Season 1, Episode 10 Built for the Blitz: Mindset of a Gridiron Warrior

Episode Transcript
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Coach Matthew (00:00):
Welcome to the Kingdom Guys.
This is episode 10 ofRoyal Vision Podcast.
I'm your host, coach Matthewgot a very special guest today.
He is in middle school.
He is a 13-year-oldfootball player center
and defensive lineman.
He's been playing footballfor the last eight years.
He's competed for multipleyears at multiple showcases,
such as Showtime EliteShowcase, where you earned

(00:20):
the Elite Lineman Award.
He's participated the last twoyears at the Grid Iron Classic
and All Star Tournament fromMartinsburg, West Virginia.
Without further ado, give it up.
Fur Rider Jackson, bro.

(00:41):
How you doing buddy?
How's everything going?
Good.
You are my youngest guest ever.
You're in eighth grade,you're in middle school.
How does it feel to,be here right now?

Ryder Jackson (00:49):
Good.
It's a real accomplishment.
Like I've been seeing seniorson here and everything.
I was like, lemmetry to jump on here.
And let everybody know who I am.

For sure.
You you came at me in the live,you're like, yo, get me on here.
And we talked a little bit,I really liked your story.
I liked everything youhad to say and, hey
look where you're at.
Yes sir. That just, so forall those people out there
that are like scared totake a chance on themselves,
what would you say to them?

Don't be scared.
Take many chances in life.
'cause you don't get many.

Yeah.
So just take it.
Maybe it'll work out.
So just go aheadand get started.
You're a football player.
Yes sir. Where did thatinitial spark for in
love for football start?

It was more mainly just trying to get into
a sport, my dad and everything.
He was like if you wannaplay football, it's not
no little contact sport.
It's.
You put your helmet and pads on.
Yeah.
Injuries are very high inthe sport and I was like,
alright, I'm gonna do it.
And got out there.
Just loved it.

And you're a center in
defensive lineman so Yes.
You're taking almost the hitsout there, so Yes sir. Have
you ever had to deal withany, like minor injuries or
concussions up to this point?

Concussions.
Yeah.
Okay.
Ma Not in games,mainly in practice.
'cause there's, I'mshout out real quick.
Tramel Musgrove pretty good.
20 coming up, 2029class athlete.
Okay.
Me and him go at itevery practice and yeah.

Now is football one of those
sports you play year round?

Yeah, it's more yearly for me, but
sometimes I popped inspring ball here and there.
But I like taking timeinto other sports too.

I was gonna say, if you're playing football year
round, that's a contact sport.
Yeah.
How do you manage thatrecovery and, stay in a good
shape so you're not alwaysbeat up, especially come like
real football season time.

It's just sometimes you
gotta take time off.
Like when I get invitedto tournaments, it just
it depends how my bodyfeels like if I'm ready
for this tournament or not.
And if I'm not, just take mytime off, think what I gotta
do and just stay active.

Now you also play baseball, but
you also wrestle as well.
So what is it about footballthat stands out over
wrestling and baseball?

More, I take more time into football
than I do other sports.
Okay.
But I like to divide it equally.
So like some, if there's atournament that just popped
up and I got a baseball game,I'm gonna go to the baseball
game 'cause this Tor footballtournament just popped up.
But I like to taketime into other sports.
I do.

Okay.
So what is it that drew you towrestling and how do you feel
like that shapes your football?
Performance.
The same thing with baseball.
What drew you to baseballand how do you feel like that
shapes your football program?

Wrestling?
I stopped, I started whenI was like six stopped.
'cause I really didn'tlike it and everything.
And I started back up this year.
I love it now.
It's just gets you stayactive and like with lineman
it's really wrestling isactive with your hands.
Yeah.
So like it helps you withhand placement and all that.

(03:51):
And with baseball, it just sameway, the same thing with that
I stopped for a little bit andthen found love for it again.
So started back up.

That's good.
So early in your career,and I know you've only been
playing football for eightyears, but what do you feel
like has been some of thedefining moments that shaped
your mindset up to this point?

Can you like, explain that a little bit?

So I.
Throughout your career, I'msure you've gone through
trials, tribulations.
How do you feel like thosehave shaped your mindset
approach to the game?

Just staying focused and
everything keep keepingthat mindset all the time.

So what are the main phrases or the
main things that you tellyourself in order to, let's
just say you start to veeroff to get you back on track.
Or let's say you're havinga bad stretch to, get you
back on the upward climb.

It's always this is a business trip.
Like you're not comingdown here to play.
This is, you mean business.
We can get down here.
So every time I get inthe car flips that my,
my mind flips from that.
So it's always justbusiness you're going to
make a name for yourself.
So no goofing off and stuffso that as soon as you get
in the car it's on that.

And being young, you've accomplished a lot
of, to this point, how do youremove pressure from yourself?

It's hard, but sometimes you gotta understand
like you're still a kid.
Like you have plenty moremoments in life to re redo that.
You don't have tokeep on putting that
pressure on yourself.
Sometimes I keepthis with me, but.
The pressure on, I take, Igo home, I'll talk to myself
about it, say like sharpenthings, next practice.

(05:32):
I'm out there trying tosharpen that and I, it's
outta my mind after thatpractice and everything.

So is there like a moment that stands
out to you the most where youwere like, I don't know if I
wanna keep doing this, I don'tknow if I'm really that good.
And then you were able toshift your mindset back?
It's more

like sometimes, like my dad, he's hard on me.
But there's sometimes like theI knew I needed it and like
sometimes like I just get in myroom and be like, I don't know
if I wanna do this anymore.
'cause I can'ttake the pressure.
But at the end of the daygoing, now going into high
school, it's he really didplay a big part with putting
all that pressure on me.
And yeah.

And then 'cause with pressure you
get that outside noise.
I'm sure you hear some things,people talk this talk that
how do you stay focused andblock out the outside noise?

I just I like to let 'em talk.
I like hearing them talk.
Okay.
'cause it just turns me upway more so I can, when I
hear a little bit of chirpingfrom the away opponents, it
just turns me up a littlebit, a couple notches.

And so how do you try to separate proving
yourself to other people insteadof just being that great lineman
that you know that you are?
So oftentimes with sports,we try to prove ourselves.
Yeah.
We try to prove that we'rebetter instead of just being
great like we know we are.
So what moments do you feellike you've tried to prove

(06:52):
yourself and then you shiftit into just being great
and you got better results?

Definitely like going to the
showcases and stuff.
It's always prove yourself,but you just, I gotta show
my talent and everything.
So sometimes you wanna proveyourself, like to people to
show you gotta do it likegoing like invitational, like
going to wait, we call it.
It's I'm trying, I lost that.
I went blank.

It's like one of those showcases you

Yeah, it's like a combine, like type of thing.
Okay.
Okay.
Where you get picked,it's, that's when you want
to prove yourself, showeverybody who you are.
And then once you go likeindividual, like drills,
you wanna show like whatkind of talent you have.

So going to those showcases, you got
all these eyes on you, allthese top high school scouts
college prospect scouts.
How do you stay focused and notfeel all that pressure and you
just go out there and be you?
Pretty much.

So like once you get there, yeah.
You have that noise.
There's gonna be coachesout here that are going to
probably take you, like fromme, little league and all that.
Yeah.
There's all those chances youget, you want to take 'em.
But once you get there, youknow about the noise and
everything, but sometimes youjust gotta show 'em what your
talent is and everything.
And then like they'llcome it don't matter.

(08:06):
If you'll get it.

So how do you feel like your upbringing or
your environment influencedyour approach to competition?
So like your your familyupbringing, how do you
feel like the way you wasraised, influenced the way
you approach competition?

Just coming like from my father and everything,
just like he, he went to sleepprobably the same time as you.
He bleeds the same as you.
He's not, y'all are the same.
It's just that you gottahave, be you gotta work
harder and have better talent.
And always justpushing me after games.
He always critiques me ofwhat I did and everything.

(08:43):
So just those little talksin the car going from
games and just sharpensyou a little bit more.

Being with your father, he's been with you since
you started playing football.
Where do you feel likeyou've gotten the, or
where do you feel like he'shelped you grow the most?

Probably in my staying like,
controlled up here.
Don't yeah.
You might hate the coach,but you gotta have respect
for him and everything.
Yeah.
All that.

And then where do you feel like you've grown
the most in your gameplay?
Where do you feel like he'sinfluenced you the most?

Probably more like blocking and everything.
Like just this last tournamenthe was getting on me because I
had engaged with the blocker.
And then once I look behindme for a split second, I
know the runner's pass me.
I'll let him go.
Just not to cause any fears.
'cause yeah, say he takesoff, gets a touchdown,
then I do something dumbthat's gonna cost us.
Yeah.

(09:39):
So like just that.
And he is help mewith my blocking.
And then like my, wehad two games that day.
Went got something to eat,he told me what to do.
Went to that second game.
Fixed it played.
Played a good game.

So you guys were playing two games in one day?
Yes sir. So walkme through that.
'cause I thought, Iunderstand seven on
sevens, that's one thing.
But if you're in full onpads and you're playing
two games a day, likethat's gotta be exhausting.
Gotta be.
A lot.
So what's that like?
It's,

it's really hard if you don't, if you don't got
the, if you're not in shapefor it, it's going to, it's
gonna kill you every time.
But I'm used to that bynow, at an early age.
And it really is pretty hard.
Like you, it's hot, you're inthe afternoon, like you have 10
o'clock games, 12 o'clock games,it's gonna be hot and your
body's tired after that game, goget you some meat, re replenish

(10:28):
your body, get a little bit ofvitamins in your body and just
go out there and perform again.

So playing travel football, how does that compare?
How do you feel like that'sso much more beneficial
than playing high schoolor even just rec football?

Because it shows you the talent
outside of your state.
So going to Tennessee and allthat, it shows you the talent,
like outside your state.
So like my mom always says.
You could, they could maybe begood in West Virginia, but take
'em out, take 'em outta town.
Take 'em outta town.
Yeah.
So just getting to see thattalent out there and Yeah,
there's some dogs out there.
You say you gotta beprepared for the next
level and everything.

So where all have you traveled
playing travel, football,

Virginia Beach.
Okay.
North Carolina.
Pretty Where's Myrtle Beach at

South Carolina.

South Carolina, okay.
North, South Carolinaand Tennessee.
So

you've been to Ohio too, right?
Okay.
So you've been pretty much allup and down the East Coast.
What do you feel was yourfavorite tournament to play in?

Definitely, 'cause the connections
I've gotten from there isShowtime Elite Showcase.
Okay.
I really recommend it for peopleand everything 'cause they
got connections to everything

where, so what's the greatest like
networking that you've beenable to gain from Showtime?

Definitely.
Like they broadcast it so it'son YouTube live, everything.
Gotcha.
So just 'cause you never know,you can get a college coach
that knows about this guythat's hosting a tournament
might wanna pop up onthere or show up out there.
So the networking outthere is really good.

Have you gotten a chance to talk to
multiple college coaches?

Not yet.
Still young.
Yeah.
But high school.
Yeah.
I talked to a couple coaches.
So

what do you, what are some of the best
lessons you've learned fromall those high school coaches?

That you gotta head that chip on your shoulder.
Don't ever stay humble.
Don't get over humble.
Don't just stay humble.

And what do you feel is shoot,
what was the question?
Playing travel football, you'replaying that competition.
Who's like the one playeror maybe two players that's
giving you the most troubleon the defensive end or
even on the offensive end.
'cause you're center andthen you're a defensive
lineman as well.

There was a couple kids at this tournament
last tournament, the grid iron.
Okay.
Went there.
Rare, if anybody knows aboutyouth league football, rare.
There was a couple rarebreed kids there based outta
Georgia won the nationalchampionship for youth league.
Okay.
In Florida.
I'm pretty sure.
There was this one kid play,he came in for a couple snaps
of nose guard was givingme, hell just, 'cause when

(13:04):
you're a center, like yougotta have fast like getting
that ball back there fast.
So if you don't get that ballback there fast, the defense
you have limited to one arm.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it's hard.
So his name was Taylor James.
He came in there first snap.
I was like.
Alright, I'm gonna havea little chip here.
Had no chip.
Came out, sweat moved me.

(13:25):
He was, came out the line fast.
Got got me a little gotme prepared for that.
But then next snap came, gota little bit of chip, got up
in him and took it from there.

So you're able to adjust and eventually
you kind shut him down.
Uhhuh.
Yes sir. So you never back awayfrom a challenge pretty much?
No, sir. You alwaysrise to the engagement.
No, sir. That's good.
So what are some challengesyou feel like athletes
commonly face in the earlystages of their career?
So you're pretty earlyoff in your career.
You haven't yet hit thehigh school threshold,
but up to this point, whatchallenges have you faced?

Adversity.
A lot of it just, yougotta get past that and all
like getting injured, likesetbacks and everything.
You gotta come over that.
Like you get setback for a year.
You just gotta keep grindingand stay prepared for next year.

What's some adversity that you
faced up to this point?

Definitely injuries and all that,
like talks and everything.
Saying, I'm not goodenough for this.
Like the thoughts ofam I gonna make it?
Am I gonna get my family out?
It's always those questionsat a young age, like
every kid's gonna have.
So I always have those likethoughts, but thoughts are
trying to get them thoughtsout my head sometimes.

So you talk about injury.
What injuries have youfaced up at this point?

So going down, I've been to Rocky
top a couple times.
Okay.
Going down there, I brokemy finger, was gonna go
with the team and couldn't.
We actually did pretty goodat that tournament too.
So it was pretty,pretty saddening.
Yeah.

So what other injuries?
Just the finger or,

I broke my broke my elbow.
Okay.
This sound pretty dumb.
I've probably told everybodythis, but showtime, I missed
the year 'cause I was outin the rain playing with
a Frisbee, broke my foot.
There was a little ditchI try to run after it,
sat there, broke my foot.
So that was reallyheartbreaking and yeah.
Yeah.
No.
And knowing like youcouldn't play and

yeah.
So what did you do to maintaina level head and stay focused
despite having these injurieswhere you're like I can't really
play as much, or I can't dothe things that I love doing.

Just sat back, got rested up kept
that mindset still oflike anytime, any moment.
As soon as I get my foothit, I'm trying to get back
on the field and all that.

Now do you ex exercise or workout at all?

Yeah, I go to the gym and weight
lifting and all that, okay.

So so when that happened, I know with a foot
you're limited, but good thingis you got that other leg.
Yes, sir. When the samething with hand, same
thing with arm, whatever.
Were, what were you doing torehabilitate and still maintain
that, that strength, eventhough you were limited to

Like on the bike, like cardio and all that.
Okay.
Like just 'cause like itwas like outside, like
the foot, like outside.
Oh, like on

the lateral side of your ankle.
Okay.

So it, like, when I put pressure right
there, it didn't hurt.
And like I had a boot on.
So yeah.
Yeah.
When those, when you havethem boots, you're not
really limited, but youare at the same time.
No.
Yeah.
For,

I'm gonna pause you for a second.
If you ever have one ofthose prosthetic boots,
they work wonders.
It doesn't matter ifyou sprain an ankle.
If you broke a foot, youcan do whatever it is
you possibly want to.
You can squat in those,you can leg pressing
those work like a charm.
Whoever invented that.
Shout out to you guys.
But I just think about, soyour exercising, what's your

(16:42):
favorite part about exercising?

I'm, I like weights.
I really love it.
Okay.
Like bench press.
All right.
Squat.
And all that cardioside ends ah, yeah.
Yeah.
It sucks.
Like after you're doneweightlifting, you wanna
get some cardio in.
Yeah.
So you stay in shapeand everything.

Yeah.
Now what's your diet like?
Do you have a diet that matchesyour weightlifting regimen or?

No, I haven't got that far into, not that far yet.
Yes, sir. Are you close?
You're close, sir. High

school kind of changes a little bit,
but how have you playedany high school football?
Did you play freshman footballor did you stick to the travel?

This was a hard part last year,
if anybody knows me.
I got sat back last year,I was gonna play freshman
football as eighth grader.
Yeah.
And I wanna let y'allknow this kids like my
age watching all this.
Please keep your grades up.
I, it's so dumb.
Just keep your grades up.
But, so yeah,grades set me back.

(17:34):
I had the grades, but likethe grade eighth graders
differently from the highschool, like grading scale.
So it didn't have the grades in.
You could ask my mom.
Shit, I called her.
I got called, I was up in theweight room with my friends, got
called down, told I can't play.
I uneligible called mymom crying like a baby
because it's, this is asport you love and Yeah.

(17:56):
You take your timeout, your day.
You've, I went to allthe summer workouts.
I didn't miss one.
Went to every summer workout.
Just, and that'swhat you do it for.
Yeah.
To play in the gamesand everything.
Yeah.
We was, and I was going to goto a scrimmage and everything,
but couldn't do it 'causeeverything, so it really
kills you at every moment.

(18:17):
Yeah.
But, or you gotta overcome it.
You can't let it dwell on you

For sure.
I think about it, but yourgrades are better now, right?
Yes, sir. Carrying a

3.2 and 3.8.

So think about this, it's moments like
that when you're hit with aredirection, you have choices
you can choose to be like.
I'm not good enough.
This defines me.
And you give up or you say,you know what, this is not my
defining moment like Ryder did.
And you step up to the occasion,you rise to the occasion,

(18:47):
you're like, you know what,I'm not, this isn't my, this
isn't the end of my story.
And there's not a lot ofpeople out there to do that.
And being 13 years old,a lot of kids your age,
they would've quit.
They would've given up.

And my parents kept in my head about it.
It was like, you can go playlittle league, but I That's
not something you wanted to do.
Yeah, but I did it.
'cause you wanna stayin shape and everything.
Yeah, but they kept, in my headit was just a minor setback.
You come, you're an eighthgrader trying to play
freshman ball, you gotfour more years to do that.
It was just a minor setback.
You just get right back into it.

And so how do you feel like it was
almost like a blessing indisguise that you didn't get
to play freshman football?
Because

It really clicked something in me like.
This is your first timetelling someone, saying, you
can't play the sport you love.
So it really clickedsomething for me.
Now I'm always, grades are up.
I'm, every day I'm checking, I'mgoing on Schoology, checking my
grades, make sure they're there.
If there's something notright, I'm gonna go up to
the teacher and see whatassignments I had to do.

(19:46):
If I miss a day 'cause ofa tournament or something,
I'm always back here andthe next day asking what a
what assignments I missed.

So you pretty much became a new person?
Almost.
Yes, sir.
You, like you're still rider,but you transformed in a
whole different person inorder to, get what you wanted.
Seventh grade

rider and eighth grade rider,
two different people.
I was seventh grade.
I was trying to be the goofball.
Yeah.
Everybody knew tryingto disrespect teachers.
I'm not the one todisrespect them, but just
for the last and giggles.
Yeah.
But like this year, it'sjust you can't do that.
You're going into highschool and like now that I'm
getting into kind of likethe private school system.
Yeah.

(20:20):
It.
Academic scholarshipsand all that.
Yeah.
That could kill me.
Like I could really getthat scholarship if I wasn't
messing around that year.

So you talk about, we talk
about transforming.
Do people notice the shiftthat you've had and then also
has it cost you or caused youto lose maybe old friendships
and maybe gain new ones?
Or how did you feel like yourlife and your personal life
has shifted from transforming?

Definitely some.
I kept some from seventh grade.
Yeah.
That pushed me, likecold and all them.
Yeah.
They pushed me to be a betterper person and everything.
So I kept them around 'cause Iknew they ain't going to tell
me not to do the wrong thing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
If there's somethingdangerous over there, they're
gonna tell me not to goover there and do that.
So I definitely kept some,but some of them, like I
had to stay off to the side.

(21:08):
Like I could, I'll talk to youand everything 'cause I'm not
gonna be the type of person,just stop talking to me.
Like I, I don't want to be.
Like, you could still talk tome, but I'm not gonna call you
outside of school and all that.
Yeah, it's that type offriendship, like kind of thing.

Oh.
So it was one of those thingswhere it's like you're the
people that you feel likealign with your vision almost.
You're keeping them around, butthe ones that they can either
choose to align with whatyou're, what you believe in and
what the route you want to take.
Or they can juststay off to the side.
Yes, sir. It doesn't meanyou don't care about them.
Yeah.
It just being like, Hey,I'm doing what's best for

(21:43):
me so I can achieve my goal.
If you're in my vision,

you can stay in my vision.
But if you're trying tobe off and on, you could
just stay over there.
You can stay out.
The vision

That's being, that's wise there, there's
a lot of people that they,they're 40, 50 years old, they
still haven't learned that.
So I think part of it's,your parents, I think
that's really good.
So good for you, man.
That's really good.
Yes, sir. So one thing is, sohow do personal experiences
outside of sports shape theway an athlete competes?

Definitely what do you mean?

So what personal experiences have you
gone through that's shapedyour approach to competition
personally?
So how you show so anythingregarding friendships or
any lessons you've learnedfrom, like your parents
or your grandparents thathave shaped your approach
to how you play the game?

So it's like every, like friends,
like it could be friends.
Yeah.

Could be family members.

My dad, he's, you're gonna hear me
talk a lot about my dad.
Yeah.
He might not know it, but thatman has helped me like through.
Everything, like footballand everything and yeah.
So has my mom.
I'm not gonna, yeah.
My mom, she's helped me a lot.
I'm a, I'll just talkabout my dad 'cause he's
helped me with the sport.
Yeah.
But my mom has helped me alot, taking me to multiple

(22:55):
practices sometimes like, orwe couldn't like, come up with
the money at the time, so shehad to, we had to find a way.
So she always found a way for meto get there and get there yeah.
To get to like tournamentsand everything.
So she always found away for me to get there.
And every time I've gotteninvited to something,
unless it's, unlessFlorida, like some, we can't

(23:15):
probably do at the time.
Yeah.
Like Texas and all that.
She's gonna try to find a way toget me there, but if we can't,
it's just a missed opportunityI couldn't take at the time.

And one thing I noticed is,
you got the cross here.
Is that like a big rolein your life as well?
Yeah.
Walk me through that.

Always keep.
Some people alwayskeep God with you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's one of my things.
Like I try to go here andthere, pray every night.
Really?
If I remember I'm not gonnalie, like sometimes I'm not
good with that, but yeah.
Oh, I'll always cherisheverything to the man above.

Yeah.
But even if you're notconsistent with it, at the
end of the day, you knowwhat your beliefs are.
Yes, sir. You're notstraying away from that,
you're staying consistent.
Yes, sir. At the endit's not a big deal.
So what lessons from yourpast have helped you succeed
in both sports and in life?

Definitely from the setback and
everything like that, taughtme a lesson not to just.
You gotta you can'tgoof around in school.
Yeah.
Like school is like middleschool from high school to like,
the next level is all business.
Like you can't play around'cause like that, like it could
be all taken away from you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So all to like real lifeand like that setback and

(24:26):
everything really openedup my eyes to life more and
can't take stuff for granted.

So how do athletes develop a
stronger mental game?
And why do you feel likehaving a strong mental
game is so important?
So your mental game is youthe track that plays in your
head, the, I can do this,I can't do this, I'm good
enough, I'm not good enough.
Why is that so important?

Because if he like having that mental,
the mental game is like veryimportant n Like when I go
out there on the field, I'dbe like, I'm Rider Jackson
and I know I could do this.
Nobody's gonna stopme from doing this.
You put somewhere in front ofme, I'm gonna give 'em work.
I'm not gonna just let'em get a free pass.
Like they, yeah.
They might have a littlebit better talent of me,

(25:12):
but I'm gonna give them10 times of my talent.
Then they're probably gonnagive me, so it's always I'm
gonna be better than youif you line up across me.
There's no if, ands,buts are about it.
And if you, if I had abad game that day and you
had a better game thanme, I'll give it to you.
But next time I seeyou, it I'm want it.

So it's almost like valuing yourself more
than the outside noise.
Yes sir. So you valueyourself very highly.
And so it doesn't matterif you think that you're
better than me or if youhave a better game than me.
I know no matter whatthe value I show up with,
it's irreplaceable andnothing's gonna stop me.
Yes, sir. I, so wetalk about resilience.

(25:52):
How do athletes buildthat resilience through
tough losses and setbacks?
So resilience is prettymuch coming back, coming
out on top, not getting,breaking through the wall.
If there's a brick wall infront of you, you break through
it regardless that it's there.

Yeah, it's pretty tough.
Knowing what wasthe question again?
My bad.

So how do athletes build resilience
after tough losses or setbacks?
So maybe there's a gamethat you lost or you talk
about that point whereyou don't have the grades.
How do you buildresilience through those
losses and setbacks?

Just coming out with a better you every
after a loss or everything.
I'm gonna comeout the next game.
Yeah, I may, I probably hada good game after that loss.
But I, I know I couldadid better, helped my
team win that game.
So like my, with my peersaround me, I'll go up to 'em
before games and I'll be like,this is what you had to do.
I've seen it.
And this is what we gottawork on and if we don't get it

(26:44):
down, we're never gonna win.
So I always wanna keepmy linemen, my big boys
always gotta keep themin line and everything.
So if I hadn't, if I seensomething bad that last
game, I'm not gonna, I'm notgonna scold you or anything.
I'm just gonna let you knowthat you didn't, like he
missed a block, I'm let youknow that you didn't, you
missed that block, or you'regonna have to pick him up.
'cause if you're not, we'renot gonna win this game.

(27:06):
Yeah.

So one thing I've picked up from you is change.
Change has been a really bigpart of your life despite,
only being, so young.
Why do you embracechange so much?
And then I'll follow upwith another question later.

Change.
It can be really, it'sreally, it could be a really
big part of someone's life.
Like with me.
'cause like I was,like I said, I was the
goofball and everything.
Yeah.
Like some days I one day Ididn't come to school, I was
just quiet and everythingand people were like,
what is wrong with you?
And I didn't wantto be known as that.
Like people would see me asan E, like energetic goofball.
Yeah.
And nah, I'm like, some daysI wanna just come in here

(27:44):
and chill and do my work.
Like some days Idon't wanna do that.
But then it just changed.
Like now, like I'llbe like nothing.
Like it, big change.
But like I'll stillcome into school, be
goofy with my friends.
Yeah.
Joke around a little bit.
But yeah.
So like the not consistentof goofiness is just changed
a really big part of me.

So the people that don't change, why do you
feel like they don't change?
Or why don't you feel likethey don't embrace change?

Because that's who they think they see
theirselves as now, like asa. Like someone that wants,
everyone gets a laugh out of Ijust wanna blank for a second.
My bad.
You're fine.
So it was like some kidsjust don't like, they like
that about themselves now.
I did not, when I had thattalk with my parents, it
really it struck heart, like

Yeah.

It opened up my eyes really wide and everything.
So like some kids, theydon't want to change.
They like that about themselves.
Yeah.
So that's why I like, like Ilove my parents and everything.
Yeah.
'cause like they really openedup my eyes for that change.

Now I know the one thing you're looking
for when you're lookingfor laughs, you're always
looking for that validation.
So do you knowwhat validation is?
So validation is essentially.
I'm looking for confirmationthat, hey, I'm good enough,
or, Hey I'm liked, I'mloved, whatever it is.
So at that point, you were soused to external validation.

(29:09):
You were like, you know what?
I'm gonna internally validatemyself and I'm not gonna
worry about I don't need thelaughs to keep it level head.
I don't need the attentionto stay straight I'm
gonna focus on me.

So what was your question again?
The val, you kept you explainedit, but what was your question?

Essentially just what was it that made you shift
from external validation tointernally validating yourself?

Just getting in trouble and everything.
I'm not the one I hate beinglike the center of attention
like I used to, but like nowI hate being the main subject.
I hate it.
It like gets me like mad,like mad to the point where I
wanna cry or everything, likeToday.
I had a, a assignmentturned in, right?
Yeah.
And she said it was past due.

(29:53):
I, she, I swear she waslike, okay, if you turn it
in today, it won't be fora late credit or anything.
So I turned it in and thenshe said she just grabbed it
out the cabinet today, thelike turning Ben or anything.
And she made it past dueand I said I turned it
in before spring break.
So like all that and justhate being the main subject.

(30:15):
And like everything, likegrades now matter to me a lot.
'cause what happened?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I, like I lost30 points like that.
30 points.
Say I needed 30 points toget an A in that class or 30
points to bring my grade up,like a letter grade or not.
So now I can't do that.
'cause you done put somethingpast due on my work.

(30:36):
So like I value my gradeshighly this year a lot.

So and so being the kid that you used to be,
but being this new kid now,are there any moments where
people will like, remindyou of who you used to be?

Ryder Jack (30:50):
Yeah, like teachers.
Yeah.
Like in my teachers now,they used to sub for me and
like when I'm like on a daywhere I'm just like goofy.
Not goofy.
Goofy.
Yeah.
Just talking yeah.
Stopped.
Like they tell meto stop talking.
Like they like, andit hurts me so much.
They'd be like, if you'regoing back to the old you.
I'm like, no, I'm not.

(31:11):
I never, I hate being remindedof what happened seventh grade?
'cause it like it reallynot traumatized, but like

Yeah,

it really valued eye-opening moment.
Eye-opening.
Yeah.

But so what do you do to block out that
noise despite them being like,oh, you're going back but.
No, like you still are.
So how do you separateyourself or detach from those
accusations of being thisperson when you're really
somebody completely different?

I usually go up to that teacher and that day
and then if they said that,and then I'll be like, I'm
sorry, I won't do it again.
And then like I go to thebathroom real quick, get my
splash of my face with a littlewater, look at myself in the
eyes and tell myself like, norider, you don't wanna be, you
don't wanna be known as that kidback in seventh grade for that.

(31:59):
And then just my daykeeps on going on.

So what are some mental habits that
separate the best athletesfrom the greatest athletes?
Explain that a little bit.
So what are common or do youfeel like are good mental
habits to have that separate.
The best athletes fromthe rest of the athletes.

(32:25):
So like what separatesLeBron James from what's
his name, Nick Young.
Somebody who's been inthe league for 23 years
compared to Nick Young, whowas in the league for 10,

probably 'cause work ethic, have
a higher work ethic.
But don't get me wrong, that 20that kid that dude that's been
in the league for longer couldbe like, oh yeah, I'm the, I'm
this, I'm the name right now.
And just die off.
And this younger, you canhave this younger kid come
up and just be a dog andtake that guy's position.
Like for me, like Ialways want, I'm always

(32:59):
on the top of my game.
Just because.
Oh yeah.
'cause I show up toevery weightlifting.
Like I'm there and I see noseniors there and I'm like,
alright, I'm gonna pushmyself to, I know I could
play this guy's position.
He may be a senior, hemay be older than me.
He could probably driveeverything, but I'm gonna
push myself to my workethic and everything to be
better than him next year.

(33:20):
So just keeping up a workethic and keep on being
dominant at what you do.

So how do you feel like athletes navigate
self-doubt and stay mentallystrong under pressure?
So in what moments of,let's just say doubt, where
you're doubting yourself,how do you revise those?
How do you shift those Soyou stay mentally strong
and you don't collapseunder the pressure.

So you can always have you don't want
to, but like sometimesyou could just be like.
Man, that game really sucked.
Like I sucked that day.
Like I probably ain't gonnabe, what am I gonna be
like why There's someoneout there watching me?
So then you just say,alright, I'm gonna come
out this next game.
I'm going to work harderlook better, work way harder.

(34:07):
Make sure I pickup one every block.
Make sure I do all thatinstead of having those bad
thoughts of on yourself.
And like I go home, say it aboutmyself, and I clear it out.
Go play on the game.
Do what I do, what a kid does.

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If you're looking for sublimatedmugs, trophies, awards, or even
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Virginia to go cop all those inthe, so what strategies do you
use to, despite having maybea negative day or a bad game?

(34:45):
To continue keeping youreyes on the bigger picture.
So

when I have negative thoughts like it,
like my dad, like he's tough,he's really tough on me.
So he, it, he likescrolls me a little bit
tells me what I gotta do.
So it gives melike bad thoughts.
And sometimes you justneed a friend Hey,
how'd I do this game?
And you know how friends are,they're gonna tell you, you did
good even though you probablyknow you did bad that game.

(35:11):
So it's always, Hey, let metext my friend real quick.
And let 'em lie to me,but that's gonna cheer me
up a little bit better.
And then I get that text frommy friend and then I just
get on the game, just be akid again and leave that.
Talk in the car andthen we get out the car.
You could talk withme for a little bit.
But I'm not, I'm reallynot listening to you.

(35:31):
Sometimes he'll put me pull mein the bedroom and talk about
it so yeah, always gettingthat word from a friend and
just get get on the game andjust clear everything out.
Do

you ever take moments where, despite being,
chewed out by your dad or, thosecri, those criticism talks where
you are like still focused orstill highlight all the things
you're doing well, but keepingthe things that you need to grow
on, on the, in the front vision?

(36:02):
Does that make sense?
What'd you

say

again?
Okay I,

I, I keep getting lost.
That's my bad.

You're fine.
So even though you're gettingchewed out, you're getting
criticized by your dad.
Is there like a strategy thatyou use to keep the things
you're doing well and thethings that you're good at?
In the front of the car,despite still having those
negative things that,you can grow and work on.

So yeah, there may be some things, he may
have seen that game, butlike I'm on the field at the
time I seen what I did goodand I seen what I did bad.
You just, you spotted outthe bad and let me know.
I gotta work on that.
So it's just like having thataffirmation like where I could
do it, I could do it again.
Yeah.
Like I'm reallypowerful, big guy.

(36:44):
I could do it.
So like always.
Knowing what I didgood in that game.
I keep that with me justlike I keep on telling my,
like when he's talking,I'd be like I did this.
I know I did good in that.
I'm, I probably made a sack.
Oh.
But I probably didn't make itoff the line this next step.
So it's always like havingthat oh yeah, but I did this.
You're just giving me thethings I did bad to work on.

(37:07):
Yeah.
But keeping that goodin my head at the time

so reminding yourself like, what I'm doing
right and what I'm doing goodis most important, but I have
these negative or weaknessesthat I can work on and turn
into strengths as well.
Yeah.
So how can athletes recognizeand refrain thoughts that might
be limiting their potential?

(37:30):
So as an athlete, you havethoughts or as a human being,
we have thoughts that go inand out of our mind all day.
How can you recognizea thought that might be
limiting your potential?

Just like if you're still dwelling on it
after the game alright, solast night my dad told me
that like I didn't do good.
So like I gotta do good,but I'm still having that
thought of, am I gonnaget chewed out in the car?
If I don't make, if Idon't get off the line
this snap, am I gonna getcheered out in the car?
Or just having that likethat what really brings down

(38:07):
a person's game if they'reworried about what's gonna
happen outside the game, whichI hope like kids like don't have
that, don't have that at all.
Just worry about what'swhat you're gonna do in
this game and you might havea best game of your life.
You never know.
So don't keep that thought,never keep that thought in
your head, if you're gonnaget chewed out or not.

So it's about not worrying about what could
happen if you don't do somethingnow is just focusing on who you
are now and what you know you'recapable of doing in the now.
And staying present.
Pretty much.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So external pressures.
You talk about your dad alot, I know you, you got
coaches, there's fans,and there's social media.

(38:48):
How do you feel likethat affects an athlete's
mindset and mental gain?
Because

what was the question?

Coach Matth (38:53):
What was, is it on?
So external pressure, soyou external, so you got
coaches, you got your parents,

how can I affect someone's health?
And

how do you ignore, how do you stop
that from affecting yourmindset and your mental game?

Telling yourself like, I'm a I'm gonna try
to play the best of my bestgame of my life this next
game to not get that chewingout in the car or anything.
Just the like mindset of, okay,I'm gonna go out here and try.
I'm a big dude, so I neverhad a touchdown in my life.
I'm gonna be like, whyif I go out here, get a
drop back a little bit?

(39:27):
Ball gets popped up, I graba touchdown, like I'm gonna
go out here and try to playthe best game of my life.
So so having that thoughtof you're gonna do something
in this game that's gonnaimpress people and just
having that thought.

So being a football player, is there
any time where it's like youhear things from the crowd?
Is that a commonthing being a lineman?
I know something

happened to me.
It was in folk year,one year youth league.
I was playing with Venom.
I got, me and mycoach rejected it.
So what would happen wasthe coaches were chirping
on the sideline sayingI was being illegal.
And it just got,it got up to here.
Yeah.
And like it gotin my mental game.

(40:10):
So then I got a flag.
No, he kept on chirping and Iwas, I walk off the sideline.
And I yell some prof.
I yell Profanity.
Yeah, yell some.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And then get a flag,get thrown out the game.
Coach goes, I, he getsthrown out the game too.
So just what you do can set uplike other people for failure.

(40:34):
So if you like that gettingchirped at what I do, my
coach is always gonna backme up 'cause I'm his player.
So if I get thrown out,he's definitely gonna
argue with the rest.
And you don't know how type ofday the rest are gonna have.
So you're gonna get you and yourhead coach thrown out the game.
Yeah.
Which just because he was sayinghe was doing something wrong,
which he's not your coach, he'snot the ref weren't seeing it.

(40:55):
You can't get mad at that.
So definitely gotta stay undercontrol in those moments.
Block it all out just andI. I keep this, I like this.
Don't let me see, don't let mesee you wearing a shirt with
your son's last name on it.
'cause I'm gonna come get himif you're the one chirping.
So it's just, oh, that's good.
Good.
So it's just, you can'tlet it get into your

(41:16):
mental game and everything.

So after that happened, how do you feel
like you shifted and madesure that didn't happen again?

Got suspended for a game.
Okay.
So not being able toplay with the boys again.
That's what you weekends that'sit was for the boys when, you
got a game and you're goingto get the good opponent
but that the team we playedagainst wasn't really good.
Yeah.
So it is just just likenot being able to play
with your friends, Yeah.
Yeah, you might not know'em, but you build a
relationship with these kids.
You talk to 'em every day,like you make Snapchat

(41:46):
group chats and all that.
Yeah.
So like you talk to 'em everyday and telling them you can't
show up to the game mightaffect their game sometimes
because they're, 'cause Imight bring an energy like
nobody else brings, so it mightaffect our team as a whole.

Yeah.
So what are some key habits orstrategies, athletes or even you
have used to build confidenceout there on the field?

Just saying, I'm gonna do good.
I'm gonna be great at what I do.
And if I can't,then it's whatever.
I'm gonna come out the nextgame and just be great.

Where do you feel like you've seen the biggest
shift in your confidence?

Definitely.
Knowing, like with mybuilding and everything,
like I'm dominant.
Yeah, there's no gonna be,there's barely gonna be, you're
gonna see no kids out here.
That's gonna really stop me.
So it's just yeah.
Having that confidence like,oh yeah, I got the building
and everything to be dominant.
Like that kid in front ofme, I know he can't stop me.
I have pure passion that kidcannot stop me with the belt.
I have more power thanhim and everything.

(42:48):
But sometimes youget a reality check.
That kid

Yeah.

Puts you in the dirt.
He could put you in thedirt a couple times.
So it's alright, nowI gotta make sure I
don't get in the dirt.
Next time it's either gonna beyou or you're running back or
on the offensive lineman side.
I'm a center.
I know I'm gonna bebetter than you if you're
playing nose guard.
Yeah, you might, you have anadvantage on me 'cause I'm
only have one hand, but I knowI'm gonna be better than you.

So I know most people, they always
focus on the receiver or thequarterback, the running back.
What is it that, being a linemanhas, that's just way more fun
than getting to touch the ball.

Because running backs Yeah.
You're running away from people.
Yeah.
But like linemen, you canget a hold of that kid
and do whatever you want.
Like on the offenselineman side, like you
can't sling or anything.
I know that, but you got theability to get up in their
chest, take 'em wherever.
Yeah.
Like I see the blind side.

Yeah.
Michael Gore.

That movie where he pick the kid up, took
him all the way to the bus.
That's the runningbacks can't do that.
Like they can on a lead block.
But like linemen we havelike more freedom to do that.
You're lined up in frontof me, you might do a move.
I could stop that move.
So yeah.
It's like sometimes youhave linemen like, yeah,
I wanna run the ball.
I wanna run the ball.
'cause it's like havingthat feeling of a touchdown.

(44:03):
It's really nice.
And like having thatfeeling of a pick.
It is really nice.
So just lineman, you just gottastay confident and have yeah.

And so what strategies do you use to,
despite not being the main guywhere you feel like all the
attention's on you, but youstill feel valuable or feel
like you're making an impact?
Say that again.
So being the main guy orbeing the person who has

(44:34):
always has the ball intheir hand, you always
have the intention on you.
How do you remain un jealousin a way so that way you still
see yourself as valuable andlike a vital goal of the team.
I see

lineman as very valuable.
If you don't have a goodline like this year,
no offense to our team.
Our line was not the best.
We couldn't block really.
So if that's why welost so many games.
'cause we didn't have a line.
So what I take value inis soon as I get that call
on the two gap, or if I'mlining up at the center Yeah.
If I get that call to the twogap, I'm a, if there's a kid

(45:09):
lined up in front of me, I'mgetting 'em out the wayside.
Running back can makeit make that hole.
Maybe if I make that hole,he'll get a touchdown.
Like from this last weekendI've seen they were lined
up on the right side.
They were poweron the right side.
Had seven linemen down.
Yeah.
Had barely anybodyin the left side.
I was playing leftguard at the time.
So there was a kidlined up in the two gap.

(45:30):
It was a like six gap play,like where you can go anywhere.
So I knew, no, this kidwas lined up in front of me
actually, and I knew every songwhen he'd go to off the snap.
He would go downto the right side.
So me knowing like what he'sgonna do, if he's gonna do
it again, because he's doneit for two consistent snaps.
I'm gonna open up, I'm lettinghim get past me just a little

(45:52):
bit, and then, no, I'm gonnaactually and get his left
outside this outside shoulder

Okay.

And push it up and get my hips in front of him.
And there's analleyway right there.
There was no linebackerslined up or anything.
It was loading the box.
So I did that andrunning back got like a
30 yard game from that.
So it was really happy.
And like knowing like on goalline plays, like I tell the
coach really just run behind me.
That's one thing about me,like when there's a kid in

(46:19):
the huddle and they call it 22I'm telling 'em every time Run
behind me because I'm big body.
Put your hand on myback and just run.

I mean that everything that you said right
there, that just shows like, Ifeel like in sports, we always
highlight the guy who's scoring.
We always highlight theguy who's making plays.
But at the end of the day,it doesn't matter if you're
the lineman, if you're thequarterback, everybody has.
Their own value that they bringto the team that wouldn't be

(46:50):
able to give you that success atthe end of the day without them.
Like the quarterbackcan't throw 50 yard bombs
without the lineman.
The running back can't get 25yard gains without the lineman.

Yeah.
Because he's gonna, 'cause ifyou, you gotta have someone
to protect his blind side.
Yeah.
If he knows you don't protecthis blind side, he's gonna be

Yeah.
He's not gonna be able to

focus, he's not gonna focus on
what his assignment is.
He's gonna be worried about it.
This kid's gonna comeout here and blow me up.
Yeah.
I've seen it in the NFL too.
It's not like that, but likequarterbacks are getting
blown up, like they'relooking right here and they're
getting blown up every time.
So it's just you wantto have a good line.
Like linemen are very valuable.
Like you don't find good ones.

Yeah.

So once you find a good one,
it's you take it into

Coach Matth (47:34):
taking care of 'em.
Take care of 'em.
Yeah.
Jason Kelsey.
That's why he was so goodwith the Eagles for so long.
Because they took care of him.
So for football, do you haveany like superstitions or
rituals that you'd follow?
Pregame or,

I said this to my friend earlier.
Same with my dad.
Every time I get outta thecar, get my pad get my pads,
everything cleats, havemy crocs on 'cause I'm not
worried about it right now.
Yeah.
I'm here a few minutes early,go up to my dad, dap him up.
He's strictly businessand it just, I'm ready to
go every time I like itdoes something else to me.
So every time I dap himup strictly business and

(48:10):
it's whatever, and thenI do that little cross.
Yeah.
I run out or kiss to the sky.
'cause like relatives are upthere probably watching me and
I wanna put on a show from 'em.
So I'm letting them knowthat I know they're probably
watching me and I'm gonnaput on the game from'

em.
Now is there any su likesuperstitions that you have
while you're on the fieldbefore that first snap?
Or is there any like gearthat you wear that you're
like, I have to have this.
No, just, no, just Hey, strictlybusiness show up there and
kick some butt pretty much.
Okay.
Alright.
Now game.
So on a game day, walk methrough your game day routine.

(48:46):
So I getup some days, my dad's on
one, like he's up ready,he's ready, he's pumped.
So I'm hearing music whenI get up, I'm like, I know
what kind of day it is.
You're going have to go on.
So like some days youcan hear the music or
some days you don't.
So I wake up some days likeif I'm feeling breakfast,

(49:07):
like I know it's reallygood to have that nutrition
like when you wake up.
But like some days I'll just popme in a little bowl of cereal.
Okay.
Yogurt or a like yogurt banana.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Before I go out there.
'cause like when you'replaying on them evening
games like afternoon.
12 o'clock, 10 o'clock, that'swhere you get the strike of
like heat and everything.
So I cannot play when mylike stomach is hurting.

(49:28):
Like I can't, I don't know,I try to push through it,
but like, when you're likedefensive on the side too, like
when you're gonna try to diefor a tackle, you're laying
on your stomach every time.
And if you like court,my core is pretty good,
but it's not there.
So every time youland you get that.
Ugh.
Yeah.
So if you don't, if you justdidn't eat right this morning,
you ate too much and it'sall, it's so you've had a

(49:48):
couple times where you just,
oh geez.
Yeah.
Shout out to all thepeople that don't throw it.
That one was just for you guys.
It's funny.
Is there like any go-tomeal that you have to
have before you play?
Or what about like post game?
Let's just say you kicksomebody's butt in a game.
What's your go-tomeals after that?

Mickey D's, McDonald's.
Yeah.
Oh my goodness.
Have to bro, because that'sall we got around here.
Like you like sometimeswe'll go to like Chinese
restaurant or something.
Okay.
China store's pretty good.
Yeah, but McDonald's it isreally after every year.
'cause then my parentsare hot RA's trying to
find somewhere to eat.
Yeah.
Eat real quick.
And you know out there onthe field they're trying
to charge you like $5 fora hot dog and it's what?

You gotta go to Chipotle?
Yeah.
Gotta Chipotle habanero.
I'll be

honest, I haven't had Chipotle in a hot minute.

You ain't had Chipotle.
You gotta go to Chipotle.
They got this honeyChipotle chicken.
I've not had it yet,but it sounds good.
Your favorite

chilies.
I haven't been there in a time.
Chili time,

man.
I love going to Chili's.
I don't do cheat meals often,but that's my go-to cheat meal.
You get the Triple Dipper,you get the Honey Chipotle
wings, you get the HoneyChipotle mozzarella sticks.
The Southwestern egg rolls dog.
I'm not sponsored byChili's, but that was
a plug for you guys.
Oh shoot.
Yeah.
But what else?
So what's your favorite go-tolike sit down restaurant?

Definitely after every game like
Virginia Beach, we try tofind seafood and all that.
'cause that's, you're aroundthe ocean and everything,
but there's no really go-to.
But if I had to like probablyred Robin, when there's
Red Robins pretty good.
I forget what it was called.
I think it was that.
It was that.
Or just trying to finda close Chinese shop.

(51:26):
I love Chinese, butreally, I hate it.
Every time my parents intournaments always wanna
try to find a Chinese shopafter my play, my first game.
'cause we played two games.
Yeah.
And I'm like, mom,why are we doing this?
'cause I'm gonna be hungry afterthe game and you're not gonna
go wanting to buy me anything.
So I, 'cause like they gobefore games, I'm like.
I'm not, I can't eat that much.

(51:47):
'cause if I go out here yeah.

' Coach Matthew (51:48):
cause because I have
a 10 o'clock game, I'm gonna beback in here like two o'clock.
I ain't go barely.
I ain't can't, Ican't barely eat this.
'cause Chinese food isall like oils and stuff.
Yeah.
So I'm like, why areyou doing this to me?
Yeah.
So that's when we stopped byat McDonald's or something.
Grab like McChickenor everything.
Yeah.
And just eat.

What is what's your Chinese order?

Chinese gotta get the noodles.
Got to, okay.
Ch broccoli chickenand broccoli.

Okay.

Some sushi.
And crab berry andgoon is pretty good.

Crab.
That is solid.
That those are all good things.
I typically get.
So when you get sushi,what do you get?

I get the plain like just with the
California roll Yeah.
California rule.
Or the

Coach Matthe (52:28):
Philadelphia roll.
'cause it has cream cheese.
Yeah.
Because my biggestthing is there's

one down in Martinsburg, I don't know where.
It's the China Kingknew China or something.
It's like right frombig Lots and okay.
They have this one, it's likea crusted out in the inside.
It's has soy sauce.

Okay.
It's

like a California roll.
Yeah.
But it has like acrust at the outside.
I love it.
I get it.
Every time

I love sushi.
I always go for like the,like a rainbow roll's good.
But I like, I have the tuna,the salmon, the crab, got
the spicy mayo, got theeel sauce, some crunch on
it, some avocado, cucumber,like the whole, everything.
Everything.
Because you gottaget the macros.
Yeah.
You gotta get the, yougotta get the protein.
So how do you feel likean athlete's belief system

(53:10):
shapes their ability toperform at the highest level?

Ryder Jack (53:14):
Their belief system.

Not belief as in religion, as in no.

Yeah.
Believe like you cando something like

belief.
So everything you tellyourself is either false
or can be false or true.
So I could tell myselfI'm good looking.
That could be false.
I can be true.
I could tell myself I'm smart.
That can be false.
That could be true.
So how do you feel likesomebody's belief system or
an athlete's belief systemshapes their ability to
play at the highest level?

Like belief in you can, your
better than this kid.
I'm a kid, I'm gonna be on that.
Like from a, for a lineman,like I believe I'm gonna give
you hell for four quartersevery time I come out here and
I'm not gonna take off a snap.
Yeah.
I might take off likeone, which is not good.
I don't know why Isaid that, but no.
Happens, you get that, you getlike a kid that hasn't been in

(53:57):
for that long, short little kid.
You just grab him, hold himhere, get him out the way.
Yeah.
So just getting that littleguess air and like believing
I'm gonna be a dog out here.
Yeah, I have teammates, butI'm a, I'm gonna be the best
lineman on this team right now.
This is the team.
I'm gonna be the reasonwhy we win this game.
So it's always, you gotta havea high belief system, like
you can be better and do it.

So for the kids that go out there and maybe
they don't perform, or maybethey quit, what do you think
is going on in their headscompared to the most elite
athletes at your age group?

They're probably like man, like rider he's like
just whipping kids' butts.
But I can't do the same I wantkids like I, no, I don't know
why I'm saying kids like, I'ma kid too, so you're fine.
So I want them to come up to melike, I like I have my mom, she
works with her coworkers haskids like that are like, pretty
good, but are getting better.

(54:53):
I love it.
Like I like.
I feel like I wannabe a coach one day.
Once my time's done if I can doit or not can do it, I want, I
wanna come back to the youth.
I really love it.
I love getting Hey Rider, canyou come work with my son?
And I love it about that.
So like having, being an otherhand for a kid and stuff.

So do you feel like the kids that don't have
that belief system, they'retoo caught up in comparison
instead of just going outthere and doing what they Yeah.

More like comparison or man, I just
don't wanna be out here.
Like I'm not gonnaget in the game.
You gotta have, likein practice too.
Like you wanna be, bea good be you be a good
better version of yourself.
Yeah.
At practice.
That's how you get playingtime and everything.
So just going out there likepractice, man, I'm not gonna
get, I'm gonna be sitting herewatching kids practice the whole

(55:43):
time, which you gotta work fromthe first day of practice, like
y'all might have conditioning.
I'm a bigger kid.
Like I know there's gonna bekids finish in front of me,
but I'm a, I'm gonna work'em, I'm a, I'm show 'em like
I'm a alarm I can move to.
So just like having that likebelief that you gotta work.
If you don't work, then you'renot gonna get what you earn.
Like you gotta earnthings in life.

(56:03):
Everything's not justgonna be given to you.
So earning that starting spot,earning like that second spot
say that kid gets hurt, thatcoach's just gonna need you.
So come to every gameready, oh, I'm gonna play,
I'm gonna play today.
Even though you may not, butyou may are, you never know.
That kid may be six not show up.
So that's what I hate whensecond strings get in.
'cause like they've beenlike watching us practice

(56:23):
all week and they hate it.
'cause they never get in.
So like they get boredand don't pay attention.
So like, when they get in thegame, they don't know anything.
So that's why, like I told, Itexted you, I was like, I like
knowing other people's, likeassignments and everything.
Like I'm worried about myassignment, but I want to
know the other kid's assign.
So if he gets in the gameand that receiver is don't

(56:43):
care about this kid or thatone, just don't know himself.
I wanna tell him likewhat they have to do on
that play and everything.
So just having that justcome ready don't just oh
man, he's not gonna, ohI'm not gonna start today.
Ah, I been sitting.
That practice coachdidn't put me in.
Just be ready.

I feel like that's what I've, that's what
I see in your mindset comparedto those that just give up.
You, you don't take somebodystarting over you when you
feel like you should startas, I'm not good enough.
Or like a jealousy thing.
You take that and you transformit into motivation as something
where you can show up and,Hey, I'm gonna start and

(57:24):
even if I don't, I'm gonnamake an impact on the field.
You're trying to be asversatile as possible where
you can, you're learning aboutother people's assignments
so that you can be a leader.
You can be like hey, yougotta do this on this guy.
Even though you're alignment,you're telling the re the
receiver Hey, you gotta run thisroute, or you gotta do that.
So you're being aleader out there.
And I think that's whatseparates the greatest athletes

(57:45):
from the mediocre ones isthat's that leadership quality.
Yeah.
So with football, year roundyou also play baseball,
you wrestle a little bit.
How do you balance.
The athlete rider fromyour personal life rider.
So

When I get home, you can, I'm like, just chill.
I'm chill.
I go back in my room, do me,mom come eat, just come eat,
just go back to my room.
I'm always in my room or meand my dad likes wrestling.
I usually, I watch it with him.
Yeah.
So it's just I'm chill.
I don't being in I stay outthe way I don't like being like
in the middle of everything.
Like I just if youneed me, I'm here.

(58:21):
Like personal, like Yeah.
So like, when I'm onthe field, it's alright.
Yeah.
I'm here.
I'm not chill.
I'm ready to go.
I'm ready to kick buttevery single time.
Every snap.
Every snap.
As soon as I get in thecar, take my stuff off,
I'm ready to go home.
Just chill.

So do you feel like your identity on the
field is the same as youridentity outside of football
or do you think it's different?

It's different because like.
When I'm on the field, it'slike strictly business.
Yeah, I'm not playing around.
If you get out there andplay around, like you're
risking getting injured.
And I hate that.
I hate seeing kids get injured.
So like, when their kidlike, don't know anything
I want, I like, I geton them a little bit.
I'm like, why don'tyou know this?
You've been to practicefor a little bit, but
then I gotta give 'emlike, alright it's fine.

(59:04):
I know I understand likeit's fine, but it's just
sometimes it's like I couldsnap like this on you.
Or it depends like howI feel at the time.
If I'm just chill, chillingon the field, like I'm
doing good today, likeeverything's going good and
then I won't be like that.
Like I'll help you.
But sometimes you gotta knowyour assignment 'cause if I'm
getting my butt kicked, I'mnot worried about what your

(59:25):
assignment is at the time.
I'm worried about what Igotta do to get this play,
formed and everything.
So it's a little different.
So if I snap on you at andit's like pretty harsh, like
I'll text you at the game.
Sorry, that's my bad.
I didn't mean it.
Yeah, just at the timeI wasn't really worried
about what you had to do.
I was, but I wasn't 'cause Iwas getting my butt kicked.

(59:45):
So I didn't mean tosnap on you like that.
I'm sorry.
We come out to practiceand we're gonna work.

So outside of your sport, what impact do
you feel like you have andhow can you use your platform
effectively to have an impact?

Ryder Jackson (01:00:00):
Wait what do you mean?

Coach Matthew (01:00:01):
So what impact do you have beyond your sport?
What, how do youinfluence people?
How do you impact people?

It's because I get personal with them, but my
one friend he's not confidentenough, like if he's gonna
play or not, like I'll belike, you have the talent too.
Like I influence, I want toinfluence everybody around me.
So if I got a kid that saysyou don't wanna play, I'm
gonna influence him too.
'cause this sport,like you might have
like troubles at home.
This is your time toget away from that.

(01:00:33):
Just stay away from that.
So like I, I want to influencepeople to play the sport
'cause some people don't wannaplay the sport, but I know
what you can benefit fromthe sport you build, like
responsibilities and stuff.
Because like your parentsare always not gonna be
there for you in life, butif you do, then they are.
But not forgetting yourcleats, like not for like your

(01:00:53):
pads and everything, like itbuilds up a responsibility.
So it's a really goodlife lesson in life.
And to stay humble, keepyour head on your shoulders.
Like I could be out therejust pancake the kid and
here comes the linebacker.
Boom.
'cause I'm not like stayingfocused or anything.
So it just build builds likeresponsibility focused and
like staying humbled and beingyeah, just staying humble.

Is there a moment where you, maybe you went away
from being humble and you werebrought back and shifted back?
Yeah,

sometimes.
Yeah.

Okay.
So is there a moment thatstands out to you the most?

No.
No, not really.
I can't think.
But I know there's been sometimes like that happened

where you were just like, out there,
you're like, oh, like I'm him.
And then you were like humbledor something like that.
Yeah.

There's been like some moments like
like practices and stuff.
Like always like when I get onthe field, like my dad tells
me every time I might be goingagainst my friend, like I
played with him before, but onceyou get on, once you get that
helmet on, we're not friends.
Yeah.
Practice like is the same way.
I'm not your friend.
Like I can mess around withyou and say I don't get hurt.
Say I don't break my footagain, say I don't fall,

(01:02:02):
you magically push me over,which probably won't happen.
I fall down and break my wrist.
Like it's alwayspractice how you play.
So like you don't wanna playaround in practice when a
coach is talking, you be quiet.
Like when you're a huddle,quarterback's the coach.
When he's talking, you be quiet.
Yeah.
So it's just sometimes yougotta stay humble to practice.
Yeah, I made pancake you Ohyeah, I'm better than you.

(01:02:25):
Oh yeah.
Da.
That won't build, that's nota good character for someone.
'cause you might make thatkid want to hate the sport,
which I don't want to do.
So I'll pick 'em up andeverything, make sure
I find and everything.
So I don't want anybodyto hate the sport.
I love this sport.
I want everybody to find thatlove that I have for it too.
So

I get that, but not everybody's gonna love it.
Yeah.
And you understand that,but, making an impact in a
way to where it's like maybethey don't hate it as much.
Or maybe if their parentsforcing them to play,
they're like, you know what,maybe it's not too bad.
I get that.
So obviously you're not gonnabe dumb football anytime soon,
but how do you feel like anathlete prepares for life?
Outside of sportsor after sports.

(01:03:04):
And what challenges do you feelwill come with that transition?

Because you gotta think at the same time
yeah, you might get a collegeoffer, but the getting drafted
in the NFL, there's only like265 picks, 255 picks, which six

rounds, 32 picks whatever.
Yeah.
250 something.
Yeah.

So like that, those slimier
chances really high.
So you always gotta havea plan outside of it.
So playing multiplesports, like I know, like
I'm good baseball player.
Like I know if like KylerMurray, he got drafted in an
MLB and decided to play NFL.
So like I result back to that.
Like I always have a planfor something like say I

(01:03:43):
can't go, nah, not like that.
Say something don'tgo as planned.
Then like with going, thenI always have a other plan.
I always have a planfor something, but like
when something hits meand like I don't have a
plan, then I'm like stuck.
I'm lost.
So like after football andeverything, like I wanted to
be like a contractor, likea landscaper kind of, yeah.

(01:04:04):
'cause I don't know,I love mowing grass.
I don't know why I love it.
So I love that andeither to be that or
like a lawyer or so Okay.
Something like that.
Yeah.

Has, so you talk about, having backup plans.
Has there ever been a momentwhere you were like, I
don't want a backup plan.
This is my plan and this isthe only plan I'm gonna follow?

Yeah, definitely.
With football andeverything I had a plan.
I always have plans like.
If I have a plan to play fora team and like another team
offers me, like I'm planning toplay with this team yeah, you
may be better, but I just builta relationship with these guys,
so I'm not gonna go off my plan.
Like as soon as I meetup, my plan is to make
this organization better.

Yeah,

when going to like different schools, like
I was, I'm supposed to go toMartinsburg, but just like every
time I walk in I wanna makethis organization better for my
four years for coming up or likegoing to Hedges youth league.
Like we my first yearwe was like, why are we
playing for Hedges ville?
We used to playagainst these guys.
We didn't like these guys.

(01:05:06):
And then I went outthere, better relationship
with this, those guys.
And, yeah, so it justbuilding what was I gonna say?
Just going out there,building a relationship
and we ended up winning thechampionship that year, so
it was a pretty good feeling.
I thought that was gonna bemy last ride with those kids,
but like going to eighthgrade, got that held back, I
had to play with other kids.
So it was like the, likestaying humbled, like

(01:05:28):
at the same time too.
'cause I was like youthleague, I was like I know
I'm better for youth league.
I don't know whyI was doing this.
So I had to stayhumble at the time.
Yeah, you might be betterat youth league, but like
you played at eighth grade.
So it's just like stayinghumbled, knowing that you had
to play a youth league and likeknowing like you're better,
but you probably are not.

(01:05:49):
So you just gotta stayhumbled and know you're
better than all that.

So we talked about this question earlier.
So what does long-termsuccess look like for you
outside of just winning awardsand winning championships?
You, I got lost.
So like how do youdefine success outside of
just winning awards andwinning championships?
You gimme like an

example.

So for me, success for me, it
used to be, oh, can I winthat state championship?
Oh, can I get that?
MVP trophy success for menow is showing up every
day doing what I love.

Yeah.
Success to me is like showingup, like being there like,
like you said being at likeWeightlifting's I don't like
missing, that's success to me.
Being there, likebeing present there.
That's my success.
Like I made it here.
I'm trying, it'stime to grind now.
So yeah, that'slike success to me.
Like just showing up,

showing up, doing what you love doing.
Whether it's a great day or abad day, just hey, I showed up.
That's success for me.
So how do you, or how does anathlete define their legacy
and what do you personallywanna be remembered for?

Definitely I wanna be remembered
for my work ethic.
Definitely.
And being a kid that I'mcoach, like being coachable.
I wanna be rememberedas a coachable kid.
'cause some kids, theycan't be coachable.
Yeah, you have the talent, butif you're not coachable, you're
no good to a coach or a team.
So definitely I wanna beremembered as the kid that
was very coachable and, yeah,being very coach coachable.

So for the next generation of athletes that
are striving for greatnessand you happen to be a part
of that generation, whatwould you tell those kids?

Just the be great and follow your dreams.
Don't give up.
And if you do wanna give up,just come talk to someone.
Don't give up on your dreams.
'cause it's not worth it.
'cause like it'sjust not worth it.
Don't give up on your dreams.
Keep being you and yourtime will come like
you're gonna have success.
Yeah.
So don't give up on yourdreams and just keep doing you.

For sure.
So guys, that's the conclusionof a very special episode
10 of Royal Vision Podcast.
It's been RyderJackson, coach Matthew.
We love you guys.
Peace out.
Take care.

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