Jeremy Chinn

all my mentor is? We usually don't we usually don't. We usually do evergreen, But this is gonna be stapled with we're gonna marry this with a panther, So we're gonna go with a Carolina panther. Insider Moose and Smitty, Uh conversation. So a conversation when you and Mousie mohammed, Yeah, pull it. You're pulling this out the archives in the crates. This is actually I'll say this start off. Moose is like my big brother. We were super competitive, uber uber competitive.

But there were times where I got on moose nerves and Moose got on my nerves as as what happens when in brotherhoods. So my rookie wasn't my rookie year, my second year, one of my years. Uh. Actually Moose didn't know it, but Moose kind of made me who I was, who who I am today and high Win is UM coach Richard Williamson was. He was always tough on me, always tough and um one day in his wife Norma, Uh, I loved them, love her she you know,

speak to her. I never can say anything negative towards Richard. He always pushed me to places that I didn't want to go, and that's the sign of a great coach. But on this day, Richard was the offensive coordinator. Mike McCoy was the wide receiver's coach. Mike McCoy was the head coach of the same seven UM offense coordinator for Denver Broncos when UH coach As McDaniels became head coach, and then he became head coach of San Diego Chargers

and now he's just at the house chilling. So one day, um, so this was my rookie here one day, running the wrong routes, old West Coast offense. I came from a number system out of college and Richard Williamson grabbed me and kind of like talked down to me. He was a coach, but he talked down to me and told me how he felt about me that day. That day he didn't feel really good about me, and he kind of grabbed me and it rubbed me the wrong way.

And when he grabbed me, you know, uh, I want to say I blanked out, but I was getting close to grabbing him, and Mike kind of like stepped in between us, and you know, and Richard was cussing and I said a few choice worst as well. Um, I know, big surprise and um, but Moose did something that just kind of got to me. And Moose said, man, you from Cali. You're supposed to be one of them Cali dudes. You like that old man do that to you, And

Moose just poured it on. So my mom is one of thirteen, and I have an uncle named Tim who's maybe six or eight years older than me, but he's like my big brother. Um. He actually he got kicked out of the house from my grandfather, um, my grandpa Alfred. He actually when I was in when I was young, he actually lived. He was my roommate, no, and when he was going to high school and so he's like ten years older than me. So I was like a first or second grade and I'm rooming with a dude

that's a senior in high school. Super odd, right, But you know that's just how it is a close family. And why is uncle Tim coming into the picture? Well, Moose hit me with that, and I just hit it didn't sit well with me, and I took my time coming home and I remember parking in the driveway and I called him. I had texted him and I called him, Well, I actually chirped him because and so he called me.

He's like, what's up? And I told him what happened, and I told him how Moose and kind of like, you know how he played this played up the situation in a in a on the field in the locker room, and I just remember crying and I was really emotional about it. And my uncle said, well, you know, Steven, um, this isn't Steven. I know, first of all, why are

you crying like this? And I explained it to him and he was like, well, you still haven't told me why you're crying like this, because that's not to Steven. I know, this is not the callie, it's not the it's not the family member, the kid that I know. And his response really challenged me. He was he was not empathetic sympathetic one bit. But what was really cool is I remember he said, so, what are you gonna do about it? I was like, what you mean? He said,

what the funk are you gonna do about it? And I remember I was like, you know what, all right? He said, no, I want you to tell me. And I said, well, He's like, the best thing you can do to get back at Moose is what I don't like. You know, you're all emotional. I don't know what was asked. You know, he's He's like, no, what can you do? From that day forward, moose challenge they ignited me to the point of and again I say this, really I

have a great relationship with Moose. But what Moose doesn't understand is Moose created me because when I got off, when I got off the phone, the things that I said to my uncle is which I lived every day, which is my goal was to remove Moose off every category in the wire receiver's record books. For the Carolina Panthers. My goal was to when they say Carolina Panthers wire receiver Moosie Mohammed's name is not to be mentioned. And from that day forward, whatever Moose did, my goal was

to do it better. If he caught one pass one one hand, I want to catch twen. If he called two first downs, I want to catch twenty. If he finished with twenty yards of yak, I want to catch with forty. Every single day from that day forward, my goal was to remove Moose from the record books. And there's only gonna be one name my every single day for four or five years, it didn't matter. Smiled at him,

I loved him still. It's still a colleague, right, But my goal was to remove him from the record books. And the crazy part is because at that moment he challenged me and didn't know it, and he invented me and every day after that. Because when I first came out, I was seven in college, so I wanted eighty seven and I asked him. He was like, go see some Well, I mean I didn't know any better, but you know, also, all you can do is tell me no. So I was like, all right, cool, And so what's crazy is

you know? No, nobody really knows that the one person that really knows it. And he told me he never he said, never tell him that story. Mr Risa told me Moose did not. Don't ever tell Moose that he created you. So he didn't even know that. Now he doesn't even know that. He probably here because you know they're they're probably running. But the fact of the matter is, that's the reason why it went so hard. That's why I never really got along with anybody. My goal was

seeking destroy, remove, eradicate. That's what happened. I was saying, that's what you did. That's what I did. Not respect Moose. Love Moose, but from a competitive from a competitive standpoint, competitive standpoint, you didn't have a chance. And it's crazy, and a lot of people don't know that. Well, I don't have a follow up to that, you nailed it. No, what am I supposed to say to that? The crazy part now, and here's that he's gonna like, fuck no,

I mean, but you gotta respect it. You gotta respect it. So yeah, but it was cool because my uncle tell me. He challenged me, he said, what are you gonna do? But both dudes did yeah, right, yeah, but he he challenged me. I guess my uncle challenged me because I knew the relationship, right, Me and Moose plays golf and with all that stuff. At some point probably here here, that's it. He'll be like, So if I wouldn't have did you're telling me? Yeah, thanks Moose, appreciate it. Appreciate

your Moose. Thank you. Akona Madonna. So, hey, who is going? Actually we got Jeremy Chen. That's where we have. It's a Panther podcast today, will cut to it coming upon the cut to a podcast. We've got Jeremy Chin, a second round pick for the Carolina Panthers, the only defensive player to have scored touchdowns on consecutive plays. He's a two time NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month Award winner and a star in the making. Jeremy Chen on the

Cut to It podcast, Yeah for sure, thanks telling me on. Alright, So our first segment is called get Iced Up. It's our version of Icebreakers. You play for the Panthers. You're familiar with ice up son and all that stuff, but this is our version of icebreakers. So their random questions might be a follow up, might not be. These are all selected at random. So Smithie, go ahead and get first. Get iced up question. Alright, buckle up, buttercup, there we go.

So you must lose a body part? Which one? Which body part are you gonna lose that you feel you can lose and comfortably operate through the world after this A body part, probably arm or something arm. Maybe it got to be limb. I don't care. I'm not doing I'm trying to figure out. You still going to be able to make your money on one leg? Look what I said, arm, not leg? On, you said, I said, I said, yeah, we record this, Yeah, we we can go. We can go into the hood too. Now he said

leg he said, I'm keeping my legs. I'll stay on. If I had to choose, I mean between between, yeah, you can. You can take the arm, all right, I'm a husband. But if I had to choose, I'm a husband and the father. So I'm gonna take the easy right out. Just take one of my ears. I'm good, just the ear chest finger anythink about my answer now I'm stunking one on. Yeah, but here's here's the problem, Jeremy defensive players. Yeah, I think quick, you just just

re react. He reacted. Now he's walking around right. Uh. Favorite rookie moment. This past season. My favorite rookie moment would probably be my first dug in l A. Yeah, what about that? Was? It is my first win? Like we lost to States and then went out to l A, my first time out in l A, my first time out west period. Um, and just getting a win on the road and the plane ride back on memorable. Got you your favorite breakfast food? Uh? Specifically? Okay, what's in

your I got onions, mushrooms, Uh, spinach, sausage, they can sometimes. Okay, there's a lot of stuff in that. It did that sounds like that I was eating that every morning. Really, Okay, let's just jump right into it. You know, um, growing up? What what sports? What different sports did you play? We're gonna play basketball, football, and soccer? Track m Okay, what position did you play in soccer? I don't know. I was I was young. I was at the running around,

so I don't know. I was just cluster to the right, cluster to the left. Everybody, let me let me run around? All right? Now, the streets say that you can you can hoop, and that you got some pretty memorable dunks that you got. Don't care, Yeah, I don't. I don't know if I still got him all, but yeah, I got a few. Okay, I can't get up. Look he chees it. We know some people with the horn it man. So if you gotta, you know, stretch some rolls, we'll

make some phone calls. Look, I can do that. That's okay, that's perfectly fine. We can do that. Who's your favorite team growing up? The Patients? Jermaine O'Neil, Reggie Miller, Danny Granger, Um, Jamal Tensley, m all those guys. M his his his little Hamsters running Danny Granger. Yeah, Stephen Jackson was on those teams, even Jackson, Yeah, run out of test. Where are you from and the place you call your hometown. I'm from Fisher's, Indiana, and I called claud Fisher, Indiana

my hometown. The wearest Fishers you know. Related to say, the combine in Indiapolis's. Indianapolis is about ten minutes ten minutes from from from Indianapolis, probably about from from the stadium, fifteen and twenty from the stadium. Yeah, so you just kind of on the outskirts. Yeah, yeah, okay, the small little suburb then. Yeah, so growing up in Indiana, how did it influence you today? Growing up in Indiana, especially playing football, Like, not a lot of people from Indiana

make it out playing football. Well, this is a really big basketball state, So playing football here in Indiana, you kind of gotta make it the hard way. You know, there's not a lot of five star recruits you hear about coming from Indiana. When you say make it the hard way, what do you mean make it the hard way? Because everybody this version of hard way is is different. Yeah, I would say, m you already just counted out, like

you from Florida. Um, you know this school is here in the state of any of that just go to Florida. The recruit like, they don't even look at Indiana. So I mean that's just yeah, it's just already like all right, they're just looking past this already. I heard a lot of good stories rast some research on you on your relationship with your folks and how impactful they were throughout your life. Um, you know, kind of walk us through that. You know, we hear sometimes we hear, oh my, my

folks were uh influential. Um, And I think sometimes that's the answer that a lot of times we don't get the we don't get the opportunity to follow up on to heal, to hear the details of how they impact, how they influenced you. So walk us through, you know, love on your folks, man, tell us what what did they instill in you? Um, that impact you? Uh you know to be Jeremy. I don't know you personally. All I know is what I've seen on a football field

and what I mean on tape. Uh, you know, preparing last year for the combine and seeing what kind of player you are. Um, those instincts, Uh, that smile, that infectious smile, that that um active football player you are. I know you. You know you can't take all the credit um. Um. So obviously you know you've been coached by some obviously some coaches, but there's two coaches that that that held your hand and raised you up way before the other sports coaches got got there, got their part. Yeah.

So I mean a lot of that go out to my mom. Really. She she basically raised um, me and my settlings, my my younger sister and my older brother by herself, you know for the most part. Um. And they were days like she she would work like late, just come home and still make sure that we had something to eat before she go to sleep. Um. You know,

she just never complained. I know there was some days she was tired, she didn't feel like going to work, or didn't feel like you know, making sure you know, we had something to eat, feel like cooking or whatever it was. But um, you know, I never saw her complain one time. So that's something I try to take

from her, and she kind of stood that into me. Um, you know, even even through you know, when times get hard, like it's gonna be right of days, I feel like, right now this is a a bright of time for her, especially just seeing me in the position that that I'm in now. So, um, you know, life definitely goes full circles. So you know, I'm blessed to be an ex position and look back and be able to give her the

credit that she deserves. So we we learned of one story about your mom to where she actually dropped you off at practice once and you want crutches. I don't know that story for us, and sounds like your mom's toughness on you. Yeah, um yeah. I think I was maybe in the fifth grade of something, and we had we had practice like Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think we played on Saturdays or something. Um, so I got hurt

whatever like Tuesday. Yeah, um, I I don't remember what was going on, but I was like, man, like I'm hurting, I don't feel like practicing or something like that or whatever. But we played. We played on Saturday, and you know, in fifth grade, we we played at the at the high school stadium. So like when you're in fifth grade,

that's like a big deal. That's like playing in the super Bowl, you know, as a fifth grade So, um, So I come to practice the next practice on crutches and my mom goes up to my coach and he's like, uh, She's like, yeah, Jeremy, Um, he doesn't really he doesn't really need these crutches. I think he just needs, you know, basically like a kick in the butt whatever. Um he's feeling, he's feeling some type of way. I don't know, but you know, end of the story. S long story short,

I ended up, you know, coming off the crutches. I didn't need him. You know. I was being a drama for me. Same day, same day, next day around that I could I couldn't do the same day. I had to lingrate off of you. I had the milk it Uh, well, I better the day but now that's basically you know what that was. He you said you weren't necessarily hurt. So where did you get the crutches from? That's actually a great question. Yeah, we we had because it sounds

like your mom didn't take you to the doctor. No, I think we did go to the doctor. I think I think we did go to the doctor because we didn't just have crutches laying around the house, so we had to go to get them from somewhere. So I don't got the food details of the story. I was a while ago. Um No, but yeah, so I'm off the crutches, but she always instilled that toughness in me. We have to take a break and the morning thing we got paid from bad mm hm, 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? That's at? Cut to It on Instagram? What about Twitter? At cut to It? Facebook? Cut to It featuring Steve Smith singr? What about online? And you can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my answers questions. Um, yeah,

I got all my questions answered. That's what I'm here for. A brother cut to a podcast dot com. You weren't heavily recruited, um because of it, like you said, Indiana, but also too, you aren't very you aren't necessarily tall. You're five seven. Now what's cool is? Uh? You know I'm not I'm not killing him in the height department myself and with covid hit, my son Boston was like five four five, size nine nine, a half shoe covid hit.

We've been in quarantine shutdown. August comes. Um, we were actually moving and we had a lot of our clothing storage. We come back in August. My main gets his closed out of storage. He's wearing a size twelve and a half shoe and he's like five nine. He's putting on like an old pair of sweats and they're flooding. You had the same thing. Okay, So my sophomore year high school, UM, I was five seven, like Max pushing it. He gave me five seven, like I'm cheesing, Like I'm all right,

I'm five seven. Um, and then I was probably on what were you playing? At that What position were you playing at that point? I was a corner. I was a corner at that point. Yeah. Were you tackling at that corner? Oh? Yeah, okay, so I'm sorry. It ain't that changed. I seen my tape. Yeah, and now I go cut it on. But um, I like that. I like but five shot one through. If I gets ready over there, go low and go low. Uh five steps twenty five. You gotta know what you're working with and

you just come on. You gotta know what you're working with. So m my junior year, come around, my junior year, I was about um, like five nine to five ten. But I was growing so fast my junior year in high school. That ended up missing half my junior year because like hamstring problems. Um. I was just growing so fast, like my body couldn't keep up. Um, Like my muscles couldn't keep up in my bones and stuff like that.

So I had some hamstring problems my junior year. UM, and that really messed up on my recruiting, just because you know, that's a big recruiting year. Junior year. Come around. My senior year, I was about six ft now probably and then I really I mean I've been growing all the way through college for the most part. But my senior high school that's when I hit six ft. Wow, she's five seven six, right, I wonder, I wonder, what's that like? Man? That was problems on the Star over

not for real, not for real. Hey, you know, take us through, Take us through the take us through your your college process. You know you you you have this gross fur um. You're not getting heavily recruited. You know you desire to play football, obviously. Yeah, you wanted to play football. You just wanted to run around and play some kind of sport. And you you fell in love with basketball football. What was that? What? What What was that

recruiting process like for you? And and and and how did you come up with the decision, um, to go to go to college? Yeah? Man, the recruiting process was so frustrating. It was so frustrating. Um one, just because I didn't I didn't get any any attention, any offers until I had I had four games after my senior year. That's when I got my first offer. M Yeah, So like I got people I'm playing against every every week. Um,

you know, teammates everything college is coming in recruiting. My teammates like offering my teammates and I'm just like and then offering people I'm playing against, like we're going ahead to the head and you know, I still got no love. UM. And then I say camp. It was. It was a summer camp before my senior year, and I met the decordinary at the time at Southern Illinois. UM. So we started. We stayed in contact throughout the whole year. UM. Like I said, it's about four games left. And then he

ended up offering me a scholarship. So I was like, man, like, this is all I needed. So, I mean as soon as I got that offer, like I was ready to commit. I was like this, this is all I needed. Like I just needed the shot. Um, and they gave that to me. So UM, long story short, s U staff at that time got fired. UM, so I was like damgn, like, this is my scholarship. And then uh, luckily University of North Dakota they offered me UM. So I took a

visit there, I committed to them. UM. And then coach hell, he's a head coach now I Studyn Illinois told me he got the job and that they're gonna keep recruiting me, gonna keep my offering all that. So I went from North Dakota. UM, I took a visit to Southern. I committed to Southern on an official visit, so that Sunday after the visit, I called with Dakota and be committed from them. And then I've been with Southern Illinois ever since. And you know, the best destation I've ever made. I

know this one of your favorite players. So I made sure I point this out. You're not you were a one star. You're a zero star recruit. Correct, Correct, every was a one star recruit. Unless you know that those stars don't mean anything. Nothing, nothing, so nothing. There's four or five stars that in the league, and there's zero stars that are potentially up for defensive rookie the year. I don't know, you know, maybe no, ya, you know, yeah,

you know, it's it's cool. I'll take this time. Just tell you, man, I you know, I watched a lot of football. Despite what people may think, despite what may some of your teammates may think, I watched a kind of football. Man. I'm very impressed with your game. Thank you,

very impressed. I love your versatility, um, I love the way you attack the ball, you talk, you played old school way, which is you try to not in a targeting way, but you try to play football the right way, which is when a receiver or or running back catches the ball, you try to dislodge the ball from the individual.

And that's a lost art. I noticed when you tackle, you hit what you see, which is you're protecting your spine, you're protecting yourself, You're also protecting the individual you're hitting. That's a lost start. You don't really see that a lot a lot of players have gotten injured because they have their head down. You're always going through your your target, the defender or the target. Man, So keep keep doing that. Man. Make sure because your star hearing, Carolina, you're gonna get

some opportunities to do some football camps. And I'm telling you because of your platform that you probably think is not very high right now, but Son, it's very high. Make sure you emphasize the fundamentals of hitting, because you have it's becoming a lost art. But the men who have learned how to continue to do that art. Man, you've got a great opportunity. You get the lead people in the right way. Yeah, I appreciate that as a measuring How important is versatility of positions in today's NFL.

From your perspective, I think it's huge, especially now playing so many packages to many you know, whether it be Nickel, don Uh dollar or just based instead of just setting so many guys in just having been able to move around the field, it makes a huge difference, and I think it makes a life from the coach is a lot easier, UM, and really just guys all around you a lot easier so they don't have to you know, thinking about UM, you know, different personnels and things like that,

you can just keep the same personnel and play a lot of different defenses. As as an analyst would how do you value versatility? Well, I think that's an interest. I love his answer, but I can deep his answer because one of your one of your nemesis um and

and he's also a fantastic office amount of coach. He utilizes uh, the versatility of you with so I go with Sean Payton and utilizing you being able to play so many different positions sometimes will get you a mismatch on the maybe a tight end a bigger tight end, or maybe get you on a fullback where a guy like him who can cover a fullback, but they're just taking you out of game plan because they don't really

want you to cover Camerica out of back field. So they're line out the fullback and so he has to step out of that box to line up against the fullback, and then they put on a time backer out on Camara. Now Camara, I'll plays a linebacker because they got one of guys covering the fullback who he knows the fullback is not gonna So sometimes depending on that versatility can't play against you when you have and there's not Now

every coach is Sean Sean Payton McVeigh. Some of that stuff that you know, it's it's less creative coaches who understand personnel substitution or not allowing personnel substance. Um. So that's all the thing that I would say. Sometimes a versatility can you know, when you're a Swiss army knife like him, they could use a lot utilize his knowledge and it's athleticism against them and also squash the knowledge

of the defense coordinator as well. M So you know, not everybody you know, that's not gonna be happening against the Atlanta Falcons. But it's more susceptible to coach like Sean Payton because they play him twice a year and coaches always doing personnel. He has a whole personnel package type of situation where he tries to get the defense and advantageous situation. But you agree, disagree problems with a man. When they told when you first learned you were going

play linebacker, what was your real reaction? Like in your head, are you sitting like you're sitting the trading camp and they and you see chin on the depth chart, You're gonna I'm chilling linebacker? Yeah? Um, yeah. It was a little bit like that at first. But that the reason, the reason, the reason I didn't I didn't, you know, freak out. It was like, man, why am I playing

line by anything like that. It's because coach Now, he talked to me over the summertime about just packages that we're gonna put in where I was gonna be like the deep safety and just moving around things like that. So I was like, all right, he still sees that I can that can do that stuff. So as long as he doesn't see me just locked up as a linebacker, uh, just you know, I'll be fine with it. So, you know, I was, you know, at the end of the day,

I was happy just to be on the field. Really, let's talk ball and it's just football, right, giving giving the cut to of fans of Carolina Panthers fans and football fans um an opportunity to really just talk ball. And you know, your perspective, not necessarily your i Q, but your perspective of how you see football tak offensive guys ball differently the defensive guys. Would you agree, Yeah,

I would agree with that. What is one of the things that as a defensive guy who plays all over the field like yourself, Yeah, what is one of the things that just irks you about the offensive player, mainly wide receivers. That's a good question. I warm you up and let you know. You know what I hate about dbs. You got a laundry list, but it's like Sander's Christmas list. It's like every kid in the man. I hate seeing

the dB dude like the no cats. When the ball is over there, like he did something, You think, what did he do if he didn't do nothing to d line the something? And look, sometimes you just gotta celebrate catching a break, man. You celebrate catching the break if it's if it's an incomplete class and he didn't have an opportunity to even continue. I got it. I would not do the I'm a de bunkeet. What about when the quarterback overthrows it the D line. He just quarterback

just didn't plant his feet right overthrows it. You get excited, can't take that, the dB is beaten, and then you still do the no fly. Now what he caught a break. He caught a break break, So you give that with a pass German, you can celebrate that. Look, you caught a break. Man. You just down that. He go down that stair. That's push. Appreciate, answer, participate, he said, trophy. All right, So your turn did tell me something about

I can say, He's like that was receivers. Receivers, but I don't even I don't even really get into it. I receivers, like I'll see. I mean one thing that's annoying, Like you celebrate the first down and they get catching it's the first down. They do the whole like okay, like yeah, that's like okay, that's the job, Like no need to but I mean, yeah, nothing nothing really that

really irritates me. I guess when a receiver is feeling tough or whatever, like they'll try to try to come block you after the play when the ball you know, has broke to the second level whatever. But that's just some annoying stuff like get I'm okay, say what are you doing? Well, he has he has to block, or he would get a yeah he has the block. But I mean, like the play, the play is coming. Yeah, something just something not not not even the opposite end,

but like the running backs going down. Um, it happened a couple of games like rossiters to come and try to like just hits you late, like see him and like and it's like what are you doing? Like I'm right here, Like we're both right here, Like you don't need to do that right now. But it's not it's not something. It's not something that like they're really trying to block. They just trying to be petty, you know what I mean, Like they just signed yeah, I know

what you're saying. Yeah, yeah, Hey, well go on the other side. I don't move. I ain't. That's that's the one. I take it. They used to the duck. Hey, that's a loafing want because right bro, it's a switch to the left side of the field and were on the right side, chill out. I'm not moving right. I'm not even gonna like that. I'm not gonna sell it. But here's what I gets you in trouble. Go pursue that ball and I gotta go chase you. Oh you don't have a day next to the big payback. Alright, one

show off? Okay, uh, I know that that's me. I'm the one pursuing this. You don't get mad at Yeah, that's not good there. You're gonna get mad because when I catch the first down on yeah, I'm the ball spending the ball, so I know spending the ball. I guess I'm petty with everything. You petty. I would have never ever guess that a day of my life. You know,

we talking ball. So you've been in the league. You you know, your rookie or going into your year next year, you had to have some you know, you're you're a hell of a player, but you had to have some moments in the game where you're like bro, I just didn't know it was like this, yeah, um I said. The second time we played Tampa Bay, we were at home and um I was guarding ground and I was like all right, man, like it's man, you're old like he's not fastering me, you're not cooking at me anything

that you don't jump higher to me. Um, but he end up catching his ball and like I'm trying to knock it out. Uh, Like I'm trying to knock it all the way to the ground. I didn't even wrap a brenthing like I'm too bags trying to get the ball out. Uh. He ended up catching the ball and like Kevin running and I was like, man, like, I can't just rely on my athletic ability, Like technique is everything. So that's when I realized, like, yeah, technique is, so

what's gonna you know, carry me through this? So that was that was probably when when people ask me, that's probably my welcome to the NFL moment, not just because um, like I actually I actually learned that, like, all right, technique is is what's gonna keep it going? Because that's I mean, that's the only answer. So let's let's let's can we can we can we walk through that with you and not like knowing you, but also making fun in a good way I did as a young player.

You here, you're a hell of a player. So I'm not gonna dispute that and you and you just kind of like, bro, he just scratched, like just opened up the back of chips. Yeah right, And but the chips unlike the chips we purchased, it's a little bit of chip, a whole bunch of air. It's in his chip is a whole bunch of chip and very little air. But I think it's funny is you're a young player. The first thing he says, and he's referring to Grunk, is oh, he's an older player. He can't run anymore. Uh, he's

old man. And the old man took you to the warship, didn't he? Yeah, he got like he still got on my shoulder. Why did you think because he's because he's an older player, they are, he still can't run. I know you watch film, But what led you to believe that? Yeah, I'm not picking on your anything like that, but to some degree, because you you're a young player, you you you obviously was like, ain't the grunk I'm used to say, right,

And it wasn't anything like the discredit grunk. It was right. Yeah, it was like, Okay, I trust my athletic ability over grounds athletic ability without taking into account that he's been playing for what I don't know how many years. Um, his technique and everything like that. My leverage is more important than how high I could jump or how fast I can run and things like that. So that's something that was I learned that firsthand, like in the flesh

that place. So I think that was my biggest moment. Welcome to the NFL moment. I think it's about that time. Just so I'll take a little breather. Good do away, God's get down to do away. 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. Yeah, because you don't know the NFL outside of COVID protocol. Take us through what how you experience and the protocol you went through each and every day. Um, because the fans don't know. They just think some people just think you should show up, right they you know even before Yeah, you just like the house playing video games, you playing Matten right, and you know you mean you mean like through during the season. Yeah,

during the season. Yeah, yeah, so what you want to I don't want to get your trouble or any of that, but I think given a perspective that yeah, what was behind the scenes without necessarily getting in trouble, because I think I know there is a lot of things that fans don't know that you guys have to experience, whether it's testing, contact traiting, um, you know, the quarantining, all of that stuff that it's not it's not on television. Yeah,

this year was crazy. Like I said, I don't know the regular experience, but just playing football like is this year has been unbelievable, Like so much testing. I think we tested over a hundred eighty times or something like that throughout the year. So just doing that every single day, um, coming in, picking up our traces, going through screening there every single day, peeing up our traces. Um. We had

to have our traces everywhere we went. And I mean you probably know how the tracers work if you're around I mean, if you're around somebody for too long, like within six ft, like your tracer blink red and stay. Um say that you guys are all sitting at the table so you guys have all your traces on. You guys,

traces would be blinking red right now. Now if one of you comes up sick or something and all you guys out to quarantine because you guys have all been together in your tracer tells you like you've been around that person. Uh so, I mean, yeah, it's pretty cool, but I mean it's crazy. And then, um, you know meetings, we're all like meeting in like this we areas or like the dining areas of the stadium, just so we

can all be spread out. Um, and then like things throughout the season, like it even even ramped up protocols even ramped up even more, like we have to wear a mask out on the football field for like between wen take our helmets off, we got to put a mask on. We were like plastic coverings over our face. Mask Like it was. I mean it was crazy. You know, everybody got drafted and I had to do the draft um and I saw um. I did it from my office at my house here in Charlotte. You Indiana, I

believe getting when you got drafted. Man, I this may sound like a dumb question, but I'm wanting to say it, Like you didn't know which team was gonna draft you, and they didn't know which team going to draft you. So where'd you get your hat from? Like, did they say you up? You didn't have an had or anything. No, lead ain't to me nothing, now thank Yeah, well we saw all the guys like they had they had the box and so leade. I guess they picked. They picked

fifty or some guys. They sent in the box set of hats, uh posters to put up in their house for the draft and everything. So after you got drafted, did the Panthers didn't you? Yeah? They sent me. They sent me some gear, They sent me my jersey, a couple of hats. Yeah, it's cool. So what what all do you know about the Panthers prior to getting drafted to the team. I knew it. I knew a few guys on the roster. I didn't know him personally. Um, but Shoq Burns Christian Um obviously the Super Bowl team

uh Luke. Obviously I know he retired and everything. But um obviously know who you are Steve Smith. But I mean, I mean as far as that, like I didn't, I didn't really know who the coach was at the time. I know coach after coach I t I met, I met coach rule and stopped at the Singer Bowl, So I knew I knew of him. But before then, like I didn't really know much about the Pants. Yeah, me neither. I had no idea what Carolina will Being on the west coast, well, yeah, I ain't been. I hadn't, I

mean other than college. Well, we took the greyhound bust of Vegas from l a UM, I took a plane of Vegas, and then I took a plane of Utah and then all of you know, when I went to college, I had not been beyond other than the Senior Bowl. I've never been beyond what Montgomery. I didn't. I didn't never know what North Carolina was was. Wow, I didn't. No, I had no idea, didn't even think I was gonna get picked by me. Had zero people on the team, nothing about the Panthers at at all. Zero. I knew.

I knew about moose in um because they would say moves plan. But other than that, what have you discovered about yourself? A year into real adulthood. I spent a lot of money on food. I don't know how. My mom said me so long. So you know that you know what that tells me that this is what it tells me. He gonna giggle. He may not confirm it. That tells me when you're leaving a facility, you had a ton of gay rays and waters in your backpack every day. Look, yes, I'm taking all that stuff stealing

from you. Know you're still You're still work, You're still to work. Supply. I'm gonna try and go to the story. So at what part of throughout this whole season, through the walk to the draft process, through the whole season, when are you calling up on the knowledge of your uncle, legendary Steve at Water. Um. I talked to him probably a week maybe a couple of days before the Denver game. I talked to him because I think that was that

was two weeks after the Minnesota game. UM. So we caught up after that game, and he just gave me some pointers as far as some of the things he did throughout the season just to keep him going, um and just so he wasn't losing the step. Some of the workouts that he was doing, like upper body workouts, like getting the extra upper body workout throughout the year. And so I incorporated that stuff, and I think it

really helped me towards the end of the season. What was the what was the transition like going from college and college? It was obviously it was different. Yeah, so described the difference between college and because we all know it's different, Yeah, but not everybody can do a good job of explaining. Yeah. I think I think the biggest difference is it's a difference at every at every part of it, from from old line to skill position to all that stuff. But I think, I mean the main

difference is the quarterbacks. Like, if there's anything that's different, it's the quarterback tient, um, because they can they can speed the game up so much more and they make they make throws and and make decisions that you know, usually don't see college quarterbacks making, especially coming from FCS where I played. So the biggest difference was me just it was playing against these quarterbacks. So, so, which quarterback gave you it's old crap moment when you walked on

the field. Um. Yeah, I don't know if there's one that that could just point out and be like, oh, like he was the one, But I think it's all just in general. Um, And that's something that I had to, you know, hurry up and get accustomed to back in camp and adjustments that I had to make um. And yeah, so I think even just watching film like I watched with Al he was my coach um, and just like that, just the arm, talent, the decisions, like everything that they're doing.

It's like, yeah, you just don't see this in college where jemmy last segment, it's called the Deep three. There are three questions that take us beyond who you are as a players, going beyond your jersey, and so it just takes it to a deeper level. It's man to go ahead and give them. When you were younger, what did you say yes to? You know that you're willing to give anything for. But now you've you know, you're in NFL. You're a young man that when you go backwards,

you go, I wouldn't do that again. Oh that's a tough question. Because you're a professional. Everything you do, Everything you do impacts, whether it's your mind, your body, your your profession. You know, you don't know what the residual

or you know, you don't know what the layer. The first thing that I learned that I would say no to and I go backwards, I came from Utah, California, Utah, and man, my first off season barbecue and and and just all the great restaurants here in Charlotte you put on them two o five coming into I would say, um, one thing I would say yes to that then, Like living here in Indiana, like when we like are downtime, like we just hoop, like we'll go we'll go to

l a fitness or like somewhere some part over here and we're like we were just hoop like all off season, Like that would just be that will we do? Like me and my friends would just go hoop. So I say, right now, I would just say no to that just because, um, like there's so much I want. I know how they hoop, and I know how just how they play. So I would say no to that just because now looking back, like I got I got more to lose and just be out here playing basketball and and you know getting

hurt doing that. All right, What does success means to you professionally and personally? Professionally? Um winning? So like that's it ultimate sign of just being successful. You know, having your health as well, UM health winning, health wealth winning, Like that's that's success as I see it help. Well, I feel like that's that covers everything you can't argue with that wealth and winning it translates off side off the field as well. Yeah, I get you rich right there?

Play about seventeen a year, look like, well I take a little that. Yeah, I know you're young. I know you're young and your profession, Um, but what motivates you today? You know, you guys are done playing football? You know you get them. I saw you tweet. You know you you you wished or hope you were playing in January February.

You know, besides the Super Bowls, the Hall of Fame, all that stuff, you know, the core of it, what you know, what really motivates you beyond just having some success or a lot of success on the football field. I love the place, I said, like, I love to play it. Like if you see me like just out there that practice, like my teammates like sack and look at me like why are you smiling? Why are you so happy? Because I'm having fun? Like I love this.

I genuinely love to pay the game. Steve. What's the biggest thing you learned between your rookie season and your second year? Um? Yeah, see that's that's pretty good. You are learning so much and you you're trying to figure out, um, you know, what is the opponent? What is me? What's the scheme? Um? My rookie year to my second year was a transition transitional year because we have coach c for who was fired and we had a new coaching staff. So I was playing pretty much no wide receiver, primarily

special teams. Then I got an opportunity to coach Fox to play still special teams but also contribute. So a little bit is uh baptism by fire, you know, not getting the opportunity to really um. You know, my rookie year didn't play much. Was she played a lot of scout team UM. And then that scout team I was going against guys where I was like, man, if this guy can play, and I'm not getting an opportunity. So

it's it's hodgepod. Just just a ton of stuff, ton of ton of emotions, ton of uh self evaluation, self doubt. And then you got a new coaching staff, so you gotta start all over and try to impress them and try to figure out the offense. So I think for a young guy to get a new coach coming out of his rookie year trying to figure things out and then start over, and that's a lot. It's a lot, and you're supposed to be a professional as well. So I don't know, it's just I think it's puss. You're

already drinking from fires just being in the NFL. The you have a big transition, and I think it's it's tough no matter what year you're in, but I think it's tougher now because of the way fans, the way the evaluation process is now, is they expect even more success out of the first three rounds compared to what it used to be. I think it's even um a higher level of expectations. Right, So so now as a as a former player, as a VET forty plus, what

would you go back until young Steve? Now, I don't know. I wouldn't tell I wouldn't tell me anything just because mh. There are things that had to do with maybe different coaching styles, learning and not learning, trying to figure out. So I think it's it would be cool to go back and watch myself. I think I would cringe, but then also would laugh because I had a head coach who was it was his first time being the head coach,

so he was figuring it out too. So you got the blind leading the blind and we're trying to figure it out. Team is not very good. What were those cringe worthy moments? Oh? One time I think Coach Fox kicked us, kicked us out of practice, like the whole team, because we were pissed poor. They were fighting, they were frustrated. But the day before he started practice all over, like we were our into practice. He started all over from the top like stretch, like we had to restart, We're

gonna run this whole thing. So you know, that's what I mean by crisis. I'm like, oh, we're tired, you know. And we're in sparm berg, South Carolina and the heat of July August. The heat is so thick you could see it waving over the grass and the concrete. It's hot and you can you stay focused? No? You know the they say, what fatigue makes it? What a coward out of you makes you lose focus? Never really been in heat like that. I was in Utah dry heat. I wasn't in humidity, so you know, it was a lot.

It was definitely a lot. And I don't think you can you can't prepare there's no test that lets you know, um how good or how bad you will be. It's just you know. It's baptism by by fire of of of actually being on the field and seeing what you have. You are a unique person, You are well worth it, You are competent and most of all, your lovable. I'm Steve Smith Singor I'm Gerald 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 Tool Creative Media, The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio Apple Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows from Cut to It. Executive producer Steve Smith SINGR, Co host Gerard Little John, talent and booking manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John

Show from Balto Creative Media. Cut to It is produced by Brian Balta Chevitch and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrec, Production manager Sarah Pollock. Theme music by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You ain't heard am about it, then We're about to let you know it's all