Club 520 - Ryan Clark on The Pivot, NFL journey, Stephen A. Smith, "Podcast Olympics"

Summary

Club 520 Podcast: Ryan Clark on The Pivot, NFL Journey, Stephen A. Smith, "Podcast Olympics"

Date: December 29, 2025
Host: DJ Wells (with Jeff Teague & Bishop B Henn/Fred)
Guest: Ryan Clark

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Episode Overview

This episode of Club 520 welcomes Ryan Clark—Super Bowl champion, ESPN analyst, and co-host of The Pivot Podcast—for a wide-ranging, hilarious, and heartfelt conversation. The group discusses everything from growing up and choosing college, to hard-earned lessons from pro sports, the evolution of college athletics, race and community, media authenticity, and dream podcast collaborations. Along the way: friendly jabs, deep insights, and memorable stories about athletes and hip hop legends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter, Old School Phones & Nostalgia (04:15–06:00)

• The crew (post sponsors) jokes about old cell phones—Ryan Clark as the original “Nokia Snake” king (“I had pagers. All that. I had the clear joint though, so that meant I was cooler than most people.” — Ryan Clark, 04:42).
• Club 520 camaraderie sets the laid-back, joke-filled tone that runs throughout.

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2. Podcast Olympics Trash Talk & Sports Crossover (07:04–12:12)

• The crew pokes fun at potential Podcast Olympics, especially rooting matchups against other podcast hosts.
• Ryan says he’s not a bowler (shoulder issues post-NFL), but won’t get pushed around on the court.
• “You have an actual pro on the team. That makes… [it tough].” — Ryan Clark, 12:09
• They dream up cross-podcast sports matchups (Gillian Wallow, Jeff Teague, spades and tonk, etc.)

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3. Creating Impactful Content in a Saturated Media Space (13:10–14:07)

• Ryan congratulates Club 520 for being genuinely entertaining in a crowded podcast landscape:
  • “The ability to create genuine interest in what you have to say is difficult… The space is extremely saturated. Everyone believes they have something to say. But that’s not true… The fact that y’all could be entertaining, engaging, impactful just speaking to one another—it is really amazing.” — Ryan Clark, 13:19

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4. Ryan Clark’s High School/College Days & The LSU Story (14:07–18:00)

• Ryan shares humble beginnings from Louisiana, early basketball ambitions (“Second MVP...but I airballed a free throw in the state championship”—14:13), and why he chose football.
• He was recruited with a VHS tape (!) and initially wanted to attend Tennessee, but his mother’s dream led him to LSU.
• Memorable Moment: The dream of standing on LSU’s sideline as fans stormed the field—later came true exactly as seen.
  • “My first year at LSU, we played Florida...We beat him 28-21 and everybody rushed the field. It was the exact same scene that I had my dream.” — Ryan Clark, 17:33

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5. Legends in Louisiana High School Sports (18:25–20:45)

• Ryan highlights Randy Livingston, Hollis Price, and Kerry Kittles as local basketball legends.
• Tells the story of how Nick Saban identified talent (like “Swagu” Marcus Spears and Corey Webster) and motivated them to switch positions for NFL success.

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6. LSU’s Coaching Carousel & Culture Fit (22:08–24:44)

• Ryan’s inside perspective on Lane Kiffin becoming LSU coach, texting group chats with different former players.
• Sharp critique of Brian Kelly’s lack of passion for LSU:
  • “Brian Kelly wasn’t excited to coach there. He was acting like a bad chick that got with the smart dude...He felt like he was doing us a favor by coaching there.” — Ryan Clark, 23:43

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7. Modern College Football: Transfers, NIL, and Loss of "Home" (33:54–41:54)

• Candid, critical look at NIL and transfer portal chaos.
• Kids switching schools leave them “homeless” in the alumni world, lacking roots or backup plans.
• “These kids have no home to go to after this though. So you’re getting all this money, you burning bridges everywhere you go. And if you might need a lifeboat, you don’t even have no one who can rock with you… Everything is transactional.” — Fred & Ryan Clark, 38:24
• Ryan emphasizes the unique pride in being a four-year LSU alum.

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8. Adapting to Life After Football – Locker Room to Real World (43:50–52:27)

• Ryan reflects on “turning the switch off” after pro football, struggling with being too direct or combative outside of sports, especially in transition to media.
• “Our level of directness is not something that works in the real world… I had to figure out how to express my feelings in a way where people don’t feel like it’s aggressive.” — Ryan Clark, 50:21

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9. The Pivot & Podcasting with Purpose (60:24–64:33)

• Behind-the-scenes on compiling emotional, vulnerable interviews on The Pivot.
  • “RC is the black barber wall. He is gonna get to the root of it.” — Fred, 60:35
• On the difference between surface podcasts and the real talk of The Pivot:
  • “We get a lot of people when stuff is dark… when there is trauma, that come on our show to talk about it and to get it out.” — Ryan Clark, 63:27

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10. Camaraderie in Black Media & Dream Podcast Roundtable (65:02–66:56)

• Idea for a “supercast” roundtable: Club 520, The Pivot, Million Dollaz Worth of Game, and Unc Shannon’s show, not as rivals but as black men breaking bread together.
• “I think it could be life changing in the sense for people who love our shows… to see all of us as black men, able to sit down, break bread… not a competition, where it’s all love.” — Ryan Clark, 66:02

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11. Music Debate: No Limit vs. Cash Money (71:10–73:26)

• The crew compares the legacy of Cash Money and No Limit Records.
• Ryan: “Without No Limit, there is no Cash Money… But when Juvie released 400 Degrees, it took New Orleans rap to a different level… you need them both.” — 73:15

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12. NFL Memories, Perseverance, and Faith (75:10–79:05)

• Ryan tells the story of nearly quitting football, how faith and perseverance got him from washing out to starter and champion.
• “That was the turning point… If I don’t get that call, if I don’t make that team, I don’t become a Super Bowl champion. I’m not in this point, at least in this way of my life.” — Ryan Clark, 78:47

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13. Shout-outs & Closing Vibes

• Closing warmth from all, shout-outs to sponsors and one another.
• “Divine intervention, man. With a story like that, can’t say nothing else. True journey, man, for sure.” — Fred, 78:49

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “The ceiling is the roof.” (Multiple callbacks, Michael Jordan’s classic quote, 05:33)
• On learning your limits in sports:
  “People who talk bad about dudes who don’t get in the game in the NBA, go play them.” — Ryan Clark, 15:28
• On authenticity in the podcast space:
  “To be entertaining, engaging, impactful just speaking to one another… that is really amazing.” — Ryan Clark, 13:19
• On college football roots:
  “College used to be: I got so much pride in LSU because that’s the only place I chose.” — Ryan Clark, 39:59
• On the difference between locker room and media world:
  “In the athlete's mind, I'm like, well, they aren't my friends. Yeah, I'm gonna eat by myself.” — Ryan Clark, 50:22
• The Pivot’s unique appeal:
  “The balance y’all show has is just amazing… It’s a place for people to come and talk.” — DJ Wells, 63:34
• On black media unity:
  “There’s y’alls generation, and then there’s us, and then there’s what Shay is… If there was a way to have a conversation… with all of us, it could be life changing.” — Ryan Clark, 66:02

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Segment Timestamps

• Intro/Ads/Nostalgia: 00:00–06:00
• Podcast Olympics & Sports: 06:45–12:12
• Media Authenticity: 13:10–14:07
• LSU & Faith Stories: 14:07–18:00, more at 75:10–79:05
• Louisiana Sports Legends/Nick Saban: 18:25–21:55
• Coaching & Culture at LSU: 22:08–24:44
• Modern College Football Issues: 33:54–41:54
• Life After Sports: 43:50–52:27
• The Pivot Podcast Insight: 60:24–64:33
• Black Podcast Culture/Collaboration: 65:02–66:56
• Music Debate: 71:10–73:26

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Tone & Style

• Language: Unfiltered, direct, humorous, familial.
• Vibe: Conversational, intimate, supportive, gritty, proud.

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For Listeners New and Old

This episode is a goldmine of insight into the soul of sports media, culture, and community. Whether you’re a Club 520 regular, a Ryan Clark fan, or fresh to the world of “pivoting,” this is an episode to lock in, sit back, and soak up game on success, adaptation, roots, and keeping it real in every room you enter.

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Listen to the full episode for more stories and laughs at Club520Podcast.

Transcript

[Ryan Clark]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Ryan Clark]

So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage? On top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages? Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create smarter business. IBM.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin from the Colin Coward podcast. I've been around long enough to know quality when I see it. Or in this case, when I taste it. Tito's Handmade Vodka. Good stuff. No flash, no gimmick. Smooth, clean tasting. Made the right way. Tito's made in Austin, Texas. Real attention to detail. I like to keep it simple. Tito's Soda one lime, lot of ice. Refreshing, easy. Summer, winter, spring. Totally versatile. Always works. Listen, baseball season's here. The perfect time to kick back with some Tito's. It's what I pour. You should too. Distilled and bottled by 5th Generation Inc. Austin, Texas. 40% alcohol by volume saver. Responsibly the volume.

[DJ Wells]

Man, listen, you know what time it is? Boost Mobile Club 520. We tapped in. Listen, we here to tell y', all, you need to get a new phone, tap in with Boost Mobile, man. They got that new iPhone 17. That's right, the new iPhone 17 ready for you to get. And listen, if you want it, they'll pull up on you. Talk to them. Be here.

[Fred]

Yeah, I'm going tomorrow to get mine, man. It's time. I need to upgrade immediately, man. Tap in.

[DJ Wells]

Come on. They pull up to your crib, you.

[Ryan Clark]

Don'T even got to do nothing.

[DJ Wells]

You ain't got to go tap in with the. The. The stores or whatever. They'll have the phone come to your crib. Boost Mobile, pull to your crib and get everything situated for you.

[Fred]

Boost Mobile Is Boost Mobile for real?

[DJ Wells]

Yeah, it's mobile. They getting active. Listen, man, way they pulling up.

[Fred]

Hold on, hold on. Ain't no way they pulling up. Boost Mobile pulling up, setting up my service on my new iPhone 17 at the crib.

[DJ Wells]

You ain't gotta leave, man. Come on, off the couch with it. Listen, doorstep sir. C code, you know what I'm saying? When you get a new phone, the worst part is transferring your contacts, your pictures and messages. All that. You ain't even gotta do all that. They gonna handle that for you. Just tap in. Listen, man, the most powerful iPhone ever, iPhone 17. Boost Mobile got you in. They gotta leave the crib. They gonna bring your phone, transfer it for you, man. What's the excuse not to get a beehin?

[Fred]

Ain't no excuses, especially they pulling up to your door. Would I never know other providers ever did that.

[DJ Wells]

Come on, man. Doorstep service.

[Fred]

Wow, that's definitely new, man. Damn, it's tight.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah, yeah. Shout out to Boost Mobile, man. All right, man. We back another episode of Club 520 podcast. I'm your host. My name is DJ Wells. Brought to you by Boost Mobile. You know the vibes. Get you that new iPhone 17. They'll pull up to your crib, man. Handle the rest. Now, before I talk to my rest of my sponsors, we're gonna introduce my guest last. But rc, I know back in the days, man, you was getting to it. Did you have a Boost Mobile, brother? Did you have a next tail chirp?

[Ryan Clark]

No, I had the joint that you could play Snake on the Nokia.

[DJ Wells]

Oh, okay. Oh, yeah, I'm old. Old, too, though. You had an antenna on your phone?

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah, like, I had pagers. All that I had the clear joint though, so that meant I was cooler than most people.

[DJ Wells]

Okay.

[Ryan Clark]

The joint you can see through. You see all in the inside.

[Fred]

Oh, yeah. Okay. I remember my brother.

[DJ Wells]

I feel like you had one of them.

[Fred]

No, my brother did and he just passed it down though. Yeah, my brother's about rca, so.

[DJ Wells]

Oh, you had the hand me down burner phone for sure. Oh, okay. Again.

[Ryan Clark]

Wicked.

[DJ Wells]

Man shout out to booze mobile. Tap in one more time for the good people at StockX, man. Keeping us fresh and it's it as well. And last but certainly not least, man shout out to Hard Rock Bet, official sponsor of Club 520 and 520 in the morning Behead. By the time this episode come out mess Christmas will be made or break. He has these crash out parlays that he does every episode of 5:20 in the Morning.

[Fred]

Hopefully people, you know what I mean? Secure the bag, man. Like, just keep believing, man. We live to see another day.

[DJ Wells]

Somebody's kid is not gonna get a Christmas gift.

[Fred]

The ceiling is the roof.

[Ryan Clark]

Ceiling is the roof.

[DJ Wells]

One of the classic Boston Mike. Do we know what that means? Still no.

[Ryan Clark]

Absolutely know what that means.

[DJ Wells]

I don't.

[Ryan Clark]

Yes, you do.

[DJ Wells]

The ceiling is the roof. Yeah, I mean you get technically, but.

[Ryan Clark]

Like, technically it's not actually.

[DJ Wells]

I know where he was trying to go, but he didn't reach.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah, he reached it. It's Jordan.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah, he can do whatever he wants.

[Ad Read - Odoo]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Like think about this, right? Just think about it. No matter what you stacked in here, there's only a certain height you could get to, you could get to, you could get to. But if I'm standing on the roof, I'm always higher than you. Because you boxed in, rc.

[Fred]

That's a little too deep. That's what it is, rc.

[DJ Wells]

I promise.

[Fred]

I love your breakdown.

[Ryan Clark]

You bumping your head on the street.

[Fred]

Oh, my kids. Jordan was not thinking like me. I can't wait to see the rules.

[DJ Wells]

And I ain't gonna lie. He's about to have a commercial ceiling on the roof. I wouldn't do the math, okay? Hey, watch a peacock. Michael Jordan Seal is different than Wesley for sure. We ain't got the architects. Only in Mandy Murphy, man. For sure, man. Listen, we got a special guest in the building, as usual. Introducing last to my far left, we got my dog, Bishop B. Hitting out the prairies. How you at, nasty?

[Fred]

What's happening, man? I'm glad glad my boy pulled up today, man. I looked at him walk in, I said, yeah, post work, sitting on the block, drop step towards or to the baseline lele all day. Free parlay on BD.

[Ryan Clark]

That's a crazy assessment.

[Fred]

Minus 400 plus 4,000 RC hard rock bet. Lock it in. Coming soon podcast Olympics.

[Ryan Clark]

You cannot have a wide receiver bottom with a full back top and think that it's gonna work like that. That ain't. That ain't how it work.

[Fred]

Used to play with football as a Football.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

That ain't Cutie Mike.

[Ad Read - Odoo]

That ain't.

[Fred]

That ain't how it worked.

[DJ Wells]

Man.

[Ryan Clark]

You built like a cake pop. Ain't no shot. I already already told y'.

[DJ Wells]

All.

[Ryan Clark]

We are the. The whole game plan is around Teague. That's it. That ain't gonna work. Y' all get over jumpers all day.

[DJ Wells]

They can shoot. That's what they can actually do.

[Ryan Clark]

That's your game plan.

[DJ Wells]

We good?

[Ryan Clark]

I will say, very impressive that you know all of these ad reads by heart.

[DJ Wells]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

That is actually high. That's high level media.

[Fred]

Nah, he's top level, bro. That's what he do. For real, though.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah, he killed that. That's what I said though, when we were talking about the challenge. That, like, he's. He's not here for any of that. Like, he keeps the show together like he's a professional. He's a professional media member. None of that extracurricular auxiliary stuff is why he's here. That's not why he's here.

[Fred]

See them?

[DJ Wells]

You play basketball and football.

[Fred]

Any skateboard.

[DJ Wells]

I don't know about football. You got that one.

[Fred]

Oh, no, no.

[DJ Wells]

We don't want no smoke. No, no, no, no, no, no. I see your highlights. I want no smoke.

[Ryan Clark]

I don't want that either.

[DJ Wells]

I'm old.

[Ryan Clark]

I'm not Philip Rivers.

[DJ Wells]

Oh, man, he got the Amazon chamber. Yeah, we have some fun today, man. To my right, my dog, Young Nacho. Young Tig. How you. What? Yeah, I'm on day. What day is this now? Behead.

[Fred]

Fuck. Whatever day you want.

[DJ Wells]

Dave Will my all whites. So I do. I wear the same shoe for a whole month, every month. Like, I don't pick one shoe and.

[Ryan Clark]

I wear it every month.

[DJ Wells]

And it makes them mad.

[Fred]

Yeah. Cause that's just trifling.

[DJ Wells]

So I do everything in the shoe. I lift weights.

[Fred]

It's unsanitary, bro.

[DJ Wells]

I spray em down though. Now, I did some bless us to get as many shoes we want. And my boy, he just locked in with the all whites, you know what I'm saying?

[Ryan Clark]

Those classics, though, that's what? Shell toes. You can wear them every day.

[Fred]

Yes, you can wear shell toes. Every day. Not the same pair. Every day, bro.

[Ryan Clark]

Why?

[Fred]

R.C. you grew up.

[Ryan Clark]

Did you grow up with money?

[Fred]

He worked out. My family was good. I didn't have no poor ass life. But him, he has the.

[DJ Wells]

For him, it's crazy.

[Fred]

Hey, don't. Yeah. I don't have no struggle. Rap my daughter.

[Ryan Clark]

I do not have a horse.

[Fred]

All that Brenda had a baby shit was not in my ghetto. Like, not in my house. I'm from the ghetto. But I was very, very blessed growing up. My parents had a lot of money. I'm just saying, for you to go work out, go on a date with your wife, go coach basketball. And he even plays basketball.

[Ryan Clark]

No, I don't play in him.

[Fred]

That's crazy.

[DJ Wells]

If you hooping, the shell touch. I can't do that. I don't do that. He. He gassing. That's accurate.

[Fred]

Respect.

[Ryan Clark]

Respect. Come on.

[DJ Wells]

Listen, man, we got a legend in the building, man. Another champion as well. On this couch, man. You ain't lonely no more here, team. Listen, you seen this gentleman everywhere, man. Player, philanthropist, and now he's doing everything in immediate space. And one only, Mr. R.C. ryan Clark. Big Dog. We appreciate you pulling up, man.

[Ryan Clark]

Appreciate y' all boys, man. Y' all started this. Cause y' all was talking big.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

You know, like I said, t's the oldest problem in the room.

[Fred]

I really didn't say nothing. I was kind of letting y' all let y' all breathe.

[Ryan Clark]

I was, bro.

[Fred]

Calling everybody out. But I ain't never ran from nothing. I'm cool.

[DJ Wells]

Like, I'm good.

[Fred]

Me and Shannon's my matchup.

[DJ Wells]

I think we get y' all in basketball, but, like, we really bowl. Like, we good bowlers.

[Ryan Clark]

Honestly, bowling would be tough for me. I am not. I am not a top notch bowler. The way my shoulders are set up post career, I can see that makes certain things a little more difficult.

[Fred]

Yeah. Cause I'm like, we talking about the podcast Olympics or whatever. I said, this nigga in here working out. He ain't did a workout and posted on Instagram. And I don't know how long he hitting the gym every day. Headphones on.

[DJ Wells]

I'm getting ready. Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

This is how I know. You actually don't know me.

[DJ Wells]

I see him in the gym, though.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah, I was doing a tour of training facilities, like Monday Night Football.

[Fred]

Say you didn't work out. I said, you made it a thing. Like, I'm in the gym preparing myself.

[DJ Wells]

That was supposed to intimidate us?

[Ryan Clark]

No, wasn't. It wasn't because I would Intimidate you. I realized how strong Jeff was. Hey, I'm doing push ups. He had to wait on his back.

[DJ Wells]

This is for fake. Hey.

[Ryan Clark]

Oh, boy was swast. Like, well, dang.

[Fred]

Nah, for real.

[Ryan Clark]

The one thing I'm not gonna. I mean, he. Y' all might win the game. I can't get pushed around. Yeah, like, if they like, oh, Jeff. 520. Beat him in basketball.

[Fred]

If we go to 15 because we. We beat the. Out of Gillian, wallow on them. Fifth game to 15. It'll probably be 15, six.

[Ryan Clark]

Okay.

[Fred]

I mean, that's fair.

[Ryan Clark]

You have an actual pro on the team. That makes.

[DJ Wells]

That's all we got. We can't count basketball. We gotta play something. No, we are.

[Ryan Clark]

Spades is no shot.

[DJ Wells]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Ryan Clark]

No shot. Tonk already. And already know because he already talked about how great his life was. I know he couldn't play.

[DJ Wells]

Nah, he plays faze, though.

[Fred]

I play cards. For real.

[DJ Wells]

He was like the richest one in the ghetto.

[Fred]

Like, I. For real. Like, my friends were very. I don't want to shout who they are, but they was poor as fuck next to me.

[DJ Wells]

Shout out to the guys.

[Fred]

I'm talking about my next door neighbors. It was severe. So my daddy was like the hood hero, bro.

[Ryan Clark]

You stupid.

[DJ Wells]

Something's really wrong with you.

[Ryan Clark]

HBO friend be like, yeah, honestly, not my guys.

[Fred]

Still to this day, just for real. It was really different, bro.

[DJ Wells]

Growing up years now. I ain't going to lie to you, rc. The shout outs in the show for our friend group, they made a petition these last couple weeks to say we have to get better shout outs.

[Fred]

Yeah, for sure.

[DJ Wells]

We. We only shout them out with bad stuff. Yeah, it's all good, though. It's how we work here for sure.

[Fred]

This is about RC though, man.

[DJ Wells]

Oh, 1000%.

[Fred]

Glad you here, bro. For real. All jokes aside, man, we appreciate you.

[Ryan Clark]

And. And before we start, too, man, y' all done an amazing job though.

[DJ Wells]

Like, the. Thank you, bro.

[Ryan Clark]

I think the. The ability to. To create, like, genuine interest in what you have to say is difficult. You know what I mean? I think the space is extremely saturated and everybody believes they have something to say. But that's not true. Yeah, like, like, like it's not. You know what I mean? And the fact that y' all could be entertaining, engaging, impactful with just speaking to one another, bro, to be able to create that space is really amazing. So, man, congrats to y' all and all the success. The shoe deal. I think y' all doing some things within the space that Other people aren't, man. So y' all just keep doing it.

[DJ Wells]

Appreciate it. Thank you, bro. That's humbling coming from you, obviously, what you guys built. But first things first, let's get to it, man. High school days, growing up, L.A. obviously, it was color to football. We talking about the basketball stuff. You was like that on the court as well, though.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah, I was.

[DJ Wells]

So.

[Ryan Clark]

I was second MVP voted in. I remember it all. I remember it all.

[DJ Wells]

Talk about them stats, baby.

[Ryan Clark]

I did shoot an air ball from the free throw line in the state championship, though.

[DJ Wells]

It was Carlton. Dog.

[Ryan Clark]

I remember. And you know, y' all know this, bro. Like, high school basketball gyms. The wall is always right behind the goal.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Fact, right? So, like, depth perception is easy.

[DJ Wells]

Right.

[Ryan Clark]

And my little routine was I wouldn't look at the goal until I shot the free throw.

[DJ Wells]

Oh, damn. Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

And so when I looked up, I could see the room.

[DJ Wells]

I was in the arena.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah, I could see the room. I missed the. Yeah, that was for sure, though. I thought at that point, I was like, yeah, football for me.

[DJ Wells]

Did you think you could play college basketball?

[Ryan Clark]

No, like, so I did have, like, small school offers when I was going to LSU to play. I was going to LSU to play football. So it wasn't. But you realize quickly, like, people that talk bad about, like, the 15th man on the bench, I didn't go to the school. Go to school with, like, a ton of pros. Like, I didn't go to Duke. I didn't go to Kentucky. But when you go in there and hoop with, like, real basketball players, you realize that the games be, like, 23 possessions. If you go into 12 or 11, like, y' all score every time you shoot. So, like, folks who talk bad about dudes who don't get in the game in the NBA, go play them.

[Ad Read - Zen Nicotine Pouches]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

You know, So I learned. Yeah. I'm gonna go out here and backpedal. I'm a tackle. I'm gonna do all that. Because if not, I'm gonna have a regular 9 to 5.

[Fred]

That's a. LSU was always the move, though.

[Ryan Clark]

No, I wanted to go to Tennessee. I wanted to go to Tennessee.

[DJ Wells]

We had a person here that was probably our best football player ever. Name was James Banks. He went to Tennessee.

[Fred]

Legend. Oh, yeah. Go ahead.

[Ryan Clark]

So, like, in. I'm old, like I said. So when they came to recruit me, they bought a VHS tape.

[DJ Wells]

Damn. Wow.

[Ryan Clark]

Wow.

[DJ Wells]

Cause I think about if they was recruiting you with a V, I was watching N1VHS tapes, volume two.

[Fred]

That made RC. About RC down there.

[Ryan Clark]

50, 46.

[DJ Wells]

46.

[Fred]

I knew you was up there.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah, I'm old, bro. And so when they brought the tape, I was sitting on the floor of my parents house and it was like all the dudes that won the Thorpe or like all the All Americans. And I was like, shoot, man, I want to go do that. Because when I was coming out, LSU wasn't the move. Saban made it that right? Like when Saban came my junior and senior year, he started making. That's when he got Marcus Spears and Michael Clayton, like all those dudes that was, you know, from the crib. Kevin Falk was like the first Louisiana cat that made like going to LSU cool. But my mom, my mom was like, she ain't look good and burnt orange, you know. And unlike Behin, I mean, I didn't grow up in the ghetto, but I know my people ain't have enough money to go to Tennessee every week. I want my people to see me play. They came to every game. And, you know, I told the story before. My mom is like a big time church goer. Yeah. Like on every committee. Like, my mom run the senior citizen committee, but I be like, mom, but you a senior citizen. Like, how you get to run the committee? Somebody young supposed to give back to you. So the night I was gonna make my decision, we had a prayer circle. So we had a prayer circle. Me, my mom, my little brother and my pops. I go to sleep, I had a dream that I was standing on LSU sideline and people were rushing the field and the scoreboard said 28, 21.

[DJ Wells]

Right.

[Ryan Clark]

But I didn't really know the team. I didn't know what it was, but I was like, oh. So the next morning I go into school, I commit to LSU. My first year at LSU, we played Florida with Fred. Actually, they were number one. They were number one in the country. We beat him 21. 28. And everybody rushed the field. It was the exact same scene that I had my dream. And so. So that. That was why I was going to commit probably anyway. But that was definitely like, I committed the next morning after that.

[DJ Wells]

No, it's crazy. That's very similar to Damaris, where how you got to wait. Yep. My mom had a dream. Yeah. She's like, you got to go to Wake Forest. I always wanted to go to usc.

[Ryan Clark]

You say usc?

[DJ Wells]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Like California.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah. I went on a visit. It was nice. It was nice out there. Yeah. Classroom was amazing. It was crazy. Academics. Oh, man. O.J. may was on my visit. So shout out to O.J. man.

[Ryan Clark]

O.J. mayo. Like, that was. That was the height of, like, high school basketball. Mixtapes and.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

And TV games. Like when. Like, if you got on a TV game. If you had a TV game when you were in high school, then, like, you were actually that dude. No, they all play.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah.

[Fred]

Who was one of the big stars in basketball where you was from growing up?

[Ryan Clark]

No. You know, so Louisiana. Ain't happened like that. I don't know if you know who Randy Livingston is.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Fred]

He was a killer.

[Ryan Clark]

Randy Livingston was the best basketball player I ever seen play in person.

[DJ Wells]

He was an NBA player, though.

[Fred]

He was raw, though, bro.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

But you know what happened? He blew his knee out before he ever started playing at lsu.

[DJ Wells]

Damn.

[Ryan Clark]

Damn. So he was. He was national player of the year. CO. @ national player of the year. It's him and Jason.

[Fred]

Kidd.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. In. In, like, every playoff game, he had a double double. He played point guard on offense, center on defense, cold right. Oh, he was. He's the best player I'd ever seen. Doing a. You know how they do those camps and the players work the camps. He was demonstrating the jump stop. Blew his knee out. Came back, like, the next year, it blew the other one out. Oh, damn. So he ended up leaving. So, like, the career that he had was all about his brain and his understanding of basketball because, like, he could jump. He was explosive, and he lost all that when he got hurt. But Randy Livingston was the best basketball player I seen. Kerry Kittles was socks up, baby. Yeah. Carrie Kittles was one of the.

[DJ Wells]

Guys. I didn't know he was from out.

[Fred]

There.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. Do y' all remember Hollis.

[Fred]

Price?

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. So Hollis Price went to my rival high school. Yeah, he went to my rival high.

[Fred]

School. So March Madness legend.

[DJ Wells]

Bro. Coach at Houston right now.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. So hooped against him. So we had some guys, but it's not like the.

[Fred]

Midwest.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. Carolina.

[DJ Wells]

Football. My boy, big Swagu used to get to it on the court as.

[Ryan Clark]

Well. Swagu is one of the best athletes, man, I've ever been around, though.

[DJ Wells]

Son. Nice, too. Son is like.

[Ryan Clark]

That. But Swagu played tight end when he first got to lsu. He ate his way to defensive.

[Fred]

End.

[DJ Wells]

Really? Like, was that on accident or like that? He ate his.

[Ryan Clark]

Way. He was always built soft, softly. You know what I mean? Like, he didn't. He wasn't killing.

[Fred]

Winzo. He's a body shaver. I started to learn something about my.

[Ryan Clark]

Boy. He's a body.

[DJ Wells]

Shaver. I don't know if he kept eating. They like, hey, man, you might have to go to defense.

[Ryan Clark]

Bro. Nah, you know what, Nick. You know what Nick Saban had, bro? That I don't think that. I don't. I never met any other coach that knew this. Like, he knew when you were playing the wrong position. So Swagu was like top 25. Hooper played tight end, could do her thing. Like, softest hands on the team. But he was bigger. Like, he wasn't gonna get open like that. He's like, hey, man, you go play dn, you'll be a first round draft pick. And he was right. Corey Webster ended up being an early second round pick. He was all American. Had like 13 picks in two years, but he was a receiver. And he refused to move. Like, refused. Coach was like, man, you need to go play defense. He was a quarterback in high school. And he was like, look, I'm gonna move you. And he's like, but he's like, you gonna be a pro if you go play corner. And he was right. So he would do that with all these different players, man. He could just see it in a different way. But you know, man, when you think you good at something and you a kid, you don't want, especially you get the rock. Like, if I play wide receiver, I will catch the ball. And so. But Nick was great at that, man. He moved Swagu, bro. Comes an all American first round.

[DJ Wells]

Pick. Oh, that's hard shot and excitement. Clearly he knows something for sure. Not to jump around when I ask how you feel about the new head coach at lsu? Speak high, our favorite.

[Fred]

Coach. Speak high, my.

[DJ Wells]

Boy. So let me.

[Fred]

So. You're.

[Ryan Clark]

Welcome. Let's just say. Let's just say I knew Lane was gonna be our head coach a long time before the rest of the world.

[Fred]

Did. Okay.

[DJ Wells]

Okay.

[Ryan Clark]

Okay. Yeah. That was as soon as BK was fired. Like, that was my pick. Like, that was who I wanted. Had conversations with people at the school who were gonna be decision makers, bro. I would probably say once the process started, there wasn't a day I don't have, like, a text with Lane Kiffin. Like, I got more group chats with Lane. I got more group chats with Lane Kiffin than I do. Like, my real homeboys like me. And, like, we got group chats with Lane, and it's like different groups of football players that played at LSU depending on what he wants to talk about. You know what I mean? So it's like we got, like, pockets. Like, oh, if it's this conversation, it's, you know, it might be Whitworth if It's this conversation. It might be swagu. If it's this conversation, it might be booger McFarlane. And so we got like all these conversations on one of the coolest things he did, man. It's probably 5am One morning, he sends a picture of the stadium, and he was like, you know, like, that's the best place to play football in the country. And, you know, I remember when I texted him back, I was like, the stadium's cool. I was like, but it's the people who are in there and the reason that they're there that makes it special. And like, that dude's excited to coach there, and that's what you want. Like, BK bro, Brian Kelly wasn't excited to coach.

[DJ Wells]

There.

[Ryan Clark]

No. You know what I'm saying? He was like. He was acting like a bad chick that got with the smart dude because he was going to provide stability and mistreated him. You know what I'm saying? It was like, wasn't stunting about him, you know what I mean? He felt like he was doing us a favor by coaching there. And you know, man, like, down south, folks, country folks, like, we don't like that. Like, embrace. You gotta embrace what we embrace. You gotta care about what we care about. Cause if you don't, like, we not gonna fool with you. And if we in that space with you, then you gotta win all the games all the time, right? Like, you win all the time, you be big as the ass you want. Yeah, but like, if you. If you a turd and you suck, nah, we gotta holla at you. It just hate that you had to give him special.

[DJ Wells]

Younger. So he hit a hell of an extra price. Boy, I love to get fired for 60 years. Fired me today. I can't wait to be a coach. First date. We just don't like.

[Fred]

Him. BK stayed a little too long for.

[DJ Wells]

Me, but. Yeah, you talking about down south, they was pissed. And Notre Dame with him. And this is an unruly fan base. They was like, now get him the out of Indiana. So when he went down, I was like, oh, that's a. That's a choice. Listen, man, the NBA is heating up. And you know what that means. You got buckets bets and big wins every single night. Tap in with hard rock. Bet the home for hoop heads all season long. All right, listen, all you gotta do is tap in, man. Download the app. You can bet on everything. Every matchup, every game. Listen, you can even go ahead, pull out your crystal ball, see who gonna win mvp, Rookie of the Year, and all future bets as.

[Fred]

Well. Sign up with Hard Rock Bet today. Just place a bet at $5. Yes, just $5 to win up to $150 in bonus.

[DJ Wells]

Bids. Listen, you heard my man. It's just $5. That's right, $5. Place that bet, you get up to $150 in bonus bets. You got to tap in Hard Rock Bet. Get the app right now. Payable and bonus bets. Not a cash offer. Offered by Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC and all other states must be 21 and older and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1888-Admitted in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and.

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[DJ Wells]

You.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin from the Colin Coward Podcast. That would make sense that I would be the host of the Colin Coward podcast. I mean, that's the way I see it. I've been around long enough to know quality when I see it, or in this case, when I taste it. Tito's handmade vodka. Good stuff. No flash, no gimmick. Smooth, clean tasting, made the right way. Okay. I like things that are built to last. A great team, a well run organization. Same goes for my vodka, Tito's. Made in Austin, Texas. Real care, attention to detail, distinct crisp taste. I was just telling my wife the other day, Tito's is the one vodka. It has a completely distinct taste. Been my go to for years, so I like to keep it simple. Tito's soda, one lime, lot of ice. Refreshing, easy. Summer, winter, spring. Totally versatile. Always works. Listen, baseball season's here. Your team's going to play 162 games. A perfect time to kick back with some Tito's. It's what I pour. You should too. Distilled and bottled by 5th Generation Inc. Austin, Texas. 40% alcohol by volume. Savor.

[DJ Wells]

Responsibly. When you own your own business, you own every.

[Ryan Clark]

Decision. Catch the red eye or take the 6am Make a new hire or promote internally. Celebrate a win with the toast at the gate or unwind at the lounge. Big props to this.

[DJ Wells]

Team. Some decisions are a win win. Like earning eight times points on Chase Travel. Introducing Chase Sapphire Reserve for business. With $2,500 in annual value, it's the business card that gives back all you put in. Visit chase.com ReserveBusiness to learn more. Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank. Any member of DIC, subject to credit approval terms.

[Ryan Clark]

Apply. I didn't, I didn't realize the, the Notre Dame thing was like that until my son transferred there. Yeah, so he played there senior year. And you would talk to people and like, obviously they knew I went to lsu. They'd be like, what you feel about bk? And you know, straight up like, I'm not gonna talk bad about him while he our head coach, you know? Cause then that's the last thing I want, too. The whole, hey, I talked to Ryan Clark, and he said, you know.

[Fred]

Yeah. You know how that.

[DJ Wells]

Goes.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know how that's it's gonna be. I'm the one that started the conversation, man. Ryan Clark came up to me. He hates Brian.

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Kelly.

[Ryan Clark]

Nah. So, like, I wanted to make sure it wasn't that, but I'd be like, nah, it's cool. You know, he working on. He trying to get people, and they'd be like, I'm so glad he's there. Like, we didn't want him here. And I didn't know that he had wore out his welcome the same way there that he ended up doing at the.

[DJ Wells]

Crib. I wish Lou was here. Yeah. My homeboy Lou, he work with us. He'll tell you he a Notre Dame fanatic. Yeah. Go in on it. That was exciting when he got the hell out of campus for.

[Ryan Clark]

Sure. Which is crazy, though, man. Think about, like, how. How you truly have to move or treat people to be good at something, and people still want you.

[DJ Wells]

Out.

[Fred]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I'm.

[Fred]

Saying? Because.

[Ryan Clark]

He. He's had success there to. To win at that clip, and people be like, you know what? I'd rather lose than have you on.

[DJ Wells]

Me. That was fed up. Anybody with you? You know, we had Charlie Weiss. Anybody but you. Gang and.

[Ryan Clark]

Freeman. Good old.

[DJ Wells]

Charlie. Good old.

[Ryan Clark]

Charlie. Yeah, man. Like, free, man. I love free. Like, what Free did for my kid, like, I can never pay him for that. But dude really is like that from the standpoint of, like, I don't know how long he'll stay there. I think he has ultimate job stability. They're always going to win. They recruit at an extremely high clip. And y' all probably been to South Bend. Ain't nothing there but the.

[Fred]

School. Nothing.

[DJ Wells]

There. That's.

[Ryan Clark]

It. You know what I'm saying? Nothing there but the school. So the fact that he has, you know, Plexico Burris son, obviously Bussy went there, but you got Jermichael Finley, Larry Fitzgerald's son, Thomas. Like, you got all of these dudes who played in the league and their kids are now going to Notre Dame over the Bamas and all that, bro, it just tells you the way he recruits, type of man he is. And I was talking to Riley Leonard on the field last year last night, like, I can't believe they kept him off the.

[Fred]

Playoffs. They.

[DJ Wells]

Cheated. I was gonna ask you about that. I hate the format, but given what we've seen, there's no way they should have been kept.

[Ryan Clark]

Out. So it's the way the rules are put.

[DJ Wells]

Together.

[Ryan Clark]

Right. Like I will say this, it's hard. I thought Miami should be in because of the head to head. I thought Bama was the team they could get in ahead of. But it's hard to say that when they go.

[DJ Wells]

Win. That's a.

[Ryan Clark]

Fact. Miami, they won. Like all of these teams are now in the second round. But if you watched JMU in.

[DJ Wells]

Tulane, they gotta be.

[Ryan Clark]

Out. Ain't no.

[DJ Wells]

Way. This.

[Ryan Clark]

Ain'T. This ain't March Madness. You know March Madness, bro. You get Steph Curry hot on a.

[DJ Wells]

Day.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You find a way to get to the sweet 16. Damn. Football.

[DJ Wells]

Work?

[Fred]

Nah.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah. The better team usually win in.

[Ryan Clark]

Football.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah. That's how it is on the game. That's in relative. You gonna play Wake Forest against Alabama? No disrespect to wait, but you get buried. Listen, we might win the ACC next.

[Colin Cowherd]

Year. Don't.

[Ryan Clark]

Worry. They have been good at some point in my.

[DJ Wells]

Lifetime. 07. They was good. Famous Tim Duncan left that camp. Hold on, hold.

[Ryan Clark]

07. We was.

[DJ Wells]

Good. We went to the Orange Bow.

[Fred]

Respect. Yeah, I was definitely.

[DJ Wells]

Good. 07. Yeah, yeah.

[Fred]

Yeah. Had a top five.

[DJ Wells]

Pick. Aaron Curry, top five pick.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. Good player. Coach now. Yeah, he coaches now. Randolph.

[DJ Wells]

Childress. Randolph Childress, by the way, one.

[Ryan Clark]

Of my favorite college basketball players in the whole.

[DJ Wells]

Time. Randolph children was.

[Fred]

Good. He was.

[DJ Wells]

Nasty. He liked the third best guard in Wake Forest.

[Ryan Clark]

History. All right, what's the.

[DJ Wells]

Order? Chris Paul won. Yeah, yeah. I'm two and then.

[Ryan Clark]

So. Yeah, that's a respectful. That's a respectful list.

[DJ Wells]

Though. Look, when Randolph see this. Oh, here you go. Play the usc. Shout out to Randy.

[Ryan Clark]

Man. He gonna come out here with that big T.

[DJ Wells]

Shirt. He gonna talk so much crazy. I can't wait here on the college basketball. Not college basketball. College football. Excuse me. Does Notre need to join the conference? Because I'm. I don't like the fact that Notre Dame is not playing USC no more. And I feel like it's around that guaranteed pretty much from the committee that if they do this stuff on their schedule, they get in like. I don't like that rivalry being gone.

[Ryan Clark]

Man. I don't think it's a Notre Dame decision that it's gone. Right. It's the landscape of college football in the way that it's changed. College football is just turning into the NFL, bro. I don't know if y' all pay attention. I'm sure Y' all do on social media. Football players are taking pictures in college. Re signing to their.

[DJ Wells]

Team. I seen.

[Ryan Clark]

That. Like, you know, like when the pros do it in free agency, when they take the picture in front of the little thing behind them and they say, reese, like, where they do that.

[Fred]

At? I hate everything about that.

[DJ Wells]

Bro.

[Ryan Clark]

Bro. Like the, The. I just read something where the running backs coach that we are hiring had to go have a meeting with our sophomore. He gonna be a sophomore. Great young player, our sophomore running back. To try to keep him in the facility, to try to keep him on campus, try to keep him a part of the university. Like, that's what we doing. So every. Not only do think about, like, if you're. If you're one of these teams right now in the playoffs, you trying to win the playoff game, you trying to figure out nil, Work the transfer portal to bring people on your team, keep cats on your team from getting in the portal and you preparing to play one of the top eight teams in the country. That's the NCAA.

[Fred]

Problem.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah. They gotta change that schedule. They gotta change that schedule. Do you like it, though, the fact that kids get to get paid like.

[Ryan Clark]

This?

[DJ Wells]

100%. I do.

[Ryan Clark]

Too. 100%. I think that they should have been paid a long time ago. I think the ability to move around is not as much, in my mind, something that was a need for players, but if the coaches were going to be able to live their lives and maneuver in their careers the way that they are, players needed some ability to not be locked into certain situations. I do think the way that transfer portal was implemented doesn't protect kids either, though, from their own.

[DJ Wells]

Stupidity.

[Ryan Clark]

Right? Like. Like, like everybody, everybody think they got to play year one, year two. Like, that wasn't our.

[DJ Wells]

Life.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, I knew, hey, year one, you might be the nickel, right? Cause the dude in front you is all American. Year two, you'll play more. Year three, you could be the guy. Like, that was the steps for us. And then basketball was a little different. Like, you might start as a freshman. That didn't mean you was one and.

[DJ Wells]

Done.

[Ryan Clark]

Right. You was going to be around. And so I think just when you see the number of dudes that get in the portal, bro, and don't find homes, don't find places to go getting bad information from folks that's close to them because they believe that they could go get more money elsewhere. Like, folks ain't. These kids, don't. They don't develop. They're not developing physically and you're not developing, you know, mentally, emotionally, and being able to understand. Like we gotta go live life after.

[DJ Wells]

This. That's a fact. Talk to.

[Ryan Clark]

Em. You know. And so I think.

[Fred]

It'S. We talk about that all the.

[DJ Wells]

Time. I think they need a cap on. Like I think everybody should get one free.

[Fred]

Transfer. That's it though, bro. Going to four different universities in four years is insane. I don't care.

[DJ Wells]

Bro. A lot of kids not.

[Fred]

Graduating. But I'm just saying you, you end up turning into a piece of shit bro, when you leave school because you have no discipline, you have no loyalty to anything. Everything's just been. And you learn it kind of from people who ain't never did in your family. No disrespect, but everybody just chasing the bag. Then you don't even know how to treat the bag when you get.

[DJ Wells]

It.

[Fred]

Yeah. So when you go broke, it's like that's when all the mental health just kick in and crashing out. Like it's.

[DJ Wells]

Bad. The biggest thing to me is just a lot of the kids, they're going to school for four years, but they still not graduating. Like you'll be amazed how many kids didn't graduate. But they was in school for four years. Some was in five. They still haven't.

[Fred]

Graduated. What the hell are they.

[DJ Wells]

Doing? Because they transfer so much, them.

[Fred]

Don'T be accepted at the next.

[DJ Wells]

University. A lot of times when they transfer and they last year they leave school early to go prepare for the draft. Yeah, I'm speaking on basketball. They leave and go prepare for the draft and they might still have a couple classes left and they won't finish them. Obviously they can go back and finish if they can, but they not leaving the university with a degree. And one thing that people sleep on is having a place to call home if all fails. You still have alumni base or school you can go back to as a cushion if things work out. Like you said, LSU got a great stand base with that situation. These kids have no home to go to after this though. So you're getting all this money, you burning bridges everywhere you go. And if you might need a lifeboat, you don't even have no one who can rock with you on it because everything is.

[Ryan Clark]

Transactional. Yeah. Like now, now too though. It's about, it's about individual relationships.

[DJ Wells]

Though.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like it's not about whether or not you could go back to the school, it's whether or not I could go back to a certain.

[Fred]

Person.

[DJ Wells]

Okay.

[Ryan Clark]

Right. Because then people float around, too. Like the. It's funny to say the guy who was basically the general manager at Notre Dame is now the general manager at usc, right? Like, that's somebody who my son was close to. That's who recruited him, like, if he wanted to. And, like, let's say he didn't have a foundation, he could probably go to him and. And see if, like, there's something that they could do to help one another or if he could help him out. But that's the. I think that's the hard part about where we are now is, like, I tell people all the time, they ask me about the pro teams, you know, and I put on. I entertain, right? That, like, when the Steelers lose, it matters. It don't matter. Like, it don't. I don't care. Like, they want you to be on tv, rc. I know you're hurt. And as part of the entertainment of tv. Yes, I'm hurt, but I'm not really hurt. That's not putting money in my pocket at all, you know? And you know how it is, fellas, like, once you start to know these people. I want Pittsburgh to win because Mike Tomlin is my friend, right? And I know that his livelihood and his career and his kids and his family depend on him being the head coach, right? Like, I want Jalen Ramsey to play well and to win, because that's a little broke. That's how I watch games now. I don't watch games like, all the Steelers have to win. But the thing about college used to be was, like, I got so much pride in LSU because that's the only place I chose. You know what I'm saying? Like, I chose to be.

[Fred]

There.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, that was. I had an option of this place, this place, this place. And I said, that's the spot for me. And so when you stay there and you play four years, it's like, man, the people there, the people that support the university, like, all those folks know me, you know, like, they got a. I remember two of the things I did at LSU that will always be important to me. 2020 was obviously, like, a very tough time. Social injustice, social justice, all of that. The athletes at the school marched in 2020. I was a part of the march. I got to give the speech right, to all the athletes about just kind of, like, where we were, how we needed to stick together. And then in 2021, they did this whole diversity, equity, inclusion survey, and people got to actually speak about what they felt it was like, to work at lsu. And I got to present that to the entire athletic department. And to me, that was important because I'm from there. I went to school there. I live there, you know? And this wasn't about how many tackles I had or how much TV I did. This was about, like, the people that are part of the fabric or what makes it go. And so, like, those are two things to me that were extremely important to do. Like, I don't. When I go to the games, man, I sit in the stands. Like, I don't go on the sidelines. I don't ask for certain things. Like, my thing is that the kids at that school will be treated the way like I would want to be treated because I love it so much. But they just going for the money. You might. They got kids that. That might play for lsu, Alabama and Ole.

[DJ Wells]

Miss. Yeah, that's.

[Ryan Clark]

Fact. Where you go on Saturday when you done college, right? Cause if.

[Fred]

You.

[Ryan Clark]

Only. If the people at Ole Miss who were there when you were there aren't there, you can't go.

[DJ Wells]

Back. It's a fact, bro. It's over.

[Ryan Clark]

With. It's over. They don't know you, you know, So I think. I hate that it's like that for these.

[DJ Wells]

Kids. I ain't gonna lie. I got national chip be here. I'll be Michael Irvin on the.

[Fred]

Sidelines.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah. I'm whooping trash cans, baby. If Carter goes to national championship, I'm sideline wild. Wake Forest make it to the Final Four. I ain't been to a Wake forest game in 15 years. I will act like I'm the number one fan for.

[Ryan Clark]

Sure. Do you think LSU don't act like.

[DJ Wells]

Irv. Irv the.

[Ryan Clark]

Goat? Irv is, like, grandfathered into that level of.

[DJ Wells]

Behavior.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I'm.

[Fred]

Saying? I like the way you put.

[Ryan Clark]

That. Yeah. Like, we just love him so much, and he's always been like that, and we don't even ask him to really grow.

[Fred]

Up. Nah, for.

[DJ Wells]

Sure. That's a.

[Fred]

Fact. Cause sometimes you just leave people as they.

[DJ Wells]

Are.

[Fred]

Yeah. It's.

[Ryan Clark]

Better. But, you know, it's not fake.

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Too. I.

[Ryan Clark]

Know. Like. Like, that's. That's.

[Fred]

Like. I heard about that White.

[Ryan Clark]

House. Yeah. Like, that's truly who is. And I don't know if I've ever seen Irv in person. He's a big dude. Like, pause. Like.

[Fred]

He. Yeah, I've seen him. Yeah, yeah, we see.

[DJ Wells]

Him.

[Ryan Clark]

Playmaker. He one of them small slot.

[Fred]

Receivers. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

[DJ Wells]

No. You know, at Least six, three.

[Fred]

Yeah. Like, so he a big dude still in.

[Ryan Clark]

Shape.

[DJ Wells]

Yeah. Shout out to the OG for sure.

[Fred]

Man. I would have loved to play in that era.

[DJ Wells]

Though. You'd have been a.

[Fred]

Cowboy. Told you that. White House. That inspired.

[DJ Wells]

Me. I ain't messing with.

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Him.

[DJ Wells]

That Jerry Jones had to plug for a.

[Fred]

Show. I mean, the way RC's was, I like, RC might got a little powder in.

[Ryan Clark]

It. No, don't do.

[Fred]

Like was.

[DJ Wells]

Crashing. Oh my God. Special on the.

[Ryan Clark]

Game. No pow to be here. No.

[DJ Wells]

Pow. Like last boy.

[Ryan Clark]

Scout. Last boy.

[DJ Wells]

Scout. See you on tv. It's just like I seen him play football before. I'm like, if he ain't like, he not like that. I'm like, bro, he's not just put together.

[Ryan Clark]

Bro. He's a good dude.

[DJ Wells]

Bro. He play football. He's crazy, bro. For.

[Fred]

Sure. For.

[Ryan Clark]

Sure. No, I mean, he's like. But it's like anything else you do when you aren't like a superstar, you're. In order to stay. Like, you have to build something out of.

[DJ Wells]

Necessity. Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Fact. You know what I.

[Fred]

Mean? Like, if.

[Ryan Clark]

You. If you a Hooper and you not gonna be the number one, like, it's something that you have to do that they could count on. Every week is going to be there. And for me, that was. That was physicality. And the other part of it is too, when people start to, one, expect something from you, two praise you for something, it makes you want to do it more, you know? And then like after a while I realized, oh, wait, like, they are really scared to come cross here. Right? And I was like, oh, with good reason. I get it. And so now every. So then after that, every time somebody went across there, like, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm about to split.

[DJ Wells]

Him. How you turn that switch on and off though? Like, when I see like James Harrison, I feel like his switch is.

[Ryan Clark]

Always, always though there's no off.

[DJ Wells]

Switch. Yeah. But I like, you got like an off switch. You.

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Like?

[DJ Wells]

Yeah. You know, man, I play.

[Fred]

Football. Players are totally different than.

[DJ Wells]

Basketball. He not like, he like, still like, yeah, I'm ready to tackle somebody right.

[Ryan Clark]

Now. You ever been around Pitbull and you don't know the pit.

[DJ Wells]

Bull?

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. And you like when it's gonna start?

[DJ Wells]

Pitbulling.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. Exact same thing. Being around Deebo.

[DJ Wells]

That'S. Nah, that's.

[Fred]

Crazy. That's.

[DJ Wells]

Wild.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. He's like. And he my boy. You know what I mean? So, like, we have a different relationship. My kids love him, but like, even like when I disagree with him, it don't feel comfortable, but you know what I'm saying? You know how, like, if y' all might have a disagreement, you could be like, damn, be him. Why you say that? Like, when I asked him, I was like, deebo. You know, he said something recently about Mike T. And, like, I texted him. I was like, deebo, man. Like, why would you say that? Like, I could tell that his text messages had muscles. You know what I'm.

[Fred]

Saying?

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. Like, he wasn't texting me. Like, I was his homeboy. He was texting me. Like, I was trying to check him. And then he goes, facetime me. They say, hey, call me. That's like, I'm on the.

[DJ Wells]

Plane. That's what I mean. Like, you turned it off. I always wondered, like. Cause he played with that same kind of rage, that same kind of energy, but it's like, you turned it off. Like, you can go on.

[Fred]

Tv. It's gotta be different mentally.

[Ryan Clark]

Bro. Honestly, though, like, James, bro. Oh, crap. I didn't.

[DJ Wells]

Broke. Y' all.

[Fred]

Promoters. I think you been away.

[DJ Wells]

Wrong. Look.

[Fred]

Look. Look at.

[Ryan Clark]

My. We.

[DJ Wells]

Good. Shout out to.

[Ryan Clark]

Blood. Yeah, you gotta have it right there, man. Got a brand. James, though, man was cut so many times. Like, he just had to build this certain thing. But. And I love him to death. Like, James's mom is, like, the scariest human I've ever been around. Like, they ain't play with her. He ain't play with her, his sisters, you know what I mean? So, like, he come from one of them households where, like, if you fought one of them, you had to fight.

[Fred]

Everybody.

[Ryan Clark]

Damn. So there ain't. You know what I mean? It ain't no being soft. Ain't nobody around there no hole. Like, like, none of that. And so that ain't. There ain't an off switch to that unless he get around, like, his people. Like, when he around his boys, like his sons. But even them, bro, he'd be like, they wrestle all the.

[Fred]

Time. That's.

[Ryan Clark]

Crazy. You know what I mean? Like, just a family of, like, brutality and moment. So it don't. For him. Like, it don't cut off for me, though, you know? Man, I was a nerd. You know what I'm saying? Like, growing up, I was the cat that, like, my mom was real big in the school, so she had to pay for me to go to high school. So, like, if I got to see, my friends would make fun of me, like. Cause I couldn't go outside or, you know, and I couldn't go to dances. Stuff like that. So I came from kind of like that background. And two, I was a year ahead in school because of what my birthday was. So I was small for, like, a lot of years. And, you know, like, be hen I was like the different cat that had no. For real. Like, my parents are still married. Okay, they work there, but my pop works two, three jobs. And so, like, I was in public school with cats who, like, might get held back. And so, like, I'm sure, you know, I'm nine years old in the fifth grade and small, and this cat supposed to be in the seventh, you know what I'm saying? And they talking to me crazy. And just in self awareness at that age, I was like, I want to beat him up. I just don't think I can. You know what I'm saying? And so there were things, like, in my life that I was like, all right, whenever this even out a little bit, this is never happening.

[DJ Wells]

Again. Oh, you can get.

[Ryan Clark]

Back. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, I remember when we got to high school, because we was all in the same grade. They were still older. I was like, I'm better than him. I'm better than him, and we gonna see it every Friday night. And so, like, those things build, you know? But as far as, like, being able to cut the switch off, it's like, you can't function in society that way. And I struggled with that when I retired at a facility, at a training facility, man. And my partners had to have so many meetings with me because. Nah, this is real talk. Cause I was always on the turf, like, training people, you know? And so, like, cats would come in and they might be like college kids or whatever, and they be talking trash. And I felt like, oh, this is just a locker room, you know what I mean? Like, you know what I'm saying? And I felt like even though I'm grown, like, we gonna go back and forth. Like, I love that and too, all the facts are on my.

[Fred]

Side.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, unless you a hot. A college all American, and they don't even talk. It'd be the pool.

[DJ Wells]

Ones.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I mean? So we had so many situations. They'd be like, rc, you can't say that. You know what I mean? Or, like, I remember I was training this kid, he was in college one time, and I was just trying to tell him, like, he did the wrong thing, and it was like his first day, and he, like, clicked out on me. Like, I couldn't, you know, tell him Nothing. And, like, he was talking like, I'll whip you. And I, like, just walked behind him also. I was like, whenever you're ready. Like, whenever. Whenever it feels good to you. You know what I mean? Like.

[Fred]

Just. You're in college.

[DJ Wells]

Now. Yeah, I was like, grown man.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. He was 21 years old. I was just like, you just let me know when this is happening so we could do it the right way, you know? And they used to bring me up. They. They called me like, Ryan, like, you can't do that. And so I did have a lot of these different things where, like, you're talking to people that work there. You're talking to, you know, people who are in the building. And that level. Like, our level of directness is not something that works in the real world in the media space, you know, they'll be like, yeah, everybody's going to lunch. You know, in the athlete's mind, I'm like, well, they aren't my friends. Yeah, I'm gonna eat by.

[DJ Wells]

Myself. Facts.

[Ryan Clark]

Right? But then you realize they start picking jobs, and you know, that, you know, you're the one that's three Emmy nominations in a row. You know, you're the only one with an Emmy. You know what the numbers look like when you do your work. But we picking this job, and I don't get it, right? Like this. The crew, right? And then you just start listening to people, and it's like, oh, yeah, this person's tabbed them or that. So. And so he's close to the business whomever, right? And you start. And you start realizing, like, playing. Playing that game, like, is truly part of it, but also, too, being able to respect yourself, look at yourself in the mirror, and feel like you were authentically you is probably. Is more important to me. But I have had to figure out how to express my feelings in a way where people don't feel like it's aggressive. Cause I feel like you could tell me anything, right? Like, if you was. Be him. If you was like, you had an issue with me, and you was like, rc, man, I don't like the way you did. Whatever. Yeah, I respect that. But you also gotta be willing to listen to.

[Fred]

Me.

[Ryan Clark]

Facts. And so many times people wanna.

[Fred]

Tell you what they feel, and you can't, boy. Swear to God, you know what I'm.

[DJ Wells]

Saying? Media spaces get tricky. And, I mean, obviously, you do your thing. I've definitely seen some moments, you on camera, you'll look away and I'll be like, I know what he thinking right.

[Ryan Clark]

Now. Yeah, you Know, like, part of.

[Fred]

That. It get real.

[Ryan Clark]

Okay. I think that's part of it. Like, you gotta. Man, like, you gotta learn, like, who you working with. Like, that's why NFL Live is such a dope space for us, because none of us were stars when they picked the show, right? Like, Dan was really just getting into it. Marcus had done more, like, SEC stuff. Mina was the first woman that ever had a spot like that. Laura was sec. So, like, when we got on the shows, like, nobody had egos, right? Like, we weren't what we became. And, like, none of us are hall of Fame players. And so it was easy to just vibe and kind of rock out. But now. And y' all know what it is, too. Like, everybody want to be a.

[DJ Wells]

Starter. Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. Like, everybody. Like, everybody wants to shine. Like, and you're not always in the space where the person you're working with wants to see you be something. Like, I know Stephen A. You know, he does politics now, and people hate him. I get it. You know, we had him on our show, and I promise, like, black woman acted like, I committed, like, domestic.

[DJ Wells]

Violence.

[Ryan Clark]

Wow. Right? Like, they, like, just the way they came at me. I can't believe you platform him this and this. You know, he said this about her and this person. And, like, I was real with people. Me and Stephen A have all of those conversations, but he's my actual friend, so I don't need to go on TV or I don't need to go in front of the media and do it so y' all feel good about it, right? Like, that's what they want. They was like, you need to. You need to do him like, you did so and so well. I was like, I don't know so and so personally. And if I do know him personally, we don't get down. We don't talk on the phone, right? So addressing this. I'm addressing this as a media member. The things I disagree with Stephen A about, I call him. It's a fact. Or I text him. You know what I'm saying? Like, when the whole Braun thing was going on, right? Nah, for real. I was like. I was like, I think this is enough. Right? I was like. I think I was like, it's time to settle.

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Down.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. I was like, you know, if we. And you know. And that's my big bro. I was like, if we getting into conversations about what would happen if, as adult men of our ages, we wobbled, we've now taking it beyond what we're supposed to do, right? And he always hit Me back. I know, bro. Or he'll send me something. Nah, I'm gonna say this or I'm gonna do this. And so, like, I've been able to move in that space with him, but, like, it was early on in this year, they were starting to make some different rules about people can't be on certain shows. People can't do this, people can't do that. And, you know, we wanna separate the shows. We want em to look different. He called me, he's like, man, I don't care what nobody in this space do. I don't care what nobody at ESPN does. You always got a spot with me. He was like, so I'm gonna get you. He's like, so you gonna be on Thursday and Friday? He's like, not just cause I love you. He's like, but because you're excellent at your job and it makes us better. So, like, when you have somebody that do that, for people to think that because it'll look good, because I would garner some sort of attention or because the community that I always stand on. 10, 4, anyway. Will think that, oh, you know, you went against him too. Nah, that's my friend. Like, I'm not doing that to Jeff for.

[DJ Wells]

Y'.

[Ryan Clark]

All. And so I think that the whole space, man, is just like, the real world is just different than the locker room. You know what I'm saying? Like, I seen my homeboys punch each other in the face and then go get beers. And it's.

[DJ Wells]

Cool. And I think, more or less, it don't even be about correcting issues. It's just people like to see certain people embarrassed or check, quote, unquote. It don't even be about fixing the issue. You just want somebody to check somebody. Cause, I mean, we had a similar situation. We had Charleston White on the pod. Got a lot of hate for that. You know what I'm saying? A lot of flack for.

[Ryan Clark]

That. He's so funny.

[DJ Wells]

Though. Can say that. We can he be dead wrong.

[Fred]

Sometime. He's.

[DJ Wells]

Hilarious. Prime time for sure. He is.

[Ryan Clark]

Crazy. But you know, bro, like, I think, like, that's a. A great conversation for this.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, it's Colin from the Colin Coward Podcast. That would make sense that I would be the host of the Colin Coward podcast. I mean, that's the way I see it. I've been around long enough to know quality when I see it. Or in this case, when I Taste it. Tito's handmade vodka. Good stuff. No flash, no gimmicks. Smooth, clean tasting. Made the right way. Okay. I like things that are built to last. A great team, a well run organization. Same goes for my vodka, Tito's. Made in Austin, Texas. Real care, attention to detail, distinct, crisp taste. I was just telling my wife the other day, Tito's is the one vodka, it has a completely distinct taste. Been my go to for years, so I like to keep it simple. Tito's soda, one lime. A lot of ice. Refreshing, easy. Summer, winter, spring. Totally versatile. Always works. Listen, baseball season's here. Your team's gonna play 162 games. A perfect time to kick back with some Tito's. It's what I pour. You should, too. Distilled and bottled by 5th Generation Inc. Austin, Texas. 40% alcohol by volume. Savor.

[Ryan Clark]

Responsibly. The Chase Inc. Business Premier card is made for people who make things happen. Like me. I'm Sam, founder and CEO of Manifest, a product design company that makes everyday products design Smarter. I get 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more, plus unlimited 2% cash back on all other purchases, which helps us make more smart ideas into a brilliant.

[DJ Wells]

Reality. The Ink Business Premiere Card. Chase for.

[Ryan Clark]

Business. Make more of what's.

[DJ Wells]

Yours. Real business owner compensated for their participation. Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase bank.

[Ryan Clark]

And a member FDIC, subject to credit.

[DJ Wells]

Approval. Terms.

[Ryan Clark]

Apply. Man, bro, like, two years ago, two Super Bowls ago, before, like, we found out just how awful Diddy was in real life, we had Floyd on the show. And, like, it was. It was kind of. This was even before we saw the video with Cassie, any of those things, you know, and it was just kind of starting. And Floyd just brought it up himself. Like, we didn't even ask him. And in doing it, he. He said, you know, I would ask my daughter. You know, what? You know, what did she do? Why? And so if you, you know, y' all seen our clips from our show. We, like, we don't interrupt. Like, we do not.

[DJ Wells]

Argue.

[Fred]

Like. But.

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Y'.

[Fred]

All. Y' all make a motherfucker.

[Ryan Clark]

Cry.

[Fred]

Yeah. I said, this motherfucker right here, whatever you did, he ain't gonna bring it up. He gonna. Goddamn.

[Ryan Clark]

It. I'm gonna get you there. I'm gonna get you.

[DJ Wells]

There. RC Is the black barber wall, but he is gonna get to the root of.

[Fred]

It. You are the go.

[DJ Wells]

To. I was like, I think I'm gonna do pivot. Man, you better.

[Fred]

Not. RC Know, I know we've Been trying to get you all that you done st. I said don't go. Now, look, I with RC deal. But that we always tell people jokingly, but we come on here because y' all laughing, show y' all platform. But I'm like, if y' all got some dark, go see.

[Ryan Clark]

R.C.

[Fred]

First. Let him and Fred, you know? Yeah, Shannon gonna crack the joke to kind of keep you even. But come on us when you're healed.

[Ryan Clark]

Bro. Honestly, though, like, we don't even. It got. Obviously, the Beast show was the show that made the.

[Fred]

Pivot. Oh.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, that was the show. And so. And so, like, when be's pulled up, we probably. We have been doing, like, three months. He pulls up and, like, if he saw y' all set up, he'd probably feel better about it. But, like, when you do a lot of other podcasts, they don't have all this. That y' all have all these cameras, the lights, all that. We shot it at a penthouse, somebody we knew. So we on, like, the balcony. It's like the lights everywhere, the cameras. He was like, hold on, man. I thought this was just gonna be, like, a little podcast for 10 minutes. We couldn't get an answer out of him, really. It was just basically like, he just wanted to hoop, you know, and he wasn't really sort of communicating it in a way that, like, we could just keep asking questions or follow ups, and then it's different for football players. Like, we kind of go to one school. He transferred to all those schools, and the same thing. You was talking about relationships earlier, be here. And I was like, hey, man, how you learn to build relationships, though, if you had a different school? Like, that was when I learned how to get friends and how to blend in and all that. And he was just like, man, excuse my language. He was like, I fucking didn't. And that started the conversation. And so, like, after that, the next time when Shaq came in, he was like, man, I ain't crying. So he already came there with something on his mind. Cause, like, that's the way the show works. And that was when he said on the show that he shouldn't have cheated on Shawnee, right? And how he was going to an empty house. But in truth, I didn't know that. You know what I'm saying? And two, I don't even want to ask. That's what I'm saying. That's not even. And so. But after that, man, when we got the rock on, he DMed Fred, literally. And I don't know who got DMs from rock, but he don't type. He just always talk in that voice. Oh, yeah, Fred, it's the Rock. We know who you.

[Fred]

Is.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And so he was like. And he basically said, I love what y' all platform is, the way people can open up. I have. He's like, I have some things that I want to share. And so going into it, I knew exactly what he was gonna talk about in some parts of it. Cause he came there to do that. So we get. We do. To your point, we get a lot of people when stuff is.

[Fred]

Dark.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. Like, when there is trauma that come on our show to talk about it and to get it.

[DJ Wells]

Out. I ain't gonna lie to you.

[Fred]

Y'.

[DJ Wells]

All. Floyd Mayweather episode is like our Columbus Short episode. If you know, you know, classic episode for sure. But like you said, the pivot. Congratulations on that, man. Thank you, bro. Y' all are institution. Y' all are a pillar in our community. Y' all have done great work. I love the balance that y' all show halves. It's just amazing show, man. Like, y' all represent a lot of different stuff. And like you said, it's a place for people to come and talk. And you see a lot of people open up. A lot of people aren't comfortable in most places. So for people to come and share with y', all. Sit.

[Fred]

Down. Jumping up, bro. That's why I love y'. All. Like, when y' all had Thug, I said, oh, bro, crazy. I don't know if Thug watched him in a joint, but these. Here you.

[Ryan Clark]

Go. Talk, right? But like, even, like, even that one, man. And for me, like, now, like, when the show started four years ago, I wasn't what I was in the media space, the pivot wasn't, you know, a thing. And so, like, when we get somebody like Thug, or there are people that hit us up and he wants to come on the show, like, I take that. That's a compliment to.

[DJ Wells]

Me.

[Ryan Clark]

Right? Because, like, we three former. We three former football players who in truth, aren't a part of that generation. You know what I'm saying? Like, we just aren't like, my kid's 26, 24 and 20. You know what I mean? So we aren't a part of Thug's generation. But the fact that he'll come sit with us, that's important to me. I have an idea. I don't know from the production standpoint. Now, the problem would be this, because this is what I learned about the podcast challenge. Everybody who wasn't mentioned tried to put themself in it for sure.

[DJ Wells]

Right? Talk about.

[Ryan Clark]

It. We not talking to.

[DJ Wells]

Y'.

[Ryan Clark]

All. The people that we wanted to talk to, we have named by name.

[Fred]

Right? And.

[Ryan Clark]

It'S. And it's gonna be fun. We're gonna have a good time. It's a level of respect. But I do think that if there was a way to, like, truly have a conversation and you have to, like, limit the people, right? Cause obviously we got three people, y' all got four. But to be able to just have a conversation about life where it could be all of us, you know, So I don't know how you platform it, I don't know how you film it, but I think, you know, there's y' all generation, and then there's us, and then there's what Shay is, and then there's million dollars worth of game with, like, they got two of the most different humans in the world. But if you ever just really sit down and talk to those dudes, man, there's so much wisdom and experience. Like, I would love for all of us to be able to get together in some sort of, like, roundtable conversation and just chop it up and it'll probably, you know, we should eat and drink if we want to and just, like, have that.

[DJ Wells]

Conversation. It.

[Ryan Clark]

Could. I think it could be life changing in the sense for people who love our shows, because talking to you would bring a thought to my mind that I may not normally have. Same with Dee, same with Teague. And I think that'd be really cool for people to see all of us as black men, be able to sit down, break bread in a way where it's not a competition to where it's all.

[DJ Wells]

Love. And that's what we were talking about. The podcast Limits is so dope is. Cause, I mean, outside of us playing the games that don't really matter, but just sitting down, breaking bread and just being we are in a market that changes every single day. We're in a lane that changes every single year. And, like, the success is few and far between. It would definitely be beneficial for everybody to sit down, have a good time, man. Everybody goes crazy for sure, man. Yeah, we still gotta play the games, though. We still gotta. You know what I'm saying? We still gotta win it. We still gotta win. We still gotta raise the banner up, you know what I'm saying? But the fellowship is definitely important as.

[Ryan Clark]

Well. Well, I've listened to T talk enough. He can only Hoop and bowl. Like, that's that. Like, those are the two things that.

[DJ Wells]

He. I mean, what else is there to do? I mean, I know y' all don't wanna line up. Oh, I am.

[Ryan Clark]

37. Line up? Like, what to do.

[DJ Wells]

What? Like, I probably can stop you. You can't stop me. And we play.

[Ryan Clark]

One. We did ones in.

[Fred]

Basketball.

[DJ Wells]

No.

[Ryan Clark]

Football. Maybe not. You might be.

[DJ Wells]

Right. Yeah. I seen you walk in here, I was like, he got a little.

[Ryan Clark]

Limp. Yeah, I definitely.

[DJ Wells]

Do. Yeah, I had measured you up. I definitely. So I could get by. I couldn't. Twenty years ago, I wouldn't.

[Fred]

Even. Tony and Fred, they pretty much.

[Ryan Clark]

10 don't work out no.

[DJ Wells]

More. Yeah, I seen him do the bench.

[Ryan Clark]

Press. Secret is he could have got one, but he thought zero was.

[Fred]

Funnier. Strong as an.

[DJ Wells]

Oxygen.

[Fred]

Yes. But Fred, he's natural. Super.

[DJ Wells]

Strong as.

[Ryan Clark]

Hell. Fred just lost like £20 too.

[DJ Wells]

Dog. Ah, he back.

[Ryan Clark]

Right? Yeah. I've been running.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hills.

[DJ Wells]

Why? Oh, yeah, I'm not going. I got you in, bro. Also too, though. We could play.

[Ryan Clark]

Pickleball. That would be.

[DJ Wells]

Fun.

[Ryan Clark]

Pickleball. That'd be.

[DJ Wells]

Fun.

[Fred]

Adidas. Line it.

[Ryan Clark]

Up. Pickleball is single handedly keeping all orthopedic surgeons busy.

[DJ Wells]

Though. Oh, that's a.

[Ryan Clark]

Fact. Because of the age of the folks, they tear Achilles now. I'm gonna tell y' all this though, if I heard something, I'm never forgiving any of.

[DJ Wells]

Y'.

[Fred]

All. You gotta get.

[Ryan Clark]

Right. You gotta get.

[DJ Wells]

Right. I.

[Fred]

Stopped. That's why I'm just doing right in the post, bro. I'm chilling. All that running around, we half court. It's simple.

[Ryan Clark]

Bro. Not pop my calf. Jumping up on TV the other.

[DJ Wells]

Day. Oh, yeah, I was.

[Ryan Clark]

Hurt. Oh, I hurt my.

[Fred]

Soul. Pop your.

[Ryan Clark]

Calf? Yeah.

[Fred]

Dawg. Damn, bro, I'm old. Being old to you, 38, you.

[Ryan Clark]

Got a lot of dark hair. I felt like. You dye your.

[Fred]

Hair. Ah, nigga, rub my shit. I'm.

[DJ Wells]

Not. That's crazy. No.

[Fred]

Jb. I mean, pause, but yeah.

[DJ Wells]

Don'T. Don't jb. He won't gray.

[Fred]

Though. I wanna be like you.

[Ryan Clark]

Really?

[Fred]

Yeah. I wanna blend right there. You know what I mean? You got your. You still got a.

[Ryan Clark]

Head. You got a ton.

[Fred]

Of. Yeah, bro. My. My parents. My dad was real blessed, bro. He. He mixed, bro. He mixed, bro. I love my mama to death, but I definitely got my daddy, bro. You.

[Ryan Clark]

Should. You should just do it. You should do a show with your parents because your daddy was the neighborhood.

[Fred]

Here. My mom. My mom would turn this up for Real. My mama is like, no, boy. I ain't talking about how she looking. I'm talking about like, beautiful woman. I'm saying how she act. My mom's Madea. For real.

[DJ Wells]

Bro.

[Fred]

Bro. So that's where my, like, my sisters. And bro, like, I've been. I Joan like you Joan, bro. That's how I grew up, bro. Since I was four years old.

[DJ Wells]

Bro. That's how we met.

[Fred]

Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah.

[Fred]

Really? He talked about my.

[DJ Wells]

Challenger. He had a. I had a real challenger. He had a fake.

[Fred]

One. He had a. What was it? A hellcat. I just had a regular one. I was. I was one of five in the city with mine, so I thought I was doing.

[DJ Wells]

Something. Shout out to.

[Fred]

Bluefield. And it was the year of. So you know what I'm saying? He stunted on.

[DJ Wells]

Me. If you ain't money, they made.

[Ryan Clark]

Money. Different.

[Fred]

Though. But I'm saying, though, he like, man, who is this, like, right? Weak ass car. I'm like, my loud. We used to go to this called Music Mondays. He was supposed to start a rap. That was a real shook night. But, yeah, he ain't stepped into his.

[DJ Wells]

Collar. I did. If I would have had NBA. Young.

[Fred]

Boy. We had some brewing back in the.

[DJ Wells]

Day. He was about to be.

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Birdman. For.

[Fred]

Real?

[Ryan Clark]

Nah. For.

[DJ Wells]

Sure. Yeah. I tried.

[Ryan Clark]

To. Birdman ruins every song he's ever been.

[DJ Wells]

On. I was gonna be that guy. No disrespect. Number one son will have respect or.

[Fred]

Disrespect. See, I can't let you leave with disrespect to Birdman. He is the greatest rapper to never supposed to be a rapper of all.

[Ryan Clark]

Time. That's not.

[DJ Wells]

True. Who got better bars, Birdman or Master.

[Ryan Clark]

P? Master P. Thank you. It's not even close. Master P was a real.

[Fred]

Rapper. I'll take P. But I'm just saying, like, he wasn't supposed to be a rapper.

[Ryan Clark]

Bro.

[DJ Wells]

Bro, did you hear it?

[Fred]

Yeah. No, but I'm saying he made classic albums, bro. Classic verses.

[DJ Wells]

Bro. Number one. Son of the.

[Fred]

Fire. Yes, bro. Yeah. That's your era. Are you.

[Ryan Clark]

From. Bro, I love the. I love the big timers. I love them all. We like father, like son. Was that at, like, the height of Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne's verses on.

[Fred]

That.

[Ryan Clark]

That. On that.

[Fred]

Album?

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. That album's a classic. If Birdman doesn't have the second verse on every song and I.

[DJ Wells]

Listen. That's not right. It's a.

[Ryan Clark]

Fact. Wheezy lost his army guns, bro. Wheezy lost his mind on that.

[DJ Wells]

Album. I got My first key from my baby mama.

[Ryan Clark]

Brother. And there's a moment in every song that you gotta contemplate. Do you go to the next song? Do you fast forward? Are you gonna skip Weezy versus the third one? Cause that's really the one you've been waiting on. Like you gotta. When you riding in your car, you like, damn, this is a dilemma. Like I don't. And I'm from the no Birdman.

[Fred]

Legend. Nah. Absolutely met.

[Ryan Clark]

Him. Cool as.

[Fred]

Hell. But okay, so no limiter, Cash.

[DJ Wells]

Money. Now we.

[Fred]

Talking. Cause you from there, I want.

[Ryan Clark]

To be able to go back.

[DJ Wells]

Home. New Orleans, they won the versus as a whole. But there we go. Cash Money, they.

[Ryan Clark]

Lost. So I will say.

[Fred]

This. Cause how it was played out.

[DJ Wells]

It should have been a complex con. Shout out to complex.

[Colin Cowherd]

Cono.

[Ryan Clark]

Right. When you. When you take the individual people, the sum. I mean like the individual parts of Cash Money were better. Yes.

[Fred]

Right.

[DJ Wells]

Landslide. The individual Lil Wayne juvie. Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. But no limit. Without no limit though. There is no Cash money. Even though Cash Money was already making music locally. Right.

[DJ Wells]

Bg? Yeah.

[Ryan Clark]

Right. They were already making music.

[DJ Wells]

Locally. You good.

[Colin Cowherd]

Bro. I Love.

[DJ Wells]

It. It's 5.

[Ryan Clark]

2B. Yeah, the. But like the no got put on the map with Bout It Bout it and all that. They did Mia X. You know what I'm saying? Like, bro, Master P really had people who wasn't from New Orleans saying.

[Fred]

Facts. Like that was it.

[DJ Wells]

Staple.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. You know, so I think like that was it. And then when juvie released 400 degrees, it took new Orleans rap, hip hop to a different level. Like that was. That's kind of the transition. Like you need them both. Like you.

[DJ Wells]

Truly. This is the most New Orleans answer I ever.

[Fred]

Heard. Yeah, he said he trying to go back.

[DJ Wells]

Home.

[Fred]

Yeah. He just did a whole spill on Bird. Now he want to bring it back.

[DJ Wells]

Together. I ain't gonna.

[Fred]

Lie. See, that's how I get niggas on the.

[DJ Wells]

Street. Now I'm thinking about go.

[Ryan Clark]

Crazy. Did he say genius. When this clip come out, they're gonna be like, man, we gotta go do the pizza. He love Cash Money, but that's that. But like for when we talk about the show though, man, like the fact that like I could text Wayne and he's part of the soundtrack to like my life. Yeah, for sure. You know what I'm saying? We went home and we did a show with P at this art museum that's in the city for the Super Bowl. You know what I mean? You tell 17 year old RC that walked onto LSU's campus. That. That's what, like, in your life, those people are gonna see you and be proud that they're from where you're from or that you're from where they're from. Like, I think, like, that's the. Like, that's the dopest part about everything for me, man. Like, I was undrafted, you know, and so I had a regular job after my second year when Coughlin cut me. But I had a regular job, you know what I'm saying? I would wake up because I lived on the west bank of New Orleans, bro. I would wake up, drive an hour and 15 hour and 30 minutes to LSU, work, work out, drive back home, basically, like, eat, see my kids for a little bit. Because I had two at the time. See my babies for a little bit, bro. Like, go to sleep. I had three. I had three at the time. Like, go to sleep. You know what I mean? Wake up, up, do it again. You know what I mean? And so when Washington actually called me for the workout, I had walked from my office at the Tiger Athletic foundation, which is where I was working at lsu, to Muschamp. Well, must champ. But I was like, hey, how do, like, you sign up? Or, what's the process of being a grad assistant? Because I'd always wanted to.

[DJ Wells]

Coach.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. And, you know, I'd actually called my old lady sitting in the office. Cause we had just bought our first house. We got married the summer before. And I was like, okay, babe. Like, is it possible that you can do your job here and you can finish school here? Like, we could get an apartment here. And so, like, I was putting everything in place in life to just be, like, a regular dude, you know? And I remember I got this book when I got married, and it was called the The Power of a Praying Husband, right? So I just prayed and prayed and prayed, and I was like, you know, when you get cut and you an undrafted guy, if you played two years, you feel like you did.

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Something.

[Ryan Clark]

Yeah. I was like, man, at least I had money. Saved more money than my parents ever had. I was like, I got life to start. And that night, man, I prayed, and I was like, God, you know, I'm telling everybody I'm cool, and I'm sort of cool. I was like, but I would love an opportunity, you know? And I was like, and if you make that happen, I'm good. If you don't, like, I'm so grateful for all you've done for me. So I'm walking back from Muschamp's office I get a call, they're like, hey, Washington gonna bring you in. I go, but like, I've been working out after work. Be him. You know what that workout like, right? You go in there, you do what you. I take the tie off, you go in there, you do what you can, but it ain't a great workout. I go to the workout, I play really well. My drills are great. But I'm damn near dying because I'm tired. And at this point, I didn't know how sickle cell affected me, too. Yeah, right. First day of practice, we do. We warm up and we do conditioning right out the gate. We do 40 up downs, then we go get. Go catch deep passes. I damn near died. Sean Taylor walked over to me, he was like, dog, like. Like, you got to get up. Cornerback's coach comes to me, bro, in the middle of practice, in the middle of the practices, and goes, if you don't do something. Cause he was with me in New York. If you don't do something in his next practice, they gonna cut you. And just bring somebody in that could at least finish practice. I get two picks in that practice, end up making the team starter in game four. Me and Sean Taylor start the next two years, then I go to Pittsburgh, and that's the rest of life. But during that training camp, at the first cuts, my name was the last name on the list. And. And you know how it is when you get cut, they call you, they tell you, hey, come in. So before all of that happens, right, you're gonna have the conversation. So I'm on the phone with my old lady and my wife, like, really from Louisiana, you know what I'm saying? Like, I spell cuss words, and I don't really. She don't do none of that, so she clicking out. And like I told y', all, though, the day they called me bro the night before, I just prayed that I got a chance. So, man, I got on my knees, bro, and I just thanked God for an opportunity. I was like, if this didn't work out, then this must not be for me. I must have a different thing. I brought my bags in to work. Next day, I was telling everybody goodbye, appreciated him. Greg Williams calls me to the office and he goes, if we were picking the team today, you'd make the team. The reporter just figured I was going to be cut because they hadn't told him the last name. And I was the last one that got to camp. But, like, I actually wasn't. Damn. You know what I mean? And I always think back to that moment because I prayed for a certain thing and I had gotten that thing. And whether it worked out or not, that wasn't what I prayed for. And like, to have that moment with God of gratitude, it kind of shaped the way I saw the rest of my career because like, everything after that moment was extra to me. You know what I'm saying? Like, it wasn't promised to me, it wasn't what I asked for. And so like, I always worked in it in that way, man, and celebrated it like that. But yeah, man, like that was probably in my life like the, the, the turning point. Because if I don't get that call, if I don't make that team, obviously I don't become a Super bowl champion. I'm not in this point, at least in this way of my.

[Fred]

Life. For sure.

[DJ Wells]

Man. Divine intervention, man. With a story like that, can't say nothing.

[Fred]

Else. True journey, man, for sure. Sean Taylor was that.

[DJ Wells]

Bull. He's the one legend, for.

[Ryan Clark]

Sure. His daughter's a really good volleyball player now at North Carolina. Yeah, she's doing a really, really good job for sure.

[DJ Wells]

Man. Shout out to the family. Big dog, we appreciate you blessing.

[Ryan Clark]

Man. Appreciate y' all boys.

[DJ Wells]

Bro. Appreciate.

[Ryan Clark]

It. I'm gonna go to the airport. I'll work out today and send videos on Instagram 520 and be like what be hen.

[Fred]

Doing? No, I probably got a some smothered watching your. Rip.

[DJ Wells]

A got some smothered pork chop. Tell the people that grab some.

[Fred]

Merch club520.com baby appreciate your.

[DJ Wells]

RC. Come on man, you know the vibes, man. Shout out to Stockx. Shout out to Hard Rock Bet. And last but certain, not least, man, shout out to the good people over there at Boost Mobile. We appreciate.

[Ryan Clark]

Y'.

[DJ Wells]

All. We'll catch y' all next time. Club 520 the.

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[Ryan Clark]

Reserved. Love the Night Reach for Zen After Dark, a limited cocktail inspired series for those who get up when the sun goes down. Try Zynn's Mojito Spiced Cider and Espresso Martini Nicotine Pouches. Find them at select retailers. Available while supplies last Zynn After Dark, Bring on the night. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Ryan Clark]

Factors. What a matchup we got.

[Fred]

Y'.

[Ryan Clark]

All. This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans. School colors everywhere and in ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo. No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed.