Dario Romero: Warrior Mentality

00:00:00 Speaker 1: You're now diving fish never been in my strake who be down with Seth oh Jay and this is strictly for them? True fan fan Number one one, of course, was Tough at Fish Welcome Back to the Fish Tank, presented by iHeart Radio right here on the Miami Dolphins podcast Network. Seth Levitt and the toughest podcaster Dan Marino ever played with maybe one of the toughest guests we've ever had on the podcast, Juice. I wouldn't want to mess any man, I promise you, I would not want to make man. No, I'll be Danny's toughest guy, but I'm not. I'm not the toughest guy. That's for damn. So you don't need Dario the test. No, heck no, man, Rio Romero diving into the fish tank all the way from pretty much as far as far away. Yeah, talk all about that for sure. How you feeling, man, I'm doing great, man, Glad to be here, Excited to be on with you guys. Had a great time after Hall of Fame. Got to meet you, Juice. That was awesome, man. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me. We'll definitely talk about the Hall of Fame man, it was. It was definitely a lot of fun. So our podcast show, Guys Gotta we do the postgame show with and he's also on the podcast network, Travis Wingfield. You know, he's screaming right now because we're talking about the the p and duve the Pacific Northwest right now. You know what I mean. You talked a little bit about him before we got in the air here. But from Spokane, Spokane, Washington, went to Lewis and Clark High School and then basically walked across the street and went to Eastern Washington University. Man, Yes, yes, I mean you had you had a hell of a career there, man, And but you weren't undrafted, which is you know, I mean that happens to some guys. Many some guy, we haven't gotten five minutes into this thing, and he's always already own this kid. Some guys they send the private jet for because they draft him in the first round. They're holding up the jersey, they're hugging the owner the whole thing, and some guys got a fighting claw. Well I didn't get the private jet, that's what damn sure. I did get a nice ticket that one on American Airlines, though, but that's that's a little different first class. You know what it's been on. It's not about it's not my podcast. Man, this is sorry, you bro. You know, I mean, there you go. You set it up. I was just sitting here, mind you you set it up apparently all right, but no, seriously, though, what went into the decision for you to, you know, to start your professional career up with the Eskimo You know Edmonton Eskimo was up up in the CFL. Well, I was, first of all, I love I absolutely love football, so I knew I wanted to play after college and what's funny and and so I was a prop forty eight going into Eastern, so I was able to graduate in four years and get a year back. But my on my third year out at Eastern, I actually got a call from the Dolphins. They were asking me if I was going to come out this year, and I told him no, I was going to go back graduate and then get my fourth year back. So I did that. I stayed back, and then there was possibilities of me getting drafted in late rounds. No phone calls on that day, so kind of changed my trajectory as far as how it was going to go about continuing playing football. So my r a d at the time, Dick Lawrence had a connection up in Edmonton. They just had a guy, Jed Roberts, retire from the Eskimos or now the Elks. So I gotta, I gotta a late invite to camp. And that's where it all started. Man, I jumped on it. I don't even think you know up there, and nothing came with the signing bonus. It was just an opportunity and I took it. And that's where I started it. Darnel's got the whole look of a guy like he doesn't even look like he was in Edmonton Eskimo Like you got no heball. You weren't esketball. So you did enough. And I didn't realize that they had their eyes on you even before while you were still in college. But you did enough in Edmonton that you know, Rick Spielman and Dave Wantstadt came knocking at your door, right, So they reached out and next thing you know, you find yourself literally as far away from hometown or from Edmonton as you can be all the way in Miami. Had to be a big change in a lot of ways, right, I imagine culturally, certainly the weather, the transition from eastern Washington and Canada to now NFL football, all of that. But what I remember most at the beginning there is the Dolphins. So you're you're not a rookie. I guess you're considered a first year player at that point. You're an NFL rookie. But the Dolphins didn't have a first or second round pick, so our first overall pick was a guy in the third round by the name of Seth McKinney, an the guard center out of Texas A and M. And given the position you play as a defensive tackle, you know, interior defensive lineman, you guys probably are going to see each other on the practice field. Man, it did not take long for the fireworks to start. Talk about like day one in camp, well, day one camp, I'm glad I had to experience up in Edmonton. It wasn't quite extensive as a camp in in Miami was. But I remember Seth. Seth was holding out. We were waiting for him to come in and it was day his day one. I don't remember what time through the camp it was, but his day one, I'll never forget it. Man. I think It really helped me define at least give me a chance to make the team. That year was it was one on ones and you know how a camp one on ones is like a main event of the day. It was his day one. All the cameras were out, and uh it was me and him and I lined up. He was playing center. I lined up and I just gave him a little and blew by him. And you know, I heard Tony Wise start chirping a little bit. I thought Tony Wise, coach Wise was chirping at me, but he was on Seth. So Tony Wiss had to go again. And uh, I did the same thing. Man, I stuck one way, went to the other club real and it was another clean Priss rush. And then Seth called me out, pointed at me. He's like, let's go again, Let's go again. So he ran it back again. He wanted more, man he got he had. You know, he had a show what he was. He's not gonna let a little scroll like me whoop on him. So we went again, and I remember this time he he had a little more hands on me, but it was told me. I remember dragging him a little bit and I would con here to win, and I kind of he was still holding on to me, so I kind of I get him a little two piece to the helmet just to let him know, like get your hands off me and saying, I hear it. Coach WI is yelling, we waited for this. You get your ass swaped, and then you want to fight him and get your asswap again. So I love it. One on once was my jam, man, I was, I was. That was my jam and I felt like right there, man, my confidence went up, and I think the coaches saw what I could bring. And I was always fighting out there. You know that. Yeah, talk about that, man, Like what you know is it did you grow up like that? Were you fighting through school and the whole thing? Or was it just hey, nobody's given me nothing. I you know, I teased with my partner here all the time. But what I will say, I just gotta school was the only thing that was my ass. But but no, I played like that through high school, college. You know, I was. I was a competitor and I always played on the head and then there was something always something happened that put me over. Man. I was like that all the way through my ten year career up in the CFL where my last season up there was two thousand and eleven. I got voted nastist player in the CFL. It was it wasn't that I ever started anything, man, I just I stuck up for our players and stuck up for myself and just you know, didn't let that bullshit happened to me out there or my teammates. I love it. I think we've got a theme here, man. Yeah, yeah, we've got a theme here. You know when it comes to you and fight him, my man. I mean the crazy part is me. You think about it, It wasn't limited to just a field. It wasn't limited to you know, the other side of football. Please tell us what happened with you and Ada, Wally and Gulier out of a children's hospital. Oh man, that was actually that was a great day. We had great time in the hospital. It was during the Christmas time, so we had our jerseys on, Santa hats on and wow, it's not like it's not like some bad it could have been. It could have been, it could have got it could have got bad. But anyway, after we were done, we're coming down and uh, Larry Chester, Big Larry Chester drove so we're on the way and I called I called a window seat. Somebody called shotguns, so I I called the window seat. You're right, you're right. As rules, there's rules, there's rules. Yeah, there's rules. How many people are in this the defensive line? How many people are in this car? Bro we we had I think it held not. I think we had seven or eight in the I'm trying to get a window, right and so so I all window and nobody you know, denied it at the time. So we get in there and I opened the door for wallet so he can head to the back. And while they just wanted to camp out in the seat that I called, and I was like, come on, man, I called it. He's like he just kind of looked at me, like I'm staying here. So the shorts evered on the half man. All of a sudden, I snapped him out of the car. We were squared up. I was so I remember this clearly because I must have said, man, I'm gonna kill you or something that he's looking around that teammates he's trying to he said he's gonna kill me. So that high him up and uh, we kind of went around around the car. No no punches were ever thrown. Wait, you're chasing each other around the cars, bass and you got you got like timbo there. Jermaine trying to keep everything cool, keep us separated. So they threw They threw the prince in the front seat, and I ended up and the guy away because the prince, who's the prince? I know, man, that's man. So so while they got hit up getting shotgun, they throw me in the way back because I'm still fired up and they wanted to keep us separating. Then it was quiet once we've got in the car. Nobody kept it going. Yeah, I'm in the back. So Wally throws his hand back and uh just fist bumped him and it was over at that point, you know. And after that, Jermaine Haley had to talk to me about like, hey, He's like, we can't can't be doing this, man, it looks bad. You're a new guy, Like, we can't be having this stuff out here. And I knew that, And then I didn't have any hard feelings towards Wally. I just wanted my damn seat. You know what. Man, At that point, you got to get your respect, man, you know what I mean. It ain't about you know what I mean, it's about respect. But man, I know, man, but they was on their way out. The kids already back and the kids have took away. They was on the way out. Man. It was good to go. Man, Yeah, we were good to go. You're a bunch of growing and you're you're you're Dolphin superstars. You're there to brighten Christmas in the holiday season for these kids that are suffering, and you guys are fighting over a damn window seat. Yeah. Like you said, man, it is about respecting that locker room. And you get tested, you get tried, and you know it's it's a my game. They want to see what you got and uh, man, that's just me. Man, I got I got a warrior mentality and I'm gonna I'm gonna get the respect then I feel I deserve. And I believe I learned it because me and Wally we were a boy at that time, you know, we I think we were both undrafted and we would talk all the time about, you know, how to just just do whatever it takes to stay on the field and earn a spot on the team. So there was no beef after that whatsoever. It was just like Jue said, Man, it was an opportunity to just stick up for myself and respect. And usually that's what happens. Man, once you get it out of the way, you know what I mean, the rest is history. You don't have to worry about that anymore. Man, you know. Yeah, I remember growing up, We're getting a fight, and the guys I would fight would end up being my best buzz because because of that mutual respect. So there's nothing new, nothing new, that's just kind of how it worked. I don't it was weird, but I think it came back down to that respect and whatever. It's like, Okay, I mean, when you're a competitor, you want the best of the best, and you know you give it your all and and it's easy to shake hands after something like that. Yeah, no doubt. And then so juicy he must have worked from the outside of the line in right because you mentioned Larry Chester. You at this point, I guess the screw or two loose could be the case, but or the warrior mantality. But you and Chester would like there was this story where you guys were wrestling out on the field. Now we've had Larry Chester on this show, and he talked about how angry he was, and he would pick up cars and do all kinds of crazy stuff. What possessed you to wrestle? Like what happened there that you and Chester end up wrestling on the practice Man? You know that was a that was a friendly match. And I think we just started like I would say he started it, started grabbing on me like wrestling whatever, and uh, I don't know if it was an OTA. It wasn't too serious. We weren't Paz or anything. But we started wrestling around. Man, I ended up I ended up pinning him on him and shoot, I remember him asking me, you must have been a state wrestler or something. I said, I didn't. I thought I was a basketball player, you know, falling on the JV squats. So I didn't wrestle. I didn't wrestle, but I had I had a knack for it, because I mean that He's not the only team I'd ever wrestled. He got into it with a dude up in uh in Edmonton, Adam Braidwood, who was like an MMA flash boxer d end And and we did the same thing, mess around and I pinned him twice and he thought the same thing. He thought the same thing that I was arrestler, But I wasn't men hating that for it, That's all. You might have missed your calling, Dario. I loved that Chester me. You had to be a state champ, right right, right? Hey, U. Lester was strong man, that's a That's the one guy. He used to do backflips into the pool up at the facility. I don't know how much you weighed, maybe maybe three forty whip Larry Chester. He would do a backflip in the pool and his feet would hit the water first. No, lie, no lie, there was there water left after that backflip. Ques don't tell Larry I said that though eisode man book. Oh that man? Oh yeah, yeah Larry. Larry was a big athlete man. He was, Yeah, he was. I'd tell he was different than those other guys. Larry was so intense and angry. And then you had Timbo and Jermaine, who were I mean, they were laid back, comical. Those guys were funny. But I was more on Larry's side as far as the intensity wise. And they used to make fun of me because my first two years, man, I was juicy. Might not know about this trying to earn it on every rep trying to you know, I'm trying to earn my you're getting into buying in this too, that there's a hierarchy and those guys. I used to get myself hyped up before inside run or a blitz drill, and Jimbo was just be looking at me, laughing like what are you doing? Man? It's practice. I'm like, dude, this is this is it for me? You know. So that's how it was. That's just how it was. I mean, I don't even know where. I know we're going right here, but man, that's man. I can't you guys in against no. I mean, it just is what it is. I'm saying. Everybody's got a different path. That's what makes it a beautiful thing. You're good. May matter what you do, you're good. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna, you know, I'm not, you know, except you listen to some of these names that he's talking about. Man, I mean that d Line room was was wild. You talk about Chester, you talk about Wile, you talk about Jermaine Timbo, I mean, you'll David Bowen's, jayt, Rob Burnette, Jay Will, Jeff Skanina. I mean that that room was full of characters. I mean really in some absolute studs, but they were They were characters more than anything. You alluded to that a little bit talk about how much fun it had to be in that room, and then of course on game, they game, whatever it is, how much fun it was to be around next room. Well, i'll tell you what they made that the meetings a lot of fun, and of course coach Brooks in there would would let it slide until it got to a point. But man, the most fun I ever had in a meeting room was was with those guys. I mean from Tim Bowen's little inside jokes. I remember one that had us crying in tears. And we were watching some game and it kept zooming up to like we're tell you that down the distance the time to scoreboard, and there's a McDonald's logo up there, and every time it was zooming, Timbo would be making this noise like a heart accelerated heartbeat, like right, and so we're looking around like what the hell, And so all of a sudden we picked up on him. Man, he was bagging on Larry. Like every time Larry it zoomed in on that McDonald's sign, it was like he was getting excited, and all of a sudden, the room, the room got it without it being said, and everybody was just in tears laughing. Uh there was. There was a ton of moments like that, man, that was just a lot of fun. What tripped me out the most, though, was on game day. So you had me on game day. I was different. Now I'll get so worked up anxious, and I took it so serious, especially because it was I mean it was I was new to the NFL. But I just remember being in on game day in the locker room and Tim Bowens and Jermaine Halo would sit back in that corner in the D line area, and every anybody could get it. Anybody walked in the room if they had if something on, Tim and Jermaine were on everybody, just bagging on everybody they could. I walked through that door. Meanwhile, Larry's on the ground listening to some what do you s mystical loud. I'm trying to get serious, to get ready for the game, and these guys are just cracking up, cracking Joe Oakes. I don't even know if they went out early and warmed up, man, but it was brand new to me and I didn't learn it until later on down the road. You gotta have people like that in the locker room for the young guys like me that's so nervous, so anxious, just to relax a little bit and just remind you, man, hey, it's it's another day. We know how we're doing, we know how to do it, and yeah it's game day, but we still gotta let loose and have fun. So I appreciate it. Those guys appreciate everybody in the room. Man. That was I'll tell you to be in a room with those guys, you know, JT, Timbo, Jermaine Wally like. For me, it was a big change from the CFL. CFL is is great. I absolutely loved it, but it's a little different down in the NFL. And I learned so much from those guys and then how to be a professional, how to work hard, and most of all, you know, how to have fun with it all too. There did you ever get to a point even in the CFL where you know, one game day you were the one that was sitting there chilling, relaxing, cracking a couple of jokes for you always you had to get to that point to yourself right, I did. I did, I get I got to that point and juice. Once I did, man, my performance was a whole lot better. I used to go to games real early. I used to be the first one there, just so I could relax, you know, get in there, take a shower, and do my thing, have my little uh you know, just the little things. I did, get out early at the stadiums, take it all in, smell the dogs on the barbecue, and just have fun. And I started, you know, noticing the newer players would be so uptight, man, that they wouldn't be performing. They were forgetting things. And so I started joking. I joked him. I joked in the locker room. I joke with him on the game through the game. And I remember Elliott Richardson, he was he was a safe Canadian safety and he got called up to play somebody I got hurt. I've never seen nobody so nervous. So I joked with the mom through the game and he thanked me after, and you know, I just I remember those times with those vests doing that for me. So hey, it was everything I learned down there was passed on most define that is great? Yeah, great question. Yeah, So you talk about j T. And by the time you got here, he you know, he was established as a as a Pro Bowl player. I mean, he was a bonafide star that we had here on defense. And I'm not just saying that because he signs my paychecks. I don't know. That's where he was at in his career at that point in time. And he had a fan base. And one of those fans was your mom. Your mother was And so you have this great story that really, oh it epitomizes how big of a fan your mom was and maybe a compromising position that you were put in as a result. Yeah, so my mom has something for light skin, right, I remember Schalmar. I can't rememberything tomorrow or anytime. So he's this, he's and and it's weird hearing your mom talking about how sexy somebody is. And so I'm like, all right, mom, Like I felt that way during the TV show. Well then good lord when ja she would always say, oh, JT is so handsome me so this, And then when he came out with a calendar, right you boy, the calendar. Oh she I'm sure she was the first in Live Bro. She bought that calendar. And I was like, okay, Mama, and she wants to take me through the calendar and show me the push. I'm like, Mom, keep that to yourself. I see him every day all right, November. Guy, man, he was in every find out what mom? I don't know. I don't know. All I know is she asked me to get that signed for him, and and and I didn't want embarrassing him either, right, Like, so I bring it in and I already know what's gonna happen if I pull it out in the meeting room. So you can't for that crew? Well I did. I did. I pulled it out in front the crest. Hey can you sign this room? Room in the meeting room? Oh my god? And he didn't think nothing other he was finally signing it. But it was embarrassing for me because he was like, well, who's it for it? And I was like, man, it's for my mom. And that whole room turns it off me, something on me. So it was one of those stories. I remember. It was hilarious. She's still a fan of him. What kind of courage do you have to have? And that with that group, that crew, you had the courage to ask it like you couldn't call him in the parking lot or something like, oh man, hey, can we meet for lunch? But I'm buying you know what, I mean nothing, man. I should have been more discreet about it, but I didn't know how that etiquette worked. Man, you know, I just, oh hey, let me get this real quick because she was leaving town that day, so I had to get it right. You're a good son. You are a good son. And I hope mom doesn't get that so good so good. Oh man, that was it? That was in old four. I bet you she still has that county up in her house. I love it. I love it. Wait long enough to date. It's my line up for sure. I mean probably it's about right. Oh boy, Dario, Man, that's too funny, man, Oh can we get back to kind of more? I mean this is this is a trap. But was ted trying to get on track this picture and tin bowling. If he saw you reach into your bag is probably up in the back though, I member, Tis said, oh man, that's all he said, you oh man, and it's brain started thaying what he could come up with. Tim was good to me, though he didn't get too bad man him was Tim was one of the best teammates ever had man the best because I was not an extrovert guy. My biggest fear was standing up in front of a team, singing and hollering and dancing doing whatever. Like I wasn't a show man. I just I was a deal. I'm gonna play ball whatever. You know how. A lot of camps to have the rookie show, so I didn't. I got away with it in Edmonton because I don't know. I like I said, day one, I was fighting up there, so I didn't. Nobody asked me to do a rookie show. But I remember day one, Timbo made it loud and clear to the whole team, Hey, don't mess with the D line. D line, don't have to do any rookie show any of that, man, And I appreciate it so much because I wasn't about to do that. Well, I don't know if you know the history, Yeah, we gotta tell Timbo's history on that. God. So Timbo, when he was a rookie, made it clear to everybody that he wasn't doing it, and that was kind of nobody was messing with him, nobody as a rookie. He established that, so he was looking after y'all. But he also, you know, probably saw a little bit of himself and what you were going through. Yeah, Man, I mean, I'm glad he did and that, like I said that, that says a lot about him. I know, a rookie shows are a lot of fun. I enjoyed the hell out watching him. But I'll be damn if follow us up there doing that. You know, dark you mentioned Tim Bowens and we were all just up in Canton, you know, for Zach, Zackson and Shrine, and he mentioned Tim Bowens. But we also you know, one of the lasting memberies we got from that weekend was when Zach choked up really talking about Junior say Ol, the great Junior say Al, And you were able to also play with Junior for a couple of seasons down here, and that was a big deal for you, right, It was a big deal for me. Man. The only NFL jersey I ever bought was a Junior j I was. I was a fan. I loved how he played the game, And when I was in Miami I heard he was coming over. Man, I was like, I was kind of starstruck because this was a somebody I grew up watching. I was a fan of as a child, and now he's coming to Miami and now I get to, you know, share the field with this man. So one of the first days he showed up, so his brother. His brother actually went to Eastern, his younger brother, and so there was a situation that happened here. I'm not gonna get into it, but the situation happened here where man, he could have died, but he didn't. So we were just talking about his brother, and I remember Junior talking about driving into Spokene. If you ever drive into Spokene, you come down the freeway from the airport, and all you see is brick buildings. So Junior was like, pound the hell and my little brother get in trouble down in the you know, in this little town. But he ended up. I mean he was his others good now. So yeah, that was that was really special. Man. Then to add to already the elite players on that team, Junior came over and my god, I never seen somebody who worked so hard at his profession and his craft. And it was contagious. I was already that way, like I every day was game day to me, just because that's why how I had to play to make it and then to see somebody who's been in the league down long practice like it was like he was a rookie. Coaches would have to like tell him, hey, junior, man, think about taking a day off for this or that and then a lot and not coming out of it of the league. Like I know that I had his respect. So funny story, well, a great story. It was my first SAT I got on Sunday night against Cincinnati Baker. So you ever played in front of Junior. You're hearing all kinds of audibles, right, apple, apple baby baby. Then say hey, I'm to come and do this. So I remember, all of a sudden, it was like third long and he said, hey, I want you. You're gonna step to the right. I'm gonna ear hold a center, You're gonna come around me. You're gonna stack, You're gonna get a sack. So I'm like, okay, So you do you do what he tells you to do, because I may the one time I didn't pick up on apple baby call man. He let me have it. So hey, being the field general he is, I listened to him. Well, I stepped to the right. The center kind of occupied him a little bit. All of a sudden. I saw Junior come in hear hold him. I wrapped around and that was my first sack against Carson Palmer and he came running over me, banging on my head. It's going crazy. That's that's a great memory of him, and just and just his presence in the locker room was just tremendous. Yeah. I can't I can't say enough good things about Junior Man and everybody when that name comes up, everybody feels that, you know, just knowing what happened, and uh, I could feel back in that speak. Yeah, I mean it is what a thrill like, it's your childhood hero and he just set you up to have at that point the biggest moment of your professional career, right, you get your first Yeah, it was big time and it was him and me. That was the cool part. And like I tell my kids and stories all the time, and there was there was lots of them. But he I knew I absolutely earned his respect coming out there. And if I could walk away from the league with that man, that's that that means a lot to me. That's awesome. He Now Junior wasn't the only I guess we'll call him a San Diego guy, right, I mean, he's spent enough time there to be a San Diego guy. Was one we had to joint practice there. He ran, yeah, he did. He sent everybody to the restaurant, the whole thing. Yeah, So say yeah, right, say yeah, yeah, he had that whole brand. But he wasn't the only San Diego guy during your tenure here that had a big name. There was another guy on the other side of the ball, and that was Ricky Williams. So talk about playing with Ricky again, the position you play some of those inside my drills, having to play against Ricky as a teammate. And then you were telling me when we were setting up this interview you guys faced off again a little bit later in your career, but on the opposite sides of the ball and opposite side of the border. Yeah yeah, and opposite side of the border. So yeah, I remember the first time literally running into Ricky was. I think I showed up in April for the you know workouts OTAs and I'm in a weight room and I'm doing like an overhelf press and he must have been like trying to sneak by me to get to somewhere. Anyway. I dropped my elbow right in his head, and I was like, oh, I said, this is how I'm going to introduce myself to Ricky Williams. And but now playing playing uh with him? So and I think he got there in oh two, So that was my first year. So my first year is on the fifty three. But god, dang, I never suited up, so I got to watch my first NFL games. I remember watching him and my god, just being enamored by the speed and the strength that he runs with. I mean, he had one of his best years. I think it was O two. He was just killing it. Man. Yeah. And then yeah, later on we ended up I don't I don't remember what year it was, but it was the year he ended up going to play in Toronto and we went to Toronto. I was with Edmonton at the time, and I remember trying to find him, you know. I found his number on and I see him lined up on the kickoff team and he he was running down on kickoffs. He was doing everything. So we chatted after the game and I was like, what are you doing, man, He's like, man, I'm just having fun. He absolutely loved the CFL. Like I said, it's a little different field. In the NFL, it's a little more laid back, a little more comfortable where you could just play, be yourself and you're not under such a spotlight. And I think that's what he enjoyed about the game. It was just really, if you're playing the CFL, may playing for the love of the game, and that year it was. It was good to see him happy and having fun at playing ball and just run around doing him run Ricky Brown, just doing Ricky Death. So I sorry, Juice, I was just gonna say, how does the nastiest player in the CFL approach playing one of your former teammates that you had a great relationship with, because you still got it right. You're playing to win. Hey, if you're on the other side of the ball with me, you're gonna get it either way, you know what I mean. I don't care say say hike, yeah, yeah, it's all funny games. Until after. I didn't talk to him at halftime. I talked to him after the game, and I tried to take his head off favorite chance. I get. Yeah, nothing changes man, teammate or not. Like when you're a competitor, really doesn't matter who's across the ball. From your best friend or not like it was it was on so now it was. It was just cool to see him again after after all that and see him in the CFL, you know, catch up with them and just seeing them happy. That was the coolest part. Yeah, yeah, no doubt if he misunderstood, everybody thought Ricky didn't love football, but he definitely definitely loved football, absolutely absolutely he did. Yeah, I mean, I'll tell you what, man, it's amazing to me now they said, how many guys are like buddies in the league. I wouldn't be buddies with anybody on any other team, especially in the you know, in the AMC East. I'm still not buddy to them dudes. I still don't like them, you know what I mean. But some of these dudes nowadays, man, they they kombay y'all way too much for me, you know what I mean. So, so you finish your career in Canada, last six seasons in Canada, and then you go back and move back home the Spokane, Washington where it all began. Tell us about what you're doing there now with the Provision Academy. Okay, so yeah, for the last six years we've been running a Provision Academy in town basically was a football academy. When I moved back and I put my son, he was on the seventh grade team, and I just saw the lack of coaching the line positions specifically, so I called a buddy of mine, Greg Peach, who he was playing in the CFL time. I said, hey man, we got to get something going here and Spokane for the aligneman. And so it started out as just kind of Alignment academy, and then we started reaching out to former Eastern players that were still around town, and then eventually grew into a football academy where we're doing sports specific training. Now we evolved it to seven on seven, We got seven on seventeen, five on five team, we do strength training, all those things. And at the same time we've been I was working as a full time teacher for the last five years and then we got our opportunity came up just recently where we're gonna be moving. We've been working out of the least in this like I don't even know if it's five thousand square feet space, but we put turf in there and they're all that. But the impact we've had on the kids we've worked with has influenced some investors to help us do more in the community. So, man, we're moving to an eighty thousand square foot building from five to eighty they call it to come up to eighty. Wow. So it's going to allow us to reach multiple sports. So now we're kind of transitioning into a sport academy where we can get in and coach them up and just spread kind of the fundamentals and the compassion and the passion for these athletes. Man, because so spokens and it's kind of big, but it's not, Man, it's just kind of a small coal mentality. There's not a lot of turf space. It gets cold in the winners where you can't be outside, So we're gonna you know, lacrosse, softball, volleyball. It's just with the building we're getting, the opportunity is so big to reach more more kids in the community. And the feedback we've getting from the parents and the kids have been tremendous, just how they're doing in school, how they're doing as a you know, a citizen, and how they are treating parents at home, and they're excelling on the field. Like if you come from Washington. You know that the west side of the state is very highly recruited, and Spokane just gets a sniff. We got athletes over here, and so we've been helping them accelerate their career and they've been going to smaller Division two schools, NAI schools, but these kids are at least getting an opportunity to keep playing ball. Man my son has been a product of I mean he's been a product of football his whole life for me being his dad, but he's been in a program and he actually just committed to my alum, Eastern Washington on a full right scholarship. So we're developing these kids and trying to put build a better brand of football players and spoken and that's gonna now be reaching a multiple sports. So we're excited about this opportunity. Man. I resigned from teaching last year, which is job I absolutely loved. I love being around the youth. I love the energy they bring. I love the energy they make me bring. And you know, being a professional athlete, you got a special platform and kids will listen. And so that's my goal for life is the impact of youth. Man, to just empower them to do the things that to reach the maximize their potential. Right. So, after I resigned from teaching, and kind of after you're in the school system, you see the gaps that need to be filled. So me and my wife started a Romero Group foundation to do that. So you know, I'm this is my homecount man, and I can I can relate to tempo. I'm I don't like to be in the limeline that I work from the backstage, and just really as I get older, understanding what I did was a big deal. I used to think I'm not putting my name out there, only played three years in the league. But the older you get, the more you appreciate it and you see what football has done for you. So we're trying to spread that, man, and just build these kids up in the community to where they can go and live their dreams or at least attempt their dreams, you know. So I'm excited about everything we got going on here. Everything I've ever done in my life is like finally lining up for what exactly I want to do. So, like I said, man, football has has gave me the courage to just jump out of my comfort zone, try something new, work my heart out at it, and the results have been coming. So I'm excited about what we got going on here. Spoken. That's great man, congratulations and all that. And you know you have courage all along. Girl. You asked JT to sign that calendar in front of your that entire defense, the terrificurageous guy. You just needed to believe in yourself. No, but that's awesome stuff. Man, congrats on that. We're gonna let you out of here. But before we do, now that you've been listening to the podcast, you know that we wrap up every episode, just like every football game, with a two minute drill. And I know, I know the big fellas juice like, like the receivers are in here and they start rubbing their hands together. They get excited for the two minute drill. Big fellas just kind of want to get off. They want to three and out, the three out. Yeah, whatever it is, right, I like it. So those two minute drills, well, let's see if you can survive this one. We're gonna put two minutes up on the clock. Maybe on this end, you're gonna have to just have that internal clock on your head. We'll fire off a few questions at you. You can answer them however you see fit have some fun with it, and uh, and we'll wrap this thing up. Sound good, sounds good, let's go all right? Sorry, all right, we've mentioned several times that you're from Spoken Did you know that you're actually the second Spoken native to win number ninety fourth for Miami Dolphins. I did not. Oh, Steveman, we got it there it is. Well, how about that. I got a story about Steve Etman too. Oh well, we got to hear. Is it a quick one to do it? Should we do it after the drill? No? No, no, no, it's too it's too long, broe. When we when we wrap this thing up? Okay, next question. As we have made really clear on this podcast, we know you're not one to back down from a fight. But was there any dolphin? Was there any dolphin that you played with in three years that you were here that if you were in the octagon, right, mma or whatever it is, you would not want to see standing on the other side. That would have to be the silent assassin man timpon. We heard that. Yeah, I believe, Yeah, yeah, I would get him my best. But that's one I would question for sure. Oh too good? All right, you're half Mexican, right and your last name is Rombo Steth was down here doing his damn job. You should have been a rock star in Miami. So why didn't you go into like TV or radio? Man? So I didn't speak Spanish. Damn, well there you go, and Drew Rosenhouse tried to get me on. I was like no, And here's why I said no. Because another hospital visit, somebody saw Romero on my back jersey right, so he was like, oh, come and speaking Spanish, said no, blast Spano, and man, he started cussing out and disappointed. So I was like, hell, no, I'm not facing that crowd, you know, without speaking decent Spanish. So that's why I didn't go there. That's gotta be the two Great that story. But what's going on with you in these hospital visits? Here? You are trying to give back to young people who are who are suffering through troubling times and their families, and you're fighting wallet, You're fighting the prince for crying out loud, You're getting cost out by somebody. What the heck's going on? Man? Man, I don't know. I got so many stories that you won't believe. Was this coming at me? Crazy? Man? I'm better now I'm telling you I got things under control, so I'm not as hot tempered. I think that comes to face, but yeah, you know, I just my experience down there was great. I loved every second of it. Man, And here we are, well, we loved every second. Story O. I'm so glad that you were in Cannon that we got to reconnect and and uh, I know we're gonna talk about the foundation piece offline and everything else, so please keep us posted with that. But this was great. So really appreciate you coming on the show and said sharing some unbelievable story. So good, so good. Yeah, that was fun, guys, appreciate you having me on. Man, that was that was a lot of fun, a lot of fun. Thanks for diving in Dario. Thank you guy, you're now diving just like Drew said. Thanks for diving into the fish Tank presented by iHeart Radio. Be sure to follow us on whatever streaming platform you're using, and don't be afraid to rate the show or leave us a comment. We love your feedback. Remember you can find us as well as Drive Time with Travis Wingfield and all of our international partners on Miami Dolphins dot com. I haven't been at this time