Tyriq Withers, Actor shares how football paved unlikely path, trusting the process from winning an Orange Bowl with Florida State to starring in Hollywood films, faith, redefining success, turning grief into passion and Marlon Wayans' influence.

“Chasing greatness is grieving the person you once were.” Tyriq Withers Ryan, Channing and Fred chop it up with Tyriq Withers, a rising actor making his mark in Hollywood, for an honest conversation about perseverance, processing grief, risk taking and how his journey is proof that purpose doesn’t always follow a straight line and what's meant to be will always be. The conversation starts off with a fun story of Tyriq, a Jacksonville native, sharing how his childhood idol was a FAMILIAR guest speaker he had as a kid in elementary school... one guess? And you already know Chan and RC had a field day with the age jokes of Freddy T being that guy 20+ years ago! A die-hard Jaguars fan excited for the playoffs, he also opens up on the special meaning behind wearing a custom made "144" Shedeur Sanders jersey and how the bible verse he had imprinted on the sleeve changed his thought process. Yes, his love of sports starts long ago and before stepping in front of the camera, Tyriq's first love was football as he walked on to Florida State where he was part of the Seminole team (along with Dalvin Cook and Derwin James) that won an Orange Bowl in 2016. Ball was his life and taught him discipline, resilience, and what it takes to perform under pressure. That foundation helped fuel his transition into acting, where he’s now making waves starring in the upcoming film Him, along with roles in other notable projects. Tyriq breaks down his journey into acting, the sacrifices it took to chase his passion, and the mental resilience required to survive an industry built on rejection and uncertainty. From navigating auditions and staying grounded to defining success on his own terms, he shares what it really means to pivot when the path isn’t guaranteed. He talks about what it was like working with Donald Glover, shares who is on-screen inspiration is and the full circle experience of learning from Marlon Wayans, who he admired growing up and then became a big brother to him during the filming of Him. But Marlon wasn't just an on-screen mentor, he also helped Tyriq navigate life during one of the darkest and difficult times after he lost his older brother unexpectedly and was met with a new wave of grief and responsibility he didn't know existed. Emotional and honest, Tyriq shares how he dealt with it while still being able to pursue his dreams and balance the success with managing deep pain. Pivoting from sports to Hollywood to betting on himself in an industry built on rejection, this episode takes a deep dive on staying grounded while navigating new levels of visibility and expectation. From embracing discomfort to redefining success beyond the scoreboard, this conversation goes deeper than credits and highlights. It’s a powerful discussion about identity, faith, work ethic, and trusting the process — on and off the field. Pivot Family, let us know what you think of this inspiring episode as we start the new year, don't forget to like, comment and hit the subscribe button! 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.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest, or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra. Because it's not just a superior-like beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser-Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 0:30Ryan Clark?

  Tyreek Withers is him, but he hasn't always been. He grew up searching for himself, a biracial kid in Jacksonville, trying to figure out where he fit in. It was him and his brother, and they meant everything to one another. Which is why, when his brother died, it broke him. The things done said, the dreams unrealized, and the son behind. That became why. He grew up on the other football, but he walked on a wide receiver at Florida State. Even though he knew that wide receiver one was never in his future. So it was a little white lie and a black school play audition that changed his life forever. And it put him on the path to star on the big screen with Marlon Wayans. Tyreek shared his pain, his dreams, and what it was like to work with Donald Glover.

• 1:14Ryan Clark?

  He also talked about the actors who inspired him. We had to get into sports, and just a little preview, there was more than a little repping for Shador Sanders. This episode had it all: laughs, tears, and more. And a ton of wisdom from an extremely young man. Also, one of us spoke to Tyreek's class when he was in elementary school. But the strange thing is, that's not the one of us that got called out for being old. This episode is absolutely phenomenal. So please enjoy as him star Tyreek Withers sits with the pivot. The episode starts right now.

• 1:57Fred Taylor?

  Yeah.

• 2:00Ryan Clark?

  They didn't win, they didn't win two games. Y'all didn't, y'all didn't win, y'all didn't win two, y'all didn't win two games and now everybody talking about Duval, you and my dog.

• 2:14Ryan Clark?

  Now we's, now we's Duval. They didn't win two games.

• 2:19Fred Taylor?

  Can we get our shine broke because before the season started, we made a little friendly bet, Channing and I.

• 2:24Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah.

• 2:25Fred Taylor?

  Dolphins versus Jags, who had the best record for 100 pushups? I know I got my 100 in the bag, win or lose or draw, you bout to hurt.

• 2:34Channing Crowder?

  I could do 42.

• 2:36Ryan Clark?

  42 straight?

• 2:37Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, yeah, that's easy.

• 2:39Ryan Clark?

  You got 100 in you?

• 2:40Speaker 03

  Probably like 75.

• 2:42Channing Crowder?

  Oh, yeah, yeah.

• 2:43Speaker 03

  That's if I'm like in the gym, gym every day.

• 2:46Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, Duval liked to lie too, because I've learned it through him.

• 2:49Ryan Clark?

  And also too, and Freddie T gonna do the short arm joints too.

• 2:53Channing Crowder?

  The little, the little pit bull, the pit bulls.

• 2:55Speaker 03

  You sound about a test.

• 2:56Fred Taylor?

  My arm's just short, me and Bam, we cousins.

• 2:59Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, I was talking about that.

• 3:22Ryan Clark?

  Man, Tyreek Withers, man, welcome to the show, man.

• 3:24Speaker 03

  Thank you for having me.

• 3:25Ryan Clark?

  Very excited to do this show, man. Fred Taylor, Channing Crowder, I'm Ryan Clark, pivot fam, thank y'all for pivoting with us. I don't have to introduce you to Fred, because apparently, young Tyreek.

• 3:37Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 3:37Ryan Clark?

  Met Fred?

• 3:38Speaker 03

  Yeah, so no, I went to Stonewall Jackson Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida. He came and gave a speech, you know, that was way back in the day, you know.

• 3:48Ryan Clark?

  What grade, what grade were you in?

• 3:49Speaker 03

  I had to be in like, second, second, first.

• 3:53Fred Taylor?

  Don't bleed into it, dawg.

• 3:55Ryan Clark?

  And was he in the pros at this time?

• 3:57Fred Taylor?

  Nah, he was for the Jaguars. He was playing with the Jaguars.

• 3:59Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 4:01Fred Taylor?

  For real, fellas?

• 4:02Speaker 03

  You know, being from Jacksonville, when you see somebody like that come to your school, that's like chasing greatness and it's in that greatness, it's inspiring. So I just want to say thank you for that.

• 4:12Fred Taylor?

  I appreciate it.

• 4:13Speaker 03

  Somebody asked me, when was the first time you were like shell shocked by meeting somebody? And I mentioned when you came and spoke at the school. So, yeah, it's crazy what inspiration you bestow on people and you don't even know it. So, thank you.

• 4:25Fred Taylor?

  Which is crazy.

• 4:26Ryan Clark?

  So what is he saying? So I want to clear this with you, because maybe, we'll cut to Jacksonville, all the room. So Tyriq, second grade, what, six, seven years old?

• 4:33Fred Taylor?

  Tyriq was six years old.

• 4:34Ryan Clark?

  He was six years old?

• 4:35Fred Taylor?

  That's a grown ass man.

• 4:36Ryan Clark?

  He's an adult now.

• 4:37Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 4:38Ryan Clark?

  Big time movies and everything.

• 4:39Fred Taylor?

  Movie stars.

• 4:40Ryan Clark?

  Oh, all kinds of stuff.

• 4:41Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 4:42Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, finna be a leading man in another movie right now, like that. So he an adult.

• 4:46Fred Taylor?

  Yeah.

• 4:46Ryan Clark?

  Full grown adult. So when he was six.

• 4:49Fred Taylor?

  His inspiration was free.

• 4:50Ryan Clark?

  His inspiration was free.

• 4:52Channing Crowder?

  But I got to know, Arce.

• 4:53Fred Taylor?

  You best believe, I brought the jersey for him to sign too.

• 4:57Channing Crowder?

  You know what? The jersey justified, because I got a Freddie T. signed jersey, bro. What did he say? Because he's a man of few words, but y'all bored out your [bleep] mind.

• 5:08Speaker 03

  He was like, y'all just keep chasing our player.

• 5:13Speaker 03

  He was like, why am I here? Nah, it's like, you don't remember what they say, but you always make, you remember how they make you feel. So, I don't know. It was just like he took the time out of his like day, his schedule to come back and get back to the community. So, you know, now that I'm moving into that, that world of, you know, making movies, it's like a nice reminder to always.

• 5:33Fred Taylor?

  You're in that position now, to be able to do it. And I can tell you this, Freddie T. back then, I probably was high.

• 5:42Ryan Clark?

  Freddie T., you can't say anything to the people in school, high?

• 5:45Fred Taylor?

  I mean, but it wasn't noticeable.

• 5:47Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 5:48Fred Taylor?

  Right? I just wanted to vibe out with the kids. And make sure I said something.

• 5:54Speaker 03

  Imagine I was like, I smelled it and then that's when I started smoking.

• 5:58Ryan Clark?

  Like, the reason I failed my test is because I know Fred Taylor reached greatness and he was high as hell.

• 6:05Fred Taylor?

  I don't condone that. And then again, I'm just probably talking trash.

• 6:08Ryan Clark?

  I was just saying, I don't fear a lot of things, right? In like media or show business. I do fear if I'm ever famous enough to go on Jennifer Hudson's show, that I have to dance down that hallway. So. When you were in the room, right? And you knew, like, you knew at this point. Do you have to make a decision that you're gonna do that? Can you forgo the hallway?

• 6:31Speaker 03

  You can, but like, why, you know? So, they let you know, alright, so, you know, there's Spirit Tunnel. We've all seen the Aaron Pierre, that's Mufasa. Aaron Pierre, that's Mufasa. That's probably the goaded one. And then Marlon went before me, and so you just hear through the walls and like, my publicist was with me at the time, and my heart was beating out my chest. And you could like, probably hear it on the mic, because they were miking me up. And then you just go. And you, like, God, that's what happened. And you walk, you turn that corner, you don't know the song, you don't know the beat. I was trying to find the beat. I was trying to find it.

• 7:06Ryan Clark?

  You went through eight different dance moves.

• 7:09Speaker 03

  Yeah, I did, I did. I started, I hit a stroll at one point, and I was like, I gotta chill, I can't stroll too much. But yeah, somebody said it was like, both of my races fighting for each other to learn how to.

• 7:23Ryan Clark?

  It was a culture clash.

• 7:24Speaker 03

  That's like the epitome of being mixed. You're like, alright, find it, find it, okay, what was that? Dolphin? You're like, what?

• 7:32Channing Crowder?

  Hey, but if you'd hit the worm, you'd have liked that both of our, both of our. My mom would have loved the worm. Because I'm bi-racial too, bro, we'd have had a run of light-skinned dudes. Bro, we'd have had a run of light-skinned on this show, my, appreciate you, my boy.

• 7:45Ryan Clark?

  So that's his big thing, bro. Anytime somebody's light-skinned, and he thinks they're handsome, he goes like, you don't understand what it's like for us dimes, you know? We're dealing with all these different things.

• 7:55Channing Crowder?

  Well, I don't know what their voice is. But I would like to ask Irieke a question about. Bro, no, but, nah. Being light-skinned, do people, do people think you're soft still? You're a lot younger than us. But light-skinned was soft back in the day, is it still there?

• 8:09Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think, you know, there's always that struggle of fitting in, and feeling like you have to prove yourself, not only just this side, but that side as well. So, yeah, I think there is an essence of like, when I was growing up, you know, they think you're soft, so you just learn how to fight, like, on all different sides of the spectrum. And I grew up with an older brother, and the things that was bestowed upon him, oh, I felt that wrath. So, you know, he really like introduced me into that world of like, okay, they're gonna try you. Don't let them disrespect you and whatnot. So, yeah, I feel like there's this essence of me always trying to find my identity of being like, I'm not this, I'm not white enough, I'm not black enough. So I just think that's, also it's a misconnotation that, you know, you're soft or, you know,

• 8:51Speaker 03

  I think I would challenge that verbiage is like more sensitive or more emotionally in tune with, you know, the experiences that you're witnessing. And, you know, as men, we're not always taught how to emotionally articulate ourselves. So it's, you know, it's anger, it's tears, it's a balled up fist. And I think that was my, my journey going through high school and college of like, how do I articulate what I'm feeling instead of, you know, fighting it out?

• 9:20Channing Crowder?

  I'm biracial, you know, I talk about it on the show, I got jokes about it and all that stuff. But I only saw the black side, inner city Atlanta. So the having to prove you're tough, having to prove, you know what I'm saying, you're not a soft dude. I never saw, like, I never had to prove anything on the white side because of my surroundings.

• 9:36Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 9:37Channing Crowder?

  What did you have to prove on the other side? Cause I never felt that.

• 9:40Speaker 03

  Yeah, so like I grew up in the black experience Jacksonville, Florida, and then in and out of Chicago. So my dad's from Chicago. So like I, I didn't grow up playing football, so I grew up playing soccer, which is a predominantly white sport. And it was like always trying to fit in on that, in that world of it where, you know, like, come hang out in my house, nobody wants to hang out with me, you know? Trying to be good enough at the sport and mix and mingle in those, those rooms and not always fully connecting, even though you might, you know, I'm a white passing mixed man. And there's always this, this level of disconnect. And I think that's where like I tried to prove myself on like the soccer aspect where it's like, oh, I'm a, I'm a really good soccer player.

• 10:21Speaker 03

  That's why, it's how I grew up, but you know, it's not, I was culturally different than the counterpart.

• 10:27Ryan Clark?

  Something I thought was profound and it was really cool. Donald Glover did a great job with all of his art.

• 10:34Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 10:34Ryan Clark?

  Right, but especially in Atlanta, there'll be this show that

• 10:39Ryan Clark?

  Doesn't even really have the normal cast, but it's a show that reaches or touches on a topic that may be taboo in some senses, or there are conversations that need to be had.

• 10:50Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 10:50Ryan Clark?

  You were the focal point of Rich Wiga, Poor Wiga.

• 10:53Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 10:54Ryan Clark?

  Was actually the name.

• 10:55Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 10:56Ryan Clark?

  Of the episode.

• 10:57Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 10:57Ryan Clark?

  And, you know, in the episode, guy comes to the high school and he says, "Okay, I'll pay the scholarships or tuitions of the people who are black." And you have to go prove that you are black.

• 11:10Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 11:11Ryan Clark?

  Was there anything like throughout that filming or the conversations about that episode that truly resonated with you because of your experiences?

• 11:20Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think there's aspects of that episode. I think the episode was flipped for me, so I was always resonated with my black side.

• 11:26Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 11:27Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think that struggle of like, trying to define who you are as a person. And I actually went to school off of a first-generation African-American scholarship for college. And I was at Florida State. It's the CARE program, sort of the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement. So there was this aspect of, you know, in the episode, I have to prove it, but Dr. Tadaro Stark was the head of the CARE program at Florida State, and he just embraced me with love. That episode was like the epitome of my life of, you know, what table do I sit down at? You know, being mixed, trying to figure out where my life is headed. And, and the character, Aaron, there's this thing mixed people go through is identity foreclosure. So when you're mixed, you feel like you have to foreclose on a side of you to fit in.

• 12:12Speaker 03

  And I think my character for Aaron, he foreclosed on his black side until it benefited him. And I don't resonate with that, but I felt like for my life, I foreclosed on my white side. And that was the struggle of trying to figure out how to connect with these, these people. And even being raised by a white mom, you're like, you know, there's a disconnect. With that, so yeah, I think that episode was cathartic and it, that episode found me in a weird position in my life where I'm just chasing this acting stuff and Donald just wrote it and. How did that come about that you ended up working with Donald? So it was real quick. I was working on a TV show and I had an agent and you know, you just get an email like,

• 12:53Speaker 03

  "Hey, we got this audition," but it was like a two-scene audition. I was like, "I'm about to be in Atlanta, two scenes, I'm about to be lit." You know, everybody watched Atlanta. So it was the first scene of the episode and the last scene of the episode. So I was like, "I wonder who's gonna be in the episode." So I put something on tape and then I sent it off the next day. They pinned me and they booked me because it's such a specific role that they couldn't afford to like lose, lose out on working with me. And it wasn't until like a week before we shot the episode, I got the full episode sent to me. And I was like, "Oh, I am the episode." And I didn't realize that season three, there was a mix of anthology episodes within the season, so.

• 13:35Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, I thought you said I influenced you a little bit. You went to Florida State though. Come on now. How'd that get out the bag?

• 13:43Speaker 03

  Because nobody really wants to go to Florida.

• 13:45Fred Taylor?

  I guess we worked better way back then.

• 13:48Speaker 03

  Yeah, way back when.

• 13:49Fred Taylor?

  Way, way back when.

• 13:50Speaker 03

  In the, in the eighties. Like when you was coming up. He said like when you was coming up.

• 13:58Fred Taylor?

  That is crazy. This whole starting out the acting, since RC brought it up, around the same time your career started to take off, you had to deal with one of the, I guess, most tragic losses in your life, losing your brother. How did those two worlds collide emotionally for you?

• 14:14Speaker 03

  So, you know, I played football at Florida State. I walked on. And I had a tough childhood, you know, going through like traumatic things and, you know, I was always yearning for like something more than like sports. And I was playing sports to like make my mom proud. Felt like that's what you have to do to be a man or like get out of Jacksonville with sports or academics. So I was a 4046 student, GPA, and then I played high level soccer and then transitioned to football. I had a couple of offers. I was gonna go head to Davidson College to play, but then it's not my, not my, not my vibe, you know? Their pitching point was Steph Curry played here. Steph Curry played here. And I was like, that's basketball. Right. You know, at the time, it was like 2016, the team was like, you know how the hazen is with

• 14:59Speaker 03

  the football team? And they were like really hazing me up. And I was like, y'all went 1 and 8 last year. Y'all need to worry about the roster, the schedule.

• 15:08Channing Crowder?

  Hey, y'all last, hey, some of these last motherfuckers. Hey, some of these spritz.

• 15:13Speaker 03

  Yeah, but I ended up playing at Florida State for a little bit and then decided that's not really what I wanted to do. I was wanted to, you know, develop as a human being and, you know, I went through, I got really involved on campus, like the Assistant Director for Diversity Inclusion Institute. And I like, you know, I was a mentor for, you know, the underprivileged community around, like to help them filter into Florida State, mentoring, tutoring, guiding. And that's what like really spoke to me and developed me as a human being. And then the point when like 2020 came around, I'm like, what am I doing with my life? I didn't do any internships. I think I was supposed to work in Amazon out in like San Bernardino, because I was trying to get close to LA. But I would always make my own like content and I knew where I wanted to head. And so I decided to move to Atlanta.

• 15:58Speaker 03

  And I moved to Atlanta, like finessed, got a lot on my resume, got an agent. And then she signed me off of like, you know, some, some skits that I did and then just started cooking. And then, you know, around 2021, April 30th, I'll never forget the day, 2:00 in the morning, I got a call from my brother's partner, just screaming on the phone, just, he's dead, he's dead, he's dead. And that's when my whole relationship with the work, the art changed because it created a level of pain and, and lost love, grief, confusion in me that like, no matter what

• 16:41Speaker 03

  I'm doing in life, I'm searching for him. And when you have an older brother, that's your like, that's your first bully, your first superhero, you know, he teaches you how to do everything. And he has a son, so I have a nephew. And.

• 16:57Speaker 03

  Yeah, I remember when it happened, I was so angry. I was so angry, I was cussing at God. You know, I was like, "Why?" You know, you get wild. You know, you grow up like in the church and whatnot. And I remember like, "Why not me?" You know, my brother, who we had a specific, you know, hard relationship with our pops. And one of our last conversations was I was thanking him for being a dad that we didn't have. And I was challenging to take it even further. And I'm grateful to have that conversation because, you know, it's...

• 17:33Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah.

• 17:37Speaker 03

  I felt so...

• 17:41Speaker 03

  Like he was bringing life into the world and he was mentoring and he was raising his son. And when it happened, it just...

• 17:49Speaker 03

  Like, I'm over here chasing like this surface love. I'm playing dress up on camera. "Hey, my name is Tyre Withers, I'm 6'5", based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Pick me, choose me." And it felt so like useless when you have like a young man who's being a present, soft, sensitive... I would say sensitive father who's teaching and raising his son. I remember I was just so angry and I think that developed a whole different relationship with the art of, you know, acting. Because no matter what project I'm incorporated in, I'm looking for him.

• 18:24Ryan Clark?

  How have you processed that grief and that pain now? Because it still feels fresh and listening to you talk about it. And, you know, we talk about grief a ton on this show and it doesn't go away. You know, you learn to process it differently. It shows itself differently. How was trying to process through that for you?

• 18:49Speaker 03

  I think it's an everlasting journey. It takes a village. I remember I was about to start, I was gonna quit the pursuit of acting and like go into the corporate world, help raise my nephew. And it's been one of the most challenging things in my life, because no matter where I'm at in life, even if I'm smiling, there's that river of sadness, that river of pain, a river of grief. And I just poured it all into the art of acting and pushing myself to greatness. And I asked myself, what would he want me to do?

• 19:28Speaker 03

  He was a fearless pursuit of what he wanted in life, and he wasn't scared of anybody. And you know, it's like the only thing I think he was afraid of was God, you know what I'm saying? So I think processing it is sharing it with people. And that's one thing I love that y'all do is y'all check in on each other. And you know, James Baldwin talks about how grief and pain builds a bridge between us all, and we don't like, I felt like I had to hold it in. You feel like you're using it as an excuse, but no, that's like real, real life, human shit that we have to like get up every day and choose to live on in their name. And so that's how our process is, like these conversations and you know, being there for

• 20:13Speaker 03

  people. And quite literally, he lives on through me. I'm the, I'm the closest thing to his DNA. And then he has a nephew, and then seeing him grow, he just turned eight two days ago, and you're just like, wow, like, he's seeing me chase my dreams and I'm Uncle Tyreek, you know? And I think, you know, the processing of grief doesn't need to be always sad, you know? And I think the joy, the laugh, and I always say this-

• 20:43Ryan Clark?

  Memories, man.

• 20:44Speaker 03

  I always say it's-

• 20:47Speaker 03

  It's ironic that the only time I really hear my brother is when I'm like in the pits of my deep laughter, you know what I'm saying, I can hear his laugh when I'm there laughing. And like that's one thing he always wanted to do was just have fun and like feel the joy. And I think I just love living now. And you know, I'm not gonna stop. Like obviously I like have that pain and you know, the pain and lost love, but like there's another side of that process. And it's like, the older I get, the more I fall in love with my inner child. And like, what did he want, you know, like, how do I speak to him and

• 21:32Speaker 03

  give, feed him so that like I can be a better uncle, I can be a better son. I think that's part of the processing is, you know, I didn't feel worthy enough to be an uncle. Like who the fuck am I to like be this uncle? But like, that's when I learned like the ministry of presence is important. Like just, I was around my son, my, it feels like a son. It was around my nephew. And you're just going through all these things like emotionally, and you just feel so like the reminder of him is like, he's there. And it's like that pain. And I couldn't deal with the nostalgia. So I was like so avoidant. And I just felt

• 22:13Speaker 03

  like I was like a boring uncle, you know, and I had to like really have those conversations, like just being there, showing up. He called me like two weeks ago. He was like, you gonna be there for my birthday, right? Birthday party? And his birthday, his birthday party was two days before his birthday. And I was like, I'll be there. And I remember seeing him on his birthday. And he just like made me pick him up. And he just gave me the like sweetest kiss on the cheek. And I was just like, that alone was like, I learned that like just being there is enough.

• 22:43Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest, or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra. Because it's not just a superior light beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 23:11Channing Crowder?

  Well, hearing you, when we went through, I lost my pops last May.

• 23:15Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 23:15Channing Crowder?

  And like the why not me thing, like all that pops in your mind. But even my dad, it's funny, fuck you. I have a whole joke, like my dad's thing was fuck you. He told everybody fuck you. And it's a funny phrase, but to this day, when everybody says that, just says fuck you to anybody, I smile and people look at me crazy. They're like, why are you smiling at a cuss word? You know what I'm saying? And that was the thing. So to hear you say like, you know, saying you're going through that, I don't think you would be, you would have had the opportunities. And I think your brother's helping you. Cause I know my father helped me. That loss was one thing, but moving through that built you up and built, and built me up. My father's loss built me up too. So moving there, but you said something interesting.

• 23:59Channing Crowder?

  You said that you touched different emotions while acting because you haven't felt that from your brother. And now did it like to the point, I don't want to be insensitive, but it made you a better actor going through your brother's loss.

• 24:12Speaker 03

  Yeah, I, I would say I've experienced loss before, just not of that magnitude. Because you know, you know how being brothers is, it's like, it's affecting me as like a human, like an adult now where it's like, I don't trust people because I was like, I, I always say when I'm like in like the dark places in my mind, I was like, how can I expect you to like me? And my own brother didn't like me growing up. And it was, he took, he was taken away from me at such a pivotal moment in my life where I moved away from home. He was, he stayed at home and I was in college. And like he would call me, he would call me, he would be like, yo, when you coming back to Jack? When you coming back to Jack? I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there. And not knowing, now it's his way of being like, bro, I miss you.

• 24:56Speaker 03

  Like, I'm, I'm sorry, all the things that like I put you through. And it's not until after that loss, you're just like, damn. Uh, but yeah, I say acting.

• 25:08Speaker 03

  Acting, I've, I've learned that it's just existing and just being, rather than trying for an emotion. And I think, yeah, when you experience loss like that, that emotion is like specifically right. Like, right, you can, I can access it like this. And it's a cathartic experience. And if you watch the movie Him, where my character's sitting at the Last Supper table, which is like a direct, you know, religious symbolism, but also an Allen Iverson moment. Because if you look at that photo shoot, the Last Supper AI photo. But like, we did the take, and then I, you could tell I was like, I had like a shell up. And then the director would take me away and just be like, yo, this is what I experienced with my dad, losing my dad,

• 25:53Speaker 03

  and what I poured it, my grief into is like the work on set. And then we did another take. And then I, I, I just start talking. I don't even, fuck, fuck the script. I just start talking. And if you watch the scene, it's like, I let him down. I let him down. I let him down. And that's genuinely how I felt when, you know, he would call me and be like, come back to Jax. Come back to Jax. And I would be, I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there. And I never went as much as I should have. And I think that was a moment of like, oh, wow. It's, it's not trying for emotion. It's like bringing a accent, a, a, a certain part of Freddie T to the, to the, like, if you're playing a character, part of you is gonna play this character.

• 26:36Speaker 03

  And I think part of me is an extension. Like, every character I play is an extension of my humanity. I think we're all mosaics. We all are, our experiences accumulated together. And I think acting is therapeutic for me because you're told what the movie, what the story is about. And in this specific moment, I need to think and work through this experience or this memory. And my process might not work for other people's processes. I've come across actors who, high-level actors, and they're like, tear stick, you know? And I, for me, that's not my process. My process is like bringing that raw, real emotion because you can't look at me in my eyes.

• 27:17Speaker 03

  And say that scene is good or bad because that's real life shit that's poured into that scene. And I think that's what I love about that process of like bringing that to acting.

• 27:27Ryan Clark?

  I think the whole thing, the way Jordan shot it and the story was told from your perspective. It felt like it was told from the perspective of your eyes too, right? Because little Cade, little Cameron Cade, right? And when he's watching Isaiah on the TV, like it's about his eyes, right? He's watching, then your pops is coming, the pops is coming over. And then even during that scene, when you're talking about, okay, you know, I told him I didn't want to do it anymore and we never got that reconciliation. Like everything is told through the eyes of the, you know, the character, which I thought was cool. But, you know, I want to go back to when you started acting.

• 28:04Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 28:05Ryan Clark?

  Right? Because and I'm gonna say this too, bro. Your story has a lot of lies in it.

• 28:09Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 28:10Ryan Clark?

  Like little ones, like a lot of little lies, like you lied to audition.

• 28:14Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 28:15Ryan Clark?

  You basically got somebody to direct your highlight quarterback film so you could play a quarterback in the film. Can you explain to me how that even comes about, bro? Where you like, hey, man, I'm over here in the place, they ain't really got no footballs, but we need to find a football and I need to fake like I could throw one.

• 28:30Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 28:32Ryan Clark?

  Like, come on, I just asked you.

• 28:35Channing Crowder?

  Light skin start with lie.

• 28:41Ryan Clark?

  So how did you, so how did that all come about, bro? Where you like, hey, man, I gotta play quarterback, so we gonna all make a highlight film?

• 28:47Speaker 03

  Yeah, first of all, I started when I walked on to Florida State. I was like, yeah, I know what I'm doing. I didn't know how to read a playbook, man, know how to do nothing, Nathaniel. So, yeah, it's like, just like the art of like acting like you're supposed to be there.

• 29:02Ryan Clark?

  Right.

• 29:03Speaker 03

  And then that was my first experience with high level football, you know, Florida State. Last time I was on the team, we won an Orange Bowl, just gonna say that. Not because of me maybe, but I was on the team. I got an Orange Bowl ring, just gonna say that. Sorry, they gonna kill me for that one.

• 29:19Speaker 03

  But yeah, it's like being around, you know, Dalvin Cook. You had Brian Burns, you had. Derwin was there? Derwin, but he was injured. Got you. Oh, we had DeMarcus Walker. See, I remember I had to, I had to block DeMarcus Walker. I think they were like, yeah, yeah, you know, crackdown on the D N. I was like, what? You want me to what? I just turned 18, I'm like 185, I'm like, what? Um, so that was like the lie. I was like, yeah, fuck it, I'll do it, you know? And you just get hit and get back up. So I think that experience, you know, put that like collegiate level of like football swag and aura into who I was. And then when him came around, you know, I love Hollywood because they'd be like, oh, he played college football at Florida State.

• 30:04Speaker 03

  Played is a stretch. Uh, I was on scout team and I gave ones to twos looks. Sometimes that's the hardest thing though. Cause like you go too hard, then they gonna get mad at you. Like if you're going too hard, you trying hard, bro, you gonna, you gonna get injured. I'm just like, all right. But yeah, the football movie came about and I was acting for a little bit. And I was in Serbia, uh, shooting another film. And then they were like, can you throw a football? And I was like, yeah. Your voice got high when they ask you to throw a football. I was like, yeah. No, and they're well, I know how to catch a football, you know? You toss a football back. Right. So it took like a week to find a football. And, um, I, I, I started throwing the football and I couldn't get like a spiral.

• 30:49Speaker 03

  And I was like, let's deflate it a little bit.

• 30:52Speaker 03

  Okay, Tom. Yeah, a little Tom Brady action.

• 30:57Speaker 03

  Then that's when the spiral started hitting. Um, and the director of that film I was shooting, he, he shot it for me on this iPhone. And he was like, we're gonna punch out to the Y. We're gonna zoom in, we're gonna come here, we're gonna flip it. And I got the control of editing it. And anytime I did a bad throw, I would cut it specifically to the other angle to make it look like I was throwing a dart. But it got me in the room. If you look at my throw. And on that tape versus in the movie, it was Jordan Palmer did God's work. Because I didn't know how to do any of that. You just finesse your way into the room. And all I need to do is be in a room and then we're going to train. Because you know what it's like being an amateur. It's like doing it till you don't get it wrong. And then being a professional is like, you just don't get it wrong.

• 31:42Speaker 03

  You know what I'm saying? Like you're going to commit, commit, commit, commit. And I think the athletic side of me is, it pours into the acting where it's like you can, you can tell me to ride a bull. You can tell me to swing like Tiger Woods.

• 31:56Ryan Clark?

  I'm gonna figure it out.

• 31:57Speaker 03

  I'm gonna figure it out. And I think that's what happened where the throw was decent enough. Because you'd be surprised, these actors can't.

• 32:05Ryan Clark?

  Can't throw at all. If you ever watch, if you ever watch people toss a football on any show or any movie, that's like you're throwing it with their opposite hand, with their weak hand.

• 32:13Speaker 03

  Yeah, you toss Marlon a football, like you could tell immediately.

• 32:18Ryan Clark?

  What was it, what was it like to work with him in that space? Because it's a different space than we've seen him. It's more like, and I don't know how many people watched this movie, because I watch a lot of movies. It's more like Requiem for a Dream, Marlon, than we saw like through the comedies. But to be in such a large movie with Jordan Peele, who's a legit legend.

• 32:37Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 32:38Ryan Clark?

  Now with, he's like the one dude that like pops out every now and then. But when he pops out, you know it's an event.

• 32:43Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah.

• 32:44Ryan Clark?

  You know, to be in that space and kind of be your introduction to the world of big time movies. What was that experience like for you?

• 32:51Speaker 03

  Yeah, I would say, just to a point of clarity, Jordan Peele produced it.

• 32:55Ryan Clark?

  Right.

• 32:55Speaker 03

  And then Justin Tippin directed it. But yeah, it's all an extension of Jordan Peele. But yeah, I think it was a surreal aspect of like of my life. Because he grew up watching Marlon Wayans and his work and his comedy. And you know, coming to set, you know, even before set, you know, we got training together. We did football throwing, we did working out. And he just embraced me with just love. And that older brother mentality and it's like in a point, I've said this before, at a point of when I was yearning for that brotherhood the most, God placed him in my life to, you know, be in that, be in that role. And that's exactly what I felt immediately. And I was like, this is going to be fun.

• 33:38Speaker 03

  And it was like, you know, art imitates reality. It's like a fun competition where it's like the young bull comes on. And, oh, I'mma, I'mma really get this throwdown, or I'mma get this body, you know? And it's like a, a healthy level of competition. And, yeah, it, it, it was a challenge to like, really bring this movie to light because, yeah, you have to get physically there, and then you have to learn how to throw like a quarterback. But not only throw like a quarterback, you gotta throw like a D1 first-round, number-one draft pick quarterback, you know? And I, I think, I pushed myself to, like, I, I became obsessed with getting a throwdown. To point on the first day of set, I threw my arm out. Uh, and I, I had to have a physio on set, just immediately there to like,

• 34:23Speaker 03

  and when I finished throwing, my, my elbows throbbing in pain. Uh, I, like, I had a device I slept in. Uh, and when I'd go to sleep, I'd wake up screaming in pain because it was just like, you're throwing like you had the 10,000 hours, and that's where the lies would get you. You're just like, I'm supposed to look like I'm, I'm Jalen Hurts or Shador, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's the fun part, though, because you, you lose yourself in that, like, that artistic obsession that it just bleeds on camera. And that is what I love most. So, yeah, and you just kinda, I didn't realize how method I went. And like, there's this, there's not a method where I'm like, in between takes, I'm like, I'm Cameron Cade. But like, the only way to authentically tell the story

• 35:06Speaker 03

  is to, to melt into a quarterback role. And I think the essence of a multimillion-dollar studio film on my shoulders was the same type of anxiety and pressure that Cameron Cade felt, you know, going into the league. And like, I think all athletes have to deal with, especially those high-level athletes, where your performance and your, your statistics are your, are, are what define you. From perception of people. Yeah, you know, and I think that's what drew me to this movie. Because like, the themes were much more than athletes. Uh, you know, um, so, yeah, I think it, I'm still learning from that experience, um, to date. Yeah, it was really cool, just in watching it, man.

• 35:48Channing Crowder?

  I was gonna say, but the concept, because most people, like, if you go on another movie set where y'all are cops, you're a cop with Marlon Wayans. Like, y'all, they're both cops, but he's not a cop.

• 35:57Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 35:58Channing Crowder?

  But now, the, the script is you're trying to be him in the movie.

• 36:04Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 36:04Channing Crowder?

  And let's be honest, you're trying to be him off screen too. You're trying to get to that level.

• 36:09Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 36:09Channing Crowder?

  Was that, the dynamic of that was funny to me. Now I sit here and hear you talk. It's funny that you were chasing him in the movie. And I don't know if you want to say it that way, but you're really chasing the top actors now in your young career.

• 36:23Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah. It is a very perceptive take. Because, yeah, I think that's the beauty of acting. It's like, yeah, how do I pour the actor side of me into this character as well? And I know what it's like to want to make those top of the top movies, be in those, that position to bring these stories to life. But yeah, I think that's where the off-screen chemistry is. I think Marlon has a healthy understanding of who he is. And if he was like an insecure actor, then it could have got weird. But he's just so, he knows who he is. And, you know, I'm chasing greatness, you know, in this movie, in the next one, in the next one, you know? I'm not slowing down anytime soon.

• 37:07Speaker 03

  And that's what I want to do is like, tell all different spectrums of stories where, you know, this lived in the psychological horror space. Now this next one's going to be a romantic drama. You know, who knows? A rom-com could be in the space. A fight movie could be, I don't know. You just, like, I'm just having fun.

• 37:24Channing Crowder?

  Man, we got the Pivot Energy Drink, the official energy drink of the Pivot Podcast, the best podcast in the world. Man, we got everything going. We got the podcast, we got kids, we got life, we got all the jobs that we know everybody has. We wanted to go further, feel stronger, do more, and Pivot got us there, man. It's not just hype. This is made by athletes for people that want to perform at a very high level. And this is what I go to every single morning. If I'm fishing, if I'm running around, if I'm traveling with y'all dudes, this one I'm grabbing every morning.

• 37:54Ryan Clark?

  Hey, man, and unlike other energy drinks, we added 12 special ingredients, like BCAAs. We have creatine. And we also use caffeine that is from green tea. See, we ain't playing around with it. It's the Pivot Energy. That means it's top tier.

• 38:09Fred Taylor?

  That's right, RC. Full transparency. No more fatigue, no crash, just long-term energy, just pivot.

• 38:16Channing Crowder?

  We got four flavors right now. I go with the orange. It really tastes like orange soda, but it has all those amazing things that RC talked about. It's not gonna have you crash like Fred was just saying, and it's delicious.

• 38:27Fred Taylor?

  That's right. Listen, my favorite flavor is watermelon. Although orange is good, grape is good. Pink lemonade, you gotta try it, but if you wanna be like me, you gotta get the watermelon.

• 38:37Ryan Clark?

  We have four amazing flavors, and I mean, I'm the LSU guy, you know, purple and gold. So grape is my favorite, and listen, we have those long nights on Monday night football. A lot of times, we shoot early in the morning on Tuesday. Pop up, get me a pivot energy, and I'm ready to roll.

• 38:52Fred Taylor?

  We just told you the flavors. Head to pivotenergiedrink.com and get you a variety pack.

• 38:56Channing Crowder?

  Well, it's time to make your move. Energize your purpose, pivotenergiedrink.com.

• 39:07Fred Taylor?

  Since you've been in this space, what's been that, uh, that one big holy shit, I'm really starstruck moment? Or a pinch me moment?

• 39:14Speaker 03

  I'm on the pivot.

• 39:17Speaker 03

  That's my starstruck moment.

• 39:20Speaker 03

  I say a more recent one is I'm at The Rock, you know? And, you know, I gave him some shit. I was like, thank you for the, uh, the actor. I meant the, the, the football player, the actor pipeline. He said, you went to Miami, so.

• 39:36Speaker 03

  So that was fun, meeting The Rock, but I would say in the work of it all, I think being on set and being directed by Donald Glover, I think that was like the initial, whoa. This is my, this is a whole different caliber of, uh, our tour. It was 2022. I was like 23, and just being on set with somebody so chill but so creative. They're like, it's like such a, like a silent genius, you know? And like just meeting all the, the sauce was like his village, too. You know, his village knew exactly how to light, how to, how to set things up and bounce ideas off each other. And I think the one scene that brought me the most trauma was when I was sitting in the spotlight

• 40:19Speaker 03

  and they were just yelling things out. He went off script. He was like, do this, do that. And I was like, I don't know that, but, uh, that's what the scene was about. He was like, do the electric slide. See, I know how to do electric slide. I just didn't know that electric slide was exactly.

• 40:33Fred Taylor?

  You know that electric slide? Was it electric slide?

• 40:35Speaker 03

  Yeah, exactly.

• 40:36Fred Taylor?

  You just, you just do it at weddings and family gatherings.

• 40:38Speaker 03

  Exactly.

• 40:38Fred Taylor?

  No question.

• 40:40Ryan Clark?

  They gonna play the song.

• 40:41Speaker 03

  I remember being like, what's the electric slide? And they just kept moving, kept it moving, so.

• 40:47Ryan Clark?

  Ain't nobody come out and like, nah.

• 40:49Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 40:49Ryan Clark?

  They give you a little bit of it?

• 40:50Speaker 03

  Nah, that's what they wanted, though. They wanted like the confusion.

• 40:53Ryan Clark?

  Right.

• 40:54Speaker 03

  In that moment. But yeah, I think Don Glover was like the first time I was like, oh, I'm in here. I'm in here.

• 41:03Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra. Because it's not just a superior light beer. It's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 41:31Channing Crowder?

  Bro, you said rom-com and all that. Are you ready to give them, you ready to show them the pieces?

• 41:36Speaker 03

  No, no.

• 41:37Ryan Clark?

  He was supposedly naked in him though, too, though, like he was in the meat, in the meat market. At the combine. And no boy, like, man, you put your pants on.

• 41:45Channing Crowder?

  No, that's, that's, that's tough naked. I'm talking about real naked. I'm talking about Boris Kojo naked.

• 41:51Speaker 03

  I've actually.

• 41:52Channing Crowder?

  Are you Boris Kojo? Are you ready, bro, Kojo naked?

• 41:55Speaker 03

  If it makes sense for the story.

• 41:59Speaker 03

  It makes sense.

• 42:00Ryan Clark?

  But have you comfortable with that?

• 42:01Speaker 03

  Yeah, I've, I've actually explored those intimate scenes in a TV show. Tell Me Lies, if you've ever seen that, that TV show. But I was at a much younger part of my career. But, you know, I, I was thinking about not doing it, but I think, you know, when it lies in the space of like education, education on consent, not only consent, enthusiastic consent. I think that is my responsibility as an actor is, you know, stories. If it's a messaging, if it meshes well with the story. I won't shy away from anything, but as long as it's tasteful. I think some of the most tasteful things is like leaving your mind up to like what happened.

• 42:40Ryan Clark?

  You figure it out.

• 42:41Speaker 03

  Yeah, you figure it out. So, I don't know, we're, we're cooking, so.

• 42:44Ryan Clark?

  So, we've been having a discussion.

• 42:46Channing Crowder?

  Gliut squeeze.

• 42:49Speaker 03

  We've been, we've been.

• 42:51Channing Crowder?

  I, I have one. I'm not gonna show you, but I mean, I can send you a write-up.

• 42:56Speaker 03

  Uh huh.

• 42:57Channing Crowder?

  Of, yeah, cuz you gotta, cuz, yeah.

• 43:02Ryan Clark?

  Well, you said the most important one is the hips when you pull out is the more important.

• 43:06Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, cuz you got money now. Keep your hips, you pull-out gang.

• 43:09Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 43:11Channing Crowder?

  I'ma help you out, young boy. You say young boy, old boy, young boy.

• 43:13Speaker 03

  We gotta stay together.

• 43:15Ryan Clark?

  So, and it's reminders of him, right?

• 43:17Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 43:18Ryan Clark?

  We've been having this conversation, uh, when she, it's in the book, so like when she comes out of jail.

• 43:25Speaker 03

  You read the book?

• 43:26Ryan Clark?

  And she's back, pieces.

• 43:27Speaker 03

  Pieces?

• 43:28Ryan Clark?

  You gotta prepare, right? When she comes out of jail.

• 43:30Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 43:31Ryan Clark?

  You're the homie, though, right?

• 43:35Ryan Clark?

  So, we have been having the, the homie, we've been having.

• 43:39Speaker 03

  That's debate.

• 43:40Ryan Clark?

  We, Tyriq, we've been having the homie debate.

• 43:42Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 43:43Ryan Clark?

  Do you, and you do it, and you, Ledger does it in the movie.

• 43:47Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, basically, what you're asking, so I, just for the audience.

• 43:50Ryan Clark?

  Yes.

• 43:51Speaker 03

  The, the story, and if you don't want spoilers, it is a book.

• 43:55Ryan Clark?

  Yes.

• 43:56Speaker 03

  Just skip, whatever. Uh, the story is, my best friend has a partner. She's drunk driving.

• 44:02Ryan Clark?

  Mm-hmm.

• 44:02Speaker 03

  She ends up killing, uh, my best friend, but then, she's pregnant at the time, doesn't know she's pregnant, has a baby. And then, she goes to prison, comes back, and then I meet her, and I fall for her, and then, I understand that, oh, she's the mother of my niece, but also my former, uh, best friend's partner. So, my argument is, I, first of all, this is what art is about, to create this conversation.

• 44:29Channing Crowder?

  Paint from the beginning, paint from the.

• 44:31Speaker 03

  To create this conversation. So, here's my take. I think we are so rooted in flesh, that, and ego, that we aren't able to, uh, fully comprehend the fact of me being in a relationship with my best friend's partner. Because I think.

• 44:48Ryan Clark?

  You think, you thinking of it in the earthly realm?

• 44:50Speaker 03

  In the earthly realm, and I think.

• 44:51Channing Crowder?

  The flesh.

• 44:52Speaker 03

  The flesh, and it's like, have I done it? No, but I think that's what drew me to this character more because it's, it's such a, uh, it's such an enigma, where you're like, would I do this? Would I not? Is this bad? Is this? And I think that, that yearning for love, and I think when you see this character going through so much. Grief and pain, the things that she didn't ask for. What would he want? Would he want her to like be suffering alone? Or would she, would, would he want her to be uh taken care of by somebody that he knows is a good person? He knows him from a younger age and it's like, yeah, I don't think about that, that earthly egotistical way of like nah, that's my, that's my, that's my girl, that's my partner.

• 45:36Speaker 03

  Nah, it's, but like, I, I haven't done that in my life, but I think for me, if I were to pass away, I want my, my, my child and my wife or my partner to be taken care of. And if she's happy and she feels the love and she's respected. Uh, and then you know it's gonna be a good relationship because he's gonna be watching me from above.

• 46:00Ryan Clark?

  So, so here's the, like here's the, the cool part is like we've been having this discussion.

• 46:06Speaker 03

  Did you hear that?

• 46:07Ryan Clark?

  I heard, I heard.

• 46:10Ryan Clark?

  So, so he, so I, I do think, I do think what I love though, I do love that about art, right? That, that so many times the, the greatest of arts create conversations. And you do have the, the thoughts of would this be something I would do? I think I see it two different ways, right? Here's how I see it. If something was to happen to me, from my family's standpoint, I want them to be wherever they have to be and whomever they have to be with to be okay. Right? Like I'm comfortable with that, like I could understand that, I would accept that as long as they're happy, that's all I care about. If it was someone that I was close to who was no longer here, I wouldn't want to do that.

• 46:52Ryan Clark?

  Right? Like, like for me, I wouldn't want to step into his place. I wouldn't want to try to fulfill who he was in their life. I want to take care of them, I want to be there. And that's just my opinion, whether it's fleshly, earthly or whatever it is. Right? Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And I think a lot of times what happens, which is makes this story a little different, is those people are trauma bonded as well. Right? By her being away for that time, she didn't, you two didn't deal with the grieving and mourning process together. And so I think that's a little different. Anyway, I just wanted to talk about the movie.

• 47:23Speaker 03

  See, when you, why would he says that you try to relate? Well, that was some real shit, you just earthly and fleshly, I didn't use those words, but we said the same thing. We, he wants his lady, if he dies, with somebody nice, pleasant that he knows is pleasant. See that?

• 47:39Channing Crowder?

  I said this shit for a month. Why has he, what does he have to say for y'all to agree?

• 47:43Ryan Clark?

  Terry, I do have this for you, man, as you continue to search.

• 47:46Channing Crowder?

  He gonna move forward.

• 47:46Ryan Clark?

  As you, yeah, yeah. As you continue to search for the ceiling, right, in acting. Acting is not like sports.

• 47:53Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 47:54Ryan Clark?

  Right, we, we all had a shelf life.

• 47:56Speaker 03

  Mm-hmm.

• 47:56Ryan Clark?

  You know what I'm saying? Whether it's 13 years for Fred, 13 for me, seven, eight for Chan. Like, it was going to end at some point. We get to see our favorite actors evolve. Like, I'm a movie fiend, right? So I've been going through like this Jake Gyllenhaal phase, right? A Sean Penn phase. I've done Denzel, I've done Brad Pitt, I've done Morgan Freeman. Just enjoying watching these people act, whether it's, you know, from Damn Glory to Bruce Almighty.

• 48:22Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah.

• 48:23Ryan Clark?

  Right, for, for you, when you start to study the, the greats at this job, what is it that attracts you to a certain actor for inspiration?

• 48:34Speaker 03

  That's a great question. Uh, before we get into that, I want to say the movie Him was made because of you. I, I, you have this one clip where you're like, "Oh, they changed rules because of me."

• 48:47Speaker 03

  So I just wanted to touch on that.

• 48:52Speaker 03

  But, yeah, no, I think what attracts me to certain, you said actors?

• 48:57Ryan Clark?

  Certain actors, right, too. Because you said when Fred came in, just somebody being there, being present, that was an inspiration.

• 49:03Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 49:04Ryan Clark?

  Right, and we're all inspired by different things. But when you fall in love with a career or with an occupation, there are things in people that you see that inspire you as well. You know, like, I watched, whether it was Brian Dawkins while I was playing, or Ron DeLana. I was like, "Man, I love the way they do this or the way they play this game." What draws you to certain actors and attributes of them?

• 49:26Speaker 03

  For me, an actor that really I'm touched by whenever I see them perform is Daniel Clujah. Not only his performance in Get Out, but Judas and the Black Messiah and Lakeith Stanfield. I met Lakeith recently and I, have you seen Judas and the Black Messiah?

• 49:42Channing Crowder?

  Yes.

• 49:43Speaker 03

  I thank Lakeith for his performance in that because it went against everything he probably stood for as a person, but he knew as an artist the amount of sacrifice, the amount of not judging his character. He had to go through to play that character being a snitch, if you will. And I think that's the duality of being black in America is like what you're putting these positions and you're judged for how you would react in a certain moment when we, in all actuality, we have no choice. And I think that's what Lakeith showed in that movie. That's one of my favorite movies brought to light. And when I say favorite, it's that conversation that's brought to the table. Like, we don't like just cut that movie off. It's like, let's have a great time. I think there's different aspects to different films.

• 50:28Speaker 03

  So I think that that level of emotional integrity, being in tune with who you are as a person and how you're gonna bring this story to life. And I think Daniel Kaluuya pays so much attention to detail, to the way they walk, the way they talk, the way they build the character in prep. And I think I aspire to be that submersive and subversive. And he spoke to me before shooting him, very briefly, and he was like, just make sure you tell the truth. And it's a very quick line, but then it kept me afloat throughout the entire movie. Making that movie, it's like, okay, I did a scene, I'm like, was that, is that okay? But then I was like, I would ask myself, did I tell the truth?

• 51:13Speaker 03

  So I think Daniel Kaluuya is a big inspiration of mine. But yeah, you think you have the greats, you know, I know what it's like to walk in to a theater. One of my first theatrical experiences was Fruitvale Station. And I went on, I was in high school and I went on, it was a date. It's not a date movie. It was, phew, I, yeah. Yeah, the bad ones? And I know what it's like to go in there and be like, yeah, I ain't gonna, like, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry. Next thing you know, you're looking this way, tears dropping. You know, and knowing the journey of that script now, Fruitvale Station and Ryan Coogler, I think. Uh, not only actors inspire me, Ryan Coogler.

• 51:55Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 51:55Speaker 03

  Bringing that to.

• 51:56Ryan Clark?

  To life.

• 51:57Speaker 03

  To life. And a, a story that, that's rooted in so much pain with Oscar Grant is, it's a scary thing. And he did it with Michael B. Jordan at a time that was so pivotal. And that inspired me to go do the first ever Black Student Union play at Florida State. And that was about police brutality. So, yeah, I think, uh, The Fruitvale Station was one of my first, uh, experiences. And not only like, uh, a great movie, but movie that like says something deeper than a lot of other movies, you know, and that's going against the grain. And, um, yeah, I remember that one moment when Michael B. Jordan is like, I got a daughter. Woo, I still think about that to this day.

• 52:38Ryan Clark?

  And he's taking those breaths.

• 52:39Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 52:40Ryan Clark?

  I, I do find it fascinating you picked those two movies.

• 52:43Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 52:43Ryan Clark?

  Right, because I am a watch all genre of movie person, right? And I'm, and I'm a crier on a plane when I watch movies, all those things. And obviously I knew The Fruitvale Station. I knew both of those stories before watching those movies. And it's one of those movies that it attracts you to the actor, right? And Lakeith and Judas, it didn't attract me to the character, but the actor.

• 53:07Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 53:07Ryan Clark?

  Right, because the character in our culture is like, he, there's no reconciliation with a person like that. But then when you know the story and the way he was able to bring that to life. So I just love that you look at the art of what the person and how the person brings that to life as the inspiration. Instead of just saying, okay, it's not about who you pick to play, it's how you bring them to the screen and the viewers. I love it.

• 53:30Speaker 03

  Yeah, because an actor coach taught me, he was like, if you play this character, you can't judge this character, you know? And, uh, I think we all agree with like, uh, Lakeith's character is like, like, how could we, like, that's a no. No, no. But like, to, in order for Lakeith to live in that, I think, um, he had to go to a place where I couldn't speak to his experience of like the pain he had to.

• 53:53Fred Taylor?

  Your, your, your journey has led to this level of success, which will lead to more opportunities. You are him, obviously, right? How do you stay grounded, you know, with this type of success right now?

• 54:06Speaker 03

  I think defining success is one thing is like, what is successful? And I think I have a healthy relationship with success. I think with where I'm at, I have to recognize my certain level of privilege. You know, my able-bodied privilege, I'm white passing, so there's white privilege that I have. And I think my level of success is, you know, I got lucky. But I think, you know, you ever like, try to keep your balance? And if you don't keep your focus on something still, you lose your balance? I think that is where I like find my, like, how do I keep my head above waters? Have that village to keep me grounded, you know, therapy.

• 54:49Speaker 03

  I have my first in-person, you know, I've done therapy on Zoom, but in-person therapy session on Thursday. And yeah, just remembering your why. And I think it all comes back to who you do it for.

• 55:04Speaker 03

  My why just gets bigger, you know? Why am I doing this? For my brother, for my nephew? And I think as long as I'm rooted in that, great things will find me. And I'll just keep operating from that love. And, you know, just keeping the river of love open is, don't do things just to do them. Have them speak to me. And I think from that greatness can exist.

• 55:28Channing Crowder?

  And bro, you got the 1441, that's your dear Santa, right?

• 55:31Fred Taylor?

  Yeah.

• 55:32Channing Crowder?

  And you got the Bible verse, it's so many different, I guess, like you said, your whys. So many different, because you say do it for the culture.

• 55:39Fred Taylor?

  Yeah.

• 55:40Channing Crowder?

  Because you are a black man.

• 55:41Fred Taylor?

  Yeah.

• 55:42Channing Crowder?

  But you got blue eyes.

• 55:43Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 55:44Channing Crowder?

  You see what I'm saying? My daughter, my daughter, me and my wife, my daughter, my mom had blue eyes. My mom's a white lady. And so my daughter has blue eyes too. And I have the conversation with her because she, they messed with her at school about. You black?

• 55:56Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 55:57Channing Crowder?

  She's like, yeah, I'm black. And she shows us pictures of me and my wife. But like, the whole, like, the culture and up, upholding the culture and doing it for this and that. The way you look is that, do you have more to prove to people? Because I, I just, I think about my daughter where she has to prove, almost prove she's black to people, to show a picture of her mom and dad to show it. And it's, I, I get uncomfortable, I get mad, actually.

• 56:21Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 56:21Channing Crowder?

  About it, but is there, is there anything like that in your life where you gotta prove your blackness?

• 56:25Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think growing up, you felt like you had to prove it in terms of like, yeah, this is my pop. This is what he looks like, this is what he looks like, you know? And it's funny, uh, yeah, you, you have, like, you, like, that, I've experienced that. And then you just, you surround yourself with people where it's like, oh, no, you are enough. You are black. But yeah, I think it's, I always acknowledge my privilege, though. I think it's, um, important for me to do that because I am a black man, but I have privileges other black men might not, or don't have at all.

• 56:57Channing Crowder?

  You've said it a number of times.

• 56:58Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, so it's like, but that's my, the, the essence of why those movies speak to me because it's like, how can I utilize my own privilege to amplify voices, to amplify stories? And, uh, whatever, whatever that is, and I think him, I got to do that on a great scale. And I think that movie, uh, is gonna be the gift that just keeps on giving. Like the Atlanta episode.

• 57:19Channing Crowder?

  Yes.

• 57:19Speaker 03

  Um, that's a, a think piece on identity. Uh, and not only just racial identity, I think identity is a spectrum. So, yeah, I think I've witnessed having to prove myself in the past and I don't have a problem doing it. Um, but yeah, I think so.

• 57:34Ryan Clark?

  You say it consistently because I believe you acknowledge the privilege.

• 57:38Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 57:39Ryan Clark?

  You don't owe any of us as black men or anyone in any culture, anyone on the outside of the prism looking in at you, any excuses, any reasoning.

• 57:52Ryan Clark?

  Any apologies, right? You've acknowledged it. You, you've lived it. And in acknowledging it and continuing to say, but I do want to give back. I want to figure out how I can use what the Lord has blessed me with, an opportunity, or luck, or whatever it is, to give back to the people that may not have the privilege that I have based on the way I look. That's what it's about. It's about the action. You know, and I love the fact that you acknowledge it, and I'm sure there're gonna be people that watch this that say, man, I love the fact that he acknowledges that, but there're also gonna be people, man, that still feel a certain way about you because of the way you look. Right? Like, you're, you're not gonna change that, man.

• 58:34Ryan Clark?

  All you can do is live and know that living in your truth is not wrong. Like, it's, it's just not, bro. And, and there are, there are things that I will benefit from because I'm me. There are things that you're gonna benefit from because you're you, and we always have to acknowledge that those blessings come from the Lord, no matter what they are. And so I just wanna tell you, man, like, I, I do love the fact that you're so aware, but, man, you don't owe us, you don't owe them, nothing, man. You working through life the best way you can as you, and that's what all of us are doing. And I'm 46, bro, and the same with you.

• 59:12Fred Taylor?

  My bad. I love it. I love it.

• 59:16Channing Crowder?

  He got you. He got you.

• 59:18Fred Taylor?

  No, no, my bad. Alicia.

• 59:21Channing Crowder?

  That was good. That was good.

• 59:24Ryan Clark?

  I want the whole, all that stuff, me being nice to him, I want that out the show. For sure, for sure, we taking the damn, Chad, Chad, for sure, we taking the damn out the show.

• 59:33Fred Taylor?

  We can't take it out.

• 59:34Ryan Clark?

  Not gonna play me like Don Cheadle. Nah.

• 59:37Fred Taylor?

  RC, we can't take it out.

• 59:39Ryan Clark?

  Oh, that was good.

• 59:39Fred Taylor?

  Cause that's exactly what I said. That's exactly what I said when I visited the elementary school. That's exactly what I said. So we can't take it out the show, and I do, I also wanna remind you that you didn't get lucky. You earned it. You, you've earned everything to this point, and I'm sure you'll continue to build on that. And now it's time for my favorite question.

• 1:00:01Ryan Clark?

  Best question on the show.

• 1:00:03Fred Taylor?

  Biggest pivot in life? Your biggest pivot in life? Uh, that's that moment you can look back on and say, because this happened to me or for me, I am who I am today.

• 1:00:12Speaker 03

  I knew this question was gonna come. And it's just like, oh, did I live?

• 1:00:18Ryan Clark?

  You still got time.

• 1:00:19Speaker 03

  Yeah, no, I say my biggest pivot was choosing not to pursue sports anymore. I think I was playing sports out of spite. Because I got cut from a soccer team, I felt like I had to prove myself, oh, watch this, watch this. And I think sports, I was trying to prove something to my mom, the people around me. I thought sports put value on who I was as a person. I think I'm still grieving that process, and I think chasing greatness is grieving the person you once were. I think in the midst of going through college, processing emotion, I think as a football player, you were taught to take it out on the field. You don't know how to process anger, emotion, sadness.

• 1:01:04Speaker 03

  And I think at 27, I'm still learning how to communicate my feelings in a healthy, organic way. And I think my biggest pivot was choosing myself in that moment, walking away from the football team when I could have played five years at Florida State. I could possibly be in the league now, but that's not my truth. That's not what I wanted. And I think that was the scariest thing in my life was choosing my own passion, which was the search of humanity, the human condition, the human experience. So I think without that, that brave, bold step of, nah, this isn't for me, even though everybody else is like, you're 6'5", you're this, you're that, you need to be playing sport, you're a waste of height, waste of this, waste of that.

• 1:01:48Speaker 03

  You know, and it's like, nah, that's not me. That's not what I'm yearning for. I'm yearning for a holistic experience of emotional neglect. How do I serve and heal that inner child? And I think taking a step away from sports and knowing that sports doesn't define me, and that's for any athlete, you are more than a statistic, a 40-speed, a tennis serve speed, you know? So I think that's the biggest pivot, and because that put me on a journey of learning about who I am as Tyreek Withers, not who you think I should be, who my mom thinks I should be. I'm chasing exactly what I want to do, and I'm still on that journey. I get jealous of people.

• 1:02:27Ryan Clark?

  By the way, too, though, bro, you shouldn't ever have to explain that you're black. You got one of the blackest names.

• 1:02:33Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 1:02:34Ryan Clark?

  Like, like, like. Where the Q? Hey, yeah. Where did the Q come from? I know when they be looking at the sheet for the audition, they be like, "Coming in, Tyreek Withers." Especially when he had some hair. I know you walked in, they was like, "That can't be Tyreek."

• 1:02:53Speaker 03

  Yeah, they be like, "Uh..." And my middle name, Tyreek LaShawn Withers.

• 1:02:58Channing Crowder?

  That middle name is LaShawn?

• 1:02:59Speaker 03

  LaShawn. My dad's middle name, LaShawn Withers.

• 1:03:03Channing Crowder?

  Yo, yo, yo, you made it out of your name.

• 1:03:07Channing Crowder?

  Your name was the hood.

• 1:03:11Channing Crowder?

  Hey, bro, privilege. He talks about privilege.

• 1:03:14Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 1:03:15Channing Crowder?

  We have pretty privilege.

• 1:03:17Ryan Clark?

  Who?

• 1:03:17Speaker 03

  We all have pretty privilege. Nah, they got pretty privilege. We all got pretty privilege.

• 1:03:21Channing Crowder?

  These little raggedies?

• 1:03:22Speaker 03

  Nah, you can't do my dogs like that.

• 1:03:24Channing Crowder?

  Let's just speak amongst us. Bro, has somebody taken you off the market? Or is everybody blessed with your presence right now in the world of the women type?

• 1:03:32Speaker 03

  I'm in love with my future and I can't wait to meet her, so. Yeah. Whatever, whatever.

• 1:03:40Ryan Clark?

  Before we go, man, I feel like we do make, you know, he has a strong black lead.

• 1:03:44Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 1:03:45Ryan Clark?

  I think we do make statements with our clothing. And Channing kind of mentioned it.

• 1:03:49Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 1:03:49Ryan Clark?

  Just what made you, because, you know, people that watch our show are strong supporters of Shador Sanders. What made you make that choice today to wear this jersey?

• 1:04:00Speaker 03

  It's all about the underdog. And I think Shador Sanders is put in a peculiar position where his dad's a great, but a lot of people don't like that relationship that his dad has in his life. But what I see is a black father investing in his son. And I think, you know, you see how he coaches him, but bothers him. And I think that's one of the most intimate experiences that I get to witness, is what he poured into his sons, is that confidence, that belief in self. And I think there's a lot of judgment on like, oh, how he exists. But I just see somebody who's confident in himself and wants to pursue greatness. And he was projected high in the draft pick, but pick 144, I think...

• 1:04:42Speaker 03

  A lot of people would quit mentally. I don't know what that is like. And if I was put in that position, how like the mental depths, the darkness, depression, he can easily give up, you know, where he's at on the depth chart. You know, like you see his season with with the Browns and I think I I'm a big Shador Sanders fan. I think you could be a Jags fan, but I'm I'm a big fan of players as well because I think that's when a player transcends the team, that's responsibility. And I think Shador has crazy amount of responsibility and I think that's on his shoulders. But he doesn't anytime after a game, he there's mics in his face and they're asking him questions and he doesn't fold, he just keeps it keeps it P, you know?

• 1:05:27Speaker 03

  And I think that that for me is a true goat in the making. And so I I had to rep Shador on this and whatnot, so. But Jags fan.

• 1:05:40Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, for sure. And I just want to just to make sure it didn't go over everybody's head because I know we got to get out of here. To the people outside the camera right here, sports ain't the only way, right? You just got to have courage to pivot, make it happen.

• 1:05:53Ryan Clark?

  I know what what you did for your audition for the first play. How much did you draw on like whatever relationship you didn't feel like you had with your father for that to to make that choice that you were going to do that scene from The Fresh Prince?

• 1:06:06Speaker 03

  Oh, yeah. OK, so for that, the first ever black scene you didn't play? Yeah, I think there's certain because not only did I have a weird relationship with my dad, I had a stepdad too that I haven't talked about and he was in my life for 12 years. Whole time he had a whole family, wife and kids. And I think that relationship, that fatherly, that lack of fatherly love in different aspects, like, you know, my dad still was present, but it wasn't there. And I think that scene from Fresh Prince of Bel Air was the first time where I was like, oh, wait, he's saying something that I feel, but I don't know how to articulate. And I think that's the beauty of poetry, art, acting, movies, TV shows, they get to

• 1:06:50Speaker 03

  tell you how you feel even when you don't. Know how to articulate that. So yeah, that's what I drew on.

• 1:06:56Ryan Clark?

  I'm sorry. I didn't think he was gonna answer. I thought he was gonna stand up.

• 1:07:04Ryan Clark?

  I thought he was gonna stand up and the show was gonna end.

• 1:07:06Fred Taylor?

  Man, I'm fucking rooting for you, boy. That's dope shit, bro.

• 1:07:10Speaker 03

  Thank you.

• 1:07:10Ryan Clark?

  I'm very sorry.

• 1:07:11Fred Taylor?

  Your trajectory gotta be here. Some people probably just get into it.

• 1:07:41Speaker 05

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now it's your time.

• 1:07:52Speaker 05

  Ask your prescriber about Wegovy. Some Maglutide injection, 2.4 milligrams a GLP-1. Call 1-833-4-WEGOVIE or visit wegovie.com to view the medication guide and to learn more about Wegovy. Why wait?