At one point, Freeway Rick Ross was making at least $1 million every day. From tennis player to drug kingpin to prisoner to mentor, his story is one of transformation, education, and second chances. He joins Joseph "JoJo" Simmons on the For Good Podcast to talk about how he went from being a "square" athlete who'd never touched drugs to making millions in the crack era, serving 20+ years in prison, and finding redemption through reading over 300 books behind bars.
Key Topics:
- From Tennis Court to Streets: How Rick went from playing tennis to making millions selling drugs because he "was looking for a way to get out the ghetto"
- Learning to Read at 28: The moment in prison when Rick realized only he could save himself and taught himself to read
- The Three Life-Changing Books: Rick shares the essential reads that gave him "all the principles to do whatever you want to do in the world"
- Coming Home with Nothing: Being essentially homeless with $200 and building a t-shirt empire from a Joe Rogan suggestion
- Mentoring the Next Generation: His current work speaking at schools, supporting reentry programs, and breaking cycles of violence
Rick's story proves that transformation is possible at any moment—that with discipline, education, and intention, anyone can rewrite their story and help others do the same.
Popular Podcasts
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.