Identity - Former NFL Player Isaiah Green

We call an audible on the episode. Instead of our testimony (available at DistinctMinistries.org), check out part 1 of a 3 part session with former Steelers player Isaiah Green. In the following episodes we cover tinder, singleness, prestigious jobs, identity, broken pasts and more. Pretty much everything you'd expect from a Gospel centered & marriage focused podcast!

Episode 1 is full of laughs. Hear Isaiah's life, the NFL, and how God has worked in shaping him.

Transcript

Drea:   0:02
Thank you for listening to distinct podcast.

Nick:   0:09
All right, Mama. Isaiah, you guys know what we're talking about today?

Drea:   0:15
Uh, yes.

Nick:   0:17
Okay. Well, what is it?

Drea:   0:21
You tell me, Daddy. Well,

Nick:   0:23
I'm sure we're gonna talkto Mr Isaiah Green here, and we're probably gonna learn a little bit about his life about some of the things that he's bringing to the table. But first, I want to talk about a snack that we love. Which is what?

Drea:   0:38
Grandpa's popcorn. And what about it? Ah, well, it's gourmet popcorn and sweets for all events. Birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, weddings, parties, any kind of special event. Grampus Popcorn. Visit them at their site at Grandpa's hyphen. Popcorn dot com Recorded live from Fresno, California. This is the distinct podcast. Today's guest is a local football great, playing both for the Pittsburgh Steelers and your Fresno State Bulldogs. He currently works at Kai Joe keeping youth journeying onward, working with kids in the Fresno area. Welcome to the podcast. I say a green welcome, Isaiah. Hello. You're

Nick:   1:32
so glad to finally have you here. It's taken months, but you're here.

Drea:   1:37
What do you think of that? Introduced what intro? Thank

Nick:   1:40
you Michael for doing that. And welcome in

Isaiah:   1:43
might appreciate that intro. What control. Thank you. So

Nick:   1:47
to our listeners, they're probably expecting now our testimony, But we're kind of psyched him out, and we got Isaiah Green on, and we're just gonna learn a little bit about him asking some tough questions, questions. And, ah, you know, he's got an event that he wants to promote, too. So we'll just dive right in the first meeting of the minds. This is what you got going?

Isaiah:   2:10
Yes, sir. Meeting of the minds. We want somebody grandpas. Popcorn there is. Well,

Nick:   2:16
we could get it.

Drea:   2:17
Can we get out there now?

Nick:   2:18
I'm sure we can.

Isaiah:   2:18
Okay, awesome. Well, the meeting of the minds, it's gonna be a social mixer for young professionals. Also established professionals, professionals. Any body is welcome to come. Uh, we're gonna have a live band. We're gonna have coffee. Want appetizers in the point of the mixer is to find yourself in different circles as young people here in Fresno is kind of hard to find yourself with other young professionals or young people with a like mind of yours. Do not want to go out, and I want to go out and party every weekend or, you know, maybe at home every weekend, trying to find something to do. So what we're trying to do August 1st Thursday is gonna be at two chancy Park. It's creative space and experience for her husband and wives. For singles, for professionals, established professionals to come and enjoy and social a mixer to just come connect with one another. Exchange business cards, maybe just shake hands and here live bad. Um, that's That's what we're trying to do. We have a live band say lot. They're a great group of young adults. You love it. Coffee, wine, appetizers, right? It too. Chancy park overlooking Fresno. Come and join

Nick:   3:32
us. We will be there for sure. August 1st

Isaiah:   3:35
August fires me 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Drea:   3:38
And then we can a little date night date night are inside, and that's exactly

Nick:   3:45
well, we will definitely be there for that. Um, just bring business cards, show up. How do we follow you and how do we learn more about it?

Isaiah:   3:54
Well, you can follow my instagram. It's kind of long, but stand up guy, underscore i g. I'll say that one more time. Stand up, guy. Underscore I g. And I'll be posting all creative Facebook page for it as well. So you follow me, you'll get more information,

Nick:   4:15
and we'll be posting all those the marketing pieces that you have on distinct and then spreading the word.

Isaiah:   4:21
Also, don't forget the grandpas. Popcorn. Oh,

Drea:   4:24
yeah?

Nick:   4:26
Well, I guess we'll just jump right in. So about is there? We've I've had the pleasure and honor of being able to sit down at cup of joy, which is not a plug, but and just learn about you and I definitely looking forward to everyone else. Just kind of hearing about your story. I didn't get to hear it. Also, I want to hear it all. If you could just start out by maybe childhood. Yeah. Where you're from?

Isaiah:   4:53
Yeah. Yeah, Well, I'm originally from Los Angeles. See my Laker jersey on the day. Okay. You know what it is? I'm reachable. Los Angeles, California. Grew up in South Central. Came to Fresno about 2007. Have older brother. I'm the youngest too raised by a single mother. Um, married a couple of times. My mother waas the hardest working person that I have ever witnessed. Still, to this day, she still trying to outdo me, so, you know, try to get up earlier. Stay out later. Doing some work. Um, but she did everything she could, Um, just to provide for my brother and I I remember. Quick story. She, uh, sold her house. We had a house. You bought her house? When I was maybe about 14 or 15 my brother and I felt like we were the best athletes in the city. And we wanted to go to a permanent high school, Long Beach Poly High, which was, at that time out of our district. So we had to move to be able to play it. That high school. He sold the house that she owned in order for us to move in that district. So that's kind of like the sacrifices type of sacrifices my mother would make for my brother and I, um, at the age of eight, You know, she used to always ask my brother night, what's your purpose? What? Your purpose in life was your purpose. Of course. Every eight year old, you know, I'm like, I want to play football. That's my purpose. in life, you know? So she made sure that, um, the things that we did focused around would we believed our purpose. Waas my brother, he built He believed his purpose was running. He started running marathons in the seventh grade, 26 miles of the seven. Great. Like he was getting up at five. In the morning running. I'm sleep. You know, I'm not, You know, that's not my purpose. I'm not gonna do it like that, but yes. So we grew up. Grew up in the city, huh? Play football. Ran track. Um, I had a scholarship to come to Fresno State. Chose to come in a fragile state over a couple other scholarships and found myself here.

Nick:   7:01
What made you choose First of state?

Isaiah:   7:03
Good question. Um, so people think I'm crazy, bro. I had a scholarship to go to. L s U looking. Yeah, big time sec school for those who don't know big time sec school at a scholarship to run track and everybody that I grew up with understood that track was my thing, you know, Had a lot of speed. Um, I think I was, like, eight great years of fast kid Nation Wow. Yeah. Really? Yeah. Fast in the nation my eighth grade year. Um and so everyone believes you should go over and track trying. You know, my ninth grade, 10th grade, 11 great year. Suffered some injuries, but I steal, you know, was up there in the ranks. And, uh, come time to decide what school I was going to Fresno State was there l s u was their head, like Nevada, Utah or whatever. And, uh, I was like, You know what? I'm going to follow my partners. I'm gonna find my passion. I'm not going to go to l s u to run track. I'm gonna friend of state to play football because this is what I love to do. That this is what I believe, my purposes. So I chose Fresno. Plus, Pat Hill was a great dude. Like he said on my couch during recruiting, kick his feet up, ate my mom's food with some high sauce, like, Who is this guy? You know what I mean. So just very likable. I enjoy Fresno when I came on my visit, and, of course, it wasn't too far from home. So

Nick:   8:31
that's good, right? I'm thinking about it now. Ah, a region question. You re engage. Where was God's hand in that? Were there moments where you could see goddess working through it all? Is there anything that sticks out there? Um, I'm assuming he definitely was guiding the process. Sounds like that was put on your heart to go where your, uh your passion was. Yeah, but maybe any stories.

Isaiah:   8:56
Um, was it up? I believed I was always guiding. Guiding us a mother, the pregnant woman, My father prayer father, even though we weren't in the same home. Um, so visibly God had his hand on and still does. You know, my brother night in that process in the decision making process. Um, so you know, it wasn't like God. What? Should I go to school? Lower, please. You know, it's like, you know, this is what I want to do. You talk about purpose, right? You know, like this what I want to do. So

Nick:   9:27
what? And it makes me think, uh, to kind of Segway into it. Yeah, but your testimony were you saved at that point. And when did you come to faith?

Isaiah:   9:35
Good question. Um, so you're hopefully you took in you took in. Um, help me out here. Um, so a new guide, All right? Like a parade. I believe that Jesus Israel guy was Really, um it wasn't until maybe my first year college that my convictions my relationship with Christ started to develop. I want a really bad car accident my freshman year in college. Yeah. Um, there's five of us were headed down in 99. Remember this day? Like it was yesterday. We're headed down to 99. We four of us had actually missed, um, missed our train to get back to Southern California. And, ah, one of my friends, his close friends, like, you know, I'll take you guys to Bakersfield, catch the train to go to Bakersfield. And so we all piled in the car. We're headed down a 99 south, and you know, next thing you know, the car swerving. So a big rig like couldn't my boy off. And it's raining. And we're in the old explorer, you know, when those top heavy explores, and so my boy is trying to regain control of the car and we just start flip over, Then we flip maybe about 100 feet 100 plus feet off the freeway. And, uh, so the guy who offered to take us to Bakersfield that day, he was only one that died in a car accident. Yeah. So it was one of those things, too. Where, um you know, to run hall, you know, rest in peace. It was one of those things, too, Where you're numb, you know? Okay. God, I'm alive. But this it's tragic situation. Um, and I was going to do some things personally. You know, I was in isolation about my health, not knowing who to talk to, etcetera, etcetera. We can get into that too late.

Drea:   11:41
That's the city that is deep right

Isaiah:   11:45
there when we can definitely get into that. But at that point, I reached out to one of our mentors who became a mentor, is named Tamara Jones. And I just told him everything that was on my heart started. Ah, FDA became a f c a leader. And at that point, um, I believe my conviction starting that relationship with Christ starting. Yeah. Okay. That's like the umbrella. I see. That's like the umbrella.

Nick:   12:14
Okay, so I know now I'm like, I'm backtracking. I'm kind of just trying to do it. I understand also that you gave your You are a believer. Yes, you would say, going on young young child on. Yeah, Really started, developed, and then win. Did I know a lot of people want to hear about it. So when did you get into the NFL? How did that process look like? Where was your walk With God, Like during that after that

Isaiah:   12:46
in the NFL, Or get going into the NFL

Nick:   12:48
going into and then during, if you wantto

Isaiah:   12:51
Okay, I'm going into the NFL. Um, so left my senior year of college or graduate. Fragile state. Um, where's my walk in sanctification? You know, single at the time, um, Steel figured out some things about my identity about where I was and who I was, but I knew that I didn't come all this way. You know where Nothing. I believe. Like, I believe that the NFL was part of my purpose deal. Um, so that's where a lot of my focus waas, um identity. I believe that, you know, this is what God designed for me was. His purpose for me was to go into the NFL. Um, so I just continue to follow that. Continue to follow that, um we can get deeper into some questions if you guys have any questions for me there. But, uh,

Drea:   13:49
So your mentor, that was after football Bor. Before it was during, I was staring in doing so. So

Isaiah:   13:57
I was in college and original state. Um, when I'm not Jamal Jones through F c. A Fellowship of Christian athletes. So he became my mentor? Yeah. During college. Okay. Yeah. Great guy.

Nick:   14:09
So coming out of the NFL, you're coming out. What's that transition look like? Give us a little bit about that.

Isaiah:   14:19
What was the transition looked like? Oh, the transition was tough. It still is. Uh, I think I'm in a better place now. Um, then I have been

Nick:   14:28
what made it tough. I mean,

Isaiah:   14:30
you've been doing something for 20 years of your life. You've committed 20 years of your life, man. Not just, you know, every other day, but every day of your life towards one. Go, um, in the novel. Seven steps. Uh, that's tough. That's tough. So, me getting done in about 2017 Just trying to so find my identity again. Um and I think that's where you know God is dealing with me and has been dealing with me that my identity is not in what I do. You know, um, but rooting my identity in Christ. Uh, so, yeah, it's been it's been a challenge.

Nick:   15:17
So you you're in the NFL. You're playing for the Steelers? Yes. What? Um, what caused that leaving in? Where was God in that? Do you feel like he was calling you out? Her

Isaiah:   15:30
well, always said before going into the NFL, if I could do 77 years, that was my goal. I could play seven years in the NFL or just professional football. General, I'll be good. So what a lot of people don't know is the NFL is a big business, right? So I bounced around three teams, started in Buffalo, went to Indiana in Pittsburgh. That's all in one season. All right, um, the following year got on the Pittsburgh's 53 man roster. Um, and then after the third year, I got released, which means, like, didn't let off a job period. So I got released from the Steelers at that year 2014 when I were played in Canada, Toronto for two years. Um, and what I wanted to do after my second seasons, I wanted to get back into the NFL. You know, if I'm going to perform in play and prepare as a professional athlete, I'm gonna do it on this side of the States. Like that was my goal to get back into the NFL. Things didn't work out. Um, agent stop into my phone calls. I was injured at will Employment. So I had to, like, gain a lot of weight, Gonna work out again. I spent, like, two, almost two months in Arizona training. Um, so trying to get back into the NFL, that was my go. I didn't get a call. No one reached out. Didn't get the offer to get back into the NFL. Um, and I believe, like, I put my faith forward, I had the opportunity to go back to Canada at an offer. I turned it down. I was like, No, this is what I want to do. I believe God can open doors. This is gonna be, you know, setting the stage for God to do what God can do. And I really believe that, um but it didn't happen in the time frame, which I thought it should happen. So the bank here in Fresno and life just started happening, you know? Gotta make money. You got bills? I just bought a house. So things just started moving, and I just kind of went on with life. And, um, that's that's how it ended. That's how it ended.

Nick:   17:44
And that was how long ago,

Isaiah:   17:46
2017. April 2017. Okay. Yeah,

Nick:   17:49
fairly recent. Recent. Yeah. Yeah, it made me think so. You and I had originally talked a couple joy, and, uh, it made me think of Andrea when she left on Melissa. Yeah. I was excited for you guys to meet because it's really a traumatic experience. What is that? You put your 28. 29 29. You put two decades of your life into getting into something. You do it and stop. I mean, she can relate to that. And great. And I thought you could,

Drea:   18:26
because then you start talking about how your mom, it seems like she always said that you have a purpose. You have a purpose in your listen to your mom. And so it's like related back to your family. And so for me, it was like my family. They're all divorced or most of them divorced. And us women. We are very, um, prideful, strong and, like, independent. We get it done. And so I had started going to school and working my way. What now? How many years until I gotten 10 years? Three years? Yeah, I had always near like I wanted to help people. So I felt like I was gonna be a nurse and then going into the hospital. Finally, I've got my career and I'm there working alongside doctors. And, like, I definitely did find my identity in that job. In my knowledge and my success of where I was because where I was is not where a first time student would be. And so then, with all the craziness that happened in the facility, which I don't know, we won't talk about that, At least not right now. Not right now, but, um, now a year out, that whole year I had a transition into, like, how do I find my identity in this? Um, being a mother, a wife? Um, just my new life in Christ. I didn't know how to do that? Because that's really hard. It's challenging right

Nick:   20:05
in hearing your story. Isaiah and jury is just watching it unfold. God will never ask you to give up something greater for something lesser. Yeah, I believe it. Yeah, I keep

Drea:   20:19
having to remind myself that because here I am putting my, my, um, pink gloves to clean the toilet. And I'm so used to putting on my surgical gloves. And I'm like, What am I doing? You know, like so it takes it took every single day to realize, like, not there anymore. And God has something greater for me then that so

Nick:   20:40
and how much faith do you have in that really does. Yeah. Yeah, that's I mean, you're sitting on a podcast, by the way right now. So this is a seed What? I think And I know I had talked to you, um, when I talk to you both about it. But someone told me. Pastor told me, said that many things. It's a sin to preach boring. Okay. And so, if God gives you a gift, whatever it is, you know, I guess I should break down. Stian is an archery term. You know from resting, right? Where If somebody is aiming at the bull's eye and a miss, even if it's an inch off, they yell. Since then, you didn't go where you're supposed to go. And then there's trespassing, which is going where you're not to post it. Yeah, intentionally breaking. But,

Drea:   21:29
oh, can I just add? I actually read I was reading on James for, um gosh, I forgot what it was, but how sin is not even just temptation, But sin could also be that you know, where your you know where God is supposed to put you. But you're going against it. Yeah. And so there's this guilty

Nick:   21:51
committing a cent and a cinema omission. Yeah, and, uh, yeah. And so that's kind of where it's rooted at is, if God gives you this amazing ability to speak and you don't go, you're supposed to go. It's a sense. Yeah. So their gift that either you've recognized either both of you have recognized or don't recognize yet, but eventually you will. And it would be a sin not using. And him Isaiah and I, we had this talk. Okay. We have to have you on. You have God gave you this gift, which is your celebrity, and it revolved around the NFL. Thank you, man. Yeah, no kidding. But you get to use that for his glory. And I think that that's what you're doing here is I mean, yeah, You're encouraging people and you're doing away. You're using his gift for his glory. So that was kind of something that I thought about was in prep today that we all get to. We all get to worship. And it's not just going to church and singing, but in our actions is worship and sharing his word and using his gift. So this is an act of worship. Uh, it's a pleasure to do with you guys.

Isaiah:   23:05
No, absolutely. I'm dread to your point. You make you take something that you were putting on pink gloves. Now, you know, now you're putting on pink loves opposed toe putting on surgical gloves.

Drea:   23:17
Like what is that? What does that mean? Um, what do you mean you're talking like

Nick:   23:23
cleaning the toilet?

Drea:   23:24
Yeah. Glad cleaning the toilet versus now. Before when I was in trauma, we wouldn't have toe make sure that we're all sterile, putting our surgical gloves on So did

Isaiah:   23:35
it. Did it have something like linked to status?

Drea:   23:39
Oh, yeah, Sure, sure. I'm being because you you think of a doctor and you're like, Oh, they're just so smart. They're super. They know everything. They're saving lives. And so when we had a patient come in, they're dying. It's just like chaos. And you're looking up to him. Like what? We D'oh this. Okay, Ryan, I felt such a pride. Pride. Very good. Yeah.

Isaiah:   24:06
So you don't feel like a pride when you put on a pink

Drea:   24:09
loves watching toilet waiting, Right? Right. Oh, my God. I just use the bathroom with Nick. Um, I just want to say

Isaiah:   24:22
something to kind of piggyback off of that. So that's what a lot what I dealt with. It's been two years, Um, coming out of the NFL. Um, I mean, we talk about spiritual warfare. My identity was wrapped in football. My date was wrapped in my status. My Benny was wrapped in my job. You know, my identity was wrapped in what I did. So then I come and work for Kai Joe, you know, which is a foster home group, home organization. And now I'm driving around teenagers in this big white van and, you know, working inside a group home for no disrespect anybody. But I'm punching in a clock now, you know, and I just I was kind of embarrassed, you know? What would somebody think of me? This guy who's the planet NFL and, you know, had this status, and now he's driving around a big, white van, you know? And it was just an identity thing that I just When people were asked me what I did, I'm a social worker. You know, I could not bear to tell you that I work in a group home, You know what I mean? Um, and God has been revealing so much to me like so much to me. Um, recently. So I just started uber driving.

Drea:   25:43
Okay. Yeah, right. That's the pink gloves. Yeah. Yeah. Those air pink left, right. Those were

Isaiah:   25:48
pink gloves. So where you know, God is is just doing something to my spirits where it's like, Hey, your identity is not wrapped in what you do. I remember maybe about a year ago, maybe a little a little less than a year ago. I remember writing in my journal okay. And I'm real with God when I write in my journal. My God, you know, I want to be able to do X y z without happen. That

Drea:   26:10
bleep uber drive. You know what I mean? You know, be honest, Okay. And, um and just God has

Isaiah:   26:18
been just working with my spirit and dealing with my spirit. Toe wears like obedience, you know, surrender. Um, identity. Um, so, you know, uber driver now, had we called uber ministries now, right, He, um So I have four young African American kids in my car last night and all teenagers, and it's got to talkto him and a man y'all stay prayed up, you know, call them kings and speaking to him a little bit, It just feels good, You know what I mean? That's really, um So I say that to say that identity is a big thing that God has been dealing with me with, you know, surgical gloves and a pink gloves NFL with driving. Um, do it all into the Lord. And that's what somebody reminded me of a couple nights ago. Whatever you do, do it unto the Lord. Whether you clean and toilet till you saving somebody's life of your surgery? You know what I mean? So you can I can relate to relate. So hats off, Tonto. Yeah. Cleaning toilets. Yeah, make him

Drea:   27:19
look good. You know, she's been

Nick:   27:23
really good about that. I mean, that was a big It was a traumatic thing.

Drea:   27:26
I think you don't want the toilet. I think a good she does. Theo Sparkly thinks study Lovett

Nick:   27:36
do that. But no, that was a traumatic thing to watch. And it was a year of, like, crying and tears. And in this

Drea:   27:46
threatening, I'm gonna go back. I

Nick:   27:48
can't. You know what? Now I can I can at least bring up the bible one time in this podcast, which is Luke 9 62 And Jesus is talking about the man in the plough and, uh, not looking back, you can't be a disciple of mine and be looking back. Wow. Because you're double minding. Were always fantasizing about your past, you know, And God didn't save you to leave you where your

Isaiah:   28:11
wow best. Really good.

Nick:   28:13
So whatever's going on, whatever he's doing, it is something greater. You just contrast that

Isaiah:   28:20
only I wasn't ready. I'll go ahead

Drea:   28:21
go. I was just I have to remind myself that he is greater. He's greater than my what I find myself and doing. And

Nick:   28:32
you're making me think about your, ah, life word. Yeah, which is what bigger He's been in

Drea:   28:39
a scam. My mentor, she had told me toe find, ah life verse in a life word. Still haven't found that life verse yet, but I know my word is bigger school. Pretty sure

Isaiah:   28:51
that's good. What was that verse again? Luke

Nick:   28:54
Luke 9 62 So that is the end of Episode one for anyone listening still, uh, and now you can switch over Coming soon, I should say is Episode two, which is the really interesting stuff, which is Isaiah's love life and jury is going to talk about relationships a little bit, So hop over to episode to witness available and thanks for listening.

Drea:   29:21
For additional information about distinct ministries, go two distinct ministries dot org's. You can also follow the distinct podcast on Facebook and Instagram and email your questions and comments. Toe Andrea at distinct ministries dot org's

Nick:   29:42
for anyone still listening. Keep an eye out for our grandpas popcorn post on instagram. Anyone that likes shares and comments gets 20% off their purchase, and the first person to comment, like in share, gets a free gallon bag of grandpas popcorn.