Right About Now with Ryan Alford - Radical Podcast - Ryan sits down with Former Clemson Football player Woodrow Dantzler lll

Episode Date: April 2, 2019

In this episode of the Radical company podcast... Ryan talks with Woodrow Dantzler Former Clemson Football player, and Running back and safety for the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons. They talk about Woodrows deep rooted faith, drive to shape his community, and to impact the future generations.We left with an incredible wealth of knowledge and we are so proud to present this very special podcast with you all.If you enjoy this episode please check out the rest of our information and nugget filled episodes in our profile.Please share, review, and subscribe so we can continue to bring the down to earth and priceless information from our amazing guests for both your #business, #marketing and #lifestyle needs.Have a great weekend Rad Fam! #NowThatsRadical🤙 #YeahThatGreenville 🌿 Radical Podcast is always looking forward to meeting both aspiring, and grounded professionals across the country! Feel like you have something to say? Slide us a Dm and let's make it happen! @[e-mail](864) 616 [e-mail]25 Delano Drive, Greenville, SC 29601, USA If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE.  Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding.  Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel  www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford. 

Hey guys, this is Ryan Alford. Welcome to the Radical Company podcast. I'm kind of geeking out today. I didn't tell him this. I was trying to keep it all together. But one of my, just being a Clemson grad and graduating at the same time he was playing, you know, it's just a real honor and privilege to have Woody Dantzler on the show today. Yes. Just really excited to have you, Woody. I mean, you know, I had these flashbacks when, you know, when we've been messaging on LinkedIn and talking, you know, it's like kind of that surreal moment. And I'm sure you get this a lot, but it's like thinking and coming up and, you know, I was born and raised a Clemson fan. And at Clemson, the same time we were playing and, you know, sitting in the stands, like watching you run up and down the field or throw, you know, bombs to Mal Wallier.

Yeah. Yeah. Like, yeah. At old Mal. You still talk to him? Yeah. He's down there. He's down there in Charleston, Monk's Corner, back in his hometown, doing some good things.

But man, just thrilled to have you on the podcast. Just thrilled to be here, man. I really appreciate the opportunity to sit down and just, as you stated, have some good old conversation. Yeah, exactly. And that's what we do, you know, here on the podcast. And just real excited to kind of get in talking. You know, there's people, a lot of Clemson people listen just because I'm a local Greenville guy and, you know, we're here local.

So a lot of people know who you are, but I definitely want to give you that opportunity to talk about, you know, your story, you know, coming up through Clemson and before and the things, you know, all of your involvement with youth and organizations and to what you're doing today. So real excited to kind of get into all of that so i mean what's but we'll go backwards but let's just talk about what you've been up to i mean you know aside from being you know first job is being a husband and a father yeah as we

mentioned earlier we're in october every 10 years as a married man, you know, it has flown by. Yeah. My wife Portia and I, we have two beautiful girls, Trinity and Zoe. Trinity is the oldest. She's 16. Zoe, she's the younger one. She's 10. So doing that, I mean, that's that's the fun part of my life.

And then part two, I've been in sales for some time now. I'm currently in pharmaceutical sales. And that's what I've been doing. Matter of fact, that's what I was doing earlier this morning. So with that, on the wraps, pharmaceutical sales, family, pharmaceutical sales, but then also, I just launched my business. So I'm a business owner as well. And what I do primarily is focus around speaking and motivational speaking, encouraging individuals to be the best version of themselves. Also, what will be run under my business, Dance for Three, will be some community service efforts as well as some youth programs

that I've been putting together. So that's kind of an abbreviation of what's going on right now. Yeah. It's a good time right now. Those two daughters, man. We talked about this. I've got four boys. Yeah. What's it like being daddy? I was about to say it's a gift and a curse, but it's not.

It is an awesome privilege to be a parent, especially when you are teaching and instilling something in your kids. And then you finally see that moment when they get it. And it's like, oh, man, you know, I did that. You know, or me and my wife are talking through some things and we identify something to work on. And we see the change made in our kids. It's just it's a wonderful thing. Well, let's go back a little bit now. Played a Clemson from 98 to 01, right?

Mm-hmm. Time frame there. Yes. That's the time I was at Clemson. And maybe give people kind of like, let's talk the Cliff Notes version of before, you know, being an athlete, going to Clemson, you know, kind of the synopsis of that experience. And then I'd love to talk a little bit about the pro days. And, you know, we talked about it before, the perspective that, you know, athletes have it made, you know, everything's laid out for them.

But I know, you know, we've all had our ups and downs, but I want to talk about that, but maybe talk about, you know, that background leading up to Clemson and then just kind of the synopsis of those Clemson days, because mean, because it was, you're riding high, man. I mean, you were the man. It's pretty interesting and it shocks a lot of people when I talk about it, especially growing up, I was not the big sports fan, honestly. And still to this day, I am not. So when I was in elementary school, middle school middle school high school I didn't really know anything about Clemson or Carolina go up here in South Carolina I knew about South Carolina State because

that's in my hometown yeah and you know just one of those things hey I play high school ball at OW so we can go to the game free if we want to so that's what that was about I was able to go to those games but next level playing college ball it never really occurred to me until my senior year in high school because I know they start sending those letters out, those questionnaires from different colleges, but my high school coach, he purposely kind of withheld those letters before our senior year. So he started giving them to us our senior year and prepping us for those next steps. And then coach started coming in and talking to me

and getting phone calls. And the reality of college started to really blossom. So that was kind of a nutshell of me growing up. I just played ball because it was fun. I had me and my friends and we enjoyed doing it. That's what football was for me. And then got dug in, got done there and then made the transition after leaving Orangeburg-Wilkerson, got a scholarship to go to Clemson, which was huge for me to be able to because outside of that scholarship,

you know, I didn't know how I was gonna go to college, how I was gonna get paid for it. You know, so it's just one of those things of a great blessing. What about, talk about your time at Clemson. I mean, you know, I think everybody thinks, I just remember the junior season being great, but then senior season, you know, throwing a few thousand, stressing for a thousand, Heisman talk, all that. Like, how do you summarize your Clemson experience now looking back like I mean

was it everything that someone would think it would be as far as you know kind of being having that just amazing career that you had there it's one of those things of like anything else it's what you make it and right before I left left to go to school at Clemson, my dad gave me this statement because, you know, my dad and I are really close. And he was always giving me information and knowledge and wisdom. And one of the things he said before I left, he said, don't you go up there and be just a football player. So I took that as, you know, take advantage of the opportunity you have. You know, don't just sit in that bubble. If I'm an athlete, you know, go do school, you know, take full advantage of the academic side.

So I was able to not only be very involved, you know, as an athlete, I was very involved in student council, you know, multicultural affairs. You know, I was in different departments, meeting different people, understanding different aspects of the college, like different majors. So it was, it really grew me up a lot, especially coming from OW. You know, we joke around and say OW stands for One White Predominantly Black High School, and then going into a university where now I'm the minority. It was, it was, it was a great experience for me. What do you see, how much has it changed? Because now it seems like with the internet and social media, when I was at Clemson, I was a huge Clemson fan. I'm going to Clemson. I was in that bubble.

But there wasn't social media. The internet was just kind of getting, we had email and some stuff some stuff but in 2000 and 99 it was just starting to get moving right you know but now with these players and like the news cycle it feels like everything's out there and the attention's even more and all that like do you think about like those differences I mean at all like do you think it truly is different now like are they is it more like they're superstars now like it's the great players the Deshawns and you know now Trevor and all that or do you think you see parallels even to the same like of how big how that bubble is and how the attention is like you you see differences there? Yeah, it is a huge difference, not from a playing standpoint,

but just from the quote-unquote accessibility. Social media gives the fan more access to the player and to the different people that they want to connect with. It feels like social media now has turned sports into a reality show. Yeah. If I want to see what's going on with my favorite player, I follow them on Twitter. I follow them on Instagram or whatever social media. So now I can see if this individual who I like to watch is somewhere over on the other side of the country touring Africa.

I get to be a part of that because I see a picture. And it's just a way of bringing the the fans in and connecting the player to the fan so it's it's it has its goods and it has its bads I'm not really a social media person I actually I just got on social media for the sake of my business a couple of months ago yeah so and I've fought it for so long I'm really a private person but it's just it's one of those things uh it's what you make of as I mentioned earlier I can if you navigate it properly you know it can do some good for you but not a lot of people use it right that's for sure

talk to me a little bit about like that senior season and maybe maybe something you know that you know as far as people know which is all the stats and all that was it did you feel the pressure like was it as as much of a spotlight as it seemed and then maybe something like a misconception from all that you know of what what was to come from it like you know like did you was the pressure on when you, like, did you, was the pressure on when you were a senior? Did you feel it or were you, because you strike me as like,

you don't really, like you said, you weren't into sports, like it's almost like you were in your own bubble. You have so many other interests outside of sports and football and you're so much more dynamic than just a sports guy. You know, there were, it's just life. I see that.

But like at the same time i mean we're talking how to candidate like yeah all that like what was that like well that external stuff was not a big deal to me honestly the biggest issue that i had to fight and i fight still to this day was my own stuff you know you would think you would look at an individual such as myself and you'll see me out there on the field doing these different things I'm standing in front of a crowd and I'm speaking words of encouragement you would never know that I'm a pretty insecure guy so just relating it to Clemson you know you have a good game you know after game, a lot of times I was not enjoying the win or the success of the game because now all of a sudden I'm in my head saying, oh my gosh, I had a good game.

I don't know if I can do it again next week. What if I'll do it again next week? Will they bench me? Will I lose my, so all these things are going through my head. But again, what I learned from that is, you know, just being able to talk to things with my dad and just being able to, okay, this is a situation. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to prepare like no other so that when my next opportunity comes, I'm ready to do it again. So I let those insecurities drive me and focus me on, know really truly preparing and making myself able to do it again so we finished clemson i mean is there just the assumption like i think you know being fans and being outside looking you know looking in there's assumption with someone like yourself who was so

gifted athletically, doing everything. Got it made. You did. Talk about post-Clemson. Was it kind of like what now? Or like you started, I mean, you had, I'm sure, did you do the combine? Yes.

Yeah, you did the combine. You know, you did that. You got involved. Talk about post-Clemson, that time period and kind of what was going through your mind and what transpired, what didn't transpire. Well, I was in a very, very peaceful place coming out of Clemson. Because again, football wasn't my lifeline. Yeah. It was a means to an end. And I had thankful to a man by the name of Darren Bruce, who came in with Tommy Bowden and his staff. And he really introduced me to Jesus for real.

So in 1999, you know, I started walking with Jesus. And this whole, my whole mind frame shifted even more. So now I figured out how, the reasons why, you know, know I enjoy playing ball but I wasn't all wrapped up in it I was given a gift for a reason so I can go out there and play ball make it string make great plays but it was for another purpose so going through that whole process was like okay God I'm just gonna see where you're gonna take me next so I'm going through the combine process. I'm having a ball. There's no pressure on me. There's no stress on me. I'm meeting people. I'm competing. You know,

it's just, it was just a blast because I was just in such a peaceful place because I knew that this game of football was going to take me somewhere else outside of football. So I was just going to ride the wave as long as I was going to be on that wave until it's time to step off the surfboard what do players feel like you know you were obviously a star and but you know you went a couple different rounds in the NFL you know you played with the Cowboys played with the Falcons yeah right and played safety a little running back that was crazy yeah thank you Bill but no it was it was it was good again like I said I was in a peaceful place so I was able to maybe a couple of years before that I wouldn't have been in the right headspace to be able to do that because I understood that the purpose was outside of you know what I really

wanted to do so So they asked me. Matter of fact, going into the senior bowl after my senior year, I didn't find out I was going to be playing running back in the senior bowl until the week before. Wow. You know, it was an agent that was trying to recruit me actually called me and told me that. I had no clue that that was going down. So it's just one of those things of being able to shift your mindset and just be adaptable so it taught me changing again because I already had to work ethic to be able to really work on it but yes I ran the

ball a little bit but it's a different dynamic being a true running back and being able to just you know take off and run or a specially designed qb run it's a whole different dynamic taking the hand off blocking I mean all that stuff is just. It's a whole different dynamic. Taking the hand off. Blocking. I mean, all that stuff is just different. It's a matter of setting my mindset to say, you know what? It's a challenge. Let's go see what's going to happen.

So it was fun. So, you know, what do players feel like when they're finished playing? And maybe they're kind of those fringe athletes that aren't first-round draft picks, you know, but might, they're kind of on that line of might can make it, can't make it. I think from the outside looking in, we just think that, you know, athletes have a mate. Right.

They're set up for life, you know, because either they're going to be given all these, you know, free jobs or free experiences or they're going to make it in the NFL I've learned that that's not the case no but I'd love to hear your perspective on you know people's assumptions around that people it's it's just like anything else a lot of people assume and think they know because of what they see I like I was that it was a show I can't remember the name of it but it was the worst the worst representation of the National Football League ever I mean it was then we had people actually

believe in football was about playing ball on Sunday and then spending time having sex with girls and drinking and doing drugs because they saw it on a TV show. Was it Ballers or something? No, it was before Ballers. So I think, not Cuba, but what was his son? Omar Gooden was one of the lead actors. But anyway, it's just what, it all depends on that individual player. You know who's been speaking into their life, who's been preparing them, how much they identify themselves with football. Because some people, they find their identity in football. And when that doesn't work

out, you know, it's almost a state of depression. And then even outside of that, those who are successful, a lot of individuals don't know how to transfer the skill set that they have from football into the business world. So it's a whole different dynamic. Just being able to be able to shift your mindset and shift your mode of operation to transition. Not many people know how to transition, you know, such as myself, I didn't know how to transition when I came out.

I still really didn't know what I wanted to do when I got done playing ball. That's probably why I stuck in it for so long, because I just didn't really know exactly what or how to do it. So just being a part of a group, you know, Clemson is doing a great job right now. Rashad Hall, big shout out. He's doing a great job with that program, along with Jeff Davis and Paul Vision, actually getting these guys prepared for, hey, not everybody's going to the NFL. Even if you do go to the NFL, you need a next step after you're done playing. So these guys are really being prepared now for life after football.

And when I was there, we just we just didn't have that support system. And a lot of individuals still don't have that support system. So when they come out, a lot of time they crash and burn, which is sad. Yeah. Good transition. Like, it seems like Clemson's got it going on right now. I mean, like, look, they've won two national titles, and the success is speaking for itself.

But from being Clemson guy, with what Dabo's doing, with the players in the, you know, he's building it from the inside out you know it really seems that way and you know talk about like what you're seeing I mean facilities are incredible like it's almost like yeah they're reaping the rewards now but it wasn't you know in 2009 I think when David took over it wasn't like that you know but what's as a former player knowing you know your experience seeing the successes now seeing the things you're doing now what's kind of your perspective on all that it's just one of those things up it's just as simple as you know what i'm saying charity starts at home or with any great movement it starts with oneself so when coach sweeney was able to take over, he began to recruit guys and actually develop the

individual. So the individual, yes, they're part of a team, but the individual player is being developed as well. So it's not just the aspect of, you know, it's just Clemson football, but once you get the right players in the right position and you develop them properly they all fit into that puzzle and now you see the beautiful picture so that's what you see it takes a while to get these some guys make it some guys don't so you got to figure out who's going to fit in your puzzle and then go from there but the first i think the biggest thing that is an attribute of coach sweeney is he's developing men so you look at their graduation rate I mean it is up there with schools such as

Stanford you know I mean that's nothing to sneeze at you know I think it's like almost 99 98 percent graduation rates up there and guys who don't graduate end up coming back and getting their degree you know so i mean it's it's a beautiful thing because now these guys are the full student athlete i'm not just coming here to play ball i'm coming here to get my education i'm coming here to grow as a man and i'm being prepared for society once i leave clemson. And that's the big thing. You've got good quality guys that come in and they buy into the program and they focus on what they need to do to be the best person they can possibly be

so they can make the team the best team they can possibly be. So that's what he's done and you see it. Because again, it even branches out from athletics. It's into the university now students regular students take pride in clemson university so now they're even pushing the envelope to exceed in just their individual majors because of that part of pride they have in the orange and white so it's it's it's a beautifully infectious thing. Yeah. I kid around with some of my friends. I don't think I can get into Clemson now.

Oh, I know I couldn't get into Clemson. My wife could get into Clemson right now. But yeah, she's the brainiac. But no, no. My SATs and my grades were okay. I mean, I was a B student. But I don't think it would make the cut now. So competitive. That's another thing.

Being able to sit and serve on the Board of Visitors, and you get to hear the different dynamics of Clemson University, how the university operates as a public university, from the judicial side, the business side. I mean, it's just so many interwoven parts to be able to sit in those meetings and listen to them go through different things. They have Coach Clem, not Coach, but President Clem is coming to talk through some different things.

It's amazing the stuff that goes on, you know, from building funds and raising money and all how that ties into Clemson University and as you were speaking just talking about admissions you know the average SAT being over 1300 you know grade for average now you got to make sure you get into these AP classes and college so you can excel past you know a 4.0 is not 3.8 that's no you need about a you know 4.5.8, somewhere up in there to be considered and to get in. It's that competitive to get into Clemson. That money must be spreading around because I taught a class last week, or actually it was Monday.

I had to run it together. A social media class over there. And I drove by and they've got a new right in front of the president's house that new facility for students it was like a gym and like I don't know how much time you spent over there oh yeah I know you saw them out yeah whatever that building is that wasn't there that's the um that's a new dorm and that's it has um it has their fitness center in there so that was nice we didn't have that that was Clemson house I think yeah Clemson house was over there they beat all that down and when something else was over there they tore down but yeah it is it is it is coming up and it's how much time have you spent in the new

facilities like the football facilities I'm spending it because part of my territory is Clemson so if I have time while I'm working I might stop in there if I don't have a lunch that day I may go over there and work out and I I'm part of the Tiger Hood program, which is a program where former athletes mentor current athletes. So I get to spend some time with some of the guys and, you know, really speaking to their lives and, you know, help them along the journey that I've already been on. A lot of these guys are so far along than where I was. It's just amazing. It's good to see and good to hear. You know, I learned a lot from them. Just sit down and just casual conversations. Is it is it as ridiculous like I haven't been in it? I've just seen the ESPN videos.

Is it is out there? I don't think so. I think it's something out there for the state of South Carolina. out there for the state of South Carolina. So I mean you go over and you think about Oregon's facilities, Alabama. I mean they've had this stuff for a while now. It's just something new for the state of South Carolina and Clemson University. So it was you know calling it dab on land. I mean I'm not gonna take anything away from it. It is a state-of-the-art deal. I went over there, I don't know, one other day and I saw they got these little pods in there where they got the massage chairs and the nap room and all that. I mean, it is definitely amazing, but I don't think it's that. Not that it's not that amazing, but I think they overhyped it, what it is. It's still a grand building, but it's just something new.

So what are we up to now, man? I mean, you talked about it at the beginning, but like what, where are you wanting to go? I mean, like, you know, there's such a piece about you, but at the same time, I feel the drive in you to like really make a difference. Yes. So what are those passion points and where are we headed? Yeah. Those passion points for me is I love people. You know, that's why I got into sales.

It gave me, especially pharmaceutical sales. It gave me the ability to put two of my passions together, you know, my philanthropic side and helping people, especially one of my medications is migraines. I got a medication to help people with migraines. If you know anybody who suffers from migraines, they are debilitating. So being able to get in there and talk to doctors and get them to prescribe my medicine and then hear the success stories, how people are re-engaging in life because of a medicine that I carried and I was able to clearly articulate enough for them to have confidence to write my medication.

You know, that is huge. And then also that sales side gets you back into that drive to be the best that you could possibly be, making sure I know how to pronounce the words and understand the disease state and the different aspects of my job, you know, making sure I'm the best salesperson that I can be so I can perform good for my team and my company.

So all that runs together. And then outside of that, the whole, I've been, when I talked about the setup with football and sports, you know, that gave me a platform. So now, as you mentioned, people hear the name Woody Dantzler, and then they come to see Woody Dantzler, but then they end up meeting Jesus. And then they come to see Woody Dancer, but then they end up meeting Jesus. And on top of that, they get some words of encouragement that will light that fire in them. So they can go out and be the great person that they've been created to be.

Because I kind of coined myself as the friction that likes to match. And sometimes people just need to know and feel that they can because a lot of people's background it's been one of despair it's been one of just getting by and okay is enough you know really want to push people into greatness and they always talk about the one percent the one percent on the top epsilon of people and there's really no difference between the two. It's just that ability to really focus in on what I want to get accomplished and do exactly what I need to do to get it done without taking those days off. That's awesome, man. I mean, I know you're doing speaking and different things.

Is there things on the agenda the rest of the year? Like if people want, you know, to have Woody Dantzler speak, like talk about, you know, any of the plans to speak the rest of the year. And then how someone might feel about finding you for speaking. Right. Well, it's pretty simple to find me now. Like I said, I'm on social media. Thank goodness you're here to work. Right, exactly. So I'm on LinkedIn, you can search me on LinkedIn and also I have a business page on Facebook, also on Instagram, so I can be found there. And information for our info at dansler3.com.

Shoot me an email about the event. We'll respond and we'll get everything set up. So it's really just that simple. Contact me through that email info at Dansler3.com. And Dansler is my last name with I-I-I. That's the three part of it. Dot com and then social media can be found on Facebook and LinkedIn as well as Instagram and then Put in the request and we'll go from there

It's just you get involved with any of the other players like, you know, we you know, I was at Taj Boyd's Yeah You know, do you get involved with other players? Oh, yeah And, you know, do you get involved with other players? Oh, yes. I'm sure you guys kind of intermingle. It's a brotherhood. One of the things that we've committed to do is, especially former Clemson athletes, just athletes in general, to support one another in whatever endeavors that we're doing. I actually would have been to that event myself, but I actually had a speaking engagement that night, so I missed it.

But, yes, we definitely stay close. We stay into what the events one another guy have going on and we do our best to support one way or the other yeah is there um any of the current players that uh how close do you stay to like you follow up like recruiting and like current and all that? I don't do the recruiting. I think that's – I'm not a fan of the whole recruiting thing. I guess it's unnecessary, but it is just so far-fetched. Once the guys get there, I'm able to build relationships and talk with them. Any player on your radar that we need to look out for? Nobody's under the radar anymore,

but like, cause they're in social media, but are you, anybody you're hearing names about over at Clemson, any inside tips? Actually, there are a few guys on that team, cause you sit there and you say, well, they're losing on the D line, they're losing here, who's gonna replace? They got guys to replace.

I'm just going to say that and just keep your eyes open, and you're going to be like, how in the world are they going to keep doing this? Don't miss a step. Yeah, you're not going to miss a step. There's some machines all over there. But my big thing with that also, I mean, the talent obviously is there, but I always, because people always ask, how are you going to do this year?

And I always say, you know what? I don't really know. They have the potential to, but I am the one to see because once moving parts are taken out, I like to see who's going to step up into that leadership role. And I want to see what this new team dynamic is going to look like. And then as I see them over the summers, and I see them through spring, over the summer,

and then you see them as the year starts, and you kind of see what that team's going to be, then you get a better predictor. Because talent isn't always the best, what you call it? The best predictor of success. There you go. That's what I was looking for. Talent isn't it.

Because like I said, they have the talent. I want to see who's going to step up and be that leader and how the rest of the guys are going to fall into their places and how they're going to perform as a team so that's great man um well I I can't wait to stay connected moving forward you know like getting to know each other better yes yes seeing how you know radical maybe can't help you with some things and just you know help them tell your story and being involved with you. I can't be more appreciative of you coming on the podcast and, you know,

look forward to kind of just this being the beginning. Yes, it definitely is the beginning. That's right. We got to, once we just

cut saw, we're going to set a time to meet again and get moving on the process because I think there's a lot that we can continue to do together. Yeah, man.

Well, really appreciate you being on what he gave all the places that you can keep up with him you want to reach out for speaking engagements I mean this guy's is upstanding as they are and just couldn't be more excited about having woody on today in the future but uh this is ryan alford for the radical company podcast and we'll talk to you soon