On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, Super Bowl champion Ben Utecht joins Peanut and Roman. Ben reflects on the moments that led to his NFL career and credits Tony Dungy for giving him his shot in the league. He shares what it was like competing with Peyton Manning and tells a story that sums up what it was like playing with him.
Ben opens up about the concussion he sustained during practice that aired on Hard Knocks and how that experience led him to become an advocate for brain health and a spokesman for the American Academy of Neurology.
Then, Ben talks about how a foot infection led to the launch of his company, Sole Care Rx. He shares what he’s learned since becoming a CEO and the leadership lessons he took from Tony Dungy into business. Later, Ben shares how his passion for music led him to a career as a singer and songwriter, and how the people of Indianapolis got to experience him for his voice first before they saw him on the football field.
The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartMedia.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Thanks for tuning in. I'm Peanut Tillman and this is
the NFL Player's second act podcast with me as always
as my my trustee, good friend with the beige.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
He's trying to think of a great compass. I don't.
I got nothing. I got nothing. Thank you as always
tuning in. Make sure you give us a five star rating.
Hit that like subscribe button. Peanut, I'm really excited about
this young man that we have in the building. I'm not.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'm not that excited about.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Oh yeah, I understand you. I forgot. I want you
to introduce this person. I'm so angry right now.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I just got mad.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I will handle that, okay. Well, this guy played tight
end for five seasons with the NFL. In the NFL
with the Colts and the Bengals. He was a Super
Bowl champion with the Indianapolis Coach beat Peanuts the Chicago
Bears in Super Bowl forty one. He's a singer songwriter
(01:10):
and I've listened to a couple of them, and has
released multiple albums. He's now the CEO of soul Care RX,
which makes the first ever fully disposable anti bacterial shower sock.
Everybody welcome in.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Ben you Yon. Thank you, fellas, thank you thanks for
having me and I listen, I dig, I dig the
setup you got going on?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
You got the Blues mansion, We got the socks, We
got the socks.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, yeah, this was the Shoela very And then this
is intentional, very intentional. Yeah, everything, that's huge when I
come out here, very intentional, as Peanut likes to say.
All right, man, so what was your welcome to the
NFL moment?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Welcome to the NFL moment was Bob Sanders Oh, okay, okay,
who I played again in college to being a Gopher
or he was an animal. He was carry oh, especially
in college, because they built the entire defense around him.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
It was like Tyrone Carter when he was playing for
the Gophers, right, and Gibbs built the entire defense around
around Tyrone. Right, so they would just put him, you know,
in in the gap, you know, against all the other
defensive specialists. So Bob Sanders uh was such a powerful
he was like a wrecking ball, right, shortened stature but
(02:33):
being and everything else. And so getting hit that first
day was like, okay, this is different. So yeah he
did in practice. Yeah, do you remember to play I
was just running an narrow route to the sideline, you know,
I mean it was literally just you know, forty five
degree angle two yards boom, safety coming down here. Well,
(02:55):
you know, you know that's a that's where you tee
off on the tight ends. So and being tall, you know,
you're wide open across the.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Bomb's like eight Yeah everybody.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But fearless Man.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, just like that crazy. So Ben, what was that feeling? Like?
Man winning Super Bowl forty one where you beat my
got pinut?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Like, there's this all this personal Listen, do you want
to wear the ring? I mean I can teach.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
I'm good, I'm a past I feel like Thomas in
the corner is like made this personal with with all
these questions.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I think you're taking it personally. Okay, I was asking, Yeah,
his experience.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, listen it. Uh, you know, we all have these
we all have these stories.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I grew up in a very small river town in
Minnesota called Hastings, literally on the Mississippi River. And uh,
the the football stadium that we played in in high
school was called Todd Field and it was a bowl
literally cut out of the middle of this city of
twelve twelve, thirteen, thousand people at the time, and so
(03:58):
just to even come out of that type of community
and have a chance to play college football, let alone
for that to lead you to the greatest, you know,
stage in athletics is it's hard to really put into words,
you know. So so that Super Bowl was truly a
dream come true for me, and it was a tough
(04:19):
journey to get there, you know. And I think that's
what makes me appreciate it even more was it wasn't
just handed out right, and there was there was a
number of miracles that had to happen for me to
even be on the Colts because of my injury my
senior year and Tony Dungee was my miracle story to
the NFL. So so there's all those woments. We were
(04:40):
playing Wisconsin and I released on a corner route. I
got about twelve yards, planted my foot, turned for the
ball and heard and felt popping all across my lower
abdomen and I ended up tearing the dominant muscles from
the pubic bone on both sides.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
So, and I was up for the Mackie Award and
was projected to go mid to late first round. I mean,
this was a this was a big moment for me,
and just like that, it was it was gone. And
two months later, during the draft, I can't come to
learn that all of the team's red flagued me as
(05:16):
too much of a health risk at the combine. So
went from being a potential first rounder to not getting
drafted at all and driving up to my agent's office
like holding back tears. I mean, I had my degree
but didn't really know. Yeah, right, because you know, we
put our exit in the football back absolutely. And two
months before that experience, I'm speaking at a University of
(05:41):
Minnesota alumni event and I get to open for Tony
Dungee in front of about six seven hundred alumni. And
I get up in front of this group and I say, hey, coach,
if you really care about Minnesota, right, if you're a
true Gopher, you're going to draft me in the upcoming draft.
And everybody got a kick out of it, and he
was gracious enough to respond, came to the mic hey,
and then you know, we know how talented you are.
(06:02):
We'd love to have you, but we drafted Dallas Clark
last year in the first round, so we're not really
looking for tight ends. Steps back from the podium, pauses
as if he's being downloaded something right, Man of Faith,
and he comes back to the mic and he says,
you know what, I'm going to make a promise to
you in front of all these people. If for some
reason you slip through the cracks and for some reason
you don't get drafted, I promise you I'll be the
(06:23):
first person to call. So fast forward two months. Get
to my agent's office. Five seconds after the free agent
market opens, the phone in the middle of his desk rings.
I pick it up and it was Tony Dungee and
Hall of Fame general manager Bill Pollian calling a free
agent right. I left over and they said, look, we
(06:44):
didn't think this was going to happen. Our physicians know
what your injury is, so we want to send you
to the top surgeon in the country. We want you
to get better. We don't even want you to think
about playing the first year. Just heal. And on top
of that, we'll pay you as though you're a playing rookie.
And here's thousand dollars signing bonus. And the miracle, guys,
is like the next year, Dallas goes down with an
(07:05):
injury last game in preseason. I get to start Sunday
night kickoff against Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens. Right
third quarter, rolls around defensive safety botches the coverage, leaves
me wide open. On the scene, Peyton hits me back
shoulder touchdown, ran over that safety. I'm getting off the ground,
I realized it's Deon Sanders. So my very first game,
(07:29):
I get the game ball because I had an amazing game,
caught a touchdown from a Hall of Fame quarterback, ran
through arguably one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
And I remained a starter on that team for the
next three years and found my way onto a super
Bowl platform. And it's it's only because of one man.
It's only because of Tony Dungee.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's a great story's story.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
It is he and that's the reason I mean, I'm
I'm I'm you know, I'm an entrepreneur, but I spend
most of my time helping companies build championship culture. And
it's all of what Dungee did in Indianapolis and turning
all that into programs that can help transform culture in business.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, you were blessed to play with or to be
coached by does you, but you are also blessed enough
to be with Peyton? What was what was that?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Like, oh, man, would you would you?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Would you learn from him?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I learned the importance of professionalism and that it doesn't
just extend on the field, like professionalism is three hundred
and sixty degrees of who you are as a human being.
And that was one of the things I really appreciated
about Peyton was he was always a professional on the
field and whenever he stepped on the field, just his execution,
(08:43):
his level of excellence raised the bar for everybody else.
But he was that way off the field, whether it
was with his family, whether it was you know, with
his business endeavors. He's bringing the same degree of preparation
and practice to everything else that he's doing in life.
Not not to say that he's perfect and none of
us are, but but the degree, you know, to which
(09:06):
I experienced that level of professionalism was.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Was profound because he's demanding as the everyone. I think
we've all heard the rumors about how monopoly is and
demanding of your time, and it was so was he
super demanding all the time. Because I know the story
I got when we played on the Super Bowl we
were kind of more of the South Beach area and
you guys are like out and away and I heard him, yeah,
(09:32):
I heard. He was just like, no, we're staying. I
want to be further away. This is the business trip,
the guys going out, like I heard, that was what
I heard. Now, I don't know how true that part is.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That was like, no, that's true, it's true, and I'll
tell you and I've never shared this story, so sorry, Peyton,
But but here's the thing, like this, so to your point,
because this is this goes back to professionalism, right. So
we're sitting in our team meeting talking about, you know,
what the experience is going to be, like all of
our wives were invited to this meeting as well, and
(10:05):
Bill Pollian had shared that because we're going to be
down there for a full week, for those of you
that are married, we're going to allow your wives to
stay with you during during the week of practice leading
up to the performance. And all of a sudden, Peyton's
hand goes up. You know, hey, Bill, you know I
(10:25):
think we I think we need to talk through that
a little bit. You know, it's just it's something different
than we've ever done before. And you know, I don't
know if we should just make that decision right now. Okay, Peyton,
we'll we'll talk about we'll talk about that move on.
About five minutes later, Peyton stands up in the middle
of the remedy says, hey, Bill, I just I just
(10:45):
made the decision. Wives aren't going to be staying with
husbands just like that, Okay, okay, Peyton, And they didn't,
and they didn't, and it was the right move. And yes,
there was some frustration, you know, at the moment, in
the moment, but the reality was, we are going to
treat this week the exact same way we treated every
(11:08):
other single week. We're not going to be bringing in,
you know, different experiences that could affect the mindset of
the player. And it ultimately was the right call. But yes,
there was he was demanding, you know. Yeah on the
field too, man. I remember my first pass from Peyton
was it was an arrow route and he threw it
(11:28):
on my back, on my back hip, and I couldn't
make the adjustment in time, and so I dropped, dropped
the ball. And I learned real quick that you don't
drop the ball right because he came flying up to
me and he basically said. He basically said, I'm throwing
the ball to specific locations because of what I'm seeing
(11:50):
behind you, So you have to be ready for wherever
I put the ball, right, I put it on your
back hit because the corner came off of the receiver
and he was coming down on your outside to clean
you up. So I'm telling you by throwing the ball
there that I want you to adjust and come and
turn back inside and get get up the field. Right.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Smart communication, It's smart.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I mean it didn't sound smart at the time, and
it was loud, right. I got taken out after that played,
But that those types of demands were, you know, really
were his leadership shined.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
You know, I gotta be honest because what you just
said about the Super Bowl, what the decision that was made.
We'll call it a team decision, but didn't sound like
it was. And so because when we played against the
Colts in two thousand and ten Super Bowl or two
thousand and nine season, we were down to Miami again, yep,
(12:44):
and once again we were close to the South South Beach.
We were more downtown though, yeah we're downtown Miammy Colts
all the way, and Ford lauda deal. They were going
to be the same way. And so when we saw them,
we saw some of the players out on that Monday
night and like they were acting very conservative, like they
had been there before. And my team, gosh, no, we
(13:09):
never been here before. Panama.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Everybody, everybody had the escalator, let's go.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
That was we had to escalate and everyone they gave
us the catalyp sponsors. We had guys like Rent and
Lamborghini's for an hour, like it's just.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Oh my god. We totally acted like we had never
been there before, and luckily we wanted to stole the
com possession won the game. But it's just funny, like
how preparation but then also how things can be maniacal
and how sometimes your your leaders or the players kind
of run things the way that they do.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, we're gonna take a short break and we'll.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Be right back. You go on.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Drafted, you played five seasons, got a pretty good bag
in in in your career. What's one word that can
describe your football career because it wasn't long.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Oh man, one word that's the top fellas me. You need, well,
I so you need I'm just gonna I'll just there
are a number that come in my depending on where
you want to you know, where you want to come from, right,
because I wanted to play a lot longer than five years.
(14:33):
I would I would say, if I choose more of
the positive perspective, you know, either meaningful or blessed.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
I mean it was cut short due to concussion, and
I had a pretty significant one that ended it on
hard knocks when I was playing in Cincinnati. So it
wasn't a lack of talent, uh, it just it was
a lack of you know, relevance really and and and
the brain you know, being the most important part of
(15:03):
who we are, so having to make a really tough decision,
you know, due to brain house. So I don't want
to say that because the other word that came to
my mind was disappointment, right, because it wasn't but that
moment and how it ended was and so but I
would say, yeah, I'd say blessed is probably the best
word to describe it, because everything that I'm doing now
(15:25):
has really come out of that incredible experience.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
You brought something up, you said something that you know
it was because of concussions, but then also it was
on hard knocks. How does that like, how do you
how often does that come up? How do you go
about handling that with the cameras there in front of
other people when you literally are like, I'm losing everything
I think I've ever had worth?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, you know, man, And that's that was really to
be a private moment. It's really hard. It was really hard, guys,
you know, because I regained consciousness being strapped to a
gurney and rushed to the to the hospital, and so,
(16:08):
you know, there was a lot of trauma in in
in that, just emotionally and so and then and then
obviously healing right you you you know, everybody that they're
wanting to HBO is wanting to follow up and get
you back on camera as quickly as possible, but you know,
how do you even know what you're gonna say in
that moment? And being under lights like you know, like this,
(16:29):
it's just it was it was really tough from that perspective.
When I was finally cleared to play, you know, I
went and tried out with the Patriots and and it
became pretty apparent that the concussion history was going to
be it was going to be an issue. But it's
when my dad actually told me that if I signed
(16:52):
with another team, he wouldn't watch me play again.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Mm hmmm, And.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
That pretty much sealed the deal. That was. That was
his way of saying, you know, your future is so
much more important than, you know, than a game. You know,
not that he didn't love the game and love watching
me play, right, because it all started with him in
the backyard. But I think I think I needed to
hear those words from someone that I, you know, love
(17:22):
so deeply, you know, to be able to kind of
move on from something that I love. So, you know,
I know, if that makes sense, but.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
I appreciate you. Yeah, Like I haven't spoken to anybody
that's been in that situation where their careers kind of
ended in the public view, like yeah, and then all
of a sudden, you're trying to battle back and then
all of a sudden, but to have your father step
in and be like, hey son, you know yeah, and
he didn't want to tell you not to go back out, no, no,
but I'll tell you this and then we'll see how
(17:54):
you react, exactly like a real father.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
And my dad was a pastor, and so I grew
up in a very you know, you know, we had
a lot of conversations around around identity, and so for
him it was it was always like been like you
got to believe that where God closes one door, another
door is going to open. And the doors that opened
really were the answer to your question, right, because all
(18:17):
of a sudden, something that became the worst part of
my sports career, all of a sudden became the best
part of my philanthropic career.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Right.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
So when I when I retired, I got asked to
be the national spokesperson for the American Academy of Neurology,
which is, I believe it or not, in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
and it's the most precigious neurology group in the world.
I joined the Machio White Player Health and Safety Committee
with the NFL Players Association, testified in Congress on behalf
(18:46):
of the NFL Players Association was able to tell my
story my concussion grievance was significant at a really significant
time in the concussion injury in football, and so the
outcome of that grievance would lead towards the new return
to play protocols. So when you think of it, you know,
(19:08):
it's like I really was a part of a movement
and my injury is as tragic in some ways as
it was for me personally, actually paved the way for,
you know, the new policies that we have in play
place for player health and safety today when it comes
to football. It wouldn't have happened potentially without this exact
(19:31):
situation and with how visible it was on television, because
you can go back and watch it today, you know, And.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
It's crazy because like we could. That was the same
thing with when Tua Tongue of Allo got his disoncussion.
It was like if it would have been a regular
Saturday Sunday game middle of the day, it's not even
the thing, but the fact that it's on Sunday night
or Monday night, everyone everybody saw it. At that point.
He was like, well, the normal average fan is not
(19:59):
used to seeing those type of things. And so, like
you said, the visibility of it, yep, puts.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It more as a premium absolutely, and especially because of
the education that now exists. Because if you guys remember,
you know, when we were playing before the concussion crisis
as they call it began to occur, we didn't we
don't we didn't really have any information. There was no
protocol and there wasn't a lot of education around the
(20:27):
long term impacts of traumatic brain injury inside the NFL,
Outside the NFL, in the medical community, there's three decades
of of information. So I think that the flooding in
of education now makes people look at that injury differently.
You know, so when they see two on the ground
and he's and he's in a really, really tough shape,
(20:49):
it's it's there's a lot more empathy, I think, and
compassion for the injury, and that's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I want to talk about some some post football business
careers that you're into. So in September you started a
company called soul Care soul Care are X. Yes, and
that was a result of fungal infection.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yeah that you uh Cincinnati, Yeah, concussions and infections.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I didn't get drafted there. Concussions and infections. Yeah, they
probably they didn't even have the indoor then neither did
they they did not? Yeah? No clean up?
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yeah, yeah, So talk talk about like go a little
bit more in the shore, but like, yeah, what are
the Obviously we know you had a fungel infection, but like, yeah,
talk about why and how and well, at first.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
It starts with just the entrepreneurial spirit. I've I've always
just been drawn towards, you know, being a creative right,
That's that's where the music part of me came out,
and so always driven towards the development or innovation of something,
and the building of of something was something I was
always drawn towards. And that's what I've done in my
(22:00):
my speaking business and my culture and leadership business, and
then with soul Care, it really just came out of
an experience and asking a question, you know, is there
a disposable antibacterial and fungal you know, wearable shower, wearable
that I can put on my foot instead of a
flip flop because I was wearing flip flops.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I was wondering, were you the guy with no flip flops?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
But which there's a lot of by the way, I
sat there in Lifetime Fitness in Minnesota, just counting as
I'm you know, building this product, like, how many guys
are actually wearing flip flops? So most don't now in
in you know, in the league obviously, you know there
you get a lot more guys that are that are
that are wearing slides, but but the reality is they're
not anti bacterial and and the bacterian fungus actually combined
(22:49):
to the to the side. And then how often do
we disinfect? Did you ever disinfect your sandals anytime you've
ever used them?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Right, felt like the soap. It like.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
It was just the bottom of my foot, That's what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
The bottom, not the bottom of a foot, was the
bottom of this.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
I got this thing in training camp and it was
not athletes foot. It was something else, and it and
it it took a took about three weeks a couple
of pediatrists to get the right prescription and then it
and then it was a better part of three months
before really really yeah, I'm telling you scarring on my
left foot from the dry and cracking skin. Not to
get too gross, but I mean, you know, we get
(23:31):
athletes foot and there's stuff like this, but this was
this was on a different level. And I didn't lose performance,
but I definitely was on my mind. I could I
could feel it right, the burning in the in the itching,
and and so when I retired and I was back
kind of in civilian fitness facility lifestyle, I just couldn't believe,
you know, what the floors look like and they cleaned
(23:52):
once a day, just like they did in Cincinnati, and
and so, uh, I literally went on Amazon and I
was like, just to be something I can just out
of side, out of mind. I can just put on
my foot, easy, wash my foot through, you know, and
then just throw it away. And there was nothing. It's
never been created. So I patented it and it's the
first ever in the world. It's the only the only
(24:14):
alternative is a is a flip flopper, a slide. And
so I met with a very good friend of mine,
Mario Nazzarella, who is a global leader in medtech in Minneapolis,
and he said, that's an amazing idea. I know exactly
how to build that company. So I've got a guy
who has forty years experience and has led multiple companies
(24:35):
to acquisition, who's now helping build soul Care.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That is exciting.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
That's telling you, I'm gonna go out on the website
and get me some of them. It'd be great for
traveling too.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
It's awesome. It's it's the guys. The verticals are are insane.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Right.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
So the podiatrists that I worked with at the University
of Minnesota said, anywhere a foot touch is tile. So
you're thinking university dormitories obviously, athletics, hotels, which is a
travel industry, campgrounds of America, truck stops on and on
anywhere a foot touch is tile, and and the sock
is treated with a fragrance so it smells it. So
(25:13):
it's treating odor while at the same time having a
technology application that repels all bacteria and fungus and you
can wash your foot, you know, through the sock. So honestly,
it should be in every hotel room.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Is that like it's like you already got the selling
points ofself anywhere foot touches.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Tied anywhere foot touches tile.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Is that an ankle sock?
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Is it? It's like a no show ankle sock. Yeah,
So you're literally just you know, just imagine like a
you know, the the the doctor's glove boxes, you know,
on the wall, just being able to pull those out
or as I've been meeting with with college trainers, they
love the idea of just being able to pull them
out of the box and put a pair on everybody's seat,
(25:57):
so you know, you come off the field, you know
you're traveling away, and you know you can just put
the sock on and and we we honestly like to
look at the sock as is not the foe to
the slide, but it's actually it's actually a friend.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Right.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
So if you love wearing flip flops, keep wearing them.
Just put the shot on so that when all that
water that you're slashing around comes up on top of
your foot and stuff like that, you've got something that's
actually repelling all that all that bacteria. Right.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
So when I read about this company that you did, like,
I thought it was like fantastic. God damn, was like
I couldn't believe that.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Nobody else, you know, I didn't literally I couldn't believe
it either.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
And I read your story. You said like I just asked,
and nobody ever did it, right, And that was the thing.
I was like, Yeah, why nobody ever did that? And
so great answer and great question because more people should
have been asking this. And I just thought the slide
was enough. I did too. You told me that you're disinfected.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I was like, well, yeah, no, I thought walking on
the bottom of.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
It was that was the point.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I mean, it is a barrier, but it's you know,
it's not it's not it And and guys, there's a
you know, getting into this world, this pedietric world, there's
a there's a huge humanitarian crisis. So we we've already
started working with Samaritan's Feet out of Charlotte and the
World Shoe and and they're the number one nonprofit to
(27:21):
provide you know, footwear or shoes to the under resourced
communities and countries of the world. Right founders from Nigeria, Africa.
They just gave away their eleventh million, millionth pair of shoe.
And so the reality is as you I mean, you've
got the spa and the fitness culture, but then you've
(27:43):
got a world where you know, you have extreme infection
that comes out of contaminated soil that millions upon millions
of people are are walking through all across countries like Africa.
And how can we work with the UN and the
World Health Organization that are that are creating wellness kits
(28:04):
that are going out to all of these all of
these families and and and partner with them and and
give them another additive that can be protective and and
hopefully provide some some safety.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well ben what other products I know, you're still just
going to lots here, Yeah, next the next month or
so but when what what other products do you have
in mind or that you would like to see next
up for you guys.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
It's a great question and one that you always have
to be asking yourself, you know, as an entrepreneur, so
that you know this is one of the This is
one of the the blessings of having somebody like Mario
running the ship. Is is kind of the experience in
medtech and and and really walking through the FDA approval
(28:50):
process and the patent process. So the reason for soul
Care r ex is that we are already in the
process of filing for new products in the future that
not only will be preventatives, but will be treatment. Right,
So the ability to have wearables that can actually treat
different types of infection, so not just protection but also treatment,
(29:15):
right because right now we just basically have aerosol or ointment,
but imagine being able to put something on that can
treat like a.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Wearable I can get eight yeah, treat me for eight.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Hours exactly that you can wear when you sleep, and
you can wear underneath the sock, I mean you can
you can be doing some pretty powerful treatments through that
process as well. So we definitely want to see that
product line grow over time.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
We're going to take a short break and we'll be
right back. I'm the president of Charles Tillman Incorporated, and
I'm trying to navigate that as being a CEO. How
are you navigating in a new CEO? Don't make that face.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, listen. The learning curve has been awesome because, you know,
the the job of a CEO is really too is
really to understand all aspects of of the business, you know,
to the to the degree that you can have an impact,
right and then to really like a head coach right
(30:26):
in a scouting department, you want to you want to
acquire talent that is going to be able to fill
you know, the gaps and to be able to support
the vision that the CEO is is giving. And so
that's been you know, being more on the creative side.
Having to understand the importance of operations has been you know,
(30:48):
probably the greatest challenge for me is is I think
especially as an athlete, we come into teams and they
have everything perfectly struck. Yeah, exactly right. But now you
have as a CEO, you have to be the one
to develop the structure. And so that that was kind
(31:09):
of a wake up call. Wow, Okay, there's a lot
more that goes into building a successful business than just
showing up and playing every day.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So, you know you, and you've mentioned Coach Dungee previously,
what do you think that you've learned from maybe Coach
Dungee or any of your other former players that will
help you in your leadership style as being the CEO.
I've heard you've already said it's about talent acquisition, yep,
all right, getting great players and people around you. But then,
(31:39):
what else do you think you've learned from.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
The greatest thing that I learned from Tony Dungee was
that culture does not have to be subjective. It's the
most talked about theme in business, but most people don't
know what to do about it. But that culture can
be an objective tool that you can build by design,
because you're always going to have culture by designer default, right,
because culture comes out of foundational beliefs and the behaviors
(32:06):
that are representative of those beliefs. Right. So for Dungee,
it was about, like, when we build our culture in Indianapolis,
we're actually going to create systems around how to practice
our value principles so that we're actually developing ourselves as men,
(32:26):
because Roman, what he believed was that if you build
better men, you get better football players. And you know
this with your with your coach. Yeah, Ivey was the same.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Way, identical, And I mean those two thous were identical.
They just worked for two different teams. Never curse, never
really shouted, don't knew how to talk to you. You
could could motivate you just about looking at you, like, yeah,
and you always wanted us to go out there and
give a coach Smith, the coach Dungee. You're all great men.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
But to that point, so like because Dungee was the
same way, right, no vulgarity, Okay, But then he turned
that into an action, actual system and an expectation of
the team. And so he actually uh described exactly really
spend time talking about why why why do I want
you to not use vulgar language in these specific areas
(33:20):
and how does that how is that reflective of the team,
and how is that reflective of your character as a man. Now,
what you do outside of outside of the field, that's
on you. But when you're in my house, Okay, here's
the system for how we're going to best present ourselves
as men of integrity, and so that was kind of
the rule. And here's how we're going to practice it.
(33:40):
You know, when you're when you're in the locker room,
when you're out on the field and there are cameras
around it, and describing objectively, here are the situations. I
do not want you to use, you know, bad language, right,
making it really easy for the players to you know,
to be able to go and practice just a different
kind of practice.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
So a lot of time Rome plays golf, and I
know he does a lot of he does a lot
of ninja training. Oh right, Yeah, So my question is
do you still own the Concor Ninja JEMs.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Yeah, that's that's one of my that's one, that's one
my other Yeah, it's one of my other endeavors. Yeah,
I uh, I kind of act as a fractional chief
culture officer for Concor Ninja Gyms and I'm an owner
in that, in that franchise.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Say that one more time. Yeah, that was a great word,
sandwiche right there.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
That's a word, sandwich. It's a tasty word, sandwich.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
So you know, I got to know Concord Ninja Gyms,
which is the fastest growing ninja franchise in the country
right now and they're headquartered in in Minnesota and became
a part of that group as an owner, but then
also brought in all of my expertise on how to
build organizational culture, especially in franchising, because you you're scaling it, right,
(34:56):
so you want to replicate the success of somebody like
a Chi where you experienced the same culture of hospitality
in every single location. So how do we build that
out through the sport of ninja, which is just I
think just accepted into the twenty twenty eight Olympics as
one of their next sports. So it's going to be
(35:17):
huge for the business. Yeah, but it's it's a great
franchise and and I'm I'm really excited about that growth.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
So have you ever done any Ninja Warriors? Yeah, because
you like big, you're a tall guy.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
I know, but I got it, man, when I got
into it, I could I could do some stuff. Yeah,
like you'd be shocked some stuff. Yeah, like the salmon ladder.
Forget about it. I own that's where you're taking the
bar and you're.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Like way up one.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Yeah exactly, Yeah, yep, what about that. I would actually
go and do my I'd actually go.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
And do work. I feel like the rams easy because
you're tall.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Do you think the ramp is easy? But once you
get into that fourteen sixteen eighteen feet yeah, and all
of a sudden, that ramp starts to come back out
at you. Yeah, and then you got to grab it,
and then you got to pull yourself up. And it's
a lot higher when you're up top when you're on
the bottom. Right.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
But I went to the show one time, Akuar, he
basically was saying the majority of the people that do
American Ninja Warrior, like they get on the show. He's like,
it's not people like us. He's like, we're one, we're
too tall, we're heavy. He's like these guys that normally
do it, they're about He's like yeah, he's like peanut,
the someent little kids like they like five sem five six,
(36:39):
they fly No, they fly it. Hey, He's like, they
like one hundred and forty five pounds, the big grip stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
We can we can pull off. It's it's the it's
the wall. It's you know, when you're on an inch
board and you having to hang on that's where we
that's where we can't handle it. But but no, great
for kids. Man, what an awesome you know, it's called
the fitness entertainment industry enfranchising, right, and so it's awesome
(37:05):
for kids. So we've built out an entire culture platform
that revolves around seven core values. Each of those values
are placed as symbols that are on all of the
padding in every location. So training coaches to not just
train ninja, but to train about integrity, to train about
courage and respect and really, so as kids are going
(37:29):
through the coaching, not only are they getting you know,
athletic training, but they're getting life skill training. And that
was a big That was a big differentiator we wanted
to bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
So, Ben, something I clearly didn't know about you until
we did some research shout out to Thomas in the corner,
is that you were also a singer, I know, crazy
and songwriter.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Singer songwriter.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, and so how did you get into that? I
remember you said your father was a pastor, so I
assume you kind of grew.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Up grew around singing in the church for sure.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
My dad was I sang the church. I just well,
really yeah, let's go.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Yeah, I was what do it? Sometimes?
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Tom waited time out? When did you did you sing
happy Day, No, like I was in the choir. Bro
like I was in the group. I just couldn't get
to that because then I'm off key and I'm like.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
He was like.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
A choir exactly.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
That's good. I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Okay, dude, they don't turn anybody down to the church.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
No, all are welcome, Come as you are, Come as
you everybody.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
No. My dad was a vocal music major to be
a choir teacher before he became a pastor. So I
grew up, you know, around music and and got some
training at home.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
And then that turned into professional singing in college. I
started doing all the national anthems at the University of Minnesota. Really,
I got to sing for to presidents. Then I signed
a record deal in Nashville when I was playing for
the Colts. Ended up ended up meeting.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
It's kind of a funny story. I was speaking uh
in Anderson, Indiana, and afterwards a just a you know,
crazy excited blonde woman wearing a Peyton man in Jersey
rushes me, Oh, I can't. I just love the Colts,
you know, would you sign this for me? I said, sure?
Who do I make it out to? And she said
Sandy Patty. And I went, Sandy Patty like the most
(39:32):
decorated female singer in history outside of CELINDI on Sandy Patty.
And she's an inspirational Christian singer. But has you know
I can't even remember six six, eight, six seven or
eight grammys. I mean, she's I grew up listening to
Sandy Patty, right if you grew up in the church,
you grew up listening to Sandy Patty. And I said,
(39:53):
you need to sign this for me. Well, she ended
up becoming my my singing mentor and introduced me to
all of our management in Nashville, and and so I
ended up signing. That's how I ended up signing a
record deal. Through that process. I think I'm actually the
only player in NFL history too, just to sing before
he ever played. So I got asked to sing the
(40:14):
national anthem at the Buffalo Bill's preseason game really in Indianapolis. No,
not in the uniform, No, because I just had that surgery,
so I was I wasn't playing yet at that point,
but the Indianapolis market first experienced me as a singer
and not as a football player. That was crazy, and
(40:35):
nobody knew like none of the coaching staff. Now, none
of the players knew, right, they were all out on
the sideline, and then all of a sudden it gets
announced and uh and so that was really that was
I mean, they didn't even know they dropped jod Ron.
It was like, you know, it was I think it
was something that just completely blew them away. And then
(40:57):
the year after our Super Bowl year, I got asked
to sing with Sandy and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra during
the month of December. Yeah, and I went to Tony
and Bill Poyne, and I was pretty nervous about asking
because I didn't want them to think that I wasn't
focused on football, but they were gracious enough to say, look,
as long as your play doesn't doesn't suffer, then by
(41:20):
all means, So I ended I ended up performing at
sixteen concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra during our season
in the month of December. I would literally go from
home games, run off through the Indianapolis Skyway to the
Orchestra Hall and then and then go on stage with
Sandy and sing. It's really crazy though.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so when you would sing in
college like the colts didn't know you had to like,
did they not scout good enough? They were not asking
to write place?
Speaker 3 (41:58):
They don't care, you know what I mean. And it's
you know, yeah, but like, how did this?
Speaker 2 (42:02):
How did you start this in college though? Because most people,
you know, and we all got one or two guys
that can sing on the team, but.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Someone yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't you know, someone found
out about it, and I got a call from the
event organizer for the Minnesota Go for hockey team and
basically saying, look, we heard that that you're a singer.
Would you ever be interested in doing an anthem? And
(42:31):
so that's really how that's the first time I stepped
out in front of you know, ten thousand people in
an arena and actually sing. And then and then once
you do that, you know, you just start getting getting
the invitations, right, So that's really where that started to lead.
And then Sandy was the next step in actually giving
(42:52):
me an opportunity to pursue music as a as a career.
And I always thought that that was going to have
a lot of potential, but I just learned really quickly
that the only business harder than the NFL is is
you know, music, and film entertainment. Yeah, because it doesn't
(43:12):
It doesn't really have to do with talent. It has
to do with timing and money right and knowing the
right people at the right time right because they're so
I mean, you just go to Nashville Broadway Gray Street
any night and and you're going to hear people that
are just unbelievable, but they'll never make it, you know
(43:34):
what I mean. It's artists, that's what That's what it is. Yeah,
and so you know, I I its just I was
I was touring and and and some some good things
are happening, but just never that burst into into being
able to turn it into a career because you need
to have, you know, tens of thousands of loyal fans
(43:57):
to really provide you with the the revenue that you
need to to make it something that you can provide
for your family. And my speaking career was was really
taken off at that time. And and so we just
had twins. We have four daughters, So pray for me, please.
Fifteen identical twins are fourteen and nine, and so two
(44:21):
sets of twins, nope, just one. So fifteen identical twins
are fourteen and then and then nine years old.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Oh my math was wrong.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
I was like wait wait yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
Yeah, well I reacted that way anyways.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
So how do you do you guys who has twins
in their family? None?
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Identicals? Are the are the ones that are not? But
you know they're not. No, it's just it's just the Yeah,
it's the magical moment. Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. No, thank you, No,
it was great, but you know, and we needed help
to be honest with you. So that so we were
we we moved back home. We were living in Nashville
(45:01):
at the time, and so we moved back home just
to be around family. But I wouldn't trade it for
the world. Man. I love being a girl.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
Dad.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Yeah, they're they're amazing, all volleyball players, very good, very good.
So our fifteen year old is she's highly recruited and
so it's going to be an interesting year.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
That's going to be. That's gotta be awesome.
Speaker 3 (45:19):
It's so cool.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
How how intense are you? And like, how yeah are you?
Volleyball is a very interesting sport because it's very emotional
for sure, and like the spikes and it's not as
physical because they got the net exactly, but it's still
the emotions in the highs and the lows, like even
(45:41):
a basketball game, because the back and forth.
Speaker 3 (45:45):
It made me respect guys like Tony Dongee and Lovey
Smith because of that quiet strength. How they could just
sit there on the sidelines when things didn't go well
and not just you know, lose their minds, you know,
and and realizing how much more chance lungeinge that actually
is right? And and how do you manage that because
you don't want your kids to you know, see you
(46:06):
reacting that way because you're reliving your own athletic experiences
at the same time. That's right, And then you know,
I think the hardest thing though, is you know, you
know they tell you don't coach your kids. Yeah, that's
so hard for me, it is. It's so hard because
I feel like I know everything because I because I
played one sport at the level so well, wait a second,
(46:27):
does that give me a pass? Like can I should
be the one that can coach my daughter? Because I
have absolutely But that's yeah, so I I I actually
do stay pretty involved. I want to do whatever I
can to give them the best opportunity possible.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
Man.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Man.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
We appreciate you coming on the pots. You learned a
lot about you than you.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Yes, you got to get it, man. I'll have samples
here tomorrow at the NFL Legends Business event. So if
you guys are around a week.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
Yeah, is des the website looking one of the lookingto
that camera right there and tell us where you can
get it showerstock dot com.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
Yeah, we're already selling it. Yea, so easy, man, was
gonna be like something.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
I was like, Hey, that was your second I'm done.
Ye easy to remember. Congratulations. Football in life has this
weird way of taking us on this journey that we
don't know the end of, but yours it seems to
be getting brighter by the day. I appreciate seeing her.
(47:33):
You got four beautiful girls, seem like you're you're doing.
You're on the right path man, and football to to
get taken away from you to all of a sudden
now aspire you and open up all these other doors
and avenues and knowing that but you're taking this opportunity
and you're helping others. So for that, I'm very appreciative
and thankful for this time getting to share your experience
(47:53):
and experience and sharing it with me and Peanuts and thanks,
thank you guys. Appreciate it, sir. All right man, Hey,
all of our viewers and listeners out there, thank you
as always for tuning in. Make sure you give us
a five star rating, a review, climent, share, like, subscribe,
follow y'all even on our YouTube channel, the NFL's own
YouTube channel. Look at us. We are doing big things,
(48:17):
all right, Peanut, get us out of here.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
My boy, hey, you already did. I'm Peanut, my guy Ben,
my other guy, Roman Harper. This is the NFL Player's
Second Act podcast.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
We appreciate y'all.
Speaker 3 (48:29):
We out
Thanks for tuning in. I'm Peanut Tillman and this is
the NFL Player's second act podcast with me as always
as my my trustee, good friend with the beige.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
He's trying to think of a great compass. I don't.
I got nothing. I got nothing. Thank you as always
tuning in. Make sure you give us a five star rating.
Hit that like subscribe button. Peanut, I'm really excited about
this young man that we have in the building. I'm not.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'm not that excited about.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Oh yeah, I understand you. I forgot. I want you
to introduce this person. I'm so angry right now.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I just got mad.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I will handle that, okay. Well, this guy played tight
end for five seasons with the NFL. In the NFL
with the Colts and the Bengals. He was a Super
Bowl champion with the Indianapolis Coach beat Peanuts the Chicago
Bears in Super Bowl forty one. He's a singer songwriter
(01:10):
and I've listened to a couple of them, and has
released multiple albums. He's now the CEO of soul Care RX,
which makes the first ever fully disposable anti bacterial shower sock.
Everybody welcome in.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Ben you Yon. Thank you, fellas, thank you thanks for
having me and I listen, I dig, I dig the
setup you got going on?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
You got the Blues mansion, We got the socks, We
got the socks.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, yeah, this was the Shoela very And then this
is intentional, very intentional. Yeah, everything, that's huge when I
come out here, very intentional, as Peanut likes to say.
All right, man, so what was your welcome to the
NFL moment?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Welcome to the NFL moment was Bob Sanders Oh, okay, okay,
who I played again in college to being a Gopher
or he was an animal. He was carry oh, especially
in college, because they built the entire defense around him.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
It was like Tyrone Carter when he was playing for
the Gophers, right, and Gibbs built the entire defense around
around Tyrone. Right, so they would just put him, you know,
in in the gap, you know, against all the other
defensive specialists. So Bob Sanders uh was such a powerful
he was like a wrecking ball, right, shortened stature but
(02:33):
being and everything else. And so getting hit that first
day was like, okay, this is different. So yeah he
did in practice. Yeah, do you remember to play I
was just running an narrow route to the sideline, you know,
I mean it was literally just you know, forty five
degree angle two yards boom, safety coming down here. Well,
(02:55):
you know, you know that's a that's where you tee
off on the tight ends. So and being tall, you know,
you're wide open across the.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Bomb's like eight Yeah everybody.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But fearless Man.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, just like that crazy. So Ben, what was that feeling? Like?
Man winning Super Bowl forty one where you beat my
got pinut?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Like, there's this all this personal Listen, do you want
to wear the ring? I mean I can teach.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
I'm good, I'm a past I feel like Thomas in
the corner is like made this personal with with all
these questions.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I think you're taking it personally. Okay, I was asking, Yeah,
his experience.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, listen it. Uh, you know, we all have these
we all have these stories.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I grew up in a very small river town in
Minnesota called Hastings, literally on the Mississippi River. And uh,
the the football stadium that we played in in high
school was called Todd Field and it was a bowl
literally cut out of the middle of this city of
twelve twelve, thirteen, thousand people at the time, and so
(03:58):
just to even come out of that type of community
and have a chance to play college football, let alone
for that to lead you to the greatest, you know,
stage in athletics is it's hard to really put into words,
you know. So so that Super Bowl was truly a
dream come true for me, and it was a tough
(04:19):
journey to get there, you know. And I think that's
what makes me appreciate it even more was it wasn't
just handed out right, and there was there was a
number of miracles that had to happen for me to
even be on the Colts because of my injury my
senior year and Tony Dungee was my miracle story to
the NFL. So so there's all those woments. We were
(04:40):
playing Wisconsin and I released on a corner route. I
got about twelve yards, planted my foot, turned for the
ball and heard and felt popping all across my lower
abdomen and I ended up tearing the dominant muscles from
the pubic bone on both sides.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
So, and I was up for the Mackie Award and
was projected to go mid to late first round. I mean,
this was a this was a big moment for me,
and just like that, it was it was gone. And
two months later, during the draft, I can't come to
learn that all of the team's red flagued me as
(05:16):
too much of a health risk at the combine. So
went from being a potential first rounder to not getting
drafted at all and driving up to my agent's office
like holding back tears. I mean, I had my degree
but didn't really know. Yeah, right, because you know, we
put our exit in the football back absolutely. And two
months before that experience, I'm speaking at a University of
(05:41):
Minnesota alumni event and I get to open for Tony
Dungee in front of about six seven hundred alumni. And
I get up in front of this group and I say, hey, coach,
if you really care about Minnesota, right, if you're a
true Gopher, you're going to draft me in the upcoming draft.
And everybody got a kick out of it, and he
was gracious enough to respond, came to the mic hey,
and then you know, we know how talented you are.
(06:02):
We'd love to have you, but we drafted Dallas Clark
last year in the first round, so we're not really
looking for tight ends. Steps back from the podium, pauses
as if he's being downloaded something right, Man of Faith,
and he comes back to the mic and he says,
you know what, I'm going to make a promise to
you in front of all these people. If for some
reason you slip through the cracks and for some reason
you don't get drafted, I promise you I'll be the
(06:23):
first person to call. So fast forward two months. Get
to my agent's office. Five seconds after the free agent
market opens, the phone in the middle of his desk rings.
I pick it up and it was Tony Dungee and
Hall of Fame general manager Bill Pollian calling a free
agent right. I left over and they said, look, we
(06:44):
didn't think this was going to happen. Our physicians know
what your injury is, so we want to send you
to the top surgeon in the country. We want you
to get better. We don't even want you to think
about playing the first year. Just heal. And on top
of that, we'll pay you as though you're a playing rookie.
And here's thousand dollars signing bonus. And the miracle, guys,
is like the next year, Dallas goes down with an
(07:05):
injury last game in preseason. I get to start Sunday
night kickoff against Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens. Right
third quarter, rolls around defensive safety botches the coverage, leaves
me wide open. On the scene, Peyton hits me back
shoulder touchdown, ran over that safety. I'm getting off the ground,
I realized it's Deon Sanders. So my very first game,
(07:29):
I get the game ball because I had an amazing game,
caught a touchdown from a Hall of Fame quarterback, ran
through arguably one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
And I remained a starter on that team for the
next three years and found my way onto a super
Bowl platform. And it's it's only because of one man.
It's only because of Tony Dungee.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's a great story's story.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
It is he and that's the reason I mean, I'm
I'm I'm you know, I'm an entrepreneur, but I spend
most of my time helping companies build championship culture. And
it's all of what Dungee did in Indianapolis and turning
all that into programs that can help transform culture in business.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, you were blessed to play with or to be
coached by does you, but you are also blessed enough
to be with Peyton? What was what was that?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Like, oh, man, would you would you?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Would you learn from him?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I learned the importance of professionalism and that it doesn't
just extend on the field, like professionalism is three hundred
and sixty degrees of who you are as a human being.
And that was one of the things I really appreciated
about Peyton was he was always a professional on the
field and whenever he stepped on the field, just his execution,
(08:43):
his level of excellence raised the bar for everybody else.
But he was that way off the field, whether it
was with his family, whether it was you know, with
his business endeavors. He's bringing the same degree of preparation
and practice to everything else that he's doing in life.
Not not to say that he's perfect and none of
us are, but but the degree, you know, to which
(09:06):
I experienced that level of professionalism was.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Was profound because he's demanding as the everyone. I think
we've all heard the rumors about how monopoly is and
demanding of your time, and it was so was he
super demanding all the time. Because I know the story
I got when we played on the Super Bowl we
were kind of more of the South Beach area and
you guys are like out and away and I heard him, yeah,
(09:32):
I heard. He was just like, no, we're staying. I
want to be further away. This is the business trip,
the guys going out, like I heard, that was what
I heard. Now, I don't know how true that part is.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That was like, no, that's true, it's true, and I'll
tell you and I've never shared this story, so sorry, Peyton,
But but here's the thing, like this, so to your point,
because this is this goes back to professionalism, right. So
we're sitting in our team meeting talking about, you know,
what the experience is going to be, like all of
our wives were invited to this meeting as well, and
(10:05):
Bill Pollian had shared that because we're going to be
down there for a full week, for those of you
that are married, we're going to allow your wives to
stay with you during during the week of practice leading
up to the performance. And all of a sudden, Peyton's
hand goes up. You know, hey, Bill, you know I
(10:25):
think we I think we need to talk through that
a little bit. You know, it's just it's something different
than we've ever done before. And you know, I don't
know if we should just make that decision right now. Okay, Peyton,
we'll we'll talk about we'll talk about that move on.
About five minutes later, Peyton stands up in the middle
of the remedy says, hey, Bill, I just I just
(10:45):
made the decision. Wives aren't going to be staying with
husbands just like that, Okay, okay, Peyton, And they didn't,
and they didn't, and it was the right move. And yes,
there was some frustration, you know, at the moment, in
the moment, but the reality was, we are going to
treat this week the exact same way we treated every
(11:08):
other single week. We're not going to be bringing in,
you know, different experiences that could affect the mindset of
the player. And it ultimately was the right call. But yes,
there was he was demanding, you know. Yeah on the
field too, man. I remember my first pass from Peyton
was it was an arrow route and he threw it
(11:28):
on my back, on my back hip, and I couldn't
make the adjustment in time, and so I dropped, dropped
the ball. And I learned real quick that you don't
drop the ball right because he came flying up to
me and he basically said. He basically said, I'm throwing
the ball to specific locations because of what I'm seeing
(11:50):
behind you, So you have to be ready for wherever
I put the ball, right, I put it on your
back hit because the corner came off of the receiver
and he was coming down on your outside to clean
you up. So I'm telling you by throwing the ball
there that I want you to adjust and come and
turn back inside and get get up the field. Right.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Smart communication, It's smart.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I mean it didn't sound smart at the time, and
it was loud, right. I got taken out after that played,
But that those types of demands were, you know, really
were his leadership shined.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
You know, I gotta be honest because what you just
said about the Super Bowl, what the decision that was made.
We'll call it a team decision, but didn't sound like
it was. And so because when we played against the
Colts in two thousand and ten Super Bowl or two
thousand and nine season, we were down to Miami again, yep,
(12:44):
and once again we were close to the South South Beach.
We were more downtown though, yeah we're downtown Miammy Colts
all the way, and Ford lauda deal. They were going
to be the same way. And so when we saw them,
we saw some of the players out on that Monday
night and like they were acting very conservative, like they
had been there before. And my team, gosh, no, we
(13:09):
never been here before. Panama.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Everybody, everybody had the escalator, let's go.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
That was we had to escalate and everyone they gave
us the catalyp sponsors. We had guys like Rent and
Lamborghini's for an hour, like it's just.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Oh my god. We totally acted like we had never
been there before, and luckily we wanted to stole the
com possession won the game. But it's just funny, like
how preparation but then also how things can be maniacal
and how sometimes your your leaders or the players kind
of run things the way that they do.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, we're gonna take a short break and we'll.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Be right back. You go on.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Drafted, you played five seasons, got a pretty good bag
in in in your career. What's one word that can
describe your football career because it wasn't long.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Oh man, one word that's the top fellas me. You need, well,
I so you need I'm just gonna I'll just there
are a number that come in my depending on where
you want to you know, where you want to come from, right,
because I wanted to play a lot longer than five years.
(14:33):
I would I would say, if I choose more of
the positive perspective, you know, either meaningful or blessed.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
I mean it was cut short due to concussion, and
I had a pretty significant one that ended it on
hard knocks when I was playing in Cincinnati. So it
wasn't a lack of talent, uh, it just it was
a lack of you know, relevance really and and and
the brain you know, being the most important part of
(15:03):
who we are, so having to make a really tough decision,
you know, due to brain house. So I don't want
to say that because the other word that came to
my mind was disappointment, right, because it wasn't but that
moment and how it ended was and so but I
would say, yeah, I'd say blessed is probably the best
word to describe it, because everything that I'm doing now
(15:25):
has really come out of that incredible experience.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
You brought something up, you said something that you know
it was because of concussions, but then also it was
on hard knocks. How does that like, how do you
how often does that come up? How do you go
about handling that with the cameras there in front of
other people when you literally are like, I'm losing everything
I think I've ever had worth?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, you know, man, And that's that was really to
be a private moment. It's really hard. It was really hard, guys,
you know, because I regained consciousness being strapped to a
gurney and rushed to the to the hospital, and so,
(16:08):
you know, there was a lot of trauma in in
in that, just emotionally and so and then and then
obviously healing right you you you know, everybody that they're
wanting to HBO is wanting to follow up and get
you back on camera as quickly as possible, but you know,
how do you even know what you're gonna say in
that moment? And being under lights like you know, like this,
(16:29):
it's just it was it was really tough from that perspective.
When I was finally cleared to play, you know, I
went and tried out with the Patriots and and it
became pretty apparent that the concussion history was going to
be it was going to be an issue. But it's
when my dad actually told me that if I signed
(16:52):
with another team, he wouldn't watch me play again.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Mm hmmm, And.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
That pretty much sealed the deal. That was. That was
his way of saying, you know, your future is so
much more important than, you know, than a game. You know,
not that he didn't love the game and love watching
me play, right, because it all started with him in
the backyard. But I think I think I needed to
hear those words from someone that I, you know, love
(17:22):
so deeply, you know, to be able to kind of
move on from something that I love. So, you know,
I know, if that makes sense, but.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
I appreciate you. Yeah, Like I haven't spoken to anybody
that's been in that situation where their careers kind of
ended in the public view, like yeah, and then all
of a sudden, you're trying to battle back and then
all of a sudden, but to have your father step
in and be like, hey son, you know yeah, and
he didn't want to tell you not to go back out, no, no,
but I'll tell you this and then we'll see how
(17:54):
you react, exactly like a real father.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
And my dad was a pastor, and so I grew
up in a very you know, you know, we had
a lot of conversations around around identity, and so for
him it was it was always like been like you
got to believe that where God closes one door, another
door is going to open. And the doors that opened
really were the answer to your question, right, because all
(18:17):
of a sudden, something that became the worst part of
my sports career, all of a sudden became the best
part of my philanthropic career.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Right.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
So when I when I retired, I got asked to
be the national spokesperson for the American Academy of Neurology,
which is, I believe it or not, in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
and it's the most precigious neurology group in the world.
I joined the Machio White Player Health and Safety Committee
with the NFL Players Association, testified in Congress on behalf
(18:46):
of the NFL Players Association was able to tell my
story my concussion grievance was significant at a really significant
time in the concussion injury in football, and so the
outcome of that grievance would lead towards the new return
to play protocols. So when you think of it, you know,
(19:08):
it's like I really was a part of a movement
and my injury is as tragic in some ways as
it was for me personally, actually paved the way for,
you know, the new policies that we have in play
place for player health and safety today when it comes
to football. It wouldn't have happened potentially without this exact
(19:31):
situation and with how visible it was on television, because
you can go back and watch it today, you know, And.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
It's crazy because like we could. That was the same
thing with when Tua Tongue of Allo got his disoncussion.
It was like if it would have been a regular
Saturday Sunday game middle of the day, it's not even
the thing, but the fact that it's on Sunday night
or Monday night, everyone everybody saw it. At that point.
He was like, well, the normal average fan is not
(19:59):
used to seeing those type of things. And so, like
you said, the visibility of it, yep, puts.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It more as a premium absolutely, and especially because of
the education that now exists. Because if you guys remember,
you know, when we were playing before the concussion crisis
as they call it began to occur, we didn't we
don't we didn't really have any information. There was no
protocol and there wasn't a lot of education around the
(20:27):
long term impacts of traumatic brain injury inside the NFL,
Outside the NFL, in the medical community, there's three decades
of of information. So I think that the flooding in
of education now makes people look at that injury differently.
You know, so when they see two on the ground
and he's and he's in a really, really tough shape,
(20:49):
it's it's there's a lot more empathy, I think, and
compassion for the injury, and that's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I want to talk about some some post football business
careers that you're into. So in September you started a
company called soul Care soul Care are X. Yes, and
that was a result of fungal infection.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yeah that you uh Cincinnati, Yeah, concussions and infections.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I didn't get drafted there. Concussions and infections. Yeah, they
probably they didn't even have the indoor then neither did
they they did not? Yeah? No clean up?
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yeah, yeah, So talk talk about like go a little
bit more in the shore, but like, yeah, what are
the Obviously we know you had a fungel infection, but like, yeah,
talk about why and how and well, at first.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
It starts with just the entrepreneurial spirit. I've I've always
just been drawn towards, you know, being a creative right,
That's that's where the music part of me came out,
and so always driven towards the development or innovation of something,
and the building of of something was something I was
always drawn towards. And that's what I've done in my
(22:00):
my speaking business and my culture and leadership business, and
then with soul Care, it really just came out of
an experience and asking a question, you know, is there
a disposable antibacterial and fungal you know, wearable shower, wearable
that I can put on my foot instead of a
flip flop because I was wearing flip flops.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I was wondering, were you the guy with no flip flops?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
But which there's a lot of by the way, I
sat there in Lifetime Fitness in Minnesota, just counting as
I'm you know, building this product, like, how many guys
are actually wearing flip flops? So most don't now in
in you know, in the league obviously, you know there
you get a lot more guys that are that are
that are wearing slides, but but the reality is they're
not anti bacterial and and the bacterian fungus actually combined
(22:49):
to the to the side. And then how often do
we disinfect? Did you ever disinfect your sandals anytime you've
ever used them?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Right, felt like the soap. It like.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
It was just the bottom of my foot, That's what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
The bottom, not the bottom of a foot, was the
bottom of this.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
I got this thing in training camp and it was
not athletes foot. It was something else, and it and
it it took a took about three weeks a couple
of pediatrists to get the right prescription and then it
and then it was a better part of three months
before really really yeah, I'm telling you scarring on my
left foot from the dry and cracking skin. Not to
get too gross, but I mean, you know, we get
(23:31):
athletes foot and there's stuff like this, but this was
this was on a different level. And I didn't lose performance,
but I definitely was on my mind. I could I
could feel it right, the burning in the in the itching,
and and so when I retired and I was back
kind of in civilian fitness facility lifestyle, I just couldn't believe,
you know, what the floors look like and they cleaned
(23:52):
once a day, just like they did in Cincinnati, and
and so, uh, I literally went on Amazon and I
was like, just to be something I can just out
of side, out of mind. I can just put on
my foot, easy, wash my foot through, you know, and
then just throw it away. And there was nothing. It's
never been created. So I patented it and it's the
first ever in the world. It's the only the only
(24:14):
alternative is a is a flip flopper, a slide. And
so I met with a very good friend of mine,
Mario Nazzarella, who is a global leader in medtech in Minneapolis,
and he said, that's an amazing idea. I know exactly
how to build that company. So I've got a guy
who has forty years experience and has led multiple companies
(24:35):
to acquisition, who's now helping build soul Care.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That is exciting.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
That's telling you, I'm gonna go out on the website
and get me some of them. It'd be great for
traveling too.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
It's awesome. It's it's the guys. The verticals are are insane.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Right.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
So the podiatrists that I worked with at the University
of Minnesota said, anywhere a foot touch is tile. So
you're thinking university dormitories obviously, athletics, hotels, which is a
travel industry, campgrounds of America, truck stops on and on
anywhere a foot touch is tile, and and the sock
is treated with a fragrance so it smells it. So
(25:13):
it's treating odor while at the same time having a
technology application that repels all bacteria and fungus and you
can wash your foot, you know, through the sock. So honestly,
it should be in every hotel room.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Is that like it's like you already got the selling
points ofself anywhere foot touches.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Tied anywhere foot touches tile.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Is that an ankle sock?
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Is it? It's like a no show ankle sock. Yeah,
So you're literally just you know, just imagine like a
you know, the the the doctor's glove boxes, you know,
on the wall, just being able to pull those out
or as I've been meeting with with college trainers, they
love the idea of just being able to pull them
out of the box and put a pair on everybody's seat,
(25:57):
so you know, you come off the field, you know
you're traveling away, and you know you can just put
the sock on and and we we honestly like to
look at the sock as is not the foe to
the slide, but it's actually it's actually a friend.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Right.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
So if you love wearing flip flops, keep wearing them.
Just put the shot on so that when all that
water that you're slashing around comes up on top of
your foot and stuff like that, you've got something that's
actually repelling all that all that bacteria. Right.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
So when I read about this company that you did, like,
I thought it was like fantastic. God damn, was like
I couldn't believe that.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Nobody else, you know, I didn't literally I couldn't believe
it either.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
And I read your story. You said like I just asked,
and nobody ever did it, right, And that was the thing.
I was like, Yeah, why nobody ever did that? And
so great answer and great question because more people should
have been asking this. And I just thought the slide
was enough. I did too. You told me that you're disinfected.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I was like, well, yeah, no, I thought walking on
the bottom of.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
It was that was the point.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I mean, it is a barrier, but it's you know,
it's not it's not it And and guys, there's a
you know, getting into this world, this pedietric world, there's
a there's a huge humanitarian crisis. So we we've already
started working with Samaritan's Feet out of Charlotte and the
World Shoe and and they're the number one nonprofit to
(27:21):
provide you know, footwear or shoes to the under resourced
communities and countries of the world. Right founders from Nigeria, Africa.
They just gave away their eleventh million, millionth pair of shoe.
And so the reality is as you I mean, you've
got the spa and the fitness culture, but then you've
(27:43):
got a world where you know, you have extreme infection
that comes out of contaminated soil that millions upon millions
of people are are walking through all across countries like Africa.
And how can we work with the UN and the
World Health Organization that are that are creating wellness kits
(28:04):
that are going out to all of these all of
these families and and and partner with them and and
give them another additive that can be protective and and
hopefully provide some some safety.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Well ben what other products I know, you're still just
going to lots here, Yeah, next the next month or
so but when what what other products do you have
in mind or that you would like to see next
up for you guys.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
It's a great question and one that you always have
to be asking yourself, you know, as an entrepreneur, so
that you know this is one of the This is
one of the the blessings of having somebody like Mario
running the ship. Is is kind of the experience in
medtech and and and really walking through the FDA approval
(28:50):
process and the patent process. So the reason for soul
Care r ex is that we are already in the
process of filing for new products in the future that
not only will be preventatives, but will be treatment. Right,
So the ability to have wearables that can actually treat
different types of infection, so not just protection but also treatment,
(29:15):
right because right now we just basically have aerosol or ointment,
but imagine being able to put something on that can
treat like a.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Wearable I can get eight yeah, treat me for eight.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Hours exactly that you can wear when you sleep, and
you can wear underneath the sock, I mean you can
you can be doing some pretty powerful treatments through that
process as well. So we definitely want to see that
product line grow over time.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
We're going to take a short break and we'll be
right back. I'm the president of Charles Tillman Incorporated, and
I'm trying to navigate that as being a CEO. How
are you navigating in a new CEO? Don't make that face.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, listen. The learning curve has been awesome because, you know,
the the job of a CEO is really too is
really to understand all aspects of of the business, you know,
to the to the degree that you can have an impact,
right and then to really like a head coach right
(30:26):
in a scouting department, you want to you want to
acquire talent that is going to be able to fill
you know, the gaps and to be able to support
the vision that the CEO is is giving. And so
that's been you know, being more on the creative side.
Having to understand the importance of operations has been you know,
(30:48):
probably the greatest challenge for me is is I think
especially as an athlete, we come into teams and they
have everything perfectly struck. Yeah, exactly right. But now you
have as a CEO, you have to be the one
to develop the structure. And so that that was kind
(31:09):
of a wake up call. Wow, Okay, there's a lot
more that goes into building a successful business than just
showing up and playing every day.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So, you know you, and you've mentioned Coach Dungee previously,
what do you think that you've learned from maybe Coach
Dungee or any of your other former players that will
help you in your leadership style as being the CEO.
I've heard you've already said it's about talent acquisition, yep,
all right, getting great players and people around you. But then,
(31:39):
what else do you think you've learned from.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
The greatest thing that I learned from Tony Dungee was
that culture does not have to be subjective. It's the
most talked about theme in business, but most people don't
know what to do about it. But that culture can
be an objective tool that you can build by design,
because you're always going to have culture by designer default, right,
because culture comes out of foundational beliefs and the behaviors
(32:06):
that are representative of those beliefs. Right. So for Dungee,
it was about, like, when we build our culture in Indianapolis,
we're actually going to create systems around how to practice
our value principles so that we're actually developing ourselves as men,
(32:26):
because Roman, what he believed was that if you build
better men, you get better football players. And you know
this with your with your coach. Yeah, Ivey was the same.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Way, identical, And I mean those two thous were identical.
They just worked for two different teams. Never curse, never
really shouted, don't knew how to talk to you. You
could could motivate you just about looking at you, like, yeah,
and you always wanted us to go out there and
give a coach Smith, the coach Dungee. You're all great men.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
But to that point, so like because Dungee was the
same way, right, no vulgarity, Okay, But then he turned
that into an action, actual system and an expectation of
the team. And so he actually uh described exactly really
spend time talking about why why why do I want
you to not use vulgar language in these specific areas
(33:20):
and how does that how is that reflective of the team,
and how is that reflective of your character as a man. Now,
what you do outside of outside of the field, that's
on you. But when you're in my house, Okay, here's
the system for how we're going to best present ourselves
as men of integrity, and so that was kind of
the rule. And here's how we're going to practice it.
(33:40):
You know, when you're when you're in the locker room,
when you're out on the field and there are cameras
around it, and describing objectively, here are the situations. I
do not want you to use, you know, bad language, right,
making it really easy for the players to you know,
to be able to go and practice just a different
kind of practice.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
So a lot of time Rome plays golf, and I
know he does a lot of he does a lot
of ninja training. Oh right, Yeah, So my question is
do you still own the Concor Ninja JEMs.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Yeah, that's that's one of my that's one, that's one
my other Yeah, it's one of my other endeavors. Yeah,
I uh, I kind of act as a fractional chief
culture officer for Concor Ninja Gyms and I'm an owner
in that, in that franchise.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Say that one more time. Yeah, that was a great word,
sandwiche right there.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
That's a word, sandwich. It's a tasty word, sandwich.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
So you know, I got to know Concord Ninja Gyms,
which is the fastest growing ninja franchise in the country
right now and they're headquartered in in Minnesota and became
a part of that group as an owner, but then
also brought in all of my expertise on how to
build organizational culture, especially in franchising, because you you're scaling it, right,
(34:56):
so you want to replicate the success of somebody like
a Chi where you experienced the same culture of hospitality
in every single location. So how do we build that
out through the sport of ninja, which is just I
think just accepted into the twenty twenty eight Olympics as
one of their next sports. So it's going to be
(35:17):
huge for the business. Yeah, but it's it's a great
franchise and and I'm I'm really excited about that growth.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
So have you ever done any Ninja Warriors? Yeah, because
you like big, you're a tall guy.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
I know, but I got it, man, when I got
into it, I could I could do some stuff. Yeah,
like you'd be shocked some stuff. Yeah, like the salmon ladder.
Forget about it. I own that's where you're taking the
bar and you're.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Like way up one.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Yeah exactly, Yeah, yep, what about that. I would actually
go and do my I'd actually go.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
And do work. I feel like the rams easy because
you're tall.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Do you think the ramp is easy? But once you
get into that fourteen sixteen eighteen feet yeah, and all
of a sudden, that ramp starts to come back out
at you. Yeah, and then you got to grab it,
and then you got to pull yourself up. And it's
a lot higher when you're up top when you're on
the bottom. Right.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
But I went to the show one time, Akuar, he
basically was saying the majority of the people that do
American Ninja Warrior, like they get on the show. He's like,
it's not people like us. He's like, we're one, we're
too tall, we're heavy. He's like these guys that normally
do it, they're about He's like yeah, he's like peanut,
the someent little kids like they like five sem five six,
(36:39):
they fly No, they fly it. Hey, He's like, they
like one hundred and forty five pounds, the big grip stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
We can we can pull off. It's it's the it's
the wall. It's you know, when you're on an inch
board and you having to hang on that's where we
that's where we can't handle it. But but no, great
for kids. Man, what an awesome you know, it's called
the fitness entertainment industry enfranchising, right, and so it's awesome
(37:05):
for kids. So we've built out an entire culture platform
that revolves around seven core values. Each of those values
are placed as symbols that are on all of the
padding in every location. So training coaches to not just
train ninja, but to train about integrity, to train about
courage and respect and really, so as kids are going
(37:29):
through the coaching, not only are they getting you know,
athletic training, but they're getting life skill training. And that
was a big That was a big differentiator we wanted
to bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
So, Ben, something I clearly didn't know about you until
we did some research shout out to Thomas in the corner,
is that you were also a singer, I know, crazy
and songwriter.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Singer songwriter.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Yeah, and so how did you get into that? I
remember you said your father was a pastor, so I
assume you kind of grew.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Up grew around singing in the church for sure.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
My dad was I sang the church. I just well,
really yeah, let's go.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Yeah, I was what do it? Sometimes?
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Tom waited time out? When did you did you sing
happy Day, No, like I was in the choir. Bro
like I was in the group. I just couldn't get
to that because then I'm off key and I'm like.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
He was like.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
A choir exactly.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
That's good. I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Okay, dude, they don't turn anybody down to the church.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
No, all are welcome, Come as you are, Come as
you everybody.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
No. My dad was a vocal music major to be
a choir teacher before he became a pastor. So I
grew up, you know, around music and and got some
training at home.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
And then that turned into professional singing in college. I
started doing all the national anthems at the University of Minnesota. Really,
I got to sing for to presidents. Then I signed
a record deal in Nashville when I was playing for
the Colts. Ended up ended up meeting.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
It's kind of a funny story. I was speaking uh
in Anderson, Indiana, and afterwards a just a you know,
crazy excited blonde woman wearing a Peyton man in Jersey
rushes me, Oh, I can't. I just love the Colts,
you know, would you sign this for me? I said, sure?
Who do I make it out to? And she said
Sandy Patty. And I went, Sandy Patty like the most
(39:32):
decorated female singer in history outside of CELINDI on Sandy Patty.
And she's an inspirational Christian singer. But has you know
I can't even remember six six, eight, six seven or
eight grammys. I mean, she's I grew up listening to
Sandy Patty, right if you grew up in the church,
you grew up listening to Sandy Patty. And I said,
(39:53):
you need to sign this for me. Well, she ended
up becoming my my singing mentor and introduced me to
all of our management in Nashville, and and so I
ended up signing. That's how I ended up signing a
record deal. Through that process. I think I'm actually the
only player in NFL history too, just to sing before
he ever played. So I got asked to sing the
(40:14):
national anthem at the Buffalo Bill's preseason game really in Indianapolis. No,
not in the uniform, No, because I just had that surgery,
so I was I wasn't playing yet at that point,
but the Indianapolis market first experienced me as a singer
and not as a football player. That was crazy, and
(40:35):
nobody knew like none of the coaching staff. Now, none
of the players knew, right, they were all out on
the sideline, and then all of a sudden it gets
announced and uh and so that was really that was
I mean, they didn't even know they dropped jod Ron.
It was like, you know, it was I think it
was something that just completely blew them away. And then
(40:57):
the year after our Super Bowl year, I got asked
to sing with Sandy and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra during
the month of December. Yeah, and I went to Tony
and Bill Poyne, and I was pretty nervous about asking
because I didn't want them to think that I wasn't
focused on football, but they were gracious enough to say, look,
as long as your play doesn't doesn't suffer, then by
(41:20):
all means, So I ended I ended up performing at
sixteen concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra during our season
in the month of December. I would literally go from
home games, run off through the Indianapolis Skyway to the
Orchestra Hall and then and then go on stage with
Sandy and sing. It's really crazy though.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so when you would sing in
college like the colts didn't know you had to like,
did they not scout good enough? They were not asking
to write place?
Speaker 3 (41:58):
They don't care, you know what I mean. And it's
you know, yeah, but like, how did this?
Speaker 2 (42:02):
How did you start this in college though? Because most people,
you know, and we all got one or two guys
that can sing on the team, but.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Someone yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't you know, someone found
out about it, and I got a call from the
event organizer for the Minnesota Go for hockey team and
basically saying, look, we heard that that you're a singer.
Would you ever be interested in doing an anthem? And
(42:31):
so that's really how that's the first time I stepped
out in front of you know, ten thousand people in
an arena and actually sing. And then and then once
you do that, you know, you just start getting getting
the invitations, right, So that's really where that started to lead.
And then Sandy was the next step in actually giving
(42:52):
me an opportunity to pursue music as a as a career.
And I always thought that that was going to have
a lot of potential, but I just learned really quickly
that the only business harder than the NFL is is
you know, music, and film entertainment. Yeah, because it doesn't
(43:12):
It doesn't really have to do with talent. It has
to do with timing and money right and knowing the
right people at the right time right because they're so
I mean, you just go to Nashville Broadway Gray Street
any night and and you're going to hear people that
are just unbelievable, but they'll never make it, you know
(43:34):
what I mean. It's artists, that's what That's what it is. Yeah,
and so you know, I I its just I was
I was touring and and and some some good things
are happening, but just never that burst into into being
able to turn it into a career because you need
to have, you know, tens of thousands of loyal fans
(43:57):
to really provide you with the the revenue that you
need to to make it something that you can provide
for your family. And my speaking career was was really
taken off at that time. And and so we just
had twins. We have four daughters, So pray for me, please.
Fifteen identical twins are fourteen and nine, and so two
(44:21):
sets of twins, nope, just one. So fifteen identical twins
are fourteen and then and then nine years old.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Oh my math was wrong.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
I was like wait wait yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
Yeah, well I reacted that way anyways.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
So how do you do you guys who has twins
in their family? None?
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Identicals? Are the are the ones that are not? But
you know they're not. No, it's just it's just the Yeah,
it's the magical moment. Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. No, thank you, No,
it was great, but you know, and we needed help
to be honest with you. So that so we were
we we moved back home. We were living in Nashville
(45:01):
at the time, and so we moved back home just
to be around family. But I wouldn't trade it for
the world. Man. I love being a girl.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
Dad.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Yeah, they're they're amazing, all volleyball players, very good, very good.
So our fifteen year old is she's highly recruited and
so it's going to be an interesting year.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
That's going to be. That's gotta be awesome.
Speaker 3 (45:19):
It's so cool.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
How how intense are you? And like, how yeah are you?
Volleyball is a very interesting sport because it's very emotional
for sure, and like the spikes and it's not as
physical because they got the net exactly, but it's still
the emotions in the highs and the lows, like even
(45:41):
a basketball game, because the back and forth.
Speaker 3 (45:45):
It made me respect guys like Tony Dongee and Lovey
Smith because of that quiet strength. How they could just
sit there on the sidelines when things didn't go well
and not just you know, lose their minds, you know,
and and realizing how much more chance lungeinge that actually
is right? And and how do you manage that because
you don't want your kids to you know, see you
(46:06):
reacting that way because you're reliving your own athletic experiences
at the same time. That's right, And then you know,
I think the hardest thing though, is you know, you
know they tell you don't coach your kids. Yeah, that's
so hard for me, it is. It's so hard because
I feel like I know everything because I because I
played one sport at the level so well, wait a second,
(46:27):
does that give me a pass? Like can I should
be the one that can coach my daughter? Because I
have absolutely But that's yeah, so I I I actually
do stay pretty involved. I want to do whatever I
can to give them the best opportunity possible.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
Man.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Man.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
We appreciate you coming on the pots. You learned a
lot about you than you.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Yes, you got to get it, man. I'll have samples
here tomorrow at the NFL Legends Business event. So if
you guys are around a week.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
Yeah, is des the website looking one of the lookingto
that camera right there and tell us where you can
get it showerstock dot com.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
Yeah, we're already selling it. Yea, so easy, man, was
gonna be like something.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
I was like, Hey, that was your second I'm done.
Ye easy to remember. Congratulations. Football in life has this
weird way of taking us on this journey that we
don't know the end of, but yours it seems to
be getting brighter by the day. I appreciate seeing her.
(47:33):
You got four beautiful girls, seem like you're you're doing.
You're on the right path man, and football to to
get taken away from you to all of a sudden
now aspire you and open up all these other doors
and avenues and knowing that but you're taking this opportunity
and you're helping others. So for that, I'm very appreciative
and thankful for this time getting to share your experience
(47:53):
and experience and sharing it with me and Peanuts and thanks,
thank you guys. Appreciate it, sir. All right man, Hey,
all of our viewers and listeners out there, thank you
as always for tuning in. Make sure you give us
a five star rating, a review, climent, share, like, subscribe,
follow y'all even on our YouTube channel, the NFL's own
YouTube channel. Look at us. We are doing big things,
(48:17):
all right, Peanut, get us out of here.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
My boy, hey, you already did. I'm Peanut, my guy Ben,
my other guy, Roman Harper. This is the NFL Player's
Second Act podcast.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
We appreciate y'all.
Speaker 3 (48:29):
We out
Hosts And Creators
Charles “Peanut” Tillman
Roman Harper
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