0:01

Austin Ekeler grew up in the small town of

0:03

Eaton, Colorado, and knew at a young age

0:06

he was destined for more. He went

0:08

on to play Division to college football at

0:10

Western Colorado as a running back, putting

0:12

up some impressive stats on the field. He

0:15

later went on to be signed as an undrafted

0:17

free agent to the Los Angeles Chargers after

0:20

the NFL Draft and

0:22

has been continuing to make a name for himself.

0:25

On this episode of The Carlos Watson Show

0:27

podcast, Austin Ekeler reflects on his

0:29

journey into the NFL, his work

0:31

ethic, and his upbringing in Colorado.

0:39

Hey Austin, Hey you got me live

0:41

there? Yeah? Yeah, can you hear me? I

0:43

can hear you. What's going on? Okay?

0:46

Where are you San Diego or elsewhere? Oh

0:48

no, no, no, we haven't in San Diego

0:50

for five years now.

0:54

But you know what, though, that is so reflexive

0:57

for me to say that. That is so funny, like

0:59

something just arey's deep inside of you and

1:01

it doesn't matter. It's like I had a friend today talk about

1:04

the Oakland Raiders even though obviously they did what

1:06

they did in Vegas. Yeah, that is so

1:08

funny. So you actually you never were in

1:10

San Diego. You always were with the l A Chargers.

1:12

I've always been an l A Charger five

1:15

years. Yeah, people forget you know, it's funny because even

1:17

rast will be you know, like the San Diego I

1:19

mean LA Chargers, you know, like it's

1:22

better to just everyone. And at this point, so

1:24

it's it's been a transition, but you know we're

1:26

slowly getting there. We gotta win some more games and then it'll

1:28

be stuck. All right. Now,

1:30

now let's get into the prediction game for two

1:32

seconds. That your boy Herbert look

1:35

good last year? He's

1:37

had a fluke? Was that just like a good year

1:40

too? And then all of a sudden everybody

1:42

can figure him out and he's gonna start having troubles.

1:45

Hey, I mean I think the time will tell, right,

1:47

Like that's an aspect of this game. That is

1:51

the great part of it, right, Like you have an opportunity

1:53

to prove it. You know, we don't know, you

1:55

know, we don't know. We only know is what's

1:57

been done. And what's been done is like you said,

2:00

ever had a great you know, come out last year and now

2:02

you know I'm one of his teammates but wait, we gotta go

2:04

out and do it again. You know, it's coming down

2:06

to going out and doing it. We did it, you know last week first

2:09

Washington. You know, he came out. It was very confident.

2:12

Loved the way he was running offense, throwing

2:14

the ball, making big time throws

2:16

and that's what it's expected of him and himself.

2:19

Um, and he was doing it. So yeah, looking

2:21

forward to being his back field buddy. You

2:23

know, I love the way you say that. You didn't

2:25

immediately jump in and be like he's got

2:27

it. You're like, you still have to prove it. I

2:29

love that, el man. I

2:31

love that element. All right. Now, why

2:34

did you end up in Division two? Why did

2:36

you end up playing Division to college football instead

2:39

of being at Ohio State or it you

2:41

know, Alabama or somewhere. Hey,

2:43

if I could answer that, you know, i'd

2:45

be a scout right Like, I

2:48

don't know, I don't I don't know.

2:51

Um, here's the thing. Come coming out

2:53

of high school, had a great senior

2:56

year, solid junior year. Um,

2:58

I think I was like twenty two in the nation, like

3:00

of all high school all divisions, like

3:02

rushing like touchdowns, had like

3:05

forty three touchdowns. It was average

3:08

like ten yards to carry um

3:10

had solid grades. It

3:13

wasn't like I was big headed or anything. Wasn't

3:15

like a personality issue. But I think the

3:17

biggest thing that led

3:19

to me being overlooked was just the size of

3:21

my town in the location. You know, I'm

3:23

in some two stop like town in the

3:25

middle of Colorado, out in the plains. You

3:28

know, there's not many prospects coming out

3:30

from from the one stoff like town out in Colorado,

3:32

eating Colorado. Definitely loved that small

3:35

town field. But as far as recruiting for you

3:37

know, college football, wasn't really

3:39

the hot spots. So I think that's the biggest thing that

3:41

played into you know, just Austin I

3:43

get looked at. And so it came down to I went

3:45

to the school that wanted me to play running back, even just for

3:47

the smaller schools, smaller schools or even like, hey,

3:49

you know, we'll bring in you can you know, find

3:51

out how you fit in the team, maybe move to corner or

3:53

see where you just fit in as an athlete. And

3:56

I wanted to play running back because that's what I've done since

3:58

I was you know, I can remember and

4:01

uh, Western State, you know, Western

4:03

State cultaud of university at the time. Now, Western

4:05

Colorado, you know, gave it, give me a chance to

4:07

play running back, and so ended up Division two.

4:10

Wait, so like, stay on this with

4:12

me for a second, because the same is true of your boy,

4:14

Josh Allen Trey Lance.

4:16

Like they're all these guys nowadays that are

4:19

not in if you will, the best known

4:21

programs and are in one Double

4:24

A, or in Division two or even Division three.

4:27

And we're supposed to have even more information than we used

4:29

to have, right, So, like, how is this

4:31

happening where a guy can rush for forty

4:34

three touchdowns as a senior

4:36

have a good junior year as well? Like

4:39

did any of the top schools even talk to you

4:41

or did they literally just like you

4:43

know, bueller anyone? Like

4:45

what what what happened? I had not one

4:47

Division one school come and talk to me, Not one

4:50

I even had. I even had a cousin and coach for

4:52

the University of Nebraska at a time. Um,

4:54

he let me know, He's like, hey, like myke, he asked

4:56

me what my hundred forty yard or my hunter yard dash?

4:59

Time you want to meet? It was like eleven point

5:01

one. He's like, I need you tend to like a ten point

5:03

eight, you know. So it's just like maybe

5:05

my measurables or whatever. It's like the

5:07

thing is what they couldn't measure. It

5:10

was what was the most important, and that was my determination

5:13

in my heart right because I I

5:15

dedicated so much time to making

5:17

myself is the best person that I could

5:19

be for football, um, and just my athletics

5:21

in general. Right, I was a three sport athlete.

5:24

UM. And that's something they can't measure. That might be the

5:26

most important thing, you know, someone's heart, Like

5:28

how much are they willing to give to the game. They might not be

5:30

the most talented, but hey, are they gonna work

5:32

through it? And do they have something they can that you

5:34

can work with? Um? And I think that was

5:36

what was overlooked for me, Like they don't have enough

5:38

time a scouts to sit down and talk to me, know my

5:41

backstory, know my motivation, you know why

5:43

I'm even motivated? UM. And I think

5:45

that gets overlooked. And that's why you see people

5:47

go to these smaller schools. But then they you

5:49

know, they persevere and they overcome

5:51

and they pushed through, you know, the adversity,

5:54

and they rise to the top because of the person

5:56

that they have or they are. You know, there's

5:58

definitely some luck that plays into it as a well, like

6:00

this is a game of life, right, so there's

6:02

a lot of outside factors and things that we can't

6:04

control, but for the most part, we can control,

6:06

you know, our attitude, our mindset towards our

6:09

passions. And that's what really led me to get the point

6:11

that I'm at right now. And when did

6:13

you know that you thought you had a real

6:15

shot at the NFL. I mean, I'm sure you always

6:18

wanted it, but when did you say

6:20

to yourself, Hey, Austin is gonna

6:22

actually play in the league. I think

6:25

I think the most important thing even today

6:28

is that I didn't know. I

6:30

didn't know. I didn't even watch the NFL

6:32

until like my junior year of college. Um,

6:35

because I was so I was so

6:37

focused even high, still so focused on the opportunity

6:40

at hand. What's right in front of me is

6:42

the most important opportunity that I can even

6:44

possess because it's right here. I have to take advantage of

6:46

this. And even in college is the same way.

6:48

Look, I'm in college. Let me try to dominate and do the

6:50

best that I can in college, whether it be at

6:53

academics, like I was like, I canna have a call American.

6:55

I took my my studies very seriously,

6:57

and then when it came to athletics, same because

7:00

these are my two opportunities that I had in education

7:03

and athletics, and so I put

7:05

everything in my my will into this

7:07

stuff, um, and so it was just like, hey, take advantage

7:09

of this, and then opportunities would come from that.

7:12

I didn't know that at the time. That was just how my mind

7:14

works. That's just how I worked, That's how I was raised. I

7:16

was raised to work hard and not really ask questions about

7:18

it, just work hard. And so that's all I knew. And

7:20

so when I got to time where it's like, hey, there's

7:24

NFL scouts my senior year coming

7:26

to my practices, and I was like, oh,

7:28

the next opportunity might be shown itself, right,

7:30

And I still continue to do what I've been doing, taking

7:32

advantage dominating at this Division two level,

7:35

because that's what they want to see when you're in a smaller school,

7:37

right, not as much competition, um, And

7:39

then looks like, you know, another opportunity might

7:41

be present itself, and then it did. So

7:44

so but they didn't draft you.

7:46

You went undrafted, right, So

7:48

so so what do I need to know about the fact

7:50

that they came and saw you and they still said, I

7:53

got a good look at the kid from eating you

7:56

know, let somebody else have the I'm good. So

7:58

you know, I ended up getting the A and he kind of laid

8:00

it out for me. Um, He's like he looks a

8:02

lot of teams like you. Um, they

8:05

want to know why you went D two, Like why are you in division

8:07

two? Like are you not smart? Right?

8:09

Are you? Are you missing it in the books? Um?

8:12

Like your personality sucks? Like what is

8:14

it? Like they're looking for some something the poke at

8:16

that's like, oh, they can put their finger on it and then it never

8:18

it never showed up. And so like, oh, it's gotta be something as measurables,

8:21

like is he slow? So I trained. I literally

8:23

dropped out the last semester of

8:25

my senior year, um, just to go train for Prode

8:27

because like I told you, like, I'm all in. That's like my

8:30

my work ethic. I just go all in on what I'm

8:32

you know, involved in at the time.

8:34

Um, And so I went and trained for protect

8:37

so I should make sure all my MEASUREABS bowls were on

8:39

point. I destroyed my pro day right, it

8:41

had amazing measurable So then it was like, okay,

8:43

this guy's real. Um, Like I did that, sat

8:45

down and did all the you know, the interviews

8:48

and went through their psychological things

8:50

that they do for like football like you and

8:52

just like personality test um.

8:54

Everything checked out. So I was like, Okay, you know, he's

8:57

got a chance, Like, uh, he's got

8:59

a chance to you know, get sign not necessarily drafted.

9:01

Um. And there might be some politics into that, just

9:03

because even if they do see me at the same

9:05

level someone else, say someone would like to l s U

9:08

and I went to Western State, Right, they were

9:10

at the same level as far as how they value us.

9:12

But this guy went to a bigger school, so they might draft

9:14

him seventh round and pick me up in the free agency.

9:16

So that's kind of how it played out for me. You know, I didn't get a call

9:19

on draft day, but the

9:21

last during the last round,

9:23

which is where I thought if I did get drafted, that's where I

9:25

would go. I got a call from the Chargers,

9:27

which is my number two team that I wanted to

9:29

go to, saying hey, if you don't get picked up, we'll

9:32

take him as a free agent, and then

9:34

didn't end up getting picked up and then immediately

9:36

became a charger. All right, Now

9:39

stay with me here, Austin, stay with

9:41

me. Now you go to camp. You're

9:43

not six ft tall? They say you're five

9:45

tin How tall are you? Really? Come clean

9:48

with me on five eight? Okay?

9:50

Five eight and five as is when I was measured in that Okay,

9:54

all right, So you go into camp,

9:56

you're five eight, and you're in there with a

9:58

bunch of other Greek. God right, you've

10:00

got people who were six one two

10:02

at a quarter coming out of Ohio State,

10:05

l s U, all these other programs running

10:07

four fours, four fives, all

10:09

these kinds of things. Is

10:11

my man, Austin from Eaton, Colorado?

10:14

Is he intimidated? That's what I need to know.

10:16

Not I wasn't intimidated, um

10:19

by the fact that all these people came from

10:21

different UM places

10:23

and that they well know. I think the thing

10:25

that was intimidated can't do it like to myself.

10:27

It's more of an internal thing, UM.

10:29

Not necessary that people there was like do I do I have

10:31

what it takes to compete at a high level? UM?

10:34

And I kind of had a little glimpse UM

10:36

when I was training for Pro Day UM

10:38

and training for you know, a team that I did get signed.

10:41

So I went back to my group that I was involved with

10:43

UM and then at that time everyone was on a team

10:45

or still trying to get on a team. So it's kind of like people

10:48

that were in the league were still around. I saw also around

10:50

the atmosphere, right, So it wasn't that I was intimiated

10:53

by the guys, like great group of guys, like everyone

10:55

trying to work hard, everyone's trying to make a living. UM,

10:57

so perfect atmosphere

10:59

for competition. But it was like, hey

11:02

do I really have and as far as measurable, as far as the weight

11:04

room, I was stronger than everyone in my Pro Day group,

11:06

Like that's that's that's just like what I'm known for.

11:09

Like if you ask anyone the charges like my literally

11:11

my nickname is pound for pound to kind of like the pound

11:13

for pound like strongest kind of tea, right

11:15

because I just I find therapy and working

11:18

out. Right, I might be five eight, but I'm probably

11:20

gonnautlift you in any type of lift kind

11:22

of type of thing, and definitely if you take

11:24

weight into account. Um, and

11:26

so that's kind of like my like my strength

11:29

that I have. You know, I'm a shorter body, but I'm

11:31

stocky, right, Like, I got great

11:33

you know, balance, and it's really hard to take me down at

11:35

my little short my short leverage we call it built

11:38

with leverage in the NFL. Hit up.

11:41

But yeah, so coming in, Yeah, I'm more intimidated,

11:43

just say, hey, this is a new opportunity.

11:46

What's the more intimidate intimidation thing that

11:48

is unknown to me because I wasn't really planning

11:51

to even go to the NFL. I was planning to go in to my business degree.

11:54

Um, so that was the intimidating uh factor.

11:57

So so what is the moment in training camp

12:00

where you start to think maybe I'm

12:02

gonna make it? Was there a run? Was

12:04

there something someone said? Was

12:06

there a moment? Was there a moment when you

12:08

start to kind of go, hold

12:11

on, wait a minute, all five eight to me

12:13

may end up in the league. So yeah,

12:15

for me, Matt, who my journey?

12:17

So I come into a situation here's

12:20

why I even wanted to go to the Charge in the first place. Letting

12:22

a new coaching staff at leads into your answer

12:24

your question that a new coaching staff coming

12:27

in, so all the politics are out the window. No

12:29

one knows anybody as far as coaches the players,

12:31

so everyone has to like prove themselves again,

12:33

right. Um. And there's a lot of younger backs in

12:36

the backfield for the Chargers besides Melvioln

12:38

Gordon. So I came in, I was six string.

12:40

I was there's five people in front of

12:43

me. And if you don't anything about football, we keep

12:45

three running backs, so three of us aren't making it

12:47

right. And uh, if if you know anything else

12:49

about running football even more, um,

12:52

there's no six string offense. Like you

12:54

don't that you don't go out there with the six stringers

12:56

run some plays. You know there's first string in their second

12:59

string. And then if you're anything else on

13:01

the scout team. So I got a lot of

13:03

people I gotta go through before I get a rep. Um.

13:05

So my reps were very limited, um,

13:08

and so I took that very seriously. So every

13:10

single rep, like the first huddle I got

13:12

into, the first play, I threw up

13:14

because I was so nervous because I cared

13:17

so much. My stomach was just like not

13:19

feeling good. I was like, oh, here we go, Like

13:21

I'm finally getting an opportunity. Um.

13:23

And a lot of the times I was on the scout team for like

13:25

special teams, which is like kickoff stuff

13:28

like that, right, um. And that's where I

13:30

started to get noticed. It's because

13:32

when it was a hundred percent go, my mindset

13:34

was turned on, like no one can block me, no one

13:36

can get by me. And I was out there producing

13:39

um and started to show up. And it started to show

13:41

up. And I remember coach Lynn, you know, uh,

13:43

Anthony Lennard, head coach at the time, come into

13:45

one of our special teams meetings, like dang hey,

13:47

Coach Steh is our special team co who's

13:49

at number three. It's like that's Austin.

13:51

That the man. He's giving us a hell of a look out there, and he's

13:53

like, okay, okay, And that was like my first glimpse

13:56

of like, you know, I might be getting somewhere. Um.

13:58

But here's the thing. My reps like never changed.

14:01

I never I never moved from six

14:03

string ever in the entire

14:06

entire o t A, s entire preseason, um,

14:08

all the way up until cuts. I never moved

14:11

from six strings. So I didn't know. But the one

14:13

thing that I didn't know is I was given literally everything

14:15

I could. There was nothing more that I could have done

14:17

to take advantage of the opportunity. I studied as

14:20

many hours as I could. I told my family.

14:22

I was like, I know you guys are all excited for me, but I need you

14:24

guys to not talk to me right now because I need

14:26

to do everything that I can to take advantage

14:28

of this opportunity. Just like I was doing in college,

14:30

now I'm doing it at the highest level, so it's even

14:33

even more of a of a factor for

14:35

me to be focused. UM. So I told them

14:37

to chill, like, let's talk after camp.

14:39

Um dove in. You know, I was staying

14:41

after practice. I was going up to coaches, um,

14:45

just asking advice. Hey, what do I gotta

14:47

do. I remember breaking down to one of my running back coaches

14:49

literally just I was crying because I was crying

14:51

because I was like, man, I'm six string. I feel like I'm

14:54

I'm doing well, but I don't I don't move

14:56

up, Like what am I doing wrong? Like I felt like I

14:58

was doing something wrong and he's like, not that you're

15:00

doing anything wrong, It's just that we had to get other guys

15:02

reps too. And when it comes down to the total

15:04

pole, you're getting whatever is left over at

15:06

the end um and that's just that's the

15:08

way of the league right now. So just continue just to make

15:11

sure you know what you're doing when they get in. So that was that

15:13

was frustrating to me. And then finally

15:15

in preseason games, I started to get some opportunities

15:17

and I was making some tackles on special teams,

15:19

I was running the ball. Well, it wasn't that I was doing

15:21

anything crazy. I was just being consistent and

15:24

I was doing my job right. And I did

15:26

that consistently enough in the four

15:28

games that we had preseason games where I get like a

15:30

handful of reps that at the end of the day,

15:32

like I remember reporter asking me, like, you

15:34

know, you played well in this last game. How do you feel like it's

15:36

gonna, you know, play out. I was like, all

15:39

my ships were in. That was that was everything you're gonna

15:41

get out of Austin neckwork. That was me. And so

15:43

I was like, hey, if if if that's not enough,

15:45

then literally I'm not built out for this, Like

15:48

I'm not built out for it. And you

15:50

know, it came down to it end up making the team man

15:52

ended up making the team and then that's where the journey started.

15:55

Wow, all right, man, you got me inspired.

15:58

Ready to go? Tell me a little

16:00

bit more. Now, how many running backs did

16:02

they keep the year that when they kept

16:04

you for the first time? Did they keep you

16:07

and two others? Or do they keep so?

16:09

Yeah, there was two of us or three of us on the active

16:11

roster and then one on the practice squad. So I

16:13

ended up making those three. So yeah, they did end up cutting

16:15

half of us. Yeah. Wow,

16:18

And how did you find out that you had made

16:20

it? Like? Literally, did you get an email? Did someone

16:22

come back and tell you that they have a list on

16:24

the wall and your name was on it? Like

16:27

how did you find out? So in the NFL is kind of

16:29

ruthless, right, It's like there's no easy

16:31

way to fire people, cut people, you know,

16:33

if if they didn't do anything wrong. You know, these

16:35

are all guys have been grinding, been putting everything

16:37

into you know, this opportunity. Um,

16:39

so cut day is always the worst, even today, even

16:41

that like I'm established, like no, I'm I can't cut

16:43

and something crazy happens. And but we

16:45

call these guys the reapers, right, the reapers come

16:48

around um. And so we'll be working

16:50

out or we'll be at the hotel, and if you get

16:52

a call, it's like one day, like, hey, cuts are

16:54

happening on this day and they have to be all everyone

16:56

has to be finished with their cuts by two o'clock.

16:59

So if you past two o'clock, you made it. Um.

17:02

And so we're either working out and then

17:04

the Reapers coming we called reapers and actually read like

17:07

that's not the real name. We just call him that from players. But

17:09

the Reapers come in right and they like, hey,

17:11

come up, bring your surface, you know, come

17:13

talk to Tom. You just know, man, like

17:15

you're getting cut. Um. So I never got that

17:17

call, and I never got tapped on the shoulder to come

17:19

out of practice or workouts.

17:22

And then like one o'clock, one

17:24

o'clock, our PR guy, Arthur

17:26

hi Tower, gives me a call. Man. He's like, hey,

17:28

it's gonna be the first to congratulate you. And I was like,

17:30

wait a minute, not two o'clock. Yet. He's like, hey,

17:32

man, if you made it this far, you're not getting cut. So I just

17:35

want to let let you know you need to find a place to stay.

17:37

Congratulations. Um. And that's

17:40

how I found out and immediately I called

17:42

my mom. We're both crying, like, oh, let's

17:44

go, like we got it three.

17:47

But then I knew, you know, my journey was just beginning,

17:50

like now I have to continue to prove myself and you

17:52

know, but I was established, right, it was just like boom,

17:54

opportunity, like taking advantage of right,

17:56

it's just now onto the next opportunity

17:58

kind of thing out. Man,

18:01

oh man, awesome, that's crazy. Now for me,

18:03

I wouldn't have been in the weight room. They couldn't have reached

18:06

me. If they wanted to cut me. They

18:08

couldn't reach me. They would need

18:10

to get secret service c I

18:12

a special ops. They couldn't

18:14

reach me. You cannot cut me.

18:17

That's the nice way of them doing it right, Right,

18:19

at least they give you an explanation, you know, um,

18:21

and a lot of times, you know, there's a lot of there's a practice

18:23

squad and all that stuff. So there's a lot of opportunity

18:26

for guys to come back and make a squad. But yeah, for

18:28

me, hey, luckily it'd never been to that that situation.

18:31

Obviously be able to just to you know, provide enough value of

18:33

the team that they want to keep me around. So to keep

18:35

that going. Wow, all right, now go

18:38

back and talk to young Austin. Um,

18:41

now that you've been in the league several years, what

18:43

are gonna be the two or three things that will surprise

18:45

him the most? And I mean that as broadly or as

18:47

narrowly as you want it, Like what he's

18:49

gonna surprise him like whisper in his ear he's

18:52

still at Western State, and be like, dude, you're

18:54

gonna make the league, and here're gonna be the three

18:56

things. And even though you've been playing football forever,

18:59

even though you've been thinking about the NFL, these

19:01

are gonna be the two or three things that are gonna

19:03

surprise you, either positively, negatively,

19:05

or just be like, oh, I never imagined that

19:08

I would say. One thing that just like

19:10

sticks out to me is that, look, I'll

19:13

look Austin like the younger Austin like, guess what

19:16

you're enough? Like you're enough,

19:18

Like your mindset that you have right now is

19:20

what's gonna take you to places you never thought

19:23

you were gonna be. Like what you have right

19:25

now, Do not change that about yourself

19:27

ever, ever, because if you do that, then

19:29

you're not gonna be true to yourself. And to your roots when you

19:31

grew up around and you're not gonna be true to

19:33

the people in your town that believed

19:35

in you and gave you this confidence to go forward

19:38

and say, hey, like you hear the stories

19:40

of people not believe me. I had a bunch of people that believed in

19:42

me. And I came from a situation where I would work hard every

19:44

single day. That was just the fact of my That

19:46

was just my life that I got dealt, you

19:48

know, working you know, out in the ranch right

19:51

like I was in the right. I was a ranch hand, right,

19:53

and so I knew the definition of hard work.

19:55

Um. And it's like you're enough,

19:58

like the minds that you have, the past and that you

20:00

have, it's gonna take you. And not only that,

20:02

but it's gonna be contagious. It's gonna be contagious

20:04

to people around you. Um, just because

20:07

of how much how much passion you put into

20:09

things, people are gonna see them be like man, like

20:12

that's that's special. Like you continue

20:14

to be yourself and

20:17

what else is gonna surprise? But what else is

20:19

he not gonna see? Or

20:22

just anything?

20:24

Because that's I didn't look forward. I

20:27

always had an idea of

20:29

where I wanted to go, but I never like really

20:32

bought into it yet because I was always focused

20:34

on the time being right and because I

20:36

think if we get too if we get too far

20:38

up in the head of ourselves, like give

20:40

it like a fantasy land and almost like lose sight

20:43

of hey, take care of business right here at first,

20:45

you know, like we we hear this younger

20:47

generation like, oh, people always take things for granted.

20:49

It's like I don't. I don't. That's why

20:51

I do so much to connect with the people that have

20:53

got me to this place, into the community that

20:56

supports me to this day. I do so

20:58

much to connect with them because their

21:00

support has gotten me to this level. Their

21:03

support has helped me get through college,

21:05

get through these passions, get through these opportunities

21:07

to keep going. And so I hold that near and dear

21:09

to my heart, and so that like everything's

21:11

gonna surprise. Because he's younger,

21:14

Austin is only focused on the time that

21:16

he's in right now. Like I remember, even going back

21:18

one day, I was looking at Mike like my

21:20

old Facebook post and it was always

21:23

about like inspirational quotes about how you

21:25

know you need to get up every day and you know, be the

21:27

best version of yourself, you know, to take advantage

21:29

of opportunities, you know, connect surround yourself

21:31

with the people you know that you're life minded

21:33

and want to be as passionate about things as you are.

21:35

And I was like, man, I'm proud of that kid like

21:38

that. That became me right that that kid like inspires

21:41

me. You know, younger Austin still inspires

21:43

me today.

22:01

Now your boy lt I knew, uh la,

22:03

Damian Tomlinson previous charger

22:06

running back, charger great, maybe the greatest

22:08

charger running back, maybe the greatest charger of

22:10

all time. Uh and terrific human

22:12

being. And years ago I got a chance to go

22:15

visit him and his wife and talk a little bit, and

22:17

he surprised me, he said, Carlos, He said,

22:20

I think of several things matter for success

22:22

in the NFL that might surprise you. One,

22:24

he said, is being married. He said, I know you wouldn't

22:26

think so, but he said, he said, I think

22:29

that that the difference between great

22:32

and out of the league is so thin that

22:35

you need every ounce of focus you have.

22:37

And he said, for the most part, guys who

22:40

aren't married and are out in the club's

22:42

party and doing other stuff they

22:44

in the end are gonna lose that little bit of

22:46

edge. And and guys who were married or

22:48

who are settled, like that's a huge

22:51

advantage that I was surprised here him say that

22:53

I would agree. You would agree with that?

22:56

I would agree? Do you want me? I

22:58

agree? Please? Because here's

23:00

the thing, man, This game is about consistency,

23:03

and how do you how do you become

23:05

more consistent? You gotta put in repetition.

23:08

You gotta go practice, you gotta get in the weight room

23:10

extra, you gotta get in the playbook extra. You can't

23:12

have distractions. The more you're distraction,

23:15

the less consistent you're gonna get. There's only

23:17

a select few people that can just show up

23:19

and do this stuff right. And those people are

23:21

getting paid ridiculous amounts of money because they're

23:23

special. Like for the most part, that's not everybody

23:26

in the league, right, everyone else. Guess what we

23:28

gotta put in the world. We gotta put in the reps for

23:30

I would say ninety nine percent

23:32

of the league. There's the one per centers of the league that

23:34

are really really special. And so I see

23:37

that like you're married, you're held down, Like for me, I'm

23:39

not necessarily married, to like another person. But I

23:41

think my passion to connect

23:43

it to the community is kind of the same type

23:46

of ideas. Hey, I have something that I can

23:48

commit to in my free time that keeps me

23:50

focused. Um so yeah, I would agree

23:53

because it's literally the edges this big, the

23:55

edges this big between me and

23:58

h fourth or fifth string running back making

24:00

it I was just a little bit more consistent than he was, right,

24:02

and you have to go take another man's job and guess what

24:04

if he's more consistent or been playing in the league

24:07

longer and has more tape, they already have the upper edge.

24:09

So you need everything that you can get, uh,

24:11

and you don't want to give him any piece of bad films.

24:13

So the consistency part, yeah, I agree

24:16

with. Are who are some of the one percenters?

24:19

Who are some of the people who they just

24:22

they could show up and they just have more than everybody

24:24

else. See, I

24:27

wouldn't even say I have those guys on my team,

24:29

right, Like, here's the thing, because like Keenan Allen, probably

24:31

the best guy on our team, Uh, definitely offensively,

24:34

but the work that he puts in is unmatched.

24:37

It's unmatched. And the offseason, this man he

24:39

runs routes. I think he runs routes to every single

24:41

day, right, Um, So I would

24:44

say like even the one percent therese they're they're not gonna

24:46

be They're not gonna be big superstars.

24:48

They're probably gonna be guys that are probably on the bubble

24:50

um. So because I I just

24:53

think of me saying that, like, because

24:55

you're gonna get flushed out. You're gonna get flushed out. This league

24:57

is gonna flush you out real quick if you're if you're

24:59

not putting in the time. So um,

25:03

yeah, maybe it's maybe s those tweeted the bubble

25:05

guys, right, the bubble guys that are on the way out,

25:07

like or maybe getting a little more distracted or maybe

25:09

you know, just have a little bit more athletic ability than everyone

25:11

else and like hey they's hanging around. Um

25:14

because I mean, if I if I even say

25:16

anyone right and I'm saying, oh, this person doesn't

25:18

work hard type of thing, So I can't I can't even go

25:20

down that don't don't

25:23

don't work hard, but talk about athletic

25:26

um, just athletic freaks

25:28

of nature. Who are the

25:30

best pure athletes you've

25:33

either played against, played with, played

25:35

around where you're just like, hey, even though we're all

25:37

professionals athletically, that

25:40

guy is just on a different level than the rest of

25:42

us. Immediately comes to my mind,

25:44

Derwin James, he's on our team,

25:46

he's our safety, has been hurt for the past two years.

25:48

But oh my god, this man's

25:51

he's like six three. I know

25:53

he can outrun me, and I think I'm

25:55

fast. This man is like six three,

25:57

like two twenty. Uh. Derwin j

26:00

Aimes so strong, takes on blogs,

26:02

can run, can jump, agility,

26:04

tackle, you can basically do everything.

26:07

And it's like the fact that

26:09

he's so big too, just like how

26:12

like how are you able to do this? Like another

26:15

one is that stands out to me is that dk

26:17

metcalf Um. Just he

26:19

dudes like two thirty five. He's

26:21

running you know, almost sub you

26:23

know ten, you know, a hundred meter dash

26:26

at two thirty five? Are you kidding me?

26:29

I'm just like man at six five two six

26:31

five, two thirty five receiver out there.

26:34

Uh, there's a there's a lot of freaks, you

26:36

know, a lot of people that are just like, Wow, you're

26:38

absolutely gifted. And the fact that you're taking

26:40

those gifts and putting work behind it just elevates

26:43

those people right and just shows really like how

26:45

amazing the human body can be and what really good

26:47

genetics and hard work combined can really

26:49

push people to do. Um, that's why I

26:51

love about the NFL. And it's it's not always about being

26:53

big, right, Like look at me, I'm five eight, but

26:55

like I'm strong. Like I even put out

26:57

a challenge the other day as the four or five squad

27:00

challenge, So fourner five pounds

27:02

of a bat busted out thirteen times. Um,

27:05

still haven't had a competitor, just by the way, So

27:07

if you're listening out there, you know, send me something, uh,

27:09

four or five squad challenge. But

27:12

I think that's what the NFL is so great. That's why

27:15

it's so great because it brings out a lot

27:17

of different athletes, but a lot of different

27:19

types of bodies, and it brings us all together

27:21

to and puts us on a platform where we can use to help

27:23

our communities. Do you ever

27:25

see someone coming at you so

27:27

strong, so fast, like a Dorwin James,

27:30

where you've gotten nervous or you've hesitated

27:32

a little bit because you're like that is

27:34

six three, that's two twenty, that's

27:37

four four and they are coming

27:39

with lethal intention. Hey, I

27:41

played the position called running back, so we're

27:44

just natural born, just fearless,

27:46

you know, competitors like it doesn't matter how big

27:48

you are, we gonna we're trying to run through your face. Right

27:51

like I'm five eight, but you go watch me run and

27:53

you watch me run through people like I remember

27:55

even Melvin Gordon, my uh, the guy that was in

27:57

front of me before you know, he ended up not

28:00

getting signed by the Denver Um.

28:02

He hit me up like man, he's still just

28:04

running through people. Man. Even

28:06

the rookies come through here. You know, they're like, damn

28:08

man, you run like you're two forty. It's like, hey, why

28:11

do you think they keep me around here? You know what kind of thing?

28:13

So as far as my mind and never

28:15

never, like if you're there's definitely people

28:17

that come down and come down here. I remember Ruben foster

28:20

Um a few years back. He played for

28:22

San Francisco forty Niners. Uh, just

28:25

freak athlete at at linebacker. He

28:27

probably hit me the hardest I've ever been hit. But still

28:30

I just have to like this hardened. But he just hit

28:32

me so hard. I remember just kind of coming

28:34

to like whoa um

28:36

kind of kind of moment right getting up off the ground,

28:38

it was like, Wow, it's got absolutely drilled.

28:41

But shoot, I've been playing this game for so long.

28:43

I feel like that just becomes part of the game now. Like

28:46

it's not often, it's not often that I get hit

28:48

that hard because it's almost like an art. It's like

28:50

an art, and that's how I've got, you know, this far in my

28:52

career. It's an arts not getting hit right,

28:54

Like there's a there's a way to get tackled or to not

28:57

get tackled. And so the

28:59

only time you give me like that is when I can't see

29:01

you. So if I can't see you give me, then you got

29:03

lucky. But most of the time I got my awareness, and yeah,

29:05

I can avoid it. And it would

29:07

say more about that. You mean, you're saying

29:09

that guys will look to tackle you, would hit you really

29:11

hard if you see them coming. You're

29:13

saying you can do a martial arts move, and

29:16

exactly, so every single defender

29:18

is like, oh, I'm just gonna clean Eckler's clock,

29:20

especially me because I'm five eight, you know, d

29:23

pounds and like the small sky in the field, So

29:25

they see me and they're like, oh, let's go.

29:27

So there's running as hard as What they don't realize

29:29

is that I squat the weight room. Um.

29:32

So when they hit me, they're like whack,

29:34

and that just bounce off them because they don't try to wrap

29:36

me up like you when you tackle you're

29:38

supposed to like wrap my legs that right, So there's like, oh,

29:40

let me just blast them hit him on the ground. They just really like

29:42

this boom, I just bounced back off just because my

29:45

leg and my balance is so strong. Um

29:48

And so yeah, people they just miss. There's like misread

29:50

like how sturdy I am at my stature,

29:53

right, they think they just come, you know, hit me like I'm

29:55

some receiver you know who doesn't go in there

29:57

and squat and there's no no shade receivers.

29:59

But they anything like that, you

30:03

know. Also, so one of the other things

30:05

that LT told me that he said would surprise

30:08

me about what it takes to be great in the league

30:10

running back, he said, Carlson is gonna sound weird to you, he

30:12

said, But you have to kind of like pain, he

30:15

said. He said, he said, it sounds weird.

30:17

You have to like pain, not just be okay with it.

30:19

But like it because he said, when you watch

30:21

game film, you'll see all sorts

30:23

of weird things happen with your neck, in your

30:25

arms and stuff. And he

30:27

said, sometimes will so blow your mind. He said,

30:30

but you have to actually kind of like it and therefore

30:32

lean into it, because if you don't lean into it, the

30:34

other guy is and you're gonna lose.

30:37

Now, is that right or is that right for

30:39

you? About that like pain thing? Or is that

30:41

just an LT thing? Man?

30:44

Even so, I go, I got way deeper

30:47

if you want to talk about pain. I love adversity,

30:49

like even even in life, like I

30:52

feel like we need to go through hard times because

30:54

hard times make us so much stronger. As people

30:56

like hard times, you absolutely don't

30:59

want to go through them just naturally, but

31:01

the things that they teach you, the lessons learned

31:04

in hard times, I feel like stick with

31:06

you for life. And I feel like that's really what's painted

31:08

my picture of my mental just you

31:10

know, stabilization going forward and how why

31:12

I'm the way I am today because it's working through

31:14

hard times, working out of it and

31:16

seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and being able to work towards

31:19

something. So for me, like, sure,

31:21

I physically get hurt in football,

31:23

but I always know, for the most part

31:26

anyways, I'm probably gonna recover. So just

31:28

the physical injury from football does

31:30

not scare me at all, Like it's just part of the game. To me,

31:32

it's part of it having fun, right, and there's I mean,

31:34

we all have different different motives for playing the game,

31:36

right, you definitely have you definitely gotta

31:38

know, Yeah, this game hurts. His name, definitely

31:41

hurt especially as they're running back, like these people are

31:43

like at least you know, everyone's at least

31:45

like thirty pounds heavier than me, and they have

31:47

paths on and they're running at me full speed trying

31:49

to hit me. Um So yeah, this day

31:51

game definitely put some battle scars on

31:53

you. But for me, I love that, Like I got scars

31:56

all over my body from this game. Um

31:58

it kind of just paints the picture of the kind of what have gone

32:00

through, um, you know, physically

32:02

on this field and with this game, but then also

32:04

in life too, Like I feel like it's it's deeper

32:06

than that, right, It's deeper than that, because if I feel

32:08

like, if we all just go through a time where like you have

32:10

pure happiness all the time, Like I like,

32:13

you get used to that and you almost get bored, right,

32:15

And it's like for your your life to have

32:17

some real contents, real meeting, some real

32:19

oh behind the time where you're like, man, I

32:22

persevered, I went through time worth living.

32:25

Like I feel like you gotta go through some peace, you gotta go through

32:27

some valleys. And it's the same thing on the field, like look

32:30

for you to actually have, like I feel like for

32:32

me anyway, for me to have like a career and like

32:34

yeah, man, like hey, I pushed through an overcome.

32:36

I need some adversity, whether it's whether it's injury,

32:39

whether it's like I'm not asking get injured.

32:41

I'm just saying like, when this stuff comes, I'm

32:43

not scared of it, right, I'm ready to take it head

32:45

on. I'm ready to work through it. Um.

32:47

And it to me, it paints a better

32:49

picture of what I want to get at it as

32:52

far as fulfillment, because it makes me work

32:54

through things instead of it all being oh it was great forever.

32:57

Um. You know, it makes me work through things and it

32:59

makes me a better person and in the end, and

33:01

also where do you think that comes from? Do you think

33:03

that you were born that way, or

33:05

did certain things happen as you were growing up

33:08

or what have you. But where did that mindset

33:10

come from? That

33:13

definitely came from the way I was raised. I

33:15

just knew. I knew I wanted

33:17

to get out of my situation from the day I was in

33:19

my situation. I didn't have like the worst

33:21

situation growing up, but I just knew this

33:24

was not the life for me and I needed to get out of this.

33:26

Uh. And so I made sure, like, look, I've

33:28

seen I've seen people in my life have success

33:31

and just throwing the trash can,

33:33

and I was like, that's not gonna be me. I'm gonna take advantage.

33:35

I'm gonna hold onto it. I'm gonna continue to grow and

33:37

continue to keep pushing um. And

33:39

so I set my mind. I didn't even realize I

33:42

set my mind to that until I got older and started

33:44

talking about it, because people started asking me about it, like why

33:46

are you the way you are? I'm just like, why

33:48

am I the way I am? But it's it literally came because

33:50

I saw a situation was like, man, my

33:52

mom's ex husband had everything in the world,

33:55

and this man made me work so freaking hard

33:57

for him. And then he just

33:59

went through it all away, and I was just like, why

34:01

would you, Why would you ever do that? You had

34:03

things working for it, and you just decided you just didn't

34:06

want it and you didn't care about anybody, And so like that affected

34:08

me, right, that affected me, and I was like, I'm

34:10

never gonna do that. I'm gonna take advantage. I'm gonna continue

34:12

to push. I'm gonna help people as well on along the way so

34:14

they can push through some stuff too. And I think that it's

34:16

instilled like that hard work that I learned from

34:19

going out and building fence and being in sports

34:21

and working on a ranch. That's where my

34:23

heart work mentality came from. But then my

34:25

passions came from trying to get out of a situation

34:28

that I wanted better for myself. And I put everything I

34:30

can in my power into those

34:32

things. And what happened to him?

34:34

What do you mean he threw it away? Yeah?

34:36

I mean I don't want to get too too into it, but

34:38

he's just he's just not not with us as

34:40

far as our family anymore. Right, You just you

34:42

know, made decisions where he said he just

34:44

had better things he wanted to do. Um

34:47

and we weren't worth anything to him. So, um,

34:49

he's the guy that you know I was with, you know,

34:51

since I was like four years old. My dad was

34:54

never in the picture. He was even worse than this guy. So

34:56

it's like, look like I've had some some

34:58

good examples of good hard work, but bad

35:00

examples of how to carry yourself and continue

35:03

to pursue through life. Um.

35:05

So that's just where my mindsets come from,

35:07

and that's where I've been ever since.

35:09

So so why do you think you took the positive

35:12

lesson out of that, Austin? Because you know,

35:14

so many of us get traumatized by various

35:16

things, and unfortunately most of us,

35:19

or maybe many of us, take the wrong lessons

35:21

out of that. Right that that it breaks

35:23

our heart, it breaks our spirits, It reorients

35:27

us towards bad behavior instead of,

35:29

you know, better behavior. Why do you think

35:31

it instead of breaking you, it sounds like it actually

35:34

made you stronger. Maybe

35:37

just because I didn't have sympathy for him, I didn't have sympathy

35:40

for that. I was like, that's that's just BS

35:42

man Like it's BS like you felt

35:44

bad and then you felt bad about yourself, and

35:46

then you just like, oh, poor meat, and then you went

35:49

and hidden the whole or just took

35:51

the easy way out. And I just I

35:53

think that was just to me and my mindset, that

35:55

was unacceptable and not

35:58

just unacceptable, unacceptable to the maximum level

36:00

that you've literally changed my life and I would never be

36:02

like that, and it literally

36:04

fact it impacts me that much, and

36:07

like literally to the to this day, like even my kids,

36:09

like I'm gonna be like, hey, like you're gonna know nothing but

36:11

how to work hard, not not for anything. That's

36:13

always for me. I didn't work hard for money. Any work

36:15

hard. I work hard because that's the only option.

36:17

That's the only option were presented. You have to work hard,

36:20

and that's gonna get you food on the table. That's gonna allow

36:22

you to you know, to actually you know, go

36:24

forward in life. So that was the

36:26

situation I was in. And so it's

36:29

it's helped me today because awesome,

36:31

why you work hards because that's all I've ever known. It's

36:34

all I've ever known, and that's all you've ever

36:36

known. Guess what. It's contagious

36:38

and it keeps going and it just builds and it builds

36:41

and builds, and if you have direction with that, with some

36:43

education. Oh boy, let's go

36:45

now. Now I'm helping my community. Now I'm trying

36:47

to connect. I'm trying to help other people become

36:50

passionate and find their passions and continue to push

36:52

for those as well. In life.

37:11

Austin talked to me a little bit about race. Because

37:13

you grew up black in small

37:16

town Colorado. He assumed

37:18

there wasn't a ton of us there? Am

37:20

I right? It was by three three

37:24

I'm not even exaggerating three

37:26

in my high school. Three

37:28

people of color. Hey, what the hell were

37:30

you doing there? Number one? Like, what were

37:33

you doing there? And then number and then number

37:35

two. I don't want to make any assumption because

37:37

maybe it wasn't bad, maybe it was good. But

37:39

but but but tell me a little bit racially

37:42

about your journey, you know, stressful,

37:46

uh positive? Just what

37:48

it was like like, give me a little bit of a

37:50

sense of of your particular experience.

37:53

Yeah, So, I mean I ended up in a small town called

37:55

Just because my my act true

37:58

father he was married to my mom um and

38:00

then just royally

38:03

messed up, locked away forever. So my mom

38:05

wanted to get away from that. Ended up meeting a guy um

38:07

who was my little brother's dad. Um.

38:10

And then we moved to small town Colorado, um,

38:12

just to get away kind of get a new start. And

38:14

that's how I ended up in eating Colorado. Um

38:17

for all the way k through to my mom was

38:19

a school teacher. UM. My

38:21

mom's husband at the time built fence, like

38:24

he had his own fencing company. Like he wasn't

38:26

he didn't graduate high school or anything like that.

38:28

He was so not really well educated. But

38:31

I definitely knew how to work hard and kept himself and

38:33

kept our family. Uh. Float

38:35

you know, he was a main source of income. Um.

38:38

And that's how I ended up in Colorado.

38:40

You know, there was only three other black kids including

38:42

me here. You know, like, so I'm

38:44

growing up in a in a white community,

38:47

right, predominantly white community. UM.

38:50

Hispanic population there as well. UM.

38:53

And so I mean for for me, I didn't

38:56

know any any other way like that was the way

38:58

that so there was no like racial thing

39:00

that I went through. Um. It was pretty

39:02

accepting. UM, I guess as far as

39:05

UM just everybody

39:07

or like I didn't really go through anything or that stands

39:09

out to me that was like, yeah, this was

39:11

the time in my life that I went through or you know, it was

39:14

tough just because they saw

39:16

me as different. Um, I didn't have that. That's

39:18

why I loved my town that I went to. Like I had

39:20

support of my town a hundred percent. Um.

39:23

Maybe it's because I was really good at sports, who knows,

39:25

and they liked watching me. I don't know whatever the

39:27

reason was, it doesn't matter. I should

39:29

was showing respect and I gave respect back. And that's

39:31

how I was raised as well. Um, you

39:33

know, yes or no, sir, all that stuff.

39:36

Um. And so no, just

39:38

the small town to field like like for

39:40

me to be, I was on the outskirts to I lived

39:42

like twenty miles outside of town. So it wasn't

39:45

like after school was hanging out, you know with the boys,

39:47

you know, in the neighborhood. Like I would

39:49

be done with practice and drive twenty five

39:51

minutes home, right because I gotta get home. I

39:53

go water the horses, I gotta go take care of all of the

39:55

livestock. Um, whether it's

39:58

rain or snow, it don't matter. I get home. Um.

40:00

So that definitely kept me locked in. I didn't

40:02

really get distracted as much. UM. Kind

40:05

of just kind of isolated me a little bit. Maybe

40:07

that's maybe That's why the way I am the way I am today

40:09

to like, my my circle of friends is like

40:12

this big you know, like very

40:14

small. And I think that's part of it because I didn't really

40:16

have like a big social life other than sports

40:19

growing up. Uh. And so yeah,

40:21

that's a little bit about my background and how I came to

40:23

be and yeah, where I started out. And

40:26

what do you find in the NFL, Because

40:28

because the NFL is predominantly black,

40:31

Um, but I assumed that most of the

40:33

players didn't come from small town Colorado.

40:35

I assume that they came from Miami, Florida,

40:38

or they came from Dallas, Texas, or they came

40:40

from l A or what have you.

40:43

So is there any interesting racial dynamic

40:45

for you in the locker room? Again? Positive?

40:47

Negative? It is absolutely.

40:49

I wouldn't say it's positive or negative. But it's

40:51

just like kind of a culture shock for me, you

40:54

know, culture shocked to be around people that have been

40:56

in the cities more that because even when I went to college,

40:59

like predominant a white right, and it's

41:01

like in the mountains in Colorado,

41:03

So we're talking to people that are out here to ski, to

41:05

ice fish too, snowmobile like

41:08

We're talking people from Oklahoma and Texas that

41:10

are going up there to the vacation house in the summer

41:12

type stuff. Right, another small

41:15

town. So I was never introduced

41:17

to really like city life or

41:19

even any other type of culture besides

41:21

small town Colorado. Right.

41:24

So definitely big culture shocks coming

41:26

out of a coming out of Colorado

41:28

and just you know, being introduced to new types

41:30

of just slangs, new

41:32

types of you know, the way people you know care

41:35

about you know, fashion, care about

41:37

how people spend money, different

41:39

you know, people's education levels. Um,

41:42

it's just it's all just a mixing point.

41:44

Right. That's why the NFL is so great because it gives us all an

41:46

opportunity no matter where you came from. I came from

41:48

the sticks in Colorado. You come from you know,

41:50

Miami or Texas or a huge football

41:53

towns and schools and stuff like that wherever,

41:55

Right, it gives us an opportunity and it gives us a

41:57

platform. Um. So yeah, definitely culture shock

42:00

for sure. So how much should people

42:02

try you? Because I know, having talked to t O

42:04

and lots of other guys, there's lots of fights

42:06

in the locker room and there's lots of there's

42:09

a lot of scrapping, and I assume they see a short

42:11

guy. He's from Colorado. He

42:14

talks proper. I'm sure they came

42:16

after you. Did they come after you? No

42:18

one came at me. No one came after me, because,

42:21

like I think the NFL is definitely evolved, Like

42:23

they're no like hazy and all that stuff anymore

42:25

like he used to be. Like, he's definitely modernized.

42:27

Um, like we all are earned this together type

42:29

of thing. But I didn't really talk much. I gotta talk

42:31

to me. I wasn't there to talk to people. I was there to take

42:34

people's jobs and actually make a team. I was there.

42:36

I was there to take advantage of opportunity. So for me, it

42:38

was like, look, like we get talk, I'm not gonna

42:40

be to you, like I'm actually

42:42

absolutely gonna be respectful, but I'm here to do

42:44

a job. Um. And so that's how that's

42:47

how it was for me, growing like growing into this, and

42:49

then I got established and then now it's obviously

42:51

my mindset's different. Now I'm actually trying to help my

42:53

younger guys, um, because I understand

42:55

the power of the NFL, and I'm trying to help people around

42:58

me like, hey, guys, you listen, everyone needs to use

43:00

this and I'm showing people how I'm using it and

43:02

trying to help them do that. So um no,

43:05

I didn't really get tried and they don't really step to me

43:07

that. You know, there's some personal bees. There's a portion

43:09

and shoving, um you know, especially when

43:11

joint practices and stuff like that, but not for

43:13

the most part, we're all we're all in this family

43:15

together. And now talk

43:18

to me a little bit about using your platform.

43:20

Like in your dream world, what would

43:22

you love to be true, what would you love to

43:24

do? What kind of things are you hoping

43:27

to have impact on? Yeah,

43:29

in my dream world, I would love to create

43:32

enough resources, whether it be from

43:34

from whatever, create enough resources

43:37

from donations, from some type of

43:39

you know, connecting business, from the foundation

43:41

which I have my own foundation, but collect

43:44

enough resources and have an impact in communities,

43:46

especially small communities like my mind, and

43:49

just provide resources to people, whether

43:51

it be things to better their education,

43:53

things to do stuff outside just things.

43:57

I think, whether it be technology, things that

43:59

can help people create

44:01

skills or go through things experiences

44:04

to create skills for themselves that they can use

44:06

in the future. Because I think that's something

44:08

that I had, um that I didn't really realize

44:10

until now thinking back on it, Like Okay,

44:13

what like why am I in the situation?

44:15

But well, I have resources. We're in a small town, but we had

44:17

enough to get by. I had to wait room, I had, you know, a

44:19

social life, I had as you stuff for education.

44:22

It's like I had a chance, right, I had

44:24

a chance, And so what do I want

44:26

to do? Well? I want to impact people

44:28

across the United States right now it started,

44:31

but eventually around the world, just

44:33

giving them a chance. You know. It's it's

44:35

different, you know, in different situations here in America,

44:37

so where it's like hey, it's basically

44:39

survival the fittest, but you know, we call

44:42

capitalism, um, you know, so it takes

44:44

people to help people. So I want to get be

44:46

someone that's in these situations and trying

44:48

to help people have a chance to even have

44:50

skills, right because if if you never have

44:53

you know and after school club with actual equipment,

44:55

stuff like that, you're not getting these opportunities to

44:58

learn teamwork, learn self to to plan,

45:00

learn mental toughness, learned social skill,

45:02

like you're not getting those opportunities. And so that that would

45:04

be my perfect world. I'm already on my mission

45:07

to get there through my foundation. I've

45:09

started, you know, a couple other businesses that are trying

45:11

to help people connect Um

45:13

and ultimately the goal is to make funds

45:15

from those and push it back to the Foundation

45:17

and continue to just you know, incorporate

45:20

and push all of these different motives

45:22

across what the Foundation trying to do across

45:24

the nation and helped provide resources.

45:27

Austin, have you met Kelvin beach Um yet?

45:29

Do you know Kelvin beach Um? I don't think

45:31

I have. Kelvin's offensive lineman

45:34

for the Cardinals. You have to let me introduce

45:36

the two of you, guys. He's a terrific

45:39

human being. You guys have a lot in common.

45:41

He grew up in smalltown Texas instead of small

45:43

town Colorado. He Um

45:47

barely got a chance to play a Texas tech even

45:49

then didn't get drafted to the seventh round, so

45:51

we had a similar situation. But he did end up getting

45:53

drafted in the seventh round. Um. I

45:56

wasn't sure he was gonna make it, but focus

45:59

and brings that same kind of hungry intensity

46:02

that you bring, but by the same token, is also

46:04

thinking about the broader platform,

46:07

and he is one of the most

46:09

thoughtful people I know. And

46:12

um, just something tells

46:14

me that you guys would enjoy meeting each other. You would

46:16

find him to be an outstanding

46:18

human being, and you guys would just like each other,

46:21

I think, and so awesome. Um,

46:23

We're always looking for like minded people, always

46:25

looking for like minded people, because that's what it takes. It takes

46:27

people with a platform and people to

46:30

care about people. Right. We have a platform, we have

46:32

the NFL platform that puts a lot of eyes on us,

46:34

right, whether it's because they like our our story

46:37

or the team that we play off, whatever the reason,

46:39

we have a platform, and so it's it's a rare

46:41

opportunity where I'll probably never be a part

46:43

of a platform this big. So for me,

46:45

it's a moment where I can capture and really implement

46:48

my passion. I'm passionate about people, right,

46:50

and so I'm trying to show that to people because

46:53

people also care about people, um

46:55

to some to some point, right, And so I'm trying

46:58

to just attack that part of people in too. Hey,

47:00

look, we're trying to help people over here. You know, you can

47:02

be a part of this because it's for a great or good for all

47:04

of us. You know, it's not you know about

47:06

being selfish, right, you know, that's

47:09

what America has been built off of, selfish

47:11

and right, like being selfish, right, because that's

47:13

how you continue to be successful, right,

47:15

And so that's how I grew up, Like hey, I gotta

47:17

get mine. And now I'm at this point like, okay, well,

47:20

I like I have enough,

47:22

like I can get by, like my my true happiness

47:24

is in helping people, not getting a bunch of resources.

47:27

So I need to gather resources to help

47:29

people because that's how America works. But that's

47:32

just yeah, I need people to care about people. And if

47:34

I can connect with people that are like mine like that,

47:37

I think we can lab together and make

47:39

it even a stronger motive and a stronger push across

47:41

the nation. All right, now,

47:43

I'm gonna turn you a little bit of football. We're gonna play

47:45

a little football jeopardy here for a bit ready.

47:47

Oh no, oh, no, okay, I

47:49

like you know, I didn't watch the NFL to my junior. Uh

47:53

that's all right, um, other

47:55

than your own teammates, So I'm not gonna allow

47:58

you to choose any of your own teammates unless you have two,

48:01

Who, in your mind is the best quarterback in the league

48:03

right now? I'm Brady? And

48:06

why do why do you say that? I can assume,

48:08

but I want to hear it from a player who's actually

48:11

playing well. Why do you say Brady? Because

48:13

Tom Brady has been able to be consistent for this long

48:16

and it's not because he's super athletic. Is

48:18

actually not very athletic um

48:20

when it comes to like physically moving

48:23

and jumping and like moving, but the fact that

48:25

he can he understands the game

48:27

so much that he doesn't even have

48:29

to really move much he can still have success.

48:32

He can protect himself by understanding what

48:34

the defense is gonna do. He has enough arm

48:36

strength to put the ball where it needs to be, doesn't

48:38

It's not always a bomb down the field like Western Antonio

48:40

Brown is just dissecting getting the ball

48:42

out of the hand immediately. And to

48:45

have that knowledge of the game and actually be able

48:47

to go there and imply it in real time with the teammates.

48:49

He hasn't always had the best team, which is

48:51

another reason why I think he's the best quarterback. And

48:53

he still continues to do it now even at like forty

48:55

four or whatever he is forty three.

48:59

Um the fact even just watching

49:01

this game that is like, man, this guy's special, just

49:03

how much he understands the game. Pat Mahomes

49:05

definitely, you know, second runner up coming,

49:08

just because he's more of the physical ability

49:10

type guy, though not necessarily like I just understand

49:12

the game so much that I'm just that good. Um.

49:14

So yeah. Definitely Tom Brady for

49:16

just game knowledge, experience and

49:19

consistently doing it for as long as he

49:21

has. Fastest player

49:23

in the league. Tyreek Hill not

49:25

even close. Like even listen, my

49:27

defense even talks about him like, oh my god, Tyreek

49:29

Hill. We gotta play him twice twice a

49:31

year, and he literally changes the mindset

49:33

of defensive players, like they know he's going

49:36

deep, and the fact that they think he's going deep

49:38

opens up everything underneath. And then

49:40

the times he's going underneath, you know, boom,

49:42

he's chunky chunking yet and then you forget about

49:44

it or don't forget about it, but then you're like, oh, and I

49:46

gotta defend the underneath. And then he goes to the top and

49:48

Pat Mahomes runs around and throws it as far

49:50

as he can. Tyreek Hill jumps up in the air and catches it for

49:52

eight yards like he did you know this last

49:54

game? Like Tyreek Hill. He just literally runs

49:57

everywhere and just gets open because he's

49:59

so fast. Most

50:01

talented defensive player in the NFL

50:04

today. Most talented defensive

50:06

player, Oh,

50:11

most talented defensive

50:14

player mm

50:16

hmmm. Because it's like it's

50:19

different for defense because I feel like you

50:21

have pass rushers that are phenomenal

50:24

that we're definitely gonna be chipping. Um.

50:27

But then you also have safeties like shoot,

50:29

even one of my guys, Darwin James, who's just unbelievable,

50:34

Um, most

50:36

talented, Like

50:40

even you have some of these linebackers man that

50:43

can run. I don't I honestly don't know.

50:46

But let's say you're now the GM of a team

50:48

and you got to decide, I'm

50:51

getting pass rusher for sure? Who are you

50:53

taking? Um? Who am

50:55

I taking? Number one? Overall? Mm

50:59

hmmm? And Donald Aaron

51:01

Donald taking Aaron Donald? Okay,

51:04

Yeah, he just he just just run. He's just a disruptor

51:07

like you, literally, And the thing is he plays you

51:09

play. He'll play inside, He'll play one technique

51:12

maybe not everyone knows taking he'll play all the spots

51:14

at d lineman and not everyone can do that,

51:17

right, and then when he does that, you have to be

51:19

able to slide with two old offensive

51:21

lineman to him every single time, and if they get

51:23

him one on one, it's not looking good for you.

51:26

Um, Aaron Donald. Well,

51:28

you know what's interesting is again he's another not

51:30

very tall guy for his for his

51:33

position, but the boy is strong

51:36

strong. It might be a common thing in that strength

51:38

category right there. Alright, best

51:40

running back in the NFL today, best

51:43

running back? Mmm,

51:49

I wouldn't even say myself. Um.

51:51

You know a lot of people might say me, I don't

51:53

know, but see to me, I feel like as

51:55

far as production, that's how I really rate like

51:57

a running back. How productive are you? Definitely

52:00

a Kamara last year? Um, Kamara?

52:03

Derrick Henry. There's different types

52:05

of running backs too. Because Derrick Henry, this

52:07

dude can toke the rock thirty

52:09

times forty times a game. You

52:11

know that he ran for two thousand yards last year,

52:13

which is unheard of for a lot of years.

52:16

Um. Now, and then you have a guy like Kamara who could

52:18

really do it all or even Dalvin Cook. Um.

52:21

But as far as best just running back overall,

52:25

I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna

52:27

say Kamara just because it's more well rounded,

52:30

like like best runner, absolutely,

52:33

absolutely, Derrick Henry, but best

52:35

well rounded Christian. Christian

52:38

is another one up there, a Christ McCaffrey, but he had

52:40

a little injury last year, so I'm just yeah,

52:42

all right, all right, we'll see how he does this year. But

52:44

yeah, Kamara, Well wow,

52:47

all right. I um, I now

52:49

want to do one other question on this.

52:51

What NBA player or Major

52:54

League Baseball player or tennis player or

52:56

soccer player do you think could

52:58

come into the NFL today and be a

53:00

star? Mm hmm. People

53:04

would say, like, oh, Lebron could be coming to play tight

53:07

end, but I think I honestly think Russell

53:09

Westbrook could come in and play

53:11

a nasty slot receiver. Just his agility

53:14

is a quickness, his explosiveness just

53:16

well, yeah, Westbrook, I feel like he just

53:18

the way he plays. He's aggressive on the on the

53:20

basketball court too. You need that same aggression

53:23

on the field. I feel like there's a fit there,

53:25

right, Yeah, yeah,

53:27

I love that. I love that. I agree with you all that.

53:29

It's funny. Michael Straight was

53:32

saying to me, Um, you know, everyone

53:34

wants to say lebron can play, he said,

53:36

But it's a whole another thing. This is while stray

53:38

Hand says it when I get those paws on you, he

53:42

said. Everybody thinks they're okay with

53:44

it until I get those paws on you, and

53:46

then you may or may not. Let's stay with

53:48

me on that. So it's a whole different game.

53:50

Then you gotta bring a mindset, like people are

53:52

trying to hit me, I have to hit them first and hit

53:54

them harder, right, and both people are thinking that,

53:57

so usually you're gonna have some collision. Yeah, it's a whole

53:59

a whole different a mental game when it comes to the game

54:01

of football. Yeah, yeah, all

54:03

right. I want to do uh, finally, a little

54:05

bit of rapid fire with you. Mind if I had do you a little bit

54:07

of rapid fire. But let's do it real quick. What's

54:10

your favorite movie of all time? Favorite

54:12

movie of all time? Um,

54:14

probably my guy Will Farrell step

54:16

Brothers love it. It's a great

54:19

one. I love that. What's your karaoke

54:21

song karioke song?

54:23

Oh man, it's

54:27

funny. I just used to do a stream. I

54:29

did a karaoke stream one time. Requested

54:32

by my stream and I sang what did I sing?

54:35

Um? Oh?

54:37

My gosh, I can't remember it. I

54:42

can see if I could see myself on the stage

54:44

like this little virtual stage. They get it's hilarious.

54:48

Uh, come back to me on that one, come back, okay,

54:50

all right, Well, what's the most interesting

54:52

thing you've learned in this life about dreaming

54:54

fearlessly and realizing your dreams? Wow?

54:57

We went from karaoke song it's

55:00

the deep dreams man, looking forward

55:02

to let hit that hit me with that one again? Here

55:05

we go. So you know it's hard

55:07

to dream fearlessly and then more importantly,

55:09

realize those dreams. What's the most interesting

55:11

thing you've learned in this life about how to dream fearlessly

55:14

and realize those dreams? Man?

55:18

I would say that, I

55:21

would say the dream

55:23

itself. This

55:26

might be a little off topic, but I would say dream

55:29

fearlessly. Absolutely. However, understand

55:32

that the dream getting there

55:34

and realizing it isn't, in

55:37

my opinion, the total satisfaction.

55:40

The actual satisfaction is putting

55:42

in the journey the right. It's

55:44

always the journey here about the journey, the journey

55:46

and the talents and the work

55:49

and the passion that has to go into it is

55:51

the real is, the real contents,

55:54

the real context, the real own behind dreaming

55:57

fearlessly and realizing those dreams. Um

56:00

So, I would say that's the most important thing is understanding

56:02

that yes, you definitely should dream

56:04

fearlessly and you know, set

56:07

your passions, but then getting there is

56:09

really what's going to be the special part about that journey

56:12

and what's your next dream?

56:14

What is Austin Ekeler's next stream, Austin

56:18

Nechl's next team definitely is always

56:20

on my mind every single day is to use

56:22

the NFL platform as much as I can

56:25

to help others and to continue

56:27

doing that when my NFL career is

56:29

done, because I know my NFL career will be done

56:32

and hopefully by then I've established myself

56:34

enough. It was like, yes, now I can continually

56:37

help people until my days come. Austin,

56:41

if you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would

56:43

you have dinner with if I could have dinner

56:45

with anyone dead or live? Mm

56:48

hmm mm hmm, probably

56:51

am okay, right, yeah,

56:54

yeah, Martin Luther King just because man,

56:57

like that's the guy with a vision, that's the guy

57:00

that's truly his whole,

57:02

different, whole, different topic, right, as

57:04

far as trying to help people as deep at a level

57:06

as it can go, trying to just help people have

57:08

a well being, right and even

57:11

just have a chance to even have a chance,

57:13

right, Um, just talk about just his

57:16

passion for people, because passion for

57:18

people, to me is one of the best

57:20

values that people can have. M

57:23

You're so funny. I was actually gonna ask you, and I'll

57:25

ask you still, what do you value most

57:27

in this world? What

57:29

do I value most in this world? I would

57:31

say, Ah,

57:35

a pursuance of a life that

57:37

I feel like it's worth living, right,

57:40

That's what I value the most. Um.

57:43

And in that there's

57:45

more details, and because that's different

57:47

for everyone, but in that pursuance for me

57:50

is helping and connecting with people, right,

57:53

That's and that's my pursuance. That's what fulfills

57:56

me. And at the end of the day, I know if I

57:58

continue to try to help as many people as I can,

58:01

when my time comes, whether it's tomorrow,

58:03

fifty years down the road, none of us

58:05

know. I want to make sure I'm

58:07

in a position and I am right now where I'm like, Man,

58:10

that was life, That you know what, I try

58:12

my best to help as many people have the best life,

58:15

and that in turn give me gave me

58:17

the best life, right because I just

58:19

like it keeps going back to it. But I just care about people

58:21

so much, right, I care about connecting,

58:23

and so that's what I would like other

58:25

people. It's different for other people, but the pursuance

58:28

of a fulfillment that at the end of the

58:30

day you feel like, man, that

58:32

was special and better

58:34

and better and looking for a better run.

58:37

Like I don't know how to end that one, sorry, but

58:39

man like, yeah, okay, I'm just

58:41

gonna stop. No, he ausome.

58:44

I appreciate you. I appreciate

58:46

your mindset, I appreciate your desire

58:49

to share with other people, and uh

58:51

man, I'm just I'm wishing you were just all the best

58:53

and I can I wish I could see your

58:55

mom because I can only imagine how proud

58:58

she must be. And I know you know that, um,

59:00

but allow me just to, uh,

59:03

you know, tip my cap to her because as tough

59:05

as I'm sure you've been, I imagine

59:07

you know, given the journey it sounds like she

59:10

went to through well she's been through it

59:12

for sure. Yeah, for sure. Yeah,

59:15

you gotta take care of Mom's always. Now.

59:18

You know, my mom she right now,

59:20

like my little brother and I are the only like stable

59:23

men in her life. And so you know we're

59:25

her why you know, we never forget

59:27

that, you know, so we keep her definitely deer and close

59:29

to us. My little brother plays it over at Wyoming, Um,

59:32

so you know, football and

59:34

us just being together is is her passion

59:37

in life right now. So yeah, absolutely, family,

59:40

family really because you know, at the end of the day,

59:42

family is really gonna be there for you, you know, thicker

59:44

thin um. It's

59:46

part of that community aspect that you know that I

59:48

just hold true to myself. It starts with a good

59:50

based family, right that you can come back to. Your

59:53

family doesn't have to be blood to me, right, it's

59:55

not in all these people are my blood fam families

59:57

like people that are like these are my people. Like whatever

59:59

happens, you know, I'm there for them, They're there

1:00:01

for me type of things. Amen, be

1:00:04

safe and really good, really

1:00:06

good to me. I'm gonna route you on. I'm gonna come to

1:00:09

appreciate that. Man. Were you relocated

1:00:11

at. I'm in the Bay Area, I'm up in Mountain

1:00:13

View. So when you play the Niners. If

1:00:15

you play, you play the Niners this season. I

1:00:17

don't playing this here. Yeah, okay,

1:00:19

okay, all right, well I'm gonna have to

1:00:21

make a trip down and catch up TV.

1:00:24

Catch up. Let me know, man, if you ever in town,

1:00:26

they'll want to come to the game. Let me know. I got you. I

1:00:28

will, I will, I definitely will. I appreciate

1:00:31

you, man. Okay, okay, take care, bye

1:00:34

bye.

1:00:47

Thank you for listening me to this episode of The Carlos

1:00:49

Watson Show podcast. If you enjoyed

1:00:51

this episode, please leave us a review where

1:00:53

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