Mick Unplugged - Unapologetic Truth: The Relentless Spirit of Adam “Pacman” Jones

Episode Date: February 23, 2026

From electrifying NFL fields to rewriting his own narrative with resilience, wisdom, and unapologetic truth, Adam "Pacman" Jones is more than an athlete—he's a force of nature. A dynamic leader who inspires redemption, responsibility, and real talk, Pacman brings his signature "go get it" mentality to every aspect of his life, proving that with unwavering dedication and a commitment to authenticity, you can redefine your legacy and empower those around you. Get ready to be inspired by a man who lives by the mantra: "work hard, play hard" and whose impact extends far beyond the gridiron.Takeaways:The Power of Unrelenting Work Ethic: Pacman highlights that while talent is important, an unmatched work ethic is what truly separates good from great, emphasizing that relentless effort can overcome natural ability.Strategic Preparation as a Skillset: Coming from a background where he always played with older, more experienced individuals, Pacman developed an acute awareness of strategic preparation, translating his multifaceted athletic background into a unique mental edge that propelled him to success.The Evolution of a Leader: From needing a supportive circle in his early career, Pacman transformed into a pillar of support for others, understanding the profound impact of intentional mentorship and building genuine relationships that transcend the paycheck.Mentorship Through Vulnerability: Recognizing the value of his own experiences, Pacman passionately advocates for showing vulnerability and honesty, especially with children, using his past struggles and triumphs to teach invaluable life lessons and foster growth.Intentional Community Impact: Beyond the public eye, Pacman is deeply committed to supporting his community and youth, choosing to act with intention and genuine care rather than seeking recognition, focusing on tangible actions that empower individuals to overcome significant challenges.Sound Bytes:"What separates good and great is work ethic. Period point one.""That's my calling, man. That's my calling. Like, I was one of those kids who lost his dad early, stayed with my grandma.""I truly believe in you are what you hang around."Connect & Discover “Pacman”:Instagram: @realpacman24TikTok: @adamjonespacman🔥 Ready to Unleash Your Inner Game-Changer? 🔥 Mick Hunt’s BEST SELLING book, How to Be a Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership, is here to light a fire under your ambition and arm you with the real-talk strategies that only Mick delivers. 👉 Grab your copy now and level up your life → Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million  FOLLOW MICK ON:Spotify: MickUnpluggedInstagram: @mickunplugged Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube:  @MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn: @mickhunt Website:  MickHuntOfficial.comWebsite: howtobeagoodleader.comWebsite: Leadloudseries.comApple: MickUnpluggedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All right, this episode, my guy, Adam Patman Jones, like, we cover the whole spectrum of a lot of things on this episode. Talk about his journey growing up in Atlanta. If you don't know, like, Mac is one of the greatest athletes to ever come out of the city of Atlanta. He's on my Mount Rushmore. We talk about that. You're going to find out why and how he actually left the Tennessee Titan. Like, most people don't know why or how. We talk about his mentorship and what he's done.

In the top five, we talk about who his goat of NFL all time is. It's a Tar Hill, by the way. Great episode. I'm just going to let you go. This is Adam, Pac-Man, Joe. You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged. How are you doing today, brother?

Man, I'm doing good, man. I'm happy to be a part of this, man. I appreciate you for having me on. We're a long-lost friend. Definitely Instagram friends, but it's following to get on here and sit down and share some words with you. Hey, I'm going to go straight to it, man.

I've been telling everybody for the last 20 years, you know, I'm from Greenville, South Carolina, I'm from the South. We know what Atlanta is in the South. Yeah. I tell everybody that will listen, my Mount Rushmore of athletes from Atlanta. I'm not talking about that play

in Atlanta that went through Atlanta. I'm talking about from Atlanta. My Mount Rushmore is this, in no order. Calvin Johnson. Love it. Cam Newton. Love it. Dwight Howard.

Love it. Pac-Man Jones. Let's go. Like what you did growing up in the city of Atlanta, and I'm talking about before high school, bro. Like people that don't know, Pat was playing with grown men when he was like seven years old. Like I'm talking about football, basketball,

track. Like, you were the guy that honestly, set that new generation of athlete from Atlanta, man. Like, talk to us about just that growing up being, being the guy in Atlanta, which is a lot. Like, people talk about New York and basketball, but, like, they don't know, man. Atlanta has athletes, all sports.

And I think it's the sports capital of the United States. Talk about us. Talk to us about that growing up in Atlanta. Man, you know, a lot of credit goes to my grandma, bro. Like, she killed me out of the project. Man, me going to play football. up at San Town with the privileged kids instead of playing. Like, we had a team in the projects for his basketball, not football.

And a dude named Coach Knight really changed my whole perspective and look at a lot of things because he was coaching like 18 U. He wasn't coaching my age at the time. And I was like 12 years old playing with 18 U. like so that really changed my mindset as far as the first. physical quality of playing basketball with these older guys, the training, the dialogue of you got to work to get there, man. And I think that transferred into me when I did go and play with kids that was my age.

But, man, Atlanta has always been the one, all the guys you name, I actually went to school with Cabin's Johnson sister. Cam went to Westlake. Yeah. The White Howard, dad coached me in track. I ran track with Dwight Howard. And who was the other name you had for me? You.

Well, oh, yeah, myself. So it was a great group of athletes. And I had like A.J. Moray, I had Sean Jones, Karen Fox, David Jacobs. David Jacobs was my idol growing up because he was in the same projects that I was in. And he was the first person that I sing. that was trying to get out the projects and had every coach pretty much in the world,

you know what I mean, stopping at the top of the hill because they were scared to come down to the bottom, you know what I mean? So he had to go up and get them. But, like, that was kind of my idol-looking

when I grew up, you know what I mean? I was telling this to somebody else, like, I wouldn't allow it to be up there on the corner, like selling dope, selling weed and all that. No, I did gamble.

We gambled a lot. I'm talking about my dice, basketball, football, softball, anything you can name, track. If you can compete. Anything you can compete in, but, like, I wasn't allowed to compete up there to corner, though. Yeah, man.

And this prolific high school career you had, man, like running back, DB, Allstate, Mr. Everything. I got this question, because this is before NIL, bro. How in the hell did you get out of the state of Georgia and go to West Virginia? I don't want to know the back. number, but how did you get to West Virginia?

It was a bag number. I'll tell you that. It passed my time now so I could talk about it. But I was committed to Georgia Tech. Yep. And Kier and Fox was at Georgia Tech at the time. Georgia offered me, but I didn't like the way they treated Dave Jacob out of the stroke.

You know what I mean? He's like, oh, well, you know, he's a good player. And that's the reason why I immediately tied down to Georgia offer. I had pretty much anywhere I can go But I was committed to Georgia Tech And it was like A week before signing day, bro

Fox come to me with Shout out of Kieran Fox and his family They did a lot for me changing my life And making me see different things Besides the project He's like, bro This shit is school up here I know you want to come here and play football

But this work up here It's pretty hard I think you're going to school to play football Right? I was like, yeah, yeah I am. He's like, bro, these classes and stuff is super hard. I'm like, all right, but I'm pretty smart. I made $12.50 on SAT.

I think I can do this, Fox. He's like, do you want to go to the NFL or do you want to go to school to play football? I was like, I want to go to school to play football. And it kind of changed my whole outlook. And West Virginia with Coach Rod, Gibby, and Coach Byrd at the time. I knew they was first year of coaches. And I was their first recruiting class. So I just put two and two together.

I'm like, all right, I can go up here. And the visit was unbelievable. Like, unbelievable. And so when I went up there, I got to meet Coach, Ruh, got to go around Morgantown. Got to go to a couple frat parties. I'm like, this is a little different. All white, you know what I mean,

besides the football players at that time. Yeah. But the love and everything else was there. Like, I was probably only four or five star that they had at that time. So I'm like, fuck it, I'm out of here. You know what I mean? And my grandma was sick at that time, too, and she was like, look, I don't want you to stay in Atlanta. So I'm like, you don't want me stay in Atlanta.

I'm the reason why I was going to Georgia Tech because you're going through lung cancer and you can come see me play. and when she told me that it kind of kicked in, like she really wanted to get away from all of the energy around here. And that was it, bro. Like, I ended up going to West Virginia and wrote a story. You know what I mean? You sure did.

You sure did. So I went to UNC. I'm a Tar Hill. So you're saying that if UNC could have got enough bag, we could have got a look. Is I what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah, you know what I'm saying?

actually they offered me because I was all into the sky blue, the joins and all of that. And it's just, football-wise, it wasn't there. When I went to the visit, the whole campus was quiet as hell.

Like, I don't know which one was more quiet to UNC or Duke. Like, I took a visit to Duke, too. Well, you didn't need that one. Yeah, I wasn't going to.

Yes. But I did need you to be a Tario, but at UVA, man, or at West Virginia, you, again, broke records. Like, I say this. One of the best competitors I know is you, right? Again, if you can compete, if there's a way to win, I'm putting my money on pack every time because that's who you are.

Again, Mr. Go Get it. You're going to go get it every time. What was that like going from dominating a high school in Atlanta to then saying, all right, now I'm almost with some grown men up here at West Virginia and just dominating there from literally day one, bro. My mindset was I'm three and out of here. I told them that time I got there and everybody was looking at me crazy because nothing was happening like that in West Virginia.

And you got to realize I played with grown men. Like, I've always played up an age group. Like, I really never played with my age group except in high school, I guess I'll say. But like, I've always played with guys that are older than me. Like, growing up in the project, when we playing basketball, like, I was just, probably the only kid that was fucking 10 years old that was out playing with guys that's 17 18 years old and still giving them buckets still making moves like so my mindset was like shit if I can do this here this can't be that hard because all of them are way better than the guys

I'm going to play against the only reason why they are not there because they don't have the grades to go or they didn't pass SAT so like my mindset have always been like killly be killed period point blank like put in the work prepare yourself watch your film and everything else will take care of itself like i didn't even live whites in high school bro never touched away when i went to west virginia i had mike bars as my uh shrymph coach which is one of the best strength coaches in the world if it was up to me i would put him at number one um he would make you think you can run through a fucking brick wall i mean it wasn't no limit to how we beat it up our to make sure that we can perform.

Like, in high school, I was fast. I ran like 10-7. Man, after my first year of college, they started calling me Lightning. And I would come back home, and, like, the kids, like, Travis Maroney is a good example. He was just fast as hell. A little older than me, same grade,

but just didn't have the grades, got kept back once or twice. But he'd run to 10-5s. I would make it my interest. Like, when I get back home, I'm calling him, like, hey, yo, where you at, I'm like, what's up?

I want to race. And the reason why I was doing that mindset was I wanted to show them, like, look what this, just, well, look at all this work I don't put it in in one year. And I'm talking about, I'm not just beat them. I beat him with some room. You get what I'm saying? You know, you come back from now, you're like, damn, this shit really is working. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's always, that's always been, been my mindset, bro.

Like, never let nobody out work you, no matter what you. you're doing. Like, you're going to have up and down through the situation. But, like, the work ethic, like, you can't judge that. Like, you can't, you can't, you can't, two things you can't judge. Work ethic and speed. Like, some guys got a motor. Some guys don't.

But if you work, you eventually have a motor. Yeah. Some guys got speed naturally or you have to put in the work to get faster. But that's always been my motto is like, if I don't let them out work me, they can't beat me. And that's, again, why I say I separate you from almost everybody that I know because of that mantra right there. Like, you're a draft year, right? Again, I've always been a huge pack fan, like from day one.

I told people the best player in this draft is going to be packed. The person that's going to make impact day one is going to be pack. And everybody's like, why? And I said, you're looking at a skill set, which is great. but what I can tell you is he will be the most prepared person moment one to make an impact in the NFL. And they're like, how can you say that? I'm like, you're not looking at his journey. You're not looking at the work he's put in because the results just don't happen because you're the fastest.

There's always going to be somebody tomorrow that's going to be faster. But the way he prepares, the way he studies, you're not seeing that and that's going to separate. And it proved with your career, right? Like, you know how many people did you see as teammates as rivals or whatever that aren't willing to put in that work. It's like, oh, they'll be out in two or three years because there's a certain thing. Like, talk about that with you, like how preparation became a skill set for you too. Well, preparation was never one at West Virginia. Like, it was like, you're going to be prepared.

Cozy Gibby, like, you're going to watch film. Right. We're going to go down here and run these hills. You're going to go to this weight room. spend half of the day in the weight room. And like, but like me coming from the inner city and always happen to prove myself, because, you know, I'm 5'9, bro, like 180 pounds at the most, 185, I'd say. Yeah.

Like, so I had to be, first of all, physically prepared. Second of all, mentally. And I came from being the number one running back in the state of Georgia to get in the West Virginia. to get in the West Virginia be like, hey, look, we really want you to go play defense because we've got a kid named Avon Coburn that was Biggie's player of the year. And there's no way we can start you over in.

But y'all can share carries. I'm like, ah, fuck that sharing carry shit. Like, I ain't with that. I'm trying to be three and done. Like, that was my whole mindset. Like, three years in West Virginia, and I'm out of here. And I asked Coach Roy, like, yeah, can you let me DuPont return and kick return?

He's like, yeah, I'll let you do that, but you got to go over. and play on the other side of the ball if you want to have a chance to be a day one start. And, like, I did it. And really, it wasn't that big of a change because all of this hips and turn is, you know what I mean?

So me being a running back, I had good feet. Me playing basketball, I knew how to back pedal, you know what I mean? I know how to cut people off to whatever side they're going to. So I kind of just used that. I was like, fuck it. I'm just out here playing, I'm playing basketball. Right.

Let me see how long it's going to take him to get off. the line. If I can hold him on the line or shadow him for four or five seconds to play over with, to play only last eight seconds in the NFL. I mean, in college, NFL or whatever it is, the average play is eight seconds. So like even that little tool like me using that right there for a whole different sport, I shall say, was can tell you like how mentally I was preparing myself and like I would I would watch film bro

and I would go out like I like the party but like in my house I've never watched I wasn't a movie guy I never played Madden Call of Duty even growing up I stayed outside to I had to go in the house

which when the street light came on besides that I'm doing two things I'm out here running catching around running against somebody playing basketball or shooting dice. That was it. Like, I wasn't one of those kids that I was,

I did like fashion and all that, but that wasn't my main mental when I was growing up. And, like, I had a kid named Smitty on my team when we was playing AAU basketball. We had, Rashad Karoof was the best player that I ever seen in person at that time. So I played up with Coach Knight, Team Georgia.

We won three national championships. And when he went to Kentucky, I'm like, damn, there's got to be something like, he should have been won and out, like how good he was. He was only had a Puma commercial in high school. This was like I heard of back then, bro. Yeah. And like, this kid can shoot the ball from anywhere.

And I'm like, why is he not winning out? Come back home at someone. And I'm asking him. But I'm watching everything. too. I'm watching him. Like, what he doing? How are you doing it? Is he taking the series? He's smoking.

And I kind of took, I took a little bit from everybody that I was around to change the shit that I didn't want to be. Like, I already knew I wanted to be three and done. You know what I mean? So, like, I took a little bit from everything. His work ethic won there, but he was an unbelievable player. And I was like, this is, that's what it is. You can't let the work ethic catch up because everybody is good.

everybody's good, bro. What separate good and great is working. All day. Pure point of one. You can be the best kid right now in high school. You go to college. It's 10 of y'all. Yep.

Someone don't like the work. Some of them soft as a motherfucker. Someone put it in the work. And you can tell which ones put it in the work because it shines. It shows. You know what I mean? It definitely shows in the long. And I think you're a testament to that off the field post career, right?

You have that same mentality with what you're doing now the NFL is done. Like, I actually think you get to be more of the real Pac-Man, right? But you're doing it your way. And I think that that's critically important. You're not trying to be someone else. You're not trying to be what other people may want you to be. I think this is my perception. You're like, hey, y'all don't really.

know PAC or what you think you know about PAC, I'm about to give you the real me. And that's what I love because you're putting in the work ethic to understand different things in media, to understand social more, to look at branding and brand partnerships. Like, I've been so proud of you, bro. Like, when I see the things you're doing during college football season,

during NFL season, what the things you're doing when sports aren't even the topic, Like you really getting to be you. I'm just so damn proud of you, bro. I'm so proud. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. And I'm a big soaker.

Like, I watch everything. Like, I watch. Like, people just think I'm just a guy that smoke weed and drink, which is a great perception. If y'all want to think that, hot, shame on you. You didn't read the whole fucking book. You just read the cover. Right.

But, like, I watch trends. I watch stuff that's going on NIL with kids. And, like, at this day and time, that same NIL that we're talking about that the kids are getting right now, guess who else getting it? The grownups too, if you know how to use it. So marketing yourself, believing in yourself. And like, yeah, if I could change anything, bro,

it's a couple things I could change. And I talk about that when you ask me. But as a person, me, I know who I am. Like, I'm loving and caring. Like, do I? I got a temper. Yeah, but that comes with being a little bit of competitive. Can I turn it down sometimes?

Yeah, I can't. Is my words always right the way I want to say when I'm hot? Maybe not sometimes. But passion, that comes with the territory of what I've been doing my whole life. I've been hitting fucking people my whole life since five years old. So, like, my mental is a whole lot different. It's down there like a person going to war. Like, your mental is going to be different.

Like, period, point blank, like, regardless of what anybody say, like, because you only have a flight or a fight or a fight mode. You get what I'm saying? And now it's like, all right, I can go fight a flight, but I just need to know, all right, sometimes I got to turn a light off. And you might say you've got to temper, but I think what you really have is a discernment of people. And PAC is never going to let somebody take advantage of you, right? I don't give it damage it's the police, the mayor, the governor. Right.

Like, I'm standing on business. Right or wrong. If I think I'm right, I'm standing on business. And that's what I think it is. I don't think it's a temper. I think what you're really good at, blessing or a curse, is you know the true intent and you're just cutting the intent off early, right?

Like, you're not going to let somebody mess with you for an extended period of time. It's like, no, if I see that this is what this person wants or this entity wants, like, I'm just going to cut it off right now. I actually think it's a great skill set, bro. Well, you know, I do too, but sometimes it bites me in my ass. But for the most part, it's been pretty good to me. Yep, yep.

So now let's talk about it, though. If you could change something, and I'm not going to call it a regret, I'm going to say change. Like, what's something you would have changed or done differently? knowing what you know now. Once I got to the league, you know, I didn't know how much of a business it was. Like, yeah, you're the first defensive player pick, but this is business. And my buddy Keith Bullock was trying to tell me that, like, early on. He's like, Pat, you know, he ain't going to be young this whole time.

Like, yeah, I am. Shit. I'm going to play there. I'm 40. You know what I mean? Which I could probably have. I fucking retired at 34, 35. And that was on my own.

It wasn't like teams wasn't calling me. But like, I wish that, like, if I could change anything, I would have had a better, like, circle around me as far as making sure that I knew that it was a business. I don't know if I'm saying it right, but, like, you know, you sound 42 million dollar deal, 28 million up front. The next day you wake up, we got $12 million in your bank account, which I did have some good financial people around me eight,

put five of that up. to where you can't touch it to 35. So, like, I had some good advice, but when it comes to, like, all right, prime example, I shouldn't have never left Tennessee. I should have stayed there. That was my decision. Like, I went and told Fisher, like, I want to be traded.

And because all of the, I was just too, at that time, Nashville was, it wasn't a hunky tongue town. It wasn't a party time. It was all whites, pure point blank. And I ain't going to sugar-cutter. than that. If you was white around the Lamborghini, you was cool. And the n-the-round here around

Lamborghinis and Benleys, it was a problem. And at that time, you know, I just didn't understand that, you know, coming from Atlanta, coming from West Virginia, shit. Right, whatever the fuck you want. I was the first person in West Virginia with a Louis Vuitton talk at 18 years old. And the

70s-S-Money-Collo with a $4-54 in there. So, like, this is new to me. Right. This is new to me now that I got a bag. I can't do, like, move how I wanted to move, which was ludicrous.

Like, a lot of that shit that happened in Tennessee, man, was just because I was a young, black, flamboyant, and politely raw, I would say, person. Yeah. I'm the one,

hey, bro, you got a bug in your nose. I'm like, oh, damn, why, you can wait to tell me, nah, bro, I'm telling you right now, so you don't have to walk around and fucking let everybody see the bug in your nose. Yeah. And, like, I just think I was a,

a little bit too fast for the culture in Nashville, like when I was there. But going back to what you said, change, if I could change anything, I would just, I would change that, that little circle when it comes to the business part because I was, you know, it's hard to look up to somebody when you're saying your daddy get killed in front of you. And when you're going through the hardest time, you ain't got nobody. Now when I get out of my money, everybody want to come around. And like, that was the part that I didn't understand. I'm like, why would I fucking listen to these people?

Where have these people been, like, my first 20 years of my life? Yeah. Like, and now that I look back, like, maybe one or two of them, I could have listened to. The rest of them was full of shit. But that circle is very pivotal, I'm saying. Like, I truly believe in you are what you. hang around. Absolutely.

Pure point blank. Like, yeah, you can have your home boards. You can have your friends. It's a time and place for that. But, like, surround yourself with either what you want or someone that's got what you got. You know what I mean? Because if you don't, it's always going to be a little hate. Yeah.

And if somebody don't have the, I ain't going to say the means because, like, if you, if you got the hustle and you got the work ethic, you can get to it. where we're at where we at right now. But like, if you just hang around anybody and not really paying attention to the details, I think it's stunted bro. For sure. You know, and again, another testament to Pac-Man is this.

I also know the business of football. And if you didn't become that circle for other people, you personally would not have had as long a career as you did, right? Like, you became a locker room glue person, and you became the person that teams were like, you talked about it. You chose to retire, but you had people still calling you. Talked us about that evolution of pack of going from the person needing the circle to the person that now was a part of the circle for others.

Well, I always been a part of the circle for others. Like, I took kids that didn't even have a scholarship to West Virginia to stay with me that stayed in my projects, like one of my, two of my closest friends, you know what I'm I mean, because I was trying to show them something different. Like, and in the locker room, like, I really believe lead by example. Once you leave by example, then you own the circle. If I go out and I take a fucking limo all the way back from Magic City on Monday to be at the stadium at 6.30, and we ain't got to be there at 8 o'clock.

Like, damn, he did all that, this motherfucker. Sleep in the park lot, but I'm the first one in the wait room. 250 on the squires, 300, 400, 4, 50. So, like, I think the reason why I got a chance. In every locker room I've been in, I've been pretty much the guy. Like, you know, we might be some guys getting paid more to me in a certain position. But when we're talking about relationships, talking, sitting there, bunding, like, I've always been the guy, hey, Pat, what you think about that? A, Pac, what you think about that?

A, Pac, what you think about that? What you're doing in this situation? Hey, Pat, how is this right there? How is that right there? And you'll be surprised, man, like, how many guys? Women is probably the biggest questions in the locker room. A lot of guys, you know, haven't really had no girls until they got some money. That's the crazy thing about it.

And some of the biggest names. And have two touchdowns. Go bar. You're dating Kim Kardashian. like and I grew up I and everybody know like magic city is like the real club like a club to us in Atlanta like all this shit they have right now with

girls gone while I brought that shit in college like literally like we had six girls standing in my house like bro we had mud parties every Friday beer kegs everything like I've done all that shit like so you can't you you don't know until you know, like, and I ain't trying to say everything.

But, like, I grew up in an era where it was popping. Like, I grew up in that era, that big mead, you know, young Jesus when, when it was okay to go to the club and spend $20,000. Like, that was my error. Like, I understood, like, all right, no, this is not going to last for long. But let's go ahead and enjoy what we can, you know what I mean? Yeah. And, like, I had a lot of teammates.

Like, bro, how in the hell do you just cut it on and cut it off? Like, I'm like, bro, same way. We get paid to perform. You got to turn the light switch on. Sometimes you got to turn it off. Like, I've always, always been like that, bro. Like, that's just been my mentality of work hard, play hard. Sometimes you got to turn it off.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Man, I could talk with you forever. I know you got stories that are going crazy. We might have to do a part too where we just do story time with Uncle Pack. Oh, I got some stories. A lot of stories.

But I would be remissed if I didn't give you props and give you your flowers for this. Again, people that know the real Pac-Man, that know PAC, that you allow to know you, all will say this. One of the greatest fathers, one of the greatest mentors, like Pac does so much in the community

that he does not talk about. Yeah. Because you genuinely care about kids, man. And, like, I want to give you just the floor to talk about the things that you do in the community or the things that you do for kids, man, because that's my calling. That's my calling. Like, I was one of those kids. He lost his dad early. Stayed with my grandma.

I ain't going to, we wasn't hurting now. I'll say that. Like, my grandma, we was the bootlegged. So, like, everything went through 146, which was all. apartment number. Yep. But I seen her work so hard, bro, and try to do everything to provide for us.

But, like, I've seen other kids in Boat Rock or Bankhead that didn't have that. Who dad was gone away, who dad was incarcerated, who mama was a crackhead. Like, I've seen a lot of shit during my younger age that was just so crazy that I was. I'd be like, damn, if I could, if I was back as an adult, I would have, I would have grabbed it. You know what I mean? I didn't have the means to grab. But now, like, I truly think that my calling are the kids.

Like, if I can help, if I, and, you know, you can't help everybody, but my relationship, like, here, I take care of them. There are 40 kids. We travel all the way around the country, play football. My best friend passed away. I had all his kids here. I got my own kids who I love dearly. But like my true calling is I think with the kids, the reason why I'm saying is because I'm vulnerable.

I'm not scared to admit when I make a mistake. Oh, Dad, send you on the news yesterday. Yeah, I shouldn't have been drinking. I had a little bit too much to drink. That's why you don't need to drink. And yeah, I just tell him the fuck off. And he got mad, so he locked me up. and some parents are not willing to admit their mistakes because they don't want to be shamed on, I guess.

But I live in the glass house. Like everything I do, if I go outside right now and take a piss, it's going to be on channel 5, 2, 12, 11, and 19. So I've used kind of switch day narrative to like, all right, I can touch every kid because everybody going to make a mistake. doing your journey of life, you're going to make some mistakes. But if you can capitalize off the mistakes and flip some of those into a positive, and even if you don't, and you have to go through something, but you come back out fighting, that's the definition of a man. That's the definition of a winner.

You get what I'm saying? It's just like playing the game. You ain't going to win every football game. You are going to get a flag sometimes for whatever the cause may be. but like at the end of the day you gotta have a a quick I gotta forget

about the last play and I ain't saying that in everything like some things I'm like goddamn pat why you just gonna shut the fuck up but most of the things you'd be like all right I know what this is

I know how they're trying to make this be for instance I used an example in Dallas you know I'm minding my own business I get approached by a Mexican guy

he was pretty drunk call me out my name boom boom this that so I said hey bro you got two more times to do this

or we're going to step outside I'm going to beat your motherfucking ass ah here comes the police I'm like yo you need to get him stop fucking talking to me he calling me

da da da da da and so he went to do this I smacked his hand down here I go straight to jail yeah and I do This from the officer in Dallas, oh, now you're assaulting the officer.

Then a week, two weeks later, everything gets dismissed. But on the news to make a headline, oh, here you go again. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da. You just punch somebody in the club, which is fucking a total false fucking accolization. Yep. So I'm more vulnerable because I don't want my son and all these kids that's, I'm taking care of to not know how to play the game. Because the game is to be played regardless of what anybody say.

Like, now I have to keep security with me everywhere I go. Like, I have to have a second opinion with me. Right. Like, I don't drive nowhere by myself. Yep. Like, and it's sad, but like, I ain't going to say I put myself in this situation. But for what it may be, I did have, I admit to the shit that I've done to, but like you gotta learn how to play the game.

I gotta have somebody with me at all times so I can have a second eye. If not, I don't know what this person intentional of doing or what he's, what is narrative of doing about any situation. So like that's my main thing, man. And I love, I love kids, bro.

Like, I want all these kids to be better than me. Like, all of them. Like, I, I, I sponsored three, four football teams, soccer teams. I had a gym over here while I'm at, but they didn't really understand the sports because we had like a whitey, whitey, whitey area. So I'm opening up another gym,

not too far from like the middle of the city. So I can get back. It's going to be called D1 too. I'm doing it with D1. But yeah, man, my job is to be a sponge for the kids. so they can soak up everything I went through, the good and the bad. And if you do it right, it'll help you.

Like, you can take these little pieces that I was taking from everybody and trying to build what I was trying to build. Yeah. And it'll help, and it'll be sad. Like, some of these kids, like, don't even have a bed to sleep in, like, up here where we had. Like, you go over to the house just to deliver a car,

Christmas gift to surprise them. Like, all right, and bring you a PlayStation. Don't even know I'm coming. And don't even want me to walk in. That's how bad houses be. You know what I mean? Yeah. I do a thing called check in.

Like, well, with my players, I just pop up. You don't never know when I'll pop up. But I want to see what's in the refrigerator. Yeah. You would be surprised, bro. When you see some of these kids and where they're living, like, God. Damn.

And the parents won't ask for help Because they don't want All of the day Nobody to know their shit But I'm like I'm a private person Like I'm not doing this To first of all I don't even like Half of the shit that I do

I don't even tell them to me Yeah Because then they look like Oh Pack trying to do this to no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no But you motherfuckers don't even know 90% Of what I don't gave or giving to the family. And I'm talking about Cincinnati-wise now

because I do a lot of stuff in Cincinnati. And I still do a lot of stuff in Atlanta too. But, like, yeah, y'all know about the bike drives and all that. I give a hundred bikes away every Christmas. But y'all don't see everything else that I do on the daily when it comes to our community and helping these kids out.

But I do that because I ain't having nobody to do it for me. And I ain't saying that it ain't other people that is doing this, but like what I'm trying to do for the community and you hear kids talk about it. Like a lot of kids now, you know, with social media, NIL deal, I've had, hey man, do you mind me talking about what you did for me? To a certain extent, yeah, but to a certain extent, no, because I didn't do it for that. I did it for you to be where you were. Now you got a full ride at the University of Kentucky. Now you're getting paid $250,000.

nothing. Then you can pay it a million dollars. Then you got an Adidas deal. Like, that's why. Those are stories people don't know about you, man. And again, I'm not going to go into the details of it. But so I fucking love you, bro. Like, to see what you do with intention, I think that's what people miss. Right? Because you know it's the truth.

There's a lot of people that do it for the attention. Yeah. And they only do it when the cameras are around or the phones are out, right? Like, you see it, I see it. You do it with intention, man. And most of it goes unseen. And that's why I freaking love it, because you don't care. You care about the person on the other end, and that's what matters.

Yeah, I do, man. I just did the thing for Christmas. And my group, shout out of the bell. We was talking about, all right, we're going to go down and get a homeless, some coats and feed them food. I'm like, damn, I want no fucking coats and food. They want some money. Right.

let's go and get $10,000 out the bank and give every last one on $10. There you go. And maybe a blanket. The food, they don't really care about the food. They're going to find the food. Now, what they do with the money, that's on them. Like, I can't control what they do

because that's not why I'm doing it. Yeah. I'm doing it because this is out of the countess of my heart. And, hey, maybe one of y'all might take advantage of this. Maybe one of y'all won't. But, like, that's the reason, like, while I do certain things the way I do it. And like, my team be on my ass.

Like, bro, want you just tell people what you're doing it? And I'm like, no. Like, no. Not about that. No. Not about that. Like, certain shit, I will tell them, you know what I mean, when it comes to organizations and stuff like that. But me personally, my intent for doing it

is because I come from this. I come from the struggle. I come from not having shit. I've come from a people around me not having shit. You know what I mean? And like, you never know, bro. Like, I got this one family that was pretty bad. And the mama was just like, I just need to get over the hump.

I was like, what's going to take to get over the hump? She goes, well, my rent is $420. I said, all right. So what are you saying it's going to take for you to get over the hump? She's like, just maybe help me out for a month. And I won't say the people name. and I paid a rent for the whole year. So you can keep every one of your checks.

I pay your rent for the whole year. And now she is working for Fortune 500 company. They'll move from the house that she's in. Got her own little side cleaning business. And like, that's what we're doing it for, bro. And, no, you don't owe me shit. Like, this is, like, this is what somebody, this is what I got to see.

from some of the kids that I had a chance to play with that was pretty wealthy because I was playing sports that was doing for me. The Kearing Fox Dad, like taking me in like APEC, let's help you get over the hump. So that's why I do it, bro, like because without the families that I've had that's been in my life, I wouldn't be in the same situation. I agree. I agree.

Man, I know you're busy. I know you got to run. I'm going to get you out here with my. My rapid fire quick five. Rapid fire. You ready? Yeah. All right.

Favorite NFL city to play in? Miami. All right. Your favorite flavor of wings from Magic City. Hot sprinkled with lemon pepper. There you go. The best teammate you ever had. Vontes Burford.

Greatest NFL player of all time. Lawrence Taylor. Love it. Most overrated NFL player, to Pac-Man. Most overrated of all time of all right now.

All time. How are you want to give it to me? I don't care. Right now, all time. No matter. All time. Steve Smith. We'll let you tell why

on episode two. How about that? I'm with that. Pat, bro. Love you like a brother. You are my brother. You already know this, but if there's ever anything

I can do. I'm here. This has been an honor. This has been a time with you, bro. Man, I appreciate you for having me, man. I hope this can get to somebody, you know what I mean, that might need this. You know what I mean? And mental health is real. I want to say that for we get off

here, bro. Make sure y'all checking all your mental. Like, it's okay to talk to somebody. We all go through some to get to us something. I'm a big mental health guy. Like, my family is big and bipolar. disorder. So like check on yourself and it's okay to go get checked in to check on yourself. It's okay to talk to somebody and express how you feel. So don't put no shame guilt and don't be scared to be vulnerable when you're going and talking to these people. And tell the truth,

because it's the only way you're going to get some help. I love it. I love it. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been Pac-Man Jones and always remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it. That's another powerful conversation on Mick Unplugged. If this episode moved you, and I'm sure it did, follow the show wherever you listen, share it with someone who needs that spark, and leave a review so more people can find there because. I'm Rudy Rush, and until next time, stay driven, stay focused, and stay unplugged.