SPEAKER_02 0:25

Red Zone Blitz audience. It's a legendary, legendary day. First of all, you guys have probably read the title, so you know who the guest is, but I I would be remiss if I did not do a formal, formal intro. Um, our guest today was born in Ripley, Mississippi, starred at Auburn as a fur as a two-time first team All-SEC offensive lineman, selected 30th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2002 NFL draft, where he immediately won the team's Rookie of the Year award. But what makes this man's story truly remarkable isn't just what he accomplished on the field. It's what he overcame to get there through a type 1 diabetes diagnosis midway through his career. He didn't use it as an excuse. He went on to not only win one Super Bowl, he went on to win two of them. Uh, since retiring from the NFL, he's dedicated himself to diabetes advocacy as a patient ambassador for Novo Nordisk. He's coached offensive linemen at Auburn and Middle Tennessee, and he continues to inspire athletes and everyday people living with diabetes across the country. Two Super Bowl rings, a career that defied a diagnosis that would have ended most men's careers before they started, and a post-football chapter that's arguably more impactful than anything he's done on Sundays. Kendall Simmons, the legend. Welcome to the red zone blitz.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Hey, appreciate it, man. I don't know about legend, but um I appreciate that intro. Hopefully, I did the intro.

SPEAKER_02 1:42

Hopefully I did you justice on the intro.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

You did a great job with the intro. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Amazing, amazing. Um, we're gonna dive into it. You're super busy, man. I don't want to take too much of your time, but take us back to Ripley, Mississippi. Uh, 70 tackles, four sacks as a high school defenseman, lineman, uh defensive lineman. When did it click that your football was your path?

SPEAKER_01 2:04

Well, what it clicked for me is my first big-time offer from Tennessee. And it was a game where we were playing two-time defended state champion uh Amory Tigers. And Amory hadn't been beat in two years. And they came into our home stadium with three charter buses, matching windsuits. And when I talk about intimidating, it was extremely intimidating to watch them get off the bus because we had maybe 15, 16 guys that actually played. Because I had to go both ways. I did everything except for kickoff. And I re I don't know, seriously. And I remember I remember my head coach telling me there was Old Miss, uh, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and probably two or three other big schools in our stadium watching them play.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

And he told me, he said, listen, they're not here to watch anybody on this team. And if you want to make an impact tonight, tonight's tonight because they're here to watch these guys. They had nine D1 commits on offense and ten on um uh defense. Yeah. So they were balling. I had 11 tackles, two sacks, blocked a punt, and we still got beat 55 to nothing, but I made an impact, and that's what I try to explain to all young men and young ladies every day. Take advantage of every opportunity that you're given because you never know who's in the stands watching you. You might not get that from your coach telling you, hey, look, there's people here watching somebody, do it every chance you get because that could be your chance.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

100%, 100%. That's an amazing message, and um and I 100% agree. I think um watching you live um in Pittsburgh talking, and like I was just like, I was I was wowed away by it and the stories that you had, and you spoke about your time in at Auburn, um, and you became a two-time all SEC lineman. Now, the SEC's taking some heat, uh, Mr. Simmons. It's taking some heat right now. You know, they haven't had their glory days for for some time now when it comes to the national championship. Now, what did playing in the SEC teach you about being ready for the next level?

SPEAKER_01 4:25

I would say at the time, it was, and and I don't want to sound like an SEC homer here. Just let's just put that out there.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

At the time, going up to here recently, it prepared you the best for the next level because of all the competition. I believe the you know, the the big was the Big Ten, Big 12, Big Ten right now, right? There's won the championships, they are playing football, they're balling. So I feel like the SEC really can't hold it over anybody's head anymore. But I still think it's it's probably right there, 1A and 1B, on preparing you for the next level. But at the time, it was the best comp to it. And and I give this example here. What helped me get drafted was, like you said, SEC. But my senior year, I played against Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney, Ryan Sims, Alex Brown, Carlos uh Rogers, uh Charles Grant, um, and I had like six defensive ends that all got drafted in the first round.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

That's quite I was gonna say that's quite a cast that you had to play against.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

That I played against, and I didn't give up a sack against any of them.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

You know what I'm saying? And so though that right there, just that alone, not counting all the other teams in SEC, prepared me, and that was each year getting ready for the next level. Um, it still was a night-and-day comparison because me having to prepare for the speed of the NFL, but at least gave me a better chance of being ready to step in and play when Pittsburgh asked me to.

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Yeah, no, that's that that's that's the whole point. And we're getting there. We're getting there to Pittsburgh. Uh, you shared a really, really funny story. I don't know if you remember sharing this, but you shared it and I heard it live. But 30th overall pick, Pittsburgh Steelers, 2002 draft. What was what was draft night like? Who was with you? What do you remember? Something about a phone, uh phone call? Something uh something about a phone call being missed. Uh tell us about that story.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Um, man, I had all but probably like what three-quarters of the football team at my draft party. Love those guys. My wife had it was a group that she was a part of that were called the Tiger Edge and Tiger Hosts. They were the recruiting department for Auburn at the time. And there's probably like 50 of them there. And all my a lot of my family from Mississippi. And we were doing a draft party at my in-laws' house, future in-laws' house. And so, fast forward, I remember people calling me constantly, asking, hey, how to get in. I was like, look, I got to keep my phone open. Y'all call, you know, call my fiance, ask, talk to her about it. It gets down to the 27th pick, and I forgot who it was that was picking. And we get to the 28th, 29th pick, Mark Colombo was getting picked by the Chicago Bears. My phone rings, and everybody was like, hey, what, what, what I held my hand, I'll be quiet.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

And it was uh Kevin Colbert at the time. And I started talking to him, and there's a dead spot on the front porch of where other trailer that me and my wife were staying in, and we were living together at the time. And we both knew that you could only go so far if not, your phone would drop the call. And so I'm standing in the middle of the door so I could hear because everybody in the background was being loud. I messed up and took one too many steps out on the front porch. And right as he gave the phone to Coach Cower, I was talking to him and my phone dropped the call. I'm freaking out. Because I'm like, oh my God, this man thinks I just hung a boat over here, you know. And he called me back and I was like apologizing, apologizing. He was just dying laughing. And he's like, Look, do you want to be a Pittsburgh stealer? I said, Hell yeah, coach. I have no clue where Pittsburgh is at all. But whenever you want me to come, I'm coming. I will be there. And I started pumping my fist and all that stuff. And so he's like, Well, get ready, you're about to be a stealer. And after he said that, probably within like 30 seconds, my name came across you know the screen, and we just everybody went crazy. So it was huge.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

No, that's amazing. I I loved listening to the story the first time, and I just it it what today I think you forget a little bit with there's so many avenues. Like we're sitting here talking to each other across across North America, basically, here. But like back then, it's like you not to age you at all, but it is it once the phone cuts, you're kind of like, What do what do I do? There's no Twitter, there's no there's no um there's no other avenue, but it's an amazing story. And you go out and you win rookie of the year in 2002 um for the Steelers. Um, then you had surgery and then a diabetes diagnosis. I mean, walk us through what that period felt like.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

Um, like you said, one rookie of the year for the team, my first season, uh was had surgery on my shoulder, had a clavicle resection on my left shoulder, and had my right elbow scoped out after that season. And so every player, even to this day, if you have a good rookie season, everybody talks about avoiding the sophomore slump. Yeah, you want to come build on that, and that was huge for me. And probably about a couple months in, I'm working out and doing well, checked in with John Norwig at the time, who just retired from the Steelers as the as the head trainer, and he's like, Yeah, you can start picking it up and doing extra things. And so um, probably about a couple weeks after that, all of a sudden I started going to the bathroom a lot, having fatigue, um, could couldn't get up off the couch and dropping weight. And I'm wondering, like, what in the world is going on here? And I told my father-in-law what was going on, and he was like, you know, maybe he's just tired or whatever it may be. After two and a half weeks, I lost 45 pounds in two and a half weeks. Uh, felt like crap, had dark circles under my eyes. I right now, today, I probably wear about 257. I look lighter than what I do now. I mean, I looked really sick, but I just thought it was I was working myself really hard, getting ready for that season. Uh, by the time I got to Pittsburgh, talked to John Norwick, he sent me to Dr. Yates. Dr. Yates woke me up because I had passed out on his table from fatigue and just being tired. He said, Look, what's going on? Took a blood sample, he said, Look, we gotta get you to the emergency room right now. And I'm like, what is going on? He's like, I think you have diabetes. And I'm like, what is that? You know, and going old school, everybody from the south calls it sugar. I knew what sugar was, but I I didn't know what it was, but I just knew that was something that we said old people had.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Um, when I tell you at 23 years old, me right now, I'm probably a few about a foot and a half from this screen. My wife was less than three, four inches from my face, and I couldn't see her at all. And when I tell you that was one of the most frightening things I've ever been through in my entire life, it scared me because I didn't know what was going on. And so that's how the diagnosis started. Went from rookie of the year, first round pick, going into your second year, and you were being diagnosed with what the time at the time it was called latter, latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult, or ascentric diabetes, type one and a half, to be you know, broad with it. Yeah. So it was definitely hard on me. It really was.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

No, it was and to follow up on that, um, was it true that you were misdiagnosed initially as type two?

SPEAKER_01 11:52

No, that's what's put that's the public perception. Oh, okay. So that was the thing. I wasn't my my doctor who was Dr. Rao, and Dr. Rao had has to be retired by now. Yeah, who was my endocrinologist in Pittsburgh. He was spot on with it. The thing about it at the time, we were all still, it the public and everybody, the public in general was still learning about diabetes. Everybody thought because you're being a bigger person, overweight, you know, you're automatically in that type two category.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

It wasn't that people were saying that for me, but I knew that my doctor told me, hey, you have what they call ladder or type one and a half. You're right in between. Your pancreas is barely even making any insulin, but at some point it's going to stop, you know? And so I'm listening to what the public's telling me because I'm around people who supposedly know about diabetes. And it's like, how are you type one and a half? You you you look like type two. Yeah and all that. And I'm like, start questioning my doctor. But he's like, no, that's what you have. And so it was really a a weird place to be in at the time because I thought it was either type one or type two, nothing in between.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Yeah, no, I I I I wanted to clear that up because there's a lot of like stuff online you read, and like I'm like, I'm gonna ask the man himself before I uh go under this assumption. Now, my mom has type one diabetes, she's had it my entire life. I've had I've had to watch her deal with it and the different adjustments she's had to make in her life to um to you know live with diabetes. A lot of people out there don't know what it's like to live with diabetes. A lot of people out there definitely don't know what it's like to be a 315 offensive lineman and live with diabetes. What did game days look like for you? Like, did you have to change like what you were eating before games, or like was there more like cautiousness you had to take throughout the games when you were playing them to manage your diabetes?

SPEAKER_01 13:46

It it really was. Um as the season progressed, especially from we start with with um OTAs, it gets warmer. You you know, I don't know how your mom deals with it, but heat affects my diabetes. So that was that was a change that I had to deal with. The hotter it got, the more lows I would have. So I had to change my insulin intake. Um, food wasn't that big of a deal because I had a nutritionist who taught me how to count carbs and so I could maintain my weight. Now, look at look, I couldn't go crazy and keep eating big bags of Doritos and Snicker bars and everything else, so I had to make some changes. But for me to be a 315-pound offensive lineman, there were some things that I I still was had to be able to do to pound on the calories and stuff to keep myself going. Game days. What people didn't realize what I had to go through on game days, I took eight to ten shots a game. At least a game, and maybe more at times, because what I didn't realize when I started learning, adrenaline affected my blood sugar.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

You know, I I would go in there, I always say, hey, look, go into a game at about 120, 130. If I did that, my blood sugar would be at almost 300 before the first quarter was over with. So what I had to do was was I had to go in on the low end. I had to almost go in with in hypoglycemia at like 65 to give myself a chance for my blood sugar to climb so I wouldn't be out of control.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

You know what I'm saying? And so I checked my blood sugar at least 20 times a game by pricking my forearm.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

Because I had those gloves on and had all that tape on. I couldn't keep unloading the tape and checking. So I had to use my forearms on the sideline. Russ Grimm was my offensive line coach and Larry's Erliner. So while they're talking and making adjustments, John Norwig and, you know, Arico and Ryan all pricking my forearm, telling me what my numbers are.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

I had gotten so in tune with my body that I knew when I was going low and when I was high. I give this crazy story all the time. I can't tell y'all how many times Troy Palomalu has made one of his spectacular plays. And I'm grabbing my helmet and running out on the field and eating glucose gels and throwing glucose tabs in my mouth because I'm in the middle of a low blood sugar. But I got to go back out on the field and play. That was a constant for me. Even during TV timeouts, you know, when they go to, hey, we'll be back after this TV break. We're standing on the field cleaning our cleats. I'm eating glucose gels or drinking crystal light with salt packets in it, so I don't go dehydrated because I can't drink Gatorade. Gatorade runs my blood sugar up. So it was a constant thing on my mind all the time during games.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

Did I this is just a follow-up. I didn't have this originally listed, but hearing you talk about like the adjustments that you had to make, um, that may other players may not even think about like other like players on your team or even players that on the other team. Did you ever feel like why me at any point?

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Oh, oh, always. Always. Um, but here's what fixed that for me. After I got diagnosed, I had a couple of seasons where injuries kept me on the sideline.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

You love those times when you're on the field and you miss it so bad when you're not. That's one of the things that kept me from complaining. Because you gotta enjoy the times while you have it, no matter what the challenges you have, no matter. You gotta enjoy it because you never know when it's gonna be taken away from you. You know, whether it's your fault or just extenuating circumstances. The other reasons I I learned how to enjoy the game and quit complaining about it and stop saying why I mean Jerome Bettis, every I don't know if you knew this, he had extreme asthma, really bad. And so, and then Alan Fanniker had epilepsy. He had to take medicine for that. Yeah, so those are things when I saw found out my other teammates were dealing with stuff on their own as well. It showed me that, like, hey, these guys are fighting through these things and they're playing and they're doing and they're playing at high level. I have nothing to complain about. Yes, I might have to take a few more steps than they do, but we're all dealing with something. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So that really that really changed my perspective on that.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

No, that's that's amazing. And I think that's that builds a builds a strong team as well when you can kind of relate with one another and like you're going through battle each and every day, um, and you can kind of find that brotherhood um on those teams. Now, you talked about you know celebrations and you talked about the highs um of being on the field. I don't think it gets much higher than a Super Bowl. Um 2005 season, um you said that that year your blood sugar was dialed in. Like you said, you were in tune with your body, you're in the best shape of your life. Looking back at it now, do you think that winning that ring was more meaningful because you had to overcome all of these things to get there?

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Yes, you you hit the nail right on the head. There's no other way I can even explain it or expound on what you just said. Because the season before that, I told my ACL. You know, that's where that question, you go back a couple questions, you ask me, Why me? My second year, I died, I was diagnosed with diabetes. My third year, I blow my knee out. And I'm sitting here looking like, what the hell is going on? Why is why is this happening to me? Yeah, you know. But God was preparing me for something. He really was. Um, and so that 2005 season meant so much, like you said, because I played the entire season from training camp all the way to the end and didn't miss a snap.

unknown 19:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

You know, and and overall, that was my best year in the league, in my opinion. And so um that meant a lot. Uh, because I thought we were gonna win the Super Bowl, at least get close the year before, because we went 15 and 1.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

You know, so I'm like, dang, man, I'm sitting over here and I gotta watch, you know, and this is gonna be the year. So it definitely was very impactful for me.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

No, and and for sure. And building off on that, you um you went into the stands and you find your your wife and your daughter there, and you've described watching your daughter run around with confetti in your hair in her hair. I mean, she's probably all grown up now. Um but look looking back at looking back at that moment, um, what does that moment mean to you? That that first moment of seeing your family there.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

You know what it meant to me? Aaron Smith was one of the biggest people in my progression of getting over my diabetes and dealing with it. Because here's what he told me. He said, Listen, I know you're mad because you hurt your knee. He said, But your wife just had y'all had your first child. He said, think about it this way. What people don't realize is professional athletes miss so much of their family's life because be honest with you, it's all about them.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

It really is. And it it's it's sad to say that because it puts so much pressure on your significant other or your families to help pick up the slack where you you really can't either you let it slip or you can't help because you gotta do what you have to do.

SPEAKER_00 21:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

I was blessed to be in a position to be at home from day one with my oldest child who is about to be 22 years old. That's the reason why that looking back on hindsight was so important because Aaron was like, enjoy this time. I know you don't like it, but get and go build that bond that you won't ever be able to break. And that's one thing I can say right now. She's the only one that really remembers me playing out of my career. You know, I tell people all the time she was like the little girl on Remember the Titans. You know, she would she she would sit there and watch me watch film. I mean, I had her, I heard her understanding blitzes at three and four years old, you know. So that was the significant part of that whole relationship. And I I wouldn't give that time back.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

No, that's amazing. That's amazing. Um, you also won another ring. I think winning one is great, winning two is great. And we I was in the city uh in April, my first time in Pittsburgh. I would never have gone, I think, if the NFL draft wasn't there. Now I fell in love with the city. I thought the city was amazing. I thought the people were amazing. I would be remiss if I did not ask um you what is it like to win one, like go to the top again? Because it's um it's easy to go to the, you know, um, it's easy to win one ring, but it you gotta you went back to the top again. Um, what's your message to the city of Pittsburgh when it comes to um right now? Because right now they're in a little bit of a different stage in their in their development and they're in a little bit of a different, you know, I wouldn't call it a rebuild, I would say a retool, retool a little bit. Um, what's your message to to the city of Pittsburgh? And if you could share what it's like to win in Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

Um I would say this to the fans. Continue to support like you always have. Um I know a lot of people and a lot of players say this. They got some of the most loyal fans. I play with New England and I played with Buffalo. The closest thing that I can get to say they're even close to the rabbit and the support is the Buffalo Bills. You know, yeah. That would that the way the Pittsburgh people support their team, especially the Steelers, is absolutely amazing. I've been in so many places. I've been in Mexico and Cancun, installed, you know, had Steeler bars over there.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:24

You know, which is crazy. So uh just please continue to support. Um they're gonna get it right. Uh I really believe that it's it's taking some time, something that hadn't happened in a while because it's been so such a good long stretch of run. So it's really unusual and it gets frustrating. Uh, but I think it's gonna happen. They has having some good drafts. That's one thing they're doing a good job over drafting. Now it's just I would say you gotta find your quarterback.

SPEAKER_00 23:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

I mean, you you really do. And and uh we're getting older on defense, um, and they do a good job of replacing. But before you lose guys like like uh Watts and Hayward, and and those those types of leaderships, you might have to go down and find your young quarterback, just like we did when I was there, and let those young, those old leaders help him show him how to run that team. You know what I'm saying? And before you end up with a completely young team, and now you don't have that veteran leadership like it was when I first got there. So I'm just saying be supportive and try to stay in there.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

100%, 100%. And um I gotta ask, because the trenches are my favorite. But if there's a trait, like there's one trait you want your QB1 to have. When you're playing, you want, hey, my guy has got this trait. He's an X Factor, or he's QB1. What's the trait that the Steelers should be looking for, or Steelers fans should be looking for when they watch these new, because Aaron Rodgers has announced that this is going to be the last year, so we're gonna see a changing of the tide. What's your one trait that you would say for the casual fan who may not be paying too much attention to what's going on and just watching on Sundays? What's the one thing to look for in a quarterback for them to be successful in the NFL?

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Woo. Um I would say is gonna fight scratching claw for everybody on both sides of the ball. And they got a mentality to where I don't know if I could say this on here, but no, no, don't be saying if you want to. Say it, say um, he is gonna talk shit to the other side and don't care because he knows who where his loyalty is, he's gonna stand up for his team, and you might have to grab him and say, hey man, get in the huddle. You know? But that's the type of guy that you're that that I love playing for. Tommy Maddox had that about him. Ben had a little bit like that, a little bit of that in him. And the what what made Ben, Ben didn't have to talk so much smack, it was the way he played.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:59

Ben played like a defensive end with the football. Yeah, you know, and so you knew that he didn't mind sacrificing his body and he throwing people off of him, so you were blocked until you couldn't have a breath left. Um, I didn't have Cordell long, but but maybe a little bit. But the way Tommy played and being by his examples, um, you need a quarterback like that. I'll go for I'll go a step further. Phillip Rivers was that way. Nasty. I mean nasty, did not care. I would have loved blocking for him. You know, Tom Brady got something in Tom Brady. Tom got that in him. You know, you you need a quarterback to me that has a little bit of shit in his neck. You know, he ain't got to do it all the time, but when he does, you'd be like, okay. You know, so uh not everybody's built that way. Yeah, but for Pittsburgh, that's what you need, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 26:51

Oh no, that was perfect. I was perfect. I got A, I'm gonna steal shit in his neck for forever. I'm gonna use that forever. Uh that's amazing. I mean, going into the business side of it, uh, Mr. Simmons, you served as a player rep during your career on top of everything else that was going on. Um, what kind of pulled you towards that role?

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Um, I wanted to understand the inner workings of the league because at one point on my mind I wanted to work in the NFL front office. That's what I was thinking. You know, maybe learning that side of it and working up into the scouting and GM type deal, but more or less, what how does this thing work? You know, what's what's going on behind the scenes? Uh and I learned so much uh about the way the deals, how scouting works, how teams manage rosters and and what they truly think about their players. And and and that is a business. You know, uh I learned a lot about it. I wish I could have been in that position a little bit longer.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

No, that's that's amazing. And I and to that point, uh, is there any piece of advice that you would have for young OLEN O linemen out there right now, not just about playing football, but more so taking care of themselves and their families long-term financially and making sure that they're taken care of. Um, and I guess this can go for all players, it doesn't have to just be for linemen.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

I would say this to you. Um, speaking from experience, like you asked, learn about your own money. Invest early, find some land, buy some land, do all those type of things. Don't use your don't waste your money on material things that don't gain any value and don't don't put anything back for your kids. When you buy material things, it uh it's only gonna go by the wayside. You're gonna get sick of it at some point, and then you're gonna want something else.

SPEAKER_00 28:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

Um I fell into a period of that. Um also too, um, don't let your just your financial advisor manage your money. Learn how to learn how to manage your own money.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:50

Because at some point the game is gonna end for you. And you gotta have some understanding of that. I did not follow that piece of advice, and I I struggled for a while, and I'm still learning now on how to do those things. Make your own doctor's appointments. Don't let your your your planner and stuff do that because it's gonna end, and you're not gonna have somebody else doing it for you. There's so many things I could go on and on and on about that is you just gotta take responsibility for and don't use the excuse to say, I don't have time. That's a lie. You you you can you make time for your future because you don't know when the game is going to end. I got blessed to play almost three times as long as a normal NFL career is which is three years and three games.

SPEAKER_00 29:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

And if I could go back and do it again, those would be the things that I would focus on the most is not spending money on stupid stuff. Learning about my money, learning how to manage my family, and not leaving it to my wife and and my financial guy, because those are things that I struggle with today. Um, networking big time.

SPEAKER_00 29:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

Like do like network your butt off. You know, just don't think about traveling and I'm training and doing all this. No, find people who have the same common interest. So that way you can slowly start building a little bit of a business. Because when the game ends, at least you got an idea. All right, I got something set up to go into it. Um the next thing, invest in your kids' life as much as you possibly can. Um, because those are the things that you look back on that they don't that they'll remember and they bring up one day. And you just I think you do as much as you possibly can. That's kind of how I would look at it. That's advice I would give.

SPEAKER_02 30:32

No, that's amazing advice. And I think to your point, networking goes full circle. You talked about playing in that high school football game. You never know who's in the stands. You never know who you're who you're meeting, who you're shaking hands with, um, who they know and who they who they know, who like the network just grows and grows and grows. So I think to your point, it all comes full circle. And that's incredible advice, especially in an era of social media right now where you know what, your buddies are gonna be on you being like, hey man, you just got paid. Like you got paid all this money. Why aren't you waiting? Like, do you see what that guy, what car that guy got? He got just got a wreath, like he got a matte black and wrapped up and everything. Like, what are you gonna get? Like, so I think it's incredible advice that you gave. And I and I'm gonna clip this and I'm gonna put it on the socials and I'm gonna make sure we can share it and like push it out to as many outlets as possible because I hate seeing professional athletes struggling and auctioning off stuff. Like, I hate it. It's one of the worst things and it breaks my heart because it's like I've seen these guys at the top of their game, I've seen them work so hard, break their bodies, have all these achievements. And you see guys not just in football, but all sports, selling their championship rings, selling football, selling their jerseys, their signing stuff, and like it breaks your heart because that shouldn't be happening.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:45

Um now, final kind of question about life after football here. And I I personally think that you're gonna be a hell of a head coach one day. I think it's gonna be, I think, I think this is gonna be great. I hope we can get you back on when you're head coaching in the in the NFL or or in college. Um, but you've you felt called back to football through coaching. Um, what does coaching give you that playing didn't?

SPEAKER_01 32:13

This platform that you we're talking about right now, all the mistakes and the things that I made as a player um off the field. I think I I got plenty of experience on the field. I feel like I understand the game. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm still learning. I'm learning and I'm still learning from a coach's perspective on how to coach the game.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Um, and to be able to verbally talk about my techniques and what I think about it. But to me, it's the platform of hey, here's where I messed up at. I I did not do a good job here when it comes to the off-the-field life, um, all of that stuff. Here's here's I see you going down this road. Believe me, man, this hurt me. Everything you do has long-term consequences, and I'm still dealing with a lot of them today that I didn't think was gonna be that big of a deal when I was young. So that's what I look at it as. And also, too, it's the camaraderie side of it. Nothing replaces that. It's really hard for you to find anything to get you to feel the way you felt when you were around the guys. It's not the playing part of it, it's the sitting in the room and bullshitting.

SPEAKER_00 33:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I I've right now I'm doing the uh Bill Walsh Fellowship Minority Internship with the LA Chargers.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:34

And I was there for OETAs and I'm going back for training camp. Man, it gave me goosebumps sitting in that offensive line room and listening to those guys bicker back and forth and pick on each other and the old line coaches going back and forth because that's what I was used to being around.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

You know, and and it's just that that level, um, not even just the NFL, but even when at Middle Tennessee and when I was at Auburn, it was the same way. You build build relationships like that. And so I missed that part. And that's what kind of drew me back to it.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

No, that's amazing. And and and I can't wait to see uh what you do with that Chargers offensive line. We know they need help there. Uh the fans, the the fans will tell you that the offensive line got to take that step. So I'm really excited to see what you can cook up with them. And I know you're a busy guy, Mr. Simmons. So I got one more coaching question. Now, this is coming from I got a Steelers fan. His name is James. Uh, I told him you I was gonna get you on the show, and he was pumped. He's very excited. Uh, he wanted me to ask this question on his behalf. Um, he he wanted me to ask, what's something that you learned from Mike Tomlin, his leadership style, the way he runs a program, his mentality that you've carried into your coaching career and try to model.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

All right, James. I'm gonna say this to you. The one thing that I do not have is all of those Tomlinisms. That I don't think anybody could ever do that because he came up with some stuff and I'm like, wow, where in the world did he come up with that? But I would say the coaching style, which I would say at first when he first got there, it somewhat rubbed me the wrong way. But the longer I'm around him and I was there, I I appreciated it. He is so blunt and straightforward is that if you don't want to know the answer, don't ask him. Because he's gonna tell you the truth. Yeah, and that's and that's what we need, that's what we all need. It's gonna hurt your feelings at times. But if if a person is around you long enough and they see things, you want them to be blunt with you and say, hey, look, that is awesome. Or no, you're effing up. Yeah, you know, and that's the one thing where I think that I only had it for two years. But the players after me who had him for a long time, TJ and all those, they love him because ain't no telling what he said to them that has hurt their feelings and built them back up to where they needed to be at. And so I've learned to do that with my players. It's just like, look, you asked me something, I'm gonna tell you. And I'm just gonna be real with you. And uh, that's where now I got players calling me that my former players that were at Middle Tennessee and even in Auburn because I built a good relationship with them just for trying to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

No, that's that that's amazing. That's a that's you know what? He's James's gonna be a happy guy, but I'm a very happy guy because I did not know that uh you'd yeah, he rubbed you the wrong way initially, and uh that that's a good little pickup from me. Um before we wrap up, Mr. Simmons, we'd like to do a little rapid fire. Um, we do a little rapid fire on the show with our guests. Um super easy. Um, I'm gonna ask you a question, your rapid fire and answer. Um, I'll start off real easy. What's your favorite cheat meal?

SPEAKER_01 36:45

King Sash Nigga.

SPEAKER_02 36:47

Awesome. Uh, favorite city, road city that you've uh gone to as a player.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

Oh boy, that is a tough one. That is a tough one. Oh wee. Uh wow. I would probably say uh I mean, they had you guys going to Oakland.

SPEAKER_02 37:09

They didn't have Vegas back then.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

No. I you know what? Growing up as a kid, I was a I was a 49ers and Green Bay Packer fan. So I would say I went to Old Candlestick Park, I played there, and playing at Lambeau Field. That was just something about that going to that stadium and going through those houses around the stadium and being there and just seeing it. That was that was just big for me. So I would say those two.

SPEAKER_02 37:34

No, that's amazing. Uh the these next two might get you in a little trouble. I'm just gonna say I'm gonna we're just gonna say you're gonna for the sake of the show, you have to pick one. Uh, best teammate you ever shared a huddle with.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

Really?

SPEAKER_02 37:47

Why would you ask me that? I mean, come on. Uh I'll change it. The funniest teammate. The funniest.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

Oh, the funniest. Uh funniest to share the huddle with is a tough one because I would say uh probably I would probably say either Willie Cologne or Alan Fanikan.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

There you go.

SPEAKER_01 38:12

They always had they always had something smart to say or something picking on somebody or something.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

No, that's amazing. And um this one, this one might be it might be a little controversial. Uh Pittsburgh Steelers or Auburn Tigers, which fan base is louder? I'll give you a pass if you don't want to say it.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You gotta give me a pass, you gotta give me a pass. Um to be honest with you. Uh I'm going to say Auburn only because, only because there's a different feel for college football compared to professional football.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 38:57

There's a difference in it. It's it's more family oriented. You get what I'm saying? Yep, yep. You got you got you got more adults and more drunk heads. Yeah. But but but I would give Auburn a slight edge just because of just the family atmosphere and the way and the way they build games up.

SPEAKER_02 39:14

100%, 100%. Um, final question, Mr. Simmons, and this is a little bit on a serious note, but if you you have a message or um something that you'd like to say, to maybe there's a kid out there who just found out he got diagnosed with diabetes today or he listens to this episode, what would that message be to that individual?

SPEAKER_01 39:33

I'll take it a step further. It's not just for diabetes, it's for anybody that is dealing with anything, mental or physical, that is hampering them. Whether you believe in God or not, I pray. He can take care of anything. He has a plan for us all, one way or another. And you're gonna learn something. There's silver liners and all the pain that we go through. And I can tell you I learned so many things by dealing with my injuries at Pittsburgh, my diabetes diagnosis. Um, I struggled mentally, went through a bottle of depression, especially when I retired, um, and still deal with it too a little bit now. Find, talk to him, find somebody to share with. Don't try to do any any of this by yourself, because you need other people around you to help you get through things. Um and keep going because whatever you're trying to do, football, baseball, basketball, being a doctor, you might not reach that goal, but you might figure out what your second passion is because you've tried so hard that you're like, okay, here's another avenue. I didn't realize I was I would say this and I'll and I'll stop. I didn't realize how much I like talking to kids and talking to people being a diabetes advocate until God gave me that platform. I'm usually the type of guy who wants to be in the back of the room, don't want to be seen, don't say too much. But when I tell you getting up and sharing with those kids and hearing their stories and seeing what one little thing that I say to them change their life or make them smile a little bit, I'm like, I love this. It it gave me a purpose. You get what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 41:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:17

I didn't I didn't know, I didn't understand what my purpose was when I got done playing football. And that showed me you have so much to give. Give all your bad stories and your good stories and let people take it. But it's gonna help somebody. So that's kind of how I see that.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

No, that's a beautiful message. That's an amazing message, and I think um keep doing what you're doing, Mr. Simmons. I think that's the most thing. Um you never know who who needs to hear it. And I hope this message gets to gets to the ears all across all across the world who may be dealing with some sort of adversity. Um I know you're super busy. I'm not gonna hold you uh up on a Friday um and let you get back to it, but I I truly appreciate it. Um, this was an incredible honor, Ms. Simmons. I I'm not gonna put I'm not gonna get ahead of myself, but I would love to have you back on because I feel like there's more stories. I'd like to have you. I'd love to have your pals, I'd love to have like anybody you want to bring along with you, share some stories. We can even have your you can even have some of your family members on telling us some embarrassing stories about you growing up, uh growing up in Mississippi. But um, I really appreciate it. Um once again, um, Kendall Simmons, ladies and gentlemen, two times Super Bowl. And I, you know what? He says he's not the legend. Uh the legend, Kendall Simmons. Um, appreciate you, Mr. Simmons. Um, and for those that are that are new that may have come across this podcast, you can find us on Red Zone Blitzpod on all the social media, um, X, Instagram, TikTok, all of that place. And make sure you subscribe to us on YouTube. Um, we'll be bringing Mr. Simmons back. He gave us the two thumbs up. Amazing. Thanks, Mr.

SPEAKER_01 42:50

Simmons. Appreciate you. Thank you, appreciate you. Thank you, buddy.