Edgerrin James on Athletes Going Broke | Ep. 47 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

everybody we talk to say you cheat. it ain't cheap i'm smart but they used. to be the ones that say you're cheap. [Laughter]. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle paid the price. wanna slice got to roll the dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life look all my life been running. all my life. sacrifice plus will pay the price. wanna slice got to roll it dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life.

hello welcome to another edition of club. shay shea i am your host shannon sharp. also the proprietor club shay shay and. the guy that's stopping by for drinks. and conversation today is the nfl hall. of famer he's a four-time pro bowl. offensive rookie of the year in 1999 led. the league in russian two consecutive. years 1999 and 2000 2000 all decade. indianapolis coast hall of famer. and he's the coast all-time leading. rusher and attempt yards and touchdowns. mr do it all the edge edger and james.

hey what's up man i'm good you know i'm. good always you always good always good. i've never i've never not seen you with. a smile on your face damn you you that. happy all the time life must be really. good i mean when you overcome what we. overcome man we all it's got to be good. it's got to be good yeah thanks for. stopping by today let's go back. because i thought you had a very your. hall of fame speech congratulations on. making that yeah i appreciate it thank. you what 354. six three three six yeah. three three six there have been over 25. 000 men that's played coach managed in.

the nfl seven billion people in the. world. only 354 men can say they got a gold. jacket. how does that make adrian james feel oh. man they make all the work that you put. in make it even worse i mean that's what. really stands out when you see all the. work you put in you see all the people. that's actually trying to play this game. right and you realize you're one of the. few that made it and got that gold. jacket so it seemed like it really. caps it off and said man it was all. worth it right when you started playing. for did you always know you wanted to.

play football even as a kid growing up. in florida yeah football is like the. thing to do down south so we're gonna. play football like i really wanted to be. a basketball player but i only had. strong right i didn't have to left so. but football became football was too. easy for me like football was real easy. it was it's always been easy so i i knew. that was like that was the thing to do. that was the kick it out. that. that was the ticket that was the that. was the best shot at changing things. when did you realize that. i'm really good at this no i'm really.

good and i can change my family's. i can change my family's life forever. when i got to the university of miami. you know when you're in high school you. playing against. the people in your area right you know. so you really don't have no measuring. stick right then when you get to college. and you and you start seeing all these. guys like a lot of these guys they have. like all these five stars they're rated. right and then you go out and practice. and you just like dominating them right. and you just say man this thing right. here seems like it's pretty easy then. you start having guys from your team.

going to the nfl right and i'm like i. just was out there with him and i just. yeah so now i'm like yeah i know i'm i. know i'm gonna be on the next level. right you know i think after my freshman. year that's when i knew and i just. locked in and i had a clock i said i'm. gonna be out of here my junior year. right. you get to the nfl. you get selected what fifth fourth. fourth pick in the draft. they do something they move marshall. to select edger and jane did you.

understand like marsha could do it all. he could catch he could run he could. block. they moved a guy that was rookie of the. year had great numbers and it's like. we think this guy right here can be just. as good if not better. for me i really didn't understand what. was going on man i just. come in front of you trying to get to. the nfl right you know and so for me it. wasn't it had nothing to do with i. didn't think about no martial anything. like nobody i think about man look this. is my opportunity right to make it to. the nfl and once i get to the nfl i'm. gonna make my mark so i really didn't.

look in to all you replacing something. yeah. yeah i focused on me and that's that's. kind of how i did my whole career you. know i always focus on myself and never. got into comparing to nobody or trying. to compete with nobody because it was. always me versus me every time right. you get there okay so obviously you're a. rookie you go through the camp now. y'all need to make the money right. definitely obviously the money wasn't. right because adrian james held out for. the better part a long long time.

yeah i mean. it's. the money was right. okay money was right compared to where. we came from. well i'm coming from the money the money. was right but. you know you got to do things that like. you got to do things in the proper order. and like when you get drafted the fourth. pick. you know you need to be compensated. right right where you're supposed to be. compensated at it's like they could have. like deep down inside like the money was. right on the first offer with me.

i know where i'm coming from cause like. i'm like man all i need is some money. one time i get some money one time i'm. i'm a double triple that later i ain't. worried about that but it was like you. know for the game for the betterment of. the game like running back position you. got to stand up sometimes the guys. coming from behind yeah like you can't. just accept whatever so i said man i'm. gonna. even though there's money right but i'm. gonna do what we gotta do right to make. sure that the numbers are right and so. we went through the whole process. i held out. and it turned out to be well worth it.

right yeah. you come into the league you got dreads. you got gold teeth. did anybody try to convince you. man. you need to get rid you need to cut the. dreads you need to do away with the. goals. did they try to convince you to like. you in the nfl now you got to like have. this like polished image so i think. first first time getting there you know. it was like um you you surprising. everybody because you to pick right for. a pick. and then i think after i became real. good real fast.

that's when that's when it started. coming like man you may want to. you may want to remove your dredge you. may want to remove your gold teeth. because there's so many opportunities. out there for you and that's because you. know when you become real good right and. they were like man you got commercials. you have all these endorsement. opportunities right and so that's when. it really got a push you know after the. first year it was like i'm going to. indianapolis conservative city right and. it wasn't it would know everybody just. kind of wait and see but then we hit it. fast we hit the ground running right we. changed that franchise instantly and in.

the division 13 and three yes and then. you actually you actually a dominant. player out there and so that's when the. push came because it's like man man we. can we can really market you we can. really use you because you know i'm. sitting next to the man i'm sitting next. to p yeah and you know so they're like. man you can really do some some good. things off the field right and so that's. when that push came for that but for me. it was more man i'm i'm edge you know. that's part of what made me who i am so. it was never a consideration for myself. you know it was just.

from the marketing standpoint and the. business opportunities you know i could. have made millions of dollars off the. field easily and became more popular but. that wasn't my sacrifice injury yeah you. know like it wouldn't have been pure and. it really went i don't know what i would. have been on the football field. something different for the golden teeth. in the dread with the part of you with. yourself that's where your strength was. that's the stretch man you know the. darker hey hey. you know there's like this mane i got on. my head man i carry that you know that's. right and but you get it's really about.

being yourself you know like you can go. farther being yourself than trying to be. somebody else. why was that so important to you why was. it so important for edran james to. maintain the dress to maintain the gold. teeth yeah you're from you're from south. florida and you know when we came up the. gold team with the thing everybody tried. to get the gold teeth or have a gold. tooth but you had no you had the whole. grill. you had to grill it was important. because man you got you got all these. shorties that look up to you you got. everybody that that see you and his and. now you you kind of get him hope to say.

man look i don't have to go be this or. be that to make it right you know and. that was very important for me just to. be myself and plus i don't know no other. way you know so it was really important. because the world is opening up you know. like man i'm here to play football you. know if you if you are polished and you. got yourself together but you can't ball. they're going to get rid of you anyway. right but i know if i can get out there. and play ball and and play at a high. level i ain't worried about them getting. rid of me but you think about it not.

edge you were the first you were one of. the few not everybody got dressed. everybody got twisted everybody got it. coming out the helmet but when you did. that you're weren't a whole lot of. people doing that yeah tell them things. yeah yeah yeah you made me comfortable. right now. yeah you did you definitely made them. cover. so you said like got an opportunity i'm. next to peyton manning obviously payton. is buttoned up you look at marvin. harrison he's really quiet button up you. uh reggie was there yourself. did you look around like dang look where.

i'm at. and all this money. i mean i can make. almost as much money off the field is on. the field all i got to do is just know a. little tape up you know shave up you. know pull the grills off it but then. they won't be fun like i i got fun money. you know i got to be myself you know. it's like we want we want to live in. this little box and you can't drink and. so i just like the way i live my life. man i get to be me i don't have to walk. around right and try to put on this. disguise and try to put on and.

that ain't fun you know it's like okay. if you get some money and you're able to. enjoy it living a lot yeah. because this is idris edgar yeah it's. the dreadlock with the dreadlocks and. the gold teeth kid from south florida. that probably chase did you uh you from. you from you from miami right no i'm. making this out west of mine but but. hokey is with it i know you're oh boy. we got we got a lot of guys that's about. to stay for belle glade yeah uh uh uh we. grew up on the yeah we would grow up our. western miami but hokey uh ricky jack.

for boho candy yeah and quality. that's the area but they they did their. thing they brought some they brought. some players up out of there too right. when um. you're a little kid you're playing with. you you're playing with your cousin. you're playing with your homeboys y'all. playing football. what was it like for you growing up. there obviously you didn't have a whole. lot but you had the love of your family. you had people around you that loved you. what was it like for you as a child. growing up no it's normal like it was. normal you don't realize things aren't.

normal till you step outside of your. face you know because everybody living. just like me yeah it wasn't no big deal. you know you you don't even realize it's. like it's so much more to offer the. world got so much more to offer right. until you. remove yourself from that space and then. you but then. the beauty of it is i got a great. appreciation for things and that's why i. like every day i'm having a good day i'm. always in a good space because i know. where i'm coming from a lot of people. they they don't really understand what. it's like to make it out of certain. situations right so and i think all our.

lives kind of run parallel especially. like the athlete you look at the words. that dumbledore they always got a story. yeah they always got something to make. them dig deep yeah you had to open. something yeah everybody i mean every. champion got to overcome some more it. ain't even fun you know that's when it's. worth it. mentioned i'm reading your bio said you. harvested watermelons in georgia yeah we. just had to go do that. what part of georgia were you headed to. uh it was like ashburn cordial okay. so. that's middle middle georgia yeah we had.

but we had to go like it was for us it. was the thing that they were like a. chance to get away from south florida. right you know so like we get a chance. to go out and go watermelon they need. hard load watermelons not easy. i know but at the end it makes it make. you tough to get that grown man yeah. i ain't want to be tough i want to be. like all the other kids. i want some money i was like man i. figured out how to get me some money. like that was a way to get some money on. my own you know especially when you're.

13 14 you know you got to find out i. want to do chores to get some money i. want to take out the trash i want to. watch some dishes and cut some grass i. ain't going to be doing grown man work. i appreciate the grown man work because. i ain't doing no more growing up the. rest of my life you know what i tell i. tell kids that when i talk to kids now. do a lot of things while you're growing. up because it'll show you what you don't. want to do for the rest of your life. exactly doing that cropping tobacco. clipping onions loading watermelon. bailing hay it man i don't want to do.

this without 40 years y'all crazy it's. my son just right i don't even like. lifting my own bags now man like i ain't. doing nothing hards but and that's what. i'm saying i got all that out of the way. early everything is dependent on the. weather it rained you can't go to work. you'll get no payday can't get no money. no parts of this yeah. i'm really that you said you didn't. really lift weights. until you got that did you got to. college. yeah like i mean i would i wasn't part. of the weight program you know every our. stuff was structured like that you know.

that would say everything is off the. muscle right here you know like you get. the college you got a weight room you. got a program you got all that stuff. right there you can't help but to get. better i couldn't help but get better. you know now you getting three good. meals a day it ain't no eating peanuts. no we always ate good you ain't good mom. has a day right we always ate good we. always ate good i shoulda came down to. live with y'all dude no we don't they. the family gonna make sure we eat good. that's one thing you're gonna do you're. gonna eat good you want to transfer high. school and your mom said no. yeah nah see not like it's.

it's like we don't need to go somewhere. else to kind of get advantage you know. what i'm saying like the game of. football is are you good you're good. right you know yes and a lot of people. don't realize. the team needs you more than you realize. it right you know and if you're really. good you can help this team they're. coming to get you so that's one thing. that that was. that my mom made sure like we're gonna. stay right here we're gonna rock we're. gonna rock out right here right and if. they come for you they come for you and. you know what the university of miami. did.

your mom was a cafeteria worker made 17. 000 a year. what was how did. you see what she's going through to try. to provide for you and your family. what kind of. fire did that light inside of you is. like man look at what my mom's going. through my mom shouldn't have to work. this hard i got to get up out of here i. mean when you say opportunity you're. like okay yeah you want to be the one. that you want to be the the one that. saved the day you know like you want to. be the one that said okay like a lot of. a lot of times everybody talking about. what they'll do for their mom and what.

they'll do they run out going to jail. they're going to get in trouble like nah. like you're going to represent for your. mom you got to make sure you're staying. out of trouble right you make sure you. retire her you make sure you take care. of her you make sure that when she. walk in the room. and her son his name is bro she light up. right you know what i'm saying like yeah. this this my child you don't want to be. with where your mom always going worried. about you yeah they gotta go to the. prison to see you like every time you. like every time you go to the prison you. gotta go see you see a bunch of moms in.

there right it's like everybody talking. about what they'll do for their mama. like now i'm really about that you know. i'm really about taking care of my mom i. really dedicated myself to doing that. and i made sure that i said man look i'm. gonna go do everything i can do make. sure this lady don't have to work don't. have to do nothing the rest of her life. and i've been upholding my end of the. bargain you know but it all came from. the beginning when you shut up then you. made that commitment and you said man. i'm not i'm not about to be out here. getting in trouble you know that's my. word yeah that's that's really. embarrassing your mom but like a lot of.

time you're seeing everybody like man i. i died for my mama you you embarrassed. you killing her. you killing her right now with the way. with your actions you know. and so for me it was always important to. say okay look. if i got the opportunity to do something. let me make the most out of it and. that's why with football you know that. was my opportunity. going into your senior year he was like. okay this is my opportunity to shine did. you always want to go to the university. of miami or was it about getting a.

scholarship. and getting getting one step closer to. doing what you had said retiring my mom. taking care of my mom making sure my mom. hey mom you ain't got to do nothing else. you got you got a son they're going to. take care of this thing we straight now. the university of miami always top dog. number one school like especially south. florida you know the university of miami. was always the number one choice you. know the only thing that made me even. look into other situations because the. universal mind was coming up with saying. they had these sanctions they were about. to go on probation right so we had to.

look into all those factors you know to. see okay are they going to do something. with the program is going to be. restricted you know once we got the. information that's a no-brainer like i. think i think that's the best school in. the world you know because it it. provides everything you know it provides. it's a it's a total package you know. like i ain't i'm not built for no. college town you know i want to be with. action. [Laughter]. i got to be where it's sad so alan so. alabama and lsu that we're going to cut. it for you huh nah.

they just they just drink beer and. wrestle and play video games i like man. i got time for all that man you know. like we had the you man we really doing. our thing. well if you from if you go to the you. obviously trick daddy and uncle luke. automatically yeah i mean ain't no wheel. riding automatically but i'm saying. that's that's the thing we got out we. got our own everything you know we got. our own rappers we got our own. everything and but it's a small it's a.

small school but it's the thing the. hunger and and the things that you get. from coming from that place you know. it's like man it's something you can't. really describe that's why you are you. see it it's any team you've been on with. somebody in front of you you going in. the locker room you're gonna know. they're a little bit different yeah babe. they're always different man i played. with porters. man. bad poet yeah i don't know why pogier. won't do man i will see you should have. been around pope a lot longer that pope.

would have done right component wouldn't. do right for nothing you can't go get it. together man that's my boy man you'll. get it you can get it right i told. possibly po you don't realize how. special you are man i know i'm gonna do. no you're not gonna do right bro i just. saw you leave the hotel last night. before the game yeah you're gonna talk. about what you're gonna do right. but that's my boy i i love that dude i. love that dude yeah man good good dude. man like that's my boy man. what was it like hanging out with trick. and and luke you i mean like we all like.

like trick we all around the same age. right so we we kind of grew together. right like we grew together you know. uncle luke a little bit old he always. been the mentor yeah. yeah but the thing about it is that like. when you bawling and you you you kind of. enjoying each other's success. the game over you know i'm jumping the. car with trick daddy we going to do what. we do you know like. and then you got uncle luke. i'm alone always he always that guiding. force for you.

he like it ain't like they're gonna hire. you out here going for bad or doing them. bad but you're gonna have fun but at the. same time we understand like look man i. can look do so much in the community and. so much with the kids right and you. understand like okay it's important to. go out here ball out but stick your face. back in the community right still be. active still be around to show. these young kids like look man you can. actually do it too right and so he has a. great balance with that and that's one. thing that we've always kind of did we. always had good balance you know we.

we're gonna have fun right now that. we're definitely gonna have fun but. it's gonna be the right way. when you finally go you get drafted by. the colts fourth overall. you hold out but you finally get that. get the payday. there was no direct deposit back then. they sent you that check you get that. you look at that check you're like oh. what was going what was the first thing. that went through your mind when you saw. that chat. for me you know like you let you listen. you. first of all you go and i only looked at. chat for like three four seconds because.

like man i was. like. i had to secure the bag you know like it. was secure so everyone it's like man. okay yeah i got this part right here so. i just glanced glanced at it and i had. it but i wanted to go to practice you. know it was like. that i wanted to get out there and show. you like man like what you gave me like. no like i'm for real i'm for real i'm. really that deal like um but it's like. because you you know you're going. through a thing where you getting. questioned like they're like why they. got this guy and we don't really know. this guy right and so a lot of people. questioning.

the draft and so for me it was just like. man i can't wait to get out here and. just show them what i'm capable of doing. so when i get the check i hand it to our. people and i said man i'm ready to go. i'll just get right into practice you. had it too you had it till you said okay. let's go to practice man i'm gonna check. one more time let me get it one more. time. [Applause]. that's mine i ain't got to worry about. that man i'm going to get the other. stuff now you know like. that's already mine you try to get. another bag nice all right. yeah that was secured right we should.

that's a man i don't look at nothing oh. man like that's there you know like but. now i'm trying to get out here so i can. go out and represent okay and show you. like man y'all gonna see that the air is. the real deal you know and it didn't. take long for that to happen. what was the first thing that you bought. man i don't even know man i i stood my. first did you splurge on anything you. ain't gonna roll it you ain't getting no. you ain't getting no don you ain't. getting no you ain't getting no bends. you ain't you ain't buy nothing. no no i really mad i take care of our.

family i make sure my mom is straight. but i ain't my first year i still live. with my i still live in my college um. sitting in my college apartment with my. own with a roommate because i ain't no i. wouldn't even trip my thing was just to. get some money you know that's that's. the main thing hey y'all everybody i. ever talked to say you cheat. it ain't cheap i'm smart but they used. to be the ones that say you're cheap. hey. maybe. it's like i ain't never asked nobody for. nothing right my kids ain't never asked.

nobody for nothing all that stuff nice i. got all the nice things that everybody. else got i just do mine a different way. right i got the rolls royce got the. bentley got the boat got a bunch of. properties but i just do it differently. you know it's like they think you they. think it's cool to go out and spend 30. 000 at a club. come on man for real. yeah but but i'm cheap because i won't. go spend 30 thousand likes. yeah it's like. nah you know i make a hell though for. them you know i got a couple of coins i.

can't make it rain like they do. i'm not gonna tell them to stop doing it. cause what i did i entered the club. business so right come over there. [Laughter]. come on with that same 30 000 keep that. same intensity show me you ain't cheap. that i want to see show me you ain't. cheap. i don't want to hear that hey can you. cut the price no. i'm the cheap one remember. man i'm looking at you saying hello your. first signing bonus you bought two. rundown bills in a and a drug area and. a moki immokalee immokalee.

and turn them into summer together for. local kids then you had a fun house big. screen video game pool table cards. kitchen. made you do that. i mean it's it's appropriate you know. them things you're supposed to do you. know it's like that's your way of of. really giving back and helping and. showing you know you can sho you can you. can help a lot of people right by making. one move right one move can can change. the structure of so many other kids like. like right now. from immokalee mockly we got four guys.

that's in the nfl right now and those. same four guys used to come to that same. building right that. we opened up and that we had around and. it was actually pretty cool to actually. see that you know there was a part of it. and then you're showing them what they. could do you're showing them like look. man when it's your turn make sure you. follow come back yeah yeah it's it's. always to see when you can actually see. somebody from your area do something. go to the nfl or go to the nba or even i. mean be a lawyer or doctor.

special athlete because you know young. black kids a lot of us we aspire to be. athletic we hey that's that's how we see. our ticket out and to see edgar and. james hold on hey from here well he got. out i can get out because that's how i. looked at my brother my brother went to. college well i played with him i beat. him sometimes 101. i could go to college. he went to the nfl hold up he went he. ate the same food i ate he got rained on. in the same house i did i can go to the. nfl too exactly and that that's but. that's what it's about like you showing.

them that it's possible and that's part. of that's part of my whole mo man like. look i'm gonna come across as. normal. and i'm gonna do all the same things. y'all do so i'm showing you that it's. possible right now you gotta dig into it. a little bit more to say okay what what. separated me from them right and that's. when that discipline and their hard work. and that really knowing what it's going. to take or doing what it's going to take. to get there you mentioned about the fun. house that you established in your. hometown and you said there there were. four little kids that later became nfl.

players. you know who they are. yeah you got dj sanat. you got. um mackenzie alexander. you got the ernest johnson that played. for the cleveland browns. and then you got the pro bowler um jc. that played for new england patriots you. know all four of those kids they they. used to be around they all out of mockly. and that's what's that that's what it's. about you know the bird to have kids. that's in the community that actually. see you do what you do and they fall in.

those footsteps so they refer to you as. hong kong. um. i got a millionaire. i got a million names for them like they. they actually make you feel old like. they really them the ones that make you. feel oh you like. and then you go back you go through some. of the pictures right and you see the. kids out there doing what they were. doing and like dang like i'm like i've. really been around a long time right and. like like to see jc go to the pro bowl.

you know like. you're like man i watched this kid. from birth right you know but it's it's. a good feeling to know that you got. people coming from your area that you um. inspired your rookie season. 1553 yards. rookie of the year. next year you followed it up with over. 1700 yards. another uh all pro. you get off to the start that you got. off you're like. were you thinking down this e man.

it might be easier than you. it was. it was man it's like. like i think me personally i can't it. can't down the sport but i think for me. a lot of time i i was like man the nfl. is overrated you know i thought it was i. felt like it was overrated because. you 21 22 years old and then i got this. dude in the locker room that's 30 31 32. right. i know he can't keep up with me you know. what i'm saying and it's like so the the.

balance i mean the age difference it may. be like man this this game is like a. joke you know what i'm saying like now. i'm playing with these older guys i. can't do this they got to be in the cold. tub you know like for us we just. suit up gold play and then do whatever. we do and then you start saying man it's. not really that hard you know especially. if you know if you know what you're. doing and you and you on top of your. stuff. like it's not cause there's no secrets. in the nfl right like when you line up i. know exactly what you're gonna do they. got all the film all the information but.

you gotta study now yeah that but that's. what i'm saying that's what made me that. what made me say we studied right like. you studied you put in the work and i'm. like man this game really easy like you. know you think about in college you. don't study you know high school you. don't study you just you figure it out. by second third quarter right in the. pros you know from the first play to the. last but you know exactly what's gonna. happen and whoever do it the best that's. who gonna win right how are you go i. mean look you you. with. marvin. reggie.

payton. man you guys. turn it around just like that. it was. because. everybody came with the same. approach mentality nobody was like a pre. prima donna everybody put in that work. you know so if you see all your big dogs. putting in that work you know everybody. around you got to follow suit right. they're like mob gonna go out and do his. thing you know p gonna do his thing and. then okay i'm coming in i'm coming from. the university of miami where we we came. from uh nfl nfl-style.

coaching you know coach davis he came. from the dallas cowboys our whole thing. was structured so when i get to. indianapolis. the structure of the price was exactly. the same so it wasn't no difference with. that right and if you start. just focusing on okay yeah you just. focus on your job and focus on what you. got to do you're like man all i got to. do is just work and everybody put in. work and by us putting in work the. the gm had to put together the right. pieces and we had a nice balance. what was it like playing with peyton.

because we see the omaha and people talk. about man he's a smart. what's it like playing with payton. you're playing with somebody that's. committed to the game like totally. committed to the game not on. outside distraction and you can tell. that the game means a lot to him you. know and. then when you when you start digging. into it a little bit more you can say. man this man really love this game you. know and you see all the work that he. put in he continued to put in the work. and that's the thing that you get a. greater appreciation for and you start. saying like man this man really like.

this man really love football you know. and then you start saying okay the. things they're doing to get better and. get better and always looking at a. little detail even it comes to a fake. you know. some people they just do a fake like. this he gonna do it stick his head do. all you can do. that wide stretch that right that wide. stretch that y'all ran to he going way. out there i mean you duck and you. doubling over like you really got the. ball the details of it and what i'm. saying every day.

every day you say you know cause you i. mean you play a long time i think why. they get boring out there you know you. practice get boring but when you see a. person doing it every day man you got a. lovely appreciation for you know they. really love the game right and. and he did exactly what it was supposed. to do right. what was it like reuniting with reggie. because um. kane kane you got that's what i i can. honestly say this you guys if you from. the u. yeah whether you graduated from you in. 1983 or you graduated from.

2013. man i ain't never seen nobody around. like y'all do y'all bad that thing that. y'all down yeah we down with each other. so we're reggie you know like i kind of. got i kind of got a little insight that. we were going to be drafting. reggie i thought when we read you all. saying towns right and you know i had to. give him the heads up. so you get this last school you don't. know don't tell hey don't tell me. nothing about one of my boys and tell me. to keep a secret i'm letting you know. like hey. he gonna know but you know not that he.

know the act like he'll know right so. when he got the phone call you know it. was like man dang we back together again. right you know we we back and i know. what i'm gonna get from reggie. and. with reggie reggie reggie was a dog from. the first time we met. and i actually talked about that in my. book you know because reggie the first. time being reggie. our first encounter you know kind of hit. it off. at the u right and from then on i'm like.

yeah he one of us right there man that. boy right there he got it and to know he. coming to. to the coats because i already know we. got p. we got eights. and now. once we get the other side secured. you know how no worries now because i. know i know what they're gonna get. rather reggie wayne right you know and. then now i got. now i got a workout partner because. when you get to the pros you realize. they don't really work out like like you. used to work out you know everybody they. ain't working like they're not in the. nfl you ain't working out like college.

yeah they ain't working like that and so. they so you like in you're in this space. where you like man [ __ ] i'm the only one. out here really working out like this. but it's the way everybody everybody do. things differently right when reggie. comes like we got us we got same summer. workouts. in season work out everything the same. so it was actually pretty good it was. actually pretty cool. marvin. he's the guy look everybody knows peyton. uh they know you we're talking to you. and giving us an insight marvin hadn't.

done a whole lot of interviews marvin. was really really quiet uh you see him. on the bench he would just be sitting. there like staring off. what was he like what was marvin really. like in the locker room nah mother real. they're like man mom. marv is about his business you know you. see when you talking about somebody. that's about his business i'm here to. take care of my business that's mob you. know all the extra stuff is like it's. really irrelevant it don't really it. don't really matter to mob you know so. he just came out dude has been up to my.

work hard you're gonna never see a miss. practice you're gonna never see him not. do the things supposed to do and great. teammate. like me and mark we talk every day still. talk now you know and when you when you. got somebody like that man they strictly. about their business and they're gonna. do what they take man that's that's what. you want with you on your squad. you. have to leave the colts. were you disappointed. that you were forced to. after you spent so many great years.

there and you you seem to be like man we. really we man we really close i know we. can do this thing and you end up going. to arizona. yeah i mean for me when you when you go. into the nfl you know it's a business. right so i don't i don't take nothing. personal i never talk none personal and. i just ride out as long as i can ride. out and then it's like it's a decision. okay if i want to stay at the coast i. mean i need to take this or i can go to. arizona and get this you know and we. know what i'm here for y'all know what. i'm here for.

you know i i mean you got to go you try. to get the third bag yeah i got one bag. you got the second bag like that would. go but i really i was never shy about. why i'm here what i'm here to do right. i'm gonna do my job but i'm here i want. to make sure that i secure. my future i better do what i set out to. do right because that's what the game. was for me you know if i win a super. bowl i win a championship i win all that. stuff that'd be great you know but for. me what the game. what they did my calling to this game.

was the british man you know what you. can take this lady. and. secure her future make sure you like. you're somebody's blessing sometimes i'm. like man maybe maybe my mom was blessed. and well so i understood why i was there. so when it came to having to go. to another team. it wasn't that big a deal for me you. know for me it's like okay let me find. the best situation because i understand. like this it's just the nature of the. business right and nobody's gonna be. locked in with one team for the rest of. their career and get it the way they.

want it for the most part. so for me i like when the time is up. it's time to go and for me you didn't. you're not going to hear me be bitter. you're not going to see me complain yo. i'm just looking for the next action you. know it's like and i'm glad because i i. went to arizona made some friends. got a chance to get into a new space and. then we actually made it to the super. bowl so i knew i made the right decision. because i went to a team i took the risk. you know to go to a team that wasn't. even popular that wasn't doing much. right and we still end up turning that. franchise around so i got a chance to do.

it twice. were you disappointed when the coach. went to the super bowl and they won. nah i was happy i was actually. like when they when they got joseph. would die i made sure i reached out to. joe to die. let him know all the information he. didn't know about the stretch play about. all the offense you know and i was down. there hanging with them you know i just. didn't have to go to practice. and i got a ring the coach yeah that was. like everybody so it was like. i got hey.

i had to do no work when mr irsay called. you says edward you know. for the great player the great person. that you had been. i know that you know you weren't here. but i want you to have a super bowl ring. how did that make you feel i don't know. i don't know. i don't know that that doesn't happen. off on the edge i mean i mean it lets. you know that man they appreciate what. you're doing and. and i call them the big man the big man. always did things the right way you know. he always you know he understands the. business and but you understand the.

person too and like they they know we. built that thing we built it up but the. business is gonna do what it does you. know and for me i wasn't tripping so he. said okay yeah man. um they're gonna give me a super bowl. ring and that's that's like a it's like. you appreciate that you know you. appreciate that you know and. for some guys you got guys played. forever and they never got a chance to. even be part of a playoff win right. whatever i'm part of an organization. that i'm tied to forever and.

everything worked out just like it's. supposed to. you you mentioned you did get to the. super bowl with the cardinals. laugh fish gerald kurt warner yourself. three-headed monster. and you got the lead late in the ball. game. what's going through your mind as the. steelers have the ball late and they're. going down the field what are you. thinking because it's out of your hands. now you don't go on down the field. you've got to leave you don't gotta you. haven't done your part you did your part. we got the lead there's two minutes left. what's going through edger and james. mind we just need to stop once you just.

need one stop and that's that's what it. comes down to but you know most nfl. games are won. their last the last two minutes and. pittsburgh they went they did their. thing you know they found a way to win. you know we just but we just needed one. stop so you take one stop away from. actually winning the game but you play. enough games man you understand how it. goes you win something like that you. lose somebody exactly been on been on. the winning end of a lot of games and so. happened it was on the big stage and it.

didn't happen. but man we did some great things that. yeah. looking at your stats you know you top. 1500 yards four times you're on the. fourth one of four players to ever do. that barrett sanders eric dixon walter. payton and yourself over 12 000 rush. yards 80 touchdowns 11-year career over. 15 000 scrimmage yards. uh eclipsed 1 000 yards seven times of. the numbers that you have. personal your personal accolades. what's that you're most proud of.

i like the 1500 the one going there. because you with that group and it's. just hard to do you don't realize but. it's actually really hard to do it. that many times but the fact that i did. it after the injury because if i don't. get hurt i'm going to leave the league. probably i don't know how many times. wait a minute. the first two years you lead the league. in russian you tear your acl yeah your. third year right yeah i was leading i. was i was off to my best start my my. third year. you know and that's when i had the acl.

injury right but it's part of the game. you know so. you don't really trip on that like. that's that's what really how did that. injury change you it changed my game you. know it made me it changed my game it. made me get a greater appreciation for. the game because. before. i ain't even really. i didn't really trip on football i just. go out and play right it was too easy it. was it was way too easy if you work out. you train you study you go play you're. gonna have success and that's the way i. always look at it but then when you get. hurt now you can't do the things that.

you normally do and so now you gotta get. a little more grime you gotta get into. your studies i i i need to know a little. bit more about what the defense is about. to do i need a little bit more of an. edge right because once you get hurt you. got you need to know more right so it. turned into a a better student and to. run to run for 1500. after that twice you know that right. there was that was a big deal you know i. think that was something that because. it's hard it's hard to do. adrian james is the general manager.

you get to pick one back. who you taking in today's game and. today's game it depends on what type of. offense i'm. running it depends. man you got some. you got you got some good backs man but. i like diamond cook man you like dally i. like dabbing. yeah you taking david cook over uh. jonathan taylor no you did because i. watched i like jason's not his style. more fish fish. no you have to remember.

i watched diamond cook and pop warner. you know so it's and that's what i'm. saying so for me i'm i'm looking at a. person from there right jt he runs the. ball i love to watch he's my favorite. back to watch this year you know i. watched him i watched him watch what he. did with the coach but when i say okay. like for me i look at it from from a. youth perspective i used to go out and. watch this kid. playing on on a part one or high school. level. so i like i like the way cook we run and.

cut cook he out of nowhere he's gonna. explode you know like we watch that. explosion. do you believe if derek henry doesn't. get hurt he's going over 2 000 again. because he has almost a thousand. at that week eight. yeah 17 games you can go do more than. i'm wearing a beast man that way that. boy was killing it man so yeah he was. gonna i think you'll see a lot of guys. going over two thousand i was hoping jt. got the 2000 this [ __ ] right he got a. little late start but he would.

what state has the best athletes. florida texas. california or georgia. you said the first one first oh i gotta. throw i gotta throw louisiana i gotta. throw the boot up in nice florida it's. florida man it's florida cause we get. around. and then we hard-nosed like florida's. just hard north florida rough rugged. and so the best football state is. florida so we go we go dis texas you uh. cali you done georgia y'all got no. chance it stops it stops in florida like. it's just florida man.

how about this. mount rushmore of dread athletes. i'm treading athletes. oh no man is is okay and you up there i. already freaking with you you were. wrecking ball. ricky balled out man fizzy see pizza got. a pretty boy dress. you got different dreads man what kind. of dress you got like but. no. because everybody got everybody. everybody rocking dreads everybody you.

you're the godfather of the draft at nfl. man i need to get some kind of. compensation man hold on. you trying to get another bag. to the opportunity out there. i just saw. justin jefferson. at the pro bowl. with a grill. yeah. i mean he out. it grew up his grill costs the grill. i think he had some diamonds i'm. thinking he must have been. you know. they're doing it. johnny dang i know man i got to see how.

we can get on the other side of that. they want these grills i need to be on. that side. so you find out people want grills you. want to find out how to go from start. mega grill i know you're supposed to and. that's how i go. i'm surprised you ain't trying to be. like elon musk because everybody hey. everybody want to elect your car. come out and start making a living man. there's opportunity man we got we got to. look into that. what is uh what is it what is a typical. day like now for edric james.

um it depends on what's going on like. everything based around my kids okay. like my kids they got six yeah three. girls three boys three boys three girls. and so right now it's basically ranging. age from 24 to 14. 14. yeah i had a. 10-year run. you got a lot of confidence yeah you're. right man so but no it depends on what's. going on like if if it's somebody to go. to the college i'll show up to the. college if it's a basketball game i'll. show it to that and so.

i'm gonna make sure i do everything i. gotta do for them first and then i. decide that i'm gonna do me i i could do. me one o'clock two o'clock three o'clock. five you know. man like. i'm good but now i got i got a pretty. good lifestyle man it's like. kind of do what you want to do right. that's why like like i always say create. a life you want to live and like that's. what i did i created this whole thing to. where. you know i'm here early in the morning. like i usually don't i don't like to get. up early in the morning because i like. to be alert at night so i can just kind.

of move the way i want to move right now. they're moving like let my body wake me. up right i don't like just jump up. because i have to go do something well. how are you. how did you do well in football cause. you know football you got to get up. early. yeah i know we had to be to work at nine. we had to be working at nine yeah we had. to be to work at nine but in college. it's earlier than that because you know. you got the early morning workout those. lifting sessions those running sessions. in the off season. that that was when i was on somebody. else's clock that's what i was saying i. was always preparing.

i was gonna be on youtube. yeah so i was just. i was just making sure that i said i'm. gonna prepare for when it become my turn. to be the boss right and how i'm gonna. do. my lifestyle and that's where my. lifestyle is now the way it's just the. way i want it like i don't have to be up. early in the morning unless it's. something i commit to right you know and. you know that like i i can't. i wouldn't change nothing that i got. going on because it's all it's laid out. pretty cool. what.

do you want your kids to be most proud. of. when they talk about their dad. that is committed to them you know. that's that's the thing it's like you. know you got a lot of fathers it's easy. to let out sit out there and make them. but to make them great to get behind. them you know that's. that seems like it's a challenge when it. shouldn't be a challenge but it seems. like it's a challenge and if you deal. with a lot of these youth programs and a. lot of these. um. privileged situations.

the thing that's always missing is the. father right you know most of the time. and so for me you know my kid's not. gonna bear to say they daddy wasn't. there you know that dude that they daddy. didn't make a way didn't sit up there. and put them in the best position. possible like for me any opportunity or. any situation with anything they're. getting involved in you know i'm gonna. go above and beyond to make sure i. position them the best i can possibly. position them and i'm gonna always be. there you know that's the main thing. that's a very tough balance. because i've told people that in order.

to be great and all their level of. greatness how great you want to be you. got to sacrifice a lot now you're going. to miss some recitals or maybe football. game or this or that. because in order because edran james. wanted to be the best yeah you want to. secure the bag but in order to secure. the bag you got to be the best yeah you. definitely and that's and that's that's. one balance that a lot of people. don't really understand how hard it is. yes but you got you got this if if. there's a gap well there's an. opportunity. i'm gonna make it happen right so it's.

like if i have to be somewhere and this. and it's important they know okay yeah. i'm gonna miss this. situation right here but if there is a. true opportunity to be there i'm gonna. be there you know i'm gonna make sure. that i'm there i'll make sure i'm on. point i don't care if it's you have to. jump on the private plane or if you got. to jump on this plane that plane you get. there and then you get where you got to. get to. but it has to truly be. something where it's like yeah i i had a. chance to be there but i don't want to. be where you can blow something off all.

the time you know and i and i in our. world we can always make an excuse right. we can always say okay oh yeah i had to. go take care of some business right but. it comes from within you know from. within where you're saying okay yeah i'm. personally i'm gonna make sure i'm there. if i can really be there right so if i'm. not there i couldn't be there you and i. were talking off camera your oldest is. 24. and you say one of the things that. you're proud of is that your kids got an. opportunity to see what you did for a. living and someone didn't have to tell. them where your daddy was this your dad.

was that. how did that make you feel getting an. opportunity to see your kids because my. kids got an opportunity to see me play. you know my son was coming to the locker. room my kids got an opportunity to go to. the super bowl how did that make you. feel knowing that you know what this is. why i'm doing it guys this is really. what i'm doing i got mom back home but i. got. eyes in the stands just watching me yeah. my eyes. yeah it started but it started at the. university of miami you know you when. you 18 you're like okay i'm about to. have a child like okay now things really. turn up and so it gives you another.

level or another reason to push or even. go harder right and then to watch for. them to actually see like my oldest got. a chance to kind of witness the whole. yeah you gotta see it all she got a. chance to see the whole thing so they. understand exactly where you're coming. from and they can they can see okay yeah. yeah my daddy really did this the. youngest one they really don't know you. know they they really didn't understand. it until probably later until probably. went to the hall and all right right but. the oldest got a chance to really see it. and they understand that like man my. daddy really did all this right and and.

then when they started looking back at. how you get there you know that's that's. one thing that really stands out to them. like now my kids are reading the book. they're reading the book and they're. like ain't that i know you did all this. or did all because that was before their. time right and and so now they got an. even greater appreciation for their dad. how do you get your kids because the way. you came up uh you came up an area that. was infested with drugs there was not a. whole lot of money. and he was like okay this is my.

opportunity this is what i can do to get. out. they come up in a very different. situation than you and that was the. hardest thing to try to teach my kids. discipline but knowing the sacrifices. that i made was to make sure they didn't. have to live the life that i had to live. so how do you balance that edge well you. first of all you don't keep nothing away. from them right you know you put it in. front of them you show them okay that's. what i had to do but that's what you get. a chance to do and so they get a chance. to see it they get the comparisons. you know that's what really really kind.

of opens their eyes you know you just. point those things out like i don't hide. nothing from my kids i'm not gonna hide. nothing to say okay they made like. everything with peaches and cream you. know you're gonna sit back and say okay. these are situations. or these are things you have to go. through or these are things that it took. and. now you're here don't settle for where. you're at but but this is just one level. there's other levels that you can go to. right so i push them to even go to even. higher levels you know and my daughter. she chose to be a lawyer you know i like. man you want to get in positions of. power you want to go to a space that.

people don't normally go. my kids um i got foreign and hbcus you. know they understand the importance of. being there for your culture being. somebody that people can look at and say. man dang they did it the right way they. didn't just take the easy route you know. they made sure that they're aware of. what they're doing. you you we didn't get to this earlier. but you there's a tragic incident that. happened you say your uncle. saw your uncle commit suicide you had uh.

uncles dealing with the crack cocaine. epidemic which was very prevalent in the. black community especially in the south. where it was all over inner city but in. the south also. when you're when you're watching that. when you're around that. what's going through your mind as a. child well you're just a child it's the. norm so you really don't know it goes. back to the beginning you're like you. really you really don't know. those things all you just know just you. want to do better right you just want to. always do better and you just start. learning uh. what is better you know sometimes some.

people just getting you know back in the. day if you just went to college you was. doing great you know now. the level has went up you know so you. just always want to just continue to do. better and that's why i always do that. so you always want to improve on things. and just try to always. do more and position more people. what what is your proudest. accomplishment. my kids you know to have. like right now i'm four for four i got. four kids in college right now okay so.

it's like that's that's for me it always. gonna be around my kids because i. understand like how important it is. right but you're very to do it the way. that i'm doing it and i don't have a. college degree my kids go. [Laughter]. hey like they're going to be running. your business they're going to be. running your businesses yeah man like. you contradicting yourself you said no. they're saying it's important to have a. degree but you don't have a degree i'm. like. oh that this one is totally different. over here. so yeah. so you obviously you want to go you want.

you want to go six for six. but. i lost my train of thought right here um. do your kids follow you on social media. yeah they're gonna follow me my kids. don't follow me. mine my kids but you know what dude your. kid my kids. my daughters. get upset at dimension by name. because they think you're gonna give. them something because of who their dad. is not because of what they earn so. they're very reluctant to say.

when someone says do you know shannon. sharp instead of saying yeah that's my. dad they say yeah we know him no my kids. my kids want all that. my kids want all that action man hey. my son my son's gonna say yeah that's my. dad yeah the girls. uh especially my oldest my oldest go. like yeah we know him uh yeah i know him. um why do you ask nah my my. i want you to know like hey this what's. up like. but they got a cool mine got a cool.

daddy you know like i'm i'm into what. they're into like you know so and that's. what make it cool that's what make it. cool like you get a chance to grow them. like i don't advise nobody to run out. and have kids at the early ages right. yeah. yeah yeah but if you do. the benefits. man is is great because like you get the. chance to really kick it and grow with. them right that's one thing like. we can we on the same level just. chopping it up yeah cause you know i'm. sitting on the bed and my daughter come. in and they start talking.

why we we gotta have this coffee. you know you gotta have a conversation. or we go out they like uh they bring the. drink menu oh i like to get. you drink i'm like yeah i'm like hold on. wait a minute they're like daddy i'm 30. i'm like oh okay. cause you know they actually. i still look at them as kids i don't. look at them as adults man. over the past couple years i had to. change my thoughts. i go. nah we go to the club my daughter. grabbed some hennessy.

i didn't what i just busted out loud and. i'm like you say hennessy i can't even. drink no here. and then the other one is she gonna take. the hey you give her some money. i don't. know they're gonna pop the champagne. they're gonna do it like. you're gonna think my kids rappers like. they. they literally like. they balling it up huh man they living. like that like it's like the things i. won't do.

they like okay daddy you don't want to. have fun with this money i'm gonna do it. they're gonna have fun with it and so i. enjoy you know so. i'm gonna make sure they get everything. set up right they can go out and have. them a good time because like i'm i'm. more chill conservative you know yeah. i'm in i'm in this space where i'm like. man i'm always thinking about the next. move what i got to do right with them. they're like man you know what they're. thinking about they're thinking about. today no they're going to spin it. they think you thinking about tomorrow. they thinking about today they're.

thinking. right now. right now you talked about a little bit. your book what's the name of it from. gold take the gold jacket you know it's. it's kind of my. my my timeline of my storyline going. from you know from youth all the way. again to the hall of fame and i think. it's something that. a lot of people see themselves in this. book they'll see so many situations that. they can relate to. knowing that it's not an easy path but. it's a possible path. and i tried to include anything that i.

think was relatable or things that i. think people could actually use. and it's i think it's a pretty dope read. i think every athlete should read it. right and i think anybody that. all right i think parents too they can. they can actually see. see themselves in a situation like that. before from gold cheat the gold jacket. you can find on my website. www.edgenj.com or amazon or anywhere. books are being sold right. you heard it here edrin james from gold. teeth the gold jacket brah i appreciate. you stopping by really appreciate it man.

congratulations on everything all the. best all right man thanks for having me. on all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle pay the price. wanna slice got the roll of. [Music]. all my life. [Music].