July 20, 2021 • 57 mins
Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore sits down with Steve and G to talk about finding
his direction, proving his position on the team, and maintaining the right mindset on and off the
field. As usual, the guys are tackling all the big questions--including why Steve cracks a smile
every time has some chewing gum.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is cut to it with Steve Smith Senior at
production of The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. I'm
Steve Smith Senior and and this is cut to it.
Good do what cud do? What that's getting down to
do with good do It? We asked the questions you
(00:20):
always want to know, but no one ever asked, let's
cut to it. You ain't heard am about it? Then
we're about to let you know. It's all that's my
pet piece. Man. Why do you got to learn how
(00:41):
to spare where you your kids? Something happy? You know?
You know, I've been camping using the summer and I
went home, back to back to l a UM and
just kind of snuck in, snuck out see if I
saw a few people. And we really didn't have a
lot of time. But it reminds me of some of
the funny stories I have is growing up as a kid,
(01:02):
and so I have this story that every time I
chew gum, it reminds me of my pop. Okay, so
my pop. You know, we didn't have a lot of means,
so we wrote the public transportation. At the time, it
used to be called the rt D and then uh uh,
the metro or m T A whatever, it is. So
I don't know what it is anymore because um, but
(01:23):
I got a jailb so I got a car, right,
And so we used to be on the bus a lot.
And my dad used to always so you know, chewing
gum when you you know big league chew right, and
then if you get baseball cars, you got that chalked uh,
got that white powder? Who whoa, whoa the white powder
(01:43):
and like in that I don't know not that not
what you're thinking inappropriate scum back. I'm talking about just
like the old like garbage pale kids, remember, and so
they had that cheap gum. Yeah, or it made me
think remember the almost like oh yeah, you like the
(02:06):
dipper huh that you got me back? Got you back.
So when I was a kid, I used to chew gum,
and you know when you're chewing gum as a kid,
blowing the big bubble and for some reason, I would
struggle on blowing the bubble, but I would. They would
blow the bubble small enough and then it will have
(02:27):
a small bubble and so you have that like you
make it pop. And that used to chalk my dad.
Here it man. My dad used to chalk me up
and he'd be like, Okay, you're over there chilling that
gum like a female. Or he used to be mad
(02:50):
and I'm like, bro, what are you talking about? And
so that was his pet peeve. So to this day
I will to go and at least at some point
that you and go popped my gulp and I just
start declaring, here, yeah, control that you're going, Debo ain't around.
(03:17):
Is that I'm gonna keep your but he ain't gonna
say nothing about this, right, And so it literally used
to be funny until this day. Bro, I'm forty two
years old and I still popped the gum, but I
giggle every time, and I don't snap. I'll be like
(03:37):
poetic justice. It's just because he used to irk him
and he used to say some of the most derogatory terms.
Popping that gum like a female again, I see it, Bro,
It is so funny because he used to get so annoyed.
(03:57):
And there's like little things that I do now as
adults where even Angie should be like, Babe, close the door.
And I remember my grandpa loved my grandpa close that
damn door, Steven. We don't live in no barn. And
literally I leave the door open and it ain't no bar,
but it's my house just because you came. But it's
(04:17):
just so funny now as an adult, some of the
little nuances, some of the little things that you used
just used to happen. It was funny. One of the
other things this is super inappropriate, but I'll say it anyway,
is um growing up back home, Jehovah witness come to
the door, boy, And we used to have it where
they come to the door. We had that iron screen
(04:39):
door that was spray painted so you couldn't see if
somebody was there. And so they come to the door
and I'll tell my grandma, I tell my dad, ain't
somebody at the door for you be jehov Witness And
my grandma damn me. You know, I didn't want to
answer the hey set up our cousins. It's just a
(05:02):
little stuff like that, man, that I got an opportunity
to go back home, that back down memory lane. But
it was cool this time going back home. It hits
some wounds, hit some triggers, but also hit some some
some good stuff. You gotta think about the memory man.
It was so funny, man. But one of the things
I do miss though, Um, is. I remember on Sundays, man,
(05:24):
they had a Tomali lady man on Sundays right before
football because being on the West Coast, I love by
nine o'clock. Ten o'clock. Man, you got four or five
football games and hitting on to Molly's man, they're hitting
that bell told my last to my lags man. I
get three Tom's four dollar twenty five man, and they'd
(05:48):
be freshly made. Get him on the plate. I take
him off on so hood and put it in the
microwave with some catchup. Oh man, he's ruining the hole
of spirit if you put the catchup on it. That's
how at my tomalies. I still need my tomalis like that,
oh catch up mouth. So that was just that was
one of those things memory lane. Yep. So right now,
(06:11):
when I how do we finish this podcast, I'm about
to get some government popping and smile. It ain't nothing
you can do pop popping. His gone like a female.
So but here's the blesser. Ain't on the bus, no,
mom man? Yeah, So who is cool? Coming to the
(06:33):
cut to it podcast? We've got d J. Moore A
native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended University of Maryland to
play football, and now he is a wide receiver for
the Carolina Panthers with over three thousand career receiving yards.
DJ Moore on the Cut to It podcast, Man, we
(06:54):
appreciate you coming by and hanging out with the Cut
to A crew. Man, Man, I appreciate being here. Man,
it's gonna be a good time. Oh yeah, for sure,
Thanks for coming on the podcast. All right, well, our
first segment, bro hold on what this ain't a dating
game like talking low? Yeah, it's quite quiet storm, DJ right, man,
(07:14):
a little back, laid back. What you do I've been
waiting when you said something else. I'm gonna get him back.
Don't you worry about sumbing up? Quiet story, Quiet story,
and be group. Say Sunday night more tell me quiet
(07:38):
storm on Sunday nights. Ladies, Just let you know if
your man ain't came in, he will got you. Yeah, alright, man,
it's all up. It's all up. Buckled up because we're
gonna do a whole lot of this our first segment.
Actually it is called get iced up. So for a
cool cat like you, it's ought to be real easy. Smithy,
go ahead and give him the first one move So
he do on cheat? All right? If you could play
(08:01):
any position for one game, so you know seventy eight plays,
what position would that be? Quarterback? Why? Because I can
control the whole offense. Sometimes a quarterback is the main
leader on the team. So you need to go out
there and make the place for yourself sometime. Alright, So
you are you gonna hang out? You're gonna throw any
(08:25):
passes to your receivers the way you've been throwing a
few passes. And what's your stock? Your pocket passer? You're
on the run. I'm on the run with it. If
it ain't damn about run about. No, I don't get started.
(08:46):
I see it. I'm going one too. If it's not there,
I'm out. You already supposed to missed a versatility, so
I guess I guess that would be your m O. Yeah, yeah,
you threw a path? Have you thrown the path here? Yeah?
I threw one this pass here against the How wasn't
it went to the dirt? It was? It was a
different just you won't be thrown anymore. Huh. I'm back
(09:08):
healthy now. So you had on I had a sore
shoulder that week. I was just warming up more. Okay,
all right, So what is the state flower of your
hometown Pennsylvania? The state flower? Come on, man, you mr Philly. Yeah,
(09:31):
I'm from Philly, from the state of Pennsylvania. I don't
never clean the state of Pennsylvania from Philly. We're gonna
rewind that, and we're not editing that out. Let's go
that back. Lets the city of Philadelphia is in the state.
(09:52):
But when you think of p A, you think of Philly.
Don't nobody say p Am I disagree that some people.
That was. Uh So, now that you've distracted on that,
do you notice stay flowers? Okay? You state flower is
a mountain laurel? What is the mountain laure We got
(10:16):
all that on the flower of your home state of
p A. I ain't never see that. Yeah, well, give
a bouquet full of mountain laurels. See that, boy? Talk
about what's these ugly flowers? Actually, we had someone else
on from p A and so we went down that
(10:39):
road and so I asked him, and so it was
it was since we have you, I thought he didn't know,
and I'm pretty sure we thought you didn't know either.
So definitely don't know that. All right, So last one
give us one meal or dish m that you would
(11:01):
say you are good at making that does not include
a micro wave, that does not include a microa. So
a dish or or meal mago is steak, uh, mashed
potatoes and mixed vegetables, all on the stove or the grill.
(11:23):
How you cooking steaking? Well? How are you cooking the
mashed potatoes on the grill? He said? Are you hit
the grounds like? Well, you said grills like the grill.
I put the steaks on the grill, okay, everything else
(11:43):
in the stove time. I'm impressed, Chef Boyard DJ Yeah,
all right. Where are you from in a place you
call your hometown? I'm from Uptown in Philly. Uh, it's
really east east East Philly, but everybody called it uptown.
So that's where I grew up. It wasn't the best
(12:06):
place to grow up, but it was. I made it
do what to do, so everybody knew me. I used
to walk around there just by myself with my friends.
Uh everybody. I was the one that made it out.
Everybody pushed me to make it out. My friends, they
all knew that I was gonna make it out. So
it was only right when I made it to the league.
I helped him out. Like with the closing line, they
wanted to start a clothing line, so I founded that
(12:28):
and they've been doing that ever since and making it big.
How far, so, how far are you from downtown Philly, downtown,
like the center city. I'm like twenty minutes north or
south north, okay, going towards Jersey. Now it would be
going towards Jersey. So wait, I've got my geographics messed up.
(12:49):
So I'm going south. Hold on, hold on, hold, Okay,
so Phillies here. Then when you go up, that's north
north towards New York and Jersey. Yeah, but where I'm from,
you gotta go across. Ok So that might be west
(13:10):
or east, right, so it might be west northwest. I
ain't been home, so when I think of that, yeah,
you gotta. So you ain't gotta use the GPS when
you're home. Okay, that's that's that's that's that's the only rue.
It's north. So I would say it's north were as
(13:34):
long as you'll have to use the GPS when you
get home, that's all that. There's a test. Now you're
about the fella, I gotta I got a chance. You
know the stadium Bank American Stadium. If you're going that
way away from the lake, which way are you going?
(13:55):
Like Norman? That was good. That was a good Like
him in the North, like while he is South because
I lived on the South, let me South Carolina. That
would have made it simpler. I felt like I had
(14:18):
to answer more in detail to make sure I got
it right. Now, you got you got to press So
growing up in Philly, like who who did you look
up to? Who did I look up? Whether it's known
or known? I say, A, I was one. Then we
had people before me, like they was in high school
(14:41):
when I was growing up. But they played it little
league too, so it'd be Jalen Strong like Rob Holman.
There's people that played my little league teams that was
older than me. But I looked up to him and
I always wanted to be better than him. Uh. Yeah,
they both made it. They both made it, uh to
the league. Jalen just recently got out the league. Yeah,
(15:02):
just because of injuries and stuff. Yeah. And then Rod
made a practice squad but he didn't fully make it.
So just looking at them, I was like, man, that's
motivation to just keep going and just make this something
that I always wanted to do. So I'm just gonna
keep going with it. That's that's what's your daughter's name?
(15:26):
Got the real bosson in there we need to talk to.
So when you look back growing up and stuff, how
would you how would you summarize the way you the
way you were raised? Um in Philly just because a
lot of people, you know, there is a stigma amongst athletes, um,
(15:49):
you know, growing up and then the city that um,
you know, just just being honest, they always, you know,
they look at us and they said that we're thugs
or we're this, and were that. But to some degree,
the hardness of us, um, you know, it does play
a role. And how we how we made it. And
(16:09):
so how how would you summarize the way you grew up? Um?
And and how that helped you get to where you
are today? Uh? Oh say, I grew up not the
not the worst, but a step above. Like okay, because
I was just talking to my friend about like we have,
Like he used to stay at my house, like we
(16:30):
had My room wasn't wasn't that big, but we had
a three bedroom apartment. It was couches in the other room.
He bought a couch in there, and he just slept
in there, Like one time we have no lights, no water,
he stayed there. I was like, for what when you
got hot order and lights at your house? But he
was just like, man, I just want to be around you.
(16:50):
It's like you've got a good spirit no matter what.
So I mean, I was like not a trouble kid,
but I found my way out of trouble a lot
of times. So, but I was raised real good under
my mom. She was my back phone, do everything. How
was why and how was she your backbone? No matter what,
whether it was literal league, like she used to spend
(17:12):
a thousand dollars a thousand dollars that we didn't have,
but she used to get up five o'clock in the morning,
come back at to make me dinner for practice before practice,
go to practice, bring me back home, do everything that
that she wanted to. Like, she never pushed me to
do anything. I just always wanted to play sports, like
whether it was football, basketball, track, anything, she just always
funded it. Even though we didn't have a lot of
(17:34):
fund in our pockets. How'd your first fund football? Shoot?
I was I was playing football illegally at four. Yeah,
like we ain't turning my birth certificate. That's how I
was out there just running around, just making people that
was six seven look crazy. But I was four years
old until somebody had told that we didn't have a
(17:57):
birth certificate for me. You're not tall, But how were
you at four? For dude? I was you can? You can?
I mean literally, you can always be under. It's the
ones who's over that's that's really be getting caught. But
the way he said I'm kinding like like four, I
was about like, yeah, you can get away with At
that point, they ain't really gonna, like you said, let
(18:18):
someone tell on you. They're not really going to find
out my viewer, you know, kid about alignment size and
yeah you ain't. You ain't gonna be allowed to play.
So the reason they told on you, it's probably the right. Yeah,
I go. I think about that all the time. I
was like, I shouldn't have been playing that for because
I'm ye high, like my my brain now fully development.
(18:39):
I'm just out there just having fun playing tackle or
flat now. I played tackle all my life. I didn't
meaning now because people now they're the flag just started
like yeah, I don't like flag. It's pretty much a
newer thing, like I mean, especially down here forty two,
I was playing flags, So I don't know when how
how much newer? And I mean I'm not from played,
(19:00):
I'm not from Philly, but yeah down here in the South,
like there weren't no flag leagues. Like you either playing
in pads or you ain't playing football. Wow, yeah that
was up in Philly like we used to play like
we was justus to playing on concrete, like we playing
the basketball court after the game and go play on concrete.
We ain't playing on concrete, aboy playing the street like
you play pick up a bust them, but like an
organized league. It was like a group of people playing
(19:25):
on the court. You used to play throw up, that's
what it was called. Somebody get hit like people used
to get scraped up hitting the basketball. Who. I got
a question though, if you're gonna play thorpe touch or
thorpe tackle on the on the pavement when you when
(19:45):
you avoided some grass, you got to make it. Do
what it? Do it? Do it? Understand. But I don't
know about no concrete. You've seen people get flipped. I seen, yeah,
you use flip. I don't know about the flip park
on concrete. Yeah, we played. We played touch and flag
like on the street and stuff. But you wouldn't tackle
(20:08):
the only thing you have silon pop, like give views
on the sideline because you got that little patch of
grass or oh ye silon pop yep. No we we
fall to the ground on the concrete. Yeah, what it is?
I can't do it. No, sir built that way, so
(20:30):
you wouldn't build for that. Nah, well you literally don't
think about it. You just having fun. We have to
take a break and the morning thing. We gotta pay
some bills. You got checks. I love cut to It,
and I love it even more when you download us
(20:51):
and subscribe, and you can follow us on social media too,
Smithie where where at? That's at? Cut to It on Instagram?
What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook? Cut to
It featuring Steve Smith singr? What about online? And you
can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com
where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to
(21:14):
us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my
answers questions. Um, yeah, I got all my questions answered.
That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a
Podcast dot Com. You know you drafted umen that's crazy, right,
and you getting old? You know that. Every time I
(21:41):
think about it, I was drafted at twenty, Like that's
how I keep up with the years I'm in the league.
I'm twenty four. I just turned twenty four some four
years and like this my fourth year, I'm like, damn,
that ship went fast. Yeah. Uh. And then we got
the youngest team. I just saw that this more. Yeah,
and I'm still like top six young on youngest on
(22:03):
the team. Yea, by the numbers, by the numbers right now,
So your youngest team. And yet I'm one who was
skewing the numbers because I saw that come out by
the numbers average agents like four point three for the
Carolina Panthers. So like someone who had to be skewing
the numbers. All of the suf they just told us
(22:26):
we got the only four people that's over thirty on
the team. Four. Yeah, everybody else like Kristen shot we
got we got a few people that could actually rent
a car, Hey, get a big truck. Get the big truck. Yeah, man,
(22:50):
goodness crazy. Obviously when you were drafted, I was working, Um,
what was that was the Dallas No? That was was
that Nashville No, it was that Dallas. So when you
got drafted, we were in Dallas, uh doing the doing
NFL network, and uh, you know, you obviously got compared
to me very quickly. And I said, you know, and
(23:10):
I said what I said, how did you feel really
when you heard all of the comparisons and and uh,
you know what I said. And just coming here in Carolina.
When I first like the comparison, I was like, man,
that's spot on because I was watching you in college.
So I was like, all right, let's do this and
(23:33):
incorporate this and all this throughout college. And then when
they came out through uh through the NFL network, had
the comparisons and I was like, damn, y'all spot on.
But at the time I didn't think I was gonna
be the first round. How it was because they actually
got to go back to school grade So like coming out,
(23:55):
I don't know I had we got all. They don't go, hey,
what you want your grade to be? Back to school?
Like we sent it in, they sent back go back
to school. I was like, no, I'm still out. Like
after that pen State game, I was like, no, I'm
leaving regardless. So after that, but like a week leading
(24:16):
up like two days leading up, I've just seen that
I was the number one receiver. I was like, all right,
let's go then, So that was like that was a blessing.
Then you came out and said what you said? That
just put the ice in on the cake for me.
So I was like, man, I got like when you said,
I was like, damn, I got a lot to live
up to. But then I thought about it, like I
could use that as more motivation to be better than
(24:37):
what you was as a Carolina coun And that's what
I was just I was going to ask that what
what expectations not from not externally, but what did that
dude inside of you? Like internally, what did that? What
did that puts a good question internally? Like I never
fixated my mind on just be like, yeah, he said this,
he said, this is live off that hype. I was like,
he said this, Now, I just got to go out
(24:57):
there and improve it, improve it more than I can
be as good or even better than he was. You
hesitated when you said it a little bit because we
sit and cross room. That's like a mental thing. I'm
not as I'm not as bad as uh they make it. See, Oh,
(25:17):
trust me, trust me. I know I ain't. I ain't
too worried like about you. It's like when I first
like you, this is your first time actually hearing me
said so, like it's always been in my mind like
I had written it down, Like when I first got here,
it was like and I was the only person I
avenue it. Yeah. OK, yeah, It's just like when you're
(25:38):
saying that, I can sense you're like, well, because you
kind of stopped and hesitated, like, well, I want to
I mean, I you never want to sell yourself short
right to say to say well, I want to well,
because he's right there. I don't want to say, you know,
I'm hesitant that I want to be better than like
you know, even what people say, uh um, you know
(26:01):
who you you mother, your game after and all that stuff.
Even when I talk to people, they always say, you
know who who do you think is the next year?
It's like, I personally don't like having someone say, oh,
I want to be as good as them because I
heard someone. I heard someone say they wanted to be
(26:22):
their own pace two, be as good as ready moss.
I was on radio show and I'm like, and they're
talking about Tarik Hill and I'm like he was pace. Yeah,
And I'm like and I'm kind of like why is
(26:46):
like they shouldn't even be compared. They're not even That's
I think that's where you was going to the receiver
at all, Like it's not even close in respect to
Hell or Randy because they both play different games, different systems,
(27:06):
just like so much of it is uncomparable, Like they
had at one point they had, oh b j on
pace to be as good as Jay Rice. I'm like,
different eras, different everything everything. But that's how they take
the narrative because well, he's gonna pace for this, so
(27:28):
he's gonna keep this pace up till he's twenty, you know,
for twenty for the next twenty years, which you know
he's sustained injuries. Uh. Hell has had great you know
games where he had what two yards against Tampa in
the first half. Right, it all varies. What did you
(27:49):
see about DJ considering what you just said, what did
you see about DJ just as a player, not in
terms of player pro player. Well, he hadn't played an
approch yet. So what you're seeing them as a as
a college player? Uh, college player you know obviously being
down there in Maryland, Uh, heard a lot about you
and seeing the only thing that I the only thing
(28:11):
that I was concerned about, and I'm still concerned about
all the receivers that come out, is that when you
get numbered the way and how you get big numbers
in college, it's extremely hard to continue that. Like my
whole thing was even now, you know, even the people
(28:31):
at the organization I've talked to, I was always asking,
I said, how are you guys, how is he gonna
adapt to use averaging? Damn twelve twelve vers between twelve
and seventeen targets a game, bro, That's that's gravy like
to be able to get going and you probably know
(28:51):
that ain't even coming close, Like you you like for
that to happen. That's like every blue moon, like to
get that many targets now to get that ain't talking. Yeah,
you gotta get you got your your first pass. You
gotta get dirty on your first pass because you don't
know when you're gonna get it again. Space based on
the defense and my mistaken that ya, how how has
(29:14):
that transition? That been? The truth? The truth? The truth is,
He's like, it's great the lions, you know. The truth is, uh,
it's been rough. The Lions. Oh, it's great, it's great.
He disappointed if you come from twelve to seventeen to
now he goes from steak potatoes every game, brother, take out.
(29:41):
We've just been the toughest transition for you coming from
from college college lifestyle, uh, college demand, college style, and
then the work, then the volume and the workload. First
now now college everything was like mandatory, like you gotta
(30:05):
mandatory workout, lift, run, do this with the team, do
that with the team. Now it was like you got
all the free time in the world to do what
you want to do, but it's on you to either
work out, get with the quarterbacks to throw doing the
off season and work out on your own off season,
get your own rehab, going the off season, like it's
two different lifestyles. And then on top of that, you
(30:25):
gotta learned the playbook. Like that all came so fast
to me when I got drafted, because I was just
like it got thrown into the fire. But people was
telling me that it was gonna be hard for a
hard transition, but I just was like, now, I think
it's gonna be the same. So when I got here,
it was like a smack in the face. So I
was taking it like I didn't. I wouldn't say I
(30:46):
had like I wasn't. I'm never big headed, but like
when I was here, I was like, damn, this playbook
hardest ship, Like I gotta really dial in. That's what
really put me on the back burner the first seven games.
I want to say so, but once I got it
down and started like people started getting hurt and like once,
(31:08):
I never looked back after that. So when did things
start to slow down? Was it do you remember that
fork in the road or uh the four in the role?
When was when I was on special teams I was
running down on a kick or I was like, bro,
I'm not about to keep doing this, like and I'm
down there tackling people like no, I'm not doing this
no more. So like I was, I was like, that
(31:29):
really had me. Man. I was pitching from Atlantic game.
I had scored that touchdown then they put me on
the bench, so I'm just sitting there. I'm like, bro,
I know I'm better than have these people on this team. Like,
I just gotta get my mind set right with this playbook.
Because at the time I was pointing X F and
and Z and I had to be in the backfield
(31:50):
two at times. So I was like, all right, let's
narrow what offense were you? What Scott was? Yeah? Now
norv was first, and then I had Scott shame people
last last name, so you were It was a number system,
(32:14):
though not all the time they had they had words. Yeah,
I noticed, I still know the word numbers. It wasn't
the numbers part. It was just like the responsibility and
like like being on your depth and then yeah, oh
yeah nor isn't if he ain't like how you did
on that partice you just not getting the game all right?
(32:36):
Shows it shows a tough transition. Why why? Because college
everything was like spend spoon fed that getting getting dirty.
Here we go like college was spoon fed. The league
is like you better go eat just so so like
(32:57):
that was the whole How was that transition for you?
Like real talk? Why before you answer? So, let me right,
let me let me get this right. So Philly m
grind right, mom, is your backbone you get drafted? M hm?
(33:19):
Put up the numbers? What did you expect this was
gonna be? What coming out of college? Like I said,
I guess more in totality right right now, just over
just overall. Like, here's why I'm asking. I'm gonna stop
beating around the bush. I know a lot of stuff
that I don't reveal on TV. Everybody in that organization,
(33:42):
whether they want admit or not, they have to talk
to me, whether they want to or not, because if
they don't, then I go on TV and I pant
you or I'm going on TV and I keep a
little secrets to ourselves. With a lot of organizations. So
(34:05):
the reason I'm mask is I know where you know everybody.
I had multiple teams. They always asked me great guys
that say, hey, this is a guy, what what do
you like about them? What you don't like about So
I get the skinny on a lot of people, the
ins and outs. So what I'm trying to ask is
how is your transition with your work ethic from college
(34:27):
to pro after your rookie year heading into your second year. Shoot, really,
I had to turn it up a whole another knots
like it went from because you you have a laid
back personality that comes across as I don't as you
care or no, I would take away you care, it's lazy,
(34:54):
it be it be you on don't be your own,
your own if I'm being honest, if you're being honest,
that's why to be honest, that's why fooling with you.
But I'm not lazy though, That's the thing. Okay, you
(35:16):
see what I was. But it does come off as
that like I don't really I don't talk a lot.
I don't really like when I work. Do you think, yeah,
I talk? If you if you talk, I'm saying he
ain't a mute, he talks. How do you deal with
that misconception? How do I do it? I don't. I
(35:36):
don't care what you think about me, how you view
me like I'm gonna it does win. But the organism.
But the organism we talked about. We talked about just playing,
not players, just playing because if you if you're if
to your boys, your quietness comes across as lazy to urorganization.
(36:01):
Your quietness at times come across lazy. And they're paying
you and they hold the keys to the check book.
And now you're sitting around playing special teams and you're going,
man this ship for the birds. That's what that's what,
that's what that Honestly, that's the main reason I wasn't
(36:24):
trying to hit on it. But that's the main reason
why I really wasn't playing, because they thought I wasn't
running fast enough, I wasn't practicing hard enough all that.
But that was like, but the thought of you, they
thought you weren't And I say, I love this conversation
because now it was about to get real interesting in
(36:45):
a good way. What is your version of hard work?
You being a rookie, because I'm always amazed at the
young guys. Their version of hard work doesn't really seem
to equal up to the other people counts version of
hard work to them, like for me, no, not you them.
(37:06):
Let's go them and we'll let them be nameless, faceless individuals.
This is not this is not always, This is not
pertaining to any organizations. But this is pertaining to your
business because you're you know this conversation were you are
an independent contractor that can only work in selected cities
(37:30):
like you live close to you live close to South Carolina.
But I ain't got no team, least no team that
pay good money. So I would say, they want you
to work until your wills is gone, like Dan and
day Out. But as a player, you know you gotta
(37:52):
take care of your body first. To have longevity in
the league. So when I first came in, I was
like all lasking, like every almost every round. You can't
do that. You can't you can't run full speed every route.
So when I was like, won't allow you to. So
when I got to speed downpack like and I was
(38:15):
like leaving people, and then it was looking at effortless.
I started getting on the old here comes his laid
back vibe. But at the same time, I'm still going
out here and putting in work like and even in
practice I was embarrassing people. It was crazy just to
just to see the different mindsets of I'm like, I
had to sit down with somebody, somebody and it was like, yeah,
(38:40):
you gotta practice heart. I'm like, if you look at
my mom's per hour, I'm still running past people. So
let me ask you this individual and we're not gonna
say names, but I know where you're talking about. Now
you understand that they bumped up against greatness and Hall
of famers for a very long time. Yes, no, I'm
(39:01):
just as trust me. The reason why is because it's
a funny conversation, because you're giggling. Because there are some
young guys they'd be like you ain't never worked never,
you ain't never uh, somebody worked hard as me and
they forget that. No, I'm not saying you don't know,
but like there's your guys. There's guys they're like, oh man,
(39:24):
you know, like you're saying, you didn't really watch me
until you were in college, right, but prior to you
in college and play, you know, like twelve and a
half years prior to you, you know, you get in
the college and then that you know, the individuals that
you're talking to, our young guys that you're talking to
that I've heard that there would be. They'll say things
(39:47):
as if when hard work was invented, that God made
them the example of hard work. And I guess all
the other people prior to them is a hold new definition. Yeah,
you strolled up in here. Yeah. And so that's why
I said it that way, because I've met them do that.
As the combine that I say, they worked harder than anybody. Yeah,
(40:08):
And I'm going and then I'm looking at him and
they can't even they can't do any drills at the
combine because they hurt. As if it's just the thing
to say, yeah, it's the right thing to say, Yeah,
but it's not the right thing to say. It's not
but people you know how it is that people think
they have to say what's right in order to people
(40:28):
see and that going back to the conversation, when I
had to sit down, I got bored to y'all practice tape.
I was like, this is a whole different error, Like
he was fighting that practice. I'm not about fighting practice.
Like it wasn't a fight on that tape. Wasn't no,
(40:53):
not that tape. Like it's just like you gotta be
a dog. I'm like, yeah, like I'm still a dog,
but it's a different it looks your own way. Yeah,
I think it's about that time. Just take a little breather. Good,
do it, get down to do it. Hey, Gerard, why
(41:15):
did you get that T shirt? You mean this thing?
Oh yes, I got it from cut to a podcast
dot com where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to
our guys at seven or fourth shot. But yeah, you
can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to
us wherever you listen to podcasts. Who is DJ more
now going into your fourth season, Shoot, I'm happy with
(41:38):
the fifth year. Uh, grateful, But that shows like in
some way they want me here a long term so
like I'm grateful for that, but that with that, I
still want the long term deal. So I'm like extra
motivated to even play out the fifth year of options
and show them that I'm worth more than that what
you're working on on the field and off the field
(42:00):
right now, I'm working on routes still, Like I'm still
new to like rout running, like because in Maryland, we
uh we really didn't have like a whole route tree.
So everything we do now with North it's like different.
It's back to like college. It's not the yeah I
know I'm saying, but back then, like when I first
(42:20):
came in, I was able, we care, we ran the
route tree. Now it's a different route tree, like you
got exotic route exotic style route tree. So learning numb routes, Uh,
it's still still different because based off of steps and
if your quarterback is on time and with you, so
I'm learning get that down with Sam now steps steps
(42:43):
instead of yards, and like you got running a certain way,
so like all right, so you gotta so let's do
teenyard out, ten yard out? How many steps? Six? All right?
How many steps was it when you were doing ten
yard out? What you mean? It was always heard the
ten yard out like, so how you you ain't you
ain't thinking about steps off times. When you started thinking
(43:07):
about the steps you get, your feet started to get
so you know what you gotta do. Even though see
I we had tight Tober. He's a receivers coach for
the Giants, used to be able to He used to
be at the Broncos. He was here. He's great. He's
a probably top three, top three or four wide receiver
(43:29):
coaches I've had. He was steps. I hate steps because
I I catch my silly ass count. Yeah, that's what
you sound. So the best way I used to do
it to get out over and he gave me a
leeway is um, I look at the spot and then
(43:52):
you step to that spot. I stepped to that spot.
That's what I do. Like, that's what I learned to
do At the time went on, it was like all right,
I know I gotta break Yeah, and then you do that.
But what I used to do before practice so they
would know that I'm working on it is I will
walk through the steps for the muscle memory. Okay, yeah,
(44:15):
but then the game time comes, man, I ain't know
about giving them about the step about to hit this
ten yard go right back to it. Look if you
pressed up, give you that go about eight Cadillac turn
bank through it on time. I ain't counting. You can't.
You gotta let it. You can't count again, you call
(44:35):
it up all the google or they hold on to
you because they can count. It's bad because that guys,
even like man Steve, you count, I can hear you
count at doing that. So I just walked through it
and helped. It just helped me. I just walked through
(44:57):
my routes before practice, go out there early, and then
in the game. I actually before the game, I used
to walk through every route just muscle memory. And then
after and then by the time I go when we
come back in with stuff, I would literally go through
my plate chart and I'll just walk my routes and
I just simulate. So if I gotta scene, I do,
(45:21):
you know, I do my double head and bang practice
the ball. All that stuff simulated. And then when I
was playing in the game, that would be the second
or third time that I've done that, so I've gotten
all the screw ups out of the way. So it
was always, uh, you know, for me, it's like deja vote. Yeah,
I do the same thing. Like we go. I run.
(45:44):
I do routes on the air, in my head and
on the field. But when I come back again, look
at the place. She like I write everybody routes on
certain place, like right them out to the exact t
and then I go out there. It's not the first
time I'm hearing the player, We're seeing what the route
is or anything. So I'm good to go. How excited
were you, uh for for Curtis to to get the
(46:08):
opportunity for a new contract in Washington, but also, you know,
lose the guy that you got drafted with man. I
was excited because, uh, you know Kurt Uh. Kurt can
be uh that playmaker that any team need, like as
you've seen with the years that we were together. It
was something special. When he got the ball in his hand,
(46:28):
he never got a negative place, so that was that
was big for him. And he got the new contract
in Washington. We kind of knew he was gonna go
to Washington because because of the tie. So when he
did that, it was like, all right, now you just
gotta go ball, uh, because we're not gonna be together.
Like everybody always looked at us as DD and Kurt.
But now he's just gonna be on his own. So
(46:49):
I'm expecting him to do big things. What's one thing
you gotta work on your game? And and then you
know obviously got a new quarterback. Um you know hopefully
is healthy. Um, you know, just everything new. You know,
you're getting older, not older in the negative way, but
older in there, you know, more advanced, being able to
(47:10):
see the game at a more mature level because you know,
like you said, when you first came out, you were you,
just the transition was different. Yeah. Now like throughout the years,
I've been coming more vocal with the team like yeah, yeah,
he speaks crazy. It's crazy. People actually come to meet
(47:34):
and be like, yo, what should I do this? How
you feel about that? But you got that, Well, I'm
only really like I try to help them, like uh,
experience that I went through. Uh. Other than that, I
would say, just to keep becoming better as a receiver
(47:56):
every year, Like I just want the top top but
I did the previous year, but not really thinking about
the previous year. Now that you are this wiley overt,
what goals do you have now that? What goes do
you have now that maybe changed from when you first
came in to lead, what's what's what's left on your
list goals wise? Shoot, I need to get an end
(48:18):
zone more. That's one thing. Like that's brother manifesting touchdowns,
Like like, that's that's really been on my mind right now.
I'm like, but ten, that ain't I don't really ain't enough.
Like I had two our first year and ford and four.
(48:38):
Like last year I said the same thing, but I
ain't really accomplished that. But this year I'm really gonna
focus on that now being uh now being a dad.
You know what what has that done for you? Shoot?
That that's a whole different motivation right there, because because
(49:00):
you ain't just feeing yourself like or your mom or
your like your family. They still blood. But when this
blood came into the world, it's like a whole different
meaning to the world. You gotta go out there and
eat like someone's really dependent on you, like depending like
many me is literally dependent on me to go out
there and do my job to the best that I can.
(49:21):
What's been eye opening being a dad? I open it
so how fast they grow up? It's not it's not
a cliche like she only like one like, but she
speaking four senses like she had say hi, you know
what like shows are saying, she ever repeat with the
show is saying like everything it's just crazy like she
(49:44):
acts she won, but she acts like they really do
grow fast. Like I usual to hear people say, oh
they grow fast, bro, what you mean they really do it?
It's crazy. I mean, just we'll keep more on kind
of off the field stuff. But you started your foundation
more to life. What's the focus and what do you
doing to serve the community right now? This year we're
(50:06):
gonna have it's gonna be three different camps. It's gonna
be one in Philly, one and two here in Charlotte.
It's just something to get the kids staying at camp.
Football camp. So all of them just gonna be strictly football.
But in the future I just want to add like
some type of study study session with them for like school,
(50:27):
like summer school, like add and work and like stuff
like that, like an hour of a day just not
on football. I like that. Yeah, and something that's definitely needed. Yeah,
because like right now in the pandemic, everybody they could
be on the computer, but are they really paying attention
to what they're doing? Is no, no, because they got
(50:49):
the internet like this right there, and they could just
click over to the internet. I mean there's teachers who
ain't paying attention right fact, you know you started foundation.
What was the premise on starting the foundation? No, it
wasn't just the thing to do, Like I always wanted
to start a foundation, uh, just to get back to
(51:11):
where I grew up, Philly. And then I was like, shoot,
I don't just got to get back to Philly no more.
I gotta get back to Maryland. Like I like to
leave a legacy wherever I played at Like, so from
Philly to Maryland to hear like, I just want to
keep being a what's your legacy that? So, what was
(51:32):
the legacy you left in Maryland? Now? In Maryland, Shoot,
I was the man. But I was just like kind, cool, collected,
everybody respecting me. I had a good personality like everything there,
Like if you go back now, they'd be like, yeah,
DJ was one of our best students. Everything like I
had mainly as and b s. I had my one
(51:56):
see when I got to college, and I was really
mad my advisor was coming at me too. So but
everything was always good vibes. I never gave no trouble
to nobody and speaking of vibes, like you you you
do come off very positive, like you always have a
positive attitude, Like why is that important to you? And
how are you able to not like dwelling and negative
(52:17):
feelings or negative experiences. I don't know. I'm just like
I'm just always positive thinking person, Like I don't never
look back at the past and be like, man, I
should have did this, Like if if I did that
in the past, like I already did, it can't change
it now. And so like I'm always going forward no
matter what. That's pretty good. All right, Well, we're about
(52:38):
to wrap everything up in our last segment. It's called
Deep three. They're just three three questions we used just
close out, Smitty, just give them the first one. We
already had this one here, he's not gonna be able
to change. Let's see, Uh, what's your most meaningful tattoo
you have inked up over there? And that you got
a new one on the way right on the right.
(52:59):
I angel wing on my back next to her name
on my back, and she got her feet when she
was born. I got it walking up my back and
her name, but the angel wing next to it, I'm
still waiting to get the other angel wing. It's going
to be a small baby angel angel wing for her.
So it's just like it's always something more to like,
(53:22):
Like I always got that mindset, even though it's like
a play on words. But I see what you did,
ye meet Meal, What do you What do you hope
people say about DJ More the receiver in five years?
(53:45):
And then what do you hope people say about DJ
more father? Five years nine? Dj More to receiver? Shoot?
As times go, my game keep going up like he was.
(54:05):
He never had like a down season, like he always
grew through every season like he never had a step back.
Got you know what about the father? The father? Shoot?
Just make her life meaningful whatever she want to do
in five years, whether it's like Dans run track. Shoot,
(54:27):
I'm at every event right there front real, that's what
it's all about too. To have a outstanding football career
is great. But how do you want to impact the world, um,
outside of football? Shoot? Like I said, like with the foundation,
I want to open up like we were just talking
about this last night. Uh, like a school. Me and
my boy want to open up a school like I
(54:51):
try to trying to take over one of the recidents
that I grew up at Bank in Philly and just
turn it out into like a study hall like type,
feel like a college type, feel like for kids who
are just going there and just feel safe and happy,
able to play sports no matter what they wanted to do.
That's cool. Well, I appreciate you taking your time. It
(55:13):
was it wasn't It's kind of cool. Yeah, he said,
it's kind of cool. I don't usually do stuff. I don't.
I don't, I don't know. I don't like talking, that's
the thing. Yeah, we appreciated say you ain't a talker,
just that's just not your personality. M a back after this,
(55:36):
I probably probably never see me again. We appreciate you, broth,
but yeah, man, I appreciate you. Thank you for having me.
You are a unique person. You are well worth it,
you are competent, and most of all, you're lovable. I'm
Steve Smith Singer. I'm Gerard Little John and this is
(55:57):
cut to It cut to It with Steve Smith Senior.
That Is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC,
Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect, and I Heart Radio.
For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app Apple podcast or wherever you listen to
(56:20):
your favorite shows. From Cut to It. Executive producer Steve Smith,
singer co host Gerard little John, talent in booking manager
Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John Show
from Balto Creative Media. Cut to It is produced by
Brian Baltaschevic and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrek,
(56:44):
Production Coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, lyrics
and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You ain't heard them about it,
then we're about to let you know. It's all a
cast
This is cut to it with Steve Smith Senior at
production of The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. I'm
Steve Smith Senior and and this is cut to it.
Good do what cud do? What that's getting down to
do with good do It? We asked the questions you
(00:20):
always want to know, but no one ever asked, let's
cut to it. You ain't heard am about it? Then
we're about to let you know. It's all that's my
pet piece. Man. Why do you got to learn how
(00:41):
to spare where you your kids? Something happy? You know?
You know, I've been camping using the summer and I
went home, back to back to l a UM and
just kind of snuck in, snuck out see if I
saw a few people. And we really didn't have a
lot of time. But it reminds me of some of
the funny stories I have is growing up as a kid,
(01:02):
and so I have this story that every time I
chew gum, it reminds me of my pop. Okay, so
my pop. You know, we didn't have a lot of means,
so we wrote the public transportation. At the time, it
used to be called the rt D and then uh uh,
the metro or m T A whatever, it is. So
I don't know what it is anymore because um, but
(01:23):
I got a jailb so I got a car, right,
And so we used to be on the bus a lot.
And my dad used to always so you know, chewing
gum when you you know big league chew right, and
then if you get baseball cars, you got that chalked uh,
got that white powder? Who whoa, whoa the white powder
(01:43):
and like in that I don't know not that not
what you're thinking inappropriate scum back. I'm talking about just
like the old like garbage pale kids, remember, and so
they had that cheap gum. Yeah, or it made me
think remember the almost like oh yeah, you like the
(02:06):
dipper huh that you got me back? Got you back.
So when I was a kid, I used to chew gum,
and you know when you're chewing gum as a kid,
blowing the big bubble and for some reason, I would
struggle on blowing the bubble, but I would. They would
blow the bubble small enough and then it will have
(02:27):
a small bubble and so you have that like you
make it pop. And that used to chalk my dad.
Here it man. My dad used to chalk me up
and he'd be like, Okay, you're over there chilling that
gum like a female. Or he used to be mad
(02:50):
and I'm like, bro, what are you talking about? And
so that was his pet peeve. So to this day
I will to go and at least at some point
that you and go popped my gulp and I just
start declaring, here, yeah, control that you're going, Debo ain't around.
(03:17):
Is that I'm gonna keep your but he ain't gonna
say nothing about this, right, And so it literally used
to be funny until this day. Bro, I'm forty two
years old and I still popped the gum, but I
giggle every time, and I don't snap. I'll be like
(03:37):
poetic justice. It's just because he used to irk him
and he used to say some of the most derogatory terms.
Popping that gum like a female again, I see it, Bro,
It is so funny because he used to get so annoyed.
(03:57):
And there's like little things that I do now as
adults where even Angie should be like, Babe, close the door.
And I remember my grandpa loved my grandpa close that
damn door, Steven. We don't live in no barn. And
literally I leave the door open and it ain't no bar,
but it's my house just because you came. But it's
(04:17):
just so funny now as an adult, some of the
little nuances, some of the little things that you used
just used to happen. It was funny. One of the
other things this is super inappropriate, but I'll say it anyway,
is um growing up back home, Jehovah witness come to
the door, boy, And we used to have it where
they come to the door. We had that iron screen
(04:39):
door that was spray painted so you couldn't see if
somebody was there. And so they come to the door
and I'll tell my grandma, I tell my dad, ain't
somebody at the door for you be jehov Witness And
my grandma damn me. You know, I didn't want to
answer the hey set up our cousins. It's just a
(05:02):
little stuff like that, man, that I got an opportunity
to go back home, that back down memory lane. But
it was cool this time going back home. It hits
some wounds, hit some triggers, but also hit some some
some good stuff. You gotta think about the memory man.
It was so funny, man. But one of the things
I do miss though, Um, is. I remember on Sundays, man,
(05:24):
they had a Tomali lady man on Sundays right before
football because being on the West Coast, I love by
nine o'clock. Ten o'clock. Man, you got four or five
football games and hitting on to Molly's man, they're hitting
that bell told my last to my lags man. I
get three Tom's four dollar twenty five man, and they'd
(05:48):
be freshly made. Get him on the plate. I take
him off on so hood and put it in the
microwave with some catchup. Oh man, he's ruining the hole
of spirit if you put the catchup on it. That's
how at my tomalies. I still need my tomalis like that,
oh catch up mouth. So that was just that was
one of those things memory lane. Yep. So right now,
(06:11):
when I how do we finish this podcast, I'm about
to get some government popping and smile. It ain't nothing
you can do pop popping. His gone like a female.
So but here's the blesser. Ain't on the bus, no,
mom man? Yeah, So who is cool? Coming to the
(06:33):
cut to it podcast? We've got d J. Moore A
native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended University of Maryland to
play football, and now he is a wide receiver for
the Carolina Panthers with over three thousand career receiving yards.
DJ Moore on the Cut to It podcast, Man, we
(06:54):
appreciate you coming by and hanging out with the Cut
to A crew. Man, Man, I appreciate being here. Man,
it's gonna be a good time. Oh yeah, for sure,
Thanks for coming on the podcast. All right, well, our
first segment, bro hold on what this ain't a dating
game like talking low? Yeah, it's quite quiet storm, DJ right, man,
(07:14):
a little back, laid back. What you do I've been
waiting when you said something else. I'm gonna get him back.
Don't you worry about sumbing up? Quiet story, Quiet story,
and be group. Say Sunday night more tell me quiet
(07:38):
storm on Sunday nights. Ladies, Just let you know if
your man ain't came in, he will got you. Yeah, alright, man,
it's all up. It's all up. Buckled up because we're
gonna do a whole lot of this our first segment.
Actually it is called get iced up. So for a
cool cat like you, it's ought to be real easy. Smithy,
go ahead and give him the first one move So
he do on cheat? All right? If you could play
(08:01):
any position for one game, so you know seventy eight plays,
what position would that be? Quarterback? Why? Because I can
control the whole offense. Sometimes a quarterback is the main
leader on the team. So you need to go out
there and make the place for yourself sometime. Alright, So
you are you gonna hang out? You're gonna throw any
(08:25):
passes to your receivers the way you've been throwing a
few passes. And what's your stock? Your pocket passer? You're
on the run. I'm on the run with it. If
it ain't damn about run about. No, I don't get started.
(08:46):
I see it. I'm going one too. If it's not there,
I'm out. You already supposed to missed a versatility, so
I guess I guess that would be your m O. Yeah, yeah,
you threw a path? Have you thrown the path here? Yeah?
I threw one this pass here against the How wasn't
it went to the dirt? It was? It was a
different just you won't be thrown anymore. Huh. I'm back
(09:08):
healthy now. So you had on I had a sore
shoulder that week. I was just warming up more. Okay,
all right, So what is the state flower of your
hometown Pennsylvania? The state flower? Come on, man, you mr Philly. Yeah,
(09:31):
I'm from Philly, from the state of Pennsylvania. I don't
never clean the state of Pennsylvania from Philly. We're gonna
rewind that, and we're not editing that out. Let's go
that back. Lets the city of Philadelphia is in the state.
(09:52):
But when you think of p A, you think of Philly.
Don't nobody say p Am I disagree that some people.
That was. Uh So, now that you've distracted on that,
do you notice stay flowers? Okay? You state flower is
a mountain laurel? What is the mountain laure We got
(10:16):
all that on the flower of your home state of
p A. I ain't never see that. Yeah, well, give
a bouquet full of mountain laurels. See that, boy? Talk
about what's these ugly flowers? Actually, we had someone else
on from p A and so we went down that
(10:39):
road and so I asked him, and so it was
it was since we have you, I thought he didn't know,
and I'm pretty sure we thought you didn't know either.
So definitely don't know that. All right, So last one
give us one meal or dish m that you would
(11:01):
say you are good at making that does not include
a micro wave, that does not include a microa. So
a dish or or meal mago is steak, uh, mashed
potatoes and mixed vegetables, all on the stove or the grill.
(11:23):
How you cooking steaking? Well? How are you cooking the
mashed potatoes on the grill? He said? Are you hit
the grounds like? Well, you said grills like the grill.
I put the steaks on the grill, okay, everything else
(11:43):
in the stove time. I'm impressed, Chef Boyard DJ Yeah,
all right. Where are you from in a place you
call your hometown? I'm from Uptown in Philly. Uh, it's
really east east East Philly, but everybody called it uptown.
So that's where I grew up. It wasn't the best
(12:06):
place to grow up, but it was. I made it
do what to do, so everybody knew me. I used
to walk around there just by myself with my friends.
Uh everybody. I was the one that made it out.
Everybody pushed me to make it out. My friends, they
all knew that I was gonna make it out. So
it was only right when I made it to the league.
I helped him out. Like with the closing line, they
wanted to start a clothing line, so I founded that
(12:28):
and they've been doing that ever since and making it big.
How far, so, how far are you from downtown Philly, downtown,
like the center city. I'm like twenty minutes north or
south north, okay, going towards Jersey. Now it would be
going towards Jersey. So wait, I've got my geographics messed up.
(12:49):
So I'm going south. Hold on, hold on, hold, Okay,
so Phillies here. Then when you go up, that's north
north towards New York and Jersey. Yeah, but where I'm from,
you gotta go across. Ok So that might be west
(13:10):
or east, right, so it might be west northwest. I
ain't been home, so when I think of that, yeah,
you gotta. So you ain't gotta use the GPS when
you're home. Okay, that's that's that's that's that's the only rue.
It's north. So I would say it's north were as
(13:34):
long as you'll have to use the GPS when you
get home, that's all that. There's a test. Now you're
about the fella, I gotta I got a chance. You
know the stadium Bank American Stadium. If you're going that
way away from the lake, which way are you going?
(13:55):
Like Norman? That was good. That was a good Like
him in the North, like while he is South because
I lived on the South, let me South Carolina. That
would have made it simpler. I felt like I had
(14:18):
to answer more in detail to make sure I got
it right. Now, you got you got to press So
growing up in Philly, like who who did you look
up to? Who did I look up? Whether it's known
or known? I say, A, I was one. Then we
had people before me, like they was in high school
(14:41):
when I was growing up. But they played it little
league too, so it'd be Jalen Strong like Rob Holman.
There's people that played my little league teams that was
older than me. But I looked up to him and
I always wanted to be better than him. Uh. Yeah,
they both made it. They both made it, uh to
the league. Jalen just recently got out the league. Yeah,
(15:02):
just because of injuries and stuff. Yeah. And then Rod
made a practice squad but he didn't fully make it.
So just looking at them, I was like, man, that's
motivation to just keep going and just make this something
that I always wanted to do. So I'm just gonna
keep going with it. That's that's what's your daughter's name?
(15:26):
Got the real bosson in there we need to talk to.
So when you look back growing up and stuff, how
would you how would you summarize the way you the
way you were raised? Um in Philly just because a
lot of people, you know, there is a stigma amongst athletes, um,
(15:49):
you know, growing up and then the city that um,
you know, just just being honest, they always, you know,
they look at us and they said that we're thugs
or we're this, and were that. But to some degree,
the hardness of us, um, you know, it does play
a role. And how we how we made it. And
(16:09):
so how how would you summarize the way you grew up? Um?
And and how that helped you get to where you
are today? Uh? Oh say, I grew up not the
not the worst, but a step above. Like okay, because
I was just talking to my friend about like we have,
Like he used to stay at my house, like we
(16:30):
had My room wasn't wasn't that big, but we had
a three bedroom apartment. It was couches in the other room.
He bought a couch in there, and he just slept
in there, Like one time we have no lights, no water,
he stayed there. I was like, for what when you
got hot order and lights at your house? But he
was just like, man, I just want to be around you.
(16:50):
It's like you've got a good spirit no matter what.
So I mean, I was like not a trouble kid,
but I found my way out of trouble a lot
of times. So, but I was raised real good under
my mom. She was my back phone, do everything. How
was why and how was she your backbone? No matter what,
whether it was literal league, like she used to spend
(17:12):
a thousand dollars a thousand dollars that we didn't have,
but she used to get up five o'clock in the morning,
come back at to make me dinner for practice before practice,
go to practice, bring me back home, do everything that
that she wanted to. Like, she never pushed me to
do anything. I just always wanted to play sports, like
whether it was football, basketball, track, anything, she just always
funded it. Even though we didn't have a lot of
(17:34):
fund in our pockets. How'd your first fund football? Shoot?
I was I was playing football illegally at four. Yeah,
like we ain't turning my birth certificate. That's how I
was out there just running around, just making people that
was six seven look crazy. But I was four years
old until somebody had told that we didn't have a
(17:57):
birth certificate for me. You're not tall, But how were
you at four? For dude? I was you can? You can?
I mean literally, you can always be under. It's the
ones who's over that's that's really be getting caught. But
the way he said I'm kinding like like four, I
was about like, yeah, you can get away with At
that point, they ain't really gonna, like you said, let
(18:18):
someone tell on you. They're not really going to find
out my viewer, you know, kid about alignment size and
yeah you ain't. You ain't gonna be allowed to play.
So the reason they told on you, it's probably the right. Yeah,
I go. I think about that all the time. I
was like, I shouldn't have been playing that for because
I'm ye high, like my my brain now fully development.
(18:39):
I'm just out there just having fun playing tackle or
flat now. I played tackle all my life. I didn't
meaning now because people now they're the flag just started
like yeah, I don't like flag. It's pretty much a
newer thing, like I mean, especially down here forty two,
I was playing flags, So I don't know when how
how much newer? And I mean I'm not from played,
(19:00):
I'm not from Philly, but yeah down here in the South,
like there weren't no flag leagues. Like you either playing
in pads or you ain't playing football. Wow, yeah that
was up in Philly like we used to play like
we was justus to playing on concrete, like we playing
the basketball court after the game and go play on concrete.
We ain't playing on concrete, aboy playing the street like
you play pick up a bust them, but like an
organized league. It was like a group of people playing
(19:25):
on the court. You used to play throw up, that's
what it was called. Somebody get hit like people used
to get scraped up hitting the basketball. Who. I got
a question though, if you're gonna play thorpe touch or
thorpe tackle on the on the pavement when you when
(19:45):
you avoided some grass, you got to make it. Do
what it? Do it? Do it? Understand. But I don't
know about no concrete. You've seen people get flipped. I seen, yeah,
you use flip. I don't know about the flip park
on concrete. Yeah, we played. We played touch and flag
like on the street and stuff. But you wouldn't tackle
(20:08):
the only thing you have silon pop, like give views
on the sideline because you got that little patch of
grass or oh ye silon pop yep. No we we
fall to the ground on the concrete. Yeah, what it is?
I can't do it. No, sir built that way, so
(20:30):
you wouldn't build for that. Nah, well you literally don't
think about it. You just having fun. We have to
take a break and the morning thing. We gotta pay
some bills. You got checks. I love cut to It,
and I love it even more when you download us
(20:51):
and subscribe, and you can follow us on social media too,
Smithie where where at? That's at? Cut to It on Instagram?
What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook? Cut to
It featuring Steve Smith singr? What about online? And you
can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com
where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to
(21:14):
us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my
answers questions. Um, yeah, I got all my questions answered.
That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a
Podcast dot Com. You know you drafted umen that's crazy, right,
and you getting old? You know that. Every time I
(21:41):
think about it, I was drafted at twenty, Like that's
how I keep up with the years I'm in the league.
I'm twenty four. I just turned twenty four some four
years and like this my fourth year, I'm like, damn,
that ship went fast. Yeah. Uh. And then we got
the youngest team. I just saw that this more. Yeah,
and I'm still like top six young on youngest on
(22:03):
the team. Yea, by the numbers, by the numbers right now,
So your youngest team. And yet I'm one who was
skewing the numbers because I saw that come out by
the numbers average agents like four point three for the
Carolina Panthers. So like someone who had to be skewing
the numbers. All of the suf they just told us
(22:26):
we got the only four people that's over thirty on
the team. Four. Yeah, everybody else like Kristen shot we
got we got a few people that could actually rent
a car, Hey, get a big truck. Get the big truck. Yeah, man,
(22:50):
goodness crazy. Obviously when you were drafted, I was working, Um,
what was that was the Dallas No? That was was
that Nashville No, it was that Dallas. So when you
got drafted, we were in Dallas, uh doing the doing
NFL network, and uh, you know, you obviously got compared
to me very quickly. And I said, you know, and
(23:10):
I said what I said, how did you feel really
when you heard all of the comparisons and and uh,
you know what I said. And just coming here in Carolina.
When I first like the comparison, I was like, man,
that's spot on because I was watching you in college.
So I was like, all right, let's do this and
(23:33):
incorporate this and all this throughout college. And then when
they came out through uh through the NFL network, had
the comparisons and I was like, damn, y'all spot on.
But at the time I didn't think I was gonna
be the first round. How it was because they actually
got to go back to school grade So like coming out,
(23:55):
I don't know I had we got all. They don't go, hey,
what you want your grade to be? Back to school?
Like we sent it in, they sent back go back
to school. I was like, no, I'm still out. Like
after that pen State game, I was like, no, I'm
leaving regardless. So after that, but like a week leading
(24:16):
up like two days leading up, I've just seen that
I was the number one receiver. I was like, all right,
let's go then, So that was like that was a blessing.
Then you came out and said what you said? That
just put the ice in on the cake for me.
So I was like, man, I got like when you said,
I was like, damn, I got a lot to live
up to. But then I thought about it, like I
could use that as more motivation to be better than
(24:37):
what you was as a Carolina coun And that's what
I was just I was going to ask that what
what expectations not from not externally, but what did that
dude inside of you? Like internally, what did that? What
did that puts a good question internally? Like I never
fixated my mind on just be like, yeah, he said this,
he said, this is live off that hype. I was like,
he said this, Now, I just got to go out
(24:57):
there and improve it, improve it more than I can
be as good or even better than he was. You
hesitated when you said it a little bit because we
sit and cross room. That's like a mental thing. I'm
not as I'm not as bad as uh they make it. See, Oh,
(25:17):
trust me, trust me. I know I ain't. I ain't
too worried like about you. It's like when I first
like you, this is your first time actually hearing me
said so, like it's always been in my mind like
I had written it down, Like when I first got here,
it was like and I was the only person I
avenue it. Yeah. OK, yeah, It's just like when you're
(25:38):
saying that, I can sense you're like, well, because you
kind of stopped and hesitated, like, well, I want to
I mean, I you never want to sell yourself short
right to say to say well, I want to well,
because he's right there. I don't want to say, you know,
I'm hesitant that I want to be better than like
you know, even what people say, uh um, you know
(26:01):
who you you mother, your game after and all that stuff.
Even when I talk to people, they always say, you
know who who do you think is the next year?
It's like, I personally don't like having someone say, oh,
I want to be as good as them because I
heard someone. I heard someone say they wanted to be
(26:22):
their own pace two, be as good as ready moss.
I was on radio show and I'm like, and they're
talking about Tarik Hill and I'm like he was pace. Yeah,
And I'm like and I'm kind of like why is
(26:46):
like they shouldn't even be compared. They're not even That's
I think that's where you was going to the receiver
at all, Like it's not even close in respect to
Hell or Randy because they both play different games, different systems,
(27:06):
just like so much of it is uncomparable, Like they
had at one point they had, oh b j on
pace to be as good as Jay Rice. I'm like,
different eras, different everything everything. But that's how they take
the narrative because well, he's gonna pace for this, so
(27:28):
he's gonna keep this pace up till he's twenty, you know,
for twenty for the next twenty years, which you know
he's sustained injuries. Uh. Hell has had great you know
games where he had what two yards against Tampa in
the first half. Right, it all varies. What did you
(27:49):
see about DJ considering what you just said, what did
you see about DJ just as a player, not in
terms of player pro player. Well, he hadn't played an
approch yet. So what you're seeing them as a as
a college player? Uh, college player you know obviously being
down there in Maryland, Uh, heard a lot about you
and seeing the only thing that I the only thing
(28:11):
that I was concerned about, and I'm still concerned about
all the receivers that come out, is that when you
get numbered the way and how you get big numbers
in college, it's extremely hard to continue that. Like my
whole thing was even now, you know, even the people
(28:31):
at the organization I've talked to, I was always asking,
I said, how are you guys, how is he gonna
adapt to use averaging? Damn twelve twelve vers between twelve
and seventeen targets a game, bro, That's that's gravy like
to be able to get going and you probably know
(28:51):
that ain't even coming close, Like you you like for
that to happen. That's like every blue moon, like to
get that many targets now to get that ain't talking. Yeah,
you gotta get you got your your first pass. You
gotta get dirty on your first pass because you don't
know when you're gonna get it again. Space based on
the defense and my mistaken that ya, how how has
(29:14):
that transition? That been? The truth? The truth? The truth is,
He's like, it's great the lions, you know. The truth is, uh,
it's been rough. The Lions. Oh, it's great, it's great.
He disappointed if you come from twelve to seventeen to
now he goes from steak potatoes every game, brother, take out.
(29:41):
We've just been the toughest transition for you coming from
from college college lifestyle, uh, college demand, college style, and
then the work, then the volume and the workload. First
now now college everything was like mandatory, like you gotta
(30:05):
mandatory workout, lift, run, do this with the team, do
that with the team. Now it was like you got
all the free time in the world to do what
you want to do, but it's on you to either
work out, get with the quarterbacks to throw doing the
off season and work out on your own off season,
get your own rehab, going the off season, like it's
two different lifestyles. And then on top of that, you
(30:25):
gotta learned the playbook. Like that all came so fast
to me when I got drafted, because I was just
like it got thrown into the fire. But people was
telling me that it was gonna be hard for a
hard transition, but I just was like, now, I think
it's gonna be the same. So when I got here,
it was like a smack in the face. So I
was taking it like I didn't. I wouldn't say I
(30:46):
had like I wasn't. I'm never big headed, but like
when I was here, I was like, damn, this playbook
hardest ship, Like I gotta really dial in. That's what
really put me on the back burner the first seven games.
I want to say so, but once I got it
down and started like people started getting hurt and like once,
(31:08):
I never looked back after that. So when did things
start to slow down? Was it do you remember that
fork in the road or uh the four in the role?
When was when I was on special teams I was
running down on a kick or I was like, bro,
I'm not about to keep doing this, like and I'm
down there tackling people like no, I'm not doing this
no more. So like I was, I was like, that
(31:29):
really had me. Man. I was pitching from Atlantic game.
I had scored that touchdown then they put me on
the bench, so I'm just sitting there. I'm like, bro,
I know I'm better than have these people on this team. Like,
I just gotta get my mind set right with this playbook.
Because at the time I was pointing X F and
and Z and I had to be in the backfield
(31:50):
two at times. So I was like, all right, let's
narrow what offense were you? What Scott was? Yeah? Now
norv was first, and then I had Scott shame people
last last name, so you were It was a number system,
(32:14):
though not all the time they had they had words. Yeah,
I noticed, I still know the word numbers. It wasn't
the numbers part. It was just like the responsibility and
like like being on your depth and then yeah, oh
yeah nor isn't if he ain't like how you did
on that partice you just not getting the game all right?
(32:36):
Shows it shows a tough transition. Why why? Because college
everything was like spend spoon fed that getting getting dirty.
Here we go like college was spoon fed. The league
is like you better go eat just so so like
(32:57):
that was the whole How was that transition for you?
Like real talk? Why before you answer? So, let me right,
let me let me get this right. So Philly m
grind right, mom, is your backbone you get drafted? M hm?
(33:19):
Put up the numbers? What did you expect this was
gonna be? What coming out of college? Like I said,
I guess more in totality right right now, just over
just overall. Like, here's why I'm asking. I'm gonna stop
beating around the bush. I know a lot of stuff
that I don't reveal on TV. Everybody in that organization,
(33:42):
whether they want admit or not, they have to talk
to me, whether they want to or not, because if
they don't, then I go on TV and I pant
you or I'm going on TV and I keep a
little secrets to ourselves. With a lot of organizations. So
(34:05):
the reason I'm mask is I know where you know everybody.
I had multiple teams. They always asked me great guys
that say, hey, this is a guy, what what do
you like about them? What you don't like about So
I get the skinny on a lot of people, the
ins and outs. So what I'm trying to ask is
how is your transition with your work ethic from college
(34:27):
to pro after your rookie year heading into your second year. Shoot, really,
I had to turn it up a whole another knots
like it went from because you you have a laid
back personality that comes across as I don't as you
care or no, I would take away you care, it's lazy,
(34:54):
it be it be you on don't be your own,
your own if I'm being honest, if you're being honest,
that's why to be honest, that's why fooling with you.
But I'm not lazy though, That's the thing. Okay, you
(35:16):
see what I was. But it does come off as
that like I don't really I don't talk a lot.
I don't really like when I work. Do you think, yeah,
I talk? If you if you talk, I'm saying he
ain't a mute, he talks. How do you deal with
that misconception? How do I do it? I don't. I
(35:36):
don't care what you think about me, how you view
me like I'm gonna it does win. But the organism.
But the organism we talked about. We talked about just playing,
not players, just playing because if you if you're if
to your boys, your quietness comes across as lazy to urorganization.
(36:01):
Your quietness at times come across lazy. And they're paying
you and they hold the keys to the check book.
And now you're sitting around playing special teams and you're going,
man this ship for the birds. That's what that's what,
that's what that Honestly, that's the main reason I wasn't
(36:24):
trying to hit on it. But that's the main reason
why I really wasn't playing, because they thought I wasn't
running fast enough, I wasn't practicing hard enough all that.
But that was like, but the thought of you, they
thought you weren't And I say, I love this conversation
because now it was about to get real interesting in
(36:45):
a good way. What is your version of hard work?
You being a rookie, because I'm always amazed at the
young guys. Their version of hard work doesn't really seem
to equal up to the other people counts version of
hard work to them, like for me, no, not you them.
(37:06):
Let's go them and we'll let them be nameless, faceless individuals.
This is not this is not always, This is not
pertaining to any organizations. But this is pertaining to your
business because you're you know this conversation were you are
an independent contractor that can only work in selected cities
(37:30):
like you live close to you live close to South Carolina.
But I ain't got no team, least no team that
pay good money. So I would say, they want you
to work until your wills is gone, like Dan and
day Out. But as a player, you know you gotta
(37:52):
take care of your body first. To have longevity in
the league. So when I first came in, I was
like all lasking, like every almost every round. You can't
do that. You can't you can't run full speed every route.
So when I was like, won't allow you to. So
when I got to speed downpack like and I was
(38:15):
like leaving people, and then it was looking at effortless.
I started getting on the old here comes his laid
back vibe. But at the same time, I'm still going
out here and putting in work like and even in
practice I was embarrassing people. It was crazy just to
just to see the different mindsets of I'm like, I
had to sit down with somebody, somebody and it was like, yeah,
(38:40):
you gotta practice heart. I'm like, if you look at
my mom's per hour, I'm still running past people. So
let me ask you this individual and we're not gonna
say names, but I know where you're talking about. Now
you understand that they bumped up against greatness and Hall
of famers for a very long time. Yes, no, I'm
(39:01):
just as trust me. The reason why is because it's
a funny conversation, because you're giggling. Because there are some
young guys they'd be like you ain't never worked never,
you ain't never uh, somebody worked hard as me and
they forget that. No, I'm not saying you don't know,
but like there's your guys. There's guys they're like, oh man,
(39:24):
you know, like you're saying, you didn't really watch me
until you were in college, right, but prior to you
in college and play, you know, like twelve and a
half years prior to you, you know, you get in
the college and then that you know, the individuals that
you're talking to, our young guys that you're talking to
that I've heard that there would be. They'll say things
(39:47):
as if when hard work was invented, that God made
them the example of hard work. And I guess all
the other people prior to them is a hold new definition. Yeah,
you strolled up in here. Yeah. And so that's why
I said it that way, because I've met them do that.
As the combine that I say, they worked harder than anybody. Yeah,
(40:08):
And I'm going and then I'm looking at him and
they can't even they can't do any drills at the
combine because they hurt. As if it's just the thing
to say, yeah, it's the right thing to say, Yeah,
but it's not the right thing to say. It's not
but people you know how it is that people think
they have to say what's right in order to people
(40:28):
see and that going back to the conversation, when I
had to sit down, I got bored to y'all practice tape.
I was like, this is a whole different error, Like
he was fighting that practice. I'm not about fighting practice.
Like it wasn't a fight on that tape. Wasn't no,
(40:53):
not that tape. Like it's just like you gotta be
a dog. I'm like, yeah, like I'm still a dog,
but it's a different it looks your own way. Yeah,
I think it's about that time. Just take a little breather. Good,
do it, get down to do it. Hey, Gerard, why
(41:15):
did you get that T shirt? You mean this thing?
Oh yes, I got it from cut to a podcast
dot com where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to
our guys at seven or fourth shot. But yeah, you
can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to
us wherever you listen to podcasts. Who is DJ more
now going into your fourth season, Shoot, I'm happy with
(41:38):
the fifth year. Uh, grateful, But that shows like in
some way they want me here a long term so
like I'm grateful for that, but that with that, I
still want the long term deal. So I'm like extra
motivated to even play out the fifth year of options
and show them that I'm worth more than that what
you're working on on the field and off the field
(42:00):
right now, I'm working on routes still, Like I'm still
new to like rout running, like because in Maryland, we
uh we really didn't have like a whole route tree.
So everything we do now with North it's like different.
It's back to like college. It's not the yeah I
know I'm saying, but back then, like when I first
(42:20):
came in, I was able, we care, we ran the
route tree. Now it's a different route tree, like you
got exotic route exotic style route tree. So learning numb routes, Uh,
it's still still different because based off of steps and
if your quarterback is on time and with you, so
I'm learning get that down with Sam now steps steps
(42:43):
instead of yards, and like you got running a certain way,
so like all right, so you gotta so let's do
teenyard out, ten yard out? How many steps? Six? All right?
How many steps was it when you were doing ten
yard out? What you mean? It was always heard the
ten yard out like, so how you you ain't you
ain't thinking about steps off times. When you started thinking
(43:07):
about the steps you get, your feet started to get
so you know what you gotta do. Even though see
I we had tight Tober. He's a receivers coach for
the Giants, used to be able to He used to
be at the Broncos. He was here. He's great. He's
a probably top three, top three or four wide receiver
(43:29):
coaches I've had. He was steps. I hate steps because
I I catch my silly ass count. Yeah, that's what
you sound. So the best way I used to do
it to get out over and he gave me a
leeway is um, I look at the spot and then
(43:52):
you step to that spot. I stepped to that spot.
That's what I do. Like, that's what I learned to
do At the time went on, it was like all right,
I know I gotta break Yeah, and then you do that.
But what I used to do before practice so they
would know that I'm working on it is I will
walk through the steps for the muscle memory. Okay, yeah,
(44:15):
but then the game time comes, man, I ain't know
about giving them about the step about to hit this
ten yard go right back to it. Look if you
pressed up, give you that go about eight Cadillac turn
bank through it on time. I ain't counting. You can't.
You gotta let it. You can't count again, you call
(44:35):
it up all the google or they hold on to
you because they can count. It's bad because that guys,
even like man Steve, you count, I can hear you
count at doing that. So I just walked through it
and helped. It just helped me. I just walked through
(44:57):
my routes before practice, go out there early, and then
in the game. I actually before the game, I used
to walk through every route just muscle memory. And then
after and then by the time I go when we
come back in with stuff, I would literally go through
my plate chart and I'll just walk my routes and
I just simulate. So if I gotta scene, I do,
(45:21):
you know, I do my double head and bang practice
the ball. All that stuff simulated. And then when I
was playing in the game, that would be the second
or third time that I've done that, so I've gotten
all the screw ups out of the way. So it
was always, uh, you know, for me, it's like deja vote. Yeah,
I do the same thing. Like we go. I run.
(45:44):
I do routes on the air, in my head and
on the field. But when I come back again, look
at the place. She like I write everybody routes on
certain place, like right them out to the exact t
and then I go out there. It's not the first
time I'm hearing the player, We're seeing what the route
is or anything. So I'm good to go. How excited
were you, uh for for Curtis to to get the
(46:08):
opportunity for a new contract in Washington, but also, you know,
lose the guy that you got drafted with man. I
was excited because, uh, you know Kurt Uh. Kurt can
be uh that playmaker that any team need, like as
you've seen with the years that we were together. It
was something special. When he got the ball in his hand,
(46:28):
he never got a negative place, so that was that
was big for him. And he got the new contract
in Washington. We kind of knew he was gonna go
to Washington because because of the tie. So when he
did that, it was like, all right, now you just
gotta go ball, uh, because we're not gonna be together.
Like everybody always looked at us as DD and Kurt.
But now he's just gonna be on his own. So
(46:49):
I'm expecting him to do big things. What's one thing
you gotta work on your game? And and then you
know obviously got a new quarterback. Um you know hopefully
is healthy. Um, you know, just everything new. You know,
you're getting older, not older in the negative way, but
older in there, you know, more advanced, being able to
(47:10):
see the game at a more mature level because you know,
like you said, when you first came out, you were you,
just the transition was different. Yeah. Now like throughout the years,
I've been coming more vocal with the team like yeah, yeah,
he speaks crazy. It's crazy. People actually come to meet
(47:34):
and be like, yo, what should I do this? How
you feel about that? But you got that, Well, I'm
only really like I try to help them, like uh,
experience that I went through. Uh. Other than that, I
would say, just to keep becoming better as a receiver
(47:56):
every year, Like I just want the top top but
I did the previous year, but not really thinking about
the previous year. Now that you are this wiley overt,
what goals do you have now that? What goes do
you have now that maybe changed from when you first
came in to lead, what's what's what's left on your
list goals wise? Shoot, I need to get an end
(48:18):
zone more. That's one thing. Like that's brother manifesting touchdowns,
Like like, that's that's really been on my mind right now.
I'm like, but ten, that ain't I don't really ain't enough.
Like I had two our first year and ford and four.
(48:38):
Like last year I said the same thing, but I
ain't really accomplished that. But this year I'm really gonna
focus on that now being uh now being a dad.
You know what what has that done for you? Shoot?
That that's a whole different motivation right there, because because
(49:00):
you ain't just feeing yourself like or your mom or
your like your family. They still blood. But when this
blood came into the world, it's like a whole different
meaning to the world. You gotta go out there and
eat like someone's really dependent on you, like depending like
many me is literally dependent on me to go out
there and do my job to the best that I can.
(49:21):
What's been eye opening being a dad? I open it
so how fast they grow up? It's not it's not
a cliche like she only like one like, but she
speaking four senses like she had say hi, you know
what like shows are saying, she ever repeat with the
show is saying like everything it's just crazy like she
(49:44):
acts she won, but she acts like they really do
grow fast. Like I usual to hear people say, oh
they grow fast, bro, what you mean they really do it?
It's crazy. I mean, just we'll keep more on kind
of off the field stuff. But you started your foundation
more to life. What's the focus and what do you
doing to serve the community right now? This year we're
(50:06):
gonna have it's gonna be three different camps. It's gonna
be one in Philly, one and two here in Charlotte.
It's just something to get the kids staying at camp.
Football camp. So all of them just gonna be strictly football.
But in the future I just want to add like
some type of study study session with them for like school,
(50:27):
like summer school, like add and work and like stuff
like that, like an hour of a day just not
on football. I like that. Yeah, and something that's definitely needed. Yeah,
because like right now in the pandemic, everybody they could
be on the computer, but are they really paying attention
to what they're doing? Is no, no, because they got
(50:49):
the internet like this right there, and they could just
click over to the internet. I mean there's teachers who
ain't paying attention right fact, you know you started foundation.
What was the premise on starting the foundation? No, it
wasn't just the thing to do, Like I always wanted
to start a foundation, uh, just to get back to
(51:11):
where I grew up, Philly. And then I was like, shoot,
I don't just got to get back to Philly no more.
I gotta get back to Maryland. Like I like to
leave a legacy wherever I played at Like, so from
Philly to Maryland to hear like, I just want to
keep being a what's your legacy that? So, what was
(51:32):
the legacy you left in Maryland? Now? In Maryland, Shoot,
I was the man. But I was just like kind, cool, collected,
everybody respecting me. I had a good personality like everything there,
Like if you go back now, they'd be like, yeah,
DJ was one of our best students. Everything like I
had mainly as and b s. I had my one
(51:56):
see when I got to college, and I was really
mad my advisor was coming at me too. So but
everything was always good vibes. I never gave no trouble
to nobody and speaking of vibes, like you you you
do come off very positive, like you always have a
positive attitude, Like why is that important to you? And
how are you able to not like dwelling and negative
(52:17):
feelings or negative experiences. I don't know. I'm just like
I'm just always positive thinking person, Like I don't never
look back at the past and be like, man, I
should have did this, Like if if I did that
in the past, like I already did, it can't change
it now. And so like I'm always going forward no
matter what. That's pretty good. All right, Well, we're about
(52:38):
to wrap everything up in our last segment. It's called
Deep three. They're just three three questions we used just
close out, Smitty, just give them the first one. We
already had this one here, he's not gonna be able
to change. Let's see, Uh, what's your most meaningful tattoo
you have inked up over there? And that you got
a new one on the way right on the right.
(52:59):
I angel wing on my back next to her name
on my back, and she got her feet when she
was born. I got it walking up my back and
her name, but the angel wing next to it, I'm
still waiting to get the other angel wing. It's going
to be a small baby angel angel wing for her.
So it's just like it's always something more to like,
(53:22):
Like I always got that mindset, even though it's like
a play on words. But I see what you did,
ye meet Meal, What do you What do you hope
people say about DJ More the receiver in five years?
(53:45):
And then what do you hope people say about DJ
more father? Five years nine? Dj More to receiver? Shoot?
As times go, my game keep going up like he was.
(54:05):
He never had like a down season, like he always
grew through every season like he never had a step back.
Got you know what about the father? The father? Shoot?
Just make her life meaningful whatever she want to do
in five years, whether it's like Dans run track. Shoot,
(54:27):
I'm at every event right there front real, that's what
it's all about too. To have a outstanding football career
is great. But how do you want to impact the world, um,
outside of football? Shoot? Like I said, like with the foundation,
I want to open up like we were just talking
about this last night. Uh, like a school. Me and
my boy want to open up a school like I
(54:51):
try to trying to take over one of the recidents
that I grew up at Bank in Philly and just
turn it out into like a study hall like type,
feel like a college type, feel like for kids who
are just going there and just feel safe and happy,
able to play sports no matter what they wanted to do.
That's cool. Well, I appreciate you taking your time. It
(55:13):
was it wasn't It's kind of cool. Yeah, he said,
it's kind of cool. I don't usually do stuff. I don't.
I don't, I don't know. I don't like talking, that's
the thing. Yeah, we appreciated say you ain't a talker,
just that's just not your personality. M a back after this,
(55:36):
I probably probably never see me again. We appreciate you, broth,
but yeah, man, I appreciate you. Thank you for having me.
You are a unique person. You are well worth it,
you are competent, and most of all, you're lovable. I'm
Steve Smith Singer. I'm Gerard Little John and this is
(55:57):
cut to It cut to It with Steve Smith Senior.
That Is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC,
Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect, and I Heart Radio.
For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app Apple podcast or wherever you listen to
(56:20):
your favorite shows. From Cut to It. Executive producer Steve Smith,
singer co host Gerard little John, talent in booking manager
Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John Show
from Balto Creative Media. Cut to It is produced by
Brian Baltaschevic and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrek,
(56:44):
Production Coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, lyrics
and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You ain't heard them about it,
then we're about to let you know. It's all a
cast
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