Feb. 11, 2025
Dion Jordan: I Understand
In this open and thoughtful conversation, Dion Jordan, the third overall selection of the 2013 NFL Draft, shares his journey through personal and professional struggles and reflects upon the pivotal moments that led to his growth, as well as his commitment to giving back to the community and young athletes. Contributors to this episode include Sevach Melton and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00:00
Speaker 1: You're now diving.
00:00:07
Speaker 2: I'm little in that setting down with Seth Living Oh, Jay Jell, and this is strictly for I'm true number one.
00:00:21
Speaker 3: Of course, y'all just have all the never sports talk that might have.
00:00:24
Speaker 4: Been that tank.
00:00:25
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Fish Tank, presented by iHeartRadio right here on the Miami Dolphins Podcast Network, Seth Lovett and the man with the best hands in the podcast business.
00:00:34
Speaker 4: He is O J McDuffie. Juice. How you feeling today, man.
00:00:37
Speaker 5: Feeling great, man, I'm feeling great, man. I got a got a special guest on today.
00:00:41
Speaker 3: Man.
00:00:41
Speaker 5: I'm super excited to hear some things, man. And you know something we'll talk about a little bit later.
00:00:47
Speaker 4: Man.
00:00:47
Speaker 5: But this dude right here, man, you know, he was in one of those rounds that I was drafted in.
00:00:50
Speaker 4: So that's right about that.
00:00:52
Speaker 5: A little bit, we'll get into that.
00:00:53
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're gonna get into that first round draft.
00:00:56
Speaker 5: I'm real stoked, man, I'm real stoked for this.
00:00:59
Speaker 1: Well, I'm excited as well. He is Dion Jordans, So first and foremost, Dion, just welcome to the Fish.
00:01:04
Speaker 4: Tank, man.
00:01:05
Speaker 6: Yeah, I appreciate you guys having me on. You know, Chop it up a little bit about the Dolphins and you know the time spent you know, down there in South Florida for sure.
00:01:15
Speaker 4: Yeah, well, we're looking forward to it.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: I know, we just spoke a little bit before we hit record here, and Juice and I are big believers that Miami Dolphins stories come in all shape sizes, trials, tribulations, all of that. And it's it's awesome to celebrate guys who had these epic careers, but then there's guys that had a certain struggle for different reasons, and we think that there's validity in those stories as well. So really grateful that you're willing to come on here and spend some time with us in the tank and just look forward to getting into it.
00:01:45
Speaker 3: Thank Yeah. Man, Let's get it, man, let's get it.
00:01:48
Speaker 5: So yeah, let's start right here. Man, you're actually coaching ball right now, and you've teamed up with one of your former teammates to be part of the staff. Talk about that, man, that's pretty awesome stuff.
00:01:59
Speaker 6: Yeah, man, And it was one of the coolest things, you know, And uh, I'm super grateful because, uh, you know, football, that's it's all about relationships, right Your teammates coaches, like everybody that helped you through that journey. And Randy Starks was the one that reached out to me initially. You know, the Big Dog called me up and asked me what I was doing. He got a head coaching job at Eureka College and Central Illinois and asked me to come join the staff and coach the defensive line. And I was really I was real grateful that Randy had called you feel me, And it's mainly because of the relationship that I have with with the Big Dog. Like Randy did a lot for me, like as far as helping me understand the game, helping me out there like live in the game, you know, and just him being older, like a lot of the things that he would talk to me and say to me, like it always registered, you know, throughout my plan the rest of my playing time and even after. Like so, yeah, it's a blessing to get out there coach, especially coach with somebody that.
00:02:59
Speaker 3: Helped me, you know, my journey so far.
00:03:01
Speaker 5: So you're at North Breensville University right now, Yeah, so I was that was a that was a plan, you know, that was a plan to get out there North Greenville University.
00:03:09
Speaker 6: So you know this coaching thing, I said, relationships, right, So uh big Nate Garner. He ended up getting the head coaching job at North Greenville University, located out in western South Carolina. So, like I said, I've been on the planes, man, So I just I literally just got back from there last night and uh yeah, man, it was it was good. It was an interview process and uh it went how it went. But yeah, man, I yeah, it's cool to have options. I'm gonna say that, you know, it's cool that people want you, you know, and respect the fact that what I at least from like the little bit that I've done with this coaching stuff, they respect that. And I'm just starting to build from there and you know, get the game from those duo who've been doing it already.
00:03:58
Speaker 4: Very cool.
00:03:58
Speaker 1: Well, we definitely, I think as we get through this conversation, want to learn more about just just finding that passion on the other side of the sidelines, I guess right carry into whistle as opposed to being the guy in the shoulder pad. So we're going to talk about that in a little bit. But I want to rewind back to twenty thirteen, which is kind of when you know you were introduced to South Florida. But for me, when I'm well at any time, but certainly come draft time, come right now, you know, Senior Bowl is happening right now, all this stuff. When you start to hear the phrase the next Jason Taylor, like my ears perk up a little bit, you know, and it catches my attention. Obviously there's there's a high bias for me. We're having worked with jt all this time. But that's what the analysts were saying leading up to the draft. When you were coming out of Oregon. You got this six foot six guy, you know, two hundred and forty five pounds whatever it was. You're crazy athletic. You're actually a track guy in high school, so you had that speed. And then Jeff Ireland makes the bold move to climb up on draft day, right we have the twelve pick. He says, let's go all the way up to the third pick and let's let's go get Dion and you become a Miami Dolphin. And so if those comparisons were there before, now that you're actually going to be with the Miami Dolphins, we're hearing that over and over. And you know, we had Larry Shannon On and Jimmy Johnson immediately compared him in that draft to Randy Moss, and it's like, man, I know sometimes while I know the intent is a compliment, like are you doing somebody a favor, you know, by by giving by comparing someone, especially in the case of Jason, where that guy had already had a full career and uh, which was a career everybody expected would end up where it.
00:05:37
Speaker 4: Did in Canton.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: And now you're getting those kinds of comparisons.
00:05:41
Speaker 4: Did you hear that noise?
00:05:43
Speaker 1: And what was like that whole draft experience like for you heading up to the point where the Dolphins called your name?
00:05:50
Speaker 3: May uh, you know I heard the noise. First of all.
00:05:54
Speaker 6: The draft experience was wild, you know, especially for me. You know it was it went like lightning speed for me. I'm gonna tell you. I went from like so being at the University of Oregon, especially like when I was playing with them dudes, the eyes was on them boys on the offense right right. I was out there with some super talented dudes playing in college. These dudes are in Heisman and running for Heisman and stuff like that.
00:06:20
Speaker 3: So you walking on.
00:06:21
Speaker 6: Campus, the big man on campus is Michael James and it's just deservingly so you know what I'm saying, Or it's Marcus Mariota, you know. So I was getting that, you know, we're getting out respect for the way we played as a defense. But I'm not the guy who was doing all the interviews and stuff. I was going to practice and I was going to class trying for how to get up out of there, like you know what I'm saying, like do what I had to so I can't get to the next level.
00:06:47
Speaker 3: And I did work hard. I worked really hard. I was super dedicated.
00:06:50
Speaker 6: And you know, throughout that process, man, you know, they I think I talked. I talked to just about the majority of every team in the NFL, you know, throughout that process, had the combine going to individual visit, but I did not speak to The Dolphins. Was one team that I had no type of communication with at all, you know, I don't, you know, it's crazy, you know, And those people got to do their job, you know. So the comparisons was dope. You know, the only thing I did know about the Dolphins was Jackson Taylor. So the comparisons was dope, you know, And being on a kid on the West Coast. I didn't get a chance to really watch much Miami Dolphin football, so I have much like knowledge outside of like you know, the big dogs, the people that they had coming in and playing, you know, like these dudes, you know, Patrie Certain's like I remember like playing Madden like some certain people. But you know, I'm a kid from the West Coast, so I didn't really like it wasn't many, it wasn't even't registered much to me. But when I got that phone call, I was at first, I was super blessed. No, none of my family ever been to New York because, like I said, I explained to you like the first part in college. So everything was going fast. My agent told me, you know that we had the opportunity to be top three, you know, and it was wild because it was top three. But I'm thinking in my head, Okay, my coach that just coached me just left school and he got the fourth pick, so top three. I ain't worried, but I'm trying to go get coached by the people who coached me, you know, previous.
00:08:20
Speaker 3: So yeah, and this is what happened.
00:08:23
Speaker 6: Like as I'm sitting at this table, you realizing, like what's going on in all.
00:08:26
Speaker 3: Of this the draft, like the real process of the draft, feel me.
00:08:29
Speaker 6: So it was wild because I'm sitting there and I see the trade thing, and I look at my brother and we kind of just football talk, like, all right, the Raiders just traded. You know, they're probably moving back. You know, it's whoever moving up is to get a defensive player. But I'm not thinking me because in three minutes and have her a loan, that clock is the Eagles got to pick, and I'm thinking that's what be me. So it was it was a lot, you know, but it was I mean, I was super grateful. My family showed up. They was all their first time in New York. You know, I gotta walk the stage. I'm super nervous, Like my heart was beating so fast that I stepped on your their feat like.
00:09:08
Speaker 3: I'm walking out there, like I'm looking out like. All of this stuff was a lot.
00:09:12
Speaker 6: It was all new to me, but I was extremely blessed and to be able to experience that with my loved ones.
00:09:18
Speaker 5: With Shelfy, it sounds like we knew that your former coach might have been trying to get him the number four big sets we had to jump the three to get him right.
00:09:25
Speaker 3: See, he looks exactly what it sounds like.
00:09:27
Speaker 6: After it all, you know, as our mature and our girl, I'm like, I'm I understood what happened, you know.
00:09:35
Speaker 5: You know, it's so funny, except he loves to talk shit about me being the first round there, you know. And then you know, we got some guys that come on our show. Usually they've overcome some oys they were undrafted, free agency or whatever. But it's nice. It's nice to be on here with another first round I promise you.
00:09:50
Speaker 3: Man, let's go. You know, hard work pays off, that's for sure.
00:09:54
Speaker 5: But our head man, though, our head man, coach McDaniel, though, he always says that, you know, the pressure comes with being the first round draft choice. Now I know that I had seemed like a lot of pressure and Seth knows nothing about this because first round pick maybe the pressure part though, but I will leave that alone.
00:10:08
Speaker 4: That's for a different it's a whole different pressure.
00:10:10
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, especially guys like us that were you know, taking that first round. But then, but do you pile on the expectations of you know, being the first round, I mean being a you know fall in the Hall of Famer, you know, the top five, pick all that stuff. You're in your early twenties. I remember like when I my vets, you know, they were looking at me like, man, you ain't done ship yet, you know what I mean? And I felt that pressure. Man, I felt that pressure. Talked about how much of that were you feeling when you got drafted? You know, I mean, that's that's that's a lot of pressure, right.
00:10:39
Speaker 3: It was. It was.
00:10:40
Speaker 6: It was, you know, like you talked about the Jason Taylor comparison, like as wow. They walked me in there and asked me, like what number I want? You know so big? Solely I had my number from college and there I love pee pee you know, my dog. But you know how to vest get you there? Like you want that number?
00:11:00
Speaker 3: Were a big dog. I'm like, nah, you had it.
00:11:03
Speaker 6: I'm gonna just keep, you know, with my little money in my pocket, I just go down the number, you know, and figure it out.
00:11:09
Speaker 3: But they offered me Jason Taylor. I must have looked at him like they was crazy.
00:11:12
Speaker 6: I'm like, nah, like I either wear I'm gonna wear my number if I can't, you know, or something close. But for them to do that type of stuff that like initial like for me coming through the door, it was like okay, Wow. Then I had my shoulder injury. I had to completely tore my laborom. I was playing like my last six games in college with the torn labor. Had just got the surgery coming in, so I had. It was a lot, bro I had. I didn't finish college. So they had this rule where like, uh, you can't come to a certain part of the OTA's and stuff like that if you were, if you're your school.
00:11:48
Speaker 3: And that was tough. It was weird. It was just weird. It was just everything was It was a lot. And I didn't understand. You know, I'm like, I'm supposed to be a Dolph. I'm supposed to been there.
00:11:57
Speaker 6: The rest of the rookies in there, they they take it snaps, they listening to coaches. I'm doing rehab and you know what I'm saying, doing condition and stuff like that away And it was a lot.
00:12:08
Speaker 3: Man.
00:12:08
Speaker 2: I was.
00:12:09
Speaker 6: Everything moved so fast from the draft, from college draft, all of that stuff, Like I didn't go home, I didn't get a chance to spend They shipped me boom. I'm in Florida from Eugene straight all the way to Florida, and I had to figure that part out, you know, And that's probably like my initial like rough start with the whole process. I say, you know, it was what it was, but that's how we kind of, yeah, we got off.
00:12:36
Speaker 5: I got there. But once you got here there, let's talk about some of those guys. I mean, you've already talked a little bit about Pe. You talk about Big Randy, Yeah, Cam, Wait, you got Oliviate Vernon, talk about some of them dudes in that on that defense man, especially in your room right there.
00:12:52
Speaker 6: I had some real vets, some real vets like that that like you ain't done nothing. Thing was real, even like you ain't even got no money type of deal. Like these dudes, I'm sitting in the room where they they had it, you know.
00:13:04
Speaker 3: And everything.
00:13:06
Speaker 6: It was a good thing though, you know, because I'm young, you know, and it humbled me, you know, especially like being around you know, big time ball players like I'm in there with Cam Waking. I learned Cam Waite's story. I had the utmost respect for Cam. I you know, to this day, I'm like, that's a football guy.
00:13:27
Speaker 5: You know.
00:13:28
Speaker 6: He did anything and everything he can to get out on the football field. But you know, Cam was the type of dude that led by example, you know, because of his story and about because of the things he went through Starks and p they spoke up a lot. Ov was good to me, you know, or be a real good dude, you know, even though they put us out there to compete. Me and him, we had a good relationship and understanding. Like we out here trying to feed our families and you know, make the most out of these opportunities.
00:13:55
Speaker 3: And everybody Rashad Jones.
00:13:59
Speaker 6: Brink these dudes, I'm like, man like they as far as football and is like playing the game, the boys, they had it and it was cool to be around and like get that they still kind of had like that old like before I got you know how they say the game changed a lot of them. Dudes still had that on them, like from whatever. They still had that on him, So it was good to be around.
00:14:22
Speaker 1: I love that still had it on him. He still has it on him. How many years he's still wearing it, that's for sure. So there's another guy I got to ask you about real quick. I have another question. But as you're mentioning those names and those are vets, but there was a guy who was a rookie and he was a UDFA, but he ended up being your roommate and he was on the tank. I guess it was a year or so ago, AJ Francis. I was really surprised to hear that that. I guess he was maybe the only other defensive lineman rookies. So they put you guys together.
00:14:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, what was that?
00:14:52
Speaker 1: You seem like a quiet, kind of reserved dude. AJ is exactly the opposite of that.
00:14:58
Speaker 4: What was that pairing? Like?
00:15:00
Speaker 3: It was dope?
00:15:00
Speaker 6: Man, He's definitely the opposite ambition, you know, when they come to ambition and one two AJ hat that he knew when he first came in, like regardless of like where he was drafted, like he had his mind made up. You feel me, he was going back up one of them two big dogs in the middle, Like he he just had that inn, you know, and man, it was I don't know, man had he had ambition And just me and him being able to be around each other was cool, fun dude, you know, to kick it with it's dope.
00:15:32
Speaker 3: You know.
00:15:32
Speaker 6: To see him on TV doing what he does now, it was wild. Like I remember because I watched wrestling. Still I'm still a fan.
00:15:39
Speaker 3: You feel me.
00:15:41
Speaker 5: I'm just like you think it's real.
00:15:43
Speaker 4: I know it's not, and I think it's real.
00:15:46
Speaker 5: You know, my grandfather had me convinced for years that it was real. Man, Like Brooke hearts like, well, remind me some kids. I still believe in Santa Claus like Brooke.
00:15:55
Speaker 3: My heart like that.
00:15:56
Speaker 5: I realized.
00:15:59
Speaker 3: It's all about the storylines. But but that's what made AJ.
00:16:02
Speaker 6: I think makes it good at what he does is because of that, Like, dude know how to talk, you know how to sell a story.
00:16:08
Speaker 3: He j believes in himself like it's the real deal. So like one day I'm sitting here watching and I just see him pop out his top dollar, he rapping his own song. I'm like, I know this dude, like my tripping or is that AJ?
00:16:22
Speaker 6: You know, I had to I had to google and I've seen him and I just been following his career every since. You know, that moment of me checking him out of.
00:16:30
Speaker 3: You know, randomly and AJ doing this thing. Man, I'm proud of.
00:16:34
Speaker 4: I'm happy for That's that's great. Think about that, Jude, somebody hasn't seen in years, right, exactly, So that's wild.
00:16:42
Speaker 1: So so look, I'm not gonna beat around the bush here, Dion. We're asking you questions about pressure and high expectations because the reality is things didn't go the direction that anyone, and probably you specifically had had hoped they would. When you are the number three overall draft choice, right, and so you do play. It's not like you didn't play a rookie year. You played all sixteen games. The production didn't match the draft position, or at least what the hope or expectations would be for that. And sometimes that happens. But when it does happen, then the whispers start, right, and then there's the questions, and then it's like, well, what's he doing in practice?
00:17:18
Speaker 6: Is there?
00:17:19
Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden, your work ethics starts to be questioned, your want to you know you talked about aj have an ambition. People start to quote, well does this guy have it? If he's drafted that high and has all those physical tools, you know, why aren't we seeing that production? And so as those things become louder and louder, you know, is it because there's validity to them? And from what I've researched here, you've kind of said, yeah, there was some validity to it, Like it's not just stuff that people said. There was some validity to it, and that your focus wasn't maybe where it needed to be. What was going on with you at that point, that the focus wasn't there, That the effort and the things that people would expect from a number three OVERLD draft pick. Why wasn't it there?
00:18:03
Speaker 6: You know, my life outside of the ball wasn't It wasn't balanced, you know, it wasn't what it needed to be to match all of that stuff, you know, And I struggled, dude, I struggled coming there. I struggled with understanding the plays and the playbook I was doing playing. I was doing something completely different than I did in college.
00:18:22
Speaker 3: Right, so.
00:18:24
Speaker 6: It's hard to learn defensive line in the NFL. I'm taking double teams. I wasn't taking double teams in college. You know, I'm learning the game all over. And like I said, shout out, just big starts and those dudes I was playing with, because they seen it. They realized, you know, they players, they knew, like they got this dude doing something as far as football, Like he don't even know what the hell is going on?
00:18:49
Speaker 3: You know.
00:18:50
Speaker 6: So they helped me with that, and then in my life when I left left the facility didn't It didn't help because I'm out partying, you know, I'm enjoying the money that I have. Uh, and I'm just putting myself behind the eight ball. I'm hurt, you know. Sometimes I'm missing my rehabs, you know, so that's not helping.
00:19:11
Speaker 3: Uh, Dude, you know I just wasn't.
00:19:14
Speaker 6: I didn't have my life in order to have all of that stuff match up.
00:19:19
Speaker 5: M Yeah, that's some real ship right there. Man. You know what I mean, real talk. I mean, I mean hell big self. I mean, I know, you know, I try to burn it a lot on both fans myself, man, you know, and sometimes I don't know how I pulled it off.
00:19:34
Speaker 3: Man.
00:19:35
Speaker 5: But that's the biggest thing you said right there, Dan, And I was blessed that I wasn't hurt early, whereas you know, I was away from the facility.
00:19:44
Speaker 4: Man.
00:19:45
Speaker 5: Being away from the facility, that's a lonely feeling, man, dude. So you're all by yourself. Man, You're on an island by yourself, man, you know, And I know that had to be tough on you.
00:19:54
Speaker 6: It was you know, and I did, Like I said, the way I handled things, they didn't help you feel me. I'm able to look back now and like what I've been doing now is find a grace for myself, you know, because what you don't know, you know, you don't know if I if I would have did it, did if I wouldn't do now or that did something different? Right, But I'm moving I moved forward. But like all of those things you feel me, was just something that I think I just got. I had to go through, you know, I had to just taking on the chain, you know, realize like I did that, you know, ain't nobody else's fault. And uh, look I've watched these kids now and I realize, you know what, like I was, I was messing up you doing you hanging around big dogs, trying to do big dog things, and that's not who you are. Like you just showed up to Miami, like like I said, I'm around these other these ogs and so like I wasn't supposed to be trying to keep up. That's not what I should have been doing. I should have been focusing on getting my physical like my body right, and the playbooks, you know, the minute things that was gonna help me, you know, play good and extend my career and things like that.
00:20:59
Speaker 3: But you know, I'm burning counter on both ends, like you said, and it caught up to me.
00:21:04
Speaker 4: Well you know.
00:21:05
Speaker 5: I mean, I I say this all the time that we're not robots, we're human. We actually are human man. And like I talked about being away from the facility at times and things like that. But it's also a young guy you said it yourself with money in his pocket in South Florida, south beach Man. That's a that's a hell of and the lord man, I mean, I tell you, I mean, that's left general. It's tough.
00:21:26
Speaker 3: I just left Eugene, Oregon. Dude.
00:21:28
Speaker 6: That was look you're talking about polar opposite. I was trying to get out the house and Eugene, you like, in the house all the time. I'm like, nah, I'm out, you know. And I look back and you know, it's some things that I did, you know that I regret. But like I said, I try to give myself grace, you know, and I move on.
00:21:48
Speaker 3: I move forward. I have some fun.
00:21:51
Speaker 6: Stuff that I don't want to take back. I enjoyed, right, you know, But I take my.
00:21:56
Speaker 3: Lumps and move forward.
00:21:59
Speaker 5: Yeah, let' let's talk a little bit about you know what happened there. Man, You got you know, you get the suspension for four games. You know, in your second year twenty fifteen, you're forced to miss the entire season the next for a violation man of subst abuse. How badly were things getting at that point?
00:22:15
Speaker 2: Man?
00:22:16
Speaker 5: Because I know it could hell Mann, you can get you get absorbed down here, man? Uh, you know, and especially like I talked about before being lonely, how bad did it get? And when did you help? Did you realize it was getting that bad?
00:22:29
Speaker 3: Yeah?
00:22:29
Speaker 6: I realized it was getting bad after that first year. You know that that suspension, it took a lot out of me. You know, like I had to realize, you know, like what had happened. I'm gonna say pretty much to try to like keep it as clear.
00:22:43
Speaker 3: I had to realize what was happening. Right.
00:22:46
Speaker 6: That was my first time actually, like ever in trouble. I ain't never did nothing to nobody, like you had no running with Polly.
00:22:55
Speaker 3: Nothing.
00:22:55
Speaker 6: My first thing was like once I got everything that I worked for, this is what happened. That messed me up, Like emotionally, that messed me up. Mentally, I was like trying to figure out why, you know, why me. I'm young, so I'm like trying to find somebody else to put it on for me. Like it's a spiraling, you know, like not taking in the help that people trying to give me. I know a lot of good people, you know, and even helping me to get to where I am. I wasn't smart enough to take the help, you know. I was trying to figure it out on my own. So it was getting bad. It was getting bad to the point where like for me, like I wasn't focused on ball, you know, it just and it sucked for my family. And when I say bad, I mean that those are people that, when I look back, like they suffered the most, you know, watching me be in a position where I always wanted to and I was going through that.
00:23:53
Speaker 1: You know, Dian you talked about how there were good people that were trying to offer help right or advice or whatever it might be. And I was I was surprised, pleasantly surprised to read this. And I don't know that I've ever heard this before, but apparently during all of this, Dolphins owner Steven Ross was like heavily heavily invested in your well being, and yeah, I mean talk you know, I can keep going on the question, but as soon as I said it, I'm you know, for people who are just listening to this, Dion's like nodding his head. For a team owner to be that invested, can you talk about just just I guess not only what it meant, but the fact that you talk about the big dog that's the biggest He owns the team, and he really genuinely cared about your well being.
00:24:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, he would always find a way to get to me wherever I was do with send me emails, you know, Like.
00:24:51
Speaker 6: It was, uh, I felt bad, and I mean at the end, like when I had to say bye, he was the last person I had to say bye to. You feel me, And then I had to think about like the fact that he was still like rooting for me the whole time. It was I feel bad, you know, but it was a huge blessing, Like to even think about it, like now, like somebody in that position that was rooting for you, that had your back, that asked you to come on board, you know, and be a part of what he has going on, you know, in that organizations it's a yeah, man, it's cool. You know, it's really cool, you know, to think back that somebody like that supported me for sure.
00:25:31
Speaker 1: And is it like you know, the article that I read said like he would, he would call you every couple of weeks, like he would, and I think you even visited him in New York at one point in time. Because I don't think that's just that. I don't think that's a normal thing that you hear about for a team owner to be Obviously, team owners care about their players. They pay their players a whole lot of money, but a lot of them are more hands off. And yeah, I just I just had never heard anything like that, particularly down here.
00:25:58
Speaker 6: Yeah. He a good dude, man, a little bit dude. You know, he got a lot of money, but he's still human. He got he cares, I can tell you that much.
00:26:07
Speaker 3: He cares.
00:26:08
Speaker 6: And you know, just from my experience with the man life, he gives a shit about what he brings into his organization.
00:26:17
Speaker 5: Yeah, you don't hear a lot of great stuff like like what you just told us about him, And I think it's a great owner. You know, he just writes checks, you know, for the guys to be the best they can be the best facilities they can have. And I love the personal touch when he's got a you know, a person, not a not a football player, but a person that he cares that much about to make sure you know, he reaches out and checks on your offers whatever is out there and it's not publicized. You know it's not you know, we know from an interview, but he's not out there saying well, I'm doing this and I'm doing that for for Dionne. He's like, you know, that's that's a sign of health and owner hands off for the most part, you know what I mean, and cares about his players. I like that a lot.
00:26:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, I appreciate it. Yeah, sure for sure.
00:26:59
Speaker 5: So when did you turn? When did you turn the corner? Man? I mean, how did it turn around? I have to imagine the situations like this when when somebody does find the way out of the circumstances that you know that they probably hit rock bottom or something at some point and then the reclamation process starts. Then it begins. Can you can you pinpoint it? And was there a person or people who helped you out other than mister Ross or at least move you, you know from forward from where you know, from where you were.
00:27:25
Speaker 3: It was Yeah, man, there was a lot of people.
00:27:27
Speaker 6: I think the turning point was after I had to do my when I was dealing with my years suspension. You know, that was another time where and I'm gonna just say, you know, I messed up, but I don't I don't think it's fair for them to for that when I don't think it's fair for them to kick players.
00:27:45
Speaker 3: Out of the organization like that.
00:27:48
Speaker 6: That was a lot, like you was saying, but I didn't have no communication with no coaches like these things.
00:27:53
Speaker 3: Was just just a lot, you know what I'm saying.
00:27:55
Speaker 6: But I found somebody, so my agent and then he hooked me up with her tark is In you know who was you know, my mentor who I met in San Francisco Bay area and when I was dealing with that suspension. You know, I was training with him in the Bay Area and he helped me a lot, you know, with my faith. You know, he helped me with getting that grit back. He helped me with you know, just everything and as a man, you feel me just like understanding my position as a man, you know with God that blessed me with you know, not just with football, but you know as a human being and everything else involved with that.
00:28:35
Speaker 3: And that's probably when I turned the corner.
00:28:37
Speaker 6: And I'm huge I'm hugely grateful because you know, I really put a halt to a lot of things, Like by the time I was twenty four to twenty five years old, like because everything was moving so fast, I stopped. I just had to stop everything, you know, and I put a halt to a lot of things, you know, decided to work with him, stay with him, you know, during my off seasons, and stay committed to doing and everything as far as rehab AA and any other type of therapy, being open and just dealing with the stuff that I had, you know, over the last few years. It was it was like I said, man, I'm grateful that I had to experience and make that decision, those decisions at a younger, younger age, because you know, now it's like find trying to do my best to find two of those things and give them then other kid to these kids and see some more first rounders and three.
00:29:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's that's exactly where I wanted to go with the next question. And Juics, I love that you use the word reclamation, because that's really what it is.
00:29:39
Speaker 3: Like.
00:29:39
Speaker 1: You're okay, so you're you're your four years in Miami don't work out the way you want them to, but yet you still played another four years in this league. Like an eight year career is nothing to sneeze out, especially for someone who you know, put himself behind the eight ball, to use your phrase, and so to we've seen people that do that and they they phase out, you know, they don't get another shot, and you were able to get things together, you play another four years in this league.
00:30:03
Speaker 4: And now, as you were.
00:30:04
Speaker 1: Just discussing and talked about at the top of the show and get into coaching, talk about a little bit more of just being on the coaching side of things. Having been somebody that had essentially every opportunity in front of you and to see things go the way they went and to play your role in the way things went. But now you're on the side of mentoring young men. Now you're on the side of just looking at the game and the sport and the approach to playing the.
00:30:34
Speaker 4: Game through this different lens. What has that been like for you?
00:30:37
Speaker 6: It's been a huge blessing. You know, it's been a huge blessing. I think it's a natural thing for me. And you know, one of the things I'm always keep going back to is like the people that raised me, you know, like I was blessed to grow up or like when I first started sport, like I grew up in a uh like a community that helped the young men, young girls and boys through sport. Right So here in Chandler, Arizona, Dude, Chandler Arizona, bro Like, we got community like as far as track program football programs, basketball programs.
00:31:14
Speaker 4: I grew up around.
00:31:14
Speaker 6: Olympic medalists, people that went to go play basketball, you know, g League, multiple players that played in the NFL. So that was natural to me to see, you know, see as young kids, like what do these kids have? What do they need to be successful? Who has it? You know, who wants it? You know, and stuff like that. So when I got finished playing, like the first thing the most natural thing for me to do was to go back around the people that raised me in those communities and just get pushed into helping the little homies from a track team, from everybody from what it's seven years, eight years old, all the way to the kids that's in high school you know, running track and getting out there watching my little cousin sling the ball at the quarterback and then jump over the fence. And you know, instead of just yelling at them from the stands, you know, actually get get a chance to get in their ear.
00:32:02
Speaker 3: And you know, and show them what they're doing on the football field.
00:32:05
Speaker 6: And from there to helping the high schoolers, you know, from yelling at them from the sideline, from going to my high school to getting over there with them, you know and actually talking to them to where Rendy was that putting myself, you know what the situation starts. So it's more natural for me, you know, And I also care a lot about them because I get the circumstances. And you know, everybody got circumstances, and sport is the one thing that that's common. You know, you hear it, We hear it all the time. But you know, we all show up to football, basketball practices and track practice for a reason, and that's that's because that's where we want to be. So I want to make sure that they're able to have that like make the most of that experience and help them.
00:32:47
Speaker 4: That's what's up, man, It really is.
00:32:50
Speaker 1: How much has your own experience, like literally the walk that you have walked. How much do you bring that into And maybe not young kids, or maybe you do, but certainly when you're with the with the college age kids, how much are you able to utilize? Like it's one thing you know, as parents, we tell our kids whatever, and some of it is from personal experience and some of it is from just don't go down this path. But you really can can share something that that could open people's eyes.
00:33:19
Speaker 4: I'm wondering how much of that you do.
00:33:21
Speaker 6: I keep it real, Yeah, I mean, shoot, that's what I would That's what I needed, That's what that's what I needed.
00:33:28
Speaker 3: When I was playing right, and that's what them kids need.
00:33:31
Speaker 6: Like when I go back and I reach out to my coaches from that have coached me in the past, that's one thing that they always tell me, every last one of them, tell them the truth. Be honest, you know. So I am honest, you know, And a lot of these kids, they look like me, come from my background, so I have to I have to be honest. I'm not gonna be the guy even all the way to thinking that they go walk in my shoe, Like, look, bre we about to go get this degree. Now that's what we about to do to finish college. You ain't you know what I mean, we ain't about to go through what I went through. We'll stop there first your first and first, and then we go figure out you know, life you know after that and stuff like that. But just keeping it cheaping in one hundred with them and being honest. I like being around them kids. I listened to the music they listen to, you know, the whole nine, Like it's fun. It's like it literally bring joy out of me. Like coming to practice and watching them talking to them.
00:34:29
Speaker 3: You know.
00:34:29
Speaker 6: Uh, it took a while, you know for me to like be one hundred percent like coach because I thought it.
00:34:37
Speaker 3: But I mean there now I'm one hundred percent in all in.
00:34:40
Speaker 1: He's all in. He's all in. Cool man. Well, thank you for sharing your story. We're we're gonna wrap this up with you know, hopefully hopefully on a high note some fun.
00:34:55
Speaker 4: But just listening to all of this.
00:34:56
Speaker 1: My hope is that Dolphins fans, as I said at the top show and even before we started, that they get to understand who Deon Jordan is and not just the things they want to assign to where you were drafted, What was given up to get that pick?
00:35:10
Speaker 4: What worked out? What didn't.
00:35:11
Speaker 1: I mean, that's the easy thing for us to do as fans. Uh, you know who traded cards or draft for our fantasy team and you know, but there's there are real human beings in there who are flawed and who hurt and you know and everything else. What would if I say, if you are because you are, You're you're literally speaking to Miami Dolphins fans right now through this podcast, what would you want them, if anything else? What would you want them to take away from this to know about Dion Jordan beyond what they think they already know.
00:35:41
Speaker 3: I say, I understand. Look, that's part of the game.
00:35:46
Speaker 6: You know, those people, those fans, they support and they pay our bills. Right, I'm a Lakers fan in basketball, and I get it, you know what I'm saying.
00:35:56
Speaker 3: Like I played the game. I played at a high level.
00:36:00
Speaker 6: So I'm not a complete like you know whatever, Like I'm not all the way fanatic like jerk about everything like that. I know what's going on. But I understand, you know, so I say that. But also I say, you know, I enjoyed my time in my in South Florida. I love South Florida. I love the people, you know, and uh, you know that was my journey. You know, I'm grateful that I had the chance to put the jersey on.
00:36:28
Speaker 3: You know.
00:36:28
Speaker 6: I want to get back out there and be able to in some form of fashion, support and be around. But it's no hard feelings. I don't feel no way. Hey, man, I understand. Yeah, it's cool.
00:36:44
Speaker 4: Well, if you want to come back.
00:36:45
Speaker 1: You're talking to the mayor of the Miami Dolphins alumni sweet right here.
00:36:48
Speaker 6: And look, I'm watching to see your bowl right now. I just see Jason Tayler j t On at the Senior Boss, his son, his son.
00:36:56
Speaker 3: Running around here playing tight end. Yeah, tearing it up. Man.
00:37:00
Speaker 4: So he's about what you He's.
00:37:05
Speaker 3: A dude, man, he's a good kid, you know.
00:37:09
Speaker 6: So, like I said, man, I understand. I appreciate the relationship, you know, with you guys, reaching out, you know, with both you guys, you know, especially you're a former player, you know, being able to chop it up with you and understand, you know you feel me. Somebody understand. But look, I own everything that I did. Man, I'm ready to I am moving forward. I love a game like I said, I love the people in South Florida, and you know, I'm gonna just keep doing what I gotta do to give back. And I'm not only doing that through coaching, but I also got my nonprofit that I do it through, you know, where I like I said, back here in my community.
00:37:44
Speaker 3: I do everything that I can.
00:37:46
Speaker 6: To help these kids, you know, through mentorship, through education, through sport, you know, and trying to figure out through my relationships with people who I can put them in front of so they can achieve their dreams and make their stuff happen. You know, I grew up, I was I burned sixty percent of my body when I was a senior in high school.
00:38:05
Speaker 3: You know, so I work.
00:38:06
Speaker 6: Yeah, so I work heavy with the areas on the Burn Foundation and those kids that lay over there and that was burned in the Burn units over there.
00:38:13
Speaker 3: You know, I was a kid who grew up in homeless shelters. So my mom, you know what she does.
00:38:20
Speaker 6: You know, she heavy with every homeless shelter within our community from from here all the way to Phoenix, from where we are in the East East Valley all the way over to Phoenix.
00:38:29
Speaker 3: You know, Like I know, my path you know, and a lot of it.
00:38:34
Speaker 6: I had to go through what I went through to realize a lot of these things. And I'm gonna be straight, you know, I'm gonna be okay, you know, and yeah, man.
00:38:42
Speaker 3: Just keep loving and supporting this game for sure.
00:38:44
Speaker 5: Yeah, we know you're doing some amazing things in the community where you're at. And talk about some of the nonprofit and what you're doing with your nonprofit right now.
00:38:52
Speaker 6: Yeah, So my nonprofit is called Spread Your Wings. So, like I said, essentially what we're looking to do is like just pretty much the next generation, you know, just doing that we can empower them, creating opportunities you know, on and off the field, uh, within education, you know, mentorship, and uh, just doing whatever you can for these kids, especially those who went through similar situations as me, right and just try to use utilize sports as a tool to.
00:39:23
Speaker 3: Help these uh these young kids and uh those in need.
00:39:28
Speaker 6: And uh it's been huge, it's been It's been something I'm grateful for because it brings my family together, you know, and everybody buys in when it's time to do something for somebody else with this, So, uh, I'm excited, y'all check us out on Instagram, spread your Wings Foundation, and yeah we continue to grow.
00:39:47
Speaker 3: Sure, awesome, thank you.
00:39:49
Speaker 4: It's awesome, absolutely awesome.
00:39:51
Speaker 1: Well yeah, sorry, man, I'm just kind of taking Man, it's like that was.
00:39:57
Speaker 4: It's great stuff. It's great stuff. I almost feel guilty, Juice.
00:40:00
Speaker 1: We roll into so so we end every segment, excuse me, every podcast episode the same way. We have our fish tank two minute drill, and we have some fun like the two minute drill.
00:40:09
Speaker 4: We have some fun. You know.
00:40:11
Speaker 1: So you've been d on the player. Now you're de on the coach, right, so go ahead, grab your clipboard, your headset. You're calling this two minute drill. We're just gonna throw some questions at you, have a little fun with them and uh, and then we'll get you out of here back into what you got going on today. But that's it's just transitioning from something that was so real and so deep into our silly little segment.
00:40:31
Speaker 4: You know, I'm okay, cool, we're putting two minutes on the clock, Juice, So you're kicking it off.
00:40:37
Speaker 5: From I'm gonna kick it off. You're right, I got it, Okay, I got cool. I'll kick it off all right. There we go at Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona. You were not only a football star, but one of the top track athletes in the state, as a decorated hurler, long jump guy, and even a champion in the shot put. How often would you face the same opponent into one tens and the shot put in the same meet. I mean, that can't be very.
00:41:00
Speaker 3: How many people are doing that that not often?
00:41:02
Speaker 6: But I tell you this much, that boy, Cam Jordan's so, Cam Jordan was a shot put champion. I was a hurdle champion, but if anybody could have been, it would have been Cameron Jordan.
00:41:11
Speaker 3: Bro that that dude right there.
00:41:13
Speaker 4: Let's way, you guys are from the same area.
00:41:15
Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, we grew up together.
00:41:17
Speaker 4: He wasn't doing the one ten hurdles.
00:41:20
Speaker 3: He and one hundred.
00:41:24
Speaker 6: Yeah, dude, there's the reason why he's still playing right now, that guy. And it's and it's in his blood. You know his dad, Steve Jordan at og that played for the Vikings back in the day.
00:41:33
Speaker 1: So he's got the DNA. Okay, we mentioned it earlier. AJ Francis was your one time roommate and your rookie year. Uh and uh And you said you. You love wrestling to this day. Even though jews he knows it's not real, he still enjoys it. He knows it's not real. Aj traded the grid iron for that square circle, and he grapples under the name top Dollar. If Dion Jordan were to joined forces with his former roommate, you guys were to be a tag team duo. Now, if he's top Dollar, what is Dion's wrestling name?
00:42:05
Speaker 3: Oh man, I'm top Dollar. D Money to.
00:42:12
Speaker 5: About the banking set, all about banking, you know what I mean? All right, Oregon? Do you like them in the Big ten? Or upset that the Pack to twelve no longer exists?
00:42:22
Speaker 6: I'm upset that, you know, the pack split up? You know all that history. But I like him in a Big ten. It changes up the recruit and put them in front of a whole bunch of different eyes.
00:42:32
Speaker 3: So I like it.
00:42:33
Speaker 4: I like it, all right?
00:42:34
Speaker 3: Cool?
00:42:35
Speaker 1: Okay, last question here. Two minutes are about to be up. We talked about the type of player you were at Orgon. We talked about people calling you the next Jason Taylor.
00:42:45
Speaker 4: The Dolphins trade up to make you the number three overall pick, but that was pretty nil.
00:42:50
Speaker 1: What kind of bank would d money be making if the nil system existed when you were doing your thing for the ducks.
00:42:57
Speaker 6: Man, wait, look, I'd have been straight, I tell you that much. You know, I think our whole, our whole roster would have been all right, the truth.
00:43:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, there's no doubt.
00:43:12
Speaker 5: We gotta talk about orgon real quick. Now we're done with the two minutes real yeah, just dropping that coin out.
00:43:17
Speaker 3: There, huh yeah.
00:43:19
Speaker 6: Man, it's hard for us to keep up out of these they you know, I look at it, especially coaching now, like these kids deserve it. It sucks because it is kind of white water and stuff down, but these kids deserve it, man, Like I'm sure you even you even know a bunch of people.
00:43:38
Speaker 5: There's so many people that you know this stuff could have heard. Yeah I heard football. Penn State football is gonna make one hundred and twelve in revenue this year.
00:43:48
Speaker 6: Wow.
00:43:49
Speaker 5: I mean yeah, they deserve all the coin they can get up in that job.
00:43:52
Speaker 1: Man, deep money, you know money, see money with the top dollar, That's exactly what it is. Hey man, Deon, thank you so much for first of all responding and being willing to do this, but just being so open and candid about your story. I'm very meaningful to us that you you know, you felt like you'd share it with us, and so we're grateful.
00:44:14
Speaker 6: Absolute, no problem man. Once again, I appreciate you'all having me on.
00:44:17
Speaker 5: So hey, thanks for diving in dion d money.
00:44:21
Speaker 3: Let's get it man.
00:44:22
Speaker 6: Absolutely, you're now diving just like JUW said.
00:44:29
Speaker 1: Thanks for diving into the fish tank presented by iHeartRadio. 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, and remember you can find us as well as Drive Time with Travis Wingfield and all of our international partners on Miami Dolphins dot com TI
Speaker 1: You're now diving.
00:00:07
Speaker 2: I'm little in that setting down with Seth Living Oh, Jay Jell, and this is strictly for I'm true number one.
00:00:21
Speaker 3: Of course, y'all just have all the never sports talk that might have.
00:00:24
Speaker 4: Been that tank.
00:00:25
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Fish Tank, presented by iHeartRadio right here on the Miami Dolphins Podcast Network, Seth Lovett and the man with the best hands in the podcast business.
00:00:34
Speaker 4: He is O J McDuffie. Juice. How you feeling today, man.
00:00:37
Speaker 5: Feeling great, man, I'm feeling great, man. I got a got a special guest on today.
00:00:41
Speaker 3: Man.
00:00:41
Speaker 5: I'm super excited to hear some things, man. And you know something we'll talk about a little bit later.
00:00:47
Speaker 4: Man.
00:00:47
Speaker 5: But this dude right here, man, you know, he was in one of those rounds that I was drafted in.
00:00:50
Speaker 4: So that's right about that.
00:00:52
Speaker 5: A little bit, we'll get into that.
00:00:53
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're gonna get into that first round draft.
00:00:56
Speaker 5: I'm real stoked, man, I'm real stoked for this.
00:00:59
Speaker 1: Well, I'm excited as well. He is Dion Jordans, So first and foremost, Dion, just welcome to the Fish.
00:01:04
Speaker 4: Tank, man.
00:01:05
Speaker 6: Yeah, I appreciate you guys having me on. You know, Chop it up a little bit about the Dolphins and you know the time spent you know, down there in South Florida for sure.
00:01:15
Speaker 4: Yeah, well, we're looking forward to it.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: I know, we just spoke a little bit before we hit record here, and Juice and I are big believers that Miami Dolphins stories come in all shape sizes, trials, tribulations, all of that. And it's it's awesome to celebrate guys who had these epic careers, but then there's guys that had a certain struggle for different reasons, and we think that there's validity in those stories as well. So really grateful that you're willing to come on here and spend some time with us in the tank and just look forward to getting into it.
00:01:45
Speaker 3: Thank Yeah. Man, Let's get it, man, let's get it.
00:01:48
Speaker 5: So yeah, let's start right here. Man, you're actually coaching ball right now, and you've teamed up with one of your former teammates to be part of the staff. Talk about that, man, that's pretty awesome stuff.
00:01:59
Speaker 6: Yeah, man, And it was one of the coolest things, you know, And uh, I'm super grateful because, uh, you know, football, that's it's all about relationships, right Your teammates coaches, like everybody that helped you through that journey. And Randy Starks was the one that reached out to me initially. You know, the Big Dog called me up and asked me what I was doing. He got a head coaching job at Eureka College and Central Illinois and asked me to come join the staff and coach the defensive line. And I was really I was real grateful that Randy had called you feel me, And it's mainly because of the relationship that I have with with the Big Dog. Like Randy did a lot for me, like as far as helping me understand the game, helping me out there like live in the game, you know, and just him being older, like a lot of the things that he would talk to me and say to me, like it always registered, you know, throughout my plan the rest of my playing time and even after. Like so, yeah, it's a blessing to get out there coach, especially coach with somebody that.
00:02:59
Speaker 3: Helped me, you know, my journey so far.
00:03:01
Speaker 5: So you're at North Breensville University right now, Yeah, so I was that was a that was a plan, you know, that was a plan to get out there North Greenville University.
00:03:09
Speaker 6: So you know this coaching thing, I said, relationships, right, So uh big Nate Garner. He ended up getting the head coaching job at North Greenville University, located out in western South Carolina. So, like I said, I've been on the planes, man, So I just I literally just got back from there last night and uh yeah, man, it was it was good. It was an interview process and uh it went how it went. But yeah, man, I yeah, it's cool to have options. I'm gonna say that, you know, it's cool that people want you, you know, and respect the fact that what I at least from like the little bit that I've done with this coaching stuff, they respect that. And I'm just starting to build from there and you know, get the game from those duo who've been doing it already.
00:03:58
Speaker 4: Very cool.
00:03:58
Speaker 1: Well, we definitely, I think as we get through this conversation, want to learn more about just just finding that passion on the other side of the sidelines, I guess right carry into whistle as opposed to being the guy in the shoulder pad. So we're going to talk about that in a little bit. But I want to rewind back to twenty thirteen, which is kind of when you know you were introduced to South Florida. But for me, when I'm well at any time, but certainly come draft time, come right now, you know, Senior Bowl is happening right now, all this stuff. When you start to hear the phrase the next Jason Taylor, like my ears perk up a little bit, you know, and it catches my attention. Obviously there's there's a high bias for me. We're having worked with jt all this time. But that's what the analysts were saying leading up to the draft. When you were coming out of Oregon. You got this six foot six guy, you know, two hundred and forty five pounds whatever it was. You're crazy athletic. You're actually a track guy in high school, so you had that speed. And then Jeff Ireland makes the bold move to climb up on draft day, right we have the twelve pick. He says, let's go all the way up to the third pick and let's let's go get Dion and you become a Miami Dolphin. And so if those comparisons were there before, now that you're actually going to be with the Miami Dolphins, we're hearing that over and over. And you know, we had Larry Shannon On and Jimmy Johnson immediately compared him in that draft to Randy Moss, and it's like, man, I know sometimes while I know the intent is a compliment, like are you doing somebody a favor, you know, by by giving by comparing someone, especially in the case of Jason, where that guy had already had a full career and uh, which was a career everybody expected would end up where it.
00:05:37
Speaker 4: Did in Canton.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: And now you're getting those kinds of comparisons.
00:05:41
Speaker 4: Did you hear that noise?
00:05:43
Speaker 1: And what was like that whole draft experience like for you heading up to the point where the Dolphins called your name?
00:05:50
Speaker 3: May uh, you know I heard the noise. First of all.
00:05:54
Speaker 6: The draft experience was wild, you know, especially for me. You know it was it went like lightning speed for me. I'm gonna tell you. I went from like so being at the University of Oregon, especially like when I was playing with them dudes, the eyes was on them boys on the offense right right. I was out there with some super talented dudes playing in college. These dudes are in Heisman and running for Heisman and stuff like that.
00:06:20
Speaker 3: So you walking on.
00:06:21
Speaker 6: Campus, the big man on campus is Michael James and it's just deservingly so you know what I'm saying, Or it's Marcus Mariota, you know. So I was getting that, you know, we're getting out respect for the way we played as a defense. But I'm not the guy who was doing all the interviews and stuff. I was going to practice and I was going to class trying for how to get up out of there, like you know what I'm saying, like do what I had to so I can't get to the next level.
00:06:47
Speaker 3: And I did work hard. I worked really hard. I was super dedicated.
00:06:50
Speaker 6: And you know, throughout that process, man, you know, they I think I talked. I talked to just about the majority of every team in the NFL, you know, throughout that process, had the combine going to individual visit, but I did not speak to The Dolphins. Was one team that I had no type of communication with at all, you know, I don't, you know, it's crazy, you know, And those people got to do their job, you know. So the comparisons was dope. You know, the only thing I did know about the Dolphins was Jackson Taylor. So the comparisons was dope, you know, And being on a kid on the West Coast. I didn't get a chance to really watch much Miami Dolphin football, so I have much like knowledge outside of like you know, the big dogs, the people that they had coming in and playing, you know, like these dudes, you know, Patrie Certain's like I remember like playing Madden like some certain people. But you know, I'm a kid from the West Coast, so I didn't really like it wasn't many, it wasn't even't registered much to me. But when I got that phone call, I was at first, I was super blessed. No, none of my family ever been to New York because, like I said, I explained to you like the first part in college. So everything was going fast. My agent told me, you know that we had the opportunity to be top three, you know, and it was wild because it was top three. But I'm thinking in my head, Okay, my coach that just coached me just left school and he got the fourth pick, so top three. I ain't worried, but I'm trying to go get coached by the people who coached me, you know, previous.
00:08:20
Speaker 3: So yeah, and this is what happened.
00:08:23
Speaker 6: Like as I'm sitting at this table, you realizing, like what's going on in all.
00:08:26
Speaker 3: Of this the draft, like the real process of the draft, feel me.
00:08:29
Speaker 6: So it was wild because I'm sitting there and I see the trade thing, and I look at my brother and we kind of just football talk, like, all right, the Raiders just traded. You know, they're probably moving back. You know, it's whoever moving up is to get a defensive player. But I'm not thinking me because in three minutes and have her a loan, that clock is the Eagles got to pick, and I'm thinking that's what be me. So it was it was a lot, you know, but it was I mean, I was super grateful. My family showed up. They was all their first time in New York. You know, I gotta walk the stage. I'm super nervous, Like my heart was beating so fast that I stepped on your their feat like.
00:09:08
Speaker 3: I'm walking out there, like I'm looking out like. All of this stuff was a lot.
00:09:12
Speaker 6: It was all new to me, but I was extremely blessed and to be able to experience that with my loved ones.
00:09:18
Speaker 5: With Shelfy, it sounds like we knew that your former coach might have been trying to get him the number four big sets we had to jump the three to get him right.
00:09:25
Speaker 3: See, he looks exactly what it sounds like.
00:09:27
Speaker 6: After it all, you know, as our mature and our girl, I'm like, I'm I understood what happened, you know.
00:09:35
Speaker 5: You know, it's so funny, except he loves to talk shit about me being the first round there, you know. And then you know, we got some guys that come on our show. Usually they've overcome some oys they were undrafted, free agency or whatever. But it's nice. It's nice to be on here with another first round I promise you.
00:09:50
Speaker 3: Man, let's go. You know, hard work pays off, that's for sure.
00:09:54
Speaker 5: But our head man, though, our head man, coach McDaniel, though, he always says that, you know, the pressure comes with being the first round draft choice. Now I know that I had seemed like a lot of pressure and Seth knows nothing about this because first round pick maybe the pressure part though, but I will leave that alone.
00:10:08
Speaker 4: That's for a different it's a whole different pressure.
00:10:10
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, especially guys like us that were you know, taking that first round. But then, but do you pile on the expectations of you know, being the first round, I mean being a you know fall in the Hall of Famer, you know, the top five, pick all that stuff. You're in your early twenties. I remember like when I my vets, you know, they were looking at me like, man, you ain't done ship yet, you know what I mean? And I felt that pressure. Man, I felt that pressure. Talked about how much of that were you feeling when you got drafted? You know, I mean, that's that's that's a lot of pressure, right.
00:10:39
Speaker 3: It was. It was.
00:10:40
Speaker 6: It was, you know, like you talked about the Jason Taylor comparison, like as wow. They walked me in there and asked me, like what number I want? You know so big? Solely I had my number from college and there I love pee pee you know, my dog. But you know how to vest get you there? Like you want that number?
00:11:00
Speaker 3: Were a big dog. I'm like, nah, you had it.
00:11:03
Speaker 6: I'm gonna just keep, you know, with my little money in my pocket, I just go down the number, you know, and figure it out.
00:11:09
Speaker 3: But they offered me Jason Taylor. I must have looked at him like they was crazy.
00:11:12
Speaker 6: I'm like, nah, like I either wear I'm gonna wear my number if I can't, you know, or something close. But for them to do that type of stuff that like initial like for me coming through the door, it was like okay, Wow. Then I had my shoulder injury. I had to completely tore my laborom. I was playing like my last six games in college with the torn labor. Had just got the surgery coming in, so I had. It was a lot, bro I had. I didn't finish college. So they had this rule where like, uh, you can't come to a certain part of the OTA's and stuff like that if you were, if you're your school.
00:11:48
Speaker 3: And that was tough. It was weird. It was just weird. It was just everything was It was a lot. And I didn't understand. You know, I'm like, I'm supposed to be a Dolph. I'm supposed to been there.
00:11:57
Speaker 6: The rest of the rookies in there, they they take it snaps, they listening to coaches. I'm doing rehab and you know what I'm saying, doing condition and stuff like that away And it was a lot.
00:12:08
Speaker 3: Man.
00:12:08
Speaker 2: I was.
00:12:09
Speaker 6: Everything moved so fast from the draft, from college draft, all of that stuff, Like I didn't go home, I didn't get a chance to spend They shipped me boom. I'm in Florida from Eugene straight all the way to Florida, and I had to figure that part out, you know, And that's probably like my initial like rough start with the whole process. I say, you know, it was what it was, but that's how we kind of, yeah, we got off.
00:12:36
Speaker 5: I got there. But once you got here there, let's talk about some of those guys. I mean, you've already talked a little bit about Pe. You talk about Big Randy, Yeah, Cam, Wait, you got Oliviate Vernon, talk about some of them dudes in that on that defense man, especially in your room right there.
00:12:52
Speaker 6: I had some real vets, some real vets like that that like you ain't done nothing. Thing was real, even like you ain't even got no money type of deal. Like these dudes, I'm sitting in the room where they they had it, you know.
00:13:04
Speaker 3: And everything.
00:13:06
Speaker 6: It was a good thing though, you know, because I'm young, you know, and it humbled me, you know, especially like being around you know, big time ball players like I'm in there with Cam Waking. I learned Cam Waite's story. I had the utmost respect for Cam. I you know, to this day, I'm like, that's a football guy.
00:13:27
Speaker 5: You know.
00:13:28
Speaker 6: He did anything and everything he can to get out on the football field. But you know, Cam was the type of dude that led by example, you know, because of his story and about because of the things he went through Starks and p they spoke up a lot. Ov was good to me, you know, or be a real good dude, you know, even though they put us out there to compete. Me and him, we had a good relationship and understanding. Like we out here trying to feed our families and you know, make the most out of these opportunities.
00:13:55
Speaker 3: And everybody Rashad Jones.
00:13:59
Speaker 6: Brink these dudes, I'm like, man like they as far as football and is like playing the game, the boys, they had it and it was cool to be around and like get that they still kind of had like that old like before I got you know how they say the game changed a lot of them. Dudes still had that on them, like from whatever. They still had that on him, So it was good to be around.
00:14:22
Speaker 1: I love that still had it on him. He still has it on him. How many years he's still wearing it, that's for sure. So there's another guy I got to ask you about real quick. I have another question. But as you're mentioning those names and those are vets, but there was a guy who was a rookie and he was a UDFA, but he ended up being your roommate and he was on the tank. I guess it was a year or so ago, AJ Francis. I was really surprised to hear that that. I guess he was maybe the only other defensive lineman rookies. So they put you guys together.
00:14:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, what was that?
00:14:52
Speaker 1: You seem like a quiet, kind of reserved dude. AJ is exactly the opposite of that.
00:14:58
Speaker 4: What was that pairing? Like?
00:15:00
Speaker 3: It was dope?
00:15:00
Speaker 6: Man, He's definitely the opposite ambition, you know, when they come to ambition and one two AJ hat that he knew when he first came in, like regardless of like where he was drafted, like he had his mind made up. You feel me, he was going back up one of them two big dogs in the middle, Like he he just had that inn, you know, and man, it was I don't know, man had he had ambition And just me and him being able to be around each other was cool, fun dude, you know, to kick it with it's dope.
00:15:32
Speaker 3: You know.
00:15:32
Speaker 6: To see him on TV doing what he does now, it was wild. Like I remember because I watched wrestling. Still I'm still a fan.
00:15:39
Speaker 3: You feel me.
00:15:41
Speaker 5: I'm just like you think it's real.
00:15:43
Speaker 4: I know it's not, and I think it's real.
00:15:46
Speaker 5: You know, my grandfather had me convinced for years that it was real. Man, Like Brooke hearts like, well, remind me some kids. I still believe in Santa Claus like Brooke.
00:15:55
Speaker 3: My heart like that.
00:15:56
Speaker 5: I realized.
00:15:59
Speaker 3: It's all about the storylines. But but that's what made AJ.
00:16:02
Speaker 6: I think makes it good at what he does is because of that, Like, dude know how to talk, you know how to sell a story.
00:16:08
Speaker 3: He j believes in himself like it's the real deal. So like one day I'm sitting here watching and I just see him pop out his top dollar, he rapping his own song. I'm like, I know this dude, like my tripping or is that AJ?
00:16:22
Speaker 6: You know, I had to I had to google and I've seen him and I just been following his career every since. You know, that moment of me checking him out of.
00:16:30
Speaker 3: You know, randomly and AJ doing this thing. Man, I'm proud of.
00:16:34
Speaker 4: I'm happy for That's that's great. Think about that, Jude, somebody hasn't seen in years, right, exactly, So that's wild.
00:16:42
Speaker 1: So so look, I'm not gonna beat around the bush here, Dion. We're asking you questions about pressure and high expectations because the reality is things didn't go the direction that anyone, and probably you specifically had had hoped they would. When you are the number three overall draft choice, right, and so you do play. It's not like you didn't play a rookie year. You played all sixteen games. The production didn't match the draft position, or at least what the hope or expectations would be for that. And sometimes that happens. But when it does happen, then the whispers start, right, and then there's the questions, and then it's like, well, what's he doing in practice?
00:17:18
Speaker 6: Is there?
00:17:19
Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden, your work ethics starts to be questioned, your want to you know you talked about aj have an ambition. People start to quote, well does this guy have it? If he's drafted that high and has all those physical tools, you know, why aren't we seeing that production? And so as those things become louder and louder, you know, is it because there's validity to them? And from what I've researched here, you've kind of said, yeah, there was some validity to it, Like it's not just stuff that people said. There was some validity to it, and that your focus wasn't maybe where it needed to be. What was going on with you at that point, that the focus wasn't there, That the effort and the things that people would expect from a number three OVERLD draft pick. Why wasn't it there?
00:18:03
Speaker 6: You know, my life outside of the ball wasn't It wasn't balanced, you know, it wasn't what it needed to be to match all of that stuff, you know, And I struggled, dude, I struggled coming there. I struggled with understanding the plays and the playbook I was doing playing. I was doing something completely different than I did in college.
00:18:22
Speaker 3: Right, so.
00:18:24
Speaker 6: It's hard to learn defensive line in the NFL. I'm taking double teams. I wasn't taking double teams in college. You know, I'm learning the game all over. And like I said, shout out, just big starts and those dudes I was playing with, because they seen it. They realized, you know, they players, they knew, like they got this dude doing something as far as football, Like he don't even know what the hell is going on?
00:18:49
Speaker 3: You know.
00:18:50
Speaker 6: So they helped me with that, and then in my life when I left left the facility didn't It didn't help because I'm out partying, you know, I'm enjoying the money that I have. Uh, and I'm just putting myself behind the eight ball. I'm hurt, you know. Sometimes I'm missing my rehabs, you know, so that's not helping.
00:19:11
Speaker 3: Uh, Dude, you know I just wasn't.
00:19:14
Speaker 6: I didn't have my life in order to have all of that stuff match up.
00:19:19
Speaker 5: M Yeah, that's some real ship right there. Man. You know what I mean, real talk. I mean, I mean hell big self. I mean, I know, you know, I try to burn it a lot on both fans myself, man, you know, and sometimes I don't know how I pulled it off.
00:19:34
Speaker 3: Man.
00:19:35
Speaker 5: But that's the biggest thing you said right there, Dan, And I was blessed that I wasn't hurt early, whereas you know, I was away from the facility.
00:19:44
Speaker 4: Man.
00:19:45
Speaker 5: Being away from the facility, that's a lonely feeling, man, dude. So you're all by yourself. Man, You're on an island by yourself, man, you know, And I know that had to be tough on you.
00:19:54
Speaker 6: It was you know, and I did, Like I said, the way I handled things, they didn't help you feel me. I'm able to look back now and like what I've been doing now is find a grace for myself, you know, because what you don't know, you know, you don't know if I if I would have did it, did if I wouldn't do now or that did something different? Right, But I'm moving I moved forward. But like all of those things you feel me, was just something that I think I just got. I had to go through, you know, I had to just taking on the chain, you know, realize like I did that, you know, ain't nobody else's fault. And uh, look I've watched these kids now and I realize, you know what, like I was, I was messing up you doing you hanging around big dogs, trying to do big dog things, and that's not who you are. Like you just showed up to Miami, like like I said, I'm around these other these ogs and so like I wasn't supposed to be trying to keep up. That's not what I should have been doing. I should have been focusing on getting my physical like my body right, and the playbooks, you know, the minute things that was gonna help me, you know, play good and extend my career and things like that.
00:20:59
Speaker 3: But you know, I'm burning counter on both ends, like you said, and it caught up to me.
00:21:04
Speaker 4: Well you know.
00:21:05
Speaker 5: I mean, I I say this all the time that we're not robots, we're human. We actually are human man. And like I talked about being away from the facility at times and things like that. But it's also a young guy you said it yourself with money in his pocket in South Florida, south beach Man. That's a that's a hell of and the lord man, I mean, I tell you, I mean, that's left general. It's tough.
00:21:26
Speaker 3: I just left Eugene, Oregon. Dude.
00:21:28
Speaker 6: That was look you're talking about polar opposite. I was trying to get out the house and Eugene, you like, in the house all the time. I'm like, nah, I'm out, you know. And I look back and you know, it's some things that I did, you know that I regret. But like I said, I try to give myself grace, you know, and I move on.
00:21:48
Speaker 3: I move forward. I have some fun.
00:21:51
Speaker 6: Stuff that I don't want to take back. I enjoyed, right, you know, But I take my.
00:21:56
Speaker 3: Lumps and move forward.
00:21:59
Speaker 5: Yeah, let' let's talk a little bit about you know what happened there. Man, You got you know, you get the suspension for four games. You know, in your second year twenty fifteen, you're forced to miss the entire season the next for a violation man of subst abuse. How badly were things getting at that point?
00:22:15
Speaker 2: Man?
00:22:16
Speaker 5: Because I know it could hell Mann, you can get you get absorbed down here, man? Uh, you know, and especially like I talked about before being lonely, how bad did it get? And when did you help? Did you realize it was getting that bad?
00:22:29
Speaker 3: Yeah?
00:22:29
Speaker 6: I realized it was getting bad after that first year. You know that that suspension, it took a lot out of me. You know, like I had to realize, you know, like what had happened. I'm gonna say pretty much to try to like keep it as clear.
00:22:43
Speaker 3: I had to realize what was happening. Right.
00:22:46
Speaker 6: That was my first time actually, like ever in trouble. I ain't never did nothing to nobody, like you had no running with Polly.
00:22:55
Speaker 3: Nothing.
00:22:55
Speaker 6: My first thing was like once I got everything that I worked for, this is what happened. That messed me up, Like emotionally, that messed me up. Mentally, I was like trying to figure out why, you know, why me. I'm young, so I'm like trying to find somebody else to put it on for me. Like it's a spiraling, you know, like not taking in the help that people trying to give me. I know a lot of good people, you know, and even helping me to get to where I am. I wasn't smart enough to take the help, you know. I was trying to figure it out on my own. So it was getting bad. It was getting bad to the point where like for me, like I wasn't focused on ball, you know, it just and it sucked for my family. And when I say bad, I mean that those are people that, when I look back, like they suffered the most, you know, watching me be in a position where I always wanted to and I was going through that.
00:23:53
Speaker 1: You know, Dian you talked about how there were good people that were trying to offer help right or advice or whatever it might be. And I was I was surprised, pleasantly surprised to read this. And I don't know that I've ever heard this before, but apparently during all of this, Dolphins owner Steven Ross was like heavily heavily invested in your well being, and yeah, I mean talk you know, I can keep going on the question, but as soon as I said it, I'm you know, for people who are just listening to this, Dion's like nodding his head. For a team owner to be that invested, can you talk about just just I guess not only what it meant, but the fact that you talk about the big dog that's the biggest He owns the team, and he really genuinely cared about your well being.
00:24:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, he would always find a way to get to me wherever I was do with send me emails, you know, Like.
00:24:51
Speaker 6: It was, uh, I felt bad, and I mean at the end, like when I had to say bye, he was the last person I had to say bye to. You feel me, And then I had to think about like the fact that he was still like rooting for me the whole time. It was I feel bad, you know, but it was a huge blessing, Like to even think about it, like now, like somebody in that position that was rooting for you, that had your back, that asked you to come on board, you know, and be a part of what he has going on, you know, in that organizations it's a yeah, man, it's cool. You know, it's really cool, you know, to think back that somebody like that supported me for sure.
00:25:31
Speaker 1: And is it like you know, the article that I read said like he would, he would call you every couple of weeks, like he would, and I think you even visited him in New York at one point in time. Because I don't think that's just that. I don't think that's a normal thing that you hear about for a team owner to be Obviously, team owners care about their players. They pay their players a whole lot of money, but a lot of them are more hands off. And yeah, I just I just had never heard anything like that, particularly down here.
00:25:58
Speaker 6: Yeah. He a good dude, man, a little bit dude. You know, he got a lot of money, but he's still human. He got he cares, I can tell you that much.
00:26:07
Speaker 3: He cares.
00:26:08
Speaker 6: And you know, just from my experience with the man life, he gives a shit about what he brings into his organization.
00:26:17
Speaker 5: Yeah, you don't hear a lot of great stuff like like what you just told us about him, And I think it's a great owner. You know, he just writes checks, you know, for the guys to be the best they can be the best facilities they can have. And I love the personal touch when he's got a you know, a person, not a not a football player, but a person that he cares that much about to make sure you know, he reaches out and checks on your offers whatever is out there and it's not publicized. You know it's not you know, we know from an interview, but he's not out there saying well, I'm doing this and I'm doing that for for Dionne. He's like, you know, that's that's a sign of health and owner hands off for the most part, you know what I mean, and cares about his players. I like that a lot.
00:26:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, I appreciate it. Yeah, sure for sure.
00:26:59
Speaker 5: So when did you turn? When did you turn the corner? Man? I mean, how did it turn around? I have to imagine the situations like this when when somebody does find the way out of the circumstances that you know that they probably hit rock bottom or something at some point and then the reclamation process starts. Then it begins. Can you can you pinpoint it? And was there a person or people who helped you out other than mister Ross or at least move you, you know from forward from where you know, from where you were.
00:27:25
Speaker 3: It was Yeah, man, there was a lot of people.
00:27:27
Speaker 6: I think the turning point was after I had to do my when I was dealing with my years suspension. You know, that was another time where and I'm gonna just say, you know, I messed up, but I don't I don't think it's fair for them to for that when I don't think it's fair for them to kick players.
00:27:45
Speaker 3: Out of the organization like that.
00:27:48
Speaker 6: That was a lot, like you was saying, but I didn't have no communication with no coaches like these things.
00:27:53
Speaker 3: Was just just a lot, you know what I'm saying.
00:27:55
Speaker 6: But I found somebody, so my agent and then he hooked me up with her tark is In you know who was you know, my mentor who I met in San Francisco Bay area and when I was dealing with that suspension. You know, I was training with him in the Bay Area and he helped me a lot, you know, with my faith. You know, he helped me with getting that grit back. He helped me with you know, just everything and as a man, you feel me just like understanding my position as a man, you know with God that blessed me with you know, not just with football, but you know as a human being and everything else involved with that.
00:28:35
Speaker 3: And that's probably when I turned the corner.
00:28:37
Speaker 6: And I'm huge I'm hugely grateful because you know, I really put a halt to a lot of things, Like by the time I was twenty four to twenty five years old, like because everything was moving so fast, I stopped. I just had to stop everything, you know, and I put a halt to a lot of things, you know, decided to work with him, stay with him, you know, during my off seasons, and stay committed to doing and everything as far as rehab AA and any other type of therapy, being open and just dealing with the stuff that I had, you know, over the last few years. It was it was like I said, man, I'm grateful that I had to experience and make that decision, those decisions at a younger, younger age, because you know, now it's like find trying to do my best to find two of those things and give them then other kid to these kids and see some more first rounders and three.
00:29:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's that's exactly where I wanted to go with the next question. And Juics, I love that you use the word reclamation, because that's really what it is.
00:29:39
Speaker 3: Like.
00:29:39
Speaker 1: You're okay, so you're you're your four years in Miami don't work out the way you want them to, but yet you still played another four years in this league. Like an eight year career is nothing to sneeze out, especially for someone who you know, put himself behind the eight ball, to use your phrase, and so to we've seen people that do that and they they phase out, you know, they don't get another shot, and you were able to get things together, you play another four years in this league.
00:30:03
Speaker 4: And now, as you were.
00:30:04
Speaker 1: Just discussing and talked about at the top of the show and get into coaching, talk about a little bit more of just being on the coaching side of things. Having been somebody that had essentially every opportunity in front of you and to see things go the way they went and to play your role in the way things went. But now you're on the side of mentoring young men. Now you're on the side of just looking at the game and the sport and the approach to playing the.
00:30:34
Speaker 4: Game through this different lens. What has that been like for you?
00:30:37
Speaker 6: It's been a huge blessing. You know, it's been a huge blessing. I think it's a natural thing for me. And you know, one of the things I'm always keep going back to is like the people that raised me, you know, like I was blessed to grow up or like when I first started sport, like I grew up in a uh like a community that helped the young men, young girls and boys through sport. Right So here in Chandler, Arizona, Dude, Chandler Arizona, bro Like, we got community like as far as track program football programs, basketball programs.
00:31:14
Speaker 4: I grew up around.
00:31:14
Speaker 6: Olympic medalists, people that went to go play basketball, you know, g League, multiple players that played in the NFL. So that was natural to me to see, you know, see as young kids, like what do these kids have? What do they need to be successful? Who has it? You know, who wants it? You know, and stuff like that. So when I got finished playing, like the first thing the most natural thing for me to do was to go back around the people that raised me in those communities and just get pushed into helping the little homies from a track team, from everybody from what it's seven years, eight years old, all the way to the kids that's in high school you know, running track and getting out there watching my little cousin sling the ball at the quarterback and then jump over the fence. And you know, instead of just yelling at them from the stands, you know, actually get get a chance to get in their ear.
00:32:02
Speaker 3: And you know, and show them what they're doing on the football field.
00:32:05
Speaker 6: And from there to helping the high schoolers, you know, from yelling at them from the sideline, from going to my high school to getting over there with them, you know and actually talking to them to where Rendy was that putting myself, you know what the situation starts. So it's more natural for me, you know, And I also care a lot about them because I get the circumstances. And you know, everybody got circumstances, and sport is the one thing that that's common. You know, you hear it, We hear it all the time. But you know, we all show up to football, basketball practices and track practice for a reason, and that's that's because that's where we want to be. So I want to make sure that they're able to have that like make the most of that experience and help them.
00:32:47
Speaker 4: That's what's up, man, It really is.
00:32:50
Speaker 1: How much has your own experience, like literally the walk that you have walked. How much do you bring that into And maybe not young kids, or maybe you do, but certainly when you're with the with the college age kids, how much are you able to utilize? Like it's one thing you know, as parents, we tell our kids whatever, and some of it is from personal experience and some of it is from just don't go down this path. But you really can can share something that that could open people's eyes.
00:33:19
Speaker 4: I'm wondering how much of that you do.
00:33:21
Speaker 6: I keep it real, Yeah, I mean, shoot, that's what I would That's what I needed, That's what that's what I needed.
00:33:28
Speaker 3: When I was playing right, and that's what them kids need.
00:33:31
Speaker 6: Like when I go back and I reach out to my coaches from that have coached me in the past, that's one thing that they always tell me, every last one of them, tell them the truth. Be honest, you know. So I am honest, you know, And a lot of these kids, they look like me, come from my background, so I have to I have to be honest. I'm not gonna be the guy even all the way to thinking that they go walk in my shoe, Like, look, bre we about to go get this degree. Now that's what we about to do to finish college. You ain't you know what I mean, we ain't about to go through what I went through. We'll stop there first your first and first, and then we go figure out you know, life you know after that and stuff like that. But just keeping it cheaping in one hundred with them and being honest. I like being around them kids. I listened to the music they listen to, you know, the whole nine, Like it's fun. It's like it literally bring joy out of me. Like coming to practice and watching them talking to them.
00:34:29
Speaker 3: You know.
00:34:29
Speaker 6: Uh, it took a while, you know for me to like be one hundred percent like coach because I thought it.
00:34:37
Speaker 3: But I mean there now I'm one hundred percent in all in.
00:34:40
Speaker 1: He's all in. He's all in. Cool man. Well, thank you for sharing your story. We're we're gonna wrap this up with you know, hopefully hopefully on a high note some fun.
00:34:55
Speaker 4: But just listening to all of this.
00:34:56
Speaker 1: My hope is that Dolphins fans, as I said at the top show and even before we started, that they get to understand who Deon Jordan is and not just the things they want to assign to where you were drafted, What was given up to get that pick?
00:35:10
Speaker 4: What worked out? What didn't.
00:35:11
Speaker 1: I mean, that's the easy thing for us to do as fans. Uh, you know who traded cards or draft for our fantasy team and you know, but there's there are real human beings in there who are flawed and who hurt and you know and everything else. What would if I say, if you are because you are, You're you're literally speaking to Miami Dolphins fans right now through this podcast, what would you want them, if anything else? What would you want them to take away from this to know about Dion Jordan beyond what they think they already know.
00:35:41
Speaker 3: I say, I understand. Look, that's part of the game.
00:35:46
Speaker 6: You know, those people, those fans, they support and they pay our bills. Right, I'm a Lakers fan in basketball, and I get it, you know what I'm saying.
00:35:56
Speaker 3: Like I played the game. I played at a high level.
00:36:00
Speaker 6: So I'm not a complete like you know whatever, Like I'm not all the way fanatic like jerk about everything like that. I know what's going on. But I understand, you know, so I say that. But also I say, you know, I enjoyed my time in my in South Florida. I love South Florida. I love the people, you know, and uh, you know that was my journey. You know, I'm grateful that I had the chance to put the jersey on.
00:36:28
Speaker 3: You know.
00:36:28
Speaker 6: I want to get back out there and be able to in some form of fashion, support and be around. But it's no hard feelings. I don't feel no way. Hey, man, I understand. Yeah, it's cool.
00:36:44
Speaker 4: Well, if you want to come back.
00:36:45
Speaker 1: You're talking to the mayor of the Miami Dolphins alumni sweet right here.
00:36:48
Speaker 6: And look, I'm watching to see your bowl right now. I just see Jason Tayler j t On at the Senior Boss, his son, his son.
00:36:56
Speaker 3: Running around here playing tight end. Yeah, tearing it up. Man.
00:37:00
Speaker 4: So he's about what you He's.
00:37:05
Speaker 3: A dude, man, he's a good kid, you know.
00:37:09
Speaker 6: So, like I said, man, I understand. I appreciate the relationship, you know, with you guys, reaching out, you know, with both you guys, you know, especially you're a former player, you know, being able to chop it up with you and understand, you know you feel me. Somebody understand. But look, I own everything that I did. Man, I'm ready to I am moving forward. I love a game like I said, I love the people in South Florida, and you know, I'm gonna just keep doing what I gotta do to give back. And I'm not only doing that through coaching, but I also got my nonprofit that I do it through, you know, where I like I said, back here in my community.
00:37:44
Speaker 3: I do everything that I can.
00:37:46
Speaker 6: To help these kids, you know, through mentorship, through education, through sport, you know, and trying to figure out through my relationships with people who I can put them in front of so they can achieve their dreams and make their stuff happen. You know, I grew up, I was I burned sixty percent of my body when I was a senior in high school.
00:38:05
Speaker 3: You know, so I work.
00:38:06
Speaker 6: Yeah, so I work heavy with the areas on the Burn Foundation and those kids that lay over there and that was burned in the Burn units over there.
00:38:13
Speaker 3: You know, I was a kid who grew up in homeless shelters. So my mom, you know what she does.
00:38:20
Speaker 6: You know, she heavy with every homeless shelter within our community from from here all the way to Phoenix, from where we are in the East East Valley all the way over to Phoenix.
00:38:29
Speaker 3: You know, Like I know, my path you know, and a lot of it.
00:38:34
Speaker 6: I had to go through what I went through to realize a lot of these things. And I'm gonna be straight, you know, I'm gonna be okay, you know, and yeah, man.
00:38:42
Speaker 3: Just keep loving and supporting this game for sure.
00:38:44
Speaker 5: Yeah, we know you're doing some amazing things in the community where you're at. And talk about some of the nonprofit and what you're doing with your nonprofit right now.
00:38:52
Speaker 6: Yeah, So my nonprofit is called Spread Your Wings. So, like I said, essentially what we're looking to do is like just pretty much the next generation, you know, just doing that we can empower them, creating opportunities you know, on and off the field, uh, within education, you know, mentorship, and uh, just doing whatever you can for these kids, especially those who went through similar situations as me, right and just try to use utilize sports as a tool to.
00:39:23
Speaker 3: Help these uh these young kids and uh those in need.
00:39:28
Speaker 6: And uh it's been huge, it's been It's been something I'm grateful for because it brings my family together, you know, and everybody buys in when it's time to do something for somebody else with this, So, uh, I'm excited, y'all check us out on Instagram, spread your Wings Foundation, and yeah we continue to grow.
00:39:47
Speaker 3: Sure, awesome, thank you.
00:39:49
Speaker 4: It's awesome, absolutely awesome.
00:39:51
Speaker 1: Well yeah, sorry, man, I'm just kind of taking Man, it's like that was.
00:39:57
Speaker 4: It's great stuff. It's great stuff. I almost feel guilty, Juice.
00:40:00
Speaker 1: We roll into so so we end every segment, excuse me, every podcast episode the same way. We have our fish tank two minute drill, and we have some fun like the two minute drill.
00:40:09
Speaker 4: We have some fun. You know.
00:40:11
Speaker 1: So you've been d on the player. Now you're de on the coach, right, so go ahead, grab your clipboard, your headset. You're calling this two minute drill. We're just gonna throw some questions at you, have a little fun with them and uh, and then we'll get you out of here back into what you got going on today. But that's it's just transitioning from something that was so real and so deep into our silly little segment.
00:40:31
Speaker 4: You know, I'm okay, cool, we're putting two minutes on the clock, Juice, So you're kicking it off.
00:40:37
Speaker 5: From I'm gonna kick it off. You're right, I got it, Okay, I got cool. I'll kick it off all right. There we go at Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona. You were not only a football star, but one of the top track athletes in the state, as a decorated hurler, long jump guy, and even a champion in the shot put. How often would you face the same opponent into one tens and the shot put in the same meet. I mean, that can't be very.
00:41:00
Speaker 3: How many people are doing that that not often?
00:41:02
Speaker 6: But I tell you this much, that boy, Cam Jordan's so, Cam Jordan was a shot put champion. I was a hurdle champion, but if anybody could have been, it would have been Cameron Jordan.
00:41:11
Speaker 3: Bro that that dude right there.
00:41:13
Speaker 4: Let's way, you guys are from the same area.
00:41:15
Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, we grew up together.
00:41:17
Speaker 4: He wasn't doing the one ten hurdles.
00:41:20
Speaker 3: He and one hundred.
00:41:24
Speaker 6: Yeah, dude, there's the reason why he's still playing right now, that guy. And it's and it's in his blood. You know his dad, Steve Jordan at og that played for the Vikings back in the day.
00:41:33
Speaker 1: So he's got the DNA. Okay, we mentioned it earlier. AJ Francis was your one time roommate and your rookie year. Uh and uh And you said you. You love wrestling to this day. Even though jews he knows it's not real, he still enjoys it. He knows it's not real. Aj traded the grid iron for that square circle, and he grapples under the name top Dollar. If Dion Jordan were to joined forces with his former roommate, you guys were to be a tag team duo. Now, if he's top Dollar, what is Dion's wrestling name?
00:42:05
Speaker 3: Oh man, I'm top Dollar. D Money to.
00:42:12
Speaker 5: About the banking set, all about banking, you know what I mean? All right, Oregon? Do you like them in the Big ten? Or upset that the Pack to twelve no longer exists?
00:42:22
Speaker 6: I'm upset that, you know, the pack split up? You know all that history. But I like him in a Big ten. It changes up the recruit and put them in front of a whole bunch of different eyes.
00:42:32
Speaker 3: So I like it.
00:42:33
Speaker 4: I like it, all right?
00:42:34
Speaker 3: Cool?
00:42:35
Speaker 1: Okay, last question here. Two minutes are about to be up. We talked about the type of player you were at Orgon. We talked about people calling you the next Jason Taylor.
00:42:45
Speaker 4: The Dolphins trade up to make you the number three overall pick, but that was pretty nil.
00:42:50
Speaker 1: What kind of bank would d money be making if the nil system existed when you were doing your thing for the ducks.
00:42:57
Speaker 6: Man, wait, look, I'd have been straight, I tell you that much. You know, I think our whole, our whole roster would have been all right, the truth.
00:43:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, there's no doubt.
00:43:12
Speaker 5: We gotta talk about orgon real quick. Now we're done with the two minutes real yeah, just dropping that coin out.
00:43:17
Speaker 3: There, huh yeah.
00:43:19
Speaker 6: Man, it's hard for us to keep up out of these they you know, I look at it, especially coaching now, like these kids deserve it. It sucks because it is kind of white water and stuff down, but these kids deserve it, man, Like I'm sure you even you even know a bunch of people.
00:43:38
Speaker 5: There's so many people that you know this stuff could have heard. Yeah I heard football. Penn State football is gonna make one hundred and twelve in revenue this year.
00:43:48
Speaker 6: Wow.
00:43:49
Speaker 5: I mean yeah, they deserve all the coin they can get up in that job.
00:43:52
Speaker 1: Man, deep money, you know money, see money with the top dollar, That's exactly what it is. Hey man, Deon, thank you so much for first of all responding and being willing to do this, but just being so open and candid about your story. I'm very meaningful to us that you you know, you felt like you'd share it with us, and so we're grateful.
00:44:14
Speaker 6: Absolute, no problem man. Once again, I appreciate you'all having me on.
00:44:17
Speaker 5: So hey, thanks for diving in dion d money.
00:44:21
Speaker 3: Let's get it man.
00:44:22
Speaker 6: Absolutely, you're now diving just like JUW said.
00:44:29
Speaker 1: Thanks for diving into the fish tank presented by iHeartRadio. 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, and remember you can find us as well as Drive Time with Travis Wingfield and all of our international partners on Miami Dolphins dot com TI
