September 29, 2020 • 44 mins
Baltimore Ravens running back and Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram, cuts to it with Steve and G bringing his positivity and high energy for both the game and life. Side note: do you know your shoe size? Shockingly, Cut to It Bookings Manager Joe Fushey does not. The lesson? Know your shoe size when Santa Clause Smitty calls.
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Transcript
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 I'm John And this is cut
to it. Good do it? Good do they's getting down
to do it. Good do it. We asked the questions
(00:20):
you always want to know, but no one ever asked,
let's cut to it. You ain't heard them about it,
then we're about to let you know. It's all you
(00:41):
needed it. But you needed a black nickname anyway. Now
your name Scooter. It's always a black school. Hey, how
you guys doing. Steve Smith Senior here and g um,
welcome to the podcast. And when those us my Spanish
is Ussey, so I don't know that right when those deals,
when it's startest if it's afternoons, you know I was
(01:04):
a little bilingual. You ain't boy ling anyway. We got
our bookie manager on here, Joe Fushi nicknamed Scooter ak
a backstage Joe. He was backstage, backstage. We brought him.
We brought him to the limelights. So Joe's Joe's want
of homeboys and good dude, very talented businessman. Yeah, it
(01:29):
makes a lot of this happen I'll tell you what
his ass is not. What's that he is not a
good communicator on this subject at hand. So we were
talking this weekend, and Joe has a boat, and Joe
loves to go on this boat. Now, Joe loves to
play golf with Smitty, but Smithy ain't as good as Joe.
But Smitty got the membership and Joe got the boat.
(01:51):
So it's a nice boat. And so Joe loves being
on the boat. He beautiful wife Kim says, look, if
you get the boats, you can't have a country cutup membership.
So Joe's all, you know, Joe's my golfing buddy. I
love hanging out with him. Great dude. Business as well
(02:11):
helps me a lot of stuff. So me and Joe chilling,
and I know, so I get some shoes, uh do
some yard work, and so they have these cool like
boots but their waterproof and so I can hold them
down and not get my socks well, and I hate
wet socks. Like that is like like I'm like two
(02:34):
things like yard that y'ard work that I hate wet
socks and picking up dog poop. But I got a dog,
so I pick up dog poops. So the only thing
I can really get away with is not having wet socks.
So I say, man, these these shoes. And then I
discovered that this these boots, they also make boat shoes.
So I'm gonna read your text, good morning Joe. Quick question,
(02:58):
what shoe size are you? Morning, Steve? I am a
ten and a half two eleven and a half depends
on the style. So at this time Joe did not
know I am trying to order these shoes as I
am texting him. So now I'm like, you just need
(03:20):
one size? Yes, So I said, all right, let me
gather up something that we can all identify with generally Nike's,
depending on Nike's run small. So I said, what size
are you? And Jordan's And here's where it gets interested, scooter, Okay,
(03:43):
here we go up? What's he goes? I said what size?
And I even s z in Jordan's. So now I'm
mentor like cutting into like specifics. What side to it?
I got the laptop up, It got two pair of
sizes left. I want to get my boys some some
some boat shoes. All right, I wear eleven and the
(04:09):
eleven half if I tighten them up. Now, so I
go back up, and I said, first of all, he's
a ten and a half to eleven and a half
and now he's an eleven. But if I tighten them up,
eleven and a half. So here is I don't ever
(04:29):
want to Here is my reply. Here is my reply.
What blankety blank size are you? Bro? I don't want
the hood size when you can't afford to pass up
what they're giving you, grown ass man, you're walking you
walking into a true store to get a pair of Vans.
(04:52):
What size can I get you? Sir? Joe? Reply is
you can get me size eleven eleven? I said, not
in between sizes. I've looked that up. There is no
slides between ten and a half and eleven and a
(05:14):
half and there's definitely no size for eleven and a half.
When I tightened them up, He's like, damn, why are
you on me so bad? I said, we read your replies.
See why dot dot dot this whole time I'm trying
to order you a pair of shoes and I gotta
read this. Can I jump in here for school? First off,
(05:39):
your georgie's tied tight right now? No, they are not.
And guess what shoes he's wearing currently? Right now vans,
thank you. So I really don't have an excuse for this.
I really really thought I was being good friend Joe,
because you know, like when somebody's gonna help. I felt
the vibe somebody was getting me something. You know, how
you want you get that gift from an ant and
(06:01):
like it's a sweater with a V neck and like
you don't want to act like you don't. And I
know Steve knows me well enough to know it's gonna
be nice. So I'm just trying to be open guy.
And then I go back and read and I was thoroughly,
thoroughly embarrassed. I was stuttering. If you can do that
in text? Says, how do you studying a text message?
I was giving nine eleven sizes, like he said, I
felt like growing up when your big friend gives you
(06:23):
them old shoes. Man. I put four pair of socks
on as long as I can get him, and they fit.
So um, I'm you're grown ass man. Why are you
tightening up? Yeah, don't don't ever see you tightening up?
I said, what size are you between? Ten and a
half and he left ten and a half is a
size three sizes ten, seven, five, even if you're even
(06:50):
if you're your right, you still have to buy two
different pairs of shoes to discover which he tried to
give you a damn fitted hat size. And it's a shoot,
I said, I said, we read what you're saying. I did,
and I apologized, and I'm thankful for the gift I'm receiving.
I didn't even wanted the shoes because I was so irritated.
I didn't even get them. I wasting ll not in
(07:13):
order because the whole time I'm going through this batch,
like what's what size do you wear? Man? This is
like eight thirty in the morning, and I'm like, I
was getting Saturday ripped up, Sunday Sunday. I was ripped
apart for like this one. I'm like twenty minutes and
it's all my fault. It's one I take ownership, my fault.
(07:34):
It's COVID. But the best part about it is when
I finally got it down, I'm eleven. We did all
of this, that's your size. Just cut to it, bro,
That's all I had to do. I know, awful. Let's
just cut to our guests now, Yeah, who is our guests?
Coming up? On the Cut to It podcast, we got
(07:55):
mark Ingram running back for the Baltimore Ravens. He's a
three time Pro Bowl winner. He was a Hosman Trophy
winner in Alabama, and he's married to his wife Chelsea.
They got four beautiful kids. Mark Ingram, want to cut
to a podcast. Thank you for joining the podcast, bro
(08:16):
sure man, appreciate you having me on. So we're gonna
go into a segment we called get Iced Up. It's
our version of Icebreakers, man. So what we're gonna do.
We've got some random questions that might be a follow up,
might not? You know how Agent eighty nine is, so
I'm gonna let him go ahead and give you the
first one. All right, all right, all right? If you
are an animal, what would you be and why? I'll
(08:37):
probably be like a grizzly bear something because that thing fast, strong, lucive,
and ain't nobody hunting grizzly bear. I things just the
ultimate predator. So probably like that, or a lying or
something something that ain't gonna be on the food chain
getting eating up by other animals like that. So do
you prefer baths or showers? I need a shower after
(09:00):
I'm working out, but I do love my EPs. And
soap salt soaks, so you know, showers is mandatory, but
you know I love being in that bath with the
EPs and salt and you know, putting together that that
soft you know, that secret sauce to help their body recover.
So I might have to go with both on that
he just gave us to understand because the man answer
has been a shower. Hey man, Shoot, I don't know.
(09:23):
Maybe you're too manly to have that EPs and soft
soap after sore day in the heat. But I ain't
you know what I mean, I'm retired. I'm an tradition,
so I never eat no more. You never did, bro,
Yeah I did. I didn't say it was anything wrong
with it. I just wanted to know, would you be fourth? Right?
That's all? Yeah? Yeah, I'm good like So the last
(09:47):
book you you did not finish, and you cannot say
the Bible the last book I did not finish. Shoot,
that's tough. I mean the last book I picked up.
I've read the whole thing, flew through and I ain't
picked up another book since. So which one give? Not
(10:11):
a fan? Um? It's basically a book about you know,
being a devoted follower to you know the Christ and um, basically,
are you a fan of Jesus Christ or you a
follow Jesus Christ? Man? It was just very convicting man. Um.
It was just numerous chapters of just you know, encouragement
(10:33):
and and and obviously you know, being convicted. Like you know,
a lot of guys say that they they followed Jesus.
But do you pick up your cross daily? Do you
follow him? Do you um spread his word to others?
Do you do you talk how you're supposed to be
talking around people that don't know you. Um, you know,
it's his light shining through you. You know what I mean.
(10:54):
It just dives into that and many different aspects and
many different examples on how to be I'm a completely
devoted follower and not just a fan. I like that.
I like that's all right. Last one, tell me one
person not in your media family a confidence that you
trust and name that individual. Well, other than my blood relatives,
(11:20):
this guy is like a blood relative to me. His
name is William Nelson. That's my uncle. Um. I called
him my uncle because he's like my uncle. He's my
father's best friend. Uh was there uh you know for me?
You know, it's been every single one of my football games,
my professional football games. And he lives in Baltimore, so
he could always fly all my games. And all of
a sudden, I'm here in Baltimore, So I just drives,
(11:41):
you know, if your teen minutes up the road to
the stadium. But that's my uncle Bubby. I'll call him Bubby,
Uncle Bubby, nickname uncle Bubb, but his real name William Nelson,
So shout out to Bubb. All right, let's let's get
into who you are, where you are, and where are
you from? So where are you from and where do
you consider your hometown. I'm from Flint, Michigan, and that's
(12:05):
what I consider my hometown. That's where all my families living.
My mother and my father, and my sisters, um, aunt's cousins, grandma, grandpa.
Basically that's where I'm from. And that's what I claimed Flint, Michigan. Hey,
we'll know all day Flint Stones. What experiences growing up
in Flint, Michigan? Um, what that was experienced like for you? Man? Uh? Yeah,
(12:29):
that's where I'm from. I have a long story of
like you know, being you know, moving around as a child,
but through my main years growing up as a young
growing into a young man. You know, I was in Michigan,
so um just um my father was incocetrated a little
bit of time. So just being able to have to
take a bigger role in my family from my younger sisters,
UM pick up some way from my mom who's working
(12:50):
two jobs. Just to make sure that I stay focused
on what I need to do, to make sure that Um,
you know, my dad always tell me he made no
mistakes where I didn't have to make any. So I
always just trying to stay focused on the right people
from myself, for positive people and people who love me.
So um, you know, I just always learned how to
you know, keep a small circle, keep a circle of
those who believe in you. And so I definitely learned that.
(13:13):
And just um important to the importance of a dollar,
you know what I mean, Um, important to treat people
the right way. Um, being tough. You know, it's not
easy city to grow up in. I'm thankful that my parents,
my mother you know, obviously worked two jobs to you know,
move it like you know, into the servers away from
my grandpa's house. Um that was in the heart of Flint.
(13:35):
So we moved to the suburbs and Mom present me
to a good school and stuff like that. So um,
and everything that I've been through in my life basically
shaped the man I am the day from my mother
and my father and my grandparents. UM. Lots of ups
and downs to our life that just helped me develop
into our am today. So you use a key word
for me, a shape? How it growing up? Shape you
(13:57):
an impact your view on the world today. Um, it
shaped me and helped me view the world today because
I just always had positive influences in my life. And
my grandmother was a you know, superintendent in the schools.
My mother was a social worker. UM. My father had
(14:19):
played tenures in NFL. Um. I have many family members
and good friends around me that it's always you know,
showing me with love and positivity. Never, um, did I
have to you know, be in the streets or doing
things that you know that I that uh, you know,
it wasn't that wasn't good, you know what I mean.
My parents and my loved ones held me to a
(14:39):
high standard. They expected high things in me. If I
didn't have above a three point o g p A,
they will let me play even play sports. UM. So
you know, even though you might be elgible for school.
I brought home that port card and I didn't have
a three point oh um. Then my parents were shipped
me out. So one time I brought out home, I
had a couple of seeds, maybe a d on there
and uh, whatever it was, they weren't happy. I was
(14:59):
in I'm grade. I was in the sixth grade and
we had a little AU game and I tell my
teammates that I couldn't play, and they I wonder why
I couldn't play, And I tell them my grades went
right and so ever since that day, I knew they
wasn't bluffing by my school and me being accountable, uh
to handle my priority. So um, I know they might
be long winded, but basically they shaped me to be
(15:21):
a positive person who likes to be around positive people,
people who love me genuinely for who I am, and
I just like to be encouraging and positive and spread
that same love, spread that same light to others around me.
You know, do the best that I could do, and
whatever it may be, whether it was sports, school or
or you know, going the lawn or moving something for
(15:43):
you know, our ontie or something that needed to move poses,
whatever it may be, do do my best from myself
with positive people and try to spread that positivity to
others as well. We have to take a break and
the morning think we gotta pay some ben h you
got checks. I love cut to It and I love
(16:05):
it even more when you download us 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
(16:27):
you can buy merch and you can subscribe to us
wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my questions answered.
That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a
Podcast dot com. Would you would you share with us
how your standards have shaped you into the man that
you are now and even as the player that we
(16:47):
know you to be. Yeah, like I said, man, my
father you know played ten years. You know my grandfather
was crucial in my life. My mother, Um, they's always
helped me to a high standard. So to do my best,
to perform at the highest of my ability, to put
the work in, because nothing's gonna be given to you
everything that you get, you don't have to earn it. Um,
(17:08):
If you don't have something, everybody's gonna feel bad for you,
and just you know, give it to you. So you
have to put in the hard work. You have to
put in the man or you have to put in um,
you know, the labor in order to achieve the things
that you want in life. And you know them is
still in knows in me being tough on me at
a young age when I ain't know you know why
(17:29):
they're being tough on me. Um. You know, I appreciate
it now being a parent of four and just being
able to reach the you know, reach what I have
in my career and in my life. I appreciate my
mother and my father and my grandfather for being tough
on me and for helping me to the hyperer standard
because that's how that's how I live my life. Now
that's how my children live their life. I want them
(17:50):
to be the best they could be at whatever they
choose to do. In order to do that, you have
to put in the hard work. You have to have
your priority straight. You have to have your mental you know,
you have to have your mental uh focus, you know,
in order mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, all those things. You know,
you just have to believe in yourself, surround yourself with
positive people. Surrounding yourself, people who genuinely love you, who
(18:11):
don't have any al two of your motives and you
know the world's yours. You know the sky's living for you.
So I appreciate no, and uh, clearly I wouldn't be
glam today without those people in my life. Tell me
about playing high school football, because how it is for you?
Because my son played college, he played high school soccer,
(18:34):
and being a professional athlete, he was always dealing with
people talking smack like Steve Smith can't help you out here,
and it's like, bro, he's first of all, he's playing soccer,
and second I'm on the sideline like this this is
his game. So what what was it like to be
the son of an NFL football player and then also
(18:57):
playing football as well? Because you're trying to follow your
follow follow in your father's footsteps, and then you got
you got folks coming at you. One you're intimidating to
them because now you have a lineage like a little
become a little markets like big Mark. Yeah man um,
(19:23):
but like you said, I can. I can empathize with
your son. But one thing that always stood out to
me was my father was like, you don't have to
live up to me, you know what I mean. But
that's easier said than done, you know, because where you go,
you know, in any article that it was ever written
on me, high school, you know, son of world champion,
you know, tenure veteran mark Ingram, you know what I mean, senior,
(19:44):
So everywhere you went you had that kind of stigma
like you know, a little mark you know, or Mark Jr.
You know what I mean. Um, But my father just
did such a good job to keep me focusing, not
necessarily uh, making me feel that pressure because he always
told me that, like I just had to do my best,
and he poured everything he had, all his knowledge, all
(20:06):
his wisdoms, all his figures, all his successes. He poured
that into me. And so um with the natural ability
that I was blessed with from birth, from my parents
and from the Good Lord, and along with just uh
you know, great supportions and from my father, from my mother. Um,
you know, I didn't feel that pressure from the outside world.
I just felt like I had to do what I
(20:27):
needed to do believe in myself working my butt off
and that I'd be able to accomplish my dreams. I
had high goals and high dreams for myself. It's it's
it is. It is tough though, you know, being the
son of a you know, a legend. You know, it's
like C. Smith, you know, Hall of Fame agent eighty nine,
you know what I mean. So I can empathize with
your son. But even playing football, even playing sports, like
I felt like I got more respect from people than anything.
(20:50):
Like really people really would mess with me, but like
they were like mess around a little bit, but like
I never really had no bad stories to somebody saying like, yeah,
your daddy can't help you all here today, Like I
ain't really had no stories like that because I don't know,
I don't know. I was just you're the way your
dad played and the way football at that time where
(21:14):
you were growing up is nothing compared to that of
today because like the highlights everywhere, well, the access has
changed because our baseball used to be American's pastime. Now
football is America's pastime and American's current We're consuming so
(21:38):
much twenty four hours day, hard knocks um NFL films,
all of the bro you got Mike, the center's miked
up to be able to hear the cadence from the quarterbacks.
Certain players each game are miked up, but then there
are players like the centers consistently miked up. So when
you have all of that going on, you know, I
(22:01):
mean you see all the different streaming systems we have
the access, the access was not the same social media.
That's crazy, but we wasn't having hot mics. You weren't
hearing everything. When hearing dudes over their dog cussing and
talking about people, and like even looking at the the
(22:22):
bubble for the NBA, you're hearing everything. Everything. You're hearing
picking rolls, strategy conversations that in the stadiums were fake
because they need all that content exactly. Some of the
stuff that said on the field amen for people to hear,
so they want you to be all this, but some
of that stuff back an if he's scales and stuff, man,
(22:45):
I've seen them him that people up by the faith
mass everything you that. When you're in that heat, boy,
you can't ain't no turning it off. If you're a
real dog, you can't turn it off. You know, it's
amazing is playing against Mark all those years in Carolina.
He didn't really talk or hear him because I didn't
(23:06):
play defense, but he would hear me talk and he
played office and I would always see him. He'd be
like looking like he wanted to say something, but he
was on the other side, and it was one of
those things. It's funny to see him now is a
raven because he's like coming to his own. That's who
he is. He always He's always been a talker because
he's the lineage of football, Like he's from that old school.
(23:28):
If his grandfather was in his life, his grandfather taught him,
you better learn how to you better learn how to
write checks. And even if you bounce a few, look,
don't tell nobody, right Mark, Why do you think you
was able to come into your own more so to
what Smithy said as as a raven, because as a
(23:49):
as a as a consumer football, I definitely see it
more like you introduce him Lamar Big Trust, like all
of a sudden you burst into the scene with Baltimore.
Why do you think that's the case now? I just
think maybe, Uh, I've always been the same person. I mean,
you could ask any of my teammates from the time
I was a rookie. But um, I just think maybe
the ones was a little bit more conservative, you know
(24:10):
what I mean, And and I just wasn't out there
too much, like until I think, like the the year
with me and Alvin was going off when he was
a rookie, rookie year we both into the Pro Bowl.
I think people started to see it. But that's how
I am, like daily with my people, my guys who
I trust and who I love, but who I you know,
have blessed with and tears with. Like we always enjoying
(24:31):
each other. Always high energy, always just good positive energy.
And I just think when I came to the Ravens, man,
I just fell into a great spot. I remember I
used to watch the Ravens over the years, you know,
a big football fan, and just I always admire the
way they played the game. Tough, physical, you know, strong defense,
um playmakers on offense, you know, running the ball, being physical.
(24:51):
Um so I always like admired Ravens from Afar. And
when I came here, man, my teammates except me the
open hands, the organization and set me open hands. And
you know, we had a great year and obviously generated
a lot of content, like you know what I mean,
generate a lot of content. And the thing with Lamar
that was crazy. Man. Uh We're doing a presser after
one of the big games and they told me, they
(25:15):
were like, Mark, you need to go, like go up
there and like introduce tomorrow when you're done. I'm like,
you know, yeah, I'm like I'm like, I'm like, that's
QB one bro, Like he should go to the ponium first,
you know what I mean. Like it's like now you're like,
you know, veteran o G. I'm like, all right, whatever.
So I went up there and I'm about to get
off the stage and I'm like, oh, hold on, you know,
(25:36):
I like to introduce you to the man, the myth,
the legend and blah blah blah blah, and Matt Julian
over there talking about yeah, big trust. I'm like, yeah,
big trust. You know you know, you know Steve, you
know whoop you know how we do whoop, breaking the
team weet, breaking the team meetings, and so uh, Judo
was like whoa And I was like whoa, whoa, Yes, sir,
(25:57):
you know what I mean. So, uh, I get home, bro,
thinking you know my interview was over. I get home
after the game, my phone is blow on night. It's
all on Sunday. Now I'm like, man, this is crazy.
I don't win viral. You improv the whole thing. You
didn't You didn't know you was gonna say any of that.
You improve the whole thing. I literally was just I
(26:17):
was bullshit, like I was serious about what I was saying,
but like I was really And he made the whole
tagline for the whole season for the Ravens trust everything.
It was crazy how it happened. It's crazy because, like
I tell you all, I was serious about the words
I was saying, but I was really bull crapping around
like you know what, I'm just playing. Oh man, we
(26:39):
gotta get you. We gotta get you. On the episode
of Wild and Out. Then if you're that good at improv,
it's funny. Though. It has to do with where you are, right,
has to do the culture and all that stuff. Because
we have this segment talk about let's talk Ball, So
we're gonna talk about ball, which is you know, talking
about kind of one of the some of the things
(26:59):
that going on. And what's interesting is knowing knowing Mark
and how he is and playing against him and being
too offensive. Guys. Bro. They used to be some battles
and conversations that I would have against the defense that
I know them boys went on the other side. And
(27:21):
that's why I say noting, Steve. I wanted to say
something to you, but I want to make you matter
because I know you're already mattered them. So I'm trying
to keep it cordinal like dam and so it's funny
as we literally and this is a story that doesn't
really get out much. But the dude that I'm the
coolest with is Coach Peyton. There were times in the
(27:44):
middle of the game, me and Coach Peyton was dog
custing each other. I already know Coach because Coach got
your past. I catch you pass and I catch a
pass on the sideline and I go, I got this
weak ass corner. Coach covered me today, I'm gonna where
(28:07):
his ass out and then the ball and then Peyton
was somebody shut your ass up, and I turned back up.
All that did is the next play I make Carolina.
The next play we were doing a run play. Oh,
I'm murking that that that corner into the sideline, just
(28:29):
to show. And I used to do little things like that.
And it was and that was because I was in Carolina,
smaller market. It wasn't shown a lot, but there was
a lot of conversations that were going on between me
and coach Peyton. And it was twice a year every year,
(28:50):
every year, twice a year every year. Then with some
thug bral with some bras. You had some real dogs
out there. All in Carolina, samets games. Man, you knew
you have to bring your heart hat and your lunch pail, boy.
But it was tough. But it was only those games.
(29:11):
But yet you go to Baltimore and every game is
like that. It's a black and blue division, which everything
you see about balling and being in two organizations, loving
two organizations, but I love both of them in different ways.
Carolina is one of those places. Man, when you want
a real good you want a real good cocktail or
(29:37):
good um tailgate, right you go to you go to Carolina,
they'll have the week wine. And but man, when you
go to Baltimore, what's it like there? It's just it's different.
When you compare to two. I'm not gonna say that.
I'm definitely not saying I'm not saying one or two
the better, but it's so different and you can and
(29:59):
the reason I know'd differently because look at Mark, You're
seeing a personality that Mark has. You've seen how who
he is has not changed. He just has found he's
comfortable finding his voice. So Mark, in the ball aspect,
how comfortable were you in your own skin in New
(30:22):
Orleans and then you seem to be cocooning into a
true butterfly now in Baltimore. Yeah, man, I was super
comfortable in my own skin in New Orleans. You know,
obviously there was times early in my career. Um, I
felt like, you know, my role wasn't always ideal, you
know what I mean. Um, had some injuries early, but um,
(30:44):
you know, UM, I love New Orleans. Man. They drafted me.
I spent eight years there, man, and the goal is
to try to stay um. But you know, it didn't
end up working out, and I still got love for
everybody in the organization, from Sean Pay to Mickey Loomis
to Row Breach to every single other person. Alvin you know,
Cam Jordan's my brother came into Draft two thousand eleven
(31:07):
draft together but first round picks by the Saints. So um,
those moments in that city. I've developed in relationships in
that city that will last forever. And just being able
to you know, free agency last year, Um, not knowing
what's gonna happen, and Baltimore pursued me heavy. And when
I got here, man, they we flew my family up here,
(31:29):
my children, and we had big welcome baskets. Um, you know,
just showing so much love to my wife and my children, everybody.
And like I said, like the whole team Hole organizations
is welcome me with open arms. That made me feel comfortable,
and like they let you be yourself here up at Baltimore.
You know that, Steve. Um, they let you be yourself. Man,
as long as you're gonna be a professional and um,
(31:50):
you're gonna go to work and play to the best
your ability, they don't. They let you be yourself. And
so I'm super comfortable in my own skin here. I know, um,
everyone and everyone in this organization, man is just supporter
and dope and it's just a great organization. Man. I
remember meeting, uh knowing so many guys who played for Raven,
(32:12):
from Ben Watson to Danelle elbri to Jacobe Jones. Um,
you know, Steve, over the years you know. Um, I
don't know if I mentioned Ben Watson again, but um,
so many guys that spoke so many, so so highly
the organization, and I can see why being here now
for a year and uh you know, I'm here again
for this year, so hopefully I could, you know, be
(32:32):
here a while man, and uh, you know, win some championships,
players some great ball. But I'm comfortable with my own skin,
confident in myself, and I just try to prepare to
play at the highest level, be the best person I
could be. I think it's about that time. Just take
a little breather. Good, good, let's getting down to do
with two thousand nine. You're a sugar Bowl, y'all. Get
(32:59):
y'all ask. And I was at the game in New
Orleans with Peyton Jordan Gross and we see the game
University Utah Beach Alabama doesn't matter because they came back
the next year. And dont so tell us to that.
Yeah he was gonna say that, thank you. Yeah. We
(33:21):
we were. We we were, y'all. We weren't even addressed rehearsal.
They were like, we might play them today. Okay, we're
gonna play show up next year. Given the fact that
we just were, you know, our heart, we were heartbroken
because we could win that chance. No more. We might
have took you all lightly maybe in New Orleans, you
know what you want to say. We got that win.
(33:41):
So that's all that corner over there, yes, uh, Sean
Smith and about six fives in the corner, I'm like,
damn yeah, yeah, yeah, y'all bought for sure. So too, man,
is you personally were going to a lot and you know,
(34:02):
you talked about your dad and what he's experienced, and
he said he's allowed his failures and some of the
things that he's done, and he's been been transparent. Um,
he's been very transparent. Take us down that path and
where you and your dad's relationship is, because you know,
let's be honest, we have a lot of stigmas as athletes,
(34:25):
a lot of stigma as black athletes that we don't
know how to do things the right way or we
we we don't utilize the opportunities. And so just kind
of talk to us really about your relationship with your
dad and really what he has, what he transpired for
you as a young man, what that has done for
(34:48):
you as now a father yourself. Right, man, my relationship
my father is the best relationship you have with a father. Man.
That's my dude, you know what I mean, that's my guy. Um.
Obviously you know he's made some mistakes, um, but I
don't hold that against him. Everything he did, uh, you
know was to make sure our family was good. And UM,
I'm not saying that was right or wrong, but I
(35:09):
love my I love my dad regardless, good, batter and right,
wrong or indifferent. That's my dude. And I wouldn't be
who I am without him today. Every crucial decision that
I made in my life, he was right there with me,
you know, decided to prose the cons I wouldn't be
here without him. I wouldn't have the success that I've
had in my career. I may not have went to
(35:30):
Alabama without him. I may not have transfer schools uh
from my junior to my senior year without him, and
all that is a ripple effected to where I'm at
now to this day. So not only in sports, but
in life. Like I told you, he said, he's made
no mistakes for both of us, so um that I
shouldn't have to make the mistakes. So just him pouring wisdom,
(35:51):
pouring knowledge, pouring experiences, pouring uh, pouring successes and failures
um into my life. UH just helped me elevate. It
helped me develop into a man who appreciates the moment,
appreciates people. And you know, every every every opportunity is precious,
every opportunity you have to seize it and now you
(36:12):
can't lose it, and you gotta take advantage of it.
And you know, he taught me that, you know, several
times over this Uh. This next segment we got coming
up is called the Deep Three. There's three questions that
we asked that even go a little bit deeper than that,
but it goes beyond your jersey, goes beyond you know,
(36:33):
your shoulder pads, your helmet, all that stuff. So Smithie,
go ahead and give him the first one. When you
are ninety five years old, what would you want little
Mark Mark the third to say about you. I want
him to say that I was a loving father of supporter, father,
(36:54):
father that worked his ass off to UM get him,
his sisters, his children and their children a head and life. UM,
A man who loved the Lord and men who loved Jesus,
who spread his life, you know, across the world. UM,
and change lives for eternity. UM. I want him just
to know his father, I love Jesus, that he worked
(37:17):
his butt off, whether it was in football, where it
was being a businessman, whether um whatever my post career
holds from me. I want him to know that. UM.
I want him to know and believe that I worked
my butt off and try to be the best at
every single thing that I did. When I worked out
and uh whatever, I do you know what I mean,
I'm striving to be the best. I'm trying to learn
and grow and pass now knowledge, passing now wisdom, and
(37:41):
I just want him to know that, like I said,
like I said, man, that I was a hard worker,
I love my family, that I love Jesus, and that
you know, I created a legacy for him, his children,
their children, and uh beyond, how are you impacting the
(38:03):
world right now? And the second part of that is
how do you want to impact the world in five years?
Right now, I'm trying to be the best person I
could be. I'm trying to bring positive light, positive energy
to UM bringing change just in our world. You know,
we're dealing with so much between the virus between UH injustice,
(38:24):
between racism, UM I just want to be part of
that change. And being a part of that change is
going out and voting, electing our officials who prosecute people, UM,
you know, choosing officials that will you know, not not
not charge children as adults, who will will do away
(38:44):
with mandatory minimums and do away with petty crimes and
petty senses of such. And you know, it takes generations
to do with racism, do away racism. And I think
we're trying to um, get ahead of at right now.
We're trying to use this momentum to really make positive
change for for our future. But UM, one thing that
(39:05):
we actively can be doing is voting, voting obviously for
our president, but voting for your your your local prosecuting attorneys, UM,
your local judges, UM, doing doing due diligence in that
in that fact, in that way, you know, to make
positive change. That's one way we can make change. And obviously, uh,
you know, I love Jesus Christ, and you know I've
(39:26):
been on a couple of missionary trips, so just trying
to spread spread the word of the Lord, try to
reach people who haven't been reached, who doesn't even know
the Lord. And you know, to spread words and change
lives for attorney that way. So, uh, trying to be
the best father, the best husband, the best son, best brother,
the best person, best teammate I could be, and you know,
(39:46):
just making positive change in the world as well. Final question,
where are you in the Book of life? And where
do you want to go from here? In the book
of life? Man, I'm throw driving. I'm thriving. Man, I'm thriving.
So I'm thirty years old and I'm thriving. I'm feeling
(40:07):
better liver. So I mean you're in the middle of
the book. You have the forward. I mean I'm healthy
and moving the agile around a hundred twenty years old,
you know, So I'm in the first quarter of the book. Still,
you know what I mean. So I'm thriving. I'm in
the first quarter of the book. You know I'm thriving. Man.
(40:29):
I got a beautiful wife, I got four healthy kids.
I feel like I'm in the problem of my career
playing football. Feel like I still have a lot more
great years ahead of me to play this game. And
I don't know what's in the store for me for
my post career, but you know, I'm excited. I'm thriving.
I'm blessed, I'm healthy and uh trying to be the
best I could be. Man, So I guess I'm you know,
(40:51):
maybe it might start the second quarter of the book.
You know, we appreciate your tibsolutely more. We appreciate you
coming on. We understand you know, you up against everything,
and we appreciate you taking all the time you had.
We also, man, just love um, just love seeing this
(41:11):
part of Mark that we haven't you know, it's eight
nine years and then you get to Baltimore and there's
just a part of you that we haven't seen before.
It's always been in the national I will tell you, Man,
don't change that. Keep letting us see that energetic you're
talking about positive energy Man, great energy, Um doing a
you know, doing it big and you know being a
(41:32):
part of that organization and still part of that organization.
You know, it's always respecting. You know what they say,
Man who wants a raven away, he's high energy, but
he's also a high energy in his life. His his
desire to to to please the Lord, to please his family,
(41:54):
to to be something, make something out of itself and
also represent his represent his family and hearing everything and
coming from a place of Flint, Michigan that we've heard
some of the stories of Flint, Michigan, how much poverty
is there are some of the things right, the things
that they don't have, And to here a young man
coming out of that part of the country who at
(42:18):
times are not looked upon to be a ray of
light and man, he just he came on our show
and just just it was like a shot of it
was a double espresso, man, just a shot of cafe.
It was good. I'm I'm hyped right now. Yeah, but
the only problem is I'll go out there and try
to run around. I'm blowing both hand strings and some aculity.
(42:39):
So you're in a deficit already. My right was structurally
pretty good. My left on us. You're right though, just
so much energy. We've got a chance to see Mark
play with the Ravens going into year two and he's
he's kept that same energy, no punt attended. He literally
has kept that energy though, and you just love to
see it. The most empathful thing he said that left
(43:00):
a mark with me. The best relationship he's ever had
with his dad. He doesn't hold any mistakes against him.
It just got me thinking I had to write this down.
I wish my son and my daughter who will say
that about me when when I'm older. That's the that's
the thing you want the most. So not only was
he high energy, not only did he show his personality,
(43:20):
but he also gave us some real profound nuggets and
showed us exactly who he is and what to your point,
was motored him. Pass flint, passes up, bringing passes Dad's
mistakes and just saying we've got the best relationship ever. Man.
That says a lot about that dude, his characters so
appreciate it. I hope you guys enjoy and till the
(43:41):
next episode, see you guys later. Cut to It Cut
to It with Steve Smith, Senior. That Is Me is
a production of Cut to It LLC, Baltold Creative Media,
The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. For more podcast
from my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio Apple
(44:02):
Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to 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 manager Payton Smith from Balto Creative Media, Cut
to It is produced by Brian Balta Chevic and Meredith Carter,
(44:25):
with production assistance by Alex Lebrek, Production manager Sarah Pollock.
Theme music by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton.
You ain't heard about it, then, we're about to let
you know. It's all
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 I'm John And this is cut
to it. Good do it? Good do they's getting down
to do it. Good do it. We asked the questions
(00:20):
you always want to know, but no one ever asked,
let's cut to it. You ain't heard them about it,
then we're about to let you know. It's all you
(00:41):
needed it. But you needed a black nickname anyway. Now
your name Scooter. It's always a black school. Hey, how
you guys doing. Steve Smith Senior here and g um,
welcome to the podcast. And when those us my Spanish
is Ussey, so I don't know that right when those deals,
when it's startest if it's afternoons, you know I was
(01:04):
a little bilingual. You ain't boy ling anyway. We got
our bookie manager on here, Joe Fushi nicknamed Scooter ak
a backstage Joe. He was backstage, backstage. We brought him.
We brought him to the limelights. So Joe's Joe's want
of homeboys and good dude, very talented businessman. Yeah, it
(01:29):
makes a lot of this happen I'll tell you what
his ass is not. What's that he is not a
good communicator on this subject at hand. So we were
talking this weekend, and Joe has a boat, and Joe
loves to go on this boat. Now, Joe loves to
play golf with Smitty, but Smithy ain't as good as Joe.
But Smitty got the membership and Joe got the boat.
(01:51):
So it's a nice boat. And so Joe loves being
on the boat. He beautiful wife Kim says, look, if
you get the boats, you can't have a country cutup membership.
So Joe's all, you know, Joe's my golfing buddy. I
love hanging out with him. Great dude. Business as well
(02:11):
helps me a lot of stuff. So me and Joe chilling,
and I know, so I get some shoes, uh do
some yard work, and so they have these cool like
boots but their waterproof and so I can hold them
down and not get my socks well, and I hate
wet socks. Like that is like like I'm like two
(02:34):
things like yard that y'ard work that I hate wet
socks and picking up dog poop. But I got a dog,
so I pick up dog poops. So the only thing
I can really get away with is not having wet socks.
So I say, man, these these shoes. And then I
discovered that this these boots, they also make boat shoes.
So I'm gonna read your text, good morning Joe. Quick question,
(02:58):
what shoe size are you? Morning, Steve? I am a
ten and a half two eleven and a half depends
on the style. So at this time Joe did not
know I am trying to order these shoes as I
am texting him. So now I'm like, you just need
(03:20):
one size? Yes, So I said, all right, let me
gather up something that we can all identify with generally Nike's,
depending on Nike's run small. So I said, what size
are you? And Jordan's And here's where it gets interested, scooter, Okay,
(03:43):
here we go up? What's he goes? I said what size?
And I even s z in Jordan's. So now I'm
mentor like cutting into like specifics. What side to it?
I got the laptop up, It got two pair of
sizes left. I want to get my boys some some
some boat shoes. All right, I wear eleven and the
(04:09):
eleven half if I tighten them up. Now, so I
go back up, and I said, first of all, he's
a ten and a half to eleven and a half
and now he's an eleven. But if I tighten them up,
eleven and a half. So here is I don't ever
(04:29):
want to Here is my reply. Here is my reply.
What blankety blank size are you? Bro? I don't want
the hood size when you can't afford to pass up
what they're giving you, grown ass man, you're walking you
walking into a true store to get a pair of Vans.
(04:52):
What size can I get you? Sir? Joe? Reply is
you can get me size eleven eleven? I said, not
in between sizes. I've looked that up. There is no
slides between ten and a half and eleven and a
(05:14):
half and there's definitely no size for eleven and a half.
When I tightened them up, He's like, damn, why are
you on me so bad? I said, we read your replies.
See why dot dot dot this whole time I'm trying
to order you a pair of shoes and I gotta
read this. Can I jump in here for school? First off,
(05:39):
your georgie's tied tight right now? No, they are not.
And guess what shoes he's wearing currently? Right now vans,
thank you. So I really don't have an excuse for this.
I really really thought I was being good friend Joe,
because you know, like when somebody's gonna help. I felt
the vibe somebody was getting me something. You know, how
you want you get that gift from an ant and
(06:01):
like it's a sweater with a V neck and like
you don't want to act like you don't. And I
know Steve knows me well enough to know it's gonna
be nice. So I'm just trying to be open guy.
And then I go back and read and I was thoroughly,
thoroughly embarrassed. I was stuttering. If you can do that
in text? Says, how do you studying a text message?
I was giving nine eleven sizes, like he said, I
felt like growing up when your big friend gives you
(06:23):
them old shoes. Man. I put four pair of socks
on as long as I can get him, and they fit.
So um, I'm you're grown ass man. Why are you
tightening up? Yeah, don't don't ever see you tightening up?
I said, what size are you between? Ten and a
half and he left ten and a half is a
size three sizes ten, seven, five, even if you're even
(06:50):
if you're your right, you still have to buy two
different pairs of shoes to discover which he tried to
give you a damn fitted hat size. And it's a shoot,
I said, I said, we read what you're saying. I did,
and I apologized, and I'm thankful for the gift I'm receiving.
I didn't even wanted the shoes because I was so irritated.
I didn't even get them. I wasting ll not in
(07:13):
order because the whole time I'm going through this batch,
like what's what size do you wear? Man? This is
like eight thirty in the morning, and I'm like, I
was getting Saturday ripped up, Sunday Sunday. I was ripped
apart for like this one. I'm like twenty minutes and
it's all my fault. It's one I take ownership, my fault.
(07:34):
It's COVID. But the best part about it is when
I finally got it down, I'm eleven. We did all
of this, that's your size. Just cut to it, bro,
That's all I had to do. I know, awful. Let's
just cut to our guests now, Yeah, who is our guests?
Coming up? On the Cut to It podcast, we got
(07:55):
mark Ingram running back for the Baltimore Ravens. He's a
three time Pro Bowl winner. He was a Hosman Trophy
winner in Alabama, and he's married to his wife Chelsea.
They got four beautiful kids. Mark Ingram, want to cut
to a podcast. Thank you for joining the podcast, bro
(08:16):
sure man, appreciate you having me on. So we're gonna
go into a segment we called get Iced Up. It's
our version of Icebreakers, man. So what we're gonna do.
We've got some random questions that might be a follow up,
might not? You know how Agent eighty nine is, so
I'm gonna let him go ahead and give you the
first one. All right, all right, all right? If you
are an animal, what would you be and why? I'll
(08:37):
probably be like a grizzly bear something because that thing fast, strong, lucive,
and ain't nobody hunting grizzly bear. I things just the
ultimate predator. So probably like that, or a lying or
something something that ain't gonna be on the food chain
getting eating up by other animals like that. So do
you prefer baths or showers? I need a shower after
(09:00):
I'm working out, but I do love my EPs. And
soap salt soaks, so you know, showers is mandatory, but
you know I love being in that bath with the
EPs and salt and you know, putting together that that
soft you know, that secret sauce to help their body recover.
So I might have to go with both on that
he just gave us to understand because the man answer
has been a shower. Hey man, Shoot, I don't know.
(09:23):
Maybe you're too manly to have that EPs and soft
soap after sore day in the heat. But I ain't
you know what I mean, I'm retired. I'm an tradition,
so I never eat no more. You never did, bro,
Yeah I did. I didn't say it was anything wrong
with it. I just wanted to know, would you be fourth? Right?
That's all? Yeah? Yeah, I'm good like So the last
(09:47):
book you you did not finish, and you cannot say
the Bible the last book I did not finish. Shoot,
that's tough. I mean the last book I picked up.
I've read the whole thing, flew through and I ain't
picked up another book since. So which one give? Not
(10:11):
a fan? Um? It's basically a book about you know,
being a devoted follower to you know the Christ and um, basically,
are you a fan of Jesus Christ or you a
follow Jesus Christ? Man? It was just very convicting man. Um.
It was just numerous chapters of just you know, encouragement
(10:33):
and and and obviously you know, being convicted. Like you know,
a lot of guys say that they they followed Jesus.
But do you pick up your cross daily? Do you
follow him? Do you um spread his word to others?
Do you do you talk how you're supposed to be
talking around people that don't know you. Um, you know,
it's his light shining through you. You know what I mean.
(10:54):
It just dives into that and many different aspects and
many different examples on how to be I'm a completely
devoted follower and not just a fan. I like that.
I like that's all right. Last one, tell me one
person not in your media family a confidence that you
trust and name that individual. Well, other than my blood relatives,
(11:20):
this guy is like a blood relative to me. His
name is William Nelson. That's my uncle. Um. I called
him my uncle because he's like my uncle. He's my
father's best friend. Uh was there uh you know for me?
You know, it's been every single one of my football games,
my professional football games. And he lives in Baltimore, so
he could always fly all my games. And all of
a sudden, I'm here in Baltimore, So I just drives,
(11:41):
you know, if your teen minutes up the road to
the stadium. But that's my uncle Bubby. I'll call him Bubby,
Uncle Bubby, nickname uncle Bubb, but his real name William Nelson,
So shout out to Bubb. All right, let's let's get
into who you are, where you are, and where are
you from? So where are you from and where do
you consider your hometown. I'm from Flint, Michigan, and that's
(12:05):
what I consider my hometown. That's where all my families living.
My mother and my father, and my sisters, um, aunt's cousins, grandma, grandpa.
Basically that's where I'm from. And that's what I claimed Flint, Michigan. Hey,
we'll know all day Flint Stones. What experiences growing up
in Flint, Michigan? Um, what that was experienced like for you? Man? Uh? Yeah,
(12:29):
that's where I'm from. I have a long story of
like you know, being you know, moving around as a child,
but through my main years growing up as a young
growing into a young man. You know, I was in Michigan,
so um just um my father was incocetrated a little
bit of time. So just being able to have to
take a bigger role in my family from my younger sisters,
UM pick up some way from my mom who's working
(12:50):
two jobs. Just to make sure that I stay focused
on what I need to do, to make sure that Um,
you know, my dad always tell me he made no
mistakes where I didn't have to make any. So I
always just trying to stay focused on the right people
from myself, for positive people and people who love me.
So um, you know, I just always learned how to
you know, keep a small circle, keep a circle of
those who believe in you. And so I definitely learned that.
(13:13):
And just um important to the importance of a dollar,
you know what I mean, Um, important to treat people
the right way. Um, being tough. You know, it's not
easy city to grow up in. I'm thankful that my parents,
my mother you know, obviously worked two jobs to you know,
move it like you know, into the servers away from
my grandpa's house. Um that was in the heart of Flint.
(13:35):
So we moved to the suburbs and Mom present me
to a good school and stuff like that. So um,
and everything that I've been through in my life basically
shaped the man I am the day from my mother
and my father and my grandparents. UM. Lots of ups
and downs to our life that just helped me develop
into our am today. So you use a key word
for me, a shape? How it growing up? Shape you
(13:57):
an impact your view on the world today. Um, it
shaped me and helped me view the world today because
I just always had positive influences in my life. And
my grandmother was a you know, superintendent in the schools.
My mother was a social worker. UM. My father had
(14:19):
played tenures in NFL. Um. I have many family members
and good friends around me that it's always you know,
showing me with love and positivity. Never, um, did I
have to you know, be in the streets or doing
things that you know that I that uh, you know,
it wasn't that wasn't good, you know what I mean.
My parents and my loved ones held me to a
(14:39):
high standard. They expected high things in me. If I
didn't have above a three point o g p A,
they will let me play even play sports. UM. So
you know, even though you might be elgible for school.
I brought home that port card and I didn't have
a three point oh um. Then my parents were shipped
me out. So one time I brought out home, I
had a couple of seeds, maybe a d on there
and uh, whatever it was, they weren't happy. I was
(14:59):
in I'm grade. I was in the sixth grade and
we had a little AU game and I tell my
teammates that I couldn't play, and they I wonder why
I couldn't play, And I tell them my grades went
right and so ever since that day, I knew they
wasn't bluffing by my school and me being accountable, uh
to handle my priority. So um, I know they might
be long winded, but basically they shaped me to be
(15:21):
a positive person who likes to be around positive people,
people who love me genuinely for who I am, and
I just like to be encouraging and positive and spread
that same love, spread that same light to others around me.
You know, do the best that I could do, and
whatever it may be, whether it was sports, school or
or you know, going the lawn or moving something for
(15:43):
you know, our ontie or something that needed to move poses,
whatever it may be, do do my best from myself
with positive people and try to spread that positivity to
others as well. We have to take a break and
the morning think we gotta pay some ben h you
got checks. I love cut to It and I love
(16:05):
it even more when you download us 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
(16:27):
you can buy merch and you can subscribe to us
wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my questions answered.
That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a
Podcast dot com. Would you would you share with us
how your standards have shaped you into the man that
you are now and even as the player that we
(16:47):
know you to be. Yeah, like I said, man, my
father you know played ten years. You know my grandfather
was crucial in my life. My mother, Um, they's always
helped me to a high standard. So to do my best,
to perform at the highest of my ability, to put
the work in, because nothing's gonna be given to you
everything that you get, you don't have to earn it. Um,
(17:08):
If you don't have something, everybody's gonna feel bad for you,
and just you know, give it to you. So you
have to put in the hard work. You have to
put in the man or you have to put in um,
you know, the labor in order to achieve the things
that you want in life. And you know them is
still in knows in me being tough on me at
a young age when I ain't know you know why
(17:29):
they're being tough on me. Um. You know, I appreciate
it now being a parent of four and just being
able to reach the you know, reach what I have
in my career and in my life. I appreciate my
mother and my father and my grandfather for being tough
on me and for helping me to the hyperer standard
because that's how that's how I live my life. Now
that's how my children live their life. I want them
(17:50):
to be the best they could be at whatever they
choose to do. In order to do that, you have
to put in the hard work. You have to have
your priority straight. You have to have your mental you know,
you have to have your mental uh focus, you know,
in order mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, all those things. You know,
you just have to believe in yourself, surround yourself with
positive people. Surrounding yourself, people who genuinely love you, who
(18:11):
don't have any al two of your motives and you
know the world's yours. You know the sky's living for you.
So I appreciate no, and uh, clearly I wouldn't be
glam today without those people in my life. Tell me
about playing high school football, because how it is for you?
Because my son played college, he played high school soccer,
(18:34):
and being a professional athlete, he was always dealing with
people talking smack like Steve Smith can't help you out here,
and it's like, bro, he's first of all, he's playing soccer,
and second I'm on the sideline like this this is
his game. So what what was it like to be
the son of an NFL football player and then also
(18:57):
playing football as well? Because you're trying to follow your
follow follow in your father's footsteps, and then you got
you got folks coming at you. One you're intimidating to
them because now you have a lineage like a little
become a little markets like big Mark. Yeah man um,
(19:23):
but like you said, I can. I can empathize with
your son. But one thing that always stood out to
me was my father was like, you don't have to
live up to me, you know what I mean. But
that's easier said than done, you know, because where you go,
you know, in any article that it was ever written
on me, high school, you know, son of world champion,
you know, tenure veteran mark Ingram, you know what I mean, senior,
(19:44):
So everywhere you went you had that kind of stigma
like you know, a little mark you know, or Mark Jr.
You know what I mean. Um, But my father just
did such a good job to keep me focusing, not
necessarily uh, making me feel that pressure because he always
told me that, like I just had to do my best,
and he poured everything he had, all his knowledge, all
(20:06):
his wisdoms, all his figures, all his successes. He poured
that into me. And so um with the natural ability
that I was blessed with from birth, from my parents
and from the Good Lord, and along with just uh
you know, great supportions and from my father, from my mother. Um,
you know, I didn't feel that pressure from the outside world.
I just felt like I had to do what I
(20:27):
needed to do believe in myself working my butt off
and that I'd be able to accomplish my dreams. I
had high goals and high dreams for myself. It's it's
it is. It is tough though, you know, being the
son of a you know, a legend. You know, it's
like C. Smith, you know, Hall of Fame agent eighty nine,
you know what I mean. So I can empathize with
your son. But even playing football, even playing sports, like
I felt like I got more respect from people than anything.
(20:50):
Like really people really would mess with me, but like
they were like mess around a little bit, but like
I never really had no bad stories to somebody saying like, yeah,
your daddy can't help you all here today, Like I
ain't really had no stories like that because I don't know,
I don't know. I was just you're the way your
dad played and the way football at that time where
(21:14):
you were growing up is nothing compared to that of
today because like the highlights everywhere, well, the access has
changed because our baseball used to be American's pastime. Now
football is America's pastime and American's current We're consuming so
(21:38):
much twenty four hours day, hard knocks um NFL films,
all of the bro you got Mike, the center's miked
up to be able to hear the cadence from the quarterbacks.
Certain players each game are miked up, but then there
are players like the centers consistently miked up. So when
you have all of that going on, you know, I
(22:01):
mean you see all the different streaming systems we have
the access, the access was not the same social media.
That's crazy, but we wasn't having hot mics. You weren't
hearing everything. When hearing dudes over their dog cussing and
talking about people, and like even looking at the the
(22:22):
bubble for the NBA, you're hearing everything. Everything. You're hearing
picking rolls, strategy conversations that in the stadiums were fake
because they need all that content exactly. Some of the
stuff that said on the field amen for people to hear,
so they want you to be all this, but some
of that stuff back an if he's scales and stuff, man,
(22:45):
I've seen them him that people up by the faith
mass everything you that. When you're in that heat, boy,
you can't ain't no turning it off. If you're a
real dog, you can't turn it off. You know, it's
amazing is playing against Mark all those years in Carolina.
He didn't really talk or hear him because I didn't
(23:06):
play defense, but he would hear me talk and he
played office and I would always see him. He'd be
like looking like he wanted to say something, but he
was on the other side, and it was one of
those things. It's funny to see him now is a
raven because he's like coming to his own. That's who
he is. He always He's always been a talker because
he's the lineage of football, Like he's from that old school.
(23:28):
If his grandfather was in his life, his grandfather taught him,
you better learn how to you better learn how to
write checks. And even if you bounce a few, look,
don't tell nobody, right Mark, Why do you think you
was able to come into your own more so to
what Smithy said as as a raven, because as a
(23:49):
as a as a consumer football, I definitely see it
more like you introduce him Lamar Big Trust, like all
of a sudden you burst into the scene with Baltimore.
Why do you think that's the case now? I just
think maybe, Uh, I've always been the same person. I mean,
you could ask any of my teammates from the time
I was a rookie. But um, I just think maybe
the ones was a little bit more conservative, you know
(24:10):
what I mean, And and I just wasn't out there
too much, like until I think, like the the year
with me and Alvin was going off when he was
a rookie, rookie year we both into the Pro Bowl.
I think people started to see it. But that's how
I am, like daily with my people, my guys who
I trust and who I love, but who I you know,
have blessed with and tears with. Like we always enjoying
(24:31):
each other. Always high energy, always just good positive energy.
And I just think when I came to the Ravens, man,
I just fell into a great spot. I remember I
used to watch the Ravens over the years, you know,
a big football fan, and just I always admire the
way they played the game. Tough, physical, you know, strong defense,
um playmakers on offense, you know, running the ball, being physical.
(24:51):
Um so I always like admired Ravens from Afar. And
when I came here, man, my teammates except me the
open hands, the organization and set me open hands. And
you know, we had a great year and obviously generated
a lot of content, like you know what I mean,
generate a lot of content. And the thing with Lamar
that was crazy. Man. Uh We're doing a presser after
one of the big games and they told me, they
(25:15):
were like, Mark, you need to go, like go up
there and like introduce tomorrow when you're done. I'm like,
you know, yeah, I'm like I'm like, I'm like, that's
QB one bro, Like he should go to the ponium first,
you know what I mean. Like it's like now you're like,
you know, veteran o G. I'm like, all right, whatever.
So I went up there and I'm about to get
off the stage and I'm like, oh, hold on, you know,
(25:36):
I like to introduce you to the man, the myth,
the legend and blah blah blah blah, and Matt Julian
over there talking about yeah, big trust. I'm like, yeah,
big trust. You know you know, you know Steve, you
know whoop you know how we do whoop, breaking the
team weet, breaking the team meetings, and so uh, Judo
was like whoa And I was like whoa, whoa, Yes, sir,
(25:57):
you know what I mean. So, uh, I get home, bro,
thinking you know my interview was over. I get home
after the game, my phone is blow on night. It's
all on Sunday. Now I'm like, man, this is crazy.
I don't win viral. You improv the whole thing. You
didn't You didn't know you was gonna say any of that.
You improve the whole thing. I literally was just I
(26:17):
was bullshit, like I was serious about what I was saying,
but like I was really And he made the whole
tagline for the whole season for the Ravens trust everything.
It was crazy how it happened. It's crazy because, like
I tell you all, I was serious about the words
I was saying, but I was really bull crapping around
like you know what, I'm just playing. Oh man, we
(26:39):
gotta get you. We gotta get you. On the episode
of Wild and Out. Then if you're that good at improv,
it's funny. Though. It has to do with where you are, right,
has to do the culture and all that stuff. Because
we have this segment talk about let's talk Ball, So
we're gonna talk about ball, which is you know, talking
about kind of one of the some of the things
(26:59):
that going on. And what's interesting is knowing knowing Mark
and how he is and playing against him and being
too offensive. Guys. Bro. They used to be some battles
and conversations that I would have against the defense that
I know them boys went on the other side. And
(27:21):
that's why I say noting, Steve. I wanted to say
something to you, but I want to make you matter
because I know you're already mattered them. So I'm trying
to keep it cordinal like dam and so it's funny
as we literally and this is a story that doesn't
really get out much. But the dude that I'm the
coolest with is Coach Peyton. There were times in the
(27:44):
middle of the game, me and Coach Peyton was dog
custing each other. I already know Coach because Coach got
your past. I catch you pass and I catch a
pass on the sideline and I go, I got this
weak ass corner. Coach covered me today, I'm gonna where
(28:07):
his ass out and then the ball and then Peyton
was somebody shut your ass up, and I turned back up.
All that did is the next play I make Carolina.
The next play we were doing a run play. Oh,
I'm murking that that that corner into the sideline, just
(28:29):
to show. And I used to do little things like that.
And it was and that was because I was in Carolina,
smaller market. It wasn't shown a lot, but there was
a lot of conversations that were going on between me
and coach Peyton. And it was twice a year every year,
(28:50):
every year, twice a year every year. Then with some
thug bral with some bras. You had some real dogs
out there. All in Carolina, samets games. Man, you knew
you have to bring your heart hat and your lunch pail, boy.
But it was tough. But it was only those games.
(29:11):
But yet you go to Baltimore and every game is
like that. It's a black and blue division, which everything
you see about balling and being in two organizations, loving
two organizations, but I love both of them in different ways.
Carolina is one of those places. Man, when you want
a real good you want a real good cocktail or
(29:37):
good um tailgate, right you go to you go to Carolina,
they'll have the week wine. And but man, when you
go to Baltimore, what's it like there? It's just it's different.
When you compare to two. I'm not gonna say that.
I'm definitely not saying I'm not saying one or two
the better, but it's so different and you can and
(29:59):
the reason I know'd differently because look at Mark, You're
seeing a personality that Mark has. You've seen how who
he is has not changed. He just has found he's
comfortable finding his voice. So Mark, in the ball aspect,
how comfortable were you in your own skin in New
(30:22):
Orleans and then you seem to be cocooning into a
true butterfly now in Baltimore. Yeah, man, I was super
comfortable in my own skin in New Orleans. You know,
obviously there was times early in my career. Um, I
felt like, you know, my role wasn't always ideal, you
know what I mean. Um, had some injuries early, but um,
(30:44):
you know, UM, I love New Orleans. Man. They drafted me.
I spent eight years there, man, and the goal is
to try to stay um. But you know, it didn't
end up working out, and I still got love for
everybody in the organization, from Sean Pay to Mickey Loomis
to Row Breach to every single other person. Alvin you know,
Cam Jordan's my brother came into Draft two thousand eleven
(31:07):
draft together but first round picks by the Saints. So um,
those moments in that city. I've developed in relationships in
that city that will last forever. And just being able
to you know, free agency last year, Um, not knowing
what's gonna happen, and Baltimore pursued me heavy. And when
I got here, man, they we flew my family up here,
(31:29):
my children, and we had big welcome baskets. Um, you know,
just showing so much love to my wife and my children, everybody.
And like I said, like the whole team Hole organizations
is welcome me with open arms. That made me feel comfortable,
and like they let you be yourself here up at Baltimore.
You know that, Steve. Um, they let you be yourself. Man,
as long as you're gonna be a professional and um,
(31:50):
you're gonna go to work and play to the best
your ability, they don't. They let you be yourself. And
so I'm super comfortable in my own skin here. I know, um,
everyone and everyone in this organization, man is just supporter
and dope and it's just a great organization. Man. I
remember meeting, uh knowing so many guys who played for Raven,
(32:12):
from Ben Watson to Danelle elbri to Jacobe Jones. Um,
you know, Steve, over the years you know. Um, I
don't know if I mentioned Ben Watson again, but um,
so many guys that spoke so many, so so highly
the organization, and I can see why being here now
for a year and uh you know, I'm here again
for this year, so hopefully I could, you know, be
(32:32):
here a while man, and uh, you know, win some championships,
players some great ball. But I'm comfortable with my own skin,
confident in myself, and I just try to prepare to
play at the highest level, be the best person I
could be. I think it's about that time. Just take
a little breather. Good, good, let's getting down to do
with two thousand nine. You're a sugar Bowl, y'all. Get
(32:59):
y'all ask. And I was at the game in New
Orleans with Peyton Jordan Gross and we see the game
University Utah Beach Alabama doesn't matter because they came back
the next year. And dont so tell us to that.
Yeah he was gonna say that, thank you. Yeah. We
(33:21):
we were. We we were, y'all. We weren't even addressed rehearsal.
They were like, we might play them today. Okay, we're
gonna play show up next year. Given the fact that
we just were, you know, our heart, we were heartbroken
because we could win that chance. No more. We might
have took you all lightly maybe in New Orleans, you
know what you want to say. We got that win.
(33:41):
So that's all that corner over there, yes, uh, Sean
Smith and about six fives in the corner, I'm like,
damn yeah, yeah, yeah, y'all bought for sure. So too, man,
is you personally were going to a lot and you know,
(34:02):
you talked about your dad and what he's experienced, and
he said he's allowed his failures and some of the
things that he's done, and he's been been transparent. Um,
he's been very transparent. Take us down that path and
where you and your dad's relationship is, because you know,
let's be honest, we have a lot of stigmas as athletes,
(34:25):
a lot of stigma as black athletes that we don't
know how to do things the right way or we
we we don't utilize the opportunities. And so just kind
of talk to us really about your relationship with your
dad and really what he has, what he transpired for
you as a young man, what that has done for
(34:48):
you as now a father yourself. Right, man, my relationship
my father is the best relationship you have with a father. Man.
That's my dude, you know what I mean, that's my guy. Um.
Obviously you know he's made some mistakes, um, but I
don't hold that against him. Everything he did, uh, you
know was to make sure our family was good. And UM,
I'm not saying that was right or wrong, but I
(35:09):
love my I love my dad regardless, good, batter and right,
wrong or indifferent. That's my dude. And I wouldn't be
who I am without him today. Every crucial decision that
I made in my life, he was right there with me,
you know, decided to prose the cons I wouldn't be
here without him. I wouldn't have the success that I've
had in my career. I may not have went to
(35:30):
Alabama without him. I may not have transfer schools uh
from my junior to my senior year without him, and
all that is a ripple effected to where I'm at
now to this day. So not only in sports, but
in life. Like I told you, he said, he's made
no mistakes for both of us, so um that I
shouldn't have to make the mistakes. So just him pouring wisdom,
(35:51):
pouring knowledge, pouring experiences, pouring uh, pouring successes and failures
um into my life. UH just helped me elevate. It
helped me develop into a man who appreciates the moment,
appreciates people. And you know, every every every opportunity is precious,
every opportunity you have to seize it and now you
(36:12):
can't lose it, and you gotta take advantage of it.
And you know, he taught me that, you know, several
times over this Uh. This next segment we got coming
up is called the Deep Three. There's three questions that
we asked that even go a little bit deeper than that,
but it goes beyond your jersey, goes beyond you know,
(36:33):
your shoulder pads, your helmet, all that stuff. So Smithie,
go ahead and give him the first one. When you
are ninety five years old, what would you want little
Mark Mark the third to say about you. I want
him to say that I was a loving father of supporter, father,
(36:54):
father that worked his ass off to UM get him,
his sisters, his children and their children a head and life. UM,
A man who loved the Lord and men who loved Jesus,
who spread his life, you know, across the world. UM,
and change lives for eternity. UM. I want him just
to know his father, I love Jesus, that he worked
(37:17):
his butt off, whether it was in football, where it
was being a businessman, whether um whatever my post career
holds from me. I want him to know that. UM.
I want him to know and believe that I worked
my butt off and try to be the best at
every single thing that I did. When I worked out
and uh whatever, I do you know what I mean,
I'm striving to be the best. I'm trying to learn
and grow and pass now knowledge, passing now wisdom, and
(37:41):
I just want him to know that, like I said,
like I said, man, that I was a hard worker,
I love my family, that I love Jesus, and that
you know, I created a legacy for him, his children,
their children, and uh beyond, how are you impacting the
(38:03):
world right now? And the second part of that is
how do you want to impact the world in five years?
Right now, I'm trying to be the best person I
could be. I'm trying to bring positive light, positive energy
to UM bringing change just in our world. You know,
we're dealing with so much between the virus between UH injustice,
(38:24):
between racism, UM I just want to be part of
that change. And being a part of that change is
going out and voting, electing our officials who prosecute people, UM,
you know, choosing officials that will you know, not not
not charge children as adults, who will will do away
(38:44):
with mandatory minimums and do away with petty crimes and
petty senses of such. And you know, it takes generations
to do with racism, do away racism. And I think
we're trying to um, get ahead of at right now.
We're trying to use this momentum to really make positive
change for for our future. But UM, one thing that
(39:05):
we actively can be doing is voting, voting obviously for
our president, but voting for your your your local prosecuting attorneys, UM,
your local judges, UM, doing doing due diligence in that
in that fact, in that way, you know, to make
positive change. That's one way we can make change. And obviously, uh,
you know, I love Jesus Christ, and you know I've
(39:26):
been on a couple of missionary trips, so just trying
to spread spread the word of the Lord, try to
reach people who haven't been reached, who doesn't even know
the Lord. And you know, to spread words and change
lives for attorney that way. So, uh, trying to be
the best father, the best husband, the best son, best brother,
the best person, best teammate I could be, and you know,
(39:46):
just making positive change in the world as well. Final question,
where are you in the Book of life? And where
do you want to go from here? In the book
of life? Man, I'm throw driving. I'm thriving. Man, I'm thriving.
So I'm thirty years old and I'm thriving. I'm feeling
(40:07):
better liver. So I mean you're in the middle of
the book. You have the forward. I mean I'm healthy
and moving the agile around a hundred twenty years old,
you know, So I'm in the first quarter of the book. Still,
you know what I mean. So I'm thriving. I'm in
the first quarter of the book. You know I'm thriving. Man.
(40:29):
I got a beautiful wife, I got four healthy kids.
I feel like I'm in the problem of my career
playing football. Feel like I still have a lot more
great years ahead of me to play this game. And
I don't know what's in the store for me for
my post career, but you know, I'm excited. I'm thriving.
I'm blessed, I'm healthy and uh trying to be the
best I could be. Man, So I guess I'm you know,
(40:51):
maybe it might start the second quarter of the book.
You know, we appreciate your tibsolutely more. We appreciate you
coming on. We understand you know, you up against everything,
and we appreciate you taking all the time you had.
We also, man, just love um, just love seeing this
(41:11):
part of Mark that we haven't you know, it's eight
nine years and then you get to Baltimore and there's
just a part of you that we haven't seen before.
It's always been in the national I will tell you, Man,
don't change that. Keep letting us see that energetic you're
talking about positive energy Man, great energy, Um doing a
you know, doing it big and you know being a
(41:32):
part of that organization and still part of that organization.
You know, it's always respecting. You know what they say,
Man who wants a raven away, he's high energy, but
he's also a high energy in his life. His his
desire to to to please the Lord, to please his family,
(41:54):
to to be something, make something out of itself and
also represent his represent his family and hearing everything and
coming from a place of Flint, Michigan that we've heard
some of the stories of Flint, Michigan, how much poverty
is there are some of the things right, the things
that they don't have, And to here a young man
coming out of that part of the country who at
(42:18):
times are not looked upon to be a ray of
light and man, he just he came on our show
and just just it was like a shot of it
was a double espresso, man, just a shot of cafe.
It was good. I'm I'm hyped right now. Yeah, but
the only problem is I'll go out there and try
to run around. I'm blowing both hand strings and some aculity.
(42:39):
So you're in a deficit already. My right was structurally
pretty good. My left on us. You're right though, just
so much energy. We've got a chance to see Mark
play with the Ravens going into year two and he's
he's kept that same energy, no punt attended. He literally
has kept that energy though, and you just love to
see it. The most empathful thing he said that left
(43:00):
a mark with me. The best relationship he's ever had
with his dad. He doesn't hold any mistakes against him.
It just got me thinking I had to write this down.
I wish my son and my daughter who will say
that about me when when I'm older. That's the that's
the thing you want the most. So not only was
he high energy, not only did he show his personality,
(43:20):
but he also gave us some real profound nuggets and
showed us exactly who he is and what to your point,
was motored him. Pass flint, passes up, bringing passes Dad's
mistakes and just saying we've got the best relationship ever. Man.
That says a lot about that dude, his characters so
appreciate it. I hope you guys enjoy and till the
(43:41):
next episode, see you guys later. Cut to It Cut
to It with Steve Smith, Senior. That Is Me is
a production of Cut to It LLC, Baltold Creative Media,
The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. For more podcast
from my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio Apple
(44:02):
Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to 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 manager Payton Smith from Balto Creative Media, Cut
to It is produced by Brian Balta Chevic and Meredith Carter,
(44:25):
with production assistance by Alex Lebrek, Production manager Sarah Pollock.
Theme music by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton.
You ain't heard about it, then, we're about to let
you know. It's all
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