November 29, 2022 • 46 mins
Miami Dolphins Tales From The Deep Brendon Ayanbadejo relentlessly pursued his NFL dream through eight different teams in four different leagues over a four-year period before finally earning his seat at the table with the Miami Dolphins in 2003, joining a roster that also featured his brother, Obafemi. The chase was worth it as Ayanbadejo became one of the top special teams players in the league, was selected to three Pro Bowls, named All-Pro twice, and appeared in two Super Bowls, capturing a championship with the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. His impact has been felt far beyond the gridiron, however, through his staunch advocacy for LGBTQ rights. Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Passed over in the draft, Brendan and Yambade Joe chased
his NFL dream through eight different teams in four different
leagues over four years before finally earning a roster spot
with the Miami Dolphins in two thousand three. Like every time, honestly,
it's like what can I do different? Like this is
who I am, and this is how I play, and
this is what I do. But every every time you
(00:21):
just had to make little tweaks. And for whatever reason,
I was the type of guy that I always wanting
my hard work to show and lead by hard work
and effort, you know, train as hard as I could
in the gym, and I was like, I don't know
if that was enough to be like the hardest worker
in the weight room then to get on the field,
Like it does come down to X and o's and
your knowledge of football. But yeah, I would. I would
definitely get discouraged. But as long as there was an
opportunity the I'm like, all right, man, let's start all
(00:43):
over again and let's see what we could do. And
eventually I got in. But I think more than me changing,
I think the lead changed. I'm Seth Levitt, former member
of the Dolphins Media Relations department. And I know Jim McDuffie,
a two time team m v P and today in
the Fish Change, the former long shot details is joining
to becoming one the top special teams players in the
entire National Football League, a Super Bowl champion, and an
(01:05):
advocate for something far bigger than footballer. Hey preach, play
something funky. Sitting down with Seth and this is strictly
(01:27):
for them, true fan Dolphins number one one of course,
y'all just what there was to be a fish tank.
Welcome back to the fish tank right here on the
Miami Dolphins Podcast Network. Seth Levitt DJ Presch is in
the back and my main man, Juice, you pull out
the fish tank hat for this one. I love to
see it, you know that. Man. You always got to
represent Big Seth and the Dolphins and in the fish
(01:50):
tank they go hand in hand, don't they? They do?
For now, I hope it stays that way. It is
the NFL. There you go, there you go, NFL. You
ever know, well, I I am fired up, man. I'm
just gonna welcome him in and then we'll talk about
all the pleasantries. But Brandon Yambadejo, Welcome to the fish Tank.
Thank you so much for doing the long distance dive in. Yeah,
(02:11):
thanks for having me. I know, we've been planning for
a while to be on the show, so I'm excited
to chop it up with you and uh J Prich
of course o J. So man, let's let's dive, then
let's talk about it. It's a lot, a lot of
exciting stuff going on right now too, so there there
is a lot to talk about. Yeah, and it's been
a long time, so Juice, we were just we were
just saying right before you got on. The last time
I saw Brandon, we were at the Fort Lauderdel Airport.
(02:33):
I don't know who was coming, who was going. He
was there with his family. He was playing with the Bears.
So it's been a minute. It's been a minute, and
I feel like I've just gone all downhill since then.
But this guy looks like he just stepped off the
field like he's still playing. Yeah he does. I mean,
damn man, you know, except man, it ain't fair bro, Honestly, man,
it's just not fair. Man. Good looking brother, you know
(02:56):
what I mean, still got you know, them damn muscles
and you know what I mean? Like that, man, it's
an't cool man. That's why I'm gonna put put a
sweatshirt on real, hey, juice, I think the secret is
they say a body in motion stays in motion. So
we in the We're in the fish tank and I'm
in the ocean. I'm just trying to stay in motion. Baby,
you know what I'm I love it. That's perfect, fantastic.
So you know, we just had Akin Adele on the
(03:18):
show and really enjoyed learning about the meaning behind his name.
And you know, of course I start doing the research
and your name is also Euroba, right or Ruba is
a pronouncer Ruba Europa. Okay, so tell me I already
messed up his name. I hope I'm not messing up yours.
But tell me how bad my pronunciation of your name was,
(03:39):
and I'll apologize just now in advance. I'll give you
my apology for the Actually, it's not bad. You kind
of just gotta fake it till you make it. And
the funny thing is that um Aikin's last name is Ayodle.
I mean, I know he goes by Adele, right, and
I don't My accident isn't even right. But my first
name is Oladle. So we have almost the same wow,
almost the same names, and the names are super interchangeable,
(04:01):
like my brother's Oba Femi and so, and of course
he was he was a dolphin as well. But of
course we got a bunch of Nigerian players on the
team now, so it's always cool. So, you know, the
Nigerian players, we come and we thrive in Miami. We
love we love playing in Miami. Yeah, there's no doubt
about it. You guys definitely have thrived and and it's
really cool, and it's also weird the way it all
(04:22):
kind of stacks up when our guests start showing up
one after the next. But you know, when you just
mentioned your first name, I didn't know that either. I
always thought it was interesting that Femi was Oba Femmi
and you're Brendon, and like, so, how did that work?
And then I did the research and turns out Brendan
is actually your middle name. Correct. Yeah, and my brother's
middle name is Devon. But you know, we're yeah right.
(04:42):
We got the Irish middle names, and then we got
the Nigerian first names because my mom's Irish and my
dad's Nigerian, so my mom had to have some say
so in there, you know, good for her. So why
did you go with your middle name? And why did
he you know, I mean, he's not here, so but
he stuck with his first name and you decided to
really push forward. What's your middle name? Yeah, it's a
quick story. When I when we were ten, we grew
(05:03):
up in Chicago. We grew up in the Laker Poems
projects in Chicago until I was ten. My brother was
eleven or twelve. Then we moved to California. So we
traded um gangsters for granola when we moved, and along
with that granola, nobody knew how to say. Nobody knew
how to say or whatever. All my family would call me.
So I'm like, man, just call me like I had
to like assimilate. I'm like, all right, y'all need some
(05:25):
white names over here with this granola, just go ahead
and call me Brandon. I already got you ready, I'm
ready for y'all. And then here's the kicker. Then I
go down to South Florida and everybody wants to call
me Brandon. In the South, they call me Brandon. I
go to Chicago, my friends called me day and then
in California it's it's Brandon, but they messed out up too.
So man, just just call me be A. I'll just
keep it simple, right, Yeah, yeah, I love it. Oh man,
(05:50):
So let's talk about you and your brother. You know,
you know we had the palsy twins on the show. Uh,
actually we just had we had both them all at
one point, we just had Mike back on. And their
situation is unique as their twin brothers. And you know,
their bond is so special. I know you guys aren't
twins necessarily, but you're only eighteen months apart. We have
to imagine that when you guys are growing up and
(06:11):
had incredibly closed and also shared one hell of a
football join together. Talk about that a little bit. Yeah, Jah,
I mean it's been really special having a brother, I mean,
eighteen months older than me. But I think the difference
between the pouncy twins and us is that he was
a father figure to me. He was also a brother,
but he's also a father figure because when we moved
we we did grew up in Chicago, but we lived
(06:31):
in Nigeria before that, and my dad's stayed in Nigeria
and then we moved to Chicago, and and and my
mom was a single mom, so my brother had to
be that father figure. But um, as we got older,
we kind of figured things out, and there was more
competition in my house than there was outside of my house.
So once we started rolling and doing our thing, like
once we got to fifteen, sixteen, seventeen eighteen and we're
(06:52):
lifting and training and running and eating and doing all
those things, there was really the competition outside of the
house wasn't nearly as fierce as the competition in the house.
So I think I've benefited more than my brother benefited
from that relationship. Um, but I would like to think
that iron Sharpen's iron. But he really pushed me, so
you know, like I was at his level when he
was seventeen and I was fifteen. I was kind of
at his level, so I was always kind of step ahead,
(07:14):
but he kind of had to formulate the plans. He
was the icebreaker breaking through the ice. But I think
the most special thing about kind of our whole athletic
and competitive journey together was my first NFL play that
I ever played, because I was cut from three teams
before I ever made it to the Dolphins, which is
the first team I ever played on. I was in
the tunnel at at the stadium. It wasn't Joe Robbie then.
(07:35):
I can't remember what the name was then, but a
lot of a lot of different It might it might
have been Joe Robbie. Right, but we're in the tunnel.
I looked right next to me and my brother is
right next to me. You know, this dream that we
have been chasing since we were kids. And I was
like at the time, I was probably like twenty four
(07:57):
because I've been cut so many years from the league.
I'm holy moly, my brother's right here. Next thing. I'm
about to run on the field. We're about to play
in my first NFL game. He already played in a
few seasons, but that was in a Dolphin uniform. So
one of my fondest memories. That was actually my first game,
my first time on a roster. Yeah, very special memory
to go in with him. And then I got a
special memory going out as well. But we'll talk about
(08:18):
that later. We'll get there. There's a lot in between.
There's a lot of talk about and you know, you
just kind of glossed over it, but you talked about
being cut by a number of different teams, your journey
to the NFL from a football perspective, your journey in
life is incredible, but your journey to the NFL from
a football perspective is wild to me. You know, you're
a first team All packed ten guy as a senior
(08:40):
at u C l A. You don't get drafted in
nine and then you know it's one thing to say
I was cut from a couple of teams. Folks, listen
to this grind. This dude was on training camp with
the Falcons, one year, training camp with the Bears, the
next year Canada, right with Winnipeg and Toronto XFL. Why
not let's give that a shot, the l A story NFL.
(09:01):
You're sure we'll go over to Amsterdam and play with
the animals, We'll go back to Canada with the BC Lions,
and then finally, finally you get to go to camp
and have that opportunity with the Dolphins in two thousand three,
four freaking years you chase that dream. Brandon, talk about
what it was like to finally make a roster for
cut day, to show up and stew doesn't tell you
(09:21):
to bring your playbook and go upstairs, or whoever was
the Turk at that time? What was the journey like,
and how in the hell did you stay motivated? And
was there ever a moment where you were like, man,
I'm just gonna throw in the towel and do something else. Yeah,
honestly seth if I had to do it over again,
I don't even know if I could do it again. Wow,
you kind of going through that whole process, like you
(09:42):
kind of just don't know what you don't know? Right,
So in the CFL, they don't even have weight rooms
and and they don't have proper training facilities. If you
get hurt in the CFL, then you go to the doctor,
you wait in line with with everybody else. You get
to jump the line because they have kind of have
a socialist medical system there in their healthcare. But like say,
(10:03):
you like, I think, I like had this thing called
a mallet thumb where I like, I tore a ligament
in my thumb. I had to go waiting like there
wasn't no special doctor's officer, there wasn't no doctors coming
to us. I was sitting there waiting with everybody else.
But they've been waiting three months to get their thumb
looked at, you know what I'm saying. So I got
to skip the line. But then I was just with
the regular, regular doctors up there. When I wanted to train,
I had to have a membership at the local gym.
(10:25):
So it was man, it was very different, but also
it was great and it was amazing being in the CFL.
And when I first got there, one of the veteran players,
because you know, I'm American, I'm American, and they would
play the Canadian Oh Canada, the Canadian national anthem, and
I wasn't hyped up for it, you know, but perspective
is everything, right, Like, this is the country that's giving
(10:46):
me a shot, This is the country giving me a chance.
And eventually that Oh Canada was was very similar to
me as the national anthem by the time I left
after playing two seasons, Like you have to have a
lot of gratitude and just the opportunity to keep playing.
And the funny thing is that the CFL then is
what the NFL is now, So I was kind of
a player ahead of my time. I couldn't crack a
(11:06):
lineup back then because it was two yards in a
cloud of dust. It's like, let's hand it off to
Rob Conrad, Let's hand it off to whatever tailbacks you're
just gonna put their head down. Larry Zannka, you know
what I'm saying, Like, that's not the kind of football
I played back then, you know, so I really fit
in today's game. But man, it was. It was a
tough grind and just getting cut, getting your heart broken,
then having to do it, having to have the courage
(11:26):
to do it all over again. But my support system
was my brother. He was in the league. He was
playing in Baltimore winning Super Bowls, or he was playing
in Minnesota with Danny green Um, and he was the
one that kind of gave me the opportunity and kept
putting food on the table and I would live with
him and I would just continue to train year round.
But man, honestly, if I had to do it all
over again, I don't know if I could. It was.
It was that tough. But I was forged. I was
(11:47):
forged during those four years. Yeah, that's a great point, though,
you said, you know, did you ever you never consider
throwing in the towel? I mean juice, Like every time, honestly,
it's like what can I do different? Like this is
who I am, and this is how I play, and
this is what I do. But every every time, you
just had to make little tweaks. And for whatever reason,
I was the type of guy that I always wanted
my hard work to show and in um lead by
(12:08):
hard work and effort, you know, train as hard as
I could in the gym, and I was like the
Dolphins iron man every year. Coach John Gamble was our
strength and condition because I'd win that. I'd win that
competition every year. But I don't know if that was
enough to be like the hardest worker in the weight
room then to get on the field, like it does
come down to X and o's and your knowledge of
football as well beyond just being a great guy in
the locker room and in the community. So yeah, I
(12:30):
would just try to try to find and make a
little tweaks. But yeah I would. I would definitely get discouraged.
But as long as there was an opportunity the I'm like,
all right, man, let's start all over again and let's
see what we could do. And eventually I got in.
But I think more than me changing, I think the
league changed eventually as I got in, because you know,
you have Peyton Manning coming in and Tom Brady and
it just wasn't hand the ball off as much as
it had been um in the past, you know, So
(12:52):
I think it was a combination of just the timing
kind of just worked for me and I eventually made it. Yeah,
I think that makes sense about you talking about you know,
can has always been a run the league. Now the
NFL's turned to kind of where Canada is now, so
that makes a lot of sense. Let's let's go back
to you talk about the two thousand three team. You know,
I know you really made your money on special teams,
but man, that locker room with the linebackers, all the
(13:13):
linebackers in there, I mean, what was like to be
a part of the room with Zach and Junior, say,
and then being part of a defense also had j
T and Sam and Pat and Wally. You already talked
about a little bit, so many golfing grades on offense
and mean now Ricky on the other side toting the
rock and of course being on the team with your brother. Man,
I mean, how special you know it was it to
be a part of this as being your first opportunity
(13:35):
really in the league and I'm spending it with your brother. Yeah,
you know that. You know, my first year we went
ten and six. It was the first time attending six
team didn't go to the playoffs, and yeah, that hurt, right,
And then all of a sudden you got eight eight
teams going to the playoffs. Now you know what I'm saying.
But ten and six and we couldn't crack the ploffs.
It was it was a good team. I was there.
(13:55):
I was just trying to survive, so I couldn't really
there's a lot of things that I miss But looking back,
you know, like you had mentioned some of the stars
on the team with uh with Jason Taylor and Zach
Thomas and Morland Greenwood and you know, having a deep
linebacker corps. Yes, I did my thing on on special teams.
But yeah, we had a lot of special players, um,
Sam Madison, past Certain I'm looking at the roster right now,
(14:17):
Sammy Knight, Brock Mary and of course I'm talking defense,
Larry Chester, Tim Bowens, and we had some monsters back there.
You should we should have, but we we did lose
some close games. Though we did lose some close games.
But the thing, the thing I just remember about all
the teams I played on all had the same d
n A. Always had a good running back, always had
(14:40):
good defense, and always had good special teams. Where did
I play? I went from Miami to Chicago to Baltimore,
UM Keith Armstrong with a special teams coach. He's still
a special teams coach right now, coach hardball. His lineage
special teams in Chicago, Devon Hester um special teams. So
there was the same kind of chemistry and DNA on
all the teams I late on, And I think, you know,
(15:01):
that's why that team in Miami, that's why I was
able to stick around and play ten years in the
league after getting cut from three different teams. Is that
that special teams at defense and great offensive and defensive lines.
Just hard nose, hard nos football. Well, the two thousand
three season was your first season. Obviously two thousand four
you lined up again for the Dolphins special teams guy.
(15:22):
But Monday night, December two thousand four, you get the
start and we're playing host to the Patriots. At this point,
they're on that crazy run. They're defending super Bowl champs,
they won two over the last three. Tom Brady is
at that point, We're like, oh my god, what more
does he need to do? He's in sure fire Hall
of Famer. Who knews eighteen years later, he's still be playing,
(15:44):
and you know, we could be a ten super Bowls,
but they had become that dynasty and they show up
to Miami with a twelve and one record. Now here's
the one thing everybody knows about New England. Matter how
good they were, when they came down in Miami, we
got them. We always had them. There was something about
coming down here that we always gave him our best,
regardless of the record. Now at this point, the record
(16:06):
too and freaking eleven. So you know, I don't think
anybody in the right mind thought, all right, well, this
is the year in Miami is not gonna be able
to put up a fight. And there you know, we're
going toe to toe with them. A. J. Pheeley is
the starting quarterback, but he hasn't thrown a pick, so
at least we're still in the game. And with two
minutes left, the Dolphins just scored to bring it I
think within four or five, and Brady's got two minutes
(16:27):
to kill the clock and win the game. Tell us
what happens. Yeah, man, So I've been watching film because
this was my first NFL start, right, like I've been
cut from you know, I've been sitting at home or
playing in the CFL or whatever for like three or
four seasons. I'm in my second year in the league.
I finally get to start. So, like I had have
started the game since nineteen nine, We're in two thousand
three now, and really, um really, it was nineteen nine.
(16:51):
It was it was nine. It was the Rose Bowls January.
It was the last time I started in the football game.
So it's December of Yeah, I started in can it? Actually?
So I take that back. But I was watching film
and and usually you watch film. The last four games
of film is what you usually watched because that gives
you the most recent DNA of what the team is
is doing conceptually. Right, So I'm watching film and I'm noticing,
(17:13):
like when Brady's under durest, he's throwing the ball to
his out letter is checked down, which is usually a
running back. On this particular play, I had the running back.
It was fulk, I think, and um JT had put
him put Tom Brady under drest and I'm like, let
me just stay close even though the running back is blocking.
I'm like, let me just stay in the vicinity so
in case Tom Brady throws an air and throw I'm
(17:34):
gonna go pick it off. I'm gonna go win the
game myself. And so he did exactly that. And the
people who think like, oh, Tom Brady was just throwing
the ball away, but no, I've been watching film and
I've been studying that and I was ready and I
was prepared for that exact play to happen at that
exact moment, and that's what happened. So I caught it.
Jason Taylor put him under pressure. I caught the interception that,
yeah he was throwing away, but he was throwing into
(17:55):
the vicinity of his running back. And then we go
down there and we get the game when he touchdown
and we beat them, which was what the Monday night
miracle game. So now, yeah, that was that was a wild,
wild game. And people think like, oh, you guys got luckier,
but I mean, really, yeah, luck because of preparations. So
it was that was a great win. But the Dolphins
(18:16):
continue to do it every time they played the Patriots,
no matter how good or bad they are, They're always
gonna take at least one game from him. Right. I
love you say luck because of preparation. That's that old adage, right,
is that that love is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
And for you, like you said, it's your first start.
I mean, you basically have waited six years for this
opportunity and and it's there and it's not just any
(18:37):
interception to kill a game bro like it's Tom Brady
and he was, Yes, he was Tom Brady at that point.
Nobody knew what the future held, but he still had
done enough to cement himself as a legend. How meaningful
was it? Did the weight of everything that it took
to get there? Did that ever kick in or were
you just so focused on the moment, the Orange Jerseys,
(18:57):
everything that was going on right then in there, or
were you ever able to have some perspective as to
how big that was? You know? I mean, I think
I realized that at the moment. But the funny thing
is my helmet kind of popped off when I got tackled.
I ran in the end zone. I was celebrating. I
had the biggest smile on my face, you know, Like
I mentioned, I was, I don't know six at the time,
not probably twenty seven at the time, but the smile
(19:19):
on my face, I looked like I was a ten
year old kid like at a candy shop, you know
what I'm saying. So I looked back and I see
the pictures of me smiling, my helmets off, and my
teammates are all jumping all over me. Um, David Bones
and all the other guys on defense. Yeah, yeah, deebo. Now,
I was just it was a special moment for sure.
That's so good, man, Man, that's so good. You know
I had I still have front row fief. You know,
(19:41):
I'm still a big fan of Team Mater. I retired,
and that was your end zone, wasn't it, Juice. I
think all that happened in your end zone. Heck yeah, man,
party of my end zone. And I loved me and
my twenty closest friends, you know what I mean. Yeah.
The funny thing is that, um, I didn't get to
play with o J. But o J was always around,
so whether he was doing something with the team, whether
he was doing community sir this, and so obviously now
(20:01):
we're doing this podcast together. But and then we also
we share a mutual friend in Brian poly Dixon. But
I just didn't feel I always felt like, yeah, I
always felt like I knew o J. Even though We
didn't kind of spend a lot of time together, but
he was always around. He was always present, and he
obviously always shows his love for the Dolphins. He's always
been around, so I always appreciated him when i'd see
him out, even you know, he'd take me under his
(20:22):
wing or you know, we'd go hang out or get
some wings or hang out with some mutual friends or whatever.
So I appreciate that. Man. We need more people like
you to come back and kind of keep us unified together.
Come back. I didn't leave, bro, I can't dog. I'm
not going. That's right. You didn't leave. You didn't stick around.
We need more people to stick around. That's what's up, man.
You know, take it out. But your time in the
(20:43):
Dolphin locker room was about twenty years ago. Man, And
if I look back and Seth and I we were
talking about this and think about some of the other guys,
I think you and your brother were so much more progressive,
you know, have been the league and his players were
at that time. You know, even something as simple as
you stop, you know, the tattoos and the piercings, you're
fasten your clothes, you know your choices. Is that a
(21:05):
California thing that you guys you know, brought this way,
you know, because a lot of guys didn't get it,
you know what I mean. But I did. I get
that stuff, man, And it weren't there like level of
four thinking that maybe you guys were exposed to out
there that was indeed ahead of its time, because look
out the East, you know, out of the East is
slow when it comes to fasten and things like that. Yeah,
(21:26):
well I think I think that at that time it
was kind of forward thinking. But um, I've been back, um,
and I've gone back and several times back and hung
out with the Dolphins. Um. Caleb the player personnel director,
he didn't fight me back, and I'd hang out with
the team for like a whole week doing the business
combines and stuff like that. And now it's very normal
(21:46):
for guys to dress, you know, and express their personalities
whatever that may be. So much that even on all
the NFL channels and even when the guys are walking
to the stadiums, they're showing how they're dressing and how
they're expressing themselves. So I think just you know, after
we moved from Chicago to California, it was very normal
to express yourself through the way that you dress, or
through piercings, or through through tattoos. Now I'm going the
(22:07):
other way. It's like I'm taking off the tattoos. I'm
taking out the piercings. Still love all the dress. I
know my daddy now, right, but I still love all
the dressing and all the fashion. But I also love
that guys can express themselves do their fashion. And you
see guys doing like bespoke suits and or whether it's
something different, um where they can express their personalities and whatnot.
(22:28):
And I was not that it was ever frowned frowned
upon when I played, but they would definitely question, you, like,
what's up with this guy. He's a little bit different.
But we've seen, you know, players be very different in
the past, um, especially starting with like a Dennis Rodman
and then some of the things that Ricky Williams would
do as well, UM, where people would question them just
because they jumped out of the box and they didn't
(22:50):
want to kind of be in that athlete, that macho boxer,
that box being confined to what a black man should
do sound like, dress like, talk like, and so I
think they kind of they kind of set the foundation
for that, and then I kind of took it and
run with it, ran with it. But now guys don't
even get scrutinized. It's like, now you can make off
of your fashion and the way you dress in your style.
You can you know, start businesses or you can get
(23:13):
great sponsorship ships from companies and stuff like that, where
that stuff didn't exist back then. Yeah, I think, yeah,
I think the NFL had to play a little catch
up right there. Man. You know, because you think about it.
With the advent of social media, you know, the content
is always there, so how you represent yourself and what
you're wearing or whatever you're doing. Man, it's always important
to to brand yourself basically, right, Yeah, And I think
(23:34):
the NFL figured it out. But guys have their own
social media and stuff now and then they figured it
out too. So it's like, oh, you can see a
sneak peek when I'm you know, the NFL, get a
sneak peek, but I'll take you through on how to
buy the suitor or where to go, or how to
get it custom tailored or whatever the fashion is. So yeah,
it's on a whole another level now. Once again, I
was ahead of my time. I need to be playing
today so I can capitalize on all these things. That's
(23:54):
what I'm trying to say. You know, back then, people
you'd walk through the locker room when people would look
at your sideways and whatever whole thing, and and now
they'd probably be asking, where did you get that done?
You know, who's Taylor? Who's your guy? Who's your guy? Yeah?
I need if I could just wind back time a
little bit, I'd do it all over again. Man ahead
of his time. The NFL part, not the CFL part.
(24:14):
Not the CFL, the NFL part about two thousand three, right,
don't go too far back. So you know, the CFL
was so cool real quick. Just there's a sil Jenny.
Yeah literally, yeah, like starting in September cool. Um. There
was this lady named Jenny, and I called her the
grocery lady because every Thursday or Friday she'd show up
(24:34):
with fresh fruit and groceries for the players. And back
then you'd necessarily have access to fruits and vegetables like
you do now and then, especially up in Canada right
where things are very regional. But she brings us fresh strawberries,
fresh apples, or watermelon or whatever, and I call her
the grocery lady. But that's how cool the CFL was.
The public could come to practice and the grocery lady
could come and give the players groceries. But wait, so
(24:56):
the grolady wasn't affiliated with the team. She was just
that would come in. Wow, she would watch practice. Yet
it's a whole different deal. Luckily, you know, we still
have the opportunity. I think, I don't know who the
Great Cup was just yesterday or something. Their Super Bowl
just happened, but I don't know who won it. But yeah,
I mean it's so I think it's the next best league.
If you're not in the NFL, that's the next best league.
(25:18):
So I think it's very important that that league stays
up operating and going because there would be guys like
me that played ten years in the NFL, played in
two Super Bowls, three Pro Bowls, and all Pro um
on special teams that could fall through the cracks and
potentially not have an opportunity to get back into the
NFL and make an impact on the league. You know,
we've had a handful of those guys. I just mentioned
Mark Dixon, who was our best offensive lineman for a
(25:40):
while when he was here, Let's not forget Cameron Wake, right,
I mean, you know, Penn State guy, Cameron Wake was
an absolute monster. He was one of the best players
in the play in the CFL. And then you know,
just kind of a find here from the Dolphins after
having been cut by the Giants and the whole thing. So, yeah,
some really great stories. He was Derek at Penn State.
That's what happened. Did he definitely did. So you know,
(26:08):
we're gonna get back to football in a second, Brandon,
But you know, you and Juice just talked about being
progressive and ahead of your time. I'm going to fast
forward to two thousand nine where you really stepped into
the headlines advocating for the legalization of same sex marriages
and it became a firestorm. I mean, it just it
truly was ahead of its time, and in the net
(26:28):
well as a country. There were a lot of folks
who are uncomfortable, but certainly in the National Football League,
but you didn't back down. And since that moment, you
have really dedicated yourself to your activism, particularly in the
areas of civil rights, the LGBTQ community. And you were
on CNN with Anderson Cooper, you were at Harvard, you were,
you know, dealing with the Supreme Court. Uh, you went
(26:49):
to the league and advocated for conversations around this issue.
Tell us why that was and continues to be such
an important issue for you. So I think O. J.
Can appreciate that. You know, he's got a mixed child
and I'm a mixed child. But there was a time
where black and white couples they couldn't get married. There's
a time where Latino and white or Latino and black
(27:11):
couples couldn't get married. So and that's the United States
in the sixties. So the monumental case Loving versus Virginia,
which ultimately allowed us to let love be love. And
so some people want to kind of draw the line, like, Okay,
if a black man wants to marry um, say a
white man wants to marry a black woman, No, that's
not gonna happen. But eventually we're able to get past that.
(27:33):
So then so if we're gonna let love be love,
then if a Latino woman wants to marry, um, a
white lady, that's a no go. So that's when I
stepped up in two thousand nine, and I was under
you know, the way that I was raised. And also,
like people don't understand it, like being part of the
LGBTQ community, being gay is not a choice, just as
(27:54):
much as me coming out the color that I came
out was not a choice. That's just the way that
you're wired. That's the way that God made you. So
once you kind of understand that that it's not a
choice and it's nor is it a sin, then you
should you kind of can understand that, Okay, like why
wouldn't they have the same rights that we have? So
I think, you know what really set me off was
Britney Spears was able to marry a friend in Vegas
(28:15):
and instantly had more rights than friends that I had
that were in same sex relationships monogamous relationships. And she
had more rights in that two days or forty eight
hours that she was married than some of my friends
that are in same sex relationships for ten years. And
then also Obama was running for presidency against McCain, and
Obama didn't say if he was pro or against it,
(28:35):
but McCain said he was against it. So I wrote
a oup ed to the Washington Post. I'm sorry, not
the Washington Post, I'm blanking on the name. But it
wasn't the Washington Post, it was Huffington Post. So I
wrote a up ed to the Huffington Post and that
thing went viral, and yeah, that's where I was just like, man,
same sex marriage, what's the big deal? Was the title
of it? And that really put me on the front
(28:56):
page kind of nationally um at the time. And I
didn't know it was gonna be as big as it
was because for me, like I was raised, like, it's
like really literally was not a big deal, especially in California,
but ye had end up being a pretty big deal.
And I also didn't know I was the first professional athlete,
um when it comes to baseball, basketball, or football at least,
to talk about same sex marriage and equality. So me
being a mixed race kid, it was kind of just
(29:18):
second nature to me, But it was also something that
you don't really think about, like can you just marry
the person that you love? In America at that time,
you couldn't. And so yeah, that was kind of the
the catalyst for me to write that that off ed
I was gonna say, but I was gonna say, though,
I'm sorry real quick again ahead of your time, you
know what I mean because if you were, I mean
that that'd be, that'd be that's normal today, And I
(29:41):
think that's awesome man taking that leap, you know what
I mean, and not not giving a damn about what
people thought are the repercustoms. Man, That's that's what's up
right there. Man. You definitely a man ahead of your
time back then. Brother. Yeah, But I think the cool
thing is now is like we have a gay, an
openly gay player in the NFL and he's the starting player,
you know, and it's not a big deal, like he's
gonna go, he's he's gonna contribute. I think what you
(30:02):
notice is that we've had, we've always we always have
and we always will have gay players in the NFL.
But they have a lot of mental issues having to
have lived their life in secrecy and then after they
come out, after they retire from the league, they eventually
come out, but they live a life, you know, where
they've been kind of suppressed and they've been held down. Now,
if we get to the point where like, oh I
(30:23):
got a gay teammate, like so what like just because
you're a man and he's a man, doesn't mean he's
gonna like you and he's gonna be right. Yeah, I
even like football players. But but but I think that
um we yeah, like you said, like we've come a
long way and people don't really think about it now,
but back then, like if you if somebody said you
were gay, you'd be like, oh my god. Because me
(30:45):
as a straight man, after I wrote that, that oup
ed like I had a lot of scrutiny and there
was a lot of pressure on my back from me
just writing an article and sticking up for people and
and and I'm not even gay, and I felt the pressure,
you know what I'm saying. So yeah, I could just
I can only imagine how tough it was. That's what
I wanted to ask you, Brendan. Is that being ahead
of your time and being willing to step out, because
(31:05):
that's you know, I'm sure there were a lot of people. Look,
there was probably a lot of homophobia in all of sports,
not just football, but they're also probably guys that felt
the same way as you, but they weren't willing to
step up and step out and have those conversations. Did
you feel that people like started to question your sexuality
or like, why is this such a big deal to you?
If you you know, are you gay? Like, did you
have to deal with any of that? Yeah, I mean
(31:25):
there was and and you know, I can't say that.
NFL locker rooms are the most mature place to havesation,
so you know, if somebody really want to have a conversation,
we would have that. But sometimes, like my team moves
would be like, oh, you know, they would just throw
some some slurs at me. But eventually we kind of
got to the point where we elevated and it was
like guys knew not to say any gay slurs in
(31:48):
the locker room anymore because they knew I was gonna
hit him up. So I would like to think I
had an impact and influence on them. And then even
guys would come up and be like, man, I'm so
glad you did that. I'm so glad that you you know,
we have somebody that's in the NFL to supporting the community.
I have a brother, I have a sister that's part
of the community. So thank you for doing what you did.
And even though they're like, I can't say anything publicly
just because I don't want to, you know, I don't
(32:08):
want that kind of firestorm on me. But but yeah,
you got it. We'll put it on your back. But yeah,
I mean it got less and less as we as
we got from two thousand and nine, it got less
and less. But then it really blew up my last
year in Baltimore in twelve, and that was that was
a real that was a real wild one. There was
a delegate from the state of Maryland or at the
(32:29):
City of Baltimore, Mr Burns. He's also a preacher but
also an elected delegate for the City of Baltimore, that
it wrote, uh, told me to assist in deceased and
told me to stop talking about gay rights and stopped
using my platform and giving away Ravens tickets and raising
money for gay rights. And yeah, I mean, I'll let
you ask the questions that you want to ask. But yeah,
then the pressure came back on full storm in twelve.
(32:50):
I kind of want to continue down this line, man,
but let's but let's let's get back to a little
bit more football, man. But but that was outstanding, man.
That's that and that's what it's all about, right there, bro.
I mean, send it up for others in your own
rights and whatever it might be, man, But that was
that was outstanding. But let's go back to a little
bit of football here. You know, after your two years
in Miami, you were traded to the Bears. Now, I
mean obviously they did you a solid baby, because we
(33:13):
know how things turned out with our beloved Dolphins in
those years that followed, and uh, you really took your
game to another level. Man. Think about it. You become
one of the most respected best teams guys in the league,
selected the two Pro Bowls with the Chicago Bears, and
he's playing a Super Bowl right down here in Miami.
Then you signed a big free agent deal with Baltimore.
You talked about being in Baltimore make another Pro Bowl,
(33:33):
becoming just the second best teams playing in the league
history to be named to two Pro Bowls from each conference.
And that's hell. I return a couple of punts and
I didn't sniff the programs. Man. That's hard. Man's just respect, man,
And that's getting it done though too. You start playing
more on the defensive side in your final season, your
tenth in the NFL, after all that hard work, your
(33:55):
tenth NFL season. But you know, fourteen years as a
pro you reached the top and part of Ravens Super
Bowl forty seven championship team. Man, the last game you
ever played, it was in a freaking Super Bowl. Bro,
how was that? Man? That was wild? And you know
we talked about the first my first NFL experience playing
a game was with my brother by my side, and
then going to a Super Bowl where I have you know,
(34:16):
my wife, kids, mom's sister, brother all at the game.
My last game, I cried like a baby during the
national anthem, but um yeah, and then yeah, that was
my last game against the San Francisco forty nine and
that was the Hard Bowl as well. But um yeah,
just talk talk about like just going out on a
high note. Um, it was Matt Burke's last game, it
was Ray Lewis's last game. Um there was a couple
(34:36):
other guys that had shut it down after that as well,
but um yeah, just the perfect way to wind down.
Just a wild, wild professional career. Fourteen years of pro ball.
I started playing high football when I was a senior
in high school. So I played three years in high school,
played four years of college, and then my my thirteen
fourteen years of professional football. So man, it was football
(34:58):
was all I knew, and I knew that that was
my last game. Juice so it's pretty emotional. People, I
knew your last game, so going into him. So I
was actually playing a lot of defense that year. Um,
and then I was playing special teams as well. I'm
a sub, you know, mostly a sub and a nickel linebacker.
But getting into the latter part of the season, you know,
you have some tricks to stay fresh and whatnot. And then, um,
(35:20):
we're playing New England and I'm playing against one of
my former teammates, West Welker, and he breaks my tackle
right and I'm like, oh man, West Welker breaks my tackle.
That's like, I am done. That was the a f
C Championship game we won. Then we get to the
NFC champion, get to the Super Bowl. Not from me tackles. Yeah,
(35:43):
so yeah, but just the preparation that it took to
get ready, and then you know that the level of
play just wasn't there. Like I had to do every
trick that I had learned over ten years ice bass
I vs. Those little decompression tanks, you know, just as
much if I could do to be ready. And then
I still got there, and I was like, man, I'm
(36:03):
not even I feel like myself, you know. So but
the team got to win. We went out on a
high note. Um. Once again, I cried when all the
when the confetti fell on our faces, I was crying
and got to celebrate with my brother and my family
and everybody. So but yeah, it was a special moment
coming in and going out where it was like a
birth and a death really. Um, and then I just
(36:24):
propelled me to what I was gonna be doing next.
You know. That's awesome, man. Man, that's that's I mean,
that's a hell of a book any right there starting
to ending right there. That's outstanding. Brother, Yeah, it definitely is.
And like you said, it propelled to what you're gonna
be doing next and that and that's we can't let
you go without talking about that. And so the first
thing I want to talk about is daddy life, your
oldest so and I is. I just saw she's a
(36:47):
high school tennis player and Jules, guess what the name
of the team is, Dolphins, the Dolphins, So right, is
that right? She's playing for the Dolphins and uh, and
they just want a third straight City Section Tennis title.
So I know you've gotta be a proud dad. Um,
So talk about what it's like being an active father
with three kids in the house, being an entrepreneur. You know,
(37:07):
I read that you went back and got your masters
at George Washington University. I didn't know that you and
Aikin were there together, so I thought that was pretty cool.
And then you certainly with no hate and everything else,
you continue your activism. So you almost seem busier now
in your post career than you were as a player. Yeah,
and Walle was there too, coincidentally, I mean it was
it was a program built for NFL players, but there's
(37:30):
also young professionals that were in the program as well.
But yeah, I am definitely definitely busier now than when
I played. UM I owned my ownership group. We have
fifty five Orange Thiry fitness locations, mostly in California. How
many number? Man we got that junior say out that
(37:50):
say out. But I think the special thing about it
is that, um we are the kind of the I'm
not the franchise or but we are the franchise. And
now we have our own employees. We have about seven
and hundred employees as well, and so now and I
see the decisions that you know, it's different being a
player or an employee or being an owner. And being
the franchise, and so I see the difference, and I
(38:10):
understand the decisions that the franchises, meaning NFL franchises have
to take and have to make when it comes to leadership,
when it comes to players, when it comes to execution.
But I also know what it's like to be a player,
so I know, you know, having that that company energy
and having that right energy in the workplace, so people
want to work for you and they want to champion you,
and then they want to stick around, like oh J
(38:31):
sticked around and wants to continue to be a part
of what's going on down in Miami with a with
a special organization. So um, I kind of see it
all full circle now. And the daddy part, it's the
same thing. It's like, I want to instill respect, work ethic,
hard work, being on time, being diligent. I want to
instill all these things. And my kids, I don't really
(38:51):
care what they do as long as they're doing what
they're passionate about. But there's things that you have to
do that you don't want to do. So what what
are the controllables? Being on time and being respectable, being cordial,
having a great attitude. So I want to instill those
types of things in my children and so far as
paying off man, So good man, can you talk to
my youngest I love the death of Sometimes you know,
he just wants to play games. He doesn't want to
(39:11):
put that extra work. Sometimes they don't listen to diety either.
So if you if you talk to mine, I'll talk
to yours. Just because I'm doing those things doesn't mean
to work either. It's working, they just don't always let
you see it. That's how it happens with my kids.
Everybody says your kids are so polite, they're so great,
and I'm like, you need to come over to the
house a good a little bit. Yeah. Same, I'm waiting
(39:32):
for the payoff. I keep planting the seeds and water
in these plants. Now, I'm just I'm waiting for the
paying off. Brother, it's paying off. I love it all. Right.
Before we let you get out of here, Bendon, we've
got a thing on the fish tank that we do
called the two minute drill. Now, you you're mentioning your
nickel linebacker at times, so you're probably in there a
lot during a two minute drill for the offense, but
the defense, you know that you're trying to get off
(39:53):
the field, right, I mean, that's that's the job. You
turn it over, get to stop, get the ball back
to the offense, or whatever you have to do. Right,
we're gonna do is. We're gonna fire off a few questions.
I'm gonna put d J priests, gonna put two minutes
on the clock. We're gonna fire off some questions, kind
of rapid fire, and you know, give us whatever comes
the top of your head. Man. It should be a
lot of fun. Nothing tricky, but it's gonna be you know,
it's gonna be interesting because Big Seth is always good
(40:16):
at finding some jewels, some gym right there. Might have
you laughing a little bit. We used to get people
laughing a little bit with this. So it's gonna have
fun on the two minute drill. Gotta have always big.
You want me to start off? You got a bass,
you can kick it off. All here we go, ready freeze?
True or false? A psychic actually predicted that you and
fammy would be teammates with the Miami Dolphins. Hey, that
(40:38):
is exactly true. And Vancouver, Canada, I was there, and
a psychic was like your brothers surrounded by palm trees.
You're gonna go join him, and you're both be very successful.
And I had ten teams recruiting me at the time,
and I'm like, give me the palm trees, baby, let's go.
That's crazy. I don't normally believe in that stuff, but
that's pretty crazy surrounded by palm trees. Right. We read
(40:59):
that you can say hello in fifteen different languages? Is
it still fifty? Shoot? It might be ten now, but
I can give you some Cornici wa me how ma chi?
That's SPARSI all uh bawni messy, that's that's no um whatever.
I just get five or six. Yeah, it's all good,
(41:24):
all right. You know you wore number fifty at u
t l A and with the Dolphins, ninety four with
the Bears, fifty one with the Ravens. What was your
favorite number? The one with Iyanbadejo on the back. That's
the only one that matters, whatever that decal was on
the side, the number. I wasn't married to a number,
all right. What was more difficult tackling an NFL kicker
turner or tackling the American Ninja Warrior obstacle? Course? Oh man,
(41:46):
I have to say Ninja Warrior. That has some smoke
for you, because obviously I I only got through two
or three obstacles. But yeah, that Ninja Warriors no joke.
And at the time I was too thirty. So it
ain't built for big people. It's not built for two
those people, which is more exciting. Second, Carson Palmer four
times in a single game at u C l A.
Or that Tom Brady interception. We talked about them Monday
(42:07):
Night Football. Man, it's got to be that Tom Brady
interception in my first NFL start on Monday Night Football
and everybody watching and John Madden doing the broadcast. Oh man,
you got the best of both for us, all right.
We talked about you and your brother being Cali guys.
In two thousand three, the Dolphins had a few others,
of course, Ricky Williams, of course Junior say, I'll brock
Marian Sammy Knight, who was the most California dude out
(42:29):
of that whole crew. Oh man, that's a tough one
because California is so California, like we're all so much
the same. But man, probably Ricky Williams because he was
showing up having his own meals cook he was having
different stuff done. He was already doing yoga back in
two thousand three and all that he had dreadlocks like
he's very bohemian California for showing and tattoos over gangs.
(42:54):
That's exactly after two minute drill. Man, he ripped through
that thing. Juice like the line shild that was so
good and that was outstanding. Man. Turn over offense, Man,
the offense turned it over, big step there it is.
That's exactly what should happen. And that's what he does
in a two minute trill. As Tom Brady you just
told you about. Look, man, you guys said there's gonna
be a lot of laughing. I was like, man, you
(43:15):
don't get that turnover. You don't shut them down the
flor As. You're ether gonna cry or you're gonna lae.
We find enough that season, we cried enough. We needed
that moment, trust me, we definitely needed that moment. Look,
I know we initially had hoped to do this in person,
and you you change your schedule. I know you said
you spent about a month at a time down here
in Florida. So I hope we can connect with you
next time. You hear me and Juice and preach, want
(43:35):
to take you out the lunch, but even doing this
via zoom or whatever, it was so great to see you.
Congrats on all that you're doing, the important work that
you're doing at home, in the community and certainly in business. Man.
It was great, great, great to have you here. Yeah,
thank you for having me, guys. And you know, I
got a huge admiration for all of you guys, So
I appreciate you giving us an opportunity to come back
and connect with the fans and and you guys doing
(43:56):
what you're doing by keeping the fans and the players connected.
I think you guys are filling a huge void because
we still want to interact with the fans, and the
fans still want to interact with us, and of course
we want to be on with you guys. So I'm
getting anytime. It's thanks for diving in pitch. Take who
(44:21):
that sitting down with Steth Living oh ja, And this
is strictly for them true fans up fans number one one.
Of course, y'all just had ordinary sports talk. Ever been
that pitch tank, don't get you, Aqua Orange, it's trying
to devil been that pitch tank. It's on the legend
(44:44):
that we're talking when you've never been that petch tank racking. Well,
oh your seth ful, you've never been that petch tank
I ever had a too devern but him down, celebrate
big cry, leave it all on the field. We're gonna
try hard. Old school a new school, mixing in feeling
(45:05):
like we're up close when we listened in Dolpher spells.
Here Miami is the deepend We're ripping one our favorite players.
No secret we get with step and m Deffi bringing
up stars we never heard to the public. Man, we
lovely Dolphins fans, never question. We're loyal to the team.
Whether happier we upset, we'd be like, what's next, Gonna
swist the subject? You know what's all about the fens?
(45:25):
H If you're read it for that was wasn't time
to dive in. Don't swisch the subject. You know what's
all about the fins? Hint if you're down with Dolphor's
nations trying to dive in, don't swish the subject. You
know what's all about the fens? You're looking at that
fish tank. It time to down pitch tank. Okay, show
aqua one. Yes, it's kind of develop in that pitch tank.
(45:47):
It's only legend that we're talking when you dovenment fitch
tank rocking, Oh, James Seth minute time, don't never had
no mane test
Passed over in the draft, Brendan and Yambade Joe chased
his NFL dream through eight different teams in four different
leagues over four years before finally earning a roster spot
with the Miami Dolphins in two thousand three. Like every time, honestly,
it's like what can I do different? Like this is
who I am, and this is how I play, and
this is what I do. But every every time you
(00:21):
just had to make little tweaks. And for whatever reason,
I was the type of guy that I always wanting
my hard work to show and lead by hard work
and effort, you know, train as hard as I could
in the gym, and I was like, I don't know
if that was enough to be like the hardest worker
in the weight room then to get on the field,
Like it does come down to X and o's and
your knowledge of football. But yeah, I would. I would
definitely get discouraged. But as long as there was an
opportunity the I'm like, all right, man, let's start all
(00:43):
over again and let's see what we could do. And
eventually I got in. But I think more than me changing,
I think the lead changed. I'm Seth Levitt, former member
of the Dolphins Media Relations department. And I know Jim McDuffie,
a two time team m v P and today in
the Fish Change, the former long shot details is joining
to becoming one the top special teams players in the
entire National Football League, a Super Bowl champion, and an
(01:05):
advocate for something far bigger than footballer. Hey preach, play
something funky. Sitting down with Seth and this is strictly
(01:27):
for them, true fan Dolphins number one one of course,
y'all just what there was to be a fish tank.
Welcome back to the fish tank right here on the
Miami Dolphins Podcast Network. Seth Levitt DJ Presch is in
the back and my main man, Juice, you pull out
the fish tank hat for this one. I love to
see it, you know that. Man. You always got to
represent Big Seth and the Dolphins and in the fish
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tank they go hand in hand, don't they? They do?
For now, I hope it stays that way. It is
the NFL. There you go, there you go, NFL. You
ever know, well, I I am fired up, man. I'm
just gonna welcome him in and then we'll talk about
all the pleasantries. But Brandon Yambadejo, Welcome to the fish Tank.
Thank you so much for doing the long distance dive in. Yeah,
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thanks for having me. I know, we've been planning for
a while to be on the show, so I'm excited
to chop it up with you and uh J Prich
of course o J. So man, let's let's dive, then
let's talk about it. It's a lot, a lot of
exciting stuff going on right now too, so there there
is a lot to talk about. Yeah, and it's been
a long time, so Juice, we were just we were
just saying right before you got on. The last time
I saw Brandon, we were at the Fort Lauderdel Airport.
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I don't know who was coming, who was going. He
was there with his family. He was playing with the Bears.
So it's been a minute. It's been a minute, and
I feel like I've just gone all downhill since then.
But this guy looks like he just stepped off the
field like he's still playing. Yeah he does. I mean,
damn man, you know, except man, it ain't fair bro, Honestly, man,
it's just not fair. Man. Good looking brother, you know
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what I mean, still got you know, them damn muscles
and you know what I mean? Like that, man, it's
an't cool man. That's why I'm gonna put put a
sweatshirt on real, hey, juice, I think the secret is
they say a body in motion stays in motion. So
we in the We're in the fish tank and I'm
in the ocean. I'm just trying to stay in motion. Baby,
you know what I'm I love it. That's perfect, fantastic.
So you know, we just had Akin Adele on the
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show and really enjoyed learning about the meaning behind his name.
And you know, of course I start doing the research
and your name is also Euroba, right or Ruba is
a pronouncer Ruba Europa. Okay, so tell me I already
messed up his name. I hope I'm not messing up yours.
But tell me how bad my pronunciation of your name was,
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and I'll apologize just now in advance. I'll give you
my apology for the Actually, it's not bad. You kind
of just gotta fake it till you make it. And
the funny thing is that um Aikin's last name is Ayodle.
I mean, I know he goes by Adele, right, and
I don't My accident isn't even right. But my first
name is Oladle. So we have almost the same wow,
almost the same names, and the names are super interchangeable,
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like my brother's Oba Femi and so, and of course
he was he was a dolphin as well. But of
course we got a bunch of Nigerian players on the
team now, so it's always cool. So, you know, the
Nigerian players, we come and we thrive in Miami. We
love we love playing in Miami. Yeah, there's no doubt
about it. You guys definitely have thrived and and it's
really cool, and it's also weird the way it all
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kind of stacks up when our guests start showing up
one after the next. But you know, when you just
mentioned your first name, I didn't know that either. I
always thought it was interesting that Femi was Oba Femmi
and you're Brendon, and like, so, how did that work?
And then I did the research and turns out Brendan
is actually your middle name. Correct. Yeah, and my brother's
middle name is Devon. But you know, we're yeah right.
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We got the Irish middle names, and then we got
the Nigerian first names because my mom's Irish and my
dad's Nigerian, so my mom had to have some say
so in there, you know, good for her. So why
did you go with your middle name? And why did
he you know, I mean, he's not here, so but
he stuck with his first name and you decided to
really push forward. What's your middle name? Yeah, it's a
quick story. When I when we were ten, we grew
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up in Chicago. We grew up in the Laker Poems
projects in Chicago until I was ten. My brother was
eleven or twelve. Then we moved to California. So we
traded um gangsters for granola when we moved, and along
with that granola, nobody knew how to say. Nobody knew
how to say or whatever. All my family would call me.
So I'm like, man, just call me like I had
to like assimilate. I'm like, all right, y'all need some
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white names over here with this granola, just go ahead
and call me Brandon. I already got you ready, I'm
ready for y'all. And then here's the kicker. Then I
go down to South Florida and everybody wants to call
me Brandon. In the South, they call me Brandon. I
go to Chicago, my friends called me day and then
in California it's it's Brandon, but they messed out up too.
So man, just just call me be A. I'll just
keep it simple, right, Yeah, yeah, I love it. Oh man,
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So let's talk about you and your brother. You know,
you know we had the palsy twins on the show. Uh,
actually we just had we had both them all at
one point, we just had Mike back on. And their
situation is unique as their twin brothers. And you know,
their bond is so special. I know you guys aren't
twins necessarily, but you're only eighteen months apart. We have
to imagine that when you guys are growing up and
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had incredibly closed and also shared one hell of a
football join together. Talk about that a little bit. Yeah, Jah,
I mean it's been really special having a brother, I mean,
eighteen months older than me. But I think the difference
between the pouncy twins and us is that he was
a father figure to me. He was also a brother,
but he's also a father figure because when we moved
we we did grew up in Chicago, but we lived
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in Nigeria before that, and my dad's stayed in Nigeria
and then we moved to Chicago, and and and my
mom was a single mom, so my brother had to
be that father figure. But um, as we got older,
we kind of figured things out, and there was more
competition in my house than there was outside of my house.
So once we started rolling and doing our thing, like
once we got to fifteen, sixteen, seventeen eighteen and we're
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lifting and training and running and eating and doing all
those things, there was really the competition outside of the
house wasn't nearly as fierce as the competition in the house.
So I think I've benefited more than my brother benefited
from that relationship. Um, but I would like to think
that iron Sharpen's iron. But he really pushed me, so
you know, like I was at his level when he
was seventeen and I was fifteen. I was kind of
at his level, so I was always kind of step ahead,
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but he kind of had to formulate the plans. He
was the icebreaker breaking through the ice. But I think
the most special thing about kind of our whole athletic
and competitive journey together was my first NFL play that
I ever played, because I was cut from three teams
before I ever made it to the Dolphins, which is
the first team I ever played on. I was in
the tunnel at at the stadium. It wasn't Joe Robbie then.
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I can't remember what the name was then, but a
lot of a lot of different It might it might
have been Joe Robbie. Right, but we're in the tunnel.
I looked right next to me and my brother is
right next to me. You know, this dream that we
have been chasing since we were kids. And I was
like at the time, I was probably like twenty four
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because I've been cut so many years from the league.
I'm holy moly, my brother's right here. Next thing. I'm
about to run on the field. We're about to play
in my first NFL game. He already played in a
few seasons, but that was in a Dolphin uniform. So
one of my fondest memories. That was actually my first game,
my first time on a roster. Yeah, very special memory
to go in with him. And then I got a
special memory going out as well. But we'll talk about
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that later. We'll get there. There's a lot in between.
There's a lot of talk about and you know, you
just kind of glossed over it, but you talked about
being cut by a number of different teams, your journey
to the NFL from a football perspective, your journey in
life is incredible, but your journey to the NFL from
a football perspective is wild to me. You know, you're
a first team All packed ten guy as a senior
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at u C l A. You don't get drafted in
nine and then you know it's one thing to say
I was cut from a couple of teams. Folks, listen
to this grind. This dude was on training camp with
the Falcons, one year, training camp with the Bears, the
next year Canada, right with Winnipeg and Toronto XFL. Why
not let's give that a shot, the l A story NFL.
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You're sure we'll go over to Amsterdam and play with
the animals, We'll go back to Canada with the BC Lions,
and then finally, finally you get to go to camp
and have that opportunity with the Dolphins in two thousand three,
four freaking years you chase that dream. Brandon, talk about
what it was like to finally make a roster for
cut day, to show up and stew doesn't tell you
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to bring your playbook and go upstairs, or whoever was
the Turk at that time? What was the journey like,
and how in the hell did you stay motivated? And
was there ever a moment where you were like, man,
I'm just gonna throw in the towel and do something else. Yeah,
honestly seth if I had to do it over again,
I don't even know if I could do it again. Wow,
you kind of going through that whole process, like you
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kind of just don't know what you don't know? Right,
So in the CFL, they don't even have weight rooms
and and they don't have proper training facilities. If you
get hurt in the CFL, then you go to the doctor,
you wait in line with with everybody else. You get
to jump the line because they have kind of have
a socialist medical system there in their healthcare. But like say,
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you like, I think, I like had this thing called
a mallet thumb where I like, I tore a ligament
in my thumb. I had to go waiting like there
wasn't no special doctor's officer, there wasn't no doctors coming
to us. I was sitting there waiting with everybody else.
But they've been waiting three months to get their thumb
looked at, you know what I'm saying. So I got
to skip the line. But then I was just with
the regular, regular doctors up there. When I wanted to train,
I had to have a membership at the local gym.
(10:25):
So it was man, it was very different, but also
it was great and it was amazing being in the CFL.
And when I first got there, one of the veteran players,
because you know, I'm American, I'm American, and they would
play the Canadian Oh Canada, the Canadian national anthem, and
I wasn't hyped up for it, you know, but perspective
is everything, right, Like, this is the country that's giving
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me a shot, This is the country giving me a chance.
And eventually that Oh Canada was was very similar to
me as the national anthem by the time I left
after playing two seasons, Like you have to have a
lot of gratitude and just the opportunity to keep playing.
And the funny thing is that the CFL then is
what the NFL is now, So I was kind of
a player ahead of my time. I couldn't crack a
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lineup back then because it was two yards in a
cloud of dust. It's like, let's hand it off to
Rob Conrad, Let's hand it off to whatever tailbacks you're
just gonna put their head down. Larry Zannka, you know
what I'm saying, Like, that's not the kind of football
I played back then, you know, so I really fit
in today's game. But man, it was. It was a
tough grind and just getting cut, getting your heart broken,
then having to do it, having to have the courage
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to do it all over again. But my support system
was my brother. He was in the league. He was
playing in Baltimore winning Super Bowls, or he was playing
in Minnesota with Danny green Um, and he was the
one that kind of gave me the opportunity and kept
putting food on the table and I would live with
him and I would just continue to train year round.
But man, honestly, if I had to do it all
over again, I don't know if I could. It was.
It was that tough. But I was forged. I was
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forged during those four years. Yeah, that's a great point, though,
you said, you know, did you ever you never consider
throwing in the towel? I mean juice, Like every time, honestly,
it's like what can I do different? Like this is
who I am, and this is how I play, and
this is what I do. But every every time, you
just had to make little tweaks. And for whatever reason,
I was the type of guy that I always wanted
my hard work to show and in um lead by
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hard work and effort, you know, train as hard as
I could in the gym, and I was like the
Dolphins iron man every year. Coach John Gamble was our
strength and condition because I'd win that. I'd win that
competition every year. But I don't know if that was
enough to be like the hardest worker in the weight
room then to get on the field, like it does
come down to X and o's and your knowledge of
football as well beyond just being a great guy in
the locker room and in the community. So yeah, I
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would just try to try to find and make a
little tweaks. But yeah I would. I would definitely get discouraged.
But as long as there was an opportunity the I'm like,
all right, man, let's start all over again and let's
see what we could do. And eventually I got in.
But I think more than me changing, I think the
league changed eventually as I got in, because you know,
you have Peyton Manning coming in and Tom Brady and
it just wasn't hand the ball off as much as
it had been um in the past, you know, So
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I think it was a combination of just the timing
kind of just worked for me and I eventually made it. Yeah,
I think that makes sense about you talking about you know,
can has always been a run the league. Now the
NFL's turned to kind of where Canada is now, so
that makes a lot of sense. Let's let's go back
to you talk about the two thousand three team. You know,
I know you really made your money on special teams,
but man, that locker room with the linebackers, all the
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linebackers in there, I mean, what was like to be
a part of the room with Zach and Junior, say,
and then being part of a defense also had j
T and Sam and Pat and Wally. You already talked
about a little bit, so many golfing grades on offense
and mean now Ricky on the other side toting the
rock and of course being on the team with your brother. Man,
I mean, how special you know it was it to
be a part of this as being your first opportunity
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really in the league and I'm spending it with your brother. Yeah,
you know that. You know, my first year we went
ten and six. It was the first time attending six
team didn't go to the playoffs, and yeah, that hurt, right,
And then all of a sudden you got eight eight
teams going to the playoffs. Now you know what I'm saying.
But ten and six and we couldn't crack the ploffs.
It was it was a good team. I was there.
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I was just trying to survive, so I couldn't really
there's a lot of things that I miss But looking back,
you know, like you had mentioned some of the stars
on the team with uh with Jason Taylor and Zach
Thomas and Morland Greenwood and you know, having a deep
linebacker corps. Yes, I did my thing on on special teams.
But yeah, we had a lot of special players, um,
Sam Madison, past Certain I'm looking at the roster right now,
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Sammy Knight, Brock Mary and of course I'm talking defense,
Larry Chester, Tim Bowens, and we had some monsters back there.
You should we should have, but we we did lose
some close games. Though we did lose some close games.
But the thing, the thing I just remember about all
the teams I played on all had the same d
n A. Always had a good running back, always had
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good defense, and always had good special teams. Where did
I play? I went from Miami to Chicago to Baltimore,
UM Keith Armstrong with a special teams coach. He's still
a special teams coach right now, coach hardball. His lineage
special teams in Chicago, Devon Hester um special teams. So
there was the same kind of chemistry and DNA on
all the teams I late on, And I think, you know,
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that's why that team in Miami, that's why I was
able to stick around and play ten years in the
league after getting cut from three different teams. Is that
that special teams at defense and great offensive and defensive lines.
Just hard nose, hard nos football. Well, the two thousand
three season was your first season. Obviously two thousand four
you lined up again for the Dolphins special teams guy.
(15:22):
But Monday night, December two thousand four, you get the
start and we're playing host to the Patriots. At this point,
they're on that crazy run. They're defending super Bowl champs,
they won two over the last three. Tom Brady is
at that point, We're like, oh my god, what more
does he need to do? He's in sure fire Hall
of Famer. Who knews eighteen years later, he's still be playing,
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and you know, we could be a ten super Bowls,
but they had become that dynasty and they show up
to Miami with a twelve and one record. Now here's
the one thing everybody knows about New England. Matter how
good they were, when they came down in Miami, we
got them. We always had them. There was something about
coming down here that we always gave him our best,
regardless of the record. Now at this point, the record
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too and freaking eleven. So you know, I don't think
anybody in the right mind thought, all right, well, this
is the year in Miami is not gonna be able
to put up a fight. And there you know, we're
going toe to toe with them. A. J. Pheeley is
the starting quarterback, but he hasn't thrown a pick, so
at least we're still in the game. And with two
minutes left, the Dolphins just scored to bring it I
think within four or five, and Brady's got two minutes
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to kill the clock and win the game. Tell us
what happens. Yeah, man, So I've been watching film because
this was my first NFL start, right, like I've been
cut from you know, I've been sitting at home or
playing in the CFL or whatever for like three or
four seasons. I'm in my second year in the league.
I finally get to start. So, like I had have
started the game since nineteen nine, We're in two thousand
three now, and really, um really, it was nineteen nine.
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It was it was nine. It was the Rose Bowls January.
It was the last time I started in the football game.
So it's December of Yeah, I started in can it? Actually?
So I take that back. But I was watching film
and and usually you watch film. The last four games
of film is what you usually watched because that gives
you the most recent DNA of what the team is
is doing conceptually. Right, So I'm watching film and I'm noticing,
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like when Brady's under durest, he's throwing the ball to
his out letter is checked down, which is usually a
running back. On this particular play, I had the running back.
It was fulk, I think, and um JT had put
him put Tom Brady under drest and I'm like, let
me just stay close even though the running back is blocking.
I'm like, let me just stay in the vicinity so
in case Tom Brady throws an air and throw I'm
(17:34):
gonna go pick it off. I'm gonna go win the
game myself. And so he did exactly that. And the
people who think like, oh, Tom Brady was just throwing
the ball away, but no, I've been watching film and
I've been studying that and I was ready and I
was prepared for that exact play to happen at that
exact moment, and that's what happened. So I caught it.
Jason Taylor put him under pressure. I caught the interception that,
yeah he was throwing away, but he was throwing into
(17:55):
the vicinity of his running back. And then we go
down there and we get the game when he touchdown
and we beat them, which was what the Monday night
miracle game. So now, yeah, that was that was a wild,
wild game. And people think like, oh, you guys got luckier,
but I mean, really, yeah, luck because of preparations. So
it was that was a great win. But the Dolphins
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continue to do it every time they played the Patriots,
no matter how good or bad they are, They're always
gonna take at least one game from him. Right. I
love you say luck because of preparation. That's that old adage, right,
is that that love is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
And for you, like you said, it's your first start.
I mean, you basically have waited six years for this
opportunity and and it's there and it's not just any
(18:37):
interception to kill a game bro like it's Tom Brady
and he was, Yes, he was Tom Brady at that point.
Nobody knew what the future held, but he still had
done enough to cement himself as a legend. How meaningful
was it? Did the weight of everything that it took
to get there? Did that ever kick in or were
you just so focused on the moment, the Orange Jerseys,
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everything that was going on right then in there, or
were you ever able to have some perspective as to
how big that was? You know? I mean, I think
I realized that at the moment. But the funny thing
is my helmet kind of popped off when I got tackled.
I ran in the end zone. I was celebrating. I
had the biggest smile on my face, you know, Like
I mentioned, I was, I don't know six at the time,
not probably twenty seven at the time, but the smile
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on my face, I looked like I was a ten
year old kid like at a candy shop, you know
what I'm saying. So I looked back and I see
the pictures of me smiling, my helmets off, and my
teammates are all jumping all over me. Um, David Bones
and all the other guys on defense. Yeah, yeah, deebo. Now,
I was just it was a special moment for sure.
That's so good, man, Man, that's so good. You know
I had I still have front row fief. You know,
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I'm still a big fan of Team Mater. I retired,
and that was your end zone, wasn't it, Juice. I
think all that happened in your end zone. Heck yeah, man,
party of my end zone. And I loved me and
my twenty closest friends, you know what I mean. Yeah.
The funny thing is that, um, I didn't get to
play with o J. But o J was always around,
so whether he was doing something with the team, whether
he was doing community sir this, and so obviously now
(20:01):
we're doing this podcast together. But and then we also
we share a mutual friend in Brian poly Dixon. But
I just didn't feel I always felt like, yeah, I
always felt like I knew o J. Even though We
didn't kind of spend a lot of time together, but
he was always around. He was always present, and he
obviously always shows his love for the Dolphins. He's always
been around, so I always appreciated him when i'd see
him out, even you know, he'd take me under his
(20:22):
wing or you know, we'd go hang out or get
some wings or hang out with some mutual friends or whatever.
So I appreciate that. Man. We need more people like
you to come back and kind of keep us unified together.
Come back. I didn't leave, bro, I can't dog. I'm
not going. That's right. You didn't leave. You didn't stick around.
We need more people to stick around. That's what's up, man.
You know, take it out. But your time in the
(20:43):
Dolphin locker room was about twenty years ago. Man, And
if I look back and Seth and I we were
talking about this and think about some of the other guys,
I think you and your brother were so much more progressive,
you know, have been the league and his players were
at that time. You know, even something as simple as
you stop, you know, the tattoos and the piercings, you're
fasten your clothes, you know your choices. Is that a
(21:05):
California thing that you guys you know, brought this way,
you know, because a lot of guys didn't get it,
you know what I mean. But I did. I get
that stuff, man, And it weren't there like level of
four thinking that maybe you guys were exposed to out
there that was indeed ahead of its time, because look
out the East, you know, out of the East is
slow when it comes to fasten and things like that. Yeah,
(21:26):
well I think I think that at that time it
was kind of forward thinking. But um, I've been back, um,
and I've gone back and several times back and hung
out with the Dolphins. Um. Caleb the player personnel director,
he didn't fight me back, and I'd hang out with
the team for like a whole week doing the business
combines and stuff like that. And now it's very normal
(21:46):
for guys to dress, you know, and express their personalities
whatever that may be. So much that even on all
the NFL channels and even when the guys are walking
to the stadiums, they're showing how they're dressing and how
they're expressing themselves. So I think just you know, after
we moved from Chicago to California, it was very normal
to express yourself through the way that you dress, or
through piercings, or through through tattoos. Now I'm going the
(22:07):
other way. It's like I'm taking off the tattoos. I'm
taking out the piercings. Still love all the dress. I
know my daddy now, right, but I still love all
the dressing and all the fashion. But I also love
that guys can express themselves do their fashion. And you
see guys doing like bespoke suits and or whether it's
something different, um where they can express their personalities and whatnot.
(22:28):
And I was not that it was ever frowned frowned
upon when I played, but they would definitely question, you, like,
what's up with this guy. He's a little bit different.
But we've seen, you know, players be very different in
the past, um, especially starting with like a Dennis Rodman
and then some of the things that Ricky Williams would
do as well, UM, where people would question them just
because they jumped out of the box and they didn't
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want to kind of be in that athlete, that macho boxer,
that box being confined to what a black man should
do sound like, dress like, talk like, and so I
think they kind of they kind of set the foundation
for that, and then I kind of took it and
run with it, ran with it. But now guys don't
even get scrutinized. It's like, now you can make off
of your fashion and the way you dress in your style.
You can you know, start businesses or you can get
(23:13):
great sponsorship ships from companies and stuff like that, where
that stuff didn't exist back then. Yeah, I think, yeah,
I think the NFL had to play a little catch
up right there. Man. You know, because you think about it.
With the advent of social media, you know, the content
is always there, so how you represent yourself and what
you're wearing or whatever you're doing. Man, it's always important
to to brand yourself basically, right, Yeah, And I think
(23:34):
the NFL figured it out. But guys have their own
social media and stuff now and then they figured it
out too. So it's like, oh, you can see a
sneak peek when I'm you know, the NFL, get a
sneak peek, but I'll take you through on how to
buy the suitor or where to go, or how to
get it custom tailored or whatever the fashion is. So yeah,
it's on a whole another level now. Once again, I
was ahead of my time. I need to be playing
today so I can capitalize on all these things. That's
(23:54):
what I'm trying to say. You know, back then, people
you'd walk through the locker room when people would look
at your sideways and whatever whole thing, and and now
they'd probably be asking, where did you get that done?
You know, who's Taylor? Who's your guy? Who's your guy? Yeah?
I need if I could just wind back time a
little bit, I'd do it all over again. Man ahead
of his time. The NFL part, not the CFL part.
(24:14):
Not the CFL, the NFL part about two thousand three, right,
don't go too far back. So you know, the CFL
was so cool real quick. Just there's a sil Jenny.
Yeah literally, yeah, like starting in September cool. Um. There
was this lady named Jenny, and I called her the
grocery lady because every Thursday or Friday she'd show up
(24:34):
with fresh fruit and groceries for the players. And back
then you'd necessarily have access to fruits and vegetables like
you do now and then, especially up in Canada right
where things are very regional. But she brings us fresh strawberries,
fresh apples, or watermelon or whatever, and I call her
the grocery lady. But that's how cool the CFL was.
The public could come to practice and the grocery lady
could come and give the players groceries. But wait, so
(24:56):
the grolady wasn't affiliated with the team. She was just
that would come in. Wow, she would watch practice. Yet
it's a whole different deal. Luckily, you know, we still
have the opportunity. I think, I don't know who the
Great Cup was just yesterday or something. Their Super Bowl
just happened, but I don't know who won it. But yeah,
I mean it's so I think it's the next best league.
If you're not in the NFL, that's the next best league.
(25:18):
So I think it's very important that that league stays
up operating and going because there would be guys like
me that played ten years in the NFL, played in
two Super Bowls, three Pro Bowls, and all Pro um
on special teams that could fall through the cracks and
potentially not have an opportunity to get back into the
NFL and make an impact on the league. You know,
we've had a handful of those guys. I just mentioned
Mark Dixon, who was our best offensive lineman for a
(25:40):
while when he was here, Let's not forget Cameron Wake, right,
I mean, you know, Penn State guy, Cameron Wake was
an absolute monster. He was one of the best players
in the play in the CFL. And then you know,
just kind of a find here from the Dolphins after
having been cut by the Giants and the whole thing. So, yeah,
some really great stories. He was Derek at Penn State.
That's what happened. Did he definitely did. So you know,
(26:08):
we're gonna get back to football in a second, Brandon,
But you know, you and Juice just talked about being
progressive and ahead of your time. I'm going to fast
forward to two thousand nine where you really stepped into
the headlines advocating for the legalization of same sex marriages
and it became a firestorm. I mean, it just it
truly was ahead of its time, and in the net
(26:28):
well as a country. There were a lot of folks
who are uncomfortable, but certainly in the National Football League,
but you didn't back down. And since that moment, you
have really dedicated yourself to your activism, particularly in the
areas of civil rights, the LGBTQ community. And you were
on CNN with Anderson Cooper, you were at Harvard, you were,
you know, dealing with the Supreme Court. Uh, you went
(26:49):
to the league and advocated for conversations around this issue.
Tell us why that was and continues to be such
an important issue for you. So I think O. J.
Can appreciate that. You know, he's got a mixed child
and I'm a mixed child. But there was a time
where black and white couples they couldn't get married. There's
a time where Latino and white or Latino and black
(27:11):
couples couldn't get married. So and that's the United States
in the sixties. So the monumental case Loving versus Virginia,
which ultimately allowed us to let love be love. And
so some people want to kind of draw the line, like, Okay,
if a black man wants to marry um, say a
white man wants to marry a black woman, No, that's
not gonna happen. But eventually we're able to get past that.
(27:33):
So then so if we're gonna let love be love,
then if a Latino woman wants to marry, um, a
white lady, that's a no go. So that's when I
stepped up in two thousand nine, and I was under
you know, the way that I was raised. And also,
like people don't understand it, like being part of the
LGBTQ community, being gay is not a choice, just as
(27:54):
much as me coming out the color that I came
out was not a choice. That's just the way that
you're wired. That's the way that God made you. So
once you kind of understand that that it's not a
choice and it's nor is it a sin, then you
should you kind of can understand that, Okay, like why
wouldn't they have the same rights that we have? So
I think, you know what really set me off was
Britney Spears was able to marry a friend in Vegas
(28:15):
and instantly had more rights than friends that I had
that were in same sex relationships monogamous relationships. And she
had more rights in that two days or forty eight
hours that she was married than some of my friends
that are in same sex relationships for ten years. And
then also Obama was running for presidency against McCain, and
Obama didn't say if he was pro or against it,
(28:35):
but McCain said he was against it. So I wrote
a oup ed to the Washington Post. I'm sorry, not
the Washington Post, I'm blanking on the name. But it
wasn't the Washington Post, it was Huffington Post. So I
wrote a up ed to the Huffington Post and that
thing went viral, and yeah, that's where I was just like, man,
same sex marriage, what's the big deal? Was the title
of it? And that really put me on the front
(28:56):
page kind of nationally um at the time. And I
didn't know it was gonna be as big as it
was because for me, like I was raised, like, it's
like really literally was not a big deal, especially in California,
but ye had end up being a pretty big deal.
And I also didn't know I was the first professional athlete,
um when it comes to baseball, basketball, or football at least,
to talk about same sex marriage and equality. So me
being a mixed race kid, it was kind of just
(29:18):
second nature to me, But it was also something that
you don't really think about, like can you just marry
the person that you love? In America at that time,
you couldn't. And so yeah, that was kind of the
the catalyst for me to write that that off ed
I was gonna say, but I was gonna say, though,
I'm sorry real quick again ahead of your time, you
know what I mean because if you were, I mean
that that'd be, that'd be that's normal today, And I
(29:41):
think that's awesome man taking that leap, you know what
I mean, and not not giving a damn about what
people thought are the repercustoms. Man, That's that's what's up
right there. Man. You definitely a man ahead of your
time back then. Brother. Yeah, But I think the cool
thing is now is like we have a gay, an
openly gay player in the NFL and he's the starting player,
you know, and it's not a big deal, like he's
gonna go, he's he's gonna contribute. I think what you
(30:02):
notice is that we've had, we've always we always have
and we always will have gay players in the NFL.
But they have a lot of mental issues having to
have lived their life in secrecy and then after they
come out, after they retire from the league, they eventually
come out, but they live a life, you know, where
they've been kind of suppressed and they've been held down. Now,
if we get to the point where like, oh I
(30:23):
got a gay teammate, like so what like just because
you're a man and he's a man, doesn't mean he's
gonna like you and he's gonna be right. Yeah, I
even like football players. But but but I think that
um we yeah, like you said, like we've come a
long way and people don't really think about it now,
but back then, like if you if somebody said you
were gay, you'd be like, oh my god. Because me
(30:45):
as a straight man, after I wrote that, that oup
ed like I had a lot of scrutiny and there
was a lot of pressure on my back from me
just writing an article and sticking up for people and
and and I'm not even gay, and I felt the pressure,
you know what I'm saying. So yeah, I could just
I can only imagine how tough it was. That's what
I wanted to ask you, Brendan. Is that being ahead
of your time and being willing to step out, because
(31:05):
that's you know, I'm sure there were a lot of people. Look,
there was probably a lot of homophobia in all of sports,
not just football, but they're also probably guys that felt
the same way as you, but they weren't willing to
step up and step out and have those conversations. Did
you feel that people like started to question your sexuality
or like, why is this such a big deal to you?
If you you know, are you gay? Like, did you
have to deal with any of that? Yeah, I mean
(31:25):
there was and and you know, I can't say that.
NFL locker rooms are the most mature place to havesation,
so you know, if somebody really want to have a conversation,
we would have that. But sometimes, like my team moves
would be like, oh, you know, they would just throw
some some slurs at me. But eventually we kind of
got to the point where we elevated and it was
like guys knew not to say any gay slurs in
(31:48):
the locker room anymore because they knew I was gonna
hit him up. So I would like to think I
had an impact and influence on them. And then even
guys would come up and be like, man, I'm so
glad you did that. I'm so glad that you you know,
we have somebody that's in the NFL to supporting the community.
I have a brother, I have a sister that's part
of the community. So thank you for doing what you did.
And even though they're like, I can't say anything publicly
just because I don't want to, you know, I don't
(32:08):
want that kind of firestorm on me. But but yeah,
you got it. We'll put it on your back. But yeah,
I mean it got less and less as we as
we got from two thousand and nine, it got less
and less. But then it really blew up my last
year in Baltimore in twelve, and that was that was
a real that was a real wild one. There was
a delegate from the state of Maryland or at the
(32:29):
City of Baltimore, Mr Burns. He's also a preacher but
also an elected delegate for the City of Baltimore, that
it wrote, uh, told me to assist in deceased and
told me to stop talking about gay rights and stopped
using my platform and giving away Ravens tickets and raising
money for gay rights. And yeah, I mean, I'll let
you ask the questions that you want to ask. But yeah,
then the pressure came back on full storm in twelve.
(32:50):
I kind of want to continue down this line, man,
but let's but let's let's get back to a little
bit more football, man. But but that was outstanding, man.
That's that and that's what it's all about, right there, bro.
I mean, send it up for others in your own
rights and whatever it might be, man, But that was
that was outstanding. But let's go back to a little
bit of football here. You know, after your two years
in Miami, you were traded to the Bears. Now, I
mean obviously they did you a solid baby, because we
(33:13):
know how things turned out with our beloved Dolphins in
those years that followed, and uh, you really took your
game to another level. Man. Think about it. You become
one of the most respected best teams guys in the league,
selected the two Pro Bowls with the Chicago Bears, and
he's playing a Super Bowl right down here in Miami.
Then you signed a big free agent deal with Baltimore.
You talked about being in Baltimore make another Pro Bowl,
(33:33):
becoming just the second best teams playing in the league
history to be named to two Pro Bowls from each conference.
And that's hell. I return a couple of punts and
I didn't sniff the programs. Man. That's hard. Man's just respect, man,
And that's getting it done though too. You start playing
more on the defensive side in your final season, your
tenth in the NFL, after all that hard work, your
(33:55):
tenth NFL season. But you know, fourteen years as a
pro you reached the top and part of Ravens Super
Bowl forty seven championship team. Man, the last game you
ever played, it was in a freaking Super Bowl. Bro,
how was that? Man? That was wild? And you know
we talked about the first my first NFL experience playing
a game was with my brother by my side, and
then going to a Super Bowl where I have you know,
(34:16):
my wife, kids, mom's sister, brother all at the game.
My last game, I cried like a baby during the
national anthem, but um yeah, and then yeah, that was
my last game against the San Francisco forty nine and
that was the Hard Bowl as well. But um yeah,
just talk talk about like just going out on a
high note. Um, it was Matt Burke's last game, it
was Ray Lewis's last game. Um there was a couple
(34:36):
other guys that had shut it down after that as well,
but um yeah, just the perfect way to wind down.
Just a wild, wild professional career. Fourteen years of pro ball.
I started playing high football when I was a senior
in high school. So I played three years in high school,
played four years of college, and then my my thirteen
fourteen years of professional football. So man, it was football
(34:58):
was all I knew, and I knew that that was
my last game. Juice so it's pretty emotional. People, I
knew your last game, so going into him. So I
was actually playing a lot of defense that year. Um,
and then I was playing special teams as well. I'm
a sub, you know, mostly a sub and a nickel linebacker.
But getting into the latter part of the season, you know,
you have some tricks to stay fresh and whatnot. And then, um,
(35:20):
we're playing New England and I'm playing against one of
my former teammates, West Welker, and he breaks my tackle
right and I'm like, oh man, West Welker breaks my tackle.
That's like, I am done. That was the a f
C Championship game we won. Then we get to the
NFC champion, get to the Super Bowl. Not from me tackles. Yeah,
(35:43):
so yeah, but just the preparation that it took to
get ready, and then you know that the level of
play just wasn't there. Like I had to do every
trick that I had learned over ten years ice bass
I vs. Those little decompression tanks, you know, just as
much if I could do to be ready. And then
I still got there, and I was like, man, I'm
(36:03):
not even I feel like myself, you know. So but
the team got to win. We went out on a
high note. Um. Once again, I cried when all the
when the confetti fell on our faces, I was crying
and got to celebrate with my brother and my family
and everybody. So but yeah, it was a special moment
coming in and going out where it was like a
birth and a death really. Um, and then I just
(36:24):
propelled me to what I was gonna be doing next.
You know. That's awesome, man. Man, that's that's I mean,
that's a hell of a book any right there starting
to ending right there. That's outstanding. Brother, Yeah, it definitely is.
And like you said, it propelled to what you're gonna
be doing next and that and that's we can't let
you go without talking about that. And so the first
thing I want to talk about is daddy life, your
oldest so and I is. I just saw she's a
(36:47):
high school tennis player and Jules, guess what the name
of the team is, Dolphins, the Dolphins, So right, is
that right? She's playing for the Dolphins and uh, and
they just want a third straight City Section Tennis title.
So I know you've gotta be a proud dad. Um,
So talk about what it's like being an active father
with three kids in the house, being an entrepreneur. You know,
(37:07):
I read that you went back and got your masters
at George Washington University. I didn't know that you and
Aikin were there together, so I thought that was pretty cool.
And then you certainly with no hate and everything else,
you continue your activism. So you almost seem busier now
in your post career than you were as a player. Yeah,
and Walle was there too, coincidentally, I mean it was
it was a program built for NFL players, but there's
(37:30):
also young professionals that were in the program as well.
But yeah, I am definitely definitely busier now than when
I played. UM I owned my ownership group. We have
fifty five Orange Thiry fitness locations, mostly in California. How
many number? Man we got that junior say out that
(37:50):
say out. But I think the special thing about it
is that, um we are the kind of the I'm
not the franchise or but we are the franchise. And
now we have our own employees. We have about seven
and hundred employees as well, and so now and I
see the decisions that you know, it's different being a
player or an employee or being an owner. And being
the franchise, and so I see the difference, and I
(38:10):
understand the decisions that the franchises, meaning NFL franchises have
to take and have to make when it comes to leadership,
when it comes to players, when it comes to execution.
But I also know what it's like to be a player,
so I know, you know, having that that company energy
and having that right energy in the workplace, so people
want to work for you and they want to champion you,
and then they want to stick around, like oh J
(38:31):
sticked around and wants to continue to be a part
of what's going on down in Miami with a with
a special organization. So um, I kind of see it
all full circle now. And the daddy part, it's the
same thing. It's like, I want to instill respect, work ethic,
hard work, being on time, being diligent. I want to
instill all these things. And my kids, I don't really
(38:51):
care what they do as long as they're doing what
they're passionate about. But there's things that you have to
do that you don't want to do. So what what
are the controllables? Being on time and being respectable, being cordial,
having a great attitude. So I want to instill those
types of things in my children and so far as
paying off man, So good man, can you talk to
my youngest I love the death of Sometimes you know,
he just wants to play games. He doesn't want to
(39:11):
put that extra work. Sometimes they don't listen to diety either.
So if you if you talk to mine, I'll talk
to yours. Just because I'm doing those things doesn't mean
to work either. It's working, they just don't always let
you see it. That's how it happens with my kids.
Everybody says your kids are so polite, they're so great,
and I'm like, you need to come over to the
house a good a little bit. Yeah. Same, I'm waiting
(39:32):
for the payoff. I keep planting the seeds and water
in these plants. Now, I'm just I'm waiting for the
paying off. Brother, it's paying off. I love it all. Right.
Before we let you get out of here, Bendon, we've
got a thing on the fish tank that we do
called the two minute drill. Now, you you're mentioning your
nickel linebacker at times, so you're probably in there a
lot during a two minute drill for the offense, but
the defense, you know that you're trying to get off
(39:53):
the field, right, I mean, that's that's the job. You
turn it over, get to stop, get the ball back
to the offense, or whatever you have to do. Right,
we're gonna do is. We're gonna fire off a few questions.
I'm gonna put d J priests, gonna put two minutes
on the clock. We're gonna fire off some questions, kind
of rapid fire, and you know, give us whatever comes
the top of your head. Man. It should be a
lot of fun. Nothing tricky, but it's gonna be you know,
it's gonna be interesting because Big Seth is always good
(40:16):
at finding some jewels, some gym right there. Might have
you laughing a little bit. We used to get people
laughing a little bit with this. So it's gonna have
fun on the two minute drill. Gotta have always big.
You want me to start off? You got a bass,
you can kick it off. All here we go, ready freeze?
True or false? A psychic actually predicted that you and
fammy would be teammates with the Miami Dolphins. Hey, that
(40:38):
is exactly true. And Vancouver, Canada, I was there, and
a psychic was like your brothers surrounded by palm trees.
You're gonna go join him, and you're both be very successful.
And I had ten teams recruiting me at the time,
and I'm like, give me the palm trees, baby, let's go.
That's crazy. I don't normally believe in that stuff, but
that's pretty crazy surrounded by palm trees. Right. We read
(40:59):
that you can say hello in fifteen different languages? Is
it still fifty? Shoot? It might be ten now, but
I can give you some Cornici wa me how ma chi?
That's SPARSI all uh bawni messy, that's that's no um whatever.
I just get five or six. Yeah, it's all good,
(41:24):
all right. You know you wore number fifty at u
t l A and with the Dolphins, ninety four with
the Bears, fifty one with the Ravens. What was your
favorite number? The one with Iyanbadejo on the back. That's
the only one that matters, whatever that decal was on
the side, the number. I wasn't married to a number,
all right. What was more difficult tackling an NFL kicker
turner or tackling the American Ninja Warrior obstacle? Course? Oh man,
(41:46):
I have to say Ninja Warrior. That has some smoke
for you, because obviously I I only got through two
or three obstacles. But yeah, that Ninja Warriors no joke.
And at the time I was too thirty. So it
ain't built for big people. It's not built for two
those people, which is more exciting. Second, Carson Palmer four
times in a single game at u C l A.
Or that Tom Brady interception. We talked about them Monday
(42:07):
Night Football. Man, it's got to be that Tom Brady
interception in my first NFL start on Monday Night Football
and everybody watching and John Madden doing the broadcast. Oh man,
you got the best of both for us, all right.
We talked about you and your brother being Cali guys.
In two thousand three, the Dolphins had a few others,
of course, Ricky Williams, of course Junior say, I'll brock
Marian Sammy Knight, who was the most California dude out
(42:29):
of that whole crew. Oh man, that's a tough one
because California is so California, like we're all so much
the same. But man, probably Ricky Williams because he was
showing up having his own meals cook he was having
different stuff done. He was already doing yoga back in
two thousand three and all that he had dreadlocks like
he's very bohemian California for showing and tattoos over gangs.
(42:54):
That's exactly after two minute drill. Man, he ripped through
that thing. Juice like the line shild that was so
good and that was outstanding. Man. Turn over offense, Man,
the offense turned it over, big step there it is.
That's exactly what should happen. And that's what he does
in a two minute trill. As Tom Brady you just
told you about. Look, man, you guys said there's gonna
be a lot of laughing. I was like, man, you
(43:15):
don't get that turnover. You don't shut them down the
flor As. You're ether gonna cry or you're gonna lae.
We find enough that season, we cried enough. We needed
that moment, trust me, we definitely needed that moment. Look,
I know we initially had hoped to do this in person,
and you you change your schedule. I know you said
you spent about a month at a time down here
in Florida. So I hope we can connect with you
next time. You hear me and Juice and preach, want
(43:35):
to take you out the lunch, but even doing this
via zoom or whatever, it was so great to see you.
Congrats on all that you're doing, the important work that
you're doing at home, in the community and certainly in business. Man.
It was great, great, great to have you here. Yeah,
thank you for having me, guys. And you know, I
got a huge admiration for all of you guys, So
I appreciate you giving us an opportunity to come back
and connect with the fans and and you guys doing
(43:56):
what you're doing by keeping the fans and the players connected.
I think you guys are filling a huge void because
we still want to interact with the fans, and the
fans still want to interact with us, and of course
we want to be on with you guys. So I'm
getting anytime. It's thanks for diving in pitch. Take who
(44:21):
that sitting down with Steth Living oh ja, And this
is strictly for them true fans up fans number one one.
Of course, y'all just had ordinary sports talk. Ever been
that pitch tank, don't get you, Aqua Orange, it's trying
to devil been that pitch tank. It's on the legend
(44:44):
that we're talking when you've never been that petch tank racking. Well,
oh your seth ful, you've never been that petch tank
I ever had a too devern but him down, celebrate
big cry, leave it all on the field. We're gonna
try hard. Old school a new school, mixing in feeling
(45:05):
like we're up close when we listened in Dolpher spells.
Here Miami is the deepend We're ripping one our favorite players.
No secret we get with step and m Deffi bringing
up stars we never heard to the public. Man, we
lovely Dolphins fans, never question. We're loyal to the team.
Whether happier we upset, we'd be like, what's next, Gonna
swist the subject? You know what's all about the fens?
(45:25):
H If you're read it for that was wasn't time
to dive in. Don't swisch the subject. You know what's
all about the fins? Hint if you're down with Dolphor's
nations trying to dive in, don't swish the subject. You
know what's all about the fens? You're looking at that
fish tank. It time to down pitch tank. Okay, show
aqua one. Yes, it's kind of develop in that pitch tank.
(45:47):
It's only legend that we're talking when you dovenment fitch
tank rocking, Oh, James Seth minute time, don't never had
no mane test
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