New Rory & MAL - Rory & Mal Don't Know Ball | Darren Waller

Episode Date: February 27, 2025

On this episode of "Rory and Mal Don't Know Ball" the guys are joined by former Oakland Raider, New York Giant, and NFL Pro Bowler, Darren Waller. Rory and Mal get Darren's take on the ATL club scene during his time at Georgia Tech, what makes Ludacris underrated, college athletes receiving NIL deals, his top 5 tight ends of all-time, and the launch of his music career #volumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Today we are joined with once a giant, always a giant as far as I'm concerned. So today we are joined with Georgia. This is your yellow jacket for life as well. I think you know that. But today we are joined with Darren Waller, tight-in, New York Giants, Raiders, but I'm just Giants, bro. We don't talk about the other teams.

You're a giant for life. That's fair. Pleasure to meet you. We follow each other on the gram. Sequin, I think has some things to say about that. I don't know if he feels like being a giant for life right now. I think he's an eagle for life now. Yeah, definitely.

But Darren, thank you for joining us. Pleasure to finally meet you. We've been following each other on social media for a few years. So it's a pleasure to have you in the studio with us today. Yeah, we appreciate the support. you've been giving us over the years as well. Absolutely. I know you don't know much about this new segment show entity platform.

It is still very much new Roy and Mall, but we over, I don't know how many years, have talked to so many athletes and all they want to do is talk about rap. They never want to talk about it or they want to rap. Yes. And I've found that they usually have awful hip-hop takes, like some of the worst ever. So I am curious.

But they say the same thing about my sports take, so it's okay. We're finding a common ground here. But I do kind of want to start at the beginning. I know you moved around a lot from Maryland to Colorado to Georgia. What were you listening to early on, especially in starting out in Maryland? Yeah, so I was born in Maryland. I was there for like a year. And then we moved to Colorado until I was like four, so I don't even remember that time.

Okay. I remember from Georgia just all the way. Gotcha. And I remember my dad would play like, Oh, Dirty Bastard in the Whip. My dad's from Queens. Oh, love it. Okay. What part of Queens?

Jamaica. Oh, he was giving you that real culture. Yeah. So it was like, and we came into the house or something, me and my sister, and we were singing like, ODB lyrics. My mom was like, where the fuck are y'all hearing this to that? It was right with my dad, you know, so. But he was like, you know, New York hip-hop.

I know he, like, gang star a lot. Oh, your dad is. He's the hip-hop. Yeah. Okay. I stole his infamous Mob Deep CD. That's a good CD. I loved.

If you're going to steal a CD, that's the one to steal. Temperature rising was. I used to love ride around Best two-tip drums ever Yeah So that was early on for me A lot of Mom love Michael Jackson

And all types of There's everything They love smooth jazz Watercolors They always go to jazz festivals and whatnot So it was a wide range And your family is musical right

Isn't your grandfather Great grandfather? My great-grandfather's Fast Waller It was like a legendary jazz pianist So So did you guys have a lot of instruments In the crib growing up or

They had us playing piano Like four taking lessons and I was in band in middle school and then it was like not cool to be in band once you're in high school. Yeah. And you play football. But I feel like in the south

is probably cooler than up here. What? Being in the band, yeah. Nah, you play sports in the south. Yeah. It's football like, fuck you mean, band. Yeah, yeah. And it was like, damn, well, I kind of want to.

Eighth grade. So, you know, it's time to play ball. Yeah. But once you started like getting into junior high high school, were you still listening to your pops like 90s hip-hop shit? or were you starting to get more into what was happening in Georgia at the time? I was getting into what was happening in Georgia.

I loved Ludacris as a kid. Same. By my first two years of high school, I was right around listening to fucking Gucci mixtapes all the time. But I still kept the love for like all that like Jay-Z black album was big in rotation on my CD player, Kanye graduation, get rich or die trying. Like, there's a whole bunch of.

So on the verses, what side was you on between Jeezy and Gucci, man? I was trying to sit that one out Because it was just like Damn why we got to I got a pick But I was probably lean a little bit more Gucci But it was tough to Be like damn I got to like not fuck with Jesus

That was such an interesting time Like that versus because I think that versus I learned a lot about Exactly how many people in Georgia I always knew they fucked with Gucci But that night I learned I was like oh no It's a level that I had no idea.

I think you had to be from Georgia to understand exactly the difference between Gucci and GZ as far as people from Georgia are concerned. Yeah. Cold following, bro. Yeah. When I got to college, I started to understand more because, you know, people from the south, for some weird reason, came up north to go to college. And they started explaining that GZ and Gucci shit to me as if it was J-Roo and 50 cent.

And I thought they was fucking crazy. Yeah, yeah. Then I got down to the south and was like, oh, I get it. My bad. I didn't realize that this was really y'all Jay-Z and Nas at the moment. Dan, we're close in age, so I know we grew up on similar music. To me, Ludacris might be the most criminally underrated rapper of all time. Based off his discography, no disrespect to Nelly.

We saw what happened during COVID in the verses. Everyone was like, yo, Nelly's diamond. I agree, Nellie's the man, but you're not fucking with Luda. Luda cleaned him the fuck up. Luda had been a personality, an actor, a lot of where I even see rappers going now, Luda was doing before. Luda was on the radio before he was a rapper. Luda to me is actually the blueprint, especially from the South, for a rapper.

What was Luda like growing up in Georgia, T.O.? Because in New York, to us, he was like a New York rapper. He was rapping his ass off over those southern beats. It was an easier way to digest than, say, T.I, who came a little later, that had more of a southern accent where Luda didn't. Yeah, Luda was, I mean, talking about pregame song. My first pregame song was Rollout, Ludacris. That's a pregame song.

First got a CD player every time. I feel like for me, for him, it was like the personality that he put on record. Because a lot of, like, rap is like, like, tough bravado. Yeah. Ludacris would be funny. Like, he's like, and wherever he... Slick talk. Yeah, a lot of slick talk.

Whatever he does and just, like, his wordplay and the tones of his voice, I was just like, it'll make me laugh. Like, most rap I'm like, yeah, but, like, he would make me laugh. He would make me be, like, hype. Like, it was just, like, something that he was doing. I was like, yeah, I'm fucking with him. Like, he's just a personality, like he said. And the way, like, of course, he bring up. Missy, Buster, all these amazing visual artists, like their videos.

But to me, when I was a kid, Ludacris had the best videos, hands down to me. I actually like, we waited on Luda's videos. No, Luda definitely is one of those artists that pushed visually. He pushed his art to another level. He wasn't afraid to try different shit, to have fun, be funny, even make fun of himself, wearing the big sneakers and all of that. He was definitely an artist that looking back, where it was like, yo, he can really rap, but like he's not afraid to have fun either though. But when he give you those records,

it's like, yo, I don't know if there's too many dudes that can rap better than him, but he didn't, I don't think he got that respect because he was so animated. And it's like, you know, a rap, you kind of have a hard time. We like who we can emulate. Like, if I put on the song, I want to be able to rap like that. Right. You don't want to be too animated and rap like ludicrous because it's like, people are going to look at you like, what's up with this dude, do you? Okay. But when you listen to what he's saying, yeah, he's getting off. Like, he's really getting his shit off. So I think it was just that he was, you know, he was having

a good time. He threw his music, wanted people to have fun, dance. But I also respected Ludo because he was when the music called for it. And especially when he did features. Like when Luda was doing features, I think he went in there knowing I'm clean. I don't care who else is on his record. I'm cleaning them up.

They don't have a hard time rapping better than me. And I think that was, that's why I like Luda a lot because he had fun. But when it was time to get busy, he also could do that too. Took it there. Yeah, I actually have a funny Luda story that I've never told on our pod. Me, Arestado, we did a video for Luda a while ago.

And he pulled up to set driving a tour bus. Like he was driving the tour. He pulled up in the tour bus driving. I was like, all right, that's weird, but all right, I'm with it. And once we started talking more, he was like, yeah, that's not like a gimmick. I know everyone in Atlanta sees me drive around on this tour bus. I have lost half a million dollars on every single tour because of the tour bus fees

and I just wanted to buy a tour bus so I could save my fucking money and this is also the guy that has Fast and Furious money at this point this wasn't like early this is this is legacy Luda and he's still doing that like he also on the business side

I know you joke around we were really drinking Luda Yack I don't know if Atlanta if you was at Georgia State we were drinking Luda Yacht 2010 we were drinking 100% drinking Luda Yuley yeah I didn't do the Luttiac Wasn't my brain.

I didn't do that. But who were some of your other favorite rappers coming out of just Georgia, period? Yeah, Gigi, like I said, Ginguchi, like it was tough to see that war go down. Pastor Troy had bangers. That was probably it. Because I was like a blend.

Those were like my South guys that got me in the door to like, then the new era was like who I really love. Thugs, Future, like seeing them from like live mixtapes era on up, which is like a treat. like even Metro like starting his own projects at like 19 years old like seeing that whole rise so i mean your pops playing you old dirty bastard mob deep etc it wasn't a little difficult getting into thug and

some of that stuff just because you you would grew up on more boom-bap type of rap i don't know what it was i always had like an open-mindedness music like i'm listening to like i remember i had a vivid memory of crying when i heard the song by doughtry when i was in middle school okay doughtry doughtraud right Wow. Like, I'm like, I'm listening to all different types. Like, any kind of music, like, can stoke up a feeling in me or I love listening to it. So it's like, it wasn't just like one genre. It was like my cup of tea.

It was like. I feel like did Dodger start on an American Idol? Brough. Home by Dodger? Why do I remember that? Like, that was the one? Banger, bro. That's your shit right there?

That was your MySpace song? Nah, bro. My My My My Shift. Getaway, boys. Daughtry is crazy. I would never would have guessed you listen to Dalton. Yeah. I mean, any, yeah, I love, even like the, like, the rock music from back in that era,

because, I mean, I had, like, a lot of white homies back then, like, All-American Rejects. Of course, yeah. Oh, yeah. My Chemical Romance is, like, bangers back there. Yeah. Yeah, that era of, like, alternative rock was incredible. I wish it continued on, or maybe I'm just out of touch. I feel like that whole genre is just got that alternative slash pop.

I think, I think, you know, it's funny. I think a lot of that has to do with TRL no longer being around. Yeah. Because a lot of that, a lot of that helped, like, TRL helped kind of, like, push that into every home. Yeah. Because like I said, if people look at us, I would never think you listen to Daugher in My Chemical Romance. But you probably watch TRL pretty much every day. And that's how I got introduced to a lot of that shit was watching TRL.

So I think that kind of like killed the whole alternative rock wave. What was your first ringtone? Mike Jones back then. I mean, you can't. On a singular wireless Sony Erickson flip phone. Absolutely. Bangor. I mean naturally, yeah.

Yeah. I did a lot of crazy thing. Back then, them hoes did not want me. Straight up. Straight up. That's hilarious. It's funny that the ringtone will validate that. Like, I know it's not a ho-call.

Yeah, not at all. Not at all. It's definitely just the homie. It's the bro. I mean, what were the girls listening to in high school with you? Because I was so much like on, not more like rap nerdy shit, because I was into Mike Jones and a lot of like more of the South shit that was popping,

even snap music. But I was still very much in my own bubble of underground rap that didn't really relate. to the pretty girls I was trying to like finger. Sorry to be explained. It was high school, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's natural.

So that was always like a big disconnection when it came to music and women in high school for me. Did you run into that at all? Because she was raised on an old dirty bastard. They wasn't trying to hear that. I feel like if you was in the usher, Chris Brown side of things, like you was in the right spot. Yeah.

When you, in playing sports, when you got into sports, who was some of the people that you definitely can contribute like a lot of your workout regimen to like what was playing like what music was were you listening to before game days what are the artists that you like

before a game I have to listen to this artist this is the artist that gets me in that in that zone I feel like that's where like the trap music part of Atlanta started coming in so it's like seeing the rise of I mean all through flock a thug from the very

very, very earliest days. Future from the earliest days. We're always in rotation. A little bit in the world, like I said, Jay-Z, but that was mostly where, like, the Atlanta scene of music came in was, like, got to be playing the drums before game date. And that was like,

what everybody in high school wanted to listen to. So there's no R&B before game? Nah, my taste before games evolved. Like, once I'm in the league, like it depends on how I was feeling that day. There's times I went out there in, I think there was a game where we played Jacksonville in like 2019, I had like 100 in the first half.

I was listening to like Fred Hammond and Marvin Sapp before the game. Like, but then there would be some games where I'll listen to like piano music or like fucking chakra healing music. But then there's days where I'm out there, it's just straight. It's like West Side Gun or it's a little baby. Like it's just all over the place. Yeah. Well, I mean, what's the difference going into those games of wanting to go with healing music versus

West Side Gun screaming boom, boom, boom. It's kind of. It's kind of how I wake up and feel that morning. It's like most times people are like, all right, Sunday, they're ready to go. There's some days where it's like, I had a 200-yard game once. I woke up that morning and I was like, I don't know how I'm going to play a football game. I went out to warm-ups. I didn't even have pants on over my leggings.

I look crazy. But it's a, so those days I kind of temper my music around like how I'm feeling that morning. That'll have me, because you gotta be calm when you go out there. You gotta be like, had an edge to you, but at the same time, you gotta be calm. There's a lot of shit you gotta process. A lot of shit, you gotta execute. Yeah. So, niggas be too hype out there sometimes.

and forget they got to do a job. Yeah. And I mean, when you're playing with the Raiders, because that just comes with, you know, even leaving Oakland and going to Vegas, they still have that reputation of having those crazy fans, death metal and shit. Was it tough trying to, like, warm up before a game

and they're trying to cater to the fans rather than you as far as music? Because I've been to a few Raider game. It's just heavy metal and shit that's playing the entire time. That would annoy the fuck out of me. Yeah, and, yeah, the music is like, you can't even pick up on what they're trying to do.

It's like, is this, Like you say, is this catered to players? Yeah. I mean, at least with the Giants, like, voila, is DJ and it's shit. And it's cool. But those Raiders games, it's just Harley Davidson music the entire time. But that's a different. I think the Raider, and you can probably speak to this, Darren.

What is the culture like, the difference in the culture going from the Raiders organization to the Giants? Because Raider culture is a whole different animal. Like, the shit that I see, I'm like, I get it's football. But, like, some of these people, like, they fight. of these fans to their homes and like they have raider homes. Yeah. Like what is the difference in the culture and an environment like when you got to the Raiders versus the Giants? What was the culture change? Yeah, those fans as you described like they're outside the gate that you drive in every single

day. There's dudes out there like on Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's like where's your family my boy? Like the damn we had a janitor that came from Oakland to Vegas. He ended up getting in some trouble when they kicked him out but he had like John Gruden portraits tatted on him like raiders like the janitor bro Migo shout to Migo man I don't know where Migo is at but he had the raider shrine at his house like he would show us pictures like yeah so those fans are really crashed like their whole body they'll have a whole raider's sleeve did John Gruden never see that like when he was in the bathroom taking a piss and the janitor was there like yo John check it out shirt off and show John his chest while he's in the bathroom he was in the bathroom

He would pull a service on the players. Like, he loved. Oh, so he's a lifer. He's like somebody that has been in the, so they just kept him at the janitor position. They didn't want to, like, elevate him a little bit in the organization. He didn't have the skills to be elevated to more. Just let him mop.

Like, like, he was working overtime. He didn't do it with those tattoos. Yeah, he mopped on passion. Just do it with passion. I get that part. I get that. But like, if you're getting a John Gruden tattoo that being a janitor at the Raider stadium would be like the apex job.

Right. You can't be like the CMO. Yeah. Yeah. If I have John... That's the best job ever. Yeah, like, he just wants to be in the building. He's one of those guys that just let me be in the building every day.

Would take the clip in him, he'd take bullets for the Raiders. Yeah, yeah. See, that's the type of fan base that I think is a little... Just too aggressive. I get football as an aggressive sport, but you see people like that. I love it, but it's like, watch him because we don't know what he's libeled. It's like Raiders, Eagles, the Jets to some degree are more like college football fans to me than they are NFL. Like, did you have any of that at Georgia Tech?

Because people obsessed over college football, I feel like more than NFL. Georgia Tech was a strange crowd. Like the average fan was like 50 plus. It's like a weird demographic. There's like Georgia Tech is probably the safest place you can ever go watch a football game. Yeah, it's probably because like it's all the wild people are Bulldogs fans, I would assume. And then more of like the pretentious people would be like, I'm with tech. Yeah, I go to, they're downtown.

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because you got there what 2011? 2011 yeah what was going on in the city of Atlanta club wise music wise at that point I mean shit we wouldn't even really going to the clubs we were going to these bars and Buckhead

where they were they had like welfare Wednesdays like news was broke this was not there was no NIL Wednesday there was no NIL back then all those 50 year old fans our NIL was you'd get on the bus to go to the game on Saturday they'd get you $15 they said make this last till Monday

$15 so that's like We double, McChicken, epic vodka, like a plastic bottle. Wait, wait. That'll hold me to money. Wait, they gave you $15. That's the NIL. And make it last. Yeah.

$15. Yeah. Yeah. So your student athletes, you're selling out the arena on campus every weekend. Yep. Selling jerseys. What does that do to a player who is getting $15? family struggling back home.

Obviously, you have dreams and aspirations of going pro one day. What does that do for your mindset knowing like, okay, I have $15 to last me for three days? My family's back home struggling. Like, how does that motivate you as a player? Like, I got to make sure I'm doing what I do out here because I got my whole family. I got to take care of it. And it's $15 a week ain't cutting it. Well, I mean, it motivates you as a player, but it's also like, I'm just about to start stealing shit, my boy.

Yeah. Naturally not. I'm about to just start stealing shit. This $15. Put me in a position. There's nothing else to do. Yeah. Got to start evaluating all licks possible.

But like seeing your jersey in the stands, knowing that people paid for that, knowing that university is making money off for that, like, that has to kind of piss a play off. Yeah. This is crazy. Yeah. Hopefully they'll get it right one day. But then now it's like, you see, the other thing was Penn State.

They had a young receiver. He caught touchdown. He got up. This motherfucker had diamond teeth. And he's 18. years old. I'm like, we swung that bitch to the other end of the spectrum now. Yeah. But how do, but how do you look at that as a player who had your time when, again, it went from $15 to now a lot of these players coming in, they have these NIL deals

who might not be better than Darren Wallow was coming out of high school. Right. Going into college. And now you see these young collegiate athletes making all of this money, social media going crazy. What does that do to you like, damn? Like, I missed out on all of that when, because I was definitely better than this kid. And this NIL is fucking crazy. Yeah, I feel like I'm in a place now in my life where it's like I actually like love seeing them have that opportunity, you know, because, but the same time, I feel like there are certain character lessons you learn having like $8 in your bank account. That's a fact. Yeah. And not having that money because like at 18, you get, my who's going in with M's out of high school.

Like they're the breadwinners. It's just like, mom telling you to take the trash out. You like bringing the money on in. Like it's a different environment. That's a cool perspective though, because I really would feel like. like, yo, you guys owe me back pay on all this shit. Like, there's no way that I did all this. And it's the same way, like, when people have been locked up for weed for 50 years, now it's legal.

And it's like, yeah, yo, let me the fuck out. I feel it's the same thing. That is an interesting perspective. I have a way lesser version of that when I look at college. I went to, like, a commuter school. And I think about if I would have went to a school in the South, it would have been a better experience, but there's no way I would have been kicked out in the first week. Like, I don't know if I'd ever stay focused.

and I think about that with certain college athletes. Would you have status focused if you had money like that? I don't think so because, I mean, I'm like, I'm full-blown drug addict, alcoholic at this time. Yeah, you wouldn't have bought gold teeth. It would have been a whole different thing. No, it would have been like... A brick.

Yeah. Saving that bitch every day. But yeah, it would have been, yeah, I would have been... I probably wouldn't have made it out of color. I barely made it out as it was. You know, I'm fucking drug. got into an accident going the wrong way, just fucked up behind the wheel, like, just shit like that happening in college.

Yeah. You would have gave me a hundred thousand, fucking million dollars, like, because if I had $100, my bank out, I'm like, shit, we, what's, we up? What are we doing tonight? Yeah, yeah. That is a, that's a great way to look at it. Like, you knowing who you are as a person and knowing if you had access to this money and things like that, like, you know, it probably would have fueled a bigger animal that you

have, you know what I mean? The NIL thing I think, I don't know, I'm kind of. While I do like the fact that players are making money in college, because obviously these universities are making billions of dollars over these players, I kind of feel like just looking at it, it's kind of watering down the competitiveness. Oh, yeah. To me, even to an extent, the talent. Like I look at a lot of these, specifically these basketball players in college.

And, you know, you see all of these, their highlights on social media. they have all these clips and once house the highlights post them you know it's like they they they social media goes crazy but then i look into like i'm looking at a highlight everybody looks good on the highlight tape right i'm looking at this guy like damn who is this kid like yo he's he looked like he could be the next one but then i go and i look at what he's average and i'm like he's only averaging eight his highlight table like he's averaging 35 that's a fire ass eight but then exactly the eight look crazy when it's social media manager two breakaway windmill dunks or you know it's a fucking a d r reception but it's like yeah that was his only catch for like three months though like yeah you make a great point man it's um I feel like for the young dudes it's like the priorities are changing as opposed to it's getting a bag and being blown up on social media as opposed to like developing and being excellent at your craft mm-hmm and it's like how can you

blame them that's what in their face is being shown as that's most valuable yeah like yeah like I said there's lessons you learn in college like if you're not the starter like you in back in the day you just grind and wait your turn and then earn your spot in time. That's teaching you valuable lessons. But now it's like if they don't put ketchup on your sandwich in the cafeteria, niggas is transferring. Like it's a whole different game.

Like any sign of adversity, they're trying to go somewhere else. And it's like they want the instant gratification of like a big play that goes viral as opposed for like I never had any major plays. But it's like the consistency that I was able to develop help me to build a career. And I don't know if that's really on their minds. Yeah. And I think even just getting into that transfer portal has become easier.

with social media because more accessible to get, even if you were a backup to have a few highlights, you can pass those off easily to another coach where that was way more difficult. Like, thinking about transferring if you was just a backup was very, very difficult at one point. Now you could just start sending shit out the clip. Like, hey, look at this.

I'll go in the portal and figure it out. Right. Yeah, you used to have to sit out a year if you went somewhere. So it's like it's a big decision transfer now. Myfookers is just going right into school and putting the uniform on and stepping out. Yeah. I watched a few interviews of you over the,

the last few years. And one thing I do admire about you is you're very self-aware. You're very aware of who you are. You have no problem speaking about your highlights and your low lights. And I think that's very admirable. A lot of people like to speak about when things are great and all, you know, they highlight the dope shit. Yeah.

But you, I've noticed you're the type of person that you don't mind talking about exactly who you are. You're unapologetic about who you are. where is Darren Waller today when it comes to number one mental health physically you look like you still you still can go you still can play but where is Darren at mentally as as a man? A lot more at ease these days I would say for like most of my life and you know towards the end of my career I feel like it was just like I'm entertaining I'm good at this but I'm like how much am I choosing to be here? It's kind of like I'm like putting the mask on it's like yep I'm left. loving doing this shit like yeah I'm here like yeah you know you can't just be like I don't want to fucking be here like but so it was just kind of dealing with that and I don't

know if like most of my life I was trying to fit this image of who the world wanted me to be and I feel like it just started to crumble and just eat away at me and it's like you know you turn to so many different things to just try to cope with that shit and now it's like I'm able to finally be like yeah like I don't want to entertain anymore like I kind of want to express myself more through art and just figure out what the fuck I want the rest of my life to look like and walk away whereas before I would never make a decision like that especially if it meant the loss of a lot of people's approval I would never make a decision like that but to I guess develop the courage to make a decision like that and go through some you know real life shit over the past

year so I allowed me to be like all right like I feel like I'm getting closer to figuring out all right, what do I want my life to look like? Because I don't want to keep getting to these places where everybody thinks like, man, his life's got to be great where I'm behind the scenes. Like, I'm putting up the smile, but it ain't really, my life ain't like I wanted to be. You're not happy.

Do you think football was directly connected to your substance abuse early on? In ways, yeah, man. I feel like some of the lowest points, like my first two years of high school, like I was really small. I had big ears, big feet. like I was getting roasted like I wasn't playing on the team so it's just like I don't know what I'm

to do but then I started to get right around the time I started using and I got bigger and started being on the team so it's kind of tied together it's like oh shit this is the recipe like this is how I just you know calm down take the edge off yeah and and it's kind of realizing how like addictive thinking works it's like the highs that you get from football and like making the play and like everybody's like watching you and like reporting on you and all that stuff is like I don't know what else could really compare to that. So it's like feeling those is like, I want to feel that shit again. And it's kind of like that addictive personality was in football too

because it's like the whole grind, the whole total picture of what it means to be a football player, I didn't love all of it. I love being out there and getting into a flow and making plays and being like, I cannot be stopped today. Right. Period. Like that's an unmatched high.

So I feel like that's what I was kind of doing throughout my football career because it's like, there's a lot of times where I'd be like uninterested or like just kind of just like, I'm here. I'm going to get my best effort. Yeah, it's different versions of dopamine at the end of the day. Facts. Did it get, I'm sure it did get much worse when you got to college and just having the access and probably no supervision

when you were in college with the substance abuse with football. Oh, man, yeah. I remember, you know, your parents come help you move in. They're like, all right, son, like. And you're like, really? So you just not hear it. You got to take it from here. As soon as my parents walked out, it's like at the same time,

some of the dudes that were sophomores down the hall, came in with an ever clear bottle and put it on the table and was like, what we doing? I was like, I'm with shit. This is where I, you know, I can fit in doing this.

Like, you know. We had a friend of the show at Ashley, Ashley Nicole Moss on another day. And I was telling her, I was like, I have this thing where, well,

I don't club anymore. But back when I used to club, whenever I saw football players coming to the club, I would leave. Because y'all have. this certain aggression. First of all, y'all might walk in with no shirt and just all your jury on number one. Like, I know you have teammates that you can remember. I just had an epiphany because there was me and my roommate in college, shout to aunt. We would be like a

couple of the only football players they would let in the frats because we would be like more chill, like we're just trying to smoke a little bit like drink. Like we're not trying to come in here and be like this my shit. That's the shit I'm talking about. But we would be like, yo, can we bring the teammates through and it'd be exactly what you just described. They'd be like, y'all can't bring me easier in the world. Because y'all just know y'all stronger than everybody in here. And I think football players know that. Like I told Asch, I said, y'all have football players have this, this helmet thing because

people don't know their faces because they have helmets on all the time. They got let you know. So when they get into public, it's like, yo, I press 380, this, whatever, whoever want to do something. Like, fan, we're going to here listening to R&B. Like, how are you coming here with no shirt on? Right. And you're ready to fight and body slam everybody.

But you can relate to that because you know, obviously people who said the same thing about you and your teammates. Like, y'all are cool. Y'all seem to be the cool football players. Right. The rest of your homies, leave them outside of the frat. We don't want that. What is that a great?

Is that because y'all are just so aggressive in nature for what y'all do for a living, that y'all carry that on until like, I call it civilian life because we're just civilians. We don't, I don't press 380. I watch you on Sunday. Yeah. But I'm not trying to get into a tussle with Darren Waller in the club. I'm not trying to do that. Yeah.

I got to think of it from the mindset of, like, football player, like our whole life we're being rewarded for imposing our will. on people and being celebrated for it. Like we love the way you just take over and dominate. And so it's like, it's hard for a lot of people to flip that switch on and off. It's like any type of environment I'm in, I need to assert my dominance in this environment. And so that's why it's like, I mean, even like,

I don't even want to condone anything that like, like a Ray Rice situation. Yeah. It's like when put into a jam or a spot where your body, like your nervous system gets activated, It's like you're like, all I've done my whole life and succeeded in is just like, being aggressive. Like my way out. Or like, and so it's like that's embedded, I feel like in so many guys to where it's like they go into an environment.

It's like, I got to let y'all know. Yeah, that's when I exit. What time? So with the DJ shout out. Yo, so the defensive lineman, I'm like, yo, I'm out of here. Yeah, you have a good night. Peace. That's just me.

You know, me no disrespect. But once I hear the D lineman is in there, I'm like, yeah, I'm out, man. A couple wide receivers, cool. Titans, cool. The offensive guys seem to be a little cooler than the defensive. guys. Right. In the club, in civilian life. Yeah, you hear a linebacker, it's time out. I'm going on. I'm going home. I'm going on.

Well, I mean, outside, I think ego just in general, too. You being in Atlanta at one point, then Baltimore, then Vegas, then New York, those are like four insane club cities. I'm sure you ran into a lot of rappers, or let's say, pharmaceutical people that are used to controlling a club, and then an NFL player walks in, and that tends to have some type of clash that I've seen in the past. Oh yeah, the Bottle Wars. Yeah. Have you been through any of that in the four cities that you were in while you were a star?

I've seen it a little bit. I've never really been too much of a club guy like here and there. Once I got sober, I kind of just fell off. But yeah, I've seen it's all that. People want to challenge the football players. Like, I can get, I can get bitches in here too. Like, it's like that game is wicked. What's the craziest shit you've seen a teammate doing a club?

And when did you know your teammate was filthy rich? because every player has that moment where you're like, I'm making money, but he's making money. I had never been in the club where it was the big money dudes was in there throwing like, I heard like stories of like Mike Wallace like 30 in the club was nothing. Yeah, it's a regular night. Yeah, light day.

Yeah. But I had never actually been in there when that was happening. Like the times I've been to the club or been to like a strip club or whatever, it's like I spent $3,000 on a section once. Like I'm just one of them. I think I was like, I'm not going to be in here playing this game with you all. Right, right. What was it?

Vince Young or Steve McNair. Someone spent like $40,000 at Applebee's, and I was like, all right, man. Which at Applebee's? That's fiscally impossible. It was a headline. 40 grand. It was something insane. It was either Vince Young or Steve McNair.

It was definitely a Titans quarterback. When they got $10 meals. Yeah, like $40,000. I thought he just bought the franchise. I didn't understand it. 40 grand is the franchise. Like, you can have this. If I'm the manager at Applebee's and somebody comes in run,

but 40,000, sir, you can have this entire establishment. We need an explanation. Oh, it's T.J.I. Fridays, okay. Vince Young. T.I. Fridays had a run. Because of Vince Young. Yeah. They kept the movement. He kept the lights on. When you first got to the Ravens, was Baltimore club music kind of an eye-opener? Was that a weird

situation? Yeah, I didn't know what to do with that. You're not a swing that shit. Didn't know how to do anything. Nah. Nah, nothing about that. I've talked to a lot of people that just end up as athletes in the DMV area. And when they have to hear GoGo and any Baltimore club, they're like, I think I want to get traded. This is the craziest shit I've ever heard. Speaking of that, who is your, who is a teammate that you can remember for having the absolute best taste of music and the worst taste of music?

Like you get in the locker room, you're like, oh, here he go with this shit. You know exactly what you're going to get from any football player from the state of Louisiana? Boosie? No, these new, the new Y-Ns, like the- Okay, okay. It's just straight young. Yeah, what's the, Rob Four Nons and the, you know what? Yeah, the whole line, which is like, I mean, it's further what we're about to go do. It's great music, but it's like, they'll come in.

It'll be 6 a.m. And it's like, dog, we need some, like, some soul in your life, bro. Like, let's give your spirit of rest, bro. How does that work in the locker room, though, if who's going to control the music? Whoever get it first, bro. Is that how it is? So it's like, it's just a sound system for the entire locker room? Or just like each locker, I have my little beats pill and I can listen to my shit.

So the new facility at Vegas, they had like the, you can control the whole locker room with the one. So somebody get the a ox? Somebody, whoever gets to the a ox first. But then there would be times like in the Oakland locker room that dude named Spook, he would have his own speaker and his Blocker and he would be doing like kind of like a little like block party type shit. And like he would make the rookies rap. Okay. And, uh, and just will just be in their hosting.

Yeah. And I like that. So it's a, you get a whole lot of different environment. To me, instead of giving the game bowl, it should just be, here's the Ox record. Yeah. Whoever played the best here you go. That's like, that has to be like a, uh, an honor to be like for the team to be like,

yo, Darren, you got the org's court. What do you play first if you get the august court? And it's a, it's a biggest game of the season. You got the chiefs. You got the chiefs. What's a great beat? I feel like the best pregame beat of all time might be the family ties, baby team.

Okay. Yeah. Something about horns. Okay. It's like, it's go time. Get ready. Something's great to happen. That'd probably be the first beat I'm playing. Okay.

I feel like when I was in high school, we ready? I think it was Bubba Sparks and Archie or some shit. That was the go-to any football game. No matter what school he was playing, they played that first. That might be like top five football. anthems to me.

Yeah. Yeah, I remember fucking coming up in Georgia. Pastor Troy. Yeah. Anything Pastor Troy is going off at a football game. Yeah. And vice versa.

We have a nigga ready to just blackout. We have a new label made. A shout out to the volume. We're with the volume now. Shannon Sharp. Yeah.

Where does Shannon rank on your all-time tight-end list? Oh, man. Shannon Sharp was tough, too. not according to skip but um i don't know if he's top five but that cannot be in it can take it as an insult whatsoever so who's your top five if he's got to be in there drunk's got to be in there

wrong um Antonio gates has to be in there got to be there mm-hmm um who else off numbers you got to put jason witten in there and you got to put tony gonzalez in there I'm not mad at that five So and then after that I mean A dude that made me think that I could play tight-in With my bill because I played receiver first Jimmy Graham when he was on the Saints

Yeah, Jim's nice Different yeah But I mean I could make an argument for Shannon Sharp at six Right off the top five But it's man it's so many A lot of good tight ends I feel like I'm leaving some

Some people out probably too with who I just named That five is solid But Shannon, just from watching the game, Shannon is in my top five, though. I like Antonio Gates, but I think I go Shannon Sharp before Antonio Gates, though. Yeah, I saw more of Antonio Gates with my age. I caught like the very tail end of that Broncos team with Shannon Sharp. Antonio Gates was the man. It was different.

And never played football. Like, he was out there running like a four three up the seam as a tight end. He was different, different. He was different. No, he was, listen, that five is incredible. but me, my personal, I don't think I can name five titans better than Shannon. I'm not mad at that either. Yeah.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down,

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If I'm outside with my parents and they see all these people come up to me for pictures, it's like, what? Today now, obviously, it's like 100%. They believe everything. But at first, it was just like, you got to go get a real job. There's an economic component to community striving. If there's not enough money and entrepreneurship happening in communities, they fail. And what I mean by fell is they don't have money to pay for food.

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Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, it's heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Auer Kohn and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Joe Dono. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please!

But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hippocrat, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit.

Hey, cream. Cream and chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Cultura podcast network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What was that transition like going from wide receiver tight-in in the NFL, not college? That's a whole different monster to change position. Yeah, so I feel like I have some, there's some solid vets that tied in in Baltimore. We had Ben Watson played in the league for a long time.

He was kind of there, like, giving me some pointers. And then, like, past game, being a receiver, I just had to learn how to, like, navigate because now you're trying to get out of the way at D-Lyman and linebackers and they're trying to fucking hit you and shit. But it was the fucking run blocking. We, this was 2016. We had Terrell Suggs.

At the time, Matt Judon was a rookie, who's an all-pro now. Elvis Dumerville, I don't know if you remember where that is. Then he was all-pro with the Broncos. who else was there Zadarius Smith was a rookie He was in my class And I'm having to block these dudes

Every day in there Fucking Caving me into the backfield Like anytime they run a run play Behind me Like there's like Like if you run like a wide zone play You basically just got to keep him

At the line of scrimmage But they're so strong And I'm just like new at this I don't know how to block Yeah In this setting They're driving me five yards In the backfield

A run play can't get started They got to cut back And do all some crazy shit But it was like Like going through that period was like kind of broke me in to like, all right, I have to do this. Because if I only come in on passing downs, they're going to be like, all this thing is does is catch. Right. But you got to learn to be out there 90-something percent of the snaps so they can't pick up on the offense's tendencies.

Right. So yeah, you got to hold your own out there, but that was a good time for me. Speaking of that, who was the first player or when was the first time in the NFL that you got hit and you started reconsidering this line of work? Well, I didn't reconsider I was It was Dante Wittner, you remember him? Yes. Played for the 49ers.

He was like one of the last breed of safeties That's like, you come over here I'm knocking your old shit off. Right. No flag. And yeah, I ran like a So we ran like a play action rollout. I run an over route across the field.

And I'm like, you can see stuff out of your peripherals But I think he was like in the deep half. So I'm like, I didn't even really feel him there. I'm like, oh, this is up. Like I catch this. I'm turning. Fuck on.

Hit me in my chest. and I got a concussion. Because my neck just went. Like the crash dummy. Like the crash dummy commercials. Yeah, yeah. And like my shit was whipped.

And then I hit the ground and I'm on like the, if you're looking at the field from like a bird's eye, I'm on the numbers on the right side. Our sideline was all the way on the other side. I crawled to like the midfield logo. I was like, I got to get up. I got to get up.

And then I went over to the sideline. I was just like, take me to the locker room. Yeah. Like to, like usually they get you right there. and they try to evaluate you for concussion and most things be like,

I'm staying in the game. I was like, I'm cooked. No, no, take me. I diagnosed myself. My whole brain rattled. I missed the next game the following week.

Okay. Because I was still having like, sent like, for four days. I'm like, I can't be in a room. I'm sitting in his lights, bro.

I'm cooked. Like, did he at least like check up on you? Did he reach out? No. So this is my first game. Like I started that game. And so I'm running rows

and he had covered me on some and I'm like getting loose because he wasn't like the best coverage safety. Yeah. He was good enough, but I got him on a couple rounds and I called myself chirping at him. Okay, okay.

And then, uh, he heard you. The only thing I remember was him standing over me like, I don't know the words, but it was like, you should have known better. You couldn't hear shit, but you saw him. Should have known better. See the mouth moving. Who's the best shit talking defensive back in the league

that you had to deal with? From when I played, it was, I'd never experienced Richard Sherman in person. So, but from just the audio. clips, but Tyrant Matthew, oh my God. That motherfucker was activated. Activated shit talking. And I feel like it must suck as a tight end

because you have to deal with the D-Line shit-talking, then sometimes the linebackers, and then always the D-Bs. Yeah, and Chauncey Gardner Johnson. Okay. Yeah, whenever a nigga did I have to say his name? Crash out. Man. Who was worse, D-line linebackers or D-Bs when it came to that?

D-Bs have the biggest, like you say, like, you go into the club and it's like, D-Line, I'm out? Yeah. The craziest egos are DBs, which you kind of have to have to play defensive back. That's the hardest. I understand. That's the hardest outside of quarterback. It's the stupidest position.

It's like I have a tie with like left tackle. But playing DB in the league, you got to have delusional confident. Yeah. Yeah. Because a nigga could cook you and it's like, that doesn't mean your trash. Like these things are running four threes and can stop on the line. And they're running forward. Yeah.

And you're right. Yeah. So DB is you got to be delusional. So I'm not even mad at them niggas for even acting like that. You got to. So, Dan, let's talk about your music career a little bit. Let's talk about you making music. I came out the gatehating because he got a Westside Boogie feature before I did.

Ben Chite. That's my man too. I'm like, damn. Boogie is family. How did that feature come about? Shout to my boy Callie and I know Junior over at LVRN. I played JV basketball with Justice too. Really?

Yeah. Don't say that because Justice. Justice already think he like super nice and ball. I played ball with Justice before. He's much better than I expected. Pre-dreads. Yeah. But yeah, I played basketball.

ball with junior all through high school. Okay. So reaching out to him through my boy Callie, like it was pretty easy to set up. He was accessible and happened smoothly. I felt like he was a perfect fit for the record. So you actually was looking forward to getting outwrap because Boogie can, he can go. So you welcome that. Absolutely, man.

Like, yeah, so. Like, it would be honored to make music with people that I respect day craft and listen to. So it was, yeah. When did you make that decision that you wanted to go full news? Was it before retirement? Was this something that was always sitting there? Like, as soon as I'm done with this NFL shit, I can finally fully focus on this.

Yeah, I mean, I was just excited about devoting more time to it. I don't know if I'm an artist that is like full time, like, every day in the studio. I feel like I gotta have like experiences that kind of motivate me to write. It's a regular thing, but it's like not every day. But I am grateful to have more time to do it. I've been making music since 2015, so it's not like I'm just like, Like now like I'm gonna make music. It's like some people knew about it.

Some people didn't. I was dropping. But yeah, I'm excited to have more time to do it and express myself and see what this pocket of my life has in store for me as an artist. I feel like there's some kind of journey for me here. And it is what I feel like I should be doing and want to be doing right now. So I'm just like, fuck it. I do that. Did you ever try to battle anyone in the locker room?

Nah, I kind of learned. That's kind of what started my career was in high school, dudes on a team would put on an instrument. ice cream paint job at the time was a favorite. Go to freestyle. And we'd freestyle and do this could flow. Like, I could give you two well-fought-out lines. But then it's like my brain is moving so fast that is just like hindering me from just relaxing in the moment.

You know, having two bars and that's, it is crazy. I'm having two Kendrick like Pulitzer Prize lines. And then it's like, can't go anymore. Not because once the ice cream paint job instrument, comes on two three people start rapping I could come up with like two to four great bars in the moment and then I'll wrap them and I'll stop be like I didn't think this

through like yeah now what it's over I got that off now what because they even look at you like I was cool for and then you just like I'm like I'm going to get ready I'm like I'm like I feel like if I wrote some shit like I might be all right yeah that's how I started making music just off of that okay did you keep it to yourself at that point or the first two years of making music I kept to myself I was it was like right after I got

drafted into the league I was they had the rookies in the hotel. I had garage band pulled up. I was rapping into the iPhone, um, earbuds and wired ones. And, uh, into garage band and just like ripping beats off and just went for two years without knowing. And then, uh, I went to a studio back home. There was a dude that was on a football team was a few years older than me. He had a studio at his house. And I was wrapping there. And then one of my homies made beats and found out. And he was like, no, we got to lock in. And then from there, it was just like, yeah, been creating for almost 10 years now. Is there more athletes that that do rap or more focused on music than we think?

Yeah, a lot of dudes love it, man. A lot of dudes, it's a good balance. Like, for me, I had been doing it the whole time. It's like, it honestly,

like, contributed to my career because it gave me that balance, like when I stepped out of the building. It's like, I can go home and cook something up and it, like, takes me out of this performance mindset allows me to just relax.

And then I can pour back into it more the next day because I've got something that I'm looking forward to after. And, but yeah, nobody was really dropping. Like,

I remember 2019, I was like, I dropped my, first project, like I was out of the league and suspended. And, but 2019 I dropped. I was like, I'm just going to do this because, like, I'm the best player on the team right now. Like, it's not hindering my craft anyway.

I'm just about to drop it. And then I think from there, like, I don't know, people maybe felt more comfortable. I don't want to say, like, I'm the only pioneer of this, but nobody was really dropping now. Athletes just, like, dropping whenever they feel like it. Yeah. I think, um, Aryan Foster. Yeah, yeah, I remember his album.

He was tough. Yeah, he could rap. Yeah, he was tough. Yeah. He surprised me. I went into it like, all right, let me not go in with judgments, but I didn't think it was going to be as good as it actually was. And he was confident with that shit too.

I appreciate that athletes go into it taking it serious, where others will, you know, see it as a lick post-career shit. But I do see that you are taking a series. Have you taken the comments from music more to heart than the NFL comments, like post-game shit? Because it is like you're bearing your fucking soul out on Records and maybe a comment may hurt a little bit more than you know my parlay didn't hit Yeah yeah people come at you crazy like but yeah you kind of I kind of get used to it from football a little bit

But now it's like yeah I don't really get myself access I got the fucking light phone I got people that run my social so it's like I'm not even really not even looking at shit Getting access to I know what's probably out there There's a natural resistance of like nah bro like you I know you as this yeah Fuck is you doing doing that right yeah which is like best This is why you're playing. You're busy writing rhyme. Yeah, right.

This is bullshit. Yeah, yeah. Get out there and want some wrong. But I feel like even, you know, outside of the parlay shit where it affects people's lives, you putting out who knew record is about your life. That to me is way more brave than going out on the field and expecting some commentator or some fucking fat-ass fan to comment on what you're doing. Right.

Like, was that a whole process in your brain to even put that out? Not really. If you knew what people were going to tie it to And like it's just going to be a whole thing For me it was like it got created and it was like I really fuck with this And then it's like I feel like the mix up was

I didn't give any context to what the record was People were probably like Oh like my chick stabbed me my back It was like the song was called Who Knew Her Perspective So the meaning behind the song You know people write from different perspectives I'm like

I recognize the patterns in my relationships Are kind of all the same So the thinking was If the girl had to pinnip and wrote me a song, what would it be? And so, and then the disconnect was in the video, I'm really the girl that's experiencing the pain, like stepping into her shoes.

It's not me, like, being stabbed in the back. Yeah. She put the post out and was saying like, yada, yada, yada. So it's like, I'm not defending myself. This is what happened. I'm just expressing my art. And people were probably, yeah, took it a million different types of ways,

but that's kind of a risk you run, putting shit out there. Of course. You had, you were married. You're divorced now. You were married to WMBA star Kelsey, Kelsey Plum. Who is the better shooter between you and Kelsey? Because you play basketball.

Have y'all ever went to the gym? It's not me. Bro, she is out shooting most niggas. Like, NBA, wherever, wherever. I'm not for a new. No, what is that you can't get a better shooter there? But what does that do? What does that do for the, because you're an athlete,

you're you're you're competitive right uh both professional athletes but what does that do for the ego now if you and you know Kelsey are in the gym you all shooting against each other and she blows y'all like what is the conversation like on a ride home after leaving the gym uh it's you do this shit every day i don't period i'm happy i sort of kept up but you know how we y'all as men though like we know i don't care if wifey is a wmba star like if i play in the local rec league i feel like i should out shoot my wife That's not a regular But I'm just saying no The ego though

Ball would take it out of the football field To run routes Like yeah yeah yeah That's what you should have been Like you know Absolutely Absolutely you've seen loving basketball Yeah absolutely

This is what we gotta do Um You're Darren Walla Foundation Talk to us about that Yeah which I think is super important And I commend it that I was approached with the opportunity To start that in 2020

We've been really just giving people Access to treatment To go to 30 days in rehab to have aftercare, sober living, because the league sent me to treatment for free. It was like $65,000 for where they sent me for 30 days, but that shit changed my life. So it's like I'm in the position now to give and serve. Like I feel like it's important for me to pass this on. So that foundation has been going for five years now.

We've said, I think the number is like 72 people through treatment. It's kind of crazy, you know, like not even thinking I'd ever be back in the league. and now I'm here and using my influence to help these people, you know, get back on their feet. Like, I got back on mine. Yeah. Is it tough to talk about your lowest lows with them? Not really, because I look at them and I see me. Yeah.

And that's why I feel like I try to be like you was talking about, like, more open because a lot of people probably look at athletes or people that are successful and think, man, like they're so high up. I can't even touch them or access them. Whereas like, no, bro, like my mind is crazy just like yours. Like, I got emotions. I have, you know, tough times. Like, I got family issues. I got whatever it may be. Like, I'm more like you than you think.

Like, all I ever did was just continue to invest in my craft. And life somehow got me here. But there's nothing that you can't do. No hole you can't get out of. That's the kind of message that I feel like I'm trying to get to people. Because that's real life. I can get up here and be like, yeah, and I got no problems. Everything's great.

Like, I'm not giving an authentic message to people that can help them through their day to day. So I'm just going to be a... Yeah, and I think substance abuse ends up getting a weird rap because they may associate it with like fiend shit or bum shit or whatever. Not realizing that it is people that you see on TV

that have the same exact issues that someone else may have or even people that just work corporate jobs may have substance abuse. What would you say is the first step to somebody's thinking about getting help but can't really figure out how to do it without feeling embarrassed? Yeah, there's

got to be an awareness of like where I'm currently at like no reservations no like ego involved like it's got to be like how do I get the most authentic picture of where I'm at because if I'm still delusional in some way or in denial like there's no way I can be helped yeah and there's got to be a point to where you get so tired of what's been going on because for me like I got a crash and burn for me to be like all right I'll change like I'll do something different I'm similar with So it's like getting to that place of like, I'm really done. Not like, not like I like, it's like, nah, bro, like help me. Did you have that rock bottom moment that was like, this is it?

I thought it was this rock bottom moment before, but now this is the rock bottom moment. Yeah, I mean, I would always say before like the, like Odeeing was the biggest rock bottom. But I would say, you know, probably last year was probably even more like, like, like, being like man i don't even want to be playing this game anymore like you know this marriage is just deteriorating like um like and i and i feel like i'm still trying to put forth this image like everything is great like so i've repeatedly hit this wall like the root of the problem still hasn't totally been addressed like i've just you know kind of seen a lot of success and a lot of cool moments and highs along the way but there's still something that's unaddressed here so it's like

coming to that realization it's like fuck bro like i've been sober for seven years. And I feel like I've just been spinning. My tires just been spinning in the mud here. I ain't really been making no progress like on a fucking hamster wheel. So I would say that was probably more of a bottom. Yeah. Then O'D-D-N was, which is crazy. Yeah. Wow.

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Apple Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts What would you say to a young Darren Waller first going to college And then looking at where your life is at now What would you say to Darren back then today? I would say you got to define what it is you want and who you want to be

and not be overtaken by the current of what the world wants you to be because I feel like I succeeded a lot at who the world who I thought the world wanted me to be. Whether it was like being the ringleader getting fucked up in college or in football and like all these things, I'm like, all right, I'm who you guys want me to be. But it's boxes are checked, but it's not a fulfillment like deep within on a soul level.

Yeah. It's like figuring out what you want and it may not be highest paid, number one, all these things that what it is you really want to do. But it's like if that really is what is filling your cup up and allowing you to just like make the most authentic impact you can, like that's the life that's fulfilling. Like we're kind of being fed the, you know, if you go by these metrics, you're going to be fulfilled and life's going to be great. And it's like, I'm one of those people that's like, I've checked all those boxes and that's

not necessarily the case. So I would tell him, like, you know, trust who you are. Don't feel like you got to abandon that for fitting in because a lot of people you're trying to fit in with are crashing out. Yeah. After high, right after high school, like, you know. And they don't really care about you. Like, trying to fit in with people.

It's like, they don't even really really really. They're so worried about themselves too. And probably thinking the same things that you're thinking. And you think they're watching you. They ain't really caring. Yeah. So what's the plan now that you have who knew out? We get a full album.

What's it looking like? Yeah, definitely an album at some point. My boy, Jerry, I've been cooking up with. It was my engineer, and he's also an artist, is really helping me elevate my sound. We're going to drop a project together. And you guys have a record out now together, right? Yeah, it's called Mind Games.

And we got more. The next song I drop will be, it's called Streets to Get Cold with him. He's getting me more into my R&B bag and, you know, kind of going through divorces, things like that. It's kind of opening me up to a different side of myself and being like,

damn like all these emotions are here. I don't have to suppress them anymore. Like I can see the light of day. So it's just, yeah, experiment with a lot of new things. We have plenty on the way, solo project and a joint project with him. Love that. All right. So we're flushing out this segment in real time. We don't really have a name for it. It's about one-on-one. Just a bunch of weird corny sports names about this whole Georgia album versus. So you need to pick one out of the two. And you can't say both.

Outcast, A.T. Aliens versus Equimina. I might have to go A.T. aliens just off of two dope boys in a Cadillac. One of the best. I love that shit. I was just Blair. That's it in Hawaii. Ludacris, back for the first time or chicken and beer? I got to go chicken and beer, man.

It's a crazy thing I was listening to that explicit album as a kid and wondering why. I'm fucking having problems. I got It's all ludicrous's fault I got back for the first time For my 11th birthday I remember at I'm dead ass

At the birthday party In our backyard Somebody that had like The cooler mom That would just like Whatever gift And my friend's mom Bought it for me

Back for the first time I was 11 years old Oh my god Pretty ass hoes Yeah no I was I was in my bag Yeowing that Yellin that

That was like Splash Waterfalls Uh Nah splash waterfalls was on What's the second album That was on chicken and beer Yeah Yeah Chicken and beer.

Back for the first time was one of my favorites. GZTM 101 versus the recession. I got a one-on-one, man. Absolutely. 101, bro. I agree, but you'd be surprised how many people would say this recession. I'm with y'all, though. Yeah.

I got to go one-on-one. This is like an age-old debate. Ti, trap music versus King. Mm. Fuck. We're similar in age. I think I know what you're going to go with. Fuck.

King had whatever you like. Oh, my God. No, Pave-Trail, I think, had whatever you like. What was on King? Let me pull up the King track list. King had, what you know about that? Living the Sky with Jimmy Fox is a huge record. God damn, that was a hit in middle school.

I was definitely listening to Hello on the way to high school. I think with our age, though, we probably fucked with King more than most. King was 24th? I think, no, 24th was on, not 24th was on that one before that. So you said, you might. I might have to go king just off what you know about that. I'm not mad. I don't know, man.

Trap music is fine. Yeah, I'm a trap music guy. We'll get a little younger. I think Dirty Sprite 2 across the board is future's best album. We can all, so I didn't want to just add that in the mix. 56 Nights versus Hendrix. Brough, Hendrix.

Hendrix is so tough. That's an R&B Soul album. Yeah. Brough. Yeah. Sometimes I'll be wondering nowadays, Like, Feudor can just, like, go in the booth and do anything. It's going to be hard.

Like, you can put it out. But, like, what he was experimenting and pushing himself to do on that album. Yeah. Crazy. I feel like my collection might be the most beautiful, misogynistic record that's ever existed. Yeah. Like, they'll play that at a tribute and women will cry.

Young Thug, Jeffrey versus Barter Six. Barter Six. Okay. No matter of that. I'd go Barter Six, too. I think they're very neck and neck, though. Jeffrey is five. I go, I go Jeffrey on.

over bar to six. All right, let's go R&B quickly. I don't think they've taken your Georgia ID yet. This is the one. Confessions verse 8701. Don't breathe like that. Like, you're on the line. It's not that hard of a question, man.

Yes, it is. No, it's not. I have lost friends over this debate. Confessions. Absolutely. Confessions. It's closer than y'all thinking. No, it's not.

That's why I breathe like that. It's really not close. It's much closer than y'all. Confessions is one of the greatest R&B albums ever. I think you can make a case 8701. You can make a case, but we know undeniably Confessions is one of the greatest R&B albums ever. Okay. Without a doubt.

To me, the most underrated R&B artist from Atlanta, the dream, love hate versus love versus money. I don't know what all was on both of those albums. This one's so tough, I wouldn't even know really where to go. But let me pull up the track list for you. I think is love, is love hate the one with purple kisses? Yes. Yeah, I'm going. Purple kisses.

Throw it in the bag was on one of them? Yeah, but the remix was always better for us. Love hate. I love your girl. Falsetto. Shorty is the shit. Let's love. Living a lie.

Purple kisses. Love hate. Yeah. That shit is playing in the hair. Yeah, now I'm going. I'm going. I'm going to hate.

But love versus money, rocking that shit, put it down, walking on the moon. Fuck. It's a lot of hits. This has nothing to do with Georgia shit or music, but movie-wise,

any given Sunday versus Friday Night Lights. Friday Night Lights is the best one movie to me. Oh, damn. Really? We're about to argue to death now. Any given Sunday? Any given Sunday is... Willie Beeman?

It was fine. But, like, Friday Night Lights put you in touch of, like, the origin of, like, coming up. Like, if you came up and played. It's a different side of it. Yeah, it's a different side. Any given Sunday, not a lot of niggas got to that level.

Yeah, yeah, I get it. Relate to that. I get it. To me, Lawrence Taylor cut the car in half, though. You didn't, that wasn't, what's feeling at? Like, it's L.T.

Giants, baby. Come on. God, that was a five movie, but yeah. For something about Friday night lights. I mean, it's a classic for sure, but any given Sunday to me was so ahead of its time, even on, my bad,

my parking. Parking the motherfucker out here, he could alert. And music when it's time to pay the meter. Gotta make sure. To me, any given Sunday was so ahead of its time. Like simply based off the Jamie Fox Al Pacino scene when he goes to lunch after he's about to get, not cut, but he's not going to start for the playoffs.

And Jamie breaks down what it's like to be a professional athlete versus the corporation shit. To me, that is what everyone even argues on the college level. That shit was the smart. Oliver Stone smoked that shit. That was the smartest thing I've ever seen as far as what professional athletes go through. Like you telling me that I need to do it for the betterment of the team when I'm not, y'all are going to get, down on family, but you're going to cut me. Like, any give a, not, give a sudden.

Friday night lights, yeah. You in high school, it's all about the town and the team and the people next to you and building all that. When I get to the professional level, fuck y'all. Y'all are going to waive me, trade me immediately. And you want me to give up my life for you? Nah, fuck that.

To me, that was one of the most brilliant movies that's ever existed. Yeah. Greatest football movie of all the time longest yard. Wait, which one? Adam Sandler, the new one. Greatest football movie of all time. No,

he wasn't feeling that? It's a good. I would put the replacements over that. Yeah, Keanu Reeves. Yeah, yeah. Another great football movie I'm showing my age with this one.

What was it from the 80s? Wildcats. Was that the name of it? It's born in 1990. Y'all don't remember that movie? It's a high school musical, ain't it? You said a musical? Yo, Dan, Wildcat?

That's awful. High school musical. I think that was the name of it. Yeah, Wildcats. All right. Goldie Horn. Wildcatch. You never seen that movie? Watch that movie. It's a movie from the 80s, but it's like

it's a classic, classic movie. Like, you'll like the movie. It's definitely before your time. I'm a little older than y'all, but... What about Rudy? Don't get me started, man. That's another, that's another classic for a movie. You don't like that movie? You've heard me go on our rants on our podcast about Rudy.

I love them. I love Rudy. Listen, I understand. I think it's amazing that he did all that and then got... Darren, you look like you got choked up watching that movie. Did you get a little teary out? I have a song with Cyaree where the intro is where Rudy's about to quit. And the black janitor was like, tell him like, you try to do that for your dad and do that for what. Like if you ain't, I had that clip in the beginning.

So that was a- Rudy's a classic, man. No, no, it's a classic. It's just a classic for that year of his life. Like, listen. Vince Vaughn, whatever his character, and Labia, he was still, even though he's an asshole, So he was the All-American that was going to go on to the NFL and do great things. Rudy had a cool semester and then became a motivational speaker.

They were fucking didn't do shit with his life afterwards. I get it. You wanted to get fucked over by the college system so badly that you did all that work in a factory, get your head blown off, everything. Just so you could give Notre Dame $100,000 a year, stupidest movie of all time. I thought it was one of the most inspirational movies of all time. No, it's inspirational for dumb shit. I loved his drive and his focus and the heart that he had.

I respect that. It was in all the wrong places. Check out Wildcats. Wildcats, a bit. You don't like that movie. Not Rudy. I did a list of like 75 things at the top of 2025 for music predictions that I'm already, I think I'm four for four already. Do you have any music predictions for 2025?

Y'all for was Saba? Of course. Yeah. I need the Saba no ID project. Okay. Yeah. They just put out a record on Friday. Yeah.

I've been spinning that shit. Like, yeah, I don't really have it. any, I like to just see shit unfold, bro. Like, I love, like, the mystery and just, like, watching shit happen. I don't really know what's going to happen at all. I'm interested to see what Drake does. Well, I mean... I mean, I'm still listening to Drake's old music.

I mean, you know, people are getting them up out of there, but... Everybody is. That doesn't really... Everybody's still listening. Well, I mean, by the time they hear this, I think tomorrow will be the P&D Drake album. Okay. That's about to come out. I don't know where I'm at with that

I think they may go too much to the core fan base where the masses won't really fuck with it which I don't really care I love old P&D cuts and I think that's the route that they're gonna go I don't know if we're gonna get much

of what the masses want to hear as far as Drake addressing shit I think we're just gonna get some great fucking R&B shit and I want to see him just like with the next chapter of his solo career because I still want to hear what he got he's still tough

like all that shit aside I still want to hear what you got to say. Yeah. Besides Saaba, who I love, what else you listen to? I fuck with Viking by Sawbaby for some reason. Okay. It's a great song. Other than that, there's a band called Krungben.

It's like an alternative band. Okay. That's one of my favorites. They just won a Grammy, I think, too. Brough. Sayari's new project got a couple good ones on them. Shout to Saari. That's my guy.

Um Somehow I ended up on Jesus Peace I've been listening to Name Me King The game album? Yeah Oh it's a Underrated

Heavy rotation I don't think there's a skip On that album Uh yeah Yeah And Jack Harlow Tranquility Okay

Mm-hmm That's a banger I've been listening to It's crazy Kodak Black put out a project For Christmas And I've been listening to that Like

Damn Is it Christmas thing I didn't even know he'd Yeah And it's like It's like It's short. It's a maybe seven records, seven to eight.

What is he for, like, deck the halls with fentanyl? Like, what is he, what is he rapping about? No, he's not decking the halls with fentanyl. But it's some joints on there that I'm like, damn, like, Yack put out a nice little project. No, I fuck with Kodak. I think he could really rap, too. No, he put out a nice,

he put out a nice project around Christmas. I just did. I'm curious with that. Check it out. I cannot get past deck the halls with fentanyl. Yeah. And you shouldn't deck the halls of fentanyl. Let's put that out.

Godack would definitely. He's done. Take it for me. Take it from me. Take it from Darren Wall. I saw a video. It's this guy online that's doing this thing where he's taking rolls of duct tape and he's wrapping it around like two poles and he's trying to run through it. So he's seeing how many rolls he can run through.

So he goes 10. He gets through that easy. 20 easy. So he gets up to 100 rows of duct tape that he wraps between two poles and tries to run through the tape. and he ran he tried to run through 100 rolls and knocked him back

he hit his head on the pole caught a concussion and said they call an ambulance so he's in the car he's like yeah so what are you know what are you gonna give me

take him to out he said man you know we just probably give some fent and all he looked he was like fent like oh I seen that clip it was a dude

in the hospital before she was like yeah we just got you on some fent he said he was like emotional he said yeah yeah like you said yeah like you're like

no cool I think I'm all I'll get up like Awful advertising too. Anyone that's looking for fentanyl? Be like, wait, I just got to run my head into a poll. Yeah, yeah.

I'm cool. I'm cool. Oh, hell no. This was great, man. Thank you so much for coming through. Also, appreciate all this. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. We definitely got to do this again during, once the NFL season kicks back off so we can talk

some shit about some players that we don't know nothing about because of Rory Mall don't know ball. But fucking we're sitting here with Darren. We're going to do some film. We got to do like a film breakdown. What? Breakdown some film? See y'all's cover. If y'all know coverages.

if y'all know blitzes or routes I stopped playing Madden because it got too technical like once you told me like yo if you pressed the button too hard he's gonna throw it into the ground I was like all right I'm done

like I can't do this shit no more so I don't know no fucking routes all I know is a few players and I know when you should throw the ball I don't look at coverage which is when which he's open you know when the receiver you know when y'all run and y'all do this thing right here

like kind of let the quarterback know let it go yeah like let it go He's cooked, let's go. That's all I know. Throwing duses out the window. Yeah, when he do this, get it to him. Like, just fucking just throw it. Yeah, no, we can have a session.

I could tell y'all like why people do certain things, why this coverage is happening, why. Yeah, no, I love that. Yeah. She's about to find some of high school footage. So then y'all can no ball and tell motherfuckers what's what. Thank you, Matt. I don't cover three. Yeah.

I know cover two. I know cover one. Yeah, I play Madden, too. I know that coverage, too. There you go. Not the same. I played high school football. What about fires on Blitz?

I mean, somebody going to blitz. That sounds like the quarterback about they get hurt. That's the fire zone. It sounds like two dudes just coming from here. I think I saw it. I remember that fire zone is

you have a blitzer, like the nickel's blitzing, but somebody's dropping. So it confuses. It's the same number of people that will be rushing on a normal pass rush, but they're changing,

they're trying to confuse it even. Like you ever see a defensive end dropping the coverage? They're confusing the offensive line because usually they'll slide this way, but then they'll be like, oh shit that's where you see somebody just running unblocked okay that's the hardest shit in football to me is offensive lines picking up those blitz and stunts okay we'll get there got you baby steps

we're getting there that's Darren waller we appreciate you my brother and we'll talk to you soon for sure if you're watching the latest season of the real housewives of alanta you already know that's a lot to break down dorsha accusing kelly of sleeping with a merry man they holding k-machial back from fighting droop pinkie has financials issues. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the T, everybody's talking about. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new

podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know.

Listen to Help from a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.