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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Colts Reunion Podcast, a conversation with former

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Speaker 1: Colts players look back at their career, what they're up

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Speaker 1: to now, and how the Colts played a positive role

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Speaker 1: in their lives.

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Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Colts Reunion podcast series here on

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Speaker 2: Colts dot Com and the Colts Bobile app, wherever you

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Speaker 2: download your podcast. I'm Matt Taylor. Joined today with former

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Speaker 2: Colts wide receiver and of course Ring of Honor member

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Speaker 2: Bill Brooks were inside the Indiana Union Construction Industry radio studio.

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Speaker 2: Colts Reunion of course our summertime series paying tribute to

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Speaker 2: former players who sacrifice so much wearing the blue and

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Speaker 2: white for the Colts. We catch up with the greats

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Speaker 2: and we talk about their time playing in Indianapolis, what

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Speaker 2: made them special and what made their time with the

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Speaker 2: Colts legendary. And joining us today for episode number three

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Speaker 2: here in twenty twenty four is linebacker Gary Brackets. I

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Speaker 2: walk on in college at Rutgers and an undrafted free

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Speaker 2: agent of the NFL. Bracket, of course, found success the

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Speaker 2: old fashioned way. He earned it every step of the way.

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Speaker 2: He broke into the NFL with the Colts in two

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Speaker 2: thousand and three, primarily a special teams player back then,

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Speaker 2: but two years later he was inserted into the Colts

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Speaker 2: starting lineup, where he never left.

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Speaker 1: He became a.

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Speaker 2: Team captain and routinely helped guide the Colts defense with

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Speaker 2: AFC South championships and playoff appearances. He played all nine

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Speaker 2: of his pro football seasons with the Colts, appearing in

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Speaker 2: one hundred and sixteen games with eighty six starts, and

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Speaker 2: his four hundred and ninety eight tackles ranked fourth all

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Speaker 2: time in franchise history. He also racked up twelve interceptions,

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Speaker 2: including one for a touchdown. He played in two Super Bowls,

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Speaker 2: one to one, and still lives in Central Indiana and

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Speaker 2: continues to have success off the field as an entrepreneur

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Speaker 2: and public speaker. And Gary joins us on the horn

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Speaker 2: right now, Gary, thank you so much for the time today.

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Speaker 2: It's always a p asure to speak with you. And

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Speaker 2: the last time we spoke, I know you were heavily

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Speaker 2: involved in real estate, which has always been a big

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Speaker 2: passion of yours. What else is keeping you moving and

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Speaker 2: grooving these days?

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Speaker 3: Yeah? Absolutely, real estate has been good. Obviously, interest rates

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Speaker 3: are you know, not where everyone would like them, but

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Speaker 3: when they move I'm sure it's going to be a

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Speaker 3: lot of movement. But I work with a lot of investors.

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Speaker 3: I started investing myself back in from fixing Flip, So yeah,

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Speaker 3: that's been good along with you know, I'm still speaking

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Speaker 3: about thirty times a year. So between the two, I'm

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Speaker 3: definitely staying busy.

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Speaker 4: Oh that's good. I'm glad you're staying visiting. Glad things

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Speaker 4: are going well for you. Gary. I want to go

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Speaker 4: into your as you started football back in high school.

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Speaker 4: You grew up in Glassboro, New Jersey, and you were

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Speaker 4: a two time All South Jersey selection and a two

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Speaker 4: time All Conference choice in high school. What kind of

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Speaker 4: player were you in high school? I mean what kind

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Speaker 4: of player were you? Were you a fast player? Were

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Speaker 4: your a physical player? What was your style of football

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Speaker 4: back there in high school?

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Speaker 3: Man? Back in high school, I just loved the game

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Speaker 3: of football. I don't think I left the field. I

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Speaker 3: mean at one season, I was a kicker, I was

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Speaker 3: the punter, and I was the returner. It just a

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Speaker 3: kid who just loved the game. It's funny, you know,

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Speaker 3: in my neighborhood, I thought I was fast and quick,

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Speaker 3: but I really never had that top end speed. So really.

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Speaker 3: It was definitely more quick than fast, but was uber

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Speaker 3: aggressive and definitely had a knack for the game. So,

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Speaker 3: you know, even back then, I was studying film and

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Speaker 3: always you know, figuring out, you know, how to make

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Speaker 3: big plays was to anticipate. So just just really so around,

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Speaker 3: had an actual game, just loved the game, and just

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Speaker 3: loved being out there on the field.

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Speaker 2: Was high school football a pretty big deal? I mean,

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Speaker 2: what were Friday nights like in New Jersey in your hometown, Gary.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, they were a pretty big deal. The challenge was like,

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Speaker 3: I mean I'm in Comma right now. You know their

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Speaker 3: schools are forty five hundred and five thousand kids, right,

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Speaker 3: I mean my whole school is five hundred kids.

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Speaker 1: Wow.

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Speaker 3: So I mean it was a small school. I mean,

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Speaker 3: you know, back in the day, we were whining championships,

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Speaker 3: going to the playoffs. You know, it was we played

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Speaker 3: Saturday morning, so it wasn't even Friday night lights. But

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Speaker 3: we would play like bigger schools group three Friday nights.

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Speaker 3: I don't think my school had lights when I was

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Speaker 3: in school. So, uh, we would travel to play those

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Speaker 3: Friday nights games, but yeah, they would be packed. We

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Speaker 3: would travel with Yeah, we would generally win. We were

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Speaker 3: very tough. You know, I went to the playoffs every year,

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Speaker 3: but you know, it just didn't It was more of

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Speaker 3: a Saturday morning type of game for us where we

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Speaker 3: were from.

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Speaker 2: Well, we know you ended up walking on at Rutgers.

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Speaker 2: What what was your college recruitment? Like, why why no

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Speaker 2: big offers? Was it just because you were coming from

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Speaker 2: from a smaller high school.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's funny. I don't know. I had no, uh,

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Speaker 3: no mentorship. You know. I was one of those guys

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Speaker 3: just thought like, if you build it, they would come.

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Speaker 3: So I just thought someone was gonna come pick me up.

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Speaker 3: And I realized that my my coach set out like

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Speaker 3: my senior year playoff tape to get me recruited. So

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Speaker 3: coaches were coming to my school because they saw me

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Speaker 3: on the other people's film. Yeah, so it was just

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Speaker 3: one of those things where I just fell under the radar.

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Speaker 3: And you know, I was a tweeter, you know, five

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Speaker 3: ten at college. I mean I was probably told five

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Speaker 3: they didn't know if I would play safety, they didn't

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Speaker 3: know why I was a linebacker. So didn't really get

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Speaker 3: a lot of recruits and a lot of opportunities, but

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Speaker 3: I got a chance to be like a recruited walk

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Speaker 3: on at Rutgers University and didn't know about me. I

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Speaker 3: sat my first season out. I actually didn't even play football,

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Speaker 3: just to work on academics, and then I had an

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Speaker 3: opportunity to play, and then you know, made the most

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Speaker 3: of it and end up getting a scholarship and having

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Speaker 3: a pretty good career.

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Speaker 4: No, you talked about going to Rutgers. Why did you

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Speaker 4: walk on that Rutgers? What was so special about Rutgers

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Speaker 4: that made you decide to go to Rutgers during that period?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think at the time they were in the

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Speaker 3: Big East and we were playing the Miamis, the Virginia

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Speaker 3: Tech Spotston College, So I knew that was going to

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Speaker 3: be like some top talent. And still, you know, being young,

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Speaker 3: probably still being little mama's boys, you know, being an

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Speaker 3: hour and a half away from home, it wasn't all

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Speaker 3: too bad. I had. I had older brothers that kind

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Speaker 3: of you know, did the whole go out to Virginia

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Speaker 3: for college thing and that didn't work out so well,

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Speaker 3: and they would just tell me about how homesicky were.

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Speaker 3: So I was like, I don't want to make that

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Speaker 3: same mistake. So rutgle was a great university, great education

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Speaker 3: and game, the ability to play you know, some some

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Speaker 3: big league football.

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Speaker 2: Well, speaking of your family and your parents, they made

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Speaker 2: a ton of sacrifices for you. And I know you've

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Speaker 2: talked about this over the years. You and I have

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Speaker 2: talked about this on some other things. I mean, your

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Speaker 2: parents going back and reading your book. We'll talk about

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Speaker 2: your book coming up in just a second. But your parents,

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Speaker 2: they took out two mortgages on their house to keep

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Speaker 2: you in school. They wanted to keep you at Rutgers.

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Speaker 2: How close was it for you not to be able

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Speaker 2: to stay in college, afford college any longer and pursue

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Speaker 2: your college football dream as a walk on player?

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Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, man. My third season, you know, I got

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Speaker 3: a call from my father and he was telling me that,

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Speaker 3: you know, there's there's no more equity left in the

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Speaker 3: house to wish them bill had came. And you know,

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Speaker 3: I'm nineteen years old at the time. So my mom,

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Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, we'll pay the bill. You know, I

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Speaker 3: thought I thought money growing trees back then, but they didn't.

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Speaker 3: And I had an uncomfortable coach conversation with my position

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Speaker 3: coach at the time. He told me that there are

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Speaker 3: no promises. The hey coach, you know, mayage out. But

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Speaker 3: I had my Hondae Excel, you know, hatchback, you know,

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Speaker 3: full trip Burmer, everything I owned, and I was ready

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Speaker 3: to go home, back to New Jersey. I rowed at

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Speaker 3: Rowan University. But I got a call earlier that morning.

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Speaker 3: Went to go see coach Terry Shea and went in

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Speaker 3: his office. Man, and he said, you know, they're gonna

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Speaker 3: keep on recruiting players that are bigger and better than

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Speaker 3: Gary Brackett. I was like ouch, but he said he

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Speaker 3: loved my enthusiasm, he loved my effort, he loved that

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Speaker 3: I was first in line. I had a three foot

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Speaker 3: on GPA, and he gave me a scholarship. Man, So

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Speaker 3: that moment really changed my life and gave me ability

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Speaker 3: to stay at Rutgers and improve everyone that I belong.

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Speaker 4: Well, that's how did you feel once the coach told

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Speaker 4: you that that, you know what, you're gonna have a scholarship.

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Speaker 4: You're gonna be able to stay here at Rutgers and

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Speaker 4: finish your college career at Rutgers.

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Speaker 3: Man, Like, it's crazy. Every time I kind of see it,

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Speaker 3: you know, during football season you see all the surprises

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Speaker 3: and kids get Scottish. I still get teary eyed. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: just because, Yeah, I know how much it meant to

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Speaker 3: me in that moment. I mean you're talking about it's

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Speaker 3: been a drastic change, like leaving Rutgers and rolling and rowing.

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Speaker 3: I mean I wasn't even in Road yet. They wanted

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Speaker 3: me to come there and play, but I mean that

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Speaker 3: hadn't even been solidified yet, so I had no clue

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Speaker 3: what was going on. So and just to see how

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Speaker 3: you know, my career, my life turned out. You know

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Speaker 3: that I owed all to you know, being able to

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Speaker 3: get that scholarship and then four schools. So I mean

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Speaker 3: it was a huge moment, pivotal moment in my life.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, staying on that and you know, after that,

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Speaker 2: another huge moment in your life comes. I don't know,

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Speaker 2: maybe you can fill in the gaps here. A couple

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Speaker 2: of months later, or a couple of weeks later, a

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Speaker 2: teammate of yours right comes up to you. You guys

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Speaker 2: working out and you're celebrating that moment a little bit.

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Speaker 2: But a teammate of yours comes up and says, hey, man,

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Speaker 2: it's great that you're here, but You shouldn't be satisfied

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Speaker 2: that you're just on the team. That you that you

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Speaker 2: now have a scholarship. You should be thinking about taking over.

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Speaker 2: You should be thinking about being a starter. Who was

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Speaker 2: that teammate And what did that moment mean to you

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Speaker 2: with that that young man approaching you in that way

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Speaker 2: to kind of help you set on your course to

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Speaker 2: obviously what transpired after that?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, man Wesley Robertson. Wesley was about a six three,

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Speaker 3: two and fifty pound defensive end, all right, and he

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Speaker 3: was getting after it in the weight room. And right

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Speaker 3: after I got a scholarship, I ran in. I put

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Speaker 3: on my clothes to go work out. Bill. This is

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Speaker 3: back in the day, you know when men were men

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Speaker 3: were put a little pen through your clothes, whole bunch

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Speaker 3: of holes in it.

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Speaker 4: Yes, I remember.

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Speaker 3: It. So I'm coming in with my Holy Jim Schwartz

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Speaker 3: shirts and we're kind of loud on the weight room

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Speaker 3: and he sees it and he's like, yo, what's what's

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Speaker 3: going on? What's the commotion? And I'm like, yo, Like

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Speaker 3: Jersey we used call him Jerseys, Like I got a scholarship,

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Speaker 3: I get to stay. And he looked in my face.

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Speaker 3: It was like scholarship, you should worry about starting, and

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Speaker 3: you know, at the time, you know, I got dejected.

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Speaker 3: I came and wanted to be the start. I wanted

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Speaker 3: to be the man. But after being a free, a

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Speaker 3: walk on, you know, after you know, living through college life,

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Speaker 3: you know, I mean I was joking, but serious. I

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Speaker 3: mean I had the lowest mill plan you can have

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Speaker 3: to be in school full time. Right, So I was

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Speaker 3: a kid at the mess hall, you know, waiting for

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Speaker 3: people to come in and grab something to eat, asking

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Speaker 3: for them to swipe me in. Right. So I was

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Speaker 3: in my mind, I'm thinking, like I got three meals

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Speaker 3: a day, Like this is like, what are you talking about?

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Speaker 3: Like I'm excited? But he was right. And that night

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Speaker 3: I kind of went home and I couldn't go to sleep,

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Speaker 3: and that conversation just kept on replaying in my hand,

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Speaker 3: replaying in my head, replaying my head, and then I

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Speaker 3: would just woke up and I was like, Yo, what

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Speaker 3: will I have to do to be the starter? So

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Speaker 3: then I made this list of all the things I

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Speaker 3: had to do. I had to start getting up earlier.

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Speaker 3: I had to start working out even harder. I had

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Speaker 3: to start watching film. I had to stop hanging around

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Speaker 3: with certain people, had to start eating better. So all

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Speaker 3: these things that I had to do become the best

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Speaker 3: version of myself and I did it. And you know,

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Speaker 3: at my college career, I ended up as a two

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Speaker 3: time captain, two time MVP, and now I'm in the

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Speaker 3: Rutgers Hall of Fame just because I made that a commitment,

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Speaker 3: you know, to that list.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you did make that commitment. As you mentioned, you

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Speaker 4: are two time MVP at Rutgers. Now, when you were

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Speaker 4: playing and accomplishing all these goals, did playing in the

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Speaker 4: National Football League ever crossed your mind during that time period.

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Speaker 3: Man, I flirted with it. Like we played against Miami.

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Speaker 3: We played against that Miami team who had like fifteen

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Speaker 3: first round draft picks that one year, and I feel

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Speaker 3: like I had ten twelve tackle with that game. So

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Speaker 3: I feel like I played pretty well against those guys.

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Speaker 3: So it was I know I had a small chance

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Speaker 3: being undersized. Still, I think Nate Webster was somebody else

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Speaker 3: modeled my game after he had made that. I think

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Speaker 3: he got picked up by Tampa Bay. So it was

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Speaker 3: like I wasn't all in, you know, all tips in

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Speaker 3: that way, But I'm like, man, you know what if

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Speaker 3: I got a shot. I think I can compete at

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Speaker 3: that level just based on you know, the level of

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Speaker 3: competition that we were playing, you know, in the Big

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Speaker 3: East Conference.

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Speaker 4: Well when did you think about it, though, Gary, I

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Speaker 4: mean maybe not right away, but when did you think about,

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Speaker 4: you know what, maybe I do have a slight shot

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Speaker 4: to make it in the NFL. Or I can least

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Speaker 4: give it an opportunity to try to make it into

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Speaker 4: the NFL.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I really think it was like my senior season

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Speaker 3: playing I was leading the biggies and tackles and it's funny,

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Speaker 3: Bill this, this will tell you how petty and competitive

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Speaker 3: football players are. But there was a kid from Syracuse,

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Speaker 3: Clifton Smith, who was like right up there for the

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Speaker 3: lead in like the last few weeks. He stole the

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Speaker 3: lead from me. It was ending up a champion, right,

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Speaker 3: So I would go back there. I would watch his

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Speaker 3: games and count of tackles. I'm like, there's no way

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Speaker 3: that he's just jumping. He's just so you know. At

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Speaker 3: the time, you know, I felt like I was a

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Speaker 3: pretty good tackler. You know, I had a pretty good

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Speaker 3: grasp of the game. Coach, and the coach was just

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Speaker 3: you know, Coachiano, he would he would just credit me.

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Speaker 3: Not only because a lot of people, you know, play

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Speaker 3: the game at a high level and that's what they expected.

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Speaker 3: But the one thing that separated me was like I

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Speaker 3: played the game for the neck up. So I was

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Speaker 3: extremely intelligent on the football field, almost like cerebraled, almost

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Speaker 3: like a defensive quarter nator out there on the field.

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Speaker 3: So I was even in college. I was making adjustments

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Speaker 3: and I was getting a out of blitzers, and I

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Speaker 3: was doing certain things, and you know, coach was just

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Speaker 3: like yo, I mean you being able to play special

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Speaker 3: teams and you being able to think on your feet

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Speaker 3: and make quick decisions like like you you should have

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Speaker 3: a chance.

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Speaker 2: Well, speaking of that, so fast forwarding a little bit,

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Speaker 2: you know you talk about your your your captainship, your leadership,

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Speaker 2: you know, your ability to process football information and that

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Speaker 2: high football IQ. Gary, what was your draft process like

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Speaker 2: and how upset and disappointed were you that you didn't

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Speaker 2: get drafted ultimately in two thousand and three.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, man, So my draft day, we had a kid L. J.

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Speaker 3: Smith and he was a tight end. He was going

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Speaker 3: to be a first rounder pick. He had some injuries,

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Speaker 3: so he slid the second round. So the first day

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Speaker 3: we watched the draft at his house and saw him

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Speaker 3: get draft, which was extremely excited for him. But on

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Speaker 3: our pro day, they were supposed to be like twenty

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Speaker 3: five twenty sixteens that came and he pulled his hamstring

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Speaker 3: like on that Monday. So then on Wednesday, all these

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Speaker 3: teams canceled, so it was canceled. So then on like Friday,

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Speaker 3: they're like, hey, it's back on Saturday, you know, come

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Speaker 3: work out. So there's about sixteens at my college pro day.

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Speaker 3: So we had to go out and work out for

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Speaker 3: six teams. And the craziest thing was when LJ got

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Speaker 3: healthy and had his own comp by the twenty five

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Speaker 3: teams were back. But you know, it wasn't Bill Belichick.

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Speaker 3: It was a guy who's the guy that coached at

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Speaker 3: Notre Dame that was under Bill Belichick. Uh, he was

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Speaker 3: kind of like a mean coach as well. Whatever guy was, he.

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Speaker 4: Came Charlie Charlie Weiss.

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Speaker 3: Charlie White, Charlie White. Charlie White comes out there to

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Speaker 3: our program says, hey, we're only here to see LJ.

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Speaker 3: Are you got all your other guys? Could take your

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Speaker 3: cleats off?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that doesn't surprise me.

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Speaker 3: So we never got a chance. Right, but one of

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Speaker 3: one of the guys that was there and he's still

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Speaker 3: there with the coach, right, Matt Temperting, My guy right

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Speaker 3: was there with the coach and he saw me worked

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Speaker 3: out and he was fighting for me, you know in

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Speaker 3: the durills and hey, hey, bracket, get to catch your breath,

336
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Speaker 3: like I want to see you get a good time.

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Speaker 3: So he was definitely an advocate, you know then and

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Speaker 3: and and and really communicated with me, you know, all

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Speaker 3: up into the draft, and then you know, draft day

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Speaker 3: gave me a call and say, hey, we you might

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Speaker 3: not go and if that's the case, we would love

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Speaker 3: to bring you in, you know, as a as a

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Speaker 3: free and get an opportunity to make this.

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Speaker 2: Team outside of Turpening being all over you throughout that

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Speaker 2: that draft process. So you go undrafted in two thousand

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Speaker 2: and three, and that's almost like, in some ways, Gary,

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Speaker 2: like a blessing in disguise, because you get to pick

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Speaker 2: the team that you go to. Obviously the money is different,

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Speaker 2: there's no doubt about that, but you get to pick

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Speaker 2: the situation that you think is best for you in

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Speaker 2: terms of fighting for a roster spot, fitting in with

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Speaker 2: the team, looking at the playbook, looking at the scheme.

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Speaker 2: So what was it about the Colts back then that

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Speaker 2: was a good fit for you?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think back then, you know, it was the

356
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Speaker 3: age old. You know, Peyton Manning, a high power offense,

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Speaker 3: and you know, the defense side of the ball was

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Speaker 3: still trying to figure it out, and you know, they

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Speaker 3: had Rob Moore's but you know, they had some other guys.

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Speaker 3: So I think it just they just had some open

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Speaker 3: roster spots and I just felt like it's a great

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Speaker 3: team and who else to learn defense and middle linebacks

363
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Speaker 3: from from coach. So I just, you know, was really

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Speaker 3: excited about playing, you know, on one of his teams.

365
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Speaker 3: I think I excelled and covered too, just because of

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Speaker 3: my speed and that and that's something we played in college,

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Speaker 3: so I was very familiar with that program. So I

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Speaker 3: feel like that had been a good fit for me

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Speaker 3: to come in and kind of make a team.

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Speaker 4: Now you're coming into a team where they have, of

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Speaker 4: course Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne Edwin, James Marvin Harris, Dwight Freeney,

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Speaker 4: Robert Mathis and guys like that in the team. What

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Speaker 4: were your early impressions of the team when you first

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Speaker 4: got here during training camp, man.

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Speaker 3: I was like, wow, these guys are good. I can

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Speaker 3: remember calling my coach, Like after the first day, Coachianna

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Speaker 3: came in, he called the check on me. He's like,

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Speaker 3: what's going on. I'm just like, wow, man, mister Mayne

379
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Speaker 3: at that point, right, yeah, So but he told me

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Speaker 3: something right that was like really helped me out. He said, Man,

381
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Speaker 3: He's like, this is what don't want you to do.

382
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Speaker 3: Is like, when you go out there, don't look at

383
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Speaker 3: him as Peyton man and look him his number eighteen,

384
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Speaker 3: a quarterback. When you look at the running back, don't

385
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Speaker 3: look at us thirty two Edric James from Miami. Look

386
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Speaker 3: at him at that's number thirty two. He's a running back.

387
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Speaker 3: He's my responsibility on his play. And that really made

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Speaker 3: all the difference in the world. And essentially what he

389
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Speaker 3: was saying was like, Yo, these guys put their you know,

390
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Speaker 3: paints on one leg of time, just like you, and

391
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Speaker 3: don't try to like, you know, superhuman these guys. And

392
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Speaker 3: then you're you're playing against these superhuman guys. You can't

393
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Speaker 3: like compete like you could compete at any level. Just

394
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Speaker 3: set your mindset to it like read your keys and

395
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Speaker 3: play ball.

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Speaker 4: That's that's some good words of advice for you. Took

397
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Speaker 4: hey to it, and you made the team, of course.

398
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Speaker 4: And once you made a team, who told you that

399
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Speaker 4: you made a team? And what was that moment like

400
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Speaker 4: when you found out that you want to you had

401
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Speaker 4: made the team?

402
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Speaker 3: So funny story, right, So they tell you, like, all right, cool.

403
00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,720
Speaker 3: Sundays cuts, they were like, you know, if you if

404
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Speaker 3: you don't call you about four o'clock, you made a team,

405
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Speaker 3: come here, you know the next day one day we're

406
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Speaker 3: gonna get started to play Cleveland. So I'm like, all right, cool.

407
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Speaker 3: So what's staying on seventy first Street at the top

408
00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,160
Speaker 3: of this week. I had a roomin at the time.

409
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Speaker 3: Dante Booker, he was a He put the lineman I

410
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Speaker 3: think from Auburn, went to room together and it was

411
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Speaker 3: like four fifteen, and we're just both looking like I

412
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Speaker 3: think we made it. I think this is it. So

413
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Speaker 3: we're like sixteen the phone range. I'm like, I'm like,

414
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Speaker 3: I got it. So I pick it up in the

415
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Speaker 3: Steve Champlains He's like, hey, Gary, how you doing. I

416
00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,359
Speaker 3: was like that again, Hey Steve, what's going on? He

417
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Speaker 3: was like, Hey, is is Dante there? I'm like, oh,

418
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Speaker 3: whoa wait a minute, he's right here. So I hated

419
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Speaker 3: dot the pore he was going. I ain't getting no

420
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Speaker 3: more calls that day. I came the next day and

421
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Speaker 3: you know, I made the teens.

422
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Speaker 2: And here we are talking about it. You know, decades later, man,

423
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Speaker 2: you'll never forget that stuff. There's no doubt about that.

424
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Speaker 2: So you're on the team, Gary, you make the active

425
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,960
Speaker 2: roster your first training camp. What was your mindset, uh,

426
00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,840
Speaker 2: during that that training camp? Because you had done this before, right,

427
00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,120
Speaker 2: you'd made the team as a walk on. Now you're

428
00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,560
Speaker 2: making the team as an undrafted free agent. What was

429
00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,320
Speaker 2: your mindset? You know, trying to carve a little niche

430
00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,280
Speaker 2: and a role for you, you know, your first year

431
00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:16,879
Speaker 2: as a professional football player.

432
00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:19,920
Speaker 3: Yeah, so for me, I knew special teams is gonna

433
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,800
Speaker 3: be it. So I can remember, you know, one play

434
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:29,440
Speaker 3: where it was just like special teams, first team, kickoff

435
00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,840
Speaker 3: return team, and then it was like you know, scout team,

436
00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,359
Speaker 3: you know, kickoff team, and this is where we had

437
00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:39,679
Speaker 3: beanies on right and and my position right I was

438
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,400
Speaker 3: like number one. Whatever I was to do run down

439
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,720
Speaker 3: a fifth, I was like a wedge buster, right and

440
00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,120
Speaker 3: like that that job no longer exists in the NFL. Right,

441
00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,120
Speaker 3: but that but that was my position. And and the

442
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:57,200
Speaker 3: first time ever, Uh Brandon Hicks, Uh you go to Kentucky,

443
00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,720
Speaker 3: Western Kentucky or something. Uh. He was like an old

444
00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,760
Speaker 3: better into a second third year guy, and he was like, hey,

445
00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:04,680
Speaker 3: I don't want to run down. I'm just like I'm

446
00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,280
Speaker 3: tired practice. I was like, I run down like I

447
00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,960
Speaker 3: wasn't doing nothing that practice, right, So I grabbed his beanie.

448
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,679
Speaker 3: So I'm first man. I shot out there like I

449
00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:14,760
Speaker 3: was out of a cannon. I ran down the field,

450
00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,440
Speaker 3: pass the first group ran down there, beat the wedge,

451
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:21,119
Speaker 3: made the tackle and rush pronew Where the hell did

452
00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:23,960
Speaker 3: he come from? Yeah? Where are you at? I'm like

453
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:28,280
Speaker 3: right here? So then I can remember. Darnel Thompson was like, hey, bracket,

454
00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:30,320
Speaker 3: y'll slow down. He gave me like slow down, So

455
00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:35,560
Speaker 3: I gave him them a tumble. He scrolled down, buddy.

456
00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,600
Speaker 3: So so then from there it was just like you know,

457
00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:40,680
Speaker 3: every day, you know, I was trying to get those

458
00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:43,240
Speaker 3: brother in law contracts sent to me, and I was

459
00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,840
Speaker 3: sending the back return to center like naw bro, like

460
00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:47,600
Speaker 3: I ain't that guy like y'all gonna have to fight.

461
00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,760
Speaker 3: So that was it, man, and you know, specer teams

462
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,359
Speaker 3: coaches loved that. So I was a special teamer. And

463
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,520
Speaker 3: then to add to that, right, so our first game

464
00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,639
Speaker 3: was in Chicago and we were playing at Illinois because

465
00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,000
Speaker 3: they were had construction in the stadium. So first ever

466
00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:06,879
Speaker 3: game in the NFL stadium, well, second time ever in

467
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,600
Speaker 3: NFL stadium, and Rob Morris was injured, he had like

468
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,720
Speaker 3: a knee injury. Jim Nelson they moved to be the

469
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,320
Speaker 3: starting linebacker. So Jim goes down on the first drive

470
00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,040
Speaker 3: and broke his hand. So I'm like wow. They was like, hey,

471
00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,240
Speaker 3: first special teams game. You're gonna play you know, special

472
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,880
Speaker 3: teams in the second half. So I'm like, all right, cool,

473
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,240
Speaker 3: second half, I play a little special teams. You're probably

474
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:31,600
Speaker 3: not gonna play in the defense. I'm like cool, on

475
00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:33,320
Speaker 3: third string, I get it. I'm not gonna play defense.

476
00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,479
Speaker 3: But then they called down from the booth and was like, hey,

477
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:38,560
Speaker 3: Jim Nelson is down. It was like, what do we

478
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,040
Speaker 3: want to do. We gotta put in Mike linebacker. So

479
00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,320
Speaker 3: I'm just sitting there like all right, cool. They drafted

480
00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,480
Speaker 3: a guy at Mike. I thought they were just gonna

481
00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,760
Speaker 3: put him in and I was like uh huh uh huh,

482
00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,040
Speaker 3: and like no, okay, cool, and they was like bracket,

483
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,919
Speaker 3: You're in and I was like what wow. So, like

484
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,080
Speaker 3: first quarter my first preseason game, like, I played Mike

485
00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:58,359
Speaker 3: and I started the rest of the preseason as a

486
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,679
Speaker 3: middle linebacker. So like training camp, I mean, that was

487
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,719
Speaker 3: like thought that, like, yo, this kid could start for

488
00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,240
Speaker 3: us on Week one, you know, at linebacker. So it

489
00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,600
Speaker 3: was kind of a crazy feeling that, you know, I

490
00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,560
Speaker 3: was in a position I was, But at the same time,

491
00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:14,600
Speaker 3: I'm like, yo, this is the NFL. You know. Some

492
00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:16,720
Speaker 3: of the veterans they liked to burship. I'b be like,

493
00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:18,960
Speaker 3: hey man, there's guys and other teams that they're looking

494
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,840
Speaker 3: at everything else. Something's like, look, man, I'm just gonna

495
00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,040
Speaker 3: play ball a little bit too far what they met.

496
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,720
Speaker 4: Now, you excelled when you got in there. When you

497
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,119
Speaker 4: had opportunity, you took advantage of it. In two thousand

498
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,640
Speaker 4: and five, you became a captain and you beat out

499
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,800
Speaker 4: first round draft pick Rob Morris for that spot, who

500
00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,359
Speaker 4: was a four year starter until you beat him out.

501
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:39,480
Speaker 4: How did you feel when you beat him out. And

502
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,000
Speaker 4: what did it take that for you to do that

503
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,840
Speaker 4: in order to beat him out? Out there and practicing

504
00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:45,600
Speaker 4: and training camp.

505
00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think one of the things that I had

506
00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,679
Speaker 3: was like a knack for making plays. So you know,

507
00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,000
Speaker 3: there wasn't and I would wanted to just say myself,

508
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,440
Speaker 3: but Cato June he was a starter as well at

509
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,800
Speaker 3: that time. But the defense was having a lot of turnovers,

510
00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:06,440
Speaker 3: like interceptions, especially at the linebacker positions, and you know,

511
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,800
Speaker 3: they were like, I think the game was slowly transitioning

512
00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:13,040
Speaker 3: from being that you know, eight man in a box

513
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,000
Speaker 3: stop to run game to like the greatest show on

514
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,560
Speaker 3: turf and all these receivers out there and three wives

515
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,119
Speaker 3: and you have to cover people. So I had that

516
00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 3: ability to stay out there and cover people, which really

517
00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,160
Speaker 3: gave me a Now was like, Yo, this guy could play,

518
00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,920
Speaker 3: you know, all three downs and we don't have to sub.

519
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,280
Speaker 3: But he's smart enough to make all these adjustments and checks.

520
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,480
Speaker 3: He can cover running backs, and he could play the

521
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:37,760
Speaker 3: run game. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So it was one of

522
00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,159
Speaker 3: those things like oh and and he intercept s to

523
00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,919
Speaker 3: bawl sometimes. So it's just like, I mean, it was

524
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,040
Speaker 3: like a lot of things was like, Yo, this little dude,

525
00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,480
Speaker 3: Like I don't know who he is, but yeah, let's

526
00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:48,800
Speaker 3: give him a shot. So it was just one of

527
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:50,760
Speaker 3: those things where it just I just never took him

528
00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:53,160
Speaker 3: for granted. At the time, I had personal things going

529
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,080
Speaker 3: on in my life and football was like my fanctuary.

530
00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,120
Speaker 3: So when I was out there, man, I was just like, yo,

531
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,879
Speaker 3: just let it all loose, like every play every you know,

532
00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,840
Speaker 3: play every game like as my last man, and just

533
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,040
Speaker 3: you know, enjoyed the moment while you were in it.

534
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,280
Speaker 4: Now, Gary, people talk about your size, not being a

535
00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:12,800
Speaker 4: tall person out there or a tall linebacker. How did

536
00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,080
Speaker 4: you use that as far as fuel when you was

537
00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:17,760
Speaker 4: out there playing football, you know, to get yourself make

538
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,520
Speaker 4: sure that hey know what, even though I might be

539
00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:21,639
Speaker 4: short and might not be the size you want, I

540
00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,560
Speaker 4: still go out there and make plays.

541
00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,200
Speaker 3: Yeah. So the side thing was always crazy because the weight,

542
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,560
Speaker 3: I mean I was playing at two thirty two thirty five,

543
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,760
Speaker 3: so that was about five pounds less even or even

544
00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:34,320
Speaker 3: at the same weight as some of the other guys.

545
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,359
Speaker 3: I mean I was heavy and Cato and the end

546
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,080
Speaker 3: David at the time. So I think, you know, the

547
00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:40,959
Speaker 3: height thing was just like you know, at the end

548
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,760
Speaker 3: of the day, if you're not sixty four or six ' five,

549
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:47,359
Speaker 3: you're not seen over linemen either. When a quarterback drives

550
00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:51,920
Speaker 3: back right so and then you know, I would always say,

551
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:53,600
Speaker 3: like they have to block me, I don't have to

552
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,080
Speaker 3: block them. So it's really me versus the running backs

553
00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,880
Speaker 3: and the receivers. So I just look at it as

554
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,600
Speaker 3: a competitive advantage of being able to, like, you know,

555
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,199
Speaker 3: play low low man wins. I'm getting into football. But

556
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,200
Speaker 3: little the teams that would even mentioned like the lineman

557
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:13,959
Speaker 3: that would just hey, hey, get you a little bit

558
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,000
Speaker 3: over here or something like that, I would know that

559
00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,520
Speaker 3: he was afraid, like of of like the size, and

560
00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,440
Speaker 3: I just used it even more and just like made

561
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,080
Speaker 3: it hell from him and you every team had to

562
00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,240
Speaker 3: block me like I was not gonna be a fitting

563
00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:28,359
Speaker 3: duck and just let him t off of me. I

564
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,680
Speaker 3: was gonna shake him, I was gonna make a move.

565
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,560
Speaker 3: I was gonna, you know, stick a move, whatever I

566
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,320
Speaker 3: had to do to kind of beat that situation and

567
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,000
Speaker 3: kind of really worked well to my advantage just because

568
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,480
Speaker 3: I was always in the great position leverage wise and

569
00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:43,440
Speaker 3: kind of use my speed to kind of get around

570
00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:44,880
Speaker 3: people and make plays.

571
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,119
Speaker 2: So two thousand and five, as as Bill chronicled, you

572
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,560
Speaker 2: become a starter. You graduate from being a great special

573
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,640
Speaker 2: teams player, team captain, you know, one of the best

574
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,159
Speaker 2: players on the Colts defense. Then then the year after that,

575
00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,200
Speaker 2: two thousand and six, you know, in your set second

576
00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,560
Speaker 2: year as a starting linebacker, the Colts go on to

577
00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,440
Speaker 2: win the Super Bowl, and as a team, you guys

578
00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:07,960
Speaker 2: finally beat the Patriots after losing to them in the

579
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:10,720
Speaker 2: conference finals in two thousand and three, in the divisional

580
00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,639
Speaker 2: round the next year in two thousand and four, and

581
00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,359
Speaker 2: then in two thousand and five, maybe one of the

582
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,800
Speaker 2: better teams in Colt's history just in terms of overall talent,

583
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,679
Speaker 2: that two thousand and five team got upset by the

584
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:26,560
Speaker 2: Steelers at home. So what was that playoff run like?

585
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:28,879
Speaker 2: As you guys won the Super Bowl? What do you

586
00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:32,440
Speaker 2: remember from that, you know, culmination run as it all

587
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,280
Speaker 2: came together in the rain in South Florida.

588
00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 3: Gary, Yeah, man, I think you hit it down the head.

589
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,080
Speaker 3: It was just like, it's not the best team that

590
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:43,920
Speaker 3: typically wins, is the best teammates and is the best chemistry,

591
00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,600
Speaker 3: and it's about everything coming together at the right time.

592
00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:49,680
Speaker 3: And you know, even even doing that Super Bowl run

593
00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,639
Speaker 3: in December, I think we were getting we got crushed

594
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:57,560
Speaker 3: by I can remember Jacksonville Jaguars, Yeah, running for like

595
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,159
Speaker 3: four hundred yards on us on and I can remember

596
00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:03,920
Speaker 3: Bill Kravitz And this is a funny joke that people

597
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:05,560
Speaker 3: he used to give Bill a lot of crap, but

598
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,520
Speaker 3: Bill said something. He said the jack still were the

599
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,480
Speaker 3: ran for six hundy yards, but the end zone kept

600
00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:14,880
Speaker 3: on getting nowhere, and I had to tuck it to myself, like, man,

601
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:15,400
Speaker 3: that's a good.

602
00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:17,520
Speaker 2: One, because that does sound like a Kravitz line.

603
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:22,119
Speaker 3: Yeah, oh we were getting killed so so yeah, so

604
00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:23,920
Speaker 3: it was one of those things. And I think Bob

605
00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,280
Speaker 3: sat Sanders came back at the right time. And the

606
00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:31,280
Speaker 3: crazy thing is, uh so Rob Morris was he stayed

607
00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:35,040
Speaker 3: that year. Uh he played special teams and Rob was

608
00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,760
Speaker 3: a humble guy. He actually helped me out a lot linebacker.

609
00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:40,560
Speaker 3: But Rob a lot of people don't really write about this,

610
00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:44,040
Speaker 3: but he came back into the starting lineup and as

611
00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,160
Speaker 3: the sam linebacker, and what that did for me was

612
00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:49,920
Speaker 3: put so much pressure off of me. So now we

613
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,400
Speaker 3: got two mics on the field communicating the defense as

614
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,880
Speaker 3: opposed to just one guy. Trying to get everything done.

615
00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,560
Speaker 3: So that was huge, you know in our development. Then

616
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,720
Speaker 3: you know, we just had a run where Kansas City,

617
00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,440
Speaker 3: I think Larry Johnson had like a two thousand yard

618
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,320
Speaker 3: year and he's gonna run all over it, all him

619
00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:11,080
Speaker 3: to like thirty five yards at the Baltimore you know,

620
00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,120
Speaker 3: it was like all field goals. He beat them. So

621
00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,440
Speaker 3: it was just one of those runs where defense really

622
00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,600
Speaker 3: stood up, you know, offense play ball, and we just

623
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,000
Speaker 3: had an opportunity to come in and playing the Archs

624
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,440
Speaker 3: nemesis at home. We go down and then come back

625
00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:28,280
Speaker 3: to that game. It's like it's like a script you

626
00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,840
Speaker 3: can't write any better than how we were able to

627
00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,520
Speaker 3: like pull that off. But it's just a commodation of

628
00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,440
Speaker 3: us believing in ourselves, us never giving up, you know,

629
00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,600
Speaker 3: us playing for one another, and they're all kind of

630
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:40,920
Speaker 3: culminated in that season two thousand and sixty or seven

631
00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:42,480
Speaker 3: when we we won that championship.

632
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:44,400
Speaker 4: Now, Gary, I want to go back a year now.

633
00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:46,920
Speaker 4: You talked about the team believing in your in yourself

634
00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:50,160
Speaker 4: and everyone sticking up for one another. Now there was

635
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,120
Speaker 4: a time and you guys are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers

636
00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,960
Speaker 4: at home, Pittsburgh is about to go in score. Jerome

637
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,000
Speaker 4: Bettis has the ball. He's running up the middle, and

638
00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,200
Speaker 4: you know everyone talks about Nick Harper picking up the

639
00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:03,920
Speaker 4: football and running, but you're the one that made the hit.

640
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:06,240
Speaker 4: You're the one that put the helmet on the football.

641
00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,200
Speaker 4: Talk about that play. What did you see during that

642
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,160
Speaker 4: play to make you have an opportunity to go and

643
00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:14,120
Speaker 4: have a clear shot at your own beast and hitting

644
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:15,360
Speaker 4: him and make him a fumble.

645
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:20,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, man, if you didn't. Yeah, So two thousand and

646
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,640
Speaker 3: five season. In two thousand and four, I had had

647
00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:28,080
Speaker 3: just experienced something personally, something crazy, like I lost my father,

648
00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,800
Speaker 3: my mother, and my brother in like a sixteen months

649
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,240
Speaker 3: fand and I was named the captain that next season,

650
00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:36,920
Speaker 3: and you know, I was leader of the field. I

651
00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,560
Speaker 3: was a leader at home. And for me, it was

652
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:41,720
Speaker 3: just like, you know, football was just like this great

653
00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,560
Speaker 3: escape and then this biggest joy. And I just was

654
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,800
Speaker 3: putting everything in perspective of I'm like, yo, you think

655
00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,240
Speaker 3: you got problems? You know, I know people was the

656
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,920
Speaker 3: real problems in their life. So as you know, Joey Porter, Sax,

657
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,280
Speaker 3: Painton Manning and Pittsburgh getting the ball with Jerome Bettist,

658
00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:01,920
Speaker 3: you know, on what our three yard line. I'm just

659
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,320
Speaker 3: running to the huddle, and you know, Bill, you know

660
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,240
Speaker 3: how the guys looking the huddle, right, guys are checked out,

661
00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,640
Speaker 3: you know, thinking about what they're gonna pack to King Kum.

662
00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:13,800
Speaker 3: And I was just screaming like, hey, let's go, like

663
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,040
Speaker 3: somebody show up, who could make a play, who could

664
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,240
Speaker 3: make a play. And everybody's just looking at me like

665
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,000
Speaker 3: all right, come on, man, just call a play. Let's

666
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,840
Speaker 3: get this over with. And I'm just looking and yeah,

667
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:24,520
Speaker 3: I got back in my stands about four and a

668
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:28,800
Speaker 3: half yards off the ball. Obviously, you know everyone knew,

669
00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,080
Speaker 3: right Steven Wondering even included that Jerome Bettison was getting

670
00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,120
Speaker 3: the ball right. So it was just like, hey, you

671
00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,320
Speaker 3: gotta stop him, right, you gotta you know, back in

672
00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,440
Speaker 3: the day again this is illegal. But we had just

673
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,120
Speaker 3: then called bite the ball, and that was when you

674
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,960
Speaker 3: would put your face mask right on the football. And

675
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:46,800
Speaker 3: they kept to cause the fumble and it was like

676
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,280
Speaker 3: perfect scenario where you know, the defensive lineman did their job,

677
00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,440
Speaker 3: I think, right, Haine Brock, he bubbled out a little.

678
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,760
Speaker 3: I had a clear shot. I went in there, put

679
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 3: my hum around the ball, and it was just like

680
00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,520
Speaker 3: it just floating in there. It felt like for an eternity,

681
00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:03,240
Speaker 3: got down and then obviously, you know, Nick picked it

682
00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,320
Speaker 3: up and he bob what he should have weaved then

683
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,760
Speaker 3: right been tapped with him and obviously, you know vander

684
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,240
Speaker 3: Jack goes down and mid the field goal. Yeah. Yeah,

685
00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:14,600
Speaker 3: it's full like that should have been our year, man.

686
00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,600
Speaker 3: But you know, everything happens in the right time.

687
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's no doubt about that. Everything happens for a reason,

688
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,080
Speaker 2: and that that two thousand and five heartbreak, as we said,

689
00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,560
Speaker 2: was followed up by you know, six euphoria against the

690
00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,000
Speaker 2: Chicago Bears and the Super Bowl and then knocking off

691
00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,120
Speaker 2: the Patriots a week before that or two weeks before

692
00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,120
Speaker 2: that in the AFC Championship Game. But but with that, Gary,

693
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:38,040
Speaker 2: I mean, if you look at your career in totality

694
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,560
Speaker 2: nine years with the Colts, you yourself, you won seven

695
00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:45,200
Speaker 2: division titles, You went to the playoffs eight times the

696
00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,960
Speaker 2: Colts during that spanning Gary, you guys won at least

697
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,280
Speaker 2: twelve games and seven seasons. You played in two Super Bowls,

698
00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,320
Speaker 2: you won one. So now that you're you know, over

699
00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:57,880
Speaker 2: a decade removed from from that period of time. What

700
00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,000
Speaker 2: what made that time for you so special?

701
00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:00,240
Speaker 3: Show?

702
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,480
Speaker 2: Can you reflect on what made those teams so special?

703
00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,600
Speaker 2: Because if it was, if it was that easy, Gary,

704
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:09,120
Speaker 2: it would be replicated every year by every team, and

705
00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:10,480
Speaker 2: obviously that's not the case.

706
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think one of the things, and you know,

707
00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:17,840
Speaker 3: stats and everything were great, but one of the things

708
00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:22,120
Speaker 3: that I think was where we had a competitive advantage

709
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,520
Speaker 3: if we had like real leaders on our team, like

710
00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:29,680
Speaker 3: leaders of men. That was like even even you know,

711
00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,920
Speaker 3: with Painting and his greatness, right, he had to be

712
00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:36,360
Speaker 3: he had to be selfless. I mean selfless at times

713
00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,400
Speaker 3: me on defense right towards the end of my career,

714
00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:43,960
Speaker 3: you know, I became not less effective, but my numbers

715
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,600
Speaker 3: dropped on because I became a better leader and I

716
00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,400
Speaker 3: was putting session and position to make plays and understanding

717
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,479
Speaker 3: where Freeenie and Matthews needed to be that and I was,

718
00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:57,560
Speaker 3: I mean, they don't tell you this, or I mean,

719
00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:00,640
Speaker 3: but I was calling fifty fifty percent of the calls

720
00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:02,920
Speaker 3: from the defense. I was calling and changing at the

721
00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,680
Speaker 3: line of scrimmage. So I just think we had a

722
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,160
Speaker 3: lot of trust, We had a lot of continuity. We

723
00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,879
Speaker 3: had guys that was there for a long time. Brian

724
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,920
Speaker 3: Mathers was there for a long time, you know, Dwight

725
00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:15,680
Speaker 3: Freeney was there, Rahane and Brack was there for a

726
00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:19,440
Speaker 3: long time. Our safety's Antoine Bathay. So we had like

727
00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 3: a good core now, guys who trusted one another, and

728
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,520
Speaker 3: we went out there. We played with that and we

729
00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:26,240
Speaker 3: got it done.

730
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,920
Speaker 2: Gary, you just said something really fascinating to me. How

731
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,280
Speaker 2: long did it take for the coaching staff to basically

732
00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:35,560
Speaker 2: make you the quarterback or the on field defensive coordinator

733
00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:37,480
Speaker 2: to make all those calls and to trust you to

734
00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:38,200
Speaker 2: do it.

735
00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:43,480
Speaker 3: So funny story we're lost to the Patriots. Were after

736
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,600
Speaker 3: the game, we're in the showers, I'm with Peyton and

737
00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:49,680
Speaker 3: we're talking and he was like, hey, and you know

738
00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:51,799
Speaker 3: when you're in it, I mean you could just talk

739
00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,480
Speaker 3: about every play as if it just happened. It was like, hey,

740
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,840
Speaker 3: in the second quarter, when they're in this formation and

741
00:34:57,920 --> 00:34:59,920
Speaker 3: you guys were blitzing, why didn't you check out of it?

742
00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,160
Speaker 3: I'm like, we don't have that check. Like what do

743
00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,960
Speaker 3: you mean you don't have that check? Like you're sitting

744
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:05,880
Speaker 3: there in a duck. He saw you were going to

745
00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,480
Speaker 3: be in this coverage and you did nothing. I'm like, yeah,

746
00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:09,960
Speaker 3: we don't have that. He was like, why don't you

747
00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:11,560
Speaker 3: check it? You knew what was gonna happen, right, I'm

748
00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,960
Speaker 3: like yeah. He was like he's like, well, next time,

749
00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:15,759
Speaker 3: check it. I'm like, I don't think I came like

750
00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,480
Speaker 3: why can't you? So the next game I started like

751
00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,239
Speaker 3: checking out of things, and then you know, the coach

752
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,120
Speaker 3: was like, oh, what's going on? Right? But then when

753
00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,080
Speaker 3: when you check out something in the work and then

754
00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,480
Speaker 3: the coaches like, oh my god. Then at the cordator says, hey,

755
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,800
Speaker 3: tell him I told you to do that.

756
00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:38,319
Speaker 2: Yeah, if you make your boss look good, then you

757
00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:38,960
Speaker 2: look good.

758
00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:41,840
Speaker 3: Right, And then my thing was just like I was

759
00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:45,480
Speaker 3: like totally like I'm not checking into like and like

760
00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:47,920
Speaker 3: what Gary thinks is right. Like I would meet with

761
00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:51,319
Speaker 3: the defensive coordinators you know, on our off days and

762
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,960
Speaker 3: understand from them the game plan and we would look

763
00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,920
Speaker 3: at like, all right, cool, who's in that game? Who's

764
00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,800
Speaker 3: healthy from us? Who are we playing against? Like we

765
00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,200
Speaker 3: are their speeds? Let's look at the forty times like

766
00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,439
Speaker 3: these guys you know, understanding our forty times and where

767
00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,439
Speaker 3: I match ups at, and like why do we want

768
00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,560
Speaker 3: to be in these matchups? What what part of the

769
00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:11,760
Speaker 3: field are we trying to attack them in these uple ways.

770
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,640
Speaker 3: So I was essentially like just doing something they would do,

771
00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:17,000
Speaker 3: but they just a lot of times wanting to have

772
00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:20,360
Speaker 3: the time to make that decision because they're trying to

773
00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,600
Speaker 3: figure out who's on the field, if they got the

774
00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:25,840
Speaker 3: right personnel, and sometimes they would get the wrong personnel.

775
00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:27,279
Speaker 3: So it's just like I was a guy that was

776
00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:30,080
Speaker 3: like the fail safe where I can make some of

777
00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,640
Speaker 3: those you know, game time decisions on the fly, just

778
00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:35,920
Speaker 3: correcting them things that you know that just needed to happen,

779
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:37,840
Speaker 3: just because you know, I was able to see it

780
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:41,000
Speaker 3: in real time, and they were of you know, depending

781
00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,360
Speaker 3: on the booth, they get the right number for the

782
00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:45,960
Speaker 3: tight end, and if that was wrong, it changed, you know,

783
00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:49,359
Speaker 3: must having these three calls to these four calls. So

784
00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:50,840
Speaker 3: I was able to see a lot of things and

785
00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:52,840
Speaker 3: make some of those corrections in real time on the field.

786
00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,320
Speaker 4: Now moving forward, Gary, you know you played nine seasons,

787
00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:57,880
Speaker 4: as Matt stated earlier in nineties with the Coats and

788
00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:01,360
Speaker 4: you're into twenty eleven season and that season wasn't a

789
00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:04,479
Speaker 4: great season for the Innneapolis Colts. Peyton was injured and

790
00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,880
Speaker 4: it wasn't a great record. Now and after that season

791
00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:10,640
Speaker 4: the team released a lot of core players, including yourself.

792
00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,080
Speaker 4: What was that time like for you and what did

793
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:16,560
Speaker 4: you initially think about your career future when that had

794
00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:18,799
Speaker 4: happened when you got released by the Colts.

795
00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:23,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I got hurt also Week one against the Texans,

796
00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:27,359
Speaker 3: so I was out the entire season as well. So

797
00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:31,279
Speaker 3: I mean I would see healing up is my ninth

798
00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:34,400
Speaker 3: year and what's crazy, Bill, It's like this spectrum that

799
00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,920
Speaker 3: I think it evilves. Was like when you're young, you're

800
00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,520
Speaker 3: like you're a hell of a you know, athletic and

801
00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,640
Speaker 3: your talented and you're fast, but like your football IQ

802
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,480
Speaker 3: like isn't there. But as you get older, you get

803
00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:50,800
Speaker 3: that football IQ, but then you're not as fast as right.

804
00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:52,800
Speaker 3: So I feel like at that year nine, I was

805
00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:55,359
Speaker 3: at that sweet spot where I was still athletic enough

806
00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,719
Speaker 3: to kind of make plays that like I knew what

807
00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,760
Speaker 3: was happened, So I felt like, man, I could get healthy.

808
00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:02,879
Speaker 3: You know, I can go on another you know, five

809
00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:06,279
Speaker 3: year run. But you know, unfortunately, like you said, I

810
00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:11,719
Speaker 3: got released, my shoulder was messed up. I tried to

811
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,120
Speaker 3: play again, but unfortunately I couldn't pass a physical in

812
00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:18,799
Speaker 3: the condition my shoulder was in. So that was kind

813
00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:22,200
Speaker 3: of it. And I tell you this, I had my

814
00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:26,640
Speaker 3: second son like three days before that first game of

815
00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:31,200
Speaker 3: my ninth year career, and initially my thoughts were always like, Yo,

816
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:33,760
Speaker 3: I'm gonna I'm gonna ride this game to the wheels

817
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:37,839
Speaker 3: fall off. But then after my first kid, second kid,

818
00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:40,600
Speaker 3: I was just thinking to myself, Man, it's not fair

819
00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:44,000
Speaker 3: to them for the wheels to be off as a father, right,

820
00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:47,480
Speaker 3: and I'm thirty, thirty five, forty years old, can't walk,

821
00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:50,319
Speaker 3: can't move, can't pick them up. So I just made

822
00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:52,960
Speaker 3: the conscious decision, like, Yo, nine years was a heck

823
00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:55,279
Speaker 3: of a career, and you know, I got nothing to

824
00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:57,359
Speaker 3: hang my hat on. I think I left it all

825
00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,439
Speaker 3: on the field, and you know I did the best

826
00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:00,360
Speaker 3: I could.

827
00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,440
Speaker 2: Now you talked about year nine with that shoulder injury.

828
00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:07,359
Speaker 2: You actually had eight surgeries during your career, Is that right?

829
00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:08,080
Speaker 3: Yep?

830
00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:11,600
Speaker 2: Eight surgeries nine seasons, And we just we just hear

831
00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:14,600
Speaker 2: those numbers. Those are stats in and of themselves, Gary

832
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,600
Speaker 2: on On, Just what people don't realize. Uh, you know

833
00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:19,759
Speaker 2: how much you guys put your your life and your

834
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,600
Speaker 2: your you know your physical health on the line every

835
00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,280
Speaker 2: single Sunday, like you do. How are you physically today

836
00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:27,439
Speaker 2: and how much do you kind of feel those old

837
00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:29,680
Speaker 2: aches and pains, you know, just through daily life.

838
00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:33,520
Speaker 3: Man, It's crazy because a lot of those surgeries, like

839
00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:36,600
Speaker 3: you will play the season and then get surgery at

840
00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:38,560
Speaker 3: the end of the year, so a lot of times

841
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:42,560
Speaker 3: you just played through the injuries. So today, unfortunately, I've

842
00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:45,359
Speaker 3: been on a run of surgeries as a believe. I've

843
00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:49,400
Speaker 3: had three surgeries in the last twelve months, my shoulder

844
00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:53,399
Speaker 3: and then also my quietenon. So I am still recovering

845
00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:59,040
Speaker 3: for sure. I think my experience in the NFL and

846
00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:03,000
Speaker 3: with the training team and you know, Dave Hammer and Burrell,

847
00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:06,120
Speaker 3: you know, Kyle, all those guys, you know, teaching people

848
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:08,359
Speaker 3: the right way to rehab and come back. I mean,

849
00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:11,480
Speaker 3: I feel like I'm a good hands even at forte

850
00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:14,640
Speaker 3: and my surgeon, doctor Rita, did a great job get

851
00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:17,640
Speaker 3: me back, So I feel like I'm a good hands man.

852
00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:22,520
Speaker 3: But I definitely know because of football, I'm definitely more

853
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:27,480
Speaker 3: succeptible to injury or so just just being a little

854
00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:30,919
Speaker 3: bit more calm, you know, realizing I can't do things

855
00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:33,520
Speaker 3: that I used to do and it's okay. So now

856
00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:38,879
Speaker 3: you know, definitely being more as a vocal coach than

857
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:43,680
Speaker 3: like a watch me demonstry coach that I have to

858
00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:44,560
Speaker 3: transform into.

859
00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:46,799
Speaker 2: Well, if you need to do that, just go back

860
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:48,920
Speaker 2: and say, you know, watch the film, turn on the

861
00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,759
Speaker 2: old tape. You know that's that's that's when you're playing. Well,

862
00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:54,720
Speaker 2: we'll do the talking for you. So so nine seasons

863
00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:57,439
Speaker 2: all with the Colts. Obviously it didn't end the way

864
00:40:57,440 --> 00:40:59,839
Speaker 2: that you wanted it to. But but how much does

865
00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:02,040
Speaker 2: it mean to you that you know, how important I

866
00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:04,800
Speaker 2: guess is it to you that as a player you

867
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,719
Speaker 2: played all nine seasons with just one team and it

868
00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,360
Speaker 2: was the one team that that gave you the best chance,

869
00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:12,719
Speaker 2: like you said, uh, coming out of Rutgers as an

870
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:14,960
Speaker 2: undrafted free agent man, it was.

871
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,160
Speaker 3: Very special even I mean after the second Super Bowl

872
00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:20,880
Speaker 3: was my contract year, right, and I had all the

873
00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:23,319
Speaker 3: opportunities to go to some different places, right New York,

874
00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:26,200
Speaker 3: go back on my East Coast, but I kind of

875
00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:28,520
Speaker 3: wanted to stay in Indianapolis. I felt like we were

876
00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,120
Speaker 3: building something. I felt like, you know, the earth a

877
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:33,560
Speaker 3: family has always been good to me, always been good

878
00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:38,000
Speaker 3: to my family. The community of Indianapolis now setting up

879
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:41,200
Speaker 3: shop being here an official Oosier. You know, I wouldn't

880
00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:45,040
Speaker 3: I would have had any different. I think I really

881
00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,800
Speaker 3: enjoyed my time in Innapolis, and it's special to play

882
00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:50,640
Speaker 3: all nine years in one organization, and that definitely didn't

883
00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,400
Speaker 3: take that for granted. And you know, I'm definitely is

884
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:59,480
Speaker 3: you know, definitely just respect the process and respect everyone

885
00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:02,440
Speaker 3: and vibe for me given that opportunity to play all

886
00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:03,920
Speaker 3: my nine years in Indianapolis.

887
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I also read after that twenty eleven season,

888
00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:10,239
Speaker 2: a couple of seasons thereafter, I read where you said

889
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:12,960
Speaker 2: it it was kind of hard for you to watch

890
00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:16,400
Speaker 2: the Colts and listen to the Colts after your retirement.

891
00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:18,200
Speaker 2: With that in mind, what made it so tough to

892
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:21,120
Speaker 2: you know, be a fan or you know, a spectator

893
00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:22,000
Speaker 2: on the Colts.

894
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,279
Speaker 3: It wasn't even the Colts. It was just football period. Okay.

895
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,719
Speaker 3: I mean I didn't watch football at all, and I

896
00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:32,560
Speaker 3: think in my mind, transitioning from the game of football,

897
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,920
Speaker 3: you know, a year or two or three remove, I

898
00:42:35,960 --> 00:42:39,040
Speaker 3: felt like I was still one of the best, you know,

899
00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:42,799
Speaker 3: thirty two middle linebackers in the world. So I guess

900
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,120
Speaker 3: it was more so my ego saying like, yo, you

901
00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:48,360
Speaker 3: should be out here doing their thing and you're watching

902
00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:51,040
Speaker 3: other people do it. But then you know, after you

903
00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:54,919
Speaker 3: get older, four or five years removed and that ladder girl,

904
00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,239
Speaker 3: you know, even as quick as it once was, and

905
00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:01,160
Speaker 3: that's forty and those hamstrings or what they are. You

906
00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:03,720
Speaker 3: know what, I was like, you know what, I can't

907
00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:06,520
Speaker 3: do what they do anymore. So it's just from that

908
00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:09,440
Speaker 3: transition into like, man, I could just enjoy what they

909
00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,200
Speaker 3: do and you know what they put their bodies through

910
00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:15,320
Speaker 3: and what they endure as opposed to like me thinking

911
00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:17,319
Speaker 3: that I still should be out there. So that was

912
00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:19,960
Speaker 3: kind of the transition for me, just like not watching

913
00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:22,160
Speaker 3: football at all, still thinking I should be out there

914
00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:25,000
Speaker 3: to like, you know, realize, like yo, I had a

915
00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:27,760
Speaker 3: moment when I was out there, and now these guys

916
00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:30,719
Speaker 3: have their moment and definitely respect and honor what they

917
00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:34,360
Speaker 3: do to put themselves in position to play, you know,

918
00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,640
Speaker 3: was the seventeen eighteen games. Now there's a lot of

919
00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:40,120
Speaker 3: games in football in the Nation Football League, and you

920
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,879
Speaker 3: definitely have to be well conditioned to get that done.

921
00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:45,120
Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely have to do that. Now, Gary, after your

922
00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:47,640
Speaker 4: career is over, you are able to reflect on your

923
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,759
Speaker 4: life and your journey during your football career. And during

924
00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:53,200
Speaker 4: your career, you lost both of your parents and your brother,

925
00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:56,120
Speaker 4: as you mentioned earlier, and you wrote a book called

926
00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:59,319
Speaker 4: Winning from walk On to Captain and Football on Life.

927
00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:01,480
Speaker 4: What made you want to write a book and how

928
00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:03,880
Speaker 4: much did that book help you appreciate your life and

929
00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:05,040
Speaker 4: how it's helped other people.

930
00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:07,520
Speaker 3: I think that's how it helped other people. I think

931
00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:10,040
Speaker 3: you know, when I was you know, during that time

932
00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:12,000
Speaker 3: period of my life, I would get so much fan

933
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:15,080
Speaker 3: mail to the complex, and yes we do read our

934
00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:19,480
Speaker 3: fan mail, right, and so many people were going through

935
00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:23,160
Speaker 3: similar situations and for whatever reason, you know, they they

936
00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:25,240
Speaker 3: weren't able to bounce back, and they were in states

937
00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:28,480
Speaker 3: of depression and you know, they couldn't kind of get through.

938
00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:29,719
Speaker 3: And then for me, I was just like I just

939
00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:32,600
Speaker 3: wanted to be a living testimony that hey man, I'm

940
00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:35,239
Speaker 3: I'm playing for people now, like you know, you know,

941
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,440
Speaker 3: don't give up. You could beat anything. And even in

942
00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:41,600
Speaker 3: my speeches today, when I'm talking you know, to corporations

943
00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,399
Speaker 3: and organizations associations, you know, I tell them that they

944
00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:48,440
Speaker 3: survived one of their bad days. And when you put

945
00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:51,480
Speaker 3: that in perspective. You know, sometimes we beat ourselves so

946
00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,320
Speaker 3: much up for what happened in our past, and we

947
00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:56,680
Speaker 3: don't let us, you know, get past that. But when

948
00:44:56,719 --> 00:44:59,480
Speaker 3: you realize like you're a survivor, you're a fighter, and

949
00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:02,160
Speaker 3: take on that new approach and start retelling the stories

950
00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:04,719
Speaker 3: of old, I think that gives you power. So I

951
00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:06,319
Speaker 3: think that's why I want to kind of write that

952
00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:09,200
Speaker 3: book and empower people and inspire them to continue to

953
00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:10,200
Speaker 3: live their best life.

954
00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:12,440
Speaker 4: And Gary, you know, you played football and a lot

955
00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:14,680
Speaker 4: of people always say that the lessons you learn in

956
00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:18,200
Speaker 4: football carry over into life. And what are some of

957
00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:21,719
Speaker 4: the lessons that you've learned during your football career that

958
00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:25,480
Speaker 4: has helped you during life and also for your business

959
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,080
Speaker 4: as you're an entrepreneur and you're a speaker and you

960
00:45:28,120 --> 00:45:30,759
Speaker 4: go out and you talk to schools and as you said,

961
00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,879
Speaker 4: talk to corporation. How has that helped you learn those

962
00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:37,880
Speaker 4: lessons in football? Transition to life after football?

963
00:45:38,640 --> 00:45:42,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, one is like, Yo, the game's not over until

964
00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:46,239
Speaker 3: it's over. You know. I think sometimes people quit way

965
00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:49,759
Speaker 3: too soon. I mean, you look at our Tampa Bay

966
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:51,919
Speaker 3: game where we came back. You look at the doing

967
00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:55,239
Speaker 3: the Patriots game, we came back, and we don't come

968
00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:57,279
Speaker 3: back because we come back. We come back because we

969
00:45:57,360 --> 00:46:00,400
Speaker 3: had that fortitude and we had the midt to attitude

970
00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:03,239
Speaker 3: that we were going to come back. So I think

971
00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:05,680
Speaker 3: that play is a huge part. The other part is

972
00:46:05,719 --> 00:46:07,960
Speaker 3: like you know, fall time seven times, get up eight

973
00:46:08,560 --> 00:46:12,240
Speaker 3: and just being able to overcome adversity over and over again.

974
00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:15,480
Speaker 3: And then in my mind, and I like to tell

975
00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:20,640
Speaker 3: people to, uh, you know, rethink their relationship with failure.

976
00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:23,480
Speaker 3: I mean, some people think failure is final, and I

977
00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:26,480
Speaker 3: just won't tell people that failure is not the opposite

978
00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:30,200
Speaker 3: of success. Failure is on a road to success. And

979
00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:34,920
Speaker 3: if we don't lose in three in New England, you know,

980
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:37,680
Speaker 3: in the snow and we're love with Oh four, back

981
00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,400
Speaker 3: of the Loveland five, back home in Pittsburgh, I don't know,

982
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:42,239
Speaker 3: we win that championship for No. Six. So it's so

983
00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:44,719
Speaker 3: many things that you can learn from your failure that

984
00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:47,399
Speaker 3: could prepare you to your success. So stop running away

985
00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:50,399
Speaker 3: from failure. Just really build that into your business plan

986
00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:53,520
Speaker 3: and really dissect when you fail, why you fail, and

987
00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:55,480
Speaker 3: take some of those nuggets to help you improve and

988
00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:55,959
Speaker 3: get better.

989
00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:59,160
Speaker 2: I mean, Gary, you're you're so insightful, and you're so

990
00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:01,600
Speaker 2: well spoken, and you're a wealth of knowledge. I mean,

991
00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:04,239
Speaker 2: you never got the coaching bug. I mean, how did

992
00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:07,799
Speaker 2: that happen? Cato June's here, Reggie Wayne's here. You know,

993
00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:11,000
Speaker 2: David Thornton is the Colt's director of player engagement. These

994
00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:12,080
Speaker 2: guys never called you.

995
00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:15,319
Speaker 3: What's going on now? Yeah? Man, all the time. Man.

996
00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:18,040
Speaker 3: I actually was the head coach for the last few

997
00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:24,000
Speaker 3: years for my son's team, all rightotball, So so definitely coaching. Man.

998
00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:28,319
Speaker 3: I got three kids, and one of the things Coach

999
00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:31,680
Speaker 3: Colwall used to always tell us was your best ability

1000
00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:36,520
Speaker 3: is your availability. And unfortunately we're co parents right now

1001
00:47:36,760 --> 00:47:39,359
Speaker 3: with their moms. So at the time, I do get

1002
00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:41,080
Speaker 3: you know, I kind of wanted to be dialading with

1003
00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:43,799
Speaker 3: my children, so trust me, I thought about it. I

1004
00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:46,720
Speaker 3: had opportunities. Coach Fraser called me up a couple of times,

1005
00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:49,319
Speaker 3: so it was something that I would love to do,

1006
00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:51,800
Speaker 3: but it just wasn't in my cars at the moment,

1007
00:47:52,160 --> 00:47:55,920
Speaker 3: you know, based on my kids. You know, because and

1008
00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:57,799
Speaker 3: I think Bill kind of got to this point and

1009
00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:01,360
Speaker 3: just looking at his life. When you look at happiness

1010
00:48:01,400 --> 00:48:05,920
Speaker 3: and fulfillment, it doesn't really require a lot of things, yes,

1011
00:48:06,000 --> 00:48:08,680
Speaker 3: And one of the things that does require though, is

1012
00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,680
Speaker 3: your family and being around the people that you love most.

1013
00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:15,000
Speaker 3: So I think that seeing them every day, and you know,

1014
00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,680
Speaker 3: you know, seeing him on the field, see my daughters,

1015
00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,520
Speaker 3: I know I won't be afforded that same opportunity as

1016
00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:23,040
Speaker 3: a coach. So right now I'm just enjoying my time

1017
00:48:23,080 --> 00:48:23,359
Speaker 3: with them.

1018
00:48:23,560 --> 00:48:25,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, well said man, you're a good dad. You're a

1019
00:48:25,680 --> 00:48:28,319
Speaker 2: good dad, and God bless you for that. So last

1020
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:30,480
Speaker 2: thing will leave you with you talked about your family.

1021
00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:33,400
Speaker 2: What's the rest of your summer look like? And you

1022
00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:35,560
Speaker 2: know what kinds of things do you enjoy doing with

1023
00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:38,280
Speaker 2: your family before obviously they start back up busy. Everybody

1024
00:48:38,360 --> 00:48:40,200
Speaker 2: starts back up busy again here in the fall.

1025
00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:45,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, junior twelve year old has a football camp this

1026
00:48:45,200 --> 00:48:48,359
Speaker 3: Thursday and not their dame. Then we're gonna hit down

1027
00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:53,719
Speaker 3: with his sister Gabrielle to Orlando for AAU tournament for

1028
00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:59,319
Speaker 3: four or five days. So so I will be on

1029
00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:03,120
Speaker 3: a court on field. My little daughter has some soccer tournaments,

1030
00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:05,960
Speaker 3: so man, I'm beyon be on the field, you know,

1031
00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:11,520
Speaker 3: with my with my cheer and my umbrella, right the

1032
00:49:11,719 --> 00:49:12,440
Speaker 3: crazy bracket.

1033
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:15,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, Hey, more things change, the more they stay

1034
00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:18,680
Speaker 2: the same. Brother, it never stops, It never stops. Yeah,

1035
00:49:18,719 --> 00:49:22,480
Speaker 2: congratulations on on all your great success. We could continue

1036
00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:24,640
Speaker 2: this conversation all day, but again, I know you've got

1037
00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:26,920
Speaker 2: more important things going on that you've got to get to.

1038
00:49:27,120 --> 00:49:30,520
Speaker 2: So uh, You're still a great businessman, a great public speaker.

1039
00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:33,239
Speaker 2: And for those that want to, you know, book you

1040
00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:34,799
Speaker 2: for lack of a better term, how can they get

1041
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:37,440
Speaker 2: ahold of you for for public speaking engagements?

1042
00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:40,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, Gary Brackett dot com is my personal website. So

1043
00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:43,520
Speaker 3: there's a page or on their button they can put

1044
00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:46,040
Speaker 3: a book, Garrett. They putting their information and somebody for

1045
00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:47,759
Speaker 3: my team and reach out to you talk about the

1046
00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:49,320
Speaker 3: logistics and see if we can get that done.

1047
00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:52,040
Speaker 2: Gary Brackett dot com. If you want Gary to come

1048
00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,120
Speaker 2: shed some knowledge on you and get everybody hyped up

1049
00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:56,839
Speaker 2: just like you did for the last hour or so

1050
00:49:56,920 --> 00:49:59,960
Speaker 2: here one of the all time greats with the Indianapolis Colts. Gary,

1051
00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:02,400
Speaker 2: thank you so much for all the insightful stories and

1052
00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:05,160
Speaker 2: reliving some of these great moments for you and Nicoles.

1053
00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:08,000
Speaker 2: Have a great summer, all the best, and again I

1054
00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:09,680
Speaker 2: hope we can talk much sooner than later.

1055
00:50:09,719 --> 00:50:11,360
Speaker 3: Thank you so much, thank you