On the latest episode of Rams Iconic, D’Marco Farr is joined by former NFL linebacker and Rams legend Pisa Tinoisamoa. Together, they discuss Pisa’s upbringing in Oceanside, California, how he emulated his game after NFL legend Junior Seau, his emotional reaction to the Rams' Super Bowl LVI victory, and more.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to rams Iconda, presented by eighteen hundred Tequila, the
best taste in tequila. Please drink responsibly. I'm DeMarco far
your host, and this is the podcast where we get
to catch up with some of the greatest players in
franchise history. My next guest eight seasons in the National
Football League six with your Rams. My rams are Rams
led the team in tackles three times, five hundred career tackles,
(00:32):
ten force fumbles, fifty one tackles for loss. Please bring
in Pisa tinoisa mo.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Whats up?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Man? Finally caught up with the dude.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I didn't realize I did all that, but I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Come on, you know that.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I know it was pretty productive, But dude, you made.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Retirement hard for me. Let me tell you why. Okay,
So I came back in two thousand and three. We
know all the same people, went to see the trainers,
went to see the coaches. So what to say? What's up?
So I told Mike Martz, I think I want to
play football again. He goes, sit down and watch this.
He turns on a tape and you at practice running
around and he goes, can you keep up with that?
(01:07):
And I said not, no, he goes stay on TV.
Definitely TV. Then they were monitoring you and they put
a GPS on you. You ran like seven miles in practice.
Where does this passion come from? Man? Man, I didn't.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I didn't know any better. Yeah, so I was trying
to find.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Out the way.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So that's why I guess I was traveling so much.
But you know, in all honesty, I just loved it.
I knew where the ball was going, or I felt
like I knew where the ball was going, and I
wanted to be there. I played high school running back,
so because of that, you played running back and play
running back chol.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
I watched your highlights. I saw all three picks you
played running back. Really, come on, you forget how to run? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Oh absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
It's weird right when you catch it. They're coming after
me though.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Right, But at Hawaii they we were running. Shoot.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So it's been a while and I already committed to linebacker.
So yeah, I forgot a little bit once I got
the ball in my hands.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So you grew up in Oceanside, and I've been to
Oceanside before, and ocean Side has a rep like, look,
you better be careful watch your p's and hughes. Down there,
it's a little bit different. So what was that? Like,
I know, in the Bay Area it's all football. In
Texas it's football crazy. Was Oceanside like that for football
as well?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Absolutely was, Well, Junior sal was there, but just being
in that San Diego area, I were in North County
San Diego. But I mean you're talking about Ricky Williams,
Marcus Allen, Rashon Salam San Diego played ball, and so
we needed guys who were going to be able to
tackle those kind of athletes who were in the city.
(02:45):
And so I think it boded well for people like
me who had Back then they called it hyperactivity. Y.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, they'd be like that kid's.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Hyper can't you recognize football players? A little I was born.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Player that little activity. It was a good outlet for me.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
And then you know, the whole family atmosphere with football
just kind of made sense.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
So all those factors.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I knew a football if I if I, if I
stay out of trouble, because, like you said, the other
side of the tracks, the other choice was okay, well
you can just try to gang bag because at that
era there was some of that kind of going on,
you know, the Tupac, the drain, the snoop Dog. So
actually that's why I ended up in Hawaii because I
was getting into a little trouble in high school.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Really, see when we were doing this and they said
you were coming and I'm doing more research. I thought
I knew everything about you. I really did. And then
I did more research and there was a little dust
up with you and it said Pisa in trouble, and
I'm like Pisa in a fight, right, Nah, I couldn't be,
but I guess we live and learned. That was when
you were in high school. Yeah, tell me about that.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah, yeah, in an off season.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I just didn't have anything better to do with my time,
I guess, And like I said, I was hyper, and
so I just felt like I needed a to do something.
And I was getting around the wrong crowd, and I thought,
all right, I wanted to be popular. I was hanging
out with this crew. They seem like they're cool, and
I was trying to kind of I felt like I
needed some validity. I don't know why, because I was
(04:13):
a good football player, but I wanted to prove I
was still kind of street cred strong, and so I
was young, I was impressionable, and I didn't want an
off season.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
So for me, it was like, Okay, football is not.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Going on right now, me do this, Let me go
do this, put.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
In work for the crew. So kind of the same stuff.
I mean, living on the edge football, same thing. I mean,
so you were all cim on both sides of the ball, offense, defense.
I mean, you had your whole life ahead of you,
and you had offers from everybody, and still that still
pulled you to that side, even with your family upbringing.
I bet this wasn't going over well with your family.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, you hit it right on the head. Not until
I got locked up. I was in jail and I'm
sitting there and I'm I had offers to college and
then they pulled off, and here I am with guys
I mean, who who had it hard and didn't have
the talent that I did. And I started to realize
some things at that point. But yeah, I didn't want
to let my family down, which was really big in
(05:09):
our culture. So growing up with guys like Junior SA
who are a little older, but I knew we're from
the neighborhood that went on to the next level. Saw
how he did it. Hey, that's a good example. I
saw how Marcus Allen well I did. I heard about
what Marcus Allen did. I saw the impact he had
on the game, saw what Ricky Williams did. I was like,
(05:29):
all right, I just want to be a football player.
Whether it's running the ball or chasing people down. I
got to like, that's where my energy needs to be put.
And if I do it the right way, I can
bring pride to my family, to my culture, to my community.
The other way, I mean, obviously we know where that
goes to yea and yeah, So that's why it was.
(05:50):
It was kind of good being an all in guy.
That's why I got in trouble because during offseason football
was no longer holding me accountable and giving me structure.
Was the streets that I was running with. And then
I saw how they did it. So I don't go
half anything. And now I'm getting mixed up, and then
I'm thinking, way, is this what I really want to
(06:11):
do in my life? Literally sending a juvenile hall like
reading my Bible now getting back to God, thinking like
all right, just give me one more chance. And that's
where Junior, I mean, that's when coach Jones, who was
coaching junior say out at the Chargers, heard about my story,
heard about my talent, met my family, met me, and.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Then realized, okay, this is a good pitch.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Correct kid is not a bad kid. He's just gone
that way. Yes, oh okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
No, ok correct.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
And so I was the middle child. I had an
older brother who was very talented. He was more the linebacker.
He taught me how to tackle because I didn't want
to do it. I want to run the ball man
get away, but he went that wero oute the game
were oute. My younger brother, I felt like, okay, I
need to step up for him. He was kind of
messing around with because we were a close knack. So
(07:01):
I was like, dude, I gotta do better for my
life and for my family.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
See, I'm the youngest brother. I just I spent my
whole life getting my ass kicked by two big dudes. Yeah,
they kept me in line, So I get that there.
But June Jones seeing something in you, and you go
to Hawaii and you turn into a tackling machine, I
guess you've already been a tackling machine, but it just
seemed like you went to a whole new level in Hawaii?
Was it because like he gave me a shot, this
is my last shot? Or what happened in Hawaii where
(07:25):
you just went completely bonkers?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I couldn't run the ball or anymore. So I'm not
scoring touchdowns. Yeah, So how do you show your good
on defense? You got to be around the ball. If
you're not around the ball, you can't find the ball.
Probably not going to be good on defense. June Jones
definitely gave me that chance. Funny because I was a
prop forty eight, so the grades were kind of bad too.
But so that first year I didn't play. The second
(07:51):
year I come back. I'm overweight, have a Yeah, I'm
kind of like dealing with injuries the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
How much overweight, dude? Sure?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
What was your way I was? I got up to
two seventy. What was your weight supposed to be?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Dude?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I was probably two yeah, two fifteen to twenty tween.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
You came in at two seventy? What were you doing?
Speaker 2 (08:12):
You guys been to the island. I'm not so once again,
I had no structure. I don't have I don't have football,
So nobody's holding me account overall. Wow, I'm eating, I'm
hanging out.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Roah.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Wait, wait, you're going from two fifteen to two seventy.
Your clothes aren't fitting. You gotta know this is bad.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, I got baggy clothes all the time. I'm thinking
nobody sees it.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Ro wow, okay, yeah, then my boy, my boy keeps
it real.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Adrian Waddie.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You saw me when I came back that uh that
Christmas and he was like, damn your fat and I
was like, we were really.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
On fight right there. This is my boy, And I'm like,
what the heck?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
That's truth though, Okay, but I didn't even listen.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Then I go back. I lose some weight that that season,
the summertime, and then I go back. But I'm playing
at two fifty against lt who's a senior Ladania Tomlins.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Out of Cashlodanian at two fifty. I bet it was
that day.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
It was terrible.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I bet that's it was, the like he rested for
probably four hundred on us that day.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
I gotta look, oh, yeah somewhere.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's why I think all those kind of made me.
Obviously right, your experience is making who you are. So
June gave me that chance, and I thought I can't leave,
let you down. I can't be overweight.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
But seeing you like how I saw you at training camp,
you and spoon running around, I mean, I can't believe
you used to be fat.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
No, yeah, dude, Well when.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
You get serious, you gets like you said, if you
when you go bad, you go bad all the way.
When you go good, go good all the way. Correct.
And that's that's the guy that I think that bumped into.
Uh you got to tell me something, And I used
to call you many junior. Who are you talking to?
When you when you played, every time you made a play,
you get up and point at somebody. We'll do something.
Who are you talking to?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Oh gosh, because that's what he did.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Are you looking at people that aren't there? Like, who
are you talking to?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
You know what it is? What is it?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Tell me?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
So people say PC got good instincts, and I think
the instincts I viewed myself as a hunter, right, So
if I'm instinctually I'm trying to get some clues from
certain players. So some people are giving clues. I'm trying
to get, yeah, acquire some knowledge, and so I see you. Yeah, yeah,
(10:19):
it's probably wrong most of the time, at least I
made him think a little bit right to slow him down.
But yeah, definitely, Junior emulate like I was trying to
emulate that because think about it, when your watch as
a kid, you're watching football on TV. Then after football's done,
you go outside any play football. You emulate who you
want to be. And so Junior was such a huge
(10:41):
influence in my life.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
He did it.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
There's probably something I should be doing that's very similar.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
So did you meet him? Did you get a chance?
I saw I looked. I think you guys crossed one
game where he was actually playing. Did you go meet him?
Did you talk to him? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
And he's the og from the neighborhood, so he'd have
me come to the events. I knew him very well
because we grew up in the same church and our
families were closed.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
So just just take the world of him.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So we didn't really get to plot. I don't know
if he played that game. I feel like there was
a Miami. He was already in Miami, yeah, and then
but he was hurt.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So I was like, he played.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I think you had seven tackles, he had five, So
I mean you were there and you played him in
New England. I think he was hurt and yeah, you
miss him there. So I'm like, I want to see
if they crossed and you out tackled him. That's that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I mean when you play against he was probably funny
as your guy.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You play against your guy, you want to show out absolutely.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, like any linebacker. Well, Ray Lewis was a big
one for me when we went to Baltimore. Yeah, uh
that was for me. Seeing him come out and do
his dance. That's when it became the show and I realized, man,
this is this is big time.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
That dance the squirrel squirrel.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Dance that ruined it for me is the squirrel dance?
Well okay, but I mean it's it's still it's the
the second most intimidating thing I've ever seen on the
football field. One Ray coming out with the smoke and
t sizzle coming behind him, yes, and Tom Brady warming
up in Foxborough with all those banners behind him.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Right, I'm like, oh my god, that I.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Never saw that live, But I mean seeing that live
kind of freaked me out.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Well, did you guys have anybody on your team when
you were.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
We had We had the Bob and Weave that's what
we Yeah, that was. Yeah, we made people hate us.
We would just stick it down your throat. But no,
we didn't have any of that stuff. I mean you
ever met London Fletcher. Yeah, let and see that eyebrow
raise lunch was like that. But he kept it all
inside until he got across the field. And you you
were a nice dude until you crossed the white line,
and then this other dude would pop out. I see you.
(12:44):
I was there. Yeah, see you're a nice guy. Now
if I'm carrying a football, you might want to hurt.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Me because of that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Come on was all glorious stuff they told me. So
wait Hawaii five oh do you not like that? Or
you do like that?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
It just depends, you know. For me, I was so
young and impressionable at that time. Like I said, I
it Todd hewittt Yeah, equipment manager. Right, So I remember
I take my trip out there before OTA's and you know,
he comes in equipment room and he's I go in
the equipment room and he says, here here goes fifty.
(13:19):
And I'm like, all right, cool, and I'm looking like
I don't get to choose and he's like, no, this
is like Hawaii five oh fifty and I was like, oh,
because I went to Hawaii.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Okay, cool, all right, here we go. So I guess
I'm a Waifi five Oh that's got.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
That's how it started. Okay, that's how that started in
the equipment room.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That makes total well, and yeah it's Todd was a
great dude. I was a little young to know the
Hawaii five Oh show. I know they have a remake now,
but anytime you can, like, I always felt like I'm
playing for those everyone that helped me along the journey, right,
So it was a great homage to them to be
able to give back or at least represent the state
(14:01):
in a good way.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I don't think that's a bad.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Thing, no doubt. And this month is a a p
I right, or may is a API right. Do you
do anything celebration wise? I mean a lot of look
a lot of stuff.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yeah, well, just try to be the best human I
can because you know, once, I mean, they know I'm
my last age.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
So if I'm a bad.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Samoan, yeah, oh god, it could be. Yeah my dad
was crazy, but but no, I like, just like I said,
I for me, being part of the culture is is
just being the best human I can be.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
So I can't say I do anything specifically.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
It's not like we have uh my wife's actually white,
so it's not like I say.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Hook up one of my mom's dishes.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But yeah, like I said, I just wear it with
in my heart.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
You know, all the Polynesian dudes, Samoans, whatever I played with,
they're the biggest, strongest, scariest, most respectable guys on the planet.
They might be big and scary, but when their mom
come around, they look like little kids. They really knew,
you know, it's it's just special. So if you can,
you know, steer me in the right direction. What should
(15:09):
I do during this month? Because I'm trying to get
into this month. I want to celebrate too. What could
I do well?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You love to eat, first of all, I think that's
a good thing about our holidays centers.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Around a lot of food.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
But you know what I think, how you've always carried
yourself with respect is period paramount in our culture being
of Polynesia descent. Obviously, family is a big thing in
our culture, but it's also respect. You know, we talk
about fossemble a way. It's the Samoan way, which is basically, hey,
(15:42):
respect your olders, respect for each other and then everything
else will fall, you know, So no doubt knowing that
off top and being ingrained and growing up in that.
Like I said, I went my way, but I also
knew the right way. So I tried my way for
a little bit, but there's a right way.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Who I used to go to battle with Jesse Sopolo
up in San fran Oh my god, head was this?
Oh my god. He would never, he wouldn't. He wouldn't
give me a break at all. Give me your best
running back you ever played against.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Geez, all of them, all of them. But I mean, seriously, dude,
I like in practice.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I went against Steven Jackson and Marshall fall in practice
in practice, So for me that that that was pretty special.
And I know we can't wrap them up and tackle,
but just seeing how they approached the game, I mean,
two different styles of running.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Marshall in practice.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
No about that's to say.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
You know, I saw this and I wasn't going to
bring this up, but there was this tweet from a
Rams fan and he tweeted out a picture of the
La Rams here when they won the Super Bowl, and
they said, anybody back in that era, if I could
have told you this would have happened. How do you
feel you were on that field? How much did you
dream about winning? Because I know how hard it was
(16:55):
and getting to the super Bowl. How frustrating was that
for you?
Speaker 3 (16:58):
It was very frustrating.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I mean, I'm not going to say we want a
lot in Hawaii, but we did have some success. Even
in high school, I had success, So that was I mean,
obviously I try to look at.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
What does Sam and say, never waste a failure.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Never waste a failure.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So and I know, I know it wasn't a failure
in the sense that because you learned, but I met
like we weren't doing very well record wise, we were
catching a lot of l's, So I was just trying
to do the best with what I had, Like I
felt like people were still showing up for the games,
my family still watching. I'm still Samoan, I'm still a husband,
(17:33):
I'm still all father. I knew what reputation was at
a young age, you know, growing up in certain places,
you know like that's.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
All you really have.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And so for me, even though we weren't didn't have
the success that I wanted to, like, I still treated
it as you know, I'm trying to obtain it though, So.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
So that was it.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yeah, that's Stevens. Yeah, you know all the dudes that
were there balling that put in work and it just
didn't happen. I mean I'm glad. Yeah. I mean, so
seeing the Rams win the Super Bowl, how did how
did that make you feel?
Speaker 3 (18:06):
I was at it?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Yeah, you were there, So I mean, first of all,
the stadium is amazing being there with my wife, Isaac
was there, Tory was there, We're all in that same section.
I mean, I'm so proud because I'm still a Ram.
I knew what I gave up for the team or
what I contributed to the team. And although I didn't
get to the Promised Land, Yeah, it's per se. I
(18:28):
mean you know, yeah, it's like that. I mean, Moses
didn't get it, he didn't get to go cross over.
So but I know that I share part in that, right,
So I contributed into the best that I can.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
All the Rams at a dinner table and you walk in,
we make room, sit, sit, That's how we do. So
we do this on every show. Your favorite play. Now
you got to describe it, tell me where you are.
It better not be that temper Tae threw you a duck.
Your first pick. That does not count. Now I need
your favorite play.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Ever, as a ram favorite play, I'd have to say
it was an interception I got.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
I did return it to the house or anything. Like
you said.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
The running back skills kind of fell off somewhere there.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
I got it queued up. I was going to show you,
but it was I was going to show you, go ahead,
go ahead.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
It was.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
It was against the Texans, and yeah it was, and
we actually won that game in overtime. That's where Fitzpatrick
goes down. That game I had to pick. So basically,
I'm going one way. I tip it back to myself
and make this super diving tackle or diving catch. Pick
the ball up, get up, tackled like ten yards later.
(19:35):
But it ended up being on a sports trading card,
so no way. Yeah, I have that picture on a card.
I see it and uh And for me, I felt like, dude,
that that was That was such a pro play. But
if anyone could tip the ball back to themselves full
speed and catch it full extended, man, that's pretty special.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
That's athletes.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
So now and then you gotta patch yourself on the
back like I just did that. Yeah. Yeah, In front
of all these people.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
If I take it to the house, I'm probably all pro.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Are you know?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Pro bo? But yeah, wow, who threw it? You know?
Speaker 2 (20:05):
I think it might have been David Carr. I'm pretty
sure his car. Yeah, he threw a lot of them.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Yeah, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta drop it down
at half sad picks. But you got one. That's awesome.
Your highlight tape is so much fun. I had so
much fun watching you play. Uh, you were so inspiring. Really,
I mean seriously, I told you I knew I was
retired for good when I saw you play Like dang,
I cannot keep up with this kid here. So that's
(20:32):
a wrap on this episode of RAMS Iconic, presented by
eighteen hundred Tequila, the best taste in tequila. Please drink responsibly.
I hope you enjoyed our conversation with Piece of Tino Samoa.
I'm DeMarco Farr and we'll see you next time.
Welcome to rams Iconda, presented by eighteen hundred Tequila, the
best taste in tequila. Please drink responsibly. I'm DeMarco far
your host, and this is the podcast where we get
to catch up with some of the greatest players in
franchise history. My next guest eight seasons in the National
Football League six with your Rams. My rams are Rams
led the team in tackles three times, five hundred career tackles,
(00:32):
ten force fumbles, fifty one tackles for loss. Please bring
in Pisa tinoisa mo.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Whats up?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Man? Finally caught up with the dude.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I didn't realize I did all that, but I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Come on, you know that.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I know it was pretty productive, But dude, you made.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Retirement hard for me. Let me tell you why. Okay,
So I came back in two thousand and three. We
know all the same people, went to see the trainers,
went to see the coaches. So what to say? What's up?
So I told Mike Martz, I think I want to
play football again. He goes, sit down and watch this.
He turns on a tape and you at practice running
around and he goes, can you keep up with that?
(01:07):
And I said not, no, he goes stay on TV.
Definitely TV. Then they were monitoring you and they put
a GPS on you. You ran like seven miles in practice.
Where does this passion come from? Man? Man, I didn't.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I didn't know any better. Yeah, so I was trying
to find.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Out the way.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So that's why I guess I was traveling so much.
But you know, in all honesty, I just loved it.
I knew where the ball was going, or I felt
like I knew where the ball was going, and I
wanted to be there. I played high school running back,
so because of that, you played running back and play
running back chol.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
I watched your highlights. I saw all three picks you
played running back. Really, come on, you forget how to run? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Oh absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
It's weird right when you catch it. They're coming after
me though.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Right, But at Hawaii they we were running. Shoot.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So it's been a while and I already committed to linebacker.
So yeah, I forgot a little bit once I got
the ball in my hands.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So you grew up in Oceanside, and I've been to
Oceanside before, and ocean Side has a rep like, look,
you better be careful watch your p's and hughes. Down there,
it's a little bit different. So what was that? Like,
I know, in the Bay Area it's all football. In
Texas it's football crazy. Was Oceanside like that for football
as well?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Absolutely was, Well, Junior sal was there, but just being
in that San Diego area, I were in North County
San Diego. But I mean you're talking about Ricky Williams,
Marcus Allen, Rashon Salam San Diego played ball, and so
we needed guys who were going to be able to
tackle those kind of athletes who were in the city.
(02:45):
And so I think it boded well for people like
me who had Back then they called it hyperactivity. Y.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, they'd be like that kid's.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Hyper can't you recognize football players? A little I was born.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Player that little activity. It was a good outlet for me.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
And then you know, the whole family atmosphere with football
just kind of made sense.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
So all those factors.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I knew a football if I if I, if I
stay out of trouble, because, like you said, the other
side of the tracks, the other choice was okay, well
you can just try to gang bag because at that
era there was some of that kind of going on,
you know, the Tupac, the drain, the snoop Dog. So
actually that's why I ended up in Hawaii because I
was getting into a little trouble in high school.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Really, see when we were doing this and they said
you were coming and I'm doing more research. I thought
I knew everything about you. I really did. And then
I did more research and there was a little dust
up with you and it said Pisa in trouble, and
I'm like Pisa in a fight, right, Nah, I couldn't be,
but I guess we live and learned. That was when
you were in high school. Yeah, tell me about that.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah, yeah, in an off season.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I just didn't have anything better to do with my time,
I guess, And like I said, I was hyper, and
so I just felt like I needed a to do something.
And I was getting around the wrong crowd, and I thought,
all right, I wanted to be popular. I was hanging
out with this crew. They seem like they're cool, and
I was trying to kind of I felt like I
needed some validity. I don't know why, because I was
(04:13):
a good football player, but I wanted to prove I
was still kind of street cred strong, and so I
was young, I was impressionable, and I didn't want an
off season.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
So for me, it was like, Okay, football is not.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Going on right now, me do this, Let me go
do this, put.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
In work for the crew. So kind of the same stuff.
I mean, living on the edge football, same thing. I mean,
so you were all cim on both sides of the ball, offense, defense.
I mean, you had your whole life ahead of you,
and you had offers from everybody, and still that still
pulled you to that side, even with your family upbringing.
I bet this wasn't going over well with your family.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, you hit it right on the head. Not until
I got locked up. I was in jail and I'm
sitting there and I'm I had offers to college and
then they pulled off, and here I am with guys
I mean, who who had it hard and didn't have
the talent that I did. And I started to realize
some things at that point. But yeah, I didn't want
to let my family down, which was really big in
(05:09):
our culture. So growing up with guys like Junior SA
who are a little older, but I knew we're from
the neighborhood that went on to the next level. Saw
how he did it. Hey, that's a good example. I
saw how Marcus Allen well I did. I heard about
what Marcus Allen did. I saw the impact he had
on the game, saw what Ricky Williams did. I was like,
(05:29):
all right, I just want to be a football player.
Whether it's running the ball or chasing people down. I
got to like, that's where my energy needs to be put.
And if I do it the right way, I can
bring pride to my family, to my culture, to my community.
The other way, I mean, obviously we know where that
goes to yea and yeah, So that's why it was.
(05:50):
It was kind of good being an all in guy.
That's why I got in trouble because during offseason football
was no longer holding me accountable and giving me structure.
Was the streets that I was running with. And then
I saw how they did it. So I don't go
half anything. And now I'm getting mixed up, and then
I'm thinking, way, is this what I really want to
(06:11):
do in my life? Literally sending a juvenile hall like
reading my Bible now getting back to God, thinking like
all right, just give me one more chance. And that's
where Junior, I mean, that's when coach Jones, who was
coaching junior say out at the Chargers, heard about my story,
heard about my talent, met my family, met me, and.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Then realized, okay, this is a good pitch.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Correct kid is not a bad kid. He's just gone
that way. Yes, oh okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
No, ok correct.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
And so I was the middle child. I had an
older brother who was very talented. He was more the linebacker.
He taught me how to tackle because I didn't want
to do it. I want to run the ball man
get away, but he went that wero oute the game
were oute. My younger brother, I felt like, okay, I
need to step up for him. He was kind of
messing around with because we were a close knack. So
(07:01):
I was like, dude, I gotta do better for my
life and for my family.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
See, I'm the youngest brother. I just I spent my
whole life getting my ass kicked by two big dudes. Yeah,
they kept me in line, So I get that there.
But June Jones seeing something in you, and you go
to Hawaii and you turn into a tackling machine, I
guess you've already been a tackling machine, but it just
seemed like you went to a whole new level in Hawaii?
Was it because like he gave me a shot, this
is my last shot? Or what happened in Hawaii where
(07:25):
you just went completely bonkers?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I couldn't run the ball or anymore. So I'm not
scoring touchdowns. Yeah, So how do you show your good
on defense? You got to be around the ball. If
you're not around the ball, you can't find the ball.
Probably not going to be good on defense. June Jones
definitely gave me that chance. Funny because I was a
prop forty eight, so the grades were kind of bad too.
But so that first year I didn't play. The second
(07:51):
year I come back. I'm overweight, have a Yeah, I'm
kind of like dealing with injuries the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
How much overweight, dude? Sure?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
What was your way I was? I got up to
two seventy. What was your weight supposed to be?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Dude?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I was probably two yeah, two fifteen to twenty tween.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
You came in at two seventy? What were you doing?
Speaker 2 (08:12):
You guys been to the island. I'm not so once again,
I had no structure. I don't have I don't have football,
So nobody's holding me account overall. Wow, I'm eating, I'm
hanging out.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Roah.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Wait, wait, you're going from two fifteen to two seventy.
Your clothes aren't fitting. You gotta know this is bad.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, I got baggy clothes all the time. I'm thinking
nobody sees it.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Ro wow, okay, yeah, then my boy, my boy keeps
it real.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Adrian Waddie.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You saw me when I came back that uh that
Christmas and he was like, damn your fat and I
was like, we were really.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
On fight right there. This is my boy, And I'm like,
what the heck?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
That's truth though, Okay, but I didn't even listen.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Then I go back. I lose some weight that that season,
the summertime, and then I go back. But I'm playing
at two fifty against lt who's a senior Ladania Tomlins.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Out of Cashlodanian at two fifty. I bet it was
that day.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
It was terrible.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I bet that's it was, the like he rested for
probably four hundred on us that day.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
I gotta look, oh, yeah somewhere.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's why I think all those kind of made me.
Obviously right, your experience is making who you are. So
June gave me that chance, and I thought I can't leave,
let you down. I can't be overweight.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
But seeing you like how I saw you at training camp,
you and spoon running around, I mean, I can't believe
you used to be fat.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
No, yeah, dude, Well when.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
You get serious, you gets like you said, if you
when you go bad, you go bad all the way.
When you go good, go good all the way. Correct.
And that's that's the guy that I think that bumped into.
Uh you got to tell me something, And I used
to call you many junior. Who are you talking to?
When you when you played, every time you made a play,
you get up and point at somebody. We'll do something.
Who are you talking to?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Oh gosh, because that's what he did.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Are you looking at people that aren't there? Like, who
are you talking to?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
You know what it is? What is it?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Tell me?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
So people say PC got good instincts, and I think
the instincts I viewed myself as a hunter, right, So
if I'm instinctually I'm trying to get some clues from
certain players. So some people are giving clues. I'm trying
to get, yeah, acquire some knowledge, and so I see you. Yeah, yeah,
(10:19):
it's probably wrong most of the time, at least I
made him think a little bit right to slow him down.
But yeah, definitely, Junior emulate like I was trying to
emulate that because think about it, when your watch as
a kid, you're watching football on TV. Then after football's done,
you go outside any play football. You emulate who you
want to be. And so Junior was such a huge
(10:41):
influence in my life.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
He did it.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
There's probably something I should be doing that's very similar.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
So did you meet him? Did you get a chance?
I saw I looked. I think you guys crossed one
game where he was actually playing. Did you go meet him?
Did you talk to him? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
And he's the og from the neighborhood, so he'd have
me come to the events. I knew him very well
because we grew up in the same church and our
families were closed.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
So just just take the world of him.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So we didn't really get to plot. I don't know
if he played that game. I feel like there was
a Miami. He was already in Miami, yeah, and then
but he was hurt.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So I was like, he played.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I think you had seven tackles, he had five, So
I mean you were there and you played him in
New England. I think he was hurt and yeah, you
miss him there. So I'm like, I want to see
if they crossed and you out tackled him. That's that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I mean when you play against he was probably funny
as your guy.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You play against your guy, you want to show out absolutely.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, like any linebacker. Well, Ray Lewis was a big
one for me when we went to Baltimore. Yeah, uh
that was for me. Seeing him come out and do
his dance. That's when it became the show and I realized, man,
this is this is big time.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
That dance the squirrel squirrel.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Dance that ruined it for me is the squirrel dance?
Well okay, but I mean it's it's still it's the
the second most intimidating thing I've ever seen on the
football field. One Ray coming out with the smoke and
t sizzle coming behind him, yes, and Tom Brady warming
up in Foxborough with all those banners behind him.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Right, I'm like, oh my god, that I.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Never saw that live, But I mean seeing that live
kind of freaked me out.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Well, did you guys have anybody on your team when
you were.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
We had We had the Bob and Weave that's what
we Yeah, that was. Yeah, we made people hate us.
We would just stick it down your throat. But no,
we didn't have any of that stuff. I mean you
ever met London Fletcher. Yeah, let and see that eyebrow
raise lunch was like that. But he kept it all
inside until he got across the field. And you you
were a nice dude until you crossed the white line,
and then this other dude would pop out. I see you.
(12:44):
I was there. Yeah, see you're a nice guy. Now
if I'm carrying a football, you might want to hurt.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Me because of that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Come on was all glorious stuff they told me. So
wait Hawaii five oh do you not like that? Or
you do like that?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
It just depends, you know. For me, I was so
young and impressionable at that time. Like I said, I
it Todd hewittt Yeah, equipment manager. Right, So I remember
I take my trip out there before OTA's and you know,
he comes in equipment room and he's I go in
the equipment room and he says, here here goes fifty.
(13:19):
And I'm like, all right, cool, and I'm looking like
I don't get to choose and he's like, no, this
is like Hawaii five oh fifty and I was like, oh,
because I went to Hawaii.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Okay, cool, all right, here we go. So I guess
I'm a Waifi five Oh that's got.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
That's how it started. Okay, that's how that started in
the equipment room.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That makes total well, and yeah it's Todd was a
great dude. I was a little young to know the
Hawaii five Oh show. I know they have a remake now,
but anytime you can, like, I always felt like I'm
playing for those everyone that helped me along the journey, right,
So it was a great homage to them to be
able to give back or at least represent the state
(14:01):
in a good way.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I don't think that's a bad.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Thing, no doubt. And this month is a a p
I right, or may is a API right. Do you
do anything celebration wise? I mean a lot of look
a lot of stuff.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yeah, well, just try to be the best human I
can because you know, once, I mean, they know I'm
my last age.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
So if I'm a bad.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Samoan, yeah, oh god, it could be. Yeah my dad
was crazy, but but no, I like, just like I said,
I for me, being part of the culture is is
just being the best human I can be.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
So I can't say I do anything specifically.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
It's not like we have uh my wife's actually white,
so it's not like I say.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Hook up one of my mom's dishes.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But yeah, like I said, I just wear it with
in my heart.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
You know, all the Polynesian dudes, Samoans, whatever I played with,
they're the biggest, strongest, scariest, most respectable guys on the planet.
They might be big and scary, but when their mom
come around, they look like little kids. They really knew,
you know, it's it's just special. So if you can,
you know, steer me in the right direction. What should
(15:09):
I do during this month? Because I'm trying to get
into this month. I want to celebrate too. What could
I do well?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You love to eat, first of all, I think that's
a good thing about our holidays centers.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Around a lot of food.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
But you know what I think, how you've always carried
yourself with respect is period paramount in our culture being
of Polynesia descent. Obviously, family is a big thing in
our culture, but it's also respect. You know, we talk
about fossemble a way. It's the Samoan way, which is basically, hey,
(15:42):
respect your olders, respect for each other and then everything
else will fall, you know, So no doubt knowing that
off top and being ingrained and growing up in that.
Like I said, I went my way, but I also
knew the right way. So I tried my way for
a little bit, but there's a right way.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Who I used to go to battle with Jesse Sopolo
up in San fran Oh my god, head was this?
Oh my god. He would never, he wouldn't. He wouldn't
give me a break at all. Give me your best
running back you ever played against.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Geez, all of them, all of them. But I mean, seriously, dude,
I like in practice.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I went against Steven Jackson and Marshall fall in practice
in practice, So for me that that that was pretty special.
And I know we can't wrap them up and tackle,
but just seeing how they approached the game, I mean,
two different styles of running.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Marshall in practice.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
No about that's to say.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
You know, I saw this and I wasn't going to
bring this up, but there was this tweet from a
Rams fan and he tweeted out a picture of the
La Rams here when they won the Super Bowl, and
they said, anybody back in that era, if I could
have told you this would have happened. How do you
feel you were on that field? How much did you
dream about winning? Because I know how hard it was
(16:55):
and getting to the super Bowl. How frustrating was that
for you?
Speaker 3 (16:58):
It was very frustrating.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I mean, I'm not going to say we want a
lot in Hawaii, but we did have some success. Even
in high school, I had success, So that was I mean,
obviously I try to look at.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
What does Sam and say, never waste a failure.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Never waste a failure.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So and I know, I know it wasn't a failure
in the sense that because you learned, but I met
like we weren't doing very well record wise, we were
catching a lot of l's, So I was just trying
to do the best with what I had, Like I
felt like people were still showing up for the games,
my family still watching. I'm still Samoan, I'm still a husband,
(17:33):
I'm still all father. I knew what reputation was at
a young age, you know, growing up in certain places,
you know like that's.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
All you really have.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And so for me, even though we weren't didn't have
the success that I wanted to, like, I still treated
it as you know, I'm trying to obtain it though, So.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
So that was it.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yeah, that's Stevens. Yeah, you know all the dudes that
were there balling that put in work and it just
didn't happen. I mean I'm glad. Yeah. I mean, so
seeing the Rams win the Super Bowl, how did how
did that make you feel?
Speaker 3 (18:06):
I was at it?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Yeah, you were there, So I mean, first of all,
the stadium is amazing being there with my wife, Isaac
was there, Tory was there, We're all in that same section.
I mean, I'm so proud because I'm still a Ram.
I knew what I gave up for the team or
what I contributed to the team. And although I didn't
get to the Promised Land, Yeah, it's per se. I
(18:28):
mean you know, yeah, it's like that. I mean, Moses
didn't get it, he didn't get to go cross over.
So but I know that I share part in that, right,
So I contributed into the best that I can.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
All the Rams at a dinner table and you walk in,
we make room, sit, sit, That's how we do. So
we do this on every show. Your favorite play. Now
you got to describe it, tell me where you are.
It better not be that temper Tae threw you a duck.
Your first pick. That does not count. Now I need
your favorite play.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Ever, as a ram favorite play, I'd have to say
it was an interception I got.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
I did return it to the house or anything. Like
you said.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
The running back skills kind of fell off somewhere there.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
I got it queued up. I was going to show you,
but it was I was going to show you, go ahead,
go ahead.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
It was.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
It was against the Texans, and yeah it was, and
we actually won that game in overtime. That's where Fitzpatrick
goes down. That game I had to pick. So basically,
I'm going one way. I tip it back to myself
and make this super diving tackle or diving catch. Pick
the ball up, get up, tackled like ten yards later.
(19:35):
But it ended up being on a sports trading card,
so no way. Yeah, I have that picture on a card.
I see it and uh And for me, I felt like, dude,
that that was That was such a pro play. But
if anyone could tip the ball back to themselves full
speed and catch it full extended, man, that's pretty special.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
That's athletes.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
So now and then you gotta patch yourself on the
back like I just did that. Yeah. Yeah, In front
of all these people.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
If I take it to the house, I'm probably all pro.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Are you know?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Pro bo? But yeah, wow, who threw it? You know?
Speaker 2 (20:05):
I think it might have been David Carr. I'm pretty
sure his car. Yeah, he threw a lot of them.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Yeah, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta drop it down
at half sad picks. But you got one. That's awesome.
Your highlight tape is so much fun. I had so
much fun watching you play. Uh, you were so inspiring. Really,
I mean seriously, I told you I knew I was
retired for good when I saw you play Like dang,
I cannot keep up with this kid here. So that's
(20:32):
a wrap on this episode of RAMS Iconic, presented by
eighteen hundred Tequila, the best taste in tequila. Please drink responsibly.
I hope you enjoyed our conversation with Piece of Tino Samoa.
I'm DeMarco Farr and we'll see you next time.
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