 Welcome again, real with Grady Jere with me and my co-host Kelsey Conway talking about everything from football, lifestyle, everything in between. Today we have a very special guest, one of the best linebackers to ever play the game. Someone who's very near and dear to my heart, my family heart, Ray Lewis. And here's our conversation with the Hall of Fame linebacker. And now Grady, we're going to have a couple guests on this show, but I don't think that there's one guest that I am more excited to talk to and have on this show than the guest that we have on right now. And that is the Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. And where do you even begin with his career, right? And the legacy that he has, you have been able to be close with him your entire life. How much of what Ray has taught you, whether it's conversations on the phone, in person, how much of where you've gotten today came from the lessons that you've learned from Ray? You know, because it's been so much, you know, almost immeasurable just because the impact obviously has on the regular, the regular person that you don't even know. So for me to have that close relationship with him as a young child to an adult now, it's been, it's been amazing from football talk, off the field talk. And I think some of the biggest lessons that I've learned from him is obviously just when we got time to put in work together. And I'm sure he'll tell you just, just, just going, we just apply everything that we go through in life through just that pain, that work we put in, in that weight room and just overcoming and, you know, being ready for the next thing. He was a teacher. We used to think we'd be done with the workout, me and my cousins. And he'll just throw something else in there. Or, you know, we done did two workouts a day, it'd be nine o'clock. Let's get this third one in. It's because in life, you always tell it, you never know, you always got to be expected. And it was just so much deeper than football. And these were just the lessons I learned at, you know, 10 years old, 12 years old, we would spring break, we go to Florida. That's what we're doing for the spring break. We're going to work out. So just, just things like that has just been, I've been able to apply my life and also know that there's always a deeper spot that I can go to wherever in the world I was training at or, you know, going to practice that because my body already been pushed to a limit that nobody ever got it to there before. You know, so, so just knowing that you can go harder and just just believe in yourself, man. And so yeah, I let him talk about it. And so it's just so much. It's it's it's so interesting because, you know, as a as a child, when I when I used to just mess around with him all the time. And then he grew up so fast, right? And then he turned into this this animal very quickly. And it was funny because the first time I said, I said, come stay with your uncle. And he was like, I'm packing my bags. And I never forget when we started that journey, you know, him with my sons. And I knew it was something in his eye that he was not going to take a break. He would he would literally get everything he had. And then I would look at it and you know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the bounds and all the things and I and I was looking at him and I would say, nah, nah, we got five more. No, we got 10 more, right? And every time it was always never becoming comfortable, right? And some of the lessons that I always wanted to teach Jerry growing up just like my sons is don't ever become comfortable because there's always a deeper level that you can go to. But the but the world is going to tell you that you made it. The world is going to tell you that you're good and and you can do whatever you want to do. But when you have a one on one battle with yourself and this is where he became really dominant because I started to see it in him. And so all of the life lessons that I gave him and and me, the relationship with mama, with his mom, Lisa and and Mona and the relationship we had, we started to raise him to to become everything that he wanted. And it was my ability just to say, I've done it. I'm doing it. He used to follow me, right? He's to come to all my games. He's to come to all the Super Bowls or that now I'm doing I'm doing the opposite. I started coming to his college games and following him. And so our families just intertwined so much that our foundation was simple. Our foundation was God, right? The second one was family. The third one was hard work. And the the last one was always simple, never become comfortable. And that's why I'm really excited to see this young man today the way he is. Yeah. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. You know, we just got finished talking to his college coach, who literally reiterated exactly what you said about Grady about how he never was comfortable. He was always jumping back in line to get more reps. And obviously the lessons that you've taught him have definitely left an impact on him. So you said that you've been following his games. I want to put you on the spot, but curious, is there a specific play in Grady's NFL career that you think is probably one of the best? I mean, you've seen a lot of good football. Yeah, but let me let me let me answer that differently, right? Because he'll tell you this and here and he's probably going to laugh. But I critique him harder than anybody. Yeah. So so even if he comes out and has his best game, right? Yeah, like in the Super Bowl, just like in the Super Bowl against against the Patriots, right? We had those three sex. I was like, look, I get all that, but I need you to stay low. I need you to don't worry about the guy in front of you. And let's keep going to football. Yeah, it'd be so so continue like we rush him like what you what you looking at? Like with your eyes, you looking at the quarterback trying to beat the man in front of you, you got to beat the man in front of you first. And then, you know, and I know that the next week I took that thing. I forgot one game we was playing. I forgot who we played the next week playing Seattle and had a really good game. And because it is just that being made aware of just smallest things because it happened so fast. But if you could you as a rusher, you just think in quarterback quarterback. And just when you take that time to deal with what's in front of you, it it can, you know, it opens up better, better winning percentages. You know, better if you know, if you get in the slide or you get one on one, you can react faster. So so yeah, just those kind of critiques like that has been been really good for me. So I want to take it to you on a personal level. Yeah, 17 years, man, as a middle linebacker in the times where football was people would say a little more physical, bigger. Old school, old school ball for me, for guys around the league, young guys coming up. What did it take and for you mentally, physically to be able to withstand and exceed, you know, in those 17 years, you got over 13, 14, maybe 15 Pro Bowls and all pros, double digits. How do you maintain maintain that level of success and grind? And you know, what does it take to beat it? Honestly, you know, and it was interesting, I was just talking to think the Tennessee Titans are a middle linebacker and it was interesting because he asked a similar question, right? What's the difference? And Jared, honestly, and I've told you this many times, the difference is there are so many distractions that you guys have nowadays that we didn't have, right? Social media wasn't this huge explosion when we were playing football, right? So every day you you remember it as a child because when you started coming down the train, which Uncle you was like, how are we doing another workout? How are we doing another workout? Right. I never got comfortable because we didn't have time to waste. Why? Because the legacy was more important than the free time. Yeah. Right. Like right now, you know, you know, you're on Twitter, you're on Instagram, you're on all of these things that you have to kind of manage a totally different world. My world was an animalistic world. My world was the same world that I taught you in that weight room. Man, we got to give it everything we got. There's no tomorrow. Yeah. Right. And at the end of the day, there will only be certain people that you want to hear your name come out of their mouth. Yeah. The great ones that came before you. Yeah. And that's and that's the difference. Like I set aside, you've got to think when me and the family got together in 2000, bro, I was 24 years old, you know, but my life forever changed. And when it changed, I stopped wasting time. I stopped dealing with people I didn't need to deal with. And I figured out something and I'll never forget it. I saw Lawrence Taylor and we was laughing and joking. And he was like, boy, you rough. He said, he said, you play the game right now. Now, you got to remember, not just me listening to L.T. say this. Yeah. And he was like, you play the game rough. And then the first word out my mouth, Jared, was L.T. I'm coming. Yeah, I'm coming. I want your crowd. Yeah. And every day, so people ask, how did I last 17 years? You know, this I invested in my body. I invested into the business. I invested in not just being a player. I wanted to be a student of the game. I wanted to know the whole game. I just saw this story on my Novogratz show yesterday about me and paid men. Paid men and forever change the way I watch film by just some things that he said at the Pro Bowl to 97 and 98. OK, he was like, I study you so much. And I'm like, really? And then I'm saying to myself, I study film, but I don't know if I go as hard as you go. Yeah. And if you're being watched hard, you don't even realize how much how hard you being watched. You realize how hard you been watched. And then when you become your own critic, when you when you have some of I had some of the best games ever. And I never forget a Jack DeRio and Mike Singletary. I used to come in the meetings and they used to be like, come on, man, you grade it out almost a hundred. Like you're good. I was like, I don't care. I made one mistake. I know the play. You ain't got to talk about it. So already I was already in critique mode, right? On how I can be better, better, better, even though I had great games. And that's why I think the consistency of how I took care of my body, how I approached the game and how I saw the game and what I was actually chasing. What I was chasing was being on this side of it. And now being on this side, I walk around and I listen to Lawrence Taylor and I listen to Ronnie Loss and I listen to all of these great and paid men and all these guys say, the greatest ever do it. That's why I did it. That's why I gave up everything else. And that's the difference, right? I tell people this all the time, even even you, baby, boy, you've heard this before. Young guys like yourself in this game have to figure out two things very quickly, the difference between detours and distractions. Right. Because a detour can take you an alternate route. It may take you longer to get there, but it could be helpful. But every distraction slows you down from the ultimate goal. Yeah. Yeah. It goes well. Is there a, obviously, Grady is such an impressive guy. But is there one thing that, whether it be what he's doing off the field or what he's doing on the field, that since since you've been able to see him grow up, that you think is the most impressive thing about Grady Jarrett? Yeah. Well, see, if you know, if you know his mom, then it's kind of easy. You know, so it's for me because he's he's a nephew to me, right? And so I have always been impressed by him never giving in to the rhetoric or to what people say and how people viewed him. He'll remember this when we went to Vegas and I never forget we went in that weight room that day and I looked at him and I saw him give me this look. And I was like, look, we don't go through it today. We're going to go through it today. But I saw something that continues to this day. Every time he called me, he's always on his grind. And the thing that excites me the most as a uncle is I was I was one of the ones who breathed back into him. Like, let me give you this. I want to give you this and I want you to run with it. But the off the field stuff, that's who we are as a family. That's who we've always been. The impact that he makes, give them back to people. He was raised that way and that's exactly who he is. So that that part just excites me because that's who he is. But what shows me that he took every lesson that I have for him is now it's it's become his own. It's his he's his own man. And I'm telling you, when I watch him play, man, I'm almost jumping through the screen. I'm almost jumping through the screen. I just I call him out there again, like give him a text at the end of the game. That's what I'm talking about. Let's get this thing done now. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So now that we have gone pretty in depth on Grady now, now the part that I've really been looking forward to Grady, just let me have my moment here. OK, so I grew up in Howard County, Maryland, which obviously right, you probably familiar with the area 25, 25 minutes from M and T Bank Stadium and at about sixth grade, I started following football. But football wasn't I didn't grow up in a family where when I was a baby, I was wearing a Ravens jersey. So I started following the Ravens in middle school, and that was at the height of your career and Ed Reid's career with the dominant, halody not a defense. And I will never forget, I was so lucky to share this bond with my dad where we kind of started loving the Ravens, you know, together. And you obviously a big part of why I fell in love with football. I got in football as my career because of my love for it. And a lot of it started with, you know, players, but that's the cool part about the sport is people can have such a big impact on your your fanship. And I know you and Grady can talk a little bit more about how that makes you guys feel. But I remember we would get to the games to do the Ravens. Walk before I look at my dad and say, Dad, we have to get in so that we can see Ray Lewis come out of the tunnel and do his dance because if you missed that, it was essentially like missing the entire game in Baltimore. So I've always wanted to ask this, how did you come up with the iconic squirrel dance intro that you did? And how did you pick the hot in here song to go with it? And yeah, if you could just go into detail on how that whole thing came about. First of all, thank you. And then it was this I'm going to do I'm going to do it really quick, right? Because there was a military veteran, retired military veteran named Kirby Lee, who lived in our hometown. And he has some he has some mental issues. And so he took a he took a liking to me in high school. And he's he's the always just every time I came home, he's always dance. He's always do something. He's always have a song. He's always have something for me. And if you see on his arm and on his chest on his back, he got me tied to like all over him, right? And so I'm like, so I started helping him out. So to get him houses and clothes and just different stuff. I just really wanted to help him out. And one day I came home and there was this famous song in Tampa called The Squirrel, right? So he's go, let me see you, squirrel. Let me see. So so. And it was all type of dances that you could do with it, like all type of dances like me and Sal used to do it in the locker room, like just mess with it. Though you should just play with it. And so one time I'm home, one time I'm home and he showed he showed me his version of it, right? And I was like, I was like, Curb, who does this girl like that? And I said, I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that on TV. And he was like, no, you're not. No, you're not. I said, I guarantee I do it on TV. The next week I went, I went into the I went into the meeting. I said, Marv, Marvin Lewis, my biggest coordinator at the time. I said, Marvin, when I when I'm introduced, I'm going to do something when I come out, you cool with that? He was like, I'm good. I came out of the tunnel and I'm telling you, I I was the last one called and I came out of that tunnel. And this is when it was like no music at first. And I hit that thing for the first time and the crowd lost their mind. And I'm telling you, Jay, I'm telling you, Twitter was broken before Twitter was even out. Oh, man, that was crazy. The emails, oh, he has to dance every week. And so then this guy by the name of Danny, he used to run our video department. And I went up there and I was like, Danny, look, man, if y'all going to introduce me, I got to come up with a song. I got to come up with a theme. I got to come up with everything. And this is around 2000 when gladiator had first came out. So if you ever noticed when Russell Kuro walked out on the Coliseum, he would always grab dirt and put it in his hands. And so that's why my piece of grass was always laid on the side because I would always come grab my grass before I walked into the arena. And Melly's song came because me and Melly are really good friends. And it was just one of those songs that was really hot, hot, hot at the time, right? No pun intended. And then it started to morph into this this whole production. And then the the the the stations, NBC and everybody was like, we want to block out two or three minutes to raise dance. We want to put it in the live show. And I'm like, you know what, I'm in concert. It's a show. And that's and that's kind of how that dance was created. Absolutely. I love it. It was to their point where I was bummed when they introduced the offense. I was like, can we just can we just skip the offense every week? Oh, my goodness. I remember coach used to come to me and say, look, we're going to introduce the offense, but we're going to have you come out last. OK, either way, we're going to let the offense go. But I'm telling you the best one for me, I think I've done a lot of them. But when I came out and now at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Brian Billick, Brian Billick, when he's and he was he was he became a fan of it. So it was kind of cool. And right before I got ready to do it, he was like, go show him who we are. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, this is freaking crazy. Here we go at the Super Bowl and I get to come out the tunnel and do my dance. And yeah, so absolutely, man. Awesome, awesome tribute. I travel to Africa. Kids do the dance. I travel anywhere around the world. People know that dance. So it's it's awesome. Absolutely. I may or may not have done it a few times in my living room. But you've got to do it and report it. You've got to send me that. But but nobody needs to see that. Hey, Grady, have you ever thought about potentially starting a dance after you get sacks or are you kind of like it's not my deal? I don't know. Me and Un talked about it. He definitely talked about it. We did talk about it. We're talking about it. We're talking about I got I got to come up with something. You know, this might be the year. This might be that transition year. We going to start something to get the fans ready. Get them. I told him this. I'm the one showing him this. I said, listen, listen to me. I said, you got to give him something. You got to give some. You got to give the people what they want, Grady. Give the people what they want. Got to give them what they want. Got to give them what they want. Yeah, so we're going to switch to something I think fans will be really interested in. No secret, you know, you and Michael Felt share a very special relationship and being an all time Olympian. And obviously, I know you guys are close. He was at your retirement party at the house. So when we had it out of mom's house, so he's he's supporting every way, you know, where you came. So can you give give us give us a little synopsis on, you know, how y'all got connected and, you know, what what, you know, what you did for him to help him get back to where he needed to be. And at a high level. And so you just take that one and go. Yeah, man, I'm excited to see his book when it comes out. You know, I just spoke in his book and stuff. But we met years ago, years ago. And Phelps was, you know, Baltimore kid, you know, and he ended up coming to the game, whatever. And we ended up hooking up, man. And I never forget it. The first day we started connecting, it was like, look, we represent Baltimore, like we are Baltimore. And that's how the relationship started. That's exactly how it started. And then we started getting closer. And then after games, I would go to his house and we would just. Oh, we just we just became brothers. And we just started connecting and connected, connected. And then we started to really have conversation with each other about, you know, what the end goal was, right? How of the legacy? Like, what did we want the legacy to be? And I never forget, I looked at him and I said, look, it's that you will be the greatest Olympian of all time ever. We're not taking those shortcuts, bro. And I never forget he looked at me and he said, look, the greatest defensive player to ever play the game. And I was like, bro, we going after it. So, man, we started going after it. And then we started to have really intimate conversations about just some things at the time, you know, that he was dealing with. And it came to depression and different things like that. And then I had read this book by Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life. I had read that book like almost eight times. And and it's a 40 day journal that forever, forever changed my life. And I told him and I never forget the day he called me. He was like, bro, I'm just going through it. I was like, you got to come to the house. And he came to the house and we went in the back, man, by the pool. And he started telling me some stuff he was about to do. He's going to come back and he's going to do this. And I looked at him in the eye and I said, is this for you? You know, because if it's for you, then let's go do it. But he was dealing with some stuff. And I said, brother, I'm going to walk through this journal again with you. And so we started this journey on this 40 day journal all over again. And just to hear his excitement every day, he would read a new chapter and he would call me and say, bro, I cannot believe this. I'm like, yeah, just keep going and I'm reading it with you. So I'm right there reliving it all over again. So there was this thing that we went through as men, right? That I always say a lot of men, the biggest crutch is they won't share their deepest pains. We got to a point to where we started to share our deepest pains. We started to share those fears. We started to share those worries, those doubts, the stresses, and that's when we both, I think, grew as men to live life as a king on the other side of it. Because now we started, because man, we started going back at each other and it was so good. And everything that we started to do, the highs, the lows, we was with each other, bro, come see me, text me this, text me that. Hey, talk to me about this. And to this day, man, we just left each other, you know, pops his past and he was one of the first people to reach out to me and was like, I love you, just know that. And we have to create more memories. And I want to create more memories soon with you. So that relationship that me and this man has is forever. It's forever, Jay. And Phelps is a brother, you know, I call his mama, mama. He called my mama, mama for years now, and it's never changed. And they don't look at us no differently, man. So it's a it's a brother that is forever connected. Yeah. Yeah. From from your from your standpoint, Ray, you've been able to mentor one of the greatest Olympians of all time and Michael Phelps. You've had a Hall of Fame career. You're currently mentoring one of the best players in the NFL in Grady. Do you does that almost give you more joy than some of your personal accomplishments the way you've been able to impact others? It is the greatest joy. People ask me all the time. That's a great question, right? So people ask me all the time. What was the highlight of my career? And what is the highlight of my life? The highlight of my life is the impact that I have on people, the things that I can do to give back to to people, right? And like, I'm I'm always in a father mentality or big brother mentality. So what I did, what I what I do for Phelps, what Phelps does for me, what I do for Jared, what I do for countless other people. That's the highlight, because what you do for people is how you will be remembered. Right. And that's that's that for me, just like when I was playing with the Ravens, right, when you were a little baby, right? It was me, it was me taking those guys that didn't understand the whole game and making them understand it, making it stupid, simple, but making it fun for them. And then when you get away from the game, I get, man, I'm talking about on just a random number. I probably get 75, 80 calls for text a week from former guys. Thank you for what you did for my career. Thank you. I mean, just just just last week, I talked to B.J. Sam's and the Darius Web and they just called me was like, bro, you forever changed my life. Like you really installed what I what I didn't know I had in me. And so when you hear those things, it's like, wow, the career was cool, but the blessing of man is awesome. And so it's it's the awesome thing, man. So it's a gift. It's a gift from God. And and I like exercising it. Well, Ray, before we let you go, I think Grady and I would be remiss if we didn't ask you about a coach who was very instrumental in your career, who's now going to be coaching Grady and Dean Pies, the Falcons, new defensive coordinator. So could you just share with us a little bit about why Dean Pies is such a great coordinator and why the Falcons fans should be excited about him leading the defense and what he can do for Grady? I tell you, first of all, we talk, me and him talking, we text and talk all the time because he's more like a father figure for me. But what Dean did when Dean got to came to Baltimore, what was interesting was me and Ed was one of the few people that he would always call and he would call me in the office and he was like, what do you see? How do you see it? And I think if you're a land of Falcon, what you should be really excited about, Jared, definitely you is that he gives you the ability to dictate what you do best, like what counts, right? And so what does that mean exactly? So we went into the last round of the playoffs, 11 and 12. And it was interesting because he said, Ray, what are we running? What defense do you want to run? I said, coach, we got paid men. We got Andrew, look, we got Tom Brady. And then we ended up having having cap, right? We got all of these guys. I said, three of them listen to me. We have to play a chess match. You don't want to play them in a couple one. You don't want to play them in a couple three because they know they know those coverages. They know the weakness of those coverages. Let's play them in what we do best. Let's make them go the long route. And he's sitting there watching film, watching film, watching film. He came back to me. He was like, this is the game plan we're going with. And it was just interesting that him, Marvin Lewis and guys like that, Jack DeRio, who gets it, who understands the player perspective, Dean Pease understands the player's perspective. That's why Jared, you're going to love playing for him. He's not a guy that's going to raw, raw, raw and curse you. You come to work every day. You bring your lunch bell. He's a guy that's going to look at you, that you're going to love playing for. I love playing for Dean Pease for one simple reason, because it was a father giving a son the lessons to go just do what I do. That's that's that's the way he that's the way he he holds you. And so when you walk in the meetings, man, means was meetings was different. And I've had some coordinators that was stressed out and this and that. But Dean is a calculated person. He is so well spoken and I'm telling you, it's an honor to play for him. And that last ride, I never forget in the Super Bowl, he looked and he said to my ear, he said, he said, general, what we running? I said, coach, I'm not playing zone. I said, I said, I'll load the out on her. We if I'm going out my last round, we going out blasting. He said, what do you want? I said, cable zero train cable zero. We we we ran cable zero trains here. Four plays, four plays in a row. You hear me, bro? But it was it was the confidence that he had in me from my study and knowing, right, that the one pass that cap had a lot of problems throwing is the back shoulder fade, right? Now, if you was playing against a Brady or and Rodgers or paid man, you can't play that same coverage against them because they're too good at throwing that back shoulder fade, man. So for us to have that confidence in each other, but more importantly, for Dean to always give you like you you're in control of it, he's just there to guide you. And I think that's what Atlanta Falcons fans is really going to be excited about. Yeah, absolutely. Awesome, man. Awesome. Thank you, man. Thank you, you know, just us having this conversation. You impacted that much more people who ever go to and to this podcast. And I'm going to call you later. See you soon. And I'm going to say, I'm going to say this. But I'm I know we talk in conversation, but I'm proud of you, right? Because everybody doesn't accept the challenge. Yeah. A lot of people talk about it, but everybody does not accept the challenge. And Jay, since five years old, you accepted the challenge. Yeah. And so now, right? You know, me always being daddy, somewhere to you. Now, what's the next level on how you get everybody around you to play like you? That's the next mission, because Jared has now created his name, but now it's time for you to take that defense, take Dean Peeves and take that defense and teach him something different and no more than what we know, right? You know everything, all right? God bless you. I love you. Call me later. Love you too, man. All right, baby. Wow, there's so much to unpack in that conversation we just had with Ray. I don't even know where to begin, but I think where I wanted to ask you about now that we just heard how much Ray has impacted your life, I talked about how he impacted my love for football is you're in a unique spot as a professional athlete where you don't realize it. Of course, you do realize it, but everything you do matters to people that you don't know. So you're taking the field on Sundays in front of thousands of people watching you on TV or in person. You're out to dinner and people see you and it's oh, it's great. Jared and you're in a position where you can literally change someone's life just by the job that you have. How does that feel to you? Do you enjoy being in that spot? I just would love to hear your thoughts on that. Yeah, you know, being able to be be blessed with this position, I say it's a blessing because it really is something that you dream about. And but for me, it just comes so naturally and and, you know, like you said, everything you do matters in being that person that is the one that's looked to, you know, to bring, you know, whether it's happiness, joy, whatever somebody gets from watching me play football, I have a duty to give my all, you know, and and just, you know, somebody listening to hear today or somebody seeing me out, getting something to eat, like just to have that small conversation, that small interaction with somebody, it means the world to somebody, you know, and it took me a long, long time, a lot of work to get to that point. And it's not me doing this to get to that, so somebody can look up to me. It just happened as a byproduct of what God blessed me with. And yeah, I just really feel like it's a it's a it's a true blessing. It's an opportunity for me to meet new people, have impact in their lives. Like, I had to tell one of my friends one time, you know, we, you know, just for somebody to go out of their way and say, oh, hey, I met Grady Jere or or that was a holiday day or something like that. Like, that's something that I can even, you know, fathom, like, you know, and like it's like coming out of high school or, you know, whatever. For that to be a reality, man, it's just it's just, you know, I'm at a loss for words, you know, but it motivates me so much more to be better and to do right and to, you know, motivate the next, you know, Grady Jere to whatever it may be, because you never know who's watching and that one, you know, the one thing you do to help somebody else may encourage somebody else to help somebody else. So it's like a chain reaction, man. So it's definitely a blessing. There's probably so many people that say would they watch you and they say, I don't be like Grady Jere when I'm older, you know, I remember when I was watching Ray Lewis, I was like this guy is what football represents. And I'm 28 years old now and I'm still talking about how Ray Lewis impacted my profession and what I'm doing now. And for you, I just think like what a cool opportunity and people to understand sports, like you having a great game and the Falcons winning the amount of smiles that puts on people's faces and then their moods that just changed. I know it's just a game, but like it's it's it's so much more than that. It can literally turn someone's day from the worst day they've ever having to the best day. And it's not just what you do on the field. Like I know you do a ton in the community and, you know, we'll talk about that later on. But like you have the power to physically dictate the mood of someone and, you know, their happiness of their day. And I just think like, wow, what a cool opportunity. Absolutely. Absolutely. The reach that we have as professional athletes, football players is just amazing. Like I remember going on a USO trip a couple of years ago, we went over to like Hawaii, Guam, Japan and just, you know, and visit some military bases and just how in tune people are with, you know, the game of football and being so happy to meet you. And I think if we as players, like we would understand the impact we have more of us with chairs, this opportunity a little more and go harder in the things we do because it do matter. You know, everything you do, it does matter. Like just don't go through the motions in life, like work with a purpose because at the end of the day, you're not just helping yourself. You help somebody you don't even know. So it was like, live your truth and you know, speak that. And in, you know, is the just like I said earlier, the domino effect of affecting people in a positive way down the road. I mean, whether you know it or not, you know, you still you did you did some, you did guys working and that's that's what that's what it's about. And bring happiness, enjoy the people and just going out there, putting your best effort in, you know, every game you're not going to win. But as long as you put your best effort, I mean, that's all that matter, you know. So for the fans that are listening, if they see Grady Jared out and about in Atlanta, they can come up and introduce them. So you're cool with that? Oh, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It happens. It happens a lot. And I mean, like I like it because it was a point. It was a time of my life where, you know, you know, just people ain't really recognized like that. So I mean, and I'm not I'm not I feel like I'm always pretty open people around me might think, say I'm a little too friendly, you know, taking my time to talk to people or sign something here and there. And so, I mean, it's cool. People come to me at the gas station, a lot of restaurants. We see me around town a lot. And so, yeah, man, come on, say, say, what's up? Take a picture. I love it. You're changing people's lives and it's it's incredible to watch. But before I let you go today, I got to ask you something that came up in my head when we were listening to Ray. OK, he talked about what's next for you. And for you, that's leading the people around you, right? So you've already gotten drafted check. You you got your contract extension check. You've reached a probal check. What is next for you in terms of what are you hoping to attack? And what what's next for you in your career? What's next for me is getting this team back to playing winning football and back and playing in the postseason and reaching pursuing a championship because I know we got the takes to get there. And that's, you know, me that may take me getting on my comfort zone and spending more one on one time with multiple guys, you know, whatever it may be, however, the team turns out. And so me just being my best and using the lessons that I know to help impact other people and not just keep it to myself and because, you know, the fans in Atlanta, they deserve a great team and that we got what it takes. I'm excited about some fresh new energy in the building. And like I say, I'm here to serve whenever, where I can to help us get back to winning football because, you know, these past couple of seasons, you know, as a as a as a in my in my personal level, it's been good. You know, I made two proposed the past two seasons, all pro, you know, and it's been, you know, that's that's gratifying on a personal level. But at the same time, as a competitor, you had that feeling of you want to win games, you know, you know, for me, four and 12, that's unacceptable. Two, seven and nine seasons back to back. That's unacceptable. And especially when I know what we got in the building, you know, so finding out, finding that place where we can get over that hump and get get our confidence back, our swagger back to where people feel at Atlanta Falcons. And I think that we can get there. I know we can get there and I'm going to do everything within my power to help us get to that point. And maybe a new dance in the season to come. I don't know. You see, that's not that's the real new transition. If we know, we take it to the new dance part. All right. Well, I'll be on. Well, I'll be on the lookout for that. And I've I've been able to have a front seat of watching you grow from when you were drafted and just kind of seeing you take that leadership role, watching you be named captain at the stadium last year was a pretty cool moment. So it was cool to listen to how Ray's advice has really ingrained in what you do. And, you know, it's not just where you're living it. So I think that's that's that was really cool for me to kind of see the lessons learned from him and the way you guys interacted today for sure. Well, that's it for Grady and I and our first episode of Getting Real with Grady Jarrett, a great conversation with Ray Lewis. Great conversation with Grady and we look forward to more. So thanks for tuning in and listening to us on our first episode of Getting Real with Grady Jarrett. Absolutely. Thank you guys.