WEBVTT - Detaching from the Outcome 0:00:04.813 --> 0:00:08.653 Comeback Stories is a production of Inflection Network and iHeartRadio. 0:00:10.133 --> 0:00:13.613 Welcome back, everyone to another episode of Comeback Stories. My 0:00:13.693 --> 0:00:15.813 name is Darren Waller. May know me as a tight 0:00:15.933 --> 0:00:18.573 end for the New York Giants. I'm joined here by 0:00:18.693 --> 0:00:21.013 my co host, my friend, my brother, Donnie. Donnie, how 0:00:21.053 --> 0:00:21.813 you doing today. 0:00:21.573 --> 0:00:22.653 Man, I'm doing well. 0:00:22.693 --> 0:00:22.813 Man. 0:00:22.853 --> 0:00:25.653 It's always a great day when we get to drop 0:00:25.653 --> 0:00:28.013 in and have some deep, meaningful conversations. 0:00:28.373 --> 0:00:31.413 Yes, sir, I'm so excited about this guest that we 0:00:31.493 --> 0:00:34.213 have here today. This is my running mate. This was 0:00:34.533 --> 0:00:37.933 my fellow tight end and teammate with the Raiders for 0:00:38.493 --> 0:00:43.453 the better part of four years, a guy that I 0:00:43.533 --> 0:00:47.773 love and enjoy and respect so much on so many 0:00:47.773 --> 0:00:51.053 different levels. We got my guy, my friend New York 0:00:51.173 --> 0:00:55.773 Saints tight end, mister Foster Moreau Foster. Welcome to the show, brother. 0:00:55.853 --> 0:00:58.653 Darren, Donnie, thanks for having me on. I'm excited to 0:00:58.693 --> 0:01:01.533 be here. I'll look forward to this tremendously certainly. 0:01:03.133 --> 0:01:06.213 Oh yeah, this is been a while in the making. 0:01:06.253 --> 0:01:09.733 I've been trying to poke this bear a long time, 0:01:09.773 --> 0:01:12.893 trying to get him on the show. And for some 0:01:12.973 --> 0:01:16.693 context for anybody that's listening, this is this man me 0:01:16.733 --> 0:01:22.213 and him in meetings, countless meetings, just cutting up in 0:01:22.253 --> 0:01:26.333 meetings like I'm somebody, I'm that kid that I had 0:01:26.413 --> 0:01:30.533 all a's in school growing up, but my conduct in 0:01:30.573 --> 0:01:33.533 my grade, in grades in class I was a lot 0:01:33.573 --> 0:01:37.333 of unsatisfactory, a lot of like calls home from the 0:01:37.413 --> 0:01:41.573 parents and the principle. So I get distracted very easily. 0:01:41.653 --> 0:01:46.653 But just be just engaging with this guy, like jokes, laughing, 0:01:46.773 --> 0:01:49.613 but also being serious and being detailed in our craft. 0:01:49.693 --> 0:01:51.253 Just a lot of fun on the day to day 0:01:51.293 --> 0:01:53.493 and made showing up to work a lot of fun 0:01:53.573 --> 0:01:58.173 and just real goofy. But today we're going to dive 0:01:58.213 --> 0:02:01.253 into a lot of this man's story, and I want 0:02:01.253 --> 0:02:04.493 to start Foster. What was Could you describe what life 0:02:04.693 --> 0:02:06.933 was like growing up for you, whether it be just 0:02:06.973 --> 0:02:09.413 a physical environment, what it was like going on inside 0:02:09.413 --> 0:02:12.933 your head, inside your heart, like, describe what your childhood 0:02:13.013 --> 0:02:13.293 was like. 0:02:13.733 --> 0:02:19.653 Sure, my childhood, I'd say was was fairly standard. I 0:02:19.693 --> 0:02:21.453 had both of my parents in my life for for 0:02:21.533 --> 0:02:24.653 quite some time, and I was I was lucky to 0:02:24.653 --> 0:02:27.013 be to be able to say, like say something like that, 0:02:28.613 --> 0:02:32.053 you know, I was. I always just loved growing up 0:02:32.053 --> 0:02:36.093 around sports. I was I was blessed to be fairly 0:02:36.133 --> 0:02:39.413 gifted playing most of the things that I like to engage. 0:02:40.813 --> 0:02:42.813 But that's that's more or less where I kind of 0:02:42.853 --> 0:02:45.653 found my purpose and my passion and most of my vision. 0:02:47.373 --> 0:02:52.813 I'd enjoyed football, basketball, track and field from time to time, but. 0:02:52.893 --> 0:02:55.493 This swimming was swimming was awful. 0:02:55.533 --> 0:02:58.533 But that's where I started to build discipline and I 0:02:58.573 --> 0:03:01.573 started to learn most of my my life lessons that 0:03:02.253 --> 0:03:08.173 I still carry today, probably through you know, elementary school 0:03:08.653 --> 0:03:11.253 sports or on the on the playground or whatever that was. 0:03:11.333 --> 0:03:12.333 But for me. 0:03:12.493 --> 0:03:17.693 I I grew up mostly with most of those lessons 0:03:17.693 --> 0:03:21.773 being taught from my mom. From an athletics background. I 0:03:21.893 --> 0:03:25.653 learned a lot from her, just in terms of you know, 0:03:25.813 --> 0:03:29.893 time management and taking things serious, being true to your 0:03:29.893 --> 0:03:33.133 word in a way. And my dad more taught me 0:03:33.813 --> 0:03:36.733 kind of how to live life outside of the lines 0:03:37.333 --> 0:03:40.613 in a certain way, if that makes sense, just the 0:03:41.253 --> 0:03:43.533 dos and don'ts of manhood. 0:03:44.693 --> 0:03:47.893 And how to be the right man when. 0:03:47.733 --> 0:03:51.453 No one's watching, and to live my life for the 0:03:51.453 --> 0:03:54.493 greater glory of God at my arm day. Glory is 0:03:54.533 --> 0:03:58.373 the Latin translation for that, But that was that was 0:03:58.733 --> 0:04:01.173 most of my childhood was shared through those two and 0:04:01.533 --> 0:04:02.373 my three sisters. 0:04:04.053 --> 0:04:06.373 It was a it was a special time growing up 0:04:06.373 --> 0:04:07.053 for me. Certainly. 0:04:08.573 --> 0:04:13.133 I've gotten the chance to meet all the extended members 0:04:13.173 --> 0:04:16.573 of your family just by being your teammate and your friend, 0:04:16.653 --> 0:04:20.093 and it's so many good people, so many different personalities. 0:04:21.373 --> 0:04:26.093 I've wondered, was with your your parents separating, was that 0:04:26.133 --> 0:04:29.373 like a painful experience for you? Like what how did 0:04:29.373 --> 0:04:32.973 that maybe affect you internally in ways and maybe force 0:04:33.013 --> 0:04:34.533 you to look at life or the world differently. 0:04:35.333 --> 0:04:41.333 Yeah, and that's a great question, Darren. For me, like 0:04:41.533 --> 0:04:44.573 many people, I thought that I could harbor some level 0:04:44.573 --> 0:04:50.413 of control over it, and I thought I could help 0:04:51.053 --> 0:04:56.373 right when in reality it wasn't my battle. I just 0:04:57.093 --> 0:04:59.013 I remember going back and forth. We're sitting at the 0:04:59.053 --> 0:05:02.333 kitchen table with my mom, dad, three sisters, and we're trying. 0:05:02.093 --> 0:05:03.373 To we're fighting through it. 0:05:03.373 --> 0:05:07.173 I'm like, guys, hand like you could come together through 0:05:07.373 --> 0:05:08.613 Christ who strengthens you. 0:05:08.613 --> 0:05:12.733 You could, you could do it. But obviously it was 0:05:13.013 --> 0:05:14.253 it was a bit of a. 0:05:15.733 --> 0:05:19.053 I wouldn't call it childish, but it was definitely I 0:05:19.093 --> 0:05:20.893 was a little naive to believe that I could bring 0:05:20.933 --> 0:05:25.853 them back together. As much as I truly believed, And 0:05:25.973 --> 0:05:30.013 from there I started to learn my parents more as 0:05:30.133 --> 0:05:33.173 people than as mom and Dad, which I thought gave 0:05:33.173 --> 0:05:41.053 me an interesting perspective into growing and learning a little 0:05:41.053 --> 0:05:44.453 bit more about the real world than maybe I would 0:05:44.493 --> 0:05:47.373 have liked. But it definitely set me with a different perspective, 0:05:48.933 --> 0:05:52.973 getting to know them as Tricia and Lyle more than 0:05:53.173 --> 0:05:57.773 mom and Dad. I'm I am grateful for that experience, 0:05:58.253 --> 0:06:01.413 regardless of what anyone says, and of course I'd still 0:06:01.453 --> 0:06:03.973 love for them to be together, but now I have 0:06:04.013 --> 0:06:07.533 extended family, and you know, the more the merrier in 0:06:07.613 --> 0:06:08.973 certain ways, I'm. 0:06:08.853 --> 0:06:11.613 Really fascinated by that, because, well, how old were you 0:06:11.733 --> 0:06:13.173 when your parents got divorced. 0:06:13.773 --> 0:06:16.613 I believe I was fourteen years old. 0:06:16.733 --> 0:06:22.013 I think, okay, I was seven, And I always said 0:06:22.253 --> 0:06:24.013 and I think it was just a way of really 0:06:24.133 --> 0:06:27.093 never processing it. But I always would tell people like 0:06:27.173 --> 0:06:29.573 they always made the best out of a bad what 0:06:29.613 --> 0:06:33.053 could have been a bad situation, because my parents did 0:06:33.173 --> 0:06:36.933 always make it about the kids. And I've coached and 0:06:37.013 --> 0:06:40.773 worked through divorce and change with a lot of people, 0:06:40.853 --> 0:06:43.693 and oftentimes when they make it about themselves, it's when 0:06:43.733 --> 0:06:47.293 the kids actually suffer. But later on in life, after 0:06:47.333 --> 0:06:50.453 doing a lot more therapy and healing, I think I 0:06:50.533 --> 0:06:55.013 really downplayed the significance of the divorce, and even though 0:06:55.573 --> 0:06:59.213 they're cordial and they really did make the best out 0:06:59.213 --> 0:07:05.253 of it, just the separation from my mom. I lived 0:07:05.293 --> 0:07:06.693 with my dad. I mean I would see my mom 0:07:06.693 --> 0:07:09.053 a couple times a week, but just that alone, especially 0:07:09.053 --> 0:07:11.733 be the young being the youngest of four and kind 0:07:11.773 --> 0:07:14.973 of being a mama's boy, that that that probably had 0:07:15.093 --> 0:07:18.533 way bigger of an effect than I had realized at. 0:07:18.373 --> 0:07:23.373 The time, and for years later, Yeah, certainly, I think 0:07:23.493 --> 0:07:26.373 I had kind of start to I started to come 0:07:26.413 --> 0:07:29.653 into into knowing both of those people and and kind 0:07:29.653 --> 0:07:36.933 of developing my own personality and identity, even though you know, 0:07:37.093 --> 0:07:41.373 it was far off from where I am today. I 0:07:41.413 --> 0:07:43.813 was starting to get to that age that those those 0:07:44.133 --> 0:07:46.733 close to teenage years where you start to believe that 0:07:46.893 --> 0:07:51.773 you know, you know everything, you're smarter than just about everyone, uh, 0:07:52.813 --> 0:07:54.733 and you have you have the rest of your life 0:07:54.773 --> 0:07:57.053 ahead of you, when in actuality, those are just the 0:07:57.053 --> 0:08:01.253 most important building blocks for your development into a person 0:08:01.333 --> 0:08:07.653 with character whose trust and faith carry them through life. Yeah, 0:08:07.693 --> 0:08:11.973 for me, I kind of thought better of it, and 0:08:12.053 --> 0:08:15.373 for years I came to learn. Like I said, I 0:08:15.413 --> 0:08:18.253 came to learn those people probably in a similar way 0:08:18.253 --> 0:08:18.733 that you did. 0:08:19.693 --> 0:08:22.013 Man, we're all just doing the best we can with 0:08:22.093 --> 0:08:26.093 what we have. And you talked about being maybe too 0:08:26.173 --> 0:08:30.613 smart for your own good. Something people may not know 0:08:30.733 --> 0:08:35.813 is I called Foster coach Foster a lot in meetings 0:08:35.853 --> 0:08:39.653 and practice situations because it was really from this place 0:08:39.693 --> 0:08:44.133 of Honestly, I never probably vocalized as much, but it 0:08:44.173 --> 0:08:46.013 was a place of respect from the way that your 0:08:46.093 --> 0:08:48.573 mind approached the game and the way that you tried 0:08:48.573 --> 0:08:52.773 to inspire other people to like a standard of excellence. 0:08:53.293 --> 0:08:55.213 And I want to like, where did that come from? 0:08:55.293 --> 0:08:58.533 Was that always something that just kind of came naturally 0:08:58.573 --> 0:09:01.493 to you as a kid, Like how did that passion? 0:09:01.653 --> 0:09:05.133 And just like the different type of football mind that 0:09:05.253 --> 0:09:08.093 you have developed as a kid. 0:09:09.293 --> 0:09:13.173 Let me ask you this, Darren and you Donnie as well. 0:09:13.813 --> 0:09:15.813 Are there ever any times where you were a kid 0:09:15.853 --> 0:09:18.653 and you remember sitting in class and your teacher would 0:09:18.733 --> 0:09:22.493 roll would roll like a TV screen in and would 0:09:22.493 --> 0:09:24.653 put on a movie for you right before Christmas break 0:09:24.693 --> 0:09:27.453 or summer vacation, Like, was there ever a time where, 0:09:28.613 --> 0:09:32.133 and specifically during one of those times where she'd roll 0:09:32.173 --> 0:09:34.933 it in and it was kind of a niche movie 0:09:35.213 --> 0:09:39.173 that you were sure twenty nine of your other thirty 0:09:39.173 --> 0:09:41.733 classmates hadn't seen, but you were the one kid who 0:09:41.733 --> 0:09:46.733 had seen it. I remember feeling like that sometimes when 0:09:46.773 --> 0:09:49.173 I was younger, and I was like, oh, wait a minute, 0:09:49.253 --> 0:09:54.933 what what is this? This is Oh, I know this movie, 0:09:55.013 --> 0:09:57.013 and then all of a sudden, it would fill me 0:09:57.053 --> 0:09:59.613 with a rush of like, oh, there's a really good part, 0:09:59.853 --> 0:10:01.613 there's really good parts coming up. I've already seen it. 0:10:01.693 --> 0:10:03.933 I don't, And I don't know what that was when 0:10:03.973 --> 0:10:06.493 I was young. Maybe I just I felt like I 0:10:08.373 --> 0:10:12.173 maybe wanted some type of attention or wanted to be 0:10:12.213 --> 0:10:14.333 acknowledged as someone who had already seen it. I don't 0:10:14.373 --> 0:10:17.573 know what filled me with doing that, but it sort 0:10:17.573 --> 0:10:19.853 of started to creep its way into other parts of 0:10:19.893 --> 0:10:26.213 my life. But from there someone had identified that in me. 0:10:26.373 --> 0:10:31.893 One of my strength coaches back at LSU, SAME's Ben Anakione, 0:10:32.213 --> 0:10:35.133 and he identified that that was something that I always did, 0:10:35.773 --> 0:10:39.613 was I would help in coaching where I could, and 0:10:39.653 --> 0:10:42.093 I'd always take a step back where I didn't know, 0:10:42.613 --> 0:10:44.933 and he always he said he really appreciated that, and 0:10:45.013 --> 0:10:49.013 I to me. I was flabbergasted. I had no idea 0:10:49.013 --> 0:10:51.373 I would do it, but it kind of became a 0:10:51.373 --> 0:10:54.333 main stay. And so when it became you and I 0:10:56.733 --> 0:11:02.213 that year in twenty nineteen, the mission and the goal 0:11:02.373 --> 0:11:04.493 was always to have the best room that we could. 0:11:05.973 --> 0:11:09.213 So it became an ownership of making sure that everyone 0:11:09.293 --> 0:11:18.053 was on the same page right, And so it always 0:11:18.133 --> 0:11:22.533 helped me too, knowing that if you're if you're, if 0:11:22.573 --> 0:11:25.013 I know what you're doing, then I know that you're 0:11:25.053 --> 0:11:27.093 going to know what I'm doing. And if I could 0:11:27.213 --> 0:11:29.653 okay with you at the line, like hey, you got 0:11:29.693 --> 0:11:32.133 the shallow here and I'm going to try to get 0:11:32.973 --> 0:11:36.573 Zay Jones open on the on the quick whip out route, 0:11:37.013 --> 0:11:38.973 Like if I could say that and I could walk 0:11:39.013 --> 0:11:40.453 up to the line, I know we're going to be 0:11:40.453 --> 0:11:42.973 successful on the play regardless. And that was what was 0:11:42.973 --> 0:11:45.453 going to make us the best room. It wasn't about 0:11:45.613 --> 0:11:49.813 you know, you guys all as it was necessarily me 0:11:49.973 --> 0:11:51.093 being in the right place too. 0:11:51.893 --> 0:11:54.013 So when you guys, when you guys both jumped on 0:11:54.133 --> 0:11:59.093 screen when we started the podcast, the smile on each 0:11:59.133 --> 0:12:02.893 of your faces when you just saw each other's faces, 0:12:02.973 --> 0:12:06.293 I mean, it was hopefully you're watching this on video. 0:12:06.013 --> 0:12:06.533 And caught that. 0:12:07.133 --> 0:12:10.453 But could you guys just talk about your bond and 0:12:10.813 --> 0:12:14.373 what makes it so special? I mean, there's an undeniable connection. 0:12:14.653 --> 0:12:17.373 I've seen you guys together in the flesh, but just 0:12:17.693 --> 0:12:19.413 you know, even in those first few moments when we 0:12:19.453 --> 0:12:22.573 started this podcast, you could you could feel it. Where 0:12:22.573 --> 0:12:24.453 does that come from? And what's it rooted in? 0:12:24.813 --> 0:12:29.373 Okay, so let me give some context. I remember twenty nineteen, 0:12:31.213 --> 0:12:33.253 Frank Smith was our tight end coach who was also 0:12:33.293 --> 0:12:36.373 a groomsman in my wedding. As you know, Donnie, he's 0:12:36.413 --> 0:12:39.173 the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins now, but he 0:12:39.373 --> 0:12:41.333 was our guy. And this was when Fosterer was in 0:12:41.373 --> 0:12:44.653 the draft. He's going to be a rookie. And Frank 0:12:44.653 --> 0:12:46.133 comes to me in and he's like, man, like, I'm 0:12:46.333 --> 0:12:48.773 trying to like build this room. They want to go 0:12:48.813 --> 0:12:52.613 in a younger direction, and I'm thinking of a guy 0:12:52.613 --> 0:12:55.493 that will like compliment you greatly. I have two guys 0:12:55.493 --> 0:12:57.813 in mind, but I think there's one that you know. 0:12:57.893 --> 0:13:00.093 I don't even know if they're really sold on him upstairs, 0:13:00.093 --> 0:13:02.293 but I just know that he's a guy that would 0:13:02.293 --> 0:13:04.173 bring him to this room and it's just going to 0:13:04.213 --> 0:13:07.613 be pert and uh and it's and it's Foster. And 0:13:07.693 --> 0:13:12.973 we bring Foster in and it's just like we're kind 0:13:12.973 --> 0:13:15.293 of like if you look at us, like on paper, 0:13:15.333 --> 0:13:17.733 maybe we're like two very different people, you know. Like 0:13:17.773 --> 0:13:19.853 he's walking in the room like he's commanding the room. 0:13:19.973 --> 0:13:22.253 Like like like I said, I call you coach Foster 0:13:22.253 --> 0:13:24.773 because he's vocal. He's not afraid. When he knows something, 0:13:25.213 --> 0:13:27.413 he's he's gonna speak on it. And some people will 0:13:27.413 --> 0:13:29.373 maybe like, oh, this guy is like a little loud 0:13:29.373 --> 0:13:31.373 for a rookie. Don't you think like he's a little 0:13:31.493 --> 0:13:36.413 over the top. But but I never really viewed I 0:13:36.453 --> 0:13:39.373 was never really on board with like the making rookies 0:13:39.533 --> 0:13:42.093 feel like they're just like the little the little guy, 0:13:42.173 --> 0:13:44.693 you know. I'm more so like let them be, let 0:13:44.773 --> 0:13:46.293 them know. And I feel like if you kind of 0:13:46.373 --> 0:13:49.213 let them, I think feel like they're a part of 0:13:49.733 --> 0:13:52.453 it'll help them with their growth and their development. More so, 0:13:52.493 --> 0:13:54.133 I'm like, let me, let let this guy be. And 0:13:54.213 --> 0:13:56.453 it's like he's the vocal. I'm more of like a 0:13:56.653 --> 0:13:59.133 reserved guy until I'm around people that I feel safe 0:13:59.133 --> 0:14:01.653 around them. I'm just like a complete goofball. But I 0:14:01.653 --> 0:14:05.413 feel like, just like maybe as a case of opposite 0:14:05.413 --> 0:14:07.533 to tract, but I mean we ended up like finding 0:14:07.573 --> 0:14:10.453 light ways to make We made music together. We've made 0:14:10.493 --> 0:14:13.013 multiple tracks together. He came to record at my house, 0:14:13.133 --> 0:14:15.933 like we're just we find out we're just into a 0:14:16.013 --> 0:14:18.533 lot of the similar things. But I feel like it 0:14:18.573 --> 0:14:21.693 was coming in mentally with not a lot of ego. 0:14:22.093 --> 0:14:24.493 I feel like we can daggle bit more into Foster's journey, 0:14:24.493 --> 0:14:27.933 but his journey in mind, I think coming through college 0:14:27.973 --> 0:14:30.293 were a little bit similar, whereas we weren't guys that 0:14:30.333 --> 0:14:36.893 were just like completely glamorized or these megastars. So there 0:14:36.933 --> 0:14:39.773 was like a humility built in kind of through our 0:14:39.853 --> 0:14:41.773 journey where people were kind of like, we don't know 0:14:41.773 --> 0:14:44.293 about They definitely didn't know about me, like and I 0:14:44.373 --> 0:14:47.093 kind of earned that at that point in my career, 0:14:47.373 --> 0:14:50.133 and people were kind of like Foster like he's okay, 0:14:50.173 --> 0:14:52.333 Like he's physical, Like we know we'll get from him 0:14:52.333 --> 0:14:54.093 in the in the in the run game. And it's 0:14:54.133 --> 0:14:57.853 like we we knew that we were more than what 0:14:57.893 --> 0:15:01.733 we were kind of being sold as, but we knew 0:15:01.733 --> 0:15:03.733 that it was going to take work to get there, 0:15:03.773 --> 0:15:06.213 and just being on honest and going about the craft 0:15:06.213 --> 0:15:08.653 the right way. And I feel like there was mutual 0:15:08.693 --> 0:15:12.893 respect from the beginning, wanting to enjoy each and every day, 0:15:12.933 --> 0:15:17.253 each and every moment together and then just going out 0:15:17.253 --> 0:15:18.933 and like Foster said, like trying to be the best 0:15:18.973 --> 0:15:22.573 group we could possibly be. And that started happening quickly. 0:15:22.613 --> 0:15:25.893 Like we were in running plays at three tied end 0:15:25.973 --> 0:15:29.173 sets that a lot of teams ain't ain't ain't doing 0:15:29.813 --> 0:15:33.333 and uh, and Foster was carving out a big time 0:15:33.573 --> 0:15:37.573 role for himself and was like our red zone threat 0:15:37.613 --> 0:15:40.053 and like like basically our guy that was like putting 0:15:40.053 --> 0:15:43.933 the ball in the end zone like and it was 0:15:43.973 --> 0:15:46.573 just really cool to see. And I'm glad that I 0:15:46.613 --> 0:15:48.333 was able to do some work in my heart to 0:15:48.333 --> 0:15:52.293 that point to actually be genuinely happy to see him 0:15:52.333 --> 0:15:55.613 succeed and not have like any type of envy and 0:15:55.653 --> 0:15:59.213 we could just succeed alongside each other and see the 0:15:59.253 --> 0:16:01.773 greatness in him develop and not be bothered by it. 0:16:03.053 --> 0:16:05.053 That's what I think made it more fun. And I 0:16:05.093 --> 0:16:07.293 don't know if I went too far on that and 0:16:07.293 --> 0:16:08.693 didn't allow the room for him to share. 0:16:08.693 --> 0:16:15.013 It all kind of comes back to Frank for me 0:16:18.493 --> 0:16:21.333 as I came in. He kind of laid it out 0:16:21.333 --> 0:16:23.333 for me in black and white, and I'll give him credit, 0:16:23.493 --> 0:16:27.533 he didn't pull any punches. He said, look, the guy 0:16:27.573 --> 0:16:32.573 that you're coming in to replace or kind of make 0:16:32.613 --> 0:16:35.813 the room younger. The guy's name was Lee Smith. He's 0:16:35.853 --> 0:16:40.613 a career exceptional in line, in line tight end, excelled 0:16:40.653 --> 0:16:43.733 in pass blocking and run game schematics. He was a 0:16:43.733 --> 0:16:48.773 really good player. And so when I got there, basically 0:16:48.773 --> 0:16:52.813 what I was told was I'm here in I'm here 0:16:52.813 --> 0:16:57.893 to further my career and you know, find development and 0:16:57.973 --> 0:17:03.893 definitely grow from the player I was at LSU. But 0:17:04.093 --> 0:17:08.413 really it was I was there to protect Darren and 0:17:08.493 --> 0:17:11.893 do you know a lot of the jobs that he 0:17:11.933 --> 0:17:15.653 could do, But if I did those jobs well, then. 0:17:15.493 --> 0:17:16.893 He could exceed in other fields. 0:17:18.053 --> 0:17:22.453 And it showed from I think it might have been 0:17:22.453 --> 0:17:24.773 the first play of the season, or maybe the second play. 0:17:26.573 --> 0:17:28.973 Darren had had a thunder route on the outside on 0:17:29.013 --> 0:17:31.133 the left and he just converted it because it was 0:17:31.213 --> 0:17:33.933 press and went up and lost a guy. And I'm 0:17:33.973 --> 0:17:37.773 over there trying my my absolute best not to get 0:17:37.813 --> 0:17:38.493 baptized in. 0:17:38.533 --> 0:17:40.733 Fire by von Miller and Bradley Jebb. 0:17:42.333 --> 0:17:46.213 And for me, I said, that's this is it. This 0:17:46.333 --> 0:17:50.413 is exactly what it was supposed to be. And the 0:17:50.453 --> 0:17:52.613 more I get on the field, the more opportunities I'll 0:17:52.653 --> 0:18:00.573 find myself getting into. So being a being a protector 0:18:00.653 --> 0:18:03.813 for Darren was not all it's cracked up to be. 0:18:04.053 --> 0:18:05.813 Most of the time, I would just try to have 0:18:05.813 --> 0:18:08.413 a conversation with him as we were walking in so 0:18:08.453 --> 0:18:10.453 he didn't have to sign as many autographs because he 0:18:10.533 --> 0:18:12.773 was really starting to become a household name, especially in 0:18:12.813 --> 0:18:17.213 the Bay Area, and it gave me a sense of purpose, 0:18:17.773 --> 0:18:21.773 especially for a guy who was so well well thought 0:18:21.813 --> 0:18:25.613 out and well organized, and he knew who he was. 0:18:28.373 --> 0:18:30.933 But I didn't know Darren at all, really, I just 0:18:31.253 --> 0:18:33.373 I knew about his story, I knew about his addiction, 0:18:34.533 --> 0:18:36.573 and I knew he was working his way into becoming 0:18:36.573 --> 0:18:38.253 the man he is today, the man that he always 0:18:38.293 --> 0:18:42.373 wanted to be. So for me, I was trying to 0:18:42.373 --> 0:18:44.613 help him get there in any way I could. And 0:18:45.173 --> 0:18:50.933 you know, I found I found my flock tending to 0:18:50.973 --> 0:18:53.453 someone else's field in a way that was that was 0:18:53.493 --> 0:18:55.933 what I was trying to do, and with Darren, he 0:18:55.973 --> 0:18:56.253 made it. 0:18:56.293 --> 0:18:57.973 He made it so easy and he was. 0:18:58.853 --> 0:19:02.173 He had a quiet leadership role that I could be 0:19:02.213 --> 0:19:04.013 as loud as I want, but I'll never command as 0:19:04.053 --> 0:19:05.853 much rep acts as he does. 0:19:06.053 --> 0:19:06.773 Especially for me. 0:19:07.453 --> 0:19:12.973 Wow, what was it like having Darren in a as 0:19:12.973 --> 0:19:16.813 a leader, following his lead, but also just doing things 0:19:16.853 --> 0:19:21.773 so different than the majority of the NFL in so 0:19:21.853 --> 0:19:26.133 many different areas of life on and off the field. 0:19:26.173 --> 0:19:28.453 What was that like? Just kind of having that that 0:19:28.533 --> 0:19:29.333 mirror and model. 0:19:29.733 --> 0:19:33.213 I have always said and will always say, and Darren 0:19:33.253 --> 0:19:35.253 will deny it till he till the day he dies. 0:19:35.293 --> 0:19:39.213 But the the listeners on this on this podcast know 0:19:39.533 --> 0:19:44.533 better than me or better than most, that he's commanded 0:19:44.573 --> 0:19:49.733 with a gift of When he speaks, it needs to 0:19:49.773 --> 0:19:53.573 be addressed. He speaks almost with a with a tongue 0:19:53.613 --> 0:19:55.813 of fire. He speaks with the Holy Spirit. I've said 0:19:55.813 --> 0:19:58.373 that for a long time. I don't ever. I don't 0:19:58.373 --> 0:20:02.133 see a day where I won't. He's he's got a gift, 0:20:02.133 --> 0:20:04.133 and he's got a command, and he's got a conviction 0:20:05.213 --> 0:20:10.413 to tell his story and change lives. Telling that story 0:20:11.653 --> 0:20:16.453 personally through my recent diagnosis. I didn't really want to 0:20:16.493 --> 0:20:18.693 make it public. I don't want to make it known. 0:20:19.373 --> 0:20:21.173 I kind of just wanted to go deal with it 0:20:21.253 --> 0:20:26.133 and then come back and be who I was. But 0:20:27.333 --> 0:20:31.213 my mom, my girl, a couple and a couple of 0:20:31.253 --> 0:20:34.373 my close friends told me, no, this is a story 0:20:34.413 --> 0:20:37.933 that you need to take command of and try to 0:20:37.933 --> 0:20:43.493 affect other people's lives through your dealing of it. And 0:20:45.293 --> 0:20:47.533 most most everyone would think woe is me to think 0:20:47.573 --> 0:20:52.693 I could change someone else's life just through my story. 0:20:52.733 --> 0:20:56.013 But we're on the way there, and anyone who I 0:20:56.053 --> 0:21:00.773 could positively affect I would be remiss if I didn't. 0:21:02.333 --> 0:21:04.253 The first person, then the first face that pops in 0:21:04.253 --> 0:21:11.373 my head would be mister Big drink himself, Darren Wallers. 0:21:12.373 --> 0:21:16.733 So for the listeners that aren't familiar, what have the 0:21:16.813 --> 0:21:20.213 last six months looked like for you leading up to 0:21:20.213 --> 0:21:23.253 today and what exactly are you referring to? 0:21:23.773 --> 0:21:28.533 Back in March March, I believe it was March twenty 0:21:28.813 --> 0:21:33.293 third I was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. I was going 0:21:33.333 --> 0:21:35.533 on a free agency visit down in my hometown of 0:21:35.573 --> 0:21:39.733 New Orleans, and I found a doctor that was giving 0:21:39.773 --> 0:21:43.573 my physical names, Doctor John Amos. He's the team doctor 0:21:43.613 --> 0:21:48.173 for the Saints. He goes and he's going to give 0:21:48.173 --> 0:21:52.253 me a basically just a routine physical checkup, one that 0:21:52.293 --> 0:21:56.613 you would get at any any doctor's appointment. The first 0:21:56.613 --> 0:22:00.333 thing he touches right here is my my left my 0:22:00.413 --> 0:22:03.853 left claviical and my left lymph node right here. 0:22:06.133 --> 0:22:11.853 To where basically he feels he feels a mass. And 0:22:12.213 --> 0:22:12.653 we go. 0:22:12.613 --> 0:22:16.293 Through the tests, the hoops and the bounds. We do 0:22:16.573 --> 0:22:19.613 two different biopsies trying to determine what all it is. 0:22:20.693 --> 0:22:23.533 But it's certainly it's certainly not just some run of 0:22:23.533 --> 0:22:26.253 the milk growth. It's I'm definitely not just coming down 0:22:26.333 --> 0:22:27.693 with a little bit of a cold and I have 0:22:27.733 --> 0:22:30.533 an I have an inflamed lymph Note I wound up 0:22:30.573 --> 0:22:34.933 having Hodgkins lymphoma with the specific cell type of nodular 0:22:35.013 --> 0:22:41.093 lymphatic predominant Hodgkins lymphoma, which basically meant that my journey 0:22:41.133 --> 0:22:44.253 was going to be different than anyone else's because it's 0:22:44.293 --> 0:22:47.013 a more rare form of It's a rare, more rare 0:22:47.093 --> 0:22:53.253 form of Hodgkins. From there, we ran more tests and 0:22:53.293 --> 0:22:55.333 we wanted to make sure it was this rare form 0:22:55.773 --> 0:23:00.413 because ultimately the treatment methods are completely different from what 0:23:00.453 --> 0:23:04.413