Episode 71: Bold Moves with Matthew Stafford

to have him on Calm Down. We will not calm down so many questions to ask him about his offseason. It's time Detroit, his wonderful family and for all your Rams fans, the idea of running it back. So sit back and Jorgan Matthew Stafford, Ladies and gentlemen, the long awaited special guest. Very excited that this is actually coming to Fruition because Aaron did a little tease in the biz about two months ago. She said, I have a very special guest, but you're gonna love it, and then

it was a no show. He was busy trying to, you know, make that Super Bowl run. So first of all, we'd be remissed if we didn't start off with the congratulations. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me on. What a time. Well, no, we're not congratulating you for being on, we're congratulating you for winning the Super Bowl. Appreciate it. I'm exciting your commercial was on. I was watching the NBA yesterday and your kids guy

on all the Time, which is a great commercial. It's there. It's I don't know who wrote the spot for you, but it is a microcosm of who you are, humble, appreciative and also the wink. When did the wink become a thing? Because it feels like the fact that you know, national commercials are branding you with a wink, because this is a whole different Matthew Stafford, Yeah, I don't know. To be honest with you, I feel like I don't know. I feel like I've done it for a while, but

it's catching fire. I guess. The A T and T spot was kind of fun. Whoever wrote it was genius. They it was too easy. It was too well written for me to mess up. So that's why it's doing good. I was gonna say, how many takes with the wink? Uh? The wink was an early take and then we tried a bunch of different endings as you got. All that stuff happens. But yeah, lially the female that works for a TT does all the commercials, she's awesome. She was a stud helped me through it, kind of showed me

the ropes made it, made it easy for me. But the wink was an early and early thought. Did you overthink it at all? I mean, I think this could be a Curb or Seinfeld episode where it's like do I go hard? Do I do? I mean, how did that play out for you? Yeah? Have I not had her, that would have been completely lost? Uh. After alone, they call it like line reading in the business, where you know the director would be like, hey, can you make

me feel this way when you say this? I'm like no, but if you tell me how you want it to sound, I can then repeat it for you. I was like, my whole life is somebody talks in my ear. I repeat that. So they did that for me a couple of times, which I think is a no no and the real biz, but they helped me out. Um I that's wonderful that you're always giving credit to other people. You know, it's somebody can give you the route to run, or the or the play you know to initiate, but

you have to actually do it. So part of that commercial, which I loved, and it was about talking about turning in your old phone after twelve years, the pun there of force was leaving Detroit. You still care so much about the city that made you who you are. Um, you know, raising your family there, you and Kelly, you starting a life there together. When you look back on it now, does Detroit feel like a long time ago?

Does it feel like everything that's happened to you with him this last year, does it feel like you lived in Detroit ten years ago? Yeah? Sometimes for sure. I also haven't been back, you know. Kelly and I are going back this weekend actually for a charity thing that we kind of did right before we left, and they're starting to break ground on it. So we're pumped to go back and see some old buddies and do all that. And I'm sure that will bring me right back and

it'll be like I left there yesterday. But at the moment, yeah, not having been back and all that's transpired in the last year, both for me professionally and us as a family, he definitely seems like a long time ago. But I still have a bunch of good friends and good people that I know. They're that I'm excited to go see. So I'm sure after this weekend it'll feel a little bit different. I was gonna say, what are you anticipating? I mean, what do you even think that's going to

be like for you? Well, I got a video from my man Hank this morning and it's snowing in Detroit currently, So hoping that up um and I don't have to deal with that. I think it's supposed to be a little bit better by the time we get there, But I don't know. I'm just I'm excited to know it's April.

How horrible is that? Also, look at your tan, I mean Detroit, not only are they so sad you're gone, And I mean, I know you know all the stories about just how it just appreciative, how they were in on the whole super Bowl run for you, that was so cool. But I think they're gonna be pissed about you walking back with that tan this weekend. You're probably I'll keep it indoors until Friday, try to try to get a little wider. But now it's it's it's pretty

nice out of here. I'm not gonna easter outside? Is it was nice as opposed to the the eastern and the snow in Detroit? Yeah? We Um, you and I sat down for NFL films before the start of the season, and who talked about you know, you come to l A and it's this whole idea that you're gonna, you know, be brought in to bring this team to a place that they haven't been for been to in a while. Um,

their last sup of will run fell short. So you're gonna save this team, of course with the help of some of the other big guys that they brought in. The storybook ending, the Hollywood ending is you win the Super Bowl. I can't believe you use that line in your your interview, by the way, Chriss, because I used that too right before NYC Championship we uncovered that. I mean, what the hell what happened? I know? So that's when you think about, of course, you do you put in

all the work. I know you're at the breakfast what do you in Cooper call your guys breakfast meeting, breakfast club, the breakfast club? So wait, we want to dive into that five thirty am every morning where you guys but in the Q room. UM just turned the tape on, watch you know whatever is kind of there for the day, talk about all sorts of things, drink some coffee, eats and breakfast and kind of just get ahead. That's all he's you know, unlike any team I've ever had, just

a great, great work or a great teammate. Um. And uh, part of that was him, Like we didn't even talk about it. I went in there the normal time I used to go and when I was in Detroit, and I walked in their day one and he was in there, and I was like, all right, So we just just kind of organically happened. And and uh, every day of the year that we were in there at work, we

were in there. Really Okay, So you put in the work as you have done for the previous twelve years of your career, and now it last year with all the pressure, you end up winning the Super Bowl. Was there a moment afterwards or even weeks afterwards that you thought to yourself, Oh ship, I did it? Like when did that oh ship moment? Actually got got the check? Um. The first time that that really kind of hit me

was really during the game. A d makes the great play on fourth down that I did not know it was fourth down because I couldn't watch or pay attention. Yeah, I was sitting there on the bench just like, oh God, out there, take us through that. Sorry to interrupt you, but how the hell does that happen? Like, take us through that? So you know that, you know that's the well, what the hell did you know? Yeah? I didn't know that was down at all? Yeah, what are you doing?

I was I was eating a hot dog on the sideline, but no, I uh I, Um, I was sitting there and looking down. I just looking down at my feet on the bench. Cooper, I think was doing like the exact same thing down um, you know, four or five seats away from me. But I thought that was to

be honestly, I thought it was third down. Um, I think I missed the run, you know, on third down and incomplete past eighty makes unbelievable rush, gets Joe to you know, have to throw away before he wants and scramble around, do all that whole thing, and then people start going crazy on the sideline. I was like, what's going on? And one of our young receivers came up was like, we won, we won. Whatever that was fourth down?

I was like, holy shit, but I kind of went like right before I steped back on the field, it just kind of hit me, kind of went down into a squat and Sean ran over to me and and you know, it was just hugging me up and stuff and talking about how excited we were. But that was kind of the first time. And then as far as afterwards, I don't know, there was you know, a week or two that was a little bit of a blur, but it was a whole lot of fun. Uh, I don't know.

I just celebrated with all the people that helped me get there. You know. That was the cool part, was being able to do that with teammates and family and all that kind of stuff. Can I go back to the fourth down? I don't know if you ever saw what was it the thirty for thirty where they did the Fab five, and I thought one of the best things about it was where they showed the time out and all you've heard was like a heartbeat and it

was so well done. What are you hearing at that moment, Matthew, where you don't know if it's third or fourth down? Are you hearing your heartbeat? Are you hearing the music, Like, what the hell is going on in your head? Um, To be honest with you, I don't know why it wasn't ACTU and I have so much trust in our defense. I think that's what I was just saying to the ground.

I was probably just going at one stop, one stop, just stop, just one stop, and uh, you know the first play they I thought Jalen, To be honest with here, I watched the very first play that drive and they throw that little stop route to Jamar Chase, and I thought I was like watching Jalen for some reason, and he had such a good break on it, and if he looks back, I think he picks it and runs back, runs it back for like a game winning pick six,

and he just went for the tackle. Jamar made a great play and they got it out to you know whatever that was like on the first play. And then I'm like, all right, well, me standing and watching his bad luck, so I'm gonna set my ass down and stare at the ground and see if that brings us some better luck. And then it did. Are you superstitious a little bit? Grew up playing baseball a little bit, so I have a few things here and there, but

I'm like, yeah, something's not working. If I'm sitting down on the sideline and our defense is just shutting people out, there no reason for me to get up, and kind of vice versa. What I love about that story is, of course you're on wife Kelly, who we love at a door and she also has a great podcast for anyone that hasn't heard. The Morning After tells some stories. Oh my god, the college stories especially give me UM.

But the fact that she couldn't watch either, and she was in the hallway with her down not watching the last drive and somebody thought that she was sick like a drink too much and they're like, man, do you aren't sleeping? She was, definitely, But neither of you guys couldn't. Um watches cute and sort of speaks to the fact that you just have trust and you know what is

going to be. But that's so it's so awesome. I had the privilege of covering you for a long time with my NFC dorts assignments, and there was a lot of games where you know, you had we're on the other side of that. So the biggest for you in your life that's changed since winning the Super Bowl is oh man, um shorter offseason. For sure. We start tomorrow, which blows my mind. I don't know, to be honest with you, my day to day is pretty similar. You know,

for the most part. The people that I knew and talked to before I still know and talked to. And there's not too much of a difference. You know, probably more opportunities to do a T and T commercials and things like that. But from the day to day, I'm just getting ready to go play another season. And and uh, I think a fun moment will be the ring ceremony,

like whenever we get that, whenever that happens. Just getting that same group, because our group is going to be different, but getting that group back together that won that Super Bowl, you know, players and coaches that have moved on to bigger and better stuff. To get those guys back in the building and be able to hang with them will be a lot of fun moment. I mean, I have seven thousand questions for you. Um, can I ask I think you mentioned this, I don't know, maybe last week,

but I want to know this song. Is there a song that you listen to maybe before you went out on the field for the Super Bowl, or is there a go to song you've had since U G A or anything like that. I am not a huge pregame music guy. I kind of especially when we play, you know, away games or even home games. A lot of guys like to like put that on to kind of get lost and you listen to what they're familiar to. I

kind of like the opposite. I like to hear the opposing fans screaming at me, or the home fans cheering for I like part of that to me is the fun part of why I get to do what I do. Like no other part of your life, you walk around and people are either cheering for your chairing against you. You know, go to the grocery store and people do that. So it's like it's kind of it's on Lincoln, it's the huge, huge, continued there. You'll get late happy hours,

dangerous section. They are lively, but you know, it's just like it helps me get into I enjoy that whole atmosphere. So I don't really do that. The only time I really listen to music, to be honest with you, So we play in New York City, I usually listen to Frank Sinatra, you know, just kind of get it. Going. I don't know, it's just I feel like it. I think the same three gave music. So what about what

was the first tune that you remember hearing? Maybe with like four cigars hanging out of your mouth like anything? Come on now, I don't even know if I can. I can't point one out. I just know right when I walked into the locker room, it was like a cigar in my mouth, bud light and somebody handed me Happy Van Lincal straight out of the bottle. I'm like, all right, we're doing this, and uh, yeah it was.

It was a fun hours, really really twenty four So I had to wake up and take my kids to Disneyland the next day, which was a beating, but uh, it was fun. It was an epic video that Kelly on her podcast, the video of you just walking straight into the pool. So where did this a just for a way for you to wake up? Was it a bet? What? What? What's the story behind that? This was after an hour of sleep on my couch with like one ft on the ground and doing her podcast, which I don't know.

I mean, I was just buggling through. Yeah, yeah, I needed a little pick me up. I knew, Uh, we had a nine am. I believe the Disneyland bus was outside the front door. You take us. So I was like, I need to uh spark it up a little bit here and just just went face first in there to to a cold pool. Try to wake me up. Matthew super Bowl postgame party. What do you regret? What are you glad you got to do? And what do you wish you had done more of any of that? Um?

Regret not much. I mean the biggest, the hardest thing for me was like there were a ton of people. We had like a little after party thing, and there were a ton of people that whether it would be high school buddies, college people I met while I'm in the NFL family, Like, it was almost it was hard to spend time with everybody. I got to say hi to everybody. I feel like I wanted to say hi too. If I miss you, I'm sorry, But that would be the only regret is maybe not being able to spend

as much time as everybody. Yeah, exactly, Um highlights, Uh, I mean the whole thing was a blast. I think really even before the party, the thing I'll remember the most and like chairs the most that I got with a microphone on filmed, you know, for the for the NFL at that time with my family down on the field, which was super cool. To be able to have the audio and the video of that is awesome. I mean, went to Drake's which was fun. I don't know why I was there, but I was there. I don't know

who else was there. It was dark and it was late, but who cares. Yeah, I mean I was just along for the ride at that point. Somebody could have told me we were going somewhere else and I've been ready to go. But yeah, you know, stolen hour of sleep and there was out of again the next days that in my life. I don't know, dark, it was late, I don't know who was there. But now here's the deal. So as a entertainment reporter, I guess, um, every week

the headlines of you and buying Drake's house and all this. God, you know that living in l A comes with a lot of headlines that are true or false or not. Are you ever surprised by some of this stuff? I mean, has there been a headline that has come out about you that you just go where would they get that? Um? Yeah?

Most of the time that kind of stuff happens after Kelly's podcast comes out, and there's intricate parts of my personal life that are blasted all over the Apple news feed that I get, and I asked her, why the hell am I reading about this? That's usually when I when I noticed that the most you know, how are you with that? Matthew? How are you with that? Because you are so I mean, I think for people that don't know you, so, I mean reserved whatever. And Kelly's

a fire cracker. I mean she's just amazing with that. Yeah, how are you with handling that? It was yeah, right, let me tell you to take you back now. Um when she when she said she was gonna do you know, start this and what she wanted to talk about, I was like, what you know, Like that is not something I really wanted to have out there and talk about. But she does such a great job, and yeah, it's something that I'm I guess getting better at and learning

to just not let it bother me. Skip past those those articles, don't read too much it. But it's I don't know how she does that, Like I cannot um the amount of stuff that she is able to share and relate to people with kind of blows my mind. Um, I could never do that. But that's probably what makes us work is I'm the complete opposite when it comes to that, and I appreciate that part about her, and I think she knows that I'm a on a sounding board when it comes to is this too much you

know to share with people? And and we go, we go with that. You guys have such a special relationship and dating back all the way to college. When you think about there was that moment on the field of the NFC Championship game when I told the story on here where she I was like, Okay, I'm gonna capture everything for you. I'm not gonna miss nailed it. I've crushed it. Okay, somebody hired me on National Geographic. I'll get that zebra, no problem. But I missed the whole

thing up. Luckily, there was like seven million cameras to capture the moment. But you mentioned it earlier, like being able to share that with your family. What do you think about, Mathew, the journey that you guys have been on together. You were babies when this thing it and now you have four babies. How has being a husband and a father of four girls made you a better quarterback. Yeah. I mean, I think for me, stability in my life and my job helps me out so much. And I

know what Kelly is all about. She knows what I'm all about. So you know, as far as being able to, you know, have her in my corner, it's huge. And then I think another thing too, is you know, the second you're married, you're part of a team, and uh, you know, you learned that you're not just doing it for yourself anymore. And that's kind of how I try

to go about my job in football as well. And then it becomes even more apparent when you have a bunch of the kids running around and and uh, you know, there's moments where it's tough, you know, and Kelly and I are wanting to, you know, rip each other's heads off, and you know, and do the same to our kids at the same you know, It's just there's tough times and uh, you know, just gives you perspective and patience and and then you know, you you know, Hunter was

in here in the office saying hey to you guys before we hopped on and she's just pointing at random things in my office? Is that yours? I'm like, Yeah, she's like, did you win? Like she has no clue and doesn't care, and that's yeah, helps put it in perspective for me, because there are plenty of times where no, hunty, I did not win. There are plenty of those times, and uh, you know it's it's uh, they just made me smile and you know, put life in perspective for me.

So it's it's a lot of fun. There's a line from one of Chris and I his favorite movies with Cameron Diaz Sweetest Thing, where she's talking about this guy she likes and she says, and he's funny, And I feel that way so much about you. I mean, this sneaky humor and we both know, all three of us know your wife is on you a little bit to kind of let some of that out. You see that with Tom that you know now that he's left the Patriots. I mean, I don't know if half the stuff on

Twitter is from him, but I guess it's funny. Um, any thoughts about that now that you've won, Like you're gonna let all the hair down or what are you thinking? Oh? Probably half of half down? You know. I'm really funny, Yeah, a little relaxed, I think, but I mean, to be honest with you, it's like, too many years of doing interviews and answering in a certain way, it's just sometimes easier to, um, you know 'spec like in season football stuff, to just kind of do what you do and move on.

But yeah, I mean, this is my second podcast ever to be on the side my wife. So I step out there. I'm stepping out there. That's very sweet. Um, you know the pressure did you feel when you got here that if you didn't win at all, that it would be a failure. Um. I don't think that I felt that, but I heard it, you know. I mean,

you can't not hear that. But at the same time, when I was in Cabo and got traded to the Rams, it wasn't like, oh, let's go win the super Bowl the first year, you know, it was like, hey man, I'm gonna enjoy working with you, coach. Coach, I think you're gonna enjoy working with me. I can't wait to get to work with these guys. And I knew we had a good team, but so many things have to happen. I mean, I think the craziest thing that kind of

goes not unnoticed but kind of untalked about. Is I mean von Miller O'Dell, you know, the whole year without can then he comes back. I mean, there were so many moving parts, guys that we hadn't Robert Woodstairs. I mean, there's just so many moving parts that it wasn't this storybook season where I got here and we sailed through and we want every game by four touchdowns, you know. I mean, it was a lot of ups and downs,

like every Super Bhowl year. So we're no different than a lot of other teams in that regard, I feel like. But getting back to your question, I didn't feel that because I knew there's more seasons than just that one. But I definitely heard it because I know, uh, you know, it was a storyline out there. Okay, now, but what

about the pressure to run it back? I mean, especially if you look at the NFC and I feel like, you know, Chris and I cover it, everybody has gone to the a f C. What kind of pressure is that on you now, not just you know, Matthew, it's only on you, but just to run it back, to do this thing again. Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing for me is I'm excited. Yea, you know,

I'm excited to have that opportunity. There have been zero times in my career that I've ever had the opportunity to run it back because I ever want before, and knowing what it feels like, it just makes me want it that much more. You know, you get a little bit of a taste of it, of what it's like and how cool it is with a group of guys that you go to work with every single day to get that done. I also and not lost on so

many things have to go right, you know. I mean, it doesn't just because you got the best team on paper in September, it doesn't mean you're gonna go win at all. And it was lucky to be a part of it and just pumped for the opportunity to try and do it again. I wouldn't mind being in Arizona Stadium, you know, getting it done. You know, next February, let's go down to the field for more. Aaron, Yeah, I'm taking that guideline. Hey, I think this is crazy, and

we learned this about you. You have not sat back and watched the Super Bowl? Yeah, unless you have done it since week we watched the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, which with you, which I told Crisa was one of the coolest experiences hearing you kind of narrate it and listening to Kelly go, oh, my gosh, I didn't know that happened. So you haven't watched it yet. Yeah,

I still haven't really watched it. I was in Vegas with Coope and with and it came on the miked up like thirty minute version of the game basically where they have everybody's deal, which is super cool. We all kind of we're just kind of flipping through and we're like, oh, that's on, and we just stopped and watched it. And that was a cool moment getting to do that with those guys and their wives and that group of people. But as far as you know, front to back TV

copy all that kind of stuff, and I haven't. I haven't peeked at it. I probably need to at some point, so when people ask me certain things that were said or happened, I'm I'm dialed. But it was I don't know. It's just a world win after the game, which kind of kept it moving. Do you go, no know, I was just gonna ask when guys are Mike Depp. This is totally off the subject and its time to talk.

You know some crap, don't you feel Do you ever watch those mic deups when they come out and you know, the guy knows he's got it on and he just like lays it on thick. I mean, can you spot those guys a mile away? It's like, dude, come on, we got it. Yeah, there's some guys to take liberties with that. I feel like they enjoy the opportunity to have the voice, you know, spread all over um, you know,

doing all that kind of stuff. But sometimes you remember you have it on early and then once the game starts, it's just like you just go trying to say something funny and uh in warm ups or something other than that, you're done. Yeah. What I thought was funny is in

the postgame press conference. This is just it's just so perfect because you're a father and a husband first before a football player, and you're sitting there in the biggest moment of your professional career, just winning a Super Bowl,

and you're answering questions. And I was a chandler, so they were both on your lap and then hunting went hunting behind and holding her and what I love the most is you like, I don't think that's a good idea or like you got it, like you said something where it's like it's a perfect example of like you're being the father and the husband but also answering questions. And the picture of Kelly from behind was incredible. I love Yeah, I mean it was. It was pretty funny.

It's kind of hard to concentrate, to be honest with you, Like Kelly's down here barely holding on the hunter so she doesn't fall off and uh, you know, hurt herself or whatever. And I know she's making faces at the camera just because I know her and the two in my lap we're asking a question. It was. It was a little bit of a whirlwind. Probably not my best football answers at the moment, but the fun moment that I will always remember, and that photo is that's gold.

The fact that they caught Kelly back there squatting down, holding hunting on it was. It was fun. So I I you know, I'm a big, like you know, Monday morning quarterback kind of person. So I tell you you're gonna spend twelve years in Detroit. You're gonna have a lot of seasons that aren't going to go the way that you want to, but it's all going to culminate. Move to l A and win a Super Bowl? Is

it worth the twelve years? Because I had so much fun this past season and um something I'll never forget the group of guys, the season, winning the super Bowl and all that. But I'm not here at this point without all that, you know, both like in the scenario that you just put out there, but also just in life, like I learned so much about dealing with failure, how to motivate, how to play through things, all sorts of stuff, you know, while I was in Detroit, and um, you know,

I grew out as a person and all that. So I don't think I'm the version of myself that I am today without those twelve years. So it's a hundred percent worth it. You win a super Bowl, your wife wears the blazer. Do you think people will understand now it's Matthew, not matt damn it. I mean, where does this come from? I tell us the whole thing behind it. We got a little intel to ask you this. Um yeah, I'm a I mean I'm Matthew to all my close friends, to all my people that they were grown up with

my mom, my dad, and my sister. All that. I think probably some probably Dallas Morning News writer in two thousand and four talking about me as a high school kid, probably got lazy. And when I feel Matt Stafford because you don't have to do h g W. And I also I defer too much more than my wife would like when people go, hey, is it Matthew? You prefer Matthew Matt And I go, oh, I don't care, it's whatever, and she just gets so mad because she knows that

I do care. Um, But yeah, I mean we'll see, there's still gonna see gonna be plenty of mats out there. I mean, there's plenty of people locked in on that for life. And that's uh, that's okay. You know, we'll get over it. Hey, speaking of Highland Park, how about your high school, Scottie, what's going on down there? We got a Masters, got a World Series champion, and we got a Super Bowl champion coming out of Highland Park. Things are going on down there. Yeah, something in the water.

I had a buddy text me to say, I mean, the last fifteen year run of guys coming out there's pretty it's pretty crazy. To get all those three things, and Clayton's want all those cy youngs and Scotty. Scotty actually want his first tournament. The Sunday we won the super Bowl. So that's gotta be like the most obscure stat ever that some teamager people from the same high school when you know, this, that, and the other all

the same day. So it's, uh, it's pretty cool. It doesn't surprise me because there's a lot of great athletes coming out of there. But I mean, you gotta takes a lot of luck and a lot of hard work to get to all three of us are. So do you think you play golf and now having one Super Bowl, do you think it would be harder to win a Major or a super Bowl? Probably a Major, to be honest,

you because you can't really rely on anybody else. You know, like there's you could be a really good hunter and be on a really good team and win a super Bowl, um, you know, or be a part of a team that's you know, you're less integral part, but you're out there hitting the golf ball by yourself. There's nobody else to to lean on or to blame or anything. So you

I would imagine that's that's pretty darn tough. And also, especially with the way golf is now so global, like you're not beating only the best players from America to beat the best players from around the world. There are a few, I'm sure we're an NFL players, but not as many, so they're having to go up against you know, seven billion or whatever the number of people. It is nowadays. Better weekend to be out with your buddies the Masters or super Bowl weekend? One man, I got, Guys, I'm

here with the question. Super Bowl probably just less rules. Um. Masters is a great time. We all know that. But you know, can't take your shell phone in there. Maybe a little bit more buttoned up. We're a super Bowl, you could probably uh loosen it up a little bit. Um get lost lost in the fray. But I've been to both. They're both equally fun. Wait, hold on, I don't know how much time you have, but I have to have the story since you brought up the Masters. Um,

you and Matt Ryan are close? How about him? Okay, going to Indie? But you, guys, the last time I saw you together, you were at the Masters. You were speaking on a camper there and this didn't happen there. But you and Matt Ryan were at a golf course and someone asked you to do something, really share the story. If you're not, Yeah, I need to make sure I know all the details. I can get it right. I

have a friend that actually tells this story better. But yeah, the reason I'll set the stage here so we are all. We all love Larry David and like the awkwardness of situation sations where you can't get out of You and Matt Ryan are you know, two of the nicest, have the best reputation you know, in in your profession. Um, so I can only imagine how awkward this was. And if Larry was writing a script for it, it would make perfect sense because you didn't know what to do

to get out of it. Yes, Matt and I were playing golf. Someone we know kind of came up to us and I asked if maybe we would sit down and talk with his son or his I believe it was his son that was a was a football player and aspiring football player. UM wanted some advice, maybe some coaching, um, you know, And we did the very polite thing of absolutely, we'll do that. Let's get our calendars together and get those a line and we'll figure something out. You know.

It took a little bit of time. We saw him maybe once or twice more without actually getting to see his son. And so we're on the first team playing together and this gentleman, super nice guy, cares about the people, walked up and basically wrote Matt Ryan and I both a check for a large sum of money to our charities. On the first tea, shook our hands and we're like, can't wait to get that, you know, time with my son.

I know he'll really appreciate it. And then we knew the clock was on, so we were like, Okay, now this is a real thing. We gotta get this done. It was a bold move by the gentleman and in question. But so then we set up a time and we showed up for the lunch. I believe it was to kind of sit down and talk, and we got stood up, which was just electric ending to a awkward story. Um, it was pretty awesome, to be honest, and I think if you give that, you know the nuts and bolts

of that. To to Larry David, there's got to be a curved episode out there that happily guest star in or appear in if you need somebody to play the part of me. It's funny, it's ballsy to just go up the charity check and then your guys are how to go in because there's a charity involved, and you're the assholes if you don't go and then you go. The excavation is that the dude doesn't show up. It's phenomenal. Did you guys cash the t No? Can't, I did not.

Can't turn down the money because now you're like, well, I'm I'm hurting somebody on the back end of this thing. Can't take the money and not show up. Just so many, so many thoughts, so many emotions at that moment, but the stand up was was a bold play. I love him more for it, to be honest with you. Um solid move move, Yeah, Hey, can I ask before we let you go? Kelly talked about the Vanity Fair party on her podcast. You had mentioned it was such a time,

I guess for you. I mean, people are star struck when they meet you. Even that guy was star struck. Apparently not. It didn't last long. Who did you enjoy seeing and why was it so much? Fine? Oh? Man, it was awesome. I think one of the coolest parts, to be honest with you, is that, like, I'm not sure that Kelly and I have been I don't want to come up the wrong way, but we haven't been to like a party where we're all there to see

somebody else. Know, in a lot of time, like at some point, like whether it was the super Bowl or my birthday or things. You know, it's it's Herbert, you know, we're always kind of celebrating or people are excited to see us. And it was so fun, but that we were like total backburner getting to just get excited to

see everybody else. It was insane. I was actually getting a drink at the bar right when Will Smith showed up and started dancing, So we didn't know that was gonna be as big of a thing as it was, you know. After, I mean, it was just we saw I mean doctors. We spent some time with James Gordon, which was awesome. He's a super Bowl guy. Jason Bateman was a really nice guy. I mean they were I mean and Diesel in a in a dark corner somewhere. Uh,

it was Billie Eilish. It was kind of all over the place, right, John Legend and Christie Teagan around Pacino was there. It was wild. I was just every head was on a swivel having fun, just taking it all in. You're in l A now, having won a super Bowl for this city. You can meet one person? Oh, guy, I could meet one person? Um uh yeah, yeah, you know I haven't met that I would love to meet. Would be Tiger. I know he's not a l A guy,

but I would love to meet Tiger. That would be super cool, especially after I mean watching him do what he did coming back from the car, You'll playing in the Masters, making the cut, doing all that, watching him battle back has been pretty cool. Who do you want to have beers with or drinks with? Mm hmm um CALLI. I would say a guy that us that came to a bunch of games this year and I think Kelly was trying to meet him at some point, would be Sadakis. I feel like, yes, can we come? Yeah? I feel

like it would be a lot of laughs. And uh from Kansas City is fun. Yeah. Scenes that are all from Kansas City. They seem like they're a fun time. You don't have to love football to love you in your family and your you know, incredible commitment on and off the field. You represents something. You represent perseverance to a lot of people. Um, having your tenure in Detroit and also just doing it the right way. You're synonymous with you know, I know you didn't want to leave there.

Um that was start. Didn't wanted to end your career, but making that decision to move on. That said, what advice do you have for people who are not having the success that they want, whether it's in a job, a relationship, anything, and then being able to come out on the other side, the perseverance and the perspective that you have now being able to look back. I think I think the biggest thing for me is just, um,

the only way I got through that. For all, there's a few things like I got to rely on so many good teammates around me. And that's not even for the stuff that happened on the field, but just in the locker room talking about you know, because everybody's going through it. It's a team game, you know, And there's plenty of times where certain guys on our team are having good individual seasons, but we're not winning games or whatever that is. And I got to rely on that.

So surround yourself with good people if you can't in um, you know what I think for me as well, just you know, there were times where we weren't winning. I felt like I was, you know, playing good, good football or decent football, and just being able to trust that process and know that if you're doing everything that you possibly can, that that's enough, you know, and it may not be in the eyes of some other people, but um, your time will come. You just gotta keep working for it.

You know. Those are the two things that kind of stick out to me. And then you know, I have great perspective getting my twelve years in Detroit and and getting to you know, where we are now. But I also have a wife who has pretty unbelievable perspective when it comes to that too, you know, on her battle and through what she battled through. Being able to watch her do that and try to be a small part of it was really cool and and something that gave me perspective on some of the things that I was

quote unquote struggling with or having trouble with. So being able to watch her do that on like a real life basis is uh, something that you know, probably helped keep me going, you know, and keep me battling through. No, You're the Hollywood Ending and the happily ever After. Matthew staff last act off the field. Guys. Look, I've been setting all weekend for this sneaky funny this guy. Okay man. We're so excited for you, for all things and uh and for RAMS fans for you to run it back. Yeah,

I appreciate it, Thank you, guys. Calm Down with Aaron and Chrissa is a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.