Episode 3: Jason Bell

From the NFL to international television, Jason Bell has lived one of the most unique careers in sports.

In this episode of the RUDY BE GOOD Podcast, former Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and New York Giants defensive back Jason Bell joins Rudy for an unforgettable conversation about life after football, building a successful wealth management business for athletes, becoming one of the NFL's top ambassadors in the United Kingdom, and his unexpected rise to television stardom.

Jason shares behind-the-scenes stories about playing in the NFL, growing up in Long Beach, California, choosing UCLA, overcoming injuries that nearly ended his career, and finding success after football. He also opens up about working with NFL legends, living in London, appearing on Strictly Come Dancing (the UK's version of Dancing with the Stars), and helping grow the NFL across Europe.

Plus, hear incredible stories involving Conor McGregor, Osi Umenyiora, Antonio Pierce, Michael Strahan, Eli Manning, Emmitt Smith, and more.

This episode is packed with NFL insights, business advice, personal growth lessons, and hilarious stories from a life few people have experienced.

🏈 NFL Career
 💰 Wealth Management & Athlete Investing
 🇬🇧 Living in London & Growing the NFL Internationally
 🎙️ Sports Broadcasting & Television
 🔥 Untold Stories from the NFL and Beyond

#JasonBell #NFL #NewYorkGiants #DallasCowboys #HoustonTexans #RudyBeGoodPodcast #SportsPodcast #NFLUK #WealthManagement #UCLAFootball

00:00 Introduction and Friendship Origins
05:57 The Journey into Money Management
12:01 Navigating Family and Friends in Financial Decisions
17:59 Common Financial Mistakes and Lessons Learned
24:51 From Player to Ambassador: Jason's NFL Journey
30:06 Dancing with the Stars: A New Challenge
36:46 The Growth of the NFL in Europe
49:37 Life in the NFL: Dallas to Houston to New York
58:51 Living in Weehawken and Tribeca
01:06:46 Experiencing the Banya: A Cultural Connection
01:12:05 NFL Insights: The Giants' Future
01:20:49 The Importance of Elite Players in the NFL

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Hey, Jason Bell. How are you? What's up, man? How's everything? Jason Bell, former Dallas Cowboy, Houston, and New York Giants. And Super Bowl champion.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

You know, I was I was hanging out with him. I was hanging out. You know, I was on the injured reserve that year, so I take I take no juice.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

But listen, you still have our have hardware.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

I mean, listen, I was I was around, you know. My boys, my boys sweat. They they they worked hard for that. So I I give that to them. But yeah, I was I remember being at the game, man, and watching them win and the emotions. It was it was just great to see, man, watching teammates run on the field with their families. It was it was a unique experience.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Well, before we jump into some football stuff, I know we've been friends now for a while. Long time, bro. Long time. And thank you for uh Michelle Marie for introducing us. Yeah, for real. I was just telling my wife the night we met at Tao.

SPEAKER_03 1:16

Yeah. Oh, that's wild. You know what is funny? I was talking to Nadine about the one of your barbecues at the house, and we were just kind of we were reliving the good old barbecue. It was funny. We were talking about that the other day.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

That like you that barbecue, we had you, Keith Bulla, Antonio Pierce, Marco Yaric. Um, who else was there? Peter, uh Paul Rosenberg.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

Paul was there, yep.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Um, I'm missing somebody else.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

Man, I was there. Because he had what's the name? He had his kids too, right? Two his his two daughters. Um who had two daughters there? Uh no, remember it was uh I don't know they front him out, the guy who was married to the body.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Yeah, Marco, yeah, Marco brought his two daughters. Yeah. Um and the and yeah, that was a great barbecue. And you know, um hopefully, hopefully, uh, and by the way, you haven't been back to the house since I redid the patio.

SPEAKER_03 2:17

Oh man, the patio was fresh, too.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

So if we redid it, I can't wait. No, no, no, no, no. The patio, I'll send you photos. It's you don't feel like you're in Jersey anymore. You feel like we're in like in St. Bart's or something. It's completely we redid the whole thing.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

I gotta get out there and make it happen for sure.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

You haven't been out in the house.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

I know, man. This this daddy life, you should have told me about this, man.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

This this just wait until they turn 18, 17.

SPEAKER_03 2:44

I'm looking at the pictures. I'm looking at the pictures thinking, man, how is Rudy doing it?

SPEAKER_00 2:48

You see pictures, but you don't see what's going on behind the pictures. The stress, J Bell.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

Oh, geez. I don't. I don't know how you do it, bro. You a strong guy.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Yeah, a lot of vodka in particular.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

And it's non-stop, too.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

They just and there's four of them, so it's like you're as soon as as soon as one comes up, then you get you have another one, and then that issue, and then there's another one right behind it.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

You're just like, oh jeez.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

But um, last time we hung out, and this is it's been a minute. Last time we hung out was at Up and Down in New York City with Connor McGregor.

SPEAKER_03 3:26

That's oh, remember that night? We were just supposed to have a regular dinner, weren't we?

SPEAKER_00 3:31

We were we had a regular dinner with Audi. It escalated, and then Audie's like, Oh, Connor's coming to dinner, the guy doesn't come to dinner, and then we roll up to the club, and everyone's like, Where's Connor? Where's Connor? And this is this is when he was in town for uh that uh the lawsuit. That's right, yeah. Him getting into a fight with um uh what's his name? What's the UFC guy's name? I forget, but um, yeah, I remember he's gonna be back. Yes, and where's Connor? Where's Connor? And the door guy goes, He's been sitting in the in the SVV the whole time. He can't get out because there's a ton of paparazzi.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

Didn't him and John Jones see each other in the going through the walking up there too? It was crazy. John Jones, I think, was walking in too. It was wild.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Yeah, I I said Connor, don't worry, I got this. I started waving around my hand. TMZ and paparazzi, and then out of nowhere, another like all these other camera guys comes in. He's like, No, no, they're with me. Like he was he had his own his own crew of paparazzi.

SPEAKER_03 4:38

Oh, shout out to Adi Atar, my college teammate, man. I love Adi. I just talked to him the other day when he was in London for a fight, man.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

He's I have to hit him up. It's been a minute too. But he's he's a great guy, man. Yeah, he was in New York a couple years ago. Well, this is a year, a couple years ago. He was doing an event or something, and he invited me to come to it, but I couldn't come. Yeah, he's such a good dude, man. But I so Connor McGregor, right? That night we hung out. I've only been scared of maybe four people touching me in my life. And he's number three on my list. I mean, I didn't he he was very nice, yeah, yeah. Very polite. He took care of our whole bill. But when he grabbed me and he goes, Why are you drinking tequila and not whiskey? You thought, man, I can change it up right now. I'm thinking I'll have some whiskey.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

Whatever you want to do, brother, I got no problem. Yeah, I'm with you. It's all you and he was very polite. Invited me to Russia. You like, you like, ah, I can I can help with that.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Yeah, you like, you speak Russian? Oh, you can you could be my translator. I should have gone.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

You should you should have done exactly what you did in stay home. You didn't write there. Yeah, he went to the Olympics. Yeah, no, no, you need to stay home and take care of them girls, man. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

So, okay, so Jay Bell.

SPEAKER_03 6:06

Yeah. You were in New York. Was in New York, yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

And now you live in London.

SPEAKER_03 6:12

London, man. Pretty much full time. I remember I was back and forth to New York the first couple of years I was living here, but uh fully committed, man. Been here almost 10 years now. 10 years. Almost, man. Those first couple of years, though, you know, like I said, we were still doing our thing in New York because I would spend half the year here. But once I had to commit and my child got old enough to kind of had a locker into school, it was it was full go out here in the UK, London.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

All right, but so after uh you retired, you became a money manager.

SPEAKER_03 6:47

Yep, still got the company, still doing that in the States.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

You still do the money management. So I want to tell my uh viewers and listeners how that came to be because a lot of athletes that I that I've been interviewing, I always ask them, okay, you retired now you have the one side that goes into business and uh you know advances their life, and then you have the other side that just pisses everything away.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

Give us the rundown of Jason Bell. How did it come to be? What happened? How did you go from Giant Super Bowl to now I'm doing money management?

SPEAKER_03 7:34

So now more guys are into finance, right? They know it's a field, it's an industry, they see people that have taken their path, so they know they can get into it. But when I first started, it wasn't clearly like that. I didn't really see anyone uh with my background that went into the industry. But how it occurred is when I was playing, you know, I was a middle of the roster kind of guy, and I was in the locker room doing certain deals, structuring them, whether it was real estate deals, things with art, and there were blind spots I had. And I would be doing these deals with friends of mine that, you know, were the bigger money guys on the team and they had the better advisors and things of like things of that. And I would say, hey, let's reach out to them and get this information, whether it's lawyers, accountants, all that. And at that moment I recognized there was this bottleneck, which was information. The people would not want to give us the information we needed if they weren't making money. And then I said, Well, there's the problem. Because for most athletes, it is avoidance of loss. You know, I always say, We're up, you know, 21 points in the third quarter. You just you just gotta you get you just gotta keep the ball in front of you. And it's it's it's minimizing the mistakes. So I said, okay, this is what I want to do. I didn't know how I wanted to do it, but I said, this is where we get into trouble, you know, making mistakes when people won't want to help, especially when they're not making money and the vultures are always around. So I knew at that moment I was gonna do something in that space. Um, so when I had to retire abruptly because of a back injury, I started pursuing, got my MBA in finance, and I was interviewing with all different types of companies, especially when I was interning with all different kinds of companies, especially when I was in New York, because you have exposure to that, and realized the path I wanted to take and the firm I wanted to be with, and found my partner, partnered up, and here we are. So started off with, I mean, basically most of my clients were athletes entertainers. We've branched out since then, but yeah, went to my network, guys I played with uh and helped them, and the referrals started flowing. And, you know, I've seen a lot of people in this industry come and go. Uh, our approach was always just to do the right thing, you know, really try to help guys out. And now that I'm, you know, in my late 40s, I can look at a lot of clients and see the situation they're in with their families, and I just think, man, this is what I this is why I wanted to do it. You know, this is this is this the sole reason I got into this was to help my friends to make sure they were able to live the life they deserve uh by getting them the information they needed and helping them avoid mistakes. And that's what I've been doing ever since. And I I still love that. Even though I've gone on to the media side, I know we haven't talked about that. I mean the financial side and advising uh people and families just to keep it together, man, is is what it's all about. I I I really enjoyed it. I found probably more reward I've had more rewarding experiences from that than football.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

How many guy how many how many clients do you have? And do you know the breakdown between athletes and entertainers and just regular folk?

SPEAKER_03 10:50

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know all that. I mean, I can I can spitball it, but I mean, we're we're about 200 and man, probably 50, 60 athlete entertainers. So, but a lot of them have have the old you know, a lot of the guys that have retired have gone into all different kinds of fields. You know a few of them that have have gone to different industries.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

So yeah, there's a lot of guys now, and and mostly when you're playing in these big, big markets like the Giants or maybe in LA, a lot of these guys now are going into finance and working for Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, especially where I live, you know, the all those guys that are around here, a lot of them are that's what they are doing. Yeah, that's new too. Yeah, that wasn't happening when I started.

SPEAKER_03 11:42

I mean, my teammate Justin Tuck is killing it. He's the man.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

He's right up the street.

SPEAKER_03 11:47

Yeah, Tuck is such a good dude. You you look at guys like that and you're like, it it it just makes sense, you know. Like you can see it in the locker room early on, you know, Stray's one of my closest friends, but uh, you know, you look at you look at what Tuck's done and it it makes complete sense. I mean, he was built for it.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Right. So and he's and Justin Tuck is around these type of people, especially living in around in New Jersey and New York area. Yeah, he's playing golf, he's constantly having cigars with finance people, so it's easy to jump into that. Yeah, um, a little bit harder when you were coming out, you were much younger. Yeah, it was a lot older now when he gets when he started that.

SPEAKER_03 12:27

Yeah, it was it was it was harder, it was different. People didn't really respect the path that I was on as far as was I qualified for it. So that's one of the reasons I made sure I went and got my MBA. But ultimately, what helped me is that in my situation, especially with the clients I was trying to go after, I had the experience, I understood the pitfalls, I understood the language. I always say I'm a translator. Uh, these concepts are easy to learn, it's it's how you translate it. It's it's making sure people understand what's relative to them and how it fits in their world. And that and that was my skill. It was being able to take a uh a complex their situation, which could be complex, uh, be able to articulate what the tools were and just translate how it made sense of them. And because I had played, I had been through it, I had felt the pain points, the pressure points, all of that. That was my advantage. So I could learn everything else, but my advantage was the connection I had with the individual or the family.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

Right. And um, so the MBA, I if I remember correctly, you went into that special MBA program that was based out of uh it was Miami, but then it they like rotated if it like went around different areas.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

Uh it was Miami when I was there. It was always Miami. Yeah, yeah, it was all Miami, yes. Okay, and they they had a program basically that they used for Latin American students that would come over for these blocks, so six weeks at a time, so you can go back to your country kind of thing. And and they did that for for athletes to be able to do it in the offseason. So it was an existing program that they were just able to plug athletes into.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

Got it. Yeah, because I spoke to uh Keith Bullock about it. Yeah, and he was in the same program, but not the same year, right? Nah, Keith was in something else. I think he went to the Harvard Business Program. No, he well, he said. Did he do the NBA in DC and then he was a big one?

SPEAKER_03 14:18

Oh, yeah, yeah, and he went earlier. That's right. He went he went to the first one. Yes, yeah, Keith went to the first one. It was the same program for earlier. Yeah, with with with with one of a couple of my clients were in that actually. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Yeah, and so when you were doing it, who was like the most, I don't know if you could say it, who's the the most famous person that was there or the first thing. There was a lot. There was a lot when you went, I remember.

SPEAKER_03 14:38

Yeah, there was a lot of guys. Uh current player that's my I mean the guy who's still playing, who's my boy who uh might retire. Harrison Smith was there. Uh Harry.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

I thought Harrison retired this year, and I I made a mistake. He did not retire.

SPEAKER_03 14:53

He isn't retired yet. I'm I'm about to harass him today about that. But uh can you can you tell him that I will be hitting him up? All right, yeah, I know you guys are boys too. That's right. Um Harry, yeah, Harry was there, man. What a smart dude, too, man. He I mean, we used to go through operations management, and he was so good, he just tell us to, man, just leave me alone. I got this.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

He's like he's he's a smart guy. I remember we went, it was you, me, Harrison, and Chris Carter. We went to the UN.

SPEAKER_03 15:24

Yep, Chris was with us too. Remember because we were out there and we went to the we were at the NFL office and that. Yeah. Yeah. Chris was in the program too. Yeah, yeah, that was cool. Chris was the um was the assistant GM for UCLA under our man Deshaun Foster until uh uh Deshaun got fired. But yeah, he was uh he was doing that and he was uh at USC too. So now he's at USC now? He was at USC before that, but then UCLA.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Where is he now?

SPEAKER_03 15:53

I don't know. I mean he's out now because obviously obviously the coaching staff at UCLA changed. But hopefully, you know, he's taking a rest, but I want him to be an athletic director soon, man, because he's on that pathway.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

So athletic director, interesting.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Yeah, I hope I hope he continues because he's got the skills for it. But UCLA? No, he's he was at he was assistant GM at UCLA. But once Deshaun Foster and that whole staff got fired, obviously they moved on. So now he's just he just chilling.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

Uh okay, and you and obviously I know this, but maybe people listening, you went to UCLA.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

Yeah, I went to UCLA.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

Yeah, I'm a play football at UCLA, obviously.

SPEAKER_03 16:33

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Okay, so I know like I'm all I'm jumping around all these places. Let's do it. Okay, so so okay, but hold on. The business part. The business part. And then I want to ask you about UCLA because it's an inch it's interesting to me that you're from California and you went to UCLA. Yeah, that happens a lot. But okay, back to business. Yes, the money management. What's the biggest mistake in money management that you see your clients have either made before they came to you or where they call you up and they're like, listen, J Bell, I made this mistake financially mistake. What's like a common thing or something like, or maybe the most unique thing that you've heard people do?

SPEAKER_03 17:17

Well, I think the theme is always, in my opinion, is how much they really understand risk. You know, like a lot of times people think doing something they know and putting all their chips in there is less risky. Or they think they know because they're like, oh, I understand this. Let me let me slide everything all over to that side of the table. Uh the risk is not knowing and doing all these other things. So really uh putting a a real number on risk and what diversification really means, you know. I think I think that is a misconception with a lot of people. And once they look at it and they see, oh wow, I'm I'm really overloaded in this thing, you know, like one thing is like uh real estate, you know, and and and people's exposure to that and just understanding, because one thing we uh understanding what that looks like, not that it's wrong, right, or wrong, but the first our first approach is always we come in and organize everything. And once you organize things, you get a clear picture. It's like going to the doctor, taking all your tests, and you're like, okay, I need vitamin D, you know, C, whatever. Um, so we really get them organized, and most of the time at that point, you can see where they have chinks in the armor where you're like, okay, let now let's protect what you got, right? And what that looks like, and going through that process. And then the last part is all right, let's let's let's figure out who you want to be, what you want to be, and let's grow the rest. And it's really that three-step process. And in that, when you organize, you find out a lot of things that are exposed where you can pick up the pieces, where you can protect things. So I think, like anything, busy people, things fall through the cracks. We come in, clean it up, and then then they can make the best decision based on that information. And I think a lot of times the biggest mistake is people just don't have all the information. They think they do, but they don't.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Right. And and I've I've personally speaking, through speaking with athletes, I find like a lot of these athletes who are in a money situation where they're there's they're always someone's coming at them, invest in this, invest in that. And then they have their family members coming to them, oh, this is a great idea, you gotta invest. And that's where things get a little hairy because you want to trust them because it's your family member, but then you're like, I don't know about this deal. Do you ever look at like deals like that where they a family member is bringing the deal and the athlete's like, Look, it's my aunt, it's my uncle, it's my cousin. I don't know if it's a good deal. Can you look at it for me and tell me if it's a good deal? And then you're like, this is a whack deal.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

So all the time, but you you you tread carefully. You have to respect the person, and you always look at this. If they want you to look at it, you do, and then you tell whoever it is what the next step, the appropriate step will be. And a lot of times I would say 80% of those people don't come back with that next step because it takes a lot of effort. So, hey, yeah, this is good. Hey, go find this out or do this, and then come back and we'll discuss. Uh I mean, you're only getting about 20% of that back, so you're eliminating a lot of that chaos. My good friend Tequila Spikes always used to say, you know, he would say, you know why they are always attacking athletes? And I was like, why? You know, what's the reason, you know? And he's like, We got cash on hand every year. You know, there's a lot of people with a lot of money that have a lot of assets, but it's just not, you know, they don't have cash today, tomorrow. They gotta they gotta get the cash, they gotta raise the cash somehow. Um, and because of that, people are always attacking athletes because they're just like, you got cash on hand, so you can make quick decisions. We want to make you move fast. Oh my gosh, this deal, it's gonna be gone, you know, that kind of stuff. Guys are more aware of that now, but back when I was playing, you thought you were special, you know, oh my gosh, I uh hey, it's he he's got this deal for me. And and look at him, he doesn't need anything from me. Let's let's let's move fast and you know, just slow the ball down. But you know, guys are much more aware because it's out there. They read the stories, they understand what can happen when you make these mistakes. But yeah, a lot of times we are the buffer. We just make sure, you know, you have to respect everybody within the process. And yeah, you know, people uh, regardless of what the ideal is, a lot of times uh people quit when the when it takes a lot of effort, when it's just not writing a check.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

When the devil's in the details, they they jump ship. Always, always.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

And you just you just keep asking questions, man. Okay, hey, yeah, yeah. What's next? This, this, that, and you just next thing you know, you you stop getting calls.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

So yeah, you get the real ones that are real, and then that's how you read it out.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

That's it, man. And it it it and you You've seen enough of it, like as you have, man. I mean, you can look at a real estate deal and just you're like, yep, yep, yep, no, no, okay, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 22:07

You know, you know right away you kind of know right away if it if it's if it smells like, you know, yeah shit shit.

SPEAKER_03 22:13

Yeah, and and and and that's I I try to teach my guys, I'm like, look, there's a lot of stuff I don't know, but I know how things are supposed to be structured. And if it's not structured like that, well, we got to ask some questions. And these are the things that have to be in place, and these are the things you have to do legally. So they understand the rules of the game. Like you can go into, I always say you go into a football game, you don't know you you've done your study and you think you know what the opponent's gonna do, but they have a game plan that day. But you know the rules, you know what the referees, you know, you know the rules of the game when you go into the game. A lot of times people don't know the rules of the investment world trying to do all these different deals. So uh we just try to get them that information.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

Yeah, and that's that's smart, and you probably save a lot of people a lot of headaches and a lot of money.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

That's it, man. And and you know, as they get older and they've been in the game for a long time, and you know, we don't have a lot of turnover and clients, and it's because you know, we're all about uh giving them the information, letting them make the best decision for themselves. We're here to assist. Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

Um, so I don't know if you remember this day, okay? But I remember at home watching HBO The Ballers. Yeah, Iraq.

SPEAKER_03 23:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

And I and I texted you and I'm like, J Bell, I'm watching this show, The Ballers. You gotta watch it. I think they stole your life.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

I know that was early on.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

I was one of the only ones doing it, man.

SPEAKER_03 23:35

I know.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

When I texted you, I was like, no, no, this is this is this is kind of like loosely based on you. The I mean he he basically played the same position as you, right? The Rocky.

SPEAKER_03 23:46

I think he was a D-lineman. Was he a D-lineman? Yeah, I think he was a D-lineman in that year. And you played what corner safety, safety for the Giants, but corner everywhere else was similar.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

And but at the time, you didn't hear of athletes going into that in that money management thing because he wasn't an agent. You see you hear athletes becoming agents, but you don't hear the money management thing, and like the whole story, and I'm like, they stole your life.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

That was wild. I know it was funny because when I first got into business, and you know, you sit down with a with a prospective client, and and and maybe you meet their family, a rookie coming out, obviously, their parents are involved, and uh you had this kind of blank canvas of why and what you do and how you do it, and all that kind of stuff. And and they were listening, you had a captive audience. What what you said they believed. And I was telling the truth. Ballers comes out, and I got people looking at me like, wait, wait, no, no, I know exactly what you're doing. I'm like, no. Let's I'm like, this is killing my game, man. I gotta, I gotta justify my moves and how I'm I'm working. So uh yeah, it was funny. It was I used to be. That was a great show. It was it was absolutely outstanding. It was uh there was a lot of truth in it, you know. It was obviously sensationalized because it's television, but you know, I think the writer, I forget his name, I think he was a running back, and he based a little bit of it on maybe his relationship with his advisor or something similar to that, but I think so. I could be uh misspoken, but I believe that's what it was.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

Yeah, that it's it's interesting. Okay, so now uh uh London, yeah. Yeah, so I know kind of briefly about how it transpired, how you how you became part of the NFL you know family, so so to speak. Yeah, give us the rundown. How did it how did you go New York to I obviously you had uh uh your daughter that was living there, but as far as becoming part of the NFL family and working with the NFL, how did you get back into that? And what's the story? Like tell us play by play what happened. I know you were there, and something happened.

SPEAKER_03 26:08

So I guess the title is I'm the ambassador. Me and O. C. Umanyura, my former teammate, great friend, are the ambassadors for the NFL in the UK. It was his role first. Uh, I think him and Roger had figured out he was gonna do that when he retired. So I was back and forth. Um, my daughter, her mother works out here, and I was back and forth, and OC had just retired. I didn't know he had retired, but I'm obviously in communication with OC, but OC doesn't tell people his business. You don't know what's going on. So it was it was like right after the season. So the next season hadn't started, and there was no OC, so nobody knew he had retired. I get a call from a production company on my phone, and that is because I shouldn't be putting this out there, but my phone number is public because of the financial firm. You can't have a private number, right? They gotta go on there, they can find your number if somebody wants it. I get a call, production company, and they're like, hey, we're starting this show with the NFL, and we heard you're out here, and we're gonna start it. Would you like to come into the office and talk about this? And I'm like, What? I'm like, this has to be, you know, this is fraudulent. So I call, I have my daughter's mother, um, her agents figured out this was a legitimate film company. And I'm like, all right, cool. So I call back, I'm like, yeah, what's up with this? And they're like, yep, so we're gonna do the show with OC. And we know you're here. And I'm like, what? So I immediately hang up, call OC. Is this real? Yeah, bro, I'm retiring, nobody knows. I'm out there coming out there, all that kind of stuff. I was like, all right, I'm gonna go take this meeting. So go to the old NFL office, and I sit down, and the first thing I say, I was like, you know, I've never done television, nothing, none of that stuff. It was went straight into finance, doing that thing. You know, there's no reason they should know this, and that they would think about me. And the reason a lady came up to me, she, I mean, the guy who was running the production company said, Well, our co-producer for one of our shows saw you at the pet store with your daughter. And she thought, I think this guy lives here, because obviously my daughter's mother was famous, so they had seen me in the paper with her, and they're like, She, you know, I think he lives here. We might ask him because he's the only other former NFL player in the UK that we can call. So let's give it a go. We need somebody to work with OC. So I'm like, this is crazy. And I'm like, all right, I'll do it for fun. Uh, which was a television show on the BBC they were starting, uh, that was called the NFL This Week, which we reviewed the games and put it out there on the BBC, the largest platform in the UK, and then covered the live games. And I was like, okay. And I just said, fine, I'll do it with my buddy. Never ever done any media, television, anything like that. Show up to the set the first day, and I think, what the fudge am I doing? Like, this is crazy. I don't know. And I'm just looking at OC because we're so close. I'm just like, bro, lead the way. Luckily, it was with him, a guy, a great friend of mine named Mark Chapman, who's one of the uh probably one of the best um television hosts in the UK, uh, presenters. And so we just started this show and it took off. I mean, we we were winning awards. OC was winning great awards. Uh an RTS is like the top of the top of the line awards you can win. He had won two of them. So it the show really took off, man, really did well, and we continued that. We're still doing it today. Me and him are on different networks now. They've split us up, but uh, we still have uh our our YouTube show, which is quite really popular out here. And um, I'm on Sky Sports now. Uh he's on channel five. So, but yeah, for over almost nine years, we were on the you know, on on TV together. So it was uh it was amazing. Still doing it, man. You know, still still loving it.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

Amazing. I mean, and I I obviously we don't have the same programming that you have in the UK, but you did uh UK version of Dancing with the Stars.

SPEAKER_03 30:21

Oh, yeah, strictly come dancing, yeah. It started out, you know, in the UK and then obviously moved over to the US. But yeah, it did that. It was it was COVID year too, so it was quite popular because everybody's at home, you know. And everybody's watching TV, everybody's watching TV. I mean, let's be honest. I'll I mean, I'm always transparent, especially now talking to you. I just talk recklessly free. Um the only reason I got on there is because they wanted OC. And OC was like, listen, he was like, I don't want to do it, but y'all should talk to Jay Bell. And they were like, okay, all right. And then they talked to me, and then the uh who I'm still friends with the the people that had, you know, do all the bookings, and they were like, okay, cool, yeah, you're on this. They were like, Yeah, this will be fun. And I thought, as soon as they said that, I'm thinking, what am I doing? Like, why am I doing this? I was freaked out. But like anything in life, if I'm really nervous, I have to do it because that's that's my body telling me I need to learn something from this situation. I did. It was it was fun, it was challenging, it was great because my daughter was so young and going to the school and all her friends and all the parents. I mean, everybody's like, you know, they're just locked in on this journey with you. So it was really cool. I I enjoyed it for that. Uh her mother was stressed out, you know, making somebody embarrassed myself or her.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

She's like seeing you on TV doing entertainment, not sports. And that's usually her role. She's the entertainer of the family.

SPEAKER_03 31:52

She's like, what are you doing? But nah, she it was thank you know, it was a lot of support from her. I I was only able to really do that in the way that was, I would say, I like anything. I was kind of aware of the situation I was getting involved with because of her. She, you know, she was able to guide me through. But I uh it was fun. I learned a lot about myself, those the people I worked with, everything. It was really cool.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

Now, did Nade give you any dancing? Because she's a good dancer. Did she give you any tips?

SPEAKER_03 32:22

Um, she made it seem like I was gonna be able to learn the routines faster because she can do it fast. But I was like, it took me forever. It was hard. I was like, I don't know how you do this. She's like, oh, you just did. I was like, man, you are tripping. Like, what are you talking about? Oh man. So how did but how did you place? I forget, man. It wasn't high. I was one of the first, I was like fourth person out or something, but I knew I wasn't gonna last long. Like, you know, I'm an American football player, like, you know, it wasn't. I I could see it, man, from the beginning, but plus I was, I mean, I'll be honest, man, I was beat down. My knees were blowing up to the size of like like little basketballs, man. It was, it was, it's tough. That dancing is hard, man.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

So it's yeah, it's tough. It's a lot of work. It is. But then you did another show similar, right?

SPEAKER_03 33:12

Nah, that's the only I had. Did I do anything else? No, I had a lot of opportunities to do some more, but I feel like you can only do one of those, or else you start to look like a person that just does those shows, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:23

Like reality shows.

SPEAKER_03 33:25

Yeah, I'm not, I can't, uh, you know, I I do NFL stuff. So if if anything helps the NFL, the one of the main reasons I did it was to help the NFL and the exposure. And it did, right? You know, people people were able to see, like, oh, this is how NFL guys are, you know, they're cool, they're different, you know. They're they're not as guarded as the the athletes in the UK, because I don't have to be. You know, I'm not, you know, if you're a footballer out here, you know, everybody's all in every aspect of your life, but for me, we can just sit up there and have a good time. So it was different.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

So has any big name like reality show approached you and you just said no?

SPEAKER_03 33:58

Or a few, yeah. Uh two, two. Nah, I don't be, you know, you gotta keep you gotta protect the people. You gotta protect the people. But yeah, it was two. One was really good, man. Like uh um, it's like the SAS thing. That would have been fun. What's SAS? SAS? Well, they they do the what do they call it in um is it celebrity SAS where they, you know, they do the stuff with the um what do they call it in America? Like Cam Newton was just on there.

SPEAKER_00 34:29

Um You mean the the military thing?

SPEAKER_03 34:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:33

Oh, um I forgot what they call it. Yeah, I think it's on one of the shows here. They they it's a bunch of celebrities.

SPEAKER_03 34:39

They yeah, what is that called Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was one I could have done. Yeah, that's that's one I'll say I could have done. But uh, I was like, man, my back won't hold up, you know.

SPEAKER_00 34:49

My injuries that's tough. People think, oh, it's a you know, celebrity, they can take it easy on you. And I heard that they really they uh it's opposite.

SPEAKER_03 34:55

They really Yeah, yeah, he's not doing that. Plus, a lot of times there was another show, a big show. Yeah, okay. There was another show, but it was during they wanted to film it during the um season, so I couldn't do it.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

I had a friend of October she's like big in reality shows, like for some reason, like and I feel I don't want to blow up her name or anything because I feel like she's on another one right now because she's not answering it.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

Yeah, protect protect your friends.

SPEAKER_00 35:21

Yeah, she did Amazing Race, she won Survivor, came in second place Survivor All-Star. She just did the Traitors.

SPEAKER_03 35:28

Oh my god, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:30

Huge. So especially in the UK, the traitors that I think came out of the UK. Huge people love the traitors, she just did that, and um, like she's big. And I'm supposed to interview her, and she's not answering me scene. And before she was posting non-stop on she completely disappeared, so I feel like she's she's somewhere doing something. I wish her luck. She's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

Yeah, I think once you get on that horse, man, it's good. It's it's it's fun, it's whatever, but it's kind of you know, it's kind of a it's a it's it's a job, man. It's it's I give a I give those people a lot of credit.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

It's gotta be you have to be really good at it, because if you're not good, you're not coming back for another show.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

No, you're not. And um, you gotta have the flexibility to just, you know, you know, do that. You know, like I said, I had another opportunity to disappear for a month, two months. Yeah, they were like, we're filming in October. I was like, that's the middle of the NFL games in the UK. Like, I can't, I can't leave. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Yeah, you're busy, what, August to February, right?

SPEAKER_03 36:32

Yeah, yeah, locked in. And now with all the European games, like that's a part of it that to that earlier story about being in the UK and an ambassador. The first game started in London, and we have me and OC have seen all that growth now. We got nine games internationally. I do most of the games that I cover most of the games that will work in the time zone here in the UK. So we have we have watched that growth. I've did games all over the world, uh, broadcasted them for this audience, and it's it's it's just been crazy to be a part of this, man. As a player, it was a unique experience. Seven years in the league, had a great time, but watching this happen and the growth of the game internationally, I never thought I'd be a part of anything like this. It's been it's been great, it's been unique. And as you know, you know, a lot of my friends, you know, a lot of players, guys love uh being able to have exposure overseas. It's it's really cool.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Yeah, it's it's crazy because you were like in the beginning of this expansion into Europe and the and into UK and London games, and like you've been like in the forefront seeing how it's growing, and it is growing. I mean, we see now new new games in Mexico City, Brazil.

SPEAKER_03 37:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 37:48

Are they doing a game in Paris?

SPEAKER_03 37:50

Yeah, Paris is this year. That'll be fun. I'll be broadcasting that way. When is Paris? Uh it'll be uh did they announce it? So it'll either be November or October.

SPEAKER_00 38:00

Uh Rudy, Rudy, Rudy might have to take a trip to Paris.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

I got you some tickets. You come out there. I know. I got a good, I got some good friends out there too, so we should have a we should have a good time. Yeah, yeah. Come to Paris, man. It'll be it'll be it'll be it'll be interesting, it'll be fun. We just did um Madrid last year, and that was cool. Ireland was unbelievable. It was the whole Dublin was it was a takeover.

SPEAKER_00 38:31

Really?

SPEAKER_03 38:31

Oh gosh, man. I don't think the NFL was like they're not surprised, but I think they were surprised. It was it was fantastic. So we'll probably, you know, we'll they'll be going back there soon. But yeah, it's it's great. We got the three games in the UK. It's uh we got Germany back to Madrid, Paris. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:53

What do you think the timeline is for uh the NFL to have an actual team? Do you do could that work even?

SPEAKER_03 39:02

Man, you in the next 20 years, you don't know what's gonna happen, right? Uh but I would I would think something would happen out here. But what I see now, which would which is going to work and is working, is you're going to just have, especially if the uh uh our labor agreement happens and there's another game added uh with throughout negotiations, you're gonna have a game every week. Right. You know, for the entire season. I mean, you're up to nine now. You could easily see yourself at 15, 16 games internationally sitting in the right time zone, right? Early enough, the the uh 9 a.m. game on the east coast, 6 a.m. on the west coast, it fits, right? You got that early morning package. That's what's gonna happen. So I just think you have international games, you have you know, everybody plays internationally, and you build up, you know, the support within those different countries, and then eventually, yeah, maybe something happens.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

You have like NFL Europe, and then you have NFL America, and then maybe you have a Super Bowl where Europe versus America, or maybe it's a Super Bowl in the United States for the AFC NFC, and then you have another world championship winner plays the winner of you never know what can happen, you know. You never know South America.

SPEAKER_03 40:30

You got all kinds of options. But I, you know, what I think is is you just need people want to see these NFL teams. The NFL teams, those players, they want to see games that matter, and you just need to keep playing games the same way Premier League football plays other places. You know, they come to the U.S. and play the same way basketball has to travel, the NBA. I think, you know, the NBA and the uh what is it, the Italian basketball league is the big one? Or is it the Euro League, sorry, the Euro League, yeah. The Euro League. They're already in discussions about something, so yeah. I think it's just gonna be about more games internationally for the next you know decade, uh, and then we'll see what happens after that.

SPEAKER_00 41:12

Right. Right. Um okay. Let's take it back. Uh UCLA.

unknown 41:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:20

You grew up in California.

SPEAKER_03 41:22

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Where'd you grow up?

SPEAKER_03 41:24

Uh Long Beach.

SPEAKER_00 41:25

Long Beach, LBC.

SPEAKER_03 41:26

Long Beach, California. LBC boy, east side.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

So what so what were your choices? You were being recruited, but what were you what were your choices? Like I got top three. What are my top three?

SPEAKER_03 41:41

So I had about 20, 30 choices, I'd say back then. It was it's quite a lot. You know, it was before all this stuff on social media, so you know, you got the letters that came to the school, but I I really wanted to stick in the Pac-10. I did like, you know, I got a little bit of love from Florida State, and I loved that, but then they fell off. But I knew my top schools were really the University of Washington and UCLA. I never, I didn't get recruited by USC, but I wasn't a USC fan, anyways, like even growing up. But I really, my really close friend, one of my best friends, you know, Tony Parrish, he was at Washington. He ended up playing for the Bears, San Francisco, one of the better safeties in the NFL. He was at Washington. So I was thinking of going up there, but I just once I went to UCLA, man, I actually committed to UCLA as a junior, but then started. They fired, well, they didn't fire Terry Donahue retired. So then I was like, all right, let me go see what's happening and look around. Nebraska a little bit, but I I was locked in on two schools it was out of, to be honest. But I had I had a ton of schools uh looking at me, but those were the ones, and I wanted to play on the West Coast.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Yeah, I mean, playing if I mean if I were looking back on a Washington, UCLA, I mean, you're in LA.

SPEAKER_03 43:07

Yeah, yeah. I was no, like I said, I was committed to UCLA as a junior. The only reason I thought about Washington and reconsidered UCLA was the coaching staff moved on. So when that happens, the whole recruiting process gets thrown and sh and shook up. All of a sudden I wasn't talking to anybody because they, you know, who's gonna be the next coach? As soon as they hired Bob Toledo, who was my coach, then the phone started ringing again. And hey, we're we're we're back, we're picking up the pieces, we want you here. And uh it was hard to I was like, I'm back. So yeah, I I always wanted to be a UCLA. I did a camp up there. It was funny because I wasn't I went to one high school, which wasn't really good. And then I transferred to Long Beach Poly, which was like, you know, the best the best school. We had the most guys and the pros, everything. And so I went to a camp at UCLA and I covered all the top receivers. In California, is me and my buddy Ralph Brown, who went to Nebraska, who ended up playing for the Giants. And me and him just dogged everybody. I mean, it was it was complete shutdown. And the head coach, Donahue at the time, brings us up in the office and he's like, listen, you two, y'all want to come here? You, you're here, you're, you know, scholarship today. My boy Ralph, who ended up going to Nebraska, he was like, nah, I'm not. I'm not pulling the trigger yet. I was like, Yes, sir, count me in. I was like, I'll take it right now. I walked out and called my mom and dad. I was like, hey, it looks like I'm going to UCLA. They were like, what is happening? But yeah, that that's, you know, I went to one of those camps and just balled out. And that that's always kind of been my career. Is I I was always kind of looked at like, yeah, yeah, he's good, he's good. But then you got me in a situation where I competed against the people you thought were better, and I always showed up and and outshine them. Right.

SPEAKER_00 44:56

So LA, now you're you were undrafted, right? I was undrafted because I got hurt.

SPEAKER_03 45:04

You got hurt. You had a lot of injuries. Yeah, yeah, but you know, the perseverance, man, it's it's it's a part of the story. So yeah, no, I was the um at UCLA, I basically started I started as a sophomore. So I didn't red shirt, played as a freshman, started as a sophomore. My junior year, I we, you know, we won 21 games in a row. We were we we were a game away from going to national championship. We lost in Miami. And so I am the top corner for the team. And going into my senior year, I was number six, number five. I was one of the top 10 corners in the country. But I had a heel spur. And the doctor was like, Oh, I'll shave it down, you'll be cool. Six weeks, you're back. I mean, yeah, six weeks you're back. They cut too much of my heel down and it cut into my Achilles. I end up missing a complete year. So I missed my whole senior year. So I ended up having to use my redshirt year. But, you know, a lot of coaches don't like giving you that because they want to go out and recruit a young kid, especially you're not gonna bounce back. But luckily, I come to find out my defensive coordinator at the time went to the head guy and was like, I need Jason Bell. Like, you got to give him his year back, or else I would have never played again. I didn't notice until years after. So I come back, play that year, but Rudy, man, I wasn't the same. Like, I didn't look the same. I was good because I had played so long. So even on tape, I didn't look fast, you know? I wasn't healed. So all of a sudden I remember a scout coming to me. He's like, hey, the year before you you were in our you were in our eyes, he's like, now I can't even look at you. It's actually a count uh scout from San Fran. He's like, you're not, you're a do-not, you're not do not look at guy because of your injury. If I don't, and then I break my foot in the bowl game, because I just got I got invited to the com to the um all-star games because I started looking better at the end of the year, break my foot. Can't go to the all-star games, can't do nothing at the combine, but I can run my 40 on the pro day. Now, Rudy, I can't even do side-to-side stuff. It hasn't healed enough. I had a metatarsal fracture, but I trained just to run straight. I run a four, three, six on grass. So now they're like, oh, okay, okay, do the side drills. I was like, I just disappeared. So they're like, This is weird. I needed a couple of more weeks, and my buddy, who was one of the top safeties in the country, had a personal workout. And he had a personal workout in Riverside, and he needed somebody to do it with him. So, you know, you can rest between the drills. So I show up and I do all the drills and I kill it, especially against him because he was a safety. So I look even better. And I remember my coach now, the DV coach from the Cowboys, was there. He's talking to me, whatever, whatever, whatever. And he was like, Oh, I got. He told me then he told the cowboys, he's like, I got something for us. You know, like I got us one. Like, don't don't say anything, don't overreact. I got us one. And the draft is happening, and my stock had risen up to uh I was like the number 25th corner. You know, sometimes they draft, you know, 24 corners or something like that. And uh, so my phone starts ringing around the third round. Everybody, we're gonna draft you, we're gonna draft you. Nothing happened. Man, man, I we're in the seventh round, Rudy, and I had I had 16 teams trying to sign me. The draft wasn't over. I was like, what is happening? They were negotiating, hey, as soon as this is over, we want him. What do we want? So I all of a sudden got to pick who I wanted to go to. And I remember one team had offered me way more money, but me and my agent looked at everything, they were like, Dallas, they don't have enough money because they're paying Dion, Troy Aikman, uh, Michael Irvin, all these injuries. They were like, they gotta, young guys gotta make the team. So I still got a sign in bonus that was the level of a seventh rounder, but got to pick my team. So it really worked out for me. Why Dallas? Because they needed young guys to make the roster. Like you gotta look at it and you gotta think from a salary cap standpoint, they didn't have money. They needed to have, you know, a lower wage employees, you know, to fit the salary cap. So it was like, listen, we know there might be three, there might be three or four rookie free agents that make this team. That doesn't happen. So, in in reality, it was three of us. It was all, you know, me my my my one my one buddy who I'm so still close with now, Demetrius Evans, and Lynn Scott of safety. And we made it all free agents.

SPEAKER_00 49:46

What was it like playing with Aikman, Dion, Michael?

SPEAKER_03 49:52

Like well, they were gone when I was there. It was Emmett, but it was Emmett. I was with Emmett Smith, Larry Allen, you know, uh Darren Woodson. So it was, I mean, you go in the locker room. I got a funny story about Emmett Smith. Oh, yeah, you go in the locker room, you see Emmett Smith.

SPEAKER_00 50:07

I mean, let me let me hear your story. So I'm at lunch with my buddy Ryan, and this guy walks up to us and he's in a suit, and he's talking, talking. I'm like, who's the car salesman? He's like, Ryan goes, it's Emmett Smith. You didn't know it was Emmett? No. Oh my god, Rudy. No, he didn't know. Your peripheral vision was off. Listen, that's before I got my glasses, and now I got glasses, and now I can see.

SPEAKER_03 50:39

You're locked in now.

SPEAKER_00 50:40

Now I now I could see. Now I can see, but okay, back to Dallas. So they were gone already. So you you weren't you weren't uh privy to the White House parties?

SPEAKER_03 50:51

I heard all the stories. I mean, they had just left, and you know, I was cool with Mike. Um, man, I used to see Mike in I'm still cool with Mike, but I would see Mike at uh this gym we used to go to and sit in a sauna and just get stories, man. Mike is Mike is the man, and he was around, he used to come in the locker room. So, yeah, you heard all the stories. I mean, you know, Larry Allen was my boy, rest in peace, man. He was a great dude. He didn't tell you any stories really, but he'd laugh at him. Um, but yeah, it just D I mean, not Dion, uh Darren Woodson, you'd hear stuff from him, but Woody Woodson, man, taught me how to be a pro. Like, thank goodness he was one of the first people I was exposed to because I knew exactly how to go about my business as a professional. Uh and a lot of things I do, I copied. Like they say, you want to be a great writer, copy you know, the guys you like. And I just I just copied what he did. I followed it. Him and Aaron Glenn uh are guys I really looked at and kind of followed what they did.

SPEAKER_00 51:52

Right. So okay, so Dallas. And then you go to the Houston Texans.

SPEAKER_03 51:58

Then I go to the Houston Texans, man.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

Um that was their inaugural season?

SPEAKER_03 52:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Went there. First game of the year, uh, got traded over to them, and the first game we played was against Dallas. It was funny. We out there, I mean, I know nothing, right? You know, I'm coming in there week one, trying to learn their playbook. And this, you know, first of all, the year before I had almost 30 special teams tackles. Like, I was balling. I was the special teams captain as a rookie for the Cowboys, like out of control. So I was I was almost uh uh, I think I was almost a Pro Bowl vote, like I was a little bit off. I was an alternate for sure. And so I go in and the first game, they're like, listen, taught me some coverages. They were like, but go out, you know what they're gonna do on offense. You go out there and do your thing. Man, I had three special teams tackles. I was killing. I was killing them, Rudy. We won the game. I told them everything they were gonna do, who to throw at, who to attack. We did it all. We win that game. I went, I went to the sideline, man. I'm talking crazy to the coach. The ref is like, you need to chill out. Because the dude they kept over me is on the sideline in street clothes. So I'm walking up, I'm like, You kept him? You look at him, you kept him. All the coaches looking red. It's crazy. At the end of the game, Darren Woodson comes up to me and he says, I never wanted somebody to play so good against us. He just hugged me. He's like, I've never wanted, I've never in my career wanted somebody to ball out against us. He's like, I hate that we lost, but you know, I wanted you to play well. Because everybody knew, like, I should have been there, but you know, Jerry, he likes to keep his draft picks, you know, and the guy was a second rounder, so I had to go.

SPEAKER_00 53:44

What what did you have any interaction with Jerry or yeah, Jerry?

SPEAKER_03 53:49

You know, it was cool, man, because when Jerry uh sent me over there, I was smiling and he goes, I know I'm making a mistake, man. That smile, that smile. And I looked at him, I said, Jerry, man, you gave me a chance. Like, I'm only doing this, I'm only here because you man, you gave me a job that first year. Like, what am I mad at? Like, I appreciate it. So every time we play against him, he just look at me like, Man, I should have never let you, I should have kept you, da-da-da, all that. Cause you know, I was I was I outplayed all those guys that he kept. Right.

SPEAKER_00 54:23

My career was longer than all of them. So and then so you were on the Texans for four years. Four years.

SPEAKER_03 54:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:31

And then and then you go to the Giants.

SPEAKER_03 54:33

Yeah, for two, yeah. So, yeah. And the only reason I left the Texans is because the coaching staff got fired. So I was like, all right, time to hit free agency, and then go to the Giants. And my boy Antonio Pierce is there. You know, we grew up together, so it's like, all right, AP, Giants want me. He's like, come on. You didn't go, you went to high school with Antonio? Nah, we're from Long Beach, though, so we know each other. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:58

I just wasn't sure if you went to the same high school.

SPEAKER_03 55:00

We didn't go to the same high school, but we we, you know, same area. So you just know each other. You know everybody. So you grew up knowing each other.

SPEAKER_00 55:07

Okay, so playing at the Giants. Now, little birdie told me that the Giants have the best food for their players in catering.

SPEAKER_03 55:19

That I mean, yeah, it's good. I mean, you go up there now, it's amazing. Like, it's it's I was up there. Um, I'm up there every offseason. You know, I'm so I'm still close with so so many people. Ronnie Barnes up there is like a father to me. Um, he's the head, uh, he's the vice president of medical services. So we're really close. And yeah, it's amazing, man. The Giants take care of you, man. There's ownership, it's great. It was a great place to play. It really was. I'm so glad I played there. So many friends from that team, from that city. I mean, it it truly is a first-class organization. I had no problems with the Texans at all. You know, it was great, but you know, tapping into the New York Giants culture was different. Because when I got to Houston, we had to build a culture. When I was in Dallas, you tapped into that. But that was like previous we won championships. I get to Dallas, I mean, I get to New York. One of the first days and things I've I saw, I saw Strahan talking to the guy who I had just come in, first day of free agency signed. So I'm one of the, you know, I'm not the big signings, but you know, I'm important. I took a guy's number, so he's not gonna be there gone long. I'm like, hey, take this guy's number. I saw Stray talk to that guy for 30 minutes at the practice, and I thought, damn, that's that's good. This is a good place, you know. That's that's Michael Strahan. Like, and he's giving his time like that. My locker's next to Tiki, me and Tiki are cool. That's my boy. Um, Carlos Edmonds, I saw, you know, when I first got there, and he's like telling me stuff because he knows I'm AP's boy. I'm like, that's all right. I saw the way OC was treating people coming in before everybody working. This before I knew OC, but I knew he was the man, and I was like, yo, this is this is all right. You know, these dudes, Amani Toomer, the way he went about his business. I'm like, man, this is I know these dudes. Like, this is all right. So Eli watching him work, Eli, man. Oh I had so much respect for Eli. I thought he was, I mean, obviously, the way he went about his business. I loved his personality. Everybody sees it now, what he does in the media, but I used to be like, man, this dude is funny, like he's a cool dude. So yeah, just Shocky, man. Shockey's the man. I loved Shocky. So it was all guys I used to watch too, man. Just cool, like worked hard, you know. Just yeah, it it was it was a great organization to be a part of.

SPEAKER_00 57:50

Excellent. I mean, look, they're my Giants. I love the Giants.

SPEAKER_03 57:53

I I love them too. I grew up a Giants fan. So first team I played for in youth football was the Giants. And so obviously, I you know, I'm a Giant, Giant fan, and you know, national TV, the New York Giants are always playing. So yeah, that was it.

SPEAKER_00 58:10

Just like California, you get the people that are either Raiders, Rams, or Cowboys fans.

SPEAKER_03 58:18

Yeah, well, I I you know, my I got introduced to the game, my neighbor, he lived around a block from me, and he moved in, and our parents like bring us together. His name was Richard K. And his dad is a big football fan, and they watched the Giants. They were Giants fans. So I'm, you know, six, seven years old, you know, just running around. And I just I'm watching football at their house. My dad wasn't a huge football fan, he liked basketball. It was the Giants. I'm watching LT, you know. I I'm watching Phil Sims, and I'm like, yeah, this is this is okay. This is what we're doing. That's how it happened, man. Literally. But either other way, I'd have probably my second favorite team I liked was the 49ers, but I was a Giants fan.

SPEAKER_00 59:00

Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 59:01

Interesting. Just because of them. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:03

Interesting. So living in New York.

SPEAKER_03 59:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:07

Right. You're a giant. Were you living in New York City or were you living somewhere in New Jersey close to practice?

SPEAKER_03 59:14

I was living in Weehawkin when I first got there. Um, me and Carlos lived in the same place, so right on the water, so I could get to the city, but I needed to be, you know, on the other side of that bridge. I wasn't ready for that kind of um that intensity. So yeah, always in the city, but definitely didn't want to mess around getting through that tunnel in the morning.

SPEAKER_00 59:35

I remember it, I remember in Weehawk and where you lived.

SPEAKER_03 59:38

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:39

Right on the water, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 59:40

Yeah, right there on the water. I loved it, man. So I was there for the two years that I was, you know, for the Giants that that second year when I got hurt, you know, obviously in and out of town, they had me seeing a specialist a lot in LA. So I was flying back and forth before I got the back surgery. And then when I retired, was in LA and then Tribeca. So then I was in tri, yeah, I was in Tribeca for a while. And then once uh I knew my daughter was on her way, moved to Midtown because I I couldn't have that uh five-story walk-up anymore, Rudy. That wasn't happening. Uh I was like, I'm not carrying no baby up five stairs.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:17

You need an elevator building.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:18

I need an elevator, man. The building you used to pick me up in front of.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:22

That's right. In the 40s.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:24

You used to pick me up, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:27

It's exploded where you live, where you used to live. That's I mean, there's like they all these new buildings over there, it's like in it's insane.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:34

I do, I do. Yeah, yeah. It's I that's what they said when they were, you know, when I first went over there. Um, they were like, you know, you want to be here. So I I you know, I kept it for my first four years out here in London. I had my spot, but I just, you know, finally, like a little bit before COVID, got rid of it. Lucky. Yeah, because I I was here all the time. But I miss it, I still got my keys sitting up there, man. Up up in the shelf, right? I got those keys. I just look at them sometimes. I'm like, oh man, that was a guy. Maybe they maybe they work. I know they're gonna be. My unit was 2112, my college number 12. So I used I I loved it. Yeah, it's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:19

So and so what's it like living in London?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:22

Um, it's good. I enjoy it. I mean, I used to travel a lot when I was playing, you know, before Instagram and people knew where to go. I spent a lot of time overseas. Um, my mentor was an art dealer, so I kind of flew around with him checking stuff out. So I always knew that London was a very cool city, you know, close enough to other places I wanted to go in the world. Um, I always talk about people that want to travel. You should come here first, land, and then go or your next spot because you know, people are speaking English, you feel good, and then you you go to the next place you want to go. But, you know, I love it. I don't really mind the weather. I like the people. Um, London has really good food. People have complained about the food in the UK, but London has really good food, uh, a lot of different cultures, and the UK in general is just fun to go out and experience. So I I like it out here, man. It's it's easy to get to other places in the world I want to go. I always figured and thought I would want to move somewhere out of the country. I didn't know how it was going to happen, when it was gonna happen, but yeah, I don't see myself going anywhere. I always go back and forth to the States, you know, LA, of course, families out there. Daughter was born there, so you know, she can live and go wherever she wants to go. She's got three passports, so her life is, you know, the the world is her oyster. And it's yeah, I don't, I will always be here, especially for what we've done, me and Ossie, for the NFL internationally. I mean, you know, I'll do this TV thing for, you know, until I get bored and I don't see that happening anytime soon.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:59

So if I'm coming to London, give me the top five restaurants. You know, I like I like to eat. You know, we used to go out all the time to restaurants top five your spots. It doesn't have to be like you know, the hot spots, but what are your five go-to places? It could be lunch, it could be dinner. If I'm coming to London, where where's Jay Bell taking Rudy?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:23

All right, one club row is this new restaurant in Shortage. Really cool, very New York type of vibe upstairs. Uh, but I love the food. It just got hot, really cool. Love it. The Cove Club, I haven't been in a long time, but it's like a twist on British cuisine, but really good. That's in that's in Shoreditch, also. Um, but that's that that's really that that would be places I'm like, yo, we gotta get in here. We can we need to check these out just for food. Um there's a place, man. I it's very commercial. I mean, people know about it and come, but I love it, man. It's a place called sexy fish. I think there's one in Miami now. Yeah, there is a sexy fish around. I love sexy fish's food. I really like sexy fishes food. I haven't been, but I heard, I heard it's good. I love the food, man. I it's it's it's it's a good place. Um, Mayfair, where else do I like going? Um because there's a lot. There's a place called Maison Estale, a private members club. They got three restaurants in there. They have a sushi one downstairs. Right when you come in. Oh man, we would love it. Oh, we would love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That would be, I love that. That's my sushi spot, man. Zoom is cool, but yeah, it's it's we those those would be the places I I get you a Maisana Stale, three restaurants, all good, pick your poison, but those other two, man, probably one club row, we do.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:54

That would be that I mean London was like the initial start of the members' clubs, and now New York has kind of now out, you know. We have like a ton of members on clubs, yeah. You know, you want a reservation, you got a reservation, it keeps out the riffraff.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:11

Yeah, yeah, no, it's works on.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:14

Um, so it looks like your your top cuisine, from what I understand, is sushi. Uh, probably sexy fish, the sushi spot in the members club, Zuma.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:23

Yeah, you know, I like the I like the the Asian fusion, I would say. I was just I mean, I like Thai food too, man. I was in Thailand, you know, we were all in Thailand, and uh me, Nadine, and and my daughter, my goodness, that was amazing. And in Japan the year before, so yeah, look at me. Southeast Asian, uh, Asian food, man. Just give it to me.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:42

Yeah, that's the one thing about you that I like I remember is that you always were traveling.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:50

You were always out there traveling, flying around, like you were European. Yeah, that's so like for you to go live in London makes so much sense.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:00

Yeah, it's it's it's it's strong, it yeah, it is. My you know, people that know me say that. That's what you said, you know, and it's it's true. Like I um I now you can kind of because of social media, you can look at these places and you don't, it doesn't feel so foreign. Hey, I'm gonna go there. You see influencers talk about it, do it. It's there's a pathway. When I was doing it, man, it was like I'm just it's blind, man. I'm just rolling with some, you know, hoping for the best. Yeah. But yeah, no, it's cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:30

Social media people like the influencers, I don't really trust them that much anymore.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:35

No, it it it is funny though. I remember the year before I went to Japan, a lot of stuff was popping up about Japan, and it was because the currency, you know, it it got a little more uh relaxed as far as you know, obviously the rates, so people were popping out there because it was more affordable. But you would see things and you'd be like, oh, that that's cool to do, and and some of them were, but yeah, yeah, it just it's it's funny how stuff happens. So yeah, you know, there's a reason.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:04

When you were living in New York, we used to go to the banya. Oh, yeah. And people don't know what the banya is, it's a Russian bathhouse, and the food is amazing. Have you found have you gone in London to a banya?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:18

You'd be so proud of me. Yes, yes, it's called the bathhouse, and it's the it's it's just like the banya. It's in um where is it in central London? It'll come to me in a second. I know the tube station, but uh Belgravia, it's in Belgravia. It is spec you would love it. You would you would love it. The food is great. You come in, it's everything you taught me. You know, you put me on that. So I was able, you know, the stuff I know, what to eat, you know, how to eat it, all that. You gave me that. You influenced me. But yeah, I try to go every Friday. It's funny, there's a um Ian Wright, who's a really famous footballer out here, play for Arsenal on TV. Yeah, so Ian introduced me to the Banya out here. So I went with Ian and I was like, this place is amazing. So that's how I first started going there. And now, yeah. The girl I was that I'm really good friends with that was my partner on strictly. She's Russian, and she um she goes there all the time too. So end up knowing the owner, and it's it's all good. Yeah, love that place. I was there two Fridays ago.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:24

Two Friday. So, okay, so when you're at the banya, what are you ordering to eat? Man, I uh sweat, after the sweat, you're sweating, and you you know, like because we would go in the sweat, we have a little tea, we have a little water, yeah, still to death. We come out, we eat, and we get the the the vodka, the beer. Yeah, yeah. What are you what are you ordering over there? Let's let's hear your okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:45

If I do it, uh so when I was rolling with you, you handled it all, right? And so I just it was just complete trust. Now I don't overthink it. So I go in. Sometimes it's pure like sweat, you know, I'm getting a perennial, I'm doing all that, and then uh I'll eat at the end. I won't kind of I won't, I won't do it the way we did it. Because we would come out and have some cool, I mean, we'd have some dope conversations, like it was it was it was a crew of people, you know, uh different vibes. So I'll go in, I'll do the tea, do my tea and water, whatever. They do this specialty too, this some buckwheat tea thingy. I don't even know what's going on, but it's good. Um, I'll do that. I'll come out, and the first thing I'll have is the herring fish with some potatoes. I'll do that. And then they do this other one. It's purple, looks like potato salad, but it's um what kind of fish is it in there? Oh, it's amazing. I think it's herring, but I don't know what makes the purple thing on top. I think they're the beets. The beets, yes. So it's the beets with the yeah, and it looks like a little cake. Bro, you so good. I gotta get some when I get out there, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:52

That stuff is you come over you come over here. My my I'll make sure my wife makes it. She makes a mean one. It's called Sinyotka Pachuba. She'll make it. It's so good.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:01

So I'll do the herring and then I'll do two of those, and I will I will eat. And if I'm even hungry, I just stick to that because I love it so much.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:08

No more borsche for you, because I remember we had an incident with the borsche.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:11

No, borsche, borsche. You know I don't do the borsche, man, because I you gotta go home. So if I do it at night and have if I'm here at night and have the borsche, I'm cool. But sometimes I'll go out and have a cigar afterwards. I can't have the borsche in my system, bro. The borsche broke me, man. The borsche broke me. The borsche breaks a lot of people. You told me to. I was out like, Rudy, I'm not right.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:36

Because if you notice, my brother ordered the borsche. I told you, yeah, be careful. The borsche, I'm not ordering the borsche. You're like, why are you not ordering the Porsche? Yeah, my brother's uh he's a little different. He's a little different. He'll eat it. He is a lot of people. How is your brother, man? He's great, he's doing great.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:53

He's uh he's still looking fresh, man. I tell you, that man, that man's sense of style. He's uh he's got it.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:59

He's got the style. He was in Florida, he's coming back tonight. I don't know, the weather out here is a little so so, so I wonder if he's his plane's gonna be delayed. And he likes to take those late flights, and those late flights make me a little you know, when you fly later in the day, the turbulence increases, and I'm not a big flyer.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:18

You're not they increase. Yeah, you do fly, especially to Florida.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:22

But I I'm like, you know, I have I I time my flights because I know the turbulence schedule kind of sort of you know you're not trying to have any part of that. You don't fly after five o'clock. Oh man. You know, once it gets a little bit later, the winds pick up. See, this is the stuff you learn with you, man. This is what I miss about going to the Banya with you, and I um I don't like turbulence at all. I'll hold on. I mean, you know, and I was just in St. Bart's, and we got that little plane that flies in, and I time it. I know it's 10 minutes, St. Martin to touchdown. This time we had a lady pilot, which I'm not comfortable with, but it was the smoothest flight. She did great. She got us in at nine minutes and 34 seconds.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:01

That's easy living.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:03

That landing is I'm praying, but I told my wife, I'm like, if I go in a plane crash, this is where I want to crash. Oh my god. She's like, um, all right. Last last thing before we go.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:20

I'm having too much fun with you, man. This is what we do.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:23

I know. Well, you know what? I always tell people, I'm like, we'll we'll recap in a couple weeks. You could be a guest of the show. We could, you know, obviously come around. You're gonna have the NFL season. We got things to recap. I mean, I mean we will do that, but the last thing is yesterday. Yeah, and this is this this is gonna come out in a couple weeks because I'm you know, I'm stacking my interviews, but it's gonna come out in a couple weeks, so this wouldn't be yesterday. But I want your opinion as a Giant fan on the Dexter Lawrence trade.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:52

Man, so that hurts as a Giants fan, right? It it hurts. It hurts, yeah. He wanted a he wanted more money, right? He wanted another contract. He's looking. I forget the actual numbers, um, but he's looking at his contract, he's looking at other people uh in his range of his production, and he's going, uh, you know, I'm underpaid. So new coaching staff gets in there and he starts making demand, you know, new regime and starts making demands on a tr uh a number he wants. And I don't think the conversation was going, I don't think it there was a conversation. I think it was a stalemate, is what I hear. And, you know, there you go. So it was it was it was all about numbers, and I totally understand that. Let that be one part of the conversation. The other is, my God, it's hard to lose him. It's hard to lose sexy Dexie. And I look at right now, I think, okay, what do the Bengals get, man? Like, think of what it does for that team. Think of what how it's gonna start changing that team. If this defense can just find a way to get some stops, that is the Bengals, my guy will burrow if he stays healthy, those receivers. I mean, you know, and I think I think I would believe, you know, when you have a motivated big guy up there that can do that, it changes everything. That position is so valuable. Because remember, when you want to play those two high safeties back there, and one of them's rotating down late, you somebody's gotta take on two people up there. Somebody's gotta take two gaps. It's just a numbers game. I mean, sexy dexie demands that. So yeah, hate losing it, man. Hate, hate, hate losing it.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:34

10th overall pick sufficient for the Giants? Yeah, you think that's good?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:40

I I you know, you yeah, you you need a top 10 pick, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:45

But do you think that was do you think that trade equals out of the yeah?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:49

You do not know. You don't know, you know. I mean, uh the one thing I love about what I do in this in this game is I get to evaluate how things fit in the season, right? I'm literally because I'm a live game broadcaster. I'm like, I'm I'm studying what what does this player you drafted or in free agency, how have they impacted you wins and losses and your success? So I I don't even have to speculate on that. Like I love that because it's it's difficult. So when I look at that, we're gonna see during the season, we're gonna be like, hey, this is Dexter, this is Dexter Lawrence right here. And you get to go, great win. It's the same way we evaluate coaches. How do we evaluate coaches? Game management. That's really how you know we're like head coaches, that is. It's like, how did you how did you handle game management and the clock, right? We're Monday morning quarterbacks, that's where we're doing that. We're gonna be able to evaluate this trade by what they do with it. Because there's a lot of teams that have acquired all kinds of picks and done all kinds of stuff, and it means nothing, Rudy.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:52

It it's like you don't know you don't know what you're gonna get in the draft until that player shows up and starts playing. So what would Giants have what? The fifth pick and the tenth pick?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:01

When's the draft? The draft is next week?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:04

Yeah, April. Yeah, it's uh yeah, it's next week. It's next Thursday, right? Yeah, it's next Thursday.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:11

Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:12

Let me think here. Yeah, yep. I think it's yeah, it's Thursday. It's not the 20th. Is you say it's not the yeah, it's next Thursday. Yeah, so I don't know. We will find out. Yeah, yeah. We'll find out. I mean we'll find out. The thing about it is you don't you you don't want to be forced to overpay if they thought, you know, they're in the building, they're like, you know, 30-year-old defensive line, even though you can still play like that in your 30s, you know. It's just do we want to pay for this? Or or he'll be in his 30s or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:48

Right, and you're talking about Harbaugh, and Harbaugh's the new head coach, and maybe he's setting like a don't put a gun to my head type of situation, like this is my first year. Maybe you should have done it next year.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:01

Well, you can't wait on your money as a player. You gotta do what you gotta do. Like I I you know if you get injured, that's it. You gotta do what you gotta do. And you're looking at the market, you're saying I'm undervalued, I need to get more money, this is what I do, and and he is the man. So, yeah, it's it's tough to live. It is tough as a fan to lose him. Like, I'm like, dang. But I get it, and we'll see what they do with it. You know, you gotta get better.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:26

It's tough to lose Saquon Barkley, and then he the guy goes out and balls out in in Philadelphia.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:32

Nasty, right? Nasty. That that was right. That's a fumble. Like, that was a fumble.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:39

But to okay, as a Giant fan, at the time, I was like, you know what? Look, we've seen so many of these running backs come and go, and they ball out, and it's a it's a contract year and they're doing good. And you know what? Running backs, you you'll you'll get another one, he'll ball out. We didn't expect him to ball out.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:59

I just don't know why people think like you can just find running backs off a tree.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:03

I understand not find it, but you can get one that could do similar production. No, you can't. I think you can.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:11

No, you you can you can okay, yeah. You can go get a Jason Bell. You can go get me. Yeah, fine. Okay, yeah, that's true. Yeah, you do you play corner, you play safety, you do this, you you you're gonna win us a game, Jason. You know, you by not making a mistake. You don't get you there's only so many playmakers, right, that can make it happen. He is look at his style, look at what he can do. Great running backs do this. Great running backs, when there is an opportunity, there's a crease, there's a hole. They have the speed, the contact balance, they make you pay. It isn't, oh man, they just got eight yards. Great, it was blocked up. It's oh my gosh, they just got 30, and oh my goodness, they went for 60.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:51

Who's doing that? Saquon. You always see these guys get injured, and then the next guy coming up, who's his like the next guy in line on the team, and then all of a sudden it's like, wow, this guy's really good too. And then that guy ends up getting a huge contract and leaving. Really professional giant.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:10

We're professional athletes. It's not like the backup sucks. We're not talking like you don't f you don't you your roster isn't made of, oh, this guy's good. We put him in, we're gonna lose the game. Like, no, they're good players. But remember, the best players, the the best players, they are playmakers. They they do things, they do the extraordinary, and that's what he does. That year, when they won the Super Bowl, and everything's blocked up, you do everything right, and it's a one-on-one, and Saquon makes somebody miss, it was going for 70.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:46

Like so he's he what you're saying is there's elite, and then there's uh I'm really good.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:54

Every guy you look at in the league and you watch him play against the best athletes on the planet, and he looks good, he's elite. Because they're they're going against the greatest athletes in the world. You have guy, a guy looking better than the greatest athletes in the world. That's crazy. Like you watch Justin Jefferson run routes and you're like, whoa, whoa, you know, oh my gosh. You watch Jamar Chase. I'm just throwing out receivers, and you're like, oh my gosh. I played against Andre Johnson every day in practice, Hall of Famer. I had to cover him. I'd see what he did in the game. I was fast, I was physical, I was all those things. Andre used to do things to me. It was like, what is happening? You know, I cover you good a couple of times, and you just do something that I don't even know how you humanly can do that. Because you are great. And there's only so many greats. Right. And Saquon, man, I mean, let's let's see. He ran the ball so much the year before, you expect him to. I mean, it was a tough year. The offensive line wasn't the same, quarterback issues, all that being said, but I mean, he's he's something else. It's tough. They take a beating. They take a beating, but you don't know how long they're gonna last. Derrick Henry's still doing it. I mean, I hate all that stuff about how you're gonna last. If you get three years out of a person, what are we talking about? Like, let's go. If you get two years, like, let's go.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:17

We're trying to win this year. Right. Well, yeah, we have to win this year. What uh what do you think? You think the Giants have a shot? Not maybe to win, but obviously their future is bright.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:30

Yeah, I think I think Harbaugh coming in. Um, let's see what that looks like. I think it's gonna help. Obviously, we gotta have success at the quarterback position. Jackson Dart has to make the leap. It has to look better. But yeah, I think when you come in and you look at what this defense can probably do, let's see what the structure happens, how that you know, that that's in play. You have a quarterback, I mean, you have a head coach that truly can run an organization top to bottom. We'll see if it works out. But yeah, I um I have a lot of faith in what they can do. I just really want to see what their identity is, and we'll we'll know in the first three games, we'll be like, okay, this is this is who they are. Let's ride with it. And I think Harbaugh does a good job figuring that out with his teams and playing to their strengths um because each year is different. You know, you just got to figure out what you are quickly and and ride with it and get better every week, obviously.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:28

Yeah, I I it's gonna be interesting, but the future to me, and I'm not just saying this because I'm a Giants fan, but like looking out, like Jackson Dart definitely has the look, the makeup, and the tools to be a great quarterback. And I think Harbaugh coming in, this is the chance that we'll see the Giants potentially take that next step. Whether they win a championship in the next three, five years is yet to be determined, but the future does look bright.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:54

I think Jackson gotta play. He gotta prove to him them he's the guy. He has to have a high ear. They're not they're not married to him at all. I mean, if he doesn't play this well this year, I don't think. I mean, if he doesn't play this well this year, you gonna ride you gonna ride the next year with him? Who's the backup right now?

unknown 1:23:10

Oh my god, what's the backup?

SPEAKER_03 1:23:12

Is James still there?

SPEAKER_00 1:23:14

I think he left now.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:15

Oh man. I don't know. I gotta look. James still there. Um, you're making me want to look now. Now we gotta figure this out. Um, because this is important. And I uh I don't know. Let's look at this.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:31

Yeah, because then you look at the backup, but then even the backup, if it is James and Winston, it's like really okay, you can't ride with him.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:39

But I'm talking about the draft. Next year's draft has uh the quarterbacks, though. Right? People are more excited about is what I'm talking about. So for him, when you talk about what your your your question was, you know, I feel like we have the the talent, and you know, we can we can ride with this, and I'm I'm saying, I mean, he got a ball out, man. Yeah, Jameis. Jameis is the backup. We're right. Brandon Allen is number three. Oh, so he's still there. Yeah, Jameis is good for him. I mean, Scatterboo, we gotta see if his leg is right, you know, see how he feels. But I mean that hat behind you.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:15

I just saw a glimpse of it. You're blocking it right now, but what's that hat?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:18

Oh, I love darts. Uh Jackson Dart?

SPEAKER_00 1:24:22

No, you you ever you ever watch the darts out here? No, no, no, on T on ESPN?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:28

Nah, man, they got the darts in the UK? Like the darts? Yes, bro. Yes, it is fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:37

Are you playing darts? Is that what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:39

I I I go to the dark games. What? Like the events, they got a thing, uh, at this thing called Alexander Palace, which I I live by, right? They do they do this Dart tournament. Man, people come in and they dress like it's Halloween, bro. Come on. Uh it's it's amazing. It's amazing, bro. They'll come in, they'll be dressed like like sometimes it'll be a bunch of dudes dressed like nuns or priests or whatever, or it's wild. Drinking, having fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:09

They they sing songs. Uh, when I'm coming to London, you're taking me one of these darts.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:13

Bro, it is fantastic. They broadcast it on Sky Sports, who I work for. So each year I go and I do stuff. I love it, man. It's so fun. A guy gave me this hat, bro. I'm walking back and he's uh I'm walking to the train and he's like, Jay Bell. I'm like, what's up, man? He's like, I love the NFL, man. Like what you do, man. And I was like, I love your hat. He was like, here you go.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:34

You know, I'm all about the hats. Bro, uh I'm wearing, I constantly wear a different hat. Yeah, yeah. You know, you need a you need a I love darts hat. I need you gotta send me one of those I love darts hats. We need to make this happen.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:46

Yeah, you you come out to the darts, man, you'll be you'll be a convert, man. You'll be a believer. Unbelievable. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:52

Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:52

But I I I told him I was like, I talked to the the the people that put it together and they were talking about doing one in the garden. And I was like, New York is the place for this. Like coming in and just I think they do one in the garden, but it's just not as big.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:05

Maybe they do it in that the that other thing in the garden, you know, the Addison Square Garden, then you got the forgot what it's called. It's that other section that's interesting, interesting. Well, all right, we're gonna wrap it up over here. Thank you very much, Jason Bell. Obviously, you're gonna be part of family of the show. You'll come back later on. I love it. We gotta like what you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like being at the banya again, bro.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:33

We gotta hit the banya. I haven't been in the minute. I I have a sweat box in my uh in my bathroom over here, and I go in there every day just to sweat out. Yeah, you gotta get right the body, the sweat.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:44

I got I got one in the crib now, but it's nothing like the banya, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:48

No, the experience, the food, yeah, you know, the the camaraderie. All of that, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:54

Doesn't let us in.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:55

Again, thank you very much, J Bell. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:58

All right, brother.