Rory & Mal Don't Know Ball | Darren Waller

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Rory & MAL – Episode: Rory & Mal Don't Know Ball | Darren Waller

Release Date: February 27, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of New Rory & MAL, hosts Rory and Mal engage in an insightful and candid conversation with Darren Waller, the standout tight end for the New York Giants and former Raider. The discussion delves deep into Waller's personal journey, encompassing his early life, music influences, professional transition within the NFL, challenges with substance abuse, and his burgeoning music career. This comprehensive dialogue offers listeners a multifaceted view of Waller's life both on and off the field.

Early Life and Musical Influences

Darren Waller opens up about his diverse musical upbringing, shaped significantly by his family's eclectic tastes. Born in Maryland and raised primarily in Georgia, Waller was exposed to a blend of genres from a young age.

• Family's Influence:
  "My dad would play like Old Dirty Bastard in the whip... we were singing like ODB lyrics," [03:59]. Waller's father's roots in Queens brought authentic New York hip-hop vibes into his household, fostering an early appreciation for artists like Mobb Deep and Ludacris.

• Broad Musical Palette:
  Growing up, Waller's mother favored smooth jazz and Michael Jackson, exposing him to a variety of sounds beyond hip-hop.
  "And I remember crying when I heard this song by Daughtry when I was in middle school," [11:33], highlighting his openness to different genres.

Transition to the NFL: Wide Receiver to Tight End

Waller discusses his transition from wide receiver in college to tight end in the professional leagues, detailing the challenges and adjustments required for the position change.

• Learning to Block:
  "I had to learn how to block because now you're trying to gather away at DL linemen and linebackers," [46:43]. This shift demanded a new skill set, emphasizing run-blocking techniques and physical resilience.

• Adapting to Team Cultures:
  Comparing his experiences with the Raiders and Giants, Waller highlights the contrasting fan bases and organizational cultures.
  "Raiders, Eagles, the Jets to some degree are more like college football fans to me," [19:13], illustrating his perspective on different team environments.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

A poignant segment of the conversation addresses Waller's struggles with substance abuse and his journey toward sobriety.

• Personal Challenges:
  "I've been sober for seven years and I feel like I've just been spinning my tires," [62:03]. Waller reflects on his battle with addiction, emphasizing the importance of mental health and self-awareness.

• Impact of Football:
  "Football was directly connected to my substance abuse early on," [31:39]. The high-pressure environment and physical toll of the sport contributed to his reliance on substances as a coping mechanism.

NCAA and NIL Deals: Changing Landscape of College Sports

Waller provides his perspective on the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals in college sports, contrasting it with his own experiences.

• Economic Disparities:
  "At 18, you get motherf**ers going in with M's out of high school,"* [25:36]. He critiques the current NIL environment, suggesting it fosters instant gratification over long-term development.

• Character Development:
  "There are lessons you learn in college... consistency that I was able to develop helped me to build a career," [28:02]. Waller underscores the value of perseverance and gradual growth, which he feels may be undermined by the current trends.

Music Career: From Passion to Profession

Beyond football, Darren Waller has nurtured a passion for music, which he now pursues more actively post-NFL.

• Early Beginnings:
  "I was making music since 2015... It was just like some people knew about it, some people didn't," [55:37]. Initially a personal hobby, Waller's music became a therapeutic outlet during his athletic career.

• Collaborations and Projects:
  Currently collaborating with artists like Syre and Jrod, Waller is expanding his musical repertoire.
  "We got a record called Mind Games and more... experimenting with a lot of new things," [68:47], indicating his dedication to evolving as an artist.

Personal Insights and Advice

Waller shares thoughtful advice for his younger self and others facing similar struggles.

• Defining Personal Identity:
  "You gotta define what it is you want and who you want to be and not be overtaken by the current of what the world wants you to be," [66:37]. Emphasizing authenticity over societal expectations, Waller encourages self-discovery and personal fulfillment.

• Embracing Change:
  "Trust who you are. Don't feel like you gotta abandon that for fitting in," [67:54]. He advocates for staying true to oneself amidst external pressures and challenges.

Locker Room Dynamics and Team Culture

A lighter yet insightful discussion ensues about the unique cultures within locker rooms across different NFL teams.

• Raider vs. Giants Fans:
  "Raiders fans are really aggressive... They'll have a whole Raiders sleeve," [17:47]. Waller contrasts this with the more composed environment of Giants fans, highlighting the diversity in fan behavior and its influence on players.

• Music and Dominance:
  "Our whole life, we're being rewarded for imposing our will on people and being celebrated for it," [35:16]. This ingrained sense of dominance from football often carries over into social settings, affecting interactions outside the sport.

Favorite Music and Cultural References

Waller and the hosts engage in a lively debate over favorite music albums and movies, reflecting their diverse tastes and cultural backgrounds.

• Music Preferences:
  From Ludacris’s humorous antics to his own budding R&B influences, Waller showcases a broad and evolving musical taste.
  "I think Luda was actually the blueprint, especially from the south, for a rapper," [07:44].

• Football Movies:
  Debating classics like Friday Night Lights and Any Given Sunday, Waller praises the latter for its deep insight into the life of professional athletes.
  "Any Given Sunday was so ahead of its time... one of the most brilliant movies that's ever existed," [74:19].

Darren Waller Foundation: Giving Back

Waller discusses his philanthropic efforts through the Darren Waller Foundation, aimed at supporting those struggling with substance abuse.

• Foundation's Mission:
  "We've been really just giving people access to treatment, to go to 30 days in rehab, to have aftercare sober living," [59:25]. Inspired by his own experiences, Waller is committed to helping others overcome similar challenges.

• Impact:
  "We've seen... 72 people through treatment," [60:11]. The foundation has made significant strides in providing essential support and resources to individuals in need.

Conclusion

Darren Waller's conversation on New Rory & MAL offers a profound look into the complexities of balancing professional sports, personal struggles, and creative passions. From his early musical influences to his commitment to mental health and philanthropy, Waller exemplifies resilience and authenticity. His insights provide valuable lessons on self-identity, the importance of seeking help, and the pursuit of one's passions beyond societal expectations.

Notable Quotes:

• "Why we gotta pick, bro?" – Darren Waller [05:52]
• "Trust who you are. Don't feel like you gotta abandon that for fitting in." – Darren Waller [66:37]
• "Any Given Sunday was so ahead of its time... one of the most brilliant movies that's ever existed." – Darren Waller [74:19]
• "I've been sober for seven years and I feel like I've just been spinning my tires." – Darren Waller [62:03]
• "We're being rewarded for imposing our will on people and being celebrated for it." – Darren Waller [35:16]

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This episode serves as an inspiring testament to overcoming adversity, the importance of authenticity, and the power of following one's passions. Darren Waller's openness and vulnerability provide listeners with both entertainment and valuable life lessons.

Transcript

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[Darren Waller]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Darren Waller]

Easy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Darren Waller]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Darren Waller]

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[Darren Waller]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

The volume.

[Podcast Host]

No warrior.

[Darren Waller]

Now.

[Podcast Host]

Today we are joined with once a giant, always a giant as far as I'm concerned. So today we are joined with Georgia this is. You're a yellow jacket for life as well. Yeah, yeah, I think you know that. But today we are joined with Darren Waller, tight end, New York Giants Raiders. But I'm just Giants bro. We don't talk about other teams. You a giant for life.

[Darren Waller]

That's fair.

[Podcast Host]

Pleasure to meet you. We follow each other on the Gram.

[Darren Waller]

Saquon I think has some things to say about that. I don't know if he feels like being a giant for Life right now. He's an eagle for life now.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, definitely. But, Darren, thank you for joining us. Pleasure to finally meet you. We've been following each other on social media for a few years. Um, so it's a pleasure to have you in the studio with us today.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, we appreciate the support you've been giving us over the years as well.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely.

[Darren Waller]

Um, I know you don't know much about this new segment show, entity, platform. It is still very much new, Rory and Mall. But we over. I don't know how many years have talked to so many athletes and all they want to do is talk about rap.

[Podcast Host]

They.

[Darren Waller]

They never want to talk about.

[Podcast Host]

Talk about it or they want to rap.

[Darren Waller]

Yes.

Yeah.

And I've found that they usually have awful hip hop takes, like, some of the worst ever. So I am.

[Podcast Host]

But they say the same thing about my sports take, so it's okay.

[Darren Waller]

We're finding a common ground here. But I do kind of want to start at the beginning. I know you moved around a lot from Maryland to Colorado to Georgia. What were you listening to early on? Especially in starting out in Maryland?

Yeah, so I was born in Maryland. I was there for like a year, and then we moved to Colorado till I was like four. So I don't even remember that time.

Okay.

I remember from Georgia, just all the way.

Gotcha.

And I remember my dad would play like Old Dirty Bastard in the whip. My dad's from Queens.

Oh, love it.

Okay.

What part of Queens?

Jamaica.

[Podcast Host]

He was giving you that real culture.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. So it was like. And we came into the house or something, me and my sister, and we were singing like, ODB lyrics. My mom was like, where the fuck are y'all hearing this shit At Ride with my dad, you know, so. But he was like, you know New York hip hop. I know he like gangstar a lot.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, your dad, He's a hip hop head.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Darren Waller]

I stole his infamous Mobb Deep cd.

[Podcast Host]

That's a good CD to steal.

[Darren Waller]

I loved.

[Podcast Host]

If you're gonna steal a cd, that's one to steal.

[Darren Waller]

Temperature Rising was. I used to love riding around.

Best Q tip drums ever.

Okay. Yeah, so that was early on for me. A lot of. My mom loved Michael Jackson and all types of just everything. And they love smooth jazz, watercolors. They always go to jazz festivals and whatnot. So it was a wide range.

And your family is musical, right? Isn't your grandfather. Great grandfather.

My great grandfather's fast waller was like a legendary jazz pianist. So.

So did you guys have a lot of instruments in the career growing up.

Or they had us playing piano at, like, 4, taking lessons. And I was in band in middle school. And then it was, like, not cool to be in band once you're in high school.

Yeah.

And you playing football.

But I feel like in the south, it's probably cooler than up here.

[Podcast Host]

What, being in.

[Darren Waller]

Being in the band? Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Nah, you play sports in the South?

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, it's football. Like, fuck you mean banned?

Yeah, it's like, damn, eighth grade, so it's time to play ball.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

But once you started, like, getting into junior high, high school, were you still listening to your pops, like, 90s hip hop shit, or you starting to get more into what was happening in Georgia at the time?

I was getting into what was happening in Georgia. I loved Ludacris as a kid. Same by my first two years of high school, I was riding around listening to fucking Gucci mixtapes all the time. But I still kept the love for, like, all, like, Jay Z. Black album was big in rotation on my CD player. Kanye Graduation, Get Rich or Die Trying. Like, there's a whole bunch of.

[Podcast Host]

So, on the verses, what side was you on between Jeezy and Gucci Mane?

[Darren Waller]

I was trying to sit that one out. Cause it was just like, damn, why we gotta pick, bro? But I was probably lean more, leaned a little bit more Gucci. But it was tough to.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Be like, damn, I gotta, like, not fuck with Jeezy.

[Podcast Host]

That was such an interesting time. Like that versus. Because I think that. Versus. I learned a lot about exactly how many people in Georgia. I always knew they fucked with Gucci, but that night I learned. I was like, oh, no, it's a different. It's a level that I had no idea. I think you had to be from Georgia to understand exactly the difference between Gucci and Jeezy as far as people from Georgia are concerned.

[Darren Waller]

Cult following, bro.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

When I got to college, I started to understand more because, you know, people from the south, for some weird reason, came up north to go to college, and they started explaining that Jeezy and Gucci shit to me as if it was ja rule and 50 cent. And I thought they was fucking crazy.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Then I got down to the south and was like, oh, I get it. My bad. I didn't realize that this was really. Y'all. Jay Z and Nas at the moment. Yeah. We're close in age, so I know we grew up on similar music. To me, Ludacris might be the most criminally underrated rapper of all time, based off his discography no disrespect to Nelly. We saw what happened during COVID In the verses, everyone's like, yo, Nelly's diamond. I agree. Nelly's the man. But you're not fucking with Luda. Luda cleaned him the fuck up. Yeah, Luda had been a personality, an actor. A lot of where I even see rappers going now, Luda was doing before Luda was on the radio, before he was a rapper. Luda, to me, is actually the blueprint, especially from the south, for a rapper. What was Luda like growing up in Georgia to y'all? Cause in New York, to us, he was like a New York rapper. He was rapping his ass off over those Southern beats. It was an easier way to digest than, say, T.I. who came a little later that had more of a Southern accent, where Luda didn't.

Yeah, Luda was. I mean, talk about pregame song. My first pregame song was Roll Out Ludoic.

[Podcast Host]

Like, that's a pregame song.

[Darren Waller]

I first got a CD player, like, every time. But I feel like, for me, for him, it was like, the personality that he put on records because a lot of, like, rap is, like, tough bravado. Ludacris would be funny. Like, he talking about women. Like, he's like. And whatever.

[Podcast Host]

He had a lot of slick talk.

[Darren Waller]

Whatever he does, and just, like, his wordplay and the tones of his voice. I was just like, it would make me laugh. Like, most rap, I'm like, yeah, but, like, he would make me laugh. He would make me be hype. Like, it was just, like, something that he was doing. I was like, yeah, I'm fucking with him. Like, he's just a personality, like you said.

And the way, like, of course, you bring up Missy, Busta, all these amazing visual artists like their videos. But to me, when I was a kid, Ludacris had the best videos, hands down. To me, that's what, like, we waited on Luda's videos.

[Podcast Host]

No, Luda definitely is one of those artists that pushed visually, he pushed his art to another level. He wasn't afraid to try different shit, to have fun, be funny, even make fun of himself wearing the big sneakers and all of that. He was definitely an artist that, looking back where it was like, yo, he can really rap, but, like, he's not afraid to have fun either, though. But when he give you those records, it's like, yo, I don't know if there's too many dudes that could rap better than him, but I don't think he got that respect because he was so animated. And it's like, you know, in rap, you kind of have a hard time. We like who we can emulate. Like, if I put on a song, I want to be able to rap like that.

[Darren Waller]

Right?

[Podcast Host]

You don't want to be too animated and rap like Ludacris because it's like, people gonna look at you like, yo, what's up with this dude? Is he okay? But when you listen to what he's. He's getting off. Like, he's really getting his shit off. So I think it was just that he was having a good time through his music, wanted people to have fun, dance. But I also respected Luda because he was. When the music called for it, and especially when he did features. Like, when Luda was doing features, I think he went in there knowing I'm clean. I don't care who else is on this record. I'm cleaning them up. They're gonna have a hard time rapping better than me. And I think that was. That's why I like Luda a lot, because he had fun. But when it was time to get busy, he also could do that, too.

[Darren Waller]

Took it there.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

He. I have a. I actually have a funny Luda story that I've never told. On our pod, me and Aristotle, we did a video for Luda a while ago, and he pulled up to set driving a tour bus. Like, he had it. He was driving the tour. He pulled up in the tour bus, driving. I was like, all right, that's weird, but all right, I'm with it. And once we started talking to him more, he was like, yeah, it's not like a gimmick. I know everyone in Atlanta sees me driving around in this tour bus. I have lost half a million dollars on every single tour because of the tour bus fees. And I just wanted to buy a tour bus so I could save my money. And this is also the guy that has Fast and the Furious money at this point. This wasn't, like, early.

[Podcast Host]

This is.

[Darren Waller]

This is legacy Luda.

[Podcast Host]

Right?

[Darren Waller]

And he's still doing that. Like, he also on the business side. I know you joke around. We were really drinking Ludacris. I don't know Atlanta. If you was at Georgia. We were drinking lute.

[Podcast Host]

You ain't do that.

[Darren Waller]

2010, we was drinking. 100% drinking lute.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I didn't do the Luty act. Wasn't my brand. I didn't do that.

[Darren Waller]

But who were some of your other favorite rappers coming out of Just Georgia, period.

Yeah. Jeezy, like I said. And Gucci it was tough to see that war go down. Pastor Troy had bangers. That was probably it. Cause I was a blend. Those were my south guys that got me in the door to then the new era was who I really like love like Thug's future. Like seeing them from like live mixtapes era on up was just like a treat. Like even Metro like starting his own projects at like 19 years old. Like seeing that whole rise.

So I mean your pops playing you old dirty bastard, mobb deep, et cetera. It wasn't a little difficult getting into Thug and some of that stuff just cause you, you grew up on more boom bap type of rap.

I don't know what it was. I always had like an open mindedness to music like I'm listening to. Like I remember I had a vivid memory of crying when I heard this song by Daughtry when I was in middle school.

Okay.

Daughtry, Daughtry, wow. Like I'm like I'm listening to all different types. Like any kind of music like can stoke up a feeling in me or I love listening to it. So it's like it wasn't just like one genre. It was like my cup of tea. It was like I feel like did.

[Podcast Host]

Daughtry start on an American Idol bruh?

[Darren Waller]

Home by Dodtry.

[Podcast Host]

Why do I remember that? Like that was the one I'm getting.

[Darren Waller]

Banger, bro.

[Podcast Host]

That's your shit, right?

[Darren Waller]

That was your MySpace song?

Nah, bro, my. My MySpace song Getaway Boys.

[Podcast Host]

Daughtry is crazy. I would never would have guessed you listen to Daughter.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, I mean any. Yeah, I love even like the like the rock music from back in that era. Because I mean I had like a lot of white homies back then, like All American Rejects.

Of course.

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Oh yeah.

[Darren Waller]

My Chemical Romances like bangers back there.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Darren Waller]

That era of like alternative rock was incredible. I wish it continued on. Or maybe I'm just out of touch. I feel like that whole genre is just got that fire. Alternative slash pop. Right.

[Podcast Host]

I think, I think, you know, it's funny, I think a lot of that has to do with TRL no longer being around.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, a lot of that, A lot.

[Podcast Host]

Of that helped like TRL helped kind of like push that into every home. Like. Yeah, because like I said we, if people look at us, they. I would never think you listen to Doctrine My Chemical Romance, but you probably watch TRL pretty much every day. Yeah, and that's how I got introduced to a lot of that was watching trl. So I think that kind of like killed the whole alternative rock wave.

[Darren Waller]

What was your first ringtone?

Mike Jones back then. I mean, on a singular wireless Sony Ericsson flip phone.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely banger.

[Darren Waller]

I mean, naturally.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah. I did a lot of back then.

[Darren Waller]

Them hoes did not want me. Straight up.

[Podcast Host]

That's hilarious.

[Darren Waller]

It's funny that the ringtone will validate that. Like, I know it's not a hoko.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, no, not at all. It's definitely just the homies.

[Darren Waller]

The bro.

[Podcast Host]

It's the brother.

[Darren Waller]

Um, I mean, what. What were the girls listening to in high school with you? Because I. I was so much like, on. Not more, like, rap nerdy shit. Cause I was into Mike Jones and a lot of, like, more of the south shit that was popping, even snap music. But I was still very much in my own bubble of underground rap that didn't really relate right. To the pretty girls. I was trying to, like, finger sorry to be exploited. It was high school, man.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's natural.

[Darren Waller]

So that was always, like, a big disconnection when it came to music and women in high school for me. Did you run into that at all because you was raised on Old Dirty Bastard? They wasn't trying to hear that.

I feel like if you was in the Usher, Chris Brown side of things, like, you was using the right spot.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So when you. In playing sports, when you got into sports, who were some of the people that you definitely can attribute, like, a lot of your workout regimen to, like, what was playing? Like, what music were you listening to before game days? What are the artists that you like before a game? I have to listen to this artist. This is the artist that gets me in that zone.

[Darren Waller]

I feel like that's where, like, the trap music part of Atlanta started coming in. So it's like seeing the rise of. I mean, all through Flocka Thug from the very, very earliest days. Future from the earliest days were always in rotation. A little bit of new. Like I said, Jay Z. But that was mostly where, like, the Atlanta scene of music came in. Was like, gotta be playing the drums before game day. And that was like, what everybody in high school wanted to listen to.

[Podcast Host]

So there's no R and B before a game?

[Darren Waller]

Nah, my taste before games evolve, like, once I'm in the league, like, it depends on how I was feeling that day. There was times I went out there, and I think there's a game where we played Jacksonville in, like, 2019. I had, like, 100 in the first half. I was listening to, like, Fred Hammond and Marvin Sapp before the game, like, and Then. But then there'd be some games where I'll listen to like piano music or like fucking chakra healing music. But then there's days where I'm out there and it's just straight. It's like Westside Gun or it's Lil Baby. Like it's just all over the place.

Yeah. Well, I mean, what's the difference going into those games of wanting to go with healing music versus Westside Gun screaming boom, boom, boom out to the field?

It's. It's kind of how I wake up and feel that morning. You know, it's like most times people are like, all right, Sunday, they're ready to go. There's some days where it's like, I had a 200 yard game once I woke up that morning, I was like, I don't know how I'm gonna play a football game. I went out to warm ups. I didn't have pants on over my leggings. I look crazy, but it's so. Those days, I kind of temper my music around, like, how I'm feeling that morning. That'll have me. Because you got to be calm when you go out there. You got to be like, had an edge to you, but at the same time you got to be calm because there's a lot of. You got to process, a lot of you got to execute.

Yeah.

So niggas be too hype out there sometimes and forget they got to do a job.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Darren Waller]

And I mean, when you're playing with the Raiders, because that just comes with, you know, even leaving Oakland and going to Vegas, they still have that reputation of having those crazy fans, death metal and shit. Was it tough trying to, like warm up before a game and they're trying to cater to the fans rather than you as far as music, because I've been to a few Raider games. It's just heavy metal and shit that's playing the entire time. That would annoy the fuck out of me.

Yeah. And yeah, the music is like, you can't even pick up on what they're trying to do. It's like, is this. Like you said, is this catered to players?

Yeah. I mean, at least with the Giants, like, Wala is DJing and shit and it's cool. But those Raiders games, it's just Harley Davidson music the entire time.

[Podcast Host]

But that's a different. I think the Raider, and you can probably speak to this. Darren, what is the culture like, the difference in the culture going from the Raiders organization to the Giants? Because Raider culture is a whole different animal. Like the Shit that I see, I'm like, all right, I get it's football, but, like, some of these people, like, they follow these fans to their homes, and, like, they have Raider homes.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like, what is the difference in the culture and environment? Like, when you got to the Raiders versus the Giants, what was the culture change?

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, those fans, as you described, like, they're outside the gate that you drive in every single day. Um, there's dudes out there, like, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's like, where's your family, my boy? Like, yeah, like the. The damn. We had a janitor that came from Oakland to Vegas. He ended up getting in some trouble, and they kicked him out. But he had, like, Jon Gruden portraits tatted on him. Like, Raiders.

[Podcast Host]

Like, the janitor.

[Darren Waller]

The janitor, bro. Migo. Shout out to Migo, man. I don't know where Migo's at, but.

[Podcast Host]

Mego, wherever you at, man.

[Darren Waller]

He had the Raider shrine at his house. Like, he would show us pictures, like. Yeah, so those fans are really crashing, like, their whole body. They'll have a whole Raiders sleeve.

Did Jon Gruden ever see that? Like, when he was in the bathroom taking a piss and the janitor was there, like, yo, Jon, check it out.

[Podcast Host]

Pull his shirt off and show Jon his chest. While he's in the bathroom, he would.

[Darren Waller]

Pull his shirt and show the players, like, he love.

[Podcast Host]

So he's a lifer. He's like somebody that has been in it. So they just kept him at the janitor position. They didn't want to, like, elevate him a little bit in the organization.

[Darren Waller]

He didn't have the skills to be elevated to more.

[Podcast Host]

Just let him mop.

[Darren Waller]

He was working overtime.

[Podcast Host]

He mopped with passion. I do it with passion. I get that part. I get that part.

[Darren Waller]

I feel like if you're getting a Jon Gruden tattoo, that being a janitor at the Raiders stadium would be, like, the apex job.

Right. You can't be, like, the cmo.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Darren Waller]

If I have Jon Gruden, that's the best job ever.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, like, he just wants to be in the building. He's one of those guys that just let me be in the building every day.

[Darren Waller]

Would take. Empty the clip in him. He'd take bullets for the Raiders.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah. See, that's the type of fan base that I think is a little. Just too aggressive. I get football as an aggressive sport, but you see people like that. I love it. But it's like, watch him, because we don't know what he's liable it's like.

[Darren Waller]

Raiders, Eagles, the Jets to some degree are more like college football fans to me than they are NFL shit. Like did you have any of that at Georgia Tech? Because people obsess over college football, I feel like more than NFL.

Georgia Tech was a strange crowd. Like the average fan was like 50 plus. It's like a weird demographic. There's like Georgia Tech is probably the safest place you can ever go watch a football game.

Yeah, it's probably because like it's all the while people are Bulldogs fans, I would assume. And they're more of like the so obnoxious pretentious people would be like, I'm with Tech.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

I go, they're downtown 48 year olds fucking barking shit.

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[Darren Waller]

Because you got there, what, 2011?

2011. Yep.

What. What was going on in the city of Atlanta? Club wise, music wise, at that point.

I mean, shit, we wouldn't even really go into the clubs. We were going to these bars in Buckhead, okay, where they were, they had like welfare Wednesdays. Like, niggas was broke. This was not.

[Podcast Host]

There was no nil welfare Wednesday.

[Darren Waller]

There was no nil back then.

All those 50 year old fans was.

You get on the bus to go to the game on Saturday, they give you $15. They said, make this last till Monday, $15. So that's like McDouble McChicken Epic vodka. Like, plastic bottle. Wait, wait, that'll hold me to money.

[Podcast Host]

Wait, they gave y'all $15?

[Darren Waller]

That's the nil.

[Podcast Host]

And said make it last?

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

$15.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

So y'all, so these your student athletes you're selling out? You're selling out the. The arena on campus every weekend? Yep. Selling jerseys. What does that do to a player who is getting $15? Family struggling back home? Obviously you have dreams and aspirations of going pro one day. What does that do for your mindset? Knowing, like, okay, I have $15 to last me for three days. My family's back home struggling. Like, how does that motivate you as a player? Like, I gotta make sure I'm doing what I do out here because I got my whole family I gotta take care of. And it's $15 a week ain't cutting it well.

[Darren Waller]

I mean, it motivates you as a player, but it's also like, I'm just about to start stealing my boy. Like, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I'm about to just start stealing this 15.

[Darren Waller]

Put me in a position. There's nothing else to do.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Gotta start evaluating all licks. Possible.

[Podcast Host]

But, like, seeing your jersey in the stands, knowing that people pay for that, knowing that university is making money off of that, like, that has to kind of piss a play off.

[Darren Waller]

Like, yeah. It's like, this is crazy.

Yeah.

Hopefully they'll get it right one day. But then now it's like, you see this thing was Penn State, they had a young receiver. He called a touchdown. He got up. This motherfucker had diamond teeth, and he's 18 years old. I was like, we swung that bitch to the other end of the spectrum now.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, but how do you look at that as a player who had your time when, again, it went from $15 to now, a lot of these players coming in, they have these nil deals who might not be better than Darren Waller was coming out of high school, going into college. And now you see these young collegiate athletes making all of this money, social media going crazy. What does that do to you? Like, damn, I missed out on all of that. Cause I was definitely better than this kid. And his nil is fucking crazy.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. I feel like I'm in a place now in my life where it's like, I actually love seeing them have that opportunity. But at the same time, I feel like there are certain character lessons you learn having $8 in your bank account.

[Podcast Host]

That's a fact.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

And not having that money. Cause at 18, you get motherfuckers going in with M's out of high school. They're the breadwinners. It's just like mom telling you to take the trash out. You like, yeah, yeah, I'm bringing the money on in. Like, yeah. It's a different environment.

But that's a cool perspective, though. Cause I really would feel like, yo, you guys owe me back pay on all this shit. Like, there's no way that I did all this. And it's the same way, like, when people have been locked up for weed for 50 years, now it's legal, and it's like, yo, let me the fuck out. I feel it's the same thing. That is an interesting perspective. I have a way lesser version of that. When I look at college, I went to, like, a commuter school, and I think about, if I would have went to a school in the South. It would have been a better experience, but there's no way I would have been kicked out in the first week. Like, I don't know if I'd ever stay focused. And I think about that with certain college athletes. Would you have stayed as focused if you had money like that?

I don't think so. Because, I mean, I'm like, I'm full blown drug addict alcoholic at this time.

Like, yeah, you wouldn't have bought gold teeth. It would have been a whole different thing.

No, it would have been like a brick. Yeah. Shaving that bitch every day. But. But yeah, it would have been. Yeah, I would have been. I probably wouldn't have made it out of college. I barely made it out as it was, you know, I fucking drove, got into an accident, going the wrong way. Just fucked up behind the wheel, like, just shit like that happening in college. You would have gave me a hundred thousand fucking million dollars. Like. Cause if I had $100 in my bank account, I'm like, shit, we up. What we doing tonight?

[Podcast Host]

That is a. That's a great way to look at it. Like, you knowing who you are as a person and knowing if you had access to this money and things like that, like, you know, it probably would have f a bigger animal that you have. You know what I mean? The nil thing, I think, I don't know, I'm kind of. While I do like the fact that players are making money in college because obviously these universities are making billions of dollars off of these players, I kind of feel like just looking at it, it's kind of watering down the competitiveness.

[Darren Waller]

Oh yeah, totally agree.

[Podcast Host]

To me, even an extent, the talent, like, I look at a lot of these, specifically these basketball players in college and you know, you see all of these, their highlights on social media. They have all these clips and once house of highlights post them, you know, it's like their social media goes crazy. But then I look into like I'm looking at a highlight. Everybody looks good on the highlight tapes, right? I'm looking at the highlight. I'm like, damn, who is this kid? Like, yo, he's. He look like he could be the next one. But then I go and I look at what he's averaging. I'm like, he's only averaging eight. His highlight tape look like he's averaging 35.

[Darren Waller]

That's a fire ass eight.

[Podcast Host]

But then exactly the eight look crazy.

[Darren Waller]

When it's social media manager.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, there's two breakaway windmill dunks or it's a fucking ADR reception, but it's like, yeah, that was his only catch for like three months though.

[Darren Waller]

Like, yeah, you make a great point, man. I feel like for the young dudes, it's like the priorities are changing as opposed to it's getting a bag and being blown up on social media as opposed to like developing and being excellent at your craft. And it's like, how can you blame them? That's what's in their face is what's being shown as that's most valuable. So it's like, yeah, like I said, there's lessons you learn in college. Like if you're not a starter like you and back in the day you just grind and wait your turn and then earn your spot in time. That's teaching you valuable lessons. But now it's like if they don't put ketchup on your sandwich in the cafeteria, niggas is transferring like it's a whole different game. Like any sign of adversity, they're trying to go somewhere else. And it's like they want the instant gratification of like a big play that goes viral as opposed to like I never had any major plays, but it's like the consistency that I was able to develop helped me to build a career. And I don't know if that's really on their minds.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

And I think even just getting into that transfer portal has become easier with social media. Cause it's more accessible to get. Even if you were a backup to have a few highlights, you can pass those off easily to another coach where that was way more difficult. Like thinking about transferring if you was just a backup was very, very difficult at one point.

Yeah.

Now you could just start sending shit out the clip like, hey, look at this. I'll go on the portal and figure it out.

[Podcast Host]

Right?

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. You used to have to sit out a year if you went somewhere. So it's like it's a big decision transfer now. Motherfuckers just going right into school and putting the uniform on and stepping out.

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I watched a few interviews of you over the last few years and one thing I do admire about you is you're very self aware. You're very aware of who you are. You have no problem speaking about your highlights and your low lights. And I think that's very admirable. A lot of people like to speak about when things are great and all, you know, they highlight the dope shit. But you, I've noticed you're the type of person that you don't mind talking about exactly who you are. You're unapologetic about who you are. Where is Darren Waller today when it comes to number one, mental health? Physically, you look like you still can go, you still can play. But where's Darren at mentally? As a man, A lot more at.

[Darren Waller]

Ease these days, I would say. Feel like most of my life and, you know, towards the end of my career, I feel like it was just like, I'm entertaining. I'm good at this, but I'm like, how much am I choosing to be here? It's kind of like I'm, like, putting the mask on of like, yep, I'm loving doing this shit. Like, I'm here. Like, you know, you can't just be like, I don't want to fucking be here. Like, But. So it was just kind of dealing with that, and I don't know. I feel like most of my life I was trying to fit this image of who the world wanted me to be, and I feel like it just started to crumble and just eat away at me. And then it's like, you know, you turn to so many different things to just try to cope with that shit. And now it's like, I'm able to finally be like, yeah, like, I don't want to entertain anymore. Like, I kind of want to express myself more through art and just figure out what the fuck I want the rest of my life to look like and walk away. Whereas before, I would never make a decision like that, Especially if it meant the loss of a lot of people's approval, I would never make a decision like that. But to, I guess, develop the courage to make a decision like that and go through some, you know, real life shit over the past year, so. Allowed me to be like, all right. Like, I feel like I'm getting closer to figuring out, all right, what do I want my life to look like? Because I don't want to keep getting to these places where everybody thinks, like, man, his life's got to be great, or I'm behind the scenes, like, right. I'm putting up the smile, but it ain't really my life ain't happy. Like, I want it to.

[Podcast Host]

You're not happy?

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

Do you think football was directly connected to your substance abuse early on?

In ways, yeah, man. I feel like some of the lowest points, like, my first two years of high school, like, I was really small. I had big ears, big feet, Like, I was getting roasted. Like, I wasn't playing on the team. So it's just like. Like, I don't know what I'm gonna do. But then I Started to get right around the time I started using, and I got bigger and started being on the team. So it was kind of tied together. It's like, oh, this is a recipe. Like, this is how I just, you know, calm down, take the edge off.

Yeah.

And. And it's kind of realizing how, like, addictive thinking works. It's like, the highs that you get from football and, like, making a play and, like, everybody's, like, watching you and, like, reporting on you and all that stuff is like, I don't know what else could really compare to that. So it's like, feeling those is like, I want to feel that shit again. It's kind of like that addictive personality was in football, too, because it's like the whole grind, the whole total picture of what it means to be a football player. I didn't love all of it. I love being out getting into a flow and making plays and being like, I cannot be stopped today.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Darren Waller]

Period. Like, that's a. An unmatched high. So I feel like that's what I was kind of doing throughout my football career, because it's like, there's a lot of times where I'd be, like, uninterested or, like, just kind of just like, ah, like, I'm here. I'm gonna get my best effort.

But, yeah, it's different versions of dopamine at the end of the day.

Facts.

Did it get. I'm sure it did get much worse when you got to college and just having the access and probably no supervision when you were in college with the substance abuse, with football.

Oh, man. Yeah, I remember. You know, your parents come help you move in. They're like, all right, son. Like.

And you're like, really? So he's not here.

You gotta take it from here. As soon as my parents walked out, it's like, at the same time, like, some of the dudes that were sophomores down the hall came in with an Everclear bottle and put it on the table and was like, what we doing? I was like, I'm with the shit. Parents ain't here. You know, I can fit in doing this.

[Podcast Host]

Like, you know, we had a friend of the show, Ashley Ashley Nicole Moss on the other day, and I was telling her, I was like, I have this thing where. Well, I don't club anymore. But back when I used to club, whenever I saw football players coming to the club, I would leave because y'all have this certain aggression. First of all, y'all might walk in with no shirt and just all your jewelry on Number one. Like, I know you have teammates that you can remember.

[Darren Waller]

Like, I just had an epiphany. Cause there was me and my roommate in college shout out to Ant. We would be like a couple of the only football players they would let in frats. Because we would be like, more chill. Like, we just trying to smoke a little bit. Like, drink. Like, we not trying to come in here and be like, this my shit.

[Podcast Host]

That's the shit I'm talking about.

[Darren Waller]

But we would be like, yo, can we bring the teammates through? And it'd be exactly what you just described. And they'd be like, y'all can't bring me.

[Podcast Host]

Cause y'all just know y'all stronger than everybody in here. And I think football players know that. Like I told Ashley, I said, y'all have. Football players have this helmet thing because people don't know their faces because they have helmets on all the time. So when they get into public, it's like, Yo, I press 380, this. Whatever. Whoever want to do something, like, fan. We in here listening to R and B. Like, how you coming here with no shirt on and you ready to fight and body slam everybody? But you can relate to that because, you know, obviously people said the same thing about you and your teammates. Like, y'all are cool. Y'all seem to be the cool four players, right? The rest of your homies leave them outside of the frat. We don't want that. What is that? Is that because y'all are just so aggressive in nature for what y'all do for a living, that y'all carry that on into, like. I call it civilian life? Cause we're just civilians. We don't. I don't press 380. I watch you on Sunday. Yeah, but I'm not trying to get into a tussle with Darren Waller in the club. I'm not trying to do that.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, I gotta think of it from the mindset of, like, football players. Like, our whole life, we're being rewarded for imposing our will on people and being celebrated for it. Like, we love the way you just take over and dominate. And so it's like. It's hard for a lot of people to flip that switch on and off. It's like any type of environment I'm in, I need to assert my dominance in this environment. And so that's why it's like. I mean, even. Like, I don't even want to condone anything that like. Like the. Like a Ray Rice situation.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

It's like, when put into a jam Or a spot where your body, like, your nervous system gets activated. It's like you're like, all I've done my whole life and succeeded in is just, like, being aggressive, fighting my way out or, like. And so it's like. That's embedded, I feel like, in so many guys to where it's like they go into environments. Like, I gotta let y'all know.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, that's. That's when I exit.

[Darren Waller]

What time?

[Podcast Host]

As soon as the DJ shout out yo, so and so. The defensive lineman, I'm like, yo, I'm outta here. Yo, Y'all have a good night. Peace. That's just me. You know, no disrespect, but once I hear the D lineman is in there, I'm like, yeah, I'm out, man. Couple wide receivers. Cool. Tight ends.

[Darren Waller]

Cool.

[Podcast Host]

The offensive guys seem to be a little cooler than the defensive guys, right. In the club in civilian life.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. You hear linebacker. It's time.

[Podcast Host]

I'm going home. I'm going home.

[Darren Waller]

Well, I mean, I'll say. I think ego just in general, too. You being in Atlanta at one point, then Baltimore, then Vegas, then New York. Those are, like, four insane club cities. I'm sure you ran into a lot of rappers or let's say, pharmaceutical people that are used to controlling a club. And then an NFL player walks in, and that tends to have some type of clash that I've seen in the past.

Oh, yeah, the bottle wars.

Yeah. Have you been through any of that in the four cities that you were in while you were a star?

I've seen it a little bit. I've never really been too much of a. Of a club guy, like, here and there. Once I got. Once I got sober, I kind of just fell off. But, yeah, I've seen it's all. And people want to challenge the football players. Like, I can get. I can get bitches in here, too. Like, it's like, that game is. That game is wicked.

[Podcast Host]

What's the craziest shit you've seen a teammate do in a club? And when did you know your teammate was filthy rich? Cause every player has that moment where you, like, I'm making money, but he's making money.

[Darren Waller]

I had never been in the club where it was the big money dudes was in there throwing. Like. I heard stories of, like, Mike Wallace, like, 30 in the club was nothing.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, it's a regular night.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. Light day. But I had never actually been in there when that was happening. Like, the times I've been to the club or been to, like, a Strip club or whatever. It's like, I spent $3,000 on a section once. Like, I'm just one of. That's like, I'm not gonna be in here playing this game with y'all, right?

[Podcast Host]

Right, right.

[Darren Waller]

Who was it? Vince Young or Steve McNair? Someone spent, like, $40,000 at Applebee's, and I was like, all right, man. Which at Applebee's.

Absolute, fiscally impossible.

[Podcast Host]

It was a hell of a grand.

[Darren Waller]

Maybe it was 20 grand. It was something insane. It was either Vince Young or Steve McNair.

[Podcast Host]

It was definitely how many boats?

[Darren Waller]

Queens when he got $10 meals?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Like, I thought he just bought the franchise. I didn't understand.

[Podcast Host]

40 grand is the franchise. Like, you can have this. If I'm the manager at Applebee's and somebody comes in, run up a 40,000. Sir, you can have this entire establishment before.

[Darren Waller]

We need an explanation.

Oh, it's TGI Fridays. Okay.

[Podcast Host]

Vince Young.

[Darren Waller]

TGI Fridays had a run because of Vince Young.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

They kept it moving. When you first got to the Ravens, was Baltimore club music kind of an eye opener? Was that a weird situation?

Yeah, I didn't know. I didn't know what to do. Yeah. With that.

You're not a swing that didn't know how to do anything.

Nah, nah, Nothing about that.

I've talked to a lot of people that just end up as athletes in the DMV area, and when they have to hear go, go. In any Baltimore club, they're like, I think I want to get traded. This is the craziest I've ever heard.

[Podcast Host]

Speaking of that, who is your. Who is a teammate that you can remember for having the absolute best taste in music and the worst taste in music? Like, you get in the locker room, you like, oh, here he go with this shit.

[Darren Waller]

You know exactly what you're gonna get from any football player from the state of Louisiana.

Boosie.

No, these new. The new YNs. Like the.

Okay, okay.

Just straight Young. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

What's the rob. Four nines and the whole line, which is like.

[Darren Waller]

I mean, it's. It's further. What we're about to go do. It's great. It's great music, but it's like, they'll come in, it'll be 6am and it's like, dog, we need some, like, some soul in your life, bro. Like, let's give your spirit a rest, bro.

How does that work in the locker room, though, of who's gonna control the music?

Whoever get it first, bro.

[Podcast Host]

Is that how it is? So it's like it's just one. It's just a sound system for the entire locker room. Or is it like each locker I have my little Beats pill and I could listen to my shit.

[Darren Waller]

So the new facility at Vegas, they had like the. You can control the whole locker room with.

[Podcast Host]

So somebody get the aux.

[Darren Waller]

Somebody. Whoever gets to the aux first. But then there would be times like in the Oakland locker room, that dude named Spook, he would have his own speaker in his locker and he would be doing like kind of like a little like block party type shit. And like he would make the rookies rap and just would just be in there. Host and he was in.

[Podcast Host]

I like that.

[Darren Waller]

So it's a. You get a whole lot of different environments.

To me, instead of giving the game ball, it should just be, here's the Oxy, the record, whoever played the best. Here you go.

[Podcast Host]

That's like. That has to be like an honor to be like. For the team to be like, yo, Darren, you got the aux court. What do you play first if you get the aux court? And it's a. It's the biggest game of the season. You got the Chiefs. You got the Chiefs.

[Darren Waller]

Fuck. What's a great beat? I feel like the best pregame beat of all time might be the Family Ties, baby. Keem.

Ok. Ok. Yeah.

There's something about horns is like, get ready.

[Podcast Host]

Something's going to happen.

[Darren Waller]

That'd probably be the first. First beat I'm playing.

Okay. I feel like when I was in high school. We ready. I think it was Bubba Sparks and Archie or some shit. That was the go to any football game no matter what school you was playing. They played that first. That might be like top five football anthems to me.

Yeah, yeah. I remember fucking coming up in Georgia. Pastor Troy.

Yeah, anything. Pastor Troy is going off at a football game.

Yeah. And vice versa. We'll have a nigga ready to just black out.

[Podcast Host]

We have a new label made. Shout out to the Volume. We're with the Volume. Now, Shannon Sharpe, where does Shannon rank on your all time tight end list?

[Darren Waller]

Oh, man. Shannon Sharp was tough too.

Not according to Skip, but.

I don't know if he's top five. But that cannot be taken as an insult whatsoever.

[Podcast Host]

So who's your top five?

[Darren Waller]

Chelsea's got to be in there. Drunk's got to be in there. Antonio Gates has to be in there.

He's got to be there.

Who else off numbers? You got to put Jason Whitten in there and you got to put Tony Gonzalez in there.

[Podcast Host]

I'm not mad at that five, so.

[Darren Waller]

And then after that, I mean, a dude that made me think that I could play tight end with my bill because I played receiver first. Jimmy Graham when he was on the Saints was different. Yeah, but I mean I could, you could, I could make an argument for Shannon Sharpe at six right off that top five. It's. Man, it's so many a lot of good tight ends. I feel like I'm leaving some, some people out probably too with who I just named that.

[Podcast Host]

That five is, is solid Shannon. Just from watching the game. Shannon is in my top five though. I like Antonio Gates, but I think I'm, I think I go Shannon Sharpe.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Before Antonio Gates, though.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, I saw more of Antonio Gates with my age. I caught like the very tail end of that Broncos team with Shannon Sharpe. Antonio Gates was the man and never played football like he was out there running like a four three up the seam as a tight end. He was different. Different.

Foul, bro.

[Podcast Host]

No, he was. Listen, that's. That five is incredible. But me, my personal. I don't think I can name five titans better than Shannon.

[Darren Waller]

I'm not mad at that either.

[T-Mobile Representative]

Yeah, you can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Darren Waller]

Keep up.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Odoo Representative]

Hey everybody. So when you get asked, what is Odoo? What comes to mind? Well, I'll tell you, Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a suite of business management software that some people say is like fertilizer because of the way it promotes growth. But. But, you know, some people also say that Odoo is like a magic beanstalk because it grows with your company and is also magically affordable.

Oh, but then again, you could look at Odoo in terms of how its individual software programs are a lot like building blocks. Whatever your business needs, manufacturing, accounting, HR programs, you can build a custom software suite that's perfect for your company. So what does Odoo? Well, Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a fertilizer, magic beanstalk, building blocks for business. Yeah, that's it.

Which means that Odoo is exactly what every business needs. Learn more and sign up [e-mail] that's o d o o dot com.

[Darren Waller]

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Was that transition like going from wide receiver, tight end in the NFL, not college? Like, that's a whole different monster to change position.

Yeah. So I feel like I have some. There's some solid vets that tied in in Baltimore. Like we had Ben Watson played in the league for a long time. He was kind of there, like giving me some pointers and then like pass game. Being a receiver, I just had to learn how to like, navigate because now you're trying to gather away at D linemen and linebackers and they're trying to fucking hit you and shit. But it was the fucking run blocking. We, this was 2016. We had Terrell Suggs at the time. Matt Judon was a rookie. Who's all pro now? Elvis Dumerville. I don't know if you remember who that is. Then he was all pro with the Broncos. Who else was there? Zadarius Smith was a rookie. He was in my class. And I'm having to block these dudes every day and they're fucking caving me into the backfield. Like anytime they run a run play behind me. If you run a wide zone play, you basically just gotta keep him at the line of scrimmage. But they're so strong, and I'm just new at this. I don't know how to block.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

In this setting, they're driving me five yards in the backfield. A run play can't even get started. They got to cut back and do all some crazy shit.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

But it was like going through that period was like kind of broke me in to like, all right, I have to do this because if I only come in on passing downs, I'm going to be like, oh, all this nigga does is catch. But you got to learn to be out there 90 something percent of the snaps so they can't pick up on the offense's tendencies.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Darren Waller]

So, yeah, you got to hold your own out there. But that was a good time for me.

[Podcast Host]

Speaking of that, who was the first player or when was the first time in the NFL that you got hit and you started reconsidering this line of work?

[Darren Waller]

Well, I didn't reconsider. I was. It was Dante Whitner. You remember him?

[Podcast Host]

Yes.

[Darren Waller]

Played for the 49ers. He was like one last breed of safeties. That's like, you come over here, I'm knocking your off right?

No flag.

And yeah, I ran like a. So we ran like a play action rollout. I run an over route across the field and I'm like, you can see stuff out of your peripherals. But I think he was like in the deep half. So I'm like, I didn't even really feel him there. I'm like, oh, this is up. Like, I catch this. I'm turning, hit me in my chest and I got a concussion because my neck just went like the crash. Like the crash dummy commercials.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Darren Waller]

And like my was whipping. I hit the ground and I'm on like the. If you're looking at the field from like a bird's eye, I'm on the numbers on the right side. Our sideline was all the way on the other side. I crawled to like the midfield logo. I was like, I gotta get up for my own pride. I gotta get up, I gotta get up. And then I went over to the sideline. I was just like, take me to the locker room.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Like, they get you right there and they try to evaluate for concussion and most things be like, I'm staying in the game. I was like, I'm cooked.

No, no, take me. I diagnosed myself. My whole brain rattled.

I missed the next game the following week.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Darren Waller]

Because I was still having like, like four days. I'm like, I can't be in a room. I'm sitting in this lights, bro. I'm cooked.

[Podcast Host]

Like, did he. Did he at least, like, check up on you? Did he reach out to you?

[Darren Waller]

This was so. This is my first game. Like, I started that game, and. And so I'm running routes, and he had covered me on some, and I'm, like, getting loose because he wasn't, like, the best coverage safety. Like, he was good enough, but I got him on a couple routes, and I caught myself chirping at him.

[Podcast Host]

Okay, okay.

[Darren Waller]

And then he heard you. The only thing I remember was him standing over me. Like. I don't remember the word, but it was like.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, you should have known better. You couldn't hear shit, but you saw him. Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Should have known better. Seen the mouth moving.

Who's the best shit talking defensive back in the league that you had to deal with?

From when I played, it was. I never experienced Richard Sherman in person, so. But from just the audio clips, but Tyron Matthew. Oh, my God, that motherfucker was activated.

[Podcast Host]

I let you hear it.

[Darren Waller]

Activated. Shit talking.

And I feel like it must suck as a tight end. Cause you have to deal with the D line. Shit talking. Then sometimes the linebackers, and then always the dbs.

Yeah. And Chauncey Gardner Johnson.

Okay.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Whenever that. You say his name, crash out, man.

[Darren Waller]

Who was worse, D linebackers or DBs.

When it came to that, DBs have the biggest. Like you say, like, you go into the club and it's like, d line, I'm out.

Yeah.

The craziest egos are DBs, which you kind of have to have to play defensive back.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

That's the hardest.

[Podcast Host]

I understand.

[Darren Waller]

That's the hardest. Outside of quarterback.

Stupid. His position, it's like, I have a.

Tie with, like, left tackle. But playing DB in the league, you got to have delusional confidence.

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Because A could cook you. And it's like, that doesn't mean you're trash. Like, these things are running four threes.

And can stop and they're running forward.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. And you're right. Yeah. So DB is. You got to be delusional. So I. I'm not even mad at them for even acting like that. You got to.

[Podcast Host]

So, Darren, let's talk about your music career a little bit. Let's talk about you. You making music.

[Darren Waller]

I came out the gate hating because he got a West side Boogie feature before I did.

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

How did.

[Darren Waller]

That's my man.

[Podcast Host]

I'm like, boogie is family.

[Darren Waller]

How did.

[Podcast Host]

How did that feature come about?

[Darren Waller]

Shout out to my boy Cali. And I know Junior over at lvrn. I played JV basketball with justice too.

[Podcast Host]

Really? But yeah, don't say that, because justice already think he, like, super nice and ball.

[Darren Waller]

I've played ball with justice before. He's much better than I expected.

Pre dreads. Yeah, but. But yeah, I played basketball with Junior all through high school. Okay. So reaching out to him through my boy Cali, like, it was pretty easy to set up. He was accessible and happened smoothly. I felt like he was a perfect fit for the record.

[Podcast Host]

So you. So you actually was looking forward to getting out rapped because boogie can. He can go. So you welcomed that?

[Darren Waller]

Absolutely, man. Like, yeah, for sure. Like, I'm like, it would be an honor to make music with people that I respect. They craft and listen to. So it was. Yeah.

When did you make that decision that you wanted to go full music? Was it before retirement? Was this something that was always sitting there, like, as soon as I'm done with this NFL shit, I can finally fully focus on this?

Yeah. I mean, I was just excited about devoting more time to it. I don't know if I'm an artist that is, like, full time, like, every day in the studio. I feel like I gotta have, like, experiences that kind of motivate me to write. It's a regular thing, but it's like, not every day. But I am grateful that I have more time to do it. I've been making music since 2015, so it's not like I'm just like, now I'm gonna make music. It's like some people knew about it, some people didn't. I was dropping. But, yeah, I'm excited to have more time to do it and express myself and see what this pocket of my life has in store for me as an artist. Cause I feel like there's some kind of journey for me here, and it's what I feel like I should be doing and want to be doing right now. So I'm just like, fuck it.

I hear that. Did you ever try to battle anyone in the locker room?

Nah, I kind of learned. That's kind of what started my career was in high school. Dudes on the team would put on an instrumental ice cream paint job at the time was a. Was a favorite. Go to freestyle and we'd freestyle and dudes could flow. Like, I could give you two well thought out lines. But then it's like my brain is moving so fast that it's just, like, hindering me from just relaxing in the.

[Podcast Host]

Moment, having two bars, and that's. It is crazy.

[Darren Waller]

I'm having Kendrick, like, Pulitzer Prize lines. And then it's like, can't go anymore.

No. Because once the ice cream paint job instrumental comes on, two, three, people start rapping. I could come up with, like, two to four great bars in the moment. And then I'll wrap them and I'll stop. Be like, I didn't think this through.

[Podcast Host]

Like, you'd be like, yeah, now what? It's over. I got that off. Now what?

[Darren Waller]

Cause they even look at you, like, all right, cool. I was cool for. And then you just like, all right, you know what?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I'm going there.

[Darren Waller]

I'm like, I feel like if I wrote some shit, like, I might be all right.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

That's how I started making music. Just off of that.

Okay, did you keep it to yourself at that point or.

The first two years of making music, I kept to myself. I was. It was like right after I got drafted into the league, they had the rookies in the hotel. I had GarageBand pulled up. I was rapping into the iPhone, earbuds, the wired ones, and into GarageBand and just, like, ripping beats off of. And just went for two years without knowing. And then I went to a studio back home. There was a dude that was on a football team. He was a few years older than me. He had a studio at his house, and I was rapping there. And then one of my homies made beats and found out, and he was like, nah, we gotta lock in. And then from there, it was just, like, been creating for almost 10 years now.

Is there more athletes that do rap or more focused on music than we think?

Yeah, it's. A lot of dudes love it, man. A lot of dudes. It's a good balance. Like, for me, I'd been doing it the whole time. It honestly contributed to my career. Cause it gave me that balance. Like, when I stepped out of the building, it's like, I can go home and cook something up. And it takes me out of this performance mindset, allows me to just relax, and then I can pour back into it more the next day. Because I've got something that I'm looking forward to. Yeah, after. And. But, yeah, nobody was really dropping. Like, I remember 2019, I was like, I dropped my first project. Like, I was out of the league and suspended and. But 2019, I dropped. I was like, I'm just gonna do this because, like, I'm the best player on the team right now. Like, it's not hindering my craft anymore. I'm just about to drop it and Then I think from there, like, I don't know, people maybe felt more comfortable. I don't want to say, like, I'm the only pioneer of this, but it's like nobody was really dropping now. Athletes just like dropping whenever they feel like it.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

I think Arian Foster.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I remember his album.

[Darren Waller]

He's. He could rap. For real. For real. Like, he surprised me. I went into it like, all right, let me. Let me not go in with judgments. But I didn't think it was going to be as good as it actually was. And he was confident with that too. I appreciate that. Athletes go into it. Taking it serious.

Yeah.

Where others will, you know, see it as a lick post. Post career. But I do see that you are taking it serious. Have you taken the comments from music more to heart than the NFL comments like post game shit. Because it is like you're bearing your fucking soul out on records and maybe a comment may hurt a little bit more than yo, my parlay didn't hit.

Yeah, yeah. People come at you crazy like, but yeah, you kind of. I kind of get used to it from football a little bit. But now it's like, yeah, I don't really give myself access. I got the fucking light phone. I got people that run my social. So it's like, I'm not even really.

Not even looking at this.

Getting accurate access to. I know it's probably out there. There's a natural resistance of like, nah, bro. Like, I know you as this.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Is you doing. Doing that.

[Podcast Host]

Right?

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

Which is like, that's.

[Podcast Host]

This is why.

[Darren Waller]

This is why the.

[Podcast Host]

Pauline, you busy writing rhymes.

[Darren Waller]

You know.

But I feel like even, you know, outside of the parlay shit, where it affects people's lives, you putting out the who Knew Record is about your life. That to me is way more brave than going out on the field and expecting some commentator or some fat ass fan to comment on what you're doing.

Right.

Like, was that a whole process in your brain to even put that out?

Not really.

Because you knew what people was going to tie it to and like, it's just going to be a whole.

For me, it was like it got created and it was like, I really. With this. And then it's like I feel like the mix up was. I didn't give any context to what the record was because people are probably like, oh, like, my chick stabbed me in my back. It was like the song was called who knew Her Perspective. So the meaning behind the song, you know, people write from different perspectives. I'm like, I Recognize the patterns in my relationships are kind of all the same. So the thinking was, if the girl had to pen and wrote me a song, what would it be? And so. And then the disconnect was in the video. I'm really the girl that's experiencing the pain, like, stepping into her shoes. It's not me, like, being stabbed in the back.

Yeah.

She put the post out and was saying, like. Like, yada, yada, yada. So it's like, I'm not defending myself. This is.

I'm defending you.

This is what happened. I'm just expressing my art. And people are probably. Yeah. Took it a million different types of ways. But that's kind of the risk you run putting shit out there.

[Podcast Host]

Of course, you had. You were married. You divorced now. You were married to WNBA star Kelsey Kelsey Plum. Who is the better shooter between you and Kelsey because you play basketball. Have y'all ever went into.

[Darren Waller]

It's not me.

[Podcast Host]

It's not.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, bro.

She is out shooting most niggas where I'm like, what's NBA? Wherever. Wherever.

I'm not gonna shoot her.

[Podcast Host]

But what does that do? What does that do for the. Cause you're an athlete. You're competitive.

[Darren Waller]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

Both professional athletes. But what does that do for the ego? Now, if you and, you know, Kelsey are in the gym and y'all shooting against each other and she blows you out, like, what is the conversation like on a ride home after leaving the gym?

[Darren Waller]

It's. You do this shit every day.

I don't.

Period.

I'm happy I sort of kept that. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

But you know how we are as men, though. Like, we don't. I don't care if wifey is a WNBA star. Like, if I played in the local rec league, I feel like I should outshoot my wife.

[Darren Waller]

That's not a. That's not a regular.

[Podcast Host]

But I'm just saying, though, the ego, though.

[Darren Waller]

Maul would take her to the football field to run routes. Like. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I'm assuming that's what you should have done. Absolutely.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

You seen love in basketball? Yeah, absolutely. This is what we gotta do. Your Darren Waller foundation. Talk to us about that.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. Which I think is super important.

And I commend that I was approached with the opportunity to start that in 2020. We've been really just giving people access to treatment, to go to 30 days in rehab, to have aftercare sober living. Cause the league sent me to treatment for free. It was like $65,000 for where they sent me for 30 days. But that shit changed my life. So it's like, I'm in a position now to give and serve. Like, I feel like it's important for me to pass this on. So that foundation's been going for five years now. We've seen. I think the number's like, 72 people through treatment. It's kind of crazy, you know, like, not even thinking I'd ever be back in the league. And now I'm here and using my influence to help these people, you know, get back on their feet. Like, I got back on mine. So.

Yeah. Is it tough to talk about your lowest lows with them?

Not really. Because I look at them and I see me.

Yeah.

And that's why I feel like I try to be like you was talking about, like, more open. Because a lot of people probably look at athletes or people that are successful and think, man, like, they're so high up, I can't even touch them or access them. Where it's like, nah, bro, my mind is crazy, just like yours. Like, I got emotions. I have, you know, tough times. Like, I got family issues. I got. Whatever. It may be like I'm more like you than you think. Like, all I ever did was just continue to invest in my craft and life somehow got me here. But there's nothing that you can't do. No hole you can't get out of. That's the kind of message that I feel like I'm trying to get to people, because that's real life. I can get up here and be like, yeah, I got no problems. Everything's great. Like, I'm not giving an authentic message to people that can help them through their day to day. So I'm just gonna be as.

Yeah, I think substance abuse ends up getting a weird rap because they may associate it with, like, fiend shit or bum shit or whatever, not realizing that it is people that you see on TV that have the same exact issues that someone else may have, or even people that just work corporate jobs may have substance abuse. What would you say is the first step to somebody's thinking about getting help but can't really figure out how to do it without feeling embarrassed.

Yeah. There's gotta be an awareness of, like, where I'm currently at. Like, no reservations, no, like, ego involved. Like, it's gotta be like, how do I get the most authentic picture of where I'm at? Because if I'm still delusional in some way or in denial, like, there's no way I can be helped.

Yeah.

And there's gotta be a point to where you get so tired of what's been going on. Cause for me, like, I gotta crash and burn. For me to be like, all right, I'll change, like, I'll do something different.

I'm similar with that.

Yeah. So it's like getting to that place of like, like, I'm really done. Not like, not like, ah. Like, it's like, nah, bro. Like, help me.

Did you have that rock bottom moment that was like, this is it. I thought it was this rock bottom moment before, but now this is the rock bottom moment.

Yeah. I mean, I would always say before, like, the, like the, like ODing was the biggest rock bottom, but I would say, you know, probably last year was probably even more like, like being like, man, I don't even wanna be playing this game anymore. Like, you know, this marriage is just deteriorating. Like, and I feel like I'm still trying to put forth this image. Like, everything's great. Like, so I've repeatedly hit this wall. Like, the root of the problem still hasn't totally been addressed. Like, I've just kind of seen a lot of success and a lot of cool moments and highs along the way. But there's still something that's unaddressed here. So it's like, like coming to that realization, it's like, fuck, bro. Like, I've been sober for seven years and I feel like I've just been spinning my tires just been spinning in the mud here. I ain't really been making no progress. Like I'm on a fucking hamster wheel. So I would say that was probably more of a bottom.

Yeah.

Than ODN was, which is crazy. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[T-Mobile Representative]

You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected. From big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[Lenovo Representative]

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[Odoo Representative]

Hey everybody. So when you get asked, what is Odoo? What comes to mind? Well, I'll tell you. Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a suite of business management software that some people say is like fertilizer because of the way it promotes growth. But you know, some people also say that Odoo is like a magic beanstalk because it grows with your company and is also magically affordable.

Oh, but then again, you could look at Odoo in terms of how its individual software programs are a lot like building blocks. Whatever your business needs, manufacturing, accounting, HR programs, you can build a custom software suite that's perfect for your company. So what does Odoo? Well, Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a fertilizer. Magic beanstalk building blocks for business. Yeah, that's it.

Which means that Odoo is exactly what every business needs. Learn more and sign up [e-mail] that's O-.

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[Podcast Host]

What would you say to a young Darren Waller? First going to college, like, and then looking at where your life is at now. What would you say to Darren back then today?

[Darren Waller]

I would say you gotta define what it is you want and who you want to be and not be overtaken by the current of what the world wants you to be. Because I feel like I succeeded a lot at who the world, who I thought the world wanted me to be, whether it was like being the ringleader, getting fucked up in college or in football. And like, all these things, I'm like, all right, I'm who you guys want me to be. But boxes are checked, but it's Not a fulfillment deep within on a soul level. So it's like figuring out what you want and it may not be highest paid, number one. All these things that what it is you really want to do. But it's like if that really is what is filling your cup up and allowing you to just, like, make the most authentic impact you can. Like, that's the life that's fulfilling. Like, we're kind of being fed the. You know, if you go by these metrics, you're going to be fulfilled and life's going to be great. And it's like I'm one of those people that's like, I've checked all those boxes and that's not necessarily the case. So I would tell him, like. Like, you know, trust who you are. Don't feel like you gotta abandon that for fitting in. Because a lot of people you're trying to fit in with are crashing out.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

After high. Right after high school. Like, you know, so then they don't.

[Podcast Host]

Really care about you. Like trying to fit in with people. It's like they don't even really.

[Darren Waller]

They so worried about themselves too and probably thinking the same things that you're thinking. And you think they're watching you. They ain't really. They ain't really caring.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

So what's the plan now that you have who knew out we getting a full album? What's it looking like?

Yeah, definitely an album at some point. My boy Jrod, I've been cooking up with, who's my engineer and he's also an artist. It's really helping me elevate my sound. We're gonna drop a project together and.

You guys have a record out now together, right?

Yeah, it's called Mind Games and we got more. The next song I drop will be. It's called Streets Get Cold. With him, he's getting me more into my R and B bag and, you know, kind of going through divorces, things like that. It's kind of opening me up to a different side of myself and being like, damn, like, all these emotions are here. I don't have to suppress them anymore. Like, they can see the light of day. So it's just. Yeah. Experimenting with a lot of new things. We have plenty on the way. Solo project and a joint project with him. So.

Love that. All right, so we're flushing out this segment in real time. We don't really have a name for it. We're talking about one on one. Just a bunch of weird, corny sports names about this whole Georgia album versus so you need to pick one out of the two. And you can't say both. Outkast at Aliens versus Equimina.

Oh, man. I might have to go at Aliens just off of two doughboys in a Cadillac.

One of the best. I'm with you.

I love that shit. I was just blaring that shit in Hawaii.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Ludacris back for the first time or Chicken and beer.

I gotta go Chicken and beer, man. It's crazy to think I was listening to that explicit album as a kid and wondering why I'm having problems.

I got.

[Podcast Host]

It's all ludicrous fault.

[Darren Waller]

I got back for the first time for my 11th birthday. I remember at. I'm deadass at the birthday party in our backyard, somebody that had like the cooler mom that would just like whatever gift. And my friend's mom bought it for me back for the first time. I was 11 years old.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, my God, I feel old.

[Darren Waller]

This pretty ass hoes. Yeah. No, I was. I was.

That was like Splash waterfalls.

No, Splash Waterfalls was on. What's the second album that was on? Chicken and Beer.

Yeah.

Yeah. Chicken and Beer Back for the first time was. Was one of my favorites. GZTM 101 versus the recession.

I gotta go 101, man.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely 101, bro.

[Darren Waller]

I agree. But you'd be surprised how many people would say this recession. I'm with y'all, though.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

I gotta go 101.

This is like an age old debate. TI trap music versus King. We're similar in age. I. I think I know what you're gonna go with.

King had whatever you like. Oh, my God.

Oh, no. Paper trail. I think had whatever you like.

What was on.

Let me pull up the King track. Listen. King had. What you know about that? Live in the sky with Jamie Foxx was a huge record.

That God damn. That was a hit in middle school.

I was definitely listening to hello on the way to high school. I think with our age, though, we probably with King more than Most.

King was 24s.

I think. Nah, 24s was on. Nah, 24s was on the album before that.

[Podcast Host]

So you said you might.

[Darren Waller]

I'm gonna go King just off. What you know about that?

[Podcast Host]

I'm not mad at no man. Trap music.

[Darren Waller]

Trap music was fine.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I'm a trap music guy.

[Darren Waller]

We'll get a little younger. I think Dirty Sprite 2 across the board is future's best album. Are we. We can all.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

So I didn't want to just add that in the mix. 56 nights versus hendrix, bruh.

Hendrix Hendrix is so tough.

That's an R B soul album.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, bruh. Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Sometimes I'll be wonder, like, Future can just, like, go in the booth and do anything. It's gonna be hard. Like, you can get it out. But, like, the. What he was experimenting and pushing himself to do on that album.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Crazy.

[Darren Waller]

I feel like my collection might be the most beautiful, misogynistic record that's ever existed.

Yeah.

Like, they'll play that at a tribute, and women will cry. Young thug. Jeffrey versus Barter 6.

Barter 6.

Okay. Not mad at that. I'd go Barter 6, too. I think they're very neck and neck, though. Jeffrey is fine.

[Podcast Host]

I'll go Jeffrey on over. Barter 6.

[Darren Waller]

All right, let's go R B quickly. I don't think they've taken your Georgia ID yet. This is the. This is the one. Confessions. Verse 8701.

[Podcast Host]

Don't breathe like that. Like you're on the line. It's not. It's not that hard of a question, man.

[Darren Waller]

Yes, it is.

[Podcast Host]

No, it's not.

[Darren Waller]

I have lost friends over this debate.

Confessions.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely.

[Darren Waller]

Confessions.

I don't. It's closer than y'all think. It.

[Podcast Host]

No, it's not.

[Darren Waller]

That's why I. That's why I breathe like that.

[Podcast Host]

It's really not close. Confessions.

[Darren Waller]

Closer than y'all think.

[Podcast Host]

Confessions is one of the greatest R and B albums ever.

[Darren Waller]

I think you can make a case. 8701 is right there too.

[Podcast Host]

You can make a case, but we know undeniably, Confessions is one of the greatest R and B albums ever.

[Darren Waller]

Okay. Without a doubt, to me, the most underrated R and B artist from Atlanta. The dream. Love Hate versus love versus money.

I don't know what all was on both of those albums.

This one's so tough, I wouldn't even know really where to go. But let me pull up the track list for you.

[Podcast Host]

I think it's Love Hate, the one with Purple Kisses.

[Darren Waller]

Yes.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I'm going. Purple Kisses.

[Darren Waller]

Throw it in the bag. Was on one of them.

Yeah, but the remix was always better for us. Love, Hate, I love your girl Falsetto Shorty is the shit. Let's love Living a lie. Purple Kisses. Love, Hate, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Is playing in her head. Yeah. Now I'm going. I'm going.

[Darren Waller]

Okay, but. Love versus Money. Rocking that. Put it down. Walking on the moon. Fancy.

[Podcast Host]

Fancy might be one of the greatest R B songs ever.

[Darren Waller]

That's what I'm saying. This is a tough one.

[Podcast Host]

Fancy is one of the greatest R B songs.

[Darren Waller]

Absolute.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

But I'm still on the side of love. Hate, but love verse money's right there too.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

God damn. It's a lot of hits.

This has nothing to do with Georgia or music.

[Podcast Host]

But.

[Darren Waller]

But movie wise, any given Sunday versus Friday Night Lights.

Friday Night Lights is the best football movie to me.

Oh, damn.

[Podcast Host]

Really?

[Darren Waller]

We about to argue to death now.

[Podcast Host]

Any given Sunday.

[Darren Waller]

Any given Sunday is Willie Beeman.

It was fine, but like Friday Night Lights put you in touch with like, the origin of like, coming up. Like, if you came up with it.

[Podcast Host]

It'S a different side of it. Yeah, it's a different side.

[Darren Waller]

Any given Sunday, not a lot of n got to that level.

[Podcast Host]

I get it.

[Darren Waller]

Relate to that.

[Podcast Host]

I get it. But to me, the car in half though, you didn't. That wasn't. Wasn't feeling. It's LT Giants, baby. Come on.

[Darren Waller]

God, that was a fire movie. But yeah, for something about. I don't know, something about Friday Night Lights just.

I mean, it's a classic for sure. But Any given Sunday to me was so ahead of its time. Even on my bad my parking out.

[Podcast Host]

Here, he get alert and music when it's time to pay the meter.

[Darren Waller]

Gotta make sure. To me, any given Sunday was so ahead of its time. Like simply based off the Jamie Foxx Al Pacino scene when he goes to lunch after he's about to get not cut, but he's not gonna start for the playoffs. And Jamie breaks down what it's like to be a professional athlete versus the corporation shit. To me, that. That is what everyone even argues on the college level.

Right?

That shit was the smart. Oliver Stone smoked that shit. That was the smartest thing I've ever seen as far as what professional athletes go through. Like you telling me that I need to do it for the betterment of the team when I'm not, y'all are.

Gonna get breaking down on family decision making.

Like any given. I'm not giving Friday Night Lights. Yeah, you in high school. It's all about the town and the team and the people next to you and building all that. When I get to the professional level, y'all. Y'all are gonna wave me trade me immediately. And you want me to give up my life for you? Nah, fuck that, right? To me, that was. Was one of the most brilliant movies that's ever existed.

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Greatest football movie of all time. Longest Yard.

[Darren Waller]

Wait, which one?

[Podcast Host]

Adam Sandler. The newer.

[Darren Waller]

Okay.

[Podcast Host]

Greatest football movie of all time. Nah, he wasn't feeling that.

[Darren Waller]

It's a good movie.

I would put the replacements over that.

Yeah, it's Keanu Reeves. Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Another good. A great football movie. I'm showing my age with this one. What was it from the 80s? Wildcats. Was that the name of it?

[Darren Waller]

It's born in 1990.

[Podcast Host]

Y'all don't remember that one?

[Darren Waller]

It's a high school musical, ain't it?

[Podcast Host]

You said a musical. Yo. Damn.

[Darren Waller]

Wildcat. That's awesome.

High School Musical.

[Podcast Host]

I think that was name of it.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Wildcats. All right. Goldie Horn. Wildcats. You never seen that movie? Watch that movie. It's. It's movie from the 80s, but it's like, it's a classic, classic movie. Like, you'll like the movie. It's definitely before your time. I'm a little older than y'all, but about Rudy.

[Darren Waller]

Don't get me started, man.

[Podcast Host]

That's another. That's another classic movie. You don't like that movie?

[Darren Waller]

You've heard me go on our rants on our podcast about Rudy.

[Podcast Host]

I. I love them. I love Rudy.

[Darren Waller]

Listen, I. I understand. I. I think it's amazing that he did all that and then got.

[Podcast Host]

Darren, you look like you got choked up watching that movie.

[Darren Waller]

Did you get a little tear up? I have a song with Syre where the intro is where Rudy's about to quit, and the black janitor was like, telling him, like, you trying to do that for your dad and do that for what? Like, if you ain't. I had that clip in the beginning.

[Podcast Host]

So that was a. Rudy's a classic, man.

[Darren Waller]

No, no, it's a classic. It's just a classic for that year of his life. Like, listen, we're not following the video. Whatever his character ended up being, he was still, even though he's an asshole, he was the all American that was going to go on to the NFL and do great things. Rudy had a cool semester and then became a motivational speaker. That motherfucker didn't do shit with his life afterwards. I get it. You wanted to get over by the college system so badly that you did all that work in a factory, get your head blown off, everything just so you could give Notre Dame $100,000 a year. Stupidest movie of all time.

[Podcast Host]

I thought it was one of the most inspirational movies of all time.

[Darren Waller]

It's inspirational for dumb. I loved his drive and his focus and the heart that he had. I respect that. It was in all the wrong places.

[Podcast Host]

Check out Wildcats.

[Darren Waller]

Wildcats.

[Podcast Host]

Bet you don't like that movie.

[Darren Waller]

Not Rudy.

I had did a list of, like, 75 things at the top of 20, 25 for music predictions that I'm already. I think I'm four for four already. Do you have any music predictions for 2025?

Y'all fought with Saba?

Of course.

Yeah, I need the Saba no ID project.

Yeah. They just put out a record on Friday.

Yeah. Yeah. I've been spinning that shit, like. Yeah, I don't really have any. I like to just see shit unfold, bro. Like, I love, like, the mystery and just, like, watching shit happen. I don't really know what's gonna happen at all. I'm interested to see what Drake does.

Well, I mean.

I mean, I'm still. I'm still listening to Drake's old music. I mean, people are getting him up out of there, but everybody does that. Doesn't really.

[Podcast Host]

Everybody's still listening. Coming.

[Darren Waller]

Well, I mean, by the time. By the time they hear this, I think tomorrow will be the PND Drake album.

Okay.

That's about to come out. I. I don't know where I'm at with that. I think they may go too much to the core fan base where the masses won't really fuck with it, which I don't really care. I love old PND cuts, and I think that's the route that they're gonna go. I don't know if we're gonna get much of what the masses want to hear as far as Drake addressing shit, I think we're just gonna get. Oh, yeah, some great fucking R and B shit.

And I want to see him just, like, what, the next chapter of his solo career. Cause, like, I still want to hear what he got. He's still tough. Like, all that shit aside. Like, I still want to hear what he got to say.

Yeah. Besides Saba, who I love, what else you listening to?

I Fuck with Viking by SA Baby for some reason.

Okay.

It's a great song, but other than that. There's a band called Krungbin. It's like an alternative band. That's one of my favorites.

[Podcast Host]

They just won a Grammy, I think, too. Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Say, Ari's new project. Got a couple good ones.

[Podcast Host]

Shout out to Sari. That's my guy.

[Darren Waller]

Somehow I ended up on Jesus Peace. I've been listening to Name Me King the Game album. Yeah.

Oh, it's underrated.

Heavy Rotation.

I don't think there's a skip on that album.

And Jack Harlow Tranquility.

Okay.

That's a banger.

[Podcast Host]

It's crazy. Kodak Black put out a project for Christmas, and I've been listening to that. Like, I.

[Darren Waller]

Damn, he's a Christmas thing.

I Didn't even know he got.

[Podcast Host]

And it's like. It's like. It's short. It's maybe seven records. Seven to eight.

[Darren Waller]

What is he, like, deck the halls with Fentanyl? Like, what is he rapping about?

[Podcast Host]

No, he's not decking the holes with fitting the holes, but it's. It's some joints on there that I'm like, damn. Like, yak.

[Darren Waller]

Put out a nice little I with Kodak. I think he could really rap, too.

[Podcast Host]

No, he put out a. He put out a nice project around Christmas.

[Darren Waller]

I'm curious with that.

[Podcast Host]

Check it out.

[Darren Waller]

I cannot get past Deck the Halls. Was Fenal nuts.

[Podcast Host]

And you shouldn't deck the halls with fen. Let's put that out.

[Darren Waller]

Kodak would definitely.

Please don't take it from me.

[Podcast Host]

I saw.

[Darren Waller]

Take it from me.

[Podcast Host]

Take. Take it from Darren Wall. I saw. I saw a video. It's this guy online that's doing this thing where he's taking rolls of duct tape and he's wrapping it around, like, two poles, and he's trying to run through it. So he's seeing how many rolls he can run through. So he goes, 10. He gets through that easy. 20 easy. So he gets up to 100 rolls of duct tape that he wraps between two poles and tries to run through the tape. And he ran. He tried to run through 100 rolls. It knocked him back. He hit his head on the pole, caught a concussion. So they called the ambulance. So he's in the car. He's like, yeah, so what do you know? What are y'all gonna give me? He said, man, you know, we just probably give you some Fentanyl. He looked. He was like, fent.

[Darren Waller]

Oh, I seen that clip. It was a dude in the hospital before. She's like, yeah, we just got you on some Fentanyl. He said. He was, like, emotional.

[Podcast Host]

He said, yeah, yeah, like, you hear that? You like. Nah, I'm cool. I think I'm all right. I'll get up.

[Darren Waller]

Anyone that's looking for fentanyl, be like, wait, I just gotta run my head into a pole.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah, I'm cool. I'm cool.

[Darren Waller]

Hell, no.

This was great, man. Thank you so much for coming through.

[Podcast Host]

Appreciate, man. Pleasure to finally meet you. We definitely got to do this again during. Once the NFL season kicks back off so we could talk some shit about some players that we don't know nothing about because Rory Maul don't know ball. But fuck it, we sitting here with Darren.

[Darren Waller]

We'll do some film. We got to do, like, a Film breakdown.

[Podcast Host]

We want to break down some film.

[Darren Waller]

See Yalls cover. If y'all know coverages. If y'all know.

[Podcast Host]

Listen, you talking to.

[Darren Waller]

These are routes.

[Podcast Host]

I stopped playing Madden because it got too technical. Like, once you told me, like, yo, if you press the button too hard, he's gonna throw it into the ground. I was like, all right, I'm done. Like, I can't. I can't do this shit no more. So I don't know no fucking routes. All I know is a few players, and I know when you should throw the ball.

[Darren Waller]

I don't look at coverage, which is when he's open.

[Podcast Host]

You know, when the receiver. You know when y'all run and y'all do this thing right here, like, kind of let the quarterbacks know.

[Darren Waller]

Listen. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like, let it go.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah, he's cooked. Let's go.

[Podcast Host]

That's all I know.

[Darren Waller]

Don't do something.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. When he do this, get it to him. Like, just fucking. Just throw it.

[Darren Waller]

Yeah. Nah, we can have a session. I could tell y'all, like, why people do certain things, why this coverage is happening. Why Scheme a little bit.

Find somebody.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

So then y'all can know ball and tell what's what.

[Podcast Host]

Thank you, man.

[Darren Waller]

I know. Cover three.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Darren Waller]

Cover two. I know. Cover one.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I play Madden, too. I know all of that coverage, too.

[Darren Waller]

So there you go.

[Podcast Host]

Not the same.

[Darren Waller]

I played high school football.

What about fire zone blitz?

I mean, somebody gonna blitz that sound like.

[Podcast Host]

That sound like somebody. The quarterback about to get hurt. That's the fire zone. It sound like two dudes just coming from here. I think I saw it. I remember that.

[Darren Waller]

Fire zone is. You have a blitzer, like, say, like the nickel's blitzing, but somebody's dropping. So it confuses. It's the same number of people that will be rushing on a normal pass rush, but they're changing. They're trying to confuse the defense. Like, you ever see, like, a defensive end drop in the coverage? Yes. They're confusing the offensive line. Cause usually they'll slide this way, but then they'll be like, oh, shit. That's where you see somebody just running unblocked.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Darren Waller]

That's the hardest shit in football to me.

[Podcast Host]

Fire blitz.

[Darren Waller]

Offensive lines picking up those blitz and stunts will get done.

Got you. Baby steps.

[Podcast Host]

Baby steps.

[Darren Waller]

We're getting there.

[Podcast Host]

That's Darren Waller. We appreciate you, my brother, and we'll talk to you soon.

[Darren Waller]

For sure.

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[Lenovo Representative]

Hey, Janice Torres here and I'm Austin Hankowitz. We're the hosts of Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories produced by Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks. Catch up on seasons one and two and join us for a brand new season of the podcast as we talk to small business owners about how they manage and grow their businesses with the help of platforms like Intuit QuickBooks.

[Odoo Representative]

Listen to mind the Business Small Business.

[Darren Waller]

Success Stories on the iHeartRadio app, Apple.

[Odoo Representative]

Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Darren Waller]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies?

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