JUSTIN FORSETT

team for very long, but we instantly uh bonded. Nine year vet, one time pro bowler, right, but but a lifetime friend. Justin Forcett. Welcome to the Cut to a Podcast. Yeah, I appreciate. I'm honored, man. This means a lot to be to be on the show. So thank you for having me on. Man, that's my dog, so appreciate. We appreciate you. Pull it up. You know. Obviously we got the co host Gerard Little Johan, you're a good friend.

And then we got a backstage Joe. Um, I'm still trying to figure out, what the hell do you do? Joe better questions No, no, no, no, everything. Remember, well, it's good to have you on there. You know, we we we're just gonna jump right into it. There's um a lot of a lot of my a lot of my guys that I played with on the football teams. They're always like, well, you're gonna have me on the podcast. I don't have the guys asked in my phone on the podcast because I it comes across the wrong way.

But I mean it when I say this is the low hanging fruit is it's the easy route. Right when you're do trying to do something that's that with with sustainability, long term future, you normally want to go to your easy ask the guys that you could depend on. But that doesn't really push me. It doesn't like it doesn't make me uncomfortable, second and third and fourth moving forward, I want to get the guys there on my phone. But the guys who aren't in my phone, I gotta

stretch myself. I gotta reach out to them. I gotta I gotta accept no, we've we we received a lot of nose from people are like, what why is he Steve? He was talking about me on the NFL network or or when I was when I played he you know he did this, so he did that and so not you. That's the wrong guy. Thank you, thank you. That's what I'm talking about. But you know it's so it's um. But I always always wanted this guy on here right when we have a lot of conversations. I always wanted

to guy on it. But I just needed to, you know, to show we got to show people it's not just a one hit wonder and we don't want to just be here one year and just you know, kind of have all the easy easy ask because we have a real good friendship. So that's an easy ask, you know. I mean, Hey, I'm still waiting for my my Hustle Clean UH check. We're not gett my investment check, getting the mail. You ain't got it yet. I feel like maybe it's fed ags, you know, ups and we don't

we don't mean. We don't mean that y'all cause you want to sponsor here as an investor. Hustle Clean is not sponsoring this uh podcast, which should be we should be y'all gonna pay. Hey, what what you need? Man? I don't want to build you can I can I find this a trap? Like if Hustle clean is sponsor in my podcast, I think as an investor and then show a podcast. I don't know, I'll get an invoice at some point. No, no, you're not. It's all good

over here. I'm just teasing. We'll talk the financials, like, yeah, we're talking. You know, we need talking to financials. Every time I go to the store, I'm seeing hustle clean. Yeah, I'm on. Now that's some new stuff popping too, you got yeah, we gotta talk about all right, so listen, let's get into it. We got the first, we got some icebreakers. All right. If you were a pair of shoes, what brand new shoes would you be? Oh, she's Air Force Ones Classic, you know, verst until you can wear

with anything. The white ones are the black ones, though, that's the key question you put on the scheme. Man. You run a block on somebody with the black ones, you can roll. You ain't go. No black ones too, though, you pull up with the black air Force ones, I know you didn't rob somebody before. No, no, no, just the white ones. Yeah, the white ones. All right, what's your favorite? Uh? Just favorite snack? O favorite snack? Oh? I know the next question because we've had this debate.

Go continue favorite snack. That's a that's a tough one. Um. I was. I like smoothies, So if I canna make a nice smoothie, that's a cool snack for me. So we've had this debate in the locker room in the cafeteria. Cereal, what's your favorite? What's your favorite cereal? Ugly face? Hey, uh, speak to me with some respect while I'm on the show. Uh, honey nut cheerios. That's a classic too. He just goes to the classics. I'm a class I'm a classic man.

So I will say like, I'll be like, oh uh captain, yeah, Captain crustfoot, that's not still he would go yeah, he would go candy. He's like, I'm like, and what is honey nut CEOs? He's like, man, it helps kill your helps keep your co strong. Justin how you feel about a shredded wheat? Oh terrible, terrible, shat is terrible? Uh, Steve Smith another favorite his raising brand Cereal, which is terrible.

That tells me that your palette is terrible. If it tastes like the cardboard that it's in, that's exactly eat it quick. You gotta take a shot of cereal like it's like first of all, if first of all, if you pour like me and you ain't letting that thing sit alone, that's why she Yeah, no, he we had this debate. I would ask him, you see me in the stadium in the counter here, I will eat I will eat some razors. N I'm talking about market like. But I ain't letting it sit a long now, because

that's that. But when I was growing up, though, I didn't have some shredded wheat that tastes like corrible. He has a bad palaque here in case General Mills wants a we apologize. So that's you get that shredderway for free. And you so and how you and that's all you have. So you have to switch it up. You go hot milk, cold milk, a little little butter and some sugar that shrewd to eat delicious. You gotta add butter and sugar to the serial. I don't want it. That's why I

don't like grits. Oh yeah, all right, Well that's that. That was it, what we got. That's it. Now we're about to get into it. You want to know about you? Okay, I thought just this icebreaker. You want some more rapid fires. What you want all right, I got one. Uh what what? Uh? Tell me a dog that doesn't bite? A dog that doesn't bite me? You said you're talking about like you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a dog. I'm a dog. Right, it's a hot dog. Stupid Okay, like that. I'm gonna use that. I bet

you are. Alright, Hey, how many how many months? Have twenty eight days? All of them have twenty eight days? You and cues? No, you're on his cues. I don't know abody. Yeah, yeah, yeah, well you know I had my my degree in the background' u ce Berkeleys got packed twelve. Let's go, y'all still in the pack twelve? Come on, man, were down, we're rebuilding. He meant you mentioned it, not me? Ten your rebuilding? Hal they only came to fame and Rogers. Come on now, de Sean Jackson,

Marshawn Lynch. I'm just telling you what I've been there. That's all they claimed. Wasn't Marshaw in your roommate. That's that's funny. You're talking about hilarious. That's gotta bell me and him in the same I'm gonna say, I'm like were you you and I like you? With Steve Smith,

that's like, what is that like? You know, uh, you know, our first encounter with one another was interesting because we're talked about we're at the conference where the uh PO conference is like, uh, you know, couples Conference Christians couple couple of conference that we do every year and ministry and workshop and all those things, and doing the workshops throughout the day. We have time to play basketball, just like some free time, downtime to hang out. And uh,

me and Steve regarding each other. I didn't. I wasn't regarding me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, well he couldn't. That was the issue, Like he couldn't. He can he can hold me out? That's right, I couldn't, So so I guess I may have kind of. I may have kind of I was a little aggressive. Uh. That was the first time he's told the truth of the story. How many years we've been friends. It's the first time the Lord

is working on them. God bless you. Go ahead. I may have been a little bit of aggressive and uh one of the times he just like he had to stop playing, just like let them me and say, hey man, you gotta ease up a little bit. And Uh, I was like, okay, I'm gonna he's up in respect because Steve Smithsterley, so I backed up a little bit, but I ever since then I felt like, Okay, Steve Smith, I mean he's a turd. And then he got it against Steve Smith. He's a turd. I think that's the

name of this episode. Stop aggress because he's that kind of party Steve smithter turd. Continue that's gonna be. That's what I rtanalized. So yeah, just use this face, yea. The so long story short, we ended up playing on the same team in Baltimore in two thousand and thirteen fourteen I believe, no. Fourteen and fifteen um and a little bit of sixth team. We got a chance to

when our lockers were right next to each other. So, I mean, right off the bat, I could tell that this one, this guy's, you know, as advertised, crazy competitor, like just every day bringing energy. His work ethic was crazy, and at this time he had to be at least you know, at the time we were playing for one another, and since since you're a spring chicken, yeah he he would know serious. Like it was like to see his work ethic in his grind every day. It was impressive.

But it was more impressive was just seeing the man behind the helmet, like you see like Steve Smith. You know you see these cut ups, you know, highlights on NFL network, and um, to see the heart of the man like that was what drew me in. Was like, man, this guy like really cares for his family. This guy has a unique story and back line and and uh he cares for his teammates in a real way. And he will you know, he'll give you the shirt off

his back. So I mean, I think at the end of the day, just like my relationship with Marshawn and anybody else, like it's all about authenticity and real and that that's usually the connecting point. I think that because I was a hundred myself and he was himself. Uh, were connected and he had a bond in the friendship brotherhood. So man, I got nothing but positive things to say

about Steve Smith, sr. Man. He's good. We man, we had some we had some interesting conversations on and off the field, but hell, we had a lot of interesting conversations in the huddle too. On the field, like he'll be trying to talk like like first, shut up dog, he's holding him back and trying to get him kicked out of a game, like fortunately, Like come on, stay like bro, if you don't get off of me, Like, bro,

get out of the way. Do you want He's trying to get Samaritan here trying to get but let somebody do something though to him, all right, Steve, go get That wasn't the case, wen't. We didn't have we didn't have much of that going on, but it was it was It was fun. I mean, you've had a lot of encounters with a lot of players and justin how how easy or difficult is it to have those authentic relationships uh in the league? Man, Um, It's it's how

you make it right. I feel like because I was on seven teams, Um, I got a chance to meet a lot of different people, and I invested my time and you know energy, and like I wanted to make sure that I just didn't stop a place and it was transactional, but it is actually you know, transformative where I can have you know, these lifeline bonds that I have, So whether it's somebody that needed help on their charity or camp football camp, I was gonna be there to

serve Like my mission inside the locker room in our football field was to try to you know, have impact and you know, hopefully somebody can see the light inside of me and uh inspire them to be better and do better. And so I spent time with those relationships. So it wasn't that hard for me, honestly to have those I love cut to It and I love it even more when you download us and subscribe and you can follow us on social media too, Smithie, where where at?

That's at? Cut to It on Instagram? What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook? Cut to It featuring Steve Smith singr? What about online? And you can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my answers, questions. Uh yeah, I got all my questions answered. That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a podcast dot com being on seven teams. Though, psychologically,

what what what did that do to you? And I said, I asked with such a broad spectrum because I I don't know, you know, I mean, I kind of can assume, but I want to make a idiot out of myself. But I'm just wondering, you know, I did not. I'm not not saying it the wrong way. I didn't have

that right. So I can't imagine that I remember at that little small moment you know, gee, you know is that when you get released, there's a you know, or you get fired, whatever the case may be, the transition of jobs, it's you know it it does something to you. But you got that seven times? Yeah what that do to you? Man? And put a chip on my shoulder. You know, I'm already I was already undersized coming into the league, right, wasn't supposed to make it long as

you know, a five eight hundred running back. Hold on, hold on, so you finally said your real height five eight okay, fluctuates. Um. So what it did was it was kind of one It told me that, you know, the league is not loyal, Like there's no team that lloyal. That's that's loyal, right, um the Loyd to a degree. And for me, it was kind of like, I don't know,

if you've ever been step in the friend zone. Maybe you guys never had that that problem, right, It was like these teams were like completely yeah, ever ever ever

stuck in the friend zone. It was like that, man, it was like like they liked my service, they like what I provided to the team, but it wasn't enough for an investment, a long term committed you know, with partnership or relationship with me, And that built up a callous right and it feels like at times like, man, when am I going to find that like one true spot or eam that say? Man, I'm gonna bet on Justin I want I love what he brings to the

table when he's worth it. So I was just like really fighting every year to have like, you know, that place where I could call home and have stability for my family. And uh, you know, until I found that place, you know, you know at the telling of my career in Baltimore, where I got a chance to have that commitment and you know, have a place where I at least feel side for a few years. Um, it felt good, But up until that point it was it was a

dog fight. So take us backwards. You know, where are you from in the place you call your hometown hometown Moreburry, Florida, three thousand people right in the center uh central central Florida, right between Tampa and Orlando. Uh, false fate minding is big. They're not a lot of people make it out to accomplish their dreams, goals and aspirations in life, but hard working people humble beginnings. UM. Family financially unstable for most of my life, bounce around from place to place, never

owned a home. Remember time when I had to take baths with bottle waters zephy Hills water bottles down in Florida. I remember doing my homework by candle light because our power bills light bill, we couldn't pay us, so we shut off. I remember running from repo man and you know, my parents put me on the call on the phone to answer repo man and tell them that we're not here or we're parking a car down the street in

order to and walk home. Um. And then at our very lowest being homeless living out of a motel at the age of twelve thirteen, where you know, all five of us his family of three boys, I was the middle child and living in this moach other edge of town. And uh, you know, just at that moment in my life, was trying to make a decision declaring that I was gonna have more for myself and for my family and my future family. So yeah, that was that, that was

me going up but faith driven home. That was a pastor. So um, you know I got a kind of that that that foundation laid earlier. Just like knowing that, you know, I had to have extreme faith, um, not only myself but God, but also Um, I got to put the work in and it's gonna take a lot of discipline and commitment. And I saw that from my parents, whether he was my dad was having a restaurant, he was preaching and driving trucks my mom Like, I just saw him do a lot of different jobs and to make

way for us. So um, just that guys working. It wasn't still in me early, so it really pushed me to be more for me for myself. What do you think you're your family heirlooms are what did your what's your folks hand down to you that you're now handing down to your children. I would say just that I was nothing like physical right, but it was just like that my faith like it was one at an early age I was instilled still in me. Um that I

passed down to my kids. Uh. That work ethic right, Um, that I just talked about, like that is something that's been ingrained to me. Like nothing comes nothing nothing, Uh there's no substitute for hard work. Right. If you're not putting in the work in you know, nothing good is gonna come from it. So I tried to passed down to my kids. And then also just being um not afraid of being different, right, just walking into my like authenticity and um not being okay with not fitting in

the things that you know. I try to pass on that my parents and still at me that I tried stealing instill them to my my kids. I mean speaking of that, you you mentioned you a minister's child, and there's always kind of the stereotypical label of of being a p K, being a preacher's child. Do you feel like you were that stereotypical? How did that affect your not only your childhood but now looking back on how to affect your career and ultimately life. No, I mean

for me, I think a lot of people. You know, when you talk about the p k's going wild or no, you're not a PK wild. You're a p K like he is. He's a like knowing knowing, not knowing of him and his history, observing them and seeing them, seeing this authenticity, hearing him speak, and then when he says you know. Then when I found out he's a preacher's kid,

then I go, oh, it connected the dots. But now as a parent, I think I'd rather have a p K kid to connect those dots than having someone else that isn't you know what I mean, like because what I said, what I mean by that is being a father of four kids, two of them at the house, one on his way out bam, and six one by the way, just letting you know, um and seeing that I was talking to a buddy at the event and he said that his he said, Man, all these guys

kids that we know that are well off, he said, Man, every single one of their kids, it's not living life the way he was he raised them. And so just looking at that, like me and and you are very thankful that, you know, we got some of the kids

that we have. But then looking at you know, just knowing justin and what he experienced as his friend, I'm like, you know, looking at the highsight, I really have a peak kid, you know, a preacher's kid, and someone who has no home training, who has no guidelines, because it's almost you going backwards and just watching them and seeing them and his his foundation is so strong it's like, you know, he has the he does have the innate ability to um identify and and and socialize with every

every every type. It created boundaries for me, honestly, you know, throughout out my journey, like I knew that I was different, you know, because a lot of people say, when you especially going up in like fake community, a lot of people say, when you go to college, people lose their religion, right, you know, And I don't believe that. I believe that. You know, kids go to college and they lose their

parents religion, so they never owned it for themselves. So for me, I owned it for myself, like I had a relationship, like I felt like I was doing, like I was trying to do as much as I could to get close to God, to have my own personal relationship, my own journey with them, and I had that early on. So so knowing that and walking in that, I was okay and confident and bold in my faith and not afraid to be different. And there's some places I couldn't go, things I couldn't do, and I was and I was

okay with that. Right I might have been made fun of or you know, I was known as the guy in the locker room. I was like, especially going up to college and even part early on in my career, like I I waited to have sex until I got married, you know. So I was that guy in the locker room where like you were going to the club or you know, you know, people wanted to do certain things, and I was just like I can't. You know, I'm

not I'm not doing I don't know. It's not that I I can't, it's just like I just don't want to choose not to. Yeah, I chose not to be a locker to you like Steve Ke, you just not cussing at him. Yeah, and then here's the challenge he say you can't doing In some days I've been like, no, I can't. And it's it's all about And for me, every situation was like you know, how can I have impact? Like anything that happened to me, I wasn't gonna allow it to define me. I was gonna allow it to

refine me. So I always had like this spiritual like connection that drew me in Like, Okay, I've been rejected here. People tell me I couldn't make it here, but I know what, Like God, uh, that's about me? Who I am and I know I had that Like it's like the superpower is like this equalizer that I had within me. It's like in any situation, I can have peace, UM, and I can overcome because of it. So that's that's kind of take me through this superpower, boy, take me

through this um. On signing day in college back in fifteen seventy five, Notre Dame pulls their scholarship offer from from you man. Walk us through that. It was hard breaking man, And yeah, I tell the story often is that, uh, you know, as a seventh year old kid, you know, feeling that you're going to know there Dame and family is excited. You're excited, and then a week before signing day they told me they didn't need me anymore. I was crushed. I remember going out into it was the

head coach. No, it was TYD Willingham, dag black On black Crow continue. Yeah, so it was difficult, but it was that that was like a pivotal point within my my journey as a man and as a you know, a young man at the time, because at that point I went down to a basement, I was crying, I was praying. I remember doing that. Noting vividly where I

just like, God, you gotta show me something. I'm the guy that's going to Bible staying, I'm going praying every night like I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to be doing, right, But it seems like you're blessing everybody else but be And I said, God, you gotta show me something. And at that moment, I'll just flipped up in the Bible and it took me the Proverbs three five through six. And I know this is not like a you know, faith based podcast, but I'm I'm gonna

get this off. Um. It was probably three were talked about. Hold on, excuse me, I'll get this verse off. Okay, Proverbs three five. Chill man, I don't gonna go Ah. You said, you know it's not the faith based podcast. Yeah, oh we faith based. We just you're gonna we we it just we sprinkling in so to keep keep hiding on. It's all. It's all. We're on a slab our slap is built on on on on the solid rock. Last

time I check. I mean, Joe is Catholic, but other than that, we're good not a practice of Catholic, but he's still all of a sudden, I'm dancing with snakes. Alle I continue ugly. But the first, the first proverb to talks about trust the little guy with all your heart and lean out on your own understanding, acknowledging in all your ways, and help that your path. And at that point, as I was reading that text, it was as if like I felt this warm senstation come over

my body. It felt like God was wrapping his arms around me. And I never felt anything like that in my life. And at the moment after I got down praying like nothing in externally ever, like my situation hadn't changed, but internally felt like everything had changed. So was that first perspective perspective I was going to excel at what I could control and I do got had a plan

for me. And then you know, months down the road, Kyle uc Berkeley, you know called an offer scholarship in May, when signed it is in February, and when I'm off to college. I mean, what do they what what a note that they aim saying other than you know that they said they need you anymore? What explanation did they have or did they have in it? It wasn't much other than you know they had um. You know, some backs that signed, uh that they didn't think was going

to sign. So what I'm going through that process, you know, just really looking at it, What do you think of the state of college sports and and and and and the NFL? Just from your perspective of a of a of a guy, how does college sports hurt the no names? You know what I'm saying, Because we look on television, we see all these people they get to choose to hat. But what about all the kids who don't get to

choose to have? What about the kids who like yourself, like myself, where we're hoping to dream and a prayer that somebody gives us an opportunity, because that's the only way we can get to college is by someone offering a scholarship. Because how much it costs and and and the you know, and the lack of resources. Hell, we could barely keep the lights on, let alone go off to out of state colleges. Yeah, no, it's tough. You know, you don't get a scholarship. You know, it's really hard

from people to serve communities. And then if you're from a small town, it can be even harder right to to shine and you know, get that exposure but I feel like it's just there's a lot of different opportunities now for kids, um, even more so than I had as far as technology and getting your tape out there, that if in social media. That it's it's a lot better than when we had UM coming up. But there's still a lot of work to be done. I mean,

they're still gonna get kids, gonna go overlooked. They're still stories like mine that are happening, um, you know, over and over again, year after year, year and year again after signing day. So man, honestly, I don't know what can be done to you know, help that just because it's I mean, it's just it's only a couple of colleges, you know, it's a couple of thousand colleges and millions of kids want to play this game that we love, and you know, so I don't I don't know, man.

I just say, guys can excel at what they can control, um and just focus on, you know, being the best version of yourself. And you know, you lize in the leveraging the technology that they have out there. Now it's really it's a it's a better opportunity for you to be seen, even if you're small. Good do it, good, do it. Let's getting down to do it good. 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. You're going to Florida, you know, being raised a little bit in Texas, so you've had a lot of both for us. But man, you act like and you want to be from the

West coast. Man, how was that experience for you? Just being coming far south then in Texas and then going to going to cow State Berkeley is a It's interesting because at that time, I mean, it's it is like, let's be honest, this is cal State Berkeley is everything hippie, like all the hippie stuff. You think it's time. It's times that put some respect on our name. It is you. There is no state in our y'all. Y'all, okay, I'm sorry your sports play like it's a state schooled because

we are public school. No, no, no state. But it was definitely a y'all play football. Y'all playing football currently right now, like cal State Fullerton. I can not I can not knock you there, Um I think. I mean for us, it was a culture. It was a culture

shock for me because I come from Bible Bell. I came from the South and then going to the West Coast and I'm out hanging out with folks, you know, my uh first people I'm meeting, you know, I mean to run up a young kid out of Oakland, California named Marshall LANCHI were, you know, roommates together and we're going to hanging out and people talking about this hype movement and Matt Dre all this stuff. I'm like, man, I'm from I don't know. I mean, I know Kurt

Franklin grints, so price is what you do. It was over that. He was over that pray and watch out that now you know. Yeah, we had in Florida, you know, tricked that. He was huge a little Wayne is still like throing the South. So I had no like it was just a whole different culture from me. But again, like I talked about earlier with us, like like people

really respect authenticity. So I was just a hundred percent myself, like I had good enough heavy accent coming in and uh, you know they came in, they embraced embraced me because I worked hard. Um, I was a good teammate and uh I enjoyed it. Like I met my wife there. The people of great food was great, the school was amazing. So you know, I just tried to make my mark, you know, not didn't conform to the to the culture, but I was gonna have the impact. Yeah. Boy, it's funny,

you know for Shad is it it's funny? Is it? Good? Dude? But it's it's a lot of the relationship I love aforesaid that we have is we can talk about anything. We gonna argue over cereal, but just he's engaging and he he more than anything, he meets you where you're at. And you don't get a lot of people like that, especially in the league. You don't get a lot of people. So you say he meets you where you had, what do you mean by we've had? Me and force that have had a lot of I mean I struggle with

my faith, just straight up. And it's not that I struggle. My faith isn't like I don't believe in God. I struggle. My faith is is in and me and Force had to have this conversation too. It's it's so many, so many Christians who try to like, you know, they try to say things sometimes, Oh are you asking, man, how are you doing? I'm blessed, Yeah, blessing Holly Favor. And there's been times where we've been injured and he's like, man, how do you really feel? Yeah, and he and there's

no judgment and like Blessing Holly Favor. It's like, man, but I just got my foot cut off. So I'm struggling to that and to have that, you know. And there's some people like Bro, I guess the he's he's not always on. He's just foreset where you can talk and you can question, you can ask, and we can talk about anything. And it's different versus blessed in Holy Favor. And then it's like, but okay, yeah, I know we all are. But some days it's a tough day and

what are we gonna do? Right? Like you, you're not going to Notre Dame and going down the basement crying and asking God, you know, why are you blessing all these other of people? But me and I've done this and that like, that's true transparency. That's what I think. Sometimes people forget that Christ did that when he was like, I cannot can I find another way other than this

way that you're saying that I have to go? And sometimes people forget that in the people want to be job, they forget that Christ even cried and I'm Joe, man, you ain't job stopped acting like you Daniel too, ain't no lions, Dan, no round there here, right, It's just just some of that. So it's just really cool too that like I just said who he is who he is, right, and and it's and it's you don't have to hide who you are, and you had you know what you say,

I say, I appreciate you man. That that's that's that's kind words man. You had your authentic right and not saying that that other people aren't. But sometimes it's you know, sometimes it's it's it's different and forced us the same way, right, Like we could joke people listen to this and they be like, man, them dude is calling each other ugly

and turn like but we a joke around. But at the end of the day, we got each other's back, right, you know, that's do that's do justin what are some things you've cleaned from from your relationship with Steve oh oh Man? So much? Um And, And that's why I find it's important for us to, uh to connect and build relationship with people that you know, that are you know, opposite of us in a in a lot of ways, because there's so much that we can get from learn

from anybody out there. Right. So Steve, for me, he really challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. And I feel like even now, just my time with him allowed me to be a better CEO because like for me, like my my past, like I'm non confrontational. Uh, my disposition is like you know, I'm coming to make you know peace in the situation. And I feel like even in the h it reminds me of just like Jesus.

Jesus was tender and tough, and I feel like in that side, like Steve, Steve really pushed me to be more outspoken, to be more bold and it being okay, like for a conflict and and if things aren't okay, it's okay to say that. Um And as a man, as a as a husband, as a CEO, as now being more mature than even I was then like I really embraced that, like because there's just such a thing as healthy conflict and things do need to be addressed and things aren't going right, you need to voice your

opinion and say so right. And uh, I just feel like the way he lived his life is like it was. It's bold, um, it's passionate, and I aspire to to be more like that in a lot of in a lot of ways. So but people think also I'm reckless though, Like people you know what I'm saying, Like people think that I'm just like just reckless, and it's and I do admit I do sometimes give people the perception of what they what I can read off them, what they

believe I am. But one that's calculating. Man, I'll play to the audience and and and and play them straight up into dumb dumb mode because then and then flip the script of the and then it's like, oh, Steve is very smart and it's very into like the minute details of things, like if you want to go granular about any type of subject, he's going he can go

there with you. I watched them handling business cars, uh, doing you know, physical therapy in the in the training room, and I watch them whole people accountable, and I watched them being a behold conversations with people in other industries and be there and be at the same level. So UH just as well rounded this. Of course everybody sees the passion, but there's a real in behind. You know, it's not none of none of the things that at least I've been around or have been anything that wasn't

UM you know that was frivolous. So will you tell us about your entrepreneur endeavors. You mentioned your CEO being able to take away? What do your CEO of? So I'm a CEO of a mission driven self care brand called Hustle Clean. What we do is we create convenient products with clean ingredients for the everyday athlete UH and fitness enthusiasts. And it's really a spend like UH to really empower and give resources to the community that UM that wants to be more out of life without compromising

their health. So there's this hustle culture out there where people feel like man in order to be successful, you gotta work yourself to the bone and you gotta be you you. You don't have time for yourself to like refuel and recharge, and like we're trying to you know, debunk that narrative by providing this uh continued of like self care where people can recharge and regroup and then

go attack life. But if you don't put your oxygen mask on before you put you know, on your kids or the people around you, then what good are you? You know, if you're gone. So that's what we try to be. We try to be that oxygen mask for that that hustler out there that's trying to go after life and uh, you know, a very impactful way, but do it, you know, in a productive way, in a healthy safety way. What have you learned in your business that you wish you would applied while you're a player.

Uh it's that uh um. I say, there's a lot of similarities, um um, between sports and business. And one of the things that I see similar and I posted this today, is that entrepreneurs um they just like sports and football athletes, they they a lot of times placed their identity in what they do. And for me, at one point it was it was changing hats. Right. I went into one profession and I got consumed by everything.

You know, put my football helmet down and I got consumed by everything that is entrepreneurship and the neglecting a

lot of things that mean most well as family. You know, I'm gonna At one point, I was seventy flights in the air in a year and traveling a lot, and for me, what I wish I could go back and you know, apply it's just making sure that um, I'm prioritizing and um and I'm spending more time in those things that matter most for me, like I'm doing now, so I create my own schedule, like I don't have somebody else creating creating a schedule for me for football, so I'm able to get my family time and when

I'm coaching my sons in flat football, whether I'm doing date night with my wife, whether you know, playing in the activity uh for our community or my church. Like I'm able to do that because UM, I think that there's there's something um special about us pausing in life and uh spending time on those things that really matter the most, which you know, like your family and your kids and your loved ones. Because I can make all

the money, like I'm trying to make money. You know, I'm not in a nonprofit space, right, I'm trying to make money for my investors and for my team here here for my family. But but I value the way I to go about it, like I'm not Like purpose is just as important to me as profit. So the

way in which I go about success is different. Then you're probably your other conentrepreneurs that you may may see out there on your Forbes and your LinkedIn, Like I want to make sure that I'm doing it the right way. Like for me to have success and have a billion dollar business and lose my family, um, it's not worth it for for me, right, So but I think you have success and take care of your family, um and uh, and then you can do it in a positive way.

So what's your definition of success? I knew he was gonna have a go too. I saw you that wasn't you know your hamster was turned. I had like three I had like three spades, But when I saw him, when I saw him play that little, I know I had that big do it because I wasn't gonna I had to. I had that book. No, for me, it's walking in my purpose and calling like I feel like in my life, uh, like my gifts are to me inspiring encourage like so whichever vehicle wherever I had I'm wearing.

At one point it was football, like that was my vehicle in which I can really inspire and encourage people. Now entrepreneurship, I'm able to inspire and encourage people. So as long as it's meeting those things, like I'm successful, I'm happy in my family, and my inspiring my family to new going to be better, and my encouraging them doing downtimes are helping people reach their potential in life. Like it has to fit that. So that's success to me. That's what I value most, is just me walking in

I feel like my God give me call him. That's what man. So what have you learned? Well? This this will be the last question. I know you gotta get out of here. But what have you learned out early? You know, use late to us. What have you learned from What have you learned from any failure in life? Oh? I say this all the time. I say greatness grows best in the shadows. And what I mean by that is that we don't get our greatest games in life

when we're at the top of the mountain. We'll get our greatest games in life on our climb and our pursuit to the top, those moments when we're constantly being pulled and stretched and we have to fight opposition and adversity, and we have to dig deeper than ourselves and put our things that we even know existed in order to take us to the next level in life. So we

have to learn how to embrace the difficulty. We have to embrace the trial, because those things will push us closer to our dreams and our goals in life if we have the right perspective. You know, um, ease is a greater threat to progress, you know than hardship. So I would much rather embrace those moments of adversity UM at tough times UM than not, because that's what we get our greats though growth. Man. Well, we appreciate your time. Man, I know you know, um you gotta go. But it's

cool talking to my brother. Man. It's cool talking to you. It's cool seeing what you the great things you're doing. I like mess with you because uh that's what we do. But we do. Man, It's I'm I appreciate you, man, thanks for having me on the show, man and uh like even from Afar and uh, you know, I just want to give you your flowers Man for what you continue to do. And um um, I think that boxes over things, not people. So I love that what you

keep expanding yourself as a man. Um As I see you on this podcast, as I see you on TV, you know you have not been limited by you know, your background and your platform or being a football player. To see you be a great father and a husband, it um, it's a Spartan is encouraging to me every day. So so thank you, man, Appreciate you. Man. He's one

of those things. Man. You know, when I left Carolina come to Baltimore, I was wondering if I fit in, you know, not just in the I felt like I fit in the locker room, but I was wondering what I fit in just as a person. And I enjoyed my time in Carolina's thirteen years. But one of the things that was really cool and unique about Baltimore, and we both agree, is Baltimore cultivates this this brotherhood that it's not a lot of places. And I know Panther fans don't want to hear that, but it's not a

lot of places. Justin has been on seven teams. He's seen a lot of people trying to play football. But Baltimore, even if they don't have success, they understand. They make you make some lifetime friends. And I there's some guys man that locker room when lose a draw. There's some dudes that like I would go down to dark Alley with. And I know everybody says that about me, but there's some dudes. And Justin one of those guys. Here you know,

here strike you in the name of the Lord. But at the end of the day, he's one of those guys. When you talk about having your back, it's not having your back to being a fistfight. It's having your back that somebody you can rely on. And I'm gonna tell you, not all football players are reliable. Not all of them are tough, not all of them are smart, not all of them are dumb, not all of them are shorter, out of shape, whatever the case may be. But Justin is one of those guys. He's reliable on and off

the field. And I appreciate you. Man, oh man, you are a unique person. You are well worth it, you are competent, and most of all, you're lovable. I'm Steve Smith Senior, I'm Gerald Little John and this is cut to It. Cut to It with Steve a Senior. That Is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC, Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio 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 and 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