November 22, 2023 • 31 mins
On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, Super Bowl champion David Tyree joins Peanut and Roman. David recounts the “The Helmet Catch” in Super Bowl XLII 15 years later, and what he would say to Rodney Harrison about it now. That game was the last of David’s career, but he shares why he wouldn’t trade that moment for a longer time in the NFL. David gets personal about how his arrest for drug-dealing changed his life and sparked his spiritual awakening. He also talks about homeschooling his seven kids, and why he says the retail business will “take your soul.”
2:17 – David on “The Helmet Catch” in Super Bowl XLII
3:38 – David on Super Bowl 42 being his last game
5:13 – David on asking Rodney Harrison to write the foreword of his book “More than a Catch: A true story of courage, hope, and achieving the impossible”
11:23 – David on why he wouldn’t trade “The Catch” play for a longer NFL career
12:55 – David on his arrest for drug dealing changed his life
17:10 – David on the influence of his wife Leilah on his life
21:03 – David on being a father of seven children
21:13 – David on his business ventures
27:43 – David on his personal Mount Rushmore
*NOTE: Time codes are approximate
The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
I'm Peanut woman.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
This is Roman Harper, and this is the NFL Player
Second Acts Podcast, And what's up man?
Speaker 3 (00:10):
You good? What's up man?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I'm doing good.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm just not used to you just using my normal
government name, so I appreciate it anytime. Get you on
your tell yeah, yeah, I'm waiting on some kind of joke,
some kind of drum roll. And then when he doesn't
do it, I'm like, oh, okay, it was just gonna
be normal today. All right, good, all right, Well look, anyways,
I want to tell all of our followers and listeners
to please anywhere you listen to podcasts or you pick
(00:34):
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click a hit like, give us a review five star rating.
I'm not asking, I'm telling you, and also tell a
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check us out.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
This is what we do.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
We bring in some of the best and they're all
about the second acts and what they're doing, former players
doing amazing things in their lives, pouring into others and
tell us you our guesses today.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
An oldie, but a goodie.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
This guy was in my draft class, drafted in two
thousand and three.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
In the six round. Played seven years in the league
as a receiver and a special teamer. Two thousand and
five was first team All Pro and he made the
Pro Bowl on special team, So that shows how good
he was. Won Super Bowl with the Giant super Bowl
forty two and this he had probably one of the
arguably the biggest plays in that game, and it was
(01:23):
one of the NFL's best plays in NFL history.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I think playing for New York had a lot to
do that too. I'm not just throwing that out there.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
It might have.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
He's a husband, he's got seven kids, successful businessman, author,
motivational speaker.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
You can go on and on.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome David Tyree.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Welcome to the show. Make me feel like somebody today.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Jersey in the buildings. Jersey is represent represent.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Man good gentlemen. Oh man.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
He got the Jersey accent. It's all that man, all
that energy.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
He reminds me of my cousin from the East Coast Dog.
It's just like they just have a different talk.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
They got a good vibe with him. I like, I
like the vibe that you guy.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
It's all good.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Oh man, it's gonna be sitting down with y'all. Man,
get to chop it up.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Yeah, So we're just gonna get right into this thing.
It's been a while.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Two let's let's get right into it. Let's talk about
that catch man, Like what was running through your mind?
You know, Eli, He comes out, rolls out the pocket,
looking the voice, the sack comes up and just chunks
it down the field.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
And who does he see?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
He sees you?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
He didn't really see him though he saw he saw you?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
You really see it was me? Nah? No, you know
it's it's bad, right, Yeah, it's it's really bad. It
takes you back to like the you know, little little
little park whatever when you just playing kill a man
or whatever. You know, however, your little childhood ball. That's
what it comes down to, is just making so for me,
(03:01):
those opportunities come far and few, you know, Like I
was one of these receivers where I knew I had
more to offer than just special teams, but also knew
my role and I relished my role. So having the
opportunity to be in position to make the play that
was definitely like a defining moment of validation for somebody
like me. Yeah. I was never been like It's like,
you know, I had years while I was the third
(03:22):
wide receiver, fourth wide receiver, barely made the team. So
for me, it was just it was it was a
moment of validation. It was a moment where I felt
like everybody lighted a moment played above the ext and
nose and we got it done.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I'm assuming you won a Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You had this amazing game, great catch over, you could say,
a great defensive player at the time, and all Pro safety,
and that's like that's your last game, Like how does
how does how does that feel?
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah? You know, obviously, you know I had the two years.
It was like I never really even told the full stories,
like there was no glory to the ending, meaning like
I'm in the height of of opportunity, never had these
kinds of opportunities before. And maybe about a month after
the Super Bowl, I'm sitting down, I you know, go
pick up moltion. I'm already back in the gym. I'm
(04:14):
already trying to you know, take the make the necessary
decisions to build some momentum in my knee locks up.
You know, it wasn't an on field injury. It was
just this man with wear and tear at the beginning
of the wear and tear and decline, and that kind
of launched the decline of my career. So I think,
for me, when I look back at it soberly, in
(04:35):
five seasons, I had accomplished most of which I never
could have even imagined I was. I wasn't on the
radar going into the draft. I didn't go to a
I didn't go to an All Star game. I was
not on the radar. So to be drafted or just
to have the opportunity with something where all I wanted
was an opportunity. But to have five years in Giants
(04:56):
Rookie of the Year, NFL Special Team's Rookie of the Year,
All Pro, I couldn't have a real complaint. So you know, there,
it's nothing that you look forward to when you talk
about the decline and all these things that out your control.
But in relation to what was accomplished in that body
of work five to seven years, I was super proud.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Now I was listening to you podcast with your wife,
say your name again.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, I haven't written down and I still yeah, I'm
very nervous to like try to thank you, thank you, Lila,
check it up. Okay, I'm glad you understand so and
so I appreciate that shout out to Leila and so
you were talking about one time the helmet catcher was
you termed it as a promise from God, and you
(05:42):
talked about it that moment.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Your faith was probably more valuable than.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Your your ability at that time on the field, at
least in other people's term. But you continue to stick
through it and now come in full circle with that
moment and then writing the book more than just to
catch and asking Rodney Harrison, the guy that was connected
with you forever in this play because he didn't make
(06:08):
the play and you made the play no matter what
his opinion is on it, to ask him to write
the forward for you in that book. How did that
come about? How did that conversation kind of go? Because
it was shortly afterwards. I mean I heard Rodney Harrison
talk about he was still in his feelings, he was still.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Very much hurt.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I heard really mad and emotional about this whole thing,
and he was like, not, Bro, that was really luck.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
It was like there was no skill involved. You were
just a couple of inches from not even making the play.
We wouldn't know who you are.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Sha was serious.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Yes, I think I'm trying to trying to let the
people know the shame was real.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
He was not in a real place, yes, And so
it wasn't from me. I didn't have a relationship with Rodney.
It was actually, you know, the woman who helped me
co write the book had a relationship with I believe
one of his spiritual connections. Oh nice Rodney Christian and like,
listen this it gets like even in the and when
you go into the faith realm and sports and people's
idea around it gets all money. And I never said
(07:06):
that God, you know, had ordained the giants to win.
I do believe that God involves himself in the affairs
of men. I believe he has his way and his
will in the world, you know, but not in this perfect.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And I think it could be misconstrued. It's after the
fact now, so I think we can say after the fact,
we can say that, but before the fact, and I
think maybe there was some misconstrued. But he's a competitor.
He's one of the most serioust competitor at the end
of the day, I like, stepping away from it, I
can understand where he was at but Luck. You know
(07:43):
what it's all about, how you perceive Luck. You know
for me that there was words the night before, there
was words at the beginning of season. You know. Prophetic
however you want to call him that, where God God
sees your desire as a special teams player. The platform
you have right now isn't big enough. He's gonna make
your name greatest wide receiver. Somebody shares that with me
(08:03):
in in September. Yeah, I'm I'm actually injured. I got
a fractures, Kate fod. I don't know how that's gonna
happen because I'm barely making the team. Like so, when
you think about those moments, Luck, it's like, dang, you're
gonna do me like that dog, just my one moment. No,
you're gonna get You're gonna get a yellow jacket. Get
But that was all good?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yeah, So would you go ahead?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah? I totally completely understand the competitive side of any
person who wants to be on the side of a loss,
and a loss that's a defining when I hear his
side of it, Junior say all on that team. Yeah, man,
So I totally get it. And like I said, I'm
fortunate that I.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Would also say too to add on to and not
just piggyback. But you know, Roddy was coming. I believe
when I listened to what he said, that he was
coming from this place where you know, what did doesn't
involve himself with like Okay, well, oh I'm for you,
for you guys with the times more than I am
for the guys of faith than the patriots are today.
(09:06):
And it's like, well, actually, I don't know if that's true.
And so that's where I think the words and everything
got misru YouTube. Man is this but how long after
is this the podcast? This interview was this like right
after it was just like just like the book came out.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
The next year, ye know, like she reached out.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
So it's still pretty it's still pretty frust raw. Yeah,
he was still hurt.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
He just wasn't he was.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
He was.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
He said that he actually said that his wife sent
him to a dungeon which she called the dungeons, for
like two months because he just was not a good person.
So as a matter of fact, you go back over
there until you're ready to come out with a better attitude.
The question I'd like to ask Ridney now though, is
how do you feel now about that play, Like if if,
if his mind would change, in my honest opinion, just
(09:55):
being a competitor, he probably still gonna say it was love.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Yeah, he probably know, And I get you know what,
I don't even disagree anymore. I used to kind of
like I know that it's shade in some way because
you could say it in a way where there's respect,
because like there's tons of plays that you might not
be able to duplicate. I can't duplicate that. Like we
talk about the circumstance Eli man in this K three Patriot.
Come on, we know what early Eli was. Like early
(10:20):
Eli would you could blow on blow the wind, Eli
would fall.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
On the ground. He was an escape.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
There was a whole lot of sovereign situation going on.
But all I'm saying so and I think, yeah, I'm
a dude, I had a thirty one and a half
vert coming at it. Like so it was a lot
of different things that came together miraculously. Luck is one
of these things where you try to marginalize and minimize
somebody's accomplishments in a moment. And I think that's that's
that's the kind of because I could call it luck
(10:51):
now knowing that I can't do it again, but how
I knowing the true circumstances. Let's just it was a
propaty the word I like to use as a spiritually
you want to call his providence. Man, some things are
disappointed for you in life, for sure, And I think
that based on the journey there, there's there's a moment
for everybody. There's a moment of victory, but there's also
(11:12):
a moment of defeat. A month later, I'm on my
I'm on my journey out.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Now, if you could trade that catch in for a
longer career, would you do that?
Speaker 1 (11:20):
No? No, without a shot. Like so when I even
when I think about these these words that are kind
of like we're kind of coming out of nowhere within
that year, when I when I get a chance to
tell my story, it actually I wasn't like I didn't
raise I wasn't raising the faith or in the church
things of this nature. So I get a radical experience
after my rookie year. Stay blah blah blah. But in
(11:43):
college I'll never forget. I make the dumbest play and
uh sport and I hit the punter right, you know,
new center down. So some media dude, is.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I was wondering you say the DOUBLET like, I can't
be that bad. Oh yeah, that's that's.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Right. So some media dudes ripping into me about it,
and I'm like, listen, man, I'm not trying to you know,
not when I get play the game. I'm not just
trying to be a guy. I'm not just trying to
be out there. I want to do something great. And
I said I want to be remembered, so literally, in
the article of College, I'll never forget it, it says
Tyree wants to be remembered. That's why the helmet catch
means so much to me, because I wanted to do
(12:20):
something that was a meaningful contribution and in my own mind,
in the way in which I you know, I came
in as a special teams player, I relished the throw.
I never imagine I could get paid to play football,
like you know, it was my It was my son
being born in college that actually gave me a dream
or a vision for the NFL. I was living a
dream of college, but I just didn't maximize it. I
(12:40):
never felt like I arrived. So just you know, when
I think about the entire life cycle, that's why it
means so much to me and being chosen for a
moment where I could be a part of the history
of the greatest game ever.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
We're going to take a short break and we'll be
back in a minute.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
So in two thousand and four, I know that was
just like a pivotal moment in your life.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I don't know if it was off season or during season,
but some some off fields, some off seasons, some off
the field activities, streets, streets, running the streets. You got arrested,
You have some weed. I don't know if you're selling,
you're still selling. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I'm saying.
You got arrested, went to jail. Uh, read the Bible,
(13:25):
kind of started probably doing some thinking or you know something.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
And it was a radical transformation. It was like arrested
and find out I'm having the sun one day. Two
weeks later, I'm in the back of a church and
I've never drinking again, i never smoke again. I'm married
three months later. Like what I'm telling you, it was
night and day from who I was to what I became,
And it was just it was a moment of contrition
where I knew the life that I was living by
(13:50):
my own self. I'm like, I'm not. I didn't feel
like I was good at life, like you know, even
though I had arrived to all these exterior like you know,
make Syracuse, I'm at the NFL, but I'm sitting here.
I'm like, I've been to captain of my own ship.
Everybody's got a different experience growing up. I'm the only
boy in the crib. I had all the independence and
liberty to make all my own decisions. And thank god
I didn't hang myself with all that rope. But now
(14:12):
I'm in jail. I'm like, man, you know, my crow
was just very simple. God, all I know, if I
need you, if you allow me to keep my job,
I'd appreciate that too. It was a very simple sincere prayer.
And next thing, you know, I'm a new dude. And
I was a slave to all of those you know,
we got our vices, you know, it is what it is.
Everybody got their own vices, demons, what we want to
(14:33):
and all the things that I couldn't control or I
was subject to. I was now free to be the
better man, player husband. I wasn't married, but I got
you know, I was married three months later. And it
was it was liberating and so it was like night
and day and it changed my life.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
The failure is feedback though, like I think those times
are necessary. Yeah, fair is feedback.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I know.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
We when we fail, one of the biggest things try
to do is like, all.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Right, what did I do wrong?
Speaker 4 (15:03):
And then lean into that and then you try to
be better.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So it kind of is what I'm hearing you say,
is itself like that was a necessary time for you
to be the man that you are today, and it's
made you, it's helped you.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Man, you know. I think that we also got to
be honest and say that there we get to places
where we can't even dig ourselves out right, and so
we talk about this place of help. Right, My help
came from God in this particular instance, but help often
comes from others. God will use others. So whether it's
our wives, our significant others, our families, whether it's a
call to a to a hotline. There's moments where you
(15:38):
can't even in your own self scout help yourself, right,
And I think that those are the moments of honesty
and brokenness where we as men, players, emotial athletes, we
eventually arrived to just to be honest with our own
condition as humans. And so for me, that was just
a transformative Like I was one person one day, I
was a totally different person the next. And I was
(16:00):
free to kind of like become maybe the man that
I could have envisioned myself to be. And you know,
I think when you have a I have a child
at twenty one years old. I grew up in a
divorce home. I was terrifying thinking about not being available
for my son, right, I mean when his mother and
I work together, you know, so have that free for
(16:20):
my conscience, you know. So it's just it's just things
like that where you're just twenty four years old, got
a new lot in life.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So tell me this because I'm hearing all these these
terms and this this outlook on life. Sure Number one
is you know, the best thing that happened to me
when all of a sudden I was like all right,
I'm done, God, you got it, is that I stopped
blaming myself, right, stop blaming myself for all the past,
you know, transgressions, the mistakes I made, some of the
(16:48):
decisions I was doing on a day day basis, like
I just stop blame myself. Let go right, and so
that is a freedom part that that happens to you.
And and the other person thing that you said was
how how important it was that it's not just God but.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
He how he uses other people to maybe influence you.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
And I would think one person that's probably been a
huge influence on you is your wife, like Isla, and
could you talk about maybe how important she's been on
this journey with you, Like you said, she's been there
since day one you guys started, you guys met at nineteen,
you had your first child. By the age of twenty one,
you were I read another thing you were probably not
even that sober at the time.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Oh no, I wasn't.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
So I'll let you tell that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And so maybe give us a little little just an
insight on that journey and how important she's been with
you throughout it all, because it seems like this is
not something.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Done by yourself.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Amazing, No, I mean, like the only thing she wasn't
And as far as like, she has been the most consistent, beautiful,
you know, I think the too powerful words for me
is believing and belonging. And she was one of the
first people that just believed in me right, and that
(17:59):
that is life giving, right. I think we experienced that
from coaches, parents, but it's very life giving. Some people
just walk around they don't have anybody believing in them,
whether it's believing in the dream, believing in who they
are as a person and what their potential is. So
even when we met freshman year, she was special. She
was wife material, even though I was a dirt bag,
(18:19):
and but she believed in me and created that foundation
of safety for me. So once we had a child together,
you know, I was trying to be better and just
didn't possess the ability at the time. So to have
the ability to be transformed. The only thing she wasn't
was Christian. I mean most people think that she kind
of like, hey, man, did your wife lead you? Like
that would be a good thought, But I actually my
(18:41):
transformation kind of led to a greater measure of peace
for her came, you know, so she saw me radically
train changed in a way where it was like who
you were you you know, it was you know, I'm
sure it was first with caution because I've heard her.
I heard her, and my goal from the moment that
(19:01):
I could be the man that I envisioned being was
to be a position be an avenue of healing for too.
And so that's what our It's been nineteen years, you know,
nineteen years married, you know, since together since ninety nine,
but nineteen glorious years married and she's the rock.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Oh you got nineteen years married?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Bro?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah, all right, man, give me some give me, give
me like two things that it helped this. You know,
she had to keep it rock solid.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Yeah, all right. So I'm the first thing. It's hard
for me to stray away from the I lean in
on so the community. People talk about the communication. The
first thing for us is there's no way out clause.
And this takes a lot of faith and a lot
of love, right, I mean that, like you, she can't
(19:51):
lose me. She can't lose me. I told I said, listen,
if you lost your mind, became a drunk old hagar
and tried and committed adultery against me, say you might
be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the marriage,
but you can't lose me. And now I'm secure enough
of who I am. I'm secure enough in what marriage
is to me. But that creates a measure of safety
and commitment where there's always the possibility to see restored.
(20:13):
If you understand your need for forgiveness, then you understand
the need to extend it. So first, that's the first thing.
And I think from there it's just we're really really
transparent and the open lines of communication, whether it's feelings
or needs or desires. And I think it's just creating
a space where that can exist, right, and that that
(20:35):
exists at different levels. But you wanted to exist in
a healthy marriage. So but we always don't want a
core ex you know. Like I said, we've just been
we've been down since day one. Yeah, and that's that's
that's the truth.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Because you said the guidelines early, yeah, where you going
right here? And then in between those lines, it's communicating.
That's it, all right, this make it happen, all right?
Speaker 4 (21:01):
So no way out? Y'all got y'all got seven kids?
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Right? I got four?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
That is alsome. That's also another way out.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, tied out here in the streets. Is that on purpose?
You have seven?
Speaker 4 (21:14):
On purpose?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
You know what it was? Yeah? I guess, so I
guess not getting to the doctor fast.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I was like, it's ways around.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
I got I got four and Imber used to look
at me like like man, you got four kids.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I thought you were created.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
I was crazy. I got four kids.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Okay, we got your boy dog, Yeah, we got your boy.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Your time when.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Baby with out of diapers. You know what I'm saying.
Cats is lit in the streets, absolutely out here.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
To get completely understand.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I stopped at four listen.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
It was you know what, it was messing around. You know.
The funny thing is it was messing around with Sean Sewan.
Alexander was one of the players that I love, Sean
probably click with like you know, it's I tell you,
it's weird now that as you mature, it's weird being
the holy dude in the locker room, right when I say, like,
and I think I was always sincere, but it's there's
a weird phase of being a devoted, devoted believer, right,
(22:16):
there's like, well, I'm not at the strip club with
the homies. I want to I want to kick it.
I want to change change. That is a real it's
a very normal thing. But it's also like when you
because there's Christians and then there's like really really really
devoted Christians. Right, It's like and even without the judgment clause,
you just trying to find your lane and in that environment,
(22:38):
it's a weird transition. So yeah, just kind of getting
back on task. It's really like, man, though, showing Alexander
was one of the people that I really connected with
where we were just easily speaking the same language. And
I think it was and I kind of blame him
for having seven kids. Man, it was a lot too.
You got he kept going. I'm like, I think his
(22:59):
wife says something that inspired my wife. I was like,
so we were just going back in, let's go then,
you know, so, and then I got the six and
we got tired. I was like, well, maybe we should
reconsider you know, there's just open you know, open season situation.
But God got one more and it's been beautiful. Four fours,
three girls, twenty one down to ten, and we still
(23:19):
grinding in these parental streets.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Yeah, we all are. Your youngest is what three three
soul three three.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
He's funny.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
He's a funny kid, bro. I mean, he's COVID kids, man,
COVID baby. He's a pack baby. And then look, when
you're the youngest of four, you just grow up different.
We don't have time to really raise you. Listen, you
gotta just come on all facts.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
You just got to come.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Youngest is a tough one. Yeah, tough listen, the toughest one.
You know, everything they figured out every listen everything. Yeah,
used to being around different conversations.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Listen, man, And that's exactly. But I got My youngest
is ten, she's the boss baby. It's like she got
it the easiest. But like, our parenting is pretty swift,
you know, like we it's not really they can't really
wiggle in and out. There ain't much leeway. But we
definitely tired on these discipline streets, you know, like we've
been We've been disciplined it for a long time.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
You let stuff go.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Yeah, like I'm good, Like.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
So do your older ones be like, yeah, you never did.
You never would have let me do that.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
My boys like it.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Why you're slipping Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
My old is twenty one and eighteen, so I got some.
I got men in the house now. Actually, my oldest
is in the Air Force, so it's it's bugged out
when they're looking at us like, man, y'all, y'all, y'all, y'all,
y'all slipping up that. But I can say all the time, yeah,
I think I think you know, they get there there's
there's some non negotiables when it comes to discipline, if
(24:49):
you want to call it that, but you know, and
it's really just care right. I use the word this
because discipline isn't always thanking and things of that nature.
Is just giving them the right correction. But it's a
lot of love too. I think we've we've grown as
parents to understand the ebbs and flow necessary.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
You don't have to be all up on that, you know.
I think that's really cool.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
And then another thing I think is really cool is
that you and your wife also are in some business
ventures together, so handling that part of it as well.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
You have the clean catch or healthy catch.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
There's a juice juice part that you guys are invested
in that you do and also catch the Moment podcast.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
And one that I was listening to you earlier about
and kind of reference. So maybe how do you guys
navigate that as well? The marriage, Like the businesses.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I think I love the fact that you're both all in,
like we ain't going nowhere, Like we we really ain't
going nowhere.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
We all we got we tired, We've we've done life together.
I think my my truest passion I invested a lot
of time into my spiritual growth throughout my player. So
my my transition was it was solid because I was
firm in my identity. We talked about these second act experience.
Everybody has this this bridge of what am I, Who
(26:05):
am I, and what am I good at? I think
that what am I good at part was challenging, but
I was firm and who I was, So you know,
I found my way back into player, player development, player engagement,
and I was there up until twenty twenty. Now it's
just I guess it's just it was just time to
kind of stand on my own once that once that
that phase and that season of service was done, and
(26:28):
I felt like the helmet catche our life, our experience,
my my my aptitude for you know, just for the transition,
leadership development space was enough to stand on its own
at this place. So yeah, it started, you know, with
the with the with the juice concept because you know,
I think we want to eat healthy one provide opportunities
for our family as well as our community. And so
(26:49):
we're still in it with that. But you talk brick
and mortars out here, it takes you. So retail will
take your soul Okay, I was in there, cool present,
juice is down boy in the middle of the code,
I'm like this, this ain't right. I was just in
the front office, right, this ain't right. Nah. I mean like,
but you do that, it returns you to your roots. Yeah,
(27:10):
you do what you have to do so you can
do what you want to do. You know, freedom is earned.
You know, it's not give great like that. You know,
it's and I think that's where we're at. You know,
nothing's been given. I've had I've had some great successes
and wins and victories, but the perception, right is far
our way to what reality presents. And I think we've
done things the hard way. We've made hard decisions. Fifteen
(27:33):
years of homeschooling. You know, there's a lot easier ways
to do some of the things, but we did what
we felt was much better.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
So we've always asked this question to a lot of
our our guests on the show. You know name so
Mount Rushmore named four individuals that have played a pivotal
role in your life.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Now, just individuals just in my own life.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yeah, in your your own life.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I mean my Mount mush Mount Rushmore. I'm gonna go
you know, My mother was the foundation in relation to
you know, just even sports. We shared. We shared the
love of sports. My father actually ended up becoming my hero.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Was your mom into sports?
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Yeah she was. She She wasn't an ass I didn't
know her, but she was a sports mom.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
So it was really cool. Like we would watch play
you know, you know MLB playoffs, We watched Wimbledon. We
we like, we're watching sports together. You know. My father
ended up really like he was all. I grew up
in a divorce home, so he was he was always present,
but he just wasn't in the home and he became
(28:45):
my hero. And even more so this was a year
excuse me, actually when we kind of came into the business.
My dad still works for our business. He still loves
to be active and working and uh and just growing
to know my father as a man. He really became
my hero. Like I started to see more of the similarity.
So mom and dad up there. Will Hicks was my
(29:06):
stript coach and he was you know, I was There's
nothing sexy about my wide receiver profile. I was just
a competitor at the end of the day, Like what
positioned me for opportunities was my ability to to to
you know, my intellect for the game, and that allowed
me to play faster and process, you know, process the
(29:26):
game well. But he was the first person that really
was an advocate for me at the college level. So
I have to put him on there. And I can't
leave my wife out. You know, she's she's she's just
like that. I mean like it's a it's a one.
We are literally one. So I know most people, hopefully
most people, in their healthy marriages, you start getting the
(29:48):
compliments like y'all lookingike, y'all taught, y'all saying the same
things at the same time, and it's that's when marriage
really becomes beautiful, when people start to see the rewards
of what it can be. And I feel like I've
continued to experience that with her. So just off the
top crazy thought, those those are the people in my
(30:10):
life that have really secured.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Yeah, man, that's beautiful. Yeah, I appreciate you coming out
with that's all I give.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I give a I give My boy on the bench
is Brian. That's your very He's discipled me for twelve years,
so I had I had to pull him up into
the rotation. Just by virtue.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
We got put that's the first one we got there,
I pull them off the bench.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
But hey, man, that's that's that's that's a wrap. I
appreciate you coming out, coming on the show. Appreciate it man,
giving your story, getting it out there.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
We're here for it.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Man, you're you're one of the legends. Man, you'll always
be remembered for. I guess the top play in super
Bowl history. No, not super Bowl history, just it's one
of the greatest plays in the history of the NFL,
like the history of the game one hundred plus years.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Like, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Yeah, I'm just starting to get used to talking about
talk with say talk your ish, You've earned it. It's
fun and I've always it's great to be in the
conversation period, right, but it is fun to listen to
some of the arguments from the side. I'm like, no, man,
I got too many I got too many factors in
this moment for it not to be the best super
(31:20):
Bowl history, hands down. But I do believe it's it's
so many factors, undefeated, undefeated Patriots, who the characters are involved,
what was it was just so many amazing factors to
play itself. Eli makes a play. I make a play.
So yeah, man, like you know, we we got to
close up the arguments. No, no, it's all good. I
(31:40):
appreciate you all having American sports.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
We love an underdog.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I love it, love it.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
I'm Peanut, that's Roman, that's David, and that was my phone.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
That's the NFL Play second XT podcast, and we out
I'm Peanut woman.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
This is Roman Harper, and this is the NFL Player
Second Acts Podcast, And what's up man?
Speaker 3 (00:10):
You good? What's up man?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I'm doing good.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm just not used to you just using my normal
government name, so I appreciate it anytime. Get you on
your tell yeah, yeah, I'm waiting on some kind of joke,
some kind of drum roll. And then when he doesn't
do it, I'm like, oh, okay, it was just gonna
be normal today. All right, good, all right, Well look, anyways,
I want to tell all of our followers and listeners
to please anywhere you listen to podcasts or you pick
(00:34):
them up with this Apple podcast. iHeartRadio, give us a follow,
click a hit like, give us a review five star rating.
I'm not asking, I'm telling you, and also tell a
friend to tell a friend to tell a friend come
check us out.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
This is what we do.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
We bring in some of the best and they're all
about the second acts and what they're doing, former players
doing amazing things in their lives, pouring into others and
tell us you our guesses today.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
An oldie, but a goodie.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
This guy was in my draft class, drafted in two
thousand and three.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
In the six round. Played seven years in the league
as a receiver and a special teamer. Two thousand and
five was first team All Pro and he made the
Pro Bowl on special team, So that shows how good
he was. Won Super Bowl with the Giant super Bowl
forty two and this he had probably one of the
arguably the biggest plays in that game, and it was
(01:23):
one of the NFL's best plays in NFL history.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I think playing for New York had a lot to
do that too. I'm not just throwing that out there.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
It might have.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
He's a husband, he's got seven kids, successful businessman, author,
motivational speaker.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
You can go on and on.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome David Tyree.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Welcome to the show. Make me feel like somebody today.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Jersey in the buildings. Jersey is represent represent.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Man good gentlemen. Oh man.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
He got the Jersey accent. It's all that man, all
that energy.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
He reminds me of my cousin from the East Coast Dog.
It's just like they just have a different talk.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
They got a good vibe with him. I like, I
like the vibe that you guy.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
It's all good.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Oh man, it's gonna be sitting down with y'all. Man,
get to chop it up.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Yeah, So we're just gonna get right into this thing.
It's been a while.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Two let's let's get right into it. Let's talk about
that catch man, Like what was running through your mind?
You know, Eli, He comes out, rolls out the pocket,
looking the voice, the sack comes up and just chunks
it down the field.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
And who does he see?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
He sees you?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
He didn't really see him though he saw he saw you?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
You really see it was me? Nah? No, you know
it's it's bad, right, Yeah, it's it's really bad. It
takes you back to like the you know, little little
little park whatever when you just playing kill a man
or whatever. You know, however, your little childhood ball. That's
what it comes down to, is just making so for me,
(03:01):
those opportunities come far and few, you know, Like I
was one of these receivers where I knew I had
more to offer than just special teams, but also knew
my role and I relished my role. So having the
opportunity to be in position to make the play that
was definitely like a defining moment of validation for somebody
like me. Yeah. I was never been like It's like,
you know, I had years while I was the third
(03:22):
wide receiver, fourth wide receiver, barely made the team. So
for me, it was just it was it was a
moment of validation. It was a moment where I felt
like everybody lighted a moment played above the ext and
nose and we got it done.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I'm assuming you won a Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You had this amazing game, great catch over, you could say,
a great defensive player at the time, and all Pro safety,
and that's like that's your last game, Like how does
how does how does that feel?
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah? You know, obviously, you know I had the two years.
It was like I never really even told the full stories,
like there was no glory to the ending, meaning like
I'm in the height of of opportunity, never had these
kinds of opportunities before. And maybe about a month after
the Super Bowl, I'm sitting down, I you know, go
pick up moltion. I'm already back in the gym. I'm
(04:14):
already trying to you know, take the make the necessary
decisions to build some momentum in my knee locks up.
You know, it wasn't an on field injury. It was
just this man with wear and tear at the beginning
of the wear and tear and decline, and that kind
of launched the decline of my career. So I think,
for me, when I look back at it soberly, in
(04:35):
five seasons, I had accomplished most of which I never
could have even imagined I was. I wasn't on the
radar going into the draft. I didn't go to a
I didn't go to an All Star game. I was
not on the radar. So to be drafted or just
to have the opportunity with something where all I wanted
was an opportunity. But to have five years in Giants
(04:56):
Rookie of the Year, NFL Special Team's Rookie of the Year,
All Pro, I couldn't have a real complaint. So you know, there,
it's nothing that you look forward to when you talk
about the decline and all these things that out your control.
But in relation to what was accomplished in that body
of work five to seven years, I was super proud.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Now I was listening to you podcast with your wife,
say your name again.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, I haven't written down and I still yeah, I'm
very nervous to like try to thank you, thank you, Lila,
check it up. Okay, I'm glad you understand so and
so I appreciate that shout out to Leila and so
you were talking about one time the helmet catcher was
you termed it as a promise from God, and you
(05:42):
talked about it that moment.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Your faith was probably more valuable than.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Your your ability at that time on the field, at
least in other people's term. But you continue to stick
through it and now come in full circle with that
moment and then writing the book more than just to
catch and asking Rodney Harrison, the guy that was connected
with you forever in this play because he didn't make
(06:08):
the play and you made the play no matter what
his opinion is on it, to ask him to write
the forward for you in that book. How did that
come about? How did that conversation kind of go? Because
it was shortly afterwards. I mean I heard Rodney Harrison
talk about he was still in his feelings, he was still.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Very much hurt.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I heard really mad and emotional about this whole thing,
and he was like, not, Bro, that was really luck.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
It was like there was no skill involved. You were
just a couple of inches from not even making the play.
We wouldn't know who you are.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Sha was serious.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Yes, I think I'm trying to trying to let the
people know the shame was real.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
He was not in a real place, yes, And so
it wasn't from me. I didn't have a relationship with Rodney.
It was actually, you know, the woman who helped me
co write the book had a relationship with I believe
one of his spiritual connections. Oh nice Rodney Christian and like,
listen this it gets like even in the and when
you go into the faith realm and sports and people's
idea around it gets all money. And I never said
(07:06):
that God, you know, had ordained the giants to win.
I do believe that God involves himself in the affairs
of men. I believe he has his way and his
will in the world, you know, but not in this perfect.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And I think it could be misconstrued. It's after the
fact now, so I think we can say after the fact,
we can say that, but before the fact, and I
think maybe there was some misconstrued. But he's a competitor.
He's one of the most serioust competitor at the end
of the day, I like, stepping away from it, I
can understand where he was at but Luck. You know
(07:43):
what it's all about, how you perceive Luck. You know
for me that there was words the night before, there
was words at the beginning of season. You know. Prophetic
however you want to call him that, where God God
sees your desire as a special teams player. The platform
you have right now isn't big enough. He's gonna make
your name greatest wide receiver. Somebody shares that with me
(08:03):
in in September. Yeah, I'm I'm actually injured. I got
a fractures, Kate fod. I don't know how that's gonna
happen because I'm barely making the team. Like so, when
you think about those moments, Luck, it's like, dang, you're
gonna do me like that dog, just my one moment. No,
you're gonna get You're gonna get a yellow jacket. Get
But that was all good?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yeah, So would you go ahead?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah? I totally completely understand the competitive side of any
person who wants to be on the side of a loss,
and a loss that's a defining when I hear his
side of it, Junior say all on that team. Yeah, man,
So I totally get it. And like I said, I'm
fortunate that I.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Would also say too to add on to and not
just piggyback. But you know, Roddy was coming. I believe
when I listened to what he said, that he was
coming from this place where you know, what did doesn't
involve himself with like Okay, well, oh I'm for you,
for you guys with the times more than I am
for the guys of faith than the patriots are today.
(09:06):
And it's like, well, actually, I don't know if that's true.
And so that's where I think the words and everything
got misru YouTube. Man is this but how long after
is this the podcast? This interview was this like right
after it was just like just like the book came out.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
The next year, ye know, like she reached out.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
So it's still pretty it's still pretty frust raw. Yeah,
he was still hurt.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
He just wasn't he was.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
He was.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
He said that he actually said that his wife sent
him to a dungeon which she called the dungeons, for
like two months because he just was not a good person.
So as a matter of fact, you go back over
there until you're ready to come out with a better attitude.
The question I'd like to ask Ridney now though, is
how do you feel now about that play, Like if if,
if his mind would change, in my honest opinion, just
(09:55):
being a competitor, he probably still gonna say it was love.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Yeah, he probably know, And I get you know what,
I don't even disagree anymore. I used to kind of
like I know that it's shade in some way because
you could say it in a way where there's respect,
because like there's tons of plays that you might not
be able to duplicate. I can't duplicate that. Like we
talk about the circumstance Eli man in this K three Patriot.
Come on, we know what early Eli was. Like early
(10:20):
Eli would you could blow on blow the wind, Eli
would fall.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
On the ground. He was an escape.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
There was a whole lot of sovereign situation going on.
But all I'm saying so and I think, yeah, I'm
a dude, I had a thirty one and a half
vert coming at it. Like so it was a lot
of different things that came together miraculously. Luck is one
of these things where you try to marginalize and minimize
somebody's accomplishments in a moment. And I think that's that's
that's the kind of because I could call it luck
(10:51):
now knowing that I can't do it again, but how
I knowing the true circumstances. Let's just it was a
propaty the word I like to use as a spiritually
you want to call his providence. Man, some things are
disappointed for you in life, for sure, And I think
that based on the journey there, there's there's a moment
for everybody. There's a moment of victory, but there's also
(11:12):
a moment of defeat. A month later, I'm on my
I'm on my journey out.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Now, if you could trade that catch in for a
longer career, would you do that?
Speaker 1 (11:20):
No? No, without a shot. Like so when I even
when I think about these these words that are kind
of like we're kind of coming out of nowhere within
that year, when I when I get a chance to
tell my story, it actually I wasn't like I didn't
raise I wasn't raising the faith or in the church
things of this nature. So I get a radical experience
after my rookie year. Stay blah blah blah. But in
(11:43):
college I'll never forget. I make the dumbest play and
uh sport and I hit the punter right, you know,
new center down. So some media dude, is.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I was wondering you say the DOUBLET like, I can't
be that bad. Oh yeah, that's that's.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Right. So some media dudes ripping into me about it,
and I'm like, listen, man, I'm not trying to you know,
not when I get play the game. I'm not just
trying to be a guy. I'm not just trying to
be out there. I want to do something great. And
I said I want to be remembered, so literally, in
the article of College, I'll never forget it, it says
Tyree wants to be remembered. That's why the helmet catch
means so much to me, because I wanted to do
(12:20):
something that was a meaningful contribution and in my own mind,
in the way in which I you know, I came
in as a special teams player, I relished the throw.
I never imagine I could get paid to play football,
like you know, it was my It was my son
being born in college that actually gave me a dream
or a vision for the NFL. I was living a
dream of college, but I just didn't maximize it. I
(12:40):
never felt like I arrived. So just you know, when
I think about the entire life cycle, that's why it
means so much to me and being chosen for a
moment where I could be a part of the history
of the greatest game ever.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
We're going to take a short break and we'll be
back in a minute.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
So in two thousand and four, I know that was
just like a pivotal moment in your life.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Right.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I don't know if it was off season or during season,
but some some off fields, some off seasons, some off
the field activities, streets, streets, running the streets. You got arrested,
You have some weed. I don't know if you're selling,
you're still selling. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I'm saying.
You got arrested, went to jail. Uh, read the Bible,
(13:25):
kind of started probably doing some thinking or you know something.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
And it was a radical transformation. It was like arrested
and find out I'm having the sun one day. Two
weeks later, I'm in the back of a church and
I've never drinking again, i never smoke again. I'm married
three months later. Like what I'm telling you, it was
night and day from who I was to what I became,
And it was just it was a moment of contrition
where I knew the life that I was living by
(13:50):
my own self. I'm like, I'm not. I didn't feel
like I was good at life, like you know, even
though I had arrived to all these exterior like you know,
make Syracuse, I'm at the NFL, but I'm sitting here.
I'm like, I've been to captain of my own ship.
Everybody's got a different experience growing up. I'm the only
boy in the crib. I had all the independence and
liberty to make all my own decisions. And thank god
I didn't hang myself with all that rope. But now
(14:12):
I'm in jail. I'm like, man, you know, my crow
was just very simple. God, all I know, if I
need you, if you allow me to keep my job,
I'd appreciate that too. It was a very simple sincere prayer.
And next thing, you know, I'm a new dude. And
I was a slave to all of those you know,
we got our vices, you know, it is what it is.
Everybody got their own vices, demons, what we want to
(14:33):
and all the things that I couldn't control or I
was subject to. I was now free to be the
better man, player husband. I wasn't married, but I got
you know, I was married three months later. And it
was it was liberating and so it was like night
and day and it changed my life.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
The failure is feedback though, like I think those times
are necessary. Yeah, fair is feedback.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I know.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
We when we fail, one of the biggest things try
to do is like, all.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Right, what did I do wrong?
Speaker 4 (15:03):
And then lean into that and then you try to
be better.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So it kind of is what I'm hearing you say,
is itself like that was a necessary time for you
to be the man that you are today, and it's
made you, it's helped you.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Man, you know. I think that we also got to
be honest and say that there we get to places
where we can't even dig ourselves out right, and so
we talk about this place of help. Right, My help
came from God in this particular instance, but help often
comes from others. God will use others. So whether it's
our wives, our significant others, our families, whether it's a
call to a to a hotline. There's moments where you
(15:38):
can't even in your own self scout help yourself, right,
And I think that those are the moments of honesty
and brokenness where we as men, players, emotial athletes, we
eventually arrived to just to be honest with our own
condition as humans. And so for me, that was just
a transformative Like I was one person one day, I
was a totally different person the next. And I was
(16:00):
free to kind of like become maybe the man that
I could have envisioned myself to be. And you know,
I think when you have a I have a child
at twenty one years old. I grew up in a
divorce home. I was terrifying thinking about not being available
for my son, right, I mean when his mother and
I work together, you know, so have that free for
(16:20):
my conscience, you know. So it's just it's just things
like that where you're just twenty four years old, got
a new lot in life.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So tell me this because I'm hearing all these these
terms and this this outlook on life. Sure Number one
is you know, the best thing that happened to me
when all of a sudden I was like all right,
I'm done, God, you got it, is that I stopped
blaming myself, right, stop blaming myself for all the past,
you know, transgressions, the mistakes I made, some of the
(16:48):
decisions I was doing on a day day basis, like
I just stop blame myself. Let go right, and so
that is a freedom part that that happens to you.
And and the other person thing that you said was
how how important it was that it's not just God but.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
He how he uses other people to maybe influence you.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
And I would think one person that's probably been a
huge influence on you is your wife, like Isla, and
could you talk about maybe how important she's been on
this journey with you, Like you said, she's been there
since day one you guys started, you guys met at nineteen,
you had your first child. By the age of twenty one,
you were I read another thing you were probably not
even that sober at the time.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Oh no, I wasn't.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
So I'll let you tell that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And so maybe give us a little little just an
insight on that journey and how important she's been with
you throughout it all, because it seems like this is
not something.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Done by yourself.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Amazing, No, I mean, like the only thing she wasn't
And as far as like, she has been the most consistent, beautiful,
you know, I think the too powerful words for me
is believing and belonging. And she was one of the
first people that just believed in me right, and that
(17:59):
that is life giving, right. I think we experienced that
from coaches, parents, but it's very life giving. Some people
just walk around they don't have anybody believing in them,
whether it's believing in the dream, believing in who they
are as a person and what their potential is. So
even when we met freshman year, she was special. She
was wife material, even though I was a dirt bag,
(18:19):
and but she believed in me and created that foundation
of safety for me. So once we had a child together,
you know, I was trying to be better and just
didn't possess the ability at the time. So to have
the ability to be transformed. The only thing she wasn't
was Christian. I mean most people think that she kind
of like, hey, man, did your wife lead you? Like
that would be a good thought, But I actually my
(18:41):
transformation kind of led to a greater measure of peace
for her came, you know, so she saw me radically
train changed in a way where it was like who
you were you you know, it was you know, I'm
sure it was first with caution because I've heard her.
I heard her, and my goal from the moment that
(19:01):
I could be the man that I envisioned being was
to be a position be an avenue of healing for too.
And so that's what our It's been nineteen years, you know,
nineteen years married, you know, since together since ninety nine,
but nineteen glorious years married and she's the rock.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Oh you got nineteen years married?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Bro?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah, all right, man, give me some give me, give
me like two things that it helped this. You know,
she had to keep it rock solid.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Yeah, all right. So I'm the first thing. It's hard
for me to stray away from the I lean in
on so the community. People talk about the communication. The
first thing for us is there's no way out clause.
And this takes a lot of faith and a lot
of love, right, I mean that, like you, she can't
(19:51):
lose me. She can't lose me. I told I said, listen,
if you lost your mind, became a drunk old hagar
and tried and committed adultery against me, say you might
be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the marriage,
but you can't lose me. And now I'm secure enough
of who I am. I'm secure enough in what marriage
is to me. But that creates a measure of safety
and commitment where there's always the possibility to see restored.
(20:13):
If you understand your need for forgiveness, then you understand
the need to extend it. So first, that's the first thing.
And I think from there it's just we're really really
transparent and the open lines of communication, whether it's feelings
or needs or desires. And I think it's just creating
a space where that can exist, right, and that that
(20:35):
exists at different levels. But you wanted to exist in
a healthy marriage. So but we always don't want a
core ex you know. Like I said, we've just been
we've been down since day one. Yeah, and that's that's
that's the truth.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Because you said the guidelines early, yeah, where you going
right here? And then in between those lines, it's communicating.
That's it, all right, this make it happen, all right?
Speaker 4 (21:01):
So no way out? Y'all got y'all got seven kids?
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Right? I got four?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
That is alsome. That's also another way out.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, tied out here in the streets. Is that on purpose?
You have seven?
Speaker 4 (21:14):
On purpose?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
You know what it was? Yeah? I guess, so I
guess not getting to the doctor fast.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I was like, it's ways around.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
I got I got four and Imber used to look
at me like like man, you got four kids.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I thought you were created.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
I was crazy. I got four kids.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Okay, we got your boy dog, Yeah, we got your boy.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Your time when.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Baby with out of diapers. You know what I'm saying.
Cats is lit in the streets, absolutely out here.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
To get completely understand.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I stopped at four listen.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
It was you know what, it was messing around. You know.
The funny thing is it was messing around with Sean Sewan.
Alexander was one of the players that I love, Sean
probably click with like you know, it's I tell you,
it's weird now that as you mature, it's weird being
the holy dude in the locker room, right when I say, like,
and I think I was always sincere, but it's there's
a weird phase of being a devoted, devoted believer, right,
(22:16):
there's like, well, I'm not at the strip club with
the homies. I want to I want to kick it.
I want to change change. That is a real it's
a very normal thing. But it's also like when you
because there's Christians and then there's like really really really
devoted Christians. Right, It's like and even without the judgment clause,
you just trying to find your lane and in that environment,
(22:38):
it's a weird transition. So yeah, just kind of getting
back on task. It's really like, man, though, showing Alexander
was one of the people that I really connected with
where we were just easily speaking the same language. And
I think it was and I kind of blame him
for having seven kids. Man, it was a lot too.
You got he kept going. I'm like, I think his
(22:59):
wife says something that inspired my wife. I was like,
so we were just going back in, let's go then,
you know, so, and then I got the six and
we got tired. I was like, well, maybe we should
reconsider you know, there's just open you know, open season situation.
But God got one more and it's been beautiful. Four fours,
three girls, twenty one down to ten, and we still
(23:19):
grinding in these parental streets.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Yeah, we all are. Your youngest is what three three
soul three three.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
He's funny.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
He's a funny kid, bro. I mean, he's COVID kids, man,
COVID baby. He's a pack baby. And then look, when
you're the youngest of four, you just grow up different.
We don't have time to really raise you. Listen, you
gotta just come on all facts.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
You just got to come.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Youngest is a tough one. Yeah, tough listen, the toughest one.
You know, everything they figured out every listen everything. Yeah,
used to being around different conversations.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Listen, man, And that's exactly. But I got My youngest
is ten, she's the boss baby. It's like she got
it the easiest. But like, our parenting is pretty swift,
you know, like we it's not really they can't really
wiggle in and out. There ain't much leeway. But we
definitely tired on these discipline streets, you know, like we've
been We've been disciplined it for a long time.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
You let stuff go.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Yeah, like I'm good, Like.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
So do your older ones be like, yeah, you never did.
You never would have let me do that.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
My boys like it.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Why you're slipping Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
My old is twenty one and eighteen, so I got some.
I got men in the house now. Actually, my oldest
is in the Air Force, so it's it's bugged out
when they're looking at us like, man, y'all, y'all, y'all, y'all,
y'all slipping up that. But I can say all the time, yeah,
I think I think you know, they get there there's
there's some non negotiables when it comes to discipline, if
(24:49):
you want to call it that, but you know, and
it's really just care right. I use the word this
because discipline isn't always thanking and things of that nature.
Is just giving them the right correction. But it's a
lot of love too. I think we've we've grown as
parents to understand the ebbs and flow necessary.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
You don't have to be all up on that, you know.
I think that's really cool.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
And then another thing I think is really cool is
that you and your wife also are in some business
ventures together, so handling that part of it as well.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
You have the clean catch or healthy catch.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
There's a juice juice part that you guys are invested
in that you do and also catch the Moment podcast.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
And one that I was listening to you earlier about
and kind of reference. So maybe how do you guys
navigate that as well? The marriage, Like the businesses.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I think I love the fact that you're both all in,
like we ain't going nowhere, Like we we really ain't
going nowhere.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
We all we got we tired, We've we've done life together.
I think my my truest passion I invested a lot
of time into my spiritual growth throughout my player. So
my my transition was it was solid because I was
firm in my identity. We talked about these second act experience.
Everybody has this this bridge of what am I, Who
(26:05):
am I, and what am I good at? I think
that what am I good at part was challenging, but
I was firm and who I was, So you know,
I found my way back into player, player development, player engagement,
and I was there up until twenty twenty. Now it's
just I guess it's just it was just time to
kind of stand on my own once that once that
that phase and that season of service was done, and
(26:28):
I felt like the helmet catche our life, our experience,
my my my aptitude for you know, just for the transition,
leadership development space was enough to stand on its own
at this place. So yeah, it started, you know, with
the with the with the juice concept because you know,
I think we want to eat healthy one provide opportunities
for our family as well as our community. And so
(26:49):
we're still in it with that. But you talk brick
and mortars out here, it takes you. So retail will
take your soul Okay, I was in there, cool present,
juice is down boy in the middle of the code,
I'm like this, this ain't right. I was just in
the front office, right, this ain't right. Nah. I mean like,
but you do that, it returns you to your roots. Yeah,
(27:10):
you do what you have to do so you can
do what you want to do. You know, freedom is earned.
You know, it's not give great like that. You know,
it's and I think that's where we're at. You know,
nothing's been given. I've had I've had some great successes
and wins and victories, but the perception, right is far
our way to what reality presents. And I think we've
done things the hard way. We've made hard decisions. Fifteen
(27:33):
years of homeschooling. You know, there's a lot easier ways
to do some of the things, but we did what
we felt was much better.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
So we've always asked this question to a lot of
our our guests on the show. You know name so
Mount Rushmore named four individuals that have played a pivotal
role in your life.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Now, just individuals just in my own life.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yeah, in your your own life.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I mean my Mount mush Mount Rushmore. I'm gonna go
you know, My mother was the foundation in relation to
you know, just even sports. We shared. We shared the
love of sports. My father actually ended up becoming my hero.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Was your mom into sports?
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Yeah she was. She She wasn't an ass I didn't
know her, but she was a sports mom.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
So it was really cool. Like we would watch play
you know, you know MLB playoffs, We watched Wimbledon. We
we like, we're watching sports together. You know. My father
ended up really like he was all. I grew up
in a divorce home, so he was he was always present,
but he just wasn't in the home and he became
(28:45):
my hero. And even more so this was a year
excuse me, actually when we kind of came into the business.
My dad still works for our business. He still loves
to be active and working and uh and just growing
to know my father as a man. He really became
my hero. Like I started to see more of the similarity.
So mom and dad up there. Will Hicks was my
(29:06):
stript coach and he was you know, I was There's
nothing sexy about my wide receiver profile. I was just
a competitor at the end of the day, Like what
positioned me for opportunities was my ability to to to
you know, my intellect for the game, and that allowed
me to play faster and process, you know, process the
(29:26):
game well. But he was the first person that really
was an advocate for me at the college level. So
I have to put him on there. And I can't
leave my wife out. You know, she's she's she's just
like that. I mean like it's a it's a one.
We are literally one. So I know most people, hopefully
most people, in their healthy marriages, you start getting the
(29:48):
compliments like y'all lookingike, y'all taught, y'all saying the same
things at the same time, and it's that's when marriage
really becomes beautiful, when people start to see the rewards
of what it can be. And I feel like I've
continued to experience that with her. So just off the
top crazy thought, those those are the people in my
(30:10):
life that have really secured.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Yeah, man, that's beautiful. Yeah, I appreciate you coming out
with that's all I give.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I give a I give My boy on the bench
is Brian. That's your very He's discipled me for twelve years,
so I had I had to pull him up into
the rotation. Just by virtue.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
We got put that's the first one we got there,
I pull them off the bench.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
But hey, man, that's that's that's that's a wrap. I
appreciate you coming out, coming on the show. Appreciate it man,
giving your story, getting it out there.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
We're here for it.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Man, you're you're one of the legends. Man, you'll always
be remembered for. I guess the top play in super
Bowl history. No, not super Bowl history, just it's one
of the greatest plays in the history of the NFL,
like the history of the game one hundred plus years.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Like, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Yeah, I'm just starting to get used to talking about
talk with say talk your ish, You've earned it. It's
fun and I've always it's great to be in the
conversation period, right, but it is fun to listen to
some of the arguments from the side. I'm like, no, man,
I got too many I got too many factors in
this moment for it not to be the best super
(31:20):
Bowl history, hands down. But I do believe it's it's
so many factors, undefeated, undefeated Patriots, who the characters are involved,
what was it was just so many amazing factors to
play itself. Eli makes a play. I make a play.
So yeah, man, like you know, we we got to
close up the arguments. No, no, it's all good. I
(31:40):
appreciate you all having American sports.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
We love an underdog.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I love it, love it.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
I'm Peanut, that's Roman, that's David, and that was my phone.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
That's the NFL Play second XT podcast, and we out
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