Donald Parham

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Alright, alright, alright, welcometo another episode of They'll Bring the Juice
Podcast again. We are on anaway game today I Dallas with Michael Walker
as the co host. Mike,how are you don't want to be going
regular? Can I stop announcing thisepisodes? If that wants to be going
right now? I think you shouldbe all right? All right, all
right, next time I'm gonna tryit out. Anyways, today we got

(00:24):
Donald Parham from the San Diego Ialmost said Sego, Los Angeles Chargers,
real, but we were talking aboutDean Rogers, a great dude. Los
Angeles Chargers tight end just signed anew deal. Congratulations, by the way,
I appreciate it. Yes, sir, let's talk about your journey,
bro. We were just talking aboutD one double a football transitioning to the
league. Tell us about where youwent, what that vibe was, and

(00:46):
how it's different than the same daythe Los Angeles Chargers. It was cool
man, a couple tequilas. It'sa very small school, about three to
four thousand people, so everyone knowseveryone. No, yeah, facts,
It's like there was one one moreguy that came out to the league.
Um, Donald Payne, Okay,XFL right now, but he kind of

(01:07):
paid away from me to make itout and um, but yeah, I
mean I bounced around a lot.I didn't get drafted. I uh was
in rookie minicamp with Detroit and Iwent to Washington's UM training camp. Okay,
then I got cut after that,and then I was just kind of
at home for a while for afew months, and then the XFL called

(01:29):
and twenty twenty okay, COVID year. Yeah, so that's when they got
shut down after like five games.Then the Chargers hit me up and I've
been there since. So you yougot the opportunity just you strike with Iron's
hut and taken advantage of I mean, kudos to you, bro, because
like anything, especially coming from asmall school, like all you need is
a shot, and then you've takenadvantage of it. Obviously, me and

(01:53):
Mike we are short enough to wherewe can have our microphones on the table.
Donald is too tall, so hehas to hold sixty eight. Did
you think you're a basketball player?Like what's going on? Yeah? Question,
Like hindsight is always twenty twenty andit's like, dang, should I
have stuck with football? I meanbasketball? But just like you know,

(02:15):
I'm making my name, right,Yeah, I'm doing what I gotta do.
Things worked out, you know whatI'm saying. Did you play both
in college? Yeah? No,no, not college, high school,
high school all right. So comingout of high school though, like I
mean, you had to have alittle bit of love for basketball off for
one, Yeah, because I wouldplay it, like you know, with
the team that was out of school, right, I mean, you know,
oapen gym that kind of thing,right, but never win mill duncan

(02:38):
chill your Your high school made youthe center. Yeah, yeah, that's
that's right. Yeah, I meanit was cool. Though I'm glad I
made the decision to play football.Well, I mean it was just better
in my opinion. But let whatI mean. Okay, but like from
a let's just talk from a financialand like a in I spent in your

(03:00):
body essentially, football is obviously abigger risk by a ton, but basketball
at the same time, I meanit's a good size I think is the
wear and tear. Eighty two gamesa year, even in college you're playing
forty seven games. Twelve college football, you played twelve footballs like twelve yeah,

(03:21):
yeah, yeah, eleven unless youmake the playoffs and all that.
Even in the college basketball you're playingforty and you're just constantly jumping, like
your knees gotta be Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think the
wear and tear almost like I almosthonestly think it might be worse than some
positions to play basketball than football.That's just my honest opinion. I'm not
a very good basketball player. Uhfive eight white guy speeds my thing I

(03:46):
learned about fifth grade. Um,I couldn't make a layup, and I
was good at every other sports.I was like, you know what,
man, cool bro. Don't getwrong, I love playing horse, Bro.
I love that I'm good at likethe the hook shot, the like
the like, oh, you gottabounce, bounce, then go in.

(04:08):
Like I'm good at all that.You're on the back side of the backboard
and you gotta go you gotta goover and then go in. Uh,
I'm great at those actually. Growingup, I feel like THEO Vaughan saying
this, bro. But like,hey, growing up, we used to
have this little uh like this blacktopand uh, there was a little smudge

(04:30):
of grease in the middle of thestreet. And I used to be able
to drain threes when it was downat like seven and a half feet.
I'm talking just like muscle memory mechanics, love that up and make it maybe
seven out of ten times. Brot. No, Bro, Like I'm not
a basketball player, but like thatwas my that was my stat at one

(04:51):
point in life. Bro. SoI appreciated it. But no, six
states. Like like we had BabyGronk on today, which we can get
into. We cannot get into.But all I'm saying is like his dad,
his Jake was talking about like yo, hoping he gets to six one,
and my counter, Mike, Itell are you I'm six three?

(05:13):
Yeah? Whatever, But I'm sayingpoopy here, But I'm saying like six
one And this sounds crazy coming froma five eight guy. That's really not
that crazy. If you're if you'regonna call yourself baby Gronky, you better
be six eight, yeah, andI mean you're six eight. Like I'm
just thinking about how you how yousee the world, Bro, It's it's
different, it is. I mean, that's a different perspective, and I

(05:35):
mean it gives you an opportunity tosee everything. So you know, literally
what landed you at tight end allof this in football? What brought you?
What brought you football in the firstplace. I think I think just
being like, were you tall?You always the call this kid? Or
did you get the late gross spurt? I hit a late ish gross spurt.
Okay. I grew like four orfive inches over a summer in like

(05:58):
tenth grade. Okay, yeah,that's about five two seven three. It
was kind of crazy. Um,but I chose football because everybody's my height
in the league in NBA. Yeah, it's just kind of like, you
know what I'm saying, It'd bea different statement around me if I go
play football, right, Okay,so yeah, were you was the receiver
first? And then yeah it wasreceiver. I played receiver in d end

(06:21):
and in high school. Don't know, I mean, I know we're not
basketball players, shot, but I'mjust thinking, like, again, this
is a hot take. I feelreally bad talking about this, but I
feel like basketball will as Yes they'redogs. Lebron James insane athlete. He
probably do something. I mean,I wasn't gonna go down. I was

(06:45):
just gonna say, if, dude, if like there's I know so many
dudes with handles that could drain threesthat had bounced passed behind the back.
I guess what they're five. Yeah, it just and I know there is
those few like needles in a haystackwhere you could you could be a dude
in the NBA. In today's NBAthough, like like like Steph Curry's like

(07:11):
kind of short short. What I'msaying, like, like, Bro,
he's short, like so basketball andespecially what's the dudes same Taco? The
super tall dude? What is he? I went to high school with the
seven foot Robert up shop. Bro. I don't always that these days,
but for high school basketball games,it was lit, and it was lit

(07:34):
for high school basketball. He nevermade it, which also makes me think,
Bro, if you're seven, feedbetter for the NBA. But I
do think as awesome of a gamebasketball is it. I don't want to
say it's easier to go than othersports, but pretty much if you're six
four and up, that's pretty muchyour competition. Football, Well there's there's

(08:00):
five six, five eight, fiveten, five eleven, six foot six
eight. Yeah, who's the tallestdue to the league. Are you you
probably up there there? Probably?Yeah, you're probably up there. I'll
take Donald got him, yep,got him? So college football coming out
of high school? Where do youwhere do you want to go? Would

(08:22):
you think you were going? Likewhat what was your mindset coming out of
high school? Um? Just kindof wherever I could go? Because I
was highly recruited out of high school. That would you weigh? I was
like maybe two hundred pounds when Icame out six eight two hund that's but
still I feel like there's enough collegeout There'd be, hey, this seems
got a frame. Yea, let'slet's give him some chocolate milk, you

(08:43):
would think. But no, itwas because I was kind of on the
fence between playing defensive end and receiver. Okay, so it was just kind
of like where where would I fit? Right? So but yeah, I
mean it just kind of whatever Icould pick up and into that stestin.
So, how was that? Howwas your college experience? It was cool.
I went for three and a halfyears. Um it was you know,

(09:07):
like I said, a small school. So it wasn't you know,
too much too fast. You knowa lot of the big schools for like
a small town guy like me,like right, and so it becomes a
lot you know, your your mindsetchanges and stuff like that. But it
was cool. Man, did youever got did you guys ever make the
D one double a playoff? No? No, you were like middle of

(09:30):
the pack throughout What was the what'slike an average give me like a game
day atmosphere, like like twenty thousandpeople, two thousand people other people homecoming
rival, So you might like theaverage game, you might get about seven

(09:50):
to eight hundred attendants. And yousaid it Washington training camp and there's that
many people on the practice Yeah,probably more. I was like, oh
wow, so yeah, but itwas like our home kevins were pretty lit.
Out of a few thousand and attendants, you hit four figures. It

(10:11):
was so all right, that's agood But you you talked about a great
example. So I mean you you'reyou're used to playing in these games of
called a thousand people. What wasyour first like game day? I know,
practice is one thing. Obviously theleague, the NFL brings a certain
amount of pressure whatever you want tocall it, butterflies, Um, what

(10:37):
was your first life? There's alot of people here to wash your playing
day experience, especially playing on theChargers. I mean, so far is
lit, bro, Yeah not yet, it's fire. But I think first
experience would probably be training camp preseason. Okay, Baltimore and in Baltimore,
in Washington, Okay, and youran out the tunnel. I was life.

(11:01):
I can hear the whole crowd.Yeah, and it was like,
I don't know. As soon asit's you know, kick off happened,
it was like, all right,but let's go play football. Play well,
you don't even hear that once youget to a certain level. Yeah,
once you're locked in, it's likeyou don't even you don't even know
what's going on. It's actually crazyhow you don't hear it. Yeah,

(11:22):
yeah, literally like tuning all thatout, Like you here on sideline,
you're going to games, like right, if you're just if you're just chilling,
it's like yeah, yeh off onthe sideline and you just you look
offenses out you're on defense. Yeahwhat you say? So yeah, so
talk us about the Charterers. Imean, now fast for obviously you're blasted

(11:43):
make the NFL um you from asmall school, you get to Charters.
You just signed back, Like what'sthe expectation. Congratulations by the way,
Yeah, that's that's big time,big time. Yeah. Yeah, I
mean Charters are really cool, youknow what I mean. I feel like
I'm building a relationship with them good, so we'll see, you know,
what's happening going on down the line. But that's for the experience. I

(12:07):
feel like it was the right opportunityfor me right out of the XFL.
You know, they were so welcomingof me, and then the coaches around
me that I had my first year, they you know, basically broke it
down to me, um gave mewhat I needed to be a pro.
And then you know, I justkind of carried that on. Okay,
Donald, going from so you wentobviously way you get your shots in the

(12:33):
league. You hit the XFL,and then you went back to the NFL.
Let's talk about that tradition of like, hey, obviously the goal of
any any football player in life,it's you don't know, many dreams.
If I can't wait to play inthe Canadian League, not hating on the
Canadian at all, you want toplay the league NFL, um, but
going from like having those opportunities onNFL rosters and then I don't want to

(12:56):
call it regressing to the XFL,but like that transition, like did you
did you feel a sense of like, damn, Like my pride's tainted because
it's not the NFL or were youmore looking at like, hey, I
know, I could hang let mego get some Tapeall'll do my thing and

(13:18):
get back on a roster. Soit was more of like this is a
stepping stone in my journey, right, you know, I was I was
feeling so highly of myself just becauseI was like on the rosters or you
know what I mean, like inthe camps and stuff like that. So
and I feel like God kind ofput me through that that situation just so

(13:39):
I could become better, you know, mentally and physically. Everything's a journey.
So it was just kind of likeI needed that time to you know,
um, get in touch with Godand you know, pray more and
you know, feel feel out whatI wanted to do and then also have
a plan to do it. Soit was just kind of like I had

(14:01):
to go to l and absolutely justlike to do what I didn't hype in
college. I had record breakers andjust tear it off like that, just
humble brag, humble bragg. Idon't know, they don't know Donald,
you know. So yeah, itwas necessary for me right part of the
journey. So we we trained together. You know, I was saying,

(14:22):
as my guy's a dog, Ihave the privilege Andrew brother, I mean
he's dogs his brothers. H Itall you not hpe wife like he's jacked
like he brother was like he's lyingback for you. Yeah, but you
gotta see his brothers. Yeah,are you older though? Yeah? So
you wrestled, who'd win? SoI like so as brother, like,

(14:46):
I'm looking yeah, Robert Morris,Robert Morris. Okay, anyways, regardless
of that, this dude right now, he's kind coming up right now,
Um, how did did he giveyou motivation to keep going? Absolutely?
And because his dreams are to becomean NFL player, It's like I have

(15:09):
to do everything I can to showhim, you know, that he can
make it and what it takes tomake it. Totally. So I feel
like I'd have to be that examplefor him because you know, college man,
it's it's rough. You know,you can lose a lot of kids
in that in that transition between soum so yeah, I feel like I
have to try and be the bestI can for him. Yeah, that's

(15:33):
respect that a lot. I've definitelyseen that antor we're training together, so
yeah, it's definitely dope. Imean he definitely seems a good kid.
He's on the right track. Um, I mean like, I mean break
it down to him and Lee's hardback arguing in the league. It's a
business man, absolutely, what isyour been what has been your biggest?
Uh? Football is a business,not a sport anymore momentum. When I

(15:56):
got released from Washington, talk tome about it. So I went to
you know, I went to thetraining camp. I got cut. After
training camp. They brought me backweek two for practice Clay, and that
was just kind of like, Okay, this is my opportunity to you know,
you know, get that game.Dude. I was like, but
we're gonna have to release you afterthis week. That's mentally a lot because

(16:18):
of the numbers thing, you know. Yeah, And I realized I was
like, okay, yeah, it'smore than just getting here. It's more
like what can you do for him? Yeah, And what people don't understand,
it's like, you play tight end. Okay, we might release you,
not because we brought another train end, because we need a cornerback,
we might need a kicker or somethinglike that. So you have to yeah,

(16:41):
like how hard is it too?And Mike, I know you I'm
not going. Well, you've beenYou've had a great NFL for your blessed
I'm very proud of you. Umwe've talked. We talked to Sean and
they uh McEwan about his Dallas Cowboystighten and he talked about the importance of
like special teams, owning your roleand I just think, you know,
and I say this with anything,like one thing I try to do with

(17:03):
Bring the Juice is is correlate theelite mindset it takes to chase greatness as
an NFL player and to the businessowner, the father of the husband,
the brother, the employee, whatever, that the guy trying to be the
best version of himself he could possiblybe like your mindsets of approaching a certain
situations are very similar. But atthe end of the day, one thing

(17:26):
I've learned from my football cur thatI've been able to translate is the bigger
asset you could be to your company, which essentially is an NFL team at
this point, they're going to keepyou around. So what how in those
experiences have you said, Yo,I need to be able, maybe I
gotta be I gotta be a youknow kor what is your how are you

(17:48):
going to be the How are yousuch an asset to the sandy of the
LA Chargers? Now, I mean, is it Is it because you're six
eight? Is it because you've experiencedthe grid of going to Washington didn't cut
understanding the numbers game, going tothe XFL. That's not as good as
I wanted to be. But Igot to prove myself back in the league
and I'm here to stay. What'swhat what's what's your what's your IT factor?

(18:11):
I'd say just my overall threat onoffense. Um, I was fortunate
enough not to have to do awhole lot of special teams just because six
days running down the field that lookscrazy crazy. I mean I would love
to see you in full stride Donald. Yeah, I don't even care.
Che cheek baby somebody. Yeah.I was fortunate enough not to have to

(18:34):
do it. So it was justkind of like they believed in my ability
on offense to be able to stayand you know, make something in myself.
Yeah. I mean, so talkus through the what motivates you?
I mean, you go to asmall school. I went to D two
square to high school. Um,like, what motivates you? While you
got a bed bro? Why doyou get a bed every day. Yeah,

(18:55):
i'd say, just creating a lifefor myself. Yeah. Then also,
um, you versue facts and thenalso just believe in God that I
have an ability that I can showpeople what I can do and then glorify
his name in it. And soit's just kind of like I have this
ability and I'm just keep going.And I mean I don't have any other

(19:18):
reason to not, you know whatI mean, Yeah, you're blessed.
I mean, you know six eightI'll just say so yeah. I mean
then also you know the younger generationof course, so many people that look
up to Mellot bros. Yeah,So I mean I have my family as
well. They support me and allmy um transgressions and all the things that

(19:41):
I have going on in my life. So I just I just like to
use them as fuel to the fireto just I love that bro. The
Chargers itself, I mean, theNFL, it's it's a crazy thing.
Yeah, but you and you've beenthe franchises. How's the Chargers franchise?

(20:03):
I mean, you guys had somehigh plus here justin Herbert's your dude,
what's what's your relationship with him?Is he is? He? Is?
He? Him. I mean,he's so funny, Like people see him,
you know, in commercials and onthe field, and you know he's
bawling doing all of this and that. But like, this guy's the most
reserved guy I've ever I've ever beenaround. Like I thought I was reserving.

(20:25):
I do think you're reserved. He'son a different level. Really.
He hates cameras, he hates talkingin front of media and all that kind
of stuff. But I mean,like he's a humble person. Yeah good,
he's a good dude to be around. And he's you know, he's
a good friend to have, right, good number to call, you know
what I mean? Yeah, youwant those guys in your foxhold bro?
Absolutely? Absolutely? What about Imean? And I gotta ask, being

(20:47):
a white out of myself, LikeI don't think Keenan Allen gets the respect
he deserves. What's it like froma tight end perspective understanding you're with a
technician like him who's mastered the craftof route running, Like, what have
you learned from him? Or isthere a dude on the Chargers that has
really took you under their wing andhelped you blossom to the player you are

(21:08):
today. It has to definitely beken Um. He's like, he's taught
me so much in terms of howto move your body, how to control
body, and you know, certainplanes of you know. So it's just
kind of it's surreal to even seehim practice and run routes and all that
kind of stuff, because it's likehe moves insanely different, different, like

(21:29):
it different, Like some of thethings he does is just like there's no
way you can do that. That'snot supposed to be humanly possible. But
to see him do it and it'slike, okay, try and replicated and
implicated into my game. Right.It's like he always you know, giving
me pointers and stuff like that andhow to do it, and so it's
it's something special because it's definitely aonce in a lifetime thing and a once

(21:53):
a lifetime talent. Yeah, yeah, sure, I think he again I
say this maybe so coach ted forour coach at President State. He was
a coach at Cow while Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn d Jack Keenan were there.
All these dudes. And he's gotsome stories, I mean, and I'm

(22:14):
talking like stories of like yo,that's awesome, but also some stories are
like, hey, we've been upthirty one nothing and lost. Don't don't
think you know, don't don't don'tthink it's over because you're you're up at
half time and which, honestly,I mean, I think we've all couldn't
agree at this point. Like youlearn a lot of life lessons to become
a man through the sport of football, which is it was, is why
it's so beautiful at the same timeyea um. But anyways, he talks

(22:38):
about Keenan Allen and being a receiverin his offense, like we used to
watch I don't I don't know theyear of Keenan Allen's cow tape, but
like bro to watch him on theoutside and Sean Jackson and the inside getting
thrown to by Aaron Rodgers with MarshawnLynch as the quarterback and the running back,
and they're like, all right,go do this, and you're just

(22:59):
like, Bro, that's that's AaronRodgers, d Jackie ket Are you kidding
me? You think I'm gonna whipout like that? Out of so I
mean, kudos to him. Iactually funny when I was living out in
Utah. Uh, have you guysever been a Parks of the Utah.
I don't. It's a great,great place I play. You've been so.
I lived there for two years anduh, I was out there training

(23:22):
and it was fussible. But Iwas out in Park City one day,
which is where I would actually likelive and train. I think Olympic facility,
and there's a couple of bars outby, and my boys were in
town Coop Beach, all the boys, the fellas and anyways, we go
out this is it's like a fourstory bar. It's called No Name Saloon
Lit Lit and it's rooftop bar.It's kind of like drizzling snow, but

(23:47):
there's live music. Everyone's fisp notlike some Edim's like good vibes, good
vibes. Everyone's got a little lotof you got a little code on you,
chilling both little fireballs shot here andthere. It's fine, bro,
I swear to god, I said, there's this. It was a bald
dude with the same beard, samebuild. And I've been watching Keenan Allen

(24:07):
all college foball. This is KeenanIsland, bro, And I'm not trying
to be like, all right,this is a light skinned black dude.
Was like a bald headed a beardbut I googled him and I was trying
to see because like tattoos, youcan kind of tell, right, Bro,
I swear the first like like likewrist to like elbow. I was
like, And I go out tohim and he was with some chicks.

(24:30):
They weren't scala one of ten.You can't use a seven. They were
an eight. They weren't a six. But I was like, I feel
like Keenan and I would be morelow key out of this. But also
it's park City. It's like maybehe's bro. It's a place to ball
um, It's it's like a Newportbeach for the snow. And uh.
I was like, hey, bro, like I don't want to be that

(24:51):
dude, Like are you kiding out? And and he goes, no,
bro, everyone says that. AndI was like okay, and I just
walked away. But I'm thinking tomyself I was Keenan Allen. I would
say the same, bro, Bro, it's not me, but yeah it
looks like me. Huh. AndI was funny, how can't you do

(25:11):
you still like this day? Likeyou're like that. I thought about it
maybe maybe twice a year, notthat I mean not that I would act
any different like I I you know, I'm not gonna be I'm not.
There's nothing to fanboy about like anything. I'd be like, hey, I'll
take a shot like something like that. I'm not. I'm not gonna be
weird. I like, I thinkas soon as I thought, I said,

(25:33):
damn, that was Keenan Allen.He didn't want to deal with it.
Yeah, and that was his excuse. I was like, yeah,
man, and so are you.So you're let's let's talk about the tight
end position as a whole. Areyou a tight end? You guy with
with with like Kiddle and all thosedudes. I haven't been trying to behold
I need to go. They actuallyinvited me last year, but I was

(25:55):
out of town. Oh man,it looks lit. You got to get
in those Yeah. How is thetight end position like evolving? I think
out of honestly, this hot takeout of every sport specific position, I
think the tight end position in footballis evolving faster than any position in sport.

(26:17):
It's like a revolving door. Though. It's like one day they'll want
a receiver, one day they'll wantto block, or one day I want
a hybrid. Can you do itall? I feel like I can do
it all. Yeah, what wouldyou say? Are you more on the
receiver side of the blocking side rightnow? Um more on the receiver side.
I don't tell you what you seemy little time righting around here,

(26:41):
he's gonna play tightan if he playsfootball. We're going for basketball. He
will play tighten. Your son he'swalking at six months old, right No,
but he's projected to be like seventwo right now. Right No,
he's big. But we're gonna playbasketball. But we play football, We're

(27:03):
definitely playing tight I think bro titanis actually unique position to me up put
a lining backer obviously, so likeI have to guard tight ends. You
know, it's like you bred tosafety, only put a line back around
him. Like it's a mismatch.The titan is now on days in this
league? Or why receivers ye whoplayed tend yea even have to block anymore?
They arc released. It's crazy,like you'll get you'll have a blocking
tendan, and you'll have a hybridtendan, and you'll have a receiver tendend.

(27:26):
Just three ten ends all time everyroster, and some of those Titans
go in the game just because I'mnot gonna block you, but you can't
guarden who's who's who's the Who's yourrobottle on tight ends right now? Probably
have to be a g Antonio Gatebecause he's also in the organization or what

(27:47):
he was, and just because hewas, He's literally like, yeah,
who's who's the dude? Did theleague right? And I were like,
Bro, that's the dude I'm tryingto beat in the league right now.
Ask Travis Travis, Dude, I'veput kittles in. There has to be.
Yeah, I've played against the Chiefs. I've studied filming them all week
long. He's the guy. He'sthe guy, Like we gotta shut this

(28:10):
guy down. I mean, Iknow tyrok Hill like game. Don't get
me wrong, Tyro Hill is oneof the best cheers in the league.
Like it's great, fast as hell. Yeah, Travis Kelsey is that guy,
Like he is the dude you got. We got to this guy and
he's open every play. Well,which don't. So I listened to another
podcast, Busting with the Boys,come on to collab um, But George

(28:32):
Kittle was on and he was talkingabout they were just saying like, hey,
uh, Travis Kelsey's changing the tightend position. He's like, hey,
you know they were asking him ifBrock Purty didn't get hurt in the
Super Bowl, if I'm sorry,if they wouldn't have got hurt in the
championship game, if they would havebeat the Eagles, and then if they
would have beat the Chiefs, whichis that's a lot of like that's a

(28:52):
rabbit holes, that's that's they're boys. It's like me asking you it's that
good of boys, which I wouldn'tI wouldn't even ask that, like on
a podcast, but like I getit, clickbait whatever. Um. But
Kittle's response is pretty much like,dude, Kittle, what Kittle does well,
he does well, and like heknows that. And Kittle and Kelsey
are very different, and in butone thing he said. He was like,

(29:18):
if I George Kittle were to goon the Chiefs, you know right
now, become part of their programall this, I would not have the
success Travis Kelsey has because bro thechemistry that Kelsey and Mahomes have, like
it different and and and and andI'm sorry. Kittle literally said, um,

(29:38):
dude, He'll tell Travis in thehuddle, like you'll go run ten
yards and like be over the middle. Yeah, yeah, just come back
figurette figure yea. And how areyou supposed to go that mike from a
defensive position, bro? Like youyou can't guard that Bro, Like there's
there's a certain point like in myhead, just not getting too many tips
out there. But like once thereceiver sat past hips, he gets past

(30:00):
ten yards, I know what he'sdoing. Like you if you weren't straight
for ten yards, I know you'redoing yeo real quick though, Like there's
a roadrunner back there, Bro,A sweating god, I sweating god.
Bro, there's a roadrunner back there. Anyway, the award don't don't plan
on mine. They just run inthe window. It's okay, I'm gonna

(30:22):
I'm gonna kiss. But like butlike the thing is okay. So as
a defensive player, when a certainwhen a receiver runs a certain type of
route, like a certain type ofyards up the field, you know what
they're gonna. You know you're gonnacome out. It's going straight or he's
just breaking it in. Travis Kelsey'sa unique player because he will run fifteen
yards down the field and then comeback to the receiver. You're a tight
end. If you're a tight endin my head. Okay, you got

(30:44):
this route, this route, thisroute, it's right, it's right here.
Round tree is about that, right, right. Travis Kelsey has the
freedom to do whatever that takes.That takes, but that that is something
you can't You can't draft, youcan't trade four, you can't do anything.
It just develops and and people talkabout but talk us through, like,
okay, so you put it rightright. If you go out there

(31:06):
and you can see this, youmight never play again. You're going on.
It takes even just for me playinglike I talk to me and my
agent. We get so frustrated talkingback and forth about like I'm not dude,
Like yeah, the coach wanted meto hit this whole, but like
I'm like, dude, this aguy right there. I'm I'm a backdoor
and make the play it. He'slike, dude, it sometimes you got
to just run to that wall.Yeah, talk us to the frustration of

(31:26):
that, Like you played ten andyou being the guys in your group,
the guys who start, guys whoare like, you know, the guys
a tight end and stuff like that, and obviously you play. You've been
asking your statues. I played againstyou, you know, you're a good
player, bro, Like I'm justsaying, but like talking about the frustration
it takes of like this guy cando this, but you can't even though
you know you can do that,you know, So like our oc from

(31:47):
last year, he called it guidelinesguy versus by the book. Yeah,
I like that. Guidelines guys like, Okay, you can do what you
need to do to get open,as long as it's some what in the
range of what I wanted you todo? Stay between these lines, right,
But then it's like that got thatby the book guys like Okay,
you know what I mean. Yougotta do it right my way or the

(32:10):
highway that guys like Keenan Allen versusthe rookie receiver exactly know what I mean.
So it's like it depends on you'redifferent pools. Yeah, it depends
on your you know, your yearsin the league, right. I will
marriage exactly what it is. Andit's the most frustrating thing in the world
because you know, like I coulddo this right, you know what I'm
saying. But it's like if Ido that, you know, you gotta

(32:32):
wait your turn and you gotta getyou gotta make the plays that you know
come to you, and then youknow, once you get that merrit and
you get that trust, then wellwe're talking. We're talking Kelsey mahomes here,
And like I want to give akudos to almost like but Tom Brady,
and people say this whole time,like, all right, Tom Brady,

(32:53):
he had Randy Moss, at onepoint, he had Gronkowski, there
was he had some dudes. Butthere were certain years which again why bloays
making noise. I'm gonna, I'mgonna, I'm gonna wrap my guys here.
Okay, Jilian Eleman's my white elephant. I want on the podcast.
But like, dude, the reasonthey had success at one point wasn't because
skill these dudes are. They werejust on the same page. Yeah,

(33:15):
and and and I think like likeI had quarterbacks in high school where he
gives me like a little like littlechin strap rub and all of a sudden,
I'm going inside release even though I'msupposed to go outside release. There,
I'm going insoide release. He's gonnabang my beat this safety and skate
and it's like it's harder to dothat the more you progress. When you
were a pop warner and you gotthat and your and you and your best

(33:37):
friend of your wide receiver and quarterbackor tight end and quarterback. Ar Hey,
guess what I learned this too earlyon. My dad told me this.
Listen, man, there's a lotof ways you should learn how to
tackle, you know, wrap up, get the short bay you're supposed to
get open a certain way outside,release this other you catch that first down,

(33:58):
find a way. Find a way, baby, that's life, man,
anything you do in this world,find a way to be successful.
I don't care what it is,what you're approaching, the way you're gonna
go about it, find a wayto figure it out. And and I
think we're talking about with a Seanor maybe maybe they're all getting this stuff
now. But bro, God givesyou doors in this world, right,

(34:21):
and sometimes you could just slither yourway through them. You just keep stepping.
And Danny Woodhead taught me this,but he didn't teach me this,
but he said it, and itwas it was a good clip. Basically,
he was just like, but sometimesGod doesn't give you doors, and
you gotta create. You gotta buildyour own door up and then bust that
down. Because it's not always sweet. It's just part of the deal.
The league is a business. It'sI mean, Donald, you you do

(34:44):
You're gonna I could just I haveno Donald for like forty nine minutes.
Now, Donald, You're you're gonnashow up to work and do your job.
Yeah. Yeah, you're gonna beassignment perfect. You're trying to provide
for your name, your family,and your future. Yeah, you're not
going to be the dude who thisup. That is much easier set on
a podcast than being done in itevery single day. Maybe they drafted tight

(35:06):
end in the second round. Guesswhat everybody else, all the Chargers organization
saying, oh, yeah, wegot this zo. Come, what are
you thinking? Beta? Bet?Yeah, you don't think I can handle
it? Bet right, let's go. I'm ready, and you've and and
I'm I'm not putting words like becauseyou had that D one double a experience,
that grit. You're the older brother. You understand the experience your younger

(35:27):
brothers. You in a wrestling match, Like I'm saying that, but you
got what you what you know whenthere's a task at hand, you have
a mindset on how to approach it, to be successful, to be the
best version of yourself you could possiblybe. Exactly, And bro, what
else do you want as a man? Yeah, I mean I'm just saying,
like wrapping up here. I meanI played against you guys last year.

(35:52):
I think I have a great organization. I think you guys are going
in the right direction. Um,hell of a dude, we trained again.
Like I said, expectations going tonext year. I mean it's open.
I mean I'm looking at it.I'm you know, I'm watching,
just like you're watching. You signedback. I mean the time just open.
So like, what are your what'syour expectations? We're just going through
your head like you know, wewe're about to get ready to go to
OTAs. Like what's you got goingthrough your mind? Also? What's your
favorite jersey at the Charges combo becausethey might have the iciest jersey like the

(36:17):
Navies. I always said, babyblue night Powders, powders. I don't
want the powder. I love it. Donald, I'll tell you what to
be honest, John, I'll tellyou what if you hit the powder so
much should be when I put upthe wall and bring the juice to But
no, I'm not jumping this year. I think just being the best athlete

(36:37):
I can be the best person Ican and then believe that God all all
season and glorifying his name. Itmakes them happen. Sir Donald, respect
it, bro, honestly appreciate youcoming on, bringing due. Appreciate the
patience. I've had a long day. No, I appreciate it, man.
And you know what. Prayers toyou, to your family, wishing
you the best health, safety,wellness, the whole thing. Congratulate some

(36:59):
new contracts. Hey man, justlike anything I had. I had this
clip last week. I forget whothe hell was with. But like when
you climb one mountain, you wantto get complacent almost of like, hey,
look where I've come, and it'sit takes a sense of maturity as
a man, as an adult,as a man chasing greatness. I'm saying
like, no, I'm gonna lookit up and find that another mountain chase.

(37:20):
Keep going, creating your own mounts, ceting your own challenges. So
keep doing your thing. Donald,I think, I mean, I mean,
but you're You're a great example toany young athlete out there. Uh,
cheers to you. Follow Donald onthe Graham. Check out the Chargers
this year. Check out his newpowder blue jersey. He doesn't want end
to bring the Douce Studio. I'mgonna I'm best believe I'm coming to La.
It's that's that's let's put three Aliforniaquick. Yeah yeah, that's easy

(37:43):
for me and uh, you know, keep those knees healthy. Man six
eight. Appreciate you. I appreciateyou, sir,