Best of Playing Days Stories Part 1: Ricky WIlliams Played on THC + Pranking Rookies!

Summary

Club Shay Shay: Best of Playing Days Stories Part 1 Host: NFL Legend Shannon Sharpe
Guests: Ricky Williams, Chad Ochocinco, Taron Armstead
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Description:
NFL legend Shannon Sharpe—3x Super Bowl champion and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame—sits down with the biggest athletes, celebrities, and influencers to discuss their accomplishments, challenges, and everything in-between.

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1. Introduction

In this compelling episode of Club Shay Shay, host Shannon Sharpe delves into some of the most intriguing stories from NFL players' playing days. The focus is on Ricky Williams' experiences playing while using THC and the humorous antics involved in pranking rookies. Additionally, insights from offensive lineman Taron Armstead enrich the conversation with technical perspectives on the game.

2. Marijuana Legislation and Ricky Williams' Advocacy

The episode kicks off with a discussion between Ricky Williams and Chad Ochocinco about the shifting landscape of marijuana legislation, particularly highlighting the stark differences between Texas and California.

• Texas vs. California Regulations:
  Ricky Williams expresses concern over Texas' stringent marijuana laws, noting that despite efforts to regulate, THC products are easily accessible.
  Ricky Williams (00:31): "They're trying to ban it 100% and they're going to. They say they're going to open up the medical program. And I think it's a good idea... it's a little too much to say to ban it 100%."

• Economic and Social Impact:
  The conversation touches on the economic disparities created by licensing systems that favor large capital holders, leaving smaller sellers and communities, particularly people of color, adversely affected.
  Chad Ochocinco (01:57): "They get to capitalize on it and make millions... and then we get cut out."

• Advocacy for Regulation Over Prohibition:
  Ricky advocates for more reasonable regulation instead of outright bans, emphasizing the need for fair opportunities in the burgeoning cannabis industry.
  Ricky Williams (03:12): "Most of those people can't afford or don't have the expertise to be able to do anything with those licenses. So, yeah, it don't really work."

3. Ricky Williams' Personal Marijuana Use and NFL Career

Ricky delves into his personal journey with marijuana, highlighting how its use intersected with his professional life in the NFL.

• Early Exposure and Personal Choice:
  Ricky shares his background, explaining that while he was exposed to marijuana early on through family members, he didn't partake until the stresses of the NFL took a toll.
  Ricky Williams (07:45): "I was desensitized to it... the people that I did, my stepdad and my auntie were people I probably liked the most in the whole world."

• Stress Management and Performance:
  He reflects on how marijuana helped him manage stress, allowing him to maintain his performance on the field by conserving energy that would otherwise be drained by stress.
  Ricky Williams (08:05): "It was stress. I think the reason I hadn't used it up until that point because life was like, was good... when things got really stressful, I realized that this helped me."

• Impact of Stigma and Advocacy Regrets:
  Ricky expresses some regret over not being more vocal in advocating for marijuana use as a legitimate means of stress relief, recognizing the stigma that hindered open conversations during his career.
  Ricky Williams (13:09): "I wish that I would have taken more of an advocacy role at the time... I wish I would have been courageous enough at the time to say that publicly."

4. Pranking Rookies: Tales of NFL Camaraderie

Transitioning to lighter moments, Ricky and Chad Ochocinco reminisce about the traditions of pranking rookies, sharing hilarious and sometimes extravagant stories.

• Extravagant Dinner Bills:
  One memorable prank involved presenting rookies with a fake $155,000 dinner bill, only for the actual cost to be $38,000, leaving everyone in stitches.
  Chad Ochocinco (16:32): "His reaction was priceless. His actual dinner bill wasn't much better. It was $38,000."

• Financial Shenanigans and Team Solidarity:
  They discuss the lengths they went to ensure rookies respected team traditions without overstepping, including covering hefty bills and organizing luxurious outings.
  Chad Ochocinco (18:13): "Portis and, and Ashley Lily, their rookie night out, we hit them for about 22,000."

• Maintaining Boundaries:
  Despite the fun, they emphasized the importance of keeping the pranks above board to protect their licenses and maintain team integrity.
  Chad Ochocinco (18:55): "We're not gonna allow you a tradition that's been handed down. The first round draft pick. Second round. A lot of times we let them pull together."

5. Insights from Offensive Lineman Taron Armstead

The episode takes a technical turn as Taron Armstead joins the conversation to discuss the intricacies of playing offensive line in the NFL.

• Athleticism and Position Challenges:
  Taron shares his experience of running a record-breaking 40-yard dash time for an offensive lineman, highlighting the increasing athletic demands of the position.
  Taron Armstead (25:04): "I was going for the record... It was really huge for me to get that combine invite."

• Injury Impact and Career Longevity:
  Discussing his own decision to retire, Taron underscores the physical toll the game takes, emphasizing the importance of recognizing when to step away to preserve long-term health.
  Taron Armstead (31:37): "I couldn't keep doing that to myself, man."

• Technical Approach to the Game:
  He elaborates on his game-planning strategies, focusing on neutralizing opponents' top moves and adapting to evolving defensive techniques.
  Taron Armstead (36:54): "I'm looking at their alignment first... I want to take their top two."

• Evolving Game Dynamics:
  Taron reflects on how the physical evolution of players like Micah Parsons has transformed the game, making it both more challenging and exhilarating.
  Taron Armstead (40:06): "The evolution of the athlete is just becoming something different, man."

6. Conclusion

Shannon Sharpe wraps up the episode by highlighting the deep camaraderie and shared experiences that define the NFL community. From advocating for social change to maintaining team traditions and adapting to the ever-evolving demands of the sport, the stories shared by Ricky Williams, Chad Ochocinco, and Taron Armstead offer a rich tapestry of life on and off the field.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Ricky Williams on Stress Management:

  "It was stress. I think the reason I hadn't used it up until that point because life was like, was good... when things got really stressful, I realized that this helped me."
  (08:05)

• Chad Ochocinco on Pranking Rookies:

  "His reaction was priceless. His actual dinner bill wasn't much better. It was $38,000."
  (16:32)

• Taron Armstead on Position Challenges:

  "I was going for the record... It was really huge for me to get that combine invite."
  (25:04)

• Ricky Williams on Advocacy:

  "I wish that I would have taken more of an advocacy role at the time... I wish I would have been courageous enough at the time to say that publicly."
  (13:09)

• Taron Armstead on Retirement Decision:

  "I couldn't keep doing that to myself, man."
  (31:37)

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Club Shay Shay offers an unfiltered look into the lives of NFL players beyond the game. Ricky Williams' candid discussions about marijuana use and its impact on his career provide valuable insights into the pressures athletes face. Meanwhile, the humorous anecdotes about pranking rookies reveal the lighter side of team dynamics. Taron Armstead's technical breakdowns and reflections on his career add depth to the conversation, making this episode a must-listen for fans interested in the personal and professional lives of NFL legends.

Transcript

[Ricky Williams]

This is an Iheart podcast.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Ricky. We got something, you know. You from. Well, you from San Diego? Where do you live now? You back in San Diego? You in Texas? You in Miami?

[Ricky Williams]

I live in Northern California.

[Chad Ochocinco]

You live in Northern California now?

[Ricky Williams]

Yeah.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Okay, well, we got something that you might can help us out on. You recently spoke at legislation Texas. They're trying to ban marijuana products. I guess his products will have the THC in it, correct?

[Ricky Williams]

It's. I mean, yes. It's not. It's not supposed to, but. And that's why it's the issue. Is that okay, pretty much you can go to a gas station in Texas and get thc.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Well, damn. And they try. So. So they don't. Like in California you have these, like these specialty shops. You have cannabis shops that you go into and you can buy, you know, obviously you could buy, I don't know, Graham, or whatever the case may be. I mean, you can probably speak to that a little better than I can, but. So what are they trying to, like, take it completely out or they're trying to get, like, restricted where you have to go to a specific place and not just your arbitrary gas station?

[Ricky Williams]

It's. It's both, but it's a little extreme. They're trying to ban it 100% and they're going to. They say they're going to open up the medical program. And I think it's a good idea to open up the medical program, but I think it's a little. It's a little too much to say to ban it 100%. It does need to be regulated more, but not banned.

[Chad Ochocinco]

But you do realize that when they open it up for medical purposes, or so they say, medicinal purposes, you know, only a select group of people get those license. Right. You know that, you know, it's, you know what we have been incarcerated for for 2, 5, 10, 15 years now. We got, you know, we sell it a little nickel bag or your little grab little whatever the case may be. Now they get a license and. And they get to capitalize on it and make millions and millions and millions of dollars. And then we get cut out. Like, hey, we don't spend time in jail for that.

[Ricky Williams]

Real. Yeah, it's real. It's real.

[Unknown]

And then the funny, the funny thing about it is they don't allow things to pass or they don't allow. They don't legalize things until they're able to monetize on it.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yeah. Once they find they can tax you on it.

[Unknown]

That's exactly how it is. And obviously you understand the other aspect, the other dynamic of certain people, obviously of color, who have used it as a way of survival, as a, to. To provide. They, They've been locked up, you know, for years. And we, we understand how that goes. It's always, it's always a double sided sword in a sense. But hopefully those that are able to use it for medicinal purposes and everyone is given an opportunity to get those licenses when the time comes.

[Ricky Williams]

Yeah, I mean, speaking of what you're talking about, Chad, there are a lot of people in prison still that shouldn't be in prison. But, but also most states because when, when the movement first started, most of the people were. So when the movement first started, they made sure in a lot of legislations that people who have been incarcerated or have felonies have easy access. They can, if you've been incarcerated for cannabis, nonviolent cannabis related offense in a lot of states, you have easier access. You can get access to a license.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Okay, that's nice. That's cool.

[Ricky Williams]

Okay, it is, it is. But the issue is that most of those people can't afford or don't have the expertise to be able to do anything with those licenses.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Right, Right.

[Ricky Williams]

So, yeah, so it don't really work.

[Chad Ochocinco]

I was talking to someone and they say, look, when we get a license, us people that look like me, you and Ricky, don't be selling your homeboy a pound. Do what you do to guy like, do the guy. Ocho, I'm talking to somebody that's kind of in that business. And to keep the business above the board. When your homeboy come, don't sell him a pound. Sell him what you're supposed to sell. Keep it above the board so you get to keep your license. I know your homeboy. Come on, bro, ain't nobody going to know. Yes, they gonna know. Cause as soon as you get jammed up, do what you gonna say, Ocho, to keep yourself from getting 10 to 15. You gonna dime your partner out, he gonna lose his license, they gonna shut him down every time. So if we were, if we're fortunate enough to be in those positions, let's just do right A, keep it, keep that money flow going. Because like you said, that's a cash B, that's a cash business.

[Unknown]

Big one. A big one.

[Chad Ochocinco]

And it, it's just like alcohol prohibition. They ran bootleg moonshine and all that stuff and they. We keep bus. Let's just, hey, let them make it and let's tax their ass on it. The same thing with cigarettes. Let's tax them. We could get some. Oh, this is a billion and billion and billion dollar business. Instead of hiring all these people to try to bust the steel and cut the trees down, we can monetize it. And once anybody fight, look, once someone find they can make some money off it, they're gonna make money off it. It's really that simple. But I'm glad you. Look, Rick, let me ask you this. Had the laws and the way people look at. Because when I was younger and growing up and in the league, marijuana was a stigma. People frowned upon it and it's not nearly that. I mean now California, they walk around, they be smoking outside, it ain't nothing. How different do you think your career would have been had you been allowed to, you know, you know, partake?

[Ricky Williams]

You know, I think it would have been a lot different because just, you know, off the field, just all the trouble I was in all the time and, and the hits of my reputation at the time, it was so stressful that it, I'm sure if I, if things were going better and I was allowed to be myself that I would have been able to perform at even a higher level. No pun intended. But. No, but seriously, right, Because I think we only have so much energy and when things are stressing us out, that's energy that's being wasted. That could be going to something different.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Right. I mean you. Look, California has always been very, very liberal, very open minded. I mean you go to the bay and the hippies and the yuppies and they had Woodstock and all that other stuff going on. Do you think your upbringing, do you think where you was, where you was raised at played a role in you being so, you know, open and partaking in marijuana and did you smoke in high school? Did you smoke in college? When did this, your love infatuation or whatever the case you might want to call it, when did your love or when did you first partake in marijuana?

[Ricky Williams]

The first time it was in high school. But I wasn't a smoker. I didn't really become a smoker until I got into the league because it was stigmatized and you know, I was an athlete and, and right. Growing up, the one thing that every, my grandma, everybody said, right, don't throw it away for drugs. So I, you know, I tried, I listened, I tried to listen.

[Chad Ochocinco]

So, so.

[Ricky Williams]

But it wasn't until, it wasn't until later and I definitely think when I was 13, my, my mom, my stepdad was, was a roster and so he would smoke every night. It just was part of his routine and My, my auntie, she had a, she had a tree in her, in her kitchen. So it was around me. So I was, I was desensitized to it. Like, you know, I think if people aren't around it and they just hear the stigma, that's all they have to go on. So I was around it and the people that I did, my stepdad and my auntie were people I probably liked the most in the whole world. And they smoked. So. But I get. I wasn't partaking when I was young, but I was open to it. I wasn't against it, I wasn't anti. Right, yeah.

[Unknown]

You know what, I'm really curious. You said you hadn't smoked when you. I mean, obviously most of the time when it comes to people having certain habits, it comes from their surroundings and upbringings. But the fact that you, you know, had the discipline not to be interested in it while you were, while you were young, but once you got to the NFL, did you use it in the NFL because of injuries, because of stress? I mean, is there, is there specific.

[Ricky Williams]

It was stress. I think the reason I hadn't used it up until that point because life was like, was good. I wasn't really stressed about anything. You know, I, I didn't, I didn't need it. And I got to the point where things got really stressful and I realized that this, this helped me because, you know, everybody knows I'm a shy person, I'm an introverted person, and something about smoking, I just get to be with myself, right. And I feel like I get energy, I get energy from that and it helps me.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Was it a situation, Rick? I think the thing is you said the expectations and we're gonna get in this where Mike Dicker g entire draft class to select you. You know, that had never been done in the history of sports. I mean, basically that was asop giving his kingdom away for a horse. And the expectations that came along, now you're supposed to be the greatest NFL running back because you look at all the running backs, Jim Brown and, and Barry Sanders and Emmett Smith and Eric Dickinson, all those guys, they got slotted. The man gave up his whole entire draft class to select you. So now that comes along, I mean, you are Heisman trophy winning running back. You had the most rushing yards in college. I'm a Heisman Trophy winner. I got the most rushing yards. A guy just gave up an entire draft class for me. That's a lot of expectations on a running back. Did that play any role?

[Ricky Williams]

Honestly, if I'm being Real. You can call me ungrateful, but I don't think I even got to the point of realizing the expectations because I was so disappointed that I slid to the number five spot.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Oh, okay. Wow. Okay. So I was like.

[Ricky Williams]

I was in shock. I mean, after that, I don't even remember what happened. I don't even remember. I don't remember how. Because just what you said, you know, to me, I thought I had. I had made the case and. And not even to be the best in the future, but that I was the best. At least I had the potential to be the best because of the track. My track record. So I. I thought I should have been the first pick, and then I wasn't. And then. And the Edger was pick number four, hall of Fame career, but I wasn't even the first running back pick, so. So, I mean, again, I remember sitting there and I was spinning and I remember saying them, saying something about pics or something, something, you know, Mike Dicka sounded with the cigar. And then. And then I was on an airplane headed to New Orleans.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Did you get hot? Did you get high that night?

[Ricky Williams]

I wasn't smoking then.

[Chad Ochocinco]

You weren't smoking then? So you did you. So you didn't start smoking until you got to, what, Miami?

[Ricky Williams]

I started smoking in New Orleans. Started smoking my second year. My second year in New Orleans.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Did you have it. Was it injury related? I mean, you talk about you're. You're an introverted person. I mean, when I think I remember you was talking and you always had your face mat, you had your helmet on and you had the dark shield. And, you know, everybody was like, damn, what's. What's going on, Ricky? Seems like, you know, this is what they were saying. They said, man, them do weird, man. Who gives an interview with the helmet on? We can't see his eyes. We don't know what he's thinking. You know, people would like for you to make eye contact and you were like. And I was like, wow, okay, this is. This is different. But hey, to each his own. The man did win a Heisman. He was, you know, won all these awards, the dope walker. So, hey, it's hard to argue the man has had success doing it that way.

[Ricky Williams]

It's not the same, though. I mean, my time in college, in. My time in the NFL were completely different. And basically it was just people's orientation towards me.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Okay.

[Ricky Williams]

You know, because as a sensitive person, that's what it means. It means, like, I need to be around people that feel me, because if I'M around people that don't feel me, then it's hard for me to feel myself. And so I was around people that didn't feel me. Only when I could feel myself was I go home with my homies, right? Smoke a little bit and get on the game just to relax, just, just to give it, just to again recharge so I could get up and go do it again. Being on the field, I love being on the field. Nothing. Nothing.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Better.

[Ricky Williams]

Nothing. To me, there was no better feeling in the whole wide world. And I'm talking about practice. There was no better feeling in the whole wide world for me than to be on that football field.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Nothing.

[Ricky Williams]

And that's all I wanted to do. But all the other stuff, it just made it almost to the point where it wasn't worth it. And so I realized if I wasn't like smoking connecting, I would have gave up the game.

[Unknown]

You know, it's funny. And Rick, when I think about it, as great as you were in college, as great as you were in the NFL, just imagine if they were a little bit more lenient with the rules and allowing you to smoke, let's say for medicinal purposes. You know, if it's something that you have an issue and you, it makes you feel a little bit more comfortable and being able to operate and do your job on a day to day basis. You know, who knows what you, what you could have done because you were smoking weed and doing damage and running like crazy. So I could just imagine. Do you ever sit back and think about and have regrets in the way things turned out or went and if you could, if you could rewind the time and do it all over again, would you make a different choice as far as smoking is concerned?

[Ricky Williams]

You know, I think about this a lot. And the thing I think about more is the people, the players, the guys now in the league who, because things have changed. Who can? Yes, who can? It's not so much pressure. And I feel like I have something to do with opening that door. And to me that, that makes, that makes all of it worth it. And as far as regrets, I can say this now because I've lived and I had and I'm living now is I wish that I would have taken more of a advocacy role at the time is, you know, because what, what you're saying is true. I mean, that's real. I wasn't hurting anybody. I was just taking care of myself so I could go deliver the product that they were expecting me to deliver. And I, and I did. I mean, When I got to Miami and I got into my groove, you know, I led the league in Russian all pro. And so I think to me, the league, we go out there and put our bodies and our minds and our hearts on the line and they should give us all reasonable means to be able to take care of ourselves, to be able to do that. And I, and I wish I would have been courageous enough at the time to say that publicly because whether people believe, Believe it or not, once you say something publicly and people are hearing it, it starts the conversation. And I think. And that's what I've, I've seen. The biggest effect I've had is people can talk about this now when I'm in the right. They're almost expected to talk about it when I'm in the room. So it makes it easier.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yeah, Yeah. I think the thing is, Ricky, is that like it was a stigma and the more people started to talk about it and you started to have more prominent people, you started to have people like yourself and you have some of the Hollywood elites start talking about it and, and, and the medicinal purposes that it have and it said. And, and you know, I heard people that talk about, oh, you got no problem giving these guys shots. You got the problem giving these guy painkillers, getting them addicted to something. And then when they leave the league, they still need that and they can't get that and they're crashing out. Why can't you allow them to smoke marijuana? Calm them down, take the pain away. Because at the end of the day, they're trying their. This is a gladiator sport. This is not a contact sport. This is a collision sport. There are no winners. There are only survivors in this game. And so if, if you're going to, hey, take this, Vicodin, take this, Percocet, take this, take this, Toradol, take this and that and, and, and all these anti inflammatories, which is more. Which is date more dangerous to the body, which is more harmful to the body, which is causing more harm and breaking the body down even more than this. Why not have a conversation? And I think the NFL, they did open their mind. They started doing a little bit of their own research because obviously, you know, they don't want to make sure, they don't want to get sued down the line. They started doing some research and I think they came to the conclusion that you and many, many in your, in your area, Rick, had already known. Yeah.

[Ricky Williams]

Yeah. It takes time. So I feel like I was a pioneer in. And I'M being rewarded for it now, so it feels like it's working.

[Chad Ochocinco]

But see, Ricky, I don't know, man. You might have been smoking that scung. You might have been on that, that Khalifa Kush. You had been. You own that boat, so you. If you'd have had that old home grown that had never showed up in your system, you could have just been. Seahawks rookie DT Byron Murphy II took his teammates out for dinner and was pranked with a fake dinner bill of 155,000.

[Unknown]

That was funny.

[Chad Ochocinco]

His reaction was priceless. His actual dinner bill wasn't much better. It was $38,000. Hey, that's good, Ocho. Did y' all ever prank the rookies?

[Unknown]

Listen, I had. I mean, as. When I was a veteran, I didn't. I didn't make the rookies do. Do rookie night.

[Chad Ochocinco]

I did.

[Unknown]

Now when I was a rookie, I never forget Peter Ward, Darnay, Scott, Ron Dugan, Danny Farmer was there at the time. Tj. Now, I had to pay for Ricky dinner that night. I can't remember what the price was, but it, it was, it. It was a little hefty, but.38,000. Thinking about that. That ain't much, huh? That ain't much. When you look at some of the linemen, when the linemen go, go out, man, I've seen some of those, some of those receipts when the boys go out, boy, it'd be expensive.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Well, you start ordering, you start ordering that King Lou, you can order that King Louie. They do it on 500, a thousand dollars a shot. They do it on like 15 shots of that. And then they go order that big. They're gonna order a bottle of wine that end up costing like 10 grand.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Chad Ochocinco]

You get. The bigger, you get the lobster, you know, they bring the lobster around on, on the wagon and the lobster this big. The way y', all, y'.

[Ricky Williams]

All.

[Chad Ochocinco]

I know y' all seen it. They bring the lobster around in the wagon, right? He think he going for a ride. Little do you know.

[Unknown]

Hey, hey, they don't be playing, boy.

[Chad Ochocinco]

They don't be playing. Look, Portis and, and Ashley Lily, their rookie night out, we hit them for about 22,000.

[Unknown]

See that, it ain't bad.

[Chad Ochocinco]

You know, me, I had to have a. I had a limo, you know, because I ain't want nobody because they gonna go other places. I had a relationship. Y' all not gonna get me broken up in the middle of the season. I know. Oh, I know my lo. I know my limitations. I ain't fooling with y'. All same thing I told my homeboys when they come, you know. Hey, Shop, come on, let's go out. No, bro, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're not gonna mess with my home and leave, right?

[Ricky Williams]

Right.

[Chad Ochocinco]

No, absolutely not. I get some of my tea. Hey, hey, bro, you going out? Yeah, man. Hey, my homeboy's in town, man. Shop, you know we got him.

[Unknown]

Hey, right, there you go. You good?

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yeah. But other than that, Ocho. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Now listen, if you're a rookie, and you're not only are you rookie, and you're a first round pick.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Oh, we ricky across the grove. Oh, they coming because I got a limo. I got a limo because I got a limo by myself. Daddy sent a limo for me because I wasn't going out with them. Oh, yeah. I wasn't going out with them afterwards. So I needed a limo that was going to take me back because I want a. No, no, no, no. I'm going home. So. But you know, back then, I think you had to get limo for like, for like five, six hours, seven hours. It was probably like a hundred dollars an hour. It wasn't no nothing. No sweat like that. But the only thing I made sure of, Ocho. Yeah. I wouldn't let you get stuff to take home. I don't care if your mom, I don't care if you're dad. I don't care if anything. You're not getting stuff. No, no, no, no, I'm not gonna. No, no, no, no, we're not gonna do that. Strictly us, us, us, us. So that was. That was like 22, 000. I mean, you know, we, you know, the guys order King Louis. They order, you know, like a fifth, a 15th ProTruse bottle, you know, wine or Rothschild, whatever it was. They get a couple of bottles of that, right? I said, bro, y', all. But. And you know, they gotta get. They gotta get the most expensive steak, they gotta get the lobster, they gotta get the everything. So it didn't cost him. I mean, 22,000 wasn't. That wasn't that much, but. Oh, yeah, you gonna pay. Oh, yeah. Somebody say, oh, I wouldn't pay. Oh, yeah, you would, because we're gonna take it out your check.

[Unknown]

You gonna pay?

[Chad Ochocinco]

You gonna pay. We're not going to allow you a tradition that's been handed down. The first round draft pick. Second round. A lot of times we let them. Y' all pull together. A lot of times, the first round, they had to pay dinner for himself. I remember they hit my brother. I think they Hit my brother for like 12, 13 grand. But the thing is, is that you gotta do that if you're a rookie. You've got to bring donuts, you got to bring breakfast sandwiches, you've got to bring food to the plane. I did it. You don't know how many times I'm hustling and bustling. I'm. I'm dressed like Jethro Bodine, tie hanging all up, pants about to fall up my ass. Man. Ocho, don't laugh, Ojo. Cause I gotta go, man. This. He want Kentucky Fried Chicken, he want Popeyes, he want this. I gotta go. All the private place, man.

[Ricky Williams]

Yeah.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Oh, hell no. That's why I was like, I gotta make the team. Yeah. All this they got me doing. I would have me somebody doing this ish for me, please. Oh, man, hell no. But we did all that, you know, Rookie singing Ocho, I went bigger. I went big into the hazing. We make rookie saying, you know, we might steal their car and drive that off or something like that. But all that, I ain't cut nobody here because ain't nobody cut my hair. Because it really been. It had been. You cut my hair, they're gonna be a problem. So we're not gonna do that. So I would. We didn't cut anybody here. You know, at Baltimore, we take the rookies to the goal post. That was on hard. Yeah, that was on hard. Knock.

[Unknown]

Put them in the cold tub.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Put them in the cold tub. Yeah, we tape them up and put them in the cold. Tough stuff like that, Ocho. But mainly we make them saying, not your album. I don't want to hear about your fight song. I don't want to hear about your album model. You gotta sing some Luther Vandross, Barry White, I don't care.

[Unknown]

Hey, whatever you know the words to.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Other than your damn fight song, so. But yeah, but that, that was. Yeah, that was back in the day. That was back. Yeah. We used to steal people cars and stuff like that. We. It's funny because to pass the time, it's like grown men, but we behave like 8, 7 and 8 year olds. Yep. Little kids. Yeah. Oh, there was some good almond Ross. St. Brown thinks the NFL should make a rule change. Let's take a listen to the change he recommends.

[Ricky Williams]

Okay. The rules should be changed, obviously. If you win a division, you know.

[Taron Armstead]

You should obviously make your playoff spot.

[Ricky Williams]

But having a 14 win team having.

[Taron Armstead]

To go on the road is kind of crazy. But I guess, you know, I don't make the rules, so.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Okay. No, we're not gonna change the rules. Cause y' all might lose the game. It'd be a 14 and win. A 14 win team and go on the road. That ain't how we do it, right? It's been like that, Ocho.

[Unknown]

So listen, they going, they going to Minnesota, right?

[Chad Ochocinco]

They play Minnesota comes to them.

[Unknown]

Oh, Minnesota come to them.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yes. They already beat Minnesota on the walker. They kicked the field goal. I remember.

[Unknown]

But what is he complaining about then?

[Chad Ochocinco]

Because they might lose, be 14 and oh, and they have to start the season on the road.

[Unknown]

I know. Yeah. Listen, that's, that's nothing you should even worry about. Especially that goddamn high powered offense. There should be nothing you worried about whether you playing home or whether you playing home on the way.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Whether.

[Unknown]

I understand the advantage that play that teams have playing at home, but mention the way, the way y' all rocking offensively right now. I wouldn't care if we was playing in Sahara Desert as long as Dan Campbell is my coach and he got that wheelbarrow with them cojones. He carrying them every time he's coaching. I'm not tripping. I am not tripping.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yeah, he. So I don't agree. I think you and I both, we don't agree because the rules are the rules. We're not going to change the rules because we have an anomaly how many times the 14 win team has had to start on the road. So, so one time it happened in the, in the hundred plus year history. Now we gonna make a rule. So what? Nah, we're not gonna do that.

[Unknown]

It was, it was a great suggestion. Yeah, but, but the team, you know, and, and how y' all are playing on the road and at home, it really don't matter. It don't matter.

[Chad Ochocinco]

What he's saying to OO is that if we have a better record than a division winner, we should be at home and they should have to go on the road.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Chad Ochocinco]

They won the division. That's the reward you get for winning the division is that you get to play at least one game at home.

[Unknown]

At home. Yeah, I see what he's saying.

[Chad Ochocinco]

In the 2013 combine, Tehran recorded the fastest 40 for an offensive lineman in combine history. A record that still stands to this day. It was close. Lane Johnson ran 47 2. But Toronto's record of 471 is close. And if I'm not mistaken, they're the only two offensive linemans that's running the four sevens. There've been a couple of run low 48, but no other lineman other than Tehran at 471, Lane Johnson at 472 have been in the offensive lineman have been in the 4 7. So as of yet. So now we're 13 years and counting. 2013 to 2015 and Toronto still held that record. Tron, look, you're coming out of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, and it's not like it used to be. There used to be a, a plethora of guys coming out of HBCUs and so that would have been nothing. But here it is now we're in the 2000, 2010s and we get an offensive lineman. You're three times SWAC all conference player and you go to the combine. What were your expectations? Did you know you had this kind of ability in you?

[Taron Armstead]

Yeah, for sure. For sure. I knew I had the talent and the speed and agility to showcase. I just had to get to the showcase. So it was really huge for me to get that combine invite. That was monumental for me, trying to get more exposure, get more eyes to my tape. So I knew that I was going to go. I was going for the record for sure. Like before I. Even before we got to Indy, I was going for the record. Oh, I wanted to run faster, honestly than that. But I'll take the 476-4305.

[Chad Ochocinco]

That's moving.

[Ricky Williams]

Now.

[Unknown]

Listen, that's what I would get ready to ask you. I would get ready to ask you how tall you were and how much you weighed to be able to run that. Listen, I ain't run number four five, so technically. Well, you, you right there with me.

[Taron Armstead]

Right there on your neck. I was 665306, I believe. 304 at the combine.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Wow. So you knew. You knew. So what was. If I'm not. I don't know what the record was. What was the record? What was the fastest 40 time for an offensive lineman before you broke it?

[Taron Armstead]

It was 484-484.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Wow. You didn't break it. You obliterated it.

[Taron Armstead]

I needed it. I needed it. I needed all that. I needed that, that my moment. I was on NFL Network.com NFL.com for like two hours. I needed all of it. So. So the scouts can go watch my film.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Okay, so now you go run that 40 yard dash time. You run 4 7, 1. And that's really the order. Yeah, they want you to jump high. Yeah. They want you to do too. But speed is what captivates their attention. Now you're an offensive lineman. You never going to be able to unwind that four seven one again. But you just Want to put that on tape to let them see, look, you got a phenomenal athlete. Yes, I went to Arkansas, Pine Bluff. Yeah, I know you're going to downgrade me talking about who did I block and who did I play against. But I'm going to come and showcase my skills and let you see. And then the chips fall where they may. So when you ran that time, did you know like, okay, I got their undivided attention, I'm about to get drafted?

[Taron Armstead]

Oh yeah, no, for sure. We have special talents down in these HBCUs all across the country. We do. So I just needed the opportunity to showcase my skill. I know I knew what time it was. I was going for the vertical record too. I missed that by half an inch. So like I knew that I was going to be able to make that splash. And I, like I say again, I needed it. I really needed that chance to, to get all the scouts just to watch my film. I wouldn't ask you for no favors, but just check out the film and see the dominance.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Now also, when I look at the offensive line position, as fast as you were, you know, as far as running the 40, did you have an advantage as far as your footwork goes when it came to playing offensive line as well? Because most of the time obviously, you know, playing offensive line is all about your hand placement and your footwork.

[Taron Armstead]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And always being, being balanced.

[Taron Armstead]

Sure.

[Unknown]

Did that give you the advantage?

[Taron Armstead]

Yeah. No. My athleticism, my agility, that was, those were my strengths when I played throughout my 12 year career. Because I 65304. Not the biggest tackle, not, not necessarily the strongest either, but I'm on your ass soon as the ball snap, you.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Know what I mean?

[Taron Armstead]

A lot of jump sets, I had to use that in my game. So finding ways to play to my strength and I was using my speed.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Were you always an offensive lineman? Cause I mean with that kind of fast twitch, you might have been a, you might have been a tight end at some point in time in your career. Were you always an offensive lineman?

[Taron Armstead]

Well, back in my hometown, Cahokia, Illinois, we, we, we're known for speed. That's what we do. We run. So I was a defensive lineman and offensive lineman, but I would go play 7 on 7 with the guys corner, safety, receiver.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Damn.

[Taron Armstead]

Really? Yeah. Really was like that. Really was like that. I can't do that shit no more. But I can't move like that no more.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Ocho, look, you mentioned, you say so you what, 34. 34 right now to 35. 3333 Taron. You walk away from the game, you're only 33 linemen. Normally played in at 36, 37, 38. We saw Jackie Slater play 20 years.

[Taron Armstead]

Yeah.

[Chad Ochocinco]

And he retired at 40 plus. And we see linemen especially. I don't know your injury history. That's why. That's where I'm going with this. Why walk away from the game and all that chill out there. You see that money facts.

[Taron Armstead]

It is. It's a lot of freshly printed money out there for sure.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yeah, it is. Yes, indeed.

[Taron Armstead]

I got, man, God bless me with so many great moments and great years and a great career. My injury history is extensive. It is. It is long. And I've been through it. And that's really the part for me is my body. You know, I love this game. Mentally, cerebrally, I can play the game forever, you know, but it's just physically. And I'm okay with saying that, that my body is slowing down. It's movements and abilities that I just can't perform at the same level. And I take so much pride in my film. It has to look a certain way. Like every time I step on the field, it has to look Pro Bowl, All Pro. Like that's the brand I wanted to leave. So that's the standard. I never want to look like I'm out there getting my. Getting whooped on. That ain't. That can't happen.

[Unknown]

You know what? It takes a lot. It takes a lot of awareness, self awareness at that for a player of your caliber or any player that's played in the NFL that's played at a high level to understand when it's time to call it quits. Most of the time we'll ride. We'll ride the. Ride the car to the wheels fall off, you know, but no regard for. You know what? I don't look the same. At what moment did you realize that? You know what? I really don't have it to play at an All Pro or Pro bowl level anymore. What moment did it hit you?

[Taron Armstead]

Yeah, I've been dealing with a knee since my third year in the league, but it's been with me for my entire career. So, man, just. I'll speak on this year alone, I didn't see a practice field, like at all. And not because I didn't want to or the Dolphins just wanted me to rest. It's like I literally couldn't walk, you know, I couldn't. After a game on Sunday, I wouldn't be able to walk on my own, you know, under my own power. Until Wednesday, Thursday. So I was only able to play under, Under. Under the pain meds. I couldn't put any pressure on my knee, so it was like, I can't keep doing that to myself, man.

[Chad Ochocinco]

We. We. It comes at 33 and you now you get to be 40, and all of a sudden you're like, man, what? My liver shutting down, my kidneys and all the other things from taking those pain medicine. Because I've. No, I've seen. I've seen linemen have to take Vico in just the practice. I get. I get the game. I get the game. I really do. Because, you know, hey, that's once a week. But the practice. Oh, hell yeah. Yeah.

[Taron Armstead]

No, that's crazy. And that's what. That was the norm for sure. I didn't. I didn't want to fall in that cycle.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Right. But the thing is, as Ocho was saying, it takes a space because to the cat, to the lay person, they don't. They don't. They don't. They don't really see what. You know. And the thing is, is that when you. It's kind of hard to let go and not practice because as an offensive lineman, sets are everything. Whether you're going to jump, lazy feet, don't eat. And the thing is, you got to practice that during the course of a week. It's hard for an offensive lineman to just go out there on a Sunday, jump, set, quick, set a stab, whatever the case may be. And just to go. And you going against the best of the best.

[Taron Armstead]

You said it. You said it. The reps is especially for offensive line play. We.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yes, it's everything.

[Taron Armstead]

So based on technique and timing and all the hand placement and not to mention the cohesiveness of everyone. Because, you know, we're the only unit that never comes off the field outside of the quarterback. That's one person. But we're the only unit that never comes off the field. So that chemistry and timing, it just is really tough not getting those practice reps and then preparing mentally for Max Crosby and Miles Gary.

[Chad Ochocinco]

And that ain't cool. Like, that's not okay. You got. I can't keep doing that with T.J. watt.

[Taron Armstead]

Listen, I'm not about to keep doing that, man, with no practice. Like, come on, man.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Because like you said, you talk about your office tyron. You talk about your teeth. Excuse me. You talk about your offensive lineman. And like, okay, they get somebody else in there the practice it. But you and that left guard, y' all need to be cohesive. You need to, like, be on the same level and pass it off. Because if you're on different levels, gotta go hit that crack. And now everybody like, man, that y' all hate your. But see, you might be a little slow, he might have been a little fast. And now all of a sudden you give up a sack when y' all should have had that situation covered. I know, I look and everybody doesn't do it the same because I remember practicing with Gary Zimmerman, who's a two decade all decade player in the 80s and the 90s. He went to the hall of fame, but he didn't like me. He didn't like me to chip block. He didn't like the chip. He like sharpie. Don't touch him. Yeah, he said, cause if I, if I jump set him and you hit him, you're gonna knock him inside. And now I can't get him and everybody gonna think I got beat. So don't touch him.

[Taron Armstead]

Facts. Yeah, no, that's a real thing. Especially, especially if you have a big physical tight end like yourself. So, like you hitting him too hard, he getting momentum, he getting like a jolt into the inside move. You know what? I got him. Just get out the way.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Get open.

[Taron Armstead]

Go get open.

[Chad Ochocinco]

J O night I played with j. O Jonathan Ogden, who's the first ballot hall of famer, he like, hey, knock him out if you can.

[Taron Armstead]

For me, it depends on who it is, man. Who over there?

[Chad Ochocinco]

Exactly. But like you said, certain offensive linemen, they want some. I mean, hey, stick and stay or some guys like, don't touch him. But like you said, that practice, like for an offensive lineman. And seeing like, like I said, I worked with zim for like four years, worked with jail for two years. And to see what they go through because they're working on their sets, they kicking. Am I going to stab him? Am I going to quick set him? Am I going to jump set him? What am I going to do? And now in the game, man, I want a jump set. But that knee bother you? No, I can't, I can't, I can't see. I can't do what I want to do. The mind, the mind say, do that. That body say, brother, you do that.

[Taron Armstead]

You go, Everybody say, you can't do that. No, you can't do it no more.

[Unknown]

Hey, when, when it came to playing the left tackle position, I think about my approach to playing receiver, when it came to dbs and studying each DB every week and understanding what type of DB I'm going against. You got some that are quick, some that are fast. Somebody physical, somebody some that, you know, playoff or whatever it may be. What was your approach when it came to playing defensive ends each week? Was your approach different as far as from. From a technical standpoint? Did you change up things you did depending on who you were playing that week?

[Taron Armstead]

I've always said this, Ocho, that it's a lot of parallels to me, a lot of similarities between O line tackling, tackling DN and receiver and corner.

[Unknown]

Yes, sir.

[Taron Armstead]

Like that, that one on one matchup. It's a lot of dynamics there that, that's parallel to me, the technique that goes into it. Tendencies, like you said. Is he pressing if I jab inside, what are you doing with his hands? Same thing as I'm reading the defensive end. I'm looking at their alignment first, how wide is he getting and then his get off. You know, how well is he timing the snap? Then I want to see his home runs. What's his go to move that he's consistently winning on? What's he's winning on the most? I break that down. That's the one I want to take away. I want to take that one away and then. All right, what's his second highest percentage? Move the counter. I'm taking those top two away. Throughout my career, that was the goal, my objective of game planning. I want to take them top two winners away. Now, if you beat me with a third, you, you, you a bad man, but you're gonna have to get that. But for me, I was taking those top two, top two moves away.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And one of the things that I've always liked to ask players that, that once they're done playing, who gave them the most fits? For me, you know, everybody asks me all the time, let's say you played a very long time, you've gone against some. I've always, you know, had to deal with the number one db and everyone asked, you know, who gave you fits. And obviously the one person I say every time, yeah, hell, he lock everybody.

[Taron Armstead]

Up, but had to be super strong.

[Chad Ochocinco]

He asked you about nobody else but you. You see how you did that?

[Unknown]

He told, listen, we.

[Chad Ochocinco]

We snitching ass.

[Unknown]

Hey, but. But who gave you fits? Or you just want to give them their flowers?

[Taron Armstead]

Yeah, man, I had some battles. I had. Some of these guys I've seen too many times. Like, I didn't. I didn't want to have these rivalries going on, but, you know, that's how the schedule go. I played Miles a ton. Miles is always one of those. He's one of those you gotta. You make sure you eat breakfast. Like, he's.

[Chad Ochocinco]

He.

[Taron Armstead]

He's one of those for sure. But the guy that gave me the most fits, and I probably seen him the most, and he is still underrated in my eyes. Robert Quinn.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Robert.

[Taron Armstead]

Oh, that first devil, Quinn, he been in the edge. He. Listen, Robert Quinn, he got. He probably got the most sacks on me, like, out of everybody. He's the person that say, I got two on t stad.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Like, he.

[Taron Armstead]

He probably that one person that can say that, right? Okay. That dude getting. He. Yeah, he. I don't even want to see him post career. I don't want to see him no more.

[Chad Ochocinco]

I'm cool.

[Taron Armstead]

We can't be friends. Nothing. I don't want to run into Robert twins.

[Chad Ochocinco]

It's really like a dance because, like you said, they getting that. What? They getting that. What? They get into that wide nine, and now. Hey, you like. Okay. I know he gonna come wide, but what if he dropped and bull me? Okay, now he gonna hit me and then he spin inside. So I got. I got all that going into. Oh, I gotta look at him. Okay, what is he doing now? I'm kicking. I can only kick so far because the damn quarterback right there.

[Ricky Williams]

Hell, yeah.

[Chad Ochocinco]

I keep kick it. I'm gonna be in this damn lap. So I can only get probably, like, two kicks. Teeth. And then I got the set, and I gotta take. I. Hey, I gotta be. I don't want him to get. I don't want him to bend the edge on me because these. Like you said, miles can be.

[Taron Armstead]

Miles can be.

[Chad Ochocinco]

But I also. I also don't want him to wax on, wax off me across my face. No.

[Taron Armstead]

All that. We trying to process all that, man. And they lining up in this wide nine, and these athletes are only getting. They're only getting bigger, faster, stronger.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Taron Armstead]

So it's. Man, it's tough to deal with. Like, Micah playing Micah Parsons for the first time. It was Christmas day, we in Miami, beautiful day. We smacked the cowboys. That ain't part of the story. But seeing Michael Parsons for the first time in real life, it was different, bro. Like, you are. You are way too big to be moving this fast. It can bend that well. Like, yeah, it just. The athlete. The evolution of the athlete is just. It's becoming something. Something different, man.

[Ricky Williams]

Cool.

[Taron Armstead]

I'm cool, y'.

[Chad Ochocinco]

All. It's special watching, you know, playing against Derrick Thomas, but the guy that I had the most respect for, I only played against him for two years because I was only in Baltimore two years. I'VE never seen a guy his size that quick. Javon the freak, man. Freak. The first time I played him. Yeah, man. Hey. I turned around and said, hey, y' all better throw it. He was gone.

[Taron Armstead]

Look out, Block, dude.

[Chad Ochocinco]

He took a step down because I had to step. So I stepped with him, man. By the time I put my foot down, he was on my shoulder.

[Taron Armstead]

That's a bad feeling.

[Chad Ochocinco]

He get to your shoulder and you ain't extended. Hey, you might well kiss the baby.

[Taron Armstead]

That's a bad feeling. That's a bad feeling.

[Unknown]

You saw the picture. I just saw Javon Curse in the airport leaving Philly day before yesterday.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Oh, did you? Yeah, man. Before he got that. Before he hurt the ankles. Oo, dude, was. I'm talking about. You talking about somebody like, he, like 6, 4, 2, 50. I'm talking about all. I'm talking about 5x gloves. I mean, his hands were like a catcher.

[Ricky Williams]

Yeah.

[Taron Armstead]

Did. Did, did Curse get in the. Did he get into the hall?

[Chad Ochocinco]

Nah, nah, nah. He. He was. I mean, Tennessee. He was at Tennessee. His best years was at Tennessee. Yeah, he goes to Philly, and then he had. He messed up his ankle and messed up his years. But, yeah, hey, back in the day, you know, dealing with DT Bruce Smith was fast, too. Bruce could be in for a guy his size. Normally, guys, 270, they can't bend like that. Bruce be parallel to the ground. That move that you see Von Miller do, where he dip under and come down on one hand and get back up.

[Taron Armstead]

Yeah.

[Chad Ochocinco]

Bruce could do that at 270. That's.

[Ricky Williams]

Yeah.

[Chad Ochocinco]

So, hey, that's why you guys make the big bucks. That's why. Not enough paid on the offensive line, because you guys got the toughest assignment, because you're dealing with, like I said, basically, it's like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. He's coming forward, but you got to mirror what he does moving backwards.

[Ricky Williams]

Yeah.

[Chad Ochocinco]

And the thing is, you got a target that's sitting right there whether. And basically everybody in the shotgun now. So you can only set so far before he sits your ass in the quarterback lap or he'll reach over the top of you.

[Taron Armstead]

Listen, yo, we need some more money, man. Oh, no, we need some more. We need some more of that money.

[Chad Ochocinco]

This is an Iheart podcast.