Andrew Whitworth: Hollywood couldn't script it better

in common. Not only did he play in the SEC, but he's also a silver Fox himself, So I'm kind of proud of that, and we both rocket proudly and uniquely and beautifully as well. So before we jump into it and you introduced our our guests today, I want to thank all the listeners for tuning in. I want to ask you to get to spread the word, tell a friend, to tell a friend, to tell a friend, give us a rating, a review, and to follow on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, or wherever else you listen

to your podcast. So, pe Nut, with all due respect, go ahead, my man, go ahead and kick us off with this one. So let me list these accolades of this, uh twenty of me. It's a lot, it's a lot. I don't know Roman numerals. But he won the Super Bowl when he was in LA. He's a two thousand and twenty one Walter Peyton Man of the year, four time pro bowler. Won the two thousand and three BCS Natural Championship with LSU drafted by the Bengals and O six in the second round. Retired from the Rams in

two thousand and twenty one. Ken y'all, please show some love for Andrew with worm we sol fallas. Appreciate that. Appreciate that. Well, let's go ahead, let's talk about those accolades and then we'll ball. Okay, So you won three back to back, took of your off and then won it again. You won three national chair excuse me, three high school championships in football, right, yep? Do y'all get y'all got rings in Louisiana? Oh yeah, we got rings. Okay, Hey,

Monroe's real, Doug like where he's at. They played some real ball. It's a lot of guys that they put out. Did you want a state championship in tennis? No, that is a great question. Though, so it's actually a fantastic story. I was at LSU and you know, you're going through the process of sports directors like hey, we need to like keep pubbing you up or how well you're playing. We're gonna try and get you on the All American team, get national attention. So let's name some things you've done,

like you know, before you got here. So you know, I'm like, all right, I want a high school sta attention. Football. I won the five A state championship in powerlifting in the heavyweight class, so like we're naming that. And then he's like any other things you want as a kid, like baseball and did you go the World Series or anything. I was like, well, I did you know? We went to the state title game in baseball when I was twelve and I won like a tennis deal when I

was eleven or ten, So that starts that year. This is like my sophomore year in college. By the time I got to the draft, like I'm going with scouts and they're like, man, so what year was it that you won the high school championship in tests? I'm like, what, Like, I won like the local like you get a little Caesar slice a pizza if you're the one that beats the other kid camp in tennis, Like I can't win anything that that care is a trophy. So it's carried

on throughout my career. I always get asked about it, and it's hilarious because it literally came from like a two minute conversation of stuff you've done as a kid, and it has lived its own life throughout my career. Man, just go win it, Just go win it. Just like, yeah, I'm just I'm just like the white, three hundred pound male version of Serena and Venus combined, Like that's that is who I am. Like, I'm just I'm not real. We were literally talking before. I'm like, how's he running

around dominating people at close to three hundred pounds. I couldn't imagine it. I'm like, how does this even possible? I can play tennis, but I ain't like that. I promise you that I'm a lefty. I grew up being an andre Agasy fan. I had me a wild thing racket when I was little. But you know, I was a big fan of the game. But no, I was never good enough to win in high school, that's for sure. Pickleballs my sport. There we go. See I'm a golfer, though you know he is a golfer. Now most people

do not know this. I don't even know if if wit remembers this, but the first time I met Andrew Whitworth was at in Arizona. We were both selected to be Playboy All Americans going into our senior year in two thousand and five, and that was the first time I met this large human being. And I just randomly was walking around the whole place and he was out at the driving range, hitting bombs on the driving range.

And he's the first one that really got me to like, you know what, I should maybe start to pick up golf a little bit. And I hung out with him and we actually got really cool at that point in time, talking way back when we both were seniors in college. And so I know he can golf, I know he can do all these other things. I just think it's awesome that you were able to accomplish that. So also you were also a Playball All American as well. So two thousand and five great classes. You know, just want

to shout us all out out there. And sure, now I want to start off with this just a little bit because I'm sitting here with two of the guys that won one of the biggest accolades that I believe the NFL gives out, which is the Walter Paydon Man of the Year award. And you know, we see that you got a lot of recognition the longer you played. It was like, man, we really loved this guy, and we appreciate you more and more, and we were able

to give you your flowers before you retired. And could you talk about how special that award is because I know Peanut was also a person that won the Walter Payd Man of the Year you also wanted. I did not, and I wanted many other accolades, but that one alone, it's such a special deal. Could you maybe just give

us a little bit insight into that. Yeah, I just think when you when you think about that award and what it stands for, it was even tough to go through the process of being nominated for it and then be up for it, because it's kind of hard to be like, you know what, Like I mean, I'm getting acknowledged this and it's great and I think it's wonderful, But I'm looking across the league at the other thirty one nominees and I'm like, wow, like so much respect

for everything they do, and it almost every year I got nominated, it was like man invigorated and be like, man, all right, I love I love the guys that I played a sport with man and their passion for people, because that's one thing I just to me, that's what

life's all about. And so going through that really, for me, it was more of a reflection and a reminiscent of over my career just the impacts of people and communities and the special moments I've had of realizing not only just the impact that I was able to have on them, but more importantly to me, the impact they had on me, and that it gave me a you know, a passion and a purpose to play football, not just for sports, not just for you know, success i'd want to have

on the field, but you know what, it created opportunities for me to go impact people off of it, and so I think that's one of the things I'm most grateful for the opportunity to play in the NFL for is I've had some really cool opportunities and a lot of growth as me as a person, and standing up there on that stage as y'all know, I mean offensive linement. You know. My my level of media experience leading up to that moment was like the local registry. You know,

college kid who's got a tape recorder. You know. I don't get a lot of press conferences and podium so I was a pretty nervous when I walked up there. But I'll tell you what, after I watched the video and just thought about the moment and where I was, it was like, man, I'm just I'm just gonna tell a story about you know, what I think so impactful to me and what I think so important in life. And it was a really special moment for me and my family for sure. Okay, so it was very it

was I think it was. It was very natural. You know, the story that you told. I think people could resonate with with that. And again, congratulations, It's it's one of my, if not my greatest accomplishment while playing, you know, winning that award it means it definitely means a lot, especially being in Chicago, being from Chicago. Yeah, at a little

bit sweeter. Yeah, yeah, I think I think even looking at my situation and like I thought it was, what was really cool was in that little couple of minutes they give you, you're telling this story about Derek Barnes, and really how cool that interaction was. But I think what was hard to paint the picture of it is like I think people walked away from it like, oh man, this impact you had on Derek Barnes, And it was like I wanted to make sure people understood it was

the impact he had on me as well. I was a rookie in the NFL. I was in the Midwest, somewhere I had never been. I was lonely, trying to figure out who the heck I'm going to be as a person. And this young six seven eight year old kid was my buddy that like we hung out and threw the football and shield as a person girls club and yeah, like he was as much there for me as anything I was there for him. So that happened

in my last year before I retired. I thought it was just such a cool story to tell because it was a great moment in my career that it's like, Wow, think back to who you were sixteen years ago and where are you at and where you stand right now. No, yeah, but the people that you impact on the day to day. Basically, you never know. You just never know. You can influence who's watching you, and that's really the true definition of character is And so you got that award literally your

last year playing. And so at what point in your NFL career did you ever begin flirting with the idea of retiring. I mean, you played sixteen years, so you had a long time to think about this. Yeah, I

don't know. You know, it's like, do you count the years that it seemed like every sports reporter is like trying to put it in your head that you probably should retire, or it's like you've entered the age just like I can remember at some point it's like I'm not bringing this up, y'all are bringing this up like you know, like you know, is this it? Is this

the last years? You know, it's like they'd ask you those questions and you'd go through those seasons where you'd ponder it, and then a lot of the times I would think about, hey, you know what, like did I come up with this idea? Is this more like, hey, because you've reached a certain age or because you're at a certain experience level. That's just the narrative people want to talk about and so I think for me, it was just continuing to be like, you know what, do

I feel good? Do I feel like I sell the passion to play this game? And then at some point it became at my age because I was an older player coming into the league, it was like, man, the mentorship, the brotherhood and my little brothers. You know, a lot

of them called me uncle. A couple at the end called me grandpa, which is really offensive, but the gray, you know, it's like you guys have yeah, it just you know, it started to be like, hey, you know what the impact I get to have with these guys every years so much fun too, Like it was like I'm chasing playing because I just love the bond. I

love the brotherhood. I love being able to be there for a guy when he has his first kid, or he's getting married, or he wants to know about you know, this next lifestep he's going through with his mom or his family or whatever, and so those kind of moments or things I remember almost as much as anything I

did on the field. Yeah that's cool. So after retiring, you got into broadcasting run away, I was that was something that I did as well, you know, I retired I took like, I don't know, maybe the off season, a couple of months off, and then I started to I got into broadcasting right away. And Rome and I we talked about this often where when Roman hired, he took exactly three hundred and sixty five days off of doing nothing. I'm just hanging out, kids, fam just whatever.

He wanted to do a lot of shopping, time with the wife, you during the day. Yeah, we did a lot of that. We did a lot of that. And I always say, if I could go back and do it again, I probably would have took a year off and just did nothing, because that's probably the one I probably said that was probably my big mistake. It is just taking a year off and not doing nothing, trying to get right back into just doing something right after retiring.

So my question to you is, what have your experience has been like just getting right into football just I'm excuse me, getting right into broadcasting having no time off, you know, I think it was my first year was pretty crazy to have like now kind of sit here and enjoy a little bit of being retired. It's been nice out. The season's over and I'm kind of sitting still, but like I remember being at some point in like October November, like I'm having a blast doing this, like

this is fun traveling. But I'm like, man, I don't even know what's happened the last six months, Like I have no idea where it's gone or what happened. I thought I was gonna have all this time, and I feel like I just go from one thing to the other every second. And I tell people this all the time too, And I'm sure you guys feel the same way. You forget too. Football was kind of your excuse to get out of things too, like hey, like why don't

you come to this? Ah? You know what? Actually, like we gotta practice or I got OTAs or I got whatever. And now you have no excuse to say no. You better know the word no, because if you don't, you're gonna be busy all the time because they're like, now you're not playing no more, so you can come to this event or you can come to this thing. And you're like, oh, man, crap, I don't have an excuse. So yeah, I think my year got pretty crazy. It did.

I was agreeing to anything and everything is like I'm retired. I want to go play in you know, Larry Fitzgild's golf tournament or I want to go play in this And then before I knew it, I was like, man, I'm here Monday, they're Thursday, this place Sunday, Like, oh, like, what did I get myself into? But no, I mean getting into the broadcast part, I think is probably the most enjoyable part of everything. It's it's been a lot

of fun. I would say that in coaching my kids' sports has been the two things that like have been an absolute blast. And my wife's enjoyed it too, just to get to have me around so much. And so it's that part's been really fun. All Right. Number one, what sports are you kids playing? And then number two, I want you to kind of take me through some of the challenges. You know, you talked about you you

really didn't do any big media press conferences. You're old linons, You're not getting a whole bunch of cameras in your face week after and so now you're I mean you're a prime time You're right there on Thursday night football is you're right there with Amazon. It's a great path. It's a great crew too. I really enjoy you guys, And is it safe to say that you're kind of

a trailblazer. You are. You're not the only one because Joe Thomas was up there too, So you two guys are leading the way for you big guys on the tit television screen right now. Yeah, I tell you all. For the kids. Uh, you know, we're a little bit everywhere. I mean, the boys probably play almost all the three majors. I'd say, basketball, football, baseball. They're doing all that. You know. I've had one to mess around a little bit wanting to play some golf, but he didn't want to do that.

He likes suping too much, so you know, they play those. My daughter Sarah is a volleyball player. I'm trying to get her on the basketball court. She's tall and lean and but she enjoys volleyball right now. And then my youngest daughter, Catherine, who's eight, uh, just started basketball, so I'm excited about her. She's having a blast. That's guy. That was always my favorite sport growing up and something I still did when I played. I kept the court.

You know. I had a little half court at my house and had a little you know, your little old men leagues. You know. I had specific rules though at my size because the general guys didn't like me down the paint, so I had to I had to shoot from the outside, but uh, out in the paint. And see that's the guy that I don't like. I'm like, why the big guy always trying to bring the ball up? You take your shirt off the time, just dunking, dribbling.

Come on, yeah, I'd have been just shirt off, sweat dripping, I've been get bagging it up, getting in Oh my, come on, y'all, I'd have been guy hated to play again. Oh yeah, they hated me there, you know, doubt about that, but you know, so that that part was fun. But yeah, as far as the you know, being on Thursday night football and really the challenges, I think it has been a lot of fun. And I think for me, I do think of it that way. Like it's an offensive lineman.

You don't have a lot of voice in the league when it comes to like press conferences and media stuff. I think that's why it's so cool to see right now. Jason Kelsey, you know, Joe Thomas, you know, you know, you've had O'Hare, you had some guys that you know have been out there. But it's like get to see those guys really spreading out who they are. Taylor Lawan, like, you know, guys, it's like regardless of like their personalities and who you like and don't like actually having a

personality and showing it. Because I think in the offensive line room especially and you guys know this, you've played long enough, like that was kind of always a room where it's like be quiet, do your job, and that's kind of how the they were taught, Like you brought in young Lineman, it's like don't say a word, don't speak,

just block, you know, like that kind of thing. And just seeing now that there's a little bit of these guys showing who they really are and having a personality and talking about what they enjoy and they're passionate about. I love being on the side of not being the trail blazer but changing that narrative and for all those guys because you trouble. Yeah, so I enjoy that, man,

you know. But it's funny, like even when you go through these meetings, like I met with agents to talk about media, right, they would say stuff that I just get so fired, Like they'd be like, well, somebody can hire you, and like you could talk about on an alignment and I'm like, bro, Like, I don't know if y'all understand when football, like offensive linemen have to know so much more than how to block somebody that to

even be good at what they do. So like to think that that was even the what your own agent might think. It's like, oh, man, you could talk about alignment blocking people, and I'm like, bro, I can talk about anything in this game, you know, you know, So I think you have to be an intelligent guy to play that position and also have a great concept of the game and how it moves and motions and coverages and how they rotate, and like to understand how to

pick all those things up. You better know how the defense dances. Yeah, And so I gotta know how the offense what our plan is, and I gotta know what the defense how they're gonna dance to it, and and so you know that you can watch tape and understand those things from a Figger complex in just your job.

So it's been fun to have a chance to do that and get to do it with Sherman Fitz and Tony and Charissa, all people who are just such special personalities in their in their own right, it's been a blast. I tell you that the biggest surprise to me. I didn't know i'd love it and have so much fun. I mean, I've had an absolute blast doing it. That's the best thing about it. So I didn't really watch

a ton of football when I played. I didn't watch Monday night football, Sunday night football because we sit in the meeting room all day in a dark room, and you just watched the wide angle of plays all day long. So when I retired, I watched more football than I ever have in my life. Wish I didn't think I

would do. So being retired, do you do do you feel more connected to the game just because you're doing the analyst thing or do you just did you think you weren't going to be watching that much football after being retired? Peter, I gotta tell you, I'm in the same boat. I don't know if I watched a single game when I played, Like, I don't think I were you serious, I didn't have to do with my was more and who I was just playing? I do it

too much. Yeah, I wasn't watching it, And now I feel like it's like a like I can't not watch every single guy like, bro, I gotta see every game every snap, Like leave me alone, like get out of the room, like I'm watching everything. It's crazy, like I even got to the point this past season and why I really like realized how much shit changed for me.

It's like the rams of INI like hey, why don't you come to this game or be cool coming this game where I talked to Sean or Stafford or something, be like, hey, you're gonna come this weekend, And it's like, I don't think I might miss one of the games like on the East Coast or something, So I actually, you know what, I'm gonna sit at home, but I watch, Like but I'm gonna watch all the games. I couldn't go nowhere on Sunday because I was like, I gotta

see every game, every snap. I want to watch it all. That's funny. So your first training camp that you didn't report to after you retired, I know mine was. It was for me. It was weird because I was like, Damn, I'm normally running, I'm in shape, I'm lifting, I'm running, I'm trying to get everything right. You know, I packed my bag, I'm gone for two yeks. What was that like? Not going towards trening camp after sixteen season? Did it? Did you miss it? Was? It? Was? It? Like, damn,

I just something was off. I was that I felt like I played up until the meter read empty. So when I when I when I got done and walked off that field after the Super Bowl, m I felt like that was everything I had left. I mean, you know, and part of that may be because in my career I was really blessed with like being very very healthy for the most part. I mean things, but nothing that you'd say are and this is gonna hinder your career.

And then the last really like two years of my career, I had the torn PCL at MCL, I had come back from. I had a presignificant need deal that went on a hip injury. So it was like, all right, it's kind of getting to be grueling to show up every day and go through this. And I was I really like from a body standpoint of feeling good enough to play, I felt fine, but it started to be frustrating to just get Sunday to Sunday. And I started losing the fun of that chase of like chasing my

job all the time. And so that's I really kind of knew that was it at the conversation with Melissa, like we knew, you know what, this is the last ride, let's see how it ends. So for me, I was like in a pretty good spot, but I really knew it. Like the second week at training camp, I go out to the rams their practices down here in Cali, and I'm like, all right, I'm gonna show up the first day of pads and I'm like, you know what, when once they do the acclimation stuff they're going in pads,

I'm gonna show up. And I really know when I go to this practice. I show up at practice, I bet I lasted twelve minutes. Like I was sitting out there and I was like, you know what, like I go hit some golf balls right now, like I'm good, Like I'm out of here. I literally like I was like, you know what, I'm gonna say that lows to the people on your say hello too, and then I'm getting out of here, Like I don't even want to sit

here and watch it like much less practice it. So I literally pieced out like twenty minutes into the practice, and I knew then, like that's it, Like you're done, You're ready to just talk about this game and how much has changed your life and the passion you always will have for it. But playing it is over with. Does your body feel now? How do your knees feel? I always ask big guys that question. I feel pretty good.

I mean, obviously there's things like I'm not sitting out here trying to go do a bunch of single legs squats or something for a bunch of reps and heavy weight. But I feel great, Like if you put a bar on my back, I'd be ready to go and squat and do everything else. I feel good. I work out consistently. One of the things that helped me play at that age.

I mean, you don't play at forty if you're not pretty active, is that I had really adapted a lifestyle like That's who I was, like every day even to this day, Like this morning at five am, I'm in mym Fred Sauda. At six am, I did you know, the yoga with my instructor, you know. And then on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I trained with my trainer and work out like I just go. That's kind of who I am. I'll always

be that way, whether I'm playing or not. I mean, my schedule doesn't change much from that aspect because I just love training, not because I'm training for something. And so you know, for me, it's like I feel pretty good because I'm still really active. I try to be really cautious of conscious of like, hey, these are the things I need to do now to kind of unwind some of the things I did when I played. So I'm not lifting a bunch of weight, but I'm moving,

you know, and trying to stay that way. So so with number one, I mean, that's the best way to do it is to just continue to take care of yourself. It's also going to help you initially too. It's gonna keep you mentally strong. I think that's what working out for me. That's what's kind of helped me prolongs. It just keeps me mentally all there. That's like the one thing when I get out of whack, it's like, dude, I need to go hit the gym and just release.

The one thing I saw on your Twitter you talked about it about being in a dark place. You had seen all the tweet from Byron Jones, and you commented on it and you talked about how thanks for the great dialogue. How everybody's responding about how they're feeling, their feelings on how their bodies feel, and other people doing other jobs and how they say they're in pain and all these other things. You were just wondering, like was I normal? You know, I was playing at forty something

years old. I got aches and pains. And is it from football strictly or is everybody at this age have certain aches and pains. We all hear about it from normal people as well. And I really enjoy your dialogue, and not only that, but your responses to some of the Twitter mentions and everybody else that responded to those things as well. I thought the open dialogue of communication

was huge. That you know, so often in this world, especially football players, we're talking you gotta be tough, you gotta be this, and all of a sudden, when we're all of a sudden take that armor off and we actually open up about these things we don't feel. So, you know, strength is in the weakness. Right when you're at your weakest, sometimes that could be your strongest because you're not alone when you see other people going through

a lot of those similar things. I would like to maybe you tell me, like what took you to that place where you started bringing that up, and also like, what did you learn from that experience of really just you know, leaving your emotions all out there on Twitter

and getting it out there. Yeah, I think when you when you talk about the game and the passion it takes the player throughout my last probably I always call it my last five years, probably six years when I really when I was in my thirties, mid thirties, thirty four thirty five, I really did sit there and be like, all right, I mean, how many homeboys I got back that like are dealing with something or like you know, oh yeah, I remember so on so head shoulders surgery

and fell on a basketball court or whatever it was. And I'd be like, man, I'm not the only person out here that's like dealing with something where I'm in this dark place where I don't know if I can get my body back to Let's put some perspective on it.

Playing the most elite game in the world, like like, that doesn't mean that you can't like function as a person in society, right, but in your mind it's the only thing that matters, And so you go to these dark places because you're like, man, I can't dunk a basketball anymore, Like at some point that I became a reality, like I can't it hurts Stephen try to dunk a basketball right like, but like I could still live a

normal life. It's just my perspective is I'm comparing it to playing NFL football, which is the highest or the highest level. And so I genuinely asked the question because that's literally what I thought about when I played, Like, is there other people out there that feel like this? That work jobs where you got a strain a lot? Obviously there's not a lot of people that work in a office every day that have significant injuries, but might have daily things if they're not taking care of their body.

So to hear people's perspective on that, and part of it was like it wasn't about whether I agreed or disagreed with, you know how, Like the feeling is that maybe other players have about that and about their body and about their experience in the NFL. It's that there's different points of view from all of us in all walks of life. And I don't care what we're talking about. We can talk about, you know, religion, racism, we can

talk about injuries. We took all these things like everyone's viewpoint is their viewpoint and just being okay with like some people are gonna come with a little steam when you bring up a subject, and some people are gonna hit you with kindness, like but everyone's like they're due there how they feel. But let's just talk through a little bit of how it is you feel, Like I want to know why you feel that way or what

you actually are experiencing. And I feel like for me, it's like at first you have to do that, and like the first people think like, oh, you're mocking somebody, or you're trying to go after somebody, or this is a take, you know as they call it. And it's like, now I'm just trying to talk, Like y'all want to talk, you don't want to talk, you know, that's the people don't know how to do that though, more though, that's people. People don't know how to communicate. People don't know how

to talk. It is this we we're on our phones, right, so this is this is what people know. This is like the new standard. Nobody knows how to communicate. Nobody. If I do communicate what you with, I'm going to text you and then the text message that you get you read it a certain kind of way and it's

like you took a finish to it. And I'm like, wait, no, you're interpreting my texting as a drawn rather than just picking up the damn phone and just say, hey, this is what I meant to say, this is who I am. And then you can tell by the I don't know the way my voice carries it, like you know, if I'm mad, happy, sad, whatever. Yeah, I try to tell my kids that all man. Hey, look I tell this

all the time. My wife and I had this conversation one time, just about open dialogue, and she's like we're talking about something we fought over and I'm like laughing and we're making fun of each other, and I'm like, hey, babe, I just said like we were down to like half a car in the milk. And she was like, yeah, but I heard you say you're a bad mother you didn't put milk in the fridge for the kids. And I was like, no, I just I just said we need to get a new carton, like I said, but

how it is right? Yeah, all I said was when needs some fresh milk, that's it. Like you just no, no, you call me a bad mom, like, well, no, didn't you know. So it's like those things can happen that way, even sometimes when it's clear communication. And so I just from me, I've always taken the thing like I can't be on this this platform if I can't handle criticism and I can't handle compliments and I can't run with

it one way or another, like you know. And so for me, it's like, if I can stay calm and just have dialogue, then I can be on here. If it can't be like that, then it's not worth my time because my emotions being controlled by something that can be misread and misunderstood is wild to me, Like that just doesn't make sense. So I just wanted to have

a conversation about it and see how people feel. And also I just hope for him, like you know, I feel wherever he is and he's at with all of that, man, just make sure you reach out and keep some perspective of really the blessings you have had in the game, the toughness that is the reality that we sign up for. You know, there's parts of it that you know, what the NFL could always do better, and there's no doubt

about that. I mean I think we all can agree on that there's policies that every at every level that they could be better with, but we also sign up for the job, and so I think for me, it's just making sure you keep a little perspective in life

and what things are like and what everyone else goes through. Yeah, And so just all that being said, Bro, I think the biggest thing I got out of especially you responded to all those comments, was that vulnerability is strength number one when you when you're able to open up and share. And I hope Byron Jones here's that as well, because his Vulnabi allows you to have the strength and courage to reach out as well and just like talk about it.

And so that's huge for me. And then I got to get on my soapbox for a minute because I tell my wife all the time with I'm just like you, Bro, I'm like, look, you can't read them motions through text, so like I'm just asking the question here, Like I ain't saying nothing about you being a bad mom. I ain't said none of that, Like words matter, Like I didn't say none of that, like, and so I said this, and then you said what you heard, which is not what I said, So all right, I'm off my soapbox.

That's why I say just pick up the phone or just physically talk to that person because you won't have the wrong interpretation. That's really what I was just don't even started with come talk to I started with now like, hey, let me tell you what I'm not saying, and then I'm gonna get to what I am saying. That's that's what I started with. Now, somebody need to use that one. That's funny. So I'm not in a dark place because I'm forty two and I can still dunk a basketball.

I'm just I'm just gonna throw it out there, right, I'm I got down in forty two vertically, don't trying to dunk on my kids eight and a half of a gold just like yesterday and my daughter pushed me and I missed that joke. I felt so bad. I'm like, bro, I can't even get a half sprike commercial right? Commercial act was that it was bad? Yeah, so um for the most part, when nobody really retires when they want to,

like football retires you. We talked to a Golik about this at Super Bowl and he said, I didn't retire football the NFL retired me. I didn't choose to retire. I kind of didn't really want to retire. When I retired, I turned at ACL at thirty thirty four. Room. You were still playing, you were still doing things, um but you you were a little bit different though. Like you you had this Hollywood storybook ending oldest man in the league or oldest lineman in the league, won Walter Payton

Man of the Year. You win the Super Bowl, then you choose to retire. My question is, had you not won the Super Bowl, would you have retired? You know? In twenty eighteen, I kind of faced that similar situation when we lost to the Patriots, and in the sense that people kept asking me, will you retired, And that was really a moment where I was like, I don't. I mean, I never even thought about retiring. I mean, I've always wanted to chase it. I mean, I think Jared.

I actually saw Jared Golf a couple of weeks ago, and we were telling that story when we landed from Atlanta, lost in the Super Bowl on Sunday, fly home the next day as a team landing from Atlanta, and just who I was and how I just love to push myself in the crazy ways. I put my headset on and put on my music, and as soon as we pulled up to the facility on our team bus, like I started walking doing a look a little walk jog around the field like because I was like day one

starts right now. We already had a long season, Like if I'm gonna keep playing at my age, I gotta get moving. And so the guys are getting in their cars like ending the season, and I'm out there running on the field and it's like that's what my mentality was. But this one was totally different. When I walked into Week one against the Arizona Cardinals of the playoffs, I had already know this is it, this is the last ride. And you know what, you know, remember what a blessing

has been to play this game. It's not a burden, because at times sometimes it can feel that way, but it's it's a blessing to play this game. And so I took that attitude and I'll never forget calling it up for that game and we were going to walk out the tunnel, and you know, there were things I wanted to say. There's things you want to talk about when it's football season. To be fired up. But there are things I want to make sure my guy's heard. And it was one that this game, you know what,

has blessed and changed a lot of our lives. And remember that. And then also remember you are in the most elite percentile in the world. Man. So anybody that tells you anything you can't do, that's living. We broke it down to and we walked up that tunnel. Anybody tells you anything you can't do in life, and I don't care what it is on this field or off of it. Every single one of you or special men and special people, and that's why you're standing where you are.

I'll never forget us breaking it down to that. And it was just a purpose, like this is the last run. I know how playoff gadens go. When you lose them, everybody scatters. I want you, guys to make sure you know I love you and that you are special. And don't you let anybody ever tell you anything different. Yeah, a man's live or what is false to make of it? I love it. Another great quote about Peter Huttilman man,

I love no um wit man. Clearly you are a great leader and you grew into those leadership roles as you continue to play more, get more reps, and uh, clearly as the oldest lineman in the league at the end, you're definitely a great leader. And you told a story about about Derek Barnes about how you impacted this life. I read another story about when you were Joe Burrow were rehabbing in the offseason how you guys became great buddies as well. I mean, like hold on, they were

hanging out on each other's birthdays. I mean, it's gotta be nice. And so at what point in your career did you begin to develop these leadership skills or qualities and when did you start to notice that, you know what, I think, I am becoming this leader because you don't. Actually, I'm sure most people don't try and aim to be the leader. It just kind of falls upon you. No, I think some people you don't. You do it naturally though. It's just it's natural point and you can hell yeah, yeah.

I think for me, I realized at a younger age, probably when I got into college and then write my first couple of years in the league, that I had a special ability to pull people in one direction or the other. And I realized that just naturally who I was, I was a magnet, and so if I wanted to go the wrong way, I could take people that way, and if I want to go the right way, I could. And I needed to make a conscious decision of who

it is I wanted to be. And so I think at some point, like after I met Melissa and we really kind of hit it off, or people who were wound in the same way mentally of what we want to do in life and what's important to us. I knew who I wanted to be in the sense of not becoming a leader, but I knew the man I

wanted to be. And as I always have told every one of the guys that I've had a chance to be in the locker room with its, regardless of the title that football gives you or platform it gives you, you're a man before you're anything else, and you need to decide who that is. And so that's where we start. And so for me, it's always been about I'm gonna do one Like Peanut, you can teach what you know,

but you'll only ever reproduce who you are. And so for me, it was like, I'm not gonna talk to guys about leadership or talk to them about why I'm a leader. I'm gonna show them who I am and the ones that want that in their life will follow. And you know what, if they see it and they believe it and they trust you, I think that, Like we just talked about vulnerability and trust, that happens at

different times for everybody. Yeah, you know, and men and women you know are around you enough, they like eventually they put their guard down and say, you know what you're You're somebody showing me that you're trustable and that you'll truly like have good intentions. And so I think for me, it was just continuing to work on who I am and be the best version of who I can be, and if people want to follow that and they ask for help or they want my leadership, I'll

be there for them. And I've always said, leadership to me is about the ability to want people to stand side by side with you and walk through a door like they like, I don't know what's on the other side of the door, but this is the dude, I want to walk through the door. And so I don't need them to command me. I don't need them to tell me how to do things. I want to stand right beside them, and I think to me that like the inagability to be able to do that is special

and I'm never taking that for granted. Strengthens for service, not status, And I try to use my platform to help people, and considering what happened to my daughter back and oh wait, with a heart transplant, I'm always trying to help somebody out and just be kind, show true kindness to people. And it's helped me tremendously to help people that I don't know. That's probably like one of the greatest joys in life is helping someone you don't

know and not really wanting anything in return. Now, you and your family are the true living testament of what that is. Helping out people and then loving yourself as your neighbor. What are you trying to convey and show your kids just with the kind of man and the kind of wife that you have. What's what's that message that you're trying to show your kids. I think for us, it's you know what, you know, you're gonna fail, you're

gonna mess up, you're gonna have bad days. But I call it constant daily pursuit and the reason I say that is that it's one thing to pursue something daily, but to constantly choose to pursue it daily to me as a difference. So I call it every day. I'm on a constant, daily pursuit of a better version of myself. And then that accept my failures, accept my successes, and the next morning I wake up the same way, with

the same process to find a better version. And I think for us, it's about everything starts at our dinner table. And my kids will know to love people regardless of where they come from, what they look like, what they expect from them. They'll love them because they love them, not because of anything else. And they're gonna want to make a difference because that's gonna be a passion of theirs. And so we try to make sure that anything we do, even if they can't participate, they come and they see

it and they have a visualization of it. And you know, I've walked skid row with the kids, you know, and I've walked you know, many different places where it's like, I want you to see that people don't live the same way you live. And you've been very blessed, and you're gonna have to understand that at times that's gonna be a burden for you because you're not gonna have the grit and the toughness that other people have had

to strive through. So you're gonna have to be aware of it, and you're gonna have to acknowledge it and be willing to accept it and come from a place of like, you know what, that is who I am and I did grow up this way. But how can I be a part of a solution? How can I be a part of helping people and always being willing to be in that mindset. I think that's the thing I've been most proud of. And people say, what's your proudest thing for me? Right now, it's my kid's hearts

for other people. Some of the biggest things we've done in LA, whether it be with homelessness or different things, where actually ideas that my kids came up with and things they wanted to do, and I just trying to found a way to put them into action. And so

that to me is where it's really important. Is I want my kids to understand we need to have those conversations at our dinner table, and you need to feel open and free to ask anything you want to ask, and if it's a tough combo, it'll be a tough combo. But I want you to have a full transparency on

what life's all about. And um, you know what. To me, that'll be my proudest moment if they, you know, grow up to be the kind of people that they hope to be, and that obviously about you know, their mother and I hope they'll be. It's it gets better when they get older. I have a seventeen year old and we remember taking her on our college trip to Howard. Hopefully I want her to go to Howard, but it's

wants that he wants that I do. It's like a different world, you know what I'm saying that That's what I feel like when I when I took her there. But seeing my daughter at seventeen and what her mom and I are teaching or have taught her, I only got another year with her before she's out, and she you know, she leaves the nest. So it's it's funny that you say that because Rome's got four kids. I have four kids. You got four kids too, right, yep? Yeah,

and just and they're all so different. But you're trying to plant seeds in them to be open minded and to care for people, to love for people. So yeah, it gets it gets better the older that they're getting. Man, it's oh man, you're you're gonna have a blast at seventeen. I'm loving being a girl dad. It's it's one of it's like the best job ever being a being a girl dad. I love it. But we'll get back into that.

We'll tell more stories about our kids. Right now, we got to pay some bills, so y'all hold on for about thirty seconds. We'll be right back. We're back, all right. We have my man, Andrew Whitworth right here. Tons of accolades. I mean, I still got one in my back pocket that I'm gonna wait till the end to throw out. I want to know if he knows this last nugget

that I found out about this young man. Um. All right, So I love to ask this question because I have my own unique experience, and everybody on this podcast does and hopefully some listeners do is to do as well. But what was your first welcome to the NFL moment? You're like, WHOA, Okay, this is the league. I think I had multiple of them, and playing in Cincinnati in two thousand and six. Uh, we had an interesting team, let's put it that way. Uh, you know, there's some

wild characters in that in that locker room. So I had a lot of them, everybody from Ojo and uh Whosh and Dexter Jackson and you know, I mean, lord, we we had guys from everywhere. But uh, you know, I met some really cool guys. Realized I was no longer in the SEC anymore, and it's a totally different world. But I think by like on the field moment was Carolina Panthers my rookie year as my first start as

a left tackle in the NFL. I think it was Week five, played Peppers and Mike Rucker and Mike Rutger and Julius Peppers. At that time, I think, like, you know, the last four years had like eighty something sacks is the most by a duo, you know, in the league at that time. And I had a play like late in the game, we're beating them, and I know we'll call it lucky, just so I'm trying to be nice because Mike calls me out, so I pancake Mike Rucker and I stood up. I'm just like I'm feeling good.

So I talked some smack. We call the next play the same play, and I rised real quick what it was like to be a veteran the NFL and they know exactly what's coming. And he literally just ejects me into the running back like tackles him in the backfield, super embarrassing. I'm literally just like, all right, man, I'm gonna learn just I'm gonna hold on a little bit, like,

you know, I had one good play. I kind of lost my tongue a little bit, and Mike putting me on my place, and I realized that I was I was dealing with grown men. So you know what, I found that out real fast. So when you play sports typically I don't know, six to seven, three hundred plus pounds, you always to me, you look like you're always a big kid. So they automatically just like, oh whitworth, Yeah, big kid, put them off asive line, Yeah you get chow,

or they just put you in a position. If you could have picked a position to play regardless of your size, what position would have been. I think growing up, I always thought I was going to be a tight end or defensive end. I mean, I told you I loved basketball. That's actually what I played up until my senior year in high school. Um. I always thought of myself as

being a tight end. Um I thought I'd be that, and then I kind of you know, like Mike Zimmer would say, I always had like a defensive mentality for a lineman. Um. I love like effort and running and just chasing people down and stuff like, Um, you know it's bad because it's an interception, but I used to love what we threw an interception, Like I want to be the one to get over there and make a tackle and being to be in the mix right people. Yeah, you know, and I had I tried that one time,

but uh, you know, that was like my mindset. But you know what's funny, it's like how I chose my college. I was an LSU. I was a Louisiana kid, but I never really wanted to go to LSU. I always wanted to go to Florida Ucas Spurrier had like a lot of big tight ends and you know, back Fred Taylor and all them cats. So that's why I want to go. And every college recruited me that way, Like,

hey man, you know, Jason Peters was at Arkansas. You had a lot of being tight end college football, and then I Nick Saban gets hired by LSU my senior year in high school, and he walks in the door and it's like, you're not going to be a tight end. As soon as you give in to being a left tackle, you're gonna have an unbelievable career. And I was like, man, I respect the heck guy. This guy he just told me what I didn't want to hear and then at the same time told me what I was going to accomplish.

And so I like, for me, that just flipped a switch. And then the next day I called Florida and told him I wasn't coming there and I was gonna become an LSU Tiger and the rest is history. But I was that you wore number eighty nine. I'm like, we're played was number eighty nine in high school? You were eighty nine eighty nine as a sophomore. That was my

sophomore year, first time playing. Then ninety nine is ninety nine as a junior because I played defense too, And then I went to seven when they finally moved me to offensive line by senior year seventy four, So that was my That was my ending. But one for one. Yeah, there's another one. Come on now, yo, yeah yeah, play that? Oh yeah, play that next one another we'll get on the board first. Oh yeah, come on here. You got to make sure you you notice who was supposed to

be covering me on that play. That's my dog right there, Ryan Clark lsu brother. Uh. You know, I never let him live that down. I remind him, you know, at least every couple of years about me being open in the end zone right there. So that that was a cool moment actually though. Yeah, that was my That was my birthday and my wife was expecting our twins. That was our first kids. Um, we ended up having them

in February, but that was actually all my birthday. First drive of the game, I think what's cool about that one. I haven't done the research yet. I'd love to know that was the only offensive touchdown scored in that game. Oh wow, So I'd love to know how many NFL games and offensive lineman has been the only offensive touchdown scored in the game. I probably would say none. I'm here we go, come home, baby, let's go. I'm goin. I'm just trying to get I'm just trying to get

another plaque for my wall for podcast. You own that one all day, boss, That's that's that's so good. All right, here's another one. So we did a little bit deeper research too as well. You told us that. And this is on your Twitter again, all right, your top three old school hip hop artists. And when I saw this, I was literally like, tell them, tell show me you from Louisiana without telling you from Louisiana. And this is it right here. You have a screenshot of your top

three old school rappers. Are Notorious Big, which everybody loved at the time, and you're more East Coast, which I get because you're in Louisiana. You weren't on two Pop. You're on the Biggie and then Mystical and Master Peak, which here I had many I have. I said all they needed was Silt the shocker bro and we were complaining that was it. That was it too? Yes, Hey, look you know what I ghetto d that was the first.

I think I was the first CD. Like I actually went to the store and bought myself in high school. I remember as a freshman with my own money. Uh so you know what that was a freshman year. I believe eighth grade year. But yeah, I mean that was I grew up on master peaking those guys what everyone did? Break them off? Something that wasn't I wasn't left hit in what ninety ninety nine, two thousand? Yeah, when when

when the hot boys was hot? You know, you really mess people up in Louisiana is my freshman year in college is screwed right, Like, so I started playing that stuff. Guys are like this, I'm like that bro, June June twenty seventh, Like, come on, you own. You go ten Westerton East and you're driving either way, you put you twenty seventh throwing and it will go for about twenty you know, it's it's about thirty five minutes of freestyle and roll. Right. I had a couple of Texas teammates,

so I've never heard screw in Alabama. Until Texas guys came in. I was like, what is this. They're like, Oh, it's screwed like it's everything topped the screw. So I'm from Texas and that's literally from eighth grade whatever. Once I learned about it, you know what I'm saying to Ah Sound the North side of Houston, Man that was I could play it right now, but I know we don't have the license to play, so they're gonna blu

bleep it out. But I think I like you that much more now because you just said you all about June twenty seven. Oh come on, man, oh my god, I got it. I got I got the slow jams. I got all the slow jams. They're called actions, I got them all, baby, Come on, they're called f actions as UC screwed up click big mode. You don't have you don't have a Howard? Yeah, Dina Howard T shirt, a shirt and my panties on. You really do yourself. I'm telling you that you're really this song these Oh

my god, this is you. You're my new best friend. I think we just became best Did we just become best friends right now? We justcame best friends right now? Oh my god, this is like our step brothers moment. That is so dope. I don't even know what the next question I was gonna ask. We started talking about screw and I just got so excited. That's dope. So um oh yeah, yeah, Mount Rushmore, nol Rushmore. We asked a lot of the guests on this show, Um, if you could pick four, only four people to pick or

put on your Mount Rushmore. Who would those people be? And don't have to be all athletics. It's just it's somebody who had some influence, someone that you love, somebody that was a mentor. That's tough, yow uh you know, I wanna stick. I wanna here's the thing, all right, this is what I'm gonna make it complicated because I'm complicated. So it's just like food, it's like music, it's like

anything else. I don't like. I don't like to disrespect people when I talking about a certain genre of things. So I want to make my own genre of Mountain Rushmore. I'm gonna cheat. So my Mount Rushmore of sports, all right, my Mount Rushmore Sports. I'm gonna put up Michael Jordan's Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky. This might as well be what was the little show when we were kids on the USA? Yeah right now? Uh So I'm gonna on Michael Jordan,

Gretzky Tiger Woods. And I think for me, just because I grew up, like I said, where I did, I was a massive fans guy Nolan Ryan. Because I'm gonna tell you why, man, Nolan Ryan was only an awesome pitcher. But I was actually at the game when he woked Robin Ventura when he charged them out. My dad. I always wanted to see him play, Yeah, and I was actually in the stands uh you know he was. He was. He was a baseball player that was a tough guy too at the same time. So that's the only reason

he's on there. That's it, just because for me my world as a little kid. I don't know how old I was then, but watching him, I thought he was man just unbelievable. So I put him on there just for that. For sports. That's my one, my by one guy. Plenty of guys probably deserve it more, but he's my guy. Okay, all right, before we get you out of here, I gotta have you. I'm gonna hit you at one one quick question, and you gotta maybe just tell me this

because I don't know this. Peanut asked Peanut this earlier. Peanut and I have never been ejected out of the game. I must know with What did you do to get ejected out of the game versus the Oakland Raiders the one time it happened twice? You were too nice? You wouldn't give twice. I got h In two thousand and eight, we were oz and eight. Uh. We played the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Saturday, the Saturday before the game, I finally just reached that point in your career where you

lost it. And I was like, lit lit our offense up, You're going to walk through on Saturday, because I was like, man, I'm just I'm done with it, Like I'm done with how like you guys are just okay with losing. We're okay, we're getting our face kicked in, Like yeah, I'm done with it. Like I've never in my life been somebody who was somebody's you know what. And I was like, I just it ain't gonna happen anymore. And so we

go out in the game. We're up in the game, and Chad like being Chad and t J like they finally like we're having a good moment, they're having a good day, and they start chewing at the d line for the Jaguars and it turns into, you know, everybody's at each other's throats and I'm facing big bad John John Henderson nine six nine and three ninety pounds whatever

the heck he was he's a monster. He made me look small, and we got after it, like we started getting into it, and the next thing you know, we snapped the play and me and him just started throwing and we ripped each other's helmets off. We fight all the way across the field. Both get ejected. But as I'm leaving the field, I guess Cincinnati have anything else to cheer about. They're chanting to my name. As I'm

leaving it, I'm like, there's actually a picture. I'm like pointing at my jersey leaving the field, And I'll never forget after that moment, like I was in the tunnel, I waited for the guys and like I was the captain the Cincinnati Bengals from that moment on, like that was that was it. That was the moment, Like you t J. Husmin's Ada gave me a hug and he's like, man, you said stuff yesterday and you backed it up today and that's like the greatest respect I could give you.

And so after that moment, that's what it was. And then the Oakland one was Lamar Houston I think sacked Andy on like a dead play, like one of those where you know they blew it dead and then he still went through it the sack and kind of like superplexed Andy, and so I ran over there to like shove him. And it's kind of was that one was really less of a fight and more of a I shoved him. They had a veteran D line, yeah, and their veteran D line attacked and it was like me

and all their D line. The best part of that story is that we get kicked out if that's when the Cincinnati Bengals young, because I had a young offensive line at that time. They found out who Melissa Witworth was because she stood in the tunnel and my wife ain't going on no Twitter. If she got a problem with somebody, she coming face to face. She stood in

the tunnel and waited for everyone in. They'll tell you, every one of these young linemen like you like you, next time my husband and I fight, you better jump in that pile. Like then, she was lighting them up. It was hilarious and only the way she can. She loves some football and she's got some fire to her too, So she was letting them young guys know like that ain't how you do it? Like you always have you

get in there, you know, they were nervous. They were all like standing like looking like yeah, apparently not like they were nervous guys, but uh, you know what it was. It was it was a fun day because it's a cool memory for her and those guys because they love her and grew to love her and they always appreciate that moment you checked them a little bit. You know what. That is a very teachable moment right there, and that's

what we do on this podcast. Here, I'm gonna teach you one guy's one more thing and we're gonna let wit work. Get up out of here. So did you know that you are second in all time in the NC Double A as far in Division One in career starts. I didn't know that. Yes, you have fifty two career starts in your career in D one football. That is second all time to only Derek Straight who had fifty three cornerback at Oklahoma. So I'm glad I got to teach you something today as well. So there we go.

They no doubt man, No doubt, man, Thank you for blessing us with your time coming on here. Man, you're just as cool as the other side of the pillow man. The same way it was the very first time I actually got to meet you, um back all the way back when when we were in So man, I appreciate you for being who you are. Continue to be that light man, and we all will shine as long as we're around people like you. So thank you for that. Hey,

I appreciate it. Thanks, no doubt. Man. All right, well look let me let me let me get us up out of here. So all of our listeners, I want to make sure I think all of our listeners for always tuning in. Also, I want to ask you to hit review, give us a follow, continue to tell a friend, to tell a friend to tell a friend. Anywhere you pick up your or you listen to your podcast, whether it's iHeartRadio or the Apple podcast app, thank you so much.

Continue to listen to us, and we'll see you next time. Peace,