On this episode of Real Talks on the Rocks, I sit down with Jabari Issa, who was a former defensive tackle for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. Jabari talks about learning football in High School, learning the college game and what it took to get himself ready for the NFL draft. Jabari spends a lot of time dissecting the inner workings of life as an NFL player and why some players just never make it in the league. 

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Chapter list: 

00:00-Preview 

01:00- Intro 

03:00-Getting into football in High School 

08:00- the “chatter” that goes on in the game
11:25- thinking about playing college football 

13:28-High School football rivalry 

15:31- Playing with Tom Brady 

17:55-Learning how to play PAC-10 football with the Washington Huskies 

21:08- what it means to “Red Shirt” in college football 

22:30-Balancing athletics, academics and a social life in college 

26:30-How to adjust when the coach gets fired 

30:03- The NFL combine and how NFL teams judge new talent 

33:05- Dealing with drama-ridden players on your team (Antonio Brown) 

35:56- Interviewing with NFL teams at the combine 

37:05- Getting the “call” 

40:40- signing an NFL contract 

45:25- What it’s like playing for an NFL team 

49:00- Whose fault is it that we lost the game?? 

56:50- Do the fans really have an influence on who plays for the team? 

59:35- Managing your money 

1:05:48- saving money for the months you don’t get paid 

1:07:35-Expansion Draft for the Houston Texans 

1:09:21- Free Agency and playing for the CFL and NFL Europe 

1:12:40-Jabari was the reason why Arizona built a new stadium for the Cardinals 

1:14:00-Health and CTE in the NFL 

1:22:50- Deciding to retire from the NFL 

1:25:50-Former players falling into depression 

1:30:50- Letting kids play contact football 

1:33:45- Playing with Pat Tillman 

1:35:22- How social media has changed how we view each other 

1:37:41- What this society needs 

1:42:15-Final thoughts