Jonathan Stewart

This is unbelid This is what smack feels like. Like I said smack right, I said old school barbituous. It was great football. It was fantastic playoff football. You give it asund you. Those four games were four games decided about twelve points combined. Oh my gosh, there's your best part. None of the guys who shouldn't have been in the playoffs, we're in the playoffs. All the guys who was supposed

to be. Now the question is gonna be, you know who, who ultimately goes with the bucks going down the way the Rams looked, the way Kansas City looked like they're back to being Kansas City had a surprise team, you know, with with the Bengals surprise. I'm just not sure on the Bengals, not because I'm even going forward into next year. I'm not sure on the Bengals are winning and going to the super Bowl, just because, um, they have a

strong foundation, but they also have some young inexperienced that. Um, when you're playing ends the city, like Buffalo is found out, you can't relax. You gotta be on your p's and queues every play, right. I think the Rams found that out with the Bucks, but they were able to, you know, squeak it out Kansas City. Same thing, right the Banals.

They never there was never a doubt once the Bengals started playing the Tennessee Titans that this was going to be a blowout, that Tennessee was not gonna have their hands full. Going back to that, going back to that UM Chiefs and Bill's game. What's your thoughts on overtime rule? I thing it needs to be adjusted. People A lot of people say, oh, we wish we had the college.

What your what's your thoughts on? I like, I like the rule is you know now, I do like the if they if they were to kick the field goal, they would have had opportunity to get another possession. But if you got to walk off home run right there, you leave it there. And it wasn't like it was a fluke play. They move, They moved the ball down to field like you saw the momentum leading up to like uh they ht right now, that was a whole There was like a bonus football game two minutes. So

I don't so. You wouldn't even even if you were, if you were the bearers, you wouldn't even be upset that you didn't even get a chance to get another possession. No, because you had a possession. You had a possession to stop him. That's true, right, you didn't stop him, right, you had to put you had a possession. You had a possession to stop him. For the tying field goal, you had a possession to stop them before to re heal hit that cheetah button. He was like, okay, cheetah,

but juice. So I don't I don't think so. I don't think so. Right, I'm excited for the Super Bowl because you got new faces, new names, new teams, and some of these teams vintage Wise forty nine. Is you removed when they played. You removed the fourty and Miners and the Rams when they played, you know when they played. But it's old, vintage teams. Thirty two years since the Bengal has been to the playoffs, right or the nc a f C Championship game. You got the forty Niners.

We're back in the day. It was either the forty Niners, the Cowboys and a little bit of the Giants. Those three teams would pretty much would represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. And then if you got Kansas City Chiefs because they the Kanna City Chiefs travel and Cincinnati. If Cincinnati makes a Super Bowl, I'm gonna tell you right now, they may win or may not win, but their fans are gonna travel. It's gonna be crazy. So the NFL, because of the Shield or we the NFL,

the Shield gets the advantage of good football. But we didn't know the football was gonna be this great. It was remember the playoffs, to remember it was exciting. Noil, body, you have to respect. I mean I was texting. I text some people that were on all the teams. Bro your balld, you know, I text some folks with Buffalo said listen, that's a bad mama jam right, and they got some good pieces and these these these four, these last four teams, the future looks bright for the future,

from the Josh Allens to the Patrick Mahomes. I mean, we we're looking at just it's it's crazy, Joe Burrows seeing the man is is really Ken Jimmy Garoppolo keep pace for four quarters. He did what he needed to do. In the end, it got the dub, but it was no shaking him right right right, and and so that that that's is it because of or in spite of I don't I don't know, but you hate to find out the wrong onesactly we got On the podcast Jonathan Stewart Man, welcome. We'll go to the cut to podcasts.

I kind of like this. Yeah, you've been doing a lot of good stuff, man, I appreciate you. Listen. Yeah, I think a lot of the former teammates listen. They and they also had an opinion like, why he ain't gonna have me on? Yeah, you liar, I said I know that. I lie. Nah, I'm talking about some of other people I'm gonna have them on. Yeah, I just I just don't want to flood the panther market because that's easy. Yeah, and it's like, oh then and then I'll be considered a homer. So I gotta just gotta

switch it up. You're very resourceful, and I try to be I try to be all right. So this is a segment that we do call get I stuck. Here we go. You're ready could have at least like gave me. I don't want to give you any because if I give them to you, then you're gonna be all be able to think about it. What's your favorite quotation? M hmmm, see Philippians four third team. I can do all things. The crest strengthens me. Okay, cool, see off the top.

And if at the game time he would probably pick up bigger and better on scripture that he would have screwed up because he would try to memorize it to my line, there might be some truth, all right. What's your favorite genre of music? R and B like nineties R and B take six? Yeah? Oh yeah, good Johnny Gil little my my, my little Joe to see. I got a nice little playlist, man, it's called a court really eight track you I meant no, I had to d player, okay, yeah, anti anti shock what's that anti

shock can stop it from skipping? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I had that. Yeah, that's when you know you got money. You don't even have to know about I have see my headphones had phone on them. M hm. You don't know about that. You was listening to your headphones in your car. I didn't have a car. My brother cassette. Yeah, there it is, see see car. I was on that rt D. Yeah it was called I don't even know what the I know. I don't know. Um last website you visited Google Earth for the resident or piece of

land out there in chest it all right? Oh yeah, answer that. It's the tepper. Hey, hey, hey, we're recording the podcast and I'm on here with Jonathan Stewart. Yes, that's what I just told you. You called that a perfect time. I don't have to say. I love my brother. Am I doing a good job over there at at the stadium you're recorded now? I think if he's doing a good job, that he's learning. If he's not learning, that he's not doing a good job like that. Yeah,

So in other words, we're gonna fire your ass. I'm learning. Yeah, I've learned in that promise all right, I'll call you back. All right, you got any hidden talents? I can paint really? Yeah, I am dumbfounding like a room or no, Like I can do paintings really, so like like paints and stuff like that. So do you you will? Natalie go y'all, like you do wine and painting. We've done some wine and painting. Yeah, you got painting too before after the wine?

Both okay, Then she has it. She has a real skill. Then all right, because what you do after the alcohol might not be might it might not be a talent. It may be the alcohol. But what the wine does is make you make your creativity. You're what creativity? Yeah? It just makes it either takes the governor off or it makes it like, where's your creativity? I don't understand before after the one, I'm pretty sure my stick figures

would look the same. I'm drawing stick figures. I can't draw to save my life, man, I can't my life. That's why my life. And I was on the line for a drawing. Where are you from in a place you call your hometown? Lacey, Washington? All right? Where is that relative capital is? Olympia? Sure? Okay? And then you know forty five minutes from Seattle, South Okay, but I was born yes, um, Madigan Hospital, Fort Lewis, Washington, right

outside of Lakewood, which is about thirty minutes outside of Takoma. Okay, all right, how did your upbringing impact you as a as an adult? Now? You know, I would say my upbringing you know, simple right, simple things and I think you know, taking a guy like me from Lacey of Washington, Um, how is Lacey? Washington is a rural is it a city? Like? What is it? It's the capital. It's right outside of

the capital of Washington. So what you do have a lot of meth heads, a bunch of people that are just just druggis really you know what I'm saying, and so um it runs a lot in Washington. So yeah, very like I think depression rate you know in Washington is crazy. Um, just always getting piste on it just

missed pretty much. Yeah, um but um, but it called for a simple way of living in a sense of where you know, how I was raised and you know, not really expecting much from people, um and just taking you know, taking it upon myself, you know, a single mall and just me and my brother. I mean we had to figure out you know what we were gonna eat, you know, during the day, I got to figure out what, So what's your what's your version of poor? Because everybody's

version of porge is different? Right, government cheese? Right? Yeah? And so now that I, you know, get drafted and you know you have money, and you know, it'd be one thing if I didn't come from a simple mindset you know, of living, you know, because I would probably be into a lot of other things, you know, or wanting a lot of other things. And I think, you know, the simple mindset blessed me, you know, to to not need for much or want for much. And I carry

that over into parenting. You know. You know, if you want something, you gotta work for it. What drove you to stay away from those meth heads and those drug acts? Press of God could have been one choice, right. The easy answer to that is just the grace of God and and and people that I was able to connect with that word doing things the right way, um, you know, teachers, um, and finding the confidence and myself through grace to where I wouldn't need to feel like I need to you know,

validation from my peers. And so learning that at a young age was crucial for me and believing that was crucial for me, you know, my mom and stilling that making us go to church. Um, you know, I credit that, you know, you know, as far as the why I didn't choose to go left, I credit a lot to the people that I was blessed to have in my life that helped guide and mold who I am. You

know what I'm saying. And I think if any person, I mean, Smithy has those people in his life that has helped mold and shape him into the man that he is now. And if you feel like at any point in your life that you don't need anyone, that's a dangerous place to be dangerous. But you also, I'll call it smarts for lack of a better term, to to listen to those individuals, because again, you know, Uncle

so AND's man, you don't know any better. But when you having that instilled, and you'd be like, yeah, I'm gonna listen, I'm gonna follow him, I'm gonna see what he says to kind of help mold you and push you down that path. And it takes you humility to apply, right, you know, It's one thing to sit there and listen to somebody dead and face telling you what how to

make a million dollars. But you gotta apply, and you gotta actually have the tools to take what you hear and do the things that are necessary and sacrifice the things that are necessary to get you to that point. 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

sing your what about online? And you can follow us that 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 take us down that road to football because a lot of people don't know. You've been overall picked by the Carolina Panthers,

drafted and injured, has surgery prior to the draft. Now the Panthers has some insight because the guy that did your foot World right now, Bob Anderson, who does most guys feet they knew the recovery time. They thought they knew the recovery time. But yet, just like anything else, that surgery for some people takes X amount of time. For you, particularly, how long did it take you after your surgery for you to feel right comfortable enough to

become the player you ended up becoming? Because people don't know drafted in April, whend you have your surgery March March, right before the draft, you didn't become Jonathan Stewart until when. I mean I didn't have no time. I had from March until the third preseason game. But my rookie March,

so April, well actually April, May, June, July, August. They put you in September, October, so probably about December when you were and now the weather's change where you were expected to start impacting your team as a top fifteen pick. So how did you feel getting in the game. March of two thousand and eight, I was having surgery before my birthday, twenty first birthday, and I was in Eugene, Oregon, and I was hearing ESPN telling folks that I was a drifter and I have a foot injury, and I

shouldn't be a top pick and all these things. And I have already committed to go for the draft early as a junior. And so you're hearing all these things for the first time about what you're not when you've been told what you are, what you are, what you could be for the recent time and until you got injured, right, and um, you know it was tough, you know, mentally, not really sure what to expect, where I'm gonna land and all that. And you know I went to Pro Day and when I was at the pro day, Um,

now you have pro Day not being pro Day. Yeah, yeah, pro day knowing you cannot perform. But I had calm, I had the combine and then Pro Day. I didn't have anyone talk to me that Pro Day or anything like that, but I did have my combine, which Doug Williams he was there. He was with the red Skins or Tampa Bay at the time. Tampa he was with Tampa Bay at that time. And so I saw him in passing in the hallway and he had recognized me. That kind of threw me off, like that get that.

I'm like, man, he knows who I am. But it's more Yeah, but he hit me. He put me to the side, and he had must have heard about my situation from the training and all that stuff being there that I wasn't gonna run because I had my toe injury. Well he had what was the toe injury? So I had turf toe. Whit turt toe such a big issue because you have to as a running back, you have to be able to bounce on my foot. You gotta be able to make cuts. So your big toe was

just hurting. No, big toe ain't working. It's swollen, jammed up, ligaments, torn, all kind of stuff. Right. Turf toe is not like, oh, I hit my foot on the coffee table trying to trying to you know, get the remote. Turf toe is pretty much taking your phone and just having someone just smashing a bunch of time and so and and so. Now where your knuckle is and where you know, all of that everything in between your knuckle and your fingernail,

it's pretty much Swiss sheets and swallow buff. Yeah. With that's your big toe, man, Like, listen, your calves, your hamstrings, you're you're blower back that right. That big toe is activating all that's it makes you lopside it right, everything, and then your compensate and then that, and then you compensate because now your left side has all of the work, and it's now doing the work of the left side

and doing the work of the right side. So a conversation, now the left side gets overworked and it potentially start causes a strain. So now you gotta muscle strain on your left side. You got a non firing right side. Man, You you up, you up a creek without a pattern? Which is what? Which is? He eventually when I started, you know, experiencing Overcolm Satan from my toe. Um, but

going back combine. Doug Williams passing on the hallway, he said, listen, if you fast, you're gonna run fast no matter what. Go out there and run. I don't care. I said, all right. So I called my agent. I said, look, I called. I saw Doug wung. He said, go out there and run. So Doug trump the agent. Well, my agent is like, well, if you feel comfortable, run, I'm like all right. So I went out there and ran. I did the vertical jump. I ran a four or four six so on on a jam on a turf

toe turf to. I was run on the side of my foot and then I did the vertical jump, and I think it was like thirty seven and a half jammed. And so what what I realized though, is Doug was really telling me if you were a dog, you're a dog, go out there and this is your opportunity. And so I think that helped me in the long run absolutely for people fell in love with for me to go through what go through injury and to show what I had.

I'm a firm believer in whatever you're going through, God's prepper, right, and so like I'm hurt, I've been hurt, I've gotten through it, I've been here and all those things. So I'm not gonna spend time, you know, focusing on what people are telling me that I'm not. I'm going to take that, you know, that advice that I got from Doug Williams improved to people what I am. Even though I am hurt, I'm still a dog. So just let me get healthy, right, And so that was my mindset.

During the combine Pro day comes around at Oregon, I'm not even in the vicinity. I'm not even asked to come there. It felt weird, like like I was just almost kind of like forgotten, right, And then the Panthers take me off site to a hotel and I have a meeting with the Scott Scotting department. I didn't think

nothing of it. Don Gregory besides one team that I didn't even meet at the combine, you know what I'm saying, took me to the side and yeah whatever, like they checked on my my, you know, if I was rehabbing and all that kind of stuff. Um draft comes around. Sure enough, Carolina Panthers called me and I'm drafted. Go to O T A S. I didn't even go to like a ceremony or jersey hanging or anything like that.

But because of my upbringing and the simple mindset that I had, my expectations were here, Okay from receiving anything, but I knew I had to work for whenever my time was coming, whenever I was able to get on the field, I had to be ready. And so O T A S. I show up. Now. I remember John Beeson, he was coming off of a surgery and all those types of things, like he had like a shoulder surgery

or something. And you know, and because obviously I looked up, you know, players on the team and who is who, and you looked up guys. Yeah, damn, that was a dummy. I never looked at nobody, but like, but I just learned something. But it was my But I was excited. I knew I was coming to play football with Steve Smith, Julius Peppers, you know what I'm saying. Like, I was like, Okay,

this was and so John. But seeing John in his situation, it kind of like took a little bit of pressure off me knowing that here's a guy that was drafted first round that's hurt, he's rehabbing. This is how this thing goes. This is their off season. I have a little bit of time. I don't. I'm not immediately needed,

that makes any sense. So I go back to college after O T A S. Finish up what I gotta do there, because in the league, you're not allowed to participate with the team out of college if your school within the quarter system, it's still in in session. Tried the same thing, and so go back and then I'm rehabing, um working out. I get back to training and then

it's June. Rookies had the report early, so I reported stayed in holiday in and all that stuff or whatever training camp, and I was finally ready to practice and so defense was looking their chops. Thomas Davis. I remember getting hit in the backfield. Immediately, I thought that it was a a gap blitz from TV. He came off the edge. So that's how quick I got hit. I

thought it was from the middle. He came off the edge, and so I was like, Okay, this football thing is really fast and they can hit, and I'm piste off right now. And the very next play, D'Angelo was supposed to come in and Skip. I looked at Skip. I was like mad, and he said, yeah, stay in there. And the very next player I just went crazy and started stiff farming people and just that's kind of how

that went. And then so throughout training camp, you know, like watching how things were going and all that stuff with you know, the team, I started getting acclimated to the team, you know. And then preseasons going by. I missed the first preseason game, missed the second, the second preseason game, the third preseason game I think we played Philly. In Philly, I got in there on the very last drive I gotta carry. I got like a draw and it was just like in practice TV. I got hit immediately,

and then Skip took me out. He said, no, get out. And I say that because it takes the right people right and I'll be cultural too. Yeah, And I call that like a grace moment for myself by having a coach that understood the situation. I'm in there with the third stringline. The following game, we played the Washington the Washington Redskins washing football team. Back then it was a it was a Redskins. That's when things started to get real for me, right and slowing down a little bit.

Like I remember like pre game, I remember seeing Sean Springs. He was still playing. I'm like, hey, he's still playing, so like you know, Jason Taylor d then uh he was back there. Yeah, you got to see football life. So I'm not I'm not talking. He was with Washington, he said he was still yeah, but um And so then I had a I had a outside you know, zone play drawn up, followed Brad Hoover who and took

it down the sideline. Scored. It felt easy. And I'm not easy, like like cloud, you know, just like like whatever. But it felt like feel like you knew. It felt like what I knew. It felt like I was in a zone. It felt like I belonged where I was no questions and Smitty was the first person in the end zone pick me up. I'm like, wow, this man is strong, right but obese was obese like I'm jump

jump for me. But it was just like one of those moments where I was like, Okay, I can do this right and then but it still didn't really like I still didn't stop you doing. What do you mean you belong? How does a guy who's drafted over the first round, first round pick you got? According to our listeners, you got You're getting paid a king's ransom to play a child's game, and you're telling me after scoring a

touchdown it took a touchdown. Not being drafted, not flying New York, not getting fitted for a suit, not getting put on first class from Washington all the way to Charlotte, not being picked up, not getting your locker, not signing the Kniche contract, not getting pick your jersey, not them fitting your helmet in your head, not for you eating in the cafeteria, and and Julius Peppers walks past you. Not any of that made you feel like you belong

until you hit a touchdown. How I mean my expectations right, you know, My expectations weren't settling for getting the helmet

or getting a jersey. You know, I remember you firsthand in jersey gonna be replaced unless you do something great, right, So my expectations was, I want to prove to myself that I belong here because I just came from a real recovery and a lot of you know, side questions as far as is he gonna be okay, is he gonna be ready, and all these things, and now I had an opportunity where I was successful in the beginning stages of me feeling like I belong you know what

I'm saying, and so, and then everything else added to it, Like I mean, that was the beginning stage. I would say. Monday Night football, my rookie year was the who played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mine and Night football home game, And that was the moment where it clicked for me. Yeah, that's when when me and with me and D'Angelo went him. Oh no, no, that was that was I left my

grandpa passed. Yeah, oh yeah, I remember. I was like, yeah, yeah, that was right after things given right, Yeah, and that's a that's just amazing, right, Like the realness of what actually transpires behind the lens, right, But what people go through, like we out here performing and doing all these things and living our dream in life and real life is happening.

How do you keep football the focus? Then? My injuries is what kept me focused because if it was if it wasn't for me that feeling great in the mornings or feeling great for practice or feeling great in the morning of the game, I wouldn't have had that focus to maintain and to get to the point to where I can actually perform. And so me being injured required me to focus on my injury. What does this mean that I can't move my ankle the way I used to?

You know, what do I need to do? Right? And not getting the answers right up front, and having to search and having to wait and having to to figure it out and be played mind games by the staff at times, right, because that's just how Football League like it it. It pretty much stimulated me to just say, Okay, I have this thing that I've been blessed with, how can how am I supposed to be the steward of this? Right?

And and so you look at my rookie year, you know, I went through what I went through, bounce back whatever, get on the playing field, start zone and start getting in the zone. Get an ankle injury? Oh man, how am I supposed to recover from this? What ever? So it's just a continuous, you know, time of just being stimulated by injury, knowing that I have to be on the field. So my mind was, I want to go and play music. I want to go home and just

edge out and play video games. I want to go and hang out and enjoy the fruits of you know, the labor that I've been you know having, Right, I think year three it all clicked in the sense of mind, body, spirit, right three things. Everybody talks about it. But for me, like if my body wasn't where it needed to be, that means spiritually and mentally, I needed to be on my a game because if my spiritual sense wasn't right, I ain't got no ey I'm up a creek without

a path right. Mentally, I gotta be where wherever I am. Mentally, if I'm not there spiritually, my mentals are gonna be a whole different path. So how did you get there? Then you have to put in the work. Just like you train your body, you work out just like you, I want to be the best football player. You go out there and catch balls and you run and you do your agilly cluts and all that. Right. Mentally, right, you have to stay sharp. So how do what do you?

What do you do? What are you doing to to stay sharp to where you're not feeling the pressure? What did you do not knowing? What did you do? You study? Study? So whenever you study your opponents, you go through your When I'm not practicing right, when I'm not not But but whenever, whenever you're not doing what you were, what you feel like you're supposed to be doing, you gotta mentally grasp that right. So you gotta envision yourself doing

that thing. So playing football, I'm not playing football. I need to visualize that and stay on the game plans and stay in the classroom and actually take notes, like I'm taking notes for the first time about the Tampa

Bay Buccaneers. We played them the first time, but I'm I know exactly who's who, but I still gotta take notes and put things down and drop them down as if there's as if it's the first time me seeing it and experiencing it, So that way I stay fresh and still I stay sharp because part of the mental thing is I ain't got it no more. I probably gonna be able to have it when I'm back, or am I gonna be ready? You know, being uncertain because you haven't been on the football field for a couple

of weeks now, So are you telling me? As you are processing getting ready on the field, you're also honing in and learning how you learn how you can consume information and hold it and it would be part of making you good at your crime. Good do it, good, do it. Let's get down to do it good. Hey Gerard, why did you get that T shirt? You? Oh? Yes, I got it from cut to a podcast dot com where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to our guys

at seven or four shot. But yeah, you can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm gonna go across the table and go to the to the vet. When he came on board, what was your thoughts and theory when he stepped on the field and he started coming in, what do you guys think about him? Well, he researched who he was playing with, and I would see the film of the new guys they brought in that were offensive guys, so

I knew he could play. I didn't know to this depth what he was going through because I never asked. I just we just became friends. And so while we sat on the side or we were watching defense be serviced by scout team offense, we would talk and he would ask me little questions that let me know one that he was safe. He wasn't a snitch, right, did you know that? I mean I knew I wasn't snitch. I knew that, but you know, he was feeling you

out kind of scene were you think. I think anyone that talks to Smitty knows that Smitty's educated about who he's messing. It's always a purpose. I think that's a I mean, I think from day one I knew exactly who Smitty was, you know what I'm saying. And to me, it was it was safe knowing that we had a guy like Smothy on my team, because it was like, well, if there's blood in the water, we don't want it, Okay,

get it out. It was really the mentality that I kind of felt from him, and that's something that can be carried over, not just on football. But life right, your friendships, your family, like, protect your interest, you know what I'm saying, your finances, like if there's blood in the water, it's got to go. I was, it wasn't on team. I was torn Achilles, but I worked the game. You got the Carolina Panthers play Denver Broncos. But you go back before I was released that year leading up

in to it, nobody's I've never talked about this. We had a player's only meeting after practice. That's when Dave Gentleman was there. We had Drake Florence. That's when we started. Oh and we oh when two and three? Mm hmm, this is yeah, this was that last year and I had We were already on three. They were already talking about problems. Jonathan uh John Beason got traded. Gettleman was already starting ruffle feathers. Right. I told the coaches go

out how the players only meeting on practice? And did I not call it? I pointed out to every veteran and asked those veterans, in front of other veterans, you play on be here next year. Jordan's what did Jordan's say? I don't know, Drake Flawence, you're playing don't be here now and not really, and you think you're gonna be here, No, not really. And I said, I know, damn well, I ain't gonna be here next year, did I not? I said, So, we got two choices, you know, I like giving choices.

We got two choices. We can go ahead and keep doing what we're doing. We can start taking the ship of this fucking team and start winning because they're gonna get credit, but we gotta do it. And so from that moment on and we end up having a pretty good season. That's when we lost to uh to Seattle. And you know what people didn't know is you know at that time, that's what you know on my on uh my truth. That's when the whole trade stuff that my agent worked out. When I decided at that time

was I gonna stay or go? And I was like, all right, if I'm I'm gonna stay, I gotta just stay and I gotta work it out. We gotta we gotta get it going. There's so many things that happened in the football season that is such a check of reality for players. And what you see now in the NFL with a lot of these teams that are successful or the middle of the road. The teams that are in the middle of the row around this time, they're in the fourking a row and they either figured out

as send or s damn tumbleweeds. And it doesn't get better. It actually kids worse. Hints the Carolina Panthers right now, they're in a fourking a row and it doesn't seem like they can get out out from under themselves. So what would say is your greatest accomplishment as a Panther? Don't look at me. I wouldn't help me. What is you as a Carolina Um? I mean obviously for me the Super Bowl? Right, we didn't win, and I spent

a year just being better about it. You did, But at the end of the day, like I got something out of it. I scored our only touchdown on a broke foot and that means a lot to me, you know, because you know, adversity overcame adversity to get to a stage that men dream of, you know what I'm saying. And getting a chance to play on the Super Bowl, No, I would never look back at that again and just have a bitter taste in my mouth. Ain't nothing I

can do about it, right, played in it lost. Score touchdown, Hey, score touchdown? Thanks. Um. So I think that to me, as far as my football career, that would that would be the highlight. So that game, that moment, even in a loss, out of all the records you have for the Panthers, meant more to you than those numbers that

are in a book somewhere. You know. One of the things I learned about myself being retired is you know, I hear you, oh, you know, especially every year the Hall of Fame speeches and all that stuff, and like listening to the guys talk like they were like the

ultimate competitor. You know, they take a little bit different that got them, you know, whatever that was like, and you hear all these stories and like, man, like I played football, I played it well, but like, competing wasn't my ultimate drive, right, Um, it was a piece of it. But what I what I did learn was is that I'm a convicted competitor. What do you mean by it?

So if you convince me that if you do ABC and D and you will get E, and I believe in that E, I'm gonna do everything that I can possible to get to that E. And I'm help you. So that's what I mean by being a convicted competitor. I'm convinced. I believe in the end goal. I believe in the team that I have that I'm on, that's

a part of my circle, like whatever it is. I believe in my family, like I believe in my friendships like and that to me is who I am to the core, Like my loyalty is to that, to that thing. And you know, Coach Skipp always tell us just to keep us in check. You know, only loyalty in this game is the paycheck. That's it, right, And that was always to remind us that this is a business and that you can be out of here tomorrow. And so to me, you know, that's what what that's what my

core was is. I am convinced that me going out there running my head into another helmet, it's gonna help us get to the super Bowl. That's what I'm gonna do. So if Skip would have told me that, in my mind and my heart, I would have disagreed and also said for me to get another check from another team, all I gotta do is just do my job. Do my work at is at the core of who I believe I could be, which is one of the best. So when they get tired of me, I'm not stressed.

I'm just actually waiting to see who do I get to choose from from calling m I went to work not feared of getting cut underwork wortch do me a favor, literally cut me and watch what I do. That's what I like. Hey, going to work, I'm here. Do you want me here? It's a serious question, but there's a lot. There's a lot. Like he said, they're crazy, you know. Hearing what you said, I think younger me, I would

have took offense to me. Convince you. You need to be convinced for which you sign up for this for. We got to convince you asked to show up right this old me, this is what I would and I would.

Look what so you're telling me, I'm going across the middle, about to get knocked out for the better cause, and and me getting knocked out is convincing you to go hard to alright, and just having that degree of separation between the drive of all those people, and that's where and that's where it goes full back to full circle, back to that's why everybody aren't friends, That's why everybody on the team is a friends because of are different perspectives of how they see this game in which we

all have said we need because that's what you know. We we all to some degree, some of us higher drives and lower drives or different agendas. So, man, I need ball. I want to go to the league. But to be convinced, you know, that's not really convinced. No, But I'm just going in my mind hearing that and knowing and knowing you as a friend and also makes

it connect. Some dots were like, oh, I get it, but you need to convince it because you hit so much adversity day one, right to start in this process. But so did I, so did the next person. I mean I heading into my senior year, I had a C four verst fracture. I broke. I almost completely broke

my C four vertebrate in my neck. All right, So we all have or the guy that that that you know, who was it Jlen Smith that you know with the with the with what he used to play with the Cowboys, that who was a dominant linebacker Notre Dame, who had dropped foot right nerve damage. Yeah, you know, to to what he experienced and to be willing to go out on a limb and also say, hey, I may fail that brother would convinced that boy was dedicated. And I would say and and I would say, like my convinced

the convicted competitors. Since is it's not like, oh, today you gotta convince me. It's like it sounds like it's an internal because in turn off from day one football, I believe in that. I believe you got faith faith in it. I believe in and being a better teammate from my teammates so that way they can be the best that can be. I believe in playing physical and and putting put my foot down and run some body over because I know that's going to excite the defense.

I know that's going to excite the people blocking from me. I know I'm going to give a whole different type of energy. Just talk about excitement, I'll give you friendship wise, I give you full transparency. You're talking about running through people, exciting your teammates. What were some of the unique things that I did as a football player. You're being a teammate playing offense or because I know there's some story I heard you were with with Nate and y'all talked

telling some stories about guys. I went against um in the way I treated him for no reason. So because people are like, oh, Steve was, Steve was tough or he was intense. Man, that's a nice word. I was an assholesome. Yes, smitty Smitty was, Go ahead, do you Smithy was? He was a shark in the water at the end of the day, right, blood in the water goes back to that. If there's blood in the water, you're gonna find it and you're don't get rid of it. On the field, he sends his blood. Oh that's the

guy him. He's weak. He says all these things, but he has no chance. What was that, Minnesota? Don't do that? Give an actual It's very rare as he gives. There's some stories of the Patriots. No, there's some stories because he gets mad the individually you're talking about, and he has a pocket. He gets mad and starts and I'm like, man, I'm gonna stay out of that because I'm I'm grown up, Steve.

Grown up, Steve ain't I'm chilling how about that? But I would say, man, Steve would line up, and really I don't think he I don't even think he really intentionally did this, Like in his mind said before the game, I'm gonna go out here. I'm gonna embarrassed this guy. Steve turned into Stephen for a better word. When when that when the ball snapped? Like what they elaborate? What

do you mean? I just mean it turned into Tasmanian devil running a receiver's route, catching a receipt, catching a ball, and then turning into an m M A fight on whoever is you're playing against. And then you add in the post games. As far as what's being said, it's like almost watching w c W as far as what's coming out of this man now, Like like, what did you tell numbers? Whatever his number was? I was telling the rules to the game. Oh well, what what are

the rules to the game? Eight? Nine? Jesus? I love your eight nine? So what's heard this nine? What does that mean? I heard the story that they said. They said, I was. I was beaten. I was killing some dB that you went to school with and you knew and they were and I was just I was just on one in the hub like this mother. And they said they went and asked the dB like gonna run the place? Like, bro, what did you say to Smitty DV? Was like I

didn't say anything. I know what's wrong with Like, hey, bro, you should have not played like legit like he I don't think he he smitty waits up, has his Bible. We go to church. I used to drive, and so we go to what was going elevation. We would go to the downtown campus and get you know, get get my Lord d before before the molly wapping. But it would be worse if he didn't go to church, be worse off the rid, if he ain't got the word of the worse. Okay, the word of God said a

lot of these dbs. Last prayer has blessed y'all. Your careers didn't end as abrupt as it could have because this man knows the Lord. But like I think like that, But we fed off that because we knew that we was gonna get that, and we knew that it was authentic, and we knew that he wasn't even planning on any of it. But he is still his in his preparation, in his mindset. We knew and saw that we can expect that out of him. But I don't even think that.

Sometimes after games, I think he sits back and says, wow, oh yeah, there were times where I I knew, in question, how long can I keep this up right, write nothing? Or the fear of letting down my teammates right, or you need that play and I know this play is coming to me, or what kind of defense are they gonna play? Be able to process that? It's tough, it formulations,

performance anxiety like times fifty. Well as his teammates, I'm sure you always knew you to get one out of him, no matter what, every play, every down, whether he was blocking, catching, he was yeah, oh yeah. There's a couple of videos that we ran back. You know, we're not gonna name anybody but Miller. That that's the when that Von Miller became Von Miller probably after that hit was a great but no, I say, Von is a good dude and a good dude in which you know that play Just

you try watching my guys back. It was it was, it was. It was all curls and he was in the flat and um, they ran his zone. I was also going to get Champ didn't have a chance. So I ran that curl and Champ ran that curl with me, and then Camp throws a checkdown and so I can't you know, I got a contribute. I'm still expected to do my part. And if you just gotta crack back, don't matter who it is, that be a fine. Now, I was just about to say it would be a fine.

An appendance would have got that fat what they do they always yeah you got some. I'm thinking I hit on stock and it's a fine. Listen by the time, you know, yeah, you know they're coming that fat You get that fat X on that chair. Yeah you got that? Well, man, it's been awesome, man, it's been good to chit chat man. Yeah. Man. We just really appreciate your time and I appreciate our

friendship always. You are a unique person. You are well worth it, you are competent, and most of all, your lovable. I'm Steve smith Singer, I'm Gerard Little John and this is cut to cut to It with Steve smith Singer. That is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC, Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect, and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to

your favorite shows from Cut to It. Executive producer Steve smith Singer, co host Gerard Little John talent in booking manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John Show from Balto Creative Media. Cut To It is produced by Brian Baltaschevitch and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrek, Production Coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You ain't heard about it, then we're about to let you know. It's all