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This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human earners.
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
What's up?
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Co-host or Interviewer
The NFL is interesting because it's like, it's one of those sports that there really is no off season. I feel like. Like you go from OTAs, right? Well, really, the draft. The draft really kicks off. But before the draft, you have the combine where. Where people are still working and they have like a veterans combine now, right?
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
Yeah, so we, I mean, we're working. We've been working as a team, as a unit since April 8th of this year. And the combine was before that. The veteran. I mean, the draft is in what, late.
Co-host or Interviewer
It was.
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
It was April this year. Late April this year. So, yeah, no, I mean, you're pretty much working all year, right? I mean, you know, the only. Even when you're not. Even when you're away from the facility, you know, you can't take. You can only take but so much time off. There's some guys who find a way to take off a couple months and all that stuff. But like, by the time you didn't let your body get out of shape and all that type of stuff. So, I mean, even when you're not quote unquote working, you're working, right? Because, I mean, your body is your asset and we all. I mean, even if you're not exercise enthusiast, you know how quickly you can get out of shape, right? It only takes a week, take you a whole year to get in shape. You take a week off and you go, so you.
Co-host or Interviewer
Now the. I brought that up because you had an injury while you were in Detroit and it kind of like changed the forecast. We'll probably get into that in the next segment. But was it a torn.
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
Torn peck. Torn peck.
Co-host or Interviewer
And during that time it was like, you know what? Let me focus on some other things. Right, Because I think you went to the veteran combine and you impressed some people and they were like, wait, this
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
guy runs a four or five.
Co-host or Interviewer
Like, oh, we need to bring him in. But you had that. That was Detroit brought you in, but you got hurt.
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
Yeah, so. So, yeah, let me go ahead and just attack the story. So year one rookie practice squad, like I said, we had said earlier, I got cut after week four. A few weeks later, with the Tennessee Titans got cut. They picked me up, back up the next week and let me through the season. But you're like, dang, this kind of sickle. So then year two, I'm going into it. I'm like, okay, hey, like, you know, I got my foot in the door. Now I know what to expect. You know, this should be not a walk in the park, but, like, I know what to expect, right? I was a long shot last year. Now I'm not a vet, but I'm, you know, I know what I'm going into this year. Make the team, make the practice squad. I'm there for two weeks. We had new coaching staff and all that stuff. Two weeks. And then after that, I get cut. So I'm like, okay, it'll be similar to last year. Somebody will call me next week or something. No call, nothing going on, right? And this is my second year. What's going on, man? You know? Okay, so I'm working out, working out, working out, changing my body. I. Working out, working out, working out, and just keep staying focused, staying on the. On task. I remember Sunday nights, watching other people play and just, like, just running on the treadmill, right? So during that time, though, you know, so you go in September 14th, 15th through January. No, no call, no check, no anything, right? And so I'm like, all right, during that time, like, you know, you got to figure out what your life is going to look like. For me, that was a big slap in the face of, like. I mean, I always knew it, but that was a big shaking of, like, this. You really can never put yourself in a position where you're dependent on the Tennessee Titans. The Baltimore Raiders might give you a check, right? Like, I got to provide, right? So I gave myself a year at that point because I knew I could play in the NFL. It would be one thing if I went up there and I was like, man, I'm getting tossed around like a little schoolboy, right? Like, I'm like, no, I can play in the NFL, and I can be good. So I'm gonna give myself one year, and I'm gonna do everything in my power to make it. In that march, there was a veterans combine. The way God works. There was a veterans combine. That was the only year they ever did it. They didn't have it before. They stopped it after. It was a thousand or, like a thousand people. Over a thousand guys tried to get in. You pay to do that.
Co-host or Interviewer
You pay to be part of the invitation, right?
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
Yeah, invitation. You paid to, like, fly out there and do all that stuff. But over a thousand guys tried to get in and they only accepted 100. I didn't get in at first. And I remember signing up to play arena football, giving myself a year to do it. I could have went play cfo, but that's a two year agreement. That's against the agreement I made to myself, right? I give myself a year to get this thing back. If not, then I got to go hustle up on Wall street to do something else.
Co-host or Interviewer
Right?
NFL Player (possibly the guest)
I fly down to Orlando Predators arena football team. I'm literally unpack my suitcase, literally get everything in the drawers. I'm ready to do this, right? I lay down on the bed and the boom, whatever, the male sound comes through. I look at it. You've been invited to the veterans combine. What? Okay, so I call the coach, get it, get all that stuff worked out from there, and then I go and do the veterans combine. And I literally had the best day at the office I've ever had. I ran a 4,5 1 laser.
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NFL Player (possibly the guest)
We actually, the day before we supposed to do the whole combine, the bench press and all that type of stuff, a guy gets up and says, hey, like, basically these scouts don't want to waste their time being here with y', all, so we gonna cut out all of that stuff. They basically said that if y' all were good, you'd already be in the league. Right? We've seen you guys, we've seen other stuff. So we sitting there eating dinner and I'm like, God damn. Like, you just. You took all our money to get out here, though, right? Like, oh, well, I guess, you know, chips are stacked against us. So anyway, I do, I do my workout and I go from literally no offers, you know, sitting unemployed the whole year to seven teams lined up to talk to me. And then after that combine, having 16 teams, half the NFL giving me an offer and an invite to one of their camps. And again, you still haven't made it yet. Right, Right. So I keep that in perspective. Gotta go with Detroit. And then I'm playing. I make the 53 man roster finally, right? First year, making 53 man. I play with them a whole year. Go another year, play with them, and then I go on into year three. And in year three, I'm in this position where I'm finally at this point where it's like you're about to start. I remember going to. We practiced against the Indianapolis Colts. So now you're In July of 2017, we practice against the Indianapolis Colts. We have joint practices and, you know, My coach comes up to me the night before the game.
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Ryan Seacrest / U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
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NFL Player (possibly the guest)
We practice against them for two days and then, then we play them in a preseason game. Blows my mind, but that's what we do. Now this dude knows all my good moves, right? So now, now we, so the coach comes up to me, my linebacker coach is like cope, listen, like you, I want to let you know like you've done a great job this week, right? Like you, you really impressed myself, the gm, the head coach. Like you're going to be our starting linebacker, right? So go out there tomorrow, you know, get you a few reps, you know, nothing too crazy, get you a few reps. But like I'm very proud of you kid. Like good job, right? So I'm like dang like you know, this been a roller coaster ride and wow, okay, cool. Like I've been working for this, you know. I think I called my, she was, I don't know if she was my fiance at the time, 2017. She was my fiance at the time. So I called my fiance at the time and you know, told her. But you know, I'm gonna get ready for the game, go out there the next day. I'm doing my special teams Reps. I do a few of my reps. And then of course, on one play as a just a lead running back comes with the ball, making a tackle, and I wrap and roll. My arm gets caught in the pile and his body just goes back, goes back, goes back. And like, his body, the weight of his body, I just feel a. And I just remember just being like, oh, no. And so I tried to do a push up on the field and I barely, I. I barely could, but I did it. So I'm like, okay, cool. Like, it was probably a partial tear. So I just run off the field, like, all right, cool. Like, you know, somebody else can do this. They take me in the back and the trainer comes to me, is like, yeah, you tore your pec. I'm like, ah, you know, it's probably partial. Like, I don't know if you saw me out there, but I kind of push up, bro. You know, and if anybody knows, NFL guys and trainers usually are conservative. Like, they usually try to force you back too quick. He was like, nah, kiddo. Like, I'm sorry to tell you. Like, I could feel it. Like, you tore your pec tendon, right? He was like, I'm like, okay, well, what's that, like a month? You know, a few weeks? Like, no, that's like six months.
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NFL Player (possibly the guest)
So that's my, my story. That's that dang. Like, you know, you get that out of body experience. Like you don't know what you're talking about. I need to know. You know, I'm in the booby miles mode. Like, you know, nah, I can't. I'm supposed to start. I don't know if you heard the conversation.
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NFL Player (possibly the guest)
So we end up, I have surgery, and for me, that was a big time of like, you know, you have two paths you can go into. That woe is me. That depression. You have that mini moment of the. Well, for me, you have that moment of depression of like, are you kidding me? Right? Like, you gotta be kidding me. Like, seriously. And you know, but you gotta get yourself one, you gotta get yourself out of it, and then two, you know, I'm a big believer in everything happening for a reason. And it was good or bad, right? A lot of people look at the bad and they just, they don't. They don't look back at their lives and see all the bad things or the moments they thought were bad and how that ended up leading to something that they didn't never expected to happen. Right? So for me, it was an opportunity. I'm like, okay, well, this is when I came into the NFL. My dream was to be in the NFL. This is my dream. My dream was. Because it's evolved ever since then, but my dream was to be in the NFL, be making a great salary, and then it be nothing in compared to what I'm doing and making off the field, right? My dream wasn't to be an NFL player. Right. It's part of the dream. Like you had to be an NFL player to have this dream. But it was layers and levels to my dream. That's important. So for me, I'm like, okay. And it took a week and a half or so. You know, you in the sling, you ain't doing stuff. So, you know, it took a little while, but I'm like, maybe this is God giving me that opportunity to set up what is going to make me actually or allow me to accomplish my dream, right? So for me, that's when I dove into real estate. My wife has a video I remember she posted to her Instagram or her Snap or whatever. And you know, literally the day after surgery or hours after surgery, we're in Best Buy and I'm slinged up and I'm looking at. They got the little blood thing, like still circulating blood from the surgery or whatever. And I'm looking at appliances. And I didn't, at the time, I didn't realize Best Buy had like appliances and dope discounts like that. But I'm just looking at different washers, washers and dryers because I'm, I'm had an apartment, I bought a house in Detroit going into that, that I was going to live in in the season. And then at the end of season, I was going right down, right? So I was already thinking like, okay, this is going to be a rental, part of the portfolio, all that type of stuff. But, but. And then I was flipping houses and stuff like that at the time. So I'm looking at appliances and looking at different prices and stuff like that. But like, for me, it was like, okay, this can either be detrimental to me or it's going to be an opportunity. And for me, that's when the real estate stuff just turned up tenfold. Because it was just like, I mean, I don't have. I really don't have anything else to do. When you're rehabbing a peck. Yeah, if you hold your arm up like this after a week, that's like a big. That's a perfect segue. Because now we gonna go into the business side thing. But before we go into the next segment, Best Buy. I hope you listen in. Yeah, we have sponsorship opportunities. So earners. What's up?
Co-host or Interviewer
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Earn Your Leisure – iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Rashad Bilal & Troy Millings
Guest: Unnamed NFL Player (linebacker, former Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans)
Date: June 17, 2026
This episode pulls back the curtain on the often unseen challenges of NFL life, beyond the glitz and game-day glory. Through the candid journey of a current/former linebacker, the conversation explores the volatility of professional football, the ever-present fight for roster spots, injury setbacks, and the vital importance of preparing for life after football. Ultimately, the episode is both a hard-nosed reality check and a practical business seminar, emphasizing resilience and financial literacy.
[03:06 – 04:22]
No "True" Offseason:
The hosts and guest discuss the misconception that the NFL has a relaxing offseason. With combines, drafts, OTAs, and constant training, the calendar is packed.
“Even when you're not ‘working’, you're working. Your body is your asset … It only takes a week [off], take you a whole year to get in shape.”
— NFL Player [03:39]
Job Security is Fleeting:
The grind isn’t just physical—job security is always on the line, especially for non-superstars.
[04:22 – 07:42]
Early Career Setbacks:
The guest recounts being cut multiple times in his first NFL years—moving from teams, practice squads, and facing stretches of unemployment.
"You go in September 14th, 15th through January. No, no call, no check, no anything, right? … That was a big shaking of, like, you really can never put yourself in a position where you’re dependent on [an NFL team]..."
— NFL Player [06:10]
Veteran Combine Hail Mary:
After being snubbed by teams, he paid to attend a rare veterans combine, an opportunity he nearly missed.
“There was a veterans combine. That was the only year they ever did it ... Over a thousand guys tried to get in. They only accepted 100. I didn’t get in at first.”
— NFL Player [07:13]
Roller Coaster Breakthrough:
Upon finally being accepted, he impressed:
"I literally had the best day at the office I've ever had. I ran a 4.51 laser … I go from literally no offers, sitting unemployed the whole year, to seven teams lined up to talk to me."
— NFL Player [08:19]
[13:34 – 16:03]
On the Brink of a Starting Spot:
After earning starting linebacker status with Detroit, he suffers a devastating torn pectoral muscle in a preseason game—the kind of random twist that can derail entire careers.
“My linebacker coach is like, ‘You’re going to be our starting linebacker, right?’ So go out there tomorrow, get you a few reps … I called my fiancée … I get ready for the game. Doing my reps ... And then, a lead running back comes with the ball … his body just goes back, goes back, goes back … I just feel a [pop].”
— NFL Player [13:34]
Dealing with the News:
“He was like, ‘Nah, kiddo. I’m sorry to tell you … you tore your pec tendon.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, well what’s that, a month? ... a few weeks?’ ‘No, that’s like six months.’”
— NFL Player [15:46]
Mental Toll & Choosing Resilience:
Talks honestly about the emotional low, but frames it as an inflection point.
“You have that moment of depression, of like, are you kidding me? … But you gotta get yourself out of it … I’m a big believer in everything happening for a reason.”
— NFL Player [16:05]
[16:05 – 19:15]
Starting in Real Estate:
Rather than dwell on injury, the guest doubles down on his off-field ambitions—flipping houses and building a rental portfolio, even while still recovering.
“Literally the day after surgery … we’re in Best Buy and I’m slinged up and … I’m looking at appliances … My dream wasn’t to be an NFL player. Right. It’s part of the dream. … But it was layers and levels to my dream.”
— NFL Player [17:00, 18:12]
Importance of Having a Plan B:
He stresses the crucial lesson he learned: don’t depend solely on NFL checks or careers—have other money hustling.
On the Precarious NFL Life:
"You really can never put yourself in a position where you’re dependent on the Tennessee Titans [or] the Baltimore Raiders might give you a check, right? Like, I got to provide."
— NFL Player [06:10]
Facing Doubt and Persevering:
“If you’re not an exercise enthusiast, you know how quickly you can get out of shape, right? … Take a week off and you go…”
— NFL Player [03:39]
On Injury as Opportunity:
“Maybe this is God giving me that opportunity to set up what is going to make me actually … accomplish my dream.”
— NFL Player [17:45]
On NFL Dream vs. Reality:
“My dream was to be in the NFL … and then it [would] be nothing in compared to what I’m doing and making off the field … It was layers and levels to my dream.”
— NFL Player [18:12]
True to the show’s theme, the discussion balances streetwise realism with business class savvy. The guest remains candid, humble, and often wryly humorous—even when recounting hardship. Hosts Rashad and Troy encourage personal accountability and focus on extracting practical financial lessons for listeners (“earners”) looking to grow beyond a single paycheck or job.
The episode is a powerful (and at times sobering) look at the NFL’s challenges, but also a playbook for using adversity as a springboard—reminding listeners of the importance of diversification, resilience, and always having a side hustle ready.
For more with athletes and entrepreneurs turning setbacks into business success, keep following Earn Your Leisure. #earnyourleisurepodcast