The OG Big Back from Las Vegas, Steven Jackson, makes a special appearance on Conversations with a Legend with LaVar Arrington. Steven relives his time with Oregon State and the one person that kept him grounded on and off the field. When Jackson was drafted by the St. Louis Rams, he proved to the fanbase that he was just a Blue Collar guy running the rock. Also, LaVar and Steven talk about the best NFL commercial to ever air and what does he want most for the players that step off the field for that final time.
UP On GAME Presents Conversations With A Legend. LaVar Arrington is sitting down with the best from the field, the stage, and beyond. These are intimate conversations and storytelling with legendary humans about their lives and successful careers. In this episode, Arrington talks with 3x NFL Pro-Bowl Steven
Subscribe/Rate/Review to Up On Game Presents on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts!
WATCH FULL EPISODES ON THE UP ON GAME NETWORK YOUTUBE CHANNEL
============ SOCIAL MEDIA ============
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/sj39
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsj39
► Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/stevenjackson39
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/NFLLegends
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/lavararrington
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/UpOnGameNetwork
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upongamenet.
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, I mentors Sean Merriman, so when I saw
the commercial hit, I was like, hey, you got Sean
dogging cats. But then here comes Steve grabbing the ball,
and that's you.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Bumps because you talk about the concept of it and
what we're trying to show. The grind from week to
week seasons, you know, through the fall, through the winter,
right regardless.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Indoor the other was changing on.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Yeah, exactly right, right, every week you got a grind
on the game.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Conversations with a Legend and now here's LeVar Errington.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Welcome to another exciting edition of Conversations with a Legend,
presented to you by up On Game Presents. I got
my man steam tailback. I mean, if that's what you
want to call him, some people might call him a
freak train big dog. Got my man Steve Jackson with
me on the show. Appreciate you coming in joining the
(01:03):
show man, having a conversation with you.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
How's life been, man, How you doing well?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Thank you firston for having me man. I grew up
a huge fan of yours when I was in high school.
I watched you at Penn State, So I appreciate this
conversation that we're about to have.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
But I'm doing good, man. You know, I look at
the game.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I just marveled about what we were able to accomplish
ourselves because you realize all the things that's not in
your control when you're in that when you're in that huddle,
you think.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
You are right right.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
So you're from Vegas, Vegas, cat, did you like tell
me about that experience, Like is it just born in Vegas?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Did you move around? Like?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
What what what was the what's your background, what's the upbringing?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
What? What was that like?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
No, So I'm born and raised Las Vegas, one of
the few. And you know, my mom and dad are
from Arkansas.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Dad ye had.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Dad did some time in the military, and once he
got back from the war. Being no war, they moved
across the country. You know, he said, sixty dollars and
a car pull of stuff and moved out west. Heard
they were hiring Vegas, got a gig on the strip.
He and my mom both about found jobs on the
strip during the New Year's time. You know, you up
employment expecting for the crowds, and then back then, you know,
(02:18):
stuck around. Thirty five years later, he worked his way
up from an entry level job of being a porter
to being a casino manager, and you know when that's
when you know, family owned and people are able to
move up the corporate ladder sort of speak.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Sure, I mean what was that like, man? Like growing
up in Vegas? Like people think of the Strip, people
think of so many different things. You know, football doesn't
come to mind. I mean you might think of the
running Rebels or something like that from UNLV, but football
you don't say, Hu Vegas. I mean, I know Bishop
(02:53):
Gorman is there, and I know that they they've.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Had some good football, But I mean, what's that like?
What's football like there?
Speaker 5 (03:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
It was you know, football here growing up especially, was
very low profile. It wasn't a big scene. And now
that you know, you have some of these national names
that you reference, uh, you know, disposures getting out there,
But growing up when I was here, no, I mean
it's city living, getting in outside all day but getting
in before dark, and very little fields to work on
(03:21):
your crafts, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
So I was a kid man.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I just ran, ran heels, ran some of the mountains
around here, putting a lot of work on bleachers back then,
you know that kind of stuff. And I was just
dedicated to what I thought, or what was an escape
for me? And the reality was I wasn't. It wasn't
much going on. The city was only really poor adults
at that time, so you couldn't go on the strip
as a kid and the other stuff he had going on.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
You know, I was.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Fortunate enough to come from a two parent household, so
my dad wouldn't let me get involved in that.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
So my escapeism was the football field.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I could dig that. You you're a big bat.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
You you were, you were a big and you talk
about being a fan of me.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
I was a fan of you watching you.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Tote the bill, tote the rock for the beavers man,
and all I could remember was I want to hit him,
like I want to play against this dude, because you
were explosive, you were fast, and your type of back.
I mean, there's there's really like a handful of guys
that you can say were the type of back that
(04:28):
you were. You know, you throw Eddie George up into
the mix of that. I mean, there's a few more
that you know you could kind of throw out there.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
But you were a break the mold type of back.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
When you were coming out, you said high school ball
was relatively low key, and obscure.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
How were you were you recruited?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I mean because the size and the speed and athleticism.
I mean, you had to be a top rated guy
coming out, right.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
Yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I was in the recruiting and that back then, little books, magazines, yeah,
assalons right right right, but never could this steam point
of national notoriety. So you know, schools like Nebraska recruited me,
but they saw me as a defender, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
More and more as a linebacker.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
And you know the other bigger schools here on the
West coast, you had U C l A with the
Sharon Foster at the time, and they just wasn't winning.
And so when I was coming out of high school,
USC was down. My freshman year at Oregon State was
Pete Curll's first year at C. So that dominance of
south you know, Southern California, which just wasn't prevent when
I was getting ready to come out and get one
(05:37):
to have a scholarship. So the Northwest and and me
wanted to be in the Pac Ten kind of were
locked in. And it was like a Destiny coach ericson
which I was. I knew his work from Miami Hurricanes.
He came, and he came to my house, gave me
a pitch of of his life and my life, and
a lot of things that he said to me made sense.
(05:59):
He had two senior running backs and no one to
kind of stay claim to who's going to be the
next guy, And I just jumped at the opportunity. You know,
I believe that better myself. I believe in my talent
that given other underclassmen, I could compete.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You were a terror. Yeah, how how was that?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
You know a lot of times people have to overcome
a lot of elements when they leave from high school
to college. I too was a tailback. I was I
was a big back, and I was the opposite. I
wanted to play defense. I was getting recruited to play tailback,
and I didn't want to play tailback.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I just feel like the.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Game can be taken out of your hands and it
could be put into somebody else's or into something else,
and you could be rendered, you know, kind of a
non factor. And I really didn't like I like action.
I needed action every play for you going to school.
(07:02):
I mean, you chose it, he gave Coach Erickson gave
a pitch of his life. You end up there and
you were I mean, you didn't have to wait long.
From what I can recall, you were right in the
mix of it and you were making an impact. What
was that like for you, Like, was there any major
challenges that that were unforeseen? Like people look at what
(07:25):
you were able to do, but then they're sit there
and be like, you know, it probably comes easy for him.
He probably never had the struggle because he was bigger, stronger,
faster than everybody that he was going up against.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
No, So I think the challenge was just getting my duke.
As you stated, freshman year, I played as the true freshman.
I'm back up two seniors, and the opportunity that I
recall is, you know, playing special teams and making an
impact there. And that's when I started really buying into
it a team sport, right, Because to your point, it
did come easy until I got to a college level
(07:58):
and when I started really realizing the impact of what
you can have on a game if you put in
the right positions and then have the opportunities, it started
to start to click a little bit. But then when
the two senior guys went down against USC in the
coliseum and I was thrown in the fire. It was
more so showing my commitment in love for the game.
(08:19):
You know, I offered often reference to I'm an I'm
an old school in mind because I studied you guys
so much.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I knew everything about you all because I wanted.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
To eventually beat you So with that respect for the
game and my knowledge of the game, it was my opportunity.
When these two guys went down in the coliseum, I
felt like it was just uh, it was a divine intervention,
so to speak, and that was that was my chance.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I mean, I've never been to Oregon State. You know,
I'm tight with with with TJ. We do a show.
I make fun of him a lot like Oregon State
this and that. But y'all be producing some ballers out
of there. What what was that? Did the Did the
success on fill equate to you know, pressures or an
(09:06):
interesting life as it applied to you guys, you know,
for you in particular off the field.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's an interesting question, I believe. Yeah, it's one of those.
It's a small town, small college town, very friendly people,
but it's still somewhat it's not it's it doesn't have
quite the diversity of some of these other larger campuses
have right, so and so to speak. When you're one
or two percent of the population of what campus is,
(09:35):
you got recluse to each other and you got to
lean on each other for experience and to make sure
you're not tripping, right, Like, this is what I went
through today.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Did you experience this or how you have that happen
to you?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And it's kind of like I just it's it's when
you come back to neutral and you feel like, okay,
all right, I'm not tripping.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
This is the experience of what I am, what I'm
going through here in the.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
State of Oregon on campus, largely because sometimes you know,
what I experienced, okay, is that people want to help,
but in helping they kind of drown your voice out
because you know, they can't quite living your shoes and
to your leans. So although I was this big star
athlete on campus, there's still was some experiences that I
(10:16):
lacked from what I grew up grew up with and
we're used to. So in that setting, it makes you
all bald important. It makes the emphasis of family and
leaning on one another even more, you know, bolded, because
it's really what you're living out training for the game
is what you're living out of your college experience, hoping
and you know, to take advantage of the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Who was your person?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, like that's that's a great it's a great answer,
and it's respectable.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
But you and I know we be dealing with a
whole lot.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Like there's those moments of even if you're doing well,
there's moments of like uncertainty, you know, frustration, you know, excitement,
There's so many different emotions that especially when you're the star.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
You know, who was your person? Was it? Was it
a teammate? Was it? My person? Was? Was on the
track team.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
And it was it was a lady lady lion that
ran and we were best friends. We knew each other
since high school. Wasn't a loving basketball type of story.
It wasn't like that, but that was my person. You know,
I had the ricky moment like I'm tired of this,
you know what I mean, Like I didn't fell to
(11:32):
my knees, bro I'm crying, like crying, like I don't
understand why things are going this way. And I can
remember her talking me off the ledge, like let's jump
back in our books when when all else fails. You know,
your education is the key and just keep believing in yourself.
Did you have a person that that when you had
(11:53):
your moments that was like that person that you talked
about community and drawing close.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Who was your person?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So it was a senior running back. The name was
Ken Simonson, and he's the school all time lead rusher.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So I was fortunate enough to not only play for
a guy that broke a lot of records and kind
of set the standard for myself, but also he was
a Pittsburg, California guy that Bay area, and he had
some sense. He actually made me start looking at the
world and it broader and broader terms.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
I wasn't too social laser focused and just think about
football singularly. And he would prove these questions or he'd
point out the history of what we were living through,
and he was, you know, bringing that kind of awareness
to myself. So I was fortunate enough to have a
senior running back pour into me so early because he
saw the potential. You know, I was humble, you know,
I was I was I was willing to put into work,
(12:45):
but at the same time, I was a sponge and
he fed into that in the right way.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I'm gonna transition on you the pack. You said, the
PAC ten, then it went to the PAC twelve. That
ten came and took U c l A and the USC.
Now y'all are going to go back to the PAC ten.
What's your you're watching it take place. I'm gonna talk
to you about nil because obviously we're gonna get to
(13:16):
the commercial, one of the most legendary commercials ever shot
as well. We're gonna touch on that and how multifaceted
you are. But talk to me about what you feel
about the PAC ken. Can it survive where you think
things are going.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Yeah, it's gonna be interesting. I think it will survive.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Just the shariness of the population and people are proud
of their schools, just like anywhere else in the country.
Disappointed USC and U c l A. The you know,
to kind of pull the rug from underneath us where
and in a year or two you're gonna have negotiation
regarding new contract money. And right now it looks like
you're so far behind the US, I mean, the SEC
(13:56):
and some of these other conferences because of their licenses
and their tv RISS but you're not getting a consideration
that the Pack was the first one to do a
TV deal, right, So you're ahead of yourself at a
time where now the markets surpassed us and it's just
about having a correction.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
But more poortland where I think they really.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Lost sight of it is regionally, right, you're not securing
the best talent in California or in the southern Western
states because some of our best talents being poached by
the SEC. So you know, if you think about it
in terms of a politics, you're not securing your own borders.
So how can you then say, Okay, it's we're the
ones that's carrying the conference and you move on to
(14:33):
another conference as alliance where you're not doing anything or
doing the best that we could to work together as
a conference and secure that we keep our best talent
regardless of where they go on the West Coast.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
So that's I mean, what do you think happens that
do usc UCLA going into the ten? Are they able
to recruit better? What what does that mean for Oregon State?
What does that mean for or again, I mean what
does that mean for the pack?
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Now?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
In terms of that that idea of what the recruitment
of the players looks like, especially in the in the
areas that that you guys are are in.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So if I'm if I'm Morgan stated, if I'm there,
if I'm on this committee, on this board, and we're
talking about how are we going to attract new talent,
it's to do exactly what we kind of hit on you.
You don't you look inwardly and you think about self reflection.
We want to bring some of these top athletes in
from these areas that is obviously being abandoned.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
We need to go in there and have a real
conversation with them and their families.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
You know, this is what it looks like now, but
this is what you can help us build towards towards
the future as well as we're going to allow you
to play out you plays early as long as your
talent does so in your grace reflect that. But also
we're going to make sure that your family is involved
on how we're going to help you build a brand
for yourself, how to help you go out into the
larger world and deal with that. These hurdles that come
before us not just about building alliances, but it's about
(15:57):
working through issues and problems with other people. And we
can have I best give you that example here because
and more than likely it's not going to be your
normal life or what you've been used to.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
All right, before I get up out of college, I
gotta ask you in il because we're gonna talk. We're
gonna talk about how you have been almost in essence,
you know, you have been active, proactive, almost like a savant,
and being more than just a football player. We'll get
to that as as we move into the next next
(16:29):
level of your life in this conversation. But n I
l if the nil is there while Steve Jackson is
is in in college, what does that look like for you?
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Oh? I think I think I sent myself apart.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
You know what these kids call, you know, content creator
or one of these renaissance people is leading the way.
I think that's what I would have been in those shoes,
you know, because I understand how the storytell Understand that,
you know, everyone doesn't get to live these realities that
we had a chance to, and how to package that
(17:06):
in a way that it's approachable.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
I have a I have a gift for that.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Mm hm, you always have. So let's let's let's let's
delve into that. You end up going as a high
drive pick you go to the Rams. The Rams was
still a hot team at the time, still in Saint Louis,
and hell I can remember playing against y'all and you
were were the guy.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
What was that?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
What was that experience like for you in terms of
you marketing and branding yourself and and how did that
play a part in in your popularity because you grew
to popularity really quickly coming into the league. And you know, obviously,
again if we were to say Saint Louis, the Saint
(17:55):
Louis Rams, they were like the popular team, people would
be like really like everybody's thinking in LA these days,
But that was a vibe back then to be on
the Rams and you were. You were on that that
I want to say, the last of the Mohicans before
it went bad kind of sort of for Saint Louis
and they ended up leaving.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
So what was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Being that like you took over the mantle, Like wasn't
going to be easy to do it with Marshall Folk
being the guy he was, and you know Arland was
up in the mix out of point in time.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
But what what was that like for you?
Speaker 5 (18:32):
H was challenge?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
You know, everything you said, was it was an upward battle,
upward hill battle because you know, you have two times
officer in MVP and Marshall and some of the other
things he was able to accomplish.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Wow, he was still there.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
He was still there being you know, uh, and here
I come. I'm not clean cut. You know, I had
these long hair tattoos. So I looked the pullou opposite
of what they've grown to luve and for me to
come in and challenge that, it wasn't going to be easy.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And it wasn't you know, if they had their opinions
on me and what.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I did though, and what was always driven driven in
me from high school was reflected on is I was
a hard worker. It was why I got it. I
got a chance to escape. So regardless of how beat
writers wrote about me or how fans felt about this
new this new kid trying to take their favorite player's job,
I knew that if I continue to just consistently work
hard and me just show up, they eventually get to
(19:27):
see the.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Other side of me.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
And that's eventually what I just did, you know, And
it almost made made even more sense because blue collar
people are that way. You know, my work after it
reflected what their life really is. Yeah, it made more
It made their guard come down, and it made me,
I guess, seem more approachable.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Have you ever heard?
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Because when I first was seeing you, you were big,
You did have the dreads, you did have the tax
and I was a dread too, So I know all
about it. I see you going, you going back down
the journey as well. I don't know how far you're
gonna go with it, but it won't go that far.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
You had, you had your main.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
You had to the Tats and look they who win
the war, right, rite the history?
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Right? That's all you see.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Yeah, that's all you see now, like so and and
and in so many ways, you're you're a pioneer. I mean,
if you look at Henry, that's a carbon copy in
terms of big, rocked up fast tats dreads. Right, Like
(20:37):
you're a pioneer. How does that feel now? Knowing that
you had to do that uphill battle? It's almost like
in a way, it's almost like an AI type of scenario, right,
because you were the first one.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Like literally, I could.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Say confidently I'm thinking, I'm you know, you could think
about like them you boys like nausea dive important A
few of them, Edgar and James.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
But they weren't. They weren't larger than life figures coming in.
It wasn't like this.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Big, tall, ginormous running back tats and dreads and he's
he's out on them.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Like, what was that like for you? Now? When you
look at where the game is, the culture of the game,
now what you know, how does that make you feel?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
You know, it makes me feel good because it means
that I did my part right, you know. Not only
did I you know, help break it into the day
to day Sunday football watchers television said, you know, because
you're talking about the commercials and things like that, right,
I was able to be on the sphearhead of that.
But also I guess I handled myself in a way
that they didn't have those those stereotypes you want to
(21:47):
put on that look or what you want to assume
about that person that looks like, you know what I
look like.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
I broke those those I.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Helped break some of those doors down to make now
that these guys are getting contracts and theseials and not
having that second thought of what I knew I faced
in the boardroom.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
It just it proves that I did my.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Job, So let's let's talk about that led to endorsements,
knocking down the doors. I just had this conversation with
my homie yesterday, so I'm real tight.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
You know. I mentored Sean Merriman.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
So when I saw the commercial hit, I was like, hey, like,
hardest commercial to this day. It's still the hardest one
to this day. The last of the Mohicans, I referenced earlier.
They're playing the theme music from from the Muse, from
(22:41):
the movie you got Sean dogging cats. But then here
comes Steve grabbing the ball and rolling out and doing
what he's doing, and that's you.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
How does that?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I mean, in the moment, I'm sure it's like, man,
that's a pretty cool commercial. But where you are now,
how do you look at a moment like that? Like
how do you internalize that you're part of one of
the most iconic Nike commercials ever shot?
Speaker 5 (23:11):
And it's goosebumps? You know.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I remember in college we used to get some of
the prototype claques, right, and we would get these shoes
given to us and practice in and it was like, damn,
if I could just find a deal with Nike one day,
that would be like one of the freshest, dopest moments
that I you know, man, but then to then fast
forward to be one of the part of the most
(23:34):
iconic commercials the marketing. It changed the way football commercializes
itself and how it pushes the products. But to be
you know that that prototype that I mean, it outlasts
me my time on this earth.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
So it's dope.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
It's one is dope, but it's very humbling because I
remember just wanting to get some pre product as a
college issuest.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Right, how does that make you feel to know again
that that guys, you know, it's always who can come
up with something next? Like where does the next game
changing content comes from? How does that make you feel
to know that that's a standard? Like, guys are still
(24:17):
probably influenced by that commercial.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
How does that like, that's got to be a cool feeling.
Speaker 5 (24:23):
It is.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It is because you talk about the concept of it,
and what we're trying to show is the grind from
week to week seasons, you know, through the fall, through
the winter, right regardless indoor.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
The other was changing on yeah, exactly right, right, every
week you got to grind and you know when they're man,
you got the pressure of him breathing down your back,
or you got the pressure of me rugging ready, were
trying to.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Bring you over, right, Who's going to stop you? And
then next week the challenge only becomes even greater. So
for us to be able to convey that in less
than a minute, you know, we still they would talk
about it nearly twenty years later. It just it was
it was I was happy that we put in the
effort that we did because we talked about it right
as you talk about you like, I want this to
(25:07):
be dope. I want people to remember this. So for
us to go and put that kind of commendment in
and deliver on that, it means that we're gonna stick
around for a long time.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Truth, let's talk about let's stay. Let's stay in that
that area. In terms of branding yourself, in terms of
being more, you have always proactively been more. Like I
always say I'm a guy that played football. I'm not
(25:36):
a football player. I've never been a football player. I've
always been a dude that played ball and I actually
was good at doing it and I love doing it.
But I never subscribed to I'm the jersey number on
my back, I'm I'm you know, this is what I am.
I'm a football player, like I'm that's I love the game.
(25:57):
I love what it's done for me. But I was
always proactively trying to leverage the game and what it
represented to ultimately become what I wanted to be. I
saw that in you. I saw you, you know, doing
a lot. I know you did the boot camp, the
media boot camp. At one point in time, I know
(26:18):
you were doing you know, media and different things like that.
How has that gone for you? And what was your
approach in terms of building your brand and and being
you know, I heard you mentioned a renaissance type of guy.
How has how how how was that or why was
(26:38):
that a mindset for you? How did you approach it?
And where are you with that now today?
Speaker 5 (26:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (26:45):
So it's the click the ball I guess started rolling
and things start clicking for me when times are getting
bad at Saint Louis, right, you start giving you you're
not on Monday night football, you're not in the prior
time spot and the things that you're accomplishing. Its kind
of being just read or a small bleep in a paragraph, right,
And I was like, holy crap, Now, if I don't
(27:06):
get controlled of the narrative now people say now, But
I then I was like, if I don't get control
of this narrative, I'm quickly going to be a memory.
And so I then start going back to what you
lived in your journey is actually you started pulling from
that as inspiration and the two things that I lived
through and in Vegas always promote myself as being one
(27:26):
of the greatest cities to escape to, always promising some
type of reward for risk, right, And then when I
got to Oregon, I saw how Nike was just such
a dominant force in the sports world. I started thinking about, Okay,
how do I bring these two together for myself? And
I did that by shooting a documentary I documented. I
(27:46):
did the documenty cause a Week in the Life, you know,
and it's telling me the story again more intimate level.
And I shot that and we released that on YouTube.
And when I saw how much interest I got, you know,
I was up for what was called the webby between
the Onion La Times and myself. So I'm like, WHOA,
I'm onto something here. Now, how do I stick to it?
(28:08):
And as I continue to study it and continue the
ball that you said the Hollywood boot Camp things start
leaning out and leveraging the game that I felt was
taken from us and abuse some body. I started leveraging
what it was offering to me to grow myself intellectually
and in different rooms I couldn't get in in my own.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
So where are you at with it now?
Speaker 5 (28:27):
Well?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Now I have my own clothing brand that I'm rocking
obs obs. Yes, yeah, the website is obs brand dot com.
So thank you for that, all right, But the brand,
what the brand is is overcoming the bsublock.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
Okay. So we're all going to have some issues.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
We're all going to grow up through some things that
have traumatize us as kids. There's going to be some
hurdle that you believe either gender is holding you back
or your ethnic race is holding you back. There's going
to be rooms you're going to be uncomfortable in, but
you got to navigate that for yourself. No one's going
to come safe true be able to navigate. You got
to be able to not only communicate your story but
also your strengths. What can you provide in that room
(29:06):
to be a favor And once you get that and
realize how do you make those connections in the room,
how do you deliver on that, and I continue to
just and I just impressed on the younger generations because
I love dealing with younger athletes, dealing with high school students,
but because at that point it's so pivotal. You could
go left or right, and I'm just trying to press
(29:27):
on them that, you know, continue to be uncomfortable because
the moment you're in the smartest one in the room,
or you don't want the biggest success.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
In the room, y'all grown that room.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
You to continue to look for how do I overcome
the next circumstance of my life?
Speaker 5 (29:39):
So motivational.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
I sold closed in high school to get by, but
it's helping tell the story and motivating that next generation
to keep going.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
True true, I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
So Obs, make sure you go to OBS brand that is, yes, sir,
obsbrand dot com.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Yes, sir, Yeah, make sure y'all go. We'll put that
up and push that out.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Uh, looking at the league, Now, what's your what's your
take on it? Because it was it was still it
was still bang bang, you know, back then it was
still it was still a whole lot more physicality connected
to it. You just talking about, you know, some of
(30:22):
the things that you got to get addressed, you know,
health wise and stuff like that. Before we even started
the interview, bro we was thumping back then like it
was bumping grind back then. The game has still has
some dogs, but largely it's it's a it's an evolved
(30:44):
it's a changed approach, it's a changed physicality total overall
to how the game is played. How you think you
would have done in today's NFL.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
You know, I think just to ship they don't hit
in practice, right, I think that says that saves and
probably left in my career another two or three seasons
where you know, I had some of these coaches, they're
coming into the team because we were bad the year before.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
They then they got to toughen you up.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So I'm I mean, I'm living, I'm live practice, right,
and then now I have to go out on Sunday
and do it again and entertain that in itself. I
think length is my career. I'm more dominant. The game
is spread out and uh, and I don't I still
don't know how officials are calling this crown or the
hell oft thing right? So interesting enough, I think the
(31:35):
league has been intentions of protecting people, but at the
end of the day, you can't gu guarantee anything. So
what I challenge the league and say is take care
of the guys afterwards and let the game be what
it is. It's physical. It's a physical game, and you
know those are choosing to play.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
We live with that.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
That's interesting and I like that because you're right, take
care of the guys.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
All right, I'm gonna rap with this. I'm gonna rap
with this.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
But you got some legendary dudes that came through Oregon State,
and I mentioned them and I do a show on
Saturdays with TJ called up on game. Do you have
any stories on TJ. Hushman Zada, because I'm just curious.
I remember him. Obviously, he's my generation of players. We're
(32:27):
a little bit older than you, but you was in
at the same time as us going into Oregon State.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Is there anything on t J. Hushman Zada.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
I have nothing.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Now, you don't have nothing.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
I have nothing. He's a good brother, I have not.
I have nothing on him.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
He was always one of those guys that actually taught
us to have school pride because before then, you know,
before that group got there, it was a losing it
was a losing program right to see these guys on
Saturday scoring touchdowns, doing the pack down right, they're on
live TV doing like some some hood stuff you like, like,
(33:03):
I want to I want to roll with them cats.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I want to be down with So. Teacher has always
been a good dude.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Man. I can't say one bad thing about him. And
he's very passionate about our legends. The way he talks
and interviews is the way he talks behind closed doors,
and he's very you know, he he gets the little
hands slapped from the table when he's making an emphasis.
So my thing is love, man, It's numb of love
and respectful him.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
True true truth.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
All right, before I let you go, Man, you just
talked about obs. Is there anything else that you're promoting?
Anything else you got going on?
Speaker 3 (33:35):
Talk to me?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
It is so.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
I have a barber school here in Las Vegas, Nevada.
My best friend and I Carl Little's uh. He was
our master ball and our instructor there. We grew up
together in high school. He's always been someone that actually
he grew with me and and our growth individually. He
went out and he wanted to become an educator, and
I supported that in the sense that we're ranked four.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
Ninth in the country as a school district.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Very limited opportunities here for the juncsters blown up in
Vegas outside of industry work and for us to promote individualism,
being original and being true to who we are. I
believe in creating career paths, not just complaining about it,
but actually action and doing something about it. So we
came together, put our minds to work, and we created
(34:23):
this barber school, the original barber school, which is a
second meaning for the obs there, so you can't forget it,
but the original barber school here in Last Vegas. We're
one hundred percent full with a waiting list just as
long as our opening. But it's one that the community
has braced. We've given out numerous things to the community,
(34:43):
so we're not only taking what we're giving, but we're
also giving these young people a career path for them
to be able to take advantage in the future.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
But it's speaking professionalism into them as well as helping
them build up their clientele.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Fire is there a website?
Speaker 5 (34:58):
It is?
Speaker 2 (34:59):
It is, so it's a long one, so bear with me.
Is the Original Barber School LV for Las Vegas. So
original Barberschool LV dot com.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Does that mean you're planning on going somewhere else?
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Absolutely, I know that's right, all right, all right, the
original barber School LV dot com. Make sure we're gonna
put that up on the bottom of the screen. All right, Man?
Is there anything else?
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Is that is?
Speaker 1 (35:31):
I mean as if that's not enough, but I want
to make sure anything that you want to put out there,
that you have this opportunity to put it out on
the platform.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Anything else you got.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Those of that who does not follow me, please follow
me on my social media most of them. I'm at
SJ three nine on Twitter and then on Instagram. Mom,
I am SJ three nine. I use my platform there
to hopefully to inspire, to encourage, and to motivate those
of you that may be just fans of sports, but
(36:02):
also enlightening. I believe in pushing the narrative, pushing people forward.
That's what I stand for. That's what I believe in.
So I'm continue to grow and I hope you know,
enjoy if you decide to follow the growth in myself,
and we'll I'll be pushing to the rest of the community.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Thank you, Jackson, y'all.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
This is Conversations with a Legend presented by up On
Game Presents. Man, y'all been blessed today, dope, dude. I've
been excited about the opportunity of pursuing to get the
interview with you, and it's great to hear from you,
continued success to you, and yeah, like we're gonna put
(36:43):
this out there because people need they hear the positivity,
they need to feel the energy of Juggernauts that have
played this game but are humble warriors. Man, You're a
humble warrior, and you know I appreciate your approach to
to what you do and how you do it and
anyway we can support you, we gonna continue to support you, man,
(37:03):
So we'll probably most likely be in contact with you
to make sure we can we.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Could do just that.
Speaker 5 (37:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
That means a lot to me, my man.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Steve Jackson y'all, uh, formerly of the Rams, the Saint
Louis Rams played for I want to say the Falcons, right, yes,
and I know you ended up with with Belichick.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Maybe we'll do another one.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
We'll have a whole conversation on that too, because uh,
you know, that's always an interesting one. But I got
we got, we got some interesting stuff. But we got time.
We'll probably circle up at some point and dude, do
it again.
Speaker 5 (37:37):
I would love that.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Man.
Speaker 5 (37:38):
Play it any time, my man.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Next time we might do it. We might do it
in person, you know what I mean. You never know,
might do it in on the face to face.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
Yeah, yeah, let's do that. That happened, man.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
I appreciate you. Man all right, you'd be well you
as well.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
Thank you.
You know, I mentors Sean Merriman, so when I saw
the commercial hit, I was like, hey, you got Sean
dogging cats. But then here comes Steve grabbing the ball,
and that's you.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Bumps because you talk about the concept of it and
what we're trying to show. The grind from week to
week seasons, you know, through the fall, through the winter,
right regardless.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Indoor the other was changing on.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Yeah, exactly right, right, every week you got a grind
on the game.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Conversations with a Legend and now here's LeVar Errington.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Welcome to another exciting edition of Conversations with a Legend,
presented to you by up On Game Presents. I got
my man steam tailback. I mean, if that's what you
want to call him, some people might call him a
freak train big dog. Got my man Steve Jackson with
me on the show. Appreciate you coming in joining the
(01:03):
show man, having a conversation with you.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
How's life been, man, How you doing well?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Thank you firston for having me man. I grew up
a huge fan of yours when I was in high school.
I watched you at Penn State, So I appreciate this
conversation that we're about to have.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
But I'm doing good, man. You know, I look at
the game.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I just marveled about what we were able to accomplish
ourselves because you realize all the things that's not in
your control when you're in that when you're in that huddle,
you think.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
You are right right.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
So you're from Vegas, Vegas, cat, did you like tell
me about that experience, Like is it just born in Vegas?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Did you move around? Like?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
What what what was the what's your background, what's the upbringing?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
What? What was that like?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
No, So I'm born and raised Las Vegas, one of
the few. And you know, my mom and dad are
from Arkansas.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Dad ye had.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Dad did some time in the military, and once he
got back from the war. Being no war, they moved
across the country. You know, he said, sixty dollars and
a car pull of stuff and moved out west. Heard
they were hiring Vegas, got a gig on the strip.
He and my mom both about found jobs on the
strip during the New Year's time. You know, you up
employment expecting for the crowds, and then back then, you know,
(02:18):
stuck around. Thirty five years later, he worked his way
up from an entry level job of being a porter
to being a casino manager, and you know when that's
when you know, family owned and people are able to
move up the corporate ladder sort of speak.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Sure, I mean what was that like, man? Like growing
up in Vegas? Like people think of the Strip, people
think of so many different things. You know, football doesn't
come to mind. I mean you might think of the
running Rebels or something like that from UNLV, but football
you don't say, Hu Vegas. I mean, I know Bishop
(02:53):
Gorman is there, and I know that they they've.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Had some good football, But I mean, what's that like?
What's football like there?
Speaker 5 (03:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
It was you know, football here growing up especially, was
very low profile. It wasn't a big scene. And now
that you know, you have some of these national names
that you reference, uh, you know, disposures getting out there,
But growing up when I was here, no, I mean
it's city living, getting in outside all day but getting
in before dark, and very little fields to work on
(03:21):
your crafts, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
So I was a kid man.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
I just ran, ran heels, ran some of the mountains
around here, putting a lot of work on bleachers back then,
you know that kind of stuff. And I was just
dedicated to what I thought, or what was an escape
for me? And the reality was I wasn't. It wasn't
much going on. The city was only really poor adults
at that time, so you couldn't go on the strip
as a kid and the other stuff he had going on.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
You know, I was.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Fortunate enough to come from a two parent household, so
my dad wouldn't let me get involved in that.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
So my escapeism was the football field.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I could dig that. You you're a big bat.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
You you were, you were a big and you talk
about being a fan of me.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
I was a fan of you watching you.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Tote the bill, tote the rock for the beavers man,
and all I could remember was I want to hit him,
like I want to play against this dude, because you
were explosive, you were fast, and your type of back.
I mean, there's there's really like a handful of guys
that you can say were the type of back that
(04:28):
you were. You know, you throw Eddie George up into
the mix of that. I mean, there's a few more
that you know you could kind of throw out there.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
But you were a break the mold type of back.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
When you were coming out, you said high school ball
was relatively low key, and obscure.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
How were you were you recruited?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I mean because the size and the speed and athleticism.
I mean, you had to be a top rated guy
coming out, right.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
Yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I was in the recruiting and that back then, little books, magazines, yeah,
assalons right right right, but never could this steam point
of national notoriety. So you know, schools like Nebraska recruited me,
but they saw me as a defender, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
More and more as a linebacker.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
And you know the other bigger schools here on the
West coast, you had U C l A with the
Sharon Foster at the time, and they just wasn't winning.
And so when I was coming out of high school,
USC was down. My freshman year at Oregon State was
Pete Curll's first year at C. So that dominance of
south you know, Southern California, which just wasn't prevent when
I was getting ready to come out and get one
(05:37):
to have a scholarship. So the Northwest and and me
wanted to be in the Pac Ten kind of were
locked in. And it was like a Destiny coach ericson
which I was. I knew his work from Miami Hurricanes.
He came, and he came to my house, gave me
a pitch of of his life and my life, and
a lot of things that he said to me made sense.
(05:59):
He had two senior running backs and no one to
kind of stay claim to who's going to be the
next guy, And I just jumped at the opportunity. You know,
I believe that better myself. I believe in my talent
that given other underclassmen, I could compete.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You were a terror. Yeah, how how was that?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
You know a lot of times people have to overcome
a lot of elements when they leave from high school
to college. I too was a tailback. I was I
was a big back, and I was the opposite. I
wanted to play defense. I was getting recruited to play tailback,
and I didn't want to play tailback.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I just feel like the.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Game can be taken out of your hands and it
could be put into somebody else's or into something else,
and you could be rendered, you know, kind of a
non factor. And I really didn't like I like action.
I needed action every play for you going to school.
(07:02):
I mean, you chose it, he gave Coach Erickson gave
a pitch of his life. You end up there and
you were I mean, you didn't have to wait long.
From what I can recall, you were right in the
mix of it and you were making an impact. What
was that like for you, Like, was there any major
challenges that that were unforeseen? Like people look at what
(07:25):
you were able to do, but then they're sit there
and be like, you know, it probably comes easy for him.
He probably never had the struggle because he was bigger, stronger,
faster than everybody that he was going up against.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
No, So I think the challenge was just getting my duke.
As you stated, freshman year, I played as the true freshman.
I'm back up two seniors, and the opportunity that I
recall is, you know, playing special teams and making an
impact there. And that's when I started really buying into
it a team sport, right, Because to your point, it
did come easy until I got to a college level
(07:58):
and when I started really realizing the impact of what
you can have on a game if you put in
the right positions and then have the opportunities, it started
to start to click a little bit. But then when
the two senior guys went down against USC in the
coliseum and I was thrown in the fire. It was
more so showing my commitment in love for the game.
(08:19):
You know, I offered often reference to I'm an I'm
an old school in mind because I studied you guys
so much.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I knew everything about you all because I wanted.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
To eventually beat you So with that respect for the
game and my knowledge of the game, it was my opportunity.
When these two guys went down in the coliseum, I
felt like it was just uh, it was a divine intervention,
so to speak, and that was that was my chance.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I mean, I've never been to Oregon State. You know,
I'm tight with with with TJ. We do a show.
I make fun of him a lot like Oregon State
this and that. But y'all be producing some ballers out
of there. What what was that? Did the Did the
success on fill equate to you know, pressures or an
(09:06):
interesting life as it applied to you guys, you know,
for you in particular off the field.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's an interesting question, I believe. Yeah, it's one of those.
It's a small town, small college town, very friendly people,
but it's still somewhat it's not it's it doesn't have
quite the diversity of some of these other larger campuses
have right, so and so to speak. When you're one
or two percent of the population of what campus is,
(09:35):
you got recluse to each other and you got to
lean on each other for experience and to make sure
you're not tripping, right, Like, this is what I went
through today.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Did you experience this or how you have that happen
to you?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And it's kind of like I just it's it's when
you come back to neutral and you feel like, okay,
all right, I'm not tripping.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
This is the experience of what I am, what I'm
going through here in the.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
State of Oregon on campus, largely because sometimes you know,
what I experienced, okay, is that people want to help,
but in helping they kind of drown your voice out
because you know, they can't quite living your shoes and
to your leans. So although I was this big star
athlete on campus, there's still was some experiences that I
(10:16):
lacked from what I grew up grew up with and
we're used to. So in that setting, it makes you
all bald important. It makes the emphasis of family and
leaning on one another even more, you know, bolded, because
it's really what you're living out training for the game
is what you're living out of your college experience, hoping
and you know, to take advantage of the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Who was your person?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, like that's that's a great it's a great answer,
and it's respectable.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
But you and I know we be dealing with a
whole lot.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Like there's those moments of even if you're doing well,
there's moments of like uncertainty, you know, frustration, you know, excitement,
There's so many different emotions that especially when you're the star.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
You know, who was your person? Was it? Was it
a teammate? Was it? My person? Was? Was on the
track team.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
And it was it was a lady lady lion that
ran and we were best friends. We knew each other
since high school. Wasn't a loving basketball type of story.
It wasn't like that, but that was my person. You know,
I had the ricky moment like I'm tired of this,
you know what I mean, Like I didn't fell to
(11:32):
my knees, bro I'm crying, like crying, like I don't
understand why things are going this way. And I can
remember her talking me off the ledge, like let's jump
back in our books when when all else fails. You know,
your education is the key and just keep believing in yourself.
Did you have a person that that when you had
(11:53):
your moments that was like that person that you talked
about community and drawing close.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Who was your person?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So it was a senior running back. The name was
Ken Simonson, and he's the school all time lead rusher.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So I was fortunate enough to not only play for
a guy that broke a lot of records and kind
of set the standard for myself, but also he was
a Pittsburg, California guy that Bay area, and he had
some sense. He actually made me start looking at the
world and it broader and broader terms.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
I wasn't too social laser focused and just think about
football singularly. And he would prove these questions or he'd
point out the history of what we were living through,
and he was, you know, bringing that kind of awareness
to myself. So I was fortunate enough to have a
senior running back pour into me so early because he
saw the potential. You know, I was humble, you know,
I was I was I was willing to put into work,
(12:45):
but at the same time, I was a sponge and
he fed into that in the right way.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I'm gonna transition on you the pack. You said, the
PAC ten, then it went to the PAC twelve. That
ten came and took U c l A and the USC.
Now y'all are going to go back to the PAC ten.
What's your you're watching it take place. I'm gonna talk
to you about nil because obviously we're gonna get to
(13:16):
the commercial, one of the most legendary commercials ever shot
as well. We're gonna touch on that and how multifaceted
you are. But talk to me about what you feel
about the PAC ken. Can it survive where you think
things are going.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Yeah, it's gonna be interesting. I think it will survive.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Just the shariness of the population and people are proud
of their schools, just like anywhere else in the country.
Disappointed USC and U c l A. The you know,
to kind of pull the rug from underneath us where
and in a year or two you're gonna have negotiation
regarding new contract money. And right now it looks like
you're so far behind the US, I mean, the SEC
(13:56):
and some of these other conferences because of their licenses
and their tv RISS but you're not getting a consideration
that the Pack was the first one to do a
TV deal, right, So you're ahead of yourself at a
time where now the markets surpassed us and it's just
about having a correction.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
But more poortland where I think they really.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Lost sight of it is regionally, right, you're not securing
the best talent in California or in the southern Western
states because some of our best talents being poached by
the SEC. So you know, if you think about it
in terms of a politics, you're not securing your own borders.
So how can you then say, Okay, it's we're the
ones that's carrying the conference and you move on to
(14:33):
another conference as alliance where you're not doing anything or
doing the best that we could to work together as
a conference and secure that we keep our best talent
regardless of where they go on the West Coast.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
So that's I mean, what do you think happens that
do usc UCLA going into the ten? Are they able
to recruit better? What what does that mean for Oregon State?
What does that mean for or again, I mean what
does that mean for the pack?
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Now?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
In terms of that that idea of what the recruitment
of the players looks like, especially in the in the
areas that that you guys are are in.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So if I'm if I'm Morgan stated, if I'm there,
if I'm on this committee, on this board, and we're
talking about how are we going to attract new talent,
it's to do exactly what we kind of hit on you.
You don't you look inwardly and you think about self reflection.
We want to bring some of these top athletes in
from these areas that is obviously being abandoned.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
We need to go in there and have a real
conversation with them and their families.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
You know, this is what it looks like now, but
this is what you can help us build towards towards
the future as well as we're going to allow you
to play out you plays early as long as your
talent does so in your grace reflect that. But also
we're going to make sure that your family is involved
on how we're going to help you build a brand
for yourself, how to help you go out into the
larger world and deal with that. These hurdles that come
before us not just about building alliances, but it's about
(15:57):
working through issues and problems with other people. And we
can have I best give you that example here because
and more than likely it's not going to be your
normal life or what you've been used to.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
All right, before I get up out of college, I
gotta ask you in il because we're gonna talk. We're
gonna talk about how you have been almost in essence,
you know, you have been active, proactive, almost like a savant,
and being more than just a football player. We'll get
to that as as we move into the next next
(16:29):
level of your life in this conversation. But n I
l if the nil is there while Steve Jackson is
is in in college, what does that look like for you?
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Oh? I think I think I sent myself apart.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
You know what these kids call, you know, content creator
or one of these renaissance people is leading the way.
I think that's what I would have been in those shoes,
you know, because I understand how the storytell Understand that,
you know, everyone doesn't get to live these realities that
we had a chance to, and how to package that
(17:06):
in a way that it's approachable.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
I have a I have a gift for that.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Mm hm, you always have. So let's let's let's let's
delve into that. You end up going as a high
drive pick you go to the Rams. The Rams was
still a hot team at the time, still in Saint Louis,
and hell I can remember playing against y'all and you
were were the guy.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
What was that?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
What was that experience like for you in terms of
you marketing and branding yourself and and how did that
play a part in in your popularity because you grew
to popularity really quickly coming into the league. And you know, obviously,
again if we were to say Saint Louis, the Saint
(17:55):
Louis Rams, they were like the popular team, people would
be like really like everybody's thinking in LA these days,
But that was a vibe back then to be on
the Rams and you were. You were on that that
I want to say, the last of the Mohicans before
it went bad kind of sort of for Saint Louis
and they ended up leaving.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
So what was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Being that like you took over the mantle, Like wasn't
going to be easy to do it with Marshall Folk
being the guy he was, and you know Arland was
up in the mix out of point in time.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
But what what was that like for you?
Speaker 5 (18:32):
H was challenge?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
You know, everything you said, was it was an upward battle,
upward hill battle because you know, you have two times
officer in MVP and Marshall and some of the other
things he was able to accomplish.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Wow, he was still there.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
He was still there being you know, uh, and here
I come. I'm not clean cut. You know, I had
these long hair tattoos. So I looked the pullou opposite
of what they've grown to luve and for me to
come in and challenge that, it wasn't going to be easy.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And it wasn't you know, if they had their opinions
on me and what.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I did though, and what was always driven driven in
me from high school was reflected on is I was
a hard worker. It was why I got it. I
got a chance to escape. So regardless of how beat
writers wrote about me or how fans felt about this
new this new kid trying to take their favorite player's job,
I knew that if I continue to just consistently work
hard and me just show up, they eventually get to
(19:27):
see the.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Other side of me.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
And that's eventually what I just did, you know, And
it almost made made even more sense because blue collar
people are that way. You know, my work after it
reflected what their life really is. Yeah, it made more
It made their guard come down, and it made me,
I guess, seem more approachable.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Have you ever heard?
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Because when I first was seeing you, you were big,
You did have the dreads, you did have the tax
and I was a dread too, So I know all
about it. I see you going, you going back down
the journey as well. I don't know how far you're
gonna go with it, but it won't go that far.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
You had, you had your main.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
You had to the Tats and look they who win
the war, right, rite the history?
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Right? That's all you see.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Yeah, that's all you see now, like so and and
and in so many ways, you're you're a pioneer. I mean,
if you look at Henry, that's a carbon copy in
terms of big, rocked up fast tats dreads. Right, Like
(20:37):
you're a pioneer. How does that feel now? Knowing that
you had to do that uphill battle? It's almost like
in a way, it's almost like an AI type of scenario, right,
because you were the first one.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Like literally, I could.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Say confidently I'm thinking, I'm you know, you could think
about like them you boys like nausea dive important A
few of them, Edgar and James.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
But they weren't. They weren't larger than life figures coming in.
It wasn't like this.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Big, tall, ginormous running back tats and dreads and he's
he's out on them.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Like, what was that like for you? Now? When you
look at where the game is, the culture of the game,
now what you know, how does that make you feel?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
You know, it makes me feel good because it means
that I did my part right, you know. Not only
did I you know, help break it into the day
to day Sunday football watchers television said, you know, because
you're talking about the commercials and things like that, right,
I was able to be on the sphearhead of that.
But also I guess I handled myself in a way
that they didn't have those those stereotypes you want to
(21:47):
put on that look or what you want to assume
about that person that looks like, you know what I
look like.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
I broke those those I.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Helped break some of those doors down to make now
that these guys are getting contracts and theseials and not
having that second thought of what I knew I faced
in the boardroom.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
It just it proves that I did my.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Job, So let's let's talk about that led to endorsements,
knocking down the doors. I just had this conversation with
my homie yesterday, so I'm real tight.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
You know. I mentored Sean Merriman.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
So when I saw the commercial hit, I was like, hey, like,
hardest commercial to this day. It's still the hardest one
to this day. The last of the Mohicans, I referenced earlier.
They're playing the theme music from from the Muse, from
(22:41):
the movie you got Sean dogging cats. But then here
comes Steve grabbing the ball and rolling out and doing
what he's doing, and that's you.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
How does that?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
I mean, in the moment, I'm sure it's like, man,
that's a pretty cool commercial. But where you are now,
how do you look at a moment like that? Like
how do you internalize that you're part of one of
the most iconic Nike commercials ever shot?
Speaker 5 (23:11):
And it's goosebumps? You know.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I remember in college we used to get some of
the prototype claques, right, and we would get these shoes
given to us and practice in and it was like, damn,
if I could just find a deal with Nike one day,
that would be like one of the freshest, dopest moments
that I you know, man, but then to then fast
forward to be one of the part of the most
(23:34):
iconic commercials the marketing. It changed the way football commercializes
itself and how it pushes the products. But to be
you know that that prototype that I mean, it outlasts
me my time on this earth.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
So it's dope.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
It's one is dope, but it's very humbling because I
remember just wanting to get some pre product as a
college issuest.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Right, how does that make you feel to know again
that that guys, you know, it's always who can come
up with something next? Like where does the next game
changing content comes from? How does that make you feel
to know that that's a standard? Like, guys are still
(24:17):
probably influenced by that commercial.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
How does that like, that's got to be a cool feeling.
Speaker 5 (24:23):
It is.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It is because you talk about the concept of it,
and what we're trying to show is the grind from
week to week seasons, you know, through the fall, through
the winter, right regardless indoor.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
The other was changing on yeah, exactly right, right, every
week you got to grind and you know when they're man,
you got the pressure of him breathing down your back,
or you got the pressure of me rugging ready, were
trying to.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Bring you over, right, Who's going to stop you? And
then next week the challenge only becomes even greater. So
for us to be able to convey that in less
than a minute, you know, we still they would talk
about it nearly twenty years later. It just it was
it was I was happy that we put in the
effort that we did because we talked about it right
as you talk about you like, I want this to
(25:07):
be dope. I want people to remember this. So for
us to go and put that kind of commendment in
and deliver on that, it means that we're gonna stick
around for a long time.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Truth, let's talk about let's stay. Let's stay in that
that area. In terms of branding yourself, in terms of
being more, you have always proactively been more. Like I
always say I'm a guy that played football. I'm not
(25:36):
a football player. I've never been a football player. I've
always been a dude that played ball and I actually
was good at doing it and I love doing it.
But I never subscribed to I'm the jersey number on
my back, I'm I'm you know, this is what I am.
I'm a football player, like I'm that's I love the game.
(25:57):
I love what it's done for me. But I was
always proactively trying to leverage the game and what it
represented to ultimately become what I wanted to be. I
saw that in you. I saw you, you know, doing
a lot. I know you did the boot camp, the
media boot camp. At one point in time, I know
(26:18):
you were doing you know, media and different things like that.
How has that gone for you? And what was your
approach in terms of building your brand and and being
you know, I heard you mentioned a renaissance type of guy.
How has how how how was that or why was
(26:38):
that a mindset for you? How did you approach it?
And where are you with that now today?
Speaker 5 (26:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (26:45):
So it's the click the ball I guess started rolling
and things start clicking for me when times are getting
bad at Saint Louis, right, you start giving you you're
not on Monday night football, you're not in the prior
time spot and the things that you're accomplishing. Its kind
of being just read or a small bleep in a paragraph, right,
And I was like, holy crap, Now, if I don't
(27:06):
get controlled of the narrative now people say now, But
I then I was like, if I don't get control
of this narrative, I'm quickly going to be a memory.
And so I then start going back to what you
lived in your journey is actually you started pulling from
that as inspiration and the two things that I lived
through and in Vegas always promote myself as being one
(27:26):
of the greatest cities to escape to, always promising some
type of reward for risk, right, And then when I
got to Oregon, I saw how Nike was just such
a dominant force in the sports world. I started thinking about, Okay,
how do I bring these two together for myself? And
I did that by shooting a documentary I documented. I
(27:46):
did the documenty cause a Week in the Life, you know,
and it's telling me the story again more intimate level.
And I shot that and we released that on YouTube.
And when I saw how much interest I got, you know,
I was up for what was called the webby between
the Onion La Times and myself. So I'm like, WHOA,
I'm onto something here. Now, how do I stick to it?
(28:08):
And as I continue to study it and continue the
ball that you said the Hollywood boot Camp things start
leaning out and leveraging the game that I felt was
taken from us and abuse some body. I started leveraging
what it was offering to me to grow myself intellectually
and in different rooms I couldn't get in in my own.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
So where are you at with it now?
Speaker 5 (28:27):
Well?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Now I have my own clothing brand that I'm rocking
obs obs. Yes, yeah, the website is obs brand dot com.
So thank you for that, all right, But the brand,
what the brand is is overcoming the bsublock.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
Okay. So we're all going to have some issues.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
We're all going to grow up through some things that
have traumatize us as kids. There's going to be some
hurdle that you believe either gender is holding you back
or your ethnic race is holding you back. There's going
to be rooms you're going to be uncomfortable in, but
you got to navigate that for yourself. No one's going
to come safe true be able to navigate. You got
to be able to not only communicate your story but
also your strengths. What can you provide in that room
(29:06):
to be a favor And once you get that and
realize how do you make those connections in the room,
how do you deliver on that, and I continue to
just and I just impressed on the younger generations because
I love dealing with younger athletes, dealing with high school students,
but because at that point it's so pivotal. You could
go left or right, and I'm just trying to press
(29:27):
on them that, you know, continue to be uncomfortable because
the moment you're in the smartest one in the room,
or you don't want the biggest success.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
In the room, y'all grown that room.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
You to continue to look for how do I overcome
the next circumstance of my life?
Speaker 5 (29:39):
So motivational.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
I sold closed in high school to get by, but
it's helping tell the story and motivating that next generation
to keep going.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
True true, I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
So Obs, make sure you go to OBS brand that is, yes, sir,
obsbrand dot com.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Yes, sir, Yeah, make sure y'all go. We'll put that
up and push that out.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Uh, looking at the league, Now, what's your what's your
take on it? Because it was it was still it
was still bang bang, you know, back then it was
still it was still a whole lot more physicality connected
to it. You just talking about, you know, some of
(30:22):
the things that you got to get addressed, you know,
health wise and stuff like that. Before we even started
the interview, bro we was thumping back then like it
was bumping grind back then. The game has still has
some dogs, but largely it's it's a it's an evolved
(30:44):
it's a changed approach, it's a changed physicality total overall
to how the game is played. How you think you
would have done in today's NFL.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
You know, I think just to ship they don't hit
in practice, right, I think that says that saves and
probably left in my career another two or three seasons
where you know, I had some of these coaches, they're
coming into the team because we were bad the year before.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
They then they got to toughen you up.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So I'm I mean, I'm living, I'm live practice, right,
and then now I have to go out on Sunday
and do it again and entertain that in itself. I
think length is my career. I'm more dominant. The game
is spread out and uh, and I don't I still
don't know how officials are calling this crown or the
hell oft thing right? So interesting enough, I think the
(31:35):
league has been intentions of protecting people, but at the
end of the day, you can't gu guarantee anything. So
what I challenge the league and say is take care
of the guys afterwards and let the game be what
it is. It's physical. It's a physical game, and you
know those are choosing to play.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
We live with that.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
That's interesting and I like that because you're right, take
care of the guys.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
All right, I'm gonna rap with this. I'm gonna rap
with this.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
But you got some legendary dudes that came through Oregon State,
and I mentioned them and I do a show on
Saturdays with TJ called up on game. Do you have
any stories on TJ. Hushman Zada, because I'm just curious.
I remember him. Obviously, he's my generation of players. We're
(32:27):
a little bit older than you, but you was in
at the same time as us going into Oregon State.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Is there anything on t J. Hushman Zada.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
I have nothing.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Now, you don't have nothing.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
I have nothing. He's a good brother, I have not.
I have nothing on him.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
He was always one of those guys that actually taught
us to have school pride because before then, you know,
before that group got there, it was a losing it
was a losing program right to see these guys on
Saturday scoring touchdowns, doing the pack down right, they're on
live TV doing like some some hood stuff you like, like,
(33:03):
I want to I want to roll with them cats.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I want to be down with So. Teacher has always
been a good dude.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Man. I can't say one bad thing about him. And
he's very passionate about our legends. The way he talks
and interviews is the way he talks behind closed doors,
and he's very you know, he he gets the little
hands slapped from the table when he's making an emphasis.
So my thing is love, man, It's numb of love
and respectful him.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
True true truth.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
All right, before I let you go, Man, you just
talked about obs. Is there anything else that you're promoting?
Anything else you got going on?
Speaker 3 (33:35):
Talk to me?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
It is so.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
I have a barber school here in Las Vegas, Nevada.
My best friend and I Carl Little's uh. He was
our master ball and our instructor there. We grew up
together in high school. He's always been someone that actually
he grew with me and and our growth individually. He
went out and he wanted to become an educator, and
I supported that in the sense that we're ranked four.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
Ninth in the country as a school district.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Very limited opportunities here for the juncsters blown up in
Vegas outside of industry work and for us to promote individualism,
being original and being true to who we are. I
believe in creating career paths, not just complaining about it,
but actually action and doing something about it. So we
came together, put our minds to work, and we created
(34:23):
this barber school, the original barber school, which is a
second meaning for the obs there, so you can't forget it,
but the original barber school here in Last Vegas. We're
one hundred percent full with a waiting list just as
long as our opening. But it's one that the community
has braced. We've given out numerous things to the community,
(34:43):
so we're not only taking what we're giving, but we're
also giving these young people a career path for them
to be able to take advantage in the future.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
But it's speaking professionalism into them as well as helping
them build up their clientele.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Fire is there a website?
Speaker 5 (34:58):
It is?
Speaker 2 (34:59):
It is, so it's a long one, so bear with me.
Is the Original Barber School LV for Las Vegas. So
original Barberschool LV dot com.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Does that mean you're planning on going somewhere else?
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Absolutely, I know that's right, all right, all right, the
original barber School LV dot com. Make sure we're gonna
put that up on the bottom of the screen. All right, Man?
Is there anything else?
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Is that is?
Speaker 1 (35:31):
I mean as if that's not enough, but I want
to make sure anything that you want to put out there,
that you have this opportunity to put it out on
the platform.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Anything else you got.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Those of that who does not follow me, please follow
me on my social media most of them. I'm at
SJ three nine on Twitter and then on Instagram. Mom,
I am SJ three nine. I use my platform there
to hopefully to inspire, to encourage, and to motivate those
of you that may be just fans of sports, but
(36:02):
also enlightening. I believe in pushing the narrative, pushing people forward.
That's what I stand for. That's what I believe in.
So I'm continue to grow and I hope you know,
enjoy if you decide to follow the growth in myself,
and we'll I'll be pushing to the rest of the community.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Thank you, Jackson, y'all.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
This is Conversations with a Legend presented by up On
Game Presents. Man, y'all been blessed today, dope, dude. I've
been excited about the opportunity of pursuing to get the
interview with you, and it's great to hear from you,
continued success to you, and yeah, like we're gonna put
(36:43):
this out there because people need they hear the positivity,
they need to feel the energy of Juggernauts that have
played this game but are humble warriors. Man, You're a
humble warrior, and you know I appreciate your approach to
to what you do and how you do it and
anyway we can support you, we gonna continue to support you, man,
(37:03):
So we'll probably most likely be in contact with you
to make sure we can we.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Could do just that.
Speaker 5 (37:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
That means a lot to me, my man.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Steve Jackson y'all, uh, formerly of the Rams, the Saint
Louis Rams played for I want to say the Falcons, right, yes,
and I know you ended up with with Belichick.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Maybe we'll do another one.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
We'll have a whole conversation on that too, because uh,
you know, that's always an interesting one. But I got
we got, we got some interesting stuff. But we got time.
We'll probably circle up at some point and dude, do
it again.
Speaker 5 (37:37):
I would love that.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Man.
Speaker 5 (37:38):
Play it any time, my man.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Next time we might do it. We might do it
in person, you know what I mean. You never know,
might do it in on the face to face.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
Yeah, yeah, let's do that. That happened, man.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
I appreciate you. Man all right, you'd be well you
as well.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
Thank you.
Fox Sports Radio News
Host
Jonas Knox
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.