0:00

It's Michael Vick.

0:01

Hey, I ain't gonna lie I got that, but I sacked

0:04

that man.

0:04

That was one of the highlights.

0:06

Hey, yeah, I got

0:09

a sag or.

0:09

I was a cover three. I was supposed to be in the flag in

0:12

the back. Start scramming. I said, he you

0:15

ain't gonna have me in this flag?

0:16

Yeah, yeah, you better get it show

0:19

shot. Our

0:30

next guess is a good one. I can't say that.

0:33

I'm like all the way excited because the last

0:35

time we saw this cat was in a big game and then

0:37

winning his favorite, not ours. I'm

0:39

gonna just read some of his rushment eight year

0:41

NFL that played in Super Bowl

0:43

fifty. He's a Super Bowl fifty winning champion.

0:46

He is now the CEO and co

0:48

founder of Player Above Sports

0:50

group. Ladies and gentlemen, TJ.

0:53

Ward appreciate

0:57

it, fellas congratulations. I don't think I ever told

0:59

you congrat lessons on Super Bowl fifty.

1:01

But you know, I'm not gonna do it today, but

1:03

I will ask you what was the

1:05

most impactful or important play in

1:07

your eyes or your opinion in that Super

1:09

Bowl fifty win.

1:11

I think was our first fumbles,

1:14

the first to set the tone of that game and we got

1:16

the touchdown that would just.

1:17

Set it off. It couldn't start no better for us,

1:20

honestly.

1:20

But before that,

1:24

that drag by

1:26

Owens, that first big over

1:28

route that we hadn't had a big

1:30

play like that all year.

1:32

Start the game.

1:33

I'm not gonna lie and

1:35

that momentum that even the energy

1:37

it gave a defense. Just get down there and

1:39

give us three to start with, and we're gonna

1:41

hold three as long as we can.

1:44

But yeah, man, that pushed off

1:46

on me too.

1:46

I mean I gave it a veteran puss because he was like, I

1:49

didn't extended and that look at the refference,

1:51

Like, bro, he's like, I'm.

1:52

Not calling that. I'm like, okay, they.

1:55

Would because because you

1:59

guys tight. Oh Greg

2:01

Man, Greg, he's you know, practice,

2:03

you know. And

2:06

then he get to complain and pushing he does.

2:08

It's like they all complain,

2:10

they all can play. How did it feel one in the Super Bowl

2:12

in your hometown?

2:14

That was a dream, contrue.

2:16

Man, It's like my football my

2:19

life started here, my football

2:21

path had started here. Yeah, and the peak

2:23

of my football journey is ending

2:26

and starting here or whatever in the beginning.

2:28

But it was definitely surreal.

2:31

Like my family, I had a lot of family members

2:33

there, even though those tickets I gave him all the family Yeah,

2:35

I didn't sell any of them. And

2:38

just sharing that moment after in the hotel and stuff

2:40

with them being too exes

2:43

from my grandma house.

2:44

Literally, it

2:46

was amazing.

2:47

That's cool, that's real cool.

2:48

Could you talk about because I didn't

2:50

even know this until we did some

2:52

research that you went to Dayla South High School?

2:54

Yes, sir, and so you played at Dayla

2:57

South when they were like Dayla

2:59

South.

3:03

Yeah, but DJ was early, I mean like

3:07

tons of guys and so what

3:10

was it like?

3:10

Uh?

3:12

Was it was it pressure? There?

3:13

Like only.

3:15

What was that? What was that experience like?

3:17

It was?

3:18

It was definitely pressure to you

3:20

know, be as good

3:23

or uphold that previous

3:25

class. What they do is like coming behind

3:28

you. The next clan is behind DJ Williams,

3:30

You're the next Claer, Kevin Simon, the next

3:33

Cla Marie Jones Drew and then what they've

3:35

done, it's like, Okay, we gotta be

3:37

as good or better. So it was

3:39

definitely a lot of expectations. I think

3:41

we had a lot of mental responsibility

3:44

at a young age that I don't think a

3:46

lot of other high schools at that time

3:49

had.

3:49

To deal with. We were almost like a college program. There's

3:51

a lot of.

3:53

Expectations, responsibilities. You

3:57

know, of course, no smoking, no drinking, none of

3:59

that. You get kicked off the you know that normal

4:01

discipline type stuff. But the

4:04

things you did away from the coaches within,

4:07

you know, your teammates and that group, extra

4:10

work, pushing you guys

4:14

for.

4:16

Expectations, Yeah what you wanted to

4:18

do. So yeah it was.

4:19

It was definitely tough. But you know, you say,

4:21

play at Dela side. I didn't play much at

4:24

all. I didn't playing all my junior year.

4:26

I only played three games my senior year.

4:28

I got heard the third game of the season. And

4:31

that's why I walked on that organ because.

4:32

But how do you go from not playing your

4:35

junior year, maybe two or three games

4:37

your senior year, and then you you go to

4:39

Oregon and you ball out and then you become a second round

4:41

draft pick?

4:42

Like what changed from not playing to playing

4:44

or starting?

4:45

That sounds a lot quicker

4:47

and easier than it was.

4:50

Coming on.

4:50

I got the opportunity to walk on that organ because

4:53

I had four teammates,

4:55

best friends. They all got scholarships and

4:58

Nick Aliotti the decordinated at the His

5:00

brother was our dena students at Dalla South, so

5:04

we had that connection.

5:05

So Gabe say, you.

5:07

Guys want to you want to come up and be a preferred walk

5:09

on. I said, cool, went up there, and

5:11

at that time, it's like I gotta be better than everybody

5:13

on scholarship or I'm gonna be out of here,

5:15

or I'm gonna be paying for education. Mindset

5:19

exactly, free agency mindset before

5:22

you're created.

5:23

So I got the scholarship after a year.

5:25

I was starting and I got that

5:27

first three years for me was like a taste

5:29

of success and then injury. It's

5:32

like I was starting and then I got hurt, and

5:34

then I would come back for injuries,

5:37

be starting again and.

5:38

Hurt my knee.

5:39

And that happened for like two three years until

5:41

my junior year where I got the opportunity

5:44

to start and I had a great season.

5:45

I played with Pat Chung. We were you

5:48

know.

5:49

And then I stayed

5:51

my senior year trying to go as high as I can to

5:53

draft and I get hurt first

5:55

game of the season my senior year, miss half that

5:58

year. I'm like, yeah, I lead, so

6:01

I finished off strong and had a

6:03

good combine and everything pro day,

6:05

and shockingly I

6:07

did go thirty eight.

6:08

Man, I'm not gonna lie.

6:09

I was like I was getting told from

6:11

teams second round, from the Browns,

6:14

the Chiefs told me second round. A

6:16

couple of other teams told me, but you know, to

6:18

go thirty eight here thirty eight like because

6:20

it was the first year. The first round was one day, and then

6:22

they did second and third. Remember it was first, second,

6:24

third, I believe, and then they did five

6:27

them, so it's like, hey, I got to wait

6:29

a whole another day, and then that

6:31

next day it was quick.

6:32

Early. I don't even think I was.

6:34

I was half sleep still, but

6:37

no blessing nonetheless, and

6:40

I had a great time in Cleveland. Good great,

6:43

Yeah, not winning, we didn't

6:45

win much, but being a

6:47

pro, learning the

6:49

lifestyle and what it takes to be a pro and

6:52

be great, because losing you learn how to be great.

6:54

You know what not to do. This is

6:56

what we're doing is not working.

6:58

I bet experience probably

7:01

helped you be ready to deal with adversity

7:03

and also you focused and you guys, like you

7:05

said, you guys are different in high school.

7:08

Yeah, so when you get to college.

7:09

You know, you got to be a little bit different to separate

7:12

yourself, especially as a walk on.

7:13

Yeah for sure.

7:14

Then in the league you get drafted.

7:15

No matter where you're at, you still got once you get in that room,

7:17

you still gotta do something.

7:18

Yeah, you have to separate yourself. Yeah,

7:20

that next thing to push

7:23

yourself coming. You know as pros individuals,

7:25

you guys both know you guys are great players. You

7:27

gotta find that little niche

7:29

that drives you, regardless of what it is,

7:33

and let it push you. And for me,

7:36

it is being the underdog and being a

7:38

walk on. I use that my

7:42

rookie year. Okay, I should have been a first rounder. I felt

7:44

I could have been a first rounder wherever I should

7:46

have or may not, I thought I should have. So I used

7:49

that to push me once I got in. I

7:51

had a great rookie year. I didn't make Pro

7:53

Bowl. I'm like, hey he made Pro Bowl. Here rookie

7:55

I had a better season end.

7:57

So just find the little things that push

7:59

yous along your journey in.

8:02

Keeping it consistent. I'm

8:10

a dB U and dB all three dbs.

8:12

Right, we were in Charlotte, we were thieves

8:14

Alley Avenue I'm sorry Avenue.

8:17

I'm in to say Avenue thieves Avenue. Who

8:19

had the better secondary, the no fly

8:22

zone or the Legion of Boom

8:25

in Seattle.

8:29

And Lesion, we had the best secondary.

8:31

Okay, I feel we had the best

8:34

secondary.

8:34

One of these reasons.

8:37

We played man

8:40

and zone. We played every

8:42

coverage.

8:43

We played eight, we played sixes, we

8:45

played buzzes, we

8:47

played four. Those

8:50

are our core defenses, and we played them

8:52

all the time. You never know what you mean, mostly

8:54

man, though mostly man with

8:57

them, you know what they was in.

9:00

Three buzz cover three.

9:02

I feel if you asked as that segregator

9:04

to do what we did, they couldn't do it.

9:06

But if you asked us to do what they did, we

9:08

do it.

9:09

When I look at the numbers and the people, I agree

9:11

with you. And that's because you had a Nickel

9:13

and Roby as well, who

9:16

was a first round pick. Chris Harris at the time was

9:18

balling out of his mind, and of course the key

9:20

had always just been consistent, and he was just playing

9:22

more and more confident and doing what he was doing.

9:25

Then you had Darren Stewart shout out, he's from the state

9:27

of Alabama playing safety big

9:30

time.

9:30

Banger and then yourself.

9:31

So I would give you the slight nod

9:33

just because you have Roby at the slot and

9:36

then with Seattle and the legion of Boom, it

9:38

was really just about Earl cam

9:41

and Shah Browning

9:43

was great too, but he was just so big, but

9:46

that was starting to become interertangeable and they only focused

9:48

on the three versus you guys.

9:50

It was about all five.

9:51

And I think that's a little unfair to brown here because

9:53

he really grew up the boom to the legion.

9:55

See then m Cam was it

9:57

wasn't even real early. Earl you know,

10:00

he can.

10:00

Do, he does his thing, but Browner

10:02

and Can was the boom in the legion.

10:04

Like so when you say that, I'll think more

10:07

Browner than any other corner for sure.

10:09

In that leader six three dogs, he

10:12

was one of them.

10:13

Yeah, and they did it for longer

10:16

period of time.

10:17

You know, we had it. We was hot three years in

10:19

and out. You know they were together six years,

10:21

so you know, longevity wise and

10:23

keeping that core together, No,

10:26

they did a management did a great

10:28

job of that.

10:29

So let's transition into your your your second

10:32

act after football. What inspires

10:35

you to get involved

10:37

or launch the Players above, Sports Group

10:39

Agency and your war Boy Foundation.

10:42

Well, first with the four Boy Project, our foundation.

10:45

Is you know exactly what it is, creating

10:47

foundation for these kids and making

10:50

sure that they're getting

10:53

or trying to provide as many outsources

10:55

and resource or outlets and resources for them

10:57

to be successful that they wouldn't

10:59

have otherwise. Right, we know some

11:01

of the areas and youth development

11:03

programs are lacking from you

11:05

know, a time when we were coming up. Unless

11:08

more it's a lot more virtual

11:10

and those type of things, computerized

11:13

technology.

11:14

So we have

11:16

a mentorship program.

11:17

We have a scholarship program provided at

11:20

Delaso High School. You mentioned one

11:23

of our kids actually was in the Olympic

11:25

trials that was on scholarship this

11:27

past summer. So that was leave

11:29

him right it felt man, It warmed me up on inside.

11:31

I'm not gonna lie like that was one of our guys.

11:34

So fundraising

11:36

like golf tournaments. We had a craft

11:38

feed so anything to fundraise

11:41

and be able to provide for these

11:43

programs, these scholarships and symposium

11:46

we had that mental health, mental

11:49

wellness, nutrition symposium.

11:52

So just trying to create these programs and things

11:54

for these kids. Man, put them on the right path

11:56

and hopefully I get one of these Super Bowl

11:59

champions one day. Here you be interviewing them

12:01

like, yeah, I came through the war Boy project, So

12:03

that's that's really the goal.

12:05

That's what it's all about.

12:06

Man.

12:06

And then with your your agency,

12:09

talk about that, like what made you go to

12:11

there? Because so often players

12:13

they don't ever choose the agency route.

12:16

Yeah they don't even though, but everybody.

12:18

Wants to help players, Yeah, but nobody helps

12:20

them in that fashion.

12:21

Was it like it was.

12:22

Tough to get into It's tough right now because

12:25

you think you just hop in and I'm an explorer

12:28

and players are gonna take the advice from me. And it's

12:30

not like that.

12:31

Man.

12:31

It's like starting any other business, Like you have

12:33

to prove that you're good in this

12:35

space. Like, yeah, I'm a good player, but that

12:37

doesn't mean I'm gonna be a good agent or a good manager

12:40

and that good person to take your son

12:43

or take you on this career journey.

12:45

But that being said,

12:47

I have been through it. I've done

12:49

it at the highest level. I've done almost

12:52

anything you can do in

12:54

this league.

12:55

I got a great team behind me. You know,

12:57

they're supportive of what know

13:00

we do as a whole and bringing guys

13:02

along great recruiters, they know twn,

13:04

we know what kind of players we want, and

13:07

it's just giving back in a different aspect

13:10

and more of a professional aspect.

13:11

You know, I'm gonna get paid for doing my job. Of course.

13:13

Tell me something that you've learned since

13:15

since doing this, as far as like recruiting

13:17

and trying to get players to come on side with you. That you that

13:20

you never thought about is when you were looking for your agent

13:22

or to something that just you just

13:24

weren't ready for.

13:26

I think a lot of the conversations I have with the parents,

13:29

it's more it's like that relationship

13:32

is almost tired. In the relationship

13:34

you gonna have with the kid. It's

13:37

like I've talked to a lot of parents. I've talked to

13:39

more parents than kids.

13:40

That's something I did not think about.

13:41

And it's show trip, dude.

13:42

It's like I'm gonna speed out

13:44

with parents just as much as

13:47

I am. But you know, when you're

13:49

playing, you're in it. You don't respond to text as

13:51

much. Even when I was a player, that

13:53

was my biggest thing

13:55

I get from other people, like you don't never answer the phone.

13:57

You know, like I'm a practice all day

13:59

or I get home, I'm done, I'm tired.

14:01

I might look at it and thought I was responded,

14:04

I didn't. My bad, and trying

14:06

to understand that with these players, so

14:08

a lot of times you got to communicate through their parents. Yes,

14:11

because they talked to their parents all the time. Did

14:13

you talk to your agent today, No, I even talked

14:15

to it. Well, this is what we got to get done, and they

14:17

communicate that for you or you communicate that

14:19

through them, But definitely that

14:21

part.

14:23

I know we got a short amount of time and we got

14:25

more guests, and I know you're busy and stuff, but hey,

14:27

man, I thank you for coming out. Thank you guy, thanks for

14:29

blessing us. I'll say it again. Congratulations

14:31

super Bowl fifty.

14:34

Yea. My

14:40

brother next year with the Falgust,

14:42

So I was part of all that.

14:44

Yeah, And like I was talking to one of

14:46

my teams, like, man, we remember we were at the after

14:48

party after they lost.

14:49

I was like, yeah, it was awkward. I

14:53

don't know what to do.

14:54

I didn't go.

14:55

Yeah, I'm with.

14:56

You, knowing did that after party? We

14:58

didn't do it either. I didn't go. It was terrible.

15:01

It was terrible. You ruined our night. Thank you my

15:03

pleasure. I appreciate

15:06

you