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Ventrell Miller on Mental and Physical Journey in the NFL | The O-Zone Podcast · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, welcome to this week's Ozone podcast. I'm excited
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: about this week's guest. I haven't had a chance to
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: get to know him very much over the years yet,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: mainly because it's only been about a year. But Ventro Miller,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Jaguars linebacker, Thanks for joining us.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: Words, thanks for having me now.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: You kind of said before you got started getting a
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: little more popular, which makes sense, playing a little more
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: which is nice. Do you feel like the first opportunity
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: last week one? I assume that you've dreamed of for
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  Speaker 1: a long time.
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  Speaker 3: Right, yeah, I mean just thinking about that going into
• 0:33
  Speaker 3: the game, knowing I was starting, I was just thinking
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: to myself, dame starting in the NFL. That was a
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  Speaker 3: big goal bit dream of mas to be a starting
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: linebacker in the NFL. But I wouldn't said that changed
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: the preparation I said going into that game, trying to
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  Speaker 3: prepare the best I can to take advantage of the
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  Speaker 3: opportunity that I have.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Tell me about Ven Troll growing up. Were you a
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  Speaker 1: NFL fan? Did you watch it Sundays, go out and
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  Speaker 1: play after the games or what was your relationship with
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  Speaker 1: the NFL like or are you more of a college
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: guy some guys are.
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  Speaker 3: Uh, I just say I was more of a football guy.
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  Speaker 3: I say, I watched I watched a little bit of it,
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  Speaker 3: of it all. I always played football outside, I'll say.
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: And then growing up we have my little league had
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  Speaker 3: football year round, so I'll played summer and the winter.
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  Speaker 2: So I was always football.
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  Speaker 3: Any chance I got to play football was out there,
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  Speaker 3: whether that was on the street or going to practice
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  Speaker 3: or whatever that was.
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  Speaker 1: So now I went to Kathleen right Lakeland. Now when
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: I was coming up in the business, Lakeland, Kathleen big
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  Speaker 1: big high school basketball used to play revolt here all
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: the time. Yeah, really good in football when you played
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: because of you or I guess, tell me about that
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: program in your environment coming up in football.
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  Speaker 3: Uh, I said, we had some history. Uh you know,
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  Speaker 3: ray Lewis went there, so I had some little history
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  Speaker 3: with that. Uh. And then as far as Kathleen, Lakeland
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  Speaker 3: always been a big ribbery, especially in football. We happened
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  Speaker 3: to beat those guys when I was the actually twice
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  Speaker 3: and it's been it was like twenty some years since
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  Speaker 3: we beat Lakeland. So that was that was my time
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  Speaker 3: at Cathleen. But I had a good time to.
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  Speaker 1: Bucks fan growing up or just football, say, but a
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  Speaker 1: little bit of But I say moreself, still a fan
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: growing up problem all at those guys out there.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, still a san.
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  Speaker 1: You know, I invented ray Lewis. I put it. I
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  Speaker 1: was a person. I was a person who put him
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  Speaker 1: on the all state team back in Oh. Yeah, I
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: didn't invent ray Lewis. I did put him on the
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  Speaker 1: all state team. Tell me about this week, Uh, tough
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: week at oh and four? Tell me about the team morale,
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  Speaker 1: how you guys, uh prepare and sort of move on
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  Speaker 1: from a tough start.
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: I feel like it's just keeping up the right mindset
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  Speaker 3: coming out, especially just to start it this week. Uh,
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  Speaker 3: it's just that is gonna be a grind on practice. Well,
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: we always believe that you're gonna practice how you play.
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  Speaker 3: So just going out there being locked into your execution
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  Speaker 3: and just doing the small things right, I say. But
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  Speaker 3: and then knowing we knowing we down and a must win,
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: must win week. So I feel like everybody's honed in,
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: locked in and trying to come get that win this week.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: How are this defense? Is mentality? Still looking for a turnover?
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Emphasizing that a lot. What's the mindset on that front?
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  Speaker 1: Because it is a defense. It's playing well enough to
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  Speaker 1: force those Do you just gotta let them come to you? Yeah?
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  Speaker 3: Uh, I say more emphasis, more emphasis on it been
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  Speaker 3: this week. Uh, we're trying to get the ball out,
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  Speaker 3: whether that's poking it out, trying to get interceptions, but
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  Speaker 3: just having that mindset I think, and keep locking in
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  Speaker 3: on that mindset while you're out there to get a turnover.
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  Speaker 3: I think that's when they will start to come for real.
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  Speaker 2: When just have that mindset.
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  Speaker 3: Always any opportunity for a takeaway, you taking advantage of it.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: I got you now the questions that you know are
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: coming because it's always your theme. Uh. Dealt with injuries
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: in your career? Yeah? Uh, how how tough has that been?
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  Speaker 3: How?
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  Speaker 1: I guess tell me about your journey here? I guess
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  Speaker 1: is what I'm getting at. Has that been tough to overcome?
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  Speaker 1: How do you stay strong during that because you have
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  Speaker 1: had to deal with it?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely requires a lot of mental toughness any anytime
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  Speaker 3: a player gets hurt for a stanting period of time,
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  Speaker 3: just to go in having a mindset to attack the attack,
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  Speaker 3: the rehab workouts, whatever that is, and just having the
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  Speaker 3: mind is to get back bigger, stronger, faster. That was
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  Speaker 3: always my goal anytime I got hurt to come back bigger, stronger, faster,
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  Speaker 3: and basically, like after I told my Achilles that was
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  Speaker 3: the that was the plan for me to come back bigger, stronger,
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  Speaker 3: faster and attack everything I did with that rehab working
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  Speaker 3: out and definitely did that. Came back bigger, stronger, faster
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  Speaker 3: when one that I always said and done. But just
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  Speaker 3: having that mentality and just being resilient with whatever comes
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  Speaker 3: my way.
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  Speaker 1: You know, again we've talked a couple of times. Uh,
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  Speaker 1: but you seem like such an upbeat person when you
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  Speaker 1: see you walking down the locker room, always got a smile.
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  Speaker 1: You have the Achilles injury, which is a tough injury.
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  Speaker 1: How much did that test sort of your positive outlook
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: when you got if you follow me, because it's tough,
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  Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, it's a tough time to get that
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  Speaker 1: as a rookie.
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  Speaker 3: All right, Uh, I just say the door to the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: Just keep the smile on my face. I say each
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  Speaker 3: and every week, just knowing knowing that it is the
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  Speaker 3: opportunity to still get better whatever that is, and it
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  Speaker 3: could always be worse. So it's still trying to attack
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  Speaker 3: the days, trying to get better. How I can I know?
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  Speaker 3: Last yet, I was in a lot of meetings, knowing
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  Speaker 3: I couldn't really be out there practice, but still holding
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: in and locking in on the meetings and whatever.
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  Speaker 2: That was.
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  Speaker 1: How pleased are you? Because I've been doing this a while,
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  Speaker 1: I've covered guys who've had achilles, and that can be
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: one of the more brutal injuries. Right, So I didn't
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  Speaker 1: see you play in the NFL much before that because
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: you didn't, right, But it looks like speed reaction. It
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: looks like you're back. How pleased are you with where
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: you're at and that and how you're playing? Uh?
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  Speaker 2: Very please?
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  Speaker 3: Just knowing, but I know I got still more work
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: to do, still trying to get better, I'll say, but
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  Speaker 3: it was a ground. But I'm I definitely say I'm
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: pleased with just my off season and just how I work,
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  Speaker 3: how much of a ground I was, and just to
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  Speaker 3: see it pay off, That's really what I'm happy about.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: And watching it last week and watching a little bit
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  Speaker 1: you know at Florida always struck me as a really
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: instinctive player. When the play is there to be made,
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: you make it look easy, whereas it's not easy. Have
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: you always been an instinctive player? Was that part of
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  Speaker 1: the game, meaning sort of knowing where that plays go
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  Speaker 1: and feeling it. Has that always been part of you? Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: here's how you play.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I definitely say it's always been a part of
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  Speaker 3: my game, very instinctive. No, I haven't had a lot
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: of reps in the NFL, but I said I had
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  Speaker 3: a lot of rep just playing football throughout my whole career,
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  Speaker 3: whether I was college, high school, all that kind of stuff.
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  Speaker 3: So I'm very familiar with just football in generalized. And
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: then I played running back a little little running back
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  Speaker 3: as well growing up, So I feel like I have
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  Speaker 3: a little I feel about running backs and just how
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  Speaker 3: to hit the hole and just being instinct oble what
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  Speaker 3: a fit out.
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  Speaker 1: Because you play like a guy who has played a
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  Speaker 1: lot of football and understands it. Do you is there
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  Speaker 1: study involved with that? Do you live it on that front?
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  Speaker 3: I guess yeah, there's definitely a lot of studying that
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  Speaker 3: goes into it, especially out linebacker, just being the quarterback
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  Speaker 3: of the defense. But instincts passed on top of on
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  Speaker 3: top of the film study. It puts you in the
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  Speaker 3: in the in the in the best position to make
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  Speaker 3: a play.
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  Speaker 1: I would say instincts don't do any good if you
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  Speaker 1: don't know where you're going.
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  Speaker 2: Right right, Yeah, most definitely.
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  Speaker 1: And again, just watching you last week, I think most
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  Speaker 1: guys who play in the NFL enjoy it, but there
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  Speaker 1: seems to be a joy when you play, Uh, embracing
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  Speaker 1: the game, embracing the moment. You know, do you feel
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  Speaker 1: like that's a big part of you in terms of
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  Speaker 1: just how much you love to play this game. And
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  Speaker 1: it sounds a little it's trite, but it does feel
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  Speaker 1: that way when you watch you play.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I say just I'm just a competitive I say so.
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  Speaker 3: Any anytime it's the chance to go out there and compete,
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  Speaker 3: I'm always coming out to trying to bring my my best.
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  Speaker 3: Growing up, I have four brothers, so my mamma had
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  Speaker 3: five boys. So it's just that competitive nature older the
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  Speaker 3: rest younger. But yeah, I always always gave them a hard.
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  Speaker 2: Time and whatever. It was, always trying to compete.
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  Speaker 1: Just grew up, grew up with that your best player
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  Speaker 1: of the bunch anybody.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm always I'm always playing that.
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  Speaker 3: They might say something about it, but yeah, I'm always
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  Speaker 3: planning to be the best.
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  Speaker 1: I got you. I got you. So you know, as
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  Speaker 1: a rookie playing at a high level, I've got to
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  Speaker 1: think you feel like there's worlds more out there for
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  Speaker 1: you to do, like the ceiling. I guess haven't showed
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  Speaker 1: what you can really do yet.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, just like just just getting started out. Say, uh,
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: only only get better from here. I'll say, continue, that's
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  Speaker 3: the gold. Always continue to get better each and every week.
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  Speaker 3: So continue to stack those days, and it's just the beginning.
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  Speaker 1: I got you. What sport other than football? Were you
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: good at?
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  Speaker 3: See that?
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  Speaker 2: That's that's what got I don't know. I can't. I
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  Speaker 2: wasn't really a basketball player, Like I said, I played football.
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  Speaker 1: You only got in that locker room. He's had a
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  Speaker 1: great basketball player.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, man, you know everybody live about the basketball.
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  Speaker 3: But yeah, like I was saying, just uh, just my
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: childhood growing up, I've never really played any any other
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  Speaker 3: sport organized round yeah, year round football. So I was
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: always the best footballer. I did a little bit of
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: basketball outside on on the court outside, But don't want.
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  Speaker 1: Really nothing you want you're the one honest guy back there.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah that lockerom respect, I gotta respect the sport.
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  Speaker 3: I ain't no good I go get a rebound of
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  Speaker 3: play a little aggressive with the defense.
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  Speaker 2: But that was about all.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: Got you all right. The last thing we do here
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: we call it the O zone five. It's five quick questions,
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: have some fun with it. They can be very short answers,
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: benchre Miller, what's your last binge? Watch House of the Dragons. Okay,
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: tell me that.
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: It's a little it's a little continuation of like Game
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: of Thrones if you heard of that, but basically like
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: medieval times dragons, whole bunch of junk going on. But
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: House of Dragons, you need to watch that if you
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: haven't seen that before, like HBO.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: Last song you heard in the way in this morning?
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: Last song on the way to hear you said, yeah,
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: just or all the work.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: Headphones?
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: What song did I listen to? I say it had
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: to be Candy Man by g Herbal. That's the last
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: song I heard today.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know it's not mine? Yeah, I figured, what's
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: your go to restaurant in town?
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: Go to restaurant?
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: I don't know what your pole count, but I'm a bitch.
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: I'm a bitch of potle a guy. What if I
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: had to go some other fancy, I say Capitol grill.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: Okay, I got you favorite player growing up.
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  Speaker 3: Now I have to say ray lowis ray lowis just
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: being hometown.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: Uh.
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: He actually presented me a trophy going to my junior year.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: I was like the defensive player to you that presented
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: me a trouke. But I don't just want to say
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: I know him personally like that, but I met him.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so definitely.
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  Speaker 1: Person or people most responsible for you being here.
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  Speaker 3: Uh grandparents, grandparents, mom, brothers. Uh.
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  Speaker 2: It took it.
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: Took support.
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: Yeah, being support group, I say, uh, that pushed me
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: to get here.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: Got you introl. I was excited about talking to you.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: I appreciate you doing this. I enjoyed it very much.
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: Look forward to working with you over the years, and
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: thank you for joining those on podcast.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Thanks for having me.
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: Appreciate it.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: But tell you guys,