October 12, 2023 • 48 mins
General Manager of the Cleveland Browns, Andrew Berry, joins Rodney and A-Walk to talk about his playing days at Harvard, how he manages his busy schedule, and the differences between him and his twin brother Adam!
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):
Welcome to the Dog's Only Podcast with Anthony Walker Jr.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
And Rob McCleod.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Normally we bring you guys player stories, but today we
got special guest Andrew Berry, general manager of the Cleveland
Browns aka the Chef.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
All Man.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It's a it's an honor and a privilege, you know,
to have d n V native in the building, you know,
Andrew Berry.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
A k A b ak shef let him cook?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
What? What was your thoughts? Is this your first time
seeing this?
Speaker 4 (00:38):
So my wife sent it to me, uh in the spring,
and then my sister sent me that one. But then
this one made me feel old because I was like, honestly,
to this day, I still don't get this.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
I don't, I don't. I don't understand this. Let me
cook this. I don't understand this one. I don't understand
the toy story part of it. I don't understand the
picture of this. So I'm getting a little bit old here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
That's like Glenn Cook behind you, trying to tell you
what like you like, no, no, no, no, I got this.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, I got the mastermind.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
I like that one better.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, that's the massive amount right there we go.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
We're gonna give you a little backstory before we get
into it.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We got the.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Visuals show show who ab is man?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
We don't really I don't really know.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Who's so I'm always the one with the long hair. Okay,
Like it's funny growing up, you know, I always had
at the fro, I had braids, I had locks for
a number of years. So people who knew me growing
up they're always really surprised now that have this like
kind of cleaner cut looking thing. And everybody who knows
me after cause they're like, wait, you had locks and
(01:42):
everything like that. It's like, yeah, So it's it's almost
like these two different worlds. My brother, he's been pretty
consistent all the way through.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, the first time I saw you guys, actually we're
gonna go to this next image right here that shows
this moment in Philly, I was like, wait, am I?
I never knew you had a twin, And to this
day I was shot.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
It's it's been pretty cool because you know, when you
grow up as a twin, you're always thought of like
as a package, just because largely because like you know,
obviously we look alike, and you get used to being
called the wrong name and everything but everyone thinks of
you as.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Like a pair.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
And probably the first time in our lives that we
were thought of his individuals is when we went off
to college, because we went to different different schools, took
different different career paths. It's been cool now that my
brother made a you know, a a profession switch and
is now in the NFL, you know, just to see
honestly like him get involved in football and everything. But
(02:40):
now it's it's a little bit of an adjustment because
whether it's players, coaches, agents, whatever. He told me the
other week he was with his family in a restaurant
in Philly and some Browns fan came up to him
and was like, hey, are you Are you Andrew Berry?
Speaker 5 (02:54):
He goes, I was where of my Eagles gears?
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I got the I don't even know how I got
the question. But so it's I ain't used to that
again a little bit. But we get a good laugh
every week because there's a story like that every week
where someone gets us confused.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, and I'm sure I mean you guys obviously Tis
and Philly, so it wouldn't be too far off. And
then now I think the only way to separate you
two guys is the beer, Like that's the only thing
I'm seeing right like that when I saw, well, here here,
here's gonna be the short memory.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
But like anytime one of us has like longer hair
where it's facial hair, longer hair, that'll always be me.
Like he's always had it short, I've always had something.
Just I can't. I can't do the complete corporate look.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So mom and dad, that's that's it.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, Andrew's the one with the longer the longer hair
got it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So I'm just curious, like, was it like growing up
as what a twin?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah? It's cool and unique, but it's a little bit
of a double edged sword because on the one hand,
the good parts are especially when you grow up as
you know, when you grow up together as kids, like
you always have someone to play catch with hoops with,
like just kind of like a built in you know,
friend who's going through the same things that that you're
going through. But honestly, for like eighteen years, like getting
(04:09):
called the wrong name the whole time, you get to
a point where you're just like, okay, I just I
need to be no like I want to be known
as Andrew. I just want kind of my independence because
people think that because you have similar mannerisms and you
look like you have the same interests like you have
you know, you have the same like you get all
the like corny Twin jokes and stuff like that, and
sometimes that gets old. To be honest, and it's kind
(04:29):
of nice to be just known as a as an individual,
but honestly, it's a huge breast blessing. You know, he's
he's my best friend of my life. We talk regularly,
so it's in that positive but it comes with this annoyances.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, I'm sure how to be super competitive when it
came to the ladies, like do.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You go like trick somebody?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
You know what, we were so anti Twin because we
were thought of the package that we never really did
the Franks and stuff that everyone that everyone thought. I'll
be honest, like he was a lot more social than
I was, Like I was a bit more of a homebody.
So you know, just just just have that mystery, you
know with the ladies and everything. Have that mystery, right.
(05:16):
But so we we were even though we looked like
we're pretty we're pretty different from a personality standpoint, Like
he's a lot more he's a lot more social and
outgoing than I am, and I'm a lot more introverted.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
I guess you could say, okay, all right, I got
a question man, All right. Oh you know, I think
last year came out that you were doing salary caps
at like twelve years old, eleven years old, Like how why?
Like what gauged your interest to do that?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
So I think that's one of those like tall tales.
My mom always tells the story that, you know, growing up,
there were like kind of two things like that was
when number one. That was like when Maden was getting
big with franchise mode and everything like that. And she
would tell these stories that we would have these, you know,
pieces of paper with like you know, drafting or like
building the team and everything like that. And then we
(06:08):
had this like so you know you have these foosball sets.
One Christmas we got this like it was essentially like
a foosball game, but it was like a street hockey
thing that made a ton of sounds that we used
to play with and my brother and I we would
build our own we would build our own leagues. We
would do the schedule, we would do like Russ like,
we would do like we're so like so she talks
(06:30):
about well, you know, I know Andrew had a lot
of interest early. I'll be honest, like, at that age,
we were just I mean, we were just kind of
messing around, like we we just we just kind of enjoyed,
enjoyed playing. It's not like at that age I was thinking, oh, well,
like I want to run a team or I want
to be a general manager. To be honest, I never
really even thought about that till till after college. But
(06:51):
I guess you could say it's funny how God works
where he can kind of sometimes align your you know,
your interests and your passions with you know, what you
do free vocation.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He was doing.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
You know, That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
At twelve, what I was where I was playing ball, football, basketball,
running track, chasing girls, playing video games like outside. You know,
I wasn't inside too much. I was outside playing around.
I was not thinking.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
About what you have to do when you don't have
the talent of you guys.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
I was.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
To sit there Google, you know, let me see this motion.
Show it to my day, like I'm not running that.
That's what I was doing. But salary cap is crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
That's a coaching fan background.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
That's exactly right, Yeah, that's exactly I think you should
do this triple reverse speeds the station of Puerto Ricoto, Rico.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Let's talk about I guess your your childhood experience when
it came to sports, right, because not too many people
probably know your history and accolades as an athlete.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
So we you know, growing up, like our household was,
you know, it was big on school and sports. Honestly,
my my my dad, he was you know, he grew
up in Texas, huge Cowboys fans, you know, walked in it,
you walked on at the University of Texas. My mom,
(08:21):
I grew up in Georgia. Their household huge Falcons fans,
but also huge like hoops fans. So she played you know,
she played college you know, college basketball. So growing up
we were we got involved honestly baseball super young. That
was actually probably my best sport, and then basketball and
(08:42):
then football was actually like the the latest sport that
I played, and largely because it was almost like this
civil war between my mom and my dad. My dad
was like like because like we used to go out
in the backyard, you know, the halftime of Cowboys games,
and it would be my dad would play quarterback I'd
be the receiver. I'd be mikel Yeah, one on one
(09:04):
for all halftime and you go back and watch the
second half. And so we always love we always love football.
But my mom always had a rule. She's like, okay,
you know, the boys, they can't they can't play tackle.
And that wasn't just tackle with pads, but it was
tackle with like you know when you play in like
the neighborhood and everything. Because I was real small growing up.
I was like you, Rodney, I was like, I was
(09:29):
real small growing up. And so she was like she
was afraid that you know, would get hurt. And so
my mom, because she was kind of the you know,
she she's the organized one in the house. So she
handled all the like you know, getting as signed up
for stuff, and so her goal was to get us
in a ton of activities were hopefully by the time
because they had made a promise that we wouldn't get
into tackle football till till mills throw wow. And so
(09:53):
I started yea. And so what happened to my mom
is like, Okay, I'm gonna take those thirty years.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
You know.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
We were all these like travel baseball leagues to play
who we did all these things in hopes that this
like you know, past, we're out of it, but but
that you know that that never happened. And I'll tell
two stories and I'll kind of get to your your question.
So I remember the time I got one of the
times that I always remember that I got in trouble
the most we were, you know, we were living in
(10:23):
we were living in Texas, and we had a bunch
of neighborhood kids varying ages. Again, we were the small ones,
older kids, and they were about to have like a
you know, a tackle football game, and like we knew
that we couldn't play, but at that point it was like,
all right, I'm playing like I'm playing. And so we
spent the whole evening playing have fun, you know, wall
and game everything, no no issues. And then like thinking,
(10:45):
as we're walking home, it's like all right, like you know,
we're good, no broken bones. You know we're gonna we're gonna,
we're gonna be okay. We've just been running around and
we go inside and immediately parents are looking at cause
like you know, you're grabbing shirts and everything like you
in our minds like okay, cool, we got away with this.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
But it's like, you know collar and it was like
what did you do?
Speaker 4 (11:10):
You know, just you know, playing with friends. Okay, It's
like so like what did you do? Play football?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (11:17):
You play tackle pause, one, two, all right, Like I
had like on one side, all right, maybe I can
get away with this. And then like the jumni cricket
side is like, you know you're gonna be you better
tell the truth because it's gonna happen. So I told
the truth, thankfully could and and it was just like
it was like, you know, you just got that like anger, disappointment,
(11:41):
like that type of thing. So finally we get to
the point where thirteen years old can play.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
It was the it was you know, Pop Warner League.
And that was actually one of the biggest like blow
up fights that my mom and dad had because like
probably in my mom's mind it was like, okay, I
thought this was like gonna kind of away. I never did,
and like, you know, it happens. But she was like
the biggest cheerleader. Like once we started playing, so play
(12:07):
in middle school, get the high school. I was actually
highchool quarterback, right and yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
We yeah, I tell you what we were.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
We were.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
We were Spread. This was like when Spread was just
kind of taken over and the Marin Terrapins at the time,
they were kind of like in this one back, no huddle,
and that's actually what we ran and ran in high school.
So I got to college, I was too small to
play quarterback. I got recruited as a as a corner.
I actually always wanted to go play pack ten football
at Stanford, and the late Buddy Stevens he actually recruited
(12:39):
me at Stanford. I was all excited, was going to
go take an official visit there. He gets fired, you know,
Walt Harris comes in, he was the former pit coach,
comes in, drops the official visit. They he had dropped
me earlier in the fall. So it was like, you know,
you got told no twice. So at that point, my
first visit was actually to Harvard. I didn't know anything
about you know, Harvard by what besides what I saw
(13:03):
on TV. I really didn't. I just thought it was like,
I mean, honestly, like I just like a who whole
bunch of risk kids?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Yeah type of thing.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
And I went and visited and it was like, honestly,
like a ton of doubt. Like some of my best
friends to this day. You know, ended up committing there.
They moved me to corner and I played there for
all four It was honestly the biggest blessing in my life.
Played there for all four years. I was an All
Conference and All American player. I got two degrees. I
met my wife, so it's just one of those things
(13:30):
where it's like, you know, ye all American. So it
was a good experience. And then really after that, I
had a you know, I got invited to Rocky Munic
camp with Washington. I was like, so at that point
they hit eighty players on the roster and I was
like one of the trow guys. Like if they're eighty players,
(13:52):
I was probably like one hundred and twentieth play on
the rocket like that type of thing. You know. Had
a back injury so failed the physical, which probably ended
up being a blessing. Just spared me the you know,
spared me the time. And then after that I've actually
gotten this sky and with the cold, so probably more
than yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
For yeah, no, I love it.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
We really want to know what, So you transition from
quarterback to corner because you couldn't you couldn't.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Throw, couldn't throw. You remember that's the reasons.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Hart Harvard got don't get.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
No hod you got to remember all the players. That's
that's the reason why. That's all all.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
But I could throw in fact, you guys, the game
that y'all play with, the with the upright game.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Throwing the ball.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
That's easy.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Got you guys, got it? You guys if you want
to if you want to see you guys got challenge,
you just let me know. You just let me know
when to wear. You just let me know when to wear.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
We got it on here, let me know where. Okay,
you who your opponent? Who you want?
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Not me?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I got a lot of small.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Miles, Garrett. I like that one.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
I'll take I've seen him throw darts. I'm gonna take
my shot with him. I've seen him throw darts and friends,
so I'll take my I got you, Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
That's move.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Now, you know we can transition to you know, fatherhood
and you know all the obviously being the NFL GM
and all that stuff. What is it like going home,
you know, just getting away from the building.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Yeah, it's you know, it's good and and and in truth,
that's an area where I've had to grow a lot personally,
in my life because you know, I was never really
good at like leaving work at work, and and really
even up until the first couple of years of marriage,
and then you have kids and your priorities change, or
(15:54):
like how you have to be at home changes because
you're the center of the world for what probably the
first called I don't know, twelve to fifteen years of
their life and like I couldn't you know, the job is,
it comes with a lot of demands, Like your phone
is basically like a third arm and it never really stops.
(16:18):
But like at the end of the day, I never
I won the parenting lottery. I had a great mom
and dad, and I feel very blessed and fortunate, and
like the number one thing in my life is to
be a good husband and a good father. And so
it took a lot of time and work because like
when I'm home, I want to be present with my
(16:39):
kids or at least have the dedicated time because like
in the grand scheme of things, they're only little kids
for the very small portion of their life, and so
it took time. But like having kids, it's like being
a father so awesome because like every day is like
new and fun. It's it's humbling and it's hard, but
(16:59):
like to see how you know, a six year old
to four year old to two year old, and there's
not a day that goes by that Like they don't
make me just genuinely laugh, like spend spending time. So
they end up being a really good i'd say escape
from like the stresses of work, but then also sadly
like they bring perspective, like in terms of what actually
matters and what's actually is important.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Definitely, we definitely right up next, so you know, we
don't we don't see a thinking what you mean, can
you leave work at work? You know while you go home?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
You know, man, it's it's tough for me.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
I think the wife kind of under she understands the
process and my routine and regiment throughout the season, and
it's I have.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
A moment when I come home to.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Dedicate to her, like our time is dinner time, you
know what I'm saying, where we sit down, we talk
about our day, talk about stresses, how it was work,
anything that we need to kind of get out for
like an hour out and a half and then I'll
like get back into film.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And that's the hard part.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
I've always asked guys in the locker room who have kids,
because I obviously would like to have kids on my own,
but just finding that balance between work and home and
being able to separate the two. And some guys are like, look,
I have to wake up extra early in the morning,
like when everybody's sleep, that's my time to sneak in
extra hours. Or I have to make sure that I
(18:28):
do everything before I leave the building, so when I'm home,
I'm home.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
So what what's your routine?
Speaker 4 (18:34):
That's a great so Number one, I'd say the fact
that you already have a structure to protect your private
time in private world, like that's going to give you.
I didn't have that before I kids, Like I didn't
do a good job of that. So I'd say, first
of all, that's like a you know, very very smart
and for thinking of yourself. For me, it's probably a
(18:55):
combination on both ends of what you just described. So
you know, I take my I take my kids to
school every day with very rare, exciting and again I
did when I started the job. I didn't used to
do that. But the way I do it is so
I wake up at five to go to a five
thirty CrossFit class, go from five thirty to six, come back,
(19:17):
you know, shower changes. My wife is getting them ready
to go for the car, and I take the kids
so she can go exercise, have a little bit of
time to herself, go through the work day. When I leave,
I always say, like, unless there's an emergency, I'm going
to go home and be home to tuck my kids
into bed, reading them and tuck them into bed. And
when I get home, I have a I guess similar
(19:38):
to you, Rodney, basically a ninety minute block where I
actually give my wife my phone. I'm like, hey, if
this person, this person, this person calls, then I need
to step away and take it. Everybody else can wait
for these you know, for these ninety minutes, so from
six thirty to their bed at eight. Like it's probably
less so that I'm physically present with them, but I
(19:59):
have a like I said, Earl, I have a tough
time being mentally present when I'm thinking about whatever I
still need to do for work during today or what
may pop up. Having her have that and where I
can be emotionally and physically president like, that's helped me
a lot. And that's something that I had to learn
honestly the hard way. So then when they go to
bed at eight, then I'm catching up on whatever work
(20:21):
I need to do, like taking care of and then
when that's wrapped up, you know, Britain and I will
have our private one on one time. So that's kind
of my you know, daily you know, daily routine and
then the other thing like having things during the week.
So every Friday we alternate family date night or date
night with you know, just me one on one with
my wife. And like I do everything I can.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Right now, like I listen, I am single, I take
work home. I am I'm horrible, I'm bad, Like I
cut the family off after a loss, like I don't
want to talk for two days, don't talk to me,
Like that's just me.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
So I'll tell you, you know, honestly, I sound like
an old guy, but when I was your age, I
did the same thing, like I took I always took
work home. So it was tough for me to break
those habits. And I'll say one of the other blessings
of having kids now those days where would take me
two days, like I wouldn't want to talk to anybody,
just go off, Like you can't do that with little kids,
(21:28):
and to be honest, they'll do something like so silly
or whatever. That's just like I can't. I just can't
be in a.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
No doubt. So yeah, that's awesome. Obviously great wife. You
want to talk about her a little bit a little shout.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Out, Yeah, no, uh, you know Britain she is. I
would say, like she is the like best surest person
that I've met my entire life. And I got I
got lucky. She she's incredibly smart. She she got degrees
from Harvard. She got an NBA from from Yale. So yeah,
(22:07):
so she was actually the school record holder in the
long jump. Oh so she and so her she came
from very you know, very very I'll say, just very humble,
humble beginnings. You know, had a guidance counselor in her
life that encouraged her to apply to Harvard school that
she didn't think she could afford. She was raised by
(22:27):
a single mother, you know, gotten to Harvard, decided to
walk onto the track team, and then ended up becoming
the school record of the long jump since been since
been you know, taken taken over. But at the time
of graduation, and she like, she's incredible because she's she's smart,
she's funny, she's she's one of she's truly like the
(22:50):
nicest person I've ever met. Like I don't even know
why she married me, honestly, to be honest, and she
has been in you know, worked in tex She's an
executive for you know, a tech company. Full story, and
the way that she's able to honestly just like juggle
everything is phenomenal. As much as I don't like to
(23:10):
tell her, she's really funny, but she's definitely the better
half in the relationship.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I would say, he just said he didn't go outside.
He was a homebody. So I'm assuming you was in
dorms a lot or at home. How did y'all meet?
Speaker 4 (23:25):
So so she again probably like my brother, like we're
pretty much on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms
of in terms of personality. So she had a she
had a date event for her. They call him finals
clubs at heart, but they're basically sororities and fraternity and
she was scrammling at the last minute. We actually had
(23:47):
a bunch of mutual friends, even like my college roommates,
just running athletics circles, but we had never met, and
she so she basically like at the time, it was
like she reached out, actually sent an email and was like, hey,
I know, this is weird. We've never met that like
have this like date event going on. We have a
lot of mutual friends, like are you free? And I
was kind of like, I was like, shoot, like if
(24:07):
someone has like the guts to like just reach out
out of the blue. Heard a lot of nice things
about her. So we went on the date event. We
hit it off immediately and we just started we started
hanging out, and the rest was history.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
So I got email. I might have to send an email.
That might be the way you're email.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
That's crazy, that's that's the old school.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Email.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Yeah, you feel me, that's the that's the way we
get down emails. Now it's d M, you know, and
whatever else exists in the world.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
How are your Do you have social media?
Speaker 4 (24:43):
I do? Well.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
The only thing I have burner burner.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I have a have a Twitter account that I use
for news only, but I don't I don't post. I'm
not on Instagram, on ticket I don't even know Facebook accounting.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
She like, you know, since we live in the DM
world and you see all the players and coaches get
DMS crazy things like you know, do you see those
things or anything?
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I don't get those because, like mine is pretty private,
but I have it because I know what all y'all get, like.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
That world.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
And it affects your weak very bud, I tell.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
You that very much, does it? Very much?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Does?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
What was I about to say?
Speaker 3 (25:24):
So when it comes to your why you said she
currently works now, I feel like that's you wouldn't necessarily think,
you know, in our world, right, like there's a lot
of stay at home my wife. So how did you
guys come to that sort of agreement?
Speaker 4 (25:40):
You know? Part of it is she one, she has
a very like strong and accomplished career. She's doing something
that she's very passionate about, and like she likes the
work that she's doing. And then even quite candidly like
early in our marriage, like when you start off in
the NFL, like you don't really make any money, like
that type of thing, and early in our career she
(26:01):
was she she was much for the longer, like she
was much further long in her career than you know
than I was. She's she's she's had a lot of success.
She started off at Google, went and got her M
b a you know, then actually worked in healthcare and
(26:22):
then went to her tech company full you know, full story.
So like, she's been very supportive of my professional dreams
and quite honestly made some sacrifices along, you know, along
the way. And so like, I don't think that it
means that you have to house have a household that
(26:42):
to support one persons, it makes it where you can't
support the others. That doesn't mean that it doesn't present
challenges for for both of us. But just like I
feel very happy and fulfilled with you know, what I'm
able to do with my career, I want her to
feel equally, if not more, you know, fulfilled with with
what she's doing.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I think a lot of women sometimes, you know, when
they enter into this space, they struggle with their identity
and and you know, losing their purpose because most of
the time they're sacrificing so much for us. And so uh,
you know, I've I've always had that similar mindset with
my wife and wanting her to fulfill her dreams just
as much as me to create that that same feeling
(27:22):
that that we have when you reach you know what
I'm saying that that that that high you know in
that mountaintop. And so it's it's special just to see
her be able to man like thrive and do everything
and still run the you know what I'm saying, run
and function the family in the way that she does.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
She's impressive.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
She's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Phenomen We love to hear it. Yeah, learning taking notes, Yeah,
to learn from you and raw y'all got the blueprint
for Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Man, Ladies out there single looking for some learner. Yeah,
somebody who knows independent, who's you know, got purpose.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
In their life.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Right, all that here you go, just hit him in
the DM email email.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
If you don't see the email about.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Looking, I feel like we obviously we need you.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Just talked about it like how it started off of
you in the league, right, so let's let's let's get
into that a little bit and talk about like your story.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
That is power in the story. And you didn't just
become the.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Youngest GM, the youngest, the youngest, the youngest GM and
NFL history overnight. So talk about that that process.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
Yeah. So my first job in the NFL, I was
a scouting assistant under Tom Telasco, who's the general. He
was the scouting director at the time. He's general manager
of the Chargers, and then you know Bill pollm was
the GM who's obviously one of two executives as in
the Hall of Fame. And being a scouting assistant it's
like being it's the equivalent of being a quality control
(28:59):
coach on the on the coaching side, except the difference is,
you know, when I got in, like you were, you
were doing like as a Scott's just everyone's your boss,
not just like Bill and Tom. But the trainer logistics
equipment had because like you're you're doing kind of the
grunt work on the football side. But I was also
(29:19):
picking up players at midnight for tryouts, running in the physicals, holding, holding,
you know, change it at practice. He did, he did,
But you know I so I have a great respect
and appreciation for for for people who kind of work
(29:41):
their way up, and I was fortunate. I've been very,
very fortunate to have bosses and managers that gave me
opportunity throughout my career. So my second year is a
scouting assistant, I had the chance to do some basically
like pro advanced work, and as part of that, I
would do coverage notes and cutups of the dbs and
(30:01):
then actually present it to the offensive staff and Peyton Manning,
who was our quarterback at the time, on a meeting
on Tuesday, and that got me the opportunity to then
the next year become a pro scout where I would
cover half the NFL. I would do the you know,
the do the advanced work for and then you know,
play a role in helping out with the emergency list,
(30:22):
free agency things like that. So after my third year
in the league, you know, we have a tough year.
You know, they make a change in the organization, and
then Ryan Grigson comes in as the general manager and
you know, so honestly also our first year being married,
so I was like, oh, dang, like know we have turnover.
What's gonna happen? And that was probably like the second
(30:45):
I would say, like big break in my career because
Ryan came in, I didn't know him for he didn't
know me from Adam and he was another boss that
just gave me opportunity. And through that opportunity, I was
able to oversee the pro department. I learned, Uh, That's
where I truly learned contract management in the cap a
Walk and did a lot of work in that areas
(31:09):
and then this is when I would say analytics, research
and strategy was just starting to become maybe a little
bit more there started to be a little bit more
attention around the league with it, and started doing some
preliminary stuff to try and build a research group in Indie.
Fast forward for more years. You know, uh, I had
the opportunity to be the vice president player personnel in
(31:31):
Cleveland under Sash you under Sashi Brown, and that gave
me the experience of managing pro college and then what
I would call like a research and strategy or analytics
hybrid within scouting. And that's probably where I learned the
most about people management, you know, certainly like data and
(31:51):
predictive analysis, you know, plus all the other things that
you're doing when you're you're running multiple groups. So was
in that role for two and a half years. Left
to go to Philly in twenty nineteen. You know, we're
obviously Rod and I crossed over Howie Rosman, who I
would say is not only like one of my biggest mentors,
but one of my best friends in the he's family
now honestly, you know, he gave me the opportunity to
(32:14):
oversee football operations. So it wasn't just you know, pro
and college scouting analytics, but you know performance, you know, medical,
player development, all the other things that come along with
like running a team from a day to day perspective,
and that was probably the job that prepared me the
most before you know, the making the transition back here
(32:34):
is general manager because I feel like oftentimes it's people
think of the general manager role as just scouting, but
that's just a very. It's an important piece, but that's
a very, that's a very. It's a leadership and management position,
and there are so many things that go into making
a team successful other than just the players that are
(32:56):
in the locker room, but how you support them, how
you support you know, the rest of the operation to
make sure the on field product is good.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Man, I'm highly impressed.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
So you turned down Goldman sects. I did so coming
out of college. I did do quality control and pick
up people at eleven o'clock at night out.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
I'll tell you two stories to that a walk so
I will never forget my conversation, particularly my parents.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
I know, I.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Was like, yeah, you know, I'm because like it was
it was great. I like I had entered there. I
learned a lot and I knew it was like a
good resume builder, but like I didn't. I wasn't like
I didn't really like it. I was trying to talk
myself into it. And I remember telling them was like okay,
like I'm gonna transition and go from you know this too,
(33:49):
I'm accept this specially I'm gonna make twenty five thousand
dollars a year. And there was you know that science
that I talked about. After I told him I was
just playing football.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
It was like.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
Not again.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
But like they were always especially as like okay, man,
like you just spent four years at Harvard, like but
but but my parents were great, like they were they
were great. They were like Andrew, like you've always worked,
You're you're a good kid. You've worked really hard. Like
if this is what you want to do, like we're
(34:23):
gonna support you with do you do well with it?
So I feel very very fortunate. Now I will also
share my I'll never forget this. No, she was great.
So the fortune thing is she like I mean, like
it didn't matter. So she actually spent a year in
South Africa doing philanthropic work when we were so she
like we were I was in Indianapolis. She was in
(34:44):
Kazuluan's Hall, South Africa for the first year out of
the first year out of so that was like less
of an issue. But I was our first road trip,
you know, you know how it is preseason, like playing
is packed with like you know, in the back and everything.
And I was sitting next the team chaplain's named Eric Simpson.
He's still there today, and you know, he was being nice.
(35:05):
He was just because like you know, I was new there.
This is a group that had been long established and
I'll never forget you turned me was like, oh, you know,
like you know, hey, you know, what's your name? You know,
you know, just just kind of making small talk, and
you know, he asked questions, okay, like yo, you went
to her, what do you do here? I was like,
you know, I'm I'm a scouting assist I want and
he looked at me and he goes, so, let me
get this straight. You graduate for and you you're an
(35:26):
assistant scout here, And like it was that. I was like, man,
dangly you say like that, but like honestly, like I
would never like I feel very fortunate with my path
that did. Like kids, if you're watching pursue your passions.
That's why. That's honestly like what I would say, because
(35:48):
you know, I feel very blessed and fortunate about the
path that I've been able to walk in there.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
As you were on that path, did you know your indgo?
I mean, because you talked about, you know, you have
been in a lot of different positions.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Having them questions. By the way I watch really preparing
for something, especially athlete.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
I'm just I'm listening, and I'm like, man, I mean,
you've you've worn a lot of different hats, You've done
a lot of different roles and positions, and I mean,
you've talked about opportunity, But were you did you have
an end goal in mind?
Speaker 4 (36:25):
I always thought I wanted to run a team because
I thought it was the intersection of a lot of
like different like you know, whether it's you know, football,
you know, business, like researcher, like it was the intersection
of a lot of things. But I, in fairness, I
probably thought it. I probably thought that was my end
goal at the time because I didn't fully understand what
(36:46):
the actual job entailed. Like I don't. I actually wonder
sometimes like would I have had the same aiming porter
it had the same enthusiasm if I knew it. The
job was more than just about, you know, putting the
team together, the AUS and I feel like I'm actually
glad it's more than that as I sit here, you know, today,
at thirty six years old. But I don't know that
(37:09):
I actually would have had the same mindset at twenty
two twenty three, had known all the other things that
maybe aren't as public, fund you whatever that comes with
the role. But so so I guess the long answer
is yes, but partially because I probably didn't understand everything
that that the job encompasses.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Yeah, no, that's that's fair. I think. You know.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
The other thing is it's a huge accomplishment, you know,
to be seen as the youngest GM in NFL history,
but let alone African American.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
And you know, you.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
Talked about, you know, the decisions and choices that are
options you had as a child, right your mom wanted
you go one way, you want another, and you continue
kind of on that path and you went to Harvard,
which wasn't easy. And so as a you know, African
American GM who's played football, and you had a bump
(38:09):
in a row and you didn't make a team and roster,
but you still found you talked about how your passion
drew you back to the sport, but just in a
different way. And I think, you know, for a lot
of kids out here, you know, that's something that they
need to know more of and bring more exposure to.
Right about the other ways you can give to the
(38:30):
game rather than just being a player.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head
rod that it's not like, hey, you know, playing or
bus and there are a number of ways you can
be in the game. And like I even think about
my own journey, I was fortunate that Tom Telesco had
gone on a scouting trip for me because I didn't know.
I didn't know anything about the path until he reached out, like, hey,
like we have this scouting assistant position of whom we
(38:54):
like to have you interview for. And then as I
got in my career and I saw guys like Jerry
Reese or Oz he knew some you know, win Super
Bowls and have you don't have success, and like that
was aspirational to me, and it's it's I guess right,
I thought about this, but it's kind of weird to
think about now because like I think about the esteem
(39:17):
I helped those guys in because of their position and
because honestly how they treated, how they treated people and
went about their work, you know. And I do think
that there's an element of exposure that you want young
people to have who may want to traverse a similar path.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
You know. I think that's huge. You know, I literally
was talking to my dad about that the other day, Like,
you know, just seeing African American men in black communities
that do other things besides play football. You know, I
think I saw a heat player when I was back
in Miami, back home, he does like every Tuesday brings
(39:57):
like a different sporting job to the schools for the
kids to see. So it's agent, m coach, scouting, whatever
whatever it is, and have them speak to the kids
just so they see like there is other things and
you know, sports that you know that you know no doubt,
(40:17):
like that are valuable jobs, you know, like you bet
on yourself. Like that's huge. I mean kids need to
see that here that understand that, like you know, it
isn't end all be all when you you know, don't
make it, not like Rod when you undrafted you get
fifteen year career, Super Bowl, get paid um times like everybody, everybody,
(40:39):
everybody's not able, so they want to let you know
you special to b.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Yeah, do you ever do you ever think about that,
like that moment and time where you felt that physical
Like how your life may have been different maybe if you.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
If you pass the physical? Right would I do?
Speaker 4 (40:57):
But like if I passed the physical, it probably wouldn't
have been a couple of days later where I've been been gone.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
You know, I.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Don't know that I've been scouting long enough where I
can be I can be self aware.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
What would you have love to put on?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Put on that redskins in the past now commander's uniform.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
I got, I.
Speaker 5 (41:18):
Gotta, I got a day to do that.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
So like, yeah, everyone when you grow up playing football,
Like who doesn't dream about themselves being in the Super
Bowl or something like that from Pop Warner on that
was I was pretty realistic, Like I'm not I'm not
going to be the guy to sit here and tell
you was like, oh, man, like you know I would
have made a Pro Bowl or two if I didn't have.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
A right, I wasn't that Did you think you would
be all American?
Speaker 1 (41:45):
No? Crazy?
Speaker 4 (41:48):
But I I I would bet my bottom dollar that
my future would not have changed in that in that moment.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Yeah, lighting it up with some questions. All right, we've
been serious for a minute, you know, all right, talk
about you some you can pop it off all these questions.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
All right, So we have this one from Scarlet Wolf
underscore cet.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
What's your biggest fear?
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Hey, we got back here. That one was on.
Speaker 4 (42:20):
My biggest fear is actually is heights, Like I don't.
I don't like heights, I don't like flying. I have
a tough time with I know I'm in the wrong
profession or not.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
Like I knew we was solid for a reason. I
got the same fear.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
What's your I hate heights, I hate flying, playing, I
hate it?
Speaker 2 (42:38):
So what do you do to commun What do y'all
do to com your nerves?
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I sit next day. I make sure, like a comfort.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Food something like that you need.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
So what I do?
Speaker 4 (42:48):
I try and I try and get to the point
where I'll fall asleep before take off. So if I
have to stay up a little bit later the night before,
I'll do that. I used to stay up so late
that I would get on the plane, I'd be like
paranoid and jumping the whole time. So I've got now
the middle ground of I fall asleep before takeoff.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
So I'm assuming your vacations, like how how many hours
can you last? Like it's six year limit. We'll so
here's on the flight. You're not going to Asia.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
If it was just me, it would be like an
hour an hour and a half. But unfortunately I told
you my wife and I were opposite loves flying. So
we like we've been the we've been the we've been
to Tanzania like so, but those are those are rough trusts? Yeah,
those rough trucks.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Hey, sacrifice though, right for the fam, happy wife, happy life.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
Man, I don't travel, you got the next one walk?
Speaker 1 (43:47):
So you're in GM, you know. Are you a Marvel guy?
Speaker 4 (43:53):
I am not.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Okay, this would have been a great question. I am
not which Marvel you can answers? Marvel character would make
the best football player in what position?
Speaker 4 (44:03):
Okay? So forgive me as Marvel is that like Superman
Spider Man. I mean it's gotta be Superman, right, Like,
it's not like you have Kryptonite on the field fast,
he's strong, like right, yeah, the Cape in case they
grabbed the crab, the grab the jersey.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
On the what if he doesn't want to take off
the cape, then.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Be strong enough to front, we still take him.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
Uh, this one's from the real Gus McKay.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
What's the moment when you realize someone was a.
Speaker 4 (44:38):
Dog presenteem it's got to be present team. Okay, So
for me, it would actually be in twenty twenty, it
was you know, it was actually Nick when Nick he
had the knee spring. I remember at the time during
Dallas game, he gets hurt. You know, the docs think
(45:01):
it's like gonna be you know, five to six weeks,
and then I think Nick came back in three and
he wasn't you know, he like he's like he's got
like Wolverine's blood, like in terms of the way that
that he heals, and like he may have had like a
hundred yard game and like, you know, eighteen characters thing,
but it's just like, you know, this guy, he's just
(45:22):
like he's built different, he's wired different and everything. And
I think obviously you guys we all know with him
for like, I think he really kind of embodies that character.
Speaker 1 (45:32):
Definitely not a good choice. And I was happy he
missed that week before a game because y'all played that's right,
that's right. I love I found out he wasn't. We
got a shot. We gotta shot. Oh this is from
John t p sixteen. Which logo do you like the
(45:56):
most of the dog, the elf or the helmet?
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Like the elf? Honestly, and I really do. I think
the el's cool. I think it's got a really cool history.
I know maybe people outside of think Cleveland think it's
funky or whatever.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
I'm a fan.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
I'm a dog of course.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Nicest got you ever meet.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Until he's on. That's how I go.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
Uh, let me see we have this last one right here.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Tallas underscore what separates Cleveland fans from all other fans
in the league.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Passion and loyalty.
Speaker 6 (46:37):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (46:38):
Like I think, to be honest, like the two most
passionate fan base I've seen, or Cleveland and Philly, Like
they're just like hardcore into the Browns like bleed orange.
And I think the loyalty because like kndidly, you know,
we've had a tough go since the franchise relocated, you know,
came back to came back to Cleveland, and how much
they stayed with the team through things and then like
(47:00):
you don't you don't have that everywhere. Yeah, and so
you know that's one of the reasons that I know,
all of us, you know, work to to make sure
that they can have a team that they're proud of
because our fans deserve it. That's not just like GM speak,
but it's the true, very very loyal and passion.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
Oh yeah, I've seen that.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
I get to the stadium early and they.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
Out there eight thirty game, I'm like, oh yeah early.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
They bringing that noise every every Sunday.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Parade after on sixteen. That's that's loyalty.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
Yeah, that's real.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
That's real. Shout out to the dog because the Dolphins
are from We ain't going to the game. We got
other things to do.
Speaker 2 (47:42):
Cool the beach, Yeah, somebody yacht it's gone.
Speaker 1 (47:46):
We're not going. We're going to the Hurricanes. That's it.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
Something else you got, No, that's that's all the questions
we have.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
We appreciate you coming on, spending your time, your busy schedule.
Speaker 4 (47:57):
I appreciate you guys. Like I said, I'm happy to
do this for you guys. I appreciate you guys having
me on.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
It's the real A B. Now, this is the real
A B. Hall of.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
Haull of f.
Speaker 6 (48:16):
All of Walter Payton was a warrior running with bees.
You rulies couldn't hope the waight up in one of
his creety as a creek through the zone. I am
known as a monster, the new Larry.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
Zarkaballa Hall going boxes.
Speaker 6 (48:29):
Somebody needs the answer trying to stop Barry Sanders and
Sharks in the game. You Justice salamander, never had the
boundary running through your town. Keep your head up and rush.
Speaker 2 (48:38):
We looked like Jim Brown.
Welcome to the Dog's Only Podcast with Anthony Walker Jr.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
And Rob McCleod.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Normally we bring you guys player stories, but today we
got special guest Andrew Berry, general manager of the Cleveland
Browns aka the Chef.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
All Man.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It's a it's an honor and a privilege, you know,
to have d n V native in the building, you know,
Andrew Berry.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
A k A b ak shef let him cook?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
What? What was your thoughts? Is this your first time
seeing this?
Speaker 4 (00:38):
So my wife sent it to me, uh in the spring,
and then my sister sent me that one. But then
this one made me feel old because I was like, honestly,
to this day, I still don't get this.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
I don't, I don't. I don't understand this. Let me
cook this. I don't understand this one. I don't understand
the toy story part of it. I don't understand the
picture of this. So I'm getting a little bit old here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
That's like Glenn Cook behind you, trying to tell you
what like you like, no, no, no, no, I got this.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, I got the mastermind.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
I like that one better.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, that's the massive amount right there we go.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
We're gonna give you a little backstory before we get
into it.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We got the.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Visuals show show who ab is man?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
We don't really I don't really know.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Who's so I'm always the one with the long hair. Okay,
Like it's funny growing up, you know, I always had
at the fro, I had braids, I had locks for
a number of years. So people who knew me growing
up they're always really surprised now that have this like
kind of cleaner cut looking thing. And everybody who knows
me after cause they're like, wait, you had locks and
(01:42):
everything like that. It's like, yeah, So it's it's almost
like these two different worlds. My brother, he's been pretty
consistent all the way through.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, the first time I saw you guys, actually we're
gonna go to this next image right here that shows
this moment in Philly, I was like, wait, am I?
I never knew you had a twin, And to this
day I was shot.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
It's it's been pretty cool because you know, when you
grow up as a twin, you're always thought of like
as a package, just because largely because like you know,
obviously we look alike, and you get used to being
called the wrong name and everything but everyone thinks of
you as.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Like a pair.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
And probably the first time in our lives that we
were thought of his individuals is when we went off
to college, because we went to different different schools, took
different different career paths. It's been cool now that my
brother made a you know, a a profession switch and
is now in the NFL, you know, just to see
honestly like him get involved in football and everything. But
(02:40):
now it's it's a little bit of an adjustment because
whether it's players, coaches, agents, whatever. He told me the
other week he was with his family in a restaurant
in Philly and some Browns fan came up to him
and was like, hey, are you Are you Andrew Berry?
Speaker 5 (02:54):
He goes, I was where of my Eagles gears?
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I got the I don't even know how I got
the question. But so it's I ain't used to that
again a little bit. But we get a good laugh
every week because there's a story like that every week
where someone gets us confused.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, and I'm sure I mean you guys obviously Tis
and Philly, so it wouldn't be too far off. And
then now I think the only way to separate you
two guys is the beer, Like that's the only thing
I'm seeing right like that when I saw, well, here here,
here's gonna be the short memory.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
But like anytime one of us has like longer hair
where it's facial hair, longer hair, that'll always be me.
Like he's always had it short, I've always had something.
Just I can't. I can't do the complete corporate look.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So mom and dad, that's that's it.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, Andrew's the one with the longer the longer hair
got it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So I'm just curious, like, was it like growing up
as what a twin?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah? It's cool and unique, but it's a little bit
of a double edged sword because on the one hand,
the good parts are especially when you grow up as
you know, when you grow up together as kids, like
you always have someone to play catch with hoops with,
like just kind of like a built in you know,
friend who's going through the same things that that you're
going through. But honestly, for like eighteen years, like getting
(04:09):
called the wrong name the whole time, you get to
a point where you're just like, okay, I just I
need to be no like I want to be known
as Andrew. I just want kind of my independence because
people think that because you have similar mannerisms and you
look like you have the same interests like you have
you know, you have the same like you get all
the like corny Twin jokes and stuff like that, and
sometimes that gets old. To be honest, and it's kind
(04:29):
of nice to be just known as a as an individual,
but honestly, it's a huge breast blessing. You know, he's
he's my best friend of my life. We talk regularly,
so it's in that positive but it comes with this annoyances.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, I'm sure how to be super competitive when it
came to the ladies, like do.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You go like trick somebody?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
You know what, we were so anti Twin because we
were thought of the package that we never really did
the Franks and stuff that everyone that everyone thought. I'll
be honest, like he was a lot more social than
I was, Like I was a bit more of a homebody.
So you know, just just just have that mystery, you
know with the ladies and everything. Have that mystery, right.
(05:16):
But so we we were even though we looked like
we're pretty we're pretty different from a personality standpoint, Like
he's a lot more he's a lot more social and
outgoing than I am, and I'm a lot more introverted.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
I guess you could say, okay, all right, I got
a question man, All right. Oh you know, I think
last year came out that you were doing salary caps
at like twelve years old, eleven years old, Like how why?
Like what gauged your interest to do that?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
So I think that's one of those like tall tales.
My mom always tells the story that, you know, growing up,
there were like kind of two things like that was
when number one. That was like when Maden was getting
big with franchise mode and everything like that. And she
would tell these stories that we would have these, you know,
pieces of paper with like you know, drafting or like
building the team and everything like that. And then we
(06:08):
had this like so you know you have these foosball sets.
One Christmas we got this like it was essentially like
a foosball game, but it was like a street hockey
thing that made a ton of sounds that we used
to play with and my brother and I we would
build our own we would build our own leagues. We
would do the schedule, we would do like Russ like,
we would do like we're so like so she talks
(06:30):
about well, you know, I know Andrew had a lot
of interest early. I'll be honest, like, at that age,
we were just I mean, we were just kind of
messing around, like we we just we just kind of enjoyed,
enjoyed playing. It's not like at that age I was thinking, oh, well,
like I want to run a team or I want
to be a general manager. To be honest, I never
really even thought about that till till after college. But
(06:51):
I guess you could say it's funny how God works
where he can kind of sometimes align your you know,
your interests and your passions with you know, what you
do free vocation.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He was doing.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
You know, That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
At twelve, what I was where I was playing ball, football, basketball,
running track, chasing girls, playing video games like outside. You know,
I wasn't inside too much. I was outside playing around.
I was not thinking.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
About what you have to do when you don't have
the talent of you guys.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
I was.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
To sit there Google, you know, let me see this motion.
Show it to my day, like I'm not running that.
That's what I was doing. But salary cap is crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
That's a coaching fan background.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
That's exactly right, Yeah, that's exactly I think you should
do this triple reverse speeds the station of Puerto Ricoto, Rico.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Let's talk about I guess your your childhood experience when
it came to sports, right, because not too many people
probably know your history and accolades as an athlete.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
So we you know, growing up, like our household was,
you know, it was big on school and sports. Honestly,
my my my dad, he was you know, he grew
up in Texas, huge Cowboys fans, you know, walked in it,
you walked on at the University of Texas. My mom,
(08:21):
I grew up in Georgia. Their household huge Falcons fans,
but also huge like hoops fans. So she played you know,
she played college you know, college basketball. So growing up
we were we got involved honestly baseball super young. That
was actually probably my best sport, and then basketball and
(08:42):
then football was actually like the the latest sport that
I played, and largely because it was almost like this
civil war between my mom and my dad. My dad
was like like because like we used to go out
in the backyard, you know, the halftime of Cowboys games,
and it would be my dad would play quarterback I'd
be the receiver. I'd be mikel Yeah, one on one
(09:04):
for all halftime and you go back and watch the
second half. And so we always love we always love football.
But my mom always had a rule. She's like, okay,
you know, the boys, they can't they can't play tackle.
And that wasn't just tackle with pads, but it was
tackle with like you know when you play in like
the neighborhood and everything. Because I was real small growing up.
I was like you, Rodney, I was like, I was
(09:29):
real small growing up. And so she was like she
was afraid that you know, would get hurt. And so
my mom, because she was kind of the you know,
she she's the organized one in the house. So she
handled all the like you know, getting as signed up
for stuff, and so her goal was to get us
in a ton of activities were hopefully by the time
because they had made a promise that we wouldn't get
into tackle football till till mills throw wow. And so
(09:53):
I started yea. And so what happened to my mom
is like, Okay, I'm gonna take those thirty years.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
You know.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
We were all these like travel baseball leagues to play
who we did all these things in hopes that this
like you know, past, we're out of it, but but
that you know that that never happened. And I'll tell
two stories and I'll kind of get to your your question.
So I remember the time I got one of the
times that I always remember that I got in trouble
the most we were, you know, we were living in
(10:23):
we were living in Texas, and we had a bunch
of neighborhood kids varying ages. Again, we were the small ones,
older kids, and they were about to have like a
you know, a tackle football game, and like we knew
that we couldn't play, but at that point it was like,
all right, I'm playing like I'm playing. And so we
spent the whole evening playing have fun, you know, wall
and game everything, no no issues. And then like thinking,
(10:45):
as we're walking home, it's like all right, like you know,
we're good, no broken bones. You know we're gonna we're gonna,
we're gonna be okay. We've just been running around and
we go inside and immediately parents are looking at cause
like you know, you're grabbing shirts and everything like you
in our minds like okay, cool, we got away with this.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
But it's like, you know collar and it was like
what did you do?
Speaker 4 (11:10):
You know, just you know, playing with friends. Okay, It's
like so like what did you do? Play football?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (11:17):
You play tackle pause, one, two, all right, Like I
had like on one side, all right, maybe I can
get away with this. And then like the jumni cricket
side is like, you know you're gonna be you better
tell the truth because it's gonna happen. So I told
the truth, thankfully could and and it was just like
it was like, you know, you just got that like anger, disappointment,
(11:41):
like that type of thing. So finally we get to
the point where thirteen years old can play.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
It was the it was you know, Pop Warner League.
And that was actually one of the biggest like blow
up fights that my mom and dad had because like
probably in my mom's mind it was like, okay, I
thought this was like gonna kind of away. I never did,
and like, you know, it happens. But she was like
the biggest cheerleader. Like once we started playing, so play
(12:07):
in middle school, get the high school. I was actually
highchool quarterback, right and yeah, and.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
We yeah, I tell you what we were.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
We were.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
We were Spread. This was like when Spread was just
kind of taken over and the Marin Terrapins at the time,
they were kind of like in this one back, no huddle,
and that's actually what we ran and ran in high school.
So I got to college, I was too small to
play quarterback. I got recruited as a as a corner.
I actually always wanted to go play pack ten football
at Stanford, and the late Buddy Stevens he actually recruited
(12:39):
me at Stanford. I was all excited, was going to
go take an official visit there. He gets fired, you know,
Walt Harris comes in, he was the former pit coach,
comes in, drops the official visit. They he had dropped
me earlier in the fall. So it was like, you know,
you got told no twice. So at that point, my
first visit was actually to Harvard. I didn't know anything
about you know, Harvard by what besides what I saw
(13:03):
on TV. I really didn't. I just thought it was like,
I mean, honestly, like I just like a who whole
bunch of risk kids?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Yeah type of thing.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
And I went and visited and it was like, honestly,
like a ton of doubt. Like some of my best
friends to this day. You know, ended up committing there.
They moved me to corner and I played there for
all four It was honestly the biggest blessing in my life.
Played there for all four years. I was an All
Conference and All American player. I got two degrees. I
met my wife, so it's just one of those things
(13:30):
where it's like, you know, ye all American. So it
was a good experience. And then really after that, I
had a you know, I got invited to Rocky Munic
camp with Washington. I was like, so at that point
they hit eighty players on the roster and I was
like one of the trow guys. Like if they're eighty players,
(13:52):
I was probably like one hundred and twentieth play on
the rocket like that type of thing. You know. Had
a back injury so failed the physical, which probably ended
up being a blessing. Just spared me the you know,
spared me the time. And then after that I've actually
gotten this sky and with the cold, so probably more
than yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
For yeah, no, I love it.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
We really want to know what, So you transition from
quarterback to corner because you couldn't you couldn't.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Throw, couldn't throw. You remember that's the reasons.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Hart Harvard got don't get.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
No hod you got to remember all the players. That's
that's the reason why. That's all all.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
But I could throw in fact, you guys, the game
that y'all play with, the with the upright game.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Throwing the ball.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
That's easy.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Got you guys, got it? You guys if you want
to if you want to see you guys got challenge,
you just let me know. You just let me know
when to wear. You just let me know when to wear.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
We got it on here, let me know where. Okay,
you who your opponent? Who you want?
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Not me?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I got a lot of small.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Miles, Garrett. I like that one.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
I'll take I've seen him throw darts. I'm gonna take
my shot with him. I've seen him throw darts and friends,
so I'll take my I got you, Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
That's move.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Now, you know we can transition to you know, fatherhood
and you know all the obviously being the NFL GM
and all that stuff. What is it like going home,
you know, just getting away from the building.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Yeah, it's you know, it's good and and and in truth,
that's an area where I've had to grow a lot personally,
in my life because you know, I was never really
good at like leaving work at work, and and really
even up until the first couple of years of marriage,
and then you have kids and your priorities change, or
(15:54):
like how you have to be at home changes because
you're the center of the world for what probably the
first called I don't know, twelve to fifteen years of
their life and like I couldn't you know, the job is,
it comes with a lot of demands, Like your phone
is basically like a third arm and it never really stops.
(16:18):
But like at the end of the day, I never
I won the parenting lottery. I had a great mom
and dad, and I feel very blessed and fortunate, and
like the number one thing in my life is to
be a good husband and a good father. And so
it took a lot of time and work because like
when I'm home, I want to be present with my
(16:39):
kids or at least have the dedicated time because like
in the grand scheme of things, they're only little kids
for the very small portion of their life, and so
it took time. But like having kids, it's like being
a father so awesome because like every day is like
new and fun. It's it's humbling and it's hard, but
(16:59):
like to see how you know, a six year old
to four year old to two year old, and there's
not a day that goes by that Like they don't
make me just genuinely laugh, like spend spending time. So
they end up being a really good i'd say escape
from like the stresses of work, but then also sadly
like they bring perspective, like in terms of what actually
matters and what's actually is important.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Definitely, we definitely right up next, so you know, we
don't we don't see a thinking what you mean, can
you leave work at work? You know while you go home?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
You know, man, it's it's tough for me.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
I think the wife kind of under she understands the
process and my routine and regiment throughout the season, and
it's I have.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
A moment when I come home to.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Dedicate to her, like our time is dinner time, you
know what I'm saying, where we sit down, we talk
about our day, talk about stresses, how it was work,
anything that we need to kind of get out for
like an hour out and a half and then I'll
like get back into film.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And that's the hard part.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
I've always asked guys in the locker room who have kids,
because I obviously would like to have kids on my own,
but just finding that balance between work and home and
being able to separate the two. And some guys are like, look,
I have to wake up extra early in the morning,
like when everybody's sleep, that's my time to sneak in
extra hours. Or I have to make sure that I
(18:28):
do everything before I leave the building, so when I'm home,
I'm home.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
So what what's your routine?
Speaker 4 (18:34):
That's a great so Number one, I'd say the fact
that you already have a structure to protect your private
time in private world, like that's going to give you.
I didn't have that before I kids, Like I didn't
do a good job of that. So I'd say, first
of all, that's like a you know, very very smart
and for thinking of yourself. For me, it's probably a
(18:55):
combination on both ends of what you just described. So
you know, I take my I take my kids to
school every day with very rare, exciting and again I
did when I started the job. I didn't used to
do that. But the way I do it is so
I wake up at five to go to a five
thirty CrossFit class, go from five thirty to six, come back,
(19:17):
you know, shower changes. My wife is getting them ready
to go for the car, and I take the kids
so she can go exercise, have a little bit of
time to herself, go through the work day. When I leave,
I always say, like, unless there's an emergency, I'm going
to go home and be home to tuck my kids
into bed, reading them and tuck them into bed. And
when I get home, I have a I guess similar
(19:38):
to you, Rodney, basically a ninety minute block where I
actually give my wife my phone. I'm like, hey, if
this person, this person, this person calls, then I need
to step away and take it. Everybody else can wait
for these you know, for these ninety minutes, so from
six thirty to their bed at eight. Like it's probably
less so that I'm physically present with them, but I
(19:59):
have a like I said, Earl, I have a tough
time being mentally present when I'm thinking about whatever I
still need to do for work during today or what
may pop up. Having her have that and where I
can be emotionally and physically president like, that's helped me
a lot. And that's something that I had to learn
honestly the hard way. So then when they go to
bed at eight, then I'm catching up on whatever work
(20:21):
I need to do, like taking care of and then
when that's wrapped up, you know, Britain and I will
have our private one on one time. So that's kind
of my you know, daily you know, daily routine and
then the other thing like having things during the week.
So every Friday we alternate family date night or date
night with you know, just me one on one with
my wife. And like I do everything I can.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Right now, like I listen, I am single, I take
work home. I am I'm horrible, I'm bad, Like I
cut the family off after a loss, like I don't
want to talk for two days, don't talk to me,
Like that's just me.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
So I'll tell you, you know, honestly, I sound like
an old guy, but when I was your age, I
did the same thing, like I took I always took
work home. So it was tough for me to break
those habits. And I'll say one of the other blessings
of having kids now those days where would take me
two days, like I wouldn't want to talk to anybody,
just go off, Like you can't do that with little kids,
(21:28):
and to be honest, they'll do something like so silly
or whatever. That's just like I can't. I just can't
be in a.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
No doubt. So yeah, that's awesome. Obviously great wife. You
want to talk about her a little bit a little shout.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Out, Yeah, no, uh, you know Britain she is. I
would say, like she is the like best surest person
that I've met my entire life. And I got I
got lucky. She she's incredibly smart. She she got degrees
from Harvard. She got an NBA from from Yale. So yeah,
(22:07):
so she was actually the school record holder in the
long jump. Oh so she and so her she came
from very you know, very very I'll say, just very humble,
humble beginnings. You know, had a guidance counselor in her
life that encouraged her to apply to Harvard school that
she didn't think she could afford. She was raised by
(22:27):
a single mother, you know, gotten to Harvard, decided to
walk onto the track team, and then ended up becoming
the school record of the long jump since been since
been you know, taken taken over. But at the time
of graduation, and she like, she's incredible because she's she's smart,
she's funny, she's she's one of she's truly like the
(22:50):
nicest person I've ever met. Like I don't even know
why she married me, honestly, to be honest, and she
has been in you know, worked in tex She's an
executive for you know, a tech company. Full story, and
the way that she's able to honestly just like juggle
everything is phenomenal. As much as I don't like to
(23:10):
tell her, she's really funny, but she's definitely the better
half in the relationship.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I would say, he just said he didn't go outside.
He was a homebody. So I'm assuming you was in
dorms a lot or at home. How did y'all meet?
Speaker 4 (23:25):
So so she again probably like my brother, like we're
pretty much on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms
of in terms of personality. So she had a she
had a date event for her. They call him finals
clubs at heart, but they're basically sororities and fraternity and
she was scrammling at the last minute. We actually had
(23:47):
a bunch of mutual friends, even like my college roommates,
just running athletics circles, but we had never met, and
she so she basically like at the time, it was
like she reached out, actually sent an email and was like, hey,
I know, this is weird. We've never met that like
have this like date event going on. We have a
lot of mutual friends, like are you free? And I
was kind of like, I was like, shoot, like if
(24:07):
someone has like the guts to like just reach out
out of the blue. Heard a lot of nice things
about her. So we went on the date event. We
hit it off immediately and we just started we started
hanging out, and the rest was history.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
So I got email. I might have to send an email.
That might be the way you're email.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
That's crazy, that's that's the old school.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Email.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Yeah, you feel me, that's the that's the way we
get down emails. Now it's d M, you know, and
whatever else exists in the world.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
How are your Do you have social media?
Speaker 4 (24:43):
I do? Well.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
The only thing I have burner burner.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I have a have a Twitter account that I use
for news only, but I don't I don't post. I'm
not on Instagram, on ticket I don't even know Facebook accounting.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
She like, you know, since we live in the DM
world and you see all the players and coaches get
DMS crazy things like you know, do you see those
things or anything?
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I don't get those because, like mine is pretty private,
but I have it because I know what all y'all get, like.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
That world.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
And it affects your weak very bud, I tell.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
You that very much, does it? Very much?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Does?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
What was I about to say?
Speaker 3 (25:24):
So when it comes to your why you said she
currently works now, I feel like that's you wouldn't necessarily think,
you know, in our world, right, like there's a lot
of stay at home my wife. So how did you
guys come to that sort of agreement?
Speaker 4 (25:40):
You know? Part of it is she one, she has
a very like strong and accomplished career. She's doing something
that she's very passionate about, and like she likes the
work that she's doing. And then even quite candidly like
early in our marriage, like when you start off in
the NFL, like you don't really make any money, like
that type of thing, and early in our career she
(26:01):
was she she was much for the longer, like she
was much further long in her career than you know
than I was. She's she's she's had a lot of success.
She started off at Google, went and got her M
b a you know, then actually worked in healthcare and
(26:22):
then went to her tech company full you know, full story.
So like, she's been very supportive of my professional dreams
and quite honestly made some sacrifices along, you know, along
the way. And so like, I don't think that it
means that you have to house have a household that
(26:42):
to support one persons, it makes it where you can't
support the others. That doesn't mean that it doesn't present
challenges for for both of us. But just like I
feel very happy and fulfilled with you know, what I'm
able to do with my career, I want her to
feel equally, if not more, you know, fulfilled with with
what she's doing.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I think a lot of women sometimes, you know, when
they enter into this space, they struggle with their identity
and and you know, losing their purpose because most of
the time they're sacrificing so much for us. And so uh,
you know, I've I've always had that similar mindset with
my wife and wanting her to fulfill her dreams just
as much as me to create that that same feeling
(27:22):
that that we have when you reach you know what
I'm saying that that that that high you know in
that mountaintop. And so it's it's special just to see
her be able to man like thrive and do everything
and still run the you know what I'm saying, run
and function the family in the way that she does.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
She's impressive.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
She's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Phenomen We love to hear it. Yeah, learning taking notes, Yeah,
to learn from you and raw y'all got the blueprint
for Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Man, Ladies out there single looking for some learner. Yeah,
somebody who knows independent, who's you know, got purpose.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
In their life.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Right, all that here you go, just hit him in
the DM email email.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
If you don't see the email about.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Looking, I feel like we obviously we need you.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Just talked about it like how it started off of
you in the league, right, so let's let's let's get
into that a little bit and talk about like your story.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
That is power in the story. And you didn't just
become the.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Youngest GM, the youngest, the youngest, the youngest GM and
NFL history overnight. So talk about that that process.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
Yeah. So my first job in the NFL, I was
a scouting assistant under Tom Telasco, who's the general. He
was the scouting director at the time. He's general manager
of the Chargers, and then you know Bill pollm was
the GM who's obviously one of two executives as in
the Hall of Fame. And being a scouting assistant it's
like being it's the equivalent of being a quality control
(28:59):
coach on the on the coaching side, except the difference is,
you know, when I got in, like you were, you
were doing like as a Scott's just everyone's your boss,
not just like Bill and Tom. But the trainer logistics
equipment had because like you're you're doing kind of the
grunt work on the football side. But I was also
(29:19):
picking up players at midnight for tryouts, running in the physicals, holding, holding,
you know, change it at practice. He did, he did,
But you know I so I have a great respect
and appreciation for for for people who kind of work
(29:41):
their way up, and I was fortunate. I've been very,
very fortunate to have bosses and managers that gave me
opportunity throughout my career. So my second year is a
scouting assistant, I had the chance to do some basically
like pro advanced work, and as part of that, I
would do coverage notes and cutups of the dbs and
(30:01):
then actually present it to the offensive staff and Peyton Manning,
who was our quarterback at the time, on a meeting
on Tuesday, and that got me the opportunity to then
the next year become a pro scout where I would
cover half the NFL. I would do the you know,
the do the advanced work for and then you know,
play a role in helping out with the emergency list,
(30:22):
free agency things like that. So after my third year
in the league, you know, we have a tough year.
You know, they make a change in the organization, and
then Ryan Grigson comes in as the general manager and
you know, so honestly also our first year being married,
so I was like, oh, dang, like know we have turnover.
What's gonna happen? And that was probably like the second
(30:45):
I would say, like big break in my career because
Ryan came in, I didn't know him for he didn't
know me from Adam and he was another boss that
just gave me opportunity. And through that opportunity, I was
able to oversee the pro department. I learned, Uh, That's
where I truly learned contract management in the cap a
Walk and did a lot of work in that areas
(31:09):
and then this is when I would say analytics, research
and strategy was just starting to become maybe a little
bit more there started to be a little bit more
attention around the league with it, and started doing some
preliminary stuff to try and build a research group in Indie.
Fast forward for more years. You know, uh, I had
the opportunity to be the vice president player personnel in
(31:31):
Cleveland under Sash you under Sashi Brown, and that gave
me the experience of managing pro college and then what
I would call like a research and strategy or analytics
hybrid within scouting. And that's probably where I learned the
most about people management, you know, certainly like data and
(31:51):
predictive analysis, you know, plus all the other things that
you're doing when you're you're running multiple groups. So was
in that role for two and a half years. Left
to go to Philly in twenty nineteen. You know, we're
obviously Rod and I crossed over Howie Rosman, who I
would say is not only like one of my biggest mentors,
but one of my best friends in the he's family
now honestly, you know, he gave me the opportunity to
(32:14):
oversee football operations. So it wasn't just you know, pro
and college scouting analytics, but you know performance, you know, medical,
player development, all the other things that come along with
like running a team from a day to day perspective,
and that was probably the job that prepared me the
most before you know, the making the transition back here
(32:34):
is general manager because I feel like oftentimes it's people
think of the general manager role as just scouting, but
that's just a very. It's an important piece, but that's
a very, that's a very. It's a leadership and management position,
and there are so many things that go into making
a team successful other than just the players that are
(32:56):
in the locker room, but how you support them, how
you support you know, the rest of the operation to
make sure the on field product is good.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Man, I'm highly impressed.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
So you turned down Goldman sects. I did so coming
out of college. I did do quality control and pick
up people at eleven o'clock at night out.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
I'll tell you two stories to that a walk so
I will never forget my conversation, particularly my parents.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
I know, I.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Was like, yeah, you know, I'm because like it was
it was great. I like I had entered there. I
learned a lot and I knew it was like a
good resume builder, but like I didn't. I wasn't like
I didn't really like it. I was trying to talk
myself into it. And I remember telling them was like okay,
like I'm gonna transition and go from you know this too,
(33:49):
I'm accept this specially I'm gonna make twenty five thousand
dollars a year. And there was you know that science
that I talked about. After I told him I was
just playing football.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
It was like.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
Not again.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
But like they were always especially as like okay, man,
like you just spent four years at Harvard, like but
but but my parents were great, like they were they
were great. They were like Andrew, like you've always worked,
You're you're a good kid. You've worked really hard. Like
if this is what you want to do, like we're
(34:23):
gonna support you with do you do well with it?
So I feel very very fortunate. Now I will also
share my I'll never forget this. No, she was great.
So the fortune thing is she like I mean, like
it didn't matter. So she actually spent a year in
South Africa doing philanthropic work when we were so she
like we were I was in Indianapolis. She was in
(34:44):
Kazuluan's Hall, South Africa for the first year out of
the first year out of so that was like less
of an issue. But I was our first road trip,
you know, you know how it is preseason, like playing
is packed with like you know, in the back and everything.
And I was sitting next the team chaplain's named Eric Simpson.
He's still there today, and you know, he was being nice.
(35:05):
He was just because like you know, I was new there.
This is a group that had been long established and
I'll never forget you turned me was like, oh, you know,
like you know, hey, you know, what's your name? You know,
you know, just just kind of making small talk, and
you know, he asked questions, okay, like yo, you went
to her, what do you do here? I was like,
you know, I'm I'm a scouting assist I want and
he looked at me and he goes, so, let me
get this straight. You graduate for and you you're an
(35:26):
assistant scout here, And like it was that. I was like, man,
dangly you say like that, but like honestly, like I
would never like I feel very fortunate with my path
that did. Like kids, if you're watching pursue your passions.
That's why. That's honestly like what I would say, because
(35:48):
you know, I feel very blessed and fortunate about the
path that I've been able to walk in there.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
As you were on that path, did you know your indgo?
I mean, because you talked about, you know, you have
been in a lot of different positions.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Having them questions. By the way I watch really preparing
for something, especially athlete.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
I'm just I'm listening, and I'm like, man, I mean,
you've you've worn a lot of different hats, You've done
a lot of different roles and positions, and I mean,
you've talked about opportunity, But were you did you have
an end goal in mind?
Speaker 4 (36:25):
I always thought I wanted to run a team because
I thought it was the intersection of a lot of
like different like you know, whether it's you know, football,
you know, business, like researcher, like it was the intersection
of a lot of things. But I, in fairness, I
probably thought it. I probably thought that was my end
goal at the time because I didn't fully understand what
(36:46):
the actual job entailed. Like I don't. I actually wonder
sometimes like would I have had the same aiming porter
it had the same enthusiasm if I knew it. The
job was more than just about, you know, putting the
team together, the AUS and I feel like I'm actually
glad it's more than that as I sit here, you know, today,
at thirty six years old. But I don't know that
(37:09):
I actually would have had the same mindset at twenty
two twenty three, had known all the other things that
maybe aren't as public, fund you whatever that comes with
the role. But so so I guess the long answer
is yes, but partially because I probably didn't understand everything
that that the job encompasses.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Yeah, no, that's that's fair. I think. You know.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
The other thing is it's a huge accomplishment, you know,
to be seen as the youngest GM in NFL history,
but let alone African American.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
And you know, you.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
Talked about, you know, the decisions and choices that are
options you had as a child, right your mom wanted
you go one way, you want another, and you continue
kind of on that path and you went to Harvard,
which wasn't easy. And so as a you know, African
American GM who's played football, and you had a bump
(38:09):
in a row and you didn't make a team and roster,
but you still found you talked about how your passion
drew you back to the sport, but just in a
different way. And I think, you know, for a lot
of kids out here, you know, that's something that they
need to know more of and bring more exposure to.
Right about the other ways you can give to the
(38:30):
game rather than just being a player.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head
rod that it's not like, hey, you know, playing or
bus and there are a number of ways you can
be in the game. And like I even think about
my own journey, I was fortunate that Tom Telesco had
gone on a scouting trip for me because I didn't know.
I didn't know anything about the path until he reached out, like, hey,
like we have this scouting assistant position of whom we
(38:54):
like to have you interview for. And then as I
got in my career and I saw guys like Jerry
Reese or Oz he knew some you know, win Super
Bowls and have you don't have success, and like that
was aspirational to me, and it's it's I guess right,
I thought about this, but it's kind of weird to
think about now because like I think about the esteem
(39:17):
I helped those guys in because of their position and
because honestly how they treated, how they treated people and
went about their work, you know. And I do think
that there's an element of exposure that you want young
people to have who may want to traverse a similar path.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
You know. I think that's huge. You know, I literally
was talking to my dad about that the other day, Like,
you know, just seeing African American men in black communities
that do other things besides play football. You know, I
think I saw a heat player when I was back
in Miami, back home, he does like every Tuesday brings
(39:57):
like a different sporting job to the schools for the
kids to see. So it's agent, m coach, scouting, whatever
whatever it is, and have them speak to the kids
just so they see like there is other things and
you know, sports that you know that you know no doubt,
(40:17):
like that are valuable jobs, you know, like you bet
on yourself. Like that's huge. I mean kids need to
see that here that understand that, like you know, it
isn't end all be all when you you know, don't
make it, not like Rod when you undrafted you get
fifteen year career, Super Bowl, get paid um times like everybody, everybody,
(40:39):
everybody's not able, so they want to let you know
you special to b.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Yeah, do you ever do you ever think about that,
like that moment and time where you felt that physical
Like how your life may have been different maybe if you.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
If you pass the physical? Right would I do?
Speaker 4 (40:57):
But like if I passed the physical, it probably wouldn't
have been a couple of days later where I've been been gone.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
You know, I.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Don't know that I've been scouting long enough where I
can be I can be self aware.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
What would you have love to put on?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Put on that redskins in the past now commander's uniform.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
I got, I.
Speaker 5 (41:18):
Gotta, I got a day to do that.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
So like, yeah, everyone when you grow up playing football,
Like who doesn't dream about themselves being in the Super
Bowl or something like that from Pop Warner on that
was I was pretty realistic, Like I'm not I'm not
going to be the guy to sit here and tell
you was like, oh, man, like you know I would
have made a Pro Bowl or two if I didn't have.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
A right, I wasn't that Did you think you would
be all American?
Speaker 1 (41:45):
No? Crazy?
Speaker 4 (41:48):
But I I I would bet my bottom dollar that
my future would not have changed in that in that moment.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Yeah, lighting it up with some questions. All right, we've
been serious for a minute, you know, all right, talk
about you some you can pop it off all these questions.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
All right, So we have this one from Scarlet Wolf
underscore cet.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
What's your biggest fear?
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Hey, we got back here. That one was on.
Speaker 4 (42:20):
My biggest fear is actually is heights, Like I don't.
I don't like heights, I don't like flying. I have
a tough time with I know I'm in the wrong
profession or not.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
Like I knew we was solid for a reason. I
got the same fear.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
What's your I hate heights, I hate flying, playing, I
hate it?
Speaker 2 (42:38):
So what do you do to commun What do y'all
do to com your nerves?
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I sit next day. I make sure, like a comfort.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Food something like that you need.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
So what I do?
Speaker 4 (42:48):
I try and I try and get to the point
where I'll fall asleep before take off. So if I
have to stay up a little bit later the night before,
I'll do that. I used to stay up so late
that I would get on the plane, I'd be like
paranoid and jumping the whole time. So I've got now
the middle ground of I fall asleep before takeoff.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
So I'm assuming your vacations, like how how many hours
can you last? Like it's six year limit. We'll so
here's on the flight. You're not going to Asia.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
If it was just me, it would be like an
hour an hour and a half. But unfortunately I told
you my wife and I were opposite loves flying. So
we like we've been the we've been the we've been
to Tanzania like so, but those are those are rough trusts? Yeah,
those rough trucks.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Hey, sacrifice though, right for the fam, happy wife, happy life.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
Man, I don't travel, you got the next one walk?
Speaker 1 (43:47):
So you're in GM, you know. Are you a Marvel guy?
Speaker 4 (43:53):
I am not.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Okay, this would have been a great question. I am
not which Marvel you can answers? Marvel character would make
the best football player in what position?
Speaker 4 (44:03):
Okay? So forgive me as Marvel is that like Superman
Spider Man. I mean it's gotta be Superman, right, Like,
it's not like you have Kryptonite on the field fast,
he's strong, like right, yeah, the Cape in case they
grabbed the crab, the grab the jersey.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
On the what if he doesn't want to take off
the cape, then.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Be strong enough to front, we still take him.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
Uh, this one's from the real Gus McKay.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
What's the moment when you realize someone was a.
Speaker 4 (44:38):
Dog presenteem it's got to be present team. Okay, So
for me, it would actually be in twenty twenty, it
was you know, it was actually Nick when Nick he
had the knee spring. I remember at the time during
Dallas game, he gets hurt. You know, the docs think
(45:01):
it's like gonna be you know, five to six weeks,
and then I think Nick came back in three and
he wasn't you know, he like he's like he's got
like Wolverine's blood, like in terms of the way that
that he heals, and like he may have had like a
hundred yard game and like, you know, eighteen characters thing,
but it's just like, you know, this guy, he's just
(45:22):
like he's built different, he's wired different and everything. And
I think obviously you guys we all know with him
for like, I think he really kind of embodies that character.
Speaker 1 (45:32):
Definitely not a good choice. And I was happy he
missed that week before a game because y'all played that's right,
that's right. I love I found out he wasn't. We
got a shot. We gotta shot. Oh this is from
John t p sixteen. Which logo do you like the
(45:56):
most of the dog, the elf or the helmet?
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Like the elf? Honestly, and I really do. I think
the el's cool. I think it's got a really cool history.
I know maybe people outside of think Cleveland think it's
funky or whatever.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
I'm a fan.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
I'm a dog of course.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Nicest got you ever meet.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Until he's on. That's how I go.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
Uh, let me see we have this last one right here.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Tallas underscore what separates Cleveland fans from all other fans
in the league.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Passion and loyalty.
Speaker 6 (46:37):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (46:38):
Like I think, to be honest, like the two most
passionate fan base I've seen, or Cleveland and Philly, Like
they're just like hardcore into the Browns like bleed orange.
And I think the loyalty because like kndidly, you know,
we've had a tough go since the franchise relocated, you know,
came back to came back to Cleveland, and how much
they stayed with the team through things and then like
(47:00):
you don't you don't have that everywhere. Yeah, and so
you know that's one of the reasons that I know,
all of us, you know, work to to make sure
that they can have a team that they're proud of
because our fans deserve it. That's not just like GM speak,
but it's the true, very very loyal and passion.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
Oh yeah, I've seen that.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
I get to the stadium early and they.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
Out there eight thirty game, I'm like, oh yeah early.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
They bringing that noise every every Sunday.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Parade after on sixteen. That's that's loyalty.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
Yeah, that's real.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
That's real. Shout out to the dog because the Dolphins
are from We ain't going to the game. We got
other things to do.
Speaker 2 (47:42):
Cool the beach, Yeah, somebody yacht it's gone.
Speaker 1 (47:46):
We're not going. We're going to the Hurricanes. That's it.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
Something else you got, No, that's that's all the questions
we have.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
We appreciate you coming on, spending your time, your busy schedule.
Speaker 4 (47:57):
I appreciate you guys. Like I said, I'm happy to
do this for you guys. I appreciate you guys having
me on.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
It's the real A B. Now, this is the real
A B. Hall of.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
Haull of f.
Speaker 6 (48:16):
All of Walter Payton was a warrior running with bees.
You rulies couldn't hope the waight up in one of
his creety as a creek through the zone. I am
known as a monster, the new Larry.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
Zarkaballa Hall going boxes.
Speaker 6 (48:29):
Somebody needs the answer trying to stop Barry Sanders and
Sharks in the game. You Justice salamander, never had the
boundary running through your town. Keep your head up and rush.
Speaker 2 (48:38):
We looked like Jim Brown.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
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.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.