Jack Jones: NFL Free Agent on a Journey of Redemption — From USC to ASU, Patriots to Raiders, Big Plays vs Mahomes & Rodgers, Snoop's Influence, Second Chances & Accountability as He Eyes His Next Team.

"Playing in the NFL is a privilege and if you don't take advantage of that privilege, you are going to lose it in a heartbeat." Jack Jones NFL Free Agent In this powerful and unfiltered episode of The Pivot Podcast, NFL free agent Jack Jones joins Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder to speak candidly about the road less traveled — a path marked by talent, turbulence, and turning points. Once a highly touted prospect with game-changing potential, Jack’s NFL journey has been anything but smooth. From academic ineligibility at USC and legal trouble in college, to his surprising rise with the Patriots and a second chance in Las Vegas, Jack opens up like never before. Known for his electric plays and having some of his best games against the league's best in Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert... Jack is ready to get back on the field and show the world he's still that guy. With free agency looming and a chip on his shoulder, Jack talks about how he’s stayed mentally tough, why he believes his best football is still ahead of him, and what it’s really like trying to rebuild a reputation in a league that doesn’t wait for anyone. He shares how poor decisions nearly derailed his career, the humbling reality of being waived, and how public criticism and personal reflection forced him to mature. Jack talks about the emotional toll of being misunderstood, the pressure of growing up fast in the NFL spotlight, and the accountability he’s had to develop as a man off the field. Growing up in Long Beach had its fair share of challenges but having Snoop, a musical and cultural icon, be a mentor and leader in his football league, he understood that having a strong support system is what keeps you grounded. This isn’t just a football conversation — it’s about ownership, self-awareness, and rebuilding from the inside out. With his future in the league uncertain, Jack discusses how he’s training harder than ever, shifting his mindset, and why he’s now focused not just on proving people wrong, but proving himself right. If you’re looking for an honest conversation about growth, second chances, and the hard lessons that shape real change — this one’s for you. Don't forget to subscribe and comment! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 0:30Fred Taylor?

  We doing our Eye on the Kicks this show?

• 0:32Ryan Clark?

  No. Hey, look at you. I know what you looking at. Ooh. You a pocket. I'm a pocket watcher. Boy, you are a pocket watcher, man. Don't you, you can't tuck them in. Hey, you know, you with Cali, man, he gonna tuck mine. You can't tuck, you can't tuck this like red on Friday. You can't tuck those. Man, he's a big piece of shit. Demo gonna see them.

• 1:15Ryan Clark?

  Jack Jones, man, welcome to the show. This is Fred Taylor, this is Shannon Crowder, I'm Ryan Clark. The Pivot fam, thank you for pivoting with us. This one, super cool for me, man. Jordan adores you, you know, man. Just his opportunity to play with you at ASU, watch you every day. You know, he used to be like, Pop, sometimes Jack Jack, he don't even use the right foot to break. You know what I mean? He's always talked about, man, how talented you are. Obviously, me and Antonio, AP, Antonio Pierce, are really close. He has a great affinity for you. I actually got to go to the BET Awards, right? And Snoop got the Icon Award, right? That is someone who was close to you or someone you were around growing up, played in the league, obviously there at the same high school, was able to see you.

• 2:00Ryan Clark?

  What's it like, man, growing up in Cali, having somebody like Snoop? Give back to the community the way he does and to be a part of that.

• 2:07Speaker 03

  I think that was a good thing. I was one of those guys who played in the Snoop Football League. He had shouted it out at the BET Awards, so when he shouted it out, you know, I felt that. But I think Snoop helped out a lot of guys, you know, when he said, I think he said 49 was the number, 49 guys that made it to the NFL, you know, that's big, you know, because he changing a lot of kids' life and he doing it in a tough slash rough area, you know what I'm saying? So it's like, well, without that, I mean, I don't know what it'd look like. And then you got an icon like Snoop, who's face all over the internet, face all over your phone, you know what I'm saying? And he's right there, you know, you can go up, talk to him at the games, you know, he's cool, he's approachable. So it's like, for you to have that, for me to have that, it was a blessing, you know what I'm saying? And now that I'm older, I see that looking back, you know, I don't take

• 2:52Speaker 03

  that for granted.

• 2:54Channing Crowder?

  Like you say, having that OG that can watch out for you, but you kind of said it, but how getting out of there, getting out of there, but also getting the mindset out of there. Because when you look at your story, you got some stuff. I got locked up four times. It is what it is. But just getting out of that mindset of coming from nothing and moving to something and having somebody like Snoop, but just having a bigger picture about yourself.

• 3:17Speaker 03

  You got people like Snoop in your life that's going to be the example, but it's honestly up to you to make the decision, you know, which way you want to go because, you know, nobody's controlling the decisions you make behind closed doors. So I think it was me, man. I just locked in and I just made the decision, like, you know, this is what I want to do, you know, this is the direction I want to go. And I don't want to be a street dude, quote unquote, you know what I'm saying? I want to play football.

• 3:42Fred Taylor?

  Long Beach probably has a long list of legendary guys that have made it to the big level. Like, trying to avoid the pitfalls of being on the streets, like, looking at those guys, how did that motivate or influence you to kind of steer clear in the positive direction?

• 3:56Speaker 03

  I had a great example before my time, and it's my uncle, you know what I'm saying? I kept hearing stories about my uncle, like... Story like crazy stories like, man, your uncle was the best football player to ever touch Polly. Man, your uncle was better than you. Man, you can't even see your uncle. Your uncle had off. You know what I'm saying? I'm hearing stories like that all the time. So, and but but they at the same time, they telling me these stories. They like, you know, but your uncle chose this route. Don't be like your uncle. Look, then I got friends that, you know what I'm saying? That's doing that. So it was like that. That's also another example. But I would really say my uncle, man, I I kept hearing it from young gays like, don't be like your uncle. You know what I'm saying? So I just try to keep my head straight.

• 4:37Ryan Clark?

  Jack, before you got to ASU in between leaving USC, what was that time for you and kind of how difficult was it to take care of yourself while waiting for that next opportunity?

• 4:52Speaker 03

  It was tough. It was tough because I I never been in a situation like that. Obviously, I come from rough times, Long Beach and all that stuff. But, you know, when I hit high school, and and really got to playing football, you know, I I started to get noticed pretty quick. So, you know, I I started to rise pretty quick. So when I got to SC, in my head, I was on top of the world. You know what I'm saying? And, you know, it was all it all ended quick. And I I don't know that that Juco, the Juco situation, it just, I don't know, it it humbled me. You know what I'm saying? It humbled me. It made me open my eyes like this is a privilege and it can be taken away any moment.

• 5:29Ryan Clark?

  What was that time like, though, in between being kicked out of USC and going to ASU? Like, how difficult was it?

• 5:35Speaker 03

  It was tough because I I got kicked out. And when I got kicked out, like I said, I was on top. And now when I had to go back home, that's where the decisions start to come in. You know what I'm saying? The decision making. And in my head, you know what I'm saying? I I just always thought like, you know, my parents, we got, we got four kids. So I I don't want to say we struggling, but we not in the best situation and I know that. So it was like for me to have this opportunity and then blow it on my own. It was just like, I just kind of felt like I couldn't go home like. And then obviously, my pops, my moms, they they never said, no, you can't come home. But I was just feeling like, man, I didn't want to be that dude to go home because they expected me as a child to to go out and take advantage of this opportunity that I had. And I didn't. So, and but that's why I say it was tough, man.

• 6:20Speaker 03

  I mean, I made that bad decision and it almost cost me my career.

• 6:23Fred Taylor?

  Jack, we've talked on this show a few times about Power Five versus HBCUs. Like, you went to the best of the best. You were five star. You went to USC. Like, the facilities. Probably don't get any better across, you know, power five schools. But then you were humbled and had to go to Moore Park College.

• 6:42Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 6:42Fred Taylor?

  Right? Not even HBCU. It's like right there, like almost out of football.

• 6:47Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 6:47Fred Taylor?

  Like, how humbling was that? Like, describe for us like the facilities, the differences?

• 6:52Speaker 03

  No, no, it was really humbling because I couldn't play football at JuCo. I was straight school. I went through that little case situation. So I'm walking around school with an ankle monitor on and I'm class to class, study hall to study hall and back to my home. That's all it was. But the reason I couldn't play football in JuCo is because they said, "You can't play two years of Division One football and play your third at a JuCo and then go to the NFL." It was some rule like that. So I just had to sit out that year, get my academics right and, you know, call AP and, you know. Yeah, that happened.

• 7:24Ryan Clark?

  I want to ask about that, man. Antonio Pierce, like, you know, we had him on the show. He's one of my closest friends. Like, he is what you see, right? That's who AP is. What was that phone call like, though, when you guys started to discuss you becoming a part of ASU under Herm Edwards?

• 7:42Speaker 03

  He asked me where I was at. He was like, "Uh, so where you at? Like, what you doing, you know, situation and everything?" And I told him the whole situation. I'm like, "It's done. I'm handling it." And I told him I'm in school right now. And then he connected me with like an academic advisor at ASU. Ever since then, I've just been calling the academic advisor back and forth like, "Yo, am I on track for this? Am I on track for that?" Because at first, I was going to Houston, you know. I thought I was going to Houston. You know, I was talking to the coach and then one day he called me. He was like, "Yo, we checked his transcripts and I guess something don't match up or you don't have the credit or something." And then I called AP and then, you know, ever since then, I was back and forth with the academic coach and, you know, make sure I was doing what I was supposed to.

• 8:24Channing Crowder?

  But through all of that, did you ever lose hope?

• 8:27Speaker 03

  Oh, for sure.

• 8:28Channing Crowder?

  Because it seemed, nah, it seems like a lot.

• 8:30Speaker 03

  Yeah, for sure.

• 8:31Channing Crowder?

  And you ain't even making it to the league yet. You were 18. Like, and like, bro, football might not be the thing. You know what I'm saying? When did you lose hope and what?

• 8:41Speaker 03

  What were some of those down times like? Honestly, when I went to jail, man, when I sat in that cell, I told myself, I was like, man, it's over. I thought it was done. I don't know, I just, I ain't got no quit in me, man. But I ain't gonna act like I did it myself because it was times and I had conversations with, you know, some of my peers, some of my friends, like, man, I think I'm done with football. You know, I got a good circle of good friends around me and they cut that out quick. What you mean you done with football? Nah, bro, you ain't done with football. You gonna keep going, you don't quit on it. And that's all it really took from me because it was like, I didn't want to quit, but I just had it in the back of my head. I'm like, damn, it's over. I was telling myself negative thoughts, but I didn't let it get to me, though.

• 9:19Ryan Clark?

  Jack, that was a time that you were without a team. And this is where you are now. You are a free agent in the NFL. You're with the Raiders, cut right before OTAs. What are your thoughts now, right? When you wake up in the morning, you know you don't have a team. When you go get on the grind, what's your motivation and what's driving you every day to still put in that work?

• 9:43Speaker 03

  I would say the last situation I've been through, the Juco, you know, the ASU, all that stuff, you know, that just kind of molded me like, I don't even know what that is. I just can't quit. Like hypothetically, God forbid, say I don't get a call. You know, I'm still not gonna stop. I'm still gonna keep working out, still try to get on the team, go play UFL, XFL, whatever the case may be, and just keep working until I get another shot in the NFL. But I'm gonna keep playing football as long as my legs work.

• 10:07Ryan Clark?

  Jack, man, I want to take you to a happier time, man. Let's go back to Christmas two years ago, right? We in Kansas City, playing against the almighty Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs. Honestly, man, it's the play and the day that got Antonio Pierce the head coaching job. Bro, you get the pick, you're running, Patrick Mahomes just kind of chasing you, and you just eyeballing him. Take me through that whole sequence, man. And when you're running back to the end zone, dog, like, what is your thought?

• 10:39Speaker 03

  So on the play he rolled out, I seen him roll out. And then if you watched the replay, he kinda like floated the ball. Like, I don't know, it wasn't enough heat. And in my head, when I seen it, I'm like, oh, it's mine. And I grabbed it. When I grabbed it, I was looking at him like, don't catch me. But then, once I got past him, I did wanna say like, you can't fuck with me. You know what I'm saying? I wanted to pop my stuff, but I'm like, I had too much respect for him. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's Patrick Mahomes, like, one of the greatest quarterbacks. So it was like, it was just a stare down, like, I'm here, you know what I'm saying?

• 11:11Fred Taylor?

  But your rookie year, didn't you have a pick-six off of Aaron Rodgers too?

• 11:15Speaker 03

  Yeah, Aaron Rodgers, yeah.

• 11:16Fred Taylor?

  What was that moment like? Did you feel the same?

• 11:18Speaker 03

  Uh, no, that one, I was more so trying to prove myself, man. That was like a proving game. I was in New England, that was my first time starting. I was just locked in, I don't know. And I remember it was a play before that, he had ran like a fire right out, and I seen it. And I was like, man, I could've picked that, like, let me go get that next time. And that next time came up, and I went and got it, you know what I'm saying? But nah, with the A-Rod one, it was, I ain't think nothing like that. I was just hungry.

• 11:44Ryan Clark?

  Jack, none of those plays gotta be more fun though than the screen. Who was the screen against?

• 11:48Speaker 03

  That was Chargers.

• 11:49Ryan Clark?

  Right, you playing the Chargers, right? You, clearly you knew what was coming.

• 11:53Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 11:53Ryan Clark?

  But like, the thing I say always separates like the good players and, you know, he's a great player, he'll be a Hall of Famer one day. The good players and the great players is the willingness to believe what they see.

• 12:05Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 12:05Ryan Clark?

  Jack, you were so far in the backfield on the screen, you had to turn around, basically.

• 12:10Speaker 03

  Yeah, I almost overran it. I almost overran it.

• 12:12Ryan Clark?

  Like, how you overrun a ball that's four yards behind the line of scrimmage at corner? I don't know. Bro, like, what coverage were you in? And what tipped you off that that was gonna be the play?

• 12:22Speaker 03

  What tipped me off was the motion in.

• 12:24Ryan Clark?

  Right.

• 12:24Speaker 03

  When I seen the motion in, I was like, I gotta go get it. But what allowed me to go get it was cover two, you know what I'm saying? Cause if it was in cover three, even man to man.

• 12:32Ryan Clark?

  You played deep part of it.

• 12:33Speaker 03

  Yeah, I doubt I would've jumped it like that, you know what I'm saying? But when it was cover two, I had a safety over top, I seen the motion out from in. I'm like, yeah, that's me. I gotta go get that. But I was on it so quick though, like you say. And that's why I caught it with one hand. I didn't catch it with one hand intentionally, like, I almost overran it, and I just had to reach back and grab it, and just kept going.

• 12:53Channing Crowder?

  Man, listen to these plays, bro. You know, picked off. Pick six, A-Rod, pick six, Mahomes. All of that stuff, bro. Picking off screens, overrunning the screen, which is crazy. I gotta go watch that play. I ain't seen that one, I ain't gonna lie. What's stopping you from being on the team? What's, what, why did two teams now say, "I can't be there"? What do you need to improve on?

• 13:14Speaker 03

  And that's a good question. I'm glad you asked that, so I could express myself. Uh, it's me, you know what I'm saying? It's nothing else. Like I said before, you know, playing in the NFL is a privilege. And if you don't take advantage of the privilege, then you're gonna lose that privilege, you know, in a heartbeat. And, you know, for all the young guys that's out there watching, I hope they, they use this, me, as an example like this. This could be going in a heartbeat, no matter how good you are, how talented you are. But man, I just can't wait to prove myself, you know? Looking forward to the next team. Like I said, I'm working out every day, just going hard, man. Just ready to prove myself and show that I am who I say I am, and I'm not who they think I am.

• 13:51Channing Crowder?

  But you talking about, on the field, you can do it all.

• 13:53Speaker 03

  Oh yeah, for sure.

• 13:54Channing Crowder?

  You talking about, you got, you need somebody to believe in you off the field as well.

• 13:58Speaker 03

  I gotta, I gotta show before you believe. So that's me taking that step. And I'm gonna take that step. I'm gonna do what I gotta do.

• 14:05Fred Taylor?

  I see similar characteristics in NAP, who I love to death.

• 14:08Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 14:09Fred Taylor?

  Like just playing against him, competitor, seeing him coached, you know, rooting for him to, to be successful there, looking for an opportunity a- as well. Do you think him being there gave you more of a chance to kind of grow? You know, to become the person you are? Tell us a little bit about you guys' relationship and what he truly means to you.

• 14:31Speaker 03

  First of all, let me shout out Coach Kim, Monica Kim, and let me shout out Antonio Pierce, Coach Pierce. Without them two, you know, this whole thing probably wouldn't even be possible. You know, Coach Kim was the head of it all. You know, you see AP face, cause you know, he's the head coach. But, you know, without Coach Kim, you know, AP probably wouldn't even know who I am, you know what I'm saying? So shout out to Coach Kim. But, but AP, nah, man, he, he helped me out through it all, through, you know. I remember one of the first conversations we had, we, uh, I was playing DB, you know? This was high school. We came in my junior year. I was playing DB. My sophomore year, I played safety. I played safety. I was about like... 140 soaking wet. You know what I'm saying, that's safety, but I'm flying around making plays, but when he seen me though,

• 15:14Speaker 03

  he was like, "Man, you not no corner, you a receiver." But the way he said it, and me being young, where I'm from, I'm like, "What?" Like, Right. He don't know who you talking to, like, but he changed my position and he changed my life, because that's where all my offers came from, and to be honest, I love, I love receiver, you know what I'm saying, that was one of the positions, but I had moved back to DB, because it was honestly a battle between me and AP, like nah, bro, I'm a DB, I'm gonna show you that I'm a DB, you know what I'm saying? But nah, AP mean the world to me, man, and I forever appreciate him, you know what I'm saying, and everything he done, and he know what he means to me, you know what I'm saying? And I thank him for everything.

• 15:53Ryan Clark?

  You know, Jordan talks about it, AP talks about it, like you are a football player.

• 15:57Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 15:57Ryan Clark?

  The way you see the game, the way you see life, all of those things are the sort of mentalities that make you a five-star, that puts you on the field early at USC, that allow you to transfer to Arizona State and make plays. Like, we just had a running conversation about your NFL pick sixes, you know? I put myself on blast, I ain't got one, you know what I mean? I played 13 years, like you are a special football player. You know, you mentioned it was you, right? You were the reason. Why should somebody believe that this special football player that's always made plays, that off-the-field stuff has made him switch teams? Why is somebody to believe that you can change that, and you will change that?

• 16:42Speaker 03

  It's the day-to-day, it's about being consistent. I be consistent by showing up and proving that, you know what I'm saying? I could, I could sit here and tell you I'm gonna be perfect all day, I could sit here and tell you I'm gonna go 10-for-10 always, but you know, without the work, without the effort, without the consistency, then it's all talk. You know, I'mma, I mean, I'mma just show up and prove it, you know what I'm saying? Whatever team need a corner, gonna give me an opportunity, I'mma show up and prove it every day, you know, I'mma be the best guy on the field, I'mma be the best guy on the field.

• 17:09Ryan Clark?

  I love that. When you look back at sort of the things that made you the way you are, right? Being from where you're from in California, like we know game...

• 17:22Ryan Clark?

  Experiences are high there, right? Gang activity is high there. We know that those are places that you can get caught up in the things around you and the things that you see. What was it that allowed you to avoid those things? And continue playing football at a high level like you have?

• 17:39Speaker 03

  I would say football. Football and the friends you keep, man. That's a real quote, you know? You show me your friends, I'll show you your future. You know, that's a real thing. Friends I was with in high school, you know, we was all ball. We all wanted the same thing. We was all chasing the same thing. So we all go work out every day. We working out every day. We just chasing football. If I was with my homies that was in the streets and was dibbling back and forth, then I probably wouldn't be here. But, you know, like I said, I made up my mind and I hung out with the right guys and we got to work.

• 18:11Channing Crowder?

  I was supposed to get drafted first round. I was All-American. But I wasn't an All-American after practice ended. God, really. And you have Gainesville. They locked me up, assaulted and all this. So I was just, I was a fighter. Somebody say something crazy. I was from Atlanta. You called me a bitch, you gotta get punched in the face. Now I was a 41 year old.

• 18:31Ryan Clark?

  It's like that in California.

• 18:32Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, California thing, you know what I'm saying? So that's the whole thing. And I told the NFL coaches, I was at the combine. They kind of asked me, why are you getting arrested so much? I said, Coach, I can't deal with disrespect. And through time now, being 41, now I've been retired 12 years. So now I understand what, at 41, I understand what 21-year-old me was thinking. And I wish I could go talk to him. What would you say to yourself seven, eight years ago? Could you, could you really address yourself? Because the trouble you talking about and the things that go and the Wikipedia stuff and the records, that shit's always gonna be on wax. What would you go back and tell yourself? And what is, what are, what are those? I know I had an anger management problem.

• 19:14Channing Crowder?

  And I know now, they can call me a bitch all day and I'll walk away smiling. You a bitch. Have a good one Freddie. I ain't gonna jump on him. But at 18, 19, I'm gonna jump on him, you know what I'm saying? Like, when you talk about like, growing, if you go back and talk to your 18-year-old self, how could you, and to be honest, how can these teams know that you have grown now?

• 19:34Speaker 03

  It's bigger than me, man. I got kids depending on me, man. I got my girl depending on me. I got family members depending on me, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, I would just emphasize that, that it's bigger than me. And once you take I out of the equation, you know, that make you go so much harder for other people, for your loved ones.

• 19:51Ryan Clark?

  You were drafted to a Belichick-led team.

• 19:54Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 19:54Ryan Clark?

  What did you learn from that experience? Because that's a place where discipline is important. That's a place where being on time is important. That's a place where being accountable is important. Freddie T. says it all the time, you know, do business as business as being done. Was there anything that you can go back to that experience and say, "Okay, going forward, some of those things I learned could help me from a guy like a Bill Belichick"?

• 20:20Speaker 03

  First of all, man, I appreciate Bill, man. And I thank Bill for, you know, taking the opportunity on me. But, man, I just was young, man. I, you know, I wasn't carrying myself right up out the building. I don't know, just the discipline level of it just taught me like, the stuff that's going on outside of the building, you can't bring it to the building. And I was honestly, my first couple of years, I was having troubles with that. I was having problems with that because it was like, I'm a dude who I'm gonna wear it on my sleeve. If I'm mad, you gonna see that. You know, I learned from that situation, but I definitely learned from there. It's like, the stuff that happened outside is outside. And the stuff that happened inside is inside, you know what I'm saying? But that's just like the going with your quote, like, handle business as business as being done, you know?

• 21:04Speaker 03

  And you're not, you ain't got no girlfriend up at that building, you know what I'm saying? You ain't got no kids at that building, you know what I'm saying? You ain't got family members at that building. When you go up there, it's football and it's friends. And that's what I learned. I also learned ball too, though, because Bill Belichick and that whole program or whatever, they taught me ball, man. They taught me ball. Just going from ASU to New England, man, I learned a lot of football. And I think that's why I was able to have such a good year, my rookie year, because I learned a lot from Bill and Mike and New England.

• 21:37Ryan Clark?

  That's awesome, man.

• 21:38Fred Taylor?

  I learned that quote. From Bill in year 12, when I was a free agent in my time in New England. And I just embraced it all. But as you are, the NFL is a business, right? And as you're sitting there waiting for another opportunity, doing business as is being done. What are you doing to, one, stay focused on that, but also to keep yourself busy with maybe, you know, something else that you have a passion for? Like, I think music is a big thing.

• 22:09Speaker 03

  Yeah, a little bit of music, man. I go to the studio a little bit, but I don't, I don't release no songs. That's just, you know, I just go to the stu- It'd be therapy. Yeah, yeah, that's it. Just go to the studio, just hang out, make a song or something. But for the most part, man, I just, I play the game, man. I get on the game, play Call of Duty, play NCAA, play Madden, play something, you know what I'm saying? But, but that's my getaway zone, man. I go and play the game, you know, stay out the streets, stay, stay from outside, you know, I'm in the house with my girl, my son, and I'm just on the game.

• 22:38Channing Crowder?

  You playing the guitar and the piano, or you got bars?

• 22:41Speaker 03

  Nah, I'm, I'm more of a, like, rapper. But I ain't, but I ain't no rapper, though. Hey, I ain't a rapper. But he's not a rapper.

• 22:49Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 22:52Speaker 00

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• 23:21Ryan Clark?

  We all come from these different places. When people are from New Orleans, they're very passionate about what New Orleans is and about what having the area code 504 means, right? Where he's from, Belglades, right? They're very passionate about who they are. You know what I'm saying?

• 23:42Ryan Clark?

  Atlanta's not really as much, but like Atlanta as well.

• 23:45Speaker 05

  What did you just say about Atlanta?

• 23:46Ryan Clark?

  Nah, I'm just joking. Atlanta, Atlanta as well. When you think about the culture of LA, when you think about the sort of people that have made it out, then also too, man, some of the greats from LA that we've lost too soon, right? What is it that you're proud of about where you're from?

• 24:09Speaker 03

  From Long Beach. I'm proud of my city that made me. I don't know. Proud of everything. I appreciate everything because without that, that journey, then I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't have that dog I got in me today. I wouldn't have that fight, that relentlessness, you know what I'm saying? I don't know. I appreciate Long Beach for everything, man. For the relationships I had back at home, for the teachers that said hurtful things to me, you know what I'm saying? And I really don't mean this in an envious way. Like, I really mean, like, I appreciate that because without that, then I wouldn't have made it, like, you know what I'm saying? Because I still do think about some of the stuff that I was told back in high school, good and bad, like, you know what I'm saying? But I appreciate the whole thing, man.

• 24:53Speaker 03

  I'm really blessed to be in this situation, coming where I'm coming from, you know, to have the relationships that I got, man. And I appreciate it all, man. But I love my city. It's on me forever, and I'm a forever rebel.

• 25:05Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, I think that's dope, man. You know, it was obviously Snoop first for a kid from Louisiana. Like, Snoop was like the first time I even ever heard of Long Beach. Like, you know, to be honest. And then it continues to grow. And it's become, especially Long Beach Poly, back, you know, a few years ago, the sort of football players that they were putting out, right? What they do in college, guys going to the league. If you weren't doing football, what would and where would Jack Jones be?

• 25:39Ryan Clark?

  You said that football is what kept you from the rest of it, right? That passion. So what would you be doing if you didn't have football?

• 25:50Speaker 03

  I don't even want to put it on camera. You know what I'm saying? It's football. That's what I am. I'm a football player. I don't want to talk about what could have been or if it didn't happen. And I hate that, man. It's football, man. And I've been playing football since I could walk. It was no other sport. You know what I'm saying? It wasn't soccer, baseball, basketball, track and field. Never ran track and field. It was football. I played football. Football wasn't in season. We outside in the field playing football with some friends. That stuff ain't, you know what I'm saying? That stuff for the birds.

• 26:25Ryan Clark?

  Honestly, man, honestly, there's no better answer than that, bro. There is no better answer.

• 26:30Fred Taylor?

  RC speaks about his Plan A or not having the Plan B because he's so tied into Plan A, which I think is great.

• 26:39Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 26:40Fred Taylor?

  But I do want to ask you, because of, you know, having been released and now waiting for another opportunity. Going back to the situation from USC, having to go to JuCo, do you think that prepared you for, you know, what you're going through or experiencing now as you wait for another opportunity? I'm talking about in terms of masking or minimizing the frustrations, understanding the patience game, and just continue to stay focused, steering clear of trouble so you can get that shot.

• 27:14Speaker 03

  Absolutely, because I continuously tell myself to this day, you know what I'm saying? And I'm gonna keep telling myself like, I've been here before and I ain't breaking. I ain't gonna break now, you know what I'm saying? So one foot in front of the other, keep working. And when that call happened, that call happened. You know what I'm saying? But... I don't know, I don't want to be looking up just trying to what if and because you know that is too much hope. That had your heart beating fast, you know what I'm saying? Too much anxiety, you know what I'm saying? Just one foot in front of the other, man. Just keep working, head down, work. That call gonna happen when it happen, God's timing.

• 27:47Fred Taylor?

  And the silver lining is, I just met your, you say your son was like a year and a half?

• 27:51Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 27:51Fred Taylor?

  He gonna be causing hell in about another six to eight months. And the cabinets and everything. The silver lining though, the opportunity to spend more time at home, you know, you want to be in OTAs and all that different stuff, I get it. But there's always a positive in these sort of moments. Like, talk to us about, you know, that, seeing him grow and being there right now.

• 28:13Speaker 03

  Nah, it is a positive being around my son because if I wasn't at the house, then I'd be at football practice or OTAs, you know what I'm saying? Working out for however many hours. But we understand, me and my girl, like, it's ball, you know what I'm saying? So, ball first, I ain't gonna say ball first because it's family first, but, but we understand it's ball and ball is what's gonna take care of us, you know what I'm saying? So, but nah, it's good to see my son, man, but I'm definitely still working out. We gotta go work out, you know what I'm saying? You gotta get that out right in the day, you know what I'm saying? But, but it's definitely, it's definitely good to see my son a lot more than what I was seeing him during the season.

• 28:46Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 28:47Channing Crowder?

  As you watch games and as you really, I don't even grow, but really get older, watch football, watch people getting drafted and all that.

• 28:55Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 28:56Channing Crowder?

  You really have a gift.

• 28:58Speaker 03

  He does.

• 28:59Channing Crowder?

  Are you starting to appreciate that gift more? Because I'll be honest, I don't think I appreciated my gifts like I should have early in my career. Do you appreciate, honestly, you worked for some, but God gave you some of them. Are you appreciating those gifts now? If you can watch people play and you can see folks that got jobs? That I would say, I didn't have a job and I was still better than some of the motherfuckers out there. You know what I'm saying? But not you, but did you appreciate those gifts and are you starting to look at it differently?

• 29:26Speaker 03

  I definitely do, but I also feel like at the same time I'm shorting myself because, you know, when I'm training in the offseason, it's no DB work. I don't have a DB trainer. Like, I had never had a DB trainer my whole life. It's just stay in shape, you know what I'm saying? However, I gotta stay in shape. But I think once, once I find a coach.

• 29:45Speaker 03

  Find somebody solid in the offseason. We could spend however many weeks together. Then I think I'd be taking full advantage of, you know, my talent. But, but definitely, I, I do appreciate it though.

• 29:55Ryan Clark?

  I know you live here, but I'll be in Arizona for, from June until training camp. Every week, two days a week, Monday, Thursday.

• 30:05Speaker 03

  I'm gonna be out there. I'm gonna go, I gotta go home and see my daughter for about two weeks and I'm gonna leave and go back to, back to Arizona, probably like beginning of July, end of June.

• 30:13Channing Crowder?

  What's your best four to ever?

• 30:15Ryan Clark?

  My best four?

• 30:16Channing Crowder?

  Yeah.

• 30:17Ryan Clark?

  Four or five?

• 30:18Speaker 03

  Yeah, I ran four or five. I was hurt.

• 30:20Channing Crowder?

  He just looking a little quicker than you.

• 30:22Ryan Clark?

  He's way quicker than me.

• 30:22Channing Crowder?

  If your feet, if you can get your feet work into them legs.

• 30:25Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, he's way quicker than me.

• 30:26Channing Crowder?

  I think we got action.

• 30:28Ryan Clark?

  I tell you what, I do know how to do though. Because I wasn't fast, I know, I know how to get it and I know how to coach it.

• 30:33Channing Crowder?

  Yes.

• 30:34Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, so now hit me up. We like, we could do that. I do wanna ask this though, man. It's a pretty cool transition. He asked you about being able to spend more time with your son. I'm obviously gonna be in Arizona, cause I'll be training Jordan and all the people who are working out there. It's June, it's Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. It's also Father's Day. You seem to be really dialed in. You just said, you know, you talked about having your son, but go and see your daughter. When you think about the type of father you want to be, what do you want those kids to see in you?

• 31:06Speaker 03

  I want them to see, see me and say daddy never quit. Life gonna get hard and, but I think that, that you need to go through them hard times to go, to get to where you wanna go. Because it's like, wherever you're trying to go is precious. And for you to have something precious, you gotta go through something hard or you gotta, cause now, anything that's worth happening is, is not easy, you know what I'm saying? So daddy never quit. And, and if daddy never quit, then I don't, I don't never need to quit. I'm gonna make sure my kids grow up different, you know what I'm saying? Around a lot more money than, than I grew up around, but it's not gonna be easy. It's, it's not gonna be handouts. I just wanna, I just wanna instill that in my kids that life is hard and when the hard times come, you can't quit. You gotta go harder.

• 31:46Ryan Clark?

  You look at where you are now.

• 31:50Ryan Clark?

  You have made more plays than many people who are in mini camps these weeks. You started more games than many people who have helmets and roster spots. When you think about the way you'll enter the building with your next opportunity, what do you think is most important to show that next coach, that next organization, that next locker room?

• 32:20Speaker 03

  That I'm here for ball and all the outside noise that I'm pretty sure they hearing. You know, the Jack is hanging out with the wrong group. Jack don't always make the right decisions. You know, I'm gonna be there and I'm gonna prove that wrong. You know what I'm saying? I'm gonna show up, like I say, show up every day, go to work, put on my hard hat, you know, close my mouth and just get to work. The next team I go to, whatever team it is, you know, I don't expect them to be like, "Yo, Jack, you made X amount of plays, you're a starter." Nah, man, start me with the fourth group, with the last group. I'll work my way up. That ain't nothing to me. I'm cool with proving myself, but just give me a chance to prove myself because I'm willing to prove myself and do it every day.

• 33:00Ryan Clark?

  You seem different, right? And I can be honest, like, we didn't talk a lot when you were in school. I don't know a ton about you personally, other than what people have told me. But, you know, you had being kicked out of USC, right? You had being in a jail cell, right? You had not getting your transcripts right for Houston. Like, it's been adversity, Jack. Like, you've been faced with not having football before. And the conventional mind would say, all of those things didn't necessarily change decision-making. What is it about, whether it's you right now or the situation you're in right now,

• 33:45Ryan Clark?

  that has you speaking with such clarity that the next time will be so different for you?

• 33:52Speaker 03

  Because I went through what I went through. If I wouldn't have went through what I went through, then I probably wouldn't be talking this confident. You know what I'm saying? But I went through what I went through and... It really made me open my eyes like that. This is a privilege and it can be taken away anytime. And if there's something that I say I want, I gotta prove that I want it by showing up, being consistent, doing what I'm supposed to, doing what I'm asked to do, you know what I'm saying? And doing it at a high level.

• 34:16Speaker 00

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• 34:46Channing Crowder?

  But you are your resume. Back to what I was saying, bro. I was a problem. I was a problem. You're your resume. It is what it is. But your resume has some hella fired ups?

• 34:57Speaker 03

  Man, highlights.

• 34:58Channing Crowder?

  Hella fired ups, bro. But those downs are what you're fighting, to be honest. I'll be honest with you, as an unk. Those downs are what you're fighting. Kind of along that line of Ryan, where teams want to figure out why those lows come.

• 35:16Channing Crowder?

  And address them. You had to address those things. I knew, I just partied. I was a partier. And they knew it. Everybody went around, drafted. They knew. Crowd was gonna go out. Crowd was gonna party and all that stuff. So that's the, kind of the transition of it. Is, do the kids? Are the kids the reason to change? What's that reason for your change? Because that's what you need, is those lows in your resume? There has to be a reason for a transition.

• 35:43Speaker 03

  Like I say, my kids, family member girls, they counting on me. And me wanting to play football. And if I lose football, then I'm losing what I want and I'm hurting my family members who counting on me, you know what I'm saying? So, I gotta change. I don't have no choice but to change. And if I don't change, then I'm gonna be doing stuff I don't want to do, you know what I'm saying? Working out for a team I might not want to play for. It's just about, like I say, Putting the next foot in front of the other, keeping a good mindset and keep going. And I'm able, I'm here today thinking with this positive mindset because I've been through it before. And I know how to handle it. I know where to go when I need this help. I know where to go when I need this help.

• 36:22Speaker 03

  I got people in my, in my corner, my girl, I got, I got help from people and I just need to start reaching out. And that's, that's what I learned.

• 36:31Ryan Clark?

  Who, who do you talk to, Jack? Like when you mentioned bringing the outside stuff into the building?

• 36:37Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 36:37Ryan Clark?

  Or whatever it was that caused tension in Las Vegas? Is there a person or are there people that you could get on the phone with and say, hey, man? This is what I'm going through. How would you handle it? This is what I'm going through. What decisions should I make? Because we talk about it on this show all the time, bro, like our careers, our lives, whatever it is, like they aren't this linear transfer of experiences that you don't need other people's help. Right? Do you have people that you feel like you could lean on when you get in these times where things could seem overwhelming?

• 37:16Speaker 03

  Absolutely. Some of the people I named earlier, Coach Kim, AP, I called TJ Housmanzada. Those, those some of the main three that I call, like, you know, when I, when I got a question about whatever it may be, you know, most of the stuff is football, but you know, whatever it may be, I call them like no hesitation. You know, they pick up the phone. If not, they'll call me right back. But, but those, those are the, those are the people I run to and they, they've been helping me out a lot.

• 37:42Fred Taylor?

  I'm a tattoo man, right? Like I get some tattoos, we all are obviously, and some are more meaningful than others.

• 37:48Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 37:49Fred Taylor?

  I see NFL right there on your knuckle.

• 37:51Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 37:51Fred Taylor?

  I was trying to make out what it says below that. But I see Jackie.

• 37:55Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 37:55Fred Taylor?

  I see MLK over there.

• 37:57Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 37:57Fred Taylor?

  Is that a Jack?

• 37:58Speaker 03

  Yeah, that's a Jack card.

• 38:00Fred Taylor?

  Oh, the Jack card right there. Like what's, like, give me a story behind like your, your most meaningful piece of art.

• 38:07Speaker 03

  I just, I go through some of them. The NFL one is just never forget loyalty. That's why I got that, you know what I'm saying? It's just the loyal ones who've been loyal to me, you know, I, I never. Never forget about him and I, you know, I always got him, you know, even if it seem like I don't, we ain't talking every day, I'm, I'm, I'm still here, you know what I'm saying? But then this right here is, uh, this is my grandma name, my grandma Jackie, and her favorite color is a sun, uh, yellow, so I got a sunflower. And then I got my mom on the inside, my guardian angel. And I just got a crown, got the city right here. And then MLK, I just got that, just young.

• 38:43Ryan Clark?

  Hey, my man went through all the tattoos. He got to like a historical civil rights activist, and he goes, I just got that one, I was young.

• 38:54Channing Crowder?

  Look at this, look at this one.

• 38:56Ryan Clark?

  The no, the no fear with the tribal, it's terrible.

• 39:00Channing Crowder?

  That was the young dumb shit for me.

• 39:02Fred Taylor?

  Stripper mode.

• 39:03Channing Crowder?

  Who does that, yeah, that was my stripper tattoo, that's why I keep my, my.

• 39:06Ryan Clark?

  Man, how old were you when you did that?

• 39:08Channing Crowder?

  I was 18.

• 39:10Ryan Clark?

  First one?

• 39:11Channing Crowder?

  It was, it was close.

• 39:12Ryan Clark?

  Man.

• 39:13Speaker 03

  Yeah, that just there alone is crazy, is that right? I make it on with just that one?

• 39:18Fred Taylor?

  No, but Jack, just.

• 39:19Ryan Clark?

  You might as well get a belly, uh, belly button tattoo.

• 39:23Fred Taylor?

  Right around the.

• 39:25Channing Crowder?

  I'd have a belly ring.

• 39:26Ryan Clark?

  Get that freaky Z, that's I on.

• 39:27Fred Taylor?

  Jack, something, something stood out to me, man, uh, you spoke about loyalty.

• 39:31Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 39:31Fred Taylor?

  Right, and as a young guy, you know, we wanna make sure we remember where we come from.

• 39:36Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 39:36Fred Taylor?

  You know, a lot of people that have taken chances on us coming up, you say, I got you.

• 39:40Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 39:40Fred Taylor?

  You know, but you also gotta find a balance so that you don't put yourself in a negative.

• 39:45Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 39:45Fred Taylor?

  Where you're underwater.

• 39:46Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 39:46Fred Taylor?

  Now, speak to that, um, you know, that holds, that, that, that loyalty theme to, to make sure that, yeah, I got you.

• 39:54Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 39:54Fred Taylor?

  But there's a, there's a thin line, like, I can't have you bringing, you know, bringing issues my way.

• 40:01Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 40:01Fred Taylor?

  So we gotta play each other at a distance, cuz I gotta be right. Cuz if you crack the piggy bank, then we lose everything.

• 40:07Speaker 03

  Now, yeah, well, I, I talk to my homies about that all the time, man, and, and my homies is smart enough to, to understand the situation that I'm in, they smarter to, to see that the situation that I went through last time was eating me that, and I don't wanna go through that no more, so when we go out or anything like that, we, we get together and. I don't hang out with a bad group of guys. Like, the friends I hang out with, they don't have no criminal record. Like, so I'm just put that there, like.

• 40:32Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 40:33Speaker 03

  But, but when we go out, though, it's, don't start nothing, it won't be nothing. We, and we don't plan on finishing nothing, we could always walk away. And I tell them, I tell them out my mouth, you know what I'm saying? This is me talking, I say, I say, "Bro, if we get into a fight and we go and beat this dude up, Hufé's gonna be on the news. This is gonna be yours, or it's gonna be mine."

• 40:49Fred Taylor?

  Right.

• 40:50Speaker 03

  And then they, it's, yeah, so it's like, "Come on, bro." It's like, we all love each other here, so it's like, do something for your loved one and, and just, you know what I'm saying, calm down when we go out and...

• 41:00Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, I, I ask that because, you know, we have a lot of impressionable young guys that aspire to be where we all are.

• 41:06Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 41:06Fred Taylor?

  Watching the show. And, and they like to, they get lost in that.

• 41:10Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 41:10Fred Taylor?

  You know what I'm saying? I gotta be here, I gotta look out for the hood, I gotta look out for my people, but there's a way to do it.

• 41:15Speaker 03

  Nah, yeah, I'm strict with mines, ain't, ain't no knuckleheads with me.

• 41:18Fred Taylor?

  Right, right.

• 41:18Speaker 03

  I ain't gonna lie, and anybody who wanna quote-unquote "crash out," yeah, you crash out by yourself. Right? Yeah, I mean, we ain't crashing out over here, you know what I'm saying? Crashing out. Yeah, we just trying to have fun, you know what I'm saying? Get back home safe to our babies, you know what I'm saying, but...

• 41:31Ryan Clark?

  Have you had to cut anybody off, though?

• 41:32Speaker 03

  Oh, absolutely.

• 41:33Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, like, make smart decisions?

• 41:35Speaker 03

  Absolutely, man, and it come with a heartbeat, and it, it come, like, it's like, like, I love you, but at the same time, fuck you, you know what I'm saying? 'Cause it's like, you trying to tear me down, you know what I'm saying? But, and, and I can't have that, 'cause it's, like I say, it's bigger than me. I got people, babies, uh, family members counting on me. And I cut somebody off in a heartbeat, you know what I'm saying?

• 41:54Ryan Clark?

  That's smart, though, man.

• 41:55Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, no, see, I was trying, I was trying to lay up for the, the biggest pivot question. And we always ask our guests on the show, what's their biggest pivot in life?

• 42:04Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 42:04Fred Taylor?

  That's that one moment you can look back on and say, because of this happening, or without this happening to me or for me, I wouldn't be, uh, who I am today.

• 42:13Speaker 03

  I'd probably say sitting in that jail cell, man. Sitting in that jail cell, going through that time, having to do that time. Man, that, that was rough, man, that, that was rough. Without, without that, 'cause it was that, that, in that moment right there, it felt like football was gone. Like, you know what I'm saying? There was no football at all, it was, uh, I wasn't gonna play another snap, like, you know what I'm saying? And I was in Juco, so I couldn't play football too, so it was really tough, but, but, but that moment right there, I would say, that, that was my pivot in life, where it was a wake-up call, like, which way you wanna go? You wanna go left, or you wanna go right? You know what I'm saying, so... Crazy how God work, ain't it? Yeah. Boy. Absolutely, man.

• 42:53Ryan Clark?

  I'm glad we got to sit down and have the conversation. Before we even did it, I was hoping, one, that you were as open about things as you were, and that I'd learn, and that other people get an opportunity to learn how much you've actually grown. And from me, for sure, and I know from both of them, we're just praying you get another opportunity. And honestly, I'm praying that you get to show everyone that whoever makes that decision, they were right to give you another chance, man. But Happy Father's Day to you, bruh. Appreciate you coming. Your baby's outside, you know what I'm saying? Your girl as well, man. But best of luck, man. I'll see you in AZ. Can I hold your baby? No. Bro, bro. So, he tried to, they had a baby on set. I love babies, man.

• 43:37Ryan Clark?

  They had a baby on set one time, right, Jack? And he kept saying, "No, I'm gonna make the baby be quiet, quiet." Man, he held that baby, the baby, damn near. Baby went crazy. Baby went crazy when he held the baby.

• 44:11Speaker 06

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