November 1, 2022 • 29 mins
This week, Dannie Rogers is joined by talented content designer and reporter, Haley Graves. Detroit Lions fans will also know her as wide receiver Josh Reynolds’ fiancée. The two met as students at A&M while Haley was pursuing sports broadcasting. When the couple moved to Los Angeles after Josh was drafted by the Rams, Haley took on various content design and reporting roles with the XFL Wildcats, FOX Sports, and Angel City FC.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today I'm featuring Haley Graves. Some might know Haley as
the former team reporter for the XFL Wildcats and host
for Major League Soccers Los Angeles Football Club. Or you
might know Haley from her graphic designing with Fox Sports
and then eventually for building up the social media platforms
for angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League.
I know Haley from her reporting with Laura Oakman's Galvanized
(00:22):
boot camps and Lions fans if you don't already, might
know her as wide receiver Josh reynolds fiance. Haley is
an ultra talented human being, and this is her story. Haley,
we talked about it. This is I want to say,
five years in the making. So I was an intern
with the LA Rams when you and Josh had come
and signed with the LA Rams. Was that his rookie
(00:44):
year twenty seventeen? Yes, yeah, well yes, because he was drafted.
He was drafted in twenty seventeen Sins first season and
the league was yeah, twenty seventeen. And now five years later,
you've moved a couple of cities finally landed here in Detroit.
We keep those stories had going in parallel. We did
galvan Eyes yep, um, not together, but did Galvani's which
shout out to Laura Oakman. She has the best broadcasting
(01:06):
boot camps for young women. And you've just been tackling
every single I guess stop along the way and it's
been incredibly impressive. Sports broadcasting. Is your background Texas A
and M. That's where you met Josh at which we
would love to hear that story. Um yeah, so let's start.
How did you and Josh meet? By the way, Josh
Reynolds bigs Move will be your husband? Do we have
(01:30):
a date for the last July one, twenty twenty three?
Oh yeah, I know it actually comes a lot faster
than they like you to think. But yeah, So how
we met? Well, I was working for the football team.
I started working specifically for the team my junior year
at Texas A and M and doing very similar stuff
(01:52):
to what I kind of do now. I helped start
these social media platforms for the football program. Was like
team videographer, photographer, kind of just wore whatever had I
could possibly wear for the team. And his first season
was also in twenty fourteen, so those like really aligned.
But Josh is a shy guy, he's very introverted. I
(02:14):
don't think he actually spoke to me for probably the
first year and a half of us both being on
the sidelines with the same program. But I do remember,
and this will probably embarrass him, but so, like I said,
like I was dabbling in photography. They needed someone to
do that, and I will never forget, like I could
reenact it watching him run from one practice field to
(02:35):
the other, like taking a photo and just seeing his
smile and being like, oh, like huh, who was that? Yes,
like like just being like captivated by his smile essentially.
But again, he didn't talk to me like a year
and a half. I actually think the first time we
spoke was when I had to do an on camera
interview with him. I've seen the interview, yes, so there's like,
well there's two, the very first one. I don't think
(02:57):
I've shared that recently, but it's yeah, it's pretty funny
to look back on those and be like, wow, the
first time we ever spoke was me interviewing you. So
you guys have known each other for about eight years. Yeah. However,
whatever that math is, has the journey not been just insane?
It kind of has been I don't know that him,
nor I would have ever thought that we would have
(03:18):
gotten to this point. Honestly, Like I just used to
started once we you know, kind of we're building that friendship.
I would just poke fun at him, and like, one
conversation that always sticks out to me was for his
twenty first birthday, him, one of his teammates and his
family went to Vegas first twenty first birthday, and I
just remember coming back and being like, you know, I
(03:38):
was like trying to talk to him and I was like, hey,
I was like, how is Vegas? And he was like,
what happens in Vegas? Days in Vegas? And that was
like he played it like so cool. And and then
just from there, like the ball kind of got rolling.
We ended up going on a mission trip and serving
in Haiti through Texasing and football, and I got to
go because I documented the whole trip and it was
(03:59):
there we got to know one another deeper than surface level,
and so then yeah, things really just took off from there.
It was pretty much solidified after that Haiti trip. Oh
my gosh, what were you doing in Haiti? We so
tech SAM decided they partnered with Mission of Hope and
took about twenty five thirty football players, women from the
volleyball team, and then a couple of women from our
(04:21):
soccer team and took us all on a mission trip
for a week long vaca. Not a vacation we were
it was by far not a vacation, but we all
went down to Haiti, served for six days, and then
on a seventh day got to have like one day
a vacation. But it was really cool. It was one
of the most pivotal moments I think of like my life.
So did they pick Josh or did he want to go? They? Yeah,
(04:42):
they like they definitely opened it up to any of
the football players that wanted to go. And actually, it's
funny that you bring that up, because I haven't thought
about this in a long time. I remember when we
had our first informational meeting and he was there and
I think he showed up late. And after that, like
that became like our bit that I would like make
sure that he was on time for the Haiti meetings.
Like I'd be like, I'll text you to make sure
(05:03):
you're coming and make sure you're on time. And so
then yeah, it's just like looking back, there was just
all these funny little things that I would try to
make myself relevant to him, and it just took a
very long time for him to actually notice me. So
it took getting into Texas, A and M for you
guys to meet. But you told me hometowns are twenty
(05:24):
five minutes away in San Antonio. Yep, how did you
not cross paths? Okay, So he went to a high
school named John Jay High School, And I mean, Santonio
is a big place, right, But yeah, I had never
even heard of his high school. Probably didn't even know
that his part of San Antonio even really existed. None
of the schools that were in his school district. I
had even heard of. Wow, and so because I went
(05:45):
to a small town named Bronfels and we played schools
in San Antonio. But yeah, I just genuinely never had
heard of his high school ever. So I've got to
imagine that's one of the first things you guys talked
about when you met and you realized, oh my god,
we live twenty five it's apart back home. I don't
even know when we really made the connection. It truthfully
(06:05):
might have been the next time when I was interviewing him,
because I brought it up asking, you know, what does
he miss the most about home? And so then we
were able to find that common ground of San Antonio,
Andy Bronfels. But yeah, I don't know it just but
then again, going to Texas and and you know that
everyone's going to be essentially from somewhere in Texas, so
that's kind of a given save to assume that, Yeah, okay,
(06:27):
so you've been involved in sports, You've worked for a
handful of different teams and professional teams. So what got
you starred in sports? Why did you take that route?
I've always loved them. I think I love football like
more than anything. We sometimes joke and I'm like, I
don't know, Josh like me and you like we're right
(06:48):
there with like our love of football and and so
just growing up being in Texas, we had season football
tickets to and in football games that I was six
months old, and my parents always joke and say that
I where like all the other kids right are like
playing with toys or coloring whatever, Like I was sitting
there asking my dad what was going on on the
(07:09):
football field. I can remember being in middle school and
you know, being able to carry my own weight in
these conversations with boys about football and that just became
such a passion for me. And then in high school
it really took a course of its own. I did
the whole morning announcements where you got to be on
TV and like, we actually learned how to use final
(07:30):
cut in high school, which is kind of it's very impressive,
and so that was when I really started to fall
in love with it. Heard about twelve man Productions at
Texas A M and ended up applying. Became one of
the first freshmen that they had hired in a good
about ten years. And so I did that for my
first I guess three years at A and M, just
(07:52):
figuring everything out. I think I did everything under the
sun that you could do in a control room. And
when finally the opportunity in itself for me to just
strictly work for the football program, I was like, I'm
all in. It was one of those things that you
know when opportunities come, and the way I always decided
to take an opportunities, I'm like, if I see someone
else get this opportunity, am I going to be jealous?
(08:15):
And yes, that's a good I immediately know that I
need to take that opportunity. And so that's what I did,
and then have just kind of tried to figure things
out as I've gone. How much more difficult has it been, though,
to figure those things out when you know in the
back of your mind you and Josh don't necessarily get
to pick where you end up. How much more difficult
is it? So I a lot of people when he
(08:37):
got drafted to the Rams, I had already made the
decision that I was going to go with him to
whatever team he got drafted, and I knew that I
was just going to make it work. Yea. So La
for a lot of people was like, Oh, that's a
big market, that's really unfortunate for you. But to me,
I looked at it, I was like, are you kidding me?
There's so many sports teams, there's high schools, there's so
(08:58):
many professional teams. I was like, I just got to
get my foot in the door somewhere, And it was
actually a lot harder than I thought. I ended up
covering high school football and Ventura County for our first
six months there. I think I got paid fifty bucks
a game to go out and just skid yes and
just get like video footage of these games. And then
(09:22):
after that was when I finally got my door, my
foot in the door with Fox Sports and was brought
on as a freelancer for the Men's World Cup in
twenty eighteen. So I worked for Fox just strictly doing
Men's World Cup. I didn't know anything about soccer. They
were like, but you've worked in social before. I was like, yeah,
so did that. And through that process was how I decided.
(09:43):
I was like, I'm going to try graphic design. I
wanted to participate more than what I was getting to
do during the World Cup, and I just started dabbling
in photoshop and they were like, hey, we kind of
like you doing this, and so I was like, okay,
I'll keep doing it. And then next thing I know,
I'm like making the Chance Tampionship graphic for the FIFA
Men's World Cup for Fox Sports. And after that they're like, hey,
(10:05):
we like you enough to keep you on. You want
to come run our NFL on Fox account? And then yeah,
so that was kind of my beginning journey in LA. Okay,
so to put this into perspective, that was what twenty seventeen, No,
that was twenty eighteen, Yeah, spring of twenty eighteen. Okay,
so you'd never done graphic design before that. No, I
remember seeing that FIFA World Cup Championship graphic that you
(10:28):
just said that, and I'm like, she's been doing this
for years. No, that is insane. No, honestly shout out
to Pinterest. That's it. I would just go and like
look at Pinterest and I'd be like, I'm going to
try and replicate this, and then I would do the
best I could at replicating it and just started playing
around in Photoshop and just taught myself. I guess I've
always had a creative brain though, Okay, but I think
(10:49):
that's half of it. Yes, because I can remember being
in middle school and this is so random, but baking
outdraw notes for my friends in class and then like
leave them behind for them. So I even had a
whole wall at my house was just all notes, like
from my friends. It was just a bit that we
would do. And so I think a lot of it
honestly goes back to that headspace that I've tapped into
during the Men's World Cup and then for what I
(11:11):
still to this day, I do not know why God
has blessed me with the ability to be proficient in
graphic design, but seriously, it's the most insane thing. I
have no idea. Did you do anything else while you
were learning no skill set? No, I literally just played
around all day, not all day. But I think it
was also a timing thing. So at the time when
(11:33):
I started working for Fox full time, their NFL platform
was changing look and feel, and so I got to
have a pretty big hand in deciding what that new
look and feel was going to look like. So working
with some other colleagues designing that stuff just really gave
me the confidence that I was like, Okay, I can
do this. And then after that, obviously working every NFL
(11:56):
Sunday for Fox Sports, designing graphics on the fly, having
to be very quick with it. Just really whatever comes
to my brain putting it into the computer, that just
kind of just I just kept going, I'm still trying
to fathom this. I thought you had done it for
for forever. Nope, Okay, so that led you to m
(12:17):
was it the XFLA after that? Yeah? So I think
you were one of the first hires for the Yeah.
I was the fifth hire for the Los Angeles team.
I finished my time up at Fox with the Women's
World Cup. So like when one one solid year full
circle with them, and then decided to I just really
(12:38):
missed the team environment I was always looking for, essentially
my job that I did in college, being able to
wear a bunch of different hats, building relationships, telling stories.
Those were all really big like points of emphasis for
me and what I wanted out of my career. And
while working for Fox was incredible and getting that experience,
(12:58):
You're sitting in a room just staring at TVs on
game day and I was like, that's not the experience
that I went from my game days. So decided I
was like the xfls come into town, reached out to
some people. Next thing you know, I'm the fifth hire.
I think I was the second social media manager hired
for the whole league, and then it really just created
(13:19):
its own beasts from there. So I was helping the
you know, the league accounts with graphic design. I was
managing our socials from the ground up. And yeah, I
the XFL is great. I'm very happy it's coming back,
but I just it almost felt like the world. It
was like a blip in like the anomaly of the
world because it Yeah, I was the greatest thing ever
(13:42):
for the five weeks that it exhibited, and you got
to get back on camera and doing that too as well. Yeah,
so was able to be the team reporter for the
Los Angeles Wildcats. They will not exist in this next
round of XFL. So you know, it was a good
time while it lasted. But yeah, like I said, that's
always been. You know, what I enjoy the most is
(14:04):
just being able to tell stories and share them. And
that was such a focal point of what we had
to do with the XFL because you're fighting against Los
Angeles that had already nine other professional sports teams, not
to mention the powerhouse of UCLA USC and so trying
to make this very new professional sports team relevant. The
(14:26):
only way you could do that was tell the players
for the stories and make these fan bases want to
route for the players. And so that was how I
kind of then was able to do that role. And yeah,
I to every single day. I love my time with
the XFL. It was very hard when it folded. Did
Josh get to go to any of those game days?
He did, actually because so since their season was in
the spring, so Josh and my birthdays are two days apart,
(14:50):
so we always celebrate together, and so he did. There
was a game I want to say our home opener
for Los Angeles Wildcats, and Carson was on his birthday
of twenty twenty, and so he showed support and came
to my game. Oh my gosh, that is wonderful. Okay,
and then you went back to um the soccer pitch,
(15:10):
I think is the correct way to say it. So,
how did that opportunity come up? Like we're going opportunity
and opportunity Like people we talked about it, Getting jobs
in sports is very hard, especially who you know though,
right when you're planted in a city, it's even harder,
right you know. Um, so here we are going to
another professional team. How'd you get? Um? Is it? La
Angels lost? The Angel City is what it is now? Yes? Um.
(15:34):
So Weirdly, after the XFL folded, um due to COVID. Yes,
we not probably make probably two to three weeks later.
I'm as many people were thinking what am I about
to do? What's going to happen? We still actually were
optimistic that COVID was going to be a thing of
the past quickly, and we thought honestly that the XFL
(15:56):
would be able to revamp by the fall. We're like,
we know our draft is until no them, So I
was still optimistic. But then our head of pr for
the XFL she calls me and she's like, hey, I
have this really cool opportunity. This dope woman named Julie Rman,
Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, like all these high profile celebrities
are all coming together to start a professional women's soccer
(16:17):
league or team in Los Angeles. And I was like, look, like,
I know I've worked to the women's like the Women's
World Cup, but soccer is not my thing. I didn't
even play soccer, Like, I have no idea about anything
with soccer. And she was like, it's fine, just meet Julie.
She's like, we don't know anything about soccer either. Natalie
Portman doesn't know anything about soccer. Let's let's just try,
you know. She's like, just meet them. So I'm like okay.
(16:40):
So I have my conversations with Julie, and immediately it
was again going back to the is this an opportunity
that if someone else got it, would I be jealousy?
And so I was like, yes, this is just something
that I need to try. And so I helped start
their socials from the ground up, basically doing what I
did for the XFL a year prior, was now doing
(17:00):
it for a professional women's team, except it was on
such a grander scale, like I think within our first
twenty four hours of our Instagram being launched, we had
fifty thousand followers for women's soccer teams, for a women's
soccer team, and so being able to be a part
of Angel City and go from inception to my final
(17:21):
time there was shortly after we announced Kristin Press as
our first player, being able to really see it full
circle to go from essentially when I got hired, it
was called WFCLA okay for Women's Football of Los Angeles
like that, Yes, and being able to go a year
and a half with them was absolutely incredible. And now
(17:43):
to see them in their first season, I've been watching
a far. I haven't gotten to go to a game,
but people in Los Angeles care. They I think they've
sold out that stadium two three times, twenty two thousand
people showing up to watch women's soccer. It's I'm like
getting goosebumps talking about it because it's actually a really
cool thing to see. Okay, we have yet to mention
(18:04):
something big that happened during all of this a little
super Bowl. I always went to a super Bowl. Yes,
we did, ironically though, um, I probably just like always
like all over that because so that was the year
that I was working for Fox. Yeah. I only got
to go to one game the entire season. Was it
the Super Bowl? Um? Okay, well excluding the Super Bowl? Okay,
in season it was when the Rams and the Chiefs
(18:26):
played on Monday Night football. It was a great game. Yes,
it was probably the best game of the season. Um,
Josh gore to touchdown. I will never forget that moment
ever in my life. Um. Do you guys have that
football football? Maybe? Probably they're currently in a box. Okay,
I as well. Cut we'll check that one up as
moving yea. But yes, that was the only game I
(18:47):
got to go to. Um. Actually, and then when playoffs
came around, they played Dallas in a division game. One
of my bosses was a massive Cowboys fan, and I
was like, look, if you let me go, I'll get
your tickets. And so did that happen. Yes, Oh, so
I got to go to the Dallas game. And then
unfortunately I had to work for the NFC championship when
(19:08):
they played the Saints. Um. Yeah to this day. I
think that's probably my biggest regret. It was not fighting
harder to be there. But you know how this industry goes. Um,
so yeah, I was in a war room watching him
win the game to go to the super Bowl. But
I did get to go to super Bowl, which was
an experience. Yeah. Um. We sometimes joke that he played
(19:28):
in the worst super Bowl in super Bowl history, um
with that mighty final score fort three. So you know,
we just need to get the Lions to super Bowl
so he can have another go at it. That's what
I keep saying, because he's like, I mean, I did it.
I played in a super Bowl. It's like, yeah, but
I feel like it really missed out on what a
super Bowl is supposed to feel like. I mean, let's
be honest, like from Maroon five being the performance, just
(19:52):
like yeah, we just we just really missed the mark
on like what a super Bowl is supposed to be. Yeah,
at least that's how I look at it. That's yeah, No,
that's a very calm way of looking at getting to
one of you know, the granddaddies of them all right,
And you guys did that with with Jared Goff's quarterback.
So when you learned, and you had to stop in Nashville,
a briefer stop where once again you found your way.
(20:15):
You were a personal trainer for burn boot Camp down
there watching all your stories. You need to know how
to get a six pack after this. Um? Okay, So
when you guys heard that you were coming back reuniting
with Jared Goff, I know from an outsider perspective, everyone
was so damn excited. Can I say damn? Probably? Everyone
was so excited. They like they have rapport, they have
this chemistry, like like they're back right. So what was
(20:37):
your guys' reaction to that? Um? It was a whirlwind. Truthfully,
I don't think you can actually understand what those twenty
four hours feel like, from when you're released from a
team to finding out where your next stop is going
to Wasn't that quick? Oh? It was very quick. I
think Tuesday morning he asked for his release from the Titans,
(21:00):
and by that afternoon his agent is calling us saying, hey,
we have seven eight teams calling saying they're interested. But
as many know, the way the wave of a wire
works is Yes, basically the team with the worst record
that puts in a claim for you, that's the team
you end up going too, and so we had a
strong feeling that it was going to be Detroit. Pretty
(21:21):
much all signs were pointing towards to Detroit. I know
he ended up taking a few calls from a few
other teams, you know, just in case he made it
past that twenty four hour period. Are you in the
room for those calls? I was with a for few, Okay,
But I think he just in his heart knew that
this was the place that he wanted. I can't It
(21:43):
was the strangest thing, Like even go after going through
you know, six months prior when he was a free
agent and having to figure out what his new team
was going to be, this just felt different. Here he
was in a situation not totally being able to choose
his fate, but to a certain extent also be able
to He was just so all in on Detroit reuniting
with Jared, and I think he just felt like he
(22:06):
really could help this team and that's all he wanted
to do. That's all he's ever wanted to do. I Mean,
I'm biased, but I don't think there's a more team
guy than Josh Reynolds, and that was who he was
with the Rams. That's who he's always been, and that
was something that he wanted to bring here and just
help them win freaking football games. That was his main goal,
(22:26):
and that was ultimately why he loved it here, and
that is why then we're back here, because you know,
at the end of the season, we were technically free
agents again, but he didn't even make free agency because
he was so damn sorry I'm saying it too, determined
to come back to Detroit. Why is that? Did you
tell you why he loves the culture here. I'm getting
(22:47):
like goosebumps again thinking about it and just fully falling
back in love with football and just enjoying the game again,
like being able to watch him. I don't think for
the rest of my life, I will forget. I was
actually in the bathroom first play of the Bears game
when he was on Thanksgiving, and I was coming down
the stairs, had just gotten to my seat, and I
(23:07):
see Jared snapped the ball and I see Josh takeoff
on a go route, and I was like, Oh, it's happening,
It's happening, It's happening. Like that's all I kept thinking,
it's like it's happening, and seeing him catch that ball
get a touchdown, Like tears just immediately came in my eyes.
It just kind of felt like such a god moment
of him truly bringing Josh to this team, to this place,
(23:28):
and that's carried him through it. I mean, he knew
in his heart the whole time. He didn't even entertain
any other offers talks with any other teams this offseason
because he knew Detroit was the place he wanted to be.
Did you learn real quick what Thanksgiving in Detroit is
all about? Yes, it's great, right, it is great. Okay,
like side note for a couple of seconds, the city
(23:48):
of Detroit is great. Michigan amazing, right, Like everything about
this state. I'm like, wait, this is a hid and Jim, oh,
you want to come to Michigan. You don't? You really
don't stay away? Go to Texas. Go to Texas like
everyone else is. You got wine country up north? If
you really right, you have some like snow mountains. You
technically have beaches like we have beaches with lakes, which
(24:08):
for me, ideal scenario. Okay, I'm not great. Glad you
accept that it's a beach. Yes, it is a beach.
It's a beach. A lot of people don't want to
own up to that because it's not an ocean, no
beach man sand thank you. Yeah, Okay, back to this
crazy journey you guys have been on. What is the
dynamic like with your with you guys when you know
(24:30):
free agency might be coming up or like you said,
you don't know. There's so much unknown. So from your standpoint,
are you just I don't know, treading lightly? Are you
just not saying much? Um? How do you balance that?
It's you have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable to
be in this industry and even to live this life.
You know, unfortunately a lot of people know and in
(24:53):
mostly joking fashion, but it is true that the NFL
stands for not for long. And so that's kind of
just the mindset you have to have because most guys
are done playing by their early thirties, if not before,
and so to just take it for what it is
and know that this is a chapter of our lives.
And for me, I knew that in this chapter I
(25:13):
was going to support him at every inch, every step
of the way. That was what I wanted to do
was support him and make sure that he was able
to live out this dream. Of his as fully and
best as he possibly could. So while unknowns are scary,
you kind of get used to living in them. I've
(25:33):
learned and figured out my own habits. Like when I
moved to a new place, I go and find my places.
So I find my coffee shops, I find restaurants that
I know that I can go to on my own.
I just find my grocery store. Grocery store is a
big one. Like those are just the little things that
you just kind of learned to help you adapt in
your journey of you know, consistently moving. And this is
(25:54):
no shocker. You found another job will here in Detroit.
I did working for our neighbors, Yes, the Detroit Tigers
doing their social media now and their beautiful graphics on
there too. Yes, So that was kind of ironic, again
maybe a god thing. Back in January, I saw them
post the job, and you know, Josh and I again
we were optimistic the whole off season that we would
(26:16):
end up back in Detroit. Is an offseason isom yes,
And so I saw the job and I was like,
maybe it'll still be there. And then once he signed
with the Lions in March, I saw the job was
still available one of Actually this is like how small
the world is. The woman that worked underneath me at
Angel City had taken a job with the Pittsburgh Pirates,
(26:38):
so she was down at spring training. I asked her, hey,
poke around and get a feel for the Tigers organization
for me, so she did. She ended up getting me
in the name of my now boss, Greg Garno, and
I shot him a message on LinkedIn asking if the
job was still available, because you know how TeamWorks is
sometimes job openings will sit there whatever and yes and
(26:59):
it's a formality, and so I had reached out and
he was like, no, it's still available, and I think
I had one conversation with him the next week, with
opening day being the following week, and I was pretty
much hired shortly after and I've been their graphic designer
ever since. Like, yeah, just don't stop. I mean, shout
out to them though, for allowing me to work remote
(27:22):
from opening weekend until the end of June when I
could actually move up here. I mean, we made it work.
And yeah, it's been good so far. And I think
what's really cool for me about going to Tigers games
because I've never had that much of an attachment to
the game of baseball, as I've always been such a
passionate football fan, lover of the game. Obviously, my fiance
(27:42):
plays the sport, so like I've always been so invested
in football, where it's baseball for me. I can just
appreciate it for the hundred year game that it is,
and the fact people show up no matter what is
not only a testament to a Detroit fandom, but be
just the game of face Like, it really is a
beautiful game, and I think I've gotten to see that
(28:03):
by being their graphic designer this season. Okay, okay, last one.
At least we have to go through Josh's um oh,
his nicknames. Josh has a few nicknames. Um, very very
strange nicknames, let's be honest, but I can see all
of them. We knew about Big Smooth, yes with a
V with the V, we knew that, but we have
(28:23):
recently come to learn that he's also called the Praying Mantis, Yes,
in the Spider of Death, what's your Favorite? And Freaking Serpent?
Oh yeah, which which all of which, like I'm pretty
sure of course. You know people on Twitter, they're on
their p's and q's. Yes, we're like I'm pretty sure
praying mantis eat spiders and then serpent and serpents can
(28:44):
eat the other ones. So it was like, so they
were just like, what is he? You know what, he's
all of them? Okay, okay, but he really likes praying mantis.
He really does. He just kind of reminds me of
a praying mantis. Like he's because he's very long, he's
very tall. He's very like lanky. Um, and especially even
on like the football field, he's deceptively fast. He's so
(29:05):
tall that it doesn't he's not like, you know, the
shorter receivers that the ends. Yes, like he is a
very tall guy, so those strides. Because he also ran
track in high school, he was a hurdler, so he
is not the word for you hurdler, right you yeah,
or you run differently anyways, so one of the two.
(29:25):
But he went to State multiple times for that. And
so he's very deceptively fast, which gives me that like
praying mantis like concept. I guess. So I definitely can
understand that one, and I think he likes it. Like
he was like mantis like, oh god, do we have
a shirt coming for that soon? Um? Yes, So I've
just I've designed one myself. UM, we'll see how it goes.
(29:47):
But there that quote is on there. I can show
you when this is over what it looks like. I'm
excited you. Just listen to another episode of Off the
Record with Danny Rodgers. A new episode drops every Tuesday.
Today I'm featuring Haley Graves. Some might know Haley as
the former team reporter for the XFL Wildcats and host
for Major League Soccers Los Angeles Football Club. Or you
might know Haley from her graphic designing with Fox Sports
and then eventually for building up the social media platforms
for angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League.
I know Haley from her reporting with Laura Oakman's Galvanized
(00:22):
boot camps and Lions fans if you don't already, might
know her as wide receiver Josh reynolds fiance. Haley is
an ultra talented human being, and this is her story. Haley,
we talked about it. This is I want to say,
five years in the making. So I was an intern
with the LA Rams when you and Josh had come
and signed with the LA Rams. Was that his rookie
(00:44):
year twenty seventeen? Yes, yeah, well yes, because he was drafted.
He was drafted in twenty seventeen Sins first season and
the league was yeah, twenty seventeen. And now five years later,
you've moved a couple of cities finally landed here in Detroit.
We keep those stories had going in parallel. We did
galvan Eyes yep, um, not together, but did Galvani's which
shout out to Laura Oakman. She has the best broadcasting
(01:06):
boot camps for young women. And you've just been tackling
every single I guess stop along the way and it's
been incredibly impressive. Sports broadcasting. Is your background Texas A
and M. That's where you met Josh at which we
would love to hear that story. Um yeah, so let's start.
How did you and Josh meet? By the way, Josh
Reynolds bigs Move will be your husband? Do we have
(01:30):
a date for the last July one, twenty twenty three?
Oh yeah, I know it actually comes a lot faster
than they like you to think. But yeah, So how
we met? Well, I was working for the football team.
I started working specifically for the team my junior year
at Texas A and M and doing very similar stuff
(01:52):
to what I kind of do now. I helped start
these social media platforms for the football program. Was like
team videographer, photographer, kind of just wore whatever had I
could possibly wear for the team. And his first season
was also in twenty fourteen, so those like really aligned.
But Josh is a shy guy, he's very introverted. I
(02:14):
don't think he actually spoke to me for probably the
first year and a half of us both being on
the sidelines with the same program. But I do remember,
and this will probably embarrass him, but so, like I said,
like I was dabbling in photography. They needed someone to
do that, and I will never forget, like I could
reenact it watching him run from one practice field to
(02:35):
the other, like taking a photo and just seeing his
smile and being like, oh, like huh, who was that? Yes,
like like just being like captivated by his smile essentially.
But again, he didn't talk to me like a year
and a half. I actually think the first time we
spoke was when I had to do an on camera
interview with him. I've seen the interview, yes, so there's like,
well there's two, the very first one. I don't think
(02:57):
I've shared that recently, but it's yeah, it's pretty funny
to look back on those and be like, wow, the
first time we ever spoke was me interviewing you. So
you guys have known each other for about eight years. Yeah. However,
whatever that math is, has the journey not been just insane?
It kind of has been I don't know that him,
nor I would have ever thought that we would have
(03:18):
gotten to this point. Honestly, Like I just used to
started once we you know, kind of we're building that friendship.
I would just poke fun at him, and like, one
conversation that always sticks out to me was for his
twenty first birthday, him, one of his teammates and his
family went to Vegas first twenty first birthday, and I
just remember coming back and being like, you know, I
(03:38):
was like trying to talk to him and I was like, hey,
I was like, how is Vegas? And he was like,
what happens in Vegas? Days in Vegas? And that was
like he played it like so cool. And and then
just from there, like the ball kind of got rolling.
We ended up going on a mission trip and serving
in Haiti through Texasing and football, and I got to
go because I documented the whole trip and it was
(03:59):
there we got to know one another deeper than surface level,
and so then yeah, things really just took off from there.
It was pretty much solidified after that Haiti trip. Oh
my gosh, what were you doing in Haiti? We so
tech SAM decided they partnered with Mission of Hope and
took about twenty five thirty football players, women from the
volleyball team, and then a couple of women from our
(04:21):
soccer team and took us all on a mission trip
for a week long vaca. Not a vacation we were
it was by far not a vacation, but we all
went down to Haiti, served for six days, and then
on a seventh day got to have like one day
a vacation. But it was really cool. It was one
of the most pivotal moments I think of like my life.
So did they pick Josh or did he want to go? They? Yeah,
(04:42):
they like they definitely opened it up to any of
the football players that wanted to go. And actually, it's
funny that you bring that up, because I haven't thought
about this in a long time. I remember when we
had our first informational meeting and he was there and
I think he showed up late. And after that, like
that became like our bit that I would like make
sure that he was on time for the Haiti meetings.
Like I'd be like, I'll text you to make sure
(05:03):
you're coming and make sure you're on time. And so
then yeah, it's just like looking back, there was just
all these funny little things that I would try to
make myself relevant to him, and it just took a
very long time for him to actually notice me. So
it took getting into Texas, A and M for you
guys to meet. But you told me hometowns are twenty
(05:24):
five minutes away in San Antonio. Yep, how did you
not cross paths? Okay, So he went to a high
school named John Jay High School, And I mean, Santonio
is a big place, right, But yeah, I had never
even heard of his high school. Probably didn't even know
that his part of San Antonio even really existed. None
of the schools that were in his school district. I
had even heard of. Wow, and so because I went
(05:45):
to a small town named Bronfels and we played schools
in San Antonio. But yeah, I just genuinely never had
heard of his high school ever. So I've got to
imagine that's one of the first things you guys talked
about when you met and you realized, oh my god,
we live twenty five it's apart back home. I don't
even know when we really made the connection. It truthfully
(06:05):
might have been the next time when I was interviewing him,
because I brought it up asking, you know, what does
he miss the most about home? And so then we
were able to find that common ground of San Antonio,
Andy Bronfels. But yeah, I don't know it just but
then again, going to Texas and and you know that
everyone's going to be essentially from somewhere in Texas, so
that's kind of a given save to assume that, Yeah, okay,
(06:27):
so you've been involved in sports, You've worked for a
handful of different teams and professional teams. So what got
you starred in sports? Why did you take that route?
I've always loved them. I think I love football like
more than anything. We sometimes joke and I'm like, I
don't know, Josh like me and you like we're right
(06:48):
there with like our love of football and and so
just growing up being in Texas, we had season football
tickets to and in football games that I was six
months old, and my parents always joke and say that
I where like all the other kids right are like
playing with toys or coloring whatever, Like I was sitting
there asking my dad what was going on on the
(07:09):
football field. I can remember being in middle school and
you know, being able to carry my own weight in
these conversations with boys about football and that just became
such a passion for me. And then in high school
it really took a course of its own. I did
the whole morning announcements where you got to be on
TV and like, we actually learned how to use final
(07:30):
cut in high school, which is kind of it's very impressive,
and so that was when I really started to fall
in love with it. Heard about twelve man Productions at
Texas A M and ended up applying. Became one of
the first freshmen that they had hired in a good
about ten years. And so I did that for my
first I guess three years at A and M, just
(07:52):
figuring everything out. I think I did everything under the
sun that you could do in a control room. And
when finally the opportunity in itself for me to just
strictly work for the football program, I was like, I'm
all in. It was one of those things that you
know when opportunities come, and the way I always decided
to take an opportunities, I'm like, if I see someone
else get this opportunity, am I going to be jealous?
(08:15):
And yes, that's a good I immediately know that I
need to take that opportunity. And so that's what I did,
and then have just kind of tried to figure things
out as I've gone. How much more difficult has it been, though,
to figure those things out when you know in the
back of your mind you and Josh don't necessarily get
to pick where you end up. How much more difficult
is it? So I a lot of people when he
(08:37):
got drafted to the Rams, I had already made the
decision that I was going to go with him to
whatever team he got drafted, and I knew that I
was just going to make it work. Yea. So La
for a lot of people was like, Oh, that's a
big market, that's really unfortunate for you. But to me,
I looked at it, I was like, are you kidding me?
There's so many sports teams, there's high schools, there's so
(08:58):
many professional teams. I was like, I just got to
get my foot in the door somewhere, And it was
actually a lot harder than I thought. I ended up
covering high school football and Ventura County for our first
six months there. I think I got paid fifty bucks
a game to go out and just skid yes and
just get like video footage of these games. And then
(09:22):
after that was when I finally got my door, my
foot in the door with Fox Sports and was brought
on as a freelancer for the Men's World Cup in
twenty eighteen. So I worked for Fox just strictly doing
Men's World Cup. I didn't know anything about soccer. They
were like, but you've worked in social before. I was like, yeah,
so did that. And through that process was how I decided.
(09:43):
I was like, I'm going to try graphic design. I
wanted to participate more than what I was getting to
do during the World Cup, and I just started dabbling
in photoshop and they were like, hey, we kind of
like you doing this, and so I was like, okay,
I'll keep doing it. And then next thing I know,
I'm like making the Chance Tampionship graphic for the FIFA
Men's World Cup for Fox Sports. And after that they're like, hey,
(10:05):
we like you enough to keep you on. You want
to come run our NFL on Fox account? And then yeah,
so that was kind of my beginning journey in LA. Okay,
so to put this into perspective, that was what twenty seventeen, No,
that was twenty eighteen, Yeah, spring of twenty eighteen. Okay,
so you'd never done graphic design before that. No, I
remember seeing that FIFA World Cup Championship graphic that you
(10:28):
just said that, and I'm like, she's been doing this
for years. No, that is insane. No, honestly shout out
to Pinterest. That's it. I would just go and like
look at Pinterest and I'd be like, I'm going to
try and replicate this, and then I would do the
best I could at replicating it and just started playing
around in Photoshop and just taught myself. I guess I've
always had a creative brain though, Okay, but I think
(10:49):
that's half of it. Yes, because I can remember being
in middle school and this is so random, but baking
outdraw notes for my friends in class and then like
leave them behind for them. So I even had a
whole wall at my house was just all notes, like
from my friends. It was just a bit that we
would do. And so I think a lot of it
honestly goes back to that headspace that I've tapped into
during the Men's World Cup and then for what I
(11:11):
still to this day, I do not know why God
has blessed me with the ability to be proficient in
graphic design, but seriously, it's the most insane thing. I
have no idea. Did you do anything else while you
were learning no skill set? No, I literally just played
around all day, not all day. But I think it
was also a timing thing. So at the time when
(11:33):
I started working for Fox full time, their NFL platform
was changing look and feel, and so I got to
have a pretty big hand in deciding what that new
look and feel was going to look like. So working
with some other colleagues designing that stuff just really gave
me the confidence that I was like, Okay, I can
do this. And then after that, obviously working every NFL
(11:56):
Sunday for Fox Sports, designing graphics on the fly, having
to be very quick with it. Just really whatever comes
to my brain putting it into the computer, that just
kind of just I just kept going, I'm still trying
to fathom this. I thought you had done it for
for forever. Nope, Okay, so that led you to m
(12:17):
was it the XFLA after that? Yeah? So I think
you were one of the first hires for the Yeah.
I was the fifth hire for the Los Angeles team.
I finished my time up at Fox with the Women's
World Cup. So like when one one solid year full
circle with them, and then decided to I just really
(12:38):
missed the team environment I was always looking for, essentially
my job that I did in college, being able to
wear a bunch of different hats, building relationships, telling stories.
Those were all really big like points of emphasis for
me and what I wanted out of my career. And
while working for Fox was incredible and getting that experience,
(12:58):
You're sitting in a room just staring at TVs on
game day and I was like, that's not the experience
that I went from my game days. So decided I
was like the xfls come into town, reached out to
some people. Next thing you know, I'm the fifth hire.
I think I was the second social media manager hired
for the whole league, and then it really just created
(13:19):
its own beasts from there. So I was helping the
you know, the league accounts with graphic design. I was
managing our socials from the ground up. And yeah, I
the XFL is great. I'm very happy it's coming back,
but I just it almost felt like the world. It
was like a blip in like the anomaly of the
world because it Yeah, I was the greatest thing ever
(13:42):
for the five weeks that it exhibited, and you got
to get back on camera and doing that too as well. Yeah,
so was able to be the team reporter for the
Los Angeles Wildcats. They will not exist in this next
round of XFL. So you know, it was a good
time while it lasted. But yeah, like I said, that's
always been. You know, what I enjoy the most is
(14:04):
just being able to tell stories and share them. And
that was such a focal point of what we had
to do with the XFL because you're fighting against Los
Angeles that had already nine other professional sports teams, not
to mention the powerhouse of UCLA USC and so trying
to make this very new professional sports team relevant. The
(14:26):
only way you could do that was tell the players
for the stories and make these fan bases want to
route for the players. And so that was how I
kind of then was able to do that role. And yeah,
I to every single day. I love my time with
the XFL. It was very hard when it folded. Did
Josh get to go to any of those game days?
He did, actually because so since their season was in
the spring, so Josh and my birthdays are two days apart,
(14:50):
so we always celebrate together, and so he did. There
was a game I want to say our home opener
for Los Angeles Wildcats, and Carson was on his birthday
of twenty twenty, and so he showed support and came
to my game. Oh my gosh, that is wonderful. Okay,
and then you went back to um the soccer pitch,
(15:10):
I think is the correct way to say it. So,
how did that opportunity come up? Like we're going opportunity
and opportunity Like people we talked about it, Getting jobs
in sports is very hard, especially who you know though,
right when you're planted in a city, it's even harder,
right you know. Um, so here we are going to
another professional team. How'd you get? Um? Is it? La
Angels lost? The Angel City is what it is now? Yes? Um.
(15:34):
So Weirdly, after the XFL folded, um due to COVID. Yes,
we not probably make probably two to three weeks later.
I'm as many people were thinking what am I about
to do? What's going to happen? We still actually were
optimistic that COVID was going to be a thing of
the past quickly, and we thought honestly that the XFL
(15:56):
would be able to revamp by the fall. We're like,
we know our draft is until no them, So I
was still optimistic. But then our head of pr for
the XFL she calls me and she's like, hey, I
have this really cool opportunity. This dope woman named Julie Rman,
Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, like all these high profile celebrities
are all coming together to start a professional women's soccer
(16:17):
league or team in Los Angeles. And I was like, look, like,
I know I've worked to the women's like the Women's
World Cup, but soccer is not my thing. I didn't
even play soccer, Like, I have no idea about anything
with soccer. And she was like, it's fine, just meet Julie.
She's like, we don't know anything about soccer either. Natalie
Portman doesn't know anything about soccer. Let's let's just try,
you know. She's like, just meet them. So I'm like okay.
(16:40):
So I have my conversations with Julie, and immediately it
was again going back to the is this an opportunity
that if someone else got it, would I be jealousy?
And so I was like, yes, this is just something
that I need to try. And so I helped start
their socials from the ground up, basically doing what I
did for the XFL a year prior, was now doing
(17:00):
it for a professional women's team, except it was on
such a grander scale, like I think within our first
twenty four hours of our Instagram being launched, we had
fifty thousand followers for women's soccer teams, for a women's
soccer team, and so being able to be a part
of Angel City and go from inception to my final
(17:21):
time there was shortly after we announced Kristin Press as
our first player, being able to really see it full
circle to go from essentially when I got hired, it
was called WFCLA okay for Women's Football of Los Angeles
like that, Yes, and being able to go a year
and a half with them was absolutely incredible. And now
(17:43):
to see them in their first season, I've been watching
a far. I haven't gotten to go to a game,
but people in Los Angeles care. They I think they've
sold out that stadium two three times, twenty two thousand
people showing up to watch women's soccer. It's I'm like
getting goosebumps talking about it because it's actually a really
cool thing to see. Okay, we have yet to mention
(18:04):
something big that happened during all of this a little
super Bowl. I always went to a super Bowl. Yes,
we did, ironically though, um, I probably just like always
like all over that because so that was the year
that I was working for Fox. Yeah. I only got
to go to one game the entire season. Was it
the Super Bowl? Um? Okay, well excluding the Super Bowl? Okay,
in season it was when the Rams and the Chiefs
(18:26):
played on Monday Night football. It was a great game. Yes,
it was probably the best game of the season. Um,
Josh gore to touchdown. I will never forget that moment
ever in my life. Um. Do you guys have that
football football? Maybe? Probably they're currently in a box. Okay,
I as well. Cut we'll check that one up as
moving yea. But yes, that was the only game I
(18:47):
got to go to. Um. Actually, and then when playoffs
came around, they played Dallas in a division game. One
of my bosses was a massive Cowboys fan, and I
was like, look, if you let me go, I'll get
your tickets. And so did that happen. Yes, Oh, so
I got to go to the Dallas game. And then
unfortunately I had to work for the NFC championship when
(19:08):
they played the Saints. Um. Yeah to this day. I
think that's probably my biggest regret. It was not fighting
harder to be there. But you know how this industry goes. Um,
so yeah, I was in a war room watching him
win the game to go to the super Bowl. But
I did get to go to super Bowl, which was
an experience. Yeah. Um. We sometimes joke that he played
(19:28):
in the worst super Bowl in super Bowl history, um
with that mighty final score fort three. So you know,
we just need to get the Lions to super Bowl
so he can have another go at it. That's what
I keep saying, because he's like, I mean, I did it.
I played in a super Bowl. It's like, yeah, but
I feel like it really missed out on what a
super Bowl is supposed to feel like. I mean, let's
be honest, like from Maroon five being the performance, just
(19:52):
like yeah, we just we just really missed the mark
on like what a super Bowl is supposed to be. Yeah,
at least that's how I look at it. That's yeah, No,
that's a very calm way of looking at getting to
one of you know, the granddaddies of them all right,
And you guys did that with with Jared Goff's quarterback.
So when you learned, and you had to stop in Nashville,
a briefer stop where once again you found your way.
(20:15):
You were a personal trainer for burn boot Camp down
there watching all your stories. You need to know how
to get a six pack after this. Um? Okay, So
when you guys heard that you were coming back reuniting
with Jared Goff, I know from an outsider perspective, everyone
was so damn excited. Can I say damn? Probably? Everyone
was so excited. They like they have rapport, they have
this chemistry, like like they're back right. So what was
(20:37):
your guys' reaction to that? Um? It was a whirlwind. Truthfully,
I don't think you can actually understand what those twenty
four hours feel like, from when you're released from a
team to finding out where your next stop is going
to Wasn't that quick? Oh? It was very quick. I
think Tuesday morning he asked for his release from the Titans,
(21:00):
and by that afternoon his agent is calling us saying, hey,
we have seven eight teams calling saying they're interested. But
as many know, the way the wave of a wire
works is Yes, basically the team with the worst record
that puts in a claim for you, that's the team
you end up going too, and so we had a
strong feeling that it was going to be Detroit. Pretty
(21:21):
much all signs were pointing towards to Detroit. I know
he ended up taking a few calls from a few
other teams, you know, just in case he made it
past that twenty four hour period. Are you in the
room for those calls? I was with a for few, Okay,
But I think he just in his heart knew that
this was the place that he wanted. I can't It
(21:43):
was the strangest thing, Like even go after going through
you know, six months prior when he was a free
agent and having to figure out what his new team
was going to be, this just felt different. Here he
was in a situation not totally being able to choose
his fate, but to a certain extent also be able
to He was just so all in on Detroit reuniting
with Jared, and I think he just felt like he
(22:06):
really could help this team and that's all he wanted
to do. That's all he's ever wanted to do. I Mean,
I'm biased, but I don't think there's a more team
guy than Josh Reynolds, and that was who he was
with the Rams. That's who he's always been, and that
was something that he wanted to bring here and just
help them win freaking football games. That was his main goal,
(22:26):
and that was ultimately why he loved it here, and
that is why then we're back here, because you know,
at the end of the season, we were technically free
agents again, but he didn't even make free agency because
he was so damn sorry I'm saying it too, determined
to come back to Detroit. Why is that? Did you
tell you why he loves the culture here. I'm getting
(22:47):
like goosebumps again thinking about it and just fully falling
back in love with football and just enjoying the game again,
like being able to watch him. I don't think for
the rest of my life, I will forget. I was
actually in the bathroom first play of the Bears game
when he was on Thanksgiving, and I was coming down
the stairs, had just gotten to my seat, and I
(23:07):
see Jared snapped the ball and I see Josh takeoff
on a go route, and I was like, Oh, it's happening,
It's happening, It's happening. Like that's all I kept thinking,
it's like it's happening, and seeing him catch that ball
get a touchdown, Like tears just immediately came in my eyes.
It just kind of felt like such a god moment
of him truly bringing Josh to this team, to this place,
(23:28):
and that's carried him through it. I mean, he knew
in his heart the whole time. He didn't even entertain
any other offers talks with any other teams this offseason
because he knew Detroit was the place he wanted to be.
Did you learn real quick what Thanksgiving in Detroit is
all about? Yes, it's great, right, it is great. Okay,
like side note for a couple of seconds, the city
(23:48):
of Detroit is great. Michigan amazing, right, Like everything about
this state. I'm like, wait, this is a hid and Jim, oh,
you want to come to Michigan. You don't? You really
don't stay away? Go to Texas. Go to Texas like
everyone else is. You got wine country up north? If
you really right, you have some like snow mountains. You
technically have beaches like we have beaches with lakes, which
(24:08):
for me, ideal scenario. Okay, I'm not great. Glad you
accept that it's a beach. Yes, it is a beach.
It's a beach. A lot of people don't want to
own up to that because it's not an ocean, no
beach man sand thank you. Yeah, Okay, back to this
crazy journey you guys have been on. What is the
dynamic like with your with you guys when you know
(24:30):
free agency might be coming up or like you said,
you don't know. There's so much unknown. So from your standpoint,
are you just I don't know, treading lightly? Are you
just not saying much? Um? How do you balance that?
It's you have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable to
be in this industry and even to live this life.
You know, unfortunately a lot of people know and in
(24:53):
mostly joking fashion, but it is true that the NFL
stands for not for long. And so that's kind of
just the mindset you have to have because most guys
are done playing by their early thirties, if not before,
and so to just take it for what it is
and know that this is a chapter of our lives.
And for me, I knew that in this chapter I
(25:13):
was going to support him at every inch, every step
of the way. That was what I wanted to do
was support him and make sure that he was able
to live out this dream. Of his as fully and
best as he possibly could. So while unknowns are scary,
you kind of get used to living in them. I've
(25:33):
learned and figured out my own habits. Like when I
moved to a new place, I go and find my places.
So I find my coffee shops, I find restaurants that
I know that I can go to on my own.
I just find my grocery store. Grocery store is a
big one. Like those are just the little things that
you just kind of learned to help you adapt in
your journey of you know, consistently moving. And this is
(25:54):
no shocker. You found another job will here in Detroit.
I did working for our neighbors, Yes, the Detroit Tigers
doing their social media now and their beautiful graphics on
there too. Yes, So that was kind of ironic, again
maybe a god thing. Back in January, I saw them
post the job, and you know, Josh and I again
we were optimistic the whole off season that we would
(26:16):
end up back in Detroit. Is an offseason isom yes,
And so I saw the job and I was like,
maybe it'll still be there. And then once he signed
with the Lions in March, I saw the job was
still available one of Actually this is like how small
the world is. The woman that worked underneath me at
Angel City had taken a job with the Pittsburgh Pirates,
(26:38):
so she was down at spring training. I asked her, hey,
poke around and get a feel for the Tigers organization
for me, so she did. She ended up getting me
in the name of my now boss, Greg Garno, and
I shot him a message on LinkedIn asking if the
job was still available, because you know how TeamWorks is
sometimes job openings will sit there whatever and yes and
(26:59):
it's a formality, and so I had reached out and
he was like, no, it's still available, and I think
I had one conversation with him the next week, with
opening day being the following week, and I was pretty
much hired shortly after and I've been their graphic designer
ever since. Like, yeah, just don't stop. I mean, shout
out to them though, for allowing me to work remote
(27:22):
from opening weekend until the end of June when I
could actually move up here. I mean, we made it work.
And yeah, it's been good so far. And I think
what's really cool for me about going to Tigers games
because I've never had that much of an attachment to
the game of baseball, as I've always been such a
passionate football fan, lover of the game. Obviously, my fiance
(27:42):
plays the sport, so like I've always been so invested
in football, where it's baseball for me. I can just
appreciate it for the hundred year game that it is,
and the fact people show up no matter what is
not only a testament to a Detroit fandom, but be
just the game of face Like, it really is a
beautiful game, and I think I've gotten to see that
(28:03):
by being their graphic designer this season. Okay, okay, last one.
At least we have to go through Josh's um oh,
his nicknames. Josh has a few nicknames. Um, very very
strange nicknames, let's be honest, but I can see all
of them. We knew about Big Smooth, yes with a
V with the V, we knew that, but we have
(28:23):
recently come to learn that he's also called the Praying Mantis, Yes,
in the Spider of Death, what's your Favorite? And Freaking Serpent?
Oh yeah, which which all of which, like I'm pretty
sure of course. You know people on Twitter, they're on
their p's and q's. Yes, we're like I'm pretty sure
praying mantis eat spiders and then serpent and serpents can
(28:44):
eat the other ones. So it was like, so they
were just like, what is he? You know what, he's
all of them? Okay, okay, but he really likes praying mantis.
He really does. He just kind of reminds me of
a praying mantis. Like he's because he's very long, he's
very tall. He's very like lanky. Um, and especially even
on like the football field, he's deceptively fast. He's so
(29:05):
tall that it doesn't he's not like, you know, the
shorter receivers that the ends. Yes, like he is a
very tall guy, so those strides. Because he also ran
track in high school, he was a hurdler, so he
is not the word for you hurdler, right you yeah,
or you run differently anyways, so one of the two.
(29:25):
But he went to State multiple times for that. And
so he's very deceptively fast, which gives me that like
praying mantis like concept. I guess. So I definitely can
understand that one, and I think he likes it. Like
he was like mantis like, oh god, do we have
a shirt coming for that soon? Um? Yes, So I've
just I've designed one myself. UM, we'll see how it goes.
(29:47):
But there that quote is on there. I can show
you when this is over what it looks like. I'm
excited you. Just listen to another episode of Off the
Record with Danny Rodgers. A new episode drops every Tuesday.
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