Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You have to go on the field with a smile,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Like this, this is God only give so many people
this opportunity in fact, you know what I mean. So like, yeah,
you just have to go out there and go out
there and make the most of it and really enjoy
it because when when.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Is gone, is gone.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So I'm just I'm just trying to you know, I know,
I'm just getting started.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
But you know, why could all be over any day?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Exactly? Why not set the tone now?
Speaker 4 (00:22):
The Next Man Podcast is presented by Lansdown Resort. From kickoff,
the check came to score, a game, change and get
away in the heart of Lounder. Lansdown Resort, proud partner
of the Washington Commanders, Welcome into the Next Man Up,
a special version of Next Man that you're out here
in Madrid. I'm your host, Brian Covid Junior, and I'm
here with our rookie Josh Connelly Junior.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
My brother.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
You feeling man, I'm feeling good, Yeah, sir, man just
got done when walk throughs you did practice?
Speaker 5 (00:48):
Man?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
What is it being like being able to touch this
feel we have real Madrid's facility?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
How dope was it? Going to be out here.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I mean, it's my first time off the country every
PERI in my life. So so this is insane, you know,
being able to do what I love for the you know,
somewhere I ain't never been before in my life.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
So it's a blessing, you know what I mean. God
put me here for a reason.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
And you know, I'm about to just go out there
and showing, showing everything that I've been parting to work for.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
It's dope, man. So it's what's been the adjustment?
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Like for you right, because the first time out of
the country, That's why, what's.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
The adjustment been? Like? You know, you're still at work,
but a whole nother time zone. You away from the family,
away from the crib.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Like it's been. It's been fun.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Been trying to get out a little bit, you know,
go see something, Uh, get different foods. So that's been solid.
Uh time zone messing with me. It's been hard. It's
been hard to sleep a little bit. I bet I
might both y'all. Can you know, like feel that because
it's been it's been hard to go to bed. But
besides that, I mean, it's been really good, been good.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
To me, it's been different because I know you guys
are so routine based, right, I know, everything is routine
when it comes to being a pro athlete. How was
been adjusting to having a different routine being in a
different location.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Especially waking up in the hotel, like, uh, not having
to drive to the facility or anything. Just being able to
just wake up and go downstairs and everything kind of
be there for you. That's been great for I feel
like for most of us, it's definitely an adjustment because
like obviously we don't have we're not in our spaces
like the facility and everything like that. Uh so like
we're not training room. Training room is a little bit smaller,
(02:26):
you know what I mean. So that's an adjustment. But
besides that, I mean it's been it's been good. It's
been good for the most part.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
What a rookie year you've had, right, Like, not every
day a rookie used to come out the Spain, not
only come out the Spain, but playing the first NFL
game ever is sp how's your rookie season so far?
Because last time we spoke, I think it was before
you had even rainfield.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, crazy, Yeah, you know, it's been a lot of
ups and downs, been heavily battle testing. But you know that, Uh,
that's that's been my whole life, you know what I mean,
especially ball wise. Uh, I mean, I mean, I wasn't
always the day one starter where I was.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I came from in college.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
I had to earn my way there, like God blessed
me with it here and my coaches believing in me.
Uh And honestly, like in the beginning of the season,
it wasn't great. It wasn't great. I had I had
some tough games, even the last like getting the last month, like.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I wasn't really playing my best.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
But you know, I feel like I'm really getting getting
into a flow now and I'm really adjusting and learning
how to get into that flow state within the game
because because all that, all that one thing.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Kind of shaped me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
But I can't do that, you know what I mean,
because everybody next to me needs me, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So and five, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So I was gonna make I'm gonna make sure I'm
I'm at my best at all times.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
What helps you shake that off? Right? What helps you?
Because these last few games, man, you have been playing
outstanding and going.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Against some really tough talent. So is it just getting
more comfortable with time? What has helped you kind of
shake that?
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Yeah, I mean I feel like I'm really getting comfortable
in my position.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Like in the Begaind of the Year is a little uncomfortable,
especially going against the guys I was going against all
all pro, all league guys.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Uh, At the same time, that's not no excuse who
I'm going against or switching the side.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I still got to go out there and do my
job at.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
The end of the day, you feel me so uh So,
now I feel like I'm really like I said, I'm
getting into my flow.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
I'm getting into flow state, and I'm I'm just out
there vibing, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
At first, like I wasn't really having fun with it,
and like I have to go out You have to
go out on the field with a smile, you know
what I mean, Like this is.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
God only gives so many people this opportunity, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
So like, yeah, you just have to go out there
and go out there and make the most of it
and really enjoy it. Because when it's when it's gone,
it's gone. So I'm just I'm just trying to you know,
I know, I'm just getting started. But you know, why exactly,
why not set the tone now?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
So it's such a mature way to think of things, right,
But you're a young man, you're a rookie man.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
You talk about those highs and lows that you've.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Dealt with, how you kept yourself from getting to a
dark space and being able to power through.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Because some people once they those.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Goals, they say they never come back. They stay low,
they stay low.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I mean my family, my family being there from uh
and them lifted me up every day.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
And Mesa Wilson, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
And the people around me, my coaches, my teammates, the
guys on the line with me, lt like that's like mit,
like he ain never looked at me different because of
how I play. And I played like sorry like excuse
me good but like like real like and I know that,
like you know what I mean. But I constantly improve it,
(05:32):
you know, And that's all that matters to me. And
when I when I'm at the talk, you know they're
still gonna have something to say.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
So I'm glad you mentioned Laramie Tunsel because when I
watch you, right, I say, that's what a.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Rookie is supposed to do.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You are on tunsiles hit everywhere I see you, Tunsles
there every time I see tunsl You're there, man. It's
not every day you get to play alongside one of
the best to ever do it at your position. And
why have you made sure to be a sponge with
Laramie Tumsel And what has that relationship really been?
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Like that's my dog. You talk about everything.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
And I say that, shoot, yeah, that's my guy.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Like there's no, there's not a whole there's not a
whole lot of words that going.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
To Like, like the reason why, well I'm always like
kind of underneath him is because he's accepting of me,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
That's that's one thing.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
That's one thing like about this is that not every
not everybody has a good big bro, you know what
I mean, Like and I had, like I had to
be that for people when I was in college. So
it's like if someone giving that back to me, how
you know, it just keeps the cycle going.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
And I have to say and like being like being black,
like that was like tackle and playing offensive line, that
wasn't always our spot, you know what I mean, Like
it was just go out there and run, you know
what I mean. So I feel like us being too
too powerful black man and are in our positions like
why not go out there and make the most of it.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Is those things where you have to approach it and say, hey, man,
can I learn from you? Is this just something that
was innate by him's put around you? Right away?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
He was the first person I got it outside of
a P and DQ and those guys on Draft night.
That was his first person to call me. I missed
the call, but the first person.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Gets you.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I try to.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I try to call him back, but he probably wants
to sleep already. But but yeah, that was the he
was the first person to call me.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
And from from that moment, it's what.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Are those conversations like between you and him? Because I
know you, bro, you're very inquisitive. You want to learn
the game so much. But I know it's not just
football stuff. It's life stuff too, And what are those conversations.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Like between you two?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I mean, like we talked about We talk about literally
anything that y'all can think of, fool fall and everything,
you know what I mean, Like family, like you know
what I mean, like like literally like where we come from,
like like how we how like how his come up with,
(07:52):
how might come up with was like what we've been through,
you know what I mean, Like we literally talked about anything.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Sid's my guy, and that's some I'm very appreciated for it.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Man. I love that, bro.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
I love hearing about that relationship because I'm glad that
you have that because it's necessarily it seems like it
was by designed by AP and them to make sure
they brought in rookies but also had veterans to help them.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Right, And you said you stopped having fun? Are you
having fun?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Now?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Did you find that fun?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
You know that should I shouldn't said it that way.
I wouldn't say like I was always having fun, like
it's it's it's amazing being able to trap up my helm,
you know what I mean? Like that's that right there,
this that that sound right there, that like that get
that can get anybody going. So I feel like I
feel like I let like little things like from the
(08:37):
games kind of mess with me, so then I kind
of be down on myself. So I wouldn't say I
wasn't having fun. I just wasn't being like as enthusiastic
and stuff like that as I could be on the field,
and like I was constantly thinking, So I wasn't playing
as full speed as you know, because I'm sitting there thinking,
but why you know, what.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Do you gotta think for it? Just go out there
and be physically you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (08:59):
So jobs is okay to go through those. So it's
okay to not feel like you're having for it because
you want to do so much. We have these goals
for ourselves. We want to be the best, and sometimes
when it's not working out, it's really really hard.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
It's like, dang, I'm putting in that work. We see
you put in that work.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Now we're going to be playing Spain, right you play
people to play out here in Spain against the Miami
Dolf's the first NFL game ever in Madrid? Man, how
special is that for you to be a part of
NFL history.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
It's insane?
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Yeah, Like it's literally crazy because like I said, first
time traveling out the country, so like I mean, and
to be a part of the first the first game
in Madrid ever, I mean, there's something detail generation is about.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
So yeah, no, no.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
We will be dropping this after the spand game. So
I do got to ask you about your first official
NFL bye week. Man, Yeah, how happy are you to
be getting towards this body because you know it's time
for recovery, time for film, time to study. I know
you're a young man, so you might not even feel
like you need a buy week, but I gotta miss
this body is coming at the perfect time after a
road trip.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Yeah, I'm not saying especially, I feel like for everybody,
I guess myself specifically like being able to see my family,
be able to see my grandparents. But you know, it's
a bide, but it's still worked week for me, you
know what I mean. And that's where like coming from
Oregon's that's how it was, like we ain't have nobody,
We didn't get to go home like we was practicing, working,
working out, lifting.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
That's that's how it was.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
So that's kind of like ben and still to me,
So yeah, I mean get I get, I get to
go home and see my family stuff, but you know
we still there's still work to get put in and
reevaluation and make sure I'm I come back out for
the rest of the season.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I'm rocking it's funny when you say that.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
And closing, I remember you mentioning how hard it's been
to be away from your family. It's the first time
being away from them. What is that adjustment been like?
And have you been able to get them to pull
up to some games again?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Yeah, my pop, My pop comes in near almost every game.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
That's Moms comes to a good amount of my games.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Siblings like uncles, Auntie. He's like, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Yeah, people, people definitely pull up and it's a little
bit easier when we're on the road and you know,
a little bit closer to the West coast.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
But but yeah, hey, Josh, I appreciate your time. Man.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Man, We're proud of you, Broke congratulations on all the success, man,
and I hope you enjoy your first time overseas and the.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
First NFL game is stay appreciation. Commanders Family, y'all. Next
man Up, Josh College Junius Commanders Famously. We hope you
have been enjoying. Next Man Up.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Before we go any further, we have to pay some
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Speaker 3 (11:24):
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Monday through Friday nine to five, you are clocking in.
What happens on the weekend. What happens to your time.
(11:59):
You could take it easy, or you could use your
time to get better. In the US Army we think differently.
Your time should be used to improve the skills you
do have to learn some you don't, to put yourself
in new ways, because it's those days that truly define
who you are. That's how you make progress, That's how
you make impact on the world around you. It's your time.
(12:20):
How you spend it is up to you. It's your time.
The US Army Reserve Command his family back to the show.
Now for our next man up, we have somebody that
we know, you guys have not heard from in a
very very long time. Me and him have ties from
back in the Bay Area. We have ties from alma Mater,
Nebraska wrocoming in Roy.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Hello, Junior, my boy, it's next man. What's up? Brother?
Speaker 5 (12:47):
Hey, thanks for having me Brian.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Oh Man, it is a pleasure.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Man. I appreciate you so much for taking the time.
And it's so funny I didn't find out till just
now that you're actually currently still living in Omaha, Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Man, that's crazy. That's where my son spends times too.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Yep.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
So came here for a university, married a girl from here,
so it was inevitable.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Hey, listen, we gotta go where the wifeies take us.
You know what, Man, since we're both Husker alone, I
don't get to talk to former Huskers all the time,
So we're going to start right there. Man, you had
such a phenomenal career as a Husker. When I was
a freshman coming in, you were a senior doing just
incredible things. I believe we were still in the Big
twelve at the time. Man, how did what you accomplished
(13:32):
while as a Husker?
Speaker 3 (13:33):
How did that help you in the NFL? Man?
Speaker 5 (13:35):
I feel like it set me up to expected versity.
Speaker 6 (13:41):
So in Nebraska it was it was a fish bowl,
meaning like the state really looked in with eagerness to
watch you and everything that you did. And because of
injuries being a part of my story at Nebraska and
(14:03):
then having to overcome him, it just set me up
to go into the NFL and expect those things. So
when they did come up, it was like, I've been
here before, I've seen these it looks a little different,
and money's on the line, you know, now it's a job.
So it prepared me just in terms of being mentally tough.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
And then you get that call saying you're coming to Washington.
Now you're Bay Area kids, you're living in Nebraska. How
familiar familiar were you with Washington and what was going
on out here when you got drafted?
Speaker 6 (14:36):
So I was shocked when when I got the call
from at the time, it was Mike Shanahan, and it
was because the running back coach did not show his cards.
So I've met him once and it's the great Bobby Turner,
who's who's now at San Francisco coaching Christian McCaffery. And
(14:58):
he didn't show his cards, meaning he I didn't think
he was interested in me. I remember this one off,
random conversation I had with him after the combine at Indianapolis,
and so I was shocked. And then I called my mom,
who wasn't there. She had five other siblings, so she
(15:19):
was out at kids free events. So I got her
and said, hey, Mom, going to Washington And she says, yes,
it's only like an hour and a half flight.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
And I was like, no, this is the capital. Yeah,
and my mom went, oh no. So I was shocked.
My mom was confused. But it ended up being awesome.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
And if it's not every day where you get drafted
and then not one, but two of your teammates get
drafted to the same place in the same draft, did
that help ease a little bit of the like confusion
and like fear of like, oh my gosh, this is
so different.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah, it did.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I would say it took off the edge of feeling
like I would into like my first week on campus,
like I did from high school to college. It took
a little bit of the edge off. So when me
and Niles, Paul and DJ Gomes got together, it was
(16:22):
like whoa, And me and Niles were close because we
played offense together, me and DJ. Dj is from the
Bay Area and so he's from the East Bay. So
it was like we all just went in with more familiarity,
more comfortability, and that rookie year we all ended up
playing and so it was really cool.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
And it was crazy being somebody that was a Husker
at the time, Like I'm just a young man and
I remember you guys all going and getting drafted to Washington,
and then it seemed as if all of Nebraska became
Reskin fans because everybody loved you guys. Everybody wanted to
fall Niles, Niles being from Omaha. Did Jean be one
of our better guys in the secondary that left you
(17:05):
being one of the best running backs we had ever seen.
Did y'all realize in the moment that impact you guys
were making on Nebraska from.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
All of you guys being on the scene.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Because I feel like to this day there are so
many Washington fans and mostly it's because of you three.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
I appreciate it. Brian and I was I had no clue. Man,
my going into my rookie year, it's hard enough to
make the roster.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
So for me it was.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
So over my it was so difficult that I asked
my dad, would you think less of me if I
quit and I had to return? And that meant that
I would have to get my Sandy bonus back. So
for me, man, I honestly, as a twenty two year old,
was just twenty one trying to make it. And so
(17:50):
when you say things like that, that's even news to me.
Getting some insight in that way, I think I was
always aware that people.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
Came because.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
I went to the next level and I was really
trying to make my teammates proud and earn my teammates
respect even furthermore at the by playing at the next level.
And I knew that kids who were in Nebraska, like
I knew that that mattered to them as well. But
I didn't know that there would be people following our
(18:23):
career and becoming Commandander fans.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
Well, I'm telling you, I got to see it in
real time, and it is a real thing, man Like.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
There was like a.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Whole resurgence of just DC and Washington things going on.
You guys got drafted there, and you guys had a
lot to do with that. And people are excited, right,
People are excited to see people that they went to
school with, people from the alma mater, people from you know,
their state. A lot of people don't know Nebraska, but
Crawford wasn't around at the time, so you guys were
really putting Nebraska on the map. So salutes you for that.
But like you said, you're in it right, You're locked in.
(18:52):
You even said you were scared a little bit.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
You were worried.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Man, Like take me back there to where like, I'm
sure you were saying it in just I'm sure you
were just joking, but like was there fear of oh man,
I can't do this, I gotta quit.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
Yeah, it wasn't a scared admittedy. It was hard to
go into. So I'll give you a little bit of context.
So I'm draft or I go to college in seven.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
That's my freshman year.
Speaker 6 (19:20):
I played at a school where our offensive line was
above average, but we played against really good teams in
the Bay. So it felt like I didn't know just
how would I say this? How difficult? Possibly I had
it in high school until I got to college. And
(19:41):
then I don't read shirt because every like, we have
guys who can block.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
So now I'm seeing holes develop.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
I feel like I can set up blocks, and so
the game was easier. Then to make the jump from
college to the NFL, it was hard. It was the
exact opposite because this space was so much tighter and
I had learned pass pro.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
That was a new thing to knowledge to do that
in the NFL.
Speaker 6 (20:08):
So I got my block knocked off by a guy
named Lorenzo Lorenzo Alexander aspro. I never wore a mouthpiece
in college. I wore a grill, a gold rail from
the bottom of my teeth, and that was you know,
that had no cushion, but that was just the only thing,
you know, I just thought it sound like I need
to be concerned. Well, after the first training camp practice
(20:31):
and pads, I definitely started wearing my mouthpiece.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
It was different playing against grown men.
Speaker 6 (20:37):
You know, these guys were in their prime at twenty
seven to twenty eight hitting me, and so it was
just really difficult. And by God's grace, I got to
the first preseason game. And when I got to the
preseason game and I walked out, I was like, oh, Oh,
this is this is what I expected. Like, I feel
(21:01):
life from the crowd. I feel like like it's you know,
the coliseum in Rome. I feel like this is this
is what I always imagine When I was little. It
was going through the training camp days that you have
to nail your assignments, go through difficulties, wake up at
five in the morning.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
That really got to me.
Speaker 6 (21:18):
But once I got to playing ball against other teams,
it just got back to childlike stuff.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Was it just the energy in the arena that got
you back to that? Because that's really tough, right, Like,
you're going through something that's so hard you've never been
through before. Nobody can prepare you for that, especially you,
right like your first generation NFL talent, Like how can
somebody prepare you for that that has never experienced it yourself?
When was that moment where you were like, Okay, I
can do this. I belong here, this is where.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
I'm supposed to be.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
So it was the first game is where I was like, oh,
I'm an NFL player, Like all that stuff's in the past.
It was walking out, I felt the life and then
I've made my first play and and it went well, and.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
So I was like oh this is this is just ball.
It's just ball. Like getting to the point.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
It wasn't just the like the being being a gosh,
it was FedEx at the time. It wasn't just game day.
What happened was I just felt the heaviness of feeling like, Man,
this is really hard. This is a grind, this is
more difficult. I'm away from familiarity during training camp, and
(22:34):
that led me to like this place where I'm going
into the game and it's the night before and I
go to the chapel service and our team chaplain ends
up giving a message on overcoming difficulty, and it was
one of those things where I was like, oh, my goodness,
God speaking directly to me. So right when I heard that,
(22:55):
I was like, oh, God, you see me, You see
how difficult this is. And so I felt like because
God was speaking to me through this chapel service that honestly,
it was like all the heavy nsts fell off. And
then I went to sleep, went through meetings, woke up,
and then it was boomed straight into that and it
(23:15):
was just up into the right ever since then.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Man, God is so good. That is awesome. Man.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
I appreciate you sharing that because when I think about,
like the things I know about you, being somebody that
went to New Versus Nebraska trying to get a broadcast
journalist's degree. You know, sports journalism was everything. So I'm
covering you, I'm learning things about you. So I want
to go back a little bit because it's very obvious
you're rooted in faith, and I like to figure out
where that comes from, because for what I know from you,
(23:42):
like you said, you're one of six, right, the first boy.
The first four were girls. So you're your dad's first boy. Right,
So you're the fifth child.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Am I right about that?
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Yeah? Real close?
Speaker 6 (23:54):
The first three and then I'm four, and then you're
first three?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
Got it? Still crazy? Right, you're that first boy. After
three your parent's are trying. And then of course you
are a junior. I myself am also a junior. So
understand how heavy that can be for our fathers. Right,
we are their namesake, we are representing them. What was
it like growing up being that first boy for your dad?
Because I know you and your dad have a very
very close relationship.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
I never felt pressure, even though looking back he said
stuff that would like put pressure on me, But I
never I think that in the innocence. I had a
dad who pushed me, put me in stuff I was
good at and I excelled at, so that he kept
putting me in him. And I think the innocence of
(24:41):
just my childhood kept me from feeling the pressure. But
my dad, me and him are close, man. I look,
he was my mentor, my idol growing up, and he
would say things like, hey, when you make it, just
remember you're taking care of me and mom. You know
I'm tonguing ethnically, So that's in that's not Western thinking,
(25:05):
you know, it's more and it's like family is first God, family,
that type of thing. And so for me, my my
dad was just reminded me subtly like, hey, when it happens,
you're gonna buy us that that house, you know, fill
in the blank. And so for me, because I grew
up in this mix of like Western ideas outside the
(25:29):
house and then Eastern family ideas in the house, I
didn't feel this pressure.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
I had a great childhood.
Speaker 6 (25:37):
I ended up fulfilling my dream and never felt like
pressure out from my parents to do it, and it
didn't affect my gain, my mentality performing any of those things.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
The big breakthrough for me and just in terms of
like my faith was.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
I didn't go to church growing up except for a
few times, and so my mom gave her life to
Jesus when I was in high school, and I was like,
good for you, Like she totally changed and became really moral,
and she kept asking me to go to church, and
I'm like, I'll do it because I'm going to college,
and so I did it.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
As a favor.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
Short of along of it is it was my freshman
year in college where I actually cared enough to be like, man,
why do I exist? It was all these existential questions,
like what's the meaning of life? And it was all
happening while I was fulfilling my dream. And so I
met with this team chaplain, gave my life to the
(26:39):
Lord as much as I understood at the time, and
just been walking with him since.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Dang man.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
That's also I don't know why this always assumed you
had got that faith from your dad, because you have
carried that for as long as I've been following you.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Man, that is awesome.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
He had shout out to our moms because though was
our dad's, all moms are just as cool as well, man,
And then you use this faith that you have not
only in God, but that you have yourself and in
your family, and it turns into an NFL career, right,
I believe four years in Washington for you.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Yes. And when you look.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
At your journey talking about the injuries you dealt with
in college, those kind of kept up. You had a
few injury issues in the pros as well. Man, how
did you lean on your faith and your family to
help you get through the things you were going through
in football?
Speaker 6 (27:23):
Man? Apart from Jesus, I just would I would have
given up, Like we wouldn't be having this interview because
I wouldn't have had a four year career.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
To be honest, you know.
Speaker 6 (27:35):
God gifted me with physical talents, but there are some
things you can't control, and so I got her in
at the commanders and it was stuff I couldn't control,
like I have a turf toe. My rookie year ends
up going really well at that by God's grace, I
(27:56):
end up setting records and doing well, and it's like,
you know, things are falling in line with what I'm
used to. Not to be arrogant, but things were just
going well with football. And then the next year I'm
starting going into my second year and it's Alfred Morris's
rookie year, and I get hurt and I miss all
(28:21):
training camp Alfred.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
The rest is history.
Speaker 6 (28:24):
I ended up backing up out for it for the
rest of my time there as the third down back.
I missed my second year and then come back to
be back up. So God saw me. He was my
strength through the downs. He was my joy in the highs.
And I came back a better football player year three
and four because I went through so the low and
(28:47):
I felt like I got to this place where if
I lost football, I knew I'd be fine, totally fine.
And it was at that point where then I came
back things went really well, and I just took it
as okay, I guess you know. It was just a
test for me to grow an endurance and in character.
(29:10):
And there were multiple times I could share with you, Brian,
where like I would open up the Bible and it
would be exactly what I.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
Needed, exactly you know how it goes. It's just like
the word for that moment.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
And so as moments like that in the off season
and in the season, and having eventually friends who were
like minded on the team and in the locker room
to where he genuinely gave me joy while playing, because
when you become a pro, it's easy to lose your
joy while playing the child's game at which you always
(29:41):
wanted to do. And God kept me really light, kept
my humor light, and I think that's honestly, he's the
reason why it went so well.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Dang man.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
I mean you said it like, if it wasn't for Jesus,
I would not be here.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
That's how I feel. Every single day.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
I'm like, bye, the grace of God, I get to
sit here and do what I love to do and.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Do my dreams.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
But there's so many hard times when the journey of
chasing your dreams and getting to your dreams that people
don't even see. So I appreciate you sharing that with
us because it's funny. You mentioned Alfred, and I don't
know how much you guys still communicate. But he was
on the show a couple of weeks ago, and he
broke down into tears talking about how tough it was
to be a retired player because, much like yourself, he
(30:21):
dealt with injuries. He didn't necessarily feel like he got
everything he wanted to get out of the game. Not
saying that that's what you're saying, but he was kind
of saying those things and it was really heavy for him.
It was hard for him, it said. It didn't hit
him for years after the fact, and then it just
became this overwhelming depression. How has it been for you
post NFL career, being able to not be the NFL
(30:42):
player anymore a game that you spent your entire life playing, man,
how was that adjustment for you?
Speaker 6 (30:50):
So I have talked with Alfred and we have kept
in touch through the difficult times.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Oh, that's great to hear.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
That's great to hear.
Speaker 6 (30:59):
I'm yep, I've I've that man has persevered through post
career blues.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
Like not many men have.
Speaker 6 (31:09):
And uh, and He'll be the first to say it's
definitely because Jesus so shout out to God and him
persevere and all that being said, I love that man.
And for me, I was so ready bro that being
over talking about it. I was like, Bro, I love you,
(31:32):
But my story was one in which I was so
ready because because my I felt like I did get
the most out of the game. And so I think
that was honestly the difference I feel for him, because
he felt like he did it for me.
Speaker 5 (31:49):
I'll tell you this quick story.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
So when you go to the NFL Combine, they take
you through a bunch of scans, and one of them
that they look at your skeletal structure. To make a
long story short, it is year I'm going into year
four at the Commanders in our strength and conditioning, I'm
(32:16):
stretching in the off season. The strength and conditioning coach
comes up to me and says, hey, man, I took
a look at your I was stretching and I couldn't
get to this certain area to really loosen one of
my muscles up. And he's like, yeah, I looked at
three years ago when you came in. I looked at
(32:36):
your combine stuff and I was like, I know, did
you see this, this and that? And he goes, yeah,
it's only by the grace of God that you are
made up different in other ways.
Speaker 5 (32:51):
That you're actually playing in the NFL. And I'm like,
I feel the same way.
Speaker 6 (32:57):
I feel like God gave me a grace to me
with a work ethic. I want to because I love
the game, but there were things like going on. I
retired and I have a hip replacement and I'm like,
what was the issue was like the actual space that
I had in my available to be mobile and sit
(33:18):
down on my cuts. And so I had to compromise
a lot with to give, like an example, a lot
of route running. I would have to do like crazy
acting moves with like when I would cut, if I'm
going left, I would look left, right, left, and then
finally go left. And that's how I would win my
(33:39):
routes when other guys could win off of sitting in
their hips and pop out. So I know I'm given
really technical terms, but it was just by the grace
of God that I knew that me playing in the
NFL was a gift because I had a limitation. And
so with all that being said, I really felt by
the time that I finished, I was at the Raiders
(34:02):
and I was having the hip issues and I got
it both hip scoped. I had torn labrams in both
of them, a chip bone in my right and now
at thirty, I ended up getting a hip replacement, and
so yeah, I was ready.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
And Roy, thank you for sharing all that, because that's
what I love about being able to talk to you
all is like the fans watching y'all. I mean, there
was kids watching you that are now adults now that
probably have not heard this story or meant to hear
from you, so like, thank you for sharing that, because
as fans, we watch our favorite players go through injuries
and miss time, and sometimes fans are a little hard
on the players, not realizing like, yo, this.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Is a human being going through real things.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
And I guarantee you every single one of y'all want
to be on that field playing the game you love.
But it's so hard dealing with just the trials and
tribulations of life, not just injuries, but all the different things. Man.
So what we appreciate you so much for taking the
time to come on here. We know we haven't heard
from you in a while. Last thing, what do you
want even when we're all gone, right, when it's all
set in and a fan is talking about one of
(35:03):
their favorite Washington running backs, Roy Halloo Jr.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
What do you want them to remember about you in
your game?
Speaker 5 (35:11):
Oh? Man?
Speaker 6 (35:15):
So the key thing for me is the character that
you're setting me up for, which is a fan of
the Commanders who looks back at Roy and wants to
remember one thing from his game.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
This doesn't necessarily be about your game, just be about
you as the player, Like, like, how do you want
to be remembered, especially by this fan base, because you
know they give it up crazy for anybody that wore
the Burgundia Gold, and I have no doubt they're going
to be in the comments of this video right here,
showing you a lot of love. Man, So how do
you want to be remembered how this Burgundia Gold fan base?
Speaker 5 (35:51):
Okay, all right, that's different for me.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
That was more helpful for me.
Speaker 6 (35:55):
To wrap my mind about you, because on a real note,
on a real note, I don't think you can force
anybody to think differently about you as a player. Like
I can't say I want I want people to know
me as you know, uh, a guy who came down
(36:15):
and gave it his all. And it's just like, well,
you know, all right whatever fans can argue like, oh
well I just remember you as a third down back,
and I'm like, all right, well, I can't force you
you could be any differently in terms of in terms
of a player. I feel like, so when you reframed
it and you're like, hey, just well just as a person, man,
(36:36):
I would want anyone who would remember me to remember
me as a guy who loved Jesus and acted like it,
I mean, and fill in the blank for whatever that
would look like. I I asked, there's this old guy,
Tom Osborne. You know him, you know him, the greatest,
(37:00):
the greatest Nebraska Cornhusker coach ever, one of the top three,
in my opinion, your greatest football coaches in the modern
air slash ever. And I asked him the same question.
I said, Man, what do you want people to remember
you by? What do you what do you care about
for your legacy? And he's like, it's for people to determine,
you know. And I thought, and he told me, just
(37:20):
don't don't live your life concerned about what other people
think about you and the legacy you'll leave. And so
for me, I get that to a certain degree. But
if you're asking me, man.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
Just a guy who loved God and loved other people.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
That's beautiful, man, And that shows in this interview right here. Roy,
thank you so much for taking the time. I know
fans have been just waiting to hear from you again, man,
So it was just so good to know that you're
doing great. You and the fam open Omaha nebrask and
doing your thing, man, And please know that these doors
are always welcome and open for you, and the fans
cannot wait to see you again. So we need you
to pull back up to what's Northwest Stadium Now it's
(37:54):
now Fenix.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
No more is Northwest Stadium. You can Northwest Stadium. We
got big money now right all.
Speaker 6 (38:02):
Right, Hey, you'll see me up there next season, sir, sir.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Man, I'm gonna hold you to that.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
Roy, thank you so much for your time command this family,
our Next Man Up. Man of God, Roy helu Jr.
Thank you brother, my Nebraska brother man. It's been honored
to interview.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
You, Bru.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
It's been crazy because I've been following you since I
started in my career, man, so I appreciate you taking
the time. Thanks Brian, blessed you. Thank you command this family.
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Next Man Up.
Remember you can stream all of the Next Man Up
episodes right now on the Commander's YouTube page or the
audio wherever you get your podcast. Thank you so much
(38:37):
for supporting the Next Man Up podcast. You allowed us
to be nominated for not one, but two People's Choice
Podcast Awards, Best Male Hosting and Best Black Male Hosted Podcast.
And that's all because of the best fans in the NFL.
I appreciate y'all so much for supporting us. It's crazy
to think we're already in season three of Next Man
Up and we have a lot more to go. So
make sure to subscribe to the Commander's YouTube page so
(38:58):
you don't miss any of our content.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
I'm Brankovi Jr. And this is Next Man Up.
Speaker 4 (39:03):
This show was filmed at the Big Bear AI Command
Center Studio. Big Bear AI offers mission ready AI for
a rapidly evolving world, proudly protecting the Washington Commanders and
its fans.