May 22, 2024 • 33 mins
On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, ESPN Analyst and former NFL Defensive End Marcus Spears joins Peanut and Roman. Marcus, a.k.a. “The Big Swagu,” tells the guys how he got his nickname and how Commissioner Roger Goodell stamped it. He also reveals how his road to ESPN started with a DM he sent. Marcus shares why he chose football at LSU over basketball at Duke. What was it like to play for Bill Parcells? Marcus explains why he wanted to fight the “Big Tuna” but also how Parcells became a life mentor. All that and much more! Tune in!
The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What I found this Swaggle well aka Marcus Spears for
people that don't know me as Swaggle, I just chopped
it up with Rome and Penut Tillman on the NFL
player Second Acts podcast. Y'all trap in. It's pretty good stuff, man,
I almost got emotional peace.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Thank y'all for tuning in to the NFL Player's Second
Acts podcast. I'm Peanut Tillman and this is my guy Roman.
Mister mister Rogers best sweater, Harper, what's up?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Hey, man, hateg.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
We are like Rogers sweaters.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Our guests already knew I was probably getting my fit right. Yeah,
you already know. You already knew what the deal.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Was, all right.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
But before we get starting, let's think all of our
listeners and viewers out there. Make sure you give us
a five star rating wherever you pick up your podcast
for this Apple podcast, iHeartRadio. App makes you like subscribe,
leave a couple of comments, make sure you hit that
follow up button.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Man, let's get right to it. Man, I really really
am a big fan of this guy.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Know him for a while now.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I am too. His His resume is really impressive. He's
a first round pick twentieth overall twentieth overall two thousand
and five draft went the Dallas Plate nine seasons in NFL,
was a d N. We'll get more into his his
position to one of the best two sport athletes to
(01:24):
come out of the state of Louisiana. Not Louisiana, but Louisiana.
The boot, the boot, and now he's one of the
brightest stars at ESPN. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Marcus
Spears to the show.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
My brothers.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's always weird when you witch your peers and they
reading off your stuff. It's different with somebody you've known
in the media reading it all. When Pino was reading,
I was like, man, hurry up, get the hell.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Of I normally reading too fast, and then my producer
over there be like, hey, man, slow that.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Okay, you're talking too fast.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So now that I slow it down, it's like, man,
hurry up.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Reason listen to Thomas and you. I don't know, y'all,
y'all under list of accomplishment, man put that up.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
All right, Well here let's jump to ano accomplishment. Then,
So what made you choose football over basketball? Because you
went to Live I forgot you went to Yah.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
You tell them twenty three, twenty three, twenty three point
seven fifteen boards.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Big boy Swag won two state championships.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Right, Yes, I was a hooper man, listen, And it
wasn't my back to the basket. I always want to
clear up game. I always want to clear I was
shorter than most post guys. That was when the centers
was for yes, so I played on the perim. Nah man,
Football was gonna be the way to play the bal Yeah, yeah,
you know what I'm saying. And you always think about
(02:51):
like I played basketball now at a very high level,
got recruited to all of the top schools and all
of that.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
So it was a possibility.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Of having a career in basketball if I would have
just let football go and focus solely on it. But
may I'll know how it is. When you're big and fast,
they'll find somewhere for you on a roster. And I
played it all my life. I love football. I love
I loved the physical part of it until I started
getting hurt.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Y'all know how they go.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
I do do everybody Now, I saw you had a
couple of things from like, dude, yeah, Georgetown, Georgetown.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
What other schools like?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Give me like two other big schools they recruited.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Y'all. Remember at the time, Saint John's was a big deal.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, I mean I shoot, man, I got recruited by
every school in the SEC, every school in the Big East.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Big East time.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Did they spell your name right? Because I know I
wanted to go to UT and they called me Charlis Tilley.
That's how I knew I was to see. I was, yeah,
it's a rap. I don't think I'll be gone.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Along.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, Marcus was an easy win. But nah, man, I
love like I actually home. You may know this, you know,
I don't know if you know. I love basketball way
more than football. Yeah, like I love love bro. It
is because I had to work at it.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Yeah, is football?
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Show up you big? You can run like they're like,
all right, we're gonna do this with you. H Basketball,
I really had to grind to get good. And my sister,
who is my hero, my idol, she was a hooper
that scholarship the LSU knees blew a knees out playing basketball.
But she was my first example of what I thought
like real hoopers were. I grew up in the women's
(04:31):
basketball era. Yeah, I watched all the dudes hoop in
the NBA, but women's basketball was prominent in my household.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Is that because of your sister?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Because of my sister? And then I married a hooper?
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Yeah you did.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, and you got big kids still, yeah, thank god. Yeah,
volleyball players. Your girls are volleyball.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
The oldest is going to Texas YEP Championships sixth Street.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
All right.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
They playing nationals right now, in her last eighteen nationals
right now in Baltimore. And then my son is a six,
a freshman six.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
He went up.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
He like, bro, We're only going up from here.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Doctor. Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna live through him. How tall
is your wife? Six two six two? Yeah she was.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
She got drafted by the Washington Mystics. Yeah, seventh overall
and hoop there and then the w NBA wasn't where
it is today. Yeah, so she she was like, I
fell out of love with it.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
It helped that your husband was in the league. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
It's just funny because like you know, I work at
the SEC network now where you formally were at, and
they will always talk about you all the time because
how much of impression you made. And they were like, yeah,
I mean they look at me like, man, I just
I just forget how much small you are because markets
was just so big, you know, I'm like, bro. Then
they look at my kids, They're like, man, Marcus kids
just so much big.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Bro.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
He's like, he's way big. Man. I got to get
my wife credit. She saw that, Yes, they do. She
saw that.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Com She was like, we're gonna if we make it,
we're gonna our kids gonna be phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Yeah, we're good. I thank god.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yes, So I want to I want to you the
raising Cajun's.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I know.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
One of the things that I disliked about L s
U was and I it want no disrespect towards y'all,
but people would wear L. S U stuff that and
they were enrolled, actual students pay tuition to go to
U L.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
And I used to get so mad, like why are
you here?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Why are you even wearing that shirt that say L
s U.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
They probably wouldn't have been there if they could.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
You know, them kids grow up L s U fans
just like you don't dismiss it. Like I could see
if it was athletes, right yeah, playing, but most most students, unfortunately,
that's going to other colleges.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Louisiana fans.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Now, is there love just you know, just love hate?
You know, we got a little row tied here. We
got some li tie tired dog.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
The only real thing I would ask him is did
they did they ever get you?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Because you from Louisiana, did you grow up a Saints fan?
Speaker 4 (06:59):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
See, that's what I did know. But they were so
bad back.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So many of these people I ain't grow up, man,
brought on wrong y'all brought the Saints back, okay, because
I was, like I tell people all the time, Man
I grew up. I was in the streets and bad
rue all over Louisiana.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Man, I saw twelve Saints jerseys my whole child.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Man.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Then when I went back with Rome, then was ball
and the Drew and all them boys. Everybody was the
same my daddy even you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, they act like they've been there forever. That's what
they try and claim.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
But that's why I wanted to know, because to me,
I'm like, it ain't about the Alabama.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Like, first of all, he never probably lost.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
To Alabama one game. Yeah, it was not like it is.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, Nick Saban did all that, and that's your guy.
And so, and I love him too. He's great for
me too. But it's just funny because the Saints thing
is where.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
I want to know, because I know Marcus's mindset on
a lot of this stuff already. The one thing I
did want to know that I didn't know as we
looked up this thing was that I didn't know you
were the number one ranked tight end.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Coming you was like on the other side, I only
know you as the D line.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Said it was. So I went to LSU as a
tight end. Jimbo Fisher recruited me offensive coordinator at the
time at LSU, and that's who was there every day.
I mean, Saban was there. You know how head coaches were,
but he wasn't. I'm sure if I would have been
coming out as a clear defensive lineman, it'll probably been
saving more than I saw Jim Offisher. But I was
(08:31):
recruited to be a tight end, played tight end my
freshman year. LSU may all sec as a freshman tight
end and then he put me in the office like
game nine of the season and was like, we want
to try you at a defensive end. I was like, no,
the hell you don't. I'm playing and I'm getting some time,
and I just didn't see it. Man, And I've told
(08:53):
this story a thousand times. I told him I was
leaving because Miami at the time, Miami was my safe,
the choice, and they had an offense where.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
They threw it.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
It was it was it was Jeremy Shocky, it was
Bubba Franks, like they had tight ends going first round,
very much involved in the offense. So I never forget
Zinski was my recruiting me Roski at Miami.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And after the.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Saving told me that I was leaving, I was like,
I'm gonna go, man, Like y'all know, it ain't like
it is now. I could have been a porter and
then Miami, yeah eight three now, but it it just
I was catching I was catching touchdowns. Was everything to me.
Jared Rice was who I watched growing up, him and
Reggie White, but Jared Rice was Jared Rice. Bro I
(09:40):
wore eighty four in high school. I grew out of
the wide receiver bout it. So I was like, I
could play tight end, yeah and still do the same things.
And you know, it all worked out. But we were
in the he called me in the office to gave
me a day to think about it. I still give
coach credit for that now, because if he would have,
if he would have went in on me like like no,
like no, no, you're doing what I'm telling you, you know,
(10:01):
I probably would have been like Noah a few.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
But he gave me some time.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Came back the next day and brothers, he showed me
them numbers that d NS was making in the league
versus tight.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Ends at the time. Yeah. Yeah, like we could try
that defense numbers though. Did you want you make it
for eighty four in college? That? Jared right? Jared right?
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I mean he was eighted, but that was a close
number you can get as a tight end.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Sterling Shepard too.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
So when you got drafted to Dallas, you came in
under Jerry Jones, Bill Parcell, the big Tuna.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
What was that like? Because I I played for Shawn
who tries.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
To be he was there with us in Dallas.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Yeah, And so what was it like getting to know
Bill Parsons? Because it's like when you have these certain
coaches when you they guy.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yeah, you they guy, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I hated his guts too old school well just Maine games. Yeah,
And until you understand them, yes, it feels like it's
personal and it took me, unfortunately a little longer. I
wanted to put hands on Bill. I mean me and
Bill close.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Now some stories about that people I told.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I told him, I said, man, if you ever talked
to me like that again, we're gonna I'm gonna put
hands on you. And that was Bill Methick. When I
said it to him, he was like, that's the football
player I wanted from L s U.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
That's so weird. What I gotta stay. Iuda deal with
this for three and a half weeks. I could have
just punched you in here and we would have been straight.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
But nah, man, he I give him credit for for
for my pro career being as long as it was.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Uh he he taught me how to be a pro.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I came in with some great vets too, that were
able to kind of get me through that phase and
not understanding what Leroy Glover, Greg Ellis, Leonardo Carson.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Man we had.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
We had some great veterans, Jason Ferguson like, so they
helped me when I was in that phase because you know,
when you're young man, you stopped thinking about football and
preparation and you start thinking about how pitched off you
are at the coach right, and it takes away from
being a pro. So those guys got me through that.
(12:14):
And then when I realized how Bill was setting me
up and getting my mind prepared to be a professional
football player, which is after the fact, just like our
parents when we're kids. Well I can't go outside. Boy,
they shooting out there, Well let me go. I ain't
gonna get shot. No, stay your answer in the house.
You know what I'm saying. So he pretty much he
pretty much laid the foundation for me understanding not only
(12:38):
the business of football, but also like what it took.
You gotta find, you gotta find schemes you fit in.
You got to be in good situations to have success.
You got to know the type of questions to ask
coaches in free agency when you're going for a team
as opposed to looking at just the dollars. Like all
(12:58):
of that stuff I learned from Bill.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
So it was phenomenal. Man.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, one of your former teammates, DeMarcus, were inducted into
the Hall of Fame. Shut out to him, congrast that
that was a huge honor. What what did you learn
from him when you guys were playing together.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
To keep a kid mentality towards the game. What do
you mean by that? Deware never thought he would be
the Dware that we know.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Well, he came from Auburn, didn't nobody know him.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Recruited when Detroit was a wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, my man sold concessions at Auburn football games. Like
I tell him all the time. You was headed down
a bad trajection. But nah, man, he when d Ware
got to the NFL, he was still in disbelief that
he was in the NFL, and I think it gave
(13:49):
him a extra juice that we didn't have coming from
big colleges.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
It's a weird dynamic. But but you know.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
LSU, you know, laid into your more year. If you
call in and you don't get hurt, you're gonna be
in the NFL. Coming from Troy, I don't care what
you're doing. You don't know, especially at the time with
us in the league, right, it was big school everything.
Now it's then kind of even though. But he came
(14:17):
to practice with a type of energy, a type of gratefulness.
And when they say, uh, your gratitude to fake your attitude. Bro,
the Ware was always grateful to be a pro football player,
and he left no stone unturned and I worked right.
A lot of other guys worked, But y'all know how
it did, how it looks. Y'all been around them. Y'all
(14:40):
know what a Hall of Famer looks like compared to
maybe when you turn the tapeon. But he had it
in every way. He had in the weight room. Like
some people tell them stories, and y'all know they be lying.
All these Hall of Famers ain't put in the extra hours.
Some of it was blessed to be just really good
right where it did. All of those other things, though, Bro,
(15:00):
he really did.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
We're gonna take a short break and we'll be right back.
So you you were blessed to play nine nine amazing
years in this sleep played on two teams, the Ravens
and the Cowboys. Yes, when did you know it was
time to hang it up?
Speaker 4 (15:21):
I was getting ready.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
So Ozzie knew some who I think is one of
the greatest football people in the history of this league,
former GM for the Ravens. Yes, sir, you would say
that all the time. He never got it out of it.
I was retired, bro. After I got released in Dallas,
I wasn't gonna play anymore. I had degenerative knee. I
(15:45):
tore my moniscus my rookie year, so over time, you know,
just getting worse.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
Yeah, just getting worse.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
And Ozzie called me and was like, look, man, we
got this three four. We drafting some young guys. Me
and Chris Canty came in as the veteran to be
a presence but also play. Like I told her, I said, man,
I got twenty five solid ones, and y'all know, when
you get to that point, twenty five plays a big deal,
you know.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
So I told him.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I was like, I got twenty five thirty plays. I
ain't the sixty to seventy play man. I've been two
gapping and getting the double team the last eight years
in this league. Bro, I can't give you sixty a rip.
But he drafts some young guys. We came in and
mentor and they released me like week seven, yeah, or eight,
And it didn't bother.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Me at all.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Were you like relieved?
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Bro?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
I was in Dallas so fast, Bro, and that's when
I realized. You know how they say you've been stealing. Yeah,
I was like, I was gonna steal for the last
eight nine weeks of this season, and.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
I had no desire like it didn't. It didn't bother.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Me and an uber competitor, we all are, bro, Like,
don't kid yourself if you make it to the NFL,
you an uber competitor know you just saw. But I
had no desire. I wasn't disappointed. Now my body was
breaking down. My knee was degenerative swelling after every practice
that get old and monotonous.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
So I was just it was it was time.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
But to Ozzie's credit, man like, when I told him,
I was like, man, I don't know if this I
don't know if this is gonna last the entire season.
And they made the moves and they you know, young
players turned into good players. Yeah, and I felt good about,
you know, being a veteruran to help them dudes understand
the pro life because somebody did it for me.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Yeah, that's what it's supposed to be supposed to get
fast down and so and continue on that same vein
what you're doing now on TV, bro, Like, first of all,
you cleared the way like all the shows that you
started out doing, I'm getting being able to do all
that stuff now. Man, you know what I'm saying, Like
from sec nation, like you having a great one. I mean, like,
(17:56):
you still got the most viewed clip when y'all made
fun of Power getting that damn haircut?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Was that that was really tea bow?
Speaker 1 (18:02):
That was still laughing crime. I promise it was not
supposed to be that funny. I could not help it.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
I don't think anyone could.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
So from that show to all the other things you've
been doing, man, Like, Yeah, what do you think are
the things that you've improved in? Did you ever see
yourself growing and doing what you're doing now?
Speaker 4 (18:27):
Man?
Speaker 1 (18:28):
I never thought about it. First of all, Rome, when
I started at SEC Network, I didn't know you could
make money in TV. Like, I had no idea. I
didn't know anything about the business of it. But I've
learned a lot of that by the elevation of like
being on these big shows and understanding how that works. Dude,
like I was saying about dware, it's a key. I'm
(18:48):
a kid, yes, man, Like bro, I don't man, listen,
y'all see I got sweat. If I could wear this
on every show on TV and kick it, that's what
I would do. I have healthy respect for the people
that don't that aren't in front of the camera. Yes,
And I think That keeps me humble, bro, because you
realize one how good they are at what they do,
(19:11):
but you also realize they are in a position to
screw you or help promote you, showing you in good light,
letting you be like producers when you have those production calls.
Everybody you know, producers know they send me a question.
If I don't answer it, it's like, oh, he got
(19:31):
something on this and if I answer it, I give
a one word answer because I don't know what I'm
gonna say, and they have to. You got to build
a relationship where they know Margu's fine, he gonna bring it.
You got to build trust in knowing that them knowing
that you're gonna have the information, and then when they
turn the camera on. Bro, I'm just me. I've been
(19:52):
being this guy since I was five.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
But I think I think people appreciate that though, like
the sweat, like I don't know you be, the fish
fries and the way you talk and just like yo
persona like who you are, Like, I think that's dope.
We had We had Nate on the pod maybe a
year ago and he talked about when he made he
finally made that jump yeah to CBS. He was trying
(20:15):
to be something that he wasn't and it kind of
took him a little bit to get his footing. And
then finally he found his swag and put on one
of his suits and just was you know, he found
his footing and I guess you could say his confidence.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
And then, yeah, man, to your point, Peter, I just
want to be where I am, bro.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Yeah, Like, I'm not in competition.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
I did that for nine years in the NFL, four
years in college. You know, I've competed my whole life.
I didn't come in TV compete. I came in TV
to to see y'all us in yeah, and do a
great job, like and have fun. I mean we bro.
I dug fence post holes with my grandfather growing up,
and these people pay me to sit on TV for
an hour and a half, yeah, and talk about something
(20:59):
I know front to back.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Dude.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
So I've seen like over time, how I guess the
most disappointed thing for me being in the media. As
I sit today, I see how so many grown men
like fight to be in the middle of it all,
and they fighting with each other, and it's like, bro,
you kidding me, Like, what are we doing? First of all,
(21:26):
it's enough space out here for everybody. I just kind
of keep that mentality, bro, Like if y'all came on
NFL Live, I'm gonna be the same guy, but we're
gonna have a great time. I'm not going on TV
to prove the people that I'm the smartest. None of
that matters to me. What matters to me is that
when you sit down and you watch if I'm on
any show, is that you feel like you hanging out
(21:48):
Like I've always kept that. I said that my first
interview coming in the SEC network, I ain't know what
I was gonna be doing. I didn't know I was
gonna be on Nation nothing, and I never forget to
A reporter asked me when we're doing the media days,
because that was the inception of the network. They was like, like,
what do you want to get out of this? I
want people to feel like they in my living room.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Chiller.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Yeah, And that's how I like to do TV.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
And when producers and stuff try to overproduce, and I
don't do well with that. And I think I've been
honest about it. Yeah to ESPN credit and I hate
saying anything good because people think you're a company guy.
To their credit. They've adjusted to a different wave. And man,
I get asked to go be myself.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Yeah I will.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
I will give your hats off to that man, because
I think of people like you that are kind of
like paved that way, appreciate for people like me that
come in. They have not told me that one time.
What they like you trust me now and they just like, bro, just.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And you doing phenomenal. You do, like, just go do you? Man?
I appreciate that, dog.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
But it's just real funny because it's because of the
other things.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah, we're going to take a short break and we'll.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Be right back.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
That's the other thing that I want to ask you.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
And I know how this came about, but for the
viewers and the people that do not the name big
swag u all right, shout out to my man.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Joe Test Yeah, sir, all right?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Who brought that up?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Now?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
How now I don't know exactly, Okay, how I just.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Know he started. He gave you that name.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Yeah, man, So we were actually in Tuscaloos. We were
sitting in tuscal loose getting ready for a show. And
the one thing I've always said wrong and Peanut, big
men don't look good on TV with how we dress.
Because when we buy stuff, Bro, if you can't afford custom,
(23:39):
it drapes you.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
It just drapes you. It just falls on your body
and it drapes you.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Chuck is my mentor and Barkley, and I've told Chuck
one hundred times, Man, let me get you a custom suit.
All right, Chuck has custom suits, don't get me wrong,
but his tailor won't cut it. They just won't cut
it for the big man to really be. But but
but I have always believed, Bro, like my mom raised me,
I'm from Louisiana. In church, you get dressed for church,
(24:08):
no doubt. Like my mom would still be sick now
when people show up coming.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
Dress school. I got.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I had five dollars to buy this whole suit. You
gonna wear it this Sunday. But nah, man, we I
just wanted to always present myself in a good way.
And that came from my mom and my grandmother.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
And then when I got.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
On TV, Joe Test just said one day, he said, man,
you just dripped swagole. And he was like, I'm gonna
call you swagoole. And I nicknamed everybody literally because I
don't remember names well but I remember a nickname I
gave somebody and he started calling me that, bro, And
I never thought two cents about it until you in
public and then swaggo swagg bro uh Goodell yesterday came.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Up on set Swaggle, what's up?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Man?
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And I was like, damn, if it's pretty much over,
this is yeah, man. But it's a term of endearment.
It gives people a sense of closeness to you, and
that's just what I you know, I'm with it.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I think it's dope. It's dope.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
So I'm a freshly retired NFL player and I want
to get into the media space.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
What advice would you give me?
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Okay, so I get this question a lot, y'all know
how to go. I went an intern that the Dallas
Morning News bro for two thousand and seventy five an hour. Like,
I wanted to be in media. Didn't know in what capacity,
but I wanted to be in media because I played
in Dallas.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
I played at LSU consistently.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Around media and trying to understand the game. So for me,
y'all know, this conversation used to always happen. They'll be
a right up after the game or reporter write something
and they are absolutely wrong about the coverage.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Who fought it was or whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
So I'm you know, I'm trying to give myself like
a like a proper tag that that's important.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
So I was like, I'm gonna be a consultant to
the media.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
In journalism, right, and the Dallas Morning News print journalism
a lot of credit to all of those people that
gave you know, it was like, hey, mortgage anytime. And
I was thinking about starting a digital show with a
with a writer, Yeah, to explain why that wasn't the
(26:33):
cornerbacks for right, so they wouldn't be in a position
where when they show up in the locker room Peanut
want to kill them because it was.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Wrongan fault, no doubt and vice versa.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Right, So that was my first initial reason for like
getting into it, and that's what I wanted to create. Man,
I realized it ain't no way in hell. I'm sitting
behind a desk now, I was dying. I mean, I'm
sitting in there, bro it's ours. It's so quiet. People
coming in and coming out, they bringing their bag lunches,
writers coming in and they writing, We having.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Editing meetings, and ain't nothing.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Exciting, and I was like, no, say, I'm gonna just
go sit on this NFL money and relax and funny enough.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Man.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
My sister hit me up and she was like, you
heard about the SEC network that's starting, and my wife
as well. They was like, you need to be a TV.
You don't need to be a no damn newspaper anyway. Man,
I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I
wasn't writing nothing, okay, but they hit me about it.
My wife kind of pushed me away from radio. I
was gonna do radio on Dallas. I already had a job,
already had offer everything, and I was like, you know what,
(27:38):
I'm gonna go try this SEC network. I tweeted well,
sent a direct message to the executive, Stephanie Drewler at
the time, and I was like, I want to try out.
That's how I want to try out for the job.
She was like, try out for for what? You want to audition.
I was like, yeah, I want audition. She said, send
(27:59):
me some reis I hunt fish.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
This is how now.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
I was like, I don't. I was like, I have reels,
but I can't send them to you. She was like,
send me clips of what you've done on TV, and
I sent her some stuff that I had done locally
and was like, man, I got a call to come
interview in Bristol. I went up to Bristol was six degrees.
I said, there's no way in hell I'm working up here.
(28:24):
This is and I didn't understand you could do remode,
you could fly and fly. I didn't understand it. I
thought you had a mood.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
There no doubt. I was like, nah, I'm good on
the job. So did the interview, though it was cool.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Called me back for a second one in Austin at
University of Texas at Longhoint that worked at the time.
Me and Booger interviewed together and I felt good about it.
I was like, all right, let's see whatere this go.
Didn't hear anything for like two and a half three weeks.
Stephanie called me and was like, we're gonna put you
on SEC Nation. I was like, cool, I'm thinking studio boo.
(28:57):
She's like, this is a live show, live audience out.
I was like, what you're talking about? She and she
she helped me tremendously with one statement. She said, you
don't know anything about TV. You've mastered being Marcus. Just
do that, We'll take care everything else. And over time
I've been learning, bro. But I came into this business
(29:18):
with that stamp of like, go be you and everything
else will fall into place. And that's how I started
with a with a DM. That's how them boys getting
them ladies.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Now.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Hey, shout out to Baron Miller because he uses that
same thing to me all the time and he was
your guy to That's what he says all the time,
So that's what he always wrong.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Just go be you. That's it. That's it, that's it.
That's all we need.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
And it takes it takes some producers to realize trust
you and yeah, you know, because they got a job
to do.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
And so I'm going to get you out of here
on this one man.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
And uh and after this is up, I want to
know what else you got on your mind on your
plate with the media stuff, but it's gonna be a
future for you. But I want to know who is
on your mount rushmore of influence. We always trying to
ask guys who's been the biggest impact for the most
impactful in their lives, family, coaches, whatever, not just athletics,
but just in life.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
To help you be swaggo mom, dad, sister, grandmother. That's
some famous people wasn't in my household. They didn't Those
four motivated me. My mom motivated me by I wanting
to give her a better life, not seeing her struggle.
I told y'all my sister was my hero. I followed
her around. I told your sister, she only five nine.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Woman.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
I was in the room trying to follow around, trying
to be everything she was. Bro My dad pushed me
to be of a high level athlete and pushed me
to be a man like y'all know how some dads
in that generation, amen, ain't no excuses, took me out.
I'll never forget first time I got introduced to football
(31:00):
was my dad took me in an open field in Scotlandville, Louisiana,
right by Southern University campus and took a nerve ball
and threw it to me as hard as he could.
I cried and I was gonna leave. He said, if
you go upstairs, you ain't coming back outside. And I
was like, I guess I ain't going upstairs because I
couldn't stand to be inside. Y'all know how we was
(31:20):
when we was young and he would fire that nerve ball.
I turned into the number one tight end in the
country because I could catch as well as everybody. And
then my grandmother nurtured me, took care of me. She
was my defense against everybody else. She was my peace
of mind, Christine Spears. She was there to be like,
(31:40):
he's still a baby, while everybody else was like, you're
gonna get your big ass right.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying. My mama was super nurturing.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
But my mom worked tiresly and had to make sure,
you know, I had what I needed. I moved my
mom and dad separated when I was eight. I moved
with my dad in high school and it was the
perfect call and they were always on the same page. Well,
me and my sister. So those are the four people.
It wasn't like Martin, Luther King or Jordan or Reggie White.
You know, I love I looked at those guys, love
(32:12):
what they did. But the people in my community reason
I am who I am, and so those were my influences.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
I knew that though, because I know you Yeah, yeah,
it ain't changed it.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Yeah, it don't mean I don't love them famous people, No, no, no,
we good, but they I was in the trenches with them, folks.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Yeah, I like that though many thanks for coming on
the pod man.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
I appreciate the brothers spirit.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
I gotta get my son down here.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
Man. You gotta meet you dog man. Listen.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
You know I'm wide open. Dot, I'm wide open.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Let's get them up out of here.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Man.
Speaker 5 (32:41):
And also shout out to market Spears. You're the only
person I know that damn more than anything on TV,
is my favorite word.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
It is my favorite word.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
So Man, anyway, wherever you let pick up your podcast, man,
thanks for always tuning in. Give us that five star rating,
leave a review, a couple of comments, tell us what
we're doing. Ask these guys some questions to man. We're
feeling the black for y'all, and make sure you hit
that follow button or subscribe wherever you pick up your podcast.
Was iHeartRadio app or the Apple podcasts?
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Man?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Were out of here? Man, peanut Man, get us about both. Hey,
I'm Peanut.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
That Swago is mister Rogers.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Hey, that's the NFL player.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Second next podcast, we out
What I found this Swaggle well aka Marcus Spears for
people that don't know me as Swaggle, I just chopped
it up with Rome and Penut Tillman on the NFL
player Second Acts podcast. Y'all trap in. It's pretty good stuff, man,
I almost got emotional peace.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Thank y'all for tuning in to the NFL Player's Second
Acts podcast. I'm Peanut Tillman and this is my guy Roman.
Mister mister Rogers best sweater, Harper, what's up?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Hey, man, hateg.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
We are like Rogers sweaters.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Our guests already knew I was probably getting my fit right. Yeah,
you already know. You already knew what the deal.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Was, all right.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
But before we get starting, let's think all of our
listeners and viewers out there. Make sure you give us
a five star rating wherever you pick up your podcast
for this Apple podcast, iHeartRadio. App makes you like subscribe,
leave a couple of comments, make sure you hit that
follow up button.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Man, let's get right to it. Man, I really really
am a big fan of this guy.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Know him for a while now.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I am too. His His resume is really impressive. He's
a first round pick twentieth overall twentieth overall two thousand
and five draft went the Dallas Plate nine seasons in NFL,
was a d N. We'll get more into his his
position to one of the best two sport athletes to
(01:24):
come out of the state of Louisiana. Not Louisiana, but Louisiana.
The boot, the boot, and now he's one of the
brightest stars at ESPN. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Marcus
Spears to the show.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
My brothers.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's always weird when you witch your peers and they
reading off your stuff. It's different with somebody you've known
in the media reading it all. When Pino was reading,
I was like, man, hurry up, get the hell.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Of I normally reading too fast, and then my producer
over there be like, hey, man, slow that.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Okay, you're talking too fast.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So now that I slow it down, it's like, man,
hurry up.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Reason listen to Thomas and you. I don't know, y'all,
y'all under list of accomplishment, man put that up.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
All right, Well here let's jump to ano accomplishment. Then,
So what made you choose football over basketball? Because you
went to Live I forgot you went to Yah.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
You tell them twenty three, twenty three, twenty three point
seven fifteen boards.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Big boy Swag won two state championships.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Right, Yes, I was a hooper man, listen, And it
wasn't my back to the basket. I always want to
clear up game. I always want to clear I was
shorter than most post guys. That was when the centers
was for yes, so I played on the perim. Nah man,
Football was gonna be the way to play the bal Yeah, yeah,
you know what I'm saying. And you always think about
(02:51):
like I played basketball now at a very high level,
got recruited to all of the top schools and all
of that.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
So it was a possibility.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Of having a career in basketball if I would have
just let football go and focus solely on it. But
may I'll know how it is. When you're big and fast,
they'll find somewhere for you on a roster. And I
played it all my life. I love football. I love
I loved the physical part of it until I started
getting hurt.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Y'all know how they go.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
I do do everybody Now, I saw you had a
couple of things from like, dude, yeah, Georgetown, Georgetown.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
What other schools like?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Give me like two other big schools they recruited.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Y'all. Remember at the time, Saint John's was a big deal.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, I mean I shoot, man, I got recruited by
every school in the SEC, every school in the Big East.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Big East time.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Did they spell your name right? Because I know I
wanted to go to UT and they called me Charlis Tilley.
That's how I knew I was to see. I was, yeah,
it's a rap. I don't think I'll be gone.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Along.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, Marcus was an easy win. But nah, man, I
love like I actually home. You may know this, you know,
I don't know if you know. I love basketball way
more than football. Yeah, like I love love bro. It
is because I had to work at it.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Yeah, is football?
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Show up you big? You can run like they're like,
all right, we're gonna do this with you. H Basketball,
I really had to grind to get good. And my sister,
who is my hero, my idol, she was a hooper
that scholarship the LSU knees blew a knees out playing basketball.
But she was my first example of what I thought
like real hoopers were. I grew up in the women's
(04:31):
basketball era. Yeah, I watched all the dudes hoop in
the NBA, but women's basketball was prominent in my household.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Is that because of your sister?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Because of my sister? And then I married a hooper?
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Yeah you did.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, and you got big kids still, yeah, thank god. Yeah,
volleyball players. Your girls are volleyball.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
The oldest is going to Texas YEP Championships sixth Street.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
All right.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
They playing nationals right now, in her last eighteen nationals
right now in Baltimore. And then my son is a six,
a freshman six.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
He went up.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
He like, bro, We're only going up from here.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Doctor. Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna live through him. How tall
is your wife? Six two six two? Yeah she was.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
She got drafted by the Washington Mystics. Yeah, seventh overall
and hoop there and then the w NBA wasn't where
it is today. Yeah, so she she was like, I
fell out of love with it.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
It helped that your husband was in the league. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
It's just funny because like you know, I work at
the SEC network now where you formally were at, and
they will always talk about you all the time because
how much of impression you made. And they were like, yeah,
I mean they look at me like, man, I just
I just forget how much small you are because markets
was just so big, you know, I'm like, bro. Then
they look at my kids, They're like, man, Marcus kids
just so much big.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Bro.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
He's like, he's way big. Man. I got to get
my wife credit. She saw that, Yes, they do. She
saw that.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Com She was like, we're gonna if we make it,
we're gonna our kids gonna be phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Yeah, we're good. I thank god.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yes, So I want to I want to you the
raising Cajun's.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I know.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
One of the things that I disliked about L s
U was and I it want no disrespect towards y'all,
but people would wear L. S U stuff that and
they were enrolled, actual students pay tuition to go to
U L.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
And I used to get so mad, like why are
you here?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Why are you even wearing that shirt that say L
s U.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
They probably wouldn't have been there if they could.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
You know, them kids grow up L s U fans
just like you don't dismiss it. Like I could see
if it was athletes, right yeah, playing, but most most students, unfortunately,
that's going to other colleges.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Louisiana fans.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Now, is there love just you know, just love hate?
You know, we got a little row tied here. We
got some li tie tired dog.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
The only real thing I would ask him is did
they did they ever get you?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Because you from Louisiana, did you grow up a Saints fan?
Speaker 4 (06:59):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
See, that's what I did know. But they were so
bad back.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So many of these people I ain't grow up, man,
brought on wrong y'all brought the Saints back, okay, because
I was, like I tell people all the time, Man
I grew up. I was in the streets and bad
rue all over Louisiana.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Man, I saw twelve Saints jerseys my whole child.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Man.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Then when I went back with Rome, then was ball
and the Drew and all them boys. Everybody was the
same my daddy even you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, they act like they've been there forever. That's what
they try and claim.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
But that's why I wanted to know, because to me,
I'm like, it ain't about the Alabama.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Like, first of all, he never probably lost.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
To Alabama one game. Yeah, it was not like it is.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, Nick Saban did all that, and that's your guy.
And so, and I love him too. He's great for
me too. But it's just funny because the Saints thing
is where.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
I want to know, because I know Marcus's mindset on
a lot of this stuff already. The one thing I
did want to know that I didn't know as we
looked up this thing was that I didn't know you
were the number one ranked tight end.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Coming you was like on the other side, I only
know you as the D line.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Said it was. So I went to LSU as a
tight end. Jimbo Fisher recruited me offensive coordinator at the
time at LSU, and that's who was there every day.
I mean, Saban was there. You know how head coaches were,
but he wasn't. I'm sure if I would have been
coming out as a clear defensive lineman, it'll probably been
saving more than I saw Jim Offisher. But I was
(08:31):
recruited to be a tight end, played tight end my
freshman year. LSU may all sec as a freshman tight
end and then he put me in the office like
game nine of the season and was like, we want
to try you at a defensive end. I was like, no,
the hell you don't. I'm playing and I'm getting some time,
and I just didn't see it. Man, And I've told
(08:53):
this story a thousand times. I told him I was
leaving because Miami at the time, Miami was my safe,
the choice, and they had an offense where.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
They threw it.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
It was it was it was Jeremy Shocky, it was
Bubba Franks, like they had tight ends going first round,
very much involved in the offense. So I never forget
Zinski was my recruiting me Roski at Miami.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And after the.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Saving told me that I was leaving, I was like,
I'm gonna go, man, Like y'all know, it ain't like
it is now. I could have been a porter and
then Miami, yeah eight three now, but it it just
I was catching I was catching touchdowns. Was everything to me.
Jared Rice was who I watched growing up, him and
Reggie White, but Jared Rice was Jared Rice. Bro I
(09:40):
wore eighty four in high school. I grew out of
the wide receiver bout it. So I was like, I
could play tight end, yeah and still do the same things.
And you know, it all worked out. But we were
in the he called me in the office to gave
me a day to think about it. I still give
coach credit for that now, because if he would have,
if he would have went in on me like like no,
like no, no, you're doing what I'm telling you, you know,
(10:01):
I probably would have been like Noah a few.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
But he gave me some time.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Came back the next day and brothers, he showed me
them numbers that d NS was making in the league
versus tight.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Ends at the time. Yeah. Yeah, like we could try
that defense numbers though. Did you want you make it
for eighty four in college? That? Jared right? Jared right?
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I mean he was eighted, but that was a close
number you can get as a tight end.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Sterling Shepard too.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
So when you got drafted to Dallas, you came in
under Jerry Jones, Bill Parcell, the big Tuna.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
What was that like? Because I I played for Shawn
who tries.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
To be he was there with us in Dallas.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Yeah, And so what was it like getting to know
Bill Parsons? Because it's like when you have these certain
coaches when you they guy.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yeah, you they guy, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I hated his guts too old school well just Maine games. Yeah,
And until you understand them, yes, it feels like it's
personal and it took me, unfortunately a little longer. I
wanted to put hands on Bill. I mean me and
Bill close.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Now some stories about that people I told.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I told him, I said, man, if you ever talked
to me like that again, we're gonna I'm gonna put
hands on you. And that was Bill Methick. When I
said it to him, he was like, that's the football
player I wanted from L s U.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
That's so weird. What I gotta stay. Iuda deal with
this for three and a half weeks. I could have
just punched you in here and we would have been straight.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
But nah, man, he I give him credit for for
for my pro career being as long as it was.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Uh he he taught me how to be a pro.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I came in with some great vets too, that were
able to kind of get me through that phase and
not understanding what Leroy Glover, Greg Ellis, Leonardo Carson.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Man we had.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
We had some great veterans, Jason Ferguson like, so they
helped me when I was in that phase because you know,
when you're young man, you stopped thinking about football and
preparation and you start thinking about how pitched off you
are at the coach right, and it takes away from
being a pro. So those guys got me through that.
(12:14):
And then when I realized how Bill was setting me
up and getting my mind prepared to be a professional
football player, which is after the fact, just like our
parents when we're kids. Well I can't go outside. Boy,
they shooting out there, Well let me go. I ain't
gonna get shot. No, stay your answer in the house.
You know what I'm saying. So he pretty much he
pretty much laid the foundation for me understanding not only
(12:38):
the business of football, but also like what it took.
You gotta find, you gotta find schemes you fit in.
You got to be in good situations to have success.
You got to know the type of questions to ask
coaches in free agency when you're going for a team
as opposed to looking at just the dollars. Like all
(12:58):
of that stuff I learned from Bill.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
So it was phenomenal. Man.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, one of your former teammates, DeMarcus, were inducted into
the Hall of Fame. Shut out to him, congrast that
that was a huge honor. What what did you learn
from him when you guys were playing together.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
To keep a kid mentality towards the game. What do
you mean by that? Deware never thought he would be
the Dware that we know.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Well, he came from Auburn, didn't nobody know him.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Recruited when Detroit was a wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, my man sold concessions at Auburn football games. Like
I tell him all the time. You was headed down
a bad trajection. But nah, man, he when d Ware
got to the NFL, he was still in disbelief that
he was in the NFL, and I think it gave
(13:49):
him a extra juice that we didn't have coming from
big colleges.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
It's a weird dynamic. But but you know.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
LSU, you know, laid into your more year. If you
call in and you don't get hurt, you're gonna be
in the NFL. Coming from Troy, I don't care what
you're doing. You don't know, especially at the time with
us in the league, right, it was big school everything.
Now it's then kind of even though. But he came
(14:17):
to practice with a type of energy, a type of gratefulness.
And when they say, uh, your gratitude to fake your attitude. Bro,
the Ware was always grateful to be a pro football player,
and he left no stone unturned and I worked right.
A lot of other guys worked, But y'all know how
it did, how it looks. Y'all been around them. Y'all
(14:40):
know what a Hall of Famer looks like compared to
maybe when you turn the tapeon. But he had it
in every way. He had in the weight room. Like
some people tell them stories, and y'all know they be lying.
All these Hall of Famers ain't put in the extra hours.
Some of it was blessed to be just really good
right where it did. All of those other things, though, Bro,
(15:00):
he really did.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
We're gonna take a short break and we'll be right back.
So you you were blessed to play nine nine amazing
years in this sleep played on two teams, the Ravens
and the Cowboys. Yes, when did you know it was
time to hang it up?
Speaker 4 (15:21):
I was getting ready.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
So Ozzie knew some who I think is one of
the greatest football people in the history of this league,
former GM for the Ravens. Yes, sir, you would say
that all the time. He never got it out of it.
I was retired, bro. After I got released in Dallas,
I wasn't gonna play anymore. I had degenerative knee. I
(15:45):
tore my moniscus my rookie year, so over time, you know,
just getting worse.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
Yeah, just getting worse.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
And Ozzie called me and was like, look, man, we
got this three four. We drafting some young guys. Me
and Chris Canty came in as the veteran to be
a presence but also play. Like I told her, I said, man,
I got twenty five solid ones, and y'all know, when
you get to that point, twenty five plays a big deal,
you know.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
So I told him.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I was like, I got twenty five thirty plays. I
ain't the sixty to seventy play man. I've been two
gapping and getting the double team the last eight years
in this league. Bro, I can't give you sixty a rip.
But he drafts some young guys. We came in and
mentor and they released me like week seven, yeah, or eight,
And it didn't bother.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Me at all.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Were you like relieved?
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Bro?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
I was in Dallas so fast, Bro, and that's when
I realized. You know how they say you've been stealing. Yeah,
I was like, I was gonna steal for the last
eight nine weeks of this season, and.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
I had no desire like it didn't. It didn't bother.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Me and an uber competitor, we all are, bro, Like,
don't kid yourself if you make it to the NFL,
you an uber competitor know you just saw. But I
had no desire. I wasn't disappointed. Now my body was
breaking down. My knee was degenerative swelling after every practice
that get old and monotonous.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
So I was just it was it was time.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
But to Ozzie's credit, man like, when I told him,
I was like, man, I don't know if this I
don't know if this is gonna last the entire season.
And they made the moves and they you know, young
players turned into good players. Yeah, and I felt good about,
you know, being a veteruran to help them dudes understand
the pro life because somebody did it for me.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Yeah, that's what it's supposed to be supposed to get
fast down and so and continue on that same vein
what you're doing now on TV, bro, Like, first of all,
you cleared the way like all the shows that you
started out doing, I'm getting being able to do all
that stuff now. Man, you know what I'm saying, Like
from sec nation, like you having a great one. I mean, like,
(17:56):
you still got the most viewed clip when y'all made
fun of Power getting that damn haircut?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Was that that was really tea bow?
Speaker 1 (18:02):
That was still laughing crime. I promise it was not
supposed to be that funny. I could not help it.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
I don't think anyone could.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
So from that show to all the other things you've
been doing, man, Like, Yeah, what do you think are
the things that you've improved in? Did you ever see
yourself growing and doing what you're doing now?
Speaker 4 (18:27):
Man?
Speaker 1 (18:28):
I never thought about it. First of all, Rome, when
I started at SEC Network, I didn't know you could
make money in TV. Like, I had no idea. I
didn't know anything about the business of it. But I've
learned a lot of that by the elevation of like
being on these big shows and understanding how that works. Dude,
like I was saying about dware, it's a key. I'm
(18:48):
a kid, yes, man, Like bro, I don't man, listen,
y'all see I got sweat. If I could wear this
on every show on TV and kick it, that's what
I would do. I have healthy respect for the people
that don't that aren't in front of the camera. Yes,
And I think That keeps me humble, bro, because you
realize one how good they are at what they do,
(19:11):
but you also realize they are in a position to
screw you or help promote you, showing you in good light,
letting you be like producers when you have those production calls.
Everybody you know, producers know they send me a question.
If I don't answer it, it's like, oh, he got
(19:31):
something on this and if I answer it, I give
a one word answer because I don't know what I'm
gonna say, and they have to. You got to build
a relationship where they know Margu's fine, he gonna bring it.
You got to build trust in knowing that them knowing
that you're gonna have the information, and then when they
turn the camera on. Bro, I'm just me. I've been
(19:52):
being this guy since I was five.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
But I think I think people appreciate that though, like
the sweat, like I don't know you be, the fish
fries and the way you talk and just like yo
persona like who you are, Like, I think that's dope.
We had We had Nate on the pod maybe a
year ago and he talked about when he made he
finally made that jump yeah to CBS. He was trying
(20:15):
to be something that he wasn't and it kind of
took him a little bit to get his footing. And
then finally he found his swag and put on one
of his suits and just was you know, he found
his footing and I guess you could say his confidence.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
And then, yeah, man, to your point, Peter, I just
want to be where I am, bro.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Yeah, Like, I'm not in competition.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
I did that for nine years in the NFL, four
years in college. You know, I've competed my whole life.
I didn't come in TV compete. I came in TV
to to see y'all us in yeah, and do a
great job, like and have fun. I mean we bro.
I dug fence post holes with my grandfather growing up,
and these people pay me to sit on TV for
an hour and a half, yeah, and talk about something
(20:59):
I know front to back.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Dude.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
So I've seen like over time, how I guess the
most disappointed thing for me being in the media. As
I sit today, I see how so many grown men
like fight to be in the middle of it all,
and they fighting with each other, and it's like, bro,
you kidding me, Like, what are we doing? First of all,
(21:26):
it's enough space out here for everybody. I just kind
of keep that mentality, bro, Like if y'all came on
NFL Live, I'm gonna be the same guy, but we're
gonna have a great time. I'm not going on TV
to prove the people that I'm the smartest. None of
that matters to me. What matters to me is that
when you sit down and you watch if I'm on
any show, is that you feel like you hanging out
(21:48):
Like I've always kept that. I said that my first
interview coming in the SEC network, I ain't know what
I was gonna be doing. I didn't know I was
gonna be on Nation nothing, and I never forget to
A reporter asked me when we're doing the media days,
because that was the inception of the network. They was like, like,
what do you want to get out of this? I
want people to feel like they in my living room.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Chiller.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Yeah, And that's how I like to do TV.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
And when producers and stuff try to overproduce, and I
don't do well with that. And I think I've been
honest about it. Yeah to ESPN credit and I hate
saying anything good because people think you're a company guy.
To their credit. They've adjusted to a different wave. And man,
I get asked to go be myself.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Yeah I will.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
I will give your hats off to that man, because
I think of people like you that are kind of
like paved that way, appreciate for people like me that
come in. They have not told me that one time.
What they like you trust me now and they just like, bro, just.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And you doing phenomenal. You do, like, just go do you? Man?
I appreciate that, dog.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
But it's just real funny because it's because of the
other things.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah, we're going to take a short break and we'll.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Be right back.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
That's the other thing that I want to ask you.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
And I know how this came about, but for the
viewers and the people that do not the name big
swag u all right, shout out to my man.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Joe Test Yeah, sir, all right?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Who brought that up?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Now?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
How now I don't know exactly, Okay, how I just.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Know he started. He gave you that name.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Yeah, man, So we were actually in Tuscaloos. We were
sitting in tuscal loose getting ready for a show. And
the one thing I've always said wrong and Peanut, big
men don't look good on TV with how we dress.
Because when we buy stuff, Bro, if you can't afford custom,
(23:39):
it drapes you.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
It just drapes you. It just falls on your body
and it drapes you.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Chuck is my mentor and Barkley, and I've told Chuck
one hundred times, Man, let me get you a custom suit.
All right, Chuck has custom suits, don't get me wrong,
but his tailor won't cut it. They just won't cut
it for the big man to really be. But but
but I have always believed, Bro, like my mom raised me,
I'm from Louisiana. In church, you get dressed for church,
(24:08):
no doubt. Like my mom would still be sick now
when people show up coming.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
Dress school. I got.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I had five dollars to buy this whole suit. You
gonna wear it this Sunday. But nah, man, we I
just wanted to always present myself in a good way.
And that came from my mom and my grandmother.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
And then when I got.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
On TV, Joe Test just said one day, he said, man,
you just dripped swagole. And he was like, I'm gonna
call you swagoole. And I nicknamed everybody literally because I
don't remember names well but I remember a nickname I
gave somebody and he started calling me that, bro, And
I never thought two cents about it until you in
public and then swaggo swagg bro uh Goodell yesterday came.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Up on set Swaggle, what's up?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Man?
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And I was like, damn, if it's pretty much over,
this is yeah, man. But it's a term of endearment.
It gives people a sense of closeness to you, and
that's just what I you know, I'm with it.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I think it's dope. It's dope.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
So I'm a freshly retired NFL player and I want
to get into the media space.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
What advice would you give me?
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Okay, so I get this question a lot, y'all know
how to go. I went an intern that the Dallas
Morning News bro for two thousand and seventy five an hour. Like,
I wanted to be in media. Didn't know in what capacity,
but I wanted to be in media because I played
in Dallas.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
I played at LSU consistently.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Around media and trying to understand the game. So for me,
y'all know, this conversation used to always happen. They'll be
a right up after the game or reporter write something
and they are absolutely wrong about the coverage.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Who fought it was or whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
So I'm you know, I'm trying to give myself like
a like a proper tag that that's important.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
So I was like, I'm gonna be a consultant to
the media.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
In journalism, right, and the Dallas Morning News print journalism
a lot of credit to all of those people that
gave you know, it was like, hey, mortgage anytime. And
I was thinking about starting a digital show with a
with a writer, Yeah, to explain why that wasn't the
(26:33):
cornerbacks for right, so they wouldn't be in a position
where when they show up in the locker room Peanut
want to kill them because it was.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Wrongan fault, no doubt and vice versa.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Right, So that was my first initial reason for like
getting into it, and that's what I wanted to create. Man,
I realized it ain't no way in hell. I'm sitting
behind a desk now, I was dying. I mean, I'm
sitting in there, bro it's ours. It's so quiet. People
coming in and coming out, they bringing their bag lunches,
writers coming in and they writing, We having.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Editing meetings, and ain't nothing.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Exciting, and I was like, no, say, I'm gonna just
go sit on this NFL money and relax and funny enough.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Man.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
My sister hit me up and she was like, you
heard about the SEC network that's starting, and my wife
as well. They was like, you need to be a TV.
You don't need to be a no damn newspaper anyway. Man,
I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I
wasn't writing nothing, okay, but they hit me about it.
My wife kind of pushed me away from radio. I
was gonna do radio on Dallas. I already had a job,
already had offer everything, and I was like, you know what,
(27:38):
I'm gonna go try this SEC network. I tweeted well,
sent a direct message to the executive, Stephanie Drewler at
the time, and I was like, I want to try out.
That's how I want to try out for the job.
She was like, try out for for what? You want to audition.
I was like, yeah, I want audition. She said, send
(27:59):
me some reis I hunt fish.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
This is how now.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
I was like, I don't. I was like, I have reels,
but I can't send them to you. She was like,
send me clips of what you've done on TV, and
I sent her some stuff that I had done locally
and was like, man, I got a call to come
interview in Bristol. I went up to Bristol was six degrees.
I said, there's no way in hell I'm working up here.
(28:24):
This is and I didn't understand you could do remode,
you could fly and fly. I didn't understand it. I
thought you had a mood.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
There no doubt. I was like, nah, I'm good on
the job. So did the interview, though it was cool.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Called me back for a second one in Austin at
University of Texas at Longhoint that worked at the time.
Me and Booger interviewed together and I felt good about it.
I was like, all right, let's see whatere this go.
Didn't hear anything for like two and a half three weeks.
Stephanie called me and was like, we're gonna put you
on SEC Nation. I was like, cool, I'm thinking studio boo.
(28:57):
She's like, this is a live show, live audience out.
I was like, what you're talking about? She and she
she helped me tremendously with one statement. She said, you
don't know anything about TV. You've mastered being Marcus. Just
do that, We'll take care everything else. And over time
I've been learning, bro. But I came into this business
(29:18):
with that stamp of like, go be you and everything
else will fall into place. And that's how I started
with a with a DM. That's how them boys getting
them ladies.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Now.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Hey, shout out to Baron Miller because he uses that
same thing to me all the time and he was
your guy to That's what he says all the time,
So that's what he always wrong.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Just go be you. That's it. That's it, that's it.
That's all we need.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
And it takes it takes some producers to realize trust
you and yeah, you know, because they got a job
to do.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
And so I'm going to get you out of here
on this one man.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
And uh and after this is up, I want to
know what else you got on your mind on your
plate with the media stuff, but it's gonna be a
future for you. But I want to know who is
on your mount rushmore of influence. We always trying to
ask guys who's been the biggest impact for the most
impactful in their lives, family, coaches, whatever, not just athletics,
but just in life.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
To help you be swaggo mom, dad, sister, grandmother. That's
some famous people wasn't in my household. They didn't Those
four motivated me. My mom motivated me by I wanting
to give her a better life, not seeing her struggle.
I told y'all my sister was my hero. I followed
her around. I told your sister, she only five nine.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Woman.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
I was in the room trying to follow around, trying
to be everything she was. Bro My dad pushed me
to be of a high level athlete and pushed me
to be a man like y'all know how some dads
in that generation, amen, ain't no excuses, took me out.
I'll never forget first time I got introduced to football
(31:00):
was my dad took me in an open field in Scotlandville, Louisiana,
right by Southern University campus and took a nerve ball
and threw it to me as hard as he could.
I cried and I was gonna leave. He said, if
you go upstairs, you ain't coming back outside. And I
was like, I guess I ain't going upstairs because I
couldn't stand to be inside. Y'all know how we was
(31:20):
when we was young and he would fire that nerve ball.
I turned into the number one tight end in the
country because I could catch as well as everybody. And
then my grandmother nurtured me, took care of me. She
was my defense against everybody else. She was my peace
of mind, Christine Spears. She was there to be like,
(31:40):
he's still a baby, while everybody else was like, you're
gonna get your big ass right.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying. My mama was super nurturing.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
But my mom worked tiresly and had to make sure,
you know, I had what I needed. I moved my
mom and dad separated when I was eight. I moved
with my dad in high school and it was the
perfect call and they were always on the same page. Well,
me and my sister. So those are the four people.
It wasn't like Martin, Luther King or Jordan or Reggie White.
You know, I love I looked at those guys, love
(32:12):
what they did. But the people in my community reason
I am who I am, and so those were my influences.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
I knew that though, because I know you Yeah, yeah,
it ain't changed it.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Yeah, it don't mean I don't love them famous people, No, no, no,
we good, but they I was in the trenches with them, folks.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Yeah, I like that though many thanks for coming on
the pod man.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
I appreciate the brothers spirit.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
I gotta get my son down here.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
Man. You gotta meet you dog man. Listen.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
You know I'm wide open. Dot, I'm wide open.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Let's get them up out of here.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Man.
Speaker 5 (32:41):
And also shout out to market Spears. You're the only
person I know that damn more than anything on TV,
is my favorite word.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
It is my favorite word.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
So Man, anyway, wherever you let pick up your podcast, man,
thanks for always tuning in. Give us that five star rating,
leave a review, a couple of comments, tell us what
we're doing. Ask these guys some questions to man. We're
feeling the black for y'all, and make sure you hit
that follow button or subscribe wherever you pick up your podcast.
Was iHeartRadio app or the Apple podcasts?
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Man?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Were out of here? Man, peanut Man, get us about both. Hey,
I'm Peanut.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
That Swago is mister Rogers.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Hey, that's the NFL player.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Second next podcast, we out
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.