Will Grier

Steve and G are in-studio with Carolina Panthers' QB and former West Virginia and Florida QB Will Grier. They talk football, Grier's shocking early-career suspension from Florida, and how playing for his father prepared him for big-time college football and the NFL. Plus, why you won't see DUI's in any upcoming rom-com's.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

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 a little John and this
is cut to it. Good do it, Good do it.
Let's getting down to do it. Good do it. We
asked the questions you always want to know, but no

(00:22):
one ever asked, let's cut to it. You ain't heard
about it, then we're about to let you know. It's all.
That's that time and insert birdman hand rubbed emoji. It's

(00:48):
time for a segment. Ain't got the giggles, man, dumbass,
That's why it's down for a big dummy, you big dummy,
super duper. So, of course we we like to either
find an article or where we have something that's happened
in current events whatever, but this is one. I'm a

(01:11):
I'm a I'm a North Carolina guy, but something always
happens in South Carolina. South Carolina. You can bet your
bottom dollars, sorry, Scharlamin, you can bet your bottom dollar
that something happens in South Carolina. So a former state
trooper in South Carolina is accused of inviting a woman
over instead of booking her at the County Jail after

(01:32):
he arrested her on suspicion of a d u y. Now,
we're not going to use his name and how did
they find out that that transpires? So we're not going
to use his name. But he was arrested and booked
at the Newberry County Detention Center. The jail Newberry the
same jail where the alleged misconduct occurred. Surveillance footage from
the detention center and this officer's car camera reportedly captured

(01:55):
these events from the previous something you it's live, be
careful to say now. According to the arrest warrant, this
officer arrested a woman on a d watch charge and
took her to the detention center about an hour northwest
of Columbia, South Carolina. He took a long way, but
instead of booking her, h he he shot her. Shot,

(02:16):
He shot and shot, and he said, would you like
to go back to my house? Would you like to
go back to my careb what however he said, it
is how he approached her. She reportedly declined the offer.
Didn't they know my brothers, I'm not interested. I'll pass.
When you are drunk and you're telling someone no, that

(02:37):
is a clear indication they're not so, so she sidestep
Barry Sanders and kept her ballace. So she declined the offer,
and the police officer drove the woman to his cousin's
house where he must be where where he hugged her

(02:59):
and come pplemented her appearance. Quote, she sloppy, drunk and
you're a police officer. And she said no, and then
you turned into wear my hug ache and you wear
my hug first of all, had cuffed, handcuffed, and I'm drunk. Yes, right,

(03:19):
I'm off for for these incredible hulks, yager monsters, seven
yager monsters and with like n T like. She did
not have sex on the beach, and she she is

(03:42):
intoxicated and it's telling you know so after so, after declining,
drove the woman to his cousin's house, hugged the complimentaror.
He later text her back and offered to say, you
know what, I'll get your d you watch you RDS
dropped if you come back to my career. So she
told him no, drunk, Yes, I wonder what Her response, Hell, no,

(04:10):
you know why because you are you big dummy, big dummy,
Come on, bro, He didn't text her. First of all,
he's texting her, so that means he went through the
paperwork that's called stalking. I mean, it don't look like

(04:32):
she just gave him the digits, so I'm gonna especially
if she already had declined, So it's I think it's
likely to say that she wasn't interested. So how did
you get her number? Anyway? Woa? Yeah? So now the
South Ronina Highway Patrol asking the state investigators to investigate
this incident. And yeah, I think pretty much this dude's

(04:55):
gonna lose his his his ji. He is gonna lose
his job. And you know what, And I'm sorry that happened.
I'm extremely sorry that happened. But there is a little
bit you got to accept. Okay, maybe you didn't take
the first though, Yeah, maybe you didn't take the second though,

(05:20):
but the third and fourth. Sometimes you gotta throw your
hand in, man, I don't throw your hand in. You
can't play every hand. Let's throw it in. You cannot
text someone you arrested, well to hang. I have a
have multiple questions. The biggest question I have is why

(05:42):
do I want to date someone that was just showed
me pretty bad decisions? Oh? Yeah, I want her to
have the children. I want her to be the mother
of my children. I'm not bad and that if I know,
plenty of people have done that, plenty of people, but

(06:02):
I But if I'm in this situation right there, like,
oh yeah, that's like dating. You're the prosecutor and you
date the defendant for murder, you know who I want?
I want her right there? Who's the one who sloppy
try to dry and hit the car behind her? She
was trying to leave out that was trying to fare

(06:23):
level part behind. That's who I want. Oh yeah, you
turns was like vomited right now. I don't want her
so anyway, her breast of mine. Secret seven introducing to you,

(06:43):
sergeant big dummy, you big dummy, unemployed, big dummy man.
I hope we got somebody better to him. Coming up
on the Cut to It podcast, we've got Will Greer,
a quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. He's a native of

(07:05):
Stroll at North Carolina and he was all Big twelve
playing for West Virginia University after he left Florida Universe.
Will Greer on the Cut to It podcast, is your
real name? William? Will I am stop it? I don't know.

(07:26):
What's your middle name, Chadwick. It's a family name. I
was the first born, so I got the I got
the family name, William Chadwick Greer. Alright, our first segments
called get iced up, their icebreakers. They're random questions. I
have no idea. What's coming? Smithy is pre selected bees, Smitty,

(07:48):
go ahead and give Will the first one. All right,
if they made a movie about your life, who would
you want to play Will in the movie. Matthew mcconnaugh, No, hesitation.
That was like pretty loaded. Yeah, you thought about that.
I thought about that ship. Okay, So how was such

(08:11):
a great actor play such a non speaking role in
the movie? A non speaking role? What do you mean
because I don't talk? No, he's just you from Charlotte.
Oh wait a minute, wait a minute, my purpose Charlotte
on it, Tom, I'm sorry Lexington also known as Let's Vegan.

(08:37):
Have you ever heard that he from Charlotte? He's from Charlotte?
Has he not supposed to come on? Right? You know
I have fin final editing, so keep no. That was
a promise. I know where you were going. All right, now,

(08:57):
I just joke out joke kind of So we need
you to sing any verse of Hale West Virginia, Hale West,
the fight song. Yeah, it's specst Virginia, It's spect Virginia,
the pride of every mountain. Come on you young lads,

(09:18):
come on you old grads, Espect Virginia. Now we eat you.
Ra ra ra. He got part of it. Yeah, I'm
looking into the first verse. It's in the first verse.
I know, I know. Down y'all at the bottom. Listen,
I want a lot of games in West Virginia. We
sang that song every time. Big flex West Virginia is

(09:40):
not a big flex we want Hey, we want a
lot of games West Virginia. Can you pull up our
fellow West Virginia alumni? Who rated himself? Who raided himself?

(10:03):
Austin posted about he rated himself. He read the Let's Tavon.
Austin rated himself as the top He rated the top
ten best most exciting, most exciting college football players. Would

(10:25):
you like to hear? Of all time? Would you like
to hear some of the people? He had keep keep padding.
I gotta find it. He had some um where would
do you think braxter Miller is yes of college players?
Is that like he's high on the list or that's

(10:48):
a tough question because he's in the football fraternity and
I don't want to know. Look, I like the way
Braxon Miller plays football. I don't think he's in the
top ten most exciting. I'll give you the list. I
got the list now, but yeah, you're absolutely I'm gonna go.
I'll go. It's gonna count down ten to one. Alright, alright,

(11:09):
number ten, this is Sam on Austin's list. Number ten,
Jabrill Peppers. All right, yeah, number nine, I mean this
is a pretty like is this like in the last
couple of decades or all time? This is all time,
all time, all time, all time, number ten, Oh bocal

(11:30):
number nine, Michael Vick. I like that number nine. No,
I like it's no he's up there though, he's hold on,
he's a step ahead of Jabrille. Yeah, for context step
he just ran a four to seven as a two

(11:52):
year old man, and he's barely a step above a
guy who cannot four to seven in his twenties. Yeah,
Michael Vick is my favorite football player of all time.
I love Tavon Uston. I already don't like this list. Okay,
oh well, you just getting ready. Number eight Peter Wark

(12:16):
the list, Peter Wark is still two steps number and
the step above Michael Michael Vick. Yeah, I don't agree
with that. Number seven, Braxton Miller two steps, two steps
and in front of Michael Vick, Mike, yeah, I don't.
I don't agree with that. Number six. Lamar Jackson. I

(12:39):
like Lamark. He's in there, man, he hadded, he he was,
he was electric in college. He had he deserves to
be in the top ten. I agree with that. Number five,
the same list with the real preppers. But continue number five.
Johnny Manziel. He was exciting for it was exciting. He
was exciting. Now he's not more Again, I don't like
the tim t Bows. Then Johnny football is my guy, though, Man,

(13:03):
he could be your guy in the context, in the
context of exciting you all times. It's exciting, it's greatness.
Johnny Manzell is not great. We ain't saying the only
thing I will say about this, and we're saying the
best players all time. I didn't say best in any
list that there's one through ten. Johnny Manzell was not

(13:27):
on my ten. Alright. When you talk about all time
of anything, especially when we're talking about all time, and
we're rating them in order. Yes, that is a different thing.
Number four your teammate Christian McCaffrey. Exciting, Yes, yep. Number
three sa Kwan Barkley all time, keep going. Number two

(13:52):
on the list of most exciting college football players of
all time. Number two is Tavon Austin. Mr Gadget himself
there was number one. Number one is Reggie Bush. I
think we can all agree. You can. You can argue
that it was Tavono. So there's Reggie Bush Tavon. So

(14:14):
here it is Reggie Buss Lambo bent Lea, Tavon Austin. No, no, no, no,
I'll say this. He made the list. He made the list.
That's the he made. No, he made his own list.
That is his list. So we after this banter, we
discovered it was his list because it was it was

(14:35):
trading on social media, like it was on EESP and
all the stuff, and I'm looking at the court and
I'm like, wait a minute. Source Tavon was on his
social media like bro gonna do I love it? I
love I love Tavon Austin. Number one. I think he's
I think he was one of the more electrifying players
ever in college. I mean he did some like whatever
he did in the pros, whatever he's he's a hero

(14:56):
in West Virginia. He's a hero and he made the list.
If I made a list, I put myself up high
to you know what I mean, Like you gotta put
herself up high. Yeah, I mean herself. He was at
the mountaintop. And that's why I said, I can tell no. No.

(15:22):
All I'm saying is I respect the confidence. I don't.
Not one I owed her. Nope. If he was sitting
right here, I tell him absolutely not. I'm not gonna
slander my West Virginia. First of all, I don't agree.

(15:44):
First of all, I'm not slandering. I'm just stating when
when I hear all time Tavon Austin is not on
the list, Johnny Manzel And and here's why I'm not
even on the list. When you're talking about it, I
like Peter Wark, Michael Fick, Reggie Bush, Lamar Jackson. I

(16:07):
will say, when you talk about most exciting, I mean
what Tavan did against Oklahoma, like put up six fred
something all purpose yards did be I didn't watch, I
really did. The guy's exciting from like every time he
was back returning to kids, something could happen, you know

(16:27):
what I mean? It had that that Devin Hester feeld
of like he could break he did, and Devin Hester
and he actually is should best. Now you're barking up
my Tree't even talk about that. Devin Hester was outstanding
in college and it transferred to he was also outstanding

(16:50):
in the league. Tavan was outstanding in college watching the pros.
Still waiting on it and is fast? I only going
off college football, bro, it's still fast. Are we moving on? Yes?
We can move on? Okay, cool, appreciate it alright. Number three,

(17:14):
give us one thing that you are afraid of or
scared of. I hate snakes. If I'm walking around outside,
even in like a backyard, they're probably never had a
snake in it. I look around for snakes. I'm scared.
I'm terrified of snakes, not spiders, though some people, like everybody,

(17:37):
everybody's because you want the spiders real quick and looked
around like you had like we said that, not spiders,
h No. But the reason I said that though, because
most people say this, spiders are like scarier or they're

(17:59):
more scared of spiders than they are snakes. And I
totally disagree, all right. You never people always say they're
scared of spiders. Scared spiders. I'm not scared spiders. That's
kind of scared of heights. I don't do heights. Do
you get shaky? No, I just don't go. Don't you
just don't. I don't know, I don't know to get shaky. Yeah. Yeah, Hey,

(18:20):
that's like how like how high does it start to?
Like I'm not I don't go, but like what you
get on the ladder, Like if you get on the ladder,
you don't want to go. But I'm not getting on
the ladder to go up on a tower. Yeah, Like
I'm not like a huge, like my house is a huge,
but I can get on the roof and you're cool.

(18:42):
I'm cool. So it's like, but you won't go onto
like uh like the tour of the Empire State Building,
Like you know you're not interested in going out there.
I've talked, I've been there, I've taken the elevator. I'll
look out on the No need to exactly why I feel?
How is he going to edge? And nothing? Now they

(19:04):
now is different where they have cages, they have the stuff,
so you don't look over there because some people have
attempted to do some things that are not very good.
All right, So last one, and I think this is
really interesting. Would you rather lose your front tooth or
shave your head? Oh? Shave my head all day, all day.

(19:29):
I would have thought you wanted to. You you wouldn't
want to. I get, I get why you think that?
Why why was that? Got long hair? Like I've been
my hair's been I'm going my hair for like two
years now. But rather shave my head? Why? What? What?
What would losing your tooth do? I don't know did

(19:52):
it would do? Like? What can we replace it? Like? What?
What's the like? It's your ugliness however you want to
fix it? I mean, all right, I'll say this. I
wouldn't mind having a bus cut at all. I would
mind if I had to walk around without a front
to mess up, messed up my whole the whole spiel,

(20:13):
yeah everything, if you lost how confident with the whole
beard and hair thing? Though? If I lost my TI,
it would just mess it all up. Yeah, the whole thing,
the whole thing, like the smile, everything, the confidencement. Yeah,
you have to be alignment or a hockey player, like

(20:34):
you don't see hockey players that like you know on
movies or stuff. Number five, we don't even have a file.
If you couldnt be a wire, not be a quarterback,
could you still play football? That I've thought about this.
It's a tough like. So. Actually, David Sills, one of
my receivers in West Virginia, was a quarterback. I don't

(20:55):
know who he is. He was a quarterback up until
when I he came back the first year playing receiver. Seriously,
first year playing he was a quarterback his whole life.
Came back played receiver and caught like touchdowns and then yeah, humble,

(21:18):
he's on the he's with the Giants now was on
the active ross and stuff like that. So and he
made you Now he's granted, he's probably a better athlete
than I am, but he had never played receiver ever
and was able to make that switch. We have to
take a break and the morning thing, we gotta pay
some bill. You got checks. I love cut to It,

(21:46):
and I love it even more when you download us
and subscribe, and you can follow us on social media too. Smithie,
where where at 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 Louis at cut to It podcast dot com where

(22:08):
you can buy merch and you can subscribe to this
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. Did you
always know you wanted to play quarterback? No, so, I yes,

(22:29):
in a way. I also played basketball and baseball growing up.
I loved both positions. Basketball is a shooting guard. Um.
And then in baseball, I kind of I jumped around,
played shortstop, center field, first base I was a catcher.
I was a picture. Did you play those prior of football?
I played it all kind of together. Yeah. So I
started playing football and I was like seven, loved I

(22:51):
loved football. Um. As I got older, I got my
first offers in football. So East Carolina was my first
offer ever sophomore year and then uh, it kind of
took off after that, but that was that was like
my first That's when I started. Those are my first offers,
so I, you know, kind of committed to football after that. Um,

(23:13):
I had played other positions. I played safety, growing up
and stuff like that. But when it came down to
like what I was gonna play in college, I mean,
quarterback was the only shot I had. Um fast. Now,
I was fast, I was a really good athlete, but
I never I was the quarterback of my team. I
never practiced playing receiver or anything else. So again, it

(23:35):
would have like and I probably could have made the
switch then and done something, but now it was too late. Yeah,
I mean it got too late in college for sure.
All your fast switches left. All right, let's get down
to it, all right, So where where are you from?
And the place you call your hometown? So I was
born in Charlotte, U n c C. I lived up north,

(24:00):
about twenty minutes north of here. Kind of moved around
a lot. My parents were divorced, uh so I lived
with my mom most of the time, and my dad
kind of got more custody as we got older, so
I bounced back and forth. But they moved a bunch.
So I kind of say Charlotte just to generalize that,
because I didn't live in one place for more than

(24:22):
you know, three I think I lived in Davidson for
three years of my mom that's probably the longest I
ever lived in one place. I did not really shape
your your view on the world because Charlotte has grown
so much, all right, I know it's it's changed my
view of the world. Um, you know when I first
moved here in two thousand and one, compared to now,

(24:44):
it's Charlotte is a whole different place. Downtown uptown is
considered Actually it's it's it's ever changing. I have some family,
that's that's from Charlotte. No, you got a lot of family.
We're gonna talk about that because I always run into people.
I run in a will Greer family folk. Yeah, the

(25:08):
career is a legendary. Yeah, oh that's my nephew. Yeah.
A lot of my family has been here a long time,
so they've seen it even more drastically. I mean, I
got my dad's uncle sixty six years old, was born
in Charlotte and has been here for sixty six years.
So you're talking about like the growth, Like he was
here when try On was a dirt road. There was

(25:30):
no uptown. It was not it was not the place
you see today. I mean that's the that's the thing
that my dad, you know, was was born raised in Charlotte.
He he lived kind of over by the the Y
m c A. And Carmel. I mean now Carmel's like this,
you know, nice super nice neighborhood and everything. But he,

(25:50):
I mean he'll drive around and I mean even more
so than me. So I mean I was here twenty
years ago. I'd come down to even the city or whatever,
and um, drive around and I mean it's south end
to see what it is now just for me, but
my dad. For my dad, it's like the neighborhoods, like
you see the houses, like I mean they're just knocking
down houses and building a million dollar houses everywhere around

(26:13):
like surrounding the city. Um, and just it's it's like
it was neighborhoods that he grew up, like riding his
bike and you know what I mean, playing stickball, playing
football plan and to see just the I mean just
the traffic alone, the roads, the stores, that everything that's
like grown around the city even is like so different

(26:36):
than than it was twenty years ago. Um. So you know,
just in that in that aspect you growing up and
seeing this place grow and obviously growing up when were
you born, so when it was just a thought of
a football team and then possibly going to the games

(26:59):
and then eventually now participate in that game. In those
games and being in that jersey. What what is it
like for you? Yeah, so it's it's it's crazy. So
um but put put more emotions on the crazy park
because it's not it's not often that someone grows up
in the city they end up playing. Yeah, it's it's

(27:19):
not normal. Well, I I mean when I was coming
out of the draft that Carolina wasn't even on my radar,
like I I mean, I was one of the like
top guys. So I was, you know, thinking of the
quarterback needy teams, like who's like in the teams I'm
meeting with or whatever, And um as I started to
fall in the draft and Carolina just picked me up

(27:40):
because of value, Like they just picked me based on
you know, they didn't need a quarterback. I mean Cam
was here, they had Kyle coming back, whatever. Um so
I was kind of surprising. But when I you know,
they didn't really sink in until I put the practice
jersey on and went out to the practice field. I
was like, because it wasn't on my mind to come
here at all. You know, I was going to play football.

(28:01):
You know, you're going to a job to play football.
And then when I came here, it made it like
this whole like you know, hometown thing, Like I'm looking
for a place to live in my hometown, you know.
And you know all the little Nicks and Crane, Yeah,
and everybody knows them as my success. You had families
all here, I mean, like my my my family has

(28:23):
gotten to watch my kids, you know, grow up, you
know what I mean. Like that's something that I don't
know if I would have had if I went somewhere else,
And you know that that's been really cool, but it
was It was never I never related the like NFL
to playing for Carolina. It wasn't like a thing that
I ever, like I guess wanted or tried to manifest.
So you obviously watched the game or two in your

(28:47):
you know, when you were younger. And then that first
time you're dressed, you know, not necessarily playing, but just dressed.
Are you out at UH training camp at at Walford
and you're out at fan fest and you're out there
practicing And now this time, instead of watching and observing,

(29:13):
you are participating. How was that you have to kind
of I had to kind of almost blocked that child,
Like why because I had to perform, Like I quickly
would like go there and be like, damn, this is cool,
Like I, I you know this, You're right, Like I
would grow up. You know I've watched you catch that

(29:35):
post in two thousand three against the Rams. I was like, yeah,
the skinny post is neck. He scored with it. And
then I like my Uh. I even went to a
couple of Panther games and like sat in the stadium
when I was younger growing up just because I played football.
My dad knew I liked to play football. It took
me two games whatever, So I would like even in

(29:56):
the stadium, like I can look up and see like
where I sat, you know what I mean, and like
I and I'll do that real quick. And then I
wasn't refocused. It was in section, so it's like right
above the right above the handicap, but it's it's all
the way it's all the way up, so it's under
the second slash, third level right so you got the

(30:18):
sweets and it's right there on the cusp right there
before you go to the nosebleed. The reason I'm asking is,
uh I got an opportunity to playing Candlestick right, being
a FOURT Niners fan never got the chance to sit
in Candlestick, but just to be there and go through it.
I remember the first time my rookie year we played

(30:41):
San Francisco at Candlestick and it was awesome. But I
I I sat in the moment I was gonna say,
did you do with Will? Did not checked out? You
didn't try to check out? No, I was like, man,
I'm playing more than Hanks, right, I live. I lived
that moment because for us, they they end up leaving,

(31:04):
They end up you know, them on a place two
three years later, and then they moved to the NFC West. No,
we moved to the NFC South because I was still
in the NFC the NFC West, whereas Rams, Carolina, Atlanta
and San Francisco and then San Francisco left, Tampa filled

(31:30):
that void and they realigned. So I didn't. I didn't blow,
I didn't block it out. I actually sat in it
and it was really really cool. Yeah. I've done it
a few times. Like like I said, like if I'm
when I go out to like play or practice, I
have to like I have to block everything out and
just lock in on the just because it's whatever is

(31:53):
going on in my head, like I need full I blocked.
I don't listen, like I block everything out and just
I'm on I'm on the field, like that's just the
way I've always played, is like I'm in between those lines.
I'm I'm you know, but I'm I'm. I'm saying you
gotta live that because it will help you actually be
a little freer. Yeah, I think you need to actually

(32:15):
think about it and actually will tighten you up. So
then you can go out there and you can start out.
You can start you gotta Did you ever go to
a practice? My mom took me down to Offord? All right,
So who's who's the quarterback? Um? At that time? All right,
he was out there throwing a pass or somebody you
may know. So if he's stowing, he's out there throwing

(32:35):
that pass. It was nice and then that that will
I received one up and get it right. So why
can't you mimic that? Right? So you still have that
little boy inside of you that you go, I'm just
be I'm be gun gun slinger, jake, me throw it
to my guy, and all of a sudden you're just
throwing it and now it's less of a job. Now

(32:58):
it becomes you just kind you kind of just you're
playing with house money. Yeah right, yeah, no, I agree.
I think I think there's a balance and that, like
I think that I could be better at living in
the moment and being more loose and playing like having
that child Like it's still a game. Now. You still

(33:21):
go out there. You still you still go out there
and just and sling it and receiver, we go out
there and try to make that one hand and catch
or that impossible. You gotta have a little bit of
that for sure, for sure, because you gotta be able
to do it. Like that was one thing I always
did in practice. I would catch your ball a certain way.
Just let me see if I could try this. Like
I'll let a ball if I'm going on a deep

(33:41):
over and the quarterback throws and leaves me, I would
let the ball go over my head and I catch
it right there. To wearing the game where I had
to concentrate. I know that guy is gonna hit me,
but if I'm doing this, I'm gonna drop it. But
now if it goes over there, bang, I just right there.
Now he comes hitting me, was right there, you know,

(34:02):
just kind of living that childhood. So speaking to childhood,
how would you how would you summarize the way that
your childhood affects you as an adult right now? I
think the the main when I think back to like
my childhood, it was surrounded by sports, Like I grew
up playing football, basketball, baseball. UM. I just love to compete.

(34:25):
That's what I did. So I most of my childhood
memories are me sitting at AU tournaments, basketball, baseball, whatever
it may be, UM and playing ball. And I think
that I learned so much of my life skills from
being on a team playing sports. UM. That kind of
got I mean all I did. That kind of got

(34:45):
me away from doing anything else on the weekends because
I I filled my schedule up with UM with tournaments
and games and practices, and I just wanted to be
great at whatever I was doing. Like I was, you know,
practicing my left hand with basketball or like hitting balls
in the cage or whatever whatever the sport was. Like,
I was just all in and just focusing on that.
And I think now that I'm kind of in the

(35:09):
professional field or like now it's more of a business,
I've started to kind of you know, peel back the
layers of like what's outside of sports, right, you know,
because I feel like I lacked a lot of that
growing up. Like I was so I guess focused on
sports that I I wasn't opening my eyes to the
rest of life in the world. Um So I think

(35:32):
the past as an adult, you know, especially having kids,
you know, I've kind of started to you know, see
life for what it is and see kind of where
I fit in or what I truly care about other
than just football. Do you feel like something. I don't
feel like I think miss something is fair, but I

(35:52):
think it's it's more so just like I, I wasn't
as in tune with just I was just like I
it like I kind of black. I just you know,
block everything and play sports because I didn't want to
maybe I didn't want to deal with that or maybe
like something's going on and like I didn't like it,
so you know, I'm just gonna block it out. And
I think I did that so much in my childhood

(36:14):
that I may be missed out on experiences or opportunities
to you know, get creative or see what else that
I may have liked other than other than sports because
I was just so hyper focused on it. Um but
I think, you know, as an adult now, I have
an opportunity and especially especially with my kids, to kind
of explore childhood again and do some things that you know,

(36:38):
not that I didn't have an opportunity to do, but
I didn't really take advantage of when I was a kid.
I'm definitely an overthinker. And yeah, no, I'm definitely an overthinker.
But that is something that like it I wish and
that I think having kids is really what brought it
to my Like I want my kids to just like create, explore,

(37:01):
do things like that's I wish I would have done
more of that, I guess, and let my emotions like
don't block out sadness, don't block out anger, like just
feel it, address it. Like those are the kind of
things that my whole childhood I like just blocked out.
And I think I think it's healthy to to experience
those things. So playing multiple sports growing up and your

(37:22):
dad being your football coach, how is that interesting? We
got a yeah, but no helicopter dad. No, not no,
not really, I mean, especially since you know my parents
were divorced, I lived with with both of him. He
wasn't helicopter dad or overbearing or anything like that. Um,

(37:43):
but he was my football coach, and we butt heads
a lot because I think, you know, we're similar in
a lot of ways. Really, We're both very passionate, right
especially about football. So as you know, the coach, quarterback,
he's calling plays on the quarterback. There's generally things that
we would just disagree. Yeah, disagree. Butt heads all the time,
especially when you say disagree. How does a disagreement between

(38:07):
a father and son, head coach and quarterback. Least explain
that to him because I've got to make the dentist
table interesting, damn the diner table, to walk home everything?
How should I say it his ryan home, You'll walk
home exactly? No, I mean, I mean it was. It

(38:28):
was definitely, you know, an interesting dynamic. I think he
handled it really well. I think I handled it poorly
a lot more than he did, just because the the
way that I would I I was dismissive sometimes to
him as a coach, but him also as a father.
Made it tough on our relationship, our father's son relationship.

(38:50):
And I think the way and our relationship is great now,
by the way, Like I think that that experience kind
of made our relationship even strong grew when I was
an adult and playing somewhere else, and really he was
being really tough on me and hard on me to
prepare me for college, preparing me to his in his mind,
you know, he was gonna beat me to the ground,

(39:13):
you know, like really be as tough as possible on
me in every aspect to make me better. That's kind
of how he was raised and how he wanted to
raise me. And I kind of saw it as not that,
and I just did say it is he was picking
on you, not necessarily that. I just think it was.

(39:36):
I saw it as you know, I'm like, I'm doing
everything right, I'm doing what you told. Like even when
he was wrong, he wouldn't admit he was wrong, and
because he wanted to be he wanted me to just
say yes sir and move on. And as him being
my father, I wanted to just talk to him and
be like like, no, you're like you're wrong, let me

(39:58):
let me tell you my perspective of this whatever. But
he was trying to be the coach that's like, you're not.
I don't want you to come to me with excuses.
I don't want you to come to me with any
of that, Like just yes, sir, move on to it
right the next time. And I think that was the
toughest part of the the relationship aspect, because you know,
I think when when you go home and it's your dad,

(40:19):
it's very different than when he's out there on the field.
And I think when I was done playing for him,
I realized what he was trying to do. But in
the moment, even if he's telling me that can't understand
let me play this out. You want to explain to
the head coach and who happens to be your father,
and he didn't want to listen to it. So then

(40:39):
you go down to college and now the coach that
is giving your instruction who is not your dad, and
you can't be dismissed, and you can't be dismissive, and
you still can't debate with him. I did that work
out for you? I was. I felt as prepared as
I could be when I went to Florida. I was

(40:59):
what Will must Champ was. The was the head coach,
and he's known to be firing and passionate, yell at
people or whatever, and none of that faced me at all.
I mean, I was for whatever. I think usually at
that point yeah, I think that really whatever reason, No
it's a reason. No you don't want to give him credit? No, No,
If I was saying for whatever it's worth, I think

(41:21):
he I think he like I think what was he
over the top? Sometimes if you ask my uncle's yes,
my dad, no, I think he did, you know, and
he'll tell you. I think sometimes he crossed the line.
Not nothing crazy right, and it wasn't it. But I
do think that it prepared me for college and for life.

(41:42):
And was coming out of college. You signed with Florida
Florida and what years were that? Fifteen? And then I
had that work out, So I read short of my
first year, this was the quarterback Jeff DRIs school and
uh Jacoby transferred year. I came in pri set so
it was Jeff dry school and then me and Trion

(42:04):
Harris came in the same year. Um we, So I
read shirted must Champ got fired after the South Carolina game.
We didn't have a good year. Um so he got fired.
They brought in um Jim mcwain. Doug nut Smyer was
the o c um coming in. Uh We, Me and

(42:25):
Trion were competing for the starting job. Competed all the
way through camp up really until the first game. We
split time in the first game of the year, um,
and then I got the nod for the next five
games after that. I guess I kind of won the
competition in in that game. UM, and we were rolling

(42:45):
six and oh, like we beat Old Miss the week
after they beat Alabama, they were like number three in
the country. We were ranked super high. Our defense was
super good. Like we we had a we had a
shot to go, and then I got suspended. I think
it's about that time. Just take a little breather. Good do,
good do. Let's getting down to dood. Hey Gerard, why

(43:10):
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 four shot. But yeah, you
can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to
us wherever you listen to podcasts. So I got suspended
for a year for p DS performance and enhancing drugs,

(43:33):
and I to this day, yes, I don't know where
it came from. Okay, I didn't know, so that's why
I was like, Yeah, So the way it wins is
I I came coach Matt called into his office one day,
He's like, you failed a drug test and I was blindsided.

(43:54):
I was like for what, Like, You're like, man, I
took that Golden Seal. What are you talking? So I
came in and did told me and didn't see. Yeah,
you can't trust you can't trust any especially back then,
you can't trust at the seal with clean everything. Yeah,

(44:17):
I didn't know what that was. I I was, I was,
I was young, I was I didn't even know that.
I didn't know that that was even like when I
thought pd S, I'm thinking like steroids. Yeah, so I
didn't know, Like yeah, I mean, it's it's crazy. And

(44:39):
I at the time, like I said, I was just
young and I didn't I mean, I wasn't. I had
no idea. So I go do that press conference and
I'm you know, and it was a year suspension. So
right after it happened, Coach Mack was like, just get
out of the building and figure out because we were
going to appeal it because you know, we you know,
we're gonna try to wipe it. I didn't think I

(45:00):
did anything wrong or whatever. See what's going on. Um.
During the appeal process, he didn't want me in the building.
He thought I was a distraction. So I wasn't. I
was living in Gainsville, but I wasn't allowed to come
in to the football building during this appeal process. He didn't,
like I said, want me to be a distraction. So
did you feel like, how how long did it take

(45:21):
you to figure out something was going on? Shortly thereafter?
It was short a couple of weeks. I mean I
was figured. I was so focused on the appeal or whatever,
and then I kind of took a step back and
I was talking to my dad talking with some people,
and it was it was weird they didn't want me around,

(45:42):
especially as a leader of the team. I mean for
somebody they supported. Yeah, you know, and I I kind
of got the hint. I went in and met with
him two more times and was like, look, man, I
I'm gonna serve this suspension, like you know, whatever it is,
like I may I may get disappealed, like I don't
know what it's going to be, but then I want
to be right back, like I'll do whatever I gotta

(46:03):
do it. During the spot and he was like, I
think a fresh start would be good for you. WHOA yeah,
so he and so he tells you a fresh start,
what's going on? And so what's going on with little Chadwicks?
Hen So I think, honestly, like I had never got
a good memory. I never wanted to leave Florida. I

(46:24):
loved the school. I you know, wanted to be there
my whole career. Um that was kind of like the
harsh reality was that was my head coach. And like
I think, honestly, when I think about it, I think
he was thinking of my best interests. I don't think
and I don't know, and I may be thinking, you know,
glass half full here, but I truly think he was

(46:49):
trying to help me and saying that, like he could
have just told me to stay right, compete for the
job and then never you know, really let me have it.
Like when it came down to it, do you believe
because of what happened and it was kind of one
of those things where it was a stain, I think, yes,
I think that. And I think also that he didn't
want I think it was for sure there were some

(47:11):
politics surrounding it in my mind, like he didn't want
even if I served the suspension and come back. And
I don't think it's it would have been tough to
put me back in that and that starting role after
giving what had happened, even though it was an accident,
even though you know, I didn't you know, kill somebody
or hurt anything like, but it was just it was
a stain for sure. Yeah. So he gave me a

(47:31):
list of schools that I couldn't transferred to that I
could transfer to. He gave you a list, yeah, like
these you can't go. So I couldn't go anywhere in
the SEC he said that. Yeah, he printed out a list. Wow,
so he told you here's way. But this was back
when you could do that. Oh oh, because they had

(47:52):
to do he can't do that anymore. This was back
so yeah, so he gave me a piece of pavor
like this, and it had like I couldn't go anywhere
in the SEC or like anybody that was on the
schedule next year or something like that, which was normal
at the time. Like you just you know, I think
it's amazing he had that paper on on hand though,

(48:12):
So I don't know if it was he just like
and why we hear it, but but how do you
how do you like maybe it's maybe this is where
we're starting to go. But that situation being labeled as
a as a as a stain quote unquote or you
being called a distraction, and of course you having to
go through a suspension. How do you deal with that mentally? Yeah,

(48:34):
it was when that's probably not your Yeah, it was
a lot because it didn't represent who I am, like
that I stay out of trouble in every way. I mean,
I keep my nose very clean. And that was a
stain to the public eye. But it was a huge
stain on myself mentally, Like I like messed up for
the first time. I lafe and I'm talking about you

(48:55):
didn't even know what you messed up on because people
don't know. People don't even realize pete ease. Isn't that
I mean you could. It's a wide range, bro it's medicine, right,
it's certain, it's it's it's certain even to the point
of certain aspirants, Like there's certain aspirants that you can't take.

(49:19):
You gotta be and you know, I think it's talked
about born now than it was when I was that age.
But you have to as an athlete, you have you're responsible,
like so well, I wonder how would the how how
was the coverage on you impacting you mentally? I think
what impacted me the most was that I had messed

(49:42):
up like that it was all happening. It was my
fault that there was nobody else to blame, you know,
it was it was ignorance, but it was still Now
when you go back, what do you think it was
that you too? Well? So it was like I was
taking other guys pre work out in the locker room.
I was taking like you typical college kids, even in
the prose, and hey, I'm done, I'm I'm I'm going.

(50:06):
That's exactly what it was. It was just like you know,
got onyx so well. I mean, you've had to deal
with a lot in in a short career. How do
you deal with um, the adversity in in in in
college and now even going into your program? How do
you deal with this adversity overall? Yeah, I think the
adversity is has made me better in all aspects. I mean,

(50:28):
I don't seek out adversity like I'm I'm not. I
don't wake up and say like, hey, what what can
I do to make my life funny? How that works out?
You never go seeking food. But when it's some stupid
as people out there go find me some adversity today,
but some dummies. But I will say that the leaves
and bounds of growth in my career have always come

(50:50):
when adversity happens. Not at the top, you know what
I mean. I think you're still growing, But I think
when that adversity happens, like I've handled it in different ways,
but as you figure it out and as you get
through it, that's when I've made the biggest leaps and
in my development on and off the field. Um So

(51:11):
that's I mean in my mind. Like like I said,
I don't seek adversity, but I appreciate it all right.
When our last segment it's called deep three, it's many
deep three Okay, First one, really, you know what are
you thankful for the way you were raised? You know,
obviously you you spoke about the divorce between your your parents,
but being a being a father? Now, Um, what is

(51:35):
something that your parents, even though they were divorced, they
gave you something that that they gave you a great
outlook on being being a parent. Yeah, I think they
Number one, they both loved me unconditionally through anything, Like
both of them separately we're over the top about that,
like like they always like you know, cared for me,

(51:56):
Like yeah, no, absolutely go through to go through a
divorce and be able to separate them and us, Yeah,
but still love on the kids. They both were champions
at that and that's why we have such good relationships
me and my brothers with my mom and my dad
still is because of that, I believe, um. But I

(52:19):
think from a parenting perspective having my own kids, they
one they both got remarried and are in healthy marriages now,
which is super cool to see. Actually, like you know them,
you know, they they were married, had us, they got divorced,
but then they found somebody else, and we're able to
be in a healthy marriage. So it wasn't they weren't
right for each other, but neither of them clearly aren't.

(52:42):
You know, they haven't had problems with relationships since then,
So I think it was you know, cool to watch
both of them being another relationship and and both of
my stepparents were awesome as well. I mean we really
you know, I appreciated the way the entire situation was handled.
All that was a bad situation, Like they were always

(53:04):
really respectful of separating and all that was going on
and um and us. And I think what it taught me.
I think it taught me some of what not to
do in a relationship, especially with young kids, um, just
from the you know, with when my parents were together
when I was younger. UM. But I also think it
taught me, like you know, in that you know, how

(53:26):
to you know, treat your wife in front of your
kids right, how to treat for me, you know like that,
different things you kind of pick up on naturally. I
think that they were you know, my mom and my
dad both were always in front of us, respectful of
each other. Um. And I think that you know, that
was you know, really cool of them and help, you know,

(53:49):
my parenting skills. What's the most important thing that your
dad taught you off the field, I think just overall respect.
I think he was he was big on respect everybody.
Janitor to to the CEO, like the old saying they say,
I mean, um so much show that I don't even

(54:11):
I don't even see it that way. Like I I
just see everybody it's like second nature to Yeah, it's
just second nature. Like I just have a respect for
every being, animal, human, anything. I mean, I just I
respect everybody from any situation they come from, and especially
if you don't know it, I have respect for whatever

(54:32):
the that that situation is. UM. I think you know,
that's the biggest thing that he always instilled, Like you know,
it used to be yes sir, yes, ma'am. It's not
that's not as cooler as popular today. UM, but that
kind of led into the respect for everybody thing. And
that's you know, that was you know, his his biggest

(54:52):
thing was even I mean on the field too, but
especially off the field. Just respect. Now, what's your career
where it is, you know, just trying to you know,
obviously trying to make it and trying to figure things out. UM,
whatever impact you have on the field, that's fantastic. You
know what what is what impact do you want to
have off the field. I think any kind of positive

(55:17):
impact I can make on any because I haven't and
I don't have a specific foundation. And I'm actually meeting
with somebody after this, UM that she runs a group
called See Her Lead and it's a group for uh,
you know, basically middle school high school girls. UM. It's
it's a leadership uh summit. They have, you know, weeks
they have lessons, they do, camps, they do UM it's

(55:39):
it's a super cool organization that that she set up.
She actually taught ninth grade English to me and we
connected and and UM I started talking about this UM
her program and how she's growing and how I can
get involved and help and UM. You know, so I
love the idea of that. Having two daughters, UM, that

(56:00):
kind of hits close to home for me. UM. But
I think in general, like I there's different things that
I've experienced in my life that I want to you know,
be a part of, and and and but I really
am still trying to narrow down and because instead of
trying to do everything a little bit, I want to
have a lasting impact on one thing. And it's been tough,

(56:22):
honestly to kind of, you know, put all my eggs
in one or two baskets. And I feel like that's
something I see guidance on is you know, how can
I you know, because I I want to do the
right I want to do different things, But how can
I do what's the right thing to do? I guess,
And I think that's UM. I feel so strongly about

(56:44):
so many different issues and so many different things that
are they're happening in this world, especially, they're they're highlighted
when you have kids, and you know, so many different
things that I want to do or change and and
and obviously I can't do them all. So I I
really am in that place where I'm trying to figure
out what is the best way to go about it,
what's the best thing to do without just you know,

(57:06):
shouting out everything and probably getting diluted and then in
the wash. And I think that's the the art I'm
trying to figure out now. But I do think the
see her lead thing was kind of brought to me. Um,
I think it was meant to be, you know, it's
it's a super cool thing, and um, I don't know
quite how involved I'm going to be yet, but I

(57:27):
love the idea of it, and she's great at operating
it on her own, so she doesn't necessarily need me,
So I'm just gonna be there to support and make
it as as good as possible. And I'm excited to
kind of watch that grow. So that's cool, you know,
not knowing what you want to do, that's actually a
great place to be, right and ill evolved, will grow
as your family grows, as you grow as a dad,

(57:49):
as you grow as a person, just trying to decide
on how, what and where. So just allow that time
of not knowing. That's a healthy place to be, because
what you don't want to be as a young man
who has all answers, right, I was, That's who I
was at times, and that didn't serve me well because

(58:10):
I wasn't able to listen to other people around me
or listen to someone with a with a fresher perspective,
different perspective, and you're kind of like, man, okay, move on,
move on out the way. So that's good. That don't
take you lacking knowing where to go as a as
something negative. Take that something good because that means you

(58:31):
can got time to shape it. Now, Yeah, you've got
time to shape it, and you may not. I want
to learn. I think that's important. Is like I want to,
you know, continue to learn and hear different perspectives and
figure out you know, And I think great things are
done in teams. I believe that, you know. I think
you know. I don't want to do anything alone, not
because I don't think I can do it, but I

(58:52):
think there's a better product when you get different perspectives
and different minds in one room and produce something so
um still kind of building that team, you know what
I mean? Yeah, that's good man, well man, We appreciate
you coming. You are a unique person, you are well

(59:13):
worth it, you are competent, and most of all, your lovable.
I'm Steve Smith Singior, I'm Gerard Little John and this
is cut to It. Cut to It with Steve Smith Senior.
That Is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC,

(59:34):
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
your favorite shows from Cut to It. Executive producer Steve
Smith Singor, co host Gerard Little John, talent in booking

(59:55):
manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John
one show from Balto Creative Media. Cut to It is
produced by Brian Balta Chevic and Meredith Carter, with production
assistance by Alex Lebrek, Production Coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music
by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You

(01:00:17):
ain't heard about it, then We're about to let you know.
It's all