Latest / Johnny's World / Episode 20-National Championship Edition with Kevin Axton

Transcript

Episode 20-National Championship Edition with Kevin Axton · Johnny's World

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Coming to you live from the Johnny Packer Eyewear Studio in fabulous Dark Vegas, Mississippi.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Please welcome our colours, the best I got this side of the Mississippi.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: And now welcome a true hero, a CF Warrior, whose favorite motto in life is just keep living.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Johnny.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: Second day as a national champion.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: Second day as a national champion is a great day.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: Still can't believe it.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Just uh uh unreal.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: We're freaking national champions waiting this whole whole life and it's happened.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: It just doesn't seem real.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: I'm still it's gonna take a while to digest it.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: Just still living on high right now.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: But uh but yeah, so this episode is uh another great episode brought to you by Johnny Packer Eyewear, Johnnypacker.com.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Brandon, we have any updates.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: I know you talked about possibly uh naming some glasses after Omaha, especially after what we have going on, what we just witnessed.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: Give us an update on the glasses.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so uh we got the I just got the tracking, new shipments coming in on the shades, so we ought to have those in the next week or two.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_02: Those will drop Dak down in the shop.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: And I definitely want to get a pair called Omaha, but but I I mean there's so many other ones we could go with Willie B, we could go with Rowdy, TA.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there's so many we could name.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_02: It I mean, we could have a whole line, you know, of just uh just to celebrate the team.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_02: So probably won't do that, but we'll definitely have an Omaha pair, so y'all be on the lookout for that one.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: And um we'll we'll update everybody as soon as everything drops down.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: But uh got some new styles coming in and then some of the the old favorites coming back, so um be on the lookout.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: But that's about it for now.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I know everybody's gonna be uh excited to uh to check those out.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: So go to Johnnypacker.com, watch for those.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Those Omaha ones.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: I know they're gonna be flying off the shelf.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: So uh get a hold of those when he uploads them because they're they're gonna be awesome.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: You're gonna want to commemorate this moment too.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: You always remember where you were when that happened, and it was in Omaha.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, really cool, really special.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: But uh, I'm about to introduce a good friend of mine I've known for years and years since I was a little kid.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: I credit him to help me get into working out.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh been big in the uh exercise out for many years.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's I credit it for helping me stay alive long enough for me to get the miracle drug because exercise plays such a huge part in the day life with sticks fibrosis of how it uh it helps with your lungs and your body strength and everything.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: And um when I was little, my doctor encouraged me to uh to go to the gym and start exercising.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: And um I did.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: I went to the Cypress Lake Courthouse and I met my friend that I'm about to introduce and he got me going, and we've been friends ever since, and I've still uh still work out to this day.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: So uh with uh without further ado, let me introduce my good friend, former Mississippi State uh football player and fellow MSU dog, Mr.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: Kevin Axton.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the show, Kevin.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks a lot, John Clark.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_03: How you doing, my brother?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing great, man.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: Feeling like a national champion, just unreal.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_03: I'll tell you what, man, it's definitely great to be a uh uh Mississippi State alumni and and a bulldog right now after what they've done in Omaha finally and went ahead and uh you know finally sealed that deal.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: We really needed that to happen.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we sure did.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: We've been waiting for this moment for years and years and years, and it and it's it's just it's surreal.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't even seem seem real that it happened, but uh so so happy.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah, Kevin, just kind of give us uh tell us about your story.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: I know you played football state and how you got into uh training and all that sort of stuff, and then we'll talk about our friendship.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, sir.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_03: Uh yeah, and I I I've been uh I've been watching these uh these podcasts that you and Brandon have been putting together, man, and they've been great, man.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: Y'all have had the best, some of the best uh guys on here, and uh and and I've heard some of the best stories and everything, especially with uh with John on there and everything like that, and talking about all your movies and everything down there, man.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so proud and and and glad to hear all that those good uh good things that you've done and and and to hear about your success, man.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome, man.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate it.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Well, yeah, just tell us how you uh how well tell us first back to playing days of state.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: Talk about uh talk about that and and Coach Cheryl and anything you want to talk about when you're playing days.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_03: All right, well, let's go on back then.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_03: That's it's been it's been a minute.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_03: Uh yeah go back to uh we'll go back to the good old days.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um I was uh I grew up uh Mississippi State fan my whole life and uh actually started out my career uh in the junior college in Jackson, Mississippi down there in Raymond at Hines Union College, and uh played football down there for them and started and uh had old coach Gene Murphy down there uh in Raymond and uh they were a definitely a national power in the junior college deal.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_03: And I uh had earned a scholarship there and started started at Heinz and uh uh won that starting position and and and we went to the state championship there and uh in 90 and uh I'm sitting at the house and I get a call from uh from one of the coaches up there in Star Wars Athletic Offices, and uh I got a call from uh from a guy named Ricky Black, Coach Black, uh has been coaching uh these last uh many years here in Jackson for Jackson Prep.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_03: But back then, uh he had just signed on uh coaching with uh Jackie Sherrill uh out of Tupelo High School and had won some won some championships at Tupelo.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_03: And uh and and he invited me up to uh to talk about uh coming aboard the Bulldogs uh team as a walk-on.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_03: And and Coach Cheryl was real big on those walk-ons because he knew how important it was to have uh you know your backup guys to run you a really good uh scout team uh to help those starters get you know get get ready for uh for those big games and SEC and stuff like that.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_03: Uh so and you know back when when Jackie Sherrill uh came to Mississippi State, he started uh he started to bring in the uh the the student body into the uh athletic program by offering the tryout for all the students.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_03: And uh they they had a big competition to see what they were gonna call that.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_03: It was gonna be called the uh the mad dog squad.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't I don't know if a lot of people they don't hard really remember him doing that, but uh it was a big deal back then, and they had uh a couple of hundred guys, uh, a bunch of fraternity guys and a bunch of ex-athletes that were students come out there and try out to see if they could make that team uh in the spring when Coach Cheryl came in, came in for the job, and uh a select few made it, and they were called the mad dogs, and uh they were tough.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_03: And and there was a lot of really good guys, really good high school athletes, and several good guys that got to put in some good playing time uh you know, uh on making that mad dog squad.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_03: So all the mad dogs were were all the walk-ons were were basically known as the mad dogs.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_03: So when I ended up making the team in the fall of '91, uh when the program came out for us to play uh against uh Texas that year, they had, you know, you got all your scholarship guys, your your your your 99 guys, or well, your your 70 guys or 80, what 99 scholarship guys, they're all in the program.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_03: Then you had a whole nother page of guys that were the mad dogs.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_03: And that's where I ended up being a having a picture in there uh as one of the mad dogs um in the program and everything.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: So I thought that was pretty cool because I was able to kind of mix in with them, not being a scholarship guy and uh being a walk-on that had junior college experience and played for a good team like that.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: So uh that's kind of like the 12th man at AM, I guess, right?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly, man.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: I'm glad you made that point because I was trying to tie it in.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, that was a big, big deal at Texas AM, but it was real successful there.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_03: And uh when he was at Texas AM, they always had Texas's number when they played them, their arch rival.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, he had the 12th man there, it was the kick-off kickoff special teams at Texas AM.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_03: So he tried to incorporate that same um aspect of uh bringing the uh student body into it at Mississippi State, and I think it was really, really successful.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh definitely nobody nobody ever scored on the kickoff team while I was there.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, I had an opportunity to uh to play on that squad a couple of times, and it was very, very rewarding to get a chance to to be out there and uh in front of the uh the state fans and it and and there at the stadium and everything on Scott Field, finally uh basically uh achieving my lifelong dream of doing that uh as a football player up there at state.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_03: Um I don't know what else to talk about, John Clark, uh, about as far as that goes.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we we definitely when I was there in '91, we uh we had a good year.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh Sleepy Robinson was the quarterback.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_03: We beat Texas that year, some of the highlights and everything.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um we uh we uh we ended up getting invited to the Liberty Bowl that year.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_03: And uh I got to go to Memphis with the team, of course, and travel on the whole deal.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_03: We practiced up there at Memphis State, and it was freezing up there too, man.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_03: It was cold, and uh we played on those fields, and it was real foggy too.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_03: You could barely see out there.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_03: I can remember it being cold and not being able to see good out there on the fields, and uh, and then of course the game itself uh was definitely a cold night uh in Memphis at the Liberty Bowl, which unfortunately we didn't we didn't pull that one off.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but the whole bowl experience was definitely good after 10 years of drought.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_03: Mississippi State had not been to a bowl yet, so I was able to able to have a chance to do that.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_03: And then of course the next year, uh, you know, there was there were a lot of good highlights.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_03: Uh uh we beat Texas again in Austin.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_03: We beat them that first year in Starville.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_03: And uh then we uh we had Florida on Thursday night in Starville and ESPN, which I was uh I was a part of the sidelines crew that that night on the sidelines.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_03: Uh getting to watch firsthand us take take Florida apart with Shane Matthews as the quarterback, whose mom I think had been a uh an old miss cheerleader and everything.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_03: That was just a big story for the week on ESPN and everything.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_03: And then, of course, uh having a good rest of that year and uh going get to go to Atlanta to the Peach Bowl and uh enjoy that whole week at the Peach Bowl and all that stuff.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_03: And um man, it was just great memories.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, it's uh it's really cool.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_03: Good memories with the guys.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's really cool that you were part of it, part of the way it began because I mean when Coach got hired here, he said I still remember he said Mississippi State deserves to win, they can win, and they will win.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: And he did that, and you were part of that first first uh few teams, and he uh go down his history.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, he's he he made history at Mississippi State, first team to ever win the West with him.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, we got so many good memories, and Coach Cheryl has we had him on the podcast last season.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: He's a dear, very dear friend of mine and been so instrumental, inspirational and instrumental in my life, and and uh can't say enough good things about him for what he's done for me, but but yeah, he he really got to be part of that team's first uh first few years here.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, really cool.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: Now talk about a little bit about how you got into um got into training.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I remember meeting you at the uh Cypress Lake Courthouse when I was just a little kid and you got me going into it.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how'd you get into that and tell us what you're doing now?
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, John Clark.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um well uh when I when I left Mississippi State, I uh I had I had been majoring in uh coaching, but right before after the Peach Bowl and stuff, my last semester there, I had made a decision that I was gonna change it, change my uh major to a degree that specialized in exercise science and business management.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: It was called uh fitness management.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_03: But when I did that, it was gonna require a lot of other classes that I'd not had before.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_03: So I was gonna have to go to school a little bit longer to get that bachelor's degree and do that.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_03: So I decided for that for that moment I would just come work for a while in Jackson.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_03: So I went to Jackson.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I worked in sales for a few years, which is it's real funny because uh when we were when we were playing at State, Coach Cheryl brought in some guys that were uh some athletic boosters and contributors and uh to to just motivate us and talk to us about the working world and everything and how important it is to get a degree.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, and he was a he was in the car business, and the guy uh guy was real motivational.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_03: So when I came to Jackson, I decided, you know, I'll try that car business out and learn sales and everything and do that.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_03: So I worked for Toyota store for a couple years in Jackson and uh I got out of shape, man.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_03: We uh we uh we worked six days a week, only had one day off with Sunday, and we worked a lot of long hours, man.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_03: And I I wasn't in that that football weight room anymore, and I wasn't running all those routes as a receiver on the scout team or or doing any other conditioning.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_03: So I got started getting in pretty bad shape and I didn't like it.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_03: So I said, you know what?
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna join a gym.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna go before work every day, I'm gonna start training.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_03: And then that's when it re-motivated me to get back and finish that degree, which was something else that uh the athletic department was real big on us with our classes and everything, and getting a degree from college.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, so I just picked up the phone to call registrars and said, Hey, I kind of want to come back to school and look at getting this fitness management degree, what I need to do.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_03: And they pulled me up at the computer and said, Well, Mr.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_03: Action, you're ready to go.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_03: All you got to do is just uh pick out the classes you want to take this fall, and you come on back.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_03: And I was like, man, that's awesome.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_03: So uh moved back to Startville.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_03: I studied the fitness management, studied exercise science up there, studied athletic training, studied biomechanics, uh, nutrition, sports, nutrition, all that good stuff.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and with all those experiences of being in the training room and also training with the team and everything, it was really I really had a good background for it as far as to get out and work in the health clubs and stuff, become a personal trainer.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_03: So uh I did that, earned my bachelor's degree from Mississippi State in 1999, which was a good time because actually uh the guys that were on the football program then were definitely uh some legends to say the least.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_03: Uh as you spoke of earlier, of us uh went in the SEC West and everything, and Coach Cheryl was still the coach there, my coach that I had there.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_03: So it was really cool.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_03: And uh yeah, um the first job I got, uh I planned on moving out of state, but I sent a couple applications around to Jackson.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_03: I got some uh interviews with the uh Courthouse Racket Fitness Club in Jackson and uh fortunately got the job and uh they moved me out there to Madison, became the fitness director there uh the my first month uh after they uh had me working there.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_03: And uh I just enjoyed it a lot.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: I was able to put people on programs there and train all the uh the members and the clients, and there were a lot of young people that came in there, and I'll never forget you coming in there uh to work out and everything, and then uh and then after uh interviewing you and talking with you and everything about uh having the challenges you had in your life and and and and being uh a person that had already uh been battling uh cystic fibrosis and CF and everything, it really uh touched home because you know, uh had a family member that was my my cousin growing up that was uh cystic vibrate cystic fibrosis uh uh patient.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_03: And uh and and he and I were best friends growing up.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: And so when I saw you, I was like, hey, I I know what you're going through, and I know about all your treatments and all that, and I know that this training and exercise, and if we hit these weights and we we we keep you physically fit, keep you strong in between times of going to seeing your doctor and stuff like that, I knew that would really, really help.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_03: So uh I've just enjoyed it from every since the beginning.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, you've always been a great guy to to to work with in the gym and everything, and and there you always did exactly what I told you to do.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_03: And you're you know, you always picked up all the cues and everything for the good form.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_03: And and fortunately, we've been able to get together several other times and do a couple of workouts, man.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: I've got some good photos and a couple of pictures.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_03: You lifted some weights, man.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_03: I've I've looked back in my in my photos uh on the phone and I've been wanting to send them to you because I don't know if you got them or not, but uh, but I really enjoyed that.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and that was really a great job and a great place where we met and where I worked at at Cypress Lake Courthouse in Madison.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_03: And uh you were going to school at MRA, and uh I had a lot of the guys there from MRA come in and work and stuff, so some of the athletes, uh everything from golfers to baseball players and football players.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_03: But um yeah, man, that's that's kind of how me and you started up everything.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_03: And I mean your mother there too.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_03: I mean Judy worked out there as well, and uh I love speaking with her and talking with her, and then I if you if if I ever I saw her, if you weren't around, I could always ask how you were doing and everything like that.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_03: But um it's just been a it's just been a good a good bunch of years.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and and I was and and and for you to finish there and go up to Mississippi State and get your degree and come back to Jackson and work here and be around me, uh you know, here and everything, and some of the other gyms I went and worked at, like when we met up over here at the knockout fitness and MMA uh gym I was I was running and managing and training at here several years ago, man.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_03: We got some good workouts over there.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we sure did.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I can't believe how uh how how how good you you've kept put up all your uh you know uh being as physically strong now.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I think you're you're to the point now with with the uh the treatment that you got and uh the new drug you were able to get on last year.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, really your your old college playing weight days have stresses eight, man.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_03: I'm glad about that.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's blessed.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's really has changed my life, man.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh I mean I feel like I feel like I did back 20 years ago when I was working out at the Sanderson Center at Mississippi State.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I'm still I'm I'm I'm back to almost I'm I'm almost at my weight what when I was in college, most other weight.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so I'm ready to get I haven't worked out in the gym because of the pandemic, uh and uh but I've got the I got the green light for my doctors to get back in there.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: So uh I'm gonna get back in there pretty soon and I'm anxious to see if I can lift the same amount of weight as I was back 20 years ago when I was in college.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: I I was to work my way back into it, but uh yeah, I feel really good about it.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: Uh can't wait because man, I'm I like you like you talked about with with with CF, it's just I mean, people working out with CF, it's great for every single person to exercise, but people with CF, that mucus inside of the lungs is just so thick, it just chokes you.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: Just it just chokes you so the way when you're exercising or doing any type of physical movement, um, I mean, it just breaks it all up.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_02: Man, for for y'all listening, I mean, uh probably everybody's seen a picture of John Clark at least, and you know, he's not a very big guy, but um tell you, John Clark, he he is sneaky strong.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we met one time when I was living in Madison, this was after college, and we were both working, you know, and we met up there at the courthouse or whatever that club was, and we were gonna work out together, and we went over there to that lat pull down machine, and um yeah, I think I was the first one on there, and I put whatever I put on there, you know, start going.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_02: And and John Johnny sits down, and and all of a sudden, I mean, he's he's like doubling the weight that I've got on there.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, holy smokes, man, what's going on here?
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_02: So he goes in, he does a set.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, all right, here we go.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_02: And so I hop down and I start trying to pull down what he's got on there.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_02: I can barely get it three quarters of the way down to my chest, and I had to like lighten up the weights all of a sudden.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_02: What who is this guy?
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: And so he's uh he's got some some good base strength going there.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm thinking it won't take long to build back up.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I hope so.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh it's just something I uh once I got into it and uh Kevin got me on that on that program, it's just something I dedicated myself to.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I tried to go as as many days as I possibly could.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_01: I always felt like a day when I didn't go to the gym, I just uh I didn't accomplish something today.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I uh every day I made a point to I've got to take time out for myself, work out because it's it's gonna change my life.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and it has, I mean, I can remember when I when he got me in there, the the dumb weights on the dumbbells on the um on the inclines.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Dumbbells were ours doing like maybe like five pounds per one.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, and then you know, you see as you get older and and work out more, you increase it.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, the last time I think me and Kevin were worked out, we were at uh knockout fitness, and MMA guys were all in there, and uh one of the football players from state, I remember, was in there that day.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: West uh shivers is huge, dude.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, me and Kevin, we were we were lifting and going at it, and uh, and that was before I got the drug.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I'm uh I can't wait.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: I really fired up uh back in the gym, seeing if I get my weights back where I was.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: And um, it's because it's it's changed my life for sure.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh a big part of my life.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: And uh so I credit M for helping me get the ball rolling.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because it's uh it's really really really really a big uh a big blessing.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: But not just for people with CF, anybody.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's good for everyone to work out because you're doing you're doing great things for for your body and yourself and and your mind.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: It helps your mind too when you get get in the gym, just focus in, just straight on working out, not and just it clears your head and uh can't say good enough good things about it because it really has uh made an impact in my life.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yep, I agree.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I know uh I think Kevin's traveling, so I think we may we may have lost him if uh if he's still on there um and caught back in.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: So um I know uh some folks want to hear about uh a little bit about your trip to Omaha, Johnny.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_02: And so you kind of had a a whirlwind trip there.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_02: There's Kevin, he's back.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, yeah.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_03: Oh yeah, I'm still hanging in.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_01: Well, um Yeah, you want to hear about the trip today?
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was gonna say if Kevin doesn't have anything else to add, we'd we'd like to hear hear a little bit about your trip to Omaha and everything.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: So uh that sounds good.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_01: So so I was uh I mean, I've been to Omaha a few times.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: I was there in 13 when we played for the national championship.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: I went actually twice that year, and then went back in 18.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, so I'm I mean, I'm familiar with it.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like, man, when we when we clinched it this year, I was like, I'm probably not gonna go.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's once you go to Omaha one time, it's it's similar, it's the same, same kind of stuff.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like, I've been there, done that.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: Only thing I want to witness is us winning a national championship.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I've I've that's been my life goal to be alive to see that.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like, if we're if we're playing for the national championship, I'm I'm going.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: So lo and behold, we clips it, make it to the finals.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, all right, uh, I don't want to go just just for one game.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: I want to go for the whole thing.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's hard to plan that out when it's a three-game series because you don't know if you're gonna win the first game or lose, and all that sort of stuff.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard to do flights and all that.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: So I really just was like, you know what?
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_01: The only way to be in control of this is just get in the car and drive.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I've driven it before, it's a it's a long drive, but uh thing it's it was four, it said 12 hours to start well, but it took 14 hours, and uh, so we lose that first game.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm kind of bummed out, like I'm just not sure if we're gonna do it.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: Mandy always seems to have our number, but his team is resilient, resilient, and they're fighters, and maybe they can do it.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: And we come back on that second game and just dominate them.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like, all right, it's on getting the car going.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: Because I was either gonna go, we won Monday night, I was gonna go Tuesday because Tuesday could have been the clincher, because I want to be there, wanted to be there for that last hour.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_01: And we lose Monday night.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: So I knew Tuesday wasn't gonna be the clinching game, so I waited again to to jump on tickets, you know, until uh I knew.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: So uh once we I got online, got a game three ticket, it was contingent depending on when if we're gonna win the second one.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_01: So once we got out to a big lead on game two, I was like, this is it.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I got in the car at uh 11 p.m.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: I looked and walked out the door at 11 p.m.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Tuesday night.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_01: My mom went with me.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_01: We got in the car and drove, and I drove the non-stop through the night.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: We got there to Omaha at 2 p.m.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_01: on Wednesday.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: A buddy of mine uh who I've been talking to that was at Omaha, he had uh gotten a hotel room.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh there was an extra one at his hotel, so he got a hotel room for me.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: So we went straight to the hotel, put my stuff down, took like a 10-minute power nap, and then headed straight over to the stadium at four.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: And uh wow, I just I'm still on a high for it.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if I'll ever get down from it.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'm still the adrenaline going over there.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't fall asleep.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I wasn't even tired of going over there, wasn't tired coming back.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: Unbelievable.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I didn't even sleep at all.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: And uh just I think it was just the adrenaline going over there, but uh man, it's just unbelievable.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: I I still it's so surreal.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: I've shared about this on Facebook, and uh I'll I'll gotta tell you all about this, and I'll I'm gonna share post a picture and tell this story on Facebook later.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_01: And for the people who don't catch this podcast, but uh before uh my my grandma, my grandparents were uh real inspiring inspirational and just I mean in my life, like they played a big, big, big part of my life growing up.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: They're the reason why I'm a huge state fan today.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_01: They took me to games when I was little, football game.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_01: A buck when we beat Shane Mass.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: That was my very first game to go with them as a season ticket holder on that Thursday night.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: They checked me out of school.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: We went up to start, well, whooped up on Florida, came back home, went to school the next day, made an A on my math and spelling test the next day.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: I always remember that.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: It was awesome.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I got hooked that that game, and uh, they got me season tickets from then on out.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I've been a season ticket holder for Missouri State football for since 1992, and uh so obviously there was no doubt in my mind where I was going to going to college, um, became a dog fan for life then.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so I always talked to my granddad when I was little, I was like, Man, I just wish we could win a national championship.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: And he was like, Yeah, me too.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: And we'd we'd always talk about it.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_01: And when maybe one day it would happen, maybe one day.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: Well, uh, 2005, I was graduating from Mississippi State.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: My my granddad had suffered a stroke, and he was in the hospital at St.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: Dominic's in Jackson.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_01: My mom and grandmother called me and said, You need to get get home fast.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: He might not make it through the night.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_01: So uh I rushed back home and uh I get down there.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: He could hear, but he couldn't communicate, so he was right near the end.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and they were like, You if you have anything you want to say to him, you need to say it right now.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, All right.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I get in his ear, I tell him thank you for uh everything he's done for me, and um just real emotional.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: And and then they say, Is there anything else you want to say to him?
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, uh called him Dada, Dada.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: When you when you get to heaven, please ask God, and they and they immediately were like, Oh, he's gonna ask God for please ask God for a cure for CF.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: That's what he's gonna say.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: Oh blah blah blah.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, Dada, when you get to heaven, we please ask God for Mississippi State to win a national championship and something.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: They were like, so it kind of kind of lightened the mood, and when is that and they kind of laughed about that.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: So all these years later, when we've been so close in 13 when we're in the finals against UCLA women's basketball 17 and 18.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, three times, you know, until this year, we're we're playing for the national championship.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_01: We're always like, All right, that's had that talk, he's having that talk with God, but then he got dist distracted up in heaven.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: He saw someone he knew and started talking to them because he was a big uh big talker to people.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_01: He loved talking to people.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: So this year we get to the finals, and I'm like, all right, Dada.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: My grandmother's up there with him, and and uh hit their best friends who uh who were big Mississippi State baseball fans, they had season tickets and would go from Canton to start well, turn around and come back every every home game, they would do that, and they're up there.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like, All right, Dada Gaggy, Mr.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_01: Sunny, Miss Dot, y'all are all there watching this.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: Let's make this happen.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_01: So uh we're driving.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: My mom and I are driving to Omaha uh um Tuesday night.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it was actually Wednesday about noon.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it already gotten daylight on us, and uh so we're talking uh because another thing, another connection I have is uh with Vanderbilt.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_01: Uh my good friend was Dr.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_01: Blair Batson, who the children's hospital is named after him, Jackson, where I worked for many years.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I was kind of his personal chauffeur, and uh I took him to events and we just had a uh very special relationship.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_01: It was kind of like a grandfather relationship to me since my grandfather had passed on.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_01: He kind of we watched games together when Vanderbilt were in the national championship in 2014.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: I went over there and got to watch it.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: Me and Bo I took him over and we watched Bandy win the national championship, and I'll always remember that for as long as I live.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, getting to watch it with him.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, if I can't watch with my daughter, well, the Bulldogs went off.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: This is a close second with Dr.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_01: Batson, getting to what witness it with Vanny.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I always have that memory of that night.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, so my mom, when we were driving, she said, What do you think your granddad's doing, John Clark, up there in heaven?
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, he's up there with Dr.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: Batson.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: Dada, my granddad was big, big, he always chewed tobacco, and Dr.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: Batson always smoked a pipe.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: So we're like, Dada's got a big chew of red man, and and Dr.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_01: Batson has a pipe, they're sitting there getting ready to watch it.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, Man, maybe he's telling Dr.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: Batson, come on, let us win one for a change.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: You've already got some nattes.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: So uh yeah, my mom's like, Yeah, come on, Dr.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: Batson.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: Uh let us win one.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: Right when we said his name, Dr.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: We look over to the right and there's a sign one of those green road signs that said Blairstown.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_01: His name was Blair Batson.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_01: So we're like, that could be a sign, but also could it be a sign that that means that Omaha is Blair's Town, and they're not ready to give up Andy and National Championship.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I could go either way, a little nervous about this.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_01: Blair Town.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: So anyway, uh we we we finally get to Omaha.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: One of my mom's friends and her her son were uh we're driving from Dallas, and that my mom had been talking to her for the past they went for the final, so they've been there Monday and Tuesday.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we didn't talk and one lot.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: There's thousands of people in Omaha.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: I mean hundreds of thousands.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: And we pull up in the in in the park parking lot, look to the left, and there my mom's friend, her son are right next to us.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_01: Didn't plan that at all.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_01: So weird.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: That's really strange.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_01: But the kicker of it all, this is the most amazing thing.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_01: This is what you call a God wing.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_01: For yeah, it you know, that you know God has a had a hand in this.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_01: We're sitting, we have pretty good seats there, uh and outfield, right field in front of the bull, uh, right above the bullpen, as you say bullpen.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: So, right before the game, I try to get a selfie and me and my mom, and this guy right in front of me says, uh, hey man, uh, would you like to get it me to take a picture of y'all?
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Yeah, sure.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_01: So he takes it, and then he has uh two two uh young boys with him.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, Hey, can you uh return the favor and take a picture of me and my two sons?
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, Yeah, sure.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_01: So I take the picture, and right when he gets me back the camera, I mean right when I get back the uh phone to him, uh he goes, Hey, you're you're John Clark, aren't you?
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, Yeah.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_01: He goes, uh hey, I'm your cousin, uh Chris Chris Thomas.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, What?
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: He was like, Yeah, we're cousins.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_01: I have not seen this guy in 35 years.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we had our family reunions on my granddad's side in uh Laurel, Mississippi.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: My grand grandfather was from Waynesboro, Wayne County, so we would always have our family reunions in Laurel.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: And me and this guy, Chris, he's about five years older than me, and we were in separable at family reunions.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_01: He I always looked up to him, he was a huge baseball player, big baseball player.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, always talked about baseball, just really cool.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: We got pictures of the two of us together, all the family reunions, just uh awesome guy.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, my granddad, my granddad loved him.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: He was my granddad's brother's uh grandson.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, my granddad would always tell me about Chris, you know, Chris plays baseball, he's so good.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: He's playing college ball, John Clark.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_01: He's going to play college ball at Louisiana Tech.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_01: He would always talk to me about Chris and baseball, and uh and we quit having the family reunions after everyone had had died and all that sort of stuff.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: So, man, I I really have not seen him probably since I was 10, 11, 12 years old, and I'm 40 now, so 30 years, 30, 35 years.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: And uh he recognized me, but that he recognized, we were wondering how he recognized me.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_01: But I was in Laurel for work a few years ago for nostalgic purposes.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: I drove by the electric company where where we always had the family reunions app, took a picture, looked him up on Facebook.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_01: I found him on there and sent him that picture and a friend request, and he messaged me then and said, Oh, good seeing you.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_01: And this was probably about five years ago, and so I guess he recognized my face from seeing me on Facebook for five years ago, but we have not seen each other in person or communicated in 35 years.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_01: And when he did that, I looked over to my mom and I was like, We're winning tonight.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_01: There's no doubt.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's my granddad right there.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_01: No way.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_01: My mom teared up, she she knew the same thing.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I had on my granddad's lucky shirt, he has this uh this walking bully shirt, it's probably 50 years old.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_01: I break it out for the big games.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've worn it all our national championships, but it's never come through, it's gotten us there.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's never gone through all the way.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_01: But when when I had my granddad's shirt, my cousin, who my granddad loved, was right in front of me.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that was that was just a sign.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_01: I just knew it.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_01: And uh we just came out and dominated.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: Just unbelievable night.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'll never forget.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_01: Worth the no sleep, worth the price of the tickets, the drive.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_01: Just uh it was on my bucket list to see it, to live long enough to see it, and it's happened.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: I just uh can't say enough.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_01: So that was it.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_01: How was my trip to Omaha in a nutshell?
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_01: And how um how I I just believe in stuff like that.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that that was my granddad right there, having that.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_01: If he was like, if I can't be there with you, John Clark, I'm sending someone, and you'll know it's me.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: And and uh I really feel like that was him.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I just uh I don't know, it's just awesome.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_01: There's a parade today in town.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: I was determined to get back, that's why I drove all through the night, got to got to start well out this morning, 2:30 a.m.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_01: pulled into my neighborhood.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: Lamonas and Polk live out in here where I live, and uh there's a uh my co-workers did a yard yard get yardage sign for me on my 40th birthday.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_01: So one of our neighbors had called us, uh, my mom when we were in Omaha and asked how they did that for me.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_01: And so we gave them the uh they had an idea of what they wanted to do for Coach Lamonas if we were to win it.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_01: So we told them who did the yardage signs.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_01: And we pull up last night, and there's a sign right outside the entrance to the neighborhood said first natty MSG Coach, Coach Lomonis, and then it's out there signs in the yard, and just uh just special, man.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_01: Just teary, man.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've teared up so many times the past uh past few days.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, I'm gonna go get both go to the brain and celebrate some more, probably shed some more tears.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_01: Just love it.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_01: Special moments.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: Man, what a story.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_02: About teared up here in that story, too.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_03: And that was a great experience, John Clark.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_03: That was an awesome bucket.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, it's uh it was a bucket list.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_01: Now I've had a bucket list ever since bucket before bucket list came out at the movie.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_01: My friend Tom Sykes has taken me around the country, went to the masters, I found around the masters, I've been to all these different sporting events I wanted to go to.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_01: My my doctor, who's a Notre Dame grad, took me to Notre Dame for a game up there.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_01: I've just gotten to do so much stuff that in my life that I know I would not have been able to accomplish without having CF.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_01: So people look at me all the time are like, How are you doing?
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: Why are you never down in life?
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, my motto is just keep living, and that's true.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I try to strive to do every day.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: Not just CF, man.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: Anybody, any day could be your last day.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_01: Just keep living, man.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_01: Just keep fighting on, especially if you've got some you're fighting like me, a battle that's determined to get you.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_01: You you just fight and you give it all you got and say, No, I'm not giving in.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: I always want to see see the world, man, see everything.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_01: And on that on that thing was on my bucket list, it's always been to see it.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_01: Live to see a national championship.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_01: And that gumman, I saw it, man.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_01: I don't care if we win another one.
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone's like, Can they repeat back to back?
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_01: I really don't care if we repeat, I don't care if we ever win another one.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I saw it, man.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: It happened, and uh, it would be great to win more.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_01: Don't tell, don't get me wrong with that.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: I'd love to go repeat, but just to get that first one off the back, it's just like it happened.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: So happy I was there to see it, man.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_01: Just uh just a moment.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_01: I'll never forget.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_02: That's how I feel too.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I'm good, you know, I'm good for at least 10 more years, you know.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'll probably about 10 years, I'll probably start wanting another one.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_02: But right good.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, that that's gotta be it's God all over this one because you have you have no control over that, over us winning that.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: And um, you could control going to all these, you know, Duke, North Carolina, go to the masters, like you can just buy yourself tickets, but you can't give us a national championship.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_02: So God and and your granddad.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_02: Talking.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_01: He'd be I can't imagine what he'd be doing right now.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_01: I know he's smiling down, so happy that I got to go.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_01: He'd be he called me Johnny, man.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_01: That was my name.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_01: He was like, I'm so happy for you, Johnny, that you you're there.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_01: My Johnny, he's there.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so but uh fellas.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna go get some tissue and uh and tear up our zoom.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_02: That's probably a good spot to end it.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Kevin man, I I can't thank you enough.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's so awesome that you got to be on this one, especially since we've known each other forever.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know my fight with CF, and it's so personal with you, and and uh being a big state fan, we've connected right away, and you got me in the weights and got me credit that to me being live today.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_01: So uh, but man, it's it's special that you were on this one.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_01: So really, really happy that you were able to jump on board and glad, Brandon, for what you're doing with the glasses, spreading the word about CF.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh just been very, very blessed.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_01: So I can't thank all my friends and everyone out there for helping me out through the years and just uh gotten got helping me get to where I am today.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_01: And there's more to go, man.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's not we're not done.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_01: We we're keeping on living, man.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_01: We're keeping on fighting, keeping on.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, sir.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_02: All right, Kevin.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_02: Appreciate it.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_02: We'll talk to you guys later.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks, Brandon.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_03: I really appreciate it.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I look forward to hearing a lot more about Johnny's world, man.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_03: It's all Johnny's world right now.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_03: I love it, and about the sunglasses and everything, and I'm definitely looking forward to ordering a pair.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_03: So definitely uh, I saw y'all are sold out of a lot of a lot of those frames, but uh I've definitely got to get uh get something cool.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_02: We'll get you hooked up, don't worry about that.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_03: All right, my man.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_03: All right, talk to y'all.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_03: Y'all have a good 4th of July, good 4th of July, Brian and John Clark.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_03: Man, y'all have a great one.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_03: And uh just keep it going.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_03: Keep it going in Johnny's World, man.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_03: All right, that's right.
• 41:59
  unknown: See you.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening to the Johnny's World Podcast.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_00: Please help us spread the message about DF and support our cause by going to johnnypacker.com.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_00: You can also reach us at Johnny PackerIwear at gmail.com.