OTB Sports: Eric Dickerson

very clear. I'll toss it to you. I'll stand there and toss it. This is Eric Diggerson and I'm part of the Pony Express, also an NFL Hall of Fame. Hello, Punned and all, and welcome back to another episode of Off the Beat, or as I like to call it, Off the Beat Sports as I am hoping that you know by now, I am your host, Brian Baumgartner. Now remember when I said I was going to start bringing on some sports guests to the podcast. Well today is the day. Now is the time I'm gonna start doing

some special Thursday editions of the podcast. And there is nobody on planet Earth to better start us off than the iconic the legendary Eric Dickerson. Now as a running back. Eric played for the l A Rams, the Indianapolis Colts, among others. He has broken countless records since he entered the NFL back in and I don't know if you've heard, but Eric is what they call a Hall of Famer, yes,

having joined both the pro and college halls. As of impressive for his career, it doesn't even begin to cover it. So for today's episode, we're going to dive into Eric's life, from his high school career and his alleged controversy involving Pontiac trans am to his favorite moments in the NFL and what he's learned about our crazy world through football. Plus, we're going to talk about his new book, as well as one major thing that we have in common. Well

what are you and Eric Dickerson have in common? You might ask? Well, the greatest university on Earth, s m you. That's right. So before we get started, I just have one more thing to say. Pony up, here's Eric Dickerson. Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and Squeak, Bubble and Squeaker cooking at every month left over from the night people. There he is hail to the Red. What's up? I'm going to see you's gonna see you. It's been way too long. You still play a golf. I'm still trying.

What do you mean, I'm still trying trying to play when I can. Well, I want to thank you for being here. I uh as you know, gotten to know you some through golf. Always been a big fan. We're fellow sm SMU mustangs, which will we'll discuss in a little bit, but I want to start, uh going back even further. You were from Texas, see Lee, Texas. I understand raised by your great great aunt. Is that right, that's right? Yeah, great great nut. And you didn't know

that this was was not your mom until you were twelve. No, I wasn't twelve. I was younger than that. I was about let me see, I was in the fifth sixth grade. Yeah, yeah, somewhere here. Yeah. My my teacher told me. Really yeah, my teacher told me, man, it was because she thought you should know, or because she thought, you know, she was jealous of my mother. She didn't, Man, small times are different, you know. She didn't like my mom, my real mother, and I thought my real mother is my sister. Um,

my mother, I mean, my my real mother was. She was a beautiful woman, really good looking, tall six ft tall. So she figured she's gonna tell boy. But it didn't go over well. No, no, I didn't go well at all. I mean not for me. It, dude, I didn't. It didn't. It didn't bother me. But my mom because I was. I don't forget. I came from school. She told me. She said, I was. I was at school and she said some did she stay out to class. I'm like, okay, so she's after class. He had me come, she said, so,

she said, you've seen your daddy. I said, my dad at home. She said, no, my boy, your real dad. It's a going as your mom. Who your real daddy? So that's not your mom? I said, MS read that kind of my mother, miss read, mr care, that's not your parents. You said, your real mother is Helen and then your dad's name Richard Seals go aster. Who Richard Seals is? So? And I went straight home and I asked, I went, I still remember my mom was standing. My dad was sitting and I asked him, my mom, I said,

who was Richard Seals? And if you just saw the look on that what who told you that you know my mother and she wanted my my who adopted me. She went off. My dad said, settled down. She said, settled down. She said what did he What did she tell you? I told she told me. She said that you and not my parents. My real mom is Helen and some guy named Richard Seals and my mother. I was like, oh man, you know so she called my mother next my mother right next door. I was told.

I was told she's my sister. She did right next door with my with her husband. You know, she was consisted with my stepfather. I didn't know it's called him Roberts. My mom, my real mother, went to get the gun. When to get the pistol, she gonna she was gonna really go kill it for real, no joke, She was really going to go kill her for for seriously. She wanted to get the pistol on. My My dad raised her to my mother, and my great aunt raised my real mom, and my dad raised her to his daughter too.

So he said Helen said no, he said, put that gun down, You're not gonna kill that woman. So she went over to the house because it was only a naby like two hundred yards away. You could see the house from our house. She went over. Man, she beat on the door. Bit you come out of you mother, Man, you tell him about Richard. It was a mess, man, But you know it didn't phase me. It answers. It answers some questions that you know, as a black kid, you don't ask your mama no question. They say, boy,

you don't be asking some kind of question. Yes, ma'am, But you don't think it didn't have any effect. I mean, I mean not for you. No, I didn't have no effect because I had, Man. I'm gonna tell you, Brian, I had to. I had the best parents ever, man. I mean, everybody's feel like their parents are the best. And you know you got a good parents. Nothing like having a good parents. Man. I had a good dad. My dad was a good Christian man, I mean, a

true creature, not not not the word of mouth. You know, he didn't have to say it. You just knew it by his actions and you know his you know them. And my mother, my mother was. She was a good one. She was tough. Now, she was really tough. She was all about fairness, but she was really tough. I grew up with with good parents and may not found out my mom my real mother was my mother, and we were like sisterant brother then I we really were, I mean we were we were tight. So it didn't change

my childhood, you know at all. I just I think God for having really two moms in a sense. Yeah, that's awesome. How did you find football or was it sports at first? Well? It was our sports, you know, But I love football. I mean I knew I was fast. I was really fast as a kid and just love running. You know, I couldn't play We didn't. We didn't have a tackle football, you know, it couldn't play until we got in the seventh grade because we didn't have pop

warning it's a little small town. So I had a chance to play tackle football and got into seventh grade. But I played football when I was a kid, like you know, eight nine years old, you know, playing the fields, you know, just hiking the bottom, playing tackle on the ground and uh not. The fact of funny thing is, I don't think I could do with hike the ball. They wanted me bun the ball. I only hike it. No, I wouldn't get Nobody wanted to, but nobody wanted me.

Let me be very very clear, if you and I had been playing, that would have been my rule as well. Let me be very clear, I'll toss it to I'll stand there and toss it in your book, which we're going to talk about. Your first organized football game in seventh grade. You scored six touchdowns. Yeah, and then for you, I love fell in love with it. I mean I

was in seventh grade. We played the Waller Bulldogs. We supposed to play the game on a Thursday, and they got rained out, so we had to play on a Saturday. And uh, the first my first testdown was kickoff kickoff return. Man, I was so scared, I mean hard, beating fast. I won't forget you know, it's just the jitters. And got the ball and ran it back. But touchdown and man didn't had another touchdown another one, Like oh, I just

love this. I just I loved everything about it. You can see even when you started playing organized games, nobody wanted to nobody wanted to get in front. Man, you know, think about it, and I talked about it. I can still see that day, you know, it was it was still kind of overcast that morning we played. Man, I just god, just loved playing it. It was so exhilarating. It was so much fun. It was fun being a kid.

And like I said, I just loved it. Yeah, you continue playing well and you move on to high school. In ninth grade, I understand you. You get a new coach, Ralph Harris. I was my freshman in high school year in Front high school. Yeah yeah, Ralph Harris became our high school coach. He came from East Texas. And when a guy liked I mean honestly, I mean, I just keep it honest. I didn't like him. He didn't treat us right. And not us. I mean, I mean the

black kids, the white kids too. Even even even the white kids, they were like, man, he the worst. Even they didn't like him. And they were like, man, that's not right because we couldn't like we like, you couldn't have that, Like you had afro. You couldn't have the hair. I couldn't touch your ears you have to have it, you know, over your ears. You couldn't have any facial hair and I have facial hair. No way. Couldn't wear gold chains, you know, couldn't have a chain on your neck.

I think you could wear a watch. You couldn't wear rings, you know, just just stuff like that. You know, it was all targeting black kids more all the black kids. And and then I think that the thing that got me was is that our lockers. You couldn't have anything in the bottom of your locker, like you couldn't only have your shoes, like you couldn't have a piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing in the bottom of your lockers. And you know it's your kids. They keep a messing locker,

kind of football locker. Right, So then he comes in and he makes all of some run who had stuff in the bottom by locker, and it was just bout chance. It was all black kids, all the blacks, no whites, just all black. And look, man, it wasn't even about black and white because the thing, the thing by being in that my hometown, is that we all knew each other from little kids. You know. It wasn't like this the white kid and it was like that's Kyle, you know,

that's David, that's Eric. That's what it was. It didn't, it didn't. It wasn't like black and white. But we saw what he was doing. And like I said, even the white kids said, man, that's wrong. I mean they even said it's wrong. And so you know, I forget. We had to run, and I mean when I say run, run, we have to run with all. I went to Row with our passed on around the tract on the bleachers and then finally, uh, guys just one by one star

quitting and I think I was one. The last one was my cousin Bobby, I think quit right before me. Bobby Buyers and we still was my my favorite cousins and they finally I said, man, it's a stupid I'm like, I'm not doing this no more. So we all quit. Everybody, all the black kids cuittics. That one guy, Winston Brown, he was the only one the stage and we finally he came to our house in the summer. That coach did RALP. Harris came to the house in the summer

and talked to us about coming back. Before that, a guy named James Abernathy got named shock Shack. He was from the town over called Brookshire Royal and people who hear this, if you're from Texas of Brookshire, Texas, you know what I'm talking about. The Row the raw Falcons that well call and he and over. He was a big sports guy and uh he always like you know, a little bit like he had. The thing was he had a girlfriend and Celie and had a family, wife

and Brooks. But everybody knew we all knew the girl. Well he passed away. Now so uh he comes over. He comes over to the house. One day, he comes over to my house. Something pull up and he said, hey. My mother said, hey, shocks Ames Dickson's here. You know. She said, you mind if I talk take erican and talked to him for him, and he said, sure, take it and talk to him. And Jack was big in the sports. He loves sports. So, um, I got in the car when we rode around and he said, Ericson, man,

I heard you quick football. I said, yeah, man, that man Precice. I don't like him. I said, no, one likes him. And so he just listened to what I had to say. So, you know, and it's funny how older people and thinking about the shack what much. He was saying in his thirties. But I'm teenagers, so so he's older than me. So he says, uh, Eric, he says, um, so what do you see in this town? I said, Man, it's like I don't see nothing. He said exactly, because nothing in this time he see let me tell you

some son. He's said. We heard about this man, we heard you're not doing your kids right. But if you don't want to play here, come play in Brookshire. He said, I'm gonna tell you something. He said, the talk about you is that you want the best athletes we've seen in these parts ever. And the funny thing, you know, as a kid, I didn't see that, you know, yeah, I don't. You didn't know, not at all. I didn't see that. I just I was just kid playing sports. And he said you should. If you don't want to

come play and Celia, come playing Brookshire. We love to have you over here. So when they drove me back at home, my mother said, what did he say to you? I told him, I said, he told me that I should go back and Play'd be my way out of here. And she said, she said, he said, I don't like football. My mother hated football, sounding like that sport Eric, she said, but I feel like that. Look, I don't like your

quitting started something quitting. But if you want to play, if you don't play in Celia, I'll take We'll drive you the Brookshire every day. Brooks was twelve miles away, so sah I'll drive you to Brookshire. You know you're gonna play over there. I said, well, let me think

about it. A couple of days later, my best friend called me and said, hey, man, it's a rab Harris been by your house and now, I said, coming coming by all the players how they quit, you know, all the black black players, and I want to talk to all about me back the next year, I said, okay, so shouldn't have. He came by our house talking to my mother and my dad and we listened to what he had to say. My mother, my mother was real block, you know. She said, you know, the way you treat

these black kids. She says, that's not right, and she said, you know, and then a lot of kids are saying it. The parents are saying the black kids parents, and white kids parents are saying it. Well, I WHENNA trying to do better? Blah blah blah it. Oh you know those song and dance. You know, I never coached black kids before. He had never coached blacks before. He never had so that was you know, and that was I was his

thing too. I mean, you know, he had never coached blacks and we had never had we had white coaches. But it wasn't no big deal of us. But so finally, um, we all came back and we came back and we decided to play. We want to stay championship, you know, my senior and never look at was no feel good story when one of them like, oh everything turned out right. But now what one of them stories. I didn't like him. It never matched me and him never matched. And I

won't forget. He wanted me to go to the University of Texas. That was his thing, and I Texas, okay, but I didn't. I did were eric and I didn't like the arrogance. And so he told me, look, if you ain't because you don't consider the University of Texas, I just tell schools you're not interesting going to college. I said, I tell you what, man, I don't need you. I said, I don't need you at all. I mean, I said, they want me to come to my house and get me sure enough. That's exactly how it was.

Because he would tell him I didn't want to go to college, and I tell him, I said, well, I don't like him. We don't get along, you know, I just don't like him. And that's funny. But and the thing about it is that a lot of kids. Coaches have really hurt their careers doing that kind of stuff because they do it. They and they and they have

done it to two kids. And I'm sure some coaches listening right now that has messed over kids and kids did know what I'm talking about, that they'd been messed up by coaches or sometimes family members you know, didn't do them right. But luckily, my my, my situation was different. I thank god, Um, the coaches came to my house talk to me, you know, and I didn't have a relationship with him, with with with him, and yeah that was that was You talked about that first football game

and remembering it. Did he change your love for the game? Oh yeah, oh yeah, Oh yeah I didn't. I didn't. I didn't like it as much you know, with him, with him, I didn't like it as much. But for my first like say, my first two years with him, I didn't like it as much. But after a while, you know, you just kind of forget about him and just played because you've got other players, you know, the players. So I loved it. I did love I love playing

high school football. But I'll tell a story even at the end, like with him, this has been about three years ago. He just passed away like a year ago, and um, I'm at home. The guy knows. He calls me. See like I said, what's up Dan? Now you know how good Man? I'm good? Man was say blah blah blah blah. Talk you say, Man, somebody want to say hi to you? Like, Okay, get on the phone, say Eric. As soon as I heard his voice it was him,

my heart started beating fast. Just go to show you the effect that that that could happen as soon as I and I was eight years old. I say said hey Eric, I paused, I said, what's up? Ralph? I mean that's because I was I was. I went through that. I went back to that mode like I said what I said, I said, what's up? Man? He said, how's it going? I say, I'm good. What's happening? I mean because I was really short with him. He said, I just want to tell you, man, I've seen your career.

You had a great NFL career. I want to congratulate you on college and everything. I said, thanks, Man, I appreciate it. He said, can I just want to say, Man, I just want to apologize to you and all the guys who I treated you guys. I want to say, I'm sorry. You know, I've really screwed it up, I said, rap I said, man, thanks for saying that. I appreciate it. And I was the last concerce. I mean I did because you know, as a kid, you think about did

I do something wrong? Was it me? You know, maybe I could have handled it different, but I knew it wasn't right. You know, you know when things are right, I need he wasn't treating us right, not just me, just a bunch of us. He wasn't treating us all right. And like I said, well, no about to the whites do sometimes white kids do, but it was mostly us, And so I mean that was that was big at him too, to apologize and say that not accepted as apology. You know I did accepted as apology, but I say,

pay passed away about it? About it about a year or great passed away? That affect though all these years, all of the things that you've accomplished since then, and hearing his boys, hearing his voice, my heart started just pounding and I just almost almost like I got nervous, but I was, but I was mad at the same time, just to hear him, and so because I knew the You know, it's like when you knew something, you know something's wrong and you've been treated wrong, you don't forget it.

These kids don't forget. You know, you could be a grown man, but you remember. I'm sure a lot of kids remember the teachers that they didn't like, the coaches, they didn't like some of the parents. Did. I didn't like his parents, and parents didn't like me. Yeah, well, you win the state championship, as you say, your senior year, you end up rushing in the championship game for three

eleven yards and four touchdowns. Obviously, that whole year you start getting recruited and as you say, the coach wasn't doing any favors because he wanted you to go to Texas and you start looking at and M. Yeah, and not really, but yeah, they were looking at Yale. Did you ever think you were going to go to an M and all honesty, No, I mean they're gonna tell you. And there's a good school too. I'm just taking having away from them. They're good school, good, good, good alumni everything,

But they gonna tell you what they had. I won't forget. I went to the visit, and they had no cheerleaders. It was mostly guys. It's mostly a guy school. Back then they had yell leaders. I'm like, oh, hell no, I'm thinking in my mind, oh hell no, I ain't going to school with all these guys happy with me. And then then I didn't like the uniforms. I hated them uniform They had the guy with the big chin, the aggie. I'm like, oh, hell no, I can't war

at the uniform. That uniforms, you know, and and and the thing about it is brown. You know, little stuff like that. You'll be surprised, plays a big role in the kid's mind, It really does. They played a big role to uniform, no cheer leaders. I'm like, oh no, man, I can't do this still. I mean, but I said good school. I enjoyed my enjoyed my busy there because it was only about and it's only about a d fifty miles and Seley, you know, so it was close. And I can tell you a story a matter of fact.

And I went on my trip. So we drove over we're driving to win a bank, over to over to and then going over the and m for my visit. And then when the baker broke down, and uh, we pot about seventy eighty miles out, but we're right close to a private airport. And the guy goes over to goes into the private airport and he can shot a private plane like a plane to fly so over. I never flown on the plane. So I'm like, you've never flown on the plane at all. I've never flow on

the plane ever. And I'm like, you've still never flown on a commercial flight, right, Oh, come on, please, I fla private all the time. Please. So anyway, so we go over to the to the private airport. It was like right like we're broken right right next to it, so we can get a private plane. I said, oh no, I said, man, I don't fly. I told her, I don't fly. I gotta call my mama. So I said, I gotta call my mom. So I got on the pay phone. I called her and she said, y'all got

there already. I said, no, ma'am, I said, when the bagel broke down. She said, they want to fly. But she said fly. I said, yeah, Mama, I said, what you think? She said, well, then me going? I never get said then they going here and pray. So she put the phone down. I waited, I said, there and waited. She came back about I think about three or four minutes. She came back. She said, okay, going and get on the plane. She said, just call him when you get there.

I said, okay, that's if she just said, don't get on it. I said, oh, I'm out. So that I was the first time I flew on the plane. There was a little plane. I we flew over the A and M. That was my first life. There were a lot of people from A and M who believed that that you were going to come a lot of eggs because a lot of eggs in my hometown. To see, it's a bunch of aggie. That was an aggetown. It really was mostly the Aggetown and we had one of the one the big alumni A and M. Booster was

What's right in Seedy. But like I said, man, I enjoyed the trip. I really did. But so how I'm not gonna belabor the car thing. But how did you then begin to start considering s m U. S MU was not at the top of my radar. Okay, the school I really want to go to was Oklahoma, right, I don't want to go to Curry Switzer Bar Switzer, Right. I want to go to school there. My mother would not allow it. She wouldn't having it. She can't combarrass. Came to my house to recruit. My first real visit

was California. The first plane, the real the real plane influence was coming to l A. I came to visit SC. Yeah, I came out here to visit the USC was the first time I had a real plane, a big flight, like a passenger plane. Flew out of the visit SC loved it. Went to the Rose Bowl when they played at the University of Michigan. They had the Bantom fumble, you know, Charlie fumble the ball and they gave him touchdown.

I think it was up sell. When they played Michigan, I was I was at the game, um, but I really want to go to and I like that. See I really did it. Just too far, That's what it was. Too far. And I love the fight song and everything, but I just couldn't come here. And I went to to Owe You and man, I just fell in love with oh You. I mean it was close enough to Texas, you know, the Boomer Sooner thing. Then I met a

girl over there I met a girl. You know, I'm sensing a theme, but yes, all right, you got it. Met a girl. Mother was a professor at the University of Oklahoma, and she was like, do not come here. I won't get it. A mother like, don't come here. They treat to play us so bad. Don't come over. They don't and they don't have no education. Don't come here that. She kept saying, don't come here, but I want to go there. But anyway, so oh, you came to my house. Bad, I said, Barry Switzer, and I committed.

I committed to him at my house. My mother was. My mom was there and she didn't say much. I won't get she didn't say much. And I want to come and and like, okay, we're gonna you know, you'd beat number nineteen, blah blah. I don't get. They walked out. She said, you ain't going to school. She said, a real come just like you ain't going to school. I'm like, Mama, now, Erica ain't going to school. I'm like, Mama just told him.

She said, why are you saying that? She said, I said that that man is a liar to my barrats witches, he's a liar. And I don't trust it, so you ain't going there. She said, you're a Texas boy, stay in the state of Texas. So man, so boom so man. I was confused and because I didn't want to, I didn't even like and I didn't like an m. I'm like man, and I wasn't sure about because asting you wasn't big It wasn't big time enough. They weren't winning enough.

I mean, they had a great, good program, new coach, coach Ron Meyer, but you know, it just wasn't big enough for me. I don't think they were big enough. And uh, I won't forget. My mother to sit me down, and she talked to me, and so she kind of talked me into it. You know, I make a long story short, and she kind of talked me into it. And I'll say it's the best decision she ever made for me. I got. I say, I'm so glad I went to that school. I'm so glad I went to

sing you my memories. They're the great football team who had the players I had on that football team man second and none. I mean, I won't forget. I want to transfer. When I came back home, I think my sophomore year. I think my sophomore year. I want to transfer. I make my mom wanna transfer out here. I'm like, I want to go to I'm gonna get wirst. I called Oklahoma. I called University of Oklahoma Road rotary die phone Oklahoma football. Can I speak to Coach Switzer? Hold

on a second. I want to get a secretary's name of Susie. The name of Susie, he said, Susie. Blah blah blah, because Switter secretary. Who's calling? I didn't say anything, So who's calling? I hung up. I see my way to get home with him. My mom, I want to transfer. So I go home and I said, my mom, I wanna talk to you, she said. She said yeah. At this to my dad had passed away. Say my mom wanna talk to you? I wanna. I don't want to go to see you anymore. She said, what I said,

I want to go to OU. She said, boys, set your ass down. She took a piece of paper and put a line down in the mind to put sing you another It's okay, she said, So you have a scholarship at SMU. Yes, ma'am, I have a scholarship. Okay, that's a check. So you guarantee the scholarship with oh you, well, that's an x SO. So you're playing at SMU. Yeah, I'm playing. That's a check, so you guarantee you're gonna play it. Ou, that's an x so. Make a old story short. It was all checks on the SMU side

and x is on o U side. And she said, we'll take your ass back to SMU. So I went back, and you know the rest this history the Pony Express and I'm glad. I'm glad I went back. I mean, your teams were incredible. I gotta ask you. You've come clean after a number of years about the car right now are the cars? Let me just now, let me just tell you this. When I went to s m U,

there was a story. There was always a story. The story that I heard was you get the trans am from an I mean, and this is this is a number of years later. By the way, I'm way way younger and more handsome than I. So when I am there, the story I heard is you have that trans am and you drive it up to s I mean, this

is how things get changed. You're at A and M. You drive the trans am up to s m U to visit s m U. They then offer you a Porsche, and so you get in your trans am and you drive it back to m M and somebody picks you up from SMU and the Porsche and drives you back to Dallas. Now that's where the st I know, I'm not saying that's true. I know it's not true, but I'm saying that's what had happened to the story. That's

where it happened. So I'm you know, I ended up going just a couple of years, a few years twenty years after the death medalty, No, just a few years after is when? Is when I ended up coming? And you know, really what I want to ask you about is for a long time you said your grandmother bought it for you and that that was your story, and you were sticking with that's the story. Let me tell

the stories in this in my book. Yeah, well that's and that's why my my question really is why at this point of view, you decided to tell the fore man because who's going to hurt most? Everybody didn't gone, right? Is that why you you stuck with the story for so long, because you didn't want to hurt people because the story was It's true it's true. My grandmother did buy the car. Yeah, I'm gonna tell you had it went down. So the lady who raised me is my

great great hunt. People that that's my grandmother, right, that's not my grandmother. My grandmother lived in Houston with my grandfather. Grandfather was a crane operated They had it. He had a really good job. He got a new car every couple of years, like every four years, they get a new Cadillac. That was that was. That was the thing. They said I wouldn't get another. So when I saw the car, you know, everybody my familynew, I liked to like this car, the trans trans The trans was that

Leo Jonagan, Leo Jenagan chivallet as well. It was where it was at. And so I told my mother and I because I go to I drive down to Houston my mom's new car. We had old pick up. I drive to Houstons and visit my grandparents in Houston. Just spointed my house away, so they knew were here about the translator, and they heard about and m recruited me and all the schools recruited me. And so one day my mother said, we're gonna go to Houston. You want to go to Houston tomorrow. I'm going to that car.

I'll know what car that that trans am Like really, I'm like okay. So we go down to Houston. We go to Leo Johnagan. My grandmother meets me there. My grandfather and my stepfather and my mother, my mom and two white men. I don't know who these white guys are. Still know who they are today. We go in again. Never saw him again. That was him again. Go go and go to Leo Johnagan talking about the car, talking to my grandmother. I take the car, drive it. They

take me, take out and drive. They're doing all the talking. Come back, say the keys, it's yours. I'm like, like I would like that. That's how that's our trans That's how it went down, just like that. So I asked my mother. I said, Mama, say why do I get that car? She said, don't. Don't you worry about it, and it can't ever come back on you. Exactly what she said, They can't never come back on you. A couple of days later, N C. Devil A shows up

at Selly High School in my school. A couple of days later, like like two days literally, like not a week, like two days later, they showed up in my high school. Everybody in here, and I had a new car. I'm in lab class and I got to the teacher comes, hey, Erica. Guys knocks on the door. I go out. He said, I'm so and so from n C double A, black guy, N double A. I want to talk to you about the trans am that you have. I said, well, I can't talk to you, so you can talk to my mother.

I said, at home. I mean she's at home. I mean I don't know what to tell you. He said, well, can you give me your address? I call you my myself. So I had to go to the office, called my mother and tell him this guy gonna come to the house and talk to about the car. She said, good to him, come on to the house. So he goes to my house. I get home later and he was still there, and they talked to my grandmother talked to

him on the phone. To make a long story short, this man came to our house every day four I'm gonna say almost two months. Even on the weekends he would come. That's how much she came. Talking to my grandparents, talking my stepfather the time, my mom talking to my grandmother. My mama, you know what he was talking to neighbors and everything else. And finally I didn't see him anymore. I mean, he was saying so much he's something he was. He would eat dinner with us sometimes, that's how much

he was at our house. I was, I can remember that man's name. So finally, I said, Mama said, what happened to that double A guy? She said, well, your grandmother told him that if she see him again, she's gonna suit him personally. And the n C double a she said, they an't got nothing on that car. She said, nothing on it. She said, she bought that car legally. There's nothing they could do. So boom, let's fast forward. So come to find out, because my mother would never

tell me. She never told me, so I think I was in the pros. I said. Mama said, I said, car, come about? She said, you didn't have She said, you need you do need to know, but I'll tell you now. She said, actually, your grandmother bought that car, she said, everyone a check for it. She said, paid four hundred offs for that car, she said, and m gave the cash back for it. That's how the car was bought.

Boom trans and my grandmother bought the car. I didn't know, so it is so for a long time you still didn't. You didn't know, Answering honestly, said Answering. Honestly, I did not know. I did. I had no idea because she didn't tell me. I mean but really, and she she bought the car, didn't give it the money back. So that's it. But the car from smel you know which one. What's your what's your telling good Man? Good Man? Uh, yeah, that's that was that was the story. Let me tell

you the points. Craig had a post. I didn't have a post. See, people don't know Craig at the nine forty four post. Cig got a nine forty four Craig Jane. Yeah, I mean every everybody had cars. That was the new. Everybody had a car. I mean, you know the great thing about I can say estime with the guys, it was no jealousy. Every guy was happy for a guy. Many let me see a car. Man, did me drive? You know? Let me let me see it. Almost every

guy had a car, so that's good. Everybody had a carr Um the Pony Express legendary Pony Express of the early eighties. You Craig James Charles Wagoner, all three great recruits. Charles gets hurt and it's you, You and Craig the Pony Express. You still feel love for those days memories for sure. I'll say this many speaking of speaking to Charles Wagner, it was it was three. We had so many backs. I mean, it went just those three. It was me, it was Craig, it was Charles Wagner, it

was Idio Brian, it was man. We had like were deeply back from Lynch, Charles Drayden, Craig Jane. I mean we had like nine ten running backs, you know, all highly recruited running backs. And Charles Wagner to me, I gotta say it was I think he was. He was by my size. Charles was about six ft two, six ft three one as fast as I was. But I think he was ready for college at the time that I wasn't. I gotta say. He means his body structure

was bigger. He was bigger. But he got hurt on a kickoff on playing the Texas Tech Red Reds, broke a Bonies neck and never played again. We were back down the back. We were back on the kickoff together. No one forget it. It kicked off and it could have been me just as easy it was him. I stepped up bout to have you take it, and they cut back time. They could cut you, cut you that your need, it cut me and cut him at the same time. He came down and broke a Bonies neck.

He never played again. But Charles was man, there's no way that all three of us could have stayed there. Somebody's going have to leave, you know, That's what That's what it. It was not enough football as it just wasn't. It was just facts. But and I hate to see somebody get hurt, especially Charles. Charles is such a good guy. But that's how, you know, the Pony Express kind of came to that. But it wasn't It wasn't smooth transition. It wasn't smooth. I mean it really wasn't. Because Craig

didn't like sharing time. I didn't like sharing time. Then after a while we just kind of got used to it. You know, it would be where like most of the time, Craig would start and then I would come in off the bench, and you know, we're just rotating. And you know, we did like if you got a serious, if if we had a drolane drive. Then that was your serious. If it was three and some time, I say, you go back in. You know, we just we just made it work and and it and it worked, it worked

really well. Yeah. So there is Oklahoma, there's Texas to some degree, A and M at that time, you know, was there any particular joy or good feeling that you had sort of elevating a school that had not been on that level, like you were blazing a new path. That's what my mom saying. I'm gonna tell you, man, She's mother was so smart. I'm smart like your mom. But anyway, go ahead, so smart, Yeah, she said, She's said, let me tell you some son, she said, go somewhere

where you can be the first you can start. Say you go to these schools. Oklahoma they got their guy. You go to USC they got their guy. Go somewhere. They'll be talking about you off forever. Yes. And honestly, Brian, here we are not to talk about it. I mean, I wish you'd talk about stuff. Yeah, I gotta I gotta give her. I gotta give her credit on that. That's credit to her. And she was right. And that's

why I said, I'm so glad that I chose my school. Well, look, and we're about to talk about the NFL as well, and obviously it's about your college career. But I think you're right if you go to oh you we'd mentioned maybe a national championship or you know, this record that you had or whatever. But it's really nice to hear your feelings about the school because you know, yeah, yeah, when I was there, and I know still now they're still talking about you. They still talk about it like

like it happened yesterday. And it's funny because I mean it's been so long ago. But we had such a great program. I mean, we would dominant. I mean, you know the thing about it is when I when I when they did thirty for thirty and guys that put younger than me play man Man. I didn't know y'all were that good man Man. I wanted to go to smutwo Man. I got to death pelling I was trying to go to SMU. It was so many of those,

so many of those players as that said that. But we would trail blazes and didn't even know it, basically because people I didn't know. People knew who the Ponies Press was. I didn't know people even knew when I came to California. But you know, one of my things was, I said, I want them to know who I am. I want them I want to know what a good football player I really am, because I don't think they

really know. You know, me and Texas, you know, because we didn't get the height that I don't think like Alabama and SC and all the other schools guys. But I guess we were getting them. We just didn't realize were playing on national television too. Yeah. Yeah, no, it was a real thing. And you know the crazy thing is, I don't think you and I have ever talked about this. Maybe we did. I mean I end up going to s m U totally, you know, for for other reasons.

But I'm from Atlanta. I was a University of Georgia fan. So well S had the theater department, I mean sm you you know, they had, as we know, both of us know, they have a lot of money, and they supported their athletics and they supported the arts and and so that's where I went. But no, so but at that time, again, because I'm younger and more attractive, I was, I was, Yeah, I was going to Athens as a

as a kid, as a younger kid. Yeah, watching herschel Walker, and so I was, it's this weird kind of shift for me where I remember me. It was like, oh, I don't know if we want to play I don't know if we want to play s MU or not we being Georgia, which then sort of shifted and changed. It's just interesting. Uh, fifty yards on seven ninety carries. You broke Earl Campbell's Southwest Conference record for yards and

for attempts. Forty eight career touchdowns, tied dog Walkers SMU record career scoring record, and this was despite splitting time. You finished third in the Heisman Trophy, voting behind aforementioned herschel Walker and John Elway. Obviously, you're getting a ton of attention at this time for the NFL, and I understand that you were. I did not know this or did not remember this. You considered going to the Arizona Wranglers usfl um and and and was considering between that

and the NFL. And once again my mother came through. I won't forget because I asked us which one should I go to? Mom? She so, and so let me think about it, let me praise the other thing. Let me pray on it, and I won't. I guess. She came back later a couple of days. They just let me ask you something, Say which one has been around longer? I said in n f ALF. She said, go to the NFL. They're gonna be there. That's the one you

go to. That's why I chose the NFL. I don't even think about the Arizona Wranglers after that they drafted it, but I never I went on the visit, you know, to take by me down to visit, but I wouldn't go in there. I was going to the NFL. And she said that that's seal the deal for me. I mean that is a really good decision. Yeah, I mean just call me crazy. I think that's a really good decision. Uh. You get drafted by the Rams. Talk to me about that day, just a little bit about being drafted and

by the Rams again far away from home. What were your feelings. Well, I'll say this much here. I want to come to the Rams. I did after not coming to USC, you know, watching the Rams on television, because I'd watched the Rams. I really you know what I loved about the uniforms. I love the uniforms. I loved the old uniform. I love the horn. I mean it just sucks. Looks so cool, and I make me I look so good in the uniform being in l I

think I've been in l a Hollywood. You know when I when I got drafted, I was excited about it. But I got I got the news, Uh, the night before you knew I was gonna go. It was it was it was Baltimore, the Oilers and the Rams in that order. That was the That was the order right there, first, top three. So it possed me. I said, I was gonna go one, two or three somewhere, and you know, we know what we're in there, something one or two,

one or two or three maybe. So what happened is the Rams made a trade with the Oilers the night before the draft, and I got a call that night. I can't think it again as a guy's name that he called me said, um, god, this is someone So from the last Angeles Rams is Eric Dickerson. I said this. Eric Dickerson said, We're gonna draft you in the morning. He said, So, I have a flight for you to catch it, like ten o'clock out of Dallas df W. So just let you know we're draft you in the morning.

I'm like, okay, I won't forget it. And that's not another drafts. I knew right there. They said, you said we made a trade with the Houston Oiler. We swapp with the Houston Oilers. So I'm just letting you know because Houston was head a second pick. So shoot enough, I'm in the car. I'm go away today. Up put me my best friend, Jack Bogman. That's what called Jack. Following the call, We're on our way. They are pulled.

I said, the RAMS make a quick pick, you know, running back Eric Dickinson, Southern Methish University, blah blah blah. And they were like, wow, that was really quick, you know, because they picked me right away, you know, just like they picked John. That would the same way. So um. I got to the airport and people who congratulate me, and I was like, wow, thanks, you know, and I got to l A. I got here to l A,

to the Rams and had the press conference. For the first thing John Robinson said when he saw me, said, I finally got you because he tried to recruit me out of highs spool recruit me out of house. Uh. And that was that was that was funny. And I won't forget my press conference because you know, they asked me, you know, questions, and you know, I've never been big, I've never cared for the press much. And one of the things was and I was I going to be

the savior. I said, hey, man, look, I said, I just came in to play football and just do what I supposed to do. Do my job. That's what that's that's that's what I'm gonna do. And I was excited about it. But I can tell you this when I got back, because I flew back that night, got back, um, so my best friend picked me up. He said, man, so, so what what number did you choose? I said, I chose. I chose number twenty five. He's say, twenty five. Why do you take that slow number? That SA a slow

ass number. I never forget it, he said, why do you take number twenty nine? Like you know, nineteen to right num? I'm like, oh yeah, man, Brandon. That night I couldn't even sleep. I couldn't. I couldn't even I couldn't even sleep. I sweat I could. I had to call the rams. The next changed my number, so I called later in the day, said and I said, I speak to them, Mr Hewitt, please to equipment guy. So okay, but I said, Mr, what how you're doing? Say Eric

is going? I say, and I know I'm I'm number twenty five, but I don't want to be number twenty five. I said, I want to be I wanna switch my number twenty nine, he said, Eric. He said, I don't think men do that. You know you're in l A times. Hold up number twenty five. I said, I'll tell you what to Hewitt. If I'm not number twenty nine, I'm not coming. He said, okay, will you be number twenty nine. So that's how I came up in twenty nine. I did not know that story. And it leads me to

a really important question. Do you like most athletes? For those of you who are not golfers, most professional athletes put their their number on their golf ball. Is twenty nine on your golf ball? Yeah? Most of them. I hate. I hate to lose them. That's the problem. You're losing at your number. E D two nine, E D H. Hall of Fame. People give them him. Here's the problem. I'm twenty nine. Also, this never occurred to me, probably when we've played at some point in time you've hit

my ball, you're like number twenty nine. All right, I'll tell you. I was like, I'm not an you know, because you know, you go to Tahoe or you go in these turns and you gotta have your own number. You gotta you know, it's gotta be different. And I was like, I don't have a number. What am I gonna say? And so I was like, well, let me think of something weird, which was not I was nineteen. I was like, it's a it's a prime number. Like I don't know, Like I don't I don't think of

any You'll probably think of somebody. I can't think of any iconic sports people that have had nineteen. And then I started playing real shitty for a couple of years, and I was like, I think I I think I gotta change my number. So I totally randomly, I was like, well, I'll just turn into twenty nine. And that was it. So I'm yeah, I'm nine when I was nineteen in college, but that's what I had. I was nineteen. There you go, Maybe that was it. Maybe that was up following you

from college to the pro. Well, I gotta tell you to see it too. I could tell you a story because people ask me, they say, you know, what's what's if you have a regret? Was one thing you regret? I see? You know what I really regret. I regret not taking theater and drama. I used to love to go to s m U or both s m U and in high school. But you know, back then it was like, you know, I'm not a drama guy. That's that's the real guys. Don't mean if I at least don't do that kind of stuff. But do I regret

that to death? Man? Because I used to love to go to play, Like man, that's so cool. They become somebody else, that's amazing. I never knew that. Let me ask you this. Do you remember what was your dorm at s m U. Uh see it was in cock when what Cockroll was the other one? Um? Was it Letterman Hall? No, not Letterman I wouldn't. I wouldn't let him. But I moved off Campa. I moved off campus out to my freshman year. Yeah me too, that's kind of

what everybody did. Yeah. No, so I was told Letterman Hall was the old football dorm, which it might have been for I got there. But became the became the theater. Really yeah, so that's where that was my that was my freshman dorm. Okay, yeah, yeah, that dor m I believe no longer exists because the President Bush's Library. But for those of you who went to school then, who are listening, that gorgeous just there. It's amazing you. You

go to the Rams. It must be stated you set the single season rushing yardage record in a season still stands today, two thousand, one hundred and five yards um. Before you, only O. J. Simpson had more, just a handful after no one has gotten? Is that Is that something you're proud of, very much, very much proud of. I think I think the one that I always say is gonna last longer is the rookie Russian records is a rookie of twenty touchdowns. I mean, I didn't plan

on that kind of season. I mean I forget once again, me and my best friend and we're talking about my first my first year. He said, we don't know what because it kind of trying to make goals. So he said, well, he said, okay, but let's look at Marcus because he said, I think Marcus had, like he said, level hundred yards and like eight touchdowns. So he said, well, you bet at Marcus, so he said, and Marcus, my boy, she said.

He said so. Now he said, so you ought to have like thirteen hundred yards here, like thirteen or fourteen touchdown like can that be a good years? But I had eighteen hundred yards and touchdown. So but man, I'm very proud of you. Know, when you play a sport like like football, in any sport, it's grueling, it's it's a grueling sport. It's it's tough on your body, is

tough on your mind. But I think the thing that that sometimes it's satisfying is when you play against other great players and they tell you that you're great or you're good. Man, Erek, you're great. I mean I was tough playing against you. That makes you feel like I really did something, I really accomplished something in my sport. When the other great players, because you're him, like my boy lt Or Ricky Jackson, Richard Dent, I say, man,

you're playing against you. Man, we knew we had to game plan for you and vice versa, like we had the game playing for Lawrence Tablor with the lame playing for Richard Dent, you know my singletary, you know Ranny Lott, you know, you get the game plan for certain guys. But it makes me I'm very proud of the things that I was able to do in the NFL. I want you to know, because I know I haven't said

this to you. It has become truly for me, one of the great thrills privileges of my life as a huge sports fan, to truly get to know essentially everyone you just mentioned. I mean, you're talking about Marcus and I'm like, oh, I remember, yeah, me and you and Marcus and fly there there, Oh there's dead and you know, watching you guys interact and bringing me into that fold in some way or I don't know, trusting me is I don't even know if that's the right word or

just we're just hanging out. It's a I consider it a privilege. So I just wanted to say that. And when you mentioned all those other guys, I'm like, yeah, God, and everyone's nice to me, like, well believe believe it, or that you know, all of guys, all of us, I think athletes, we all was insensible to be an actor too, right, So we look, we look at what you're doing like man, we had all that awsome Like, man, how do you do that? You know, make it look

so easy? Like people say you're making it look a man. I say, it isn't easy, just like acting. It's not easy. It's a job. No, No, it's not. No. And this week especially I can tell you fresh sure it is. It is not not this my it's it is. It's

been a tough week. Um. The Rams you left, which we can talk about briefly to go to the Colts eventually the Raiders and you know you had and on again, off again, you know, relationship with some people with the Rams, and you know, to see you the last few years. How has it been for you to really be brought back. Well, I gotta say it was good because he started with john Shaw and john Shaw was the guy who who traded me from the Rams, and that that should have

never happened. Look, one thing about me was I wasn't I wouldn't have trouble maker. You know, I didn't do drugs. You know, I'm like most guys young keys back then. All it did was go out to go to club and chase girls. Thank thank god, wouldn't have cell phones. But like that, Thank God wouldn't have these things. But you know, I wanted to play for I want to play for the team, but you know they weren't paying

me right, and they really weren't. I mean, And you know, I got called all kinds of things, Eric, the Ingrade, things I ain't know. I ain't know, the Ingrade Wolds, you know, money hungry. I'm like money, Hu, God, my money. I ain't making no money, you know, Because so I won't forget that. It was my fourth year and I go to meet with john Shaw by my contract, but you know, I'm just so unhappy with it because I know I'm getting screwed. I mean, it's no doubt I am.

I mean, And so when I go to talk to him about it, he says, I mean, he says, So Eric, we know, what do you want you to? Said one time of my contract, John, I mean said, man, I'm say I'm not getting paid right, I said, you know, I'm most of the offense, and you know I'm I left the league in Russian last year. And I won't forget his reply, No, you didn't, Eric want to Payton, did? I said? John? I left the league in Russian last year? Eric I mean, so we argue. I'm like, jump, I

left the league in Russian. Now I'm telling you at fourteen touchdown, let me get the book out. I want to slap him with that book. You can bring the book. You like. Oh, I'm like, you know, I want to say, you know I did so you know. So I'm talking to him and I said, John, I said, I'll tell you what this is how much I wanted to stay with the team. And I guarantee no other player would have did this. I said, I think I did a year I had like thirteen hundred yards because I held out.

So I told my said, look, John, I said, if if I have over fifteen to sixteen hundred yards, that's a lot of yards. And the NFL, that's a lot of yards. I said, you pay me like Johnny always getting paid. Paid me a million dollars. I was making one fifty one seventy five. And I mean that Johnny always making a million dollars. I'm like, I'm a second pick. How's my money so off? So he said, I said, I said, just I said, just pay me, pay me. I want to make all day. I want to make

a million dollars. That's what I want to make He said, no, I'm not gonna do that. I said, I put it on me, and I'm just like that if I don't perform, I don't say I'll go back to the old contract. And said, no, I'm not gonna do that. And then at that point, I'm like, well it's't gonna work, right, you know, just and just it just st fall on the part at that point. You know, it's a team,

and I wanted to be there. And you know, my last football game that I played for the Rams and one forget it was to Cleveland Browns and played in Cleveland and I had a hurt thigh. I didn't want to play, but I played. I told him I didn't want to start, and so I said because my thy heart. I was so pissed at him. And so Charlie White got hurt one again. He got hurt on a play and I had to go in the game. I didn't

know what my helmet was to play the game. Find my helmet, Run on the field, Run on the field, run on the field. And the first playoff they they called in the backfield and all the crowd went crazy and they were threw a little short passed the next place, I had a like a fifty yard touchdown run and that was my last run for the Rams. I said, I said, I'm done with this crap. I said, Man, I hate this team and I loved him. Man, I just I love my teammates. I just couldn't stand the organization. Man,

it really it was. It was really bad. But let's pass forward. So now I'm retired. Kevin touched Jackie's later a lot. So Jackie comes to ericson. Man, john Shaw wants to want you to call him. I said, call him for what he messed up with me. Man, he said, I said no, I said, I don't want to do with him. He's Eric. He said, he always like you said you stand up. Guys say, hey, we have him called me, so shoot enough. John called me. He called

me and he has been having lunch with him. Someone had lunch with him and I don't forget the first thing he said this Eric, Guys want to say this to you. He says that trade should have never happened. He said, that's my fault. He said you. He said, you're the greatest player I've ever seen. He said, used to be saying that you would be a Ram to me for life. So if anything we can ever do for you, he said, you just call and let me know.

And from that point on, you know, for me, I was because I mean, I never want to leave the team. I really didn't, but you know, it was just it was, like I said, it was business and it was ugly business. But you know, I'm I'm I work for the team. Now. I'm glad to be back with the Los Angeles Rams. I'm going to see my team win. I want to see my team in the super Bowl here in l A. I think it was fantastic. I mean, and we still

have a long way to go. We really do with the fans because you know, just be honest, it's a Raider town. And I said, it's a raider twn's cowboy town nine as I hate the nine as god cast. Okay, stand up. I have to ask you this greatest defense you ever played against. You talked about people giving you compliments. You're gonna tell you something people you're gonna thank us that you're gonna thank us to. It's not to Chicago Bettars. No,

the great defense. Don't get me wrong, great defense, but the defense that gave me the most problems the New England Patriots, and they weren't even make good. Man, just give me fits. I'm serious fits. I mean, I played it. I always played well against the Bears. I mean even like at the Indian offices. I played only one game that we're gonna play well. We played that NFCY Championship game and we didn't have a quarterback. He did for fifty yards. I think I ran for fifty yards, but

that that was a great defense. But they've ran that defense before. I got that monster defense, and we always ran against it. I had a hundred forty fifty. They were good. But the two defense that gave me the most hell was the New England Patriots. Man, they would hit me well, I seem I didn't have a pad or. I mean, I'm like, and I would ask them like, I said, man, why is it that the week before, two weeks before, y'all give up two hundred yards Russian

one ninety. Get to me, it's a tough hundred. It's a tough ninety yards. He said, it's called Dickerson Week. He said, we got ready for you. Eric. Really you say you say you say we called it Dickerson week. He said, We're ready for you. I'm like, y'all show were man because when I tell you, oh I hated playing them, Yeah, I hated it. Yeah. You called your time with the Colts unfortunate, and you've sort of spoken to it that you didn't ever want to leave nol A. No,

I want to leave LA. You know, Indianapolis was it is what it is. I didn't want to go to India. I mean the reason I went there was plus of my head coach Ron Meyer. And uh I finally got paid, right, you know you got paid? Oh, I got that here at home. I don't even took less money stay in l A. And look, I'm gonna say this much year. There's some good people in Indianapolis, and it's some bad people.

And that's everywhere. That's that's all over the world. But I run across a lot of bad people and some good people to like, you know, my wife's from Indianapolis. You know, my my my in laws. Man, I love my mother in law, my father love. They're good people. But you know, being in Indie, uh, it was some things that I've seen I've never seen, Like I've never seen a clan rally. I mean I saw a clan rally on TV. I mean you that on't forget my uncle here. I'm a land in bed on a Tuesday

with your off day. You see what you do when I sitting there in the bed, he said, turned TV on? I said, what you see any channel? I turned it on. I'm like, what the hell? He said, Yeah, he say, that's one that you know yet, Eric, he said, this is what it is like. It's over here, they claimed at downtime. I read it a big one. I ain't talking about like a couple a hundred people. I'm talking about a big clan rally. I've never seen anything like

that before. And then I think the thing that really put me over the top of what that place was is that as a player, they hung a banner. Not forget they hung a banner over the rail, a picture of a black baby sitting in like the Indian style position with twenty nine with fried chicken on one side, stack of money, watermelons eating fried chicken, hanging out on the on the banner with my number on it. I won't forget this. My girl I was dating, she was

at the game and we're best friend. We she's my best friend and she she she was crying after the game. I stopped. She camp obvious, she said, she said that was so hurtful. She said that was so wrong here. She said, I can't really let that stay out there. And I never forgot that, and I just can't. I mean, it's, you know, certain things you can't get past. Just like when I heard when I when I heard my old

coach's voice. When I think about that situation of how the team that that go on, you don't do that. I mean, you just's certain things you don't do. I mean, and to me, that was disrespectful. I think it was. It was uncalled for me, and that was just and I'm like, I gotta get the hell out of here. I mean, I just that's why I don't go back to Indian appis like and when we promoting my book, they asked me about we want to go to India. I said it in no way. I said, I'm not

going back there. I don't like going to that place. I mean, and like I said, this good city for certain people, but for me, no, I'm not going back there. I don't blame you. I don't blame you. And like I said, and I'll say it again, some good people in every person is not like that. That's like saying, you know, every parents a good parent. It's not true, right, No, No,

things would be decidedly different if that were true. Um, in twenty seventeen, you signed a one day contract with the Rams so you could retire as a member of the Rams. This is eighteen years after you're inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. That's special. I wonder for you, with all of the players that you played with, that you became friends with, that you played for and against, what did the Hall of Fame mean for you? Well?

I think for me. You know, I didn't even know what the Hall of Fame was until somebody when you when I was playing. Yeah, so I had Rickey Jackson was one who told me what it was. Anyway, I wanted to get go into that story. Um. You know, it in a sense solidifies your play as a player. You may think you're a good player, a great player, but when you have other people stamp you is he was one of the best. That's that's that's what that's

really what it does. I mean, And it's politics. And let me just tell you that because I won't forget it was a guy that told me it was. It was a writer and he's a sportswriter. He's a writer for the for the Hall. One of the voters, and he's Erica said, I just want to take you. Said you were going to be unanimous choice. He said, but one guy wouldn't vote for you. I won't say who, said I'm big. He said, wouldn't vot because you see it because one reason. And I asked him, I said,

what he said, because he held out? He said, what they got to do with football? He said, I can't about for a got it held out. I'm like, what they gotta do with football? What they got to do with football? Yeah, but that that's that's what it means for me. But it really does. That's awesome. The new book. I mean, listen there. I mean, there's truly so many stories that I've heard today that are incredible. There are

even more in the book Watch My Smoke. The Eric Dickerson's story came out a little bit earlier this year. Eric tells the story about his groundbreaking career and attempts to right to kind of redefine your career and how people talk about you. Right, Yeah, Well, you know what the thing is especially back then. You know, we had no outlet, we had no social media. What the media wrote about us, people believed became factor. It was fact,

and it was a lot of it wasn't true. I mean, they would make a guy that's truly an ass some guys he was. He was an asshole. Oh and then the media make him a great guy. He's not no great guy. We hated him. He's hated that. But that's just how it was back in and you know, and they vilified me because I just I wanted to get paid, right, That's all it was. And I wasn't. It was like I was asking for ten million dollars. I'm gonna be paid what I thought was correct. Man. That was that

was you know, back in them days. It was just it was a bad thing and they made you pay for it, and the media made me pay for it. But still, you know what, you know what I'm proud of. I'm really proud of that I did. I stood up. It was a lot of young players that came to me and after, you know, they just saw the thirty for thirty they read my book and said, man, I

just want to say thank you. Man, he said, thank you for standing up for us for the for the running back position, and thanks you did, and I didn't. You know, you don't realize that what you're doing. I just did it because I know what was right, not because you said you greedy. I know. I know the difference between the difference between right and wrong, and it's it's wrong. And that's what I was doing it for

for other players that I kept out. And they told some of the players and I was drains and saying, man, they keep me underpaid, they keep everybody underpaide, I said, I said, it's just wrong when they treat us. You're taking a pounding. You don't even know. I definitely don't you and you don't want to know. Um, how do you? Are you happy with the reception you've gotten? Almost definitely have with this reception again for the book. Now, it's funny how people call me a legend. I still can't

get used to that. That's that's I'm just I'm just a football player. But just I guess the things I've done in the league and the way I played, and you know that my mind is like that. They talk about the Jerry Curll and the glasses knowing the big pads you know it's it's just it's funny, you know. But I'll say, man, I'm I'm glad I played. I'm glad. I'm really glad I played the sport. I love the sport. When I played it, I mean I really did love it. I mean it was time sway. They make you hate it,

they really do. But man, all in all, I loved it. I mean I really did. When I first came in the league, man, because it was a smell in the air when football season was coming. Oh yes, football time. You just knew. I just loved everything about it. And um, you know, I have a little I have a little ten year old son. He plays flag football. He loves it. He loves it too, and he's he's gonna be fast. Man, he's fast off. Oh god, he's so talent. I'm not

just I'm not saying he gonna play sports. I'm apeddly like that right now. I'm not saying that he's really smart, but man, he is, Brian. I'm telling you, I saw this when he was four years old. I'm not saying he's gonna be no top aflee. I'm just saying it. But I know what I saw. He did something he was in the you know, you know us like you running on the wall like both Jackson did and dove on his bid for him like like, how did you do that? Said, I don't know. I said do it again.

So did it again. I'm like wow, I'm like okay. So one day he was in the doorway. He started clowning the doorway, you know, climbed all to the top of the door at four I'm like, hey, boy, you don't get hurt. He said no. I'm not saying no. I can said, come down. I said, do it again. He did it again, Like okay. So I just watched suff people do it, and I tell my best friend, I said, I said, Drake, we went to college together. So I'm telling you man, I said, I think this

boy is gonna be better than his dad. He said, Dick, And I'll say that's too that's too much pressure, I said. I said, you just watch watch him, Just watch him for a while and you'll see stuff he can do. And sure enough, one day he's saying that. He said, Dick, man, you might be right. I said, you see it there, he said, he said, yes, I mean right right now. He runs track. He runs track. He's he's ten years

old and he's got out like two thousand kids. He's got the best time in the hundred in California, in the hundred to I think the two of these got like the third best time. He had the first best time long job, the first best time first time. I mean, he's just such a good athlete. You know, both of my kids, my daughters, the same way. But you know, as a boy, you know playing sports, you hope do I wanted to play football, yes and no. But I tell him, I tell him this here. I said, son,

I said, you like flag. I said, what your dad played tackle. It's just a difference. They said, I understand, I said, but you really don't understand. I said, one day you will. I said, but I want to make sure you love it. I say, if you don't love it, I don't want you playing it. He said, okay, because he said football, you gotta love it. You have to,

because he loves track and he loves football. But I said, you said when when you tackle, when they started tackling, not tackling you, I want to make sure you love it, and I just want to make sure they get you. Yeah. But well, I truly could talk to you. We can talk forever forever. I do have to ask you this because it it occurred to me when you just brought up again the thirty for thirty. How do you feel about the thought? Did a fantastic job on it? They

really did. I mean I didn't have enough time to really lay it all out. They did a great job on it. That is, did a good job directing it. Whoever produced it did a great job. Because when they called me about it, they called me, and I never took the g I wouldn't take his call. You can kind of want to talk about it. You know, they seen you in the death pendem momic, so create a comm He said, gotta keep calling me, I said, I said,

I don't know who he is. So I think June Jones and comments said Eric the guy and his status, and he's called a couple of times. You called him back, I said, NA said, what does he want? He said, he wants to talk about SMU and talk about what happened and how great y'all were, you know, and how wrong it was. I said, no problem, I'll talk about that right. So that's how I got him, and I thought that I thought he did a family's job. I think.

I think what nade me really realize it is when other people like wait, young at me said, man, I didn't know y'all would like that. Yeah, I didn't know y'all good. Yeah, man, I said, we were dominant. Yeah, he said, man, y'all were good. I said, yeah, said man. I love y'all's uniforms. I said, when they sweet, so sweet. And I'll tell you I I actually have SMU on

my golf bag. And anytime you know, come across somebody I don't know, or somebody's you know, I mentioned that I went to s m U. At other times, everybody, I mean to a person I've had, never had anyone or you with me. They've said that thirty for thirty was the best one and maybe the best sports documentary of all time. It is. It is just so well done and tell us the story. Well, look, you don't want to be called a legend, but you are. And I appreciate you. I appreciate our time together, and I

so appreciate you talking to me again. Watch my Smoke, the Eric Dickerson's story. You cannot tell me that you didn't fall in love with the stories that Eric told today. And I want you to go and pick up the book and read more. I am so happy for you and thank you so much for talking to me. I thank you for having I appreciated good seeing you. We've gotta gotta play golf man, absolutely all right, thank you, all right, no problem, Eric, Thank you so much for

coming on the podcast today. You're the best. And I am telling everyone I know to check out your book. Listeners make sure to pick up a copy. I promise you will not be disappointed. And of course, listeners also catch us next week or another episode of Off the Beat in the meantime. Just follow us on Instagram, leave a review. We do look at them. I promise, and uh. I can't wait for next week with another entertainment guest on Off the Beat, and next Thursday as well, there

will be another Off the Beat Sports. We'll see you soon. Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily Carr. Our talent doucer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and our intern is Sammy Cats. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by Hi Great Friend Creed Breton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski.