Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
This is what the world needs now: two free-thinking “seasoned” Black women speaking their truth and inspiring others to do the same. Shaped by 45 years of friendship that began at the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School through the Ivy League, medical school, marriages, divorces, triumphs, parenting queer children, life-threatening illness and many many amazing adventures. Each week, besties Leslie Osei-Tutu and Angella Fraser will push against boundaries in love, culture, careers, faith, politics and out-dated assumptions about women of a certain age. Remember, you’re never too old to change your mind…or your hair! (but more on that later :-)All views are our own and do not reflect the views of our institution/company. Information provided is not intended to serve as medical advice.
Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
Zig When Life Zags: Dr Hervé Damas’ Journey from the NFL to Cannabis Physician
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Dr. Hervé Damas, founder of Dr. Damas CBD, shares his riveting journey from a student at NYC’s prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School (The Bestie’s alma mater) to becoming a successful cannabis pioneer and entrepreneur.
With a few amazing milestones achieved along the way- All American scholar-athlete, NFL linebacker, college professor, and physician, Dr Damas is truly a modern day Renaissance Man.
Besties Angella and Leslie allow his nail-biting story to unfold over two episodes, determined to go beyond the highlights to the parts that inspire you to zig when life zags.
Be sure to tune in next week for Part 2 where his mother’s keen observation set Damas up to becoming the health and wellness leader he is today.
References:
Dr. Herve Damas On Benefits Of CBD
https://youtu.be/rT5iQOopTv0?si=YcwA-G3l3MFOehEV
#FlowertothePeople: How CBD May Be Able to Help With PMS With Dr. Damas
https://youtu.be/JKgqIT9TjPo?si=MT4bEpAEEtPW4Ewi
Book a free coaching consultation with Angie here:
https://calendly.com/rhythmwigs/more-joy-complimentary-consultation
Want behind the scenes content, Join us on Patreon at $5 or $10 level:
https://patreon.com/user?u=83534204
Get Angie’s eBook:
We’re Too Old for This! The Inquisitive Older Woman’s Guide to Joy http://joystrategy.co/ebook
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Visit Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn website for behind-the-scenes extras.
Meeting Dr. Hervé Damas
Speaker 1Hey Ange, hey Les how you doing.
Speaker 2Smiling, extra big today Smiling extra big.
Speaker 1Okay, you're loud, all right, this is exciting.
Speaker 2It's very exciting. Well, first of all, I'm always excited. Here we are. We come to you with good stuff, but today is oh my gosh All right, I'm going to contain myself, be professional here, trying to impress, okay. So welcome to another episode of Black Boomer. Besties from Brooklyn.
Speaker 1I'm Angella and that's Leslie, my best friend of almost 50 years. We are two free thinking 60 something year old Black women who have decided to be more bold and joyful as we live the rest of our lives. We invite you to come along with us. He's our most intriguing and educational guests that we have had on and, of course, with Leslie and I, there's always a twist in how we met him, so I'm going to allow Leslie to introduce him. Please stay with us.
Speaker 2This is going to blow your mind. I'm going to introduce the most interesting person. Isn't that what they say on that commercial? This is the most interesting man, but really, he really is Dr Hervé Damas. He is just like a modern Renaissance man. That's a really good way to talk about it, because his life and his experiences have really covered the breadth of so many things, from sports and athletics to body consciousness and wellness, to education, to physiology and medicine all the things and it's just a fascinating story when you get to know him and then we have a spiritual. He's like our brother in a way, because when we tell you how this all came about, you're going to be like.
Speaker 2Anyway, this dude right here with that gap in his teeth is Dr Hervé DeMoss. Hi, Welcome welcome welcome. I don't mean to embarrass you. I'm just kind of gushing because, like I'm a fangirl. How about that?
Speaker 3How about that? That's amazing. I was not expecting all that. Yeah, yeah, I'll take it. God bless America.
Speaker 2Well, dr DeMoss, I know he's not a man who's shy to say, but he has had so many different career trajectories. He has been an NFL football player, he has been a physician. He is a countrywide or world-renowned entrepreneur that has a business that is so successful. I have been following this man on the radio and through Urban View and Karen Hunter and Lurie Daniel Favors and Clay Kane. This man I have been whenever he comes on the radio, I'm with my notebook writing down stuff while I'm driving. So the connection that I'll let you guys know about later how it all came together is you're going to be like what in the world? What in the world? So I'm speaking too much. Hi, tell us all about yourself a little bit.
Speaker 3That's amazing. That is amazing. I did not know that you've been listening.
Speaker 2Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1I didn't hear how it all unfolded.
Speaker 3Oh man, so those are good, good, good, good friends, good people of mine that I've met Right 2019, 2018.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think I met.
Speaker 3Karen first virtually digital.
Speaker 3as a matter of fact, and then we we established a friendship there, as a matter of fact, and then we established a friendship there and then, through her, I met the rest of the Urban View family, which was, you know, I think it was kind of kismet because, you know, just talking to the two of you, given the space that I'm in now, as it pertains to hemp and cannabis medical marijuana in the US and how it's particularly affected people of color, and how the dynamic or the paradigm has shifted in the country through legalization, a hodgepodge network of efforts throughout the states.
Speaker 3But we're still marginalized as that kind of train is leaving the station. There are very few of us who are passengers in that train in terms of the entrepreneurial aspect of it or even the medicinal aspect of it, right, so we're missing out both things as this progressed and we're the people that have really disproportionately suffered the most as a result of the prohibition policies that are now being kind of pulled back. So it was real important for me to make sure that you know, as I go into this and I do this, that I don't forget, like you know, this is really and I do this, that I don't forget, like you know, this is really really important culturally. Criminal justice. You know there's a lot of aspects of it medicinally, medically, there's a lot of things that are interwoven. And when you talk about our experience, as you know, people of African descent in this country- you know it's not one thing, it's very rich and layered, you know.
Speaker 3So they're not simple. Simple conversations, simple solutions.
Speaker 1And this is part of that, yeah.
Speaker 1And it's almost like a disruption of of of the way that we have used the plant cannabis and hemp culturally Right. I know throughout the Caribbean being from Jamaica, I know throughout the context that this prohibition has caused and the criminalization that has caused this huge disruption. What has been a part of our experience culturally um has been a part of our experience culturally right. We used to make um ganja tea in jamaica. We call it ganja, you make ganja tea. The old people make ganja tea. I mean it solves so many um issues of the body. You just go and boil ganja tea. Nobody's thinking of it as as something that is wrong or something that is detrimental it's medicine.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's medicine. And then we come here and get into this society and then, as you said, it's criminalized and we have become marginalized for using it in our own ways. And now, ta-da, it's a big deal and other people are taking advantage of it.
Speaker 3Yes, yes, correct, I think it speaks to a broader disconnect between Western systems and indigenous and people of color, right? So how we interact with the planet, how we see healing, healthcare, medicine, a more holistic, natural-based inclination that we have and so you mentioned the conjoint team you know a lot of that is inherent to not only our culture but our belief systems, and even like Rastafari Rastas, you know it's a religion, it's a spiritual religion.
Speaker 1right, it absolutely is.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah you know, if you look at, you know people of color, indigenous people, and how we, you know how we approach healing health and wellness it is, it is in a group of little systems, like you know. Hey, you know we're going to fix this little part. Yes, exactly right, so it's an entire, it's an entire thing, and oftentimes, without that, we wind up having you know less than optimal results in a system that's not built we don't really naturally kind of vibe.
Speaker 3We don't blend with that really, so we kind of exclude ourselves and sometimes we're naturally excluded through systems that have been set up. You know, they do think about it. It they're like the hell with them anyway, and so, again, this is part right, so this is part of it, like the cannabis, and the marijuana is part of like a subset of a greater issue at all. It's how we in a western western environment and western world and how we take care of ourselves and try to maneuver and find what's best for us.
Speaker 1Okay, Well, listen it's self-determination.
Speaker 2you know it is self-determination, yeah.
Speaker 1I want to. I want to stick a pin here, as my mother would say, because we've gotten, we've given a taste of of what a big part of this conversation is going to be about, of what a big part of this conversation is going to be about I want to go back to. Can we go back four months ago? I would like to go back. Has it been four months? It's been about four months To how this point in time here came about. Right, you all know that Leslie and I had our high school reunion. We had a few episodes about it, Big deal, because we're on the planning committee for Brooklyn Technical High School, class of 80. Something that happened the Friday before that. Well, that homecoming weekend, the Friday, something happened.
The Reunion Connection
Speaker 2That is how this fall came about, so Leslie's going to tell the story because she's like go ahead, leslie, tell them what happened.
Speaker 1I want to hear this.
Speaker 3Yeah, because some of this happened before we were here.
Speaker 2We're like, we're not going to tell you. All right, we're minding our own business. Minding our own business. So the Pier 57 in the city had a tech takeover. So what they did, which was really wonderful they invited all of the people in town and all of the different classes to meet at Pier 57 and just hang out there, meet different people from different classes, and then the following day would be the school visit and then everyone would do their individual class activities. So Angela and I went to the Tech Takeover that Friday night.
Speaker 1We had on our silver lame pants and our light up, sneakers and we were just, you know.
Speaker 2So we go into this corner and one of the football coaches is talking and holding court and he's chatting, and chatting, and chatting. And we're just hanging out with people now of all ages and all classes and coach says, yeah, that dude Irvay over there, go over there, he'll give you some marijuana.
Speaker 1No, he says something like Because, wait a minute, this is an older white man. This is an older white man, so we're like what he said he'll give you some.
Speaker 2He's over there giving out weed. That's what he said. He might have said pot, I think he said weed. So listen, I'm a black woman. This white man is pointing to this brown brother over there talk about he's giving out weed. I'm like what the fuck?
Speaker 3What kind of slur?
Speaker 2is that I'm like just you know, okay. So I'm like I put it. I'm like, okay, so I go over to the crowd and now Irve is over there with a couple of his classmates from 90 and Angela and I just start chatting with them and we're talking and we're like we're talking about them and like what do you think of the class? And I'm now in interview mode and I'm I'll send you the tape and had a great time, had fun, we're drinking and whatever. Okay, maybe we were there like 20 minutes or something, not very long. All right, so the evening is over. Everybody says nice meeting, you take care, and all of this stuff.
Speaker 1And, by the way, we found out that um that gentleman was um Dr DeMoss's coach while he was um his football coach.
Speaker 2Right, right, coach Benedetto. Yes, hey, coach. So Ange and I went to the school visit the following Saturday and we sat through the ceremony the homecoming ceremony At the end of the program. They have the credits and all and thanks and contributions and all, and Ange is sitting on my right and I'm reading, and one of the people who they thank and who contributed, dr Hervé Damas. I said Ange, oh shit, ange. I said you ain't going to believe it. I said you're not going to believe it. I said Dr DeMoss is the guy we were talking to last night. That's him. That's him, the heck. I'm like I listen to him all the time. I got his number here to call his office. The whole thing came full circle and I'm like I can't believe it and we're looking around now.
Speaker 3Is he here, is he?
Speaker 1here, we got none. We got none.
Speaker 2It's okay, there's still time. So coach B's comment and your name as a country, thank you for contributing. That's. You're so generous and you sit here talking to us and chatting. Mind you, he never mentioned what he did. He never mentioned, no, because I came over to him and I'm like, oh so, you were a football player I don't know if you remember that and he's like wow you do your homework.
Speaker 2He said you do your homework. That's because coach told me you know, what do I know? You know and I was not going to say that hey, can I have some weed that the guy is like it was a setup. So at that point, while we were sitting in the auditorium, is when I put the whole thing together and I'm like I have been listening to this brother for so long and I had no idea.
Speaker 3That's amazing, that is funny. That's like one of those things in a movie after you watch that in a movie they start, like you know, reflashing the scenes Exactly.
Speaker 1It was so wonderful and of course we had to reach out and see if he would come on our podcast and absolutely he said he would, he would come on and here he is and so this is this is I told. We told him just before we started recording that this will be unlike any other podcast or interview that you've had, because you know you have such a fascinating story like how you came. By the way, you started med school at 33. Leslie started med school at 36. Having so many pivots in your life being led, kind of seeing and feeling, you know, intuiting and having and listening to elders, you know, in setting your direction for what's next. So we want to spend a little time before we go into the really important information you have to share with everyone around your work with wellness and cannabinoids and health and healing and pain relief and all of that. If you would just share some of your story, like how you came to be right now, like you don't have to. You can start at tech if you'd like.
Speaker 3I almost spit out my ice tea. He probably was a sauce, no.
Speaker 2Were you a sauce. Were you a sauce.
Speaker 1Oh, they didn't have sauces in 90?
Speaker 2They must have had sauce. Yes, they did. They were the police.
Speaker 3The student police of the school Student of security or something no no no, you know what Najee? Absolutely not.
Speaker 2Many of the Asian students were the sauce you know.
Speaker 1We were the sauce and we were just running man.
Speaker 3Did they allow?
Speaker 2you to get on the elevator in the 90s.
Speaker 3Or did you have to run up the seven?
Speaker 2floors like we did.
Speaker 3When I first got. I got there in 86, and they were letting us use the elevators for a little bit and then things had gotten out of hand. I was there when, you know, brooklyn was. It was like the middle of the 80s, yeah, so yeah, things were fine. The decepticons, you don't know if you know. You guys remember hearing that I do, I do yeah, so they were, you know, so they had.
Speaker 3Uh, there was a lot of people from tech that were decepticons. They actually one of the founders uh brother named tame still was from tech that were Decepticons. They actually one of the founders. A brother named Tim Stone was from tech. Really he was the FBI's most wanted. Yeah, he was like what? Yeah, I told you we were famous. I told you.
Speaker 1The school was famous.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1If we're going to do it, we do it big.
Speaker 3That's a whole story behind that, you know, because of the times and people thought it was sweet, because we was smart, right quote on quote smart, so you know. So it was kind of like you had to. You know you could be smart, but you're still from the hood, right you? So you're still from around the way, you still you got the chops to get into tech, but that doesn't mean that there's other sides of you right, yeah, we're all people.
Speaker 3That's how that thing started, right, you know. So I would say for me honestly, and that's really how I wound up going to tech. I grew up in Flatbush East 21st and Newkirk Avenue. Okay what?
Speaker 1Ocean and Kurt tell you Ocean and Kurt tell you Ocean and Kurt Tell you All right, lyndon and Bedford.
Speaker 3You know, in the early 80s things had gotten really, really hot, turned into like a full-on war zone, yeah, and it was no longer safe. We didn't have park. Anybody who's grown up in the city knows you don't have like green spaces and parks, you're just playing in the street, you're playing the sidewalk or you're playing in the middle of it, actually in the street, and somebody's gotta say car right. So like that, that was the playground. You know, things just started getting really dangerous you know it's crack at the scene.
Speaker 3Um, you know, there was a lot of stuff going on the war on drugs, police enforcement, and so, uh, my mother which was interesting and my mother was like you can't go hang out, play outside anymore, which is crazy, like it was my whole social life. Everybody's like like that's the whole thing and she's like, nah, it's getting too dangerous outside for you. Like you know, and you know, kudos to her for being a good mom. She saw it. She was like, hey, I can tell you right now, all the kids that's spending a lot of time, a lot of time outside. I remember saying that bad things are starting to happen.
Speaker 3She was saying bad things are starting to happen out there, so I got to limit your time and I was like no.
Speaker 2Sure, sure, you're killing me, Ma.
Speaker 3Yeah, you're killing me, Ma it was so bad that my little friends used to. I remember we had a second story, second floor apartment. They used to come by my window and make fun of me. They used to say I was barred, they were like you apartment. They used to come by my window, make fun of me, they used to say I was barred, you can't come outside, you parted. I'm like no, I am.
Speaker 2She knew yeah, but yeah, god bless her.
Speaker 3Yeah. So what happened was I remembered, like just being bored out of my mind. One summer I was stuck in a house and I was like you got to let me out, like come on, like you know. And she was like why don't you go go read a book? Because I watched all the TV I could watch. I watched all the Gilligan's Island, all the like my three sons I dream of Jeannie. Yeah, yeah, I did. You know the whole series with them, right, like get smart all of that.
Speaker 3Get smart, right. You know it was like. You know. Hey, it turned into soul proper as a night pipe or something like that. All my children. I was like I can't do this anymore. She won't you go sit and read a book. I was like a book. It's summertime, it's great, would you? Why don't you go sit and read a book?
Speaker 2I was like a book. It's summertime, it's great.
Speaker 3Yeah, we don't be here in the summer, yeah, so this went on for a couple of weeks and I protested and I did all that. And one day we had these old world book encyclopedias. I still remember this. I was bored out of my mind. We had bought she had bought me some used encyclopedias and I just grabbed it. I didn't have anything to do. I opened up, wound up on a page, like about the Apollo space program. No lie, it was like what this is like for real. I actually did not believe, I didn't know that they actually had. What this is like for real. I actually did not believe I didn't. I didn't know that they actually had sent people to space I thought that was just all like tv stuff, right?
Speaker 3it was like come on, we watch tv shows like you know, whatever right, and I'm looking at this stuff, like wow, they actually like this is a real thing and and like, look at these dudes. Like look at these and they had like cool names. This one dude was like Buzz Aldrin.
Speaker 2Yes, both yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3And I'm reading this, I'm like yo, this is crazy. And I started thinking to myself hmm, I'd like to do something like that, right. So that led me to get really into astronomy and aerospace, right, really into astronomy and aerospace, right. So, like, I start reading about like constellations, stars, and like ships and planes and all this stuff. So I'm all into this stuff now, right, because I'm just like like you can actually do this right, and you know I'm not no longer bored, that's right right, it's what?
Speaker 3like you know, every kid wants to be an astronaut. Oh, mom, I want to be, but I was like yo, you can actually do this, do this. Like, like, let's do this. Yeah, yeah, we're gonna do this. So we wound up um, I'm gonna fast forward. We wound up doing a little american dream thing and making enough money to move out of brooklyn, go to queens, get a little house queens, we're moving on up and the crack and stuff followed us to Queens.
Speaker 1So it wasn't like you were running right. It was going on over there too.
Speaker 3Yeah, it was expanding, you know, by design. Of course I had a gentleman who used to come around the classrooms. He was like the don't do drugs kind of guy. You know he would like social studies class. He'd come in once a week and be like hey kids, you know I'm the cool adult, don't do drugs. You know, remember that guy in his icebreaker every class when he would ask a piece of trivia and he'd be like, hey, you can get it right, I'll give you some money.
Speaker 3He came in the class and asked some astronomy trivia. So I was like I do the answer and he was like no, put your hand down. And I was like, but I know the answer and like I remember this because it was like a show, it was like a scene from who? I'm in the back of class, I'm big, I'm in the back. They pull the taller kids in the back.
Speaker 2Yeah, he's in the front.
Speaker 3I got you know, and the kids, I'm going back and forth with them and every time I say something, something the class turns around. And then he said put your hand back. And I'm like no, but I got the answer. And he's like oh no, you don't back around to me, right? And I'm like, but I do, right. So he's like what's the answer? Right, the answer was like you know, alpha centaur, which is like the closest star here outside of the sun, and he's like how did you know? You know, he was like how did you know that? I was like, because I know this stuff, right, I've been reading. And he's like oh yeah, he's like no, I think somebody from another class told you If you know, it's got a sister star, what's the sister star's name? And I was like Proxima Centauriatori. And the class was like whoa? He was like how do you know this?
Speaker 1and I was like how dare? He said that you cheated right.
Speaker 3So at the end of the class he stops me after class and he goes you're really interested in this stuff. And and I was like, hey, man, I, you know this could sound crazy, but I want to be an astronaut, right. And he was like are you serious? And I was like yeah, I'm serious. Um, that's why I know all this stuff. I've been studying it on my own. And he's like well, there's a school in Brooklyn and they've got an aeronautical engineering program and I think they sent people to the Air Force Academy. He goes and I think if you go to the Air Force Academy, you can go to the astronaut training program. And I was like what, what's it called? He goes, it's called Brooklyn Tech. He's like you should. He's like like you got to take a test for it, the whole thing. And if you, you know, if you get in, you can go like, if that's what you want to do, they can get you there, right? So, remember, they used to give us like a little book you could choose the schools. You're in eighth grade, right?
Speaker 2yes, yes, with the list of all the schools and what you had to do yeah.
Speaker 3So I looked, I looked it up and it had yeah, he's right, that's Brooklyn Tech and you got to go take the test. So I was like there's the major aeronautical engineering.
Speaker 1So I remember you study for the?
Speaker 3test. I did not study for the test.
Speaker 2Neither did I. We didn't study either.
Speaker 3We just took the test and we got in, yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, nowadays, we didn't do prep, I wouldn't get in today I wouldn't get in because everybody's taking prep courses.
Speaker 3If your family's got resources they can pay for, yes, yeah, and you get this exceptional education Right. But back then you just went in and took the test. So I went in and took the test. I got in, clearly, you know. So I went in and took the test. I got in, clearly. Yeah, I went to. Tech was an arrow major.
Speaker 1I was like my brother, was a class of 78. He was an arrow major too, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3I was an arrow major and then I started playing. I've started playing football and I fell in love with football. I fell in love with football and my senior year I was a USA Today top 100. I was like an All-American high school, all that stuff.
Speaker 1Did they tell you? Did they tell you I?
Speaker 3remember. So he had asked me what school do I want to go to? And I was like I want to go to the Air Force Academy. Right, it was like you know, I was like I want to go to. And I was like I want to go to the Air Force Academy. Right, it was like you know, it was like I want to go to the Air Force Academy. That's my number one school. So, uh, the the last, the second to last game of the year we won. We beat Canarsie, made it to the playoffs.
Football Dreams and Air Force Dreams
Speaker 3Canarsie was a big rival yeah, which is the first time we had made it to the playoffs in like a decade or so, oh my gosh. And I go into the locker room I was there at lunchroom at the time. I walk in I'd forgotten all about this, right, and I see these dudes in uniforms looking sparkly, and I walk past them and one of the coaches says hey, those guys are there to see you and I was like me, right, it's like I come over and they're like hey, we want to offer you a scholarship to come play football for the Air Force Academy.
Speaker 2Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I was like what.
Speaker 3It was crazy, Like it was like a whole thing what these dudes were and they were in the uniform like they were in their formal uniform, impressive as hell, what I'm like?
Speaker 1tearful first of all.
Speaker 2You are making me cry and and let me tell you when I'm interrupting you for one second because I got teary when I heard you the guy tell you you don't know that you must have cheated. I had an experience similar to that in elementary school where one of my teachers really demeaned me and didn't didn't respect my intelligence or my talent, and I thank God that you and I and many others have overcome that and didn't let a naysayer like that Turns out he was helpful to you In my case it wasn't. But how many of us our dreams have been like thrown away because people. We are there as teachers. I used to be a high school science teacher. Teachers are supposed to encourage and bring the best out of their students. That's why we're there and for people to step on our crush, our dreams and our spirits. You know you could have had that experience. I didn't listen to my guy, I laughed at him in the way, but it's something that I still think about 50 years later.
Speaker 3Mm, hmm, it's amazing that you say that, because that was one of many times that I've had, you know, I've had to kind of like face off against people. Maybe it's because I had three older brothers and you're just like used to like scrapping for a little space you know like you've been in a situation where you know if you don't push back like you're going to get squashed Right.
Speaker 3So I think maybe that is and you know, having you know, growing up on where I grew up, that was another thing. Like you know, you've got, in order to survive, that you've got to have a certain amount of hardness to you. You ain't going to make it or it's going to be tough for you. So even in, even in high school, the Benedetto there was when I fell in love with football. Even in high school, the Benedetto there was when I fell in love with football. I remember us having a meeting and you know he was like just talking to us about like getting our priorities straight and he asked everyone, like you know, how many of you guys think you're going to play college football? How many of you guys can get a scholarship college football? Put your hands up and as he went along the questions, people started putting their hands down.
Speaker 2And then the last question how many you think I'm gonna go, bro? And I still have my hand.
Speaker 1Oh my god I love it, I love it who you is, brother.
Speaker 2Who the hell are you?
Speaker 3what's up with you. And I was sitting there with my hand up and kind of like, yeah, it's me.
Speaker 1It's me. Where's the line? Where is the line? I told?
Speaker 3him that I remember saying that to everyone in the room like hey, it's a long shot, somebody's got to do it, somebody it is, but there is that person that does. It right, amen, why not me?
Speaker 2Amen At least think about it. Do you know? That's how I got into medical school. That's how I started thinking. I'm like, first of all, people get in, people get in, people do it, people get in. So why not me? Who better than me? Yeah, the first step is believing. Exactly, the first step is believing. So go ahead, you are something else, buddy. You got me crying, laughing.
Speaker 3That's hilarious. So I wound up actually not going to the Air Force Academy. That's a whole other story. I didn't have the proper guidance because no one had ever like at Tech, playing football or whatever. No one in my family, no like no one, knew what to do, and I didn't get my congressional nominations in on time. My man boy flake, sent me one, but alphonse the model did not.
Speaker 3I don't know if you remember there was a senator back in the day I just found out recently that they're only allowed to send a certain amount, and he didn't send me. He wrote me back saying he had sent all the letters in. I didn't know like you could write all the representatives like I didn't know right.
Speaker 2Yeah, you didn't know.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, I didn't have the guidance so I wanted to go into good, beautiful, yeah, I wanted to go into hofstra.
Speaker 3You know, went to lehigh, you went to hofstra. I had a great, great time in hofstra. I wound up clearly to the bill signing. Yeah, I wound up signing with the bills. You know all american at hof can they wait?
Speaker 2stop right there, yeah, yeah, you're like glossing over like just just all the brothers just sign up with the bill slow your roll, I mean
Speaker 3that was before the turn of the century.
Speaker 1Slow your roll. Allow the elders to just sit in that for a little bit All-American.
Speaker 2How many people from Brooklyn Tech, how many people from Flatbush, how many people from Brooklyn, how many people go to the Buffalo Bills? You know what I mean. I'm just saying. I know that you know your story and whatever, but it's a big fucking deal. It's a BFD. You know what I mean. It's a BFD and I know that that wasn't your, that wasn't how it ended. Wait, there's more. There's so much you know what I mean, but it's a big deal.
Speaker 3I thought I was going to be in a spaceship at one point, right when the Challenger exploded. Like we used to kids in the classroom, they brought the TV and watching that thing. I was one of the kids that was like oh my God, you know like. That could have been me.
Speaker 2I was standing on Cortellu Road when that happened Cortellu and East 18th Street when that happened.
Speaker 3Wow, you know turns out Ronald McNair, one of my fraternity brothers, you know was in that right, so he's a Q, he's a brother, one of the first Black astronauts.
Speaker 2So it was a lot of like things.
NFL Career and Life After Injury
Speaker 3So I wound up, you know, going to Hofstra Dean's List. All that good stuff Went to the Bills and you know I blew my knee out First year in the league. And that's the reality of life, right, like that, sport is very hard on the body. So it took me a couple of years to kind of figure out what I wanted to do with myself, because you know, the whole astronaut thing I'd given up on it. I went all in on the football thing and now here I was, I had made it and now you know you fall back down the mountain. You're no longer it was such a big part of your identity who you were for a long time big man on campus. So you know you're doing all this stuff, you're on TV, you know you're doing the whole thing and now it's like it's gone.
Speaker 3So it was a couple of years there that I was just kind of like trying to get myself back into the league, rehabbing. But yeah, I had really really bad knee injury. So back then they were like I was like humpty, dumpty, they couldn't put me back together again. You know, it was like we wouldn't have that kind of sports medicine. They uh, so, um, I started, I started uh, I, I taught for a little bit, like I, I substitute taught for a little bit. So I had a little bit of fun at westinghouse. I coached at Tech and then they asked at Hofstra to go back and coach the players on the stuff that I had learned in the NFL.
Speaker 3Strength and conditioning and those kind of things.
Speaker 3And they were like and you'll pay for graduate school, and I was like I don't even want to go, I don't even know what I want to do. So I just went back and I started, you know, in strength and condition as a strength and conditioning coach and I went to. I was going to graduate school was free, I was getting a master's in physical education at Hofstra and I got really into like sports, you know, sports training and like physical fitness and I had a whole bunch of certain things.
Speaker 3I want to. You know, I want to go deeper than that. I don't even know. I would like I was lecturing for the national strength and conditioning association. I was writing stuff. I was speaking for the American college of sports medicine. Of course, you were doing a whole bunch of stuff. I was running gyms and I wanted up becoming a professor of health and exercise science, an adjunct at Trenton State College. While I was there they changed the name to the College of New Jersey, so I was running their wellness center and I was teaching in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. And then that's when life changed for me.
Speaker 1My mom got diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. This bobbing and weaving that Dr Damas has been doing and this incredible life that is unfolding for him, we're going to stop here and we're going to have a part two where he talks about how this very painful part of his life now emotionally painful through the illness of his mom how that is going to set him on another trajectory. Stay tuned for part two.
