Club Shay Shay - Club Shay Shay - Sterling Sharpe Part 2

Episode Date: July 30, 2025

In the second half of Sterling Sharpe's sit-down, the brothers reminisce about their early jobs, and how trying different things helped them figure out what they didn’t want to do. Shannon even learned to drive at 5 years old. Sterling shares how those experiences shaped his mindset as he chased his football dreams.Though he dreamed of playing for Clemson, Sterling chose South Carolina (USC) for deeper connections — a school that would later retire his number, which he nearly unretired once for Duce Staley. He recounts being drafted in the first round, alongside Anthony Miller, Aaron Cox, and Anthony Jones, and thinking he was headed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers.Sterling reflects on life in the NFL, including not knowing what the receiving “Triple Crown” was until Cooper Kupp achieved it. He shares how Jon Gruden once compared him to Michael Jordan, how fast Deion Sanders truly was, and how different the game looks now. Coaches and peers like Andy Reid believed that if Sterling hadn’t gotten hurt, he would’ve gone down as the greatest wide receiver ever.Sterling also shares memories of playing alongside Terry Crews, his devastating injury, and how even Jerry Jones once asked him to make a comeback. Today, if given the chance, he says he’d love to play with Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson. The episode ends with a reflection on his eye surgeries, life after football, and the journey that led him to his Hall of Fame moment.This isn’t just a football story — it’s a story about family, sacrifice, legacy, and resilience. Don’t miss this rare, heartfelt sit-down between two legendary brothers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart radio app. Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club. San Diego coming to MLS is gonna be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need to embrace this community. Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people, an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapinoe, to the show, and we had a blast. Take a listen. Sue and I were like riding the Lime Bikes the other day and we're like, whee! People ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests like Megan in store plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple

podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network. Hey guys, it's AZ Fudd. You may know me as a gold medalist. You may know me as an NCAA national champion. You may even know me as a gold medalist. You may know me as an NCAA national champion. You may even know me as a people's princess. Every week on my new podcast, Fud Around and Find Out, I'll be talking to some special guests about pop culture, basketball, and what it's like to be a professional athlete

on and off the court. Listen to Fud Around and Find Out, a production of iHeart Women's Sports in partnership with unanimous media starting August 7th on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. I think all the things that we did growing up, it definitely the work ethic, but I knew I didn't want to clip onions for the rest of my life. I know I didn't want to bail hay.

I didn't want to load watermelons. I don't want to do tomatoes. I don't want to pick up pecans. I don't want to crop tobacco. I don't want to catch chicken. I don't want to pour concrete. I don't want to do tomatoes. I don't want to pick up pecans. I don't want to crop tobacco. I don't want to catch chicken. I don't want to pour concrete. I don't want to lay ass. But I don't want to work. I'm looking at your face, man.

You say that and I'm looking at this thing right here. I'm like, this dude is angry. It was like, I'm determined not to do that, bro. And that's good. That that but that served you. Oh, well, bro. I remember you were in college. Now, I'm working in Savannah for Richard and for Maurice Bland. Now, I gotta be, we gotta be on the job at like six.

Savannah is an hour away. That's right. Yeah. I gotta get up, wash my face, get down there, and we're not getting off the job until like 530. I'm like, man, I don't want to do this. So we, I mean, they, right there, we're not getting off the job until like 530. I'm like man I don't want to do this so we I mean they right there we have no ride number we pushing we cutting two acre grant two acre lawns and three acre lawn would push him more we building burns we man we lay an asphalt for parking lots and

putting down cross-tide I said nah man this ain't for, this ain't for me. This ain't for me. I mean, look at it. But the thing was, I did that too. I left college during the summer for the two months, month and a half that I had off. And I'm back in the field with Mr. Joe. Or I'm back in Savannah, laying side landscaping with Richard Golden. I'm doing all that too, because in college, I don't need a lot of money, but I need some. Right. But it's not it's just means to an end.

This dude is like, I mean, he's like, man, I don't want to lay railroad ties or clip onions. Or I'm like, no, I know I didn't want to do that. We looked out of the same window and saw two totally different things. And yet, and still, at 60 and at 57, we end up in the exact same place. I'm like, look, I can't make this story up. I ain't never look at this or never, I can't make this up. But for us to end up where we are, seeing two totally different things, obviously that's your life.

There are many like it. That one is yours. And you used what you saw and what you wanted and didn't want to your advantage. I commend you for that. People ask, man, how do you develop your work ethic? You ain't got no choice. Wait, hold on.

See, the thing is, is their work ethic is, do I want to do it? Right. When you got no choice, you're gonna do it. Yeah. And you are going to do it better than anyone else does anything else. Right. And so it ain't like, oh, you know what, I'm gonna half ass this job because I don't, oh no, no, no. Because see see you ain't doing this for him or him

Because everything you do goes home this represent Mary Porter right now Yep, Mary Porter is at the house and I don't want Joe Tatum or miss Joanne Tatum or tiny Tatum going back and telling Mary he worked but he don't do it very good. No, no, no, no everything you do goes home. And I've had this conversation about the Hall of Fame. I'm like, the Hall of Fame ain't for me. Oh, that's for Mary Alice and Libby. And if Mary Porter was here and for Shannon

and for William Hall and for Buddy McCall, that's for them. Because see, everything I did is a reflection of everything they gave me. And people don't understand that because they look at, they live in the here and now. So I'm working for you. And I don't wanna work for you. Cause I wanna, I really wanna do real estate.

So I'm working to get my real estate license so I can get away from you right instead of understanding that guess what i'm working for you Because what i'm doing is a reflection of who I am and so they get caught up in the wrong thing because Everybody is And i'm not saying it's right wrong or indifferent. I'm just saying that there's a better way to do it. Yeah, obviously You learned Papa learned you let you learn how to drive. He let you say okay, just follow me We learned it. I learned how to drive it to the back of feel out five or six years old And none of the big kids wanted to go get the car all the way down there, which was which was like you and we're talking

about like 60 yards yeah we ain't talking about a mile so the truck is 60 yards and they'd be like hey uh who want to go get the truck gone i'm five or six years old hey all right just be careful pete we so let it let it press the gas because I can't see over the steering wheel. So let it go. He working to steer. I work in the and he working to steer wheel like there's no tomorrow. So he he like it. Lanny it.

So the truck is going like this and it's like so imagine what that looks like coming down a row about this wide. It's hilarious. But that's how we learned how to do things. Um. You mentioned that sports would like you didn't get an opportunity to play until like your would not have gotten a chance to play it on the board or doesn't. If if Papa doesn't die and I'm not going to say die in 77 or 79 or 81 if he doesn't die I never

play football to America who's gonna see this greatest day of my entire life because all I ever wanted to do was play football because everybody tells everybody will say man your brother so fast he could to do was play football. Cause everybody tells me, everybody will say, man, your brother's so fast. He could play football, but because of what transpired with my uncle, because our high school coach coached my uncles. Yes. He also coached my mom.

My mom graduated in 60. So that lets you know just how long he's been a coach. And he let him, Papa let my uncles and him play. He said, but. Wait, who broke their leg? James. James broke his leg, Thurman broke his collarbone. Thurman broke his collarbone.

And he said, now, if anything happens, who gonna help me in these fields? Who gonna, told Coach Follow, who gonna pick my- Well, he told Coach Harden, Coach Harden tell Coach Follow that Papa had told him that. So he let Coach Follow take the boys home. And they're like, who gonna pick my back? Follows like they're gonna be me. They did hold in there and that's it

So it wasn't gonna be no more football. So and I know how it sounds I Know how it sounds but I want you to understand a guy an older gentleman told me one time. He said, you know what a dream is And I said No, sir He said a dream is a gift you give to yourself It's the only dream I ever had. It's the only gift I've ever given myself was to play football That's why nothing ever bothered me

That's why nothing ever bothered me. That's why having been redshirted my second year, which was at the time the greatest year the University of South Carolina ever had, never bothered me. That's why leaving the NFL, you know, where people would say, dog, you are not in your prime, you are coming into your prime. Bro, my last year catching 90 something passes for a thousand yards and 18 touchdowns and

never play again, never bothered me because I had accomplished my dream. I had given myself that gift that I could give to myself. Man, I was, you know, and a lot of people don't understand that, but let me tell you, coming from where we come from, how we came, I got no problems and got no complaints. Yeah, I wanna know why you cut me with that knife, man. Okay, hold on, where'd I cut you? On the thigh, right.

Where'd you cut me? It's still there, it's right there. Well, this this one. I wait. Hold on. I wanted to see how sharp the knife was cut through his jeans cut his leg to pair of jeans. They were short. Hold on.

He threatens me. So I got to let him cut me. If you notice where my cut is, you probably can't see my cut is right here. Two centimeters to the left. I ain't here. bleed out look it cost him a cut back and a couple of you know a couple of silver dollars what I gotta tell Papa I gotta tell if you don't let me get you back. Got to. Got to tell.

And then you wouldn't have been here. And then I still wouldn't have been here. So I'm definitely where I'm supposed to be. There ain't no doubt about that. Who do you think we got the athleticism from? Mom or dad? I honestly don't know. And the reason I say that is, is I don't know, I know my mom did something,

and I know my dad did something, but I don't know. I mean, the thing is, I'm going to step outside the box and talk about athleticism because I think a lot of people think, oh, because of LeBron, Bronnie and all these other kids are going to know what is your determination. I don't think you got to where you got to because oh you got your athleticism from your mom and you got your smarts from your dad or vice versa. No. I think because of your circumstance and what you saw in that thousand block center block house made you develop speed, strength, skill, stamina,

and more importantly, determination that I have to make this work because I don't want that woman, Mary Porter, living like that anymore. Right. And I don't think athleticism is inherited or passed down. I don't believe that. I don't.

Because I don't think you need athleticism to be successful in sports. I think you need timing, luck, grace of God, to put you in a position, let me tell you, if I go to New York, if I go to Texas, if I go to California, we are not sitting here having this conversation. Right.

If you go to class and you're a straight A student, we are not sitting here having this conversation. If I don't have to come home and tell you, bro, you going to Savannah State, we ain't going to Army, you going to Savannah State, we ain't having this conversation. Because of the circumstance and the way things fall, it gives you an opportunity to grow that which you need to do that which you need to do. That's all. That's what I believe. What do you think your best sport was in high school? Track. 100, 200, 4x1, 4x4, long jump. I think track was my best sport. Football was the easiest because as Buddy McCall used to say, the reason why you run the triple option so easy is you don't care about your stats. The triple option is trust.

The triple option is I'm reading, I'm riding the fullback and I'm reading the tackle. And then after I read the tackle, at some point my eyes have to go to the end. So I approach the end and I have to approach his inside shoulder and I have to determine if I can get there or if I need to pitch it. I never cared about keeping it. I never cared about numbers. Like I can't tell you. The one game I can tell you in football was the one game I didn't play against Montgomery County my senior year the only game I've ever missed because I got Cut and it got infected Right here, and I didn't I was in the hospital all week. I got out Thursday. I didn't play Friday

That's the only thing I can tell you about when I look at Track and field I Had had battles, man. La Donne, Greg Stafford, Herschel Walker, going 23-8 in the long jump at the Georgia Relays, winning that against people in schools that I'd never heard of or didn't know. Track was probably my best sport because 100, 200, four by one relay, four by four and long jump. Yeah, I was probably, I was in the top two in the state knows for a long time.

Do you wish you had focused more on what? No, football is what I wanted to do. I wanted to play football. I was going to be a football player come hell or high water. I was gonna be a football player if I had to murder two people. I was gonna be a football player. Right. Now, if I play, if I got in the NFL and got cut, I'm fine with that. Cuz I got there. Right. I got my chance. Got my opportunity. It's all I wanted.

Um so no, football was what I wanted. That's where I wanted to be. That's where I where my growth and development was from. You get a scholarship and you go to the University of South Carolina, but that's not where you really wanted to go. You wanted to go to Clemson. I did until... They told you. No, no, no.

I went to South Carolina because I knew everyone. You know, Dominique Bl blasting game and Quentin Lewis from Bradwell Institute, which was in Hinesville. I had, you know, run track against Thad Johnson. Right. Johnson County. I knew most of the guys that were at South. Emory Baker, my cousin, was at South Carolina. So I knew, let's say there was 100 guys on the team.

I had either played football, basketball, or ran track against 80 of them. So that's why I felt comfortable going to South Carolina. Right. If you mentioned that you got... But the only reason I wanted to go to Clemson was because of Homer Jordan. You wouldn't. You was number three. He was number three. He was number three. But, but, you know, they wanted you to play DB. They wanted me to play DB.

And I was like, like Georgia. And I was like, ooh, I need to have the ball in my hand. So, but you know, my favorite player was Conjurors Holloway at Tennessee. Homer Jordan, war number three, so of course I gravitated to him, but Conjures Holloway? Yeah. Man, look. What do you remember most about your playing days

at the University of South Carolina? What made that so special? Because... I can't get to the NFL without it. I can't get there without South Carolina. But just growing, man, just being there and figuring it out, I almost slunked out of South Carolina. I was a knock on my door and our academic advisor going,

Sterling, you know, hey, I don't want to bother you, but next semester if you don't have a 4.0 or 3.6, you're gonna flunk out. You got to go back to Georgia, man, ride a tractor. Oh, what are you doing? See, I ain't never had that problem. You know, me, I understand. I got my work. Got my work.

Got my work. Bro, we'll come back to that. But South Carolina gave me an opportunity to grow, develop, and more importantly, take what I had gotten from Glenville and administer and empower that in Columbia. That's what it did. But at the university, you played a lot of... You didn't play quarterback. They wouldn't let me, but go ahead. Wide receiver, running back. I think one year they try to put your DB. Yeah. Yeah

they were out but but In today's situation kids will transfer yeah in my situation I just want to play so if you want me to play defensive tackle at two hundred and twelve pounds Let's go. You want me to play defensive end at 212 212 pounds. Let's go. You want me to play defensive end at 212? Let's do it. Right, you know, because I just wanted to play and I think I think a lot of young people get sidetracked And I'm gonna say young people a lot of people get sidetracked And what I want and where I am is the same thing

What I wanted to do was play where I was You know being at all these different positions Wasn't the same thing because eventually it was gonna work its way out and now I'm gonna play So whatever that was, you know, if it was DB fine If it was quarterback fine if it was running back fine, and it just turned out to be receiver and that's fine, too but I never got sidetracked or caught up in someone else controlling my destiny. Right. They retired your number at the University of South Carolina.

While I was still playing. While you still playing. There have been a lot of guys come and ask you, man can we read that number too? Why won't you let anybody wear that number? The only guy that I considered was Deuce Staley. Kids named Deuce. The reason why I want is once you unretired, now everybody can wear it. Yeah. And the university thought so much of me that they were like, not only are we gonna let you wear it,

but we don't want anybody else to wear it. And I thought, you know what, I'm doing this more so for them, a little bit for me, but more so for the University of South Carolina, because they thought enough of what I did and how I did it, that they were like, we don't want anybody else to wear this number. Wow. Why'd you pick the number two? Cause you had 85.

I wanted number three, but skip meant and we didn't know if he flunked out was going to transfer or if he was coming back. Right. I wanted three because I wore three in high school. I wanted three. So I went in and talked to coach Morrison as coach. You know, I want to get number three and he goes, well, I don't know what Skip's gonna do. So he blows me off this way. Oh hell, why don't you just take number two?

And the rest is history. You're like, okay. It was a single digit number. Right. And the rest is history. Right. That's how it worked. I have been blessed to be led by a spirit that if I just get out of my way,

it usually works out. I end up in Green Bay. When I took my photo being the first round draft pick, I was holding up the number 37, not number one, not, oh, we're going to put you in number 84 or 82, number 37. When I got there, they gave me 84. Fast forward to email addresses. You got to come up with an email address. My email address is throw to, you know, coming out and I'm like, I can't, I can't make this up. Right. So if I just stay out of my own way, usually it works out. You get to go to the East West Shrine game,

which I followed you in that one, and you go to the senior bowl. When you came out, what was your expectations in playing those two bowl games, and now you go to the combine? The combine was vastly different then than when it was when I come out and what we see today. East West

Shrine game I got a chance to meet guys from the West Coast that I know Eric Allen who's going into the Hall of Fame this year met he and I met and became really good friends at the East West All-Star game. We would talk about he was a defensive back I'm a receiver we talk about technique one he had never seen a receiver as big as me. Two, I didn't know they played football, plaster, mason, dixon line. So we got a chance to learn some about each other. The senior bowl was work. And I say work. Jim Moore was our head coach, Jim Moore, and he was the Saints head coach at the time. And Jim Moore was all about banging

and physical. Two things that never bothered me. Hitting and being physical never bothered me. The combine, I did nothing. Got high weight, wingspan, and I went home. Because it was like, hey, you're going to be a first round pick. There were six of us in the first round. Tim went six, I went seven, Mike went 11, Anthony Miller, Aaron Cox, and I want to say Ernie Jones. And I could be wrong, but I think six of us won the first round. Right. It's the biggest party of the summer.

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as part of the My Kultura podcast network. Find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club. We go behind the scenes and explore the stories of those involved. San Diego coming to MLS is going to be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need veteran players and we need young players. Like you're building a team from scratch,

and so the succession plan of long-term success needs to be defined. We need to embrace this community. When I was 13, my uncle took me to a qualifier, and we watched Paraguay against Chile, pouring rain, just watching the fans jumping up and down. I think that was definitely a watershed moment for me. Not only was that gonna be my game,

but it was gonna be my life. Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow. Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people and an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapinoe, to the show, and we had a blast.

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a focused, thought provoking question about hunting and land management. How do I hunt the best part of the farm with less than ideal access? Should you, that's what the real question is. Stand without good access is not a good stand. Listen to Back 40 on iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast. So I just went and did that.

Came back and ran, did the lifting and my pro day and the rest is history. When you got the call, did you know Green Bay, you wanted to go to Tampa? I thought I was going to Tampa only because they had drafted Vinny the year before. Right. And Ray Perkins, the Tampa Bay head coach at the time, was like, you, Vinny, we got that combination

set for the next 10 years. Right. I could either have gone one to Atlanta four to Tampa seven to Green Bay Eleven to Dallas, right? Green Bay wanted Michael Irvin If Green Bay takes Michael Irvin, there's a chance I saw the only place I knew I wasn't going

Was Oakland because Tim Brown and won the Heisman and Al was going to take the speed. We ain't going there. Okay. So it didn't have, I didn't have much of a, I wasn't going to be around long if I didn't go to Green Bay itself. Right. Get the side of the bonus. You get that big old check. What does my brother want? I'm like, my sister goes, I want your car. I'm driving a Nissan Maxima two-tone, brown and gold on the bottom. That's yours.

I'm driving around in a 300ZX. Yeah. Brother's like, yeah, I can roll with that. I take that. Brother gets that. I get the Green Bay. I get an endorsement deal with a car company. I can roll with that. I take that. Brother gets that. I get the Green Bay, I get an endorsement deal with a car company, I'm driving a Jeep.

The next year, 1989, my brother is like, oh, dog, you've seen the new 300E Mercedes? 300E? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause you know, Kool Moeiste, he drive the Ben 190. I was driving the Ben 300. I'm like, no, I ain't see that. Yeah, man, I like that.

So I'm like, well, bro, I want to see. He's still at Savannah State. I'm like, so we get the 300E, but now he done seen somewhere in some magazine that you can put skirts on it Yeah, I did that thing. I had a kid 18 inch star five-star wheels You don't put a tail on it. You don't put a wing on the wing on the back. Yeah, he rolling in a Mercedes 300e in college Yeah, yeah, I'm driving a BMW M3. That's about the size of this glass.

But that's just the way it was. Whatever he wanted, he was gonna get. I was gonna make sure that. You paid. You were basically paying all my bills until summer. Until summer was born. Yes. Yeah. And when summer was born, I was like, bro, I got to let you go because now my focus is this right here. Yep. You know, her well-being, of course, taken care of, but college and all that other stuff. I'm like, bro, you on your own. I remember you calling me going, man, I can't get a place without a co-signer.

Bro, you're in the NFL. Yeah, but I ain't got no credit. Your first credit card to go to go American Express We had a I had a Texas at a bad college We got me though and you know, I passed them on the book I a buck I got to put you out there, but you know all the bill and JC penny credit card the gas card Texaco She ran them up and then cut them up and then tell me she ain't pay him up

She ran them up and then cut them up and then tell me she ain't pay them up You know, I really should have murdered my family a long time ago, but I did But no it was that that the thing was is man you were you were it for me, you know Everything I did athletically I did for you. You know, I never did anything for public consumption. I did everything for you I wanted to make sure consumption I did everything for you. I wanted to make sure I Tried my best that if you said that you wanted a role model you didn't have to look past Our table to find that that was that was May you remember I call you from Daytona

When you junkyard my my my SL. Yeah, I had the first one in the state of South Carolina. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you junk. Yeah, man I junk yard. I junk yard you shit man I'm sorry. Yeah, so he and Emmett. Yeah, we're riding and I had a white where I had a white had your white with emmy had a burgundy one at the time burgundy Go with the gold And one paying attention and ran into the trailer hitch of a car. Yep, burgundy gold with the gold emblem. And wasn't paying attention and ran into the trailer hitch of a car and yanked the Mercedes emblem out

and bent up the front. Yeah, I remember that. Those were the days, those were the days, man. Your rookie year, what? What is it about your rookie year that you remember most because a lot of people that- How hard it was it was hard the verbiage

Rip Liz 80 slide. I'm ripped Liz and 80 slide I'm running the bubble. I go in motion come back. I'm running a bubble 28 lead I'm always going right unless I'm told to go left Harrell's in the backfield 28 lead. I'm always going right unless I'm told to go left. Harrell's in the backfield, 28 lead. When I got to Green Bay, they were like two flip wide, short 90, Y option, X max. I was like, wait, I'm sorry, could you repeat that? Yeah. Okay. Two flip wide. So that tells you to go in the slot. Okay, two flip wide so that tells you to go in the slot Short 90 that's the protection for the offensive line

Why option if you're outside an option because remember we're in flip right slot Why tells the back to get outside the tight end? You outside why option you run a hinge at 13 yards? X is outside of me running a smash so you come off the ball real slow Inside a smash you run a hinge at 13 yards. X is outside of me running a smash. So you come off the ball real slow. Inside a smash, you run a corner. So, oh, hold on. Most of the defenses were three, four. So the blitz read was one defensive back

plus the outside linebacker. I'm thinking, the verbiage yeah I could not the first six weeks of the year I was just like you know what man I should have been a plumber to outside short 90 X turns he choose. Oh, it is a four, three defense. So instead of one plus the OLB in a three, four, it just takes one. Oh, when we play New York, the OLB is Lawrence Taylor,

but we don't want our back blocking Lawrence Taylor. So we're going to make him down. Wait, what? So he's coming 90% of the time. Right. We don't side adjust off him. So now it takes two. Well, hold on.

This dude standing right here getting ready to strangle me. And I'm thinking, he ain't thinking. That was the hardest part. By far was the verbiage and understanding Blitz side adjusts and Blitz reads. And then you got a situation with the media. They came down pretty hard on you. No, no, they didn't. They were unfair to me only because they didn't ask me.

They came to me and they were like, hey, Lindy said this, Lindy was my head coach. Lindy and Fontaine. What am I supposed to do? Say Lindy's crazy? Then you don't know what he doing? You don't know what he talking about? Right. So they always led me into a headache.

And so it was kind of twofold. Cause remember you and I worked out in 1989 getting ready for the 89 season I'm like first of all now I got it down they're gonna want to talk to me and I'm not gonna say anything right I never told them no I would always say not right now and so because they never asked me about me what are my struggles right what am I going through? Everything was leading. Well, you know, Coach Guy said this. You know, Buddy, you know, Lindy and Fonny,

Coach and Fonny said this. So it was never just, what do you think? What are you going through? What do you deal with? And so it was kind of that, and I was like, they're gonna wanna talk to me. And I ain't gonna have anything to say. And I ended up leading the NFL catches. The the next year in 1989. Yeah. Report. Did

you come in? So what was your weight from the time that you left the University of South Carolina and then your rookie year at Green Bay? I was 206 when I got to I was between 205 and 212 by junior and senior year in college. Okay, because remember you and I, we're all about waste. We're all about 2005 and 2012 by junior and senior year in college. Okay. Cause remember you and I, we were all about weights, dog. We were all about throwing that iron. We were all about benching, squatting, power clean. We were throwing weight.

All our lives, what we wanted to be was the four six club. Yep. Bench 400, squat 600. Yep. That's all we did. So I was a solid, but you got to remember when I came in the league Corners didn't go to the huddle Because they were standing at the line of scrimmage because they were like I got you

Yeah, I don't care what the defense is. I got you so They said green bay said I was too big granted. They drafted me at 212 So I went from 212 to 190 I couldn't walk from here to the door without cramping. So that was a problem. Trying to deal with, okay, I don't have any body fat or salt or anything to be able to... So whenever the temperature got up, bro, I cramped.

Like in college, I never came out for warm up. Because it was so hot. In South Carolina, I never came out for warm up because it was so hot back in South Carolina. I never came out for warm up. So it was like I never really, you know, so it was all new to me in Green Bay. And, you know, they had a way of doing things and I had to adjust and adapt to that way of doing things. They the injuries you played through a lot of injuries you played through broken ribs you had the turf toe that you never practiced you just shot the toe up during the season

and then after the season you end up having um you had surgery on that. How difficult was it for you because you're not getting the cardiovascular and man you like that? man. You like you you you you know the thing is is if I play don't treat me like I'm injured right I'm playing and. All the injuries I went through if you look. It was almost like I wouldn't hurt right you know they so my whole thing was is I just need to be there on Sunday. Right.

I understand now what to do on, you know, Wednesday through Friday. I just need to be there on Sunday. Right. And I was fortunate enough to be in a position to be able to perform being nicked up in a way that I couldn't practice. After you're a rookie, you come back, you lead the league in catches, you're a first team All-Pro, and then 92,3. You're the first receiver in NFL history to go back to back 100 catches. First team all pro. How

gratifying or satisfying was it to you to like I knew I had I knew I could do this. It's just now what had no idea what it was I was doing. I'm just doing it. Hey, you call them play, you know, you and you know the system as well as anybody, you know change, right? See left wag a right double out, you know to jet Dino Y shallow cross, you know Fox 2 X Y hook Yeah, I'm just running the play cuz you had to coach now you could because at that point time you have the coaching change Now you got I got Mike Hongren who coached who came from San Francisco with Jerry with Jerry Rice in that organization. So I'm not thinking about the numbers. I'm just like, hey, man, I'm running the plays and they were like, hey, you know, in 92, it wasn't a thing. So I'm in the in the MVP race and

I'm like, man, I don't want to be in the MVP race for the middle of life player of the year. I don't know what this is. I don't know what leading the league in catchers yards and touchdown. I don't even know what that is. Steve Young, I think, won the MVP that year. In 92, then Emmett won in 93. So in the 93, yep, so I don't know what that is.

But I'm just running the place I got no expectation on number the only time I ever paid attention to Numbers was a dude in Denver was like I'm better than you starling I bet you 20 grand I have more catches Then you have a more yards and more touchdowns. And I was like, bro, don't do that. So the dude and Denver bet me that. But I-

They stalled me out, man. Coach Reeves stalled me out. I never once paid attention to the numbers. I never did. I just was, they call the play, I ran the play to the best of my ability and the numbers just added up. Before you got the Triple Crown, did you know what the triple crown was?

It wasn't a thing. I didn't know the triple crown was a thing until Cooper, the year Cooper cup did it. The Rams called me and asked me if I would send a video message to them that they would play during a game that I don't know if it was a playoff game or regular season game for Cooper Cup. I didn't even know it was a thing because I think Jerry had done it in 90 Jerry did it first. Yes. And then I did it in 92. And remember now in 89, I had led the league in catches and touchdowns.

Right. So didn't even know what that was. Just I'm playing it. All I'm doing is playing. So I had no idea the magnitude of what that would turn out to be. Being the number one option, because it doesn't matter what defense they throw. You know every Wednesday when they go in there, they circle you. We've got to stop him. You're going to get their

best. You're going to get the Eric Allen. You're going to get the Deon Sanders. You're going to get the Niels Williams. You're going to get the Darrell greens. You're going to get the best and to be able to go out there every single week and function and do your job. Did you feel any added pressure? No, because guess what? They got a job to do and I got a job to do. But guess what? Just like I'm over here. If if quarterback sees what he likes, I may get it. If he doesn't, he goes elsewhere. My whole thing was I just want to be in the right place at the right time. And if you need me, you throw it to me. And the only thing I ever said to our quarterbacks in the right place at the right time and if you need me you throw it to me and I

The only thing I ever said to our quarterbacks in the seven years I played Was before we went out on the field or before introductions or whatever the case may be where I had that moment I would always say to our quarterbacks. Let it let us help you just let us help you let us help but I Just let us help you. Let us help. But I, I try to explain this to people that are the best of my ability, and I never cared about numbers or rankings or any of that. I was doing what I wanted to do in playing. And when I got Mike Holmgren in 92, I did understood, I understood what I got. Right.

I got a system that would allow me at the receiver position to end football games. And I was like, that's, that's a lot. Because when you can input, you know, usually, and you would notice playing for Mike, who was in San Francisco at one Shanahan at one point, you throw to get the lead, you run to keep Yep, so we're gonna get the lead. And then we're gonna turn it over at New York case TV. Yep.

We threw to get the lead and we threw to end the football game. And I was at the beginning and the end of both of those. Right. That is, and that, which is really ironic because of all the debating on who's the greatest, you know, Michael or LeBron. And you go, Michael had to system the

triangle. Go, yeah, but you know, he's Michael Jordan. Well, then you look at LA and Kobe had to triangle with Phil and there's five out there. And then you look at Steve Curran and Golden State, there's four there. We know what San Francisco did in the system. When I got that system, which allowed me to not have to change, Mike never once carried about if I weighed 221 or 224, the system allowed me to end football games. Oh, that was different. And if there was one thing that I would like to change is I would like to check play one more year in that system selfishly because of what that

system provided for me to do. John Gruden, who I think Gruden was your position coach wasn't it? Was my last two years. Yeah. He compared you to Michael Jordan. He said the more time Sterling touches the ball, the better chance we have to win. It's no different than when the Chicago Bulls roll Michael Jordan to three championships. What was Grot like? The fun. Oh, okay. Was he always that animated? Yes. Extremely

intelligent. I'm not gonna say smart. He was extremely intelligent. He's always looking. You're on first down. He's like, well, I'm third and two. I'm gonna do this. He's always there. Mm hmm.. John was always the kind of person that would be like, hey, can you stay for a minute? I want to show you something. And build my game. I had three outstanding position coaches, Buddy Guy, Sherm Lewis, John Garouj, and they all took my game as high as they could before I got the next one. So it wasn't like, you know, I'd buddy for four years,

he couldn't take me any higher, shirmed for two years, shirmed for a year, and then I got grewin' for two years. And what John gave me, he was energetic, intelligent, and he was always thinkin' two, three moves ahead, which benefited me tremendously. Those years with Jerry and Michael, that was kind of the competition although Andre rising as far as going to the pro ball and who thought better and all that from 92 to 94. you had 314 receptions, 3854 yards, 42 touchdowns.

That same timeframe, Jerry had 292, 4203 and 38 touchdowns. There was that competition. Well, who's really the best receiver in the NFL currently right now? Is it Sterling Sharp in Green Bay or is it Jerry in San Francisco? If you say so, I didn't know that. Like I said I just rolled out put my helmet on rolled out there and tried to

you know put up some I was playing man I'm playing football you know all that other stuff is the fan that's the fan stuff right enjoy that I'm playing football and and so but like I said when I got Mike Holmgren in that system and I got Sherm Lewis and John Gruden got Mike Holmgren in that system, and I got Sherm Lewis and John Gruden and Mike Holmgren calling the plays and talking to me like you and I are sitting here talking, he gave me something that I never ever had before.

Buddy McCall tried to give it to me, but I didn't understand it. I had ownership. I had ownership. Usually when you're the quarterback, yes, you're gonna have ownership. I was a receiver and I had ownership of our offense. And that was something that had never,

I didn't understand, but I went with it. And that was really cool having Mike Hungren talk to me during games and be like, what are they doing on, what do you see on third and this? What do you like? Well, because I had ownership, it was really cool to be a part of that system and that off. It's the biggest party of the summer.

WWE SummerSlam is here and wrestling with Freddie is all over it. We're talking wild matches, big surprises, and our boldest predictions yet. From celebrity showdowns to the chaos inside a steel cage, we're breaking down every match and calling who we think walks out on top. This card is loaded. From Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Tiffy, just to name a few,

this lineup is ready to tear down the house. We'll give you our unfiltered takes, honest debates, and you already know a ton of laughs along the way. We're covering the upsets, the wild returns, and the championship moments nobody expects. We'll get into the matches that steal the show, the storylines that explode, and those oh my God, did that just happen moments

that make SummerSlam legendary. Don't miss it. Listen to Wrestling with Freddie as part of the My Kultura podcast network. Find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch

of San Diego Football Club. We go behind the scenes and explore the stories of those involved. San Diego coming to MLS is gonna be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need veteran players and we need young players like you're building a team from scratch and so the succession plan of long-term success needs to be defined. We need to embrace this community. When I was 13 my uncle took me to a qualifier, and we watched Paraguay against Chile, pouring rain, just watching the fans jumping up and down.

I think that was definitely a watershed moment for me. Not only was that gonna be my game, but it was gonna be my life. Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow, now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway.

We just welcomed one of my favorite people and an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapinoe, to the show, and we had a blast. We talked about her recent 40th birthday celebrations, co-hosting a podcast with her fiance Sue Bird, watching former teammates retire and more. Never a dull moment with Pino. Take a listen.

What do you miss the most about being a pro athlete? The final, the final and the locker room. I really, really, like you just, you can't replicate, you can't get back. Showing up to the locker room every morning just to sh** talk. We've got more incredible guests like the legendary Candice Parker and college superstar A.Z. Fudd. I mean, seriously, y'all, the guest list is absolutely stacked for season two. And, you know, we're always going to keep you up to speed on all the news and happenings

around the women's sports world as well. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spayne on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. I'm Jake Hofer and this is Back 40, a limited series show on wire to hunt, part of Meat Eaters podcast network.

Each episode I'll be asking eight wide tail hunting pros a focused, thought provoking question about hunting and land management How do I have the best part of the farm with less than ideal access? Should you that's what the real question is stand without good access is not a good stand Listen to back 40 on I heart radio app Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast Thanks for their length of time time I got to play in it. Have you thought about your Mount Rushmore receivers?

Had you had, had you continue, let's just say you play another five years. It's unfair. And I have constantly shied away from it because no one's gonna have Don Hudson first. Don Hudson had 99 touchdowns when they were throwing the ball twice a game. 99 when they were throwing it two times again.

No one's going to add him. No one's going to happen when I mentioned Charlie Hannigan. Nobody's going to mention them. Lance Alworth. No one's going to mention Lance. No one's going to mention Raymond Barry. And I'm like, how fair is it because you're only going to talk about what you see. I'm not going to do that to those guys because they were actually hella receivers in their own right.

Do you think anybody's going to break Jerry's record? That one, which one? 197 career touchdown catches. He has 207 total. 22,000 yards. It'd be hard to say no because the adding game and the rules that are set up for them to do it. Yeah. So do I think someone will do it? Yes. Only because of the way the game is going. Remember when in our day defenses could impose their will on you. Yes. They could deter you from

their will on you. Yes. They could deter you from six catches and four touchdowns a year. They can't do that now. The players don't want to do that now. Right. So yeah, somebody will break that eventually. Yeah, somebody will break it. Jim Brown had a quote rest his soul. He said he could play in any era. Greatest quote, greatest compliment ever gotten athletic. Greatest compliment I ever got in athletics. Greatest compliment I ever got in athletics. How different is the game today than when you played? Other than the defenses imposing their wills and you don't have to be a technician. I prided myself in being a technician.

I'm getting out of my break with the best of them. Deion was a lot faster, but, and I'm developing a counter to his speed, a counter to Dion for him. We're using Dion because he's one of the greats. I'm using prime Dion speed. I got to counter it with power. I don't know since the man you're running 4050 60 yards, you're probably gonna win that. Okay, this is me doing. But I tell you what I will do. Let's see what you look like after eight catches and you got to make six tackles

Let's see what you look like after eight slams eight hitches eight comebacks eight curls Because now I'm putting him in I what I feel and got nothing to do with him I'm putting him in what I feel his uncomfort zone is and got nothing to do with him. I'm putting him in what I feel his uncomfort zone is. Hanford Dixon and Frank Menifield, Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross, Carl Lee and Najee Mohammed, straight up bump and run corners.

I got to- T-Mac and watching the line-L. Yes, I got to counter what you do well. What, and encountering what you do well. What and encountering what you do well. I'm bringing power. I'm bringing 220 pounds and I won't contact you know, back then they didn't have smoke, but I wanted that smoke. I want to see you make this tackle because that was my way of imposing my will on them.

And to read said if you didn't get hurt, you would go down as maybe the greatest receiver to play the game. How was Andy as a coach? Andy was a tight end coach? Yes. Fun loving, outstanding, very intelligent, and really in tuned with the team. What Mike Holmgren did was prepared all those guys to be head coaches. He did a really good job with that. I love Mike to this day because he was a lot like I try to be, he just gave it away.

You want information, here it is. You want money to a fault, here it is. You want time, here it is. And Andy Reid is a spitting image of Mike Holmgren because he just you see how Patrick Mahone played without restriction. Just give it away. Go ahead and play your way. I'll adjust. Wow. Love the way Andy was with me in Green Bay and how he's doing now in Kansas City. Who's the toughest corner you played against? Ricky Runnels in Tampa, Don Griffin in San Francisco, and in my division also I would say Carl Lee.

Ricky Runnels and Don Griffin were technically sound, as fast as me, wanted to make every tackle. Carl was difficult because he was long. as fast as me wanted to make every tackle. Yeah. Carl was difficult because he was long. He had really good speed. He wasn't above average in speed, but he was long and he was technically probably the most dominant corner technically that I played against because he was all about the positions

because if I hit my positions, I put you in the positions I need you to be in for me to cover you. So he, those three guys, because I played against Don, he was in my division every year, and then I played against Carl, he was in my division every year.

Because you only play, you face time what, once or twice? Twice here. Once at Fulton County, once in the Dome. Right. And times he ain't want no problems. He say you just too strong. Only because of what he brought at the time what he brought to the table. In Fulton County he was everywhere. Inside, outside he followed me. When we played in the dome was the probably the only time I remember Tim McCarr, hey man what you doing here? It ain't going to end well for you and only because that's how I talked. I was trash talking friendly but personal. But those three guys, Carl Lee, Don Griffin in San Francisco, Ricky Reynolds in Tampa, technically

were the three probably when you saw, can cover and tackling because you had to block them because they wanted to make the tackle on the running back. So you had to block them. They were probably the three technically most sound guys I played. Who was your favorite player to watch when you standing on the sideline and you watching somebody? Anthony Carter by far. I'm not talking I probably can't tell you a catch Anthony Carter made in the NFL but when I saw number one in Michigan I was like that's it right there. Yeah that right there is what I want. I know what I want to be. I wanna be that right there. Anthony Carter was my favorite player

and I met him once in the airport after he and I were both done playing. Anthony Carter, when he was at Michigan, there ain't nobody better. What was your favorite route? Smoke. Man, you just wanna catch a hitch. Yes, sir. If you throw it 40 yards

and I go 70, you know, if you throw it 15 yards and I go 40, but if you throw it behind the line of scrimmage and I run over two guys and pick up 14 yards, they remember. You remember. And so I just wanted the ball in my hand. So when I got Mike Hongren and he called smoke thunder and you know, smoke, thunder, Omaha, man, three step lion, lion,, you know when we got those where we were just running hitches slants stops

post slant goes Get it and get it to me as quick as possible. Do you have a pregame routine? No one can touch my hands. So I was never a High-five nobody cuz I said if nobody can touch nobody can touch my hands, nobody can get in my head. But my pro game routine was when I came, when I got one in the NFL, cause remember I didn't come out in college. In the NFL was just to come out and just to be out,

enjoy looking around stadium fans, see friends that you developed. I got a chance to spend time with you on this you know during free game playing the line in Tampa y'all on the road to temple and I was in the free game line high-fiving us when we came out and Lindy was like who the hell is that I was like my brother they invited me to come back cuz you showed up yeah sure did but now I didn't really have a pregame routine.

I was just more of, I'm ready to go, let's go. You played with Terry Crews. What was Terry Crews like, man? I thought, it just showed, Terry was one of the guys that showed me I didn't know what I was looking at. But he was fun. He worked hard, and I say he really wanted the NFL. He put in the time right he put in the time

He put in the effort and I was really I can say I could I was disappointed when Terry got let go Because I thought with his size his strength and his speed. He would definitely make our right the playoffs You had a company that your first playoff game Detroit mm-hmm Three touchdowns the game winning touchdown. What do you remember about that game? playoff game Detroit. Three touchdowns the game winning touchdown. What do you remember about that game? That I was trying to come out on the game winning touchdown. I was trying to come out of the game.

Because of my my you that turf to turf toe. We ran flanker drive and the guy fell on it and I'm Robert Brooks is standing for me to you and I'm trying to tell him to come in the game. And Mike is telling Brett the play. 25, 25, double square out. Yep. Mark Clayton, so we as the receivers made the decision

that we're not gonna switch sides. Right. What we're gonna do is, is Ed West goes left, Mark Nouth as the X, you're the flanker step off. 25 25 25 Kevin Scott standing right there. I know the safety's coming over the top so it's three cloud. Brett takes his drop looks at Mark Clayton. There is no one within a hundred miles of Mark Clayton. No one. Brett could have underhanded the ball and it would have been a catch and Mark would have

probably gotten to the one. Three cloud corner squats. Everybody rolls over. Safety's right behind me. I'm running. I run to Kevin Scott kind of drifts. Well, our tight end, Ed, I think it was Ed West, pops wide open on the basic cross. And the safety that was supposed to be over the top jumps in. And Brett goes,

it's the only time I've ever seen his eyes. I've caught a lot of deep balls from Brett, but usually, you know, when you're on a deep route, you look up. Right. So it was the only time, and it was almost like, he was like, Clayton, when you're on a deep route, you look up. Right. So it was the only time and it was almost like he was like Clayton. No, I'm going to move. And he just let it go.

Game set match, Tracy. The contract, you had some some contract issue with the the Packers. They promised you one thing and then it didn't happen. You go through training camp. You do everything and then the night before the first game, which is how it's supposed to be done. Yes and I'll say this worked out well for me because after that season, I never played another down. So with that, with those monies, I was able to secure most of my future

because I got to increase my insurance, not knowing. I got to secure my family's future based on that decision of holding out of the first game. I was going to miss the first game and I was going to do it, but it worked out. Your final season, you have 94 catches, 1119 yards. The 18th touchdown is still currently tied for third most touchdowns any single season. seeds. When there's only one person happier, two people, than me, that my career ended. And I was the two specialists that said you should never play football again. They were the happy they were that you know, they were like, hey, based on what we see, you shouldn't play football again. I was like, okay, appreciate that information.

And because remember, all I wanted to do was play. I wasn't playing for a length of time or status or to be on someone's Mount Rushmore or be considered one of the great I just wanted to play. And I did that. And so when it was time for me to find something else to do, the American dream was you go to college and get your degree and allows you to compete with anyone for a position or a job. I had my degree and I was like, once I get out of this neck brace, I'm going to be able

to compete. And lo and behold, I ended up in TV but in my career my job ending then did the way it was supposed to because I would probably be still trying to play if it wasn't it didn't what do you remember because I remember watching the game and I saw you blocking your former teammate Brad Edwards for the Falcons mm-hmm and then you just like to laugh what you don see, what you didn't see being in Denver was I had been having episodes and 1989 my right, my left side went numb. Just standing here talking to the guys and they practice one day, left side went

numb. In 1991, my right leg, left shoulder would just go numb the end of 91 I Could control my hand but I had no feeling in it. So I started having symptoms And then I started having a lot more my last season You know holding my head down I could feel my spine Vibrating and when you hit your spine, it feels like holding my head down, I could feel my spine vibrating. And when you hit your spine, it feels like you're on fire. Right.

And I would be like, oh, that burns. You know, so I started having I started having episodes and I kind of had an idea what it was. Right. But you go, you know, you still can do everything. So I keep doing it. Lying on the field, you laid there for like three minutes. And I remember you tell me I was trying.

I was I was trying to get up. Yeah. But I had no strength to get up. And then Andre rising, one of my best friends, Andre rising is talking to me and he is making me laugh. So André and I, I'm laying on the field. I can move, but I can't control my movement. But I'm laughing with this fool. And then Brad comes over and he's like,

Sterl, you okay? I'm like, yeah, yeah, I just need to, you know, because I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Why can't I, I can move? But why can't I get up? Right. And then all of a sudden, the feeling came back and I was fine. Right. And I remember before that, I caught a touchdown pass on the right side.

Well, the corner hits me and I turned my left ankle so bad that I tore the tape. And I used to get taped to my skin. Right. So when you tear that tape, that's severe. Yeah. And my ankle was about this big. And in hindsight, that was the signal. For me to be like, shut it down. Right. But I'm like, no, retake it.

You know, take that back up. Right. And we'll make it go again. And so I knew after that game that I probably was not going to play again. But you played the following week cause you go to Tampa. Only because we needed to have a home playoff game. Right.

And I told Mike, I said, hey, if you're going to get it to me, you better get it to me early. Cause I don't know how long I'm going to be in this game. Right. And I had this thing was about that big and I don't practice all week. Right. And I ended up with I don't know the particular numbers but I have for a buck 32 and three touchdowns. That's the last time you ever caught a pass in NFL. But I knew if you're gonna get it to me, you better get it to me early. Right. I don't know how long I'm going to be in this. You re-injured the neck. When you re-injured, I think Thomas Everett glazed you as he went by.

Didn't even, you know, the thing was, is, like I said, the episodes that I was having, I remember one day, one night, laying in bed and Luger, my rock bar, and I jumped up and hit my spine and fell back and was like what the I could move but I had no control over my move. So I had had symptoms for like nine weeks that was you know leading up to this is it which made it easier for me because I you know, it wasn't like one hit. That's it. You know, I had enough telltale signs that it was like this is it. Did you ever think about coming back? No.

I can I think I can say this now. It's been enough time Jerry Jerry Jones called me at ESPN and asked me Sterling it could you play and I said, yeah,, could you play? And I said, yeah. But Jerry, I'm not going to play football anymore. When I was doing TV in 1995, asked me if I could play. But no, I never considered coming back. Because what am I coming back for? Because I did what I wanted to.

And that would be moving the goalpost on God, because I asked him to let me play. And if I come back to play, I'm moving the goalpost on God because I asked him to let me play. And if I come back to play, I'm moving the goalpost, which is unfair, and I didn't want to do that. When the Packers waved you, did you have any emotions where they're like, bro, I mean, you know, give me a chance. No, I understood. Well, I knew we knew we knew I was here.

Here's the only thing that the Packers did That bothered me right not one person Called to say how'd your surgery go? Because they're fixing my spine right there. I could what I could roll out of there and never walk again, right? I could die on the operating table. Not one person from the organization said, hey, how'd your surgery go? Not the coaches. Not one person from the organization was like, hey,

look, man, God, we're pulling for you. Let us know if you need anything. Not one person in the organization checked up. That was the only thing that I was, I wasn't bothered. It's the biggest party of the summer. WWE SummerSlam is here, and wrestling with Freddy is all over it. We're talking wild matches, big surprises and our boldest predictions yet. From celebrity showdowns to the chaos inside a steel cage,

we're breaking down every match and calling who we think walks out on top. This card is loaded. From Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Tiffy, just to name a few, this lineup is ready to tear down the house. We'll give you our unfiltered takes, honest debates, and you already know a ton of laughs along the way. We're covering the upsets, the wild returns, and the championship moments nobody expects. We'll get into the matches that steal the show, the storylines that explode, and those oh my god did that just happen moments that make SummerSlam legendary.

Don't miss it. Listen to Wrestling with Freddie as part of the My Kultura podcast network. Find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club. We go behind the scenes and explore the stories of those involved. San Diego coming to MLS is gonna be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team.

We need veteran players and we need young players. Like you're building a team from scratch and so the succession plan of long-term success needs to be defined. We need to embrace this community. When I was 13, my uncle took me to a qualifier and we watched Paraguay against Chile, pouring rain, just watching the fans jumping up and down.

I think that was definitely a watershed moment for me. Not only was that gonna be my game, but it was gonna be my life. Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow. Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get fired up, y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway.

We just welcomed one of my favorite people and an incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapinoe to the show. And we had a blast. We talked about her recent 40th birthday celebrations, co-hosting a podcast with her fiance, Sue Bird, watching former teammates retire and more. Never a dull moment with Pino.

Take a listen. What do you miss the most about being a pro athlete? The final, the final and the locker room. I really, really, like you just, you can't replicate, you can't get back. Showing up to the locker room every morning just to talk. We've got more incredible guests

like the legendary Candice Parker and college superstar, AZ Fudd. I mean, seriously, y'all, the guest list is absolutely stacked for season two. And you know, we're always gonna keep you up to speed on all the news and happenings around the women's sports world as well. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. I'm Jake Hofer and this is Back 40, a limited series show on wire to hunt part of MeatEater's podcast network. And this is Back 40, a limited series show on wire to hunt part of Meat Eaters podcast network. Each episode I'll be asking eight wide tail hunting pros a focused, thought provoking question about hunting and land management. How do I hunt the best part of the farm with less than ideal access? Should you?

That's what the real question is. Stand without good access is not a good stand. Listen to Back 40 on iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Disappointed in. You don't owe me anything. But I, as men, a common decency, common courtesy, and the fact that that was life altering.

Not one, not one person from the organization. I don't think you understand that player trainer front office coach. Damn no one. That's the only thing that bothered me not one player not one player and I got no problem with that because hey look man. We understand how cutthroat the business is the season just ended We just lost to Dallas in the divisional round. I think it was for a chance to go to the air the NFC Championship game We all this is happening

and So I get it you you leave in Green Bay getting out of the cold You're you're trying to figure out some got contracts, babies being born. Hey man, life happens. But not one person from the organization was like, how did the thing go? Yes.

And that botherer was, that's odd. That a common decency, and I'm saying a common, a common decency. That's not asking too much. No, I didn't ask. Hey, look, I understand organization-wise, you got to find, do you have the receivers in the room that we can go from where we are and keep going upward? I get that. What pieces are we going to bring in to going upward. I get that. What pieces are we gonna bring in to help us?

I get that. Not one person, trainer, no one. Bothered me to the point, I was okay. Man, I'm like, as soon as I got out of my brace, Doc said, your neck is solid. I was like, okay, I'm good. And then, you know, everything fell into place with ESPN. I was like, okay, I'm good. And then, you know, everything fell into place with the SPM. I was off and running. And it was so funny that I never thought about it

until the Hall of Fame happened. And when the Hall of Fame happened, now I start to hear from people in the organization. And I'm saying to myself, how do I feel about that? Honestly, like, you know what? When I was at my proverbial lowest, never heard from them. What you would perceive as my highest, I really don't need to hear from you all. I'm not mad. I'm not disappointed.

It's just that you can't have one without the other. Now granted there's a lot of change and turnover. All change. All change and turnover from when I was there until now. But it was just like. It still stings a little bit. Not sting, it doesn't have the value it should. And I was just like, you know, the Green Bay Packers were gracious enough to throw me a Hall of Fame party at the Hall of Fame.

And I did everything that I could to get them not to. Because I'm like, I don't feel comfortable accepting that feeling. You know, but but but Kathy and the Green Bay Packers have been wonderful This group of folks have been one how many? How many from the the former Packers like when you were there the organization Do you think will be at the ceremony on Saturday? I have no idea I do know Don Mikowski. I will say I believe Ron Hallstrom But I really don't know. I'm not that guy. I'm not nostalgic. Man, I live

20 something miles from the University of South Carolina. I ain't never been back to watch again. I've never been to Alumni Weekend in Green Bay. I'm not that guy. I mean, I did what I wanted to do and man, have at it. I'm not that guy. I mean, I did what I wanted to do and then have added I'm just not built that way to be. I think of my teammates, I probably talked to two, maybe three keep Woodside, Perry Kemp, Clance Weathers, Don Mikowski every now and then he and I'll link up I'll see him somewhere. But I don't I mean, I loved all my teammates.

I love playing with him. Leroy Butler, who was a Hall of Famer, but I don't you know, I don't talk to a lot of. When you leave you don't play in 95 year retire and the next two years the Packers go to the Super Bowl. They win when they lose one. Did you like damn? No, I didn't play football to go to the Super Bowl, they win one, they lose one. Did you like, damn? No. I didn't play football to go to a Super Bowl. Didn't play football to go to the Hall of Fame. Didn't play football to be an All-Pro. Didn't play football to go to a Pro Bowl.

I did know that the first year I went, I took living. And I wanted to go back so I could take you. And then the next time I was like the next time I go back is when he plays in one if he don't play in one I ain't going back and the next time I went you made it so I'm not that can say I'm not built that way You know Green Bay going at least I had an idea a lot of the guys were still on the team of what they were going through To get there Andre rising slid into the number 84. Yeah, call it a touchdown. I was extremely happy for him and that success.

But no, it never bothered me. Now we're less than a week away from going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And what, there's 382, 383 383 I'm 382 but we're the first set of brothers. Yes, that's cool of 20 over 25,000 men that have played that's coached on General managed over 25,000 million. We're the first two brothers. Wow. Have you thought about what that meant? Yeah. Yeah. Two little black boys from Glenville, Georgia, that didn't have a male figure in the

household after age 11 and 13 or 10 and 13. That was pretty much predominantly raised by women that didn't live in a house with running water until 1988, absolutely. It's just, you know, it's God's gift to being on a path, not deviating from that path, not trying to alter that path, and not trying to change. You know what? We could always get there from where we were.

Right. Yeah, man. Who reminds you, what receiver reminds you of you today? None. Anquan Bolden. That's what I was gonna say. Anquan Bolden was probably the one. T.O.

You know T.O. But you met T.O. before. I knew T.O. Yeah, yeah. T.O. and I go way, way back. I wanna say T.O. was in high school when I met T.O. T.O. kinda in a way, I don't know if he is as, then I'm gonna say physical in a sense, I don't think he loves contact like I did.

Right. But Tio, maybe Debo, Samuels who's a South Carolina Gamecock also. Debo just got to stop getting hurt, man. I need you every day, Debo. But Debo reminds me a lot of me. Yeah. If you could play with any quarterback currently playing today, who would you like to play? Currently playing. Currently playing.

Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow. And I'm gonna say Joe Burl because I would like to say I would like to help him. I'm not, hey Jamari's done that, you know. That cat's special. But I think Joe Burl, just in from what I have seen since he's been in the league, since he left Ohio State, actually went to LSU, what I've seen, I think I'd like to play with him. Just to see what he sees and hear what he says and how he talks.

Playing with Patrick Mahomes would be like playing with Brett. I've already done that. You know, I've, hey, here, you know, or, or, and you know, believe it or not, Patrick Mahomes has a lot more Mike Tom's act than he does Mike Brett Bart. T-Zack will flip it to you throw it behind his back you know call a running play miss the handoff roll out

and be like uh here's a flip you know touchdown right here um Lamar I'd like to play with Lamar Lamar Jackson too too. You know, and I go back and forth because I've had this conversation with myself. Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson are the two I think I'd love to play with just to get a feel for their game and what they see. You left the game and I think the thing is about golf is that I don't think I'm off base saying this, that you love playing golf more than you ever love playing football.

By far. I make on average 74 decisions around and ain't none of them right. Ain't none of them right. Whether it's the right club or the right line on this putt or the right shot shape to hit or the right shot shape to hit or the right club 74 76 decisions and they're all wrong but you know what what you accept them and remember you ain't doing this for Tiger or Scottie Scheffler or Jack Nicholas you out here playing for you it's the exact same way and the exact same parallel

that I had playing football. So if I shoot 78, ain't nobody happier than me. If I shoot 68, ain't nobody happier than me. Because I'm doing this, I'm playing this, I'm out here for me and me alone. So it's wonderful. Like I said, I love the fact that I gotta make a decision. And I gotta support and live with that decision.

And don't nobody care about the decision I make, but me. You played against Jordan Goff, not against him. No. Not even with him. I played behind him and in front of him, but not even when he would go into Tahoe, not even with him. Right. Mm hmm. If y'all played you think you beat him? Nowadays he would probably you know I have lost a lot man. I you know I which was wonderful we haven't talked about my eye surgeries.

I've had enough eye surgeries that my life and game has changed. Yeah. And I have my body atrophy, lost strength, distance. You know, I don't know how much Mike is playing with small kids. And you know, I don't know how much he's playing, but I can still get it around. It just, you know, it's different. Yeah. It's like, you know, driving a car, but it's not a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, but it'll take you and get you where you need to go.

You mentioned the surgery and since you brought it up, you had a very serious eye issue. Three. And got another one, you know, I had a retina that was detached, that tore, that had a cataract removed, and now have a hole in my retina as I'm sitting here right now.

Right. So I am going, I was supposed to have surgery the Monday after the Hall of Fame induction. But I was like, will I be able to fly to Green Bay on September 11 to get my ring? And he said, Oh, that's cutting it close. And I said, Well, is it possible to postpone the surgery until after September 11th? Because we know it tore somewhere between July 3rd and last week. So my surgery is postponed until after September 11th, but I'm going to be

face down, right? Surgery gas bubble face down for X amount of hours a day for 1416 18 days again. So it's it takes a lot out of you because and I think I said this to you. I've never contemplated suicide. But because of what I've gone through since October with this eye. Oh, I got a great understanding of it right now. Because when you go through the four drops,

four times a day, you got three drops three times a day, you got two drops five times a day, and each one of those drops gotta be five minutes apart. So when you are tired and you jump in the bed, wait a minute, what's your drop regimen? When you get up and you gotta get back face down, what's your drop regimen? And remember, each drop has to be five minutes, at least five minutes apart. So you get to a point where you're like, man, I'm the hell with these drops, but I'm doing everything I can to try and save my vision and my eye. And so it is taxing, it is trying. Because of my eye, I probably have not enjoyed being a selectee to the Pro Football Hall

of Fame as much because if you ask me in November, I'll give you a choice I'll give you back sight in your right eye as you had it or I will make you a pro football Hall of Famer I would have chosen my right eye every day and twice on Sunday That's that's how Where I am with this because it's It's a monster. You just had a surgery surgery. I can drive into Ken. Yeah, I just had a cataract removed July 2nd, July 1st. And and let me tell you what's really crazy is you're like I'm never it doesn't seem like I'm ever gonna get this might be the first time I lose.

This might be the first time I lose. And when I say lose, I'm not in control. I don't know the outcome. I'm not prepared for the outcome. I'm like this eye and there's no pain. This might be the first time I lose, which is really not difficult, but hard to understand and to carry.

Why is family so important to you? It's all I had. When I had nothing, I had you guys. When I got what people thought was everything, I had you guys. And so when you look at family, you look at people that may not care that you are a Hall of Famer, that's great. You look at people that may be really excited at your Hall of Famer, that's great. You look at people that like to talk a lot, outstanding. You look at people that don't talk. I mean, I go home to see Libby and we may say 15, 20 words a day, you know, and people are like, what?

Really? I mean, you and I used to be together and we would say, Hey, man, what you want to eat? Hey, you want to go to movie? Yeah. Okay. I mean, we didn't, it wasn't like a lot of verbiage. So, you know, family is everything because you don't have to do and be a certain way to be around them or with them.

Bro, congratulations. One half of the first brothers is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The best half of the first brother in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The lady at Sweet and Savor ATL, she said, I want to do something special for your brother. I said, well, his favorite cake is, at at last I checked is probably red velvet a German chocolate No problem. She said I can do I can do I can I say can you get it done? She said I would love to get it done. Oh man made this this is a sweet and savory atl sweet and savory Thank you. I think I think I DM'd her. Yes

About one of her cakes she had online. I think I was like, ooh, I need to get one of those. Yep. So, but no, thank you very much. Sweet and savory ATL. Yeah, we gonna. He got a sweet tooth. I have it. That'll be gold. It's here. Might not make it back to Columbia. There it is. We gonna knock a hole in that right there. I been grinding all my life you you you you you you you We're breaking down SummerSlam, the biggest party of the summer on Wrestling with Freddie. From our bold picks to storyline breakdowns, we will discuss who walks out with gold who shocks the night and which matches steal the show. We call the winners the upsets and the chaos to expect plus

whatever swerves. Nobody saw coming listen to wrestling with Freddie as part of the Michael Kudda podcast network available on the I heart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts check out behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club. San Diego coming to MLS is gonna be a game changer

because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need to embrace this community. Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get fired up y'all. Season two of Good Game with Sarah Spain is underway. We just welcomed one of my favorite people and incomparable soccer icon, Megan Rapinoe

to the show and we had a blast. Take a listen. Sue and I were like riding the Lime Bikes the other day and we're like, whee! Like this is, people ride bikes because it's fun. We got more incredible guests like Megan in store, plus news of the day and more. So make sure you listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network. Hey guys, it's AZ Fudd. You may know me as a gold medalist. You may know me as an NCAA national champion. You may even know me as a people's princess. Every week on my new podcast, Fudd Around and Find Out, I'll be talking to some special

guests about pop culture, basketball, and what it's like to be a professional athlete on and off the court. Listen to Fud Around and Find Out, a production of iHeart Women's Sports, in partnership with unanimous media, starting August 7th on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.