May 5, 2025 • 19 mins
First round draft pick James Pearce Jr. joins Tori McElhaney to talk everything from his nicknames to his past to his favorite players to watch growing up, and everything in between.
0:00 - Intro
1:11 - Coming to Atlanta
3:07 - Looking up to Cam Newton
4:34 - "It" factor
5:55 - Family & football history
11:09 - The "juice" & the combine
13:57 - "Ten"
15:05 - Rapid fire questions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
His dad always used to put like video games on
the quarterback head or something anything like that, like if
a new video game or we wanted to play it
after that Saturday, here go buy it for us. Or
if it was so whatever it.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Was, how often was it you and how often.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Was it him? It was it was a lot of competition.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
A lot of competition, a lot of smack talking going
back and there, and it.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Was a lot of us getting to the quarterback. So
his dad was like, I gotta start making them best
them bad bets. I'm a lose lose they getting home,
but dang.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
James Kirst Junior, Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I am so excited wan to finally meet you. I'm
glad you heard Atlanta. How is the trip down?
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It was good. Yeah, on the PJ.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Got out on the PJ. Honestly, that's all that matters.
I keep trying to make my way onto the PJ.
They won't let me for some reason. They're like, you
have to stay in the podcast studio. This is where
this is where you live.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, I met you here. Here's cool.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You're like, you don't exist outside of this room.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
No, that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So I was actually going through and we're recording this
the day after the Atlanta Falcons moved up in the
first round in order to grab you. And something that
I found so funny was the phone call of Raheem
calling you and he said he was like, hey, man,
took a little longer than expected, but the same deal applies.
(01:23):
And you responded like, oh yeah, same deal applies, Like
you're ready to go. What's that same deal? What's Raheem
talking about? What's the deal with you guys and the
connection that y'all made?
Speaker 1 (01:34):
No, that's my guy. You see where I ended up.
You got what I'm saying, he said it it took
longer and inspect it. I feel like that's peaks for
yourself right there, and get him be able to trade
back up and be able to come give me I
want to play for somebody like that.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
It's funny because I think, like oftentimes I talked to
guys throughout the pre draft process, and you can always
tell guys who make really good connections with coaching staff
in front office, and I felt like, actually from the
get go, even talking to some guys in the building,
they're like JPJ Man, that's our guy. Like, we really
like him. And I'm curious from your perspective, as you
(02:10):
were going through the pre draft process, what about the
people in this building, whether it be Raheem or Terry
stoock out to you and why y'all connected?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
So well, yeah, it was just probably just me being
genuine and everybody being genuine transparency, you know, seeing the
best in both and the areas that we can get
better in and grow too.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So what excites you the most about coming to Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Excuse me, sorry, It's a new start, new start, new team.
What I'm saying, get to meet some more of my brothers,
new brothers, and you know what I'm saying, and be
able to chase chase my dream and accomplish it.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I love it. I have to tell you. So I
went to the University of Georgia, so already we're a
little adversarial University of Tennessee. But I'm gonna let it
slide because I was actually looking at some of your
history and something that came up was that you were
a big fan of Cam Newton growing up. And everybody
(03:10):
knows in Atlanta Cam Newton, he's in He's a Georgia
boy boy. He's an Atlanta boy, even though he went
off and did some good things with Auburn. But I'm
curious kind of what about Cam Newton the player was
somebody that you admired when when you were very early
on in your own football career.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Oh yeah, it was just cam Be and cam Manah,
that's what it was. He was always true to himself.
For whatever he was trying to persuade, he really didn't
move off of it. He pulled up to a couple
of my practices when I was in littlely and it
meant a lot. He pulled up to one right after
he got in the car wreck, and I felt like
that was just real genuine stand up with him to
(03:46):
be able to do that you don't have a little time,
and then played in the game right after. So I
really admired that.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And then yeah, yeah, it's fun too because I think
like watching Cam's journey from you know, when he was
a high school kid from Westlake and then go into
Auburn and then going into the league. To your point,
he's always been himself and no one's ever tried to
be or everybody's tried to be Cam Newton, but there's
(04:13):
only really one Cam Newton. Do you almost like for
your own personal self, do you kind of carry that
with you too, Like you can try and be James
Pierce junior, but there's only one James Pierce Junior.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah, that's for sure. That's for sure. I feel that way.
I feel like I'm unique. I don't know, I don't
know what it is, but there's something in there that
just it's just a different it factor.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah. When I like that, you said there's just something there,
there's an it factor, because I've watched I mean, I
do mock drafts literally all the two and a half
three months leading up to the draft, and I do
one a week, So I've done like eight different ones
and every I did not, which is funny because I
but I never you never fell to where we were.
(04:54):
I kept trading down. I never like traded back up
into the first round. So I which is no ever
got there.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
But IJJ no PJ no, PJ ToJ missed it when
but no you talk about this factor and I was
actually going through and I looked at when you know,
you were playing in high school and you really decided
to kind of morph yourself into this.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Do it all defensive player. I saw where you played tackle, edge, linebacker, safety.
Did you ever play corner?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Oh? No, in college, I was the I blocked the
guner one time.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Other than that, just one time. They let you do it.
Two times, they let you do it. Two times.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I locked the gunner.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Well I was. I was looking at that, and I
was like, this is a guy who kind of did
a little bit of it all. I think you were
well into like two hundred and twenty pounds when when
you were in high school?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yeah, probably not even not even It's probably.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
When when did you kind of fall in love with football?
Like when was it that you were like, you know what,
this is something that I want to continue to see
myself doing.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Six years old, super early, really super early, super early.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Do you remember like probably not the moment so young,
don't remember, But do you remember like kind of the
feeling that you had when you were playing and you're
little and you're just like going out there and just
tearing things up?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Oh? Yeah, I remember. I remember.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
What was your favorite part about that? Just did you
play tackle when you were that young? Yeah? I play everything,
did everything? Yeah, every sport.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
No, No, just football, just football. I started playing basketball
late in high school when I played football sin saw
six years old.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Okay, so this has always been your first love. When
at what point did you really kind of like start
honing your craft of being an ed dresher and really
starting to develop your own kind of niche in that.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Well, I always now I look back on it, and
I always been an ed rusher always. Yeah. My low
lea coach, like he did' it on my god brother.
His dad always used to put like video games on
the quarterback head or something anything like that, Like if
a new video game or we wanted to play it
after that Saturday, He'll go buy it for us or
if it was so whatever it was. Yeah, yeah, so
(07:15):
like and we'll He'll be on one side, I'll be
on one side, and who ever get to the quarterback first, dibbs.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
How often was it you and how often.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Was it him? It was it was a lot of competition,
a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Of competition, a lot of smack talking.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Going back there, and it was a lot of us
getting to the quarterbacks. So his dad was like, I
gotta start making them best them bad bets. I'm just
a lose lose they getting home. But dang, it's like
what I do.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Yeah, when you were kind of going through high school.
What I found was so interesting because I remember your
kind of recruiting ascension, but I remember it being so quick.
It was like all of a sudden, no one in
the national news really knew about you. Your name wasn't
(07:57):
really out there. You'd had a few offers here and there,
but then it was like within it felt like six months,
you went from maybe not even having a ranking on
twenty four to seven to oh, this is a five
star recruit. This is a guy that you know, Tennessee
is so happy to have. What do you remember about
that time?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Probably just I don't know. It's probably for me not
putting myself out there no more. I'm not a big
social media guy and stuff like that. I just like
helping the team in a way I can. So I
felt like it was more so like on my coaches
in the school I went to, and I feel like
they was like, hey, we got this guy over here,
Like okay, y'all keep saying all these guys and they
should come check this out. And it was more so
that probably it was some behind the scenes work, probably
coach Rich. Yeah, my ad that was at Vance and
(08:40):
Chambers when I was there, so probably more his work.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Do you do you appreciate that that you had people
that were kind of advocating for you even though you
were kind of sitting back and letting your play speak
for itself.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, it's always appreciation. It showed that they appreciate what
I was doing for the team and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
So do you have any more people like that are
in your camp of people that have been kind of
these movers and shakers for you behind the scenes, that
you that you are appreciative during this time? Is you're
kind of reflecting on your career so far?
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Oh, yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot. It's I
got a great support staff, a great team around me.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
How much have your parents kind of played into that
as well?
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yeah? They helped me make a lot of big decision
like on the Asian I chose the school I went to.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Is there advice stuff that you really take to heart?
And do you feel like they've they've played a part
in getting you here?
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Mama Voice and dad Boye always hit the fam when
he needs to.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So I feel that I feel that. Well. It's interesting
because you talk about not being big on social media
and when you ultimately signed with Tennessee and made the
commitment to Tennessee. I thought it was really interesting in
a time where a lot of people, you know, have
big parties and big ceremonies, and they have all their
(10:04):
hats and they're doing all this stuff, or they have
these big social media posts with all of their top
ten schools or whatever the case may be. You did
none of that, correct, Yeah you you. I don't think
you had a ceremony, didn't really have like a social
media post. I think the way that everybody found out
about you going to Tennessee was Tennessee announced it, which
(10:24):
is not very common in this day and age. So
I was just kind of curious, like why that was
the route that you wanted to take.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yeah, it was just going back to me not being
big on social.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Media and just not not caring.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, it's not really a big care for me, you
know what I'm saying. Like the school had a little
little thing because my class gently came out of it,
and we had some other guys committing too, so and
then we had a super bright young class behind us
who all went to good school, so it was more
(10:56):
so normal. Yeah, norm what I opposed to do.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Yeah, I like that because I kind of like the
idea with everybody else is doing the same thing, you're
doing something a little bit different. I think that's cool. Yeah,
when I was talking to a bunch of people in
the building but also out of the building, trying to
get some intel on you and trying to just see
who you were, every single person used the word juice
(11:23):
when they were talking about you and your game and
how you play. And I always think it's really interesting
when one word pops up over and over again. So
I've gotten all these different opinions about what juice ultimately
means for people evaluating you. But for you, what does
that word mean for you in your game?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Well, what's the word that's been given to them? Like
you said, so, yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Didn't get to pick your word, but everybody gave it
to you.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Yeah, so juice is probably just like it's just like
jumping off the tape, Like I don't like battery. You
know what I'm saying. It's Yeah, it's like a Mocha
troll car. Like the higher the higher is charged, the
more it do. The lower goes, you gotta say, the
less it does. So somewhere like that.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's a good analogy. I like that when Uh. It's
funny because I was at the Combine and I watched
your forty and I was with some people, and as
soon as you ran the four four seven, the group
of people I was with, they all went, oh, whoa,
that was pretty crazy. And then you know, they're showing
(12:30):
you running against like the clones of like sae Quon
and all these different guys, and it was just really
fascinating to watch. And then I went on your Instagram
and I saw the posts that you posted of like
your people, yeah, and them watching you do that. What
do you remember about that that moment. I'm sure for
you it's just another you know, another rep another thing.
(12:52):
But did you ever like have a moment where you're like,
I did that at the combine. That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Oh yeah. It's just like even growing up, I wasn't
like a big still TV in the social media world
like the Combine and stuff in big college, but I
knew one day I will be there. So just the
fact that I could be able to compete in it,
and just I don't care if I ran. I cared
what I ran, of course, but I was just happy
to be able to say I ran. You got said
at the combine, So it was more so on that note.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Did you go into it being like the goal was
to run like a four to four?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Oh yeah, my coach mo he was. He was pushing.
He was trying to get the best out of the
best side of the whole time. So he was pushing
for what he wanted. I was just out there running,
he was.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
You're like, I'm just doing what I did. This is natural. Yeah,
I'm always I'm a big proponent. You can't teach speed
because if you could teach speed, I would be a
lot faster than what I am. Unfortunately not fast, not
fast enough to get on the PJ.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
You just got to trade the opposite way. Then you
was trading in the mock drafts.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Here he goes, I got to figure it out. Yeah,
so I saw something that said your nickname is ten. Yeah,
what is why?
Speaker 1 (14:02):
It's just like I always play with that number growing up,
Like I always been the number I always played with
growing up, even from the Little league. Even I was
getting videos in like a couple of days before the draft,
like everybody calling me ten, like the announcers, because we
had announcers that our little league games, like Black John
made and stuff like that. So yeah, it's amazing. Yeah.
So we had announcers in our the league game and
(14:23):
they called me ten and then after the game, parents
didn't know my name, but they know I had a
good game, so they just had good game number ten,
good game ten. And it just stuck with me since then.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, we'll have to implement it now, Like now that
I know, I'm just gonna every time around the facility,
that's what I'm gonna call you. I've been calling you
just like off handedly. JPJ.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I like that too.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Yeah, JPJ like rolls off the tongue.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It's good.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But ten is good too, especially knowing the backstory of
like it was you were so good as a as
a kid.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
And then it just like everybody started connected like oh
he goes Tennessee so short for ten. Then it was
just start going on and on. They was like, yeah,
I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So I at the end of every episode, we always
do kind of a rapid fire segment, just a little game.
Everybody gets the same questions, and I always like hearing
what people say, Uh, so are you ready to play?
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I hope?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So, okay, you got this. What is your favorite play
of your career, and it can be little league, high school, college, whatever.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I'm gonna go with a jennire Ganser. It's probably really
not my favorite play though, but the pig six at
Iowa it was cool.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Pick six at Iowa? Yeah, how how far did you
return that?
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Fifty two yards?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Fifty two yards?
Speaker 1 (15:42):
It's still not my favorite blade, even though I know
the yards.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Honestly, you can come back on the podcast and you
can tell me your actual favorite play.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah, it's probably a lot of them, though. I like
all the players, all good plays I make. Yeah, my
favorite play is always the next one, So then that's
when it will be my favorite play.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Great, and sir, that's the one we're gonna clip. We're
gonna clip that for the people.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That'll be a good one.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
So okay, next question, who is your favorite athlete growing up,
regardless of sport that's not named Cam Newton because I
know we've already talked.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
About that growing up, growing now you.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Do now too if you want to, Uh, Rakia Jacks. Nice,
Yeah makes sense. So what do you like about our game?
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Uh? Everything fluence, smooth, sound technical?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Nice?
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Have y'all gone one one V one?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Let's not talk.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
All right, what's a movie or TV recommendation that you
would give to the people. Oh, maybe something that you're
binging right now or something you're looking forward to seeing.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Mmm, I don't know. I'll get it into shows like
during the dog days of Camp, So maybe I'll come
back and let you know. Okay, yeah, well dog days
a camp. I always got to find something that.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I can't remember who I was talking to. It was
one of our DB's I'm pretty sure, but they were
talking about how a couple of years ago during COVIDID
in training camp, because you can't go any you couldn't
do anything, couldn't go anywhere. All you were doing was
football all the time. They really got into Game of
Thrones and they were like that was the only thing
that they were doing. It was Game of Thrones and football.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Is that a good show?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I haven't seen it, so I couldn't recommend it, which
is weird because I know a lot of people are.
But let me know what you end up binging and
we'll tell the people for sure. All right, last question,
If you could have a superpower, what superpower would you have?
And why?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Probably teleportation?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Okay, why just h there?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Go where? I want to go and I come right
back and so at all no time, at all.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Time at all. Well, I saw something and you can
correct me if I'm wrong. I saw something where you
don't like planes, So that would help with the.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Whole I don't Yeah, I don't know if I want
to spread that, keep spreading that information. That's a bad
information spread But yeah, I'm not big on planes, not
six hours, not going to Japan, not going out the country.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah. I mean my thing is is like it takes
so long, like to go through TSA, to board the plane,
to fly, to get off to then rent a car.
It's just a lot. So I agree with the teleportation.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Of it all. Yeah, until you get.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
On, until you get on the p and then you're like,
well I could.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Get used to it. Yeah, No, I just don't like
being in the air that long. It's just like I'm stut,
like I can't like, I'm I like being on the
string line. But it's like what about if I want
to go do something.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Else, get up and walk around. You're like six', five
SO i feel like a plane is also probably a
little bit cluster. Fogers, yeah Because I'm i'm you, know
five foot six another Reason i'm not on THE pj
but like that's THAT'S i imagine that the leg space
(18:51):
is also. Not, yeah, well you, know this has been
a great. CONVERSATION i really enjoyed getting to know you
a little. BIT i hope our fans have, to so
thank you so much for sitting down with. Us, everybody
you can check out all of the content IN jpj ten,
Whatever James Pearce, junior whatever you want to call, Him
he's going to be around for a very long. Time
And i'm so excited to welcome you To, atlanta And
(19:13):
i'm excited and looking forward to talking soon
His dad always used to put like video games on
the quarterback head or something anything like that, like if
a new video game or we wanted to play it
after that Saturday, here go buy it for us. Or
if it was so whatever it.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Was, how often was it you and how often.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Was it him? It was it was a lot of competition.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
A lot of competition, a lot of smack talking going
back and there, and it.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Was a lot of us getting to the quarterback. So
his dad was like, I gotta start making them best
them bad bets. I'm a lose lose they getting home,
but dang.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
James Kirst Junior, Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I am so excited wan to finally meet you. I'm
glad you heard Atlanta. How is the trip down?
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It was good. Yeah, on the PJ.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Got out on the PJ. Honestly, that's all that matters.
I keep trying to make my way onto the PJ.
They won't let me for some reason. They're like, you
have to stay in the podcast studio. This is where
this is where you live.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, I met you here. Here's cool.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You're like, you don't exist outside of this room.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
No, that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So I was actually going through and we're recording this
the day after the Atlanta Falcons moved up in the
first round in order to grab you. And something that
I found so funny was the phone call of Raheem
calling you and he said he was like, hey, man,
took a little longer than expected, but the same deal applies.
(01:23):
And you responded like, oh yeah, same deal applies, Like
you're ready to go. What's that same deal? What's Raheem
talking about? What's the deal with you guys and the
connection that y'all made?
Speaker 1 (01:34):
No, that's my guy. You see where I ended up.
You got what I'm saying, he said it it took
longer and inspect it. I feel like that's peaks for
yourself right there, and get him be able to trade
back up and be able to come give me I
want to play for somebody like that.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
It's funny because I think, like oftentimes I talked to
guys throughout the pre draft process, and you can always
tell guys who make really good connections with coaching staff
in front office, and I felt like, actually from the
get go, even talking to some guys in the building,
they're like JPJ Man, that's our guy. Like, we really
like him. And I'm curious from your perspective, as you
(02:10):
were going through the pre draft process, what about the
people in this building, whether it be Raheem or Terry
stoock out to you and why y'all connected?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
So well, yeah, it was just probably just me being
genuine and everybody being genuine transparency, you know, seeing the
best in both and the areas that we can get
better in and grow too.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So what excites you the most about coming to Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Excuse me, sorry, It's a new start, new start, new team.
What I'm saying, get to meet some more of my brothers,
new brothers, and you know what I'm saying, and be
able to chase chase my dream and accomplish it.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I love it. I have to tell you. So I
went to the University of Georgia, so already we're a
little adversarial University of Tennessee. But I'm gonna let it
slide because I was actually looking at some of your
history and something that came up was that you were
a big fan of Cam Newton growing up. And everybody
(03:10):
knows in Atlanta Cam Newton, he's in He's a Georgia
boy boy. He's an Atlanta boy, even though he went
off and did some good things with Auburn. But I'm
curious kind of what about Cam Newton the player was
somebody that you admired when when you were very early
on in your own football career.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Oh yeah, it was just cam Be and cam Manah,
that's what it was. He was always true to himself.
For whatever he was trying to persuade, he really didn't
move off of it. He pulled up to a couple
of my practices when I was in littlely and it
meant a lot. He pulled up to one right after
he got in the car wreck, and I felt like
that was just real genuine stand up with him to
(03:46):
be able to do that you don't have a little time,
and then played in the game right after. So I
really admired that.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And then yeah, yeah, it's fun too because I think
like watching Cam's journey from you know, when he was
a high school kid from Westlake and then go into
Auburn and then going into the league. To your point,
he's always been himself and no one's ever tried to
be or everybody's tried to be Cam Newton, but there's
(04:13):
only really one Cam Newton. Do you almost like for
your own personal self, do you kind of carry that
with you too, Like you can try and be James
Pierce junior, but there's only one James Pierce Junior.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah, that's for sure. That's for sure. I feel that way.
I feel like I'm unique. I don't know, I don't
know what it is, but there's something in there that
just it's just a different it factor.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah. When I like that, you said there's just something there,
there's an it factor, because I've watched I mean, I
do mock drafts literally all the two and a half
three months leading up to the draft, and I do
one a week, So I've done like eight different ones
and every I did not, which is funny because I
but I never you never fell to where we were.
(04:54):
I kept trading down. I never like traded back up
into the first round. So I which is no ever
got there.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
But IJJ no PJ no, PJ ToJ missed it when
but no you talk about this factor and I was
actually going through and I looked at when you know,
you were playing in high school and you really decided
to kind of morph yourself into this.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Do it all defensive player. I saw where you played tackle, edge, linebacker, safety.
Did you ever play corner?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Oh? No, in college, I was the I blocked the
guner one time.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Other than that, just one time. They let you do it.
Two times, they let you do it. Two times.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I locked the gunner.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Well I was. I was looking at that, and I
was like, this is a guy who kind of did
a little bit of it all. I think you were
well into like two hundred and twenty pounds when when
you were in high school?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yeah, probably not even not even It's probably.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
When when did you kind of fall in love with football?
Like when was it that you were like, you know what,
this is something that I want to continue to see
myself doing.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Six years old, super early, really super early, super early.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Do you remember like probably not the moment so young,
don't remember, But do you remember like kind of the
feeling that you had when you were playing and you're
little and you're just like going out there and just
tearing things up?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Oh? Yeah, I remember. I remember.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
What was your favorite part about that? Just did you
play tackle when you were that young? Yeah? I play everything,
did everything? Yeah, every sport.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
No, No, just football, just football. I started playing basketball
late in high school when I played football sin saw
six years old.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Okay, so this has always been your first love. When
at what point did you really kind of like start
honing your craft of being an ed dresher and really
starting to develop your own kind of niche in that.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Well, I always now I look back on it, and
I always been an ed rusher always. Yeah. My low
lea coach, like he did' it on my god brother.
His dad always used to put like video games on
the quarterback head or something anything like that, Like if
a new video game or we wanted to play it
after that Saturday, He'll go buy it for us or
if it was so whatever it was. Yeah, yeah, so
(07:15):
like and we'll He'll be on one side, I'll be
on one side, and who ever get to the quarterback first, dibbs.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
How often was it you and how often.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Was it him? It was it was a lot of competition,
a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Of competition, a lot of smack talking.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Going back there, and it was a lot of us
getting to the quarterbacks. So his dad was like, I
gotta start making them best them bad bets. I'm just
a lose lose they getting home. But dang, it's like
what I do.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Yeah, when you were kind of going through high school.
What I found was so interesting because I remember your
kind of recruiting ascension, but I remember it being so quick.
It was like all of a sudden, no one in
the national news really knew about you. Your name wasn't
(07:57):
really out there. You'd had a few offers here and there,
but then it was like within it felt like six months,
you went from maybe not even having a ranking on
twenty four to seven to oh, this is a five
star recruit. This is a guy that you know, Tennessee
is so happy to have. What do you remember about
that time?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Probably just I don't know. It's probably for me not
putting myself out there no more. I'm not a big
social media guy and stuff like that. I just like
helping the team in a way I can. So I
felt like it was more so like on my coaches
in the school I went to, and I feel like
they was like, hey, we got this guy over here,
Like okay, y'all keep saying all these guys and they
should come check this out. And it was more so
that probably it was some behind the scenes work, probably
coach Rich. Yeah, my ad that was at Vance and
(08:40):
Chambers when I was there, so probably more his work.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Do you do you appreciate that that you had people
that were kind of advocating for you even though you
were kind of sitting back and letting your play speak
for itself.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, it's always appreciation. It showed that they appreciate what
I was doing for the team and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
So do you have any more people like that are
in your camp of people that have been kind of
these movers and shakers for you behind the scenes, that
you that you are appreciative during this time? Is you're
kind of reflecting on your career so far?
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Oh, yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot. It's I
got a great support staff, a great team around me.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
How much have your parents kind of played into that
as well?
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yeah? They helped me make a lot of big decision
like on the Asian I chose the school I went to.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Is there advice stuff that you really take to heart?
And do you feel like they've they've played a part
in getting you here?
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Mama Voice and dad Boye always hit the fam when
he needs to.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So I feel that I feel that. Well. It's interesting
because you talk about not being big on social media
and when you ultimately signed with Tennessee and made the
commitment to Tennessee. I thought it was really interesting in
a time where a lot of people, you know, have
big parties and big ceremonies, and they have all their
(10:04):
hats and they're doing all this stuff, or they have
these big social media posts with all of their top
ten schools or whatever the case may be. You did
none of that, correct, Yeah you you. I don't think
you had a ceremony, didn't really have like a social
media post. I think the way that everybody found out
about you going to Tennessee was Tennessee announced it, which
(10:24):
is not very common in this day and age. So
I was just kind of curious, like why that was
the route that you wanted to take.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yeah, it was just going back to me not being
big on social.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Media and just not not caring.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, it's not really a big care for me, you
know what I'm saying. Like the school had a little
little thing because my class gently came out of it,
and we had some other guys committing too, so and
then we had a super bright young class behind us
who all went to good school, so it was more
(10:56):
so normal. Yeah, norm what I opposed to do.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Yeah, I like that because I kind of like the
idea with everybody else is doing the same thing, you're
doing something a little bit different. I think that's cool. Yeah,
when I was talking to a bunch of people in
the building but also out of the building, trying to
get some intel on you and trying to just see
who you were, every single person used the word juice
(11:23):
when they were talking about you and your game and
how you play. And I always think it's really interesting
when one word pops up over and over again. So
I've gotten all these different opinions about what juice ultimately
means for people evaluating you. But for you, what does
that word mean for you in your game?
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Well, what's the word that's been given to them? Like
you said, so, yeah, you.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Didn't get to pick your word, but everybody gave it
to you.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Yeah, so juice is probably just like it's just like
jumping off the tape, Like I don't like battery. You
know what I'm saying. It's Yeah, it's like a Mocha
troll car. Like the higher the higher is charged, the
more it do. The lower goes, you gotta say, the
less it does. So somewhere like that.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's a good analogy. I like that when Uh. It's
funny because I was at the Combine and I watched
your forty and I was with some people, and as
soon as you ran the four four seven, the group
of people I was with, they all went, oh, whoa,
that was pretty crazy. And then you know, they're showing
(12:30):
you running against like the clones of like sae Quon
and all these different guys, and it was just really
fascinating to watch. And then I went on your Instagram
and I saw the posts that you posted of like
your people, yeah, and them watching you do that. What
do you remember about that that moment. I'm sure for
you it's just another you know, another rep another thing.
(12:52):
But did you ever like have a moment where you're like,
I did that at the combine. That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Oh yeah. It's just like even growing up, I wasn't
like a big still TV in the social media world
like the Combine and stuff in big college, but I
knew one day I will be there. So just the
fact that I could be able to compete in it,
and just I don't care if I ran. I cared
what I ran, of course, but I was just happy
to be able to say I ran. You got said
at the combine, So it was more so on that note.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Did you go into it being like the goal was
to run like a four to four?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Oh yeah, my coach mo he was. He was pushing.
He was trying to get the best out of the
best side of the whole time. So he was pushing
for what he wanted. I was just out there running,
he was.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
You're like, I'm just doing what I did. This is natural. Yeah,
I'm always I'm a big proponent. You can't teach speed
because if you could teach speed, I would be a
lot faster than what I am. Unfortunately not fast, not
fast enough to get on the PJ.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
You just got to trade the opposite way. Then you
was trading in the mock drafts.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Here he goes, I got to figure it out. Yeah,
so I saw something that said your nickname is ten. Yeah,
what is why?
Speaker 1 (14:02):
It's just like I always play with that number growing up,
Like I always been the number I always played with
growing up, even from the Little league. Even I was
getting videos in like a couple of days before the draft,
like everybody calling me ten, like the announcers, because we
had announcers that our little league games, like Black John
made and stuff like that. So yeah, it's amazing. Yeah.
So we had announcers in our the league game and
(14:23):
they called me ten and then after the game, parents
didn't know my name, but they know I had a
good game, so they just had good game number ten,
good game ten. And it just stuck with me since then.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, we'll have to implement it now, Like now that
I know, I'm just gonna every time around the facility,
that's what I'm gonna call you. I've been calling you
just like off handedly. JPJ.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I like that too.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Yeah, JPJ like rolls off the tongue.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It's good.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But ten is good too, especially knowing the backstory of
like it was you were so good as a as
a kid.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
And then it just like everybody started connected like oh
he goes Tennessee so short for ten. Then it was
just start going on and on. They was like, yeah,
I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So I at the end of every episode, we always
do kind of a rapid fire segment, just a little game.
Everybody gets the same questions, and I always like hearing
what people say, Uh, so are you ready to play?
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I hope?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So, okay, you got this. What is your favorite play
of your career, and it can be little league, high school, college, whatever.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I'm gonna go with a jennire Ganser. It's probably really
not my favorite play though, but the pig six at
Iowa it was cool.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Pick six at Iowa? Yeah, how how far did you
return that?
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Fifty two yards?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Fifty two yards?
Speaker 1 (15:42):
It's still not my favorite blade, even though I know
the yards.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Honestly, you can come back on the podcast and you
can tell me your actual favorite play.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah, it's probably a lot of them, though. I like
all the players, all good plays I make. Yeah, my
favorite play is always the next one, So then that's
when it will be my favorite play.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Great, and sir, that's the one we're gonna clip. We're
gonna clip that for the people.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That'll be a good one.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
So okay, next question, who is your favorite athlete growing up,
regardless of sport that's not named Cam Newton because I
know we've already talked.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
About that growing up, growing now you.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Do now too if you want to, Uh, Rakia Jacks. Nice,
Yeah makes sense. So what do you like about our game?
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Uh? Everything fluence, smooth, sound technical?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Nice?
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Have y'all gone one one V one?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Let's not talk.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
All right, what's a movie or TV recommendation that you
would give to the people. Oh, maybe something that you're
binging right now or something you're looking forward to seeing.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Mmm, I don't know. I'll get it into shows like
during the dog days of Camp, So maybe I'll come
back and let you know. Okay, yeah, well dog days
a camp. I always got to find something that.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I can't remember who I was talking to. It was
one of our DB's I'm pretty sure, but they were
talking about how a couple of years ago during COVIDID
in training camp, because you can't go any you couldn't
do anything, couldn't go anywhere. All you were doing was
football all the time. They really got into Game of
Thrones and they were like that was the only thing
that they were doing. It was Game of Thrones and football.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Is that a good show?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I haven't seen it, so I couldn't recommend it, which
is weird because I know a lot of people are.
But let me know what you end up binging and
we'll tell the people for sure. All right, last question,
If you could have a superpower, what superpower would you have?
And why?
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Probably teleportation?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Okay, why just h there?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Go where? I want to go and I come right
back and so at all no time, at all.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Time at all. Well, I saw something and you can
correct me if I'm wrong. I saw something where you
don't like planes, So that would help with the.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Whole I don't Yeah, I don't know if I want
to spread that, keep spreading that information. That's a bad
information spread But yeah, I'm not big on planes, not
six hours, not going to Japan, not going out the country.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah. I mean my thing is is like it takes
so long, like to go through TSA, to board the plane,
to fly, to get off to then rent a car.
It's just a lot. So I agree with the teleportation.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Of it all. Yeah, until you get.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
On, until you get on the p and then you're like,
well I could.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Get used to it. Yeah, No, I just don't like
being in the air that long. It's just like I'm stut,
like I can't like, I'm I like being on the
string line. But it's like what about if I want
to go do something.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Else, get up and walk around. You're like six', five
SO i feel like a plane is also probably a
little bit cluster. Fogers, yeah Because I'm i'm you, know
five foot six another Reason i'm not on THE pj
but like that's THAT'S i imagine that the leg space
(18:51):
is also. Not, yeah, well you, know this has been
a great. CONVERSATION i really enjoyed getting to know you
a little. BIT i hope our fans have, to so
thank you so much for sitting down with. Us, everybody
you can check out all of the content IN jpj ten,
Whatever James Pearce, junior whatever you want to call, Him
he's going to be around for a very long. Time
And i'm so excited to welcome you To, atlanta And
(19:13):
i'm excited and looking forward to talking soon
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.