Digital Social Hour - The Secret to Leading Interceptions in the NFL I Anthony Harris DSH #481

Episode Date: June 6, 2024

🔥 Are you ready to uncover the secret to leading interceptions in the NFL? 🏈 Join us on the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly as we dive deep with NFL safety Anthony Harris! 🚀 In this electrifying episode, Anthony reveals his journey from a high school quarterback to becoming the league's top interceptor in 2019. 🏆 Discover the mindset, techniques, and strategies that set him apart on the field. Plus, hear firsthand about his experiences facing off against legends like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes! Ever wondered what it's like to switch positions and excel at the highest level? Anthony shares his unique perspective on the challenges and intricacies of playing safety in today's fast-paced NFL. 🏃‍♂️💨 This episode is packed with valuable insights and authentic stories that you won't find anywhere else. Tune in now and join the conversation! Don't miss out on Anthony's secrets to success both on and off the field. 📺 Watch now and subscribe for more insider secrets. 📲 Hit that subscribe button and stay tuned for more eye-opening stories on the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly! 🚀 #DigitalSocialHour #SeanKelly #Podcast #NFL #AnthonyHarrisJr #Interceptions #Football #Safety #Sports #Inspiration #SubscribeNow #Football #NflDefense #LeadingInterceptions #FootballStrategies #Safety CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro 0:32 - Becoming a Safety 1:44 - Realizing NFL Potential 2:17 - Getting Cut First Year 5:49 - Hardest Position in NFL 8:04 - Leading Interceptions 2019 9:44 - Handling Criticism 10:45 - NFL Evolution 11:51 - NFL Rivalries 13:13 - Best QB Faced 15:13 - Anthony's Daughter 17:18 - Anthony's Foundation 18:51 - Youth Opportunities 22:21 - NFL Goals Unachieved 25:11 - NFL Injury Statistics 27:03 - Life After NFL 28:53 - Post-Game Soreness 30:29 - Outside NFL Activities 32:40 - Connect with Anthony APPLY TO BE ON THE PODCAST: https://forms.gle/D2cLkWfJx46pDK1MA BUSINESS INQUIRIES/SPONSORS: [e-mail] SPONSORS: Deposyt Payment Processing: https://www.deposyt.com/seankelly LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-social-hour/id1676846015 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Jn7LXarRlI8Hc0GtTn759 Sean Kelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmikekelly/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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to look and see things that you can improve on. Understanding that, you know, we all have to work together in a cohesive way to get the results we want, people are studying us as well. Wherever you guys are watching this show, I would truly appreciate it if you follow or subscribe. It helps a lot with the algorithm. It helps us get bigger and better guests, and it helps us grow the team. Truly means a lot. Thank you guys for supporting, and here's the episode. All right, guys, we got Anthony Harris Jr. here today safety in the NFL. How's it going man? Man I'm doing well. How you doing? I'm good man. We were just talking before this. I can't wait to dive into this. Yeah man I think it's gonna be exciting. You know I think you do a great job of pulling out a number of topics with the different guests you have on so

I'm excited to dive in. Yeah and I feel like safety is you don't really hear their perspectives on social media often right? Yeah you know some guys you know, stepping into that a little bit more. But I think that, you know, you take a look at the defensive side of the ball. You take a look at guys that play the safety position and the middle linebacker position and just how cerebral guys are to be able to articulate the game. I think that's a different perspective that some people don't get. Yeah, absolutely.

And when I was doing research on you, you didn't start as a safety. You were quarterback, right? You were wide receiver. When did that switch happen? High school. High school. High school really uh the turning point for me uh football wise i was always a defensive guy um you know play a little bit of receiver used to joke with my coach about playing quarterback um so after my sophomore year he was like hey i want you to come uh come to stay after practice a little bit i'm teaching how to throw and so that was the introduction um of rolled into that I think it helped me a lot with the knowledge of the game and

and then from there was just having fun with it but ultimately college defensively is what I wanted to do. Nice when did you know the NFL was a possibility? For me I always stayed focused on the on the stage that I was on and the platform that I was on. I think the NFL was like a distant thought, but it was more so just like handling where I was. So at each point, you know, I tried to lock in. But college, I would probably say my sophomore year is when I kind of just see, you know, I got an opportunity. Like I came in right away and I saw that I could play at that level.

And I thought, you know, I could be a really good player at the collegiate level. But in terms of thinking about the NFL, I was just taking it one step at a time. Yeah. And your first year was a rough year, right? You got cut that year. So mentally, was that really hard on you? Yeah. Yeah. It was definitely a challenge. I think it probably was, you know, not as big as, you know, the draft process, going through that, you know, having a good career at college, coming out a little bit injured, not really getting the opportunity to hear my name called, to participate in the combine, even though I was there. And so that whole process of getting cut, it was definitely a feeling of coming up a little bit short. But that whole process and training camp, I knew I could play in the NFL.

Oh, so you didn't even make it to the combine. You didn't get to the draft. No, no. So I went to the combine, didn't participate, did the injury. But I got to see that experience. I got to see that level of competition. I got to see other guys that I came in with in their respective game and how they were able to do and perform. And so for me, it was just about, you know, getting the opportunity. And so I didn't hear my name called, but, you know, I did end up getting signed with the team. And that was really what I was looking for and what I needed. Yeah. And you had to fight your way in, right, to get a roster spot. Yeah. Yeah. I came in with a very strong mindset, continued to have it, tried to soak up as much as I could from the coaches,

the older veteran guys who were there who would share different stuff about how they prepared during the week, what their mentality was like. And from there, it was just like keeping your head down, continuing to work and just proving yourself. Yeah. Any coaches or veterans specifically that really stand out to you early on in your career? Oh, man. I think I think I was blessed to have a good team with a lot of good veterans, good people in terms of, you know, sharing insight.

I think for me, one of the first guys was Terrence Newman, you know, veteran guy. I think he might have been on year 17 at the time. Yeah. So a lot of experience, a lot of success in the NFL. And he was a guy who would, you know, quietly, you know, just show guys the way. And then at other times, you know, he would actually be more verbal and have conversations on the sidelines. So guys like Dad, guys like Linville Joseph,

who played on the defensive line there, physical guy, won a Super Bowl. So he had accomplished a lot of the things that I wanted to do in my career. And so from that standpoint, I was just, you know, seeing how we work. We talked a lot about mentality and not being complacent. And that's massive, right? Because the average NFL career is 3.3 years. So to have someone that's been there 17 years take you under their wing, you know, that must be a huge reason why you're still here today.

Yeah, it was major. It was major. And I think part of that is kind of how I carry myself in the locker room with other guys. You know, whether we're competing at a high level, you know, it's just like, you know, everybody's got to go out there put that best foot forward and may the best man win um and so you know it's all about progress um i want to see other guys continue to develop and chase their dreams as well so um i've been trying to find a balance between doing that

and doing what i want to do and accomplish and what i want to accomplish as well yeah that is an interesting dynamic because you're competing for that starting spot but at the same time they're your teammates you kind of got to support them in a way too. Yeah. And I hear there's some divide sometimes, especially with the older players and the younger guys, right? Yeah. I mean, it can be, it can be. And I think sometimes, you know, as players or even as fans, we forget that, you know, this is somebody's job. You know, this is somebody's livelihood. They have a family who they're trying to provide for. And so that's another piece to it, and it's a very unique situation.

But when you find those guys who are willing to share those gems and compete at the same time but push you to be the best player you can be while also doing the same for themselves, I think that's a unique player. Absolutely. So they say the safety position is one of the hardest in NFL, right, especially these days with receivers being so fast, so versatile. Do you agree with that statement? Yeah, I do believe that safety is one of the hardest positions. I mean, I guess everything you can take a look at and you can find a way to define it as being hard or the hardest.

I think a lot of guys, you know, in the league as well would say corner is one of the hardest. And for its own unique reasons you know as safety you know we have to be able to diagnose plays to be able to respond and react just as fast as just as well as a corner may have to in the past game um but also the minimum gymnastics of you know knowing all the right calls all the right checks getting in and out of calls based off of what the offense doing so um that's the beauty in the game that i really love and i appreciate and that uh that i try to keep up with and stay on top of. I love that.

Yeah, because you make one wrong decision as a safety. It could cost a touchdown, right? So there's a lot of pressure in that position. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We say, you know, the ball can travel faster over your head than it can on the ground. You've had to guard some of the toughest in the league, right?

Gronk, Fitzgerald, any specific players that really stand out to you is really hard to guard? Man, there are a ton of players who have great skill, great talent. And I think when you find a guy who has the physical ability, but also the mental capacity to be able to take in a lot of information, not just about what they're supposed to be doing, but how to attack you defensively, you know, how to utilize the technique you're using versus against you.

And so, you know, facing guys like Gronk early in his career um you know how to utilize the technique you're using versus against you and so um you know facing guys like gronk early in his career um you know that was that was a great experience to be able to go out there and compete against one of the best in the game um you know guys like travis kelsey who's continuing to do it at a high level right um you know i tip my hat to those guys because it takes a lot of work uh day in and day out to get that level of success yeah kelsey different man i, it is super impressive. Yeah, yeah. I thought no one would pass Gronk, but he's in that debate. I mean, it's beautiful to see.

And when I sit back and I take a look at them play, you know, pre-snap to be able to look across the defense, understand, you know, what defensive coverage they could be going to, where guys are, and then to be able to just maneuver in a way to find those open windows. And sometimes it may look off script, but that's why he's open you know because it's almost unpredictable for the defense that he's going to be where you know you think he's going to be yeah so leading the league in interceptions in 2019 what do you think you did so well that year because you had six interceptions that year i had six in the regular season and one in the playoffs what do you think that year specifically you were doing that just made it so special?

Just continuing to be a student of the game, continuing that whole process. It was really just a buildup of years of studying the defense, years of getting to know the players around me, the coaches, kind of how we want to attack offenses. And so for me, it was just about studying film, not just studying the opponent, but studying myself and understanding, you know, how they see me on film and things that they may want to take advantage of.

And then often using that, you know, to be able to put myself in position. But, I mean, I had a lot of guys around me who made my job easy as well. You know, had the opportunity to have some good defensive lines that was up there creating pressure. And so often pitting quarterbacks in situations where they have to make a split decision, whether they want to take a sack or give their receiver a chance. And I was able to take advantage of some thanks to some guys around me as well. Dude, I love that. You're out here playing chess because you're watching the film, watching yourself,

thinking about, oh, they're going to say that's a weakness, but you're secretly working on it. Yeah. And I mean, it's just about getting better. You know, each time you go out there, you may win, but you may not play a perfect game. But I mean, you can always try to look and see things that you can improve on and just see how the people around you are working and understanding that, you know, we all have to work together in a cohesive way to get the results we want. And then just understanding that people are studying us as well. And pro athletes face more criticism than almost anyone in the world, right? On social media. Did that get to you at first when you were first starting out? No, I didn't really dive into social media too much. And so that would be times where different stuff would come out and people would send it to me or tag me in it

and I would see it, close friends, close relatives. And so for me, it was cool, but I understood the amount of work that it took

to reach that level of success and to maintain it or to continue to grow in those categories. And on the other side with the haters and stuff and the critics, the people on TV,

you have one bad game talking about you. You just block that out. Yeah, I think for me it's just like underdog mentality. And so for me, one key word that I've always kind of lived by, regardless of the situation, is just being persistent. And so I wrote a letter on it in college for admissions. And for me, that just stuck with me, being consistent, being persistent, regardless of the environment, regardless of what people say, but ultimately being, you know, the biggest believer in myself and proving it to myself and then letting others see it as that happens. Nice. I love that. Have you seen the position or the game evolve? Like NBA, it's a

lot less contact now. Have you seen similar things in the NFL? Yeah, I've kind of seen it. I've kind of seen, you know, from a um I've kind of seen you know from a kid watching the game to you know the level of physicality um to how the players will build uh to the style of offenses you know more run first uh you know bigger people on the field more tight ends and we're starting to see a little bit now which the 49ers do often sometimes um but now it's becoming more to being able to move. So that ability to change direction, play in space, and then also just the mental aspect is just continuing to develop as well. Right, so it's more of a passing game you'd say now? Yeah, I would probably say it's more of a

passing game. Yeah. And so I think that brings the excitement to the game. You know, sometimes, you know, 37 rushing attempts may not be the prettiest, may not be the most exciting. You may spring a big run here or there or a big hit or be able to make somebody miss during a tackle. But I just think the dynamic of, you know, those deep passes, the scrambling, the extending plays, it's exciting. Yeah, absolutely. Any games, rivalries, matchups you still think about? I mean, there's a number of games that I still think about you know I think the NFL is a beautiful place the different environments you can go in the different cultures the different cities that you play in and so for me being in Minnesota being part of the Minnesota and the Green Bay

Packers rivalry and what that felt like in the city, as well as spending some time in Philadelphia, you know, and that rivalry with the Cowboys. And so to be able to experience, you know, what it's like as a player, to be able to take a step back and look at the fans and see how much that they really pour into it. So I always try to take a moment to, you know, appreciate times like that and make great moments in moments like that.

Playing in Green Bay, man, it's like zero degrees sometimes, right? Yeah. Yeah, it's cold. It's cold. And so, you know, I was I was a little bit pleased when the schedule kind of changed up a little bit from my time out there. We would go and play in Green Bay a little bit early in the year. But also that was part of the culture, you know that being outside um the smell in the grass the seeing of the breath come off of you know the fans in the stands um and so you take a look at all those things and it really pulls you into like the old school history of football and i think that that was one thing um playing in lambo and all the history there that i really took

took to that's cool so you really appreciate the history of the game too yeah yeah most definitely that's awesome now it's a common thing that people say online the eagles have the worst fan base as a giants fan can you confirm that for me man for me when i take a look at you know the eagles fan base um the loyaltyness um the excitement, and the truth in it. You know, if you're not playing well, they're going to let you know. If you're playing well, they're going to let you know. And regardless of what it is, for them it's fly, it was fly. And so it's that level of passion that I appreciate.

And so some people may look at it and not, you know, it's not quite as, you know, nice to them in terms of away teams coming there and playing there and playing there and the experience that they get um but for me it's just a level of passion for something that they really appreciate i feel that who's the uh the best quarterback you've played against man um see if if we start talking about that then we start talking about the greatest of all time but um i mean i've had the opportunity to play against some great guys. Played against Tom Brady when he was in, you know, up with the Patriots.

Played with him when he was with the Bucs. I faced Patrick Mahomes a number of times. You take a look at some of the veterans who's kind of hung it up now. Played against Drew Brees. Played against Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay twice a year. So I feel like I've got quite the list in terms of players in that era with the Tom Brady's, the Phillip Rivers, to now kind of the younger generation of talent that's coming in

versus Mahomes. You know, haven't had the opportunity to face Lamar Jackson. But guys like that are so explosive. I think quarterbacks these days have to be, right? They have to be able to run a little bit. Yeah. So for me, it's tough. Before, it would toss it up between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

Now, Patrick Mahomes throwing himself in that category. But for me, those are my top three quarterbacks that I've had the opportunity to face. I can't argue that, man. Those three are goats right there. Saw you had a daughter. Congrats on that. Thanks, man. I appreciate that. How old is she now? She's about to be five months. Wow. Yeah. That's beautiful. Yeah. You post her all the time. I see how much you care about her. Yeah. It's, it's big, man. Um, for me, uh, that fatherhood introduction was a special thing. And so for me, I really wanted to be present in that. Um, I try to be present

with her in every moment that I can. Um, and been a beautiful sight to see the development, the growth, and just life. To be able to see the day-to-day changes from her mechanics to movements, to personality coming out. I've got a niece and nephew that I spent a lot of time with, but it's nothing like when you have your own. I love that. So family's always been super important for you? Yeah, family's always been huge for me. It's been huge, huge support system between my whole family.

A lot of great times just gathering together, watching football games during the holidays. Yeah. A lot of great meals and oftentimes just enjoying the company with one another. And so for me, that's been big. Spending more time my family um and now my daughter and then just just enjoying life and being present in those moments yeah i love to see you post that man because a lot of guys athletes you know they have a bunch of different kids and they're not about that family unit but i'm all about family dude yeah and i think i think the one thing that you know with social media is um sometimes it can be out of sight out of mind. So for me to have a daughter in that poster doesn't mean that I'm not being affectionate with her and I'm not sharing those moments and building those moments and relationships.

It's just not for the public eye sometimes. So I understand when guys decide not to. But for me, just being able to have the platform that I have and really show people who I am and try to have who I am and how I show myself to be true to who I am, to be a positive impact on them. Are you interested in coming on the Digital Social Hour podcast as a guest? Well, click the application link below in the description of this video. We are always looking for cool stories, cool entrepreneurs to talk to about business and life. Click the application link below. And here's the episode, guys.

Love that, dude. And I know you're big on charity stuff. You got your own foundation, right? Yep. I got my own foundation, Anthony Harris Foundation. Started a number of years ago. And for me, I had always been in a position of just giving back. But I never had my own in terms of foundation.

You know, I always partnered up, which I still do now. But for me, I wanted to take another step and to be able to build a legacy and have something that I continue to pass on. And so I wanted to just, you know, take some of the resources, the experiences, the network that I have and be able to give it back to people who, you know, who want that help

and who want that extra guidance and that extra support in their life. Incredible, man. I'm starting mine this year. I've done some charity stuff in the past. Um, doing stuff like that is when you really feel the best. It's hard to explain if you haven't done it, but it's like making someone's day, dude, just feels amazing. Yeah. I think, um, you know, that's, that's probably one of the big things with us is just, um, being able to be present, you know, being able to, um to do something that, you know, it has an impact, you know, in that field of being able to provide somebody with an opportunity. And whether that's an opportunity to meet somebody who they may never thought

they would have met, you know, somebody who might just watch you on TV and may not quite be able to grasp the idea that you're human and that you have feelings and that you have emotions and that they too could work really hard and have big dreams and be able to accomplish some of those things. And so for me, that's what it's all about is being able to try to inspire people. I love that. Did you have an opportunity like that when you were younger? Is that why you're so passionate about this? Oh, yeah. For me, I felt like, you know, there were a number of people who helped me out along

the way, just out of the kindness. You know, for some, it was, you know, just spending their time, you know, and I think that's one of the most expensive things. Right, it is. It's time and it's precious. And so when you have people who dedicate time to your development, and for me early on, that was with basketball. I had a coach who would come pick me up. We would go to the gym and it would just be me and him. And we would be in there for a few

hours just working. And he would take me to different tournaments, give me that exposure. And so it really opened me up in terms of being able to, people might say, oh, we open up, pause. But no, it really gave me the opportunity to see the world and, you know, to see that there's something outside of Richmond, Virginia. And, you know, even though that's a place that, you know, I'll always consider home and always have strong ties to, there's more out there that I can chase and obtain and there's different things that I can accomplish. And that's great advice for anyone in a smaller town, right? Because they think that's life. But really when you travel outside and experience different cultures and cities and environments,

you learn a lot. Yeah, yeah, you do, you do. And for me, I think that allowed me just to continue to grow. To be able to cross paths with people that I may not have ever crossed paths with, had not left outside of the city that I was in. It gave me an opportunity in terms of networking. It gave me an opportunity of seeing that, hey, this is a kid who's in California. You know, he's working hard just as much as I am. You know, he's right in this team phenom camp. We're competing against each other. And it really gave me the vision of, you know, if I want to go to college, this is how I'm comparing up

against other guys across the country. And this is the pool of people who I'm competing with. Yeah. Because you were probably one of the best enrichments. You had to get out there and experience more competition. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that, you know, that kept me humble, you know, along with my family kept keeping me rooted in my beliefs. And I think that that was probably one of the biggest things is just seeing the different experiences to understand that it's not just going to come to you. You know, you got to be willing to continue to work and continue to push on, even though it doesn't look as good as sometimes. Right. And I think that's what separates you from a lot of athletes. They have the talent, but not the work ethic.

Yeah, I think that's that's a big piece. Talent can only take you so far. Yeah. You know, at some point you're going to have to really apply yourself. You know, at some point you're going to have to really apply yourself. At some point, you're going to have to sacrifice. And so those are the things behind the scenes that a lot of guys do to reach the NFL. And you have to continue to do that in order to stay there, in order to play at a high level. It's a lot of sacrifice that some people don't see, but the reward for it can be great. Exactly, yeah.

All your friends in high school, college probably going out on the weekends, but you're staying in, you're grinding. People don't talk about that part of success. No, they don't. You know, they don't talk about, you know, unless you've got somebody with you, you know, with a hidden camera documentary, document it. You know, they don't see it, you know. And for me, that's what it was.

It was, you know, going to the high school field on a Saturday, you know, running into bleachers, looking down in the stands and just visualizing that, you know, running in the bleachers, looking down in the stands and just visualizing that, you know, this is preparing me for the moment where I look around in the stadiums field in one of the biggest rivalries and I'll have an opportunity to make an impact on it as long as I just continue to work, stay healthy and just stay focused on the main thing. And so for me, I did that. And at each time I just reset at whatever level I was and just stay focused on the main thing. And so for me, I did that. And at each time, I just reset at whatever level I was and just continued to press it on, and it allowed me to reach where I wanted to reach.

Love that. You really manifested it, man. Yeah. Power of visualization, right? Yeah. Yep. So that was big for me. And that's what I try to continue to do now,

continue to push myself, to expand my mind, and then to continue to be a student you know not just of the game but in life just continuing to learn from the people around me you know learning from the things that they've done that's positively and learning from people mistakes as well so you know i try not to make the same ones that's powerful is there anything you haven't achieved yet in the nfl that you still want to achieve man i want to win a super bowl i want to win a super bowl uh little league um we won a few championships we won three in a row and uh okay my mom my mom you know she put together um a nice surprise for me and my friend and she actually got us like you

know championship rings so that was my first exposure to you know a championship ring right and at that time little league championships was probably the biggest the biggest thing that you can really dream about in the nfl and the super bowl is kind of off in the distance um but to get here now to experience it uh to be on that platform you know to see other teams you know come out victorious and hold the trophy up um i want to experience that and i want to feel it it's within reach reach, right? You've been in the playoffs. You guys are a few pieces away. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I've been on some great teams, and they've been right there at the door.

And so it's tough. It's tough to get there. And once you get there, sometimes it can be tough to get back. I think the Lions coach said it this year after the loss. Next year is not going to be the same. Even if the roster is the same, we're not going to be able to surprise people you know they're not going to walk in and think oh it's the Detroit Lions right you know up the past and we can just you know come in and roll over them and that'll be it people are going to bring their best game and so that's the type of environment

that you create when you play at a high level you do it consistently yeah and so you know when the Chiefs come into a game and the 49ers as well because they've had that pedigree of winning it all I think guys like that have that extra belief of you know we can do it again you know we've come from behind before and we know what it takes and so I think that that's the edge that those teams have at times yeah you saw it this year because the Chiefs had a subpar regular season they said right I think they went 10 and 6 or something and they were saying they might not make it this year, but look what happened.

Yeah, yeah, it's a long season. It's a very long season. There's a lot of things that come into play. You know, new rosters to build. You have to build that chemistry. Sometimes you have new coordinators. Sometimes you have returning coordinators. But the pieces are rarely the same.

Rarely. So even a level of competition, you know, the other teams that you play and they face, they've been working on trying to get better. You know, they've added new players. They've added new coaches. They've got years and more experience of facing you. So the role only gets tougher. And so I tip my hats off to guys who are able to navigate it and stay together through those hard times and pull through. Right. And you've been great at that, you know, avoiding injuries. From week one to the playoffs, what percentage of the team do you think gets injured on average? Oh, man.

I feel for me there's a lot of guys who play through injuries. Some are minor, you know, minor injuries. Some can be serious. But I think the other factor that people don't really talk about much is the mental injuries, you know, outside of the game, you know, having a family around you, how that relationship with them can impact you, whether that could be having a kid, whether that could be death in the family and how you deal with that. And so there's a lot of things that different guys battle with through the season. You know, sometimes they don't show up on the injury report you know because you know that some of the stuff is personal a guy may be going through something but um that's the game within the game you know and i and i and i

respect guys and i always tell guys just keep pushing you know it might get hard sometimes but keep pushing um and understand you know whatever you're going through somebody who you may not know or you may know is going through it, you know, the same way. And some have already been through it and they've come out successful. So just keep pressing on like you do in the game and you'll come out on the other side. Yeah, I'm glad you're speaking on that because you're on the road half the year. So if you have a family, you know, that's tough to balance that. You're not seeing your wife for a long amount of time and your kids.

Yeah, yeah. And I think that side and then, you and then distant family in terms of like your mother and father may not live in the city. They may not travel as much. They may not be as interested in flying and taking flights. So each team, each player, we all have different unique dynamics that come with the team, that come with their own team in terms of your family. But how we handle that can show up sometimes. But it's a challenge that we

all face. And I tell guys, just keep battling. Love it. Now, you're very good at, you know, staying in the present. I've noticed that throughout this interview. But do you ever think about life after the NFL at all? Yeah. Yeah. I think much like, you know, on a journey to, you know, trying to make it to the NFL, you know, on a journey to, you know, trying to make it to the NFL, you know, I try to stay present in where I am, but I also got to have some vision of where I want to go. And so I try to keep that in mind a little bit. But I understand, you know, you have to be present in the moment

to take advantage of that time and that window. Right. Because just like Super Bowl windows close, playing career is close. Unfortunately, you know, because just like Super Bowl windows close, playing careers close. Unfortunately, you know, we can't do it forever. And sometimes we don't have a say in when, you know, when's our last game and when we suit up. And so that's a fine line between balancing that and giving yourself the healthy dose of really dialing in on the now

with football, but also dialing in on some of the things that can actually free up your mind and allow you to play more free yeah and really enjoy the experiment the experience of being on the field being in the locker room you know and celebrating those moments yeah i think it's important right because there's some crazy stuff i think 80 of nfl athletes go broke after they retire which is crazy man because some of these guys well not a lot of them make millions but you know a lot of them do and then they blow it all, you know? Yeah, financial literacy is key. Yeah. And so I think if you take a look at, you know, the journey of a lot of guys, you know, sometimes it's the background, you know, but whatever it is, a lot of guys pour a lot of

focus and a lot of attention into learning the game, you know, working out. And, you know, it's like any other job. You know, you wake up early in the morning, you put the work in, you eat breakfast, you got your routine, you execute everything. And so every now and then we need to find a little time, just like we do with recovery, to continue to expand in that area. So that way when we make a transition, whether it's expected or unexpected, you know, we're able to handle that. Yeah. I want to dive into the recovery part. How sore are you after a game?

It depends. It depends. Sometimes I'm sore. It depends. You know, you can come in, a guy come in and hit you on a certain spot and, you know, it'll flare up a little bit. But other than that, I think the adrenaline sometimes, you know, you may not feel the soreness until the next day you may not feel it to the next day and so um i think that's the the part of you know staying proactive you know trying to get some recovery and sometimes immediately after game yeah uh coming in the next day and really grinding that soreness out you know um really sometimes opening up whether that's lifting weights whether that's massages scratching but really just working

those kinks out and fleshing it out so you can get ready to prepare for the next week yeah dude having talked to you i i'm glad because now i understand the mindset if you admit you're injured you might lose your job so like you're saying guys play through injuries that must be a scary situation yeah yeah i mean you know it could be for a number of reasons. Some guys may be in fear they might lose their job or the guy behind them is going to perform well. That's the realistic and the real atmosphere. But in terms of playing through injuries, sometimes it could just be a pure love for the game.

The pure feeling of I don't want to let my team down. Understanding the role that you play in that piece and, you know, understanding that, yeah, they can make and, you know, come out and still win without me. But there's that feeling of wanting to be a part of it. Right. You know, wanting to actually be a contributor to it that, you know, pulls you back in. Yeah. What else are you doing outside of NFL stuff? I've been doing a number of different things, learning a lot, working with a number of different people, a number of different groups and just expanding my mind.

You know, going in different avenues, whether that's real estate, learning more about venture capital, learning more about, you know, different businesses. You know, how to how to evaluate and put values on businesses in terms of if I'm interested in purchasing. So really, my whole focus has been similar to football is just continue growth in every category. Yeah, I love that mindset, man, because people after college, they stop learning and you're still learning while you're playing professional sports. And it's fulfilling for me. And for me, I actually think, you know, over the past year and a half of, you know, growing in that area, it's allowed me to be, you know, a better dad. You know, it's allowed me to be a better player. You know, it's allowed me to play more free and to understand that, you know, there's really not as much pressure to, you know, do or accomplish some of the things that I want to accomplish financially through football, because in the end, I know I'll be able to do what I want to do. And so for me, football has always been like something I love doing. And I think for me, the added bonus was just being able to get paid for it. And so that's the blessing that, you know, I truly enjoy,

you know, what I do. You know, I can get, you know, what I do and that, you know, I can get, you know, paid for, you know, going out there and playing well. Love that. Cause there's a lot of athletes that it's the opposite, right? They put the money first, which is fine. You know, it depends on the situation, but then the game comes second. But for you, I think it's more aligned. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, you know, as a, as I've grown in my career, um, each aspect of that has continued to evolve. Um. And understanding that, you know, the financial part is key as well, to be able to do the things that I want to do for my future family and my family now. And so that is important. But also like the feeling that I get from it,

you know, and understanding that I can just enjoy it for what it is and for the sport and for the competition and for the entertainment aspect and be able to utilize it as well to do some other things in the future. Absolutely. Anthony, I'm going to be rooting for you in the poker tournament tonight, man. I appreciate that. Yeah, thanks for coming on. Where can people find you? People can find me at Aaron Harris on social media, on Instagram, as well as on Twitter. I'm Who's That Dude, not as active on Twitter, but every now and then I'll drop a gem there. Love it.

Thanks for coming on, man. Thanks for watching, guys. As always, see you tomorrow.