On the latest NFL players: Second Acts podcast, former 11-year veteran linebacker Stephen Tulloch joins Peanut and Roman on the show. Stephen was one of the most respected linebackers in the game because of his production and ironman status. He’s carried that mentality into the business world as a successful real estate investor, coffee brand creator, and children’s book author. Stephen talks with the guys about how he took advantage of the NFL’s entrepreneurship program during his playing career, and the lessons that have served him well as a businessman. He also shares how he overcame the odds to excel as an undersized middle linebacker in the NFL, and what it’s really like to tackle a running back like Adrian Peterson. And, of course, Peanut and Roman get Stephen to name the people of influence on his personal Mount Rushmore.
The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are you guys doing.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is Steven Tuller, eleven year NFL veteran founder of
Circles's Coffee entrepreneur. This is NFL Second Ass Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Thanks for tuning in. I'm Peanut Tillman. And this guy
right over here to my left, that's Roman Harper and
this is the NFL Player's Second Acts Podcast. Uh well, yeah, man,
I appreciate it. Number one.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
All of our followers, viewers, please continue to follow. Tell
a friend, to tell a friend to do what pnut
Tell a friend. Thank you, give us a five star rating,
give us a review. Also, kick that click that follow button.
Wherever you pick up your podcast, whether it's Apple, Apple
Podcast or iHeartRadio, please continue to look in, click tell somebody.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Peanut, I'm really excited about this. This next guest, he's
an entrepreneur, done so many great things, great football player
really want to and what he's drinking right now is
absolutely amazing.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm mindploying. I'm gonna let you read the bio. Do
you want to read the bio?
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You know?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I just resume? Okay, all right, I got it because
you read everything else, all right, so shake it. This
gentleman played eleven years in the NFL for the Titans,
the Lions, and the Eagles. In twenty twelve and thirteen,
he made the NFL Top one Hunter List. He received
the Walter Peate Man in the Year nomination Community Service
Award four times during his career. Now he's a philanthropist, author,
(01:25):
and entrepreneur. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Steven Tullock to
the show.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Thank you again. I want to irriterate man.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How proud I am of you guys. Has transitioned very
well into your podcast? Phenomenal follow very well. I wish
you guys much success. Did you guys keep going on
your journey? So don''t get that out there.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
For you know what, man, let me just check this out.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Let me just say the first Christian cuss word of
the podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Damn right. Appreciate that. Thank you for that. Appreciate thank you,
Thank you all right. Man. So you turned thirty nine January,
the first number one. What is that like? Bringing it?
I was thirty nine? Treating you all right?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
P Nut is much older than that. He's older than that.
How is that treating you? How's it all going? I
think it's a blessing, man.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I mean to be born New Year's Day, Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
To start the year off for the new birthday, Yeah,
I think it's you know, it's a good feeling. Obviously, Capricorns,
we work hard. We're hard working with go get us.
So New Year's Day is a blessing to be born
in that day and to be able to start the
year off from the right track.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
All right, what are you looking forward to in forty, Like,
it's forty going to be different for you?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Man, I think forty for me number one, you know,
settling down, family, kids, the whole nine. But uh, I
think just the transition.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I've retired about six seven years now, so to be
able to transition, to fully transition out of the game.
You know how it is when you leave the game,
takes a while to kind of get your feet under you.
But it feels good now to be a mentor to
younger players, you know, working with the NFL, the young
guys that are transitioning from the NFL, being a voice
for them, a role model for these young guys. So
I take on that role. I pride myself in that role,
leading by example, So just being more of a leader. Yeah,
(02:56):
my family guy.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
For Suah So at thirty nine, are you happy with
where life is and where you are at thirty nine?
Right now?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You know, as a fourth round draft pick to play
eleven years and to be able to transition into real
estate and into coffee business, it's it's phenomenal. I think
just going to these entrepreneurship courses during the course of
my career helped prepare me for life after football and
put me in a good lane to be able to
now be able to pay it back forth to you.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So we were talking, we were talking to the commissioner
about all the programs that the NFL has to offer,
and since you talked about the entrepreneurship like, what are
what's one of the best things that you received from
that entrepreneurship entrepreneurship program.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I'll say in two thousand and six and I got drafted,
I had a mentor by the name of David Thornton.
I came from from the Colts over It was a
free agent. He took me on his wings, so you
can go one to two routs him. Boy, you can
follow that guy over there the X Y Z or
you can follow me. So I followed him and went
to Goldsborough to his hometown, showed me how to run
his foundation, how to be a pro on and off
the field, to take care of my body, and talk
to me about entrepreneurship program NFL provides. So I went
(03:54):
to Stafford University as a second year player. I went
to the Stephen raw School of Business as a fourth
or fifth your player want to University of Miami business
going and offseason, So just a networking and being those rules.
Those people helped me propel my mindset to understand that
there is life after football, right and I have a kickstarter,
you know, to be able to pare for that. So
having that mentorship really prepared me for life after football.
(04:15):
And I just thank David a lot that's for pulling
me under his wings and leading me in the right direction.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
I love the fact that you know, most of us
when we're playing football, we're just playing football, all right,
But you literally took advantage.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Of all these opportunities that the offered.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Absolutely and you've taken that and you put into into
your everyday life. So because you maybe talk to us
a little bit about that part of it, Yeah, what
you're doing right now, I.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Think it's important, man, just to have the opportunity to
even play in the game. I'm just thankful to have
the privilege to even get drafted and play as long
as I did. A good mentor mind's got me Eric Thomas,
he's a hip hop preacher. He's at my right hand guy,
and he's really guiding me out throughout the course of
my career, just pairing mentally of how bad you want
to succeed. And know my mom being a single parent,
you know, it taught me a lot about adversity, going
(04:57):
through ups and downs and just making her problem was
my number one goal and I live with that chip
every day in my life. Is to keep making myself
proud of my mom, proud of my family. So just
taking advantage of every opportunity that I have. I think
it's big for me. I started got into the coffee
business and got into real estate and and just like
I said, going to these entrepreneurship courses really helped my
mindset and understanding my weaknesses and where I need help
(05:19):
and strength and consulting so being able to have a
great team. It's not about me, it's the team people
around me and my publicists, my you know, my consultants,
everyone who who I pay to kind of help guide
in the right direction to help mitigate my risk. Really
helped put me in a good position.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yeah, all the all the correct words mitigating risks and
the smartest guy in the room continue to have people
find my blind spots. There's all great business minded thoughts
and directions. So great job on you talking about overachieving
or accomplishing certain things. What about your beloved Detroit lines
(05:58):
this year? Could we maybe talk about them?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I mean the good?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Okay, all right, we're probably a couple of weeks away
from the bad, but let's talk about the good.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
You were there for.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
In Ford Field the night of the playoffs once again.
I saw it on Instagram. Yeah, and so you look
like you're having a great time throwing T shirts with
golden and what was it like in the building that day?
Understand that you've been to the playoffs a couple of
times yourself personally with Detroit. They actually won this game
the first time in many years.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I mean, you guys know man Owen sixteen, the worst
franchise in NFL history. You know the coach Schwartz when
he came over as as a head coach for the Lions,
he brought me over here in free agency, and uh,
you know, we talked about changing the culture in Detroit,
and I think the Ford family has done phenomenal job
of just bringing the right people in, understanding the pitfalls
with certain coaches getting rid of that, bringing the right
(06:48):
guy a former player like Dan Campbell. I think mister
Holmes is doing a great job as well, just kind
of putting the piece in place. I mean, for the
first time, I think we all can agree that Detroit
has some kind of relevancy. Yeah, you know and that
and obviously you know you played Chicago.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
I was rooting for him though I was rooting for Detroit.
I promise you I was. I was rooting for him
against we weren't going nowhere. I love the story. I
love what they were doing. Is do you think Dan
Campbell is the guy you would love to have played for?
I think so.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I think well Number one, call Well to me is
one of the best coach I've ever been around. Coach
Calwell as a great, phenomenal, great man, great leadership. I
think just you know Campbell, he played the game, so
it's a little bit different. It speaks the same message.
So I think you could tell the way these guys
played from previous season going one and seven and then
turning back around and win the last games, beating Green
Bay to.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Keep my playoffs.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
So you could tell when the team believes in the coaching,
plays the way they play, you got something. And it
showed this year when they opened up the season against
Kansas City, how they won that game and how the
season ended. So I think the Detroit in a great spot.
You know, obviously we would like that outening to be
a little bit different NFC Championship game and we'll be
talking about a little bit different, but the lines being
the super Bowl. But nevertheless, I think they had a
great season and they definitely have something to build on going.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
All right, tell me this, So should he kick the
field goal?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
To be quite honest with you, Uh, I think we.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
All agree maybe he should have. I think it's a science.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
But he's been a gambler all season, you know, so
it worked, It's worked for him, so unfortunately it kind
of backfired on him. But I think for the most part,
you know, you know, you got to live by you
die by it, and so I think, uh, he got
him to that point. It just shows where the teams
that mentally, you know, now and next year has to
be that that next step.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
And you know, since we're talking about the playoffs, let's uh,
let's let's maybe rehash this wound for you. I believe
you guys went to the playoffs in two thousand and
twelve and played against the New Orleans Saints.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I think you guys lost pretty bad. Yeah, we did.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
That was a tough loss.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Man.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
We went to your hometown, went to your city. It
was a great game, Drew Brees. We had you guys
the first half, yeah, and then spros kind of got
got going and in the.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Office, you know, was a little ship.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Obviously. You know, Drew is phenomenal quarterback. You have a
great organization, So kudos to you.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
But you know, was it good though, just to take
to the playoff?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I think it was great, be quite honest. It was sources.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You know, obviously my first year in Detroit and to
be able this team had to been in a playoffs
since ninety three, you know, so just to get there,
I think it was a great step for us. And
I think, you know, we kind of propelled the team
into where they're at today to take that next step.
So I think it's training in the right direction. We
just got to keep building on that.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So you got drafted by the Titans. At some point
you go and you play for the Lions right when
it was time to retire. Why did you pick the
Lions with the Titans?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I just love Detroit, you know, I think the Titans.
I love the Titans as well. Right, you know how
it goes, right when a team drafts you, you know
they other teams seek more value in you than your
own team sometimes, right, we all know how it goes, right.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
That's true.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
So so to feel appreciated when you leave, you know,
you leave and so many teams are reaching out to
you because they want your services. There's no other feeling,
especially myself being a fourth round draft pick who left
school early as a junior. You know, to finally you
have that feeling of somebody that wants you. It's a
good feeling. So the level of respect of the Ford
families gave me when I was there, the organization top
the bottom, it is.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Just de choice is a special place.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
And uh, you know, to have the opportunity to play
for such a one offul organization and to have the
opportunity to come back and Lennon know, I'm retiring form
the open doors to have that press conference. For me,
spokes speaks to the value of who the organization is
and what they stand for, so that they have no
great feeling to come back and just retire.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Line.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Yeah, Coach Caldwell calls you a man's man, a man's man.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, what is the ultimate compliment? Like for me?
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I have my own idea of what the ultimate compliment
as a as a football player, as a former player, Yeah,
what is the ultimate compliment for you? When they say
Steven Tullick dash.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I think being named the captain? Right? You know?
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I think when you go to the off season and
you're practicing during training camp and you're just leading by example.
You're not even thinking the second nations, You're just doing
what you do, and then your peers around you off you.
Two guys see you as that guy. So we send
the auditorium and they pass that sheet around, who do
you want to announce your captain? And you come back
and at the practice and coach says, we got your
captain here for you. I mean to be to be
that guy that the team depends on the sees that
(11:04):
you can lead them is probably one of the greatest
feelings of my career that can ever besides getting paid
and get the contract, having my peers look at me
and value me as a guy that they can look
up to as a role model to make decisions and
lead the team by example. So we're in that sea
of my chest and walking off the coin toss every
week was one of the special ones in my career.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
All right, that's beautiful. I would not have anticipated that.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
For me.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
It was like just being called a pro. A pro
like that means I study right, I do the right things.
That was always something I took wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
How about you, peen?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Ut was? I think mine was really just work ethic. Yeah,
I think my teammates appreciated how I I worked. I
think I don't think it'll ever say I was a leader.
I think I just played too much. I was yeah, yeah,
I was joking all the time. I was a silent professional,
but I was jokes. I had jokes.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
But you made a lot of players. You know, watch
Sports Center, You knocking the ball out and you call
turn over like I did it.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
He's right, he cannot be a captain because he plays
way too much.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
He's always I'm serious field can't say something and not
say it.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
He has to say it. We were in a very
serious moment right there, and you like that is you
ruined the whole thing from coach because you just had
to say that. You just couldn't hold it.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I did, yeah, and so yes, that was that.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
All right.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Let's let's switch gears a little bit. We're talking about
the highs.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Let's talk about a little bit of a low because
I think it's interesting. This probably happens four to five
times a year, from high school to pros.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
You know, somebody gets hurt. Yeah, while celebrating.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
So you tour in a CEO versus Green Bay during
the celebration after a sac looked like you were doing
the discount double check versus Ann Rogers a little ah.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
And you're landing.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
You're like, ah, oh man, it just went down, crazy man.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And what's crazy is right, I've started one hundred and
some played one hundred and thirty some games straight something
before the game they announced on TV on the big screen,
even you one hundred and thirty. But we're off to
a great start, man, We're like, what three and one
going into green Bay?
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Right? You know?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Green Bay has always been a little brother us for
a long time. You know, you're always talking crappy, you know,
he's just yeah and yeah, yeah I love Aaron, but man, yeah,
but crazy freak freak freak situation. Right, jumped up, came down,
and it's just, you know, unbelievable. Man, It's something. It's
something like everything slowed down. I've never missed a game.
(13:27):
I started pretty much every game in my career, and
then the next week my guy Lamar Lamar Houston.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah, but you guys did the same thing.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
It's like, yeah, back to back weeks, right, and something
that's never happened before.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
But uh yeah he did his in Detroit.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
In Chicago versus figure like fourth quarter after.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, same thing.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Right, So rehabs missed all of fourteen pretty much three games,
missed all the fourteen, which is crazy, went to the playoffs,
we lost to Dallas, and then had another year. They
brought me back and you know, fished my career Philly.
But yeah, one of those things that first time I
care have ever had adversity. I've ever missed a game,
ever missed practice. So it was something that I'll prepare
for mentally, because I you know, I prepare like a
(14:10):
pro week in, the week out. So I just handled
it like anything else, but one of those moments that
you know, it is what it is and you just
kind of bounce back and rehab and finished My career,
did eleven two more years after that and got eleven
years in.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
So are you the guy now? That's like, Hey, celebrate
a little bit differently people.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
I think. I think at the end of the day, man,
you got to enjoy the game. Man. You know, you
know much energy goes into this thing.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Man, how much work goes in from chiropractice and massage, therapist, acupuncture,
hot up, cold tub, just out to the game, you
know what I'm saying, and to make a play. I mean,
it's it's like in the world's watching, it's it's an
unbelievable feeling, right. So I just think, you know, in
my situation, I think more of a freak freak situation, you.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
But other than that, man, I think you guys should
definitely enjoy the game, Celebrate the hard work you put
in there obviously your marketing or your own entity, you know,
show that you know what I'm saying, it's it.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Unfortunately, in my situation.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I got what thirteen? You got what the eleven? Eleven?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I know you asked a lot of ball in this question,
but I'm saying it in one way. If you could
sum up your career, like, how would you sum it
up in one word? Your entire eleven years?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
My entire eleven year is one word, I'll say, uh, resilient.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yeah, I'd say resilient.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
I think coming in as a fourth rounder, being a
special teams guy, and you guys know you got to
stay ready.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
So you don't got to get ready exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
The guy goes down versus Kansas City, playing prest homes
and cony gazalees in Kansas City. And from that moment on,
I started wrestling my curerly up to my last year.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
And what year was that?
Speaker 1 (15:38):
For you?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
This was year two, year two, okay, so.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Yeah, second game of year two. It became and started
alway the year ten.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
And for me, man, you know, that moment was like
an unbelievable situation because you know what what you put
on films, what their value at. I mean, there's no okay, coach,
I'll do it again next week. Now this is your opportunity,
So you study your playbook you know what cover one is,
you know your zone, you know where to drop, what
the reads are, and so I'll always prepare like a pro,
like you know I'm gonna play, and so having that
mindset understanding, when the opportunity came, I was ready for
(16:05):
it and never looked back. And uh, you know, ten
eleven years, nine years later, I was able to have
a strong career and do eleven years. But as you know, man,
the opportunity come knock and you got to take advantage
of it. Because there's so many guys that are number
two of them in three on the depth chart that
deserve to be starters, but they're just in a bad
spot when it comes to positions. So to have the
opportunity present itself, I never looked back, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
I just think it's amazing that just because I was,
my story is a little bit different, right, we all
have them different. So I started early, and I started
as a rookie. But I don't think people understand how
hard it is to not be an everyday starter in
the NFL, to be a special teams guy and then
if somebody goes down, like you.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Got to be able to do both and you can't
drop off camp. I don't think you.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Understand that you cannot.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
That is the hardest thing is to prepare all week long,
not to know that you're not going to play right,
then be called to duty and then.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Not mess it up.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
And so I want to give you your flowers now
because I didn't know that's how you got your first start.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
That was it special teams guy, an opportunity, and then
that was it. I became a startup middle linebacker for
the Titans with Keith Bullet and throw it next to me.
Then went to Detroit with Levy and those guys and
with the field. You know, it's crazy how that works. Man.
I'm telling you, man, everything happened for a reason. But
it's the mindset of being an underdog and just preparing
like you're a pro and making sure you're ready when
your number is called. And like I said, having great
(17:30):
mentorship during the course of my career really helped my
mindset and be ready to you to prepare like I
was going to play. And like you said, man, I
did special teams and it was a starter until I
became a third three down player and then you know,
I kind of get out special teams. But I think
any guy that comes in late rounds, you got to
have your mind right understanding. Either you were the guy
in college, but you got to humble yourself. And when
coach we had that meeting, you know how it is
(17:51):
on Wednesday, and we watched everybody's in that room watching
special team. They want to see who that doll's want
to be. You know they're watching. Okay, Coach, we got
to put him in. Coach, he's playing on special teams.
Now you're vouching for you guy. You see what he
can do, and you want to see him doing. That's
kind of how it was for me. A lot of
guys wanted to see me play. It's an opportunity present himself.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
I was ready.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
But I don't think people realize that a special teams player,
you're still a star in the National Football League A
Like it's not offensive defense, but you are still a starter.
If you're a kick return kick you're for it, Like, yeah,
you are a starter in the league. I don't think
people realize that value. I didn't value well, I didn't
(18:26):
think like that at first.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
I fel like he was just like God, yeah, but
I didn't.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
I didn't think like that until the coach said, and
I was like, well, dang, he you can. You can
get paid, you can pay double digit years, you can
go to Pro Bowls, you can you know, like yeah,
this you can eat off of the sposal team's gig, right.
I was. I started all thirteen of my years I was,
I was thirty. I started all thirteen years old sposal
teams and on defense like I.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Was, you know, it was like a specialist. He was like,
that's like what he did. Oh yeah out there.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I'm like, bro, how do.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
You do this? Because we were in the corner.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Yeah, And I'm like, how do you do this?
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Because I was never a special teams guy. And for
those that don't know, if you're not a special teams guy,
you don't get to become a special teams guy.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Like you're eight nine, you have to leave.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
You you the start, but you can't go back.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
You don't go back.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
You're trying to steal. He's like, I'm away, still be one,
gonna be a mentor. You don't get it back kicking
back like a guard positions.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, that's a problem. People don't understand. That is really
so because I never did it. Like I'm looking at
I don't understand.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
You're the guy came in after trying to start the
guy you watch it.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I'm like, Peter, how you do this?
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Though?
Speaker 3 (19:49):
It's like how I never came off. I've just been doing.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
You know, back in the days they have player performance, right,
so now I was an extra snap.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Yeah yeah, yeah, that's my fourth round guy. Right. You
know what I'm saying that money, that money matters. We'll
be back in a minute.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Let's talk about this transition period and like, yes, and
the whole thing we do with this whole podcast talk
about our second act and yours has been successful, and
so let's talk about the period of like, okay, you
talked about following your mentor the Thornton guy and said, okay,
second year, I go and do.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
What entrepreneurial on Stanford University.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
Stanford University, and the reasoning behind it was prepare.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
I mean all the fourth throne draft pick. I wasn't
starting at the times right before I became a starter,
and he talked him sis. He told it, man, you
know you got a little signing bonus. She made just
hundred million dollars. He said, start preparing. Understand how money works, right,
I understand taxes, understand your family's going to ask you
for stuff. Understand this all now, so when you hopefully
one day you do get the money, you understand how
it works. And so, man, I really thank him a
(20:57):
lot for because I didn't have financial literacy going up.
This person never make money in my family, you know.
So I'm teaching my family how finances work and say
we can't just give it because you think I have it.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
You know, it's.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
About longevity and growth and reinvesting and keep it so happen,
you know. So this teaching that financial literacy in my
family was very important. To go on to Stanford University
and understanding how money works and networking and being in
position really helped me understand that, you know what their's
life at the football and paid for now. And so
just going through those courses, I'm telling you, man, like
without those courses, I don't know what I would be
(21:29):
where I would be at now, just from a financial standpoint.
As a guy that's retired, I know so many guys
that have left the game and just in disarray, right,
you know who's made tens of millions more than me,
who they ain't really doing good? Suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety.
So I work with the company called Pro Athletes Community
Caleb throwing hills with the Spurs, but we help players transition,
(21:49):
work with the Mammi Dolphins in the offseason and just
currenting former players during the off scene as well, just
so you know they come to the coffee shop. We
talk about life, about transitioning, how to be a pro
on and off the field, of paying for now. So
when it hits you, you know you're not want to completely,
You're not doing the headlights. So I think men for us,
my entrepreneurship is football. It teaches you consistency, discipline, accountability.
(22:11):
Right when you keep those three things in your mind,
you live that every day you're going to be successful.
You don't know yourself accountable. So I think just for
guys that are leaving the game or playing the game,
understanding that you have to prepare non for life after
football because you just never know what's gonna end. Just
being that voice for them is it's important for me.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
So I see you, you got a little little drinking
drink and yeah, can you list all of the ventures
that you're currently doing right now?
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Oh yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
It's pretty straightforward. I got into commercial real estate. Well,
my foundation number one is kind of what I love
to do, giving back, helping people.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
You foundation, Steven.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Tullick Foundation, helping what do they do so we up
under previous kids, a woman with breast cancer, foster care kids,
kids with the adverse situations. I've been doing that since
I was in college NC State the Community Service a
Year award. Like I just I grew up in a
nursing home. My mom was a private nurse. So growing
up as a kid, I used to push patients around
to bingo and to get the hair done and you know,
(23:08):
always serving people.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
My mom was serve bingo all five.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
In there.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
But just having an opportunity to have a mom to
understand that we didn't have much growing up. But giving
is more than receiving, and so having a platform them
NFL shield Prepared propelled me to understand that, you know,
I'm in a situation where I can bring awareness a
lot of things. So having that foundation for me was huge.
So my foundation number one is key. I started into
commercial real estate twenty seventeen. I started buying property and
(23:38):
fall out of their Florida about some building, some land,
and I came to put this idea of opening up
a coffee shop and drive through, which is the first
one in downtown for Lauderdale. I went to coffee school
in Seattle. Seattle breaks the Academy on Seattle, learned coffee.
I hired the teacher as my consultant. I flew back
to Fort Lauderdale. I'll fire him every two weeks from
Seattle on Southwest to stay at my house. And I
created this brand called Circle House Coffee. I want to
(23:58):
go Daddy dot com for hundred and seven dollars about
the name Circle House Coffee for one hundred and seven,
went to Instagram, LinkedIn. Twitter took the handlers for it,
and then I went ahead and you know a trademark
and got my lawyers involved and created the logo in
the brand and we created the brand twenty nineteen, so
it be five years. March ninth, it'll be five years
in business. But since then, you know, we've just been growing,
you know, work with NFL teams like the Unami Dolphins,
(24:21):
Detroit Lions were working on the NFL some other teams
that were working on just kind of you know, distribute
our coffee. So this is our first uh you know
coffee in it can it's our natural cobrew put that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Put that on.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah, it's our natural col brew. Something that I've always
envisioned having. It talks about our mission, our story, thanking
the fans and the community for being a part of our
mission to help give back one sip at a time.
So everything that we do when we sell these cans,
we take a part of the portions and get them
my foundation, which we give at the community. So it's
not just about coffee just having a great coffee. It's
(24:54):
about the brand behind and the impact that we're making
behind coffee. And so I think that's that's our mission,
is to be able to keep impacting the world. I
was able to build a school on my mom's hometown
in Jamaica in twenty seventeen through my foundation for one
hundred and eighty kids and my mom's home town named
after my mom, Mercedes be Teller Infant School. So just
giving back as much as I can, Man, because like
you said, it's all about our legacy what we leave.
(25:14):
You're never Denzel watching the set at most, Man, you'll
never see a U haul behind hers, you know what
I'm saying. So to be able to give more than
you receive pluses come in so many forms, and I live.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
By that every day.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So Circle House Coffees as my as my brand that
I'm really true to. And in commercial real estate.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Now why why coffee?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Though?
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Like have you been drinking coffee?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
As you know?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
And you know football, man, you get that facility, it's
it's early morning. Yeah, means means right, So you try
to stay awake, right, So you go in that cafe,
pour some coffee, you eat them something. See, you're just
trying to stay glued to the screen.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Everybody, coffee?
Speaker 1 (25:49):
That was that ingredents?
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Right?
Speaker 1 (25:53):
You have one of your poisons.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Everybody, I think it's coffee. I'm like, damn, you know what, man,
it's crazy. I want to be inclusive. You know, I
don't really see a lot of minority coffee shops. I'm like,
you know what, man, I'm gonna make a staple on it.
You know what I'm saying. I'm gonna getting the coffee industry.
You know, I'm an learning number one. I'm gona invest
my money and I'm on my real estate because I
know I can grow equity in my real estate. So the
worst caase there if my coffee venture doesn't work. I
still w my real estate. I can lease it out
(26:15):
and make money and be a landlord, right, so I
own all my properties and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
So I did that. The brand worked out. We're five
years in.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
We're expanding and hopefully you see this in your in
North Carolina and the Chicago in your convenience stores here.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
So yeah, so working working at people buy right now.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
So right now you can go to Circle House Coffee
dot com. You can order launch on our website. Like
I said, we're gonna be disputing this is. This is
our launch for Super Bowl. We're just launching the cans now.
But circleuse Coffee dot com. You can find it. We
sell whole beans, grind beans five pounds twelve ounces, our
cobrew nitro. We're gonna do some CBD infused THC infused coffee.
(26:52):
So we had a lot of things in the work.
But I love Circle House Coffee. Man, it's a phenomenal.
You guys should try with lease some stuff for you
before you leave.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I appreciate that. Appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
I definitely get on that. Two questions for you. Number one,
I want to go back. You said you went to
coffee school. Yeah, right, let's indulge in that for me,
just tell me, explain to me for those that don't know,
like myself, because I'm in coffee.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Yeah, so I think before getting anything, whatever it is
you want to invest your money in as an individual,
you never want to count on somebody else's understanding. You
want to know where you're putting your money at and
understand how things move, what it does, how it makes
the process of it. So, being that I wanted to
start a coffee shop, I went to coffee school to
understand what is coffee? You know, what are the beans?
(27:34):
You know, how do you roast it? You know, how
do you temper it? Like what temperature does it have
to be at? How do you steam your milk and foement?
You know, I want to understand the logistics of coffee.
Coffee is one of the largest commodities in the world.
You know, it costs a couple of cents to make,
but yet five six dollars to sell. I mean, the
returns on coffee is crazy, right, And so to be
able to get into that game and now really seeing
(27:55):
and how it works and the money behind it, it's
just it's unbelievable. It's like modern day you know, do
you know what I'm saying? This is one of those
things that people are addicted to, but I love it.
And so going to coffee school helped me understand that
what coffee was, how it works. But then hiring the
teacher I never forget. I asked the guys, said, can
I get your phone NOOM an email address? I'd love
(28:16):
to talk to you when I get back to Florida.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
So I called him.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I said, look, man, I don't know much about coffee.
I recorded, uh the the class while I was there,
but would love to free to be a consultant. At
that time, he was a league guy for University of
Washington's coffee program. Says, I love to be a consultant.
I said, look, I'll pay x y X y Z.
You can fly in town. I'll fly you in Southwest
red Eyes. When you fly home, you can go straight
to the campus, off to university and work and just
help me build it out man, And he became my
(28:40):
general manager. After that, We've been, you know, been building
the brand and it's just been an amazing ride. Aside
from that, I do a lot of commercial real estate.
I do triple net leases with national brands. Charlie Chiese, Steaks, Performance,
NAPA do mixed use buildings, and I'm in residential, so
I do a lot more passive income stuff just because
you know, all my money working for me different treets
of income coming in at one time. So coffee's one
(29:02):
in my real estate and my ten year leases or others,
and just kind of keep building my portfolio.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
And my other question was was after the coffee thing,
the dang, Where's I about to go with that?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
That? It was literally good, We'll stay on coffee. How
did you get the opportunity to work with the Miami Dolphins?
That's what I wanted to go with. Oh yeah, I
got you boom, thank you. So how did you get
them to have the opportunity to have them be your
coffee brand?
Speaker 1 (29:30):
So I'll start back here.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
So it's about relationships, yeah, right, It's all about how
you handle yourself as a pro right when you're in
the game, how you conduct yourself right becau. It's all
about relationships. Everyone knows everyone in this fraternity, right, so
when they vouch for you, you know this guy is a
great person, He's been consistent. You can trust them x
y Z. So I worked with like I mentioned before,
I work with the Mammi Dolphins for the Business Entrepreneurship
program every year February, so they have about forty or
(29:53):
so other players come to my coffee shop. We'll sit
down and have my financial advisor or my CPA or
not soliciting anything. We're just talking about taxes, understanding diversification,
understanding how to handle your money, and understanding entrepreneurship. So
we do that for about two three days every year.
We have like five different groups that come in. So
over time the Mammy Dolphins knew that I was bringing
in players. Caleb Thornhill reached out to the Dolphins said,
(30:16):
you know, Stephen Teller has his coffee brand. They brought
me in there. Said absolutely, Caleb, you know we respect you.
We see what he's doing. All of our staff they
go to Circle House Coffee. We'll love to have it
in the building. And so from there it just propelled
and obviously paying for the lines, have an opportunity to
be at Walters Paytman in the year there and do
a lot of stuff in the community. They open the
doors for me.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Are ready.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
So I tell guys, out of sight, out of mind,
it's all about the relationships you have while you play,
don't burn your bridges, and because you never know if
you're going to have to reach back, and so by
doing so, I was able to reach back to them. Obviously,
Tracy is everyone who have a performed a relationship throughout
my career, and those doors open up for you because
they know your character, knew how you handle yourself and
how you go about your business day to day. So
having those relationships help open the door for me. But
(30:55):
obviously he's still performing and providing excellence along that journey.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
I just think it's cool because that's what I was
doing to go to is that. I mean, you guys
got it. You got it on tap, like they got
coffee on tap in Miami facility, Like it looks like
a beer tap.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
They just been delivery today. So like I said, man,
just growing.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
You know, my vision is to get more teams, which
we will get the NFL, which we will.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
So they're all cold? Are they hot? Like?
Speaker 1 (31:18):
So we do both. So we do col brew, we
do nitro, and we do drip coffee. It's your favorite.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
I'm really loving this new Colbrew that we have. I
really really love it. But I'm more of a latte guy. Yeah,
I'm more of like a turnative milk, plant based Macadamian milk.
I don't drink whole milk. Double shot of express, so
a little bit of vanilla and I'm good to go.
But uh, our coffee is the best coffee. Circle House Coffee, Cirhouse.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Now, why how did you come over with the name?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
So Circle House giving back one a better time. So
if you look at the logo, it's a house and
it's raised coming out of it. So this house is
inclusive everybody, straight, gay and different. You know, it's about
coming together for one mission that's helping people involve. So
we have different charity that we raise awareness for every
month or so that we try to raise initiative for.
So everybody coming into one house. One mission's to help people.
So that raise that come out of that cup or
(32:06):
raise of just giving back. So Circle House Coffee getting
back once set at a time. So so circle and
just come revolving circle of giving back, coming in, giving back,
coming in.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
So that's what Circle House Coffee is about.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
You are extremely busy and you do a lot from
the coffee, the foundation, commercial real estate, residential real estate.
What's next?
Speaker 2 (32:27):
What are you gonna do next, I don't know. I
think just keep growing in my portfolio. To be quite
honest with you, just that the opportunity to be first generation,
to even open up doors financially, I think is the
biggest thing for me.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
You know.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Obviously growing up as a kid, I think we all
can attest it is that our goal was to get
to play football, take care of our family.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
But now you're in a different situation where now you
have some monetary gains. You've read the benefits of playing
the NFL. Now you can teach your kids a different
way that football is not the only answer. You could
teach them financial literacy, things that you didn't know, what
we didn't know growing up. You could teach you, you know,
how to reinvest money, how dividends work, how to diversify
your portfolio, how to how to you know seventy percent.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
How to really you know, you know do that.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
So I think for me, it's just keep growing, you know,
the portfolio, Keep being a mentor to a lot of
these young guys, be mentored to my future kids, and
to have a foundation so when I leave, when I
leave this earth, you know, they could be you know,
my dad you know, you know, my dad made me proud,
you know what I mean? You know, you know he
less something behind for us.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
He wasn't just a football player. He's more than an athlete,
and he took advantage of his opportunities.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Man, that's well said as well.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
I'd like to know a little bit more about your
foundation side and what you're calling the Operation fifty five.
Did you maybe share with us?
Speaker 1 (33:41):
So yeah, Operation fifty five.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
I'm gonna give a shout out to Sherry, and you know,
she helped me create Operation fifty five first of the
Steven Tully Foundation. But when I got to Detroit as
a free agent in twenty eleven, I think it's August
I met Sherry and she's like, look, I got a
great idea. What she call it Operation fifty five. Right,
We're gonna take fifty five kids with cancer to every
home game. So we reached out to the line. The
line said, absolutely, we get your tickets to every home
(34:03):
game for fifty five kids dealing with cancer. We'll provide
them food beverages to every home game. So we'd get
t shirts for them with fifty five in the back.
The foundation. If it was Kids Cancer Month, it was yellow.
If it was breast cancer month, it was pink, right,
And so every game, every home game, we had kids
sold out with my whole time and I was there
in Detroit. It took fifty five public schools in Detroit.
We raised money through all of our resources, our sponsors,
(34:25):
you know, the network that I made. We will provide
school materials to all Detroit public schools, laptops, tablets, books.
I mean, Detroit public school is very rough, and when
you walking out that public school, you'll go to the
metal detectors that we provide fifty five schools with essentials
for them to be able to take take care of
their business, and just just different things, athletes adopting families,
(34:46):
Angels of Hope, breast cancer in October, I mean fifty five.
Operation fifty five was just a whole nother level. Like
I didn't you know, I got. I can't take all
the credit on that when it was it was brought
to me through Sherr, But you know, we just really
really made big, big efforts in Detroit. And now we
propel that to life after football with this coffee shop.
So now we keep that legacy going, or keep that
mindset going of being but you know, everything we do
(35:07):
is in fifty five fifty five cent donations. You know,
fifty five cents forever you can that we sell. Every
bag that we sell goes to the foundation, and that's
what keeps the foundation going to be able to give
back and help places like Cuba, Peru, Jamaica, Haiti, the
place that we do.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Work in.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
That you are the most interesting man in the world.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
I believe me that I like it. I like it.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
We'll be right back after a quick break. So I
got a children's book I wrote. I wrote, me and
a guy, we we call our to this children's book.
And I'm not going to say it was hard because
I didn't do all the writing. I just kind of
gave the interview Pard and just kind of said, hey,
(35:52):
maybe we add this, maybe we take this out. But
he's a he's a journalist, he's a scholar, he's an
English guy. So you have a book, little linebackers, A
story of determination. Yeah, I apologize, a story of determination.
What was harder writing this book or tackling Adrian Peterson man.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
A different name.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We played twice a year, but we already knew. You
knew when you play in Minnesota. What your mind set
had to be you know what I'm saying. I ain't
gonna lie, but it ain't no running back in the
game that I played outside of maybe Marshawn or maybe
reached those juws fred Fred Tinamoy was twice a year
that you had to have your mind right going into
that game because you just never know either run through
you or he will run around you, you know what
I'm saying. So you can't stop your feet. You got
(36:39):
to shoot, and everybody has to rally. Literally, everybody has
to rally, like I might shoot, I miss, but I
need you to clean up for me. Ain't no guarantee
i'mna get him down, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
I always thought that was the best thing about playing
against Ap.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
You have to shoot.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
It was like he was easier because like because he
was powerful, he was fast and was shifty, but the
best way to tackle him was just go shooting.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Had to shoot. It was okay because somebody behind you,
but everybody.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
So I think what to me was easier with Ap.
The only guy that ran away from me.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
He's unbelievab He's he was like a creative player.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
Yeah, the only guy just twice in one game, just you.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
Knew on one one hit, he's gone.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
You know what I'm saying, but I'll say a p
but I will say making that book was amazing, A
little linebacker story of determination. Talked about my life just
basically as underdog underside people tell him I was too small,
wasn't big enough, I'll never make it. Just to have
that mindset understand that doesn't matter what people limitate, the
people put on you. You know, you have the ultimate
you know, last say, and so just going through adversity
(37:53):
of being undersized player at my position, not being picked
first as a kid because they said I was too small,
just the mindset, man, my heart was bigger than my
body and nobody could. I'll work my mindset and so
just to be able to get to lead and to
be an inspiration to the younger kids out there who
say that too small and not big enough, just let
us know that it's all about your mindset. You know,
(38:14):
you don't put the limitation on yourself. It's it was
important for me to make that book, and we're coming
out with a new one here pretty soon that we're
working on Life after Football and Transition Kids book. Just
to kind of just like I said, be an inspiration, man.
Just use our platform and to be able to give
back and health your younger kids because as you know,
growing up as kids, we didn't have any people coming
back talking to us about you know, you know, success
(38:36):
and what it looks like and how to get there.
So having these podcasts what you're doing, man, I can
tell you. I can contest to her. There's kids back
at home that watch you guys and see you guys
as role models. So like I can't reiterate, man like,
y'all keep doing what you're doing because you're making an
impact on a lot of people, you know what I'm saying.
So that's that's that's what it's about.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (38:55):
I don't take those words lightly people that I hope
you receive that words words matter that big thing for me.
I also went and checked out your book last night
on Amazon. I don't know who's selling it. It was
for four hundred dollars.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
So I was like, I was thinking about buying one.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
But I'm a four hundred We will get you right,
you know, I got four little ones so we to
write people.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
Get that right, Okay.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
I appreciate that. Just gonna let you know.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, research twelve dollars. Yeah, that's what we'll
get it. We'll get it, Okay, personal mail you one.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Limited edition?
Speaker 2 (39:31):
Good you actually order order a Circle House Coffee dot com.
You go to the shop session the kids books and
this you go with it there as well.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Everything at circle house dot com. All right, I can't
wait to hear this. And this is a question I
usually reserved for Peanut, but I'll do it this time.
So we always talk about our levels of influence, people
that have really mattered to us the most and really
poured into us or helped make us who we are.
(39:58):
So we talk about our own personal Mount Rushmore on
this show, right, and so we would like to know
who is your on your Mount Rushmore of personal influence?
Speaker 1 (40:09):
How the people do I get? I'll give you a couple.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
My mom number one, just who she is as a person,
what she's able to do for coming from Jamaica that
day in her early twenties, to be able to lay
a foundation for me, and understanding that hard work pays off.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
My mom was everything.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
And shout out to Steven here, who also I saw
on Instagram paid off his mom's house.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
So congratulations doing such a great thing. Her lot of.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Sons are not able to do. You doing that for
your mom is beautiful as well, So shout out to
her and what you're growing.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Up as a kid.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Always the bills are always a conversation, her having to
borrow money for people to keep the lights on. So
when I got drafted, I finally got paid. I went
in ahead and wrote that six figure check and paid
off her house. And so to me, that was probably
one of the greatest moments of my life. You saw
the video men, you know what I mean, and her
struggle to pay those bills and knowing she didn't have
to worry about that anymore. It was one of the
greatest accomplishes they had. But my mom Number one. It's
(41:06):
a guy named Jay Lot, my mom's boss, a Jewish
guy passed away now my mom. My mom worked in
a nursing home for a lady named Rachel, and Jay
was the son. But he took, he took, He took
a liking to me. He saw me at the nursing
home every day, pushing his mom around with my mom,
see me in the lobby when my mom worked overnight,
having to get up, take a shower and the old
folks shower before they woke up, the walk across the
(41:27):
street to school, and he's seen me about my first computer,
my first bicycle, put me into tutoring. He really believed
in me when I got drafted. He's helped me pick
my agents with Neil Schwartz and Drew Rosenhouse financial advisor,
got me with the right financial advisors, talking about checks
and balances. Not having the same financial advisor, just CPS.
They should know each other every month, meeting with both
of them. Checks and balances, make sure you have you're
(41:48):
ride off. Like he taught me financial literacy.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
But he believed in me.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
At the age of seven years old all the way
to the age of twenty two before he passed away.
I don't think without him I'd have the same mindset
that I have now, just from that mon to your
mindset just being a man. So I'll put him at
number two, number three my mentor uh just being a pro.
Uh what I'd say would be David right just taking
(42:12):
on a twenty one year old kid, leaving college earlier
as a junior, geting to the NFL and walking in
that locker room for the first time and seeing all
these guys that big chains on, big drip, big cars,
and said, guy, he said, don't follow these guys. Just
what they don't do that that was to fall.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
Don't do that, jewelry, don't fall.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
Hell, he will be around a long time.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
But just teaching me to understand how to be a
pro on and off the field, help propel my career
to hold another whole nother trajectory. And uh, you know
there's there's a bunch of other people team on and
and uh you know family, you know, just friends. I'd say,
the right friends that I have in my circle now
really keep me humble. They believe in everything that I do. Uh,
(42:56):
they stick behind me. They give me one hundred percent
of them. I give one hundred percent to them as well.
So I put my friends category as a fourth because
I have real solid friends in my life who tell
me when I'm wrong, who I take constructive criticism from.
That's the thing about football is it teaches you how
to have thick skin. I think a lot of people
are sensitive nowadays. When you talk to them about certain things,
they get in there feeling how can you talk to
(43:17):
me that way? Said, No, I'm not coming at you.
I'm trying to mentor you and give you positivity so
you don't make these bad mistakes. I'm in your corner.
I want to see you win. I'm more excited to
see people win than I am. I'm more excited to
see people win than I'm win because I know what
winning feels like. We've all been part of winning teams,
right with Super Bowls and made money and then you know,
we understand what.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
That side looks like.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
So we see people in your peer group that are
getting to that level, you're excited for them because you
know the feeling of it. That's how I am so
having friends like that, but I can talk to and encourage.
I think for me is I put my friends group
of friends in that for slot on the Mount Rushmore.
My mom missed Lodge Bitch and Harry Thomas and those
guys for sure.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Hey man, that was good. We appreciate you coming on
the show. That's awesome. Excited about sorter House Coffee Superhousecoffee
dot Com. Absolutely, I'll be going on there checking out
the coffee, the night Trow, the cold night Troll, appreciate
the beans, the whatever. I'm a buy a book. I
got full little ones, I got full minis at the
crib that No, man, thanks for blessing us. I'm excited
(44:16):
about what twenty twenty four holes for you and your business,
and thank you all the ventures you're doing. Man, and
I wish you nothing but the best.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
Yeah, I wish you guys but the best as well.
Best keep doing what you're doing. Man, Thank you for
having me and taking the time, and I'll be back soon.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
No, man, I appreciate it, but I can't. I can't
wait till you turn freaking forty one or forty two,
like you're gonna be done taking to me about forty three.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
I am forty one, forty one, okay, till everybody fifty
and then they think I mean fifty. I look good,
and that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (44:48):
Good, y'all are great man.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
Forty one, yeah, peanuts older than me. All right, we're
gonna get it out of here. Y'all ready, let's get
up out of here.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Man.
Speaker 3 (44:55):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
Thank you guys for always tuning in, watching or listening
wherever you listen or pick up your podcast where this
Apple podcast. iHeartRadio. Make sure you give us a five
star rating. Tell a friend to tell a friend to
do we there we go and appreciate it, give us
a review, click that follow button. We'll hall let y'all later.
Man Steven Tellick, thanks as always for listening to The
NFL Player's Second Act podcast.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
It's
Are you guys doing.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is Steven Tuller, eleven year NFL veteran founder of
Circles's Coffee entrepreneur. This is NFL Second Ass Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Thanks for tuning in. I'm Peanut Tillman. And this guy
right over here to my left, that's Roman Harper and
this is the NFL Player's Second Acts Podcast. Uh well, yeah, man,
I appreciate it. Number one.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
All of our followers, viewers, please continue to follow. Tell
a friend, to tell a friend to do what pnut
Tell a friend. Thank you, give us a five star rating,
give us a review. Also, kick that click that follow button.
Wherever you pick up your podcast, whether it's Apple, Apple
Podcast or iHeartRadio, please continue to look in, click tell somebody.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Peanut, I'm really excited about this. This next guest, he's
an entrepreneur, done so many great things, great football player
really want to and what he's drinking right now is
absolutely amazing.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm mindploying. I'm gonna let you read the bio. Do
you want to read the bio?
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You know?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I just resume? Okay, all right, I got it because
you read everything else, all right, so shake it. This
gentleman played eleven years in the NFL for the Titans,
the Lions, and the Eagles. In twenty twelve and thirteen,
he made the NFL Top one Hunter List. He received
the Walter Peate Man in the Year nomination Community Service
Award four times during his career. Now he's a philanthropist, author,
(01:25):
and entrepreneur. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Steven Tullock to
the show.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Thank you again. I want to irriterate man.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How proud I am of you guys. Has transitioned very
well into your podcast? Phenomenal follow very well. I wish
you guys much success. Did you guys keep going on
your journey? So don''t get that out there.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
For you know what, man, let me just check this out.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Let me just say the first Christian cuss word of
the podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Damn right. Appreciate that. Thank you for that. Appreciate thank you,
Thank you all right. Man. So you turned thirty nine January,
the first number one. What is that like? Bringing it?
I was thirty nine? Treating you all right?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
P Nut is much older than that. He's older than that.
How is that treating you? How's it all going? I
think it's a blessing, man.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I mean to be born New Year's Day, Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
To start the year off for the new birthday, Yeah,
I think it's you know, it's a good feeling. Obviously, Capricorns,
we work hard. We're hard working with go get us.
So New Year's Day is a blessing to be born
in that day and to be able to start the
year off from the right track.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
All right, what are you looking forward to in forty, Like,
it's forty going to be different for you?
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Man, I think forty for me number one, you know,
settling down, family, kids, the whole nine. But uh, I
think just the transition.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I've retired about six seven years now, so to be
able to transition, to fully transition out of the game.
You know how it is when you leave the game,
takes a while to kind of get your feet under you.
But it feels good now to be a mentor to
younger players, you know, working with the NFL, the young
guys that are transitioning from the NFL, being a voice
for them, a role model for these young guys. So
I take on that role. I pride myself in that role,
leading by example, So just being more of a leader. Yeah,
(02:56):
my family guy.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
For Suah So at thirty nine, are you happy with
where life is and where you are at thirty nine?
Right now?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You know, as a fourth round draft pick to play
eleven years and to be able to transition into real
estate and into coffee business, it's it's phenomenal. I think
just going to these entrepreneurship courses during the course of
my career helped prepare me for life after football and
put me in a good lane to be able to
now be able to pay it back forth to you.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So we were talking, we were talking to the commissioner
about all the programs that the NFL has to offer,
and since you talked about the entrepreneurship like, what are
what's one of the best things that you received from
that entrepreneurship entrepreneurship program.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I'll say in two thousand and six and I got drafted,
I had a mentor by the name of David Thornton.
I came from from the Colts over It was a
free agent. He took me on his wings, so you
can go one to two routs him. Boy, you can
follow that guy over there the X Y Z or
you can follow me. So I followed him and went
to Goldsborough to his hometown, showed me how to run
his foundation, how to be a pro on and off
the field, to take care of my body, and talk
to me about entrepreneurship program NFL provides. So I went
(03:54):
to Stafford University as a second year player. I went
to the Stephen raw School of Business as a fourth
or fifth your player want to University of Miami business
going and offseason, So just a networking and being those rules.
Those people helped me propel my mindset to understand that
there is life after football, right and I have a kickstarter,
you know, to be able to pare for that. So
having that mentorship really prepared me for life after football.
(04:15):
And I just thank David a lot that's for pulling
me under his wings and leading me in the right direction.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
I love the fact that you know, most of us
when we're playing football, we're just playing football, all right,
But you literally took advantage.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Of all these opportunities that the offered.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Absolutely and you've taken that and you put into into
your everyday life. So because you maybe talk to us
a little bit about that part of it, Yeah, what
you're doing right now, I.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Think it's important, man, just to have the opportunity to
even play in the game. I'm just thankful to have
the privilege to even get drafted and play as long
as I did. A good mentor mind's got me Eric Thomas,
he's a hip hop preacher. He's at my right hand guy,
and he's really guiding me out throughout the course of
my career, just pairing mentally of how bad you want
to succeed. And know my mom being a single parent,
you know, it taught me a lot about adversity, going
(04:57):
through ups and downs and just making her problem was
my number one goal and I live with that chip
every day in my life. Is to keep making myself
proud of my mom, proud of my family. So just
taking advantage of every opportunity that I have. I think
it's big for me. I started got into the coffee
business and got into real estate and and just like
I said, going to these entrepreneurship courses really helped my
mindset and understanding my weaknesses and where I need help
(05:19):
and strength and consulting so being able to have a
great team. It's not about me, it's the team people
around me and my publicists, my you know, my consultants,
everyone who who I pay to kind of help guide
in the right direction to help mitigate my risk. Really
helped put me in a good position.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yeah, all the all the correct words mitigating risks and
the smartest guy in the room continue to have people
find my blind spots. There's all great business minded thoughts
and directions. So great job on you talking about overachieving
or accomplishing certain things. What about your beloved Detroit lines
(05:58):
this year? Could we maybe talk about them?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I mean the good?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Okay, all right, we're probably a couple of weeks away
from the bad, but let's talk about the good.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
You were there for.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
In Ford Field the night of the playoffs once again.
I saw it on Instagram. Yeah, and so you look
like you're having a great time throwing T shirts with
golden and what was it like in the building that day?
Understand that you've been to the playoffs a couple of
times yourself personally with Detroit. They actually won this game
the first time in many years.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I mean, you guys know man Owen sixteen, the worst
franchise in NFL history. You know the coach Schwartz when
he came over as as a head coach for the Lions,
he brought me over here in free agency, and uh,
you know, we talked about changing the culture in Detroit,
and I think the Ford family has done phenomenal job
of just bringing the right people in, understanding the pitfalls
with certain coaches getting rid of that, bringing the right
(06:48):
guy a former player like Dan Campbell. I think mister
Holmes is doing a great job as well, just kind
of putting the piece in place. I mean, for the
first time, I think we all can agree that Detroit
has some kind of relevancy. Yeah, you know and that
and obviously you know you played Chicago.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
I was rooting for him though I was rooting for Detroit.
I promise you I was. I was rooting for him
against we weren't going nowhere. I love the story. I
love what they were doing. Is do you think Dan
Campbell is the guy you would love to have played for?
I think so.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I think well Number one, call Well to me is
one of the best coach I've ever been around. Coach
Calwell as a great, phenomenal, great man, great leadership. I
think just you know Campbell, he played the game, so
it's a little bit different. It speaks the same message.
So I think you could tell the way these guys
played from previous season going one and seven and then
turning back around and win the last games, beating Green
Bay to.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Keep my playoffs.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
So you could tell when the team believes in the coaching,
plays the way they play, you got something. And it
showed this year when they opened up the season against
Kansas City, how they won that game and how the
season ended. So I think the Detroit in a great spot.
You know, obviously we would like that outening to be
a little bit different NFC Championship game and we'll be
talking about a little bit different, but the lines being
the super Bowl. But nevertheless, I think they had a
great season and they definitely have something to build on going.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
All right, tell me this, So should he kick the
field goal?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
To be quite honest with you, Uh, I think we.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
All agree maybe he should have. I think it's a science.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
But he's been a gambler all season, you know, so
it worked, It's worked for him, so unfortunately it kind
of backfired on him. But I think for the most part,
you know, you know, you got to live by you
die by it, and so I think, uh, he got
him to that point. It just shows where the teams
that mentally, you know, now and next year has to
be that that next step.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
And you know, since we're talking about the playoffs, let's uh,
let's let's maybe rehash this wound for you. I believe
you guys went to the playoffs in two thousand and
twelve and played against the New Orleans Saints.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I think you guys lost pretty bad. Yeah, we did.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
That was a tough loss.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Man.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
We went to your hometown, went to your city. It
was a great game, Drew Brees. We had you guys
the first half, yeah, and then spros kind of got
got going and in the.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Office, you know, was a little ship.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Obviously. You know, Drew is phenomenal quarterback. You have a
great organization, So kudos to you.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
But you know, was it good though, just to take
to the playoff?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I think it was great, be quite honest. It was sources.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You know, obviously my first year in Detroit and to
be able this team had to been in a playoffs
since ninety three, you know, so just to get there,
I think it was a great step for us. And
I think, you know, we kind of propelled the team
into where they're at today to take that next step.
So I think it's training in the right direction. We
just got to keep building on that.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So you got drafted by the Titans. At some point
you go and you play for the Lions right when
it was time to retire. Why did you pick the
Lions with the Titans?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I just love Detroit, you know, I think the Titans.
I love the Titans as well. Right, you know how
it goes, right when a team drafts you, you know
they other teams seek more value in you than your
own team sometimes, right, we all know how it goes, right.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
That's true.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
So so to feel appreciated when you leave, you know,
you leave and so many teams are reaching out to
you because they want your services. There's no other feeling,
especially myself being a fourth round draft pick who left
school early as a junior. You know, to finally you
have that feeling of somebody that wants you. It's a
good feeling. So the level of respect of the Ford
families gave me when I was there, the organization top
the bottom, it is.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Just de choice is a special place.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
And uh, you know, to have the opportunity to play
for such a one offul organization and to have the
opportunity to come back and Lennon know, I'm retiring form
the open doors to have that press conference. For me,
spokes speaks to the value of who the organization is
and what they stand for, so that they have no
great feeling to come back and just retire.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Line.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Yeah, Coach Caldwell calls you a man's man, a man's man.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, what is the ultimate compliment? Like for me?
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I have my own idea of what the ultimate compliment
as a as a football player, as a former player, Yeah,
what is the ultimate compliment for you? When they say
Steven Tullick dash.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I think being named the captain? Right? You know?
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I think when you go to the off season and
you're practicing during training camp and you're just leading by example.
You're not even thinking the second nations, You're just doing
what you do, and then your peers around you off you.
Two guys see you as that guy. So we send
the auditorium and they pass that sheet around, who do
you want to announce your captain? And you come back
and at the practice and coach says, we got your
captain here for you. I mean to be to be
that guy that the team depends on the sees that
(11:04):
you can lead them is probably one of the greatest
feelings of my career that can ever besides getting paid
and get the contract, having my peers look at me
and value me as a guy that they can look
up to as a role model to make decisions and
lead the team by example. So we're in that sea
of my chest and walking off the coin toss every
week was one of the special ones in my career.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
All right, that's beautiful. I would not have anticipated that.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
For me.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
It was like just being called a pro. A pro
like that means I study right, I do the right things.
That was always something I took wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
How about you, peen?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Ut was? I think mine was really just work ethic. Yeah,
I think my teammates appreciated how I I worked. I
think I don't think it'll ever say I was a leader.
I think I just played too much. I was yeah, yeah,
I was joking all the time. I was a silent professional,
but I was jokes. I had jokes.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
But you made a lot of players. You know, watch
Sports Center, You knocking the ball out and you call
turn over like I did it.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
He's right, he cannot be a captain because he plays
way too much.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
He's always I'm serious field can't say something and not
say it.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
He has to say it. We were in a very
serious moment right there, and you like that is you
ruined the whole thing from coach because you just had
to say that. You just couldn't hold it.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I did, yeah, and so yes, that was that.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
All right.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Let's let's switch gears a little bit. We're talking about
the highs.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Let's talk about a little bit of a low because
I think it's interesting. This probably happens four to five
times a year, from high school to pros.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
You know, somebody gets hurt. Yeah, while celebrating.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
So you tour in a CEO versus Green Bay during
the celebration after a sac looked like you were doing
the discount double check versus Ann Rogers a little ah.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
And you're landing.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
You're like, ah, oh man, it just went down, crazy man.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And what's crazy is right, I've started one hundred and
some played one hundred and thirty some games straight something
before the game they announced on TV on the big screen,
even you one hundred and thirty. But we're off to
a great start, man, We're like, what three and one
going into green Bay?
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Right? You know?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Green Bay has always been a little brother us for
a long time. You know, you're always talking crappy, you know,
he's just yeah and yeah, yeah I love Aaron, but man, yeah,
but crazy freak freak freak situation. Right, jumped up, came down,
and it's just, you know, unbelievable. Man, It's something. It's
something like everything slowed down. I've never missed a game.
(13:27):
I started pretty much every game in my career, and
then the next week my guy Lamar Lamar Houston.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah, but you guys did the same thing.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
It's like, yeah, back to back weeks, right, and something
that's never happened before.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
But uh yeah he did his in Detroit.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
In Chicago versus figure like fourth quarter after.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, same thing.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Right, So rehabs missed all of fourteen pretty much three games,
missed all the fourteen, which is crazy, went to the playoffs,
we lost to Dallas, and then had another year. They
brought me back and you know, fished my career Philly.
But yeah, one of those things that first time I
care have ever had adversity. I've ever missed a game,
ever missed practice. So it was something that I'll prepare
for mentally, because I you know, I prepare like a
(14:10):
pro week in, the week out. So I just handled
it like anything else, but one of those moments that
you know, it is what it is and you just
kind of bounce back and rehab and finished My career,
did eleven two more years after that and got eleven
years in.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
So are you the guy now? That's like, Hey, celebrate
a little bit differently people.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
I think. I think at the end of the day, man,
you got to enjoy the game. Man. You know, you
know much energy goes into this thing.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Man, how much work goes in from chiropractice and massage, therapist, acupuncture,
hot up, cold tub, just out to the game, you
know what I'm saying, and to make a play. I mean,
it's it's like in the world's watching, it's it's an
unbelievable feeling, right. So I just think, you know, in
my situation, I think more of a freak freak situation, you.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
But other than that, man, I think you guys should
definitely enjoy the game, Celebrate the hard work you put
in there obviously your marketing or your own entity, you know,
show that you know what I'm saying, it's it.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Unfortunately, in my situation.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I got what thirteen? You got what the eleven? Eleven?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I know you asked a lot of ball in this question,
but I'm saying it in one way. If you could
sum up your career, like, how would you sum it
up in one word? Your entire eleven years?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
My entire eleven year is one word, I'll say, uh, resilient.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yeah, I'd say resilient.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
I think coming in as a fourth rounder, being a
special teams guy, and you guys know you got to
stay ready.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
So you don't got to get ready exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
The guy goes down versus Kansas City, playing prest homes
and cony gazalees in Kansas City. And from that moment on,
I started wrestling my curerly up to my last year.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
And what year was that?
Speaker 1 (15:38):
For you?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
This was year two, year two, okay, so.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Yeah, second game of year two. It became and started
alway the year ten.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
And for me, man, you know, that moment was like
an unbelievable situation because you know what what you put
on films, what their value at. I mean, there's no okay, coach,
I'll do it again next week. Now this is your opportunity,
So you study your playbook you know what cover one is,
you know your zone, you know where to drop, what
the reads are, and so I'll always prepare like a pro,
like you know I'm gonna play, and so having that
mindset understanding, when the opportunity came, I was ready for
(16:05):
it and never looked back. And uh, you know, ten
eleven years, nine years later, I was able to have
a strong career and do eleven years. But as you know, man,
the opportunity come knock and you got to take advantage
of it. Because there's so many guys that are number
two of them in three on the depth chart that
deserve to be starters, but they're just in a bad
spot when it comes to positions. So to have the
opportunity present itself, I never looked back, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
I just think it's amazing that just because I was,
my story is a little bit different, right, we all
have them different. So I started early, and I started
as a rookie. But I don't think people understand how
hard it is to not be an everyday starter in
the NFL, to be a special teams guy and then
if somebody goes down, like you.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Got to be able to do both and you can't
drop off camp. I don't think you.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Understand that you cannot.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
That is the hardest thing is to prepare all week long,
not to know that you're not going to play right,
then be called to duty and then.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Not mess it up.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
And so I want to give you your flowers now
because I didn't know that's how you got your first start.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
That was it special teams guy, an opportunity, and then
that was it. I became a startup middle linebacker for
the Titans with Keith Bullet and throw it next to me.
Then went to Detroit with Levy and those guys and
with the field. You know, it's crazy how that works. Man.
I'm telling you, man, everything happened for a reason. But
it's the mindset of being an underdog and just preparing
like you're a pro and making sure you're ready when
your number is called. And like I said, having great
(17:30):
mentorship during the course of my career really helped my
mindset and be ready to you to prepare like I
was going to play. And like you said, man, I
did special teams and it was a starter until I
became a third three down player and then you know,
I kind of get out special teams. But I think
any guy that comes in late rounds, you got to
have your mind right understanding. Either you were the guy
in college, but you got to humble yourself. And when
coach we had that meeting, you know how it is
(17:51):
on Wednesday, and we watched everybody's in that room watching
special team. They want to see who that doll's want
to be. You know they're watching. Okay, Coach, we got
to put him in. Coach, he's playing on special teams.
Now you're vouching for you guy. You see what he
can do, and you want to see him doing. That's
kind of how it was for me. A lot of
guys wanted to see me play. It's an opportunity present himself.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
I was ready.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
But I don't think people realize that a special teams player,
you're still a star in the National Football League A
Like it's not offensive defense, but you are still a starter.
If you're a kick return kick you're for it, Like, yeah,
you are a starter in the league. I don't think
people realize that value. I didn't value well, I didn't
(18:26):
think like that at first.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
I fel like he was just like God, yeah, but
I didn't.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
I didn't think like that until the coach said, and
I was like, well, dang, he you can. You can
get paid, you can pay double digit years, you can
go to Pro Bowls, you can you know, like yeah,
this you can eat off of the sposal team's gig, right.
I was. I started all thirteen of my years I was,
I was thirty. I started all thirteen years old sposal
teams and on defense like I.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Was, you know, it was like a specialist. He was like,
that's like what he did. Oh yeah out there.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I'm like, bro, how do.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
You do this? Because we were in the corner.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Yeah, And I'm like, how do you do this?
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Because I was never a special teams guy. And for
those that don't know, if you're not a special teams guy,
you don't get to become a special teams guy.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Like you're eight nine, you have to leave.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
You you the start, but you can't go back.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
You don't go back.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
You're trying to steal. He's like, I'm away, still be one,
gonna be a mentor. You don't get it back kicking
back like a guard positions.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, that's a problem. People don't understand. That is really
so because I never did it. Like I'm looking at
I don't understand.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
You're the guy came in after trying to start the
guy you watch it.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I'm like, Peter, how you do this?
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Though?
Speaker 3 (19:49):
It's like how I never came off. I've just been doing.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
You know, back in the days they have player performance, right,
so now I was an extra snap.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Yeah yeah, yeah, that's my fourth round guy. Right. You
know what I'm saying that money, that money matters. We'll
be back in a minute.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Let's talk about this transition period and like, yes, and
the whole thing we do with this whole podcast talk
about our second act and yours has been successful, and
so let's talk about the period of like, okay, you
talked about following your mentor the Thornton guy and said, okay,
second year, I go and do.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
What entrepreneurial on Stanford University.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
Stanford University, and the reasoning behind it was prepare.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
I mean all the fourth throne draft pick. I wasn't
starting at the times right before I became a starter,
and he talked him sis. He told it, man, you
know you got a little signing bonus. She made just
hundred million dollars. He said, start preparing. Understand how money works, right,
I understand taxes, understand your family's going to ask you
for stuff. Understand this all now, so when you hopefully
one day you do get the money, you understand how
it works. And so, man, I really thank him a
(20:57):
lot for because I didn't have financial literacy going up.
This person never make money in my family, you know.
So I'm teaching my family how finances work and say
we can't just give it because you think I have it.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
You know, it's.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
About longevity and growth and reinvesting and keep it so happen,
you know. So this teaching that financial literacy in my
family was very important. To go on to Stanford University
and understanding how money works and networking and being in
position really helped me understand that, you know what their's
life at the football and paid for now. And so
just going through those courses, I'm telling you, man, like
without those courses, I don't know what I would be
(21:29):
where I would be at now, just from a financial standpoint.
As a guy that's retired, I know so many guys
that have left the game and just in disarray, right,
you know who's made tens of millions more than me,
who they ain't really doing good? Suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety.
So I work with the company called Pro Athletes Community
Caleb throwing hills with the Spurs, but we help players transition,
(21:49):
work with the Mammi Dolphins in the offseason and just
currenting former players during the off scene as well, just
so you know they come to the coffee shop. We
talk about life, about transitioning, how to be a pro
on and off the field, of paying for now. So
when it hits you, you know you're not want to completely,
You're not doing the headlights. So I think men for us,
my entrepreneurship is football. It teaches you consistency, discipline, accountability.
(22:11):
Right when you keep those three things in your mind,
you live that every day you're going to be successful.
You don't know yourself accountable. So I think just for
guys that are leaving the game or playing the game,
understanding that you have to prepare non for life after
football because you just never know what's gonna end. Just
being that voice for them is it's important for me.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
So I see you, you got a little little drinking
drink and yeah, can you list all of the ventures
that you're currently doing right now?
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Oh yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
It's pretty straightforward. I got into commercial real estate. Well,
my foundation number one is kind of what I love
to do, giving back, helping people.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
You foundation, Steven.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Tullick Foundation, helping what do they do so we up
under previous kids, a woman with breast cancer, foster care kids,
kids with the adverse situations. I've been doing that since
I was in college NC State the Community Service a
Year award. Like I just I grew up in a
nursing home. My mom was a private nurse. So growing
up as a kid, I used to push patients around
to bingo and to get the hair done and you know,
(23:08):
always serving people.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
My mom was serve bingo all five.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
In there.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
But just having an opportunity to have a mom to
understand that we didn't have much growing up. But giving
is more than receiving, and so having a platform them
NFL shield Prepared propelled me to understand that, you know,
I'm in a situation where I can bring awareness a
lot of things. So having that foundation for me was huge.
So my foundation number one is key. I started into
commercial real estate twenty seventeen. I started buying property and
(23:38):
fall out of their Florida about some building, some land,
and I came to put this idea of opening up
a coffee shop and drive through, which is the first
one in downtown for Lauderdale. I went to coffee school
in Seattle. Seattle breaks the Academy on Seattle, learned coffee.
I hired the teacher as my consultant. I flew back
to Fort Lauderdale. I'll fire him every two weeks from
Seattle on Southwest to stay at my house. And I
created this brand called Circle House Coffee. I want to
(23:58):
go Daddy dot com for hundred and seven dollars about
the name Circle House Coffee for one hundred and seven,
went to Instagram, LinkedIn. Twitter took the handlers for it,
and then I went ahead and you know a trademark
and got my lawyers involved and created the logo in
the brand and we created the brand twenty nineteen, so
it be five years. March ninth, it'll be five years
in business. But since then, you know, we've just been growing,
you know, work with NFL teams like the Unami Dolphins,
(24:21):
Detroit Lions were working on the NFL some other teams
that were working on just kind of you know, distribute
our coffee. So this is our first uh you know
coffee in it can it's our natural cobrew put that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Put that on.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah, it's our natural col brew. Something that I've always
envisioned having. It talks about our mission, our story, thanking
the fans and the community for being a part of our
mission to help give back one sip at a time.
So everything that we do when we sell these cans,
we take a part of the portions and get them
my foundation, which we give at the community. So it's
not just about coffee just having a great coffee. It's
(24:54):
about the brand behind and the impact that we're making
behind coffee. And so I think that's that's our mission,
is to be able to keep impacting the world. I
was able to build a school on my mom's hometown
in Jamaica in twenty seventeen through my foundation for one
hundred and eighty kids and my mom's home town named
after my mom, Mercedes be Teller Infant School. So just
giving back as much as I can, Man, because like
you said, it's all about our legacy what we leave.
(25:14):
You're never Denzel watching the set at most, Man, you'll
never see a U haul behind hers, you know what
I'm saying. So to be able to give more than
you receive pluses come in so many forms, and I live.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
By that every day.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So Circle House Coffees as my as my brand that
I'm really true to. And in commercial real estate.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Now why why coffee?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Though?
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Like have you been drinking coffee?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
As you know?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
And you know football, man, you get that facility, it's
it's early morning. Yeah, means means right, So you try
to stay awake, right, So you go in that cafe,
pour some coffee, you eat them something. See, you're just
trying to stay glued to the screen.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Everybody, coffee?
Speaker 1 (25:49):
That was that ingredents?
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Right?
Speaker 1 (25:53):
You have one of your poisons.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Everybody, I think it's coffee. I'm like, damn, you know what, man,
it's crazy. I want to be inclusive. You know, I
don't really see a lot of minority coffee shops. I'm like,
you know what, man, I'm gonna make a staple on it.
You know what I'm saying. I'm gonna getting the coffee industry.
You know, I'm an learning number one. I'm gona invest
my money and I'm on my real estate because I
know I can grow equity in my real estate. So the
worst caase there if my coffee venture doesn't work. I
still w my real estate. I can lease it out
(26:15):
and make money and be a landlord, right, so I
own all my properties and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
So I did that. The brand worked out. We're five
years in.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
We're expanding and hopefully you see this in your in
North Carolina and the Chicago in your convenience stores here.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
So yeah, so working working at people buy right now.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
So right now you can go to Circle House Coffee
dot com. You can order launch on our website. Like
I said, we're gonna be disputing this is. This is
our launch for Super Bowl. We're just launching the cans now.
But circleuse Coffee dot com. You can find it. We
sell whole beans, grind beans five pounds twelve ounces, our
cobrew nitro. We're gonna do some CBD infused THC infused coffee.
(26:52):
So we had a lot of things in the work.
But I love Circle House Coffee. Man, it's a phenomenal.
You guys should try with lease some stuff for you
before you leave.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I appreciate that. Appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
I definitely get on that. Two questions for you. Number one,
I want to go back. You said you went to
coffee school. Yeah, right, let's indulge in that for me,
just tell me, explain to me for those that don't know,
like myself, because I'm in coffee.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Yeah, so I think before getting anything, whatever it is
you want to invest your money in as an individual,
you never want to count on somebody else's understanding. You
want to know where you're putting your money at and
understand how things move, what it does, how it makes
the process of it. So, being that I wanted to
start a coffee shop, I went to coffee school to
understand what is coffee? You know, what are the beans?
(27:34):
You know, how do you roast it? You know, how
do you temper it? Like what temperature does it have
to be at? How do you steam your milk and foement?
You know, I want to understand the logistics of coffee.
Coffee is one of the largest commodities in the world.
You know, it costs a couple of cents to make,
but yet five six dollars to sell. I mean, the
returns on coffee is crazy, right, And so to be
able to get into that game and now really seeing
(27:55):
and how it works and the money behind it, it's
just it's unbelievable. It's like modern day you know, do
you know what I'm saying? This is one of those
things that people are addicted to, but I love it.
And so going to coffee school helped me understand that
what coffee was, how it works. But then hiring the
teacher I never forget. I asked the guys, said, can
I get your phone NOOM an email address? I'd love
(28:16):
to talk to you when I get back to Florida.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
So I called him.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I said, look, man, I don't know much about coffee.
I recorded, uh the the class while I was there,
but would love to free to be a consultant. At
that time, he was a league guy for University of
Washington's coffee program. Says, I love to be a consultant.
I said, look, I'll pay x y X y Z.
You can fly in town. I'll fly you in Southwest
red Eyes. When you fly home, you can go straight
to the campus, off to university and work and just
help me build it out man, And he became my
(28:40):
general manager. After that, We've been, you know, been building
the brand and it's just been an amazing ride. Aside
from that, I do a lot of commercial real estate.
I do triple net leases with national brands. Charlie Chiese, Steaks, Performance,
NAPA do mixed use buildings, and I'm in residential, so
I do a lot more passive income stuff just because
you know, all my money working for me different treets
of income coming in at one time. So coffee's one
(29:02):
in my real estate and my ten year leases or others,
and just kind of keep building my portfolio.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
And my other question was was after the coffee thing,
the dang, Where's I about to go with that?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
That? It was literally good, We'll stay on coffee. How
did you get the opportunity to work with the Miami Dolphins?
That's what I wanted to go with. Oh yeah, I
got you boom, thank you. So how did you get
them to have the opportunity to have them be your
coffee brand?
Speaker 1 (29:30):
So I'll start back here.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
So it's about relationships, yeah, right, It's all about how
you handle yourself as a pro right when you're in
the game, how you conduct yourself right becau. It's all
about relationships. Everyone knows everyone in this fraternity, right, so
when they vouch for you, you know this guy is a
great person, He's been consistent. You can trust them x
y Z. So I worked with like I mentioned before,
I work with the Mammi Dolphins for the Business Entrepreneurship
program every year February, so they have about forty or
(29:53):
so other players come to my coffee shop. We'll sit
down and have my financial advisor or my CPA or
not soliciting anything. We're just talking about taxes, understanding diversification,
understanding how to handle your money, and understanding entrepreneurship. So
we do that for about two three days every year.
We have like five different groups that come in. So
over time the Mammy Dolphins knew that I was bringing
in players. Caleb Thornhill reached out to the Dolphins said,
(30:16):
you know, Stephen Teller has his coffee brand. They brought
me in there. Said absolutely, Caleb, you know we respect you.
We see what he's doing. All of our staff they
go to Circle House Coffee. We'll love to have it
in the building. And so from there it just propelled
and obviously paying for the lines, have an opportunity to
be at Walters Paytman in the year there and do
a lot of stuff in the community. They open the
doors for me.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Are ready.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
So I tell guys, out of sight, out of mind,
it's all about the relationships you have while you play,
don't burn your bridges, and because you never know if
you're going to have to reach back, and so by
doing so, I was able to reach back to them. Obviously,
Tracy is everyone who have a performed a relationship throughout
my career, and those doors open up for you because
they know your character, knew how you handle yourself and
how you go about your business day to day. So
having those relationships help open the door for me. But
(30:55):
obviously he's still performing and providing excellence along that journey.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
I just think it's cool because that's what I was
doing to go to is that. I mean, you guys
got it. You got it on tap, like they got
coffee on tap in Miami facility, Like it looks like
a beer tap.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
They just been delivery today. So like I said, man,
just growing.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
You know, my vision is to get more teams, which
we will get the NFL, which we will.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
So they're all cold? Are they hot? Like?
Speaker 1 (31:18):
So we do both. So we do col brew, we
do nitro, and we do drip coffee. It's your favorite.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
I'm really loving this new Colbrew that we have. I
really really love it. But I'm more of a latte guy. Yeah,
I'm more of like a turnative milk, plant based Macadamian milk.
I don't drink whole milk. Double shot of express, so
a little bit of vanilla and I'm good to go.
But uh, our coffee is the best coffee. Circle House Coffee, Cirhouse.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Now, why how did you come over with the name?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
So Circle House giving back one a better time. So
if you look at the logo, it's a house and
it's raised coming out of it. So this house is
inclusive everybody, straight, gay and different. You know, it's about
coming together for one mission that's helping people involve. So
we have different charity that we raise awareness for every
month or so that we try to raise initiative for.
So everybody coming into one house. One mission's to help people.
So that raise that come out of that cup or
(32:06):
raise of just giving back. So Circle House Coffee getting
back once set at a time. So so circle and
just come revolving circle of giving back, coming in, giving back,
coming in.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
So that's what Circle House Coffee is about.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
You are extremely busy and you do a lot from
the coffee, the foundation, commercial real estate, residential real estate.
What's next?
Speaker 2 (32:27):
What are you gonna do next, I don't know. I
think just keep growing in my portfolio. To be quite
honest with you, just that the opportunity to be first generation,
to even open up doors financially, I think is the
biggest thing for me.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
You know.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Obviously growing up as a kid, I think we all
can attest it is that our goal was to get
to play football, take care of our family.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
But now you're in a different situation where now you
have some monetary gains. You've read the benefits of playing
the NFL. Now you can teach your kids a different
way that football is not the only answer. You could
teach them financial literacy, things that you didn't know, what
we didn't know growing up. You could teach you, you know,
how to reinvest money, how dividends work, how to diversify
your portfolio, how to how to you know seventy percent.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
How to really you know, you know do that.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
So I think for me, it's just keep growing, you know,
the portfolio, Keep being a mentor to a lot of
these young guys, be mentored to my future kids, and
to have a foundation so when I leave, when I
leave this earth, you know, they could be you know,
my dad you know, you know, my dad made me proud,
you know what I mean? You know, you know he
less something behind for us.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
He wasn't just a football player. He's more than an athlete,
and he took advantage of his opportunities.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Man, that's well said as well.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
I'd like to know a little bit more about your
foundation side and what you're calling the Operation fifty five.
Did you maybe share with us?
Speaker 1 (33:41):
So yeah, Operation fifty five.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
I'm gonna give a shout out to Sherry, and you know,
she helped me create Operation fifty five first of the
Steven Tully Foundation. But when I got to Detroit as
a free agent in twenty eleven, I think it's August
I met Sherry and she's like, look, I got a
great idea. What she call it Operation fifty five. Right,
We're gonna take fifty five kids with cancer to every
home game. So we reached out to the line. The
line said, absolutely, we get your tickets to every home
(34:03):
game for fifty five kids dealing with cancer. We'll provide
them food beverages to every home game. So we'd get
t shirts for them with fifty five in the back.
The foundation. If it was Kids Cancer Month, it was yellow.
If it was breast cancer month, it was pink, right,
And so every game, every home game, we had kids
sold out with my whole time and I was there
in Detroit. It took fifty five public schools in Detroit.
We raised money through all of our resources, our sponsors,
(34:25):
you know, the network that I made. We will provide
school materials to all Detroit public schools, laptops, tablets, books.
I mean, Detroit public school is very rough, and when
you walking out that public school, you'll go to the
metal detectors that we provide fifty five schools with essentials
for them to be able to take take care of
their business, and just just different things, athletes adopting families,
(34:46):
Angels of Hope, breast cancer in October, I mean fifty five.
Operation fifty five was just a whole nother level. Like
I didn't you know, I got. I can't take all
the credit on that when it was it was brought
to me through Sherr, But you know, we just really
really made big, big efforts in Detroit. And now we
propel that to life after football with this coffee shop.
So now we keep that legacy going, or keep that
mindset going of being but you know, everything we do
(35:07):
is in fifty five fifty five cent donations. You know,
fifty five cents forever you can that we sell. Every
bag that we sell goes to the foundation, and that's
what keeps the foundation going to be able to give
back and help places like Cuba, Peru, Jamaica, Haiti, the
place that we do.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Work in.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
That you are the most interesting man in the world.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
I believe me that I like it. I like it.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
We'll be right back after a quick break. So I
got a children's book I wrote. I wrote, me and
a guy, we we call our to this children's book.
And I'm not going to say it was hard because
I didn't do all the writing. I just kind of
gave the interview Pard and just kind of said, hey,
(35:52):
maybe we add this, maybe we take this out. But
he's a he's a journalist, he's a scholar, he's an
English guy. So you have a book, little linebackers, A
story of determination. Yeah, I apologize, a story of determination.
What was harder writing this book or tackling Adrian Peterson man.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
A different name.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We played twice a year, but we already knew. You
knew when you play in Minnesota. What your mind set
had to be you know what I'm saying. I ain't
gonna lie, but it ain't no running back in the
game that I played outside of maybe Marshawn or maybe
reached those juws fred Fred Tinamoy was twice a year
that you had to have your mind right going into
that game because you just never know either run through
you or he will run around you, you know what
I'm saying. So you can't stop your feet. You got
(36:39):
to shoot, and everybody has to rally. Literally, everybody has
to rally, like I might shoot, I miss, but I
need you to clean up for me. Ain't no guarantee
i'mna get him down, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
I always thought that was the best thing about playing
against Ap.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
You have to shoot.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
It was like he was easier because like because he
was powerful, he was fast and was shifty, but the
best way to tackle him was just go shooting.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Had to shoot. It was okay because somebody behind you,
but everybody.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
So I think what to me was easier with Ap.
The only guy that ran away from me.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
He's unbelievab He's he was like a creative player.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
Yeah, the only guy just twice in one game, just you.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
Knew on one one hit, he's gone.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
You know what I'm saying, but I'll say a p
but I will say making that book was amazing, A
little linebacker story of determination. Talked about my life just
basically as underdog underside people tell him I was too small,
wasn't big enough, I'll never make it. Just to have
that mindset understand that doesn't matter what people limitate, the
people put on you. You know, you have the ultimate
you know, last say, and so just going through adversity
(37:53):
of being undersized player at my position, not being picked
first as a kid because they said I was too small,
just the mindset, man, my heart was bigger than my
body and nobody could. I'll work my mindset and so
just to be able to get to lead and to
be an inspiration to the younger kids out there who
say that too small and not big enough, just let
us know that it's all about your mindset. You know,
(38:14):
you don't put the limitation on yourself. It's it was
important for me to make that book, and we're coming
out with a new one here pretty soon that we're
working on Life after Football and Transition Kids book. Just
to kind of just like I said, be an inspiration, man.
Just use our platform and to be able to give
back and health your younger kids because as you know,
growing up as kids, we didn't have any people coming
back talking to us about you know, you know, success
(38:36):
and what it looks like and how to get there.
So having these podcasts what you're doing, man, I can
tell you. I can contest to her. There's kids back
at home that watch you guys and see you guys
as role models. So like I can't reiterate, man like,
y'all keep doing what you're doing because you're making an
impact on a lot of people, you know what I'm saying.
So that's that's that's what it's about.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (38:55):
I don't take those words lightly people that I hope
you receive that words words matter that big thing for me.
I also went and checked out your book last night
on Amazon. I don't know who's selling it. It was
for four hundred dollars.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
So I was like, I was thinking about buying one.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
But I'm a four hundred We will get you right,
you know, I got four little ones so we to
write people.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
Get that right, Okay.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
I appreciate that. Just gonna let you know.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, research twelve dollars. Yeah, that's what we'll
get it. We'll get it, Okay, personal mail you one.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Limited edition?
Speaker 2 (39:31):
Good you actually order order a Circle House Coffee dot com.
You go to the shop session the kids books and
this you go with it there as well.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Everything at circle house dot com. All right, I can't
wait to hear this. And this is a question I
usually reserved for Peanut, but I'll do it this time.
So we always talk about our levels of influence, people
that have really mattered to us the most and really
poured into us or helped make us who we are.
(39:58):
So we talk about our own personal Mount Rushmore on
this show, right, and so we would like to know
who is your on your Mount Rushmore of personal influence?
Speaker 1 (40:09):
How the people do I get? I'll give you a couple.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
My mom number one, just who she is as a person,
what she's able to do for coming from Jamaica that
day in her early twenties, to be able to lay
a foundation for me, and understanding that hard work pays off.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
My mom was everything.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
And shout out to Steven here, who also I saw
on Instagram paid off his mom's house.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
So congratulations doing such a great thing. Her lot of.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Sons are not able to do. You doing that for
your mom is beautiful as well, So shout out to
her and what you're growing.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Up as a kid.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Always the bills are always a conversation, her having to
borrow money for people to keep the lights on. So
when I got drafted, I finally got paid. I went
in ahead and wrote that six figure check and paid
off her house. And so to me, that was probably
one of the greatest moments of my life. You saw
the video men, you know what I mean, and her
struggle to pay those bills and knowing she didn't have
to worry about that anymore. It was one of the
greatest accomplishes they had. But my mom Number one. It's
(41:06):
a guy named Jay Lot, my mom's boss, a Jewish
guy passed away now my mom. My mom worked in
a nursing home for a lady named Rachel, and Jay
was the son. But he took, he took, He took
a liking to me. He saw me at the nursing
home every day, pushing his mom around with my mom,
see me in the lobby when my mom worked overnight,
having to get up, take a shower and the old
folks shower before they woke up, the walk across the
(41:27):
street to school, and he's seen me about my first computer,
my first bicycle, put me into tutoring. He really believed
in me when I got drafted. He's helped me pick
my agents with Neil Schwartz and Drew Rosenhouse financial advisor,
got me with the right financial advisors, talking about checks
and balances. Not having the same financial advisor, just CPS.
They should know each other every month, meeting with both
of them. Checks and balances, make sure you have you're
(41:48):
ride off. Like he taught me financial literacy.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
But he believed in me.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
At the age of seven years old all the way
to the age of twenty two before he passed away.
I don't think without him I'd have the same mindset
that I have now, just from that mon to your
mindset just being a man. So I'll put him at
number two, number three my mentor uh just being a pro.
Uh what I'd say would be David right just taking
(42:12):
on a twenty one year old kid, leaving college earlier
as a junior, geting to the NFL and walking in
that locker room for the first time and seeing all
these guys that big chains on, big drip, big cars,
and said, guy, he said, don't follow these guys. Just
what they don't do that that was to fall.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
Don't do that, jewelry, don't fall.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
Hell, he will be around a long time.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
But just teaching me to understand how to be a
pro on and off the field, help propel my career
to hold another whole nother trajectory. And uh, you know
there's there's a bunch of other people team on and
and uh you know family, you know, just friends. I'd say,
the right friends that I have in my circle now
really keep me humble. They believe in everything that I do. Uh,
(42:56):
they stick behind me. They give me one hundred percent
of them. I give one hundred percent to them as well.
So I put my friends category as a fourth because
I have real solid friends in my life who tell
me when I'm wrong, who I take constructive criticism from.
That's the thing about football is it teaches you how
to have thick skin. I think a lot of people
are sensitive nowadays. When you talk to them about certain things,
they get in there feeling how can you talk to
(43:17):
me that way? Said, No, I'm not coming at you.
I'm trying to mentor you and give you positivity so
you don't make these bad mistakes. I'm in your corner.
I want to see you win. I'm more excited to
see people win than I am. I'm more excited to
see people win than I'm win because I know what
winning feels like. We've all been part of winning teams,
right with Super Bowls and made money and then you know,
we understand what.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
That side looks like.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
So we see people in your peer group that are
getting to that level, you're excited for them because you
know the feeling of it. That's how I am so
having friends like that, but I can talk to and encourage.
I think for me is I put my friends group
of friends in that for slot on the Mount Rushmore.
My mom missed Lodge Bitch and Harry Thomas and those
guys for sure.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Hey man, that was good. We appreciate you coming on
the show. That's awesome. Excited about sorter House Coffee Superhousecoffee
dot Com. Absolutely, I'll be going on there checking out
the coffee, the night Trow, the cold night Troll, appreciate
the beans, the whatever. I'm a buy a book. I
got full little ones, I got full minis at the
crib that No, man, thanks for blessing us. I'm excited
(44:16):
about what twenty twenty four holes for you and your business,
and thank you all the ventures you're doing. Man, and
I wish you nothing but the best.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
Yeah, I wish you guys but the best as well.
Best keep doing what you're doing. Man, Thank you for
having me and taking the time, and I'll be back soon.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
No, man, I appreciate it, but I can't. I can't
wait till you turn freaking forty one or forty two,
like you're gonna be done taking to me about forty three.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
I am forty one, forty one, okay, till everybody fifty
and then they think I mean fifty. I look good,
and that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (44:48):
Good, y'all are great man.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
Forty one, yeah, peanuts older than me. All right, we're
gonna get it out of here. Y'all ready, let's get
up out of here.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Man.
Speaker 3 (44:55):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
Thank you guys for always tuning in, watching or listening
wherever you listen or pick up your podcast where this
Apple podcast. iHeartRadio. Make sure you give us a five
star rating. Tell a friend to tell a friend to
do we there we go and appreciate it, give us
a review, click that follow button. We'll hall let y'all later.
Man Steven Tellick, thanks as always for listening to The
NFL Player's Second Act podcast.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
It's
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