From Champion Coach to Addiction Advocate: A Powerful Journey | Coach Cochran DSH #1187

Summary

Digital Social Hour Episode Summary: “From Champion Coach to Addiction Advocate: A Powerful Journey | Coach Cochran DSH #1187”

Release Date: February 17, 2025

In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in a heartfelt and unfiltered conversation with Coach Cochran, a highly decorated college football coach who has transitioned into a passionate addiction advocate. This episode delves deep into Coach Cochran’s remarkable journey from the pressure-filled sidelines of college football to battling personal addiction and emerging as a beacon of hope for others facing similar struggles.

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1. Exploring the Hidden Lives: Las Vegas Tunnels and Homelessness [02:05 - 05:04]

Sean Kelly opens the discussion by recounting his recent visit to the Las Vegas tunnels with a group called Shine a Light, aimed at feeding and supporting the homeless population residing there.

• Coach Cochran expresses astonishment: “That's crazy” ([02:52]).

• Kelly shares a poignant story about a man who lost his home in a hurricane in Puerto Rico and has lived in the tunnels for over a decade, refusing offers of rehabilitation and shelter. “He’s more comfortable there than rehab or bed” ([03:17]).

• The conversation highlights the harsh realities of homelessness and addiction, emphasizing the mental challenges individuals face when transitioning from survival modes to seeking help.

2. From New Orleans Roots to Coaching Stardom [06:56 - 10:07]

Coach Cochran reflects on his early life in New Orleans, where football played a significant role.

• He details his high school football experience, winning two state championships despite losing two games as a player ([06:01]).

• Initially aspiring to follow in his brothers' footsteps as a physical therapist, Coach Cochran found his true calling in coaching after volunteering at his high school. “Within 10 seconds, I was in love” ([07:15]).

• His passion for coaching was ignited instantly, leading him to forget about formal interviews and fully dedicate himself to mentoring young athletes ([07:36]).

3. Coaching Philosophy and Leadership [12:22 - 16:59]

The discussion shifts to Coach Cochran’s coaching philosophy and his approach to leadership.

• He emphasizes building mental resilience in players through “skull sessions,” where he teaches them to handle pressure and make positive decisions ([12:32]).

• Using the “feel, felt, found” method, Coach Cochran connects with players by sharing personal experiences to guide them through their struggles ([12:43]).

• A pivotal moment in his career was recognizing the importance of mental conditioning, especially when he observed a young Amari Cooper rejecting car ownership to focus on personal growth ([14:08]).

4. Battling Addiction: A Personal Struggle [15:34 - 23:17]

Coach Cochran opens up about his harrowing battle with addiction, providing an unflinching look into his personal demons.

• He began experiencing severe migraines due to the stress of coaching, leading him to prescription oxycodone. “I could coach all day and my headache wouldn't hurt” ([16:03]).

• Despite warnings from his doctor about addiction, Coach Cochran’s reliance on the medication escalated, leading him to snort pills for quicker relief. “By 2015, I was snorting the pills” ([16:59]).

• His addiction remained hidden until a devastating overdose occurred in April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. “[I was] found dead” ([17:32]).

• The overdose led him to seek help from Chris Heron, a former NBA player and motivational speaker. His initial 30-day rehab stay seemed successful, but upon returning to Georgia, access to medication was cut off, driving him back to the streets and escalating his addiction to fentanyl ([20:13]).

• After multiple overdoses and numerous attempts to regain control, Coach Cochran finally sought long-term rehabilitation, achieving two and a half years of sobriety before facing another relapse triggered by his ambition to win ten national championships by age fifty ([23:17]).

5. Turning Pain into Purpose: Advocacy and Nonprofit Work [25:00 - 31:10]

Coach Cochran discusses his transition from coaching to advocacy, driven by his personal experiences with addiction.

• He founded the American Addiction Recovery Association, aiming to eliminate the stigma surrounding addiction and support those battling substance abuse. “Recovery is purple, and September's our month” ([32:24]).

• The Purple Project seeks to raise awareness by encouraging athletes and the public to wear purple, symbolizing support for recovery and sparking conversations about addiction ([32:24]).

• Coach Cochran highlights staggering statistics, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention: “There are 29 million Americans in recovery, but 46 million in active addiction” ([25:48]).

• He underscores the importance of community support and legislative changes to better assist those in active addiction, advocating for a holistic approach to recovery that transcends individual effort ([31:03]).

6. Insights on the Coaching Landscape and Substance Abuse [33:20 - 38:15]

The conversation delves into the broader issues within the coaching profession and its impact on players.

• Coach Cochran critiques the current state of college football coaching, noting the transient nature of coaching positions driven by financial incentives rather than player development. “The relationship between player and coach just doesn't exist” ([34:10]).

• He discusses how the pursuit of higher positions and salaries detracts from building meaningful relationships with players, leading to a lack of mentorship and support for athletes ([34:56]).

• His insights highlight the need for stability in coaching roles to foster genuine mentorship and better support for players’ personal and professional growth ([37:00]).

7. Legacy and Future Endeavors [44:44 - 46:56]

Closing the episode, Coach Cochran reflects on his legacy and outlines his future goals.

• He expresses gratitude for the support he received from former players and the broader community during his struggles, affirming the positive impact he has had on their lives ([44:43]).

• Coach Cochran emphasizes his commitment to expanding his nonprofit’s reach, aiming to impact all 50 states through initiatives like the Overdose Reversal Boxes and the Purple Project ([45:56]).

• He envisions a future where the stigma around addiction is eradicated, and comprehensive support systems are in place to assist those in need. “Anything to eliminate the stigma, I'm all in” ([46:36]).

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Notable Quotes

• Coach Cochran: “He’s more comfortable there than rehab or bed.” ([03:17])

• Coach Cochran: “I found my purpose.” ([07:39])

• Coach Cochran: “You're more influenceable.” ([15:32])

• Coach Cochran: “Substance abuse is the number one killer.” ([25:48])

• Coach Cochran: “Recovery is purple, and September's our month.” ([32:24])

• Coach Cochran: “The relationship between player and coach just doesn't exist.” ([34:10])

• Coach Cochran: “Anything to eliminate the stigma, I'm all in.” ([46:36])

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Conclusion

This episode of Digital Social Hour offers an intimate and honest portrayal of Coach Cochran’s life, highlighting the intersection of high-stakes coaching and personal addiction. Sean Kelly facilitates a conversation that not only sheds light on the hidden struggles within the coaching realm but also inspires listeners with Coach Cochran’s dedication to transforming his pain into meaningful advocacy. Through his nonprofit work and unwavering commitment to eliminating the stigma around addiction, Coach Cochran exemplifies resilience and the power of purpose-driven recovery.

For more information on Coach Cochran’s initiatives and to support the American Addiction Recovery Association, visit eliminatethewhisper.com.

Transcript

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[Unknown Speaker A]

And the doc, after about two years of writing all kinds of different, you know, blood thinners. Let's try this, let's try that. They wrote me oxy headaches. Yeah. And it worked. Jeez, like I could coach all day.

[Coach Cochran]

Foreign guys. Special episode today, I think. First time I've had a college coach on. Coach Cochran, thanks for coming on today.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, thanks for having me fired up to be here.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. One of the most decorated college coaches of all time. So.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man, pretty cool. Pretty cool.

[Coach Cochran]

Cool to learn from you. And now you're on a new mission. So.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Big mission.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah, we'll dive into it. You were just out here in Vegas exploring the tunnels, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, just checked out the tunnels. A group called Shine a Light took us around Saturday to go feed, give them water, meet them, kind of see where they are. Meet them where they are. Saw some really interesting things. Yeah, there was a. There was a guy there that's been there for 10 years. He lost his entire house in a hurricane in Puerto Rico. Found his way to Las Vegas. Soon as he landed, all of his luggage got taken.

[Coach Cochran]

Whoa.

[Unknown Speaker A]

So he tried to get a job. He tried to Move, Tried to shake. Couldn't. Found himself in the tunnels. Yeah. And has been there 10 years.

[Coach Cochran]

That's crazy.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And just talking to him. He's not leaving. That's his home.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. At that point. That's a long time. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, we offered him, like, go to rehab, offered him beds, and he was like, no, I'm good.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

He's more comfortable there than rehab or bed. Interesting.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And what. What I'm finding out, talking to the people at Shine a Light, that if you offer them a bed and they come to. They've never had a bed in so long, they freak out for the first, like, two weeks just trying to understand that, like, they have a place they don't have to go run and chase food. And so they have to figure out their mindset, how they change the way they think completely. Because they went from every day, I'm going to go hunt either for a substance or food and then find a way to get back to that bed that they created.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

But it was. It was tough because it was their home, you know, So I was real careful with how I filmed my stuff.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Did they, like, film like they did? Oh, they did. Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

As long as you didn't, like. I just didn't feel comfortable filming them.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Or filming their, like, specific little hole that they've created.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. I heard some of them get pretty pissed down there.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Film them.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. So I. I stayed away from that.

[Coach Cochran]

Did you see a lot of substance use down there?

[Unknown Speaker A]

I didn't see the use, but I saw the paraphernalia. Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. That's a common thing, I bet, down there. And it's been freezing lately, so they're probably trying things to get by.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Heck, yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

For sure. Yeah. That's a tough life. Was there a lot of people down there?

[Unknown Speaker A]

The route that we went, I think we saw probably 20, 25 people.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, that's not as much as I.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Thought that felt the same way. I thought I was going to see a lot more.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Because there's documentaries about those tunnels with, like hundreds of people in them.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Maybe they were just out and about.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. That's what we were thinking, that they were out and about, either going to go get food, going to go get what they. Because it was during the day. And Then also there's 600 miles of tunnels down there.

[Coach Cochran]

Damn.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And we did not cover more than, I would say a mile.

[Coach Cochran]

600 miles.

[Unknown Speaker A]

600 miles of tunnels. And a lot of us, it's all about those mountains. Right. So that's where The. The purpose of it was to get the water to flush through when the water would come down, the snow down, so. Or monsoons. So, like, they could get wiped out.

[Coach Cochran]

At any point if it rains too much.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes.

[Coach Cochran]

That's interesting. And all their stuff's down there.

[Unknown Speaker A]

That's it.

[Coach Cochran]

But I guess in Vegas, it doesn't really rain like that, so.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right, that's what I was wondering.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah, we don't get much.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right.

[Coach Cochran]

Maybe like a few times a year. Nothing crazy. And even when it does rain, it's not a lot.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right.

[Coach Cochran]

Big difference from Jersey, where I grew up.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man.

[Coach Cochran]

Rained every day there.

[Unknown Speaker A]

It was a big difference for me. I grew up in New Orleans. You. There's nothing under you. If you dig a hole in your backyard, you're hitting water.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow. New Orleans. Was football big over there growing up?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, football was big. The high school I went to, I lost two games as a player. One two state championships.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And then went and coached at lsu and obviously I wrote on Coach Saban's coattails for a while.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Did you want to go the coaching route or did you want to be a player?

[Unknown Speaker A]

At first I wanted to be a player, but that didn't work out. And then the coaching, as soon as I walked.

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[Unknown Speaker A]

Into a high school, I was at lsu, and I walked into. I was going into physical therapy, so I was gonna be. Both of my brothers are physical therapists, so I was gonna go that route. And I walked into this high school to volunteer to be a coach. Within 10 seconds, I was in love.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I mean, in love that fast. Oh, my God. It was the coolest feeling. It was like, this is what I'm meant to do. No doubt. No question. My. My coat was off, my tie was in the corner. I was coaching the hell out of the kids. Forgot about the interview with the head coach. Completely forgot. Like, that wasn't happening, you know? And so it was. It was really cool.

[Coach Cochran]

So you found your purpose.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I found my purpose.

[Coach Cochran]

Coaching.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

What do you think about coaching?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Just drew you to helping others. Knowing something that they don't know and I don't know. I have a. I have a way of inspiring.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I think it's a gift that God's given me to inspire others or that I can get on their level. I think really, what it is. What it is, absolutely.

[Coach Cochran]

I'd say that's probably part of the reason of your success. You're doing it for that reason. While some coaches do it for monetary reasons. Right. For other reasons.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. Because you got to think, when I first started coaching, there wasn't much money in it. You know, it wasn't something that you're like, oh, that's a great career. You know, there was. There were a few outliers, but not until about 2010. It exploded in that range. I'd say 2009-10, it just. All salaries exploded.

[Coach Cochran]

What caused that?

[Unknown Speaker A]

I would say the Saban effect. He pushed the envelope. He got offered jobs left and right, and at the time, Alabama wanted to keep him. Right. You know, he had left lsu, he'd left the Dolphins, I think, whatever. And so then it was like, okay, if you have a good coach, you got to take care of them. And then that coach is like, well, in order for me to be successful, I got to take care of my staff.

[Coach Cochran]

So he set the bar high.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Yeah. So he. He gets a lot of credit, not just being for the awesome coach that he is, but also what he did for college football.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. I remember growing up seeing him on TV and just really admiring it, honestly.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man.

[Coach Cochran]

You know, what he did was he set. He set the tone.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes. And he did it in so many ways. Right. That was the cool part is like his leadership skills, his. The. His demeanor with players. You know, being from West Virginia, it was almost like he could get on the same level as the guys.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. What was the leadership style like? Was it a fear based style? Was it respect? What was it was respect.

[Unknown Speaker A]

He. I think his perception would be fear based. I think that's how it looks on the outside. But he was probably the most genuine and where he would give the player respect, he would earn their respect.

[Coach Cochran]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. It was really cool.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Like, his way of doing it is, hey, I know football and I can help you get to where you're trying to go. And if I can help you in academics and if I can help you, like, even guys that struggled with substances, like, he took care of them. Oh, my gosh. He helped so many guys, got so many guys into rehab.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow. You don't hear about this side of the.

[Unknown Speaker A]

No. Like, really? Really. When you say, you know, you hear recruiting pitches in college football and his his pitch was real, you know, And I think Kirby is very similar and trying to be that way. And I've only worked for those two guys, so I can't speak on anybody else. But most of the time it's just a pitch.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, but, like, he wouldn't kick a kid off if they got in trouble with the law, really? No. He was in them to rehab if they needed it. Or he would get them assessed. Get them all assessed. Right. If they had any kind of trouble, got their parents involved. And then as a medical team, he would bring the team in after the assessment and say, okay, what is the best move for this kid? And they would be like, well, are you getting a. You trying to get him to play football next year? Are you trying to get him to play football this season? And his answer was always like, I could care less about football. Like, let's take care of him and maybe football will be in this future, maybe not. But we promised him four years of education. He's going to get a degree. Right. So let's just help him do those things. And then maybe football work.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, that's.

[Coach Cochran]

That's incredible.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man. That's who he is.

[Coach Cochran]

Outside looking in, you think football is more important than the education, you know?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. Because of the winning. Right. Like, and because you see this. This tyrant, right. You see this guy on the sideline going crazy, but you rarely see him going crazy on the players. It was always the coaches.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow. So you had the.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Oh, yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

You would take the heat.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Oh, yeah. All day for the players. I would do anything for them, you know, because I. In my mind, I was like, I'm the grown man. I can handle an ass chewing. Right. But these kids are trying to win a game. They're trying to, like, hit stats. They're trying to be the greatest thing ever, you know, like, I'm gonna try to block them if I can.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Because they probably have such high expectations for the players, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes.

[Coach Cochran]

They gotta perform or they're gonna get cut.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct.

[Coach Cochran]

So it must be pretty. You need to be mentally resilient.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And I think. And that's one of the big things that we talked about. We did these things called skull sessions with the team. And it would be after workouts, we would go into a classroom setting and talk about. This is how you think, Right. These are the things to get you to become successful in this sport. Look at what this guy did before you look at this guy. This is where he struggled. And I always use the feel, felt found method. Right. I feel where you're coming from. I feel your struggle. I've felt that same way about something. I found that this way will work a little better then. And I also found if I did this, it did not work. So try to learn not to do it that way. But they're kids. They're gonna. You know, everybody learns their own way to mess up.

[Coach Cochran]

Your brain's still developing, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Exactly six. That's right.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. I look at the decision that I made in college, and it's almost laughable now. It's unreal, but I was thinking that way.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

You know, it's really.

[Unknown Speaker A]

It's really cool.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And the first time, it's really interesting because the Raiders are here, Right? Well, the first time I realized about the. The brain, the cerebral cortex, the frontal lobe of the suit, is not fully developed. I really figured that out when Amari Cooper got drafted to the Raiders. And he was like, I don't. I don't. I'm not driving. I'm like, so how are you getting around? Like, you just signed a multi million dollar deal. You should just get a car. And he's like, I'm not comfortable with that. And I was like, well, why don't you just rent a car? And he goes, that would be a good idea. I could learn how to do this. But he was only 21.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And so when I saw that, that's when we started developing the mental program for football players or for college football players for. In my profession. Right. We started developing that because they weren't. Their brain wasn't fully functioning.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

So you could actually. I'm not gonna say brainwash, but it felt that way because we were teaching to positively reinforce and positively talk to themselves.

[Coach Cochran]

That's important.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

A lot of them are signing big contracts the next year, and they could just easily blow all that money.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct. And this. The simple things of like, okay, what kind of player do you want to be? What kind of man do you want to be? You know, and getting behind a wheel after drinking, like, things like that, trying to prevent. Because during that phase, the number one thing I found was peers drive bad decisions. You are so subject to peer pressure. If your peers say it's but the old school. Right. If a peer says jump off the bridge, are you going to jump off the bridge? Right. And like, in that age, you have to be really strong in your convictions, because if you're not, you're going to jump. Right. You know what I mean?

[Coach Cochran]

Absolutely. You're more influenceable. Right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct. That's it influenceable? That's a good word.

[Coach Cochran]

Yes. You're giving all this phenomenal advice to these players. Meanwhile, you're battling your own demons.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Oh, was I battling. My God.

[Coach Cochran]

What was going on behind the scenes?

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, I was getting these migraines, these really bad headaches, and the doc, after about two years of writing all kinds of different, you know, blood thinners. Let's try this. Let's try that. They wrote me oxy. Damn. For headaches. Yeah. And it worked.

[Coach Cochran]

Geez.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Like, I could coach all day and my headache wouldn't hurt. I didn't have to hold back. I could. It was from, like, yelling, and it would be like a vice between my temples. And it worked. But the doc told me, hey, this is addictive. Me, come on. I'm that. I'm. I'm the head strength coach at Alabama. I've got two national championships. I'm strength coach of the year. Like, I'm. I'm hitting financial positions in life. Like, I'm winning, and we're winning on the field. I'm not going to get addicted, Right? Like, not me. I'm the mental conditioning. Mental and physical conditioning coach. Like, I'm tough. That got me. It got me bad. It got me so bad that by 2015, I was snorting the pills.

[Coach Cochran]

Holy.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Is it more, like, effective when you snort it?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Well, in my addict brain, because I was getting migraines here, I thought if it went there, it would get there faster. But it was really just. It got to. It got to my brain faster.

[Coach Cochran]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know what I mean? The buzz got there faster. You know, I can give you the excuse of what I used to tell myself, but the reality was is that I really enjoyed it.

[Coach Cochran]

Damn.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And it let me coach all day. And no one ever knew until I overdosed.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, you didn't tell anyone?

[Unknown Speaker A]

No.

[Coach Cochran]

So you were taking it every day for five years?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Ten years.

[Coach Cochran]

Ten years.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Holy crap.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And I got up to about 50 pills a day.

[Coach Cochran]

What?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. And it was all fentanyl at the end. Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

The fact that your body can handle. That's insane.

[Unknown Speaker A]

It's nuts. It makes. That's why I'm doing this. Right. And that's why I'm here, You know? Like, I'm not supposed to be here. I overdosed. My wife found me dead. Like, all this, all the accomplishments, you know, who cares?

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, so now I want to help others.

[Coach Cochran]

That's incredible, man.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

I'm sure a lot. Well, coaching's a stressful job. First of all. So I'm sure a lot of coaches are dealing with some sort of addiction behind the scenes, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes, for sure. And they're. And. And it's hidden until it's not. Right. It's hidden until they do a press conference and they're slurring their words, you know, it's hidden until, oh, shoot, he got a dui. You know, it's hidden until things start happening at the house, you know, and then all of a sudden, it's gone nuts.

[Coach Cochran]

So your wife had no idea or statement? Had no idea.

[Unknown Speaker A]

No clue.

[Coach Cochran]

Were you kind of like feeling shame about telling people?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Very much. I did not. I couldn't stop. Like, I could not stop. I wanted to. I was sick of it. I wasn't getting a buzz anymore. After about. After about the fifth, sixth year. It wasn't for a buzz. It was so that I wouldn't be sick.

[Coach Cochran]

Damn.

[Unknown Speaker A]

So it was. This is the scary part in addiction. It was every single day. Because if there's a day without it, you feel like you have the flu. And as in the job I had, there was no days off. I mean, we had spring break, we had a couple of days, A couple of weeks in May that might be off, you know.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

But like right now, like, look at college football. We were always in the hunt. Every team I've coached at.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

So, like Christmas was out. You're not having Christmas with your family, you know, there's no time.

[Coach Cochran]

Damn.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, so you get like a two day break for Christmas, you know, you get like the 23rd and the 24th.

[Coach Cochran]

Not even Christmas Day.

[Unknown Speaker A]

No. Because Christmas Day, you. You have to get ready for the players that show up on the 26th or we have to fly to the next ball game.

[Coach Cochran]

Crazy. Was that tough on your family?

[Unknown Speaker A]

They. They were the hostages. So addiction, you think that it's just affecting you, but it takes hostages. And my family were the hostages.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

2020 od.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yep.

[Coach Cochran]

What happens from there?

[Unknown Speaker A]

So I overdose. I'm working for Georgia at the time. It's during COVID So it was April 10, 2020. So I call up Chris Heron. Chris Heron is in Massachusetts. He's got a rehab. He was the guy who played for the Celtics. There's a 30 for 30 on him. He was a heroin addict. And so I had gotten to know him beforehand because he was a motivational speaker. And so I. And so we called him. I went to rehab for 30 days. Thought I had it licked. Covid lifts. I go back to Georgia and I just remember doing a Press conference. I was two months sober, and I killed the press conference. Like, I did a really good job. And that. That kind of. That juice I got from it, I wanted more. It wasn't headaches anymore. I couldn't. I couldn't blame headaches. And when you go to rehab, they kill all your doctors. So they tell the docs that you've been using, like, hey, this guy's got a problem. Stop writing them stuff, or we're sending the FBI to you.

[Coach Cochran]

Whoa.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right. So it's opiates. So the docs were like, okay, we're done. Like, we'll never write something for him again. And so I went to the street, and that's when my pill intake skyrocketed.

[Coach Cochran]

Damn.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. So that's when my pill intake went from 25 to 50 really fast.

[Coach Cochran]

Because they're not as strong on the street the.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Because they are short lived. Because it's fentanyl.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, God.

[Unknown Speaker A]

It's not. You're no longer. I thought it was at one point early, I thought it was oxy or Percocets, but it was all fentanyl. Damn. It's nothing but fentanyl and fentanyl. What it is, is a higher high, but it's short lived.

[Coach Cochran]

You got to keep taking it, so.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You got to keep going. And really, it's mental. You mentally think, oh, I'm gonna get withdrawals if I don't snort another, you know, 60 milligrams or 90 milligrams just. And it, you know, this is the stuff that people don't want to talk about, you know, because when you think of an addict, you think of somebody that is in the tunnels. You don't see the successful guy with eight national championships.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, killing it financially. The white picket fence family, you know, you just don't see that. And that's everyday life. People are battling right now. And that's why I'm speaking on it.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Because people need to know, like, you're not alone. If you need help, there are ways to get help, you know?

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. No, I think this is a much needed message, man. I really appreciate you being so open.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man, it's not. It's. It's not easy, but it's necessary.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know?

[Coach Cochran]

Agreed. So you get back on it. Do you end up back. Back in rehab?

[Unknown Speaker A]

So I go to rehab. 20, 21 back to rehab. But this time I do like a hundred. 110 day. 100 to say 100 day stay. And, man, I felt good.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I'm like, I Got the holy spirit. I got all these things, man. I got Jesus. You know what I mean? Like, I'm killing it. I feel good. And then we win two national championships.

[Coach Cochran]

Back to back with Georgia, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, with Georgia. And so my goal was always 10 to win 10 national championships. And I'm 45, right. I got 8, 20, 23. Season comes, and I'm at two and a half years sober, and I'm looking at my goal like, man, I'm gonna get to 10 before I even turn 50. My ego starts getting. It just starts. And that ego tells me, what are y'all gonna tell me? If I use drugs again, I'm. I'm killing it again. Like, I'm gonna have 10 national championships before I'm 50 years old. Nobody's got that, right? Like, no shot that somebody's gonna get that, and I'm actually gonna achieve this. I called a guy up, started using again.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. So that's what caused me in January to go to Kirby, coach Smart and say, hey, I need to get out. I need to. I need to reassess what I'm doing.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow. So that's what caused the retirement in February.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yep.

[Coach Cochran]

Dang. Because you were at the top of your game.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

You know, eight titles. That's very few company. Right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right. Yeah. And so I just felt like if I can get the. If I can get these young men to work out when they don't want to work out. Right. They don't want to do the stuff that I've had to push them through. What about if I tried to get them to get help in recovery? What if I can help change some legislation to help people that are in active addiction? Because the numbers don't lie. Right. There's 29 million Americans that are in recovery, but then there's 46 million that are in active addiction. Damn. Yeah. And these are just numbers from the government. Right.

[Coach Cochran]

So it could be even higher.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I believe it's higher. And. And they say. And from those same. That same group, it says 107,000 overdose deaths last year in the U.S. wow. In 2022 is 109,000 again. They're not including suicide. They're not including some of the other things that, you know, substance with drinking, you know, the accidents with drinking. So it's the number one killer between the ages of 18 and 45.

[Coach Cochran]

Substance abuse.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Substance. Yeah. Overdose. Overdose deaths. It's the number one killer. I mean, we don't need World War three. We're. We're killing an entire generation. Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

These numbers are staggering. I didn't know it Was this bad. 36 million a year addicted in the U.S. it's like 15% of the population.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct.

[Coach Cochran]

And that's just people admitting it.

[Unknown Speaker A]

That's exactly right. That's people admitting it and probably trying to figure it out. Right. And this thing takes hostages, right?

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

So if you add both numbers up. Right. The 29 and the 46. Right. And then you say, okay, like, my family. I was five in my family. They're. They're hostages. They were in captivity. They just didn't know it. You know, once they saw me just drown and say, I need help. Like, that's the biggest thing in addiction. Right. You have to get to a point where you just say, I need help, and let everyone help you. But if you just raise your hand and say, I need help. God, let. Let people help. Just let people help you. Give them that blessing. Right. Because. Because if, you know, if you had something going on, car broke down, and you said, hey, I need help, I'd be fired up to go help you. You know what I mean? Like, that's a blessing for me. Like, let me help somebody else. Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

I think people's ego gets in the way, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes.

[Coach Cochran]

And they don't want to ask for help.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Exactly right.

[Coach Cochran]

It makes them look weak.

[Unknown Speaker A]

That's it.

[Coach Cochran]

But I think everyone goes through low points, for sure. It's unavoidable.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And if they just learn that it's okay to ask for help, it's okay to say, hey, I'm struggling with something. Let the miracle happen. People will come running to your aid.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Because if you didn't ask, who knows what would have happened, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct. If I wouldn't have had the one overdose, if I wouldn't have, in January asked like, I need help. And. And it took time, right? It didn't. The official resignation wasn't until February 14th. You know, it took time. Like, Coach Smart's like, well, what do we do about your position? What do we do? Are you going to work a little bit? And I was like, I'm done. But it took time to get there. You know, it took time to. To actually, you know, it was a lot of, say, sacrifice, but it was an investment. I decided to invest in myself and into my family.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Because you're only on this thing once, you know.

[Coach Cochran]

Absolutely.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, and winning those eight national championships, it's awesome. It's great. It's cool. But, like, what's next?

[Coach Cochran]

You're done for good?

[Unknown Speaker A]

We'll see. I mean, I. I can't say 100. No. Because you never know.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

But I. I can say that right now. The nonprofit that I started that I'm involved with is. Is very beneficial to the world.

[Coach Cochran]

It's very fulfilling. You can impact way more people than you can as a college coach.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And so that's the. That's the beauty of it. I love it. And I like going into places where most people won't, you know, like the tunnels here.

[Coach Cochran]

That was brave of you, by the way.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And then I went to Kensington, Philadelphia, where Xylazine, which is the zombie drug, I mean, I was in the thick of it.

[Coach Cochran]

I haven't heard of that one.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Oh, it's. It's a new drug.

[Coach Cochran]

Is that like fentanyl mixed with something?

[Unknown Speaker A]

So it's literally a tranquilizer. It's a horse tranquilizer. And it was easier to get across the border at one point than it was from Columbia to get the cocaine. So they changed to tranq is what it's called.

[Coach Cochran]

You know, that stuff's no joke. My dad used to take horse tranquilizer. I would walk into his bedroom, he'd be yelling at the wall.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes.

[Coach Cochran]

I got some childhood memories of that.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Stuff's no joke.

[Unknown Speaker A]

No joke. It's scary, scary stuff. And it's. And it's in every major city right now.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, yeah. I just went to, I think San Diego. Yeah. San Diego. There was more homeless people than people walking around there, and they were all, like, so out of it.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Some drug over zombie.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, that's it. That's a zombie drug. Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Scary stuff.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Really scary. And they get these sores, these sores that the capillaries, the blood flow, can't fix them. So if you just get a nick on your neck, just as a little cut.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

It turns into a huge damn problem.

[Coach Cochran]

That's crazy.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, and they're homeless.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. And they need companies and charities like you because the city gets a ton of funding and it goes nowhere close to the homeless people.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct.

[Coach Cochran]

You know, you got Cali getting billions of dollars.

[Unknown Speaker A]

That's right.

[Coach Cochran]

And there's more homeless than before.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. It's.

[Coach Cochran]

It's.

[Unknown Speaker A]

It's a sad system. And that's why the nonprofit is so big, because it's not going to be just a little cookie cutter. We're going to go try to fix some of those laws.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I mean, we got to save some lives and kind of eliminate the stigma, eliminate the whisper of addiction.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Because some people have a negative feeling towards homeless people. Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

For sure.

[Coach Cochran]

They Just see them as, like drug addicts, like you said earlier.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And where were they five years before then? Were they me where they had a successful business or a successful life. They have a. They have a great job, and hard times just fell on them, and they started using a little bit and then a little bit, and then all of a sudden, they're a train wreck. Right. People don't see the human side of those, you know? So if we can get in front of it right before you take that first pill or right when you get that surgery or whatever, you know, let people know, like, hey, there's help.

[Coach Cochran]

Absolutely. So, Aara, is this your charity right here?

[Unknown Speaker A]

American Addiction Recovery association.

[Coach Cochran]

Nice. So visit 50 state capitals overdose reversal boxes. Nice.

[Unknown Speaker A]

The big one, the big one that I'm most excited about is the purple project. So Susan G. Komen, we know what she did for breast cancer, right? In October, you see athletes and people wearing pink in October. Well, recovery is purple, and September's our month. So I'm trying to get everybody to wear purple in the month of September.

[Coach Cochran]

Okay?

[Unknown Speaker A]

So I've gotten some college football teams. They're in. I've gotten some NFL, some good feedback from NFL, and I'm going after every high school.

[Coach Cochran]

I got you, man. I'll wear purple on the pod that month.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Let's go, baby. Let's go.

[Coach Cochran]

I got to order some digital social. Our purple stuff.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Let's go. Heck, yeah, man.

[Coach Cochran]

Dude, that's cool. Yeah, I like that. I like purple. Purple is a good color.

[Unknown Speaker A]

It's like royalty, baby.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Not a lot of people wear purple. Which One of the eight felt the best?

[Unknown Speaker A]

God, I'd have to say 2009.

[Coach Cochran]

Okay. One of the earlier ones.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, 2009. We were undefeated. We went and played Texas International Championship. I was at Alabama. And you just don't know until it happens, right? You don't know if all the stuff you've been doing, all the stress all the time, all the things you just don't know, like, is this really going to work?

[Coach Cochran]

Was that the first one?

[Unknown Speaker A]

That was the second one.

[Coach Cochran]

Second one, yep.

[Unknown Speaker A]

But it was a brand new system. I was now the head strength coach. I was important to the. I'm sure I was unimportant as an assistant, but it was just a bigger role. And it was just like, okay, not that we've arrived, but it's working. Like, now I can stand on all ten toes and say, this is the right way. Right. It doesn't mean there's better ways.

[Coach Cochran]

We'll.

[Unknown Speaker A]

We'll adapt and improvise. But this stuff we're doing actually works.

[Coach Cochran]

Absolutely.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And so that was a huge. That was a huge moment for me.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Breakthrough moment for you for sure.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Really was.

[Coach Cochran]

Did the NIL change the player coach dynamic in your opinion?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes, but I think even before the nil, it's changed because the coaches are just trying to move up the ladder too, you know, so chairs, right? Yeah. So like if they're a position coach at a Georgia or an Alabama, they're trying to be a coordinator. They're probably not going to be a coordinator at that school. So they're going to recruit at a high level because that's what coaches are looking for. Can you recruit, can you call the offense or defense? Right. That's what head coaches are looking for. And then once you get to the coordinator position, you're trying to become a head coach because you're talking about millions of dollars.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

So the relationship between player and coach just doesn't exist.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow. I didn't even think about that. But yeah, the coaches are just swapping universities every year. Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

That's why, that's why I would love, I would love for the NIL to, to take a look at the coaches. Right. If you made. I don't know if I should be talking, I might get in trouble. But honestly, if you made every head coach, their pay the same. If you're in a power four or at a fifth conference, whatever. If you were a power five, big time school, every head coach makes say $5 million a year. So now, oh, what's the difference between coaching at Georgia Tech was to Alabama, they're making the same amount of money as the head coach. And then your coordinators, they all make a certain amount, whatever that is. Say every coordinator makes a million and then position coaches make 500. Now all of a sudden athletic directors aren't as quick to fire somebody or they're going to fire them, that's fine. They don't lose a bunch of money. But the coaches will sit tight for a minute because they have some like, babies gonna keep us here. Even if we have one bad season.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right there, it just turns into a. And then it'll trickle down because then the players and the coaches now instead of, okay, I'm gonna recruit this superstar player. It's going to be. It's like a, a notch on the belt. So now by next year I'll be able to leave and go somewhere else. But what about the kid? The kid got recruited by you for two years. You were in that kid's in their home.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You've developed a relationship, and now they show up on campus, and the only person that the closest person they have a relationship with is taking a job.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

So what do you expect the kid to do? You know, like, the kid's stuck.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. No mentorship, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

No mentorship. And he. Of course you go. Because it's a great university and education and all this stuff. But relationships, why? You go to a school, you know, and you try to get the relationship with the players that are coming in together, like trying to get them to team up. And that was easier during COVID because there wasn't a lot of social stuff going on so they could really bond. Yeah. But that Covid's done. So if I'm getting recruited for two years. Because you start getting recruited at the end of your sophomore year. If you're a baller.

[Coach Cochran]

High school.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. Sophomore year, that. End of that season, if you're a good player, you start getting recruited, you start getting question like, are you good enough? Junior year, you've got relationships. Senior year, you just decide where you're going because of those relationships. That's three years. And if you're a really good player, that helps that coach. He'll be a coordinator before you even walk in a door.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

He's gone. And if he's not, you may have him for a year. So I think it's. If you could make some stability in coaching, I think it would fix your nil. It'll not fix your nil, but it'll fix your transfer portal.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. That is fascinating. I did not know that was going on.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

You know, and then you got the players. Some of them are making more than the coaches now. So the dynamic is. Yeah, I feel like there's a lack of respect sometimes.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I think respect is kind of earned, regardless of the situation, you know? And I think everybody's chasing the dollar. The coaches are chasing the dollar. Now. When I first got into coaching, coaches didn't make money. They didn't. It wasn't. It wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna be rich. I'm gonna be a college coach. I'm gonna be rich. No, it was. Man, I can really help these kids out, man. I have something to offer. Right. I bring value to this organization now. It's like everybody sees the money.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. You know, that shows with your track record. You stayed at the same teams for many years. You probably were getting offers the whole time. Of better money, Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. The best offer I got was the Yankees.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, Yankees. Damn. That's baseball. You're not even a baseball coach.

[Unknown Speaker A]

That was my coolest offer. That was the best one.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow. Did you have to think about that one?

[Unknown Speaker A]

I. I did. I'm not a big fan of the cold and I'm not a big baseball guy. And I think to be a strength coach for baseball, you have to love baseball.

[Coach Cochran]

It's a different type of strength training, too.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yes, Right.

[Coach Cochran]

It's that full body like football.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right, Exactly. Right.

[Coach Cochran]

But you did have an NBA stand, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yep. I did three years in the NBA. I was with the New Orleans Hornets, who are the Pelicans now. Had really good players.

[Coach Cochran]

Was that with Chris Paul?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Chris Paul? Yeah, his rookie year. I had him his rookie year. In his second year. David West, Tyson Chandler, junior Smith.

[Coach Cochran]

Nice.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And Peja Stoyakovic, one of my favorites.

[Coach Cochran]

Those are some Hoopers right there.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man, we had a good squad.

[Coach Cochran]

How'd you like that compared to football?

[Unknown Speaker A]

It was. It was easy.

[Coach Cochran]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. I mean, you go from 130 players to 15. I mean, you were tired because of the late nights after games, flying to the next city, but you developed real relationships with players and so you could really help them get through bumps and bruises. You could help them when they were struggling with. Even if it was a financial thing, you know, because they weren't used to having the money and didn't know how to handle this and had agents pulling at them. You know, you got to really develop relationships. So it was. It was a great job.

[Coach Cochran]

That's cool. Well, you've done that with your college players too, because we met through one of your former players. That's cool that you're still talking with your old college.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Always. Always. I got. I actually got to go visit Henry Ruggs while I was here.

[Coach Cochran]

Nice.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Oh, and that was. Man, that was. It was tough.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What happened with him?

[Unknown Speaker A]

So he was. He was a wide receiver here at the Raiders and got killed. Somebody in a car accident.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, I saw this.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Drunk driving. Right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Driving. Damn. Yeah, so we did all the. Had to go through all the different hoops, security and all that to go see him. And man, he. He's just tough.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Tough.

[Coach Cochran]

Crazy. That one decision can change your life so much.

[Unknown Speaker A]

And then. And to see the progression. I can't wait for people to hear his story when he is able to tell it, you know.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because no one's ever heard his side, actually.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right.

[Coach Cochran]

The media just painted their side.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right. And to what got him there. Right. And how easily and how quickly it can Happen to anybody. Yeah. So, yeah, when he gets, when he's available, he's going to jump in with my organization for sure.

[Coach Cochran]

Nice.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I'm going to grab him, you know.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. Did you. Did you have a good eye for talent when you were coaching? Like, did you know certain people were going to take off?

[Unknown Speaker A]

I did. I have a. I feel like I can read people really well off kind of in early sometimes I'm way wrong and I get played. So I've had to grab. Had to figure that out. But, yeah, I can. I can see talent. You know, everybody talks about what's the most athletic, you know, sport and all, and to me, it's basketball. Really? Yes, the best.

[Coach Cochran]

And that's coming from a football coach.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, the best athletes are basketball. They're Hoopers. So if, you know, if you're, if you're recruiting or if you're with a player and they're like, oh, yeah, I played high school basketball. It's like, okay, he's, he's, he's a baller, you know, like, it's just, it fits. The only other movement would be a db. DB would be second to me. So you have to run backwards and.

[Coach Cochran]

You need good hand eye coordination.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow. Coming from a football coach. Yeah, that's a hot take.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man.

[Coach Cochran]

Football, there's always that question with football and basketball. Who's more athletic?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right. Basketball, for sure.

[Coach Cochran]

Well, football players are stronger and some of them are. A lot of them are fast.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Correct.

[Coach Cochran]

And I'd say basketball, they jump higher. They're more explosive.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right. I think, I think if you define what an athlete is, right, it's ankle flexibility. It's hip mobility, hip movement, and every single basketball player has to have that.

[Coach Cochran]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Whereas in football, your running backs don't need it as much, your offensive line don't need it as much, your D line don't need it as much. Right. So, like, your DBs need it. But that ankle flexibility to me is kind of defines. And your vert kind of defines your athleticism to me.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. I think explosiveness is a big part of it.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right. So like. So, yeah, it's an easy take for me.

[Coach Cochran]

I love it, man. Yeah, you need that ankle flexibility. You saw what happened to Max Crosby, right?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. That's rough.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Tough. I got to see Brock Bowers last night, though.

[Coach Cochran]

Nice.

[Unknown Speaker A]

One of my former players.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. You probably have a player on every single team at this point.

[Unknown Speaker A]

I didn't have one on the Falcons. No, I did. He was. I did have one on Falcons. I was like, Wait, I didn't know anybody in the. Rashawn Evans is there, but. Yeah, I have one on every team, for sure.

[Coach Cochran]

Same.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, it's. It's awesome to see him thrive, you know?

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah. You knew them when they were young.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Oh, when they were trying to figure it out, when they were writing the goals down. Right. When they were putting their goals on my whiteboard. Like, I want to be the first pick in the draft. I want to be a Pro Bowl.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. Like, I want to do this.

[Coach Cochran]

That's special.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. And so, like, I. I get to see the. You know, and they don't reach out. It. They reached. They reached out when they heard I was struggling.

[Coach Cochran]

Oh, really?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. I got a lot of love.

[Coach Cochran]

That's cool.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. A lot of love on that.

[Coach Cochran]

I mean, that shows you really played a role in their life then, you know?

[Unknown Speaker A]

It made me feel good, for sure.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah, I bet.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Well, dude, what's next to you? I want to do some charity stuff with you next time you're in Vegas.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah. So we're gonna try to hit all 50 states. And you can find us on eliminatethewhisper.com. that's our website. And anything in the purple project. You know, I want. I want purple to be a big. I just think that if you put purple out there, people are going to ask questions, whether if it's a volleyball player wearing a purple headband Right. In season, whether it's a football player wearing a purple. Eliminatethewhisper.com mouthpiece. Right. Or purple socks. Like, I'm talking about high school all the way through the NFL and then every sport. Why not? You know, because let's get the stigma out.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Like, that's what we're trying to do is just eliminate the stigma. Stop. Look, back in the days in the 40s and 50s, if you got cancer, you got fired.

[Coach Cochran]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Because they didn't understand it. With it, it's 2024. It's going to be 2025 in a week. Right?

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Like, we're talking about, if you have someone that's battling addiction, what happens to them? They get fired. They lose their job. Right? They. They. They are shunned. Like, listen, when I. When I went to rehab, my wife didn't get a casserole from the neighborhood. Know what I'm saying? Nobody. Nobody brought her chocolates or. Nobody said, hey, I hope you're doing okay. Right. It was like, oh, shoot, your husband has an addiction problem. I'm. I'm worried that maybe somebody in my family has it, so I don't want to be anywhere near you.

[Coach Cochran]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker A]

You know, so anything to eliminate the stigma, you know? And y'all have really good recovery here.

[Coach Cochran]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

I didn't know that.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, y'all have a high school here where it's just recovery.

[Coach Cochran]

What?

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah.

[Coach Cochran]

I didn't know that. Well, it makes sense. In Vegas, we got a lot of vices out here, right? Gambling, drinking.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Right. And so any way I can eliminate stigma, I'm all in.

[Coach Cochran]

Let's do it, man. We'll link your charity below.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Awesome.

[Coach Cochran]

Appreciate it. Coming on.

[Unknown Speaker A]

Yeah, man. Thank you.

[Coach Cochran]

That was fun, guys. Check it out. See you next time.