October 2, 2024 • 54 mins
"Stew and the Crew" is hosted by Jonathan Stewart, the Carolina Panthers' all-time leading rusher, and Jeremy Kelley, Director of Legends Affairs. Together, they invite legendary guests to delve into the intricacies of the game and life after football. Panther legend, Jon Beason, joins the guys to recap Legends weekend, describe what it was like to wear a Panthers uniform again, discuss what it takes to build a special locker room culture, and so much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're the thirteenth pick in the two thousand and eight
NFL Trap Caroen lanon hanf there slick.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Jonathan Stewart gets to Stewart, he leads touched up.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Stewart oh rough tough right, angry man out at elbows, knees.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates. That's what I'm talking about. It's a
spast mother football.
Speaker 5 (00:16):
Contain Stuart cat running round. Stewart jump over a tackler
at the tenth flow jumping Laura's his shoulder, keeps running.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
No one will touch him.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart house does it?
Speaker 5 (00:26):
You talk about explosive plays in the run game.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
It's like the fourth of July round.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Here right now you are listening to Stu and the crew,
now to Jonathan Stewart's and Jeremy Kelly.
Speaker 6 (00:39):
Hey, old ladies and gentlemen, we got but oh the
job Beason on on the stew and Crew podcast. My host,
my host, Jeremy Kelly. Here, we are blessed to have
my man working out as we speak. He's on a
he's on a bike, and gentlemen on the balcony on
(01:02):
the balcony stop in Florida. He just got home. This
morning at five am as a.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Dog five pm yesterday, five pm.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Yesterday after a long weekend.
Speaker 6 (01:14):
But ladies and gentlemen, John Beeson, first team All Pro,
three time pro bowler, drafted in two thousand and seven.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Round round one. Look pick pick twenty five.
Speaker 6 (01:28):
You know what I'm saying, John Beeson the Beast, number
fifty two on his jersey, number one in your heart.
You know what it is. It's my dog, my guy.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Hey yo, John, listen to this guy.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
He's working on his intro John Guy.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
No, no, no, So he's he's a producer. He should be
behind he should be behind this man. You know what
I mean?
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Hey, Like.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
That's yeah. I think one day I had to sell
check this out, bro, Like you know you're not an
ugly dude, right Like you're walking around like you need
to be in front of it. You know. He wanted
to make beats. This is how to do his hands
JK in.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
The studios a pianist.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Bro, he do this one, this one, and he do
you know the beat and all that.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Me and used to have some nights Bro, to be
in the studio being the studio going hand.
Speaker 7 (02:22):
I'm glad you'll both gave that up, I tell you no, no, hey,
hey Jake, like you played and I look, you know
now you're orchestrating, got a pivot. You're winning now you
you know in front of the mic, you got it too, man, multiple.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
It was it was, it was time was spent this weekend, man,
it was Tom Will spent this weekend. We enjoyed having
you back in the building.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Look.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Look, so you have been back a few times now, right,
but twice, three times?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I think this is the I think the first time
I was back was liking like Luke and TD were
some playing. I came to a spring a spring practice
that may have been eighteen maybe maybe nineteen. Sorry about
the planes, I'm talking about the planes.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
But you're going back.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I guess I'm considering the time, you know, for the past.
But but yeah, three times you're correct, correct, And it's
really because of because of yourself and your professionalism in
terms of reaching out. Obviously TD connected connected us, and
you know the job you're doing with the legends. Man,
it's different, it's different. So we all appreciate, appreciate you,
(03:40):
and you know Stull I'm sure he feels the same way.
But yeah, man, this this weekend especially for my class man.
You know, guys haven't seen since we you know, strapped
them up. You know, Rosario reached out and it was like, yo,
I'm gonna make it in. You know, obviously connect you
guys and his sons. I hadn't met before, right, you
know best man in the wedding, Stu, me and you know.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Cut Yeah, stories came out to this.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, so so Sue. Back then, you know, Stu had
just started started breaking tackles and he was breaking you know,
tosedo pants too on game. You know what I mean, like.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Man like like your tailor must hate you because like Stu,
like his thighs are like like like true drugs brow
you byas listen, I was being.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Sized back in the day playing Runner.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I don't believe.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yes it was. I swear your combine numbers like five ten,
two thirty eight something like that.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Yeah, five ten, two thirty five. I mean though this.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Memor mem four four after toe surgery. Yeah yeah, hey,
this is this is so Stue had his uh his
welcome to football moment early. It might have been the
first or second day of past and this is when
you know practice was still live down in satan Burg.
Shout out to.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Days, real real burg. Yes, we call it Sparkle City.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Listen, I'm from Miami. I don't ever recall getting sunburn
before my rookie year. I'm looking at it and I'm like,
it's not supposed to happen to us, Like this has
never happened. Bro.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
You remember how I used to break out in my skin?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, it was just different. It was like what's going on?
Everything was different now there man. But this guy came
in obviously thirteenth overall pick, and we set him up.
It wasn't fair, but you know sometimes you know inside drillists.
For us, it's a run every play. There's no down
here coming downhill, no receivers, you know what I mean.
(05:38):
Just hey, it's a run and he's in the backfield
by himself. He's getting the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, no power.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
So it's so two things three about your welcome to
football moment. It was in the same five, six, sixth
place script and we called the blitz off the edge.
Thomas comes to a line of scrimmage at playing the wheel.
I'm playing the mic. Of course he's a block because
he's coming off the line of scrimmage. So Stewie takes
(06:05):
his own step to Thomas soon as against the balls,
kind of like, man, this is set up. He's just
looking at TD like this. Of course TD hits him,
picks him up about this, high slams him. I jump
on TV and going crazy. You know, what's up? Rook?
Speaker 4 (06:19):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Rook?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
You know we trying to see you. Well, see, I
wasn't ready. I didn't really know, but but I always
described to like this. And this is funny because you
practice the way you play, right, so it's not a switch.
But again, you know, so Sue's like, I'm sure myself,
(06:40):
So boom, open up, big zone, play hit the gap.
I'm clean, he clean. Man. I just remember hitting this dude,
and obviously we not pull full speed to the ground, stud,
But thud means I'm giving you everything, but I'm just
not gonna take you down right, And he probably don't know.
He probably mad because he just got dumped on his head.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
I didn't even know. I didn't even know.
Speaker 6 (06:57):
If I didn't know who I was running up against,
I would just running in whoever it was.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
You man, So when I hit this dude, it was
a stillemate. But I kid you, not even in a
game situation, right. It felt like you know when you
if you're in a condo building or you know, mall
and it's like one of those big pillars like this,
like those big like foundational pillars. I was like, man,
if I hit that, like you know, going, this is
why the building's not going anywhere, And it was just
(07:26):
I was just like, I was like, God, like, it
was just I mean, I'm like, this, dude is for real,
you know what I mean. So I knew right there,
you know, we had something special. And then I want
to say, I think it was the first preseason game.
You know, like a lot of people don't put creeds
into to preseason. Some teams lose all four and then
(07:50):
win thirteen games, and then some teams went off for
and lose thirteen games. So you really can't say. But
we played Washington Redskins. That was your first game.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
That was my first, That was the preseason game. My
first preseason game.
Speaker 6 (08:03):
Was the Philadelphia Eagles, and I got in in the
fourth quarter. Coach Skipp put me in there in the
fourth quarter.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And I got gotta be I gotta I got baptized,
boy got baptized first car, and then Skip pulled me
right out He's like, get him out of there. I
don't want Tom behind the line.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And so from Fox.
Speaker 6 (08:27):
My first game for real, for real was the preseason
game against the Redskins, which was which was fun, man,
you know it was it was. It was surreal really
like I scored a touchdown going down to their sideline
was outside run playoffs.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
All I did was follow, that's.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
That's the play. I think it was like a toss
or belly pitch play.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
It was.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It was.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
It was just an outside zone and I remember the.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Corner and I was like, is that to move in
that fact? And then I think one of the dbs
like tripped him up and he kind of did one
of these numbers and they kept his balance and then
they just went. He just went like Mauric's Maury's Green
because they kind of built the same, you know, you know,
he was one of one hundred. Bro. He just start
picking him up and put them down, just like Dereck
Henry the other night against the Bills, your Bills, and
(09:15):
then shout out Buffalo mcdeez, my guy Beamer, my guy
Beamer being up there and just and I said, whoa different?
This is gonna be different? And then what what players
don't realize, especially when you when you have the glow
when you when you when you got it and you're
playing at a at a high level. But like I
(09:36):
always say, and soon notice I use a word like
you got a play. You have some conviction about you,
like all the time. You know, Sue such a nice,
pleasant guy. You know, I'm like, yo, see man, like
you know, fight hunger. He brought the best out of
the Angelo and and and myself time and saying we
always depete against each other. We just say, look, it's
not about the office. I was like, you know, it's
(09:57):
being you. You know, who're gonna have more today? Me
or you? At practice? Remember, so we would sprint on
the kickoff team. Who's gonna be he was l five
hours our five and vice versa. We and we want
to be the first one.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Und competition. It wouldn't practice. Everything was competition, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
And then they would just be you know, just on air, JK.
Just on air run through plays, you know during indo,
the balls on like the fifteen twenty yard line and
then boom Steward just take a step steam and then
hit it. But then we got through the line of scrimmish.
The last one. They would sprint the full length of
the field all the way to the en zone seventy
five eighty yards, and then D'Angelo the same way. Very
(10:32):
special back, you know, four to three guys. I still
believe stud Get. I think you get him in a race.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
In a race, I think he depends on what's that
the finish line, you know, Yeah, you know center bun
waiting on me.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I might get get there right right right.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So that's what me. I need something to chase, you
know what I.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Mean, the birth, the birth of a great Yeah, man, Yeah,
I appreciate you. John.
Speaker 6 (10:54):
I'm gonna tell you something about John Beason, dog like
if it wasn't for John, because I.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Remember you have broke your arm or your hand. What
did you do my rookie year in two thousand for.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Your rookie No, no, I shoulder the whole surgery.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
You had surgery.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Now I finished it, and and I had surgery in
the off season.
Speaker 6 (11:16):
Yeah, because I remember coming to ot As after I
had got drafted and I was in a walking boot.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
And so your rookie year, yeah, my rookie year risks.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I remember something like that.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Yeah, And so I just remember seeing this guy and
and like, oh, that's the guy they drafted last year, right,
like and he's he's out here, he's hurt and he's
watching practice. I didn't feel alone because I God, like
I was like nervous wreck showing up. Correct, I'm in
a boot they just drafted me. How these guys are
(11:49):
gonna perceive me? But man, you Ryan Khalil, like y'all
made that transition very special for me because you really
took me in and took me in a legit brother,
when I tell you my man's having me at his house,
I remember you had the condo, like your mom's my mom, everybody,
(12:14):
your brother, Adrian, Like like when I tell you football
was special because legitimately, this locker room had guys in
there that wanted to be family.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
And like, I mean we battle, we cry over again,
like I mean games we lost, like we be in
the studio like tearing up, like like why we lose
that game.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
It's the part of the fans, don't They don't necessarily
see they It's almost I think every player, especially at
the highest level of the NFL, you need to know
what it's like to be at the bottom. Even if
you don't stay there long. I'm talking about like rock
Bottom like you know, you're talking one Monday night game
in six and a half years, you know, one Sunday
night game in six and a half years, one winning
(12:59):
season and six and a half gears like and to
get up after every play or even in the offseason,
to get up and train and try to have one
great rep, one full out spread. It's you got to
you gotta have something special about you to keep going
when it's really just bad all the way around. And
the thing about ball where it is special because it
(13:20):
is relationships. You can play great, those games do play great.
We lost those games that I played great, we lost.
Seasons I played great, we lost. But you want to
be the same player whether you're up thirty down thirty.
And I think that's I think that's the probably the
hardest thing for a player to understand or to fight through.
But then also, you know, we do want the fans
(13:40):
to know that. We want the fans to know that
it matters to us regardless of what the score is.
And you can tell, you can tell when you watch
certain players, you can tell if they if they really care,
if it really matters. Body language, pursue effort. All of
those things should always be present. And that's the that's
(14:01):
the that's the building block of foundation, the building block
of success first and then hopefully the team result. You
have to it has to trickle out. I gotta I
gotta get one more God better. That's why I have
this special relationship with John. He's not on my side
of the ball, but but my mentality as a player
in terms of being a teammate. You know, I knew
(14:21):
John Casey, I knew Jason Kyle, I knew Jason Baker.
Those are specialists, okay from two thousand and seven. And
then look, my brain don't work the way I used to.
It might sound like it does, but it don't. You know.
Obviously JJ now has been there since I was there,
Like I knew everybody, and I wanted to have a
relationship with everybody because when it gets thick, because it's
gonna get thick, shaking, it's gonna get thick. You know
(14:44):
that the fires, the fire is hot, all right, it's
always hot, even when it's good, it's hot. But I
knew that if I, if I knew the guy, I
would have that much more so here that's a that's
say my want. I'm at one hundred percent, say my
my want, okay is one hundred percent. But I'm gonna
get that ex sure from Stut, I'm gonna get the
extra from from Ryan Kalil, from Jordan Gross, from from Os,
(15:06):
from Man Jake de Homie bro love him man because
because it's passion, I know it mattered to him. What's
hardness leak, That's how you gotta play. That's how I
gotta lead, especially at that position. So it made it
easier speaking on.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
That, like how do you how do you get a
locker room to see that and to apply that? You
know that that that extra trust and the guy next
to you, how do you, like does it just happen
or do you have to take the steps necessary to
like create that bond?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Right? So, so I have a definition of what a
leader is, right, and I think obviously, first off, you
lead because it's important, right, it's necessary. And then you
have to lead by example. And I think the majority
of players, especially if you've been at the NFL level,
(16:01):
when you're when you were in little league, you're the star,
you're the team captain. It's easy the high school star,
team captain, college star team captain likely even if you
just play a down, even if it's just special teams,
or if you never play it down but you just
make camp. Everybody at that level was used to being
the guy and the difference between people who lead and
people who just want to do their job or people
(16:23):
who just happen to be on the you know, have
a seat on the bus, Like, yo, this is cool,
you know what I mean, Like I rocked the uniform.
I get to hang with the boys. You know, it's
all the outside stuff that doesn't matter. I think what
makes leadership hard is you can never have a you know,
a chink in your armor. You have to do it
all the time, like if it was a day I
was tired or you know, have maybe I got something
(16:45):
going on with my personal life. And those are the
two things that you know makes us human before we
put them, you know, before we put the armor on.
I knew I had to show up. I knew I
had to be in the front of the line on sprints.
I knew I had to have the energy. I knew
I had to demand it from great players, players that
are older than me, and that was that was my job.
If I wanted to win. So the selfish part is
I want to win so bad. I'm going to do
(17:07):
it this way and hopefully people people will do it
the same way, because it's it's you know, it's one
eleven on one particular staff and then it's one eleventh
of fifty three everybody having to do their jobs as
hard as they can or consistent as they can to
to make sure we win. And man, I tell you,
like I I walk around, I see guys with rings,
(17:30):
whether they were a key contributor or not, they got
one in it and it bothers me. Man, I don't
have regrets of how I went about my my my career,
but without having the quan, the hardware, you know, the
validation of all the hurt that that that's an issue
for me and I can't go back. So I think
(17:50):
that's that's it too. I think that's the hardest part
of being a leader. But I think why you become
a leader, and that's why you know, we do the
little vote thing, and that's why it should be solely
based on your on your your teammates, your peers. Yeah,
because if not, you break the team. Because we know
(18:10):
if you if I'm following you or not and and
and granted most of it or most of the time,
it is position based. You know, when I got to
New York, you know, I realized that it wasn't necessarily
the quarterback because Eli's personality wasn't that, but his his
his leadership by consistency, preparation, knowing what you're going to get,
(18:35):
showing up every day was was his contribution. But the
guys that demanded it, that got it. You know. Offensively,
what I was told was a mod Bradshaw and Brandon
Jacobs are two running beats, right, you know, you know,
you got a mixed with a little little sneel, little
dealing in the old school offensive lineman. And then defensively
it was their defensive line. It was guys that literally
(18:57):
could come in the room and demand a certain level
of a focus of intent purpose. This is yeah, And
it's not and and and it's not this big number
of guys. Man, You just need for six guys that
(19:18):
are kind of like all in. And that's really the
difference between the Super Bowl teams and then the teams
that maybe make the playoffs or the teams that never
sniffed the playoffs is you got to get enough guys
to buy in. And the one thing I'll say is true,
and I don't care. You guys can hate me all
the former players can hate me, but everybody's not committed
(19:38):
this man, the pulling the teeth part. By the time
they realize that they're gonna lose all their teeth, you know,
you might be down. You know it might be a
one to three start, or you know your three games
out of five hundred or whatever late in the season
is too late. At that point, you know, it's gotta
matter all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
We're talking to a former Panthers team cap then here
obviously for the folks that didn't pick up, this is
John and this is John Beason all the time. John
was a legend of the game versus Carolina Panthers, or
excuse me, first, the Bengals. This past Sunday, John, we
we we had an opportunity to put the jersey back
on your big dog. I got to see you as
(20:18):
soon as I pulled that thing out and he trans
he transformed. We could have got a series out of
him in that moment. So so this this third quarter
tradition heading into the fourth quarter that we've we've we've
grown to amplify here to recognize a true legend of
the game, a former Carolina Panther that just has left
(20:40):
a just a just a mark on this organization. And
I got to say, you know, we've had some cats
that brought the juice. But you set the bar, you
set the board when you came out the tunnel. What
did that mean to you on Sunday? Because I felt
I felt that it carried a little bit more weight
than just the moment.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
And before you preface this, before before we go.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
So I was in a suite doing like a little
activation during the third quarter, and when you came out, Bro,
when I tell you, I tear it up, I tear
it up because that.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Was because I knew. I knew, Like it's.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
How you know me, you know, and how you played
this game. You played it one way and one way only,
and it was one hundred go. It was nothing less,
and like your career and how it ended, it's it's
it's one hundred percent go until you can't. And like
(21:40):
for you to get back out there and to be
able to like just like put a you know, exclamation mark,
you know what I'm saying, sort of speak on like
your presence in that moment in the game, even like
I'm over here thinking like, shoot, we're gonna win the
game off of this like this energy.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Like if I think, if that's many young guys out
there right now that need to like get a glimpse
of what type of energy is needed, watch them to
go win a football game.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
And you can put it in a bottle, shake it
up and drink it.
Speaker 6 (22:16):
Go watch John Beeson come out of that tunnels against
the Bengals this past Sunday, And that's the purpose of it.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, but go ahead and share with sure how.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
That was going on, with what was going on with you,
you know, JK, when you reach out to me, I
didn't I didn't take it lightly.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I know.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
It's a it's a big group of us that will
continue to keep pounding the tradition of hitting the drum.
And I didn't take it lightly that I was selected, Okay,
So obviously JK. You know, right away I said, hey, man,
I really appreciate it, and I said yes, and then
(22:53):
I started, you know, oh, I got to step back, like, oh,
they got to remember me the way I left it, right,
Like I can't be a shell of myself at you know,
I'll be forty in January. Like I'm I know what
I was, I know what I intended to be, how
I went about my business, and I want to leave
(23:13):
people with that impression of me. So to be honest, people,
hey man, you know why why don't you coaching? I can't.
It's the scars of of not being a champion or
are still there when I think about it. Not my
career student a champion. And when when given me the opportunity,
(23:38):
I said to myself, I got to leave it the
way I left it, So of course I said yes.
But I tell you what, you know, out of the
seven years that I was there, I've never been more nervous.
I mean my rookie year, first time coming out of tunnel,
then I was that day. But when needed most, that's
(24:03):
who you really are, right when the game's on the line.
Got to have it moment, How do you perform? That's
the state of nothing else, nothing else, no other plays
matter except when needed most. So you know, obviously, Jeremy,
you know we're walking through the tunnel and I'm you
know you wouldn't notice, but inside I'm I'm coward, I'm scared,
(24:24):
I'm nervous, I'm nervous my body because I know where
I'm at physically, but also I don't know how I'm
going to react, you know, So the smoke help. I'll
say that, you know, the smoke help. And I said
(24:45):
to Jeremy said, man, you know, I got to switch, bro,
Like I just it's time to go. It's time to go,
like when I do this, and it's it's an aggressive
analogy and still notice but when I put the helmet on,
like my helmets the gun and then my mouthpieces the bullet,
it's time to go. Yeah, okay, I'm aiming and I'm firing.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And and we're down in the game, and I'm saying
to myself, where would I be? What would be my
mentality right now? And if you want to get a
taste of it, you know, go watch the the only
player game I've ever played. H m.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
Hm, take a time, bro, mhm, h m hm.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Do you want it so bad? So I think in
the moment, I wasn't going to count the drum mm hmm.
I was going to work right.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
And it wasn't until I was done and I had
to walk off that I realized, oh, I'm not playing.
I'm not playing, you know what I mean. So when
I left, always I always dreamt of coming back to St.
(26:19):
Panthers Stadium. Not because I ever wanted to leave, because
I never did. But if I had the opportunity to
come back, come out of the tunnel in a different uniform,
out of respect for the gift of the dream of
playing professional football, I was gonna be me. I was
(26:41):
gonna play and playing a way to make to make
you know, the powers upstairs who made the decision, or
you know, the seventy some thousand people in the stands remember,
like pay that fit the two cap. We should have
kept him, you know. So that's what it was for me. Man,
(27:06):
don't just do anything. It's it's the more you can do.
Is the mentality of everything you touch. Y'all touch these microphones.
Don't just do it intentional man, that's ship.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
That's one thing about you, like your intentionality. I remember
going in the off season to off seasons to Florida
with you meet up. I get a spot there in
Sunny Isles, h and we go to the Jewish Community
Center with Bamba Rito.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Be brio, Barrio performance systems right best in the world.
That's in the world.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Go ahead to and we can be we can be
hanging out and he'll be like, Hey, what y'all want
to do? This is my city? Like go out to eat,
you know, get a couple of drinks, go out, we
touch the town. Yeah, touch town like and then but.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
One thing for show and one thing for certain five thirty,
like six thirty six, five thirty. Got to get up
at yep, five thirty. You better be up so that
way you on your way to meet John on the field.
Otherwise you're gonna be talked about. One of the things
that I really took the heart was like, man, I
(28:18):
don't want to let John down. I don't I don't
want to let him down by showing up late or
not coming at all, or not working or not working
you know what I'm saying. And I really learned how
to work. And I mean I was hurt, banged up
throughout my whole entire career, but one thing I really
learned was like, hey, man, if you were here, there's
(28:38):
no excuse.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
You got to put in some type of work. And like,
I really like I wouldn't have learned the extra.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Work ethic that was needed to sustain this The football
career that I had if it wasn't for John like
like bro, like I like got honest, true bro like
like I remember like Carl rides us just talking like
and you just like hey man, just stay tapped in like.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
I know you hurt, like, but.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
You go out there, it's like somebody somebody go low,
you know, they take the coward route and go they
don't want to deal with you. They go low. Man,
you you would have an ankle injury first play, first
carry off off not being hurt, boom, ankle injury, you know,
throw your helmet for the love of frustration. And you
(29:34):
know what I want to I want to mention the
guys that came, you know, because they need to be
you know, people need to know. Okay. So first off,
Stewie came, but not only did still he come, he
also brought another all pro college teammate with them and
was like, Yo, Birdie, Jared's bird Like, Yo, you need
to come. You need to come down here and do
(29:55):
this with us. Okay, So again the man next to
you and the man next few better. So he brought
us his college teammate and best friend down to Miami.
Also Charles Godfrey Man my backbone, my right arm. Guy
guy thirty thirty, he was there and he's Godfrey is
(30:16):
a worker. Yes, okay, also he got he got the mentality.
He came down, Martin came, Dante Rosario came, and Thomas
Davis has worked out down there with me, with Miami.
Chris Harris has come down. You know, one of the
best safeis ever played the game, one of the smartest players,
(30:38):
hardest hitting players with probably hit Man with probably the
least amount of ability. Okay, I mean he was one
of those guys that played the game, loved the game
and had to to make up for maybe some some
physical limitations that I wasn't the biggest guy or the
fastest guy. Chris is a big safety, but maybe not
(31:02):
the best cover guy and not the fastest guy. But
smart mister turnover. They screwed him on the record for
the most force forumbles. Shout out Chris Harris, and I
is an outstanding defensive back coach all over the league.
But the reason why it was six o'clock stro first
and foremost, when you work out, and this is for everybody,
(31:25):
you don't just train your body, okay, you train your mind.
And when you train your mind when it matters most,
when it's the most hot and the fire is the hottest. Okay,
that's when the mind part takes over controlling the body.
And I used to say, when you step between these
(31:47):
white lines, they're all best of off. And I didn't
have my level of confidence based off of just me.
My confidence came from the fact that I knew that
whoever I was going up against, I bet, I bet
my last dollar that they didn't sacrifice, They didn't do
what I did for this particular moment to have a
(32:09):
successful play against me. So when the ball moved, I
expected a result because I felt like the football God
should bless me because I've already I've already made the sacrifice.
So the six am thing was to be up and
doing it while other people are dreaming about it. Okay,
And bro was no one's holding our hands. It's South
(32:29):
beach man, It's it's it's February, okay. And I always
started the day after Valentine's Day because that's usually when
the Super Bowl had just ended that Monday. I'm um
up and at him, I'm saying, no one started before
the season just ended last night. So that was the
idea and so'll tell you. You know, we used to
start in mid March, and then the new CBA change everything,
(32:53):
and then we started mid April, and for me, it
was a it was a job interview, the first day
of workouts, the start of the off season conditioning program
to show up kids are in great shape. And I
ran with a small skill and not a level of embarrassment.
(33:14):
But I'm running with a purpose. I'm not running to
make the time. So if you've been sitting on your
ass for the last six weeks because we didn't make
the playoffs because we sucked and you ain't do nothing,
that's not my fault, right, Okay, if we got to
run for just four two hundreds, dude, remember first day
Jerry Simmons, shout out, Jerry Simmons. Yeah, two minute rest
(33:36):
in between thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Easy?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Okay, Yeah, yeah, I'm running twenty four to twenty five seconds.
And if you're a dB and you way faster than me,
you're gonna look up and be like, man, what be
trying to do. I'm trying to get somewhere, man, and
it ain't just to this finish line. So if you
pull up or your back get tight, because you ain't
been doing it. That's not my fault. That's why I
was a leader, and that's why you vote for me
(34:02):
as your captain because you said, I'm following that dude,
because what I'm unwilling to do, he's willing to do.
And I think that drove me in the off season.
Another part of the six Am thing was, you know,
I was very dialed in my diet. I measured weight
everything every two hours, nine times a day, you know,
(34:24):
eighteen hours. So the only time I'm not eating is
when I'm sleeping, and then you know, I'm home, I'm chilling,
I'm napping, and by the time five thirty sixth roll around,
I'm getting another one in. So now I'm cheap, okay.
And now that that, my brain, along with my body
is getting so strong and so conditioned. And part of
the reason why, you know, outside of my shoulders, everything
(34:45):
else that I have is is war of attrition. The
body is saying, your beasts, I can't go anymore, and
me saying, yes, you can.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
You know, So there's a level, there's a level, there's
a level, there's there's there's a level that.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
A small percentage you guys have, like you said, and
and I think some guys can't even speak to it
the way you just did. Some guys in some of it,
because some guys just have the ability, and then there's
others and they're just not.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
The it's just just me, just me. I gotta do me.
And that's cool too. We need those That's what I said,
like like like like five or six dudes, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So there's and and and if I can go back
though there to the relationship aspect of things, right, the accountability,
the training challenge. Right, there's there's the iron sharpens iron, right,
and that's that's what this game is. And we see
that when we get back together, and we got to
see it. I mean, even just here right now, right,
(35:52):
it's a great podcast, and we can sit back and
let you go. And I think this past weekend with
special in a lot of ways for a lot of
reasons that you mentioned that stud just shared and you
got to see the bonds that exist within this game.
You know, the Adrian Alison, chief Relationship Officer from the
(36:15):
Pro Football Hall of Fame that presented Pep with his
Ring of Excellence, right doing three hundred and seventy eight
of gold jackets walk on this planet. There's only thirty thousand,
roughly of NFL players that walked this planet. And that
(36:36):
is a very small percentage, right, they have ever played
this game. But there's even smaller percentage that can talk
to it the way that you just did. And so
it's something special, man, and it's kudos to you, and
I'm glad that we got to share that moment on Sunday.
And Stu said it beautifully. There's an exclamation point, right,
(36:58):
And when you came out that tunnel, I think the
stadium was alive again on Sunday, man by in ways
that I know, and I'm I'm I'm speaking as that
the newbie at the table haven't only been here just
shy two years, but there was a energy that I
have not seen. There's momentum right now behind this team.
(37:19):
There was a loss, but only in the only in
the in the win loss column that there was There
was a lot of wins on Sunday, both on and
off the field.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Yeah, on and off the field. Speaking to the game, right,
Shack Thompson.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Towards achilles, yep, Man, Yeah, I just you've.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
Torn your achilles. I had an achilles problem.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
We know the the road.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
The road.
Speaker 6 (37:46):
Yeah, there is recovery on the you know there is recovery,
but it looks like it can get a little weary
as far as like I'm gonna recover, But what am
I going to be?
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Like?
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (38:01):
I want right now, bro, this is if Shaq ends
up hearing this or watching this, m give him some energy,
please he needs that because he needs because I remember why,
Because I just remember, bro, like when I was hurt
a lot, just in case, I heard a lot and
(38:24):
Beast built me up every time I was around him,
and it wasn't by me asking, it was legit out
of his DNA. And we'll get to this, like as
far as where that comes from, because I want to
know where it comes from to and everybody needs to know.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
But go ahead, all right, First off, I think that
we all know a versus Bill's character. What does that
really mean? It sounds good? You know, Shack is cemented
whoever already Okay, he's watching the sun set as opposed
(39:05):
to the sun rising. Okay, so we know there's a
start and there's an end to everything, and he's watching
and it's a beautiful sunset. You know, he should feel
proud but there are special moments in your life and
in your career, more special to getting drafted, more special
(39:27):
than school on a touchdown, more specially making a game
saving tackle, interceptions, whatever, It's more special than that. And
it is about adversity. And so you remember this when
you when you think you love something right, and remember
no one, no one can prove love. We've been taught
(39:50):
the definition of love when we use that word, and
it's loose because there's no confirmation from anything or anyone
except for how you feel inside. And no one can
see that. Okay, So when you say you love this game,
you don't know what love is until it's taken away
from you. And some people go through unscathed, have a
(40:11):
clean career, they never have to deal with. You know,
that special moment where you don't have it, Yeah, you know.
I used to refer to my injuries as spinning around
and talk about the guy who cares a briefcase old
school or the office guy, the guy who has a cubicle. Okay,
who's who's making his money. Like the majority of the world,
(40:35):
with their mind and their heart and their drive. I
used to say, for me, what it felt like was
a walk into the office. Okay, everybody's at their cubicle
and mine has you know, PLEXI glass on it and
it's locked up with change and everybody's like these what's
up man? What's up?
Speaker 4 (40:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Everybody got the key, like we all want you to work.
The city wants me to play. I want to play,
but for whatever reason, the doors. There's nothing like having
it taken away and then you saying I'm never gonna
let it go. And then Stu and you notice about me,
(41:20):
I said, who I used to be, I'm gonna be better.
I'm gonna be a different John Deson. That was my goal.
I mean, putting that into action, it made it like, okay, cool,
that wasn't enough, Okay, I gotta do more. What did
I do? Or how how can I let them say, hey,
(41:44):
you don't have it no more? No, that's gotta be shack.
You know the Little Brother Little Homies mentality, because that mentality,
I believe in terms of coming back from something big
makes it real small yeah, you know, small thing to
a giant like I think, and it's got to be
(42:08):
that right now right like he doesn't have the surgery,
probly gonna have it this week. He's gonna wake up boom,
look down. You know, twelve weeks for me, non weight bearing,
scooting around Charlotte, you know. But once they they took
them proverbial handcuffs off me and say, okay, bess, time
start training. Oht week off to the race, you know,
(42:32):
And was there, stut was there?
Speaker 4 (42:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
I was maybe two weeks off of being cleared to run,
and I'm struggling to run with guys were running. We
had to run. We had to run ten two hundreds
on extended cardio day down here in Miami. And I'm
used to being first, and I don't like not being first, okay,
(42:57):
but I was humbled. I can't. I can't. I didn't
earn it because I've been on the shelf. I've been
trying to walk and then jog again, let alone, trying
to you know, beat you know, Darius Bird, Darrs Bird,
another guy came down the train, you know, four to
three guys, and I didn't. I didn't win them all.
(43:22):
And it made me mad. So I read extra by
myself and you know what's up, and I'm like, I
just gotta gotta feel right today. I gotta win. Just
today I have to do enough today, And that's gotta
be Shack's mentality, you know. And like I said, he
(43:48):
can rely on the fact that the foundation is late,
that thing is not concrete, that thing is still okay,
Shack Thomas, He's going in the Ring of Excellence one day, okay,
But what does he want? What is still his motivating
factor is driving his purpose. That's got to be right
(44:09):
there with the fact that I'm not letting this lip
and then he'll be fine.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
That's gotta be a mentality and he's gonna have to
block out the naysayers right as you said. You know,
some people are going to see that sun setting for
his career.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
But and and even if it's not in Carolina, because remember,
it's not so much about this particular energy injury. It's
about last year's injury. For me, it wasn't about the
the Achilles. It was about I was the first one.
It was then the microfract surgery the next year. You know.
(44:47):
So you're on the shelf for two years and now
now you're eating into that guaranteed portion of your contract.
You know, everybody doesn't have the opportunity to overcome. We
won't speak on guys it's probably like one guy that
comes to mind that overcome being her for two years
and you know, keep his money, stay on the team
(45:09):
that constantly gets a hall pass when it comes to
uh standing in the league, getting a chance, you know,
back to back. I was early in the first quarter,
first game or two. It's tough, tough, Yeah, the business side.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Of it, that's right, And we see it every ye
across the league. Yeah, but it's part of it. And
you know, so speedy recovery, the shock, you know, obviously
heard it. But but you know, as I mentioned, tough blow,
tough blow individually collectively. But I would say, you know,
there's a lot of good right now in the field
for the Carolina Panthers, and and I'm excited for this Sunday.
(45:48):
I'm excited for this Sunday the Bears, which I think
is a game that you can go and get right.
You can go and take one on the road again.
We show that we can do it on the road again.
So they go get one, come back home against the
division a new opponent next, uh, you know, against Atlanta.
I think you know we're primed. You you could set
yourself up pretty good.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
I'll say this is about the current team, and obviously
it's a different game than when I played. And I'm
not gonna I'm not gonna, you know, shed on shed
light on on that part of it because it's it
doesn't matter, right, the rules of the rules, the games
the game. I can't control that, you know. But I'll
say this, I think why same guy, same jerseys, same scheme,
(46:34):
mostly likely a new work ethic. So there's some more,
there's more, right, You're not You're not going to get
more without giving more? So how right? Like a team
that's been kind of like sliding for going back to
last season season before, like for four minute, what changed?
Speaker 4 (46:56):
Right?
Speaker 2 (46:57):
And you know obviously and were catching up? Busy? Were
you you know, the most busy, coolest, you know it's
ninety degrees outside, you know, you the best dressed, you
know what I mean? Like, there's nothing that's not.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
Tea No.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
But I'm just keeping them one hundred because you know,
it really is about being complete. If you don't understand that, right,
Like you've got to finish the circle, you know, but
you're busy, right, you don't get a chance to actually
like watch the game. You probably got to go back
and watch, right, They know what really happened, But when
you watch the game, you know how it started off fairly.
(47:38):
Even then you got you got some guys, enough dudes
on that side with championship pedigree that been there, and
they get to a point where like, you know, we
got to have this one because they're desperate, but man,
it's not going so well. This team come out playing
with us, and then they kind of you know, made
a couple of plays and then you know, opened up
a gap where it could have just went all the
(48:00):
way south for the Carolina Panthers, right for us, I
should say, But the few plays that I did watch
a few moments, it wasn't here. It was more here.
When I say here, I mean it's the fear of
(48:21):
going to make a play. It's the fear of laying
it on the line. It's the fear of getting a flag.
You got to have bite and finish and belief in
what you're doing. It was it was that that was
the difference between the one score game and I think
that and I have to you know, I have I'm
(48:43):
the only reason I'm touching on it is because I
have to write like that's that's what they right there,
and they can smell it. They're they're so close right
to really turning it around a little more belief, a
little less fear of the outcome of what's going to
happen after the fact. Is the difference in that football game, right, agreed?
(49:07):
All right, you can't you can't flinch, you can't blink,
you gotta see it, you gotta tack it, you gotta play,
and then it's there, yes, yes, and then the rest
is like, yo, I did I did that? Like I'm not.
I'm not. I'm not in fear of what's gonna happen.
You know, that's the difference.
Speaker 6 (49:25):
I can tell you a couple of players that have
that mentality, true, be Hoover, you know what I'm saying, Uh,
Robert hunt A, Sean Robinson, they got it. J C.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Horn.
Speaker 2 (49:37):
J C.
Speaker 4 (49:38):
Horn had an incredible game.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
And and obviously we have a lot of guys that
I think have that same type of mentality, but they're
they're hurt, I.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
Are you know what I'm saying, Like, well, we said records, right,
So I think I'm part of you know, the most
guys and the history, and I'm also part of the
most I as in New York Giant history. Like bro,
I got the records. Hey, I'm doing it on that
side too. I'm gonna be great over there, you know,
(50:09):
right right, but it is what it is. But yeah,
and that's that's right, that's the luck.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
And you gotta have to show up. You got to
show up on Sundays. So I like, I like what
we're seeing. To your point, to your point, right, what changed?
But I think there's a belief right now, and there
is a there's a closeness to the success there's a
closeness to the energy shifting completely. I think right now
we we we we we smelled it. We got to taste.
Speaker 4 (50:36):
But we're close.
Speaker 2 (50:37):
So you gotta do your job. There's problems football and
then your job plus.
Speaker 4 (50:44):
Keep it, keep keep it.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
You know, we talked about Sunday football one on one man. Yeah, catch, tackle,
finish in the reson right, so you get that thing done.
It sounds simple, it sounds trivial, but that sometimes is
what the game comes down on, no question, no question.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
Man.
Speaker 1 (51:03):
I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast. Man, I enjoyed this conversation
with John Man. It was, like we all know, it
was a very very special weekend we didn't get into
it entirely, but that's totally we we touched on it
and we got something better.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
I love that. Man.
Speaker 6 (51:23):
We got we got brow ain't uncut. We got the
inner mind, the inner lockings of how to be great.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
I think if anybody tuned into this podcast today, right,
I think you know, John, you did a great job
of pulling back the veil on what it takes a
great player.
Speaker 4 (51:40):
Thanks for your vulnerability, no question. We love you, man,
Panthonation fans love you.
Speaker 2 (51:48):
Brotherhood.
Speaker 5 (51:49):
Yeah, it's it's a beautiful thing, like just you know,
like there's so many changes that happen over years, but
when you in the midst, like how how you got
us together this weekend Germany?
Speaker 4 (52:05):
Like I'm telling you, like I'm still getting texts from
guys like, man.
Speaker 6 (52:11):
It was good to see you. It was good to
talk to It was just good to like just be
around each other. And you don't really realize. Like I
was talking to Market and he was like, man, I
came back, Yeah, yeah I was. I was.
Speaker 4 (52:28):
I came back last year and I said, oh, they
got to do this again next year, so we better
do the text. I got the text, but we're coming back.
Speaker 6 (52:40):
It's a reminder that, you know, just men in general,
we need to be around like minded individuals as much
as possible. And so, like, my hope is that we
get more opportunities. Not just once a year, We're doing
this multiple times and years on different occasions.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
And so absolutely, and Jeremy Kelly, well, no, I'm gonna
go ahead and say this. I'm going to go I'm
going to say this. It's a shout out to David
and Cole Tepper. Truthfully, they show up and they showed
up to everything, and they give us the space to
do that. And they and you know, from day one
when I first met Nicole Tepper, she talked about player
(53:22):
care and this is a ripple effect of that. So
they allow for it and they embrace it. I mean,
they're over the moon when you guys are in the
building because you guys show up and so it's mutual
and it's the culture. And that's where I say there's
momentum on and off the field. Keep showing up.
Speaker 4 (53:40):
We're good.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Keep showing up all right, man, John, We appreciate you.
Keep NFL legend, Panthers legend. We're gonna be in touch.
Get that bike ride in, get that workout, Get that workout.
Speaker 4 (53:52):
Man I love you, Brobot that bet
We're the thirteenth pick in the two thousand and eight
NFL Trap Caroen lanon hanf there slick.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Jonathan Stewart gets to Stewart, he leads touched up.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Stewart oh rough tough right, angry man out at elbows, knees.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates. That's what I'm talking about. It's a
spast mother football.
Speaker 5 (00:16):
Contain Stuart cat running round. Stewart jump over a tackler
at the tenth flow jumping Laura's his shoulder, keeps running.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
No one will touch him.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart house does it?
Speaker 5 (00:26):
You talk about explosive plays in the run game.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
It's like the fourth of July round.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Here right now you are listening to Stu and the crew,
now to Jonathan Stewart's and Jeremy Kelly.
Speaker 6 (00:39):
Hey, old ladies and gentlemen, we got but oh the
job Beason on on the stew and Crew podcast. My host,
my host, Jeremy Kelly. Here, we are blessed to have
my man working out as we speak. He's on a
he's on a bike, and gentlemen on the balcony on
(01:02):
the balcony stop in Florida. He just got home. This
morning at five am as a.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Dog five pm yesterday, five pm.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Yesterday after a long weekend.
Speaker 6 (01:14):
But ladies and gentlemen, John Beeson, first team All Pro,
three time pro bowler, drafted in two thousand and seven.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Round round one. Look pick pick twenty five.
Speaker 6 (01:28):
You know what I'm saying, John Beeson the Beast, number
fifty two on his jersey, number one in your heart.
You know what it is. It's my dog, my guy.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Hey yo, John, listen to this guy.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
He's working on his intro John Guy.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
No, no, no, So he's he's a producer. He should be
behind he should be behind this man. You know what
I mean?
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Hey, Like.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
That's yeah. I think one day I had to sell
check this out, bro, Like you know you're not an
ugly dude, right Like you're walking around like you need
to be in front of it. You know. He wanted
to make beats. This is how to do his hands
JK in.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
The studios a pianist.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Bro, he do this one, this one, and he do
you know the beat and all that.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Me and used to have some nights Bro, to be
in the studio being the studio going hand.
Speaker 7 (02:22):
I'm glad you'll both gave that up, I tell you no, no, hey,
hey Jake, like you played and I look, you know
now you're orchestrating, got a pivot. You're winning now you
you know in front of the mic, you got it too, man, multiple.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
It was it was, it was time was spent this weekend, man,
it was Tom Will spent this weekend. We enjoyed having
you back in the building.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Look.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Look, so you have been back a few times now, right,
but twice, three times?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I think this is the I think the first time
I was back was liking like Luke and TD were
some playing. I came to a spring a spring practice
that may have been eighteen maybe maybe nineteen. Sorry about
the planes, I'm talking about the planes.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
But you're going back.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I guess I'm considering the time, you know, for the past.
But but yeah, three times you're correct, correct, And it's
really because of because of yourself and your professionalism in
terms of reaching out. Obviously TD connected connected us, and
you know the job you're doing with the legends. Man,
it's different, it's different. So we all appreciate, appreciate you,
(03:40):
and you know Stull I'm sure he feels the same way.
But yeah, man, this this weekend especially for my class man.
You know, guys haven't seen since we you know, strapped
them up. You know, Rosario reached out and it was like, yo,
I'm gonna make it in. You know, obviously connect you
guys and his sons. I hadn't met before, right, you
know best man in the wedding, Stu, me and you know.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Cut Yeah, stories came out to this.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, so so Sue. Back then, you know, Stu had
just started started breaking tackles and he was breaking you know,
tosedo pants too on game. You know what I mean, like.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Man like like your tailor must hate you because like Stu,
like his thighs are like like like true drugs brow
you byas listen, I was being.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Sized back in the day playing Runner.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I don't believe.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yes it was. I swear your combine numbers like five ten,
two thirty eight something like that.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Yeah, five ten, two thirty five. I mean though this.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Memor mem four four after toe surgery. Yeah yeah, hey,
this is this is so Stue had his uh his
welcome to football moment early. It might have been the
first or second day of past and this is when
you know practice was still live down in satan Burg.
Shout out to.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Days, real real burg. Yes, we call it Sparkle City.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Listen, I'm from Miami. I don't ever recall getting sunburn
before my rookie year. I'm looking at it and I'm like,
it's not supposed to happen to us, Like this has
never happened. Bro.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
You remember how I used to break out in my skin?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, it was just different. It was like what's going on?
Everything was different now there man. But this guy came
in obviously thirteenth overall pick, and we set him up.
It wasn't fair, but you know sometimes you know inside drillists.
For us, it's a run every play. There's no down
here coming downhill, no receivers, you know what I mean.
(05:38):
Just hey, it's a run and he's in the backfield
by himself. He's getting the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, no power.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
So it's so two things three about your welcome to
football moment. It was in the same five, six, sixth
place script and we called the blitz off the edge.
Thomas comes to a line of scrimmage at playing the wheel.
I'm playing the mic. Of course he's a block because
he's coming off the line of scrimmage. So Stewie takes
(06:05):
his own step to Thomas soon as against the balls,
kind of like, man, this is set up. He's just
looking at TD like this. Of course TD hits him,
picks him up about this, high slams him. I jump
on TV and going crazy. You know, what's up? Rook?
Speaker 4 (06:19):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Rook?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
You know we trying to see you. Well, see, I
wasn't ready. I didn't really know, but but I always
described to like this. And this is funny because you
practice the way you play, right, so it's not a switch.
But again, you know, so Sue's like, I'm sure myself,
(06:40):
So boom, open up, big zone, play hit the gap.
I'm clean, he clean. Man. I just remember hitting this dude,
and obviously we not pull full speed to the ground, stud,
But thud means I'm giving you everything, but I'm just
not gonna take you down right, And he probably don't know.
He probably mad because he just got dumped on his head.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
I didn't even know. I didn't even know.
Speaker 6 (06:57):
If I didn't know who I was running up against,
I would just running in whoever it was.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
You man, So when I hit this dude, it was
a stillemate. But I kid you, not even in a
game situation, right. It felt like you know when you
if you're in a condo building or you know, mall
and it's like one of those big pillars like this,
like those big like foundational pillars. I was like, man,
if I hit that, like you know, going, this is
why the building's not going anywhere, And it was just
(07:26):
I was just like, I was like, God, like, it
was just I mean, I'm like, this, dude is for real,
you know what I mean. So I knew right there,
you know, we had something special. And then I want
to say, I think it was the first preseason game.
You know, like a lot of people don't put creeds
into to preseason. Some teams lose all four and then
(07:50):
win thirteen games, and then some teams went off for
and lose thirteen games. So you really can't say. But
we played Washington Redskins. That was your first game.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
That was my first, That was the preseason game. My
first preseason game.
Speaker 6 (08:03):
Was the Philadelphia Eagles, and I got in in the
fourth quarter. Coach Skipp put me in there in the
fourth quarter.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And I got gotta be I gotta I got baptized,
boy got baptized first car, and then Skip pulled me
right out He's like, get him out of there. I
don't want Tom behind the line.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And so from Fox.
Speaker 6 (08:27):
My first game for real, for real was the preseason
game against the Redskins, which was which was fun, man,
you know it was it was. It was surreal really
like I scored a touchdown going down to their sideline
was outside run playoffs.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
All I did was follow, that's.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
That's the play. I think it was like a toss
or belly pitch play.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
It was.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It was.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
It was just an outside zone and I remember the.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Corner and I was like, is that to move in
that fact? And then I think one of the dbs
like tripped him up and he kind of did one
of these numbers and they kept his balance and then
they just went. He just went like Mauric's Maury's Green
because they kind of built the same, you know, you know,
he was one of one hundred. Bro. He just start
picking him up and put them down, just like Dereck
Henry the other night against the Bills, your Bills, and
(09:15):
then shout out Buffalo mcdeez, my guy Beamer, my guy
Beamer being up there and just and I said, whoa different?
This is gonna be different? And then what what players
don't realize, especially when you when you have the glow
when you when you when you got it and you're
playing at a at a high level. But like I
(09:36):
always say, and soon notice I use a word like
you got a play. You have some conviction about you,
like all the time. You know, Sue such a nice,
pleasant guy. You know, I'm like, yo, see man, like
you know, fight hunger. He brought the best out of
the Angelo and and and myself time and saying we
always depete against each other. We just say, look, it's
not about the office. I was like, you know, it's
(09:57):
being you. You know, who're gonna have more today? Me
or you? At practice? Remember, so we would sprint on
the kickoff team. Who's gonna be he was l five
hours our five and vice versa. We and we want
to be the first one.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Und competition. It wouldn't practice. Everything was competition, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
And then they would just be you know, just on air, JK.
Just on air run through plays, you know during indo,
the balls on like the fifteen twenty yard line and
then boom Steward just take a step steam and then
hit it. But then we got through the line of scrimmish.
The last one. They would sprint the full length of
the field all the way to the en zone seventy
five eighty yards, and then D'Angelo the same way. Very
(10:32):
special back, you know, four to three guys. I still
believe stud Get. I think you get him in a race.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
In a race, I think he depends on what's that
the finish line, you know, Yeah, you know center bun
waiting on me.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I might get get there right right right.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So that's what me. I need something to chase, you
know what I.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Mean, the birth, the birth of a great Yeah, man, Yeah,
I appreciate you. John.
Speaker 6 (10:54):
I'm gonna tell you something about John Beason, dog like
if it wasn't for John, because I.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Remember you have broke your arm or your hand. What
did you do my rookie year in two thousand for.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Your rookie No, no, I shoulder the whole surgery.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
You had surgery.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Now I finished it, and and I had surgery in
the off season.
Speaker 6 (11:16):
Yeah, because I remember coming to ot As after I
had got drafted and I was in a walking boot.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
And so your rookie year, yeah, my rookie year risks.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I remember something like that.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Yeah, And so I just remember seeing this guy and
and like, oh, that's the guy they drafted last year, right,
like and he's he's out here, he's hurt and he's
watching practice. I didn't feel alone because I God, like
I was like nervous wreck showing up. Correct, I'm in
a boot they just drafted me. How these guys are
(11:49):
gonna perceive me? But man, you Ryan Khalil, like y'all
made that transition very special for me because you really
took me in and took me in a legit brother,
when I tell you my man's having me at his house,
I remember you had the condo, like your mom's my mom, everybody,
(12:14):
your brother, Adrian, Like like when I tell you football
was special because legitimately, this locker room had guys in
there that wanted to be family.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
And like, I mean we battle, we cry over again,
like I mean games we lost, like we be in
the studio like tearing up, like like why we lose
that game.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
It's the part of the fans, don't They don't necessarily
see they It's almost I think every player, especially at
the highest level of the NFL, you need to know
what it's like to be at the bottom. Even if
you don't stay there long. I'm talking about like rock
Bottom like you know, you're talking one Monday night game
in six and a half years, you know, one Sunday
night game in six and a half years, one winning
(12:59):
season and six and a half gears like and to
get up after every play or even in the offseason,
to get up and train and try to have one
great rep, one full out spread. It's you got to
you gotta have something special about you to keep going
when it's really just bad all the way around. And
the thing about ball where it is special because it
(13:20):
is relationships. You can play great, those games do play great.
We lost those games that I played great, we lost.
Seasons I played great, we lost. But you want to
be the same player whether you're up thirty down thirty.
And I think that's I think that's the probably the
hardest thing for a player to understand or to fight through.
But then also, you know, we do want the fans
(13:40):
to know that. We want the fans to know that
it matters to us regardless of what the score is.
And you can tell, you can tell when you watch
certain players, you can tell if they if they really care,
if it really matters. Body language, pursue effort. All of
those things should always be present. And that's the that's
(14:01):
the that's the building block of foundation, the building block
of success first and then hopefully the team result. You
have to it has to trickle out. I gotta I
gotta get one more God better. That's why I have
this special relationship with John. He's not on my side
of the ball, but but my mentality as a player
in terms of being a teammate. You know, I knew
(14:21):
John Casey, I knew Jason Kyle, I knew Jason Baker.
Those are specialists, okay from two thousand and seven. And
then look, my brain don't work the way I used to.
It might sound like it does, but it don't. You know.
Obviously JJ now has been there since I was there,
Like I knew everybody, and I wanted to have a
relationship with everybody because when it gets thick, because it's
gonna get thick, shaking, it's gonna get thick. You know
(14:44):
that the fires, the fire is hot, all right, it's
always hot, even when it's good, it's hot. But I
knew that if I, if I knew the guy, I
would have that much more so here that's a that's
say my want. I'm at one hundred percent, say my
my want, okay is one hundred percent. But I'm gonna
get that ex sure from Stut, I'm gonna get the
extra from from Ryan Kalil, from Jordan Gross, from from Os,
(15:06):
from Man Jake de Homie bro love him man because
because it's passion, I know it mattered to him. What's
hardness leak, That's how you gotta play. That's how I
gotta lead, especially at that position. So it made it
easier speaking on.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
That, like how do you how do you get a
locker room to see that and to apply that? You
know that that that extra trust and the guy next
to you, how do you, like does it just happen
or do you have to take the steps necessary to
like create that bond?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Right? So, so I have a definition of what a
leader is, right, and I think obviously, first off, you
lead because it's important, right, it's necessary. And then you
have to lead by example. And I think the majority
of players, especially if you've been at the NFL level,
(16:01):
when you're when you were in little league, you're the star,
you're the team captain. It's easy the high school star,
team captain, college star team captain likely even if you
just play a down, even if it's just special teams,
or if you never play it down but you just
make camp. Everybody at that level was used to being
the guy and the difference between people who lead and
people who just want to do their job or people
(16:23):
who just happen to be on the you know, have
a seat on the bus, Like, yo, this is cool,
you know what I mean, Like I rocked the uniform.
I get to hang with the boys. You know, it's
all the outside stuff that doesn't matter. I think what
makes leadership hard is you can never have a you know,
a chink in your armor. You have to do it
all the time, like if it was a day I
was tired or you know, have maybe I got something
(16:45):
going on with my personal life. And those are the
two things that you know makes us human before we
put them, you know, before we put the armor on.
I knew I had to show up. I knew I
had to be in the front of the line on sprints.
I knew I had to have the energy. I knew
I had to demand it from great players, players that
are older than me, and that was that was my job.
If I wanted to win. So the selfish part is
I want to win so bad. I'm going to do
(17:07):
it this way and hopefully people people will do it
the same way, because it's it's you know, it's one
eleven on one particular staff and then it's one eleventh
of fifty three everybody having to do their jobs as
hard as they can or consistent as they can to
to make sure we win. And man, I tell you,
like I I walk around, I see guys with rings,
(17:30):
whether they were a key contributor or not, they got
one in it and it bothers me. Man, I don't
have regrets of how I went about my my my career,
but without having the quan, the hardware, you know, the
validation of all the hurt that that that's an issue
for me and I can't go back. So I think
(17:50):
that's that's it too. I think that's the hardest part
of being a leader. But I think why you become
a leader, and that's why you know, we do the
little vote thing, and that's why it should be solely
based on your on your your teammates, your peers. Yeah,
because if not, you break the team. Because we know
(18:10):
if you if I'm following you or not and and
and granted most of it or most of the time,
it is position based. You know, when I got to
New York, you know, I realized that it wasn't necessarily
the quarterback because Eli's personality wasn't that, but his his
his leadership by consistency, preparation, knowing what you're going to get,
(18:35):
showing up every day was was his contribution. But the
guys that demanded it, that got it. You know. Offensively,
what I was told was a mod Bradshaw and Brandon
Jacobs are two running beats, right, you know, you know,
you got a mixed with a little little sneel, little
dealing in the old school offensive lineman. And then defensively
it was their defensive line. It was guys that literally
(18:57):
could come in the room and demand a certain level
of a focus of intent purpose. This is yeah, And
it's not and and and it's not this big number
of guys. Man, You just need for six guys that
(19:18):
are kind of like all in. And that's really the
difference between the Super Bowl teams and then the teams
that maybe make the playoffs or the teams that never
sniffed the playoffs is you got to get enough guys
to buy in. And the one thing I'll say is true,
and I don't care. You guys can hate me all
the former players can hate me, but everybody's not committed
(19:38):
this man, the pulling the teeth part. By the time
they realize that they're gonna lose all their teeth, you know,
you might be down. You know it might be a
one to three start, or you know your three games
out of five hundred or whatever late in the season
is too late. At that point, you know, it's gotta
matter all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
We're talking to a former Panthers team cap then here
obviously for the folks that didn't pick up, this is
John and this is John Beason all the time. John
was a legend of the game versus Carolina Panthers, or
excuse me, first, the Bengals. This past Sunday, John, we
we we had an opportunity to put the jersey back
on your big dog. I got to see you as
(20:18):
soon as I pulled that thing out and he trans
he transformed. We could have got a series out of
him in that moment. So so this this third quarter
tradition heading into the fourth quarter that we've we've we've
grown to amplify here to recognize a true legend of
the game, a former Carolina Panther that just has left
(20:40):
a just a just a mark on this organization. And
I got to say, you know, we've had some cats
that brought the juice. But you set the bar, you
set the board when you came out the tunnel. What
did that mean to you on Sunday? Because I felt
I felt that it carried a little bit more weight
than just the moment.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
And before you preface this, before before we go.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
So I was in a suite doing like a little
activation during the third quarter, and when you came out, Bro,
when I tell you, I tear it up, I tear
it up because that.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Was because I knew. I knew, Like it's.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
How you know me, you know, and how you played
this game. You played it one way and one way only,
and it was one hundred go. It was nothing less,
and like your career and how it ended, it's it's
it's one hundred percent go until you can't. And like
(21:40):
for you to get back out there and to be
able to like just like put a you know, exclamation mark,
you know what I'm saying, sort of speak on like
your presence in that moment in the game, even like
I'm over here thinking like, shoot, we're gonna win the
game off of this like this energy.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Like if I think, if that's many young guys out
there right now that need to like get a glimpse
of what type of energy is needed, watch them to
go win a football game.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
And you can put it in a bottle, shake it
up and drink it.
Speaker 6 (22:16):
Go watch John Beeson come out of that tunnels against
the Bengals this past Sunday, And that's the purpose of it.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, but go ahead and share with sure how.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
That was going on, with what was going on with you,
you know, JK, when you reach out to me, I
didn't I didn't take it lightly.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I know.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
It's a it's a big group of us that will
continue to keep pounding the tradition of hitting the drum.
And I didn't take it lightly that I was selected, Okay,
So obviously JK. You know, right away I said, hey, man,
I really appreciate it, and I said yes, and then
(22:53):
I started, you know, oh, I got to step back, like, oh,
they got to remember me the way I left it, right,
Like I can't be a shell of myself at you know,
I'll be forty in January. Like I'm I know what
I was, I know what I intended to be, how
I went about my business, and I want to leave
(23:13):
people with that impression of me. So to be honest, people,
hey man, you know why why don't you coaching? I can't.
It's the scars of of not being a champion or
are still there when I think about it. Not my
career student a champion. And when when given me the opportunity,
(23:38):
I said to myself, I got to leave it the
way I left it, So of course I said yes.
But I tell you what, you know, out of the
seven years that I was there, I've never been more nervous.
I mean my rookie year, first time coming out of tunnel,
then I was that day. But when needed most, that's
(24:03):
who you really are, right when the game's on the line.
Got to have it moment, How do you perform? That's
the state of nothing else, nothing else, no other plays
matter except when needed most. So you know, obviously, Jeremy,
you know we're walking through the tunnel and I'm you
know you wouldn't notice, but inside I'm I'm coward, I'm scared,
(24:24):
I'm nervous, I'm nervous my body because I know where
I'm at physically, but also I don't know how I'm
going to react, you know, So the smoke help. I'll
say that, you know, the smoke help. And I said
(24:45):
to Jeremy said, man, you know, I got to switch, bro,
Like I just it's time to go. It's time to go,
like when I do this, and it's it's an aggressive
analogy and still notice but when I put the helmet on,
like my helmets the gun and then my mouthpieces the bullet,
it's time to go. Yeah, okay, I'm aiming and I'm firing.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And and we're down in the game, and I'm saying
to myself, where would I be? What would be my
mentality right now? And if you want to get a
taste of it, you know, go watch the the only
player game I've ever played. H m.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
Hm, take a time, bro, mhm, h m hm.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Do you want it so bad? So I think in
the moment, I wasn't going to count the drum mm hmm.
I was going to work right.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
And it wasn't until I was done and I had
to walk off that I realized, oh, I'm not playing.
I'm not playing, you know what I mean. So when
I left, always I always dreamt of coming back to St.
(26:19):
Panthers Stadium. Not because I ever wanted to leave, because
I never did. But if I had the opportunity to
come back, come out of the tunnel in a different uniform,
out of respect for the gift of the dream of
playing professional football, I was gonna be me. I was
(26:41):
gonna play and playing a way to make to make
you know, the powers upstairs who made the decision, or
you know, the seventy some thousand people in the stands remember,
like pay that fit the two cap. We should have
kept him, you know. So that's what it was for me. Man,
(27:06):
don't just do anything. It's it's the more you can do.
Is the mentality of everything you touch. Y'all touch these microphones.
Don't just do it intentional man, that's ship.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
That's one thing about you, like your intentionality. I remember
going in the off season to off seasons to Florida
with you meet up. I get a spot there in
Sunny Isles, h and we go to the Jewish Community
Center with Bamba Rito.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Be brio, Barrio performance systems right best in the world.
That's in the world.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Go ahead to and we can be we can be
hanging out and he'll be like, Hey, what y'all want
to do? This is my city? Like go out to eat,
you know, get a couple of drinks, go out, we
touch the town. Yeah, touch town like and then but.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
One thing for show and one thing for certain five thirty,
like six thirty six, five thirty. Got to get up
at yep, five thirty. You better be up so that
way you on your way to meet John on the field.
Otherwise you're gonna be talked about. One of the things
that I really took the heart was like, man, I
(28:18):
don't want to let John down. I don't I don't
want to let him down by showing up late or
not coming at all, or not working or not working
you know what I'm saying. And I really learned how
to work. And I mean I was hurt, banged up
throughout my whole entire career, but one thing I really
learned was like, hey, man, if you were here, there's
(28:38):
no excuse.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
You got to put in some type of work. And like,
I really like I wouldn't have learned the extra.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Work ethic that was needed to sustain this The football
career that I had if it wasn't for John like
like bro, like I like got honest, true bro like
like I remember like Carl rides us just talking like
and you just like hey man, just stay tapped in like.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
I know you hurt, like, but.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
You go out there, it's like somebody somebody go low,
you know, they take the coward route and go they
don't want to deal with you. They go low. Man,
you you would have an ankle injury first play, first
carry off off not being hurt, boom, ankle injury, you know,
throw your helmet for the love of frustration. And you
(29:34):
know what I want to I want to mention the
guys that came, you know, because they need to be
you know, people need to know. Okay. So first off,
Stewie came, but not only did still he come, he
also brought another all pro college teammate with them and
was like, Yo, Birdie, Jared's bird Like, Yo, you need
to come. You need to come down here and do
(29:55):
this with us. Okay, So again the man next to
you and the man next few better. So he brought
us his college teammate and best friend down to Miami.
Also Charles Godfrey Man my backbone, my right arm. Guy
guy thirty thirty, he was there and he's Godfrey is
(30:16):
a worker. Yes, okay, also he got he got the mentality.
He came down, Martin came, Dante Rosario came, and Thomas
Davis has worked out down there with me, with Miami.
Chris Harris has come down. You know, one of the
best safeis ever played the game, one of the smartest players,
(30:38):
hardest hitting players with probably hit Man with probably the
least amount of ability. Okay, I mean he was one
of those guys that played the game, loved the game
and had to to make up for maybe some some
physical limitations that I wasn't the biggest guy or the
fastest guy. Chris is a big safety, but maybe not
(31:02):
the best cover guy and not the fastest guy. But
smart mister turnover. They screwed him on the record for
the most force forumbles. Shout out Chris Harris, and I
is an outstanding defensive back coach all over the league.
But the reason why it was six o'clock stro first
and foremost, when you work out, and this is for everybody,
(31:25):
you don't just train your body, okay, you train your mind.
And when you train your mind when it matters most,
when it's the most hot and the fire is the hottest. Okay,
that's when the mind part takes over controlling the body.
And I used to say, when you step between these
(31:47):
white lines, they're all best of off. And I didn't
have my level of confidence based off of just me.
My confidence came from the fact that I knew that
whoever I was going up against, I bet, I bet
my last dollar that they didn't sacrifice, They didn't do
what I did for this particular moment to have a
(32:09):
successful play against me. So when the ball moved, I
expected a result because I felt like the football God
should bless me because I've already I've already made the sacrifice.
So the six am thing was to be up and
doing it while other people are dreaming about it. Okay,
And bro was no one's holding our hands. It's South
(32:29):
beach man, It's it's it's February, okay. And I always
started the day after Valentine's Day because that's usually when
the Super Bowl had just ended that Monday. I'm um
up and at him, I'm saying, no one started before
the season just ended last night. So that was the
idea and so'll tell you. You know, we used to
start in mid March, and then the new CBA change everything,
(32:53):
and then we started mid April, and for me, it
was a it was a job interview, the first day
of workouts, the start of the off season conditioning program
to show up kids are in great shape. And I
ran with a small skill and not a level of embarrassment.
(33:14):
But I'm running with a purpose. I'm not running to
make the time. So if you've been sitting on your
ass for the last six weeks because we didn't make
the playoffs because we sucked and you ain't do nothing,
that's not my fault, right, Okay, if we got to
run for just four two hundreds, dude, remember first day
Jerry Simmons, shout out, Jerry Simmons. Yeah, two minute rest
(33:36):
in between thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Easy?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Okay, Yeah, yeah, I'm running twenty four to twenty five seconds.
And if you're a dB and you way faster than me,
you're gonna look up and be like, man, what be
trying to do. I'm trying to get somewhere, man, and
it ain't just to this finish line. So if you
pull up or your back get tight, because you ain't
been doing it. That's not my fault. That's why I
was a leader, and that's why you vote for me
(34:02):
as your captain because you said, I'm following that dude,
because what I'm unwilling to do, he's willing to do.
And I think that drove me in the off season.
Another part of the six Am thing was, you know,
I was very dialed in my diet. I measured weight
everything every two hours, nine times a day, you know,
(34:24):
eighteen hours. So the only time I'm not eating is
when I'm sleeping, and then you know, I'm home, I'm chilling,
I'm napping, and by the time five thirty sixth roll around,
I'm getting another one in. So now I'm cheap, okay.
And now that that, my brain, along with my body
is getting so strong and so conditioned. And part of
the reason why, you know, outside of my shoulders, everything
(34:45):
else that I have is is war of attrition. The
body is saying, your beasts, I can't go anymore, and
me saying, yes, you can.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
You know, So there's a level, there's a level, there's
a level, there's there's there's a level that.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
A small percentage you guys have, like you said, and
and I think some guys can't even speak to it
the way you just did. Some guys in some of it,
because some guys just have the ability, and then there's
others and they're just not.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
The it's just just me, just me. I gotta do me.
And that's cool too. We need those That's what I said,
like like like like five or six dudes, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So there's and and and if I can go back
though there to the relationship aspect of things, right, the accountability,
the training challenge. Right, there's there's the iron sharpens iron, right,
and that's that's what this game is. And we see
that when we get back together, and we got to
see it. I mean, even just here right now, right,
(35:52):
it's a great podcast, and we can sit back and
let you go. And I think this past weekend with
special in a lot of ways for a lot of
reasons that you mentioned that stud just shared and you
got to see the bonds that exist within this game.
You know, the Adrian Alison, chief Relationship Officer from the
(36:15):
Pro Football Hall of Fame that presented Pep with his
Ring of Excellence, right doing three hundred and seventy eight
of gold jackets walk on this planet. There's only thirty thousand,
roughly of NFL players that walked this planet. And that
(36:36):
is a very small percentage, right, they have ever played
this game. But there's even smaller percentage that can talk
to it the way that you just did. And so
it's something special, man, and it's kudos to you, and
I'm glad that we got to share that moment on Sunday.
And Stu said it beautifully. There's an exclamation point, right,
(36:58):
And when you came out that tunnel, I think the
stadium was alive again on Sunday, man by in ways
that I know, and I'm I'm I'm speaking as that
the newbie at the table haven't only been here just
shy two years, but there was a energy that I
have not seen. There's momentum right now behind this team.
(37:19):
There was a loss, but only in the only in
the in the win loss column that there was There
was a lot of wins on Sunday, both on and
off the field.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Yeah, on and off the field. Speaking to the game, right,
Shack Thompson.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Towards achilles, yep, Man, Yeah, I just you've.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
Torn your achilles. I had an achilles problem.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
We know the the road.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
The road.
Speaker 6 (37:46):
Yeah, there is recovery on the you know there is recovery,
but it looks like it can get a little weary
as far as like I'm gonna recover, But what am
I going to be?
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Like?
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (38:01):
I want right now, bro, this is if Shaq ends
up hearing this or watching this, m give him some energy,
please he needs that because he needs because I remember why,
Because I just remember, bro, like when I was hurt
a lot, just in case, I heard a lot and
(38:24):
Beast built me up every time I was around him,
and it wasn't by me asking, it was legit out
of his DNA. And we'll get to this, like as
far as where that comes from, because I want to
know where it comes from to and everybody needs to know.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
But go ahead, all right, First off, I think that
we all know a versus Bill's character. What does that
really mean? It sounds good? You know, Shack is cemented
whoever already Okay, he's watching the sun set as opposed
(39:05):
to the sun rising. Okay, so we know there's a
start and there's an end to everything, and he's watching
and it's a beautiful sunset. You know, he should feel
proud but there are special moments in your life and
in your career, more special to getting drafted, more special
(39:27):
than school on a touchdown, more specially making a game
saving tackle, interceptions, whatever, It's more special than that. And
it is about adversity. And so you remember this when
you when you think you love something right, and remember
no one, no one can prove love. We've been taught
(39:50):
the definition of love when we use that word, and
it's loose because there's no confirmation from anything or anyone
except for how you feel inside. And no one can
see that. Okay, So when you say you love this game,
you don't know what love is until it's taken away
from you. And some people go through unscathed, have a
(40:11):
clean career, they never have to deal with. You know,
that special moment where you don't have it, Yeah, you know.
I used to refer to my injuries as spinning around
and talk about the guy who cares a briefcase old
school or the office guy, the guy who has a cubicle. Okay,
who's who's making his money. Like the majority of the world,
(40:35):
with their mind and their heart and their drive. I
used to say, for me, what it felt like was
a walk into the office. Okay, everybody's at their cubicle
and mine has you know, PLEXI glass on it and
it's locked up with change and everybody's like these what's
up man? What's up?
Speaker 4 (40:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Everybody got the key, like we all want you to work.
The city wants me to play. I want to play,
but for whatever reason, the doors. There's nothing like having
it taken away and then you saying I'm never gonna
let it go. And then Stu and you notice about me,
(41:20):
I said, who I used to be, I'm gonna be better.
I'm gonna be a different John Deson. That was my goal.
I mean, putting that into action, it made it like, okay, cool,
that wasn't enough, Okay, I gotta do more. What did
I do? Or how how can I let them say, hey,
(41:44):
you don't have it no more? No, that's gotta be shack.
You know the Little Brother Little Homies mentality, because that mentality,
I believe in terms of coming back from something big
makes it real small yeah, you know, small thing to
a giant like I think, and it's got to be
(42:08):
that right now right like he doesn't have the surgery,
probly gonna have it this week. He's gonna wake up boom,
look down. You know, twelve weeks for me, non weight bearing,
scooting around Charlotte, you know. But once they they took
them proverbial handcuffs off me and say, okay, bess, time
start training. Oht week off to the race, you know,
(42:32):
And was there, stut was there?
Speaker 4 (42:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
I was maybe two weeks off of being cleared to run,
and I'm struggling to run with guys were running. We
had to run. We had to run ten two hundreds
on extended cardio day down here in Miami. And I'm
used to being first, and I don't like not being first, okay,
(42:57):
but I was humbled. I can't. I can't. I didn't
earn it because I've been on the shelf. I've been
trying to walk and then jog again, let alone, trying
to you know, beat you know, Darius Bird, Darrs Bird,
another guy came down the train, you know, four to
three guys, and I didn't. I didn't win them all.
(43:22):
And it made me mad. So I read extra by
myself and you know what's up, and I'm like, I
just gotta gotta feel right today. I gotta win. Just
today I have to do enough today, And that's gotta
be Shack's mentality, you know. And like I said, he
(43:48):
can rely on the fact that the foundation is late,
that thing is not concrete, that thing is still okay,
Shack Thomas, He's going in the Ring of Excellence one day, okay,
But what does he want? What is still his motivating
factor is driving his purpose. That's got to be right
(44:09):
there with the fact that I'm not letting this lip
and then he'll be fine.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
That's gotta be a mentality and he's gonna have to
block out the naysayers right as you said. You know,
some people are going to see that sun setting for
his career.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
But and and even if it's not in Carolina, because remember,
it's not so much about this particular energy injury. It's
about last year's injury. For me, it wasn't about the
the Achilles. It was about I was the first one.
It was then the microfract surgery the next year. You know.
(44:47):
So you're on the shelf for two years and now
now you're eating into that guaranteed portion of your contract.
You know, everybody doesn't have the opportunity to overcome. We
won't speak on guys it's probably like one guy that
comes to mind that overcome being her for two years
and you know, keep his money, stay on the team
(45:09):
that constantly gets a hall pass when it comes to
uh standing in the league, getting a chance, you know,
back to back. I was early in the first quarter,
first game or two. It's tough, tough, Yeah, the business side.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Of it, that's right, And we see it every ye
across the league. Yeah, but it's part of it. And
you know, so speedy recovery, the shock, you know, obviously
heard it. But but you know, as I mentioned, tough blow,
tough blow individually collectively. But I would say, you know,
there's a lot of good right now in the field
for the Carolina Panthers, and and I'm excited for this Sunday.
(45:48):
I'm excited for this Sunday the Bears, which I think
is a game that you can go and get right.
You can go and take one on the road again.
We show that we can do it on the road again.
So they go get one, come back home against the
division a new opponent next, uh, you know, against Atlanta.
I think you know we're primed. You you could set
yourself up pretty good.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
I'll say this is about the current team, and obviously
it's a different game than when I played. And I'm
not gonna I'm not gonna, you know, shed on shed
light on on that part of it because it's it
doesn't matter, right, the rules of the rules, the games
the game. I can't control that, you know. But I'll
say this, I think why same guy, same jerseys, same scheme,
(46:34):
mostly likely a new work ethic. So there's some more,
there's more, right, You're not You're not going to get
more without giving more? So how right? Like a team
that's been kind of like sliding for going back to
last season season before, like for four minute, what changed?
Speaker 4 (46:56):
Right?
Speaker 2 (46:57):
And you know obviously and were catching up? Busy? Were
you you know, the most busy, coolest, you know it's
ninety degrees outside, you know, you the best dressed, you
know what I mean? Like, there's nothing that's not.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
Tea No.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
But I'm just keeping them one hundred because you know,
it really is about being complete. If you don't understand that, right,
Like you've got to finish the circle, you know, but
you're busy, right, you don't get a chance to actually
like watch the game. You probably got to go back
and watch, right, They know what really happened, But when
you watch the game, you know how it started off fairly.
(47:38):
Even then you got you got some guys, enough dudes
on that side with championship pedigree that been there, and
they get to a point where like, you know, we
got to have this one because they're desperate, but man,
it's not going so well. This team come out playing
with us, and then they kind of you know, made
a couple of plays and then you know, opened up
a gap where it could have just went all the
(48:00):
way south for the Carolina Panthers, right for us, I
should say, But the few plays that I did watch
a few moments, it wasn't here. It was more here.
When I say here, I mean it's the fear of
(48:21):
going to make a play. It's the fear of laying
it on the line. It's the fear of getting a flag.
You got to have bite and finish and belief in
what you're doing. It was it was that that was
the difference between the one score game and I think
that and I have to you know, I have I'm
(48:43):
the only reason I'm touching on it is because I
have to write like that's that's what they right there,
and they can smell it. They're they're so close right
to really turning it around a little more belief, a
little less fear of the outcome of what's going to
happen after the fact. Is the difference in that football game, right, agreed?
(49:07):
All right, you can't you can't flinch, you can't blink,
you gotta see it, you gotta tack it, you gotta play,
and then it's there, yes, yes, and then the rest
is like, yo, I did I did that? Like I'm not.
I'm not. I'm not in fear of what's gonna happen.
You know, that's the difference.
Speaker 6 (49:25):
I can tell you a couple of players that have
that mentality, true, be Hoover, you know what I'm saying, Uh,
Robert hunt A, Sean Robinson, they got it. J C.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Horn.
Speaker 2 (49:37):
J C.
Speaker 4 (49:38):
Horn had an incredible game.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
And and obviously we have a lot of guys that
I think have that same type of mentality, but they're
they're hurt, I.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
Are you know what I'm saying, Like, well, we said records, right,
So I think I'm part of you know, the most
guys and the history, and I'm also part of the
most I as in New York Giant history. Like bro,
I got the records. Hey, I'm doing it on that
side too. I'm gonna be great over there, you know,
(50:09):
right right, but it is what it is. But yeah,
and that's that's right, that's the luck.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
And you gotta have to show up. You got to
show up on Sundays. So I like, I like what
we're seeing. To your point, to your point, right, what changed?
But I think there's a belief right now, and there
is a there's a closeness to the success there's a
closeness to the energy shifting completely. I think right now
we we we we we smelled it. We got to taste.
Speaker 4 (50:36):
But we're close.
Speaker 2 (50:37):
So you gotta do your job. There's problems football and
then your job plus.
Speaker 4 (50:44):
Keep it, keep keep it.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
You know, we talked about Sunday football one on one man. Yeah, catch, tackle,
finish in the reson right, so you get that thing done.
It sounds simple, it sounds trivial, but that sometimes is
what the game comes down on, no question, no question.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
Man.
Speaker 1 (51:03):
I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast. Man, I enjoyed this conversation
with John Man. It was, like we all know, it
was a very very special weekend we didn't get into
it entirely, but that's totally we we touched on it
and we got something better.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
I love that. Man.
Speaker 6 (51:23):
We got we got brow ain't uncut. We got the
inner mind, the inner lockings of how to be great.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
I think if anybody tuned into this podcast today, right,
I think you know, John, you did a great job
of pulling back the veil on what it takes a
great player.
Speaker 4 (51:40):
Thanks for your vulnerability, no question. We love you, man,
Panthonation fans love you.
Speaker 2 (51:48):
Brotherhood.
Speaker 5 (51:49):
Yeah, it's it's a beautiful thing, like just you know,
like there's so many changes that happen over years, but
when you in the midst, like how how you got
us together this weekend Germany?
Speaker 4 (52:05):
Like I'm telling you, like I'm still getting texts from
guys like, man.
Speaker 6 (52:11):
It was good to see you. It was good to
talk to It was just good to like just be
around each other. And you don't really realize. Like I
was talking to Market and he was like, man, I
came back, Yeah, yeah I was. I was.
Speaker 4 (52:28):
I came back last year and I said, oh, they
got to do this again next year, so we better
do the text. I got the text, but we're coming back.
Speaker 6 (52:40):
It's a reminder that, you know, just men in general,
we need to be around like minded individuals as much
as possible. And so, like, my hope is that we
get more opportunities. Not just once a year, We're doing
this multiple times and years on different occasions.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
And so absolutely, and Jeremy Kelly, well, no, I'm gonna
go ahead and say this. I'm going to go I'm
going to say this. It's a shout out to David
and Cole Tepper. Truthfully, they show up and they showed
up to everything, and they give us the space to
do that. And they and you know, from day one
when I first met Nicole Tepper, she talked about player
(53:22):
care and this is a ripple effect of that. So
they allow for it and they embrace it. I mean,
they're over the moon when you guys are in the
building because you guys show up and so it's mutual
and it's the culture. And that's where I say there's
momentum on and off the field. Keep showing up.
Speaker 4 (53:40):
We're good.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Keep showing up all right, man, John, We appreciate you.
Keep NFL legend, Panthers legend. We're gonna be in touch.
Get that bike ride in, get that workout, Get that workout.
Speaker 4 (53:52):
Man I love you, Brobot that bet
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