Celebrating the GOAT GOD

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[3] Welcome, welcome, welcome to armchair expert.

[4] I'm Dachshepard.

[5] I'm joined by Monster Mouse.

[6] This feels like deja vu.

[7] How so?

[8] Because we've already put out this episode once before.

[9] This is our first time ever re -releasing an episode.

[10] Yeah.

[11] But we had the idea to do it with.

[12] without ads, just because Eastern Conference final game was just so impressive.

[13] It's so impressive what Tom Brady did this season.

[14] The fact that he left the Patriots and he went to a team that had not been to the Super Bowl in a long, long time.

[15] Yep.

[16] And through his will, man. He's taking them there.

[17] Oh, my God.

[18] The guy is going again.

[19] It's really, ugh.

[20] I keep telling people, even if you're not into sports, this is one of the sports stories that you'll be watching a 30 for 30 about in 10.

[21] 10 years.

[22] Like, it's just miraculous.

[23] I want to add a couple things to this.

[24] One, this will be his 21st year in, well, A, he's the oldest player out there, which is exciting.

[25] Two, this is 21st season.

[26] This will be his 10th trip to the Super Bowl, which means his percentage is like a high 48 or something.

[27] I saw a meme that said his odds of making it to the Super Bowl are greater than Steph Curry making a three -pointer, which is the greatest three -point shooter of all time.

[28] Another thing to think about, there's only been 54 Super Bowls, I think.

[29] And the fact that Brady's been in 10 of them now, he's almost been in 25 % of the Super Bowls.

[30] It's an absurd.

[31] So just let that set in.

[32] And he looks like how he looks.

[33] Oh, my God.

[34] He posted a little video of him and Gron getting on the airplane after the game.

[35] Have you watched it?

[36] No. Oh, I'm going to show it to you right now.

[37] That's cute.

[38] It's just a stupid smile.

[39] And it's a repeat from last year they did it, too, at the airport.

[40] Oh, that's fun.

[41] It's a callback.

[42] I'm getting on the bus.

[43] Yeah.

[44] It's always him and Grong.

[45] Look at that dumb smile he does.

[46] Very cute.

[47] Who's Grongkowski is his tight end who has been on all the Patriot teams with him, and he came down.

[48] Oh, he did.

[49] He was retired.

[50] And Tom said, you're not retiring.

[51] We're going to the Buccaneers.

[52] Yeah.

[53] And now they're both going to Super Bowl again.

[54] Do you think Grong is part of his?

[55] Gronk.

[56] Oh.

[57] Do you think Gronk is part of his magic?

[58] Yeah.

[59] We got to give him a little credit, right?

[60] Listen, people love Gronkowski.

[61] He's a beast, and he is won a bunch of Super Bowl rings.

[62] He's very young.

[63] I think he retired at 31 or something.

[64] Oh, wow.

[65] And then again, Brady said, no, no, we're going to do that little walk again onto the airplane next year.

[66] How fun.

[67] Well, we cut out the ads, but we put in 12 minutes of preamble, but please enjoy uninterrupt.

[68] conversation with The Goat, the greatest of all time, Tom Brady.

[69] Yeah, what's up, man?

[70] There he is.

[71] You're so official.

[72] You got a studio.

[73] I just have like a microphone.

[74] I don't know whether it's working or not.

[75] There is nothing more fun than watching people, like you or Bill Gates, try to operate their computer.

[76] It's one of the funest parts of this job.

[77] I bet.

[78] Where are you guys at?

[79] We are in an attic that's above a garage at a house we're building that I don't think we'll ever be done.

[80] I think we're at year three of it.

[81] So it's really just a very expensive garage at this point.

[82] So typical.

[83] It's a good typical construction process.

[84] Yes, yes.

[85] And it doesn't matter how many times you go through it, you still are shocked with how long and how much it goes over budget each time.

[86] I know, I know.

[87] Over budget, the duration.

[88] We had a house in Boston.

[89] I swear to God, it cost twice as we were.

[90] 100 % over budget, 100%.

[91] Yeah, that seems to be the standard number, I think.

[92] I know.

[93] I came out of football season and they showed me the budget.

[94] And I was like, what the fuck is this?

[95] It was pretty rough.

[96] Did you have real jobs as a kid?

[97] Like, were you forced to do some manual labor?

[98] I had a couple really great jobs.

[99] My first job where I was actually talked about this earlier day, my first job was a paper route.

[100] Did you ever have paper route?

[101] I did not.

[102] I did not.

[103] I was in Michigan, so I shoveled driveways.

[104] That was kind of the equivalent.

[105] That's a good job.

[106] That's manual labor.

[107] But in elementary school and then start a high school, I had a paper route.

[108] And I made, I think, $25 a month.

[109] And I was actually talking about that with one of my coaches yesterday because we were talking about our first jobs.

[110] And I think it was kind of my job and my mom's job, too, because she would drive me around and I would throw the papers out of the side of the car.

[111] Maybe it helped me a little bit.

[112] I didn't realize it was maybe a career training, but it ended up being, you know, Yeah, yeah.

[113] Work on that arm.

[114] So my big barriers were, yeah, my mom was single mom raising three kids in full -time jobs.

[115] She was not going to fucking drive me around.

[116] So I was like, oh, this isn't going to work.

[117] Everyone I know with a paper route, really it's their mom's paper route, as you say.

[118] Yeah.

[119] We had like one of those vanigans where the side door slid open.

[120] So I could literally like ride like sidecar and then like fire them onto the, and then over the top of the car to like get to the other side of the street.

[121] In high school, I didn't do as much because I was playing a lot of sports.

[122] In college, I worked in like cleaning industrial.

[123] manufacturing plants in Michigan.

[124] Bloomfield Hills, literally $10 a hour.

[125] I was scrubbing ceilings of this, like, paint.

[126] Oh, my God.

[127] And I kept thinking at the end of the day, like my shoulders were done, my elbows.

[128] And I was like, this is the worst job I've ever, you could ever have imagined.

[129] Yeah, I'm really delighted that you spent some time in Michigan.

[130] That's where I'm from.

[131] So I was delighted to learn that you set up camp there in Ann Arbor.

[132] Yeah.

[133] Did you enjoy that?

[134] And you can be honest.

[135] I'll cut it out.

[136] If it's totally derogatory, I'll cut it out.

[137] So it looks like we switched places.

[138] I was in California, then went to Ann Arbor.

[139] And I think it was a long way from home.

[140] I think I needed to go away from home.

[141] I needed to grow up because I was kind of a California kid.

[142] I had three sisters.

[143] I was the baby.

[144] So you could imagine I was probably a little bit soft.

[145] Yeah.

[146] And then go into Michigan, go to the Midwest, you know, go to school.

[147] You feel like you're totally outside of your car.

[148] I didn't even own a winter coat.

[149] My roommate, Pat Crattis, he like gave me. me my first jacket, you know?

[150] And I never, I was like, what the hell do I need this for?

[151] And man, it's 10 degrees in the middle of January.

[152] And I'm like, fuck this.

[153] Yeah.

[154] You must have looked around and thought, why on earth would anyone live here, right?

[155] When I return home, I think, oh, they must just have not ever gone to California.

[156] They just don't know that you don't have to be miserable eight months of the year.

[157] You know what?

[158] That's exactly what you think.

[159] Because in California, you grew up and you're like, every day is great.

[160] Like, every day is the weather.

[161] great.

[162] It doesn't rain much where it's not humid.

[163] Outdoor activities, you go hiking, you go biking, you go, if you go to the beach, we go, you know, two, three hours of Tahoe, we go skiing, you know, and it was like your whole world existed in California.

[164] And then going away to school, you know, you have like four minutes of good weather.

[165] And maybe it's okay sucking it up in college.

[166] It's not that big a deal.

[167] But when you think about kids, right, you have kids and I always think about, oh my God, if I was in my house for eight months of the year, gray skies, you know, it's a beating.

[168] It has its challenge, I think, for the kids.

[169] But you know what?

[170] Kids are so resilient.

[171] Like my kids, they've been in Boston for, so my daughter's a seven, my middle son's 10, and my oldest is 13, but my 10 and 7 have been in Boston, born there.

[172] And then we came to Florida for the last five months.

[173] And my daughter's like, Daddy, like, what are we going to do for Christmas?

[174] Like, there's no, what are we going to do for Halloween?

[175] Is there Halloween in Tampa?

[176] You know?

[177] And then she keeps saying every time we eat.

[178] we eat out right out here outside.

[179] And it's like 85 degrees.

[180] She won't eat outside with us.

[181] She goes inside of the house.

[182] So she's like, Daddy, I'm not like it this hot all the time.

[183] But for me, I like, yeah, I like it hot every day now.

[184] I'm never going back to cold weather.

[185] I did 25 years of it.

[186] When you were playing for the Patriots, when you're off season, would you guys return to California?

[187] Or where would you go?

[188] Would you stay there?

[189] Yeah, a little bit.

[190] Before I met my wife, I traveled quite a bit.

[191] She lived in New York.

[192] So I'd say from about 2000, when I went to Boston, 2000, 2006, I would travel kind of around the country.

[193] You know, I was in my mid -20s.

[194] So there's kind of always something to do, two days here, three days here.

[195] And then 2007, my son was born.

[196] And we spent the off -seasons then in California because that's where he was living at the time.

[197] Oh, right.

[198] That makes sense.

[199] Kind of reconnected.

[200] I was in Brentwood.

[201] That was pretty beautiful.

[202] Well, because what I was wondering is I have a couple different friends who are either they're English.

[203] and then now they have children here and their kids are American, which I think would be so weird, or vice versa, right?

[204] They move to England and they have these English -speaking kids or with the accent.

[205] And I think, well, it must be such a bizarre feeling to have your offspring not really mirror how you are.

[206] And is it wild to think that your kids aren't Californians in some weird way?

[207] Because I'm wrestling with the idea that my girls are growing up in California and I'm thinking, where will they even aspire to move to?

[208] too.

[209] Like in Michigan, I was like, well, that's obvious.

[210] I got to get to California, but I don't know where the fuck they're supposed to go.

[211] They should go nowhere.

[212] They're here.

[213] Nowhere.

[214] Let me talk to them when they get a little older.

[215] They should stay.

[216] Other than the very high tax rate and the traffic and there's a few other inconveniences, but for the most part, it's pretty good.

[217] I think the trickier thing for my wife is, you know, think about it, she's Brazilian.

[218] So she's raising kids that were Americans that speak, you know, my daughters, you know, speaks both languages pretty well.

[219] well.

[220] My son, I think, hears it from his mom, but then doesn't necessarily always want to communicate it back.

[221] But at least he's, you know, getting it.

[222] So it's probably a little stranger for her.

[223] For me, I think I've been so removed from California.

[224] And our kids have had a lot of different experiences, you know, just being in the northeast.

[225] Now we're in the southeast.

[226] You know, they've traveled to South America.

[227] You know, we've had home in Costa Rica for a long time.

[228] They're there.

[229] You know, so I took my son to China two, three years ago.

[230] So, oh, no kidding.

[231] What do you think of that?

[232] You know what?

[233] It was a great trip, you know, for a dad and a son at about 10 years old.

[234] I mean, it's, it's pretty, pretty amazing just to be together.

[235] Like, I had a couple of those trips when I was young with my dad, you know, it's probably more special for me than him, but he'll remember it for her.

[236] I was pretty sweet.

[237] I try to do that once every year.

[238] I try to take one of the two somewhere just with one of them.

[239] And yeah, man, it is so special to just be a little team and you're in a hotel room together and you're making your decisions together.

[240] It's so fun, isn't it?

[241] Yeah, you know, The one -on -one time is like, from my standpoint, you know, I meet so many people.

[242] It's, you know, and they see me as someone different than probably who I feel like I am.

[243] My kids see me as dad.

[244] So then when you're together one -on -one, you're just doing dad things.

[245] And, you know, when you have one -on -one and they say these things and it's just, you know, kind of makes your week or year or month or, you know, there's some really great moments.

[246] I'll even feel guilty because at the end, like, day five of those trips, we get along so well.

[247] And I think, oh, shit, if I dedicated this much one -on -one connection, this would be how they'd act.

[248] Like, when they're acting shitty, it's probably just a response to wanting more of my time that I don't have.

[249] Yeah, I know.

[250] What kind of parents did you have?

[251] You're from San Mateo?

[252] Yeah, I grew up with just in Northern California, I just about 20 miles south of San Francisco and San Mateo.

[253] My parents were, you know, just so supportive of me growing up.

[254] Everything I did, like I said, I had three sisters.

[255] So we had a very sports -centric family.

[256] My sisters were all into playing, you know, softball and basketball, soccer.

[257] So a lot of my childhood was like at sports fields, you know, just that they're going to their softball games at 6 o 'clock at night and then going to roundtable pizza and having dinner with the whole team and then going home and then just thinking it was a great life growing up.

[258] But life was so different for us because we'd existed just in the community that we lived in, you know, we didn't travel the way that my kids would travel now.

[259] We just, our life existed in San Mateo.

[260] And if we wanted to go on vacation, we'd go to Santa Cruz or, you know, we drive in the car to Pine Mountain Lake, which was two hours away.

[261] Or we'd go to Tahoe once, you know, once you're in a winter for, it was a three -hour drive if our car made it up that hill, you know, to get.

[262] Oh, that's a beating, yeah, up to 90 or 80 or whatever the hell that is.

[263] 30 years ago, there wasn't the same kind of four -wheel drive.

[264] So, yeah, yeah, it was just, you know, it was a great, just a great nurturing environment for me. Was mom or dad an athlete or both?

[265] Yeah, they were both very good athletes.

[266] My dad was drafted to be a professional baseball player.

[267] No shit.

[268] He ended up going to want to be a priest.

[269] He went to the seminary in Chicago.

[270] What?

[271] Well, that's a left turn.

[272] He became a priest?

[273] No, he didn't.

[274] So he was in school.

[275] And then the story he always tells me was his friend, his bunkmate, was listening to a transistor radio of a baseball game, World Series game, and got caught by one of the priests.

[276] And gotten a lot of trouble.

[277] And at that point, he was kind of like, and then, you know, he realized he wanted to, you know, have a wife and have kids.

[278] Have sex.

[279] Yeah.

[280] I thought you're going to say he was at seminary and he got horny.

[281] That wasn't the case.

[282] No. I'm sure he did actually, but he didn't actually tell me that.

[283] I don't know if I would tell him to my son.

[284] Do you remember meeting me?

[285] And I don't say this to trap you.

[286] This is not a test.

[287] But do you remember meeting me?

[288] because it was very memorable for me. Just say yes.

[289] No, no, I need to just help me out.

[290] Okay.

[291] I'm going to paint the picture for you.

[292] I was at the Met Gala, which I had turned down going to like 10 times.

[293] My wife always wanted me to go.

[294] It's not my scene.

[295] I go.

[296] And you're in front of me. We're in line, like entering the facility.

[297] And I don't know it's you yet.

[298] I just know that there's a guy in front of me that's considerably larger than me. And I put my hand on your shoulder.

[299] again, and I didn't know it was you, and I whispered in your ear, sir, I'm generally the tallest at these events, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and then you turned around and it was fucking you, and then you laughed, which made my night.

[300] And, yeah, that's the one time we met.

[301] That's awesome.

[302] I remember that.

[303] I actually don't remember that.

[304] I don't remember that.

[305] Yeah, I thought it was a really memorable line.

[306] How tall are you?

[307] He's a fucking beast, Monica.

[308] What?

[309] How many?

[310] Six, five.

[311] Six, five.

[312] Okay, you're close, though.

[313] No, no, no, no. When you see us next, I'm like six, two and a half.

[314] Almost six three, almost six two.

[315] Someday, six four.

[316] You must get that when people meet you in real life.

[317] I think because you're surrounded by enormous phenoms physically, I assume you're my height.

[318] And then I see you in person and you're a Goliath.

[319] You're like, have you ever met Vince Vaughn?

[320] No, I don't think I have.

[321] Is he a Goliath?

[322] He's a fucking giant.

[323] And I think when people see him, they're like, oh, my goodness, I can't tell in movies, but this guy's a giant.

[324] You're right.

[325] I'm around these big guys all the time.

[326] So, you know, for me, like, when I see like Rob Grancowski, I'm like, damn, that guy's a beast.

[327] Yeah, yeah.

[328] So anything left than that, I'm always like, oh, yeah, just kind of, you know, normal height, you know?

[329] But, you know, when you're tall, you never think about being tall.

[330] Until you're looking up at someone, which is a very rare experience, right?

[331] For you, it's not often that I have to, like, crane my neck to lock eyes with somebody.

[332] But with you, I was really at about 40 % craned to hold your gaze.

[333] That's about right.

[334] I know.

[335] I have that experience at my work.

[336] Yeah, I think we were saying the other day, being tall is very good when you're standing.

[337] Not very good when you're sitting.

[338] Oh, yeah.

[339] My posture.

[340] Cars, airplanes, you know, seats all day.

[341] So has its advantages.

[342] Okay, so you grew up in San Mateo, and I guess I didn't know this until today until I was learning about you.

[343] But you also played baseball, and you were draft.

[344] You actually were drafted for Major League Baseball?

[345] Yeah, I was a pretty good baseball player in high school.

[346] And football, where I grew up, wasn't, you know, in Northern California, outside of, I'd say like De LaSalle, who had a great football program.

[347] There weren't a lot of great football programs in NorCal.

[348] So it was probably more known for baseball.

[349] And I went to a school that was just right down the street from my house and high school.

[350] And it was always pretty good.

[351] One of the trips that I took with my dad when I was younger, when I was 12 for baseball, I went to Japan with him for a Goodwill Baseball exchange.

[352] so which was really cool and it was the first time I'd ever seen my dad drunk he wasn't drunk and horny he was just drunk well we don't know I'm sure he was quite horny he probably just kept that under wraps so we so we were there together and at 12 but baseball was kind of what I did and then I got to in high school I still played both sports but really just fell in love with playing football and the 49ers were you know great when I was growing up in the 90s they had a great football team so that's kind of my most years, I would say, as an athlete was around football and then still play a lot of baseball.

[353] Then when I got a chance to kind of play team sports and play football, it wasn't until my freshman year in high school.

[354] And then I just kind of fell in the football and then really wanted to focus my time and energy on that.

[355] Oh, so hold on.

[356] I guess this is news to me. You had not played football until ninth grade.

[357] Yeah, and nothing organized, just, you know, fly football in the street and stuff, but nothing organized.

[358] But no, like Pop Warner or any of that stuff.

[359] Which was a trip because when you get to your first day of practice and everyone starts like putting all their pads on and puts their pads and their pants.

[360] I'm like, I'm looking over at them.

[361] Like, how do I put these in my pants?

[362] Like, I don't know the shoulder pads.

[363] And, you know, it was, it was pretty unique, you know, not to have any experience.

[364] And I had other guys, kids who were on my team that had played, you know, Pop Warner and so forth.

[365] And they were just so far advanced.

[366] And, um, yeah, I was so far behind them physically, you know, I probably was a late bloomer anyway.

[367] But in terms of playing football, I definitely didn't know the game other than what I watched.

[368] And then I was had a pretty good arm.

[369] But everyone was always, certainly my first year was a lot better than me. I didn't play my first year.

[370] So I was a backup quarterback my freshman year.

[371] We had a freshman team.

[372] We had three teams.

[373] We were 0 and 8.

[374] So we lost every game we played and they still didn't think I was good enough to play a game.

[375] So I was kind of looking up at everybody, you know, thinking, oh, I still love playing because it was a great team sport and then got a shot my second year to play.

[376] Were you a pitcher when you played baseball?

[377] I played pitcher.

[378] I really liked being a catcher because you're kind of in control as a catcher.

[379] is great, but it, you know, it actually was very taxing on my arm.

[380] My arm hurt when I would play pitcher.

[381] And I wasn't a great pitcher.

[382] And, you know, like just the baseball and how you throw a baseball.

[383] I was a really good hitter, I'm in a decent fielder, but not a great pitcher.

[384] I would be nervous for you playing catcher at your height.

[385] I mean, your knees.

[386] I'm worried about your knees.

[387] That hurt a lot.

[388] So that was a thing.

[389] Ironically, baseball I always thought took more of a toll on me than football has.

[390] You know, I mean, I have plenty of injury football.

[391] But I think back to my high school days and, like, I would ice my knees after every game.

[392] I would ice my elbow after every game.

[393] It was constantly aching, you know?

[394] And again, I don't know a ton about sports, but they do say, right, throwing a baseball is a very unnatural.

[395] It's not like your arm's not really designed to move in the manner by which you must use it in baseball.

[396] Yeah.

[397] I think we were meant to be overhanded athletes for sure.

[398] Uh -huh.

[399] Throwing, you know, baseballs, throwing footballs, throwing javelins, things like that.

[400] There's definitely, I would say, more stress on your arm just because the velocities of which, you throw a baseball.

[401] You can throw a baseball harder.

[402] So if you throw it harder, there's more force and torque on the different ligaments, tendons in your elbow and shoulder, your muscles, probably a little easier to get strained because you're moving up much faster speeds.

[403] We still throw really hard in football, but if I throw a really hard football, it's probably 62 miles an hour.

[404] Oh, wow.

[405] Okay.

[406] And two miles an hour.

[407] Yeah, that's bonkers.

[408] It doesn't even seem like you could even make your arm move at 100 miles an hour, much less something leaving your arm.

[409] Yeah, there just ends up being a lot of force on your arm.

[410] And I, I felt that when I was playing baseball.

[411] And I just, as I played football, it was still a little bit, you know, just kind of maturing and grown.

[412] But it was less taxing on my body to play football than it was to play baseball.

[413] Now, back to your size.

[414] When did you become this enormous human being?

[415] What age?

[416] Wait, enormous is like six eight.

[417] I'm six four.

[418] No, you're, listen, listen, you're, again, you're totally misled because of your peers and your colleagues and your co -workers, but you're a phenomenally large human being.

[419] So when did you come into this?

[420] I probably had a gross spurt my freshman year, and then again, probably my later in my sophomore year.

[421] And then by my junior year, I was about the same height, about six, four, maybe a little more growing up.

[422] But skinny as shit.

[423] You know, I was kind of like the typical American kid, I would say.

[424] Like, I would never give my kids what I ate when we were when I was a kid.

[425] I mean, I was like, I look at pictures and I'm just, you know, I was just chunky little kid that would like drink root beer floats and eat.

[426] The only thing I ever wanted to eat was bacon.

[427] cheeseburgers as a kid and you know it reflected in my shape of my body and uh and then finally i got to high school and like i would eat terrible food i'd eat you know a big muffin with butter in the morning with hot chocolate thinking i was breakfast and get to school with two donuts then at lunch at like those break you'd have a hot dog like a 50 cent hot dog and then at lunch it would be like a clam chowder and a bread bowl i mean you couldn't hit every bad food you know and then i was I'd get home and I'd have like nachos with like tubbo cheese.

[428] And then my mom would like, you know, try to make something good for us at night.

[429] But you're, you know, it's kind of how you grew up.

[430] It was like cereal or, you know.

[431] It's so funny you'd say that.

[432] Yesterday I was at 7 -Eleven and this guy next to me ordered a slice of pizza from 7 -Eleven, right?

[433] And I said to the guy, he had a mask on as we all had masks on.

[434] So I couldn't really tell.

[435] And then he says, hey, do you mind me asking how old you are?

[436] And the guy goes, uh, 20.

[437] And I'm like, okay, that makes.

[438] perfect sense.

[439] And he goes, what do you mean?

[440] And I go, well, in my 20s, I ate probably 10 to 14 hot dogs a week from 7 -Eleven because they were two for a dollar.

[441] I'm like, but if I eat one now, I'm out for the day.

[442] I feel horrendous the next day.

[443] I'm so sensitive now.

[444] But in your 20s, well, you can just shovel that garbage right in there and you don't even know it.

[445] You don't even care.

[446] In college, we would get these, um, we called them pizza cards.

[447] The football team had a deal with subway and we had a place in Ann Arbor called the Cottage Inn.

[448] And then we go to a subway and I would eat like 18 inches of sandwich, you know, at a time of meatball.

[449] And if I went healthy, I was going only one slice of cheese all the way across instead of two slices.

[450] You know, and it's like, I look back now and I'm like, I don't know how I did it.

[451] But you felt great, right?

[452] That's the thing that's so annoying is now like I'm 16 years sober.

[453] I eat pretty damn good.

[454] I eat the tiniest thing.

[455] And I, like, I literally feel it like I'm hung over.

[456] But back then, man, I was, I was drunk and smoking cigarettes and eating 7 -Eleven hot dogs felt like a million dollars.

[457] Yeah, I think we did.

[458] I think our therapy is probably a little different because I didn't, I didn't always feel great.

[459] You know, I was a kid, so I was obviously, you know, bouncing off walls because, you know, the responsibility is the thing that gets you.

[460] It's like, you know, when soon you get responsibility starts, the mental fatigue of responsibility weighs on your life, which probably makes you feel worse than the food you eat, so.

[461] Yeah, a lot of it is probably placebo.

[462] Like, I feel naughty.

[463] so then I feel naughty afterwards.

[464] Yeah.

[465] I'm curious, so let me just start with a couple things.

[466] I don't follow sports all that much, but I follow the Patriots.

[467] Yeah.

[468] I fucking love you.

[469] I talk about you so frequently.

[470] It would scare you how often you come up.

[471] Thank you.

[472] It's not just the skill level on the field, which is unbelievable.

[473] But again, seeing you in real life, I find it absolutely perplexing that had you not chosen football, you could have probably been a super model.

[474] Right, Monica?

[475] For sure, yeah.

[476] It's, it's, it's, it's, it's unfair.

[477] You're so good looking, and I just find that to be so curious in the same way that I think it's interesting that like Kobe and Michael Jordan are also gorgeous.

[478] Like, that's a lot of good fortune.

[479] Yeah, definitely a lot of good fortune.

[480] Thank you.

[481] I don't know what to say, man. You got me freaking speechless.

[482] Yeah.

[483] Yeah, I'm going to get you on the run today.

[484] You are.

[485] But there's a real question behind that is confident.

[486] Have you?

[487] Well, yes.

[488] Yeah.

[489] But what I was going to say is, is you look at some of these, like, really, Joe Montana, that was your guy, right?

[490] You love Joe Montana.

[491] It's suspicious that some of these greats were also, like, really good looking.

[492] And I feel like it has to play some role.

[493] Does it play a role in the confidence?

[494] I think even in that movie Moneyball, those guys sitting around the room, they're talking about, well, he's a beautiful kid.

[495] Let's get him.

[496] He's confident.

[497] Like, that's been a part of the rationale, hasn't it?

[498] Yeah, a little bit.

[499] I mean, I think that over time for me, I've tried to improve my habits, you know?

[500] And I think that's helped with maintaining, you know, healthy body, physique, you know, skin, lung, you know, organ, everything, you know, and I think if you just want to, I always say like, you know, it's one body we have, and you either have a fundamental belief that you believe what you put into your body matters or it doesn't matter.

[501] And if it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.

[502] So, you know, that's a choice people make.

[503] If you believe that it does matter, then you got to believe that the more good things you do, the better, you know.

[504] And I think for me, when I would think about it when I was a kid, you know, I would never have developed into the athlete that I am, let's say, at 43 years old today, had I not made substantial changes and differences in how I approached, you know, my life, eating, sleeping.

[505] You know, I would drink when I was in college three nights a week and then go play sports and then, you know, wonder why you didn't have great gains in the weight room or didn't have great gains on the field.

[506] And then all of a sudden I said, try and some little bit different, maybe drink a little less.

[507] Okay, great.

[508] And then it was like, drink a little less, sleep a little more.

[509] And then it was like, okay, do that.

[510] And then work out a little bit.

[511] Oh, let me just change my diet a little bit.

[512] Okay, great.

[513] Let's start adding electrolytes to what I'm doing.

[514] Oh, let me try some supplements, some vitamin D, some vitamin C. And then it wasn't like everything at one time.

[515] It's just, but if I look at my 18 -year -old body, I actually posted a picture on my Instagram, 2001 of me. And I look at myself and I look like a different person, you know, And it's a 20 years time has changed.

[516] A lot has changed.

[517] But I look from this kid that I was, which was underdeveloped, you know, poor diet, you know, poor hydration.

[518] And then now it's like I think about those things.

[519] They're really a purposeful part of my day.

[520] I prioritize my health because, you know, my health has been important to my career, you know.

[521] And it's important your career.

[522] It's not like, hey, I have a job, but also I train.

[523] It's like this is my job.

[524] Yeah.

[525] I'm very fortunate to be able to dedicate the time and energy to it.

[526] But I've seen the transformation it's made.

[527] And then now my hope is like, I wish everyone would be able to experience what it feels like to not, you know, be in pain every day, to not be overcoming something at all times.

[528] Yeah, for sure.

[529] And it's just, because it's quality of life, you know, we have all these lives and we have one life.

[530] And, you know, I have guys have started playing with me when they, when they know, same age.

[531] I got coaches that are younger than me, you know, that are on the field.

[532] I look at them and they don't move well, you know, and it's like, I'm sitting here playing a really demanding sport and there's a lot of discipline that goes into making those decisions that allow that to happen.

[533] But what I want to represent as I move forward is like, hey, guys, I was the typical kid actually.

[534] I wasn't like born like Michael Jordan.

[535] I wasn't born with like LeBron.

[536] Like LeBron, I admire more than, I mean, I love LeBron.

[537] But like, you know, he's also a phenom out of the, you know, Tiger Woods.

[538] And, you know, some of these phenoms are, you know, they have incredible talents, let's say Michael Jackson, you know, you think of some of these that you saw when they were kids.

[539] And then I see myself as a kid.

[540] I'm like, damn, I was nothing like those people.

[541] You know, I was like this.

[542] If you saw me, you would never say, oh, yeah, Tom's going to be playing 21 years in the NFL.

[543] So I'm actually feeling like, you know, I can teach people, guys, if you're willing to commit and have some discipline, you know, make a commitment to your health, you can achieve some really great things.

[544] That's a really great point because I even had it in my own life, right, where I had an idea of what I was genetically.

[545] right?

[546] And then I'm looking at my lineage, right?

[547] And most shepherds are, I don't know, 70 to 80 pounds overweight.

[548] You know, I come by it honestly.

[549] And then in my mind, I was someone who, well, I'll never have a six -pack.

[550] I'm not one of those guys.

[551] I saw those guys in the locker rooms, blah, blah, blah.

[552] And then I did one movie where I decided I'm going to hire a trainer.

[553] I'm going to do the diet.

[554] And then all of a sudden I was like, oh, I was just telling myself that stuff.

[555] You know, and that's not to say everyone has the potential to do anything.

[556] But I'll just say from my own experience, I had a potential much greater than I ever was assuming I did.

[557] And there's some weird confidence builder in that where you go, oh, well, maybe I should question every limit I've put on myself, right?

[558] That all these things I think I wasn't predisposed to be, I should challenge.

[559] Yeah.

[560] Yeah.

[561] And I think, you know, being naive allowed me to accomplish a lot of things.

[562] Like when people said, oh, you're going to go to college and play football and recruited, I was like, fucking course I am.

[563] Like, what do you think?

[564] I had my counselor in high school that was like, are you crazy?

[565] Like, no, we're applying for schools.

[566] I was like, applying.

[567] I don't need to apply.

[568] I'm going to play.

[569] I'm playing college football.

[570] Yeah.

[571] Backup plan.

[572] What are you talking about?

[573] Like, okay, you mean backup team if I don't get to play for the team I want?

[574] I know, exactly.

[575] And then when I was drafted by the Patriots, it was the same thing that was like, I'm going to play pro football.

[576] Like, what are these people talking about?

[577] And then when I got to the Patriots, it was like, of course I'm going to be the starting quarterback, you know, here at some point.

[578] Like, what are you guys, you're tripped?

[579] And, like, of course I see it.

[580] And then I look back and I'm like, I mean, the odds to overcome all those things.

[581] You're so right.

[582] Naivete is a gift.

[583] I am curious, though.

[584] A couple of things were surprising to me today.

[585] As just someone who's just been in love with you physically, I wouldn't have guessed.

[586] I wouldn't have known that you got selected 199th in the draft.

[587] Would you have thought that, Monica?

[588] No. Like sixth round, 199th pick.

[589] Yeah.

[590] ends up being the greatest quarterback of all time.

[591] It's so fucking cool.

[592] I'm almost preferred that that's your story, right?

[593] Yeah.

[594] You know, I've done it for so long.

[595] So, like, I'm playing with it, like, one of my teammates said the other day to me. He's like, bro, when you won the Super Bowl the first time, I was 14, you know.

[596] He said, I was in fourth grade.

[597] Oh, geez.

[598] And I sit here and think, wow, because, you know, I have so many of these people that see me now and think, oh, man, that's like Tom Brady.

[599] He's like, I'm 18.

[600] He was already a Super Bowl.

[601] chint when I was born, you know.

[602] And I'm sitting here thinking, God damn, it's, there's been a long, hard road.

[603] That hard road is part of my, you know, whether it's a chip on my shoulder, whether it's to think about the things that have motivated you to say, fuck it, I'm going to keep going another day.

[604] I'm not going to stop.

[605] And I'm going to build on this.

[606] And I'm going to be better than next time.

[607] And, you know, people would look at me and be like, what are you talking about?

[608] Like you're, you're there.

[609] You're there.

[610] But they never saw the pre.

[611] 22 years of my life where that wasn't the case.

[612] And then those 22 years shaped me into who I was at 23.

[613] And then, okay, how can I build on being a little bit better every day, a little bit better, a little bit better.

[614] Because, you know, when you make the changes in your life or you, they don't happen necessarily cold turkey overnight.

[615] You know, it's like, yeah, making things better or worse is sometimes momentarily, you know?

[616] Yeah, yeah, baby steps, incremental change.

[617] We've had a bunch of different experts on here to talk about the process of change and how, yeah, it's like, it's like, it's.

[618] just really tiny stuff and it's tying it to stuff maybe that you already do and all there's all these hacks right it seems intimidating on the surface just to go like fuck i'm never going to be tom brady and it's like well guess what tom brady didn't become tom brady in an afternoon either yeah you know for sure and i think all tom brady as i speak about myself in the third first i'll do it with you yeah i think when yeah i think about that it's been like just steady progress progress over perfection you know know it's like we weren't born like that you know yeah let's make it a little better every day whether that's whatever it is it's you know if you're aware of it then you can focus on it and if you're aware of and you can focus you can prioritize and if you can prioritize and be disciplined you can achieve really great results now if you don't care and you just you know fuck it i'll wake up do whatever i want to do it be impulsive say oh i'm this or that i want to do this or that you know and a lot of us live you know i live like that at one point and then i found something that worked better and then i just tried to repeat that and it's worked out well we're I like about you a lot is you're not standing anywhere with a megaphone saying be like me. I think what you've done with your book and every time I've seen you interviewed, it's like, hey, I can just tell you what I'm about that may inspire you or not.

[619] I'm not, I have no program that humans should be on.

[620] I'm not saying, yeah, and I've dug that about your kind of messaging.

[621] I think it's just maximizing your potential.

[622] Some people are interested in that and some people are and that's totally fine as well.

[623] Yeah, for sure.

[624] And we all have choices.

[625] It's our life.

[626] And, you know, but your potential could be whatever it is.

[627] And everyone gets that choice.

[628] And, you know, I think you've got to be able to have people help you.

[629] You know, no one can do it alone.

[630] It's great to have supportive family, friends, mentors to help you say, hey, man, you're struggle a little bit.

[631] Let me help you out.

[632] You know, or let me give you a shortcut.

[633] And then how great in the world of technology that we can listen to shows like yours to say, man, you got this really cool person on.

[634] What can I take?

[635] What can I learn?

[636] And we're such in a world of information.

[637] Hopefully, you know, we can.

[638] and hack some of these things, you know, that before we couldn't, 15 years ago, we couldn't because we couldn't show this type of information.

[639] So you must have watched Last Dance.

[640] Did you watch Last Dance?

[641] Yeah, I loved it.

[642] It was amazing.

[643] I mean, what a ride, huh?

[644] He's so fucking impressive in so many ways.

[645] We got to talk to Bill Gates the other day, and I asked him if he watched it, and he did, and he loved it.

[646] And I was like, could you relate?

[647] I mean, there's only a handful of people currently alive that can kind of relate to him.

[648] Bill Gates being one of them, you being one of them.

[649] Did you feel a kinship with his kind of drive and his dedication?

[650] Yeah, you know, I think it's, there's a lot of similar feelings, emotions that he went through that I've gone through at one point or another, you know, and I think there's so many, you know, being in locker rooms and road trips and wins and losses.

[651] And I think the thing about sports, you know, is like we're not acting, you know, this is our real life.

[652] This is a real Tom Brady on the field, my real emotion.

[653] I'm not playing a role.

[654] I'm playing myself.

[655] Well, you can't even hide it.

[656] There's a thousand cameras pointed at you.

[657] We're going to see whatever that experience is for you.

[658] Yeah.

[659] And I think that, like, I think that's a little different.

[660] You know, like if you look at, you know, someone like Michael Jordan, it was the same thing for Michael.

[661] And I think what you saw in that documentary was, wow, that's really him.

[662] Like, that's what we saw.

[663] That's really Michael.

[664] You know, I don't know how anyone can't be a Michael Jordan fan.

[665] I'm a huge Michael Jordan fan just because how he approached his life.

[666] And he was someone I always looked up to had all his posters in my room.

[667] And you could make him feel old.

[668] You could tell him you had a poster when you were eight, I'm sure.

[669] You could return the favor.

[670] I think I had a Spike Lee one where he was holding Spike Lee.

[671] Oh, Spike Lee's head.

[672] That was pretty sweet.

[673] So, yeah.

[674] So there's a moment in Last Dance where we kind of learn, and maybe it was conveniently constructed for the sake of storytelling, but I don't think so.

[675] I think the dynamic of him having the older brother that was better than him, and then having a father whose affection he wanted tremendously and rightly or wrongly identifying that If he could beat that brother, he could win that dad's attention.

[676] That seems to be the chip on his shoulder that drove him so successfully.

[677] What's the chip on your shoulder?

[678] Do you know?

[679] Have you thought much about it?

[680] I think there's always been doubt around what I could achieve.

[681] And I think that's what it was.

[682] There's always heard the people say, he'll never do that.

[683] He'll never be the starting quarterback in high school by senior year.

[684] And he'll never go to a real good Division I school and play football.

[685] He should just stick around and play, you know, at a local school.

[686] And then he'll never be a pro quarterback, you know, certainly never be a starting quarterback.

[687] I'd say I'm very into, I'm motivated.

[688] I have a real strong fire that burns based on me, never wanting to let myself down.

[689] You know, giving less than my best effort is probably a real, a hard thing for me. I have a, you know, my 10 -year -old son is very hard on himself.

[690] And I'm trying to tell him, like, bro, this is not the path you want to go down.

[691] Like let's just breathe a little bit and like you know I remember like crying about being stressed out about something in fifth grade and that is born that's not yeah just you genetically you're kind of wired that way right you're just wired to have like this part of me that was like I didn't want to be less than my best if I thought I should have won I was going to win if I thought I was going to now there's some things that I didn't have a lot of interest in I was not very good student I tried just hard enough but no interest you know I just didn't feel like, you know, school was the highest priority.

[692] A good use of your time.

[693] It certainly wasn't, to be honest.

[694] So I went to college and people like, what do you major?

[695] And I'm like, fucking football, man. I was there to play football.

[696] I got a, you know, three, two, you know, three two GPA or three three GPA.

[697] But I didn't, you know, like I wasn't going there to like, hey, what is my career going to be?

[698] My career was going to be.

[699] What degree did you even pick up?

[700] So that's a, it was called general studies.

[701] Oh, geez.

[702] It was basically so I could pick the classes I wanted to go to, and it didn't require a degree in general studies.

[703] I remember in my college, I took one class that was like Dance 101, and it wasn't dancing.

[704] You just sat in a class, and they taught you about dance, and all of the football players were in that class because it was so clearly just like, this is where you'll get your passing grade, and you go ahead and take that.

[705] They've got to keep us eligible.

[706] You know that?

[707] Yeah, exactly.

[708] I know, Dax.

[709] I know you went to UCLA.

[710] I love UCLA.

[711] That was a great school.

[712] Oh, me, me too.

[713] My niece is there now.

[714] My niece is a, is a softball player.

[715] Oh, no kidding.

[716] She was the freshman of the year last year in the Pack 10.

[717] No shit.

[718] They're a little stud, so I love UCLA, man. Before everything shut down, I was out there for a game, and it's, it was sweet.

[719] But back to, when the people were saying he's not going to, or you're fooling yourself, what were they hanging that argument on?

[720] Were they saying, was it was a size thing?

[721] Was it a natural talent thing?

[722] What did they, what were the critiques?

[723] No, I think it was probably just natural talent.

[724] Like, you know, there were other kids that were always bigger, always faster, you know, always stronger.

[725] You know, I was always kind of right there, but they were always more potential, more potential.

[726] And even I really faced that every step of the way.

[727] Like even when I got to, you know, college, it was like there were other kids with more potential, you know, and then I got to the pros and it was other kids with more potential.

[728] And it's just you think, okay, well, why didn't they make?

[729] make it.

[730] You know, why didn't, why was I the one that made it other than I would say people probably misvalue things.

[731] They put value on things that probably don't matter.

[732] And there's the other things that they should value more that probably they don't.

[733] You know, there's a lot of those stories.

[734] Yeah, we just had an expert on Angela Duckworth.

[735] Her work is all on grit.

[736] She's a professor at Penn. And yeah, if you want to measure something in the students that's going to predict their achievement, And it is not intelligence.

[737] It's not all these things we would think.

[738] It is grit more than any other thing.

[739] And I find that to be so true in acting and any damn thing.

[740] It's like, yeah, grit, man, that's 80 % of it half the time.

[741] Because think about it too.

[742] It's like the smartest kid, this, you know, it's like, what are they learning through whatever, the beginning of the competitive part of life to a working career?

[743] And you think of kids are really smart, okay, or people who could process really quickly.

[744] or who were great athletes.

[745] And in the end, what did those skills that they develop over time that were sustainable?

[746] And I think for me, what did I learn?

[747] I learned that if I was going to achieve anything, it was going to be through a really hard work, that I was always behind everybody, so I always felt like I had to work twice as hard.

[748] I was always looking at people that were better at me, so I had to observe what made them better than me. Yeah.

[749] And I think when all of the other things are stripped away, like I would say a natural talent, You know, whatever it is, something that God really blessed you with, then what's left?

[750] You know, and if you haven't developed those other traits, then when you do face adversities, they become adversities.

[751] They don't become another opportunity for you to overcome something like you did, basically your whole life.

[752] So when I got to professional sports, I had really worked hard and competed every day.

[753] So by the time I got to a professional level, I was like, you want to compete, let's go.

[754] You want to complete?

[755] Let's roll.

[756] I know how to compete.

[757] You know, other guys who never had to compete because they were always the best in high school and they were always the best in pros.

[758] Now they're like sitting here going, what do you mean compete?

[759] I never even learned.

[760] I just was the best.

[761] I was thinking about that.

[762] When I was trying to imagine like your life and particularly the way you've approached it and I want to talk about it, but you know, your commitment to diet, all these things.

[763] I mean, you are working this job of yours, you know, 24 -7.

[764] It's very admirable.

[765] And I imagine exactly that.

[766] I was thinking over your 21 years, you must have seen so many people arrive in that locker room who were just phenoms, right?

[767] They're Bo Jackson.

[768] They have some physical prowess.

[769] That's just crazy.

[770] And you must have observed so many people that could have just been absolutely legendary that just didn't do it.

[771] Yeah.

[772] It must be kind of heartbreaking.

[773] There's parts that I see and I try to tell them and I'll say more recently, like I'll say, hey, how great do you want to be?

[774] How great do you want to be?

[775] And they'll be like, what do you mean?

[776] Like, I'm like, no, I know you're great.

[777] I know you're great.

[778] But like, how great do you really want to be?

[779] Because I think you could be better than anybody.

[780] And they're like, huh, you know?

[781] Yeah, most people probably, right, they set their sights on something that has existed.

[782] So it's like if they're a wide receiver, if they end up as good as whatever wide receiver that's in their mind, then they've accomplished it.

[783] But someone like you, I mean, just on paper, it's in argument.

[784] You know, you've won more Super Bowls than anyone.

[785] You've been there more times.

[786] You've won more games.

[787] You just all these things.

[788] Stop, stop, please.

[789] Oh, I got a whole list I wrote down if you want to hear it.

[790] It's fucking, by the way, your Wikipedia.

[791] Oh, my God.

[792] Your Wikipedia pages way too long.

[793] You need to get somebody to, I know it's 35 pages long.

[794] That's right.

[795] Just exit out.

[796] But, yeah, for Super Bowl MVP's.

[797] If your goal was only to have been as good as Joe Montana or someone else, then we wouldn't have learned the limit.

[798] of what someone could be, you know, if your war seems to have been with yourself, which I think is the best war you can have.

[799] As long as you're better than the guy from last year, you're on the right path.

[800] So, yeah, you don't even know what's possible.

[801] And I didn't learn these things over, you know, over time, because you don't have a lot of these thoughts, you know, when you're 20 or 25 or 30.

[802] But, you know, you have kids and you start thinking more, you have a little more perspective, and you're a little wiser, and you've told a lot of stories over the years, and you think, what's really going to stick?

[803] And I said, my kids the other day, I said, is it most important to do your best or is it more important to do the best what's going to be more fulfilling for you in your life to do your best or do the best that's an interesting question and we're so you know we're so conditioned to do the best to do the best and the reality is is doing your best and not being attached to the best is going to allow you to you know have probably more whatever it could be emotional stability or you know you become attached to being better than your brother or being better than this other person and it's there's inherent letdowns on all those things, which maybe they're okay because you're going to help you grow and toughen up a little bit too.

[804] But you're right, there's built -in limits.

[805] It's a finite goal.

[806] If the goal is to be as good as someone else or marginally better, then that's, it's finite.

[807] Yeah.

[808] As opposed to if I'm bettering myself, who knows where this goes.

[809] Yeah.

[810] And we focused on achieving, you know, a little more each day, you know?

[811] And again, it's just, I encourage a lot of people to like set some goals, man, like set some real goals.

[812] Yeah, write them on fucking paper.

[813] pick up a pen and then give them to your friend or give them to your wife and say look just check me on these yeah inviting people to make you accountable i think is really powerful and that's part of every aspect of you know self -improvement is being have a self -awareness hey what do i need to do a better job but a in my career be my personal life hey how do i need to do to help my you know friends help my kids help my wife and then just every day it's just you try to do a little bit better if you ever need help helping your wife You have my number now.

[814] Just, I'm at your disposal to help your wife anytime she needs help.

[815] You are so sweet.

[816] Thank you.

[817] Thank you for noticing.

[818] I am very benevolent.

[819] You know, this wasn't a question I had thought of earlier, but now that I'm talking to you, I was watching a documentary about either Tiger Woods or John Daly.

[820] I imagine you know both those guys.

[821] And there's this really, really profound conversation they had where they had just finished a tournament.

[822] And John Daly said to Tiger Woods, hey, come have a drink with him.

[823] us and Tiger Woods said if I had your skill I would go have a drink with you but I don't so I got to go back out and practice now that I remember it was John Daly telling the story and and you could tell he took pride in that as you should Tiger Woods is telling you that you're naturally better but it's a very heartbreaking story at the same time because you look at the difference in their career so I was wondering in that same vein was there anybody that you were actually envious of with your job that you were like, fuck, if I had what they had, coupled with what I'm willing to bring to it, this could be something.

[824] Can you remember a player that you were envious of?

[825] Professional football.

[826] I mean, there's been so many over the years.

[827] I mean, if I look at like some guys who physically obviously have a lot more ability, you know, they're faster, they're bigger, they can run, they can, you know, I think there's some things that I've learned to do probably better over time, you know, because I've been at working hard at it for a long time.

[828] but, you know, my fifth year in the league, I was no, you know, freak of nature.

[829] Right.

[830] But I look at some guys who maybe were great physically, you know, run a 4, 6, 40.

[831] Like, I'll joke all the time.

[832] I'll see a guy run like a 4 -740, which is pretty fast.

[833] I would say, like, the average NFL quarterback probably runs, you know, a 4 -8, 4 -9.

[834] The fast guys run like 4 -7.

[835] The slow guys run like 5 flat and over.

[836] I ran a 5 -3.

[837] I was slow as shit.

[838] I was the slowest person on the field.

[839] I couldn't out run a 3.

[840] 150 pound defensive lineman.

[841] So every time I got the ball in my hands, like a hot potato.

[842] I'm like, where does someone at?

[843] I got to throw this thing, you know?

[844] Because I'm going to get killed if I'm holding this thing.

[845] So, you know, I look at these.

[846] The ref was going to outrun me. Yeah, exactly.

[847] So, you know, I'm sitting here thinking, God, if I could run a 4 -7, football would be so easy.

[848] I mean, how easy would this sport be if I could run away from people.

[849] And again, that could be a limit you could have given yourself.

[850] Well, I just won't be that because I don't have that.

[851] This is such a side note.

[852] But one of the refs, again, I don't watch a ton of football, one of the refs appears to be about 65 in his fucking jacked.

[853] Do you know what I'm talking about?

[854] Yeah, he's retired now.

[855] What's that guy's?

[856] Oh, he is.

[857] His name's Ed Hoculey, yeah.

[858] I knew you would know.

[859] Yeah, he was jacked.

[860] Monica, this guy looked like Lou Ferrigal.

[861] I lived for when he would get on that mic and talk because his biceps would be bouncing around like they're going to fall.

[862] And I'm like, what's this guy doing?

[863] I know.

[864] He took a lot of pride.

[865] He was a very healthy guy.

[866] And a great ref. And a great ref. That was his thing.

[867] Another thing I just thought of that was related to last chance.

[868] Oh, yes, last chance.

[869] So there's a moment in last chance.

[870] I wonder if you had this thought.

[871] Monica and I were watching it together.

[872] Last chance or last chance too?

[873] Thanks, Monica.

[874] Appreciate that.

[875] Yeah.

[876] Out of girl.

[877] Okay, so last dance.

[878] There is a moment where Michael makes a shot while playing for the tar heels.

[879] And it's a buzzer beater to win the whole shebang.

[880] And you watch that shot.

[881] And maybe I'm making too much.

[882] much of it.

[883] But I said to myself, man, he makes that shot.

[884] And for the rest of his life, he can make that shot.

[885] He doesn't make that shot.

[886] And he probably can never make that shot.

[887] And you're such a clutch player.

[888] I mean, there's nothing more thrilling than watching you guys be down.

[889] And I'm watching the clock and I'm like, I would be in a full -fledged panic attack.

[890] And you seem to shine the brightest in those moments.

[891] And I wonder, was there a moment that defined you as a clutch player?

[892] Did something happen early on that told you you have that gear?

[893] I would say somebody was confidence, you know, like at a younger age in sports and I was a pretty good baseball player.

[894] And we would play in big games in baseball.

[895] I would do a pretty good job.

[896] And I was really prepared.

[897] Then football came.

[898] And in college, I had some real great comebacks.

[899] Uh -huh.

[900] I had it.

[901] My college was really challenging.

[902] You know, I was a long ways from home.

[903] I was, you know, there was less support for me than there were for a lot of other competitors.

[904] And I really was.

[905] felt at different times, I was kind of there on an island.

[906] And I had to learn to dig deep or would it, or would it have broken me?

[907] And because I really found a way to dig deep and I had a few great mentors there, Greg Harden was our team psychologist who I think the world of.

[908] And then another good friend of mine who's a head coach of Bowling Green, Scott Leffler, who was a, you know, kind of a friend quarterback coach.

[909] But those two in particular were like, I see it in you.

[910] I see it in you.

[911] Now, when I didn't necessarily see it in myself, and they gave me some tools.

[912] try this look at things this way not that way look at it this is an opportunity this isn't this not a negative this is an opportunity take advantage of it you know and i was just again it worked out so when it worked out i was like fuck more of that yeah i would see gregg as our psychologist twice a week you know and how do i get my in more of a frame of mind you know and then it was how to work a little more why i tried that different technique throwing the ball all right what else can i tinker with and i think the ability to learn through high school college then get to the professional level, I went to the Patriots, the first year coach Belichick was there.

[913] And like, there's no better person to help teach you quarterbacking than Bill Belichick, you know.

[914] And there's just all these things at one time.

[915] I'm sitting and I look on my life and I go, there was so many things that broke my way, you know, that how lucky am I to have these people come into my life at these moments where I was ready and open to accept.

[916] And then they appeared.

[917] And then it was like, it's still that way.

[918] You know, It's like, when I think something's going to happen, it happens.

[919] And I don't know what the collective forces of, you know, coming together.

[920] I don't think I even thought of that until you just said it.

[921] And it's so goddamn obvious.

[922] But sorry, I just said, goddamn.

[923] It's so damn obvious.

[924] Well, I like to respect you.

[925] Yeah, yeah.

[926] No, no, no. But you're religious, I think.

[927] So I just, I don't, I didn't mean to take God's name and pain in front of you all do it not when you're not around.

[928] And yeah, Belichick, the fact that you two get to be.

[929] a team like that is pretty incredible yeah at the same time you know like he's young motivated had already a coaching stint learned from his previous stint as a coach where he got fired and then was just came in and he was ready and he wanted to prove to everybody and he was going to work as hard as possible i was ready i was ready to prove to everybody you know there was a lot of other guys in our team that were ready and you know it's just like you know everything lined up perfect storm of a lot of different events over long periods of time that all broke a certain way.

[930] And yeah, if I would have missed out on one of those opportunities, you know, that would have been really hard for me because that's a kind of person that is inside of me. You know, if I screw it up, then I don't feel like I may ever deserve another one.

[931] Well, you're going to kick your own ass.

[932] We learned that about you.

[933] You love to give yourself a nice lashing, I'm sure.

[934] Yeah.

[935] That's a good motivator.

[936] We have a real quick question because you just talked about religion and just reminded me. You grew up religious?

[937] Catholic.

[938] Catholic, yeah.

[939] So I wonder if those principles are folded into who you are and this being hard on yourself, having high values, perfection.

[940] It probably all ties together, right, in some way?

[941] Yeah, it could be from that.

[942] And certainly, you know, again, I think for me growing up, the support at home, like I think my motivator was never to let anybody down, you know.

[943] And I think in my career, like, you know, I've been in the same place for a long time, you know, in, let's say in Boston, like, you know, people weren't getting fired every year there, you know, because I was doing my job.

[944] And I didn't ever want to be the reason why we lost games.

[945] I didn't ever want to be a reason why something caused other people pain, you know, and that's probably a lot like my mom, truthfully, my mom takes on everybody, sure like a lot of moms out there, it takes on everybody's pain, everybody's strived, everybody's heartache, she's just always the one taking it.

[946] You know, and some people could take it and like, she's gone.

[947] You know, she takes it.

[948] You know, it and lives it.

[949] And I said, there's a part of my mom that I'm probably more like her where I take that on and I just want peace.

[950] I was just going to add that among these weird variables, as you were talking, I'm thinking you're uniquely coachable, right?

[951] You're uniquely open to seeing the team psychologists and listening to the one coach.

[952] And I was thinking, I have to imagine you benefited from having three older sisters is like generic as that is to say.

[953] Like women, there's nothing, but I teach my daughter how to ride a motorcycle.

[954] She can get in five seconds because she listens to me. she's not like me who's got a fucking so much to prove i know everything you can't teach me anything i think maybe you just growing up with older sisters too made you more available to to that kind of instruction yeah and you know i think you're you're growing up with with three sisters you're receptive to you know what's going on to the house and you're probably a bit more intuitive emotionally you know because i'd say my sisters like to talk about a lot of things and you know i didn't have a lot of bros in the house you know i had my friends but you know really i was like my sisters would dress me up in their dress it you know they were I was like I was just a tag along you know I was just a tag along kids so it's now my dad like he would try to get me hey you know let's go play golf let's go and I love sports so there's a great connection there but I think I had the benefit of both those things right three sisters at all I had definitely have athletic genes in my body but then being around these fields and competition sports and wanting to win and I would I mean I'd say another intangible that let's say wasn't speed or or size or strength was very competitive.

[955] Like, I was a kid, man, I had a remote control and Nintendo.

[956] And if I lost, that remote got slammed on the floor 50 times, you know, and I mean, it would be blowing up.

[957] And I'd be like, my sisters would be like, what is wrong with you?

[958] And I just, I'd be a rage of losing.

[959] That freaky chemical testosterone.

[960] That's right.

[961] So foreign to them.

[962] It was.

[963] And you just, it's exploded.

[964] You know, that still is the case.

[965] I mean, that's all good, good.

[966] And then all sudden, I just get so.

[967] fucking mad you know and it's just you know that's part of my personality you know i read a lot of biographies of ex titans of industry i'm kind of obsessed with like cornelius vanderbilt and rockefeller and all these people yeah and what they all shared in common was they construct this life that they really end up loving and then quickly transitions to longevity they all became obsessed with like how to live really long because they you know they had done what they wanted and they created a world they loved being in.

[968] And I'm wondering, what is it like for you?

[969] You must have an interesting relationship with time, knowing that this thing you've dedicated your whole life to has a shelf life and that'll end and that you're already technically kind of in borrowed time.

[970] Are you the oldest player in the league?

[971] I think so.

[972] I think I am.

[973] That's so wild, isn't it?

[974] I think I am.

[975] I'd like to have revert as most experienced.

[976] Yeah, I like that.

[977] Okay.

[978] But yes, I know what you mean.

[979] Okay.

[980] So I think you might be the most experienced player in the league right now.

[981] That's way better.

[982] Were you always aware of it?

[983] Did you lose sight of it?

[984] Like, how conscious have you been of the time clock that's on your life?

[985] Yeah, I felt that naturally in sports, you're reminded of it all the time, you know, because it's every year, it's the new crop of kids and the draft and this and, you know, and you're like, when's this guy going to be finished, you know?

[986] And I think, you know, emotionally it's a different thing because I would say football, was my first love.

[987] And I started when I played, you know, on the street in my neighborhood with my friends on Portola Drive and St. Mateo.

[988] And that's where my happiest moments are.

[989] You know, outside of, I'd say my kids, you know, being with my family, being on the football field is pure joy.

[990] In the moment, living my very highest and best calling, you know, just literally like in the zone.

[991] You're born to do it.

[992] This is what you're born to do.

[993] I'm on the field the other day.

[994] And I'm like, I just fucking love football.

[995] I don't know what it is.

[996] I just love it.

[997] And, you know, unfortunately for a lot of guys, they love it too.

[998] Some are physically not gifted enough to play.

[999] Some are physically gifted and something tragic happens.

[1000] Personally, you know, it could be with them, could be some of their fans.

[1001] They'll get the opportunity.

[1002] And some have great potential and then two years in, injured, you know.

[1003] And I think I got to a point in about, as I started to improve all those different things I talked about through college, take some more different supplements, little more hydrated, you know, start to take care of my body.

[1004] Then I started thinking about, wow, I'm feeling better now, let's say at age 27, 28 than I did when I was 23.

[1005] Like, wow, that's really good.

[1006] And by the way, I'd know a lot more now.

[1007] And then I was 31 and I'm like, this is getting easier physically, not harder.

[1008] My brain is learning more.

[1009] Just like everyone in their career, what you do, you're going to get better at, right?

[1010] What you put your mind, with your time and energy and you're going to improve in, good or bad.

[1011] And I started to think at that point, why am I going to stop playing?

[1012] Why would I stop?

[1013] Because everyone would stop and they definitely don't enjoy playing sports and football if you're hurting.

[1014] And if you're in pain, you're not going to play.

[1015] It's too hard.

[1016] It's too much to overcome.

[1017] So most guys, they just get to the point where their body hurts too much.

[1018] Every day in practice are like, I can't do it.

[1019] And for me, you know, I did something different.

[1020] I took a different path.

[1021] And that path of learning brought me to a guy who's my best friend.

[1022] I still work with them every day.

[1023] My business partner, Alex Guerrero.

[1024] And it's like, we created this thing that I said, I really want to share.

[1025] We talk about maximizing potential and everyone's going to have that.

[1026] He taught me so much.

[1027] And the way that we've worked together has, you know, I have perspective.

[1028] I look at what everyone else is doing.

[1029] I'm in a locker room with every guy for 20 years.

[1030] I look at everything they're doing, everything they're taking, the way they eat, the way they talk about their body.

[1031] And I'm just constantly going, okay, that doesn't work.

[1032] That doesn't.

[1033] Oh, he's on to something.

[1034] that doesn't work and then you incorporate them in your routine and then you get to go prove it so what am i doing at 43 i'm still doing what i love to do so i have a bunch of sports endeavors they're all motorsports related and i just recently had a bad accident at the motorcycle track a week and a half ago i'm supposed to be wearing a sling i just had surgery i'm always i'm trying to figure out and it's hard i'm like you know when do i not have the the skill set anymore when is my age going to when am I going to have to confront that this is no longer for me and by the way it scares the shit out of me to imagine not doing it it's like one of the greatest sources of joy in my life so have you felt any decline or how do you monitor that in yourself yeah I think yes and no I think I definitely feel like I have to work really hard at the recovery part of the sport so it's not just like the physical training to prepare for it it's the preparation for the performance the performance, the recovery of the performance.

[1035] And a lot of people have not traditionally prioritized that part, right?

[1036] That's kind of a new movement to really be aware of the recovery aspect of all this.

[1037] Yeah, because, you know, inherently we're taught that hard work is going to get you that everywhere you want to go.

[1038] So if I can work out once a day, if I work out twice a day, I'll be better.

[1039] And my view of that is if you're working hard at the wrong things, you're getting better at getting worse.

[1040] You know, so if you're working hard at the right things, you know, what to do, you have the right routine, the right process, you work hard at those things, you're going to see significant improvement.

[1041] You know, I could go out there and practice football plays.

[1042] If they're all shitty football plays, I could run them five times, you know, I could run straight through a script and do it again and again, and then go out and play a game.

[1043] And you know what?

[1044] They're still bad plays.

[1045] So yeah, if you run a good routine, you have a good process, then I think you see the benefit.

[1046] And if you see the benefit, then you're going to experience like, again, that's closer to your goal setting or what your priorities are what you want to be i want to be a better dad i want to play with my kids i want to play golf on the weekends i want to ride my motorbike i still want to have good instincts on the motorbike i still want to be able to have you know great instincts on the bike and then absorb taking a different fall or a hit or i want to go skiing and not have my knees hurt i want to go skiing ski like i did and i think all those things because being active is you know for me that's a very important part of my life you know it's like i'm active every day i just got of like kind of like a kid like I just got to burn some energy yeah if I don't then you know I just feel like agitated all day and then that's kind of my irritable yeah there's a there's a high and you know about training and working out and then the fulfillment of okay I achieve something that you know I wanted to go train hard I did how do I recover for the next day and then do it again yeah and do it again and do it again and do it again and practice I didn't get good at it I keep waiting for you to compliment me on how good I look in this sure you do look good because it is it is your shirt.

[1047] I'm wearing your shirt.

[1048] You like it?

[1049] It is your shirt.

[1050] Yes, I love it.

[1051] It's so comfy.

[1052] And I'm a tall, lean guy with broad shoulders, not like yours, but not unlike yours.

[1053] And I got to say, it fits me like a glove.

[1054] You look pretty good, man. I love it.

[1055] TB12, that's a line you have now.

[1056] Alex and I basically have been working together since 2005 when I couldn't really throw the football.

[1057] You know, I love to be like you.

[1058] You know, your voice doesn't work.

[1059] You know, for me to be a quarterback, my arm doesn't work.

[1060] I'm not going to have a job very long and I was basically wanted to be a great player and I knew that working hard was going to get me there and I would work out and I would train and I would lift weights because everyone says lift weights and condition and you know that's where you're going to get you know that's where you're going to be a better athlete and then it got to a point where I couldn't throw the football because my elbow would hurt all the time and really what happened was there was these muscles in my forearm got really tight you know you do curls and you curl your wrist you can feel how tight your forearm gets and then you do bicep curls because everyone's like man if you want to look good you've got have bicep curls.

[1061] So you do bicep curls for the girls.

[1062] Exactly.

[1063] Which is amazing.

[1064] And I'm sure they love it, but you won't be able to throw a football.

[1065] No, no, no. So, you know, you do your curls and you do your triceps.

[1066] And then at the end of all those things, after a period of time, all the muscles get so tight and dense, they just pull in the opposite directions.

[1067] And they pull and they pull and they pull and that little tendon is in there trying to hold on for dear life because you're putting all these forces on it from throwing, but you've got muscles that are pulling opposite directions.

[1068] So when I met Alex to a friend of mine, to a teammate of mine, he was like, it's what we're going to do.

[1069] We're going to make these really short muscles long by a lot of manual tissue work.

[1070] All these muscles in your bicep that you want, they're going to make these long.

[1071] And then we're going to make your trisome muscles long.

[1072] And there's the muscle went from being really tight to now it's really long so that when I would put forces on it, it would just, it would lightly contract as opposed to just pull the tendon apart.

[1073] I was like, that makes so much sense.

[1074] Like, there's a first time in my life that I didn't have elbow tendonitis playing football.

[1075] Well, don't you think so much of the previous science?

[1076] You even watch it, like, I even see, like, the progression and coaching, right?

[1077] Like, we interviewed Pete Carroll.

[1078] I love that, dude.

[1079] I love that he is, like, the way he communicates, the way he makes an effort to understand where the person's coming from and yelling at people and calling them assholes isn't really productive.

[1080] Like, I just, I love that.

[1081] And I think so much of sports is still mired in this kind of machismo bullshit, right?

[1082] So it's like, yeah, fucking curls, tries for the guys.

[1083] this whole thing.

[1084] There's been no scientific study to support any of this.

[1085] It's just kind of like this old -fashioned.

[1086] I think even the diet, right, the diet used to be like, you eat a goddamn tea bone and three baked potatoes before a game, son.

[1087] You really seemed open to different approaches.

[1088] Yeah.

[1089] Tell me about your diet.

[1090] So I have arthritis.

[1091] I have an autoimmune thing.

[1092] Sorry, out of arthritis.

[1093] And I've had to eat a certain way to not have inflammation.

[1094] And then a friend of mine showed me your diet.

[1095] And I was like, that's pretty close to my diet.

[1096] Tell me, how you got introduced to that and what change it's made for you.

[1097] And is it fucking hard for you like it is for me?

[1098] I find it hard.

[1099] Yeah, it's, it's, um, it's not like you can't go to the 7 -Eleven and think you're going to find all the things you're looking for.

[1100] I know that.

[1101] But, you know, I think, again, it's, for me, it was about, you know, a little progress over time.

[1102] And it started with, hey, let's cutting out some, you know, hot dogs.

[1103] And then it was like subway.

[1104] And then it was like, why don't we work toward like more proteins and veggies and then it was like okay well let's work more toward you know higher performance things and let me try some more vegan meals and when i met my wife in new york in 2007 there was a raw food restaurant which i tried that for the first time and then and then it was like okay a little less steak and then now it's like okay more vegetables and then over time what's noticed is like my taste buds change and i went yeah like all right i love subway i love subway and burger king and all the all those types of things to now it's like the thought of that is like no way no way i would just if i want to eat a good meal i'm thinking lentil soup i'm thinking you know oh wow you know hummus and in and guacamole and this guy's the dream i know i can barely even stand it shut up i know shut up i'm just telling you the way it's just unfortunately we do have no tomatoes right you don't you don't fuck with tomatoes is that true i don't like them that much so it's easy for me to kind of pass them up so but in general you do have an anti -inflammation approach is that true absolutely absolutely and i just looked at it again it for me it all relates back to football i mean in a way you know it was all because i felt like this was going to help me be a better football player and if i could be a better football player i don't want to you know i'm making all these improvements how do i get a little bit better a little bit better and i think those things led me to be in a little more discipline, which I would say I was definitely born with that.

[1105] But then also, all right, like, I can cut back on that.

[1106] I don't even fucking like it anyway.

[1107] I don't like it.

[1108] Why do I have to eat it?

[1109] You know, so why don't I adapt a little bit over time?

[1110] And, you know, I would say anti -inflammation, because if you go work out for an hour and a half, inflammation, inflammation, you know, it's not healthy to go run, you know, 10 miles.

[1111] There's a lot of inflammation.

[1112] I would say running is good for your heart and for your head.

[1113] Other than that, there's a lot of downsides.

[1114] We've all been there.

[1115] Turning to the internet to self -diagnose our inexplicable pains, debilitating body aches, sudden fevers, and strange rashes.

[1116] Though our minds tend to spiral to worst -case scenarios, it's usually nothing, but for an unlucky few, these unsuspecting symptoms can start the clock ticking on a terrifying medical mystery.

[1117] Like the unexplainable death of a retired firefighter, whose body was found at home by his son, except it looked like he had been cremated, or the time when an entire town started jumping from buildings and seeing tigers on their ceilings.

[1118] Hey listeners, it's Mr. Ballin here, and I'm here to tell you about my podcast.

[1119] It's called Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries.

[1120] Each terrifying true story will be sure to keep you up at night.

[1121] Follow Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts.

[1122] Prime members can listen early and add free on Amazon Music.

[1123] What's up guys?

[1124] It's your girl Kiki, and my podcast is back with a new season, and let me tell you it's too good.

[1125] diving into the brains of entertainment's best and brightest, okay?

[1126] Every episode, I bring on a friend and have a real conversation.

[1127] And I don't mean just friends.

[1128] I mean the likes of Amy Polar, Kell Mitchell, Vivica Fox.

[1129] The list goes on.

[1130] So follow, watch, and listen to Baby.

[1131] This is Kiki Palmer on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast.

[1132] I wish you hadn't said this.

[1133] I bought Monica a treadmill for her birthday yesterday.

[1134] I guess after return it.

[1135] You know, you're kind of ruining that president.

[1136] I'm sorry.

[1137] Is it refundable, Monica?

[1138] I'll look into it.

[1139] It's a great excuse for me to not go running, actually.

[1140] No, I think, I just think some of the really extreme things, we know, they just take a toll on your body and they're a little bit taxing.

[1141] So why am I going to go finish practice?

[1142] So work out before practice, go practice and then come in and eat a bacon, double cheeseburger.

[1143] So inflammation, inflammation, you know, so where to do you, what's your body going to do?

[1144] Your body's going to go like, okay, I'm done.

[1145] Like, fight or flight.

[1146] I had enough.

[1147] Tight muscles, slow movements, and then poor performance, and then look for a new job, and then talk about how great you could have been because, you know, that's it.

[1148] Yeah.

[1149] Does your wife ever hate your guts?

[1150] Because I kind of think about— No, do you know who his wife is?

[1151] I do.

[1152] But if I lived with you, I think I would be like, God, he seems to just be so disciplined.

[1153] I could see it annoying someone, right?

[1154] But I'm sure she's the same way, right?

[1155] Is she the same way?

[1156] She's very disciplined.

[1157] Don't give me that shit.

[1158] You're very disciplined, too.

[1159] So get that shit out of here.

[1160] Okay, okay.

[1161] What's he talking about?

[1162] We do sometimes eat dominoes.

[1163] I saw your wife walk across the field that the Olympics, right?

[1164] Was it the opening ceremony in Brazil?

[1165] Yeah.

[1166] That's the first time I ever realized, like, that's violent on the body.

[1167] Like, the model walk.

[1168] I know.

[1169] That was a long way to walk in those hills.

[1170] I was like, I don't think I've been giving these gals enough credit.

[1171] Like, that's hard on your body.

[1172] Yeah.

[1173] Yeah, she's had a fair share of, like, pretty tough injuries just because, Because in order to make a picture look good, you've got to create all these, you know, crazy angles.

[1174] And then you got to hold them.

[1175] So you put your body in a funny position and then hold it for a minute.

[1176] And then once your brain's like, oh, you want me to be like this.

[1177] Okay, no problem.

[1178] I'll just hang upside down.

[1179] And then you get down and you're like, oh, God, this thing's killing me. So I think all those things over time took a toll.

[1180] You know, she's had her really bad shoulders.

[1181] She had like 10 dislocations on one side and 12 dislocations on the other.

[1182] You know, and she's very, she doesn't have very big joints.

[1183] You know, she's, I would say, more dainty.

[1184] She's tall, but dainty.

[1185] So, you know, she just has these joints that are very hyper -mobile.

[1186] Is your boy on course to become seven feet tall?

[1187] I would imagine with you to his parents, there's likelihood that we'll break 6 -8.

[1188] I don't know.

[1189] We don't want 6 -8.

[1190] I'm cool with like 6 -3, 6 -4, but that's too tall.

[1191] Okay, I have a couple of really just rapid -fire questions for you.

[1192] I'm going to ask a single Howard Stern -ask question, and that is, do you make love to your wife on a game day?

[1193] Or is that off the table?

[1194] Oh, man. That's probably off the table.

[1195] That's off the table, right?

[1196] I wouldn't say it's probably never happened, but I don't think that would be the moment.

[1197] Okay, good.

[1198] I expected that.

[1199] Yeah, that wouldn't be my pregame warm up.

[1200] Do you have other quarterback friends?

[1201] You know, the more famous you get, the more successful you get it, and I don't expect anyone to shed a tear for any of us, but it can be very isolating in that very few people really end up being able to relate to what your day -to -day process.

[1202] problems are.

[1203] And you'd probably feel like a shithead telling some, you know, guy who's scraping pain off a wall, your issues.

[1204] But do you have some friendships with some, some quarterbacks that you can relate to one another?

[1205] Yeah, for sure.

[1206] I think there's a lot of guys over the years, Brett Farr, Peyton Manning, even Joe Montana, Steve Young, those are the guys at Dan Marino, Phil Sims, Boomer Assize.

[1207] And the newer guys, Russell Wilson, obviously, Aaron Rogers been a friend.

[1208] Oh, he's a sweetheart, huh?

[1209] I'm not with him once or twice.

[1210] What a nice guy.

[1211] That's from my alma mater, I think.

[1212] Cal?

[1213] Oh, dang it.

[1214] From Georgia.

[1215] Not many good quarterbacks out of Georgia.

[1216] Oh, well, I'm not surprised about that.

[1217] You're saying.

[1218] No, Matt Stafford plays.

[1219] Well, okay.

[1220] He's not a quarterbacking.

[1221] Yeah, he did.

[1222] Well, I was there.

[1223] I can't say anything bad about him.

[1224] He plays in Detroit, and that's where I'm front.

[1225] Wait, I think you're also friends with my boyfriends.

[1226] Are you friends with Ben and Matt?

[1227] Ben Ratzberger?

[1228] No, Ben Affleck and Matt Day.

[1229] Oh, yeah, yeah.

[1230] I am actors.

[1231] Yes.

[1232] I am.

[1233] Yeah.

[1234] I like to both those guys.

[1235] Those silly boys.

[1236] Yeah.

[1237] I'm friends with me. Yeah.

[1238] Okay.

[1239] Another two questions.

[1240] Really quick.

[1241] Is it isolating being the leader of the team?

[1242] Is it hard to be?

[1243] Because I find myself sometimes when I direct things, I'm the boss, which is a weird position for me to have.

[1244] And I just want to be cool with everyone.

[1245] And then I hate when I have to be like, come on, man. You can work harder than that.

[1246] Is it isolating?

[1247] You can't have any down days.

[1248] You know, I think if there's moments that have changed in my life.

[1249] It's hard to just let your guard down.

[1250] As you know, I mean, everyone knows that.

[1251] You know, we're in a very hypersensitive age to everything, you know, and you're judged by one interaction.

[1252] And, you know, in that case, you don't want to be judged by one interaction so you don't go out because you don't want to be put in a situation where, man, I had a really shitty day, you know.

[1253] Well, how was you, you know, I don't know, no one wants to hear that at a really shitty day, but I had a shitty day.

[1254] It's life, you know.

[1255] I'm a parent.

[1256] I'm a brother.

[1257] I'm a son.

[1258] You know, things happen in life.

[1259] And you get bad calls and you got to deal with something.

[1260] situations and, you know, then you got to go out in public and be like, hey, you know, this is, this is great, you know, and I think that mental fatigue, you know, over time is like, I will be happy one day when I retire.

[1261] I'm going to be like, I've done it.

[1262] Like, that's it.

[1263] Someone else be in charge.

[1264] Yeah, like, man, I did my time.

[1265] I did it.

[1266] I worked hard at it, but you know what?

[1267] The time is over and I'm not looking to recreate any of that.

[1268] That was going to be one of my other rapid fire questions because we're in the rapid fire round right now.

[1269] And I have followed, again, I know I've said this 20 times.

[1270] I don't watch a ton of sports, but I'm so interested in athletes, and I love watching documentaries about athletes.

[1271] And a common thing I seem to have observed is that post career, and I think on the outside people think it has to do with money and fame, and it's not at all, but the camaraderie that you've experienced over the last 21 years, that's a big fucking hold of Phil.

[1272] And I think it was Brett Farve, who's very open and honest in some documentary I watch.

[1273] where he was like, there was just a fucking hole, right?

[1274] And he ended up, I think coaching, like, maybe his high school, like a high school team just to get back in the mix.

[1275] Like, I worry about you.

[1276] I wonder, do you have a game plan for when you retired so that you don't become super sad?

[1277] No, I think I definitely will need some help when I'm done playing to find some space to occupy the adrenaline, the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows of this.

[1278] And I'm a big believer in psychology.

[1279] you know getting help i i've already obviously thought okay when it does happen i'm feeling a huge void and i don't know where that huge void's going to go and it's not going to be like hey i'm going to be someone who doesn't want to put the energy that i have into something positive and you know i'm still when i want to do things but at the same time i'm missing something that i really did love it would be like a really you know like a tough breakup yeah i'm nervous for you yeah look if you want to be bros i'm at your disposal i'm in bro i thought we already started man we what do you mean No, no, we're there.

[1280] We're there.

[1281] We're there.

[1282] I'm laying into it too much.

[1283] I have a question.

[1284] What price have you paid for being so singularly focused on this endeavor?

[1285] I think the thing that probably hurt that is most challenging for me is like when people say like, probably haven't been the brother that I could be, you know, couldn't be a friend to certain people at different times, you know?

[1286] And my parents, I think I'm a pretty good son.

[1287] But at the same time, like, Sometimes the people close, you get the shorter in a stick because you're always busy.

[1288] You've always got one other thing.

[1289] You always got work.

[1290] You always got one more obligation, one more call, one more this.

[1291] And everyone else who you think is, oh, we're cool.

[1292] So you can stay kind of, you know, as a non -priority.

[1293] Yeah, you can take it for granted, right?

[1294] Like, oh, that's there.

[1295] We know we love each other.

[1296] And I'll have time someday.

[1297] I'll have time when football is done.

[1298] I'll have time.

[1299] When football is time on time.

[1300] And, you know, I will have more time.

[1301] But that's probably the thing that's probably been the toughest because that's hard to hear, you know, like you think I'll put out of effort into things.

[1302] But the reality is other people, especially in your life, you know, they're going to get better if you work at it and improve it.

[1303] But if you don't, then, you know, it takes a different, you know, a different ride.

[1304] And now, okay, I think my last question, I would love to keep you for 10 hours.

[1305] But what's the emotional experience of having left Boston after 21 years and going to a new team?

[1306] and I just want to add into this because I want Monica to know.

[1307] You know, Tom could have gotten a lot more money for many years, and he didn't take more so that he could get better players.

[1308] Like his commitment to winning.

[1309] I know.

[1310] Did you read the Pat Tillman book by chance where men find glory?

[1311] No, I didn't.

[1312] Oh, do I encourage that?

[1313] Similar story to you.

[1314] I mean, he last draft to the Cardinals, and he was so loyal to that franchise.

[1315] He turned down way more money to play for St. Louis because they took the chance on him.

[1316] just so much integrity that guy really inspirational yeah what was what's the emotional feeling about leaving there and going to Tampa Bay it was tough I mean it was tough for you know a tough decision to make when you're been two decades in one place and you know it's a lot of emotions a lot of memories there's a lot of things you know 20 years a long time so you basically experience every emotion and every high and low and every you know experience you could have so when you leave it's a you know it's and the chapter's closed, but you're taking all the relationships and all the memories.

[1317] And for one reason, another, it didn't work that I was going to continue there.

[1318] But, you know, it doesn't take away from what I had.

[1319] And what I had was actually made me more prepared for what I'm experiencing now.

[1320] So for me to look at that experience and be grateful for what I've learned, the relationships I have, because they'll still be very important.

[1321] You know, football players, we're all in a locker room.

[1322] You know, it's like we're going to space, you know, it's like there's four or five months that that locker room is tight, tight.

[1323] And then you have that with friends, and it's like, it's, you know, it's amazing.

[1324] So I got to plug this in or else my computer's going to die.

[1325] Okay.

[1326] Hold on.

[1327] I got one percent left.

[1328] This is great.

[1329] Watching him have to figure this out, right?

[1330] Look how human he looks all of a sudden.

[1331] He was, he did look like a superhero this whole time.

[1332] And now he looks like the same bumbling idiot.

[1333] We all are.

[1334] No, it was at one percent.

[1335] And he, just like Tom Brady does, pulled it out last minute.

[1336] Yeah, this is like a down -to -the -wire.

[1337] Yeah, 1 %.

[1338] You got to finish the interview with 1 % less.

[1339] Yeah, well, I'm sure you've done the math.

[1340] I mean, half of your life was playing for that team.

[1341] It's incredible.

[1342] 20 years of, you know, one place, one way, one process.

[1343] I've had a few different homes over that.

[1344] I moved a few times, but it was incredible.

[1345] It was perfect.

[1346] I wouldn't change it.

[1347] It wasn't, you know, not every day was perfect, but it was everything that it was supposed to be.

[1348] So one thing, too, that I think is really special about your job and your life, is that I'd compare it to acting a little bit.

[1349] Like you get on a set, man, there is someone from every walk of life there.

[1350] And I have to imagine half of the fun of your job is what a diverse group of dudes, every socioeconomic group, every kind of background.

[1351] Like, has it been wonderful to be immersed in so much diversity and different points of view?

[1352] Yeah, I mean, I think sports affords all those things.

[1353] And I've been doing that for, you know, 25 years, including college.

[1354] and 30 years, including high school, and you come together, you just see a guy, and you see where he's from, and you see who he is, and you see him as a brother, and you go, all right, we're in this together, let's see what you got.

[1355] You know, you look in the huddle, and I played with teammates that broke bones and broke ribs and internal bleeding and, you know, blood coming out of their nose.

[1356] They're warriors, you know, they're gladiators.

[1357] And I think you, I would say, I'd know the guys who had won.

[1358] If I was ever in a foxhole, I know the guys that I'd want in there with me, you know?

[1359] Yeah.

[1360] There's others that I know that I wouldn't.

[1361] Sports brings that out of us.

[1362] And it's like, you know, you see everyone, they're good, they're bad, they're ugly, they're indifferent, they're pissed off mood, they're happy mood, the achievement of things.

[1363] And, you know, it's been a blessing for me. I don't want to tend, which is probably why I'm still playing, you know.

[1364] Yeah.

[1365] Well, I hope you don't stop.

[1366] I think it'd be so awesome if you were out there in a wheelchair and you rolled back and still fucking drop that phone 80.

[1367] I'm getting wheeled out there.

[1368] One more throw.

[1369] I got it in there.

[1370] Well, Tom Brady, you're as nice as you are gorgeous.

[1371] and we feel so flattered that you took time to talk to us.

[1372] We were really, really excited.

[1373] You were in the Bill Gates category of, like, thrill that you were willing to talk to us.

[1374] So thanks so much for your time.

[1375] Really look forward to seeing you play in Tampa Bay.

[1376] And, you know, anytime you want to chill with me, just let me know, I'll be there.

[1377] I'll call you up.

[1378] Let's do it.

[1379] All right.

[1380] All right, man. Thanks a bunch.

[1381] Thank you, guys.

[1382] Appreciate it.

[1383] All right, good luck.

[1384] Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondry app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[1385] You can listen to every episode of Armchair Expert early and ad free right now by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.

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