inspire the ones that are on the field right now

930
00:51:38,480 --> 00:51:42,040
Speaker 1: and those that are looking up to them, but remind

931
00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:45,160
Speaker 1: them that football is only a fraction of who they are.

932
00:51:46,239 --> 00:51:48,280
Speaker 1: I don't want them to fall into a dark space.

933
00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:50,000
Speaker 1: I don't want them to feel as though they're not

934
00:51:50,080 --> 00:51:53,799
Speaker 1: supported and from the league. I know that we can

935
00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:57,360
Speaker 1: do that through player engagement, through the Legends community, continue

936
00:51:57,400 --> 00:52:02,840
Speaker 1: to serve and continue to mentor and provide support. Durrell, Yeah,

937
00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:04,560
Speaker 1: I have to agree with that, man. There was some

938
00:52:04,640 --> 00:52:08,520
Speaker 1: strong statements right there. I uh, you know what, I'm

939
00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:12,440
Speaker 1: gonna have to steal that inspiring, inspiring, uh and motivate.

940
00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:14,400
Speaker 1: You know, in my community. Now, I look at the

941
00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:17,640
Speaker 1: graduation rate and when I would graduate from high school,

942
00:52:18,640 --> 00:52:20,239
Speaker 1: not much has changed. So what am I going to

943
00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:22,919
Speaker 1: do to activate there? But showing them that that's hope

944
00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:24,560
Speaker 1: that you don't have to go down the line of

945
00:52:24,920 --> 00:52:27,640
Speaker 1: you know, selling drugs and education has got me the

946
00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:31,400
Speaker 1: same amount of money without doing time. So uh, you

947
00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:32,840
Speaker 1: know that's one of the things that you know I

948
00:52:32,880 --> 00:52:37,360
Speaker 1: want to do is inspire others, serve, give back and uh,

949
00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:39,360
Speaker 1: you know it just continue to be the person that

950
00:52:39,719 --> 00:52:41,520
Speaker 1: I seen myself when I said I was gonna do

951
00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:45,680
Speaker 1: this thing. Durrell O, Sama the Lion and d C.

952
00:52:46,760 --> 00:52:50,239
Speaker 1: This has been amazing podcast. Thank you so much for

953
00:52:50,360 --> 00:52:55,640
Speaker 1: joining us, Thanks for listening to the best is yet

954
00:52:55,719 --> 00:53:03,160
Speaker 1: to company. I appreciate it. Appreciate it. H This has

955
00:53:03,160 --> 00:53:07,240
Speaker 1: been the NFL Legends podcast. To provide feedback or request

956
00:53:07,280 --> 00:53:10,680
Speaker 1: a topic for discussion, email us at NFL Legends at

957
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:12,440
Speaker 1: NFL dot com, m