Michael Vick Part 2

other side not know you may know it. I witnessed it, and I've seen it. You got you got us. I got a first side, and I got post dramatic stress about it. Right now, right he's still gliding across this. Right now, you're gonna hear about Michael Dwayne vic the man, the man, the husband and father, what he learned about himself and what he learned about playing the game. It's remarkable. It's a lot of it's some nuggets up in there.

I'm talking about nugget dropping, Mike dropping everything. Um, you can't wait for you guys to here. But it's less about ball. It's more about the person. I've always struggled with trusting people overall. So I can't even imagine, you know, what you've gone through, how do you filter friends now and and you know, and how it's changed, Yeah, in those ways after going through everything you went through. I try to, um just not have a lot of friends.

I try to just keep my circle small, like I got a lot of respect for, you know, especially my piss like like you and Danny and Thomason and Drew Breves and guys you know from my draft and draft class guys I played with, guys who I respect so much, you know, and I, you know, guys not saying it that you've gotta be successful because I can meet somebody to charity event and having good relationship with him from Afar, But I try to center myself around, you know, people

who who think like me, who you know, don't have the same walk of life, might not be in the same walk of life, but you know, we kind of experienced the same things, and you know, what life is all about the importance and family and and things that really matter, you know. So you know, I felt like those are the more of renatable people, and those are the people who kind of you know, help keep leads on my dean when when I when I could be slipping a little bit, passie. We all none of us

are perfectly you know. We all you know aren't shopping iron man. What are the core values look for in the friendship? And when do you know you need to leave a friendship? You give them time, Like it's gonna be things that's gonna happen where you know, decisions gonna have to be made and somebody's gonna have to save

with one another. Just call out what's really real or what's right and if that person can't do that, you know, and just in the smallest situations to make a decision that you like, Man, thanks for having my back on this because you know I was right and you know I'm not wrong. That's when you know you got a good friend, when they're gonna step up and do what's right.

You know what I'm saying, Like situation like, Steve, I know, I know you see, like I can tell you probably tell you something like if it don't make no sense, I can almost expect ninety in time you can be like, yo, what the hell are you talking about? Pretty much like like if I give you a scenario. It was like, man, what do you think about this? I did this? He

did that? Who we were? Like? Who was right? Just with your assause if you if you tell me to ask something looking for him, like, Yo, that's a good friend. Not because it's not because I'm your boy, Because it's like you're telling me the truth, whether good or bad. I'm like, that's a good friend. But I just been around people who just couldn't do that as a late friends and family, and it's hurtful. And I've learned to walk away from those people because those type of people

that can hurt you. That's one thing I've learned. Everybody can't go with you. That one's a hard one to learn that everybody can't go with you. Man, that's so good. I'm I'm sitting next to you. I said, that was really good. But it's true though you and you have to go through it by trialing there. All right, let's let's we always have this segment called Let's Talk Ball.

So I was listening to um MoManI Jones podcast that you did back in and I heard you say in this is why this is when you were still playing with the Philly there for your Eagles at the time is when you finally put everything together. And I heard you say that, and I I mouthed the word that I will not repeat on this podcast. Bro, Like, m what is Mike vix standard? Because the other sideline watching you play and you're saying you just getting it to get you just figuring it out. What was you doing

prior to that? Because I remember that game that I'm back game when you broke your ankle. Remember the mad Curse he broke his ankle. Ye remember that. U dang they had who they have Samuel Jackson, he's back. They had to make they have folks that McDonald's talking about. He's back now that that was the game when you, uh, you scrambled around and I'm exaggerating, but he literally dove in from the thirty and hurt just kind of go. He was like, I know his knee touched the ground.

I know it. Man. We ran an instant replay. We ran every year that it went under the hood. Yeah, he capt didn't touch book. There was Moses. No. We walked on water. I mean, I know Jeus water. Peter came out water with Jesus, right. He said, don't look down and there's Michael vad who hovered over the turf and made it. You made it, but but good times. But yet your own words you didn't even have. You

didn't put it all together. No, get get me to understand how Rookie of the Year Madden coming over Pro Bowls, you know, is doing all this stuff. You were doing nine h two yards in one season, right, six thousand yards Russian season and yeah, you have no idea what you're doing out there. Yeah, so I said, I'll say, look, I had an understanding of the game. So I understand. I understood our offense. I understood what was trying to accomplish. You know, I understood, you know, the the whole single

high too high. You know, how to be discoverage and how to be that coverage. But you know, when I had Dan Reeves, um, you know, Dan forced me to look at certain things on defense and and watch this guy and watch this guy guy, and you know, look out for this defense. So I was standing like seriously, get into the exits and oats and like really learn our offense and pieces together. So so this is what I know because I was young, and as I think about this, this is why when I got the Philly

I really didn't no nothing. And this could be a lesson for you know, coaches to young quarterbacks in the league, as you know, stop changing offenses and change offers and coordinators. Let a guy grow. So damn, we're starting to teach me how to you know, six and seven men fronts and protections and how to how we protected our offense.

So i' mean this offensive two and a half years and then then gets fired in my third year, you know, So now you know, I'm like, I gotta go off what we got the last three games of the season, and now it was a new coach coming in, teaching different rules and different principles and the whole new offense. And now I gotta learn the whole offense. I gotta learn what this offense in tales and what we're trying

to do in this West Coast system. And then I gotta get back to learning defenses and how to piece these defenses with what we're trying to do to get the best of what we're trying to do in the offense. So in trying to do that, it's like, you know, things not going right sometimes, and now I'm using my natural instance. I'm running and that far out of my game was coming out more because I'm just unsure, you know, and I got you know, I got weeks to you know,

put it all together, constantly add new stuff. It's constant new defenses that we gotta see. I think that was around the time, like Steve, you will remember when the zero Blitz was starting, like oh full five, it was starting to show up, like yo, what is this and how do you beat it? So that's where we drafted Thomas Davis. They drive to Thomas. They just took literally to Shadow Michael spy, no, not spy to shadow like

to mem Yes, break that down with the differences. So the difference it was shadow mad players like myself are probably you're the spy Shadow. But here's the thing. Your job was too. Wherever number seven is, you go, you go kind of like want to tradition, a true lockdown corner, a true lockdown corners. I talked about Champ Bailey if I if I drove my car, Champ would be the parking attendant. Right. That's that's and Thomas assignment was. I don't care what Algae Compler does, I don't care what

ABC does. Your job is to keep up because Thomas was really really fast to keep up with Michael Vick. Wherever Vick go, you go, Well, coach, you drinking water? Well, why are you not go? And that's what it was, and he did it. He did it. But but yeah, Vick, what one or two plays playing us because we're so much we knew each other playing inside your division twice a year, you know, you know it is almost you can utilize information against each other because it's like playing

against your brother, you know. It's Tennessee's Oh well, I know they're gonna they're gonna do a sprint right option, but Vickers left handed, so they're gonna do a sprint left option. But every West Coast coach is gonna run a sprint left for sprint right option. It's in the playbook. While all this is happening with Thomas Davis and the Panthers getting better, and they end up beating us, and oh six, I think they beat us twice if I'm

not mistaken. Um, you know, I'm just learning, trying to learn all these all these offensive plays and trying to learn this offense where teams are getting better. And that's why by the time I got the Philly I felt like I was starting all over again, and I just started to put it together because I had that year time with donnov Been to learn that system, put it all in place. And in a year too, I was much more mature. I was ready to take on those challenges and what dan Is stilled in me, and I

was able to kind of play catch up. But yeah, so that was that's why I was like, man, I knew pretty much. I knew I was playing off. I knew nothing. Now now you know, I'm I'm ready and I can look better in the passing game. And I was able to flourish a little bit. So so it's safe to say is in early in your career you were playing from the shoulders down, and when you got and when you when you were in Philly, you learn how to play from the shoulders up. Yeah, that's correct.

I was playing shoulders down, but mentally I was just I was using my vision, using my vision to make decisions. Yeah, and athleticism the Bailli's out, you know, to be you know, dynamic and just keep the change moving. I just said that. I just yeah, when I got the feeling them like, man, you know it's they're gonna let me pass the ball here. I gotta learn the passing game. This is fun, ay like the throw it. I gotta, I gotta. I gotta show him that I can handle the responsibilities. I can

handle the responsibility of, you know, running the offense. M So, how manly tough do you have to be playing quarterback in the NFL. Man you gotta be willing. You gotta be willing to get hit like you gotta that night before the game. You gotta go into this game knowing that I got a lot of responsibilities. My biggest responsibility it's sowing toughest, hanging in that pocket and getting the ball out to my receivers. You know who busday tales all week long, you know, running routes and trying to

understand how to beat their you know, their opposition. Like, I'm gonna hang in there and I'm gonna do whatever I need to do. I'm gonna show the grit and hopefully everybody else will follow. So you just gotta be mentally tough in the mind and know, I'm not gonna let the defense to defeat me because they're hit me. You know, I'm a I'm a you know, earned my stripes and let my put my pride to the side, and I'm gonna hanging here and I'm gonna be tough

about it. And that's what That's what you gotta go into the game knowing that you're gonna do. I'm hesitant to say it, but I wanted I always want to ask this to a quarterback. Man, do you think it's Do you think it's fair unfair that most quarterbacks are thrusted into that you know, token, the franchise quarterback because

the person that that figurehead for the every organization. Yeah, so when they put that stamp on you, man, the franchise quarterback, because we drafted you number one, Like when we when the team draft you number one, they drafted you in that position and say, look, you're gonna be playing in the next six months to a year, and we expect you to live up to our expectations and

hopefully yours. And when they say franchis quarterback, they do it to put pressure, you know, on that guy, and that make him feel what being a face of a franchise is gonna be. Like, they're gonna put that on the song you, They're gonna put that tag on your

back so you can wear it proudly. And I think especially your rookie year, that's when you're like you like you come in and you're learning and you're seeing like how everything works and how you practice, how you know, how the games to play, how you travel, and then you just continue to grow, you continue to growing in by yeah too, you should be all right, I'm ready to take this thing over. I want this to be mine.

And like my first year, I wasn't. I felt like I wasn't ready until like the second to the last game of the season where things finally slowed down from me and I was able to go out there and just react and play. Had a good game. Christianna went down and heard his elbow and I went in and we almost beat the Dolphins. And then I my last game of my rookie year, I had to play against the greatest show on turf, you know, in St. Louis,

and you know, I put on a good shot. We didn't win the game, but I put on a good shot. And by that time, like you know, my my chain was up, Like you know, I'm ready to run this franchise. You know, if I if I if they have to make some changes next year, I'm gonna be ready. But um, you know so I'm speaking from the experience how you know I felt and the pressure that was put on me, But I was I was ready for I accepted it. Mike. I heard the excitement in your voice when you first

came on. You were Smitty. Both played in the NFC South at this inception. So would you please give me some really good Steve Smith stories? Mike Oh um, m m man, let me tell you the good ones, the good ones, Mike, don't don't give it. Don't give me the skip over. I want the good Smitty stories. So man, man, Steve, we we because we played on you know, obsoutaneously actually really yeah. So, so I'm gonna tell you what I just didn't like about Steve. I'm like, Yo, this dude

is so good, right, you know what I mean? But he rubbed it in though. No, I mean, like, yo, that's part of his game. Like, but because I couldn't be that way. I couldn't be and like on emotional high all the time, you know what I'm saying. So like Steve like slowly became that guy. You know what I'm saying, thing after like yeah too and yeah too, like you use that dude, and yeah three, And I'm like he didn't emerge this true number one, but he toughness. Hell,

you know what I'm saying. So like I'm I'm what stands out. It's just the touchdown celebration dances like and you know, I can't remember them all, but it was like a plethora of a bunch of good ones. And I was like, Yo, his swag is different, you know what I'm saying that, And I felt like that's what That's what carried the team. But you know, I always a mind Steve as a player, you know, and and

and and as a as a person, you know. So you know, I know about the story when you um, Ken Lucas got into it because I think he didn't play against us or something or when it happened, you know. And I'm not you know, I'm not trying to bring up what I'm saying, like like when it happened, I was like, man, damn, we was like in the playoff race,

so he was in the race for wins. And I'm like, man, like Ken Lucas gave us problems And I'm like, damn, you know, respect the kid Lucas, but he might not play this week, so you know we might get a win or something. You know, it might help us in the way column. But you know, I just I just knew Stephen spically man, and like it was like he was you know, I was on one. He was on

one like yo. He was on one like yo. When you told him ice up like that was like thet man, Like bro really took it there, you know what I'm saying. But it was all done. You know what I'm saying. I'd respect you know what I mean, and just put it in secretary of the game like you never disrespected the game. The youngest can look at that and say, like if my son played received, I'm cutting your film

off the bottom line, I appreciate it. It's been kind of like as now that I'm done and I see I go back and look at some of the stuff that I used to do. Is like he he didn't say it. The worst was when I if I caught the ball on their sideline, Oh my god, I was I talked to the whole sideline as if the corner was not present. May be like you gonna, are you

gonna just talk about this man, because I can't. But I've seen Steve run up like like a square at one time against us, and I've seen that I was standing right there on the sideline and defensive back like grabbed them or like trying to put his hand on him. And when I say, Steve, like put his hand out and like it wasn't a stiff m like you didn't know. It was an offensive passing the friends, which I was like tangling and you pushed them and you broke left

and I just playing so far back. I was like it was like a welcome to the NFL moment for me, Like it was in our third year and I was playing, I was hurt, and I was like, damn, like bro just he just pushed like one of our best corners, like to the ground like with one hand, and as I just knew like he was gonna take off. He was gonna be something special, man. But I was like, damn. But he and I same division and that wasn't good. And Jake their home. I had a lot of respect

with Jake their home, so they did his thing. I like, what was what was that like the for both of y'all? What was that like being on the onset of building a robber And I know falcons Panthers. Isn't you know, Package Bears, Raven Steelers. But what's it like both of y'all being drafting two thousand and one NFC South starting in two thousand and two, what's it like helping to

form a whole division? Almost? I know, for me, it was really interesting because we were still in that you know, me and Vick were young, but we were also on teams that were in transition that there were guys that just were older, and we were the younger guys and we were supposed to just shut up and play and learn from older guys. But we didn't want to shut up and play. We wanted to be loud and play. And Vick is doing his thing. I'm a young upcoming receiver.

You got the I eighty five battle. I mean, it was like we were we were bad teams that was fighting for who's gonna be worse, right, and we were trying to make the Falcons worse than us, and the

Facons were trying to make us bad. And the New Orleans Saints were New Orland Saints that obviously Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and we were kind of looked at just as the as just two teams, you know, So it was it was like it was like two kindergarteners boxing over you know, the same lot when there's all these other you know, play some playgrounds to play with, but we were we were boxing focused on that same box. That's the truth, man, that's the truth.

And I tell you, I'll tell you what like when I think about the players, like both five teams was just talented on on both sides of the ball. You know, yeah, I think I had what Stephen Davis you know at the time, and then you get motion, you know, defense, then Morgan and then I just said I'll let you say this. Then Julius Peppers. People. Actually it was the toughest defender that I ever had to play against in my life, and it was Julia's Peppers. On that end,

there was no mercy. Like one thing he was not gonna do, you know, was let me break in team, like I just I had just had problems with him, man, And it was like so yeah, it was like you know that divisional battle, like this is a game where I know, like I know I'm about to get hit. I know, pep ain't gonna let me just it's not gonna be free will out here to day and no good interior defensive alignment. Chris um a big brol name, Chris Jenkins, oh man, Chris left was let me hear

it all game, you know, I learned. I learned that I couldn't fight defensive alignment and all that, Chris. It slam me to the ground and thinking like pushed my head down to something. I got up, thinking I was tough, and I ran into him, Steve. When I tried, I was looking up at the ceiling though I was sticking up at the top of the stadium like damn. I just ran into this dude and guess what he did.

He helped me up. He laughed at me. I said, brother like, like that's when I realized, like on mats, with none of them guys on, you can just up. I can't run up. But I think it's about that time. Just take a little breather, come back. We have to pay some bills, um, I have to use a bathroom. And Gerard has a radio face. 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 people want to hear about, continue to hear about. The stories are really you know, like I said, Mike Vick and when you're alone with the family, knows no cameras, nothing going on.

What three words would your wife used to describe you? Um, she will say, uh, karen mm hm, ok um, honest now honest m hm and and and probably respectful mhm, like for real, Like that's what I tried to be in the household, Like those three words that can define me right and and then I know we can wake up and you know it's it's a great day for

the big family. You know what I'm saying, because I do anything for my kids, you know, I you know, I try to, you know, be the quarterback of the household out being too overbearned, you know, and not always trying to call shots to send that send people in different directors. You know, you know, I try to be as loyal as I can and honest as I can be. You know, I try not to allow about all the like little stuff like it's still a point of my wife know what I'm lying, you know, if you know what,

I'm not telling the truth. So I try to even get into that so I even don't have to make that dumb face that you talk about real good at that, yeah, bro, like like and so so those you know, those three things that I think that's that's the best way to describe me. Man. And I'm you know, I try to maintain that image without looking different or being different because it's noticeable when I do. It's taking me. He's taking me a while to really be comfortable in my own skin. Yea,

how comfortable with you and your own skin? And man, it's taking me a while too, man, um. You know, just all the things that I had to, you know, go through that, just like in in my life, you know, even at the quarterbacks just have been a black quarterback, like you know, you gotta be a certain way, you gotta sunk a certain way you gotta and and that was at the point where I was like, yo, but I just want to be me, you know, So I wasn't.

So I was walking around uncomfortable because I was trying to be me, you know, when I wanted to be comfortable, but it wasn't accepted. And it's like I'm just like I kind of look at you know where we are, you know, you know and in our current state as a country, and you know how we're fighting for certain things and I'm just like, yo, certain things that you know,

ye have, perception matter. But you know, when you're identifying people and categorizing people like you, you put them in a category based on you know, how they communicate and how you know, your personal vibe with them not you know not but they come around looking like you know what I'm saying, Like I'm never gonna you know, stereotype or anybody. You know, Black, white aren't different, you know what I'm saying. So I'm that's how you find confidence

within your own skinner. I feel like recently, just recently, I've been like you know and be myself. Man, whoever accept me, accept me, and I appreciate it, you know, I can that sounding to be the best version of me just being me. So I was deep though, that was right up for a long time. Football was me and I was football, Like my whole identity was wrapped around football. I didn't really believe you can't separate yourself from it. Not I could not separate from myself from that.

So because of football. There's a lot of times, uh, you know, I'm thankful football, but then there's the gift and the curse I'm thankful for. But then, uh, I asked myself if I wasn't able, especially the way I grew up in the education or the lack of education and the support system that I had um for a long time, I really thought I was dumb, right, and and because I lacked something, I lacked confidence. Yeah, and I got a good story for you for that though

I don't want to know. Man, I dreaded Let'm telling my company on can see. I dreaded media day my first six years of my career. While first six I thought, man, I thought that, man, because I just felt like I was I got more confident like year four or five, six, But man, I just felt like I got I couldn't find the words and say like I kind of felt like I was dumb, like because there was an article written about me my first my first year because I

shot away from the media. So you know, somebody wrote like, you know, doesn't sound intelligent when you talk, you know, And then I read it. Somebody in the organization told me, you know, and I was like this just like bought me out. I was like, damn, that's how they're looking at me. And I'm like, I already know my might the insecure. I know him like media day, I know, I hate it. I know him like talking in front

of these cameras. It just ain't what I right now like and I and I, you know, if I grew that insecurity over the years and over the years, and then that's what I was saying when I was in prison. I was like, I'm gonna embrace everything. I'm embrace the media and media part of it. So what I did

I started reading. I started trying to educate myself, Like I'm in there, like yo, I'm reading books and I ain't doing it for media purposes, and I'm like, I'm just trying to keep my mind going and write down words. And yeah, obviously I could write a downage you got no one to use them, you know, But I had more.

I had enough time to just kind of like just better myself in that area, and I was, you know, when I came out, I was like, yo, I'm gona embracing that part of the introverted side of and try to It's gonna always be there, but I'm gonna just trying to open up a little bit, you know what I'm saying. But then I realized, like, ya, I won't dump.

So when you like, hey, you say that, I was just you know, that's kind of proud of finding yourself, you know what I'm saying, Like being comfortable in your own skin, even just turned down to the way you speak to people. The boy, I agree with you. I think why there one of the reasons why we all think we're dumb is because, like one, we're already nervous, right, You're already you're already nervous talking. You already have played

in your head. Um. You know when we talk about ball or you talk about football, you know a player is comfortable because he doesn't have to think. He just reacts right, And and that's that's when you know you're in that zone. If you have not been introduced to public speaking, then you are stumbling over your words. You get crossed up, and you get nervous, and you don't want to screw up. So then what if you're saying, like nobody a wide receiver run across the middle, says

I don't want to drop the ball. Don't want to drop the ball. Well, when you run across the middle, and that's in your thought, you're gonna drop the ball. So when you're sitting in front of media, I don't want to sound dumb. I don't want to sound dumb. Where you have mind blocked yourself into thinking clearly, so you maybe sound nervous or dumb. And so then now you know that, oh he is dumb. So now you got the media saying he's dumb. Then you got people

thinking you're dumb. You already insecure. Man, That's that's a recipe of dumbness. And that just as I'm assuming I'm gonna ask both asking both of you guys, does that add more pressure to your role? Like a teakettle playing quarterback? Does that add more pressure? Already being a quarterback who also happens to be black, does that put more pressure on you? Yeah? I just felt like I wanted to be like and I wish I could be like this guy.

I wish I could be like that guy. You know what I'm saying, like you stop feeling sorry for your stuff, like man, damn, like why I can't find the words and speak? And then you realize, you realize that, like this person in front of me asking me this question, Himan, just like me, I learned and I'm probably educating him a little more than he educating me. And you know, so what, I know what I've learned. Let that little bit come out, especially when it was it was saying

the football. It was easy, you know, it was easy to explain football. And I'm like, damn, I'm making that hard too. I'm making everything hard. So now I'm feeling this added pressure, just identity crisis. Who am I? You know? Who am I now? Like fighting at you know what I'm saying, and like what really helped me? The blank came to me one day and he told me he was like, man, I like the braids. I like the way it looks. I was growth right there. I was like, man, thanks,

all right? You know now I know I can keep my braids, man, because that's what I want to do. I don't want everybody looking at me funny because I feel like, you know, I just trying to be myself, you know, but you've got a person coming in a lot of different forms, man, and we just you know, it's amazing like what we have to deal with. And it's good that we could talk about issues like this because we might be helping somebody in the next genervation

come up. We might be feeling the same thing like now they know it's oh, it's okay because they can listen to platform and and you know that it's real. What would you be right now if you didn't discover how gifted and football you are? Oh? Man, Well, I had intenss of being an FBI. I wanted to do a FBI asment and I always told myself about I didn't make it because I know my road travel I

was gonna have to travel is gonna be difficult. If I don't make it, you know, then I'm gonna I'm gonna be the the best one FBI investigative that I can be, you know, So I had to I had a decent backup plane. I think I would have pursued that, you know. I was part of my reason that I'm going to begin and tex Um to pursue that type of career criminal justice thing. I liked it too if I had have been able to be in So you know, I just always want to do something I can put

my heart into what I love doing it. Every day I'm like, what else would I love doing? I don't think I'm gonna like too much too much else that, you know, because I'm helping people. I feel like I'll be helping people and trying to make change a lot of things is trying to do now sitting around just making change you know, for the next generation that people will need help, you know. Now, So what's your mantra that you live by now? Because I've heard you say

that you you you can you can create your own destiny. Yeah, um, like I hear, and like, man, I just kind of every day I'm like, bro, you are what you eat. So what you mean anything you're sending around, I'm even success. I'm trying to find success and whatever form like, you know, whether it's charitable, you know, whether it's some form of you know, opportunity or obligation or it's TV. You know, I'm trying to get better every day, you know. And I can't let people, you know, I can't let nobody

come in the way of that. You know what I'm saying, if you know, if you don't have the same goals and ambuiness that I have, Like if you're talking, we're not on the same page, and I can't really be around you. You know. Um That's why I said, I'm just I'm eating my family. Man, I'm eating you know, Seth Orient and a couple and business relationships and corporate partners that I have. But like those people have become you know, good friends of mine, and you're trying to

you know, just make change and whatever we can. Like, I can't bring a lot of people with me, can't have no tagle on, can't have people who don't understand the vision. You know, maybe I can pull them back in later on down the road. But you know, I said a lot of things that I gotta but I got a legacy to try to protect. You know, I care about you know, my kids and their generations with kids and and they had kids kids, and I want ever want to go back to that. You know, I

never want them to experience that. You know, you know, you know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. You don't you don't have You're on that relationship faster, You're trying to get rid of all of the relationship. That's what I'm going through. That one A little sugar sometimes. Yeah, sure was one of the biggest lessons you've learned about yourself then since retirement, Um, I learned I don't need necessarily. Um,

I learned football wasn't everything. You know. It was a point in my life where I was like, you know, I just cannot be playing in the NFL. I just I can't see that happening. Like it's funny because before I went to prison, I was like, I'm gonna tire thirty one, thirty two years old. When that happened, I

was like, yeah, I'm playing to some forty. And then when I hit thirty five, it was a roadblock, and it was like, you know, I didn't feel the same, you know, I was you differently, you know what I'm saying. Like I was older than guys wanted the teams want the younger guys, and you know, I got kind of got caught up in that mix and just faded out. And it was cool when I was like, Okay, yeah,

you know what, I made a decision to retire. I could have kept pursuing it, you know, thirty six thirty seven thirty eight, Like, no, then, you know what, I'm good because I believe it's I'm out there better for me. I don't know what it is, but I'm gonna taking time to figure it out. And you know, I just wasn't I wasn't afraid to walk away. You know. I walked away with my head up high and feeling good about you know, the things that I accomplished. I commlish

more than what I thought I would. Uh So that so that helped. But I was like, you know what my goal is gonna be initially started helping kids. You know what I might get in coaching. I might you know, I might just run football camps and do little combines and help and and and spread the knowledge somehow, some way. And I think that just led to other opportunities. And you know, now get a chance to be on TV and talk about the game, and you know, try to help.

You know, we know how we do Steve. We try to help him a fox. You know, we gotta call it out the good and the bad. It's cool, it's like the bad, but but we gotta give him the bad. They gave us the bad. You know what I'm say that bad initially makes you play good, so they can't act like indirectly, this ain't something that that's benefiting them, you know. So I kind of look at it like that, not being too overbrown with it, but just you know,

we're still teaching takes. So that made it comfortable, man, and maybe maybe proud to be able to make it. Proud to be able to say that. And then what have you learned about yourself during the pandemic? Oh? Man, I learned. I learned during the pandemic that, um, you know, family time is the best time. We don't did every we don't did everything together a lifetime. Now the time and I'm like, yo, we're making it and we're still happy.

You know, we got enough to keep. Everybody can go on their own directions and had a space, and we can all come together and do it again, like yo, this this, I'm like, this's my crew. This how I realized that, y'all all, I need for real, y' all, I need for real. I don't need to be walking around with a game to people. I don't need to walk around you know. I don't need friends. I need y'all.

I need y'all. You know. That's when I'm at my best, you know when when it's family family orian is so Yeah, I just and I never knew that, you know, they day in and day out. You know, we can still have a great time. Let's take a little break and come back to you in about two or three minutes. Good do what, goud do what? Let's getting down to do it? Hey, Gerard, why did you get that T shirt? You mean this thing? Oh? Yes, I got it from cut to a podcast dot com where we have exclusive merchandise.

Shout out to our guys at seven or four shot. But yeah, you can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. How you see forgiveness now is obviously totally different than what you thought forgiveness was the way you were raised. Yeah, I just thought that was like as simple as Okay, I forgive it, don't do it again, you know, get a second chance. You know, I always believing the second chance. Always used to hear that. My teachers always said I'm

gonna give you another chance. I'm give you a second chance, and it was I never heard of anybody saying I'm gonna give you a third chance. You don't get that, you know. So I believe in second chances. You just don't know when you're gonna need it, you know, or when it's gonna be, you know, at a time where you needed the most. So like I just thought it

was that simple, bro. What I learned like the more severe, um, you know, the crime maybe, or the more severe you may uh you know, hurt or harm somebody or somebody who who affected by that person or place of things. Man, giving this don't come easy, you know. So I just learned, like, yo, that's just that I'm not. I only I don't want a second chance. I'm gonna get it right the first time.

Because people, you know, they may forgive, but they don't forget, you know what I'm saying Sometimes when that lingers, oh, man, like we forgive you, but I ain't gonnaver forget it. So whenever they want to act up with you or they want to feel like, you know, they can judge you or categorize you, then that's what's happening to you. So man, just kind of avoid that at all costs, you know. So people, I just learned that you know, most people not even center that people forgive, They just

so they don't forget though, Mike. This saiment we're gonna go into right now is called the deep three. There are a series of questions of really, we just want to get behind you and know you as a person, beyond your jersey, beyond just the name on the back of the jersey. We want to get to know you. So simitthy, go ahead and fire off the first question. If you could put a billboard in Newport News, Virginia with any message on it, what would it be and

why I put it a big billboard? Let's say love that named because you know, even when like people they hurt harm people in their own communities, like and I grew up in no friends who grew up together, Who would I hurt harm and kill one another? And like and like yo, we just all like you know, under your neighborhood or your peers. Right, people understood that concept then, like, it's really not that much altercation going on in the world, like I think, I mean it is. It is because

we make it that way. You know, it's several situations that caused conflict and in the communities. Man, And you know, for one, it's just too many people trying to do the same thing and then you know, like it's just no lordy and no respect. But if everybody went their own separate way here, their own goals and a vendors, then you know they easily said and done it. I think, you know, it will have highest success rate, more success stories.

People just fall into that trap. They don't have no respect for one another, you know, you know one young kids and you know even when the adults sometimes the level of disrespect it is just way too great. It's just far too great. And then you hear about sad stories and like, damn, where where the integrity go? So I'm trying to change that. But like I'm not neighbor Mike. How impactful can a second chance be? Second chance to

change the person's life? That happened to me. That's why I'm stopping out my own prison reform program um to help you know, incarcerated fellas man and women with their re entry back into society. You found out through a friend who just finished up twenty six years for a crime he didn't do um and coming home to hardships,

you know, and not complaining about it. And I'm just like, these people need they need help, you know, they need help, you know, obviously I found out transportation and housing it's what's most important, and then they need assistance, a little assistance after that. So you're trying to create some programs and I'm partner with programs that can help. You know, I never God, but you know, I just know what

what what that second chance to do? You like, guys come out of their feelings and that that's their label and never it never goes away in their life is never the same. NB seven Prison Reform program will be target and do um men and women. You know, just trying to help them with every entry back into society. And you know it's not always easy. They don't have platforms and like I had, you know, they don't have people in their corner um to give them that second chance.

So you know, we're trying to create that second chance opportunity and hopefully we'll see that, you know, the success stories, ah, you know, far greater than what they are now, because I just know that they just need a chance. You don't once you get that felling me tag, like everything kind of goes out the window and then you know it's just no real opportunity in life and that's not fair. Um So, so I think you know, my initiative, you know,

it's a social reform. Um, it's too you know, I want to attach myself to things that that that my heart is really gonna be into and that I'm asocio you know, justice programs as well. UM, but this one is where I really can have an impact my heart

and be into it. And because it happened to me, you know, being the second chance and uh, you know, I had resources and then these resources can be presented to these spellings of men and women and help them, you know, hopefully go off and do some greater things. You know, we all struggle with things. And I heard this and I wrote it down and I thought it was extremely imp appropriate for you because you have overcome a ton of things and so struggling. I heard that

struggling is successfully not giving up. So what have you struggled with that you haven't dealt with yet? Um? Yeah, I think UM probably still certain, you know, insecurities and just trying to you know, continue to be UM trustworthy man, UM don't trust a lot of people. I just be very a lot with a lot of people. And it's um almost the point where it is like, you know, I'll be thinking about friends, and I'm like, do I like it's so people like, man, do I didn't even

really need friends? Who do I need to talk to every day? If I, you know, if I want to just get something off my chest, or if I want to explain something to somebody, like who can I really trust? You know what I mean? Because it's okay so many times and then the simplest situations and violence forms like I can't understand why, you know, people make the decisions to do some of the things that they do, and and I just like, yo, damn, that person really wasn't

for me. He really don't care, Like you know, I gave him the world. I just I did so much. And that look how you look at me now, you know what I'm saying. So I'm like, that's two years and years and years and you know, um developing a friendship and giving and make it to people like you know, taking care of and they're able to feed their families. And then sometimes they look back at you and they be like, yo, well, I guess they feel like you

ain't doing enough, and like, damn I did. I didn't have to do anything, you know, So I'm like, Damn, how am I supposed to trust me. Somebody said, Yo, this is my boy, and that's my friends. Because I've just been told by some of the people that I love the most, like that's just not the pay sometimes be like, all right, so that's how life is, and that's how life this. But I'm I don't really trust people like that. So that's what I've been dealing with, man.

And I don't think it's gonna change. I think it's going in there. It's not going in there and the right direction, you know what I'm saying. But this is going in the direction that I wanted to go in, and I wanted to flow in where like, yo, I can control the crowd around me and I just appreciate your time and we appreciate it. And um, this has been bothering me for probably about thirty uh, probably about ten years now. So just we were beating y'all here

in Carolina. Uh, it was game was going on. It was it was a four fifteen game and we were beating y'all. You were trying to scramble and you came out of bounds, um on our shideline, and I looked straight at you and I said something, and I took a shot at you verbally and I and I'm not gonna say what it was, but you know what it was. And I want to tell you, bro, Um, it's taking

me ten years. I've been waiting for this opportunity, and I kind of tiptoed around even just telling you man, I was out of pocket and I and I'm sorry, and I appreciate um the way you handled it. You know what I'm talking about. Yeah, you see this, This, this how I looked at it, bro, because I don't know, hold on, hold on, hold on hold. But I took something and I came at you in a way that for my standard, it was inappropriate, and it was and

I shouldn't have. And I've been waiting for this opportunity just to apologize, and so I wanted to tell you all apologize and I'm sorry I said it that way because I looked you in your eye when I said it, and we're not physically next to each other. But I also want to have the opportunity to tell you the

same way I said it is I was wrong, dog. Yes, well, I I just wanted to tell you that because, you know, even preparing for this, he kept coming back in the Lord kept just telling me, So you're not gonna say nothing this time. Because when we was at the p A, I wanted to say something, but I could And then because everybody was always around us. Yeah, you know, I wanted to make sure, man, that I didn't miss the opportunity that the Lord has been kind of given me.

And because I feel like this is the last time, I'm like, we're in this pandemic. We're sitting around you, man, hey, step up or shut up, right, And my mantra, even with my my business and my foundation and even with my family is man about tightening up. And so I got to tighten up myself. So I can't tell my folks that I'm I'm paying, or the children that I'm guiding, or or the leadership role that guys put me in

and for me not to tighten up myself, man. So I just want to tell you that because you deserve that that apology and and and I need to humble myself, man. So I just want to make sure that I didn't miss this opportunity. And I appreciate that, Steve, you know I do, and that's the reason we're talking. But look, I had a feeling that that was gonna come out today. Um. But but Steve, let's let me just say that, bro,

like I know the type of competitively work. And I'm not taking that away from what you said, because I feel like what you said was, you know, it was were winning, you finally winning and like yo and and and I'm like, you know, I don't. We didn't really know each other person every time, but I kind of like knew of you. And so when you said that,

I was like, yo, like he means you're understand. I'm like, yo, he oh, he means he really means and after the game, So let me let me tell you the true story. And that's how I really feel about this, all right. So Steve, you say what you say, I throw an interception on purpose that in the game. I say, I gotta go talk to Steve one on one. You know

what I'm saying. So this is what I do. I walked up to Steve when I said, Steve, if you ever called me all my name again, man, you're gonna have it on the fifty yard last something like that, Steve, right, and and but I know, so, look, I know Steve, and I'm like, yo, I'm probably gonna he probably gonna try to haul off him, you know what I'm saying. But and I was prepared. I was like, damn, like,

I'm taking a risk with this man. This is like you know this, I know, I know his reputation, but I felt like I had to do it as a man. But when you stepped back and looked at me, I knew in your heart, I knew you didn't really mean that, you know what I'm saying, because it wasn't. We just both backed up away from each other, and it was like expecting, yeah, he's gonna dump back back and the other person and that was and that wasn't the case.

Like I didn't get that from him. And and then we've seen each other like like two months later at the pro Bo because I was like, oh man, we gotta go to the pro BOI Ye, look, man, I'm not you know what I'm saying, I ain't trying to fool with this dude. Well, we got our families and my whole month a mantra. My mantra is straight up, you could beat me up when I ain't with my family,

but I ain't catching alas in front of my key. Right, You're gonna have to kill me in front of my kids because I can't be a panel that I can't be my oldest don't respect me, man, shut up popping from after that first practice, we all, you know, I had to be yo without everybody that but and I was just like that, ain't got a worry about that, mo. More like I was relieved. I was like, yo, I

don't want to drum with my man for real. And then like this over the years, you know, just growing to respect you and just love you as a brother man, you know what I'm saying, Like the last two years that spend the time, but speaking when with in Houston and doing little stuff together, it was like, yo, I just always felt like that's that's my man, like real man. You know, we can say we got a friendship for a lifetime. Always got a brother and me and that's

that's that's the cool part about this whole thing. Man, I appreciate it. I tell you another story. Though, we had a Chantilly Chantilly Oh yeah, man, we had an autograph sign it and most of the time I struggle um in public, Like with big events, I get really, I get yeah, I get real and I get heavy anxiety. Yeah. And so for me, is I kind of keep that PERSONA don't don't you know I have the uh A lot of women say resting blank face like they won't

they won't creeper guys approaching. So I have that same face in public, like I don't want to be. I don't want to be. I got resting, don't approach me face. Man. I'm in Chantilly, which is in Virginia. Man, they got a private so I do private signings. I used to do private scieties mainly because it was easy. I do the signings, get off, I'm out. But they had some people pay for public signings where they had a line.

Well long, behold my slot time is damn right next to Michael Vicks this bro, they got like ten people in my line. They got like a honey and fifty people waiting to get a Michael vick autograph. I ain't there the damn public signing sense. You know that well part of my strategy. But the other part is I don't like I ain't doing these public signings. Man, it's a bull crap. I ain't never did. A public utility has asked me every time. Now that Michael Vicklin got

me scared, Mom, good I have not been until since. Hey, Steve, you need to get on him and ask a lot of money in that business. Man. I know I'm about My signature is pretty much almost another probably another year. My signature is out of circulation. You're gonna let it hit this people when you hit the Hall of Fame, when all that come back, it ain't gonna be no signatures. So you're gonna have to pay top doll. I want to get that Michael Vick. Yes, that's when it's gonna

come in heavy too. Let me get that Michael Vick. I don't want that, Steve Smith line. We really appreciate your time, man. We kept you um man, We just we appreciate you just being transparent, sharing your story and just telling us everything about Michael Vick the football player. But man, I love it though. If it's okay to the Michael Dwayne Vick, the NFL football player, but also the man you know, I got sitting, I got sitting

built sain Vick. You don't say me a bill because you know, we had a little council session just to disgust to the lack of confidence that we have in ourselves as athletes. And we're on the stage and he was button neck. He was in his birthday suit because he bared it all. It's his vulnerability instead of trying to be big and bad. And you know, man, I'm Mike Vick. He was like, no, this is I am. One thing that sticks out for me is perception versus reality.

I remember Mike Vick. He's He's one of the guys that when I was in high school, everybody wanted to be like Mike Vick and perception back then when I was seventeen eighteen is that. Man. This is a guy that is totally confident themselves, like untouchable. I wish I was like that because I found myself having that same thing. Am I good enough? He was going through the same thing. And this is a guy that m VP candidate, cover a Madden all these different accoladies that we could roll off.

He just told us he struggled with I think people think I'm dumb? Am I good enough? All of these? And even now at forty, I'm dealing with insecurities. Man makes him feel as normal as I am. And so it's just it normal and all of us go through go through that, whether you're an athlete, a banker, you administer. I don't care like we all go through that same thing up? Am I good enough? And it's just a constant battle every day that I think you have to

go past. Cut to It with Steve Smith 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 in booking manager Joe Fusci, social media manager Payton Smith from Balto Creative Media.

Cut to It is produced by Brian Baltaschevitch and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrek, Production manager Sarah Pollock. 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 a ca