The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Unbreakable Episode 65 - Kyle Long

Episode Date: December 13, 2023

Welcome to Unbreakable! A mental health podcast hosted by Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer. On today’s episode, the one and only Kyle Long joins Jay for a chat about his incredible journey.  Follow, rate & review Unbreakable with Jay Glazer here!https://link.chtbl.com/unbreakablewithjayglazer#fsr #benmallershow #herdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This is Unbreakable with Jay Glaser,

a mental health podcast, helping you out of the gray and into the blue. Now here's Jay Glaser. Welcome into Unbreakable Mental Health Podcast with Jay Glazer. I'm Jay Glazer. Our guest today is probably the best-lecting guests we've ever had on. And before we get to them, you'll understand why in a second. But if you're like many people, you may be surprised to learn that one in five adults in this country

experienced mental illness last year. Yet far too many failed to receive the support they need. Carol and Behavioral Health is doing something about it. They understand that behavioral health is a key part of whole health, delivering compassionate care that treats physical, mental, emotional, and social needs in tandem. Carolyn, behavioral health, raising the quality of life through empathy and action. Welcome into Unbreakable and Mental Health Podcast with Jay Glazer. Once again, I am Jay Glazer.

And joining me is, man, you guys know him from being an all pro in the NFL. You may know him from being on TV. I know him from being like my little nephew, my little brother. But he's a, you know, 6'7, 340 pound little brother. I've known since I think you're seven years old, something along those lines. One of the only Kyle Long, how are you, brother? Yeah, it's awesome. It's awesome.

And I'm really glad I get to come on here. I have the opportunity to talk to so many great folks on podcasts, and they want to ask about football, and they want to ask about my family and stuff like that, but I'm glad I get to come on a mental health podcast, not only that, but with somebody that I'm comfortable with. I appreciate it. You've always been there for me during those great times that we often discuss,

but I'm glad I can be here for you today on the pod, and I look forward to the chat. And fuck, yeah. And here's the thing with us also, man. It's a great thing about a mental health podcast. It's called a mental health podcast. I talk about the gray a lot. But our job is to put people in the blue, right?

It's not always just doom and gloom. And I think, you know, what's always connect, look, obviously your dad has always connected us. But you and I getting each other. There's not a lot of people who understand that we both have this kind of this beast in the box, if you will, that is what drives us so much. And that's what connected you and I from day one. Since you were, you know, even, you know, as a little kid on, but, you know, later on in life, you know, I got to help train you for the combine and help you, you know, along the way. And it's just incredible what these relationships do to do at the same time. People don't realize this.

Kyle moved in with me for me to help train him for the combine. And as a result, his compensation, it was paid to me was that he was my son, Sammy's many. Yeah, and I got to use your credit card when we went out to eat. So it was like a great three-way, like NBA-type trade. Like, they benefit, they benefit, they benefit. It was great. I mean, hanging out with Sammy was fun. And I remember when my dad presented me the opportunity to go train with you,

and obviously you invited me and were probably beating his door down about it for quite some time before he was finally like, all right, you want to go train with Glaze? And he was really like, I don't know what that's going to entail, but I trust that he's going to put the right people in front of you. That was, you know, for me, it was an unbreakable. moment. I went from junior college to Oregon for one year, and I was a backup guy, and then somebody got hurt. I ended up playing the last four or five games. I got invited to the Senior Bowl based on my performance in those games and the Fiesta Bowl that I played in. And then when I went to the

Senior Bowl, I wore just enough people out to get on a bigger radar. And then from there, I got to go train with Glaze and get ready for the big show, which everybody knows is the NFL Combine and the NFL draft. And I just remember being able to brush elbows and train every day and push our bodies to the limit and our minds to the limit and do it with people that have an outside the box background because we deal with so many football people in that pre-draft. You know, it's just fucking football, football, football. Like, you're like, oh, wait, this guy was a Navy SEAL or this guy was a, you know, a gold medal wrestler or a national champion boxer. And you're training with guys who have a different set of elite mental skills. For me, that was an unbreakable moment, having to tap in to a deeper

understanding of what hard work is and what a true breaking point is. And obviously, I never reached it because I'm not broken yet. And for all the days that I thought I wouldn't be able to get up, or for all the workouts, I didn't want to get off that turf after the workout. I'd lay there for an hour and feel bad for myself. I was better for it. And I am today. So for that, I thank you, Jay. And for all the folks there at Unbreakable that were, you know, were and still are a part of my life. And at times, they've been bigger than they are and others. But, yeah, you're massive in my story.

Well, I appreciate that. I appreciate the two missing discs that I have because of you. So thank you also for that. Yeah, thanks for playing with me every day. So here's the crazy part. So Kyle and I would, you know, we'd wrestle. We do hand fighting. We do this.

We basically had an unbreakable with this mixed martial arts program that I came up with years ago with Randy Gattour, we teach violence. You're playing a violent sport, but we also teach people how to push their breaking points, so everything else is easier. But what Kyle was different. And remember, Kyle only played, like he said, five, you know, college games at Oregon. Chip Kelly is his coach. I remember this senior bullet you're talking about.

And what I loved about Kyle, and I would try, I was trying, yeah, I'm honest with everybody. And I always tell these head coaches and GMs, hey, man, this is who you fucking want protecting in your quarterback. This is the attitude you want. You don't want some fucking, you know, some Daisy in there who's sitting there letting his quarterback get to ask it. This is who you want. I'll never forget.

We're the senior bowl, right? And you were, I think you were kind of going through some anxiety of just being there. It's such a huge stage. And I thought I had the flu, but I was throwing up for three days just from anxiety. I mean, if that's what we're going to, I mean,

I was sick, but it was like, I didn't have the flu. I didn't have mono, but I just like, I couldn't keep food down. I couldn't sleep. Yeah,

I was going through it. That's another, you know, a moment for me where it was like my back was against the fire. You know what I'm saying? Like I was on the cliff. There was the volcano behind me. And it's either you fight your way out of this thing or you just end up molten. And I'm glad that I fought, you know? So funny, because even before I knew how to communicate the stuff.

And that's what I think the mental health stuff, my gift is like, God bless me with the ability to communicate. So our thing is to be able to give it words. That's some of the thing. you and I have trained physically, but you and I get each other. We could talk about it. So I understood what you're going through. But I remember telling you one day, right, when you got back out there, hey, just fucking be you.

Just do you. And let me do the other part of it. And I'm on the sideline talking to Mike Tomlin. You're working, buddy. You were working. And I'm saying the same thing. I'm like, guys, he's the nastiest motherfucker you'll ever see. I almost had to say, hey, Jay, you're laying it on a little thick.

I'm in the individual. I'm in the individual drills. and I can hear Glazer over there yelling at Mike Tomlin like, this is the baddest motherfucker you've ever seen. Which you are. He broke my leg. He broke my arm. But as I say that,

Kyle freaking pancakes the detackle, pancakes a linebacker, runs over his safety, and the linebacker of safety, whoever gets up and says to you, what the fuck? And you go, you're not on my fucking team.

And I turned around of Tomlin, how he raised him. I'm like, huh? Huh? What did I tell you? It was perfect timing. Yeah, Mike Tomlin,

that would have been a fun guy to play for. Howie Roseman, obviously, maybe I would have had some rings. I would have got to play next to Lane Johnson. That would have been cool. But I have no regrets. All these funny stories we tell about training and getting in the ear of these guys in the industry,

it's like it all led to me going to Chicago. And I'm a Chicago dude, and I got like so much love for that city. And I was so glad I got to go there. I don't have a Super Bowl ring. but what I have is like truly priceless, you know what I'm saying? No, really. Just the journey itself, man.

And people really don't know your journey. People don't know that you were the number one, you know, left-handed pitching prospect in America. I was one of them. There was a lot of guys who could throw pretty well. How fast were you thrown? On a good day, I would be like 96, maybe 97. Okay.

So 97 miles per hour. I mean, he looks like a bad guy from taking already. Stop. I had hair back then. I had hair back then. I was like a boyish. It doesn't matter. I was like a boyish.

Like a boy band. But you're freaking six, seven on a mound, throwing 97 miles per hour. People don't realize this about you also. It's ridiculous what your journey is. Yeah, it was fun. And I mean, I always say I don't have regrets, but like if I were to have regrets, it would be like I would have loved to have seen the alternate universe where the parallel universe where I got to play baseball.

Because obviously I went to Florida State to play baseball. I got in some trouble off the field, as a lot of 19, 18-year-olds do. and my route ended up taking me to South Orange County, California, where I cleaned up my act a bit with the help of a lot of good folks at Saddleback College. Mark McElroy deserves a shout out there, our head coach. He's big at Saddleback Church and getting guys into recovery. And he was the head coach for a very long time there. He brought in military vets, and he brought in people that were getting out of the penal system.

And yeah, he was a good dude, but he knew you could run that nine route. So he was like, come on out and play for my team. and I fit in great there. And when I got to Oregon, Chip Kelly asked me two questions. She goes, do you love football? I said, yeah. He goes, are you going to go to class? I said, yes.

And he was like, come play for us. And we won a lot of football games there, and I learned a lot. But it paled in comparison to the learning process of when I got to Chicago, obviously. And Aaron Kromer was my offensive line coach. And he's got one of his offensive linemen, Jari Evans, is up for the Hall of Fame. That was one of the guys that he had me study early. in my career. So I had great guys to learn from, including yourself, Jay, and all the people that you put around us. It was really an awesome experience. Appreciate it, brother. So again,

you need this, what we need, right? Your dad, for me, he's family. And that's the thing, too, like people think your dad's so square and this and that. Your dad is you, he's me, he's, he is that, he's the original, man, we're going to try and keep that beast in the box that people. People don't get it. And I, um, daily fucking battle people. People, well, well, I mean, his beast is different. I mean, his beast was he was like a heavyweight champion boxer. He was, you know, you think about the tenacity that a guy like JJ Watt played with. And he could play defensive end, but he could also play defensive tackle. My dad could play nose tackle.

He'd line up at zero and play. And he was an all pro at each of those. And as you know, you are a product of where you've been and who you are. And my dad was, you know, he had some spots that didn't go as easily. as most kids should have experienced. And it made him a tough, it made him a tough dude. And he's such a sweetheart now. So I'm glad people know him as a sweetheart because that's who he really is at his core.

But like you said, that beast is in there. Yeah. And it is with all of us. You could be both, right? So I talk about us a lot. And look, when I am, I think a lot of us kind of talk about what you have this thing that sits inside you. And we, I don't know if it's an angry thing. It's a, you know, we recall this little monster,

and it's like a daily battle to keep it down inside and not let it, you know, run rampant on the on society. It is an everyday type of thing. And I don't think not everybody is going to understand how hard that is for a lot of us. But it's probably one of the coolest things that we get to do, that we, you and I and how we get to talk about these things, that we get to battle things that people don't really see or can understand,

and it does make us stronger. Well, I truly believe it's what. makes us different. It's what makes us special. I mean, like in a locker room of, you know, when you go to training camp, there's 90 guys. You meet 89 other dudes. You're not going to meet probably one other guy that's like you. And everybody's got their history. Everybody's got their family. Everybody's got their skill set and their personality. And it's wild. I mean, I challenge you to try to get to know all the guys on your favorite team better, like outside of just this guy's a good route runner because they're all human beings. And it's, uh, you know, you get to see.

see the superstars always covered, but there's, you know, like I said, there's 89 other dudes on that training camp roster that you don't know. And they're all going through something. I'm not special. And I'm human. So I make it like I'm sensitive. I've got emotions. I've got thoughts. I've got opinions. And what you see is just me trying to articulate that. And I do my best. And at times, you talk about that beast. When I'm on the football field, I articulate it a little bit differently than most others. And that's what makes. me special, at least in that business. And now I get to talk about football, and I talk about it passionately.

I think people see that, and it's authentic, and I think people appreciate that shit. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 Jay and I'm Alex English Each episode we pick it here unpack what went down And try to make sense of how we survived it Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill Waxing all about crack in the 80s

To be clear, 84 is big to me Not just because of crack I'm down to talk about crack on day But just so y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack So I'm starting to see that there's a through line

We also have AIDS on the table right now So Thank you for finishing that. sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So when you say you deal with the beast when you're on the field, how do you deal with when you're off the field? Yeah, I struggle and I'm not able to spar with my guys and, you know, like,

fuck COVID. Trust me, when Randy Gator moved away, and Jay Huron moved away and all of a sudden I wasn't able to have that outlet. How do you deal with that off the field, especially after your career in it? It's all about having healthy habits. I mean, we all have bad habits that are fun, pleasure habits. You know what I mean? Like I like to eat a ton, like way past dinner and that kind of stuff and stay up late. But I mean, for me, it's the simple things like taking pride in what I do.

And truly, I chose something. I'm lucky enough to choose something for work that I enjoy to do. So I pour myself into work and I truly reap the benefits of enjoying it. And when I walk out of the building after work, I take pride in it. And so that's a big part of it. And obviously my family's the number one thing. But for a simple answer, I would say a routine at nighttime, I could play video games with my buddies.

You know what I mean? We get on a little chat room on here and we all play Madden or we take turns playing each other and we all talk shit. It's nice to have that locker room environment. the end of the day, you need to let off steam. And whether it's sarcastically, whether it's comedically, or you want to be mean to somebody, be mean to one of your buddies in a private, you know, forum or be open because they'll say, hey, why are you riding the salty seas tonight, bro?

What do we need to talk about? You know, that's my version of that. And there are nights where I go in there and my friends don't fucking want to hear from me because I'm in a shit mood. Or there's nights where we can't stop laughing. And either way, I benefit from having a. group of people that I can associate with. Whether I don't see him in person or not,

I get to go and play video games with them, and it's part of my routine. And, look, Kyle and I have fought it out like crazy. Again, he's lived with me for several different years. We have fought it out. Why not, you're like, I'm fucking leaving, right? I threw keys at you that day. You're like, I'm fucking out of here.

But I've been that guy, too. And I've been that guy to my older brother in the past year. I've been that guy with my dad a number of times. But these are like, these are the tribal members, bro. These are my people. And like, you feel comfortable around somebody. It's funny, like, the more comfortable you feel around somebody, the more prone to you are to have, I'll call it for lack of a better term, in my case, an outbursts, like I get emotional. You know what I'm

saying? But it's also sometimes the people you don't know at all. It's never the in between, it's never people you kind of know. It's like people you love or people you just hate. I think the people you love, I know, no matter how much you and I find it out, you're going to come back. You're going to be there. It's not a death sentence. And that's what a real bond is. That's what a real relationship is. You know, your dad and I fought it out a million times.

Like that's what is so special when you can lean into your people and know, okay, I could have these mental health issues or these issues and know no matter what they're still going to be there for me. That's our equity. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's what friendship is, right? I mean, it's faith. It's having faith in one another.

By the way, we talk about, we got to tell you probably the funniest story that's ever happened on senior gym. And this is before I owned a breakable is when we were trained together, his dad, Howie comes in there, and he's like fucking Honey Boo-boo's mom, right? He's like, you know, a dance bomb.

And he's buttoning into our drills over and over and over. And finally I show Howie, go, Howie, this is why we're doing this. What I fucking hit his form with a hammer fist. And I don't know how often you, have seen that side of Howie, but the, you know, the kid who grew up outside of Boston or in Boston, fucking goes, why would you do that? Graves a key, puts it in between his fingers, and tries to punch me in the eye.

You know, I don't know if he tried to punch you in the eye, because I would trust that if he did try, he would have probably succeeded. So I would say he hit you with a pump fake, you know what I'm saying? Just to gauge reaction. Like, I've never asked you what your reaction was, but you saw that. I think that was just the guy who was not used to getting touched, even as a defensive lineman. Like, you know, some fighters are so good. They're just not used to get in touch.

Like, you touched him. He wasn't expecting to get touched. And that was his response. You just sitting over there. Did you just fucking touch me, man? It was one of the all-time fucking moments. I think it's my favorite gym moment. Somebody just asked me a question.

See, he goes for the weapon. I would have just gone for the mall. I would have gone there. Yeah, a million percent. Oh, my God. Brock Lesner, first four seconds of a round. That's why I would have gone, just sprinting. So, look, you know, again, like I said,

bonds you and I, we've both been through a lot. And you've been through a lot on your journey and said you were kicked out of Florida State and went from baseball to football and junior college. Talk about that journey a little bit, what you're comfortable talking about. Yeah, I mean, I was like a two-sport All-American in football and baseball in high school.

And I pitched and I played first base. I could hit and throw. Life was really good for me in high school. It was really good. But I had the blessing of being able to go to a school that was so safe that there was, you know, you can be yourself and you didn't have to worry about being bullied and that kind of thing. And I have great friends from there.

It's a great place. But at the same time, I didn't have the foresight of thinking, well, eventually I'm going to have to go somewhere else and take me. my talents elsewhere. And am I ready for that? And, you know, I wasn't. I wasn't. And that falls squarely on my shoulders.

So when I went to Florida State, I just didn't have a good routine. I didn't have structure. I had an apartment. I had a little bit of money in my pocket for monthly spending. And a lot of it went towards beer. And not a lot of my time was allotted towards, you know, what was important, what got me there, which was school and baseball. And I made a ton of friends who I'm still great friends with today.

I don't know if I would rely on those guys like I would, some of the other ones you and I have discussed, but they're a damn good time. I will tell you that. And I was playing baseball and I was cramping up every day because I was probably out, you know, having a good time the night before. And I couldn't, I couldn't even maintain my level of performance in the summer. And then once the fall rolled around and football season started, it was my first time not playing football. So I'm out there and I'm at practice, you know, take a batting practice and I can hear the whistles and the helmets right on the other side of that left field wall at Florida State. And part of me missed it. And, you know, I was not fully invested in what I was doing, obviously. I ended up going home for the holidays and I

had a DUI, which was, you know, in retrospect, it was a blessing because I had that DUI and had an opportunity to just restart and just press restart of the whole thing. And a lot of kids wouldn't have that opportunity. And for that, I'm grateful to my parents. And, um, my whole support system, my siblings and everybody, but I went out west and I did some time to get right and, you know, try to like detoxify myself mentally and spiritually, physically. And I started going to school and working, I started working a job at Jack surfboards on the Newport Peninsula. I was folding t-shirts and, you know, selling sex wax to surfers. I was on crutches at the time because I tore my meniscus at the skate park.

I was on my sector nine. I tore my meniscus. It was the first real injury I had. I had to get surgery. That was awful. I called my dad. And I was like, I tore my knee. What were you doing?

I was skateboarding. Okay. So, you know, I go see the Clippers doctor or whatever and I get my knee done. And then I enroll at Saddleback College and I start football camp, three weeks, four weeks after a scope. And I remember I haven't played football in two years now, three years now, right? You know, 2008 was the last year I played was in high school. Then I went Florida State, and then I took a year off, and now it's been an offseason.

So now I come back, and I'm like, fuck, I don't even know if I remember how to play football. I showed up, I had cleats and like some compression shorts, and that was it. I was like, if anything, I'm going to impress motherfuckers with being big and fast. and I played defense and I didn't go the right way and I ended up on the bench. I was this backup defensive end for Steve Crapo, who is the head coach now, who I'm buddies with,

but he always gives me shit. He was like, you were a liability, bro. I wasn't going to put you out there. The head coach at the time, Mark McElroy was the offensive coordinator. And he let Steve Crapo have his fun with me his first year. But second year, he said,

you're moving to offensive tackle because it just is going to work, all right? And he put me a tackle and it was like, boom, immediately. It was like, Oh, football. Okay. And we put up 56 a game. Our right tackle went to Florida State, Menelick Watson, you know, and I ended up going to Oregon. And when I got to Oregon, I rolled my ankle in camp and I was never really 100%. I lost out to a really good young tackle, a left tackle. So now I'm back up again. And I only have one year eligibility there. So I'm thinking to myself,

fuck, I got to, you know, make something. I got to either switch to defensive line or go to tight end, try to make myself available to play somehow so I can get in the league. And at that point, I didn't even know if I could play in the league. You know what I mean? I just didn't know at the time. And so the year goes on and Manu, Greg, our guard, got rolled up and he had a nasty lower leg injury. So we're getting ready to play USC.

And I walk into Steve Greatwood's office, the offensive line coach. And I said, coach, I'm playing next week. And he said, what are you playing? And I said, I'm playing guard. I'm starting next week And he was like The fuck you're not You haven't even been in a three points

You know You haven't been in Gar You've been to tackle the hole And you're not even You're not even good enough To be a tackle You know what I mean? Essentially

And Steve Graywood's a great guy And a great coach But he was essentially like You fucked off to this point You think I'm gonna And I told all the guy We it was all the guys And I've played with a few of them since

In the league And we all met at this one house On Van Dunn That we would all meet at and just be meatheads. They had like six lazy boys in the garage, and we'd sit around and talk shop. You know what I mean?

We thought we were a real football masterminds. And I told him that night, and they were great guys. I told him, I said, I'm going to stay, like when we line up five wide, you know, pregame, the offensive line goes, and they do, they run right, they run left, they run straight, but it's five guys. It's the first group, and then it's the second group, and then it's the third group. So I said, I'm lining up at that guard spot.

if you don't agree with it speak now, or forever hold your peace, essentially. And the guys are like, fuck it, dude, like, you know, try it. Like, see what happens. And I lined up there, and Greatwood looked at me,

and I looked at Greatwood, and he was pissed, but he was also like, hmm, and he saw that none of the, he was like, somebody else hop in there, you know what I mean? Like, get a guard in there. And none of the guys moved.

And I stayed at guard. I stayed in guard that week, and we played, and our offensive line played so well that week, and Kenyon Barner broke the rushing record against USC, and we ran them out of the Coliseum. It was my first start in college, really, as the same stadium. My dad got to play in. It was a special day. And then, obviously, the senior bowl invite came and ended up winning the Fiesta Bowl against Kansas State. We lost that year.

We should have probably had a run of the National Championship. We lost to Stanford. they just were the, they were our Achilles heel, they were the out physical you line up and play a mono-emano type team. We were so athletic. We were a mono-imano group, but they were just built the whole way through like that.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life,

mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, again, the whole story started with Southern where you fucked up and you had to overcome. Yeah. Right? And I was telling people, man, the greatest things that I, I've done, I never, and you know this, I don't brag about, I never brag about successes. I only brag about scars. I only brag about shit that I've gone through and gotten through and gotten over.

At what point in your, when you got to, you know, I don't know if it was at Senior Bowl or in college or football. And how often do you, do you go back and you say to yourself, man, look what I fucking overcame to get to where I am. There's been so much that has been there to help me, Glaze. so at times I lose sight of the fact that I am somebody that has overcome some stuff and put my foot in the ground, so to speak. In the offensive line world, we say you've got to put your foot in the ground eventually. And that's when you're sitting on a bull rush.

When Khalil Mack runs at you from five yards away and puts his head in your chest, you've got to put your foot in the ground eventually or you're going to be on his highlight tape. So in life, the same thing happens. I mean, it's not so much about a bunch of big things that happened. It's just so many little things that I did to put myself behind the eight ball as it's knowing that you can always recover. The best players in football are the guys who make mistakes, but they recover. That's really what I think.

I mean, I saw Doran Blan the other day give up a bunch of big catches, and then he goes out and gets an interception. So that's kind of a microcosm for life, and that's really, I mean, they're going to run out of, your enemies will run out of ammo eventually. you just keep fucking going. Like my dad used to tell me when I was playing. I don't care if the sky is falling around you. You just keep coming. And that never served me wrong. It is cool for the two of us also to have been able to lean in the same guy for all these years.

And I have for me for, you know, I kind of go, whenever I have my closest people on these podcasts, my attention spank of all the place. I have a hard time always interviewing. But it's like when we hang out. Right. Yeah. But it's hard time. I have a hard time I interviewed with our family. But the coolest thing for me with our family, right?

Again, you help Ray, Sammy. I adopted myself in Sammy, and I didn't know what I was doing. I became an instadadad. And I turned to your dad on how to be a dad. Your dad is a dad because of what he's had to go through for him, with you, with Chris, with Howard Jr., with all that stuff. And it's just, it's a level of relationship that. But man, it's just incredible, man.

I'm just proud to have you as a brother, man. We're really lucky to have. We're lucky to have each other, and we're even luckier to know my dad and my mom. No doubt. What people fail to realize is that so many people do really love my dad and enjoy my dad and his personality and his wit and his heart. He cares a great deal. And you have to understand the impact that my mom has on that guy. Oh, yeah.

like it's it's a nonstop beam of sunshine into his life like he is as lucky as any of us we're lucky to have him and he's supremely lucky to have her and when i got with rosy i said hey i kind of want the relationship but how i and diana i said i want the same thing that's what i want i want that unbridled support no matter what and that's no matter how much i whatever it is i just kind of know that you're always at no matter how me i am i need to know that you got me and i And I got to probably be reminded of a billion times. And, you know, it's just going to be a constant thing. All right?

It just never changed it. There's much of we want to try and, you know, get better at that situation. I still do. But I always lean into your mom and dad, oh, baby, this is what I want. It's exactly what I want. So I love that she gets to hang out with them now also. And no, listen, hey, this is just how I'm going to be for the rest of my life. Yes.

And there's, you know, there's some days where I just can't match that energy that my mom has. And I'm like, and I see why dad. Dad has to take a lot of naps because he's like, you know, my mom has this energy that's just unbelievable. It's like, if you go hang out with her during the Super Bowl week, I mean, you're going to go to four concerts. You're going to meet all the coolest people. Like, people think Donna Kelsey has a cool gig. My mom has had that gig for like 40 years now. Yes, no doubt.

I mean, she was there when the Raiders won the Super Bowl when they were in Los Angeles. She's been to all the Super Bowls. I've heard all the Yelp reviews from all the locations. of every concert you're at every Super Bowl, yes. You know, she's the last one out the door at the Drake show. You know what I mean? Like with security, my mom's a lot of fun. If you've ever crossed past with her, you would definitely know what I'm talking about.

She's a lot of fun. Tell me the one thing that you, outside of football, that you kind of look back, maybe, you know, we dream about, say, I kind of wish I did this in life. Outside of football, what I would have wanted to do. You know, when I was younger, there weren't a lot of people that, said you should be this when you get older. It was always, are you going to play football? But the one guy who gave me an idea for a job outside of football was my dad. And I remember being like seven.

And he was like, Kyle, you really like talking to people. You're really good at hanging out with people. People enjoy hanging out with you. He goes, and you like being outside. You know what you should do? He should be a park ranger. And the more I think about it, I'm like, that seems like the best job in the world. I think you're going to say you should host an outdoor TV show. I'd never saw a park ranger coming. Like if, you know, you get an opportunity to go and experience the great outdoors, we're lucky enough to go to Montana every summer for our entire lives. And there's a lot of people who don't get to experience that part of the world,

but being a park ranger, like you go up to Glacier National Park, you get to see going to the Sun Road. And you see parts of the maps that people don't get to see when you're the park ranger. You get access to things that, that people don't get access to. Imagine riding out at night when the park's closed with the lights on and just take it in the sights and sounds. I bet it's an awesome gig.

You and I used to also talk. I started a foundation called MVP merging vets and players where put together, you know, former combat vets with ex-NFL players, fighters, because when you lose your locker room, it's hard. And that transition is really difficult for a lot of people. And you and I have talked about it for years and years and years. And, you know, you had that, you, you came out of, obviously, you went from transition from baseball,

then to football, then out of that, into broadcasting. A, has it gotten easier as years have gone by, is that transition ever go from, okay, it's transitioned. Now it's kind of done. Now I'm just in this outside world. Or do you still, you know, look at it. It's like, man, I'm still transitioning. We're always transitioning, right?

I mean, people ask me how retirement is because they view me as a football player. And I'm like, we're never really retired, right? I mean, I know old guys who are volunteer firemen or drug testers for the NFL. It's their only gig. Nobody's ever really retired. And for me, it's always changing. Like, I started this studio gig a few years ago at CBS Sports and I love it. I get to do pregame there.

And it's a lot of fun. I get to be myself. Like the advice you gave me at the senior bowl, be yourself. And that advice has carried me through. It's the same advice my dad gives me and, you know, just be yourself. And I get to do that. And now I'm doing Greenlight Podcast on Monday. So it's a live show with my brother.

And that's been a transition. It's like it's not all, you know, rainbows and sunshine. So we've had to learn how to work with one another and put our egos aside at times and understand that also people enjoy watching the egos kind of butt heads a little bit. Like particularly when we talk about Aaron Rogers. And we have different thoughts about the whole Aaron Rogers thing. But like last week, one of our members didn't feel well. I had to fill in on a segment on the NFL today, which is.

is something I've never done before. And they, you know, they told me during the show. So I had to go across the hallway and do something extra. And that's a transition. I'd love to eventually call games. And that would be something that I think would lend to my personality. And you pair with the right person and you just have fun and talk about what you see, man. And I just remember growing up listening to those classic calls.

And it was just dudes up there calling what they see. And the guys who I really enjoy now, Mark Sanchez being one of the, of them doesn't get enough love over there at Fox. He does a fabulous job. And I know Mark outside of the field or off the field. He lived with me in Chicago. The guy you hear in the booth is the guy you'd hang out with at a bar on Friday. So those are the guys you want to listen to. I'd love to be like that. But I know how hard it is. You've got to know everybody, everything, every week. So the studio gig I'm comfortable with right now. And I think that, you know, you find that locker room, that was huge. I think a lot of guys, again,

and we talk about this. You know, they, eight, they finish up and they don't know what to do. They feel like, man, I got to race out and find that next thing. I think that's where a lot of guys kind of get in trouble.

It's just not trying to tell guys all the time. Listen, dude, you spilled that blood. You laid that sweat. You earned that cash. Chill out. Just enjoy life. It's so hard.

It's so hard for athletes to teach themselves how to exhale. But that's okay to exhale. It's really important, though, Jay, to also understand that when, like, I truly understand that that advice is coming from a good place. Like, you earned it. Take some time. But at the same time, what we have relied on as athletes is that structure and that everyday regiment. And when you lose that, to your point of losing the locker room, along with the locker room, you're losing that 9 a.m. Lyft Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

You're losing that walkthrough that you so enjoy that prepares you for the chess match to come on Sunday. Those things go by the wayside and you're left staring your life in the face saying, what have I done outside a ball to prepare myself for this? I would urge guys to take time, but I would also urge guys to find a routine that they can stick to during that lull in action in their life. Because once you get away from me, if that car sits in the garage for too long, the wires get rusted, you know, the battery dies, it's going to be a lot harder to get that car back on the road, whether it's physically or just in life, when you do want to get that job. I agree.

We have to have that structure. No doubt. And it's a great advice also. Like make sure the moment you're done, you figure out something else to do, some other structure. We have a schedule. Because the first time,

also in your life, no one's telling you where to go, when to go, who to sit with, who to eat with, who to train with, who to practice with. And the world is a scary fucking place.

It's very scary, especially when you don't have your teammates walk and this walk with you. I just, you know, my point to them also, and that's just a great thing, of don't jump out and find the wrong thing.

You know what I mean? Like, hey, I've got to find something, so I'm just going to... Don't latch on to the first thing, hum it out of... That's exactly right. Exactly right. And that's why I say,

man, just afford yourself some of that grace because you put so much work in to allow yourself to enjoy it. We're just not brained to allow ourselves to enjoy it. And there's people waiting for you to get off of the ferrette.

They've been watching you ride that ferris wheel for a long time. And people have come out in droves. And a lot of people left when you were done playing. But then there's people that are waiting to get something from you or ask something of you when you're done. It's like, he's got time now.

So like you said, don't latch on to everything. Trust your, trust your OGs as it were, as it is. All right. Last thing. Last question. Ask everybody this. Give me your, and you may have already said it, but give me your own breakable moment, the thing that should have broken you but didn't.

And as a result, you came through the other side of that tunnel stronger for the rest of your life. That's your currency forever. man there's just so there's so much glaze it's so tough to put my finger on on one thing i would probably say just getting my life back together after getting in trouble at florida state i mean i have my life in a handbasket there um at florida state it was all there for me and i threw it away uh like we've seen so many times and how many great athletes do we grow up around you say you should have seen this guy Tommy mancino from fucking new hampshire he was the best running back ever or you know i played with a number of guys in junior college who could have played in

the NFL and they fuck something up and they never got back on their feet um and as a result of that i don't know those guys anymore luckily for me i was able to just stick it through and trust the process and have faith um have faith in myself and have faith in uh just that you show up every day and you put yourself you put your best foot forward and good things are going to happen i mean the more good decisions you make, the less you have to worry about when you put your head on the pillow at night, you know what I'm saying? I love it, dude, man. Folks, you know him as an pro offensive lineman.

I know him as my son's manny, Kyle Long, and my brother and my nephew, my family member. And man, I just, like I said, I can't honor our relationship enough, brother. As much as you, I've helped you with along the way, just knowing I have a beast like you who has my back, no matter what, that goes further. than anything. My guy, I love you, man. Thanks for having me. Thanks for joining me, brother. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their

between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the eye heart. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On The Look Back at It Podcasts. For 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it, with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.