WEBVTT - A Conversation with Marty Lyons on the 2022 Jets (8/23) 0:00:04.120 --> 0:00:06.800 Welcome to the official podcast. Erik Ellen here inside the 0:00:06.840 --> 0:00:10.800 studio with a good friend of mine, a long time jet, 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:14.200 a four average jet that of course is Marty Lions. 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:18.880 First off, I want to say congratulations at forty years 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:22.639 so the Marty Lions Foundation. What does that mean to you? Well, 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:25.759 it means that I've been surrounded by good people for 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:29.080 forty years. Because you can't accomplish anything in life by yourself. 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:32.040 And when you think about forty years, you think about 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:35.640 all the kids and families that have come through the doors. 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:38.479 And of course you think and you remember about all 0:00:38.520 --> 0:00:42.159 those children that you've lost, but you also remember the 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:44.880 ones that God gave you back, that we were able 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:49.559 to create hope and memories for the families. And you know, 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:53.519 to be truly blessed to accomplish something for forty years, 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:59.280 you really you count your blessings that you've got people 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:04.360 that believe in mission, people that support you financially, and um, 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:08.120 you know, we're just we're getting ready to gear up 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:10.920 to see how we can go to forty two forty 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:13.920 three because we're not going to stop. Very simply, what 0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:16.319 is the mission of the Martin Lions Foundation. The mission 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:19.360 of the Foundation since day one, is to provide special 0:01:19.360 --> 0:01:22.920 wishes for termally ill children or children suffering with the 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:29.160 chronic life threatening illness. Unfortunately, probably of the kids that 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:31.640 we work with will not see the age of eighteen. 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:35.800 And your line up, uh ten of them, and you 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:39.479 go which seven won't make it? And you know, every 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:41.600 now and then God gives you back that one that 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:43.440 you didn't think was going to make it as a 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:47.600 reminder that your work has meaning, that you're making an impact. 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:52.600 So again, we've been fortunate. For forty years, we've raised 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:58.480 over forty three million dollars, helped close to families. We 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:00.880 just announced we're going to open up but another chapter 0:02:01.520 --> 0:02:05.000 out in California, which will now give us I believe, 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:11.000 thirteen chapters. It truly is God's work. Though, Now, how 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:15.760 difficult is it for you knowing that, yes, I'm going 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:19.600 to be helping a certain number of people, but a 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:22.600 number of these kids that I'm trying to help aren't 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:25.400 going to make it. Well, I think one thing you 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:27.799 have to realize is the rules to the game are 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:32.200 never going to change. And there's been many times where 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:34.840 I'll leave a pediatric ward and I'll see two or 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:38.400 three kids and you get stuck in traffic going back 0:02:38.440 --> 0:02:41.320 from New Jersey to New York, and you get frustrated, 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:45.679 and you have a little conversation with the man upstairs 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:48.560 and you go, when's it all going to end? And 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:52.040 then you're reminded that the rules aren't going to change. 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:55.560 God didn't ask you to do this. You chose to 0:02:55.600 --> 0:02:59.639 do it and continue to do it. So we're all 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:02.679 here to make an impact these kids that are being 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:05.080 cheated out of life. If we take time to listen 0:03:05.120 --> 0:03:08.360 to them, we take time to understand their story and 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:11.400 know that there's a name and a face. They're really 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:15.160 true teachers in life. And the one thing that I've 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:18.280 realized for forty years, none of these kids have ever said, 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:22.200 why make They all understand that they're here for a 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:26.000 short time. They're trying to make an impact to the 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:29.200 people that will listen to them, the people that will 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:33.200 take time to understand that they're not different, they're special 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.960 and h The number one thing is, you know, they 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:42.040 made me believe more in faith because they make me 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:45.240 made me understand that faith is believing in something you 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:48.360 can't see. But if you have enough of it, you'll 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:51.760 be rewarded. You know, when you pass away, you'll get 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:54.200 to see everything you believe that. We talked about this 0:03:54.600 --> 0:03:58.000 many times before, and I know a number of people 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:01.000 who followed the Jets and followed Party Lions have heard 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:03.640 this before. But I think we should go back. What 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:08.680 three things happened in your life that made you decide 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:13.440 that I have to do something well? When I was 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:17.359 twenty five, my oldest son, Rocky, he was born on 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:20.640 March four, My dad suddenly died of a heart attack 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:22.400 on March eighth. And then a little boy that I 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:25.880 was a big brother too, named Keith, died at five 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:27.880 and a half of March Town. So in a matter 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:30.320 of six days, you go from the old and high 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:35.120 to the ultimate low. And for me, I asked the 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:37.320 Good Lord, what am I doing wrong? What am I 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:40.960 doing wrong in life? That you gave me a healthy son, 0:04:41.000 --> 0:04:43.560 but you took away two people that I loved dearly 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:47.360 days went to weeks, weeks went to month, and you 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:49.800 realized time is not gonna stop for any one of us. 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:54.720 And then you realize that you had a platform. Your 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:59.159 platform was playing in the NFL, but what was your 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:05.880 real purpose in life? And my purpose was to take 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:10.120 that platform, take the god given tools and the surroundings 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:13.359 that I had and started foundation. I started it with 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:17.440 Kenny Shroy, my teammate, roommate. We had six people sitting 0:05:17.480 --> 0:05:21.279 around the table. I didn't even know what nonprofit meant. 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:25.039 All I knew is I had to do something. I 0:05:25.160 --> 0:05:29.080 needed a vehicle so that I could move on. Because 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:33.159 there's that old saying time heals everything, and I totally 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:37.919 disagree with that saying. I think time allows you to 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:41.760 find a vehicle to cope with the loss. It never 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:49.039 takes it takes away the pain because there's always going 0:05:49.080 --> 0:05:51.120 to be an event, there's always going to be a 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:55.679 celebration where there's a missing there's an empty seat, there's 0:05:55.720 --> 0:06:01.200 somebody missing. But we can't stop living because somebody has 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:08.680 passed away. We can't all children, all the people that 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:12.400 you've helped over the years. I know, like they say, 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:16.680 being a parent, you don't you love them all. You 0:06:16.720 --> 0:06:20.880 love them all the same, but um you feel about 0:06:20.960 --> 0:06:24.640 them in different ways because they're all unique. But that 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:27.760 being said, what are some of the wishes that you 0:06:27.800 --> 0:06:30.440 guys have been able to help provide of late that 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:33.040 have stood out right? Well? I think number one the 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:37.080 first wishes always go to Disney just want to go 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:41.000 to Disney. Or number two they'd like to meet a 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:45.839 so called celebrity. Uh. Number three might be a shopperings free. 0:06:46.200 --> 0:06:50.080 Number four we've been able to buy a couple of 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:53.960 dogs so that they can have some companions. You know. 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:57.240 First Holy Communion dress, which is very simple. In the 0:06:57.320 --> 0:07:01.720 early eighties, e I can coming in right behind going 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:06.400 to Disney. Everybody wanted a camp quarter. And we couldn't understand. 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:11.040 As you're given the family and the child whatever they want, 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:13.880 give them the world to give them their wish and 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:17.560 it was very simple. They wanted a camp quarter. So 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:20.840 we we're good friends with PC Richards. We had a 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:24.720 family down in Florida from the Florida chapter. They had 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.040 a child that was two and a half years old, 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:31.200 which was underneath our threshold of three. So we made 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:33.160 an exception. I went to the board. I said, you 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:35.440 know what, two and a half is very close to three, 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:39.440 and unfortunately this child that's two and a half may 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:42.120 not make it to three. Their wish is a simple 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:45.720 camp quarter, So we dropped shipped them a camp quarter. 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:48.800 I believe on a Monday or Tuesday, they had a 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:52.000 surprise birthday party for their son in the hospital. It 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:56.040 wasn't his birthday, but they had a celebration, took some pictures, 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:59.640 created some memories. The child end up passing away on 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:03.760 third stay. I talked to the father on Friday and 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.200 he said, I want to return the camp quarter. I said, 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:08.840 you know, I don't want the camp quarterback. It's it's 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:12.080 yours and your family. And he said, if it wasn't 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:15.840 for you, wasn't for your organization, it wasn't for the 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:19.360 people that believe in your organization, we would have nothing 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:23.960 to hold onto. You gave us an opportunity to create 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.680 memories of our son. We can never thank you enough. 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:32.080 And that's a simple camp quarter so you know, to 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:37.160 help these families, Uh, it's just a It's a tremendous opportunity. 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:39.920 It's like the more you give, the more you receive. 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:43.960 And the simple thank you at the time of the 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:46.760 event or the time you fulfill the wish is one thing. 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:50.920 But to hear about it, to run into people in 0:08:51.040 --> 0:08:53.720 the community that will come up and say, hey, are 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.840 you Marty Lyons, And I'll say, uh, I am. They say, 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:00.640 you know what. You You sponsored my child in the eighties. 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:04.760 You sponsored my child in the nineties, we never had 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:09.800 an opportunity to tell you thank you. And again I'll say, well, 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.240 how are they doing? And there was more than likely 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:17.160 they say unfortunately they passed away. But you you gave 0:09:17.240 --> 0:09:20.280 us that opportunity. You gave us memories, and that's what 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:23.840 we try to do, create that hope because the families. 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:27.880 As difficult as it is to lose the child, it's 0:09:27.920 --> 0:09:32.440 even more difficult to try to move on. What are 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:35.720 the images in the videos mean to you? When you 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:41.280 see these kids experience something that they had always wished 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:44.360 for and they probably thought there was never a chance 0:09:44.400 --> 0:09:46.880 that this was going to happen. Well, I think it's 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:51.160 again it's a reflection on everybody involved with the foundation. 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:56.439 It makes you feel good, makes you feel satisfied. It 0:09:56.480 --> 0:10:02.120 makes you realize that I was fortunate to be a 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:05.199 professional athlete, fortunate enough to come to New York in 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:09.600 nine to be drafted, fortunate enough to be still affiliated 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:14.560 with the Jets forty three years later, and to look 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:19.760 at what we've accomplished as a group. It's very satisfying. 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:21.920 It tells you that you don't have to be a 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:25.240 professional athlete to make a difference. All you have to 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:28.040 do is care. And I think if the world looked 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:34.800 back at the pandemic, we saw the kindness of the world, 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:38.640 and we saw so much hatreds And if people realize 0:10:38.679 --> 0:10:43.560 if we just respected people for who they are, but 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:46.880 you can listen to their opinion. You don't have to 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:50.880 agree with it, but listen to it, and don't judge 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.400 him for it, because you know what, We're all going 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:58.440 to be judged one day by by by God when 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:01.760 we pass away, He's gonna judge us. Who are we 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:04.160 to judge other people for the way they want to 0:11:04.200 --> 0:11:07.200 live their lives. Just respect it. It doesn't have to 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:10.960 be the same as yours. Just respect it. Oftentimes I 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:14.920 have a problem right now with how much hatred there 0:11:15.040 --> 0:11:20.760 is or why people are so angry when they refuse 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:24.480 to take a step back and maybe to see what 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:28.960 they have or what others don't um with you providing 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:34.240 continually to provide to others. What do you say to 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:38.839 young players when you talk to them about there are 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:42.240 opportunities off the field. Yes, it's great to be in 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:44.120 the National Football League, but you're not going to be 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:47.240 in the NFL forever. What I tried to explain to 0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:50.640 him is that there's a responsibility, there's an obligation, and 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:54.800 there's an opportunity. You're playing in the NFL. So you've 0:11:55.160 --> 0:11:58.640 fulfilled your dream as a little kid. Now take it 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:03.920 one step further. Used this platform to find your purpose 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:07.600 in life. I was years ago, probably twenty years ago. 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:10.240 I was in the church in Alabama, and it was 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:12.600 a Baptist church and I was there with a friend 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:16.120 of mine and probably people. I was sitting in the 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:19.040 back of the church and the minister got up that 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.360 day and he started reading from the Book of Luke 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:24.959 and he said, he who as much much is expected, 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:27.440 and he would go on and on, and then all 0:12:27.480 --> 0:12:30.560 of a sudden he'd stop and he'd go remember he 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:34.360 who has much much is expected. Well, yeah, the whole 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:38.920 time he was saying that quote, I felt like he 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:42.160 was looking at me. At one time he said it. 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:44.680 Like the third time I got up, I looked around 0:12:44.679 --> 0:12:46.600 me to see if there was somebody behind me, and 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:49.760 there wasn't. So I said to my buddy, who's a 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:51.840 minister down there, I said, rich, how did you do that? 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:55.160 And he says, do what? And I said, every time 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:58.240 that the minister said he who as much much is expected, 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:02.160 he was looking right at He said, that's your message 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:05.800 that you need to carry on and tell people he 0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:08.880 who as much much is expected, don't look at your 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:12.840 own life from the inside out because it gets distorted 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:18.839 human nature, animosity, jealousy, It really gets distorted because people go, well, 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:20.960 I work as hard as him, why don't I have that? 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:24.520 But if you look at your own life from the 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:30.040 outside in and you realize how fortunate you are, how 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:35.080 blessed you are, then you can put the backside of 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:40.120 that quote on much as expected. Everybody has to find 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:44.200 that spot in life where you're comfortable with who you 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:48.440 are and then expect more out of yourself than what 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:52.520 you're given. It's like Archie Manning once he told all 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:56.800 of his boys Eli Peyton, you know, be more than 0:13:56.840 --> 0:13:59.920 you were born to be. That's open ended. You know, 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:02.880 none of us know what we were born to be. 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:06.920 But just be a little bit more. What's that golf 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:09.560 tournament like? What was it like? This year? You just 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:14.679 had it and it's a big fundraiser for you, and 0:14:14.760 --> 0:14:17.559 you get all the guys coming back and together and 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:21.400 the ladies, and then you finished the eighteen holes and 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.640 everybody comes to dinner. Can you describe that environment. It's 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:28.760 exciting because number one, we sold out in a matter 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:33.960 of five weeks. We over sold the golf portion, and 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:38.320 we oversewld the dinner. And then when the people come 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:40.680 in number one, it's been a long day. So you 0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:44.000 apologize for that new You make sure that they understand 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:46.800 that one day out of our life, we had a 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:50.200 long day playing golf. And then I have some of 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:54.040 the kids that have survived their illness or are still fighting. 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:59.360 They get up and speak and when now as a sponsor, 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:04.040 you can identify where your money's going, it's not me 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:07.840 telling the story, it's a recipient telling the story. And 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:12.080 then we have parents that have lost a child talking 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:15.560 about what it is to lose a child. And then 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:19.400 we have special awards that we have named after some 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.640 of the children. We have an award after Mr Hess 0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:25.960 that we give out to an athlete, and we want 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:29.600 to recognize all the children that have passed away to 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:33.280 keep their memories alive and then let their parents know 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:37.360 and let everybody know that they were important in our lives. 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:43.360 They came here not to make a you know, uh, 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:45.960 an impression. They came here to make an impact. And 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:49.720 there's a big difference. You know, everybody can make an 0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:52.520 impression you. You know what I met with the age 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:56.560 nice guy. You made an impression on me. But you've 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:58.520 always said that to me. But the way that you 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:03.280 can change somebody's day by just saying hello, because people 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:05.920 don't realize it and be honest with you. I didn't 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:09.640 work really realize it until we had a little girl 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:13.240 named Lauren that had a brain tumor and I used 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:16.359 to call her after she went through her kemo or radiation. 0:16:16.920 --> 0:16:19.360 She'd go back to school and I'd call her and 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:22.080 I say, Lauren, you went back to school. That had 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:25.600 to be exciting. How was it? And she'd say, I 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.400 was invisible today. I said, Lauren, what do you mean 0:16:28.440 --> 0:16:30.440 you were invisible? She said. I said, at the same 0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:33.560 lunch table everybody walked by. I mean, nobody wanted to 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:37.600 have lunch with me. Nobody said anything. And that's not 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:42.160 kids being mean, because adults do it. Sometimes we don't 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.720 know what to say, but we have to say something 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:50.120 because if you don't say something, in their world, it's 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:54.840 another day where they're invisible. It's another day where nobody 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:59.120 said anything kind to him. It's like the first thing 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:01.840 you should do in the morning is look at yourself 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:05.400 and say, hey, how can I make a difference. And 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:12.320 I've read a poem or three lines, probably years ago 0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:14.960 that I try to recite to myself every day. It says, 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:17.119 to dream anything you want. That's the beauty of the 0:17:17.200 --> 0:17:20.760 human mind. Try to tell people dream as much as 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:23.120 you can, because if you can dream it, you can 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:26.720 see it, you can touch it, it might just come true. 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:30.320 The second line goes to do anything you want to do. 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:33.960 That's the strength of the human will. Your body might quit, 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:37.720 but don't let the spirit. Don't let your human will 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:41.760 deter you from doing anything. And the third line is 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:45.760 probably the most important one says trust yourself to test 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:50.239 your limits. That is the courage to succeed. You know, 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:54.120 sometimes we have to think outside the box. Sometimes when 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:58.840 you are are putting together something like the Foundation, you 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.560 have to trust yourself that you know what you're making 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:05.479 the right decisions, you're taking everybody's opinion, and you're doing 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:09.119 what's right for the kids. And it comes down to 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:12.320 you believe in in yourself. You can take those three 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:15.119 lines and you can use them in corporate America. You 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:17.560 can use them out there on the football field, you 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:20.400 can use them in your everyday life to make sure 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:24.880 that every day you try to make a difference. We're 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:29.399 going to transition to football, even though that sounds quite 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:32.080 impossible at the moment. But with that being said, if 0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:38.119 somebody wants to help Marty Lions forty three years down 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:41.800 the road in terms of your organization now in this 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:45.760 forty year, and they can help you in three and beyond, 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:47.280 how can they do it? All they have to do 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:50.159 is go to the Marty Lions Foundation dot org. You 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:55.000 can donate online. You can send us a message that 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:58.240 you'd like to volunteer. You can send a message that 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.920 maybe you have an in kind donation that you want 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:06.600 to do. Um I encourage people if you want to volunteer, 0:19:07.400 --> 0:19:11.399 come to the foundation. Let us teach you how to 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:17.120 fulfill a wish and let you make contact with the family. 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:22.200 You're that you're the coordinator of their wish. So now 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:27.760 you're involved in every step and you build a relationship 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:31.800 and you get to see these families that every single 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:35.520 day for somebody's family, they get up in their routine 0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:38.359 is the same. You know, they picked their child up 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:41.800 out of bed, they'll wash them, they'll feed them, they'll 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:46.320 put them in a wheelchair. And then it's every day, 0:19:46.520 --> 0:19:51.840 every single day, and we've got to understand how fortunate 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:57.480 we are. And because we're in that position, it's our responsibility. 0:19:57.600 --> 0:20:00.199 The opportunity is going to be there e A. If 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:03.080 it's not with the Marty Lyons Foundation, it's with There's 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:06.720 a lot of nonprofit organizations out there that need help, 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:09.399 and I campaign for every one of them. And I 0:20:09.520 --> 0:20:12.879 tell the people that I talked to find the one 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:16.240 that fits into your life, Find the one that you 0:20:16.280 --> 0:20:19.040 can make a full commitment to. Find the one that 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:22.639 as you're working, the rewards are coming back to you. 0:20:23.240 --> 0:20:26.280 That's where you're going to give and that's where you're 0:20:26.280 --> 0:20:32.280 gonna make a difference. Congratulations, we salute you, We love you. 0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:36.320 You are Mr jet Uh speaking of being Mr jet 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:38.439 How many years in the radio booth now for you 0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:41.680 and shooes Bob and I are going on twenty one 0:20:41.880 --> 0:20:44.040 and then I did I was fortunate enough to do 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:49.720 the Jet Journal TV show for maybe eight years with 0:20:49.960 --> 0:20:53.000 MSG and then you know, I was fortunate enough to 0:20:53.240 --> 0:20:57.800 come here in VY nine and then retire in so 0:20:58.359 --> 0:21:01.280 you know, forty three years. I tell people I've seen 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:03.200 the good, the bad, the ugly. I've been a part 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:07.120 of all of it. But there's something about Joe Douglas, 0:21:07.160 --> 0:21:11.200 There's something about Rob sala There's something that you feel 0:21:11.240 --> 0:21:15.240 about this stability at the top, and you just think 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:20.320 that maybe maybe they got it right. And I think 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:24.720 it falls back onto the players to actually believe. Number one, 0:21:24.840 --> 0:21:29.520 believe in themselves. Number two believe in the system, and 0:21:29.880 --> 0:21:33.280 number three go out there and execute. You get paid 0:21:33.320 --> 0:21:36.680 to play football, that's your job. You don't get paid 0:21:36.720 --> 0:21:41.640 to lose games and go four and thirteen. And unfortunately, 0:21:41.840 --> 0:21:46.040 in the business world of the NFL, no no team 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:50.560 will ever be the same. So the team is going 0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:53.280 to be special, but there's gonna be a lot of 0:21:53.320 --> 0:21:57.160 missing faces. Next year is not going to be the same. 0:21:58.000 --> 0:22:01.840 But you're going to into your second year with Rob Salah, 0:22:02.160 --> 0:22:07.359 Michael floor his offense, you know, and now it's time 0:22:07.440 --> 0:22:10.640 to adapt. It's time for the veteran leadership to take 0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:16.560 these young guys, take their energy, combine it all, start fast. 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:20.000 You can't go one in three, two and two to 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:23.960 begin of the year oh and four because if you 0:22:24.040 --> 0:22:27.520 divide it before they've moved it to seventeen. Used to 0:22:27.560 --> 0:22:32.480 divide the sixteen game schedule into quarters. If you if 0:22:32.480 --> 0:22:36.000 you go one in three, your next quarter, you gotta 0:22:36.040 --> 0:22:39.200 go three and one, And people go, well, they got 0:22:39.200 --> 0:22:42.800 a tough schedule. Well, you open up against Baltimore. Every 0:22:42.840 --> 0:22:45.840 team in the NFL should be tough, can be tough 0:22:46.359 --> 0:22:49.320 on a particular day. If you want to be the best, 0:22:50.200 --> 0:22:52.960 play the best, and the more you play the best, 0:22:53.680 --> 0:22:56.800 the more you're gonna build confidence. And you build confidence 0:22:57.840 --> 0:23:02.440 by winning games or understanding why you lost the game. 0:23:03.680 --> 0:23:06.040 You said you think the Jets have it right at 0:23:06.040 --> 0:23:08.760 the top, and I think everybody in this building feels 0:23:08.800 --> 0:23:11.520 the same way. Obviously I work here, so people can 0:23:11.520 --> 0:23:13.919 say you're a homer. I don't think we've ever had 0:23:13.920 --> 0:23:18.160 a structure like this with Hommi al Hai president, Joe 0:23:18.200 --> 0:23:22.000 Douglas at GM, and now Robert Sala as head coach. 0:23:23.400 --> 0:23:25.879 Would you have liked planning for Sala? He seems to 0:23:26.000 --> 0:23:30.879 connect so well with players, and he's, you know, people 0:23:30.960 --> 0:23:34.160 throw around the phrase leader of men, but he has 0:23:34.200 --> 0:23:38.080 some natural leadership qualities and I think he's a guy 0:23:38.560 --> 0:23:41.040 who also lives it the way he talks to people 0:23:41.080 --> 0:23:45.240 about strain. We saw him today with the six shirt 0:23:45.320 --> 0:23:49.800 on referencing the Navy Seals, saying that there's always more 0:23:51.040 --> 0:23:56.080 flight or fright or um flight or fight. Excuse me. Uh. 0:23:56.160 --> 0:24:00.399 He just has a way about himself present and I 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:03.200 think people gravitate towards him. Oh, I would say, he's 0:24:03.240 --> 0:24:06.160 a people's person. You know. Here, I am sixty five 0:24:06.240 --> 0:24:08.520 years old. The first time I met him, you know what, 0:24:08.640 --> 0:24:11.320 I got goose bumps and I said, wow, you know what. 0:24:12.200 --> 0:24:15.359 Watching him on TV when he was a defensive coordinator 0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:18.840 for the forty niners, when the defense would come up 0:24:18.880 --> 0:24:21.320 with a big play and he'd run down the field 0:24:21.640 --> 0:24:25.359 and chest pump his guys. That's a guy that's fully committed. 0:24:26.080 --> 0:24:29.240 And I think last year, his first year as a 0:24:29.320 --> 0:24:33.440 head coach, he kind of tried to taper that energy 0:24:33.680 --> 0:24:36.960 because maybe he thought or maybe somebody said, hey, you know, 0:24:37.040 --> 0:24:40.199 head coaches aren't supposed to do that. So it'll be 0:24:40.280 --> 0:24:44.480 interesting to see how he interacts with this players this year. 0:24:45.119 --> 0:24:48.120 But you see more of that. I hope we do. 0:24:48.400 --> 0:24:51.199 I hope we see more of it. And uh, I 0:24:51.240 --> 0:24:53.320 would have loved have played for him. I think that 0:24:53.440 --> 0:24:57.160 the organization again, they have it right, this stability. They're 0:24:57.200 --> 0:25:00.600