Lavonte David

The Boys. Yo, it's your boy. Will Compton another episode of Busts with the Boys, also co hosting with me Taylor Lawan. He's not here today. He's also not featured in this episode as this was an episode I did right before. This is the episode I did right before I came to Oakland. I did this episode with Levonte David flew out to Oakland the next day. This was back around that time. Yeah, I'm not gonna talk too much about I'm not gonna talk too much about the

Talking to Mike every time just for you.

Your your bottom lip gets in the way of a lot of stuff. And I really don't want to be pissed off on this pod because I'm excited that you're here.

I don't care.

Hey, what do you think?

I love it, bro I love it.

You boys got a pod man.

It's blowing up to.

Adapting provides overcome, man, you know what I mean. Not playing ball right now? Send it home? Chilling?

Yeah, I mean you good at this though you talk too much.

So yeah, this is perfect. Okay, all right, this is my pot, guys, not yours. I take shots. But yeah, dude, that's how you guys were flying into town and I was like, yo, I gotta get Boogie on. Hey, I'm going to refer to Lavonte David as Boogie because that's that's what we call him. You know, I named my dog, that first pit bull after you. Boogie. Yeah, Boogie? How is Boogie Boogie? He's alive. I believe that was you know, I had to give him up, you know, my last year. Yeah, yeah,

Yeah, I had to give up Boogie. Yeah, but that was a great nickname for me though. I like that name.

Yeah, because you're a dog on the field, right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, on the field back in your college days is what we're kind of referring to. Uh, we won't get into all that. I came a lot more prepared than this single. Let me let me get my notes out there on my phone. I got your water to talk about.

I don't want that.

I got it for you just in case I found out my truck. I'd already I found out my truck. We got notes, Yeah, I got notes. We gotta we got to stay on something, you know what I mean. We gotta have some type of layout. Dude, Have you been seeing this assimilate stuff going? Is that? Is that how you say his name? Yes, Assimi Calichio assimilate from the Jets.

I believe that's how you say it.

Okay, it sounds solid. We'll go with that. Have you been seeing what's going on with that?

I have seen it, but I didn't pay attention to it as much. But from what I've seen, it's a crazy deal.

It's what is it? He was a starter, right, he was one of their starters. Yes, and he's saying that he injured his shoulder, and they, the team, the Jets, said it's not terrible. You don't need surgery. We can get you back out there and you can play on it. And he was saying, no, I can't. My shoulders, my shoulders bad, my shoulders messed up. I do need surgery, and like, we're not gonna pay for your surgery exactly, and he did you see what came out today?

I did not see.

By the time this comes out, I mean it'll be you know, it'll be past tense. But what came out today is he got surgery, right, he got surgery, and it was way more extensive. It was way worse in the operation than what was previously said. So to his point, he was saying it was bad. I need surgery, and the team was saying, no, yeah, you're good, it's not that bad. They went in and operated on it, and it came out like it came out to be worse than what it was. So now I think they're taking

Oh?

They cut him? How they cut Yeah? Yeah, so they cut him. They cut Collechi or similar. Yes, they cut him, and I think now they're going to take like legal action on that.

I mean, that's that's that's terrible.

Do you see you see stuff like this going Since you've been at Tampa, this the first time I ever seen something like that. So even on Tampa, you've never seen a situation where a guy's like, I think I'm hurt worse than I am, and the team's like, no, it's not it's.

Not as bad as what you haven't. I haven't because I've been wrong guys who's more professional I mean against professional, and they go get it second opinion to really make sure if that's the situation.

But that's what they're saying. Assimilarly, they're saying that he the second opinion. When they got it, they were arguing saying it still wasn't that bad. They weren't gonna pay for the surgery.

Oh nah, I've never seen nothing like that. You always go with the second opinion in I never seen.

Well, yeah, because at the end of the day, the trainers have the trainers have the best in mind for the athlete, but at the same time, with the logo behind.

Them, exactly what the organization.

They're loyal to the organization, right, And what you see a lot of the times is like sometimes I've had injuries and I don't want to disclose them to the team, but I'll get my second opinion. I'll consult with my doctors away from the facility or all. Bet hey, I'm feeling this, I'll get on the phone with him and I'll try to talk to him my second opinion before I want to tell the team, because you don't know.

What the team might do with your right, right, right, I mean, I guess it's depending on organization. Man. Honestly, it's like, who are you dealing with? You know, the people are good genuing people. They should be real with you, you know.

Yeah, have you ever went through any of that where you got to lean on your second opinion more than the team.

I actually went through that and then it came out the same thing what they said and what my second opinion said.

So I went with that, right right. That was the same with me on the Saints. They kind of diagnosed my low sprained ankle and then you get your second opinion and they said the same thing. But you've had I've seen situations where so like we're vets. Now, right, and you're in training camp and you see these young guys and fifty three make the roster out of ninety. You have ninety guys on a team going into camp.

They don't care about that.

They don't care about you, dude. And I tell guys, I'm like, if you feel like you need surgery, listen, don't be a fucking hero. Get a second opinion. And if that second opinion says you need surgery, lean on that opinion.

You don't want to risk it to mess it up even worse and obviously rich your chances of playing football a game.

Yeah, And like, if you're like undrafted, that might be the only chance you have to make any kind of money from the NFL.

True.

So if you say you go out the honorable way, you get cut, you never get called again, you never see a dime. Your injury is worse than what it is, and nobody paid for your surgery. You're gonna have to pay for it on your own because you don't have the insurance with the NFL until you make the team versus if you do need to take care of it, and you know, guys might think you might be softer or pussy from it, but in your mind, you're like, I need to get this done because guys battle with that.

You get to come back healthy.

Yeah, you get to put it into your four to one K. You get to come back healthy, You get to be in a OTA's the next year, and you're not sitting at.

Home cut exactly.

It's a slippery situation, dude.

This is very slippery. Man's risky. At the same time, you gotta be smart about it.

I've had one of my boys. I won't say any names. But he was about to get surgery because he argued that he was injured and needed surgery. The team was trying to say, won't say which team either. The team was trying to say, uh, we're not paying for the surgery, kind of like the assimilate deal, like this isn't our injury. You got it from somewhere else. But he, you know, he got it to where he injured it in practice

Yeah, well he knew he knew a game already.

Yeah, yeah, he's a vet. He's a vet. And then obviously all the guys kind of in the circle talk to like, at the end of the day, man, you got it, you gotta look out for yourself. Like it's there's some politics that goes into it, right, this is crazy game. But and I get it too from the trainer's side, just the logo side, because they're a functioning business. At the end of the day, it's all a business in their mind. The trainer has got pressure that we

They got to report to those guys upstairs every.

Day every day and they go down to you, Levonte, how's a feeling you're trying to play the game, saying, ah, you know it's not fully there yet. They're kind of like, come on, man, you know you just got a strain because they're stressed in their mind. I got a job on the line too. And then if you ought to not play, he's got to somehow walk upstairs and say, yeah, you know Leavonte's saying, you know, this is still wrong

And injury don't know what type of injury.

Yeah it is. And then if you start doing like say stay as your shoulder and push ups, like that's a stupid kind of thing to measure. But like let's say you're doing rehab and you're like, oh, it's getting better. They know they have something to go up there. Hey, he says it's getting better, he's progressing this that the other. We should be able to be cleared by the end of the week. Then if you're clear by the week, they can let you go. But it's a business man.

Especially older guys.

Also older guys and guys ourselves. I think they're getting smarter and more aware of what their value is, what they're worth, and they guys are starting to understand the game a little bit more. Not that it's a game to beat them or them versus us, but at the end of the day, you got to take care of your own You got to.

Take care of yourself. Man, this is life after football.

So yeah, you want to be able to, yeah, walk them on with all your limbs and things like that.

Yeah, I apologize for getting off topic.

Dude.

Some of that stuff's interesting. I know I've had my own stories, and once I'm fully retired, like I'll be able to get more and more juicy stuff. Right, But listen, welcome to the Busting with the Boys. That's not the intro, but welcome to Busting with the Boys. We're gonna start back in the beginning. Dude, you went to Miami Northwestern Bulls. You were on a team that was how many guys went D one nine on that squad because that was my year.

You were my eight or nine, eight or nine one of them and they all went to the universe of Miami.

Yeah except you. You were trash.

Yeah, I wasn't trash in high school.

I wasn't. I know, you're the man now and more. It's like, will you're trash?

I wasn't trashed in high school.

I wasn't.

What was What was the deal?

Then my grades of trash?

Well, then you're trash because how you fail fucking high school is beyond me.

It was a good time.

Yeah, but you have to legit put in effort to fail high school, dude, like you have to not show up. And if you're you're at Miami Northwestern. So coaches are definitely trying to cheat for you guys. Not really, you know they're trying to cheat. Well, we will talk about that in a minute. No, they're trying to cheat for you guys, Like you have to give so much effort to fail high school. You pass college. That's harder in high school. Okay, if you're trash in high school, like

Okay, So my story is first of all. When I got to high school, I hung around a lot of older people, so I was kind of easily influenced not to go to class.

So not good older people, I guess you could say that.

I mean, some of those guys are still my friends right now to this day.

Yeah another you.

Know, yeah, so but you know that's all on me though, I mean, I don't regret it, you know.

Yeah, I saw I watched the documentary from Miami Northwestern Rage the Raging Bull. You're the Bull, my bad, not Raging Bull?

Sorry?

Sorry, sorry? Who is the d N in that movie? To in Charles, he's he didn't really pan out or nothing.

No, really, he went to University of Florida. Issue happened there, and I don't know where he's at.

Now, probably.

He's That was.

Line. Uh, that was just a joke for everybody fucking listening. It's a joke. God, we tell jokes on this pod.

It's a joke.

But you're the bull. I would see at halftime those coaches were you coached by them?

No, well, the head coach was my coach one year.

Those coaches had these kids in the shower at halftime. Yeah, fucking beating these dudes in the head. I'm talking slapping them, cussing them out for like losing or being behind in the game.

Behind.

Did that type of stuff go on when you were there, be honest, let him fly, you need a bone and bed.

It was kind of like that. But the coaches, those type of coature was going by then. But honestly, bro, we were so good. It wasn't yeah because y'all were national. Yeah, we were so good. It never got to that point. We was never down like it was called the forty boys. It was always forty something to nothing every game played.

Damn that's nice. Yeah. And then so you get recruited obviously, Yeah, you know a little slip up. I guess with your grades. You go to Fort Scott for what Scott Community College? What's the difference between going to a juco and playing you had the skis, you had you Yoshi, Hardrick, Brandon, Kenny, JP, JPP, Jason Pierre Paul, All you guys are on a squad. Y'all beat y'all beat Cam Newton's team. No, we lost in the Natty, right, Yeah?

Yeah?

What was a plane at Fort Scott like compared Like, what's the Juico life like compared to uh Division one, Division two like all these other higher high end athletics in college.

Juco life is basically still a high school kid.

I don't know, man, I don't know, really, I really don't know how to say it.

But it was it was.

It was rough. It's grimy, grimy, bro it's rough as a grimmy business man. And uh, tell your story when I first got there. Okay, so I got there, I got I got there late, right, yeah, so you got the Fort Scott late. I got Fort Scott Lake so and going into camp grades. No, I just didn't know where I was going yet, so I got there late. So everybody already did their condition and everything. So everybody's in perfect shape, perfect shit, great shape. I wasn't in

What did Eddie Brown do?

He was a running backs coach and he was coaching up there.

Okay, okay, Fort Scott.

So he gave me a call, went there. We got there doing the conditioning test, the fucking conditioning test. It was four two twenties sixteen I had four two twenties, four to two twenties.

Was it four to eight?

It was eight two twenties, one of them four eight to two hundred twenty yards basically.

Yes, yes, you run like across the field and back.

It was like a big curve you're running around.

It was.

It was ridiculous, bro, it was ridiculous. But yeah, it was four two twenties, sixteen one tens, sixteen fucking one ten, sixteen tens, and like twenty something forties, twenty something forties, bro, twenty something forty, the sixties.

Are y'all resting? Like I'm saying, I'm saying, is it like you know how we did quarters? Did you have rest in between?

Yeah?

It's rest. I mean it's rest between each uh exercise.

So like you get doe the one two twenties, you gotta rest, and then you do the six one uh one tens, gotta rest, and then you do the sixties. So I get to like the third two twenty, I'm fucking crawling on the ground.

In the first set, in the first set, trawling on the ground.

I'm crawling on the ground.

I'm getting cursed out, bad, bad, I'm getting called all type of.

Bees, soft bees, go ahead, a bitch, called a bit, yes.

Bitch soft. You're from Miami. Everybody from Miami saw debatable.

It is debatable.

I'm just kidding everybody from Miami soft y'all, y'all don't know, y'all know how to work? Then oh man, getting killed getting killed.

I'm crying, bro. I never got talked to like that in my life.

Now, would you say, Fort Scott, what's that? What's that series on Netflix with the with the Juco.

Fuck?

What is that called? Nick? Look up Juco Juco? Netflix? Serious?

What it's called?

Man?

Because I just uh, Last Chance You, Last Chance You?

Is it like that?

Is it like that at Fort Scott? Yes? Really, I think it was worth Okay, give me a story from your head coach degrading one of the guys, you know, because you know in uh Last Chance You, the guy said I'm your hitler. Now told it to like a Jewish kid, right, didn't he bloss Yeah?

I think he said like yeah, he never said anything like that, but he did say I'm a bitch and his daughter, his four year old daughter could.

Beat me in this condition test while you're crawling crawling. Yes, bro, it was bad.

It was bad. Bro.

They never got talked to like that in my life. So I'm pissed off. I'm pissed.

I get up, I walk away like I'm done. I'm not doing this ship no more. I'm done quitting.

Is there is there organization in Juco? Like there is that like when you played in Nebraska? Or is it kind of like high school where you don't get done practice you go into a shitty locker room.

Yes, citty locker.

Room is terrible, going to dorms. Dorms is terrible.

Yeah.

The food was not good. It was It was bad, Bro, it was bad.

You'all have like meetings and ship.

Yeah, we had meetings, but meetings in classrooms and things like that, like with desk.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was.

It was a life.

But it really prepared me mentally.

I think I when I feel like when you figured out, like, that's when I figured I was really mentally tough.

Yeah, going through that, and then you go to Nebraska, go to Nebraska? What made you choose Nebraska?

But I choose Nebraska because I wanted to stay away from home. I didn't want to come back home. Why didn't you want to come back home. I kind of felt comfortable being away from home, making the name for myself being away from home. Okay, so being in the Midwest.

Why why do you feel like if you were going to be at home that would that would hurt you. I don't know.

Just at that point in my life, I just didn't want no distractions, you know what I mean.

Yeah, I had an opportunity to go.

To South Florida, right because close.

Yeah, I had the opportunity to go to South Florida. Talked to my parents, I told him I wanted to go to South Florida actually, but it was like, nah, we don't think that's a good opportunity for you.

I mean, obviously because of South Florida.

At the time, they were good, but they weren't on a big stage yet, you know what I mean. And then they felt like Nebraska was a better opportunity because I mean, definitely, yeah, you know, better opportunity.

You know, you guys just beat lost in Texas.

I mean around that time he had that one second game, lost a big and Sue was a big name. Yeah, he was all over.

Will Compton was a huge fucking household name.

Not just yet, but yeah, yeah, you got. They had a great defense. You know, Bo and Carl came to my parents house. I wasn't there, but when they when I got there, they met with him or whatever. They told me they were so excited, you know, they wanted me to go there. So that's why I decided to go to Nebraska. And then obviously, you know, I knew people there would be K and then Yoshi.

We just didn't get j p P.

Just didn't get j p P.

Yeah, that was a little squad y'all brought over man Me.

And JPP was the opposite. I wanted to go away, but he wanted to come back.

He went to close to home. Yeah, Yo, what did what did what did fucking what did coach JP and coach both say that they say, Yo, you'll probably play? They did they mother?

They said you have an opportunity to play when you come here.

Well it's not that shouldn't have been true because fucking I was the starter at the time. So that's why I asked that question, like, Yo, what did they tell you behind closed doors? You know you'll come play?

When I got When I got there, uh, we was in a meeting room.

We're going over plays and.

Stuff like that, and like some of like the stuff that he was like that I was getting with some of the stuff that you guys was running.

So he was fucking ecstatic.

Was happy and I'm telling like the terminology and everything. He's happy, you know.

He said, hell, no, I got to take you to bowl. So we went in the boat and he threw up a defense and I got it all right with fits and everything, and.

Like that's when I got offered all nice and it was like, you got a chance to play here, and then we really want you here. So I said, okay, I consider it. I mean I didn't know about Nebraska. Yeah, so you know, I said, I consider it. Then that's the time went on.

Using all American too, because when you were coming, I was nervously full transparency because you you're a juke. You're a juco guy. Was I was like a sophomore talking before Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, we did talk sort of. I was sort of fake, like I was just massaging. I was ready to find my sneak dude. I was gonna out this dude and be the starter. I was crazy, Yoshi, because they came before you Yoshi was b Cander too. Yeah, they would talk. They would hype you up big time.

Yeah.

I was fired up there, fired up for you to come to and you're gonna love him. Yeah, help him out, like y'all help this motherfucker out there.

Uh.

But yeah, what was it like? What was it like coming to Nebraska and at first, because we'll get into what happened at first being behind me and Fish because you were I was.

I was. I remember this picture was in camp. It's like, you know how Egg had the lines. We had to be behind opposition, and I was like the fourth guy line.

Yeah, because it was we had we had the first two teams on the main field, and Levante was in the third group and third the threes and fours they went on another field.

I remember the first day, first day, I hated it.

You balled though practice.

I was like fucking I was just going balls out.

And then the next day I was on the first field.

Yeah, he was on the first field, and so I was, what were you a junior? So we were sophomores and we were it was I was a starter maybe Fish, it was you.

It was me and Fish and Fish was a starting dime though Fish.

Was the starting dime. So it's me and Sean Fisher, and then behind that was you and Zoe and Lavonte and Zoe, and then in dime it went Sewn Fisher nerd you know, academical american shot out Shan Fisher. It was Sean Fisher, me and Levante. Yeah, and I was salty that Fish was the starter, and you were probably salty that we're ahead of you. So in training camp, Sean Fisher, Niles Paul shout out Niles.

I ended up started getting the first team base because.

Yeah, when there's three backers, yeah, yeah, when there's three back yeah. But Niles Paul cracks Dejon Gomes in practice into Sean Fisher. It was one of those days where offensive defense is battling its training camp. You're knocking each other out, you hate each other. Yeah, Niles knocks Dijon Games into Sean Fisher's leg, breaks his fucking leg. Bad deal. So then now it's the Levante and I starting, and I'm the starting dinebacker, and I'm like, okay, it's the boys time to shine.

I was nervous because it happened so fast.

Yeah, it happened fast as fast.

It was just climbing two weeks out.

Of the first game, and it's me and Boogie, and Boogie and I are studying together and stuff, and you know, I'm helping him out and uh, he's fucking bawling. He's a levanteers an also player, you know, from day one, and uh. And then the next week, the week going into the game, opening week, game going into game week, dude. Yeah, it was a Thursday practice. Helmets only.

Physically, helmets, nothing thing.

Physical, Dude. I had a I had ran on a wheel wear out with Rex burkehead like a few days before. Yeah, and I kind of hurt my foot a little bit, and I.

Was like, he kept saying, man, my foot is bothering me.

My foot is bothered.

I'm like, don't start that ship.

Yeah yeah, yeah, don't Yeah. And I was like, hey, Mark, like Mark Meyer trainer. I was like, hey, can we get an X ray for shits and gigs? Like I was like, you know, you're thinking, you're like you're I'm thinking in my head like I'm not a pussy, Like I'll be fine, don't start that. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, we're not a bitch, dude. Yeah, I'm like Mark, let's get

The communicator who got every boike lined up, this guy you lost him.

Yeah, tell Levante, hey, you got this on this place.

Honestly, I wasn't saying ship, so I was just laying him doing all the talking.

And then you get hurt and Levante, I'm I'm in a wheelchair, sucking up in the press box, taking notes for the backers and like communicating. Still yeah, uh, look, you have thirteen tackles and balls. Dude didn't even fucking mean to but he's just balling.

Just went we was talking about on the way here, playing fast. I didn't know what the fuck I was doing, so I was just going, dude.

And then the legend of Lavonte David gross I come back I think it was like come back from a broken foot, like week eight and my job, hey at the I believe yeah, kasit er Oklahoma State.

I think it's Oklahoma Oklahoma State.

Yeah, and my job is not there anymore. No one tells no one says, hey, will uh, your job was taken over. Nobody tells you that stuff. Dude. In football man, Levante's bawling, and the rest is history. My man goes on becomes like top what your top? Whatding tackles in Nebraska history War top five? Okay, I was gonna say top ten, but I guess you know, for sure, stud, I don't know Levante balls the legend of Levonte David

Yeah.

So there's a part of me that feels like I am responsible part of his greatness. Yeah, part of this greatness man, right right right.

Right, Like I said, one of the worst best days of my life.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, it was. It was awesome. Then we've obviously became boys. Uh you miss me, I do miss you.

Bro I do.

We had fun on the field, Yeah, we had a lot of fun off the field.

Yeah, yeah, we did, and we all headed. We keep telling the stories up the podcast.

You can't keep that on.

My favorite play, Levante, that's a big one. What's your favorite play in Nebraska? Your favorite play that you ever had?

My favorite player in Nebraska, man, my favorite player in Nebraska. Yeah, I would say the Ohio State.

Really, so we were down what twenty seven nothing? Really, we were down twenty seven nothing. Everybody's leaving here. It is right here, twenty seven nothing third and five because I was injured. Display remember that was out. Hey, you'll come get the fun back. Yeah, play damn oh that was it. Twenty seven to nothing, third quarter, eight minutes left, third and five. Who was at Braxon Miller Baller, We're

Like respect.

But my favorite play because I remember seeing it, this one. I was kind of out of it, so I didn't know what happened. I was just hype. We came back in Beatlehouse State down twenty seven, greatest come back school history win, like thirty four to seven. Yeah, thirty four straight points? But would you say straight points? You know how say it? Though? Say it in the mic? Thirty four straight points, straight straight points? There you go straight.

Uh.

But my favorite play Iowa. We played Iowa. We're playing Iowa and they come out. I believe they're in empty. But this guy runs I think another stick rout stick route and bodies the tight end, bodies into Levante right and pushes off Yeah, pushes off on. Levante pushes his little bitch ass down. Dude pushes his ass down. Lavante throws his hands his hands up. Levante has time to fall down, throw his hands up to the ref, realize

I was like, oh, hell nah did they have it?

Could you find it? Nick?

It's probably Yeah, we definitely couldn't do this job.

Dude, I'm doing the.

Highlight another play too that stands out once we get to this after this, Yo, this is just.

This is just the Levante podcast fucking tribute dude.

Yeah, I know, man, I mean I ain't seen a longe time.

No, I know, we all catching up. It's like we're still It's like we're sitting on the back deck having some seltzers, having some seltzers, some bone and beab having a stogy and just telling old stories.

Man.

Yeah, we had some.

Good times from Great Nebraska Day.

Yeah we would. Uh. I take those videos after the Bowl game of you packing Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah, Hey Bookie you uh this is it man, you got any thing to say? Don't do this, man, don't do.

Another the Penn State game.

Yeah that's me and you. Yeah. I can't take too much credit.

Yeah, I mean, shoot you you cleared it up.

Yeah. Yeah, it's a cross dog blitz, so you send your two inside backers. I think it was either at the center of the guard and I'm first, so I'm like the guy who gives it up, who lays his laugh on the line for the guy behind him to make the play. It's like it's fourth down, right, Yeah, that's another memorable play. It's like fourth and one and I like, shoot, I like, you know, hit the center of the guard, whatever kind of freeze Levante up and

Yeah, we beat them.

They Yeah, there was or we made it stand. I don't know, but that was a memorable play too. So fast forward. I got all these highlights up here. So now you're uh, you're in the league. Second round pick. Who I made backers were in front of you, like nine backers.

Yeah, I think, uh my backer class was one of the best class.

You went early in the second round.

I went mad. It was a Luke Dante hot tower.

Bobby Zach I'm not being disrespectfully that, I'm just trying to look stuff up. Keep talking, Bobby Wagner, Zach Brown, Bobby Wagner's in that class too, oh Man, Bobby Man roommate Zach Brown, Yeah, Zach Man. Zach trained to get it coming out. He was right in front of you, wasn't he.

Yeah, Michael Kendricks, now you Bradham, we had a bunch of guys.

Yeah, that's a fucking class right there.

Sa Man still balling to this day too.

Yoh, Honestly, we've been having a lot of fun. But be be be serious. How much does it piss you off that you haven't outright made a Pro Bowl. It pissed me off, be honest, It pisses me off. Before before I got alternate, I was no disrespect. He's an alternate, and uh, whoever was ahead of him was playing in the Super Bowl, right, Yeah, so you got to go d Thomas Davis stud salute him, but outright making the Pro Bowl. Dude, you've had you've had this is year

I should have made a Pro Bowl. At least four, legit four.

But you're not out there like that, dude. That's your fucking problem. You don't have. You don't have like you know, you don't have like a personality like this. You don't got a podcast. You you don't tell jokes and act stupid on social media like your boy.

Everybody think.

I'm mean, you need to let me run your social account and we will bring you, will take you. You'll be a pro bowler every year from here on out.

No, man, you might get out of him.

Not to toot my own horn, but just like I'm saying, just to put you out there in front of more eyes, dude, you get out of hand.

Though.

I do know I try to see too much I take. I try to see humor and way too much stuff.

Yeah.

Oh well, Jay Mitch the one who told me about that. Man, Jay Mitch got on me about that about it.

I need to post more you do because that unfortunately some of it is a popularity contest. Yeah, and you're just not out there like that right here. Bring bring up bring up his stats, please? What are you? I know you know this because obviously all of us have a little bit of like self absorption to us what you're you're one of the You're in a crew of players that have like a certain amount of interceptions and fumbles or tackles or something in like a time span, Like what is that?

Think is uh in history of linebackers?

I think it's only three guys, and I'm one of the three, one of three of what what's a static is like.

Having over a certain amount of tackles, a certain amount of interceptions, and a certain amount of sacks in a matter of games.

I guess, yeah, probably games or seas of them. Did you know you're in the top twenty five all time in the NFL history for tackles for loss already? Really you're You're twenty fifth since the stat has been kept, But I think I think guys have went back since then. Maybe I don't know, but it's on one of those.

Like what is that?

I apologize shit going on outside the bus, But you're tied actually with Sue right now with one hundred and eight tackles for loss all time. Wow, and you're I'm talking guys that are retired, you're still currently playing. You're at like one hundred and eight. And I remember it was like the year one of the years you should have went it was you and JJ Watt were tied for most tackles for loss since the stat has been kept now, was in like two thousand, you know, one of those big years he didn't.

Make the Pro Bowl, Probably talking about thirteen.

Yeah, probably thirteen, because I mean from thirteen all the way up to probably like you have one.

Year, we had like eighty something total tackles year, But like, uh, who what's made you the most mad? Tell me the tell me tell me the one year you've actually been the most mad, And you're like I should have been.

In over one year I was the most mad? Was maybe last year? Probably last year, or I mean it didn't really matter to me in thirteen because I may all pro with it.

Yeah, all pro is a big deal, a pro probably uh, probably last year.

I don't know if I really was supposed to make it.

Who do you think I should have got in over this person? I'm not. I'm not for the blast I tried. I'm not, but I had like one hundred and twenty tackles. This person had like forty something tackles.

Bro forty something total tackles. Yes, we can find that. We just show it on the YouTube, Like, just glance it on the YouTube real quick.

It was crazy, bro. But well, what sucks is too, is I respect that person that as a player, you know, and as a person too. Yeah I met him before. But yeah, same time, you know, it's kind of not fair, I know, because.

Sometimes it's like, Yo, why is this more popularity contest compared to who's actually really fucking balling?

Right? Yeah?

Yeah, And honestly, what sucks for you is you're considered an outside backer. Yeah, and you're a four to three outside backer and an undersized one. And that's not that's not like saying anything negative, but you're a smaller, undersized packer outside backers. So you're in the class with you know, like von Miller, Khalil, Mack, David, You're you're in with those guys who are considered outside backers even though they're.

Pass rushers rush.

I think they need to they need to do something to where it's like pass rushers and just you know, Mike's Mike and Wills and four threes should be just considered inside backers siders.

Yeah you know what I mean. Yeah, but now I'm considered inside backer.

So since you're in a three four yeah, yeah, How do you like playing for coach Arians?

I love it? Man, He's a great dude. Man, he's one of those when you want to coach, you want to coach that's straight for a straight shooter. He's a straight shooter.

Straight, straight shooter.

He's a great fucking shooter, a great shooter.

And I love it. I love it.

Is that that's that different from the coaches you've had in the past. What head coaches is for you on the Bucks four because y'all been trash, that's you know, it just is what it is. I've been on some shitty teams too.

Fore head coaches will How does.

Coach Arians compare to the ones in the past. Oh, man, because he's a great shooter.

He don't shoot a coat. Uh, you don't try to hide things. He lets you know what it is.

What is something different that he's brought to this organization this year compared to what since you've been in the wagon?

Confidence?

Man, swagging confidence.

But give me an example. What does that look like? Give me an example. You're like, oh, fuck, I didn't know he was like this.

Yeah.

I mean, whether it's a schedule change or there's something organizationally, or whether it's something team meaningwise, just give me something that's like, Yo, this fuck. I didn't even know this existed.

Yeah, ah so I never we So you ever heard cattlepulls thet like they measure like the speed that you're going to practice with, how much run are you doing in practice? Yeah, stuff like that.

I never had the GPS stuff.

The GPS stuff, I never had that. I never had that, and now we got them this year. So monitor a lot of.

Guys and it keeps guys healthy.

So we never had we haven't had like in the years past, we had a lot of you know, tough injuries with HAMD screens and guys going in and out or whatever. But now this year, because you have we have a whole staff the money to that stuff and the good nutrition staff and money that stuff, and like it's like this is probably one of the most healthiest, healthier years that I've been around. They keep really they take care of guys on the field.

So this whole staff like this, this staff designated to the GPS. They basically monitor and collect data from practice and games and see how much how much you guys run, how fast you run from like ten miles an hour to fifteen or above fifteen, and how much you're jogging and walking.

If you're getting too many reps, they're gonna back you down to eat you up, like, hey, you got to chill out.

You're getting like you had this much in the game, you had this much volume in game, We're gonna tape you down.

To practice exactly, damn for real. Wonderful, bro, he said.

Wonderful, Bro, wonderful. In your injury rate, you feel like it's probably went down because of it.

I feel like I'm probably the healthiest I've been in a while, and.

You think a lot of it is due to the stuff he kind of brought in.

Ye, just the practice tempo, the way things again going, the way things are going, the way they take care of you off the field, the way they monitor stuff, everything, Bro, it's all collective thing with the coaches, the staff, everything.

Everybody communicates.

A lot of nobody communicates. Everything is structured. You go home a little earlier than on what I'm used to, so you get rest. So it's pretty good.

Bro. That's awesome.

Man.

Man, And they don't know a lot of people. They don't have the kind of that insight on like what the differences and coaches are head coaches and what teams get, what teams do do differently, I think it matters when you had to have a head coach that cares about healthy and staff that's designated to that.

Honestly, they cater to you.

Cater to you nice bro.

I mean, is it's still on you to take care of yourself, no doubt, it's always up to the problem. Make sure you're taking care of yourself too, right.

That's one thing I really liked at the Saints too. They had a they had and I liked. I liked it at the Skins and the Titans as well, but the Saints they seem to be on top of fucking everything right, and they're in your division, so your little rivalry. But I saw I understood why they're successful like they are earing and you're outright, because they have they have

Wee have a room and a fertility and then we'll have a float tank and things like that.

Have you ever done flow tank? I've never done it, but I heard him try it. You should fucking try it, dope. Yes, float tanks are the real deal. It's got like hundreds or one thousand pounds of salt which helps with like your tissue, you know, ebbs and salt, magnesium saw or magnesium sulfate helps with your tissue, your skin, all that stuff for recovery. And you just the water is so shallow that you just float and hover because there's so much salt beneath you. It helps recover. You fall asleep.

And somebody suggested it to me.

What time are we at right now? Six six forty? Okay?

All right?

Because we my dog here, he flew in. Uh, And I fucking love you for it. I knew I could count on you, but I was gonna try this new attempt on like teams that fly in if I'm still not playing, try to identify a player that flies in on away game, see if they come on the bus.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

Yeah, And so that's why I was like, Yo, when do you land, I'll try to be there right when you land, and then you know, try to take the watch.

And I was proud of you for doing it too.

Yeah, this is something that fits you, bro.

You think so Yeah, you talk much?

Damn Hey, it's perfect. Hey, set him up, set him up, bring his ass back down, humble him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's perfect. No, it's fun, man, you know, we don't don't who knows it's gonna We have some talks in the works right now with some networks. Uh, who knows what's gonna happen, but we have a blast of him. Man, we're trying to get a mobile. As you see, it

Good mind for things, man, even back in college. You just always throw these suggestions at you and stuff like that. You know you used to always talk to me about well I didn't play football always.

It's a conversation there is needs to be had, right because you know it's gonna end. Yeah it is. You You've been fortunate, You're you're part of the true one percent of Like you have a second contract, you're probably going a third because your studs, you know, God willing, and you're healthy right. Uh, but guys don't sit down with themselves and think about it enough. I don't think you literally here's to put in a perspective. You spend How old are you? You're or my age? You're thirty

Four seasons.

I'm gonna undrafted our At the time, I was an undrafted cat, so to me, I was thinking this could be done in a year. But the average career is four seasons, and you spend I started playing football in second grade, So how old is second grade? Eight years old? We'll say eight years old. I started playing I played football from eight to twenty three. A lot of fucking math boys. Fifteen years, right, fifteen years of my life.

Yeah, it was funny because I was talking about the same exact thing one of my teammates. It's talking about taking advantage of being in the league, right, using your resources, you know, like reaching out network with other people with big businesses and stuff like that, because once you're not in the league anymore, they're not going to care about you, probably not even gonna know who you are, honestly.

Yeah, and I'm to use the bus this bus example. Obviously I have Taylor, he's a pro bowler. People give shit all the time. But at the same time, from my stance, if this isn't started, if this has started a year or two later, it doesn't matter near as much. If I, say a year or two, like I probably I'm not gonna play much longer. It's just the reality of my circumstance. Not that I want to play until

It's a great point too.

Even though I'm in the league, but I go to that and go back to Nebraska, nobody know who I am. They were by the people who's at Nebraska right now.

Yeah, and they'll know who you are now because you are a All Pro. You're your stud football player Levonte David who they can hang their cap on because you play good when you were there. You're still playing in the league, so you're still relevant. If you were to come ten years later and you never went back to Nebraska, people would know who you were and say, yo, you remember Levonte. Yeah, but you don't have the same same access.

No?

No, sorry that I'm not completely up to date with the boy. I do watch it from a far fucking roode hardest ship for you.

It's all good man.

Uh yeah, past.

Three years.

I haven't been on there the past three years. You haven't. I thought you were a couple of years ago.

Dude, yeah, twenty sixteen.

But the boy Levante, he does. Man, he needs more. You need more. You got respect, but you need more public respect. Yeah, so people do.

I'm a shoot out to the social media world, you know, trying to get on it and stuff like that. But as you know, I don't be on Twitter during the season.

Yeah, and yeah, you know I understand it.

Yeah, I do.

I really do. Like when you're playing, you have people chirping you. I know, Nick, my best friend this on the bus right now. Nick, he would uh. When we were at like Nebraska pretty much every walk every year, Nick would always like, you know, you type in the name, you see what people are saying. There's the years people love you, and there's the years where people are shitting on you to trash you. I get it, man, you

I started to tell you the reason why I did it. I started it. It's crazy, it's funny story. You already know about it. I'm sure your rookie year. Okay. I started doing it because in twenty thirteen was playing the Jets first game. I could talk about it because I'm over eight years or years later. And also I was all pro that. Yes, I don't care nah, but uh yeah, thirteen. You're playing the Jets Geno Smith. Like prior, he was running out of Oh yeah, you shouldn't have hit his

And got extra yards. Quarterbacks. Man, there are some sneaky basked they know bro.

So this time it was towards the end of the game. The end of the game, so I'm gonna spy him. So once I'm chasing him to the sideline. So as soon as he's about to step out, one labe was in the air. I pushed them and it was on their sideline. It was second level.

Listen, you ain't gotta tell me. I watched it. He was out of bounds. Yes, he was bring the play up type of Levonte David Gino Smith.

It was this is gonna pop up quick as hell too.

He was out of bounds. I remember watching that game live. I remember watching it live real time, and I was like, my exact reaction, Levante, what in the fuck are you doing? Because they were down?

What it was down? What two points, one point two points and kick the field goal lost ball one.

Levontake gets a penalty very into the game. Levin Ta gets a penalty pushing it, hitting the quarterback out of bounds. They get, you know, the ball moves up there and field goal range and kickingfield gonna win the game. What happened on social media?

I got cute?

Cute? What are a couple What are a couple of tweets that's saying out that made you like, I'm deleting this up. They need to get your dumb ass off the team. You're fucking stupid. You anything racial?

Of course?

You know one time when one time I got called like uninbred, uninbred fucking cracker or some ship. I don't know. It was dark, dude, it was dark. But at the same time, look, Levante, you're the first video Levante David's big mistake letting the Jets win the game.

Now, y'all tell me if you out of bounds right here, Andy, thing is.

They changed the rule about that the next year.

Look at your hands out. Hey, what's he saying to you? Yo? Hey, rewind that I wanted to fight so bad? Here okay, here's here's here's a here's the situation. Fourth quarter. Okay, the ball is on, the ball is backed up, not backed up, but on their like forty yard line. Twelve seconds left in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay's up seventeen to fifteen. Gino Smith scrambles to the right clearly, okay, go back.

He wasn't clearly running.

He's crossing the fifty going for the first down, third and five, clearly heading out of bounds. Lavonte is kind of trailing him. Okay, you're neck and neck with him, but running upfield. Yeah, and you hit him out of bounds as he's already stepping out of I think it was.

It was just it was on the sideline and it was real dramatic.

So yo, how is that? How you really still to this fucking day? Don't think?

Of course, it wasn't out of bounds, bro.

And so it's at the fifty yard line, it's a fifteen yard Yeah, they're on the thirty five. They kick. They kicked the field goal with seven seconds left to win the game. And you let your team down, your rookie year.

I didn't live my team down.

And you know what, I'm watching this live at the UH at nebrask after a workout on a Sunday workout after a game. Really, we were all sitting in the like the training table watching the game. Oh you're right, yeah, and we're all like, oh my god, what the what is they doing? Look at you man with that pissed off bro, that puffy bottom left wood.

I wanted to fight that whole sideline.

Who's what's your what's your favorite memory in the NFL?

My favorite memory, bro? Oh, my favorite memory my rookie year. My first interception was on Peyton Many.

Oh, let's go.

Yeah, my very first interception was on Peyton Many. That was awesome. I still have that balls all deflated.

And would you say this team this year right now? And you're gonna have to say yes obviously because this will air. This will air in probably December. Honestly. I want to air this thing around Pro Bowl voting, and you should probably sneak back on the old social just during that time, just so you can put all your stuff up or have somebody do it for you. But I want to push this around that time because people need to fucking be more proactive and voting. This this

What is this?

What is that a roller?

It's a watch? How much was that a watch?

Look at that gold zooming on that bloss Look at that? Is that a rollie? Dude? That's no folly. I know that much the way you want to see. You are stunting on them boys. Man, Hey, thanks for coming on, dude. I gotta get you back this yeah, this right here or the podcast because I love football. Bro, Do you wish it was me out there in fifty one? Right now?

It's kind of cool because you never played with missed one.

I missed him.

When I got there, I told him. I told him this day pass like Sue, if would have played with you, you would have been no more.

Oh just chirping it.

He got back on me though, he was like, where you went second? Yeah, if you would have played with me, you.

Win first round.

Dude. I appreciate you, brother. I'm gonna get you back now, but you know I want you to get fined. This was fun, dude, Yeah? Fun? Hey was this? Uh?

This is real?

I appreciate that. That's how we want to make it. I want people to feel like their guards down. They can say some stuff, whatever they want to say, talk about to talk, ship, tell stories.

We ain't get deep, though, but we didn't get deep deep, but.

We raised some Hell yeah, yeah, we had enough out there. Is this your favorite? Did you like this one more than your barschool appearance? Barstool?

I like better?

Oh my god, du bullshit?

Bro?

I like it? Bro?

Do you like it more? You say you're bullshitting. Look at the camera. Look at the camera and say it's kind of like the same thing, isn't it. No, No, look at the camera and say, shout out Busting with the Boys, dude, best best podcast out.

Shout out Busting with the Boys man, one of the best podcasts out. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, no doubt dude, Yeah.

Shout it Busting with the Boys.

Man.

My boy will come then.

Thank you for having me, bro, best podcast out man, keep it rolling.

We'll cut that up too. Hey, did you see what we did? Uh the Jalen Ramsey. Did you see him shout us out in his press conference?

I did see that part something.

Yeah, we put him on the screen things like he was like, shout out busting with the Boys. Yeah, everybody. We all went nuts, dude, I mean everybody went nuts. It wasn't fucking We made the content ourselves with Taylor and I went like, he's a stud dude, he's awesome. Yeah, he's awesome. He just got traded to l A, but he's awesome. Man, He's he's a boy man, he's for the boys. But all right, let's get you back