Cameron Hanes - Keep Hammering Collective - KHC 079 - Kam Canaday

Episode Date: June 25, 2024

Join us for a discussion with Kam Canaday, a former American football long snapper who played college football at Portland State and signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2016 then played with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 5-years. Listen in as Cam and Kam talk about football, hunting and more! Follow along: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronrhanes Twitter: https://twitter.com/cameronhanes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camhanes/ Website: https://www.cameronhanes.com   Follow Kam: https://www.instagram.com/kamcanaday/  Thank you to our sponsors: Grizzly Coolers: https://www.grizzlycoolers.com/ Use code KEEPHAMMERING for 20% off Montana Knife Company: https://www.montanaknifecompany.com/ Use code CAM for 10% off  Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/ Use code KEEPHAMMERING for 20% your first order MTN OPS Supplements: https://mtnops.com/ Use code KEEPHAMMERING for 20% off and Free Shipping Hoyt: http://bit.ly/3Zdamyv  Sig Sauer: https://www.sigsauer.com/ use code CAM10 for 10% off optics Timestamps: 0:00:00 Intro: How Cam Knows Kam 0:07:01 Kam’s Journey into Football Long Snapping 0:15:46 Kam’s First NFL Game 0:20:52 Kam’s Struggles in the NFL 0:25:51 Highlights in Kam’s Career 0:26:50 Ad Break 0:28:55 Sheldon’s Football Program 0:32:40 Kam Tried Running an Ultra 0:36:22 Cam’s Advice on Solo Backcountry Bowhunting 0:40:10 Kam’s First Experience Backcountry Hunting 0:45:32 Kam’s Bull Kill & A Call From His Agent 0:50:20 A Beginning Career in Real Estate 0:51:45 What Kam Likes to Hunt the Most & Blacktail Hunting 0:54:25 To Be More Like Roy Roth 0:59:41 Kip Fulks Outfitters, Silvertip & Alaska Hunting 01:05:57 Stories to Tell 01:14:41 The Biggest Alpha’s Kam Played With 01:24:30 Outro

Every step I take, I move my truth. Every time they tell me stop I use. Every comment hate that makes my feel, gather up my energy and boom. I hear them talking, saying the way that I'm moving so reckless. That is a part of my mind I've been blessed with. Giving My Blood so I am relentless. All right, this is a Keep Hammering Collective with Cam Canada. Yeah, thanks for having me on.

What's up? Just excited to be here. This is the first time we've ever read two cams. I know. Well, I didn't know, but that's cool. I think. I'm pretty sure they're husband. another cam. But yeah, so this is pretty cool because your buddy's with my son. You guys have

hunted together. Yeah. But I've known of your family forever. Like your dad and your uncle, I guess, they went to Crow. I went to Mohawk. So I think we're about all the same age. Yeah, my dad's like 55 and I think my uncle's 56. Yeah. Right in that same ballpark. Yeah. And they were good athletes at Crow. I remember that. Yeah. I think, I mean, my dad read your book and talks about like all the all the guys that you played with. And he's like, yeah, those guys were really good athletes. They're, you know, I think your quarterback was real good athlete. Donnie Manila. Yeah, Donnie Manella. My dad talks about him quite a thing. But yeah, thanks for having me on. I'm just super excited. This is a, this is pretty cool. Never been in your gym. You have it? Yeah. This is the first time, huh?

Yeah, got some weightlifting in. Nice. Yeah, this is pretty cool. That's why you're looking all jack and pumped up well it could be a little bit i should have done more bicep curls but and you got the what hats that is that's one of your hats i've been sweating in it is it before i came here i had i wipe all the sweat off and i was going to wear a bow wreck t-shirt but you have the mkc that's good enough well yeah we'll fly that bruce i was going to wear one and she gave me a free one and they left it there so i was just there all day so how is it busy down there oh yeah super busy my buddy Brian Blackstone. He was my trainer in Pittsburgh, and he just flew in to do that shoot up in Houdoo. And he just bought a brand new Hoyt Bow and Trent's getting them all set up. So we've been

in there just kind of shot a bow before. No, and he only has five arrows. So I was like, dude, you think you're Levi, Morgan? You're going to lose five arrows up there in like 20 minutes. Two targets, maybe. So I had to tell Trent, I was like, hey, can you, you know, have one of these guys make him up some arrows. He's going to need at least a dozen arrows. He's going to be here for three days. So I was like, oh, oh, man, he might need more than that. I mean, I can't even imagine going to one of those shoots on my first one ever. Oh, I know. So, they're hard. I haven't been to that one, but is it like tack? Yeah, I mean, I haven't been to tack either, but from when I see on social media and stuff, they're pretty similar. I mean, you're hiking, you get in a good workout,

and you're shooting 50 or 60-yard shots, like up and downhill. So it's on who do. Yeah, it's a, I just know at TAC, we'd always, you know, the steak was up there, we'd always stop short, so it'd like a longer shot. But there was guys, there might be 12 targets on a little course. I mean, for the last half of the 12 targets, they're just carrying their bow, no arrows. No, yeah. And you see those big giant buckets of arrows. Ruin, ruined or lost all their arrows. I know. So we'll see how it goes. We're going to bring a camper up there and get, you know, set up. We're actually going to leave tonight, so it's going to be a long night.

But I'm going to meet some Boerack guys up there and shoot for three days. It'll be fun. Yeah, that's going to be a good time. So he's down at the Boerack now? Yeah, I left him there because I was like, hey, I got this podcast at four. And you know how Trent works. I mean, shout out to Trent. He's meticulous about everything he does, which, you know, that's how you want your Bo-Tech to be. But I was like, hey, it takes a while. I was like, I got to get out of you. You guys have tape set up. You guys got to make arrows.

I was like, I'm going to go. Yeah, that's going to. It takes a while to get everything set up right. You know, and still, I can't even imagine because he's still going to have, get his tape. It would be close. He has no chance. He absolutely no chance. But he's going to have, I just hope he has a good attitude, which Brian, he's, to be a trainer.

I mean, he trains, you know, world class athletes. I mean, I was, you know, down at the very bottom of athletes that he had. I was just worked hard. But you have to have good attitudes. Like Eric McCormick, for instance, he's, I mean, it takes that mindset to be a trainer and have your gym and to get up that early every day and to work that hard. So props to him, I think he can handle it. Yeah, he'll have a good attitude.

He might be shooting some of my arrows at the end of the day or like Lincoln logs. But I guess he's only, you know, five, six or five seven. He's a smaller draw. So he's like, we'll make it work for him. We'll make it fun. It's going to be a learning experience and a good time if nothing else. Exactly. Yeah, so for the intro, I was going to say, so just a real quick, you know, I said you were friends with Tanner,

but you also played the NFL for, was six years? Yeah, I like to say six. I had a cup of coffee with the Chicago Bears two years ago. Yeah, okay. So, yeah, so I did, you know, four seasons with the Steelers and my rookie year with the Cardinals. And then had a cup of coffee with the Bears. I got signed at the end of the season because their guy got banged up. And that's actually a really funny story.

So Truitt, I message him on his birthday that year. And it goes, 2021. Say, hey, Truea, happy birthday, you know. And he goes, you know, True, it just always, you know, being nice but funny at the same time. He goes, I wish nothing more for my birthday but for you to sign to an NFL team. Ha, ha, ha, whatever. Two months go by. The end of the season rolls around.

I get signed to the Bears. And I'm on the sideline. And it's a snowy kind of game. And I didn't even dress. I mean, I just had the big puffy Chicago Bears jacket on. Hanging out on the sideline, we get done with the game. I go, you know, turning on my gear. And I'm looking at my Instagram and Truitt's story.

He was at the game that I was at. Oh. And he came to that game because I guess his wife's from Chicago or something like that. And I was just like, are you kidding me? And so like our next message thread was like that. And then, you know, two months later, a month later or whatever. It's like, dude, do you man, You made it happen.

Yeah, thank you, True. That was just kind of funny because it's like, you put something out there and then, hey, it comes true. So that was kind of a fun story. Chicago as far as that go. But, yeah, truth is awesome. Well, you know, how it is like being sports fans and then you're from the local area, then you know the family. But we would always like, and I'm sure you hear stories like this, everybody keeps track of you. You know, like the kid from Eugene who's in the NFL, right?

And so, yeah, we were, we were always, like, looking up for your games or seeing how you're doing or, you know, I mean, long snapper. But that's a, that's a hard position. Yeah. There's pressure. It's, there is a lot of pressure. It's, there's a lot that goes into it, you know, behind the scenes. It's just more like, like, I listen to Levi Morgan's podcast when he was on here and he talked about, like, getting, you know, like, when you're, when you're shooting and you have, like, kind of like the yips a little bit. When you're, I guess, Levi Morgan's the guy who does all the target shooting.

Yeah. For people don't know. Like 16-town world champion. He's like the Tom Brady of archery shooting. He just talked about how mental that is. Well, for me, I was always just a football player. And then coming out of high school, I went to the Leshawah Ball Star game, and I ripped my shoulder out completely and screwed it up.

And, you know, coming out of high school, I'm like thinking, you're invincible. Like you don't need shoulder surgery because the doc's were like you need to get you know get shoulder surgery and I was like no I'll just rehab of these bands. I'll be fine. So I show up to you know my freshman year in college and I'm just like thinking I'm you know the shit this shit and I freaking I mean my shoulder was like coming out like every every every time I like hit somebody or like in what position? I was trying to play defense event. Okay. And so my head coach came up to me. He's like hey cam like you're you got too. options dude you can either get surgery and sit out or you can long snap for us because you know we you're pretty good long snapper and i was like okay well i'll just snap my freshman year and rehab this thing and then i'll be good to go well i ended up uh never seeing the field again because i mean my shoulder's so bad and finally i got to my sophomore year and i ended up getting surgery on it

just not being stubborn anymore i gave in i was like all right i'm going to switch a tight end a little less contact yeah and i'm going to go for that So I tried that, went up for a ball. I remember in practice, my quarterback threw me a high ball, and I caught it. My shoulder came out. So I took my shoulder pads, and I threw them on the sideline. I'm out of here. This was after surgery.

No, this was right before surgery. Oh, right. Okay. So I was going to quit. So I threw my home. Went to the locker room. I was like, you know, all my hopes and dreams are done. I don't want to be a long snapper.

Like, who wants to be a snapper, dude? It's like, fuck. So my coach came in. at Kaika Malloy, he's the, I think he's at UCLA right now. I think he's like the OC maybe or something. He's a great. He's a good coach. Great coach.

One of the best coaches I had for a while. And he's like Cam. He's a, he's a Polynesian guy. And he's a freaking tough, dude. His fingers are all like nasty. He played at Washington linebacker. He's just, so, oh, dude, he's just a stuff. And he's about as serious as a guy as you can get.

I mean, he look into his eyes, guy's like a freaking warrior. Yeah. And he's like, Cam, you're, he's like, I'm not going to bullshit you here. You could go to the NFL and play a long time if you just, if you just focused on snapping the ball. He's like, I had a guy at Hawaii, he coached Hawaii. He's like, I had a guy at Hawaii.

And he snapped for the Baltimore Ravens for like 12 years. And he's like, he couldn't hold your jock strap in college. And I was like, I don't give a fuck. I'm like, all my teammates are going to be like, oh, call me a kicker. Like, when you're a long snapper, you get called a kicker, and you're like, I'm going to kick your ass. This is what I'm going to do. And so, I mean, it was a challenge. And then kind of going on, we finally had a punter that rolled in, and he was an upperclassman.

And he kind of was like, hey, dude, he was an Army Ranger or Green Beret and mess his ankle up, jumping out of helicopter or something. Yeah. And he came in. He's like, I can punt. So he's kind of a cool guy to hang out. with. Yeah. And so you guys were like, because you want to be a football player. Yeah. Not just a punter, not just a long semper. Yeah. But then you had that connection where he was this badass but a punter. Exactly. So not really in the football player that you had in your head. And he's older. He was like,

because, you know, guys that come out of the military and try to play football, they're usually have, you know, four years about everybody. He was like a 26 year old junior. Okay. So he's, and then he kind of took me under his arm and we were we led the country or he did really I just got the ball to him but he got to him quick yeah yeah I did and he he led the country and in all division one double a and in our fcs division which was Montana state and all those and then we we played good football um but we were like the our team sucked but we were like leading the country and everything nice as far as punting goes yeah and so his senior year um we started getting some recognition, some scouts coming out.

And they're like, oh, who's a snapper? So then I was like kind of a switch clicked. And I was like, you know what? Now I've like shook hands with a few of these scouts and they're asking me, you know, what are you doing? Like, how are you feeling? How's your body? How's your knees?

How's your shoulder? And I'm like, there's no way I would be talking to these guys if I was playing defensive. And I'm like, yeah. I mean, even when I was playing in the NFL, I was a subpar athlete. I mean, I had to do everything. I felt like I was treading water my whole career and that's I mean and I got banged up towards my end of my career So it was kind of like harder for my body. I mean my feeder I mean they might as well have concrete bricks

I mean I was just constantly trying to lose weight so I could be faster but then I was getting pushed around But just studying my ass off I watched more film in the than anybody in the entire team I was sitting in ice bath Tomlin comes in he goes can I can ask you question I was like what the fuck did I do. Why is the coach talking to me? Yeah, Mike Tomlin seems intense too. Oh, this dude, I mean, I love Mike T. My T is like one of the coolest guys, but he asked me, he goes, can I ask

you a question? And I was like, yeah. And he's like, do you watch film? And I was like, yeah, every single day when I get home for hours because I suck and I can't not watch film. Like, I got to know what these guys are doing. Right. Before they do it, or I have no chance. Right. And he goes, that's what I thought, because we can tell everybody's iPads who's watching film.

And he's like, you realize you're watching more film than anybody on the team, including the backup quarterbacks who should be watching the most film. Right. Yeah. And then they kind of just, you know, I mean, Ben didn't have to watch film. Penn just was like. It's a legend. He just knows. I love Ben.

But yeah. Yeah. So I just did everything I could possibly done. And then towards the end of my career, I had two knees and just kind of COVID. too much and i just and i wanted to be in the woods yeah oh my god i was white tail hunting and i hated i hated sitting in the tree stand yeah a lot from the west it's it's yeah it's yeah it's yeah so that was kind of my my journey to to getting into long snapping that when that you know light bulb came on um that's when i kind of really just gave up my dreams of trying to get back

and playing college football because i was going to transfer to western to try to play defensive end because my coaches were like, dude, you're not seeing the big picture here. Like, you're going to go in the NFL and I was so stubborn. I was like, I don't want to snap. So, I mean, and then I just married to, I was just married to the game after that, you know, I really accepted it and like, hey, yeah, then, I mean, but you're in the NFL. Yeah. I mean, how many people could say that. Exactly. It was, it was, I mean, it's so much fun. And I, I had a good time. but like I said, I was never, I was never one of those long snappers that wanted to be a long snapper. A lot of those guys coming up through that, you know, those college kids, they're snappers in high school,

and they get ranked, and then there's snappers in college, and they go to big schools. I went to Portland State, you know, one probably because that's the only school I could freaking get into because I didn't get the greatest grades. But to play defensive end, because there's no way I was going to go to Oregon and play D-Line and tie-in. You know, so that's kind of how I got there. And then once I did, I really realized that, hey, I have a career here. And this is, if I want to go hunting for the rest of my life, I better freaking make some money in doing this. And boy, was it a freaking, you know, roller coaster for me because in that first year in Arizona, I had a short stint with the Cardinals just because I wasn't ready.

Like I just started really working on just being a snapper like a year before I was playing an NFL. And I've never gone to an NFL game until I was playing in one. Oh. And so I was like, that was like crazy for me. And that was Bruce. Bruce, I mean. Yeah. And our first, our very, my very first NFL game was against the defending Super Bowl champions, New England Patriots.

And it was the very first game of the season. So it's Thursday night football. Everyone's watching. Everybody in the world's watching. If that's that first game, people are hyped for NFL. And I'm like a 21-year-old kid. And I mean, when I tell you, if my confidence could have been in a room, you couldn't find it. Okay. So it was in here somewhere.

It's like, God, I mean, I'm in like, under that phone maybe. I'm like copying guys what they're doing, like stretching out in the locker room before the game. I'm going to have no idea. They had Mike Leach who snapped there before me. He was like my mentor because they knew we were like, they, nobody has rookies, you know, snapping. But thank God. It probably wouldn't have been, we were really good, but Tom Brady was. wasn't playing in that game.

It was Jimmy G. It was during that deflate game. Oh, okay. Yeah, he got four game suspension or something. Yeah, so. But yeah, it ended up being a really close game and came down to a game winning field goal. And I went out there and I had Belichick iced us. Called a timeout.

Call it a time out. And there was like three seconds left. And normally that's supposed to ice a kicker. But it probably ice you for sure. That's what an arm shirt. Yeah, at somebody at home would think. But if you're Bill Belichick, he knew exactly what he was doing. Oh, he probably was like, oh, my God, yeah.

It's Bill Belichick. He knows everything. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I mean, just following Mike T around, these guys, this is why they're brilliant. Because he knew exactly. Katanzaro was, he's lights out. Yeah.

Me, on the other hand, you take one good look at me and you know. I mean, I might as well have been Billy Bob Thornton and Tombstone with White Herbs just flopping them outside of it. I was just so scared. You're just going to stand there and bleed? Yeah, that's what I did. And I botched the frick out of that snap. What were they telling you, though?

Like when he iced you, was a guy saying anything? So Drew Butler, God bless his soul. He's a punter at the time. And he was a little bit nervous, I guess, possibly. But he's like, hey, let's go on the sideline and get one before. And it was like the worst possible scenario because I was actually. So you guys were going for the game winning field goal. Yeah.

But he's the punter? Yeah. And he's the holder as well. Okay. So in the NFL, it's the holder. But so he's like, let's go get one. So we ran over and Bruce is standing there, you know, right in front of Bruce, I snap an absolute pearl, like, practice one.

Just laces out, down. I'm like, oh, I got this. Go in there. And I snap on the low and outside, he traps it. And he has to bring it. It wasn't like terrible. Right. If you had made it, nobody would have said anything.

Right. Yeah. But it was down and low on the outside, and he put it down and cat hit it up on the left, upright, and the game was over. And you see Drew in slow motion. They panned into his face, and he looks up at cat, and he goes, bad snap. And I was like, I mean, obviously seeing the replay on the come on man later that night. Right.

You know, I was just like, oh, my God. And my talk about hate, dude. I mean, 21 years old, 22 years old, my freaking Instagram, I have like 850 followers. And, like, I would say there's like a thousand DMs just like, dude, you should go jump off of a cliff. And I was like, oh, well, so that was my intro. And then I snapped good, like, the last, next game and then went to Buffalo and I got decleaded. I mean, I got blindsided by this tight end. And they thought I broke my neck.

And I, like, got up and I was like, I couldn't breathe. And I was like, no, they just cracked my shoulder. Yeah. And being just from here and just being, you know, good old country kid, I was like, and also being a rookie not knowing what the heck was going on as far as like, you can go get medicine shots to make you, you know. Tram at all shot or something. Yeah, exactly.

I just was like rubbed dirt on it. Yeah. And then when in the halftime came back out to warm up, I couldn't move. Stiff probably. Oh, yeah. God. And I snapped the ball over the, the punter's head, or it was on a field goal, but hit his fingertips and he had a bum ankle so he couldn't raise up so we're all beat up a lot of little things

because even like even when he the holder said bad snap he's basically saying that to let the kicker off the hook yeah you know so yeah otherwise he's saying you missed it mm-hmm i mean he did his job he got the ball there so he's he's like in a tough spot threw you under the bus to make the kicker feel good which is fine i mean it is what it is but you know i had some good guys like i played You know, Larry came up to me and Carson Palmer's like, dude, you don't have anything. That was my game. I think I threw an interception and, you know, I could have made a few plays. Shake it off, rookie, you're good.

Yeah. So then when I went to Buffalo and had another little mess up, he got rid of me. Yeah. And I went to Colorado like two weeks later to go hunting with my dad. We went out hunting. And I was like. You need get away. Yeah.

And so I was just like, you know what? if this isn't work out you know i went back to college i got my degree and then i'm spring bear hunting that's spring and i get a call you know from the stealer saying hey we want to sign you so i went over there and ended up beating a kid out that they drafted um which is cool and i yeah and i had a good career so it was fun i mean uh just i kind of just until the wheels fell off man i i mean but my whole career it kind of seemed like it never got better as far as like my nerves so i was like So much, you know, people see it and they think that, you know, they'll, wouldn't that wouldn't it be nice or must be nice, whatever it is. Oh my God.

And they don't realize how much pressure is on, as you say, a 21-year-old kid, you're out there and everyone, you know, not even a terrible snap, but just like it doesn't matter. And I just think that, and you're saying how hard you had to work reminds me of, I was asking Andy Galpin yesterday. He's like a performance doctor, right? I said, I said, so who, who has a higher ceiling? The guy with talent who just kind of shows up, does what he does, because he's God-given ability, or the guy who's not really that talented, but works his ass off, but will just grind for longer. Will he pass the guy with more talent? And he goes, no.

Yeah. The guy with talent always wins. I always wanted to be the guy with talent. I would trade it all day long. I was like, shit. Because that's like your attitude is my attitude. Like I don't have talent either. So yeah, when you're having to fight so hard and be, you have to be healthy.

Yeah. And at your best. So these little dings makes a big difference when you're just fighting every day. Yeah. And then if one mental thing happens, I mean, I just freaking, like, it was just a constant battle mentally for me too. Like even, you know, I got like on, I guess I was second up in the Pro Bowl one of the years. And I had a good season, but I mean, it, you look at me and I, you know, you'd be like,

oh, that guy's, you know, one of the better long snappers in the league. Inside, I was dying. I was like, okay, I got one week out of the way. Let's get, you know, let's just keep going. But, I mean, it's a 16, you know, week season by the end of it, you're just like, oh my God. Yeah, spent, I bet. And then another thing must be nice. A lot of, you know, people are like, oh, you know, it must be nice being a long snapper.

You don't get hit very often. Yeah. And I'm thinking to myself, these guys have no idea. Yeah. It's like, well, you had Derek Wolf on. Yeah. We played him twice. I mean, he was in our division.

Mm-hmm. And that guy, you try to tell that guy to lay off. And he was right over me. I mean, Derek and I played, I mean, people don't realize, like, you can hit people during punt when you're a snapper. You get rocked. Just like anybody, any other position, you get a snap and then you got to block one on one. You're not supposed to hit the snap.

I thought there was like a delay or something. Is there? No delay. Oh, okay, gotcha. On a punt. There's no delay. I see. Guys are.

They light you up right away. Right away. Okay. I mean, there is no, you know, it's no whole bar. For some reason, I thought that they could snap and then you had to go down the field to get hit or something. No, that's in college. Oh, I see. Oh, yeah.

College is a cupcake. I mean, that's just like, oh, snap the ball and run down. And then try to know. The NFL is a whole different ball game. And that's ultimately, I was like, a couple of, completely different position as far as college and NFL because you got you got these animals coming at you and it's a single one-on-one blocking these guys I would rather have a guy like Derek on punt which he would never be out there unless they had a defense day with which the

baltimore ravens actually did quite a bit they would just leave their defense on the field because if it was like a fourth and short a fake or something yeah but on field goals they would leave Derek, that was his position, because they have this tall guys to get like eight inches and then jump and try to block the kick. And they're not supposed to hit you because your head's down. Yeah. I don't know if you've seen the sister's rodeo like last week.

The bull. Oh, like, that was me. Okay. I was like. Standing at the concession stand. And you try to tell those bowls not to hit these guys after they buck them off. Right. You think Derek Watt or not Derek Watt,

sorry, Derek Wolf. listen to anybody in his entire life when he's on the football. That guy puts a helmet on. He might as well just be deaf because he's going to kill you. Yeah. So, I mean, it's as far as like, oh, yeah, you don't get hit. Oh, my gosh. I have so many neck injuries just from guys, you know, crossing over.

And I don't know. It's just, it's just funny because there's so many, like, misconceptions on it. Yeah. Well, that all that sounds super stressful and, like, not really that fun. I know it was fun. But what was, like, a highlight for you? Like, there had to be something that went good and you're like. Game winners were fun.

Yeah. I mean, God forbid before I was really, it was tough because I was like, oh my God, come on, Ben, just score a touchdown. Yeah. Make this a snap thing. Yeah, but it seemed like every year, I mean, we were always in those, you know, tight games. Tight games of Ben because he was always just like coming back or, you know, we're always

in games, which, you know, that's been. You're always going to be competitive. So we weren't getting blown out and, you know, guys weren't blowing us out. But we had a couple good game winners and those are always just fun. And they boost your confidence up a little bit. But then I just went away in like a week. So five times Sunday rolls around. You're like, oh, God.

Right. You don't remember the wins as much as the struggles for sure. I don't know how, that's just how human nature is. There's no doubt. I mean, I still have nightmares of, you know, those snaps in Arizona. So it's just, it is what it is. How about this? Are you the most famous person to come out of Sheldon High School?

Oh, yeah. By far. There's actually no other football player from Sheldon High School that's any good right now. Oh, man. I mean, why is Sheldon so good? Because, I mean, how many guys, I know you, and then we're kind of joking around about Justin Herbert came out of Sheldon. Now he's a superstar in the league. But why is Sheldon putting out guys?

I don't know. There might be something in the water. there. Yeah. No, there's a, Sheldon football has a great football program. I mean, since, you know, I was little, they, they kept me out of a lot of trouble and kind of formed me who I, you know, I am today because, I mean, not to get in too deep, but my parents got divorced when I was 12 and, and I have great parents and they're, you know, it's just when you're 12 years old and you can kind of go back and forth whenever you want.

I mean, it's just like, you could, you know, fall off a little bit. So having that structure of that program here in town really helped me, you know, become a man and kind of get me in a college. You know, get me that first step out of here instead of, you know, I mean, I always joke around like my special teams coach Danny Smith. He would always ask, like, Cam, what would you be doing if you weren't playing football? And I'd be like, Danny, I'd be working on a fucking paving crew. Just like how my dad did. I mean, I would be probably smoking some heaters working on a paving. career. It's just what it is.

Right. You know, it's a fine job. Like a lot, I mean, blue collar, that's where I come from. Somebody's got to do it. Yeah. And it's usually guys like us. I know. And it's like, it's, you know, I don't know how I got, you know, through college. I had pretty good, you know, vision, I think. So it was just like, I mean, just getting through college.

Sit by a smart person. Oh, God, yeah. It's the only way. There's no way I was past statistics. Like, are you kidding? Yeah. So I don't know. But. But yeah, just that program getting out and then just they develop men and then, you know, you get a Justin Herbert every once in a while, you know. Yeah. But it sure does help. Did you guys win a state championship?

Because it seemed like Sheldon does all the time. So my sophomore year, we won one with Jordy, coach Johnson's son. And then my senior year, we went to the state championship and lost to Lake Oswego. Oh. So it kind of sucked. But they're usually good too though. Yeah. I mean, there's good football and I don't know.

We'd hopefully get back to one soon. I've been asked a bunch to come help coach and do the football thing. But after it seems like 20 years of lacing them up, I'm just, I'm so ready to go Elkinton and just and freaking mule deer hunt and blacktail hunting. I just, that's, I mean, I'm a is, is, or more obsessed with that as I ever was at football, you know, I mean, I was, that's what I had to do. I had to be obsessed about being a long snapper and being a professional and shown up to work and watching film. But God, I mean, if you come into my house and I'm not either shooting my bow or, you know, watching YouTube on, you know, hunts and just, I mean, I'm just reading books and just trying to be a better hunter and planning, e-scouting, go hunt. I'm just always just, you know, that's what I'm doing right now. Yeah, I get it.

So that's like the next thing. And, you know, slowly a bit surely, things are going to come around. And hopefully I can do that for a long time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Be like you can.

Yeah, you never know. Except for not so many miles. I don't think I can do that. Oh, wow. It's, yeah, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Oh, I know. I tried, I did two ultras and that was like the worst thing. Oh, that's right.

That's right. What did you, which ones did you do? We did. I think it's the Y, 50k, I believe. It's the one on hood, Mount Hood. Yeah.

And that was my very first one, and I guess that's a really tough one. It was you and Jason. Yeah. Yeah. It was a really tough one, I guess. It had a summit hood twice. And we were running Piscca.

Like, we did like eight miles on Piscca. Yeah. We were thinking we were pretty cool. And then we get up there. Not a real mountain compared to those. Yeah. And I rolled my ankle twice. I'm just like,

because just old war injuries from, you know, I have no, like, immense. And I'm beat up as it gets to. and I'm just like, it felt good afterwards. Oh, for sure. It was just, I mean. A big accomplishment.

It is fun. And then, uh, was that a 50 mile reset? No, 50K. 50K, okay. But it might as well have been. 50K is still long. Everybody there was like probably, you know, below six feet. And then you got this freaking mammoth human.

And everybody was like, what in the hell are you doing here? They used to call like if you're over 200 pounds Clydesdale. Yeah. Like there was a division for the runners. Yeah, I was the only one. Clydesdale division. So you're the only Clydesdale there. You won.

Yeah. I was actually kind of making fun of this grandma, because I kind of recorded a few things. And I was like, yeah, I passed this grandma on like mile 13. And she whooped my ass. And she freaking passed me on like mile 28. Yeah. Women are tough. They can grind, dude.

It was like the first, because, you know, one of the things that Tanner said to me is like, don't judge people. I'm not, you judge them. Yeah. But like, don't judge them by the way their body looks as far as how. Being a runner tough. Yeah. There's people I was like, well, this guy's out of shape. Yeah.

Like this guy just ate donuts and then he's going to try to run 30. And then he's just flying, running like, you know, a nine minute mile for 32 miles. And then I'm just like, God. And I was like pretty shredded and working out and going to the gym and stuff, feeling pretty good about myself. Yeah. And then I had another one. I just, I was chasing Pacer for this 100K and I had no train because Tanner was supposed to pay.

to pace him. And then he had to do Truth's pull-up challenge. Oh, yeah, yeah. Right. And so Jason calls me, he's like, hey, dude, can you pace me for the last 32 miles? And I was like, sure, dude, I have been running up, Piscan, down Piscuit. I'm the perfect guy for you. Yeah, and I'm 240 pounds, okay? So let's do it. But thank God, he had cramps. So he wasn't running as fast as he could. And he still almost beat me. I was like, one of my pacing you four years. of way faster. He got it done though, huh? Yeah, he did.

Yeah. And it was a grind. That's impressive. I mean, we finished in like 745 or 755 or something like that. It's under eight hours, I think. Does that sound right? No. No.

For 100K? Me. Oh, for the... I wasn't paying attention. I think he probably did 16. And you did a 50K? Well, I just paced him. The last 32.

Yeah. Oh, yeah, that's not, that's pretty bad for the second half of that race. I don't care what he did. I was talking about. Gotcha. Yeah. I always tell people I ran too. I was really pacing, but I don't care.

You covered the distance. That's ultra distance. I didn't get any medals at the end. No, that's the only thing that sucks. But hey, you're an ultramarathoner because you did it. I know. I'm a runner now, Cam. There you go.

There you go. But that endurance definitely will pay off hunting. Oh, I know. I know. The miles suck, but I've been on a lot of hunts where they suck. And it's like the only way you're going to get it done is if you can just push when it's you know the chips are down yeah and uh yeah so when you're back there doing your just uh solo hunts how like what because that's what i want to try to i mean i've

kind of getting into solo hunts the last two years i've killed my bowl solo and i kill the buck in colorado solo um but i haven't i mean as far as like bibbing and stuff like that is that like getting over i mean i've stayed in my truck overnight yeah and like i'm just kind of solely warming up to. Yeah. Going in the back country. That's how everybody kind of is. Yeah.

Because it's even just the first night when you're by yourself, it's no service. It's kind of eerie a little bit. I mean, you got to maybe bring a book or do an audio download or something and keep your mind busy. I never like, well, this, you know, back when I was basically writing backcountry bow hunting and doing bivvy hunts all the time, it was before like audio books. But I never really would like, I don't think I'd like to have things in my. my ears where I couldn't hear.

Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. So yeah, reading for sure, but I used to do like just a lot of journaling. I would just write what happened for the day. You just kind of burn time. Plus, then you have, sometimes I would notice pick up tendencies I was doing or the animals were doing just by writing it down or thinking about it.

And I'd be like, oh, okay, I fucked this up. Because as I remembered what happened as I'm writing it, I'm like, oh, man, I didn't I mean think about it until I was doing this. And then you kind of, so you get a little better. You can kind of refine maybe some decision making. But it's, you know, same thing for me. I would drive over at night, get there in the middle of the night. Just go walking in because when you're walking, it's not too scary.

Yeah. And it'd be dark and, you know, there'd be shit flying in your headlamp and start on you or grouse or whatever. But just kind of grind it out. And then when the sun comes up, it's like life's good again. you know you might be tired but uh i would just go and i'd just stay one night and then go way back in new country i'd be tired because i drove all night so i could get to sleep and then come back out then come home and then just build on like that that one night at a time yeah because we're so used to being around people all the time being alone in the mountains is dude that's big change it is

it gets real quiet out there it does and really dark yeah and your your mind place tricks on you. Yeah. And I remember I'd be like, you know, you're laying there. Then you're like, God, I'm under a deadfall. You know, no doubt. You didn't pay attention when you're picking that out. And then it starts to get windy. And then you're like, God, is this tree dead? And then you're like, trying to see up. And it's like, because, you know, I've had trees come down. Yeah. And then you start worry about that. Then you're like, oh, did I camp too close to an elk trail? because I've had elk in the middle of night stampeding by my little bivisack.

Yeah. And so then I'm out with my headlamp, like flashing, trying to get them away. So none of that stuff, you don't think about any of that stuff until you're there. Until it gets dark. And then all this stuff is, yeah, right. Exactly.

So it's getting that confidence. It's just time. Yeah. Time. But the more you do it, obviously. But as far as, like, being effective in the mounds, there's no better way than bivvy hunting. Yeah.

Having your camp on your back. all the time, staying right when you find the elk instead of going all the way back and have to come all the way back in. It's, uh, nobody wants to do it because you have to pack that weight all the time. But with you being, you know, in shape and as big as you are, you could 40 pounds for you isn't like, you know, that's like half my body weight almost, right? So it's like, it's an advantage of for you, your size is all of a sudden now an advantage. Yeah. Because you can have, you can get that gear around yeah i mean definitely noticed that during deer season um in colorado when i was doing that when i killed that buck because i had a bull tag as well um and i was rifle hunting um and i went back

country you know it was only four miles or so um and i killed that buck and then i was i was i was packing it out and i had to do two trips because i just had so much stuff loaded down i didn't have my big pack that i have now yeah um but i was like oh this isn't back getting a deer out and then by the time I got back I was pretty whooped went back and slept and then got up and I was like well I'm gonna go try to kill a bull and then I got into elk that next day and I was thinking of myself and I was chasing around the mountain and I was thinking if I killed the elk back here by myself I think I'd freaking die yeah because I was pretty tired for my my buck but I was like good night you probably had decent weather

that wasn't warm was it no it was so cold I mean it was I mean it was cold it was like 13 degrees Yeah. So the meat would have been okay. Oh yeah. It was fine. It was funny because, you know, I have rifle hunted growing up, but I've been, you know, lately I've just been archery hunting. And I don't know all thins and outs about a gun. And the day before it rained real hard and got my gun wet, but I like wiped it off thinking, okay, it's fine. Well, the next morning I got up there and it was freezing weather. It was, you know, 15 degrees or 13 degrees or whatever it was. And I started seeing deer when I got up to, you know, the burn that I was hunting.

And I went to like, you know, check my gun and put one in because I was like seeing deer walking on the trail. And my bolt just fell out. And so I was like, well, that's not good. No. And so I'm like putting it in. It was just fall out. Putting it in.

So I'm like, this thing is like frozen, like the little thing in there. So I'm like, put the bolt down my pants. And I'm like trying to make a fire. So I'm like, because I'm seeing deer. Yeah. great. I've just spent four hours getting up here and it's like a foot of snow and I'm just like way up here now. Finally get to the spot and I'm just like my gun doesn't work. Oh man. So but like you don't realize how weather affects like you know backcountry stuff too. Like my and then I started a little bit

kind of panicking because you're by yourself, you're back there. My water line that I had my you know my drip line it froze. Everything was frozen. My gun was frozen. My gun was frozen. My lighters weren't working yeah so I was like am I I'm not gonna die but like I might not be good this isn't good and I like in experience you know so I'm just like I'm I'm getting like my jet boil out and then I had the little propane thing and I and I finally got a little you know spark spark and it just this flame was coming out of this jet this jet this jet boy like this and I'm like oh god yeah Yeah. You know, I'm not, this isn't good.

So just, I mean, I can imagine just, but you learn things like that. Yeah, you do. I mean, there's so much things that you learn just by going out there and getting into tough situations. And, you know, I should write things down because, you know, I make mental notes, but I've been hitting the head and not for me. Yeah. It's here today, gone tomorrow. I can't remember. I have to write it down.

So that would, that would be one good thing. But also, like with archery hunting, you don't have those weather challenges, usually like a late season rifle. So we might get a there could be a storm come through, but it's going to be like a day. Yeah. You know, so at least you don't have to deal with freezing generally. But yeah, it's more comfortable,

but then it could be hot. Water. Then it's water issue. But yeah, I mean, the bivouac hunting, man. And I just, once you get past, like the intimidation part of it or the lack of confidence, it's, man, there's nothing.

Yeah. It's like definitely. I'm going to feel free out there. It's the ultimate living. It just feels like, you know, because here in Oregon, too, now it's a draw over there for the elk. But you could just have a bear tag, lion tag, buck and bull. Four tags. And you're out there.

You're walking around. You can kill any of them. Exactly. And I've killed them all except I haven't, I don't, I've never had a really good shot at a lion. But, I mean, that's pretty cool, you know, just to have four tags and be able to just chase your dreams back. Well, those lions, man, they're out. I've seen three lines in the last three years. No, sorry, five lions in the last three years.

Really? One of them was a mama with two cubs, but the cubs were like 200 pounds on the lives. Yeah. They're big, they're big. Yeah, so I was like, then I called one in. And then last year we saw one eating a fawn or attacking a fawn. So they're out there. Oh, yeah.

I mean, we need to start hunting with dogs. I know. I know. That's just a sob story. I mean, we got to, I don't know, vote for it. Yeah. Figure something out because it is tough, but I don't know. I mean, as far as complaining about what's going on, I don't, you know as much as I should. And, you know, as far as getting things turned around, but I mean, I'm just the guy that just gets after it and tries to go find them.

I mean, they're hunting too. So that's how I look at it. You've killed a couple bowls, right? Yeah. I, last year I killed a really cool bull. I think you said you and Roy saw a bull like that. We called a funny horn, yeah. Yeah.

So I killed him solo, you know, in Oregon. And that was actually, it's my favorite bowl. I killed a nice six point to the year that I was released, actually. That was kind of God's way is saying, hey, dude, this is what you need to be doing. Yeah. But I, yeah, I killed that bull last year. and then, you know, as archery hunted mule deer, and I have a couple crazy stories about,

because one of your NFL free agents, I didn't really retire until this year. I just kind of decided that it was, you know, time. But last year and, you know, the year prior, I was hunting during the football season and I was getting calls on the mountain from, you know, team saying, hey, we're going to fly you out. Yeah.

And one of the last calls I really decided, I was like, hey, I think I should probably be done here. I was actually solo up in the strawberry wilderness. And I just, and there's no service up here where I'm at. And I just missed a three point. Shot right underneath them. How far? It was like 32 yards. Oh, God.

So dumb. And I missed a couple. It was my, my bow was off, of course. Yeah, that's my, that's my story. My bow was off. It was a PSE. It was a bo-tech. Oh, boat, oh.

Yeah, so that's why. And I, this is before I switched to shoot in a Hoy. Yeah. And my phone goes off, and I'm looking for my arrow. And my agent is calling. And I'm like, shit. So I answer the phone, and he's like, hey, where you at? And I was like, dude, I don't know how you're calling that now.

I'm like, I am in the wilderness. And he's like, well, Atlanta Falcons want you to fly out today. And I'm like, okay, he's like, well, we got a flight booked. What can, you know, we need to book your flight. What time can you be there? I'm in the strawberries. I got to get to the Redmond Airport in like two and a half hours. Yeah.

And it takes three hours to get there. Yeah. And I haven't showered in probably like four days. Yeah. And I'm in a time crunch. So I'm like, can you move it back to like 430 or 5? And it's like 8 o'clock. So I should be fine.

So I get to the trailhead and I'm like putting my stuff away and I look up and it's just this burn so you can kind of see. And there's a 170, 180 inch meal deal. Like 140 yards off the trail just staring at me. And he's got like a kicker not as big as that buck, but it was a nice buck. Yeah. And I'm like in my head and he's just staring at me and he's chewing and I can see him with no by-nows. I'm like, I'm going to make a decision here. Yeah.

And I was just like, in my mind, I was like, fuck it. And I put my freaking backpack on my tire and I went chase that freaking buck. And I got on him and I got to 72 yards and I drew back and I had him. And then I freaking shot right over him at 72 yards, which I had no business shooting a deer at 72 yards. Yeah. But I did. I shot at him, went right over the top of his back. And he bounced off.

And I went and looked for my arrow, found my arrow, no blood. And I chased him up the hill some more. And I'm already like an hour late to this thing. And then I went and showered at the, where it was Prineville. Somewhere in Prineville. I took a shower and met my dad at the airport. And he took my truck home. And I flew out to Atlanta and had a great try out.

Really? And then they didn't sign me. And I was back in the woods like three days later. And so that was just like my life. And I just decided like, hey, you know what? you know just like you can't date them both you can't you can't be at the top of the game as a professional athlete don't care if it's ping pong or whatever and then be passionate like you know how we are about hunting yeah you know and so I had to make a decision yeah and

you know for me there's obviously no living in hunting for you you've got it figured out but like that's a challenge for me down the road if I can make a living hunting that would be like a dream come true but I'm just gonna keep in shape keep positive attitude do what I love and then see how it all works out so there's there's worse approaches yeah I know and I was I'm just lucky enough to have done something to set me up to be able to pursue stuff like that because a lot of people don't get that you know opportunity and props and kudos to the people who work those nine to five jobs and that's still like how you did it you know wow I mean got lucky too but yeah so you've you bought a house and you rent that out right is that

Yeah, so I'm trying to get more into real estate. Yeah. And so I bought a house that's got two separate, you know, dwellings. Yeah, dwellings on there. So, and I'm renting that house out and then ideally I'd like to, you know, build a house and then rent them both out or maybe buy another duplex and try to do that. Yeah, that's the way to do it. That's the only thing that makes sense to me because I'm not, like I said, I'm not the smartest

guy in the world. You can't go wrong with real estate. And it's just something I can put my hands on. I don't need to trust anybody with my and I just and I have nothing else going on besides you know hunting and working out. If somebody needs their, you know, their shitter fucking work done, I'll go in there and, you know, snake their toilet. It sucks. I just did it last week. But it's like it's, it's what it is. It's kind of it keeps you busy. Yeah. I mow the field and, you know, take care of the properties and then, you know, we'll see. Hopefully I can get a few more down the road. Yeah. That'd be good just because the way real estate's going.

Right. I mean, we look for a house. for Tanner for it's hard it's hard finding houses in this area so if you can buy a couple and yeah they're only going to go up in value and then also it's not like you're on stocks where the stock market can take a shit and you lost all your money yeah you have the house it's like you're always going to have investment exactly yeah so that's that's that's cool well what's your uh like so is it just deer and elk big mule deer and big elk what do you love to what do you want to hunt i i mean i love both I've been calling in Bowls in September, it's like it's hard not to get giddy about that, you know. But I think this year I did draw a tag for mule deer, but I have two elk hunt.

Me and Chasing are going on Idaho. I'll hunt and I have, you know, September here. And so I just, I think I'm just going to try to hunt black tails, which I love black tails. Yeah. I mean, but I think I'm going to rifle hunt black tails with everybody else for one year just because if it's the year, I mean, I know I, I know you guys are probably like, oh, come on. But it is, I mean, I got to, I still haven't killed like a really nice. I have killed a few nice black tails, but it's the way they, so last year they had that

season go so far into the rut. I was just like, oh my God, they want all these big bucks to be just slaughtered. But I love taking people out during it. I took Truit out. It took Cat out. So, yeah, the season is definitely friendly to the rifle hunters. I know. And I think it'll come back like a day.

It'll be like a day earlier maybe than last year. It's the same slaughter. But still late into fucking November whenever it was. It's going to be a slaughter. And I was doing the same thing, because I archery hunted and Blacktail last year. And I was taking my buddies out. And they were just like, you know, shooting these bucks.

And I'm like, dude, I was working my ass off, you know, to even see a deer, you know, and trying to get in the range. But heck of a challenge, you know. Blacktail is on the ground. That was tough. I mean, profits of those Indicot boys, those dudes are freaking got it figured out. And Wyatt. Oh, yeah.

And Seabright, yeah. I haven't met him. I saw him in Costco the other day with his wife and kids and I was with my girlfriend. And I was like, that guy right there kills huge black pill. And she's like, who is it? And I was like, don't worry about it. Just know he kills big bucks. They just had a baby.

Yeah, I think she was pregnant. Yeah, and named it Roy. Oh, nice. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. So that's kind of cool. Wyatt, yeah, he's, he gets after it.

Him and Nathan, they do kill big, big blacktail. Yeah. They do a good job. But yeah, I don't blame you for, if you haven't killed a big one, the old rifle season would be the way to do it this coming, or this year. And that makes sense because I just, I mean, I'm going to chase elk all September. I just want to focus on that. Yeah.

Yeah, if you get two bowls in a year. And I'm trying to continue to eat all the meat I already have in my fridge and, you know, which is not a bad problem. I am I give it away too. And my friends, everybody's asking for it. So it's fun. But speaking to Roy, I always think about that guy. Like when I'm in the back country, like we were talking about,

it got dark, you know, one time. And I just had a blow on my back and on my flashlight. And I was starting to, you know, see things. I had an owl. And I could have swore it was a cougar. Yeah. Because their eyes light out. And then the light hits him and it looks like a big illumination behind them.

And I was like, oh, shit. There's a fucking cat. hat right there in the middle of the trail. And I'm like, oh, fuck. And he's like not going anywhere. I'm like, ah. And then I was like, got my gun out. I'm like walking.

And then it flies away. I was like, what am I doing? But then I'm like, I don't honestly. I was like, what would Roy, you know, how would Roy be thinking? Do you think that guy was like scared to anything? He's in Alaska by himself. Yeah. But because Tanner, you know, talks about him all the time.

And I hear stories from you and just like, what an inspiration. And it makes me a tougher person. I honestly, I think about Royal. The time, I think I met him one time at GI Joe's when I was like, yeah. My dad and I were in GI Joe's, and I was probably like 10. Yeah. And I remember him. And I asked my dad who it was, and he said, he's a really good hunter.

And then he talked to us and, you know, I was just a kid. Yeah. But just a kind, you know, guy. Yeah. And then just listening to all the stories. And, I mean, I don't know anybody else like that is, you know, I'm sure he's, I mean, He helps everybody, just his mindset and the stories that you share about him. It helps me when I'm, you know, struggling or feeling like a bitch.

I'm just like fucking be like Roy. Yeah. So it's like. Yeah. It's pretty cool. Yeah. I was, you know, like you're like getting it secondhand and it still helps. Yeah.

I, you know, I always credit him for making me as good or have the success I've had just because I just thought firsthand was. with him all the time and just was like it's hard you know and you're gonna you're gonna mirror anybody who you hang around right that's why i did those ultras yeah well i mean it's it's a good approach because if you hang around guys sit down at the bar every day how are you going to be any different you start drinking beers yeah and so if you hang around guys like roy you're going to be tougher and so that's that's what helped me but i'm i'm glad that i loved he would never obviously he never wrote an or anything but i'm like well i'm going to tell all your stories because they're epic in we're all very glad that you you talk talk about them because um i mean it does help people it helps people like me

you know so yeah yeah i have a sticker on my truck uh royd ross stick i saw that yeah i saw that but yeah i mean i like i said i didn't know the guy from adam really um obviously he's from around here but he inspires me and i mean you inspire me too so it's just like um yeah i'm pretty grateful that you're you know, took the opportunity or at sharing his story. Oh, yeah. Thank you. It's, uh, yeah, I mean, he means everything to me. Um, obviously it's why we have them on the table right here.

But, uh, you know, to your point about getting in the wilderness, we hadn't hunted the wilderness until we started going to the three sisters and we didn't know anything, didn't know anything about anything. So it's like nobody's born great at mountain honey. You know, you learn that. And then you get better, then you get tougher, then you get more confident. And it's just like it doesn't happen overnight. But even Roy for the legend and, you know, being as tough as he was,

we still were just kids who had to learn. Yeah. You know, and, you know, packing macaroni and cheese in there and big, the big green propane bottles for your stove and, you know, shitty gear and lamas. And so, yeah, it's like, we didn't know anything. What kind of boots were you guys wearing back in the day? Geez, probably like Irish setter or something like that. Those ones with the fur on the top and the...

Maybe. Oh, like the pack boots? Those are kind of like pack boots a little bit. My dad was talking about what they used to wear. No. So bad. No, the best... Morels or something?

Yeah, they could have been morels, but they were just cheap as you could get at Kmart here, Blue White Special. But I had the best pants I ever had, I got an action surplus, which I don't know if... That was ever open. It came with a big knife. Probably. Big booing knife. They were like twice the size, but they were wool.

And I got them like in this bargain thing. Because wool is like, you always heard, oh, you need wool. Are you hunting the mountains? God damn it. You need wool. And so I'd be like, oh, I got some little pants. And I just have to put like the belt. You know, there's hanging off, especially when they'd get wet.

They still would work because it's wool. But I mean, just the most terrible gear ever. Yeah. But whatever. I mean, we still try to figure it out. Yeah, kudos to you guys. We have all the high end. We just bought sleeping bags because we're planning on doing these big

freaking backpacking adventures this year. And, you know, we got all the nice stuff. And I'm just like, dude, we need to, like, really experience this stuff. Not that I'm going to do the wool. Yeah. The whole option. Well, here's something. You might, I'll just plant the seed, but, you know, my buddy Kib.

Yeah. So, you know, he bought that big. outfit in Alaska. Yeah. So I mean, if you want to go be a packer. I was going to actually reach out to Kip, I've thought about it many times. Because he's talked about if you just get up there and want to work a little bit, you can learn so much. Yeah. And it'd be free. You know what I mean? If you have time and then maybe. I don't know how my girlfriend would think about, she would think about that, but I'm down. Yeah. Tanner got married, so he's like out. Yeah. Even if it was just for like a a bear season or, you know.

So if you had, she would, it'd be better for her if there was a finish line. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's like, okay, I'm going to go from here to here. Yeah. And that's what I tell her is, you know, in the September. I'm like, yeah, we're only going to be gone for 15 days. Yeah.

But I promise I'll kill a ball on like week one. It's all good. Yeah. I'll give my, I'll do my best. But yeah, so I mean, that's an opportunity. Like when you're young and have freedom and because you don't have this job, you have to go to every day. Yeah. No, I'd love to get together with Kip.

Yeah. He seems like I haven't met him, but he's a good guy. Yeah, he's passionate about it. Definitely passionate. But yeah, he bought that. I'm going up there to hunt grizzlies in August, so I'll be up there. Dude, that freaking grizzly that you killed, that film you guys did is awesome. Fucking shit show.

But I was shaking in my boots when, I mean, that was great footage. I mean, I was kind of scared for you there for a second. Yeah. I mean, those guys, Brandlin did a good job on the film. Great film. Yeah, I just, I was like, I put the guys in a bad situation because of, you know, Arrow didn't hit. It hurts, but, yeah.

Yeah, but I was glad we were able to share it. And, I mean, it is what it is. You know, I mean, obviously, I would have liked perfect shot, but because of how it went, we created a bond with the other guys. And so it's, you know, I've never had a rifle. had to be involved in any of my bowhunt. So it's like I didn't like that part, but I can't just make it all about me.

Yeah. Because there's five other, or four other, how many guys were there? Maybe four other guys. And then it was in for baby, or mostly Roy's legacy or trying to live up to that.

So I can't make it about me just being a fuck, fuck up. No, yeah. Alaska is, you know, Tanner and I always talk about Alaska too. It's just, I mean, it seems like, heaven on earth really did you read silver tip i did yeah so i mean to me that's kind of what got me yeah those those guys who are just living on the edge yeah it's something like so i don't know it's just

like we're so safe in regular life yeah and then you read it's just like that that to me feels like true living and i just love it i kind of feel like a little bitch after i got done reading those books just because you're like, dude, those guys were hardcore and they just got after it for a long period of time. Yeah. I mean, you know, I've read other books about Alaska too, and it kind of seems that you're not going to conquer Alaska. No. But you can figure out how to live with Alaska. Yeah. And those guys just, I mean, a lot of them died up there, but, you know, they kind of were married to it. I mean, they kind of, that's where they wanted to, you know, be laid. down. I mean, shit. But yeah, that's a great book. Yeah, it's, I don't know, there's something,

I don't know, just seems, feels like that's how we should be living. But I love all that, that adventure stuff too. And also I love how if you read that book, you know, it's just, I think I kind of relate to it because they're talking about, well, they're shooting a hundred pound recurve and a 90 pound recurve. And nobody's like telling those, they're not telling each other all you don't need to pull that much weight they're like like all these fucking guys around here's like you don't need to shoot 90 pounds it's like shut the fuck up why don't you just do whatever you can do and i'll do what i can do but those guys they were shooting these high pounders with recurves i guarantee they weren't judging each other just like no we're fucking badasses is what we do

because we can yeah i like that yeah that's that's like ultimate you know uh just alpha yeah when you get a bunch of dudes like in a locker room and and they have one you know one thing in their mind is either go kill a bear or like go win a championship yeah these fuckers aren't saying oh well you know why don't you putting you know that much weight on the bar yeah are you doing that no they're like fuck yeah let's go because you see something in somebody's eyes you're like this motherfucker is not messing around yeah and you know I was never that guy but no I saw it tj watson eyes a few times I was like dude don't stay away from him right now he's in Yeah, well, you have to learn a lot from just that attitude.

And that's what that's, so if you're at the pinnacle of whatever, so those guys in Silver Tep at the pinnacle of hunting and, you know, wild adventure, they're going to have that same type of mindset as the guys in the NFL locker room who want to win at any cost. Yeah. And that's the type of people I'm attracted to. Yeah. I'm not attracted to these fucking guys making excuses about why they can't get it done or why they can't do this or that. It's just like it's, it's two different worlds.

It is. It's completely. And I couldn't agree with you more. Yeah. I mean, it's just like, and it's hard to find people to do that, you know. That's why Tanner and I and Jason, I mean, that's why we did the ultras. And I mean, that's why we became friends, really, because we all have similar mindsets. And we're not trying to fucking, you know, keep anybody down. We're just doing our own thing. We really don't give a shit what anybody else is doing.

Exactly. You know, and it's just like, what can we do more? Like, where can we, you know, get out to? and have an adventure that's going to push us where, you know, Frank Church wilderness, you know, something like that. Like, just stuff like that is, you know, what I strive to do and continue to strive to do and, you know, try to do it for as long as I can, you know. Yeah, what I would always say, like, what's your story?

Do you have a story? Tell me a fucking story. Yeah. If you don't have a story, what are you doing? Yeah. So, like, you got to do shit that, like, when you come back from it, People are like, what happened? Yeah, exactly.

And so many people go through life and it's like, their story is they went to Disneyland or went to fucking Hawaii. I know. It's not a story. Tell me something. Cool. And when your kids grow up, they're not going to be like, hey, dad, you know, how much, you know, money did you make? Yeah. They don't care.

No. When I looked at my dad, I was like, you know, tell me about when you and Uncle Ross went in, you know, and shot that bull or grandpa. Or like some, you know, what were you guys doing? Like, the stories is what makes me want, wanted to hunt, you know, and the old pictures of them with, you know, red, you know, flannels on. Yeah. And with a freaking raghorn in the back of the truck. Yeah.

Like, that's the stuff. Like, those pictures of them in the wall tent with 30 case of beer and they're just, like, young. And they're just like, like, way back in there just, I mean, they didn't have any cares in the world. That's like, I was like, oh, that's what I want to do. I want to get like have a story to tell like you guys must have been pretty tough huh it's like nobody gives a shit about the vacation you and no and and honestly you're probably not going to have a whole lot of stories about that vacation you could talk about that pool but that pool's probably gone the food were yeah the food was good and you had a margarita what yeah so what but yeah it's like uh so in the thing what's cool about it though is like you talked about the guys in the locker room not everybody can experience that but yeah it's like uh But people can experience adventure, you know, if you want it bad enough. I mean, because I could want to be in the NFL's, you know, worse than anybody. It doesn't mean I'm ever going to make it.

But like what we do with this bow hunting or with the mounds, they're calling to you. You just have to go. Yep. So there's no, there's nobody stopping you. It's just whatever reservations that you have as a person. But, man, it's a big world out there with a lot of adventure. Yeah. And it takes time.

I mean, to just, you don't want to just go back in there and not know what you're, but, you know, you got to create your own story. So, but it starts by getting up off the fucking couch. Yeah, for sure. Putting your shoes on. Yeah. Going for a run. Getting out there.

Running Piscuit. Getting a feel for things. Maybe go do a couple hunts up and, you know, buy a warehouser permit or something and go shoot a buck with your, with your rifle. Yeah. That's where it starts. Find some guys back there that don't want to have a good time to. Yeah.

Yeah, it's where it starts. Yeah, it's, I mean, people say it's really hard. It's like, oh, like, how did you get into honey? And it's hard for me, you know, going back to Brian. Yeah. I mean, he just bought his first boat, but it's like, it's fun to get people in this, because it's such a far cry from how people live now, you know? And so it's just like, they go into the store and buy shit food,

and they put in, it's like, oh, you hunt, you kill and stuff. And it's like, I do way more than that. It's just a small thing. Like I, you know, I'm obsessed with these critters here. Yeah. Like I am obsessed with the mountains. I mean, I feel more at peace when I'm just, and I don't have to kill anything. Yeah.

But when I do, it's like so much respect and all that, you know, that goes into that, the work. I mean, I'm not just driving down the road, rolling my window down with a heater and shooting one out of the truck. I mean, that just makes my stuff. stomach sick. Like, there's a lot of that going on too, but it's just besides the point. It's just getting people out showing them this, there's, there's something, there's something here and it's very special and it's been in this for a long, long time, you know. Did you ever see that film of Roy killing that big brown bear? I watched a few. When he was on the river. Yeah, he shot across the river. Those two were kind of fighting. Yeah, I mean, watch that. Yeah, that, to me, stuff like that or like

when we had that moose hunt, we had a great moose hunt that year he died. Those are life-changing adventures. Yeah. You know. Gives me goosebumps. It really does because that's just like. It's just there's nothing like it.

Yeah. Especially like with Roy with that in that bear, that bear won the Fred Bear Award up in Alaska as the biggest. Just a giant bore. And he's just calm as can be 40-some yards. just a machine. And I just, I don't know, I'll never get tired of watching Roy doing that or watching adventure like that.

And it's almost just like when you kill anything with your bow or rifle, and if you're doing it the right way, it's almost like it was all meant to be. Yeah. Do you get that feeling? Yeah, for sure. Like it wasn't supposed to be this bull. It wasn't supposed to be this buck. It wasn't it was supposed to be that

You know what that What that's what that transpired to be Is so special and me and this arrow and this boat And that animal We're just perfect timing Yeah And everything you did leading up to that Every day

Since he was born You guys met and then you took his life And then you continued to go through the process Skin him out Yeah bring him home Yeah enjoy the memories with people like whether it's a trophy or not that that whole experience is a trophy to me yeah and like for you know and then you get those those extra special ones with people like roy

and then you're like oh my god that's something that it gets ingrained in your mind and then you can tell your kids about that and then people like me hear that and then they want to be like you guys and then we're still talking about it you know and it's like what that moment you talked about I was thinking fate for a second, but then how I always think about hunting, and I even mentioned on that grizzly film, was this destiny. This was destiny.

Brought, made this happen. So destiny has so many different things. That's why I was a little bit upset with the other guys being there because I thought, well, destiny needs to, am I going to kill the spares? Are you going to kill me? So whatever, but destiny does play into those moments

and then how you react and the outcome And that's why it just feels like this is just how it was meant it was written. Well, it was destiny that they were there too. Yeah. You know? And now it's destiny for them. Yeah, it's true. It's true.

And they have a story to tell their kids. Yeah. Yeah, that's a good point. They probably wouldn't be talking about it if you just heart shot of that thing. And when Skinda gave you a high five, they're going to tell their kids and be like, hey, me and Cam Haynes. Yeah. You know, I backed him up and it was a crazy thing.

And, you know, he was upset about it. but I kind of saved his life. And then now his son's going to think he's a real freaking badass. That's a good point. You know, and whether he saved you or not, I'm sure, but it's just like you guys had that bond. So it was kind of destiny. That's true.

That's an excellent point. That's a good way to look at it. Yeah. You know, it affected more than just, you know, you. And now it's a story for him to tell. For sure. And he probably worked his ass off to be there too. Oh, guarantee.

You don't get to Alaska on accident. Especially back there. That was way. That was way back. So now he's got something. Yeah. And that was Kip's brother Kobe had this bear gun. And he hit it in the hip, which it was coming right at me.

I shot hit it in the chest. But it turned it so it got it off me. So his shot, it was huge. But that was Kobe Folks. It's just like in the clutch. Yeah. It kicked out. So you're right.

He's got that story. Kip tells a story about his brother shot at charging grizzly. so he has his you know he has that and then that elevates his brother and everybody's you know and they hear the story so that's an excellent point i i was i was making it too much about me which i think we do sometimes yeah i mean going back it's just those ones that you you always think about like the new england game you know that's just those ones that are just that far off and it's just like god oh yeah i don't think i can justify that one but i think we got yours i think we kind of said told yours yeah yeah we talked it through that's good yeah um therapy session i still need to figure

mine out but it's uh i i did want to hear like tanner mentioned this story but you talked about the alphas in the locker room who was the biggest alphas you played with god so my rookie year um i wasn't supposed to make the team there's a 13 year vet gregg warren in the steeler's he was my rookie year is my second year so i got i got called in um to to be part of the the program and the locker room guys the equipment managers they do the seating charts in the locker room and they uh i was just the young kid snapper that wasn't going to make the team so they thought it would be funny to put me in a corner it's there's just four or five lockers in the corner and then the rest other ones are around the in this big circle and my locker partner was

james harrison oh god and then uh he's scary yeah God. And then as Antonio Brown and Vince Williams were next to me. So it was just those three. Those are legends. Yeah. And so it was just me, the only white kid in the corner. And Mike Tonlin would come by once a day and goes, hey, Canada, how's the ghetto treating you? And I was like, I was just like, I was just like, I was just like, I'm just like, God, and James Harrison to come in from practice. Be like, hey, white boy, come wash my back in the shower. And I was like, what's going on here? Do I have to do this? I had to get funny fast. Yeah. Because if you can't hang, I mean, you're right.

So Tom would come back in here, like, probably third time he asked. I'm like, all right, I got to say something funny to him. Yeah. He's like, hey, Candide, how's the ghetto doing? I'm like, I'm cripping because. And he started bustling up laughing. And so I kind of like, they gave me my flowers and quit fucking with me. Yeah.

Eventually, once I made the team, I got my locker put in. Oh, okay. In a different area. So it was nice. But James Harrison's got to be. one of the most alpha guys who's ever played. Yeah, I mean. He seems like it.

He kind of, I mean, do you have a buffalo in here anywhere? Because he's like, that freaking, he's huge, you know? Like a water buffalo. Yeah, and the house over there. Dude, that guy was, I mean, he's like deep. We called him Debo. Right. From, I think it's Friday.

Yeah, I think so. Yeah. A big jack guy. Yeah, so he was probably the alpha. I'm Cam Hayward. I mean, he's a grizzly bear. Yeah. That guy's huge.

Running back? Was that running back? No, he's a defensive tackle. Oh, okay. Who is Hayward? Wasn't there an old Pittsburgh running back? That was named Hayward? No, I don't know.

Maybe. Oh, maybe, yeah. No. Oh, Ironhead Hayward was his dad. Oh, okay, I got you. Oh, okay. But he was a running back, and by Cam is much bigger. He's 6'6, like 320 pounds.

We called him head because his head is like huge. I put his helmet on and like, get swinging around like a 10. top. God. I mean, these guys are just on a different planet. Yeah. But as far as intensity goes, it doesn't get any more intense than T.J. Watt on the Sunday. I mean, that guy is like, he turns into a full grown male lion. I mean, it's just attack, attack, attack. That guys... Be tough to block. Keep him off the quarterback, wouldn't it? I mean, when you see him, you're just like, how is this guy dominating? Because he's, he's big and he's strong, but it's like his motor and his drive in his heart, he just beats guys down and then just when it's time to go, he's still,

he's still on top of you and you're tired and it's just. Right. He's got like, you know, those guys in the UFC that just don't slow down and they just wear and wearing, wearing on you and then you're done. Yeah. That's how he does the defensive or offensive tackles. I mean, it's fun to watch. He takes over football games.

Yeah. Yeah. I was his roommate on the road for four years. I don't know how or why. Yeah. But we were roommates on the road and it was a good, good experience. hanging out with him he's just a great his chill off the field yeah i mean he's just he's one of the nicest guys we're we're still good buddies and you know talk every once in a while he's he's gonna

send me a jersey um i forgot to get one from him when i was making my exit out of there yeah i hit him up was like hey because i was getting all my stuff packed unpacked and i have all these jerseys i'm like i didn't get a freaking watt jersey so yeah oh nice i was going to bring you a jersey but i forgot oh well i had a lot going on today i was trying to get brian's bow too We need to have, so I'd love to have your jersey up here because I have, like Levi gave me one of his shooting shirt where when he won the championship. Yeah. And then I think I, yeah, so. Oh, and then Aaron Rogers.

I was going to say. I was like, fucking Aaron Rogers gave me. I can't. I can't. I mean this doesn't get a shit about my jersey. No, for sure. I know I want it. I'm going to frame them.

That's cool. I'll get you a game worn one too. I have another one. I was like, should I give him a game? I'm like, yeah, I'll give you a game one. What, that would be great. Yeah. What about A.B.

A.B. He's one of the hardest working motherfuckers I've ever been around in my entire life. So that's Antonio Brown. This is like one of the best receipts. I think, yeah, I mean, just big play guy. He was always a great teammate to me. I think he just, I mean, after he got hit by Burefick, he might have been a little bit. He got lit up.

I mean, but Bufick was kind of dirty. Oh, yeah. Head shots. He was dirty at Arizona State. Yeah. When the ducks played him, you couldn't. I mean, I grew up watching him and played against him. But A-B is just, I mean, we had one story.

There's all these, it was during camp, I believe, and we had all these, you know, rookies trying to make the team. And we have trackers on our jerseys, and it shows you, like, every day the trainers get these trackers, and it shows how fast you ran, how many, you know, miles you ran, all this stuff, your heart rate. And before practice, one day, our head trainer, came in and he did this debriefing on you know the stats on all these guys and he had you know

the last guy and he's like okay and then he went down the line and then started flipping pages on like and then Antonio brown was on like the last page because he was so far in front of everybody else and this is during like camp and guys were like trying to work their absolute ass off to make the team and he's still blown everybody out he still out working him outworking him he's with the guy had a motor he didn't slow to down and he was like that for 16 weeks and i think that's probably why him and ben probably got into it a little bit because you know ben had his two super bowls yeah and he got banged up and ben would sit out a little bit yeah he like to just take it easy till sunday you know he's in i mean he

kind of earned it yeah but when Antonio brown is running routes for the second third stringers and then he's not getting that connection on sundays he's yeah he's not getting that connection on sundays he's start freaking out. Yeah. That's kind of what he did, which I don't, I don't blame him. Right. Because he's got that Michael Jordan mindset. Yeah.

Yeah. And when you didn't get a guy, he might not practice all much, that much. I love Ben. Yeah. And Ben was a leader of the team. And Ben, I mean, Ben knew what he's doing. He was older. Like, he had to sit out.

Yeah. He had to rest his arm. What are you going to do? For sure. And his body. We all know what happened when Ben went out for that elbow. I mean, we didn't, I think we won like three games. Yeah.

You know, like, A, B just was just took a little bit too hard, I guess. Yeah, I mean, but that ultra competitive person, and that's, and as good and as hard as he worked, I could see, I could see it happening. And I understand it. But then I also see Ben's side, too, as you said. Yeah, he paid his dues. He had 500 yards passing in a game. It's pretty good. And I love Ben, so I don't want to, like, throw him onto the bus for not probably.

I think everybody knows that Ben towards his end of his career, he was kind of just like, trying to make it to Sunday, which kind of so was I. For sure. But I was a lot younger than that. Yeah. That just goes to show how big of a freak Ben was. I don't know. If you guys, I mean,

want to look up Ben, the rushing highlights of Ben. It's fun to watch. Really? I don't know. He's like, on Instagram you see it and it's like, fuck it. Ben Rolfesberger highlights of him rushing for touchdowns.

He was like in the pocket and take, that guy was fast. Really? Yeah. And he's like jukeing guys and running. That's awesome. He's agile. He's a big boy.

Oh my God. You hunted with him. Yeah. Yeah, we killed, we both killed Bucks. Yeah, he's a, he's a fun guy, and he kind of has that Vince Vaughn personality a little bit. Yeah, yeah, he's a good laugh. Yeah, he said, he remembered you, talked about you. Yeah, he better of.

He was my backup holder. Oh, yeah? Yeah, so, like, I would snap to him and give him shit, but. Yeah, no, he, he seemed like a good guy. I could see where people would look up to him, and, you know, he just got that thing about him. Plus, you know, winning a Super Bowl and. Two. Did he win two?

Yeah. I thought he made it to two and lost. Or did he win two? He won two. Oh, okay. The first one, the defense one. That's when James Harrison had that. The return?

I think they had a freaking unreal defense. Didn't he have like a hundred yard of return? Yeah. Yeah. But they had a really good defense. And then the second Super Bowl, he had that drive and then threw it in the way. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. got the toes down yeah yeah that's true he didn't went all right i was wrong yeah that's awesome yeah and being from pittsburgh that's it that's about it's like it's the city of champions i mean yeah there's pittsburgh fans everywhere that's why they love them oh yeah yeah you can stay in

pittsburgh and just live free if you like for this people are just like come do events come to events you know yeah do you need a car that's pretty cool Yeah. Yeah. Well, man, Cam, that was, I, you know, I'm glad we had a chance to sit down and you're on the pod. Now people can learn more about you and hear about what you care about, which is big adventure, it sounds like. Yeah, it is. So I really appreciate you having me on Cam. It's, you know, great to chat with you. And always an honor. We go do some lift, run shoot next time or something. Yeah. Yeah, we can do it. Yeah. And I'm glad you're, you know, Been a good friend for Tanner and you and Jason and Tanner make a,

I like seeing you young guys working hard and you guys all work hard and all have the same kind of mindset about being in the woods and trying to get things killed and having fun. And so, yeah, I'm very appreciative that you guys have each other. It's the only beginning and we're going to hopefully learn a lot and have a good time and stay safe out there. All right. Thanks, man.

I really appreciate you. Thank you. All right. Keep hammering, guys.