He Made the NFL. What He Did Next Was Even More Impressive

Speaker A: Hey, what's up, everybody? Earl Bennett here. You're, uh, now tuned in to last and first. Super excited about this podcast. Be sure to, like, subscribe and comment below.

Speaker B: Check this out. L2F fam. I want to give you some stats from our last season. 78% increase in views, 35% increase in impressions, 30% increase in followers. Now those are some impressive numbers and I want to thank you for your support. But there's one last stat that has my attention most. Only 15% of our listeners are actually subscribed, and I'm on a mission to change that. Our goal is to double that number this season. So if you're one of the ones in this 85%, please stop being last. Take two seconds, hit that subscribe button, and help us move this industry from last to first. Thank you. Last at first family. Welcome back to our next episode on the last the first podcast. Now I'm introduced this person as a special guest. You know, we normally talk about transportation topics. We're gonna call it audible today. We going, we're going somewhere a total different direction. I'm bringing on my brother who I played ball with in college at Vanderbilt. This won't be your normal last and first episode, but be a lot of last and first moments in this. If you listen closely, I'm excited to be joined by my brother, my friend, Dr. Get that right. Dr. Earl Bennett. Eb what's up, baby, man, how you doing?

Speaker A: I'm good, Good, good. Oh, man, thank you for having me on, bro.

Speaker B: Thank you for gracious with your presence. You know, we in Nashville. The king of Nashville's here.

Speaker A: Had to, man. You know what? I' I had to jump on a podcast. I'm super excited. But you know, obviously I. I've watched a few episodes and what you're doing is amazing. Obviously I got into the truck industry like based off a conversation that we had and dude, it's. It's been fruitful. So thank you for having me.

Speaker B: Yeah. But we got a lot to talk about. Many, many stories we could tell. We could tell a few of these stories on the podcast, but my first. So I, I gotta start with just the first time I met you. This is, this is summer 2005. We are in summer workouts. You were coming into Vandy as an incoming freshman. We already out there throwing, we're doing one on ones out there and you walk out there, throw some cleats on and I remember Jay, Jay Cutler was like, uh, we'll get your first. I'm gonna give you A go. Give you a go. Ball, right? Easy, easy. Put you on bill offer, right?

Speaker A: Easy. It's easy.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: No disrespect to Billy, but you know,

Speaker B: you lost it pretty bad. Yeah, up the sideline. And so in that moment, Earl goes deep. He goes deep down the sideline, catches the ball with our best cornerback. And I'm standing right next to Jay. When you caught the ball and he's like, fuck, he's pretty good. And all I could think about was, there go my goddamn job right there. My job is over. Over. But, uh, man, from that moment on, we built a bond and a friendship that's lasted. Shit. I mean, this is my 20 year reunion from Vanity, bro. So it's been 20 some years and seeing you grow, the evolution, we're gonna get to all that today, but uh, super excited man, for you to be on and uh. Let's get to it, bro. Let's get to it. I got that stuff. So I just wrote down a few, few notes. So I'm starting with the sports side of this, of this journey and then we'll, we'll navigate to other things. But. So summer 05, it's your first time coming in. When you came to Vandy, you were a highly recruited prospect, probably one of the highest ones we've had. When you were supposed to go to Notre Dame. Yeah, right. What happened with that?

Speaker A: Well, Notre Dame was recruiting me as a safety. And I'll never forget, when Coach Robbie Caldwell came to my school, he was like, hey, look man, just remember who was the first white guy to ever come in this school, right? Because I grew up in like in an urban area where like, not a lot of kids were recruited. And he said it jokingly, but he was, he was quasi, uh, serious, right?

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker A: And he stated that the next couple weeks you're gonna see a lot of white people that gonna walk through these doors and they gonna offer you scholarships to come to school and play. I want you to know that Vanderbilt loves you and you can play whatever you want to play at this school. And so literally the next day Notre Dame walked through the building, they sent their white DB coach. And he's like, hey man. And I'm just laughing the whole time he's talking, just like smiling and he's like, what's funny? I was like, nah man, I'm just thinking about a few things, like this is a dream come true, right? But like, uh, the whole time in the back of my mind, I just had the conversation that I had with Coach Caldwell and it Was so interesting to see all these institutions that started to send white people into like the urban area in Birmingham. And the conversation that I had with coach Caldwell was totally different. He was more transparent, he was honest. He said, look, man, like we trying to turn this thing around. We've been struggling over the past couple years and we think you could come help us out now, whether it be at safety, wide receiver, running back. Because I was multi position, very versatile. We want you to come and be a part of what we're building and what we doing.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: I gave that some thought. Notre Dame came in and said, hey, look man, you're gonna be a safety. Here's why Notre Dame was recruiting me though. Ole Miss and David Cutcliffe was recruiting me as an athlete. So people don't know. David Cutcliffe got fired that season and when he got fired, he went to Notre Dame M and at Notre Dame he started recruiting me because I think he was a defensive coordinator.

Speaker B: I feel like he was the oc.

Speaker A: He was the oc. Okay. He was offensive.

Speaker B: He probably got five. We beat. That was like one of our two wins before you got there, Miss. Okay, he got five.

Speaker A: Yeah. He was the head coach at Ole Miss.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker A: But when he went to Notre Dame, I feel that he was. I think he was, he was in some capacity.

Speaker B: He's an officer guy, I think he's

Speaker A: offensive guy, but I feel like he was, he was working in some capacity, but he, he was the reason why they got on me.

Speaker B: Gotcha.

Speaker A: And they offered me as a defensive back. Gotcha. And I just knew the whole time I wanted to play offense. And Vandy said, we don't care where you play at, we just want you to come to our school. And that's how I ended up signing with Vandy.

Speaker B: So had you done any homework on Vandy? You knew about Vandy? You knew, like what did you know about Vandy before you came in there?

Speaker A: Yeah. The interesting part of all of this is my brother was a huge Vandy fan. Um, what? Like how? I have no clue. Like huge. I'm talking about knew all the coaches, knew the players, knew where it was located, knew the records over the past like five years. He was a really big fan of Vanderbilt. And I used to always laugh because I grew up a Florida Gator fan, obviously, like just watching the Gators, Rishe Caldwell and those guys, I just grew up a fan. Right. Especially playing in that system. And I was like, look man, you know what? I'm gonna go play for Steve Spurry. When I Get older. Well, they ain't recruit me. And so I had to pivot and figure out what school really wanted me. And I knew Vanderbilt was in Nashville, so it was like two and a half, three hour drive from my house. I knew that it was in the sec and I knew that it was an up and coming school in the sec. They just hadn't had the proper team and personnel in order to ascend.

Speaker B: So you come on the scene that 2005, 2006 year, and I gave the intro how I first saw that you was legit.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And I knew my shit was done. But what I said was that. And I think I told you, I said, man, look, I'm gonna try to help you be as good as you possibly can be. And the very first time I remember to have, going back, some memories I had from that season, we were playing Wake Forest. It was an ESPN game Thursday night. This is right after Hurricane Katrina hit. Um, so first, I mean, I was struggling with all the stuff happening in New Orleans and stuff like that, but we, uh, were playing this Thursday night game, and it was a tight game and it was, um, I think it was the third or fourth quarter and you had. You probably. You would get in the game. I was on the sideline, obviously. But you didn't really remember all the plays.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker B: And so I can remember. And you got called into the game because you started making some plays and you're like, I don't really know what the calls are. So I'm like, look, just look at me from the sideline. I'm gonna get a hand signal. Right. And so I think you caught a couple, couple glance routes, something like that, on the sideline. And we ended up winning that game on espn. And, uh, I think our relationship really started clicking then because it was kind of like, I won't say big brother, little brother, but it was like we just, we were of similar mindsets. Right. And I saw all the potential you had. I just knew that you just needed a little time to kind of get, get the, the mental side down. Because, you know, you go from a high school play, but a college playbook.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And you've been counting on very early to contribute. Right. It's a lot of pressure. Um, then you mentioned Florida, and it's fine. I told you, I called you the day and I was telling you, I was showing jj, my son. Uh, he was watching the, the Florida Gators documentary with Tebow and all them. He's like, man, it was good. Huh? Huh? I said, man, we should have Beat them, boys. He was like, well, y' all didn't beat them. I like, I was taking double overtime. So I found the game on YouTube.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And we watching the game and we watching you score. Was that. That was the time that was the tying touchdown?

Speaker A: Correct.

Speaker B: Is it overtime?

Speaker A: That was the time that was at

Speaker B: the end of regulation.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Score a tie touchdown and you hit a little basic dance move in the end zone. You know what you did?

Speaker A: Yeah, I remember.

Speaker B: Let me see what you did.

Speaker A: It was just a little shimmy. Just a little shimmy.

Speaker B: They threw a damn flag on it.

Speaker A: Yeah, they threw a flag.

Speaker B: So we had the field got backed up. I think we ended up. We're gonna go for it. That's what we're gonna go for. For win the game and, uh, end up losing a double overtime in the swamp. But, uh, that was a great memory. Cause I remember the fans at that stay in the swamp. They like, if we sitting here, they was quiet.

Speaker A: It was real quiet.

Speaker B: I was talking cash money. I was talking cash money trash. Um, and then the one memory that I think every Vandy fan knows and every UT fan knows is when we beat Tennessee for the first time. 23, 24 years in Knoxville. You caught the game winner there.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And that was probably the first time. I never did thank you for this, bro. But it's the first time I felt like a real big time college football player. We came back here to campus. We all the fans outside the bus went downtown. That was a great night. We'll leave it at that. That was a great night. Um, and then I should have said this in the intro, but you ended up going on to become the all time SEC leader in receptions in three years. Most people don't give you credit for that. I know. J. Matt took over that spot years later. He did. In four years.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: You led the sec. All the receivers that come to sec, bro, like that, that's a handle feet during the three years.

Speaker A: I appreciate that.

Speaker B: And they get drafted third round to the Bears. Um, and that was really, I think when. When you got draft, I was so, so proud, bro, because like, it was. It was seeing how much you had grown not just as an athlete and a player. Like everybody that saw you play, knew what you could do, but like, you always had. You was always humble, always mature, and always, you know, took a cerebral approach to the game. Right. It was never just like, m, I'm the best athlete. You actually want to study and learn. And so seeing you kind of get to that part, that was. You were probably the guy that I was the closest to that hit the league. And so I got to vicariously live a little bit of that dream through you. Yeah. Um, so. But take me through that. So take me through just really your draft experience. We just finished the draft here in April. What was that draft experience like for you? And then when you landed in Chicago, like, as a pro football player, like, did it ever hit you? Like, damn. Like, I made it. Like, all the years of work, all the injuries overcame, like, you ever have that moment, like, shit, I'm here.

Speaker A: I arrived. Well, the draft experience is interesting because if I don't have someone to teach me how to study and learn a playbook, I probably don't get to the draft. So I always tell you, like, thank you, especially for my freshman year. I vividly remember going into the wide receiver like, room and watching film and breaking it down, and you, like, you teaching me the plays. And so, like, just from a humility standpoint, because you knew I came in there to play right away. You knew that, hey, once he caught that deep ball like this, this. Yeah, this dude's a little different. And a lot of people don't have, you know, that, that. That selflessness. And I appreciate that. So there's no draft. Like, if you don't teach me the plays and teach me how to study, right? I probably struggle that first year. Like, nobody's going to tell me what the play is. I don't play, right? Like, you just don't play if you don't know the plays. And so I look back on that moment because a lot of people wouldn't do it. A lot of people will say, hey, man, I'm good. You better get it yourself. Hey, I gotta learn it. You need to learn it. And so understanding just the importance and the essence of what, like, teamwork really is, that was it. And again, I'm coming from inner city Birmingham, my coach telling me, hey, man, either keep it or throw it, right? Like, we probably had like two plays. It was like, earl right, Earl left. Or, hey, man, just, uh, just fake it and go. And then I'll go out to wide receiver and they'll say, run a go route or run a post, right? Like, we didn't have patterns. There weren't no concepts, right? Like, I'm just out there just using my shit. Athleticism just like, run by people, catch the ball and break tackles and go score touchdowns.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And so making that adjustment to college was like, oh, I gotta learn how many plays over a hundred plays. I gotta learn how many formation over 30, 40 formations. Right. And so you teaching that to me, man. There's no draft day for me, you know, and so I'm grateful for that. As we look at, you know, go to that Wake Forest game and I'm looking towards the sideline, it's. Man, I know I can compete and I can play out here, but I also need to understand that I'm brand new to this. You know, a lot of freshmen, they always come in, they want to play right away, but it's like, either you need to have, like, extreme athleticism, or you need to be extremely smart. Like, you have to know the game in and out. To understand, like, the defensive fronts, you got to understand the coverages. Like, there are so many nuances that go into it that everybody's like, oh, man, I ain't playing. So, like, I'm a transfer. Me, uh, going through that process with looking to the sideline, not knowing to play, and like, you signaling to me, that forced me to actually learn football. And once I learned football, midway through the season, oh, it was. It was over at that point because I knew the game.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: Like, I didn't know the game, I just played the game, but I knew the game now. And so if you go look at middle of the season, towards the end now, there were some injuries with Ed and, uh, in Marlon, but I knew the game at that point. Uh, and you just started seeing like 160, 205 touchdowns, right? Like, those things started to happen because I picked up and I learned the game, but I don't learn it if it, if it's not for you. That Wake Forest game, when I caught that one pass, it was like a hitch. And I turned into like 25, 26 yards. And I came to the huddle and I looked at Jay and I said, throw me the ball. And he started laughing, he started smiling. He was like, all right, I like this guy, right? And that just kind of set me on a path where I knew I could compete, I could play at a high level. And so you go to Florida where a school that you admire, that you adored, and they didn't recruit you. And so it was like, all right, I'm gonna show you guys, every single year, go. I mean, go look at my stats to Florida game. My freshman year, my sophomore, my junior year, junior year, they had a safety over top. So that one looked a little bit different. And that was the year they were extremely good. That was the Swamp team that, uh, I think they ended up winning the national championship.

Speaker B: They won it that year. Yeah.

Speaker A: But I had that game circle every year because I knew that they didn't provide me with an opportunity to show that I could play. And I'll never forget, Urban Meyer was like, man, you got another year. It's like, yeah, this was just my second year. I'll see you next year in the swamp, you know, like, I'll see you again. And there's just certain things that happen at the end of the day, I'm a competitor, competitor. And like, the maniacal aspect of how I approach football and how I wanted it much more than anybody else was like, really what helped me, like, stand apart. So when you get to that Tennessee game, I don't. I didn't understand rivalry. Uh, all I knew is that we needed to win this game. Hm. And so when we get out there and we get to the fourth quarter and Jay's like, look, man, like, we got to go take this game. And I'm like, uh, yeah, like, just throw the ball, you know?

Speaker B: Yeah, I'm all in here.

Speaker A: And he's like, all right, cool. Like, let's do it. And catching that touchdown pass, getting in the locker room, out the ways. And a lot of people, I don't know if a lot of people remember this, but Bobby Johnson was like, he gave the post game speech and he was talking and he goes, man, everybody was tired, but you guys like pushing. You gave it your all. I mean, on that last possession that we was going down to win the game, you know, Jay and Earl, they were clicking on all cylinders. And now I know Earl, I know you were tired, right? And I was like, no, sir. And he goes, oh, yeah, Earl. Earl's a little different.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker A: But I wasn't tired. I was just super excited. And I just want us to win because if they go down and they score a touchdown, like, I. I want another possession.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Uh, you know, give us another chance. And no, I'm not tired. I. We need to finish this game off. And you know, I had three really good seasons at Vanderbilt. Really good. It was a hard decision to leave, honestly, just because I knew I had done all that I could do.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I mean, you break the, uh, all time SEC reception record in three years. What else to chase?

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker A: Like individual stats wise. Right. There's nothing else to chase.

Speaker B: Yeah. And there's no nil money.

Speaker A: Yeah. There's no nil money. Yeah. It'll been a different conversation.

Speaker B: And so you might hit that portal a couple after that first year, we would be having this conversation. You'd have been able to gotcha down to Florida, quick life.

Speaker A: And so I look at, you know, um, the opportunities I had at Vanderbilt, taking advantage of them, positioning myself to play at the next level. And when I looked at my draft stock, it was somewhere between like mid to late second round. But worst case scenario, third round, I felt comfortable with leaving and I had a conversation with Coach Johnson, I had a conversation with David Williams and rest in peace, you know, it was just, hey, what's best for you? Right. Because at that moment, everything else had centered around Vanderbilt and me helping the team get to where they wanted to go. Now it was time for me to focus on myself and figure out, hey, what's next? And what that look like for you.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So entering a draft, it was fun. It was great, man. I was actually asleep when I got drafted. Cause the third round I was ticked off. I ain't get drafted in the second round. Watching those names, some of those guys, oh man, that hurt me. And I can name all of them.

Speaker B: I bet you can.

Speaker A: And so we get to the third round. I'm thinking that the draft start in the afternoon. Well, it started at 9 o' clock and I was still asleep and my mom came in the room, was like, hey, your agent has been trying to call you. And I was like, for what? And then I turned the TV on, it's like, he's like, hey, the Bear's trying to draft you right now. And I was like, oh, man. All right, cool. So got drafted, went to Chicago, man. And it was a blessing.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, bro. I mean, obviously all those stories you share, like, um, the thing that cuts through all of that is your perseverance, your tenacity, your want to. Right? We both got kids now when we do talk, we talking about our kids and trying to get them right and sharing all the old war stories. But I was talking to, um, they were talking to JoJo today coming from a flag football game. And um, so she, so she's, you know how we, we play. Like she's used to a certain type of coaching, right? Like there's an intensity that I coach her with. You know, she's a girl and all that, but, but like when crossing white lines like, I ain't your daddy right now.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: I'm your coach.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And so when she doesn't get that from some other coaches, she's, she's like, I need, I need, I need that, I need that. Right. And I think every good player wants to be pushed, right? Wants to be, you know, iron sharpens Iron And. But everybody doesn't always rise to that occasion, right? Because. Because especially in the big moments. Like, we talking about big moments in game, the Wake Forest game, big moments. The Florida game, big moment, Tennessee game. Big moments. Like, a lot of people, that light start shining, like, with a way a little bit.

Speaker A: Right, right.

Speaker B: What. What was it about you that you never seem to be phased in the biggest moments of brightest lights, like, uh, where'd that come from?

Speaker A: What I had to lose? You know what I mean? I came from poverty. Uh, I grew up with very little. So I knew that in order for me to get to where I wanted to go, I had to show up in big moments. I didn't have a choice. Right. Like, if you want to help your family out and you want to get them out of their situation, then you got to be able to perform all the time. It can't be when I want to. Sometimes I'm tired, I'm hurt, my back, my knees, et cetera. Like, people don't know. My second year, before the Michigan game, I, like, pulled my quad, like, the week of, like, pulled it. I thought somebody had stabbed me with a knife in my thigh. And so I ran a fade route, caught it, and I felt the pop boom. I just walked right into the training room because I knew it was something that I had never experienced. And we taped it and wrapped it and did as much as we can, as much as we could. And I went out and I played that Michigan game, the first game, and I threw the touchdown pass to Marlon White. And so I couldn't have a, uh, oh, uh, man, I'm going to take a day off or, man, like, I need to be just okay. Like, I had to perform. Especially in the likes of Bryant. In the NFL, they want to see what you do best against best. And that was my ultimate goal, is to get to the NFL. So when we play in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, I need to show that I'm just as good as they're better players. M. And if I didn't do that, then I wouldn't be on any mock drafts, and nobody will look at me. And just that I think it's something to be said, too, about growing up as a baby of five that you're just competing every single day. You're competing for attention. You're competing for just like naming rights, right? Cause they're food. You compete for everything, right? And going into high school, everybody used to be like, oh, you, Grant. Little brother, right? My brother's name, Grant. Oh, you. You Such and such a little brother. Oh, okay. You now it's like, oh, you Earl brother. Right. Like it flipped. And so you just start to, to build this mindset to attack and just be great and really good at your craft.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: That's what a lot of people don't understand. Like, being great at your craft is one of the most special things like you can ever, ever accomplish.

Speaker B: As you're talking, I'm thinking about, I used to text you. This is after I graduated. You were still back at Vandy and Sydney Rice, remember in South Carolina?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So you built so the jugs machine, right. Anybody don't know if it's a jugs machine where you catch balls at and I'll text you. Sydney Rice caught 500 balls a day.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: 1,000 balls a day. How many balls you caught today? Right?

Speaker A: I was like, man, he knows Sidney.

Speaker B: But it's trying to keep that, that, that in your, to your point. Like the, the best versus best, right? Like, like he was the guy. You know, a lot of people thought he was the top guy in the conference at times. I'm like, if he the guy. What, what are you doing? What are we doing? I'm living through you.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: What are we doing? I ain't catching the ball. I'm sitting there by YouTube. But, uh, but, but, but it takes that discipline to do all that work. To your point, a lot of guys with talent, bro, they, as you notice, like, it will get you far how good you are, but like it will never take you over the edge because you gotta have that discipline and that work ethic when no one's watching.

Speaker A: Yeah, right.

Speaker B: Like what are you doing? Nobody's watching. That's what separates guys.

Speaker A: Yeah. And having someone to hold you accountable, like the really good athletes don't really like to be held accountable.

Speaker B: They don't.

Speaker A: And when somebody call you out, how do you respond? Are you going to like respond positively or negatively?

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: And so when you were texting me that it would be, I'm done already. M. I m wonder what Sydney, what Sydney going to do later tonight. Because I'm back at it, right? And it's like you build that system of accountability, you build that, that work ethic, you build that responsibility, you build all those things into like your DNA to where it's first nature.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And so for me, it wasn't like a thought process of, man, I'm going to just take the day off, I'm going to go chill. It was, what could I do to gain the edge to be 1% better today than I was yesterday. Uh, whether it's jugs machine, whether it's watching film, whether it's like, you know, taking care of my body, getting a hot contrast, hot cold tub, whether it's, you know, doing the massage, whatever it is, like, I have to get 1% better today than I was yesterday in order to ultimately like reach my goal.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And that's just, that's part of being competitive too.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: You know, like being competitive ain't just like when you step out on the field, it's, I'm gonna compete. How many, you know, wings could I eat to. To gain this weight that I need? I'm gonna compete with every man. Yeah. Everything. Like how many ounces of water am I gonna drink today? More than other receivers. Right. Like people don't know. They keep count of like how many ounces you drink, like how much food you like, your intake, the macro micros, they keep counting all that stuff. And so I wanted to compete at all of it. And then we go in the weight room. I'm competing in there too. Oh, you did 325 on deadlift.

Speaker B: All, uh, right.

Speaker A: I'm gonna go like 450. Right. Like it's. I'm gonna always compete and try to gain the advantage because I know where I want to go.

Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. You maniacal. Let's just get back to the NFL. So you reached your dream. You, uh, I know year one with the Bears, you didn't get a lot of burn. Right. And then year two you started coming on.

Speaker A: It won't hurt.

Speaker B: Yeah, it won't hurt yet.

Speaker A: Yeah, it won't hurt.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker A: Because you're coming off being all time SEC reception lead in three years. Like you caught five touchdowns in one game. Like you're the only person in SEC history to have 75 plus catches ever. Only person. No one else has done that. And so you go to the NFL and you don't get in but one game at wide receiver. What's the last game of the year against the Texans? One game. Didn't catch one ball.

Speaker B: Why was that?

Speaker A: It was, uh, we had older guys in front of me that they brought in and those guys played, you know, they, I mean they were seasoned, they were in double digit, you know, years in the league. And so you just have to wait your turn. I never forget Rex Grossman looked at me and shout out to Rex Grossman, I love some Rex. He looked and said, man, I have no idea why you not playing. He literally looked at me and said, I don't know, uh, because you know, at practice he's throwing, I mean he threw one of the best deep balls I ever seen.

Speaker B: Yeah, Rex can throw that thing.

Speaker A: Yeah, he threw a deep ball and we, I mean we would carve up the defense, like carve them up. And so a lot of people don't know this, but after practice Rex would go right to his car, like Jersey shoulder pads. To the car, to the car. He going home. That's how you knew.

Speaker B: Like he like he checked out.

Speaker A: Uh huh.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Well not he checked out like he was like, he was done like in terms of, for that organization. I don't know what happened, but you could just sell that. Like, I was like, man, bro, just go right to his car parked right on the side of like the weight room, like by the practice field and he just hit it and go.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But he um, he just taught me to not lose faith and continue to believe in myself. And even when I was not playing, he'd be like, dude, this does not make any sense to me. Like he kept saying it because he saw something in me that he didn't allow to get lost just because I wasn't playing.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And we all need those people to kind of push you and motivate you, right?

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker B: So then I think just second did cut come your second year or third year?

Speaker A: Yeah. So then Jay, I was, I actually came back to Vandy to finish up my degree and I was in Roosevelt Noble class. And I look at my phone, it's a call from Jay M. And I'm like, this is, I mean if, you know Jay, Jay ain't really calling you, he'll text you, but like for him to call you, it's gotta be something big. And so I stepped out of class, I took the call and I was like, what's up? And he was like, where you at? And I was like, I'm in class at Vandy. And he was like, can you get to Chicago tonight? And I was like, probably not. I was like, why? He was like, cause I got dinner with Lovey Smith tonight. I'm about to be traded in a minute. And I go, shut up. And he goes, nah, he's like, I'm coming to Chicago. And that's how I knew, like.

Speaker B: And that was a big deal because Jake Dada, he had a good first. Yeah. Denver.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: Pro Bowler.

Speaker A: Yeah. And probably two hours later hit espn. I was like, oh yeah, we about to roll. Yeah, we about to roll. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, we about to Roll. Yeah, it's about to be good.

Speaker B: Yeah. So you see, so then you get into your, you know, kind of get into your groove and you become Agent Orange, right?

Speaker A: Yeah, Agent Orange.

Speaker B: Because the. Because the orange cleats.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: How much. How much money did you give back to. Was. Was Roger Rogers commissioned there, right? Was it Roger Goodell?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Goodell Commission.

Speaker B: Yeah. How much money you gave back to Goodell for the orange cleats? So y' all know NFL has sanctioned color cleats you got to wear.

Speaker A: Yeah, but he. All those guys, they get passes now, though.

Speaker B: Yeah. They get paid you.

Speaker A: I mean, they owe you some money back. They were. Yeah, yeah. They need to send me that, actually. I have to give it to Jay. So funny story when. So I lacerated my liver. The, uh, New Orleans Saints game.

Speaker B: Babe, I'm going to come back to that. On to the next story yet. I got a question for that.

Speaker A: So I lacerated my liver. And so, you know, I'm out a couple weeks. I'm out, like, six, seven weeks.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And I was like, man, they were doing contract negotiations, but they were low balling me just because I've been injured. This is my fourth year. And I was just like, man, I'm gonna come back, like, with a vengeance. Like, I'm just gonna lose my mind. And I was like, but I'm gonna do it, and I'm gonna be disruptive, and I'm gonna be disruptive in a way that not many people are gonna, like. And my thought process was, all right, cool, man. I'm gonna go with, like. I was thinking of wearing, like. Nah. Dion used to wear, like, the headband, like, around his neck. I was gonna get an orange headband and, like, rock it around my neck.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Uh, and then I was just gonna do, like, the all orange cleats, but then I was gonna do all orange socks, too. Cause, like, you know, in NFL, like, you gotta be coordinated. Your socks gotta be a certain length. Like, all those things have to match. You can't have an unnecessary repair on. And I was like, ah, uh, that's probably a little too much. And so I was like, you know what? I'm gonna just do the all orange cleats. Now. I know there's, like, an initial fine of, like, $5,000, which I was just like, I'm gonna eat. But then if you wear them again, it's double. So then it goes to 10,000. And then if you wear it again, it goes to, like, 20. And so I took the fine, uh, for the first Game against Philadelphia, and I had a really good game. Really good game. And so we came back the next week, and I was like, yeah, man, they gonna find me, like, 10 grand. I can't. Five I can do, right? Five is like. I was like, when you start talking about 10 grand, that's a little different.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And I'm sitting in the locker, and I'm like, man, I'm like, lacing up my shoes. The orange cleats are next to me, but, like, I'm not lacing those up just because I'm like, I'm not getting fine. So I'm lacing up the, like, just regular joints that they give you. And J go, what you doing? And I was like, man, I'm, um, about to get ready for the game. And he was like, nah, you got it. You got to wear the orange cleats. And I was like, bro, they're going to find me, like, 10 grand. I ain't got 10 grand to pay. And, uh, he was like, oh, I'll take care of it. So I was like, all right, cool. That's your quarterback. Your quarterback tell you to do something, you do it. So I laced him up, went out, had a good game, won a game. And he was like, man, we on the street. Like, you gotta keep it going. And so then the next week, we played, uh, San Diego.

Speaker B: Yeah. And at this point, it's becoming a media firestorm. All the Bears fans picking up.

Speaker A: It's getting to the league. League office, like, uh. And so I wear them that game. We go out, we win, I have another big game. And so I'm, uh. I got them in my locker. No, I packed my bag. And so you should. They, you know, the equipment people take your bag off. And so I get to the stadium, and, you know, I'm getting ready to get dressed, and I'm like, oh, man, my cleats not here. So I'm looking around. It's just, like, the basic cleats. So then I go to the equipment guy, Tony Medlin, and I'm like, tony, like, somebody sold my cleats, bro. Like, what, mclease, I need my shoes.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: He said, oh, no, uh, Coach Smith want to see you. And I was like, for what? He was like, yeah, you gotta go talk to Lovey. So I went in there, Lovey was like, yeah, come on in. He was like, sorry, big guy, you can't wear the cleats. And I was like, why not? And he was like, man, they said if you wear those cleats and you come out on the field, they're gonna get us, uh, delay a game, and if you keep playing, then they just gonna keep penalizing us. So you can't wear the cleats.

Speaker B: Damn.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker B: Damn.

Speaker A: So then I had to put him on the shelf for the rest of that season. And then the next year, I brought him out, like, against Detroit. So I used to win, like, once a year after that.

Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Damn. Roger Goodell was hating, but, like. But nowadays your cats win all kind of stuff, man.

Speaker A: I mean, DJ Moore wore all orange cleats the entire season, so.

Speaker B: Yeah, he sure did.

Speaker A: Yeah. And I don't think he got fined. I think they just amended the rules.

Speaker B: Need some money back from Roger, bro. Yeah, but speaking of. Speaking of that. Yeah, I think that was. I can't imagine y' all came out there, but I wanted to tell that story about. I came for a Thanksgiving game. You caught two touchdowns.

Speaker A: Yeah, I was gonna. I was gonna get this.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I wasn't gonna let this one slide. I hope you know that. I was not gonna let this one slide. I got.

Speaker B: I got a couple of stories, but.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So things a Thanksgiving game, I'm up there. I can't remember if it's Age of Orange thing or not, but you was ballin', right?

Speaker A: Front row.

Speaker B: I got me seats. I'm in the end zone playing the Eagles. Front row playing the Eagles.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker B: Um, but it's cold in Chicago. It's cold. I ain't never been there. I ain't never been to Chicago in the wintertime. I got the hand warmers. I got the feet warmers. I'm in there, like. And I remember you catching a touchdown, and you come in the zone. I want to clap, but I couldn't even get up. I was frozen right.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Uh, and he comes and he throws the ball up. He throws the ball up to me, like, right where I'm at. Right.

Speaker A: Right where you at.

Speaker B: Right where I'm, um, at.

Speaker A: Right in front of you where he's

Speaker B: a little high, though. He throws it up, and I'm, like, trying to get about. Couldn't move fast as I go up to get it, man, this dude must been 7ft tall. Behind me, camera just. I'm like, hold up, man. And he stood up. I'm like, man, I can't fight his ass. So you look at. As I turn back around, you look at me like, come on, man. I'm like. Then you score again.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: You score again.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Same end zone.

Speaker A: Yeah. No, it was opposite. It was opposite.

Speaker B: All right, so I missed my one ball there, but. But I remember going back. I went back to the crib after the game. You like what happened to your hands?

Speaker A: You lost it, man. You lost it.

Speaker B: I did lose it.

Speaker A: You took time away from the game. You ain't work on your craft, so you didn't know that moment was coming.

Speaker B: I wasn't prepared.

Speaker A: You weren't prepared?

Speaker B: I wasn't prepared.

Speaker A: Yeah, I was. Cause I said I'm a. In this end zone, and, uh, when I score, I'm gonna find Jay and I'm, um, gonna take him to this ball.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Cause typically when I score, I just keep the ball just running to the side.

Speaker B: I probably wouldn't expect you to throw the ball, though. Cause I'll never see you do that.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: You're not a really celebratory kind of guy.

Speaker A: Yeah, you were right. I caught the touchdown on the far right end. I think that was. It was the north. North end zone. And when I caught it, uh, w was right there, front row. So when I caught it, I ran right down. They gonna have to. You gotta find this clip and add it.

Speaker B: So I'm about to put this clip, and so I'm sure it's out there.

Speaker A: As I'm running down, I'm looking for you, and I'm like, oh, uh, there you go. And so I come and I see you, and I'm like, here you go, bro. And I toss the ball, and as I toss it, I turn away because I'm like. I toss it right to you. Like, you're right here. Like, I'm like, here you go. And I turn away, and I run out. I run off the sideline, and I go to the sideline, and I just remember, like, fourth quarter, looking over there at you, and you just. You just hot. You mad. Uh, and I'm like. And I'm looking like I go where the ball? And I remember you pointing up.

Speaker B: I'm the giant behind the.

Speaker A: You just pointing up. I'm like, what is he pointing to? Like, I don't know. And then obviously, you know, uh, we talk after the game. But, man, I was like, what? How did you not like, it's like, from me to you right now. And I just toss it.

Speaker B: You know, Greg been mad when. When JJ hit the story. He's like, you dropped the ball. He could be back. He probably want that ball in the room. But, yeah. All right. A couple of questions. So, who was the best DB you face in the league when he was playing? Best corner?

Speaker A: Man? That's easy. It Was a real Reavis. So when we are preparing for that game, it's, hey, look, Earl, you gonna have a lot of looks. Cause they play man to man the entire game, right? They just go man to man matchup. They got Cromartie, but then they have Cromartie. They have Reaves. And then the third guy, the nickel guy that come in, he's just, okay. So we game playing around, just taking shots, double move from the slot like it was about to be on, right? I'm like, oh, I'm about to have, like, three touchdowns. This man I'll never forget. We come out third down. First, third down, we break the huddle. And I'm like, oh, yeah, here we go. We called up a double move, like the first play, but the entire week, the game plan was wherever 24 at. Ah, we not throwing the ball. We not throwing the ball towards 24. He's too disruptive. Um, so I'm like, man, I'm looking at the other yrc. He was like, man, y' all about to miss out this weekend, baby. This is my time. Then we break the huddle and, you know, running to go line up. And you see Revis in the other corner talking.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And then Revis came in the slide. I said, oh, my gosh. They switched it up. They flipped it. My thing is over. I had, like, one catch for, like, 10 yards. It was over with, bro.

Speaker B: I don't think people understand how good that dude was.

Speaker A: Uh, nah, he was special.

Speaker B: He was. His hands were strong. You couldn't get off the fucking press.

Speaker A: He's extremely patient. And one thing I pride myself on was, like, getting off, like, the line of scrimmage. I beat him one time. It would have been a long touchdown. Jay overthrew it. He owed me one. But he. He's just patient. But he's also fast and physical. So from, you know, an alignment standpoint and just, like, his technique and how fundamentally sound he was, like, that's what made him really good. Yeah, it was like, he's just extremely patient. He understands route recognition. Like, I mean, has really good hands. I mean, he was a punt returner, right? Uh, like, he was a really, really dynamic player. And then the second corner would probably be, you know, really probably 1B would be Patrick Peterson. I gave Patrick Peterson one of my best release off the line of scrimmage for a slant. And I just felt somebody just tapping me on my hip. And I was like, oh, he good. I was like, he good. I was like, all, uh, right, you good? You really good. But, yeah, Revis, man, he was special. He was different.

Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. You could see, like, even everybody in the league, you see levels even though, right?

Speaker A: Absolutely. Uh, you know who the hall of Famers are? Yeah. I saw Julius Pepper run down Michael Vick, like, from behind. I said his size and his weight. Yeah, he's a Hall of Famer. There's no question about it. You know, playing with Erlacher. He's a Hall of Famer. You know what I mean? Like, there's just certain guys. Lance Briggs should be in the hall of Fame. Like, there are certain guys that you see that you look at and be like, man, how am I in this league? You know, like, serious. Like Calvin Johnson. I'm playing the opposite side of Calvin Johnson. Like, he's on that sideline. I'm on this sideline. Like, how am I on this field with him? That guy's a. He's a Hall of Famer.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And so there's levels, and then there's some guys. You'd be like, man, how he still in the league? You know, like, how he here.

Speaker B: Who. You know.

Speaker A: Right. Yeah. It's one of those things where you find the right system, the right personnel that works for you, and, I mean, you just do the best of your ability.

Speaker B: Yep. All right, here's my question I was gonna ask you. You preempted earlier. Hardest hit you ever took in the league.

Speaker A: Yeah, man. So I was the one I used to like to get a hits out. So if you guys go, like, watch film M. I caught the pun. And John Ryan once, I actually got, um. I got A.J. hawk one time. I mean, I got more blocking.

Speaker B: Like, crack back.

Speaker A: Yeah, like crack back blocks. I got, um. I caught a bumper route. Harrison Smith, like, came m. Downhill, tried to tackle me, got him. And so it's like I pride myself off playing with that physicality.

Speaker B: Ah.

Speaker A: And Cutler came to me and he said, hey, man, somebody's gonna get you. He said that? He said, somebody's gonna get you. And I was like, nah, I ain't gonna get.

Speaker B: Like, I'm.

Speaker A: I'm too savvy.

Speaker B: Could you play it? I mean, I know you slimmed on number. You played it.

Speaker A: Yeah, I played it. I played it 207. Like 210. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: That was. Whenever I watch you play, it was always your. Your yak after the. It was only like, mate. He's like a running back.

Speaker A: That's exactly what I was.

Speaker B: Yeah, he's a running back with the ball in his hands in space.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker B: It's a problem.

Speaker A: And that. That was. I pride myself, um, off that.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And so we get to New Orleans, and, you know, anytime they have the stack look with, you know, the nickel and the safety, the guy, like, the nickel's gonna blitz. So if he blitz, you run a hot off that. And they. They typically bring, you know, Mike, Mike Sam or Mike Slide or Mike Nickel, and they brought those two off, which calls for a slant. Well, when they call. When they blitz and they called for a slant. I ran a slant. Well, they knew our hot adjustments. Uh, so then they brought down the safety in that voided area. And, I mean, he just caught me good. It was like. It was a hard hit, but it wasn't like a declean hit, Right. It was like I, uh, caught it high. He hit me here, and I kind of braced myself, and I was just like, ooh. Like, oh, that's good. That's a good one. Right? And then we both just kind of fell backwards slow. And I'm on the ground, and I'm on, like, all fours, and I'm like, oh, man, I can't breathe. Like, I've never been hit to the point where I, like. I lost my breath, and I'm, like, gasping. So the trainers rush out and everybody running, and I'm like, I can't breathe. Like, literally, I can't breathe. And so then they, like, flip me over, and they grab my pants, and they, like, jack them up, and they help me catch my hand.

Speaker B: I was like.

Speaker A: I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, that was. That was rough. That was brutal. So then I get up, I go off the field, go on the sideline. They take me in the back. They do X rays in my chest. There's nothing broken. So we good. I come back in the game, and it's a kickoff return. I'm, like, the leading blocker for the returner. So I go out and I'm running, and, like, I just block somebody. Just, like, casual. Then, like, it wasn't any, like, major contact. And then I run off the field just because the personnel is, like, 12 or 21. It wasn't 1113 wide receivers. It was two. And the coach, like, you all right? I go, nah, man. I just feel like, something loose. And he was like, what? And by the time, it's probably, like, 45, like, seconds of halftime, and it was like, all right, when we get in, we'll do a urine sample. So I got in, I did a urine sample, and it was just. It was just blood. And they looked at me. And they said, man, we gotta go. So at that point, I leave my backpack, I leave my phone. Uh, I'm still in full uniform, like, shoulder pass.

Speaker B: I'm at the game. I'm at the game, and I see you. They take you off. As I was texting Keisha, your wife. And she like, he come back. I'm like, nah, he ain't come back.

Speaker A: Yeah, I was gone.

Speaker B: And then she. I think she text me saying that they were. They must announce on the game, on the telecast that they would take you to the hospital.

Speaker A: I was gone. Yeah. I mean, literally, once I did the urine sample, they look and they was like, oh, sh. Like, get him out. And so we go. I'm sitting in the back of the ambulance. We driving. The doctor sitting next to me. I'll never forget. Cause he's looking at his watch. Cause he has a surgery the next morning, so he trying to make the plane back with the team. So he's looking, and he's like, ah. Uh, he's looking at traffic. He's like, how much longer? And so I'm like, what's wrong with me? He's like, what do you feel? And I was like, you know, it's just like something loose right here. I just don't know what it is. He's like, ah, you probably just, like, bruised your ribs or something. And the blood is probably coming from that. And he's like, looking at his watch again. I'm like, man, look, man, what's most important. You get back to Chicago.

Speaker B: I'm putting some blood over it. Yeah.

Speaker A: And we get to the hospital, they do an ultrasound. And I'll never forget this, because there was a guy in front of me that got shot. And so, like, we were, like, waiting for the ultrasound, and they, like, wheeled me in front of him, and I'm like, hey, man, he just got shot. And he's like, uh, oh, no, He. He was here last week. I was like, oh, man, m. Welcome to New Orleans, man. That's what I said. I was like, hey, man, I ain't doing. You know, you're round, wild. Like, hey, man. Like, I ain't have no dealing with this.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Yeah. And so they go do the ultrasound, and they just admit me. So at that point, it's just me and, um, one of the teen trainers there now, the doctor had left. And then the doctor was just like, hey, look, man. Like, you know what a liver looks like? And so I was like, not really. So then he drew it, and I was like, oh, okay. He um, was like, yeah, this is what a normal liver look like. And then he slashed it in half. He was like, that's what your liver looked like. You got a grade 2 laceration of the liver. And I was like, can I play next week? You know what I'm saying? Cause, like, this is my contract year. I'm like, uh, can I play next week? And he was like, nah, man. Usually if this was a grade three, I say, like, you're done for the season. But he's like, grade two. Like, it'll heal on his own. It's just gonna take some time. And he said, I can't give you a timetable on that. And so, man, I went to sleep, woke up that next morning. Oh, my gosh. That was something. That was probably the worst pain I've had. Like, I couldn't laugh.

Speaker B: Uh, like, nothing I remember. So I went to the hospital, but because, you know, your NFL player didn't have your name on the record. So I'm like, where. Where's Earl Bennett at?

Speaker A: And that was actually funny, though.

Speaker B: Yeah. I couldn't find it. And I got Keisha trying to find. So I'm like, man, I don't know where he is. Like a ghost up in there.

Speaker A: John Doe.

Speaker B: John Doe.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker B: But eventually, because we. We had to. We had the delivery contract at the hospital, so I got my contract people on the phone, and they figured out where you were at. So I finally. I finally got there. But, uh. Yeah, but using. Bad shape. Yeah, he's in bad shape.

Speaker A: Yeah, I was in bad shape. Yeah. I mean, you know, just sitting in the hospital at night, I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, this all could be over.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: But when I realized I had the opportunity to kind of, like, heal up and just kind of get myself together, I was like, all right. Like. And that's when I thought about, like, how disruptive can I be coming back to the game? And people don't know. I wore, like, the Evo shield, like. Like, uh, like, vest over they then. But before I put the Evo shit on, they carved out, like, this soft padding that they, like, plastered to my body. I didn't put the Evo shield on, and then I had a rib cage on to start that game against Philly. In Philly. When I came back, when I had the orange cleats on and I'm out there running, I run, like, the first, like, route. I said, man, you know what? Screw this. I go, hey, I can't move the way I want to move. We got to take this rib cage off. And they was like, dude, it's too risky. And I was like, well, I don't need to be playing if I got to wear this. And so it was like, all right. Yeah, don't get hit right there. And so they took the rib cage off. And I mean, game winning touchdown. It was.

Speaker B: And it turned. As it turned out, that was a pivotal year for you. Cause you got that second contract. Yeah, everybody plays for the second contract. That's what you really make, man.

Speaker A: They were low balling the heck out of me, too. They were trying to do, like, a one year for, like, before that. Yeah, before. Before that. Because when I was injured, they wanted me back. Cause I had had, like, a solid start to the season. And it was like, yeah, we'll take him back for, like, one year, $2 million deal. And I'm like, I mean, I ain't gonna do anything. And it's like, yeah, we'll go two, three. And so my agent was like, all right, we're just gonna shut it all down until you come back. And then I came back, and those, like, first three games were just, like, just crushing it. And we won them.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So they were like, all right, let's get this deal done. And that's, uh, when we got it done.

Speaker B: So you end up. Finish your career. You played seven years.

Speaker A: Six years.

Speaker B: Six years. Six years. Six years in the lead, which, like, most people get two or three. So, yeah, I overachieve on your dream. And then you guys, you transition. And this thing I want to. The back half of this conversation I want to finish off with is kind of where you went from there, because. And I talked. I was talking. I was telling the jj literally, bro, on Saturday, we pull up at his basketball game, and I said, what do you want to be? Like, what do you want to do in life? Yeah, I'll be a professional football player. Right? We all do. I'm like, all right, cool. I'm like, so why you want to be that? Yeah, he like, because I want to. You know, I want to. I want to. I want to be on tv, and I want to. I want to play with the best. And I said. I said, okay, how long you want to play for? He's like, eight to ten years. I'm m like, all right, so you'll be 22, come out of school. You'll be 30 when you finish. Yeah. Now what?

Speaker A: Long life ahead of, uh, you.

Speaker B: Long life. Like, you got 50, 60 years, hopefully. I was like, what you gonna do then? And he was puzzled Right. We hadn't had a really conversation yet.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And Jojo, she know exactly what she want to do. Right. Girls versus boys.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: But, um, and so we started talking about, you know, using football as a platform for the Next, you know, 56 years of your life.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: That's really what it's for. Right. You're not gonna hopefully do well. You make money, but that's a small amount of time.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: When I look at most athletes nowadays, this is why you, you stand out. Most guys, as, you know, few years after they finish playing, they broke.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: They in jail or they just are, uh, shelling themselves because they, they, they, they've lost their purpose in life.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: That never seemed to be your issue. I'm not saying you maybe had challenges in transition, but you, you, you always kind of had a plan for what you want to do. Yeah. As I introduced you earlier, I said Dr. Earl Bennett.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: I wanted just like some nickname.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: He's like, he's a real doctor.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: So from an academic standpoint, you, as you said earlier, you went back while you're still planning to get your undergrad from Vandy, and then we got your master's and your doctorate. Why was that important to you? What was the motivation or who was the motivation to continue to do that? Uh, and then we'll get into kind of what you're doing today.

Speaker A: Yeah. So when I made the decision to leave early, I promised David Williams I'd come back and finish my undergrad. Literally. Told him straight up. I was like, hey, listen, I promise you I will return and I'll finish my undergraduate degree no matter what it takes. If I have to take, you know, 24 hours of one semester or whatever, like I have to do, I'm going to come back and finish it. So I always knew, you know, at some point I was going to go back and finish my undergrad degree. Now I came back my first two, like, seasons in the league to kind of like, eat at, you know, the class that I had remaining. And then after that, I had to focus on football because, you know, if I was going to get to that second contract, I need to make that, like, my primary, like, concern. And so when I, when I retired from the NFL, it was, man, look, like, what do I want to do next? And I didn't know. Honestly, I didn't. And I think that's fine for a lot of people, especially when you make some of your soul focused for so long. Right. It take a little bit of time to transition out of that in Order to know what path you want to take. Yeah, a lot of people jump into, man, I'm gonna throw a hundred thousand here. I'll throw a million dollars here, right? Because as a athlete, you're used to be a part of something, right? So when you transition out, you're not a part of anything. Quiet real fast. It's real quiet. The only people that you're a part of is your family that you've always been a part of. There's nobody that's running your schedule. There's no income still, like coming in if you hadn't started business. There's like literally nothing. And so I didn't want to be that player that said, look, I'm gonna go shove out a hundred thousand here. I'm gonna put a million there, I'm gonna put 2 million here. I was always like, all right, let me be calculated in terms of what I'm doing and how I'm going to do it. And so that first year out, I just kind of like sat back and I, you know, acknowledge who I was as a person, Things that I like, things I didn't like. And I was like, all right, let me go back and finish this undergraduate degree. When I finished that undergraduate degree, I was like, why not just do a master's too? There was a one year master's program learning diverse and urban studies at Vanderbilt. So I jumped into that program. In that program, Christine, Dr. Christina de Silva looked at me and she goes, man, you have one of the greatest life experience of all time. Like, one of the greatest. Like, you played in the NFL. Now you just finished an undergraduate in a master's degree from Vanderbilt. How many people can say that they went to a top 15 institution, played in NFL and now have a master's degree? Uh, she said, all right, now it's time for you to take it even further. Go get a terminal degree and see how much you separate yourself. And I was like, man, this lady tripping. I was like, I ain't doing that. Like, what, three more years of school? Like, nah. And at that time when I was doing my master's degree at Vanderbilt, I interned with Candace. A lot of people don't know that. Vanderbilt athletic director, Dr. Candice Lee. I did an internship with her, but she was the deputy athletic director.

Speaker B: I remember that.

Speaker A: And so we worked on just different event coordination, um, policies and procedures and things of that nature just to kind of like, you know, give me a little experience. Because outside of football, I didn't have any experience, right? So I worked in that capacity for that year while I finished up my master's degree. And then I moved back to Houston where we had built the house at uh. And I was just like, man, this lady said I need to get, you know, this doctorate degree. All right, Let me apply for this University of Houston, you know, PhD program. But at the same time, I knew I need to have some business acumen too. And so I actually enrolled at the University of Denver MBA program with a concentration in finance. Right. People always say you need to be close to the money. Uh, right. So, all right, let me do the finance degree and then we'll see what happens with the PhD. Well, halfway through that MBA finance concentration, university of Houston called. Say, hey, look man, we want to give you a free scholarship to come do your educational studies here and get a PhD in higher education, leadership and Policy studies. And so I paused my MBA program and I went and I did the PhD program. When I pleaded, well, I was ABD. I was all but dissertation. And that's when Clark Lee called me and offered me the job to be the director of player development for football. Took me about two weeks. I ain't gonna lie. It took some time just because I was used to. Now I control my schedule.

Speaker B: I remember we had this conversation. You called me when? When, yeah.

Speaker A: Cause I mean, I was good, right? I didn't need money and I didn't need purpose. I had found my purpose and I was passionate about what I was doing. And I talked to my program coordinator. I said, hey, look, I got this job offer. Am I able to move to Nashville? Because it was in person, I was like, am I able to move Nashville? And obviously Covid and all that stuff ended up happening. And he was just like, yeah, like you'll be fine.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: And so I accepted the job and that's how I got back to Vanderbilt.

Speaker B: Yeah. So you start. That was Covid, right? 20. 20. 20, 21. 21. 21. Yeah. So 21, you end up back on campus. Director, player personnel, um, player development, play development. Play development, yeah. And this is, this is right before the NIL ERA kicks off, right? So I'm gonna fast forward because I want to get into your role today and how you got to that spot. So, um, I'm gonna interject myself. And so I think I came up here for a spring game that had to be in like 20. Maybe the year next year, something like that. 20.

Speaker A: Yeah, 22.

Speaker B: 22.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And I have JJ. We up here just to hang out, boys. Trip, spring break trip. We're gonna see The Vandy boys play some baseball, catch a spring game. And I'm up there. Clark Lee, who was the current head coach of Vanderbilt football, teammate of ours. And we played, um, at the spring game. You're like, hey, me and Clark want to talk to you. I'm like, what are y' all talking to me about? So. And you. And, uh, that conversation, like, hey, this NIL thing has happened. You know, we need somebody to kind of help get this thing off the ground, and we think it could be you. I'm like, it's not gonna be me. And. But. And. And, you know, I appreciated the opportunity, and it surprised me because I really, you know, I heard about the NIL thing, but it was so brand new. No one really knew what was happening. And, man, y' all gave me the opportunity to kind of jump head first into it. And, man, the whole college landscape was obviously changing at the time. And it's. Obviously, we're gonna talk about what happened then, but we were able to start off with the Ink Collective, kind of get the program, get the. Some. Some money raised, paying a few guys here, there, um, kind of, kind of. And I always thought it was the catalyst for what we see now. Like, you know, when you play at Vandy, and you realize when you play against other schools and it's being around other programs, like, you know, the reality is, like, there's a. The resources that go into other programs. We didn't see that going to Vandy.

Speaker A: Correct.

Speaker B: Right. Um, and. And then also what I saw, too, was that, you know, schools in the past that weren't historically football powerhouses, when someone, whether it's been Florida State or Virginia Tech or these other programs I was somewhat familiar with, made an investment, it was a catalyst for everything at the university. Enrollment goes up. You know, all of. All of the endowment goes up. Everything goes up. And so I was like, man, this is the game changer. Like, this is. Finally, we can compete now. Right. And, um, I was happy to be a part of that process. And obviously it evolved to different iterations, but. But you are now at the forefront of the NIL era at Vanderbilt University. And if anybody hadn't been watching anything, uh, not just football. Yeah, basketball, men's and women's baseball had a little down year this year. But baseball historically, um, Van is on a path of success that we've never seen before. Right. And a lot of it is due to your leadership, obviously, Candace. Dr. Candace Lee, and what she's done. Clark gets a lot of credit for what he's on the program standpoint, when you look back at just nil today. Right. And I should. I keep pressing my kids because I showed, I showed them a picture of the Vanderbilt. You probably seen that post come out. The annual budget for Vanderbilt, the $26 million. Have you seen that yet?

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I saw that. Yeah.

Speaker B: I texted the jj. I was like, that's why we at Prax right now. Right now. That's why we at practice. But there's a lot of money on the table for kids that can go play at a high level in college sports.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: From your vantage point, what's the biggest challenge you see with that today?

Speaker A: I think the biggest challenge that I see on a day to day basis is just the lack of education that the families and the kids have in the space. I think there are a lot of kids that find the word agent sexy and appealing to where they get themselves in some bad relationships. So there's not the business acumen that's there for these young kids. And if the family didn't button up enough, then they get taken advantage of. So that's one thing that I'm hoping that, you know, some standards are created to help these kids out. Right. Like I think we're like, for us at Vanderbilt, like we have the Ingram center, uh, Student for Success. And that helps them understand like financial literacy. It's an educational program to understand social media content, et cetera. They need that in high school. Yeah, right. Like there are some kids that have been compensated in the 100 to 2,3 million dollar range. Right. And if they don't have the fluency to understand like contractual agreement and having like legal representation to look at those things and not like my uncle or my cousin that wants to get in this space, then you can find yourself in a precarious situation. Because at the end of the day, it's my job to protect the institution and the student athlete. Right. But when the student athlete is doing something that combative against the institutional standards.

Speaker B: Negligent. Yeah.

Speaker A: Then I have to protect the institution. And so that calls for, you know, grounds for termination just depending on what the situation may be. And there have been times where, you know, student athletes family will call and be like, well, why didn't this situation happen? Why this payment didn't come through? And it's, hey, well, we sent you guys a termination letter based off of what happened. And you know, they don't read the agreements. Some people don't even know when their payments come through. And so, um, for me, that's probably one of the Biggest things that I see is just like, the lack of educational. You know, the lack of education behind understanding what's in the agreement, the lack of financial education for the families, and really just an overall conceptual understanding of the framework of what NIL really is.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I think. Excellent point, because I think that's the scary part about all this stuff is how kids can get taken advantage of. Right. Cause I think we all love, as former athletes, love the fact that kids can get paid at college because there's no doubt it's a job.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: There's no doubt about that. Um, but there are a lot of. There's some. There's vultures out there, you know, taking advantage of these kids or because they're young and they don't have. You know, I was for. I came from a. A family of, you know, entrepreneurs, and so I had good business acumen, but, man, somebody hand me. I look at those numbers on that, on that, on that, on that thing. I mean, some of these cats making. You see a couple million dollars.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: A year.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: I mean, it's real. That's real money.

Speaker A: They're making NFL money.

Speaker B: Making NFL money at 18, 19, 20 years old with all the distractions that anybody has in college. So you got to have a good system and plan and protocol around these kids. On the other side, what I love about what's happened and the way Vandy has leveraged it to become what we've always want Vanity to become. Right. There's no more excuses. And not just on the paying players, the investment in facilities. We're gonna leave here and go check out the facility when we leave here. Um, how important. How much does that make for you? A guy that, you know, really is. I would call you Vandy's finest. Right. A guy that came to a program that didn't have a lot of life, man, if they had nil back then, with the number 10 jersey sales going

Speaker A: on back then, a little different story.

Speaker B: Been a little different story. Shit, yeah. I might have been living next door to you in Chicago, but, um, seeing the evolution of college athletics in light of Vandy and what's happening, I mean, how proud are you for what you are being a part of and building

Speaker A: this thing, man, it's been amazing. Um, when you look at. Just coming in, in 20, 21, in that football season, that was tough. I mean, we lost to East Tennessee State. There was a. You know, we played Georgia, where they scored 35 points in, like, the first quarter. Um, I think we ended up losing 62, 0 that game. And so there were some down games to where it got gloomy. And the one thing that even you guys, Coach Leah about this, I look at him and say, man, we gonna be all right.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: Like this is a part of it, right? This is a part of the story. Like you don't just rise to the top just overnight. Like it's a gradual ascension. And so when I look at what a program is now, where it is, football, basketball, men's um, and women's basketball, it's kind of, you know, it just does something to me mentally and physically to figure out, all right, we have to figure out how to sustain this. And that's my job. Right. It's the roster management, it's the roster construction, it's the resource allocation, it's all those things that are very critical and pivotal. However, the one thing we never do is lead with money. So if there's a student athlete that's interested in coming to Vanderbilt, I'm not the first person to talk to them. The coaches need to understand philosophically where this kid will land and how he's going to fit within your overall culture. We always talk about like culture ads, like who's adding to your culture. Like I think for so long Vanderbilt was in this space of the Vanderbilt kid. Right. To where from a recruiting standpoint, we didn't like to venture out a little bit. Well now we're venturing out and we're grabbing these kids and we're pulling them in and they're ascension within our program and just how they're evolving as people has been just absolutely outstanding. And so for us it's. I'm on the back end. All right, Coach Shay. Ralph, you like this player, Tell me about her. Mhm. How's she gonna help your program outside of just being a really good athlete? What's she gonna do in the community, how she's gonna be in these classrooms and then once we figure that piece out the financials will take care of herself.

Speaker B: Yeah. Such an important message, Brin. I wish more people took that approach to it because um, a lot of times people do leave with money, right?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: It's become a very transactional thing and I think in some aspects it's hurting the development of players because they just paper chasing every which every which way from Sunday.

Speaker A: Yeah. That's why kids jump from school to school. Because if I go to an institution where I didn't play and they compensated me, let's just say $200,000, well I can go and jump somewhere else. And try to get another 200,000 just because I feel that, you know, I'm not valued at this school. So from a development standpoint, I'm not with the same coaches who saw me and know what I need to work on. I'm just gonna go somewhere else. And now I gotta reinvent myself, and these coaches gotta give me feedback. Oh, um, I ain't play this year. Now I'm back in the portal. So now you're on your third school in three years and you don't have any tape or any film at that point. You now have to drop down a level. And it's really hard to get back up, man. It's extremely hard to get back up.

Speaker B: And it, you know, I think a lot of what your journey is about. Most people has had success. They've had to start, you know, this pocket last to first. Right. You don't start in first place, like, typically in last. You got to work your way up. And the problem I see with the transfer portal and the way it's used, kids can't accept that they got to work through some things. Yeah. Like, it ain't always going to work out. Like, you're not going to have.

Speaker A: We're in the microwave era.

Speaker B: Yeah. Everybody want to write now.

Speaker A: Yeah, right now.

Speaker B: And it's just. It just is not the way you can sustain it. As we wrap up, bro, I asked all my guests is one question, uh, to wrap up the interview, which is what's your last to first moment? So when you think about your life, your journey, uh, whether it be some on the professional or, you know, career side or personally, if you can point to a moment or space in your life where it was a pivotal decision you made, something happened that kind of really put you on that path from last to first. Um, what would you point to as your moment?

Speaker A: I'm laughing because I know exactly what it was. And it's funny because when you talk about being a maniacal competitor as a young kid, whenever I didn't win, I would cry. Like, crowd. Not in the sense of like, oh, yo, babe. But like, I am just, like, fiercely upset that I didn't accomplish the task that I set out to accomplish. And so in eighth grade, you're able to go and practice with the high school that you'll be attending during spring ball.

Speaker B: Gotcha.

Speaker A: And so I'm from Birmingham, Alabama, so I'm at Green Acres Middle School. My team, we. We did fairly well. I was probably the best player in the league, played running back. And that's where the run out to the catch come from because I played running back and, you know, so I go and I practice with West End High School, the school that I ultimately end up going to. And it's like, you know, you're practicing and you're with like the JV squad and then like the varsity squad. But, you know, like, there's a scrimmage two weeks later, right? So you get two weeks to practice, and then you scrimmage at the end of those two weeks against, like, arrival school. And I'm like, fired up, getting ready. You know, you go through, like, the whole hazing process. They give me the helmet with the bar down the middle. It was bad. It was really bad. And I just remember, like, man, I'm gonna throw a tennis visor on this thing. I'm gonna be ready. And so I'm taking reps and, you know, I'm like, all right, this is about to be good. Like, I'm telling you, I'm gonna get out. I'm gonna get in with the ones that at very least the twos for sure, right? It's second quarter. I'm sweet. I got my visor on. I got my back flap. I got my jersey halfway rolled up. Uh, I was a good looking kid for a 9th grader. 8th grader going to 9th grader. And all right, halftime. I ain't got in yet. I'm like, all right, cool. Coach about to make these subs. I know I'm going in with the twos. The twos go in in third quarter. And so I'm still on the sideline. I'm like, all right, cool. So then coach called a timeout. We all huddled up. He like, all right, we gonna put the threes in now. So I'm like, uh, oh, yeah, I know. I'm about to go in with the threes. I know for sure. And threes. He's like, hey, Cordell, you go in there, running back. So I'm like, like, you picked Cordell for me, right? And so, like, mentally, like, I'm starting to freak out. Like, yeah, I might not get in this game. My whole family is here, right? Get to the fourth quarter, Jay. It's about four minutes left. I'm right behind coach.

Speaker B: He look and he like, ah, he looked.

Speaker A: He looked back and he like.

Speaker B: He looked right. He said, ah.

Speaker A: He like, ah, uh. And so I'm right. I'm right behind him, you know, eyes out wide, like. And he like. And so I'm m like, all right, cool. It's three minutes left. And he like, he looked back, he like, he like, Greg go in. I said what? He put Greg over me. So he go in the game, man. I walk to the far end of the sideline and it's like two minutes, two and a half minute left. And I'm just crying. I'm talking just um, I'm like crying, like just boo hoo crying. And I said never again. I said, I said I'll never be in this position again as long as I've never been in a position where somebody said I didn't work hard enough to get in the game. Like I didn't get in at all. And so I walked towards the end crying, man. Two weeks later we start, you know, summer, like practice. First one day of practice, last one to leave, first one there, last one in the league. We get to the first game of the season, this is my freshman year. And the running back does something he doesn't, like hit the hole. Like there's this one place you hit, you're supposed to bounce outside, right. It's like a read. He didn't do it. Coach looked at me and grabbed me and just threw me in the game. My first carry, I took it for like 30 yards. That was his last carry that he had. Literally that was his last carry that he had. Ah, he was a senior, I was a freshman. And from that point on it was, oh, I'm not letting up. Mhm. Ain't nobody getting this back. And so it's the same thought process like you said, from last to first. I came in college, we had Eric, we had Marlon, we had George, we had Sean. Right. Um, we had Caldwell. Right. So we had, we had you, we had um, man, I came in with two other three other freshmen. Um, um, Larry Awash, uh, and Wheeler. Right. And so again I'm in this bunch of group of people and I have this already established group that coach. No, And I remember there's like nine

Speaker B: dudes in that room.

Speaker A: Yeah. And I remember what I went through as a, as a, you know, eighth grader crying on the far end of that sideline. And I said, oh yeah, this ain't happening like that.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: I don't know this. No. That third spot that everybody was competing for. Nah, that's mine. I'm gonna outwork everybody. And that was just my mentality. But that was my, you know, last to first and that was it. That's how I live every day of my life.

Speaker B: You've been a testament to that. Since when? That was your eighth grade year when that happened.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And you ain't. You haven't lit up yet. Whether on, you know, on the gridiron, the classroom, and now in the leadership you're exhibiting at the national level, Arguably, bro, probably the most exciting sports program in the last decade. What's happening at Vanderbilt? I think they're gonna make movies about this stuff one day. Uh, and. And to see you being an integral part in all of that, um, you know, I'm proud because you're my brother, so I'm always proud and seeing anything you're doing successfully, bro. And obviously, being an alum, you know, it gives. I can actually talk some shit. Yeah. We come on TV now.

Speaker A: We on proud time. We on cbs.

Speaker B: I'm loud and proud. Yeah. So, uh, uh, and then, you know, the last thing I want to say is that we wrap up, man. One thing we didn't get to a lot of is that not only you're a lifelong learner, but, um, your family and your faith has been something that's. I remember when I went to Chicago, that game we talking about, you know, you've always had a bible out, always in. In the word, always making sure that that was, um. So there's a part of who you were.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And obviously your relationship with Keisha, your wife, who you've been with since high school, um, and your three beautiful children you have now. Um, you know, it's not said enough, man, for guys that do it the right way. And, uh, you certainly been one of those guys. And so even though I'm the older of the brothers, like, I always look to you and see how you've managed a lot of success, because a lot of times guys have success and they know how to manage that. So you stay level headed and, uh, you continue to achieve everywhere you go, bro. So proud of you, man. Keep going.

Speaker A: Yeah, that faith's unwavering, man. I, uh, know God put me in these positions to be who I am M. And to lead other people and to just show them what it looks like. Um, so genuine, authentic in who I am as a person. Um, Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior, and everybody knows that. And my family, they know it. Ej, my son, who's, you know, he's an athlete, my daughter, Skylah, who's an athlete. We have a two year old, Selah. And you know, Keisha does a really good job with ensuring that everybody stays on the right path. And so for me, it's, you know, I'm always going to push the margin. I'm always gonna teach my kids to, you know, like, understand that having a relationship with Christ is the most important thing.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And to be a servant to other people. And you served me, you know, you didn't even know who I was. And all you knew is I was a new teammate, somebody that's coming in to play and try to help us win football games. And so my faith is always gonna be unwavering. And that same kid that was crying at the end, you know, eighth grade, end of the field was the same one that's saying, like, all right, God, I see what you're doing, huh? I appreciate it. And I'm about to attack this thing head on. And so that's how I do everything. Whether it's nil, whether it's revenue share, whether it's fundraising, whether it's, you know, relationship building, whatever it is. I'm going to always approach it knowing that Jesus Christ has my back and there's nothing I could do.

Speaker B: That's it. Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Earl Bennett. The one, the only, Vandy's finest. Number. Number 10. Wait, no. How the saying go? Number 10 in your program, number one in your heart. Yeah, Drew. Love you, boy.

Speaker A: Appreciate it. Love you, brother.

Speaker B: Appreciate it.

Speaker A: You know it.

Speaker B: All right, last or first? Different type of episode. Hope you enjoyed it. Give us some comments below. If you like stuff like this, there's not many guys like Earl, but I know a few more sports guys you like. Some last and first sports stuff, we'll drop those, too. So peace out,

Speaker A: Sam.