How to Become a Standout Performer | Jordan Ta'amu #595

However , when this is being released , I am back in Australia and I'm probably currently doing or facilitating our workshop right now .

So I guess something that I'm proud of at the moment is we have 21 blokes 17 of who I've never really met before going away for the Fit on the Farm workshop , where we are helping them realign their personal and professional vision , setting the goals to help them become the best version of themselves , and having an awesome experience on the farm thrown in a half

marathon . So very pumped about that and it's just great . I know it's going to be awesome being back in Australia , so I'm very excited . I'm actually flying out tomorrow , but hey , at the time of this is releasing , because I had to be organized , I had to preload a few episodes . I'm back in Oz and I can tell you it's bloody good .

So I would love to hear from you guys . What is something you have done well over the last seven days . Now , today's guest and in this conversation , what you can expect to learn with Jordan Ta'amu is faith , family football , what it was like growing up in Hawaii . Now I've spent a bit of time in Hawaii .

I absolutely love it , and when I come back to Nashville we're going to be heading back to Australia again at the end of September , I think it is . We're stopping off in Hawaii for a couple of days , so I'm very excited to spend some more time around there . We're also going to be talking about chasing the NFL dream .

Now , for those of you who aren't familiar with the National Football League and , I guess , american football , to even be considered to play or drafted to an NFL team is a huge deal . The population here is 300 plus million people and they're vying for the spot in , I think , 32 teams of quarterbacks .

There's obviously 32 quarterbacks , a couple of backups , so to be able to be drafted and put in that position is a big deal , and Jordan is aspiring to find himself listed with the team . You know . Each year he's making massive progress . He was the player of the year in the UFL , which is the United Football League .

So I've just forgotten it from the top of my head , but he's an incredible player who was playing with the DC defenders . So some things that we also talk about is what it's like being on the fringe and what drives him , and it may be not what you're expecting . So that's enough from me .

Let's dive into today's episode with Jordan and remember , if you do love this episode , get value from it , take a moment to share it on your socials , tag me . It all helps get more , I guess , ears , earbuds and eyeballs on these episodes . Thank you , guys , for supporting the show . Without you guys , it wouldn't be happening . Cheers Jordan .

Welcome to the show , sir . Thank you for having me on dude so excited . Yeah , me too . Man , it's . Uh , I feel like I know you , but I don't . You know , this is our first time connecting . We got mutual friend , uh , justin or jt , who was on a couple of weeks ago .

Yep , but even before I moved here and this is I said it to mac , I've said it to justin before I moved to n Nashville , I was like looking at people who were around Nashville and friends of friends , because I was obviously coming here with nobody . So I'm like .

I need to find some fit people who are cool , people who like golf and training and all that . And you popped up and that's when I started following you . And then , next minute , justin's training you too , I was like sick .

Since I was younger and I don't think even I even had an off season I was either playing football or baseball kind of my whole life , up until college where I chose one sport , which was football . What made you choose the football ? I just knew I needed to help my parents out .

We didn't come from a lot , but I wanted to go to a school where I felt appreciated , where it was a full ride , and I just wanted my parents to pay nothing . I just wanted them to come to my games , fly out and just watch me and enjoy their son playing ball , and football was my only ticket .

Unfortunately I had to stop baseball , Kind of hurt , but I'm glad I stuck with it . That's so cool .

But when I was growing up I was trying to get out , I was trying to make a name for myself out there in the States , because all I've seen on TV was a lot of people getting famous off football or sports or anything and I just wanted to get out and do that . But just growing up in Hawaii is so surreal . The food , the people , the weather , everything .

Just the way I grew up and you know I grew up in a Christian home . Both my parents , you know , kind of raised me and my siblings to grow up in the church . They were pastors , so they kind of installed faith in us when we were little . I don't know if you heard of the three F's , but faith , family and football .

That's kind of our motto in Hawaii and everyone kind of goes by that .

So just being able to grow up there and kind of , you know , represent with the tattoos , with the language , with the food barriers that we , that we kind of show to the world , I mean it's such a surreal feeling I'm still showing my friends to this day that like hey , like spam is good , rice is good . We eat all this .

And uh , kind of just grew up about around that and , um , loved , loved , everything about it . We got some Spam with some bees , if you ever heard of it , and rice Spam and seaweed wrap and probably one of the best snacks ever .

So if it's good enough for you , man , I'm definitely going to give it a crack . Yeah , that's great , but obviously for the family then being the motivator

. What was it like for you in high school ? Were you just the superstar standout all the way through , or what was that like ?

So that whole year I would say my freshman year is the only time I sat , I would say , on the bench , kind of learning , in front of our , in front of our sophomore quarterback , and when it came to my sophomore year he was a junior . That's when they're like hey , jordan , I think you have potential to . You know , beat him out .

And I'm such a competitive kid I've always been since I was little and I had that competitive mindset and my coach gave me that opportunity to . You know , take the starting job I did , went to championships . Unfortunately we lost , but that was kind of like all right , this is my moment to kind of shine in high school .

From there on I kind of , you know , took it and ran with it and been playing baseball and football back and forth . So and I was like you know what , I'm gonna just give up baseball because I think football is my passion . And just being that guy in high school kind of felt good .

I was really small , skinny , but felt like I had led my team to a lot of great wins , but would not would not have happened without God and my coaches .

Especially as a quarterback too dude A Could not imagine what it's like to play in that .

And you know , when I trusted and believed that , you know , I went out there and executed and it just felt like a backyard football and you know kind of just started having fun and started playing well and everything just kind of kind of started domino effect and led to where I am today .

I just kind of stayed to my lane , did what I needed to do , got in and got out , cause I'm so glad I did because , you know , most of my friends are , you know they got kids there , um , this is a high school . You got kids in high school there , um , you know they're not like really pursuing the dreams that they wanted to pursue , which in sports , um .

So I kind of made sure I kind of hung out with the guys with the similar goals as mine and those guys , you know , went to college and didn't go as far as I did . But you know , our tight group in in high school kind of made me to where I am today too .

What was it like the day that you got offered to go to college ? After all of those ?

This was like my first time kind of hearing college names pop up in my email or uh , giving me phone calls and talking to coaches and felt so surreal and you know , none of them offered me a scholarship . Um , university of hawaii called .

Like I played safety before , but not at that level , and I just knew myself . I believe that I was like a quarterback and I didn't give

up . And what was so crazy this is the craziest story . My old lineman was getting filmed , um , you know , he was getting recruited by this junior college and and in his highlight film I'm in the background and all . And this junior college coach is like who is this guy ? Like ? Looked me up , saw I had zero offers .

So he was like all right , let's , let's uh , let's give him a call . So he gave me a call and he was like all right , let's give him a call . So he gave me a call and he was like hey , Jordan , like what's your story and stuff . So I told him my whole story and he was like I think I'm going to fly out to Hawaii to watch you throw .

And I was like , all right , let's do it . So he came out to watch me throw . He flew in from New Mexico . He watched me throw as soon as I was done , went home , got the phone call that night . They're like Jordan , like we want to , you know , give you a full ride to New Mexico Military Institute .

And I know they're like I know it's a junior college , but you know there's a lot of other quarterbacks that you know went that route , you know that went to the junior college route and you know , succeeded .

And they sent me all these quarterbacks names and , and right then , right then , and there I was , like this is a sign like there's a like I know my , I know my plan that God has made is like for me not to go straight away .

I know there's going to be a roller coaster , I know it's going to be mountains and obstacles and you know I can't be unfortunate . I can't be fortunate , like a lot of guys , to go to a four-year right away . And I was like maybe this is my path , to take this junior college route .

I've always said like my goal was to have my parents pay zero money to go to college and this was it . This was going to be the start of it . And uh , right then , and there I said , I call him right back . I said , coach , I want to come there , I don't care , it's a military school , I'll shave my head bald , I'll do whatever .

I need to wear uniforms every day and I'm bought . I'm bought in like you're gonna , you're gonna have the hardest worker on your team and hung up and um , from that on , from then on , I kind of came on campus next thing , I know I'm like shaved head . I'm bald . I'm walking around . I'm 175 , soaking wet .

I'm like no facial hair at all , just kind of wandering around in mexico seeing tumble leaves . For the first time I was like , where am I like ? This is not the beach , this is not hawaii like . And let me tell you I was miserable that first year . But you know , I trusted the plan and and and that's what got me my first scholarship .

So I think , for me , one thing that I'm big on is like knowing what you , the direction that you want your life to go because it helps you formulate those next decisions 100 and when you're doing things for your family , man , you can never go wrong with that never . So what was it like military school ?

You said it was a bit challenging , probably similar to me moving here . It's like challenging making new friends being in an unknown environment . I want you to sort of get get a bit of momentum happening . How was the football going there ? And then what happened next ?

And there was a museum , really A million would go to that museum and a million would leave disappointed , just because , like I don't know , just didn't relate but it was crazy First year . It was definitely a struggle Missed my parents , missed home , the food , just everything about it .

But I stuck to it and I knew I had a greater purpose and unfortunately , my first season , right before we even started our first game , ended up getting hurt . What did you do ? I broke , or I thought this is going to be another crazy story . I thought I tore my ACL but they told me hey , you have a sprained MCL and I was like , okay , that's good .

.

So I was like all right , it's a spring mcl , let's do this rehab , let's get , let's get right . And let me tell you I was , I was up and ready in two months . So in two months I like busted my butt , did whatever I needed to do list .

I was there like three , four times a day just trying to get right , just so I can play , because if I can't make it out of this junior college , I'm done like I'm there's no other way or option for me to go , because football and that's all I know , and went um .

Two months go , go by and I'm um and I'm like the second student quarterback now and now like I'll get jumped into this game and now I'm like playing backup quarterbacks and I get a couple games in , so that burns my red shirt . So there goes my red shirt . I'm 17 years old . Still now .

I'm 18 years old , going to my second season at this junior college and I'm like hey , like this is all or nothing . This is my second year here . I don't even know if I can have a third because my red shirt's gone and I got to leave it all out there on the field . First football game I will never forget this was at home against Air Force .

I threw eight touchdown passes and eight , eight that's like what most like get in a season . Right it was . Yeah , that's a lot of guys get in a season . I threw eight my first step , my first like like ever starting , and like that's what kind of like sparked up you know kind of interest of from you know different schools are like who's this kid ?

just , he just threw eight touchdown passes I'm all over social media , like I get like , um , junior college player of the week , I'm getting all this attention and I'm just like , all right , don't let this get to your head . Like , play your game and let's see where this goes . So I start , we start winning games , we start playing .

And then , uh , ole Miss was one of the first schools to kind of reach out to me . You know , uh , coach Ben , I'll never forget him , agamul , he kind of hit me up and he was like , hey , jay , like , um , this is Ben from Ole Miss , just watched your film . Um , just keep up the good work . Just know we have eye on you .

And that's motive that motivated me even more to become . You know , I knew I had more in the tank so I was like , all right , let's do this , let's , let's keep winning games . And by the end of that season I ended up finishing , you know , number three or around their top three quarterbacks in the junior college that year . And you know it was a blessing .

And I got from there on I got like couple d1 offers and , uh , ole Miss and Minnesota was my top two . But you know that junior college route was insane , made it out the mud . Um , it was , it was nuts what was it like ?

I had to make sure I was reading my Bible . I knew exactly what I needed to do to , you know , get in those right steps and move forward .

Where it gets a bit daunting , then what does your like it ? Has it changed over time ? But like your routine and and prep . So an average training week . What were you doing ? Extras to sort of get above and beyond and especially as a quarterback , like you've got to be sharp , you're going to be reading the play .

They , you know , brought me into the office . We we've done a lot of film review . We've done two minute drills , like on this little um , like a clipboard .

That's like a field we had a quarter kind of with the ball and like situational footballs and you know that kind of prepared me , you know , for the situations I've had like throughout my whole football career .

And you know , just going there and went to class in the morning , right after class or like lunch , I would go right into the film room with my coach , we would watch film , then I'll go right back after lunch , then I'll go right back to classes after classes again , then we would have actual meetings .

So I've always wanted that head start of like all right , let me learn something , let me go and , you know , do my classes and stuff , and on my free time let me look at those plays or let me look at to see what I needed to work on .

And then when I go back to practice in the late afternoons , I already know exactly what I need to work on , or they're kind of repeating everything twice . So now it's in my head already . All right , now they're kind of repeating everything twice . So now it's in my head already . All right , now it's kind of installed in me .

Now I just have to go out there and execute it in practice , because if I do it in practice , I'm going to do it in the game , and that's always been my mindset . So after practice , kind of go shower , then I'll go in there and film review while everyone goes back to their dorm or to their room .

I'll film review on what I , you know , missed during practice and you know I'll take that with me to bed , kind of .

You know , look at it before I go to bed If I need to like fix something , or if I , if there was a play I messed up on , I made sure , like I always , you know , kind of went back and looked at it and kind of went back to bed and kind of did the same thing for four days until it was ready for game .

I'm such a neat guy now because of it and , like you know , the discipline that they installed in me is still in me today and just how I dress or how I go about myself and carry myself is all because of that junior college experience . But you know , the difference between that and Ole Miss was just the free time I had .

At Ole Miss there was so much free time I didn't have structure like how I did at , you know , at that junior college . But you know , that's where you become a man , is where you establish your own structures , like when you create your own schedule , when you , you know , do things that others ain't doing .

And when I got to Ole Miss , it was just such a surreal feeling of like damn , this is a college , like I'm walking around , you know , there's pretty girls I don't know . It was just like everything was in my way . So I was just like kind of Filled with distractions . Yes , filled with distractions .

I was in the south and you know what made me choose Ole Miss was that southern hospitality , the love the family . So getting hospitality , yeah , the love the family . So getting back to the family thing and family means a lot to me and they treated me and my family very well and , uh , it felt like family . So I committed there and um it was .

It was such a surreal and crazy feeling how did you block out the distractions ?

. Um , so I kind of made sure I hung out with the right friends again , made sure I was , you know , going to bed on time , like sleep was super huge to me . But also , you know , I had my fun moments . You know it's college so I , you know , I was out there and about and having my fun moments .

But at the same time I knew when to lock in and , um , you know , off season , that's when , like , that's when we , we put in the work . And I got through that spring , so that's when I was , you know , put in and put in that work to , to make the team or even start .

And , um , you know , before I got to that campus they told me they're like hey , we have a five-star quarterback in front of you , so we don't know if you're going to start , but we want you to prepare every week . Like you are , you will be our second string guy , so just be ready at any given moment .

So it's just always , um , it was just always like all right , jordan , like when your time has come , it has come like you got to go out there and make it and and get the best , make them , make the most out of it , basically .

So I've always just trained and always knew like , hey , my time's gonna come , and once my opportunity comes , I'm gonna go out there and chase it and and let nobody get it from me . That was my mindset that's so sick .

I mean , let me just , you know read option , let me just throw in the run , let me do all of this . So just having you know that role model , you know , just being another guy from Hawaii , I've also wanted to give that .

I wanted to also be a role model to the kids at home , like , hey , you don't have to go to a four-year right away , you can start at this junior college , you can work your way up to the next level . But my goal was to always get to the NFL and from Ole Miss .

What was crazy is how I got the starting job was an LSU game 8 pm in Oxford , mississippi , where we're halfway through the season and the starter gets hurt . That's when they're calling my name . They're like Jordan , jordan , jordan , get out of here . So I'm running to the field warming up .

They just wanted to come to a sec game and they chose that game and for me to jump in there , second quarter , and you know do what I did and kind of earned my starting job . It was so crazy and so surreal and it's crazy how God , you know , put that all together . It was for my parents to witness that .

I , you know , prepared every week , like the coaches said , to just in case this opportunity would may come . And the opportunity came , took advantage of it and went out there and started throwing the ball left right , started running . Everyone's like looking like , oh my gosh , this guy can play .

And I was like I told you I can play , like I had it in me this whole time .

My parents surprised me with it since , um , you know before , all the hard work I put in and and , uh , you know it was crazy , going from not starting to starting to my parents in the stands to going home , to a new truck and then um , having my friends and family there kind of celebrating with me at my own house .

Then we had sunday off and then monday was kind of like an easy day and then tuesday back to work , so kind of had kind of like got to like damn , like I was laying in bed , you know , saturday night , like I can't believe this is happening . Like you know , god you answered my prayers , like this is amazing so .

And then once tuesday came , I started like I went on top of I went to the practice field and usually where the starters go I wasn't going there . I was going to like where the second string goes and they're like hey , jordan , you got to go over there .

You were the starters now and I was like , oh yeah , I forgot , like so it's like they had a whole camera crew out there really , yeah , it was crazy .

I'm like I was young , like I didn't know how to talk . I was like I don't know . They're probably gonna ask me how I'm feeling about the starting job . So I was just like super nervous but at the same time , you know , excited about that . You know , journey , that I was about to go on um , so it was just different .

Just , you know everything's different when you're a starter in practice . Um , you know everyone kind of relies on you and looks at you for you know leadership and um you just get thrown into the road .

I had to tell guys , hey , follow me because I'm doing it right , but I had to step out of my comfort zone . I had to tell guys , hey , let's pick it up , let's do this right here , let's move the ball fast . And that's what we were known .

We're a fast offense and I made sure that every time I touched the ball , that you know we were making a positive play and moving fast . And I made sure you know everything was , you know flowing . You know everything was you know flowing exactly how the coaches wanted . And you know that was our level .

Two success is you know playing within the system , doing what I needed to do to lead and executing .

Um , we had two years bowl uneligible what's that we had , like some , some altercations with our coaches before I got there . So once a coach resigned from being head coach , then we got these allegations against us and two years bowl ban . A lot of guys left .

But the guys who stayed wanted to stay and build the program and wanted to finish their ball at Ole Miss , stay and build the program and wanted to , you know , finish their ball at Ole Miss . And that's what I wanted to do . And so I was in my last year there at Ole Miss and , you know , got invited to the combine . That was amazing .

And this is another crazy story is that at the combine they were filling on top of my knee . Remember when I said I hurt my knee , my first MCO strain , mco strain , I figured it out . They're like , hey , we got to take you to MRI , your knee's kind of loose .

And I was like , okay , it's been loose for four years but I've been playing on it and running and cutting , doing everything under the sun on my knee and they're like all , all right , let's go to mri , let's check it out . I come out of the mri and they said I had a torn acl and I was like , are you kidding me ?

I felt this my freshman year , when I was 17 years old , 2015 , and it's 2019 now , when I'm at the combine . I said this doesn't affect me and stuff , I'm still running faster than most guys and that's incredible that you perform so well with a torn acl the doctor was like dude , this is insane , that you're , you know , cutting the way you do .

You're running the way you do because , like most guys , can't do that without an ACL , and here you are a living miracle , walking miracle , just like like running on it . You know what I mean . So to to be able to do that is is just insane , and just to just tells you how how powerful God is .

And and to do that is is just insane and just just tells you how how powerful God is . And and to do that all four years , and that sadly , you know , dropped my , you know , draft stock a lot uh , yeah did you end up having surgery on it no surgery at all , like I wanted to play right away . Um , you know , I just didn't know what to do .

I felt fine , I'm still fine .

And , you know , not only did I cry a little bit in my room and just I was like dude , this can't be happening right now . And then I get a phone call from my agent and he was like hey , we got two rookie invites . Do you want to take it ? And I was like God , if this is your stepping stool to help me get back into it , then let's do it .

So I told him hey , let's do it , I want to continue playing .

Um , and when my agent said I got these two rookie mini caps , I tried , I made the mess , I made the most , most out of it and , you know , got the call later and , um , houston signed me to their team . So I was the first um , that was my first you know kind of pro experience . Nfl experience was with Houston during the preseason .

But coming in a week before a game and then trying to like learn all that plays and the verbiage and and a person from going to no huddle to a huddle kind of have to go in in the huddle and like saying the play and like kind of hearing it in your mic and saying it out loud and then all right , now visualizing that , now say it to the rest of the

team . Now go out out there . See the defense . A lot of spinning was in my mind and I just turned 21 too . So , 21-year-old , out there just trying to learn the best I can and study and show the coaches that I belong here and did the whole preseason .

Unfortunately , got cut after that preseason they're only keeping three quarterbacks , but felt like I've left a good impression . That was 2019 .

You know , just , I love motivating people , I love sharing my story and my journey and how it can affect your life , and not only to kids but to young adults . And it doesn't have to be with sports , it can be with you know , work with school .

Um , and that's so cool about my story is that you know when opportunity comes , you got to take the most and take , take it . And you know , make the most out of it . And you know , if I had a book , it would be titled opportunity , because how many opportunities I had and I take advantage of it , and now I'm just waiting for the next .

And if myself I pulled the pin at the first first being cut from a team and you say I'd have a tantrum because I was 21 and didn't know how to handle things and I didn't have a bigger vision . for me , it was just I wanted to be famous and get paid to play footy .

But your ability to continue going back to why you're doing it in the first place and just overcoming adversity is incredible .

But kurt , because kurt warner went through xfl right like I was watching a yeah , he uh did like a like a arena league yeah , yeah , sorry yeah and then got , got back into it and it was one of the greats from that , so that's like the greatest show on tour yeah , so it's going to be awesome to continue following the things that you're working towards .

So what does your off season look like now , because you've just finished ? Also , we didn't even dive into where you went next after being cut .

This is what , how , how , how crazy is it that a line to like where , when I graduated too . So it was perfect . So , um , you know , st louis hit me up and they're like , hey , jordan , like we want you to be our quarterback .

You know we had a little stint with , you know , the houston , um , houston texans , and you know we're excited about the way you play . We want you to be our starting quarterback . So I was like , yes , let's do it , signing , bonus , everything , um , and then sign , sign that .

And when I got there in December , you know I remember all these other quarterbacks that were on other teams were either in the NFL or they've , like you know , played a lot in the NFL . So like , um , just me being the only college guy coming straight out of college was kind of humbling .

So it was very , very unique and I was just like okay , this is like . Now I need to make a name for myself , because all these guys already have names . I need to make my name for myself and you know , st louis brought me in with open arms . You know , got a good following from them before the season even started . Like , how did they know ?

Like how even play ? I haven't even played a snap yet .

Then we got to play in St Louis and let me tell you , st Louis was jumping . It was , you know , I don't know . I think we had like 30,000 people in the lower bowl and then , you know , 40,000 on the top and then they were just like kind of building Sucks , that COVID , you know , kind of shut it down .

But you know , getting that opportunity and playing there , I played super well , super efficient and knew that like all right , after this I'm going to get another opportunity . And St Louis did good to me with the XFL COVID hit and straight from COVID . I got a call from , you know , the Kansas City Chiefs that same year , 2020 .

And you know , andy Reid was on the phone and I was like , hey , coach . Like he said , hey , jordan , like we want to sign you to our team . You know , let's , let's , let's get you rolling .

You're going to be here for rookie mini camp , so can't wait to meet you and hung up the phone and I was like super ecstatic and going from St Louis to Kansas City , right , there was crazy .

You know I was just on the practice squad so I was always , you know , working , but the quarterbacks kind of got in the same time so kind of felt like my junior college schedule we would get in before everybody , but with no classes . Though we came in , we came in with everybody , yeah . Or we came in , yeah , with all the quarterbacks .

Like before everyone got there we would study our like our plays or whatever we had that day . Then we would go eat breakfast and then after breakfast would be team meeting and then we would have an offensive meeting . Then we would kind of go over the same things that we went over as quarterbacks in the morning .

So now it's our second time kind of hearing it and seeing it . All right , now we should get very familiarized with it . And then we would go out there lunch , like a short little snack lunch , then practice and then from practice after practice we would have meetings again and then the quarterbacks would stay later just to watch film for the next day .

So it kind of felt like my junior college year . I'm like , oh okay , this is cool . And just being able to learn and see Patrick Mahomes and Chad Henney their work ethic was amazing .

Just the way they hold themselves , the way they lead , the way they carry themselves around the locker room and treat others even the equipment guys , I mean it kind of showed me that no matter who you are or how high you get in life , always treat everyone the same , and they've done that . They welcomed me with open arms .

We joke around , we laugh and created a bond like no other . So just being there was awesome .

really quickly . Did you feel like you'd grown and improved on that ?

Here's the concept and this is why we say the play . And then here's what you need to do . On the play , it would have wide receivers running backs , quarterbacks , o-line .

It would tell each position what they have to do and it told me exactly what I needed to do , how many steps I need to take for my drop back , my progressions , so like it became so much easier just being , you know , with that organized organization that's so cool and yeah , obviously , over the the next couple years you've been in practice squads and back in

the xfl and now the ufl .

The xfl last year gave me an opportunity , and then the ufl again this past season gave me an opportunity . So each time I try to get better , if it's , you know , reading the defense , or if it's you know my mechanics , or if it's my footwork .

And you know , I felt like each year , you know , I'm always , you know , setting a goal for myself to finish first in passing yards and first in completions and first in all of that . So I've always set a goal for myself and always held myself to a high standard because I know I can reach it . And you know , some people say you got it or you don't .

And I believe in myself , my parents believe in me , god , I believe in God .

Um , you know , when I'm out here in nashville I train to you know , become one of the best like quarterbacks in that league , and and if that's , you know , throwing three times a week and and , uh , working out five , I then that's what I need to do . But , um , everything you know has a goal and everything has a .

You got to make a plan for it , for that goal and the off say oh you got player of the year last year for that goal and the off seat .

My body's good got beat up this past season but you know I'm still standing , still running around , um . So you know what my off season looks like is . You know , kind of train these next couple weeks . Hopefully I get a call , um , you know , for the pre-season and all that . And you know , hopefully , get , hopefully I can stick to a team .

Yeah , um , but you , but you always have to have a plan . If that doesn't happen , I'm going to keep training this fall and hopefully go back to the UFL again to make another name for myself , to make another stand , to prove to everyone that I can still play and that I'm still doing it .

I could watch brady a few times back home , but um nfl is growing and now when I watch quarterback you start to see the lives of people and then I started seeing that quarterbacks not only have to play incredibly well , but the study that they do and how meticulous they are , and I became obsessed with it and had my first fantasy league this year , which was

awesome .

You know being disciplined and and knowing what goes into your body and what you know we're getting older and I have to stretch a lot now , a lot more than I've used to .

So kind of taking all that seriously now , like if that's you know doing yoga , if that's doing pilates , um , just doing all the muscle work that I usually don't work to kind of maintain that and , uh , you know I gotta make sure I have that discipline .

You know waking up early and getting enough sleep and putting the right things in my body , and I think that's going to be the hardest thing for me these next couple of weeks .

You know , every christmas and new years I feel like , you know , spending christmas time with your family is one of the best gifts of all and , um , that's what , that's what I want to do every year and that's what I plan on doing . So it's definitely

tough . Good thing we have FaceTime .

I'm genuinely excited to watch your journey unfold because , from what Justin's told me about you and obviously having a few texts back and forth on Instagram and watching your work ethic , but also seeing your work prove incredible results . Dude , I can't wait to see you named in the nfl .