September 18, 2024 • 46 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, Mario Addison, joins the guys to discuss his journey from undrafted free agent to 3rd all-time sack leader for the Carolina Panthers, his passion for Cars, his desire to help his community, how Luke Kuechly would set him up for plays, the 2015 team, and so much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're the thirteenth big in the two thousand and eight
NFL draft.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Caroline in half their select.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Jonathan Stewart gives to Stewart, He leaves touched up.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Stewart oh Rough tough right, angry, mad out at elbows, knees.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates. That's what I'm talking about. Fits the
smash ball football contain Stuart Kyt running around.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Stuart jump over a tackler at the tenth flows up,
flowers his shoulder, keeps running.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
No one will touch him.
Speaker 5 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart house is it you talk about.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Explosive plays in the run game. It's like the fourth
of July around here right now you are listening to
Stu and the crew. Now to Jonathan Stewarts and Jeremy Kelly.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Back for another episode. This time we got a special guest.
Is my guy right here?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Man?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
We first we got to we got to really know
each other last year. But but we've met long before that.
But we're excited to introduce you.
Speaker 6 (00:58):
Mario Addison, twelve year NFL VET, straight up dog fast,
is all out of know, probably one of the fastest
defensive ends I've ever ever seen.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I mean, you see him now he look like a receiver.
Twelve year NFL career, undrafted out of Troy University, got
it out the mud, tied third all time in Panthers
history with the one and only Mike Rutgers in.
Speaker 6 (01:25):
Sacks, playing only behind guys like Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Oh yeah, Mario, great to have you on the show man,
another episode of Stut and the Crew.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
How are you doing today, brother, I'm.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Doing well, man, Glad to be on the show.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
We appreciate you making some time man, Mario.
Speaker 6 (01:49):
Mario, huh, you were a undrafted free agent to Chicago.
Speaker 7 (01:57):
Yep, like you.
Speaker 6 (02:00):
You had a career as an undrafted free agent that
people dream of. Different Like what was your motivation when
you was undrafted and got picked up in Chicago? Like
take us through, Take us through the mindset of young
Mario as as best as possible.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Okay, So my senior year in college, I was balling
at first and then I broke my hand. I broke
my hand against U A B at U A B,
which I am from Birmingham.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So that was my first time I.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Were playing at home in front of my home crowd
at they home is stay Home Stadium though, and then
I broke my hand, right, I broke my hand there.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And after I broke my hand, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I got a little discouraged because I was like, you know,
I'm already small, really inexperience in the d N position.
I was just you know, I had speed and you know,
as I went because in high school I was a
running back in the quarterback he was running back. Actually yeah,
I actually learned the position as I went. So I
(03:10):
broke my hand whatever, you know, I still find the
season with a club like them, had sex as a
DN at Troy University. And then so it's time to
go to the you know, get ready for the draft
and all that. You know, I was getting calls all
the way through the drafts and telling me they started
like like round three, be ready by to pick you up,
(03:31):
be ready ready?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Did you go to the combine Mario?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I didn't. I didn't go.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I just jeft pro da because at the time I
still had like like a little man the cast on.
Speaker 7 (03:41):
Wh did you run? Where did you run out your
pro day? Forty prod?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I ran like a full five to two.
Speaker 7 (03:49):
You four eight two.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
They lied, They lied.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
On the West car it was our way two forty
probably two forty three. I was like, yeah, and we
are a man. So all right, the draft went on,
didn't get picked. So I really didn't know about the
free agent thing, you know what I'm saying, Like, you know,
(04:15):
kind of in the dark on that. I was like, well,
my career, well football, you know, it's kind of over.
You know, I gotta find something else to do. But
then you know, my agent, like you know, you can
go free agent.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
You know you can. Now it's like the bass in
your court.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
You can kind of like pick the teams, the teams
that want you know what I'm saying, you can pick
between those Teams's.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
One you think the scheme that you playing played there.
So I ended up picking.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Chicago and because of robber Manelli and in Troy we
had the same scheme. Hey, y'all, I just had I
just came from the Dennis. So if you see my
little look a little weird, it's because I had to
say that.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Type commitment.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
He's still numbed up, you drooling, get yourself on nap, hey, trying.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
To get right, y'all bet with me.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Look, So so I chose I chose Chicago and Uh.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
To be honest, man, I was scared. I ain't gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I was scared because I wasn't a true DN like
I said, I just had mad speed and going into
assistment like that. You got Juleis Pebble, you know, big eggs.
On the other side, it was some dolls bro on
that team, like some dogs, and I'm like, ship, like,
how I'm gonna make this team? I don't know, but
(05:38):
but I do know. I got hard right, I'm light
and I'm blazing out the edge and it was times
bro like doing camp. Man, I'm coming off the ball man,
and this big guy who I'm trying to defeat to
get to the quarterback right.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Just grabbed me.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
And I'm like, because I want I want to used
to really just throwing hands really because I had the
speed just to run around. So I learned right away
that speed is good, but you got to have account
move and you got to do everything off of speed.
You ain't just in the outrunning this big boy because
they out let it. Now you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 7 (06:15):
College run around easy and they got their hands nowhere.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Bro.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
So at practice one day I got home with that
practice quick, I'm definitely runing around. I ran around, Bru
grabbed me like this and kind of you know, just
hold me and I couldn't get off for I'm doing
like this might how to use my hands, right, So
then I learned how to man that. They taught me
(06:41):
a couple of moves and stuff. You know what I'm saying,
how to you know, defeat this and that off the
you know what I'm saying off the speed. And then
I just kept playing with it in that but I
was study guys like, hey, you know what I'm saying
out the edge, seeing what they were doing, right, and
I was kind of incorporating that into what I was doing.
So well, maybe what really gave me, like what stuck
(07:04):
in my head was a Mario like you you came
this part, ain't nobody stopping you.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
But you.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Know, you got this the opportunity, like you're gonna sell
out every day, every play, or you're behind, gonna be
back in Birmingham, right. I didn't want to be back
in Birmingham. So every day practice, man, I try to
do some to you know, stick in the coach's head
because when you free agent and they don't have anything
(07:35):
investing in you, you, You're the first one out the door, right,
And and then it was other free agents too there
with me. That was you know what I'm saying, trying
to make the team also, and they was true d
ends while I was just athlete and.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I beat some of those guys out, man, and I
made the team.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I was like, I was so happy, Yeah when I
made the team, but I knew like making the team
it was okay, But the hardest part was staying on
the team.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
That's the hardest part ever, man, Right.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And you never say I knew that I.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Had the talent to play, but I knew I had
to you know, polise it up.
Speaker 7 (08:15):
Look at Yeah, what does that mean?
Speaker 6 (08:18):
You know when you're talking about I didn't want to
go back to Birmingham, right, you know from back you
didn't want to go back to your hometown, Like you
just got out of college and here you are in Chicago,
new city and yeah, big city, right, Yeah, you're on
a large platform. Everybody has expectations out of any team
(08:38):
that coming out of Chicago. When you said I didn't
want to go back to Birmingham, what does that mean?
Speaker 7 (08:46):
All right?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
For me? That means I don't want to go back
home and work up.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I don't want to work there, right, I don't want
to find a job back home like I've been going
this long for college. I actually want to do something
that I love doing, which was playing football. So I
didn't want to go home and work. You know what
I'm saying every day nine five? I wanted to be
playing football. That's what I mean by not.
Speaker 7 (09:11):
Going back like loving the game.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
You had an opportunity, but you had to by any
means necessarily based on your description, right, I mean, and
that's what you're going as, Right, you're really blank slate,
raw talent stepping into a defense that had guys like
Julius Peppers, Briggs, Brian Lacker, Peanut Tillman.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
What was what was your experience?
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Like, you know, as you just described it, But when
you step on the field as an undrafted free agent
out of Troy and you're seeing these guys who were
just in the Super Bowl, you know a few years prior,
what were the first thoughts going through your.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
Mind stepping into that defensive meeting room?
Speaker 7 (09:49):
A bet of a blessing?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Right, yeah, you got but it could be one of
two ways, right, They either they either it's two ways.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
So I was I was very excited to be around
those guys, but I was timid and scared at the
same time that you know, I couldn't mess up, right,
So I'm walking on eggs shells bro, like like you
just said, like, let's say, went the defensive room right
with everybody in there, pean up, everybody onto my everybody
(10:21):
there like these some big time playoffs, and me, I
didn't look at myself. I didn't know what I looked
at myself. Bro, you know what I'm saying. I ain't
know what the hell I was in there. I was
just I just knew I was a young guy, just
scared as hell. Like I was quiet and stud you
know me, I got like a big personality.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I was so quiet, man.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
Like, just trying to figure it out. Trying to figure
it out.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Bro, and should I had my mouth closed, bro. But
then when you have a guy like Mary Nella and
the come up doesn't talk right. So this way scared
me even more. Man, that ain't nothing to play with,
Rob Mayn. Nelly ain't nothing to play with. And when
I heard him tell one of the top players.
Speaker 7 (11:13):
You wanna be here, go home, Go home, he.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Told a top player that bro, I'm like, yep, yere
it is, I'm going home. So when he talked about
I ain't.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Gonna n a player, but a big name player, he said,
if you don't want to be here, go home.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
I'm like, like that you time, you know what out?
Speaker 7 (11:44):
Oh God.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
So that day I looked at him like totally different.
I said yes, sir, no, sir so much to him.
I know he probably said, hey, man, look here, you
ain't got to say yes sir, no, sir that much,
man I.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Was.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think your emotion and your recollection of your rookie
year in the NFL is probably synonymous with a lot
of guys that come in, including you know, there's there's
there's guys that come in its top round picks. I
think they probably still feel the same way. One of
the things that really surprised me in going to college.
I went to a small school University of Maine. But
(12:22):
when I got there, and I'm sure you probably maybe
maybe you experienced this at the University of Oregon. The
amount of players that show up to college without desire
to go play at the next level. Did you ever
experience that? Did you ever find were there any guys
there that like.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Didn't really have or didn't really.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Like just kind of like you know, whether it was
fear that they weren't good enough or they just had
other interests.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
They just wanted to get to school for an education.
Speaker 7 (12:48):
But yeah, but as that just theren't for the wrong reasons.
And I got a jersey, that's all I wanted.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Right, they want to be the BMOC, right, big mental camp,
whatever it may be. But I say that to say,
some guys sneak through, and some guys get to the league.
But when they get there, second, third, fourth round or
you have da on drafted free agent, you can see
it in their eyes.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
You can see it in their eyes.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Right, that's right, And I think everybody, I gotta.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
I gotta go block Julius Peppers.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Look for the fans out there, for the fans out there.
The level of not only physical, right, the physical you know,
you can make up the physical piece in a lot
of ways. Right, there's guys that are outliers, but you're
there for a reason because you compete. But the mental
(13:40):
strain that is on there with the number of reps,
you know, your performance, you know those things that come
along with it is at a level that is unprecedented,
not not pressure, you know, not necessarily pressure, but you're
trying to perform at a level because you see the
guys that are out there, and you're holding your stuff
now to a noose standard. And so as you just described, man,
(14:02):
you're thinking, shoot, if I breathe the wrong way, this
brother gonna have my bags packed in cleets cle ship
back to Birmingham at home exactly exactly. So it's something
that it's something that to hear you say that is
it's surprising because I didn't realize, you know, the depth
of your story and coming out, I knew you got
(14:24):
it out the mud. You're one of those guys that
maybe your career was a little longer than expected, what
have you. But I didn't realize that. I don't think
I even knew that you were really an undrafted free
agent man. You just carried your your your game spoke
so so many it went so far for so long,
and you're a household name, the household name.
Speaker 6 (14:41):
Yeah, Like, what what are some things that you learned
from guys like Julius Pepper's Peanuts till Man, you know,
guys of that nature.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
A professional football player, Yeah, and when I say that,
they always preach to me like what I need to
do such timm with more so on the field, he
just catched me walking.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
He'd be like, yoyo, every time you get a chance,
go for that ball. No matter what situation you win,
is somebody by, go for that ball. You know.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Don't get Rando trying to go for it, but secure
the tackle and go for ball. Always preach that to me,
like young even when he got a Caroline, he always talking.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Yeah. Told me, he was like, yo yo, you gotta
be on time. You know what he said, Yo yo yo, yo,
yo yo, you gotta be on time. Man.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
You know, study of the playbook. Make sure you know this.
We're putting this in the next day. Make sure you
know that because he's gonna call on you, young guy.
He's gonna call on you. And sure enough I got
called on. You know what I'm saying, So you quick
positions to be prepared for what's coming, right, and my
(16:01):
head's off to those guys. Man. And the crazy thing
about it, you know, people know what I want him
to come in and take his position, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
But at the end of the day, he still coached
me up. I guess he's.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Seen you know that I had it in me to
be that d N, to be a d N in
the league, even at my size.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
So my head's off the pilp. But he always he always.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Coached me up man, And like I said, I incorporate
some in my game just by studying, you know, how
he played.
Speaker 6 (16:31):
It's always good to have, you know, that reassurance, especially
from a future Hall of Famer at that time. Right, Yes,
that's that confidence, right, we need we need that confidence
in this game because there's gonna be a lot of
down points in the career.
Speaker 7 (16:45):
There's gonna be a lot of ups.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
But to have a guy like Julius Peppers say, hey, look,
do things this way and you're gonna be all right.
That man taken notice in you, in your craft and
you and who you are. That's awesome because then you
come to Carolina, right, talk about that transition from especially
(17:08):
from the locker room standpoint, the differences and you know,
the aura or whatever because you came in the same
year that I'm trying to think was that the year
after CAM or the same year as Cam, the year
after Camp?
Speaker 7 (17:26):
Yeah, right, So like.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
There and he led and I got like in a twelve.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Yep, yeah, talk about that transition because that was the
beginning of Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
But then I was on like, you know, two more
other teams, and I was very blessed because.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Like I never got a predit squad chick.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
A team will come pick me up within like either
hours or like the next day. Right, So I was
real blessed, you know, thank God for that. And when
I got to Carolina, like, hands down, Carolina and I'm
gonna say Buffalo the two best locker rooms ever been
(18:11):
a part of. Because in my eyes, they were the
same locker room, same system. You know, when being and
Dermott took Carolina culture up there, it's the exact same
in the locker room and training the room.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Good people.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
So when I got to when I got to Carolina, man,
everybody embraced me. Like everybody was cool. Nobody will eric
at all. You know, we probably had people who talked
a lot, you know, Greg Olsen, you know Greg just
always talked with other than that. Man, Like, everybody was cool. Man,
even Cam come through. You know what I'm saying, you know,
(18:45):
talk a little crap to everybody, you know what I'm saying.
Everybody had a little fun and everybody loved each other
in that locker room. When I say loved each other,
we loved each other, bro, Like we'll go to walk
with each other.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's not getting there in twelve, right, and I'm already
saying what like the you guy woy go kill.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Gonna kill the guys.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
And I got my first sack in twenty twelve when
I got to Carolina. Speak about opportunity, man, like if
you if you got an opportunity season season, you know
what I'm saying, because they don't come around, especially like
a man.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
And there was in my position at the time, undrafted
free agent.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
We played Philip Rivers and the Chargers up in San
Diego and I got in, you know, a couple guy
head got some sacks.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I got in.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I got my first sack and it was a sat
Forge fumber m And I was so deeped up, y'all. Man,
I was so happy. I'm like, bro, just said Philip
River And it was a sad fORCH fumber yea bro.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
You couldn't tell me.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Now, bro, But not only that, the whole the look
on this like to look to the sideline and see
all your boys.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
You just met these guys.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
All the boys jump off charge, Greg Hardy, Frank Arizona,
the one, everybody just jumping up doing their.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Damn like, yeah, team for these guys, that's the brotherhood man. Man,
that's the brotherhood.
Speaker 6 (20:17):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
That's it's crazy, man. And I feel like I was.
I was playing for those guys. You know, at the
end of the day, I wanted to make the team,
and I wanted to be one of those d ns,
you know what I'm saying. But at the end of
the day, I was really playing for those guys to
my coaches, because everybody they believed in me, and then
the coaches they gave me an opportunity and then like
(20:40):
it's great. Thing is Eric Washington m hmm. He was
a D line coach at the time. Uh now he
the defense coordinator in Chicago. Right when I first got
there and the end of twelve, Aaron Watch asked me,
Mario right.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
From a defense end stan point, like, what are you
good at?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
And I told him, coach, I got speed, I'm good,
Like I'm good at coming off the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You're like, all right, like what else? What else You're good?
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Off that I'm like, you know, I'm gonna be honest
with your coach, you know, like I got to you know,
really a polish up everything else, you know, far as
hands and everything.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
He was like, okay, okay, okay, okay. So I had a.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Couple of things in my tool box, but I really
didn't know when to use the right So with Aaron Washington,
he'll for number coach, bestd line coach ever, like, hands
down for me, and a lot of people can doubts.
I would say one of the best line coaches that
ever coached in the NFL, one of the periods.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Definitely top five.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
Yeah, I can say that because I remember, just like
y'all going to meeting rooms. It was almost like y'all
couldn't wait to go to meeting rooms, like to just
be in the room, that defensive room. It was like, man,
I want to go in there, necks hang out because
there was a culture in there that I was like, Man,
we're gonna go in here and be great.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Yeah, you feel me.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
He gonna break everything down to the smaller molecule. And
he always taught me, Like, like I said, I had speed,
everybody I had speed, but he taught me how to
do everything off of speed. When a person is passive,
he told me, be aggressive with them. And when a
person is aggressive, speed your hands up. He told me
(22:34):
when the counter when to throw my long arm. Man,
he taught me all that stuff. And each year, and
this is why I stopped so long, Right, each year,
I found a way to get better.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Every year. And he always taught me, what you did.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Last year don't mean as it don't mean you got
to build it back up from the ground up. And
that's how I approached everything. Even when I had got
like a little deal there, I still feel like like
I'm trying to make this team, which I was. Even
when I got some money money years later, I still
(23:12):
approached everything the same, like I'm trying to make this
team no matter what. And that mindset that air Washing
installed me. Man, I'm feel grateful for it, and at
the end of the day, I still use it now.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
Yeah, that's being a pro. He taught you how to
be a pro.
Speaker 7 (23:29):
Man.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
You could tell I could tell you love Carolina, Man,
you love and it was so great last year. And
I could tell in Carolina loves you because when we
had you come out and join us down in Jacksonville,
and then last year when you came back for the
first time. I can always see who was present while
they were here by the reactions of folks in the organization.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
And when we stepped on the sideline.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
We were down in jacks last year for the Partner's
trip and you joined us and you spent some time
with folks.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Man, people lit up when it saw you.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Man. So so you can you can tell how you're
embraced and how much you and Brack and you can.
You can just hear it coming through your voice right now. Man.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Yeah, but we we we we love.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
I'm glad that you were a part of it, man,
But I want to take it back to Birmingham. Man,
what you're doing now, because you you out here getting
these cars looking clean.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
Man, we're gonna see you. You're gonna drove on up.
Let's look at to say it we got.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
So let's talk about this YouTube channel built by your
custom cars. An automotive professional. Tell us a little bit
of what you got going on? Man, how'd that start?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
All? Right? So, growing up, I always like going up.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I always like old school cars because me personally, I
grew up in the hood quote unquote and the big
time guys. You know, they had like old school cars
like cutting is money callos and stuff like that. I said, man,
I don't get some money, man, I'm gona giving me
by two old school cars man like period. So I
bought me on money callos in high school, right, And
(25:01):
I said, if I ever go to the NFL anything
on the business car, which is my white and orange
one of the colors that I usually drive to.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
That was my first car. I really went through, like
I really.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Built and what year?
Speaker 2 (25:17):
What year?
Speaker 4 (25:18):
What year was the money Carlo?
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Eighty five?
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Carlo? What about toes white and orange?
Speaker 7 (25:25):
Yeah? I was about to say why why nonge?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Yeah, because in high school, my mom brought me a
race car jacket. It was TONI Stewart home Depot, right,
I had that was whatever business it's gonna.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Be that color.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
And I talked to I actually got a chance to
meet tonin Steward too, and I told him that story.
And that's on the YouTube channel also. So now I
got a personal collection of cars. I have around about
forty five to feed the cars in my collection, right,
but also you know I I trade here now also,
(26:02):
and I got a great channel going on. Man, my
YouTube channel built by your Yeah, please like subscribe.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
Goody y'all.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
I know y'all love me too, please support. And I
got the igs built by yo in the TikTok built
by yr also. But the good thing about the YouTube
is what the thing, what I'm doing with it. So
I actually just just got monetized, so it's finished start,
you know rolling and the money that I get from YouTube,
(26:38):
I'm putting it back in the community. So you know,
I already do a lot of stuff with like Birmingham
and surrounding areas. So now that all the money that
I get from YouTube, it'll help me do more. You
always can do more, and that's always be my mindset.
You know, you can do that, do that, but you
always can do more. So all that money going straight
(26:59):
into it, you know, back into the community.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
So man, look you you you we talked about you know,
there's full circle here. You're talking about your back in Birmingham. Yeah,
And we talked about why your drive, We talked about
your your fuel was to not go go back, right
and we know you know you had you had a
(27:21):
tragedy in the family, right, what why what made you
now at the end of your career at a different
stage in life.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Say, you know what, that's gonna be home for me?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Right what did would would where a place that seems
like maybe it was a little bit harder, maybe a
little struggle.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Maybe there's some pain associated with that. Tell us, tell
us what made you make that decision?
Speaker 2 (27:45):
All right?
Speaker 3 (27:45):
So, like you said, the treasure deal from my baby brother,
Jamal Rodriguez, he got gunned down, he got killed. In
twenty nineteen. We actually was seeing the air coming back
from San France. We got our butt our butts kid,
and I would text my brother. He had told me
that you know, my brother got killed. Well he told
my brother had got shot up, and you know, like
(28:06):
for the five minute later he said he's gone, and
I can I can remember in twenty nineteen, Man, I'm
just standing up.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
On the plane and just said no, no.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
So I was like kind of screaming on the plane
like no, and Pope, big Pope grabbed me like you're good,
you good, bro, You're good brother, Like no, brother, they
just kept my little brother, you know what I'm saying.
And you know, I was just talking to the playerf Man,
I just kept saying, brother, they just killed my little brother.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
It's just killed my little brother, man, and I was
just just hot about that.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
But one of the reasons, like I wanted to come
back home, which I actually stayed in the suburb of
Birmingham which is GUARANDAE is Guardia, Alabama. So it's like,
you know, like the soulburbs, like got south Park and Charlotte.
It's like like south Park or Charlotte. And the reason
I'm back home for real, man, most of my family
(28:56):
is here. But I've been gone for so long, right,
I miss it, Like I did five years in college,
twelve years in the NFL, you know, and I spent
time more like throughout the years. I was only here
for maybe three months if that out the year. The
rest of the time I'm in whatever stated I was
(29:17):
playing for. And I remember, like every year, man, I
used to I do huge camps, you know, free, all
my events always been free. Always because like I said,
where I come from, I wanted to show people that
Mario ask and care, I didn't have an NFL player
to come, you know, talk to me and tell me, Mario,
you can achieve this.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
You can do that, you know.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
So I wanted to be that guy to them. So
I always said I wanted to be hands on with
everything I do. And I remember, like years I used
to fly back for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
You know, we'd be off. I used to always scheduled
like that. We used to be off.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Let's say we won a game, we off on a monthday,
you know, such and such, I'll fly down like like
I said, We're off on a Tuesday. I'll fly down
like late Monday and do my Turkey drive on Tuesday,
then fly back up right out the.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Turkey drive for perfect Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
And one time I missed it, right, I missed the
Turkey drive because, like I said, I'm used to giving it,
like giving all the turkeys like.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Me fai yeah yeah, and direction that they used to
give them. Man, it was priceless, and I felt so good.
I felt the best when I was giving back. Bro.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
That's why I'm so like, I'm so passionate about giving back,
you know what I'm saying. So the one time that
I did miss it because you know what I'm saying,
Coach had kind of turned the schedule around.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
It was different, so I couldn't be there and I.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Felt so bad, bro, even though everybody still got you
know what I'm saying they turkeys. Because I usually pick
my community I grew up and I pick a different
community every year. So I always start invite, said, which
is my community, I'll go there give away, then we'll
go to another community give away, give away the turkeys.
And I felt so bad that I missed Bro. I like, dang, Bro,
I really love these people. I really loved my people
(31:08):
in Birmingham. And when I got down, man, I was like,
you know what, I think I need to go back home.
And Birmingham needs me more than anything.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Now. It's right now, Man, it's a lot going on here.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
You know, I kind of stay out of the way,
but like I said, I still do my events and stuff,
but it's a lot of killing.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Man.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
These young guys, they don't have any guidance, no more
like me. I had a whole lot of older people
coaches instead of kind of mold.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Me to, you know, do the right thing.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
And then when I was young, you know, I used
to actually play any streets, you know, go out have
fun with young guys, just throughout the hood, different hoods,
just who's outside more. But now this generation, they don't
care about going to jail. Bro, they don't care about
losing their lives and they don't care about like just
killing people, and it's scary. Yeah, when I come in there,
(32:00):
I always try to, you know, try to talk to
the guys. I even do man and man means, you know,
to try to kick.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Some of the younger guys.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
That's and anybody can come to the man and man meaning,
but I want I'm trying to kick some of the
guys to just you know, try to mold them into
like tell.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Them it's more than just sports or more than just
being in your hood.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Basically that you can be a doctor, lawyer, you know,
everything other than you ain't got to be no football player.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
There's other things out there. A good doctor, lawy, just everything,
just all that in the nutshell.
Speaker 7 (32:33):
Man. Yeah, the.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
You are a man that understands community first of all,
because when you were talking earlier about your first experience
getting that sack with Philip Rivers and seeing your boys
on the on the sideline cheering for you, that's community.
That's what That's what we all like yearn for is
to be part of something and be part of something
that accepts you, that sees you, that understands you. Uh,
(33:02):
you know, we have we have two daughters. And the
one thing that I know about my daughters is they
need consistency. They need someone to step in and say, hey, look,
these are the boundaries, right, this is how this is.
Speaker 7 (33:20):
This is guidance.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
I'm gonna help you like figure this out because there's
a lot that you don't know. That's what that's why
we have that's why. You know, parents are you know,
so valuable, you know, and in the home, you know,
especially a man, right, Men are so much needed more
(33:42):
than ever because you have the cell phones, you have
the lack of interaction because of technology. Right, So these
kids are growing up being lost even more so having
guys like yourself, you know what I'm saying, pouring into
these individuals because you've experienced people pouring into you. Because
(34:04):
I know, for myself, I credit the men that has
been placed in my life to me where I'm at
because my dad wasn't around.
Speaker 7 (34:12):
My mom was a single mom. She can't be that like.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
She tried her best to raise two young men the
best of her ability, right, And and I credit God
in my life to be able to see you know,
you know, just because I didn't have you know, that
man presence, you know, as a father doesn't mean that
guy's not gonna deliver or show me other men doing
(34:38):
things the right way and for you and and just
knowing you a man that is so.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
Like passionate for community and understanding your part in that.
That's a huge, huge, huge, Yeah, it's just so commendable.
Speaker 6 (34:57):
And I think more men need to hear your story
story because I think we sometimes you know, hold ourselves back.
You know, we don't really sometimes feel like we're adequate, like, oh,
I'm not I don't have the tools to tell this
young man how to achieve or you know, have success
or get through their problems or whatever it is. But
(35:22):
just being there and I think what you said when
you said, I feel I felt so bad not being there.
Speaker 7 (35:30):
It's not what you're doing.
Speaker 6 (35:31):
Is the fact that you're there and exactly and being
able to be there with the experiences that you have
to share, right like the resources that God has been
able to bless you with being there and being something
that is present for your community is what I hear
(35:56):
you talking about. And I think if we as men
take that approach in our communities, we can turn things around.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
And I think oftentimes to follow up on that, I
think a lot of men and people in general don't
know where to start, right you just said, there's a.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
Lot going on in my community right now.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Yeah, some people will get discouraged because they don't know
where to begin. Where does the first conversation take place,
Where does the first hand on the shoulder get laid.
Who's the first school we should approach? Do they feel
at the first you know? And oftentimes there's a lot
of people in those positions that get discouraged because of
(36:38):
lack of funding, lack of support, lack of follow through,
and so you can almost feel helpless. And so for
you to just recognize, hey, look this is this is
this is my you know, heartbeat, this is my call
to action. This is my path to feeling fulfilled. That's
what you really want to attain and whatever it is,
(36:58):
it's it's the same way you are what your career.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Find a way, find a way.
Speaker 6 (37:04):
So man, I love that man, because also to the like,
I think we the discouragement piece right when you see
a big mess, right that gotta wash the dishes, all
them dishes, and that sick sh you shy away, Like, man,
I'll get it later. There's too much deal with right now, right,
But like I always when I when when I think
(37:26):
about you, Mario, every interaction that you have that I've
had with you, whether it be me being down or
out because I'm injured, we in the training room together,
ankles all jacked up, whatever it is, like you always
pointed out like, man, I'm just blessed. This is just
a blessing to be here, Like like I'm gonna be
(37:49):
I'm gonna be ready on Sunday. It hurt right now,
but i'ma be ready on Sunday. We're gonna be ready
on Sunday. Stud And like during practice, like you know, hey,
I was right there, Like when we try to stretch
that ball to the sideline, like.
Speaker 7 (38:06):
Hey, I was right there. I was right on your hill.
Speaker 6 (38:09):
To get him, you're going to get him getting he
was getting there. But just understanding, like there's just so
much value I think in the person that you are,
you know, and and so much to learn and take
away from that because we all need to have a
little bit of Mario in us. We all need to
(38:31):
have you know, that that positivity, that that mindset that
it might be bad right now, but it's gonna be okay,
and it might be real messy. But I just need
to be present for one. If I can be present
for one, that one can go be present for someone else.
(38:53):
And I love that and I love that approach and
that I mean everything that you've been speaking. Man, it's
given me. Give him a word, give me chills, he said,
He said, Lord, there's a mess.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
In the message.
Speaker 7 (39:08):
Yes, that's right, that's as in the message.
Speaker 6 (39:13):
At Lord Jesus, we come here today to just come
here to testify that we are here to touch one,
and the one will be able to go touch many
and and those that are far and few between.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Yes, Lord, Yes, Mario, Mario.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Man, Look what was it about your time here that
that allowed you to flourish as the past Russian in Carolina?
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Right?
Speaker 1 (39:37):
We talked about you talked about co Washington, you know.
But but what do you think was like the catalyst
for you to hit your stride here in Carolina?
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Like I said, I try to evolve every year, But
I can't say I did it all by myself.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
I'll be lying if I say that. But I always
had guys like you know, and I'm not even talking.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
About the d line room. We all hold each other
to a higher standard and we're gonna achieve it no
matter what. But I had also had guys behind me, Luke, Keatley,
Thomas Davis that I didn't want to let down like Luke,
but even Thomas, like these guys was like students of
(40:22):
the game. They used to study hard, right to put
guys like me in position. Now, if these guys gonna
study that hard to know this play coming here, this
coming there, they're going and all they gotta do is
just say Mario scoot overhill and Mario stunt there, or
Mario or just say Mario.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
And I know what it means.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
And I'm gonna listen right, and I'm gonna play my
ass off. Like in the game football, man, it's easy.
Know your job and do your job.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
And like Luke, Luke put me in so many positions, bro,
I can't even tell y'all, man.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
When when it give give me your first Luke shout
out to Luke.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Right, he's obviously Luke is is now going to be
eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class twenty
twenty five. Right is he's gonna be on the ballot.
We all got a fingers crossed hoping that he gets
across that line. Sign up what was your first recollection
of Man, this dude really superman? What was your first
Luke experience that you said, Man, I got to play
(41:25):
with a cat like this.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I can't even say first, but it's so many.
Speaker 7 (41:31):
I seen.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
The way like, all right, we're playing, See who's playing?
I just call out a team who're playing? Maybe I
want to take the science Breeze would like shouting out
the audible to play this that that that that the
more he did this, that that that that Luke did,
did that that? Yeah, so they out a pass play
(42:01):
in a randy.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
We didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
All we know is it's third and long, right, they
throw this sucker and my eggs panting back. So I'm
ready to rush Luke. Luke like Mario, Mario.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
Like stunning the big out right. I'm like in my head,
I'm like.
Speaker 7 (42:24):
Hell.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
To get this cornerback.
Speaker 7 (42:29):
You got.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
Ready to take off.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
To Look, I stunned in the b gut that was
in the gun, right, and when I stand it in
the big gap, he handed the ball off. I made
the running back bubble and he kind of you know,
like I made him bubble back like three yards and
Luke got the tackle for loss. Right, So if I would,
(42:54):
if I would have cleaned my foot or just a little,
I would have had a sack. I'm not a sack,
but the tackle for I would have had that right, right,
But he put me in that position, and that's still
a factor because I in that plate right and.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
In my head out like, brother, how did you know this?
You know me? I steady fail.
Speaker 6 (43:20):
I mean for the listening for people, the people that
are listening right now, this is so valuable. It would
almost be like if I'm a running back, Cam hand
me the ball off and he said, hey, look as
I'm hitting. As I'm getting the ball, he telled me, hey,
cut it back. It's wide open. It would be almost
like that what you're explaining to me. And I cut
(43:43):
it back and I hit a home run? Right, I
score a touchdown whatever, first down. And like to have
a guy like that behind you and just being able
to like basically just tell you what to do and
you just trust it, like because because it's because it's
proven to pudding like that's that's something that does not
(44:05):
come around often. That doesn't happen often. Nobody has a
guy like that playing the linebacker position on every team.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
That's a that's a D line dream dream to have
a seventeen year and Thomas Davis to have a guy
like I mean, I feel like it was.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
It was.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
It was a race to the ball with the linebackers
that were and you a D line and y'all had
some speed of D line too, right, some athletes competition.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
Yeah, Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 6 (44:35):
That's amazing, great Shire Like with everything that's going on
right now with Carolina Panthers. You know, the transition the
season last year. This year, rough start two games, they lost.
Yesterday they announced that Bryce Young is benched. The defense
right now is trying to figure out, you know, what
(44:55):
they're going to bring to the table, having a hard time,
you know, establishing the.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
Big loss to Derek Brown.
Speaker 7 (45:00):
Yeah, with the big dolos of.
Speaker 6 (45:01):
Derek Brown being able to stop the run and all
those types of things that you want out of your
defense were not necessarily getting right now, if you could
say one thing to the Carolina Panthers as a not
just a vet but a legend, what would you say.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
To them right now? Man? I tell those guys the
trust Inner eight.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
Ape, the A stand for attitude, the P stand for preparation,
in the stand for Elford. If those guys trust those three,
everything else man will come easy.
Speaker 7 (45:41):
Yeah, that's that inner eight. That's that Ron Rivera.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
A couple about that. Like it to me too. Attitude,
preparation and effort, control and controllable.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Control, the control man.
Speaker 7 (45:57):
Mario, what is that? Man?
Speaker 2 (45:59):
Mario?
Speaker 6 (46:00):
Appreciate you, bro, Thank you for your time. Thank you
for sharing with us, being vulnerable. It's always good hearing you, man,
hearing your voice. It just brings a smile on my face,
just gives me chills.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
Man.
Speaker 6 (46:13):
Just keep on doing your thing with the cars. Everybody,
make sure you tune into what Mario's doing. Hold the keys,
because he's not just doing things that he's passionate about.
He's spreading his passion with his city, with his community,
giving back and hopefully you're listening to this you're inspired
to do the same.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
We need you back. Come on back, Charlotte Waite, you
know you know what I'm calling. All right, then, Mario Wadison,
Panthers legend Yoh, we appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
I appreciate you all,
We're the thirteenth big in the two thousand and eight
NFL draft.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Caroline in half their select.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Jonathan Stewart gives to Stewart, He leaves touched up.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Stewart oh Rough tough right, angry, mad out at elbows, knees.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates. That's what I'm talking about. Fits the
smash ball football contain Stuart Kyt running around.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Stuart jump over a tackler at the tenth flows up,
flowers his shoulder, keeps running.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
No one will touch him.
Speaker 5 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart house is it you talk about.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Explosive plays in the run game. It's like the fourth
of July around here right now you are listening to
Stu and the crew. Now to Jonathan Stewarts and Jeremy Kelly.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Back for another episode. This time we got a special guest.
Is my guy right here?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Man?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
We first we got to we got to really know
each other last year. But but we've met long before that.
But we're excited to introduce you.
Speaker 6 (00:58):
Mario Addison, twelve year NFL VET, straight up dog fast,
is all out of know, probably one of the fastest
defensive ends I've ever ever seen.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I mean, you see him now he look like a receiver.
Twelve year NFL career, undrafted out of Troy University, got
it out the mud, tied third all time in Panthers
history with the one and only Mike Rutgers in.
Speaker 6 (01:25):
Sacks, playing only behind guys like Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Oh yeah, Mario, great to have you on the show man,
another episode of Stut and the Crew.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
How are you doing today, brother, I'm.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Doing well, man, Glad to be on the show.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
We appreciate you making some time man, Mario.
Speaker 6 (01:49):
Mario, huh, you were a undrafted free agent to Chicago.
Speaker 7 (01:57):
Yep, like you.
Speaker 6 (02:00):
You had a career as an undrafted free agent that
people dream of. Different Like what was your motivation when
you was undrafted and got picked up in Chicago? Like
take us through, Take us through the mindset of young
Mario as as best as possible.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Okay, So my senior year in college, I was balling
at first and then I broke my hand. I broke
my hand against U A B at U A B,
which I am from Birmingham.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So that was my first time I.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Were playing at home in front of my home crowd
at they home is stay Home Stadium though, and then
I broke my hand, right, I broke my hand there.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And after I broke my hand, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I got a little discouraged because I was like, you know,
I'm already small, really inexperience in the d N position.
I was just you know, I had speed and you know,
as I went because in high school I was a
running back in the quarterback he was running back. Actually yeah,
I actually learned the position as I went. So I
(03:10):
broke my hand whatever, you know, I still find the
season with a club like them, had sex as a
DN at Troy University. And then so it's time to
go to the you know, get ready for the draft
and all that. You know, I was getting calls all
the way through the drafts and telling me they started
like like round three, be ready by to pick you up,
(03:31):
be ready ready?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Did you go to the combine Mario?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I didn't. I didn't go.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I just jeft pro da because at the time I
still had like like a little man the cast on.
Speaker 7 (03:41):
Wh did you run? Where did you run out your
pro day? Forty prod?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I ran like a full five to two.
Speaker 7 (03:49):
You four eight two.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
They lied, They lied.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
On the West car it was our way two forty
probably two forty three. I was like, yeah, and we
are a man. So all right, the draft went on,
didn't get picked. So I really didn't know about the
free agent thing, you know what I'm saying, Like, you know,
(04:15):
kind of in the dark on that. I was like, well,
my career, well football, you know, it's kind of over.
You know, I gotta find something else to do. But
then you know, my agent, like you know, you can
go free agent.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
You know you can. Now it's like the bass in
your court.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
You can kind of like pick the teams, the teams
that want you know what I'm saying, you can pick
between those Teams's.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
One you think the scheme that you playing played there.
So I ended up picking.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Chicago and because of robber Manelli and in Troy we
had the same scheme. Hey, y'all, I just had I
just came from the Dennis. So if you see my
little look a little weird, it's because I had to
say that.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Type commitment.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
He's still numbed up, you drooling, get yourself on nap, hey, trying.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
To get right, y'all bet with me.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Look, So so I chose I chose Chicago and Uh.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
To be honest, man, I was scared. I ain't gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I was scared because I wasn't a true DN like
I said, I just had mad speed and going into
assistment like that. You got Juleis Pebble, you know, big eggs.
On the other side, it was some dolls bro on
that team, like some dogs, and I'm like, ship, like,
how I'm gonna make this team? I don't know, but
(05:38):
but I do know. I got hard right, I'm light
and I'm blazing out the edge and it was times
bro like doing camp. Man, I'm coming off the ball man,
and this big guy who I'm trying to defeat to
get to the quarterback right.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Just grabbed me.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
And I'm like, because I want I want to used
to really just throwing hands really because I had the
speed just to run around. So I learned right away
that speed is good, but you got to have account
move and you got to do everything off of speed.
You ain't just in the outrunning this big boy because
they out let it. Now you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 7 (06:15):
College run around easy and they got their hands nowhere.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Bro.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
So at practice one day I got home with that
practice quick, I'm definitely runing around. I ran around, Bru
grabbed me like this and kind of you know, just
hold me and I couldn't get off for I'm doing
like this might how to use my hands, right, So
then I learned how to man that. They taught me
(06:41):
a couple of moves and stuff. You know what I'm saying,
how to you know, defeat this and that off the
you know what I'm saying off the speed. And then
I just kept playing with it in that but I
was study guys like, hey, you know what I'm saying
out the edge, seeing what they were doing, right, and
I was kind of incorporating that into what I was doing.
So well, maybe what really gave me, like what stuck
(07:04):
in my head was a Mario like you you came
this part, ain't nobody stopping you.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
But you.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Know, you got this the opportunity, like you're gonna sell
out every day, every play, or you're behind, gonna be
back in Birmingham, right. I didn't want to be back
in Birmingham. So every day practice, man, I try to
do some to you know, stick in the coach's head
because when you free agent and they don't have anything
(07:35):
investing in you, you, You're the first one out the door, right,
And and then it was other free agents too there
with me. That was you know what I'm saying, trying
to make the team also, and they was true d
ends while I was just athlete and.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I beat some of those guys out, man, and I
made the team.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I was like, I was so happy, Yeah when I
made the team, but I knew like making the team
it was okay, But the hardest part was staying on
the team.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
That's the hardest part ever, man, Right.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And you never say I knew that I.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Had the talent to play, but I knew I had
to you know, polise it up.
Speaker 7 (08:15):
Look at Yeah, what does that mean?
Speaker 6 (08:18):
You know when you're talking about I didn't want to
go back to Birmingham, right, you know from back you
didn't want to go back to your hometown, Like you
just got out of college and here you are in Chicago,
new city and yeah, big city, right, Yeah, you're on
a large platform. Everybody has expectations out of any team
(08:38):
that coming out of Chicago. When you said I didn't
want to go back to Birmingham, what does that mean?
Speaker 7 (08:46):
All right?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
For me? That means I don't want to go back
home and work up.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I don't want to work there, right, I don't want
to find a job back home like I've been going
this long for college. I actually want to do something
that I love doing, which was playing football. So I
didn't want to go home and work. You know what
I'm saying every day nine five? I wanted to be
playing football. That's what I mean by not.
Speaker 7 (09:11):
Going back like loving the game.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
You had an opportunity, but you had to by any
means necessarily based on your description, right, I mean, and
that's what you're going as, Right, you're really blank slate,
raw talent stepping into a defense that had guys like
Julius Peppers, Briggs, Brian Lacker, Peanut Tillman.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
What was what was your experience?
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Like, you know, as you just described it, But when
you step on the field as an undrafted free agent
out of Troy and you're seeing these guys who were
just in the Super Bowl, you know a few years prior,
what were the first thoughts going through your.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
Mind stepping into that defensive meeting room?
Speaker 7 (09:49):
A bet of a blessing?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Right, yeah, you got but it could be one of
two ways, right, They either they either it's two ways.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
So I was I was very excited to be around
those guys, but I was timid and scared at the
same time that you know, I couldn't mess up, right,
So I'm walking on eggs shells bro, like like you
just said, like, let's say, went the defensive room right
with everybody in there, pean up, everybody onto my everybody
(10:21):
there like these some big time playoffs, and me, I
didn't look at myself. I didn't know what I looked
at myself. Bro, you know what I'm saying. I ain't
know what the hell I was in there. I was
just I just knew I was a young guy, just
scared as hell. Like I was quiet and stud you
know me, I got like a big personality.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I was so quiet, man.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
Like, just trying to figure it out. Trying to figure
it out.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Bro, and should I had my mouth closed, bro. But
then when you have a guy like Mary Nella and
the come up doesn't talk right. So this way scared
me even more. Man, that ain't nothing to play with,
Rob Mayn. Nelly ain't nothing to play with. And when
I heard him tell one of the top players.
Speaker 7 (11:13):
You wanna be here, go home, Go home, he.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Told a top player that bro, I'm like, yep, yere
it is, I'm going home. So when he talked about
I ain't.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Gonna n a player, but a big name player, he said,
if you don't want to be here, go home.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
I'm like, like that you time, you know what out?
Speaker 7 (11:44):
Oh God.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
So that day I looked at him like totally different.
I said yes, sir, no, sir so much to him.
I know he probably said, hey, man, look here, you
ain't got to say yes sir, no, sir that much,
man I.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Was.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think your emotion and your recollection of your rookie
year in the NFL is probably synonymous with a lot
of guys that come in, including you know, there's there's
there's guys that come in its top round picks. I
think they probably still feel the same way. One of
the things that really surprised me in going to college.
I went to a small school University of Maine. But
(12:22):
when I got there, and I'm sure you probably maybe
maybe you experienced this at the University of Oregon. The
amount of players that show up to college without desire
to go play at the next level. Did you ever
experience that? Did you ever find were there any guys
there that like.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Didn't really have or didn't really.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Like just kind of like you know, whether it was
fear that they weren't good enough or they just had
other interests.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
They just wanted to get to school for an education.
Speaker 7 (12:48):
But yeah, but as that just theren't for the wrong reasons.
And I got a jersey, that's all I wanted.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Right, they want to be the BMOC, right, big mental camp,
whatever it may be. But I say that to say,
some guys sneak through, and some guys get to the league.
But when they get there, second, third, fourth round or
you have da on drafted free agent, you can see
it in their eyes.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
You can see it in their eyes.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Right, that's right, And I think everybody, I gotta.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
I gotta go block Julius Peppers.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Look for the fans out there, for the fans out there.
The level of not only physical, right, the physical you know,
you can make up the physical piece in a lot
of ways. Right, there's guys that are outliers, but you're
there for a reason because you compete. But the mental
(13:40):
strain that is on there with the number of reps,
you know, your performance, you know those things that come
along with it is at a level that is unprecedented,
not not pressure, you know, not necessarily pressure, but you're
trying to perform at a level because you see the
guys that are out there, and you're holding your stuff
now to a noose standard. And so as you just described, man,
(14:02):
you're thinking, shoot, if I breathe the wrong way, this
brother gonna have my bags packed in cleets cle ship
back to Birmingham at home exactly exactly. So it's something
that it's something that to hear you say that is
it's surprising because I didn't realize, you know, the depth
of your story and coming out, I knew you got
(14:24):
it out the mud. You're one of those guys that
maybe your career was a little longer than expected, what
have you. But I didn't realize that. I don't think
I even knew that you were really an undrafted free
agent man. You just carried your your your game spoke
so so many it went so far for so long,
and you're a household name, the household name.
Speaker 6 (14:41):
Yeah, Like, what what are some things that you learned
from guys like Julius Pepper's Peanuts till Man, you know,
guys of that nature.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
A professional football player, Yeah, and when I say that,
they always preach to me like what I need to
do such timm with more so on the field, he
just catched me walking.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
He'd be like, yoyo, every time you get a chance,
go for that ball. No matter what situation you win,
is somebody by, go for that ball. You know.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Don't get Rando trying to go for it, but secure
the tackle and go for ball. Always preach that to me,
like young even when he got a Caroline, he always talking.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Yeah. Told me, he was like, yo yo, you gotta
be on time. You know what he said, Yo yo yo, yo,
yo yo, you gotta be on time. Man.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
You know, study of the playbook. Make sure you know this.
We're putting this in the next day. Make sure you
know that because he's gonna call on you, young guy.
He's gonna call on you. And sure enough I got
called on. You know what I'm saying, So you quick
positions to be prepared for what's coming, right, and my
(16:01):
head's off to those guys. Man. And the crazy thing
about it, you know, people know what I want him
to come in and take his position, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
But at the end of the day, he still coached
me up. I guess he's.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Seen you know that I had it in me to
be that d N, to be a d N in
the league, even at my size.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
So my head's off the pilp. But he always he always.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Coached me up man, And like I said, I incorporate
some in my game just by studying, you know, how
he played.
Speaker 6 (16:31):
It's always good to have, you know, that reassurance, especially
from a future Hall of Famer at that time. Right, Yes,
that's that confidence, right, we need we need that confidence
in this game because there's gonna be a lot of
down points in the career.
Speaker 7 (16:45):
There's gonna be a lot of ups.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
But to have a guy like Julius Peppers say, hey, look,
do things this way and you're gonna be all right.
That man taken notice in you, in your craft and
you and who you are. That's awesome because then you
come to Carolina, right, talk about that transition from especially
(17:08):
from the locker room standpoint, the differences and you know,
the aura or whatever because you came in the same
year that I'm trying to think was that the year
after CAM or the same year as Cam, the year
after Camp?
Speaker 7 (17:26):
Yeah, right, So like.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
There and he led and I got like in a twelve.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Yep, yeah, talk about that transition because that was the
beginning of Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
But then I was on like, you know, two more
other teams, and I was very blessed because.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Like I never got a predit squad chick.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
A team will come pick me up within like either
hours or like the next day. Right, So I was
real blessed, you know, thank God for that. And when
I got to Carolina, like, hands down, Carolina and I'm
gonna say Buffalo the two best locker rooms ever been
(18:11):
a part of. Because in my eyes, they were the
same locker room, same system. You know, when being and
Dermott took Carolina culture up there, it's the exact same
in the locker room and training the room.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Good people.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
So when I got to when I got to Carolina, man,
everybody embraced me. Like everybody was cool. Nobody will eric
at all. You know, we probably had people who talked
a lot, you know, Greg Olsen, you know Greg just
always talked with other than that. Man, Like, everybody was cool. Man,
even Cam come through. You know what I'm saying, you know,
(18:45):
talk a little crap to everybody, you know what I'm saying.
Everybody had a little fun and everybody loved each other
in that locker room. When I say loved each other,
we loved each other, bro, Like we'll go to walk
with each other.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's not getting there in twelve, right, and I'm already
saying what like the you guy woy go kill.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Gonna kill the guys.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
And I got my first sack in twenty twelve when
I got to Carolina. Speak about opportunity, man, like if
you if you got an opportunity season season, you know
what I'm saying, because they don't come around, especially like
a man.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
And there was in my position at the time, undrafted
free agent.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
We played Philip Rivers and the Chargers up in San
Diego and I got in, you know, a couple guy
head got some sacks.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I got in.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I got my first sack and it was a sat
Forge fumber m And I was so deeped up, y'all. Man,
I was so happy. I'm like, bro, just said Philip
River And it was a sad fORCH fumber yea bro.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
You couldn't tell me.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Now, bro, But not only that, the whole the look
on this like to look to the sideline and see
all your boys.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
You just met these guys.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
All the boys jump off charge, Greg Hardy, Frank Arizona,
the one, everybody just jumping up doing their.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Damn like, yeah, team for these guys, that's the brotherhood man. Man,
that's the brotherhood.
Speaker 6 (20:17):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
That's it's crazy, man. And I feel like I was.
I was playing for those guys. You know, at the
end of the day, I wanted to make the team,
and I wanted to be one of those d ns,
you know what I'm saying. But at the end of
the day, I was really playing for those guys to
my coaches, because everybody they believed in me, and then
the coaches they gave me an opportunity and then like
(20:40):
it's great. Thing is Eric Washington m hmm. He was
a D line coach at the time. Uh now he
the defense coordinator in Chicago. Right when I first got
there and the end of twelve, Aaron Watch asked me,
Mario right.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
From a defense end stan point, like, what are you
good at?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
And I told him, coach, I got speed, I'm good,
Like I'm good at coming off the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You're like, all right, like what else? What else You're good?
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Off that I'm like, you know, I'm gonna be honest
with your coach, you know, like I got to you know,
really a polish up everything else, you know, far as
hands and everything.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
He was like, okay, okay, okay, okay. So I had a.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Couple of things in my tool box, but I really
didn't know when to use the right So with Aaron Washington,
he'll for number coach, bestd line coach ever, like, hands
down for me, and a lot of people can doubts.
I would say one of the best line coaches that
ever coached in the NFL, one of the periods.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Definitely top five.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
Yeah, I can say that because I remember, just like
y'all going to meeting rooms. It was almost like y'all
couldn't wait to go to meeting rooms, like to just
be in the room, that defensive room. It was like, man,
I want to go in there, necks hang out because
there was a culture in there that I was like, Man,
we're gonna go in here and be great.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Yeah, you feel me.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
He gonna break everything down to the smaller molecule. And
he always taught me, Like, like I said, I had speed,
everybody I had speed, but he taught me how to
do everything off of speed. When a person is passive,
he told me, be aggressive with them. And when a
person is aggressive, speed your hands up. He told me
(22:34):
when the counter when to throw my long arm. Man,
he taught me all that stuff. And each year, and
this is why I stopped so long, Right, each year,
I found a way to get better.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Every year. And he always taught me, what you did.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Last year don't mean as it don't mean you got
to build it back up from the ground up. And
that's how I approached everything. Even when I had got
like a little deal there, I still feel like like
I'm trying to make this team, which I was. Even
when I got some money money years later, I still
(23:12):
approached everything the same, like I'm trying to make this
team no matter what. And that mindset that air Washing
installed me. Man, I'm feel grateful for it, and at
the end of the day, I still use it now.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
Yeah, that's being a pro. He taught you how to
be a pro.
Speaker 7 (23:29):
Man.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
You could tell I could tell you love Carolina, Man,
you love and it was so great last year. And
I could tell in Carolina loves you because when we
had you come out and join us down in Jacksonville,
and then last year when you came back for the
first time. I can always see who was present while
they were here by the reactions of folks in the organization.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
And when we stepped on the sideline.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
We were down in jacks last year for the Partner's
trip and you joined us and you spent some time
with folks.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Man, people lit up when it saw you.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Man. So so you can you can tell how you're
embraced and how much you and Brack and you can.
You can just hear it coming through your voice right now. Man.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Yeah, but we we we we love.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
I'm glad that you were a part of it, man,
But I want to take it back to Birmingham. Man,
what you're doing now, because you you out here getting
these cars looking clean.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
Man, we're gonna see you. You're gonna drove on up.
Let's look at to say it we got.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
So let's talk about this YouTube channel built by your
custom cars. An automotive professional. Tell us a little bit
of what you got going on? Man, how'd that start?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
All? Right? So, growing up, I always like going up.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I always like old school cars because me personally, I
grew up in the hood quote unquote and the big
time guys. You know, they had like old school cars
like cutting is money callos and stuff like that. I said, man,
I don't get some money, man, I'm gona giving me
by two old school cars man like period. So I
bought me on money callos in high school, right, And
(25:01):
I said, if I ever go to the NFL anything
on the business car, which is my white and orange
one of the colors that I usually drive to.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
That was my first car. I really went through, like
I really.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Built and what year?
Speaker 2 (25:17):
What year?
Speaker 4 (25:18):
What year was the money Carlo?
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Eighty five?
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Carlo? What about toes white and orange?
Speaker 7 (25:25):
Yeah? I was about to say why why nonge?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Yeah, because in high school, my mom brought me a
race car jacket. It was TONI Stewart home Depot, right,
I had that was whatever business it's gonna.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Be that color.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
And I talked to I actually got a chance to
meet tonin Steward too, and I told him that story.
And that's on the YouTube channel also. So now I
got a personal collection of cars. I have around about
forty five to feed the cars in my collection, right,
but also you know I I trade here now also,
(26:02):
and I got a great channel going on. Man, my
YouTube channel built by your Yeah, please like subscribe.
Speaker 7 (26:11):
Goody y'all.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
I know y'all love me too, please support. And I
got the igs built by yo in the TikTok built
by yr also. But the good thing about the YouTube
is what the thing, what I'm doing with it. So
I actually just just got monetized, so it's finished start,
you know rolling and the money that I get from YouTube,
(26:38):
I'm putting it back in the community. So you know,
I already do a lot of stuff with like Birmingham
and surrounding areas. So now that all the money that
I get from YouTube, it'll help me do more. You
always can do more, and that's always be my mindset.
You know, you can do that, do that, but you
always can do more. So all that money going straight
(26:59):
into it, you know, back into the community.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
So man, look you you you we talked about you know,
there's full circle here. You're talking about your back in Birmingham. Yeah,
And we talked about why your drive, We talked about
your your fuel was to not go go back, right
and we know you know you had you had a
(27:21):
tragedy in the family, right, what why what made you
now at the end of your career at a different
stage in life.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
Say, you know what, that's gonna be home for me?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Right what did would would where a place that seems
like maybe it was a little bit harder, maybe a
little struggle.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Maybe there's some pain associated with that. Tell us, tell
us what made you make that decision?
Speaker 2 (27:45):
All right?
Speaker 3 (27:45):
So, like you said, the treasure deal from my baby brother,
Jamal Rodriguez, he got gunned down, he got killed. In
twenty nineteen. We actually was seeing the air coming back
from San France. We got our butt our butts kid,
and I would text my brother. He had told me
that you know, my brother got killed. Well he told
my brother had got shot up, and you know, like
(28:06):
for the five minute later he said he's gone, and
I can I can remember in twenty nineteen, Man, I'm
just standing up.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
On the plane and just said no, no.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
So I was like kind of screaming on the plane
like no, and Pope, big Pope grabbed me like you're good,
you good, bro, You're good brother, Like no, brother, they
just kept my little brother, you know what I'm saying.
And you know, I was just talking to the playerf Man,
I just kept saying, brother, they just killed my little brother.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
It's just killed my little brother, man, and I was
just just hot about that.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
But one of the reasons, like I wanted to come
back home, which I actually stayed in the suburb of
Birmingham which is GUARANDAE is Guardia, Alabama. So it's like,
you know, like the soulburbs, like got south Park and Charlotte.
It's like like south Park or Charlotte. And the reason
I'm back home for real, man, most of my family
(28:56):
is here. But I've been gone for so long, right,
I miss it, Like I did five years in college,
twelve years in the NFL, you know, and I spent
time more like throughout the years. I was only here
for maybe three months if that out the year. The
rest of the time I'm in whatever stated I was
(29:17):
playing for. And I remember, like every year, man, I
used to I do huge camps, you know, free, all
my events always been free. Always because like I said,
where I come from, I wanted to show people that
Mario ask and care, I didn't have an NFL player
to come, you know, talk to me and tell me, Mario,
you can achieve this.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
You can do that, you know.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
So I wanted to be that guy to them. So
I always said I wanted to be hands on with
everything I do. And I remember, like years I used
to fly back for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
You know, we'd be off. I used to always scheduled
like that. We used to be off.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Let's say we won a game, we off on a monthday,
you know, such and such, I'll fly down like like
I said, We're off on a Tuesday. I'll fly down
like late Monday and do my Turkey drive on Tuesday,
then fly back up right out the.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Turkey drive for perfect Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
And one time I missed it, right, I missed the
Turkey drive because, like I said, I'm used to giving it,
like giving all the turkeys like.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Me fai yeah yeah, and direction that they used to
give them. Man, it was priceless, and I felt so good.
I felt the best when I was giving back. Bro.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
That's why I'm so like, I'm so passionate about giving back,
you know what I'm saying. So the one time that
I did miss it because you know what I'm saying,
Coach had kind of turned the schedule around.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
It was different, so I couldn't be there and I.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Felt so bad, bro, even though everybody still got you
know what I'm saying they turkeys. Because I usually pick
my community I grew up and I pick a different
community every year. So I always start invite, said, which
is my community, I'll go there give away, then we'll
go to another community give away, give away the turkeys.
And I felt so bad that I missed Bro. I like, dang, Bro,
I really love these people. I really loved my people
(31:08):
in Birmingham. And when I got down, man, I was like,
you know what, I think I need to go back home.
And Birmingham needs me more than anything.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Now. It's right now, Man, it's a lot going on here.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
You know, I kind of stay out of the way,
but like I said, I still do my events and stuff,
but it's a lot of killing.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Man.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
These young guys, they don't have any guidance, no more
like me. I had a whole lot of older people
coaches instead of kind of mold.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Me to, you know, do the right thing.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
And then when I was young, you know, I used
to actually play any streets, you know, go out have
fun with young guys, just throughout the hood, different hoods,
just who's outside more. But now this generation, they don't
care about going to jail. Bro, they don't care about
losing their lives and they don't care about like just
killing people, and it's scary. Yeah, when I come in there,
(32:00):
I always try to, you know, try to talk to
the guys. I even do man and man means, you know,
to try to kick.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Some of the younger guys.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
That's and anybody can come to the man and man meaning,
but I want I'm trying to kick some of the
guys to just you know, try to mold them into
like tell.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Them it's more than just sports or more than just
being in your hood.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Basically that you can be a doctor, lawyer, you know,
everything other than you ain't got to be no football player.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
There's other things out there. A good doctor, lawy, just everything,
just all that in the nutshell.
Speaker 7 (32:33):
Man. Yeah, the.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
You are a man that understands community first of all,
because when you were talking earlier about your first experience
getting that sack with Philip Rivers and seeing your boys
on the on the sideline cheering for you, that's community.
That's what That's what we all like yearn for is
to be part of something and be part of something
that accepts you, that sees you, that understands you. Uh,
(33:02):
you know, we have we have two daughters. And the
one thing that I know about my daughters is they
need consistency. They need someone to step in and say, hey, look,
these are the boundaries, right, this is how this is.
Speaker 7 (33:20):
This is guidance.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
I'm gonna help you like figure this out because there's
a lot that you don't know. That's what that's why
we have that's why. You know, parents are you know,
so valuable, you know, and in the home, you know,
especially a man, right, Men are so much needed more
(33:42):
than ever because you have the cell phones, you have
the lack of interaction because of technology. Right, So these
kids are growing up being lost even more so having
guys like yourself, you know what I'm saying, pouring into
these individuals because you've experienced people pouring into you. Because
(34:04):
I know, for myself, I credit the men that has
been placed in my life to me where I'm at
because my dad wasn't around.
Speaker 7 (34:12):
My mom was a single mom. She can't be that like.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
She tried her best to raise two young men the
best of her ability, right, And and I credit God
in my life to be able to see you know,
you know, just because I didn't have you know, that
man presence, you know, as a father doesn't mean that
guy's not gonna deliver or show me other men doing
(34:38):
things the right way and for you and and just
knowing you a man that is so.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
Like passionate for community and understanding your part in that.
That's a huge, huge, huge, Yeah, it's just so commendable.
Speaker 6 (34:57):
And I think more men need to hear your story
story because I think we sometimes you know, hold ourselves back.
You know, we don't really sometimes feel like we're adequate, like, oh,
I'm not I don't have the tools to tell this
young man how to achieve or you know, have success
or get through their problems or whatever it is. But
(35:22):
just being there and I think what you said when
you said, I feel I felt so bad not being there.
Speaker 7 (35:30):
It's not what you're doing.
Speaker 6 (35:31):
Is the fact that you're there and exactly and being
able to be there with the experiences that you have
to share, right like the resources that God has been
able to bless you with being there and being something
that is present for your community is what I hear
(35:56):
you talking about. And I think if we as men
take that approach in our communities, we can turn things around.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
And I think oftentimes to follow up on that, I
think a lot of men and people in general don't
know where to start, right you just said, there's a.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
Lot going on in my community right now.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Yeah, some people will get discouraged because they don't know
where to begin. Where does the first conversation take place,
Where does the first hand on the shoulder get laid.
Who's the first school we should approach? Do they feel
at the first you know? And oftentimes there's a lot
of people in those positions that get discouraged because of
(36:38):
lack of funding, lack of support, lack of follow through,
and so you can almost feel helpless. And so for
you to just recognize, hey, look this is this is
this is my you know, heartbeat, this is my call
to action. This is my path to feeling fulfilled. That's
what you really want to attain and whatever it is,
(36:58):
it's it's the same way you are what your career.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Find a way, find a way.
Speaker 6 (37:04):
So man, I love that man, because also to the like,
I think we the discouragement piece right when you see
a big mess, right that gotta wash the dishes, all
them dishes, and that sick sh you shy away, Like, man,
I'll get it later. There's too much deal with right now, right,
But like I always when I when when I think
(37:26):
about you, Mario, every interaction that you have that I've
had with you, whether it be me being down or
out because I'm injured, we in the training room together,
ankles all jacked up, whatever it is, like you always
pointed out like, man, I'm just blessed. This is just
a blessing to be here, Like like I'm gonna be
(37:49):
I'm gonna be ready on Sunday. It hurt right now,
but i'ma be ready on Sunday. We're gonna be ready
on Sunday. Stud And like during practice, like you know, hey,
I was right there, Like when we try to stretch
that ball to the sideline, like.
Speaker 7 (38:06):
Hey, I was right there. I was right on your hill.
Speaker 6 (38:09):
To get him, you're going to get him getting he
was getting there. But just understanding, like there's just so
much value I think in the person that you are,
you know, and and so much to learn and take
away from that because we all need to have a
little bit of Mario in us. We all need to
(38:31):
have you know, that that positivity, that that mindset that
it might be bad right now, but it's gonna be okay,
and it might be real messy. But I just need
to be present for one. If I can be present
for one, that one can go be present for someone else.
(38:53):
And I love that and I love that approach and
that I mean everything that you've been speaking. Man, it's
given me. Give him a word, give me chills, he said,
He said, Lord, there's a mess.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
In the message.
Speaker 7 (39:08):
Yes, that's right, that's as in the message.
Speaker 6 (39:13):
At Lord Jesus, we come here today to just come
here to testify that we are here to touch one,
and the one will be able to go touch many
and and those that are far and few between.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Yes, Lord, Yes, Mario, Mario.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Man, Look what was it about your time here that
that allowed you to flourish as the past Russian in Carolina?
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Right?
Speaker 1 (39:37):
We talked about you talked about co Washington, you know.
But but what do you think was like the catalyst
for you to hit your stride here in Carolina?
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Like I said, I try to evolve every year, But
I can't say I did it all by myself.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
I'll be lying if I say that. But I always
had guys like you know, and I'm not even talking.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
About the d line room. We all hold each other
to a higher standard and we're gonna achieve it no
matter what. But I had also had guys behind me, Luke, Keatley,
Thomas Davis that I didn't want to let down like Luke,
but even Thomas, like these guys was like students of
(40:22):
the game. They used to study hard, right to put
guys like me in position. Now, if these guys gonna
study that hard to know this play coming here, this
coming there, they're going and all they gotta do is
just say Mario scoot overhill and Mario stunt there, or
Mario or just say Mario.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
And I know what it means.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
And I'm gonna listen right, and I'm gonna play my
ass off. Like in the game football, man, it's easy.
Know your job and do your job.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
And like Luke, Luke put me in so many positions, bro,
I can't even tell y'all, man.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
When when it give give me your first Luke shout
out to Luke.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Right, he's obviously Luke is is now going to be
eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class twenty
twenty five. Right is he's gonna be on the ballot.
We all got a fingers crossed hoping that he gets
across that line. Sign up what was your first recollection
of Man, this dude really superman? What was your first
Luke experience that you said, Man, I got to play
(41:25):
with a cat like this.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I can't even say first, but it's so many.
Speaker 7 (41:31):
I seen.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
The way like, all right, we're playing, See who's playing?
I just call out a team who're playing? Maybe I
want to take the science Breeze would like shouting out
the audible to play this that that that that the
more he did this, that that that that Luke did,
did that that? Yeah, so they out a pass play
(42:01):
in a randy.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
We didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
All we know is it's third and long, right, they
throw this sucker and my eggs panting back. So I'm
ready to rush Luke. Luke like Mario, Mario.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
Like stunning the big out right. I'm like in my head,
I'm like.
Speaker 7 (42:24):
Hell.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
To get this cornerback.
Speaker 7 (42:29):
You got.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
Ready to take off.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
To Look, I stunned in the b gut that was
in the gun, right, and when I stand it in
the big gap, he handed the ball off. I made
the running back bubble and he kind of you know,
like I made him bubble back like three yards and
Luke got the tackle for loss. Right, So if I would,
(42:54):
if I would have cleaned my foot or just a little,
I would have had a sack. I'm not a sack,
but the tackle for I would have had that right, right,
But he put me in that position, and that's still
a factor because I in that plate right and.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
In my head out like, brother, how did you know this?
You know me? I steady fail.
Speaker 6 (43:20):
I mean for the listening for people, the people that
are listening right now, this is so valuable. It would
almost be like if I'm a running back, Cam hand
me the ball off and he said, hey, look as
I'm hitting. As I'm getting the ball, he telled me, hey,
cut it back. It's wide open. It would be almost
like that what you're explaining to me. And I cut
(43:43):
it back and I hit a home run? Right, I
score a touchdown whatever, first down. And like to have
a guy like that behind you and just being able
to like basically just tell you what to do and
you just trust it, like because because it's because it's
proven to pudding like that's that's something that does not
(44:05):
come around often. That doesn't happen often. Nobody has a
guy like that playing the linebacker position on every team.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
That's a that's a D line dream dream to have
a seventeen year and Thomas Davis to have a guy
like I mean, I feel like it was.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
It was.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
It was a race to the ball with the linebackers
that were and you a D line and y'all had
some speed of D line too, right, some athletes competition.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
Yeah, Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 6 (44:35):
That's amazing, great Shire Like with everything that's going on
right now with Carolina Panthers. You know, the transition the
season last year. This year, rough start two games, they lost.
Yesterday they announced that Bryce Young is benched. The defense
right now is trying to figure out, you know, what
(44:55):
they're going to bring to the table, having a hard time,
you know, establishing the.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
Big loss to Derek Brown.
Speaker 7 (45:00):
Yeah, with the big dolos of.
Speaker 6 (45:01):
Derek Brown being able to stop the run and all
those types of things that you want out of your
defense were not necessarily getting right now, if you could
say one thing to the Carolina Panthers as a not
just a vet but a legend, what would you say.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
To them right now? Man? I tell those guys the
trust Inner eight.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
Ape, the A stand for attitude, the P stand for preparation,
in the stand for Elford. If those guys trust those three,
everything else man will come easy.
Speaker 7 (45:41):
Yeah, that's that inner eight. That's that Ron Rivera.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
A couple about that. Like it to me too. Attitude,
preparation and effort, control and controllable.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Control, the control man.
Speaker 7 (45:57):
Mario, what is that? Man?
Speaker 2 (45:59):
Mario?
Speaker 6 (46:00):
Appreciate you, bro, Thank you for your time. Thank you
for sharing with us, being vulnerable. It's always good hearing you, man,
hearing your voice. It just brings a smile on my face,
just gives me chills.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
Man.
Speaker 6 (46:13):
Just keep on doing your thing with the cars. Everybody,
make sure you tune into what Mario's doing. Hold the keys,
because he's not just doing things that he's passionate about.
He's spreading his passion with his city, with his community,
giving back and hopefully you're listening to this you're inspired
to do the same.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
We need you back. Come on back, Charlotte Waite, you
know you know what I'm calling. All right, then, Mario Wadison,
Panthers legend Yoh, we appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
I appreciate you all,
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