Drafted as a production of tree Fort Media, Clutched Sports Group and I Heart Radio. Y'all trip. Rice Hall is still on the board. That's comical. Yeahrceusice Rice House on board, This is absurd. Welcome back to Drafted. Last episode. Bryce Hall was selected in the fifth round at pick number one eight overall, thank you, thank you. I appreciate that the Jets yea well ready. That makes six of our eight players drafted in the first five rounds. Only cornerback
is saying, Bassie an offensive lineman. Tremaine Anchorum are still out there waiting for an NFL team to give them their shot. Man, It's just tough seeing like a bunch of guys that you know you're better than get taken in front of you. His lack of size five n likely contributed to his slide down the board. Lack of size interesting. And now with the seventh and final round underway,
Tremaine and is saying, have stopped recording. We promised an honest, real look at the experience and emotion these players go through, and here's the authentic truth. Facing all seven rounds without being drafted is brutal. There's too much heartache for these two players to record, at least until something surprising happens late in round seven. Hey, guys, traumatic clipsing right now, I am your newest l a Ram. Thank you, thank you. I'm here with my beautiful mother and we are excited
to be a part of the Ram family. With only six players remaining in the draft, the Los Angeles Rams take Tremaine at pick number two hundred and fifty. Here are his new Rams coaches on their new offensive lineman. What's interesting is Tremaine's a shorter player, but big and long, got those long arms. Played right tackle at Clemson. But we planned the move him inside. You do both guards and the eating place centers. Athletic guy down the line, quicknesses there, his link is there. He has some he
has some hands to him. He gets home. The guy's not gonna mauld anybody. He can sit back in pass pro. Yeah, Germaine will be a good addition for us, not only with death, but with the potential to become a starter um in this offense. Because the thing about him is he played at a very successful college in Clemson, like a champion man. So we do Clemson, brother, so we do.
He understands how to win he's a very determined player. Um. And the only reason you'd say you might have been, you know, scouting wise in the in the later rounds is because he's six too. And if he was six five, I bet you would have got drafted way earlier. This is a real man. He's a prose pro. When you talk to this guy, you feel like you don't feel like you're talking to a guy who just graduated from Clemson, and feel like you're talking to guys have been in
NFL about eight years Russian Corner's career. Here's a Mario Rogers. Yeah. I do feel like he was a steel that like. Um, I did not anticipate him being there at that pick. I thought he would have been gone. I'm glad he was there for us because we have a vision for him. I do see a kind of an opportunity to play. I until the coach like, hey, I'm open to take any spots across train. I take crowd and being a versatile offensive lineman, and and I'll come in ready to
take any spot that's available. Tremaine's moment finally arrived later than he had hoped, but he has a new home and a great opportunity to contribute to a team that's only two seasons removed from the Super Bowl. After Tremaine gets selected, five more picks fly by, and with the final pick in the draft, known as Mr. Irrelevant, every year, the New York Giants select Tay Crowder, a linebacker from the University of Georgia. The two thousand twenty NFL Draft
is now complete. Two hundred and fifty six players were chosen over three days, but throughout no one ever called it saying about his name. Late that night, I went upstairs and I said, how are you. He raised his head, he said, Mom, I'm fine, It'll be okay. So it was heartbreaking for me, particularly seeing my son in that mood. Columbus is a very small community. Everybody knew it was one of the it was just the only one going into the draft. And I said to him, look, it
doesn't matter what everybody thinks of you. It's about you. You're gonna bounce back. You're not a criminal. You didn't still, you have been focused. You've represented your family and the community well up until this moment. And I know you have bigger times, bigger days ahead of you. Keep your head together. You still have the opportunity. Look at the people out there who went not even can't see that for on undrafted agency, you know, free agent. Look at
them and counting your blessings. Here's the saying the morning after, it's a long three days. Um. You know, I throughout this whole process, you know a lot of guys, You meet a lot of people. And the first couple of days was the first obviously, first, second, and third rounds, and you know a lot of guys that I trained with, you know, they were getting their names called, and you know I was really excited and happy and for him.
Uh that's kind of how the first two days went, just supporting people that I trained with, and then day three came around. I thought that was gonna be my big day. Uh. It was a really long day, started twelve twelve pm. And then sitting by sitting through the draft that I went undrafted obviously, so just hearing name after name get called rounds four through seven, two hundred
or around two hundred picks, two hundred names get called. Um. I started off with excitement, my amilies around waiting for me to get that call come in hopefully at the same time as you see more of your friends. A couple of my teammates got picked in it was a roller coaster of emotions, if I can say just I'm excited for my friends, but at the same time, I was still waiting for my name to get called. And then honestly, around round later, round six, round seven, that's
the one it started to turn. You have that excitement that it turns into worry and like, man, am I not gonna get drafted and we're not gonna get picked? It was it was really hard. I'm not gonna lie um. So it was a lot of sadness, their disappointment. You know, my family was still around me. I felt like I let them down. Uh, tears were shed, you know, not, That's just how it was. Despite the heartbreak, saying had
a promising development after the final pick was announced. As soon as the draft was over, the last got the last person got picked. I was forced with the decision to make um. Denver actually called me at the end of round seven and um, and it was like they had opportunity for me. Um. They wanted me there because John Tell had called me, and the Bengals called as well. There were a couple other teams that our you know, wanting me to sign as a U d F. A
U d f A stands for undrafted free agent. About fifteen of these undrafted players signed with each team for training camp, practice squads and hopefully to make the active roster for the season. I was still in that moment of you know, sadness and disappointment. Uh but I had quickly had to flip that around and make a decision
for my future. Uh. So I was on the phone with my agent, Bilbo, and we were just working through They're just discapplinement me not getting selected, but also at the same time, we had to make a decision, and so I ended up going with Denver just so he felt comfortable with He saw opportunity there for me, and then decided to learn from CROs Fangio coach Don Tell. There good defensive minds there, and I see a role
that could fit in there. I think it a great place for me to start to, like I said, learn and just get ready for that next step and you know, my life and working as an NFL athlete. Later in the day, he's aforementioned agent to marry his Bilbo calls to check in again. The first thing I want to tell you man, is that you know you got an opportunity. I know exactly how you feel because I was a guy who came in this process when a third fourth frown grade and I when I drafted it, I know
exactly what you said. Don't ever hang your head down to use your intelligence. Learned that playbook. You're gonna make the roster. I have no doubt about it. Everybody wants to hear that name called. But at the end of the day, when you're in there and you're able to go in and field off or something, and the ways NFL teams are now, they look at it like, I'm
good football players, and obviously you're the cheaper option. And if they look at you and they look at the third fourth frown pick and they're like, Okay, the thing is better than this guy, and they're gonna keep you because it's a lot cheaper to keep you. You have an opportunity with the player performance escalators. All of the bonus is the stuff that come along with being a lower around or undrafted guy. You're going to improve yourself.
You're gonna make that money back. You've handled this process from the from the Senior Bowl to the combines and now You've controlled everything you can. I said, back to look at some of those pigful tulsa and stuff. I'm like, these guys are not even on a draft board. You know. People fall in love with size, They fall in love with the things that they think because the guy had linked or he ran a four three or four four, that doesn't equal good football player. So you're a great
football player, you know that. Just take that work ethic, do everything you've always done and now proved everybody in the league wrong. I mean, obviously I'm still a little disappointed, but you know, like I said, our Tony, so do my best, you know, to look forward, don't do what I gotta do. And I'm gonna tell you this, You're gonna be at an advantage because you're intelligent, work your ass off, and just don't let this draft define you. I'm telling you, he's saying, get it out of your
mind right now, not let it define you. Because when you step on the shild, it's gonna stay nassy. It's not gonna stay nassy or drafted free agent or middlevin Lord, first round pick and nothing. He's gonna say nassy. Whatever number you select, and you gotta go out there and balling and whenever number shows up on that film, it's productive. That's the guy he's gonna keep. So go do what you do. Man, put all your faith in God, you know, trust that he has you here for a reason. He
gave you that talent for a reason. And believe that he is the one that opened the doors that no man can open. And he, oh, he puts opportunities in front of you to no bankings will give him all the glory you ask for an opportunity here, It is not wrong with it. Man, your bronco, you know, and you go out there and make him make a name for yourself like you always have no doubt it's saying. Gets another call from his friend, Cameron Blenn, a former weak for a safety who went undrafted last year and
signed with the San Francisco forty Niners. Scared, Broy, I want to yeah, right, tough man, Yeah, because on God, you know, I am that draft felt like I was drafted two years in a row, the whole similar hours. But just okay, it is what it is. But you got opportunity. Uh it ain't not a little better. Meaning really, there's not no difference between being drafted unless it was like first two, three round, you're not a different So
either way when you get there, efference so and no teams. Uh, that's probably what san France because that's exactly what I told you. But he was like san France, like you talked to everybody with them, and I hope they wasn't trying to do something day hit me free agency. They didn't. Can you stuff like that? Bro? Who Well, hey you I'm going Denver. You're gonna work Denver, Denver? What they
what they signed you? Uh? So I haven't got the contract yet, but twenty k the sign of bonus signs or the sign of bonus, it's twenty k. So the base is what you know, the basis Like, I ain't got it yet the contract yet. Oh yeah, that's that's that's power in that's that's that's signed for my My sign ups only five K and I signed the basis five so you feel so what you had? What you had? Uh?
What you had? So the base contract was like this, So honestly I don't I can't remember it, like, but I just know my sign up bus was five K, and like I can't really remember that everything in the contract, but I just know my sign of bonuses on the five K. The average undrafted free agent signing bonus is five thousand. Say got four times that amount, and his deal is for the new rookie minimum six hundred and ten thousand dollars this season if he makes the fifty
three man roster. So did your agent like tell you who was interested? Yeah? It was Denver, Baltimore, and Cincinnati. And what was the sign about the other two? Since he was twelve k uh and uh, I wasn't really interested in Baltimore like that because they that was too damn day. Yeah, that was too damn deep. So yeah, it's tough man ship. So hell bro, I never right, bro, that That's what I'm saying. Bro, the whole world watching
and then got the fucking male Kuiper's best available. Hold the hole, damn world, see my face not get picked. That's crazy, bro. It's still like you still got the hype to you, bro, Like like I said, but you know who you are, so going to show that. And like I said, like the whole money thing, Bro, that's like the investment in you. So the more money they gave, the more likely ard to stick around. Yeah, So I
think two in the too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Bro, I really got to a point where I ain't never it was driving corner I don't even know exist before when did two lane have a good quarner? Who knows? Bro? It was It was so many Bro, I was like, it's tragic, same thing at the last year to thank you, Bro, and it's just nice. Their call ends abruptly, leaving a saying alone with his thoughts. Here he is again the next afternoon, So now I'm here, Uh kind of the smoke is cleared, and you know I had to deal
with disappointed for the next couple of days. The next still weren't weren't the best. I had a lot of people congratulating me, uh, which it was just great. You know, I had the support of all my friends and family and you know people around me. They were following me, which is great. But you know, I still had that disappointment of you know, not getting drafted when I had expectations of it being one of the best days of my life. Um so, you know, and outside people don't
really didn't really understand that completely. You know, the draft and working so hard for so long, you know, you have those expectations and those are what I had, it didn't happen for me, so you know, it took a little bit to get over it. But um, I've always been kind of the the underdog or you know, the smaller guy, or the guy at a small school, or you know, I've always had to work through something, and this is just another obstacle. Uh, there's another something, another
hurdle that I had to had to get over. Obviously one of the biggest ones I faced yet. But it's just added motivation for me. I'm always gonna hold it. I'll never forget that feeling, uh, you know, of going undrafted. I think it's something that will stick with me for the rest of my career. I'm always going to have it, and I think it's always gonna be a motivation factor for me. It's always gonna drive me to continue to
prove myself because that's what I have to do. At the end of the day, no matter if I was drafted or not, I still had to co improve myself and going undrafted is just another motivating factor for me. So I'm definitely gonna hold onto it for a long time. I'm going to use it to to motivate myself and and everything I do. Looking forward now to working towards being a part of the Broncos and making a name for myself in the NFL. So I now went on Broncos.
I read about their history. They're one of the teams that I have a history of going with undraft free agent. That was a little bit reassuring. I had to look at his position specific and then it broke my heart when somebody posted something that undrafted three agents are not part of the team, and I said, forget about all those people. Okay, go with a positive mind. You know, carry everything you've learned to that team, and I guarantee you that's another platform for you to prove that you're
a football player. It wasn't the money that was to drive for him to want to play football, because during his low moment, I told him, hey, you got a degree to live a life and you know will always be here to support you that. I just want you to be happy, you know, I just wanted my son to fulfill his life dream. We'll be right back, all right. It is the day after the draft, April. I am
in my car driving. The draft is over, the dust is settled, and a new chapter is beginning for all eight of these athletes and like is saying, Tremaine struggles to process how he fell round after round. Over the weekend, I am going to go see some friends and some family social distance. Of course I haven't get to see it, and you know they deserve to see me with supporting ship.
That's the music. So you're looking at the newest member of the ill saying this ram who how does the guy don't know if I was getting picked or not? Watching that the grounds go by, watching people you knew that you were better than get picked before you even get opportunities, deals and all that stuff. It's kind of demoralized a little bit, you know, just kind of invalidate.
It's all good work that you've put in to say that, Hey, you know these guys are read and you know because they worked harder than they were better it is because somebody liked them. One But then towards the end of the seventh round, I started getting calls from head coaches, Hey, we really really want you. You're one of our top priority free agents. Um. The whole time I was like, damn if they wanted yeah, just drafted me. But you know, that's side the point. All the cultures are so surprised
and shocked out was still on board. Someone was looking at roster, looking at positions to go through, and that calls hey, Tremaine said, this is Tremaine. We're ready to be around and I think there's another speech about undraft free and I was like, yeah, I'd love to. He cut me out great, uh Coachy bays and call you and we're gonna I was like, okay, it's like we're just gonna talk next steps after this and I was like, what, I'll answer that, so show me very called answered it.
He said, hey, man, we're actually shocked as hell that you're still available. We'd love to have you. Are you excited? And I was like, yeah, I'm excited. You know, it's a big opportunity to play in the NFL. And it was like, you're excited to be a RAM. It was like yeah, And I looked at the TV and walking back into the room, I was in my room by myself and there goes my name on the board in
the room. Was pretty lifeless for a while, but then seeing my name on the board and seeing the joy that stepbrother, step mom, my dad had it was nice, especially because the long drought and not being picked, and I was like, wow, this is amazing. My stepmom started screaming, so I really couldn't hear Coach McVey, but he told me that he was from the Cobb County area and then he went to schools around Wheeler and he was a kind of player I'm getting caliber, the pedigree that
you know, we do it Clemson. So it was it was really great talking to him. It was a really great moment, and not a day passes and remained still works to find clarity about what happened. Yeah. Man, time is twelve o'clock on the dot. I'm in my drop toop. It's April, uh cool, days after the draft. I'm on the way to go work out with my old trainer, UM coach Michael Butler. Just you can ask for a long time. It's training to likes Justine, those Bradley Schub,
brand Inchub. I mean, the list goes on and on. But no, man, it's just a weird feeling. Somebody just sent me a text like, yeah, I found how much you're making Like why have you really never been in an important thing to me? But people kind of have been making it out to be like the measure of your work or the measure of a man. And I'm just I'm really disturbed about that because yeah, there's just people that may have been born more physical gifts, but
they ain't been ain't been working like I had. And I know that because I see these people every day. But no, it's like, you know, my father can say that I don't consider this weekend of failure at all, but his eyes and people around me, I was supposed to go higher. I guess this this weekend was a failure. I didn't even have a celebration really, it was just, you know, I was sitting in knocker rules and silent and step Mom was excited. But it's really about it.
But I don't know. It wouldn't be the first time I failed, and I felt a lot, But I guess that's that's that's what makes me mean, is that, Yeah, I wasn't high school kid coming in. Oh he's gonna start. I was, what the hell is this kid going here? And I was skinny to und guy, like you know, it was my challenges but it was rough, man. I mean, you know that was like I was there for that. I was like, ah, we weren't there for for for the feeling man, I weren't there for the days I
didn't want to do it anymore. We weren't there for the hours of work for the inch progress. You know, it's some of that ship can be demoializing. It's like pushing up big as heavy ass rock, right, you put all your effort into it. But joining a Yeah, I could be looked at it savro s, But me, I moved you. I'm not where I used to be. I'm an inch further where I used to be, and that, you know, I crave guy for that. It's tough to admit.
But after starting two years at Clemson, winning two national championships, being named first team All a CEC, and reaching the peak of college success, the draft was a humbling experience. All I could think about was find a way to make it happy no matter where I was. If I was planted, it's undrafted free agent, so be it. Kick ass. I was a draft to the first round, so be it. I'm gonna kick ass. But honestly, it just kind of hurts.
She ain't guys taken before me that I knew I was better there, But you know, I guess that's part of that. Shouldn't land? Is this how much can we take? You can still keep going. We do survive resilience, you know, but now even better, I get a chance to prove it. And I'm excited as ever to be an i Los Angeles Ram, and I'm thankful for all the people that made that decision possible. It's a long that we're gonna
take it on back. Brian took my music classic and I'm in the Los Angeles Ram an NFL player, WHOA. This is what tremade Ankram does, taking the experience and using it to improve, to become more resilient, to refine his technique. It's how he plays the game of football and how he approaches his whole life. It's why scouts
and coaches called him a professional. And those skills are needed because while the players deal with the media, newfound fame, and their emotions from the draft, they also start working remotely with their new teams almost immediately. Here's the saying again. Since I'm with the Broncos, he started sending me. They sent me a iPad in playbooks, So I'm starting to get into that a little bit. So just learning and in connecting with new coaches and teammates. That's kind of
been added into my schedule. So working out in training still, but I have the added uh responsibility of football now more football, just connecting with my teammates, starting to learn the playbook and different things like that. We're gonna do a zoom cloud the entire rookie class right now. We're looking at sixteen. It's a total sixteen of us. Are
you gonna be free later today? Okay? This is one of the Denver Broncos player development coaches speaking with the saying, do you have any questions because sns please call me, reach out to me. Uh tell your parents are ready forgive me. But I treat all you guys, the players, gonna tell you. I treat all y'all like my kids. Man Um. I care about you because you're you're somebody's sons, somebody's nephew, somebody's grandson, you're a brother. Football is what
you do. It's not who you are, and so I'm gonna treat it this such. So forgive me. Now, I'm gonna fly a little uh, and it's only because I love you, and so that's why. Then football is what you do. It is not who you are. Man Um. From a young age when you start playing the game
of football and you start taking it. Series. We kind of married, if you would, you know, we dated, We take her to prom take her homecoming, We do all that, but she's never faithful to us because you know, every year that you played, man, she's always bringing in new members. Just like just like within the NFL, Man, every year is gonna be a draft. So every year she she know, it's trying to find somebody bigger, faster, stronger, and some guys lose like that identity. Man, they become they allow
football to become who they are. And so that's why I try to do is keep you guys to understand who you are, who your parents raised you to be. Obviously, Man, your parents have done an awesome job with you and your siblings man, doing what it is that they do. Tell your family and everybody out said, congratulations again. Man. One thing I told my nephew a few years ago, and I always tell the rookies you're gonna find him first of all too that I don't care. It ain't
about how you got here. It's about being here and doing your faith. So you know what I'm saying, It has no berry. The only difference is first round and secon round of the dude's got money stacked up into it. But at the end of the day, man, it's all about here, making the best of your opportunity and bawling out. And I give you a few examples. James Harrison, I hadn't even Pittsburgh. I do got cut four times, were
really free? Uh free from Pittsburgh, and I think once from Baltimore and look at his career, and I can name other guys. It's like that, So it don't matter how you get here. And actually I kind of always gravitate to my non drafted guys because me personally, when I'm was trafted fifth round, I still looked at myself as a free agent because it just comes with it, because I know the dynamics of what it looks like. And sometimes you feel like, man, I hain't got a chance.
Hey man, it's on. You can put your hand in the power of me. Plays. Man, go do your things. And one thing I'll say is what you start getting your mindset to do. Now, did you play special teese? In college? Okay, good, that's gonna be the greatest thing. Man. Start looking at gunning work man. Dudes to play the gunners. Some dudes that play device. Um, a lot of guys don't understand that unless you were first, the second, third round. Man,
that's where you're gonna make it. Niches on special teams first. Just to be honest with you, you know, and you got a problem opportunity to make it happen, bro, some opportunity. I actually played DV myself and play corner, so I look forward to work with you. So, uh did you, blessed man? Let me know what you need. I'm serious, man, I don't care if it's one through three and morning, call me. If your folks have questions about this, text me, call me. Try to answer it as best as possible,
so I appreciate it. All right, my man, be blessing. I'll talk to you soon. Take care, okay, bye bye. That was Denver Broncos. I wasn't what I was expecting, but you know, less you get the it's Tony with the Broncos man. Um, It's like I said, wasn't all I expect. It was upset a little bit, cried a little bit, to be honest, but you know it was a quick turn around, even with a contract in hand and his new career with his new team right in front of him. The pain from falling throughout the draft
is still acute. I had to get my focus right. I had to give my mind right because now I got like I said to working umber stops, I just gotta go and keep doing what I've been doing my whole career and get right back until it. So, you know, I'm excited to be a Timper Bronco. It's crazy to think about I'm actually in the NFL. No, I'm excited, man, We'll be right back. All eight of the players we've been hearing from talk to their new teams, began their
new training programs and study their new playbooks. Only Bryce Hall has another life altering moment planned. Are you nervous? I'm excited? Um. One of the reasons she has no I no I. When was the first moment you knew that she was the one. When she came to my hospital bed when I had broken my ankle. That's when I was like, yeah, it's the one. It was like eleven o'clock at night. Everybody else went home and it was just me and her chatting up on me. She
want to keep it. Bryce asks Nzel to go for a jog with their closest friends planted along the route, cell phones out thank you right here that this is this is the message that I wrote on the May five, two thousand, at right before I decided to go on my one year and so I was, it's a young price, and I'm reading that to you. I had said it apart for a this day right here, Yeah, I said, I have decided to be scaring to the story I wanted.
When I was listening, I've heard something that spoke to my life, and I realized that it was true and that was what God wants for me. I had decided, despite my past, I want to learn to honor God with my body. That's difficult that it is going to be, and that's strange and loan and quiet it may become. I wanted to honor God with my sexuality. And from this state forward, I am preparing for you. I have saved and reserved myself my affection of my love for you.
I am waiting for listening forward for you. And as I learned honor God by before I say I do, I am ready for honor God with my body. Once I do so, I feel I want to be the person that I am looking forward to and from this stage for I have to pre pet your parentsreason Opender's amazing fee you you know I love you and uh, I wouldn't be here without you. Man. Yes, yes, she said. Yes, y'all know that that yeah, on his first big win as a New York Jet. This past week has been
by far the biggest week of my life. Not only um, did I get drafted and my dreams came true. Um, also I'm taking on this next season with my best friend, the girl that you know I have been preparing for that I pray for the one who's um gonna be my writer died through this whole thing. So basically after the draft, King came home and I started plotting and scheming on when I was gonna propose to my girlfriend now fiance, and so how it happened is one of
her best friends. So we're back at the place where we both went to school, at the University of Virginia. That's where my where I'm staying, that's where she's saying, and one of her best friends helped me do it. So when of her best friends, I called her up and I was like, Hey, how do you think we
should you know, go about doing this. So we're just kind of scheming up, thinking of ideas, and so we decided, you know, as we were kind of taking a jog and taking a walk, We're like, Okay, I think this would be a good place to propose to her. The next day I told my boys that I was doing it. We have there's a couple of my teammates are still here, so they were here that there with me, and so
I went. I set up where they called flower pedals rose petals, so like set up a couple of rose petals from to her to follow the path to me. And then I had a note that I had so this is this is crazy. I two years ago. So we got baptized together on May six, two eighteen. But the year before that, I wrote and I typed up a note because I decided to go on this year thing where I was just gonna, you know, start focusing
on me and prepare myself. Um this phrase called it to become the person that I was looking for was looking for, And at this time me and her we were just acquaintances, like we weren't like really friends at all.
But I had wrote this letter preparing for my future spouse that I was like just gonna, I was gonna take a year off a dating, a year off of like just pursuing girls on that type time, and just really focus on myself, focus on what you know, I was, you know, interested in doing, you know, my purpose pursuing all that stuff. I typed up that letter and on May Fiveen and I like gauged, I like crafted it
towards who my future spouse was going to be. So I read that letter to her when she when I before I proposed to her, and then I ended up proposing to her on that day. So it's been super exciting and I think also it's even though it kind of sounds like a fairytale ending, um, there was so much preparation and work that it took and just going through a lot of hurts and pains and trials that got me to this point not only from my football career, but also to the point of my relationship that I'm at.
And um, I don't want to lead people on that it is this something that's just kind of magically happens, but it takes you preparing yourself and setting yourself apart to be prepared to live out your dreams and in doing the necessary sacrifices, but also um, becoming the person who you're looking for is looking for in the the relationship, and UM, I'm thankful that God was at the center
of it. What Bryce talks about months of preparation and sacrifice and never ending sequence of workouts, pro days, the combine, and the draft. That's what led these players here to the beginning of their new lives as professionals. And this next chapter will be determined by much more than what round they were drafted in or what team they played for. Football is one of those sports I'd say sports in general,
but football especially. I feel like the guys that work the hardest usually, you know, are the ones that get rewarded. Clutch sports agent Kelton Crenshaw. I mean, just to wear and tear on the body alone is one thing. And then on top of that, I think what kind of gets you know, lost in all of this is the mental toughness, sharpness awareness. I mean, I don't know if you've had the opportunity to ever look at a playbook
or just try to understand these guys assignments. I mean, you have to be a very surreeable person to play football in general. I mean, some guys just are blessed. I can playoff instinct and they go out and do their thing. They just have a great feel for the game. But most of these dudes, you have to be super smart to even understand the intricacies of where you need
to be picking up coverages and just understanding coverages. It's a lot that goes into it on the mental side from a cerebral standpoint, and I think that people just downplay. You know, you got the whole dumb jock myth floating around, and I think football gets even even harder wrap just because the sheer size and you know, the physical specimens that these guys are. You just it's just easy to assume that they're not as sharp mentally as they are.
But it's it's it's the exact opposite, in my opinion. And I think it's one thing that's it's downplayed, and it's it's it's not talked about enough. How how challenging it is from a mental standpoint to study and understand the game of football. You know what I mean, If you know, it's just you can't really finesse your way
into the NFL. You can work your way into the NFL, which is unlike I would say baseball and basketball, you know what I mean, you can't really if you're with with a few exceptions, if you're not tall enough in the you know, the NBA, or if your your your hand eye coordination isn't great, you're not going to play baseballs. But I feel like with football is unique in that you could kind of grind your way to a spot on a roster. Obviously, guys that are elite, you know,
super high level. There's a tremendous amount of talent evolved, but that just as a generalization. Football players understand the work aspect. They have a more intimate understanding with the hard work involved with getting to the next level. Of my opinion, talent and luck play apart, but more than other sports, football is about hard work and persevering. A
fact is saying Bassie has already wrestled with. The biggest thing I've learned from this whole experience is is learning to bounce back from disappointments and using disappointments as you're driving factor for the rest of your life. Because as much as it's aimed like the worst day of my life, there's plenty of other horrible things going on in the world that I don't experience and don't see. So I just learned to be grateful for the position I'm in
and it's not the end of the world. I'm blessed and I just have to keep moving forward. My brother didn't really understand what was going on, but you know, just looking at him back earlier when I said it kind of put things in perspective for me. You know, I still have a loving family around me. My brother has autism, and he deals with things every day that I could never imagine going through his head and just seeing him that kind of put everything in perspective for me.
You know, I still have an opportunity to play football and play sports and you know, live my daily life how I want to that that he doesn't get. So just looking at him kind of, like I said, put things in perspective for me that I still have so much live for I still and playing for him. I still have opportunities to help him, and he's kind of helped me get my mind right and continue to focus on the things I want to do with my career
in regards to helping him and helping my family. Success of these eight rookies will ultimately be determined by traits formed long before they arrived in the NFL. Their futures will depend on the makeup that comes from being that teased middle school kid who couldn't afford his book, or the young lineman pushed too hard by his father, the kid who has to care for his brother before and after practice, the one without a mom or a dad around to help pick them up when they get knocked down.
It's those moments that turn these athletes into the players we see walking across the stage and ultimately onto the field on Sundays. On the next episode of Drafted with our eight players now on NFL rosters, will take a look at their new stage and the role sports are playing in the social movement across America. When you have a guy that was as talented as he is and he stood up for something and our our neil for something and end up not being employed anymore, you know,
it puts fear in these guys. Like that bad dream that you keep having. It's just you keep having that same nightmare. The George Floyd videos one of the most disturbing things that I've ever seen personally. That was like a bucket of cold water in the space to realize that you know things have changed, but they haven't changed that much. Drafted as a production of tree Fork Media,
Clutched Sports Group, and I Heart Radio. The executive producers are Kelly Garner, Lisa Amberman, Eric's a Lot Shawan to Tone l Ky and me Keegan Michael Key. The series is produced and written by Eric Winer. Jerry Brahm is our coordinating producer. Tom Monahan is our senior audio engineer. Mixed and edited by Steven Johnson. Additional production help from
Tim Shower, June Rosen, and Hailey Mandelberg. For transcripts of the show and more information on Drafted, go to tree Fort dot fm, and for more podcasts for my Heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.