May 26, 2021 • 31 mins
Kelvin Beachum, Chester Pitts and Mack Strong have a candid conversation around mental health.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the NFL Players Podcast. I'm in s Williams,
as May is mental health, Awards is money. We recently
recorded an honest discussion about mental health in the NFL,
led by legend Chester Pitts, fellow legend Max Strong, and
Arizona Cardinals Calvin Beacham. Let's listen, in fellas, how are
(00:25):
we doing this? How are we doing this? Beautiful afternoon?
And I'm uh, I get the distinct honor and pleasure
to have a pretty cool conversation with you all. And
we're gonna hit him some points that maybe a little
bit uncomfortable at times, but I believe that the messaging
and the information that we need to as men that
(00:46):
have played this game, we got to make sure that
information gets out first and foremost stouting out the gate.
You know, considering your careers, like the way they went,
both personally and professionally. Um m m, what was your
secret sauce to longevity? How did you guys? How did
you find a way to last as long as you did?
(01:08):
And since you know what, Ice, since you're holding the bar,
you have to start with you with you know, it's
a great question. You know, come into the league not
being drafted, you know, having feeling like I'm kind of
behind the eight ball a little bit, and then ended
up playing my whole career one organization. I look back
(01:29):
on there something that brings me a lot of joy,
a lot of pride. But you know, in that was
a lot of it was a lot of struggle. I mean,
you know, as you guys know, you know, whether you're
drafted or whether you're draft, you gotta go in and
earn your spot. And yeah, and so I remember that pressure.
A matter of fact, I remember when I first walked
in and the coach we had about six players in
(01:50):
the in the in the room, and he said we're
gonna keep five maybe six guys, And I was like wow,
looking around and pretty much everybody else but me, well
was on the team the year before. I'm like, oh man,
this is this is a lot of pressure. You were
the new guy. There's a lot of pressure exactly. So
I just knew. I just knew right off the bat,
like this is gonna be different for me, and I'm
(02:12):
gonna have to you know, I can't play around, you know,
I gotta did the undrafted status that that always did
you use that as motivation? Was that always a factor in,
you know, the first rounder had come in, or a
second rounder and come in. But the way you always
viewed yourself as an undrafted guy, was there a little
bit bit of a chip to prove that I belong?
(02:33):
No question the question. I always felt like they were
trying to replace me. And I said, you know, even
even you know after you know, a latter part of
my career with my best years, and I went to
a couple of Pro Bowls, it was an All Pro
and they were still drafting fullbacks, Like they don't even
draft fullback? Who drafts the fullback? They were drafting fullback?
We're in this drafting Where was that? Exactly? Like how
(02:55):
did that happen? But but you know, I just I
just had to remember the business, you know, and I
to take it and not take it personal. And it
kept me hungry. Um, it kept me alert and UM
I think present, you know, but I knew that I
wasn't gonna be able. I didn't accomplish all of that
by myself. And I knew I was that was never
gonna happen. I always had a support team around me,
(03:15):
you know, teammates. I was surprisingly when I got there,
Guys were older, and you know, a lot of times
guys are protective, you know, you know, you gotta you
new guy coming in the room. It was like, man,
coming for my job. You know, I'm not gonna give
you any secrets or whatever. Man. I had guys that
were just like nope, man, here here's that. They were
just talking to me, giving me tips and stuff or
how I could get my job done and how I
(03:37):
can make the team and stuff. I was like, wow,
this is this is not what I expected. And I
know that's not everybody's experience, but I was grateful to
have that, and I tried to as I got older
as a player, I tried to be that for for
other guys as well, you know, because I know and
this this game is hard enough, you know, on the field,
trying to make the team and trying to win games.
(03:58):
You know, I felt like the most important part of
it was just a relationship and what what I wanted
it to be when the game was over with. So
it makes sense. What about you, a young carliage, you're
going into going going in the UH where you're going
to your ten right right into your tier. It's still
still going strong with UH. You know, the same same question,
Like what is I mean ten years is ten years
(04:19):
is ten years especially going through one year. We just
went through COVID too and you and you're still around,
so you know, it's it's to to MAT's point, it's
a lot different. You know, one team versus fol teams.
You know, this is the fourth club that I've been
a part of as long as all the checks clear, bro.
But it's it's it's a difference, you know. But I
(04:43):
mean just the you know, you pick up your family,
you go from one city to the next city, another
city to the next city. You got to go and
be relationships all over again. You gotta start all over
again within the new locker room. But I mean, it's
it's it's the relationships like you mentioned that matters to
the uh, the guys in the locker room no matter.
And you know, much much like you said that you
(05:04):
go into those locker rooms that you don't have people
who are so guarded. Um, you have to be vulnerable.
And as you get older, you realize, you know, the
shoes have now flipped in and the game is not evolved.
And much like people poured into youth kind of early
on in your career, you don't have to reciprocate it
and pouring to the younger generation. You hit on something
that kind of was leading into my my next thought
(05:25):
of my next question is when it when it comes
for you know, the need to to ask for help.
We this is a hyper masculine all tough guys, no weakness,
hit a s SOB in the mouth every single play game.
So how is it that you know, two men that
(05:46):
have said the secret sauce to their longevity in the
sport has been because they have been willing, you know,
to ask for help, or have guys that are in
the locker room that are willing to look out for
them to lean on them. You know, how how does
that all come together? How to said you know coming
to fruition. To me, I just think it's about listening. Man.
You're sitting on those stumps and sharing you know, jokes
(06:10):
and in life and what you did to night before
and you know how you grew up and all of
that kind of stuff. I think, you know, that's all
that's all good and well, but you know, when you're
just sitting down and guys are really when they when
they're sharing their lives and they're getting vulnerable, they share
things with you. It's like, whoa man, Okay, that's different.
You know. I was just talking to a former teammate
the other day. We were having a dinner for one
(06:32):
of our office lineman who's going to the Hall of Fame,
and and I reached out to him, you know, hey,
I just wanted to hook up with you, and uh
he called he when I saw him at the at
the dinner, he felt bad. He was like, man, I
didn't call you back, man because he was going through
some stuff. And I was like, yeah, just you know,
that's okay, man, you know, you tell me what's going on.
He's like, well, he said, just be honest with you.
(06:52):
I'm going through a divorce. And I was embarrassed that
I didn't know how to say that on text. I
didn't know how to say that. Don't believe that messes
on the phone or an email. L He said, but
that's what's going on, man, And they've got some other
challenges and stuff with with a kid and stuff in
their family. And I was just like, wow, man, it's like,
you know, we played together for like seven eight years,
you know what, I'm like, man, And he still felt
(07:13):
awkward with telling me stuff. So just I just think
having that man able to sit down and listen for
those key things that those pauses and yas and voices
or what they're sharing their little you tell it they're
a little bit apprehensive or holding back and just being
willing to go there and just say, hey man, this
is we all go through it. I'll tell you tell
me your words that I'll tell you mine because I've
(07:35):
got them. You know, there's there's no We're not all
up here just trying to fake like you know, we
got everything figured out. We we do need help, you know.
I think that the better question is how do you
approach that? Like, how do you approach that conversation? How
do you approach I mean it's easier when you're still
playing because you have the sanctity of the locker room.
(07:59):
You know what happens in the locker room. We talked
about in the locker room. We've had fights in the
locker room, We've had hugs in the locker room. Everything
has gone down in the locker room. And until this
new social media age, nothing ever got out of the
locker room. But but when you know, guys make that transition,
it can be it can be really tough. Like you
just said, a man you play, how many play, how
(08:21):
many games you'll played together being going to the Hall
of Fame like a heck of a ball player. But
was was having a tough time bringing that to you.
For you. You you still got that, you still young Cartlage.
Maybe you still room. I mean you have a safer
zone still, you know, you still have the safer zone.
But I would go back to what you talked about,
is it's just ability to just sit down. Much like
(08:44):
we sit down right now, sit down. We're just sitting
down and you know for offensive linement, you know, you
you one of us as you sit down, and and
that changes the entire dynamic of the conversation. You know,
guys get to you know, having a little sip on
something and people start opening up, you know, especially if
there's something, if there's something Heavy's just one thing you
(09:07):
can always say about most guys that play football, like
in comparison to you know, the other professionals and the
other sports. You know what I what I've just loved
about football is that you know the level of ego
never it's it ain't like basketball ego, It's not like baseball. Ego.
You know you're gonna have, you know, some premier donna
(09:28):
receivers or quarterback every now and again. But the brotherhood
of playing football is just a it's a different animal
because we know how much we need each other no
matter how no matter how fast you are, how strong
you are, whatever it takes. Especially as an offensive line,
especially down in those trenches. We know, no matter how
good the left tackle, no matter how good he is,
(09:48):
if the center is not good, it doesn't matter. The
old line sucks. That's that's just you know that, that's
just the way it is. We know, you know, we
we hold, you know, hold the rope together. But being
able to have even have these kind of conversations and
just sit down and talk to each other like men,
and and when something's wearing on, you got to be
able to be able to have that space. And because
(10:09):
of that brotherhood, it's a lot easier to have that conversation.
It's interesting about about moving talking about being on four
different teams and moving around with the family and relocal
and relocate and how hard that is to like re
establish relationships not only with not only with another team
and organizations, coaches and locker room players how about the community.
(10:31):
How about the the pressure your your wife feels to
connect with because I don't know about you guys. When
I go home, you know, there's there's there's the reason
why they have that. That's saying happy, happy wife. My
wife ain't happy. Okay, We're gonna have some problems, but
my wife needs to have somebody who she can connect with,
and my kids and going to school and the community
(10:51):
they are part of. Do they feel I mean, that
was a big reason beyonest with you, truth be told,
that's a big reason why I stayed in Seattle. I
had had opportunities to move to other places, but I
think that's been my biggest struggle, honestly really, because the
thing is is, you know, at one point in time,
we did three cities in three years, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, New York.
(11:12):
My wife is in Pittsburgh getting a nursing degree with
a two year old. I'm in Jacksonville playing. She's flying
back and forth from Pittsburgh to Jacksonville, and then we
go to New York and we have another baby in
New York. So we having babies, you know, all the stresses,
and it's like it's like, you know, you're not even
(11:32):
sitting down long enough to build that rapport to be
able to say, Man, I'm you know, I'm struggling with this,
like I don't know how to handle this life at
home right now. She ain't even at home for us
to handle this at you know, they don't have to
playbook for that, man, MANU over that. But both of
(11:53):
you guys mentioned your wives, and you know, I could
see like the real support there. Would you say that
that your wife was the your your greatest support system
kind of through it all and through the transitions. And
then I think my question is after the wife, who
was the greatest supporter or greatest supporter you know through
you know, through it all, throughout your careers. I would
(12:13):
say it's she's probably the single most important. She's the rock.
She's the rock. Man. I agree, happy wife, happy life,
you know. Uh, you know, it's it's one of those
things when when you have that piece, it does help.
But I think after you get out of that layer,
like who can you actually talk to? Who can you trust?
(12:34):
You know, what I've had for me, it's been you know,
teammates like Ramon Foster who I went to, you know,
I think the draft was in Tennessee a couple of
years ago, and Man, we're on the back back porch.
He's smoking some steaks and we sit down. It's a
fire pit and we're throwing stuff from the fire pit
and man, just letting it all out. Man, And it's like,
that was the first time I was saying my in
(12:56):
my career that I actually sat down and relaxed long
enough for that to happen. You know. I think about
a teammate, Germany Partnell, who was in Jacksonville, you know,
just actually having the time to like, you know, we
was losing a lot in Jacksonville too, so it's like
we had a lot to talk about. We're looking at
(13:17):
we're looking at our wounds, and you know, we're going
to going to five guys and getting the burger in
the shape, you know what I'm saying. So we had
enough time to to to lamit. But it's like those
type of moments, but you don't feel comfortable enough to
share with your significant others, to be able to have
that real rapport with somebody in the locker room, to
have that real, like real conversation. Hey, I suck at
(13:39):
this right now. I am not the man the husband,
the father that I need to be right now. And
sometimes it's it's only somebody that you've played next to.
You know, You'll bled together, you've sweated together, you've lifted together,
you're one you've lost together, And it takes those type
of relationships to be able to get you through that
next mouths in your life, that next moment in your life.
(14:02):
How did you push through that? And when I say that,
I mean we talked about tough guys. We talked about
you know, it's not really viewed as how men that
play ball should do. How did you overcome being worried
about or that, or or or exposing yourself to that
level of vulnerability. For me, it just comes down to trust. Man.
(14:23):
You know, if I trust somebody, I mean I think
we as football players, that could be a double a
sword sometimes right, Like you trust somebody and then they
burn your's like you never again, you know. But at
the same time, I think that puts it like a
I think that puts like a high level of accountability
on each of us just to be there for each other.
(14:44):
Like we man, we spent we spend more time you
think about when you're playing, you spent more time with
not just that even training, these all that stuff that
you spent almost more time with those guys in the
locker room than you do with your families, your physical family.
If I can't trust you, man, who cannot trust I
think just that just building that and having that with
(15:05):
with guys and and just coming through, I think, coming
through for him when when they need to really need you.
And you know, we always tell people, yeah, I'm thinking
about your praying for you, I'll call you and stuff like.
But but if you don't actually do that stuff, follow through?
What's the follow through? I think the foalter is just
so so violently important. And so you know, I know
(15:26):
that a lot of guys um you know the plan
now and and they realize it too. Man, money don't
don't buy you happiness. You know at the fact, it
will bring you more problems. What does it look like
on the other side, Like, what does that follow through
look like on the other side? You know, I'm still
I'm current, But what does that what does that follow
through look like on the other side? Because guys talk
a lot about you know, once you leave the locker room,
(15:48):
you don't have that that bond, that relationship that that's
that's safe. That's safe space in essence, what does that
what does that safe space now look like on the
on the other side, That's a very fair and very
tough question. I would say I'm a I'm a little
bit different than the norm because I ended up being
(16:08):
an o G when I came into an organization as
a baby. You know, the Texans were brand spanking new
in two thousand two, and I was, you know, the
original draft class. And then I stayed there and I
played there for eight, you know, eight years, and I
was consistent and always always around. But while I was playing,
I made it I made it a point to be
(16:29):
good and be cool with everyone I was. I was
the NFL. I was a player rep for the team.
So you know, when you're the player of you have
a responsibility. You know, information comes down then you have
to find a way to disseminate it to every man
in that locker room. However, they absorb information to learn it,
and that is what I think really helped me build
a lot of relationships with other positions, Guys that weren't starters,
(16:53):
guys that weren't on the offensive side on the ball.
That's what That's how I got tight with a lot
of defensive players, when you can get another player to
vouch for you as the kind of person that you
are when something is tough and when something's tight, I
end up getting a lot of just random calls sometimes
from guys that you know that that played, you know,
after I played, but they said, hey, we we we
(17:16):
we heard you the man, Uh can you help us
out with this? And I just think that consistantly constantly building,
constantly building, and like you said, just constantly being there.
It builds trust. And when guys trust you, you have
a chance for them to take a chance on coming
to you because you know. So My my next question
(17:36):
I was not gonna ask of you, guys, is what
would you say to somebody to get them to take
that leap if you have something going on, you're not
sure if you can trust, you're not sure, but take
the shot. There's a good chance that any man that's
in that locker room with you is going to do
(17:57):
the right thing by you and not do the wrong
thing about you. So that that was one thing I
wanted you really to say. So everybody you know here,
because if you're gonna put out put out that message
to somebody how would you do it? I said, Man,
just we're brotherhood and then it's alone. Man, we're not.
I think sometimes guys think they have that questions because
(18:19):
they feel alone. They felt like, man, I don't I
don't have nobody in my life I can trust or
who I want to go to. I don't want to
get burned. I don't want to get left behind. You know,
ask all those questions, and we gotta be there for
each other, you know that. I just think we're here.
You know, guys are here, you know that. And there's
so many I mean, we have the legends community obviously,
(18:39):
what trusted are part of, you know, in terms of
when guys get out of the league, and our whole role,
our whole thing is we want to stay engaged with
guys connected through we stay connected. Man. We got twenty
some thousands like living legends that played this game. Man,
we want to stay connected with everybody, right, nobody When
he walked through this thing alone and then other things,
(19:01):
I was just say, man, just just there's so many
there's resources out there, right, and we all know this, right,
we we sit in the meetings and coming to tell
you got all this stuff and bad like I don't
want Okay, collective, that's right. You haven't already paid George,
you might as well use it. Do we get him
the action I wish. I wish I had to die
(19:21):
for every time they came in and heard that, and
I was like, man, I'm to try to get the
lunch man, hurry up and finish this conversation because I
got some food to get to. But it doesn't. When
the rebber meets the road is when it's all over,
it's it's quiet bad, Like okay, what did they say again?
There's so many resources out there, you know, for guys,
you know, no matter what situation you're in, whether it's
(19:44):
you need financial help, but you need continuing education or
whatever it is, there's the stuff that for you and
especially you know, coming out of the climate that we
were just you know, well we're still in it. We're
not out of it right there with the vaccination have
done yet we probably this could be going for another
couple of years. Man, where we can't. Somehow we're gonna
(20:06):
have to figure out how to stay and gage and
access that stuff that's available so the guys can get
whatever they need, whether it's just somebody to talk to
on the other side, or somebody to give us some
advice and then put about how to better do whatever
it is that they want to do when you so
you're still playing you you are still going back, and
(20:26):
you're gonna be in the locker room, you know, just
off this conversation. Uh has anything changed as the way
you'll engage with guys now or if you know a
guy is going through a rough time in a rough spot,
just putting your arm around him, how will you take
this conversation and apply to the men that you are
in the locker room going forward? I think you have
(20:46):
to be even more intentional. You know, I'm an nfl
p A rep too, So it's like I understand, I
understand that that facet of it and understanding you have
to be able to disseminate information, but you just have
to be even more intentional. I think that's the number
one thing. And you know I was playing and joking
about eating, but I think that's the best way in
(21:06):
which for me it allows me to get to know
you better and get to you know, kind of break
down that that possible barrier that may be there. It's
just being able to to build on that relationship pull up,
pull up, the pull up the chair, you know, during
one of them them dog days and training camp you know,
(21:27):
um now training camfe what y'all training? Let me get me.
That's a whole other. That's a whole another segment right there,
you know. And ain't doing them going to lift sometimes
to run around and underwear it ain't. But it while
I have you here, I say this truthfully, we stand
(21:49):
on the shoulders of those who came before us. Y'all
came before us, y'all set the stage for for where
we're at as a union, as a as a league.
Where we're at, I mean, this game is is what
it is right now because of you know, the sacrifices
that you all made playing in the trenches before me.
Trust you, I got much respect for fullback period. You know,
(22:12):
period they don't they got back. So you know, ain't
nobody running ice on them all, you know. Not That
in itself has to be said because if you realize
what the legends have done before us, how they found
a way to thrive in spite of we have to
(22:36):
find a way to thrive in spite of and that
that way is to spend time with each other to
get to know each other and get to know the real,
the real the real men behind behind them. And the
thing is is, you know, early on in my career,
I would do football camps, and I think we've all
done football camps in some shape form of fashion. And
for me, that was the time where I really got
(22:57):
to see people for who they were and they got
to see me for who I was. I brought him
down to my house, They came to my grandmother's house.
They ate my grandmother's cooking, my mother's cooking, you know,
so you got it was true. It was true intimacy.
You know where you're getting to really the root of
who somebody is. To allow a man to come into
your house and eating your mother and your grandmother's table,
(23:20):
that's that's that's more than Hey, we're going out to
the State House as close and as tight as for real,
so to be able to for me, that was that
was special. Going to other guys camp. I remember going
to Pouncey's camp, you know him and his brothers and
you know um spending time with his mother, his father,
(23:43):
you know, his family. Going to Will Johnson's camp in
West Virginia, going to German Partnell's camp, you know, going
to a different special well, I mean, I think that's
the way that you know, just a very tangible way
in which you're able to build on a real relationship
with guys across a lot of strength and straight and
in connection, you know, and it deepens it. And I
think you know, as a current player, that's the way
(24:04):
in which we can tap into to spending time with
one another because what we're gonna do in training camp
and O T A. S. That is what it is.
But to take time out of your schedule to go
to somebody else's home, to spend time in somebody else's environment,
I mean, I think that takes it to a much
deeper level. And then it's easy to talk about the resources,
(24:25):
and it's easier to it's easy to say, hey, you know,
make sure you check out you know, the NFL website
and you know, benefit as much as you can. Just
shut up, rookie, just right, just the money in the fort,
whatever the max is in there. It's easy to have
(24:47):
that conversation when you when you really know somebody, they
know you, you know their kids, and I mean that's
another thing. You get to spend time with their kids,
their kids growing up with your kids. It's like that
connectivity just it changes the game over the over, the
you know, over the over, the life, over your life
in the league, and over when you get rid of transition.
(25:07):
I mean, I'm just now seeing guys transition. I talked
about Ramon. I know what r J is doing that.
I know A Miles is doing that. You know, because
I saw them when they were you know, need how
to adduct. So it's like seeing them now. It's it's
it's fun of seeing them now, you know. So you
know what, how do we the most resistant of resistance,
the naysayer, oh oh, bitter Becky. How do we get him?
(25:34):
How do we get him too to believe? How do
we get him to trust? How do we get him
to say when he needs help? Come on, man, just
pull me to the side. It's already. Just be me
and you and let's work through this thing. It's the
best way to engage him. I don't I don't know
if there's a one answer to that, I'd say, for me,
(25:55):
be asked, what's your alternative? What's what's your alternative of that? Man?
I mean, because I think that's the conversation that people
need to have. It is when they don't, when they say, hey,
I don't want to take and manage these benefits and
and things that are out there for him, It's like, really,
why not? What? What? Why? Why? Why would you not
do that? They're there for you, that that that to
(26:17):
help you this and it's not a sign. It's not
about labeling you in some ways, it's all confidential. It's
not there to label you, call you a coward or
weekly or any of that stuff. It's to help you
to be successful. Do you want to be successful? Do
you want to be your best? Do you want to
be the best version of yourself? That's what this is
there for. Man. I mean it would be a crime.
(26:39):
It's a crime to me when people don't use it.
You know, if you play one year, if you play
fifteen years or however many years, if you don't, if
you earn something and you don't take advantage of it,
that's a that's a car that's to me, that's a crime.
It's just like to waste that way, like why would you?
Why would why would you do that? And usually that
brings out another layer of conversations. You know what I'm saying, Well,
(27:02):
I don't want to do it. Because of you know,
blah blah blah, whatever it is, because of my my wife,
or because of you know, I'm afraid of how I'm
gonna look or and then you can any good enough? Yeah? Yeah,
and I passed the classes. If I try to go
back to school, yeah, I wouldn't be when, so how
(27:22):
I'm gonna doing it when I'm thirty two? I don't
want to be embarrassed. But like, man, you think you
can't you think you only do thirty five years old
that then finished school. They played this game. I promise
you you're not by alone, you know, so, so you
can have that conversation about with people that mean to me,
it's just like what else are you gonna do if
you don't If you're not gonna take advantage of this,
you know? So what about you see a youngster in
(27:45):
the in the locker room. That's no, that's not for me.
I don't need that, you know. I think when you're
and y'all got so much wisdom. Man, you know, I
think as a young person you just try to force
feed it, which is probably not the right way to
doing something else. But it's like here the resources you
need to take advantage of this. I'm not gonna ask
(28:06):
no questions. I'm not sure to try to smooth talky.
This is out here. You need to spend time doing it.
You know, with wisdom and in age and maturity, you know,
you think about it a different way. But I think
for for me, it's like, hey, this is this is here,
you know, take advantage of it. For one K it's here,
(28:29):
UM tuition, reimbursement, it's here. It's so many you know,
here's the list goes on and on and it's just
unbelievable and pushing folks to use it. It's so important
it's here. You know, all the resources. You know, whether
it's with your local club in your city, you know,
it's here, um and it's up to you. And I
(28:52):
think more than anything, it really has put the onus
on you as an individual to want to be your best.
If you want to be your best, take this initiative
to be I really feel like persistence is the key
to that. And there's varying forms of persistence. Is you know,
(29:16):
persistence you can drink from a water fountain or as persistence,
and you could drink from a fire hydrant. Either way,
as long as it's constantly coming to you constantly reminding
you of man, these are tools to help you be
the best man. You can be the best dad, you
(29:36):
can be the best human, you best brother, best it.
And I think that that's a big piece of it
is if they're resistant, and then we find out the
reason they're resistant, then we stress to them the importance
of Okay, be the best you can be. Well, some
people are like, hey, I'm pretty damn good where I
am Jack, I'm cool, but then stressing well, why not
(29:59):
be head? Or if you can be better? If you
can be my favorite saying, if you're an NFL starter
on your worst day, your thirty second best on God's
green Earth, at what you do, that's your worst day,
but why not be top ten? Why not be the best?
(30:22):
Where what I mean with Tom Brady being all the
conversations that Tom Brady has been in, if he was
only the fourth best or the sixth best, Tom said,
I'm gonna be numero una, sorry, Mr Montana, It's just
how it is. He went to go do that. Now
he's a different self motivator, but I guarantee there's somebody
(30:44):
always constantly in the background pushing him because he's put
people in position because he knows what he needs to
push him to be his best and getting guys to
understand that being your best it's worth it. To provide
feedback or request the topic for discussion, email us at
NFL Legends at NFL dot com
Welcome to the NFL Players Podcast. I'm in s Williams,
as May is mental health, Awards is money. We recently
recorded an honest discussion about mental health in the NFL,
led by legend Chester Pitts, fellow legend Max Strong, and
Arizona Cardinals Calvin Beacham. Let's listen, in fellas, how are
(00:25):
we doing this? How are we doing this? Beautiful afternoon?
And I'm uh, I get the distinct honor and pleasure
to have a pretty cool conversation with you all. And
we're gonna hit him some points that maybe a little
bit uncomfortable at times, but I believe that the messaging
and the information that we need to as men that
(00:46):
have played this game, we got to make sure that
information gets out first and foremost stouting out the gate.
You know, considering your careers, like the way they went,
both personally and professionally. Um m m, what was your
secret sauce to longevity? How did you guys? How did
you find a way to last as long as you did?
(01:08):
And since you know what, Ice, since you're holding the bar,
you have to start with you with you know, it's
a great question. You know, come into the league not
being drafted, you know, having feeling like I'm kind of
behind the eight ball a little bit, and then ended
up playing my whole career one organization. I look back
(01:29):
on there something that brings me a lot of joy,
a lot of pride. But you know, in that was
a lot of it was a lot of struggle. I mean,
you know, as you guys know, you know, whether you're
drafted or whether you're draft, you gotta go in and
earn your spot. And yeah, and so I remember that pressure.
A matter of fact, I remember when I first walked
in and the coach we had about six players in
(01:50):
the in the in the room, and he said we're
gonna keep five maybe six guys, And I was like wow,
looking around and pretty much everybody else but me, well
was on the team the year before. I'm like, oh man,
this is this is a lot of pressure. You were
the new guy. There's a lot of pressure exactly. So
I just knew. I just knew right off the bat,
like this is gonna be different for me, and I'm
(02:12):
gonna have to you know, I can't play around, you know,
I gotta did the undrafted status that that always did
you use that as motivation? Was that always a factor in,
you know, the first rounder had come in, or a
second rounder and come in. But the way you always
viewed yourself as an undrafted guy, was there a little
bit bit of a chip to prove that I belong?
(02:33):
No question the question. I always felt like they were
trying to replace me. And I said, you know, even
even you know after you know, a latter part of
my career with my best years, and I went to
a couple of Pro Bowls, it was an All Pro
and they were still drafting fullbacks, Like they don't even
draft fullback? Who drafts the fullback? They were drafting fullback?
We're in this drafting Where was that? Exactly? Like how
(02:55):
did that happen? But but you know, I just I
just had to remember the business, you know, and I
to take it and not take it personal. And it
kept me hungry. Um, it kept me alert and UM
I think present, you know, but I knew that I
wasn't gonna be able. I didn't accomplish all of that
by myself. And I knew I was that was never
gonna happen. I always had a support team around me,
(03:15):
you know, teammates. I was surprisingly when I got there,
Guys were older, and you know, a lot of times
guys are protective, you know, you know, you gotta you
new guy coming in the room. It was like, man,
coming for my job. You know, I'm not gonna give
you any secrets or whatever. Man. I had guys that
were just like nope, man, here here's that. They were
just talking to me, giving me tips and stuff or
how I could get my job done and how I
(03:37):
can make the team and stuff. I was like, wow,
this is this is not what I expected. And I
know that's not everybody's experience, but I was grateful to
have that, and I tried to as I got older
as a player, I tried to be that for for
other guys as well, you know, because I know and
this this game is hard enough, you know, on the field,
trying to make the team and trying to win games.
(03:58):
You know, I felt like the most important part of
it was just a relationship and what what I wanted
it to be when the game was over with. So
it makes sense. What about you, a young carliage, you're
going into going going in the UH where you're going
to your ten right right into your tier. It's still
still going strong with UH. You know, the same same question,
Like what is I mean ten years is ten years
(04:19):
is ten years especially going through one year. We just
went through COVID too and you and you're still around,
so you know, it's it's to to MAT's point, it's
a lot different. You know, one team versus fol teams.
You know, this is the fourth club that I've been
a part of as long as all the checks clear, bro.
But it's it's it's a difference, you know. But I
(04:43):
mean just the you know, you pick up your family,
you go from one city to the next city, another
city to the next city. You got to go and
be relationships all over again. You gotta start all over
again within the new locker room. But I mean, it's
it's it's the relationships like you mentioned that matters to
the uh, the guys in the locker room no matter.
And you know, much much like you said that you
(05:04):
go into those locker rooms that you don't have people
who are so guarded. Um, you have to be vulnerable.
And as you get older, you realize, you know, the
shoes have now flipped in and the game is not evolved.
And much like people poured into youth kind of early
on in your career, you don't have to reciprocate it
and pouring to the younger generation. You hit on something
that kind of was leading into my my next thought
(05:25):
of my next question is when it when it comes
for you know, the need to to ask for help.
We this is a hyper masculine all tough guys, no weakness,
hit a s SOB in the mouth every single play game.
So how is it that you know, two men that
(05:46):
have said the secret sauce to their longevity in the
sport has been because they have been willing, you know,
to ask for help, or have guys that are in
the locker room that are willing to look out for
them to lean on them. You know, how how does
that all come together? How to said you know coming
to fruition. To me, I just think it's about listening. Man.
You're sitting on those stumps and sharing you know, jokes
(06:10):
and in life and what you did to night before
and you know how you grew up and all of
that kind of stuff. I think, you know, that's all
that's all good and well, but you know, when you're
just sitting down and guys are really when they when
they're sharing their lives and they're getting vulnerable, they share
things with you. It's like, whoa man, Okay, that's different.
You know. I was just talking to a former teammate
the other day. We were having a dinner for one
(06:32):
of our office lineman who's going to the Hall of Fame,
and and I reached out to him, you know, hey,
I just wanted to hook up with you, and uh
he called he when I saw him at the at
the dinner, he felt bad. He was like, man, I
didn't call you back, man because he was going through
some stuff. And I was like, yeah, just you know,
that's okay, man, you know, you tell me what's going on.
He's like, well, he said, just be honest with you.
(06:52):
I'm going through a divorce. And I was embarrassed that
I didn't know how to say that on text. I
didn't know how to say that. Don't believe that messes
on the phone or an email. L He said, but
that's what's going on, man, And they've got some other
challenges and stuff with with a kid and stuff in
their family. And I was just like, wow, man, it's like,
you know, we played together for like seven eight years,
you know what, I'm like, man, And he still felt
(07:13):
awkward with telling me stuff. So just I just think
having that man able to sit down and listen for
those key things that those pauses and yas and voices
or what they're sharing their little you tell it they're
a little bit apprehensive or holding back and just being
willing to go there and just say, hey man, this
is we all go through it. I'll tell you tell
me your words that I'll tell you mine because I've
(07:35):
got them. You know, there's there's no We're not all
up here just trying to fake like you know, we
got everything figured out. We we do need help, you know.
I think that the better question is how do you
approach that? Like, how do you approach that conversation? How
do you approach I mean it's easier when you're still
playing because you have the sanctity of the locker room.
(07:59):
You know what happens in the locker room. We talked
about in the locker room. We've had fights in the
locker room, We've had hugs in the locker room. Everything
has gone down in the locker room. And until this
new social media age, nothing ever got out of the
locker room. But but when you know, guys make that transition,
it can be it can be really tough. Like you
just said, a man you play, how many play, how
(08:21):
many games you'll played together being going to the Hall
of Fame like a heck of a ball player. But
was was having a tough time bringing that to you.
For you. You you still got that, you still young Cartlage.
Maybe you still room. I mean you have a safer
zone still, you know, you still have the safer zone.
But I would go back to what you talked about,
is it's just ability to just sit down. Much like
(08:44):
we sit down right now, sit down. We're just sitting
down and you know for offensive linement, you know, you
you one of us as you sit down, and and
that changes the entire dynamic of the conversation. You know,
guys get to you know, having a little sip on
something and people start opening up, you know, especially if
there's something, if there's something Heavy's just one thing you
(09:07):
can always say about most guys that play football, like
in comparison to you know, the other professionals and the
other sports. You know what I what I've just loved
about football is that you know the level of ego
never it's it ain't like basketball ego, It's not like baseball. Ego.
You know you're gonna have, you know, some premier donna
(09:28):
receivers or quarterback every now and again. But the brotherhood
of playing football is just a it's a different animal
because we know how much we need each other no
matter how no matter how fast you are, how strong
you are, whatever it takes. Especially as an offensive line,
especially down in those trenches. We know, no matter how
good the left tackle, no matter how good he is,
(09:48):
if the center is not good, it doesn't matter. The
old line sucks. That's that's just you know that, that's
just the way it is. We know, you know, we
we hold, you know, hold the rope together. But being
able to have even have these kind of conversations and
just sit down and talk to each other like men,
and and when something's wearing on, you got to be
able to be able to have that space. And because
(10:09):
of that brotherhood, it's a lot easier to have that conversation.
It's interesting about about moving talking about being on four
different teams and moving around with the family and relocal
and relocate and how hard that is to like re
establish relationships not only with not only with another team
and organizations, coaches and locker room players how about the community.
(10:31):
How about the the pressure your your wife feels to
connect with because I don't know about you guys. When
I go home, you know, there's there's there's the reason
why they have that. That's saying happy, happy wife. My
wife ain't happy. Okay, We're gonna have some problems, but
my wife needs to have somebody who she can connect with,
and my kids and going to school and the community
(10:51):
they are part of. Do they feel I mean, that
was a big reason beyonest with you, truth be told,
that's a big reason why I stayed in Seattle. I
had had opportunities to move to other places, but I
think that's been my biggest struggle, honestly really, because the
thing is is, you know, at one point in time,
we did three cities in three years, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, New York.
(11:12):
My wife is in Pittsburgh getting a nursing degree with
a two year old. I'm in Jacksonville playing. She's flying
back and forth from Pittsburgh to Jacksonville, and then we
go to New York and we have another baby in
New York. So we having babies, you know, all the stresses,
and it's like it's like, you know, you're not even
(11:32):
sitting down long enough to build that rapport to be
able to say, Man, I'm you know, I'm struggling with this,
like I don't know how to handle this life at
home right now. She ain't even at home for us
to handle this at you know, they don't have to
playbook for that, man, MANU over that. But both of
(11:53):
you guys mentioned your wives, and you know, I could
see like the real support there. Would you say that
that your wife was the your your greatest support system
kind of through it all and through the transitions. And
then I think my question is after the wife, who
was the greatest supporter or greatest supporter you know through
you know, through it all, throughout your careers. I would
(12:13):
say it's she's probably the single most important. She's the rock.
She's the rock. Man. I agree, happy wife, happy life,
you know. Uh, you know, it's it's one of those
things when when you have that piece, it does help.
But I think after you get out of that layer,
like who can you actually talk to? Who can you trust?
(12:34):
You know, what I've had for me, it's been you know,
teammates like Ramon Foster who I went to, you know,
I think the draft was in Tennessee a couple of
years ago, and Man, we're on the back back porch.
He's smoking some steaks and we sit down. It's a
fire pit and we're throwing stuff from the fire pit
and man, just letting it all out. Man, And it's like,
that was the first time I was saying my in
(12:56):
my career that I actually sat down and relaxed long
enough for that to happen. You know. I think about
a teammate, Germany Partnell, who was in Jacksonville, you know,
just actually having the time to like, you know, we
was losing a lot in Jacksonville too, so it's like
we had a lot to talk about. We're looking at
(13:17):
we're looking at our wounds, and you know, we're going
to going to five guys and getting the burger in
the shape, you know what I'm saying. So we had
enough time to to to lamit. But it's like those
type of moments, but you don't feel comfortable enough to
share with your significant others, to be able to have
that real rapport with somebody in the locker room, to
have that real, like real conversation. Hey, I suck at
(13:39):
this right now. I am not the man the husband,
the father that I need to be right now. And
sometimes it's it's only somebody that you've played next to.
You know, You'll bled together, you've sweated together, you've lifted together,
you're one you've lost together, And it takes those type
of relationships to be able to get you through that
next mouths in your life, that next moment in your life.
(14:02):
How did you push through that? And when I say that,
I mean we talked about tough guys. We talked about
you know, it's not really viewed as how men that
play ball should do. How did you overcome being worried
about or that, or or or exposing yourself to that
level of vulnerability. For me, it just comes down to trust. Man.
(14:23):
You know, if I trust somebody, I mean I think
we as football players, that could be a double a
sword sometimes right, Like you trust somebody and then they
burn your's like you never again, you know. But at
the same time, I think that puts it like a
I think that puts like a high level of accountability
on each of us just to be there for each other.
(14:44):
Like we man, we spent we spend more time you
think about when you're playing, you spent more time with
not just that even training, these all that stuff that
you spent almost more time with those guys in the
locker room than you do with your families, your physical family.
If I can't trust you, man, who cannot trust I
think just that just building that and having that with
(15:05):
with guys and and just coming through, I think, coming
through for him when when they need to really need you.
And you know, we always tell people, yeah, I'm thinking
about your praying for you, I'll call you and stuff like.
But but if you don't actually do that stuff, follow through?
What's the follow through? I think the foalter is just
so so violently important. And so you know, I know
(15:26):
that a lot of guys um you know the plan
now and and they realize it too. Man, money don't
don't buy you happiness. You know at the fact, it
will bring you more problems. What does it look like
on the other side, Like, what does that follow through
look like on the other side? You know, I'm still
I'm current, But what does that what does that follow
through look like on the other side? Because guys talk
a lot about you know, once you leave the locker room,
(15:48):
you don't have that that bond, that relationship that that's
that's safe. That's safe space in essence, what does that
what does that safe space now look like on the
on the other side, That's a very fair and very
tough question. I would say I'm a I'm a little
bit different than the norm because I ended up being
(16:08):
an o G when I came into an organization as
a baby. You know, the Texans were brand spanking new
in two thousand two, and I was, you know, the
original draft class. And then I stayed there and I
played there for eight, you know, eight years, and I
was consistent and always always around. But while I was playing,
I made it I made it a point to be
(16:29):
good and be cool with everyone I was. I was
the NFL. I was a player rep for the team.
So you know, when you're the player of you have
a responsibility. You know, information comes down then you have
to find a way to disseminate it to every man
in that locker room. However, they absorb information to learn it,
and that is what I think really helped me build
a lot of relationships with other positions, Guys that weren't starters,
(16:53):
guys that weren't on the offensive side on the ball.
That's what That's how I got tight with a lot
of defensive players, when you can get another player to
vouch for you as the kind of person that you
are when something is tough and when something's tight, I
end up getting a lot of just random calls sometimes
from guys that you know that that played, you know,
after I played, but they said, hey, we we we
(17:16):
we heard you the man, Uh can you help us
out with this? And I just think that consistantly constantly building,
constantly building, and like you said, just constantly being there.
It builds trust. And when guys trust you, you have
a chance for them to take a chance on coming
to you because you know. So My my next question
(17:36):
I was not gonna ask of you, guys, is what
would you say to somebody to get them to take
that leap if you have something going on, you're not
sure if you can trust, you're not sure, but take
the shot. There's a good chance that any man that's
in that locker room with you is going to do
(17:57):
the right thing by you and not do the wrong
thing about you. So that that was one thing I
wanted you really to say. So everybody you know here,
because if you're gonna put out put out that message
to somebody how would you do it? I said, Man,
just we're brotherhood and then it's alone. Man, we're not.
I think sometimes guys think they have that questions because
(18:19):
they feel alone. They felt like, man, I don't I
don't have nobody in my life I can trust or
who I want to go to. I don't want to
get burned. I don't want to get left behind. You know,
ask all those questions, and we gotta be there for
each other, you know that. I just think we're here.
You know, guys are here, you know that. And there's
so many I mean, we have the legends community obviously,
(18:39):
what trusted are part of, you know, in terms of
when guys get out of the league, and our whole role,
our whole thing is we want to stay engaged with
guys connected through we stay connected. Man. We got twenty
some thousands like living legends that played this game. Man,
we want to stay connected with everybody, right, nobody When
he walked through this thing alone and then other things,
(19:01):
I was just say, man, just just there's so many
there's resources out there, right, and we all know this, right,
we we sit in the meetings and coming to tell
you got all this stuff and bad like I don't
want Okay, collective, that's right. You haven't already paid George,
you might as well use it. Do we get him
the action I wish. I wish I had to die
(19:21):
for every time they came in and heard that, and
I was like, man, I'm to try to get the
lunch man, hurry up and finish this conversation because I
got some food to get to. But it doesn't. When
the rebber meets the road is when it's all over,
it's it's quiet bad, Like okay, what did they say again?
There's so many resources out there, you know, for guys,
you know, no matter what situation you're in, whether it's
(19:44):
you need financial help, but you need continuing education or
whatever it is, there's the stuff that for you and
especially you know, coming out of the climate that we
were just you know, well we're still in it. We're
not out of it right there with the vaccination have
done yet we probably this could be going for another
couple of years. Man, where we can't. Somehow we're gonna
(20:06):
have to figure out how to stay and gage and
access that stuff that's available so the guys can get
whatever they need, whether it's just somebody to talk to
on the other side, or somebody to give us some
advice and then put about how to better do whatever
it is that they want to do when you so
you're still playing you you are still going back, and
(20:26):
you're gonna be in the locker room, you know, just
off this conversation. Uh has anything changed as the way
you'll engage with guys now or if you know a
guy is going through a rough time in a rough spot,
just putting your arm around him, how will you take
this conversation and apply to the men that you are
in the locker room going forward? I think you have
(20:46):
to be even more intentional. You know, I'm an nfl
p A rep too, So it's like I understand, I
understand that that facet of it and understanding you have
to be able to disseminate information, but you just have
to be even more intentional. I think that's the number
one thing. And you know I was playing and joking
about eating, but I think that's the best way in
(21:06):
which for me it allows me to get to know
you better and get to you know, kind of break
down that that possible barrier that may be there. It's
just being able to to build on that relationship pull up,
pull up, the pull up the chair, you know, during
one of them them dog days and training camp you know,
(21:27):
um now training camfe what y'all training? Let me get me.
That's a whole other. That's a whole another segment right there,
you know. And ain't doing them going to lift sometimes
to run around and underwear it ain't. But it while
I have you here, I say this truthfully, we stand
(21:49):
on the shoulders of those who came before us. Y'all
came before us, y'all set the stage for for where
we're at as a union, as a as a league.
Where we're at, I mean, this game is is what
it is right now because of you know, the sacrifices
that you all made playing in the trenches before me.
Trust you, I got much respect for fullback period. You know,
(22:12):
period they don't they got back. So you know, ain't
nobody running ice on them all, you know. Not That
in itself has to be said because if you realize
what the legends have done before us, how they found
a way to thrive in spite of we have to
(22:36):
find a way to thrive in spite of and that
that way is to spend time with each other to
get to know each other and get to know the real,
the real the real men behind behind them. And the
thing is is, you know, early on in my career,
I would do football camps, and I think we've all
done football camps in some shape form of fashion. And
for me, that was the time where I really got
(22:57):
to see people for who they were and they got
to see me for who I was. I brought him
down to my house, They came to my grandmother's house.
They ate my grandmother's cooking, my mother's cooking, you know,
so you got it was true. It was true intimacy.
You know where you're getting to really the root of
who somebody is. To allow a man to come into
your house and eating your mother and your grandmother's table,
(23:20):
that's that's that's more than Hey, we're going out to
the State House as close and as tight as for real,
so to be able to for me, that was that
was special. Going to other guys camp. I remember going
to Pouncey's camp, you know him and his brothers and
you know um spending time with his mother, his father,
(23:43):
you know, his family. Going to Will Johnson's camp in
West Virginia, going to German Partnell's camp, you know, going
to a different special well, I mean, I think that's
the way that you know, just a very tangible way
in which you're able to build on a real relationship
with guys across a lot of strength and straight and
in connection, you know, and it deepens it. And I
think you know, as a current player, that's the way
(24:04):
in which we can tap into to spending time with
one another because what we're gonna do in training camp
and O T A. S. That is what it is.
But to take time out of your schedule to go
to somebody else's home, to spend time in somebody else's environment,
I mean, I think that takes it to a much
deeper level. And then it's easy to talk about the resources,
(24:25):
and it's easier to it's easy to say, hey, you know,
make sure you check out you know, the NFL website
and you know, benefit as much as you can. Just
shut up, rookie, just right, just the money in the fort,
whatever the max is in there. It's easy to have
(24:47):
that conversation when you when you really know somebody, they
know you, you know their kids, and I mean that's
another thing. You get to spend time with their kids,
their kids growing up with your kids. It's like that
connectivity just it changes the game over the over, the
you know, over the over, the life, over your life
in the league, and over when you get rid of transition.
(25:07):
I mean, I'm just now seeing guys transition. I talked
about Ramon. I know what r J is doing that.
I know A Miles is doing that. You know, because
I saw them when they were you know, need how
to adduct. So it's like seeing them now. It's it's
it's fun of seeing them now, you know. So you
know what, how do we the most resistant of resistance,
the naysayer, oh oh, bitter Becky. How do we get him?
(25:34):
How do we get him too to believe? How do
we get him to trust? How do we get him
to say when he needs help? Come on, man, just
pull me to the side. It's already. Just be me
and you and let's work through this thing. It's the
best way to engage him. I don't I don't know
if there's a one answer to that, I'd say, for me,
(25:55):
be asked, what's your alternative? What's what's your alternative of that? Man?
I mean, because I think that's the conversation that people
need to have. It is when they don't, when they say, hey,
I don't want to take and manage these benefits and
and things that are out there for him, It's like, really,
why not? What? What? Why? Why? Why would you not
do that? They're there for you, that that that to
(26:17):
help you this and it's not a sign. It's not
about labeling you in some ways, it's all confidential. It's
not there to label you, call you a coward or
weekly or any of that stuff. It's to help you
to be successful. Do you want to be successful? Do
you want to be your best? Do you want to
be the best version of yourself? That's what this is
there for. Man. I mean it would be a crime.
(26:39):
It's a crime to me when people don't use it.
You know, if you play one year, if you play
fifteen years or however many years, if you don't, if
you earn something and you don't take advantage of it,
that's a that's a car that's to me, that's a crime.
It's just like to waste that way, like why would you?
Why would why would you do that? And usually that
brings out another layer of conversations. You know what I'm saying, Well,
(27:02):
I don't want to do it. Because of you know,
blah blah blah, whatever it is, because of my my wife,
or because of you know, I'm afraid of how I'm
gonna look or and then you can any good enough? Yeah? Yeah,
and I passed the classes. If I try to go
back to school, yeah, I wouldn't be when, so how
(27:22):
I'm gonna doing it when I'm thirty two? I don't
want to be embarrassed. But like, man, you think you
can't you think you only do thirty five years old
that then finished school. They played this game. I promise
you you're not by alone, you know, so, so you
can have that conversation about with people that mean to me,
it's just like what else are you gonna do if
you don't If you're not gonna take advantage of this,
you know? So what about you see a youngster in
(27:45):
the in the locker room. That's no, that's not for me.
I don't need that, you know. I think when you're
and y'all got so much wisdom. Man, you know, I
think as a young person you just try to force
feed it, which is probably not the right way to
doing something else. But it's like here the resources you
need to take advantage of this. I'm not gonna ask
(28:06):
no questions. I'm not sure to try to smooth talky.
This is out here. You need to spend time doing it.
You know, with wisdom and in age and maturity, you know,
you think about it a different way. But I think
for for me, it's like, hey, this is this is here,
you know, take advantage of it. For one K it's here,
(28:29):
UM tuition, reimbursement, it's here. It's so many you know,
here's the list goes on and on and it's just
unbelievable and pushing folks to use it. It's so important
it's here. You know, all the resources. You know, whether
it's with your local club in your city, you know,
it's here, um and it's up to you. And I
(28:52):
think more than anything, it really has put the onus
on you as an individual to want to be your best.
If you want to be your best, take this initiative
to be I really feel like persistence is the key
to that. And there's varying forms of persistence. Is you know,
(29:16):
persistence you can drink from a water fountain or as persistence,
and you could drink from a fire hydrant. Either way,
as long as it's constantly coming to you constantly reminding
you of man, these are tools to help you be
the best man. You can be the best dad, you
(29:36):
can be the best human, you best brother, best it.
And I think that that's a big piece of it
is if they're resistant, and then we find out the
reason they're resistant, then we stress to them the importance
of Okay, be the best you can be. Well, some
people are like, hey, I'm pretty damn good where I
am Jack, I'm cool, but then stressing well, why not
(29:59):
be head? Or if you can be better? If you
can be my favorite saying, if you're an NFL starter
on your worst day, your thirty second best on God's
green Earth, at what you do, that's your worst day,
but why not be top ten? Why not be the best?
(30:22):
Where what I mean with Tom Brady being all the
conversations that Tom Brady has been in, if he was
only the fourth best or the sixth best, Tom said,
I'm gonna be numero una, sorry, Mr Montana, It's just
how it is. He went to go do that. Now
he's a different self motivator, but I guarantee there's somebody
(30:44):
always constantly in the background pushing him because he's put
people in position because he knows what he needs to
push him to be his best and getting guys to
understand that being your best it's worth it. To provide
feedback or request the topic for discussion, email us at
NFL Legends at NFL dot com
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