← Pablo Torre Finds Out
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- [00:00]
A
Welcome to Pablo Torre Finds Out. I am Pablo Torre, and today you're going to find out what this sound is.
- [00:06]
B
My wife, she's in the Philippines working on her visa. It's been getting denied. So if anybody out there can help with the visa process, I greatly appreciate it.
- [00:14]
A
Right after this ad, you're listening to Giraffe Kings Network. For people who are not watching us and just listening, you should know that something very important is happening.
- [00:38]
B
You tell me what that is.
- [00:39]
A
We have taken our shoes off, left them at the door because this is about to be the most Filipino American interview in sports history.
- [00:46]
B
Because in my house growing up, I would get yelled at.
- [00:48]
A
Absolutely.
- [00:49]
B
Because it's filthy, it's disgusting, I don't know why. It's not a worldwide thing, It's a Filipino thing. You better take your shoes off before you come in the house and leave them at the door.
- [00:58]
A
We are going to discuss many things of global importance. I don't know if there'll be a more important one than. It's gross that you Americans don't take your shoes off when you get home.
- [01:08]
B
Yes. And we are clean.
- [01:09]
A
I do want to establish for people who are not in the room with us that you've invited me into your home and this is a special occasion. So sincerely, thanks for letting us set all this junk up.
- [01:21]
B
Yeah, thank you for being here. This is big time, just being able to meet you in New York and then come here now and we talked about it for a while, but finally we're able to make it happen. What better way to do it than in my place?
- [01:31]
A
So, yeah, it's not easy to meet with an NFL player like this in the middle of their season. But Cam Bynum, as you'll see, isn't most NFL players. I had first met Cam back in New York City in May, and I had no idea at the time that the 5 and 2 Vikings would turn out to be this good. But what I did know as of a year ago, almost exactly actually, is that I wanted to tell Cam's story and I wanted to tell the story of his wife, Lane. And that was even outside of the fact that we all happen to be members of the same karaoke, loving, pork roasting, Southeast Asian diaspora. And so when I caught wind of a party being planned for the pivotal Lions Vikings game, which took place nine days ago in the middle of October, which you should also know happens to be Filipino American History Month, I wanted to Visit with the 26 year old starting safety for the Vikings in person. I wanted to find out what that specific Sunday in Minneapolis was, looked and smelled and sounded like myself. I just need you to understand how surreal it was for me to be in a section of, like, roughly a hundred Filipinos. It's crazy watching a Filipino American NFL player during Filipino American History Month.
- [02:58]
B
Right.
- [02:59]
A
In Minnesota.
- [03:00]
B
Right. That is.
- [03:01]
A
And just basically being surrounded by, like, cousins and Tito's and titas that I did not know, all of whom are like, yeah, yo. I say that Filipinos are like, first team all. Wedding reception, for sure. You know what I mean?
- [03:14]
B
For sure. 100%.
- [03:15]
A
Everybody was extra.
- [03:17]
B
Everybody was extra. Then come to realize after some of them are related to us. Like my wife, she found one of her aunts there, and it's like. And they're actually related, not just saying it. Like they knew, like, common family members. And it's like, what a small world. But really just having, like, the energy there of the people, like, seeing how supportive they are.
- [03:37]
A
It's dancing, it's singing, it's celebrating, it's pointing at things with your mouth. It's, you know, like, just trying to call. But just like all these people together. The title that I think you deserve, having experienced that, is that you are not just one of the best young defensive backs in the NFL, you are the most extra player in the league.
- [04:01]
B
I'll take that. That actually means a lot to me. That's probably the best title I've had over anything. Cause that's literally my goal, to be extra.
- [04:09]
A
Yeah. So I was talking pregame on the field to Josh McCown, who's an old friend of mine, Quarterbacks coach for your Minnesota Vikings. Yep. And he's like. He's the greatest celebrator I've ever seen.
- [04:19]
B
That's a title. And he's played. That's a title.
- [04:21]
A
Josh has played for, I believe, 16 different teams. So he's seen lots of people attempt to do what you've been doing. Like, for you, like, doing the worm is like a B minus at this point. Celebration for you. That's like.
- [04:35]
B
Yeah, that's the first thing about one. Yeah. Really. It all goes to my preparation. I take football real serious, and I take every single part of it serious. Studying how to make the plays and having a plan. When I do make the plays, the every celebration is like, okay. There's some thought, some creativity behind it. Because I'm like. I always say it has to be a movie. I want people to be entertained when they're watching this.
- [04:58]
A
Two receivers left, two right. Rodgers blitzed again. He'll fire over the middle intercepted. Yes. Picked off at the 42 yard line by Cam Bynum.
- [05:10]
B
There we go. Let's go.
- [05:13]
A
The case of like you in London against Aaron Rodgers. You evoked a literal movie. They recreated the famous handshake from the Parent Trap. Let's take a look. It's so good.
- [05:25]
B
One of the best movies out too. And it was based in London. So it's like that's the levels.
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A
The levels to getting Lindsay Lohan to appreciate that you were pulling off the multi part parent trap dance.
- [05:36]
B
That's big time. One of the greatest of our generation. Every childhood movie she was in and actually executing the handshake.
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A
It's absurd to be like, I'm gonna be ready just in case I pick off Aaron Rodgers.
- [05:49]
B
Oh, I knew it was gonna happen.
- [05:52]
A
He dropped it. He dropped it.
- [05:55]
B
Minnesota Vikings football.
- [05:57]
A
What's the math on fumble recovery at Lambeau, Week before that against the Packers. Cause you hit a casual backflip.
- [06:06]
B
That was a thirsty celebration. Cause I didn't even force the fumble.
- [06:10]
A
I was gonna say I was about to hold you to account. You were just ready though.
- [06:15]
B
I was ready and it was like I kind of rushed it. I should have waited for an interception to use the backflip. The guy that forced the fumble, you get all the praise because that's the hardest part. Picking it up. Jumping on the ball is nothing, but I'm like, I have the ball in my hand. I'm doing it.
- [06:30]
A
The week before that, it's the Texans game.
- [06:33]
B
Yeah.
- [06:34]
A
Cej's crowd back to pass. Patrick Jones got picked up. Fires over the middle. Intercepted. Intercepted.
- [06:41]
B
Cam.
- [06:44]
A
Deep in. You did you always want to do the Usher glitch dance?
- [06:48]
B
Yes.
- [06:51]
A
A number of defensive celebrations for the Minnesota Vikings.
- [07:00]
B
I want to clown when I'm on the field. I want to do goofy stuff. I don't want to just do TikTok dances. I want to do like stuff that's like legendary. So that's from 10 years ago, right?
- [07:08]
A
This is like a deep cut.
- [07:09]
B
Yeah, that's a deep cut. But then he brought it back in the Super Bowl. When he performed in the super bowl, he did like a little, just a little of it.
- [07:17]
A
Oh, but I mean, it's like a switch dance into like his own like hoppy moonwalk.
- [07:21]
B
Yeah, exactly. To a moonwalk. And I was in cleats, so I'm like, that gets extra, extra points.
- [07:27]
A
I did not understand how you did it. Still.
- [07:29]
B
I practiced. I practiced on the turf. I was like, okay, I can do it. I just have to be light on My feet so I don't dig in. And it worked. Catch it. Tell the camera to come here.
- [07:40]
A
Spin the ball. I do realize in my exhaustive research that you did, like, practice at home.
- [07:47]
B
Yes.
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A
And, like, taped yourself for months.
- [07:51]
B
Months.
- [07:52]
A
Just, like, setting. I like how, like.
- [07:53]
B
Cause I can't dance.
- [07:54]
A
The takeaway from everything we just said is not for me. This Filipino American cannot dance.
- [08:01]
B
Yes, I cannot dance, but I can learn. I'm a learner, and I'm a studier and preparer, so I prepare to make it look like I can dance.
- [08:10]
A
You have an approach to joy and celebration. Like a bank robber. Pretty much like you're casing out the joint. You're like, okay, here's steps one through 25.
- [08:20]
B
That's it. I'm gonna go to this end zone. Like, when I say everything is planned for, like, a certain situation, certain moment. Like, that stuff is serious to me.
- [08:29]
A
Yeah, I'm noticing this is a bit of a through line in your life that you are ready to be extraordinarily extra at all times.
- [08:37]
B
Everything has to be over the top. That's why I say my life is a movie. Because I like doing abnormal things that seem fake. It seem impossible to pull off, but you pull them off.
- [09:12]
A
So it's probably worth observing here that Cam bynum, at around 6ft tall, 200 or so pounds, is far from the biggest or strongest or fastest athlete in the league. But he did have more tackles than any defensive back in the NFL last season.
- [09:29]
B
And.
- [09:29]
A
And to truly understand the reputation of a safety like this, you should probably hear from a very specific demographic. Wide receivers.
- [09:40]
B
What's the hardest hit you've ever taken this past year? Dude, 24 from the Vikings can't bite him.
- [09:46]
A
As this clip of Detroit's Amon Ra St Brown interviewing Chicago's DJ Moore might indicate.
- [09:52]
B
He blew my back out. And I was like, dog. I ran a seam route. He came out of nowhere. I thought I had a clean catch, he said. I said, ooh. I was like, my whole face showed on the screen and everything. I was like, dawg, I gotta get out.
- [10:09]
A
But the thing that made Cam himself feel that way happened back when he got to college at Cal Berkeley as a cornerback. And he realized that his real childhood dream, a dream shared by many young Asian Americans, was not gonna go as planned, which I, of course, could very personally relate to.
- [10:31]
B
I took becoming a doctor really serious. So, like, my freshman year of school, like, I went to Centennial High School for three and a half semesters of high school, but I did one Semester my freshman year at a private school in Orange county called JSera because they had a medical magnet program or something. Cause I wanted to get a jump on med school through high school. So I took it serious. I wanted to be one of those off season doctors, you know, in season.
- [10:57]
A
Those classic off season doctors.
- [10:59]
B
Yeah. And it sounded good until I got to that first semester of college and failed every class.
- [11:03]
A
Yeah. So, okay, so Cam Bynum's GPA at Cal, first semester freshman year was 33.
- [11:10]
B
0.33. Not 3.3. 0.33.
- [11:16]
A
That's incredible.
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B
That's bad.
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A
That is.
- [11:18]
B
That made my life stressful.
- [11:19]
A
That. That feels like. You shouldn't be here talking to me.
- [11:22]
B
I shouldn't have. I had to write letters to the dean to keep me in school. I basically got kicked out. They had to pull some strings to get me on academic probation an extra semester because I didn't get it high enough. And I'm the smart kid, I was gonna say. I've always been a smart kid.
- [11:36]
A
The kid who wants to do the doctor thing is not the kid who's lazy at all.
- [11:42]
B
It was just tough.
- [11:44]
A
My parents are doctors. I show up, go to like, Intro to Biology and I get the syllabus, and I look at the syllabus, I look around the room and I'm like, I'm never gonna come back to this class.
- [11:54]
B
Exactly.
- [11:54]
A
And I pulled the parachute cord way before you did.
- [11:56]
B
It turns out I tried to stick it out a whole semester and I didn't even get to the hard classes yet.
- [12:01]
A
So I wanna get to your theory of talent though, right? Because what you learned in college when you pivoted away from pre med to, you ended up sort of understanding even your own sort of like life story in football a bit more.
- [12:13]
B
Right.
- [12:14]
A
Which is to say that by your own estimation, it doesn't sound like you were. I mean, you were fast, you were strong, but you weren't the fastest or the strongest. And it sounds like you taught yourself technique.
- [12:26]
B
You have to do certain things right if you want to have sustained success or if you want to get to that point if you're behind. So for me, I was behind. I was like one of the smallest kids on the team. Really slow, really below average. My sophomore year, I was fifth string on jv. And you know, most NFL players you.
- [12:46]
A
Talk to, fifth string on JV is basically not on the team.
- [12:50]
B
Exactly. So there's games where we're blowing a team out 60 to nothing, and I still maybe might get in the last minute of the game when they're taking a knee. But there are games, like, I didn't touch the field at all.
- [13:00]
A
I didn't realize this.
- [13:01]
B
Yeah, that's bad. That's terrible. And you talk to most other NFL players, all of them freshman starters, varsity, and just seeing how behind I was, it's like, okay, how can I get better? And I found a coach, my trainer, Anthony Brown. He still trains me to this day. And he said, I don't care how slow you are. I don't care how small you are. I can build you. I can get you to college. You guys won't be paying for college. And he went up to my dad and said, I need to see him at 5am tomorrow. And the 5am was just a lift, just to see. We were just lifted. He's not even like a lifting coach, but he just wanted to see where I was mentally if, like, I'm willing to put the work in. And so from that soft end of that sophomore season to the start of my junior season, I went from fist ring on JV to varsity starter. And that was just because I showed up every day at 5am for that entire summer, didn't post anything. Everybody was, like, tripping. Like, how did Cam get good? He's balling out of nowhere, like, this guy sucked.
- [14:02]
A
And now he doesn't suck anywhere.
- [14:04]
B
If I do something, well, they're cheering for, like, whoa, no way. He just beat the varsity receiver. And then I'm like, it becomes consistent. And now I go from there to being able to really just learn the game and know the game. And that same process of being a technician, just training little small details, the rhythm, the footwork, the eyes, that just brought me to the NFL. And I train the same exact things now.
- [14:29]
A
I mean, you do realize that your approach to celebrating has also been your approach to learning how to play football.
- [14:34]
B
Exactly. Everything's detailed, everything's thought out.
- [14:37]
A
Surprising to people. When it pays off.
- [14:40]
B
Yes. Surprise being a surprise. And I'll do the right thing whether it's on or off the field. And it'll pay off.
- [14:46]
A
You know when you go to the NFL and the Vikings take you in the fourth round and they switch you. Right. You were a cornerback, a cow.
- [14:52]
B
Yeah.
- [14:53]
A
You're a safety now. It sounds like. Yeah. A safety is not just a technician, but also kind of a choreographer.
- [14:58]
B
Yes, choreographer. A leader. You're really orchestrating. I like saying conductor. Yeah, conductor of an orchestra. You have to tell everybody what to do, or else we're all gonna be wrong.
- [15:09]
A
So if you're studying choreography in this sense. And you're also, like, there to sort of scan the field to make sure you're aware that your eyes are always moving. I'm curious how you scouted your wife.
- [15:22]
B
Great question.
- [15:24]
A
How does this bring us to that moment?
- [15:27]
B
She's from the Philippines, but she got hired to perform her dance team in Dubai. So it's a Filipino place, so they're all Filipino. So it was also cool. It felt like home in there. And she's performing with a band, and she was one of the people on the dance team.
- [15:45]
A
What do you remember about him showing up to watch you dance the first time?
- [15:52]
C
Or because there's so many times that he was there.
- [15:58]
B
My mom was there. Aunts, uncles, cousins. So after the show at night, my aunts start messing with me. Like, watch, Cam. We're get you to take a picture with them. And so we go in there and we're being messy. Yeah, they're just, you know how Filipinos are.
- [16:15]
A
Oh, I know this. I know this feeling very well.
- [16:18]
B
Trying to force me to go meet her.
- [16:20]
C
His aunt is just talking to me. They're speaking Tagalog. Like, some of them are trying to speak Tagalog. I remember him saying, like, okay, let's take a picture. Like, all of you guys. And his aunt telling us that he is a football player. But obviously I don't have any knowledge about football, especially American football, so I'm like, cool, soccer.
- [16:48]
B
I take a picture of the dance team. And then they keep talking to specifically my wife. Cause my aunts know what they're doing. They're talking to her, waiting for everybody else to go inside. They're like, okay, now you're alone. Take a picture. Just you with my nephew. And I'm like, you guys are so extra.
- [17:05]
A
This is not subtle, but part of.
- [17:07]
B
Me is, like, happy. Cause I'm like, okay, I get to get to meet her. And so we ended up taking our picture.
- [17:15]
C
His aunt followed me on Instagram first, and then I think his mom.
- [17:20]
A
And then. Wait a minute, wait a minute. And then Cam. Hold on. Cam was third string in terms of people from the Byum family.
- [17:31]
C
Right.
- [17:33]
B
So we get home with my family, and my mom says it feels like we've known her for a while. And it was just like a weird piece when I met her. Like, wow, she seems really genuine. And so, you know, as we show up the next day, the next day.
- [17:50]
A
The next day, you become the biggest fan.
- [17:55]
B
The place is, like, fun.
- [17:57]
C
One night, you know, we're ready to perform. And that time I'm preparing to do my back flip so you can backflip also with the help of my. My.
- [18:09]
A
How many people in his family can backflip?
- [18:12]
C
This is like a funny story because I didn't know he came back and then he just popped up and like, hey. Started cheering and I'm like, wait, same guy.
- [18:21]
A
Like, he's back.
- [18:23]
B
Day in and day out. I kept. We kept showing up, got to know her a little more. We only talked like five, ten minutes every day. But it was like old school where you get to see in person every day. You're not texting, not calling, but you're just showing up in person every day. I just felt peace in my heart from God. Like, okay, give her a try. This scene is different. This feeling is different. And I felt that directly from God.
- [18:51]
A
So all of this is feeling like again, in retrospect, this is all making sense. But how long does it take you to actually propose?
- [18:59]
B
Nine months.
- [19:00]
A
So this plan, the plan of, okay, within nine months, I'm proposing you don't. As far as I know, you did not actually live in Dubai.
- [19:11]
B
No.
- [19:12]
A
How does this all work?
- [19:13]
B
So the Philippines was our. Our hub. I'm really a really intentional person. So we made sure to a little bit. My mindset was, okay, if we're going to think about dating, we need to, you know, do things where we can evaluate each other. So let's go serve with our church. I've been wanting to do some things with like the Filipino community and want to give back. That's been my dream. So really our first few months together was being able to serve our people. And I was able to evaluate, okay, how does she treat people? How does she talk to people? How does she treat people that can't do something for her in return? And what does her heart look like? And being able to do that from the beginning of our dating set everything up.
- [19:56]
A
The proposal itself feels like Ocean's Eleven. Like a bank heist.
- [20:02]
B
Yes. Yes.
- [20:03]
A
So, okay, so walk me through the steps here because it's about as elaborate a routine as I've ever seen.
- [20:12]
B
Yes. It was a process. Our pre marriage counseling. I told them, okay, give us an assignment where we can't talk to each other for a few days, basically do fasting from each other where we have to prepare our vows and everything.
- [20:26]
A
You got the marriage counselor involved so.
- [20:29]
B
It doesn't look like I'm in it. So I told them, you're a psychopath.
- [20:32]
A
I am.
- [20:33]
B
I'm genius. So I told them, okay, tell her that you guys can't talk for three days so you can prepare your vows.
- [20:41]
A
Did you know that he had gotten the marriage counselor in on this plan?
- [20:47]
C
Actually, that's, like, every time my friends will ask me, so, how did he propose? I love to say he lied, because that is, like, a funny way to tell the story.
- [20:58]
B
We had a long process, so we had to kind of plan our wedding. And I had to plan the proposal because we only have a short window of off season.
- [21:05]
A
You're doing this during the NFL season?
- [21:07]
B
During the NFL season.
- [21:08]
A
From the United States to the Philippines.
- [21:10]
B
Yes. So gave me time to get there. We rented the place out where we had one of our first quote, unquote, like, fancy dates. We are here. Balay Daco. February 1, 2020 3. Layne has no clue I'm in the Philippines 1. She has no clue I'm about to propose to her. But this is exactly how it's about to work. Come on.
- [21:32]
A
The crazy part is that you taped yourself basically being like, this is how I'm gonna rob this bank.
- [21:39]
B
Yes.
- [21:40]
A
I'm gonna walk up these steps.
- [21:41]
B
Yep.
- [21:42]
A
You did provide evidence.
- [21:44]
B
I did. I did. She's gonna walk in as soon as she touches this first step. Still in love, Brian McKnight. So she's gonna walk in. What is this? What is all this music? Push the door open so there's gonna be fog all over the ground so it looks like heavenly. We in the clouds. Right? Curtain opens, Meet me at the altar. I'm not keeping it simple. Doing, will you marry me? That's boring. Meet me at the altar. It's like, I'm not asking. I'm telling you. And it went exactly how we planned on it.
- [22:17]
A
Spoiler alert.
- [22:18]
B
Like, step by step. This worked in. Looked around like I said. Will you see me at the altar?
- [22:26]
A
Yes.
- [22:27]
B
I love you so much, baby. Look at you, baby.
- [22:33]
A
Does it fit, baby?
- [22:37]
C
I still can't believe you did that.
- [22:39]
A
Yeah. He did to you what he does to quarterbacks. He's disguising his coverage for sure. He's being deeply dishonest. And then he's picking you off.
- [22:48]
B
Mm. Now I'm just realizing that's exactly what I'm doing with the celebrations. And that's. It's pretty consistent. I didn't realize that till now.
- [22:55]
A
You didn't realize it until this interview right now.
- [22:58]
B
Like, dang, I'm doing the same exact videos then as I'm doing now. That's. That's actually crazy.
- [23:16]
A
She says yes, and you become husband and wife. The problem being that she had never Been to the United States at this point.
- [23:27]
B
Right, Right.
- [23:28]
A
Had you considered this?
- [23:30]
B
I'd never considered it until a few months into dating. I'm like, you want to come to a game? And she said, I can't. I said, what do you mean, no? I can just buy you a plane ticket. You can come to a game. She's like, no, I can't. I said, what do you mean you can't? I got it. Like, I'll take care of it. She said, I literally can't come to the States. So I had to do my research because only thing I thought a visa was, was a debit card.
- [23:54]
A
A visa, in fact, is a document that allows a foreign citizen to enter the United States for a specific purpose. Purpose. And visas are notoriously difficult to get at this point. For instance, Lane Bynum had applied and been denied three separate times over almost two years. Twice for a tourist visa and once for a spousal visa. And this was with no real clarity, she says, on what she could do differently to get it accepted or how long it would even take. And none of that is particularly uncommon.
- [24:29]
C
As much as we always want to talk about the positive side of it, it was so hard because the time difference and being married and knowing that, okay, I can't be with my husband and, like, this is a very important time for us, like, season for us to really spend time together. And also, you know, like, him as a professional athlete, you need to know, like, okay, what do you need right now? Do you want me to be an encourager or just be your friend and listen to you? And I don't know how to, like, start the conversation. Sometimes we're just on FaceTime and we don't know what to say because we're just both sad and, like, realizing that, okay, we still have a few months. And it's not. There's. It's not guaranteed that we will be together next year. Or maybe we need to wait for a few more years. And we got married, and I feel like we got everything, like, so easy. And then there's this one thing that we don't have any control.
- [25:37]
A
I didn't fully appreciate how much of a problem this would be for you when I first heard about this story.
- [25:43]
B
Right the first time she did it. Denied. Then it took eight months to get another interview. So the line just to get an interview for it, just to get it either yes or no takes eight to 12 months. So it's like if you get told no, you have to wait a whole nother eight months. Just to ask again.
- [26:03]
A
Yes.
- [26:03]
B
And we had.
- [26:04]
A
It's really hard.
- [26:05]
B
We had a no from that twice.
- [26:07]
A
But I want to explain the moment in which I realized that you were a story that I wanted to find out more about.
- [26:14]
B
Let's see.
- [26:15]
A
Cause it was Monday Night football.
- [26:16]
B
Yeah.
- [26:17]
A
It's October 2023. You're playing the Niners. The Niners, who would go on to be in the super bowl that year. And your mentality headed into this nationally televised opportunity, speaking about your preparation, your intentionality, your planning.
- [26:33]
B
Yeah.
- [26:33]
A
Did you know that that was gonna be the platform where you could say something to America about this 100%.
- [26:42]
B
Before the season, when she had her last interview and we got denied. It was in September, the week before our first game, and she got denied. And it was like really sad because we thought it was our second time going through it. And we're like, okay, now our application is good. This is gonna be the one. We did it the right way and we still get a no. And I told my wife, all right, we gotta ask for help.
- [27:08]
A
You have the game of your life A on Monday Night Football on national television against the Niners, you pick off Brock Purdy the first time. Purdy on a deep drop. He's gonna pass over the middle.
- [27:20]
B
Intercepted. Yes.
- [27:22]
A
They took the ball from the Niners and it's Cam Bynum with the interception of Brock Purdy. Did you do the worm after that?
- [27:29]
B
Yeah, that's when I did the worm.
- [27:30]
A
Right. Just a casual worm. Right. But the second pick is the thing that basically wins the game.
- [27:37]
B
That's the game winner back to pass him and he needs to sack him.
- [27:41]
A
He loops it over the middle. Intercepted.
- [27:44]
B
Yes. The Vikings beat the Niners and Cam.
- [27:48]
A
Bynum has a two interception night.
- [27:51]
B
Shout out to the P. It's a movie.
- [27:55]
A
And so your opportunity with Tom Pelissero at the NFL Network post game. It's time. It's time for you to pay off this play plan.
- [28:05]
B
Yeah.
- [28:07]
A
Cameron, prime time, national tv, a top opponent. You have two picks to seal the victory. How does it feel?
- [28:13]
B
First of all, all glory to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. It feels amazing being able to be out here and just get a win for my team and to come up big on a big time game and support my country with my foundation. We got the on our helmet and we're able to just really support things. Bigger than me. It's bigger than me. I'm not out here for my glory. It's all for God and all for the people back at home. And also my wife she's in the Philippines working on her visa. It's been getting denied. So if anybody out there can help with the visa process, I greatly appreciate it.
- [28:43]
C
I'm just scrolling through social media, and it's all about Cam, you know, his interception. And then I saw this. I think my friend sent me. Like, look, Lane. Like, he. He said something about, like, the visa. And I just remember crying. Like, I was crying, because I'm just thinking of this scenario of, like, my husband is Superman and he can't even save his own wife.
- [29:06]
B
I was prepared for the moment whenever it came to use that as our stepping stone, to use our platform for something good and even beyond our situation. It brought so many eyes to the world, because that's an issue for a lot of people, not just Filipinos, but everybody in the world that.
- [29:25]
A
Whether it's a topic in the news all of the time now.
- [29:28]
B
Exactly.
- [29:28]
A
Immigrants. Do they deserve to be here? There was an article in the Minnesota Star Tribune where the executive director of the Immigrant Law center of Minnesota, her name is Veena Iyer, said, and I'll just read the quote. The issue he is raising is one that so many Americans and green card holders experience every day.
- [29:47]
B
That made me really go back and look back on myself. Like, hold on. I need to learn a little bit more. People can at least have more grace on people that are going through the same situation as us. Maybe that they might have kids, they might have.
- [30:01]
A
Yeah, these are families who can't be together.
- [30:03]
B
Exactly. And it's like, okay, us, I'm able to be on a platform, but what about everybody else? All the other millions of people that are still in the process?
- [30:13]
A
Yeah. This is also the Filipino American experience.
- [30:16]
B
Right.
- [30:16]
A
Is that difficult? We export people all across the world, and everybody in the end wants to and wishes to be in America.
- [30:23]
B
Right.
- [30:24]
A
Do you remember when you got the. The news that, oh, my wife is actually gonna get to be in this country with me?
- [30:31]
B
Yes. I remember it very, very vividly, where I knew she was going into the interview, and she called me, and her face didn't look sad like the last one. She didn't even say any words yet, but she answered, and I saw the smile.
- [30:44]
A
And then she said, ah, we got it.
- [30:47]
B
I was like, no way. So we start adding Everybody to the FaceTime call. Add my mom, add my siblings, add my cousins. Then we're like, all right, let's book this flight. She needs to be at the next home game.
- [31:02]
A
Lane Bynum had finally been granted a temporary tourist visa, and she and Cam both Say that for all the attention that her case had received as a result of Monday Night Football, there was no special expediting of the process, it turned out. And that Lane right now is actually still working her way through the system, hoping that her spousal visa will eventually get approved. Although one giant hurdle has finally been overcome. Do you remember what it was like for your plane to actually land in the United States of America for the first time in your life?
- [31:38]
C
Yeah, I remember for sure. How can I forget? And yeah, my mother in law, she had to fly to the Philippines to pick me up.
- [31:48]
A
And then you got a chaperone.
- [31:51]
B
Yes.
- [31:52]
C
And then we flew to. I landed in San Francisco. It's just wild watching his game in one of like the establishments in San Francisco. And I'm like, okay. All the people is just like super excited to watch a game. And it's not like that in the Philippines.
- [32:09]
A
Right. Like these, these purple shirts are really popular, it turns out.
- [32:12]
B
Yeah.
- [32:13]
C
And like all the families, you know, we're just there watching his game and me thinking, wow, like I will see him in like three hours.
- [32:23]
B
Finally being able to see my wife. I'm about to cry. Welcome to Minnesota. She's crying. We made her cry. Thank you to my beautiful family. Thank you to all of you that have helped. We did it. My wife is here. Finally home. And she got here in the middle of the week. But I didn't tell anybody that she was here yet. Cause I wanted her to like surprise everybody at the game.
- [32:52]
A
Of course.
- [32:53]
B
Yeah. You know, be extra. So it was just a crazy moment. Like just how her life changed within from the day that the Niner game. And then three weeks later, she was at the game against the New Orleans Saints. So it was just a blessing.
- [33:11]
A
We.
- [33:11]
B
Made it out here. It's a boob. Thanks to y'. All. Wifey's here. All glory to God. Now let's go ball, baby. Woo. Movie.
- [33:20]
A
It's interesting like that season 2023, you have a really good year.
- [33:25]
B
Yeah.
- [33:26]
A
I mean, you lead every defensive back in the NFL in tackles. You're establishing yourself as a really important part of the Minnesota Vikings. You're becoming known locally and now nationally.
- [33:38]
B
Right.
- [33:39]
A
And the thing you want to do, I realize now as I think about this and the chronology of it is your wife gets to finally be with you in America, but you simultaneously are like, I want to be spending more time in the Philippines.
- [33:51]
B
Yeah. Every second that I'm not in football, I want to be not here. And nothing against here. But I just fell in love with being able to travel and specifically be in the Philippines. It's just a different life. And I'm so grateful for my time here in the US because of all the things that we're spoiled with. But I also love going back to the Philippines and having to slow down and have to be back in community where it's a lot slower of a lifestyle out there. And community still a big thing. Family is still a big value out there in the Philippines. So really, every second I get, I try and be out just so I can live both, both type of lives.
- [34:33]
A
I just want to make this very clear to people. No one else does this.
- [34:37]
B
True.
- [34:38]
A
No one else is like, nobody lives overseas. You're like, oh, where are you spending the off season? It's like, oh, I'm in Malibu. I'll go to, you know, Cancun. You're living in the Philippines, on the other side of the world in the off seasons.
- [34:50]
B
Yes. I really, like, gave it a shot to live there and ended up falling in love with it. On top of my wife being from there. That's for sure a big reason. Because her family, everybody's there and she really helps me when I'm out there, be able to really know how to live life out there. But being able to go feel the experience of actually living there and be a local and not just go to the beaches and all the, you know, island hopping, all that's fun. But I have more fun being in Manila.
- [35:20]
A
I just like how you're like the one guy who's like, I love sitting in traffic in Manila. There's something about slow.
- [35:27]
B
As long as I'm not driving. I hate sitting in it if I'm driving. But if it's a two hour drive and I'm in the backseat, I'm good.
- [35:40]
A
So I just gotta jump in here quickly to point out that Manila is in fact one of the most congested cities on planet Earth. It is not a beachside resort. And also, if you want to know what kind of couple Cam and Lane Bynum are, you should understand that they spent their honeymoon last year visiting the same typhoon victims who had inspired them to start their Bynum faith Foundation in 2023. The Bynum Faith foundation is a charitable organization devoted to donating food and rebuilding homes and also teaching the same craft that Cam's own coach back in high school had once taught. A fifth string junior varsity defensive back that pretty much nobody believed in. For people who aren't familiar with the Filipino sort of like, deal, basketball, boxing, cockfighting, billiards, yeah, exactly. Football's not on the list, but you're actively holding camps in the cities.
- [36:46]
B
It started when I met a few guys out there. And you were able to meet them yesterday. Dags and Brian, there's Bruce, there's Paul, like my closest friends. That started off from day one. They hit me up on Instagram and I had saw, okay, they live in the Philippines. And I started looking at their pages and they're doing like, football stuff. And I'm like, oh, they play football out there.
- [37:06]
A
I didn't know there was football stuff in the Philippines.
- [37:08]
B
I didn't know either.
- [37:09]
A
I didn't know that the Philippine Tackle Football League was a legal.
- [37:13]
B
That's why I followed them back. So I'm like, okay, there's some people doing football. So I get there my first few weeks of the off season, Dags hit me up like, hey, we have a practice tomorrow. We'd love for you to come. And he was just shooting a shot, like, hoping to get a quote unquote celebrity to get there. And I said, all right, you think you pick me up? He said he screenshotted it, sent it to every group chat he had. He's flexing on all his friends, like, look, he replied to me. And I pull up just. Cause I'm like, yeah, let's go get some work in. And 30 people were there. And when I tell you they're passionate about learning and I'm teaching stuff and they're like sitting there like ears, like, just. They're just serious.
- [37:54]
A
The sense I got from talking to them pre game was like, they are serious about this.
- [37:58]
B
Literally, like, this is like life for them.
- [38:01]
A
What are you realizing about the difficulties of trying to grow American football in that country?
- [38:10]
B
I'd say the main difficulty is there's not enough platforms for people to play. There's a lot of people training, a lot of groups training. But as far as, like, consistent tournaments. And I just see the difference of. I grew up in Southern California, and there's a seven on seven tournament every weekend. Practice on the weekdays. Like seeing the serious system that it is in the off season.
- [38:33]
A
You had four, five strings on your JV team.
- [38:36]
B
Exactly. And that's just jv. They have more passion for football than the average person out there. And wake up at 1am to watch games and watch. Stay up all night to watch games. So when I saw that passion and I realized, okay, they have that passion for football, but they don't have the opportunities to play like we do in the U.S. i'm like, why don't we just put on camps just for me to be here and spread love and continue to further this game? That's the whole goal of this, is to bring football to the Philippines and to this side of the world. So couldn't have done it without you guys. Give it up for yourselves.
- [39:11]
A
You know, I was watching one of the videos you put out from, from your latest camp and you say to the guys at one point, every time.
- [39:18]
B
I'm on the field this coming season, I'm thinking of every single one of you guys here. The better I play, the more resources and recognition we bring back to the this country. So let's continue to do it. Every time I'm on the field, like I literally have flashbacks of, okay, this is bigger than just me out here. Yes, I'm having fun, yes, I'm making money. But everything I do on this field today in this game can benefit them back home in the Philippines and all of Asia. So I think of the kids we help and the families we help, the typhoon victims. My mindset is every interception, every tackle, every play I'm on that field.
- [39:58]
A
Every celebration, every celebration.
- [40:00]
B
All that is an extra meal for a kid that may be starving or an extra house that we can provide. And if I'm able to help them by what I do on the field, that's a no brainer for me.
- [40:26]
A
So I do want to go back to what it was like for me to watch this game in that section and then really like experience the post game. So for people who are unfamiliar, this was Lions, Vikings. This felt like a preview of the NFC title game. Frankly, I'll say it, it was a thriller, maybe the best division in NFL history, just based on the statistics. And it's tight, it's close. You guys lose on a field goal, 44 for the lead. Bates has delivered, Detroit is on top. And you're shaking your head because that has gotta suck.
- [41:04]
B
Yes, it does. Especially being undefeated and top of it being a divisional rival.
- [41:09]
A
Right. And so post game, all of these Filipinos, the hundred of us are wondering, is Cam gonna like stop by?
- [41:19]
B
Right?
- [41:20]
A
Because it's like. Cause you guys hadn't lost all year. And it's like this sucks and it's miserable. And can you describe what you saw when you did in fact show up?
- [41:31]
B
Yeah. So even before I came out, you know, the disappointment of when we lost the game, it's like, ah, I just want to come sit here in this locker room, take my time. And you know as a competitor, you hate losing. But I had to really rewind my mind to, okay, be a human and don't be a football player right now. Go appreciate all the people that are here. The fact that everybody waited that long for me and just to go come get a picture and to just be able to let me know that they're supporting and to really just show their love after the game, whether we win or lost. Like, that meant so much for me to come out there and to see 100 people out there waiting and coming to my game to support me with my jersey on, with shirts customized for me that day. I wouldn't have imagined this as a kid.
- [42:25]
A
Yeah. I mean, to be clear, the reason I wanted to come visit you and fly from New York to Minnesota was because I also did not imagine this when I was a kid.
- [42:33]
B
Right.
- [42:34]
A
That scene in Minnesota with, again, a Filipino American, like, rising star in the league. And then the post game. So I was sitting next to Boo Dava, who is the head of, you know, the Phil Minnesotan association, and he's like, you should stop by. We're having a tailgate.
- [42:54]
B
Right.
- [42:54]
A
And it was at the Philippine center of Minnesota, a place I did not know, again, even existed.
- [42:59]
B
Exactly.
- [43:01]
A
I go out there and I'm like, this is the reason I came. It was beautiful. It was the sun setting. It was the leaves turning. And here are all of these Filipinos in Bynum jerseys.
- [43:13]
B
Exactly.
- [43:14]
A
With the smell of Filipino food. Of Filipino food in a place I did not expect to smell it. It was genuinely moving.
- [43:23]
B
It was when I drove up and parked my car. And I'm just looking at all these people that gathered for that specific reason to come support me and support the Filipino community. On top of that, the smell of the food. On top of that, seeing families and kids running around.
- [43:39]
A
Yes.
- [43:40]
B
And like, wow, this feels like home. One, two, three.
- [43:46]
A
There's, again, just this running theme in this story and in your life of celebration. And here you have people who, again, you're not supposed to feel this way after you lose.
- [43:58]
B
Right.
- [43:58]
A
You're not supposed to have this kind of a feast.
- [44:01]
B
Exactly.
- [44:02]
A
I was housing Lumpia. I was housing Sisig. You know, just like fried pork face. I was eating rice on top of a mailbox at one point. I was watching you, and I was sort of, like, seeing you get emotional, as, by the way, the mayor of Maplewood was there. I didn't know that you had secretly prepared. Well, hold on. Did you. How did the mayor of Maplewood know the Parent Trap dance?
- [44:28]
B
So she came up to me and said, hey, I'm the mayor I said, whoa, you're the first mayor I've ever met in the US So that was cool and won. Then she said, can we do the Parent Trap handshake? I said, you know it. She said, duh. She executed it pretty well. I didn't expect that.
- [45:04]
A
I didn't know that we were gonna have. I was gonna be bearing witness to a declaration, a legal, official declaration that October was going to be in Minnesota Filipino American History Month. I barely. Abrams, mayor of the city of Maplewood, do hereby proclaim October 2024 as Filipino American History Month and recognize the Philippine center of Minnesota for their outstanding contributions.
- [45:29]
C
To our community and witness whereof I.
- [45:33]
A
Have here unto set my hand on this 20th day of October 2024. Signed Mary Lee Abrams. And that also additionally quote, the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United states occurred on October 18, 1587. 1587, when the Luzones Indios came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California.
- [46:03]
B
See, I didn't know.
- [46:04]
A
We both found some out that day.
- [46:06]
B
I just left an NFL game and just pulled up to that. I'm like, good.
- [46:11]
A
Turns out we've been here a long time, Kev.
- [46:14]
B
Right? Once again, I just thank you guys all for being here and making this happen. And it's. I get emotional just seeing everybody gather for a cause and doing the things that we're able to do. So I appreciate you guys and love you guys.
- [46:26]
C
The fact that they had this program just to, you know, honor Cam and hearing it from them, that they're really aware with what Cam is doing, that he's trying to represent, you know, the Filipino culture. Seeing a lot of. I mean, more Filipinos in Minnesota, I'm just, wow. I feel like I'm home.
- [46:49]
A
Yes. We all wanted you guys to win, right? That's obvious and clear, for sure. But in terms of what it proved, to be able to celebrate like that after a defeat, it sort of isolated the variable of, like, oh, this is about more than just, the Vikings are really good this year, guys. Like, we know that now. It's true. But it felt strangely like the culmination of your story in a way that you could not have planned, actually.
- [47:20]
B
Right.
- [47:21]
A
Like, the payoff of this. Like, you wouldn't script. You didn't script it like this. That part of it, in its own way, made it that much more profound.
- [47:30]
B
It made me realize that it actually is bigger than football. And, like, whether we won the game or lost the Game. It probably would have been the same exact love and same exact vibes.
- [47:41]
A
That's 1 million percent the case.
- [47:42]
B
Yes. They might, like, you know, if I got an interception and a celebration, they would have been talking about the dance.
- [47:48]
A
Absolutely. But guess what? We were still dancing anyway.
- [47:51]
B
Exactly. And people were still asking, okay, what's the next celebration? Hey, I loved your last one. So no matter what, it really went to show, like, it's bigger than football, and it's way more important than just what you're doing on the field.
- [48:05]
A
And so you brought it up. So I'll be the millionth Filipino person to be like, I have an idea for a celebration.
- [48:10]
B
Okay.
- [48:12]
A
You're familiar with the national dance of the Philippines?
- [48:15]
B
Ocho. Ocho. What is the national dance? Tinikling.
- [48:20]
A
Yes.
- [48:21]
B
Yes.
- [48:28]
A
So for people who don't know, tinikling is basically a double Dutch with bamboo poles.
- [48:35]
B
Yes.
- [48:35]
A
So you have people jumping in and out, except two friends on either side are banging bamboo sticks. Yes. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I feel like you can pull that.
- [48:46]
B
Off easily, But I wanted to wait a little bit so I can teach the guys holding the imaginary sticks to be masters at it. And I want to learn a cool routine, like, the footwork of it.
- [49:00]
A
Yes.
- [49:00]
B
Because if I do it, I want it to be, like, exactly how it should be.
- [49:04]
A
All right, who are we calling out? Is it Harrison?
- [49:07]
B
Harrison Smith or Josh Mattelis? And Josh Mattelis. Those are my two.
- [49:11]
A
Josh and Harrison. Where's the camera? Which camera are we looking into? Let's go.
- [49:15]
B
This one.
- [49:15]
A
This one right there.
- [49:17]
B
Perfect.
- [49:18]
A
I see both of us pointing at Josh and Harrison. Learn how to bang bamboo poles on the ground so this man can fulfill his ethnic destiny.
- [49:26]
B
And the whole Filipino community would support you guys like they do to me. And you'll have the keys to the city when you go to the Philippines.
- [49:33]
A
Granted, that city is mostly made of pork.
- [49:36]
B
They both eat pork, so we're good.
- [49:40]
A
Can't buy them. Happy Filipino American History Month.
- [49:45]
B
Same to you.
- [49:46]
A
It's been a pleasure, man.
- [49:47]
B
Appreciate you for everything.
- [49:57]
A
This has been Pablo Torre FINDS OUT a Meadowlark Media production and I'll talk to you next time.