From Survival to Hope: A Life-Changing Story | Chris Swanson & Kenny Briggs (Part 2)

In Part 2, Kenny Briggs continues his powerful story, sharing the unexpected moments and relationships that helped shape his life after hardship. From a life-changing act of generosity by members of the Detroit Lions to meaningful connections with mentors, community leaders, and athletes, Kenny reflects on how authenticity, humility, and service opened doors he never expected. The conversation explores how giving back, building trust, and staying true to one’s story can transform not only a life—but entire communities.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

And now we're back for part two of a life story involving Kenny Briggs, a guy that I've known for years, but never knew this part. The details are gonna blow your mind. One of the most successful receivers of the Detroit Lions is Herman Moore.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

How do you know Herman Moore?

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Herman Moore is uh, man, this this is this is a great story. I've always had these great stories, but Herman them, you know, I they they used to laugh at me because I used to ride my bike up to the Silverdome every day. That's a five-mile track each way.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

That's in Pontiac for the record, it's no longer there.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Yeah, so I used to ride from Oakland University all the way to the Silverdome, and they seen me every day. Snow, whatever, just riding that bike.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

To do what?

SPEAKER_00 0:43

To do what? I used to I used to be the equipment kid. I'd be the uh I was the mail room guy, and uh they they seen me. And so they knew I was struggling in the last few years because it took me longer to graduate because I was catching up on reading and catching up along the way. So I would, you know, have to take classes over again and just different things like that because I'm dyslexic by trade or by uh um diagnose. And so um, so uh one day I'm I'm struggling and you know things are getting down to the nitty-gritty, like I'm not gonna be able to pay my bills. They're gonna they're gonna be like, hey, you're gonna have to get out of the dorms, you're gonna have whatever.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

So um And you're in your 20s at this point.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Yeah, I'm in my 20s. So, you know, that fear factor is coming back.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

And there's nobody to lean on to ask for help.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Yeah, yeah. You know, it's the judge, it's the other thing, but you know, to me, it's back to hell, right? It's back to Pontiac, it's back to being homeless, it's back to whatever inside my mind. I know that that probably wouldn't have happened. So, Herman man, I'd never forget this. Herman comes up and uh he's uh he says, Be at your dorm. I rode my bike back home, and uh he said, be at your dorm at seven o'clock. And I said, Okay. And so I I go back to the dorm. I'm sitting the buzzer rings, because that's back in the day, phones didn't have i call our ID, the buzzer rings. They have no cameras, buzzer rings, it's Herman. I come down, they're in a Cadillac. It's him, Barry, Lomas, and Brett Perriman all the way. They pull up in the city.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Lomas Brown, Barry Sanders.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Yeah, and they pull up in a Cadillac, they roll down the window, and they hand me an envelope of money. Envelope of money. It's all the guys in the locker room from the Detroit Lions, all the players in the locker room. Yeah, I believe it was like $37,000 in cash.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

$37,000. Enough to cover my 1990s?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Yeah, yeah. What did you do?

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Well, I'm not gonna lie to you. I bought me a little hoopty because I wasn't riding that bike no more. They got me a $500 hoopie. And uh they're like, we didn't tell you to buy no car, man. They told you to buy it, you know, whatever. I said, man, you know I'm not gonna be riding this bike. I was like, he's like, well, we seen what you bought, you know, it was all beat up. And so uh so they gave uh they bought uh I bought the car, I paid off my tuition, you know, and then it's just been ever since then.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

That was the pivot in your life.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Yeah, it was the pivot in my life.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

Meeting Father Joe at the dog park. Yep. That was meeting the judge who adopted you. That's going to an Irish family. These are moments of your life that could have taken you down a path where you shouldn't be here. Yeah, but they just kept piling on to where it directed you and you just trusted the next step. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

And so Herman does uh like uh it's a great uh uh is a tragic thing, but I try to be there in tragic moments, the the church shooting or the church thing then. And you just seen the thing that was in West Bloomville, right? So Herman is coming up next week to the coach that was killed in the church to for his uh students uh or not his um players. He's coming up to do a uh a meet and greet for all the players.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

You're talking about Grand Blanc.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

Yeah, Grand Blanc.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

So just for the record, Grand Blanc's been struggling a lot. In uh September of 2025, we had the LDS shooting in Grand Blanc. Yes, and uh four people were killed, multiple injured. Shortly thereafter, there is another workplace violent act where a coach from Grand Blanc was killed. And then as of this recording, the day before we uh did this podcast in West Bloomfield, a truck, uh vehicle rather drove in the middle of a uh Jewish synagogue where kids were in school. So all these tragedies, it brings the best out of people. And you're telling me Herman Wart's coming up to Grand Blanc to encourage the student body.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Yeah, the the um the kids that are uh was specific for the uh um that he coached this guy coach that was in actually in the church and was um a victim of the this this madman.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

So well, not only that, you and Herman War have come to the Genesee County jail to encourage the population. Yeah, and you've watched what we've done with human trafficking and ghost over the last seven and a half years. You talk to some of the members on Ghost, yeah, and you know that this battle that you have been in, you're not alone. Yeah, there's other fighters that are fighting the same battle with you.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

Yeah, and it's funny, you know, I'm doing something with Ghosts. Uh I think it's on uh an uh April 24th. And uh uh this is this is a cool story too.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

I know Ghost is Genesis Human Oppression Strike Team. It's our it's our uh proactive human trafficking enforcement team. We're operators, and that's what he's talking about.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Yeah, so uh somebody reached out to me in the community and they said, uh hey, can you bring one of the Pistons? I'm friends with the Pistons too. And people know that I only ask when these players or whatever to do something when it's significant. But in between uh me becoming chief, I was uh uh had just quit the other job. I had a epiphany and uh I I I had to do a little bit of Uber driving, which is a very humbling experience until I end up being chief. My last Uber ride, and everybody's like, man, you're an Uber driver? Yeah, I was an Uber driver. You know, even the executive, I was an Uber driver. I was, you know, I needed the money, right? Good for you. Right. So I was Uber driving, and um, I went thus, I had this address in Southville. Pull up to this condo, and I pick this guy up, and we start talking, and he gets in the car, and he, you know, he's from Philly, so he's you know, you know, and they talk from Philly slow. And he tells me his story. Or I tell him my story. He said, Man, you are the best Ubers, best dressed Uber guy I've ever said. I said, Yeah. I said, my I said, I'm starting my new job today. I'm just trying to make a little bit of money before I start my new job as chief.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

Chief, what do you mean by chief?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

The chief of pretrial justice. So he says, uh We're talking recently. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's why you say year and uh and uh five months, and uh and so we start talking, and he's like, Yeah, and I'm telling my story. This kind of the same story that I'm telling you, and you know, and I say, Yeah, I've been through this and I've been through that. We look up and he and uh and uh we we're down at the Pistons facility. I didn't even realize that I had Jerome Allen in my car.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Right. He's this assistant coach of whatever, and he tells me his story. He says, I'm just as impacted, but I'm also an Ivy League grad um from Philly. I grew up in poverty. I grew up and I was I my kids went to uh warden school of business and and and we just start talking, and we talk for another hour in front of this place, and he says, I'll do whatever you want me to do. I will bring players, I will bring anything that you want me to do. And I said I said, I'm starting this job, uh, I I'm gonna need you somewhere along the line. And uh everything that I I need him to do, I just call him up and he just does it. And so he's doing something for ghosts. Yes, and he's gonna bring one of the uh pistons players, and uh I brought him to uh a high school. This is a cool moment, and it's Legate, and it's a private school, it's about 30,000 uh uh a semester to go to the school. It's in Gross Point, and he goes, and it's a lot of kids that maybe not can afford to school and whatever, and there's a lot of kids on the basketball team. So I go there and Jerome has him, and he's killing the crowd, just kills the crowd. He's such a amazing speaker because he tells them, you know, I'm a warden school graduate, I was I'm on the Pistons, I was, you know, on the Olympic team, I played, you know, you know, years of basketball. Then he says I'm just as impacted because I made a mistake. Yeah, right. And then he says, uh, and then he then he calls Kyrie Irving. Oh no way. Them boys. They lost their minds, they lost their minds. The basketball players lost their minds, and he's friends with Jason Tatum, and you know, he got Kade down there in Detroit, and he's just this incredible guy. So this is like when you I tell anybody that I'm mentoring, if you open your mouth and you're authentic, people will believe you, people will trust in you. You tell your story of how you triumph over all these tragedies, that people will believe you, and they will believe in you, and they will do things for you if you're not asking for anything out of it. God will give you what you need, and all the rest will come for that. And so that's what life is about. It's about giving back, and I truly believe that it's about giving back. It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful thing. And so I experienced it.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

It is not a uh an accident you brought up the Pistons because again, timestamping the the uh recording of the show yesterday, yeah, last night, uh because of the generosity of Tom Gores and the Pistons, we were able to take 180 members of the LDS church from the shooting to the Pistons game last night. Wow. And they played the Philadelphia 76ers and smoked them.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

And all the people you just mentioned, I was watching them last night as the crowd that we brought there, 90% of them had never been to an NBA game. Oh, wow. 99% of them have never been to Detroit. Oh, wow. And I say that because good people find good people. Yeah. And when you're authentic, whether you're an Uber driver or you're walking your dog or you're a you know, assistant, you know, coach, whatever it is, when you are doing things that are authentic, that are obedient, that are humble, your position of influence can be used as a massive tool to help other people. And when you find two people that have two tools, that's how you run across the Herman Moore's and the Barry Sanderses and the people that I've come across too. That's why Herman Moore comes when you call on him.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

Yeah, yeah. And he loves me. He loves me like a brother. He comes with without without fail. He comes and he speaks, and uh, and I and I bring them uh to my events because me telling my story, yeah, uh, I don't want to be triggering for the kids. I want to give them the show that if you work hard and you work at it, people will trust you. And these athletes trust me that I'm gonna only gonna bring them good things. And so that it's it's the icing on the cake to pull them in to actually show them that you know these guys that are multi-millionaires do care about you and do care about their communities.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

So you said a lot, Kenny. Why'd you come on this podcast with me?

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Man, because I love you, man.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

I appreciate you, man.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Ever since I met you, you know. It's just been great times. Yes, sir. Yeah, yeah, I I know you're an authentic guy. Yes, yeah, you you're trying to do what the what's the best for the community, man. You're always out there doing what's the best for the community. And I and I truly believe that. Yes, sir. So um, you know, I it's been a pleasure meeting you, and you know, and I know you didn't know all of my story because I don't know. That's what I want to I want to apologize.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

Yeah, I did not know 90% of what you told me. Yeah, not even close.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

And the fact that I appreciated and respected you beforehand, I have that much more respect now because you never quit. Yeah, you never quit, and you opened your heart, and people opened their heart, and that's how you transform lives, man. I mean, you're a walking testimony, yeah, but you use it as a testimony.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

My gosh. What what is the next five years for for Kenny Briggs?

SPEAKER_00 13:17

Well, I got I got I got a 15-year-old, and oh wee, she's she's tested me. So it's it's beautiful. It's a beautiful so I got I got little kids to race, um, get them through the high school. Uh, and then uh I you know I want to do an actual full Iron Man.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

Uh eventually. And then uh, you know, um life is life's gonna take me. It's gonna it's gonna do that's right, it's gonna guide me in a direction that I need to. But I'm pretty comfortable right now, you know. I'm I'm I'm pretty happy in in the place that I am. I just I for a little bit I just want to be settled.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Sometimes it's nice just being in first gear for a minute.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's and that's where I'm gonna stay for just a bit.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

If we uh close this out, I ask this question to every guest, and that is something that you can think about. But you're on the stage of the entire country and you have 30 seconds and everybody's looking at you, there's no distractions, and you get to speak, and they are all willing to hear what you have to say. What would you tell that audience?

SPEAKER_00 14:17

So I I I know it's a lot of crazy things that's going on in the world, but if people just talk and just listen to each other, we will hear what they gotta say. We're not that much different from each other. You know, people help each other. It goes past culture, it goes past anything, and people will help you if you do the right thing.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

What's your favorite band of all time?

SPEAKER_00 14:44

Ooh, we that might be controversy. So because I'm a huge rap guy. I think I'm still 12. Let me.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Are you a Tupac or Biggie?

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Oh, I'm uh I'm a Biggie fan. Okay. I'm a Biggie fan. And then I'm I'm more I I try I try to keep up with what's new. So I like, you know who I really like? I like this this guy called Gunner because his story is kind of kind of similar to mine. Yeah, it's similar to mine. They're up on racketeering charges. He chose to to do the right thing, and um, and he kept moving forward. And his mood music is just taking off, and he's really into his fitness, he's really into his whatever. So I really like his his message. And yeah, yeah, and so and then I and I love Kendrick.

SPEAKER_01 15:31

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

Yeah, he's trans transformative. So I love I love people that's like.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

He's like the modern day Luther.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, very much so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

What's your favorite movie of all time?

SPEAKER_00 15:42

Uh my favorite series, okay. I'm gonna say is Wire.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Oh, yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Yeah, yeah. Because you know, I was brought up in the street. That's right. So, you know, you know, that that that's more uh that's that's my speed.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

So wow.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

What's your favorite uh food of all time? Where do you like to go eat, man?

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Oh, yeah, I'm I'm a big my kids are sushi people.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Everybody says sushi.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

Yeah, but I also like Indian food too. Okay, yeah, I'm a huge Indian fan too. So yeah, yeah. So yeah, I I I like the a little bit of spice with that flavor.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

So yeah. Well, listen, man, I I I know that you impacted people. We're gonna take clips out of this, but for everybody watching right now, um, you never know what's behind the mask. And I learned today from somebody I had known for probably that was what, 10, 15 years ago, we were golfing, and I never knew that. We'd see each other at the gym, we'd laugh, we'd, you know, have that informal exchange, but today you poured your heart out. I believe that there's people that are in different stages of your journey, and I know you're gonna you're gonna help them. And my takeaway is find somebody. Yeah, be authentic, be real, and the fact that we are closer together than we think. And if arrogance and ego keep you from doing that, then you may never know where your journey is gonna take you. But overall, Father Joe, man, I've heard about this dude from the time he came to Grand Blanc, and I hear nothing but great things. So, Father Joe, I hope you watch this episode and I hope you're blessed to know that you took time to pour to this guy's spirit and he has changed for life. God bless you. And uh thank you, Kenny Briggs, man. I appreciate you.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

Yeah, thank you.