Chase Edmonds

Do Let's cut right into this. So I want to have a debate discussion me and my boys and on group chat. The other day, as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, we start to have in this this text discussion around who's a legend and who's an icon. Some people are saying Kobe Bryant is an icon. I say Tim Duncan is a nicon right, one of the best power forwards

of all time. And this isn't a necessarily a discussion about just basketball, but what makes a person a legend, what makes a person nicon, whether that's sports, whether that's whatever, But what's the difference between the two. And I don't think that there's a right and wrong answer. It was just a lot of good dialogue. So I wanted to ask my two guys, who have extensive history in sports, what's a legend and what's an icon? It's hard to

really we utilize that word so much. And what's funny is you know, you you know, I always like to I like to look up words, the definition of the word. Which definition got you got dialed up? Right now? Icon? Okay, less commonly mhm mhm, s it bro, I said. Another one is a graphic symbol on a computer display screen. Anyway, we're gonna have to ask Siri. That ain't helping me. When I think sports, I always think, I go to

the word legendary. I don't know if I've used the word icon from a sports perspective, but more like from an entertainer or a musician perspective for me. So, like, you know, if you think about what singing icons or like like jay Z I call icon, I would say

he's an icon. I don't say legendary, you know, but you know, you look at Michael Jordan's and I, well, you know that I think the group, you know, top of the line is he's a legendary, he's not iconic, And you brought up Kobe, so I filled this back. Was was Kobe legendary while he was dunking on folks? And because he's moved on, is now the iconic? So people that have left us and gone to another place? I think we use the word icon much more than we do legendary. It almost seems as if do you

have to earn being a legend? Yeah? You know what do we dub people icons and you have to earn legendary? It is it transitional? So yeah, that's what's So here's the here's the question that started off. So we reset it even though we don't what do we deem it more prestigious being an icon or a legend? Because here's where, here's where I go, Here's where I go. I don't

know if Joe was going here or not. But you can be a legend and no one knows who you are, right Like they're people we probably know from back home that man, they were a legend, but maybe they didn't, maybe they didn't make it. Here's what I'm asking and this little this group of three out of the two, is legend one icon two? Or is icon one and legend?

I put icon higher than the legend r I would say, I would say, I'll read what legend is coming down from the past popular regarding as historical, A person or thing that inspires that's legend. So again, based off those two, what do you deem or what do you say if we're trying to summarize the chicken or the egg? You know, what do we believe is more valuable to be a legend?

Where a person or thing that inspires you coming down from the past or always saying icon, I think an icon is almost transcendent, right, Like like you mentioned jay Z is an icon in rap. Everyone everyone can Everyone has not established a career or reached the heights that the jay Z has, right, but you can be a legend in rap, right like we've we we talked to Mr Cheeks right like he is he is a legend. What what he did with Lost Boys being on Uptown records, He is a legend. It may not be an icon

and rap. I don't really know which one Kobe is. I just know that he was someone. Whether you like them or not, he may impact on the game. Right when you're talking about when you talk about the Los Angeles Lakers and you have the Walton, you have the Korean Magic. Now where's Kobe? I feel whatever area you consider, if legend is one the icons tour icons want and legendars too, that it seems like it's a case by

case basis. It is. But here's what I but here's what we do get confused and and I agree to, is sometimes we are saying a good player is legendary, and then you go and look up where they are on the stats, and they like, can you can you be legendary? Can you be legendary? And one in one field and maybe not another? Like you may not have been a good here's what the NFL player, but you were legendary in college or well here's what I think what happens. I think your player in your region, you

have a different status when it comes to nationally. Yeah, like I agree, I agree, you know, like, um, I wouldn't say Alan Irison is iconic. I would say, but he a damn great legend right of the little guys he inspired? Right, Um, he was popular even at his age. He's still popular to some degree. But if you take Alan Irison, you compare him to some of the other point guards and shooting guards in the NBA. You know, I think it becomes a very heated argument. Again, it's no,

it's no one size fits so. So, I mean, we could debate about this all day, but I just thought it was good because they're what they're our conversation in that group chat with the same conversation we just had. There is no right or wrong answer. It can be there's iconic imagery. There can be one day, or you can be an icon the next. It just depends was in that Oh well, I know one icon that he knows. It's a legendary symbol. Don't nuts gots crown appreciate you? Hey,

who we got next? Alright? Coming up on the Cut to A podcast, We've got Chase Edmonds, or running back for the Arizona Cardinals. He attended Fordham University. He's a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and he's six all time in n C double A FCS rushing history. Chase Edmonds on the Cut to It podcast, So, Chase, where are you from? And the play you consider your hometown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, The real bird of Pennsylvania I hear, I hear a lot

of Pittsburgh or that it's Harrisburg. Okay, he said, Okay, shot, how far is it from Hershey Park? Twenty minutes? Okay? How far is it from the Amish country out there? Forty five minutes? That's cool. I just wanted to know. I'm I don't go there a lot. So I've been to Hershey Park. That's the closest I've been to you. Am You ain't missing You ain't missing line on Harrisburg or Hershey Park, not Harrisburg. You're not missing none. It's not nothing. Is that the real bird? Then? It's just

it's the capitalist that's the real bird. That's where I hear a lot of people from Pittsburgh always talking about the Burg of p A. It's just that's what you know. You take pride to that growing up, I guess for whatever reason in state rivalry. Yeah. Yeah, when you think about athletes, the Burg is not what you're thinking about. Just uh, all right, man, how they're growing up in

Harrisburg really shape who you are. Ah, talk to me a lot about sacrifice, bro, because uh, you know, growing up, the friends that I had, Um, it's not to say that you know, there was this and I was that, but it's just we wasn't really on the same path, you know, in terms of life goals or whatever the case may be. So my father will always be on me real hard, just teach me about sacrifice and just in terms of you know, you got guys that want to do this and go party and ship like that.

My dad talking about, now we gotta wake up seven thirty eight o'clock in the morning to do this workout. So I wasn't able to do some of else, some of that stuff growing up in high school, early ages. So they're really talking about sacrifice and just you know, sacrifice and what you want now for what you want later. And how did you when your dad was doing that?

How did you receive that as a kid? Now, I know your answer maybe differently today because you have seen that you have reaped the benefit of your diligence your dad instilled, didn't you. He was diligent in teaching you the right way, and you were you were forcefully diligent and listening to him. Yeah, you really interact with that because I kind of get on my board a little bit sometimes, yeah, eyes a little bit, and I'll be

like it was annoying his hell at first. Um, and then I feel like the more I did it, started doing the pattern, you know, started getting good habits. I just I just kind of fell in love with that. Bro. You started seeing results, you started seeing the payoff. Now you want to go back? Do you know? You want to go more? So we're doing three sets and I let's do forcess today. We got an our work up and I let's do an hour and a half work out. So it really just you know, obviously as a young kid,

first it was annoying his hell. Man, just you wanted to be doing what your boys are doing. He was kind of the guy out cut out. But you said, as you grow older, man, you know grow wise. You know, you figure it out a little bit for yourself and you figure out what it takes to to become successful growing up. How big of a road did your parents play in your life? Oh? Man? The biggest I remember, because you know, I'm I'm a small school guy, bro, So I didn't have none of these offers pouring in

and coming out of high school. So I just remember the sacrifice that my dad would do just taking me to various camps. Uh, Like I wanted to the day the Little Army Navy National Combine. Now at the time, I didn't know that was basically really just a plot to get some of my bread. They already knew it was to that that Bowl game, you know what I'm saying. But my parents still to drop that cheese and give me a hotel to go out to San Antonio, give me the flight to go out, just give myself an

opportunity to possibly get noticed. So stuff like that, Man, just I don't likely at all, you know, the sacrifice that they made with their time and their money and there after trying to help me out. I mean, you kind of you kind of alluded to. But what what was your high school experience? I went to a public school East basically growing up Central Golf and East was

only like a a thirty two game losing stream. I mean it was it was bro I'm talking about like winless seasons, and so most of most of the talented guys where your Harris were, they would go to the private school, uh Bishop mcdevit. That's what Shady went. And it was like for me, I kind of wanted to change the mold a little bit. I wanted to be the guy that that tried to turn around to the east in that program. So I stayed put and I just I kind of put that way on my showers

to do what I could do. And my freshman year, what we want, uh varsity want three games? Sophomore years you want like five? Was slow, very slow progress, drop back down to like four. Then it was the first twenty five years to make the playoffs. So I know, I came from my school was getting clapped, being clap bro. I mean, bro, yeah, it was. It was some bad days.

But senior year we finally ended the drop like twenty years, twenty five years, and then it kind of paid off into the program kind of took some strides going forward. So and then you also mentioned not getting a lot of attention recruiting wise, how did that impact you while you're in high school? I remember them days, bro. I remember going into my senior year, we had pretty high,

high prospects in my area, both running backs. When two finally jumping off and you started seeing guy being all these offers like, oh he got a six team off, you got a seven teeth offer. I'm here butt naked was zero. And then I finally remember I got my first one, and that was that was the time when I just got some great advice from my mother. She just you know, she told me talking about pay just how you know, everyone has their own course. And I remember that day like it was bro crown on my

mom's lap like it was just today. Because I didn't have a Scholargehi ball and that's something that I always growing up. So it was just it was big time motivation. Man. I had ship with me going into college and I still carry that trip with me to the NFL to this day, just because that's kind of what made me who I And that's kind of really that breeding my work eutic. You know. So, so what lands you at ford them? I mean, you're in the Bronx, Ford in

the Bronx. I don't I don't equate. I equate Bronx with basketball, skip to my louse, street ball, football, pizza, but not always what what what land you afford them? Hold on, yeah, I'm gonna be traveling at some point. You're about to Italian They got they got it's like little Italy over there. Uh damn, what was that, Arthur bro They got the best original Italian food you ever have in your life. Arthur Right New Braun said, pizza. I don't know Italian. You like a tow No, I'm

from Cali. I like stages. I can't deal with the Mexican food. Yeah, why are you shaking your head and discuss you are kid? I can't deal with the Mexican food. But I'm not really I'm not big on the spices. Is a little too spicy from them. You can have a good street tacosh, I said, Street Street, don't come harsh. Shell Street is the little I would not use, I said, tortilla corn. I'm out the hardest off. No, I don't. I'm not doing that. And the Boogie Bronski. We had

little heroes. You ever had that, the little heroes, little stairs on the corner. I'm like skinning your dark skin. Do you think I know the little hero is. You might have called it a gyro? Oh yeah, there you go, there you go. Yeah, that was our street taco. That ain't even just say. I know that's not the same thing, but that's how I related. That was our street taco. It's not even ac it's not a taco. It's not a taco. You're right, it's cut off free. It's great

it's great. But here's what I'm telling y'all. I'm telling y'all, I didn't get with the tacos. No thatly noted due in Arizona. Tao. Yeah no, bro, But can I get there? Can I get the pizza reference? Because he was in college. I know you had a late night snack. What was it? What was it? Yeah, you know, I'm trying to think of a good pieces. That's the white sauce, right, the white sauce. That's the white sauce. Right. No, it's not the white sauce. It's afraid o son. No white sauce

is out Alfreido sauce. I'm talking about Sicilian pieces, the thick crust, the thick crust, Yes, that Sicilian pizza. You got a phone? How about your YouTube that when you go by the end of this show, you're gonna have a laundry list of you. You're gonna be the first podcast episode afterwards. No, no, no, don't do that to me. Don't do that to me. I said, what the white sauce. Don't do that to me. Gracious man, boy, if I had Thursday night were Arizona. I'm bringing this back up

when he is the player of the game. He's on the desk. I'm saying, hey, did you have that white sauce pizza. He's gonna be like, what Steve and Steve White sauce pizza. Alright, but let's go back disappointed. What later did you in for them? I had a high school coach, Gump May, and he uh, he was like, hey, I got this. I got this old high school kid I used to coach. He's, uh, the o C at a school called for them. I'm like, Florida, They're not for them. For uh, that's what you expect from white

sauce Florida. Boy, No, Florida games back. We can we can do that, he said, for them for them? Hey you original man. I like you boy man bro I said, I ain't never heard of that school before. He said, no, no, they they Division one Double A, you know, but they built on the program and at the time they had uh Joe Moorehead. So Joe Moorehead was my head coach, and he was my head coach, but two years he coached up at Pens State when they had sat Quantum Boys,

and then now he's he's the o C origin. So he was bringing in that new spread style offense, and I was, you know, I looked, I looked at the team a little bit kind of looked out. I said, okay, so here's my choices really between Fordham and Villanova and James Madison, and I slowly made my decision off of Okay, where am I gonna get on the field the earliest, because if I'm going SCS ball, I need I need enough time and enough film on just you know, preparing

myself and really get the most exposures possible. So I felt like that Ford and Michael winning job over my freshman year, and um, that that's what I did. So that saw I landed up there. We have to take a break and the morning thing, we gotta pay some bills. H you got checks. 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 at? Cut to It on Instagram? What

about Twitter? At cut to It? Facebook? Cut to It featuring Steve Smith sent your 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. How would you describe your time at for them? Looking back? You know, was it the best

move for you? For me? Yeah? Yeah, I remember that just because I remember my mom. She wanted to be going going up the bad as hell, and I kind of just sat it down and I said, look, I'm looking at this business decision. You know, I want to make to the NFL. I'm not worried about nothing else. And again I know that probably something crazy like okay, you're going to afford them, you're worried about the NFL. But that was my I felt like I could play earlier.

I feel like I've got success there. So I took that leave the faith of my own on my own. I chose for them. I felt like it was the best time for me. But going there, man, I hated that there. In school, I ain't got a lot of you had had to do school work. The school work was crazy. Oh my gosh. How ye. I looked up for them, and I looked up bro as far as Ivy leaves right right, They're not a big name. But oh, you can't go on there. You can't go on there

like some of these running backs tiptoeing through the books. Man, that's a that's a quarter of a million dollar scholarship, like they was charging sixty years grand a year, and you you out there stealing free education. I appreciate. Now, did you really pay attention on where you really just there as a as a as? I mean, I did my work, you know, I had to do my work. You know. It's crazy though, as much as I hated it, the class that I think I just learned the most

about in terms of his life and respective perspective with theology, awesome. Yeah, Like because we were doing theology and philosophy, they would just ask you these these these very what's the word I'm looking for? They would ask you some some intellectual ask questions and and you really have to think think about your answer, why, why? Your why? Your answers is what it is, what your answers ought to be the owners that were ought to be. And that just opened

my mind a lot. Like we was we had a lesson. We were trying to prove the existence of God and philosophy, and I really that's what that's one that I really respect because like you talk to people, you know, I'm a Christian, you talk to people who are atheist, you know, whatever they are, And as a Christian, I feel like that's my duty too to spread the word of God and spread his ideas and show his love and how

his grace helped me in my life. So when we really that lesson or just proving the existence of God, that's something that come on and then actually maybe start to appreciate that class. My daughter took that and they call apologetics. Apologetics. Yeah, it's kind of the same thing, talking about how God and be able to, um, make your point and make your point and some of that. But they're they're looking at it because, um, if I'm

not mistaken, isn't that that it's a Catholic school, correct? Yeah, yeah, so it was. It was it was base, biblic clube base, or spiritual base. So it's teaching you how to maneuver through life and be able to see how God is in the existence of everything, whether you want that or not. The fact that an atheists can say they don't believe in God, which means that that's actually do that exists, that they don't believe in that's you know, that's literally

what they were talking about. They were talking about life. I didn't go there though, actually don't. I don't know the conversation. I'm just I'm just I'm just like that, Okay, dude, I'm just like that. I have a transition. You know. I love about this podcast. Sometimes it really gives me the show like my you know how clown around and yeah I am goofyfy, I'm goofy. Hey, what are you're surprised? I'm now I know you goofy. I knew I was gonna hear some ship. I just like, uh oh, that's

what was your expectation. He's on the team with he was on the team with like Fish Gerald. So sometimes Larry, Hey, that's a big bro. So yeah, I'm with you. Yeah, LARRYN told some stories. But sometimes it's cute with Larry that's all fool man. I got a story free Steve. What you don't think I know the story? This is pro bowl right, larrally telling me this story. Oh you know where I'm going with this one. Yeah, but Larry did left out some stuff just my podcast, so we

can do it. Go ahead, we could do it. Let's talk about the Pro Bow. Yeah, Larry told me. I don't I forget what years was in the Pro Bowl, but you and Larry was on the same team obviously, And he said, I guess y'all wasn't like the reds On or something like that, and they had subbed you out. No. See, look, he told me he got stubbed in or something like that. They wanted him to take some type of play. I

can tell you. I'll let you tell your story and I can tell you and also, you know Larry, So when I tell it, I'm bringing it right back to you. Just just kind of go, yeah, I can see Larry doing that. Continue my brother proceed, he said. He said some player had got called in and they wanted Larry to take the place. So Larry had he subbed in for Steve and I did he scored a touchdown on that play, right if I'm not Yeah, okay, And and and we were just talking about, like you know, all competitors,

and he said, Steve was what I said. Again, I don't know if this is true or not. He says. Steve looked at Larry, he said, motherfucker'd you ever take me out? And you still that bread off my off my table. This you know, No, that's what it is. That's all I know. That's all I heard. That's all I know. You ready for the story, and I'm ready for truth. I'm ready for the truth. That is truth in a dent? Do you want to hear the the thoul wou truth between a boxer. Fitz is a boxer.

He's he's an alpha dog rock waller. Okay me you I'm the rock waller meaning the boxer to get you, but the rock wall and you tell yours got you? Okay. So here's what happened. So we had the Pro Bowl, and let me go backwards and set the stage. This is the year that he and Kwan they went to the super Bowl and lost to the Steal. This is was after the Super Bowl. Now Eli Manning, Roddy White,

Steve Smith, that Fitzgerald and Kum Bolder. Now all week, Roddy White and Steve Smith are running routes because the two wide receivers have to go from the Super Bowl, deal with the loss, go back home, pack up, get their family and go to Hawaii. That takes a lot of time, logistics and the emotional roller coaster losing at the end with Santonio Holmes. So we get there. Not it's not fits or qus fault why they didn't get there on time. I would have been the same thing,

and I get there. When I get there, they were voted the starters, not mine. I'm all right with that. However, I do feel some type of way that I'm damn practicing. All yeah, you're you're running. I'm running this brother coming here fresh leg right. So we go and so we had our quarters where we say, hey, you do this quarterback quarterball ball. So we're playing and at this time you can go back statistically, at this time, we need to move the ball down the field. So who what

thoroughbred do they start feeding? Do you see any around? Yes, So they start feeding me the ball down there. Now as we're getting down there in the red zone, I guess about three or four passes in the row, but I get some yardage and some yat now unbeannounced to me. Guess who's on the sideline massaging the coach. Ain't don't be a jump ball. Don't me a jump ball? Have you heard that or seen that? On the sideline from a future Hall of Famer named does does that ring

a bell, It rings a bell, thank you. Look it does that not ringing twenty twenty ring a bell with DeAndre Hopkins out there on there in number eleven, sitting on the sideline while he's matriculating the ball down the field. So he cuts me out and I look at you. Now, I'm cool with you, and I'm cool with Fits. But I look at you because me and Q we're not talking talking. I say, it's a run play to fits. You know it Fits tells me nah, I said, it's a pass play. Fits goes. Nah. I look at you,

I said, yo. Q looks his head down down, he knows. Now the switch up. Here's the problem I had. Good friend, former teammate John b said light gas like me, Yo, Smitty, you're gonna let him. Oh, that's the wrong thing to do with you him. Do you like the plot? You know he's over. They're telling coat And I said, fist and so I look, ain't a lot of more mad. I'm not mad now. So I go and I said a story, I said, yo. And when I run, I said, hey, it's a pass play, na, Na, No, it's your run play. Okay.

So you looked at me and my eye fits and you clearly lied to me. Man. So I go Sithlan and I look at him. I said, yo, Bro, you ever do something like that again? I said, I will blankety blank blankety blank black blank blank if you ever do that to me. I can see you at the mall. No you up, No, Steve, Bro, don't lie to me again. And that's what happened. And that's why I went off on him. And and it wasn't more of it wasn't that he took something from it. It's in the manner

of which he did it. While I'm out there on the field doing work. You over there besides of the coach, ain't don't be allowed. Don't be allowed. Bro, come on dog, let me let me do my work, man. And so that's why I kind of I I went off on him, but I felt there was justified because Bro, we all out here trying to eat, and it's it's obviously you're gonna be at a disadvantage of you out here doing work. You're out here, man, throw me a lot. And then they go out there and what did they do next play?

They threw him a damn loud touchdown. So I felt some type of way about it, but I ain't gonna go and talk about behind around his behind his back. I went straight to him. Look the minute as I told him what would happen if he ever did that again to me? Man, we didn't have no problems after that. We were as as I say on this podcast, we're straight. Yeah, we're straight. All right, let's keep it that way because if you do that to him again, consequences and recus No,

I'm woop your asked. That's what happened. Now he didn't tell that part, did he exactly? So that and that's what happened that That's one of those stories where and I was how to fit for that man because he kind of plays he because he kind of played victim on that. And who was the wide receivers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles at that time? Would you like to know the head coach for the Houston Texans? Oh? Done, Dune done, Yep, that's all I'm gonna say. I had

a number of interacts is with him. He was also the at the time. After that, he made an announcement with the receivers when we came to me, he was like, hey, I know we all played for our different teams and because he knew I don't. I don't listen to nothing, he saying, but we just uh we go ahead and um um, we'll go ahead and make sure everybody's a pro bowler here and I'm over there, like, look, man, I don't even want to be coached by you. Oh speaking to another Pro Bowl. Hey, how about this one.

I was at the Pro Bowl. It was me Donald Driver and I just remember Roy Williams and so we're up there and they had me at Z and had Roy at X and he said, hey, if y'all want to play different positions or play the boy? Roy said, Roy only play Z. Yeah, I said cool, because I

play X boy. Roy. Because when you go to Pro Bowl, you gotta learn other offenses and they dumb it down because you got literally learned their language on the two Tuesday to play on Sunday, and you gotta learn like uh, you know plays and you know if you come from a number system, worse system throw you off transition. So man, I remember that you're talking about the Proud be some funny stuff. Bro. Roy only plays Z. I'm like cool, I'll play X. So he literally only played at one position.

He couldn't play in the slot. You know it's for they go for Why Roy only played Z. I was like, man, I learned. I was like, you know what I'm gonna play everybody, Yeah, limit yourself down playing Z X F Y. Let's play all compositions. All right? So what was your old crap moment in the league. Damn my rookie year, second game of the season, we just playing Chicago and they had that damn terminator over that when they're k

little Mac, little Mac defense. Yeah no, but now I was talking about the main terminator over there, and uh, you know you you're going there. You know you got the game plans. Okay, God, look every past play you're gonna you're gonna you're gonna check. You're gonna check your pressure, not mean check your responsibility. And you are chipping fifty two. It don't matter where he is. And and uh, on the right, you had your fourth year show. This is this is this is when we was terrible twenty. This

is my rookie team. Okay, so this is so your receiver's coach, your offense coordinator, which you used to be my receiver's coach, Mike McCoy, Yeah, Mike McCoy that offense. Broy Hey, hey he always he always doing ship like Okay, we're gonna get one more hash yep, he always doing with the finger broke. Hey he played that long Beach State with Troy, with Trel David did. Yeah, don't get a twist to hear game, banger man. Okay, okays, wrong,

bro text you are you are? You're gonna get rolled up on my football days are a long ron, But I know what some of that means. No, I just met you now, Uh yeah, So you had Mike McCoy. Who did you Who you had Mike McCoy, Bristo, yeah, buck yeah, yeah, bucket left, bucket left, bucket love. He just came your head coach. Uh yeah, he was my defense coordinator, Caroline Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm trying to think who else do we let you right to know? And that's uh, I had a whole bunch. Y'all have

Alice de decordinator. Yeah, who's your special who's your special? Team's coach? Rogers? Jeff Rogers, he's still there. Yeah, I know Jeff. I like Jeff a smartass coach. He's really smart. So so they wanted you to chip fifty two. They wanted me to chip fifty two, Bro, great great game player. I guess, I guess, and it's going to get bad now. Would didn't get terrible, But it was just I tried to chip that man, Bro. And it was kind of like explained as the chip like when you lined up

with what was tried? Like, are you saying like I tried to cook a burger. I's your attempt on try. I gave food, I gave full effort. I put my all, I'll put my all. I'll try to chip him right by his hip, you know, the hip go go. And he took and he was the right tackle, and he took that disrespectful. He took that disrespectful. That's kind of hitting him low. That's not but no, but Steve, but Steve,

that's not hitting him. I respect thee write a five nine. Yeah, he only Well, you can tell me whatever you want to tell me. Khalil mcnim take it that way, did it? Kalil back a't take it that way. Khalil was like a long arm and the right tackle right, so he had he had his left r free bro his back hand his back hand in hand was free. I tried to I tried to get up under like he didn't like you know what I mean, red area, and he just man, it happened so fast. He threw at the club.

I mean, like like a little net. Just just flick you off. I told, I told my friends after the game. But I said, Bro, that was shot being I ever came in contact with. And see how I could tell by you not in a negative way. After he flicks you after the game, you want to make sure apologize to kind of explain where you're coming. Bro, I ain't doing that football, Yeah, but you just do money do my eyes at the club? You're right? So okay, let me ask what you thought about it though. Did you

attempt to chip him anymore during the game? Yes, yeah, I had that work out. It works a little bit, a little bit, look and then the next and then we don't have to run. But when you got the chance to run the ball, he amped it up, didn't he? Yeah? Him? And uh what was it? Boy, Keem Keem Higgs bigger Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was a that was a nasty front from fourth. I think it's about that time. Just take a little breatherd do. Let's get down to 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. Let me ask you this because I was looking at your stats, Broness, remarkable, So you got to explain this to me. Freshman year and for them at for them, you get nine hundred yards average, hundred

thirty one yards a game. Sophomore year seventeen oh five, average goes up through hundred thirty seven yards. Junior year a hundred eight, hundred fifty eight yards average, a hundred and sixty three here's and then you had a nine eight. He had three hundred fifty nine yards in one game, and then against le High three hundred forty seven yards. Wow, that's pretty impressive. Now, some people will say, oh, look at the look at the competitions, bro, I didn't play

some bad teams. I ain't never had three d in one yards are yards fifth in n C double A FCS history in correct rushing yards, she's been number one, brother. Oh, number one, what still should have been number one all time? Still mad about that that senior year. Yeah, senior year. I had an ankle injury Week one, and my my dumbass, I was I was proudeful. I was chasing that record and I'm like, man, you know they was talking about

you know, you need to just sit out. You sit out one week, We're ready to go, and I'm like, look, I can play, you know, I can play and not rehurt myself. And uh ended up reinjuring my ankle and it's like the knicks and it was just it was just down here. After that. He was playing from behind all the time, all the time. Man, your numbers are impressive. I just love everything about it. But let's go through. I think it's also interesting your freshman year, you average

are hunting thirty one yards per game. You basically nainety eight yards from two thousand yards. Right. However, you also become a father. Take me through that process of trying to have some success to get to the NFL, but also now becoming a dad. How did you balance becoming a father and still staying on the path and the journey of trying to or attempting to become an NFL football player. Uh well, first I had a great support system.

That's that's the first thing. You know, my obviously my paying, my mom, my dad, but really Coach Moorehead, I mean he fully understood man. He let me do some things we were like, whether it was you know, we had a game, maybe a p A or something like that, the team of ride back. I still be able to, you know, stay at night with Avery and then I just get get a ride back to back back to school. So I had a great support ships and that really understood my my whole process and kind of where everything

was at and um. But my daughter did for me was just amplified everything and amplified my motivation. I was already already thought I was in grond mood. But when I had Avery and a little girl, I said, I gotta make it. You know, it ain't there's no more. Oh if this if now, I I gotta make it. You know. Now I got somebody depending on me. I gotta put food on the table for at such an early age. So it just amplified everything for me, Stephen.

As I got older, you know, I started to learn how to really balanced it, how to be able to find time to because you know, I mean I was doing summer school. I was always at for them, trying to graduate early, trying to really sell my stuff where I felt like it could put myself in the best position once I hit my senior year to make it to the NFL and just have my success going into the NFL high it's possible. I mean it was hard, man,

it as hard I had. I had a lot of times where I couldn't see my daughter, a lot of times just you know, for a lot of outside circumstances where it was the communication was kind of you know, not to where it were young parents, very young parents, eighteen what emotions I was my oldest is broke my older Okay, so how old you when you had your old young? Yeah? Also, man, you know we me and my wife have four kids, got you we we we

we've been together twenty some years. So we've had some highs and lows and living life and trying to parent. You know what this thing is, trying to trying to being a kid and a parent and trying to parent a kid when you're a kid at the same time. How do you figure all that out? You don't you don't you don't don't. We We hate this, We hate it said this way, but sometimes we said, man with Peyton,

here's the guinea pig. We're figuring it out, especially especially if you know, if you don't know how without having other friends, and also the way your dad parent you, how are you maneuvering through still being fathered by your own father and now your father? Yeah, WHOA, I know that I appreciate it was a great and that was a great question. It was a great question in a lot of ways, like parenting is parented right, but correct me if I'm wrong, Steve, you probably parented your son

a little differently than your parent to your daughter. No, m depends on the day, something like here's what I'm saying. I'm screwed it up with all of them. And I think depending on the day is very much an acceptable answer because you you can't do it the same everything that you you you don't even know why you are irritated that day. Here's the here's the one that throws you off. Man, there's just some days I want to remove the daddy name plate. H Like, Matt, here's what

I used to love, Here's here's what I mean. By re moved the daddy name play. One time Peyton was in my car, picked him up from a birthday party and there was another player's birthday, so they had a football cake. He said, Daddy, I'm not feeling too good. Well, let me roll down. Want to get you some fresh air down the window to do. Threw up on the passenger seat and guests was stopped to throw up from hitting the floor. The the what does that even called?

In the back seat the pouch. The pouch caught all the throw up. I had to clean out my car in the power The pouch was full. I guess what color the throw it was football green throw up or at two in the morning, daddy, I don't feel good, and my wife patched me, like hey, yo yo yo, turn, I don't feel good. One time my daughter was like, I'm like go to the bathroom and she couldn't. So I had to catch the throw up in the blanket. You know that throw throw throw blanket that everybody has

on the couch. Yeah, we don't have like four or five of See this again, that's my goal to now if you leave it up your dad or that that outfit this again, I'm not washing it I'm not staying again. I'm going that thing away. I don't care if you're a good parent, bad parents, young parents, old parents. Man, each kid, and you'll learn each kid has their own personality and they do not adhere to the convenience of you. Oh yeah, it's raining outside. Cool, I want to go outside.

Oh you're sick today. I got a lot of energy. Oh I got a broken leg, that's cool. I want to learn how to rid my bike. None preference your broken leg and stitches and cast on me. Nothing on my bike ride. So I got a story, man, that's that's funny. I was. I had Avery at the museum talking about she didn't feel good. I said, baby, in the bathroom right around the corner. We're gonna get you to the bathroom. We're gonna be all good. She just stopped.

She stopped walking. Oh, her body shut down. Down. Everything is this little motion started throwing up everywhere. Bro, And I'm here like, man, what the hell do I do right now? I got people staring at me. Did you do like most people do when they when they walk the animals and they poop, you just you just act like it didn't happen, Like get out of that one. Look, I started looking left and right. I had to worker staring and I'm like, can I get some towels? Can

I get like? You see she throwing up? So I need sometimes. So I got some towels, you know, cleaned her up. And the funny thing is to go to the bout to be clean her up. She talking about she want to stay now she feels better. Bro, we want to und with her breasts thinking first and you got a holder, right, because now she wanted now, daddy got a holder. Yeah, and now you to throw up? Parents? Is that that throw up there right there? Yeah? We got right about it there. M. So you're going into

your fourth year now with the Arizona Cardinals. So what can we expect out of you? Man? How about this? What? Because I can see him, he's trying to I'm trying to kind of say that, right, what would you like to happen happen in your fourth year? The Pine of Sky, the Poet of the Sky. Pro Bowl Steve, And I know that I know that sounds so so just do a lot of people. That's what That's what it's me. That's good Pro Bowl, Probow Steve. People to watch him

right ten Super Bowl. Come on, bro, you could be on a good team and somebody dropping past and that's the end of your your season. So, okay, pro Bowl. But what is making a Pro Bow mean as well? What is that? What does that role? What? What does your role do? Does it increase decrease? You're talking about special my role expence. Obviously, know my role is going to expand that's one thing I think that I'm pretty confident. But are you preparing for your role to expand a

lot of routes, A lot of routes. That means that that offense is that that air air rage at a lot of being well, not necessarily are raight, but just being more in tune with all of football run catching it. So show I played forty four percent of the snaps last year. Okay, humble, Okay, that's whatever solid you know I was? I was? That was you know, I had a role. That's what that was to me. Okay, third down back, a little bit of carrious first and second out,

but I was mainly the receiver specialist. Guys, so like if we didn't hurry up, if he was in twenty percent or something like that, to go straight to the slot. You know, I go straight to the slot or yeah, so boys, I'm trying. I'm trying to do with the big boys. Yeah, utes, I'm running real routes, running on real routes. I run real routes. Work with I work with the reves. Yes, I run real routes. So let me actually this, Can you run an efficient? Lookie though

in efficient? Use different terminology, y'all call it it. Y'll call it snag or look and go. That's when you got the you know, if he's inside, you take him dart back out. If he's outside, across his face. Yes, I can run real routes. I never heard lukie though.

That's an old school West West Coast. Yeah, okay, all right, Well, our last segment it's called deep three chase, and so basically the three questions that just take us to a deeper level of understanding you, beyond who you are as a football player, beyond your jersey underneath the shoulder pass. So smitty ahead, all right, what's been the hardest thing about being a dad? And what's been the most rewarding

thing about being a dad? The most reworded thing, by far is just the enjoyment and really the process seeing your daughter or your son grow up and then the personality start to grow. Like I remember having a conversation with every she's six years old now, man, and uh, it's crazy how smart they are, how much things they pick up on her mom had sent me a video a few days ago of every singing the song I put it on in the shower, you know, like and

just and seeing stuff like that. Man, seeing your influence on your child is Uh, it's such a rewarding and great feeling. The most the hardest thing is just I don't know, like literally, I don't know. I've been learning on the go because I started at such a young parent, so just just learning through my failures of how to raise my daughter, how to you know, bring I want to really bring her up because times are changing, man, Like you see the younger kid generation and what they know, well,

how they act. I'm just trying to raise my daughter up. And there is no perfect environment. But I'm trying to raise my daughter up as best of a perfect environment

as I can. Were. Um, I'm protecting her, but I'm also I'm also trying to obviously didn't get to that agent, but I'm trying to show her what life really is you know, like you ever see those kids man, that just been protected their whole life and then they get to college or something like that, they get to high school where they finally get some freedom and they just go off the rails possibly, you know, you know what I'm saying. So that that that's probably the hardest challenge

to me. All Right, So if we as a teammate of yours to describe you in three words, what do you think they would say? They're gonna say goofy so say loyal and the third ambitious? What experience that you've had so far in your young life that you wish you can do over to perfect that experience? Damn, that's a good question, Steve, Thank you appreciate it. I'm patis

from back at you what experience? Because I live over so I can perfect that experience, not see, not do over or like, but to perfect it because a lot of times it's it's it's a number of things though I wish I didn't do that, but to perfect it, man, I'd probably say we're on the East coast time over here. So just like you know, I know, bro, I know that's that's a that's a hard and I'm really, I'm really trying to give you a good I don't want to get you know. No, bs, here's the thing, man,

that's that's the thing. It's your life right and over. I just said. I didn't say do over like I would do it over and then not happen. I'm talking about to perfect right then. It's just my craft right now. Probably know when I'm out there in football that that rep where you might not have rent the route as well as you want to do it over, so you

obviously do it over. It's it's probably always gonna be with my craft and football, because when I get on that field, man, and we're getting a zone, we start working. It don't matter how hot it is. You know, you want to do everything perfect. You know, like what uh like? The epitome of what I'm talking about is the Dallas

Cowboy game against Monday Night. And while I had nothing to do with the play, me Kristen Kirk and my boy Transuer I field, we was out here March April busting our ass and I always remember were always ending on like a deep post goal ball and you know where they throw that. They throw that thing out there and you gotta go get it. Sometimes you get a fingertip catch. Sometimes you get a fingertip drop. And what I'm talking about when I say do over like to

perfect it. When Kurt caught that a dr post bomber and seven yard post bomber, he caught that thing by his fingertips and you see the picture and it's you know, preparation breeds success. Well, I think was the caph and he said, man, and that that's just what I'm trying to get at in terms of just perfecting my craft, like all those long and nobody saw those long hours in the in the heat and the sun. Nobody saw the drops that we had trying to do that post ball.

But on Monday night when the lights was brightest, you know, Kurt Wayne got that thing and it paid off. Well, I think a lot of people, I I it took me a long time to really you know a lot of people belay practice makes perfect right, Yeah, it doesn't. Practice makes improvement. Yeah, visit the progress and you have to improve. But why I love practice makes improvement is because improvement means that you are you have the ability and willingness to look yourself in the mirror and say

you have flaws and defects. I see a lot of people don't want to admit those flaws, and I think that was one of the things I always knew about myself. Always knew my defects all these knew the areas in which in my route running that I struggle with, and always worked on that. Because if your opponent knows your defects and your and your faults and you don't, you're going into you You're going into a situation handicapped. You're going in there and you think you have you know,

you think you have six knives. But if your left hand is your weakest and you don't work on it, and your opponent knows it, and you only got really three knives because all the ones that you can reach on your right side, which is a dominant side, and the left side you can't because you're fumbling a bumbler. So that's why practice makes improvement. I'm gonna keep that quote. Appreciate it. Just tag me alright, hey man, this was this is a this is a great opportunity, man, It

was really this was fun. Really enjoyed you taking the time out of your day, man, and uh just rapping with the shooting a breeze man. It's uh, it's exciting to watch your play. It's exciting to watch the Arizona Cardinals. What you guys gonna do with obviously all those fantastic players you got, and then also too, man, what you bringing to the table. So I had I had to enjoy. I enjoy doing the research about you before you became

the Arizona Cardinal. I appreciate that he gave real sense of what you're capable of as an as an NFL player. I appreciate your see for real, I prey share y'are having me, man, this is a when they hit me with this opportunity, said Steve Smith. I said, I'm on it. I appreciate it. Talk to you, man, chat out with you. You a legend, bro, and uh, obviously just obviously being a short ass guy like myself and seeing what you did in your career and bold out being a dog

that you are. I really do appreciate this opportunity. You are a unique person. You are well worth it. You are competent and most of all, your lovable. I'm Steve Smith, Singior. 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, baal Told

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 Whitt 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 Too It is produced by Brian Baltaschevic and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrec. Production

coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You ain't heard about it, then we're about to let you know. It's all