10 Things 9/11: Khalen Saunders Shares What Makes Andy Reid & the Chiefs Culture Different

0:00What up Chiefs Kingdom, BJ Kissel here for a special episode of 10 Things It's Been A Little While, so we appreciate you hanging out. We do have a special guest in former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Super Bowl champion, Mr. Colin Saunders. Colin. Welcome back to Kansas City. Welcome to the Kingdom Bar and Grill. I'm excited to get a chance to catch up with you. Absolutely, man. I'm happy to be back here. I first currently still waiting for your next team. It's the first thing people are going to ask. And I'm currently on a team, but we were talking a little bit before. It's a good thing. You kind of getting a reset, getting a little breather here. Yeah, man. I'm obviously ready to go. I'm still. I've worked out this whole summer. Obviously was a tendency for the preseason. Had a really good opportunity there. It has some good plays in the preseason game.

1:01So definitely still looking for opportunity. But like you said, man, this break is a well needed for the body, for the mind, so soul spirit, all of that. And so I've been enjoying getting to go back to certain places, being here, me and one and got to go back home for a little while. And just all over the places I've been needing to get back to. I just love that you got to find a place to come back and come back to Kansas City. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I love that. It's a little bit about just kind of your journey. Because for me, it's cool because I first remember meeting you at the senior bowl. That year coming in and had a baby on the way and you're going back and forth and traveling. And just remember how open and how personable you were, that whole story, just kind of the story of the senior bowl that year. I'm coming from a smaller school. And I remember you talking about Western, like I got to prove myself here. And then when you came to Kansas City, just being like the same breath of fresh air in that room, just what is the journey been like for you, especially as it relates to Kansas

2:04City and kind of where it started? Yeah, man. It's been a journey for sure. You know, like just, and I think about that all the time, it's like my daughter, as obviously the same age as like my football career, basically. Like every time she turns the next age, I'm just like, man, like when you were born, you know, I mean, I was there. I was not even, you know, doing nothing this and that. So that's a good reminder. But, um, but man, it's been a beautiful journey. Like it's been, uh, obviously the ups and downs of any, of any career, but, man, you know, I wouldn't trade anything for anything. You know what I mean? All my friends asked like, you know, it's starting from a small school, like I said, me and from Western. And I would have loved to went to Mizzou, or I would have loved to go to, you know, one of the big university schools, but maybe then I wouldn't have got drafted by the chiefs. Maybe, you know what I mean? So I think my journey has been exactly what, what, uh, for one, God intended for me to be through, go through, but also just like, you know, being present and being with my feet are, um, is a big thing in that journey as well. So, um, but you know, when you say Kansas City, man, it always have a special place.

3:07So obviously, you got that, that's one of my only visible or as bright rear right there. And, you know, whatever team I'm on. Um, it's, you know, there's, there's just part of the journey. You know, I got the same tattooed on me as well because that was a big part of my journey. And, um, and like you said, I'm a very, um, you know, I'm loyal to the people who kind of bring me up and I try and, you know, you scratch my back. I scratch yours type of mentality and, and I always look, look out for my guys, man. You know, you're definitely one of my guys from, from the long time ago. The, the, we've always been cool. It's a handful of players still stay in touch with. And I told the story before, um, when you went to New Orleans, you would, uh, agree to do the, the lunch for one of our rounds. Yeah. Uh, and you would sign with the saints and you were gone. I was going to make good and just be able to take care. He's gone and you reached out when you're coming back in town. Like, hey, I'm still going to make good without me having to reach out or say anything. Uh, I just showed the character and all things that it wasn't a surprise to me because I had seen it. Um, but it's hard when, when the position I was in, you meet guys are so genuine.

4:07You try to tell that story. Um, and it's, it's not that it's not genuine. And with other guys, but it's just kind of different, right? Uh, and in that, and that regard, I actually wanted to ask you this question. We're talking a little bit about it before. I didn't know any other context of what it's like to be in the NFL besides the chiefs and what it's like to be there. Now that you got a chance to, to go with some other teams, you know what? Talk bad on anybody else. Yeah. But what's special about the chiefs for you? Now you've had a chance to see it everywhere, uh, and know how special it was for you to be able to, to kind of start there. Yeah. I think I'm going to stand first. Yeah. You know, the chiefs, uh, organization and, and from top to bottom, um, is, is very different. You know, and like, you know, we were talking before, some of it is like as far as how strict certain things are. And then some of it is like just the personality and, and kind of, um, a vibe that is throughout the team. You know what I mean? And, um, and I will say that, you know, I've been on, I think six teams now. Obviously some of them for a little shorter than others.

5:10Yeah. Uh, but as far as just like a good traditional program, like the chiefs are, um, no, very traditional, uh, very steps oriented. Like don't really change. Coach Reed says the exact same things and every Saturday meeting like every week. You know what I mean? Like, uh, and down to the same phrase as I mean. And, and so, you know, as far as as tradition and just repeating the exact same process, you know, I think that that was instilled in me early on. Cause those, those, I spent my first four years of my career. So, um, you know, I think that the chiefs just has have a really, uh, tight near program. And, uh, one thing I really admire about, uh, how to achieve, run their program is, um, very early on. I noticed that like everybody just hyper focus on their job. Yeah. Like they have, and it's funny cause coming from college, uh, one of my college coaches, Montreux was a do your 111. And, um, the chiefs, like they embody that on and off the field.

6:15Like do your 111 then the front office and the, um, and the, you know, step, staff room and the roster spots and stuff like that. Like one thing about coach Reed, like he's not from discriminated about nothing. He says, look, I want a guy who can run a four three and run this post. And I don't care what his name is. And he bring him that guy and guess what? You get some guy you never heard of having 400 600 yards that year. Like so I really respect like that they really just bring in the talent and, you know, coach Reed allows breviche and his staff to do their job. And they do a great job of it, you know, communicating and seeing what coach needs for him. You know, for his scheme, they bringing those guys, bringing that talent and, um, and then, you know, he's been working out really well. So, um, you know, I think that the chiefs do a really good job with that. And then also, uh, you know, like I said, being on other teams, some things I like about other programs like the saints were very old school tradition too. Like, you know, um, a lot of fun.

7:18Like on the, on the chiefs, well, I guess it was cause I was a rookie too. So I really wasn't doing much rookie stuff, but on the saints as a little more of a vet. I got to do it, participate in some of the rookie stuff. And so I feel like, you know, that, that type of stuff was cool when you go to programs like that, like that, you know, Sean Payton had a long tenure with and making a lot of traditions there and then I got to go and even though you wasn't a coach anymore, there was still kind of up home, his traditions and stuff. So, um, but yeah, man, I think the chiefs, that's, that's what makes them special is that everybody just focuses on doing their job as good as they can. And, you know, nobody is never going to be a situation where we get into like point fingers because it's like, I used to say like a lot of people know know that after a win, it would be like after a win, it would be a little less energy than after a loss. Like I feel like people would want to come back in after a loss after, um, you know, on that Tuesday, whenever we come back in, it would be a lot more energy in a building than after a win because it's like we're ready to make a change and figure out how to win this next week.

8:22You know what I mean? So, um, that just lands to the culture and stuff like that. I remember one of the things that coach, Cole, David, Cole had told me years ago that he loved about working with coach Reed is that I think I talked to him in like November. He was there like a by week and he goes, I could tell you on like April 17th, exactly what I'm going to be doing because everything was so regimented and that you could, you could plan. But from a coaching and from like a human standpoint, you could schedule a family vacation. This you could schedule time to go do these things, whereas some other younger coaches that might not have been in the league for as long or not as organized, right? Would be like scheduling practice or we got this thing to be poppin up. It's a little more. Whereas, where as a year is like, I know what we're going to be doing every day of the year because to your point, saying the same things, doing the same things. It's like it's strict, but then once you're in that, it's pretty flexible. Right. You know what to expect. Right. Um, curious for you, I want off the field and on the field moment, your favorite moments in Kansas City. So like, and please don't say the interception on the homes. Right. There's no way to do that. That's a high up when that's probably three.

9:23I took that one off of the plate for you, although it was glorious. I was jumping up and down when you did that, man, I'm so happy because I knew your eyes. I did like this big. I'm like, oh, this is a show of drive. He is the big, like all the jump cuts. Like we're going to see it right now. Oh, man. Another play on the start on the field on the field. On the field, I probably got two favorite moments. And on the field, I would say one of those favorite moments was, um, it was, I don't know. It was probably like week nine or something versus the Titans. Okay. Um, my, my last year here in 2022, I believe. And, um, I just had a good, like a really good game now. When I was the one where we went to, like, overtime with the Titans and, um, and I was just having a good game that game in general and against Derek Harry. And then I got, I got like one of the game winning sex that game.

10:23That was probably like, they hit and I think that was, that was a Monday night game, I believe. So it was a, a prime time date. Like, I, and now the energy that went through my body, I felt like I was like on a, like, power voltage strip or something like that. I think I remember you chased somebody down on a play outside, um, on one of them that they kept showing during the highlight showing and get out and move. Yeah. Like, we knew we could move like everything. We were talking about when he got drafted. Yeah. That was, that was, that was probably, I mean, like on a personal, you know, um, feeling that was probably my favorite moment. But then personal and like team wise, definitely when we beat the bangles to go, uh, to the Super Bowl after they had beat us and went to the Super Bowl. Yeah. And then they were slamming barefoot and all of that. So like, that was by far, and then it's even better like since then they haven't done anything. So it's like, yeah, that one was personal. That was, that was the best like overall feeling of, you know, I mean, just like we beat

11:25up level in the game. You know what I mean? Like that was one of them type of moments. That was one of the responses were just like, oh, you can't do that. You can't say that. And the mayor got opened his mouth. Yeah. It was bad. It got all the way. And then the coach read is such a like coach real will be more upset with you for saying something bad in the medium. Then he will be for like messing up a play like, like we can get a playback, but like you don't want to give any fuel. You want to, you know what I mean? If you love your opponents up and I'm still that way to this day, like I can't, even if I don't think like a team is that great, I can't go with a medium saying thing bad. Like it's just not how I'm wired. Well, players don't have to because fans will do it for you now. Right. In a way the internet is this is the whole show is about to go off the rails talking about this. We've joked about it with like with Patrick Mahomes and like and probably the same way. Actually question first, are you motivated more by people who doubt you or the people that support you? Definitely. And people who doubt me. Yeah. Yeah. Cause this, I mean, this is obvious.

12:26Yeah. It's always like I, I just asked that at the combine. Are you motivated by your haters or your by like the people who support you? Yeah. Defensive guys like haters. Yeah. Like, yeah, you know, I want to continue to prove the supporters correct and all of that. But like, you know, especially when it's just something about what like when somebody who doesn't even know what they're talking about, especially come in and say like, oh, yeah, this kid's not good. Like whatever, whatever. And then on top of that with me, you are, you know, I'm small school guy. I'm short. Like I got every, what is it Napoleon complex you could have? Like, so I have to be the doubt, you know, the doubt has to fuel me. Cause I'm not a six five, three hundred ten pound. Miles Behrum. Yeah. I'm not there. I don't know. Yeah. He said he should let his support fuel him. Yeah. For me, it's like I've been told my life. Now you, you too small. You two this. He's like, so I have to, you know, I mean, it's not an option. I just, I love the fact that Patrick Behoem's, he can have the greatest start to a career of any player in NFL history. And you get on Twitter or you get on any social media.

13:28You think he's the worst player to ever play the game. And I was like, they're doing us a favor because if everybody was just honest and had common sense about it, he'd like, yeah, you've never seen this before. It's so special. And then everybody's kissing his ass the whole time and he wouldn't have those chips. They have to find exactly. And the internet makes it really easy for any professional athlete to get on there and be like, just open up your mentors. Yeah. It's all I need. Yeah. I don't get it. I don't, you know, and I mean, I do get it. But it's definitely like, you know, I try to be positive as I can until, like you said, you get a mention and it's like, like, how did they even come up with this? You know what I mean? He's right. I just have dumb ideas. One of those, like, those videos or those memes you see in there, I don't think they're ever real. Where it's like, can you have like a reality show or professional athletes show up at the work of people that talk about them online? Yeah. I just be respectful. It might as well be like, you wanted me to, you know, football, let's talk about it. Yeah. No, you remember pro's versus shows? Yeah. I'm not going to lie, like, still to this day, I think I want to like do some type of

14:30revamp of that show. Yeah. Like, just, you know, and it's because it's a great show concept, pro's versus shows. And you can literally just, it's not nothing like we just trying to cure the kids, but whatever. Let's run a poll. You know, oh, I, because for me, for example, I have never played, I played online in like middle school stuff. Yeah. I'm confident that against a regular pedestrian, I can look like probably the greatest, like Joe, you know what I mean? Like, I literally, I feel like, okay, so boom, you know, you say I'm not a good passer person, right? Okay. Let me pass verse versus you. And then you can pass verse first me too. It's equal, it's equal 50, 50s you can get here. Also as fast as like high school wide receivers. And I think people like lose context of like how athletic you guys are. I just want that for one time. Like not, I want to bring that back basketball, baseball, all of that, like, you know, it's not hard to hit a 99, not enough. All right. Let's just have them at the mound. Like, that's all we got to do.

15:31I would love to do that. It's fine. I had this conversation earlier today at lunch where people, it's context of being like, because I played baseball in college, but like, were you good? Like not really, because I compare myself to the highest level of people I competed against. So like, no, because I played in the Big Tweet, like I played against Alex Gord and Maxgers, much better than me. But compared to somebody just played high school baseball, like, yeah, I was good. Yeah. But I'm like, I go talk like that because I got my butt kicked by like people who were exactly competing. You get better. Yeah. Sometimes I think people lose that a little bit. All right. Favorite memory off the field. Off the field here in Kansas City. Off the field. Um, what are my favorite memories here? Well, probably be obviously another like two for one, both the parades. Yeah. Because I mean, what a first one, we really like do, but COVID, you know, I mean, it was like a little, but the second one was definitely made up for the first one for me, at least.

16:31I mean, so the parade was a good moment. But then also, um, I have to say, great is my favorite dad ever working in the parade. My game was just so stressful because there's so much going on there, like the sideline, there's billions of people and there's all this stuff. Um, you didn't feel like you could enjoy it because you're running trying not to miss the bus. We're trying to wait in the plane for any of us. We're not going to miss that. We're not just screwing anything up, but parade was just so enjoy it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, really working at this point. We just out here. I think the parade was a good one. And then like, uh, I have to say for me personally, like, um, when I had first got drafted, and then I got float like they flew me out here and I had, um, did a little draft fest and stuff like that with wine and McColle. That was a pretty special day for me too, because like I said, man, I'm not like I didn't go to no big university. I didn't, you know, I went and we were driving the bus to play our games.

17:35Like we weren't flying anywhere. So I, you know, it was just special to be like dang. Like I'm a draft pick for these guys. I'm, you know, flying out here to next, I just got drafted yesterday. I'm flying out there the next day. Like it was just a cool experience for me being from a, you know, small school and for people from my school that have not been drafted for a long time. You know, like I didn't have any, I always say like, you know, those guys that went to those bigger schools like, you know, McColle going to Georgia and, um, stuff like that. Like they got some friends from the, um, great above them that just went pro. So they can hit them up and be like, Hey, you know, what, what do I expect from this? This and that. Like I didn't have anybody who had got drafted from my school in about 10 to 11 years. So I ain't really, I know by the car or even learning about the process or nothing. So it was kind of just a really cool experience to like go through it for myself. You know what I mean? Yeah. I think I know the answer, but how do you feel like now you, you had to create your own path? How do you pay that forward and pay that back to people that are at Western or even your high school?

18:36Like how do you, how much pride are you taking that? Yeah. You know, man, I'm, I'm a big, um, you know, where I'm from type of guy and, um, I'm like I said, I always got in love with my heart for wherever I've been, you know, along that journey that we were talking about. Um, I don't care where it is. You know, I mean, like at some point that team decided I was good enough to come there. At least professionally wise because you know, they got to bring you there, but then in college and in high school and stuff like that. Like, you know, you got, you got obviously I've pried for playing wherever you played at. Yeah. And so, you know, the pride I'd say for playing at Parkway Central and, um, education that they got, they gave me, which I'm, you know, it sounds like such a cliche and, you know, vanilla answer, but they actually have like one of the best, um, uh, education programs in all of Missouri. You know what I mean? School district does. And so like I actually do take pride in having gone to that school and then I'm going on fast forward in the college. Um, it was my only D one offer.

19:38So obviously, you know, I might have a lot of love and respect for them because nobody owes division one wise one to give me opportunity to showcase, you know, my, my talents. So for them to find me and, uh, put me on scholarship and stuff like that, I'm, you know, I'm never be, um, a Western Illinois, Leatherneck, man, that's, that's my school. So, um, I'm always going to rip them and, and, and then like, say it going on in the pros, you know, Kansas City taking the chance on me, drafted me and I'm wasn't like I was a seventh round, you know, hanging on got like to be drafting the third round. That was, you know, amazing. So, um, we got a lot of love and respect and then making me a champion. Obviously, you know, I got a lot of love and respect for them. It's giving me a big contract like everywhere I've been, um, I've just appreciated that, like even me in there, you know, hanging. And so I'm always going to try and, um, either do the shout outs when I can or do the physical events in person when I can't like being here, you know, or going to New Orleans.

20:40I wouldn't, you know, I'll always be down to do assigning somewhere in New Orleans or in Kansas City or, you know, I mean, because these are places that I, are part of my life, you know, apart of my slower. Yeah, that you've been showing love to, to fans since you got here and I know they were showing love to you. Once you got here for that draft fest that you were talking about, I remember, it was a cool experience for the draft picks, but I'll have more Colin Saunders right after this quick break. Shop chiefs tickets and more with no fees plus say big with code KCSN at tickets for less dot com, the official ticket provider of KC sports network. David Starns Allstate Insurance is a proud partner of KC sports network serving the Kansas City area and all throughout the Midwest. If you are looking for new coverage or something that better suits your home, auto, health, or any of your other insurance needs, give David his team a call, elevate your coverage and be worry free with David Starns Allstate Insurance. Welcome back to 10 things here on KC Sports Network, BJ Kistle hanging out with Colin Saunders, the King the Bar girl out here in Overland Park. Colin, we've been talking about your path.

21:41We've been talking about the journey and the different places that you feel this loyalty to that have given you an opportunity. Let me give you a chance because the show's called 10 things. I had 10 questions. We've kind of thrown it out the way as far as numbering the year, but who is somebody, like a support staff, somebody behind the scenes at anywhere you've been that you want to show love to that's helped you with something or other because again, it's been like a decade now since I was like in those buildings are working. But the thing that I always took away was a how good everybody was at their job. Yeah. Get there. It's easy from the outside for fans to be like, all right guys, that's, that's, there's so many professionals behind the scenes doing it. There's so many people working for the players and the football staff behind the scenes that don't get credit that it doesn't work without them. Right. Who is somebody that you just at any stop throughout behind the scenes that that help you in some way that you want to show some love to you? Yeah. Definitely, man. You know, it's from the, you know, training staff to the strength staff to the home board

22:41and staff like all of those people have a job and you don't really even think about until it's time that you need that job. And so definitely, you know, I built countless relationships with people throughout my stops and different places. Obviously on the chiefs being that I've played here the longest in my career, you know, I went through a tough time when I had dislocated my elbow second year, first game of the year, then I dislocated my elbow, you know, down and out and everything. So he doesn't work anymore, but Evan Kraft, I don't know if you remember, if, man, till this day, me and Evan ever like brothers, bro, because sportsman at Doc's podcast at Aaron Bourgman. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. The lift. My dog, yeah, man, shut up, yeah, because, you know, we had a lot of up and down moments throughout that rehab, man, you know, obviously being, um, feeling like the odds are against me and coming from a small school and all of this stuff like that.

23:42And then dislocated my elbow, second year, I'm like, man, I'm not going, like I'm not going to me in this league that long. And, you know, what Evan did from our confidence and from my, um, you know, one from my elbow, you know, I mean, rehab my elbow, we worked every single day to get my elbow back right. And I didn't have to have a surgery or anything. And you know, I'm still as what is this five, six years later, and I'm still doing it. So, you know, um, the actual physical rehab. Um, that they had to do, but also the, um, almost therapist work that they have to do as well. Cause don't, I don't like, you know, the average working person, uh, and I have a number respect for them because I've countless of them in my family. But like, you know, when you get hurt, maybe you get, you hurt a finger, but you can still go to work and type with, you know, no point of fingers. So like, the, when the athlete, he hurts their body is like, it feels like you are out of work. Like you no longer will be able to do that.

24:42And we get paid generously. You know what I mean? So I'm not complaining about him. But when you have that feeling of, oh my God, I'm not going to be able to be employed anymore. That's when there's like, you know, you, you really going to, you can get into a dark place. And so, um, man, if you know, he did a lot of, he was my personal therapist, my free hand. I have got a man and we worked doing it. And, you know, so I talked to him, still to this day. And that's my dog. And it's both, um, like they're probably, like you said, if you're nerdy, uh, athletic trainer type and it's like that kind of stuff, they get really nerdy on that one. But, uh, two solid dudes, what is, it's a good question. I'm excited that I remember this one. So I've wanted to ask this to somebody before, what is something that you wish that fans knew about what it was like to play in the NFL? Man. Um, it's a loaded question. That is, that's a good question. I'll give you a sec to think about it. We didn't prep these questions. Yeah. No, he's dropping these on him. But there's so many aspects of it in the, the context that I remember of just wishing that I could, like, take a picture and show people, as I remember getting like, outwardly

25:46fucking pissed when they would call out guys like, that guy didn't care. He just got paid in and give us. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I just watched that guy struggle to get on the plane, getting up to stare. That's all like, like, Tom, but, like, to talk about that dude and I watched like, what he did do his body to put himself out on the field. I know you get paid all of this, but at some level, like, there's got to be a respect between the two sides and anybody can say anything on the internet. Right. Those are the things that I just wish. There's more understanding of what you guys do to, hey, prep your bodies beforehand, or, um, but then rehabbing when you get hurt or what you guys play through, what it means to, to step between those lines because it's a, it's all relative. It's a different thing when you're standing there and you get to watch it up close. Yeah, man, I, you know, what is like to be an NFL, uh, you know, I, I prefer this always by saying like, I'm, I'm so blessed. I'm thankful and I'm lucky to even have been in the NFL for a year, let alone for, you know, the time that I've been in the NFL.

26:48And I think that, uh, you know, I, I'm one of those like very thankful, um, type of just mindset guys like. And so what I mean by that is like when I go into, when I go into a restaurant or when I go into anything where there's like a service job and I notice somebody like really doing a good job with their job. Like I'm obviously I'm going to tip them well, but I look at it like how that's how, you know, these people that talk about the professional sports just go into a normal setting, right? So watch somebody else do their job and then say, did they do a good job or did they did or they're not, right? And so when you do that, I feel like when you, when you can like break it down to a level, like that type of level, that's when you start to get into those like more, I guess, uh, understandable tones, you know, I mean, where's like, we're just professionals, just like, you know, you're a professional, whatever.

27:51I need that. I, you know, you can be a professional receptionist at the dentist office. I need to go to the dentist, you know what I mean? And I'm sure thousands of people in this area need to go to the dentist. So we're all counting on you to make sure that our appointments are correct so that we don't come in and there's confusion, blah, blah, blah. Right. So like if you were bad at your job, that would cause actual like that would cause harm in the community, right? You know what I mean? Me, me, me and my job is causing us to lose, I guess a game, but it's like, you know, there's a lot of mental health. That's not saying it's a good thing. But I feel like a lot of people's mental health is depending upon some strangers there. Yeah. Yeah. We're in a chief's uniform and now they go out there and perform. Exactly. And so it's like, you know, you know, you wouldn't for something as way more important than a win or a loss in a football game. You wouldn't like go and talk disgusting about this receptionist or this, you know, or even deep on a deeper level than actual dentist themselves.

28:53Yeah. You know what I mean? Like if you, if you go in there and they did really well, teeth widening, whatever getting the cavities feel, whatever, but like one thing they did, like they might have saved the two down a little farther than you wanted it. Yeah. And you go in there and be like, this guy is horrible. He should never do practice dentistry again. Imagine how that affects his life. You know what I mean? So like, it's just you're good. You know, I don't know. It's a lot. It's a very loaded question. It's hard to explain everything. You want to humanize people. Yeah. Like that's all I want to do. Like I get we're on TV and we, you know, it's put, it's a publicized and televised job and stuff like that. And I recognize the pay that we, that we obtain. Yeah. I will never, you know, I'll come from a very humble beginnings. You know what I mean? Say the least. So I will never, ever in my life, like trying down play the amount of money because I see some of these podcasts now and you know, people talking about it can't live off a million dollars

29:53or two million dollars. So like that. I'm like, I'm just going to shut up because I can get me a little care even over the park for 2500 a month. And I'll be good for the rest of my life. So like, I don't speak on that because like I know, I just, you know, I know how things can be in, in dire situations. But I am on a mission to kind of just humanize, like, you know, just, just, just, um, synthesize people a little bit to like, we're just professionals trying to do our job. And some of us won't even be a professional that long, but it certainly doesn't help when you say like, oh, this guy is horrible and shouldn't play because he had one bad player or whatever. Like, you don't know this man's story, you know, anything. We didn't have that. We wouldn't have some media. And say like network it, talk about it. There's discussion. There's, uh, all those things. But I think for me, the other part that was always really hard, uh, and it still is, is seeing quotes taken out of context and soundbites taken out of Google X because it

30:58just makes the player not want to say anything exactly. And so it's like you criticize the player when they do come out, some of them will come out and say stuff. Right. They get eviscerated for whatever they said from the other side or whatever. They're the other teams are just picking a port or they say nothing and they get eviscerated and like, they can't win. Yeah. And if you wanted to be honest, then let them be honest and then don't freak out when they say something you disagree with the world. You're going to say things that you disagree with. But seeing players have to then see everything react to a sound bite and a scrum that I'm standing in, hearing how it was said, hearing the context of the question. And then the next day, seeing headlines back, that's not what's up less than or even me like go to people that whose jobs it was to try to see that stuff and they'd be like fighting false narratives, not your job. Yeah. I was like, but that's not right. Yeah. Like I still to my, to this day, can I get past it? And just like, but it's wrong. Yeah. It's clearly wrong. Clearly a problem.

31:59Multiple accounts that give me that. Good on all of you guys to just look past the professional athletes. You probably used to always ignore it. And I'm over there like, but I know. It's a small. Yeah. Sounds like my mom. That's what it is. I tell my mom every, like I got a refresher probably at least every two months. Like mom, don't respond to nobody on like she don't want to be under the pose. Oh, you don't even know my son. He been like, man, it's all right, mom. You don't got to, we all like, we know what I'm done in the week. It's a human thing. Yeah. But anyway, it doesn't know he doesn't care. It's like, oh, his mom's on there. But if it was somebody you grew up with about guys, mom's definitely going to be on their same stuff. I don't, I just, man, it's hard. It's hard to, you know, but that's what comes with this job. And we can't just put certain parts, the band parts of the job on mute. Just like you can't do that anywhere or any job, you know, every job got some pluses and every, every job got minuses. And I think that, you know, those are a couple of the negatives is having to deal with that.

33:00But, like I said, we get paid handsomely for it. A lot of people don't understand. I actually tell my friends that a lot is that, um, being in NFL is not really all physical anymore. Like at all, it's about mental. It's about your mental 42, you know, mental strength as far as like being able to withstand that and not let it affect you negatively or, you know, just not being letting your play or performance be attached to that. You have to really go out there and be up. I mean, that's what this teaches you how to be a true professional, you know, me and like no matter, like Spac is just a good play, bad play, don't let it affect the next play, you know what I mean? So, um, that's kind of how life is at this point. Like good or bad, I don't care about, you know, I might have had a game where there are a opposing team had 200 yards and I had a game where I had an exception in this life. I was a relief pitcher. So my whole life is next pitch. Like, move on. Very hot and like I was a relief pitcher, you come in like it really emotional like, yeah,

34:01yeah. And then immediately get past it. Yeah. It's the love emotional part of there. Um, what goals do you, we've talked about this for what goals do you have for whenever your football career is done? Yeah. Do you have you thought about or like what does that next thing look like for you? Absolutely. Um, I mean, firstly, four years down the road. Yeah. I was just about to say first and foremost, you know, my goal has always been to play 10 years in NN field because it's just like a, you know, well, 10 is always, that's my number. Like I was number 10 at high school. My dad's, my oldest brothers, his numbers, like 10 is kind of a family number. And so I was 10 in high school and my dad was 10 and we played. And so 10 years, like I always just been like and 10 and also being a decade. That's a good amount of time. So I'm like, if I can play 10 years, like that'll be a super goal. You know, I mean like a super cool accomplishment just to have. And I mean, how cool is that damn sense? You know what I mean? Like I mean, I'd spend the decade in NFL. Who was there? You were playing Chad G. Because I probably look at up what percentage of NFL players that have ever played the

35:04NFL play 10 years. Yeah. Right. That's probably a pretty low number. Right. Right. And so that was, that's like my ultimate time stamp goal. Yeah. I mean, I'm not like, I guess pessimistic type person. I'm very optimistic, but I don't really like, you don't seem like a pessimist. I'm not the type that's like, it's funny. I just had to conversation with my mom the other day because she was like, well, if you know, just tell me your dream. Like if you could be on any of what, what was your dream? I'm like, mom, I don't have, I no longer have dreams. I know it's self-dark. I've lived my own time in like a bowl. I got drafted. I was two bowls. Like, yeah, okay, my dream was winning. What do you want me to say? So I don't have a dream other than to, I mean, what you want me to say, my dream is get a two year, 40 million dollar.

36:04Like, yeah, that would be very cool. But, you know, other than that, like I don't really have a dream besides getting them 10 years and I know like my body is ready for that. And I know that like I still have to skill to, um, say it for that because just from this um, past preseason, like they let me know, you know, I can still do this at a high level. Obviously was out there, um, in the preseason zone. You know, it's a little different than a regular season game, but just making some plays. Let me get that confidence back to know like, hey, you know, you still can do this and still do it at a high level. So, um, yeah, man, you know, it's been, it's been of interesting, interesting couple months, but it's been needed for sure. Yeah. I thought about that before with, we just what we're doing is felt like what is winning looking like? And I realized coaching suns baseball team, coaching football, taking school, doing things I love doing. People I love doing it with and I get time with family. Like, this is, you try to build your life. And I think anybody listening, like figure out what fills you up, what you enjoy doing

37:07and build your life around that. Right. Really not any more difficult than that. Yeah. Mara. All right. I got a couple more questions for you. And then I have time. If you have questions, uh, for me or any media, uh, related things because it never works that way. Never say you get an opportunity. Yeah. Let's ask us questions. But, um, another one, you could give your younger self advice. What do you think you would share? Or what you've learned? Man, if I could talk to my younger self, I would probably just say that, um, to, to always be where your feet are. You know what I mean? Like, like, just staying to present, you know, it's a very cliche term. Um, but until you lived a little life, you don't know what that kind of means. You know what I mean? And, man, I'm, I'm, everybody met me as a hopeful draft pick that was at the Cable having a daughter.

38:08And I'm four kids deep. Like 30 years old, you know what I mean? So, you know, I will never be, um, you know, a 22 year old kid, um, waiting for my first daughter again. And I will never be, you know, a 30 year old, um, hopeful veteran football player trying to get on the team again. Like, it's just, you know, I've been a little bit more than a 20 year old kid. It's just, you know, I've come to love and appreciate the beauty in every step that, that is along the journey. You know what I mean? And yeah, um, I'm not trying to sound like a poet and unlike that, but it's just, it's, that's truly what it is. Cause, you know, it's, you know, it's a lot of crazy stuff out there being on social media and, and just in life in general, you know, and I was just, you know, taking a step back to really hone in on what brings me joy and that being, being present and just being, you know, a part of the moment. Cause thinking about the future too much, thinking about how I'm gonna get to year 10, you know, how I'm gonna do this and, or thinking about the past too much, thinking about, man,

39:11why wouldn't I paid for having these stats this year and stuff like that? All of that will do nothing but like drive you to insanity. So I just focus on being in and now and let the future come as it comes, you know what mean, but, you know, that's, I would say that's my biggest advice to my, it would be to my younger self or anybody that's younger, it's just like being the moment, being the present, like don't plan for the future, but don't like let the put, let the future like dictate your present, you know what I mean? That saying, the B-Werefield, that's getting me emotional. Um, I told myself that every day the last year I worked at the cheese cause my kids were foreign to. Yeah. I, and I haven't talked about this, um, camera, but, um, my kids are foreign to us going all the time. Yeah. I was at work. I felt guilty for not being home when I was traveling. I felt guilty for not being home. But when I was home, I felt guilty for not being at work. Yeah. Because everyone I worked, they were a lot younger. Um, I think a one other guy, but didn't have the same hours in my department.

40:13Nobody had kids. So no one knew what that was. They do now. I hopefully kind of understand why I was at cause I was not in a great place. Yeah. Uh, mentally last year is a great job. All the stuff like more super bowl like it was amazing. But wherever I was, I felt guilty. Yeah. And the only way I could do is just be where your feet are when you're traveling with the chiefs and you're playing with the team, you grew up rooting for you. Have a dream job. Try to enjoy your while you're here. And then when you're home, try to enjoy it there. But, you know, I've been a part of a team my whole life. Like that's the dynamic that I understand. So when I was at home, it's like my team is working. Like they're grinding at the office. They're writing all this content. But I know I should be here, but I feel like I think I proved that I could do that. So, um, you know, that you suffer more in imagination than in reality. Yeah. I think about that. I have a little time too. Absolutely. Um, that's, that's the trick. And don't kick your own ass too much. Yeah. I really love that. Another good one. All right. Any questions heading this way? Um, no, I do want to know. So like when we, when we come in from, you know, like we all got drafted and like I'm

41:15being a colon wine and all of stuff like that. Like do they, I guess, tell you what, like perception of us or do y'all like have to just go look at us blindly and be like, yeah, this guy is, you know, this quick and whatever style or today's couple, like, hey, let him know this guy's quick, sort and stuff. You know, you know, I'm like, I don't know where. No, no one tell like said, this is what it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just going to give you specifically because I compared you to a former player and the person I was doing, Conn, they would just kind of gave me a look. Like I don't think you should put that on him right now. Well, I was like, it's kind of worn sappy. He's looked at me like, he's a third round rookie, be it? I was like, this bitch, I was like, it's, it's, it's, you got to give him a player that they will understand. It's an undersized quick defensive tackle. Yeah. Uh, I didn't know if it fit it all, but he did in the leader champion now. Uh, but I think it warms up my dog too. That's my guys what my close friends. That's funny. See, I was, they got one thing right there.

42:15Um, no, I, I love the draft. So like I had studied the draft going in like I was at the senior bowl interviewing everybody and like, the organization like we go to the scene broke is where people went. But if I one year was like, hey, I don't think we need to go. They will go. It was just I loved it. Brett and the staff were going to be down there. So I've gotten John before that could go down and do content. So I kind of had an idea from a football perspective, things that were going on. If there were things here and there, um, they might be like, he's up like, Hey, this is a pretty cool deal. Right. For the most part, like I knew more, not to be that I got you more than they did when the players were picked. Um, but I didn't necessarily have the access. So like you got there. It was kind of like part of media where I would talk to you, but then you'd go do the strum after that. Right. I would get a little one on one time. But for the most part, it wasn't to get to know you guys. Um, that was only really with the offseason stories where he went and did the documentaries. Yeah. Uh, but for the most part, when the guys got drafted, I knew like, I knew, as soon as they picked you, I was like, Oh, yeah.

43:15Yeah. You built a cop. That was a great story. Yeah. You got a little precursor in it. Yeah. That was good. And same thing with, with McColle and some of the other guys. Yeah. Uh, the only time that I've told Mitch Morris this story, uh, before, the only time I got like really bummed out, um, and I'll never forget. He was Gary Green, former chief cornerback who made the selection and announced it. I'm a case state guy. And I think we were, I wanted us to draft a wide receiver that year. So I thought they were taking Tyler Lockett and I'm so freaking excited. So Gary Green gets up to announce the pick and he's like, from right down I 17, I'm like, Oh, Arias. Mitch Morris. I'm gonna see what I'm like. Who is this guy? I was so mad. I ended up being kind of like, you know, the one guy I say in touch with is such a good dude. Uh, I love Mitch, but that was where we, that was your time. I was like, what are we doing? Um, and yeah, but they wouldn't really tell us a lot. Yeah. Everyone's gonna give us something. That was good. That was good. Yeah, that's good. No, um, yeah, man. Uh, no, no, only I want more question to like, and from your viewpoint, because I know

44:20how I feel about as a player cat, but like, how is media changed or has media changed trouble since the N I. I feel like in all of that, because I was like, I'm from, from a player standpoint, looking at it like, you know, from the inside, I guess it will be what inside looking in, and the inside looking out, but what did I like these? Some of these guys are coming from making more money than they're going to make this year. And it affects like how they act as rookies. You know what I mean? Like, like, it's unbelievable. Like, that's actually a good point. I mean, a lot of the draft guys and like, last couple of years, I'm not studying it like it was before. They'll tell you that like the middle rounds of the NFL draft were a lot weaker than they've been in years past, because guys are going back to college. Yeah. So if you're going to pay half a million dollars a year, whatever those deals are, even for like a top 100-ish player, I'm like, where you were. Yeah, right. If you were to get 500 grand to go back to Western, but somebody like might have done that,

45:23and it would have changed the dynamic. I, I freaking hate it because I think part of college, and it's easy for me to say, I'm not trying to say, guys, shouldn't get money in all this, but if they just would have let Ed O'Bannon get paid for Jersey, like it would be. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. NCA could have stepped in and done some stuff 15 years ago, so they didn't just throw their hands up and say, you guys figure it out. And now it's just the mess. Yeah, it's for them. That dynamics of like, remember being in college and seeing like at that time, Josh Freeman was a quarterback at Case State. Right. He ended up being a first round pick, but like, he was poor like the rest of us in college. Like, yeah. You did some free plates every once in a while. They're driving all these fancy cars. I'm sure at Alabama and they are always worried. Those guys were taking a pay cut to go the NFL before. But yeah, I think that part of college sucks because even as college athletes, like I played baseball at Case State, like we would hang out at basketball or football and we'd all be in the same house party and you get to home a little bit. But now those guys, and not saying they don't earn it for the schools and I get all that side of it, but that part isn't there anymore for the college experience.

46:26I mean, those guys that said they're at a $2 million house. Like they're living in nicer houses than their coaches. Yeah, it makes no sense. Like that point hard. I feel like it's no longer, because I know for when I was coming out at least, like imagining the draft and imagining seeing your name roll across the bottom of the screen, that was like the all the fuel you need it like to be, oh, I'm going pro. Now these kids are like thinking they're coming out of high school to be a professional. Yeah. Which I guess they are because you're going from a 17, 18 year old high school kid to being a true freshman at Ohio State and now you're on a million dollar NIO deal. So I guess you are a professional technically. Yeah. You know what I mean? And that's where I feel like it's messed up because there is no idea of what professionally. The professional used to be the NFL or Canadian. Canadian is also like professional. But even like, like I mean, you know, some arena teams or some indoor football leagues,

47:31like we would say that's professional or semi pro, but it's like we all knew in our mind what professional football was. Yeah. It was Canadian league or the NFL like and then when they play, it's like, let me give you a check to play. And like your check says whatever the logo of this league is. And so and now it's like, that's how we have these days on love. Such lectures, you know what I mean? Where it's like, you can say you playing whatever now because it's not, you know, professional isn't what it used to mean anymore. And that's why I feel like we kind of in the loss at a loss right now. It's it's a giant mess. Yeah. Yeah. It's a giant mess. Yeah. I mean, you get nerdy and I could probably spend more time on like LinkedIn doing a podcast about like the digital business, how things are changing, Google search changing, how you're written content, written, uh, companies, blogs and all these huge blog companies that are based on all this search traffic and where it will just makes changes and 40%

48:31of that search traffic gets lost. Well, the trickle down of what that means and how individual content creators have to make decisions on the type of content they're creating and how the revenue works for that. It incentivizes you to talk about before and incentivizes clickbait content. Yeah. So like, how do you build a company like what we're trying to do where it's quality content, but you have to have a title so people are clicking like, you got to ride that line. And it's really easy to cut through and just follow whatever will catch the algorithm. Right. Or follow those best tricks or is it create great content? Is it have fun doing what we're doing or is it build to grow? Right. And sometimes those things work against each other in ways that is very frustrating. When you're building and it's constantly changing. Yeah. And so nobody knows what media is going to look like in five to 10 years, we're just kind of writing the waves of what it looks like and trying to meet people where they are with content. That's all you can do. We do.

49:32We do. Genuine content and you're humanized people. We've drove, we've said this before, um, the off camera is that Kasey Ascent has ever built to try to get every cheese fan to come and support what we're doing because people like different stuff. You know, there's a lot of content creators as YouTube's, Cole's, all huge YouTube channels, all these other podcasters, people are really, really good at what they do. There's enough of a cheese fan, there's millions and millions of cheese fans. Right. You don't need millions of cheese fans to like what we do for us to exist as a company. And like, we see people that like and respect the way that we do it. Um, and for us to enjoy the way that we're doing it and not lose sight of why we enjoy it. Um, just to chase more money or chase more clicks or to chase this. Uh, and so that puzzle is really fun for me. I enjoy that part of it. It's been more time worrying about that kind of stuff now, uh, and building the brand, but, um, yeah, I told you before, like not doing the football stuff as much. I don't know all the stuff, but you get me started on digital media stuff, man. I could, I can get it going, but, um, appreciate your time.

50:33Uh, or let everybody go just, uh, any final messages for cheese, cheese fans, uh, anybody's out here. Slown, man, why would you know, I always got love for the kingdom. Uh, obviously I would not mind putting on a red and gold again, you know, me. So they're going to add, um, add bread for me. Yeah. We'll give them a call and see what they'll say, but, um, appreciate it, man. And, uh, and it will stay in touch. Appreciate your time. Absolutely. Appreciate you having.