1 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast, an NFL podcast for 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: the players, by the players. Here is your host, fourteen 3 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: year NFL veteran and Hall of Famer Anius Williams. Hello everybody, 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: and welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast. I'm a Nius 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: Williams here with some of our NFL legends who will 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: be our first panelists panel. Welcome to our first podcast. 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: This is our first panel and this panel is really 8 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: geared to create dialogue and conversation. It is a conversation 9 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: that involves players, buy players, four players. I'm with some 10 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: some great guys, Lennard will as well as ket Elias. 11 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: They'll tell you real quickly what what they do. But 12 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: I want to welcome you to our our first uh 13 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: podcasts and there there will be more to come. And 14 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: what we want to do is just create a dialogue 15 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: among brethren and realize that we all as as formal players, 16 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: may have had different experiences while playing, but making a 17 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: mistake about it, we've had very similar experiences when it 18 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: comes down to have played the game. They Lena, why 19 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: don't you share what some of the things you do 20 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: now with the league. Well, one is that I'm a 21 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: central South Regional director for the Legends Community. I'm a 22 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: transition coach for the Legends community and an ambassador for 23 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: the NFL, you know, creating a Legends community. When Troy 24 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: and Troy Vincent and Tracy Perlman called me, it was 25 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,759 Speaker 1: a no brainer for me, and they said, we want 26 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: to embrace, reconnect and really put on arms around and 27 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: help the guy celebrate what they've done playing this amazing 28 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: game of football. And you mean it's coming from the league. 29 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: Once I leave out, it's dis guarded, but yeah, I mean, 30 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: really embraced, reconnect and help them to celebrate this amazing game. 31 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: We know, and the Keith when we were drafted, when 32 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: we went into the league, man, everybody celebrated us in 33 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: everybody did when we left the game. Not that many 34 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: people were at that celebration when it was our last 35 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: game playing. You know, yeah, maybe maybe four. And we 36 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: want to really wrap our arms around you to let 37 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: you know that out of out of all these billions 38 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: of people, twenty thousand men have played this game. Twenty 39 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: men have played this game in eight years, and only 40 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: seven thousand played less than two years, thirteen thousand played 41 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: more than two years, come one thousand played more than 42 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 1: two years in years, Okay, we're less than the one percent. 43 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: We should celebrate this amazing game that man we helped build, 44 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: right and but but the problem is sometimes we don't 45 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: talk from the former player perspective, is we don't celebrate 46 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: what we've done because we're such high performers that many 47 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: times when we leave a game, we focus on what 48 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: we didn't do right, not on what we did do. 49 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: So bringing that element of celebration through the Legends community 50 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: is paramount to reconnecting to a guy, because what I 51 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: say the former players is, look, you're not alone, right, 52 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: and we're not, and you you're not left behind all 53 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: these programs and resources and right, I just wanted to. 54 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: I don't want to. I don't want the person who's 55 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: picking up because when you said those statistics and what 56 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: they really are and how that one percent that's listening 57 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: to this podcast, I want to give them opportunity to 58 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: pick that smart form up after they dropped it once 59 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: they heard limit statistics, right, so let them pick it 60 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: back up and now because I want them to hear 61 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 1: you because they just they dropped this thing then what right, 62 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: So now they're picking it up. But yeah, so Uh yeah. 63 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: My name is Keith Elias and I'm a director of 64 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: Player Engagement. I got involved with the NFL about six 65 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: years ago when they started the Transition Coaching program under 66 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: Troy Vincent and became a transition coach just to lock 67 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: arms with guys and navigate what can be turbulent waters 68 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: post career. I really when when when I was invited, 69 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: probably like you guys, to be a part of the 70 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: Legends community, which really is like the point guard of 71 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: all the programs. It's the Legends community that is designed 72 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: to if you need this, hey, there's something here. It 73 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: is if you need this, it's something here, and not 74 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: only just for our legends, but also for our spouses 75 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: and significant others. Those are important things to get out there. 76 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: But one of my main reasons for getting involved in 77 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: this when I left the game, I didn't realize how 78 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: much was still available for for former players, right and 79 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe it because I would hear guys struggling 80 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: or destitute, and those are the extremes. But guys just 81 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: going through uh still education. You can you can get 82 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: your get your degree, for your post graduate work done 83 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: and paid for. So Keith, I really wanted to be 84 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: that coach with the bullhorn, just say hey man, what 85 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: do you do? You're not remember listen? I want to 86 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 1: I like to leave pictures for people. We as brethren, 87 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: well as legends were charcoal, right, what chocolate? As long 88 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: as they stay together, it's stays burning. Right. What happened? Yeah, 89 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: I think about it. When we leave the game, there's 90 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: that temptation, I'm gonna get off on, get away from 91 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: this chocolate. What happens right, your fire goes out. So 92 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: when when you listen to this podcast, we don't have 93 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: all the answers. What we have is similar shared experiences, 94 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 1: and we need to hear yours as well. So when 95 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: you go to the website, also tell us part of 96 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 1: your story because that will also let us know if 97 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: we're hitting the bulls eye when it comes down to 98 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: serving our brethren. But go keep no. But that's exactly it. 99 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: Like we when we talk about programs or program development, 100 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: it's we don't sit up in an ivory tower and say, hey, 101 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: this is what we should implement. It's it's created through need, 102 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: it's created through communication, It's created through what do you want? 103 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: What do you need? And so uh and only happens 104 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: through communications. So please, if you are listening to this podcast, 105 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: get involved, right, connect with us. You have any questions 106 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,239 Speaker 1: about any of the programs or anything that we do, connect, Connect, 107 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: stay connected. Um And I always say to me, you 108 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: talk about word page. The Legends Committee to me is 109 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: like a lighthouse, right. I mean, it's because guys do 110 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: get isolated. And here's this place that we're saying. Guess what, 111 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: You're never a former NFL player. You may don't, you 112 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: may not play on Sunday. There's no such thing as 113 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: a former NFL player. We can bring a horse water 114 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: can make them drink right, all right, So when we 115 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: talk about these programs which are outstanding, I want to 116 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: make sure we emphasize how important it is for our 117 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: legends to have a positive mental attitude, because that's going 118 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: to be the key. But like I said it earlier 119 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: there when when you said that we're charcoal and whenever, 120 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: whenever we're alone, it goes out, the fire goes out. 121 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: I think the programs is that I always tell people 122 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: you have to recreate eight what your new locker room 123 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: is gonna look like, and you have to recreate your huddle, 124 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,480 Speaker 1: You have to recreate your team. So when you leave, 125 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: you have to recognize the people that are gonna be 126 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: on that team, the people that are gonna be in 127 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: your huddle, and the people that's gonna be in your 128 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: new locker room. And you have to look at the 129 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: people first that are in front of you. That could 130 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: be your family, that could be your wife, that could 131 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: be your son, your daughter, your mother, father, those best friends. 132 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: And I always tell them over and over and over, 133 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: make yourself available to them because they want to help 134 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: you win until it really comes down to trust. I 135 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: have a question for you guys, because this this now 136 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: with the chuckhole, if we use that analogy, how we 137 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: can help each other from a transition transition coaching training experience. 138 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: Is there any questions that that legend who comes in 139 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: contact with another legend are There's some key questions they 140 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: can ask to really gauge how that leger is doing. 141 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: Because as as men, you know how it is. I'm good, 142 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: we can smile like the best of them, shake hands 143 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: with babies at a golf turn right. Is there is 144 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: something yeah, there we can do there? There is one 145 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: statement that we we use with our transition coaches that 146 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: tries to get behind the bravado, so to speak. So 147 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: if you if you just say how you doing, like, 148 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: how do you think I'm doing? But but if you 149 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: if you say, hey man, how you holding up during 150 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: this time? How you holding up during this transition? There's 151 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: there's an implied thing that that there's there there could 152 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: be something behind that. And how men respond to you know, 153 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: how are you holding up? It's very different than how 154 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: are you doing? And I think, uh, they said well, 155 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm doing this and I'm doing that or 156 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: this is working or this isn't working in and then 157 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: what happens is you get a real conversation. Yeah, you 158 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: really do. And you know, just to figure back on 159 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: what Keith says is that when you go to them 160 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: and you say, gosh, you know what, man, I so 161 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: appreciate you being here. Wow, And when you connect with 162 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: them from an empathetic perspective, And I think it continues 163 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: to go back to that connecting that empathy and letting 164 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: them know that, you know what, man, I really appreciate 165 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: you being here. When I go around guys, I may 166 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: end up in a conversation and say, hey man, you 167 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: know I had I went through counseling you know, I've 168 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,839 Speaker 1: I've gone through counseling, and so all of a sudden, 169 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: what have I done. I've created a vulnerable moment like 170 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: counseling man, and the issue went through counseling. Why why 171 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: did you go through counseling? And I'll just share my 172 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: story and what we want to do through this this 173 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: podcast is it's creed dialogue and create a confidence again 174 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: that just as you've done things to be successful in 175 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: this game, you still have the ability to do now 176 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: in your next phase in life. You can do it. Man, 177 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 1: greater thing, do greater things. And we were talking guys 178 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: Keith and Leonard, we were talking about this initial dialogue. 179 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: I want to take it here. Um. We were talking 180 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: about what we're seeing now with the kneeling down and 181 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: what we're seeing with what our current uh exciting young men. 182 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: That's right. And first of all, I think one of 183 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: the greatest things about being in America is that activism 184 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: is our birthright. Um. But what I've noticed, so this 185 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: is just my observation, is that our experiences, the experiences 186 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 1: that we have in life, UM, they inform our perspective. 187 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: And so we all have different experiences and so that 188 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: gives us different perspectives, and the only way to bridge 189 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: the gap between those perspectives is to really genuinely sit 190 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: down and listen, and not with an attitude to respond, 191 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: but listen to hear the reason behind somebody's heart. You know, 192 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 1: um having a twenty year old daughter, you know, I 193 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: think it. It gives me a perspective when it comes 194 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: to the kneeling and really listening to these guys. So 195 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: even though they don't have anything to draw from there, 196 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: they are drawing from the only thing that they do 197 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: have the draw from, and that's that twenty or twenty 198 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: five years of experience that they've experienced. Right, So even 199 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: in their head, they're thinking that what they're doing is just, 200 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: and they're thinking what they're doing is right. I've seen that, 201 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: you know, Uh, the empathy being dismissed. You know, people 202 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: aren't empathetic right now, because whenever we are so strongly 203 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: headed towards a direction, we are already we've determined this 204 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: path that we believe is right, and it leaves out 205 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: the empathy, it leaves out the grace, and it allows 206 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: us to allow our bias to rule us at that 207 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: moment because I'm not gonna listen to you because I 208 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: believe that what I'm saying is so right that I'm 209 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,719 Speaker 1: I have tunnel vision and I can't experience any by 210 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: any empathy, and without empathy, there is no discourse, no 211 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: true discourse. And that's what we see. And that you 212 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: talked about the bias, it's confirmation bias so on on 213 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: my Facebook page. But these are only the people that 214 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: I that I friends because they're the ones who believe 215 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: that I have what I believe. And so I'm currently 216 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: constantly getting more encouragement in the way I believe, and 217 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 1: that creates a silo, that creates a side, right, and 218 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: so there is we were losing discourse, right, That's exactly 219 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: what happens players in the league. This is a partnership. 220 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: It's really a partnership even to solve some of these issues. 221 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: To leave football is not dear to solve every social 222 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: societal real right, But there are some things through the resources, 223 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: through the brilliant stats among our players and ownership and 224 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: the players association, if we get together, we can move 225 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: the needle in a way where we don't turn off 226 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: a huge part of our fan base. But that's legitimate, 227 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: and if you think of how football has grown from 228 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: a cultural standpoint. Um, it's really unique. It's really mind 229 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: boggling in a sense that, um, we're talking about moral, 230 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: cultural and social issues through a game. So and I 231 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: think if you kind of like, if you want to 232 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:19,199 Speaker 1: just kind of look at a little history. You know, 233 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: in the turn of the century, the church in America 234 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: was the the every you go to small town, the 235 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: church was the biggest building. It was the social center, 236 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: it was the center of wealthfare, adoption, it was it 237 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: was our moral compass. The church was. And then as 238 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: we moved into the twentieth century, that that kind of 239 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: shifted to the government. The government, our presidents. I mean, 240 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: they took care of widows and orphans. They became the 241 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: moral compass of America. They became like, that's who we were, 242 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 1: were Americans, this is our government. And I think that 243 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,959 Speaker 1: that shifted. And we saw this shift, um and specifically 244 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: in the in the ray Rice case, the ray Rice incident, 245 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: where um Ray Rice had his incident and the courts 246 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: of New Jersey gave him a pre trial intervention. This 247 00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: is what the law of the land gave him, and 248 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: that is what it was. And then when the video 249 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: came out that the public outcry wasn't against the justice system. 250 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: They didn't pick it the you know, the capital of 251 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,839 Speaker 1: New Jersey and the court system. The public outcry was 252 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: against the commissioner of a sports league, of an entertainment league. 253 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: And so there's a choice that has to be made 254 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: there is whether to say, hey, listen, we play football, 255 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: that's what we do. Or we can say, hey, we 256 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: have inherited a platform, and from that platform, it's we 257 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: have a responsibility then to use that to influence for 258 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: the good of the community and our culture and society. 259 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: And so I think we've we've kind of embraced that 260 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: as a sport and and because of that, these issues 261 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 1: now are being worked out in the midst of a 262 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: sports league. And that's really you need, guys. So I 263 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: have a question for you, guys, when don't you say that? 264 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: You know, when I look at when I look at 265 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: the disconnect in the areas of communication, I always look 266 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: at always get one thing. We listen to what we 267 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: value and and whenever you value someone, when you respect someone, 268 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: you listen to them. When you don't value someone, and 269 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: when you don't listen, when when you don't respect someone 270 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: or something you don't really listen. So it comes down 271 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: to value and respect. And I think that's what's happening 272 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: sometimes between the players. What's right and what's wrong is 273 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: that if I respect you, Keith, I'm gonna come to 274 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: you and I'm gonna listen to you, and I'm gonna say, 275 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: you know what, brother, I respect you, I value your opinion, 276 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna really sit here and I'm gonna listen 277 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: to you. When we don't value and respect someone's opinion, 278 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: we don't listen, and then we've we've cut off cut 279 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: off our own growth. We've cut off our noses by 280 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: our face because without without change, there's no growth. Change 281 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: leads to growth, and growth leads to life. And so 282 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: if we continue to to function with these blinders on, 283 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: like you said, we're impeding our own growth as as 284 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: human beings. But without self awareness or self actualization, we 285 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,359 Speaker 1: don't know that that's that that's happening. We're just continually 286 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: down the path one thing, and I'm a shifting just 287 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: in the second and one closes out with this part 288 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: of our podcast is uh doing the work that we've 289 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: been doing Ferguson, and I was sharing with you guys. 290 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: Before we started recording, I was the chairperson for organization 291 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: called Walker Milling Her Shoes. And this goes back to 292 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: conversation and listening to each other and what you talked about, Keith, 293 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: in terms of each person's perspective. So it was an 294 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 1: easy fit having three girls. It was as an organization 295 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: that brings domestic brings awardeness to our domestic violence. So 296 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: it's easy for having three girls, mother, mother in law. 297 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: And and I said, okay, what do you need me 298 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: to do as a chairperson. It says, there's a one 299 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: month campaign. We want to use your image and things 300 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: like that, just things that we do to use our 301 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: influence to better society. That's okay, cool. And they said, 302 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:04,959 Speaker 1: at the end of four weeks and we end up 303 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 1: downtown and we do a one mile walk and high 304 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 1: heel shoes if you're a man. I said, hold on 305 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: a shoes, man, And they said, okay, alright, alright, alright, 306 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: if you don't want to do high heel shoes, you 307 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: can walk in your normal shoes and put a flower 308 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: on each one. And said, okay, that sounds more like it. 309 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: I'm good. We're in. So we go. Now keep in 310 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: mind I still don't. It still hasn't hit me the 311 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: magnitude of walk them out in our shoes. It still 312 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: hasn't hitting me. I've done the campaign. We do things 313 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: like that a lot of times as as athletes. We 314 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 1: get involved in something. Yes, it's very important, but we 315 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 1: do it because we know to do. It's a great 316 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: thing to do. But it still don't have that emotional 317 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: time researching, which is not wrong. Right. So we get 318 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: to the final the final week, we culminate with the 319 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: one mile walk. So I go downtown. I'm thinking, okay, uh, 320 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: there's a rally and I'm one of three people that's 321 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 1: gonna speak before we just send people out. I pull 322 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: up guys and I'm thinking, okay, I'll have the flower 323 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: on my shoes. Were good? We don't walking right. When 324 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: I get there, there are thousands of people in thousands 325 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: of men in red high heeled shoes, and they're coming 326 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,400 Speaker 1: up to me. They say some mom had have been 327 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: I guess getting a little going, get themselves going right, 328 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: and they say, hey, you're gonna walk how your shoes? 329 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: I said no, I'm gonna put the flowers and boo boo. 330 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: So I said, okay, when we go on the stage 331 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: before we when we do this rally, let me at 332 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: least let me do you guys have a size thirteen? 333 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: How at least put them on? While I'm on the stage, 334 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking, you know, of course, all right, they 335 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: don't have any because all of them going, they come 336 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: right there. We gotta pair thirteens. I said, okay, I said, 337 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: we we have to do on stage. You'll be the 338 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 1: third person, accounty executive. He's rallying the people up. Another person. 339 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: I'm standing there the only the first two only they 340 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: only talking maybe two minutes each. I'm standing up with 341 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: these high heel shoes on. I'm in pain, fellows man, 342 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: I'm I'm in great ship. My back is hurting, my 343 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: calfs are hurting. I mean, I'm like, this is crazy. 344 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: The whole time, I'm sorry, the whole time, I got 345 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: it right. I never knew the pain that my mother empathy, 346 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: my mother in law, my daughters, and I remember how 347 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 1: we go places and guess what, guys, you remember you 348 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,120 Speaker 1: go places and when you leave these events, they got 349 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: the shoes. That's it, now, that makes sense. I give 350 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: my wife my coat because she's cold, and she gives 351 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: me her, and that's how that works. But but you 352 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:48,959 Speaker 1: know what it is, shared experience creates empathy. Empathy, got it, 353 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: and there it is. But I just want to bring 354 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: it up so we can remind everyone take a moment 355 00:19:55,960 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: and just listen. But listen from a perspective. I really 356 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: want to know that's right. Listen to learn, to listen 357 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: to learn, and allow your emotions. Uh, bring down the 358 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: emotional part of it, and don't be so emotional because 359 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:19,120 Speaker 1: it only causes you to make quick judgment. My dad 360 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: makes a statement, he says, son is not what people 361 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 1: don't know that hurt them, is what they do know. 362 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: That's not true. Yeah, that's good. So a lot of 363 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: players are a lot of players think, well, Lee don't care. 364 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: Not true. Or we can get sometimes sometimes, uh, people 365 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: in position in the league, these guys they should they 366 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: should be thankful, or or you the players association, like 367 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: it's just all the different perspective. My whole goal is 368 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 1: this when we get to other just what we're doing. Now, 369 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: here's the awesome thing that I'm enjoying right now. I 370 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: can hear you, guys, conversation. I can literally hear and 371 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,199 Speaker 1: you said the word conversation. I am not listening, waiting 372 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: for you to be quiet so I can say what 373 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: I'm thinking. And if one of the things we want 374 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 1: to get from this podcast is to become better listening. 375 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: This has been a podcast, man, this has been. It's 376 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 1: been You've just listening in we This wasn't scripted. We 377 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: were even though we had some not cards that there 378 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: was no no cards here. This is organic and it 379 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: was a passion and a love. I want to use 380 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: the word love. Men can say we love you, and 381 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: I can honestly say these, gentlemen. Not only do I 382 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: love Leonard and love Keith, I love the former player, 383 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: and I love you for what you can do. I 384 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,639 Speaker 1: love you because of who you are and that's what 385 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: God has called us to do. And I want to 386 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: share anyone listening to this that listen to this podcast, 387 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 1: but also go to the website, uh sign up and 388 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: get connect to the legis community, and also give us feedback. 389 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: Let us know this this this touch you a nerve 390 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: that us hit something did this creates some dialogue for you, 391 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: and let us know if we're hit in the target, 392 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: there'll be more come. This is the first one, man, 393 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,359 Speaker 1: and the best is yet to come. So Thank you 394 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 1: guys for being a part of this podcast. We have 395 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: more coming. This has been the NFL Legends podcast. To 396 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:22,640 Speaker 1: provide feedback or requested topic for discussion, email us at 397 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: NFL Legends at nfl dot com.