Retiring from the NFL with guest Isaac Rochell

Summary

Sunday Sports Club Podcast: "Retiring from the NFL with Guest Isaac Rochell"

Host: Allison Cooch
Guest: Isaac Groeschel
Release Date: February 2, 2025

---

1. Introduction to the Episode

The episode opens with Allison Cooch introducing the special guest, her husband Isaac Groeschel, who is announcing his retirement from the NFL after a commendable seven-year career. The emotional significance of this milestone is emphasized, considering the average NFL career spans approximately two and a half years.

Allison Cooch [00:30]:
"Seven years is fucking insane and something to be so proud of."

---

2. Isaac’s NFL Career Journey

a. Early Beginnings and College Career

Isaac recounts his journey starting from sixth grade football, noting his initial struggles and the pivotal moment when transitioning to a private school allowed him to develop his skills. His dedication led to a successful high school career, culminating in a scholarship offer from Boston College before ultimately committing to Notre Dame.

Isaac Groeschel [07:29]:
"I was bigger than people, and it let me kind of develop into my own."

At Notre Dame, Isaac faced early challenges but eventually earned a starting position and became a team captain, which he credits for preparing him for the NFL.

Isaac Groeschel [10:03]:
"I started training camp struggling, but by the next year, I was the starting defensive end."

b. Drafting and Time with the Los Angeles Chargers

Isaac was drafted in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Chargers, a notable achievement given the low success rate of seventh-round picks. During his tenure with the Chargers, he developed into a reliable player, contributing significantly to the team’s performance, including their playoff appearance in 2018.

Isaac Groeschel [02:10]:
"I personally maximize it in every single way on the field."

Allison highlights the stability of his four-year contract with the Chargers—a rarity for seventh-rounders—and the strong team camaraderie that made his experience memorable.

Allison Cooch [19:14]:
"As a seventh rounder, even more rare to complete a full four-year deal with one team."

c. Transition to Free Agency and the Colts

After completing his commitment with the Chargers, Isaac entered free agency seeking a fresh start. He signed a three and a half million-dollar contract with the Indianapolis Colts but quickly realized a mismatch with the new coaching staff, leading to dissatisfaction and diminished performance on the field.

Isaac Groeschel [31:24]:
"I was ready for a change because I knew I was a good player and I wanted to make some money."

d. Time with the Cleveland Browns

Isaac then moved to the Cleveland Browns, where he found a more supportive environment under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Despite performing well and receiving praise from coaches and teammates, he faced unexpected releases due to organizational decisions, which left him feeling undervalued despite his contributions.

Isaac Groeschel [36:51]:
"I just feel like it's better for us to not resign."

e. Signing with the Las Vegas Raiders

His final NFL stint was with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he experienced a brief period of success. However, inconsistencies in coaching decisions and team dynamics led to his eventual release, solidifying his decision to retire.

Isaac Groeschel [52:33]:
"The Raiders were going through a lot, and I couldn’t keep proving myself to a coach who didn’t value me."

---

3. Challenges and Setbacks

Isaac discusses the numerous challenges he faced throughout his NFL career, including:

• Coaching Conflicts: Struggles with differing coaching philosophies, particularly with his defensive line coach in Indianapolis, which impacted his performance and happiness.

  Isaac Groeschel [35:12]:
  "He wants somebody who's like, man, I'm a dog. I don't talk a certain way doesn't mean I'm not tough."

• Contract Issues: Signing non-minimum contracts increased pressure and scrutiny, leading to feelings of inadequacy despite on-field successes.

  Isaac Groeschel [36:51]:
  "If you're a good enough player to get this bigger contract, then why are you not on the field?"

• Practice Squad Stints: Experiencing the uncertainty and instability of being placed on practice squads, which contrasted sharply with his earlier stable contracts.

  Allison Cooch [45:38]:
  "You were playing in the game along practice squad."

---

4. Decision to Retire

Faced with continual setbacks and a lack of recognition despite his efforts and performance, Isaac and Allison deliberated the decision to retire. The emotional toll of the NFL’s unpredictable nature and the desire to prioritize their growing family contributed to his choice.

Isaac Groeschel [72:17]:
"It's time for me to do something else."

Allison supports Isaac’s decision, acknowledging the emotional and professional challenges they faced together.

Allison Cooch [78:08]:
"I am so proud of you because you made the most of every opportunity."

---

5. Reflections and Future Plans

In his reflections, Isaac expresses confidence and satisfaction with his NFL career, feeling that he maximized his potential and left a positive impact on teammates and coaches.

Isaac Groeschel [77:14]:
"I feel super confident about the career I had. I left it all on the field."

Looking ahead, Isaac plans to transition into broadcasting and starting a vlogcast, aiming to leverage his experience and insights from his football career.

Isaac Groeschel [74:58]:
"Broadcasting and starting a vlogcast because I'm ready to dive into the next phase of my life."

---

6. Conclusion

The episode concludes with mutual affirmations of pride and support between Allison and Isaac. They hint at future episodes that will delve deeper into Isaac’s retirement and their future endeavors.

Allison Cooch [78:55]:
"We need a part two, which will weave in the Q&A and discuss our future."

Isaac Groeschel [78:55]:
"I feel like you normalized WAGs and made it one of us."

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Allison Cooch [00:52]:
  "Seven years is fucking insane and something to be so proud of."

• Isaac Groeschel [10:03]:
  "I started training camp struggling, but by the next year, I was the starting defensive end."

• Allison Cooch [19:14]:
  "As a seventh rounder, even more rare to complete a full four-year deal with one team."

• Isaac Groeschel [36:51]:
  "I just feel like it's better for us to not resign."

• Isaac Groeschel [77:14]:
  "I feel super confident about the career I had. I left it all on the field."

---

Final Thoughts

This heartfelt episode captures the highs and lows of Isaac Groeschel’s NFL journey, highlighting his resilience, dedication, and the invaluable support from Allison. Their candid discussion provides listeners with an authentic glimpse into the challenges athletes face beyond the field and the profound decisions that shape their lives post-retirement.

---

Note: Advertisements and promotional segments have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the episode's content.

Transcript

[Allison Cooch]

The following podcast is a Dear Media Production. What's up, guys? Welcome back. Or welcome to Sunday Sports Club podcast with Allison Cooch. A podcast all about sports told by a woman. And that woman is me. Hi guys. I'm your host, Allison Cooch. Obviously today is a very, very exciting episode because we get to deep dive into my husband Isaac Groeschel's entire NFL career because he has a special announcement.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I'm retiring. I am super happy to be done. I had a great career. It was actually really fun. Like, feel like we maximized it in every single way. I personally maximize it in every single way on the field. And I just feel really accomplished when it comes to football. So now I'm excited to be done. Seven years.

[Allison Cooch]

Oh my God, I'm getting teary eyed. We tried recording this episode once before and I later started crying. In the beginning, I think I'm just like one, so incredibly proud because the average career in the NFL is two and a half years and so many guys don't even make it to that. So seven years is fucking insane and something to be so proud of. So I'm not only proud of my husband, but like, also in addition to that, all of our memories over the past 10 years of our entire relationship, football has been at the heart of, like, there's been so many ups, so many downs, and our life has truly revolved around the sport of football. I mean, I literally have a podcast about it all now. And just when I look back, I'm so proud and I'm so thankful for all of the memories that the NFL gave us. And also just like getting to watch you, like, follow your dream of being.

[Isaac Groeschel]

In the NFL, it is a huge accomplishment. I mean, here's the deal. I was a seventh rounder. A lot of seventh rounders, like, meet that two and a half year average or less.

[Allison Cooch]

Or I was going to say a lot of seventh rounders do not play seven years in the NFL.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. So not only did I play seven years, like, I contributed. I was a part of like 2018 when the Chargers went to the playoffs, like, I was essentially starting. So I was really fortunate. And that's why I say, like, I maximize my time.

[Allison Cooch]

Absolutely. And the crazy thing to me is that I didn't really have a social media platform. In the heart of your career, you.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Had less than a thousand followers. In the heart of my career, like.

[Allison Cooch]

The, the entire time, like this most stable part of your career. Of course I didn't have social media. So I, I'm really excited to like, talk about your career? Because I feel like so many people, like, more specifically, a lot of men, I feel like, have a lot of, like, they, like, talk a lot about your career, and, like, everybody has an opinion when it comes to your career, but, like, seven years in the NFL, you've started game. You've literally started, like, entire seasons almost.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I mean, I started last year.

[Allison Cooch]

Like, led teams and tackles. Like, it's. Yeah, it's crazy.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It is crazy. Also, if you guys see me checking my watch. We do have a babysitter right now, so I just inevitably, like, I have to check. She's sending pictures of Scotty, which is another. It's kind of like a little transition point. It has been nice. I didn't play this last season, and it's been really nice to be present with Scotty. I don't know. I don't think it would have been. It would have been possible. Obviously, like, families do it all the time. Single moms do it, but it. It would have been a lot easier. And I'm just so thankful that I was able to be home. That being said, I would have left.

[Allison Cooch]

You would have left.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I would have left happily. But, yeah, no, it's. It was. It was a. It was a nice run.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. So, obviously, in today's episode, we're going to kind of touch on Isaac's career and, like, go through his entire career. We're going to talk about some stuff that we haven't been able to talk about, because when your husband is still trying to play actively for teams, I feel like you kind of have, like, there's. There's things that you shouldn't. You shouldn't. Shouldn't not say.

[Isaac Groeschel]

There's, like, a lot you shouldn't say.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. And not. Not in, like, a negative way. We're not here to, like, give tea on the NFL because we. We love the NFL as an organization and, like, so many people in it.

[Isaac Groeschel]

The NFL is great.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

The teams are great. It's just. There's personality. Personalities that don't clash. I also. There is a little bit of tea that I want to spill, though, because it is, like, my story.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I haven't been able to share. Another thing I want to say back to the social media piece and you not having followers during my prime, it kind of worked out because it was. I don't know that it would have been distracting, but, like, social media created such a second job for us that, like, it was okay if I got really.

[Allison Cooch]

The NFL, like, started to be, like, go in the back seat.

[Isaac Groeschel]

For sure.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And so, like, it was like the. The Es and flows and like, the flow of our careers work. It worked out very well.

[Allison Cooch]

I would not change a thing about your NFL career, about social media, about when we started a family. Like, I literally would not change a single thing. And so once we go over Isaac's career and all of that, we'll kind of talk about the decision of how Isaac came to retire from the NFL, because I think a lot of people would be interested to know, like, the. The conversations we had leading up to you officially retiring, when you decided to officially retire and her mentally retired.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, mentally. Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

And then we'll also answer some questions at the end, like, what is next for us? Like, what does this look like moving forward? Because everybody, when Isaac was playing would ask, like, oh, when your husband is done with the. The NFL, like, what is he going to do? Is he didn't get a job? Is he going to be working a 9 to 5? So we'll kind of touch on all of it. And then in two weeks after the super bowl, we'll have a Q and A episode in our brand new home.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Oh, my God. So every time we reference the new home, I just literally, I can't wait. All right, well, let's. Allie's running the show here.

[Allison Cooch]

I'm running the show. You are a guest here. So, Isaac Groeschel, welcome to Sunday Sports Club Podcast. You have been playing football essentially your entire life?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yep. What kind of. Yeah, I started in sixth grade, but I was awful.

[Allison Cooch]

Something a lot of people don't really think about when these NFL players retire is that it's actually a huge identity shift because some of these players have been playing football since they were 5, 6, 7. That's your entire life. I mean, it's our entire relationship. So let's take it all the way back. You started playing football when you were how old?

[Isaac Groeschel]

6Th grade. Clayton County Wildcats.

[Allison Cooch]

And did you instantly love it? Was it love at first sight?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Just like I was. I was really, like, I was getting pummeled. Like, it was bad. So when I first started, I wanted to play because my brother was playing. And, like, I would. It was like one of those things where it sounded better than it actually was. So then I would get to practice. Got destroyed. I remember doing Oklahoma drills. You guys don't know what that is. I was getting tore up. I would cry before practice. And my dad just literally, it was the one piece of his, like, parenting that was intense. He would not let us quit, so I just literally had to go to practice every day, crying and couldn't quit.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay. And then you slowly fell in love, Like.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

So then after a few dates.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. Yeah, a few dates. Well, no, I really switched to a private school where everybody was a lot worse at football. And I feel like. And I'm joking, but I feel like when I switch. And I was playing middle school football for a small private school, I was bigger than people, and it let me kind of like, develop into my own.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Then I ended up just becoming. From that point on, I was, like, really good. I got my first offer sophomore year of high school, Boston College. Yeah. Bc. Come on. But I became really, really good. Ended up being, like, top recruit in the nation.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay, so then you love football. You win state championship.

[Isaac Groeschel]

This is funny because these notes.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah, no, I didn't even look at notes. Isaac, we're literally. We're married.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I know you, but it's funny. It's giving, like, it's giving, like, your prep.

[Allison Cooch]

Well, I'm so. It's funny because my producer writes down, like, things to talk about. Shout out to Annie. Love Annie. And it's funny because, like, she's doing background information on, like, my husband.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But it's funny because you watch podcasts with couples and sometimes it's like, do they even talk? We've talked about this stuff. I. Yeah. Want to stay.

[Allison Cooch]

People were really worried, Isaac.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I know. It was funny, though. Not. We won't deep dive in it, but my senior year, I was already committed to Notre Dame before, like, the season started, because I wanted to just have a focus senior year. And, like, we would play teams and everybody would be like, okay, Notre Dame, you, Notre Dame, Mr. Notre Dame sucks. Like, they'd be like, it's funny. But, yeah, we won a state championship. We were really good.

[Allison Cooch]

Did anybody in your entire career ever make fun of the tick tock thing on the field?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, the Raiders. I'm legitimately sweating right now.

[Allison Cooch]

Are you nervous?

[Isaac Groeschel]

I don't know why I'm sweating. Hopefully it doesn't show up on camera. Let me sit up.

[Allison Cooch]

And almost like, it's kind of hot. Like, you, like, workout. We get it. Wait, that's funny. People reference TikTok while on the field.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I. I'm not going to say I, like, know exactly who it was. Like, he's actually a great guy. No. Some dudes would come up to me after games and be like, bro, like, put me on. Like, there's.

[Allison Cooch]

Can you repost my day in the life?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. There'd be people. Not me doing a big Boy, get some air in there. No, people would literally make fun of me, then come up to me and be like, nah, dude, it's all love. Like, put me on, though. Like, I made you up in the off season, but, yeah, people made fun of me.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay, so you commit to Notre Dame, you end up going to Notre Dame for football. Did you. It was. It instantly, like, you starting, like, college football, I feel like, is so unique right now. It's so different from what it was because, like, the NCAA rules have totally switched.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And, yeah, I would have gotten paid.

[Allison Cooch]

Nil and all of that, but. Okay, so you had a very successful college career because you end up starting. You became a captain.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, so I. When I got to Notre Dame, by the way, I had offers from everywhere. Like, I could have went anywhere. And I. You're, like, kind of humbly. I literally could have went to any school I wanted to.

[Allison Cooch]

He's, like, a big deal.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Chose Notre Dame. Everybody in SEC country was like, what are you doing? But I got up there, and it definitely was, like, a huge shift. Like, I definitely struggled my first training camp.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And felt like a fish out of water. I remember looking through, like, face old Facebook messages because that's how recruiting went. And wanted to transfer. Like, I didn't want to be at Notre Dame. And it wasn't until my next year still wasn't starting, but I started to, like, feel like I was competing with the person in front of me. Ended up, that guy was starting, but then he got kicked out of the school. So then I. I remember the coach.

[Allison Cooch]

Bye.

[Isaac Groeschel]

A coach came up to me and he goes, congrats, you're the starting defensive end for the University of Notre Dame. And I was at, like, a random training camp practice, and I was like, okay, I'm starting, and then the rest is history. Was a captain my senior year. Ended up having my best year in college was my junior year.

[Allison Cooch]

But when you look back on your career, do you not, like, go back to Notre Dame and you're like, holy. So much has happened since then.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, well, first off, I look back to Notre Dame and I'm like, it's. It's like playing in the NFL. And again, I don't know why I'm sweating. If this starts to look, like, nasty, it's okay. Let me know. But, like, I look back at Notre Dame and I'm like, wow, that was, like, a really big deal to go to Notre Dame. But I feel like when I was in it, I was getting recruited by everybody. It. It was just, like, part of the journey. But, like, I'm like, dang, Notre Dame. Like, I went to the University of Notre Dame and played ball. But yeah, a lot has changed since then. Different ball player, different person.

[Allison Cooch]

And so, like, how did Notre Dame prepare you for the NFL then?

[Isaac Groeschel]

I think just the magnitude of it. I was also a captain and I think, like, from, like, a leader. I feel like I'm in, like, interviews, like, pre draft interviews, where, like, the. The scouts are like, how did Notre Dame prepare you for this?

[Allison Cooch]

Do you always hook up with people that interview you?

[Isaac Groeschel]

You have children? No, it was just like, Notre Dame's like, a big deal. Like, when you have media days at Notre Dame, you have more people interviewing you than you have in the NFL. Like, Notre Dame is massive.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

The stage. A lot of times you might be having more people watching Notre Dame football.

[Allison Cooch]

Notre Dame, like, reminds me of, like, SEC schools, like Alabama, like, Ole Miss, just because of the magnitude of, like, the. The fan base, the culture around Notre Dame. Like, I truly feel like it's a Southern school because of how much people love it.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, absolutely. So it's just. It's just. It's big.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So it definitely prepared me for a million different reasons, but one was just, like, the magnitude. Like, I was built for this.

[Allison Cooch]

And how old were you when you graduated college?

[Isaac Groeschel]

22.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I think. Right?

[Allison Cooch]

I think so.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So, yeah, 22.

[Allison Cooch]

So you graduate Notre Dame at 22. You leave to go and train for the NFL draft. We can come out with an entire NFL draft experience episode when the draft comes out in April.

[Isaac Groeschel]

That's actually a great idea. Yeah, that was good.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. We should actually go to the NFL draft and do some interviews or like Ian. But that's funny. So you end up getting drafted seventh round. You're 22 years old.

[Isaac Groeschel]

You know what pick I was?

[Allison Cooch]

252, 225.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Ally. BFF.

[Allison Cooch]

Am I dyslexic? Because those are the same numbers.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Oh, wow.

[Allison Cooch]

But okay, so you end up getting drafted. The draft process was really interesting, to say the least.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Quick synopsis. Thought I was gonna go a lot higher than I did and ended up falling to the seventh round.

[Allison Cooch]

The NFL draft you just. Nobody prepares you for. Which is why I think we can have an entire episode dedicated towards it.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, it was a lot.

[Allison Cooch]

But so then you're 22 years old. You get a call from Tom Telesco. Love to love the Tesco family. You come out to California. They were still in there. Still the San Diego Chargers at this point.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

So you do NFL training Camp. What is the first day of an NFL practice? Like, when you're 22 years old and you're going up against men that have, like, 10 kids. Philip Rivers, literally. Thank you.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I just remember being at, like.

[Allison Cooch]

You'Re going up against men that have children when you are a child.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. Keep in mind, like, I'm on a half a million dollar contract. Like, you're getting paid, so, like, there's people spending money on you. They're evaluating you. And I just remember getting yelled at, like, the first one on one drill. Like, my coach, who I love, gives.

[Allison Cooch]

Me, what, a humble beginning.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I mean, he's like, you're in the NFL now. Like, I mean, I just wasn't. It's like going to. When I transitioned into college, like, I had to learn. Like, I was, you know, the pudgy Notre Dame boy and didn't know how to pass rush, didn't know how to be a pro. I hated, hated, hated, hated my rookie training camp. Like, literally, I remember not spending any money from my signing bonus. Like, mentally being like, I am bookmarking all this money because if I retire right now, I'm paying back my signing bonus and wiping my hands clean and being done with the NFL. Like, I hated it.

[Allison Cooch]

Wow.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. I just remember being, like, with some of my homies, like, and all of us hated it. We were like, this is trash. But ended up, like, I ended up developing super fast and loving the NFL, obviously, but that was a tough time.

[Allison Cooch]

For a quick second, can you just compare the, like, the player you were the first day of NFL training camp to your last game as a Raider? Like, how different of a player were you? Did you, like, get better over the years? Did you quickly develop, like, what, What. What's the differentiation?

[Isaac Groeschel]

You're just like, it's a. Actually a really good question.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah, thanks. I literally have a podcast. Have you heard of it? Sunday Source Club.

[Isaac Groeschel]

You're. It's like, you're just efficient and it's. And that's like the perfect word because, like, you're efficient in the way you think. Like, I'm gonna dominate today. When you're. It's your first day, you're like, your mind's all over the place. You're efficient in the way that you move with your hands. All these, like, very specific things that are required to be a good D lineman in the NFL. Like, it's muscle memory. Seven years of doing it. Seven years of coaches yelling at you. Like, it's just totally different and just so much more confident.

[Allison Cooch]

Players develop While they're in the NFL, like, they are continuously getting better.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Absolutely.

[Allison Cooch]

It's just so interesting to think that the player that you were when you were freshly drafted, you would have bulldozed. Now, seven years later, bulldozed.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I think I was good. I was. I was definitely good. Like, I was a solid player. Go back, watch my. The preseason film for my rookie year. I watched it last year. Like, it's great film. It's just. I'm so much better. It's funny, though, because my sixth year in the NFL, when I was with the Browns, my coach, who loved me, he was like. He was like, I'm such a big fan of you. Like, it's very rare for players to be in their sixth year and they're still getting better. He's like, I feel like you got so much better during training camp.

[Allison Cooch]

Camp.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And it's such an asset. Like, you were already playing well, and it's. It is. You have to keep getting better. When you stop getting better, teams are like, all right, bro, you're done. Yeah, I guess that's what happened now. I did. I don't know. Well, we can get into why I'm not playing, but.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. Okay. So, like, as the whole. How do you look at your experience on the Los Angeles Chargers? Because from my perspective, I feel like I have to touch on my perspective a little bit. Like, we were. I was still in college when you got drafted to the NFL and you felt so cool. I. I.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yes. So absol. Go back and look at pictures. You can feel.

[Allison Cooch]

I was. I was like, hey, can I take my finals early? Like, I need to go and watch my boyfriend get drafted to the NFL. And, like, it was. It was so cool. Like, I. And that's why I get emotional over you retiring. Not because I'm sad that you're retiring. I'm like, like, football's everything. But I get emotional because there are so many incredible memories that I'm thankful for. The NFL and, like, your entire NFL career, I feel like I was a part of. And it's been so fun. Like, we started dating right when you got drafted.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Crazy.

[Allison Cooch]

Well, no, we started dating before we.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Got drafted, but we went through a break.

[Allison Cooch]

But, like, we came back.

[Isaac Groeschel]

You can't re. Entered the chat right when I was.

[Allison Cooch]

You released me, and then. I'm kidding. But I. It is crazy because our relationship kind of grew as your career can, like, continued on and the Los Angeles Chargers. I look back and everyone asked me, what is your favorite team? And I have to say, the Los Angeles Chargers. Not only because, like, it's not even close. Like, not only because of. It was, quote unquote, some of your prime years. Like, you led the team in tackles. Like, you had a game winning interception.

[Isaac Groeschel]

These are stats that are leading the team in tackles. We're stretching, but Joey Bose is like.

[Allison Cooch]

Wait, what are you talking.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No, like, I literally didn't. But.

[Allison Cooch]

No, but you were up. I mean, you were competitively in the running.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I mean, I had six and a half sacks my exact second year. Like, that's pretty good.

[Allison Cooch]

That's a really good stat. And we hate stats on this podcast. And like, I will talk about that stat.

[Isaac Groeschel]

This is a juicy stat. If I would have been a free agent that year, I. And. And let's say you're in today's world, like six and a half sacks. I probably would have signed a two for $20 million contract.

[Allison Cooch]

Insane.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, maybe a one for like eight. Either way.

[Allison Cooch]

So when I look back at the Chargers, I'm so thankful because not only was it like some of the best years of your career, and it was so stable. Everybody you got drafted with stayed the entire four years, which is so fucking rare.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, well, there's certain teams in the NFL, when they draft guys, they stick with them. Chargers were just a team that, like, they drafted our class and they were going to rock with us.

[Allison Cooch]

But you also hit the Chargers at such a great point because you stayed with the same head coach for all four years. The same GM all four years. I feel like you. It was a very stable team the entire time you were with the Chargers, which also goes into play. You staying there for four years.

[Isaac Groeschel]

My second year, 2018, they didn't. They didn't draft another defensive end. They didn't sign another defensive end. So we went into OTAs and it was just like, okay, it's Joey Bosa, you. And it's pretty much it.

[Allison Cooch]

You're like, this is great. It.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I want. It was honestly really great too, because I got more reps and got a lot better. But yeah, my second year was great and I love the organization. They. It was just like a perfect situation. And the girls were great.

[Allison Cooch]

Oh, my gosh. Being a I, when I think of the NFL and people are like, oh, are there drama? Is there drama in the NFL wives group? Is there clicks all of that. The time you were with the Los Angeles Chargers, it genuinely felt like the biggest family.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It felt like college, honestly. Like, you know how, like, after games you go out in college? Like, it was like that where we'd finish Games and go out.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah, it's just so crazy to think about because we went out to bars together, we spent holidays together. Like when one of your teammates had a baby, we went to the hospital to like hold the baby and all of these great memories. I. That's where I get emotional over the, like, the whole NFL journey is that there were so many ups and so many downs. But the Chargers, I can genuinely say, like, we were riding on such a high, especially after college. Like, the group of girls, like, I still talk to it. It truly feels like it was a family, which is crazy because the Los Angeles Chargers are owned by a family.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No, it's super family run.

[Allison Cooch]

And I mean, I have to ask you this question. Like, do you think teams do better when the team is close? Like the players, the organization, for sure you think they would do better.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. But generally good teams are closer. Like, your bad teams are like, kind of like, you know, dismembered. But so for the Chargers, I played there four years and it was four very stable years. Like, I was never training camp ending and I'm like, oh, my God, am I going to make the team? Like, we were celebrating at the end of training, you guys. We were hosting the parties that are like, no.

[Allison Cooch]

You know what's crazy is that every year on NFL Cut Day, when I've had a social media platform. So that started back when you were with the Colts. The Indianapolis Colts was the first year that you even told me what NFL Cut Day really was. Like, like how cutthroat it actually was. It's crazy because when we were with the Los Angeles, I say we. Sorry. People are gonna.

[Isaac Groeschel]

You were though. I mean, you literally, I was like.

[Allison Cooch]

People are gonna hate me seeing that. But when, when you were a Los Angeles Charger, we were the people hosting the, the Cut Day parties because that's how, like, not worried we were.

[Isaac Groeschel]

We were just confident.

[Allison Cooch]

We were confident. We knew that, like, some of our friends were always kind of like on the chopping block.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But like, no, we, our friends, though, that we had established had been there the whole time. So we were just kind of chilling and like, I don't know, it was, it was the glory day.

[Allison Cooch]

So the glory. I'm like, everybody is going to get sick of me talking about the church because they're like, we get it. Like the Spanos family. Like, it's just. Yeah, it's great.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So basically, as a seventh rounder, you sign a four year deal. I completed my full four year deal with the Chargers, by the way. That is super Rare for anybody who's a rookie to complete their four year full four year deal with one team is crazy.

[Allison Cooch]

And as, as a seventh rounder, even more rare.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, I'm not joking. That is probably like 1% of seventh rounders. Like, and I'm not exaggerating, like how.

[Allison Cooch]

Many, what, what percentage of seventh rounders go to start in games their second year?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Again, very, very, you know, one.

[Allison Cooch]

I'm here to gas you up, Isaac. The percentage is insane.

[Isaac Groeschel]

The percentage of guy I started the first game of my second year. A lot of things had to happen for that to happen. But I mean, you're talking like probably less than 1% of 7th rounders that happens to.

[Allison Cooch]

In hindsight, do you think that there is luck when it comes to having a long career in the NFL?

[Isaac Groeschel]

For sure. You have to be in the right place at the right time. I could have got drafted somewhere else. Like, I didn't mess. We'll get into the Colts. I didn't mess with my D line coach. What if he was my first coach and he's like, because I wasn't good that first training, like, I had to come along and I had a coach that was really bought into me and I need to text him because seriously, he's, I mean he, it mattered having him as a coach.

[Allison Cooch]

Do you think there are players in the NFL right now that peop. That fans are probably like, oh my God, he sucks. Like, get him off our team that maybe just haven't gotten the opportunity that you, like, you had?

[Isaac Groeschel]

For sure, for sure. I'm telling you.

[Allison Cooch]

Is that not frustrating? Like hearing all these fans say this person sucks. This person's not good enough. Like, do you actually know?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, they don't. It's so difficult. Well, here's the, here's the complicated piece. There are players in the NFL that are not good. Like, not everybody. They're, relatively speaking, they're good. But like, there's guys that shouldn't be there.

[Allison Cooch]

There's a lot of politics.

[Isaac Groeschel]

There's a lot of politics. But either way, without getting off on a tangent, I finished my full commitment to the Chargers. And at that time I was. Is. So it's free agency or going into the off season. After my fourth year, they switched coaches, they hired Brandon Staley, and I was a free agent and they were switching defenses from a 43 to a 3 4. We don't need to get into that. But I'm, I'm less of a fit to a 3 4. So the GM, Tom Silesco called me and this is after I had had long conversations with Brandon Staley. I talked to Brandon Staley for probably accumulation of an hour, like, just chatting. Because keep in mind, the year before, like, I was a captain during one of those games. I was like, yeah, I was the player rep. I was the NFL PA player rep. Like, I was very respected on the team. So, like, he was going to take my call and Tom Cesco called me and he's like, look, I. I don't want you to get to training camp. And we figure out you're not a fit for this team and this defense. So, like, I just feel like it's better for us to not resign. You so ended up going into free agency and signing with the Colts.

[Allison Cooch]

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. And let's be real, finding the perfect gift can feel a little bit overwhelming. But not this year, because I'm here to help you. And so is Macy's. They've made it so easy with their Valentine's Day gift guide. They've handpicked the best gifts for everyone on your list, taking out all the guesswork. So let's browse through some of my favorite gifts to get from Macy's, and maybe it'll spark some inspiration for you. I feel like Valentine's Day is a little bit different from, like, the holidays or your birthday, because I feel like Valentine's Day is truly a time where you can be thoughtful and, like, really think, like, okay, what does my significant other want? And if I'm speaking what your man needs to hear, feel free to send him this ad. Okay, so I was browsing through the Macy's website, and they have a lot of options, so we're already looking good. Now, whether you're looking for something romantic or fun, they kind of have everything. So some of my favorites, if you guys have never tried the Carolina Herrera Good Girl Liquid Blush, it's gorgeous. It's luxe. It also, like, goes on seamlessly. That's a really great gift. And also, like, if you like to play with new makeup, highly recommend. Or some ugg slippers. If you didn't get any for the holidays, you haven't gotten any for your birthday. Like, ugg slippers are such a great gift to give because they're perfect for cozy nights in. And I feel like this also plays into the Valentine's Day theme, right? Like, cozy night in. Maybe you're watching a movie. Not everybody needs to go to dinner on Valentine's Day. I like to spend Valentine's Day at home, which is Funny, because Macy's has a lot of stuff for your home as well, like home decor and blankets and plush pillows. I'm literally, they have everything. On a different note, if you're thinking a little bit something bigger and you know your significant other likes coffee, the Breville espresso machine. Any coffee lover in your life is going to like that. There's also the Beats headphones, anybody who's into music or podcasts. Like guys, the list goes on and on. And again, Macy's makes it so easy because it's all in one place. So, you know, head over to Macy's, take a gander, go up and down the aisle, strike up a conversation. If you don't have someone this Valentine's Day, maybe you and going and buying a gift for your mom might turn into something else. No, but Macy's does truly have something for everyone and every budget. And you can make this Valentine's Day extra special for your loved ones. So be sure to head to macy's.com/gift guide to shop now and find the perfect gift. Trust me, you're going to love how easy they make it. When it comes to New Year's resolutions, I feel like every year I have something about fitness or body or something in like the health aspect for my resolutions. And you know what I decided to do this year? I decided to take a look at my husband's health and wellness routine and see what he's doing that I'm missing. And something that he really emphasizes is using really good products in terms of like vitamins, minerals, protein, creatine, all of that. Which is why I'm so excited to have discovered Momentous. So if you're really trying to build the momentum, let me talk to you about Momentous. So when it comes to living better, longer, quality is not an option. It's kind of essential. And that's where Momentous stands out. So, so what sets Momentous aside from so many other brands is that they don't just deliver supplements, they deliver science backed results. Every product is NSF certified, which means it's rigorously tested for heavy metals, harmful additives and label accuracy. And no shortcuts because like it's trusted by all 32 NFL teams and top collegiate sports programs. So you can rest assured like it's a good product, it's good for you, and it's rigorously tested, which is something I love. I recently just started incorporating their protein into my everyday workout routine. Right when I leave the gym, I come home, I make myself a protein smoothie, I May or may not. Give Scotty a sip here, too. And everybody in the whole family truly loves momentous. Momentous focuses on the essentials, like protein creatine, and they do it better than anyone else. Their creatine is sourced from Creature, which is the purest form available. And it's like the ultimate tool for peak physical and cognitive performance, whether you're hitting the gym, the field, or you just literally want to feel your best, because I know I do. So if you're ready to invest in yourself this year, head over to live Momentous.com and use code Sunday to get 20% off your first order. That's live Momentous.com code Sunday. So start living on purpose today with momentous free agency. I feel like it's two different perspectives. You're either like a highly sought out, sought out after player, or you're a player that might kind of like, you know, just like, wait to get signed. You might get signed before OTAs or after OTAs or like, around training camp. You were.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I was highly sought after, yes. Not like, I wasn't a big contract guy, but I was definitely a guy that teams were. I was on their radar.

[Allison Cooch]

You weren't, and you weren't getting a minimum contract.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No.

[Allison Cooch]

So kind of talk a little bit about that. Free agency.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

So, like, did you want to stay with the Chargers? Did you want to sign with a different team?

[Isaac Groeschel]

I didn't want to stay with the Chargers. I was ready for a change because I knew I was a good player and I, like, wanted to go start somewhere. Like, I wanted to make some money. Like, I'm like, I want to go somewhere and, like, do my thing. So do your thing.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Ended up going to free agency. There were a few teams that were talking, like, I remember the Steelers. It's the only team that I can really remember that.

[Allison Cooch]

It's crazy because now you can actually name teams.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, the Steelers were kind of calling, and then the Colts, we were in the yoga class and the co. My agent called me, said, hey, the Colts are sending your offer. I signed an offer that was up to three and a half million. So I had, like, incentives. I had. So I didn't see. Three and a half million would have been nice, but for me, it was my best offer. I. It was the very beginning of free agency. I signed and we bought a house. We bought a house. I will say I think it was one of the biggest mistakes in my career to go to the Colts. Not because it's the Colts, just because that environment was awful for Me, it really derailed my career, which we can talk about. But that's how the free agency went. Which I was listening. It was. We had a few million reasons to go there though.

[Allison Cooch]

It is so interesting. So you think your career might have looked way different had you signed with a different team?

[Isaac Groeschel]

For sure. I was so primed. I remember that off season going into the. My fifth year with the Colts. I was like, my body was perfect. I felt great. I was so ready to dominate. I was so. Took everything so seriously. You remember how like I was a psychopath. I ate perfect twice a day.

[Allison Cooch]

We were in a hot yoga class when you got the call. Yeah, I do remember. It was like we. And we also had gotten married during that offseason. Yeah. During that off season. So we were eliminated.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Variables.

[Allison Cooch]

We were like eating like heads of lettuce and ground beef and working out 10 times a day. Like we were like ready for our wedding. And then also it was like, oh, wow, this is Isaac's first big contract. Like we're heading to a different team, a different place. And we were excited.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. And it mattered for me. I was like, this is. I'm on a one year deal. I'm going to make good money. I remember. I remember people would be like, congrats on your contract. And I'd be like, this is. This is not. This is a joke compared to what's coming. Cuz I really, I was manifesting. I was so in the zone.

[Allison Cooch]

Then what happened then?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Honestly, like, I don't want to be that guy who's just like my coach. But like I didn't vibe with my coach. Like, I just didn't. Which is so rare. I was such a personality guy in locker rooms and like on D lines. So for me to go in this room and not vibe with my D line coach, it's rare. He did not like me. I don't care what anybody says. This is a guy who like, so in the NFL, if you're a guy like me, very cerebral, very, like what people would consider is like smart, well spoken, put together Notre Dame guy. Like on social media at this point, like social media had started to come into play. Some coaches don't like that. Like, it just is what it is. They think that's like a distraction or like you're not tough enough, you're not mean enough, you talk a certain way. So like, you're not whatever. And like he was definitely like that. And I think I just immediately rubbed him the wrong way because when I went into that season, I was Approaching it with a level of seriousness. So if I'm meeting with him, I'm like, hey, I'm talking like this. Like, hey, let's. I want to understand your defense. I want. Let. Can we go through this. Like, why are you making this call when you make it? What do you need from me to be the best player that I can be for you?

[Allison Cooch]

Right?

[Isaac Groeschel]

That's not what he wants. He wants somebody who's like, man, I'm a dog. Like, man, you put anybody in front of me. Like, he. That's what he wants.

[Allison Cooch]

Like, he didn't want somebody analytical. He just wanted somebody to, like, go on ball out.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No. And I'm like, I just. Because I'm not. I don't talk a certain way or act a certain way doesn't mean I'm not dominant and tough. Like, I take pride in that.

[Allison Cooch]

What's so interesting to me is that this is the first team you're on after the Chargers. It's the first team you're on when you have a big contract and you. I mean, a bit bigger than just like a minimum contract.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No, it's a lot of money.

[Allison Cooch]

And I feel like if you're. If you're not on a minimum contract, I feel like you're a little bit more respected or people might take you a little bit more seriously. That's not. I'm saying that's, like, not a good thing. That's not right. But it's just what happened happens in the NFL. I feel like there's a lot of politics when it comes to it. And so when Isaac was worried about getting cut on that cut day, I was like, oh, like, what?

[Isaac Groeschel]

I guarantee.

[Allison Cooch]

I was like, wait, I thought we were supposed to be chilling this year.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I kind of wanted to get released, though, because I really did. I think it would like this guy.

[Allison Cooch]

Well, it's interesting now, looking back, because that was the first time since your rookie year, your first year as a Charger, that you had been inactive for a game, which is when you're in active for a game, you're technically still on the active roster, but you're just. You're not dressing, so you're not in uniform. You're literally on the sidelines in your juicy couture tracksuit. Your ass is looking good. No, I'm kidding. But I. It is. It is so interesting because you were inactive, and it's like, if you're a good enough player to get this bigger contract, then why are you not on the field?

[Isaac Groeschel]

It's crazy. Well, you listen you can do the math. I was making that much over 17 games. Like, I was making a lot of money to sit on the sideline.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But real quick, I just would have been better off taking literally a minimum deal going to a team that really wanted me there and needed me at the time.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But, yeah, so what happens is when you sign a contract like that, that's not minimum, and then you don't play and you're inactive and all these. And you don't have the year that people think you're gonna have, then it changes the dynamic for everything. So then you enter free agency the next year, and it's like, well, why didn't he play as much when he signed this contract? Was he a bust? Was. Is he declining? Is he not the player they thought he was? None of that stuff was true for me at all.

[Allison Cooch]

I feel like after the Indianapolis Colts, you were constantly trying to prove yourself.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Constantly trying to prove myself.

[Allison Cooch]

This is also not, like, woe is me. I feel like me. I'm like, I feel like we're both realistic people that we can genuinely take a step back from your career and be like, yeah, like, that was really, like, that sucked.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No, we're being very realistic. Realistic is saying, hey, I wanted to switch from the Chargers because I knew I wasn't going to start in front of Bosa. Like, yeah, that's realistic. I'm not a better player than Bosa, but so, like, I'm entering free agency and I'm like, I mean, it started starts like March 16th. I didn't get signed till middle of April, and we're just like, okay, now I'm going into a team that I'm gonna have to, like, prove. Not prove myself, but, like, prove that I'm not bad is essentially what's happening. So I ended up signing with the Browns. And I'll say this. I love playing for the Browns. I, I, the organization.

[Allison Cooch]

That was so much fun.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It was. It was great. I loved my D line coach. I loved that team. I like Kevin Stefanski, the head coach a ton. The Joe woods defensive coordinator. Great. The. Or the, the owner, not ownership, but, like the gm. I mean, like, I got released by him. Like, that was a weird situation. But, like, I really loved playing for the Browns.

[Allison Cooch]

Your first few years in the NFL, I feel like everybody made fun of going to two different teams, and that was Wisconsin and Cleveland.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. And maybe it was unreal.

[Allison Cooch]

Maybe it's because of the two areas were cold. Oh, and people, like, said the Bills. But over, over your time in the NFL. I. I was like, wait, I want to be a part of the Bill's Mafia. Which never got.

[Isaac Groeschel]

You still do.

[Allison Cooch]

So, so then when you signed to Cleveland, the team's colors are orange and brown. They culturally or like, in the past? Not culturally, but, like, in the past, they just had not done very well.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It was like they were 016 in 2017. So they were.

[Allison Cooch]

So when Isaac told me that he had interest from the Cleveland Browns, I was like, oh, okay. I literally told one of my best friends and recorded her reaction. She was like, the. Like, it was just, like, it was funny. I.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It was great.

[Allison Cooch]

I genuinely have to say, Cleveland was one of my favorite teams.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, it was just fun.

[Allison Cooch]

Just. It was so much fun. The area we lived in, the evening group.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Good friend group.

[Allison Cooch]

Good friend group. Like, really amazing girls. Like, and I. I really did fall in love with the city of Cleveland. I'm like, wait, okay, I'm drinking. I am drinking the Kool Aid. And I was wearing orange. I was wearing orange nonstop. And it's crazy because that was also.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Your social media career was.

[Allison Cooch]

Oh, yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It was, like, skyrocketing.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

That's where it really, like, oh, my.

[Allison Cooch]

God, the Cleveland Browns is the team. I accidentally announced that you were going to the Browns before you even signed.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And it mattered.

[Allison Cooch]

I was on TikTok Live and the way that I accidentally slipped that Isaac was signing with the Cleveland Browns, and.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I go, there were news. News stations that had come out with. It was crazy, but it was it Cleveland. And this is why the cold situation was so frustrating, because we'll get into the Raiders too. Every other team was really fun to be a part of.

[Allison Cooch]

Totally.

[Isaac Groeschel]

That was the only one that was like, dang.

[Allison Cooch]

I do have to say the. The Colts, like, organization, the women there. Like, I have nothing negative.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I actually love the earth.

[Allison Cooch]

Say, like, I have nothing negative to say about the Colts organization. I just think it was a really unfortunate coach. Yeah. Like, you came home every single day from the facility when you were in Indianapolis Colts saying, like, I want to leave. Like, I don't like it here. Like, I hate it. And I'm just at home like, oh, okay. So I'm supposed to, like, make friends and, like, make this a home. Like, this feels weird.

[Isaac Groeschel]

We could have a five hour podcast on all the. All the dynamics because that was tough for our relationship. I mean, we were just in that house, which we love, but it's like, I'm coming home every day miserable, and.

[Allison Cooch]

I didn't have a ton of friends. Like, towards the End of the season, I made more friends. Some. I. We still talk to.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It got good at the very end of the season.

[Allison Cooch]

But I do have to say I did have to go back and, and kind of say that about the Colts because it sounds like we were like the Colts, the women.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I just didn't vibe with this coach. I didn't vibe with one coach. Everybody else in the organization was great. Frank Wright was one of my favorite head coaches, too. I loved him. Whatever.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay, so Cleveland Browns, you go through OTAs. How was that, like, coming off of, like a big contract, going back down to minimum contract? You're like, are you proving yourself? Like, what is. What is OTAs? And like camp and all that look like, did you expect to get released and go on practice squad? Like, what did that look like?

[Isaac Groeschel]

We'll start with OTAs. OTAs. I just, I loved the locker room. Miles Garrett, all those guys. Like, he's just the one that everybody knows. Everybody was great. Like, it was like a great team. And the D line coach was great. Like I keep saying great, but he was, he was unreal. Like, he had a great personality. He appreciated the tick tock thing. Like, it was like this perfect storm where I was like, I can be successful here. And then I got released training, went through training camp. I was performing unbelievably. This is how crazy it was. I finished the last game at training camp. The D line coach was like, isaac, I'm going to play you one series and sit you. You don't have to play the rest of the game. That for people who play, that's like a telltale sign. Like, you're making this team. Like, I had taken every. I came in that fourth string.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Took everybody's spot. I was rotating with Miles, which he wasn't in training camp or he wasn't playing in those games. I started every single preseason game and then got SAT the last game because they were like, we want to rest you.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. If you get SAT the last preseason game, it essentially means, like, you don't need to prove yourself. You're like, you're good. You don't. Yeah, we don't need to see any more.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. And so this D line coach had already made up his mind that he was game planning for me to be playing. I was going to be a rotational guy. And then I survived.

[Allison Cooch]

You survived cut day. And then literally I made a fudgeing video on TikTok. I said, oh, my God. My husband won't let me buy hangers because he thinks that, like, it's setting down roots. And at the end of cut day, like 4pm or whatever we were saying of cut day, I was like, oh yeah, we're safe and I get to go buy hangers. Literally went to Target that night. Got hangers for our new apartment. Next morning, Isaac gets released.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And I was, oh, I started.

[Allison Cooch]

That was the first time I ever cried on the Internet.

[Isaac Groeschel]

They released me for a third string quarterback. I mean, it's. And they gave this guy my locker. I can't. I was so you talk about like a man, a madman. Like I was Matt. Here's how crazy it was though. I got released and then I went home. You have to go home for 24 hours because you can't be in the building. Came back the first day back. I was at practice, starting on practice on practice squad. People don't understand how rare that is that like doesn't happen. But like, it just showed you. There was such a disconnect between the GM and the coaches. Like this coach didn't even know I was going to get released. I went in and I said, hey, getting released. He was like, are you serious? He was like, I was already making the game. It's crazy.

[Allison Cooch]

So then when people are on social media, like, I knew your husband was gonna get cut. He's not very good. He got drafted seventh round. Like, what would you say to that? Because you literally went in to practice the next day.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I can't talk. I couldn't talk about it. You know, I can't be like, all these people hating me, like, hey, responding to a comment like, I was starting a practice, like, so. But I kind of had to bite the bullet. I mean, it's just like super frustrating.

[Allison Cooch]

I was going to say the craziest thing is that you not only were starting in practice, you then started in the football game on practice squad. You were, you were playing the first game against Carolina Panthers.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I didn't start though.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay, but you were playing in the game along practice squad.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I did start versus the Falcons, which was like game four and I was practice squad.

[Allison Cooch]

It's.

[Isaac Groeschel]

The whole thing is crazy. It just doesn't. It doesn't happen. I mean, I remember Wyatt being like, that's crazy. You got released. Like, people just were so shocked. But again, you guys have to understand what happens is think about the picture guy. The random we won't use me random player goes, gets drafted by a team seventh round, supersedes expectations, then signs a good contract. Well, why didn't he play on that contract? Then he goes to the Browns. And it's like, well, why did he get released again? So, like, the. The picture now is this is a declining player. He had a good couple years with the Chargers, but he's not really good. But all these things are circumstances that are. It's like, what are we doing?

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I mean, I'm just sitting here like, what are we doing? And again, I'm the same player. I'm getting better. So just a string of unfortunate events. But the reason that I continued playing is because I was good. 99% of players in those exact same circumstances get chewed up and spit out, and they don't make it to seven years. I was like, okay, I'm gonna find a way. This coach respects me. When I do get opportunity, I'm gonna play well. And I approach every day.

[Allison Cooch]

It was making the most of every.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Opportunity, and I'm a leader.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So, like, I was not, like, I'm going into the locker room and everybody's like, oh, this dude's a bum. Like, I'm valuable. I'm teaching young guys. So.

[Allison Cooch]

And it. This was the first year, which I have to say, like, the women with the Cleveland Browns were great. Like. Like Carly Teller, like, her husband is like, one of the higher paid guys on. On the team, and she was so welcoming. And when you got released and put on practice squad, I will never forget, there was one girl, and I was like. I was telling her how I was planning to go to the game against the Carolina Panthers, and she goes, why? Your man says I'm practice squad.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Who? No, I would love to know and said that.

[Allison Cooch]

And I remember Carly was there, and Carly was like, yeah, he's actually playing in the game. And it. And it was like, oh, wow. People actually view me differently because my husband is on practice squad. I was. I was like, this is so. So that was. That was like, the first time that I was like, oh, I don't want to do this. Like, it kind of. I was like, it's not. It's never going to be like, the Chargers again. I feel like I don't want to have to prove myself in, like, the WAGS community, which sounds so stupid. Okay. Imagine How I Feel magazine. Do not write an article titled, like, Ally had to prove herself in the WAGS community. Okay. I. It's just as interesting because that was the first time that I was like, oh, there are, like, maybe the truth about, like, other teams is, like, there might be clicks or whatever. Like, oh, your man doesn't make this much. Okay, cool. Like, whatever, which, you know, Makes sense, honestly, like, if. If we weren't gonna be there next week, I can understand why somebody wouldn't want to put in the effort to, like, a friendship or whatever. Okay. But there were so many other great women and, like, some of our really good friends, like, we lived in the same apartment complex. Like, he had an interesting year with the Browns, so. Yeah, like. No, I know. But we ended up having so much fun that year, and I do feel like you ended up signing to the main roster. Yeah, and we had a ton of fun.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It was fun. I mean, it was like, you know, again, every. It was like for every team, I would sneak in starts. I would play. I was starting on third down. I remember the NFL made the video when we played the Steelers. Like, I was having great. I was leading. Not leading the team, but we'd come out of games, and it was like, oh, Isaac led the D line and tackles. Oh, Isaac led the D line and tackles. Oh, I. Isaac got released. Like, it's like, it was.

[Allison Cooch]

It.

[Isaac Groeschel]

None of it ever made sense. Where it was like, why am I just, like, the. The black sheep? So. Ended up getting released probably, like, week 12. And at that point, I was very frustrated with the Browns organization because I'm Again, I'm like, what are we doing? Like, why am I getting released?

[Allison Cooch]

As any other player would feel. Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So again, stuff we couldn't talk about. As soon as I got released, the Raiders called. My age.

[Allison Cooch]

No. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So the Raiders called. The Chargers called. The Chargers were gonna sign me to practice squad. And again, it's a totally different, like, people. They were gonna.

[Allison Cooch]

We were. I literally have you.

[Isaac Groeschel]

We have the video.

[Allison Cooch]

I have YouTube vlog footage of us sitting in our Cleveland apartment, and you're on the phone with your agent. We're talking about going to the Chargers. You're like, do I really want to leave this practice squad where I know I might get elevated? The second somebody has a tweak in their ankle, I'm gonna get elevated.

[Isaac Groeschel]

We had our house at this point, too.

[Allison Cooch]

We had our house here in Orange county that is almost done being renovated. And we were like. At this point, we were like, I kind of just want to be happy and be back in California. Like, we didn't love the Chargers. You love Tom Telasco. Like, there were. Some of your best friends were still playing for the Chargers.

[Isaac Groeschel]

The whole.

[Allison Cooch]

SO Staff. Yeah. So it was actually. It was crazy because this is the first time that Isaac came to me and was like, what do you think I should do? Like, do you Think I should stay here? Obviously, he was going to be the ultimate decision maker. Like, it's not like, oh, yeah, like, do, do. But we. This was more of, like, a decision. Like, Isaac was asking me, do you think that, like, would you hate moving back to Cal? Like, what do you feel?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Football wise, it wouldn't have been the right decision, but it's okay. We were going to, like, literally, I remember coming down from working out being like, okay, we're going to the Chargers.

[Allison Cooch]

Like, I was crying from being so happy. And then literally in that time frame, they went in a different direction.

[Isaac Groeschel]

My agent called and said, the Chargers want to sign you. I said, okay, let's do it. He called the Chargers back, and they go, we're going a different direction. 10 minutes.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I don't know how that happened, but whatever. So. But also, the Raiders had inquired and said, hey, we're trying to get you on our roster, yada yada.

[Allison Cooch]

And then which to us, the only. Because when you get released from an NFL team, when you're not no longer a rookie, like, when you're a veteran, you have a few years under your belt, you then can kind of make the decision. Like, Isaac would then have the capability to make the decision, do I want to stay on the Cleveland Browns practice squad, or do I want to go to a different practice squad? Which. Going to a different practice squad is a little bit, like, tricky because you could go to another practice squad and then get cut from that practice squad. So it's risky. It's kind of. It only makes sense to go to another practice squad that, like, maybe you have an affiliation with the team already or, like, you know, the coaching or you. You literally have a house there.

[Isaac Groeschel]

We just didn't care. We were like, we're going.

[Allison Cooch]

Also, Jacksonville was it.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Weren't they in the loop, too, for preseason? That was more like a preseason thing. Okay. So either way, four weeks later, after this Week 12 release, this whole debacle.

[Allison Cooch]

Two weeks after Christmas, Raider signed me.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Bang. So then literally drop everything, go play. The last two weeks with the Raiders felt like it was a movie. It was so magic.

[Allison Cooch]

It was. Oh, my God. This was, like, peak.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, yeah, it was.

[Allison Cooch]

This was, like, so, so much fun, you signing to the Raiders and such a warm welcome from the Raiders in the city of Las Vegas. Like, there were fudgeing billboards.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I played two plays in two weeks. So, like, it wasn't even stressful from a football perspective. It was just, like, bliss. Like, yeah, it was great.

[Allison Cooch]

You want to know a new year's resolution that I can actually keep. It's ditching uncomfortable bras for good. Seriously, life is too short to deal with bras that dig and pinch and, like, don't fit right. I feel like Also in my 30s, I'm looking at things that actually matter and comfortability matters. And that's why I'm obsessed with Honey Love. They've completely changed the game for wireless bras combining comfort, support and style all into one. Honey Love's bras are designed for soothing fabric to prevent bulging and digging, and they offer the support of a traditional bra without the underwire. You guys, are we going to act like that underwire was ever comfortable? Trust me, once you try them, you'll never want to go back. You'll even forget you're wearing one, which is my personal favorite. The crossover bra is one of my favorites of the Honey Love bras. It's so comfortable that those rip it off the moment I get home. Days are kind of over. I actually like wearing it and sometimes I forget I'm wearing it, so I wear it to bed. And it's not just bras. Connie Love also has shapewear and tanks that fit seamlessly under your outfits, giving you that smooth, confident look no matter what you're wearing. So if you're ready to glow up your wardrobe and ditch the discomfort, now is a perfect time. For a limited time, Honey love is offering 20 off site wide. Just go to honeylove.com Sunday and treat yourself to the most comfortable bras and shapewear on the planet. That's honeylove.com Sunday. Support the show and them out because you deserve this upgrade. 2025, you guys. It is the year of new beginnings. It's a fresh start. And you know what I'm bringing into the new year with me? My OR ring. If you guys have been following me on social media for a while, you would know I am religious about wearing my aura ring. I used it to prevent myself from getting pregnant and then I used it to get pregnant. I used it to look at my sleep score postpartum. Yeah, that was a little scary. But now that I'm getting better sleep, I'm looking forward to looking at my sleep score. And I truly do love my OURA ring. If you guys don't know what OURA ring is, it is the revolutionary smart ring that delivers personalized health data, insights and daily guidance. They have sensors on their ring and it tracks like 30 plus biometrics, heart rate, heart rate, variability, skin temperature, and it all is done by just wearing a Ring, you can learn how to improve sleep, manage stress, understand heart health like it literally does it all. Oura Ring empowers women to better understand their bodies too, so that they can be their own health advocate, which I personally love. So the Oura Ring works with the Natural Cycles app and it detects your temperature, which can predict ovulation. I do recommend following the Oura Ring rules of, like, wearing it for a few months before you actually let it work. But when I tell you it works, it works because I didn't get pregnant and then when I wanted to get. You know what I mean? The Natural cycles and Oura Ring 4 are synced in a partnership and it allows you to take control of your fertility effortlessly. Because it's all integrated together, it's going to provide continuous, precise data on sleep, temperature, vital stats, syncing daily with Natural cycles for insightful fertility tracking. I also find it very useful to be able to see how my body is adjusting between all of my cycles, like the luteal phase, ovulatory, all of that. Like, I am so into it. And Oura Ring makes it really easy. You guys can commit to your body yourself, your health, this new year. So if you were looking to try out Oura Ring, I personally highly recommend it. I love my Oura Ring, so be sure to visit oura ring.com for more information. If you guys have been following along on my New Year's resolutions, you would probably know I have a lot of resolutions in the body fitness health category. I'm actually currently trying to train for a marathon. And something I didn't realize about training for a marathon is how sweaty you get. Like, obviously you could expect to get sweaty, right? You're working out. But I feel like I've been actually smelling so bad. And so a resolution that I feel like is actually within reach is smelling better naked. All thanks to Lumi. If you guys have never heard of Lumi before, it's a little bit unique and different from other deodorant because it's a whole body deodorant, so it's safe to use anywhere on your body. Pits, under boobs, thigh folds, belly buttons, butt cracks, feet. Like, you can use this thing anywhere. It's created by an OB GYN who saw firsthand how BO was being misdiagnosed and mistreated. Needed. And it's clinically proven to block odor all day and control odor for up to 72 hours, which is much needed. Okay, I hate to admit it, I'm kind of smelly sometimes, but Lumi is definitely there to help. All of their products are baking soda free paraben free. It's also pH balanced so it's also safe for below the waist if you want to use it there. They have a ton of different fresh bright scents like clean tangerine, lavender, sage or toasted coconut and it'll leave you smelling good instead of smelling smelly. Lume Starter pack is perfect for new customers. It comes with a solid stick Deodorant Cream tube deodorant two free products of your choice like a mini body wash and deodorant wipes and free shipping as a special offer for listeners. New customers get 15% off all Lumi products with our exclusive code. And if you combine the 15% off with the already discounted starter pack, that equals over 40% off their starter pack. So use code Sunday for 15% off your first purchase@lumi deodorant.com that's code Sunday at L U M E D E O D O R a n t.com Please support our show and tell them that we sent you Smell fresher, stay drier and boost your confidence from head to toe with Lumi this off season. You were. You mean like, like, I don't know if I'm gonna get signed?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I was like, I again, I know I'm a good player, but I'm like, the writing is on the wall. I know how this goes. And I feel like this could be a very complicated offseason.

[Allison Cooch]

So during off season, if you're a free agent, you're not on a team, you might get what is called a workout. And you had workouts?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I do workouts with the Falcons and Titans. I. And I had never had a workout in my entire career because I was always signed. Yeah, I was never like a waiting on a workout guy. So I got my first ever call from the Falcons and it was so crazy because I like. Or wait, was it the Titans or Falcons?

[Allison Cooch]

Titans were first.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No, no, it was. No, Titans were first. So everybody's always like, you're going to work out. They may not sign you. Like, don't plan on not getting signed because it's just a workout. I packed. I was manifesting. I packed for like six weeks of clothes. Like, I had two bags. I remember getting on the bus when they picked me up and they're like, oh, you have a lot of luggage. And I'm like, in my mind, I'm like, I'm. Because I'm gonna be here. What do you mean? Ended up having a great workout, didn't get signed, they signed somebody else. So he was a different position to me. But still, I was super salty when I left. Then the Falcons called me to work out.

[Allison Cooch]

We had a really good feeling about the Falcons.

[Isaac Groeschel]

They signed a guy from the xfl, not saying he's never played. Still has not played in the NFL, which is crazy. Like, they signed a guy that probably will never play. And I was battle tested. Why would you not sign me? Just to have me on the. Whatever. So, yeah, had two workouts, didn't get signed. Went the entire off season.

[Allison Cooch]

Entire off season's kind of dry, so. And I'm pregnant. This is around the time where we're. Isaac and I.

[Isaac Groeschel]

At this point, you're pregnant, I feel.

[Allison Cooch]

Like you kind of started touching on, like, oh, like, I think I'll play this year. Like, do I want to retire my own.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Last year, what I wanted a lot. Well, either way. So we kind of had started, like, whoa, let's see what happens.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah, it's kind of like the first time where we were like, okay, wow, a lot's happening. I was pregnant. We were like, we're gonna have our daughter. Like, blah, blah, blah. So Isaac has a workout with the New York Giants. Okay. The day before.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. Well, keep in mind, the entire off season had passed. So now we're in August, training camp is starting.

[Allison Cooch]

Training camp is literally. No. Three days.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Well, that was like a three day. Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

So you get a call from your agent. He says, okay, like, you're. You're gonna go to the New York Giants. If they like you, you might stay. We like, you know, a workout, so.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Well, they were. They. They were kind of saying, like, we plan on signing him, but we want to work him out before, because I hadn't had ota. So they need to see, is this guy even in shape? What type of healthy.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And at this point in the season, teams just kind of like, they need to fill a couple spots here and there. So they bring guys in.

[Allison Cooch]

Well, everybody goes in a training camp with, like, a full. I think it's 90 guys. Yeah. Is it 90?

[Isaac Groeschel]

90, man. Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

So that's a lot of guys. And, like, if you have a position that you're unsure of, you might have a few extra guys heading into training camp for a specific.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I mean, people report. Maybe somebody reported, and you're like, oh, you pulled your hamstring two weeks ago. Okay, we need to bring in a defensive end, I guess. So, like, they're filling those spots.

[Allison Cooch]

So the day before, Isaac heads to the New York Giants workout Were at our house. We're about to start our house renovation. So we're cleaning out our house. You and Jacob Easton are in the garage. Me and Sydney are in my closet.

[Isaac Groeschel]

This is after we were planning on the giant. Like, we had. No.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah, you were.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Literally had a few days away.

[Allison Cooch]

You had a. No, you had the flight the next day.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Wow.

[Allison Cooch]

So all of a sudden, Isaac goes, ally. Ally. He has his camera out. And he's like, I just got a call. Like, what team do you want me to go to the most? And I was like, like, Chargers? And you're like, no, no. Like, what team do you want me to go to the most? And I was like, I don't know. Just because in my head, it was not even an option. And ASA goes, las Vegas Raiders.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And I was like, the GM called me personally.

[Allison Cooch]

You're just, like, kidding. I was so excited. Vegas is a few hours away. Like, I loved the girls, I loved the community. I love the team. I like the city and my love.

[Isaac Groeschel]

He's a great guy.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. Like, yeah. So you end up signing with the Raiders.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, he. The year before, I had an exit interview because keep in mind, I had the two weeks.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

There. And he. He said, the door is open for you to come back.

[Allison Cooch]

But the.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And had never called all off season.

[Allison Cooch]

So we thought for the beginning of the off season, he was going back to the Raiders. But then, like, when they didn't call, we were like, okay, I guess not. And the coach changed, didn't. It? Didn't the head coach or. Not the head coach, but the defensive coach.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No, it was the same exact staff. Staff.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay.

[Isaac Groeschel]

They got a new D line coach, but it was the same staff.

[Allison Cooch]

So Isaac gets a call from the Raiders, and that was like, fuck, yeah, I signed. We're so happy.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And a day before training camp, drove out there, and this was the first time in my career that I felt like, okay, I have to earn a spot. This is truly not given. And the D line coach didn't know me at all because they just hired him. And I was like, okay, I'm the guy that they're signing a day before training camp because they need bodies. I'm a camp body, and my back was against the wall. Fast forward through training camp. I had a great training camp, great shape. First preseason game, first play I'm in, I get a sack. Like, again, this is like the same old story against the 49ers, you know, like, ended up getting released. I mean, I had a great pre.

[Allison Cooch]

Oh, my God. But we were Expecting you to get released. I have to say.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I was. I would have been surprised.

[Allison Cooch]

We, like. I made a video that morning on Cut on NFL Cut Day, and I. I was like, we know Isaac getting released because remember that one guy, you. There was a guy right ahead of you.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Trust me, that I was better than.

[Allison Cooch]

But there was a guy ahead of Isaac, and we. We figured, okay, Isaac's probably not going to make the 53. Is he going to sign a practice squad? Because they were pretty loaded in terms of D line.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Well, they traded for this guy. Keep in mind, I was a camp body. So they had already done. They had signed guys to contracts, traded, and you.

[Allison Cooch]

You pulled. What did you.

[Isaac Groeschel]

My adductor.

[Allison Cooch]

Okay.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I played one game, pulled my ad actor.

[Allison Cooch]

So we. We. And it's crazy because you. You balled out the first two games in the third game you went to, and you couldn't play, so.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And I mean, I didn't play the second game. I had a good camp. I had good practices. We had joint practices against the Rams, was great. And didn't play in the last two games.

[Allison Cooch]

So then we kind of knew you were getting released. It's. This is the funny part, is that we've never been able to talk about the fact that we knew every time Isaac got. We kind of had an idea.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, kind of. There's always hope.

[Allison Cooch]

Except, like, the Christmas. The. The one right before Christmas. I wasn't unexpecting that, but we. We kind of had an idea. Okay. So even when Isaac got released, when I was about to give birth, we kind of had an idea. Because you were inactive the game before.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

So when Isaac signed with the Raiders or when he signed a practice squad, that was the first time that we toyed with the idea of maybe not staying with the Raiders for the entire football season or like, on practice squad. But the Jaguars were a team that had always been interested, like the past few years of your career, and that was the first time that you were, like, talking to your agent about maybe testing the waters to go to a different practice squad. And that would have been the first time. It was kind of messy because I was pregnant. So what the are we gonna do? We're gonna go to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. We don't have a house. We're gonna have to airbnb. There's like, what. What. What is going on?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. So.

[Allison Cooch]

And being pregnant, definitely complicated. Do you think it played into any of our decisions?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, especially once I got released by them later in the year. Later in the book so also, I knew that if I stayed with the Raiders, I was going to play. I didn't miss a game with the Raiders. I mean, I was on practice squad the first two weeks. Played both first two weeks. I remember. It's just so crazy. I remember leaving the first game of the year, we played Denver Broncos. I was on practice squad, but played. They were raving about me in the film room. This is how you do it. Watch this guy. This is how you young guys watch this.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And I'm on practice squad. It's like, it's crazy. So then I played well game after game.

[Allison Cooch]

But you know what? I have to say at least thankful you were playing. Thankful you were on practice squad playing. Because there's also scenario where you just were on practice squad and you didn't touch the field.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

Does that not make you feel good that you were. You were being raved about while on practice squad? Like, you have to pat yourself on the back for that one for sure.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But it's. It's frustrating because, like, I. And like, I'm feeling like I'm good.

[Allison Cooch]

Enough that they're raving about me, but not good enough to be on the 53.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It's dumb. And it's like, I'm happy that I'm retired. I really am happy to be in this next phase of life. It's going to be better than football. But, like, I should still be playing. Like, I should realistically still be on a football field. Like, I should have played 10 years. Like, I was healthy, no issues. So I look back at those moments and I just get frustrated because it's like, you're really just subject to like, maybe one opinion or like, I don't know, like, how does. How does the coach sit in the film room and go, this is how you do it. Young guys watch. And then the GMs like, no, we're actually going to release you. Like, that makes no sense. So whatever. I played that entire year we played the Detroit Lions. They had me in a position that I shouldn't be in. Any football experts go watch the tape. You'd be like, this is not how you should do it. Ended up getting released two weeks later, and that was the end of my career.

[Allison Cooch]

That was the last game you ever.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Played against Detroit Lions in Detroit. It's kind of crazy.

[Allison Cooch]

It is kind of crazy just being from Detroit. That. That was baby shower. Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But, like, it's crazy because how did I not get signed after that? Like, I started multiple games. I started versus the Chargers. I started versus The Bears I started.

[Allison Cooch]

Do you think that NFL teams which also in the middle of a football season, if you get released, it is. I will say it is hard to find your way onto a team just because teams are so in the thick of it. Like every team has their Isaac that might be on their practice squad or. Yeah, but every team has that flow for sure.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But if a guy gets released, like me and I like, you're adding value because what happens is at the end of the season, people are going into playoffs. They don't need guys that are year one, year two. You need guys that are battle tested who have started games. If it gets bad. I couldn't believe I didn't get signed. I couldn't believe I didn't get signed. It was actually mind blowing, going well. And the Raiders had just switched coaches, so their head coach that I had got fired, they hired Antonio Pierce and I got.

[Allison Cooch]

They booted.

[Isaac Groeschel]

He came in and I went out.

[Allison Cooch]

And you guys all know everything that happened. Like when Isaac got released, we came out with a whole episode. Isaac got released. We ended up moving back to California.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Birth.

[Allison Cooch]

I. And this is just saying this as like your wife. I. If somebody told me that would have been your last game playing in the NFL, I wouldn't have believed them. Because of your career up to that point, yes.

[Isaac Groeschel]

However, when I didn't get signed all off season. No, no. When I didn't get signed the rest of that year, I was like. Because here's what happens. Like now it's like, okay, the last game you played was in November.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So then you're going from November all the way until August. That's almost a full year of no football. So like that when you start doing the math, you're like. And then I didn't get time. Training camp, it's like. And I texted Allie. I was up, couldn't sleep one night, it was like three in the morning. I had Scotty doing middle of the night contact and I text her and I was like, why? I just want to retire. This was like August. This was training camp. I was like, this is dumb. But for us, we were just kind of like, all right, let's just have fun with it. Yeah, there's no point in retiring. What happens if I get a call in October?

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. So let's talk about the retirement people. This entire off season, it's dry.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Super dry.

[Allison Cooch]

First time we had really started talking about retirement.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, I got no call.

[Allison Cooch]

You. You heading into training camp, you kind of were like, I think I want to retire. And just, like, it is so rare as an NFL player to go out on your own terms.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It's almost impossible.

[Allison Cooch]

And it's. There's. I'm sure there's many people that listen to this episode, and there are haters, and they're like, of course you. You're gonna say, like, you wanted, like, because you didn't play all year, which is true.

[Isaac Groeschel]

It's literally, I don't have a choice. Like, I'm not. Like, I didn't get calls. It's not like I was getting blown up. And I'm like, I'm gonna retire, which is why I wanted to retire at the beginning of the year.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah, you wanted to go out on your own terms.

[Isaac Groeschel]

And this. I am glad you pushed me to do this. But you were like, you should wait. Which is fine, because now there's no question, I think. And I will say this. This is the first time in my life.

[Allison Cooch]

Where am I responsible for that?

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yikes. This is the first time in my life where it's like, if I got a call right now, I actually wouldn't go. Like, if. If he was.

[Allison Cooch]

My agent was like, that's really easy for you to say right now, Isaac.

[Isaac Groeschel]

No, but if my agent was like, hey, Jaguars want to sign you to Futures deal. I'd be like, I'm done. I don't. I don't have interest in playing anymore, which is good. I feel really good about that.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. And it. So you. You initially wanted to retire around training camp, and then I said, like, are you sure? Like, like, if. Later down the line? Well, I just was like, the only reason that I feel like you felt pressure to retire was because of social media. Because we have these social media platforms and because.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, but it's a legitimate job.

[Allison Cooch]

Totally. Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

So there's strategy behind it.

[Allison Cooch]

It's like, well, I'm saying more specifically. Well, whatever. So when you started, like, playing with the idea, I was like, like, it does nothing. It does not hurt anything except for, like, some of these things that you're now you're able to, like, fully, like, dive into now that you are retired. I was like, it doesn't really hurt much if you wait, like, a few more weeks. So then you thought you were gonna retire around, like, week, like, 10 or something. You're like, if I don't get a call by week 10, I'll retire. And then week 10 comes and goes. We're busy. We're literally traveling every single month. We're not even thinking about football at this point. I mean, thinking about it, but more specifically, like, we're just traveling so much, and we're. We're doing a lot as a family and all that. And. And so then you were like, I want to retire before Christmas. But then it just didn't play out that way.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Like, it's really just a timing thing at that point. Like, at that point, I was pretty much done, I would say around Thanksgiving, like, that's when I was like, all right, I'm. That's all she wrote.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Still would have went somewhere. Again. This is like.

[Allison Cooch]

I think you would have went somewhere the entire, like, regular season. I think if you got a call for practice squad, I think you would just. Would have been like, let me just go. Like, this is my last time. I know it's my last time, so let me just go.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah. But, yeah, so now it's. It's like, on to the next thing. Broadcasting. I'm gonna full send with broadcasting. I have some meetings about it. Hopefully they go well. They will go well. And it's just on to the next thing. Starting a vlog cast. I'm gonna call it a vlogcast because it's like a video podcast. But it's just time. Like, I'm ready to deep dive into the next phase of my life. And, like, I don't know. I don't want to waste more time because here's what happens, and then we can kind of wrap this up. If I were to get a call, which I'm not. This is all very hypothetical, but if I were to get a call right now, hey, we want to sign you a futures deal. It sounds better than it is. It's.

[Allison Cooch]

It.

[Isaac Groeschel]

When you hear it, it's like, oh, my God. Celebrate. Tick tock. We're going to Jacksonville. But then you get there and you're like, okay, I'm proving to maybe a personality that doesn't like me. And it's.

[Allison Cooch]

You just.

[Isaac Groeschel]

You waste time. You're wasting time. So it's time for me to do something else.

[Allison Cooch]

Yeah. And I. I feel like we talked so much in this episode and we didn't even touch on, like, the end of, like, your real decision, the retirement, all that. How are we feeling? What's next? Which means I feel like we need another episode.

[Isaac Groeschel]

We need a part two, which will weave in, like, you said, the Q A. And then we'll. We'll kind of go through. The Q A will drive the combo, though. I think people ask really questions.

[Allison Cooch]

Totally. So if you guys are listening to this episode, you can go over to The Sunday Sports Club podcast, Instagram, and there's gonna be a question box on the stories, and you can write in your question of, like, what's next? What. You can ask any question in terms of retirement and what's next? Because I feel like the NFL is, like, it's. It's an emotional chapter to close just because of so much good. And like, our. We grew our family in the NFL. We got married, engaged, moved in together, like, all of this. So when people say, like, I was never part of an NFL team, I for sure felt like I was like, it's so crazy.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Part of it.

[Allison Cooch]

It. And I'm so grateful for everything the NFL has given you, but also me in terms of opportunity. Like, I have this platform because of the NFL and because of everything that, like, you and I have built. So I have nothing but gratitude. And I. I love the NFL. I still love them. And we're not going anywhere. I mean, we're going to be around the NFL for a very long time in terms of broadcasting on, reporting, all of it, so. And also this podcast, so it's crazy.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Are you planning on staying with me?

[Allison Cooch]

Like, I always said I would leave you for somebody still actively in the NFL. I don't know.

[Isaac Groeschel]

You started. You started your career as a gold.

[Allison Cooch]

Digger, so you're still going to be on tv, right? Like, broadcasting, like, like, you're going to make money.

[Isaac Groeschel]

But no, this is good, though. I. Yeah. Appreciate you guys listening.

[Allison Cooch]

Well, hold on. I have to ask the last this class question. How do you feel about your career in the NFL?

[Isaac Groeschel]

I feel. I feel super confident about the career I had. I, again, I maximized every single bit of it. There's not a piece of my career that I look back and I'm like, dang, I could have done a little bit more there. Like, I feel really good about it. I left it all on the field, as they say, and I had a really fun career. Like, I feel good.

[Allison Cooch]

I'm. I am so proud of you. Yeah, I'm so proud of you. Because I feel like any of these situations when you got cut, you could have just gone into the facility and moped around. Every time you were on practice squad in a game, you could have just like, been like, nah, if they're sleeping on me, I'm not gonna play good. Like, which would have been biting yourself in the ass. But I am. I am proud of you because I feel like no matter what you like, you would come to me and, like, complain or be stressed or anxious, whatever. But, like, every time you into a game or facility. I do feel like you made the most of it, and I feel like you put everything into it that you had.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah, I appreciate it.

[Allison Cooch]

I am really proud of you.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I appreciate it. I. Yeah. And I feel good about. Like, I think I left a lasting impression on teammates and coaches. Like, I think, like, I have teammates that look back and they're like, dang. Ike was like, that was my altar. Everybody in the NFL called me Ike. Like, they're like, man, I was, like, a good dude. Like, he was a really good teammate. Like, I know that people said that.

[Allison Cooch]

And it's crazy because I have to say this. I have to say this. Before we end, I feel like we changed the NFL. Like, I do feel like that.

[Isaac Groeschel]

I feel like. Well, I can say it. I feel like you made a huge impact on the NFL. Like, I feel like you normalized it went from, like, wag. Like, you're a wag. Like, this is crazy. Wags to riches. Like, the show to, like, like, oh, no, she's like, one of us. Yeah, she's like one of the gals.

[Allison Cooch]

Anyways, we'll. We'll kind of touch on that more in the next episode. Next week is Super Bowl Sunday, so.

[Isaac Groeschel]

A lot is your prediction real quick.

[Allison Cooch]

Chiefs are gonna win.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Yeah.

[Allison Cooch]

Some really cool things happening around the Super Bowl. So be excited for next Sunday's episode, and then in two Sundays, we'll come back with part two for the retirement episode, and we'll talk all about our future and what is next because I feel like we have some really exciting stuff. So thank you guys so much for tuning in. Congratulations to Isaac, 7th rounder, turned 7 years in the NFL. Super proud of you. Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next Sunday.

[Isaac Groeschel]

Appreciate it.

[Allison Cooch]

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.