S1 Episode 5: Bigger Than A Game

let me get it right real quick. Whose girlfriend and Zelville jun is making a documentary about his draft process. Whoever is listening to this, I'm telling you, the fade is everything in a change in life. I mean I'll be like in the background like Copers, just like Okay, now he's doing yeah, and we're going to hear from two other NFL hopeful for Kutap. I know growing up, it could have been easy for me to um give up and kind of just accept my reality is what

it was instead of trying to recreate it. So I really left somebody else take away fifty yards worth the work for me, just to make him feel better. I feel like I cheated myself in this process and like I'll never get over that. Never again. We're looking at how the challenges they faced and overcome have shaped them into the men who are now knocking on the door to the NFL. So what's the platform today? So right now, right now? So I'm first off, I'm about to do

these ankle exercises to get right. We're about to get a little snacking, going for a little run. After we come back, we're gonna eat some more food, and then we're gonna just chilling to the draft that I'm thinking about watching the Last Dance you know, shout out Michael Jordan's he got the major keys to greatness. So I'm gonna have to apply some of the things I learned in the Last Dance documentaries so we can make my own Last Dance run whatever you call it. So yeah,

I love it. As the draft approaches, it's Enzel who carries a lot of the weight in her relationship with Bryce. All right, I'll carry the kettle bell. Are you sure he's strong enough? Boy? I lived you lift the kettle bell. Yeah, it's I'm strong. You're right. Maybe I can work out with this deal bell today, do a little bit of squats. That'll change in life for real. You might get a bigger button than me after that rail. All Right, I'm

gonna just let you think that right now. She may be Bryce's part time documentarian, part time trainer, and full time girlfriend, but Enzel also happens to be a great athlete in her own right. And they scored right back and trick it has check it up three one league and so Bill Jill. She was an all a CEC field hockey player at the University of Virginia, where she met Bryce as a senior. Alright, I'm on my hit you you've been too far out of the game. Huh. Yeah.

I mean look when I go around, I don't round the hills. I woke the hills and unfet dies. Right yeah, hold on, let me give a little context for that. Listeners, We're just on a little nature job right now. It's twelve five and we just need to get some fresh air. Walked. Only five months ago, Bryce had surgery on his broken ankle and torn ligaments, so running with his girlfriend like this wasn't an option. So I'm running get you, okay, So if you need to go to an if I

can keep Yeah, I ain't trying to die today. It's just like a therapeutic run. Just get a little movement to get the least cast it out. I just got nice, just same right fact before getting hurt, Bryce's trajectory seemed clear my sophomore year going into my junior year, I just remember when I was at a place where everything it looked like everything outwardly looked great. I had played

my freshman year. I had a chance to go to the NFL my junior year if I did really well that year, And I just remember just kind of questioning why I was doing what I was doing, like what my purpose was, because I felt like I was kind of in like a law, like I knew what my dream was, but I didn't know like necessarily, like why fully I wanted it. And the thing is like every day in practice, our coaches job and their goal was to create those situations where they would push us to

the limit. Every day I'd be putting my body on the line going through tough training, and my coaches they were getting on us every day, yelling and just really getting on us mentally. And I remember thinking, when you go through difficult situations, if you don't have a purpose or a reason why to push through those certain situations, It's very hard for you to to work through those situations, to overcome them and come out on the other side if you don't have a purpose or meaning for why

you must go through it. And I was questioning, like, is this really something I want to do for the rest of my life? Like how dangerous we know the game of football is, with concussions all that stuff. I'm putting my body through hell every day in practice, and I was thinking, you know, like is this really worth it? A once obvious path to success was thrown into question after that software season, Bryce walked away from football. We have a very unique approach at the University of Virginia,

and so our program is very, very challenging. That's Bronco Mendenhall, Bryce's head coach at the University of Virginia. I'm surprised it took Bryce to a sophomore year at the question. My goal is actually to have each of our young people uncover why they would be playing as soon as possible, to make things so significant, so challenging that once decided, there's clarity on how come. And so Bryce moved from receiver to defensive back. Here comes a brand new coaching staff.

None of whom recruited him, nor did he know in a program to expects more than I think anyone might even think it is reasonable. And so here's all of this commitment, here's all of this effort, here's all that's being required, and certainly why now, why would I do this? And so it's actually pretty normal and it was an amazing though the transformation once the clarity and the choice came, is this something I really want to do? Rice then took that, internalized it, and then he wrestled with it.

The dream that formed in the far reaches of Bryce's mind, the dream he visualized in a picture in kindergarten when he told his teacher that he wanted to play football, was still there, but fifteen years later he lost some of the motivation to achieve it. The best gift I could give Bryce Hall isn't the football mastery or that knowledge. It's the defining moments, or the possibilities to have the

defining moments. So before he leaves college, he's ready and much more certain and clear about what he wants, who he is, and how we'll navigate the world. After he left the team, he searched for something to give him a sense of direction, but he didn't know exactly what that was. He was empty inside waiting to be filled, but with what he no I didn't really have a strong relationship with God at the point, but I was just kind of searching, like is this really what I'm

supposed to be doing. I think that's where I leaned in to where my faith became so strong, because I felt like in in those times where I was just kind of seeking and like is there more to this

and why I'm doing this? And I felt like God just placed this burden on my heart to like that he has a purpose and the plan for me, and it's not necessarily for me, but it's so that I can be a light and help other people going through these situations and knowing and it kind of gave me purpose as to why I was playing the game of football. He discovers a sense of purpose bigger than money or fame, and he rejoins the Cavaliers one week before his junior year.

I feel like with the game of football is preparing me for whatever I have coming after that. How Like, football teaches me so much about life and at the same time, football is just taking me places where I never thought I could go and meet people in different things like that, and it's something I love to do. It's a gift and I really want to utilize this time.

And I feel like I'm learning so much from the game of football to make a difference to people that come behind me, you know, the younger generation and even you know, it's a really dark industry, just sports and entertainment. And if I can be a light in that industry and just be a positive inspiration for people that come after me, I think that gave me extra juice. Like why I'm playing this game is it is bigger than

just me. But like I can endure those things because I know, like God has prepared me for this, He's called me to do this, and there's something bigger that I'm playing for and not just myself. And when you move past just yourself, I think it gives you way more like purpose and meaning. Then the injury after discovering his mission a blind siding setback in the Miami game, Bryce Hall is hurt and that's not good for Virginia because Bryce Hall is one of their very best players.

They got that air cast whatever you wanna call it, wrapped around his lower left leg, ankle. We're not going to show you that the injury is not pretty quiet. Virginia sideline Bryce Hall, an amazing kid, thought about going to the NFL last year, prayed about it in the off season, decided to come back. So our thoughts are

with one of the best players in college football. So in the course of my career UM, one of the things that has an increasingly difficult toll is when a player gets hurt because most of them have recruited and gotten to know and our program is so challenging and difficult, and they've contributed and worked and and remained dedicated. And then in Bryce's case, you just take all of that and then just turn the dial to eleven, right, like

it has to be a new category. And and I actually had him contributing on punt return, So this wasn't a defensive snap. This was a special team snap. And in the world of college football, that's usually looked at UM as a lesser than snap, even though it's not. But that's usually how it's looked at. And rarely are your very best players UM contributing on those units at the level Bryce was for us, which was the personal choice UM and a cultural choice that I made to

put him out there. So I see Bryce go down and the very first, my very first thought is what a poor choice by me as the head coach to have Bryce out there on that play. And so is an immediate acknowledgement of responsibility of I'm totally responsible for that, and and so I felt awful it would require ankle surgery and months of rehab. Bryce's resolved from a year prior is suddenly tested in an enormous way. I felt like I put on my heart that I was supposed

to come back and all that other stuff. And when I um when that happened in that moment um, yeah, I was frustrating, and I think one of the things I was thinking was like, okay, what, like, what's the purpose in all this? And one of the things I knew is like people were looking at me, especially family

and other people that looked up to me. They were going to react how I reacted, you know, if I was gonna a fit and you know, act like I was the victim and just like sob which I had the right to do, they were gonna follow in that lead. I think knowing that I was just kind of sitting and I'm like, Okay, what's the purpose and all this? I truly believe God works everything together for our good and that he never causes bad things like these to happen,

but he can use them for our good. And I just remember trying to figure out, like what is the purpose and all this, and honestly, like so much good came out of that, you know, bad situation, and like, I think it's helped prepare me for what I'm going into now we'll be right back right studies his life the way other players analyze game tape, trying to use every experience as a teachable moment, trying to learn from any setback and use it to create his carefully planned future.

You gotta show our children this stuff. That's true. That's true, and I look back to trying that's my mom doesn't like to watch my video. She says, it's sad to see, like, oh, you know, like my kids growing up. Yeah, but we're gonna be with him the whole line, so it won't be like you know what I'm saying. I was thinking the other day, just being excited about starting like a legacy for I got a family, and it's like we get to start like a generation line for years and

years and years to come. Probably we can design how he wants to look, you know. Yeah, like you're controlling that. It's like that turned back. Should we turn back? Yeah? Even after we're are you dead and gone? It's are we It's like that generation that's just gone on. Yeah, if I it's solid enough. Yeah, family, cute little babies, bro our baby, they got wet. They we gotta protect them. Ain't no, but anybody too, you know anywhere. We do

want thishere anywhere anywhere. And it's not like build a family or just like beat like go to have a vacation spot when I'm done, And I'm not telling you both, so like where would you spot with like a nice house river? But then also where would you want to build your family? And there's no restrictions. It's like you have a nice you have everything you ever wanted in life. Where would you want to sell? That sounds good? That's for you. Well, I lived in Kansas when I grew

up in Kansas, Open in Park, Kansas. I love that people in the Middlewest so friendly. It's a nice slot. It's like the center. Like granted it's not going to be the best weather all year round. But exactly, you know what this postestenither and so I'll take that. Yeah, so it's beautiful. I loved it. I love like and it's just like I feel like it's a great place to raise a family in Kansas. Like I love that it was it was it was slotting for me. Okay,

I'm gonna run this hill. Stop. For Bryce, the loss of his mother in fifth grade, the loss of his faith in his life's direction in college, even the potentially we're ending injury this past season, all heels he had to climb, mountains he had to scale, each with a differing degree of pain, moving him towards a purpose that maybe taking shape. It's just the right time. Why I'm

playing this game is is bigger than just me. I can endure those things because I know like God has prepared me for this, He's called me to do this, and there's something bigger that I'm playing for and not just myself. And when you moved past just yourself, I think it gives you way more like purpose and meaning. And that's what I feel like I've learned through this adversity and what's helped me just get through a lot of tough times. Is is leaning on that coach Bronco Mendenhall.

When people will interact with Rice, they're gonna have this maybe first impression of veteran of the league or a veteran of life. And he's like fifty five years old and he's packaged in this college athlete, young person now professional athlete um form. It just is weight and talking to the Dali lama here or like who who is

this person? You know, there's there's kind of this kind of wise old stage there, and I think there's a difference between intelligence and wisdom, and there's wisdom for him. Brace's most difficult moments in football have brought him a newfound sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of the game, and an unshakable faith in his path through life. That horrible senior year injury created the circumstances for his relationship with an Zel. That's where it gets good right here.

I love this. You gotta push yourself to finish this one. It's gonna feel so good after. It's exactly the set that have been stepping stones to improving his life. Incidents when most players would understandably get discouraged or give up, Bryce used as opportunities, which is why in just three days he has the chance to be drafted. All sports are filled with success and failure, but in football, the moments of defeat are more pronounced and visceral. Two hits

are bigger, injuries are more common, careers are shorter. It's an unrelenting, merciless league playfully dubbed not for long Clutch Sports Group Agent to Mary's Bilbo, the NFL is a league in which, you know, you take the things that we all know, you know, the short lived careers. There's a draft every year for every sport, but there's a draft in football where you're looking at two plus guys coming in the league. It's such an easy turnover in football.

One year the Saints have Adrian Peterson and mark ingram on Arosity, get Alvin Camarona third around, and two or three years later Alvas only one there those guys are other teams, So you know. The challenge with football is a supplethetor of players, so many, so much change, with hundreds of new prospects fighting for roster spots, coupled with the physical toll of the game, it's not surprising that

the average NFL career last three point three years. When you see the greatness of a Calvin Johnson and then you see how quickly is saying that his career passed by, that's real stuff, you know, Like you saw Calvin going to league and then it was like that he was gone when he played nine years, you know, and is thirty plus years old and not in the NFL. Now, even when you've succeeded in football, failure could be around

the corner. Kelvin Johnson set the NFL record for most receiving yards in a season, an undeniable superstar, and still players like him often only endure for a decade or less. It's a brutal, unforgiving sport, even for those at the up overcoming failure, having the mental fortitude to turn every setback into a step forward. Only those who can do what Bryce has done will survive. I know what it's like to go and drafted. I knowiced like to get cut.

I noticed like to hate my coach. I know its like to feel like I'm getting the unfair treatment and I'm better than the next man. I know this feel like to you know, not have a job and and have a kid on the way, or not know that Hey, do I really want to use this college degree right now or what? Or do I want to keep giving it a shot and keep pursuing my dream? I know all of this stuff. Those are real questions and you're gonna have to face that when your football career is over.

I want to be that guy that pushes you every year to explore other things, because let's be honest, men, you call somebody a Fortune five CEO or a big time alumni, they don't give a damn. They're not gonna ask the phone change. Young calls, or he wants to get connected, Kula wants to get connected. One of these

guys wearing the NFL uniform. It's a lot easier. So use it while you have it, you know, because we've all seen, you know, Ohio State, the Maury's Clarress story, We've seen the JaMarcus Russell's at l s U. These university are pushing these players out left right. Which players are gonna take that platform and say, let me build out resources because I don't know how long I'm gonna yet. My contracts as five years, they probably cut me in

three and Dan, where am I? It's that level of relentless competition and need to always improve that keeps players on edge. Tremaine and offensive tackle from Clemson, focused on this gongged pursuit of getting into the league. I felt a lot, but I guess that's that's that's what makes me me, 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 skinning

to our un guy, like you know my challenges. But it's rough, man, you know, like you can work harder than everybody and I only get an answer podcast. But you know, I guess that's it's part of a that's you a man? Is this how blucks can you? Yeah? How much can we take? How much shake can you take? And still keep going? Door survived? Have some resilience, you know, But how does the player develop this necessary grit and resilience? How do they find the mental strength to keep going

in the face of terrible adversity? For Bryce, it took quitting the game entirely. It took finding his faith story time, Tremaine learned some of these skills from his father, like we heard an episode two, but there were also other defining moments for the last I don't know. Four or five weeks, me and my buddies were running hills and we had made it a thing on Friday mornings to always run hills like our little conditioning test. And you know,

we run five up this eight yard killed. It's sucking massive. First week was five, second week was six, next week was seven, eight, nine. We had did this all the way up and had killed us last time, just kill us. And so we get to the week ten and we're already and when my boys he comes, he said, hey, what if we started from halfway up? And rant? Immediately I was like, what the funk? If this that makes sense? Like why do you want to do that? He was like,

I just feel like it'd be better. I ain't better. Me being the kind of guy I want to please everybody, I was like whatever. So we started from halfway and I convinced him enough to back it up just ten more yards, so instead of at being eighty, it was probably about sixty seventy and and get starts out really easy and then we're like, yeah, it's gonna get harder. As I'm going I'm like, I'm breathing heavy, but it's not the same. Bird out of my mind. I'm like, damn,

it's even better. But the same time, I'm like, maybe maybe John has the point here. And so we get to thirteen and I'm like huh. And sometimes he's like it's so good and I'm like, I don't know. I'm not passed out tired, and run down the hill all the way back to the start point. I'm like, I'm gonna do this and finish it out the right way, and I rub all the way up and eventually they come with me, but they're like, bro, like you gotta do this, this, this, And at that moment, I realized

I really just let these guys pull me down. Our legs weren't really shaking, wen't really out of breath, people had energy and all that ship, and I felt like I cheated myself in this process and like I just can't Y'll never get over that. If you want something bad enough and you won't work for don't let anyone else's feeling's getting the way where they feel like, oh, you're doing too much or you're not doing it right, because then that takes away from what you want to do.

I can't let you know somebody else and if they want to feel good their feelings affect my work. I need to get in as part of that in factor I talked so much about. Even with the long one we ran, I was short, like fifty yards, So I really left somebody else take away fifty yards worth the work for me, just to make him feel better. Funk

that never again, Never again, We'll be right back. Legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes, who won five national championships, used to say, show me a gracious loser, and I will show you a bus boy. Clearly, how you respond to the defeats, to the losses and injuries, and even to the friends cheating on workouts, that's what matters as much or more than your skills or athleticism, at least

over the long haul. Jeff what y quick questions, UM, when we do this press call, I want to make it as realistic as possible, like you were actually here. This is former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okuda preparing for the draft in the COVID nineteen world. Normally, we would bring you any family memory that you'd want to bring with you to the first day. So who would you bring?

Who would you have with you? You were normally going to call here on uncle, sister, your uncle and sister, you send me like their names on the attack, because I just want to mention them as just being some review whatever else that would be, you know, with you on a normal press conference first day, I just want to mention them by name, just for you, just so

they can get some recognition. Okay, thanks, all right. Jeff is on the cusp of likely being a top ten pick, but for almost every conceivable reason, he shouldn't have made it here by now. Growing up, it could have been easy for me to, um, let's give up and kind of just uh, except my reality is what it was

instead of trying to recreate it. Former Ohio State associate head coach Greg Ciano, who became extremely close with Jeff over the years, he had grown accustomed to football being his escape because life wasn't easy in high school growing up for him, and football was the one place that he could go and I think just get away from everything and play a game that he loved, and it became a bigger personal mission my mom when she was

battling cancer. Now Hoskins on phone with her bow uh sixteen seventeen years So I mean for me like playing football. I was always more avated to like because we didn't have a lot of money, so I was always more avated to get to the NFL, so I can kind of make it easier on her financially. There were some of the things, the experiences that I know she didn't get a chance to go through because she always had

chemotherapy and she had to work. Her and my father had separated, so uh, pretty much she was doing on her own. He saw the sport as the only option to improve his family's circumstances, to provide for his mom in ways she physically couldn't, the only way to recreate his reality. Marie got that officially diagnosed with cancer when Jeffrey was too, So Jeffrey has never known a mom that was you know, that was not ill. He's watched his mom's suffer. That's his aunt Jane, his caretaker later

in life. Do you expect kids like that, you know, like low self esteem or loss up war and maybe just dysfunctional, but not he is this. You know, he didn't grow up in a like in a typical trajectory, enough in a household, so to speak. This kid has a superior understanding. You know, it's just amazing. It's hard to describe how he sees, you know, his world view is his philosophy about life. Almost everyone would have given up in Jeff's situation, assumed it was hopeless or the

odds were too great. Somehow, Jeff always saw it the other way. Failure was never an option. It's never been an option. But why where does that unthinkable inner strength come from? How does Jeff become the one in a million who defies the odds him seeing the mom go through what the mom went through and with the stage fall in Foma, you know, shows up and going. She did what she had to do so many times I had to let her to slow down, or when I find out about something that she did and I said, hey,

why didn't you tell me? You know I could have usually done definitely, So the mom kept going, you know, despite you know, her illness and how she felt. So I think that was new. That was a dry for Jeff. Marie wasn't final. Jeff is a whole look like like his mom, very dreaming. Here's his sister, Karen Okuda. I remember, like in kindergarten, I knew my mom was sick, but of course she my mom is not going to have that conversation with like a kindergartener that she has cancer.

And it wasn't probably until second grade that I really knew that she had cancer, and that was kind of explained to me. I mean, I still didn't really understand, but I just knew that she was sick. Day to day activities were a struggle for her. But regardless of that, she made a priority to try to push that aside and just be there for Jeffrey and I. Even coming after, like coming out of chemo treatments, she would try to

come see his football games. Um, whether it be sitting in the car just away from everyone because she was immune compromised, A sick mother in her car alone after more treatments, desperately trying to watch or listen to her son's games because she isn't healthy enough to be in the stands That portrait of determination, a mother who knows letting her son down isn't an option either. Having to leave mama home every day, and now that I had to go to school, show up, make good grades, be

the best that he can be out there. That made his mom happy. So he learned to do that at a very young age. He knew how much that meant to his mom. As a young kid. No, that was all he could do to make her happy. The audeo, you know, having a sick mom and being the primary care provider at some point for his mom. He and Karen, this kid had to grow up no much much faster than the average kid out there, developed like coping skills, kind of learned how to move on like a kaid.

Mom is stick, but I have to do this, So I think that's part of where he he lend those skills. It was an environment no child should ever have to experience. It was just always a tough time. I I know my mom didn't want to stress Jeffrey and I, but it's hard when you see your mom who's trying to do everything for you, but you know, like if you look away, she's trying not to break down and whatnot.

So there were a lot of times I would skip high school just so I could take her to chemo treatment because I didn't like the idea of her having to drive you to dollars from Grand Prairie maybe like thirty minutes, have to be in chemo for that long and then come back, Like I know, what that can do to someone's body. So there were times when I skipped out, um from high school just take her to

her treatments, and she fought a law for that. But I think she realized that she needed the help, and I wasn't afraid to give her help, like at whatever costs that would have came to me. I know Jeffrey felt the same way too. My sister. Everything I went through, she went through the same thing, if not worse, because she's older, so a lot of stuff, the bad news she heard first, and she didn't have me to lean on at the time. She had to take a lot

of that stuff to the chin. And for her to come through all that and still be standing tall, I think that's something that that's really inspiring to me, something that that I'll draw a lot of inspiration from. And I think that, um uh now is it just it's just crazy to see that the roles have flipped and she's take care of me all the time, and I was like, I'll be taking care of her. There were a lot of times like I knew, of course that

Jeffrey knew our mom had cancer and whatnot. But I feel like in that sense, she came to me a lot for all of most like her health issues in terms of like going to details of what is going on, just because she didn't want to. I guess have Jeffrey deal without knowing that he was so focused. Marie's illness was a burden the whole family carried, but mother and daughter tried to shield Jeff as much as they could, seeing something special in him from a very young age.

Coach explains further, you saw a guy that was very focused on his goals, and you know, Jeff had to overcome quite a bit as a young kid with the illness of his mom and he and his sister trying to do everything they could to help her. You know, that'll grow you up in a hurry. Unfortunately. You know, all along in his recruitment, Jeff and I would talk about the situation with his mother and his relationship with

his dad and all those things. And that's one of the things of building relationships when you're when you're recruiting young man, as you you know, it gets much deeper than football, or at least it should. And when Jeff finally arrived at Ohio State, it was it was really it's one of those parent things you know Jeff's mom, I think fought her rear end off to stay alive until Jeff got to college, because literally it was you know, three or four days after he arrived at Ohio State

that Jane called me with the news. So Jeff was in school when Mary passed, so I had to call Coodian, whose was the defensive Cordnato at ohiost It at the time. He was more like a father forgot to him, apart from being a coach too, was the one that put used to him. She said, I think you should be the one to tell him, and I agreed, And that was a tough conversation to call Jeff in and and

tell him of the news. But I felt like we had the relationship that you know, after giving him the bad news, we could talk through it and never did you take the pain away, but try to help him understand that his mother was finally in a much better place and a place where you know, she didn't have to go through all that pain anymore. The suffering was over, her baby was in a safe, very very competitive, aligned place for him, and I think she then could could

move move on to heaven and peace. And I really believe that's what happened. She felt like kick to hang on until her baby got safely at school. My mom passed away freshman in college, and uh, I think at first it was football. Just like I remember when I washen she had first passed away. I go to the workout to not just be working out really hard, trying to get mind off of it. But then it's like when I went back to the dorms, I would just be by myself and I was thinking about it get upset.

So for me, I think the biggest thing was just like facing it. Like I'm not not looking for someone to like football to take away take it away, but like just kind of facing the new reality. I think I remember finding out that she had passed away, and I don't know, it was a very numb feeling end of just all this finally happened, and I just remember going to sleep and just just going to sleep. But I think after, like Jeffrey said, you can approach the

situation in various ways. Some people would want to cry and like a fetal position, not talk to anyone. Other people may be angry, but I think Jeffrey and I we both have to sign the same mindset that when something like this happens, or something serious in your life happens, like what are you gonna do about it? So that was my mindset. It's difficult not to wonder how these kids learn how to handle setbacks and misfortune even as

they're watching the crushing loss of their mom. A mother who fought cancer for sixteen or seventeen years, who went through two bone marrow transplants, who went to nursing school while she battled limphoma, who drove to high school football

games to watch from a parking lot. Once I found out, I came back to Grand Prix and took the bus and came back, and I was just in game mode of like having to finish my mom's businesses, like kind of putting an end to some things, having to move Jeffrey, my mom and I out the apartment, putting our stuff in storage, as handling everything they need to be handled. Because I didn't wanted to spend so much time just I think, dealing what was going on. I just felt

like I had things I had to do. And once I'm in that mindset, I'm just hyper focused and I won't stop until I'm at my end goal. So I think that's what Jeffrey and I both are on the same page of when my mom passed away. You know, after we had spoken that day and we kinda agreed that mom was in a better place now and that that he, you know, he could go and honor her with what he did in his time in college and beyond.

And I think jeff really took that to heart. He was always a driven guy, a focus guy, but upon his mother's passing, I think he even took it to another level. The way that I'm wired, why everyone in my family's wired to see her go to that battle and pass away. It's kind of like I see the toughness that she had in the resiliency, and I kind of just tried to use that approach when I get like a tough scenario going through something. I prom my mom that I would graduate college. I promised her I'd

be top of my class. I promised her that I would get a good job after college. And these are things that even though she's not here to experience, like me having kids or me getting married, stuff like that. Like I lived my life for my mom in the sense that I told her I would accomplish certain things. And that's what I am going to do, like regardless

of the cost, like what it'll do. When she had passed away, and I came back from College Station to come clear out our apartment back and Grand Prairie, like I was going through a stuff, and I just saw a stack of just articles of my brother and whatnot. And I saw pictures of Jeffrey playing sports, and I saw some pictures that I know was of him at

times that she said she could not go. But I know those were the times when she would drive up and you know, sit in her car and just try to take little videos here and there, but or just take pictures here and there. But she just wouldn't tell Jeffrey and I and I never knew that that's a woman who refused to lose graciously to a disease, who showed her kids with grit determination really mean everything that he does, he's took on myrie and he feels she's

with him and she sees him. And he even told me said, you know, I don't have to go to the cemetery to know that my mom is with me and know that my mom is here. I know my mom is happy, Auntie, because you feel down void my mom loves to safe with you. Thank you so much. You know, she's happy. So I think he came to terms with that, with all the trauma that he went through as a kid, He's just gonna sets, you know, things the way they are and then what next? What

can I do to on on my mom. It's obvious how hard he's worked, how focused he has been, how he refused to accept any setbacks, and what draft they will mean to him and his memory of her. When that moment finally arrives, what our coach are you doing? I'm doing good? Honly here. Congratulation is gonna be great for you, however works out. This is Ryan Day, head

coach at Ohio State. Thanks so much, coach. I mean, I also want to thank you for everything that you did this year, you know, helping me, allowing me to grow as a leader. All that give me darn boyable. I just wish I could a coach your for a

few more years. Man, for sure, all the feedback that hearing a lot of gms and head coaches have called me, I mean, it just did no bringer, you know, and uh, this is a dream come true, man, like one of those things yet and it's you know for you too, which is really cool to see somebody you know, it didn't have an easy growing up, you know, and the nut that I had it like you, but it was similar. And you go through a bunch of stuff when you're young.

It's just motivation, you know. And and to see you, you know, put it through with you're yourself disciplined, your work ethic and all that stuff is what what makes you special. And you're gonna do that the next level. And I just wanted to let you know, man, just really proud. I wish I could be there in the green room with you a Vegas. I was planning on being there with Big and everybody and it's fun, but um wing spirit and I want to let you know

when you appreciate thanks for everything called you to. This is what people mean when they talk about the transformative power of sports. Football starts as a game, but over a lifetime of playing, relationships are built that transcend the sport. There's a middle school kid right now. He's in a situation like Jeff Okuda where he can't afford a book for his class and his life is going to change

forever because of football. I would say, when you have situations like that, you know, unfortunately the young man has to go through it. Jeff had to go through that, but it connects he and I for life in that we went through something that you don't wish on any young college student. But I was glad that I could be there for him and not only his mother's passing, but helping him grow spiritually, help him him grow as

a man. You know, to me, that's why you coach. Granted, I love the game of football, and and has done so much from me and my family and for a lot of young men that I've coached. But it gives you an opportunity to connect with young people at a different level and within their passion of what they love to do. You can connect on so many different levels, and I feel like we did that with Jeff. And I'll always be a huge fan of his because he's not only a great player, but he's really a great

person and a guy with a huge heart. And uh, I know for a fact that he plays with a passion that is uncommon for for college football players. I think some of that's his love for the game. I think some of it, quite frankly, is playing with the image of his mom. In his mind. I think he plays with a real strong purpose, and you know that's a powerful thing. Coming up on the next episode of Drafted. We're so excited and we cannot wait to speak to

you later when you're in the NFL. Defensive lineman Chase Young, he said, you want on your phone? He commantly too long wide receiver levisca cholt just you know, the hard times and just realizing like basically I'm built for this. Cornerback Jeff Okuda, Atlanta, trying to trade up. Yeah, I mean I really don't know. Like I thought it was gonna be a try for a long time. You've already controlled everything. You enjoy the ride man, Yeah for sure.

Coach offensive tackle McKay Beckton, who calling her? Calling her? Are you in this top five? How risk proscal? Wait? What do that mean? I'm saying? Drafted as a production of tree Fort Media, Clutched Sports Group, and I Heart Radio. The executive producers are Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman, Eric slot Seawan to Tone l Key, and me Keegan Michael Key. The series is produced and written by Eric Weiner. Jared Brom 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 Hayley 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.