WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:03.560 Go out to the ka Common sparital hotline right now. Bring on former Broncos 2 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:08.839 wide receiver tight end Nate Jackson at Nathan Sirius on Twitter, and how you 3 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:12.640 doing this evening? I'm good. How you doing doing? Doing pretty well? 4 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:15.679 You wrote a fantastic piece on h on de Factor, and I will 5 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:18.039 tell you this before I get into that. I loved your book Slow Getting 6 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.679 Up. It's one of one of my favorite reads. Passed that one around 7 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:26.280 as well. But you wrote a fantastic piece on on Defector, detailing kind 8 00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:31.239 of the end of your lifetime in the NFL and the process that you went 9 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:35.079 through to try to kind of hang on there, and and and then as 10 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:38.159 a kind of I don't know, side piece to that, and in the 11 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:42.399 background of that story was the financial misappropriations of a financial advisor you had. 12 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:45.399 I thought it was a fascinating piece and I kind of wanted to get that 13 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:47.719 out there and get into the weeds on it. Man. You know, 14 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:51.600 obviously you've got your former teammate Nick here, and uh, it's it's interesting 15 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:56.119 to me, and it's interesting to fans how careers end and and how guys 16 00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:00.679 go out, mostly not on their own terms. Even the greats often don't 17 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:03.040 go out on their own terms, Olway being an exception that we look at 18 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:06.719 your story here in the links that you were going to to try to hang 19 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:08.920 on. At what point did you did you really actually know hey, this 20 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:15.480 is over? Well, great question, because it takes quite a long time. 21 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:19.040 Like you mentioned John Elway, you know, having the teary goodbye, 22 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:22.359 he has the press conference and he said, it's all over. I won 23 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:25.760 my two Super Bowls. My body's failing me. Now I'm thirty eight years 24 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:27.560 old. I got to walk away from the game. That is the fairy 25 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:33.040 tale for most guys. It ends unceremoniously. You get a tap on the 26 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:36.000 shoulder, you get cut, or you get a call in the off season, 27 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:38.879 and you never get to say goodbye. You never have a press conference, 28 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.719 and then your agent goes you, look, it's not over yet. 29 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:46.040 Keep training. You're gonna get another chance, you're gonna get a workout. 30 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:49.000 You're gonna land somewhere, and so you believe him. You keep working at 31 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:51.760 it. You keep working at it. Maybe you get a couple of workouts 32 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:53.920 like I did. I got cut by the Broncos in January of two thousand 33 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:59.280 or February of two thousand and nine. So I kept training all summer long. 34 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:01.120 I got a couple I got signed to the Browns, that was there 35 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:06.879 for a week, got cut, played in the UFL for the Las Vegas 36 00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:12.439 Locomotives in September October of two thousand and nine. My hamstring tour off the 37 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.960 bone, which was what ended my previous season with the Broncos. But finally 38 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:20.000 a tour needed surgery. I have the surgery, and then in my sick 39 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:23.599 mind, I thought, Okay, now it's fixed. Now I'm good to 40 00:02:23.639 --> 00:02:27.039 go. Now they're gonna want me again. And so it took another probably 41 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:30.360 six months after that. So to answer your question, it took over a 42 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:34.680 year, probably a year and a half for me to realize that it was 43 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:38.879 actually over. You and I might be the only people that remember the UFL. 44 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:42.759 I did six months of work for the Sacramento Mountain Lions, you know, 45 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:46.039 before I actually went to my last tour to Iraq, you know, 46 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:49.840 half after that, so that we were the only people that remember the that 47 00:02:49.960 --> 00:02:55.039 remember the UFL. But I appreciated that note. Being in Las Vegas Locomotives 48 00:02:55.039 --> 00:03:00.520 and we had training camp in Casa Grande Arizona on some fresh lights out in 49 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:04.719 the middle of the desert, there was a biblical swarm of mosquitoes. We 50 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:07.680 were staying at the holiday inn. There was a bunch of guys who were 51 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:09.680 trying to get back in the NFL and believe that their careers weren't over. 52 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:15.759 It was a pretty sad time, you know, Nate, I appreciate you 53 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:20.879 writing this article, but the biggest thing for me is what made you want 54 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:27.159 to finally come out and write this piece and really explain to readers what you 55 00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:30.800 actually went through, but not just that, but what athletes actually go through. 56 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:35.919 Yeah, so it did take me quite a while. I put a 57 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.319 little bit of this stuff in one of the books I wrote, but nothing 58 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:42.000 of the detail that I used here. And you know, we've been talking 59 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.000 about the end here and how long it took for me to realize it was 60 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:49.080 over. And during that time the training to get back in my body's falling 61 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:53.159 apart. I'm shooting HGH human growth hormone into my belly to try to heal 62 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:59.159 the hamstring that wouldn't heal. All the while I'm staying with my financial advisor 63 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:02.360 who lived in Sande and had become a quote unquote friend sort of, but 64 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:05.719 he was. He was stealing my money. My money was locked up in 65 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:09.560 a Ponzi scheme, and I didn't realize it at the time, and it 66 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:13.280 wouldn't be until, you know, the dust settled and I realized that my 67 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:15.600 career was over. I really started connecting the dots. I was staying out 68 00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:19.079 in San Diego with him at his house. My mail was coming here to 69 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.920 my spot in Denver. I had a friend here staying at my house in 70 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.600 Denver, and I said, hey, man, you know, just put 71 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:28.879 the mail in a box and I'll take care of it when I get home. 72 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:30.959 When I get home, you know, just send me something that's super 73 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:34.399 important, and to me, super important was just like something from an NFL 74 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:38.680 team. If it's a bank statement, a financial statement, that's not super 75 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:42.040 important. I knew I had money. Throw it in the box there, 76 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:46.040 and I'll deal with it later. Meanwhile, the guy who's managing my money 77 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.879 is stealing it from under my nose and the rest of his clients of about 78 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:53.839 twenty former athletes who all got swindled by this guy, and he was lying 79 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:57.120 in my face. And I was so focused on getting back to the NFL 80 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:01.240 and hiding my secret, which was shooting up a and just not allowing myself 81 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:04.360 to believe that my dream was over. That I wasn't paying attention to what 82 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:08.720 was happening in front of me, And it just took me a long time 83 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:12.720 to feel. Uh. I guess enough distance from that to connect the dots 84 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:16.160 enough to feel to feel like I could tell the story, because I feel 85 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:20.079 like it's probably more common than people think. Yeah, And that's the thing 86 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:23.879 that I you know, when reading this right when you when you posted it, 87 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:25.600 and going through this, I'm like, man, this is such a 88 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:28.399 you know, and I hate to put it this way, such a common 89 00:05:28.439 --> 00:05:30.920 story, you know around the league. There are multiple angles to it here. 90 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:33.639 I mean, you got you guys desperate to hang on. You've got 91 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:39.160 financial improprieties behind the scene. A financial will call it, and I have 92 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:41.000 a tay when it comes to this kind of stuff. I thought one of 93 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:44.519 the most fascinating details in here was how you just kind of blew past the 94 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.920 two to one match on the four oh one k and uh and And there's 95 00:05:47.959 --> 00:05:51.199 a subtle detail in here that I think that is something the NFL needs to 96 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:55.279 do more of with some of these things. It's just automatically opting guys in, 97 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.959 because then they'll have to fill the paperwork to opt out, which is 98 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:00.240 the only thing that's that's that's more trigger and then trying to you know, 99 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:04.000 get your money in the first place. Yep, it's paperwork, man. 100 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:08.000 NFL players don't know how to fill it out, and we don't want to 101 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:11.000 fill it out. We spent our whole lives just playing football really well, 102 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.800 and everyone would take care of everything. I mean, you talk about the 103 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:15.959 paperwork, You talk about the paperwork. We don't have to fill out any 104 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:20.199 healthcare paperwork. We never have to make an appointment anywhere to go see anybody. 105 00:06:20.279 --> 00:06:25.319 Everyone does the paperwork for us. And so when you have to do 106 00:06:25.399 --> 00:06:29.399 something and put your mind into that world, anything to avoid that is what 107 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:31.120 a player does. And you're right. The first couple of years, my 108 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:33.839 first two out of six, I think it was a two, maybe at 109 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:38.160 least one. I wasn't involved in the four to one K program, and 110 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:42.319 because I wanted my money now, you know, I want the money now, 111 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:46.639 thirty years fifty five, I mean that's never gonna come. The financial 112 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:49.160 system's a house of cars, guys, It's going to collapse any time now 113 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:54.399 I want my money. Now I'm Superman, I'm young, I'm invincible. 114 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:59.680 There was no future planning, there was no perspective on what things are gonna 115 00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:02.319 be like when this thing is over. You are just in the meat grinder 116 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:06.160 every day. You've got to flip that switch and pretend that you are Superman. 117 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:11.639 And Superman doesn't need a four one K, right, So like it 118 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.439 took them opting us in for me to get involved with it, and you're 119 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:19.040 absolutely right about that. I think players need to be protected from themselves a 120 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:23.720 little more. You know, this financial advisor was recommended to me by my 121 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:26.160 agent. My agent, I'm still friends with him. He didn't do this 122 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:30.160 maliciously. He was deceived by this guy. There's a lot of dudes out 123 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:34.959 there floating around who are deceiving players, agents and taking advantage of guys who 124 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:40.720 are just so focused on being Superman that they can't see tomorrow. Nay. 125 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:47.199 What would you do with players who are currently playing or about to answer into 126 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:53.199 the league with based on your situation and your experience from a financial standpoint, 127 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:59.160 what would be your number one message to those guys? Well, I mean, 128 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:01.079 you know, when I sat down with this financial advisor, was in 129 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:03.720 when I was in the middle of year four and I had finally started to 130 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:07.040 make some decent money and save some money, and I thought what I was 131 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:11.160 doing was smart because we had talked. We sat down, we met at 132 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.759 Del Frisco. He said he's going to be in town on business, and 133 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:18.519 he brought his low portfolio and we talked about his strategies, and he talked 134 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:24.160 about conservative, long term, low risk strategies. And that's not what he 135 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:26.920 did, but that's what he sold me on. That's what players should do, 136 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:31.959 conservative long term, low risk strategies. And don't buy a big old 137 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:33.720 house because you're probably gonna move, you know what I mean, Like, 138 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:37.879 don't buy a bunch of cars, don't buy a lot of anything. Like 139 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:43.559 shave your money and put it somewhere where it's going to grow and someone's not 140 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:46.519 gonna risk it. And don't fall for the flashy dude, the guy who 141 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:50.519 wears the nice Italian suits and goes and flies to every game. He was 142 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:52.519 like five or six years older than I was. He was at every NBA 143 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:56.840 All Star game, UFC fight Black Card on every bottle, like that's who 144 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:01.039 he was. And he wooed us with this idea that he kind of knew 145 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.639 he knew the game, and he knew what we were about, and he 146 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:09.600 knew what the lifestyle was like, and so that kind of thing can intoxicate 147 00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:13.519 a young player. But for me, it was like I wanted him so 148 00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:16.320 I didn't even have to think about money at all, because the more I 149 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:20.200 could focus on football and not think about my money, I thought, the 150 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:22.440 better off i'd be it, the better I'd be at football, and then 151 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:26.039 my money could grow. And so I blindly trusted this dude without really, 152 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:31.159 you know, knowing much about him, because I just wanted to focus on 153 00:09:31.240 --> 00:09:35.519 football. And so maybe I guess the NFLPA could create a list of sanction 154 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:39.440 and I know they do create a list of certified financial advisors that they approve 155 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:41.919 and stuff, but a bunch of guys slipped through the cracks. But it 156 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.679 is a gray area where how do you tell a grown man what to do 157 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:48.600 with his money. It's really hard to police it. Yeah, buy an 158 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:52.320 index fun first of all, But second of all, it's you know, 159 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:56.000 yeah, it is interesting, you know to see it because I look and 160 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:58.639 there's a lot of guys that are going broke afterwards, and the financial advisors 161 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:01.240 that are they come in with a with a with a smile and a handshake 162 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.759 and say, hey, I'm gonna you know, I got your money. 163 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:05.480 It's safe, it's going to be fine, and they're using it to fund 164 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:09.759 a jet setting lifestyle. You mentioned the name of the person in the article, 165 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:11.679 and I'm not going to mention his name here on the air. People 166 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:13.000 can go out and read that and get that. But I do know that 167 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:18.559 person has has a deal where he is attempting to write a book based on 168 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:20.759 his experiences. Do you guys think that you're going to be able to collect 169 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:24.799 money off him from that book? You know, I don't think he's actually 170 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:28.879 really trying to write a book. If you google this guy's name, and 171 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:31.480 I have no problem saying his name, his name is Billy Crafton. If 172 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:35.799 you google his name, he has done a lot of work, digital work 173 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:37.960 to make sure that the first couple of pages that pull up have nothing to 174 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:41.919 do with his frog. Billy crafton jiu jitsu, it's Billy Crafton, write 175 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:46.039 the book, Billy Crafton Loves Dogs, it's Billy Crafton, like surf lessons, 176 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:52.240 like it's Billy crafton financial services. So this guy has tried to scrubb 177 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:56.759 the Internet of the reality of what he did to people. And you know, 178 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:58.600 if you did, you'll see the sec You'll see the lawsuits. You'll 179 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:05.039 see that he wore a wire for the FED to nab a couple other agents 180 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:09.399 plotting to defraud their clients in a multimillion dollar fraudulent scheme as well. So 181 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:15.120 this guy's a bad dude, and he's trying to cover his tracks with that. 182 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:16.639 I don't think he's writing a book. I don't know what he would 183 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:20.240 have to say. Now. If he had some contrition and talked about how 184 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.759 it got that way and the mistakes that he made, it could be a 185 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:26.919 really good book. I don't really see him doing that, though, because 186 00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:30.799 he never called me an apologize. You know, he never offered to give 187 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.519 me my money back. He went to jail for a little bit, and 188 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:39.559 you know, I don't know if he's really learned his lesson spiritually or emotionally 189 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:41.840 or it would be willing to talk about that. But I think if he 190 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:45.159 did or could, he would teach a lot of people a lot of things 191 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:46.759 about how it got that way. He'll remind you, though, and he 192 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:50.519 told me that he lost his money too in this ponzi scheme, it was 193 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:56.639 called Westmore It was a real estate development ponzi scheme in southern California, and 194 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:01.080 he lost apparently a good chunk of his money here as well, and so 195 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:03.559 there were no winners in this story. Yeah. Well that was kind of 196 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:07.000 my next question because you mentioned in the article that you got to talk to 197 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:07.879 him, and I wondered where those terms were, But I can, I 198 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:11.279 can read between the lines there. Some of the other people that were that 199 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:16.240 had lawsuits or arbitrations against them include you yourself, a Cole Hamil's, Jason 200 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.440 Terry, Brett Selik, a j Feely soccer player, had their mits. 201 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:20.879 I mean, there are plenty of people that were that were fleeced by this 202 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:24.320 guy over the years. But what I mean, you know, in terms 203 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:28.679 of what guys can do to safeguard themselves on the front end from these vultures 204 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:33.559 praying on them, what would your advice be to young NFL or NBA or 205 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:37.559 any any support players that are approached by these kind of guys. Yeah. 206 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:41.320 I think if you're approached by someone, be suspicious, right, I mean, 207 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:46.559 if they're coming to you to talk about your money, probably be suspicious. 208 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:52.360 Maybe go with someone who's a family friend, someone who's backed by the 209 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:56.639 type by the type of bank or institution that can support or has references for 210 00:12:56.759 --> 00:13:00.679 this guy or this entity. I mean when I'm that billy, he was 211 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:03.120 operating by himself. He had a couple partners, but he was doing his 212 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:07.840 own thing. It wasn't until he was acquired by sun Trust Bank and sun 213 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:13.039 Trust paid him two point seventy five million dollars for his stable quote unquote of 214 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:16.840 athletes, and that's when they started looking. That's when they started looking into 215 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:20.879 his holdings and realizing that he was a fraud. And if he had never 216 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:24.480 you know, merged with sun Trust, who knows what would happen. So 217 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:28.279 so go with someone who's established. Go with someone maybe who's a family friend, 218 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:33.360 someone who doesn't approach you. You do your research and find someone that 219 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:37.159 makes sense for you. You know, I want you to explain to the 220 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:43.159 audience what is like being a player and having that pressure to play through injury. 221 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:48.799 Because a lot of fans they played fantasy football. They get upset with 222 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:52.320 players, especially when players get injured, but they don't know the in the 223 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:56.639 workings of the type of pressure that goes through a guy's mind when he's injured. 224 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:01.679 In hearing you say something I had ever discussed with you before, and 225 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:05.399 it was different from me reading it. Well, you talked about the HGH 226 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:09.399 that you were taking because of your hamstring. But I want you to kind 227 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:16.039 of really elaborate on that, explain to the audience once again how difficult it 228 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:18.799 is to deal with injuries and pressure in this game of football that we love. 229 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:24.559 Yeah. So I had never taken any steroids or any HGH while I 230 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:26.720 was playing, while I was in college, while I was a pro, 231 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:28.600 until I got out, until I got cut by the Broncos, and I 232 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:33.279 had this hamstring problem that just would not go away. I knew it had 233 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:37.679 not healed. I was out of the league. I wanted back in. 234 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:41.200 I was desperate, and I knew there was something wrong, and I thought, 235 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:43.879 in my state of mind that AGH was going to help me heal it. 236 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:48.440 The pressure to be back on the field, you know, while you're 237 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:50.600 playing, you know, I mean, if you get hurt and I sit 238 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.200 out, If I get hurt and I sit out two or three weeks and 239 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:56.039 the guy behind me played better than me, and well then I'm not going 240 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:00.799 back in, you know, And football from the very moment you start playing 241 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:03.960 it. It's about how tough are you, Are you hurt or are you 242 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:07.279 injured. The guys who can endure the most pain and the most injury really 243 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:09.720 are the guys who go the furthest in the game. I mean, every 244 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:13.120 time you get hit on a football field, that hurts. If you get 245 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.519 a helmet, a hard plastic helmet with a metal face mask, being pushed 246 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:22.799 by a guy running at full speed as he possibly can and he flies into 247 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:26.799 your flesh and bone, that hurts. Every single time. You learn to 248 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.639 turn out, turn down the pain, block out the pain, deal with 249 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:33.919 the pain. Pain becomes a constant, pain becomes part of your life, 250 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:35.799 and then you start to manage that pain and start to realize, Okay, 251 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:39.720 is this pain I can work through or is this pain I actually have to 252 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:43.200 rehab it and pull me off the field. And the longer you can stay 253 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:45.559 on the field and deal with the pain, the further you're gonna go. 254 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:48.039 And so you know, training camp, for example, a war of attrition, 255 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:50.879 you're out there beating the craft out of each other, and the guys 256 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.960 who fall apart are not gonna be out there on the field, and the 257 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.480 guys who are able to or endure it are gonna make the team and show 258 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:02.679 their coaches they can be relied on when it matters. The window for an 259 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:04.360 NFL player closes really fast. You know, it's a three and a half 260 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:08.919 of your career on average. And you talked about John Elway earlier and those 261 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:12.919 guys who earn generational wealth because they have three four contracts. Well, if 262 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:17.399 you play three years, you're not getting a second contract. You're not leaving 263 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:19.080 the league with any sort of generational wealth. In fact, what you're leaving 264 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:23.000 the league with was I'll be cool for five years type of money. Okay, 265 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:26.440 that's not the type of money that you want to have when you leave 266 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:30.559 the NFL. You want to be able to set your family up for generations 267 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:34.159 right ideally, and so playing through pain and injury becomes a question of the 268 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:38.279 future of your family, your longevity, your identity. When you're out of 269 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:41.080 the league, you realize who am I without this game? And for me, 270 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:45.440 I needed to do whatever it took to get back in Well, I 271 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:48.000 appreciate the opportunity to get talk both of you guys, Nick every night, 272 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:52.159 Nate you here as well, and reading your story that's Nate Jackson, former 273 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:55.480 wide receiver and tight end, author of the New York Times bestseller Slow Getting 274 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.240 Up and Nate Offline. I want to I guess some information I want to 275 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:00.519 get You had a producer reach out from after reading your tweet you wanted to 276 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:02.960 get a hold of you, wants to talk to you. I don't know 277 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:03.920 spec script stuff. I don't know if it's going to lead anywhere, but 278 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:07.160 I do have some stuff I want to get you offline, so I'll do 279 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:07.960 that here in just a moment.