Lorenzo Neal The NFL All Pro Fullback Joins The Lights Out Podcast With Shawne Merriman

great stories. You guys are here in a minute. Uh, the best fullback has ever played the game, one of the funniest guys in the locker room and one of the hardest workers I ever came across and got a chance to play with. Uh. Lorenz O'Neill, Um, one of the all time greats. Man and at a dying position. They don't use the fullback as quite as much as they used to, but I've seen some fullbacks on my day,

and I have a little bit of a bias. But at the same time, Man, we got after, we got after a few times so much that we had to come up with the brother in law system. So will I'll explain that what that is. But again, one of the best has ever done it, Lorenz O'Neill well, what's up? What's up? Brother? Everything good? Everything is everything lights out, man.

It's always good to be able to hanging out with my guy, my man, the man, the myth, the legend, the one and only guys that ever really really really really really really really gave me the business that I'm still still I'm still mad at it. Every now and then, sew at least once a month, I have nightmares about when you gave me my first flying lessons, and uh it was night me. I wake up screaming, no, did

that really happen? No? No, But okay, so look this, and so I want to just kind of break it down for anybody who didn't hear right, So just what happened. So I held out my my rookie year coming and I came in late, and uh, the first day that I actually got to the facility and I signed the deal, it was the day we had pads. It was our first day as a padded practice. And also that first day it happened to be uh fan day. Look, it was you know, three to four thousand people out there too.

So you know I'm coming in, I'm getting on the field the first time. I'm gonna tell and I'm gonna tell you what really got out of my skin, because I don't know if you remember this or not, but I think it was it was Phil. It was Rivers who saying something to the Union, to the Union tribute about me not being there. Oh, you know Rookie and he needs to be here in this this. I'm seeing all of this. I'm back home in Maryland and I'm

piste off. I'm like, man, I want to be out there with everybody else, but for that reason of the contract, I'm not there. So when I got there the first day, I'm fired up right, and the fans are there, so they didn't help because they just the fans are gassing me up. I'm going over the bags and I'm doing a little in and out drills. I'm not even doing anything special, but every time I go and I just one little pass rushing move and I'm like, they're gassing

me up. So then we got the one on one uh pass Russians drills with the running backs and fullbacks, and that was that was my That was my first time coming in there, but I didn't And this is I'm just the honest god letting finishing. This is this is the honest of God truth that trill. I didn't know that we were supposed to do a move and go around because it was a pass rushing move. I was just thinking, like, I'm all hyped up. I'm gassed up. They got me all hyped on the first day. I'm

gonna just I'm gonna just set the tone. So I just go as hard as I can. And I seen you step up to block me, and it just it never really clicked until that time when the crowd when I hit, when we hit each other and I hit you and they and I was I was excited for about seconds and if something clicked in my mind and I knew that I just messed up. Say it, I knew I just messed up, you know what I mean, because I didn't didn't really click to me. That was

Lorenz O'Neil. Yeah, I know I'm telling you, man, but he and okay, so let me let me fast forward. I got I got low and the crowd hopping me, hyping me up, and where he felt they all patted him back, and John Pagano, the linebacker coach Monusky, they all hyping me up. Yeah. I go back up to the line and I think it was another running back that was there, Andrew Pennock or I think with somebody up there was going up. Lorenz O'Neil came and moved the running back out the way because he wanted he

wanted another second shot. So I'm I'm still I'm flying high, right. I just got lorenzo'neil, the best fullback, and I played the game. I'm hyped up. I go down. I tried the same move and I tell you, hit me squared down the middle. And still to this day, I won't forget the filing because my fingers and my face was hot and was tingling. And I said, from that day on, I'm never doing that again. So then we created the

brother in law. It had to be brother in law may because I'm telling you, either you was gonna kill me, I was gonna kill you, and I was, and I don't like to lose. So I was thinking about the name. I went home that night, thought about bringing my butter knife and if I don't know if that was sharp enough, like I got an another knife, but it's pretty sharp, my knife so sharp shot. I'm waving in the ara to cut you. So I was gonna cut you. So

no It was awesome. Man. It was an experience for me because you know, you go out there and it's one on one. You look forward to that, and you know you're a rookie. You're coming in and everyone's talking about this kid from Maryland. This guy he's got the phone, he's got he's got that bump, he's a player. And so you think, okay, I've been around this thing. This is my first rodeo. Say I'm gonna go up here and see with this young pub cast, and you know, yeah,

don't supposed to be supposed to be thug. You kind of make a movie. You supposed to beat the running back or you know you could through them. But this dude, he look, I'm gonna tell you right now, I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready, but I thought I was ready, but I really wasn't ready because you brought that. You brought that we I mean, it was that. I'm like, oh

my goodness. And I remember when you keep me and I felt your hips just unlocking this and leash and I was like, when I felt it was so amazing because I was on my feet and I was like, I get so weak in the knees. I can hardly speak. I was thinking about the things some s w we you be. I can hardly I lose all controls because something came over me and I was flying. It's like you want to get away. I think it. Southwest wasn't

even around. I don't like At the time, I was like, man, this boy, this is a real young This is a full grown fed bull. This is a full grown man here. So I knew that day that the Chargers had something. I knew that day that we had the guy that was going to set a tone. Knew that that day that Sean was gonna be special. And uh, a guy that you looked at and you're gonna revere because you brought that. You brought it as a you brought it

every year you played. You had that motivation and a lot of guys don't have that it factor, and you had that it factor. And that's something you gotta be born with where you you were going to, no matter what, go to your hare glass and and that's your ability that you had and no matter what. That's why I love being a teammate of yours. Why I love that

you were my teammate. I loved you know what you brought to the table as a young man, as a young player in the league, you know, So it was great, man. I mean, you know, the lights out the dance and just the moments that we shared, you know, in San Diego and to be able to play with guys like yourself was just it was it was an honor if it was an honor for me. Man, you don't you see, you don't for me. I don't think you even understand how much that mean to me. Because you also played

on some teams like they had some linebackers. Man, I mean there was stacked and you know, over the course of your career, and I think that my rookie when I got there, you were in the eleventh You were in your eleventh of twelfth year, Rightwhember, And I remember, man, we so me and Lowell used to hit it three or four the days a week after practice I'm talking about so we got to work out in the morning,

but we'll go back for seconds. After practice. We used to I don't know if you remember this, but we used to do the the what we used to walk the rack with shoulder shrugs. So what it was it was started the hundreds and work our way all the way down to yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, And I just remember my shoulders being on fire so bad and I couldn't drive home. Some days. We used to get

in that gym and go after it. We would. And that's the thing that I loved, Sean, that I was like, all right, let me see if this young boy can hang. And you know me, I was. I was one of those guys that worked for Enduring. So I had stammin or thirty forty times and shrugs like you said, but you was like, let's go, low, let's go and you would be just like, no, I' something me and you.

And that's the one thing that that that drove me to be able to get great guys like yourself and play with I mean, think about the guys that I played with over my experience and over say something. Because we we had the reunion the other day and now, yeah, I completely forgot that you played with I played with Ricky, Ricky Jackson, Hall of Fame, Sam Mills, the great Sam Mills and film mouse is you know, it's no longer here passed resting peace, Von Johnson, who had the biggest

head in the world. Von Johnson, a great linebacker Pat Swelling were Donald Trembo. I had to. I played with the Dome Patrol, the Dome Patrol in New Orleans. I mean that that they they taught me how to play. I remember Sean going to training camp and Brad Muster just came from the Bears and it was training Campain He's injured with the hamstring, and I'm a rookie and I'm the only fullback up and everyone else's hurt. So I'm out there. And I remember bringing Ricky Jackson and

those guys pizza and beer. One night. I said, man, y'all take it easy tomorrow, linebackers, especially nine on seven. I said, okay, cool. So I brought a bear and stuff and pizza. That first play, I'm getting the look, you know, you give the little brella in law. Look. He came in and hit me so hard. Bro, it was like one of your hits, and I was like, oh my god. And then Sam Dennis took his turn on me. Von Johnson, well, I knew that I had and we were doing nine O seven and we did

that twice a day. Sean, we would practice. Jim Moore had us fact in three times a day sometimes, so in Pad's full path. So you gotta realize who I played with him. So those guys I had no I had no alternative. I had to get tough. And then you know, I leave there and I go to the Jets pep for Johnson, Remember guys like Pepper Johnson. Thinking about those guys I've played with some some mean, mean guys that were from Florida State. And you've seen these cats.

Are how good they were? Moe Johnson and Moe and and Mo what he played Maurice, Maurice played forever in the league, of course, And then you don't you think about, um, I'm going over to tennessee the freak Javon curse. And you know, Ronald, all these guys that I played with, you know was was was unbel unbelievable players. And then of course you know, you know one in San Diego with you and and and you and Sean Phillips and

you know Foley. But man, I'm telling you, when you look at the list and those guys, and then of course I'll be remissed about Remember mentioned Raymond playing with ray Lewis and playing with you know, t Sizzle and those guys and and and and and bart Scott, So it was it was crazy. The guys that I played with and Joey Porter, the guys that I played against,

was unbelievable. But Sean, I'm telling you right now, you have your race in there and that's that's the and and for me to sell you that, man, I'm telling for me to say, this dude belong in there with all these guys in that area where they can you know, if you could hold your own, man, that that that I'm telling you that that that means a lot. That means a lot. That's that that's is a whole lot, man, Because those were some of my favorite players growing up.

And you start watching the nastiness of some of these linebackers and obviously, you know, the league has changed tremendously and for for obvious reasons, and they're trying to protect players. I get it, And maybe even a mentality a little bit has now shifted, right because back when, you know, even when we were playing, it was a lot nasty. But we would have some days and Marty Schotenhama, we were we were before go. We would take to the ground.

You know, he'll he'll put, you know, put in the red zone and you got how many players getting red zone, but some of those, some of those are all going live. You would never you would never see that nowadays like ever again now you won't. You won't and we and we did have that in it. And it's crazy when you think about that, how Marty had us scoring nine on seven and we're full pads going to the going

to the ground. Those days are over. And I think that's why you see a lot of more injuries down too, because guy's skin and they they don't get callous, they don't hate used to that hitting. That's why you see the first couple of weeks a lot of injuries, I think too, because guys aren't used to it. The impact and the things that they're doing. I do understand why they're doing it. And you know another saving guys and helping guys and prolonging their career and no helmet, the

helmet of different things that that guy. I don't know if you and I could have played it now, Sean, I mean helmet the helmet you all you did was used that big hit, do you know, to hit people

and this launch them from the ball. So to take a lot of things have changed since then, Uh, you know, for the for the good of the game, I guess, but it's just football man's there's a sport that you have to make sure that your body is prepared because it's heat seeking missiles out there and the guy and it's still a lot of a lot of contact going on out there, no for sure, and you had to live up to it. Now you know. We had the

Charges reunion the other day. We had me lt was you who else we have Antonio Crimardi, Darrens Bros, Quentin Jamma and Antonio Gates Man and it was it was cool to see everybody. And I'll tell you that one of my funniest memories and I don't and now you probably remember this. I don't know if my first year, second, but I think it was one of those rookie dinners

where we went shot for shot. Remember remember that. Listen when I when I tell the guys, when I tell you that it was competition every sample day in the weight room, out the weight room, if we went out to dinner, it was it was a credit when we had the credit card roulette or the credit card roulette and the dinner can get up thousand two whatever the whatever the number was. But it was one night, particular

night that we all went out and we started. It was like, I think it was a rookie dinner right. The second the second year was going to my to my towards oh six, we were downtown and we started to drain. They brought out a out of Tequilla. So so Lowanil looked at me and was like, keep going. I think I was still rookie. You're not a rookie to you till you actually four games into your second year, and he was like, yeah, let's rook let's go. So

I'll never forget this. I look back at you and I said, all right, ship, well let's go, right, I think I did. I did? You did four or five shots and I did four or five shots? Right, Tequilla, I did least at least at the least at least four or five at least I think that we did. I'm not lying to you, Low because I did. Still to this day, I tell this story is probably the most shots I've been taken in my life. Right, but

I was not going to stop. I was not going to stop unless you stop, right, And what's what do you remember? I trust me? You say, do you remember I remember to a point, and then I knew that I said I better go. So I tried to play it off, and I'm going I'm left before. I don't know you got you. I think you guys went out afterwards. No, I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna tell you what I did in Man. Still, to this day, I don't think. I don't think you have a noticed right. So I

think we were about were close to the piece. At least I stayed there. Could we wait downtown? And I stayed in the hotel downtown. And this is the first time I'm telling you this because I always wanted you to think that night I'll drink you. But I went down to the hotel, I moved and I stayed in a hotel. I took all the TV to the TVs and everything off of the dresser in the hotel room, and I took the pillows and blanket and I slept

on the dresser. I woke up and the TV, the TV and everything was on the ground and I was sleeping on the dresser. Hey bro, I feel you you were sleeping on the dresser that I slept on the dress of that night. Hey bro, I'm telling you right now I don't know if I woke up in my closet. I don't know where I woke up, but I know one thing I don't know. It was like I said I gotta get home. All I did is I said I gotta get home. So I remember jumping in the cab or Safe Pride at the time, and I said,

take me home, take me. They were like, oh, let's go out. No, take me home. I knew if I could just get home, and I was like, I'm going strict. I knew not to talk to anybody. It was like it was over, bro, it was over. I remember waking up and not knowing where I was at um in the guest room. I'm just like, where am I at my And then you know I looked and seeing I had like thirty misscalls, you know, because of course, you know, unfortunately would have happened that night with with Folali. So

that was that night. Remember that same night, the same night, same night. So I was like, no way, no way, So you know, it was you know, it was just one of those crazy nights. So man, we we we had some times and people that are listening to the podcast and looking at it and seeing us to chat Man.

Life is life is so precious, and I think when people are younger, Sean, I think you can attest it this too, that you know, you feel invincible, and not only do you feel a ment, but you just feel like, look, you're old this and you can do whatever you want. And and sometimes when you're an athlete or entertainer or whatever you might be, at times sometimes you you just feel like if you don't, you're not in the real world. It's not really real. And it's hard sometimes for entertainers

to realize, hey, look you are human. And of course you know you're human, but you you you feel like you walk to a different drum. You can get into. You you don't have to wait in any lines. If you want to go to a doctor, you know, you get your own private doctors. Anything you need. It's like time. You don't have time. So you feel like and they make you feel as if there's nobody more important than you and and Sean, it's it's it's it's a false

sense of security. So I challenge you because if you know who you are and what people look up to you is it's educate these young men and talk to these young men because it's tough man, because you're a grown man, planning kids game, getting the King's ransom, and you're three years old, you're out of college, you're out of college, and now you step into that space and you're there and it's like no one's there. There's no checks and balance if you're not careful, and you yes,

and you know you've seen we've seen offensive line. Then you remember a Levier, Shane Let, all these guys that had had the tiger by the tail. And sometimes you could have one split moment where you lose focus, one moment two or three nights where you freaking do something, you try try drug and all of a sudden you're addicted. One bad instant and all of a sudden you have changed your life. You change your trajections, trajectory on everything

that you know. So it's tough man. We're just blacks, blessed and lucky that you know we were able to be safe during our plane case. And that's you know, low, that's right. Because even when we had our union the other day and everybody we were talking. One thing that I will always still say is when you're in it, it goes so fast, and you really it's it's so fast you don't really understand what's going on around Like

still to the day. It blows my mind. And you know, I played on the team with that that many potential Hall of famers, right, I mean LG obviously being able. You got Antonio Gates up. Uh, you know, phild is probably at some point if he keeps, you know, keep up another one or two season, he might get in here. He should get in and then you man, I mean seriously, we I know, we we I talked about it a while ago. And you are you are up currently, right you are? Yeah, been on the been on the list

and stuff several several years. But you know, it's it's it's it's awesome to just be mentioned and to be on the list, and you know, and to you know, to be considered one of the greatest you know, you know that played your position, you know, a position that you know that's dying, it's a dying breed. But to be there and to be considered one of the greatest, and to to have that and just to be on that list. When you look at that list and you see so many greats, it's that played the game with

you or before you are after you. You're like, man, I'm just blessed, you know, just just that you know, the people recognize that John now, man, I tell you, and I've played against Strong and I played against you know, some of these other fullbacks, and obviously you're the best, in my opinion, the best fullbacks ever played the game.

But I also think that, um just how the whole Hall of Fame think system is set up that they should you should get in right, because that if you look at the fullback position now, it's not as like it was back then. Right, It's just it's just position. It's not because it's not They don't they don't utilize

the fullback position as much. And I just I just feel like me personally and I got a chance to be at the Hall of Fame uh speech with Ray I went for obviously I went for lt S. But I was in the room with Ray Lewis, you know, doing his fall, and I was like, man, I was thinking, all and then that want to hit me when all the guys that played with that are going to be you know, potential Hall of Famers, And if everything is moving so fast at the time that you you don't

slow down enough to even when I got done. I was like, oh ship, you know, yeah, I played with you know, three four potential Hall of famers and that was cool, Like it's cool for me to talk about Yeah. No, I man, Shina, I totally understand that. And you're Shin and you look at and I think that if you look at anyone and if you know unfortunately you think people people injuries, things that happened that set people back.

I mean, you've got to realize you you know, sometimes you I know, you have to sit back at times and wonder what if what if you know Sean's never injured, or what if you do have to because your trajectority, what you have thirteen sacks, four teen sacks? Well, so I mean you look at what the numbers and how you would dominate a game that at your position, and you know you're making all pro and all with you to how you would take over a game. You know it.

People can't do that. It's hard to do that at that position, to take over a game at that position. It's hard to go out there in any position and take over like LT would take over a game or Gates take over a game, and it's hard for you. This as a linebacker to go and have your imprint where you're you're going against tackles and running back and you still take over and you dominate and you take over.

Your impact is on that and you're you're beating guys that are twice your size doing there and they have no answer. And that's that's tough. Those are position that it's a skill position, but it's a it's you know, it's tough. You're in the trenches. But you have to realize not just strength, not just technique, but mindset. All those things have to be accounted for for you to go take over a game and go get three four sacks, be out and intercept the ball, strip almost make tackles.

It's tough to do. And that's what that's what a lot of players don't understand the impact that you had on the game. And I just you know, we I'm telling you, we talked about it when you first came in, and just what your impact of the game. Like, my god, this guy stays injury free, he's gonna be hund a

million dollar player. Remember guys were saying that from Rablis, all those guys saying that, and it's like, dude, you it's got to be you know, you, you know, and the people that know you and the teams that played against you and people that know you. Uh, they man, here is the guy that you know was a dominant player,

totally dominant player. Injury into injury, injury, buck strikes. Yeah, And and to be honest, as you said, it took me a while to get over that because I've always probably my year or two after I got done, it took me a couple of years like oh, you know what, I'm okay. And what really helped me? Man, Like I said, I was in the room with ray Lewis doing his Hall of Fame, Like they ain't nothing like that knock like they coming knock from your door for the Hall

of Fame. You're sitting there, You're waiting on it, waiting for the knock. You know, that knock like you might people might knock on the door, come by, but when that knock comes, you know, that's the knock that you're waiting for. And so for me, it was kind of like just to even experienced that. But yeah, I've always you know, thought the first two years and I was done, I was like, god, dude, you know, and I see the people getting the jacket, and I was at lt

S and I was at RAISED. I was like, man, I should be up here. But that's what kind of got me into like, you know, training the m m A and doing more stuff in the m m A world because I just like to compete, like to get after it, and I want to I want to tell this funny story because I don't know if you remember this right. So, so Lorenzo is friends with James Light's out Tony, and so I said, you know where I'm going with this, So people don't out there don't know.

So this is what happened, right. So I'm it's just probably around two thousand six or two thousand seven somewhere around there. And I'm at the practice facility and I'm working out right and I saw that I had two mess calls from you. So I was in the shower. I came and I was walking, I was walking in the gym, and I answer the phone right away. So I get done working out and I got a I got a three minute, almost a two or three minute message from from low Neil, and I'm looking at my phone.

I'm the first thing I started to think about, is you pocket down, was like he just must have pocketed out, and he left a three minute message. So I go and I finished, I shower up, I put my clothes on, and uh, I listened to the message. And on this message it was Aimes lights out Tony on those phone. So I was like, hold on what and and James Tony was like, you stole my name, mother, I'm gonna come with your comeing up. You know I'm talking about for three for three minutes, he was. He was mad.

So and this is this is a true story. So I'm sitting there here, I mean called me every mother f under the sun. He's calling me everything, right, So I was, I was, So I went, so I'm piste off now. So he wanted remember he wanted to fight. So I go and I go to my locker. I got gloves I got I don't have mm A gloves. I got boxing gloves in there. But I wanted to fight him. M m A right, you told me what Jim, you guys were at. So I put my clothes, I put my workout stuff back on. See I didn't see.

I don't even know if I told you. I put my workout back on. I went to my car my gloves already in there. And then I went to the gym that you guys. I went to the gym that you guys at because I wanted to come. He to fight me for for lights out. James Tony wanted to fight me for lights up. And I showed up at the gym and the train of the guy who runs on own the gym. He told me, you guys just left about I was, man, I'm telling Low, I couldn't

tell you how piste off I was. I went back and changed my clothing meeting, and I wasn't gonna box because you know, you're talking about one of the best that I never did it, but may I was gonna show take him to the ground. I'm gonna take him to the ground of whale on him right. So I got there. Then I never forget that day because all people like, oh yeah James, I said, yeah, James Tony, he's one of the best boxes who ever did it. But that day he wanted to fight me for for

lights out, and I was all game, all games. I remember him leaving that message that I know you, he said, Low. I came down. I knew he was hot, I knew what he was leaving that mess, I said, I know Sean right now, his ears is just burden. I'm I'm glad that you didn't get the phone because I know you would have came down there and it would have been because you pick him up, grabbing because you ain't gonna box. And of course he had knocked you out

and knocked me out. You you turned into just a wrestling match and turned into you know, that's just how it goes. But no, man, it was I just appreciate your heart that the stories that we have and people knew the things that we've been through, and that's what

I think that's weird shot. I think that you'd agree here too, that you know, kind of switching and just changing gears is when you think about what we've accomplished and we think about the sports that we were, the sport that we played, whether it's football, wrestling, whatever sport we did in high school, grade school, junior high, pee, wee. We did it at the high level and we were great at it. And think about when we had a problem, we had a problem on the field, we had a

problem with another team and a guy's talking junk. Because it's in our profession, we could put on our uniform and we could go to work and we could we could solve the problem and we could we could do it with brute strength, intelligence must to zeque character because of the fact we knew because we all trained at our art. Sometimes we would lose, sometime we win, but we knew we were gonna have a fair shot at it.

Isn't it weird though, when you get in the rural world in that transition, whether it's real estate, whether it's whatever you decide to do afterwards, and you get to see how people are really different. You get to see now you're you're thinking outside of the uniform, and some of the times when you see people try to get over on you and you're like, man, I wish I could go put on helmet. Here, put on a helmet. Let's go right now and go put on the show.

Because you get to see the intent and understand that, hey, wow, this is the world that we lived in was so different, and not saying it wasn't more physical and more tougher string us on your body. I get that, But outside of it, when people don't understand when you are you know, when you're in in sports and you do those things and you need to make that transition. And if you're not careful you are the right people around you. You know, you can easily get beat, you can easily take a beating.

You can easily you know, get to see and and the thing about it is you can't bring your hands, you can't do the things that you're used to doing to get even our counter back. And now it's legally so. And a lot of people may, well, you know what happened, Well, God lead You trust people, and that's one thing about athletes and entertainers. Sometimes you trust people, whether you're financial advice or whether it's a Lloyd, whether it's certain people. And a lot of times a lot of people do

you trust. You think they have your best their best, your best interests, but a lot of them don't. And they know they look at you as an opportunity to to to rise up and get better. So I think that that's you know, and I know we're having fun and going reminiscent Shin and Lights. I really appreciate having the opportunity chat with you. But that's what I'm about.

I'm about understanding and teaching young men about our allies return investment, gross multipliers, doing those things and behind real estated not just that, but being able to be able to talk to them about life. We're in this big, huge movement now about Sean, black lives matter. We get that, and I know all lives matter, but the subject matter is black lives and I get that. But at the same in we as men, black men, white men, gray men,

doesn't matter, brown men. You don't have to be black, you don't have to be Republican, you don't have to be Democrats, you don't have to be anything. To do what's right. That's the thing about life that I've done that right now that we're in. We're a the time that we're in. It's not about red or blue. It's about doing what's right. And that's what we need to

continue to do. Sean specially now is pushing the initiative, get people brothers, white, black, brown together and say, how do we move forward, How do we teach how do we educate people? How do we teach people because people don't understand that most blacks, you don't and you know was most blacks were Republicans and they changed over and you know because Texas had more black But we don't

educate until we educate. We don't talk about our sisters of the you know, are sisters of the Confederacy, what they you know, what they went out putting those statutes and what it was about. We need to We can tear down all the statues Sean that we won, and we could tear all that, But if you don't change the heart and if you don't change the mind, you're not going to change people's heart and you're not gonna change them. So I'm just huge on that about educating.

I'm challenging people black, white, brown to educate themselves about all these issues. Don't just listen to people. Don't just go around being mindful, being less mindful, and to say, okay, this is what I've been No understand what's going on. Find out for yourself. You know, you know it's crazy you said this because um and I just said, it's a few weeks ago when I was talking about the social media and things like that, and you're talking about

the education part of it. Nowadays, it's who has the biggest following, and sometimes they're not the most educated. A lot of times they're not the most educated people, but they are the biggest voices in the loudest voices. Sometimes they they're they're trying to push people into certain areas and they don't even know what the hell they're talking about. And I mean, I get it that. I mean, I'm on social media and I post, and I'm with that.

I called myself the Twining because I'm not you know, I'm not the generation that h that there's not on social media at all, and I'm not the general in the in the general. Now we're social media is my life. So I posted, and I put stuff out there, and I promote my ass off. I'm always promoting something. But at the same time, people that are using their voices are are not very educated, or a lot of them aren't.

And so it's funny you said this, And I tell any any NFL player or any athlete in general, because you've been playing sports your whole entire life for so long that the first year or two when you retired is the hardest adjustment, at least it was for me, because you are being thrown out there in the real world where even though you and I've had side businesses while we play, you had businesses, you had tons of businesses while we were playing, and stuff like that. But

it wasn't your main job. It was like what you were doing on the side. So now when you were tired and you get out here, you start dealing with certain groups and types of people. We're used to going upstairs every other Wednesday getting on paycheck, right like every other Wednesday. Always didn't have to send a rookie up there to upper flight of steps and they'll grab whatever you made that week, whatever you made those two weeks, and get your check and you're done. That's how the

money came in. But now you're dealing out here what I call you know, we call the real world, and you have to take you have to watch all of it. So the education technically wasn't there. And I remember to remember the what are used to have. Those are the seminars a three day the rookie symposium. It's impossible to

learn everything in three days. I mean, I'm kind of glad they got rid of that because all it did is put you on notice for something that could happen, but you don't get a chance experience it until it does happen. And a lot of it you have to, you know, lose money, you have to get in a couple of bad business deals and understand that that's not the way to go. Or you can get and link with somebody who's already been through that so you don't have to deal with it. So, like I said, I

agree with you on that part. It's all about education. And um I talked to a lot of guys, especially when they're about to get done. I say, look, whatever you want to do, start doing a year or two years, three years before you get done. So when you're thrown out here in this real world and you're not trying to you you're not your head is not spending trying to catch up to what's going on or knowing the right and wrong people to deal with, Like that's the

way it's supposed to go. Right, You're absolutely right. And and for me, I think Sean, it's it's And if I would advise anyone that's out there and rookies or second year players and guys who thinking about being done, you look at the house in a in a decent neighborhood, Look at the house in a decent neighborhood that you look at the area and say the medium income is just say a hundred just to say two hundred thousand,

hundred fifty and you could buy a house. Let's just say you can buy that house, you know, for four hundred thousand, three or four hundred thousand, so you can buy a decent house, three bedroom house, three to four. And if you think about that, if you know it's a good neighborhood, you know, the neighborhood is not going to go anywhere, especially if you have disposed for income. If you pay those two houses off, let's just say that's that's six hundred thousand dollars if you paid off.

That's if you had two of those homes and you pay them all and you look that that's you know, you're talking about thirties, you know, thirty three thousand allars, six thousand dollars. You rant it out for three thousand a month. You're talking about creating six thousand dollars a month that's coming in that that you own. That's it's outright, and you you did that, and you did that. This is say you did. You paid for those houses. You

paid for those houses. Why you're in year you know, year five and you're only gonna play ten years, and you took that money and you do the math. You got thirty six you know, thirty six and you at thirty six, thirty six year at seventy you know, seventy two thousand dollars a year, and you said, I'm just gonna I got two of these houses. I'm putting all the money on one house, seventy two thousand dollars because

you don't need any income. And all of a sudden, now boom, you paid that that that, you paid that house off. You paid that house off, and you know in four years, so you know you're you're the three

thousand all home you already paid off. So now if you do that, if you do that every four years, think about what young men can have not using a lot of money, because I know guys think, oh my god, this is But if you do a simple mathematic deal like that, and you start doing that and you have fibers, you get done, and you've got six houses, seven houses paid off, you know, seven times three, and you're talking about thousand dollars a month that that's come that's coming in,

and you're and you still got your your other money that's put away. Those are some of the things that you know that that that is just guys need to

think about solid, just solid investments. Of course you've got to get those bonds and do some things, but just little things like that, Sean, And you know, but I just I just hope that everyone that's that's out there and guys just get a grip on finance especial we know because you're done, we're done, but finances, and also be get out there and being advocate, not necessarily, just be an advocate about educating yourself on what's going on

in this world. Because the world we live in is changing, and it's changing drastically. You see how fast it's going, Sean, where you don't you can no longer talk about if you're a Republican or a Democrat. You can know that's that's no longer a conversation. If you do that, it's fighting words. Now, think about world we're at. Think about what we're When we were playing, we could about our

Democrat republic or whatever. But think about now how divided we have become because of the media, like you're saying, because the media and all these different things. It's a great there's a great show that's out there, Shine, and I want your listeners to watch it to think can get a chance. And it's called the social the social network dilemma. The social network, the social dilemma. I don't know if you had a chance to see that. It's

very enlightening, man. So that's all. Well, you know, for me, I'm kind of in the tech world already because you know, I got a few tech projects going on, so I understand what goes on the back end. So it wasn't new news to me. I was just and well, I think that, uh, the social dilemma, I think social it's called the social dilemma. Yeah, I think while it was so important because you have a lot of people out here who aren't tech savvy and don't really know what's

going on. You need to understand what's going on and and look at these behavioral methods that these tech companies and certain people are doing in order to keep up what we're doing. Um so uh non, And and it's funny you talking of it. It's crazy talking about this. And this is why because I grew up in Maryland in the d C, and I grew up in like at a different time and like ninety like back in in the nineties, like d C and Maryland West want to crack uh epidemic hit and it was like the worst.

And so I came from that, and so you don't nobody was around to like really educate you in order to get to another level. Times has changed a little bit now. Like back when you were coming up, while I was coming up, I don't even think the nfl p A and a lot of these people were like had they wasn't certain. You know, a lot of people that came around, it wouldn't certified. These financial advisors, financial groups, they wasn't certified. You know, if you had a quote

unquote a gentle or financial advisor, you were good. But now the NFL is in nfl p A is looking to protect certain guys, if protect certain you know, companies and making sure that they're certified before they work with anybody. So yeah, it's it's a lot better now. But I tell you, man, Like especially when I was coming up, no one was around to teach me that because we didn't have it to grow growing up in the first place,

we didn't have it to say. We didn't nobody told you how to say it because there was no money to say. No one told you how to invest because there was no money to invest. Yeah, like I said, it's all about it, the education part of it. You're right, And but guys like t O. They had financial guys that were and trust me, those guys are there on the NFL p A list. They were around, They were around, and look at what happened to t O. Look what

happened the blame bishop those guys. The NFL had them, they were certified on their list, and those guys still took them. So it's a lot of guys. It's because you know, you look at politics, Sean, there's a lot of people that you know, they say they're one thing, but they do another. So there's guys that can be certified and know the NFL is not going you. That's why it's best as a as a player, as anyone, dear research to find out. If you've gotta at least

get other people, get an attorney. It's best to go find you an attorneys. Hey look this over. Hey go pay two hundred fifty bucks an hour, Go pay four bucks an hour. Look it over. Find someone that's going to look it over, that doesn't have an interest, that doesn't have a don't have an interesting Sure. Yeah, because when it happened, a lot of especially me early on,

when I got drafted at twenty. I had a I mean, I don't know if you remember me, but I used to have I'll roll up on you in the fantom with bands whatever it was, and I had ten fifteen people around me all the yeah. And that's you know, that's what I learned growing up because you had all these people that just wanted to latch, want to come around. So that financial advisor that you did me might have came through your boy who was an assistant or a

business manager or something at the time. So now they got in, you know, so if if I go with them, maybe they might get cut a check for fifty dollars in the back end. So, like you said, it's important for people to start working with other people who don't have an a special interest, right right, And that hopefully that happened, man, that that happened. Time we got to

do this again. Brother, I think it's very important. And we could you know, tweet about it, you know, Instagram and let people know, hey, we're gonna talk about finances. We're gonna talk about different things and get some callers, get some questions and people like to ask us. And I enjoy it, man, I love the education part of it, man, So I'm just here to serve. Brother, here to certain man. Hey, I appreciate you, bro, uh coming on and finally we

we got We got so many stories. Honestly, it's not enough time because from those years earlier sometimes we probably can't even talk about. But you know we got some goold man. Hey, I appreciate you, brother, Thanks for coming on and your time. And we were always gonna be in touch. Man. We're gonna we'll do that on one

of these days. We will. We will. We'll get together, hoping in coronavirus is corona gets over, hopefully can get together and you don't get some luck, you know, get some love in brothern gonna hang out a little bit and uh, we'll do this again soon. You guys be blessed. Thanks for having me like you got a brother. Appreciate you all right, cheers, Hey again, Thanks guys, thanks for

tuning in. I much appreciate Lorenz O'Neill for coming on. Uh. As you guys can tell, man, he's hilarious, one of the um best he's ever done it, and he's he got some names, but he's blocked for a lot of thousand yard rushers. And I'm hoping that he gets his and finally gets into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one of these days. I was a witness myself. What are the best ever doing? So again, I appreciate you guys. Tune then, Uh, we'll be back next We keep leaving

these great reviews. I think we just crossed over a hundred and sixty thousand downloads and thirteen episodes of The Fortune episodes whatever it is now, Thank you guys man. That means a lot, and uh, we'll keep rocking it. We'll be back next week.