Austin Ekeler

about to let you know. It's all I was. I was with it with some guys I was meeting, and we were just kind of discussing business and um business, football and kind of like where we are today and then you know, foundation and all that stuff. And so I had a guy reminds me of a story that he heard about and said it was extremely intriguing. It was a two minute drill, he said. He heard me speak out the event, and he said that the way I articulated the two minute drill and apply that to

my life. Um, he was really he was thrown back by h M. I really excelled it into minute drill too. Minute drill is one of those things in the in the game so much controlled chaos, but in and and it's it's like, you know, being on the on the boat and it's it's rain wins, all these things that you have to score. You're trying to achieve something that's unachievable.

The defense is coming at you. They're they're coming in and try to get a sack, and you got guys, and all you're doing is literally very little verbal conversations. It's all hand signals and unspoken words. It's looks, it's winks and just body languages all that stuff. And you know,

I gotta read the corner and all that stuff. And so I used to really love the two minute drill because two minute drill really was a place where I really excelled the best because it was exactly what I was raising in l a control chaos or some people

say non control. Say it may not have been control because and I've I've heard you, I've been blessed enough to been around you a lot, and I've heard you use that analogy a lot, and it's that it's that, you know, kind of bouncing between the two minute drill is a place where there is chaos. Like you said, there's there's all these different things, all this information that's been um that's going back and forth, and you're saying you thriving that where a lot of people would say,

I don't know if I can handle this. It's a it's a high pressure situation. Now I'm thriving based on how you were raised. And it's chaos, but like the cliche terms, it's organized chaos. Like if you don't practice it. We knew we were going into. If you don't prepare yourself for different situations and that two minute drill, it is gonna be chaos. But like that's life in general. So if you can prepare your self for something like that, and where Steve's going is what life's all about. It

it's it's you gotta move on on a dime. You gotta be prepared. But you got your work and effort in the gym in the morning, or in your books, in your office or in your building and your contractors. You've gotta be prepared. So when those situations happen, it looks like chaos to all of us, But in your mind, man, this is what we work for every single day to be that way. But see, the thing is, not everybody handles the two minutes drill. You see, sometimes there's a

lot of mistakes. Guys. You get or you get the fatigue and it makes you lazy, and it makes you well, I I'm so tired, I can't go back a step. So then you get off size penalty two or three times in a row, like the Steelers in the Chicago game where the fatigue that's here, that that two minute.

I love it because I used to love it because I would sit there and everything's going on, and Jake or whoever it was, mainly Jake would give me because when cams are was a different offense and we would have we would speak, but with Jake we would just had numbers one huntry circle too, tender lay three which is three D and four wards. Reno. Now Reno actually was to play if you go back when I heard my leg that was an under route in which a

former teammate Hannibal Navy's uh horse collar um. And then I was also when uh Roy Williams horse collar uh um t o as well that year they've banned a horse collar. So that was on the reno. So we go out there and everything's going on that man Jake is giving me hand signals and I'm just sitting in my little side. If I'm on the right or the left side man, and why everybody's going. You gotta whoever gets the ball has to throw the ball to raft. Then you gotta go line up and then all you

on the ball, are you off the ball? And I'm sitting over there. Just give me my number. He gives me a one huntry circle. That's a hitch and under a streak and uh uh stop and in a circle by the running back. Man. I'm sitting there, and I look at the safety, I look at the linebacker and see what the defense is. And then we run another plate tend delay. Uh. Then I got a double end

or I got there. So all of that stuff, and yet through all of that, I'm sitting calm, collective, just giving me my assignment so I can go to work. And when I as I got older, that two minute drill became as it became more and more chaotic because I learned more and more what it was, and it was a valuable time and critical point, and I understood the gravity of if we don't execute this two minute drill,

we have the opportunity to lose the game. But when I was younger, I never thought about losing the game because I knew how to operate in this because I was I was kind of naive. As my old coach, UH Richard Williams say, blind dog in the meat house. You don't know, you know, you don't know what you don't know. You just you just smell it and you follow your sense. And when you're young, you follow your sense. You and you uh, you are aimlessly just going about

your business. But when you become older. I became older, and I started to realize that I actually don't like the two minute drill because the two minute drill became a place of that chaos where I wanted to relax. I wanted to allow my craft to do his work and not just just running around while my head cut off.

And so man, I always liked and I really think, and a lot of athletes saying, man, how you handle sports, it's how you're gonna handle life and life and sports really to some degree, depending on which way and which which side of the verdict or the result your own really in the case, how you handle it. I find it interesting though, that as you got older, you became more uncomfortable, even though your knowledge of the game increased

so much. Because the knowledge of the game made me think so much more that I was not willing to just give me a number and I run it because sometimes that fool didn't pick the right number sometimes or the defense we'll trick us. So you lost some of that blond dog in the in the in the meat store a little bit. As the more that you gained the information you lost a little bit. I don't want to say instinct may not be the right word. It was more of you became more calculated. That makes sense.

And I think the calculation of it right, and so and how do I try? How do I do that? Is? I looked at the I looked at the football field and playing football as like the pc H Highway. If you ever been in California, PC Highway goes from like Santa Monica all the way up to the Golden State Bridge out in San Francisco. You can you could go through Santa Santa Cruz up to Berkeley up to San Francisco.

It's awesome. The PC Highway is a beautiful strip of land over eight nine hours that you can see some of the best red woods and see some of the most gorgeous sunsets and some of the best beaches. You can see. Santa Monica. You can see Venice, you can see Malibu, Pacific Palisades, see all these remarkable homes. But there were so many times that I was on PC Highway, meaning the NFL, and not one time did I stop, put my son roof down, pull over and take a

selfie with the wife in the sunset. I never really, I never really enjoyed the view. I was too busy focused on the outcome. I really saying, let your side effect be your confidence. But also I have that positive self talk and also enjoy and be grateful for whatever you are dealing with that there is a PC Highway in your path. Stop smell roses, taking the sunset, hold your man or your wife's hand, and enjoy it because I'm telling you you're gonna look up one day. You're

gonna realize sixty years later. Damn, I never took that selfie. Who we got coming up on the Cut to It podcast, We've got Austin Ekeler, the starting running back for the Los Angeles Chargers. He's one of the NFL's leaders in rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns, but he's also a fantasy football guru and a mainstay on Twitch Austin Ekeler on the Cut to It podcast. Yeah, thanks for me a man looking forward to it. We're excited. We're excited. Our

first segments called get iced Up. All right, what's the pet peeve that gets under your skin? Pet peeve that gets under my skin? Um? I have a few. We'll start with the locker room and people have dirty locker next to mine? Right, I got a cataract, So locker if you have a dirty locker every every year at the beginning of the year, I established whoever's around me using some running backs. All right, here's the common area. This zero. I don't care what you do in your area,

but the common area needs to stay clean. Another one at home dishes in the sink. Can't do it, can't do that. Come on, that's that's one passed on from from from mama's Why why can't you pass on? They're gonna be there to them all Ah, No, man, I just need this. I need the kitchen to look clean every time we go to bed, so when I come down in the morning, it's like, yeah, that looks beautiful. So to me, do you cook? Yes, you can you cook? Cook?

I mean I'm not like or mat or anything. But like what what what is the dish that you've cooked that that was certified? Because if you say I can make a grilled cheese, that ain't a cook. So if you cook, you can't be come fighting eating. You can't you If you can't cook, you can't complain about Look. Look I can get by cooks fish. I can use the grill like you put fish on the grill. Yeah, you can't put fish on the Yeah, you get some butter, you get some parsley, get a little garlic salt. Oh yeah,

I put it on there. Yeah, Smithy got a theory on that. Yeah, hold up, Yeah, I think that. I think that's one of your pet ps. Fish on the grill. Seriously, what about on a smoker like smoking like smokes amon, I mean that's what a restaurant does. Yes, So that's what I'm just saying. That's okay, But I don't put fish on the grill. I'm not, but I'm just saying, if you just like if you put it on like a wood plank and you smoke it over like low, would you do that on my grill? No, I'm not

asking what I'm saying. A smoker in the grill like I'm talking about a grill bird, Oh my grill. I ain't talk much. I'm just saying period at your house maybe okay. And you know, if I'm coming over to your house, you probably wouldn't even do it, because you know I may say something, Oh my girl, I'm quick, whatever what I want. But do you smoke? Sam? It's delicious, Okay.

I ain't putting on fish on my damn grill. Disrespectful. Uh, you might as well come to my house and try to bring your meat trying to put it on my little pause? Are you one of those guys? If you want those guys? I can't say I've done that. No good I had to do one time come to my house. Hey man, do you mind? I looked at him. His name was Willie. I said, hell, no, you can't cook on my grill. Bro. He goes really, I said no, not walts into someone's house and start operating. There also

be intruders, right, you know how we handle intruders. Look at Austin is totally he's totally done with We're good, brother. Let's go all right. Your favorite favorite memory as a kid. Gosh, that's a hard one. Yeah, there's nothing that really stands out. I guess I really they haven't thought about it. Okay, we just skipped out. Okay, all right, the last song you listen to before you go out and play on playing the game. I actually have been on a no

music vibe this last couple a couple of weeks. But when it Dad would explain what happened. Man, huh, oh wow, we're talking. I had to you know, I'm all right now. I've actually been using this like visual This visualization ain't working, bro, you need to go back to the music working. I've been using the all season, not just this last game. Last game, we gotta ask it. That's what it was. Yeah, the Ravens. Yeah they brought it. Man, I know, I know, you know he was there and you did visualize. Oh

my god. Oh all right, you want to know you want to know one of mine? Yeah? What you got a deal? Bro? Really? Yes? There before the game is savage mode. Okay, he wants to say something, but he's not sure. No, I gotta open mind, man. I'm not very judgmental man, like I'm a damn. That reminds me of MJ. The Last Dance where m J pre game is listening to Kenny Lattimore and some savage stuff. Bro. I like a deal Bro she her new song fire. I might listen to it, you know what. It got

me a little bit. Though. What's the song called? Uh like, it's called yeah easy. I hope we got right to this. I mean we we we can't afford that. We're still on the budget. Shout out of our heart. I'm gonna look into it. No. Um, Yeah, I like a Dell though, bro Easy owner is pretty good and sold my goal to though. What's that rolling in a deep? I can't go wrong with that? Yeah, I can't. I roll it a deep and then go go peel back on the lineback and before they hit the rule. That was before

they hit the rule boom deep. All right, all right, here's the last one. This is the This is actually a really good one, and I think you can really appreciate it. And this is you're gonna steal it and that's that's cool. Just make sure you uh make sure I get the credit. All right? If you were if you were president and you had three people to assist you, who would you pick? And why? Wow? Yeah, so we're

not even is on the president part? Just the three people that would help you, And why would you pick those three people? My mother absolutely, she's been my caretaker. She's single mom raised me and my little bro. Who would be my other pick? Because that's family. That's my closest family. So that I got. So if that's your closest family, is he the clean up guy? Clean? Because we all got a family member that we roll with. They don't really know how to do anything but the

clean up yours. That's here's the thing, man, he's gonna learn. My little brother he's a grinder just like I am. He's gonna learn. Right, he's a cleaner, he's regardless of everyone's got the role. Bro a your mom brother. And then Cameron Weiss, He's become one of my best friends over over the years. He's also my attorney, um, my business partner, one of my best friends that I've been working with for a while a long time. Yeah, he

got his little house of cards. You got to cleaners. Yah, got the physical cleaner and it didn't happen the mastermind behind it right alright? Cool? Alright, So how are you doing today? I'm doing great, man, doing great Tuesday, which is usually my community day where I'm really trying to uh connect and just get out there and talk to people. You got a whole day designated to community a priority. Man, we feel honored them that you're gonna spend that community.

I honestly feel on it. Like I love when people have podcasts when people want to bring me on because I'm like, yes, Like I think this is something that guys in the league, just people people in general have a platform to do more often, because I don't think people understand the actual importance of media and community and connecting, especially for after your sport is over, Like that's when it really plays a part so you can actually go

out and do something that you want to do. Um, it's not often that a lot of people think about that at this point in their career. Why is that so front of front of mine? For you, Millennaise, It's because I never thought I was gonna be in the NFL. Mhm. I never sat out. I was never like, oh, I'm gonna go to the NFL when I'm playing in college,

I went to a division to school. I focused everything I could on my involvements, which is football and my education, and I thought I was gonna go into business world. I thought was gonna get into real estate, and then football gave me an opportunity, and I put everything in my power to go and take advantage of the opportunity to try to make it work. Ended up working out,

and so that mindset stayed with me. I always knew football was going to be a starting point for me, but not the endpoint, right, And so now I'm in football, I have this platform. I'm gonna use it as a tool to better myself as a person and also connects UM and get a head start on kind of you know, the things that I had perceived me. I kind of like, I guess me back up my passions, right. It's pushing me towards my passions and helping me connect with people

in that space. And my passion is connecting with people and helping people. That's why my foundation, that's why I started, like some of my companies that I have, is to help people better themselves by giving them resources so they can learn more about themselves, so they can become a better version of themselves. And I really find fulfillment in that. So that's why I'm using this platform to get back

to that um. And so that's why you know, I think my mindset is based on that because it was never about football for me and now I'm using football absolutely, but still more about people. How do you keep focused on the sport, playing football and performing and not making it? You know, you hear people, You hear I say, millennials. You hear a lot of young guys now in the league talking about their brand and you know, you know, being a part of the p A. I was a

player rep. So hearing about the pas, you know, hearing about all these young guys talk, my man, I gotta make sure my brand is on point. But if your brand if you can't. If you you could be a brand corner, but you can't stop nobody that brand. Here's the thing that football is giving me all these opportunities that I've had to this day, and so playing though and make your plays to maintain percent, you have to be relevant, you know, and the more relevant you are,

the easier it's going to be to get connection. Stuff like that. You can still get connections just having being part of the shield, but it don't run as deep. But here's the thing. My mindset has been football because this is what's got me here at this point. So that's why that's how you don't get distracted. That's why

Tuesday is a big day for me. I like that because there are times where guys consume themselves with their brand, and then they start to believe that their brand is so big, and then you look at their stats and they don't. You're all starting the community, but you're a bench warmer on the field. I'm serious. So you see, I think you said a lot where people skew more towards the brand and forget why that they're in the

first place. I tell you what, talking to Austin right now being a Los Angeles charger, not talking about his sam but there's some dudes on his team right now are average, but because they're in a big market, they think they're a lot better than what they are. A snicker,

you know what I'm talking about that. I'm sure it's easy to get connected when you're in when you're in one of those large markets New Yorker or Miami, You'll be talking to guys and I'm like, I'm sitting there, going he's on special teams and it's not the wrong of being on special teams. But then when I'm talking like I've had conversations with dudes where I felt like I gotta go, man, I gotta google myself because I just had this interaction was off a phrase i'd like

to say. He's gotta keep the main thing, the main thing. That's true though, the main thing, the main thing, right, and then you know, then you can do stuff on the side. But yeah, absolutely, you gotta make a presence. Um just obviously build a brand that's you know, substantial. But now I feel you, man, it's you gotta stay on track. He's giggling because he knows there's some guys on this team right back. That's every team. No, it's

on bigger, bigger city teams though, because you ain't. I don't. I don't run up against the dude. I never ran up against dude. And since NAT thinking, you know what, I'm a little home man, like, excuse me, So where was that I forgot, which I was somewhere in the dude was like, yeah, man, you know, I check you out here and there. I looked at him and said, excuse me, you check me out like he was like

he was like telling me like he did me. He was doing me a favor, and I was just like, uh, man, it's he in a big market that big market got him confused with himself. Look, you gotta use it though, That's what I'm saying, man, you gotta you gotta use the market. If you have it, use it. You can't. You can't be on people's head because they're, you know, the guy on their team, but they're trying to, you know, connect, Like I'm just saying. A great example is current right now.

DK metcalf is wiping his booty with Shannon Sharp stats. Excuse me, that's what he said. He said he wiped his He said, you washed stuff. I want to be Yeah, So if you go to cut to it, um my social media. I went and looked up eight time Pro Bowler, Hall of Famer Shannon Shark, and then I looked up um DJ's stats, and I know they're skewed because of time, but I just had to look him up because I was trying to figure out which number is d K

wiping his boat with. Is it the ten thousand wow, ten thousand yards to six of two touchdowns or the Hall of Fame or the eight Pro Bowls? Trying to figure out which which one is he using it? See a man, here's my thing, Like I told you, I keep it open minds. I'm not I'm never never being like I'm better than you, I'm better than like. That's

what you get in trouble. There are some guys I'm better than though, I know that for absolutely absolutely, Like there's a few guys I know I'm better than today right now at forty two two, right now, right now, I don't want you to play nobody. We just I'm just that conversation. There are some there are some dbs who will try to compress me. No chance, no chance. Now. I may not be able to go get that gold ball like I used to at forty two, but I will punish this dB trying to press me. Though you

ain't even worried about that. I ain't worried about this ball. You're gonna catch these, you're gonna cas You're gonna get word about that route, anything about the route you're about to give. You're about to get four wings not. 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 this wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my answers questions. Um, yeah, I got all my questions answered. That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a podcast dot com. Alright, last one, last one for this time that we've had your schedule on the podcast. It has been killing me and I gotta get it in my nose. It'sn't red. You gotta explain

this cooked eggs and raw eggs nonsense. Yeah, for whatever reason, I don't know, like having right or not having cooked eggs, whether they're scrambled hard, whatever is it just it just makes me like want to throw up, Like, okay, it's a texture thing. I don't know if it's a texture if I just had a rotten one one time, but it's for me, it's ruined. It's ruined. So you're to make up for that you eat raw eggs. So no, I don't. I'm not like Rocky like cracking in my

mouth type stuff. You know, it's I put it like a smoothie, y'all, crack up for the protein. Yeah. Yeah, but I've had people try my smooth like bro that is absolutely terrible guessing my nutrients. So it's it is what it is. It's acquired. Would not recommend. Yeah, hey, look the thing is, I'm not gonna throw up, so work for you. I'm good, all right? Um Hey, so where are you from in the place you call your hometown? Eat in Colorado town? Where's that? Uh? In regards to Aspen.

Aspen is in the mountains. So I'm like north northeast corner of Colorado. How far downtown Denver from Denver? Probably hour and a half drive, So sure I can hit you you you hit that your hometown before you hit Aspen. Man from from downtown. It depends on where you're coming from. It's Denver, Aspen's west of Denver. I'm east of Denver, Yeah, northeast. So yeah, small town man, like I said, Like like you said, out in the farmlands man, like cornfields all around.

One stoplight town, tiny little, tiny little town. But because it a stoplight or stop song, stoplight, we got what we had one stop flight when I was there. It's grown sense, Like just was it like yellow red yellow, yellow, red green, or was it just rant. Yeah, we had all three colors, like one of those towns you go through on the highway and you just like stop so

we can turn yield. You know, if you get too many city folk in there and it's just one nobody knows where to go right and to the right and to the left. The sun I got right, all right. So so growing up, you know, how did it make you look at at the world. I became became a product of my environment. When you're when you're working, when you're working on the ranch, your ranch hand, your build a fence, you're playing sports like it's just engraved and

you like you just grind, like it doesn't matter. You can be good. There's no excuses. I used grind, whether it's to get the job done. Like I remember, you know my mom's ex husband, Uh he gets these these jobs like he's a fence builder, and these are not just like your picket fence, Like this is like twenty miles of barbed wire fence, like over the summer, Like we're tucking mega projects. So out here like grinding, grind, no excuses or you know, you're not gonna like the

consequences kind of thing. And so I was in a situation where I like, I gotta get out of here, I gotta get out of this, and I knew I need to get and so a great and grade this work ethic in me that I didn't complain because I knew I couldn't, But I just I just grinded. I just worked and finally got in this situation where I get out of there, out of call and got into college and now I can kind of choose my fate and when I wanted to get into and that mindset

stayed with me, and that mindset stay with me. It was like, look, act like, look, this is what your life depends on right here, you haven't success, whether it's in your your education or your football career. And that stayed with me, and it stayed with me now and now football is obviously my opportunity and it stays with

me now. That's why I never forget. That's why I always connected community, because it took so many people with so many connections and so many people continue to be around me and help me out in my mindset to give me to this point that now I'm trying to help other people do that. So that's what Eaton Colorado like it for me. It wasn't always the best uh you know, just situation, but it definitely helped me as far as get to me give my mindset right for

you know, this opportunity. So I talked about that my wife wants. My wife is like she's so all about self efficiency, right, and she wants a farm so bad, bro. Like we're driving around. We drove to Marshall, North Carolina, which is I live in Charlotte, right, I live outside of Charrette, like thirty miles side show. I was closer in Marshall, North Carolina to Tennessee than I was to Charlotte, three hours each way. It was sixteen acres at a goal.

It was just she loves it. I'm a city boy, man, nothing about me speak to farm like spark to farming, and hands said farm. The table ain't in my dad? Yeah, man, I was twenty miles away from my school, so every day drive twenty miles into school. Like that's you didn't drench do snow? Yeah but literally yeah, Like I lived on like a plot of land. It was eighty acres, which sounds like a lot, but in that area that's just normal just because it's nothing. But that's that's about dirt.

That's a lot of land. But like I think my mom ended up selling that place for like like th so like this is just straight dirt, Like you can buy land in this area. That's just nothing but landing. There's no development, there's nothing there. Um. So it's just so it's the place where when you escape prison, that's where you go. You're out there in the ranch and out there the plains in Colorado. No one's gonna find you.

So so tell me what is the good and the bad for me if if talk me into it, it out of it, Like what what it would be the advantage and disadvantages of it? Because you experienced it as a kid and you know what what it's done for

you as a dolt. Right, so your like your ten thousands your ten thousand foot view of it of being a kid, being raised on it and now being adult and seeing how that work ethic actually helped you become who the great player you are, the fantastic player you are right now, and give you that mindset so you know, selp me on why I should or should not. Well, here's the thing. It wasn't my choice to be out there.

That's why I'm asking that wasn't to be out there if I if I had to do it again, I wouldn't. I wouldn't be hout tae. I have a pen, go ahead with a nice leather chair right now. So it ain't exactly he passed in from from the farm right now. I even grew up in the life man. I wrote bulls for a few years, like like two of us. There's two black men of roll bulls on his podcast and mine was mechanical. But anyway, okay, he was over here. He was in the genuine pony video. I don't know

if you saw that in which video? Remember mind, I forgot eight difference now. So I was on a Thursday night where was at will was in Philly and they had a mechanical bull and I'm like, I want to ride the ball and they're like really, I'm like yes, and they're like, you're in a suit. I said, that's even that's even better. That just shows you my athleticism. And so I read them I wrote a mechanical bull in a suit. I saw that video, I'm like, who

in the hill? And they were like, but the dude that was doing it, I had to given look like the first I gave him a side I then I just gave him a stare, like a bro, don't your job ain't to make me fall off. This is just a little experiment to say I did it. He over there, I'm gonna make Steven. Yeah. And so I actually fell off because I sitched. It was starting to speed up. I'm like, come on, bro, like this suit right now. Really ain't trying to get split right j B Divarsity

real quick? He took it. No, he took D one, he skilled one. I know. I realized it was time to get off Paulse because my calve was starting to cramp right right right. No, I'm that because they said, you know, well, you know you gotta squeeze. I was over there, like my right legs, my right legs said, boy, you better slow down. We're gonna give out just advanced pauls. Second, so we're just gonna give a blanket one. All right, So tell me so, like what so what it was

your dreams? First off, you're not gonna need that suit out there. You're gonna need that. She's not gonna be having any types of events like that unless you actually drive somewhere, which you're gonna have to drive because you're out in the country. Um. About the only thing that I enjoyed about it was actually having space, like you actually see like space like as far as like just wilderness, like you're not concrete jungle. Um. Other than that, I

was not a fan. I was just locked in my room playing video games, hanging out with a little bro um, not really trying to interact. Because Yeah, we had horses, we had some cows, we had chickens. We had a goat that was so mean. We had this goat man. Let me tell you, if you you stepped outside, he

would come from our horse pens. You gotta go out with the whoofleball bat to protect yourself from this goat because this goat running across what is it n backs and health was healthy was over here talking about a ghat story in which his uncle on his that try to get him to kill a goat. Yeah, shoot, let's go shoot this go trying to kill you. Outside. He's sprinting across the lawn. You can literally beating him with the wolf a ball bat trying to get him off you. Um,

so yeah that was a thing. Uh. Did you have to pick eggs? You had to pick up. Oh yeah, yeah, you go pick up eggs. I'll take care of the chickens because you can't have them out overnight because it's the coyotes. There's a lot of kayas out there, stuff like that. So it's it's definitely if if you're into like, hey, you're gonna take care, live up the land like your your wife sounds like self efficient, then you can make

it work. But you can have to realize there's not a lot of opportunity out there's no social life your mile. You're like, my closest neighbor was like half a mile away, um, and we didn't even talk to them. Other neighbor who was three miles away from your house the mall. Wow, probably forty five to fifty minutes, twenty minutes to school, twenty minutes of school or to go. Did they have a bus to cough? No, the bust didn't go that far. I was outside of the district. Did having those chores

at a young age was it helpful? Absolutely? Absolutely helpful. It taught me that, hey, look, sometimes you got to do stuff in life that you don't like to do. Definitely taught me that. I remember, I think the worst job that I had out there was I mean, I had a feed water horses year round, which I didn't like because it where my horses I didn't ride, And I was like, what the hell? Um, But in the wintertime in Colorado it snows, and guess what, horses can't

break their own ice. And we didn't have any like bubblers or anything. So I'm not there with a sledgehammer breaking ice, watering horses during the wintertime, trying to forget those memories. God, but definitely taught me it looks sometimes you just gotta you gotta do what you gotta do to get by and make sure you know everything's taken care of. So as far as then says working, Yeah, what time did you wake up in the in the mornings? Um,

probably six thirty and then six thirty. What did that entail? Uh, six thirty, wake up, go downstairs, put on some clothes, it's says the wintertime, you gotta put on some clothes, so you actually go outside, feed the horses, make sure the ice is broken so they can drink, then go back inside, shower, get ready for school and ready for ready for the day. And that's that's that's work. So sorry, So you're so, what's the what's the verdict? I'm not

gonna say what the verdict? My bad hit Hancho in here? Uh Ninja ain't trying to do all that. I worked too hard to be all right. Well, we got we gotta we got. We got a section called Let's Hope Ball. We'll hit on a little bit of your career and and how you're performing as an athlete. So now you're captain on the Chargers. How is your approach to the game change from seventeen to it today? My approach hasn't changed at all. The moment, you know, I was like, hey,

you have a pro day. Like, I literally dropped everything and put every ounce of effort that I could into football. I was like, this is the biggest opportunity I've ever had. There's not gonna be any ounce of my body that says, hey, I wish I would have tried harder. So I dropped everything. I told my family, look, I know you guys are excited for me, but like, just kind of just chill,

let me do this. I'll we'll talk after um, I went and trained down in Denver, actually dropped out my last semester of college just to focus on training um and just went all in. I went all in as as much as I possibly could. I did that, and at the end of the fourth preseason game, I got asked like, Hey, do you feel like you made the team, And I was like, I don't know if I made the team, but I do know one thing is that I couldn't have tried any harder. That was all you

can get from austin effort. And that was my mindset and that's stay with me because that's what's made me, you know, take advantage of opportunities. Right. I ended up making the team, and then my role was special teams and special teams, and to me, I was never backup. I'm not backup like I'm starting in my role. Like on paper, I might be a backup, but I'm out here and making my plays out here on special teams because that's my opportunity. That's absolutely to to have a

have a winning product. Absolutely, And so that's what it was for me, and that that mindset continued to stay with me because it came in next year and now I had more you know, offensive, you know action, just because my role continued to change as I continue to optimize my opportunities. And that's why I said, nothing's changed beside my role, Like my mindset is still the same.

I still am, and now I'm even trying to help my young guys, like guys who need I need you, Like, let's go Like I'm not Derrick Henry out here is a big old bruiser, you know, Nick Chubb. We can take the entire game right, like I'm a hundred pound five eight like, boys, I need you, let's go. Um. Just good for them to like just have a positive room. But it's it's been a progression as far as it's just my role has changed, not necessarily my mind set. Good do good, do good. Let's get down to do

it good. Hey Gerard, why didn't 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 subscribed to us wherever you listen to podcasts. You being who you are and and and being raised on the farm and dealing with what you dealt with gave

you every opportunity that was afforded to you. By being at the right place at the right time and applying the right amount of hard work on a consistent basis. All of a sudden, Melvin Gordon believes he deserves more money than they're offering. And that's where you that's where an opportunity comes and you took full advantage of it.

How awkward, difficult? Interesting was it? You stepped into that role and to the Atlanta's the head coach who used to be a running backs coach, who understands right, very level headed, You're getting your opportunity. Melvill Gordon's whole now waiting for more money. Are you out here becoming a start and running back based off of opportunity? How? How

did you? How did you handle that? And did it ever become awkward because of you know, the current situation at that time and it's been a few years now and he's doing great, You're doing great. So it's just more of I've always I've never had that, and so this is an opportunity to ask you because very rarely have we been afforded to talk to the you know, I like to call it the wally pip right, somebody got the opportunity. You took advantage of it by happenstance.

And you know, and that's just how it is. You didn't get to pick it. You just you just get to receive the opportunities to give him. Absolutely. That's yeah. You couldn't said any better. You know. That's what we have to deal with, right that. So we have to stay patient and stay patient and deal with opportunity that you have a hand. And in that situation, even leading up to that, the year before the year before that, before he us held out like we were splitting. It

wasn't and I wasn't doing bad. Man. You asked the fantasy community, like, man, you're killing it the first time ever on cut to a fantasy community. He is a character witness to Austin acklers career on trial. Oh yeah, with the fantasy community, he got segments on it stuff. Oh yeah, I'm in there. I told you about community, man, about people. But like I'm playing, I'm playing well. I'm consistent, man, I'm efficient. Like I'm not flashy or anything like that.

They've been flashy, but I'm consistent. Efficient. And what do you need this Lee? You need to be consistent, you need be efficient, right, And so he came into that year, and he told us actually in UM and O t A he's gonna be holding out, and just like like that's the situation, that's what they've decided. On his end, it's like, well, I mean that changes nothing for me. My mindset is still the same. Man. Now I'm gonna now my roles changed. But guess what, I'm still coming

in as a starter. Now I'm actually started on paper. And I get three games and I had I don't even know I was going off though, that was going off, and it kind of just I think it shook shook it up, shook up the situation. Then he ended up coming back and he expected It's like wait a minute, like, um, I gotta make sure I get back and get my reps. And I heard him, man, I heard him. I feel bad for the guy too, because it's like you sat

out all this time. And it was so obvious too, because when he came back, it was just like it wasn't the same melvil Gordon that I've been used to see him. Right, it's because he missed all the O t A s, all preseason four games and then just kind of get thrown in. You can't simulate. You can train all you want. You can't simulate game speed. Never. You never when he tells you in training camp, I mean he tells you an as I'm sitting out head, you know, in the helmet, you're like really, but in

your heart, what were you thinking? I already knew I was gonna give my reps. Getting my reps. Man, you were like, I just got four more rents appreciated. It's not even about that. I know what you're saying. I'm just asking because this stuff like that just doesn't happen, like, hey, yo, I'm holding out. It's more like he's holding out shocker like opportunity in preparation meat. Absolutely absolutely, I was ready.

I was already ready. I was ready before then. And now I was like, hey, now you're gonna get a test. This is a test opportunity. Can you can you carry the load? Which after four weeks of carrying lett I was like god damn, which I was like, dank, God, He's back, Like my body man. They're like, man, hey mom, I know I'm a starter, but I needed to get I need to get some of these other pasts that you actually kind of land into the next question, what's

what's your offseason? Regiment consists of you're known for the way you take care of your body. What does that regiment look like? Number five at hey listen, Hey, I'm five. I don't know. Working out man, that's literally what I do. I'm working out, gym, working out Jim rab Bro. It's just it's like therapeutic for me, honestly, Like I'm working out, like I don't know if you seen my videos, it's just like what I do. I just I just work out videos and now I have a few video. I

do a couple of challenge. I did that like one arm pull up, I did like four one arm pull ups. And I did like the four or five squad challenge. No One like thirteen reps on four or five challenge, challenging people like I hear like, hey, we's out here lifting like this four five you know. Just that's just that's just who I am. Like, I mean, like, guess what,

That's what I do. Baby. It really is like it's it's like my happy place when I'm just want to get away clear to mind, Like I just go lift, like when I'm bye week, you know, and they're getting a good lifting this morning, full five out of here. My knees may say my knees, Hey, we gotta you know who a c L M pcl l c L

We're not gonna be here. How was the jump from D two to the NFL for me particularly, There's a lot of unknowns, so many unknowns because I didn't come for D two that like, hey, they've had a few NFL you know guys in the past, like it was me, but it was me. I was the first one that made it from the NFL. They've never even seen a call NFL scout up at you know, Western Colorado before. I'm not I'm not happy, that's the thing. So there was so much uncertainty, Like I didn't know if I

was good. I was definitely good in my situation, and D two dominated for four years, but it was as far as like, you know, D one or even even further going into the NFL is like I don't understand or know how I like, you know, compared to these guys, right, And I didn't know that until I got to my pro day and I was like, you know, like I can hang, like my measurables are great, like you know, my mind, I feel like with it, you know, mentally,

I can understand a playbook. Definitely struggled, but that was that was the biggest thing. That was the unknown, which I mean it's probably the same from D one to D to NFL, but from D two, I'm not around any of these guys like, oh, you know, I have a buddy that played here last year that's in the league now he's not telling me. I didn't have any of that. So I think the biggest thing was just That's why I cared so much about it. I was just like, hey, I'm putting everything into this. I'm going

to blind. You're going to blind. You better make sure you're prepared, right. So that's what That's what it was for me, And that was the biggest Was it the Pro Day that made it feel real? When did it get real, really really real, real real as in like hey I might have a shot. I think it was when we were Pro day training, when I was training for my Pro Day because then I'm around because I

actually trained with Christi McCaffrey. So it was like a perfect like comparison for me today, Okay, let me size myself up, like I was way stronger than him, and I mean, yeah, he was faster and had you know his dad obviously, Ed was helping him as far as like technique stuff like that. So I can see them working and I'm watching him move around like he has definitely his strength at my strength. But I was like, you know what, like, you know, I can hang with

this guy. Um. And that's where it really started to become real for me. Um. Was was during pro day training getting around some of the other d one some of the draft picks u UM. And then yeah, then got my opportunity when you had your pro day? Was it at the college or was down at the at the facility you were training. So Western Colorado is in the mountains about seven thousand, eight hundred feet so during pro day time of year, there's snow everywhere on the ground.

So I had to go to see you because we don't have indoor up there, so literally the snow, y'all were practicing outside. Yeah, so our our spring ball wasn't util really late until the snow starts to melt because they literally had to come in with like bulldozers and take the snow out of the town because it doesn't melt, it just stays around during the winter. Yeah, crazy, crazy little town on the pamphlet. Yeah, you screw your air Airbnb money up. Yeah. Yeah, so you have to go

to your University of Colorado, yeah, see your boulder. Yeah. And so you did your pro day. Did you have to I'm imagining you had to seek permission? Yeah. So it's actually a savage the way they did it because you had to see permission to be in what they called like the add on group, which is let to

see you guys go. And then after the add on group, which I was a part of, and so there's like twenty of us and they let all of us run a forty and they let all of us do the jumps, and then after that they cut everyone besides me in some other corner. So there was there was like eighteen twenty people that are just like, hey, we don't need

to see anymore. And so straight up I was just like, wow, these people were You can imagine how they're feeling because they just trained all this and they just did a couple of measurables and they were done, didn't do any drills, nothing. Um, So they cut it down to two of us and so it was me. I did some running back drills, ended up the day and it finished out the day. So luckily I made the cut and got the opportunity most of the scout stage to watch me in that

corner um perform in the corner. I don't remember who he was. I don't even know, but yeah, there was a lot of upset agents trainers. They're yelling at the scouts man like this is a b something like straight up, straight upright drills, Like hey, what, I made the cut, so I'm gonna go do some drills as my son, as my son Peyton would say, I think this is an interesting one. So I have to be very careful. I say this. You're a Los Angeles Charger, but you

weren't always a Los Angeles Charger. At some point you were San Diego Charger. I was never saying, no, I've always been in l a Charger. Okay five years, man, we've been up for a while now. Yeah it's been a minute. It has. The reason I was I phrased it that way is when you guys were at the I think it was the home depot center right, and or playing at the soccer stadium. Oh yeah, when yes, we y'all first got there, it was like away game

every game because I worked that game. Bro. It was like when when the San Diego Chargers left, right, because I know you know Eric, Eric Weddle made him played college ball together, right, and he was telling me how like just how bad it was, like the fans just did not want them to leave, and it was a city and and NFL thing, right, it wasn't and the fans got caught in the middle. And when they were at the Stubhubs. Man, it was like a way game

for them. Every game that's a different dynamic. Bro. I'm like every game in my in my exaggerating, I had played away games. We had to go on silent counting our own home games for like still still yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's tough with y'all balling though, y'all balling right now. Yeah, So let me ask let me ask you one, oh yeah, just far. Did you always know you're gonna get into some type of podcast or

how'd you come into this space? Cont A great question, great, bro, These dudes been working on me for like two or three years. Podcast a podcast. To me back in the day when they were trying to get me do it was like blue cheese, which I hate, Like I had no desire to do a podcast, like I wouldn't even listen to podcasts. You asked me, asked me to go on the podcast, Like I'm not doing that ship on a podcast, stupid podcast. Yeah. Now I'm like, hey, you

want to come on the podcast. Hey, Steve, come on the podcast. I just started doing it. I started doing a podcast. So we were in we're going to We're actually going to Colorado. We're in Colorado, We're going to college, and he was like, bro, you should think about a podcast. I said, all right, which we've been talking about for about a year at least. Yeah, I'm all right, I'll do the podcast on the one condition we're doing my wife and whatever the way was it gonna be right?

And so how I did it is I said, all right, if we're gonna do the podcast, let's do it in the way. And he was like, well, what do you mean your way? Well, being a figure that the athletic figure I am, people would always have a disposition or prejudice towards me, or you're like a preconceived, preconceived notion like I had a guy I spoke at the event a couple of weeks ago, and I had a guy This is what he told me, straight in my face. No lie, straight facts boy, no way boy, that's what

he says. I never really liked you as a football player, but as a man man, really respect you. Like I didn't know how to take that. And then he handed me his business card. Would you like to know what I did with that business card? I looked at it and I googled his stuff because I just didn't understand how he thought he was giving me a compliment. I didn't like you as a player, like, okay, like I'm not a restaurant. You could choose, But I just didn't know how to take it. And I really feel like

that's how a lot of people are. They either like you and there are they are Austin Neckler, Steve Smith fan, or they're not, and nothing you can do will change that. Actually, the more stuff that you humanize yourself that actually turns him off there like oh he's trying to act like he's a regular guy. How dare him? And so I took the podcast, said all right, we do it. Let's let's do the podcast on sports. Let's talk to sports people,

but let's talk about them. So the nickname of you know, we went through all these names, uh, copastatic Um, cutting room Floor, Uh, the flat Bill chronicles. These are some of nowhere behind the scenes, behind the scenes of the

that was That was? That was Bill. Yeah, Well, let me say this, man, I think you're in the right space, man, because I think I think we need more people like yourself that are actually willing capable of doing this, because there's so much to break down when it comes to the building blocks of how people become who they are, and especially someone if you're your caliber of just influence, like you have connections to people and that people will

talk to you, it will come on your podcast. What's that I don't utilize as much connections that I have, bro. I really struggle with my connections because of the insecurity, because of some of the stuff that I've I've dealt with growing up that I just and because how how

many people want things from us. I don't want to be that guy that's that's one thing from other people, and so it is the internal dialogue is and I'm just like everybody else, asking people for their time, asking them for something, and so I kind of but I have to this podcast also as actually stretches me because now I have to say, which as a young man who's dealt with some of the things I dealt with, I need you. I need you to help me on my podcast. Will you broke a lot of like talking

myself into it. Man, I got a guy right now, I'm not gonna say that I want to have on the podcast. And I hesitate on asking that individual because I don't want to come off the wrong way. I don't want him to come off feeling used by me. M hmm. Yeah, I'm saying there is there's somebody mine said that you can have when it comes to a podcast,

and I'll play I'll play Devil's advocate. I'll I'll play the other side, you know, from from someone like my perception of this even how you can approach people, it's like it's just breaking it down, Like I said, let's let's break down life. Let's go let's chat it out as casual, like like how you keep it casual right, because it's it's not like you're asking, It's like, let's let's just shoot the ship. Yeah, let's let's go, let's go to let's we wanted one of the names chop

it up? Yeah, that was I was taking it. Does it does. He was shooting the breeze, that's what it was. And the brief. Yeah, we we went, yeah, we went down there, keeping it cope asthetic. So he kept going off the West coast keeping the copasthetic. Uh. There was a dude that had it, but he had a different word, but his keeping a cop he actually his podcast is uh, he served time and so his is uh they communicate with other guys that are coming back into the world

through prison. I was like, man, I don't want to. I don't want to infridge or get our name mixed up. So I was like, we're just gonna stay away from it because it was a dude from the West Coast doing this thing. And I was like, nah, man, you know it's already. It's it's tough in these streets already. I don't need you don't I don't need competition. I don't want to take from him. M So yeah, So man, this has been pretty I mean, you can't ask for a better for a better wrap up than that. And

we got and we got Austin to coast. Honest man, I like that. Come on. So I'll tell you, um, you know, the whole premise on the podcast is just really like you're saying, it's just conversation is being about you and learning about you. Because there are some fans who I don't know what you experienced. They just see you on the football field, right, They just see what you tweet or or what you have on I G

or Facebook or Twitch, whatever it is. But they don't hit a real story that realized that grew up on the farm, getting up, getting up at six in the morning to chisel water and then getting getting your ass beat by goat every morning. Right, no linebacker easy? So what was that building? Ghosts name? We didn't name it, shooting name. It still mean. We had another goat that was named Betsy. We like Betsy, but that name that one, we didn't name that one. That's a black folks right

name right there, Betsy. That's like a like a car or something, brown Oldsmobile. That was our car, brown Oldsmobile. Her name was. We had a we had arrested blue shaving Caprice Betsy. No, it wasn't all right. Well, I'll tell you what though, my wife is gonna be mad that you talked her. Talk to me out of getting this phone. Don't do it. Don't do it. Appreciate it. 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 Singer. 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 app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to

your favorite shows from Cut to It. Executive producer Steve Smith Singer, co host Gerard Little John, talent in booking manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John show from Balto Creative Media. Cut to It is produced by Brian Baltaschevitch and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrek, Production coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, Lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You heard them about it,

and we're about to let you know. You know It's It's all m