July 29, 2025 • 39 mins
Dr. Hervé Damas, founder of Dr. Damas CBD, shares his riveting journey from a student at NYC’s prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School (The Bestie’s alma mater) to becoming a successful cannabis pioneer and entrepreneur.
With a few amazing milestones achieved along the way- All American scholar-athlete, NFL linebacker, college professor, and physician, Dr Damas is truly a modern day Renaissance Man.
Besties Angella and Leslie allow his nail-biting story to unfold over two episodes, determined to go beyond the highlights to the parts that inspire you to zig when life zags.
Be sure to tune in next week for Part 2 where his mother’s keen observation set Damas up to becoming the health and wellness leader he is today.
References:
Dr. Herve Damas On Benefits Of CBD
https://youtu.be/rT5iQOopTv0?si=YcwA-G3l3MFOehEV
#FlowertothePeople: How CBD May Be Able to Help With PMS With Dr. Damas
https://youtu.be/JKgqIT9TjPo?si=MT4bEpAEEtPW4Ewi
Book a free coaching consultation with Angie here:
https://calendly.com/rhythmwigs/more-joy-complimentary-consultation
Want behind the scenes content, Join us on Patreon at $5 or $10 level:
https://patreon.com/user?u=83534204
Get Angie’s eBook:
We’re Too Old for This! The Inquisitive Older Woman’s Guide to Joy http://joystrategy.co/ebook
Visit our website www.blackboomerbesties.com
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Visit Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn website for behind-the-scenes extras.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey Ange, hey Les how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Smiling, extra big today Smiling extra big.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Okay, you're loud, all right, this is exciting.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's very exciting.
Well, first of all, I'm alwaysexcited.
Here we are.
We come to you with good stuff,but today is oh my gosh All
right, I'm going to containmyself, be professional here,
trying to impress, okay.
So welcome to another episodeof Black Boomer.
Besties from Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I'm Angella and that's Leslie, my best friend of
almost 50 years.
We are two free thinking 60something year old Black women
who have decided to be more boldand joyful as we live the rest
of our lives.
We invite you to come alongwith us.
(00:59):
He's our most intriguing andeducational guests that we have
had on and, of course, withLeslie and I, there's always a
twist in how we met him, so I'mgoing to allow Leslie to
introduce him.
Please stay with us.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
This is going to blow your mind.
I'm going to introduce the mostinteresting person.
Isn't that what they say onthat commercial?
This is the most interestingman, but really, he really is Dr
Hervé Damas.
He is just like a modernRenaissance man.
That's a really good way totalk about it, because his life
(01:45):
and his experiences have reallycovered the breadth of so many
things, from sports andathletics to body consciousness
and wellness, to education, tophysiology and medicine all the
things and it's just afascinating story when you get
(02:08):
to know him and then we have aspiritual.
He's like our brother in a way,because when we tell you how
this all came about, you'regoing to be like.
Anyway, this dude right herewith that gap in his teeth is Dr
Hervé DeMoss.
Hi, Welcome welcome welcome.
(02:31):
I don't mean to embarrass you.
I'm just kind of gushingbecause, like I'm a fangirl.
How about that?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
How about that?
That's amazing.
I was not expecting all that.
Yeah, yeah, I'll take it.
God bless America.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Well, dr DeMoss, I know he's not a man who's shy to
say, but he has had so manydifferent career trajectories.
He has been an NFL footballplayer, he has been a physician.
He is a countrywide orworld-renowned entrepreneur that
(03:19):
has a business that is sosuccessful.
I have been following this manon the radio and through Urban
View and Karen Hunter and LurieDaniel Favors and Clay Kane.
This man I have been wheneverhe comes on the radio, I'm with
(03:40):
my notebook writing down stuffwhile I'm driving.
So the connection that I'll letyou guys know about later how
it all came together is you'regoing to be like what in the
world?
What in the world?
So I'm speaking too much.
Hi, tell us all about yourselfa little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
That's amazing.
That is amazing.
I did not know that you've beenlistening.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I didn't hear how it all unfolded.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Oh man, so those are good, good, good, good friends,
good people of mine that I'vemet Right 2019, 2018.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Yeah, I think I met.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Karen first virtually digital.
as a matter of fact, and then wewe established a friendship
there, as a matter of fact, andthen we established a friendship
(04:41):
there and then, through her, Imet the rest of the Urban View
family, which was, you know, Ithink it was kind of kismet
because, you know, just talkingto the two of you, given the
space that I'm in now, as itpertains to hemp and cannabis
medical marijuana in the US andhow it's particularly affected
people of color, and how thedynamic or the paradigm has
shifted in the country throughlegalization, a hodgepodge
(05:03):
network of efforts throughoutthe states.
But we're still marginalized asthat kind of train is leaving
the station.
There are very few of us whoare passengers in that train in
terms of the entrepreneurialaspect of it or even the
medicinal aspect of it, right,so we're missing out both things
(05:23):
as this progressed and we'rethe people that have really
disproportionately suffered themost as a result of the
prohibition policies that arenow being kind of pulled back.
So it was real important for meto make sure that you know, as
I go into this and I do this,that I don't forget, like you
know, this is really and I dothis, that I don't forget, like
(05:45):
you know, this is really reallyimportant culturally.
Criminal justice.
You know there's a lot ofaspects of it medicinally,
medically, there's a lot ofthings that are interwoven.
And when you talk about ourexperience, as you know, people
of African descent in thiscountry- you know it's not one
thing, it's very rich andlayered, you know.
So they're not simple.
Simple conversations, simplesolutions.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
And this is part of that, yeah.
And it's almost like adisruption of of of the way that
we have used the plant cannabisand hemp culturally Right.
I know throughout the Caribbeanbeing from Jamaica, I know
throughout the context that thisprohibition has caused and the
(06:35):
criminalization that has causedthis huge disruption.
What has been a part of ourexperience culturally um has
been a part of our experienceculturally right.
We used to make um ganja tea injamaica.
We call it ganja, you makeganja tea.
The old people make ganja tea.
I mean it solves so many umissues of the body.
(06:56):
You just go and boil ganja tea.
Nobody's thinking of it as assomething that is wrong or
something that is detrimentalit's medicine.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, it's medicine.
And then we come here and getinto this society and then, as
you said, it's criminalized andwe have become marginalized for
using it in our own ways.
And now, ta-da, it's a big dealand other people are taking
advantage of it.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yes, yes, correct, I think it speaks to a broader
disconnect between Westernsystems and indigenous and
people of color, right?
So how we interact with theplanet, how we see healing,
healthcare, medicine, a moreholistic, natural-based
inclination that we have and soyou mentioned the conjoint team
(07:46):
you know a lot of that isinherent to not only our culture
but our belief systems, andeven like Rastafari Rastas, you
know it's a religion, it's aspiritual religion.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
right, it absolutely is.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Yeah, yeah you know, if you look at, you know people
of color, indigenous people, andhow we, you know how we
approach healing health andwellness it is, it is in a group
of little systems, like youknow.
Hey, you know we're going tofix this little part.
Yes, exactly right, so it's anentire, it's an entire thing,
(08:20):
and oftentimes, without that, wewind up having you know less
than optimal results in a systemthat's not built we don't
really naturally kind of vibe.
We don't blend with that really,so we kind of exclude ourselves
and sometimes we're naturallyexcluded through systems that
(08:40):
have been set up.
You know, they do think aboutit.
It they're like the hell withthem anyway, and so, again, this
is part right, so this is partof it, like the cannabis, and
the marijuana is part of like asubset of a greater issue at all
.
It's how we in a westernwestern environment and western
(09:01):
world and how we take care ofourselves and try to maneuver
and find what's best for us.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Okay, Well, listen it's self-determination.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
you know it is self-determination, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
I want to.
I want to stick a pin here, asmy mother would say, because
we've gotten, we've given ataste of of what a big part of
this conversation is going to beabout, of what a big part of
this conversation is going to beabout I want to go back to.
Can we go back four months ago?
I would like to go back.
Has it been four months?
It's been about four months Tohow this point in time here came
(09:40):
about.
Right, you all know that Leslieand I had our high school
reunion.
We had a few episodes about it,Big deal, because we're on the
planning committee for BrooklynTechnical High School, class of
80.
Something that happened theFriday before that.
(10:05):
Well, that homecoming weekend,the Friday, something happened.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
That is how this fall came about, so Leslie's going
to tell the story because she'slike go ahead, leslie, tell them
what happened.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I want to hear this.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yeah, because some of this happened before we were
here.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
We're like, we're not going to tell you.
All right, we're minding ourown business.
Minding our own business.
So the Pier 57 in the city hada tech takeover.
So what they did, which wasreally wonderful they invited
all of the people in town andall of the different classes to
(10:51):
meet at Pier 57 and just hangout there, meet different people
from different classes, andthen the following day would be
the school visit and theneveryone would do their
individual class activities.
So Angela and I went to theTech Takeover that Friday night.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
We had on our silver lame pants and our light up,
sneakers and we were just, youknow.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
So we go into this corner and one of the football
coaches is talking and holdingcourt and he's chatting, and
chatting, and chatting.
And we're just hanging out withpeople now of all ages and all
classes and coach says, yeah,that dude Irvay over there, go
over there, he'll give you somemarijuana.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
No, he says something like Because, wait a minute,
this is an older white man.
This is an older white man, sowe're like what he said he'll
give you some.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
He's over there giving out weed.
That's what he said.
He might have said pot, I thinkhe said weed.
So listen, I'm a black woman.
This white man is pointing tothis brown brother over there
talk about he's giving out weed.
I'm like what the fuck?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
What kind of slur?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
is that I'm like just you know, okay.
So I'm like I put it.
I'm like, okay, so I go over tothe crowd and now Irve is over
there with a couple of hisclassmates from 90 and Angela
and I just start chatting withthem and we're talking and we're
like we're talking about themand like what do you think of
(12:33):
the class?
And I'm now in interview modeand I'm I'll send you the tape
and had a great time, had fun,we're drinking and whatever.
Okay, maybe we were there like20 minutes or something, not
very long.
All right, so the evening isover.
Everybody says nice meeting,you take care, and all of this
stuff.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
And, by the way, we found out that um that gentleman
was um Dr DeMoss's coach whilehe was um his football coach.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Right, right, coach Benedetto.
Yes, hey, coach.
So Ange and I went to theschool visit the following
Saturday and we sat through theceremony the homecoming ceremony
At the end of the program.
They have the credits and alland thanks and contributions and
(13:26):
all, and Ange is sitting on myright and I'm reading, and one
of the people who they thank andwho contributed, dr Hervé Damas
.
I said Ange, oh shit, ange.
I said you ain't going tobelieve it.
(13:48):
I said you're not going tobelieve it.
I said Dr DeMoss is the guy wewere talking to last night.
That's him.
That's him, the heck.
I'm like I listen to him allthe time.
I got his number here to callhis office.
(14:09):
The whole thing came fullcircle and I'm like I can't
believe it and we're lookingaround now.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Is he here, is he?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
here, we got none.
We got none.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
It's okay, there's still time.
So coach B's comment and yourname as a country, thank you for
contributing.
That's.
You're so generous and you sithere talking to us and chatting.
Mind you, he never mentionedwhat he did.
He never mentioned, no, becauseI came over to him and I'm like
(14:48):
, oh so, you were a footballplayer I don't know if you
remember that and he's like wowyou do your homework.
He said you do your homework.
That's because coach told meyou know, what do I know?
You know and I was not going tosay that hey, can I have some
weed that the guy is like it wasa setup.
So at that point, while we weresitting in the auditorium, is
(15:12):
when I put the whole thingtogether and I'm like I have
been listening to this brotherfor so long and I had no idea.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
That's amazing, that is funny.
That's like one of those thingsin a movie after you watch that
in a movie they start, like youknow, reflashing the scenes
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
It was so wonderful and of course we had to reach
out and see if he would come onour podcast and absolutely he
said he would, he would come onand here he is and so this is
this is I told.
We told him just before westarted recording that this will
be unlike any other podcast orinterview that you've had,
(16:01):
because you know you have such afascinating story like how you
came.
By the way, you started medschool at 33.
Leslie started med school at 36.
(16:21):
Having so many pivots in yourlife being led, kind of seeing
and feeling, you know, intuitingand having and listening to
elders, you know, in settingyour direction for what's next.
So we want to spend a littletime before we go into the
(16:44):
really important information youhave to share with everyone
around your work with wellnessand cannabinoids and health and
healing and pain relief and allof that.
If you would just share some ofyour story, like how you came
(17:08):
to be right now, like you don'thave to.
You can start at tech if you'dlike.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
I almost spit out my ice tea.
He probably was a sauce, no.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Were you a sauce.
Were you a sauce.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Oh, they didn't have sauces in 90?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
They must have had sauce.
Yes, they did.
They were the police.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
The student police of the school Student of security
or something no no no, you knowwhat Najee?
Absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Many of the Asian students were the sauce you know
.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
We were the sauce and we were just running man.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Did they allow?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
you to get on the elevator in the 90s.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Or did you have to run up the seven?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
floors like we did.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
When I first got.
I got there in 86, and theywere letting us use the
elevators for a little bit andthen things had gotten out of
hand.
I was there when, you know,brooklyn was.
It was like the middle of the80s, yeah, so yeah, things were
fine.
The decepticons, you don't knowif you know.
You guys remember hearing thatI do, I do yeah, so they were,
you know, so they had.
(18:19):
Uh, there was a lot of peoplefrom tech that were decepticons.
They actually one of thefounders uh brother named tame
still was from tech that wereDecepticons.
They actually one of thefounders.
A brother named Tim Stone wasfrom tech.
Really he was the FBI's mostwanted.
Yeah, he was like what?
Yeah, I told you we were famous.
I told you.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
The school was famous .
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
If we're going to do it, we do it big.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
That's a whole story behind that, you know, because
of the times and people thoughtit was sweet, because we was
smart, right quote on quotesmart, so you know.
So it was kind of like you hadto.
You know you could be smart,but you're still from the hood,
right you?
So you're still from around theway, you still you got the
chops to get into tech, but thatdoesn't mean that there's other
(19:04):
sides of you right, yeah, we'reall people.
That's how that thing started,right, you know.
So I would say for me honestly,and that's really how I wound
up going to tech.
I grew up in Flatbush East 21stand Newkirk Avenue.
Okay what?
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Ocean and Kurt tell you Ocean and Kurt tell you
Ocean and Kurt Tell you Allright, lyndon and Bedford.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
You know, in the early 80s things had gotten
really, really hot, turned intolike a full-on war zone, yeah,
and it was no longer safe.
We didn't have park.
Anybody who's grown up in thecity knows you don't have like
green spaces and parks, you'rejust playing in the street,
(19:50):
you're playing the sidewalk oryou're playing in the middle of
it, actually in the street, andsomebody's gotta say car right.
So like that, that was theplayground.
You know, things just startedgetting really dangerous you
know it's crack at the scene.
Um, you know, there was a lot ofstuff going on the war on drugs
, police enforcement, and so, uh, my mother which was
(20:14):
interesting and my mother waslike you can't go hang out, play
outside anymore, which is crazy, like it was my whole social
life.
Everybody's like like that'sthe whole thing and she's like,
nah, it's getting too dangerousoutside for you.
Like you know, and you know,kudos to her for being a good
mom.
She saw it.
She was like, hey, I can tellyou right now, all the kids
(20:37):
that's spending a lot of time, alot of time outside.
I remember saying that badthings are starting to happen.
She was saying bad things arestarting to happen out there, so
I got to limit your time and Iwas like no.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Sure, sure, you're killing me, Ma.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah, you're killing me, Ma it was so bad that my
little friends used to.
I remember we had a secondstory, second floor apartment.
They used to come by my windowand make fun of me.
They used to say I was barred,they were like you apartment.
They used to come by my window,make fun of me, they used to
(21:14):
say I was barred, you can't comeoutside, you parted.
I'm like no, I am.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
She knew yeah, but yeah, god bless her.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah.
So what happened was Iremembered, like just being
bored out of my mind.
One summer I was stuck in ahouse and I was like you got to
let me out, like come on, likeyou know.
And she was like why don't yougo go read a book?
Because I watched all the TV Icould watch.
I watched all the Gilligan'sIsland, all the like my three
(21:42):
sons I dream of Jeannie.
Yeah, yeah, I did.
You know the whole series withthem, right, like get smart all
of that.
Get smart, right.
You know it was like.
You know.
Hey, it turned into soul properas a night pipe or something
like that.
All my children.
I was like I can't do thisanymore.
She won't you go sit and read abook.
(22:03):
I was like a book.
It's summertime, it's great,would you?
Why don't you go sit and read abook?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I was like a book.
It's summertime, it's great.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Yeah, we don't be here in the summer, yeah, so
this went on for a couple ofweeks and I protested and I did
all that.
And one day we had these oldworld book encyclopedias.
I still remember this.
I was bored out of my mind.
We had bought she had bought mesome used encyclopedias and I
(22:32):
just grabbed it.
I didn't have anything to do.
I opened up, wound up on a page, like about the Apollo space
program.
No lie, it was like what thisis like for real.
I actually did not believe, Ididn't know that they actually
had.
What this is like for real.
I actually did not believe Ididn't.
I didn't know that theyactually had sent people to
space I thought that was justall like tv stuff, right?
it was like come on, we watch tvshows like you know, whatever
(22:55):
right, and I'm looking at thisstuff, like wow, they actually
like this is a real thing andand like, look at these dudes.
Like look at these and they hadlike cool names.
This one dude was like BuzzAldrin.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yes, both yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
And I'm reading this, I'm like yo, this is crazy.
And I started thinking tomyself hmm, I'd like to do
something like that, right.
So that led me to get reallyinto astronomy and aerospace,
right, really into astronomy andaerospace, right.
So, like, I start reading aboutlike constellations, stars, and
(23:30):
like ships and planes and allthis stuff.
So I'm all into this stuff now,right, because I'm just like
like you can actually do thisright, and you know I'm not no
longer bored, that's right right, it's what?
like you know, every kid wantsto be an astronaut.
Oh, mom, I want to be, but Iwas like yo, you can actually do
this, do this.
Like, like, let's do this.
(23:52):
Yeah, yeah, we're gonna do this.
So we wound up um, I'm gonnafast forward.
We wound up doing a littleamerican dream thing and making
enough money to move out ofbrooklyn, go to queens, get a
little house queens, we'removing on up and the crack and
stuff followed us to Queens.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
So it wasn't like you were running right.
It was going on over there too.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Yeah, it was expanding, you know, by design.
Of course I had a gentleman whoused to come around the
classrooms.
He was like the don't do drugskind of guy.
You know he would like socialstudies class.
He'd come in once a week and belike hey kids, you know I'm the
cool adult, don't do drugs.
You know, remember that guy inhis icebreaker every class when
(24:46):
he would ask a piece of triviaand he'd be like, hey, you can
get it right, I'll give you somemoney.
He came in the class and askedsome astronomy trivia.
So I was like I do the answerand he was like no, put your
hand down.
And I was like, but I know theanswer and like I remember this
(25:10):
because it was like a show, itwas like a scene from who?
I'm in the back of class, I'mbig, I'm in the back.
They pull the taller kids inthe back.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Yeah, he's in the front.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
I got you know, and the kids, I'm going back and
forth with them and every time Isay something, something the
class turns around.
And then he said put your handback.
And I'm like no, but I got theanswer.
And he's like oh no, you don'tback around to me, right?
And I'm like, but I do, right.
So he's like what's the answer?
Right, the answer was like youknow, alpha centaur, which is
(25:40):
like the closest star hereoutside of the sun, and he's
like how did you know?
You know, he was like how didyou know that?
I was like, because I know thisstuff, right, I've been reading
.
And he's like oh yeah, he'slike no, I think somebody from
another class told you If youknow, it's got a sister star,
what's the sister star's name?
And I was like ProximaCentauriatori.
(26:01):
And the class was like whoa?
He was like how do you knowthis?
Speaker 1 (26:11):
and I was like how dare?
He said that you cheated right.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So at the end of the class he stops me after class
and he goes you're reallyinterested in this stuff.
And and I was like, hey, man, I, you know this could sound
crazy, but I want to be anastronaut, right.
And he was like are you serious?
And I was like yeah, I'mserious.
Um, that's why I know all thisstuff.
I've been studying it on my own.
(26:37):
And he's like well, there's aschool in Brooklyn and they've
got an aeronautical engineeringprogram and I think they sent
people to the Air Force Academy.
He goes and I think if you goto the Air Force Academy, you
can go to the astronaut trainingprogram.
(26:59):
And I was like what, what's itcalled?
He goes, it's called BrooklynTech.
He's like you should.
He's like like you got to takea test for it, the whole thing.
And if you, you know, if youget in, you can go like, if
that's what you want to do, theycan get you there, right?
So, remember, they used to giveus like a little book you could
choose the schools.
(27:19):
You're in eighth grade, right?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
yes, yes, with the list of all the schools and what
you had to do yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
So I looked, I looked it up and it had yeah, he's
right, that's Brooklyn Tech andyou got to go take the test.
So I was like there's the majoraeronautical engineering.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
So I remember you study for the?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
test.
I did not study for the test.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Neither did I.
We didn't study either.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
We just took the test and we got in, yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Yeah, nowadays, we didn't do prep, I wouldn't get
in today I wouldn't get inbecause everybody's taking prep
courses.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
If your family's got resources they can pay for, yes,
yeah, and you get thisexceptional education Right.
But back then you just went inand took the test.
So I went in and took the test.
I got in, clearly, you know.
So I went in and took the test.
I got in, clearly.
Yeah, I went to.
Tech was an arrow major.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I was like my brother , was a class of 78.
He was an arrow major too, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I was an arrow major and then I started playing.
I've started playing footballand I fell in love with football
.
I fell in love with footballand my senior year I was a USA
Today top 100.
I was like an All-American highschool, all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Did they tell you?
Did they tell you I?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
remember.
So he had asked me what schooldo I want to go to?
And I was like I want to go tothe Air Force Academy.
Right, it was like you know, Iwas like I want to go to.
And I was like I want to go tothe Air Force Academy.
Right, it was like you know, itwas like I want to go to the
Air Force Academy.
That's my number one school.
So, uh, the the last, thesecond to last game of the year
we won.
We beat Canarsie, made it tothe playoffs.
(29:01):
Canarsie was a big rival yeah,which is the first time we had
made it to the playoffs in likea decade or so, oh my gosh.
And I go into the locker room Iwas there at lunchroom at the
time.
I walk in I'd forgotten allabout this, right, and I see
these dudes in uniforms lookingsparkly, and I walk past them
and one of the coaches says hey,those guys are there to see you
(29:24):
and I was like me, right, it'slike I come over and they're
like hey, we want to offer you ascholarship to come play
football for the Air ForceAcademy.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I was like what.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
It was crazy, Like it was like a whole thing what
these dudes were and they werein the uniform like they were in
their formal uniform,impressive as hell, what I'm
like?
Speaker 1 (29:55):
tearful first of all.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
You are making me cry and and let me tell you when
I'm interrupting you for onesecond because I got teary when
I heard you the guy tell you youdon't know that you must have
cheated.
I had an experience similar tothat in elementary school where
one of my teachers reallydemeaned me and didn't didn't
(30:21):
respect my intelligence or mytalent, and I thank God that you
and I and many others haveovercome that and didn't let a
naysayer like that Turns out hewas helpful to you In my case it
wasn't.
But how many of us our dreamshave been like thrown away
(30:44):
because people.
We are there as teachers.
I used to be a high schoolscience teacher.
Teachers are supposed toencourage and bring the best out
of their students.
That's why we're there and forpeople to step on our crush, our
dreams and our spirits.
You know you could have hadthat experience.
I didn't listen to my guy, Ilaughed at him in the way, but
(31:09):
it's something that I stillthink about 50 years later.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Mm, hmm, it's amazing that you say that, because that
was one of many times that I'vehad, you know, I've had to kind
of like face off against people.
Maybe it's because I had threeolder brothers and you're just
like used to like scrapping fora little space you know like
you've been in a situation whereyou know if you don't push back
like you're going to getsquashed Right.
(31:35):
So I think maybe that is and youknow, having you know, growing
up on where I grew up, that wasanother thing.
Like you know, you've got, inorder to survive, that you've
got to have a certain amount ofhardness to you.
You ain't going to make it orit's going to be tough for you.
So even in, even in high school, the Benedetto there was when I
(31:56):
fell in love with football.
Even in high school, theBenedetto there was when I fell
in love with football.
I remember us having a meetingand you know he was like just
talking to us about like gettingour priorities straight and he
asked everyone, like you know,how many of you guys think
you're going to play collegefootball?
How many of you guys can get ascholarship college football?
Put your hands up and as hewent along the questions, people
(32:20):
started putting their handsdown.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And then the last question how many you think I'm
gonna go, bro?
And I still have my hand.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Oh my god I love it, I love it who you is, brother.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Who the hell are you?
Speaker 3 (32:36):
what's up with you.
And I was sitting there with myhand up and kind of like, yeah,
it's me.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
It's me.
Where's the line?
Where is the line?
I told?
Speaker 3 (32:49):
him that I remember saying that to everyone in the
room like hey, it's a long shot,somebody's got to do it,
somebody it is, but there isthat person that does.
It right, amen, why not me?
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Amen At least think about it.
Do you know?
That's how I got into medicalschool.
That's how I started thinking.
I'm like, first of all, peopleget in, people get in, people do
it, people get in.
So why not me?
Who better than me?
Yeah, the first step isbelieving.
Exactly, the first step isbelieving.
So go ahead, you are somethingelse, buddy.
(33:21):
You got me crying, laughing.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
That's hilarious.
So I wound up actually notgoing to the Air Force Academy.
That's a whole other story.
I didn't have the properguidance because no one had ever
like at Tech, playing footballor whatever.
No one in my family, no like noone, knew what to do, and I
didn't get my congressionalnominations in on time.
My man boy flake, sent me one,but alphonse the model did not.
(33:46):
I don't know if you rememberthere was a senator back in the
day I just found out recentlythat they're only allowed to
send a certain amount, and hedidn't send me.
He wrote me back saying he hadsent all the letters in.
I didn't know like you couldwrite all the representatives
like I didn't know right.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yeah, you didn't know .
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yeah, yeah, I didn't have the guidance so I wanted to
go into good, beautiful, yeah,I wanted to go into hofstra.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
You know, went to lehigh, you went to hofstra.
I had a great, great time inhofstra.
I wound up clearly to the billsigning.
Yeah, I wound up signing withthe bills.
You know all american at hofcan they wait?
Speaker 2 (34:25):
stop right there, yeah, yeah, you're like glossing
over like just just all thebrothers just sign up with the
bill slow your roll, I mean
Speaker 3 (34:34):
that was before the turn of the century.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Slow your roll.
Allow the elders to just sit inthat for a little bit
All-American.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
How many people from Brooklyn Tech, how many people
from Flatbush, how many peoplefrom Brooklyn, how many people
go to the Buffalo Bills?
You know what I mean.
I'm just saying.
I know that you know your storyand whatever, but it's a big
fucking deal.
It's a BFD.
You know what I mean.
(35:09):
It's a BFD and I know that thatwasn't your, that wasn't how it
ended.
Wait, there's more.
There's so much you know what Imean, but it's a big deal.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
I thought I was going to be in a spaceship at one
point, right when the Challengerexploded.
Like we used to kids in theclassroom, they brought the TV
and watching that thing.
I was one of the kids that waslike oh my God, you know like.
That could have been me.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
I was standing on Cortellu Road when that happened
Cortellu and East 18th Streetwhen that happened.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Wow, you know turns out Ronald McNair, one of my
fraternity brothers, you knowwas in that right, so he's a Q,
he's a brother, one of the firstBlack astronauts.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
So it was a lot of like things.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
So I wound up, you know, going to Hofstra Dean's
List.
All that good stuff Went to theBills and you know I blew my
knee out First year in theleague.
And that's the reality of life,right, like that, sport is very
hard on the body.
So it took me a couple of yearsto kind of figure out what I
(36:22):
wanted to do with myself,because you know, the whole
astronaut thing I'd given up onit.
I went all in on the footballthing and now here I was, I had
made it and now you know youfall back down the mountain.
You're no longer it was such abig part of your identity who
you were for a long time big manon campus.
So you know you're doing allthis stuff, you're on TV, you
know you're doing the wholething and now it's like it's
(36:45):
gone.
So it was a couple of yearsthere that I was just kind of
like trying to get myself backinto the league, rehabbing.
But yeah, I had really reallybad knee injury.
So back then they were like Iwas like humpty, dumpty, they
(37:06):
couldn't put me back togetheragain.
You know, it was like wewouldn't have that kind of
sports medicine.
They uh, so, um, I started, Istarted uh, I, I taught for a
little bit, like I, I substitutetaught for a little bit.
So I had a little bit of fun atwestinghouse.
I coached at Tech and then theyasked at Hofstra to go back and
coach the players on the stuffthat I had learned in the NFL.
Strength and conditioning andthose kind of things.
(37:26):
And they were like and you'llpay for graduate school, and I
was like I don't even want to go, I don't even know what I want
to do.
So I just went back and Istarted, you know, in strength
and condition as a strength andconditioning coach and I went to
.
I was going to graduate schoolwas free, I was getting a
master's in physical educationat Hofstra and I got really into
(37:51):
like sports, you know, sportstraining and like physical
fitness and I had a whole bunchof certain things.
I want to.
You know, I want to go deeperthan that.
I don't even know.
I would like I was lecturingfor the national strength and
conditioning association.
I was writing stuff.
I was speaking for the Americancollege of sports medicine.
(38:12):
Of course, you were doing awhole bunch of stuff.
I was running gyms and I wantedup becoming a professor of
health and exercise science, anadjunct at Trenton State College
.
While I was there they changedthe name to the College of New
Jersey, so I was running theirwellness center and I was
teaching in the Department ofHealth and Exercise Science.
(38:32):
And then that's when lifechanged for me.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
My mom got diagnosed with breast cancer for a second
time.
This bobbing and weaving thatDr Damas has been doing and this
incredible life that isunfolding for him, we're going
to stop here and we're going tohave a part two where he talks
about how this very painful partof his life now emotionally
(39:17):
painful through the illness ofhis mom how that is going to set
him on another trajectory.
Stay tuned for part two.
Hey Ange, hey Les how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Smiling, extra big today Smiling extra big.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Okay, you're loud, all right, this is exciting.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's very exciting.
Well, first of all, I'm alwaysexcited.
Here we are.
We come to you with good stuff,but today is oh my gosh All
right, I'm going to containmyself, be professional here,
trying to impress, okay.
So welcome to another episodeof Black Boomer.
Besties from Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I'm Angella and that's Leslie, my best friend of
almost 50 years.
We are two free thinking 60something year old Black women
who have decided to be more boldand joyful as we live the rest
of our lives.
We invite you to come alongwith us.
(00:59):
He's our most intriguing andeducational guests that we have
had on and, of course, withLeslie and I, there's always a
twist in how we met him, so I'mgoing to allow Leslie to
introduce him.
Please stay with us.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
This is going to blow your mind.
I'm going to introduce the mostinteresting person.
Isn't that what they say onthat commercial?
This is the most interestingman, but really, he really is Dr
Hervé Damas.
He is just like a modernRenaissance man.
That's a really good way totalk about it, because his life
(01:45):
and his experiences have reallycovered the breadth of so many
things, from sports andathletics to body consciousness
and wellness, to education, tophysiology and medicine all the
things and it's just afascinating story when you get
(02:08):
to know him and then we have aspiritual.
He's like our brother in a way,because when we tell you how
this all came about, you'regoing to be like.
Anyway, this dude right herewith that gap in his teeth is Dr
Hervé DeMoss.
Hi, Welcome welcome welcome.
(02:31):
I don't mean to embarrass you.
I'm just kind of gushingbecause, like I'm a fangirl.
How about that?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
How about that?
That's amazing.
I was not expecting all that.
Yeah, yeah, I'll take it.
God bless America.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Well, dr DeMoss, I know he's not a man who's shy to
say, but he has had so manydifferent career trajectories.
He has been an NFL footballplayer, he has been a physician.
He is a countrywide orworld-renowned entrepreneur that
(03:19):
has a business that is sosuccessful.
I have been following this manon the radio and through Urban
View and Karen Hunter and LurieDaniel Favors and Clay Kane.
This man I have been wheneverhe comes on the radio, I'm with
(03:40):
my notebook writing down stuffwhile I'm driving.
So the connection that I'll letyou guys know about later how
it all came together is you'regoing to be like what in the
world?
What in the world?
So I'm speaking too much.
Hi, tell us all about yourselfa little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
That's amazing.
That is amazing.
I did not know that you've beenlistening.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I didn't hear how it all unfolded.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Oh man, so those are good, good, good, good friends,
good people of mine that I'vemet Right 2019, 2018.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Yeah, I think I met.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Karen first virtually digital.
as a matter of fact, and then wewe established a friendship
there, as a matter of fact, andthen we established a friendship
(04:41):
there and then, through her, Imet the rest of the Urban View
family, which was, you know, Ithink it was kind of kismet
because, you know, just talkingto the two of you, given the
space that I'm in now, as itpertains to hemp and cannabis
medical marijuana in the US andhow it's particularly affected
people of color, and how thedynamic or the paradigm has
shifted in the country throughlegalization, a hodgepodge
(05:03):
network of efforts throughoutthe states.
But we're still marginalized asthat kind of train is leaving
the station.
There are very few of us whoare passengers in that train in
terms of the entrepreneurialaspect of it or even the
medicinal aspect of it, right,so we're missing out both things
(05:23):
as this progressed and we'rethe people that have really
disproportionately suffered themost as a result of the
prohibition policies that arenow being kind of pulled back.
So it was real important for meto make sure that you know, as
I go into this and I do this,that I don't forget, like you
know, this is really and I dothis, that I don't forget, like
(05:45):
you know, this is really reallyimportant culturally.
Criminal justice.
You know there's a lot ofaspects of it medicinally,
medically, there's a lot ofthings that are interwoven.
And when you talk about ourexperience, as you know, people
of African descent in thiscountry- you know it's not one
thing, it's very rich andlayered, you know.
So they're not simple.
Simple conversations, simplesolutions.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
And this is part of that, yeah.
And it's almost like adisruption of of of the way that
we have used the plant cannabisand hemp culturally Right.
I know throughout the Caribbeanbeing from Jamaica, I know
throughout the context that thisprohibition has caused and the
(06:35):
criminalization that has causedthis huge disruption.
What has been a part of ourexperience culturally um has
been a part of our experienceculturally right.
We used to make um ganja tea injamaica.
We call it ganja, you makeganja tea.
The old people make ganja tea.
I mean it solves so many umissues of the body.
(06:56):
You just go and boil ganja tea.
Nobody's thinking of it as assomething that is wrong or
something that is detrimentalit's medicine.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, it's medicine.
And then we come here and getinto this society and then, as
you said, it's criminalized andwe have become marginalized for
using it in our own ways.
And now, ta-da, it's a big dealand other people are taking
advantage of it.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yes, yes, correct, I think it speaks to a broader
disconnect between Westernsystems and indigenous and
people of color, right?
So how we interact with theplanet, how we see healing,
healthcare, medicine, a moreholistic, natural-based
inclination that we have and soyou mentioned the conjoint team
(07:46):
you know a lot of that isinherent to not only our culture
but our belief systems, andeven like Rastafari Rastas, you
know it's a religion, it's aspiritual religion.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
right, it absolutely is.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Yeah, yeah you know, if you look at, you know people
of color, indigenous people, andhow we, you know how we
approach healing health andwellness it is, it is in a group
of little systems, like youknow.
Hey, you know we're going tofix this little part.
Yes, exactly right, so it's anentire, it's an entire thing,
(08:20):
and oftentimes, without that, wewind up having you know less
than optimal results in a systemthat's not built we don't
really naturally kind of vibe.
We don't blend with that really,so we kind of exclude ourselves
and sometimes we're naturallyexcluded through systems that
(08:40):
have been set up.
You know, they do think aboutit.
It they're like the hell withthem anyway, and so, again, this
is part right, so this is partof it, like the cannabis, and
the marijuana is part of like asubset of a greater issue at all
.
It's how we in a westernwestern environment and western
(09:01):
world and how we take care ofourselves and try to maneuver
and find what's best for us.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Okay, Well, listen it's self-determination.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
you know it is self-determination, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
I want to.
I want to stick a pin here, asmy mother would say, because
we've gotten, we've given ataste of of what a big part of
this conversation is going to beabout, of what a big part of
this conversation is going to beabout I want to go back to.
Can we go back four months ago?
I would like to go back.
Has it been four months?
It's been about four months Tohow this point in time here came
(09:40):
about.
Right, you all know that Leslieand I had our high school
reunion.
We had a few episodes about it,Big deal, because we're on the
planning committee for BrooklynTechnical High School, class of
80.
Something that happened theFriday before that.
(10:05):
Well, that homecoming weekend,the Friday, something happened.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
That is how this fall came about, so Leslie's going
to tell the story because she'slike go ahead, leslie, tell them
what happened.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I want to hear this.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yeah, because some of this happened before we were
here.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
We're like, we're not going to tell you.
All right, we're minding ourown business.
Minding our own business.
So the Pier 57 in the city hada tech takeover.
So what they did, which wasreally wonderful they invited
all of the people in town andall of the different classes to
(10:51):
meet at Pier 57 and just hangout there, meet different people
from different classes, andthen the following day would be
the school visit and theneveryone would do their
individual class activities.
So Angela and I went to theTech Takeover that Friday night.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
We had on our silver lame pants and our light up,
sneakers and we were just, youknow.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
So we go into this corner and one of the football
coaches is talking and holdingcourt and he's chatting, and
chatting, and chatting.
And we're just hanging out withpeople now of all ages and all
classes and coach says, yeah,that dude Irvay over there, go
over there, he'll give you somemarijuana.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
No, he says something like Because, wait a minute,
this is an older white man.
This is an older white man, sowe're like what he said he'll
give you some.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
He's over there giving out weed.
That's what he said.
He might have said pot, I thinkhe said weed.
So listen, I'm a black woman.
This white man is pointing tothis brown brother over there
talk about he's giving out weed.
I'm like what the fuck?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
What kind of slur?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
is that I'm like just you know, okay.
So I'm like I put it.
I'm like, okay, so I go over tothe crowd and now Irve is over
there with a couple of hisclassmates from 90 and Angela
and I just start chatting withthem and we're talking and we're
like we're talking about themand like what do you think of
(12:33):
the class?
And I'm now in interview modeand I'm I'll send you the tape
and had a great time, had fun,we're drinking and whatever.
Okay, maybe we were there like20 minutes or something, not
very long.
All right, so the evening isover.
Everybody says nice meeting,you take care, and all of this
stuff.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
And, by the way, we found out that um that gentleman
was um Dr DeMoss's coach whilehe was um his football coach.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Right, right, coach Benedetto.
Yes, hey, coach.
So Ange and I went to theschool visit the following
Saturday and we sat through theceremony the homecoming ceremony
At the end of the program.
They have the credits and alland thanks and contributions and
(13:26):
all, and Ange is sitting on myright and I'm reading, and one
of the people who they thank andwho contributed, dr Hervé Damas
.
I said Ange, oh shit, ange.
I said you ain't going tobelieve it.
(13:48):
I said you're not going tobelieve it.
I said Dr DeMoss is the guy wewere talking to last night.
That's him.
That's him, the heck.
I'm like I listen to him allthe time.
I got his number here to callhis office.
(14:09):
The whole thing came fullcircle and I'm like I can't
believe it and we're lookingaround now.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Is he here, is he?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
here, we got none.
We got none.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
It's okay, there's still time.
So coach B's comment and yourname as a country, thank you for
contributing.
That's.
You're so generous and you sithere talking to us and chatting.
Mind you, he never mentionedwhat he did.
He never mentioned, no, becauseI came over to him and I'm like
(14:48):
, oh so, you were a footballplayer I don't know if you
remember that and he's like wowyou do your homework.
He said you do your homework.
That's because coach told meyou know, what do I know?
You know and I was not going tosay that hey, can I have some
weed that the guy is like it wasa setup.
So at that point, while we weresitting in the auditorium, is
(15:12):
when I put the whole thingtogether and I'm like I have
been listening to this brotherfor so long and I had no idea.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
That's amazing, that is funny.
That's like one of those thingsin a movie after you watch that
in a movie they start, like youknow, reflashing the scenes
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
It was so wonderful and of course we had to reach
out and see if he would come onour podcast and absolutely he
said he would, he would come onand here he is and so this is
this is I told.
We told him just before westarted recording that this will
be unlike any other podcast orinterview that you've had,
(16:01):
because you know you have such afascinating story like how you
came.
By the way, you started medschool at 33.
Leslie started med school at 36.
(16:21):
Having so many pivots in yourlife being led, kind of seeing
and feeling, you know, intuitingand having and listening to
elders, you know, in settingyour direction for what's next.
So we want to spend a littletime before we go into the
(16:44):
really important information youhave to share with everyone
around your work with wellnessand cannabinoids and health and
healing and pain relief and allof that.
If you would just share some ofyour story, like how you came
(17:08):
to be right now, like you don'thave to.
You can start at tech if you'dlike.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
I almost spit out my ice tea.
He probably was a sauce, no.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Were you a sauce.
Were you a sauce.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Oh, they didn't have sauces in 90?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
They must have had sauce.
Yes, they did.
They were the police.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
The student police of the school Student of security
or something no no no, you knowwhat Najee?
Absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Many of the Asian students were the sauce you know
.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
We were the sauce and we were just running man.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Did they allow?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
you to get on the elevator in the 90s.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Or did you have to run up the seven?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
floors like we did.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
When I first got.
I got there in 86, and theywere letting us use the
elevators for a little bit andthen things had gotten out of
hand.
I was there when, you know,brooklyn was.
It was like the middle of the80s, yeah, so yeah, things were
fine.
The decepticons, you don't knowif you know.
You guys remember hearing thatI do, I do yeah, so they were,
you know, so they had.
(18:19):
Uh, there was a lot of peoplefrom tech that were decepticons.
They actually one of thefounders uh brother named tame
still was from tech that wereDecepticons.
They actually one of thefounders.
A brother named Tim Stone wasfrom tech.
Really he was the FBI's mostwanted.
Yeah, he was like what?
Yeah, I told you we were famous.
I told you.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
The school was famous .
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
If we're going to do it, we do it big.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
That's a whole story behind that, you know, because
of the times and people thoughtit was sweet, because we was
smart, right quote on quotesmart, so you know.
So it was kind of like you hadto.
You know you could be smart,but you're still from the hood,
right you?
So you're still from around theway, you still you got the
chops to get into tech, but thatdoesn't mean that there's other
(19:04):
sides of you right, yeah, we'reall people.
That's how that thing started,right, you know.
So I would say for me honestly,and that's really how I wound
up going to tech.
I grew up in Flatbush East 21stand Newkirk Avenue.
Okay what?
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Ocean and Kurt tell you Ocean and Kurt tell you
Ocean and Kurt Tell you Allright, lyndon and Bedford.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
You know, in the early 80s things had gotten
really, really hot, turned intolike a full-on war zone, yeah,
and it was no longer safe.
We didn't have park.
Anybody who's grown up in thecity knows you don't have like
green spaces and parks, you'rejust playing in the street,
(19:50):
you're playing the sidewalk oryou're playing in the middle of
it, actually in the street, andsomebody's gotta say car right.
So like that, that was theplayground.
You know, things just startedgetting really dangerous you
know it's crack at the scene.
Um, you know, there was a lot ofstuff going on the war on drugs
, police enforcement, and so, uh, my mother which was
(20:14):
interesting and my mother waslike you can't go hang out, play
outside anymore, which is crazy, like it was my whole social
life.
Everybody's like like that'sthe whole thing and she's like,
nah, it's getting too dangerousoutside for you.
Like you know, and you know,kudos to her for being a good
mom.
She saw it.
She was like, hey, I can tellyou right now, all the kids
(20:37):
that's spending a lot of time, alot of time outside.
I remember saying that badthings are starting to happen.
She was saying bad things arestarting to happen out there, so
I got to limit your time and Iwas like no.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Sure, sure, you're killing me, Ma.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah, you're killing me, Ma it was so bad that my
little friends used to.
I remember we had a secondstory, second floor apartment.
They used to come by my windowand make fun of me.
They used to say I was barred,they were like you apartment.
They used to come by my window,make fun of me, they used to
(21:14):
say I was barred, you can't comeoutside, you parted.
I'm like no, I am.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
She knew yeah, but yeah, god bless her.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah.
So what happened was Iremembered, like just being
bored out of my mind.
One summer I was stuck in ahouse and I was like you got to
let me out, like come on, likeyou know.
And she was like why don't yougo go read a book?
Because I watched all the TV Icould watch.
I watched all the Gilligan'sIsland, all the like my three
(21:42):
sons I dream of Jeannie.
Yeah, yeah, I did.
You know the whole series withthem, right, like get smart all
of that.
Get smart, right.
You know it was like.
You know.
Hey, it turned into soul properas a night pipe or something
like that.
All my children.
I was like I can't do thisanymore.
She won't you go sit and read abook.
(22:03):
I was like a book.
It's summertime, it's great,would you?
Why don't you go sit and read abook?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I was like a book.
It's summertime, it's great.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Yeah, we don't be here in the summer, yeah, so
this went on for a couple ofweeks and I protested and I did
all that.
And one day we had these oldworld book encyclopedias.
I still remember this.
I was bored out of my mind.
We had bought she had bought mesome used encyclopedias and I
(22:32):
just grabbed it.
I didn't have anything to do.
I opened up, wound up on a page, like about the Apollo space
program.
No lie, it was like what thisis like for real.
I actually did not believe, Ididn't know that they actually
had.
What this is like for real.
I actually did not believe Ididn't.
I didn't know that theyactually had sent people to
space I thought that was justall like tv stuff, right?
it was like come on, we watch tvshows like you know, whatever
(22:55):
right, and I'm looking at thisstuff, like wow, they actually
like this is a real thing andand like, look at these dudes.
Like look at these and they hadlike cool names.
This one dude was like BuzzAldrin.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yes, both yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
And I'm reading this, I'm like yo, this is crazy.
And I started thinking tomyself hmm, I'd like to do
something like that, right.
So that led me to get reallyinto astronomy and aerospace,
right, really into astronomy andaerospace, right.
So, like, I start reading aboutlike constellations, stars, and
(23:30):
like ships and planes and allthis stuff.
So I'm all into this stuff now,right, because I'm just like
like you can actually do thisright, and you know I'm not no
longer bored, that's right right, it's what?
like you know, every kid wantsto be an astronaut.
Oh, mom, I want to be, but Iwas like yo, you can actually do
this, do this.
Like, like, let's do this.
(23:52):
Yeah, yeah, we're gonna do this.
So we wound up um, I'm gonnafast forward.
We wound up doing a littleamerican dream thing and making
enough money to move out ofbrooklyn, go to queens, get a
little house queens, we'removing on up and the crack and
stuff followed us to Queens.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
So it wasn't like you were running right.
It was going on over there too.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Yeah, it was expanding, you know, by design.
Of course I had a gentleman whoused to come around the
classrooms.
He was like the don't do drugskind of guy.
You know he would like socialstudies class.
He'd come in once a week and belike hey kids, you know I'm the
cool adult, don't do drugs.
You know, remember that guy inhis icebreaker every class when
(24:46):
he would ask a piece of triviaand he'd be like, hey, you can
get it right, I'll give you somemoney.
He came in the class and askedsome astronomy trivia.
So I was like I do the answerand he was like no, put your
hand down.
And I was like, but I know theanswer and like I remember this
(25:10):
because it was like a show, itwas like a scene from who?
I'm in the back of class, I'mbig, I'm in the back.
They pull the taller kids inthe back.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Yeah, he's in the front.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
I got you know, and the kids, I'm going back and
forth with them and every time Isay something, something the
class turns around.
And then he said put your handback.
And I'm like no, but I got theanswer.
And he's like oh no, you don'tback around to me, right?
And I'm like, but I do, right.
So he's like what's the answer?
Right, the answer was like youknow, alpha centaur, which is
(25:40):
like the closest star hereoutside of the sun, and he's
like how did you know?
You know, he was like how didyou know that?
I was like, because I know thisstuff, right, I've been reading
.
And he's like oh yeah, he'slike no, I think somebody from
another class told you If youknow, it's got a sister star,
what's the sister star's name?
And I was like ProximaCentauriatori.
(26:01):
And the class was like whoa?
He was like how do you knowthis?
Speaker 1 (26:11):
and I was like how dare?
He said that you cheated right.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So at the end of the class he stops me after class
and he goes you're reallyinterested in this stuff.
And and I was like, hey, man, I, you know this could sound
crazy, but I want to be anastronaut, right.
And he was like are you serious?
And I was like yeah, I'mserious.
Um, that's why I know all thisstuff.
I've been studying it on my own.
(26:37):
And he's like well, there's aschool in Brooklyn and they've
got an aeronautical engineeringprogram and I think they sent
people to the Air Force Academy.
He goes and I think if you goto the Air Force Academy, you
can go to the astronaut trainingprogram.
(26:59):
And I was like what, what's itcalled?
He goes, it's called BrooklynTech.
He's like you should.
He's like like you got to takea test for it, the whole thing.
And if you, you know, if youget in, you can go like, if
that's what you want to do, theycan get you there, right?
So, remember, they used to giveus like a little book you could
choose the schools.
(27:19):
You're in eighth grade, right?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
yes, yes, with the list of all the schools and what
you had to do yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
So I looked, I looked it up and it had yeah, he's
right, that's Brooklyn Tech andyou got to go take the test.
So I was like there's the majoraeronautical engineering.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
So I remember you study for the?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
test.
I did not study for the test.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Neither did I.
We didn't study either.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
We just took the test and we got in, yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Yeah, nowadays, we didn't do prep, I wouldn't get
in today I wouldn't get inbecause everybody's taking prep
courses.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
If your family's got resources they can pay for, yes,
yeah, and you get thisexceptional education Right.
But back then you just went inand took the test.
So I went in and took the test.
I got in, clearly, you know.
So I went in and took the test.
I got in, clearly.
Yeah, I went to.
Tech was an arrow major.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I was like my brother , was a class of 78.
He was an arrow major too, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I was an arrow major and then I started playing.
I've started playing footballand I fell in love with football
.
I fell in love with footballand my senior year I was a USA
Today top 100.
I was like an All-American highschool, all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Did they tell you?
Did they tell you I?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
remember.
So he had asked me what schooldo I want to go to?
And I was like I want to go tothe Air Force Academy.
Right, it was like you know, Iwas like I want to go to.
And I was like I want to go tothe Air Force Academy.
Right, it was like you know, itwas like I want to go to the
Air Force Academy.
That's my number one school.
So, uh, the the last, thesecond to last game of the year
we won.
We beat Canarsie, made it tothe playoffs.
(29:01):
Canarsie was a big rival yeah,which is the first time we had
made it to the playoffs in likea decade or so, oh my gosh.
And I go into the locker room Iwas there at lunchroom at the
time.
I walk in I'd forgotten allabout this, right, and I see
these dudes in uniforms lookingsparkly, and I walk past them
and one of the coaches says hey,those guys are there to see you
(29:24):
and I was like me, right, it'slike I come over and they're
like hey, we want to offer you ascholarship to come play
football for the Air ForceAcademy.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I was like what.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
It was crazy, Like it was like a whole thing what
these dudes were and they werein the uniform like they were in
their formal uniform,impressive as hell, what I'm
like?
Speaker 1 (29:55):
tearful first of all.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
You are making me cry and and let me tell you when
I'm interrupting you for onesecond because I got teary when
I heard you the guy tell you youdon't know that you must have
cheated.
I had an experience similar tothat in elementary school where
one of my teachers reallydemeaned me and didn't didn't
(30:21):
respect my intelligence or mytalent, and I thank God that you
and I and many others haveovercome that and didn't let a
naysayer like that Turns out hewas helpful to you In my case it
wasn't.
But how many of us our dreamshave been like thrown away
(30:44):
because people.
We are there as teachers.
I used to be a high schoolscience teacher.
Teachers are supposed toencourage and bring the best out
of their students.
That's why we're there and forpeople to step on our crush, our
dreams and our spirits.
You know you could have hadthat experience.
I didn't listen to my guy, Ilaughed at him in the way, but
(31:09):
it's something that I stillthink about 50 years later.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Mm, hmm, it's amazing that you say that, because that
was one of many times that I'vehad, you know, I've had to kind
of like face off against people.
Maybe it's because I had threeolder brothers and you're just
like used to like scrapping fora little space you know like
you've been in a situation whereyou know if you don't push back
like you're going to getsquashed Right.
(31:35):
So I think maybe that is and youknow, having you know, growing
up on where I grew up, that wasanother thing.
Like you know, you've got, inorder to survive, that you've
got to have a certain amount ofhardness to you.
You ain't going to make it orit's going to be tough for you.
So even in, even in high school, the Benedetto there was when I
(31:56):
fell in love with football.
Even in high school, theBenedetto there was when I fell
in love with football.
I remember us having a meetingand you know he was like just
talking to us about like gettingour priorities straight and he
asked everyone, like you know,how many of you guys think
you're going to play collegefootball?
How many of you guys can get ascholarship college football?
Put your hands up and as hewent along the questions, people
(32:20):
started putting their handsdown.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And then the last question how many you think I'm
gonna go, bro?
And I still have my hand.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Oh my god I love it, I love it who you is, brother.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Who the hell are you?
Speaker 3 (32:36):
what's up with you.
And I was sitting there with myhand up and kind of like, yeah,
it's me.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
It's me.
Where's the line?
Where is the line?
I told?
Speaker 3 (32:49):
him that I remember saying that to everyone in the
room like hey, it's a long shot,somebody's got to do it,
somebody it is, but there isthat person that does.
It right, amen, why not me?
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Amen At least think about it.
Do you know?
That's how I got into medicalschool.
That's how I started thinking.
I'm like, first of all, peopleget in, people get in, people do
it, people get in.
So why not me?
Who better than me?
Yeah, the first step isbelieving.
Exactly, the first step isbelieving.
So go ahead, you are somethingelse, buddy.
(33:21):
You got me crying, laughing.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
That's hilarious.
So I wound up actually notgoing to the Air Force Academy.
That's a whole other story.
I didn't have the properguidance because no one had ever
like at Tech, playing footballor whatever.
No one in my family, no like noone, knew what to do, and I
didn't get my congressionalnominations in on time.
My man boy flake, sent me one,but alphonse the model did not.
(33:46):
I don't know if you rememberthere was a senator back in the
day I just found out recentlythat they're only allowed to
send a certain amount, and hedidn't send me.
He wrote me back saying he hadsent all the letters in.
I didn't know like you couldwrite all the representatives
like I didn't know right.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yeah, you didn't know .
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yeah, yeah, I didn't have the guidance so I wanted to
go into good, beautiful, yeah,I wanted to go into hofstra.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
You know, went to lehigh, you went to hofstra.
I had a great, great time inhofstra.
I wound up clearly to the billsigning.
Yeah, I wound up signing withthe bills.
You know all american at hofcan they wait?
Speaker 2 (34:25):
stop right there, yeah, yeah, you're like glossing
over like just just all thebrothers just sign up with the
bill slow your roll, I mean
Speaker 3 (34:34):
that was before the turn of the century.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Slow your roll.
Allow the elders to just sit inthat for a little bit
All-American.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
How many people from Brooklyn Tech, how many people
from Flatbush, how many peoplefrom Brooklyn, how many people
go to the Buffalo Bills?
You know what I mean.
I'm just saying.
I know that you know your storyand whatever, but it's a big
fucking deal.
It's a BFD.
You know what I mean.
(35:09):
It's a BFD and I know that thatwasn't your, that wasn't how it
ended.
Wait, there's more.
There's so much you know what Imean, but it's a big deal.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
I thought I was going to be in a spaceship at one
point, right when the Challengerexploded.
Like we used to kids in theclassroom, they brought the TV
and watching that thing.
I was one of the kids that waslike oh my God, you know like.
That could have been me.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
I was standing on Cortellu Road when that happened
Cortellu and East 18th Streetwhen that happened.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Wow, you know turns out Ronald McNair, one of my
fraternity brothers, you knowwas in that right, so he's a Q,
he's a brother, one of the firstBlack astronauts.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
So it was a lot of like things.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
So I wound up, you know, going to Hofstra Dean's
List.
All that good stuff Went to theBills and you know I blew my
knee out First year in theleague.
And that's the reality of life,right, like that, sport is very
hard on the body.
So it took me a couple of yearsto kind of figure out what I
(36:22):
wanted to do with myself,because you know, the whole
astronaut thing I'd given up onit.
I went all in on the footballthing and now here I was, I had
made it and now you know youfall back down the mountain.
You're no longer it was such abig part of your identity who
you were for a long time big manon campus.
So you know you're doing allthis stuff, you're on TV, you
know you're doing the wholething and now it's like it's
(36:45):
gone.
So it was a couple of yearsthere that I was just kind of
like trying to get myself backinto the league, rehabbing.
But yeah, I had really reallybad knee injury.
So back then they were like Iwas like humpty, dumpty, they
(37:06):
couldn't put me back togetheragain.
You know, it was like wewouldn't have that kind of
sports medicine.
They uh, so, um, I started, Istarted uh, I, I taught for a
little bit, like I, I substitutetaught for a little bit.
So I had a little bit of fun atwestinghouse.
I coached at Tech and then theyasked at Hofstra to go back and
coach the players on the stuffthat I had learned in the NFL.
Strength and conditioning andthose kind of things.
(37:26):
And they were like and you'llpay for graduate school, and I
was like I don't even want to go, I don't even know what I want
to do.
So I just went back and Istarted, you know, in strength
and condition as a strength andconditioning coach and I went to
.
I was going to graduate schoolwas free, I was getting a
master's in physical educationat Hofstra and I got really into
(37:51):
like sports, you know, sportstraining and like physical
fitness and I had a whole bunchof certain things.
I want to.
You know, I want to go deeperthan that.
I don't even know.
I would like I was lecturingfor the national strength and
conditioning association.
I was writing stuff.
I was speaking for the Americancollege of sports medicine.
(38:12):
Of course, you were doing awhole bunch of stuff.
I was running gyms and I wantedup becoming a professor of
health and exercise science, anadjunct at Trenton State College
.
While I was there they changedthe name to the College of New
Jersey, so I was running theirwellness center and I was
teaching in the Department ofHealth and Exercise Science.
(38:32):
And then that's when lifechanged for me.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
My mom got diagnosed with breast cancer for a second
time.
This bobbing and weaving thatDr Damas has been doing and this
incredible life that isunfolding for him, we're going
to stop here and we're going tohave a part two where he talks
about how this very painful partof his life now emotionally
(39:17):
painful through the illness ofhis mom how that is going to set
him on another trajectory.
Stay tuned for part two.
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