November 11, 2022 • 17 mins
In this episode of the Packers POV podcast, linebacker Rashan Gary talks about overcoming adversity, his off-the-field interests and what makes him happy.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello, and welcome to another episode of Packers p O V.
I'm your host, Taylor Rodgers, and on this episode, I
get to talk with Rashan Gary, who's made a huge
impact this season. I want to let our listeners know
that we recorded our interview just forty eight hours before
Rashan was injured in week nine. Rashan wishing you the
very best in your recovery. I'm eager for you to
(00:28):
get to know him a little bit better, So let's
get to it. Today's guests. Was the number one prospect
in the nation coming out of high school, earning academic
All Big Ten honors twice at the University of Michigan
on his way to becoming a first round pick in
twenty nineteen. Introducing Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan abdual Gary.
(00:49):
How's it going, Rashan is going good, going good. Thanks
for having me, absolutely, I've been excited to speak to you,
and thanks for taking time right on the back of
a practice. Oh yeah, no problem. Happy for the opportunity.
Did you get a chance to have anything to eat
or drink right after practice wrapped? Just some board and
some cranberries. Used to help my recovery. Okay, So a
little bit of liquids, that's all you do. Yeah, until
(01:09):
I get home and have one solid meal, one big
salid meal, probably a couple of snacks in between. What's
that gonna be? Probably salmon, right, spinach. I'm thinking for
the night. I don't like cooking, but I'm gonna cook tonight,
so I think it's gonna be that snack wise, Um,
I like almonds, cash shows and some oranges, so a
lit'tle make sure of that tonight. And I've heard that
you have ten pieces of bacon on a game day. Yeah,
(01:31):
in the morning, I try to keep a nice in
light with a cup of fruit depending on strawberries, blueberries, pineapples,
between eight ort those three on a game day. And
what's your game day look like? Um? So I wake up,
go downstairs and get some breakfast and that would be
my tempts. A bacon, cup of fruit, depending on what
food I picked. Then after that I have some time
to buy some film. Call my mom, calling sister. I'm
(01:54):
able to contact with those people. My nephew is talking
to them. Talk to my girlfriend, just to make sure
anybody's cool. Collective, say my prayer with my mom and sister,
and it's out the door and I'm here too hot
to sign if I need to feel a little bit
more loose, to watch a little bit more film and
playing a lot of music, getting ready for the game.
And you mentioned your girlfriend. Where did you guys meet?
(02:15):
We met man and Plano Texas. Man, Plano, Texas. I
met her on a nice little strow. Oh that's really cool. Yeah,
And what's her name? Her name is Chastity. And where
does she live now? Plano, Texas. So you guys are
doing the long distance thing. Yeah, right now while we're
in SEUs. And she she's able to come up whenever
she's able to. And you know, whenever I have time
to get out of town, I'm able to go back
(02:36):
to see her. That's a beautiful thing. So when did
you guys actually meet? Um, it's going on I want
to say three years. If you hear this interview. If
I'm wrong, don't give me, you know, don't be mad
at me. But you know, going on three years, it
sounds like a pretty serious relationship. Yeah. Absolutely, Um, you know,
my best friend, my companion, and you know we just
built a day by day. What do you guys have
in common? Everything? Um, you know birthdays the same month.
(03:00):
We love going on national walks. Uh, we love cracking jokes,
we love trying different foods. So you know, a nice
little friend and so you guys both have December birthdays
coming up. How are you gonna celebrate? We're gonna find
a way hopefully, Um, you know, get into a game
or you know, maybe meet up doing that bye week.
But you know, I'm gonna get back to my loved
one song. One of your main loved ones, and maybe
(03:21):
the main one is your mom. You guys have a
very special relationship. Absolutely, My mom's my everything. Uh. I've
been saying this since high school, college. My right, my
left hand, might right, my left foot, that's my person.
There's actually an audio clip of your mom filling in
as the p a announcer at your school, Paramus Catholic,
(03:42):
back in New Jersey, and it sounds like you might
have been the only player on the field. Yeah, I
know the clip that you're talking about. It was cool,
um at the time. You know, looking back at it,
you know, it's cool, fun and that's what you want,
you know, as a player, and have your you know,
your parents and the stay ends and participating at the game.
You know, that's the feelings and emotion that she wants
(04:03):
your parents to have. Um, you know them seeing you know,
your hard work and your dedication to what you love
to do, you know, come true on the football field.
So you know, so happened that day. It was down
an announcer and my mom and sister, they went over
to the booth and my mom took over the mike,
and so happened. We was on defense and number three,
that was me, came in and made a play in.
(04:24):
It surprised me because I didn't even know that she
took it over. So I'm hearing my mom voice over
the intercom. I'm like, I look up, she over there
making a big smile, and it just made me a
lock in to play even hardest so I can keep
hearing my name. She called that one well as a
play by play announcer right on the back of a
forest fumble. Yeah, maybe she might have jumped the snap
count when she's seen I was getting close to the quarterback.
(04:46):
You know, she started a little bit too early, But
I'm happy to play. Ended up turning out how it
turned it out. Maybe she's got a little bit of
that Tony romo prediction capability. Mike, I need my mom
to keep bringing it. And your sister, who you've also mentioned,
is ten years older, but you guys also have a
really close bond. Oh yeah, what I got on my own,
I got my sister's keeper, got my mom faced only
(05:08):
my sister face. Like, those are my motivations. Um, there
the reason why I played this game. Um, you know,
just to give him everything you know they want in
life and what I want for them. So you know,
they're part of my motivation. And my sisters my best friend.
I could come to her it don't matter, uh what moment,
if I'm down out, if I need guide, and she's
always there for me. And that age gap that tenres is,
(05:32):
you know, I feel like it's crucial because as she's
growing up and going through what she's going through right
behind her, and she's able to take me through, um
you know, things that she went through and you know,
telling me to oh don't do this, take this way,
you know. So you know, it's always good having that
older simbling, you know, to give you guidance. And that's
what my sister was with me. And your two nephews
are also a big part of your why. Yeah, absolutely,
(05:54):
my whole family, Mari and Shot. I love y'all dearly.
And yeah, man, Maria has seen year in high school.
It's crazy Shot seven years old, smart man. Teachers loving them.
So yeah, my my famis might everything, especially those especially
those boys. And you know when they turned the TV
or you know, when I'm home and I'm able to
(06:15):
spend time with them, is it's a lot. You know
what it it means a lot to them trying you know,
show him on the road model. Um, this is what
a man's look like. And it's I k your family.
So you know, if I'm home with them, I'm giving
an example in it from my way. You know, I
try my hardest to you know, if they see a
clip like this, if they hear this interview, just know,
you know my mind is locked in. I'm dedicating, and
(06:35):
you know my wife is always you know you guys,
and I appreciate you guys and love you are. Either
of them playing football, I'm trying to get my little
one to trying to get my little one to shy. Um.
He's he's dibbling and dabbling and did it in a
different couple of sports. We got basketball soccer, Um, he
did flag football, so you know, we got him doing something,
gone doing something. So I just want to, you know,
(06:56):
have him find his sport, to have him find what
you like. Because when you know you grabbing take to us,
but that you like you're gonna do everything for it,
it sounds like there's some following in your footsteps. You
were a basketball player as well, in addition to being
a football player. But more than anything, you were a student. Yeah, absolutely,
um one thing about that. Uh, I wasn't always a
(07:17):
good student. Um. My mom is still that into me.
And that started coming from you know, my love for
the game and okay, you love football, you gotta do
good in school. And that's when two and two click together.
And that helped me, you know with the recruiting and
going on in life and actually you know, just you know,
life lessons. But my mom is still that into me.
(07:39):
Is you can't have nothing less than to see And
it got to the point where you know, I was
getting Asian bj as and bees and she was like,
all right, you need that majority as you only allowed
you know, two bees on your report card. And my
mom was saying that and me doing it. You know,
I wasn't really understanding it. You know, I was like, Okay,
that's cool, I'm making my mom happy. But I was
(07:59):
actually helping us a man. And as I went to
Michigan and had to take on them courses by myself
and with it too, then I really had to put
in that work that my mom made me do from
middle school, elementary all the way up until you know now.
So I'm appreciative your mom went above and beyond during
that entire process. I read that she actually found a
martial arts instructor so that you can work on your
(08:22):
pass rush moves. Yeah. Yeah, it's a lot of It's
a lot of um, a lot of grinding me and
my mom. It's crazy. She could do a better explanation
of and explaining than I can do. But once we
found out this is what I like to do, and
we found out where football could take us and how
(08:42):
many doors football could open, it was I was all in.
It wasn't no turning back or anything. And my dream
and goals was to become a professional football player. And
I told her that and she kept me to It
didn't matter if I was tired, if a workout was scheduled,
you gotta go work out and that, you know, teach
you that case. You're not gonna always want to do things,
you know when you're supposed to do, but you have to.
(09:04):
So you know, my mom is ma everything and throughout
my whole process of you know, me still becoming a man,
and you know, my football journeys, she has been a
big part. And I want to be here with arter.
You mentioned dedication. Is your dedication to your craft tied
to adversity. I guess you could say that, but you know,
I'm just a dedicated overall person. Um. But of course
(09:25):
when a person doubts me, you know it put it
kicks me an overdrive. And I'm already a hard working person,
so you know, it makes me work a little bit harder.
But I'm always uh dedicated to understand, you know, my
standing for myself. I understand how my family looks at me.
I understand what I had to show them. Understand. Like
I said, I got two nephews, I got three women
that have to take care of and you know that's
(09:45):
on my mind. And you know that supporting what they
do for me means a lot, and I just you know,
appreciate them. I've read about some of the adversity that
you faced and overcome. What stands out at the top
of that list, UM. One story everybody UM or no
one really knows is earlier in high school. I want
to say my freshman soft my year, I was in
(10:07):
like smaller classrooms and I guess, you know, people want
to call it, you know, special as because you know,
I had this lecture you know, disabilities and uh, you know,
I went through this whole phase of you know, testing
to get me back in quote unquote general education. And
it was me, my mom and you know a staff
(10:27):
of teachers that, uh, I guess that helped me went
through the test, and I guess because I didn't hit
a number or a certain score, I had to stay,
you know, in those small classes. And after that, UM,
I was also told that I can never go to
a big university. You know, think community in mind. You
I'm playing football now too, so you know, I'm starting
to get little offers and I'm like, community not even
(10:52):
allowed me to push to be the best I could be. So,
you know, God willing things happened. I end up going
to a School of Programs Catholic and there's no small
classes there, so you know, you're in the quote unquote
general education and at at three point on. So it's
like when people tell you can't do things. And I
went to Michigan and like my man said before the broadcast,
(11:17):
academic all big ten two times. So it was just,
you know, when people tell you can't do things, don't
listen to him. As long as you believe in yourself,
you have a strong a supper group, you can do
anything you want. And you had to know at that
point you've already been offered by Rutgers as you're having
this conversation. Absolutely, that's the exact offer that I had
at that time. Yes, you've even called dyslexia your superpower.
(11:40):
I felt like from that day that I found out,
I was able to you know, work on it, find
tools to help me get better. And that was from
you know, me as a person from outside to going
and being a student. So you know, once I found
out and I was able to, you know, get better,
and I see myself getting better, it's not something to
(12:01):
you know, look down at. Is something to smile about,
and it makes you different. It's always good to be different.
And you know, everybody that has his lecture has different abilities.
That day canst selling. They just got to find out
what their abilities are. You've taken that mentality and paid
it forward, even visiting with kids that have dyslexia. What
stands out from those visits just how you know I'm
(12:22):
able to touch the kids and you know, let them
know that. You know, Yeah, I'm a quote unquote NFL player,
but I was just in this seat just by you,
dealing with the same problems that you was dealing with.
And you know, I'm just a pun example. When you
believe in yourself, you listen to your parents and you
have a good structure, a good system around you that
you could do whatever and blossom into whatever you want
to be. People know you the player, and they're getting
(12:45):
to know you the person. Your high school and college teammate,
Michael Dwumford describes you as a big teddy bear. Is
he right where you're getting information from? This is crazy? Wow,
that's that's like my long, long, long, long childhood friend.
But I could be a teddy bear for the right
ones man, for my family members, my loved ones friends
(13:07):
for sure. What does Rashaan the teddy bear look like? Oh? Quiet, smiling,
goofy all the time joke fool and just you know,
very lovingly Karen. And what's one thing you've learned about
yourself as you transition from college to present day. I'm
a strong person. I'm a strong person, and I'm able
to get through a lot. We've seen the stoic focused
(13:29):
lasered in Rashawn Gary on game days. Right, you've got
the face paint and the cross right under your cheeks
here when you talk about that soft humorous guy who
gets to see that. Uh my mom, my sister, my girlfriend, uh,
my two nephews, my family members, uh, you know, my friends.
(13:49):
Outside of that is business. Um, you know, stepping outside. Guy,
pro dug myself a certain way. So you know, when
I'm home, you know, offseat and I'm kicking it back
with my family and friends. Ask me, what do you
like to do when you get that downtime. I'm a
big foodie, so you know, try to find different areas
to eat, you know, try different foods like this off season, Uh,
(14:09):
try sushi for the first time, and you know, I
don't want to say fell in love with it, but
you know, I'm I'm gonna try it again. And then
that's outside of that. Try to catch movies, movies is
going out of whack now, I guess no one love
going to a movie theater nowadays. And then going for hikes. Man,
that's something that I picked up, um, that me and
my girlfriend love to do is just go for hikes,
(14:30):
clear your mind and you know, talk about your day
and it's kind of like a reset and going into
the night and looking ahead. You've got an incredible support system.
It sounds like off the field, what are your goals
off the field? Just to you know, be a great man? Man? Uh,
And that's just me personally, you know, finding myself as
a man, finding my piece. Watching my family be happy. Man,
(14:52):
That's that's number one. You know, going home, seeing my mom,
seeing my sisters, seeing my nephews, and you know, just
seeing these smiles on their face, seeing how they enjoying
living life just gives you more motivation man. And just enjoying,
just enjoying what I do. It seems to bring you happiness.
I'm watching you describe that and your family smiling and
you're smiling. Yeah. Yeah, it means a lot, man. For
(15:15):
everybody that played this game, anybody that you know I'm
from New Jersey, anybody that knows where jerseys from Yta
know how you know we brought up, You understand how
we grew up. So you know, just being able to
be in this position, I'm blessed man and Holly favorite
and every time I'm able to just you know, reminiscence,
be thankful of, you know, telling my mom you don't
gotta work no more, you know, telling my sisters them things,
(15:36):
telling my your my nephews, you don't gotta you know,
focus on this. I could go home and we could
go shopping. Don't got worried about certain things. So it's
just like you know, when you grow up and you
have respect for that, and you know you see where
you know your path took you, and you know where
you know you hear by God and you know your
higher powers is unbelievable. So you got no choice about
(15:57):
to be emotional. You mentioned making your mom happy, and
you've also said that you'll never be able to give
her enough from what she gave to you. What would
you like to say to her? I can't I can't
say enough. Um, I really can't say enough. My mom
is my everything. When I said when I when I
(16:19):
didn't see the light, She's seen it for me. When
I was down. She didn't let me be down. So
my mom is my Thank you for being my mom,
being my dad, being a friend, being loyal, and just
for your genuine love and care for me. I appreciate it,
(16:39):
I love you, and I see you in a couple
of days. That's a beautiful way to close. Rashan, thank
you so much for sharing your time as well as
your heart with us, no problem. Appreciate you, and thank
you for listening to Packers p o V. To learn
more about what Rashwan is doing off the field, visit
made by dyslexia dot org. Take care and see you next.
Hello, and welcome to another episode of Packers p O V.
I'm your host, Taylor Rodgers, and on this episode, I
get to talk with Rashan Gary, who's made a huge
impact this season. I want to let our listeners know
that we recorded our interview just forty eight hours before
Rashan was injured in week nine. Rashan wishing you the
very best in your recovery. I'm eager for you to
(00:28):
get to know him a little bit better, So let's
get to it. Today's guests. Was the number one prospect
in the nation coming out of high school, earning academic
All Big Ten honors twice at the University of Michigan
on his way to becoming a first round pick in
twenty nineteen. Introducing Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan abdual Gary.
(00:49):
How's it going, Rashan is going good, going good. Thanks
for having me, absolutely, I've been excited to speak to you,
and thanks for taking time right on the back of
a practice. Oh yeah, no problem. Happy for the opportunity.
Did you get a chance to have anything to eat
or drink right after practice wrapped? Just some board and
some cranberries. Used to help my recovery. Okay, So a
little bit of liquids, that's all you do. Yeah, until
(01:09):
I get home and have one solid meal, one big
salid meal, probably a couple of snacks in between. What's
that gonna be? Probably salmon, right, spinach. I'm thinking for
the night. I don't like cooking, but I'm gonna cook tonight,
so I think it's gonna be that snack wise, Um,
I like almonds, cash shows and some oranges, so a
lit'tle make sure of that tonight. And I've heard that
you have ten pieces of bacon on a game day. Yeah,
(01:31):
in the morning, I try to keep a nice in
light with a cup of fruit depending on strawberries, blueberries, pineapples,
between eight ort those three on a game day. And
what's your game day look like? Um? So I wake up,
go downstairs and get some breakfast and that would be
my tempts. A bacon, cup of fruit, depending on what
food I picked. Then after that I have some time
to buy some film. Call my mom, calling sister. I'm
(01:54):
able to contact with those people. My nephew is talking
to them. Talk to my girlfriend, just to make sure
anybody's cool. Collective, say my prayer with my mom and sister,
and it's out the door and I'm here too hot
to sign if I need to feel a little bit
more loose, to watch a little bit more film and
playing a lot of music, getting ready for the game.
And you mentioned your girlfriend. Where did you guys meet?
(02:15):
We met man and Plano Texas. Man, Plano, Texas. I
met her on a nice little strow. Oh that's really cool. Yeah,
And what's her name? Her name is Chastity. And where
does she live now? Plano, Texas. So you guys are
doing the long distance thing. Yeah, right now while we're
in SEUs. And she she's able to come up whenever
she's able to. And you know, whenever I have time
to get out of town, I'm able to go back
(02:36):
to see her. That's a beautiful thing. So when did
you guys actually meet? Um, it's going on I want
to say three years. If you hear this interview. If
I'm wrong, don't give me, you know, don't be mad
at me. But you know, going on three years, it
sounds like a pretty serious relationship. Yeah. Absolutely, Um, you know,
my best friend, my companion, and you know we just
built a day by day. What do you guys have
in common? Everything? Um, you know birthdays the same month.
(03:00):
We love going on national walks. Uh, we love cracking jokes,
we love trying different foods. So you know, a nice
little friend and so you guys both have December birthdays
coming up. How are you gonna celebrate? We're gonna find
a way hopefully, Um, you know, get into a game
or you know, maybe meet up doing that bye week.
But you know, I'm gonna get back to my loved
one song. One of your main loved ones, and maybe
(03:21):
the main one is your mom. You guys have a
very special relationship. Absolutely, My mom's my everything. Uh. I've
been saying this since high school, college. My right, my
left hand, might right, my left foot, that's my person.
There's actually an audio clip of your mom filling in
as the p a announcer at your school, Paramus Catholic,
(03:42):
back in New Jersey, and it sounds like you might
have been the only player on the field. Yeah, I
know the clip that you're talking about. It was cool,
um at the time. You know, looking back at it,
you know, it's cool, fun and that's what you want,
you know, as a player, and have your you know,
your parents and the stay ends and participating at the game.
You know, that's the feelings and emotion that she wants
(04:03):
your parents to have. Um, you know them seeing you know,
your hard work and your dedication to what you love
to do, you know, come true on the football field.
So you know, so happened that day. It was down
an announcer and my mom and sister, they went over
to the booth and my mom took over the mike,
and so happened. We was on defense and number three,
that was me, came in and made a play in.
(04:24):
It surprised me because I didn't even know that she
took it over. So I'm hearing my mom voice over
the intercom. I'm like, I look up, she over there
making a big smile, and it just made me a
lock in to play even hardest so I can keep
hearing my name. She called that one well as a
play by play announcer right on the back of a
forest fumble. Yeah, maybe she might have jumped the snap
count when she's seen I was getting close to the quarterback.
(04:46):
You know, she started a little bit too early, But
I'm happy to play. Ended up turning out how it
turned it out. Maybe she's got a little bit of
that Tony romo prediction capability. Mike, I need my mom
to keep bringing it. And your sister, who you've also mentioned,
is ten years older, but you guys also have a
really close bond. Oh yeah, what I got on my own,
I got my sister's keeper, got my mom faced only
(05:08):
my sister face. Like, those are my motivations. Um, there
the reason why I played this game. Um, you know,
just to give him everything you know they want in
life and what I want for them. So you know,
they're part of my motivation. And my sisters my best friend.
I could come to her it don't matter, uh what moment,
if I'm down out, if I need guide, and she's
always there for me. And that age gap that tenres is,
(05:32):
you know, I feel like it's crucial because as she's
growing up and going through what she's going through right
behind her, and she's able to take me through, um
you know, things that she went through and you know,
telling me to oh don't do this, take this way,
you know. So you know, it's always good having that
older simbling, you know, to give you guidance. And that's
what my sister was with me. And your two nephews
are also a big part of your why. Yeah, absolutely,
(05:54):
my whole family, Mari and Shot. I love y'all dearly.
And yeah, man, Maria has seen year in high school.
It's crazy Shot seven years old, smart man. Teachers loving them.
So yeah, my my famis might everything, especially those especially
those boys. And you know when they turned the TV
or you know, when I'm home and I'm able to
(06:15):
spend time with them, is it's a lot. You know
what it it means a lot to them trying you know,
show him on the road model. Um, this is what
a man's look like. And it's I k your family.
So you know, if I'm home with them, I'm giving
an example in it from my way. You know, I
try my hardest to you know, if they see a
clip like this, if they hear this interview, just know,
you know my mind is locked in. I'm dedicating, and
(06:35):
you know my wife is always you know you guys,
and I appreciate you guys and love you are. Either
of them playing football, I'm trying to get my little
one to trying to get my little one to shy. Um.
He's he's dibbling and dabbling and did it in a
different couple of sports. We got basketball soccer, Um, he
did flag football, so you know, we got him doing something,
gone doing something. So I just want to, you know,
(06:56):
have him find his sport, to have him find what
you like. Because when you know you grabbing take to us,
but that you like you're gonna do everything for it,
it sounds like there's some following in your footsteps. You
were a basketball player as well, in addition to being
a football player. But more than anything, you were a student. Yeah, absolutely,
um one thing about that. Uh, I wasn't always a
(07:17):
good student. Um. My mom is still that into me.
And that started coming from you know, my love for
the game and okay, you love football, you gotta do
good in school. And that's when two and two click together.
And that helped me, you know with the recruiting and
going on in life and actually you know, just you know,
life lessons. But my mom is still that into me.
(07:39):
Is you can't have nothing less than to see And
it got to the point where you know, I was
getting Asian bj as and bees and she was like,
all right, you need that majority as you only allowed
you know, two bees on your report card. And my
mom was saying that and me doing it. You know,
I wasn't really understanding it. You know, I was like, Okay,
that's cool, I'm making my mom happy. But I was
(07:59):
actually helping us a man. And as I went to
Michigan and had to take on them courses by myself
and with it too, then I really had to put
in that work that my mom made me do from
middle school, elementary all the way up until you know now.
So I'm appreciative your mom went above and beyond during
that entire process. I read that she actually found a
martial arts instructor so that you can work on your
(08:22):
pass rush moves. Yeah. Yeah, it's a lot of It's
a lot of um, a lot of grinding me and
my mom. It's crazy. She could do a better explanation
of and explaining than I can do. But once we
found out this is what I like to do, and
we found out where football could take us and how
(08:42):
many doors football could open, it was I was all in.
It wasn't no turning back or anything. And my dream
and goals was to become a professional football player. And
I told her that and she kept me to It
didn't matter if I was tired, if a workout was scheduled,
you gotta go work out and that, you know, teach
you that case. You're not gonna always want to do things,
you know when you're supposed to do, but you have to.
(09:04):
So you know, my mom is ma everything and throughout
my whole process of you know, me still becoming a man,
and you know, my football journeys, she has been a
big part. And I want to be here with arter.
You mentioned dedication. Is your dedication to your craft tied
to adversity. I guess you could say that, but you know,
I'm just a dedicated overall person. Um. But of course
(09:25):
when a person doubts me, you know it put it
kicks me an overdrive. And I'm already a hard working person,
so you know, it makes me work a little bit harder.
But I'm always uh dedicated to understand, you know, my
standing for myself. I understand how my family looks at me.
I understand what I had to show them. Understand. Like
I said, I got two nephews, I got three women
that have to take care of and you know that's
(09:45):
on my mind. And you know that supporting what they
do for me means a lot, and I just you know,
appreciate them. I've read about some of the adversity that
you faced and overcome. What stands out at the top
of that list, UM. One story everybody UM or no
one really knows is earlier in high school. I want
to say my freshman soft my year, I was in
(10:07):
like smaller classrooms and I guess, you know, people want
to call it, you know, special as because you know,
I had this lecture you know, disabilities and uh, you know,
I went through this whole phase of you know, testing
to get me back in quote unquote general education. And
it was me, my mom and you know a staff
(10:27):
of teachers that, uh, I guess that helped me went
through the test, and I guess because I didn't hit
a number or a certain score, I had to stay,
you know, in those small classes. And after that, UM,
I was also told that I can never go to
a big university. You know, think community in mind. You
I'm playing football now too, so you know, I'm starting
to get little offers and I'm like, community not even
(10:52):
allowed me to push to be the best I could be. So,
you know, God willing things happened. I end up going
to a School of Programs Catholic and there's no small
classes there, so you know, you're in the quote unquote
general education and at at three point on. So it's
like when people tell you can't do things. And I
went to Michigan and like my man said before the broadcast,
(11:17):
academic all big ten two times. So it was just,
you know, when people tell you can't do things, don't
listen to him. As long as you believe in yourself,
you have a strong a supper group, you can do
anything you want. And you had to know at that
point you've already been offered by Rutgers as you're having
this conversation. Absolutely, that's the exact offer that I had
at that time. Yes, you've even called dyslexia your superpower.
(11:40):
I felt like from that day that I found out,
I was able to you know, work on it, find
tools to help me get better. And that was from
you know, me as a person from outside to going
and being a student. So you know, once I found
out and I was able to, you know, get better,
and I see myself getting better, it's not something to
(12:01):
you know, look down at. Is something to smile about,
and it makes you different. It's always good to be different.
And you know, everybody that has his lecture has different abilities.
That day canst selling. They just got to find out
what their abilities are. You've taken that mentality and paid
it forward, even visiting with kids that have dyslexia. What
stands out from those visits just how you know I'm
(12:22):
able to touch the kids and you know, let them
know that. You know, Yeah, I'm a quote unquote NFL player,
but I was just in this seat just by you,
dealing with the same problems that you was dealing with.
And you know, I'm just a pun example. When you
believe in yourself, you listen to your parents and you
have a good structure, a good system around you that
you could do whatever and blossom into whatever you want
to be. People know you the player, and they're getting
(12:45):
to know you the person. Your high school and college teammate,
Michael Dwumford describes you as a big teddy bear. Is
he right where you're getting information from? This is crazy? Wow,
that's that's like my long, long, long, long childhood friend.
But I could be a teddy bear for the right
ones man, for my family members, my loved ones friends
(13:07):
for sure. What does Rashaan the teddy bear look like? Oh? Quiet, smiling,
goofy all the time joke fool and just you know,
very lovingly Karen. And what's one thing you've learned about
yourself as you transition from college to present day. I'm
a strong person. I'm a strong person, and I'm able
to get through a lot. We've seen the stoic focused
(13:29):
lasered in Rashawn Gary on game days. Right, you've got
the face paint and the cross right under your cheeks
here when you talk about that soft humorous guy who
gets to see that. Uh my mom, my sister, my girlfriend, uh,
my two nephews, my family members, uh, you know, my friends.
(13:49):
Outside of that is business. Um, you know, stepping outside. Guy,
pro dug myself a certain way. So you know, when
I'm home, you know, offseat and I'm kicking it back
with my family and friends. Ask me, what do you
like to do when you get that downtime. I'm a
big foodie, so you know, try to find different areas
to eat, you know, try different foods like this off season, Uh,
(14:09):
try sushi for the first time, and you know, I
don't want to say fell in love with it, but
you know, I'm I'm gonna try it again. And then
that's outside of that. Try to catch movies, movies is
going out of whack now, I guess no one love
going to a movie theater nowadays. And then going for hikes. Man,
that's something that I picked up, um, that me and
my girlfriend love to do is just go for hikes,
(14:30):
clear your mind and you know, talk about your day
and it's kind of like a reset and going into
the night and looking ahead. You've got an incredible support system.
It sounds like off the field, what are your goals
off the field? Just to you know, be a great man? Man? Uh,
And that's just me personally, you know, finding myself as
a man, finding my piece. Watching my family be happy. Man,
(14:52):
That's that's number one. You know, going home, seeing my mom,
seeing my sisters, seeing my nephews, and you know, just
seeing these smiles on their face, seeing how they enjoying
living life just gives you more motivation man. And just enjoying,
just enjoying what I do. It seems to bring you happiness.
I'm watching you describe that and your family smiling and
you're smiling. Yeah. Yeah, it means a lot, man. For
(15:15):
everybody that played this game, anybody that you know I'm
from New Jersey, anybody that knows where jerseys from Yta
know how you know we brought up, You understand how
we grew up. So you know, just being able to
be in this position, I'm blessed man and Holly favorite
and every time I'm able to just you know, reminiscence,
be thankful of, you know, telling my mom you don't
gotta work no more, you know, telling my sisters them things,
(15:36):
telling my your my nephews, you don't gotta you know,
focus on this. I could go home and we could
go shopping. Don't got worried about certain things. So it's
just like you know, when you grow up and you
have respect for that, and you know you see where
you know your path took you, and you know where
you know you hear by God and you know your
higher powers is unbelievable. So you got no choice about
(15:57):
to be emotional. You mentioned making your mom happy, and
you've also said that you'll never be able to give
her enough from what she gave to you. What would
you like to say to her? I can't I can't
say enough. Um, I really can't say enough. My mom
is my everything. When I said when I when I
(16:19):
didn't see the light, She's seen it for me. When
I was down. She didn't let me be down. So
my mom is my Thank you for being my mom,
being my dad, being a friend, being loyal, and just
for your genuine love and care for me. I appreciate it,
(16:39):
I love you, and I see you in a couple
of days. That's a beautiful way to close. Rashan, thank
you so much for sharing your time as well as
your heart with us, no problem. Appreciate you, and thank
you for listening to Packers p o V. To learn
more about what Rashwan is doing off the field, visit
made by dyslexia dot org. Take care and see you next.
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