1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:05,120 Iron Smoked Distillery. Have you tried their acclaimed applewood smoked whiskey. It's one 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,639 of the ones that put them on the map. It's a favorite of mine. 3 00:00:07,679 --> 00:00:12,080 It offers an unforgettable, smooth, smoky flavor. You can enjoy that 4 00:00:12,279 --> 00:00:16,359 rich, traditional taste with every sip. Perfect for any occasion, whether you're 5 00:00:16,399 --> 00:00:20,960 celebrating or just hanging out. Maybe you got that bonfire in the backyard kicking 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,480 back. Yeah, maybe one of those smokeless fire pits. Whatever it is. 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:29,079 Applewood smoked whiskey is the perfect drink to sip while you're enjoying that, 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,320 and Iron Smoke has everything from signature blends to limited editions. They catered to 9 00:00:33,399 --> 00:00:37,640 discerning palates. So when you're ready to elevate your whiskey experience, Iron Smoke 10 00:00:37,759 --> 00:00:41,719 is waiting. That's where quality meets craftsmanship, and when you're looking for a 11 00:00:41,719 --> 00:00:46,439 great night out, Iron Smoke Distillery is the place to be. Tonight Thursday, 12 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:52,200 July eighteenth, a free show with the Blue Barncats playing swingy gypsy tunes, 13 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,159 jangle five, jazz classics, and some gypsy fied crowd pleasers. So 14 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,560 bring your friends and relax on Iron Smoke's cozy bar side lounges. You're taking 15 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,520 this out to the Blue Barncats. And then Tomorrow Friday, July nineteenth, 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,120 why I kick off your weekend with the Acoustic Sunset Sessions with Chris and Corey 17 00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:11,159 and at eight thirty get immersed in the Biggest, Boldest decade with the Arcade. 18 00:01:11,359 --> 00:01:15,439 They're gonna be playing videos of nineteen eighties classic Arcade games, movies, 19 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:21,159 TV clips, and the original music videos we all love as the Arcade plays 20 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:26,079 the hits of the eighties on the stage at Iron Smoke Iron Smoke Distillery for 21 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,519 when you want a night to remember? Iron Smoke Distillery? Where is it 22 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:38,280 in Fairport, New York? Baby ol Connors and Parmis had two six' 23 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,359 two comp today. Well in this episode, I sit down for a one 24 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,359 on one with former Patriot quarterback Bob Blier, who is the president and founding 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:52,079 partner of the Platinum Wealth Group and very close with its four time Super Bowl 26 00:01:52,079 --> 00:01:56,599 winning champion cousin Rocky BLib And I do remember that we went to a Pirates 27 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,120 game last year with his son, the three of us, and we walked 28 00:01:59,159 --> 00:02:04,879 in the stadium and everybody stops and and he talks to everybody and his son 29 00:02:04,959 --> 00:02:07,319 Adrian and I just said, we're gonna go watch the game. Let's go 30 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:14,039 sit day Bob talking about getting it one Division one offer from Richmond University and 31 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:15,840 going there as a freshman. I ran the meat squad. I don't know, 32 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,919 if you're familiar with what the meat squad is, you'll learn how things 33 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,280 turn around in that situation and what NFL team was putting a lot of pressure 34 00:02:23,319 --> 00:02:25,759 on him to sign with them. They said, no, you got to 35 00:02:25,759 --> 00:02:29,000 make a decision right now. I'm like, my agent told me, I 36 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,520 cannot do this. I cannot sign without talking to them. All that and 37 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:37,680 a bunch of motivation coming up right after this. RV enthusiasts July, and 38 00:02:37,719 --> 00:02:42,000 you know what that means. It's model year in clearance month at Myers RV. 39 00:02:42,199 --> 00:02:46,599 That's right, all fifteen Myers RV locations are making room for the new 40 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:52,280 twenty twenty five models. Everything's gotta go lowest prices of the year on all 41 00:02:52,319 --> 00:02:55,599 close out models. We're talking travel trailers, fifth wheels, and motor homes, 42 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:00,800 all priced for immediate delivery. You can shot the best from the nation's 43 00:03:00,879 --> 00:03:06,719 leading manufacturer's grand design Winnebago Jacob Brinkley, Keystone, Farest River and Thor Myers 44 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,360 RV has them all if you're in the Rochester area. Myers RV's three convenient 45 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,479 locations in Caledonia, Farmington and Webster have the best brands in the market to 46 00:03:15,599 --> 00:03:21,280 grab these incredible deals. Visit myersarvs dot com for more information. And here's 47 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,479 something new. Myers RV is now renting Class C motor homes at all three 48 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,840 Rochester area locations, perfect for your summer getaway. So what are you waiting 49 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:36,680 for? Head over to Myers RV and drive away with your dream RV today. 50 00:03:37,159 --> 00:03:39,960 Remember it's model year end clearance month at Myers RV. The lowest prices 51 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:44,800 of the year won't last long. Myers RV. Your adventure starts here. 52 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:50,240 Visit Myers RVs dot com Now when your old career gives you lemons throwing some 53 00:03:50,319 --> 00:03:55,560 ice, mix in some vodka. Call it a podcast from the Mac of 54 00:03:55,599 --> 00:04:01,439 All Trade studio in Fairport and driven by Dred Chrysler Dots Jee Brahm. It's 55 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:12,560 Billified, the Bill Moran Podcast. Well, hello and welcome. Thanks for 56 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,199 getting your pot on, Thanks for telling a friend. That's how we spread 57 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:20,000 the word. About the pirate ship. So excited today you get to do 58 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:25,079 a one on one. But the guy who spent some time in the NFL, 59 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:30,600 which at a time and a position that they were not very kind to 60 00:04:30,319 --> 00:04:34,439 quarterbacks, that would be bob Bleier. How are you. I'm doing great 61 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:39,240 though. It's wonderful to join you today. Well, thank you for coming 62 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,560 in. Uh. I always think like you had to be the BMOC, 63 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:47,519 right because the quarterback was always the BMOC and no big man on campus a 64 00:04:47,519 --> 00:04:51,240 little bit. I mean the quarterback of you know, first I would assume 65 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,439 Aquinas, which always had a strong football team. I had a son who 66 00:04:55,439 --> 00:04:59,240 did go to McQuaid, so there was that battle for there was that battle 67 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,040 for so many years. And then then he went on to the Richmond Spiders 68 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,839 and eventually the New England Patriots, which I go, boy, that that 69 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:11,040 that's that's like living the dream, is it not? It really was, 70 00:05:11,079 --> 00:05:13,600 But you know, a lot of things had to happen along the way. 71 00:05:13,639 --> 00:05:16,759 I'm very blessed that the timing of things happened well for me. You know 72 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:23,279 at Aquinas, I didn't start until my junior year at quarterback. My senior 73 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:27,920 year we had an okay team but we had a great running game. So 74 00:05:27,959 --> 00:05:30,000 we had one guy that went to Arizona State University on a full ride down 75 00:05:30,079 --> 00:05:34,160 beyond. So all I did was hand the ball off my senior year and 76 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:39,319 and ironically I had one good game and it was at Old Hollanders Stadium. 77 00:05:39,319 --> 00:05:42,879 I don't know if you remember stadium. Yeah, we played against Canisius. 78 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,160 I had one good game. And at the time, rich Paranello was my 79 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:51,360 quarterback coach, and he sent a real tour, real film to the University 80 00:05:51,399 --> 00:05:57,759 of Richmond. Wow. And Richmond took notice of me, flew me down 81 00:05:57,759 --> 00:06:01,000 for my one and only Division one trip, and offered me a full ride 82 00:06:01,079 --> 00:06:06,360 right there on my first recruiting visit. How describe that feeling? Because I 83 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,480 had to think. For a lot of people, like life, I always 84 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,879 go the memory is a feeling. Right when we hear a song, we 85 00:06:12,959 --> 00:06:15,480 go back in time. Why because it brings back a feeling. That feeling 86 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,959 had to be like you won the lottery. I don't, I can't even 87 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,519 I don't even know. I was actually did your feet touch the ground? 88 00:06:23,639 --> 00:06:26,600 I was actually going to go to Hobart and play basketball. Basketball was my 89 00:06:26,759 --> 00:06:30,560 real true love. Really, I was going to go play D three basketball. 90 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,920 So when I got offered, I was there alone. I didn't expect 91 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,199 anything. I didn't know what what what was going to happen was my parents 92 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:41,720 weren't with me. So after I met with the quarterbacks coach and the head 93 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,360 coach and they gave me that offer, I honestly didn't even know how to 94 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,199 respond. I was blown away. I took the offer right then in there 95 00:06:47,199 --> 00:06:49,240 and called my folks and they're like, what, You're going to go to 96 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:57,600 a major college school for free? And my dad was a worker Yeah, 97 00:06:57,639 --> 00:07:00,240 I mean there was a worker bee. So that was really helpful for Let 98 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:01,879 me let me go back a little bit here. Tell me about your parents, 99 00:07:01,959 --> 00:07:05,879 what like? Who was the biggest inspiration probably in the home at that 100 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,240 time. Dad, No doubt, My daddy got up at four thirty every 101 00:07:10,319 --> 00:07:13,319 day. He was a labor I don't think you're in more than forty or 102 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,079 forty five thousand dollars a year bringing up three kids in a really crazy small 103 00:07:17,079 --> 00:07:21,959 household. My mom was a stay at home mom. In order to get 104 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,160 extra money for the family, she babysat, teachers children at the home. 105 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,040 Yep, so it was like a daycare. Big daycare at our house. 106 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,879 But my father, you know, it's like a work card. I always 107 00:07:32,879 --> 00:07:36,399 called my my house because I had three boys at a frat house. Somebody 108 00:07:36,439 --> 00:07:41,040 was always walking around without a shirt on, and someone just puke in someone's 109 00:07:41,079 --> 00:07:43,240 you know, it was just a mess. But it was the water running 110 00:07:43,279 --> 00:07:46,839 and stuff everywhere. Yeah, everything. And so my dad used to get 111 00:07:46,839 --> 00:07:50,079 home, and I remember this distinctly. He used to get home at four 112 00:07:50,079 --> 00:07:54,639 o'clock, sit at the table, start reading the newspaper. Four thirty. 113 00:07:54,639 --> 00:07:58,240 Dinner was on the table, and everybody called it, especially my father. 114 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,399 He called it an early night and just kind of rinse and repeat. He 115 00:08:01,439 --> 00:08:07,759 did that his entire life, really, and then he had a lot of 116 00:08:07,759 --> 00:08:13,399 injuries from his career and retired at fifty five. And what did he He 117 00:08:13,439 --> 00:08:16,199 was a laborer but doing what he was a tin knocker. He was in 118 00:08:16,279 --> 00:08:20,120 the local forty six union. He worked for Leo j Roth Corporation for thirty 119 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,279 eight years, which is a long time doing that. Yeah, it is 120 00:08:22,439 --> 00:08:28,399 long. And then unfortunately he succumbed to cancer roughly about ten years ago. 121 00:08:28,399 --> 00:08:33,039 But he was definitely my inspiration. He knows to a grindstone at every game 122 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,039 he played every single game. He was fair to people, He loved everyone, 123 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:39,559 and I never met a person that didn't like my dad. So he's 124 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:45,639 definitely is my inspiration. Yeah, and your brothers all play sports as well. 125 00:08:46,039 --> 00:08:48,200 I had one younger brother who didn't play sports, and I have an 126 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,879 older sister. I'm sorry, so what I did? You know? It 127 00:08:52,919 --> 00:08:54,679 was kind of weird. You know, everybody said to my family, you 128 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,120 know, where did I come from? Because everybody was kind of short in 129 00:08:58,159 --> 00:09:01,559 my family. Yeah, and I would the only one that was over six 130 00:09:01,799 --> 00:09:05,480 foot at six two, and and my dad really was a He was a 131 00:09:05,519 --> 00:09:11,679 tough, tough encourager. Yeah, and when I didn't do what even when 132 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,080 I did well, if I made mistakes, he'd let me know about it. 133 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:18,799 And I truly appreciated that because sometimes always think that's when you do let 134 00:09:18,799 --> 00:09:22,360 people know they made a mistake when they're doing well. I completely agree. 135 00:09:22,399 --> 00:09:26,679 And I've been that high right right, I've been that tough kind of father 136 00:09:26,759 --> 00:09:30,440 to my kids, and I think they've all appreciated it. But but I'm 137 00:09:30,519 --> 00:09:35,000 I firmly am an offspring of my dad. Okay, yeah, so just 138 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,799 that same toughness that knows to the grindstone kind of thing. Uh. I 139 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,200 just as a kid growing up, did you see your cousin? Often? 140 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,919 I did, because Rocky Blyer is your cousin. They played for the Steelers, 141 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,480 won a Super Bowl, He won four super bowl Yeah, yeah something 142 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,600 Yeah, so said, oh this is the year though, Bill. Yeah, 143 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,159 Well, I really hope, I really do hope. But for super 144 00:10:00,159 --> 00:10:03,480 Bowls is really impressive. And I got to think, like that had to 145 00:10:03,519 --> 00:10:07,679 be. Did it register to you even though you were basketball? What did 146 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,600 that mean to you? It really did? It did? Yeah? I 147 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:15,399 mean I knew that we were. Our lineage was close. My father was 148 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,960 contacted by his side of the family. He went to Notre Dame, won 149 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,960 a national championship with Notre Dame in sixty eight. But more importantly than being 150 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:30,039 a Steeler and winning Super Bowls, he is a wounded warrior from the US 151 00:10:30,159 --> 00:10:33,919 Army from Vietnam, and roughly about ten years ago, maybe fifteen years ago, 152 00:10:35,039 --> 00:10:37,919 he and I really connected and became very close, almost like a brother 153 00:10:39,039 --> 00:10:45,360 relationship, he and I and we're now business partners in a family bourbon. 154 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:50,200 We've partnered with Iron Smoke and Rocky and I. We think the same, 155 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,879 we feel the same. We're all about life, liberty, America, the 156 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:58,720 human way, and he's just an incredible, incredible person and we are very 157 00:10:58,759 --> 00:11:03,039 close. Was at this point, yeah, yeah, because the Boerman is 158 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:07,080 the purple Heart bourbon. Did he get the purple Heart? He did? 159 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,600 He received both a Bronze Star and purple Heart. Yeah. He was never 160 00:11:11,639 --> 00:11:15,720 supposed to walk again, and he got injured before he made that Super Bowl 161 00:11:15,799 --> 00:11:18,559 run with the Steelers, So that's even more impressive because I thought there was 162 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,039 a time where he was on the injured reserve. He had come back. 163 00:11:20,039 --> 00:11:24,039 He was like one hundred and eighty pounds. It almost look sort of frail. 164 00:11:24,519 --> 00:11:28,039 When I remember reading all this stuff about Rocky as as a kid because 165 00:11:28,039 --> 00:11:31,440 he played in the early seventies. My dad not such a big sports fan. 166 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,440 I always was, so there wasn't that influence on me to go, 167 00:11:35,799 --> 00:11:39,759 you know, hear about these guys. But I remember hearing about Rocky and 168 00:11:39,799 --> 00:11:41,399 of course his time in nom and my uncle was in Nam. Right. 169 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:45,559 His story is just really incredible And if you speak to him, I mean, 170 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:48,159 he's in Rochester a lot. He hangs out with me and my buddies 171 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,120 a lot. Uh, and he just he's one of the guys you know, 172 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,960 he's so humble. And I do remember that we went to a Pirates 173 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:56,480 game last year with his son, the three of us, and we walked 174 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:01,919 in the stadium and everybody stops and one and he talks to everybody and his 175 00:12:03,039 --> 00:12:05,320 son Adrian, and I just said, we're gonna go watch the game. 176 00:12:05,399 --> 00:12:11,600 Let's go. Well, Rocky is got to be near eighty years old, 177 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,559 seventy eight seventy eight years old. Yeah, he looks like you can still 178 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,759 run the ball time probably, Yeah, isn't that great? He works out 179 00:12:16,799 --> 00:12:20,080 every day. Yeah, that's a thing. Tell me about, like going 180 00:12:20,159 --> 00:12:26,720 from Richmond and then getting recruited, I mean drafted to the NFL. This 181 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,159 this whole thing, like you wanted to be a basketball player, that the 182 00:12:30,799 --> 00:12:33,600 one Division one offer, they fly you down, this whole thing. I 183 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,799 mean, have did you ever talk to the quarterbacks coach Paranlela? It was 184 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,000 a Paranlela, Richard Paranlel. He has passed since it was one of my 185 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,559 dearest friends and I owe so much to him. He's just been a big 186 00:12:45,639 --> 00:12:50,000 family friend and a big, big cheerleader for me, my wife. Yeah, 187 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,919 rich has been a great guy. And his wife, Kathy's amazing too. 188 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,039 So when I when I got to Richmond, I really thought I didn't 189 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:00,279 belong. Honestly, yeah, I would say I didn't. I know I 190 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,799 could compete with the size and strength of the guys that were there. There 191 00:13:03,799 --> 00:13:07,600 were already three or four veteran quarterbacks. I was a rookie coming in, 192 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,279 you know, a freshman, and I didn't think I was going to play 193 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,279 and I didn't, so I ran the meat squad. I don't know if 194 00:13:13,279 --> 00:13:18,320 you're familiar with what the meat squad is. It's the quarterback that runs the 195 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:24,759 opposing office before us okay, and I used to get destroyed. I literally 196 00:13:24,799 --> 00:13:28,840 would get blown up every practice. And after that freshman year, I went 197 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,639 home and I told my dad, I'm done. I'm going to the U 198 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:33,919 of R. I'll play Division III football. Go to U R and play 199 00:13:33,919 --> 00:13:37,440 football. And my dad said, what are you stupid? There's no way 200 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:41,519 you're going to leave that Richmond degree behind. You're going to go to Richmond 201 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:43,840 and you're going to keep working harder. And literally what I did that entire 202 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,159 summers. I went up to Greece Olympia on my own. I ran the 203 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:52,360 track, I threw every day, I did wind sprints. I worked so 204 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:54,480 hard in that off season. When I got back to Richmond, I had 205 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,639 moved up to three on the depth chart. What year is this? This 206 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:03,279 is nineteen eighty three. Okay, So and you're doing that all on your 207 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,720 own, all on my own. I was the only one up at Olympia 208 00:14:05,759 --> 00:14:11,000 every day. Why so where does that that come from? Because now we've 209 00:14:11,039 --> 00:14:15,200 got YouTube and we've got everything, so kids can go see, hey, 210 00:14:15,279 --> 00:14:18,879 here's what this guy did. Right, Not nineteen eighty two, not at 211 00:14:18,919 --> 00:14:22,679 all. I mean I can remember the smell of the cut grass, the 212 00:14:22,759 --> 00:14:26,279 dew and the heat off the grass of the track at Olympia, and I 213 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,639 used to look around and say, I know, there's a lot of athletes 214 00:14:28,679 --> 00:14:31,200 in this community that are playing in college. Where is everybody? And I 215 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,759 actually was the only one. Yeah, And I was just going to anybody 216 00:14:35,759 --> 00:14:37,720 when you were thrown or just trying to put it on into spots and then 217 00:14:37,799 --> 00:14:41,840 chasing the ball. Yeah it's crazy, right, Yeah, you throw to 218 00:14:41,879 --> 00:14:43,080 a spot and then go chase the ball and do it again. It was 219 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,879 not a lot of repetition, but but I was pretty committed to it. 220 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,960 And as I said, when I got back to Richmond, I moved up 221 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,720 to third on the depth chart, which I couldn't believe at that point in 222 00:14:54,759 --> 00:14:56,720 time. I got a little bit of bigger and faster and stronger. And 223 00:14:56,759 --> 00:15:01,559 at that point in time, Richmond was a major independent like Notre Dames. 224 00:15:01,639 --> 00:15:07,240 We played SEC teams. We played Georgia and Louisville and South Carolina. It 225 00:15:07,279 --> 00:15:11,399 was an incredible schedule. Virginia Tech, I played Bruce Smith for four years, 226 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,600 so we got When I got to Richmond my sophomore year, my red 227 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,519 shirt freshman year, we had the longest losing streak in the nation at I 228 00:15:20,559 --> 00:15:24,480 think sixteen or eighteen games, and we were playing I think the University of 229 00:15:24,519 --> 00:15:28,120 Central Florida, I believe it was at home at Richmond, and I wore 230 00:15:28,159 --> 00:15:33,440 a baseball cap on the sidelines the whole game, every game, and charted 231 00:15:33,519 --> 00:15:37,600 out place and the coach tapped me on the shoulder. We were down about 232 00:15:37,639 --> 00:15:39,799 ten or fourteen. We weren't going to win. He tapped me on the 233 00:15:39,799 --> 00:15:41,759 should he go, you're going in four minutes left in a game? Yeah, 234 00:15:43,639 --> 00:15:46,279 I really, I mean I was. I crapped a brick, actually, 235 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,799 I mean I was so nervous. So I go in, We're backed 236 00:15:50,879 --> 00:15:54,360 up to our goal line and this is how I remember it, and it's 237 00:15:54,440 --> 00:16:00,240 quite close. Okay. So we started throwing the ball and at that point 238 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,159 in time, we were an option team. I don't know if you're familiar 239 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,639 with what the option. It's about running the ball and driving it down people's 240 00:16:04,639 --> 00:16:08,039 throats in the eighties, right, So we did straight drop back. I 241 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,360 completed I think seven or eight passes in a row, the last one for 242 00:16:11,399 --> 00:16:15,919 a touchdown. Yeah, and uh, they pushed me into the starting lineup 243 00:16:15,919 --> 00:16:19,360 and changed the whole offense to just straight drop back and throw the ball. 244 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:23,200 For four years, I started forty four games in a row. This is 245 00:16:23,279 --> 00:16:27,080 amazing. So just saw on that. Did you win? End up winning 246 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,799 that game? Did you come back and win? Yeah? I've been figuring 247 00:16:30,879 --> 00:16:34,759 four minutes left? Goods. I possibly could under pressure okay in that moment. 248 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:41,159 So what here's the here's the big thing I believe, and this is 249 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,159 going to sound weird, that all of life has lived in our head. 250 00:16:44,759 --> 00:16:48,200 Oh my god. Yes, And that there truly is no meaning other than 251 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:52,799 the meeting you apply to it. So when you go in and you're crapping 252 00:16:52,799 --> 00:16:56,559 a brick, Yeah, how did what goes on? In your head that 253 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:00,080 all of a sudden, you go, Okay, what what do you do? 254 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,480 You remember? Yes, I do. I knew I had nothing to 255 00:17:02,559 --> 00:17:04,759 lose, and I knew I had to complete that first most dangerous guys, 256 00:17:04,799 --> 00:17:07,759 the guys nothing to lose, right, And I know I had to complete 257 00:17:07,759 --> 00:17:11,559 that first pass. And as soon as I did, I was dialed in 258 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,720 the game. I had nothing to lose and I was just standing in the 259 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,920 pocket winging the ball and it all played out quite nicely for me. But 260 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:23,039 you know, I've always told myself as well. When I got to Richmond, 261 00:17:23,039 --> 00:17:26,799 there was a sign above our locker room door that said, if the 262 00:17:26,799 --> 00:17:30,920 opportunity comes, take it. If it doesn't come, make it, And 263 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,640 that was that's my life mantra. It's in everything I do, all my 264 00:17:33,759 --> 00:17:38,519 youth speeches, everything I talk about is about that one phrase. And I 265 00:17:38,799 --> 00:17:42,960 definitely and this is a great lesson for my children as well, and we 266 00:17:44,039 --> 00:17:47,839 talk about it as I took advantage of the one opportunity I knew I was 267 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,799 never going to get again. If I would have crapped out and did terrible 268 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:56,839 and we couldn't move the ball, it would have been But think about how 269 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,160 many people do. That's why I'm saying the mindset is so important that you 270 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:07,200 because you we see people sometimes I don't know if we call it where you're 271 00:18:07,279 --> 00:18:11,880 you're trying too hard, you're gripping right, you're great. You just want 272 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,960 to stay sort of relaxed and fluid in the moment. Not much easier said 273 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,799 than done. It is, And uh, I think that's amazing. How 274 00:18:18,799 --> 00:18:22,839 old were you then, nineteen nineteen, nineteen years old? Years old? 275 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,720 Yeah, I mean, and I'm playing against the big boys, sure, 276 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:30,440 all the big right, Yeah, And it was it was an incredible experience. 277 00:18:30,599 --> 00:18:33,880 And for the coach to have faith in me the way he did, 278 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,960 I think was a blessing to me. So I always believe too, because 279 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,759 I used to say with like with my kids, if we can just get 280 00:18:41,799 --> 00:18:45,440 a win, right, we talk about You'll hear a lot about small successes, 281 00:18:45,519 --> 00:18:48,079 right, got it? Self esteem? Self esteem? We got to 282 00:18:48,079 --> 00:18:51,640 build self esteeming kids and this and that. You know, people always say, 283 00:18:52,599 --> 00:18:53,720 how do you what do we do with social media? It's this. 284 00:18:53,839 --> 00:18:57,400 It's that you got to build self esteem in the kid so that way they 285 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,359 feel good. And the only way to do that is to build on the 286 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,880 successes. Correct, right, you know, encourage and I would just ask 287 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:08,880 you after that moment, how much harder did you work? Yeah? Lights 288 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,279 out? Yeah, I'm telling you, I put on I think fifteen pounds. 289 00:19:14,279 --> 00:19:18,519 I worked harder. I took it lifting or Yes. I took a 290 00:19:18,519 --> 00:19:22,000 lot of pride in being the starting quarterback at a major Division I school. 291 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,599 I was never going to lose my job. They recruited every year and then 292 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:30,680 eventually, you know, by my sophomore junior year, quarterbacks wouldn't come. 293 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,079 They knew they weren't going to get a chance to play for a few years. 294 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,440 Because I did have a fifth year that I that I did play, 295 00:19:37,559 --> 00:19:41,319 okay, because I had a red shirt year and graduated in four so it 296 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,559 was there was a lot. It was a lot of pressure, just as 297 00:19:44,599 --> 00:19:47,200 I was very proud of what I was doing. As an aside, because 298 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,119 I don't know that people know when you take that redchert, did you have 299 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,200 to take any classes at all? Just that you did. I went to 300 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,759 graduate school for kay okay, yep, and Richmond took care of that as 301 00:19:56,759 --> 00:19:59,920 well, which was really great. Wow. Yeah, So I mean I 302 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,920 I took it very seriously. I was very proud of our team, my 303 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:08,160 freshman year. My red shirt freshman year, we had thirty red shirt freshmen 304 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:14,119 that stayed and played after redshirt year, and then we ended up becoming number 305 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,359 We went to one double A my junior year and we were number one in 306 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:21,480 the country, but still had a one A schedule because they're made so far 307 00:20:21,519 --> 00:20:25,400 in advance, so we're one double A program, which cut our scholarships by 308 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:30,039 I think twenty and we were still competing with the big boys. We played 309 00:20:30,039 --> 00:20:33,359 at Virginia Tech. I remember my junior year opening day and we beat them 310 00:20:33,839 --> 00:20:37,119 in Blacksburg under the lights their opening game. That's really crowds, I mean, 311 00:20:37,279 --> 00:20:41,079 unbelievable. These schools in the South, yes, right, we're talking 312 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:45,839 one hundred thousands sometimes in same My sister went to the University of South Carolina 313 00:20:45,799 --> 00:20:48,640 and I think I don't remember I about the stadium was like one hundred thousand. 314 00:20:48,599 --> 00:20:52,920 It's crazy, it is. I think the most fun I've ever had 315 00:20:52,039 --> 00:20:56,599 was playing at Georgia between the hedges when we played the Bulldogs in Georgia. 316 00:20:56,079 --> 00:21:00,359 I think it was fourteen seven and half and you could hear pindrop at their 317 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:04,240 homecoming. So was this he might have been before you not herschel Walker time. 318 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,079 No, no, no, no, yeah, yeah he was. 319 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:08,519 He was a little bit before yeah, a little before you. Yeah. 320 00:21:08,599 --> 00:21:14,480 Yeah. But Georgia, I mean the program history at Georgia is incredible. 321 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:19,240 Sure. So yeah, and again I'm blessed. I took advantage of the 322 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,720 chance that came to me, and I just I never let it go. 323 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:30,240 So but did you ever think because and again back to mindset, sometimes fear 324 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,559 comes in and you start to or did you always kind of push that out 325 00:21:33,599 --> 00:21:38,519 and focus on, uh, just being the best you could be and keeping 326 00:21:38,559 --> 00:21:42,480 that the negative out. You know what I'm saying, like exactly what you're 327 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,799 saying, and I know I'm not communicating well, but that resistant thinking in 328 00:21:45,799 --> 00:21:48,400 a way. You know, I always watch like you know, Michael Jordan, 329 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,839 and one of my favorite things to show all my kids is the Last 330 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:57,160 Dance over and over just because there's that mindset of uh, there was never 331 00:21:57,319 --> 00:22:00,680 any doubt that he was going to do this. There was just no doubt. 332 00:22:00,839 --> 00:22:03,640 Right, he'd never let it in. I think you learned from failure. 333 00:22:04,079 --> 00:22:07,640 Sure, you think in order to keep excelling at your craft, whether 334 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:11,480 it's your your career or your sport or even as a parent and father. 335 00:22:12,599 --> 00:22:15,519 You need to learn from failure and build off of that. And if you 336 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,559 don't, then you're gonna be coasting. And you don't coast uphill, right, 337 00:22:18,559 --> 00:22:22,799 you coast downhill, you do. So it was important to me to 338 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,680 learn from my failures. And I mean there were a number of articles at 339 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,920 times. You know, I didn't play a perfect game every time I was 340 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,599 at Richmond, and I remember some of the articles, you know, slammed 341 00:22:33,599 --> 00:22:37,759 me if I had a bad game, and that was just part of the 342 00:22:37,799 --> 00:22:40,400 deal. It didn't bother me. I knew I could build off it, 343 00:22:40,599 --> 00:22:44,279 and I had a great career there. So again, you know, now, 344 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,880 I always say fans can get right to the pocket of players, right 345 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,880 with social media, right, And I think we saw years ago it was 346 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:56,519 the Sammy Watkins calling like Rochester Buffalo people were rock eaters or something, so 347 00:22:56,599 --> 00:23:00,279 mad about all this stuff. But to see that negativity, did you you 348 00:23:00,319 --> 00:23:03,519 actually read those articles? Oh yeah, yeah, you didn't try to avoid 349 00:23:03,519 --> 00:23:07,839 it. It wasn't it was. It had to be there because we were 350 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,440 the team in Richmond. Yeah, so if I had a bad game, 351 00:23:11,559 --> 00:23:15,319 you know, all the sports writers were very fond and friendly of our team 352 00:23:15,599 --> 00:23:18,400 and myself. But you know, they called the spade a spade. You 353 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:19,759 know, if you did something wrong or you made an error that may have 354 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,759 may have hurt the team, they call you out on it. And it 355 00:23:22,759 --> 00:23:26,359 didn't happen often, but when it did, I knew. I knew it. 356 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:27,680 You know, it didn't matter if they wrote about it or I had 357 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,799 to hear about it, but I knew that I made a mistake or made 358 00:23:30,839 --> 00:23:34,359 a misread or a bad throw in a crucial time. But you can't be 359 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,640 perfect all the time. I think if you're you're perfect in your head, 360 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,079 you can get perfect most of the time. Sure. Yeah, well, 361 00:23:42,279 --> 00:23:47,359 vision like seeing it, watching it. So then what is the leap to 362 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,559 the NFL? How does that go? Well? I think I got really 363 00:23:49,599 --> 00:23:52,799 fortunate at Richmond, playing so many games, but it was a lot different 364 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:57,440 when I played. We didn't have overtime, we didn't throw the ball as 365 00:23:57,519 --> 00:24:03,839 much in the eighties as they do now, and so I had a really 366 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,759 good career. When I graduated from Richmond, I think I had fourteen or 367 00:24:06,759 --> 00:24:12,519 fifteen school records as a quarterback, and that got a lot of schools looking 368 00:24:12,559 --> 00:24:15,480 at me. And the other reason was too because we played such a big 369 00:24:15,519 --> 00:24:19,839 schedule. You know, when you're playing against the Outland Trophy winner at Virginia, 370 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,519 Bruce Smith, best lineman in the country. You're playing against Charles Haley, 371 00:24:23,799 --> 00:24:27,440 who played with Dallas and has five Super Bowl rings. When you're playing 372 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:33,920 against all these great SEC teams and these players, you're gonna get noticed if 373 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,319 you play. Well, tell me about draft day. How did that all 374 00:24:37,759 --> 00:24:40,640 work out? Because you know, I don't know if you can look at 375 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:45,039 that coaster that's under your bottle of water. Oh nice, yeah, is 376 00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:49,599 that something? Yeah? A listener made these and we have a Patriot fan. 377 00:24:49,759 --> 00:24:52,920 Oh wow, it comes on the podcast regularly. But that's a yeah. 378 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,680 But this guy makes makes these, but it's a Patriot. Want to 379 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,680 get myself one? Yeah? But then I mean getting drafted to the Patriots 380 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,400 again, Well, I didn't get drafted. I signed a free agent contract 381 00:25:03,319 --> 00:25:07,400 and and and the thing, the thing that happened on draft day is, 382 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,799 you know, I went to the Combine, which I'm sure you're familiar with, 383 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,119 but the combine was a little bit quieter at that point in a show. 384 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,000 It's such a show, it really is, And thank god, I 385 00:25:17,039 --> 00:25:21,559 don't know how I would have handled all of the stardom and starlight of what 386 00:25:21,759 --> 00:25:25,359 NFL players are doing now. And I do believe they're bigger, faster, 387 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,920 and stronger than they were in the eighties. I truly believe that. But 388 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:32,039 when I went to the combine, I mean, if you hear the list 389 00:25:32,079 --> 00:25:37,119 of quarterbacks that I was working out with, it was, uh, Steve 390 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:48,400 Berline, Rick Rick Miller, it was Vinny Testaverdie. It was. It 391 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,440 was unbelievable. I mean, there's list of quarterbacks that I was in line 392 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:56,000 with working out for these NFL scouts. It was. It was intimidating to 393 00:25:56,079 --> 00:25:59,839 me. It was there weren't a lot of smaller Division I school quarterbacks there 394 00:26:00,079 --> 00:26:03,799 one of the only ones. Yeah. So so then well I have to 395 00:26:03,799 --> 00:26:06,400 think, like, did you learn anything from these guys? I didn't have 396 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,079 a good combine. You didn't have a good combo. Okay, I was 397 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,599 supposed to get drafted. I was one of the top five. I was 398 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:15,799 kind of like a sleeper quarterback. So I was expecting to get drafted. 399 00:26:17,279 --> 00:26:22,200 I spoke with a number of teams. Dallas, Cleveland, New England wasn't 400 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,559 even on our radar. My my agent was actually Larry Zanka. I don't 401 00:26:26,559 --> 00:26:33,400 know if that. Yeah. He and this gentleman named Nick Kish were my 402 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,680 my agents. So Draft day I just stayed home. I got a lot 403 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,400 of calls. We're going to take you next round, take you next round, 404 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,960 take you next round. It never happened. So Dallas called me right 405 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,200 after the draft and said, we want you to come to Dallas. We're 406 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:51,000 going to sign you as a free agent. So I flew down there and 407 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:53,519 I met with Tom Landry in his office by himself. Wow, it was 408 00:26:53,559 --> 00:27:02,519 incredible, sure historical. Yeah, I's telling you about this. So they 409 00:27:02,519 --> 00:27:04,920 said, Bobby, want you to put a gold star or silver star in 410 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,279 your homet want you to sign with us today. And I'm like, I 411 00:27:07,279 --> 00:27:11,279 got to talk to my agent. And then Gil Brandt was there too, 412 00:27:11,559 --> 00:27:14,759 who was I guess he was development or something at that time, and he 413 00:27:14,799 --> 00:27:15,720 said, they said, no, you got to make a decision right now. 414 00:27:15,759 --> 00:27:18,599 I'm like, my agent told me I cannot do this. I cannot 415 00:27:18,599 --> 00:27:22,759 sign without talking to them. And there were a dozen, twelve kids, 416 00:27:22,799 --> 00:27:26,720 twelve guys that were there that were gonna that all signed. I think I 417 00:27:26,759 --> 00:27:29,960 was the only one that didn't sign with Dallas. So before I flew home, 418 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:30,720 I said the one thing I want to do is I want to go 419 00:27:30,759 --> 00:27:37,759 and see the stadium where God watches his favorite team. So I got a 420 00:27:37,759 --> 00:27:41,640 private tour of the stadium at Texas Stadium. I got got in the car, 421 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:45,799 flew home, and on my way home, my agent called me said, 422 00:27:45,799 --> 00:27:47,640 you're going to New England. We're signing with New England. So I 423 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,440 went right there. Really, yeah, that is came out of the came 424 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:55,799 back. It's a crazy switch. Right. What did you have a favorite 425 00:27:55,799 --> 00:27:59,759 team or a team you wanted to play for? I really didn't know. 426 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:03,599 I grew up loving the Vikings and the Steelers. Steelers, sure, because 427 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,960 your cousin. Why the Vikings. I loved Fran Tarkenton, Sure, okay, 428 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:11,519 got you know, he was just not the prototypical quarterback, but he 429 00:28:11,559 --> 00:28:15,759 got a lot done. He was like good Jim Kelly. You know, 430 00:28:15,079 --> 00:28:21,319 Minnesota never won a Super Bowl, but they were there were Yeah, wow, 431 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:25,480 that's that's amazing. So then you go to New England and what is 432 00:28:25,519 --> 00:28:27,920 that experience? Like? I mean that now you're at the NFL. Because 433 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:33,119 I always say this, do you know how good you have to be to 434 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,119 suck at the NFL? I'm not saying that's what happened. But I watched 435 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,039 guys. I mean, there are guys from Rochester that I talked to who 436 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:45,319 were linebackers in college and bounced around and never really signed, and there looked 437 00:28:45,359 --> 00:28:48,960 like amazing athletes and just that whatever that edge is. I mean, you 438 00:28:49,039 --> 00:28:53,079 weren't in the top one percent. Blessed, completely blessed. But I think, 439 00:28:53,119 --> 00:28:56,720 you know, there is a little bit of luck involved. But again 440 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,119 I think work, hard work was part of it, and mental toughness, 441 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,839 especially at my position. But you know, when I got there, I 442 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,759 looked around and I realized there were seven other guys that had my eight that 443 00:29:08,839 --> 00:29:12,680 were my agent, and we're all looking at each other. We're like, 444 00:29:14,359 --> 00:29:17,279 why are we here? You know the depth chart, there are five quarterbacks 445 00:29:17,319 --> 00:29:21,440 here. Doug Flutie was one of them, and the running back was like, 446 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:25,440 there's five running backs here. We couldn't figure out if it was like 447 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:30,119 a package deal for a group of his players, because we all felt like 448 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,240 it was going to be really hard to make the roster because we didn't have 449 00:29:33,279 --> 00:29:36,359 a spot. There was no slots, and typically as a rookie, you 450 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,519 get on on special teams or you slide into the depth chart and the top 451 00:29:40,559 --> 00:29:44,000 three and you can kind of make the team. So I ended up being 452 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:51,880 the only rookie on the roster into preseason, and Steve Grogan and Tony Easton 453 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:56,000 were the starters and then obviously the third string quarterback. I'm not going to 454 00:29:56,039 --> 00:29:59,359 mention who he is, but he didn't like me at all because his his 455 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,319 position. Was he in jeopardy. Yes, sure, and it's a you 456 00:30:02,319 --> 00:30:03,960 know, it's a career for these guys. It's their job and their their 457 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,440 their income in the whole nine yards. So I was passed. I moved 458 00:30:07,519 --> 00:30:11,240 up a little bit in the depth chart, became the only rookie on the 459 00:30:11,319 --> 00:30:14,880 roster. I played in a couple of games. Uh. That was the 460 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,759 strike year two. Okay, yes, So Doug Flutie and I crossed the 461 00:30:18,839 --> 00:30:25,039 line and ended up being the two quarterbacks during the strike season, and I 462 00:30:25,079 --> 00:30:27,920 got to play against Buffalo and Cleveland. I scored a touchdown and threw a 463 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,440 touchdown. So I mean, I was there and did it, and I'm 464 00:30:30,559 --> 00:30:34,559 very proud of it. But it wasn't a long stint. Yes, I 465 00:30:34,599 --> 00:30:38,000 stayed on the roster for the year and then and then after that. I 466 00:30:38,039 --> 00:30:41,400 don't know if you're familiar with the World League of Football. Is that what 467 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,000 that happened? I went and did a couple of camps there, but there 468 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,720 were players that were coming out of the woodwork that hadn't played in college in 469 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,160 ten and fifteen years that I was throwing passes too, And I'm like, 470 00:30:51,799 --> 00:30:55,200 there's no way anybody's I can't get a good look at this and doesn't feel 471 00:30:55,279 --> 00:30:57,480 right. So I came home and started what I'm doing. You're the president 472 00:30:57,519 --> 00:31:02,359 and founding partner of the Platinum Wealth Group, correct, right in Pittsford, 473 00:31:02,559 --> 00:31:06,680 and you've been doing that for I've been an investment advisor a wealth manager for 474 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:11,079 thirty five thirty six years now. So how much does the you know we 475 00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:14,720 often hear in business, right, the sports analogies are used a lot, 476 00:31:14,839 --> 00:31:19,319 yes, right, how much does that really play for you? I mean, 477 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:25,000 my position at quarterback was a leadership position, yes, So a lot 478 00:31:25,039 --> 00:31:27,680 of people look to you for leadership and guidance and to do the right thing 479 00:31:27,759 --> 00:31:33,440 and make the right decisions. So I learned that in my athletic career and 480 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:38,720 I definitely brought that over to my professional career in two I started the business 481 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,880 in eighty nine. In two thousand and I became a partner at the Bonadio 482 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,359 Group, Okay, and ran their financial services division, and then I carved 483 00:31:45,359 --> 00:31:51,079 away in twenty sixteen and started expanding my own business and my own practice with 484 00:31:51,079 --> 00:31:55,920 with like minded colleagues and investment professionals. And this is where I'm landed now 485 00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:00,799 as I end my career through the Platinum Wealth Group. Yeah. And then 486 00:32:00,839 --> 00:32:05,960 you're also involved in youth sports. I was, you were. Now that 487 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,440 my four boys are all on their twices, I'm no longer involved, but 488 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:14,720 I was active at Aquinas. We were the basketball boosters, my wife and 489 00:32:14,759 --> 00:32:17,319 I when my youngest son went through there, and we improved and developed that 490 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:22,759 program. And coach La Fay's doing a great job there at Aquinas in high 491 00:32:22,799 --> 00:32:29,200 school hoops. But I'm focusing more of my adult life on the charity that's 492 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,079 a passion of mine, which is Camp Good Days and Special Times. Chairman 493 00:32:32,079 --> 00:32:36,920 of the board and president. I have been for I think twelve years maybe, 494 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,400 yeah, and that's kind of where I focus a lot. I'm very 495 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:44,799 familiar with that through both radio and Saint John Fisher right right right. They 496 00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:46,880 did Teddy Dance. Yeah, we did the Teddy Dance when I was there 497 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:51,039 in the early nineties, we did the Teddy Dance. Yeah. I mean 498 00:32:51,759 --> 00:32:53,400 they raised over one hundred thousand dollars a year for us through that event, 499 00:32:53,559 --> 00:32:58,720 and we need that because we don't get any federal funding all year. Yeah, 500 00:32:58,799 --> 00:33:01,079 we don't take any grants, federal aid, and we have a two 501 00:33:01,079 --> 00:33:06,400 point three million dollars annual budget and we're very proud of the fact that over 502 00:33:06,519 --> 00:33:10,240 ninety cents out of every dollar we collect goes to program and services. Because 503 00:33:10,279 --> 00:33:14,920 their camp is down on Quka right, correct, Yes, I've driven down 504 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,079 there past beautiful. Yes, it is beautiful. Well, Qku is such 505 00:33:17,079 --> 00:33:21,200 a nice part. Our campus is gorgeous. It is it really is really 506 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,720 really special. What motivates you then to stay involved in all these things? 507 00:33:24,759 --> 00:33:28,920 I mean, is it the same thing that motivated you when you were young 508 00:33:29,079 --> 00:33:32,720 that's motivating you today? It is? What is I mean? Again, 509 00:33:32,759 --> 00:33:37,519 I've been a leader by example. I'm hopefully that's kind of the feedback I 510 00:33:37,559 --> 00:33:42,759 got from people that have been around me and work with me and have grown 511 00:33:42,839 --> 00:33:47,640 with me. But that's something that I've always felt passionate about as being a 512 00:33:47,759 --> 00:33:51,839 very very good role model and a great leader. Yeah, and I take 513 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:57,519 that very seriously too. Yeah. Now playing at a high level sports at 514 00:33:57,519 --> 00:34:02,799 a high level and then you have sons, How hard was it? I 515 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:07,440 probably wasn't the best dad early. I probably wasn't. Yeah, And my 516 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,960 wife and I thought about that a lot, and so she used to get 517 00:34:10,039 --> 00:34:14,679 my grill all the time, like let it go or leave them alone kind 518 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:16,559 of thing. But you know, I knew how my dad was with me 519 00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:20,639 and where it got me. Yes, and I didn't want my sons to 520 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,760 not not have that opportunity and just kind of continue to grind and fight for 521 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:29,440 themselves and be really good advocates for themselves. Whether they were good or not 522 00:34:29,559 --> 00:34:32,599 was irrespective to me. But if they didn't work hard at their craft and 523 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:37,039 do well in school especially, I knew they had no future in any kind 524 00:34:37,079 --> 00:34:40,440 of college sport because you have to be good athlete, right and in addition 525 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:45,599 to being a good uh in academics as well. So yes, I pushed 526 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:47,519 that hard. You push that hard. Yeah, Yeah, the academics in 527 00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:52,239 the school, the two of them together, and you know, my oldest 528 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:53,480 son was rewarded. You know, he went, he went and got a 529 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:59,079 great college degree. He was my oldest son, Cash went to Mammat University. 530 00:34:59,199 --> 00:35:00,360 He had a one offer. He had a few of them, and 531 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:05,199 he took Mamath and he's got an unbelievable degree and career. Now do you 532 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:07,519 want to offer in football? Football? Okay? What position was? He 533 00:35:07,519 --> 00:35:12,719 played? A tight end? He's a big guy, six four ye two 534 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:16,920 fifty to sixty perfect, He's huge. He's still big boy. And I 535 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,519 know he's gonna give me crap on that because he's gonna hear this maybe. 536 00:35:20,599 --> 00:35:25,079 But yeah, I mean, my kids worked as hard as they needed to 537 00:35:25,079 --> 00:35:29,440 to get to where they wanted to. But I didn't want them to slack. 538 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:31,559 And if they gave up or they decided, you know, it wasn't 539 00:35:31,599 --> 00:35:35,119 for them, then we were okay with that. Yeah, what I mean, 540 00:35:35,199 --> 00:35:38,400 in what way would you motivate them then? Because I think a lot 541 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:42,960 of times, you know, the old school method of you know, come 542 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,320 in and kick the mattress, get out of bed, you lazy ass, 543 00:35:45,559 --> 00:35:47,679 that kind of thing. I don't know if that's frowned upon today, I 544 00:35:47,679 --> 00:35:51,840 don't know. I sometimes wonder if it goes on though I think it does 545 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,760 too, but I often wonder, like sometimes I'll hear has the backbone sort 546 00:35:54,800 --> 00:36:00,119 of disappeared in parenting, which I have to get into all that, but 547 00:36:00,119 --> 00:36:02,280 but I go, what what's the right way to do it? I mean, 548 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,760 you know, I think tough love. That's that's tough. That's the 549 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,000 answer. Tough love. You know, I'm so proud of all four of 550 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:15,320 my boys. They're good humans, They're they're great Americans. They work hard 551 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,639 at their jobs and their crafts. They love their mother, they love their 552 00:36:17,679 --> 00:36:22,840 family. Yes, there's nothing more I could ask for from my four sons, 553 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,400 Cash, Luke, Clay and Jack. I love them to death and 554 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:29,639 I would do anything for them. But I think our tough my wife was 555 00:36:29,679 --> 00:36:32,400 just as tough as I was, sure, and I think our tough love 556 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:37,320 is really paid off because you know, the kids are all really close with 557 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:40,079 us, all of them, and in spite of what I thought at the 558 00:36:40,119 --> 00:36:45,559 time may have been too too much tough love. Really yeah, did you 559 00:36:45,599 --> 00:36:49,039 ever have anybody like a coach or anything say like, because I I think 560 00:36:49,039 --> 00:36:52,239 I even remember my dad was very tough on me, and I think my 561 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:53,760 fifth grade teacher goes, you got to give them a break a little bit, 562 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:59,920 But that was fifth grade, right, you cry, don't make it. 563 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:06,000 But did you ever have anybody, because I would think is I don't 564 00:37:06,039 --> 00:37:09,719 know. I always wonder when you achieve at such a high level as you 565 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:14,760 did, right, And and I'll say, for you unexpectedly, so you 566 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:16,960 didn't expect no, But once you got there, you knew what it was 567 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:21,000 going to take to stay there, and you were going to keep working hard. 568 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:23,639 And so all your life you've you knew what it took, correct And 569 00:37:23,679 --> 00:37:28,719 then when you see your kid not doing what it takes, it's hard because 570 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:30,679 I have a fourteen year old son and who are often say I want to 571 00:37:30,679 --> 00:37:34,480 be a D one basketball player. Yep, And I'll go, great, 572 00:37:35,159 --> 00:37:37,840 what are you doing to make that happen? It's one hundred percent right, 573 00:37:37,039 --> 00:37:40,519 I mean right down to diet. Let's let's get rid of these candies. 574 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,320 Let's find a sleep schedule that's going to be a little more coherent with with 575 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:49,239 normal humans. And if he if he buys in it, then it's his 576 00:37:49,639 --> 00:37:52,480 yes. Right. So we can't want it more than our children, but 577 00:37:52,559 --> 00:37:54,800 we can give them the glide path, right, we can glide path? 578 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:58,599 Right? Yeah, Well, that that's the great thing. Is like I 579 00:37:58,639 --> 00:38:00,440 was saying to you, you know, when you were going back to Olympia, 580 00:38:00,559 --> 00:38:04,400 and throwing and doing all these things on your own. There was no 581 00:38:04,519 --> 00:38:08,239 real glidepath there. Right now, the glidepath is go on and you know, 582 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:12,400 watch the old moment. You can see motivational speeches. You can find 583 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,360 everything to almost in a way fire you up. And the blueprint sort of 584 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:19,400 there, right, the blueprint sort of there and it wasn't then, right, 585 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,559 that's pretty impressive what you did well. I had a nice conversation with 586 00:38:22,599 --> 00:38:24,719 my son Jack last night. He's playing in a summer league down in Massive 587 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:29,119 in college summer league, okay, And it was the first game I went 588 00:38:29,159 --> 00:38:30,639 to. I wanted to go watch him play because I miss watching him play 589 00:38:30,679 --> 00:38:34,880 in college. You know, season's over. And on the way back, 590 00:38:36,119 --> 00:38:37,599 he started asking me, you know, dad, how do I do? 591 00:38:37,679 --> 00:38:39,320 And I'm like, well, tell you the truth. I think you did 592 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,639 really, really well. But what I want you to start focusing on is, 593 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:45,360 I'm sure there's some things in your game that you think you need to 594 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:49,559 improve on. Yeah, don't let me be the one to say you need 595 00:38:49,599 --> 00:38:52,639 to work on your ball handling skills, you need to work on running the 596 00:38:52,639 --> 00:38:57,039 floor better. Don't let me say that. If you you are an athlete 597 00:38:57,559 --> 00:39:00,280 at this level, you know, high D three, top ten in the 598 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:05,559 country athlete. You got to tell yourself if you want to improve those you 599 00:39:05,599 --> 00:39:07,360 know, you don't want me telling you what you don't do right or what 600 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,880 you made mistakes. You know what you did wrong and what you need to 601 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:14,440 improve. I said, if you're motivated to do that. And he always 602 00:39:14,519 --> 00:39:17,039 has been. That's why he's where he's at. He's much much like me. 603 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:21,239 And I told him, you just you figured it out, you take 604 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:28,079 care of it, and let let's improve on your terms. And he loved 605 00:39:28,119 --> 00:39:30,320 that. He agreed with that. I said, I'm not going to tell 606 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:32,599 you anymore. You know what you did improve the skill sets you need to 607 00:39:32,599 --> 00:39:36,800 do if you want to keep going at this. Yeah. Wow. Now 608 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:39,000 do you still go out and make speeches ever? Do you do as a 609 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,960 public speaker? I do. I speak to a lot of youth groups. 610 00:39:43,039 --> 00:39:47,280 Sure. I'm very active again with Camp Good Days. I was on one 611 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:52,880 of the boards for good Will Industries and ABV I and I And I'm okay 612 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:58,360 with anybody and everybody that asks me to help for a cause because there are 613 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,800 so many great causes out there. Yeah, and you know, I'm passionate 614 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:09,079 about children, just really am and improving, improving lifestyle, improving family experience. 615 00:40:09,119 --> 00:40:12,639 I'm just I'm you know, It's that's what I'm all about. What 616 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:16,280 is the ring that I'm looking at here? This ring? So again, 617 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:21,079 everybody, my my close buddies break my chops about wearing this thing, right, 618 00:40:21,679 --> 00:40:24,119 But I'll tell you what. It reminds me every day of where I 619 00:40:24,199 --> 00:40:30,920 came from and where I am. Yeah, because it looks like a championship 620 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:36,440 Hall of Famer. Yeah, for I made it all three of the Hall 621 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,599 of Fames I'm in. So you're the Fame Aquinas Hall of Fame, Section 622 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:45,559 five and the University of Richmond. Wow. So I'm proud of that internally, 623 00:40:46,199 --> 00:40:52,000 and this is my reminder of the leadership and people look up to me 624 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:55,639 and are looking for a good role model. It's not to flash, I 625 00:40:55,679 --> 00:41:00,199 forget. I have it on every day, Sure you would, but it's 626 00:41:00,199 --> 00:41:01,880 a reminder to me. Did you make that ring? No? No, 627 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:05,280 I had a company make it, That's what I mean. Yeah, yeah, 628 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:07,039 yeah, yeah, yeah, But nobody gets a ring for getting into 629 00:41:07,079 --> 00:41:09,360 these hall of Fames. No, you got a request and I paid for 630 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:13,440 it. Yeah, you know, it wasn't given to me, but I 631 00:41:13,519 --> 00:41:16,920 did great to have buddies to bust your balls. Oh my god, like 632 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:21,199 it's the greatest. Oh my god. Jeff g from the UPS Store and 633 00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:24,400 Gary Leonard my two closest friends. Oh my god, I cringe when they 634 00:41:24,519 --> 00:41:30,159 come and pulling my driveway and pulled me out of bed. H that's very 635 00:41:30,159 --> 00:41:32,199 funny. Yeah, what do you do for fun? Then? Do you? 636 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:36,039 I like the golf? I was gonna say, Okay, I own 637 00:41:36,079 --> 00:41:40,480 a competitive I'm competitive in anything I do, but sometimes I suck. Okay, 638 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:45,360 golf's tough man, Yes, really it is. But maybe like six 639 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:47,400 or seven years ago, my father really gave me a love for the outdoors 640 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:52,880 and hunting okay, and conservation. Yeah, and I just love it all 641 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:55,280 and I put that into my children as well. So maybe like five ten 642 00:41:55,360 --> 00:42:00,199 years ago I bought a piece of property down the Southern Tier and were it 643 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:05,440 Camplyar's one hundred acres and we restored the farmhouse, the sugar shack, and 644 00:42:05,519 --> 00:42:07,960 the big barn and now it's our hunting camp. But I got to have 645 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:12,000 a nice house for my wife to come right. Yes, yes, running 646 00:42:12,039 --> 00:42:15,519 waterle you got it. Some of these hunting caps are like it's a lean 647 00:42:15,599 --> 00:42:19,800 to this is a house. So I did it. So what's the sugar 648 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,840 shack? Did they make maple syrup or do you do do it? Yeah? 649 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,079 You make it and sell it. Yeah, No, I don't sell. 650 00:42:25,119 --> 00:42:28,440 It's just for our family, just for the family. I just you 651 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,440 know, I'm all about that space. I was there again last night cutting 652 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:34,519 my trails. It's an hour from here. Wow, just run out there 653 00:42:34,519 --> 00:42:37,000 and I just my my heaven on earth. Yeah, it's a little bit 654 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,800 of yea. I'm just I'm just I'm sad that my dad can't share it 655 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:43,079 with me because he died before I got it. But he's the one that 656 00:42:43,159 --> 00:42:45,800 gave me all this love for what I'm doing. Wow. What an interesting 657 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:49,760 life, right, what an exciting Yeah, you really are, and what 658 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:53,440 a great attitude with everything and even how you look at things. And uh, 659 00:42:53,599 --> 00:42:58,719 if people are looking for what you do wealth management? But is it 660 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,559 is it wealth management or invest would I would come to you with a portfolio 661 00:43:01,639 --> 00:43:06,679 as a family and say absolutely if you're just looking for a different perspective or 662 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:12,039 some different guidance. We're not out actively looking for new clients, but yes, 663 00:43:12,159 --> 00:43:15,039 definitely take clients that want to work with us or refer to us. 664 00:43:15,079 --> 00:43:20,079 So. Yes, it's the Platinum Wealth Group in Pittsford and be sure to 665 00:43:20,119 --> 00:43:22,920 pick up the This came out Veterans Day in twenty twenty two, the Purple 666 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:30,559 Heart bourbon whiskey made locally by Iron Smoke, an award winning distillery with our 667 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:36,400 good friend Tommy Burnett. Those there, I do want to mention the first 668 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:39,719 batch sold out. They were the signed bottles by Rocky and I, so 669 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:43,320 they were the collector's edition. Number two is being bottled right now. You 670 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:45,840 can get it on my Iron Smokes website here their products tab. All right, 671 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:49,599 very good, Well, it has been a pleasure. Thank you very 672 00:43:49,679 --> 00:43:52,239 much for coming in. It was nice to meet you. I feel more 673 00:43:52,239 --> 00:43:54,840 motivated today. It was like it was almost like I needed that today to 674 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:59,519 come in here and figure all that out for Bob Bleyer. I am Bill 675 00:43:59,599 --> 00:44:24,679 Moran. We'll see you tomorrow, Matail. Cobblestone on Maine is the perfect 676 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:31,679 place to elevate your snacking game. Cobblestone has amazing grain pretzel sticks. 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