Ray Lewis Opens Up About Shannon Sharpe, Helmet to Helmet & Kobe Bryant | PBD Ep. 641
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In this episode of PBD, Ray Lewis opens up about his legendary rivalry with Tom Brady and his intense relationship with Shannon Sharpe, revealing that he was shocked by Sharpe's recent controversial content on social media. Lewis recalls a specific incident where the two had to mediate their own fiery arguments during their time as teammates in Baltimore, noting that while they were both old-school warriors who worked harder than anyone else, their personalities clashed constantly until Ray stepped in to de-escalate fights before practice or games could begin. The conversation shifts to Lewis's disdain for modern "worldly" influence and gossip culture, contrasting it with the integrity he believes Sharpe once possessed but later lost; Lewis emphasizes that while popularity can be bought through ignorance, true influence comes from teaching people how to be better men and maintaining a moral compass rooted in faith rather than seeking attention. Lewis delves into his early career struggles upon moving to Baltimore in 1996, describing the team as unbalanced with an old Cleveland Browns mentality that lacked identity against strong division rivals like Jacksonville. He credits head coach Marvin Lewis for recognizing Ray's unique leadership style and allowing him full ownership of building a culture based on accountability rather than traditional coaching directives. A pivotal moment occurred when defensive coordinator Rob Woodson criticized Ray after he took aggressive risks to stop Hall of Famer Demani Dawson, leading Ray to walk out until Marvin visited his house personally the next day. This meeting transformed their relationship from coach and player into father-son figures, with Marvin inviting Ray to lead pre-practice meetings at 6:30 AM every morning for the rest of his career, fostering a defensive unit that operated as one cohesive family rather than just a group of individuals following orders. The discussion highlights Lewis's specific tactical innovations, particularly regarding tackling and ball-hunting drills where every player had to touch the ball on every play until retirement in 2016. He recounts how he personally wrote up the first fifteen plays for games based on his deep understanding of offensive tendencies against quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, proving that preparation could outsmart talent alone. Lewis also shares a touching story about his friendship with Kobe Bryant, noting their shared philosophy of never leaving home or family behind regardless of success; both men were devastated by the departures of Joe Montana from San Francisco to Kansas City and Michael Jordan being traded from Chicago, events they viewed as heartbreaking failures for franchises that hadn't won championships since those moves. Beyond football, Lewis addresses societal issues including suicide rates among youth, obesity linked to poor nutrition, and the negative impact of technology and violent media on community health. He speaks passionately about his humanitarian work in prisons and communities, explaining how he was mentored by Jim Brown to understand systemic dysfunction rather than blaming individuals for their circumstances. The interview concludes with Lewis reflecting on his conservative values instilled by his pastor mother, which led him to stop cursing at age 25 despite peer pressure, and expresses hope that future generations will find purpose beyond materialism while maintaining strong human connections through faith and integrity.
Read the full video transcript
Tom Brady said the only player he ever
feared was Ray Lewis. Men made up their
mind that another side that had
different colors on was not going to
beat us one-on-one. It's impossible.
Period. It's not It's not hard.
>> But Shannon Sharp, did you think he was
one day going to be a good TV guy
personality?
>> I'm shocked at his content. I I I would
in a million years the things that
Shannon has said now or did now I would
never believe that Shannon would say or
do anything. The devil has the ability
to make you popular. This was personal.
One thing in my whole career that was
just crazy is we couldn't find one solid
quarterback. I was 30 seconds
from Peyton Manning saying yes to come
to Boston. He's There's no way in hell
maybe coming into Baltimore
and getting an eye in zone in Baltimore.
We had a an entire lifesiz picture of
Bears Hands before when you walk into
me. Period. It's not It's not hard. We
had an unwritten rule. Never leave your
brother.
Never leave your brother.
[Music]
Did you ever think you would make it? I
still taste sweet.
>> Adam, what's your point? The future
looks bright.
>> My handshake is better than anything I
ever sign. It's right here.
>> You are a 101.
>> My son's right about this before. I'm
the one.
>> Ray Lewis, we're finally doing this,
huh?
>> We're finally doing this.
>> Finally happening, my man.
>> My man.
>> So, uh, to the audience that, uh, I went
up there, I said, "Give me the biggest,
uh, you know, uh, information on, uh,
Ray Lewis." So, first the is it the
first defensive player to be on the
cover of Madden, right?
>> You got multiple chips. you came up
with, you know, on any list you were put
on as the greatest linebacker of all
time, UNLT, on all lists.
>> Tom Brady said the only player he ever
feared was Ray Lewis. Is there any
compliment above, you know, Tom Brady
saying something like something like
that about you? That's like the
pinnacle.
>> But it's it's good to we've had many
conversations, but this is good that
we're doing it with camera. But I wanted
to start off, you know, I just want to
make sure that your your NFL's IQ is
still there. Rob, if you don't mind
pulling out the recent uh jersey of u uh
I don't know if you've seen this or not.
Uh uh if you can pull this up. Shador
Sanders jersey. Did you see this clip
here with uh
>> Have you seen this or No.
>> No, I haven't.
>> Okay. You have to see this.
>> Okay.
>> You have So this just happened a few
days ago. Okay.
>> Duski, Stephen A. Smith, ESPN. And I
want you to see what question she asks.
And the media fans have gone after her.
So you see whose jersey that is, right?
>> Let's see whose jersey that is.
>> Go for it,
>> Rob. Good morning.
>> Feeling good, man. Excited. You know,
here for this. I'm up. I know I'm doing
this early. I'm up though. Jeez.
>> Well, it's a it's a blast for us to have
you here. Thank you so much for joining
us. All right. So, the jersey, let's get
into it because obviously this ties to
one Shador Sanders who bowled out in his
first
>> I'm sorry.
That's
>> what do you think about that?
>> Yeah. How How do you How quickly forget
Barry Sanders?
>> How can you miss that though? That's
impossible to miss. That jersey is like
that jersey is a uh you know one of
those where even now you'll see guys
wearing that jersey. Barry's jersey.
>> Oh man. Too many freaking people. What?
>> Yeah. Did you ever you played against
him, right?
>> Yeah.
>> What was he like?
>> Yeah. He didn't have a good day against
us.
>> No.
>> No. It was a bad day.
>> How bad was the day? Yeah, this is when
this is when we was we were just
starting to build a bully and he came to
us in 98 I think it's last year and he
needed something like 48 yards to like
and it was like personal and I was like
he's not getting those yards. Like I
love Barry but he's not getting those
yards and we hunted him like we hunted
him. It was tough.
>> What was the game? I want to know the
stats. He's probably The last game we
played. What was it? 98. Come on, pull
up me some stats. It was 98. He played
against us.
>> Is that the record year? If it's the
record year, it's 97. Cuz you came in
96.
>> I came in 96, right? I think we played
him in 98.
Yeah. Whatever day he came to Baltimore,
that was his last run.
And it just did not end well.
>> Yep. That was it. December 27th.
>> Trust me. December 27,98.
>> Yes, sir.
>> What did he do? Let's let's see the
stats. Rob, can you pull that up?
December 27,98.
>> What did Barry Sanders So in that game?
So I have won November 9th, 97.
>> Barry Sanders played against you during
that series. He rushed over 20,000 in
that game. Barry Sanders ran for 81
yards,
>> 20 carries.
>> What? 97.
>> In 97.
>> 97. But you're saying you guys also
played 98 or you thinking
>> what?
27.
>> Did we play them in 98 in Baltimore?
>> How shifty was he?
>> Oh man, that that was his greatest gift.
>> Wow.
>> What was it?
>> 19 attempts for 41 yards.
>> Oh my god.
>> Listen, man.
>> Oh my god.
That's
>> serious business, man. And that's when
we was building up to it.
>> Oh my god.
>> Yeah.
Wow.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Personal. So, right before the game,
you're like, we're gonna we're not
>> We had a we had a we had a whole Barry
knew I loved him. I love him to death.
But we had a an entire life pitch of
Barry Sanders before when you walk in
the meeting, period. It's not It's not
hard. He will not get what he's trying
to get.
>> And so, so what is the mindset going
into the game?
>> Are you are you just looking for a
reason to increase the temperature in
the room? Yeah. Yeah. We we were we were
bullies, man. This is when you can beat
people up like and just literally beat
them up. And when he came in there, we
was like, "Look," I told Dline, I said,
"Look, keep them boys off us. We going
to hunt him." And man, it was that that
group started to build something that
ultimately ended up being 2000. 98 was
kind of the break in that. Rob Woodson
has just came to us. Sam Adams, Tony
Saragusa, Pete Peter Bowwell, Michael
McQuary, Corey behind us, Dwayne on one
side, Chris Chris Mallis on the other
side, and we're looking at each other,
how we going to lose, right? Like, who
who can actually move the ball against
us? So, by the time we got to Marvin
Lewis, Marvin was like, I was like,
Marvin, stop coaching us. Unleash us.
Like, you're trying to coach us. Don't
coach us because if you coach us, you
going to have us thinking. We're not
thinkers. Like half of my guys on my D
line, they can't think like that.
>> When in what setting are you saying this
to the coach?
>> After almost every game like stop like
cuz so what what would happen is we will
put in certain defenses and I'm like
Mark we don't need to blitz nobody. Like
we can beat them in a in a fourman front
seman
front. We trust me Sam and Goose they
gonna take two. Somebody gonna have to
find a way to block me and somebody
gonna have to try to find a way to stop
Pete doing it's we was tough. We were we
were a bad matchup for a lot of
offenses. So when Marvin came to meet I
told Rob Wilson I said Rod there's one
rule. Don't let the ball get over your
head. We win. It's that simple. There's
nobody that can stand in front of us.
Now remember we started piecing this
team together. 96 we got got rid of a
lot of guys. 97 my second year we were
like ah you know we was 4 and 12. We
were 6 and 10, right? 69 and one, right?
Then um um 99, we got to 8 and 8, but we
started to feel this thing started to
move early 98. But then we was kind of
struggling offensively, so we couldn't
put no pieces together. And then that's
by the time I went to to Oz and I was
like, Oz, manto man, you just got to
trust me. Like like the culture, like
who we going to bring in here? Like it
means everything. the locker room is
everything. And he was like, "Look," and
this is why I think me and his
relationship is what it is. He says,
"Look, it's your locker room. You tell
me what you want. You tell me the
pieces."
>> And this is who? Oz.
>> Ozie Luca.
>> Oh, wow.
>> Got it. So, he he So, let me ask you
though, would would you go and say, "We
got to trade for him. We got to get for
him."
>> Yes. Yes. I was recruiting because we
were we were horrible when we got to
when we got to Baltimore. There was no
identity at all. Right. In our division,
P, it was um it was Jacksonville. Um
Eddie Eddie George Steve McNair was in
that division and they were having they
were having their way with us. We were
just we was just a very unbalanced team.
We had a lot of old Cleveland Brown
mentalities still on the team. How do we
win? How do we lose? Right? We had older
guys who really they just didn't they
stopped.
>> Who were the pessimistic guys in the
locker room like we got to get rid of
these guys? me.
>> You
>> Yeah,
>> you were pessimistic.
>> I was young. I was young and I was
pessim I was like, "Look, man. I I'm not
I I come from where we win. Every time
we step on the field, we win.
>> We're not stepping on the field
negotiating. If No, bro."
>> So, I'm I'm looking at all this and I'm
like, "N what? No, we got to change
this. We got to change that. We need
this. We need that." So then then that's
when honestly it was probably 98 99
actually the end of 99
where I actually started to ask real
hard questions like why do we run this?
Why do we play this defense? Why do we
play him and why do we make him do this
on this? No. One-on-one or in group
settings?
>> Group set. Group settings and and
one-on-one.
>> So in front of your peers, teammates,
you're asking why is he running this?
Oh, we we this was the transparency on
what we had in that locker room is what
made that locker room.
>> When did that become that transparent?
>> Right in 98.
>> In 98.
>> 98.
>> Who who revealed that? Who allowed that?
>> Marvin Marvin allowed what we started to
do on the field. What we started
>> Marvin was at the house for your
birthday, by the way.
>> Yes. Yeah.
>> Absolutely. That's I'm telling you like
the way we thought
>> I spoke to him for 45 minutes about it.
I was telling you him and I had a
lengthy conversation together. Listen,
that guy, he um
I give I give all credit to what it
means to actually know what you're
doing. And a lot of people can come to
work and they can have an awesome
talent, but to know what you're doing,
I came upstairs. So, Demani Dawson
was a problem for me. Problem. Hall of
Fame center for Pittsburgh.
Had the ashiest hands I've ever seen in
my life. did not care about the freaking
hands. And I'm like, "Wow." So, I come
in my first two, three years, and we're
like really not good on the defensive
line and this man is jumping, climbing
up to me so quickly. And I'm like, "What
the they got, you know, and you're
talking about a pulling center. It's
very rare, right, that you have that
many centers that can actually pull and
do all these things he was doing." And
um there was one game where he made me
take some real gambles that hurt our
defense bad and it it gashed us drum hit
us down the pipe. And Marvin comes in
the meeting and he's cursing me from ear
to ear while everybody's in the room.
He's like you I could never have a great
defense if my defense if my linebacker
cuts the middle of the defense. I said
look man. So he cursed me a couple of
times too many and I got up and walked
out. I was like, "Look, straight up,
like, man, I ain't never had a father in
my life, bro. So, the last thing you
gonna do is curse me. You can coach me.
You can coach me hard, but don't curse
me."
>> You'd say that to Marvin.
>> Oh, man. This is This is why our
relationship turned to be much more than
just coach player.
>> Wow.
>> Yeah. He it he he really started to
understand what I was trying to do. And
it wasn't selfish. It was build a
culture. And the culture had to had to
be built off accountability. do your job
right and know what the hell you're
doing. Now, when you started to learn
when I did that against Demani, he says,
he says to me, "You can't do that." I
said, "Well, I don't know how to beat
him. I don't know how to beat him. I'm
young Marv." Like, that dude is good.
>> Who's this?
>> Demani Dawson, right? I said, "The way
this guy comes off the line and climb to
that second level, man. My gosh."
>> That's the center you're talking about.
>> Yes. I'm telling you, PB, he was rough,
man. Demani. Yeah. Hall of Famer. Hall
of Famer. Just just technical
technique-wise, just so skilled.
And And then um
>> this a 300lb guy. 320 lb guy.
>> 300 lb guy. Yeah. Yeah. So Marvin says I
says, "I don't know how to beat him.
Help me beat him." He said, "Do you want
me You want me to help you beat him?" I
said, "Absolutely." He said, "Start
meeting me upstairs every morning."
6:30. Every morning.
I was like, "Before camp," he was like,
"Yes, because I want you to go through
install. I want you to go through
anything. You say you want it, come,
come get it all." Rest of my career from
that moment. The rest of my career.
>> Oh, the rest of my career.
>> 6:30 in the morning.
>> The rest The rest of my career.
>> Wow.
>> I knew it. I knew it the way coaches
knew it. There's nothing that I did not
know from a scouting report, from a
offensive coordinator,
a players statistics, whatever they was.
Oh man, Pete, there was there was
moments where I got through in my career
where I was I became the one to write up
the first 15 plays. So before every game
because I started to understand my
players,
>> not better than the coaches, but I was
out there in battle with them. So I know
how they think. I know how they react.
And man, I was there moments where
you're like, "This guy doesn't belong on
the team anymore. We got to get rid of
him." There was a m there was a moments
that that happened there those were
moments that says we're not using him
right. Oh
>> okay.
>> Right. I give you example Terrell Suggs.
Right. Terrell Suggs probably coming off
the ball. I saw a lot of people with
that first step. JJ White, Derek Brooks,
they got steps coming off that ball. But
his power and the way T Sizzle comes off
the ball, it's unseen, right? And and
next thing you know,
we we're in we're in the def we're in
the meetings and we're calling the first
two three plays of him dropping
in the flats trying to fool somebody.
I'm like what? No, no, no, no, no, no,
no. So that's when I went to the
coordinator personally. I said, "Look,
just give me a chance. I'mma write down
15 plays. give me the first 15 of any
game based off my study and to know how
my guys hunt for what like 12 years like
four about 11 years like and it was a
competition with me and coaches cuz they
used to always say how do you know how
do you know this how do you know the way
it's going to happen I said I don't but
I'm dictating what won't happen
right cuz because every defense every
defense has holes in it right so if you
come and you try to disguise a certain
thing and you playing against Peyton
Manner, you playing against Tom Brady.
Cover one, you know you got a out route,
you got a curl, you got a backside seam
route, you got so many things. Cover
two, you know, check, check, check, run
the ball cuz you got a light box. Cover
three, your safety going to cheat down
when he want to cheat down. But how do
you disguise that enough so they don't
see it? You stop disguising and just
beat the hell out of them. How much of
it was talent? How much of it was
psychological games with the opponent?
How much of it was preparation?
Where would you rank those three?
>> Yeah, talent-wise, we had a lot. We had
a lot. We was loaded and we started to
load up as we started to go. Remember,
Sizzle wasn't even there when 2000. When
we made that run in 2000, Mike McCra and
Rob Bernette,
and I won't even say it was talent. I
would just purely say men made up their
mind that another side that had
different colors on was not going to
beat us one-on-one. It's impossible.
When we came in defense, we clicked the
B and we say, "Why is he blocking you
one-on-one?
We're not here to get We're not here to
be blocked one-on-one." All right? We
going to play we going to play a fourman
rush, which means we're going to be
light in the box, which means you got to
beat your man, then go do something
else. Then I started this thing at
practice where we got to touch the ball
every play. Every play. And that lasted
until I I retired. Every defensive
player on that field from 98 to the time
I retired, every play. Yeah. Practices
was longer because I don't care if it
was a pass. We're running to the ball.
Goose, I need you running to the ball.
S. Yeah. It was a culture. It was a
culture.
>> Break that down for me. Everybody's got
to run to the ball. Why is that
important?
>> Cuz it's it's a it's a mentality. Turn,
go, turn, go. Don't turn it. I can I can
show you football. If you ever watch the
game with me, you'll be like, "Why are
you so mad?" Because it's disgusting
what you see. Nobody on the same page.
Everybody run this way, run running
this. That's why so many big plays
happen. If you're a great defense, a
great defense, you can be totally wrong
as a great defense. And if they run a
play that y'all ain't never seen, if
everybody wrong, you right.
That's how that's how tough a great
defense is. If we're all playing pass
then it we are you gonna get pass. It
was just
when the thing that you miss I think now
in today's games back then there were
coaches on the field. Rob Whiston was
one of the smartest people I've probably
ever played in my freaking life. Played
with
>> Steelers. Yeah. Then he remember we came
to Baltimore and then I was blessed.
Right.
>> He was fun to watch.
>> Oh gosh.
Oh gosh. I'm telling you,
>> he was so much fun to watch.
>> He was an assassin.
>> Yeah.
>> Right. He didn't think about nothing
else. You know, black belt and all that
stuff. Like he was and he was the one
when I when he first got to Baltimore,
he says, "I've never seen leadership
from a young man like this. So, what do
you want to do? what do you want to do?
And I said, Paco, I call him Paco for a
reason. I'mma keep him I won't disclose
that right now. He said, 'What do you
want to do? I said, I'm going to tell
you straight up. I would be the greatest
I would be the most dominant defensive
player that ever played this game. He
was like, really? I was like, trust me.
But then off the field had to align with
the mentality.
So Rod Rod knew I was what, 22, 23 years
old. So he knew every Fridays the
younger guys would go out, right? We get
cars and go to DC and whatever,
whatever. And two times he walks up to
me, he says, "Um, get in the car." He
said, he he said, "Meet me in the weight
room." And I go in the wait room and
he's like, "We're going to meet in here
every morning after camp, before camp."
I said, "What? You work out before
practice?" He was like, "Absolutely." He
said, "And next Friday when you go out,
when you go to DC, I'm going with you."
I was like, "All right, come on."
>> Now, you guys are 10 years apart.
>> We 10 years apart. We go to DC. We get
to DC probably 9:45, 10:00. He's tapping
me on my shoulder at 11:00. It's time to
go. I'm like, really? We just got here.
Like, this is horrible.
>> This is Friday night.
>> This is Friday night. So we can at least
rest Saturday for game Sunday
>> before game Sunday. So he's like
we he did it twice with me. And then I
said, "You know what? I get it. I get
it. I'm done." Cuz I get it. You're
basically saying I'm wasting my time
going all the way down there trying to
drive all the way back. Okay, great.
Great. And that was the last time I
went. Um he went that one last time with
me and I was like, "All right, I get it.
I got to be a professional."
>> Done. Done.
>> Done. So the the crew cuz this is a
bunch of alphas on the same team
together, right? How did how did they
know you what what did you do to earn
the moral authority of I'm the leader of
all these alphas? How did that happen?
So I was I was very vocal
by 98. 98 I had took over the culture
and culture was cool. Like Marcha was
our first coach and then Brian Billet
came in. By the time Bill came in, our
culture was set. That's our leader.
That's who we're following. And it ain't
changing. From there, once you started
to add pieces like Rod and all these
other pieces, it started to become
really attractive because we was like
from an IQ level, we was like, man, do
you know nobody cannot move the ball on
us. Like PB, we was actually negotiating
in in film rooms. They will not get a
yard.
I'm talking about one yard. Get give
somebody this football and run that same
play. And I'm looking at Sam and Goose
saying, "And you think he's going to
block you, come off, slip you, climb up
to me, and you let him." No way, bro. No
way. So, I'm saying Marvin Marvin
started to realize I don't have to coach
them. I I really don't. He used to be me
sometimes and sometimes we'll do some
stuff crazy and I would like I said,
"Mar, coaches, man, y'all go. Y'all go
ahead. coaches get up and walk out. I
get up there, bro. Y'all what? What? You
are you freaking kidding me? And it used
to get like heated heated. But we loved
each other so much that we had to go
through the hard corrections.
>> How do you call each other out? What's
the method of call out?
>> Oh, it's you call out exactly what it
is. Bro, don't you ever sell me out that
like that again.
>> Like that?
>> Just like that.
>> It's simple.
>> So if a guy fights back and says, "What
are you talking about?" I
>> No, no, no. If it's fighting is one
thing. I'm talking about guessing. I'm
talking about doing something that you
know is totally against the defenses the
the defense's mythology. Like we had a
defense and we built the defense. You
got to remember we went we went 50 we
went 50 straight games without seeing
100 yard rushing.
>> And you guys in 2000 broke that one
record, right? The the fewest uh points
uh given.
>> Wow. Ever.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And yards.
We were a problem.
>> Did you say 50 games no 100 yards?
>> Yeah. Straight. Stop.
>> Look it up.
>> 50 games, no 100 games.
>> Look it up.
>> Oh my god.
>> And you know who that streak started
with? Who?
>> Barry Sanders. You know who it ended
with? Who? Cory Dylan.
>> Wow. Cincinnati. Cory was Cincinnati.
>> Yes.
>> And Cory had a 278 game. Uh uh
>> did he have a 2 I think he had a 278
game. 250 game.
>> Yeah.
>> 50 game straight.
>> Look at it. Write it down.
>> Holy [ __ ] Write it down.
>> And so Rob, can you do me a favor?
>> 50 games in a row over over three plus
seasons, man. I'm telling
>> Are you And by the way, who did you guys
face? So you faced Barry. Cory Dylan.
Who would have running back?
>> Hold on.
>> Jerome Bettis twice.
>> Cory Dylan twice. Eddie George twice.
>> That's an important one.
>> Yeah, very important.
Very important. Yeah, man. We had that
we had that bullet and and the other one
was Fred Taylor,
>> man. We had a Jackson We had a dog
conference when you talk and then back
in the day they running the ball 45
times.
>> It's not It's no secret. This is old
school. I back give me a fullback.
>> Yeah. Damn. I see. I didn't know this. I
didn't know that 50 games in a row, no
100 yards.
>> No.
>> Who Who to Who did you face yourself
where you're like, "Ah, [ __ ] These guys
are not only capable, but they're also
smart and they and they're they impose
fear as well. Who was that opponent?
>> Yeah. Yeah. So, I think what one of the
thing we always got to cuz I played in
three different eras. So, it's kind of
like what era, right?
>> 17 years of play.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And when we first when I
first got there, our nemesis was like
Jacksonville, you know, they had Keenan
Mart, Mark Brunell, Jim Jackson. Oh,
man. They had Fred Taylor. They had
Jesus, Tony Belli, they were loaded. Um,
they went to the AFC Championship that
their first year. Um, and then it
started to switch into like Tennessee
became this thing, but Pittsburgh, we
just hated Pittsburgh naturally.
And then I think the biggest rivalry
then it turned into the Colts for a
while because we was, you know, in the
AFC AFC, NFC champ, I mean AFC
championships.
And then then it just became whoever
thought that they could actually have a
good day on our defense.
So that's what the whole thing was like
2005 2006 2006 stats stupid sick.
I gave Pton Manning five field goals in
the division around and lost.
Yeah. Yeah. We had a rule. We had an
unwritten rule. Never leave your
brother.
Never leave your brother. That's why I
think like when you watch the game now,
man, it suffers because the way when I
when I transition from Rod Wilson and
then was blessed with Ed Reed, Jesus,
I'm like, Lord, you you got to be
looking out for me if that's the
football players you got me playing
with. But it was a mentality.
>> Ed was also fun to watch.
>> Yay.
>> He was fun to watch.
>> Oh gosh.
>> But are you I guess I asked Kobe. I
said, "Kobe, how how many time would you
go to, you know, management upstairs and
say, "Hey, we got to go get Barnes. We
got to go get this. We got to go get
that."
>> How many times did you recruit in the
game? It's like, "Hey, Ed, when are you
coming down here?" Would you would you
do that? Would you recruit players
>> every year
>> during the game?
>> Every year.
>> Who? Who?
>> Everybody. I did I did most of my
recruiting at the Pro Bowl.
So that's when the Pro Bowl was the Pro
Bowl, right? So, a lot of the guys were
coming up, the contracts was coming up,
a lot of guys didn't, you know, want to
play. I was
literally
30 seconds
from Peyton Manning saying yes to come
to Baltimore.
Me and him sat
we sat in Hawaii and we sitting at the
bar and we stayed there for hours and
I'm saying look if I put you on one side
you leave me on the other side and me
and you go at this thing together what
the freak I sold him. I sold him. I sold
him. I sold him. And then at the last
minute he ended up staying home. But so
and I did
>> Did you follow up with him on that?
>> Yes, man. I follow up with everybody.
Pete, god darn it. I I That was the one
thing. So, the one thing in my whole
career, this another stat you'll be
crazy about. The one thing in my whole
career that was just crazy is we
couldn't find one solid quarterback.
When we were dominant dominant, we had
we had journeyman in and out. I almost
want to say in my career, probably
20 21 22 quarterbacks.
>> Wow. Yeah.
>> Wow.
>> I remember you guys never nobody l
looked at you guys from the offensive
side, right?
>> Defense would win the championships with
you and and if you guys had a decent
quarterback, Ray, how let let me let me
let me put it to you this way. If you
had if you had a Payton, if you had a
Rothberger, if you had one of those
guys, how many would you guys have won
in those 17 years?
>> Yes. That's you know what, like that's
always the tough thing with sports,
right? Because what made us even
hungrier is because of what we didn't
have. So we knew we weren't going to
score, you know, like Yeah. So see
that's 13 and that's just and that's
just pure that's just guys who was like
name the starters.
>> Yeah.
>> That you're actually seeing but the guys
that was under them that actually
started.
>> Trent Dilford was a good uh uh when I
when I watch him do his uh what do you
call it? Commentating. Yeah.
>> He does actually very good job. But
you'll see guys take shots at him. As a
guy that won as a starting quarterback,
you know, I don't know how many yards he
had that season, 2,800. Can you pull up
that season what Trent Dilford stats
look like for that year? Type in 2000
Trent Dil for stats.
And by the way, he seems like the nicest
guy. I don't want to feel like we're
taking shots at the guy.
>> And this is why I'm going to You don't
Yeah. I'm going to make sure I
>> There's no way that's the stats.
>> Yeah.
>> No way. That's the stats.
Wait,
no. No.
But see, you got to so understand. But
you got to understand something.
>> Go a little bit lower. I'm not trying to
be funny. This is Don't do my boy like
that. No.
>> Don't do my boy like that. Listen to me.
>> In the in four games, he threw three
touchdowns, one interception, 590 yards.
Completion is 49.4.
Yeah,
he's got a ring.
So, look, this is why it worked.
He was the perfect person at the right
time, right? We knew where we were
limited at. We knew it, but we had two
animals. We had Jamal Lewis fresh off
his rookie year. We had Priest Holmes
backing him up. Our offensive line was
study as they can be. We had the we had
the right tight ends. We had Cuadri
outside. We had Jermaine Lewis on the
inside with special teams. So, two out
of three categories we're going to win
every week, which is special teams and
defense guaranteed.
>> We're going to get one punt return to
the crib and we going we going to beat
you up on offense. Right. I think we
gave up what? Four shutouts. We had four
shutouts that year and probably gave up
another six points in.
>> By the way, I got Cory Dylan right. Cory
Dylan was 278. Jamal Lewis had a 295
game.
>> 295. Yeah. Against Cleveland.
>> So Priest Holmes was
>> with us.
>> What what what era of his career was he
with you?
>> The the first part of it. We we priest
came to us first
>> and then he went to KC.
>> Yes. We let Priest go first.
>> Why did you let Priest go?
>> Ah, God darn it, Patrick. You're gonna
give me a headache right now.
>> Seriously.
>> Priest was a freaking
>> Yes. Monster. So So remember this
though. He was he was spotty because
Jamal was so dominant. So he was spotty.
So he was used but was never really
utilized the way
>> they let him loose.
>> Yes. In KC. So by the time he got to KC,
he had so much knowledge, so much
experience playing behind Jayloo with us
going to win a Super Bowl.
>> Then by the time they they they they got
a complete football player by the time.
>> By the way, nothing to take away from
Jamal. It's not like Jamal wasn't he was
the maybe the best running back that
year with the type of numbers that he
put up. Uh so so interesting. So again,
opponents wise,
>> yeah,
>> who did who
go back, you know, because you know,
winners, they don't necessarily remember
the victories. They remember that one
game that got away that they should have
won. Who did you lose to where you're
like, you know, we should have never
lost to those guys. And maybe now you're
50 years old, you're at a different age,
life is at a different age, you know,
you're looking a different way. But as a
competitor, you know, your highlights
are public. Everybody sees them. clips
on any given day can go viral, right?
What was the game or two where you're
like, "We should have never lost that
one."
Dang. See, that's what I was saying,
man. It's It's so many I played in so
many games and so many meaningful games
that like the one the one I told you
about against Payton. So Rex was the Rex
Ryan.
>> Five field goals.
>> Five field goals. So Rex Ryan was the
coordinator, man.
>> The foot fetish Rex Ryan. Yeah.
>> And I come in. So I tell Ed, I said,
"Bro, I just got to watch a film before
I promise you 19 straight 196 19 20
hours straight."
He was like, "Bro, why you why you
tearing up?" Cuz I was like, "Payton
ain't scoring."
He's like, "Bro, you that mad?" I said,
"Bro, listen to me. He's There's no way
in hell Peyton is coming into Baltimore
and getting an end zone in Baltimore."
So So Ed was like, "Show me what you
talking about."
So I sat Ed down and started breaking it
down. I said, "Look, when he do this,
when he shifts, oh man, Ed was like, "Oh
my gosh, we got it." Next thing I go to
Rex. I said, "Rex, listen to me.
I guarantee you if you trust me with the
defenses that you going to call and
I'mma call, they will not get in the end
zone." He says, "If I if they don't get
in the end zone, I'll give you my
paycheck."
said, "Rex, they won't score." We get on
the one yard line.
We get on the one yard line
with Steve McNair and Jamal Lewis in the
backfield
and we pop pass and throw an
interception.
>> Stop.
>> I'm not exaggerating.
>> God,
>> I'm not exaggerating.
>> Wow. My heart my heart has never been
broken in a game that I know we
dominated
him
at his in his prime, man. It was it was
poetic what we was doing on defense and
it was like what? Like just stick to the
script. Run the freaking ball. Seattle
run the ball against New England. What
the freak? This is still football. You
need one yard. I'm gonna trust Jamal
Lewis and Marshon Lince touching that
ball every time.
>> Wow.
>> But people want to get smart. But that
game, I drove home with my kids, man. I
got a life lesson out of that game. I
drove home with my kids and my mom was
so mad at me. She got to the house and
my kids walked in and she pushed me up
against the garage. She said, "Look at
me." And I was like, "Ma, not not right
now. I'm telling." She said, "You better
look at me, boy. Stop playing me." I was
like, "Okay, ma. what's what's going on?
She was like, "Do you understand what
you just done to your kids and the whole
family?"
Nobody in the car said a word because
how mad you were. She said, "Did you do
everything you did? Did did you do did
you prepare at every level? Were you
prepared? Did you give everything you
had?" I said, "Yeah, ma'am." She said,
"Well, then hold your head up high." Oh,
better said than swallowed.
>> But I met your mom. your mom was uh uh
your mom was at the house, no?
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah, I met your mom. We
>> um
>> she played a very big role in your life
>> and and what happened with that. But uh
>> yeah, interesting when you when you when
you think about these types of uh
moments as a competitor
>> because as a fan, you know, you're like,
"Oh man, they shouldn't give him that,
but at least we won the game,
>> right?" You know, but as a coach or a
player who spend the 17 hours preparing
before the game, you're like, "No, no,
you don't understand. I didn't want that
touchdown." Yeah.
>> I wanted to make a statement because
this guy is this after he said no of to
coming to Baltimore or is this pre?
>> This was after.
>> So, this is So, this was personal.
>> Oh my god. By the way, is it true that
you know why is it true about the Rex
Ryan footfetish stuff? He talks about
it, you know, he says something. Does he
say stuff like that around the players
where
>> Let me just say this, man. That's the
one person that whatever he thinks, he's
going to say it.
>> Seriously, it doesn't matter.
>> He's made for TV, by the way.
>> He is made for He's made for life.
Period. I'm telling you, he's out of all
out a lot of my coaches, man. He
>> If a chick got great feet, I'm looking.
>> Did he say that, right? He didn't say
that. Did he really said if a chick's
got good feet, I'm looking?
There is no way he said that.
>> Yes, he did. Rex just said it. I promise
you he said.
>> Wow. I think there's a clip.
>> My wife's feet. Like I I don't know what
it is, but if a chick's got jacked up
feet, I'm out. I don't care how
gorgeous, I'm out. I don't know what the
hell it is, but it's like some people
are boo guys, leg guys.
>> Was he fun guy, too? Yes. Was he?
>> Yes. Yes.
>> Who was the toughest? Who had the
highest expectation? Who was like,
>> you know, nothing was ever enough or was
that
>> Marvin?
>> Really?
>> Marvin. Yeah. Marvin built Marvin built
that engine like cuz he he didn't take
nothing like from no one.
>> And that's why I say that's why I think
we we grew into like respecting each
other a certain way as men. And that's
why I think everybody in that locker
room started to kind of feel that
halfway through the season. For sure.
>> Did he win a chip or No, he didn't win.
Marvin.
>> Yeah, he was.
>> So Marvin's the one.
>> He was the general.
>> But but then when did Bill uh coach
>> right after
>> So who did you win with? You won with
the two coaches that won were who?
Bilick and Harbbo.
Bilick came in 99 2000. Remember Ted
Marcha was gone,
>> right?
>> Billet came in.
>> I remember him when he came in. Yeah.
>> Left Marvin the same. I mean, left all
the defense the same. We We was picking
up a bully by the time he got there.
>> And then 2000, that was the year.
>> That was the So,
>> so he never won a championship though.
Marvin never won as a head coach.
>> Oh, no. Not a head coach. No,
>> never as a head coach.
>> No, cuz then he went to Cincinnati,
>> right?
>> Yeah. And and so he is kind of like a
would would an example of Marvin be a
Mark Jackson or a dungee?
>> Yeah. Yeah. More on the dungey side. But
yeah, for sure. He's just he's just one
of those brains, man. Like his brain was
dedicated and he was more of even to men
he was more of a father than he was a
coach.
>> So I know he was quiet strength, you
know, with his son in the book. Yeah. TD
my
>> he built uh Tampa Bay right before he
left and then uh
>> then Guden came in.
>> Guden came in. Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> So that's interesting when you when you
think about these coaches. So I found a
clip Rob if you want to find this clip.
The clip on um uh one of the best clips
from Hard Knock Hard Knocks. Remember
when uh we would watch this as fans? You
want to play this one here? Maybe you
haven't seen this in a while. Go for it.
Look at this.
>> Too many times.
Who's he?
Big boy moving like that.
>> Damn,
>> he was so funny.
[Applause]
See, and that so that's what I'm telling
you about what had happened to the
culture. It was a culture shift when
those young guys got there. They were
like, "It's five lions over there that
we do anything they say. Anything they
say." And that's why I say by the time
we got to probably the fourth game, PB,
we had figured it out. Once Jacksonville
put up Jimmy Smith put up 222 yards on
on us and I was so pissed off because we
put we put our our smallest corner
Dwayne Starks in a bad position playing
a couple ones and all these different
things. And after that game um probably
the rest of the year we may have blitzed
what maybe seven to 10 times if that.
>> H
>> if that. Yeah.
>> What what was Shannana Sharp like as a
teammate? Uh, what Shannon was the
hardest worker. Him and Rob was very
similar cuz they they came from the old
school culture. And um him him already
winning Super Bowls from an offensive
perspective, he became Mr. Automatic,
right? Like when Trent needed a play,
they going to Shannon, right? Because
you know our receivers was good, Cuadri
and Stokeley and all those boys. But
when you needed a play, Shay gonna give
you a play. Yeah. Was he like
247 in the gym. Was he like non-stop
training like Yeah. more than anybody
else?
>> Yeah. Yeah. He him I'm telling you him
and Rod were identical. And definitely
in my young career they were like it was
a it was more of a it was their standard
was already set. So who they are, how
they train, the reason why they train,
the reason why he get up every day has
nothing to do with football. Has
everything to do with who they are as a
man. and him and Rod was very similar.
Now the problem with him and Rod is and
because me being so young because us
three started rolling really hard when
we was when the way we was there I was
the mediator because those two could not
have a conversation without a full fight
full out fight that they arguing about
every
>> who him and Rod
>> every day
>> about what
>> every anything
>> like real arguments or
>> yeah like it's it's the craziest thing
you've ever seen in your life and then
five seconds later I jump in and say
guys cut this
We can't do this. We go back. They go
back. Okay.
So, even back, did you have an idea like
when you're playing with guys
>> and you're thinking postNFL career, do
you sit there and say,
>> "This guy's going to be a coach, this
guy's going to be a commentator, this
guy's going to be a business guy, this
guy's going to, you know, be trouble
after football because I don't think he
has anything to do after football." Did
you guys think about that or never
crossed your mind?
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's two-pronged.
back in we when when I first got in the
league, the one thing that was I think
common around the league, a common
thread was
the only thing on your mind was football
because it was a it was a battle that
you enjoyed because on Saturday mornings
you used to get up and says, "Who I'm
knocking out today like who's getting
knocked out today? Who's not getting 100
yards today?" Right? So everything else
may have been talked about but in one
and out the other. It it was it was old
school man. Like for me to play in pro
bowls with Junior Seal, Derek Thomas,
Dale Carters, Reggie like
>> wow.
>> It was a different culture.
>> Oh jeez. Yeah.
>> Yeah. So yeah. So I don't think
>> Reggie Reggie was uh Reggie was grown
man. Yeah. grown. Derek's Derek Thomas
had six sacks in a game. I think in
college, right, he had six sacks in some
some number like that. But Shannon
Sharp, did you think he was one day
going to be a good TV guy personality?
>> Yeah.
>> So, you knew he was made for TV?
>> Yeah.
>> And would he say he's going to do it or
>> Yes, he had he had already started
prepping.
>> How much before he retired?
>> Ben started.
>> Oh, serious. So, he's known he's going
to be doing that.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> So, you're not surprised by the success
he's having with his podcast and TV and
him and Skip and Stephen A, all that
stuff? No, I'm not surprised. I'm I'm
shocked at his content.
I I I would in a million years
the things that Shannon has said now or
did now, I would never believe that
Shannon will say or do anything
>> like what
>> simply I take drinking. Shannon in my
entire career, I've never saw Shannon
with a drink ever. Like it was against
the law, right? because he had some, you
know, some stuff in his family that he
didn't want to follow that. Um, and
yeah, and then so I kind of started to
watch him and then we kind of went our
own separate ways because I'm like,
you're going to take that route. I can't
go that route. Never can go that route.
And that route is is to become so
worldly that you become popular because
you're you're talking about ignorance,
right? A lot of times, a lot of these
gossip conversations that they having
and bringing up all this stuff, I'm not
going to do that to nobody. I'm not I'm
not in the business for that. I'm in
life to try to teach people what does it
mean to be a better man or get back to
the kingdom, you know? And a lot of
times like and a lot a lot of the guys
get in trouble with these podcast and
things man because
everybody wants to follower everybody
wants to be popular. Everybody wants to
make money but that's a that's a tight
that's a tight rope into what you call
influence and popularity. Right? The
devil has the ability to make you
popular. God has the ability to give you
influence that when people see you, they
see an image of him.
>> And that's the thing for me that started
to switch with a with not just Shannon,
but just a couple of people. I'm like,
"Wow, you would switch out like that
really." And I would never ever Why?
Because of the respect that I have for
my mother, my daughters, my
granddaughters life period. Like and I
think men given these new platforms,
we've overrode what the platform is
actually for. The platform is supposed
to help somebody find a new direction.
We don't help. Everybody just gets on.
Like everybody's talking now. Everybody
got a podcast. Everybody Everybody's the
is the new marriage coach. Everybody's
the new relationship coach. And ain't
nobody coaching themselves.
Because when you if you were coaching
yourself, when it says power of life and
death is found in the tongue, then go
back and check out a couple of episodes
and ask yourself, do you give life or do
you give death?
And that's why me personally,
yeah, I kind of do my own thing, stay in
my own lane. Yeah. When you when you saw
the I'm sure you saw this incident, Only
Fans, the 19-year-old girl, 50 million,
ESPN, all the stuff that happened.
>> Did you and him at all spec did you
reach out? Did he reach out to you for
counsel or
>> No, I didn't. We don't we we're not we
don't we don't have that relationship
like that. You know what I'm saying?
When we when I was younger, we had that
relationship. But, you know, Shannon
Shannon just kind of did some really
awkward things, right? And he and I told
him years ago when we was doing TV
together, some stuff came up and I said,
"Bro, you know me.
I'm the last one to get in anything,
bro. But for you to do that,
yeah, I it's I wouldn't trust you
again." What's going on everyone? It's
your man, Sugar Ray Lewis. Listen, I'm
on my neck. I'm trying to connect. I
don't care what it is. Let's say sports.
Let's say life. Let's say leadership.
Let's say hope, faith, worry, fear,
whatever it is. Let's chat. Let's do it.
I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.
Period. You know, cuz that's a man, a
brother, a brother don't do the stuff he
done. You know what I'm saying? Like, no
brother does that to a brother. Like,
you always looking out for each other.
So, that's why
me and him ain't even spoke. And what
was funny was um when this podcast got
ready when he got ready to do this
podcast, the first person he called was
me.
It's the first person he called. I never
forget I was sitting in Dallas. My son
had just um passed from overdose and he
was like, "Bro, man, I'm thinking about
doing this podcast. You want to do this
podcast with me?"
And I'm like, "Bro, look,
my mind, I'm going through a lot. I got
a lot going on. And more than that,
just personally, I don't think our
messages match. Not not on this side of
life. Like they just don't. You want to
do other stuff and talk about gossip
stuff. I want to I'm trying to bless
people. Yeah. So, yeah. I ain't talking
to Shannon. Yeah. However long since
that's been 10 10 plus years. Um, we saw
each other at um, we saw each other at
um, the Bullies where we was filming
Baltimore Bullies and we saw each other
and we spoke. But cordial. Yeah. I'm
Come on. I don't care who you are. I I
forgive my enemies. I pray for my
enemies. His name is in my Bible. You
know what I'm saying? I don't try to be
rude to somebody. Yeah.
>> Did you see the Did you see the the
Sterling Sharp on stage finally going
into Hall of Fame? What was that moment
for you when you see cuz he talked about
it three years ago or something and then
boom the brothers on stage
>> but he was so we Oh my god. So Sterling
man to
>> somebody that was that great, right? And
actually just get washed in with the
errors. That's all that happened. A lot
of these older guys, they just get
washed in with the errors where guys are
seeing so much young talent that you
forget about somebody who was that
dominant.
>> He was a monster. 85. Was he number 85?
>> 84.
>> 84. Man, I'm telling you, but he my
certainly was probably one of my
favorite people to watch. Definitely out
of Green Bay.
>> What is that, Rob?
>> I believe those are his uh career stats.
>> No, that's not career cuz he he he would
do more than
>> 17 game average.
>> 17 game average. Damn, that's actually
that's insane. Are you you break down
his career and you break it down to 17
game? That's what he averaged.
>> Oh my god, that's great.
>> That good for him. Yeah. I mean, he do
you think he gets in if if Shannon
doesn't give that speech at the Hall of
Fame? He says, "How does it feel knowing
I'm a Hall of Famer and I'm the second
best player in my family?"
>> You think Shannon still gets in three
years later if you mean Sterling gets in
and Shannon doesn't say this?
>> I think he I think he does.
>> You think he still does?
>> I think he does.
>> Okay, got it. Yeah,
>> when he gave that speech, Shannon, I'm
like, look, that was, you know, it was a
>> great message to hear
>> him give with with what happened there.
By the way, I looked up the other day. I
went I I didn't know this. Again, as as
we're going through this, I'm going back
and uh uh digging up a bunch of
different things. I said, "Did he ever
play against Dion?" No, but you were
teammates. I didn't know you guys were
teammates.
>> Were you and Dion Sanders teammates?
>> Yeah. Prime came to Baltimore. That was
one of the another recruit I had I was
recruit.
when he came in, you know, was he still
when you would watch him, you're like
still has it or was he like 80%?
>> Yeah. Yeah, he Yeah, he was it way over
80. Yeah, he was still at about 90%.
>> He was still at 90%.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> What was he like as a teammate? Was it a
fun teammate?
>> Yeah. Listen,
what was beautiful is where he was in
his career and to come there
was a blessing to him because me and Ed
at this time, come on, we assassins over
there, bro. Like, we are m we are
magical on designing defenses up to do
this. And he he came over, he was like,
"Man, y'all y'all got full ownership
like this?" Like, "Yeah, bro. We play a
different style defense over here. I was
like, "So, look, stop playing." So,
that's why I used to always tell him
because he love playing all the time. I
said, "Prime, stop playing. We're not
playing. Like, this is serious."
But, he was such a me and him have a
really different relationship, which is
the most amazing relationship ever. But,
uh, I think playing with him was it was
dynamic to see someone
that can look at you and say, "Today
won't be a good day for you." He Yeah.
Yeah. He would look at somebody and be
like, "Bro, don't worry about it. I got
that." You've seen him You've seen him
say that.
>> Listen, man. He's He's wired
differently. Prime like he we our
language is so similar because we
>> That's what I
>> Yeah. We think it's like me and Kobe. Me
and Kobe sit down, man. Neither one of
us are blank. We play guitar get hero.
And right before we we just sitting
there looking at each other. I'm like,
"Bro, I'm not blanking." And he just
started laughing. I'm like, "Bro, we the
same. We this. We don't know nothing."
>> You guys play Guitar Hero.
Seriously.
Yeah. I flew out to LA. Mess with him
with Guitar Hero. See that? Right.
>> Man. Oh, man. But that combo that me and
him had in that back, man. I'm telling
you. like, you know, cuz we came in
together 96
and we started actually go into the
mental of what what what he really was
thinking about. And I said, I guarantee
you
>> there's no difference in what you're
thinking and what I'm thinking.
>> You're telling that to Kobe.
>> You guys came 96. He's picked 13th. I
think you're 26 if both of you guys
become the best of that era.
>> Yeah, I'm telling you. And then what was
crazy was it's like every time we saw
each other, it was always this certain
thing we had for each other. It was like
and he used to whisper something or I
whisper something and they would look at
each other and just laugh and walk off.
And I was like, "Bro, you like you still
do, bro. You know what I'm about.
>> Give me a Kobe story. What Kobe story do
you have?"
>> Oh, man. It's It's not a It's not a
story. It's more of a It's more of
something that confirmed
that when you're that guy, go be that
guy.
So, it was in um they played and I came
to the game and I went in the locker
room, whatever.
And uh I walked in and he looks at me
and he was like,
"As
I said, bro, it's one way
I said, "I'll tell you what.
Let's see who has the longest career
with the same team."
And nobody don't know this, but that was
crazy because that was one that was one
of the things that we discussed. Don't
ever leave home no matter what. So, I
remember telling him two of the stories
that broke my heart, which was Joe
Montana leaving can le leaving.
>> Yeah. Going from the 49ers to KC broke
my heart.
>> Serious.
>> No, I I 90. You got to think now. This
is before I had made it anything. Joe
Montana was my favorite player on the
football field.
>> Defensive guy has a offensive guy's
favorite player. You got to remember my
defensive probably started fully in
college. I played offense 90% of the
time in high school. Yeah. Come on,
Pete.
>> What position?
>> Running back, kickoff return, punt
return. If I touch it, I'm scoring,
Pete. I was a bad boy. Yeah, but that's
that's how me offensively.
Um, and then
by the time we got on like from the
defensive side, it was just like, what
the freak? Cuz I play safety. I never
played linebacker in Miami. I play So my
sophomore year, my senior year in high
school, my sophomore, junior year, I
played a safety, right? Strong safety.
We get in the jamboree, guy get hurt,
and my coach comes to me and says, "I
need you to go play linebacker." And I
says, "I don't know how to play
linebacker." He said, "Just find the
football."
>> See, I don't know this story.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> A senior.
>> Yes. This is my senior year. I I'm
coming off my junior season
safety.
I was a little slim. So, I wouldn't I
wasn't the linebacker prototype because
I was 180, right? cuz I wrestled 189.
>> You're 180 in college.
>> 180 in high school.
>> Oh yeah. 180. But what are you in
college? Senior year.
>> Uh my junior year. I left my junior
year. 220.
>> Okay. So you're two You're a big boy
now.
>> 220. Yeah. I was still too skinny for
that. That league. Yeah. Remember that
league was running the ball 45 times.
You needed to be 250 or better.
Seriously, you could not.
>> Who's the coach that said go play
linebacker?
Um, coach Ernest Joe because we because
we lost the linebacker. Um, Jason
Bamberger went down and he says, "Go
play linebacker." And I went to the
Jamberee, which was one we only played
in one half and I think I had like 17
tackles. So I came back to Yep. That's
my guy. That guy right there, Lakeland.
When I tell you that guy right there
changed my life. He oh man he was the
toughest coach ever.
Ever coach Ernest Joe. And then after
that man I said I came to the sideline
and I said I'm never going back to
safety ever again.
>> Why you fell in love with the position?
>> Because I was like I am closer to the
freaking football.
Like that's where I'm going to that's
where I'm made to be. And he was like
okay stay there.
So I stayed there. So, two things you
said. One, Montana switching teams.
Who's the other guy that switched teams?
>> Michael Jordan.
>> Oh, really? Washington.
>> I
see. I was die hard. Like, cuz I didn't
have nothing else but to go watch
somebody do what they do, right? You
don't have nothing to eat at night,
right? You're starving. I'm starving. I
don't have dad. I don't have none of
that. So there are certain people on
that other team of Joe Montana, my
favorite was Roger Craig, right? But
Michael Jordan in what he had done and
I'm watching what he's done. I said to
myself like, "Wow." And then the news
come, they say, "Man, Jordan just got
released and traded from the book." I
said, "What?
Who does that?"
>> Yeah. And
craziest stat, crazy enough stat,
since Michael Jordan departure, since
Joe Montana Joe Montana departure,
neither franchise has ever won a Super
Bowl or a championship since
>> San Francisco.
>> You ain't got to think of it. They Steve
Young
>> was the only one.
>> Yeah.
>> So, so you're telling this to Kobe. You
go 17, he goes 20. But but there is a
story. I don't know if you've shared the
story or not. You got a phone call from
a guy, another team who's a very rich
guy who Denzel Washington just called
out a few days ago
>> saying you you haven't won one since 96
or whatever the year is he's talking
about.
>> 95
>> 95 95.
>> So did he he you told me this at dinner
I think a couple months ago.
>> Yeah, man. That was it was a it was a
quick free agency thing for me. Um,
Steve, the owner of the Ravens,
basically just said, "Look, I know what
you're going to do. You know, take seven
days, you know, go hang out at my place
and just relax, you know, whatever." And
I got a, you know, famous, you know,
just like opportunity.
And I think, yeah, I think that's why me
and Jerry is just I think he respects it
because I was like,
>> do I leave Baltimore? Do I leave my
legacy to come play in Dallas for three
years?
[Music]
Nah, I'm never doing that ever.
>> Did you at all think about it?
>> No.
>> Oh, really?
>> No.
>> So, no chance to change your mind. All
the money in the world.
>> It Listen, when I when I when I came
into this business, me and J got off the
plane in 1996.
We walked in Owens Mills Boulevard and I
stood right on there. And J tell you
this exact story. I said, "Boy, can you
imagine if we at the if if we at the
beginning of something that's legendary,
bro? We at the beginning. This brand
new."
>> You guys really had that though.
>> You guys really had that though. And and
that's not easy to create.
>> Yeah.
>> And it's like so for me to ever even
think about now when I started to see
certain people like die hard. I was a
Jordan fan, but I was more of a Lakers
fan because I was James Worthy was my
favorite player of all time, right? big
play worthy. And when I saw the Lakers
start to make all of these different
trades
with people that I would be like, "What?
No, don't do that." Like, so then I was
like, I I Yeah. Yeah. I Me staying home
was the greatest thing that you'll ever
appreciate after 50.
You don't have to wonder.
>> 17. How many? What's the most a player
played with one team? Is it What did
Brady do with New England?
>> Uh 20.
>> Oh, he did do 20,
>> I think. I think so.
>> Wow. Okay. So, by the way, go going back
to uh Did he do 20? He could have he
probably did something like that. He he
played there for quite some time.
>> Yeah. Uh Sanders, going back to Deion
Sanders,
>> um even when he was there,
>> was he still the fastest guy you ever
saw in your life
>> or had you seen somebody faster than him
live? Live.
>> Yeah. Yeah. But we had
>> You guys had a wide receiver that was
Lewis, man.
>> Yeah.
>> Gee whiz. Yeah. I ain't never saw
nothing like Jayl move. But you know,
Prom was running different then. But I'm
telling you, I don't care what running
different then or not, he was still
prime. That's a d that's a different
dude. He's a different dude. He's built
different. He thinks different. He He
sees life. It's all Yeah. He's just
different. So, I'm watching you and
here's what I'm thinking to myself.
>> I had a meeting with a guy today who
just sold his business. He's got a
painting business that he sold
>> 20 million bucks, made money. He's down
here Florida. he's, you know, wanting to
go into the consultation, starting a
consulting firm.
>> And he says, you know, I'm thinking
about starting a consulting firm. I
said, tell me the knowledge of how much
you have with the painting industry,
commercial painting. And he just starts
explaining it like science.
>> Mhm.
>> And I said, you sure you want to leave
this business? He says, yeah, I'm done.
>> Yeah.
>> I said, you you sure you don't want to
go at it one more time? Yeah. Do you
have a non-compete only in the two
states? The other 40 states, I don't
have it. I said, "So, if you took your
knowledge to another place, could you
start him? I would do it even bigger."
Okay. Your knowhow,
you you broke the record for the least
amount of points scored as a defense. 50
games in a row, no 100 yards. Prime goes
and becomes a coach.
>> Yeah.
>> Massive story with him becoming a coach.
>> Yeah.
>> You're not going to use all that
knowledge to go and be a def like even
Single, a bunch of these guys went in as
defensive players became coaches. You
don't want to go do that.
>> I know there were rumors.
>> Don't Don't I wouldn't take this the
wrong way. I've had too many offers
and
what God has called me to do is bigger
than just football. It's bigger. And so
the locker room now
is is bigger, right? It's global
because now
I travel the world preaching the gospel.
I have a different recruitment of
knowledge of what does it mean to to
overcome redemption, fight, grit,
worthiness,
you know, and so
I've entertained it too many times and
I've always said I got so much to give
to the game, but then I realized I
really got so much to give to life and
that is why I do everything that I do,
you know, through philanthropy and all
that other stuff that
>> you don't think you could do that with
younger players coming up. You don't
think you could be one hell of a college
football coach or NFL coach?
>> You could
and you
>> press conference doing prayers,
>> all these opportunities with limelight.
>> Oh, the locker room is it's amazing.
It's amazing. Which
>> you don't want to get back into it,
>> which is why I'm rec I'm recreating it
again. I'm doing it. I'm building a
whole new locker room in business.
because that's that's what we So, put it
like this. If if the game suffered from
one thing, it's just me. The game
suffers from just I think the integrity
of letting men be men, right? So, that's
just my perspective, right?
>> You talking about like the new
cheerleaders or what?
>> Yeah. Well, no, I'm talking about like
let men be men. Like you can never take
a jab out of out of out of boxing.
>> Oh, I got I thought you were talking
about the cheerleaders because they got
male cheerleaders on I thought that's
where you're going. another issue will
not go down that road. Got it. Never
never my concern.
>> Um but it's it's a it's a certain lack
of leadership that's missing.
And when you watch these kids and when
you watch all the things that's going
on,
they have nobody to reach out to.
Nobody. Right? If you if you if I just
if I started screenshotting half of my
request to you a week, you will be like
there's no way because that many
>> players in the game,
>> players, men.
>> Yeah.
>> Kids, they're broken. They are
absolutely broken. Which is why you you
see why so many of them are committing
suicides and going down the gang life
route. It's just a bad cycle out there.
And so I've entertained football and
I'm going to entertain it again just
just not at what the level you're
talking about.
>> You don't think so you would entertain
college? Would you entertain college?
>> I entertain anything when it comes to
the game. I like I like it.
>> I just Yeah. I'm I'm just listening. But
part of it for me is and maybe and by
the way for the people that are watching
this if you got questions you can
connect Ray Ray's on man connect and I'm
sure he gets flooded with a bunch of
messages Rob let's make sure we put the
link somewhere around here but I you
know for me it's
it it to explain it the way you explain
it in a form of science
>> defense
>> if you did let's just say you did get a
team uh and and a and a and a team
allowed you to gave you the controls.
>> Yeah.
>> And you know how you had the rule which
was what? Give me the 15 first 15 plays.
If I don't screw, if I screw it up, I'll
take your place, right? And you were
able to do that for 11 years, you said,
right? Give or take.
>> All right. So, coach, let me, you know,
let me do the thing, Marvin, and I'll do
what I'm doing with defense. Okay,
great. You know, hey, don't talk to me
like that, please. If you're going to do
this, this my story. What if you find a
team and a team says, "Whatever you want
to do with defense, do it your way.
We'll give you three years."
>> But you can't.
>> Why not? Because you can't tell somebody
to go punch him in the mouth and don't
care about what comes next in college.
You kicking kids out for making what you
call targeting.
That's not a target. A target is
something that's not on the field that
you target and you just that does not
supposed to be a part of that. No. Hell
no. I am built to do that.
Don't penalize me. Got it. and then kick
me out of the game and then tell me I
can't come back for the second half
either. Are you freaking kidding me?
You're doing that to kids for making a
play.
Do this homework if you don't do nothing
else. Every kid that's been kicked out
of that's been kicked out of a game,
tell me how many made it to the league.
It's their only chance. Some of them are
It's their only chance. P and you take
away the physicality of football and you
tell me I'm sitting in a spot too many
times and this is the narrative now. Oh,
that's a terrible player. He's too
aggressive.
P. I don't know what that means.
I don't know what that means. So, as a
coach, you think somebody like Nick
Sabin will walk away if that was the
same NIL?
No. All of these things forever changed
what the locker room was built for. The
locker room taught integrity. It taught
true character. And now it's a free
flow, right? Guys can get in the portal
anytime they get ready, they can
transfer. Oh, if you get mad at the
coach and you don't want to stay there,
I'm out. Man, what the freak that? So,
you're talking about the way they're
just letting players go from team to
team to team where you can't build a
legacy the way you guys build it.
>> Build it.
>> So, you don't like today's game on the
way it's set up. I got it. So, so in a
way you're thinking, all right, I'm
going to pour into these guys for four
to five years and then you mean to tell
me I can lose the two guys because you
know they're going to say they don't
want to be here and they're out. Got it.
So, don't you think you could be able to
shape the mindset of those guys to be
locked into you saying, "Guys, I want 10
years from you."
>> Yeah, you you could. But once they let
money in, you change that, right?
Because now you get a text from your
homeboy,
which my sons, we sit around all the
time. You get a text from your homeboy.
He said, "Hey man, they willing to give
you a $2 million."
And before you even talk to the coach
anyway, you like, "I'm getting in the
portal tonight." That's how that's how
that's how
>> Wow. Got it.
>> That's how bad it is, right? If you
think if you listen to what Nick Sin
said on like kind of like why he's
walking away like there's no
relationships or there's no lo there's
no more loyalty in relationships because
loyalty says you come to work every day.
My job is to challenge you. If a coach
ain't talking to you, that's when you
should have a problem. But nowadays when
coach talk to co when to co coaches talk
or scream at a player now you take that
personal. I never took it personal
outside of saying don't curse me,
>> right? I'm good with everything else.
Coach me. Mike Singleary came to me. The
first thing Mike Singleary said to me, I
I don't know how to coach a a person
like you. You know everything. I said
yes you do. Teach me everything you
know. He was like what do you mean? I
said, "I'm gonna stay out the I'm gonna
stay out the practice. I met with Mike
Singleary every Monday after every
practice." And we did two things. We
watched film and corrected any of the
smallest mistake I made. And the first
thing we did was Bible study.
>> Really?
>> Every Monday night.
>> Wow.
Wow.
>> Yeah, man.
>> Good for him.
>> Cuz I want No, I asked him. I'm like, "I
need you to teach me how to be a better
man." Right. And
>> what? What what who as a coach where was
he at? Was he an assistant? Was he a
defensive coach?
>> No, he was he he he was linebacker's
coach.
>> He was linebacker's coach
>> in Baltimore.
>> And then later on he went to San Was it
San Fran coach
>> after that? Y head coach. Yeah.
>> So So then would you see yourself more
as an as a college coach or more as an
NFL coach?
>> P I'm telling you it is
>> cuz I'm thinking longevity like if I
build something they're out. So college
you're only going to get me for two
years, right? And then I'm out. So you
can't really build a legacy. you would
need to have more of a Knicks playbook,
right? Yeah.
>> But in the NFL, you may have me for five
to 15 years.
>> Yeah. So, so I don't get emotional a
lot, right? But I get emotional
when I see one of those players walking
off that field because I know what 90%
of them going back to. Either you're
gonna give me a either you're going to
give me a chance to make it through
college. Yeah. Or you gonna send me to
the streets.
>> And so every time you take away that and
the game ain't going to change now. We
don't got gambling involved in it. So
why is the game going to change? Players
get hurt now. And your and your your bet
doesn't even void out. You have to keep
the bet. But this is this guy career.
Ah, they don't they don't honor us for
what we've done for the game.
like we made the game. You know, that's
the difference of of me and
billionaires.
You can be a billionaire and I can
guarantee I can do what you've done. But
there's a fact you can never do what
I've done. That's what makes us
different. That's why so many people are
attracted to people who sacrifice
everything. Bruce Lee, Michael Jordan's,
Carl Lewis's,
Usain Bolt, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar
Jackson.
>> You can't you can't you can't you don't
make those.
They make themselves.
>> Remember, Michael's a billionaire
supposed to watch your language. I don't
want you to upset him because he's going
to call you.
>> But did you hear what I said though?
>> I know. I know what you said.
>> So Jordan So Jordan basically said the
same thing. You cut me out of it. So I'm
going to be able to do what you've done,
>> which is he goion empire,
>> but they can never do what Jordan.
>> Yeah. How's your relationship with them?
>> No, we are bro. Q Omega Sci-Fi till I
die.
We got We brothers, man. We Me, him,
Shaq, we all brothers. Steve Harvey,
Said the Entertainer, we all we all
bros. DL Healey.
We got a very very unique fraternity.
>> That's cool.
>> Yeah.
>> Kings of comedy. Man, I don't know how
many times I watch Kings of Comedy with
>> I piss on myself every time.
>> I Who's your favorite out of the four?
Maybe you can't say it cuz they're your
friends, but is there one you start off
with?
>> Yes, I can tell you exactly.
>> I can tell you who mine is.
>> Mine Mine Mine is the best one because
not the best. I uh I mimic him.
>> So when I came through,
>> honestly, I know which one it is.
>> Who?
>> Bernie.
>> Yes. Absolutely.
No, I I I kill, bro. Like people
>> He died too young, man. He
>> He died too young, man. When they first
started the first Kings of Comedy, where
do you think the first place was before
they filmed it? The first place?
>> I'm assuming Baltimore.
>> It was in Baltimore.
And it was my birthday weekend.
>> So, this is not the video. This is
>> This is This is not the video. This is
before they filmed it. It was the first
one in Baltimore. And I walk backstage
and um and my security says he says,
"Bernie wants to meet you." You know, so
I go backstage and as soon as I walk
back, I said, "I'm looking for this
[ __ ] you know. Somebody need to
tell me something, you know." He pulled
out my house and said, you know, and I
did I did that in front of I did that in
front of Bernie and he cried. He cried.
>> He's the best.
>> He's so Oh my gosh. Have you ever saw
Soul Man?
>> Of course.
>> Jesus.
>> Yeah. No, he is. Yeah. He He did What
was the baseball? 3000. He did. What was
the um
>> Mr. 3000?
>> Mr. 3000. But I think he was also in
Transformers one if I'm not mistaken. He
was the car salesman in Transformer 1.
>> Was he?
>> Yeah. He's the If you go to That's Sam.
Yeah, he sold the car.
>> Yeah, that's right. That's right. That's
right. That's right.
>> He sold the car when when the car
>> I love him. Yeah, he is. He's uh he's uh
>> you'll fail to be a legend there.
>> He's one of a kind.
>> He is.
>> He's one of a kind. So, the chances of
you going back co coaching,
>> maybe, maybe not. So, if I have some
friends that are texting me saying,
"Hey, should we call him? Should we not
call him? Should they call you?
>> Yeah,
>> they should call you.
>> I entertain it.
>> You should call him.
>> He's willing to take the call." He
should call him. I would call him if I'm
you. I think I think uh by the way do
you believe in dirty plays in the NFL?
Do you actually in your in your era do
you think there were dirty plays?
>> Um
>> helmet to helmet. Do you consider that
dirty play?
>> No.
>> You don't think helmet to helmet is
dirty play?
>> Oh, you don't control a missile. You
launch him. You can't control that P.
You can't tell a man in middle of the
action, oh guess what I'm going to do?
I'm going to make the biggest play of
the game, but I'm going to turn my head
to the left. I'm going to make sure my
body does not fall on his body. No way.
You don't think like that. Let me let me
give you an example. I see a running
back. You don't saw most of my hits. I
see a running back.
>> I don't see him.
I want his soul.
P. I'm not P. I want his soul. P.
>> I believe you.
>> Right. So when I go through him,
>> like I'm trying to make an impression
that he will talk about me every
Thanksgiving for the rest of his life.
>> Somebody going to ask him a question.
How does it feel to play against Ray
Lewis?
>> Yeah, man. Like, so anyway, but go but
go back to it. So to you,
>> Romanowski, not a dirty player.
>> Yes. Yes. Yes. He done some dirty things
for sure.
>> I mean, he would poke the guys in.
>> He's done some dirty stuff. I'm not I'm
not that type of player.
>> Okay. So, uh uh uh uh the the what do
you call it? Um uh fellow who hit uh um
Antonio Brown, Cincinnati Bengals.
>> Yeah.
>> Uh dirty play.
>> Dirty play.
>> So that's a dirty play.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. C things that's things
that's outside of the context of the
game.
>> Now he may say was a missile. I'm a
missile. What do you want me to do?
>> No. No. No. No. Missiles. Missiles have
a job. What they're doing?
>> Targeting.
>> Yes.
>> Okay. So you're not for targeting.
>> No, I'm not for targeting. But what I am
for is the fairness of the game. I can
show you, I'm telling you, Pete, if I
sat with you for 10 minutes,
>> I can show you at least 30 hits
that the helmet never touched the crowd.
>> Pure shoulder, but you threw the flag
anyway. And 80% of them stands as a
targeting rule, which kicks those kids
out of college. You gonna kick my kids
out of college? They're babies.
No, don't do that. But you respectfully
a referee can make a wrong call and stay
in the game. What's the difference? We
make the game.
So you're going to take the people who
make the game out of the game. Why? Why
can you take them out? Because they're
replaceable, but only by a number. They
don't They don't replace you by
integrity.
They They replace you because of the
position. Oh, I need another safety.
Yeah, man. It's It's crazy. Yeah. I I I
had Antonio Brown here. We we talked
about the CT and you know he he got
upset when I asked him about it. I was
like, "So tell me, you know, no, I'm
good. Why would you ask me about that?
Why would you ask me about And listen, I
understand it's a sensitive
>> Yeah.
>> uh subject. So I'm not one that sitting
here." But it's it's so interesting that
a guy like you who is in the game
defends the game even though you have
peers that were affected by it, but it's
almost as if a military, you know, Delta
Force is saying, Navy Seal is saying,
"Dude, this is what we signed up for.
What do you think this life is?" Is that
kind of how you view it?
>> You you you can't
when somebody hits somebody in boxing
and they knock them clean out,
>> right? You can call that barbaric,
right? You can call that bad. You can't
take out the you you can't take out the
cross. You can't take out the jab. You
can't take out the uppercut. Why? It's a
part of the game.
>> Hitting somebody is a part of the game.
Which is why you put on your helmet and
you take both of your chin straps. And
they always tell you, make sure both of
them are buckled up.
>> Why? Because there are assassins and
missiles out here, right? I'm not I want
the game to be healthy, but we're not
respectfully
we don't buckle up
and say this then say to myself I'mma
hold back on him a little bit. What?
Nah, bro. Yeah, it it it's it's uh I see
this clip which I'm sure you've seen
>> which one
>> before. It's Oo Senko is narrating Rob,
I don't know if you have this one as
It's one of the funniest ones I've ever
seen. First of all, he's hilarious.
>> But Rob, I just send it to you if you
want to go to text.
>> Oh my.
>> He's talking about that he tried to hit
you.
>> Yeah.
>> And you didn't even see him
>> and you dropped him. And he's telling
his coach.
>> Yeah.
>> And here here's narrating. Go ahead,
Rob.
[Applause]
I I hit Ray by accident.
>> Hit those big guys.
>> I thought I were going to win cuz he
didn't see me coming.
>> Yeah, but I know you are.
>> I tried to hit Ray when he wasn't
looking. Hey, I thought I got a good
shot, but I fell. Something ain't right
>> on that play. When Rudy's coming, I
tried to blindside Ray. He ran me over
>> in that moment. It's going that fast.
Are you even feeling that? Like when you
saw this?
>> Absolutely not.
>> You don't feel Chad. How you going to
feel Chad?
Me and him. You know what? You know what
was what was interesting about our
relationship? So I played we when we
decided to play them, right?
And so he came to me one game and he
says, "Would you pray for me?" And I
said, 'Absolutely.
Every game I would send a B a B B B B B
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B Bible
scriptures to read every Saturday night.
Every Saturday night.
Yeah. And I had about 50, 60, 70 guys I
used to do that to every day. Yeah. He
he seems like he's a family guy. I know
he's doing the stuff with uh Shannon,
but he seems like he's
>> both of them crazy and lost their mind.
>> Both of them
>> they crazy. They lost their mind.
>> Crazy. Well, to me, it sounds like
Shannon is is been having fun for a long
time, but he sounds like he settled down
a little bit. Now, look, I I don't know
that, you know, you know, he seems like
uh he's got some stories.
>> A lot of them days.
>> A lot of them. I'm going to leave it at
that. So, let's talk let's talk a couple
of the things and then we'll wrap it up.
Wes Moore, you said you're a fan of Wes
Moore.
>> Uh uh Baltimore.
>> We grew up together.
>> I met Wes Jesus what 20 26 27 years.
>> So, he's from here. Or you saying you
grew up in Maryland? Got it.
>> I got to Baltimore in 19.
I met Wes that same year.
>> What was he doing then?
>> Actually running around Baltimore coming
to games. That's when we was like I
think one of the first pitches we had
like with Johnny Unitas and and the guys
was on the field a few times and then we
kind of you know just always stayed in
contact from that from that standpoint
and then yeah and so there you see a lot
of pictures of me and him and sitting
with each other and hanging out at the
games and so
>> what was he doing then? I mean if you
met him at 90 so
you you guys are a couple years apart
>> what what was he doing? What job did he
have? Was he into politics or not yet?
>> Not yet. Okay.
>> Not yet. Yeah, I think came later on.
Yeah, I think Yeah, definitely.
Definitely came later on.
>> Yeah.
>> Got it.
>> And did you know right off the bat there
was something special about this guy?
Like did you feel it? Does he
>> Yeah. Yeah. His energy his energy is
incredible. His faith is even better.
But who he is as a person, I I adore
him.
>> Wes.
>> Yeah. He's just is one of those guys.
you uh politically I think you one time
you and uh uh uh Jim Brown went to the
White House. You were with Trump
>> got fried.
>> Yeah, you got that's back then when you
would get fried. Today you won't get
fried but back then I mean it was the
first term
>> I got we got fried for simply and asking
I wanted to ask him one question. This
is when he was president presidentelect
at the time and when I went up there I
said papa I'm following you so whatever
we gonna do let's do it. And I said, and
he says, "What's the first question you
wanted to ask me?" I said, "I want to
ask a personal question. I'm gonna get
Friday either way, so let me just get
this out of the way. Is there a plan
that you have in place to help black
communities?
Uh um you you need to talk to um my
sister Amarosa and then let's let's talk
about that later." I ain't got an answer
since.
So yeah,
>> he did a lot for the black.
>> Yeah, that's why I wanted to know.
>> You may have may you may have influenced
us the question.
>> I I wanted to know.
>> Got it.
>> Right. He said he he asked me and Jim.
He said, "Did any one of y'all vote for
me?" Absolutely not.
>> He He asked you that.
>> Absolutely. Me and Jim said at the same
time, "Absolutely not." No, but
I
because of what Jim started and me being
mentored by Jim for about 15 plus years
to see what he's done with America
program
is similar to my solar program is
similar to everything that why I go in
prisons, why I help all the communities
the way I do, why I give back so much,
why why I have a new locker room, right?
that's that's just it's much bigger and
more personal when it talks to like
human development and mental health and
all these different things that people
are going through. And so when Jim
introduced me to that side of life, like
everything changed for me, you know, cuz
he he started to understand like I go in
prisons and 50% of of the prisoners hate
me and 50% love me.
>> Why do they hate you? Why? because they
because 90% of them say say things that
>> it's everybody else fault
>> where you are,
>> right? Like it's somebody else if
somebody else had a similar situation,
whatever. Yeah.
>> It turns it into being whatever it is.
But that's that's life though.
>> Yeah.
>> Right. People like you, people hate you.
Yeah.
>> I when when you're at the house,
birthday party, your friends are there,
you you're up there, you're
>> you're praying,
>> right? You were
>> you were emotional. you were given an
incredible powerful message. You're
listening to you
>> and I think your prayer went viral if
I'm not mistaken. It was all over the
place.
>> I don't know where it's at, but it
wouldn't be hard to find it.
>> But, uh, you know, from talking to a lot
of your friends, you know, that were
there. That's Is that the one? I think
that's the one. Yeah, that's what you
were wearing. You had that hat on. Yeah.
>> Is that you?
>> No.
>> Yeah, this is Jimmy. That's Jimmy
singing right now, though.
>> Right. Right. Right.
But when you were up there, when you
were up there and you were you're doing
what you're doing.
>> Yeah.
>> I went around and I probably spoke to 70
of your friends.
>> Yeah.
>> 60 70. I spoke to Eddie, spoke to
Marvin, spoke to
>> bunch of guys were there. Spoke to U.
But mainly the pattern I saw and maybe
this is different. I I got the feeling
most of your friends were conservatives.
>> Yeah.
Yeah. I could say that. I would for sure
actually.
>> And the way you live your life.
>> You you you you
don't like excuses,
>> right? You you just explained you joined
the NFL. You're going to get hit. You're
going to take that kid out. You chose to
play this game. So,
>> it's not even like, hey, it's not fair.
You know, you chose to this is not this,
this is not that.
>> Straight up having that type of
conversation or high standards, right?
on on the would you say yourself you
live more of a conservative life?
>> Yeah.
>> Faith, values, principles.
>> Yeah, of course. My mom's a pastor and
what she done for me, the direction that
she gave me for her for her to introduce
me to God so young and for me to fall in
love with God was
I wait on it every day.
And um
I think I think I just saw so much bad
when I was younger that I said I don't
want to I don't want to make my mother
ever feel like that.
And that still holds to true to this
day. That's why that that's why at 25
years old I stopped cursing. I stopped
going to clubs. Never been to a strip
club since.
Don't I last time I had any type of
taste of brown liquor, even when we was
out, give me a glass of wine, I'm good.
But
>> yeah, you put that one thing in there.
>> Yeah. Like, let me get a couple.
>> But but I think it was it was me P
actually
saying that I was going to do something
young and nobody believed it. And so I
said, I'm going to continue to do it.
And it became such a thing that you were
so alienated because most kids started
disrespecting their moms and their
parents. And I'm like, I would never do
that. I would never curse in front of my
mom. I would never drink in front of my
mom. Are you kidding me? No.
And that thing, it started to pick up.
And then me being a stutterer, I
stuttered so bad. And then for me to
travel the world now, I just got through
speaking what five, six countries.
And
I've always had that calmness inside of
me. I've never I I used to have to be
forced to fight. Like if you wanted to
fight me, you had like this dude would
almost hit me in my jaw three times
before I fight.
>> So you you you control your emotions. Oh
man, I the greatest in it. Cuz cuz I I
was telling you, I witnessed something
with my mom that I I promised myself
that I would never do anything to ever
hurt her because of what she had already
endured. To see my mom go through the
stuff that she was going through. Man,
that's tough. And I'm like, I'm not
adding more to that. So my model, my
lifestyle started at 10. Like my
lifestyle, reading my Bible, praying
every day, 14, chasing sunsets, reciting
our father's prayer. I'm 50 years old.
Every day I see a sunset, I still recite
our father's prayer. And that's when I
had one pair of jeans, no shoes, duct
tape wrapped around my shoes, same turf,
the afro turfs that I had to wear to
school practice, and everybody knew it.
You know, kids back in the day was
harsh. Oh, you don't got no daddy. You
broke. You wear the same clothes to
school every day. Yes, I do. Then what?
Then what? It still doesn't define who I
am. Still to this day. That's why you
would never see me with what I used to
do when I was in my 20s and 22 years
old.
>> Ray, when you see I'm a I'm a
Middle Eastern myself, you know, family,
divorce, the whole nine, 1.8 8 GPA
trajectory for me was nothing good.
>> What saved me was military.
>> Mhm.
>> When I went to the military in boot camp
because I had one of the top three high
scores for PT. I was able to go to camp
with this man's house and he ended up
giving me his Bible that his parents
gifted him December 24th of 1974 that I
have till today. I'm like don't give
this to me. Trust me, I'm not worth you
giving it to me. He says, "Son, I think
you need this more than me." Great. I
started praying three times a day from
then till today.
>> I I watch my community. I watch I'm
Armenian. I'm a Syrian from Iran. I
watch the community. I watch what's
going on. When you when you see
communitywise and you see single
mothers, you see fatherless homes, you
see, you know, the stats that comes up,
you know, where do you go to? Do do you
say, well, it's the government's fault?
Do you say we should do something about
it? Do you say it's systemic? How do you
process that for sometime somebody that
seems like you're fairly reasonable?
>> Yeah, it's a lot of it's a lot of
different verticals and values inside of
all of them. Right. So, when I got my
doctorate just recently in humanitarian,
it's what I've been studying the most,
which is the dysfunction of communities.
Like, we're teaching we're teaching
everything about money, but we're not
teaching history.
Like, we teach how to fight. We don't
teach how to love.
We don't. We stop parenting. So, iPhones
and iPads takes over. We have done
everything the complete opposite of what
does it mean to help an individual. We
we there's
when you think about the structure of
what we were not supposed to do, the
reason why when I was growing up, you
was growing up, the reason why a man was
not supposed to see a woman's nipple is
because your brain can't process that at
5 years old. Now you tell a 5-year-old,
I can give you the same gadget with
every bit of porn and every bit of
nudity and every woman as a stripper and
everybody. What the freak? No,
it's broken. This all of this fast
technology and all of this cute stuff.
You're killing our kids and you're
destroying our communities. We don't we
don't even know what we don't even know
what human connection means anymore.
Somebody lose somebody. Somebody get
killed, somebody die. You send a text.
My condolences. Great. I appreciate
that, but I can't use it.
Yeah.
>> There's no more connects, right? A
person who really cares, they going to
find you. They going to call you. They
going to let you hear their voice. They
going to let you see them.
Bro, I'm with you. that. So, man, it's
like when you go through the phases of
what has happened last year from the age
22 to 55 years old, we had more men
commit suicide than we had the last 100
years. Those are not just play numbers.
One out of 12 children have a suicide
plan. One out of six carry it through,
but 410.
And the number now of them committing
suicides, our kids are the ages 10 to
24. That's the most alarming age because
they're checking out what. So what do So
what do you think is missing? You think
something is wrong with the kids?
Absolutely not. It's what we're feeding
them,
right? You got half of our country, 78%
is obese in our country. And these these
brands that has this legendary following
feeds you garbage, but we wonder why so
many cancers and so many diseases are
just running through our country. And we
and we're okay with that.
I want to know truthfully. I want to
know what a man is.
I want to know what the purpose of a man
is.
I want to know when a man fall down
falls down, how does he get back up
because my kids checking out because
they don't have those answers.
So
I don't judge nobody P. Whatever you go
do, go do what you want to do. But I do
take a hard stand and saying I won't be
a part of it. You
>> you think hip-hop had a negative impact?
I think I think I think all phases of
every time technology took off,
we another wound. Another wound. Think
about it. Think about where hip hop has
went. Think about where television has
went.
Think about where video games has went.
Everything. Shots to the brain.
Full clip. You're teaching them how to
do it.
What? So, what do you think you're going
to raise? What do you think you're going
to create? It's war. It's all out war.
And once again, the leadership of that
is where that should have been
controlled. There's no way that a
sevenyear-old should be playing Call of
Duty. Are you kidding me? There's no way
that our top people are rapping or
saying the things they're saying as if
they don't got grandmothers. as if they
don't have grandfathers or children.
The movies, everything, the most violent
movies ever is probably the most popular
ones. So, we're desensitized.
Yeah.
Yeah. I I I don't know what you're going
to do longterm, Ray. I'm curious to see
what you're going to be doing because I
think um
>> I told you the other day, I said, "I
don't know if you're starting a podcast.
I don't know what you're doing. You got
to do something more than what you're
doing now." Mhm.
>> Uh because your method of delivering
message is extremely important. Um I
hope you pursue it. I hope you do
something with somebody on a panel where
you can voice your opinion on current
events. I think a lot of times at least
we go back when he was a
president-elect. I think Steve Harvey
also went up there. Maybe it was it in
20 I don't know when he went but Harvey
went there and visited as well.
>> Yeah.
>> When he went he got he got crucified
too.
>> But it was there was a time you couldn't
talk about this stuff. I think after co
now 25 I think everybody's free today to
talk.
>> I think there's and and when I mean
everybody today Chris Pratt who's a big-
time actors on Bill Maher talking about
what's going on. You got bunch of guys
that are willing to use their platform
to talk about it.
>> I hope you do.
>> I'm doing it.
>> I hope you do.
>> I hope you do and you do it regularly
because
>> you you know you can have a very
different kind of an impact like what
you said earlier. Not just entertainment
>> way. I'm talking actual true impact to
kids.
>> Yeah.
>> And I'd like to see you coach as well
for selfish reasons, man. I just want to
see what your defense would look like if
you went up there. I think the level of
pride
>> would be intense.
>> But anyways, gang, if you're watching
this, if you want to ask the man a
question, he's on the act. Ray,
>> I can talk to you for hours, brother.
This has been a blast. As usual,
>> my guy,
>> one of these days, what we got to do
next is do this cigar thing at the and
bring up the
>> Let's do it.
>> Uh uh a bunch of you guys are asking.
We'll figure that part out as well here
soon. Do something.
>> Let's do it.
>> Take care everybody. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.
>> What's going on everyone? It's your man,
Sugar Ray Lewis. Listen, I'm on my neck.
I'm trying to connect. I don't care what
it is. Let's say sports. Let's say life.
Let's say leadership. Let's say hope,
faith, worry, fear, whatever it is.
Let's chat. Let's do it. I'm looking
forward to seeing you soon.