Ex NFL Player & FSU Star Travis Rudolph found not guilty of murder & hopes to play again

FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast FOLLOW HAPPY DAD: https://www.instagram.com/happydad FIND HAPPY DAD: https://www.happydad.com/find In an exclusive conversation, Former NFL player and Florida State standout, Travis Rudolph sits down with Ryan, Channing and Fred a few days after being acquitted of all charges surrounding an April 2021 fatal shooting in front of his Florida home. In an emotional discussion, Rudolph opens up about how hard it's been on him from losing his father to gun violence to struggling through injuries in his football career to death of his nephew to the life altering incident in April 2021, where he took another man's life while injuring others in an attempt of self defense being attacked at his own home. The shooting on April 7, 2021, came after an altercation between Rudolph and his then-girlfriend Dominique Jones. Not long after, Rudolph was confronted at his house by four men. It ended with Rudolph firing 39 shots in the direction of their SUV, leaving one deceased and three others injured. Rudolph claimed that he killed a man and almost killed three others in order to save his own life. After a two-week trial, It took Jurors four hours to find Travis Rudolph not guilty of first-degree murder and cleared of three counts of attempted murder from the fatal shooting outside his home in Lake Park, Florida. Taking Fred, Ryan and Channing through the series of events that led up to the shooting, Rudolph emotionally explains how his then girlfriend was upset over some text messages she read in his phone and contacted her brother and his friends to go shoot up his shit which led to them arriving at his home, first beating him up then drawing guns. After being arrested and facing charges, Rudolph spent time in prison awaiting his trial and a year on house arrest during a time where he went through a lot of loss and reflection. He explains how he's been grief stricken from the loss of his father who was shot and killed while he was working and his young nephew who passed away in a car accident while trying to stay strong in his mindset fighting for his life since April 2021. The former New York Giants and Florida State wide receiver, filled with tears, tried to put into words what the past few years has been like and the toll it's taken on him, his family especially his mother who was there the night of the shooting which prompted him to go into survival mode. Rudolph, who was signed as an undrafted free agent out of college and spent the 2017 season with the Giants, but his career was stalled from injury before signing with a CFL team before 2020. Now that he is acquitted of all charges, Rudolph is looking to get his life back on track and try to get back into football and fulfill his aspirations of playing professional football, a path he started down years ago as a young high school star. 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.

• 0:00Fred Taylor?

  Go long.

• 0:01Speaker 01

  No, I'm not throwing a football with my favorite son, Charles. I'm talking to my new Duke Cannon Puck of Soap. It's triple mill to last longer and retain its shape down to the last nub. In fantasy football terms, you could say this long-lasting soap takes no bye weeks, or that it's bench-proof, or even that it's a sure-fire league championship winner. Duke Cannon Pucks of Soap are built for guys who want a hard-working, long-lasting soap. Catch one yourself at dukecannon.com or a Target store near you. Duke Cannon Pucks of Soap, triple mill to last longer.

• 0:30Ryan Clark?

  Shortly after midnight on April 7th, 2021, Travis Rudolph shot two men. He killed one of them and wounded the other. Simply stated that way, it seems like an open-and-shed case. But nah, not really. Early on that night, Rudolph and then-girlfriend Dominique Jones got into a physical altercation over another woman. Things got heated when Jones threw Travis Rudolph's PlayStation 4 and hit him in the head with a tequila bottle. Now Jones was visibly upset, and so she texted her brother Keyshawn, and the text message simply read, "Shoot up his shit."

• 1:14Ryan Clark?

  So Keyshawn showed up to Travis Rudolph's house with three other men, Sebastian Jean Jock, Chris Low, and Tyler Robinson. Allegedly, the men pulled up, and I quote, "on demon time", and a fight quickly ensued. Rudolph, who later stated that he feared for his life and the life of his brother Darryl, fired 39 rounds into a black Cadillac as the four men attempted to flee, killing Jean Jock and wounding Tyler Robinson. Rudolph said that the act was all self-defense.

• 1:53Ryan Clark?

  He attempted to use the stand your ground law, but Judge Jeffrey Gillen stated that the men were in retreat when the shots were fired. So now he faced one count of first degree murder and three counts of first degree attempted murder. After hearing testimonies that included crime scene investigators and Palm Beach County's lead detective, Travis Rudolph was found not guilty on all four charges. Now, the 27-year-old former FSU standout is free to live his life however he chooses. However, some lives are forever changed and one life ceases to exist.

• 2:38Ryan Clark?

  Travis Rudolph may get to move on, but the events of April 7th, 2021 won't soon be forgotten. On the other side of this door, The Pivot sits down with Travis Rudolph.

• 3:16Ryan Clark?

  Travis, man, welcome to The Pivot. We know for you, this has been, I guess, sort of a time of celebration and reflection, but also you've dealt with a difficult stretch of two years. So we appreciate you sitting down with us and allowing us to get an opportunity to share your story with our subscribers, with our viewers. This is Freddie T., I'm RC, that's Chan, to our partners over at Happy Dad. Thank you, sponsors with DraftKings, for everyone that subscribes and views our show. This is a very important show about how one incident, how one night can lead to something else that affects so many different families and so many different people.

• 3:57Ryan Clark?

  But I want to talk a little bit about you first, not just necessarily what happened on April 7th, 2021. When the name Travis Rudolph is mentioned, especially here in Florida, it's about Cardinal Newman High School, Florida State University standout. How did we get to this point to where you are no longer playing football? Take people through, whether it's the ACL injury, being a part of the Bombers when you were arrested for this incident. How did we get to the point where Travis Rudolph is staying with a friend, working out, trying to get himself back into playing football professionally?

• 4:41Speaker 03

  Basically, I played for the Giants. I signed as an undrafted free agent with the Giants. That was in 2017. And then in 2018, unfortunately, I had a partially torn quad. And I missed a couple of weeks during the training camp. Y'all know during the training camp, that's when you really gotta get it in. I felt like I was cut short with that. And I got cut in 2018 after the preseason. I didn't make the 53. I didn't get invited back to be on the practice squad with the Giants. And I would say five weeks later, I got a call. I got a call from my agent that the Dolphins wanted to have me to work out for them. I was excited for it, excited for the opportunity.

• 5:25Speaker 03

  Got there to the Dolphins, had a great workout. They signed me. I was going through practice, just routes on there. We doing routes on there. I had a curl route. I was on the left side. I had a curl route. I was super excited. I felt like I was just too hyper. You know what I'm saying? I'm trying to show it. Like, I'm trying to get it in. I had torn my ACL. I heard it pop. And I felt it pop. I just thought I hyperextended my knee or something. You know what I'm saying? Like, sometimes we have those moments during football. We all had it. I know we did. I felt it pop, heard it pop. I tried to get up and try to jog it off. I just went back down. And I remember the trainer was just like, "Just lay down, just lay down."

• 6:08Speaker 03

  And about 30 minutes later, I couldn't move. I couldn't move my leg. I ain't had that flexibility no more. And they had took me back to the doctor's office, got an X-ray. And I remember, like it was yesterday, the dude, he came in, he said, "Man," like, he put his head down. He couldn't even look me in my eyes. He put his head down. It was like... Man, like, I'm sorry for you, man. I just, I just seen you earlier today. But, um, you got a torn ACL and partially meniscus tear. And I was sick about that. I had, went and got surgery, uh, two weeks later. I would say the following year in 2019, I got a workout with the Broncos. I felt like I had a great workout, but I guess they didn't, they didn't like me at the time.

• 6:52Speaker 03

  So 2020, I signed with Winnipeg Blue Bombers. And 2021, unfortunately, that tragic situation occurred. And that's, that's how it was.

• 7:02Channing Crowder?

  But being a guy that tore his ACL four times in high school, being a guy that, you know, all his injuries, my thumb both reconstruct, like I was an injured dude too. And I don't want to call you that, but you know what I'm saying? That's what's derailing stuff. Cause I know it's been plenty times throughout my career where I'm sitting there with the big boot on, with the big, uh, what's it called? The game ready, sitting up with it, pumping that water through there. And I'm literally talking to God like, why did you do this to me again? Have you, you had those moments?

• 7:28Speaker 03

  Oh, of course. Most definitely. I mean, but at the same time, like my best friend always tell me, and shout out to my boy Dalvin Cook, man, you gotta weather the storm. I just feel like God, he, you know what I'm saying? He don't put you through anything you can't handle. It might rain today, but tomorrow the sun gonna shine. That's really what it is. And I, like I said, I wanted to start like day one at, at Florida State. Cause I just feel like I'm, I'm that dude and I know I'm that dude. So that's just what it was. Like just going through that process and everything. Like I said, man, I just feel like God, he really, he really be watching over us and it's just, you just gotta weather the storm. Like that's, that's part of life. You, you know what I'm saying? Everybody deal with issues. You can't just be like, why me? That's selfish.

• 8:13Speaker 03

  You know what I'm saying? So that's what it is.

• 8:16Fred Taylor?

  I like to pivot, right? And we down here in the county, five, six ace, for everybody that don't know. I grew up not too far from here. In 2014, you were rated, rated the number one receiver in the nation by Rivals. You were a five star. You chose Florida State over, uh, Bama, UM, I believe Ohio State and Auburn. Uh, but I didn't hear UF in there. You didn't even look at the Gators. But it's all good, I forgive you. But you eventually became ACC All-American. You made All-Academic as a freshman while in Tallahassee. And you have tremendous, tons of other accolades.

• 8:57Fred Taylor?

  You also received the MUSEAL Award in 2016 for sportsmanship. It's a sportsmanship award. And what I'm trying to do is just paint the picture of an amazing young man who has played on the highest level. You are a tremendous talent. And unfortunately, you've had some injuries. You've had some setbacks in your life. But you continue to push forward. You continue to accept, adjust, and move forward. And that's what the pivot is. And that's our mantra here with our podcast. I want to ask you, in 2017, as you got ready to go on and live on your dream of being drafted into the NFL, you lost your dad.

• 9:40Fred Taylor?

  He was shot during a, while working, by a coworker. While getting ready to experience one of the greatest moments of your life, you also had to deal with maybe the saddest moment in your life. Could you go through those emotions as another situation where you've had to become stronger for yourself, your family, and kind of overcome all these different things that have been going on in your life?

• 10:05Speaker 03

  My daddy, I was my rock. And he the reason why I'm playing football. He passed away a week before the draft. And that was my dad's dream. Just, he knew all along. Like, he used to always tell me, like, bet on yourself. I even got a tattoo on me. Bet on yourself. Like, that was a very emotional moment. Because it's just, I remember it like it's yesterday, man. Getting that call, it's just like, my mom couldn't even tell me. She couldn't even tell me.

• 10:46Speaker 03

  Couldn't even tell me.

• 10:53Speaker 03

  She called my main man, she called my main man, grandma.

• 10:57Speaker 03

  Grandma give me the phone.

• 11:00Speaker 03

  I'm on the phone, like, "What's up, ma?" And...

• 11:07Speaker 03

  Mom, my momma like...

• 11:15Speaker 03

  It's alright, bro. Let me talk to Dalvin.

• 11:20Speaker 03

  I get a phone, I get a phone and foe.

• 11:27Speaker 03

  I remember I get a phone and foe, so I'm standing next to foe like, "What's up?"

• 11:33Speaker 03

  Foe listening, and his whole bilinguals, everything changed.

• 11:43Speaker 03

  And he broke the news to me, he got straight to it.

• 11:47Speaker 03

  He say, "Mom." He say, "Damn," he say, "Damn, main man." I say, "What's up?" He like...

• 11:58Speaker 03

  "It's Pops, man, they say he got shot, and he in critical condition, and he might not make it."

• 12:10Speaker 03

  We was actually supposed to be doing a camp. It was, it was, it was camp, it was foe camp, the next day. And they, they booked me a flight, sent me home, we went to the hospital, it was my grandma's birthday.

• 12:27Speaker 03

  And...

• 12:30Speaker 03

  And...

• 12:42Fred Taylor?

  Do we have any tissue or anything?

• 12:51Fred Taylor?

  Sorry, bro.

• 12:55Ryan Clark?

  Good, bro. Fred and I and Chan, we all talked about this recently. Just about those moments of losing loved ones and how difficult they are, no matter what. To lose someone that close to you in such a tragic way? That's trauma.

• 13:22Ryan Clark?

  Those traumas continue to, whether we deal with them or process them efficiently, continue to shape who we are going forward. Those traumas, as we can still see, affect us as we continue to age, we continue to mature. And based on how we deal with them, they eventually affect our lives. The reason that was such a great question from Fred is because that won't be, and we'll discuss it, the last time gun violence was involved in your life.

• 14:01Ryan Clark?

  And so, when you grow up in certain communities and you deal with death or you deal with violence, sometimes that becomes a part of the fabric of who you are. Which was a picture that prosecution began to try to paint of you after your incident on April 7, 2021. The incident starts because you have an altercation with Dominique Jones, who at the time you were seeing. It's an incident over another woman, which I'm sure you thought was going to be isolated to the two of you.

• 14:42Ryan Clark?

  Can you explain to us some of the events of that night? Which led to her texting her brother saying very simply, "Shoot up his shit."

• 14:54Speaker 03

  That night, it was a bunch of events like where it was just like a hurricane type thing. Like one moment, like you know what I'm saying, you got the eye of the hurricane. Like everything going smooth and then in a matter of seconds, things just changed like that. We were supposed to go to the movies and we was vibing, good vibing. We listening to music, vibing, playing Uno, you know what I'm saying, drinking. The next thing that took place was I go outside to see what my brother was parked in my mom's driveway for. And I come back inside, she got my phone in her hand. And she literally had and went through my phone, seen messages, I guess.

• 15:38Speaker 03

  Specifically to Carla. We go back in the room and she FaceTimed Carla, had me talking to her. I guess looking for information, didn't get anything. And I'm basically on something like, well, if you doing that, let me see your phone too. Like she spazzed out at that point and that's what had led to her, you know what I'm saying? Sending her brothers over. But I really thought she was like bluffing though, you know what I'm saying?

• 16:07Ryan Clark?

  She said she on trial during her testimony. She said it all started because you put your hands on her. And your brother said, Darryl, he said, no, that you, she says you tossed her around. That none of those things happened. She throws your game console, picks up a bottle of tequila, he says as well. I believe even grabs a brick on her way out. For you, when you're seeing all of these things happen, and I listened to you say that she was bluffing. When you see all of this anger, was there never a point in that where you thought,

• 16:49Ryan Clark?

  okay, this could turn into something more than just an argument between me and this woman?

• 16:54Speaker 03

  No, it never was a point. I mean, it was just like, I knew she was emotional at that, at that point. Because she, she asked me about Carla before this situation occurred. She asked me about Carla and... They say I pulled one off on her and you know what I'm saying? It gave her something that she believed, but it wasn't the truth. The truth was, I was talking to Kyler. And so when she seen that and the confirmation, she seen that with the confirmation of like, wow, you literally told me this was somebody that... Basically, I told her I'm still communicating with some people that's inside with the NFL. They was gonna help me out with basically receiving money.

• 17:37Speaker 03

  It's like a six-year plan that the NFL does for you. That basically if you had a significant injury and it's like a point system and everything. So I basically told her about that. I knew like when she seen it, like I'm like, alright, she just emotional, she tripping. Like, but it is what it is. Like, I never thought it would get to the point that she actually like went forth and like sent her brothers to my house, especially due to the fact that it's like, forget me at this point. You know what my mom been through. Cause she was really close with my mom, like her and my mom was talking all the time, like. And my mom, she wears a hard on her sleeve, like, and she's just, she's friendly like that, like.

• 18:19Speaker 03

  She talked, I think she talked too much, but like, that's just my mom. So it was just like, that's why I really like, nah, it'll never go through like that. Cause like, I'm staying at my mom's house at this point, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, you ain't gonna send trouble to my mom. Like, you know my mom can't even sleep at night, so that's just what it was. I just didn't think it was gonna go through, like, like that.

• 18:42Channing Crowder?

  You weren't privy to the fact that Dominique text her brothers, text her people?

• 18:46Speaker 01

  Go on. No, I'm not throwing a football with my favorite son, Charles. I'm talking to my new Duke Cannon Puck of Soap. It's triple mill to last longer and retain its shape down to the last nub. In fantasy football terms, you could say this long-lasting soap takes no bye weeks, or that it's bench-proof, or even that it's a sure-fire league championship winner. Duke Cannon Pucks of Soap are built for guys who want a hard-working, long-lasting soap. Catch one yourself at dukecannon.com or a Target store near you. Duke Cannon Pucks of Soap, triple mill to last longer.

• 19:17Channing Crowder?

  When did you know that night that this is different? This isn't an argument between a couple. This didn't turn different.

• 19:23Speaker 03

  The moment I heard that banging on that door, that was when I knew it was like, what? This really is occurring now? Because I remember I was telling my sister and my mom, like, man, y'all relax. She ain't sending nobody over here. And that's crazy because it's like it happened like that. Like, I don't know. Like, that was the moment that I knew though. Like, wow, this really is like, it's possibly trouble at my door right now.

• 19:52Channing Crowder?

  That's different though. Like, we all want to be tough. Oh, I'm gonna do this, dude. We all want to be tough, but then, like, I can see that four dudes beating on your door. You know what I'm saying? Like, where does your mind go? The tough, the tough will be like, I'm gonna do that, do that. But really, now, this is happening. Where does your mind go then?

• 20:11Speaker 03

  Man, like, when you facing it, it's like you just don't know. It's like, it's like an I-don't-know thing going on, right? I don't know what's finna happen. You know what I'm saying? Like, in your head, you thinking like, wow, like, my mom, you considering everybody else that you love? Like, it ain't even just about you. You know what I'm saying? Like, my brother, my brother. You know what I'm saying? My mom. Like, that's just what it is. Like, I don't know. Like, I don't got a correct answer of how it is. Like, that's just what it is. Like, it's the I-don't-know. Like, what's going on type thing?

• 20:52Fred Taylor?

  I think at the end of it, what's going on is just our most basic instinct, and that's survival.

• 20:58Speaker 03

  Right.

• 20:58Fred Taylor?

  And that takes over everything. At what point did you realize that someone had been hit? Or even worse, someone had been killed? Was it when the cops came back? Or you just was, you know, I guess more so focused on getting the harm away from you guys? And didn't think of the outcome?

• 21:21Speaker 03

  Right. Yeah, that's a good question. Um, the point I knew somebody was hit or killed in critical condition, uh, my sister. My sister had came over. She brought food to my mom. And it was her and J.C. And basically, when they left, like literally two minutes, two minutes later, it felt like two minutes later, it could be more, but two minutes later, my sister called, she either called the house phone or my mom's phone. She brought the news to us. And she was like, "Tell Travis that the police want him to come outside soon, and I'll call y'all back to let y'all know when they're ready to basically arrest you."

• 22:03Speaker 03

  And she was like, "It's somebody, somebody's deceased." And she said, "Somebody's in critical condition, and they got a warrant for your arrest, so you gotta come outside soon." So that's, that's how I found out about that.

• 22:19Ryan Clark?

  Travis, you mentioned that your mother has issues sleeping, and you felt like Dominique should understand those things, take those things into consideration based on the nature of their relationship. And you have a relationship, and your entire family does, with death due to gun violence. A fight breaks out, it is, and you know, and Fred even talking about survival, Channing asking you what's going through your head. That's truly the definition of fight or flight. It's either we can run, and we can retreat, and I can try to keep everybody safe, or I can go out here and defend myself and defend my home.

• 23:02Ryan Clark?

  And you decided to protect your family by defending yourself and defending your home. At what point was the decision made to grab the gun? And then, what, with no word to find better, with no pun intended, what triggered you firing 39 rounds at the Cadillac as they were in the car?

• 23:28Speaker 03

  The moment I decided to grab my gun was when I seen one of those guys pull out his firearm. And I just know, like you said, it's survival mode. So like, I just know like, my fist cannot defeat this gun. Like, that's just impossible, like, physically. So, um, as far as me shooting 39 times, I didn't even know I shot that many times. But when you in that moment and it's adrenaline going on, like, you not thinking about how many times you shot. You just trying to eliminate the threat. And that's what I felt like I had to do. And I know I made the right decision, because I'm here and I'm a living testimony of,

• 24:12Speaker 03

  I protected me and my brother's life. And I don't shoot those 39 times or retreat, who knows? I really feel like me and my brother would have been dead. And possibly my mom. Like, that's just what it was.

• 24:27Channing Crowder?

  And we've all watched it. It was on TV, like, you know what I'm saying? You're a big name in a murder trial. There was a fight before that.

• 24:35Speaker 03

  Right.

• 24:36Channing Crowder?

  So there was, there was, y'all had, it was problem. They beat on the door. And then it just didn't get to, to shooting. What happened between that window? The door knocked, we're now fight or flight mode. And you had to decide what to do. And then firing the first shot of 39.

• 24:53Speaker 03

  When I walked outside, I'm basically about to approach the brother. Because I know the brother personally. You know what I'm saying? Them other dudes, the dude that died, I seen him once, but I don't know him. You know what I'm saying? So I'm about to approach the brother. So I'm like, what's up? But I ain't even get the what's up part. The up part of the what's up. As I'm saying up, I'm getting punched. Like, I'm Kebi Gangsta, I'm getting punched in my shit. And he took off on me. He did that. And then as he had, did that, all of them, it was like a unison. Like, it was a planned out thing. You know what I'm saying? Like, like them boys knew what they was doing. Like, they planned it out. Like, soon as he punched me, now all of them started jumping me. And then when they started jumping me, my brother jumping.

• 25:37Speaker 03

  Now my momma, she in between all of us. Phone in her hand. Like, please leave, y'all. Y'all don't care. Like, come on, y'all, stop that, stop that. Please leave. Them boys wasn't stunting my momma. As if she wasn't dead. You know what I'm saying? And my momma... Thank God, you know what I'm saying? She didn't even involve herself physically with the fight because I know, you know what I'm saying? If it was my sister that, my sister would have got on their ass. You feel me? But my mom, she's just showing them the phone like, please leave, please leave. My mom, it was just like as if she was nonexistent. And if she would have tried to help me out, I know for a fact they would have hit her too. It was that disrespectful. Like, it was that disrespectful that they said, "Fuck, fuck what you saying, ma. Go in the house. We coming to handle this."

• 26:21Speaker 03

  That was what happened before the shooting, like.

• 26:23Fred Taylor?

  Based on being able to hear it firsthand and not see it through the lenses of the media or read it through newspapers, from that moment, April 27, 2021, right? Everything happens. You have to turn yourself in to the police. And then you go to jail. You know, you're in jail for 12 months, right?

• 26:43Speaker 03

  Yeah, a year and a day.

• 26:45Fred Taylor?

  A year and a day. Throughout that period, you have a lot of thoughts of, will I ever get out? Will the murder charge stick? My career, is it gone? Is it over? When you were there sitting down in the jail cell, the emotions, you know, the thoughts, like, what were some of the things that were, you know, furthest from your mind versus, you know, closest to your mind?

• 27:12Speaker 03

  I mean, honestly, like, just being in there, you got a good chance to really evaluate yourself. That was the main thing that I was like questioning myself like, "Travis, bro, was you really living righteous?" And I think going through this situation, I believe in God. I do believe in God. But was I close to God? Or did I have a real connection with God? Not before this incident, honestly. I remember like it was yesterday, I broke down crying, and I prayed, and I just said, "God, please just reveal the truth." Like, you know this isn't me, like how they're trying to label me. Just going through that situation, man, I was doing a lot of questioning by myself, living righteous.

• 27:55Speaker 03

  And I just said, from this point moving forward, like, I'm gonna be a better me, you know what I'm saying? That I know I can be. This situation don't define me at all. Like, I got so many goals and aspirations, so.

• 28:10Speaker 03

  That's just what it is, like.

• 28:12Fred Taylor?

  Why would Dominique, well, we know she texts her brothers and his friends to come shoot your shit up. But why would she, after everything goes down, you're in jail. Why would she, allegedly she text, you know, or she tweeted and posted on her social media, give him the death chair, she tagged the NFL, she tagged the Winnipeg Bombers. Why would she go out of her way to tag these teams and ask for the death penalty for you? I mean, how emotionally scarred was she? Like, why would she do those things, if I can ask that?

• 28:51Speaker 03

  In my opinion, I felt like she was looking for clout, to be honest with you. Because it's like, you put this whole play in motion, and then things didn't turn out the way that you wanted it to turn out. And then the first thing you do is to go try to paint this narrative picture on social media, knowing that you put it in motion. That's just what it is. I felt like she was looking for clout. And she got it, obviously. Now you're all over the nation, you nationwide.

• 29:21Ryan Clark?

  I have a question that's not necessarily about the story and the events of that night as much as it is about you. I, and me and Chan laugh all the time, you know. People consider themselves tough guys. Like, I'll fight. Like, I have no issues with that. You know what I mean? I feel like sometimes people get disrespectful, and disrespectful people deserve to be slapped in the face. Like, I understand, I understand that mode of thinking. I do not, in any way, understand what it feels like to want to, attempt to, or to take someone's life.

• 30:01Ryan Clark?

  Whether in self-defense or just in an act of me deciding to do so. And so for you, this started with Fred's great question about your father. It started with you getting that phone call, for having to get on the phone for you because your mom can't even tell you. You've been through that moment. Now, you're on the other end of the gun. As somebody else is getting that phone call, as somebody else is having it explained to them, right, why Sebastian Jean-Jack will no longer draw breath.

• 30:44Ryan Clark?

  And you have to know from that night until your last day that you pulled the trigger. How have you been processing that part of this whole ordeal? Because I would have to think that taking someone's life doesn't just go away as a feeling inside you.

• 31:08Speaker 03

  Right. I mean, honestly, I'm at peace with everything. And I even prayed on Sebastian. I prayed on Sebastian and his family. And I just, like, I'm at peace with it all. Like, it's just, it's an unfortunate situation. Like, I mean, to this day, like, it's like a blur to me. Like, I never thought in a million years that I would ever have to kill anyone. Like, I never did. So like, just as far as that, like, like I said, I prayed on Sebastian, I prayed on his family. Like, for his mother, like, and it broke me down, like, honestly.

• 31:52Speaker 03

  Like, I probably looked like I didn't have any emotion, but I had my times where I had to look at his mom like, like, damn, ma, like, and I wanted to tell her, like, like, I'm sorry, you know what I'm saying? But it's just, it's just the circumstances of the situation. You know what I'm saying? So, like I said, like, you know what I'm saying? My condolences to Sebastian's family and his loved ones and his friends, like, my condolences. But, like I said, I'm at peace.

• 32:21Ryan Clark?

  I thought what Fred asked was profound in the sense of, and difficult for you to answer, right? You can't put yourself in the mindset of a woman who...

• 32:36Ryan Clark?

  Place the call or send the message to have you harmed, your family harmed, and put you in that position. You can't put yourself in that mindset. You can't put yourself in the mindset of a woman that even knowing her actions triggered everything that ensued that night, that now wants to gain clout, as you said, from continuing to throw dirt on your name. You can't control her getting on the stand and saying things about you in hopes that you spent your life in prison. You can't change or put yourself in any of those mindsets. But you are stuck with having to deal with those feelings.

• 33:20Ryan Clark?

  When you think about Dominique, have you forgiven her? Do you hate her? How do you feel about her right now?

• 33:28Speaker 03

  Honestly, I can't say I forgive her. But I can't say like, because I thought about that so many times. I really, I really felt like she made an emotional decision. And I know in my heart that she, she regrets it. I know that. I know it. So like, like I said, it's just like, I can't forgive her to the point that not only about the dude that died, family shedding tears, it's my mom. It's my mom. Like, I know my mom couldn't sleep even more.

• 34:13Speaker 03

  I know it. Every time I talked to her on that jail call, 15 minutes. I know it. First time even seeing her a year, being in a year, first time even seeing her. Video calls, you know what I'm saying? So. It's just like, well, Dominique, it's like, I don't forgive her. But I prayed on that too, like I'm at peace, you know what I'm saying? I know she made an emotional decision. That's just what it was.

• 34:46Channing Crowder?

  I got in trouble, nothing to this level, but even sitting in jail for two days, you think about everything. You did a year and a day, then went straight to house arrest, is that correct?

• 34:55Speaker 03

  That's correct.

• 34:57Channing Crowder?

  Helpless and hopeless are the two things pop in my mind thinking about that journey. What was your, what was the toughest time there? Because I know your mom's there, we're talking to your people, you know, off scene where they're talking about they lose weight. Your man said he lost 15 pounds through all this. What was, what was the worst time for you?

• 35:14Speaker 03

  Worst time for me was two days before Thanksgiving. They bring me downstairs. Downstairs was my, my, my two cousins and my pastor. So I'm excited, I'm thinking like, okay, I'm gonna get a good prayer, like, you know what I'm saying? But Brother Jack, he got straight to the point and um,

• 35:37Speaker 03

  he told me, he said, it's, it's your nephew. And I got my nephew tatted on me, A2. He was like, it's your nephew, man. He got in a car accident last night and unfortunately he passed away. And I, and I broke down. I asked, I asked my cousin like, because she worked with the sheriff's office. And I'm like, cousin, can I, can I go to the funeral? She said, I'm gonna try to work, work, work it out for you. That shit, shit broke me down. That was the worst time ever.

• 36:15Speaker 03

  Brother Jack.

• 36:19Speaker 05

  Now, more than ever, we need someone on our side. But Rob Whitman? Whitman's votes drove up costs, cut Medicaid, and risked 350,000 Virginians' health care to pay for tax breaks for himself and his donors. He's not on our side. Shannon Taylor will fight corruption, cut taxes, and bring down costs. This November, vote for Shannon Taylor. She's for us. Paid for by HMP, the HouseMajorityPact.com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

• 36:52Speaker 03

  Brother Jack called my sister.

• 36:59Speaker 03

  And he wanted me to speak to the family, but I couldn't even get no words out. I couldn't.

• 37:07Speaker 03

  That was a worse time for me.

• 37:09Channing Crowder?

  You was going through your thing, and therefore you couldn't help out your loved ones as well. And in your mind, what I did, I should not be in here. I should be able to help my people.

• 37:20Speaker 03

  Exactly.

• 37:24Ryan Clark?

  You, you, you pull up and you expect to have this conversation about one night. And I think your life and your story is the direct depiction of what a life of trauma is, of what consistent and continual situations of loss do to a person. The trauma of that night seems like some of the least of the things that you had to actually go through. You've spoken about whether it's having to hear the knock on the door, as you said, someone taking off on you, your mother outside trying to stop people from fighting,

• 38:09Ryan Clark?

  even making a decision to pull the trigger, and all of those things, you said, "I'm at peace with." You talked about Dominique Jones, who I know I would have a very difficult time forgiving. Because it's one thing to put me in danger, it's another thing to put my family in danger. It's another thing to show me that you have such a disregard for me that you also don't care about the people I love. And even that situation, you seem to have found a way to put that in the box and compartmentalize. But your father, you cried. Your nephew.

• 38:51Ryan Clark?

  Thinking about just having to speak to your mother through a phone or just see her through a glass window for a year and a day. All of those things, and all of those things that you've had to deal with. How have you actually processed that? Have you talked to someone? Have you dealt with them? Have you spent time with your family? Because I get that we all believe we're strong. And I'm gonna be honest, bro. You reacted in a way I don't know if I can. I would like to say that if my family was in that level of danger, I would have that level of bravery. But I don't know because I've never been put there.

• 39:33Ryan Clark?

  And none of us know because we haven't had to face that scenario. But for you, what are your days like now? Are you happy? Are you upbeat? Do you feel blessed to have gotten out of that? Or do you still think about the fact, no, I couldn't be there for nephew? Or no, I know my mama wasn't sleeping because of this. Like, these traumas and these incidents and these situations, they don't go away, Trav. Like, this junk stays with us forever. And what we normally do, that pain and that hurt, we pass on to other people. We deal with other people in ways because we ain't processed our own stuff. What are you doing now, bro, to make sure that you're in the right headspace so that you could be good?

• 40:18Speaker 03

  Enjoying every moment that I have. Like, man, even with y'all. Like, I thank God. I thank God, like, just for even giving me my life back. Like, for real, for real. Like, and I'm not changing. I'm not changing my routine. I'm sticking to what got me to this point. And that's through prayer. That's through, I'm wavering faith. I've really just been spending time with my family these last few days. Spending time with my main man, you know, hanging out good and everything. Right now, I'm just enjoying this moment of being with my family and my loved ones. Like, even you guys. Like, I look up to y'all, man.

• 41:02Speaker 03

  I really appreciate y'all for even having me do this, man. This is a big opportunity for me, and I appreciate y'all, so.

• 41:08Channing Crowder?

  The year in jail, the year on house arrest. What did you miss the most? I'm sure you could Uber eat any food that you needed, like, all that. But now you was outside.

• 41:16Ryan Clark?

  You can't Uber eat food to jail?

• 41:17Channing Crowder?

  No, I'm talking about when he was at school, when he was at home. I don't know, I would try in jail. Shoot me some wine, brother, hell, can I get some? But no, what did you, did you miss the most? I know seeing family, being just family oriented as we meet your people. But just something you never expected? That you were gonna miss that much? That you had, you had to just go out, you had to enjoy life again? The fruits of your labor, you worked hard. And now you can't do that?

• 41:44Speaker 03

  I would say I have to be going to my mom's house and giving her, giving her the hug, like. Cause there's times where, you know what I'm saying? It was unfortunate she, her car was down or something and she was like, Travis, I can't, I can't come to you. You know what I'm saying, today or? Like she always checked up on me, like. Like, baby boy, you good? And I'm like, yeah, I'm good, ma. And that was the main thing I missed, like. Like, man, I really can't, I'm on these people's time right now. Like, I can't even go see my mom right now, like. You know what I'm saying? Cause it's, it's different when you in person than via FaceTime or through a jail call or anything like that.

• 42:27Speaker 03

  Like, it's totally different, like, it's a different type of feeling, like. So, that's the main thing that I miss the most.

• 42:34Channing Crowder?

  I thought he was gonna say strip club.

• 42:37Channing Crowder?

  That'd been my answer.

• 42:38Fred Taylor?

  Man, you always talking about the strip club. This guy right here. Um, maybe y'all can arrange that, that's important. So, Trav, man, I think, you know, just really backing everything out. And prior to getting here and just doing more research. I realized that you and RC, what you guys have in common is that you both were undrafted. He was undrafted in 2002. You were undrafted in 2017, 15 years apart by the Giants. You know, but what I know about RC is, he never quit. You know, he went on to have an amazing career. He, he never quit. And he's great at what he does. I know this firsthand. What I'm learning more today is, you're a protector. You know, everything that you've said, RC mentioned about your family.

• 43:23Fred Taylor?

  You cried about your dad and about your nephew. You know, you protect your mom, your brother, yourself. And I also remember a story about a little boy, artistic boy, that when you were out doing charity event, when you were in Tallahassee, FSU, that other school, the boy was sitting by himself and you wouldn't sat beside him. Those moments, you know, just giving yourself up, the sportsmanship award that you got, those good stories. You know, I'm looking forward to the day where, you know, you have your moment of redemption. You know, maybe even an opportunity to, you know, get back out there and play again. You're only 27. XFL is a league of opportunity.

• 44:07Fred Taylor?

  We sat down with The Rock. You know, I'm pretty sure they heard your story. You know, it's not your fault. You know, at the end of the day, life takes its course and things happen. And I think that because your career was derailed a bit, you know, that story of redemption for us would be the ultimate pivot. You know, allowing you to get back to really enjoy life again, as it was meant to be. And maybe you'll be able to look up, tell your dad that, we still ballin'. We gotta, we gotta keep going, man. So I'm looking forward for those days, for them to say, the former FSU star, the former undrafted New York Giant, you know, not the guy that was charged with four counts of murder,

• 44:52Fred Taylor?

  not that stuff. You know, from the bottom of my heart, bro, I really thank you for giving us this opportunity to sit down. Cause you could've did it with anybody, you know, but this moment, man, is good for us. This is always therapy for us. You know, and if we could help you any way, shape or form, reach out. You know, if we can put a call into the big dog, our homeboy, DJ, or somebody at the XFL, we would love to. Cause 15 was a dog out there, man. You was, you was that guy. And again, I don't know why he went to UF, but it didn't go to UF.

• 45:28Speaker 03

  You still got it?

• 45:29Fred Taylor?

  Of course.

• 45:30Speaker 03

  You can still go out there and stick.

• 45:31Fred Taylor?

  Man, I'll do it right now.

• 45:35Speaker 03

  He can line it up right now too. I'm ready to do it.

• 45:38Ryan Clark?

  Nah, you gon' beat me. Nah, if you wanna make a, if you wanna make a great highlight tape, and you want people to really think you doing it, yeah, put me out there. Cause you gon' catch every ball. Cause I ain't, I'm not moving from the line of scrimmage. I wear suits now.

• 45:51Channing Crowder?

  So, so when we always hear, when you read articles, it says former football, that's what the articles say, former football player.

• 45:56Ryan Clark?

  It does.

• 45:57Channing Crowder?

  Do they need to stop putting former in front of your name?

• 45:59Speaker 03

  Nah, yeah, yeah, of course. Like, I'm still, I'm still him. I'm Hemethy, you hear me?

• 46:04Fred Taylor?

  See, those, those are the days I'm looking forward to.

• 46:07Channing Crowder?

  Yeah.

• 46:08Fred Taylor?

  When former can be dropped and, you know, we can move on with positivity.

• 46:12Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 46:12Fred Taylor?

  You know, I think that'll be the highlight.

• 46:14Speaker 03

  I'm undefeated against Florida, man.

• 46:16Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, I know.

• 46:17Speaker 03

  I know, bro. Hey, you know what I'm saying? No nation all day, man.

• 46:21Channing Crowder?

  His little run, we were struggling throughout that little run. We were struggling.

• 46:24Ryan Clark?

  We are only able to sit here because you were found not guilty on all counts. My last question to you is, what was the moment like when you heard the verdict read?

• 46:44Speaker 03

  It's just a relief. Like, just, it's, it's just like, it's, I never won a championship. Like, I always wanted a state championship. I always wanted a national championship in, in college. I even wanted a Super Bowl. Man, it felt better than all that, that, those moments. Like, like y'all know, y'all probably experienced, you know what I'm saying? Having championship moments, but it was just a blessing. Like, and it's just that, like, your, your, your prayers are really being heard. And I know, like, my guardian angel's watching over me, cause, like, it's just a relief, man. Cause it's like, like you said, like, like Fred said, when you in there...

• 47:27Speaker 03

  And you in jail, it's like, you have those moments where you're like, damn, man, like, when I'm ever gonna see freedom again? Or when I'm ever gonna see the light again? Like, even when I'm housewarming, it's like, man, when this trial gonna start? Like, you have those questions, and then it's just like, you went through it. I wear it on my shoulders, like, it built character in me, like, that's just what it was. So, just hearing those, the not guilty, not guilty, not guilty, not guilty? Oh, man. Y'all didn't even know, I wanted to dance in there, but they told me, you know, you gonna say I controlled my emotions and everything, so I had to, like, keep my poker face on and everything. But, yeah, that's, that's really what the feeling was.

• 48:06Ryan Clark?

  To be clear, I'm the only one that knows what a Super Bowl feels like, though. Just to be very, just to be very, very clear, but Trav, man...

• 48:18Fred Taylor?

  I wanna tell him this, since he threw that shot at my Gators. I got one national championship, it was a 52 to 20 blowout against your Seminoles, but you were only one year old then, so you get a pass.

• 48:29Ryan Clark?

  Oh, okay, okay.

• 48:30Fred Taylor?

  You get a pass. And I also wanna take the moment on behalf of Chan, RC, and the whole Pivot crew to thank Johnny Coleman and his wife, Terney, for extending the hospitality, allowing us to do this at their home. But, more importantly, man, I wanna thank you, you know, for being courageous, for being a provider, you know, and doing what you have to do to take care of your family. And in no way, shape, or form am I condoning any form of gun violence, but when it comes to laws, especially the laws we have here in the state of Florida, and, and just being in those moments, you know, you, you took care of your family. And, you know, that's what it came to, that's what it came to, and, you know, my condolences

• 49:14Fred Taylor?

  go out to everyone else that was involved. But I do wanna thank you for being in a good headspace, and hopefully you can get your career back on track.

• 49:23Ryan Clark?

  Oh, definitely, man, appreciate that. And also, from... Channing, myself, and Fred. Fred, as already mentioned, we don't condone gun violence. And as OGs, as uncles, and as three black men who truly care about the community, we need to start taking care of each other. We need to start valuing our own lives as we continue to fight the outside world to value us. We have to show that same value for ourselves. To the John Jock family who lost Sebastian, we send our condolences. To Tyler Robinson, who was also wounded. We understand that those families are also going through things.

• 50:07Ryan Clark?

  We are not celebrating their injuries. We are certainly not celebrating death. What we're doing is giving a young man an opportunity to tell a story that we believe can help others going forward, but also gives him a chance to tell you and show you who he truly is as a man, because he's far more than what the incidents of April 7, 2021 show. This has been The Pivot.

• 50:55Speaker 05

  Now, more than ever, we need someone on our side. But Rob Whitman? Whitman's votes drove up costs, cut Medicaid, and risked 350,000 Virginians' health care to pay for tax breaks for himself and his donors. He's not on our side. Shannon Taylor will fight corruption, cut taxes, and bring down costs. This November, vote for Shannon Taylor. She's for us. Paid for by HMP, the House Majority PAC dot com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.