Thomas Graham Jr.

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Alright, alright, alright, welcomeback to the episode of the Bricking Juice
podcast. Today we are starting offthe hot episode. I got Thomas Graham
Junior from the Cleveland Browns on thepod. Thomas was good brother, good
to have you on the studio.Man, thank you for bringing me out
the myth, the legend you feelme. I'm in the building now,
I ain't many. I appreciate youbeing here. Uh, you know we

(00:23):
were talking about earlier a little bitOregan Ducks went to the Bears now in
Cleveland. Let's talk about the journey. First of all, I know at
one point I do my research fromla Inland Empire. I know people are
very specific about the ie from theI e let him know and when originally

(00:46):
was committed to sc end up goingto Oregon though why the switch, you
seem most people around me no,but I dreamed of going to USC like
you feel me. After this,I was enjoyed pictures like I used to
wear in the US Rechiel. Butjac to the numbers fell off, so
of course Boom grew up still atseat out. Then one of the people

(01:07):
that like kind of helped mentor me, Sill Craven's Chris Hawkins. They both
went to USC, so I'm justlike U did USC. It is my
sister her last year track what shecommitted. She signed before, but she
went to USC, and I'm justlike, oh yeah, our dream that
we we picture growing up is aboutto come true. Go go to college
together, go to USC. Andthen I already committed a kita. I

(01:29):
went to only actual school outside ofAlabamas I had to go to And this
is after the fact, but Ihad to go to the camp to get
the offer because like this time period, I'm the number two corners in California.
I'm just like, oh yeah,Like, why don't they offered me
like I'm offering me everybody else butUSC went to the camp bought out coach
Heyward that ended up coaching me atOregon UM. He was just like,
you feel me. I want you, but we just gotta get you to

(01:52):
camp. Went there they would haveto do. It's all my mom's birthday.
Actually, he feel me. Gotthe SEC offer. Carter like,
hey mom, I got the offer. Steve Sarkisian was right there here was
just like here you feel me,yes, Miss Graham, you feel me?
Your son I'm just like, ohmy God, like a dream.
Fast forward a year later, Umafter the seed. The next year,

(02:13):
Steve Sarkisian ended up getting fired fromUSC. Helton gets a job, But
me and Healthton already had a relationship, so I was still fine with that.
But it was a whole new defensivestaff. At first it was Willcox
and Hayward and then end up becomingUm Planty and Bradford and I had just
on Wednesday, went up there firstday of spring ball. I'm a local
kid, pulled me out of schoola little early, but let him down

(02:37):
to a USC practice and then youfeel me. I'm just like, let's
gonna be amazing. Boom, gotin the meeting, got to sit with
them, went to the whole daywith him. My sister had a track
meet because spring ball at the sametime it's track season. Had attracked meet
that Saturday. He feels like USCit usually hasn't meet like there every year,
like to start the year off.Boom, go there. My sister
ran good, but all my wayinto the stadium, you feel me.

(03:00):
I'm going in. I see Bradford, he sees me, he looks at
me, he acts like he doesn'tknow who I am. But right next
to me was one of the oneof my seven on seven coaches, I'm
On Hawkins, which is his sonwas Chris Hawkins. He was at we
literally like we're gonna go to thepractice. Right after like, yeah,
he looks at me, Actually hedon't know who I am. Huh.
I was just like, okay,yeah, it's like you feel me,

(03:23):
this how it is. I tookthat personal, oh, very personal.
Like my decision I'm picking my collegewas based on like that encounter, that
encounter right there. I had toplay US. If I didn't play USC,
I couldn't go to your school.Like it was that personal, very
personal. So like he looked atme like he didn't know who I was,
and I was just like, allright, call told my dad.

(03:43):
Then we kind of started shopping around. I'll still commit at the time,
started shopping around. H coach downto end up coaching me. He's actually
I'll go back up there now that'smy guy for life. But he feeled
me. He was at Arizone atthe time, and then Todd Light was
at another name. I liked bothof them. He feel me, saw
my dad, I'm gonna decommit.And then people don't know, but I
silently committed to both school. SoI was silently committed to Arizona and another

(04:05):
Dame, so like those are gonnabe my final two. And then when
I start happening, I was justlike, all right, like you feel
me? This is my final decision. I called and then before I did
it, I called Hawk. Iwas like, what do I do here?
It's just like, don't call Healthton. Whatever you do, don't.
So I'm like, well, hewas like, because you're gonna be sitting
on the phone for an hour,Like all right, bet, I got

(04:26):
you. And I called Bradford.I told him I'm decommitting you feel me?
No? And then I ended upfinding out. So Chris Hawkins was
there on the board on their board, I'm number one, Like I'm the
number one corner. It was meand Darning Homes. It's like, well,
the three people was me, DarningHomes, and Jaitlyn Johnson, who
the three corners in our class thatthey were going to get, and then
the fourth and was damned Illinois,which ended up being my teammate that organ

(04:48):
so us forward they were trying toget and like you feel me, they
didn't even Chris was like, hewas like, it's crazy. It's like,
y'all four numbe on our board,but we are talking right as he's
not recruiting. None of us arelike right, and we're a number one
literally number the what site you wentto, there was no four of having anybody
ranked higher than interesting us four asUSC targets and all of us they all

(05:11):
tried to recruit us late, likeyou were like, where the Yeah,
you're trying to recruit like none ofus late. But feem me, we
end up all getting drafted into theNFL and you feem me right. I
don't want to speak on that class, but we know. So okay,
youd committed. You have two otherschools that aren't Oregon though on the radar,

(05:32):
how did Oregon become the one?So Demo Diamin who was a package
deal. So like most of you, you said, like, hey,
I go where he goes to us? Right, Yeah, so majority of
our first offers were the same,so like it was a couple that was
different, but majority of our likeoffer lists ends up being the same.

(05:53):
And then he committed. Him andmy team high school teammate Janla Read,
both of them commit early to Oregon. Okay, and then like even me,
I got through high school season,I'm telling them, like you feel
me, I'm not what's naming.I got my five set, No writers
hit me about nothing about college.I don't know where I'm going take my
five official visits. And then I'mlike, now at this point, I'm

(06:13):
really feeling another Dame UCLA Arizona Oregonand in Arizona State. But my thing
was I didn't want to go toa school where I felt like head coach
is gonna get fired. So youfeel me. At the time, Oregon
only had twenty five coaching changes,like throughout the whole staff in like twenty
five years. Yeah, like youfeel me, which is crazy in college
football. I feel like is thata lot? No, like really likes

(06:36):
State only has like like eleven personbut like at the time, like for
a power of five school, likeyou had way more than that. So
like you feel me. In themajority of their hires and coaching changes were
in house, Like Healthridge came froma GA all the way to a head
coach, Like that's crazy University ofOregon. So I was just like Oregon,
you feel me, I have astable head coach there from me.

(06:59):
Then I was looking at Arizona.I was just like, mmm, you
feel me? He might be onthe radar because a season's last two season
hasn't been too good. Arizon theState, he was already on the hot
seat right then you see la JamMorris on the hot seat. So I
was just like, schools, Ireally want to go to it's really now
between Oregon and another dame. Ifwe go be honest and keeping the head
coach. And then Kelly came tothe house and like he kind of sat

(07:21):
on the edge of the table andacted like you feel me, Like,
well, it's like thirty kind.I was like, bro, like like
what's good? Like you feel me? Like yeah, you literally I'm about
to sit here. I'm really aboutto go to another dame. Like right,
all you gotta do is have agood in home visit, Like is
that what it is? He felt? In home visit? And then my
mom was like me. My momwas like on the same thing. My

(07:41):
dad was like, you're going anotherdame. I mean it's an og,
but yeah, say if like youfeel me another dame, like or say
Jerry Rice went to another dame,right, and they had Jerry Rice talk
to you that they had Tim Brownlike calling. My dad's a big Radish
fan, and him call and talkto him on the phone because Todd play
with him. So my dad wasjust like, you feel me, like

(08:03):
I got to talk to somebody idolizegrowing up. I don't blame him because
somebody got me a chance. Youfeel me? Like I I was recruiting.
Now, Deon Sanders called my phonelike I might not say I'm committing,
you're going to state, but I'mI'm considering. You feel me,
Florida State, wherever you like,it's gonna be considered. It's gonna be
top three, Like I'm it's gonnabe the hat you feel me wherever it's

(08:24):
the table you feel because it's DionStanders and like that's somebody who we all
idolized. I were twenty one growingup because of him. So it's just
like I kind of got to thatsituation. And then now we're doing all
these in home visits, um andI already took my official visits to all
the schools. I did it duringmy season, and I wasn't even gonna
consider Oregon. Penn State that calledthat same week, and then I was

(08:46):
gonna go and take that like theyoffered, and I also take the visit
that same exact week. But thenI was like, you know, already
made a commitment to Oregon, youfeel me, let me go, and
I'm going on my high school teammateJy Red. Sure, so then you
feel me going to visit? Wehave fun. I was like, Okay,
I could see myself going to Oregonright so now, um you feel
me, I'm oregoned out like Oregan'snumber one Oregon out is is the Nike

(09:09):
hype real because I know every collegelisten. I played at Fresso State.
Your first okay, first, firstof all, your first day of college
football, what are you used to? High school loops were like you got
one pair of shorts, maybe maybea dry fit, maybe a dry fit.
I don't know how your high schoolrolled, but it was like you
got the spirit package, a hoodie, and then my first day you get

(09:31):
a couple pair of shoes complete,some shorts, some underwear, the shirt.
I'm gonna say we were more privilegedthan a lot of other schools.
I would give it that. Yeah, Um, I would say we didn't
really start getting stuff like that untilmy like truly was my junior year,
like my junior year and after that, and if I'd have stayed during COVID

(09:52):
my senior year right, which we'llget into that. Hands down, we
would have got like a lot morestuff. What do you mean a lot
more stuff because we're winning. Myfreshman year we went seven and six.
When you're winning and then but likeit's not more that you're winning, like
we were in a position to wherelike we're winning, we're producing, like
you feel me. The defense waswas bawling, like the offense was good,

(10:13):
but like, yeah, our offensefed off our defense. There like
if our defense are the bad game, offense had the bad game, nobody
they didn't pick you up. Andit was like it was times and games
or where it picks up like youhave Justin Herbert, like you can't go
wrong. Sure you feel me.It's very hard to like not go wrong
with Justin Herbert. So it waslike kind of that aspect, But I

(10:33):
would say training camp though you loveyou love coming back from tending camp because
you can't backpack the socks. Ohyou It was better than that, as
yeah, you get a big trashbag, not like you feel me the
trash bag you feel big Costco,the big the big old like black Costco,
the one you get like like that'sin your high school trash can,
Like you have that one, likeyou feel me, a big trash bag.

(10:54):
You feel me. Probably have twodifferent sweats suits. Your backpack is
next to it, so you havein your backpack and your backpack you have
your slides. You can have acouple of shirts, you feel me.
But in the bag you can haveeverything you want. And that doesn't even
include like in the spring, likewe tested everything, so we have all
the testers. So like we haveall the tests and like the gloves that

(11:15):
they have now with no strap onit, like you feel me, I
had that as a freshman, likeand that was early in Row League,
Like that wasn't even like my truefreshman spring like that was high school senior
basically, yes, like and sothat's two years through. Your sport even
comes out to the market. WhenOBJ dropped his colletes, they gave us
all white wins in practice before likeyou feel me to try them out,

(11:37):
Like right, you're kind of you'rekind of like the test audience for for
Nike football line. And then Iwant to say my sophomore year we were
the first ones to bring out thebig numbers. So like you feel me
the big numbers on the jerseys nowthat people wear the Nike did they jerseys?
Who was the first one to haveit? Like did it before?
That's I mean, I feel likemy generation Oregon was just suff because of

(12:00):
the Unicomba at a certain point,do you thinky Thomas, Yeah, black
Mama. The craziest thing is whenI first moved to California moving, I
was like seven to eight. Iwas born in Arizona, Okay. So
my first when I first moved,my dad, me and my dad had
Richard. We always have the statechampionship games. So like from like I
was eight on up, like meand my dad always into a state the

(12:22):
state championship game and the first oneI got to see just to be like,
hey, we gotta be here Somebodaytype thing kind of that we gotta
be there. But this, likemy dad did a great job when raising
me up, just showing me likelike if I told him I wanted to
do something, I wanted to besomewhere, he made sure to surround him
or put me in the area towhere like I've seen it, like he
feeled me so like like when wewent the first game was Daylight Salle versus

(12:46):
Crenshaw. I've never seen somebody changea game and dominant. And this is
when Daylight was on the street.This isn't no normal Daylight sal I think
that at this time they were likea hundred and ten game win Street.
They're deep into it. What thisman watched the movie the Anthony Thomas is
literally back there running almost Daylight Stilesoffense. Well, I wouldn't even say

(13:07):
the Stanford offense. If you rememberStanford Christian McCaffrey. Bryce Loove tossed the
ball back eight yards eight yards backin the backfield and that's going crazy,
Like I want to say, firsthalf, he had two touchdowns converted,
both two point conversions, like evenme had a hand fifty yards rushing almost
like in two touchdowns. And onhis last on like Daylight Stile broke right

(13:31):
before the half and they stopped himactually from scoring. He wrote his ankle
Snoop Dogg was at the game,and then they kind of it went down
there. Daylight Stile took over fromthere, but that I was just like
in the see him at Oregon andthen one of my first college games at
USC he has played was Oregon versusUSC went crazy, kickoff, returned back

(13:52):
to the crew, started off.I'm just like, wow, the anthony.
I want to be like the anthony. That guy was be two.
And the crazy thing is is mepicking my number in college? They asked
me. It was because I switchednumbers. I first wore number eleven.
From me, you're very few picturesof me and eleven. I was the

(14:13):
spring in my early in earl ofyear. That's not a bad number for
a freshman. I mean from hewasn't bad because taggered me. He showed
me love. I'll always get inlove. I was eighty two my first
day, so I don't want tohear about it. It was it was
four or six eight because I toldhim I only switched to a single digit,
so it was four or six eightand nine. I didn't want to

(14:33):
wear nine because my boy demo,Okay, he wanted. He worn't one
in high school. So I waslike, let him have it from me
when he fled, because you gottaearn it. You gotta earn Tagger,
you have to earn your numbers,see you. From me, I was
gonna let him get his nine andit was six or eight, and I
was like, in my head,I was like eight, Marcus Mariota can't
do it. Six The Anthony Thomascomin to make out four work end up

(15:00):
actually being perfect because like my familyis just being four of us the whole
time. So then that's how Igot my nickname tg foe. There you
got it? There, you gottafolks. Before we continue, I gotta
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(15:22):
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(15:43):
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Dervo Stelli TG. So one thingI like that you said earlier, and

(16:03):
I think it's kind of something thatpeople have opinions on, is like,
all right, so you transfer.Clearly, the reason you flipped from sc
to ultimately Oregan was because of acoaching interaction, right, And one of
the reasons you chose Oregon over NotreDame, Arizona, etc. Is because

(16:26):
of the coaching situation they had atOregon, the long history of it.
Right. But do you think thenwhen a kid, let's say I'm a
junior senior at high school and I'mlooking to go to a certain school,
do you think, as a recruitshould I consider? Obviously, yes,
you want to like the coach thatgoes there. But me and you both

(16:48):
know at the same time, ifa coach gets a better opportunity for more
bread, he's going automatically. Soobviously you're not going to go to a
school that you don't like the coachat. But what person scent is you
go for the coach and what percentis like, Yo, I just love
the city, the school, maybethe major that I'm going in, the
atmosphere, how the how the programis as a whole, what like does

(17:14):
it even like does it matter?Or if Nick Saban goes to Oregon tomorrow?
Is everyone is going to go fromwanting to go to Bama to go
into Oregon? Like how much?How much weight you think is there?
It's a lot of weight there,but for me, it's like now definitely
kind of that I experienced it.Somebody has to mark off two or the
four. So one you feel meis big? Is there other players in

(17:38):
your class at the same position atthe position opposite of youse? If you're
a dB A receiver? Who ifyou're a dB A receiver, you feel
me, oh line d line likeyou feel me running back linebacker? Right?
Is there somebody at that position thatcan either push me and make me
better every single day? Right?If they don't have that, don't go
to that school? Like you feelme? That's big? You feel me?

(18:00):
How long has my position coach beenthere? And how long has my
head coach been there? Like youneed to pay attention to that and need
need to know if they're on along term deal a short term deal.
Nowadays, most of these coaches nowif you go get a great assistant coach,
you feel me a position coach,most of the good ones are gonna
sign a three year deal now andyou feel me. An only clause they
get out of it is either goingto either their dream score or to the

(18:21):
NFL. Like you feel me.Outside of that, you feel me,
you don't get it. Third thingis is can you see yourself living there
at the end of the day thatmatters? Football is only i'll say two
thirds of the year, but thereis a good time period to where you
either kicking it with your teammates,your players and stuff like that. And
then fourthfully like do you enjoy yourclass like you feel me? Or if

(18:44):
you're a person that committed to thatschool early recruit, recruit somebody at your
same position, recruit somebody at anotherposition, Recruit the best players around you.
Because the thing is is if yourecruit and you get a lot of
players around you. Because one thingI would say is, like my organ
class, we recruited like once Icommitted, I recruit before I committed.
Jay Red recruited me before Jay Redcommitted. I don't know if Demo him
committed first, but they were recruitingeach other right, like you feel me.

(19:07):
So it's just like you have torecruit great players around you because if
you do that, you feel me. All that is to go either do
two things. It's gonna bring moreNFL scouts here, you feel me,
and then it's gonna make you betterand it's gonna make the standard to where
you have higher. And I thinklike if you look at any great program,
like it's crazy of like how highthe standard is. Look at Georgia
right now, Look at Alabama whenAlabama's Alabama even look at Alabama stills to

(19:30):
today, like people were saying Alabamalast year had a they fell off and
they have two losses. They wonthe Sugar Bowl, like you feel me,
Like the standard for them is crazy, like you feel me, But
that's the standard you create, likeyou for me, even that organ like
we were like now like if youdon't go you feel me to the Pacto
Championship like you feel me. Ifyou don't go to the Rose Bowl,

(19:52):
you don't get a chance. Liketowards the end of the season, if
you're not in college football playoffs.You did not have a great season at
work. And that's the standard thatyou feel me, Danny Thomas Audimn created
it fell off for like a year, but then they brought right back,
like you feel me. There's ebbsand flows that happens, but like you
have to have like somewhere to createa stand dude, we interrupt this episode

(20:14):
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(21:45):
You kind of got stuck in aninteresting situation during the COVID year. Yeah,
so you kind of had to decidedo I stick this out or we're
gonna have a season? Are wenot gonna have a season? What ultimately
were the factors on you saying,hey, I need to make a decision
to declare stay or what I mean? What what were your options like how

(22:10):
did you How did you decide I'mgonna declare I'm gonna I'm gonna go to
the league. So I originally optedto come back my senior year. And
I did that because I wanted togive my mom a senior year. Okay,
I wanted to leave with my classand finish things out right, because
we feel me, we were onegame away from going to the playoffs.
We felt like him, if weall came back and played together, you
got shot. We haven't. Wehave another shot of doing that. And

(22:33):
then, like the last thing waslike film me, I wanted to graduate.
I ended up graduating still, solike congradulations, thank you, thank
you, and then like me,decided to opt out. Was how the
Pack twelve handle things. They actuallyended up firing our commissioner. The PAC
twelve a great job of doing that, like you feel me, No,
no, no, what's names againsthim, because he did a lot of

(22:55):
great things to the Pac twelve,but it was a lot of bad things
he did for like the aspects offootball for us. That's a hard situation
for the world, let alone footballand all that. But knowing that,
like you feel me, in footballgenerates money and stuff like that you know
that you were going to try tohave a say. They sent us home
two different times. They send ushome right after screen ball, which everybody
did, right. They brought usback from We're on a quarter system school,

(23:15):
so when they brought us back,they brought us back a month later
than everybody else in general. Sothen after we do that, I'm just
like, man, like this iscrazy for real, Like you not go
really like you feel me and bringus back. And then they brought us
back for the month training. I'mlike, okay, for me, I
can get right like your season.Its gonna be probably a week or two
later, but I can get rightlike we came back like more of the

(23:37):
reason why we came back to it'slike we had a national championship schedule.
We had North Dakota State trade Lance, we had Ohio State at Outen with
Justin Fields. You feel me,my boy, which even me, you
got a chance. We talked aboutall the time, like how the game
was gonna ended up going. Itold them you me, Jivan and Demo
is gonna lock them boys up.But they for me, those boys end
up turning out to be great.About what four or five Ferston drive to

(24:00):
fix our offense, but you know, we still playing the wrong for their
money. But those things like that, there's just a lot like you for
me. And then I'm hitting upall my boys that playing the Big ten.
That's he seeing. They're just likeyeah, like they say they like
they say, we're not having aseason, but we're still practicing like people
happened. I'm just like, yeah, they're crazy. They just we went
back for a month and they sentthis home. So once they did that,

(24:21):
I was just kind of like,you know what, like they don't
really know what they're doing. Likeso like this is a bad environment.
I don't want to come and havea whole season and like you feel me
off for two weeks of no traininglike training, So I'm just like it.
And people who don't understand the insideof high level football high level just
call it division one up. Youcan't just practice for two weeks ago play

(24:42):
a college football season. I cannotdo that. And like for me in
State, they did that. Yeah, and like for me, like I
trained and stuff like that, butlike a lot of training I did.
I didn't like lift as much weightslike he feel me, I was doing
tolf as much. Bro, Well, I was pushing myself, but like
I didn't have a weight room,like saying, like you the garage,
Yeah, I'm with my I'm goingto my DV coach's house, like and

(25:03):
we're in the backyard. We're doingjump ropes, we're doing push ups,
we're doing footwork drills and stuff likethat. But like this is all like
this is the best I got rightnow, Like you feel me? Because
we like exactly so it's just likeI'm like, you're telling me to come
straight up off of that and didn'tdo that. And then I declare you
feel me and decided to go train, and they gave people the option to
op back in, and I'm justlike you feel me. I'm already all
in too, Like you feel mefocusing on this, Like you go get

(25:26):
me two weeks to go back upthere and have a fake fall camp and
then go play the whole season.Like I was like, I'm good,
you feel me for real, soyou just roll with it. I just
roll with it, roll with thepunches and there and then all of us
kind of decided to opt out someme Javon, Penet, Brady Breeze,
we all like decided to opt out, and who ended up getting drafted,

(25:47):
so they end up working out forus. Well, I mean, you
know this as well as anybody,Like once you need, life is about
getting your opportunity. Like there's somepeople who never get to the opportunity.
There's some people who get the opportunityand they didn't prepare enough to execute.
You clearly put yourself in the positionknowing I'm gonna get my shot, I'm
gonna make sure I'm right, andyou capitalize on you got drafted to Chicago

(26:07):
Bears. Talk to me about justyou know, the bear getting drafted,
and I like to talk about thebusiness side of it a little bit,
like get into it as much asyou like. But you know, I
don't think people understand like just becauseyou get drafted doesn't mean like, oh,
you're the starting dB on an NFLteam, Like you got to make
the team. It's a numbers gamewhere like they might cut you, which

(26:30):
basically is the essential of firing you, but then they rehire you on the
practice squad the next day. Allthe you know, from getting cut,
getting waived, getting resigned, gettingactive, all that, Like how have
you become a professional in that aspectof the game. Just kind of understanding
it. I'll say, for me, draft day was the best words the

(26:53):
day of my life. Draft Daywas the best talk to me talks about
the draft process because like you forme, going into the draft, like
you fore me, I knew whenI declared, like you for me,
I was a top forty prospects sousually top forty prospect you know, like
maybe maybe he slide in the firstround if the team needs, if not

(27:14):
later. So in my head I'mthinking, like, okay, like you
fore me, I'm a day twoguy for real. Sure you feel me.
Went to the Senior Bowl, dowhat I needed to do, went
to Pro day round the forty thatthey needed me to run, like you
feel me, showed them all strongerthan what they thought. I was,
like you fore me on the benchpress, could have jumped a little higher
point reps you get thirteen respect Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what
I'm saying. Whatever. And thenso I did all the things like hit

(27:40):
all the marks and stuff that theysaid even me that they wouldn't obviously showed
my feet is good? You feelme? Like you know I do work
with Johnny Say you know I dogot sweet feet? Yeah? No,
no free shout outs but shout outto sweet Feet Eat Athletics. Check it
out for me. Bet Ay,I've been coming. Best DV coach for
me in the country. He feelme if he's not at a college or
me seven on seven personal, butfeel me. That's a little bias,

(28:03):
but that man himself, go checkthe stats. But it just kind of
just went from that point on andthen I was just like all right,
boom, I'm like day two,you feel me? Yes, my time
just one about five or six cornersto get drafted the first round, which
happened. I was just like daytwo, that's kind of when my name
is called no board for me,has me past this mail karpro all these

(28:25):
people, and you feel me topone hundred, so you feel me.
I'm like latest I can slide toearly for it. Yeah. Day two
goes fine, don't get a call. Are you? Are you having draft
parties all these days by chance?No? So day two I have people
come over. Yeah, you feelme? And I was just like,
man, like you tell me,like yeah, no. I talked to

(28:47):
a lot of guys about this.Embarrassed, like you know what I'm saying.
She don't used to be embarrassed,but like, man, I felt
and I felt embarrassed because like inmy head, I was just like dang,
like did I not do enough?Like right? And then I was
choking out about like you feel me, like what's really my problem? And
then day three goes by and thenI see my boy Darren Hawk gets drafted,
and I'm jumping up outside like I'mlike, yeah, my boy Darren
got drafted. That's been my We'vebeen trained together to his freshman high school,

(29:11):
sophomore in high school, and thenCam Bindham gets drafted. We've been
training together since like my true freshmanyear in high school. So I'm just
like you feel my boys, justyou feel me going like you feel me.
I'm next now like you feel me. It's time all of us get
drafted right now. Then the wholefourth round goes by. I'm just like,
okay, fifth round go by.I see my boy Demon get drafted

(29:33):
early. I'm just like, okay, my time is now, Like I
want to say, like now it'sthe end of the fifth round. I
said, don't got drafted at thetime. COVID you got set up on
the laptop like you feel me,slammed it down like mad, go to
my little room. Because I wasat the airbnb go to my room and
then now I'm just mad and thenlike I go to sleep, like you

(29:55):
feel me, hold you go tosleep. I go to sleep because I
couldn't like you feel me. Iwas just too frustrated, like you he
quick? Can't they call you whileyou're sleeping? Yeah, but like this
that's why I got She said thatmy dad came in and then I'm just
like you feel me. He waslike you still want the party. I'm
like, bro, like get outthe room. You got the wrong questions,

(30:17):
right, Yeah, And then Ikind of called my agent telling I'm
like man like like what's wrong,Like what's good? Like you feel me?
And then my sister comes in theroom and she the only person actually
let come in the room. Andthen she was just like you feel me,
like you okay, Like my nicknameis Took. She was like you
okay Took, And I was justlike no, like I'm holding their balling
and then like you feel me outturn my head and I was just like

(30:41):
now I'm like really sleep sleep.But I told her, I was like
if somebody calls my phone like youfeel me, just wake me up.
And if they text just respond backlike you feel me, and just they
say like and then so she wakesme up. It was a call,
so I'm like, okay, thisis it like the bonkers and they were
calling about practice squad. I'm notpractice squad. Drop the free agent.
He was like, we'll make youthe highest paid one hundred the free agent.

(31:03):
I'm just like, like, thisis not about to be reality right
now, like not undrive the freeagent, Like I trained my whole life
for this moment. And then boomanother phone hall comes and they're saying the
same thing, and I'm just like, bro, like this might be the
same thing he talking about. Callyour college coach. He knows me.
I'm just like, man, likeI'm about to be undrafted for like is

(31:26):
that early to be telling people youknow we're gonna But it's like at this
point now, it's like going towardsend of the sixth round, so like
some teams don't even got a draftpick no more so like I see like
you feel me. It's like it'sgetting towards the end of the sixth round,
right they're thinking they're gonna steal youundrafted guy, and then most of
them didn't have draft picks no more. And like even before I went to
sleep, I was watching You FeelMe. I was big in the Narta

(31:47):
at the time, like and soI'm watching Naruto, but if you know
Naruto, I'm in the Great War. So like I can't even watch that
because now like even me that likeeven intensifying myself. I'm just like I
can't even myself fired up. EvenI can't even watch them my own show,
so like I'm really like, youknow what, Like it's really and
then I was like I was like, look, I was like I know,
you gotta wake me up. Onthe next time, I was like

(32:07):
the next person called me and talkingabout and drafted free agent, like I'm
just gonna go crazy like and shewas just like okay, and then like
I'm about to be sleep again.She touched me to to to wake up.
And then now it's just like it'slike this Thomas Graham was just like
not anohing one. And then itwas just like, um there was like
I'm about to get the phone inMatt nag you in my head, I'm

(32:28):
trying to think Matt Nakie. MattNakie who I was like, oh,
and he was just like he waslike, how's your day? And like
you for me? Now. Iwalked out the room because like kind of
now I'm like all right, likethis might be the car. He was
like, how's your day? AndI told him and like that you have
a video and everything up and itwas like long and frustrating. They got
a video. Yeah, he wasjust like he was like I wanted to

(32:49):
be frustrating when we just got draftedand I was just like hey, like
from me, I jumped up.Everybody screaming and stuff like that, and
then like I really didn't have noreaction other than tears has fought down my
eyes, like yeah, that's yourlife. You feel me? Super happy?
Game my dad a hug, poppedthe champagne bottled. Then now it's
like everybody come up for the partynow running on the beach because I was

(33:12):
in uh where are we at?Who was in Santa Monica? So like
you feel me right off? Likeliterally Rbnb right outside the beach, so
like yeah, probably if you walkright outside the house, that's where the
beach us. I was each sideby what I was so happy they sing
you know everybody there. Granny didgive me hug. She's screaming. She
don't you know what she screamed about? And then that's kind of like you

(33:32):
feel me how that situation went.Um, that's the drift process. And
then now the process of the NFL. We go go to camp I do
pretty good and Brookie OTAs and thenmini camps. I think when we first
came back from um what's it called, uh, the off season and come

(33:52):
to start the camp, rookies gotto come early, right from me.
Not all teams do it, butmajority teams do it. Rookies come early.
So then we came early. Youfeel me in I got to pick
on Andy Dalton, like you feelme on the kind of the play that
they told us before, Like Otais like if you're in coverage two that
nickel, Like you feel me andyour dude runs over, just push them
over. And then like just stayon the hash you stay on in the

(34:14):
hash balls to get thrown right toyou won't stay on the hash ball hit
me right in my chest. Extremelyhealthy. I'm just like, okay,
this camp, you feel me.I'm about the ball out. I go
camp. I'm doing pretty good.Like camp, you know what I mean?
Go all the way in last preseasongame, I get probably like three
pass breakups, like four or fivetackles the game. When the pass breakup

(34:36):
to ended from beating them by onepoint, I'm like, okay, yeah,
I think I did enough for Westname. I'm happy, like I'm
waking up. It's for me cutday, like you feel me. I'm
like, oh yeah, it's good. They say if they don't, we
have to be up. They're abouttwelve. They said, they don't call
you, you can be good.Like it's like eleven. Like so they
said, if they don't call youby twelve, you're good. You should

(34:57):
be good. It's like eleven forty. I'm about to I'm about to leave
the house like you feel me.I'm smiling, I'm happy. I get
a phone call just like I'm savednumber. I forgot where it was.
It was like Ember, Colorado orsomething like that. Like I'm like,
I was like today, so Igot to pick up this phone. So
I pick up and they're just likeI was like, hey, Thomas scot
I'm gonna need you to bring youryou feel me your iPad like you feel

(35:22):
like dang. I was like,get cut. So I called my agent
and I'm like I'm like I thinkthey about that. I think they just
cut me. He was just like, he was like your shirt. I
was like, well, they toldme to bring my playbook in my pad.
He was like. I was like, oh yeah, if you need
anything, to just call me,like you feel me because then now they're
about to call him. Just lethim know that they want to bring me

(35:44):
back for practice. Squad go backand I'm going I'm just like get up
there and I'm seeing everybody in there. I'm just like, dang, like
I see everybody really in here,like besides a couple few phones, like
damn, they couldn't all of ussay But then I didn't really think about
it. You cutting the roster downfrom seventy five to fifty three, like
so it's a lot of people that'sgetting cut, like from and they did

(36:07):
a respectful way. He said,you from me. You met with the
GM like you for me, andhe told you and thought of that and
then I'm you foreel me what Ilike from what I need to do,
like to put myself in bus becauseat the end of the day, I
want to be And then the filmafter rosting and he was like, you
gotta break these like stigmas and thenthat's when I found out why I got
dropped it so and I don't knowwho said it for me, not gonna

(36:30):
say anything, you're gonna drop anynames. But it was just like it
was like bad dyed horble in theweight room. Uh, like I forgot
what he said. Oh it saidlike got beat deep, but I was
just like my last two years,I gave up two deep bass. I
was like you for me, that'slot looking at my freshma tape right,
And then I forgot what else issaid exactly h oh it said red flag

(36:52):
the coaching staffs. And then itwas like last person on the field.
I'm just like and my head justlike all these like can be bunk back
in the weight room. Every dBon our team, like you feel me
was like if you was to doone thousand pounds weight cluck. We all
made it like nobody benched under them, like the starters outside of like one
person. Like we all bench threefifteen, we all bench five hundred.

(37:12):
We all like squad at three Imean powakling three fifteen like we were.
We pushed each other. We wouldtalk mess to each other in the weight
room, like bro, it's agood culture. To have, like,
Bro, you're only hitting three orfive. Bro, you can do more
like you feel me, like notreally get your weight up, like telling
them like, bro, you cando more like you feel me you can
and then they'll they'll be like,man, put it on. I didn't
even know I can do that.I told you, bird, like you
fine. But that's how we allwas to each other. We just like

(37:35):
all pushed each other in a goodway. Like we talked sometimes, but
like you have to. Majority oftimes it was more like you feel me
the good like you serious right now, Like look, will point somebody over
there, like, bro, lookhe doing that Bird, he's stronger than
you know. He not strong hooyeah. And like I was like last
on the field as DBS, Iwas like, how we lie? I

(37:55):
was like, we get let outearly from our We did that first group
on the field, like because Dantewanted to be on the field fifteen minutes
before it either roll over like somethingother teams go round or enjoy something like
I'm like, I don't know whosaid this, but I was like they
really must have hated me for youAnd then red flat coat stuff. I
was like I recruited majority of thebest players that came during that time field,
like I was like the main recruiterbecause at the day I told you

(38:17):
before, I wanted to get peoplearound like you feel me, Like if
I've seen your film and I likedit, I recruited you hard like I
wanted. I wanted you to cometo play with me because at the end
of the day, it's either gonnamake me better or like if you're younger
than me and you play my sameposition, like the more you bawling,
the more I have to ball.Otherwise it's my job is ticking. Like
you feel me, I didn't wantthat. I came in as a freshman.

(38:38):
It took somebody else's job. Solike you feel me, I didn't
want to be need from me therestory because you from me all watched love
and basketball. You feel me theones she said, never let the freshman
come take your job, like youfrom me said, that was my whole
thing. Because you got a freshmantake your job, you're never getting it
back, never ever, Like,no matter what you're doing until you're going,
you better hope that freshman get hurt. And so then I kind of

(39:00):
just understood that's not whet understood thebusiness game in the NFL. Right,
So now I'm just like, allright, like you feel me. Sometimes
you feel me, and I've learnedhow to do it anybody that's been around
me like you feel me. SometimesI just talk too much sometimes like you
sure me, I'll admit it.I know you feel me. So then
I learned, like when I askedthe right questions when to get coach to
the side and be like, allright, this, start learning the playbook

(39:21):
a little more, like in theaspects of the D line and stuff like
that, because that's when I feltlike that was my best in college.
So then I started understanding defense more. And then I want to say,
it got to like week like fouror five, I deserve more like the
DAAE, but like I wasn't takinginitiative. I was still blaming that.
It's probably like two more weeks,like week six or seven. I see

(39:42):
Jalen getting next to Rik after practice, and then I already already met John
at this time you feel me,and I seeing him put up, and
I was just like, you knowwhat, I'm gonna stay getting some extra
work with John. So then Iasked Jane Lins, like you think me,
John? He was like yeah,man just hit him up. Yeah,
And then so then I started hittingup John. Then now I'm seeing
At this time, I was onlyseeing John like once maybe twice a week,

(40:02):
like you feel me on Fridays orSaturdays, like we'll do releases like
in the indoor. And then Istart seeing improvement. And then I was
like you know what, I startgoing a day where it was me without
Jaylen. Then he'll come to thehouse then like you feel me, We'll
do one more day without Jaylen.Then I'll go We'll go do the releases
everyone's name with jay Len. AndI'm just start seeing practice, like I'm

(40:23):
making play after play, like gettingto the points twitter like hey, like
you can't break, like like actuallyjumped this like you feel me, it's
out and jumped out like and I'mjust like, okay, thank you feel
me. That's the point where Iwant to be here. And then now
we get injuries. I'm just like, oh, I'm thinking it's like probably
like week left, and I'm like, oh, I'm gonna play now.

(40:44):
I wishing anything bad brother, butand I'm like, oh, we got
this person's hurt, like you feelme. He could be down for like
two weeks because you're a hamstring injurythis person or think I was like,
they gonna move me up and moveme up. I'm just like man like
man, I still got to domore. So now it's like week fourteen
and we go to the Packers,like we play the Packers in the game

(41:07):
Big Game. Jaylen's dripping Devanta againlike you feel me. But then now
Davanta he went in the slot andheat eating like you feel me. And
it was one play to where heran a big box fade for me,
caught it and then he juped oursafety and then the corner behind him and
they hit each other. When hedid that, he gave our corner behind
him with concussion. So then nowwe're down one corner. You feel me

(41:29):
the game before or during that samegame, our safety have broke his form.
Like then that week, you feelme. Duke T Gibb, bow
Jack and Jaylen all go off forCOVID like, but this is how crazy
it went. T Gibb and Jaylenwere there all week. And then it's

(41:50):
Saturday. I already knew I'm elevatedthis week. It's exact. Now we
played Monday, so it's Sunday likeeven was already my people was already here,
so like it's Sunday and Jaylen likewhen we're doing a little fast a
little we called him cope when we'redoing that, and Jalen like just walk
down. I'm just like, it'sCOVID then too, I'm like jay about
think I take a COVID test andlittle practice. I was like, damn,

(42:12):
I wonder who was by him,but his locker not too far from
one, Like yeah, my lockerright here, he's like like four five
lockers down, so I'm over there, like I was like, and then
I see t get run out rightafter like one period later, and then
there was like Thomas go ahead.I'm just like you feel mean. At
the same time, I'm doing thosereps, but I'm still doing the scout
team reps like me for the offensemy head, I'm not really thinking too

(42:35):
much of him, like human brother'staking the COVID test for real and I'm
saying whole practice go by. He'sstill an't show him. It's like,
what like this is two plus too? Not adding that right, And then
because it's like this moment you've beenasking for it. And then I was
just like he was like he's startingthis game. I was like, WHOA.
I was like this crazy, likeI wanted to play. I'm in

(42:58):
my head, I'm preparing like forlike four to five plays like for me
and John was working earlier because howJustin Jefferson runs his UH post is like
feels like a post corner. I'mlike a corner post like because he goes
stem et the and give you thatlittle OBJ at the top of the route
like that finesse. So we practicedthat in the indoor very I want to
say my very first play may tacklesnow. Second quarter come they driving,

(43:21):
they getting the red zone, thetight end runs, it's up now boom,
Yeah, play the Vikings conkling,Tyler Conklin. He picks the chest
now and then he he runs atlittle crimes. It's like like you're you're
you're not about to give you thiscorner break underneath, get a pass break
up. No, end up withlike seven tackers and three pass break ups

(43:44):
wows. And then first game andI was just like but I was I
was winning. No, but itwas like they're gonna get there and you
either go grind with him and getit with him, you feel me,
or you gonna get left behind,and like you feel me out time,
he's my competition. I'm not likeyou feel me. I'm not getting left
behind. I'll go out there atone game I have a pick. You

(44:06):
feel me, a cover taxs forloss. I'm like, oh, I'm
balling, I'll go. Look,man, this man got a pick Sikes
against Stanford to the crier strap andJJ take a white side. Ain't nobody
did it all year? Like youfeel me. Then he had another pick
to close it on the same road. I'm just like, man, like
I thought, I had a greatgame Banks, thanks for sloting anything else
you got, uh no, nothingreally, just like you feel me,

(44:29):
enjoy each day. Thank you forme because you never never know what can
happen. You never know where peoplesthe name. But if you don't live
in the moment either just living inthe past of the future. And if
you don't live in a moment youfeel me, you never get to enjoy
what you have now well said,I like that, y'all. Make sure
to follow TG on the Graham leave. It's a five star for you.
Buy your merch come to the Bringthe Juice event the boxing match at Table

(44:54):
Bat Casino, July fifteenth, TG, you'll be there. He'll be looking
fly be ab the VSP section.We'll see what happens. How many rounds
do you think it's gonna take beforeyou get knocked out? I'm not Why
not? You said the main event. If it's for the kids, it's
for the kids, call them,check it out, see who's getting faded

(45:15):
up. But like I said,five star reviews, follow TG on the
ground, buy some merch and we'llsee you next time. Also, we
might get um Jay Len and Johnout there for a brother they matchup.
So yeah, yeah, Frank's idea. But yeah, I just I just
said, we'll see you there.