ADOREE' JACKSON

here returned specialists. As a former wide receiver, I would say he is a corner that is very much always in your pocket, right nicknamed sweet Pee, but also uh here in North Carolina and near South Carolina. They sometimes get it twisted when you as he's from the real USC University in southern California. Welcome to the cut to a podcast A Dory Jackson like like we said that, welcome man, welcome a man, appreciate you. I think this

is the first time I realized that. And maybe it's just a the camera you kind of kind of got the Kendrick Lamarlak going on, or does Kendrick look like you You know you ain't ain't the first out. You heard that. Now, I might say he could be a cousin. You know what I'm saying, a little relative. Look good kid, man said you I ain't mad at it, the fact that I don't want to go crash said for sure. Well man, let's get go ahead and get started. Um, we just do do a little ice breakers, man, dickies

or overalls. I'm gonna go some dickies. Yeah, see that's that. That's that calie right there. Yeah, I got I got me two pairs, just in the back of the closet, just thinking, never never know when you have to outd The problem is what comes with those dickies is never a good conversation because that's that old that's coming out. I thought, first of all, if I thought some dickies and I'm and I'm chilling like it's gonna be some shorts. But if I thought them some dickie pants, all of

a sudden you start hearing. Right, if it's a car full lovers with dickies and we come to your house, button up, but it's gonna be a little conversation and a whole down. Oh man, hey man, what's your favorite color? And why? Oh man, my favorite color is red. Um. I don't know. I just grew up just liking red um pretty much my favorite color. My family members don't

like me that my hair color, but red. Alright, alright, um, since you know, obviously we'll get into where you're from, but you know coming from back home, man, I gotta I gotta ask you. Um, you got three choices, Ragel Waters, Magic Mountain. Uh you're in the league now, so you can. But we're not gonna throw out the Disney Uh not you very form. Which three are you going to? I do those three choices, I'm gonna say raging Waters, My

mom gonna pull up the reging waters. Um, just because I actually see when I was a kid, see it on TV, the stuff on TV, like the water partial goes to the Disney Land scourging them cruises. I was a foks I could ever get to to like actually been on the slide and some water something like that. So that's probably why I would choose because or mom and nostalgica. When I used to see that growing up, like that was a close thing I can reach. But now it's like you're saying you're gonna attain that now.

But I said Reginald Waters probably be the thing that I gravitate to. You ain't been lately, huh No, I haven't been since I was young. Yeah, it ain't as big as it it was when we were young to It's actually a little bit disapporting a minute. Like, Bro, I took my kids. I talked it up. I took my kids. Wassappointed? Man, I was disappointed. I took him. It was probably like seven eight, I don't know, probably about ten years ago. He talked it up. Right. We

was coming back home. Man, We're going to Raging Waters. Man, I'm telling you, man, we got that thing. I walked in and I was like, this is it time to go? I mean it was literally it was like, you know, you talk about a big old mancher sixty thousand square feet walking that thing, but but eight hundred and sixty four square feet man. So as I walked in, I was out. But it was it was good. It was The kids make fun of me till this day. Is it as nice at Raging Waters? Dad? They're gonna get

your hard time and show show. Um, But let's get into it, man. Um. You know, tell us where you're from in the place you call your hometown. Uh So, I grew up in Illinois, so a place called East St. Louis and Belleville. So UM. Growing up, I stayed in East St. Louis UH, and then I went to school out in the place called Belleville. So I went to UH West a man on the MegaR School, Cintra Drina High. Then went to a school called Belle East after school

and everything. But I was always at East St. Louis with my my family, my brothers, hanging out with them. Then when I got into my somewhere high school, I moved out to California, UM and went to Sarah. But I feel like East Louis my my home home. Yeah, and I hear in California's like my home. A boy from home. I took people like I was born in Illinois, but I felt like I was raised because I came out here when I skipped team in l A and so I feel a kid. Yeah, exactly. Was just about you.

Literally the living embodiment of the movie The Wood. Only he was from North Carolina. Shameless, That's what I'm saying. So it really I've seen that movie when I first got out here and then actually living it's like, oh damn, this is this is for real. So which one do you? Rend I can tell? Uh? I mean I do both. I always go back home, but I mean you can't. You can't beat the weather this way, um and everything.

I went to s C. So I feel like, uh, like I said, that was why I was raised kinda like that's why I met all the people that transformed my life from what I knew to give me to where I was. So they helped me and pay me the way in a certain in certain sense, I mean, so live living basically until you know, young team, a young teenager, you know it shaped you obviously you said it shaped you in that a. But I'm imagining Illinois gets some credit because you you know, you never were

a finished product. We're never a finished product really until you know, until we're in the dirt ultimately, so we're always growing and evolving, you know, some of us, not everybody, right, So that's just that's just how it goes. But how different were the two for you because you were at of age you know, like my my my youngest who's who will be eight? You know he we live here in North Carolina, but he remembers right now and each year goes by, he remembers less and less, but right

now he's still he still remembers Baltimore. He still has that part of his life where you can't remember. I mean, technically seven years old. You you technically you haven't even lived half of your life one or the other. You know a lot of your roots, a lot of the things that makes you who you are, even with going in she even moving to l A, A lot of it would start when I started in Illinois, right, So that's why I said that from like l A my

home away from home. But like you said, like growing up, I feel like it taught me how to maneuver and how to l A or Illinois in Illinois, So I feel like it made like like the transition of part a lot easier. So when I moved out there, I stayed with my sister, My parents stayed back home, so I had to go from everything that I was raised brought up on, learning you know your p's and Q dot in your eyes, crossing your ties, the street smart part, and then when I'm out of my own somewhere else,

still trying to have that and remember that. So I feel like it made the transition easier in l A. Like knowing who the mess with, who not the mess with, just being a peep be behind the scenes and seeing and thinking before I even speak a move. I feel like my my dad and my older brother really helped me, So I guess grow faster. It's got It's like crazy, like they didn't know this was gonna happen in my life. But at the same time they he was preparing me

before I even knew this was gonna happen. So when I went out there in fifteen, is like, all right, I had a good understand of I don't say life, but loring. I mean it can. It can hit you anywhere in any form. But being able to have an older brother dad, I can just call up on there. Maybe I feel like I'm in some trouble and need some help with something. They can help me. But saying like you know right for wrong, like we already talked

to you. You You know how, you know what it is and what it ain't, so you can you can you can survive out that way. So UM, them being able to trust me and think that I was responsible enough and ready enough to move that life. Um, I feel like that helped me out a lot. You've got a deep relationship with your family. Would you tell us about

that bond and it's importance. Oh? Man, I just feel like, you know, I watched them TV shows as a kid and actually seeing it in my household, like my mo, my dad there, I got an older brother, older sister, and you know, going to church every Sunday even if I didn't want to. You're a kid. You want to hang out, dude, you want to do like they's telling me, like, all right, you can go out, but you gotta wake up in the morning, or my friends come over, make

sure they've bring their church clothes. They want to stay like, you know what I'm saying. So that's really how it was. And I feel like my mom instilled a lot of a lot of faith, uh, a lot of people person being respectable and treating up any person like human first and going that way. So I feel like just for having both both backgrounds, my mom being from l A, you know what I'm saying, So she taught me a

lot of the l A stuff. With my dad being from East St. Louis and then going out to l A and meeting my mom and they're coming back to eat St. Louis. So I had a little bit of vestboath worlds in a sense, and I feel like just seeing them. And you know, I was the youngest, So I was seven years younger than my brother and fourteen years younger than my sister. So I technically grew up

pretty much like by myself. But now when my older brother was kind of like the father figged two at the same time, even though he's my old brother, making strong with him all the time and keep me right, keep me aline. So I think that's my my I'm so tight with my family because I was so young, but I always wanted to hang out with him because I don't want to hang out with nobody else because

that's all I knew. Um, so just at sports growing up, We're trying to hang out with my brother, I'm seven heat fourteen trying to play sports with him, or my sister was doing something when she was in college. I'm trying to hang out with older guys from eighteen nineteen years old. So, um, just them show me the ropes and being loved and treat me the way that they treated me. I think that's what made us so close to this day. Oh, just that old soul. Yeah, what

was your dad like as a father. You know that, and how did he impact uh, you just individually as as you know as a as a man you are today now man, super strict, But what's super strict? Though? Good? Gives understand that until later, you know what I'm saying, Like, give us detail on super strict because he was cool though, like everybody knows, I had the type of dad with everybody loved my dad. But as a kid, it's my dad. I'm saying, I don't know my dad like I know

my dad. You know what I'm saying. So um, But as I got older and obviously when I moved away, and it's like, man, all those that's you taught me at a young age, like I made it to understanding now, But when I'm able to maneuver and do what I gotta do, it's like, oh, this is what you meant by that. He's always But like anything that you've done, I probably did before. So I don't think you slick.

Just that in the third saying, I don't want you to follow the same steps some mistakes that I made, So he let me do what I want to do. But at the same time, before I even had to make a decision, it was like all right, I know the path and which ways it can go, and trying to figure it out. Obviously know being annoyed and having the blessed of the Lord be able to protect me at all times was being like the same thing can

go south an any given time. But I feel like my dad was just an old school dad, like you said, an old soul, and it was only tough, but he wanted the best for me, so um, you know, always at all the games, I always making sure that he was there for me when I needed, taking me to practices, um in the backyard with me. Um like my if y'all know, like he barbecue is all the time. But I started when I was in Pop Warners, my first

ever part wanted season. He'll put the barbecue grill on the back of the truck and we're going to the games away home and he barbecue. And so I think, just him, I want to say, living us living the same dream together. Obviously he didn't never force me to do anything, but it's me forcing him. Like when I wonder if football, I used to tell him all the time for like six months, and I finally found I was serious about it, and he finally came into football.

So it was never him forcing. It was always him to let me make my own decisions. And he's always saying, well, I was just waiting on you to tell me something. So that's how I learned every young gage like it's really about what I want to do and how I want to go about it. And he was gonna support me.

I no matter what decision I wanta with with your with your dad, you know, barbecue Andy, I'm assuming he had a business, right man, take take us through that, you know with your dad, you know, being a cook and and and just going through that as a young man. I would imagine it did have an impact on you a little bit, right, Yeah, I didn't really understand the sense of like I was for my dad like twenty four seven. So it was just from the sense where like we'll go pick up the spices and make his

own spices. So we'll drive all the way the same little wits, go to space called to Lower get all the spices. We go restaurant deepot get all the different stuff that he needs for that. He was on barbecue saw. So it was actually me just seeing the ropes and seeing how everything is dumb, and I mean that's my first person that probably show me like how to get to it, like how to hustle in and make money.

So seeing his drive and seeing how hard he worked, not just at his regular job, but just trying to serve people, that's that's just what he loved to do people person So I feel like that was one of the things that I gravitated too, is the most Like although I thought he was super strict, man was a good dude. That hard and everything he did was for for a reason and for a purpose whether you knew it or not. But then the day you can see the other people like impacted by and infected by the

things in the cities he made. So that barbecue thing was cool because if somebody else's dad wasn't there, like he can be like that father figure somebody else barbecue and making him laugh, joking and stuff like that and everybody having a good time. So I feel like that was like the the glue and all my teams that we played with, everybody was like family oriented. You know, I appreciate it that favorite dish or favorite barbecue. You know,

what's what's your what's your favorite meal? You know, Pops can't Pops can't get down with. Uh, it makes makes turkey legs. I probably everybody go turkey leg cut or go to Dasney work at a turkey leg. That's pretty good. Um. If I think called mansa troli that he makes it kind of like who ziya, but it's really he said, who what was it? I's got the turkey league. Maschli is like, h it's kind of pasta dish. Um. It's like, yeah, I don't know how to explain it, but it um

off the chain. I love his chicken wings. He makes ribblits turkey, Uh, turkey ribs, I mean the whole ship back. But anytime barbacue. Growing up, I've heard of turkey. I've never had them. I've never had turkey. We're gonna have to get you something I've heard. He said. It's like see your face. I'm like, yeah, he never tapped. I saw that up in there. Yeah, I've heard of it. I was I was dissected a turkey, you know. I was like, I didn't say the turkey turkey's ribs. Yeah

I didn't say that. Some baby backs right there. But yeah, he throw anything on the grill. Man. That's that's one of the cool things about it. He wouldn't even tell me what it was though, Like I just tried to real quick, I'll try. That's probably rabbit, I was dear that might have been the squirrel. All this some short this agan anything sure shot man, anything can get work on this girl. That squirrel, rabbit getting worried. We're gonna get you right now. We don't get your right tell me,

ain't rabbit. We're gonna, we're gonna. We're gonna just say it's chicken, Okay, it dude, tastes like chicken. Yeah, I'm not sure I had duck, but I haven't had rabbit. I had. Uh what's the difference when them swim when them don't. It's a huge difference in my baby, So you you moving, you move out to you move out to l A. Take us through that transition. You know, how did you how did you come to the conclusion to to to move to l A and and and

the regions? Why? Uh man, crazy story. I was eighth great year, I loan jumped eleven and so somebody was talking. My brother in law was talking to this this coach at uh Sarah at the time was the high school, went to him he was like, man, you know my brother, my freshman go by. I went twenty three eleven, so my freshman and he's like, oh, I gotta my little brother drop twenty three eleven and um high school coach like, now you're maybe twenty ft three eleven and just not

no clinker level. And he was like, all right, let meet the kid. And I grew up a huge SC fan and so my my brother in law was like, yeah, let's go to this SC camp. So I'm like, all right, that ain't nothing like I go to that C camp. That's cool. So I go out there, I perform and it's asked me where I was from. My I'm from um from Illinois. And the guy, his name coach bigs Uh. The trains me still to this day. It was my long jump coach in high school and he, uh, you know,

took me to Sarah. I was like, yeah, let's go, you know, walk around see all this and think about transferring my mom. I'm like, I'm not coming out here like my parents stay back home. This don't even make sense, but you know, I'm just good sport following the be like all right, that's cool, that's cool. This was in June a month go by, I go back home. I'm actually at my football camp. But the high school I'm supposed to be attending, um getting ready. We just had camp.

They called my dad. The schools like get your son's supos to transfer? UM. So I just remember hing my dad. I remember like yesterday my dad voice called me, said my full night. I said, Dad, I must be in trouble. I never forget that. I'm laying down, like on my bed and I heard called my name. I'm like, damn, I ain't even do nothing. I was trying to think like did I doing it? Going through your mind like what did I do? Or what did he find out?

That's what I'm saying. I'm like, I just had football camp, Like we didn't do that crazy up there. So I'm like I walked in there and he was like, hey, why is these people calling me? That's first thing. I'm like, why these people call him? Like? Who call him? Is not the school say he's supposed to transfer? And I'm like, oh, yeah, I visited there, but I mean I didn't think I was gonna go because we stay out here, like there's no way that we're gonna all move and go out

there and he said, Okay, I think about it. I thought that was it. You know. Three days later he just told him, like a right back, your bagage is gonna stay with your sister. So I remember, like the first night I got out there, I was that was the first and I was like homesick, been away from my family for real, like knowing I'll go back home, like I can spend a night or go someone, I'm coming back home. It's the first time that I was there, and so I stayed up night and um, I ain't

I hate it up like it was. I felt like it was the worst thing ever. I told my mom, my dad, someone, mynor ready to come home, and they're like, no, just stick it out, you know, go through it. And I think that's what made college so easier as well, because I was already gone from home when I spit to him. Um. But yeah, my first nights there, in

my first couple weeks, hated it. But meeting the guys the way I did, it's kind of like you know the movie The Wood, Like they took them into their arms and it was like trying to show me the ropes like big brothers and helped me out and maneuver the different things, and somebody, this is what you can't do in l A, that's what you shouldn't do. And I remember had my being in St. Louis where St. Louis the Cardinals had they said, no, you can't worry.

I'm like, that's when I'm from. Though, they said no, I don't matter, like, don't wear that hat. I'm like, okay, I think that. Um so yeah, they actually was cool, and I think that's what made me being enjoying California more than I actually did at Earth. I love cut to It and I love it even more when you download us and subscribe, and you can follow us on social media too, Smithie where where at? That's at? Cut to It on Instagram? What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook?

Cut to It featuring Steve Smith singr? What about online? And you can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my answers questions. Uh yeah, I got all my questions answered. That's what I'm here for. A brother, cut to a Podcast dot Com tell me if this story is correct? Uh juju o you a lot. I believe

y'all came in and y'all were at USC together. Juju was actually a dB and in coming out of high school, and I heard the story that he realized that he wasn't a Gutney run you switched to wide receiver. Now he wanted to play both. I think he wanted to play both. But at the time, we had Sue Cravens a dog, We had a guy named Leon McQuay, and you're gonna do that, Quinton quintin uh and uh. He did it both right away, like both sides. And then one day he just told me like, no, bro, I'm

just about to play a seal. And at that time, my damn. I thought we came in to play both. I understand, and he's like, now, I'm just gonna play receiver. So I'm like, all right. But he started off at safety, but I think the receiver room was so see yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't want to say give it, but so m I feel like he should have play safety. I think it was a good move. I love him at safety. First time ever in play safety was after we played him in high school. It was a sorry like one

and three. They moving to the safety. He take them all away to the state championship, and that's how he shifted him. No, I thought it was a good saving kind of mind of me, how heasily was when he played safety only and then went to the receiver and then took off a s C. And I felt like he did it right, like you said. But I wish you would to play safe at least got a little film, not somebody chance drama. Juju juju. He had that, he had that rugby background. He was he you know, he

had a rugby background. Juju jujuy. You can get you know, I'm not buying, but you get trying to keep selling me if you want. Yeah, I thought, I mean in the high school he was you know, yeah, I mean you know when you know when you going to get your brothers and you know, you know, you know, but I don't. I don't see, you know how it is on that edge sometimes you gotta you gotta make a business decision where she make a lot of business decisions

very quickly. So what was it about USC? I know you said you were famed, but what was it about USC to made you say yes that you wanted to play college football? There Um, there's really only school that told me that I let me play offense and on the track like I'll never forget. Like L Sho came out. They came probably like a month before sign today, and I'm talking to the coaches like I really want to

go to L Shoe. I'm all right, this might be it. Um. I get to him and they say a month before, like, oh, you're gonna play offense, but we'll get you wanna play a game? And I said, all right, what about might not need come to me? Sted like oh my, all right, that's out. And then the Florida thing was, I was gonna go to Florida, try to leave, so I really try to leave high school earlier, and you gonna ask Ahi about Arlie High School. I try to graduate earlyer

um and go to Florida. They wouldn't like the school and allowed. And I remember somebody to them like yeah, man, the Florida coaches might not even be there. Um, yeah, they they might be gone. I'm thinking like, no, that ain't it. They They're probably still be there. At s C four games the season they out the color coach, my chap and everybody get fired. And then sc thing was I was everybody. You talk about the connections, the

relations and everything like that. But when my best friends who when I first got to SC, I mean first got to Sarah, Like really was it was cool Jane when a good dude didn't show no hate, showed all up. Um, and he's supposed to go to some school, but you know with the recruiting and everything, if you don't commit, then they're gonna take it off or they pull it. And I just remember, like, all right, I wanted to

go to Florida. I'm like, I don't want him to have to do what I did because I know I was homesick going from Illinois to l A. Like, man, you could come to Florida with me, but that ain't

the move. Um, So I'm like, man, we can go to SC because I was probably the only other school I was thinking about and growing up and loving him, and I feel like they showed the most love and it was persistent and I always see him in consistent even though they're down the street, but it was pretty much there every week or twice a week, Uh, just coming to kick it. And I think that was one of the selling points. Let me play offense, Let me play defense run track full time and you know that

my dog from the school with me. Um. I mean everybody from high school went there anyway. So we had Jalen Green and Larsa Wan Tucker, Um, John Houston, uh Deante Burnett, um me Um and do name Janalan Jhones. So we had like six people just in like a tweeter span all over that see, and I felt like that just made sense to be at It felt like

at home. What what what's the atmosphere and USC, you know, growing up in l A and Seing s C. But also you know I went to I went to Union High School, so I was always on the campus at u c l A. Right, it was just convenient and seeing how the campus that U c l A is. What's the difference at USC um that that's one of those things when you go back, or or the nostalgia

of USC that is still there. Um. I remember standing USC when it was the old at USC for the new John Pason, like I remember the Heritage Hall, was walking down the spiral tunnels, seeing everything and feeling that that that's my first memory of it, Like ah, this work Reggie Lynn dn Um uh Palm or all these these dudes went and I'm like, damn, okay inspired, and then seeing the new upgraded version and then being a huge Marquis Lee fan um seeing him playing when I

went to Sarah, I'm like, damn that so many hog I time about five, and then seeing him at USC and when to blend the call. So I think those things were what made it so real. Like I'm I'm watching and I see I'm seeing somebody's footsteps doing when I was trying to do and doing at high level. So I'm watching Marquis Lee this whole time, like he did this, like then I could do that. Let me try to do it like this, or or seeing you know, the legends or everybody before go through and being successful.

And then just having that presence of Robert Woods was there, George Farmer and all of them coming and chopping up with us for him and so so Holly touted there and having the rest of them like t J McDonald can talk to him, I can talk to kell Roby Hayes, Polar and Dianne Bailey. I'm like, oh, they're showing love. They're cool. So I think that's one of my my best memberies. Like I went to U c l A. But I ain't really know nobody as much as I knew these people there, um and they just kept real

like like like a big brother ship. Yeah you can do this little brow but I'm gonna tell you like no, I didn't really like that like this, but um s C wasn't really fine until we started winning. Like my first two years we went to the Holiday Bowl twice. Like people always act like was SC good or how was it compared to them? Like it wasn't even good to win to that Roles Bowl. We wanted like ten in a row, so four them and she was like

going to regular school. It was I didn't feel like no love, no sense, or you go to USC obviously, I mean it's USC. But once we started winning, just like damn, you get to see what USC could possibly be. And when you when you're winning team in l A, I mean, they's the red carpet. Like even with college. If you're winning in college, you you was, you're a big name. But if you're not, you don't get today. You don't get the cut the line back y'all on

the back, back neck. Like my first year, I'm like, I don't even know what it's about. Like you said it was the was the team around theeen, like that was the guy they had Brat Hanley uh Andricks, Miles, Jack Payton, all these got ish. Man. I'm like, okay, they really was dom then, I mean obviously turned around, but at one point you said it was really running the town like that, and it was. It sucked, but

because they got one winning. Yeah, you've moved almost like a military kid, right, and now you know you get you get drafted by the Tennessee Titans. Then you become a free agent and you go to New York. Man tell us about the transition just from s C to be drafted and then you know, going into free agency. Just that that world win of highs and lows, peaks and valleys in such a you know, short career so far,

I think the real mon. I really got tested with adversity after my my rookie season because everybody on the Stag got fired. And that's the first time where I had to you know, when you go to highest college to coach get fired, they bringing a new staff, he bringing his guys. When it happened at SC, help took over, and Helping was the one who recruited me when you know, all the way through. So I never got used to it and I'll never forget. I went to Houston on

the team visit. We sit down for about like an hour, so I'm talking up watching film, chopping and chopping it and at the end they say, yeah, do you remember all our names? I'm like, I just remember the head coach coaching, my DV coach, thet d C and the return you know especially is coach and bray. We'll get there.

And at the end of the day, I mean it's like I had to get used to him and what he going and the type of player he wanted to have a stylly want it and as a has that being my first time trying to get used to it, uh, we didn't jail like it didn't mess right, Like my played an't the work and the way he was coaching just didn't work for me. So my my my third year, I played a lot better because I got more of a fucking mentally like, all right, man, it is what

it is, like you understand in that sense. Then the last the fourth year, I end up being hurt um. So I think, like you said, the highs and lows, man, I didn't gonna throw a ballot um But but what who do you mean? Just just go a little deeper though, because I don't think people really understand, Like most fans don't really understand, right. They don't look at football is a business, right, they look at it at a business when a guy leaves for more money or a guy

requests to trade. But as far as the day to day, you said it didn't mesh. And not going to graphic details or details in a negative way, but I'm just talking about details of your mentality of when you say it doesn't mesh. You're getting paid your first round draft pick. You know you're getting paid. The fan will say, you're getting a couple of million dollars a year. How doesn't

How does that not mesh? Right? You got that direct deposits seventeen weeks, you know to to twenty or you know a hundred and fifteen thousand after taxes, Like a lot of people don't say, Man, that that that a mess for me. And to take it a set further, why does mention matter? It would be some someone would

ask you mad because it's your mentality. Like, like I said, the game is not even sent metal other physical physically I can go out there and don't want to do mentally, it's about okay, being coached a certain way, a different scheme or third scheme. I'm playing a different scheme. I gotta get used to Oh man, I always play like this and he's telling day, they're telling me you need to do it like this, and not knowing or not.

I don't say not knowing, but it's different. And also memory of always doing something and doing it this way, playing this way, and then getting taught trying to do this way, and then trying to be more in my head about all right, let me do what they want to do and be right instead of now I'm like not playing my game. So it took me a man. That's why I said, didn't masson in the coaching styles of I mean, that's just probably the coaching style professional.

They didn't different, They didn't care how you felt about their scheme. You need to do their scheme, yeah, of course, but if you do your own thing, it's like all right if it work at work, but if it don't, don't you know what I'm saying. But then today I feel like, man, good, we need a good coach, like smart as hell, know what you're doing. You just gotta know all the coach everybody in the day. It don't really, it don't really matter, like I mean, it doesn't, it don't.

That's that's the part that sucks. It doesn't. It does not matter. You can have a coach that is a brilliant coach. You can have a coach who's terrible. Does not matter. And here's the worst thing you can happen. You have a bad coach who's winning. Hmm, a bad coach that's winning. You have no out when it doesn't go well, it's your fault and it sucks. Right. It's like a false negative COVID test exactly like you. You you're positive and your negative. You don't make this thing happen.

You don't have to isolate, but you gotta headache and you got a cough, but you gotta isolated. Man, which one am I positive or negative? But people don't see the behind the scenes of that. I mean, people don't really care. They just look at that. They don't care. I mean I want to say that, Okay, the outcome is what matters, and what outcome is a dub, then they don't care. It's it's it's but yeah, I feel like, you know, I'm glad I went through it, like even

my I got released my agent. I mean, everybody's no mad than me. And I'm like, man, he was relieved. I was just like, all right, just give me a fresh start. And it was crazy. Thing. The only the thing that I you know, he taught us the most is about second chances. And he's like, man, a lot of people don't get second chances, so if you do, make sure you make the most of it. And I

say that all the time now. I mean like in the day, even though we didn't match as a player and coach, I mean, but as people, I can resonate with some things he's saying. So right thend of the day, like I said, I can never bash bash him or sameything, goad. I mean, good dude, I mean he can coaches tell off and know he's talking about just different. He got a different personality, right, you know, And I'll say it.

You won't. This is not you're saying it. This is not Jack saying this, Steve Sman sing, you're saying that. Bill Belichick folk. I don't know why, I don't know how, but them dudes come off on their first job. They try to be Bill to the t and it never works out. It never works out long term. It doesn't work out because they burned so many bridges with players, And I was gonna ask, that's what I hear. It's just burned. They they rubbed players, pulse the wrong way.

They too, right, there's not a Doory saying that. He's not laughing and confirming he's he is. I'm just saying what I know over my sixteen year experience and now what six years out? So you know what's that? Uh, twenty two years of experience and hearing the people that are under Bill Belichick learned a great deal. The unfortunate part is they try to attack the attack coach in the same way and it doesn't always work out that way.

Do you think they're trying to emulate the person or they just trying to before they trying to implement the sess like he did. I think I think they're trying to implement the winds like Bill Belichick, and they will do whatever they believe it tastes because um, UH coach Josh McDaniels, UH what what I heard? How he how what the experience was his first coaching job in in UH in in uh Denver and how that went down. It was just some interesting things that I've I've heard

all the stories. Man talk about my guido, Uh, Dean Peas man, Dean Peas will put you out on that island. Will he not? Dean pass defense coordinator. He's in Atlanta and uh he was in Baltimore. Uh. He was a guy. Uh he believes See that's a Belichick guy too. He believes in you're gonna earn your pay. He's like, you could be you could be going against Jerry Rice himself in his heyday. That man is gonna put you on that island and and hope for you to play it.

Wants you to play man and man and ain't nothing you can do about it. M M. And that's a as an offensive guy. Seeing DMPs watching him in practice, watching how he does. He really puts a lot of pressure on DBS and it's it's tough. And so if you don't have you know, like a Dory says, if you don't have that mental game tighten up, well you hell ain't gonna get it on the field with deem pis of defense coordinator because you you know, explain to

us what what is it. I know this, I never went into it, but what what is it intail being a defender in the National Football League today? Walk us through what that is for you mentally, psychologically? Uh, Like you said your pay us you see, you know time I can say like the landlord rent, dude, the rent do every week and not just every day, but every week you go out there and you gotta make sure you get your pay and pay for it. So I

feel like the intel of a dB is man. I said, either be mentality, right, Like like when you came in, you're trying to disrespect and at the same time, we're not trying to get disrespected, we're trying to disrespect as well. So it's like it's about him. It's the game within the game obviously. You know, even they don't throw your way. You break me off on a round now throwing when you're talking like yeah, if you threw it out of

got you. And at the same time I'm blocking you up like you know I'm here, so exactly you know what I'm saying, Like you know what I'm here. Huh Oh, It's like you're just you're just balance the game within the game, And I feel like it's always being on your p's and q so any of your moment you never know. I mean, the read can be to to the you know, the third receiver. Yeah, that's that's sucked up. Okay,

who the first problem looked to? You could stay right side or all the rocks coming to the right and you the backside. Here want something? You gotta make sure you on because you just never know what may happen. So I feel like the intel just a dog a dog you dog mentality, like you didn't or you're gonna be up. Good do it, good do it. Let's getting down to do it? Good do it? Hey, Gerard, why did you get that T shirt? You mean this thing? Oh? Yes, I got it from cut to a podcast dot com

where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to our guys at seven or four shot. But yeah, you can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm not gonna ask you what's the toughest receiver? But who are some corners that you watched today? Right? We know Doory Jackson, we know who you are, but who are some corners? As you evaluate yourself, you also feel like you can borrow some knowledge from or some some footwork or some techniques or a little bit of

uh uh sling shotting right. Some of My favorite one really is a barette with the Four Nights. Yeah. When I seen him at TCU, um, that's the first time I was actually an Oklahoma visit and he the only he grabbed like. I looked him like, oh, he's gonna stupid. It was a little t st and end up being Jay Spread. So I've been following him ever since I was going into college and seeing him in the in

the league. What what is it about this game? Though? Yeah? Um, you know, good feet, patient, like he's super smooth, comfortable out there. You can just see the confidence in him when he plays, and even when he battled their injuries and be able to come back and you just see the dog and him like this is what you do and he built for it. So I feel like he's

one of them that I really like a lot. Um. I like j Alexander, he got Gang, like Marshan we came out together, Marl and Humphries, a lot of them really much my class that I watched. You got Jala, Ramsey Prior. Um. I feel like that's probably before that's five right now? Um, yeah, that's fine. I'm gonna still be doing five and most of them kind of like my statue. Besides, um, you know Ramsey, you know, a long corner, but or Marshaw. But you've got jryre Um,

you got for Rette, Tredavis White. I like him too. I'm gonna just throw some more in there. Uh yeah, I like this game. You gave out a lot of flowers. Man. But even right now you're being looked at as a leader on your squad and in that secondary room. Now that you're looked at as being the leader, what do

you consider your leadership style? I feel like cow much leading by example, but also if they need any questions or anything, because I guess I only have been in the league six years but been through a lot, you know, seeing it changes, and you know, just coming in we're last year having one set of a staff and they're not gonna hold different one. Like I'm able to be okay, I've been through this, Like you even go about just

the right way or wrong way? Um, and you can actually change your narrative like you know j B. James Bradbert, you know another one. And I respect this game say, hy ce Y said, you choose your own attitude. And at the end of the day that makes sense. Like you can come in and you know, be but heard about the situation a hand that the new staff, these coaches don't do this, these coaches do to that. Or you can come in and work, you'll tell all and

you know things gonna pay off. So um, that's how I pretty much try to go about, you know, stay positive. I understand you just don't say don't care and then they be because if you be you, that's gonna take your long way. And if you're being you and things don't work out, I mean you can't you can't talk that.

I mean that's just how things go. But if you're trying to be somebody else and they'll go your way, Now you got regrets like oh I shouldn't did this, So just leave by example and just trying to be that that positive you know, affirmation for the guys. What are some things you're excited about with the new coaching staff. Obviously with you know, with the defensive coordinator, um with with with Wink Martin now Man, like you said, it's a lot of it's a lot of pressure on the dvs.

But the end of the day, that's what you really want. It's the test you and how you're gonna come out there and handle it. So UM, I feel like, um, that's what I'm most excited about. You know, see the things that you can do. Um. You know obviously seen his work in Baltimore, but to be able to have it here and actually played, um um play it is Uh. It's exciting, have fun. And then you know you got Dave's um and and it talks so much track, but you need that. It takes the edge when you're going

somebody super serious. Now you're gonna XHL. But they them and I love that about it. Yeah, you got a coach and staff that's not pride for in the negative way, but they're prideful. They've also been around the league a long time. They all been waiting for their opportunities. And you know, to some degree, it is going to be a little bit of the challenge for the New York Giants this year because of you know, obviously the quarterback situation. Um,

not because I don't I don't believe Daniel Jones can't play. Um. I think Daniel Jones right now, this is the first time saying that you know and obviously, UM, I was up in New York and the opportunity to be there for a couple of days. Um. The one interesting thing

that I really felt out of Daniel Jones. UM, I think it's concerning is UM is seeing a young man who has the opportunity to play, but seeing a little bit of how UH needs are my words not not his, but um, you know, every coaching staff is different in every good and bad habit that he's all those coaching

staffs have it. It's it leaves, you know, It's like spaghetti when you need spaghetti and you got a white shirt on, it will lead to leave a stain and you can use that spot remover, but you're not really sure how much of the stain is gonna come off. Right. And I think with with Joe Judd, and this is me. I think Joe, in my opinion, he left to stay on on on damn right. And it's it's gonna be

tough like that team. Y'all have so many good players, Uh, y'all have some y'all have some injuries, but then you'll have some players that probably shouldn't have been on the team, right, And in trying to figure out who, you know, who should stay, who should go. And then you got a coaching staff who wants to win, who's used to winning.

They come from Buffalo, come for Baltimore. You know a lot of those guys ten plus years of winning, right, and then day ball was you know, it was in New Lengland and and in a lot of different places. So he understands it. Man. What are some of the biggest challenges that you guys are gonna face just heading into the season because of knowing one the division you're in, the NFC East, it's a tough division, right, and then obviously having to combat some of the backs that you

guys had from the previous coaching staff. It's just that's just facts, right. What are you optimistic about? And then what are you kind of like, you know, just kind of waiting to see how things shape up. I think both of them are. You can put them in the same category. It's about how committed you know, as individuals we want to be, how great they wanted to be, how far they want to go. I mean we can everybody can say it. At the end of day. It's about like we when we come back to a line six, um,

and we can talk about it. Me. We had forty five days. What what you diding is forty five days. It's something that you really wanted and that you you really really boy it. So that's really the most interesting part about this whole this whole journey. Um, you know everybody. Obviously we got a couple of weeks ahead because we had to coming early. But the end of the day, that's how do you take what we didn't build up trying to prove on? Man? I think, um, that's just

being I mean, it's kind of hard as mentally. Everybody don't know how to deal with that. Like just let go, let loose, you know what I'm saying, Let me just beat me do what got me here. You know, I was fortunate enough to have my rookie year. I had Dickler bone and said towns from Pittsburgh Stellers, So I didn't had heard all the stories and they stem like man, they get paid to make plays too, and it is what it is God them deal thing, be you and

have fun, enjoy it. But like you said, if you gotta staying that you sold you used to something a certain way, in a certain way, like walking on eggshells when I was, you know, in Tendnessee and trying to do everything perfect and do what they wanted. And it's like it took my men to get that fresh air, like, man, let me just relax and just and just beat me and go back to having fun. So it may take

a minute, and it took me. I went through until I left, till I left because it's something new, something fresh, and I was like, all right, I can do what I want and be me. So I feel like we just need to have that mentality of resetting. I think that's the most exciting part about it, and just resetting and coming together. What is the off season? What does

the offseason training look like for? You know, I I don't know what the dB does in off in the off season, So you know, you you're gonna teach me something running. You gotta come out at that. What do you mean just like just running and trying you can do football specifics. Obviously that's that's a lot of being in the way wrong. But one of those I'll be about big condition. You can run a slam the quarterback

in the pocket, you don't happen. You can still run across the hill or take it up and wherever it may be, or you wan the go ball. They don't thought to you come out on the sideline. Who got the next place? So the dvos like you gotta make sure that you really condition and have it not to just physical passing, but mentally standing where I'm staying in tune of what's going on and like I said, breathing and reset and like all right, it's the next place,

next play mentality. So even when I'm I'm working out doing drills lifting, whatever may be I may did. I may did a good bench rep on this bro, or maybe he did a good you know back for the break called the ball on this one. But now it's like, all right, it's the next one. Just because I did the last one good, I don't mean the next one

gonna be good. And once you get fatigued mentally, you still gotta be there and make sure you still you know, on your piece and Q. So I think that's really what goes into the off season, being super conditioned and makestuence shape, because at the end of the day, you know his zont turning the man. Yeah, at a certain point, you do you think his own but somebody in hells own. You might as well just take him, or you're saying, man, you might have to take him across the field. So

it's just about understanding the game. I'm within the guy. See, you do need the bench he mentioned, He mentioned he wouldn't look out for his bench press. We had this conversation a few times about why mechanically do you need as a football player the bench press. I don't wish you. I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just messing with you. It's not because I totally agree. Yeah, yeah, that bench only gonna help you so low. It's really only the first one you are because that you can't touch with

him exactly. If you what I'm saying, that's a little bit mechanical when you're jamming at the line. After that, that's it. Yeah, that's sure, that's that's literally it. I concur that's the best way in the block. Just to take standing off somebody's question that he just asked, though, how do you feel like you are evolving as a football player? I mean question you take the off season, how do you feel like you're evolving as a football player? And on top of that, how do you feel like

you're evolving a person. Like having Jerome Henderson my first year and then jorking him coming back. Man, it helped me out a lot. That's really one of the things that I probably vocalized making sure that he was able to come back. Who's Who's Jerom Henderson? Uh? DV coach? Yeah, okay, just making it for some people, don't you know, some people not sure, so it's wrong. It's on DV coach. And he taught me a lot of my first year,

um about you know, splits, alignments and many things. I understand the different routes looking um can at the formation and different things in that sense. So um, I feel like, obviously it's your first time learning. So it's like, okay, you do it, but you don't do it all the time, and then I have another year around. Okay, that's more

repetition and to be able to have them back. It's you know, like a reliever, look about another But in the day, he probably would have taught me something super different, trut the wrong, but it's not. You know, you got that analogy out of side out of mine. Yeah, I'm here locked in and when I can ask you something every day, I might not you know, you think about text somebody, you might not do it. So I think

as a player, that's how I'm evolving. Um, just being able to talk to wrong every day, get different information and be able to help me out, and him really just being don't be tough, like I'm still a rookie and I appreciate that the most about UM. And then as a person, UM, you know, just trying to be in a moment be president, you know, being you know down and out, you know, being hurt and not doing what I want to do. When I fin came in and I'm not saying what was me but kept it

to myself, not really expressing it. But I feel like in there to to express and let that energy go and be able to focus and get back to what's what's really important and what I really love to do, what's playing ball. So I think that's how I've been, you know, evolving most as a person and just you know, thankful the best that I do have. Like I was mad that I have messed my knee up, but I still see, I still talk, I still do all these other different things. I was so focused on one thing

that I wasn't really seeing a bigger picture. So um, yeah, you look at the bigger perture missing little things and vice versa. So um, just trying to stay in that moment. Man, you you get rid of you go ahead and put Tennessee right being a Tennessee tighten in your river. Youw mirror, you don't have to cover a J. Brown anymore. And

then now you know he right back out there. You know, I'm going against a J in practice a little bit and then now having to see him twice a year, uh, you know, be informer teammates, but also just being a dB. You know, I know something possibly went through your mind when you saw that big, big acquisition made by the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm not I was happy for him. I was. I was generally you know happy. Man, God was deserved. Man works tell all ye all got to the cats, um,

and you know I see him in the division. Now it's like, Okay, I don't want to say it wasn't exciting, but it's it's exciting because um, just another challenge, another task, um. And that's pretty much I don't want to say I am saying that's what you won't challenges like, that's that's what you like. You're not you're saying the challenge you give you, you called it what it is. It ain't

it ain't hate. Yes, he's sorry, bring him all. You're saying that it's a challenging you know, because you've practiced against him, you win against You also know what you bring to the able, so too, too heavyweights. That's what I hear, No for sure. And it's just cool because like I said, the division is tough, and that just meant it. It just it just makes it a journey and one I'm looking forward to be able to tell

and see how I play out. You know that you said what you're looking forward to the most you know about the season. It's gonna be about the journey and how we handle, you know, the different circumstances that we that we come across. Soum. But now I seen him get to to to Philly. Um. The one I was heard about was when j B left. That's when I'm like, damn, lie, that's my dog. Man. I know, I appreciate him a lot, but at then the day had before him. Get with it,

you know, get what he deserves. Man, he didn't. He didn't get a lot of you know, he was here in Carolina and I just saw saw young man developed, you know, and he got better and better, and then he goes out, you know, obviously goes out to to uh New York, to New York, and that doesn't work out because of uh the brilliance of the former general manager kind of put you guys in in the quadri and you had to make some financial decisions whether people like it or disagree. You know. Um, he's a guy

that really didn't get a lot of credit. He's a hell of a dB. Right, he does not p bus technique just he and I really believe a lot of it has to do it because he's such a quiet he's like a quiet kid, silent assassin. But and he was here in Carolina and then we moved on hell of a player. Mm hmm. So Lashka bringing hard had the work type guy. Yeah, Yeah, that's a great some nation that is. Yeah, that is one more question for you, um in our research. You're really passionate about being the

hometown hero. Why is that? Uh Man? I left when I was the team and you know that was my really that's britty on my biggest Everybody said your why, and my motivation was I didn't want to go back home and people be like, damn, you know what I'm saying, Like I really resonated me, Like I went they sent

me to like fIF team every day. I wanted to make sure everybody back home problem even though some people hated it or talked some crazy stuff about it, but it made it that much more sweeter and that much more motivating to make sure I showed them like it

wasn't just because I was here. I could do this anywhere, and I just wanted to put on a bigger stage and then let everybody know, like guys back home like it's we really got dogs and all the people you know, they just go to different cities or the ones that's the most attractive. But it's like, Okay, I wanted to be the staple, all right, this is what it is. I mean, we had Davis my House to come out of there. Um, but like like Terry Backner, um, Jeff Thomas.

But as you're talking about all the guys that came out of your hometown St. Louis. But it's like I wanted to make sure that they can go back and get more. I understand, like a lot of talent there and just bring the words to the city. So I think that's really why I grew up trying to be home time here and it's being back home. Everybody's showing love of my dad, like I just don't want to sit and you know who he is and showing them dumb in love. Or I can be out somewhere and

oh you must be you know, chris On. And I think that's one of the things that I wanted to do. Like if I ever left and I come back, I'll make sure I got the same love. And just trying to pay it forward and make sure the kids you know after me or the people that's there and know that you know, really care about him and that ain't forgotten. I like that, But you know where you have to come to get come get right though. You know what

I tell you. You know, I tell you every time I said, man, it would have happened, but I don't know the role that it would win. I'm just messing with you. But it's it's different, different journeys for different people. I think I believe you know, if you're to win that ten and you may not have got that opportunity, but you needed that full development from your folks to be able to handle because l A is different. You know,

it's not for everybody. Everybody in l A don't make it from l A, right, So it isn't you know, it isn't something like that. But I just, I just I was just teasing. But I also think that's that what you said, your folks especially, there's one last thing that I wrote down, being a people person man, growing up, you know, growing up for even for myself growing up in the South, and then you growing up where you where you grew up and then come to l A.

It's a different mentality, man. It's not you know, the southern hospitality, yes, ma'am, you know, no, sir, yes sir, that's not a staple in l A. And so when you come to l A and you're like that, it actually helps break down a little bit of berries because a lot of folks in l A just kind of like in New York, man, they hustle, them bustling, and they you know, they're sitting on that and not sitting

on that ten freeway to full five. They ain't got time to be having a conversation saying yes sir, no, sir, thank you, being polite. It's just it isn't there so I I really believe that, you know, God was working at especially for you to have that purpose, because some people go back home and it's just not the same, you know it. Just choose them up and spin them out and and and they're never they're never. They really they sometimes lose their identity. So man, we'll appreciate your

appreciate your time. Dog and uh man look forward to look forward to seeing watch you make some plays. Man. Man, we're gonna get us some rabbits, some alligators for shark. Okay, almost saying something in your face. That's why I had to let him know, like now I mean to do it all right, appreciate, appreciate it. I'll stay blessed. You are a unique person. You are well worth it, you are competent, and most of all, your lovable. I'm Steve Smith Singer. I'm Gerard Little John and this is cut

to It. Cut to It with Steve Smith Senior. That is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC, Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect, and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio Apple Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows from Cut to It. Executive producer Steve Smith, SINGR co host Gerard Little John, Talented booking manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John Show from Balto

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