0:09

Welcome

0:09

back to the Schefter podcast.

0:11

As we enter Thanksgiving Week

0:14

and Week twelve on the NFL

0:16

schedule. And every time we get to this time

0:18

of the year. It signifies that

0:21

division and playoff races are heating

0:23

up, and this is when it

0:25

gets real. Joining us on today's

0:27

podcast in the spirit of

0:30

Thanksgiving and truly giving

0:32

is the Arizona Cardinal's veteran

0:35

offensive tackle Calvin

0:37

Beecham, who's given more of himself

0:39

than just about any player in the national

0:42

football league. He's a five time NFLPA

0:45

community MVP winner.

0:47

This year he donated five

0:50

thousand dollars and partner

0:52

with Verizon to feed two

0:54

hundred families from Eisenhower

0:56

Center for Innovation. He has

0:59

kicked off an enrichment series

1:01

to help educate Seventh and eighth

1:03

grade students on

1:05

financial literacy, mental health,

1:08

entrepreneurship. And

1:10

he also, in December, next

1:12

month, is hosting thirty

1:14

high school students for a visit

1:16

to the United

1:17

Aviate Academy to learn

1:19

about their pilot program Kelvin Beachroom

1:21

always giving back. We are thankful

1:24

for Calvin beat him in his contributions,

1:27

and it is why we will bring him on to

1:29

this podcast today as

1:31

we head into such a busy

1:34

time of the year. And think about this amazing.

1:37

I looked on the ESPN schedule

1:39

the other day. and realized that

1:41

I'm not on the television schedule Thursday.

1:44

And I began thinking and mulling that

1:47

this is the first time

1:49

I don't have any direct TV

1:52

or newspaper responsibilities on

1:55

Thanksgiving Day in over thirty years.

1:58

thirty

1:58

years. So

1:59

on Thanksgiving morning,

2:01

if

2:02

I want to sleep in,

2:04

I don't know how that I could do that anyway. But if

2:06

I want to sleep in, we can do that. And

2:08

I'm

2:09

not the only one that will have an unusual

2:12

different type of Thanksgiving, different than

2:14

we're accustomed to having, but

2:16

Michelle Bisoner Buck, our colleague

2:18

on Monday night countdown, pointed out to

2:20

me in Mexico City

2:22

on Monday night before the fourteen hundred's

2:24

cardinals game, that her husband,

2:27

Joe Buck and Troy Ackman, will

2:29

be home on Thanksgiving for

2:32

the first time in over twenty years.

2:35

So Joe Buck and Troy Acumen will be home.

2:37

I don't have to go on TV that morning.

2:39

It's a different kind of Thanksgiving and we're

2:42

thankful to have a day

2:44

to be with our family, our friends,

2:46

our loved ones, and to sit

2:48

back and reflect on all

2:50

the reasons that

2:51

we are all

2:52

thankful. As we look ahead to

2:55

Thanksgiving Day, some great matchups.

2:57

The bills and the lines, the resurgent

3:00

lines, Coming off

3:02

their three game running streak, they've lost

3:04

five straight Thanksgiving games. They won

3:06

on Thanksgiving.

3:08

since two thousand sixteen against

3:10

the Vikings.

3:11

Last year they lost to the bears,

3:14

and they're playing against Josh Allen, who's

3:16

three and all on Thursdays in his career,

3:18

who's won twice on Thanksgiving, but Dan

3:21

Campbell. As the fighting lions

3:23

revved up and ready to go, It'd

3:25

be fun to see if Detroit can respond to

3:27

its biggest challenge in the past

3:29

month, the Giants Cowboys,

3:31

the middle

3:32

sandwich layer of Thanksgiving

3:34

Day. Great match up there.

3:37

Cowboys rolling along. First Thanksgiving

3:39

Day match up between the giants and Cowboys.

3:42

since nineteen ninety two. And for those of you

3:44

who don't remember that game, the Cowboys

3:46

won thirty to three. When Emmett

3:48

Smith piled up a hundred and sixty one yards

3:50

and two touchdowns that

3:53

day. Now keep in mind here, cowboys have

3:55

lost three straight games. We're used to

3:57

seeing Dallas win on Thanksgiving Day

3:59

unless Lionel

3:59

Let decides to accidentally touch the football,

4:02

but they've struggled on Thanksgiving

4:04

Day. Cowboys

4:05

beat the giants in week three were at that

4:07

game, at MetLife Stadium,

4:09

Monday Night Game, and they are

4:12

ten and one versus

4:14

the Giants. Since two thousand

4:16

seventeen, the last time the Giants went in

4:18

Dallas, was the opener of the

4:20

two thousand sixteen season, but a long

4:22

time for the giants. We'll see what they can do.

4:24

And then the night cap on Thursday

4:26

night. Patriot's Vikings is the Vikings

4:28

try to rebound from that embarrassing loss

4:30

that Dallas Cowboys and Sunday that

4:32

exposed them a little bit. and sure they

4:34

are going to be looking for a little bit payback

4:37

against a Patrick's team playing on Thanksgiving

4:39

for the first time since two thousand twelve

4:42

when they beat the Jets forty

4:44

nine nineteen in a game. That's remembered for

4:46

what? The Butfumble, which

4:49

happened ten years ago

4:51

on Tuesday Amazing

4:53

that ten years can go by. Think

4:55

about how many times we see replace of

4:57

that but fumbled from Mark

4:59

Sanchez. the Patriots

5:02

back in action on Thanksgiving, they're

5:04

not hoping for we'll

5:06

see if Kirk Cousins can avoid. a

5:08

butt fumble on

5:09

that day. Then we get along to the weekend.

5:12

Sunday, we heard the jits

5:14

hate coach Robert Sala. open

5:16

the door on Monday to the

5:18

idea of benching former number

5:21

two overall pick exactly. So, Nick, here's the

5:23

interesting part about that. once

5:25

you open the door, especially

5:27

in New York, how do you close it?

5:30

And so that question's gonna be out

5:32

there even if he sticks with Zach Wilson,

5:34

which I don't

5:34

think you do that if you raise that

5:37

question. If you're

5:37

gonna stick with your guy, you wanna support

5:40

the guy, be behind the guy the fact

5:42

that

5:42

the players in the locker room were disappointed

5:45

in what he said after the game when he

5:48

said he didn't deserve the blame And

5:50

then he said, hey, certain receivers

5:52

have screwed up certain place. I've screwed

5:54

up certain place. We've all screwed up certain

5:56

place.

5:56

Here's the thing. As

5:58

a player, especially as a quarterback,

5:59

quarterback you

6:01

always want to take the blame even

6:03

if you don't believe it. You

6:05

take the blame. and

6:07

a quarterback

6:08

on

6:09

a team that's played pretty good football.

6:11

You have to do that and

6:13

he didn't. And

6:14

now Robert Sala is left with the decision

6:17

as we tape this midday, Tuesday. My

6:19

guess is you can't say what

6:21

he did and then not bench Zach

6:23

Wilson. And if you play Zach

6:25

Wilson, it's probably a short leash.

6:27

So my guess is we'll see a different quarterback

6:30

going up against the Chicago

6:32

bears. And whether or not we see Justin Fields,

6:34

who's got the left shoulder injury, who

6:36

went after the Jets picked, Zach

6:38

Wilson, at number two

6:40

in the same draft. So

6:43

that bears Jets game on

6:45

Thanksgiving Week, which ordinarily

6:47

would draw Jan's really

6:50

is one of the most intriguing match

6:52

ups of the entire weekend.

6:54

I don't know that there's really a

6:56

game that's much better on the schedule

6:58

the rest of the weekend. Packers,

7:01

Eagles, Sunday night, not really. We had to

7:03

steal his cults, Monday night, not

7:05

really. We

7:07

got some great Thanksgiving football. We

7:09

got the bears najets on Sunday,

7:11

and

7:12

really that's the highlights.

7:14

of week twelve and we will see

7:17

how it all unfolds this week. But

7:20

we

7:20

go back to Thanksgiving for all

7:22

we are thankful for. We are thankful

7:24

for all the time that Kelvin

7:26

Beacham gave us, for all the time he gives to

7:28

his community, for all the people

7:30

he serves and helps the Arizona

7:33

Cardinal's veteran offensive

7:35

tackle, a

7:36

champ of a man, Kelvin

7:37

Beacham.

7:39

Kelvin. What's going

7:41

on, brother? How are you doing? Doing

7:44

well. You in the facility already?

7:47

Alrighty, man. What time you get

7:49

there? I used to get in about five

7:51

thirty.

7:52

Every single day. Wow. That's impressive. How

7:54

come you have to get into five thirty?

7:56

I'm an early bird man. I've always been

7:58

that way. What may be that

7:59

way? I've been less rare since I was

8:02

a a young player in college, and I had a

8:04

a guy by a name of Dominique. It

8:06

was one of my coaches I did from you. And

8:08

he was, like, man, if you wanna plan a leave for a long

8:11

time, that'd be the first one in. So he, like, come in

8:13

to cut the lights off. So

8:15

sometimes, I'm in early enough to cut the lights off,

8:17

but all in all, man, I just think it just sets

8:19

the foundation for, you know, just getting the body

8:21

ready to practice. Good for you. So you're

8:23

there five thirty in the morning. Are you the last

8:25

one to leave there also, Kelvin? No.

8:27

I'm not that guy. I'm not that guy. You're not that

8:29

guy. not that guy. But I I I'm in

8:31

pretty early. Now I don't be cliffing, but I

8:33

can hear pretty early. Who else

8:35

joins you in the morning at that time the Who

8:37

else is it? Who else is an early bird like

8:39

you and Cliff Kingsbury?

8:40

So George, which is one of

8:43

our receivers. Oh, who I like

8:45

George yet? who I love, man.

8:47

Rodney Hudson is usually in I mean, he's he's

8:49

banged up right now, but he's saying pretty early

8:51

as well. But

8:53

there's a couple guys. There's a couple of guys that that

8:55

early born and grown. We're trying to get things going

8:57

pretty early. And

8:58

we're taping this on Friday, and we're gonna

9:00

air it next week. So we're both getting ready

9:02

to go to school city. Yeah. I'm just curious.

9:04

This will enter after that. How you feel about

9:06

that trip?

9:07

Remember, excited for it. You know, I know it comes

9:09

with a a lot of other circumstances

9:12

that are external, you know, the

9:14

elevation, the smog, you

9:17

know, the long wall severity that we have

9:19

to from a field to the locker room, But

9:21

all in all, I'm excited for it. You know, I'm excited

9:23

for everything that comes along with playing an

9:25

international game. This will be the second time that I'll play them

9:27

in an a national game with third time. That

9:29

played an international game. So I'm really excited about

9:31

it. What

9:31

were the first two?

9:33

London. So I played in London

9:35

in twenty fourteen,

9:38

twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen, just

9:40

the vikings and then again with the

9:42

jaguar split the the coats. How do you like that

9:44

London experience? It

9:46

was amazing. It was amazing, man.

9:48

Action went to London. It's all seems it's

9:51

it's the it's the location that I enjoyed stopping

9:53

by stopping through. making sure

9:55

that, you know, that's just another

9:57

spot that the NFL has started to plan a

9:59

flight. Alright.

10:00

Let's get to why I brought you on

10:03

today and this week. And that is because

10:05

it is Thanksgiving Week and

10:07

you do as much

10:09

good, more good than just about

10:11

anybody in the national

10:12

footballing. Last

10:13

week, you started

10:15

a three port enrichment series with your

10:17

former teammate. Lorenzo

10:18

Alexander at summoned elementary, where

10:21

you're speaking to Seventh and eighth grade students

10:23

about life skills once a month from November

10:25

through January, topics ranging

10:27

from financial literacy to mental

10:29

health and identity to entrepreneurship,

10:32

respectively. What made you

10:34

do this? And what are you teaching? Let's hear

10:36

more about where you're teaching them. I'm an

10:38

asshole. Zoe is you know, a

10:40

Russo Alexander somebody I played

10:42

against a number of years. And, you know,

10:44

he's played for the cardinals back in the day. You know,

10:46

he played fifteen years. And

10:48

then we just wanted to find a way to go do

10:51

something you know, in the inner city. It

10:53

wasn't about, you

10:56

know, can we bring something there for a couple of

10:58

days or can we bring something there for an hour?

11:00

But, like, how do really sell in and

11:02

point to these young people? So

11:04

kind of, you know, started thinking about where it is

11:06

and which to to point to them. So thought about

11:08

financial leaders. that's something that young

11:10

people don't talk about a lot in

11:12

schools. We know start talking

11:14

about mental health and identity, what then looks

11:16

like, you know, on a daily basis, considering

11:18

some of the challenges that they're going through.

11:20

The entrepreneurship. And I think

11:22

the biggest thing is we wanted to make sure that these

11:24

young people relate to us in a lot of

11:26

instances, we came from very similar

11:28

backgrounds, very similar to social

11:30

economic backgrounds, parents

11:32

that struggled and and and know,

11:34

young people that struggled, you know, and and

11:36

it was not only challenging,

11:39

but also eye openings. First of all, young

11:41

people to hear that, you know, yes, we've made

11:43

the money plan for Bob. We came from

11:45

very, very, very similar

11:47

backgrounds to you all. So

11:49

something that we wanted to do, something that we're, you

11:51

know, you know, put put a lot of into it and

11:53

started the first one this past week, got

11:55

another one coming up in early December, and

11:57

they're gonna cap it off in in January,

11:59

you

11:59

know, roughly at the end of the season.

12:02

what

12:02

is the financial literacy

12:05

lesson that you tried to

12:07

import to them, Kelvin? Yeah.

12:08

So for one our first

12:11

conversation was the relationship to

12:13

money. Relationship to cash. What

12:15

cash really meant? conversation

12:17

around having a bank account. I mean, in seventh grade

12:19

and eighth grade, you know, it's just a different society.

12:21

You need to be thinking about, you know, what does it

12:23

like to have a bank account? What does it like to have a

12:26

checking account? and and really

12:28

thinking about what that money

12:30

really sounds like, really feels like, you know,

12:32

good examples of, hey, you got a hundred dollars. How do

12:34

you wanna spend it. Hey. You got a thousand dollars. How do

12:36

you wanna spend it? Thinking through

12:38

different scenarios and talking through different scenarios. And

12:40

I think being able to have those types of conversations

12:43

was what? we really need it.

12:45

You know, again, it's been our opening for

12:47

us to hear, you know, alright, this young

12:49

person has a hundred hours. How do you wanna

12:51

spend it? you know, one young lady was like, I

12:53

wanna spend a dollar on food. And

12:55

seven great, I was thinking probably the

12:57

same way. You know? So it's it's it's it's been

12:59

able to have that conference mentioned in that dialogue

13:02

and think through alright. Well, what are they actually

13:04

going through? What are some of the challenges they're

13:06

going through? And based on that, what

13:08

can we teach them about, you know, their

13:10

relationship to money, their family's relationship

13:12

to money. Some of these, you know, young people have

13:14

been raised by their grandparents. How do you

13:16

think about you know, hey, I I do have a

13:18

little money that I'm making for my job. How do I

13:20

not only take care of myself and think about the

13:22

future, but how how do I also think about taking

13:24

care of my family and reaching back and

13:26

pulling them forward and educating them as

13:28

I continue to honor these these lessons. And

13:30

what can you teach seventh and eighth graders

13:32

about on for entrepreneurship? Like, what are

13:34

they grasping? Yeah. Well,

13:36

that'll be the the next conversation that we

13:38

have in January. But I think the conversation

13:41

is What does this like to actually build the

13:43

business? You know, what does it like to have

13:45

a a growth mindset and thinking about,

13:47

alright. Well, you know, this is the

13:49

society that we live in. How do I build a

13:51

business? How do I impact the world?

13:53

How do I build generational

13:55

wealth? and you can do it through entrepreneurship. So

13:57

it's taken through I have a

13:59

business idea. Or I'm a gamer, you know, a

14:01

lot of kids are gamers right now.

14:03

how do I take that game and get turned it in in in

14:05

in look at that through a entrepreneurial lens? You

14:07

know, how do I think about I can play this

14:09

game, but I can also make money or I

14:11

can play this game and I can also make a game that young

14:14

people play in the next five to ten years.

14:16

So kinda just being able to to to tweak

14:18

the minds, say, to be able to change your perspective,

14:20

just the tablet, to think about what

14:22

they do on a daily basis and be able to look at

14:24

that from a business standpoint. How do you

14:26

turn what you love or you have a passion

14:28

for and turn it into a business? And

14:30

what about the mental health and identity

14:32

component that you talk to them about? What is

14:34

your message with Lorenzo Alexander

14:36

there, Kelvin? I think the message there

14:38

around mental health and the rental has have you know,

14:40

he has more more context there, but it's it's

14:42

really around the conversation and the

14:44

dialogue around what's currently going on

14:46

in society. You have young

14:48

ladies and you've heard about the statistics. But

14:50

the young ladies that have this this feeling

14:52

of molding is still a social media snapchat

14:54

Instagram and things of that nature. We've been able

14:56

to have just real dialogue about that

14:58

and then the conversation around identity. And

15:00

we're gonna talk about, you know, mental health and

15:02

identity, but after we finish talking about

15:04

identity, there's actually Aart

15:07

show. That's up at Scottsdale Phoenix

15:10

Airport. Scottsdale, Arkansas. That's

15:12

talking about, you know, looking at identity

15:14

and seeing a person of color that's

15:16

acting on the wall because that's something that you don't

15:18

hear about or city of life. When you go to

15:20

so having a conversation around mental

15:22

health and identity, in person, but then being

15:24

able to take them to a museum so they can actually see

15:26

themselves or see a a form of themselves

15:29

within an institution. Now I

15:30

know you're an art collector and that you're

15:33

gonna host your second exhibition

15:35

with pieces from your collection this

15:37

summer in Texas, and we're gonna go

15:39

into that. But you

15:40

mentioned the backgrounds that

15:42

these children come from and your

15:44

background. Tell me

15:46

about your background. What was it, Kelvin?

15:48

Because I'm curious to

15:50

know

15:50

how similar it is to those children

15:52

that you're talking to today.

15:54

You

15:54

know, the thing is is I and I

15:56

actually sit at this, not in you know, not even gonna start

15:58

preaching, but I'm like, man, I I grew up with

16:00

two pair of pants and one pair of shoes. I

16:04

understand what that's like. My my family

16:06

my first NFL check was was

16:08

around nineteen thousand dollars. That was more than what

16:10

my parents made an entire year. So when

16:12

you think about the national average of the the

16:14

the national property mine, where

16:17

many families sit at in that little

16:19

middle class who were right there. Government

16:21

based programs. My family was on government

16:23

based program. who are who are all women's

16:25

interest in children's, which is a whack

16:27

program. So I understand what it's

16:29

like to be on a friend who's lunch at school

16:31

because my parents were floating around that

16:33

poverty line. So in that respect, I

16:35

can talk to exactly what these young people

16:37

are going through. You got young kids

16:39

that got holes in the shoes. I had holes in my

16:41

shoes growing up. And even now, as a

16:43

as a proball player, my wife has to throw those

16:45

shoes away because it's like I know what that lifestyle

16:47

was like, and I know what I wanna make sure

16:49

my kids understand. So It's

16:51

one of those things and realizing, hey, I am blessed.

16:54

I've I've I've I've play a

16:56

phenomenal game and get paid quite a bit

16:58

of money to play that game. But at the same time, I

17:00

never forget where I come from. parents don't let me

17:02

forget where I come from. My siblings don't let me forget

17:04

from my where I come from. My wife doesn't let me

17:06

forget where I come from. So I wanna

17:08

make sure these young people realize where I come

17:10

from and actually relate

17:12

to exactly what you're going through,

17:14

working while you're in high school, working while you're

17:16

in college. Even though I went to

17:18

SMU, a very proceed with just, you know,

17:20

university. I still worked. I worked

17:22

as a as a integral

17:24

basketball for free. You know, I worked at Pizza

17:26

Hut parks security as a

17:28

security guard. You know, I was a security guard

17:30

for for the secure camp that they would have an SMU

17:32

every year. So even though, you know, you

17:34

see me where I am right now, when I was a high in the

17:36

college, I worked, and I grinded

17:38

just like many other people across

17:40

America. So how

17:41

did you break out of that? How did

17:43

you go from having two pairs of shoes

17:45

and one pair of pants to

17:47

being the standout long time

17:49

NFL player who does as much good

17:51

as he does now. does

17:52

that happen? Yeah. I

17:53

mean, more than anything. I mean, it's it's it's the

17:56

favor of God first and foremost. I'm not

17:58

gonna say that I I have it all figured out,

18:00

but that's the favor of God first and

18:02

foremost. and I had a great opportunity, you know, to get a great education

18:04

at SMU. And then I have the the

18:06

the blessings of being able to get dropped by

18:09

very, very talented organization

18:11

and a franchise that really slowed into me earlier

18:13

in my career. You know, I have the opportunity to

18:15

learn from, you know, people like Brent Heisel

18:17

and Max Starks and Willey Cologne and

18:20

James Harrison and Troy Palomato. He's

18:22

Miller. I had a great, great locker

18:24

room, but I got to come into the Bell Office

18:26

Burger. That caused by Mike Munczyk. I

18:28

had a phenomenal upbringing

18:30

when I first got to the national football

18:32

league. They really sent me on this course to

18:34

where I am right now. So by no means, so I

18:36

said that I figured this out by myself, but I had

18:38

a lot of great people. early on in my

18:40

career, even going back into college. You know, I

18:42

had Adrian Klein who's a current, you know, current office

18:44

lot, coach in Oregon. I had June Jones,

18:46

who was an amazing coach. you know,

18:48

played in the Football League, coached in the National Football

18:51

League, brought Hawaii from the from the

18:53

bowels of of of the WAC

18:55

Conference brought SMAU from the, you know,

18:57

from the death penalty there and SMU. So

18:59

I have for now around

19:01

me early on in my life. They really sold

19:03

out to me and encouraged me early on in

19:06

my life. and and and and and gave me

19:08

a blueprint for what it was

19:10

like to plan a national footballing, get

19:12

out of SMU you

19:14

know, make sure I graduated. Why not was that SME? So I

19:16

I had a a just a great list

19:18

of mentors and people who sold it

19:20

to my life. that really encourage

19:23

me and get back to where I am right now. Is

19:25

there

19:25

one mentor that stands out above the others?

19:27

Because you list a long

19:28

line of people there at Kelvin that

19:31

had influence

19:31

on you. But is there one that really you

19:33

feel impacting you as much along

19:35

the way? I would say Adrian Claire.

19:38

I never had a older brother. I was a older so

19:40

far. So to have

19:43

Adrian, you know, during my time,

19:45

during SMU, was

19:47

like having a little brother, spending a lot of time

19:49

with him, still spending a lot of time with him.

19:51

You know, we both went through

19:53

challenges, you know, in our life.

19:55

Both have kids. So I've learned a

19:57

lot from him. He's learned a lot from me. But more

19:59

than

19:59

anything, I think I've learned

20:01

everything that I know right now. He

20:03

told me about and talked me about while I was in

20:05

college. You talked about being in in the building

20:08

early. Clint was big on that when I

20:10

was at college. and taught me, hey,

20:12

Kilmer here. It's it's it's a lot

20:14

of people that get a opportunity to

20:16

play in the national football

20:18

league. You can get a shot at it. it's not a

20:20

lot of people that can stay. And he

20:22

talked and told me about how you

20:24

stand the national for bubbly while I was

20:26

playing in college. And for

20:28

that relationship and that rapport that we have with each other is

20:30

something that I wouldn't trade for the world. So you talk about

20:32

somebody that really impacted me as Adrian

20:34

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net in West Virginia. I'm

21:56

curious, you mentioned you're the oldest of four.

21:58

Are your other

21:59

three

21:59

siblings accomplished

22:01

like you are? Are they doing good in the

22:04

world? Like you are? What are

22:06

they doing? So is it nature versus

22:08

nurture? What is the deal

22:10

there? How are they? Fairing

22:11

these days? They're doing really well,

22:13

so my sister well accomplished went

22:16

to Arkansas State University

22:18

played basketball, you

22:21

know, there at at a Arkansas State, got a

22:23

master from University of Arkansas. She's currently working

22:25

in tech right now, which

22:27

I love. So you talk about making sure that

22:29

young people understand things around technology. I

22:32

got my us to well, she got

22:34

herself in technology. So she's working at

22:36

a at a tech company even though she's been

22:38

laid off, you know, with all the lay that have

22:40

happened over the last couple months by two of those

22:42

tech companies, but she's still finding a way to

22:44

to stick it out. I got a

22:46

brother that's actually working in tech

22:48

as well. has two sons down in

22:50

Maheia. So it gets to to see, you know, my

22:52

parents a little bit more than I do, but it's doing really,

22:54

really well, but also serving the

22:56

community, you know, coaching football

22:58

down at Dana Mesa, Texas. And then

23:00

my probably the most accomplished from a

23:02

sports standpoint. She got

23:04

the Winterset championship. I didn't

23:06

get to do when I was in high school. We wanna say

23:08

championship in basketball was probably the best

23:10

after that. I bought bought of us, to be honest with

23:12

you. But he's actually

23:14

coaching basketball at Tonya in state university.

23:16

No. No. No. Is that right? Towing to

23:18

state down in Stevenville, Texas.

23:20

So coach in basketball, so being able to pour

23:22

into young women. So and in

23:25

some shape or more fashion, you

23:27

know, all of us, not just for my

23:29

parents, but being able to sell into that next

23:31

generation. So Again, you know,

23:33

I've had just a phenomenal upbringing,

23:36

you know, even though my hair didn't have a lot

23:38

to alpha. parents did a phenomenal

23:40

job, you know, nurturing us. We all went and got

23:42

scholarships all went to college.

23:44

Three, I don't know, or graduated. Two

23:46

of us have master's. So

23:48

It's it's been a blessing to be a part of a

23:50

phenomenal family. Well, there you go. That's

23:52

that tells you a little bit about nurture.

23:54

Right there, you had been the byproduct

23:56

of nature and nurture. nurtured.

23:58

And your siblings have been

24:00

nurtured all along to do, all the great

24:02

things that they have as well. So I'm not

24:04

surprised to eat at the beechums.

24:06

are

24:06

the upstanding citizens that they are

24:09

killed? We we we

24:10

I I would say we're dysfunctional, but we find

24:12

a way to make it function. We

24:14

all are though, Kelvin. Right? No

24:17

doubt. No doubt. So what is

24:19

in your future now with all the

24:21

things that you already have

24:23

accomplished your regular

24:25

volunteer with the United food bank in

24:27

Arizona, your volunteer food banks and everybody.

24:29

Like, you do an incredible amount of stuff.

24:31

What do you wanna do

24:33

when you take off that cardinal shirt that you're

24:36

wearing right now and leave

24:38

that locker room and not have to be in

24:39

the football training facility at five thirty

24:41

AM the way you are today.

24:43

you know, hopefully I could cook breakfast and and

24:45

be able to take my kids to school. That'll

24:48

be first and foremost, man. You

24:51

know, you you realize that you just don't get to be a a

24:53

normal person sometimes when you play this

24:55

game, which is fine. But

24:57

it'll be nice to be able to actually take school,

24:59

pick them up from from

25:01

time to time, and then they didn't have lunch

25:03

from my kids. So first of all, let's be a

25:06

dad. That's number one thing that I wanna be able to do when I take

25:08

these pass offs, be a debt.

25:11

Secondly, you know, starting I I've started

25:13

to lay the foundation for what that may look like,

25:15

you after I take some time off, you

25:17

know, whether that's, you know, spending time

25:19

in the private markets, you

25:21

know, working out a venture firm, working out a

25:23

PE firm, starting my own you're from

25:25

a PE firm. We'll see. But it's

25:27

it's for me, it's laying the foundation

25:29

for what can be. And

25:31

then I think lastly is just being

25:33

able to to to continue to serve. You

25:35

know, I I don't wanna stop serving

25:37

when I'm done playing, and I don't plan

25:39

on stopping. And the things that I've

25:42

started doing, is these are things that I can do

25:44

well behind me playing football. It doesn't

25:46

require me playing football to go and serve at a

25:48

full bank. It doesn't, you know, require me

25:50

playing football to go and speak to young kids.

25:52

It doesn't you know, require me playing a football

25:54

to understand how important science technology

25:56

engineering arts and math is. It doesn't

25:58

take me playing a football to realize how important water

26:00

is, you know, whether it's water here in

26:02

America and places like Jackson and Mississippi or Flint,

26:04

Michigan or New York, New

26:06

Jersey or, you know, go across the pond

26:08

and go into, you know, other

26:10

places, you know, whether it be Africa or

26:13

South America where they don't

26:15

have access to water. So these things don't

26:17

require talent. You know, we talk about, you

26:19

know, the the intangibles and things that

26:21

don't require talent. Those things that

26:23

require talent. Those things just require you wanting

26:25

to be willing to go and be able to

26:27

the And those are the things that I wanna do when I'm done playing

26:29

football. You know, things that don't require talent, been

26:31

able to serve, been able to impact

26:33

the next generation, been able

26:35

to show young people how important it is

26:37

to be a part of their global economy, which is continuing

26:39

with the thrive. You don't

26:41

want to be involved in football anyway. Like,

26:43

you could run a team. You could be the commissioner

26:45

of the sport. You could do a lot of

26:47

different things, Kelvin. That

26:49

is

26:49

true. That is true, but I've always

26:52

said this I can do a lot. I can do lot more than outside, than

26:54

I can do an inside. And I've

26:56

I've been a huge believer of that,

26:59

you know, many people to say, hey, Kjell, you should run for

27:01

executive committee with the NFLBA. And I'm

27:03

like, man, I could do way more on the outside

27:05

than I could do on the inside. So I just feel

27:07

that I'm I'm more equipped than

27:09

to be more fluid and to bring more people together

27:11

to be more collaborative on the

27:13

outside than I am when it's at. See,

27:15

the football's

27:16

loss is the outside world's

27:19

game. That's

27:20

how I view that, Kevin.

27:22

Now, with all the good that

27:23

you've you've never ever won the

27:26

Walter Peyton Man

27:26

of the Euro Award? It's

27:29

not about that, man. It's about to serve it's

27:31

been some phenomenal people that have won the

27:33

Walter Bay Manager Award over the last couple of

27:35

years, you know, Wittworth won it

27:38

last year, which I'm excited about anytime you get

27:40

office alignment with anything, especially

27:42

within this skill based game that we play.

27:45

all for, you know, the

27:47

community. The NFL community,

27:49

MVP, this this particular week, if I'm not mistaken,

27:51

there's Orlando Brown. It's

27:53

another office of Lima went into a war

27:55

for the work that he's doing in the community.

27:57

So for me, it's about the work. It's

27:59

not about, you know, the wars or anything like that.

28:01

But for me, it's about the work, but it's been some

28:03

amazing recession. that award.

28:05

You know, even with the cardinals, you've had curve

28:07

warner in in last year, who've done an

28:09

amazing work, you know, why they were

28:11

playing and continue to do that work. you after

28:13

they're done. But, you know, that's not what

28:15

it's about. It's it's about the work. But it's been

28:17

some amazing guys in the national football

28:19

league that have done amazing work. So excited

28:22

for them. If I if I continue to

28:24

play this game, you know, if it happens, it happens,

28:26

if it doesn't, it doesn't, I I won't continue to

28:28

do the work. How much

28:29

longer do you wanna playing to this game, Kelvin? Man, as

28:32

long as the

28:32

NFL ain't giving me no pays bill.

28:35

up up up up But

28:38

as long as the body feels good, you know,

28:40

the dig ins out and blessed where I've only had,

28:42

you know, one major major injury, which

28:44

is a left knee back in two thousand fifteen.

28:46

That's the only thing that bugs me, man, is my my left

28:49

knee. And as long as my my knee

28:51

is is is okay and and and can

28:53

handle the the the rigors of the

28:55

game, I still play. when

28:57

I when I can't handle the rigors of the game and I

28:59

can't perform the way that I like to perform, then

29:01

I know I need to move on. Do you

29:03

feel like your performance

29:05

has change in any kind of way through the years? Do you feel like you're

29:07

performing at the same level? Higher,

29:09

less than where are you at in

29:11

terms of where you're performing Kelvin?

29:14

I think

29:14

I've done better. I think I've done better. To be

29:17

honest with you, you know, I think

29:19

with with with age and experience,

29:21

you know, I've a better player. Is

29:23

the body reacting the same?

29:25

By no means, isn't? But

29:27

I think I've learned how to play with the

29:29

body and play within the skin. to

29:31

be able to get the best out of, you know, what I've been given. Starting

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your own

29:34

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29:36

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QuickBooks dot com. This is your

30:01

eleventh

30:02

year. Yeah. Have you

30:04

seen the people

30:05

around you, your teammates? Have

30:07

you seen

30:08

the people coming into this

30:11

game

30:11

change? Are they

30:13

different today? What out question?

30:15

The entitlement that you see in in

30:17

in in in rookies right now is is

30:20

my butler. you know, when you

30:22

came in after when you came in after

30:24

Ricky, you you had nothing to say. You had nothing

30:26

to offer. You listened. you glean from

30:28

those who would play at the game before

30:31

you. You know, I run at this early on in Macri.

30:33

You stand on the shoulders of those who

30:35

came before. So you spend time

30:37

listening and learning from people who

30:39

are more seasoned, more experienced.

30:41

You know, you got a three time defense

30:43

of player owners roster. You should be

30:45

spending as much time with with j j water as

30:47

possible. You got corporal Khoh, who's been around

30:49

the league for a long time. You should be greening from. You

30:51

got a j green. you know, who

30:53

should be, you know, huddle favor. You should be spending

30:55

as much time asking as many questions as

30:58

possible from people like that. And and you

31:00

just don't see that. from this younger

31:02

generation, to be honest with you. Why

31:04

not?

31:04

I have no idea.

31:05

I have no idea. I mean, I think, you know,

31:07

you you got guys who are more

31:10

popular you know, by the time they

31:12

come into the league, the guys are in the league, you know, just

31:14

do the social media and do to the things that,

31:16

you know, have have have

31:19

promoted their careers prior to them being in the

31:21

National Football League. But it's my mind

31:23

boggling. It's it's it's my mind boggling the the

31:25

lack of respect you see from young players for

31:27

guys who played in the national football league

31:29

for long time? It's

31:30

you know, listen, I covered I was in a

31:32

locker room

31:33

for almost sixteen straight years from nineteen

31:36

ninety through two thousand 565

31:39

five And I remember guys,

31:43

maybe

31:43

it was just that I got but it felt felt like

31:46

later in my

31:48

newspaper career, guys were different in two

31:50

thousand and four and five than they were in

31:52

nineteen ninety nineteen ninety one. And I guess it's

31:54

probably true. I don't know whether it's because I get

31:56

older or whether they changed. But it's

31:58

see it feels like they're still

31:59

changing. And with all the external

32:02

forces, the changes are more severe than

32:04

ever before. That

32:05

question. Without question. I mean, it's just you

32:08

know, maybe I'm older. Maybe I'm senile

32:10

and, you know, I need to get out of lock

32:12

But it's just it's just it's just

32:14

kinda good mention to watch, you know,

32:17

the the the lack of respect for

32:19

people who've played this game for a long

32:21

time, who've been in a lock room

32:23

for a long time who, you know,

32:25

you know, some I mean, some of the guys in

32:27

this lock room, but it used to be it used to

32:29

have two days. You know, I I came

32:31

in right after two and a's were finished.

32:33

And so, you know, it was a it was a lot

32:35

different. So it's just it's it's

32:37

different. You know, it's this crazy man

32:39

when me and Larry, you know, I I got to spend some time with

32:41

him in his last year here. And he

32:43

was like, man, he came to the point when I

32:45

got, you know, kinda later in my career. Well, I literally

32:47

just could not relate. Like,

32:50

couldn't I relate to, you

32:52

know, what people find

32:54

themselves doing. You know? So

32:56

it's just I'm not to that

32:58

point where I can't, you know, relate, but III

33:00

do sense where it's just it's

33:02

just different. It's just different.

33:04

at some time, I know there are some rookies and

33:06

some second year and third year players that

33:08

get it, that understand what it's like

33:10

to glean from, I don't know, the player and and

33:12

be an you know, one

33:14

alarm from him and one to be here. You know, I mean,

33:16

you had chairman Jones that was there, what are the,

33:18

you know, best defensive players in the

33:21

league for for a number of years.

33:23

Like, you know, if I was a young guy on the chair, I mean, I would have been

33:25

literally walking behind him every single day, and I did

33:27

that as a young player. You know, I had Max Torres. I mean,

33:29

me and Max Steel Talk. Me and Willie Cross

33:32

Steel Talk. You know, Adrian

33:34

clean more mentioned earlier. I still talk to these guys.

33:36

So it's it's something about, you know,

33:38

anytime you get around an

33:40

older player, you know, somebody I mean, I

33:42

had had the opportunity to run

33:44

into the

33:47

tackle for Orlando PACE. when I was at

33:49

Super Bowl this past year. Man, just

33:51

spending time at being at his presence was

33:54

amazing. I mean, he's Guys,

33:56

I mean, I got I got the watch growing up. I mean, it's something that

33:58

you can learn from from from

34:00

those those types of folks that you

34:02

can learn from playing football

34:04

or watching films. So it's something special

34:07

about being able to glean from people who've been in

34:09

the league and play at a very, very

34:11

high level for a long time. And

34:13

I know a

34:14

little bit and Cole's been around forever and everybody

34:16

loves Cole McCoy and respects Cole

34:18

McCoy and you've been around this game

34:21

for learning For people

34:21

that don't want to follow you, watch

34:24

you, learn from you, shame on

34:26

them. Shame on

34:28

them, Kelvin. That's

34:28

all we gotta say about that. That's that's just that's the word we live in the

34:30

day, man. That's that's the new in the film.

34:32

That's as my guy Ramon Foster will say

34:34

that's the new in the film.

34:36

How are we celebrating Thanksgiving this

34:39

year? I mean, it's gonna be

34:41

different, honestly. You know, I mentioned,

34:43

you know, my family some

34:45

of my wife and kids are actually going to Texas for

34:47

for Thanksgiving. So I'll be home on myself

34:50

for Thanksgiving. We got a game that

34:52

weekend. We

34:54

got the The San Diego not San

34:56

Diego. LA LA Charlie.

34:58

Yeah. And we would the

35:00

family be down in down

35:02

in Texas you know, I

35:04

already started playing. I'm probably gonna find a way to go

35:06

serve somewhere. Home things give

35:08

me with a couple teammates and

35:10

just hang out. You know, we gotta practice that

35:12

day, but It's gonna be

35:14

different. Not having my friend when you're on

35:16

Facebook. So you'll

35:16

serve. You'll be by yourself. Will you

35:18

watch football? Will you not watch football? it

35:20

depends on who's playing. You know, the only time I watch football, like, actually

35:22

sit down and watch football is if we're

35:24

playing a team in the future.

35:27

we we know I mean, it's

35:29

just another time to watch film. Honestly, I just

35:31

get the watch film from the from from my couch

35:33

and my feet up instead of, you know, on iPad and

35:35

a hot tub. So So, you know, it'll be

35:37

I don't know who's playing on Thanksgiving, but if

35:40

we if we have to play now before the year

35:42

yourself, I

35:44

actually Because it pays us a plan.

35:46

Right? I think

35:46

they are. Okay. On Thanksgiving Day, here's

35:49

the Thanksgiving

35:49

menu, Kelvin. We've

35:52

got

35:52

Buffalo at Detroit at

35:54

twelve

35:54

third Easter. We've got the

35:56

giants at Dallas. That's gonna

35:58

be a

35:59

ratings monster. at four thirty eastern, and we have New

36:02

England

36:02

at Minnesota at

36:04

eight twenty eastern.

36:05

So we play New England after

36:07

that. So I actually be

36:09

watching that game. Okay. So there you

36:10

go. So good reason to tune in. So you're gonna boost NBC's

36:13

ratings and thanksgiving night. Right?

36:15

Yes. I'll I'll be tuning in today

36:17

again because we plan to follow a

36:19

week. So I'll be doing it today again.

36:21

Well, Kayla, I wanna thank

36:22

you for your time today. I wanna thank

36:24

you for all your service. I

36:27

hope as we tape this, I'll get the chance to say

36:29

hello to you in person in Mexico

36:30

City on Monday night. Please come

36:32

over to the ESPN set if you get a moment.

36:34

Just Larry's gonna be over there anyway. I'm

36:36

gonna be messing with III got some

36:39

form. Oh, can I be a part

36:41

of that, please? Well, I just need

36:43

you to

36:43

keep them busy. make

36:46

sure he's talking. So when I

36:48

do happen to, you know,

36:50

come up behind him,

36:52

you know, got we got I got

36:54

some form. I just need I just need to make sure that he's

36:56

tall man and that he sees he's

36:58

adamant and, you know, he's he's

37:00

into it and he doesn't see it

37:02

coming or don't hear about it coming. We make

37:04

sure we set it up. I make sure we we set it up

37:06

for him real good. He's done a lot

37:08

of people. You

37:10

know, while he was while he was playing. So I think it's

37:12

time he gets got. So the guy got some call.

37:14

If

37:14

I can be of any assistance there,

37:17

Kelvin, please just let me know. I will do my best to distract

37:19

him. But if there's anything else you need,

37:21

I am

37:21

all down for a good practical

37:23

joke. Hey, I just need him distracted. That's

37:25

not I need. We got

37:28

you. You got me here today. I got you there.

37:30

Kelvin, thank you very much. Happy

37:32

Thanksgiving to you and your family. Appreciate your

37:34

time today. Yes, sir. Anytime. Have a good one now. Thank you, Kelvin.

37:36

And sure

37:36

enough Kelvin Beachump did come

37:38

over to the set on Monday night countdown.

37:40

And when he came over,

37:42

Larry Fitzgerald was on the field

37:45

doing a different segment. So he never got

37:47

to pull the prank that he did though. I know

37:49

the two individuals who are close did get the

37:51

chance to visit and speak. Calvin

37:54

Beach, I'm an impressive guy. And as we

37:56

walked into, Estadio Azteca

37:58

on Monday night in

37:59

Mexico City, came

38:01

back to me that I've actually gone to that stadium now

38:03

and that city now on a handful

38:05

of occasions starting back

38:07

in nineteen ninety eight. And here's a

38:10

story that I haven't shared before, but I'm willing

38:12

to share now. Back

38:14

then,

38:14

we were in

38:15

Mexico City

38:17

for a Bronco's pre season

38:20

game. On a Monday night, I believe,

38:22

I think they were playing the

38:24

Miami Dolphins. August nineteen ninety eight. And

38:26

I remember going to an NFL

38:28

function that night where they had

38:30

Dan Marino there and John, all

38:32

the way

38:34

there. and many of

38:35

the players there. And afterwards, the barcodes I was working

38:37

the time for

38:38

the Denver

38:40

Post We went headed

38:42

back to our hotel in Mexico. See,

38:44

I'd have to check my journal to see the name

38:46

of the hotel that

38:47

would be listed in there.

38:49

But when

38:49

we got back a group of us,

38:51

players, coaches, me, went

38:54

to the Cantina across

38:56

the street from the hotel. And

38:58

when we walked in, the

39:00

owner of

39:00

the Cantino was so wowed

39:02

and so impressed that John

39:05

Elway was in the Cantina that literally he turned

39:08

over his bar to

39:09

the Broadway players

39:10

and coaches. We

39:13

had coaches and players who

39:15

shall remain the identify

39:18

unidentified. Behind the bar,

39:20

making tequila poppers,

39:22

serving drinks, to our party. It was probably twenty

39:24

five of us from either the

39:26

Bronco's or the media. I think I

39:28

was the lone member of the media.

39:30

Serving drinks

39:32

out all night,

39:33

closing down that bar maybe

39:34

234 in

39:37

the morning, stumbling

39:39

out And

39:40

back to the hotel, this is my much younger day. So it was nineteen ninety

39:43

eight, that would have been twenty four years

39:45

ago. That would have made me thirty two.

39:47

Right. That would make sense. so

39:50

we were at this Camping

39:51

all night. And then next night,

39:53

in the game, John

39:56

always playing

39:56

on away playing and ruptures his biceps

39:59

tendon.

39:59

Now, I felt

40:00

like we just stumbled out of the bar

40:02

one hours later, he's

40:04

got disruptured biceps tendon That's

40:07

jeopardize the season, jeopardize his career. It was the lead

40:09

story in all the Denver Newscasts. They're

40:11

having doctors assessed with

40:13

a John Elway will

40:15

ever be able play again, how much time he'll be

40:18

out, well, turned out if

40:19

memory serves

40:20

me, John missed about two weeks of that

40:22

summer. came back, played

40:24

the regular season. The Devil Rock

40:26

was went on to win the Super Bowl. It

40:28

was his last season as it turned out.

40:31

he walked away after the year, and

40:33

I always will remember the night of

40:35

the Cantina across the street from our

40:37

hotel in Mexico City before we went

40:39

over to Astellas Teca, the place I was Monday night. That was what

40:41

I thought of when I walked in to

40:43

that huge cavernous

40:46

stadium on Monday night that me

40:48

in Mexico City have a little bit of a history here

40:50

that have been coming to this city now for

40:52

almost twenty five years.

40:54

And it was a fun past. There

40:56

are pictures in my album, right

40:58

to my right to document that night,

40:59

wild pictures of coaches,

41:02

players doing all sorts of shots

41:04

and drinks, A

41:05

great night and we say

41:07

thank you to the five folks of

41:09

Mexico City for their hospitality.

41:11

Monday

41:12

night and over the last twenty

41:14

five years. Alright. We wanna thank the Carlos

41:16

office to tackle Kelvin Beacham for

41:18

his time

41:18

today. I wanna thank my great producers,

41:21

Christina Buswell, Sarah Abbott, and

41:23

you the listener for tuning in to

41:25

another Schefter podcast. In

41:27

this Thanksgiving Week, I wish

41:28

you all a very happy

41:31

Thanksgiving to you and your families will be back in the spot

41:33

next week until then. Be well and stay safe.

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