June 5, 2025 • 41 mins
Former Pro Bowl tight end and Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis joins All The Smoke for a wide-ranging conversation. He opens up about his time in the NFL, including the story behind his rocky relationship with Mike Singletary and his perspective on Colin Kaepernick’s legacy. Vernon also shares what it was like playing with Peyton Manning and winning a championship in Denver. Now retired, he talks about his new chapter as an actor, producer, and even his passion for curling.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back all the smoke. Our next guest is one
of the greatest tight ends of all time. He played
on the team that used to smack this shit out
of the Cowboys, super Bowl champ, two time Pro bowler.
Welcome to the show. Vernon Davis here.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I say, man, I just want to say this. I'm
glad my boy had dog. But every time the football
players here, the Cowboys don't need to be in their introduction, bro,
they don't have to. Damn, they don't have to.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Hurting enough, Jack said, you take a lot of heat
from a lot of UCLA energy, and forty nine of energy.
Forty nine is of the team I grew up loving
and to this day are my favorite team, and you
for a while held down that tight end position. We
actually seen each other yesterday. I just on some random
shits so the Sundance Festival throwing bar brother Deon Taylor,
and I found out some interesting news I didn't really
know about you. So since retiring, you've been in nearly
(00:49):
thirty TV projects and films.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Roughly, yeah, thirty somewhere around there.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
So well so acting, directing a little bit of both.
I know you like to write, like where did that
passion come from and that drive after.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
So, when I was playing in San Francisco, we have
like off season training and I would I would sneak
away and I took this class at the Shelton Theater
of Art downtown downtown San Francisco, and from there, I
think I felt like this love and his passion for
film and television. After I retired in like twenty twenty,
I decided that I wanted to do film, focus on acting, producing,
(01:25):
just everything that has to do with like filming in general.
I didn't stop, but just putting my foot on the
gas and just kept going. I had a partner who
had a script he wanted to develop, create it. So
we created it, we made it, sold it, and then
after that I just kept kept seeking opportunities and found
myself just doing so many made so many projects.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
He works with some really big names, I mean, Morgan
Freeman and Bruce Willis, John Malcolm, I mean, what kind
of obviously a champion in your profession and an all
pro in your possession, but then you're going into another
space and another craft and getting a chance to work
with legendary actors.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Was that like?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And did you got any cool stories for me there
of those guys.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, I think it was. It was dope, man. You know,
I'm not gonna lie. I was kind of like I
was star struggling when I met Morgan Freeman. I grew
up watching this dude and be able to share the
screen with him, right. It was just just amazing man.
But his work ethic at eighty something years old, it
tells me why he is the way he is. Who
is I mean, he was on set, he was he
was asking questions like he was like he just started. Uh.
(02:25):
He was the first one on set, the last one
to lead, and that really inspired me.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
We got a chance to sit down Ryan Coogler about
a month ago, and he was just telling us, you know,
as athletes, we have this innate ability to you know,
focus and be at the top of our craft. And
if we're able to take that focus into another space
with that same hard work and dedication, we were successful
in it. Someone spoke on it on the panel we
(02:49):
were on yesterday, just about the dedication and getting those
hours in. I mean, this is something you felt fully
entrenched in since retiring. Is this is kind of your
second act so to speak.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
True passion, desire, love that I have. It's kind of
therapeutic for me to be able to tap into different characters,
whether it's acting or writing or just you know, just
tell them the story in general. And you know, when
you go through so much in life, you need that healing. Yeah,
and uh, that's what it That's what it does for me.
I was actually having a conversation with with Destry Destriy Spielberg.
(03:22):
We have a movie coming out as well, These Don't
Feed the Children, and we was kind of just talking
about some of these things as well not too long ago.
It's just therapeutic pretty much.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
You also a trained painter and a sculptor. With all
these sculptures getting made for players and stuff these days,
what's your opinion you think you can do better?
Speaker 4 (03:38):
A better AI shuit? Was this big?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
The way it looked like a little African baby.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Like, I don't know, bro, we need some help. What's
your opinion on that?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
You are to train painting and sculptures, so we need
your opinion on some of these statues over the place, man,
they're all over the place. Yeah yeah, but like, like,
how did you get into that? Well, just just a
sculpting and painting.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
That's crazy, I know, about that. I don't even really
talk about that too much, but it's started in school
at University of Maryland, I took a class I changed
my major from criminal justice. You know, let athletes take
criminal justice. We don't know what the hell we want
to do, so you know, yeah, yeah, yes, I was
a criminal justice. And then I saw my teammates coming
in with these canvases and sculptures, and I was like, damn,
I want to do that, and I just changed my major.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
And I saw d Wade to try to justify this
and said they worked on it.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
I just they worked on with them, Wade.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Don't let them do that to you.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Bro that right, you're my dogs. You're also obsessed with
Caroland the Olympic sport. Talk about that. How did you
get into that?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It's talking to my grandmother about that when she was
when I was a kid, to kind of give you
the backstorm. When I was a kid, man, I was.
I was involved in so many different things, man, from soccer, baseball,
back basketball, football. I just started playing football to tenth grade. Damn.
I was always playing basketball. Me and Kevin Durant, you
play played against him. He was at Montrose Christian. I
(05:03):
was at this public school called Dumball.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I mean, keep your thought. But what were those battles like, oh.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Man, it was he and Patrick ew and son Patrick
and they had they were too good for.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Usuh huh, Like in high school, was just cold that
same way.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Skinny cold shoot, very fundamental and just he was just
a hooper man since day one, going back, Yeah, I
was my grandmother. I was just involved in so many
different things. And I think what happened when I got drafted,
you know, my my true personality and like who I
really was started to come out, and I just took
a lik into so many different things. One of the
(05:37):
writers in San Francisco came to me, she was like,
you should try Caroland. And I didn't know anything about Caroland.
I didn't know nothing about it. So I tried the
Team US Team USA Team heard about it. They invited
me to Vancouver and then from there I was just
with them all the way. And that's how I got.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Are you nice at it?
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Though?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I'm okay, yeah, okay, there's nothing more where they sweep
the brush right in front of it and they slide
the thing down.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
You gotta landed in the area, right, you know, Carland
This is all I know. I ain't never ain't no
ice in the hood.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I didn't know nothing about it.
You think the DMV got the best hoopers. It's a
lot of talent come out of it. But I wouldn't
say the best. Nah, I don't know. I wouldn't say
the best.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Now, a lot of talent, A lot of time. We
all got into little trouble growing up. You got into
little trouble as well. Yeah, did that help keep you straight?
That experience?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I think my trouble started early, though. I mean it
was for some reason.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I got arrested twice in sixth grade, and uh, you.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Got to be doing something to get a wrestled in
sixth grade. I mean you know, I went to I
went to the principal's office a whole lot of times.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I wasn't Yeah, exactly too.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah you're not talking about for stealing cigarettes.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I was on for It was a kid that stayed
behind my house and we were just some dumb kids
and was walking home.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
I just didn't like him. I hit him in the hour.
I had a lock on my hand, hit him in.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And his mama brought him to my house afterwards, and
told my mama and self that press charge on the Yeah,
drug tests all that. Yeah, probation's probation. I don't give
for what your wage, you is, it's probation.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Got in a little bit of trouble when you.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Was younger, Yeah, a little trouble. And then I, you know,
I started to get my life together, man. But it's
you know, I come and y'all too, I mean, especially
you for you know, being able to be in that environment,
using an environment we both were, but we were able
to change our focus and change our mindset and do
something bigger and better. You know, And and I talk
about this all the time. If we can be in
(07:41):
that environment. You know, a lot of times you probably
get people say, uh, be careful you hanging around, don't
let them in your space, don't let them in your circle.
They got this going on. But you got this going on.
I think back, I said, you know where I came from,
I was already in a space. Everybody be in any environment,
I'm gonna affect the people that are around me. They're not
gonna affect me.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
He had it in this house though. That was a difference.
It was around me. It was in his house.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
But I always felt like, and that's what I did,
grow up around drugs and violence, but I always felt like,
similar to you, like it wasn't and people could be
around me doing it, but I knew it wasn't.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
It wasn't me.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I mean, the only thing I ever wanted to do
with smoke. We went out because I like to smell
when I was younger, and it stuck with my whole life.
But I didn't seen a lot of shit happen around
me where it was just I ain't judging, do you
You know what I mean? But I could still be
in that environment and still be myself and be fine
and make it out.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
So you've always been notorious for your work ethic. Is
it true that you can catch tennis balls?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Yeah, I got I got a tennis ball. I used
to keep a tennis ball machine because I felt like
hand eye coordination was really important. So after practice, I
would go into garage and you know, kind of just
catch with one hand and just kind of keep the
hand eye coordination.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
That's crazy, I'm just coming. That's dope. What's this video?
Speaker 4 (08:57):
He's curling?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
You know what? Man? It's just as it's interesting.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
It's touch.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I think anybody to get out there.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
I mean like when I first saw too, I was like, man,
this is this is probably the craziest sport I've ever
seen in my life. But actually being out there and
and just being just it's kind of like.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
It's like playing golf or anything else something we know
you don't play. You didn't grow up playing golf, right,
don't play it all the time, but just the just
the joy of being out there and once you once
you like laying that stone on that spot, it's kind
of like you achieved something.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And you can have a bad day and then have
one good toss and want to bring you back the
next time.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Exactly what's more important? The people with the brooms at
the end are your touch from letting it go.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I think they're both equally important. Broom. What the broom does?
It melts the ice. The ice is like pebble. So
when you when you're doing that, you're speeding, speeding the
stone up that it might be sliding too slow, but
when you sweep it speeds it up and then you
can carry it a lot further.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
High school teammates with the legendary tournament Josh Cribs. What
was it like as you guys are a combo in
high school?
Speaker 3 (10:00):
He was probably one of the most talented players I've
ever seen. I mean he played everything. He played safety,
he was playing he played basketball for three years. He
was actually one of the one of the one of
the best players we had on the team. So basketball
and football, play quarterback, he could do it all. So
just you know, just being around him and his energy
was like, like really it was.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Was he older than you?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Two years two years old?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
So little brother again pro bowler. Big brother did his thing.
You take any credit for a little bro doing his thing.
What were the battles like when you guys are younger?
Speaker 4 (10:32):
He was.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
He was four years younger. So growing up, it was
never it was never really, it wasn't really any competition
because I was always the older gap, big gap. But
I used to I used to really, like, you know,
put all I could and in him to make sure
that he was prepared and ready, you know, to achieve greatness.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
What are some of the Titans you looked up to
as you were coming.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Up Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, all hoopers. Yeah, h yeah,
And I looked up the t O t O was
like he was a wide receiver, buddy. I still felt
like he has something that I you know, He's just
very inspiring to me the way he played the game.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
How do you feel basketball helped you on the football field?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
My ability to be able to get in and out
of transitions as a bad basket I mean you you
never really know how to shape you until you play basketball.
That's a different kind of I mean just cardio, but
just the mobility you need to to be a great athlete.
I feel like the best football players are basketball player.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So there was a it was probably last year where
there was a big debate on it would it be
easier for a football player to hop into basketball or
a basketball player to hop into football at the pro level.
You've played both obviously pro and football. What what what
do you think would be easier to.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Do basketball hopping into football? Yeah? Sure, yeah, football player,
unless you I mean unless you like it.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Just you gotta be different.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Different.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
There's some dudes out there.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
I watched Travis Hunter.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
It's something.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
But it's some basketball players that feel like that about
football too, that.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
They just think it's easy man.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Motherfuckers.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I know, I know a lot of the motherfuckers saw
they couldn't go out there and get pushed down and
face man one face mask. They're gonna be flopping and
ship and doing like this.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Man. Look every face mad.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Right flopping football?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Can you They'll try it? Maryland Football two thousand and
three to five? Stayed home? What was what was your
choice for doing that?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
My grandmother raised me and my six siblings, so I
wanted to stay home, and you know, kind of you're
the oldest I know this ship, so I wanted to
help her out and just just be around in case
she needed anything.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You was super freak at the combine four three in
the forty two and foot broad jump, thirty thy reps
on the bench, prep on press.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Bro You're just just be compared.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, bro on, you just run through them numbers like nothing,
bro A four to three? What a two fifty to
sixty fifty two fifty crazy, thirty three on the bench,
ten foot broad like them numbers are off the chart.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Also, you you was a what was your max bench?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I did two? I did two twenty five like thirty
three times. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
What's the most what's max though.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That's how I got my money.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I think I can max you up most of the
thirty five.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
He said that bench press got you paid.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
More than I had those days over with. I just
I just think about it.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
You're right, what was I mean? You were at the
peak of athleticism and strength and skill boxing a big
ass body.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, that was for some reason. I was able to
like maintain my speed and and just put on put
on weight, and I just I just kept it, always
been able to run. I just kept it for some reason.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Speak to how important it is to be a tight
end that can catch and block.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Being a tight end that can do it all is
is very important because now they can utilize you in
so many different spaces. You can line up out wide.
I know when I was playing, they lined I would
line out about wide, I would get in the backfield,
I would be at the point of attack online on
the line. And you know, just it makes you very versatile,
and it makes it instead of like when Antonio Gates
was playing, not knocking his game or anything, but they
(14:06):
would take him out whenever they needed, like run. But
you know, when you when you got the whole package,
you can just stay.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
In giving me your welcome to the NFL moment, Like
did a linebacker d Lineman bring your bell where he
was looking at stars?
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I think John Lynch. He hit me and I went
to that sideline.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Said I want to be on your team.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
That's one of them guys too.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
That's one of them guys.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Man hit me so hard, man, that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I remember that day.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I remember that day barely, but I remember. Let's play
a game. Build your perfect tight end. Who would you
pick for blocking? And don't you throw yourself in there
whenever you feel fit.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I picked George Kittle for blocking.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Okay, route running.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Tonio Gates, nice speed, Oh to put me in an
easy call? Hands hands, I'm I have to say, Travis
Kelce iq IQ, Tony Gonzalez physicality, Shannon Show.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Oh that's a hell of a list right there.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
God damn great list.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Two thousand and six first round pick by the forty
nine or so, you from the DC area, went to
college there with your first impression, coming all the way
across the country to California.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I was like, man, this is far. I was like, man,
this is far. But I you know, I was ready.
I was just so excited to play with the team,
and I was you know, I saw the houses in
the hills. I was like, man, I gotta get me
one of the houses. And I was just I was
just motivated, man by the by an environment team and
just you know, just trying to, you know, make a
(15:52):
name for myself as far as sports goes.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Coach singletary, legendary linebackers. Sometimes great players transition into coaching. Well,
sometimes they don't. I think there was mixed because I
was I mean, I was a huge fan at the time,
and I always meant the media some people love them,
some people hate him. Here's a viral clip of him
calling you out.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
No, no, you don't want me to go much further,
go out ahead, ask the question veron vernon just it
was something that I told everybody at the very beginning
of the week. I will now tolerate players that think
it's about them when it's about the team and we
cannot make we cannot make decisions that costs the team
(16:37):
and then come off the sideline and it's nonchalant. No,
you know what, this is how I believe Okay, I'm
from the old school.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I believe this. I would rather play with ten people.
Speaker 6 (16:50):
And just get penalized all the way until we got
to do something else rather than play with eleven. When
I know that right now, that person is not sold
out to be a part of this team. It is
more about them than it is about the team. Cannot
play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them,
can't do it.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
I want winners. I want people that want to win.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
So when you see that, obviously taking yourself back to
that moment, I mean that's a that's an attack of
public attack at that age and then now being removed
from the game for a while and being in your
older age. Take us through both mindsets seeing that, and
take us through your mindset when you're hearing that as
a player at the time.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
But the time, I was like, man, this dude throwing
me under the bus. I was like, man, this is crazy.
I was like many at they about to get rid
of me.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
What year was that for you?
Speaker 3 (17:41):
That was yeah, that's like yeah three, okay, yeah. And
now you know, being older version, you know myself and
you know, just thinking back about it, I think it's
something that I deserved. I'm related to to be able
to have that happen to me, because I think it
really helped put me in a position too to have
(18:03):
a great career. So I'm just thankful for the moment
and thankful for him because after that, I mean, we
created we had a great relationship.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I mean, he wrote the forward note in your book.
But I think you said something that's profound at the moment.
I mean, obviously it takes time when you're older and
you see it at that moment. Did it click in
outside of it or was it first like damn fuck
he thrown me under the bus or from the rip
where you able to use it as motivation and kind
of find your way.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
No, I was just laying back. I was I was
laying back. I was in the bill with my kids mom,
and it came on TV. I didn't know he did it,
and I'm looking I'm like, shit, she looking at me.
I'm looking at it, and I was like man. I
was like, this is crazy.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
Man.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
But it didn't hit me until like after we had
a conversation, cause I walked into his office. He was
sitting there. I walked in and I was crying. He
was crying, and he was like, son, you got you
got the ability to be the best, the best tight
end in the League, you could change the game. And uh,
you know, I'm listening. I'm here, and I'm like, man,
(19:14):
I think, you know, if I do everything you tell
me to do, I can possibly tap into some good stuff.
So you know I did, And that next year I
went to the Pro Bowl, and you know, I started
to just become a dynamic player.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Now, question, I feel like that's it's it's old Like
as he said, I'm from the old school, and we
all came up in the old school. Today, I feel
like if that happens on any level, kids run, kids transfer,
kids jump in the transfer port, they try to change teams.
What are your thoughts on just the movement in sports now?
And and and I only asked because I felt like
all the hard knocks we went through one we just
(19:46):
saw yours. It gave us character, he gave us, you know, resiliency.
We learned a lot of lessons from shit like that.
But I feel like nowadays, if there's any real pushback
or coaches get in your face, cuts you like, they're gone.
Kids are gone.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah, I think players are soft now, you know. I
think they saw that when we were playing, Like, you know,
we're there at the same time. But you know, during
that time, it was hard coaching, man, just everything was tough, hard,
and like nowadays it ain't. I mean even I look
at my son sometimes. Man, the way they move around
and operate is just crazy to me.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
They don't want to be held accountable.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's just crazy that that. I mean
this the culture.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
I mean this, you think do you think it's social
media and the instat gratification with the showing on the Highland.
You could lose the game and still have a mixtape
or show your highlights and your team just got is
it is it? Is?
Speaker 7 (20:36):
It?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Is it the social media play hand in it? Or
we worked our asses off so hard to give the
kids the life we never have, so now maybe that
plays a hand in it.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah, I think so. I think it's it's definitely the
social media. How the way life has changed now. I mean,
it's where we're at now with with everything. Uh, they
just have I think they have too much access to
to things that we didn't have a lot of.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Accent Well, we had to work for ship, we had
to work.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yeah, it's just it's just different, man. It's just a
different way of living now.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And I hate to even sound like old people talking
like this. But it's weird, Like there's a weird shift.
And it's not that we're hating. It's just it was
a different grind when we were coming up in a
different level of reward each step, you know what I mean.
I couldn't matter you. We used to fuck around, like
I remember, we get all a little pel grant checks
at UCLA for like twenty five hundre. You couldn't tell
me shit like I thought. You know, I ran Westwood,
you know what I mean. But I couldn't imagine having
(21:29):
a half a million dollars a couple of million dollars
at that age like there with no guy like I
came from nothing. So that kind of freedom and money
is scary for some of these kids because to me,
I make it. It makes me think, you know, you let
your foot off the gas a little bit now because
you have what obviously we had to fight for and
get in the pros. You have it now in college.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
That's that's a good out look. I mean, like I wouldn't.
I don't think I would want what they have right now. Yeah, yeah,
because like you said, I was, My goal is to
make it pro you know, change the not dynamic of
my family. Mm hmm, you know, and that's what my
eyes when I say, I always say it. And I
told my brother, I say, I'm gonna do three years
of college. You're going to do three years of college.
You're not doing four years, and I'll be in and out.
(22:10):
You know, That's what we did because we wanted to.
We were just so hungry to to just go after
what we what we wanted.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Our thoughts on college kids being twenty five, twenty six,
twenty seven year old now playing like, I don't mind
if you're in college, but playing sports, college sports, that
the age. What is your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Yeah, that's uh, that's different man.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
You know, I guess a lot of it has to
do with nil, right, And it seems as if these
college rather have an older guy than taking a guy
out of school.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But that's what college is supposed to be, right, College
is supposed to be you know that that next step.
But to your point, the maturity and the experience of
these kids that are damn near thirty years old with
two kids, you know, like, do you take a twenty
six year old that's played four years and red traded
two years over an eighteen year old.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Yeah, let's play back to fix you, my brother.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Is it true that Singatarrey wrote a distract about you
and performed in the front of the squad and then
dropped the mic like.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
District Yeah, I don't know where y'all get on the
it's crazy. Yeah it was. I think it was me
and Crabtree because me and Michael Krabbtree was like, I
don't know something we did. I think we might have
bumped heads or it was something that happened, and he, uh,
(23:27):
he made a track about us. He freestyted, I say
that ship it's pretty bad.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I know it was weak.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Back to fiction, Singletary dropped his pants during the halftime
speech and pointed us, but to illustrate what he thought
of y'all.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Yeah, he said, we basically pulled our pants down and
bent over.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
So bad. Yeah. Two facts, that's two facts. Back to fiction.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Singatary built an actual heel at the forty nine ers
head quarters to build character.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
Two name the pain? Is that true? He named it
pa Mike was home.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Yeah, I forgot what he named it, but he did
build a hill man. It was a man made hill
and we walked out what he called it page.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Mike was a full Kaepernick becomes a starting quarterback midway
through the twenty twelve season, taking Alex Smith's job as
a tight end. What's that adjustment like, going from something
you're very accustomed to to something new. Obviously he was
at the time was a run first guy, uh in
the offense, So I'm sure your role in the offense
changed a little bit.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
You know. It's always good that when you build chemistry
with a quarterback, but to be able to when that
when that shifts and you have a change, now you
gotta work with somebody else that could be that can
be extremely difficult. But for some reason, Kaepernick was able
to come in and and just I mean he hit
the ground running I mean literally yeah, literally and passing,
(25:05):
So he was it was it was it was a
smooth transition, you know, going from one quarterback to another.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
What was it like that? Because he's like he's a mystery,
you know what I mean, He's one of them quarterbacks
that popped up on the scene and really did his thing.
And then obviously we'll get into you know, taking the
knee later, but what was the aura about him? What
kind of leader was he? What kind of worker study
or was he what kind of player and do was he?
Speaker 3 (25:28):
He was good? Kaepernick was Uh, he was just determined, man.
He was so determined.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Man.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I remember when he first came in. He was he
just wanted to play. All he wanted to do was
just play. Still to this day, to this day, he
just he just wanted to play. He he would sit
there he I mean, and in practice he was just man,
he just went off in practice.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
He was killing practice.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah, he was always killing it in practice. So then
when he had the opportunity with I think Alex Smith
got a concussion and then they just moved him right in.
They knew he was Yeah, I was good. He was good.
He at first he starts small and slow, and I
guess that's because you know all the different offense coordinators.
But uh, but yeah, Cap Cap Alex could play. Cap
(26:09):
could play. But but then there was this moment where
I don't know, It's like it's like he hit a wall. Cap, Yeah,
he hit a wall.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
I just how far into it you feel like he
hit a wall?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Like he had those first two years where he was
just playing at a high level, and then something just happened.
So it's like he couldn't I don't know, he wasn't
doing he wasn't the same Kaepernick anymore. Really, Yeah, it
was it was it was, I don't know, it was crazy.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
He wasn't seeing the game the same something.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Yeah, it wasn't like yeah, it was just like his
throws were off. Just everything was just off man about him. Everything,
and then the team, the team just like imploded, from
upper management to the locker room. Everything just it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Jim Harbor takes over. What kind of experience was that
and what kind of coaches he?
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Yeah, Hardball came in. It just turned the whole program around.
When he came in, we I mean we went to
the playoffs instantly that first that first first year he
was there. He was a great coach man. He was
he was everything that we needed, you know, his charisma's attitude.
I remember one time he came out and you know,
we thought we had a new a new quarterback. It
was turned around. It was Hardball. He was suited. He
(27:26):
was out there thrown with the practice squad and he
was just he was He's an interesting character. Sure.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Uh twenty twelve Super Bowl Niners versus the Ravens. I
remember I was playing with the Clippers at the time.
We were on the road and we were all watching it
in the hotel. First of all, the experience of being
in your first Super Bowl, what was that like?
Speaker 3 (27:48):
That was like a dream come true, you know because
we the reason why we played this game is to
win a championship, want to ring, so to be able
to make it there, it was, I mean it was.
It was a true blessing man. But uh, it's always
that bad taste you get in your mouth when you
don't capitalize on the moment. And we did it.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yeah, I mean, you guys were off to a great
start in that first half and then what was the
explanation with the lights?
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Like, what the fuck happened?
Speaker 3 (28:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
The power just went out of the whole stadium.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah, the whole stadium. But it worked in our favor
because we were down and then we just for some reason,
we came out of the locker room. We won't fly.
We should have won that game.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
But.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
It just wasn't in our time.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
What'd you learn from it?
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I learned that I learned to appreciate every moment. You'll
just appreciate the moment, even if if you win or lose,
just appreciate it. And always do your very best.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
You went against the hell of a defense, Ed Reid,
ray Lewis, Suggs. What was that Baltimore defense?
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Like, they had a pretty good defense. Ray Lewis was
on his way out the door because he was he
wasn't the saying ray Lewis that he once was, but
he could still play at a high level. I felt
like they were good. But we definitely, you know, if
you go back and look at that game, we we
we did our thing as an offense. We showed up.
Start off slow, but we showed up. But that was
(29:08):
they had a pretty good defense, even with Torell Suggs
ye playing the end of the line.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
They was out there laying people out, wasn't they?
Speaker 7 (29:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I think, I think yeah. But we had some we
had some hitters on dogs too. Yeah. Yeah, that's where
we had de Sean Goldsen, the Dante Whitney who changed
his name at the end of the season, called to
hitting her.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
John still work out at the gym with me.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Oh yes, yeah, change the name of what he changed
his last name to Hitner Whittner to hit her just
due he was hit so he was hitting. I mean,
they was they was just they was just laying the
wood man everybody.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
And it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Then, dudes, Jack, when you see them, do they not
that big? Yeah, they're not that big. It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Were you still playing when the rules started to transition
a little bit to really protect the receivers or did you?
You got all the old NFL?
Speaker 3 (29:54):
I got most of the old Well no, because I
retired in twenty twenty, so you know, the rooster I
wanted to change a bit.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
How much How much of an advantage was that for
you with them, you know, taking certain areas they couldn't
hit you in and that kind of stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I don't really think it changed too much because you know,
football was always going to be football as long as
you have had those paths on guys hitting. I mean,
you can't stop with collision. Yeah, so you were still
I mean that's when I retired. I had a concussion,
that's my last. That's why I ended up wearing glasses
because of my last.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
How many concussions do you think you have? A six? Seven?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Do you feel the repercussions of the concussions that to this.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Day other than wearing glasses? That's about it. Okay, So no,
issues like anxiety. I get anxiety.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Maybe that's something anything that has to be treated from
those or just stuff you outside of the glasses, just
lots of stuff. You could just deal with.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
This anxiety stuff that's okay. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Interesting twenty thirteen Conference Championship against the Legion the Boom Seahawks.
I hated that team. Richard Sermony Camp chance for Earl Thomas.
Outside of that team, where does their home crowd rank
as far as tough environments.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
To play in scale of one to ten, ten being
the greatest? Ten're that good? Yeah? You can't, I mean
you can't hear anything really, Yeah, we gotta. We literally
have to like come like if the huddles like this,
we come like this. Yeah it's that loud?
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Is that loud? Yeah? It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
You guys have some legendary battles against them. Man, what
was it like going? I mean, those are guys' rivals
in the NFC West. What were those games like?
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Very intense? Very intense. We I mean, we did not
like each other. You know, you asked Marshaun Lunch, He'll
tell you anytime. We didn't like each other at all,
and we knew that we had to play extremely hard
in that game because those dudes are gonna bring it.
I mean that defense they had, oh man, you probably
can compare that defense to what they had in Baltimore.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
It was you had to go.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
The road to the championship ran through the Seattle for
forty nine ers for a while.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Oh yeah, Camp Chancellor Richard Sherman. I mean they had
some They have some dudes over there.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Twenty fifteen, you get traded to Denver. Two questions. What
was your thoughts going to Denver? And as your first
year of leaving San Francisco that's when the kneel and
stuff happens with cap What was your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yeah, so when I got traded, I got traded. I
didn't even know I was gonna get traded. Man, I
had I had a pretty good game. I mean I
let the team and catches that game, and next thing,
you know, I wake up in the morning. GM text
me and say, hey, you know, come see me. I'm like, oh,
so I go in. You know, he got some teams
on the board. Denver's one of them. He's asking me,
He's pretty much telling me that Denver is the best
(32:49):
situation for me. I go to Denver and you know,
we ended up winning the Super Bowl that year back
in Levi Stadium, and then all this stuff with Kappernick
was happening, with the kneeling, and I just didn't under
you know, to me, I didn't, I didn't. It caught
me by surprise. I didn't. I never knew that that
(33:09):
was a mission for Cap. You know, he never really
showed any signs of him supporting any causes or anything
like that. I know, I did know that he was
in a space where he wasn't the same kapenis. So
they did put when I was there, they did put
Blaine Gabar in m That was right, mm hmm. And
then he h you know, he pretty much took the
back seat. And after that, I guess that's when all
(33:31):
the stuff I started to happen.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Yeah, how would you have handled the locker room views?
Speaker 3 (33:36):
Though?
Speaker 4 (33:36):
With that going on?
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Me personally, I probably would have wanted to.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I think it just causes a lot of I mean,
you know, I think it's a great cause of what
he was supporting for sure, you know what I mean, Like,
I mean, everything he's done has been bigger than Yeah,
I mean, I mean, he's he's a he's a major,
he's a star from what he was doing, you know,
he he he sacrificed a lot. It's one of those
(34:06):
things though, where you know, if you got a career
and you're trying to become the best in the sport,
you're trying to win a suit, a championship, I think
all that stuff becomes a distraction. Though, you know, it's
it's a great it's a great call. It's something that
we we should all come together and see how can
we make this better and bigger? Right, But it's a
(34:29):
time and place for it. But for me, I would
want to probably get out of there and go to
a team with with with with the atmosphere winning, focusing
on winning a championship.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
Respect.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Yeah, that's what I want.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
I was what was your thoughts going on with a
great like paid man? Oh man, he was run your
numbers up.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
He was different. It was different man, he was he was.
I mean he was a different type of guy. I
mean playing with all the quarterbacks I played with, but
watching him he moved different the way he operated. But
the crazy parts that when he threw it was a game.
He threw like four or five interceptions. They took him out.
The only reason why he got his job back is
(35:09):
because the quarterback brought Oswald he was, Yeah, he was.
He started like tripping, he started messing up, like struggling,
so they put Peyton back in. But if that wouldn't
happen Peyton when he got a job, and this.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Is during the season, y'all want a super Bowl?
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Crazy?
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:26):
What was it like though? I mean, obviously he's known
for the audibles at the line and his work ethics.
He was a little bit older when you got him.
But what can you see the brilliance? Oh yeah, can
you see the brilliance and remember the brilliance like it
was yesterday?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Yeah. Yeah. He would take over the room like normally
typically the offensive coordinator standing, they going through the plays
and things of that nature, but Peyton would be the
guy out there. Oh really, yeah, it was like he
was the coach.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
It was.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
It was I've never I've never really seen that out
of a quarterback, So to be able to see that
was really it was really impressive to me. But it was.
It was a great It was a great ride.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Cam Newton against paidon Man and super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Cam was on fire during that time.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
But but we that was his MVP year, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, yeah, he was on he was on fire. But
I think he liked the discipline. You know, he was
out there, he had his Ship Superman shirt on his shoes,
flexing and stuff. Just look at me. Our team was
just poised. That was the difference. We were just we
knew what we're gonna do. I mean we had defensively, offensively,
we had everything we needed. It was Yeah, I remember
(36:31):
that day.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
I does you feel finally getting that trophy? Man?
Speaker 3 (36:34):
They feel? Man, it's so hard to get there, man,
I mean some guys will play to kill. Spikes was
probably one of those guys who played for like fifteen
sixteen years, never even went to a Super Bowl. So
to be able to to get that, to just be
rewarded with that, man, it just it just says it all.
I mean, like all the hard work, heart, sweat, blood,
(36:54):
sweat and tears we put into like just being great
and winning together. You know it. That's it right there? Culmination.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Yeah, who is Vernon outside of football?
Speaker 3 (37:07):
I would say, uh, I'm creative, you know, very creative,
you know. I you know, I went from playing football
to making music to acting, writing. I got an album.
I probably don't notice, but I don't really promote it
like that. But I got an album that I did,
like about a year or two ago. Really, what are
(37:27):
you just called show time?
Speaker 4 (37:29):
You rap?
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Yeah? Right? Rap?
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Okay, that's I did something with.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
I got some I got some people on that I got,
I got Young Droe on the track.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
I got remember George our mascot making them Golden State
Day because we were we were in the Bay at
the same time, Right was your six two thousand and
six was your first year? And U uh San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Right two six? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Yeah, yeah, we definitely crossed the past, definitely did.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Were you someone that went out. I don't remember seeing
you out? Yeah yeah, yeah, I was so high jack,
but I was.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
I was right there with you.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
I was always out.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Come on, man, you give it twenty two year old
mellis and dollars. Always I used to go out and
go straight to practice from being up.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
But it was because it was there be spots where
the Warriors, the Niners and the Raiders would be.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
In yeah, that we'd all be the same.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Yeah, And it was always love to It wasn't really
no bullshit. Na, there's a lot of teams together, all
three teams, egos, women everywhere was young.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
He did see all them, boy, all your boys out
treat up.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Right, quick hitters. First thing to come to mind. Let
us know your top five tight ends of all.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Time, Top five tight ends of all time. Man, I'm
gonna have to give you Channa Sharp, Tony Gonzales, Rob Gronkowski,
m mm hmm. No, put Travis Kelce in there, Tonyo.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Kates Solid one album you can listen to with no skips,
Blueprint Whole.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
Rock?
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Was that two thousand years Print one O two?
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (39:19):
That was all in college. I remember that ship, Childhood Crush.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
Hallie bear right you too.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
It's Rock Party, is Brock Party, It's Brock Party. A
franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
I need to see one or two more years out
of them.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Yeah on me, Yeah, it's Dak Prescott franchise quarterback. Man,
Come on, bro, I can't ask a former player.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
He ain't played for the Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
He's just a former player, though he played.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
He played with Rock Party. Yeah, but he's Fornadian, he
said for the Canadian. I don't do my boy like that.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Guilty pleasure, guilty pleasure.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
You got guilty pleasure. Dang man, I'm an say eating brownies.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
Man, we got some brown some brownie up there. I wish.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
I want to just be able to freely eat him.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
I don't want to.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Man.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
One guess you would like to see on our show,
but you have to help us get your answer on
the show.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
One guess I like to see on the show, man,
I like to see y'all had Kevin Hart on here, Yes, damn,
I know he was funny. Oh my god, I just
did coldes balls. He's a fool.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
He's just but he's naturally like.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
A fazing food. It's like not the whole time.
Speaker 4 (40:34):
Yeah, he just like he's really burnt out. Man.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
I know y'all was having a roller. Man, he's so funny. Man,
am I to give you some Michael B. Jordan's. We've
been trying to get Kevin har Ryan Coogler.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
We just have.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Y'all Kevin Harshot my acting dreams down.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
Don't tell them what I got going on.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
He acts a little bit, he's been acting a little bit.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Nice. You gotta get Michael be on here now.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Michael B's dopey. Michael Yeah, are you act oh cool?
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yeah? Cool? Like damn care.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Like well, Vernon man, we appreciate your time.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
Obviously.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
It's a huge fan of your body and work on
the field and it's dope to learn, you know, how
interesting off the field you are. Man, so continued success
and in all the spaces you are in and man,
best of luck, bro.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
Yeah, that's a wrap, Vernon Davis. You can catch us
and all the smoke productions you two.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
And the Draft Kings Network. We'll see y'all next week.
Speaker 7 (41:36):
Mm hmmm, mm hmmmm mm hmmm.
Welcome back all the smoke. Our next guest is one
of the greatest tight ends of all time. He played
on the team that used to smack this shit out
of the Cowboys, super Bowl champ, two time Pro bowler.
Welcome to the show. Vernon Davis here.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I say, man, I just want to say this. I'm
glad my boy had dog. But every time the football
players here, the Cowboys don't need to be in their introduction, bro,
they don't have to. Damn, they don't have to.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Hurting enough, Jack said, you take a lot of heat
from a lot of UCLA energy, and forty nine of energy.
Forty nine is of the team I grew up loving
and to this day are my favorite team, and you
for a while held down that tight end position. We
actually seen each other yesterday. I just on some random
shits so the Sundance Festival throwing bar brother Deon Taylor,
and I found out some interesting news I didn't really
know about you. So since retiring, you've been in nearly
(00:49):
thirty TV projects and films.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Roughly, yeah, thirty somewhere around there.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
So well so acting, directing a little bit of both.
I know you like to write, like where did that
passion come from and that drive after.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
So, when I was playing in San Francisco, we have
like off season training and I would I would sneak
away and I took this class at the Shelton Theater
of Art downtown downtown San Francisco, and from there, I
think I felt like this love and his passion for
film and television. After I retired in like twenty twenty,
I decided that I wanted to do film, focus on acting, producing,
(01:25):
just everything that has to do with like filming in general.
I didn't stop, but just putting my foot on the
gas and just kept going. I had a partner who
had a script he wanted to develop, create it. So
we created it, we made it, sold it, and then
after that I just kept kept seeking opportunities and found
myself just doing so many made so many projects.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
He works with some really big names, I mean, Morgan
Freeman and Bruce Willis, John Malcolm, I mean, what kind
of obviously a champion in your profession and an all
pro in your possession, but then you're going into another
space and another craft and getting a chance to work
with legendary actors.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Was that like?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And did you got any cool stories for me there
of those guys.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, I think it was. It was dope, man. You know,
I'm not gonna lie. I was kind of like I
was star struggling when I met Morgan Freeman. I grew
up watching this dude and be able to share the
screen with him, right. It was just just amazing man.
But his work ethic at eighty something years old, it
tells me why he is the way he is. Who
is I mean, he was on set, he was he
was asking questions like he was like he just started. Uh.
(02:25):
He was the first one on set, the last one
to lead, and that really inspired me.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
We got a chance to sit down Ryan Coogler about
a month ago, and he was just telling us, you know,
as athletes, we have this innate ability to you know,
focus and be at the top of our craft. And
if we're able to take that focus into another space
with that same hard work and dedication, we were successful
in it. Someone spoke on it on the panel we
(02:49):
were on yesterday, just about the dedication and getting those
hours in. I mean, this is something you felt fully
entrenched in since retiring. Is this is kind of your
second act so to speak.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
True passion, desire, love that I have. It's kind of
therapeutic for me to be able to tap into different characters,
whether it's acting or writing or just you know, just
tell them the story in general. And you know, when
you go through so much in life, you need that healing. Yeah,
and uh, that's what it That's what it does for me.
I was actually having a conversation with with Destry Destriy Spielberg.
(03:22):
We have a movie coming out as well, These Don't
Feed the Children, and we was kind of just talking
about some of these things as well not too long ago.
It's just therapeutic pretty much.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
You also a trained painter and a sculptor. With all
these sculptures getting made for players and stuff these days,
what's your opinion you think you can do better?
Speaker 4 (03:38):
A better AI shuit? Was this big?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
The way it looked like a little African baby.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Like, I don't know, bro, we need some help. What's
your opinion on that?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
You are to train painting and sculptures, so we need
your opinion on some of these statues over the place, man,
they're all over the place. Yeah yeah, but like, like,
how did you get into that? Well, just just a
sculpting and painting.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
That's crazy, I know, about that. I don't even really
talk about that too much, but it's started in school
at University of Maryland, I took a class I changed
my major from criminal justice. You know, let athletes take
criminal justice. We don't know what the hell we want
to do, so you know, yeah, yeah, yes, I was
a criminal justice. And then I saw my teammates coming
in with these canvases and sculptures, and I was like, damn,
I want to do that, and I just changed my major.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
And I saw d Wade to try to justify this
and said they worked on it.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
I just they worked on with them, Wade.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Don't let them do that to you.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Bro that right, you're my dogs. You're also obsessed with
Caroland the Olympic sport. Talk about that. How did you
get into that?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It's talking to my grandmother about that when she was
when I was a kid, to kind of give you
the backstorm. When I was a kid, man, I was.
I was involved in so many different things, man, from soccer, baseball,
back basketball, football. I just started playing football to tenth grade. Damn.
I was always playing basketball. Me and Kevin Durant, you
play played against him. He was at Montrose Christian. I
(05:03):
was at this public school called Dumball.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
I mean, keep your thought. But what were those battles like, oh.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Man, it was he and Patrick ew and son Patrick
and they had they were too good for.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Usuh huh, Like in high school, was just cold that
same way.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Skinny cold shoot, very fundamental and just he was just
a hooper man since day one, going back, Yeah, I
was my grandmother. I was just involved in so many
different things. And I think what happened when I got drafted,
you know, my my true personality and like who I
really was started to come out, and I just took
a lik into so many different things. One of the
(05:37):
writers in San Francisco came to me, she was like,
you should try Caroland. And I didn't know anything about Caroland.
I didn't know nothing about it. So I tried the
Team US Team USA Team heard about it. They invited
me to Vancouver and then from there I was just
with them all the way. And that's how I got.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Are you nice at it?
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Though?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I'm okay, yeah, okay, there's nothing more where they sweep
the brush right in front of it and they slide
the thing down.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
You gotta landed in the area, right, you know, Carland
This is all I know. I ain't never ain't no
ice in the hood.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I didn't know nothing about it.
You think the DMV got the best hoopers. It's a
lot of talent come out of it. But I wouldn't
say the best. Nah, I don't know. I wouldn't say
the best.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Now, a lot of talent, A lot of time. We
all got into little trouble growing up. You got into
little trouble as well. Yeah, did that help keep you straight?
That experience?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I think my trouble started early, though. I mean it
was for some reason.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I got arrested twice in sixth grade, and uh, you.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Got to be doing something to get a wrestled in
sixth grade. I mean you know, I went to I
went to the principal's office a whole lot of times.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I wasn't Yeah, exactly too.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah you're not talking about for stealing cigarettes.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I was on for It was a kid that stayed
behind my house and we were just some dumb kids
and was walking home.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
I just didn't like him. I hit him in the hour.
I had a lock on my hand, hit him in.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And his mama brought him to my house afterwards, and
told my mama and self that press charge on the Yeah,
drug tests all that. Yeah, probation's probation. I don't give
for what your wage, you is, it's probation.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Got in a little bit of trouble when you.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Was younger, Yeah, a little trouble. And then I, you know,
I started to get my life together, man. But it's
you know, I come and y'all too, I mean, especially
you for you know, being able to be in that environment,
using an environment we both were, but we were able
to change our focus and change our mindset and do
something bigger and better. You know, And and I talk
about this all the time. If we can be in
(07:41):
that environment. You know, a lot of times you probably
get people say, uh, be careful you hanging around, don't
let them in your space, don't let them in your circle.
They got this going on. But you got this going on.
I think back, I said, you know where I came from,
I was already in a space. Everybody be in any environment,
I'm gonna affect the people that are around me. They're not
gonna affect me.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
He had it in this house though. That was a difference.
It was around me. It was in his house.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
But I always felt like, and that's what I did,
grow up around drugs and violence, but I always felt like,
similar to you, like it wasn't and people could be
around me doing it, but I knew it wasn't.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
It wasn't me.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I mean, the only thing I ever wanted to do
with smoke. We went out because I like to smell
when I was younger, and it stuck with my whole life.
But I didn't seen a lot of shit happen around
me where it was just I ain't judging, do you
You know what I mean? But I could still be
in that environment and still be myself and be fine
and make it out.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
So you've always been notorious for your work ethic. Is
it true that you can catch tennis balls?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Yeah, I got I got a tennis ball. I used
to keep a tennis ball machine because I felt like
hand eye coordination was really important. So after practice, I
would go into garage and you know, kind of just
catch with one hand and just kind of keep the
hand eye coordination.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
That's crazy, I'm just coming. That's dope. What's this video?
Speaker 4 (08:57):
He's curling?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
You know what? Man? It's just as it's interesting.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
It's touch.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I think anybody to get out there.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
I mean like when I first saw too, I was like, man,
this is this is probably the craziest sport I've ever
seen in my life. But actually being out there and
and just being just it's kind of like.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
It's like playing golf or anything else something we know
you don't play. You didn't grow up playing golf, right,
don't play it all the time, but just the just
the joy of being out there and once you once
you like laying that stone on that spot, it's kind
of like you achieved something.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And you can have a bad day and then have
one good toss and want to bring you back the
next time.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Exactly what's more important? The people with the brooms at
the end are your touch from letting it go.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I think they're both equally important. Broom. What the broom does?
It melts the ice. The ice is like pebble. So
when you when you're doing that, you're speeding, speeding the
stone up that it might be sliding too slow, but
when you sweep it speeds it up and then you
can carry it a lot further.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
High school teammates with the legendary tournament Josh Cribs. What
was it like as you guys are a combo in
high school?
Speaker 3 (10:00):
He was probably one of the most talented players I've
ever seen. I mean he played everything. He played safety,
he was playing he played basketball for three years. He
was actually one of the one of the one of
the best players we had on the team. So basketball
and football, play quarterback, he could do it all. So
just you know, just being around him and his energy
was like, like really it was.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Was he older than you?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Two years two years old?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
So little brother again pro bowler. Big brother did his thing.
You take any credit for a little bro doing his thing.
What were the battles like when you guys are younger?
Speaker 4 (10:32):
He was.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
He was four years younger. So growing up, it was
never it was never really, it wasn't really any competition
because I was always the older gap, big gap. But
I used to I used to really, like, you know,
put all I could and in him to make sure
that he was prepared and ready, you know, to achieve greatness.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
What are some of the Titans you looked up to
as you were coming.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Up Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, all hoopers. Yeah, h yeah,
And I looked up the t O t O was
like he was a wide receiver, buddy. I still felt
like he has something that I you know, He's just
very inspiring to me the way he played the game.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
How do you feel basketball helped you on the football field?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
My ability to be able to get in and out
of transitions as a bad basket I mean you you
never really know how to shape you until you play basketball.
That's a different kind of I mean just cardio, but
just the mobility you need to to be a great athlete.
I feel like the best football players are basketball player.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So there was a it was probably last year where
there was a big debate on it would it be
easier for a football player to hop into basketball or
a basketball player to hop into football at the pro level.
You've played both obviously pro and football. What what what
do you think would be easier to.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Do basketball hopping into football? Yeah? Sure, yeah, football player,
unless you I mean unless you like it.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Just you gotta be different.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Different.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
There's some dudes out there.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
I watched Travis Hunter.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
It's something.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
But it's some basketball players that feel like that about
football too, that.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
They just think it's easy man.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Motherfuckers.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I know, I know a lot of the motherfuckers saw
they couldn't go out there and get pushed down and
face man one face mask. They're gonna be flopping and
ship and doing like this.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Man. Look every face mad.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Right flopping football?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Can you They'll try it? Maryland Football two thousand and
three to five? Stayed home? What was what was your
choice for doing that?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
My grandmother raised me and my six siblings, so I
wanted to stay home, and you know, kind of you're
the oldest I know this ship, so I wanted to
help her out and just just be around in case
she needed anything.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You was super freak at the combine four three in
the forty two and foot broad jump, thirty thy reps
on the bench, prep on press.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Bro You're just just be compared.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, bro on, you just run through them numbers like nothing,
bro A four to three? What a two fifty to
sixty fifty two fifty crazy, thirty three on the bench,
ten foot broad like them numbers are off the chart.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Also, you you was a what was your max bench?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I did two? I did two twenty five like thirty
three times. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
What's the most what's max though.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That's how I got my money.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I think I can max you up most of the
thirty five.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
He said that bench press got you paid.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
More than I had those days over with. I just
I just think about it.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
You're right, what was I mean? You were at the
peak of athleticism and strength and skill boxing a big
ass body.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, that was for some reason. I was able to
like maintain my speed and and just put on put
on weight, and I just I just kept it, always
been able to run. I just kept it for some reason.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Speak to how important it is to be a tight
end that can catch and block.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Being a tight end that can do it all is
is very important because now they can utilize you in
so many different spaces. You can line up out wide.
I know when I was playing, they lined I would
line out about wide, I would get in the backfield,
I would be at the point of attack online on
the line. And you know, just it makes you very versatile,
and it makes it instead of like when Antonio Gates
was playing, not knocking his game or anything, but they
(14:06):
would take him out whenever they needed, like run. But
you know, when you when you got the whole package,
you can just stay.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
In giving me your welcome to the NFL moment, Like
did a linebacker d Lineman bring your bell where he
was looking at stars?
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I think John Lynch. He hit me and I went
to that sideline.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Said I want to be on your team.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
That's one of them guys too.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
That's one of them guys.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Man hit me so hard, man, that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I remember that day.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I remember that day barely, but I remember. Let's play
a game. Build your perfect tight end. Who would you
pick for blocking? And don't you throw yourself in there
whenever you feel fit.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I picked George Kittle for blocking.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Okay, route running.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Tonio Gates, nice speed, Oh to put me in an
easy call? Hands hands, I'm I have to say, Travis
Kelce iq IQ, Tony Gonzalez physicality, Shannon Show.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Oh that's a hell of a list right there.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
God damn great list.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Two thousand and six first round pick by the forty
nine or so, you from the DC area, went to
college there with your first impression, coming all the way
across the country to California.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I was like, man, this is far. I was like, man,
this is far. But I you know, I was ready.
I was just so excited to play with the team,
and I was you know, I saw the houses in
the hills. I was like, man, I gotta get me
one of the houses. And I was just I was
just motivated, man by the by an environment team and
just you know, just trying to, you know, make a
(15:52):
name for myself as far as sports goes.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Coach singletary, legendary linebackers. Sometimes great players transition into coaching. Well,
sometimes they don't. I think there was mixed because I
was I mean, I was a huge fan at the time,
and I always meant the media some people love them,
some people hate him. Here's a viral clip of him
calling you out.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
No, no, you don't want me to go much further,
go out ahead, ask the question veron vernon just it
was something that I told everybody at the very beginning
of the week. I will now tolerate players that think
it's about them when it's about the team and we
cannot make we cannot make decisions that costs the team
(16:37):
and then come off the sideline and it's nonchalant. No,
you know what, this is how I believe Okay, I'm
from the old school.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I believe this. I would rather play with ten people.
Speaker 6 (16:50):
And just get penalized all the way until we got
to do something else rather than play with eleven. When
I know that right now, that person is not sold
out to be a part of this team. It is
more about them than it is about the team. Cannot
play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them,
can't do it.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
I want winners. I want people that want to win.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
So when you see that, obviously taking yourself back to
that moment, I mean that's a that's an attack of
public attack at that age and then now being removed
from the game for a while and being in your
older age. Take us through both mindsets seeing that, and
take us through your mindset when you're hearing that as
a player at the time.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
But the time, I was like, man, this dude throwing
me under the bus. I was like, man, this is crazy.
I was like many at they about to get rid
of me.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
What year was that for you?
Speaker 3 (17:41):
That was yeah, that's like yeah three, okay, yeah. And
now you know, being older version, you know myself and
you know, just thinking back about it, I think it's
something that I deserved. I'm related to to be able
to have that happen to me, because I think it
really helped put me in a position too to have
(18:03):
a great career. So I'm just thankful for the moment
and thankful for him because after that, I mean, we
created we had a great relationship.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I mean, he wrote the forward note in your book.
But I think you said something that's profound at the moment.
I mean, obviously it takes time when you're older and
you see it at that moment. Did it click in
outside of it or was it first like damn fuck
he thrown me under the bus or from the rip
where you able to use it as motivation and kind
of find your way.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
No, I was just laying back. I was I was
laying back. I was in the bill with my kids mom,
and it came on TV. I didn't know he did it,
and I'm looking I'm like, shit, she looking at me.
I'm looking at it, and I was like man. I
was like, this is crazy.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
Man.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
But it didn't hit me until like after we had
a conversation, cause I walked into his office. He was
sitting there. I walked in and I was crying. He
was crying, and he was like, son, you got you
got the ability to be the best, the best tight
end in the League, you could change the game. And uh,
you know, I'm listening. I'm here, and I'm like, man,
(19:14):
I think, you know, if I do everything you tell
me to do, I can possibly tap into some good stuff.
So you know I did, And that next year I
went to the Pro Bowl, and you know, I started
to just become a dynamic player.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Now, question, I feel like that's it's it's old Like
as he said, I'm from the old school, and we
all came up in the old school. Today, I feel
like if that happens on any level, kids run, kids transfer,
kids jump in the transfer port, they try to change teams.
What are your thoughts on just the movement in sports now?
And and and I only asked because I felt like
all the hard knocks we went through one we just
(19:46):
saw yours. It gave us character, he gave us, you know, resiliency.
We learned a lot of lessons from shit like that.
But I feel like nowadays, if there's any real pushback
or coaches get in your face, cuts you like, they're gone.
Kids are gone.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah, I think players are soft now, you know. I
think they saw that when we were playing, Like, you know,
we're there at the same time. But you know, during
that time, it was hard coaching, man, just everything was tough, hard,
and like nowadays it ain't. I mean even I look
at my son sometimes. Man, the way they move around
and operate is just crazy to me.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
They don't want to be held accountable.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's just crazy that that. I mean
this the culture.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
I mean this, you think do you think it's social
media and the instat gratification with the showing on the Highland.
You could lose the game and still have a mixtape
or show your highlights and your team just got is
it is it? Is?
Speaker 7 (20:36):
It?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Is it the social media play hand in it? Or
we worked our asses off so hard to give the
kids the life we never have, so now maybe that
plays a hand in it.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah, I think so. I think it's it's definitely the
social media. How the way life has changed now. I mean,
it's where we're at now with with everything. Uh, they
just have I think they have too much access to
to things that we didn't have a lot of.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Accent Well, we had to work for ship, we had
to work.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yeah, it's just it's just different, man. It's just a
different way of living now.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And I hate to even sound like old people talking
like this. But it's weird, Like there's a weird shift.
And it's not that we're hating. It's just it was
a different grind when we were coming up in a
different level of reward each step, you know what I mean.
I couldn't matter you. We used to fuck around, like
I remember, we get all a little pel grant checks
at UCLA for like twenty five hundre. You couldn't tell
me shit like I thought. You know, I ran Westwood,
you know what I mean. But I couldn't imagine having
(21:29):
a half a million dollars a couple of million dollars
at that age like there with no guy like I
came from nothing. So that kind of freedom and money
is scary for some of these kids because to me,
I make it. It makes me think, you know, you let
your foot off the gas a little bit now because
you have what obviously we had to fight for and
get in the pros. You have it now in college.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
That's that's a good out look. I mean, like I wouldn't.
I don't think I would want what they have right now. Yeah, yeah,
because like you said, I was, My goal is to
make it pro you know, change the not dynamic of
my family. Mm hmm, you know, and that's what my
eyes when I say, I always say it. And I
told my brother, I say, I'm gonna do three years
of college. You're going to do three years of college.
You're not doing four years, and I'll be in and out.
(22:10):
You know, That's what we did because we wanted to.
We were just so hungry to to just go after
what we what we wanted.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Our thoughts on college kids being twenty five, twenty six,
twenty seven year old now playing like, I don't mind
if you're in college, but playing sports, college sports, that
the age. What is your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Yeah, that's uh, that's different man.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
You know, I guess a lot of it has to
do with nil, right, And it seems as if these
college rather have an older guy than taking a guy
out of school.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But that's what college is supposed to be, right, College
is supposed to be you know that that next step.
But to your point, the maturity and the experience of
these kids that are damn near thirty years old with
two kids, you know, like, do you take a twenty
six year old that's played four years and red traded
two years over an eighteen year old.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Yeah, let's play back to fix you, my brother.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Is it true that Singatarrey wrote a distract about you
and performed in the front of the squad and then
dropped the mic like.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
District Yeah, I don't know where y'all get on the
it's crazy. Yeah it was. I think it was me
and Crabtree because me and Michael Krabbtree was like, I
don't know something we did. I think we might have
bumped heads or it was something that happened, and he, uh,
(23:27):
he made a track about us. He freestyted, I say
that ship it's pretty bad.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I know it was weak.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Back to fiction, Singletary dropped his pants during the halftime
speech and pointed us, but to illustrate what he thought
of y'all.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Yeah, he said, we basically pulled our pants down and
bent over.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
So bad. Yeah. Two facts, that's two facts. Back to fiction.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Singatary built an actual heel at the forty nine ers
head quarters to build character.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
Two name the pain? Is that true? He named it
pa Mike was home.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Yeah, I forgot what he named it, but he did
build a hill man. It was a man made hill
and we walked out what he called it page.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Mike was a full Kaepernick becomes a starting quarterback midway
through the twenty twelve season, taking Alex Smith's job as
a tight end. What's that adjustment like, going from something
you're very accustomed to to something new. Obviously he was
at the time was a run first guy, uh in
the offense, So I'm sure your role in the offense
changed a little bit.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
You know. It's always good that when you build chemistry
with a quarterback, but to be able to when that
when that shifts and you have a change, now you
gotta work with somebody else that could be that can
be extremely difficult. But for some reason, Kaepernick was able
to come in and and just I mean he hit
the ground running I mean literally yeah, literally and passing,
(25:05):
So he was it was it was it was a
smooth transition, you know, going from one quarterback to another.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
What was it like that? Because he's like he's a mystery,
you know what I mean, He's one of them quarterbacks
that popped up on the scene and really did his thing.
And then obviously we'll get into you know, taking the
knee later, but what was the aura about him? What
kind of leader was he? What kind of worker study
or was he what kind of player and do was he?
Speaker 3 (25:28):
He was good? Kaepernick was Uh, he was just determined, man.
He was so determined.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Man.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I remember when he first came in. He was he
just wanted to play. All he wanted to do was
just play. Still to this day, to this day, he
just he just wanted to play. He he would sit
there he I mean, and in practice he was just man,
he just went off in practice.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
He was killing practice.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah, he was always killing it in practice. So then
when he had the opportunity with I think Alex Smith
got a concussion and then they just moved him right in.
They knew he was Yeah, I was good. He was good.
He at first he starts small and slow, and I
guess that's because you know all the different offense coordinators.
But uh, but yeah, Cap Cap Alex could play. Cap
(26:09):
could play. But but then there was this moment where
I don't know, It's like it's like he hit a wall. Cap, Yeah,
he hit a wall.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
I just how far into it you feel like he
hit a wall?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Like he had those first two years where he was
just playing at a high level, and then something just happened.
So it's like he couldn't I don't know, he wasn't
doing he wasn't the same Kaepernick anymore. Really, Yeah, it
was it was it was, I don't know, it was crazy.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
He wasn't seeing the game the same something.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Yeah, it wasn't like yeah, it was just like his
throws were off. Just everything was just off man about him. Everything,
and then the team, the team just like imploded, from
upper management to the locker room. Everything just it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Jim Harbor takes over. What kind of experience was that
and what kind of coaches he?
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Yeah, Hardball came in. It just turned the whole program around.
When he came in, we I mean we went to
the playoffs instantly that first that first first year he
was there. He was a great coach man. He was
he was everything that we needed, you know, his charisma's attitude.
I remember one time he came out and you know,
we thought we had a new a new quarterback. It
was turned around. It was Hardball. He was suited. He
(27:26):
was out there thrown with the practice squad and he
was just he was He's an interesting character. Sure.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Uh twenty twelve Super Bowl Niners versus the Ravens. I
remember I was playing with the Clippers at the time.
We were on the road and we were all watching it
in the hotel. First of all, the experience of being
in your first Super Bowl, what was that like?
Speaker 3 (27:48):
That was like a dream come true, you know because
we the reason why we played this game is to
win a championship, want to ring, so to be able
to make it there, it was, I mean it was.
It was a true blessing man. But uh, it's always
that bad taste you get in your mouth when you
don't capitalize on the moment. And we did it.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yeah, I mean, you guys were off to a great
start in that first half and then what was the
explanation with the lights?
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Like, what the fuck happened?
Speaker 3 (28:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
The power just went out of the whole stadium.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah, the whole stadium. But it worked in our favor
because we were down and then we just for some reason,
we came out of the locker room. We won't fly.
We should have won that game.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
But.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
It just wasn't in our time.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
What'd you learn from it?
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I learned that I learned to appreciate every moment. You'll
just appreciate the moment, even if if you win or lose,
just appreciate it. And always do your very best.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
You went against the hell of a defense, Ed Reid,
ray Lewis, Suggs. What was that Baltimore defense?
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Like, they had a pretty good defense. Ray Lewis was
on his way out the door because he was he
wasn't the saying ray Lewis that he once was, but
he could still play at a high level. I felt
like they were good. But we definitely, you know, if
you go back and look at that game, we we
we did our thing as an offense. We showed up.
Start off slow, but we showed up. But that was
(29:08):
they had a pretty good defense, even with Torell Suggs
ye playing the end of the line.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
They was out there laying people out, wasn't they?
Speaker 7 (29:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I think, I think yeah. But we had some we
had some hitters on dogs too. Yeah. Yeah, that's where
we had de Sean Goldsen, the Dante Whitney who changed
his name at the end of the season, called to
hitting her.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
John still work out at the gym with me.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Oh yes, yeah, change the name of what he changed
his last name to Hitner Whittner to hit her just
due he was hit so he was hitting. I mean,
they was they was just they was just laying the
wood man everybody.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
And it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Then, dudes, Jack, when you see them, do they not
that big? Yeah, they're not that big. It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Were you still playing when the rules started to transition
a little bit to really protect the receivers or did you?
You got all the old NFL?
Speaker 3 (29:54):
I got most of the old Well no, because I
retired in twenty twenty, so you know, the rooster I
wanted to change a bit.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
How much How much of an advantage was that for
you with them, you know, taking certain areas they couldn't
hit you in and that kind of stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I don't really think it changed too much because you know,
football was always going to be football as long as
you have had those paths on guys hitting. I mean,
you can't stop with collision. Yeah, so you were still
I mean that's when I retired. I had a concussion,
that's my last. That's why I ended up wearing glasses
because of my last.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
How many concussions do you think you have? A six? Seven?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Do you feel the repercussions of the concussions that to this.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Day other than wearing glasses? That's about it. Okay, So no,
issues like anxiety. I get anxiety.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Maybe that's something anything that has to be treated from
those or just stuff you outside of the glasses, just
lots of stuff. You could just deal with.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
This anxiety stuff that's okay. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Interesting twenty thirteen Conference Championship against the Legion the Boom Seahawks.
I hated that team. Richard Sermony Camp chance for Earl Thomas.
Outside of that team, where does their home crowd rank
as far as tough environments.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
To play in scale of one to ten, ten being
the greatest? Ten're that good? Yeah? You can't, I mean
you can't hear anything really, Yeah, we gotta. We literally
have to like come like if the huddles like this,
we come like this. Yeah it's that loud?
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Is that loud? Yeah? It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
You guys have some legendary battles against them. Man, what
was it like going? I mean, those are guys' rivals
in the NFC West. What were those games like?
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Very intense? Very intense. We I mean, we did not
like each other. You know, you asked Marshaun Lunch, He'll
tell you anytime. We didn't like each other at all,
and we knew that we had to play extremely hard
in that game because those dudes are gonna bring it.
I mean that defense they had, oh man, you probably
can compare that defense to what they had in Baltimore.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
It was you had to go.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
The road to the championship ran through the Seattle for
forty nine ers for a while.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Oh yeah, Camp Chancellor Richard Sherman. I mean they had
some They have some dudes over there.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Twenty fifteen, you get traded to Denver. Two questions. What
was your thoughts going to Denver? And as your first
year of leaving San Francisco that's when the kneel and
stuff happens with cap What was your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yeah, so when I got traded, I got traded. I
didn't even know I was gonna get traded. Man, I
had I had a pretty good game. I mean I
let the team and catches that game, and next thing,
you know, I wake up in the morning. GM text
me and say, hey, you know, come see me. I'm like, oh,
so I go in. You know, he got some teams
on the board. Denver's one of them. He's asking me,
He's pretty much telling me that Denver is the best
(32:49):
situation for me. I go to Denver and you know,
we ended up winning the Super Bowl that year back
in Levi Stadium, and then all this stuff with Kappernick
was happening, with the kneeling, and I just didn't under
you know, to me, I didn't, I didn't. It caught
me by surprise. I didn't. I never knew that that
(33:09):
was a mission for Cap. You know, he never really
showed any signs of him supporting any causes or anything
like that. I know, I did know that he was
in a space where he wasn't the same kapenis. So
they did put when I was there, they did put
Blaine Gabar in m That was right, mm hmm. And
then he h you know, he pretty much took the
back seat. And after that, I guess that's when all
(33:31):
the stuff I started to happen.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Yeah, how would you have handled the locker room views?
Speaker 3 (33:36):
Though?
Speaker 4 (33:36):
With that going on?
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Me personally, I probably would have wanted to.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I think it just causes a lot of I mean,
you know, I think it's a great cause of what
he was supporting for sure, you know what I mean, Like,
I mean, everything he's done has been bigger than Yeah,
I mean, I mean, he's he's a he's a major,
he's a star from what he was doing, you know,
he he he sacrificed a lot. It's one of those
(34:06):
things though, where you know, if you got a career
and you're trying to become the best in the sport,
you're trying to win a suit, a championship, I think
all that stuff becomes a distraction. Though, you know, it's
it's a great it's a great call. It's something that
we we should all come together and see how can
we make this better and bigger? Right, But it's a
(34:29):
time and place for it. But for me, I would
want to probably get out of there and go to
a team with with with with the atmosphere winning, focusing
on winning a championship.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
Respect.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Yeah, that's what I want.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
I was what was your thoughts going on with a
great like paid man? Oh man, he was run your
numbers up.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
He was different. It was different man, he was he was.
I mean he was a different type of guy. I
mean playing with all the quarterbacks I played with, but
watching him he moved different the way he operated. But
the crazy parts that when he threw it was a game.
He threw like four or five interceptions. They took him out.
The only reason why he got his job back is
(35:09):
because the quarterback brought Oswald he was, Yeah, he was.
He started like tripping, he started messing up, like struggling,
so they put Peyton back in. But if that wouldn't
happen Peyton when he got a job, and this.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Is during the season, y'all want a super Bowl?
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Crazy?
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:26):
What was it like though? I mean, obviously he's known
for the audibles at the line and his work ethics.
He was a little bit older when you got him.
But what can you see the brilliance? Oh yeah, can
you see the brilliance and remember the brilliance like it
was yesterday?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Yeah. Yeah. He would take over the room like normally
typically the offensive coordinator standing, they going through the plays
and things of that nature, but Peyton would be the
guy out there. Oh really, yeah, it was like he
was the coach.
Speaker 4 (35:51):
It was.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
It was I've never I've never really seen that out
of a quarterback, So to be able to see that
was really it was really impressive to me. But it was.
It was a great It was a great ride.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Cam Newton against paidon Man and super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Cam was on fire during that time.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
But but we that was his MVP year, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, yeah, he was on he was on fire. But
I think he liked the discipline. You know, he was
out there, he had his Ship Superman shirt on his shoes,
flexing and stuff. Just look at me. Our team was
just poised. That was the difference. We were just we
knew what we're gonna do. I mean we had defensively, offensively,
we had everything we needed. It was Yeah, I remember
(36:31):
that day.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
I does you feel finally getting that trophy? Man?
Speaker 3 (36:34):
They feel? Man, it's so hard to get there, man,
I mean some guys will play to kill. Spikes was
probably one of those guys who played for like fifteen
sixteen years, never even went to a Super Bowl. So
to be able to to get that, to just be
rewarded with that, man, it just it just says it all.
I mean, like all the hard work, heart, sweat, blood,
(36:54):
sweat and tears we put into like just being great
and winning together. You know it. That's it right there? Culmination.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Yeah, who is Vernon outside of football?
Speaker 3 (37:07):
I would say, uh, I'm creative, you know, very creative,
you know. I you know, I went from playing football
to making music to acting, writing. I got an album.
I probably don't notice, but I don't really promote it
like that. But I got an album that I did,
like about a year or two ago. Really, what are
(37:27):
you just called show time?
Speaker 4 (37:29):
You rap?
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Yeah? Right? Rap?
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Okay, that's I did something with.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
I got some I got some people on that I got,
I got Young Droe on the track.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
I got remember George our mascot making them Golden State
Day because we were we were in the Bay at
the same time, Right was your six two thousand and
six was your first year? And U uh San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Right two six? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Yeah, yeah, we definitely crossed the past, definitely did.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Were you someone that went out. I don't remember seeing
you out? Yeah yeah, yeah, I was so high jack,
but I was.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
I was right there with you.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
I was always out.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Come on, man, you give it twenty two year old
mellis and dollars. Always I used to go out and
go straight to practice from being up.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
But it was because it was there be spots where
the Warriors, the Niners and the Raiders would be.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
In yeah, that we'd all be the same.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Yeah, And it was always love to It wasn't really
no bullshit. Na, there's a lot of teams together, all
three teams, egos, women everywhere was young.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
He did see all them, boy, all your boys out
treat up.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Right, quick hitters. First thing to come to mind. Let
us know your top five tight ends of all.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Time, Top five tight ends of all time. Man, I'm
gonna have to give you Channa Sharp, Tony Gonzales, Rob Gronkowski,
m mm hmm. No, put Travis Kelce in there, Tonyo.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Kates Solid one album you can listen to with no skips,
Blueprint Whole.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
Rock?
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Was that two thousand years Print one O two?
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (39:19):
That was all in college. I remember that ship, Childhood Crush.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
Hallie bear right you too.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
It's Rock Party, is Brock Party, It's Brock Party. A
franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
I need to see one or two more years out
of them.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Yeah on me, Yeah, it's Dak Prescott franchise quarterback. Man,
Come on, bro, I can't ask a former player.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
He ain't played for the Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
He's just a former player, though he played.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
He played with Rock Party. Yeah, but he's Fornadian, he
said for the Canadian. I don't do my boy like that.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Guilty pleasure, guilty pleasure.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
You got guilty pleasure. Dang man, I'm an say eating brownies.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
Man, we got some brown some brownie up there. I wish.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
I want to just be able to freely eat him.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
I don't want to.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Man.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
One guess you would like to see on our show,
but you have to help us get your answer on
the show.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
One guess I like to see on the show, man,
I like to see y'all had Kevin Hart on here, Yes, damn,
I know he was funny. Oh my god, I just
did coldes balls. He's a fool.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
He's just but he's naturally like.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
A fazing food. It's like not the whole time.
Speaker 4 (40:34):
Yeah, he just like he's really burnt out. Man.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
I know y'all was having a roller. Man, he's so funny. Man,
am I to give you some Michael B. Jordan's. We've
been trying to get Kevin har Ryan Coogler.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
We just have.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Y'all Kevin Harshot my acting dreams down.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
Don't tell them what I got going on.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
He acts a little bit, he's been acting a little bit.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Nice. You gotta get Michael be on here now.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Michael B's dopey. Michael Yeah, are you act oh cool?
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yeah? Cool? Like damn care.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Like well, Vernon man, we appreciate your time.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
Obviously.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
It's a huge fan of your body and work on
the field and it's dope to learn, you know, how
interesting off the field you are. Man, so continued success
and in all the spaces you are in and man,
best of luck, bro.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
Yeah, that's a wrap, Vernon Davis. You can catch us
and all the smoke productions you two.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
And the Draft Kings Network. We'll see y'all next week.
Speaker 7 (41:36):
Mm hmmm, mm hmmmm mm hmmm.
Hosts And Creators
Stephen Jackson
Matt Barnes
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