Green Light with Chris Long - David Vobora! Mr. Relevant, St. Louis Rams, Climbing Kili & Purpose After Football.

Episode Date: October 12, 2022

(2:04) - St. Louis Rams Memories, Best Rookie Show Ever, Success as a 7th Round Draft Pick & Mr. Irrelevant to Mr. Relevant.  (26:34) - Climbing Kili with The Chris Long Foundation and David Starting... a Non-Profit that Provides Physical Training Programs to Veterans and People Living with Disabilities. (45:05) - Teaching Howie Long About Ayahuasca, Finding Balance and Purpose After Football and Writing a Book on His Life. Green Light Spotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/user/951jyryv2nu6l4iqz9p81him9?si=17c560d10ff04a9b Spotify Layup Line: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1olmCMKGMEyWwOKaT1Aah3?si=675d445ddb824c42 Green Light Tube YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GreenLightTube1 Green Light with Chris Long: Subscribe and enjoy weekly content including podcasts, documentaries, live chats, celebrity interviews and more including hot news items, trending discussions from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA are just a small part of what we will be sharing with you. https://www.greenlightpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:59 Welcome to the Greenlight podcast. It is Double-Drop Wednesday. It is David Vobora time. Chris and David are in Studio J, reminiscing about some good times on the St. Louis Rams, the rookie show, learning from vets, how David ended up a starter in the league,
Starting point is 00:01:19 thanks to a parking lot fire, and finding his purpose after the game. Thanks for tuning into this one. Y'all take care. So, Dave, I've known you, how many years? We got drafted in 2008. 15? We're old. On 15 years.
Starting point is 00:02:13 So David Vibora is a guy that, like, you know when you get to college, say, and you meet the first person at your dorm. Shout out to Tom Sannie, who I played with. But, like, there's that one guy that you meet and you click with right away and you're like, all right, we're in this together. Me and Dave were those guys I felt like early in St. Louis in 2008, draft in the same class. Here's a little before me. Yeah, so Dave bears the title, Mr. Irrelevant, but I always, whenever somebody talks about, a Mr. Irrelevant, I'm like, dude, one of the most relevant people I know was drafted last in the NFL in 2008. Like, incredibly relevant, incredibly important work you've done after football.
Starting point is 00:02:57 And you had a hell of a career. So I want to welcome Dave of Abora to the podcast. I'm stuck to be with you, man. Yeah, dude, it's great. I've been in town for a couple of days. It's been great to see you and your family, man. And this show is something that I've always been a fan of since you launched it. I was psyched.
Starting point is 00:03:13 You should tell me that earlier. Part of the stress of this show is like, do my friends like this show? Maybe the most important part. Yeah. And you're just sitting there quietly liking the show. Hey, man. If you looked at my Instagram, you know I liked it. You're the man.
Starting point is 00:03:27 I'll tell you this, though, the first pick of the draft for the Rams and then the last pick, like rookie camp and times it was just like I always seemed to be. be like habits like whether you're in the ice tub together or whatever like our habits were similar you know you're here too well and not just inside of Rams Park yeah and so we ended up having some that's true that's true we frequented the same uh same areas we ran hard back in the day man we were saying what a blessing it was to be drafted to the St Louis Rams now you could not tell the 23 year old me that right not to say I wasn't excited the first you know when they called my name I was excited but also knew it was going to be a big challenge because the team wasn't great. Sure. And the city was
Starting point is 00:04:11 also not like, you know, St. Louis is a great time. It's a baseball time. The team picking one was Miami. So the delta between those two rookie experiences. I think I'd have been dead, honestly. I think Jake, I think Jake Long handled it. He got that handled. What was your first thought when you heard St. Louis? You know, and did you want to go undrafted? So, yeah. I mean, you know, you're slated. is a fifth or six round pick like he rolls on and sometimes it's better to be able to choose you know where where you're going to actually go and have a better suited fit but Scott Linnehan was our coach at the time he was an Idaho vandal right go vandal so like there was a
Starting point is 00:04:52 there was something he believed in me but like there was that affinity too so I was like all right this is a good fit and I was stoked to be I mean most of my friends were no joke drunk and passed out because it had been going on like draft party started that Sunday early you guys do the draft right oh man What's the name of the city there? It's Moscow. Oh, yes. Not Moscow.
Starting point is 00:05:12 It's the only Moscow we like right now. True. Yeah, facts. Honestly, that place, when the Russians are fucking up, the people of Moscow are like, all right, we'll take it from here. We're all right. We, uh, you got to go to the kibby dome one day, by the way. I would love to. Can you tell me what's going on in that motherfucker?
Starting point is 00:05:33 Because it's one of the most unique, it's like they built it to be a warehouse. And then there were no expense. Looks like an airplane hanger. Yeah, what's going on in there? There's been some renovations. So, let me look this one. I'd tell you this, man.
Starting point is 00:05:45 There's, there's a stench. We call it the Kibbe cough. Like you, you exercise, much less play a football game inside of the Kibbe Dome and your lungs,
Starting point is 00:05:55 there's carcinogens. I'm just going to call it. As best as the dome. But now, man, I always think about like, you bought that Mercury Grand Marquis, the baby blue one. I did.
Starting point is 00:06:06 And we would roll. around St. Louis as rookies like trying to be incognito and there's no chance to like we were that. Yeah. And we, uh, I feel like there was a couple of times like Milwaukee in training camp. Yeah. Where like the things that we had to do, especially as rookies on a defense only had like we had like four rookies. Yeah. So we had to do things for the veterans that were just ridiculous.
Starting point is 00:06:31 Older league back then. Yeah. Which. Oh yeah. We had to sing together. Yeah. Yeah, in the cafeteria. This is like Michael Phelps Olympics year.
Starting point is 00:06:40 Yeah. Remember? That was a cool part about Cam. Yeah, yeah. But we sang you lost that love and feeling. We did. We did a duet, which was a genius thing because if you're like going to get drafted, you know, you're probably going to have to sing for the vets.
Starting point is 00:06:53 You got to do a duet. Nobody, like Hard Knocks guys always miss this. They're always getting out there trying to carry the whole show, dude. Get a co-host. I think that got us off the hook early. Definitely off the hook. But the rookie. show is where you came to inform.
Starting point is 00:07:09 Yeah. So the rookie show. And honestly, when he think back, the rookie show was maybe the first time of my life when looking back, the 37-year-old me would be like, yeah, he could have a podcast one day.
Starting point is 00:07:21 You know, like, because we definitely had to be creative. We had to be creative that night, dude. The effort that this rookie class, shout out to 2008 Rams rookie class, I mean, was listening.
Starting point is 00:07:32 So the amount of emphasis, like we do doubles. And then we'd come in and like plan. Like there was a run of show. But people got to understand what a rookie show is. Yeah, yeah. Tell them why the rookie show exists. So you get to,
Starting point is 00:07:44 to campus, so to speak. And by the way, we're in Mechuan, Wisconsin. Concordia University. The weather's nice. But back in the day, there were real two days. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:07:55 Your pads are still wet from the morning practice. Yeah. I'm sleeping on a little cot next to Adam Cariker, dude. They just were like, oh, these two white guys will probably get along. That's a big man, too. You know, he's snoring and shit. And we're walking to everything.
Starting point is 00:08:11 Anyways, at night, we were tasked with figuring out how to do a rookie show, like the last night of camp. And the vets, as soon as you get there, like, you, that rookie show better be good. Like, it's kind of like they're going to beat you up. It's a long tradition. I don't know how it's evolved today, but like some of the- They're doing rookie shows. Probably not, because I heard stories.
Starting point is 00:08:31 The chaos that had ensued left us with a standard that was. was beyond what we were prepared for it about old NFL things going on in these rookie shows so we had to well Chris wrote a rap yeah he completed he finished it the at the very end with a rap tell us about so I don't remember the words but at the end I had to I had to like there was a punch line and it was something like let's get the fuck out of Concordia or something because it was the last and I remember people cheering well there's that what was it about do you remember the part about one of our teammates? Was it,
Starting point is 00:09:08 was it one of our teammates unit? Yeah. And how small it was? Yeah. Well, so they get up, they make you get up there and they're like, better be good,
Starting point is 00:09:15 rookie. I'm like, oh, so we can like, like at all costs and they're like at all costs. And you're like, so I can make fun of you and they're like, yeah,
Starting point is 00:09:23 give, yeah, fucking rookie, you're gonna make fun of us. So I get up there and I'm just sniping people. Dude, shots, fired. I'm sniping.
Starting point is 00:09:30 I'm sniping talking about this guy's dick. This guy had a dick like a button. What was the, we won't name names. it was like a monopoly thimble it's a piece he didn't want no like and I was like sitting in the shower one day not that I was looking but this was a big guy
Starting point is 00:09:45 and I was like up going in the rookie show but he he the way he landed it was like it was eight mile stuff like it was for our rookie class it was like hunger games you know and he he let it out it was so good we went a little far on a guy or two but we did the whole award show like
Starting point is 00:10:03 you know it was a rap the rap was like the end of it. But by the end, like, I could have farted on stage. It didn't matter. Because of how great we were, man. We did the Rammies, which is this like award show where we gave out. It's like kangaroo court. There was this guy and he was dating chicks that that were like dating other guys, girlfriends and stuff. And you know, this is survival mode, man. We're in survival mode. Like we're like, I'm not getting fucking booed. Dude. I remember my freshman year at college, I went up and did this skit and it was terrible. I got booed. And I will never, ever let that happen. Guard. Yeah, so I came to play. There was this guy that was dating promiscuous women. We gave him the Captain Save a Ho Award.
Starting point is 00:10:43 People were going nuts, dude. And the guy basically had to get escorted up there by the other guys on the team. He wouldn't come, yeah. He didn't want to come up and get his Rami. But we had all types of awards. We were shit. We were pissed drunk back there, dude. Yeah, that was the cool part.
Starting point is 00:10:57 It was an auditorium. Yeah. So guys are sitting, you know, like 100 feet up. And, yeah. I'd be curious to know about other teams rookie shows, not just today, but just like, I don't think they're as good as that one. That was so,
Starting point is 00:11:08 yeah, because we put a lot into it. And then the morning you wake up, hung over and got to go to practice and then get on the flight back to, uh, to St. Louis. But we hadn't even seen like a female in like,
Starting point is 00:11:17 no, dude. So we were excited to get back to civilization. The wireless, uh, internet at that point in 2008 wasn't as good. Like, I don't think,
Starting point is 00:11:26 I don't think porn was uploading the same way. Dial up was better in their room. Yeah. It might as well been in Shawshank, minus that scene. But like, you don't, want to go over there. But, but dudes were in the room just probably like AOL doc, you know, like,
Starting point is 00:11:42 was there even free porn in 2008? You had to have a DVD. I don't know, man. At that point, I just, I know that I needed to get back to St. Louis. We did. And we, you know, we went to Milwaukee one night. We, we had all this, like, we wanted a party, right? We wanted to go out and get drunk because we were 23. We never do something like that now. But, We circled the night off, and Milwaukee was an hour away, and that was our, I don't know, I don't know, like Paris. We couldn't wait to go. And we had all these big plans.
Starting point is 00:12:21 We got a couple hotel rooms, and we started pre-gaming. And the next thing you know, I woke up in all my clothes the next morning. We didn't leave. We didn't leave the hotel room. So we got so fucked up at the hotel. We didn't make it out. And that was camp, man. But we lost a lot.
Starting point is 00:12:37 in St. Louis. Like, what was that like for you? Because I don't think we ever, like, really talked it out, like, mature human beings. I think we compartmentalized it. Yeah, but I'll say this. Like, the crew that we had was pretty special. I know, again, didn't necessarily translate, but, like, it makes it better when you're suffering with people and bros.
Starting point is 00:12:56 Like, it almost galvanized us in a way. And I wish that we could have seen success. I wish that galvanized us into doing something. Yeah. We were all galvanized. We were just galvanized. We were together out to dinner and doing it. other things.
Starting point is 00:13:08 Galvanized us to Morton's. Yeah, but I'll tell you this, like, I still think that locker room, and every locker room that you're part of, it's just like guys work so hard. Like, that's what people don't realize. And I think, I mean, I'm sure they assume, but it does, they don't know what it looks like. And like, you said something to me this morning while we were like eating breakfast. It was like, man, over my career, I had to look for less extrinsic motivation and more intrinsic. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:13:32 And that's like, dude, like, that's valuable in life for anybody. But for you, you had to kind of redefine that. over your career. Right. And I know I've done that post career, which is a difficulty for a lot of players, period, hard stop, no matter what sport.
Starting point is 00:13:45 Yeah, it's tough. But that's the, I mean, your brothers recently, right? Like going through that. My brother's going through that. So I kind of know what he's going through.
Starting point is 00:13:53 You got to like reinvent yourself. But that's, I think the thing people miss. And when you talk about the locker room, I think some people imagine, you know, I played on two Super Bowl teams. People are like,
Starting point is 00:14:03 man, you guys are probably still really tight. I'm like, yeah, I love those guys. Oh, that, that D-line in Philly was the best. I'm like, it was a really good D-line, but there was one that nobody saw, and we are really close.
Starting point is 00:14:14 You know, all the guys in St. Louis, whether it was the Spag's years or the Fisher years, guys that came after you before you, guys that like, we were talking about James Hall, Leroy Glover, like Fred Robbins, people like that. I got so much love for those guys, and probably a lot of it has to do with the hardship. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:14:32 You know, because- You had to soldier up, man. We had to figure it out. We had to. It was a lot of stress. I think I was probably going through a lot in St. Louis, dude. And I didn't realize it. No, but it forged you.
Starting point is 00:14:45 And like, that's even what you do with the, I mean, we climb Kilimanjaro together. Like, and it's a little microcosm of like, like, dude, it's a privilege to experience something like that. But there's difficulties that come up. And like, that's what, why that, I think about our Keeley crew and the closeness of that. Yeah. And like, because it was forged, right? And so the, the, the, those pinnacle moments are badass, but the real reality. is like the people that you have to get in the trenches with.
Starting point is 00:15:10 Those are the people that you, because you feel like you know them. You know, like, they've seen you at your worst. How many bachelor parties you've been to? Like 15 dudes, like all that shit.
Starting point is 00:15:19 They used to be cool to hear about, like I can't wait for that. Now I would be petrified if somebody told me I had to go to a bachelor party. I'm so fucking tired from doing this podcast. Sorry, I'm too tired to go to New Orleans. But like,
Starting point is 00:15:34 how tight are you with the dude that you met at the bachelor party? Not. Not. But you could go on a three day, four day, really tough, you know, climb with some cats. And you'd be lifelong friends. Yeah. That's because of the hardship, you know. So now, what the fuck are you doing?
Starting point is 00:15:53 Tell people what you're doing. Man, that seems perfect because the veteran side of that's like pretty synonymous in mindset and approach, right? And so, you know, when I got out of the league 2012, like honest to God, and my story, I'll sum it up quick, but he knows. like I didn't cope well. I had a shoulder injury and then opiates led to more pills and more things. And it was just like, do, do, do. And I ended up in a detox and then it ended up in rehab, but it was the best thing that could have happened, you know? And like for me, that was the like
Starting point is 00:16:21 catapult being pulled back for more important things. And I had a chance to come back. Like, Spags went to New Orleans and when they called, and this is a true story. It was like, it was like picking up the phone and knowing that like you needed to break up with your girlfriend. And it was a heavy moment, but I was like clear. Like, dude, all right, it's time. And I was like, and I told him, I think I'm going to retire. And he's like, you got snaps left. What are you doing?
Starting point is 00:16:43 Yeah. And I appreciated that. It was flattering. But I'm like, no, it's time. I had no idea what I was going to. I didn't have a plan, right? Being Mr. irrelevant and trying to figure it out.
Starting point is 00:16:51 Like, I had no. It was just, I had to be fully committed every minute to minute. Yeah. Like, you could, the front office guy could be there at the door after practice. And you knew that as soon as he made eye contact with you, like, that was it. I saw it. You know, you saw it. all the time. The Grim Reaper. Who was the Grim Reaper? Was it Ray Agnew?
Starting point is 00:17:09 I love Ray. I love Ray. I love Ray. I love Ray. I love a lot of the grim reapers. No, I know. That's difficult. People at home, the Grim Reaper is the person that brings it comes and get your iPad. Like when he walks around the corner at the end of camp, everybody's super nervous. When we played for the Rams, we played Kansas City our last preseason game, our rookie year. On the 40-minute flight back to St. Louis, the front office was cutting guys on the plane. I've never seen anything so cut-throat. One of my friends got. cut on them. Dude, guys are like pretending to be asleep.
Starting point is 00:17:38 Guys are like, guys are like crying. Like, and this is no bullshit because that's, that's real, man. Like, these guys have worked their whole life and, you know, rookies that are like, I don't know if I'm going to get picked up. It's, they don't know. But anyway, like, no, that's stay there though. That's the reality. Like, I'll tell another reality.
Starting point is 00:17:55 When I actually became a starter in the league, which was cool, like, that's a Mr. Relevant. But like, we had fun. Yeah, man. Like, on the field, I'd look at Chris and he'd, smile. We'd be in, you know, Seahawks sitting and look around and be like one of my best NFL friends here.
Starting point is 00:18:11 There's a couple of kids out here, like having fun. But when you started, what happened? So I, well, the week before was the last preseason game, Chris Draft, linebacker, amazing human being, nicest guy. He has asthma. We were in Cincinnati and there was an RV fire in the parking lot. His asthma kicked up.
Starting point is 00:18:29 Dude, I got in. I made a sack, a pass breakup, and then tackle for loss. And there was a three and out. I made all three plays. You were definitely not playing in this game. Just by the way. So hold on a second, though. It was an RV fire. Out in the parking lot. Like what happened to the dolphins down there in the park. See the car blew up? Yeah. So this, so draft is out there. Why is he in the parking lot? Yeah. Why is he out there? He's not in the parking lot. The smoke came into the stadium. Stop it, dude.
Starting point is 00:18:54 Bro, this is true story. And it kicked up his asthma. He couldn't breathe. So I got in the game. And I, and I, and as a strong side linebacker, and I made these plays. And there was the next morning, it was right cuts right and he was cut and I was the starter because he was more expensive than me like that's a cold heart and he was like a mentor to me he was somebody I'd like glean wisdom from it he's been in the league 13 years I'm like what do you know man what what do I need to know and you're talking about the reality then I felt like them cutting people on the plane right back was gnarly but like that chris draft move for me I was just like I remember Torrey holt used to say that stuff to me all the time like hey man document everything like yeah you have to be your own
Starting point is 00:19:35 Yeah, dude. You're the ultimate independent contractor that people associate with a team and you do have teammates, but nobody cares about your, you know, like your future except for you. Right. And that's, that's nuts, dude. The dynamic, first off, could he sue Winnebago? Fair. Was it a Winnebago? I mean, whatever it was. We got to go back and check the cameras. But, like, just the dynamic of competing with somebody who's a mentor.
Starting point is 00:20:05 Yeah. You know, like, I always talk about James Hall on this show. And you know how tight me and James got. But I don't think, I don't know if you knew this, but first year, James wasn't talking to your boy. I'll tell you a James Hall story. My first start against the Miami Dolphins as a rookie when they were doing their wildcat. That was the like prime wildcat when they rolled it out, which was like, I'm playing middle linebacker. So it involves a lot of checks and calls.
Starting point is 00:20:29 And Haslett was our D-Corporated. Love Has. Yeah. He was old school. And he just rem, you come to the sideline. you know, you got motherfucked, like crazy. Oh, yeah. And, uh, James Hall needed to, like, he was, you guys will have to tap.
Starting point is 00:20:43 Like, you hear the call. So I know that you know that we know. Mm-hmm. And he wouldn't do it. And I looked at him and James Hall had this way of just staring in your eyes, staring through your eyes and never saying or giving you anything. Yeah. And I'd be like, I got pissed.
Starting point is 00:21:00 I'm like, dude, I'm trying to do my job. I need you to do this. And he just gave me that. Bro. Bro. James Hall, he didn't talk to me for a year. Our lockers were next to each other. James sees this, bro.
Starting point is 00:21:11 I'm still scar. I'm still traumatized from that moment on the 12-yard line in Edward Jones Stadium. But that look, bro, that look, only he can give it. It is the most hollow. I was in Detroit before I got here, motherfucker. Like, like, I know how to be soulless. His eyes said I was in Detroit, kid. You don't know.
Starting point is 00:21:34 I'm not interested in the call. I'm going to do my job. And you need to go talk to somebody else. And it was like, you know, like he was a great vet when it came to leading by example that first year. And that's what I needed. I didn't need somebody to tell me all the answers. I needed to watch. You know, and I needed to go through it.
Starting point is 00:21:56 And there were challenges for me my first year and a half. And fucking James Hall ended up being one of my biggest, like, mentors. He ended up being a big brother to me once. Like I forget what the day was, but he just started trusting me or respecting me. And then we had this relationship. I don't know what it was. Was it a play you made? I'm not saying he didn't talk to me like, no, no, no, listen, like him and Freddie took me out to like, we went to the Ritz Carlton bar on a Friday night in Seattle, like when we went out there for a two-day trip, you know, it wasn't for me, you know, having a vodka cranberry on a Friday night. We're getting ready to play. But like,
Starting point is 00:22:34 he just did he I was such a rookie to him and maybe that's the old school NFL you know but by year two there was something that clicked and all the sudden he was legitimately like not just a leader by example but like my biggest champion asset in the building yeah you know like somebody that you can hang your hat on my dad is a big part of my life right like growing up being able to answer all the questions for me he's not going to ensure success for me, but he can tell me what the roadmap looks like. Yeah. And, you know, getting there, it's like you almost need another father figure, dude. When you're a rookie, man. It's exactly what you need. You need somebody that like, in the old NFL, there were guys
Starting point is 00:23:18 like that. But now the way it is. My locker mate was Leonard Little. Yeah. Dude, the scariest dude you could ever be. But very nice. But the kind of talk to me for touchy lessons. Yeah. He would talk to me here. Football season. brings back many traditions we know and love. Touchdown dances, pick sixes, strip sacks, game winning sacks, tackles, hitting the quarterback, and watching it all with friends in a cooler Miller Light. The action on the field is reliable year after year.
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Starting point is 00:26:31 Cost per application pricing, not available for everyone. Need to hire. need indeed. No, the whole experience, like again, back to that locker room, you know, I know we talked about it earlier, but just the special nature of the connections and the depth that things grew. And back like to what I'm doing now is like I, you know, the gym for me, I always felt like I was moderately talented. Tell people what the gym is. Yeah. So talk about it on the pop, but you got to hear from. No doubt. So it for me, it was like the gym was my sanctuary where I
Starting point is 00:27:02 could take like moderate talent and like be better and reach bigger potential. You know what I mean? And so through that, when I started a gym in Texas post football, I was training combine guys, getting ready for the NFL, NFL guys. Like, it was going well, you know, like it had a bunch of a flu. I was trained to Staubach family. Like having like, it was great. And then I started, I met as Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, a quadruple amputee. And asked him if he'd work out with me. He was like, dude, you're an asshole.
Starting point is 00:27:29 I don't have arms and legs. Yeah. I'm like, check, but like, like, I think you should come, you know. There's a way. And he came. And, and pretty soon. and all the everybody else lost an excuse of like oh my my hand my sore you know and he was doing big sled pulls and doing different things and then I had five guys and 10 and then yeah and I wasn't
Starting point is 00:27:47 charging anybody and uh I was actually sleeping sometimes at the gym because I couldn't manage it all man and uh one night I came home at like 2 a.m is a true story my wife had like that one interrogation light on on the kitchen table yeah she was sitting there sit and I came around the corner and she those, do I have to be missing an arm or a leg for you to put the same type of focus and attention on me and our family? And I was like, fuck, dude. Like, it was one of those, you know, like, rock and a hard place. Man. And I, and you know what she said, which was Spartan, it was badass, dude. She's shout out to my wife, man, special. She said, there's no mission without a margin. Like, I never heard that before. And I was like, and she's like, you got to make a choice.
Starting point is 00:28:37 And so I closed the for profit and was like, all right, I'm going to trust this, this ride, you know? And that was eight years ago. And it's been great, man. We raised over $15 million. We put over 400 people through our nine week program, which is like, it just redefines their life, man. People think it's the gym and the physical and spinal cord injuries, amputees, most of which are veterans, first responders, which is like, I come from background of military, three generations. And I played football, had the privilege of that. but I always feel like, man, what if I would have gone and served?
Starting point is 00:29:09 What would that look like? So to do it in the gym and give these people an opportunity to integrate back into society, like have a way to share their story. And then they come back as trainers after they graduate our program and they can earn money by doing and paying this thing forward. Like it's a pretty cool ecosystem. And to me, you know, it's hard work. I said this earlier in an interview like, you have the,
Starting point is 00:29:35 you are very involved in Waterboys to the point of climbing the actual mountain. Yeah, fuck, man. I got to climb again this year. Yeah, I'm going again in February. You're an idiot. But I do believe, I am too. I know. Doing all this good stuff.
Starting point is 00:29:52 Yeah. But it is. It's like, dude, and it's been such a powerful thing for my kids. I got three kids, nine, seven, and two, like, especially nine and seven, the girls. They're best friends, like, they ask for wheelchair Barbie. for Christmas. Yeah. They're stoked about like, you know, their friends coming over missing legs and they
Starting point is 00:30:11 talk to them about the stories and stuff like that. So it's been incredible, but at the same time, you know, like you're doing life with people have experienced some wild stuff, man. How's that change you? Yeah. I think there's a lot of times that like, dude, you can only do so much for someone, like that lead to horse of water. And in between that, it's like, dude, you just, I, I,
Starting point is 00:30:35 feel like the, the ecosystems that we have lived in in football have been kind of culturally replicated in the gym. And you see people start to bridge that gap between a veteran and a civilian because the through line is their trauma. And like, I've seen amazing things happen. I got to marry two of our athletes this past, or two years ago. And like, those are the things that I'm like, man, I'm just really stoked to have started something that's now got this larger ripple effect. I think the same thing is true. not just with what you're doing in Africa, but the people,
Starting point is 00:31:08 I mean, our Keeley group thread that we have is the best, dude, I love, like it's crazy that's still a couple years, three years out, four years out. Yeah,
Starting point is 00:31:17 well, those were some years that just kind of, yeah, those were hard years. I can't figure out which one. But yeah, it's crazy because that, that's the bond that you share.
Starting point is 00:31:25 And so to do the stuff at the gym is awesome and feels good. And kind of like a, you know, sidebar about the whole thing, you know, whether it's Killy or whether it's your gym, um, like I think being a part of a team
Starting point is 00:31:36 you know just coming back to not feeling alone. No doubt. Having a purpose and not feeling alone. No doubt. And like I feel like people get that opportunity at your gym. Yeah. And hopefully the vets and the athletes too that we bring together on Kelly feel the same thing because you know, you just talked about the group chat.
Starting point is 00:31:54 All of a sudden I got 15 friends that are always fucking they're always typing. Yeah. You know like you open your phone. I got 17 text messages. And it's a good thing. It's like bro, it's nice to have somebody's out there. Well, you got people like, you're lonely. You got like Beau Allen and Jason Kelsey. Like your friends are here, dude.
Starting point is 00:32:12 And all of a sudden I got a bunch of new friends. And what's really fun is like watching people make friends, like watching your buddies, you know, kind of connect. Dude, I love meeting Rob Ninkovich. Yeah. Or Halotinana. Like those are people I see and talk to like every week. Hell yeah. That was a great class too.
Starting point is 00:32:28 Who do you remember was on that class? Who had you retired at top? Yeah, that was epic. I don't think people realized. Chris was pushing Hologi from the back. And then our guide orca had his poles and he was pulling him from the front. Yeah. Actually, hey, here's a flag in his bag.
Starting point is 00:32:43 Yeah, that said, that said, you know, I'm done or whatever. I'm retiring on top. And so I'm thinking, like, well, number one, I want Big Cat to retire. Love this guy. No doubt. Number two, like one of the best human beings ever. We call him God Emperor because he, like, he just, just rule the world, man. Like presence.
Starting point is 00:33:02 Yeah, his presence is so big, dude. He legitimately was set on getting up to the top. And when we were sitting on the rim, which is kind of a false summit, I was like, yeah, man, I'm with you till the end. Like, and it was kind of like to encourage him. But then when I realized 15 minutes later, is I'm like really with him to the end. Like, you're going to push him.
Starting point is 00:33:21 We're going to physically. It's like this Ford Ranger has to get up the mountain. Just so you realize like that last bit is like a couple hours. But like it's the worst couple hours of years. It is because that reach of altitude. We're at 19 at that point. Yeah. So, so Hologi was up there, and we saw him later get kind of like he was getting
Starting point is 00:33:41 gurneyed down. Yeah, like Rick Shaw cart that he blew out because he was so big. Like 12 Tanzanian dudes. I've never seen anything like it. I wish we would have got shots of that. That was remarkable. Like, normally you'd have three or four people operating this. There was 12 quarters.
Starting point is 00:33:56 Yeah, because we've seen like middle-aged women go down on the fucking mountain with like an Achilles. Yeah. And it takes two dudes to just, you know, get her down. and Hologi had a whole caravan. It was incredible. And this was mid because if I said Kelsey was there, Beau was there.
Starting point is 00:34:12 Kelsey had just come down the mountain and we were arguing. And I've talked about this argument on the pod before. But it was beyond epic. Kelsey was so mad. That Chris talked to him into this. He was mad. He was mad that the mountain was high. I was like, bro,
Starting point is 00:34:28 the, did you see the mountain? Did you Google the mountain? Did you read about the trip? like what part of 19 and a half thousand feet was snow on top of it did you not like you think was going to feel like that we got down in the fucking in the mess tent and we're arguing and shit and I'm pretty sure the only thing that kept us from like actually like hating each other that day lack of energy well was halodey's caravan yeah like like we were like
Starting point is 00:34:58 motherfucker he's like you didn't warn me and I was like warn you use a fucking computer And then somebody was like, hello, he's here. And we just stopped what we were doing, a walk down outside. This guy's going down on a fucking, they're like running it down. It's biblical, you guys. It's biblical at this point. The way the light was hitting everything.
Starting point is 00:35:17 And yeah, that was, there was some moments. Bo Allen was in a really desperate state. Like, when I tell you, like, you know when your friend's puking and he's retching, like to the point that like, like, two's toenails like you're flying out of this. And I feel, you feel. feel so bad for the guy. What can you do, though?
Starting point is 00:35:38 I don't, yeah, be more prepared. That's be more prepared, Beau Allen. Be more so mad at be better. Because we laughed. What are you going to do? Yeah, there wasn't a lot of sympathy. Again, it's hardship. You don't get a lot of pure sympathy on that mountain.
Starting point is 00:35:51 No. All right. So back to your gym. Yes. Do you think it, it helped you, I mean, obviously it helped you transition. And you talked about. And I've never asked you a lot of questions about this, but like,
Starting point is 00:36:04 you went down a dark road. Yeah. So like when did you know, hey, I got to turn right? I think, uh, bro, I did, this is actually a true story. So like night three and detox, I was like puking and shitting myself. Yeah. Like did know up from down day from night like was in a war against withdrawal and like, where I detox, I like detox outside of Seattle, like in this like, like, Providence
Starting point is 00:36:33 hotel or hotel hospital it was definitely not a hotel this thing was like like they use old school ways of detoxing you but i kind of needed to feel it what's an old school way so like barbiturates to come off of like certain opiates and benzos rather than like sometimes i'll just taper you off benzos because it's a lot more gentle or whatever but there was a part like i kind of needed that and dude it was heavy and at one point i like uh tried to get out of bed to take this food to the microwave and it was I just couldn't even stand up man and like the broken plate shattered on the ground and the nurses ran in and I'm just like I'm literally helpless and they like I thought they were trying to help me clean it up but they like restrained me because they thought I was gonna use
Starting point is 00:37:16 the plate yeah like which I get in the format the yeah it's just it's sad it's sad and it was like dude it wasn't that many months ago that I was like playing for the Seahawks too so like how the fuck did I get here when did you get those pills when you start getting those I mean, I started hitting them. Like when I got the concussion in St. Louis, which ultimately, like, led to the release. Yeah. Yeah. Like violent.
Starting point is 00:37:38 Yeah. I mean, I remember saying by to you where you gave me the Hope Rock. Ha! Which is a fun story too. Yeah. I bought a gas station ornament. You know, like the Cres is, Chris's locker look. Like the more trinkets.
Starting point is 00:37:47 The white trash. More trinkets than, yeah, a Jersey gas station. Yeah. We'll come back to that, the Hope Rock. But, but I remember getting cut then. And then, like, it was just a heavy. Like, I just, I did. I didn't cope, right?
Starting point is 00:38:01 Like, I think part of that, there was a couple things that involved, right? But like, you know, what do I have without football? It was certainly a question, you know, even though I knew, like, I mean, I had a college degree and I had opportunities. Like, it wasn't like I was a deadbeat, like football was my only path. We don't think that way. You can't think. With your brain, like, your, like, active brain.
Starting point is 00:38:20 But subconsciously, sometimes your identity is telling you, like, your ego is telling you know you ain't shit anymore. 100% is dark. And that feeds that. And so anyway, that was like a really heavy start of it. And then in Seattle, and I didn't play well in Seattle. Like it wasn't like for me, like there was a couple of highlights for me I can think of. But there was there wasn't any consistency.
Starting point is 00:38:42 And I think a lot of it was the coping. Isn't it funny how insecure we are? And I had no idea you didn't play well in Seattle. You're one of my best friends. Like I was not paying attention to how you were playing in Seattle. When I'd see you on the field before the game, I just want to give you a hug. Yeah, right. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:38:57 Yeah, that's crazy. And I didn't, I wasn't like, how's David? playing. It's like people don't give a shit about your pro like most of your shit is like the I still picket my career and shit. You know like I still think about things and I'm like people aren't thinking about that shit. You're the only one thinking about it. I think about like before training camp, like I always felt like there was a moment. Now this might be just like hitting the pillow or something where I'm like, do I fucking do I have it? Oh every night, dude. And like, and like training camp is a little like just mental like just mind trap of like and I feel Gibson and I were just talking about this.
Starting point is 00:39:33 There's new guys. And everything is so there's so much out of your control and the mental of all that. Like it's warfare man within. And I always think about that too because those are things that I know like refined us. But those are things that like those were heavy. Yeah. So anyway, the mental side for me was really where I just didn't I didn't cope well, man. But, but back to that detox and coming out of that, there's a nurse that came.
Starting point is 00:39:56 in that night, Tina was her name. And she, dude, she sat with me. I swear she like skipped shifts and stuff to like be there for me. And that like was the beginning. I swear in that moment, I said, dude, okay, I'm going to figure out where, where I'm going to go? And that was like, dude, where, where is David able to be David in a different ecosystem and make an impact, you know? But I had to find like, where's my passion? And training was that. And then, you know, I had a couple great mentors that fostered that and it was like bang bang bang bang and I was off on to you know being able to connect and and there was a story that Howard Schultz Starbucks did that led to us being with Obama and then the Ellen show and like the trickle down effect of all that's led to big corporate
Starting point is 00:40:38 sponsors I mean like the story piece is given a platform for these athletes to be able to stand up and be proud of their you know unique story and uncommon approach to what they're doing and that's the type of people I want to be around you know like uncommon people that are real, people that don't want to, you know, just act like they have one identity. People are like, man, you can like a lot of different things and be good at a lot of different things. Hell yeah, dude. So with all this, you know, we're all going through our ups and downs, even if on the
Starting point is 00:41:11 surface, like when somebody's, when I see your profile picture on your website, I'm like, look at that dapper motherfucker. His hair looks good. He's got a suit on. He's got that David's smile. Like, but everybody's wearing some shit. Like, you know, I mean and on the surface everything looks easy yeah and it ain't it ain't easy for me it ain't easy for you
Starting point is 00:41:28 like you know I think I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy doing this pod is because sometimes we get to talk about shit and I'll randomly get a message and be like I was struggling I've been listening to your pod like it's cool it makes me feel normal or whatever and that's why sharing your stories like I know it's kind of corny and everybody's doing it now but everybody should be talking and like you know like it's corny for me to say by corny I don't mean the stories I mean it's corny for me to say this but like people draw, like, comfort from knowing they're not alone. You know what I mean? Dude, the human experience is pretty synonymous, bro.
Starting point is 00:41:58 And life doesn't discriminate whether you, like, what color you are, what your bank account says, where you come from. So, like, the net of all of that is like, what we can find some levity. And like, sometimes people need to laugh. Sometimes people need to hear you be like, dude, I struggle with this, you know? And like, all of that is, I think about people like Nate Boyer, right? Yeah, shout out. But, like, like, those are the types of people that I think make such
Starting point is 00:42:22 an effect. And I strive to be, I admire people like that. I admire so many people in my life. Amire you, bro. And like the way you approach what you do because it's, it's intentional. Yeah. How many people are just okay with not making it intentional, not choosing what they want to do, not being in control? Oh, I have no choice. I want to control it. But with that comes, you know, powerful decision and then discipline to be able to execute. If you're here in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, or right here in Virginia. And you haven't tried the WinBet app yet. I have great news for you. WinBet is now offering $200 in free bets for new users. That's right, $200, 200 big ones on a $50 bet. Winbet is basically
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Starting point is 00:44:10 because, you know, it's casual, but it's also fitted. It looks good. It looks professional. I can slide into a business meeting, but I'm also comfortable. I can do my job in comfort, but I can wheel and deal in the office when we have business folks in. Cuts has totally revolutionized the traditional outdated T-shirt category. They make it easy to mix and match styles and colors
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Starting point is 00:44:47 For the next three days only, they're having their biggest sale ever. If you go to cutsclothing.com slash greenlight, you can get 25 to 50% off on the entire site. That's cutsclothing.com slash greenlight for 25 to 50% off the only shirt worth wearing. And if you're hearing this after, you can still get 15% off your first order. That's cutsclothing.com slash green light. This is so funny. The other night we were at dinner, David came over. My parents had just gotten back in town.
Starting point is 00:45:15 So there was this big convergence of people when we were eating dinner. And Dave came up and hadn't seen my parents in a while. Yeah. So that was cool. And then, uh, and then we were just talking. And we got on the topic of drugs. And like, uh, you know, my dad's pretty straight ed. Big how?
Starting point is 00:45:30 And ayahuasca comes up because how'd your dad say it? He goes, no, all the other stuff. Okay, David, but the, this ayahuasca, this ayahuasca seems like it's a little. And I was like, okay, definitely hasn't secretly done iwaska. Uh, because this is, uh, this is heavy on heavy. You can't, you can't say it like that. that but like how have i don't know psychedelics or you know that experience where did you go for iowaska
Starting point is 00:45:59 yeah i've done it a number of times man i've done it uh out of the country i've done it stateside and some private groups is it intentional like yeah it's not like i just want to cross up my bucket this is not a recreational right exactly it's an experience not like eat mushrooms and go to a festival concert exactly and i also think mushrooms can be used in a ceremonial like in a very intentional clinical if you're in the woods. Well, woods nature. Slamming 10 beers and no, no, no, nature is critical.
Starting point is 00:46:26 I feel like in set and setting, man, being with trusted people. This is what we're talking about with your dad, because your dad's like, no way I'm in a circle with a bunch of weirdos singing, you know? Yeah, he just, my dad's like, I'm good with my glass of red wine.
Starting point is 00:46:38 Yeah, but. But the ayahuasca thing, you're like, you're doing it for a reason. Yeah, I think like you've got to prepare in the way that you prepare and the way that you come into that very earnestly. Like, I've done it in some groups of some remarkable people, man.
Starting point is 00:46:52 And, and Jake Plummer being one of them, I know we share that mutual friend. And for me, like, the deep experience. And when you're with a bunch of, like, men in the alphas, like, I was in a group of amazing warriors. And I felt like that, like, gave me permission to, like, really kind of surrender the experience. I know Aaron Rogers has talked about his whole thing or whatever, but it has given me guidance and also just sort of like a different perspective. Like, and part of it isn't always like great because here's what I'll say like, whether it's that or five MEO like you, it's hard to come back from that experience and be like, so how is your job today?
Starting point is 00:47:33 Like you don't, there's a plane of like, once you've experienced you've pierced behind the veil, you're like, all right, how do I relate back? What's actually important? Yeah. And then, and that's really positive. You can make due to defective change. But, you know, there's times where like, dude, I was literally. my insides being ripped apart, like, like, in a way that, like, showed me that, like,
Starting point is 00:47:56 dude, where I was, like, storing just, just, just like, I think part of my football career, too, was, like, driven by this, like, like, masochistic kind of like, you know, like the motivating factor was this, like, you're not good enough. You're, like, you know? You're always, you're always pounding this rock and it's just not going to break. Yeah, yeah. Like, no amount of pounding that rock is going to break the rock. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:48:17 And so that, like, need to feel it. was like, dude, the breakthrough for me was like, and it is. It's like grandma. Like, imagine, bro, have you ever been diving? Like a deep sea or underwater? No. Okay. I was thinking about the cliff divers in the grill. At ricks. No, I haven't been to ricks yet. Go ahead. If it's, if it's dark, wherever you turn your light or your head torch, right, you're in the woods. It's dark. It like illuminates what that is. Are cool. They are cool, dude. Got the guys. I'm up there really high. I'll go with you. Okay, good.
Starting point is 00:48:51 But I end up She's like illuminating Like things like She's just like like she You're doing the mother I wasc thing It's real. It's real. It's real.
Starting point is 00:49:04 Yeah, it's very real. Did you see a serpent? I saw a lot of jaguars. At one point I had like like what am I supposed to do with these paws? Like type of thing where you're like All right. It's got like an animal. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:49:18 And it's interesting because the jaguar has like this rich tradition where I was in Costa Rica. Peruvian was the host and the shaman that we had. And anyway, I'd say this. Like, I don't encourage anybody to dip their toe into any of that stuff if they don't feel like they're called to it. One, two, have right set and setting, have done their research, have prepared in a way that makes it sacred.
Starting point is 00:49:41 Because I think there is a lot to get out of it. You know, the lowered inhibition, the ability to like see things from a different perspective. It is like a thousand nights of therapy in one night. Yeah. Which is rapid and it's a lot. And yeah, you might throw up. Might, but not for sure.
Starting point is 00:49:55 I mean, there's been times where I hadn't, but there's other times where like purged a lot. So the process is you go down there, you meet a shaman, right? Or you know a shaman probably before you go down there, right? I did. Like you hear from somebody else or you met somebody in the States and they hook you up with a, you got to go down there because it's legal down there, right? Correct. So you go down there and what happens?
Starting point is 00:50:14 Like, take me through the training camp. I need an it. Yeah, the itinerary is actually. It is. There's a format to the whole thing, dude. But when you, you know, again, there's a preparation phase. There's you coming into circle. So ceremony, like, is in a Maloka, like a, like a thatched roof, open air, which is beautiful. And like the jungle is alive. And there's like, it's, it's just now, like, sunseting because they don't pour before sunsets. So everything has like a lineage to it, right? And it's actually marvelous to like the, the, the, the, the, just the magic, the alchemy that occurs in and the song. So the Eikoro, so these ancient ancestral songs. And so Inai is this shaman. She's amazing. And she pours and so she whistles the iceros out of the bottle before she serves.
Starting point is 00:50:59 And like we honor like, dude, it's, it's a really special about hour to hour and a half before you even begin being served. And then eventually like as the sun sets, you're served. And she brings you up one at a time and like says a prayer over you. It's a very like special, special experience. It's like, dude, it's special. And she has like an altar right in front of her. And there's like, you know, crystals and beauty like all around. And one of the circles, everyone was asked to bring flowers.
Starting point is 00:51:27 So there's this bouquet of like, you know, 30,000 like, different types of flowers. Insane, like setting. And then we all take it. And then we start to get into the night. She begins to sing and she plays different instruments and guides you through and knows how to move the energy. And sometimes she's coming over and fanning over you. And depending on, I mean, I've watched her. move and like this whole side of the room will purge like the energy that like and then all of a
Starting point is 00:51:54 sudden like it'll change and it'll move over this side and like the way people are experiencing it's like this crazy energetic dance and it's like inception it's like a dream within a dream type of thing where you're like experiencing different things but the support that you feel and the way that it moves throughout the night is just fascinating and then I remember my first uh ceremony was with rashad evans Rashad's my brother. Like, dude, I'm unbelievable. I've heard good things about him. And Nye ends the night with this water ceremony.
Starting point is 00:52:24 She went out, there was snow outside. This wasn't in Costa Rica, actually. This was in Colorado. Side note. There's always ways. There's always ways. But we're in the snow and she goes out. Like a snow.
Starting point is 00:52:35 She dips into this like open stream and brings this water back. And then she serves everyone. Like after this night. And it's so powerful. I feel like I'm in an MGMT music. video. Dude, and you probably needed that water bad. I needed that water bad. And then she brings
Starting point is 00:52:52 all of those flowers, she had brought into a sound bowl and taken all the pedals off. So there's like 25 pounds of flower petals in the sound bowl. And she walks around and she's like showering people as she sings. Like in singing their name into these songs. And I'll
Starting point is 00:53:08 never forget it. I'm like getting showered with these flowers and like loving it. I look up and I see Rashad Evans and he's like, he's having fun. He's having fun and he's looking at me like it just feels so and I'm like this is cool So you so so so you can feel like your your party it's obviously much deeper than a party but no no I mean most of that that's at the end of the The shot Evan sounded like you have a fun that's the end of the night so you're gonna go through it for a good six eight hours Here's the way I think about ayahuasca obviously here some words that come to mind for me powerful yes fulfilling
Starting point is 00:53:39 Like violent mm-hmm at times terrifying at times. Would you say that? That's all four are valid. And and blissful at times. Yeah. Like all those things. It sounds like,
Starting point is 00:53:54 but I do, I imagine like a night vision camera, like Blair Witch style and people are just puking everywhere on the ground. And like, you know, it's a lot of suffering. Or is that what's the feeling? Like,
Starting point is 00:54:05 can you describe the feeling in that moment? Not what you took from it, but like how does it feel? There's times it feels, uh, incredibly heavy, like viscerally heavy. Yeah. And also like, yeah, like the, I mean, dude, it doesn't taste great.
Starting point is 00:54:23 Like, it tastes like a root, like a deep black liquorish, like thick. And sometimes there's even chunks in your, in it. So like, yeah, like you're not going to like not taste. Especially if you purge. Yeah. And so like there's, there's a feeling of nausea that comes up just from the like effect of the concentrated substance you just took. but you have to try to keep it down.
Starting point is 00:54:43 It's like that shroom puking. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, but heavy. Yeah, but heavier. But there's also, here's one thing I'll say, back to the purging thing,
Starting point is 00:54:51 which I know people hate throwing up and people hate throwing up in front of people. Like, it's just not a thing. I'd rather throw up in front of people than shit in front of people. Well, that's fair. I mean, hopefully you don't put your pants. Oh, you would dance.
Starting point is 00:55:01 You would dance. You would dance for sure. Do I have to dance? You don't have to dance. You don't have to leave your mat, but you would dance for sure. I could see you dance in like a cave bar. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:55:09 Yeah. 100%. But the puking thing, if, if you've had, uh, times where you're like, dude, I just can't do this, if you give yourself permission to like do that in front of other people in a way that, like, accepts, like there's something about being vulnerable in that piece. But what about the anxiety? I'm not worried about puking on people. What I'm worried about is like the massive panic of being trapped in this state.
Starting point is 00:55:32 And like, I just can't get out. I think you get like, like, like, imagine a really bad trip. Yeah. Or like a really, you know, somebody. gave me a thousand milligrams of marijuana. Yeah. You know, like, and I'm just trapped. I think it's less consuming.
Starting point is 00:55:47 I think you get what you need, not necessarily what you wanted, but there's sight. There's like a, there's a way that it's facilitated that is just supposed to be exactly what you're supposed to receive. I know that sounds real woofoo, man. But there's a, there's a, there's a truth to it. And there's a way that like you have to come into that state with open, open, man. You cannot have it.
Starting point is 00:56:07 You can have an intention or whatever. I can do anything for 12 hours. How long is this last? So, dude. Would you rather do some at night or ayahuasca? I would, both are, both have their moments. The Ibogaine was like 18 hours. It was like the heaviest, craziest.
Starting point is 00:56:23 It comes from the iBoga route. Uh-huh. That's the wildest. And then the 5MEO is the like, like the toad venom. Yeah. That is the rocket ship. Have you done DMT? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:32 So that's 5MEO is DMT. I haven't done, I've never done artificial DMT. Yeah. But, I mean, same thing. like the god particle like this i mean that was the most significant experience like i dmt yeah really yeah yeah no doubt i mean it was this it was the most difficult like you go to the void like there is no thingness dead death and then you end up like coming back and you're like what's that that that that void feel like the scariest thing you've ever felt and then the freest thing you've ever felt and then
Starting point is 00:57:02 there's this like moment where like all of a sudden everything is white light like to the point that you just realize like all things get reclaimed to eternity and infinity, man. Like, you're like, it's all, I remember Mike Tyson talking about it and not wanting to come back from that, like, when he was in that moment, then like slowly faded out of it. But it was like being reborn, man. Yeah. So when you die, you're going to feel good. I genuinely believe like everything is reclaimed, man, when we pass. Reclaimed by what?
Starting point is 00:57:31 In perfect order, man, is what it was supposed to be. We just don't know what that order is. Yeah. I mean, we're not supposed to. I think that's where faith comes in. And people can identify with different ways that things reclaims. But I'll tell you what, the psychedelic side for me and like brain stuff and otherwise, like what Jake has done and what we're doing with umbo, the mushrooms.
Starting point is 00:57:50 I mean, it doesn't have to be psychedelics. Um, by the way, because I was raving about this, the, the mushroom tinctures, adaptogens, like, I'll take all types of shit. Um, and not feel anything, any difference. People will be like, this will fix your life. but that that shit's the real deal, man. No doubt, man. Jake is the real deal.
Starting point is 00:58:11 And umbo is, is, I'm excited about what, like, when you make products the right way and they have a good quality concentrate, you should feel a difference. Yeah. These are potent substances. They should be, you should, right? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:58:24 So it shows you like the quality of products that are out there. Yeah. Claiming adaptogens and other stuff. And then what umbo's doing that is the real deal. And we didn't skip any corners. And it's an expensive product for a reason. And people, for people listening, if you like, we're not talking about like psychedelic mushrooms. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:58:40 Which we also love. These are functional mushrooms. These are everyday. These are like, yeah, they're. Corticeps, Lymein. Turkey tail, Rishi. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:58:48 Yeah. There's a host of them. And they all do different things specifically. The formulation is, is great, man. And I think, you know, as we've gotten older too, like, we realize like, you know, this and a little bit, you know, and a little bit of that is a little bit better than. Dude. Yeah. Absolutely.
Starting point is 00:59:03 You're writing a book. Yeah, man. Book project is in order. That's why I came out to Charlottesville. Cheers to Seville. Yeah, I didn't want to break the news. But yeah, cheers to you becoming an author. You know, I'm working with a really cool writer out here. Anna Catherine is a mutual friend.
Starting point is 00:59:20 Yeah. And, uh, shout out. You know, book is, it's an interesting thing because there's like, you know, it's not a memoir. It's not a self-help book. What I'm talking about is these, the people that I've served over the last decade, the things they've taught me and some of the experiences that I've learned from, right?
Starting point is 00:59:37 Like, there is stuff in my past and things that, like, football was a great pathway, but the most important stuff is what I've learned over the last decade. So, you know, I think it'll appease to a sports fan. Yeah. Somebody that wants some funny, like, random, like, at all cost type of football stories.
Starting point is 00:59:55 Like, remember the oil change? Yeah. The football at all costs, like, having to pass a drug test Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. using the catheter to use oil change. Yes.
Starting point is 01:00:07 Can you tell us about that? I mean, it'll be in the book. Okay, it's in the book. Yeah. That's good. It's a,
Starting point is 01:00:12 it's a story. And it's true. I promise you that. But at all costs, like I'm telling you, there's times we had to do whatever we had to do to. Whatever.
Starting point is 01:00:19 You never had a fake dick, though. No, no, no, I mean, it was. I always laughed when, like, the black dudes in the locker room
Starting point is 01:00:26 that would have a white fake dick to go into the, do the pee test. You saw dudes with the fake dick? Yeah, yeah, guys had the fake dick yeah i mean really worked until it didn't when the black dude took it in and it was ruined it ruined it for everybody like golly dude like you got a pink dick melanoma thing
Starting point is 01:00:43 holy i got a skin condition yeah i i um i never saw somebody actually try that for it worked i it was the cranberry juice for everybody a niacin or whatever 25 guys in the sauna just itching from all the niacin and flushing but go ahead what you're writing a book Back to the book. No, I just, no, man. The book is going to be a fun project. Like, I don't know. If anyone's listened to read David Gagins' book can't hurt me. Like, Gagins' is audiobook where they, like, in between chapters, they like kind of give some other stuff. We're going to have that kind of format. Yeah. It's going to be fun. I'll have, uh, him. Huh? I have not met him. Seems like he lives it. Oh, yeah. I think he's as real. Yeah. That's not just,
Starting point is 01:01:28 breathing. Yeah, that's him. Yeah. 100. That's refreshing. But no, I think that telling your story can be like a little bit stripping. Yeah. But at the same time, cathartic and feel like I'm, I don't know, I'm leaving something, dude,
Starting point is 01:01:44 for my kids, too. Yeah, you're right about that. Yeah. I mean, you're absolutely right about that. If nothing else, there's at least that. I don't read a lot. I'm going to read that book. I'm going to, we'll send you the audio book.
Starting point is 01:01:54 Okay. Have you learned anything about yourself writing that book? Yeah, it's been, it's been stripping. Yeah. It's been like, like, I mean, last night we were supposed to hang out and I passed out because I was just song, man. And I was here doing this shit. No, it's just, yeah, I think it's about, it's about being really transparent and authentic.
Starting point is 01:02:17 Because I think before, if I thought about it, I was like trying to present it. Yeah. Now it's like, man, I just want to share this. Yeah. And that's the way that I think people are reached. It's receivable. You know, whether I do it from the state. speaking or in the gym, man. It's about, you know, helping people understand where you've come
Starting point is 01:02:33 from and how you're connected. I think the world, the more people will do that, dude, the better place we're going to be in. I'm with you, brother. David Vibora, thank you for the time. The book, when are we going to be able to, like, a long time from now? Yeah, I mean, this isn't like a plug. Like, this is a book. Yeah, yeah. This is more of the conversation of what the, what the focus is for it. But yeah, it'll be sometime in 23, hopefully, but we're going to push into it. And how can people help the gym? Man, Adaptive Training Foundation is just something you should follow on any social platform. Like, I mean, it's not, you know, you're going to get a hit of inspiration.
Starting point is 01:03:07 Stories are powerful. There's always, like, we just dropped like 70 limited edition acid wash teas. Your, you're good. And you know what? It's, uh, it was our athletes themselves took it out back and did it all themselves. So everyone's individual. It's stuff like that. Like back to intentional.
Starting point is 01:03:26 Back to, I think I'm people. people don't realize like these are my friends like I had a veteran after one of our guys took his own life that this dude lived with us for eight months and became one of my best friends you know and like that's the that's the life that we've chosen and it's dude it's such a joy to to be around but you know it's it's every nine weeks we get a new class in yeah and there's new people to and so it takes you're giving something but you're gaining something totally like that's how it works yeah no it's totally it's well you're trading your life a little bit but you're gaining a life dude like and you're gaining all these friends in this community.
Starting point is 01:04:01 And you're doing an untold amount of good things for them. And they're doing the same for you. So it's a really dope concept. And I've been to the gym. It's a beautiful place. Great people down there. So check them out. Yeah, man.
Starting point is 01:04:14 I appreciate it, man. Besides that, like if you feel compelled to buy a T-shirt or give, that's awesome. Because obviously everything's cost free to the people we serve. But it's really, I'll encourage anybody listening. Like, if you're not,
Starting point is 01:04:26 you're talking about community, locker room. finding that group to do hard things with. Like, that's where you're going to find merit consistency and get your dopamine hits there, you know? Yep. That's a good drug to be on. Yeah, I'll take that all day. Yeah, man.
Starting point is 01:04:41 David Vibora, Mr. Relevant is what I call him. Thanks for joining us, bro. Cheers. Liquid death. Murder your thirst. Give us some money, please.

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