The Man in the Arena: Vanderbilt’s Blaze Berlowitz & Cole Adams

0:03Welcome to Brave and Big, where we talk about living a Brave and Big Life. I'm Joey Odom, husband to Kristen, dad to Harrison and Gianna, speaker, former tech co-founder, and author.

0:13I'm Chris Hart, husband to Molly, dad to Blakely, Cooper, Landry, and my son Brave. I'm the CEO and founder of the Brave Group and Brave Performance Agency. Joey and I have been having these talks for 25 years, and we're better for it. We believe the same will be true for you. Enjoy this episode. Be brave and live big. You're about to hear from Blaise Barlowitz, quarterback at Vanderbilt, and Cole Adams, receiver at Vanderbilt. They are great athletes. Some would say freak athletes, but I would say beyond that, they are great young men. Yes. I want you to hear their heart. I want you to hear their mindset. I want you to hear what they've learned from a winning coach and how these two guys are building an unbelievable winning program right there, Vanderbilt. It was a joy, wasn't it, Joey?

1:14Well, the I will, Chris, I don't think I literally wrote a card to Coach Clark Lee of Vanderbilt's after this, telling him that I don't think I've ever been more impressed with two young men. These guys are leaders, these guys are obviously great athletes, but man, I will tell you if you're a coach or if you know a coach, if you're a teacher, if you know a teacher, if you're a parent or you know a parent, if you're a child or you know a child. So basically all of us, please forward this episode along. I to me, this is one of the I think I maybe took away more from this episode with two 20-year-old guys, 20, 21-year-old guys. I think I took away more as a parent from this. Because we we asked them, hey, what is it, what does it require of a parent? What did your parents get right? Hey, if you could sit down, one of the very last questions we asked is if you could sit down with any parent and give them an advice on parenting, what would you say? And bro, I mean it it blew us away. Unbelievable. So these these guys are impressive. I will say, I will say I'm a Commodores fan now. I mean, they have made me a Vanderbilt Commodores fan, and I'm hoping and praying these guys just absolutely crush it this year. So we wanted to give you a little bit of that intro to know this is one of the most worthwhile episodes you will ever listen to. So for now, just sit back, relax, take some notes, and please forward this episode on to anyone you know because it's that good. We're brave and big. Hart, I'm excited. I'm I'm very excited right now. Dem boys today. Dem boys. And well, you know what? I'm I'm I'm having this epiphany right now that I am I am your father's ages. So so that's so that's a little tough for me.

2:55But in the back of your head, you're like, oh, we can still bow. I can hang.

2:58Yeah, exactly. So listen, we got Blaise Berlowitz, we got Cole Adams from Vandy, and it's an exciting time to be a Commodore, by the way. It's a very exciting time to be Commodore. Coincidentally, we are in Andrew E' Studio, former Vanderbilt Commodore Great, which is exciting. So I'm excited to be here. So Hart, why don't you why don't you kick it off? Why don't you tell us about the boys?

3:17Hey, these are our guys. Yes, sir. Okay. Cole Adams, a great wide receiver. Come on, son. Representing, you know what I'm saying? So that's great. Yes. Blaze, quarterback, and and these guys are here's what's great. They are great athletes. They are great men. They are great men of God, and they are representing. They are excellent in what they do.

3:37Yeah.

3:38Okay. So I'm going to flip to you guys just for a minute. We want to hear from you. Tell us a little bit of where you're from. I just mentioned what position you play, but just talk about you and football just for a minute. And this will kind of be our intro to you guys. Absolutely. Cool. Go ahead.

3:52So I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Don't hate the 918. Don't. 918. Don't do it. Come on now. So originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Went to Alabama to start off my football career in college. Was there for three years? And this past uh winter, I transferred to Vanderbilt University. And um it was such a it was such a great choice in my life. Um, you know, I went on the visit and Coach Lee and just everyone on staff was just absolutely unbelievable. Um I stepped foot in Coach Lee's office and we just talked ball, we talked life, and just the wisdom coming from that man is truly unbelievable. Like I'm still trying to comprehend some of the things that he was telling me back in January. Uh he's he's such a smart guy and he just wants the best for um all of his players. Um so that's kind of why I chose here, kind of chose Vanderbilt. Um, and then my boy Blaze, he was on uh he was a dude that was uh I guess recruiting me on my visit as well. Um and he was just such a cool dude, and I was just like, this is my type of guy. Uh I could tell I'm gonna be friends with this dude, and it's just our our relationships flourished, um, our friendships flourished from even when I got here to now. Um so that's kind of a little bit about me, come on, um, who I am. Like you said, I'm a receiver here um at the university, and I'm so excited to get this this season going. Um I know there's a there's a long time till this season, but that's just Coach Lee says it's so good to have so much time before the season. Everyone's always like wanting to get to the season, get to the season, but how lovely is it to be so far away from the season and get better? You know what I'm saying? Like there's so much time to get better, and that's what he preaches. And you know, kind of flipped my perspective in that that way was cool. Like, wow, there is so much. Like, yeah, don't get me wrong, I want to be in the SSG Championship tomorrow, but there's so much time to get better and learn and just be in that position. Um, you know, it takes time, you can't rush those things.

5:51So training time is never wasted time, yeah. Exactly.

5:54By the way, I that coach Lee, I've only seen him from obviously from TV. Man, I like that guy. And I love that he, I mean, he feels like committed to Vandy. Like he just seems like a Vandy guy. He could have gone, he could have, he could have gone wherever he really wants, but man, I like that guy.

6:08Yeah, there's something he says, he says, be patient in the results and be impatient in the process. Oh, that's good. I love that. Be impatient in your process and then be patient for the results. Man, that's so good. So if you really think about that, it's pretty deep, but he says a lot of those things that kind of just outgrows your wisdom. And obviously, wisdom's talked about a lot in the Bible, so that's kind of what what I've been trying to do a lot more in my life, is just be open to wisdom, you know. That's a little bit about me.

6:39I love it. What about you, Blaze?

6:41Yeah, I mean, to go off that, Cole's been just like such a good piece like coming in for us, and uh just a great addition to like our offense. Playing the H, moving around the slot, running power, read with him, like just seeing your like your improvement every day. Like I was talking to you about it yesterday. Like, it's good, it's good to watch and it's it's fun to have him. And um, so yeah, we're we're glad to have Cole. But uh yeah, I'm from Cushing. Like uh Tiger son. Yes, sir. Pipeline Capital Pipeline Crossroads of the World, homie. That's right. Forty-five minutes, what is that, west of Tulsa? So uh small town. I got uh I had one Division I offer out of high school, and that was to Coach Beck, and uh that was to New Mexico State, and then he got the job over here, so he took us with him um two years ago, that was in the winter of twenty four, after the two intense season. I came here to Vany. And I was actually the first one from uh New Mexico State over here. So I kind of got to see it all turn around, unfold. It's been really cool to watch. And like I have so much respect for Coach Lee just because of I really got to witness like what it takes, how committed he is, and like how how smart he has approached everything and just putting all the pieces together. Trusting the process. Trusting the process, no doubt. But he always like had to believe, like he always says belief is a practice. Like you can't just um like your actions, your thoughts, your behaviors have to align with this belief that you have. So when you can gear all those things toward this one idea of belief, then it's only inevitable that it will flourish. So that that's just I mean Coach Lee's been a great, like if you're if you have a kid and you don't know where where he should go based on like the coaches or whatever, and you have the opportunity to come to Vanderbilt, come to Vanderbilt. Man, that's good. Like play for Coach Lee. You want to play for Coach Lee, like he will change your life. He's changed mine, he's changed all these guys, like just such a solid and consistent, like source of wisdom. So come here. And like the people in the building are just like, I mean, they're so they're so authentic and genuine. Man, like nothing's fake, nothing's forced, and it's just the love, the passion for football that just unites us all. So that is that's like special here, is what we have.

8:46It's really interesting. So I I I am again, so my my son, Harrison's 17, you guys are early 20s now. What what are the ages? Early 20s. Okay, early 20s. So my son, so very close in age to you all. And so most people listening, I presume do not have a prospective division one athlete on their hands. But I think that all of us as parents, like the stuff that we can talk about here, the stuff you've already said in Coach Lee, two very memorable quotes. It's really interesting how those equally apply on the football field or as a parent. And so I'm curious, just like in thinking about leadership and maybe through the lens of a parent, both of you have off the cuff said things verbatim from what he said. So he says things in a very memorable way. What is it? It feels like his leadership is so verbal. It's so memorable. Is that like as you're thinking about maybe a parent or even a high school coach who's listening or a college coach, like what is it about his leadership that's so distinctive? It feels like so much of it is in the way he just frames words.

9:47Yeah, absolutely. Like he will say something and then make us repeat it. Like he will say all the time. Like all the time. This is like his like thing. Like he loves it. We'll he'll be like, like, what's the mission? Winning. Over and over again. Like, what's the mission? Winning. And then we're like, we gotta win the response, we gotta win the what?

10:04Oh, I'm doing that every day. Yes.

10:05Like he just has all these sayings that he lays out for us and he engraves that into our mind, like into our behaviors. So like we apply that to everything. Like, cla go to class, like you're like implying this discipline, like this respect and spirit to everything that you do, and like it just carries over in your life. Like, come play for Coach Lee. Like, he will change your life, like he will make you a better man.

10:24That's gotta be the only way you go from two and ten to a force in the SEC. It is the only way. I'm going to say this. You are going, it's going to be ingrained in you. You are a winner. Yeah. Well, and and I've heard other coaches say, like, I had to teach my team how to quit losing.

10:38Yeah.

10:39That's literally I had to get them out of a losing loser mindset. Yeah. And it it like, and and it's cool to kind of get the behind the scenes of like, it's because now you've been there two, three months. Yes, sir. And the mission is winning. I mean, I'm all fired. I just I want to go home and just like look at my daughters and my son, and like, this is the mission. That's it. You know what I'm saying? And it's also like, so, hey, what are we gonna do? Live for God. I mean, all the stuff that like actually applies to our life, this is what we do. Yeah. But it's like, hey, what's the secret? Uh, he says it and he makes us say it back. Yeah, right. Amazing. That's great. So speak to this. Because this is fascinating. And some of the dynamics of the intricacies of football, you you were in the portal. I want to talk about that a little bit. Blaze, you were behind, you were the the backup to a great household name quarterback. So let's talk about that a little bit. But I'm I'm excited because I'm like, you love the program so much, it was worth trusting the process to now have your opportunity. But speak to that a little bit. People have heard of Diego, uh, a household name, second in the Heisman. You backed him up, you practiced with him. Now it's your team to lead. But but speak to that a little bit.

11:50Yeah, I mean, I couldn't sit here and say enough good things about Diego. Like, just such a great friend, a great guy, and a great leader. Like, I took so much of his game and applied it to mine, just in terms of like his competitive spirit, just like his mentality and the way he approached the game and practice. It was like his mentality is like do whatever it takes to win. And like you can see that in him, and it comes off as like you can call it arrogance, but I mean the dude is a winner, like that's who he is. That's like he finds a way to win. And so I backed him up in New Mexico State my true freshman year. Only got to play in one game when he hurt his shoulder in the comments championship. And then uh these last two years, obviously, I backed him up at Vandy. So I mean, I've just learned so much from him. He I've seen him evolve into the player he is now. So just to see his strides and see all the things that he's done to get to where he is and make him better. Like I've I've seen it, so like I kind of know the steps to take because like success like in this game does not happen by accident. You don't go you don't go from two and ten to a four cent SEC by accident. You know, like coach, like we were just talking about Coach Lee. Like it takes so many different things, so many different steps, and so much.

12:50One thing I will say too is it doesn't happen like that either. Like people always want the results just like this, but like the journey is the real. Like he's been this is his this is team six since Coach Lee has been here. The first three, four years he was here. Think about all those thoughts that he probably had. And he still trusted the process. He still had faith in in the Lord on what he knew he wanted to do, and he just kept trusting in the Lord because he is really big on his faith too.

13:16And I know that's he pretty vocal about his faith to you guys as players?

13:20Yes, I would say.

13:21Like every morning we call it up before Prague, he's like, look at this day God has given us. You know, he's like talking about how beautiful it is. And um he's I mean, just a great leader. And like Cole was saying about like the process and all that, like the work works on you just as much as you work on the work. Like as you are going, as you're pursuing something, like the art of the pursuing is is molding you into something better. And like that's what I've hold on to too, by backing up the like awaiting my turn is falling in love with the process and not like the results, which has been like such like a learning such like a it's I've had to do I've had to be patient. It's taught me patience, it's it's like giving me wisdom. And like maybe like then if I would have got the role earlier, I wasn't prepared for it, wouldn't have known how to handle it. But like you can just see you kind of zoom out and sit with God, you can kind of see a different perspective. Not the not that I'm him, but he will plant some seeds of wisdom within you.

14:11I I'm curious, Cole, when you when you think about you guys have both talked about the process, and I think about we were just talking about this in terms of grit, you this idea that grit seems like a real heroic thing, like you like like a Rocky montage, like showing him the grit, but grit often just sucks. It's it's actually the very, very unsexy things, the times you didn't want to wake up. And so you guys have talked about loving the pro falling in love with the process, which again sounds really good. But will you talk to us about when it really actually just isn't fun, when it really isn't like like when you just don't really feel like it, you know what I mean? When it's when it's not like the heroic highlight film or the Instagram reel or whatever it is. Like what is what is that like?

14:56Yeah. Like, like, just like you said, like every once in a while you'll have a highlight that might go a little viral, or people might see you out and about and you might be in a great mood, um, wearing some cool clothes, you you know what I'm saying, like get into. And um a lot of people just look at that and be like, oh my gosh, like I bet he has it so good. Like, but a lot of people don't understand like some of the things we go, and I can say that like humbly, like I've learned to love like every single day I want and love to do something that I don't like. Cause it's just gonna only make you a better person.

15:30Like, actually, actually love it.

15:32Yeah, like if you can like twist that in your mind, and it is so hard, it's so hard. Cause I mean, I say that I love it, and then when I'm doing it, in my mind, like this is what I love. Like, yeah, in my mind, when it starts to be like, oh my gosh, like I don't want to do this, or like I love that because then I'm like, I get an opportunity to say, shut up, and on it, like none. Come on, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's what I'm talking about. Like every day, whether it's a workout or practice where I've ran four or five routes in a row and I'm I'm dog tired, and you know, I'm um I'm thinking about like walking back. I'm like, this is my opportunity to jog back and and not let that get to me and be the dude. Um just to be mentally tough. Like, that's so much of honestly football in itself and just life.

16:18Okay, so speak to this because you're you've you've acquired the ability to be gritty. Like you, you've said, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna actually trick my mind. Were y'all I got a feeling y'all were talented as kids, still had to put in the work. Like, speak to that a little bit. We got we got guys like Young Bucks listening that are maybe like average at football right now. Is there a chance for them in the future? Is that is it straight talent and you just got to be the best dude on your team all the time? That's a good question. Speak to kind of the balance of like natural talent, the grit that goes into it. Like, I I watched you at a quarterback training like putting in crazy reps of like driving a shoulder, this moment with the hip. You know what I mean? It's all these tiny little intricacies. I got a feeling as a kid you could probably throw okay, but then there's just been this like honing of talent and ability. You guys speak like kind of on your come up story, your origin story. Like, were you just always the best? Did you have to become the best? What'd it look like to actually become a D1 athlete?

17:21All right. Um, I I so I I want to say one thing that helped me most become a better athlete was, and you're a twin too, but I'm a twin brother. And I am not two twins?

17:31What are the odds of that?

17:33I am not the athlete I am without my twin brother. Just and not like that's real, just because every day, like I would come home or whatever, practice in the morning. My mom was a basketball coach, we'd go to bat girls' basketball practice in the morning, shoot on the side. And I was always with my brother. So there was like a constant competition. Uh, you know, like in the Bible, like iron sharpens iron, one sharpens another. Like he is like my sharpener. And like looking back, I never even looked at it that way, but now it's like looking back, it was like my brother made me who I am in so many ways. And uh, he'll probably never see this or whatever, but but like you can be nice about it. I'm still gonna be nice to him.

18:04I swear he'll never watch it, and I'll say whatever.

18:07But just like the constant like pushing and like push and pull of like me and him and you versus me and then us together is just like that made me a better athlete in so many ways, just because the constant like physical activity running around together, whatever. But to your question, like don't limit yourself, like whoever whoever you are, however much skill you have, like obsession will override skill.

18:28Obsession will cough from fucking quotables, bro.

18:31Like obsession will crush whatever circumstance you have. Like do not limit yourself. Yeah, like if you want something, go get it. But like it ain't gonna be easy, like you have to pour your soul into it, you know, whatever it may be. But go after it. Like, if anyone can do it, you can do it. Like, why not me? Why not Cole? Why not you? Like, why not you? We're all human, we all breathe air, you know. There's only one person who's ever been perfect. Yeah, everything else is fair game. Like, you know, we're all on the same level here. So don't limit yourself, you know, pour into pour into your skills. You have to develop your craft. But um, and I think the older you get, like the more um, the more you can see how to do that. But yeah, just just pour pour in pour into what you want.

19:08What I love about that is yeah, reps are important, but you didn't say reps, you didn't say, you didn't say practice, you said obsession. So so let's be real clear for somebody out there just kind of casually like shooting 25 free throws at the end of practice. No, no, no, no. Kobe didn't shoot 25 free throws, right? Kobe shot 200 free throws.

19:29Kobe was a sweaty mess at 4 a.m. before the trainer got there.

19:32So let's so let's be clear. What I wanted to what I heard you say was, yeah, you're not gonna go out there and just kind of dork around. Like it, you if you're ready, it's obsession, right? And that will overwhelm the the talent skill.

19:46Absolutely.

19:46I love that.

19:47Cole, you speak to it. You're you're fast, you're explosive. I watched Cole play at a WASO and I thought, that's like getting shot out of a rocket. You know, he'd take off on a route. Is that you've you've just been a fast kid your whole life, you worked on being explosive?

20:00Like what's your story? Yeah, um honestly the Lord gave me an ability, a gift. And I always tell myself, like, if He gives He gives everyone a gift, you gotta figure out what it is. Might be harder for some people, might be a little easier, but figure out what that gift is and use it to your max potential, you know. Um Yeah, he honestly blessed me with speed. Um I was all always honestly one of the fastest, if not the fastest guy on my team, um, which helped a lot, obviously being younger. But you get to any, and I'm not gonna say D1, you get to any collegiate level and that changes, you know? Um like don't get me wrong, I'll I'll still I'm still gonna compete. You're not a punt returner for Alabama and not have a Jews. Right. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. But um, yeah, I mean the the the guys in college, man, are are a lot bigger, stronger, faster, and um you gotta figure out ways, you know. I can't just use my speed and win. I you gotta you gotta use technique in in high school, honestly. If I'm like, you know, we're speaking from honesty right now. Like I just use my ability most of the time, and and and luckily it worked out to be in the position I am today. But um, once you kind of uh get older and you get to college, NFL, etc., just and this this is in life too. Like you can't just rely on your mind all the time, you can't rely on your ability all the time. You gotta always be open to learn and always be open to better your technique in my case. Um and a big thing for me has been my mind in college, like and uh I can speak, we can go speak a little bit more about this, but back at Alabama, uh Coach Shepard and Jeremy Bernard, Coach Shepard was my position coach there, and we always started with faith family football before every meeting. Um so we talk about faith, he'd read us a scripture, he'd break it down for us, and he was just so smart, like so smart. But, anyways, and then uh Jeremy Bernard came with him from Washington and he was Very, very good in his faith as well. And um, those two really helped me in my faith. Um, I had an injury back at Alabama, and I think I grew like I would not be the person I am today without that injury, like mentally, and I would not be um as close as I am with God today without that injury. So just like everyone says, like everything happens for a reason, but um, I really hope people can believe that everything does happen for a reason. If something doesn't go your way, like there's a reason for that. And you might not see it today or tomorrow, but you will eventually see that. Um, but I will say too, are you the older or younger brother? I'm older, seven minutes. Seven minutes. I'm two minutes older. So just some older brothers. Yeah.

22:43Oh, look at those guys. Hey, so I'm I'm curious. Wait, what did you thinking about that journey? Talking about that with the with some some definite natural talent and then applying obsession, which I'm not even gonna call it effort anymore. I love that's obsession. I love that. So what did your parents nail here? Like what did your parents really get right in recognizing that in you? What did that what did that journey look like for them saying, oh, I'm going, I'm gonna apply this? But and then when did it become your journey and not theirs? Because so many parents live vicariously through their kids. So so what did they really nail? And then when did it become your journey instead of theirs?

23:25I want to say what my parents nailed, like I never lacked for anything. Um and like you you talk about obsession, but what also comes with obsession is like just the love for like the game. Like I like even to this day when I've step on the field, I still feel like a kid playing a game, and I just hold on to that as tight as I can because that is what like that's where flow state comes from. Like that's like gratitude and love. You just can never get enough of it if you're staying at that level as a mental like at in that mentality. So my parents like always kind of poured into that, like supportive guidance, but they never like pushed me to do anything I didn't want to do. But when they found that I did like love football, love even baseball, basketball, we were multi-sport athletes. They always supported us in that, you know. Like my junior, my sophomore and junior year, I was training with Coach George, and I don't think I mean it's hard to say I didn't go throw with him every weekend. And that's an Edmund, and I'm from Cushing, that's an admin drive. And my mom or my dad, we were driving to the city every weekend just to throw, just to train. What'd you do over spring break just now as a college athlete?

24:26Train with Coach George. Come on. Came back home and trained as his quarterback coach. I love that. Well, and you went here just a little bit. That's obsession. But what you said was, and I like how you kind of showed the progression like talent plus effort equals skill. So you had a skill coming out of high school. Yeah. You're a good receiver, you're a good quarterback. The key, we talked about this when we talk about grit, is the risk. Now we add effort again. Okay, skill's already been established, and now we add effort, that's achievement. Yeah. So it's like, oh, that's why Vandy's like, wait, we could get Cole from Alabama. Yeah. Oh, wait, this could be our starting quarterback, right? Because the the skill effort was added to it. You're a good quarterback. You didn't have to go home and work with a quarterback coach over spring break, but you did. Yeah. Well, what's going to come from that is a starting position. What's going to come from that is opportunity on the field. What's going to come from that is moving forward in business. It's going to come from that as a good relationship with your kid. Yeah. That's right. Joey's a good dad. He keeps putting effort into it. His kids love him. That's fruit.

25:25Yeah. 100%. Yeah. Keep keep on that. So your parents, your parents as part of that journey for you.

25:29Yeah. Um, like I was saying, just they're so supportive, but never like pushy. Like they're always just like guiding in the in like the right ways and never like forcing me to do anything I didn't want to do, but so supportive of everything I did want to do. And uh, I mean we had we have cattle too. I think you think you guys know that. Um, and like my dad, like always working with him, but there was never like a force there. It was always more like a let's go, like kind of more like a togetherness, which I'm really grateful for as well. And just establishing like the right kind of like values and hard working. My dad's the most consistent person I've ever met because his job requires day in and day out consistency, just like because you have to feed the cows, like they can't feed themselves. Like life and death is on the line. Yeah, yeah, quite literally. So I mean, I've just learned so much from them, and man, I mean, I couldn't be more grateful couldn't have parents.

26:15Cool. But you what was that like for you and in your parents' role in it, them recognizing that early, and then it transitioning from their journey to your journey.

26:24Yeah, absolutely. Um, so kind of like what he spoke on. Um, very blessed to have very super supportive uh parents. Um, one thing that I will say to the parents out there is and it's kind of to what you were saying is be available, not overbearing.

26:42That's so good. So good.

26:44Hey, give the reference because your dad's a coach. Yeah. So there's that factor too. Yeah. Right. So he's got an interesting perspective on that. Yeah. So carry on, but that's an interesting factor for you.

26:53Yeah. So first when I say like be available, not overbearing, like be there for your kid if they come to you and ask you for something. But you don't always have to be in their pocket, like, yeah, they're always gonna be your baby, but like at some point, you kind of have to realize like they're growing up, like once they get to college, like they're adults, like they're living their own life, like by themselves. And whether you like it or not, like you got to let them grow up, you gotta let them mess up, make mistakes on their own so they can learn. Um, so that's something that I was very blessed that my parents really did well, is just they were always there for me, but they were never like overbearing in that way. Uh, like he was saying, my dad was a coach growing up, and he played sports back in his day. Um, he was always in athletics, so that's kind of just how we grew up. Um, like like he said, I have a twin brother and an older brother, and those two are my best friends, and just like he said, so competitive. Like the household, there was not a silent moment in that household every single day.

27:53Little smack talk, something breaking.

27:54A little smack talk, but golly, I'm so blessed to have those two in my life. But uh, like he said, my my dad uh was a coach, and you know, it probably was hard for him sometimes to not really keep his mouth shut, but like I said, not be overbearing and not tell, and don't get me wrong, he would definitely like um like tell me things that I needed to do and um to just help me in my my athletic career. But he was never that guy that was like, hey, we're gonna get you set up with a with a trainer um every single day after practice, or we're you're gonna go to every camp in the summer. Um he was like, What do you want to do? Wow. But with what would you like to do?

28:30From a young age, he was he was doing that. Yes. Wow. Yeah.

28:33So I'm I'm very blessed there. And he was never, he like never overstepped. That's one thing I can say about him. Um, same with my mom. Uh, she was always so there, um, so so supportive. And I know I keep repeating that, but um, they just did a very good job of like I said, not being overbearing, because you know, you can kind of hurt your relationship, I feel like, with your with your child if you're doing too much. Like there is such a thing as doing too much. Um, I've seen it not from myself, but from other players in the uh collegiate level. Like their kid will go home and talk to their parents about the practice they had, and maybe they got yelled at and their parents are up calling the coach right after the phone call, and that hurts the coach and players' relationship, and that's just that overbearingness that I'm talking about. Um, there's a way to do things, you know what I'm saying? And there's like I just said, um you know, he probably got yelled at at practice because he wasn't doing the right thing. Right.

29:28Yeah, yeah.

29:29Don't be a mama bear, don't be a daddy bear, and you know, think, oh, you know, he does he have something against my child. Like, no, that's not how this works. It's you know, if you mess up, you might get yelled at, but that's just part of becoming a man. And uh that's one thing about football that's so great in life. Like, yeah, it's not gonna be easy, but it sets you up so well just for the rest of your life as a person. Like it's unbelievable. Just like obviously the physical part will go away, but your mental will always be there. And like football has been so big for my mental, and I can attest to probably Blaze too.

30:02I I'm I'm curious for there are parents out there who would say, You just described two sets of parents who, in so many words, they never wanted it more than you wanted it. They allowed you to lead, they allowed you to lead there. There are parents out there who would say, like, no, no, no, they they need me to grind on them. By my my kid, my nine-year-old, my 13-year-old, my 16-year-old, they if they're if I don't push them, like no one's gonna push them. So talk about that. What would you say to that parent's like, no, I gotta grind on them?

30:31Maybe. Like, okay, there's probably a line, but like every everyone needs pushed. Yeah, you know, I think you can't you can't raise a soft family. Yeah. Especially and it's so easy to be soft in this world now, because I mean, every everyone's just so average. I mean, there's so much, we're talking about the phones, like, yeah, it's so easy. It's just so easy to to not to not have that, you know, that edge to you anymore. So to raise, especially men, to raise men that in that regard is is helpful and beneficial in the world. And they might hate you now, and not hate, but they might not like it now, but they will thank you for that. Yeah, I think at some point. And there's times where my my dad was hard on me, but like looking back now, it's like he was wanting me to be a man, you know.

31:13Yeah, yeah. Like I think there's a line. Yeah, 100%. And like I did say, like, I was kind of on the soft side of things, like, don't get me wrong, parents. Like, if your kid's not doing the right thing, like you better get on to him, like you better make him do some push-ups or sit-ups or something. Nobody else is gonna do it, like nobody else is gonna raise your kid. Yeah, you have to raise your kid. Obviously, as a parent, you know what you need to do at to help your kid flourish. Um, but just speaking from the athletic side of things, if there's um ever something in your mind that you're like, How can I be better for my kid? Like, I just I've never been through this process. Yeah, you know, that's what I'm talking about.

31:49Yeah, that's right.

31:50But um, yeah.

31:52Yeah. Speak to this a little bit, because so you are college athletes, it's a wild world, right? The the the celebrity side of it, contracts. Fun fact, we helped with with both of their contracts, which was awesome, you know what I mean? And like got probably not even what they deserve because they're gonna be such studs. It's gonna be a lot of fun to watch this play out. But all that being said, there's money involved, the community knows who you are. I mean, it's it's shocking, all these different things. Speak to the now celebrity that is D1, SEC, college football. How do you navigate that on campus? How do you navigate that in the community? Is it is it more than we think? Is it less than we think? Speak to speak to your role as the face of a multi-million dollar franchise.

32:40In my eyes, I think it's less than what most people think. I've been trying to like, it's hard, but I've been trying to like remember this like football, I'm like a football player is not who I am, it's just what I do. So good. I can't put my identity in that. I've done that before, and like when you fail, your identity crumbles. Like it's not a solid source. So staying grounded and uh like resetting, getting back to the middle nightly, you know, daily, prayer, meditation, you know, getting in the scripture, that is your baseline. That's where you need to stay at. And then when you go and do, you know, football practice in the film room, you can that is what you do, you know. It's not who you are, but it is what you do. You want to pursue it, you want to be great at it, but your identity cannot be placed in that because that will leave you empty. You have to have this obsession for it, and then you have to detach from the result. Focus on the process, detach from the you know, detach from the outcome. And that's a healthy mindset. That's something you can you can live with. And just surrender to the outcome and you know, have so much discipline in the process, and good things will come out of that. It's a healthy mindset right there if you can stay there. Um, but I wouldn't say celebrity or anything. I like to, you know, I like talking to people, I like meeting people. Um, I just want to be me. I want to be grounded, um, but I don't want to be bigger than than what I am, which is just another human being, just like anybody else, you know.

33:57You're you're probably picking up on it, but I don't think Blaze has had sugar in the last five years either. They were like, hey, why don't you beef up a little bit? And I was like, we were eating together, and it's like, you're gonna you know, get your normal meal and then we'll eat a burger. He goes, it's just not clean enough. You know what I mean?

34:11It's just uh it's crazy.

34:12The discipline's real, right? And the six-pack is the proof. So it's all yeah, good for you. It's it's crazy.

34:18That's that's one thing is I can enjoy a fast food meal every time. You guys ever been to every day?

34:23Get some Satco? You guys ever get that San Antonio taco show? Come on. I heard it's really good, though. Strong. It's very strong. Institution.

34:29Okay.

34:29So I I I do have a follow-up question on that, Blaze. And Cole, I want to hear what you uh on that question from Chris. But everything you just said sounds great. Detach your identity, obsession with the obsession with the, you know, the action, but detachment from that's that's maybe one of the most difficult things I think as humans we do is detaching our identity from what we do. So, and maybe part of maybe part of the answer is you just have to keep reminding yourself of that. But and you said being grounded, but like how difficult in in reality, how difficult is that?

34:59Oh, it's hard. And even like I have to keep reminding myself of it, like you just said. And I mean, for a while, it's hard. You have to kind of get lost in order to find it. Like for so many for a few years, like back in uh like waiting my turn, man, it was hard. And I was pouring myself into this game that I wasn't getting results back from it. It's like I'm giving it everything. Why is like why what is going on? But you have to just detach from that, you just have to enjoy the process. Like it's hard, as as simple as that sounds, just enjoy where your feet are. Like, yeah, enjoy becoming. You have to become before you can be. So go into that and live from there. Um, yeah, I mean, it and it's hard, it's hard, it really is. But it is not who you are, it is just what you do. So good. Um, I could go into like a little psych psychological thing that I've talked about that I've seen. Do it. Uh you can kind of create like two, and I don't know how to um how to really explain this the best way, but you can create like a separate identity. Like when I go here, I have to become this, you know. Kind of like a alter ego, but it's not that deep, but like literally when you go into the building, you can be all these things, you can be confident and play with this swagger, but then when you step off ground yourself and be more whole, be you know, live with humility, you know. So that can help.

36:13Have you seen Dion Sanders talk about that?

36:15I have seen, I've seen a lot of it. Right.

36:19Takes him off and he's Dion. Right. Justin Jefferson does that when he puts the ice on. Yeah. Is that kind of where you're going with this?

36:24I've seen a lot of stuff about this, and I've been playing with it a little bit. And like we're still all trying to figure it out. You know, I by no means have it all figured out, but uh just like the pursuit of learning and trying it and trial and error, and who do I want to play as and who do I want to be? Yeah, it's it's fun, you know? Yeah.

36:40That's another thing. Like, um, and I've I've gotten taught this from a couple different coaches, and this can go for not only sports, but just in every your everyday life, like going into work. Like everyone has problems, like everyone is going through things, like whether it's family or just within yourself. But like when you walk through those doors, leave them there. Leave them there and go be the best possible person you can be in that facility or your job. Yeah. And then when you leave those doors, you can pick them back up and you know, deal with them and get through that. But if you take them in with you through those doors, um, it's not gonna help you to be the best possible person. That's good. You know what I'm saying? That's real.

37:20We talk about that like as as dads, yeah. Where you go to the office every day, get after it, hire people, fire people, get after it. So, what we say is when you come home, you gotta win the driveway because that's your transition point. Yeah. Did you uh you guys are young? Have you ever seen the movie Over the Top? Oh, bro. Sylvester Stallone, okay? Okay, Rocky as an arm wrestler. It's great. Okay. I I gosh, I can't wait for you guys to watch it.

37:46I'm I'm a really, I'm really into movies. I'm a big movie guy. I can't believe I haven't seen that.

37:50As a whole, this is not the most well done movie you're ever gonna watch. It's not. But there's a moment when he's about to arm wrestle where he goes like this and he turns his hat around, and that means he's ready to arm wrestle. Yeah. And then he gets on there and he's all fired up and he immediately starts sweating and his veins get big. But I to your point, like what's with the driveway, yeah. In this moment, whatever I had to do at work that day, I'm now gonna walk in and be an awesome dad.

38:16Yeah.

38:16I'm gonna love my wife. Leave your stress out the door. That's right. So for you, you come, let's come in the locker room and be a leader. Yeah, be a servant to the other guys. Heck yeah, I'm navigating a relationship. I failed a test I thought I was ready for, all the stuff that goes with college athletics, but I do need to go. And then here's a great thing. Same thing when you leave the locker room. Yeah. Flip the switch. That's it. That's right. That was not my best practice. Yeah. But you know what I'm gonna do is go back to my dorm and be a great friend. Yeah. I'm gonna call my mom and be a cool son. That's right. I'm gonna go get in the word. Right. So let's let's be the flip the switch guy. Let's create. There's a discipline to that, there's a control to that. Oh, yeah. There's a there's a submission to God that comes. It's like, God, like everything's not everybody does have stuff. Yeah. That's why it's like, don't be a dick to somebody that like they're going through something. Yeah, that's right. But we might take an extra breath, say, man, how can I help you? And all of a sudden we change their whole life.

39:07There's there's definitely maturity in that too. Like my freshman year. Took everything with you? Yes. Like you like maturing is so crazy. Like, yeah. And honestly, you can mature so much quicker when you get into the word.

39:26Yeah, come on.

39:27And you learn preach to them.

39:29Come on.

39:29The love of the Lord, but like, especially through my injury, like when I got into the Bible and just obviously Coach Shepard and just how he could break down scriptures, and like, don't get me wrong. Like, I I still it still is hard for me. Like, I get a scripture every single morning from my grandpa's pastor back home. Um, and there's a lot of times, almost every day, that I'll read it and I'll put it into chat and say, make this, like, break this down for me, make it a little bit more simple for me. Because you know, before I I like to post it online for other people to read, but before I post it, I like to get an understanding on like what it means because you know, it's not really just there for show, it's there to help myself and hopefully, hopefully it can reach one person. I'd love it. That's why I put it on there.

40:13What a cool thought that your granddad's pastor so cool sends you something who's probably doesn't have a social media following.

40:21It's at his lake house. Uh my grandpa's their little lake house at Grand. Yeah. Um, just a little church in there that not so cool. Probably not a lot of people know about, you know.

40:30But his effort to you then gets magnified from your platform, which is cool how that works, but like your willingness, and I also love that you're like, hey, I need to metabolize this for me. Yeah. This is not just a Cole Adams post a scripture every day. Yeah. God, let me grab this, let me feel this, let me let me sit in this for a minute.

40:46And now, yeah, man, expose some people to it. I'm curious, Cole, for you, going back to identity. Blaze, you talked about identity and how you really like fight for that, fight to make saying you're detaching your identity. Cole, for you in Tuscaloosa for three years, where here you are, an 18, 19-year-old kid, fighting to detach his identity from Alabama for my performance on the field for Alabama football, when you got an entire state of people whose identities are linked to Alabama football. Oh my God. And so how is that which is such an odd, like an odd thing, like a bunch of 50-year-old dudes who don't play football have never played football. Unreal. So, how do you, that pressure cooker of you of not tying your identity to your performance when so many other people are tying their identity to it and then tying your identity to how you did returning a punt or catching a ball?

41:37Yeah, absolutely. Like those Alabama fans are something something else. Like you're incredible. If you're doing great, they love you. I caught every punt, so they love me. But I'm telling you, like, if oh my gosh, that's another side of the football, is like if you mess up in a big moment and you're human, like people forget that these people playing are kids. They're they're human.

42:02Yes.

42:03Like it's it's crazy. But if you mess up on a high platform in a big game, if you make a mistake, there's people like my buddy uh Bray Hubbard back at Alabama, he's one of my really good buddies. And uh it happened to him. He had a play, you know, that he made a mistake on, and after the game, he was getting DMs on social media, like you know, like threatening. I know you've probably heard that. Um but I'm just like, oh my gosh, like and people fans will always be fans, like it's never gonna change. But yeah, I guess it's just something that you kind of just have to step back and watch.

42:43Yeah.

42:44And you're like, golly, those people can really be pretty mean. Um but then again, like as being older and you know, being more mature and being more wise, like you gotta understand that just like to what Blaze was saying, like, you can't let it get to you. Because if you let it get to you, it's gonna affect your your work, your um and your life, like mentally. And that's another thing like that he was talking about that your identity is not being a football player, like your identity is who you are, like your character, who you are as a person. And like no one, mess up on the field or not, no one can degrade my character.

43:20Yeah, you know what I mean? Do you know the man in the arena quote? Oh, so good. That's like what always comes to me. Like these fans can be yelling at you, but like I'm in the arena. That's right. That's right. So you all you can do is watch. That's right. And it's not even from an ego, it's like, who are you to shame me when you don't know I live this game? Like I've poured my I've poured, I live this game. And you want to criticize me? Yeah. No. Like I'm not letting you, I'm not letting you in here. It's not like and that's like how you deal with pressure in like a high situation. Like, it's just a game.

43:48Yeah.

43:49It's just another down. Done it a million times. It's kind of that idea too. A lion does not care for the opinion of a sheep.

43:54That's it. Hey, you know what I what I love that you just said though, and this is such a Gosh, it's such a paradox, is that you just said it's just a down, it's just a play, just a game. It is. And then you also said, I'm obsessed with it. So you know what I mean? Like it's both. It's both of those. Not either it's both, and I'm obsessed with this game. I'm gonna give it everything I have, and it's just a game.

44:16Unbelievable. Can I say something about that? It's like you want to be so disciplined, you want to be obsessed with the with the process, like with everything that goes into it, and then you have to surrender the outcome. You have to just be present and just be in the moment. Don't make it bigger than what it is. Yeah, it is just another down. Yeah, it's just another game. We've been playing our whole lives. We're good at it, you know?

44:36Yeah.

44:37Like you've done you've been writing books, you've been speaking, it's just another talk.

44:40We're good at it, but if we bring what we did into the last player, good or bad, it's gonna change the effect of the next play.

44:46Right. You have to stay present. Presence is everything. That's that one and oh mindset.

44:50That's where flow stone resides.

44:53So good and presence. Speak to this, and we can go where we need to from here. There's something about a healthy locker room. Oh man, you don't want to get us going. Please.

45:04I do.

45:04And here's why I love how this translates. One, a lot of dudes haven't been in a locker room for 20 years. Yeah. Okay. So I think we're missing that. I think the locker room's powerful and everything. But I also think what we have to create, and and hopefully maybe what comes from a podcast like this, like, hey, let's get guys together again to recreate some locker room. Like it's cool, you're running your company and running your family. I want some more locker room. Yeah. Because this, even these kind of talks, like that's what happens in the locker room. Their strategy, you get better in the locker room. You call people out in the locker room. Sometimes you fight in the locker room, like all that kind of stuff. But speak to, like, think about it through like there's teams that need to meet and be better so they can go make more sales. There's guys that need to challenge each other to be better dads, but talk to it just real practically when you're talking ball, speak to what makes a healthy locker room. Yeah. The ones that have been great, the ones that have been negative, what you bring to it.

45:57Talk locker room. Yeah. Um, so I was actually just talking to uh Ty Simpson just last night, uh, just catching up a little bit. And you know, he's going through the draft process right now and he's working out um by himself, sort of thing. And he was talking, he was saying, man, like I miss the locker room so much. So that's funny you said that, because literally last night we were catching up and he was saying, Yeah, man, honestly, I hate it. Like, I hate not being with like being on a team, you know, and that's not just a football team. That goes to what you were saying about your job. I think in your company, um, in your job, you gotta have some sort of structure, some sort of standard as a team. Yeah. Um, having a standard and living up to that standard. Uh, Coach Lee says, like, um, you're not defined, we're not defined by our expectations, but we're defined by our standards, which means like we're not defined by what other people think we should do or what other people think of us. We're defined at what we're defined on what we do in within our you know, uh locker room or um job um space. And you can kind of talk about a little bit about um I mean it's different, it's obviously a little bit different from football to working a real life job, um, just being kids in the locker room, and um, but you can kind of speak on just how the locker room is. It's it's it's awesome.

47:19Yeah. I mean, first of all, like human beings need relation. Like we thrive on connectivity. Yeah. And that just man, any bet like I can walk in there and not feeling it today. I can be down, I can be sore, tired. I walk into a locker room, I see everybody laughing, smile, I'm like, all right, like you, you feed off their energy. So like I always like pray to like in my role, you know, like I'm I need to be a leader, I need to walk in there, I need to be uplifting. But when I'm not, for some reason, these guys, man, I just they pour their energy onto me. And that that's a team, like that is brotherhood. And you can say all these things like about brotherhood, but it's a brotherhood, it's a family, and like, man, I could I'm gonna like I already miss it. Like, you I I cannot, I want to just sit at this moment of my life and like just with these guys, they're just such good connection, and it's so genuine connection. We're at such a phase in our life where we're trying to figure it out and we're all growing and involving, and just to like lean on each other and pour into each other. Uh it it's so it's so special. Wow.

48:18Yeah. What kills a locker room? Great question, Chris. That's a great question. I can I can speak on this. Um I'll bring myself back to Alabama. You know, I uh had the opportunity to start a couple games uh my sophomore year, uh my redshirt sophomore year, and then uh or might have been my red shirt freshman year, is one of those two years. Sorry, it's all these years are kind of intertwining between each other, but I had an opportunity to start a couple games. I was like, oh my gosh, this is my opportunity. Like, I let me take advantage of it and let me capitalize. And I ended up getting rolled up on, breaking my ankle. Um, long story short, I'm, you know, um kind of doing workouts by myself, um, not in the best headspace. Um, you know, and there's younger guys, and that bring that brings me to next year. Um, let me fast forward to the year after that happened. Um, and I, you know, might not have gotten the opportunity I wanted um at the University of Alabama, but there was younger guys that were still in the spot that I wanted, and I had a I had an opportunity. This was my chance to be like, I'm still gonna walk into this facility every single day, whether I'm getting the opportunity I want or not, and I'm gonna be the best possible person and player I can be. And I say that in my prayer every single day as well. Like, why if if if you don't see the outcome that you're wanting, why have a bad attitude about it? Because that means you're not gonna get better. And you know, there was younger guys that were playing um over me in my position, and that was my opportunity um as someone older and uh a little bit more mature to be like, you know, it doesn't matter if I play or not, like I'm gonna help him to be the best he can be too, so we can win as a team. Right. And if you didn't do that, and if you didn't kill the walker room, that's the killer of the walker. Being, oh my gosh, like, yeah, just you know how it is, and you can kind of speak on that too. But that's where my thing is, is so good. It's pretty easy to, you know, you not get your way, and that's the easy route. It's to just be like, oh, I don't like him. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't get better, you know. Yeah.

50:29And yeah, jealousy and pride. I mean that's the killer of any connection. Especially on a team. I mean, and now you have like the money thrown in. It's like, how much money you like? We we coach Lee actually has a rule, like you don't we don't talk about money because it's a real like it's such a killer. It doesn't matter. We're all on the same team, we all have one mission, and that's all we should be focused on. So just pour into pour into the what matters. Wow.

50:53Comparison is the thief of joy.

50:56Come on.

50:57Gosh, I love that.

50:58I I I want to I I want to close with a question, but before I say that, someone who's listening, please send this episode to a high schooler you know. Yeah, please send this to a high school football coach you know, please send this to a please send this to a basketball coach. Please just I I I believe that if this, what the what these young, and and honestly, fellas, like maybe the most impressed I've been with a human in a long time in both of you. Like, this is unbelievable.

51:23Joe's around a lot of cool humans.

51:24I mean, this is this is like this is unbelievably impressive. And I'm just trying to think of how I get my son Harrison to hang out with you guys. So, so please send this to a high schooler. Please send this to every parent you know, please send this to every coach you know. This is this the this is the stuff. And that leads me into my question, and I'm gonna pivot on the question I prepped you for, which is so brave and big. We want people to be brave and live big lives. And so I'm thinking about we want to break it down simply for people to create a small step. I'm gonna open that up a little bit more broadly. Parents listening want to create children like the two of you. They want their young men, young women to become what you are becoming. So if you could sit down with a parent listening right now, and again, this is gonna require a little bit of set aside your humility for a second, because you guys are very impressive to say, here's what I would do if I were you, parent. If you want, if you want results like this, like these two young men, here's how I would advise you to be a parent to parent your kids.

52:25Yeah. Um for me and my mom and dad both did this, and honestly, coach Coach Lee does this to a very high level. But just like we were saying, like um, what is the mission winning? Um, you know, that gets ingrained in your mind. That's something you don't forget. And, you know, my dad always had three things don't sag, don't litter, don't smoke. And though that's always stuck with me.

52:49I love that.

52:50Don't sag, don't litter, don't smoke. Um, that's always stuck with me. And those like, and he would always repeat it, you know, like every day he would say it at least once a day. He created a standard. Yeah, and that's he created a standard. And uh my mom and dad used to always say as well, um, never talk about how good you are, let other people tell you how good you are. And that brought humility to me. Wow. They they they didn't, I don't know if they meant for that to happen or not, but they they made me more humble because of that. And they said that every time, you know, I'd I would have a good game and um, you know, this or that. Um, they would always tell me, you know, you better not be going around telling people how good you are. Like let them compliment you on on how good you did or how good you are. Um, and that brought humility to me. Um and I I you know, I'm gonna use that with my kids too. And so that's what I would say, like repeating yourself um and making it memorable in a way, find some way to make it memorable and um be repetitive. So good. You know, be repetitive about it. And I think that's just like, and they they did this at such a young age, you know what I'm saying? And I learned it at such a young age, and it helped me just become like the man I am today. So like they give you little that was a little piece of wisdom that has always stuck with me. And then it's always it's always grown a little bit bigger and bigger. And now when I have children, one day I will be able to ingrain that little piece of wisdom into them and they can sprout that up.

54:22Which as parents, I will say, we we we oh, I don't want to be a broken record. I don't want to keep saying that. Nope, you just said be a broken record. So, parents, you just got permission to be a broken record. Correct. Cole, do you sag litter or smoke? Yes. Good question. Yeah. Whoa, such a good question. No, sir. Wow. Absolutely. Chris didn't have a belt yesterday and he did sag. I did. Yeah.

54:42I did not pack a belt. And I was like, this is what sagging feels like. Yeah. Yeah. Acceptable.

54:47Well, but you're sitting down with the parent. I had a couple thoughts. Um, first, I think you have to start with a relationship. You have to create a solid relationship, an authentic relationship with your child. And if you feel like you're too far from that, you're it's never too late to start, you know? And I've I actually watched some of your content. I know you kind of you were talking to some lady about is it too late to start or like how do you start now? Yeah. And um start there. You have to create a relationship before you can like establish growth. So start with that, and then I just had this thought when Cole was talking is like when he was talking about his dad, like maybe try viewing your kid as like the highest, the highest form possible, the best form he can be, and push him into that. Like view him in view him as the best he can be in all these aspects, faith, sport, school, and then just like ease him into that, you know, mold him into what his highest form could be. But don't press it, but maybe just like kind of grow that, like evolve that out of him. Because you have a better perspective of him. You know, we have our frontal lobes formed. You can see a big picture, they can't. So you maybe, maybe try that. Um, and like J. Cole was talking about uh how to be successful, you just like view yourself in the highest way possible and then act as if you are that, and it is only inedible that you become that. Man, a fest station. That's it. Right, yeah, it is a lot of attraction.

56:09Joey, I'll let you do the final close. But can I say one thing before that? Please. I want you two to hear from us. We're proud of you. Thank you. Like as guys that are 20 years older, it is it is, and I know you, so I've I've heard this from you. But I just like you, you bringing what you brought today, your legitimate, authentic selves that literally, legitimately love God. You love your process, and I'm telling you, you're gonna win in life.

56:40Yes.

56:41Like this is the easiest prophetic word ever. Easy. You two are gonna win. You're gonna have great relationships, you're gonna do very well. And your identity is not gonna be in anything in all of those successes. Your identity is gonna be in God, and because of that, the Bible says, Man, follow me as I follow Christ. And that I just I wanted you to hear that. Like that's that's what's gonna happen in your lives. You're following God, and there's gonna be a line of people trying to emulate you, and all you're gonna do is direct them to God. Yeah. And so I just want to kind of speak that over you. But like, and other people have told you that, but you are you are powerful, impressive, yeah, influential men. And I'm telling you, if you'll walk this thing out, if you'll do, if you'll keep doing what's already made you what you are, it's gonna be amazing the impact and the force that you become and already are. Yeah. Thanks, Chris. We're proud of you guys.

57:31Appreciate that. Thank you.

57:32I am proud and also impressed, unbelievably impressed. And and the the tack on that I'll say to that, I'll tell you who else I'm proud of. I'm proud of your grandpa's pastor, proud of your brother, I'm proud of your parents, I'm proud of all the proud of Coach Lee, I'm proud of Coach Shepard, I'm proud of all the people who have poured into you because what I believe I'm seeing today is the culmination of a lot of people who poured into somebody. And so what I would say is like the charge for somebody listening, like here's exactly how you can be brave and live big is go pour into somebody. And when you feel like you've said it eight times too many times, say it eight more times. Continue to instill that because those seeds you're sowing, you gotta keep sowing seeds. Seeds are gonna die before they can take roots. So keep planting the seeds and keep planting the seeds because you're pouring into some greatness because you guys are making the world better. You really are, and so it's a man, it is a beautiful thing. There's a great quote. I love it says the glory of God is man fully alive. And I see you guys fully alive, and that is the glory of God. So what a beautiful thing to watch you guys operate, and what a beautiful opportunity for everybody listening to go be brave and live big by pouring in to those people around them. Okay, real quick, triple S forest. Subscribe, share, star, give us five stars wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you so much for joining us this week on Brave and Big. Brave and Big is produced by Stonas Podcast and the brilliant Miles All Britain. We will see you next week.