We're coming to you today from Bar Marilou in New Orleans, Louisiana. We're grateful to sit down today with NFL quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, and one of the most charismatic guys in the league. Today's guest is Mr. Jameis Winston.

Shine that light on me. I'll sit and tell you my stories. Shine on me. And I will find a song I've been singing. I'm on stage. I'm on stage.

Yeah, because I met somebody where I was at the grocery yesterday, and I met a guy. He said he always sees you in there getting a lot of juices.

Where you at? Whole Foods, so fresh market. Yeah, I'm in there, man. Are you? Yeah, I'm in there. I get the watermelon juice. I got a watermelon juice right here.

Oh, you do?

Yeah, I do. All right. I keep it, man. Okay. Good for circulation. Good for the body.

Just saying he keeps that a bang on in my herd.

I keep it.

That watermelon juice, bro. Yeah, you got, look, if you can get to one in real-time, keep the juice out of it. I feel that. Yeah, man. Thanks for coming in, bro.

No, thank I'm thankful for this, man. I admire you, your story. You know what I'm saying?

I appreciate it. Yeah, no doubt. Yeah, I've been a lifelong Saints fan, too. So, yeah, this is really just a nice opportunity, man, to get to sit down with you today. Yeah, we went to the basketball game last night. Pails? Yeah. You been?

Yeah, I've been to some Pails games. Yeah, I enjoy it. I enjoy the city, man. Smoothie King. Actually, we went to one of my old recruits back at Florida State, Malikai Dupri went to LSU. We went to his little sushi spot. Me and Cam were joining a good friend Stone, my wife, his wife. We met a couple that just came from the game. They were celebrating their second year anniversary. Last night? Yeah, she had on her Pails chain and everything. I was like, Hey, man, you all celebrate. Did the Pills win last night? You celebrate your anniversary. That's a big night.

We went to a Pills game.

They were talking about, We came all the way from Mississippi. I said, Okay, that's not that far, but to celebrate the anniversary, it Oh, yeah.

I think the anniversary is important, man.

No doubt. I celebrated mine Wednesday. Oh, you did? Yeah, no doubt.

Nice. What'd you all do?

Man, Four Seasons at the Four Seasons. Really? Yeah. It was your four at the Four Seasons.

That's how you do it? No doubt.

We did it right.

Wow. So I guess you got to find something that rimes each time, you think? Or for fifth, what do you have to do then? Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo.

That's my birthday. Oh, it is? Yeah. Oh, you can't mix them then.

Yeah, no.

Yeah. What else? Yeah, I grew up not far across the lake, man. So I'm from this area.

Coventry, right?

Yeah. You've been over there?

Well, I've driven over there to go to Alabama. I'm from Birmingham, Bethsman.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. What was it like in your town growing up? A pretty small area?

Yeah, pretty small. Intimate. But we had a lot of, not celebrities, but some of the greatest athletes there, like Bo Jackson, like Demeco Ryans, who coached for Houston, Texas.

The Texas. Texas, yeah. Yeah.

So Kerry Rose, Cori White. We had a lot of sports figures. There, Willie Mays was right down, about 15 minutes from Fairfield. Really?

Billy Mays?

Willie Mays, man.

Did you ever get to see him when you were a child?

Well, no. He's a little older than me.

Right. But even when you were at... Oh, he was already deceased or no?

No, he wasn't deceased, but I never got to meet him.

You think he'd drive down there and meet him?

Well, I played it like his baseball field.Oh, you did?I did have, yeah.Oh, nice.

It was cool.

And what was it like? Did you have any pets growing up?

Yeah, I had two pets. I had two Pit Bulls. His name was Bagdad.Oh, damn.Yeah. I mean, I think-He was a service dog? He was definitely a service dog, but He was bad dad because I guess the time that everything was going on. When we first got him, he was really a rescue. He was into fighting and stuff, and he was all ate up and everything. Oh, damn. He became my best friend. Really? You know what I'm saying? Because a lot of people are scared of Pitbulls. Yeah. He was a little timid at first just because of what he went through. And me and my dad was like, Man, he went through war. At that time, it was doing the early 2000s when a lot of events had happened.In the Middle East?Yeah, in the Middle East. So we named him Bagdad. And another one was Ice.

Oh, now, Ice seemed like he'd been into some other stuff. It was a she. Okay, I'm just saying, Ice seemed like he might have got off into the drug game.

We got her from a kid. Is it a little or a kid? Kitty. I think it's one of them. We got her from a kennel. Oh, yeah. So she was a puppy, and we had her. She was feisty. Really? Yeah, she was feisty.

A lot of females are overall, and that's fine. Yeah, it is. Look, they got it. To each his own. Yeah, they got to be feisty, man. It seemed like you might have... Did you all have a cat or not? You don't see a lot of... Did you all ever own a cat?

No. I'm not a cat guy. One of my best friends, he's a cat guy.

I think you don't see a lot of brothers with cats either, to be honest.

Honestly, growing up, I used to see a lot of straight cats because in the house I grew in, we had a lot of rats in the bottom of the house. So cats, they'll come and get them rats. I was a big fan of Tom and Jerry. That showing. I had real-life Tom and Jerry moments. The cats. We had Pit Bull straight up in the back. We had the cats running through. They were alley cats, too. They were some bad because them rats, they was big. They was swole.

Damn, you look down living on Noah's Ark, bro.

It was a lot of species, most of them.

I'm trying to tell you, cop roaches, everything. At night, you've turned it. Yeah, you turned the lights off. You hear some romantic music going. You know what I'm saying? The animals are figuring it out, baby.

One of them, the most memorable things was the light bugs. Do you remember light bugs? Did you all have light bugs? I feel like they're extinct, bro. I haven't seen any light bugs.

Well, I think there's so much light now that's in the cities because in the day, they didn't have as much. Especially if you're in the country, you're in a smaller environment, people aren't running around with so much lights everywhere. You might have a porch light, maybe a flood light by the garage. So right off in the distance, you would see them. But now, I think also When you're in a city, if you see a light bug in a city, he lost.

He got to be lost. He probably did. He probably got hit by a windshield or something.

Got knocked off, and now he lost in the city. That'd be a good movie, wouldn't it?

A lost light bug. But they call them fireflies. I never understood the lost firefly.

But I think fireflies are maybe the ones that are out there popping off. They shooting, bro. I think light bugs are the ones that's out there really spreading the word, I feel like. Because a light bug was amazing. When you were a kid and you saw a light bug-Yeah, it was.because you didn't think it was anything in the dark, and then- You were seeing.

Like, literally, they'd glow, and they come back, they go dark and glow. You end up following them. It's like at a kid, you practice slow motion It's like you would mimic the light bug just going slow, just seeing them just fly. And they move like so subtle.

And then they disappear and you run back and tell your parents. And that's when your mom usually say to the dad, I think he's been smoking dark.

But it was so many. We used to get flutter with light bugs. You know what I'm saying? We had to watch out for the rats and the cats, but get flutter with light bugs.

Yeah, I remember they had... Because we would try to catch them in a jar. If my grandmother would give us a little jar, like a Mason jar, whatever, we'd try to catch them in there. But then they die. If you don't put the air in it- Yeah, they die.

We just catch them in our hands and let them go. We end up squishing them. It'd be sad. But some of my younger cousin, they would just take the light out of there. Just kill them, just pull it out.

Oh, dang. Somebody grew up to be an electrician, probably. Most likely. Because that is intense behavior.

To pull the light out of it. I don't think they had a lot of electricity. Okay. I think they were pulling their soul out. It was the light.

If Something flying around and they just got about half a wad on them. Yeah.

You got to think it like, put it on top of your head like, ding, I got an idea to take this from you.

That's wild, man. Yeah, I love stuff like that. I love Being a child because every experience was so new. Everything when I was a kid was new, man. That's one thing that I really miss.

You're just so innocent as a kid. Not much heartbreak, not much real failure. Everything is just a new experience to you. You always know. If I fall down, I'm getting right back up. I'm continuing to play. I feel like when we were young, everyone was outside. It wasn't like a video game time or anything like that. We was outside playing. We're getting to know other people. We're getting into fights. You know what I'm saying? Who stole my cousin's bike? We're going on real search hunts. Who stole my cousin's bike?

Stuff like that. And then it was your other cousin.

That's what I'm saying. Your other cousin who was actually your true blood cousin. I know, You know what I'm saying? Because your uncle had another lady up the street that you didn't know about.

And that was what it was, man. They met through choir, and that's what it was, man. That's all it was. Singin' will bring people together. It does. Yeah, I loved little neighborhood stuff when you had your friends and you would go outside and see them. I loved stuff like that. We played a lot of football outside. We play in the street even, too. Yeah. Did you all play throwing them up, busting them up?

What did you all play? Two-hand touch?

We would play the game where somebody throws it up and then you just run and hit them. Yeah.

I'm going to bust them up. Bro.

Yeah, we lost some people.

Did you have the same hair? Because I feel like your hair is built for That type of game.

Oh, yeah. But my hair would stand out. It would stand out? Yeah. My hair catching out route, bro. I got to raise my hands.

Man, it looks solid. You know what I'm saying? Thanks, bro. You can't throw a man through that. No, bro.

No, bro. Oh, yeah. This is really some Jalen Ramsey hair, I feel like. I got some shutdown corners on this thing.

You do. Lockdown. And that he is.

You have a lot going on, man, in your life right now, huh? I do.

I do. I'm blessed, man.

You're going to be moving, man. Yeah.

No, I am. I'm happy. I'm happy for increase. I think that's the biggest part. You know how it is? Any part of your life, you get to choose or how you view it. Obviously, you've been from this city. You know how much this city is, how this city rock with their football team. Oh, man. Man, I'm excited for Cleveland, bro. I'm excited to get to work. I'm excited to have an opportunity to be a story franchise and bring them hope.

Yeah. What is the process as that happens? How do you find out that you're going to go somewhere else? What's that process like? Do you hear about it first, or it really is a surprise?

It's like a vending process. Well, you know you got some type of inclination. When you've been in a place for four years and you haven't moved up, look at it as a company. If you haven't moved up in a company, and year by year, you're moving down. Like a Essentially, you're about to get replaced, or you're about to be out of there, or they're not going to invest in you, or they don't think that you're worthy of an investment. So you go and look for other opportunities. And the best thing is when the opportunity presents itself to you, because then you can grasp it. You know what I'm saying? When you are in a position where you are starving for opportunities, that's a little bit more challenging. So this one, in this case, man, it was a great opportunity with Cleveland. You got agents, and you have relationships that you build with these coaches and GM, general managers of the team. Yeah. You feel good about it there? I feel good about it because how I view it, bro, it's the opportunity. It's the opportunity to impact. It's the opportunity to increase. It's the opportunity to better myself.

I know I'm a strong component of change is what you make it, bro. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes we need that shift, that paradigm shift to challenge us, to put us in a new environment.

Yeah, I feel that a lot, man. I feel that even as there are moments in my own life and career where things have been going well, and then there's moments where things feel like they haven't... My perception of things is that they haven't been going well. Man, sometimes I get scared of how I behave when things aren't going well or the feelings that come up, the fears that take over how I operate. I'll get into not as much a desperation I'm in the meditation mode because I've had some experience with some of it now, but I do get into... The first thing to leave is my faith or confidence that things are going to be okay a lot of times because it feels scary.

Well, I think the fear The other part is that's what grabs you. That's what puts you in that fight or flight stage. But when you said faith, faith is the first thing that you should hold on to because faith is really the things that you believe in that you have not seen. Typically, when you experience pain, it's something that you have experienced, you've seen it, it's happened to you. I think that's why I'm always in this position because my faith allows me to hope for more, to want more, and to dig in even deeper I feel like when you think of a seed, everybody look at a seed like, let's do an acorn. You look at an acorn, but it's a seed. It's a seed. It's a good seed, too. An acorn is turning to oak trees. You know what I'm saying? Did you know that? That's a good point. Right. So for that seed to grow into what it needs to become, it has to break. That seed has to be broken, right? And then it has to get rooted. So before it sprouts up, it has to go down into the Earth and establish a foundation.

So when you think about challenges, it's the Lord telling you, Hey, man, we're going to have to have a shift. You got to get rooted in a real foundation, which is me, which is the Lord, which is Jesus.

Oh, yeah.

That's your foundation. And before you can grow up, you're going to have some little seedlings. You're going to have a little crack in here. You might have a little bird trying to come and snatch you out. But through that trial, you're going to be able to turn into this beautiful oak tree, and you're going to be able to be fruitful and give to others through your testimony, through your experiences. And when you view it from that perspective, now that fear isn't as frightening.

Yeah. No, I feel that.

And when we talk When we're talking about as kids, the reason we're feeling as kids, because we know we're going to get another opportunity. We know, okay, if we get scrubbed on the football field, okay, we got tomorrow. You know what I'm saying? But as adults, those little pains that we get, those little failures, they eat at us. And we start questioning ourselves like, wow, are they better than me? Or am I missing something that I used to have? But as a kid, just like, man, I'm proud of the moment. We out here again. We're live and local. You know what I'm saying? I'm here. But as adults, it's those conditions, man.

Yeah, the conditions change because when you're a child, you really have so much blind faith, don't you? Even if as a kid, you don't perceive it as faith in a higher power. You just feel it as faith that you're going to have another opportunity that you got the next day. Wow, it's really crazy how much that changes over time because, yeah, it's the conditions that change. And then it's-It's choices, it's decisions, especially as an adult.

As a kid, you're making decisions, but you're making decisions off of default. As you get older and as you get more intentional with your work, you work your tail off. You got a strategic plan to what you're doing. It's some people that think they're working, but they're just working off default, off of every day. I'm waking up, I'm going to work. They're not designing nothing throughout their day to actually have an impact on their life that they've been given.

Yeah, that's interesting. Some people don't have the opportunity. Some people, they just don't want to accept the challenge, probably either. Sometimes you need a little bit more gravitas, and that's what you can you elevate your morning with Tommy John, Second Skin Underwear. What you put in your pants can make or break your day, and the luxurious support of Second Skin guarantees everything will go smoothly. Tommy John's stylish and soft Second Skin Underwear has dozens of comfort innovations, like a supportive contour pouch and breathable, lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric with four times is a stretch of competing brands. What I love about my Tommy John's is it doesn't matter if you're lefty or righty because they got that Tommy John horizontal quick draw fly. So you can either hand because sometimes you're using the other hand. It's like trying to Reach into a vending machine or whatever. Get 20% off your first order right now at tomijohn. Com/theo. That's right. Save 20% on second skin at tomijohn. Com/theo. Tomijohn. Com/theo. See site for details. Went to the Pelicans Ball game last night, and I was grateful to get my tickets through game time. Game time is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy, and theater events near you.

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I think one of the most challenging things is you have to prepare as if you're the starter. Because the thing about the quarterback is it's only one person. Every other position has depth. They have someone else that's aligned with them that's doing essentially the same thing that they're doing. There's only one person on the field playing quarterback, and there's three people, maybe four in a room. So all those people in the room are preparing for that specific role.

That's wild because other jobs don't have a backup. You don't have a backup mayor. He's sitting in the next room, he's in there signing documents, and it's like cutting ribbons, practicing cutting ribbons with big scissors. Or you don't have a backup waiter. If your waiter is doing... And he's in a parking lot, he's just running fake food out to people. So that pressure isn't right there with other jobs.

No, it's not. But pressure is for the unprepared. That's why you got to stay prepared in any role that you're, but specifically as the backup. You got to prepare like you're the starter. You know what I'm saying? That's why I'm always going to view myself as a starter because I know it happened to me. It happened to some of the greatest. You are one play in a sport that we play from your career being over, from you losing your job, or you becoming irrelevant. Oh, Lord, baby. You know what I'm saying? That is That's the business that we in. That's the sport that we play. So I approach all that with gratitude, bro. I'm grateful for each day. I'm grateful to prepare, right? I'm going to support whoever is in front of me. I'm going to support all my teammates. But, brother, I know what's real. And what's real is any moment, anytime, any place, anything can happen. You know what I'm saying?

Any time, any place.

Come on.

Man, yeah, I guess that's so true. Do you see other people don't keep that same energy? Because perspective is so much of life I learn is about perspective, man. If you could show up really with a gratitude and really with the perspective that there's possibility at any moment, it changes everything. You become a beacon. You become a light bug for other people at that point.

Well, we call it the light of the Earth. So I think when you in that role, it's not your It's your job to see, are they doing what I'm doing? Or am I doing what they doing? It's your job to see, man, how can I perfect what I'm doing to encourage somebody else to perfect what they doing so they can be their best self. We all compete We all chasing this rat race. We all chasing something that's greater than us. But a lot of times we're so busy looking at other people running their race instead of focusing on the race that you got to run. And I think one That's the thing that I've learned through experience, because experience is through certain conditions, circumstances, and facts. That's what creates perspective. That's what gives people that wisdom, because they went through something. Oh, yeah. And that's why I'm always hanging around. I call them my granddad. I'm always hanging around people that are wiser, that are older, because their experiences are this freaking gold, bro. They've been through so much stuff, and they've overcome so many different things. Bro, the slowest way to learn is through your experience.

So why not pick somebody else's brain? Why not learn or hang around somebody that's an old head?

A senior citizen, yeah. Bring a couple of owls with you.

Senior citizen, yeah. That's a person. You know what I'm saying?

I use that all the time. Yeah, get you a couple of owls, baby. That's what you need.

My wife, she a rice owl.

She went to rice?

Yeah, she went to rice.

Oh, wow. I saw, oh, yeah, LSU beat them the other day. I saw them in the women's game. They did.

But for rice, though, I I think rice just happened. They got to play LSU.

I mean, look, they're a starch.

Yeah, that is true.

You know what I'm saying? A lot of people, they used to be in a recipe and suddenly- That's what I'm saying.

They're actually in the mix. When you get gumbo, you ain't thinking about the rice, you're thinking about the gumbo.

The game has changed. That's the Super Bowl for them if they end up in a gumbo. You got to play with Drew Brees for a season, right? I got to meet Drew one time, right? So Drew Brees is an intense dude, man. He's locked in. You could see that it was at a dinner party, and you could see while he's talking to me, behind me, he sees the whole dinner scenario. He sees the waiter is in the flat. The bus boy gave up on his route early. The strong safety is rolling Silverware. The Matra D is out of position. You could see he's got a lot going on. What are you How did you get to learn from somebody that's that, a Hall of Fame? What is the difference in being around somebody like that?

I think one thing about Drew is he was very observant, he was very detailed, and he was very intentional with everything that he did. So he had a mission for everything that he was doing. It was on purpose.

So real purposeful.

Yeah. So I knew what his intent was for each day because he knew what his... That's how he led. He led by example. He led by showing you this is what I'm about. Either you're going to join or you're going to get left behind. I think that's why people follow him because they knew his direction. But I think just sitting back from afar, learning just to X and O's, being able to see the relationship with him and his longtime head coach, Sean Payton, but also reading books about Drew Brees, understanding the perspective, understanding that he went through one of his most challenging times when they won the Super Bowl. I'll let you look up what happened. But he had certain circumstances, conditions, and facts that happened in his life. Even in his NFL career, early on in his career, a team didn't believe in him. So he continued to grow. He didn't point fingers, blame anybody else. He continued to overcome the naysayers, and he set that standard every single day. And when you around someone like that, you gain that perspective. And that was a year that actually I was so grateful for that year to sit behind a Hall of Fame quarterback, learn how he moved and everything, because me and Drew Reece are two...

We are two separate. He is from one side of the block, I'm from the other side of the block. So being able to be around him every single day and just be in his presence, you know what I'm saying? See how he living, you know what I'm saying? You know the Drew Drew Brees.

What's he snacking on, Drew? You know what I'm saying? You got him a Rice Krispé treat. You know what I'm saying? What you have.

And one of the greatest things that I learned about Drew Brees is he helped me with food because his meals used to look so bad. I used to question, Are we in New Orleans? We don't got no chef that can cook Drew Brees, that look better than this. You know what I'm saying? But he was so strict with the way he ate. He was so intentional with everything that he did. And I was like, Okay, that's the sacrifice that's allowing you to be the elite of the elite. You know what I'm saying? Those are the disciplines that you're willing to take to be in the city like New Orleans and not eat the stuff And not put- You know what I'm saying? Not put that stuff in your body. Tony Sacher is on there. You know what I'm saying? No seasonings at all. I don't even think. He probably used salt and pepper once.

Oh, Lord. That was probably on Christmas Eve. You know what I'm saying?

They come with everything. You know what I'm saying?

I know. Imagine. I said, yeah, not even...

But no, he was an amazing human being.

That's some paprika or something. Get him a spice rack for Christmas.

Yeah, for real.

Changes his life up a little. No doubt. But you're right, that level of commitment, though, because also a lot of salt gets into your joints and stuff like that, especially as you get older, that's a thing that happens to people, I think. But yeah, I guess interesting to see that just that level of commitment. And the amount of commitment we feel like we have to make to ourselves because some people hold themselves to such a high standard that if they don't make a certain a level of commitment to themselves, then they don't feel complete. Some people may hold themselves to a different standard, and it's fine, whatever your standard is. But we all have this level, I think, of where if we hold ourselves there and we meet ourselves there, then we feel complete.

I know it is great to challenge yourself and to push new limits and go to different heights, you know what I'm saying? And be tough on yourself. But you also got to give yourself some grace. That's where that balance come in. You know what I'm saying? You can't be your worst enemy and your biggest fan. You know what I'm saying?

That's how I get. You know what I'm saying? I turned into my worst. Yeah. It's like I'm trying so much. I end up being my worst enemy, bro.

But you're being two different people. I feel like we talk to ourselves more than anybody else talk to us. So you got to give yourself that grace, man. You got to speak life into you more than anybody else is going to be speaking life into you. Because I guarantee you somebody else, they care about their self more than they care about you. So if you down and you all the time, how is that going to make you feel? Down, depressed. Oh, my goodness. Now I got to do this. Now I got to do that. Now I got to revert to this. Versus like, okay, I didn't fail. Okay, I'm not the only person to fail. You know what I'm saying? Okay, how I get up out of this? Who I need to talk to to get up out of this? You know what I'm saying? Who I need to talk to to get about it is. You know what I'm saying?

My lawyer usually.

Hopefully, We don't have to get to no legal answer.

That's what it is. We got to stay out of some legal answers, man.

You got to stay up out of them. I'm just talking about self-esteem. What Cat Williams said, it's called self-esteem. You know what I'm saying? Come on, you got to lift yourself up, man. You got to give yourself life.

That's a good point. Yeah, I think I wonder. Sometimes it's hard for me to see what the conversation I'm having with myself is. Does that make any sense?

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense because I'll say it like this. Why do we give other people better advice than we give ourselves? I know. It's like we cancel ourselves out because we don't listen to ourselves. So when we're not listening to ourselves, how do we expect to hear ourselves when we in this funk or we in this mode where we're about to turn up, we're about to go in to somebody here. We're mad. You know what I'm saying? We're not hearing ourselves. We're just reacting in a default. We're not being on purpose. We're not being intentional. You know what I'm saying? We just Like a little kid, we're having an anxiety attack or we spasm out. All of us have those moments. But the ones that are able to look at those moments, reflect on those moments, and build off those moments and not let those moments destroy them, they're the ones that end up being successful.

It's interesting. So much of that war is really it's a peace talk, which you have to bring yourself to the table. Sometimes I have tough times in that moment of like, this is how I feel right now. And instead of bringing myself to the table, I'll just walk out and start executing a plan. You know what I'm saying? And it's not really... I haven't really brought myself into a place of like, Okay, how do I do this best for me and for others? Sometimes that's a thing that I struggle with a lot sometimes.

Yeah, man. Sometimes you just got to be led by the spirit, man. One of my favorite verses is, Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean out into your own understandings. Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways, and he shall direct your paths. Sometimes you got to really let go and let God.

Oh, yeah. The Lord is my GPS, baby. For real.

But you have to humble yourself and just be like, Look, I I really don't got no control of what just happened. And let me give it up. Let me give it up, man.

I know, and sit there and do nothing.

I should be your therapist, man. I feel like I got you over here, man. You ready to lay down. You know what I'm saying? I can sit here and speak life into you, brother.

What you need, Oh, yeah. Brother. Bring it on me, brother.

Play a hym. You're mindful.

Play a hym. Mama, pray for me. What's that one?

You ever hear that one? I can still hear Mama's prayers.

You ever hear that song?

Mama's Prayer?

That's an old one. See if you can look that up. Mama's prayers. I used to love this song, man. Yeah, maybe that's it at the top. Let me see what is that one.

I can remember as a child back in Liberty, Texas, at 131 Navigation Street.

I'm on.

At my grandmother's house.

Always, huh? Mama, that's what we call it.

I can remember on Sunday mornings, if you were in mama's house, you had to get up for Sunday He's a little chatty moving forward.

Great guy, but- It ain't nothing like a good gospel song, somebody not talking at the very beginning.

You know what I'm saying? We got to pray. We got to pray. We got to I still hear mama, mama praying. The crowd that she praying. The crowd that she praying. That you're keeping me day by day. Oh, I'm still, I still hear my mama praying. Can I get a week to see the building?

I love that one, man. I love it, too. That's another one I like. No doubt. If you're going to Cleveland, how do you guys find a new church? What's that opportunity like? I just called it an opportunity because you showed me that.

Well, you connect with one. If you know somebody on the team that goes to a specific church. But this, Cleveland was actually even It was easy. Like, literally, when I signed with Cleveland, my dad had sent me a YouTube of Pastor Vernon at the Word Church. He has a huge church in Cleveland. I reached out to a couple of friends, and they connected me with him instantly. So I was like, Okay, well, I got Pastor Vernon already. So when you in there, when you're getting fed from other people and you're being led and you're walking with the Lord, it's like the spirit find a way to connect you with the right people.

Yeah. And What about your family and stuff? Was it tough to... Did you find out you're going to go to Cleveland and you have to go home and tell your wife about it, or did you all- It's a process.

It's a process of... It was a very tough process because my wife is That comfort, when you get that comfort bug, it's tough to get anybody off their pivot foot when they're comfortable, when they're good where they're at. It's very challenging.

That's me, too, man. If I got me a... You give me a power aid and sit me down somewhere, leave me be for a little bit. Right.

Well, I think... And it's like, especially with this city, because my wife, her family is from the West bank.

They're from the West bank? Yeah, from Alger. Oh, yeah.

I used to- So her dad from the West bank, and she was so rooted. She was so rooted here, had family here, and it was just tough. Transition is always tough, but we're one, and I want her to go with me. She was like, Hey, can I stay here? I'm like, Yeah, baby, you can stay here if you want to, whatever you But in my back of my mind, I don't need you to stay here. I got you with me. I got my babies. I need to see you and my babies. You're my primary baby.

Yeah, you're the tallest baby.

Yeah, no doubt.

You're the first baby.

It is. But it's tough, man. It's tough having to move. But whether it's tough, man, it's an opportunity. It's a chance to grow. You got to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Yeah, that's true, man. Comfort really can be your coffin. I know that it can get real easy. Yeah, no doubt. Challenging yourself, accepting challenges. But then there is that fear that comes with it. It's like, how do I manage the fear while I'm doing this new thing, while I'm going this way, right?

Yeah. But Joe, he was telling me something because I'm talking about communicating with people. And he was like, Man, when you have that fear, it's better to do than be scared.

Because you scared, you just sitting there.

Yeah, you You're just sitting there. You just thinking. He told me, I was like, Joe, what you doing? Give me advice, man. Just do. And once you start doing, eventually that fear starts being in that rear view mirror and you just leave it. You leave it there.

Yeah, because a lot of times, there'll be opportunities, and I get so fearful. I stand there like this, like Barry Sanders, and then I don't pick nothing.

He went standing. He was coming and moving and getting north and south.

But I was I just a side to side. I just be like this. And then the opportunities will disappear because I didn't make a choice. That's happened to me before in life, where it's like, I just... Instead of just going. Because if you go, you might realize one is wrong and you could get both of them and see and find the right one. When you were growing up, I know I've heard you talk about your dad was your coach. And you guys all lived at your house, your family. Because when I was growing up, a lot of my Black friends didn't have They didn't have families like that. They didn't have that family community. Was it popular in your area that a lot of guys did? A lot of young Black men had that?

No, it wasn't.

Does it make you feel almost like would other kids clown you because you had that? Because when I was growing up in our neighborhood, if you made some good grades, a lot of kids would clown you. They would just cook you for trying to do better.

Well, I was crying more for being a nerd, making good grades. Seriously, then having a dad in my life. I'm very grateful to have my father in my life. The sacrifices that he made for me has definitely allowed me to be where I'm at right now. But even my dad, he loved his mom. He didn't have his dad in his life. But the women in my life, my grandmother, my mother, my grandmother's, my aunts, they were the inspiration. Because when you are in an environment, and I had my uncles and stuff, my mom was the youngest, 11, and I grew up in a home where my uncles and aunts, they all in the house, and my cousins. Everybody. It was 20 years of us. But it was perspective because it was levels to it. You got people that are 50, you got kids that are two, you got teenagers, and you got people that's going through a midlife crisis. So you're learning from Everybody. And you're picking from like, okay, I probably shouldn't be doing that. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to read it on Cudone on that, but I like that. So it's a different variety of things.

It's a lot of education at once.

It's a lot of education. It's a lot of stuff for you to learn. But when you don't have guidance, when you I have a father who is, even if they're not perfect, I think a lot of people get caught up and like, I expected you to be perfect, but you realize ain't nobody really perfect. Even if your father or if you don't have a father, even the people around you, the men in your life, the women in your aren't perfect. You understand? They're human. You're going to go through the same human experiences that they're going through. I never got picked on for having a daddy, but I definitely got picked on for being a nerd.

Yeah, I never got to ask somebody.

I think a lot of people look at people like, the reason you're successful because you had a daddy in your life. I'm like, man, do you not know who LeBron James is? He is known for not having a daddy in his life, and he LeBron James. But a lot of people use that because of, honestly, the built-up emotion or the built-up anger that they have against another man. It's true. I think that overshadows... I think every kid deserves to have a daddy. You know what I'm saying? But it is hard out here in these streets. You know what I'm saying? People have different personalities that don't condone a father might be in the house. The daddy might want to be in the baby life, and the mama probably don't want them in the life, or the mama not in the baby life. I was talking to a man in the summer today, and he was talking about how his daddy wins life, and his mama died when he was 10. I was like, Brother, that's tough. That's challenging. And he's still doing well for himself. We were talking about our kids, like how are we supposed to speak life into our kids?

He was telling me that he had a son that was 10 and he loved video games and social media. He had another son that was 14, had down syndrome. He had a step, a step that I don't want to get on to this man business. But it was a true direct correlation with he didn't have his dad in his life, he didn't have his mom in his life, but he still found a way to make something out of nothing. And I think we get so caught up in the pity part. It's like, you ain't have a daddy in your life. Oh, yeah, bro, I'm with you. My daddy wasn't in my life either. You know what I'm saying? Oh, your mama used to abuse you. Oh, I'm with My mama didn't.

Now, let's take it out on the world.

It's like, okay, what is the footprint we going to leave? Are we going to say that we are who we are because we didn't have a daddy in our life or our mama was crazy to us? Or are we going to say, look, my situation was not... It wasn't ideal. But I know through those circumstances, through those experiences that I've grew and I've gained a lot of knowledge. I gained a lot I went through a lot of pain. But at the end of the day, I'm going to be the one to decide my fate. My emotions are my responsibility. My actions are my responsibilities. Now, I might have certain conditions, facts, and circumstances that may have led to some of them decisions. But at the end of the day, it's still my responsibility. Because when you get out of that childhood, when you get out of that kid stage, And you an adult, ain't nobody looking at you like, Oh, he must have had a father in his life. You know what I'm saying? They're looking at you like, On to the next one.

I'm going to grow up.

For real. That's what it is.

That's a great point, man. I think there's aspects of my life where I think I was a late bloomer, too, realizing a lot of stuff and getting past a lot of childhood stuff. But I certainly feel like I'm at a point now where I want to grow up more in some areas. That's what I pray about each day. I pray that God makes more willing to advance in some of these places and to let go of some resentments and help soften some of the discomfort that I have in places. Because sometimes there's things that are still hooking you to your past. Sometimes it's hard to get... When you had a boat dock and you got the things tied up, and some drunk guy tied the one and he tied a damn Christmas bow on it or something, you can't get... Sometimes it's like, I got those.

I really believe we We have certain curses that are on us, that were put on us through our family, through generations of them living a life. But I also believe in that bondage, that true peace, and Again, let's talk about our faith. Let's talk about accepting our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, man, and being separated from all that bondage and realizing it is my life. I am free from everything that I feel like is holding me back to do what I need to do for this world, for me.

Yeah.

And I know it's tough.

No, I know you're not saying it's possible for everybody easily, but it's something we have to hear. And that's why I'm listening to you saying, I'm happy to hear it today. It's a message that I need to be reminded of. And I think that's why you're even saying it right now. And we're in the same space because, yeah, I need to be reminded of that. That how long do I want to sit and look at the chains instead of look out the window? Come on. At a certain point, even my eyes are tired of looking at those chains.

It's truly perspective. Every year, Black History Month, I want to learn something new about Black history. And obviously, being from the South, my image on slavery and Jim Crow laws in the Dirty South is just this gruesome image, white versus Black. Man, they hated us. I can't believe they look at us. They act like it's not that far. They act like it's a hundred years from now, but it's very recent. But I got this respect of I was watching this master class about African-American history, Black history on master class. And when my perspective was changed from all the great things that African-Americans have accomplished besides all the treacherous things that African-Americans went through. I started to see, again, that light that's inside of me. Like, wow, I possessed Man, yes, my people were enslaved. Yes, my people went through some terrible circumstances. They went through a rough time. But, man, look at how my people overcame. Look at the love. Look at the power. Look at the victory that came from all that. You came to a world where you were enslaved, and now we walk around free. We walk around doing whatever we want to do.

Go down Bourbon Street and see if you could sense anything You know what I'm saying? It's just wildness. It's truly-I get jealous of Black community sometimes because they got the best origin story.

I always like the... If you look at a superhero or something, you got to have that origin story. It's easy for me to... I'm not going to say, Oh, what a unique origin story, because obviously, I know that there's tons of things that I don't even understand in it. I don't even understand when somebody takes a 23 in me or something, they can't Or they don't even know past where their grandparents are from. I don't know what that feels like. I don't know what it feels like to be in a place where you showed up as a commodity. I don't know any of what that really feels like. But I do think there is something interesting about having an origin story that you can derive if you're able to start to turn corner in your perspective while still acknowledging the past, but to have it be one of looking forward.

Well, I think you got to acknowledge the past because that's how you learn, that's how you grow. But I also believe that when you have a knowledge of the past, you got to think about ways that you can change it. At first, I was so into, Okay, this is me. You did this to me. This is why I'm behind, and my dad ain't living in a multimillion dollar house. I'm behind the eight ball.

We don't have generational wealth because we couldn't have generational wealth. But now I look at it as like, Man, okay, I got this light.

I got this opportunity. Let me use it. Because people before me sacrificed way more than me in this part right now, and they still found a way to do it. So it will be I'm ignorant of me to think that I'm not able to do something just because the limitations and the restrictions. Now, it is now systematical racism and stuff. Now, it is a system.

But it's also a victory side to it that you can focus on, the communities that you build.

You got to surround yourself with those people that are thinking like that. Oh, yeah.

You know what I'm saying? And if you only look at yourself as a victim, then it's impossible to really advance your sofa anybody. If I only look at the parts of me that... If I only see myself as a victim, that's all I see myself as, it's going to be really hard for me to have new opportunity because I don't have any perspective. I won't even see opportunity if it shows up.

Man, I learned this. I was talking to one of my mentors, and he shared this with me, and it changed my perspective. He was like, You are not what you think you are, but what you think you are. Is that's your perspective? We all think, I'm this type of person, but we're not thinking about the stuff that we're putting into our mind on a daily basis. What we think and what we set our attention to is really what we are, not what we may think, how people view us or how we may even view ourselves. But what we're thinking, being poor, that's a mentality. Being rich, that's a mentality. These people just got... Like Meath Mill said, it's levels to it. When you have a poor mindset, man, that's struggle. That's hurt. That's pain. But, man, I didn't see people with no shoes, toes, coming out their shoes that are happier than ever. I didn't see people with no shoes.

At the beach, yeah.

No, bro. I didn't see people with no shoes, man. I'm talking about little kids. Oh, that's what you were saying. No shoes, man.

Enjoy.

Enjoy. Because what they're thinking.

Right. Yeah. I remember I've gone to some different places, like India, different places. You see these kids show up and they're just living. Man, you're like, I wish I could be as happy as this kid. Yes, man. And he's sitting here and he got nothing. Yeah. And he's got nothing for himself. Speaking of Meek Mill, man, I got to ask, dude, Did he? Or did he?

No did he.

No did he. That's what Mace said.

What I just said.

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Okay.

You see that? So I just wonder, how does that... Because sometimes it's hard enough you're married.

Yes.

And if some of my in-law will get involved in a discussion, sometimes it can be challenging. Right. So if you got an in-law, you got a dang neck neighbor.

I mean, to each his own.

Oh, yeah. I'm just saying, how tough would it be to manage a What I'm really trying to picture, is he dealing with one woman or two women?

That's what I'm trying to picture, because if he's dealing with two women, then right on, brother.

Yeah, I wonder what he... Yeah, does he really want to be more than I'm wondering? You know what I'm saying?

Does he really want to have multiple wives? I can speak Roman, too. I can speak Roman.

Have you ever been to a Roman church?

I've never been to a Roman church, but I've had a lot of Roman teammates, and they're the nicest people that you can ever be a teammate with.

I would be Roman. I've been before to... In Salt Lake, you can go see... Luther... What was the... Sorry, my brain is bad today. Joseph Smith. You can go see The campus, the Norman campus and everything, it's beautiful. It's stunning over there. Jameis, when you look at guys like Caleb Williams has caught a lot of flak this year, I think more than... To me, it feels like just as a Just a fan. It feels like he's caught more flak than anybody, a starting quarterback in a long time who's going to come out of the draft. Recently, they're talking about him for having a pink phone case or just or just a finger nail policies. It seems like a level of scrutiny that's almost gone overboard, man.

I think to who much is given, much is required. When you are When you are in a position as he is and when you reach a level of excellence that he has attained as being an excellent college quarterback, it just comes with the territory. I think if I was in his shoes, I know what it's like to be scrutinized like that on a whole different spectrum. And you have to focus on who you are. You have to get closer to the people that's around you. You got to push through that now. I don't know about the thing Nell polish the lipstick and stuff. That's his life.

Look, we've all been to... Yeah, we've all had a moment or something.

This is his life. I know he can play football, and I know that Character is what you do when no one is looking. So I pray that he is focusing on his character and not in footballing everything for him. And I know he's been to Oklahoma. I was an Oklahoma fan. I I grew up an Oklahoma fan. Really? Yeah, I really did, bro. Why, though? Because Oklahoma beat Florida State in 2000. That's a championship.

Oh, so you just said how you got on.

Florida State was my daddy team.

You got to pick something different.

I was one of them bandwagon. I just jumped on. I was booming sooner ever since then. So that's why I like Baker Mayfield, Kylamer.

Dude, I love Baker, bro. Yeah. Bro, is there anybody more fun to cheer for than Baker, I feel like? Man. Baker is a dog.

I think he is a beast, man.

He will not be denied, man. I mean, the opposition had him at like, it's almost a wrap. It felt like. But then he's like, nuh-uh.

He out. He doing his thing.

And now look at him.

He's doing his thing. But there's so many stories like that, man. There's so many stories that people just continue to push through. You're going to come out on the other side. Yeah.

I feel like he's one of those guys that everybody, if you don't support Baker, I don't understand where you're at there. Yeah, just that pressure. But do you feel like the media is at a place where it's just It's always going to be like that? It just feels like this year, they've gone crazy on him. Who cares? It's a young guy trying to be a good quarterback.

Man, these are kids that they're scrutinizing. But in the common eye, you can be a kid, but if you're a celebrity, you're a grown man. Now everyone's so entitled to say whatever they want to say. You know what I'm saying? As media, we are We're not attracted to those negative things. We're not attracted to... I know. Like, oh, Caleb Williams had a football camp with 300 kids, and he gave everybody free drawings. You know what I'm saying? We're not attracted to those.

Caleb Williams made a nice pasta.

You know what I'm saying? I don't know. I don't think he a pasta person.

I don't know. It definitely seem he... I mean, who knows? He'll probably have a dang housewares collection in a couple of months, according to the media.

No doubt.

He'll have a flatware line. But no, I think it's like, yeah, nobody wants to... But we don't gravitate towards that.

Man, I don't think the world... Obviously, we say life ain't fair, but people's opinion really not fair, bro. What do you mean? I mean, everyone gets this public persona, but no one really knows who that person truly is.

A hundred %.

Again, let's go back to the social media thing. Social media has some great stuff. But again, I know people that are broke as a dog. And if you look at their social media, they flexing. They got jewelry on a puppy.

The puppy got damn gold, airing, and bracelet on. That's what I'm saying.

I'm like, What are you trying to portray? We know you. Who are you hiring from?

You're sleeping in my back bedroom.

Bro, I just paid your light bill the other day. What are you doing? Don't let my gratitude ruin you. You're going to go to the club and spend $200? You can't spend $200 at the club. You spend all the money I gave.

God, Lee.

It is true, huh? Taking a picture of somebody else's booth. You know what I'm saying? They went to the bathroom and they standing up in the booth. Dan's like, How do you get down? God, Lee. You're also strong, bro.

Yeah, I know. That is true. It's interesting. What else did I want to think about? Yeah, I I guess just being in a new place. Have you gone to Cleveland yet and picked out a home and everything?

Man, I went to Cleveland. I haven't picked out a home yet, but it was really like an eye-opening.

Because people rip on Cleveland a lot. They do.

And it's a beautiful city. But obviously, when we talk about Cleveland, they say, It's cold. It's going to be cold up there. And when you come from Tampa and New Orleans, it don't really get cold here. It get cold.

Maybe in a freezer section at Rouse's, that's it.

But it was one of the moments Where I'm getting my physical. And it was cold when we got there. But her name was Julie. She said, Yo, it's snowing. I was like, What? It's snowing in March. I ain't never seen no snow in March. So I sent a video to my wife. I was like, Hey, babe, look, it's snowing. And she was like, I am not a kid, James. You don't have to tell me it's snowing. I see it's snowing. I was like, I don't want to see no snow right now. I want to see a beach. I was like, All right, babe, you got it. But I guess they're going to talk about the code.

All right, back to the drawing board.

No, for real. You started all over again.

That's a husband's job. He just started all over again.

I hit it with like, Well, this is going to be our first Christmas where the babies get to play in the snow. You know what I'm saying?

She's like, It's almost May, Jame. Christmas hit me back. For real, no. What's that like being a husband, man? Was that scary for you or what was- It was very scary for me, man.

But that's my high school, sweetheart. And man, you're talking about fear. Commitment to one person is that is fear because your life is in their hands and their life is in your hands. So when you're maneuvering and when you have all these different experiences that's coming at you, you have to be strong. You have to be strong and know this is my priority. This is my love. This is my first love. Whatever can be attracted to my eyes or anything outside of that, I don't condone that. Plus, my girl, she a O-G, man. She was really the dream. I was a football player, and obviously, I was an athlete in high school, and she was a hooper. Back in the day, love and basketball, that was everything.

Oh, yeah, that was romantic.

My whole thing was like, Man, I wish I knew how to play basketball so I could have a love and basketball moment. But boom, God bless me with a girl that can hoop. That was pretty. They had all these best eyes, her eyes. I just stand her eyes and it's just like, God, what you doing?

What you doing with them eyes? When I was blessed with that, man, my heart was took. You know what I'm saying? There you all are right there.

That's us, man.

And you all in the You all in the water, baby, getting it, huh? That's in our house, man.

We did the way in that house.

That's beautiful, man.

My brother in them. That ain't my brother for real. That's my life coach.

He right there. That's your lifeguard, too. He in the down. That ain't the shallow end, I don't think.

It's a step. And we had him on a brick.

So he'll be level.

He slept off the brick. Doing the ceremony, we was like, All right, man, we know you're dedicated.

That's cheating at the combine If you're standing on a brick. I know that, man.

I don't think nobody was expecting to get their pants wet, but I was like, We got to get in the water. Because this is what it is. It's water. We got to be flowing. We got to be water together.

I love it, man. I like that, man. You just make your choices, and that's it for you. It seemed like your self-confidence is really unique compared to other people, man. Were you always like that, do you feel like, or was that something that was built? Do you think it was just a gift that you had?

I feel like it's still growing. I've always been confident in myself, but more importantly, in my faith. You know what I'm saying? I was rooted in a church like Old Southern Baptist. From when you were little? From when I was little. But when I I actually started to know God and I started to understand that I'm fighting from victory, not for victory, then I took a different approach to the way that I live. And I think it's the accumulation of Really, who you surround yourself with. Seeing other people that's walking, firm, that are strong brothers, that ain't lukewarm, that gives you that confidence. That gives you that affirmation to be like, Okay, man, I need to... What am I doing? Like you said, you question yourself. There's been a lot of times where I've questioned myself. There's been a lot of times in the NFL where I'm just like, Man, who am I? What I got going on? You know what I'm saying? But at the end of the day, I had to dig deep and just be like, Okay, this is who I am.

You know what I'm saying? Get back to your foundation. What is my foundation? If I don't believe in this foundation that I built, then why did I even build it then? You have to...

I'm not here for no reason. I'm here for a purpose, my own unique purpose. So I got to live it.

Hey, man. I might try out for somebody.

You could do it, bro.

Yeah, the Colts might need someone. I don't know who needs somebody right now. What do you think about this new rule with the hip drop tackle. Do you have any thoughts on it?

Yeah, I think it is. They're trying to make the game safer. But as I've been in the lead, I've seen it trend to be more of a player-friendly lead. I I think it takes an incredible amount of discipline and athletic ability as people that are actually making those tackles to avoid making that tackle. So I think when you make a rule, you say, Okay, this is the rule. We can't do this no more. But as athletes being trained to do a certain way-For years. For their whole life to just get somebody on the ground any way possible, I think it's challenging, man. And I'm happy for player safety, but at the same time, I know I'm from Alabama. We love football. However, if you run across the middle and somebody take your head off, that's football. Get back up. Are you okay? Your chin strap okay? What you said, how many fingers I got? You know what I'm saying? Okay, come on. We about to do it again. You know what I'm saying? I'm dropped back in the pocket. Somebody come and slap me on my head. Okay, I want that 15, but hey, okay, I see you We're in to play today.

It's the brotherhood and it's the... We're warriors out there, man. Like I said earlier, we're one player away from our career being done. So I do respect the NFL making this player safety Protocol and doing everything they can to help prolong people's careers. But I think it's tough. I think it's tough on the players.

Yeah. I think it's interesting to see. I worry about if you put so much in the hands of the referees, because there's a lot of people start to say that... A lot of speculation you see of people saying that things are fixed or organized or gambling is a lot more just in our everyday life now. Every other commercial is for it. We advertise it. It's everywhere. So I just wonder, when you put stuff more in the hands of the referees, too, and give them one more space where it could be a crucial call in a playoff game next year, what does that look like? How How weird is that? When you look at the field, a lot of times people just see the two teams.

Team A, Team B. But, bro, you forget, it's another team out there, and they got on black and white. And they're working together. A lot of these, a lot of the referees, when you get to know them, they're insurance agents. They're not even doing this year round. This is a hobby for them to make- Emu limu. For real, make six figures just What you doing? Get on side. You know what I'm saying?

I have a mixtape. One dude, I know they had one video. Some guy, he tapped in to make the announcement, and he played half a track off of his mixtape. People were like, What is even going on here?

You got to think about how tough it is first to make in-game decisions to police grown men that are playing at the fastest level. I got a lot of respect for the referees, but man, it's a third team, bro. You playing against two teams. You're not just playing against the other team. You're playing against two teams because they have the rules and regulations in this day's job, but they can dictate a game. Now, as a leader, as a coach or a person of influence, you can't say we're not going to allow the refs to dictate this game, but they have a certain level of authority. If they make a call, and they're human just like us, if it's a mistake, they ain't going to say, Oh, my bad. Like, literally, look, we write reports out of the game. Coaches are sending in like, Okay, this was a penalty, this was a penalty. You'll get a letter back, This was a penalty. Sorry.

No.

I don't know if they send sorry. Sorry is very polite. But they'll literally be like- This emoji.. Yeah, it's like, That was a penalty. All right, move to the next one. Yeah. He was like, What? We can't get that play back? No.

It was crazy. Well, I know. There was that famous play in New Orleans that happened, too. I think this was before you were here whenever there was a pass interference against the Rams.

It took them from going to the Super Bowl.

I mean, that changes Drew Beach from having a dynasty operation in Payton to things being He's still a Hall of Famer. Super challenging. Here you go right here. John Hussy is a sales representative, has been a referee for nine seasons. Alex Kemp, an insurance agent, has been a referee for six seasons. In his sixth season, Clay Martin is a high school administrator Rated. He a named principal and a basketball coach. He reading term papers on his phone, probably at halftime. Scott Novak is in his fifth season as a referee. Brad Rogers is a college professor. Ron Torbert is an attorney. Yeah, you already know it. He's been a referee for 10 seasons. What is going on?

We got somebody in aerospace. Uh-uh. Adrian Hill, he in aerospace. Oh, wow. He's an engineer. They They got different careers, man. That's what I'm saying. Our livelihood is on the game.

Yeah, it says, Craig Worset is a drill rapper. But this is unbelievable.

Oh, my goodness.

They got to get some guys that are just referees.

No, they're not.

Man, that thing. Times have changed, man. It is. What else? We got Easter coming up, man. You all going to celebrate. What you guys got going on?

Yeah, we're going to celebrate Easter.

They have a beautiful parade in New Orleans, They do? It's at 2:00 PM. I think it's in the French Quarter. I've seen it a couple of times when I was younger, but it's nice, man.

I've never been to the Easter parade.

It's nice. What do you all do Easter egg hunt or something?

I go to church. The boys did an Easter egg hunt earlier this week, so we don't have to do no Easter egg hunts. But it's a spring break this year, so we're going to get out of time. Next week. Yeah.

Any other stuff you guys want to look at, man? Are you all going to go up to Cleveland or no? Not now.

We're going to wait. It's summer, summer before we go up to Cleveland. Before the family go up there. I'm going to be up there in two weeks.

Scott Fajita, I think, played for-Linebacker.Cleveland as well, and the Saints. He's a really good guy.

Demario Davis, he came.

Oh, yeah. Demario plays. I see him in Nashville sometimes. That's where I live at. Yeah, that's where he lives. Oh, it is? I see him. Sometimes he'll pop in at the same... We go to the same IV place. Oh, for real? I never said hey to him, but I've seen him in there. He's a big guy.

He's a great brother. Is he? He's great, bro. He's phenomenal. He's one of those men that being in a locker room with seeing the way that he walks, seeing who he is every single day inspired me to be a better man and inspired me to check my engine light and just be like, Okay, what we really got up in here? What's really inside?

Yeah, I think, oh, wow, this is something right here. Monkeys have taken over the city of Lopburi outside of Bangkok. Go ahead, Monkeys. But this, Jay, this seem like a look at this, man.

This is what I look at. They together. They fight. Look, it's a Silver War. It's a Monkey Silver War. This is real Planet Other Apes, you all. Do you see how assembled they is?

That's a good point. Look at the front lines they had right there. Go back a little bit.

Man, come on, bro.

They got a dang general out there with them, huh? No, really?

It's Planet of the Apes.

Look, nature. Bro, I'm telling you, nature- Look, but they really turn in.

It's really like they fight. Look, they ain't attacking no civilians. They all at each other. This is real Planet of the Apes. You all thought it was a game. This is real. And look, then they're going back to the-They retreating by lunchtime. But, bro, do they live there?

Do they live in that palace? Oh, no, they take it over. Like, oh, my gosh.

I We never seen... We don't even get that organized. These monkeys was organized like front lines. It looked like one of them had a whistle saying charge. Like, God, leave.

Yeah, the monkeys. I look like Bill Parcells with their coach, but they I feel like they put together. They got to Rob Ryan defense going on over here.

They structured.

Ms. Easter, man. Jameis, I think we got to eat a W for the Lord, man. Can we do it?

Let's eat a W for the Lord, man, please. All right, brother. Toast it up, man. He has risen, brother.

Jameis Winston, man. On behalf of New Orleans, man, we want to just thank you, man. I think it's been so fun to have your energy around, man. I think even just today, it's like you never know what things you're going to hear whenever we do a podcast. You never know sometimes if it's going to be just having fun or joking around or if you're going to need to hear some words that you need to hear. I appreciate it, man.

I appreciate you, bro. I'm I'm really inspired by your story, how you had a paradigm shift, how you were a man to increase, man, an increase, man. For you to be vulnerable enough to share with me some of the stuff that you be still going through. I think that has a human element for the success that you have already accumulated in the work that you put in. When Joe told me you were just in Australia, and then you just took a red eye over here just to come talk with me. Yeah, we hate it, man. And also have a show. Just what you put in, man, you know you're living on purpose, bro. And I'm grateful to be in your presence and do this with you, bro.

Gang, thanks. Jameis Winston, man. Best of luck in Cleveland. Oh, yeah. Your crew gave me this new one right here, bro.

That's the logo.

That's the Jabe-O-Wins, huh?

Yeah, that's the Jay Boot means. You know what I'm saying? And Cleveland color. So Dog Pound, go get your T-shirts. I'm saying Theo got the first one. All right. You can be next.

Yeah, you could be next right there. Awesome, man. Thank you so much for your time, bro. Thank you, brother.

Now, I'm just floating on the breeze, and I feel I'm falling like these leaves. I must be cornerstone. Oh, but when I reach that ground, I'll share this peace of mind I found I can feel it in my bones. But it's going to take.