Emmanuel Adebi | They Said His Body Had Limits... He Proved Otherwise

On this episode of the Intangible Podcast, we sit with Emmanuel Adebi, Vanderbilt tight end and former Cornell standout, to talk about the mindset, faith, and discipline it takes to keep chasing greatness when the road does not look like everyone else’s.

Emmanuel’s journey is bigger than football. From competing in the Ivy League at Cornell to earning his opportunity at Vanderbilt in the SEC, his story is about resilience, belief, and finding strength in the things people cannot always measure. He opens up about his path as an athlete, the role faith has played in his life, and the intangible qualities that have helped him keep showing up with purpose.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Well, I feel like it's been a while for me to be in the in the studio. I've been doing a lot of virtuals lately. And so I'm really excited to um have someone back in the studio, Emmanuel Adaby. Welcome to the Tangent Podcast, my friend. We're excited to dive into your story.

SPEAKER_03 0:17

Thank you. It's been a blessing to be here. Um I'm grateful. I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'm excited to share my story with all of you.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Yeah, absolutely, man. Well, before we get started, man, I I, you know, just so I can give uh audience a little bit of uh background on you, you're a Division I football player at the University of Vandy. Um, your parents immigrated here from Nigeria. Uh, you started playing football uh at an early age, uh, but what most don't understand is that you had to overcome a birth defect. Um when when when other people start to hear the story, they're gonna they're gonna say, oh my gosh, this guy needs a needs a cake, he's super man. Uh so I'm really excited for you to share what that is. So I'm not gonna give it away too early. Um, but you've known for your mental grit, your mental toughness, and overcoming major adversity. Um now, when you think about your story, when I at least when I think about your story, um, it's greater than football, it's greater than sports. And so you've been able to use football as your vehicle to live out your purpose, man. Welcome to the Nintendo Podcast. Excited to dive in. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Well, what did it mean in you to to work your way to becoming a D1 football player, knowing that you had to overcome some adversity?

SPEAKER_03 1:30

My journey in college football actually started at Cornell University. I did my undergrad there. Uh, and when it getting to the Cornell, it was just all about academics, you know, how Nigerian parents are, they're gonna be like, they're harping on me, get my academics done. My brother, he went to MIT for computer science. So he set the bar pretty high when it came to just academic performance. Uh, so it was all about academics actually in high school. I played football, I played basketball in high school, but when it came to actually deciding like which school I wanted to go to, football was not the main choice of, or I guess, main priority was deciding when I went where I wanted to go to for undergrad.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

From a parent's standpoint, football was kind of low on a totem pole. Yes. So um when you when you started to really think about football and you started at what point did you start to thinking about football as your your vehicle?

SPEAKER_03 2:25

When I I would say my senior year uh at Cornell, when I really started playing, because I started playing actually junior junior year midway through the season. I got recruited as an edge, um, or I guess I was started there as an edge rusher and then wasn't playing midseason uh due to how my coaches saw how I'd be able to perform with my birth defect. Uh and my offensive coaches saw the work I was putting in, were like, Do you want to play? I'm like, yes. Uh we had a blocking tight end go down, so I started playing tight end and doing uh special teams work as well. Um, so midway through the season, flip sides, start to learn small packages in offense, and really start playing in junior uh really I really start playing, getting a large role in my senior year. And that's when I realized I was like, wait, I could really take this pretty far and really show people what God has done in my life.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

What do you think people they see you now, but what do they miss? What do you think that what what was that thing that that you actually had to go through to get to where you are so that you can be in a position to to sit down and actually tell a story and after made made it and play well in individual one?

SPEAKER_03 3:41

So I think looking at my story from start to now, because it's not over yet, um, I think people will realize that there's a greater power at work because being in the positions I've been in, it's not easy. I mean, no one's life is really easy, but it's not feasible with the way the ball bounced in my direction in some ways.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

So God has done a major work in my life, and I I I say that with whole confidence because there's nothing I could have done with my life that was I could have done alone. None of it could have been done alone.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Yeah. Uh what's the what's the biggest misconception of overcoming that type of adversity?

SPEAKER_03 4:32

That because people look at the results, they're like, oh yeah, you just had to keep working. I'm like, that's not guaranteed that you get an opportunity to play.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

It's not guaranteed that my coaches even look at me and were like, yeah, we could, we could use this, like, we could use this guy to to perform different things. It's not guaranteed that the the way I started playing, because I started playing because one of my teammates, unfortunately, he tore his ACL, but if he doesn't do that, I actually don't get an opportunity and I just stay on the sidelines.

SPEAKER_04 5:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:05

Being able to really look at it in depth and looking at it from the starting point and going forward without knowing the the back end is genuinely, I would say, phenomenal to really imagine because seeing it from the starting point to the end point, or I guess to where I am now, it's it's amazing what God has done and what God has directed me to, the certain things that happened while I didn't know what was happening on like from Vandy's side when I can't when I hit the portal after Cornell and to to be able to get me to Vanderbilt. It's just genuinely amazing to me.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Yeah, yeah. Well, uh take me back. I wanted to go back to your uh back to your birth. You know, what do you remember about those early on challenges, you know, as a young kid? Um, was there was there anything in your mind, in your in your in your body that you that you felt like you couldn't do?

SPEAKER_03 6:10

So when it came to the simplest things, um, if you're playing like Simon says in in class, and Simon says put both your hands above your head, I couldn't do that. So I learned from a very young age that I was different, yeah, not better, not worse, just different from everyone else. And that's uh that's a lesson I I had a lot of trouble learning and accepting, strictly because I was really competitive. I always try to compete with my brother, even though he beat me on like everything. Um I always wondered why I couldn't do things like he was doing them, whether it was like his mental processing or how physical he was. I mean, like he was two years older than me, so he would hit puberty before I would. He would get he hit his growth spurts before I did, and I would be wondering why can't I beat him? I'm like, well, the little brother syndrome. Yeah, like he'd always beat me in certain things. And I'm like, it took me a while to accept that God made me my own person, yeah, and had to shut some doors to really show me that he had a different plan for my life as well.

SPEAKER_04 7:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:32

But back to your question, yeah, there were a lot of different things that I just realized growing up because I grew up, learned to be left-handed, kind of forced to be left-handed, and just and that's just already different than most people. Most people aren't left-handed. Um, when it came to things like Simon says, or just doing genuine, genuine like sports work. Like I started playing basketball at an early age and like middle school and elementary school, and I just couldn't really dribble well with my right hand.

SPEAKER_04 8:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:01

Things like that. Like when it came to I couldn't really be ambidextrous.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

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SPEAKER_01 8:35

To overcome what you've overcome is is tremendous. Like I, you know, first time hearing your story, I just it just gave me chills. And um, and watching you train and work out, I just I thought it was, you know, it definitely has to be this uh definitely a higher power of work and at work here to, you know, for you to be able to do what you do and then to be able to be a light for others who may have some challenges that they don't think they can overcome. Um, but you are a beacon of light around that. And so um, I mean, you over you overcame, and I make sure I'm saying it right, it's herb pausy. And, you know, for people who don't know what that is, can you give us a a definition of what that really is?

SPEAKER_03 9:18

So the way it affects me, because I know it might affect people differently, but the way it affects me is I have a limited range of motion and limited mobility and extension with my right arm and shoulder. So I can't put my arm fully above my this is the farthest I can put my arm like voluntarily. Like I raise it like this, but I can't like physically voluntarily put my arm like that above this point. And there's also an extension difference, like there's a four-inch difference between my left arm and right my right arm in terms of arm length, because I can't extend it all the way. Um, and then I can't like rotate like motor control. So I actually my my parents try to get me into piano early on, and I would always get frustrated about like why I couldn't really pick the stuff up the way my brother could. I would get I would get so frustrated. Oh my gosh. Um, and my parents would say, just for like comparison, don't compare yourself to anybody. And I'm like, Yeah, but whatever. Like, you know, being a little kid, being a stubborn kid, I'd never listen to my parents. I don't think my kids don't listen to me, so um, but like like I said, it took me a while to understand that I was made different, God made me different, God gave me different strengths, different weaknesses, and it took me a while to put that into perspective. And in terms of sports, like I like I said, I started as a defensive lineman, half the battle is extension, getting to extension. So um, but I definitely did get frustrated and I didn't really understand why.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

Yeah, yeah. So was there any was there a coach or mentor, someone in your family that that showed you what could be possible?

SPEAKER_03 11:02

Definitely had a bunch of different mentors and coaches that have just been around me supporting me, helping me to develop. But in terms of like actually attacking the the issue, I've been just told, like, yeah, you're gonna struggle. Like people are uh coaches are gonna say, Yeah, you're not gonna be able to play because you're right arm. And then that did happen. Um, but they're like, Yeah, it's just gonna be a harder road for you. I'm like, it's the road I've been on, it's not gonna be any different than what it has been. So um, but I've definitely had a lot of different mentors, coaches, my parents specifically, um, that have just supported me throughout everything. And I couldn't be more grateful to God that they put He put them in my life and gave them the patience to deal with me because like I said, I was a very, very stubborn kid.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Well, when you reflect back on like those early times, you know, was there a lesson that that you had to go through that that still shows up in your life today that really really helps you uh that motivates you day in and day out?

SPEAKER_03 12:05

I wanted to be just like I want to be just like everyone else.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

And do the same things that everyone else did. Succeed in the way that everyone else did. But what I've learned is that God was trying to show his glory through my life, and he made me like this in order to show his glory. And understanding that and coming to that realization, like I can still play football, I can I can play it at a high level, and aside from what I can I can take it as far as until God says, yeah, all right, you're done.

unknown 12:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:52

And no one, no one alive, no man, no woman is gonna say, yeah, this kid can't do it. Like it's literally up to God how far I can take it.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

Take me through what actually happened at birth that that caused this condition.

SPEAKER_03 13:08

So I was so I was born about like 12 pounds a month early, about three and a half weeks early. So 24 inches. Wow. I was I was a I was a large, I was a long baby, and I got stuck in my mom's womb. And and they were cutting her to get me out in the process. They cut my right shoulder like 40 plus times. So for one, I shouldn't even have the arm. Um, the fact that I have it now, like not regardless of it moving or not, is a miracle. Then to be able to move it and have as much motor function as I do have with it, is another miracle in itself. Because I wasn't moving it after birth for several weeks, I think several months actually. And then the doctors wanted to perform a procedure that would take ligaments in my legs and put it in my arm in order to move my arm, but that wasn't first off guaranteed to work, and second, it would also hinder my ability to walk. Or they're like, Yeah, he's not gonna be able to play sports, he's not gonna be able to do anything academic since I was stuck in my mom's womb and I wasn't getting enough oxygen to my brain. They were like, Yeah, he's not gonna be able to do anything athletic, he's not gonna be able to do anything academic. And they sent social workers to my parents to be like, we can take this kid away because you're not gonna be able to raise him. He's it's gonna be so difficult to be able to raise this kid that like it's he's gonna need a lot of special needs. Um, so my parents were like, Yeah, absolutely not. We're gonna let God do his work. So I eventually moved my arm on my own, but they're like, Yes, this is just a reflex. But then I did it again, and they're like, How? So that in itself was a miracle, and so I think throughout up until about middle school, I went to like physical therapy to get as much like movement and motion back because it wasn't um uh because I still was like trying to get used to it, but uh during those meetings, I've always uh those like physical therapy meetings because they ended up being yearly uh as I got older. They would bring in a bunch of like student um student like med students in to like just look at the the phenomenon because it it is a a genuine miracle how it works. So I was like, I I guess I was looked at like a lab experiment uh for the most part, but it definitely came with a bunch of like self-confidence issues growing up too. I didn't like step into the weight room really until my senior high school coming into college, um, just because I always was afraid of how people would look at me.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Right.

SPEAKER_03 15:59

And like it hindered, I guess, my ability to really grow physically, but also mentally, because I would always be nervous about putting myself out there.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Yeah. How many surges did you have to go through to even get to the point to be able to move it? And then that the uh the follow-up to that is you know, how did you manage that going through high school in those puberty ages? You know, how did you overcome you know the that that sense of not wanting to put yourself out there to actually put yourself out there to get to the level that you've gotten to?

SPEAKER_03 16:33

So for your first question, I didn't have any surgeries. My parents were like, they rejected them, they were like, Yeah, we're not doing this because God you're saying that if we do the surgery, he's not gonna be able to walk or run at all. So then what's the point of it? And it's not even guaranteed that he'll be able to move his arm, so why would we do that? Let's just wait and see what God does. And then to your second point, I had a really good foundation both with my parents, my siblings. Like I I have an older brother and a younger sister. My sister, she's like th about three and a half, four years younger than I am. My older brother is two years older than I am. And then my parents just consistently fed us the gospel growing up. Always in church, always trying to doing family prayer time, Bible readings, etc. Daily devotionals. Like I said, I was stubborn and didn't really I I I was like, why are we doing this? But didn't realize how much it was really helping me and building my foundation, building my confidence, building um the way building me and going into high school, I had some good teachers, some good friends that it just accepted me for who I was, and they're like, Well, you can play, so just come on, we're all gonna be friends.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Like when you realize no one really cared, exactly, no one really cares. And so trying to get overcome those all internal thoughts and uh insecurities and and and then everybody else just open open arms and exactly me, you out here, you're doing this, we're brother, we're brotherhood. Exactly. Yeah. So at what moment did that what moment did it really click for you that you really belong?

SPEAKER_03 18:16

Like we I went to a small school, so like if you were ostracized, like it was by everyone because everyone knew everyone's businesses, everyone knew everyone's business, and like it was a small, yeah, small. I graduated in class, I think it was like 72 kids.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 18:31

So like they accepted me, like my brother's grade, they accepted me there because like they also had siblings in my grade and the grades below. So they didn't care. They're like, oh, that's that's Daniel's younger brother. Yeah, you're you're good, bro. We got you. Like help me understand classes, friends. I I really appreciate those guys because they were they were they didn't have to do that. Yeah, they didn't, they didn't really know my story either. They just because to be honest, what I realized is that visually it's not that apparent until like you really get into movements, movements, and like lifts, like benching. That's why that's part of the reason why I didn't really go in the weight room because I didn't really want to bench in front of everyone and looking at me like like I was crazy. I'm like, um, but they're just accessing me like every other kid, yeah, and uh, and I couldn't be more thankful for them.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

This is a a uh a fascinating journey, you know. What you know, what have you learned alone this journey about yourself?

SPEAKER_03 19:37

You know those those kids' toys where you have to put a shape or like a rectangle or something into a square hole?

SPEAKER_01 19:44

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

I think I was trying so hard to force that rectangle into a triangular hole. And I think that's probably the best way I could put it. I I just kept trying to be like my brother. Uh he was the closest person, he's probably the closest person I am to.

SPEAKER_04 20:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:06

And I'd always, like I said, I'd always compete with him, but I wasn't really becoming my own person. I think I was just trying to become a knockoff at the rate I was going is just becoming a knockoff version of him. Because he's able to do the things that he's able to do because he is him. Uh he's Daniel O'Daby. Uh, I'm able to do the things that I can do because I'm Emmanuel Adavey, and that's the way God made me. It took me forever to understand that because like I said, he went to MIT and I applied to MIT just to the thought process. Literally, was I'll make it easier on my parents to when they go pick us up for the summers, we're we're both in the same place, so they don't have to drive to different places. And didn't really think about it. Like, I I I liked part of the topics that I was studying, but like I would have ended up doing the same thing he did going to MIT, doing computer science, and then not even really played football that much. And it took me getting deferred and then eventually rejected from MIT to be like, oh, so I actually have to think for myself.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:13

So because I I played football because he did, I played basketball because he did, I went into engineering because he he did, but I knew I liked just slightly different things than that. So I went into electrical and computer engineering, um, and he went into computer science. Uh so I knew I'd be like, I thought I could be like a compliment to him. We could like maybe start a business or something, um with our knowledge, combine our knowledge or something like that. Yeah. But I was not thinking critically at all when it came to applying to colleges. Um but because the schools I applied to I th none of them were guaranteed that it would have gotten in.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Right. But what what was the hardest part of your story, the actual hard part of this that

SPEAKER_03 22:00

you know we who now is inspired by by your story didn't get a chance to see a lot of it was definitely the self-confidence issues I I almost always wore like long sleeves or hoodies I I didn't really put myself out there like like I said I didn't even get I didn't get any like really social media until I got to my senior college I didn't get twitter until I hit the portal of my senior year Cornell I didn't even get Instagram until about like a year ago from even like eight months ago actually you sound like us old people us old guys we you know MySpace and all that you are stayed away from it all but I'm sure that was probably um big for your your own personal growth and not not having that external pressure I mean because there is a lot of pressure now that you athletes have to go through uh with having that external pressure and so not having it early on probably really you know really solidified your foundation yeah and I struggled with asking if I really belonged because that imposter syndrome I mean it attacks a lot of people at Cornell to be honest it attacks a lot of people a lot of really high echelon schools Vanderbilt as well um but I struggled asking if I belonged both in the classroom and in in football as well going into my sophomore year I'm looking at my teammates I'm like yeah I was the largest on my team and I was barely like 220. So coming into a football team a division one football team and seeing some big bodies yeah some big people I'm like whoa and then going to the weight room too I was like what do you mean you guys have been doing this since high school like that just doesn't didn't comprehend to me yeah so it came to like halfway through the season and I'm talking with my D-line coach and I'm like what am I doing? What is it that I can do better because I'm going to I'm doing extra meetings I'm I know the playbook playbook playbook was not even close to an issue um and I'm wondering like what is it that's setting everyone else apart because uh guys in my class were playing guys in the class below me I'm like am I just bad like if you if you if I am please just tell me and like let me know what I can fix.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

But he told me he was like there were some things I need to work on but I didn't I just don't trust you on the field with the way your arm is and how did that make you feel man when the coach tell you like you know you're doing all this you're working your tail off and then all of a sudden he just says it's because of your arm I was pissed rightfully so but I was like I'm not leaving until I step on the field.

SPEAKER_03 25:01

I think it was because it was something I couldn't control like yeah understand that I can't control everything. Right. I thought I could handle everything by myself I could really do it all alone and I think football's the greatest sport to teach that you really can't you can't even start a play without the center right as a QB. So it was funny but because like the next week or so that's when my unfortunately my teammate towards ACL but I came for him on field goal block and like my second play in on field goal block I blocked a field goal and after that game my offensive coach just came up to me and were like do you want to play because we have we have an opening on the tight end I'm like yes put me in coach put me in I really don't care where I have to play and that in itself that that took off because I started blocking I stayed on D-line or stayed on field goal block and blocked more kicks I ended up blocking a seven at Cornell and I got another one here at Landy this past year. And so special teams has been my way on and I've been telling a lot of kids I'm like y'all really don't like special teams but it is it is a way in exactly that special teams coach on the NFL roster holds what like 32 roster spots when it comes to the active roster. Yeah so you hear guys hey he this man he's get me in I play special teams I do I've I've I've done physical block I've done I can do everything like just let me on yeah I don't know if you've thought about this but when you think about that the word adversity and you think about how you've used your adversity for fuel you know what do you think separates people who who actually get stuck and and not not willing to push themselves to get through that adversity. I know people like to use it as motivation but to be honest I harbored like no ill will to my D-line coach. When you understand that there's a bigger picture at hand being painted by God you start to let go of the drastic feelings that you like of hatred towards certain situations because you understand that there's a higher purpose.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

When you think about identity you know um you hear it all the time where athletes have their struggle with transition because of the identity that's been wrapped in football but in your case you know how have your identity been shaped when you think about all the things you've gone through my identity wasn't it wasn't always in sports but it also it wasn't always in academics.

SPEAKER_03 27:42

And I think that played a part in me just being able to play free but also played a part in me not really understanding whether I was accepted or not because I was like well I feel like I'm in both groups but I'm also in neither group yeah because I'm not sure if they accept me as as a football player because I'm not playing I'm not sure if they accept me in the classroom because um I'm not doing the same things that they're doing in terms of just extracurriculars but and because I know there's a lot of people that have resentment towards athletes a lot more so now than before. Yeah now the money's gone exactly but I remember like there there were some students who were just like they would never try to partner with athletes they'd never try to talk with them like I said my friend group I've I've had I've been blessed with the people I've been around just strictly because like they they I love those people they love me and it's I couldn't be more grateful to them and to God that God put them in my life because I didn't really face many of those people that didn't like athletes. I guess that might be a bit intimidating so I didn't really want to say that to my face but as I start to think about the you know um different intangibles that really like solidify things for you what do you think the the most underrated intangibles that that people don't really think about when you're going through this type of adversity it was the foundation that God gave me through my parents because the first and almost like only thing they really told us was like like money is gonna fade away you could spend every dollar you can lose every dollar and every everything in your possession can lose its value and like we could end up being broke and homeless on the street just like that. But the one thing we can give you is God like we can teach you about and we could we can't give you a relationship like you have to build that relationship with them. But like we like my parents they they helped us to understand at a very early age and that's all they harp on that all that really matters is your relationship with God so having that foundation especially early on understanding that it's it's God that ordered my or that orders my steps and yeah there's there are gonna be tough times and things are going to hurt but like I said understanding that God's painting a larger picture helps you to realize that there's gonna be some hardship but it'll end.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

Well man it's I mean your story is just so tremendous to accomplish what you've accomplished um but it's not done yet. Absolutely not you know the draft is around the corner you know and I so I know that there's a lot of anxiety around that um you know you know what are you hoping for?

SPEAKER_02 30:54

What are you hoping that um you know when the draft comes around um free agency and all that come around and we start to look forward to you know summer ball you know the end of July when training camp starts what's your hope I'm praying God puts you on the right team uh I can I can really get plugged into especially with the work because that was that was a huge part of when it came to transferring to Van D um just understanding the faith uh that the team had and that I could really get plugged into uh like understanding like faith and discipline with that that that was a large part so I I want to get I'm praying that I get plugged into a team the right team that God wants me to be on where I could share my story or share or have someone share a story with me that could change my life for the better or I could change use me as a point of contact.

SPEAKER_03 31:54

Yeah um like I said learning that a lot of these things all of it now is completely out of my hands. Yeah it is up to God and it's up to God and where he puts me so might not even get drafted next week. Yeah might not even get assigned as own draft or free agent God has a plan and I'm gonna trust that.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Well if you if you had to think about um you know talking to a coach or talking to a GM that's looking at your your situation as a uh hindrance you know uh what would you say to them? You know you're going through these interviews you haven't you know having conversations you know what would you want them to know?

SPEAKER_03 32:36

I take an advantage of every opportunity that God's given me and I will make sure to do the same wherever else I go and you'll see the fruit that I leave behind.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

Do you do you think you have the uh the uh stay in power to be a 10-year vet because when I watch a film I watch a film and I watch you play um I believe you can be a 10-year vet and is in a in it in the NFL so do you believe that you can play absolutely have that kind of longevity.

SPEAKER_04 33:10

Oh my goodness absolutely absolutely do believe I can be a 10 year 15 year vet.

SPEAKER_01 33:17

Well man I you know as I as I um start to think about wrapping up the show man I just I'm just so impressed by you know the the the commitment the the stubbornness the work that you've put in um to to get to where you are man but and so what it makes me think about you know if you had to go back and talk to your younger self um you know before before Cornell before Vandy um you know the challenges that you've gone through what would you say to him?

SPEAKER_03 33:46

What would you say to Emmanuel be yourself stop trying to be like everyone else no one else was made to be you but you so be you because you can't be everyone else they're already taken you had to think about and give me a couple of intangibles that truly has made you who you are today you know what would those what would those couple intangibles be outside of your faith and then we talk about my stubbornness like I won't give up like you you can you can try to kick me out you can try to I'm not giving up I'm I'm a fine I'm gonna claw I'm a scratch I'm gonna like if I can't walk if I can't run I'll walk if I can't walk I'll crawl if I can't crawl you're gonna see me just flounder around until I get to where I need to go that that's something you can't teach that hunger that's that's always been in me. And I I I won't let it go.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

I really appreciate you coming and sharing your story here with the Intangible Podcast man I hope this inspires other people um young kids and young athletes who are you know faced with adversity you know have that mindset of not giving up and continue to continue to push through um but also making sure that the foundation stays strong uh with your your support um and not letting not letting it you know not letting it take it take over you and so dude I'm I'm I'm cheering for you man I'm excited for you I I think you got big things in your future whether it's whether it's football or uh in in the in the real world I truly believe that you're gonna be super successful in whatever you do. But I'm looking forward to watching you play on Sunday my friend.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 35:24

Thank you it's been a blessing to be on this podcast been a blessing to talk to you and I guess another thing I the last thing I want to say is like just don't be afraid to ask for help. That's one thing I definitely struggled with growing up in terms of also being myself like I was I was afraid of being exposed. Yeah don't be afraid to ask for help it you only got this one life. Right. If you if you just let it drift by and go you won't get another chance so just ask for help.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Well you heard it here um man this has been a great show man I really appreciate your time and uh look forward to like I said seeing you playing on Sunday and um and and not look forward to you being on the stage and sharing your story to other kids that um who who is looking for hope man so um let's go get it now it's go time thank you