← What Are You Made Of?
What Are You Made Of?
Built for the Long Game: Hugh Roberts II on Mindset, Mentorship, and Life After Pro Sports
00:29:24
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- [00:01]
A
Welcome back to that one studio on the what do you made of show. I got Hugh Roberts II here with me. He was a former professional athlete, creator of Backyard Footy, and footy's got you foundation working his tail off. But guess what? He just had a little one as well. Little baby girl. Welcome to the show, Hugh.
- [00:20]
B
Appreciate you, boss man. Yes, sir. Just welcomed her in two weeks ago yesterday. Exactly. So it's been a blessing. Appreciate you helping, allowing me to join the show. Sorry.
- [00:28]
A
Yeah. Now, my pleasure. My pleasure to have you here. What's the what. What's the answer to this question, Hugh? What are you made of?
- [00:36]
B
What am I made of? That's a good question. I would say I'm a mixture of a determined, resilient. My motto in life is never panic, just adjust kind of thing. And so, yeah, honestly, resilience and determination is my M.O. i think whenever a situation comes through, if you were able to have the right mentality, you can get through anything. I think, you know, whenever obstacles are thrown your way, if you're able to adjust and not panic, you'll be able to come out on a better side as well, too. So, yeah, what I'm made of, man, it's a great question to start off. Off. Start us off with, but a full mix of determination and one motivated person to get where he needs to be.
- [01:09]
A
Yeah. Yeah. Well, it takes. Takes a different. A different level of action and vision and determination to play professional sports. I mean, we. We know that. And very few people get the opportunity to do that. And you know what else, Hugh? There's so many people that have the. The physical ability, They've been blessed, but they just don't have the other parts. And it's like, that's one thing. When I was growing up, man, there were so many, like, good athletes in our high school, and they chose to either goof off, they chose to hustle, they chose the street life. And. And as a kid, man, that, like, that bothered me. I probably. Probably wouldn't have played as much in the sports that I played if they were all there, but it bothered me, man. I was just like, man, we could be so much better. And I felt bad because I always know that when God gives you something, like, you don't take advantage of it. It's almost a disrespect in your creator, you know, And.
- [01:58]
B
Yep.
- [02:00]
A
Yeah. So for you, when. When did you start playing soccer?
- [02:03]
B
So I started when I was honestly two years. Two years old. My dad's Jamaican. He played at NC State, played throughout his Whole college career and I can remember being a ball boy for him when he was in his mid twenties. Men's semi pro teams. So that's where I found my love kind of early and I kind of just wanted to piggyback off what you said as well too. I will even say in the pro world a lot of when you're growing up X player, five star, four star players, MLS drafties, you're, you know, can be disheartened, like why am I not getting these opportunities? But in my, throughout my 11 years you'll see exactly what you said. A lot of these players fall off whether get caught up in college, that lifestyle, get caught up in the professional world, wanting to spend their money and hang out and party before a game, do all these things, not really dedicating themselves to their career. Then you wonder like oh wow, so and so just got drafted a year or two ago and now he's retired. Oh, so and so played MLS for a year or two and came down to Division 2 and can barely make a team. Now he's retired. And so it's just also shown me to just keep going and whatever's happened, you know, if you keep your head down, have the right attitude and mentality, you'll get to where you need to be. But yeah, man, so started, started off early with all my whole career.
- [03:06]
A
Yeah, well, and you know there's levels to it, right? Like there's the levels of like the, the, the rec leagues and the peewee leagues and all that kind of stuff before you get to high school. Travel, ball, you know, all this stuff and then those levels too. There's people that could be there and they don't commit. And then there's the level, the high school level, college level, pro level. Like yeah, we see sports like professional athletes and have this God given ability. Like you know, one name comes to mind is Johnny Manziel, Johnny Football. And he, he admits it himself now. You know, he's a documentary out and it's just like, just didn't, didn't. Just didn't know how to handle it. And it just, there's so much out there for us, not even just in the sports world, business world, relationships. There's so much available beyond our imagination and we, we, we just handcuff ourselves, man. It's just wild. But there's, it's levels to it. Right. You know, so yeah, so you got going and was that the only sport you played?
- [03:59]
B
Soccer actually. Played a lot of sports actually. But basketball and soccer were on me too. I Was a black belt in karate. Even the football, middle school, the track in middle school as well too. But I would say basketball and soccer, my main two niches. I actually went to high school for basketball, not soccer. Still did soccer for the high school, but I got recruited in middle school to go to this high school for to play basketball. And so at one point in my career, basketball, probably 8th, 9th, 10th grade, even my parents told me recently they thought I was going to stop playing soccer and fulfill my passion for basketball at some point too. Well, I'll definitely even say to that note too, you know, parents, I'm sure there's parents listening another thing as well too. I'll say it's very important if your kid has a passion for, you know, another sport to do two sports, let them fulfill that, let them follow that. Because for me, basketball and soccer actually goes hand in hand. Basketball is one of the same things. I learned on the soccer field and had quick feet and was getting by people. I took the same things I learned from basketball to. Now the soccer, for example. I was a big man when I first played it. When I first started playing basketball in the post backing guys up, I go to being a striker in soccer and now here I am posting the same guys up, doing the same post and spin moves. But now I'm doing this on the soccer field and I'm killing these kids because I learned from basketball. I got moved to center back when I turned pro and now I'm battling with these big strikers like as if I'm battling with big guys in the post in basketball too. And you got to be. You got to know how to swim, move, got to know how to box out in basketball. Well, that helped me in soccer to be able to box out, swim, move, get my positioning. And I can definitely say for my 11 years, part of the reason why I lasted so long is because of playing dual sport and basketball as well too. So I know it's a whole thing right now to get your kid focused on one sport and other coaches are telling players, parents and players to focus on this sport alone. But I even had that as well too. When I was growing up, my parents told me a lot of coaches told me to stop playing basketball or basketball. Coach told me to stop playing soccer. My parents let me fulfill my passion because that's what I want to do. And I'm so thankful for that because it carried me all the way to my senior year of high school and I turned pro and I wouldn't be here today because of it.
- [05:56]
A
Yeah, well, and the other thing is, you know, some people say, you know, basketball is a non contact sport, soccer's non contact sport, but anybody that's really played competitively knows that it's not. You know, I. I go to the local high school here because they had a pretty good team and I'll try to support them. My son played there, you know, a couple years ago, and then I still go to try to support them, but, like, when I'm watching the basketball and these kids are so big now too, and I'm like, man, they're like, like they're banging into each other, like, oh, man, I play college football. I don't want to do that anymore. So I'm watching them like, oh, gosh. Feeling it, feeling it, you know. But yeah, man, I mean, and if you go hard, you're falling all over the floor in the field and all this other stuff, I mean, it bangs you up, you know?
- [06:34]
B
Yeah.
- [06:35]
A
And. And so when did you decide, like, and how did the process work for you to really then focus on soccer?
- [06:43]
B
Yeah, so it's interesting, actually. Soccer was my start. Soccer carried me all the way until about, say, third or fourth grade, actually. My neighbor at the time, my old house, he was playing basketball by himself in his backyard, had this shirt on called i270 basketball. And I was like, oh, you know, what's this? I was playing a little bit in the streets, a little bit my neighborhood kids. And I was like, I was very intrigued. So he kind of pursued me and helped coach me and groom me for the basketball. But I would say going up to my senior year of high school, had to kind of make a decision of going college, the college route, either basketball or soccer. And I was like, you know, things also kind of played in fruition throughout my career. Like the high school coach left and high school. The new high school coach that came in wasn't favoring a lot of people, and I just kind of saw it in my face. Like, you know what, I'm kind of losing this passion right now for basketball. Being 64 in basketball is also being different than me in 6' 4 in soccer. Let me kind of take my chances right now at the soccer world. Even though I played basketball, still doing pretty good for the school and the soccer world as well, too. So fortunate to get some scholarships and opportunities. And that was coming earlier than basketball as well, too. And I was like, I would kind of be a fool to let these scholarships and opportunities go to pass as I'm waiting around for a basketball opportunity and who knows how long that will take. Let me try to take my chances and create my own path, too, and that's who I am. No, I'm rambling, but I didn't want to follow suit and follow people as well, too. We know a lot of African Americans played basketball as well, too, in football. And I was sure, my love, I was like, you know, I'm a. I want to be different. And I also want to show in high school, it's so cool for me to ball out on the soccer field and tell all my basketball boys and my football boys, yo, come to the soccer game, man. I'm telling you, y' all would love it. All right. He will come. Will come in to come to these games, and they're the number one cheerleaders, and they're hyping up, and I love them. I was like, all right, cool. Let me do my own passion in my own lane and show everybody, like, soccer is just as cool, even black and brown kids, that we can play this game as well, too. And I wouldn't say, like, be a pioneer or anything, but just kind of just lead a different lane in my own world, in my own industry. So those things 100%.
- [08:37]
A
Like, if you look at the world, you know, black guys are just as good, like, at soccer as anybody, but then in the, you know, the United States, just not as common, because that's not what they're brought up in, you know? And, you know, but yeah, I mean, if they were.
- [08:51]
B
If they started, sorry to cut you off. My pops was in Jamaican. I would even probably be the same thing that you just said as well. My mom's from New York, from Queens, so basketball. My dad loves soccer. But if you don't have, like, a mentality, you know, international mentality gets from America, then you probably don't even think about soccer as well, too. So. Yeah, I agree with that.
- [09:09]
A
It'd be a whole different game if they started early, you know. Right. And what do you think the things you were missing in basketball to really make it in. In the basketball world?
- [09:18]
B
Yeah, that's a good question, so.
- [09:20]
A
Because, by the way, tyrese Maxey's a six foot, maybe six foot one for the Sixers, and he just scored 50 points the other night, you know.
- [09:28]
B
Yeah.
- [09:28]
A
So it's not like the height 6, 4.
- [09:30]
B
Nah. And there's people smaller than that is balling up as well, too. I would say, you know, this whole world is really a mental thing. And I would say at my peak, my AU team, we were like, number two in the country. I playing with Victor Oladipo, I'm playing with Quinn Cook. I'm playing with Jerry and Grant, whose father was Horace Grant, NBA. Like these are, those are my AU teams in D.C. so I was actually the MVP of these teams. I was right there with these guys. And at that point. But I would say my AAU coach was very different than my high school coach. And my AAU coach instilled confidence. A short five foot guy from the hoods in Southeast, but he was getting chest and we'll let you know, and that's no problem. I could take that and I love that. But the difference between, I guess him and my high school coach, where he would, you know, get into you, ream you, but still give you an opportunity to play and perform and work out your mistakes. High school coach, I would go in and try to do my thing. You made a mistake in two seconds, he'd sub you in and then sub you out in a matter of one possession. I'll never forget that happened in my junior year. And I was like, coach, I literally just got in the game and you're embarrassing me in front of my parents and everybody. Not like, I know I'm decent at basketball too. And so that kind of just rattled me a little bit in terms of my confidence. So I was like a shell of a player for high school than I was for aau. I actually stopped playing basketball senior year of high school and did AAU still in the summer even though I didn't play for my high school team. Because I love my AU coach so much that I just, you know, had that confidence within him. So I do wish, you know, that aspect for me was just a little different for high school in terms of a coach that just like instilled confidence within you. Because I would say it wasn't just. Wasn't necessarily like a talent thing. It was more so just in here thing. And so that also kind of fed me to just steer a little bit more towards soccer. And I'm not saying soccer coaches actually didn't even have a single black coach in soccer besides the one in elementary. So it wasn't like I'm going to coaches that love me still. I was just like, you know, let me kind of forge my own lane. And I'm kind of tired of dealing with this BS here with this guy. So.
- [11:26]
A
Yeah.
- [11:27]
B
Yeah.
- [11:27]
A
Well, one thing I have philosophy on and I'm a performance expert. So I, I look at things differently than a lot of people. And these coaches, they think they know everything. Sometimes it's a shame. But, you know, I watched a really good offensive coach. They won two state championships in Maryland, back to back. And one thing he did, the guy dropped the ball. That was like, in football, he's wide open. Dropped the ball, long pass, and next play, guess what? He went right back to him because he didn't want. He wanted to get back up on the horse, you know, and. And he caught the ball and he ran, you know, for touchdowns. So, you know, like, that's. That's the philosophy I have with it. But, yeah, I could see exactly how that could hammer to confidence.
- [12:07]
B
That little thing right there can go a long way. That one play right there probably changed his whole season, his whole career. He's like, all right, cool. I can do my thing. I'm sure next game he balled out and was like, if that one moment we sat him or didn't give him the ball could have changed the player's trajectory, too. And I. I completely agree with that.
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A
That kid's playing football at Georgetown right now, by the way. Yeah, he's like six. Six.
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B
The receiver. Yeah.
- [12:28]
A
And then. And then the soccer thing, when you get to the high school, it's similar to baseball, I guess, because you can get drafted out of high school. Right. Unlike football. So, like, what was the decision, like, to go pro versus go to college, or did you go to college?
- [12:43]
B
I went to college. I went to George Mason University, but that's a. So also, I was. I'm not even that old, but times have changed that fast. And so back when I was in high school, yes, you could sign pro in high school, but. But I was really only what they call homegrown. Players say you play for D.C. united, came through their academy. You almost had to play for MLS Academy as well to get signed early in high school, because they give you basically homegrown. You're free. They can sign you for free from the academy system. In comparison to, I didn't play for an MLS accountant, I played for an outside academy that's going against the MLS academy. So if they sign me, they probably have to pay me, pay my family, and pay different amounts and wages as well, too. Where you have someone in the academy, they can just sign you for free and you just come to practice the next day and you're already there. So that's kind of the difference. But now it's like, if you're nice and they can find you, they will offer you a contract. And not even just an MLS team. We have the USL championship. You have USO championship. League One we have Division One and USL coming through. So now kids, even 16, 17 year old kids are not going just to MLS. They're like, let me go play Division Two ball, get good. The minimum wage probably 35, 36K for a 17 year old is decent.
- [13:50]
A
And you're not saying Division Two college, you're talking about Division Two pro as a pro. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [13:55]
B
Now that option was not there when I first started the Division 2 league here in America didn't even start to 2013 and I finished my college in 2014. So in high school this Division 2 wasn't even an option. Now it's to the point where these kids, even I'm playing against 16 and 17 year old kids last year who decided to forego college to pursue the professional route. And it's not a bad option either. You know, you're playing soccer all year round except for one month of the season in comparison to college, you're only playing for three months. But I guess for me the little difference was I also wanted education as well too. I also wanted to, I love to learn, love to get better. Also wanted to experience the college atmosphere. I also wanted to, at that time we're the 13th ranked recruiting class going in. So also I guess it's my parents within me too. My parents are big educational people like you got to get your degree. So I was like let me go to college route as well. But I would definitely say that college atmosphere is an animal. I wasn't even the highest recruited kid in my class. Even though we're 13th ranked. A lot of kids come from U17 national teams this and that. I'm the only one that turned pro. And I would definitely say it's a lot of had to do with the college atmosphere.
- [14:58]
A
Yeah, yeah. What about what's the difference between MLS and the European or Manchester plays and all those like what's the difference in first of all in talent, technique, these.
- [15:09]
B
These like in Man City for example, they're starting to play out the back from the goalkeeper and they're technical abilities from U5 here in America, MLS we're not really concert more concentrated on winning and so whatever we had to do, we got to do to win. Put the fastest player at top, fastest player can move to a center back, fastest player can move all around. Whatever we got to do to secure the win. Then when you get, you know, MLS Academy might be a little more structured but for the most part they only have a few that's doing right. Like Philadelphia Union does it very well. I Was fortunate to be there, my fourth year in the league at the pro, so I saw these things within my eyes there. Similar to the Europe, they have high emphasis on the youth, the youth development. So you five to U15, they're putting high emphasis on that to make sure these kids are going within the system to get to the first team and have the good technique. When I say technique, you know, being able to receive a ball, being. Being able to make the right decisions in the middle of traffic. Those are things in Man City, they're equipping their kids to handle that when they're already seven years old. We're here, we're more so like, let's just train twice a week, have games on Saturdays and, you know, keep it moving. That's a season. They're actually in school in the morning, training in the morning, training in the night. School is in the day. And it's like a soccer school. And they're learning and playing soccer all year round too. So little things like that has been separating them from us.
- [16:26]
A
And is the way soccer is it different than other sports where they usually have players that are from that area that come up from in that area, versus, like you just draft and pull from all over the place.
- [16:38]
B
So in Europe, yes, that is definitely more common. This the rule in the whole world, honestly, where you can only sign eight international players. So even here in America, if you're on a pro team, you can't just go have a whole roster full of international players. You're only allowed eight and the rest have to be, you know, from the States. Doesn't have to be local, but from the States. In Europe, there's high emphasis from a lot of clubs because the difference between Europe and us, just like football here, what happens when that team, let's say Arsenal, if Arsenal wins, the whole community revenue goes up. Beers, drinking, clothing, merchandise, everything goes up, sort of. Arsenal winning affects the whole community. Here in soccer, you win a game, it doesn't. The community doesn't really care like that. I guess the fans are there and supportive, but doesn't affect business. So there's very. There's more of a high emphasis on that in the culture. Because it affects business as well too, is why there's so much passion. Then you come to here in America, it's more so like this is a business and it's really just they're putting out some form of entertainment. So it's not really a big emphasis on, okay, let's put a lot of dollars into this because it's going to affect our community and affect our business back. It's more so like, let's just get a tax write off. Let's just get X amount of players for a sheet as possible. Let's do the bare minimum. Just to say we have a soccer team here in the community, but there's no true investment into that.
- [17:57]
A
It's not a way of life here in the US for most people. Yeah. And. And did you ever have a chance to play in Europe?
- [18:03]
B
I actually did in my only opportunity international was in Jamaica. I was actually playing my junior year, going into my senior year of college in Jamaica. They actually offered me a contract to go pro in Jamaica. Just the infrastructure is a little different at the time. And I was like, I'd rather kind of go back to my senior year of college and fulfill that. It's kind of unfortunate because the U17 Jamaican team invited me to the camp or U23 invited me to the camp, like two weeks after I was already in college. And I haven't heard from them since. But that's probably the one thing that's over my head is playing internationally. Yeah.
- [18:32]
A
Yeah. And when did you stop playing? Just recently, right?
- [18:35]
B
Last year. Yep.
- [18:36]
A
So. So take us through that part. How did you know when it was time?
- [18:43]
B
I would just say God has a way in my life where I'm such a committed and dedicated person, where I probably would not have stopped unless God does something in a harsh way for me to just totally just don't even want to deal with it anymore. So that's what that was like for me for basketball, I was like that for me for soccer as well. Me and the coach kind of even. This is the same coach I dealt with for three years before I even came to this team. I've been here having 100 caps and everything. Me and the coach kind of bumped heads a little bit because he wanted to go the younger route. This is now. The team is now in Division 3, and Division 3 is even younger than what I used to come to as well, too. So obviously happened through the season, he decided to go younger. We decided we were losing, losing games. He kept doing the same things. And I just kind of realized in those moments, like, all right, like, I'm really here because two years ago, me and my wife did long distance for two years. I was in California, she was here in Charlotte. I had to come back here. And we got married last year in the beginning of 24 in January. Couldn't do long distance anymore. I was very happy to be here. So I was like, you know what? Let me just enjoy life, enjoy being here, my wife every day, enjoy being back in here in Charlotte, because I was in California and I could just kind of see in my eyes, like, my passion and my job, I'm such a passionate person where if I'm not giving my 100, I. I don't want to disrespect my teammates and my other guys for me not being there fully. And so I realized, like, if I'm not there, this is my time to kind of take a step back. So even throughout probably halfway through August, I started to apply for jobs even throughout the season, because I just kind of knew already, like my time was coming and I wanted to just kind of secure myself for the next phase of my career as well, too.
- [20:12]
A
Yeah, yeah, it's. It's important to listen. You gotta listen to your body. You gotta listen to God. You gotta listen. So. So one of the darkest times, if not the darkest time of people's lives is when they stop doing something that they identified with. And really, we really shouldn't identify with what we do. That's the vehicle that we should be using for our mission and, you know, for who we are. But most people, they think they, in order to have success, they have to be obsessed with what they're doing and make it an identity. So for you, how hard has that been after you stopped and. And really to find yourself again?
- [20:46]
B
Yeah, that's a great question, man. I would say these last 10 months, I didn't find a job. I know I was applying last year, but I didn't find a job from January until beginning of October. So these last 10 months are probably the toughest time of my life. I thought my whole career was soccer, as you just stated. I thought, if I'm gonna make money, be a president of GM of a sports club, I gotta continuously climb up this ladder. I gotta. If I'm going to be any kind of, have any kind of success, I got to get to this high. I wouldn't even. I didn't even take time to reflect back in my career, you know, 20, 23, I finished as a UFL championship all time minutes leader and had the most minutes played in regular season history. And when that, when I got announced and that happened, I just struggled. And I was like, okay, that's cool. I got other things to do. I gotta make playoffs, I gotta get back to the mls. I gotta do all this stuff. And it wasn't until, you know, these last 10 months, talking to my parents and my friends like like, yo, Hugh, like, you were 30 years old and just did something no one in history just did. You know, you were captain of a professional team. You're able to travel and live in five or six different cities. I was able to go international. You know, you don't. When you're so focused on your career, you don't realize on all those moments. And so these last 10 months, I really see how, you know, as tough as it was having no job, having to figure out ways to pay these bills and some, you know, provide for my family, that God was protecting me the whole time, building me up, get my mentality ready, my mentor ready. Because you really don't realize certain things until you take a step back and until you have to go through the valley. You know, he talks about the valley as well, too, but you got to go through the valley and see the other side to really realize who you are sometimes. So these last 10 months, I realized soccer didn't define me. Sports didn't define me in general. It actually helped me get to the. I'm. I'm working with the US Soccer foundation now, which is a big blessing, I'll definitely say, because of my career. It helped me get to where I need to be today. And I didn't realize that for the last 10 months until I had these interviews and these guys asked me questions like, I did this my whole career. You know, I'm the co founder of United Black Players association. Been on the players union for four years. Y' all talking to me and telling me stuff. I've been known, but I didn't know this whole time. He was grooming me to be prepared for this moment as well, too. So, you know, you got to go through the. You got to be still. We always want to be movement and stuff, and that's why God forces us to be still sometimes. He forced me to be still and just reflect and look back and be thankful and stuff, too.
- [23:07]
A
So, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and so what? What? Is there a chance that you'll work in the league as an executive or for a front office or.
- [23:15]
B
That's the goals. My goal is to be. I'm not even trying to be a coach. I'm trying to be a president. I got my MBA as well, too, for that reason. I want to be a president of sporting director, GM of a professional sports club. But, yes, I'm with the U. S. Soccer foundation now, which is great. Great. But that's my goal. Because if I want to make real change, coaches on short leashes, too, if they don't do well in a year, two, they're done. You got to be in these front office positions and, you know, hire the right people and make the right calls and decisions. And I know that from my experience, and I know on and off the field, I can do those things. So I feel like right now, it's kind of the grooming phase. Gotta understand the corporate world, of course, because this is my first year in the corporate world, so now it's understanding certain nuances. And once I get comfortable, that's. That's what I'm going for. 100%.
- [23:55]
A
Awesome. I love it. All right, so. So when you were in Philly, we talked about this probably on our call that we had, but I want to talk in front of the audience about this. So did you become a Philly sports fan while you were in Philly?
- [24:07]
B
That's funny, because I was there 2017. They won the Super bowl that fall. Carson Wentz. 2018 was celebration. So I'm a big Giants fan. But actually, I won't lie to you, it was real cool to be a part of that parade when the Philly. When the Eagles won. And then it just so happens I was with the Union dwelling. B was there. Ben Simmons is there. I'm meeting these guys because they knew certain guys on my team as well. So I'm meeting these guys in person. So I was actually a little bit. I'm a Knicks fan, but actually a little bit of a Sixers fan, a little bit, too, at that time for a couple months, because I wanted them to do well, too. So.
- [24:37]
A
Yeah, well, where B came from, soccer is a big deal.
- [24:40]
B
Exactly.
- [24:41]
A
Yeah.
- [24:41]
B
And he's. So. He was literally the one that had his teammate at the time. CJ Sapong was called the US national team. He literally, one night we're hanging out, told his guy to go tap CJ and introduce himself. Himself to both of us. Like, it was real cool in the middle of the night, too. Like. All right, cool. Like, Philly's actually a cool city. I see brotherly love.
- [24:58]
A
Yeah.
- [24:59]
B
But you see how Dwell kind of connected with that, too.
- [25:02]
A
Yeah. When he's. When he's dribbling a soccer ball, it looks like he's dribbling a golf ball, though. Like, literally, like, same thing with trying to shoot free throws. Like him and Shaq. Like, but, you know, it looks like a little. A little baseball in their hand. Yeah. So, yeah, we're heading up to Philly Friday for Black Friday. The Eagles are playing the Bears, and my son's a big Die hard Philly fan. And we just. Yeah, it's, it's born in us. I mean, we're from there, so it's like it's inside of you. Yeah. I can't help it. I don't, I don't necessarily like it. I'd like to pick a different team sometimes, especially after losing to the Cowboys last week. It kind of makes me sad.
- [25:37]
B
I got pick one on my team, man.
- [25:39]
A
Yeah. Yeah. So you're Giants fan, right?
- [25:42]
B
I'm a Giants fan, yeah.
- [25:43]
A
So Jackson Dart, I know Jackson Dart from Ole Miss and I was hoping that he would get drafted by like somebody I like, but then he had to go to the Giants, so. But I still root for him. You know, I, I don't really care about that much. I mean if he's. I just want him to do good. But. But yeah, so. And so speak of the Giants for a second. So I don't understand why they started Russell Wilson over James Winston in the first place.
- [26:08]
B
I just feel like it was a hype thing. This guy just came off an okay year last year in Pittsburgh. I don't know why, but I think just his name played a role. Maybe. You know, sometimes we don't realize there's a lot of contractual negotiations where players sometimes have to start certain amount of games. I know in soccer, like you get bonuses if you start 20 plus games. If you get 20 plus games of starts as well, sometimes that can secure your contract for next year. So I'm sure there's probably even something where in this calls where he had to probably start those first two games and then they'll see how things go. But I could even see something like that because that really didn't make any sense to me. And you see how things, you know, transpired. Jackson Dart came in and did way better. He's the future. And then even Jameis Winston, you love, we see the energy he brings every night. We love it. And so, yeah, he's got a great attitude. It's great. Every team he's on, he brings great energy, man.
- [26:57]
A
He was a third string guy and he, he could play anywhere probably in the league and he was a third string guy and he just had a great attitude. I love it. You know, he's coming a long way.
- [27:06]
B
Where they said he needs to sign for every single team, that's for a couple months during the season and just bring that energy that he brings. Every single team.
- [27:14]
A
Yeah. And then him and him and Jackson Dart had their dance and they, you know, they're right for each Other. And you know, I mean, I love seeing that. That's about something about sports, man. When I see that kind of stuff, it's just, that's the way I played, man. I, I supported everybody. If I didn't, if I didn't get the time I wanted, whatever support the guy in front of.
- [27:31]
B
Sorry to even cut you off. That's something that you don't even realize how important that is unless you play a sport. Like I've even realized, you know, you're in the entertainment business. I'm an entertainment business. When you put pressure or just, just you bring in a room brings competition, other people, some people can't react to that. And instead of boosting you and showing love, they actually do the opposite and hate you and start doing envy and becoming envious of you. And it's like, man, we just came here to give you all love and show y' all love. I don't know why you're hating on us.
- [27:58]
A
Yeah.
- [27:58]
B
But you realize sometimes if you're not in a competitive environment and realize how to understand, okay, this guy's compet better than I'm a competitor. But I can still support him. I can still show love. And then at the end of the day, you might get an opportunity. You want him to show you love. And like, those little things go a long way.
- [28:12]
A
Yeah, yeah. You know what? It only hurts you when you, when you hate on people. You know what I mean? It's like, it's really a reflection of what's going on inside, so. Well, Hugh, listen, I'm a big fan, man, and I'm rooting for you. And if there's anything I could ever do for you, let me know. I, you know, I got lots of connections and different things, so one thing for sure, I'm going to introduce you to that one network and make sure you get into this WhatsApp group with us because we have some amazing people in there, from health and wellness to entrepreneurs, to billion dollar CEOs to entertainment professionals and athletes hanging out in this group. And we're networking every day, so I'll send you a link to it.
- [28:45]
B
Okay, we love that. My man. Thank you for this opportunity. You're doing great things. Definitely support you. I support everything you're doing as well too. I appreciate you having me on the show.
- [28:53]
A
Thank you, bro. I appreciate you, man. Happy Thanksgiving. And happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there. Thank you for being here, watching or listening. However you're consuming this content, we appreciate you. Go check out Hugh on Instagram.
- [29:04]
B
What's your Instagram personal superhuman. One word. Super Hugh man and backyard footy is the business. That's one word as well. Backyard and a footy F o O T y. Definitely check us out on all social platforms.
- [29:16]
A
All right, go hit him up. Until next time, make sure you subscribe or follow at the favorite top of your favorite podcast platform and keep coming back. And also be that one.