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Sam Acho: Welcome back to the Sam
Acho podcast featuring Cliff Marshall.

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And for our second, maybe third
episode, cliff, we have a special guest.

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So I'd like you to do the
introduction for our guest.

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Clif Marshall: Well, thank you Sam.

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You know this podcast is
all about talking faith,

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finance, and football.

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However, today we're not talking football,
we're talking basketball, we're talking

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hoops, and I am so thankful that we have
a great friend of mine on the show today.

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Cody Zeller.

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Uh, Cody and I met when I was the
strength and conditioning coach for the

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Indiana Hoosiers Men's basketball team.

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And again, we've been friends ever since.

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Cody was in 2011, Mr.

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Basketball in the state of Indiana.

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Right.

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And he was also a McDonald's All
American that year and he was the

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most, her, one of the most heralded
recruits to ever commit to the

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Indiana Hoosiers basketball program.

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He went on to have a stellar career
there, became an All American and was

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the fourth overall draft pick to the
Charlotte Hornets in the NBA draft.

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And actually, if you're watching the show,
it's pretty cool 'cause you can see Cody.

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Right over my shoulder here, a, a signed
photo that he gave me a couple years back.

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And on the other shoulder you can see
Sam Acho, uh, in his Chicago Bears

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Days, um, as an NFL football player.

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So Cody, thank you so
much for being here today.

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Cody Zeller: I appreciate it.

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Thank you guys for having me on.

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I, I have, uh, so much respect
for you, uh, for you Cliff, and,

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and I'm fine talking football.

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It's a football podcast.

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I.

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I remember watching Sam play,
uh, growing up and stuff.

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So, uh, anyway, yeah, we can talk.

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I grew up watching Peyton Manning
and Marvin Harrison, big Colts fan

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and man, I love, I love watching
college football, college game day.

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My Saturdays watching college football
so we can talk basketball, I guess.

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But I enjoy being on the football podcast.

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Sam Acho: real quick, real quick.

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So because I don't know too many
seven footers that that love football.

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Love talking football, what is it
about football, Cody, that you love?

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Cody Zeller: Yeah, I think I got
too, too tall to play football.

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Uh, so I think that's why I, you know, got
pushed a little more towards basketball.

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But man, I just love, I love for
one, I love the atmospheres too.

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Like, to be able to go to a
game in person is so much fun.

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Um, so yeah, just, and then just
the, just sports in general.

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Just the competition brings
out the best in people.

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Uh, there's drama both ways.

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There's uh, there's so
many storylines, so.

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Uh, yeah, I obviously, my, my Indiana
Hoosiers had a great year this year.

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Normally we haven't had a whole
lot to cheer for when it comes

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to college football, so I kind
of cheer for a little bit.

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Everyone, my brother went to Notre
Dame, so I used to go visit him on,

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uh, football weekends and go to Notre
Dame football games when he was there.

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But, uh, yeah, anyway, my
Hooters had a good year.

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Clif Marshall: Cody, you brought up
your brother and actually, um, you

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know, you had two brothers and both
played in the NBA, which is pretty cool.

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I mean, your mom and dad have to be, you
know, very proud of the fact that they

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had three sons play high major basketball
and then OB obviously make it to the NBA.

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Um, but it's pretty unique because
Sam also had a brother that played

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college football and made it to the NFL.

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So, um.

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Can you talk a little bit about just
your upbringing and how competitive

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that was to have two other brothers in
the house that were so highly talented?

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Cody Zeller: I'm the youngest.

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Yeah, so I, I just know I got
my butt kicked a lot growing

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up, you know, with, uh, whether
it's basketball or uh, anything.

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We made everything in competition,
pizza, eating contests.

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We made everything into competition,
board games, everything else.

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So, uh, I think more than anything
I just learned like competitiveness.

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And then also I think on the court
I learned a little bit of, you

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know, I could never score in size.

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I'm.

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You know, my Tyler is three years older.

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Luke is six years older, so there
was no chance I had to score inside.

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So I had to be able to hand the
ball a little bit, uh, be able to

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develop a little bit of a shot.

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So, uh, so yeah.

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And then I, I think even just, you know,
they were great mentors for me growing up.

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You know, whether it's, you know,
making my college decision or, you

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know, making the jump from college
into the NBA, whatever it was.

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Um, I was kind of able to
watch them go through it first.

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Uh.

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And I watched and, and also just
to be able to pick up the phone

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and call either one of 'em, whether
it's, uh, you know, trying to make

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my, like I said, make my college
decision or even now into life stuff.

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Uh, you know, married, godly men
so I can kind of lean on them.

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Uh, you know, so anyway, I'm very
blessed to have, uh, two older brothers

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that, uh, that are really look up to.

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Clif Marshall: Well, I think, you
know, thinking of you and your

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brothers, obviously you had one
go to North Carolina play for.

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You know, the, the Tar Heels, you
had another go to Notre Dame play

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for the Fighting Irish, and then
obviously you went to Indiana.

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Uh, my question is, like, during that
recruiting process, was there ever a

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thought of you guys all going to the
same school or you following in, in, in

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your brother's footsteps, so to speak?

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Or, and ultimately, how did you
land upon the Indiana Hoosiers?

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Cody Zeller: Yeah.

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You know, we, we each had a lot different
recruiting, um, uh, journey just because

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of how the landscape looked when we
were being recruited, because when

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Luke was being recruited, my oldest
brother, um, you know, Indiana was

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going through a little bit of change.

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Um, and then when Tyler was there,
it was the Calvin Sampson day.

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So they were under, uh,
probation and the whole deal.

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Uh, so.

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I don't know if, if both of
'em would've gone to Indiana

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if things had been different.

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Uh, but, and they both had
great experiences at Notre

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Dame and at North Carolina.

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And even for me, I, I narrowed it down.

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My final three was Indiana
Butler in North Carolina.

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And I would've, like I said, we're
three years apart, Tyler and I,

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so we would've had the chance
to play together for one year.

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Um, but I didn't even know, like they
had, they had my brother, they had

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John Henson, who was an NBA player.

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They had.

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Um, the We Twins, uh, who were
highly ranked and then they had

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James Michael McAdoo, who was, uh,
ranked higher than me in my class.

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So they were kind of like, we're kind
of set on big guys, you know, like

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they'll, you know, they offered me
a scholarship and the whole deal,

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but they didn't really have a lot of
playing time for me, you know, early on.

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Um, and so, and then Butler was,
uh, Brad Stevens and Gordon Hayward.

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They'd just been in two national
championships, and that's in

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Indianapolis a couple hours away.

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So, uh, I think the kicker for
not to go to Butler was they were

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still in the Horizon league and I
wanted to play on a bigger stage.

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So, um, anyway, so it ended up that
we each had our own journeys, Notre

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Dame, North Carolina, Indiana.

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But, uh, I was, I was so glad to.

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You know, kind of stay at home only an
hour from home, and, uh, grew up watching

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the Hoosiers and be able to play at home.

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Was the dream come true?

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Sam Acho: Cody, you talked about
the relationship with your brothers

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in basketball and you dipped
into this piece of, man, I've

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leaned on them for life advice.

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What life advice specifically have you
leaned on your brothers for most recently,

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Cody Zeller: Yeah, I think, uh.

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Sam Acho: I.

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Cody Zeller: I think just having like
a, like a, a best friend that I can

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call at any time, whether it's, uh,
celebrating the highs and lows of life.

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You know, it's just having, having someone
that you can lean on, uh, you know,

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whether it's, whether it is needing advice
or just to be able to call and celebrate

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the, the little things in life, you
know, the, the highs and lows of the day.

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So, um, you know, Luke and I
probably talk maybe every other day.

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Tyler and I maybe talk once a week.

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Um, but even just, uh.

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Like I said, just having a, a close
friend, even though we don't see

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each other in person, uh, just
'cause we're all so spread out now.

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Um, but just to be able to have, have
someone like that to be able to call

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is, is, uh, is pretty comforting.

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Clif Marshall: Cody, a
question that I have.

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Part of this podcast is
about our guests showing.

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Or sharing some adversity that
they went through throughout their

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playing career or even their life.

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And, um, you know, obviously,
you know, playing 10 years in

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the NBA and then obviously in
college and through high school.

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Uh, do you care to share what was
probably one of the most painful moments

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that you went through as an athlete?

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And when I talk about
pain, I'm talking about.

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That has been used for your purpose,
um, and maybe how you could share

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that with our, with our listeners
today and what you learned from that.

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Cody Zeller: Uh, I'll give,
I'll give a couple ends.

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I got a lot of, I feel like we,
you learn from your mistakes.

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You learn from your, uh, your failures.

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Uh, I think a lot of, we can get
into a whole nother debate on young

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people these days are, aren't, aren't
taught to fail, aren't taught to lose.

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You know, there's a lot of lessons
you can learn from, like you said,

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the adversity that comes in life.

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Uh.

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But I think each one makes it stronger.

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I've had, uh, 10 surgeries in 11 years.

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Uh, so two on my left knee, one on
my right knee, both my shoulders,

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I got plates and screws in both
my hands and three on my nose,

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three nose surgeries on my nose.

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Um, so I think obviously that's
like adversity each time the

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basketball is taken away.

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And, you know, especially when,
um, you know, the stress, this,

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it's not just the physical side,
but the mental side of like.

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How is this gonna affect my career?

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You know, I'm, uh, am I gonna be able
to return to the level I was at before?

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Um, you know, so I tried to, you
know, unfortunately I got good at

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like, that mentality part of it, of
like, okay, attack the rehab hard, you

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know, try to pour into my teammates
as much as I could from the bench.

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Uh, stuff like that.

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So I think, I think on the court, that's,
that's been one piece of adversity that,

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that's, that I've learned a lot from.

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I think.

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Um.

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I think an even bigger one for me,
for, for life in general, was really my

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first, I got drafted uh, when I was 20.

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I stayed two years in Indiana and
then I got drafted to Charlotte and

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I was a 20-year-old kid and moved to
Charlotte where I didn't know anyone.

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And those first couple years
were, were hard for me 'cause

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it was, uh, on the court and off
the court because on the court.

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Like you're playing against
grown men every night in the NBA.

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It was a big jump going from college
to the NBA and I was playing,

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but it was just, you know, I'd
play a few minutes here or there.

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Um, I was in the rotation, but I was
getting my butt kicked every night.

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And, uh, you know, just to match us.

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It was, I was just looking,
I was thinking back.

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We had, I had a, I had a, um,
five day stretch where I guarded,

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uh, Chris Bosch, um, Dirk Ky.

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Uh, Tim Duncan back at home.

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Dave, uh, David West,

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Uh, who was, you know, a big, so, so that
was back, that was four games and five

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nights, and that was like my rookie year.

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And that's so much different
than playing some nobody

00:11:15.248 --> 00:11:16.673
non-conference game in Indiana.

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Like there was a handful
of games that you.

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Be able to get up for, you know,
like the big, the big matchup

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Purdue or Kentucky or whoever else
that you'd be able to get up for.

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And then you'd have plenty of gains that
you show up just to win by 30, you know?

00:11:29.903 --> 00:11:34.013
So I think that was a big lesson
for me, but also off the court.

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It was really my first
time moving away from home.

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'cause that was, like I said, I, I
went to school an hour from home, so

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my parents were at every game and,
uh, I could get home if I needed to.

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I had community there.

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Uh, but, but really when I.

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I went to Charlotte.

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I didn't have any community, so
I wanted to surround myself with,

00:11:52.418 --> 00:11:55.058
um, community and godly men.

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And, um, and then fortunately,
God provided that and I, I prayed

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for God to provide, you know,
mentors for me and community.

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And, and it took a, it took
a little while, like it does

00:12:07.418 --> 00:12:12.638
to network and build a community, but it
happened And, uh, to look back now, that

00:12:12.638 --> 00:12:15.608
was a huge, uh, growing part in my life.

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It was uncomfortable.

00:12:16.988 --> 00:12:18.338
Because I didn't know anyone.

00:12:18.668 --> 00:12:20.768
Things weren't going well on
the court or off the court.

00:12:20.768 --> 00:12:24.188
But I look back now and, uh, I
think that turned me, you know,

00:12:24.188 --> 00:12:27.758
kind of become a, become a man
through that process just because,

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um, of the lessons that I learned.

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Sam Acho: I heard a.

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Uh, 10 surgeries in 11 years.

00:12:36.488 --> 00:12:36.698
Cody Zeller: Yeah.

00:12:36.743 --> 00:12:39.083
Sam Acho: I heard about a five
game stretch where you're guarding

00:12:39.083 --> 00:12:40.613
legends like people who are

00:12:40.613 --> 00:12:41.603
Hall of Famers.

00:12:42.263 --> 00:12:50.693
Um, but I also heard about the adjustment,
the adjustment from college to the pros.

00:12:51.803 --> 00:12:55.133
Remember when I played, I had a,
you know, I had two surgeries and I

00:12:55.133 --> 00:12:56.453
thought they were devastating, right?

00:12:56.453 --> 00:13:01.733
Broken leg out for the season, and
then a torn pet out for the season.

00:13:03.728 --> 00:13:08.543
And then being on my own, like how
did you get through those hard times?

00:13:09.833 --> 00:13:13.133
Cody Zeller: I think that, uh, I
think, like I was saying, I had, uh.

00:13:13.718 --> 00:13:16.478
You know, I wanted to surround
myself right when I first got to

00:13:16.478 --> 00:13:20.558
Charlotte with, with community,
with godly men, with, with people.

00:13:20.558 --> 00:13:24.638
'cause I knew that, uh, adversity was
gonna come, whether it was playing

00:13:24.638 --> 00:13:26.258
time or surgeries, whatever it was.

00:13:26.993 --> 00:13:28.553
And I needed someone to lean on.

00:13:28.553 --> 00:13:31.403
And that's not just, not just
people, but that's also my faith.

00:13:31.433 --> 00:13:35.543
You know, that's where my faith
comes in as well, that, um, I hope

00:13:35.543 --> 00:13:37.283
my life isn't just basketball.

00:13:37.283 --> 00:13:40.643
And as much as we love the game,
basketball, football, it's,

00:13:41.063 --> 00:13:43.973
it's, uh, hopefully not who
we are as a person, you know?

00:13:44.483 --> 00:13:48.413
And so I think each time I had a
surgery or the game was taken away

00:13:48.413 --> 00:13:53.723
from me, um, I think it kind of helped
me reset and be like, is this really.

00:13:54.383 --> 00:13:58.193
What my life is built around
basketball is eventually there's

00:13:58.193 --> 00:13:59.933
gonna be another injury or, you know,

00:13:59.963 --> 00:14:04.193
retirement's gonna come along and, uh,
how does my life look without basketball?

00:14:04.193 --> 00:14:06.563
So it kind of gave me a chance to reset.

00:14:06.563 --> 00:14:12.923
And I had, I had one, uh, I enjoyed
telling the story, but my first, um, I got

00:14:12.923 --> 00:14:17.603
drafted and my first week in Charlotte,
I had a, an old coach to reach out to me

00:14:17.603 --> 00:14:19.013
and he said, you should meet this guy.

00:14:19.508 --> 00:14:20.318
In Charlotte.

00:14:20.378 --> 00:14:25.538
Um, I think you guys have a lot
in common, and so, but I, I had

00:14:25.538 --> 00:14:28.598
everyone who was like, Hey, you should
meet my second cousin down there.

00:14:28.598 --> 00:14:32.018
I'm like, that's just what I want
is like another awkward lunch.

00:14:32.018 --> 00:14:34.268
And so, and so, so I didn't do it.

00:14:34.268 --> 00:14:36.188
My first week I was
picking out an apartment.

00:14:36.188 --> 00:14:38.108
I was busy, you know, getting settled in.

00:14:38.498 --> 00:14:41.348
And so then he texted me back and he
said, Hey, have you two met up yet?

00:14:41.378 --> 00:14:44.468
It was a group text between the
two of us, and so I was like, Hey,

00:14:44.618 --> 00:14:47.678
you know, I, I finally texted him,
Hey, we should meet up for lunch.

00:14:48.128 --> 00:14:52.298
Um, you know, coach Mo speaks
highly of you, and so he said, I'll

00:14:52.298 --> 00:14:55.508
pick you up at your apartment two
o'clock, bring your ping pong paddle.

00:14:56.138 --> 00:14:57.188
And I was like, oh boy.

00:14:57.188 --> 00:14:58.088
Who is this guy?

00:14:58.148 --> 00:15:00.583
And about ping pong paddle.

00:15:01.443 --> 00:15:07.028
And so he picks me up and he is, uh,
he's become one of my closest friends.

00:15:07.028 --> 00:15:11.678
At the time he was about 70 and,
uh, and his name is Bobby Jones.

00:15:11.678 --> 00:15:14.318
He is a hall of famer for the 76 ERs.

00:15:14.318 --> 00:15:15.068
He played with Dr.

00:15:15.068 --> 00:15:15.548
J.

00:15:16.043 --> 00:15:19.163
Um, and an unbelievable Christian man.

00:15:19.193 --> 00:15:23.723
You would never know from meeting him
that he's this legendary NBA player.

00:15:24.203 --> 00:15:29.063
Um, but he would have me over about once
a once a week for a Homecooked meal.

00:15:29.063 --> 00:15:31.283
His wife is the sweetest southern lady.

00:15:31.793 --> 00:15:33.533
Uh, I got to know his family.

00:15:33.533 --> 00:15:36.473
That's where I would spend a lot
of times my family, I'd be away

00:15:36.473 --> 00:15:39.293
from my family on the holidays,
so I'd go over to his house, uh,

00:15:39.773 --> 00:15:41.903
and really felt like I
became a part of the family.

00:15:41.903 --> 00:15:41.933
Uh.

00:15:42.848 --> 00:15:45.008
And even, uh, I got married a year and

00:15:45.008 --> 00:15:50.588
a half ago and I'm putting together my
list of grumen and closest friends, and I

00:15:50.588 --> 00:15:52.328
was like, I gotta have Bobby in the list.

00:15:53.228 --> 00:15:57.068
So, so I said, I asked Bobby to
be in my wedding and I had, I

00:15:57.068 --> 00:15:58.448
said, I got two questions for her.

00:15:58.448 --> 00:16:00.248
I said, one, will you be in my wedding?

00:16:00.308 --> 00:16:01.148
And, uh.

00:16:01.568 --> 00:16:02.048
For two.

00:16:02.048 --> 00:16:03.878
When was the last time
that you were in a wedding?

00:16:04.358 --> 00:16:07.028
That's what, and it had been, you know,

00:16:07.028 --> 00:16:09.728
55 years or something since
you had been at a wedding.

00:16:09.728 --> 00:16:14.828
So, but my, my point of telling that
story is that, man, I, I just prayed

00:16:14.828 --> 00:16:19.448
that God would surround me with godly
men and community and, and he was

00:16:19.508 --> 00:16:21.578
exactly that the first week I was there.

00:16:21.908 --> 00:16:27.098
From an old coach that, um, you know,
I talked to occasionally, um, you

00:16:27.098 --> 00:16:31.328
know, provided Bobby and his family
for me, and, uh, yeah, it was great.

00:16:31.358 --> 00:16:32.678
It was, it was incredible.

00:16:33.690 --> 00:16:37.380
Clif Marshall: Cody, I wanted to go back
to the Indiana Hoosiers just for a moment.

00:16:37.470 --> 00:16:40.260
And then obviously even
into your MBA career.

00:16:40.740 --> 00:16:46.590
I want to know how you handled pressure
because, you know, being in coaching

00:16:46.590 --> 00:16:51.330
the last few years, I feel like
there's added pressure now, um, in

00:16:51.330 --> 00:16:56.460
college athletics, uh, specifically
because of the NIL and also I.

00:16:56.460 --> 00:16:58.860
think social media's presence.

00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:03.880
Has changed, uh, sports as well because
there's so much noise out there.

00:17:04.330 --> 00:17:08.260
Um, right or wrong, players are,
are reading some of the stuff that's

00:17:08.260 --> 00:17:11.440
out there on social media, some of
the comments that fans may make.

00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:15.130
So I want to kind of know how you
handled that, both as a college

00:17:15.130 --> 00:17:16.905
player and also as an NBA player.

00:17:18.458 --> 00:17:20.588
Cody Zeller: Yeah, it's, man, we
could have a whole podcast just

00:17:20.588 --> 00:17:22.418
about that question, that topic.

00:17:22.418 --> 00:17:26.468
'cause uh, man, it is, it's changed
a lot since I was in school.

00:17:26.468 --> 00:17:29.858
The NIL stuff, uh, I think it's good
that the players are getting paid.

00:17:29.948 --> 00:17:34.958
Um, but, you know, let's, like when
you, you're, you're a pro, when you

00:17:34.958 --> 00:17:38.918
get paid and you're held to a higher
level and the expectations are higher.

00:17:39.548 --> 00:17:40.958
So that comes with the territory.

00:17:40.958 --> 00:17:42.848
Like those, those guys gotta embrace.

00:17:42.848 --> 00:17:45.908
If you're getting a paycheck, you
gotta live up to it, you know?

00:17:45.908 --> 00:17:47.858
And that's a whole nother weight to it.

00:17:47.948 --> 00:17:51.068
Um, apart from playing Indiana, that the.

00:17:51.683 --> 00:17:55.673
Expectations are high and it's, you
know, the expectations are to be one

00:17:55.673 --> 00:17:57.053
of the top senior in the country.

00:17:57.203 --> 00:17:59.843
Um, and I think social
media has gotten worse.

00:17:59.843 --> 00:18:03.083
You know, social media was around when
I was in school, but I think it's gotten

00:18:03.083 --> 00:18:05.663
worse, um, just because it's everywhere.

00:18:05.663 --> 00:18:07.943
It's, it's, uh, you
can't get away from it.

00:18:08.063 --> 00:18:08.543
Um.

00:18:09.158 --> 00:18:13.088
And that would be my advice is to get
away from it, you know, as much as

00:18:13.088 --> 00:18:14.978
you can, you know, quiet the noise.

00:18:14.978 --> 00:18:19.928
And um, you know, there's times in my
career and in my life where I can do

00:18:19.928 --> 00:18:23.528
that, but it's easier said than done,
you know, to get away from it because.

00:18:24.113 --> 00:18:27.803
Um, and it, and I think there is a
healthy, you know, keeping an arms

00:18:27.803 --> 00:18:31.583
distance because I think there is a
healthy amount where you can let the

00:18:31.583 --> 00:18:33.443
fans in on your life and make it fun.

00:18:33.443 --> 00:18:38.363
But when it comes to your basketball
performance, your sports performance,

00:18:38.963 --> 00:18:40.133
you just have to, for one, I.

00:18:41.213 --> 00:18:42.143
How do you deal with the pressure?

00:18:42.143 --> 00:18:44.813
For one, it's the preparation,
it's the time with Clif

00:18:44.813 --> 00:18:45.923
Marshall in the weight room.

00:18:45.923 --> 00:18:48.923
It's the time with the coaches,
it's getting extra shots.

00:18:49.583 --> 00:18:53.573
When the time comes in the court, when
the lights are shining, you're then,

00:18:53.573 --> 00:18:55.223
you're leaning on your, your training.

00:18:55.433 --> 00:19:01.133
Um, so I think that, uh, I think that
prepares you to step up in a big moment.

00:19:01.643 --> 00:19:05.063
Uh, is the preparation that you put
in beforehand when the doors, doors

00:19:05.063 --> 00:19:06.503
are closed and the lights are off.

00:19:07.103 --> 00:19:07.733
Um.

00:19:08.078 --> 00:19:11.168
But then, you know, once the
game's over and this settles down,

00:19:11.378 --> 00:19:12.518
there's always gonna be haters.

00:19:12.518 --> 00:19:16.718
There's always gonna be comments on
social media, but really the only

00:19:16.718 --> 00:19:22.328
opinion that matters is your teammates,
your coaches, your family, the people.

00:19:22.358 --> 00:19:24.938
I think the other thing, you
gotta have some people, like some

00:19:24.938 --> 00:19:26.228
truth tellers in your family.

00:19:26.618 --> 00:19:30.038
Not just in, not just in sports,
but in life too, that it's like.

00:19:30.713 --> 00:19:33.623
You know, a lot of these guys get too
many people around 'em that are just

00:19:33.623 --> 00:19:37.613
telling 'em how great they are and you
know, they've never made a mistake and

00:19:37.613 --> 00:19:42.398
they're perfect and um, but they get
too much of that and then they can't.

00:19:42.548 --> 00:19:45.578
You hear the real, the real meat of it.

00:19:45.638 --> 00:19:48.908
You know, like, 'cause a lot of these
college kids got, myself included,

00:19:48.908 --> 00:19:53.228
have a lot of room for growth and
they, they need to be challenged.

00:19:53.228 --> 00:19:57.428
And, you know, a big reason why
I had a successful career, I

00:19:57.428 --> 00:19:58.688
was fortunate 'cause I had great

00:19:58.688 --> 00:20:00.788
coaches that were hard on me, you know?

00:20:00.788 --> 00:20:04.838
And in high school, my high school
coach held me to high standard college.

00:20:04.838 --> 00:20:06.368
College coach was hard on me.

00:20:06.368 --> 00:20:07.778
And then my first five years.

00:20:08.513 --> 00:20:11.003
Man, I got cussed out
every day, every day.

00:20:11.003 --> 00:20:13.493
Even if it wasn't a game day,
I was getting cussed out.

00:20:13.823 --> 00:20:17.063
I was getting cussed out at the scores
table before I even went into the game.

00:20:18.028 --> 00:20:18.713
I was getting cussed out.

00:20:18.743 --> 00:20:20.483
But it was good for, that's
exactly what I needed.

00:20:20.573 --> 00:20:22.433
I had a lot of room for growth.

00:20:22.433 --> 00:20:24.293
I had, you know, I had to get better.

00:20:24.293 --> 00:20:28.973
So my point in saying that is that
I look back at that, those guys

00:20:28.973 --> 00:20:31.043
were hard on me, but I needed that.

00:20:31.073 --> 00:20:35.603
I think kids now are like, you know,
they just want the, the easy stuff.

00:20:35.603 --> 00:20:36.413
They just want the.

00:20:36.788 --> 00:20:40.328
The gentle, soft messages, they
just want to be patted on the back.

00:20:40.328 --> 00:20:43.478
But, um, there's, there's a time
and place for both of those.

00:20:44.350 --> 00:20:46.525
Clif Marshall: Well, to build
on that, you know, I think that

00:20:46.525 --> 00:20:48.265
the two things that I've seen.

00:20:48.925 --> 00:20:53.065
With the athletes that I've worked with
over the last decade probably is, you,

00:20:53.065 --> 00:20:56.725
know, the, the social media can really
affect confidence and mental health.

00:20:57.205 --> 00:21:01.795
And I, I, I, it's crazy because
after games sometimes I would walk

00:21:01.795 --> 00:21:05.215
in the locker room, well, within
the first five minutes I could see

00:21:05.215 --> 00:21:07.285
guys already on their phone, right?

00:21:07.525 --> 00:21:11.155
And they're looking at what social
media is saying about their performance,

00:21:11.155 --> 00:21:12.625
whether it was a great performance.

00:21:12.940 --> 00:21:14.470
Or a bad performance.

00:21:14.830 --> 00:21:18.340
And um, you know, I really
felt like that affected some

00:21:18.340 --> 00:21:20.170
athletes that I've worked with.

00:21:20.470 --> 00:21:24.700
uh, this year I actually did a social
media fast, you know, a lot of people fast

00:21:24.700 --> 00:21:28.240
from food and this, uh, that or the other.

00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:32.290
And this year I, I said I'm gonna do a
social media fast in January and February.

00:21:32.650 --> 00:21:34.690
And so I'm the coach
at Indiana Basketball.

00:21:34.690 --> 00:21:34.990
Right.

00:21:34.990 --> 00:21:38.140
and I challenged our
players, you know, to.

00:21:38.695 --> 00:21:43.765
Do this social media fast with me, and
I think we ended up having four players

00:21:43.765 --> 00:21:45.745
that accepted that challenge with me.

00:21:46.045 --> 00:21:50.090
Unfortunately, all four of them
were walk-ons, so it was like,

00:21:53.150 --> 00:21:56.605
it didn't, it didn't serve
its purpose, So to speak.

00:21:57.335 --> 00:22:00.425
But I think one of the things that
I talk about a lot with the athletes

00:22:00.425 --> 00:22:03.365
that I work with, and I know you
guys have both heard it as well,

00:22:03.365 --> 00:22:05.255
it's playing for the audience of one.

00:22:05.735 --> 00:22:08.795
and Cody, you mentioned it, you know, you
gotta play for your, teammates, for your

00:22:08.795 --> 00:22:11.315
family, and for those closest to you.

00:22:11.555 --> 00:22:14.645
But I think playing for the
audience of one, which is God,

00:22:15.035 --> 00:22:16.610
uh, really helps that mindset.

00:22:16.925 --> 00:22:20.795
You know, I'd have a a, a player
every year that I was at Indiana

00:22:20.795 --> 00:22:23.435
that would come to me and ask
me for prayer before the game.

00:22:24.220 --> 00:22:27.190
And, uh, this year that
player was Trey Galloway.

00:22:27.190 --> 00:22:29.770
And when he asked me to pray for
him, that's always what I would

00:22:29.770 --> 00:22:33.310
mention in our pregame prayer that we
would play for the audience of one.

00:22:33.790 --> 00:22:38.140
And, uh, Sam, I know you've, you've
played at the highest level as well.

00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:42.670
Is uh, maybe you can chime in a little
bit on how you handled that pressure.

00:22:42.670 --> 00:22:48.610
'cause Texas football and Indiana
basketball, there is a high level of

00:22:48.610 --> 00:22:50.080
pressure at both of those schools.

00:22:51.288 --> 00:22:51.578
Sam Acho: Yeah.

00:22:52.763 --> 00:22:52.973
Yeah.

00:22:52.973 --> 00:22:53.873
Well, I mean, shoot.

00:22:53.873 --> 00:22:54.533
I'll go first.

00:22:54.533 --> 00:22:54.983
Yeah.

00:22:55.538 --> 00:22:58.208
I mean, Cody, we came out the same,
right, right around the same time.

00:22:58.208 --> 00:22:58.418
Right?

00:22:58.418 --> 00:23:00.458
Like 20 11, 20 10, 20 11.

00:23:00.848 --> 00:23:05.558
And I remember even being in college
at a place like Texas, right?

00:23:05.558 --> 00:23:08.648
Like a blue blood program, a place
like Texas or Indiana basketball.

00:23:08.828 --> 00:23:12.488
I mean, you walk on campus and
it's like boom, all eyes on you.

00:23:12.848 --> 00:23:14.648
And mind you, I'm about 6 2, 6 3.

00:23:14.648 --> 00:23:15.728
I ain't seven feet tall.

00:23:15.728 --> 00:23:19.358
So it's like, it's just, I remember,
I remember being a freshman at Texas.

00:23:20.213 --> 00:23:22.223
Get, uh, going in early in summer.

00:23:22.223 --> 00:23:24.323
I dunno if y'all, y'all did
Cody, did y'all do summer?

00:23:24.323 --> 00:23:26.273
Like, like when you graduate, just boom.

00:23:26.273 --> 00:23:26.633
So boom.

00:23:26.633 --> 00:23:27.413
So same thing, right?

00:23:27.413 --> 00:23:32.243
You grad, I graduated like May
25th and by May 30th I'm on campus.

00:23:32.243 --> 00:23:34.013
I'm in the program like
we're getting after it.

00:23:34.283 --> 00:23:36.203
And no one else was on
campus in the summer.

00:23:36.413 --> 00:23:37.793
It was just the football players.

00:23:37.793 --> 00:23:38.753
So we just did our thing.

00:23:38.753 --> 00:23:40.613
We grinded for about,
I dunno, three months.

00:23:41.318 --> 00:23:42.968
Then the season was gonna start.

00:23:42.968 --> 00:23:44.108
So all the students came back.

00:23:44.108 --> 00:23:45.578
And just this idea of the pressure.

00:23:45.578 --> 00:23:48.698
I remember our quarterback at the time
was a player by the name of Colt McCoy,

00:23:49.118 --> 00:23:50.618
and Colt and I have become friends, right?

00:23:50.618 --> 00:23:51.848
Colt was a follower of Jesus.

00:23:51.848 --> 00:23:52.718
Colt was a good dude.

00:23:52.928 --> 00:23:53.978
We just stayed close.

00:23:54.218 --> 00:23:58.208
And I remember being on campus and
mind you, summer, there's no one there.

00:23:58.328 --> 00:24:00.668
All of a sudden, 50,000 people boom.

00:24:00.968 --> 00:24:03.368
And I'm walking to class and I see
Colt and I just say, Hey, Colt.

00:24:03.398 --> 00:24:04.088
Hey, what's up Colt?

00:24:04.088 --> 00:24:07.928
Just thinking, I'm seeing my friend,
the entire place turned and I

00:24:07.928 --> 00:24:10.358
was like, McCoy, like they're so.

00:24:10.928 --> 00:24:12.848
Much pressure.

00:24:13.258 --> 00:24:13.498
Cody Zeller: Yeah.

00:24:13.688 --> 00:24:18.908
Sam Acho: And so for me it was this
reminder of, okay, God, if I do

00:24:18.908 --> 00:24:23.348
this for the applause of people,
like how am I gonna succeed?

00:24:23.348 --> 00:24:26.768
You talk about Tim Duncan, Dirk
Nowitzki, David West, like I was

00:24:26.768 --> 00:24:29.918
just trying to, trying to, uh,
guard Jamal Charles in practice.

00:24:29.918 --> 00:24:32.588
Like I was just trying to like
figure, I was like, how do I do this?

00:24:33.173 --> 00:24:35.273
And so it was just this idea of,
okay, what are the little steps

00:24:35.273 --> 00:24:36.833
I can take to try and get better?

00:24:37.043 --> 00:24:39.803
And then understanding that, okay,
even if it's just one step at a

00:24:39.803 --> 00:24:43.313
time or one practice at a time I was
getting Will must jump was our coach.

00:24:43.313 --> 00:24:48.023
He was banging, begging, uh uh, uh, uh,
clipboards and cussing this out every day.

00:24:48.593 --> 00:24:51.863
But it was this deal of, okay,
God, how do I do this for you?

00:24:52.583 --> 00:24:57.263
How do I make, how do I
make sure that when I play.

00:24:57.953 --> 00:25:01.043
Yes, I've prepared and I've given
it my all, but I want people to

00:25:01.133 --> 00:25:02.783
glorify God through my plate.

00:25:02.993 --> 00:25:06.503
And so that was my experience, especially
collegially Cody, how was it for you?

00:25:07.088 --> 00:25:07.808
Cody Zeller: Yeah, similar.

00:25:07.808 --> 00:25:12.788
My, uh, my mom used to joke that she
could, uh, like I talked to her at the end

00:25:12.788 --> 00:25:14.468
of the day and she could get on Twitter.

00:25:14.843 --> 00:25:16.913
And she could see how my day went.

00:25:16.973 --> 00:25:20.603
She could be like, Hey, I'm
sitting behind Cody at his 8:00 AM

00:25:20.603 --> 00:25:24.743
class and I'm standing behind
Cody at Subway at lunch.

00:25:24.773 --> 00:25:26.993
And she'd be like, what'd
you get at Best Buy?

00:25:26.993 --> 00:25:30.653
I was, you know, walking around Best
Buy, killing time, you know, so she

00:25:30.653 --> 00:25:34.073
could, she could follow my day just by
getting on Twitter and searching my name.

00:25:34.073 --> 00:25:38.123
So, uh, to your point, like everywhere
you went, you know, it probably

00:25:38.123 --> 00:25:41.333
kept me out of trouble and not that
I'd be in trouble much anyway, but.

00:25:41.708 --> 00:25:45.758
But I think it was like, there's pros
and cons to it, but I think, and then

00:25:45.788 --> 00:25:50.198
you talk about playing for an audience
of one, I think, um, my college coach

00:25:50.198 --> 00:25:54.848
used to challenge me of, uh, Luke 1248
says Too much is given much to require.

00:25:55.238 --> 00:25:57.998
And he would use that as
like a motivational as in

00:25:57.998 --> 00:25:59.408
like, I'm seven feet tall.

00:25:59.408 --> 00:26:00.968
I was blessed with athletic ability.

00:26:01.328 --> 00:26:04.868
If I don't squeeze every ounce
of my potential out of it,

00:26:05.198 --> 00:26:08.228
I'm doing a disservice to the
Lord that's giving me this.

00:26:08.258 --> 00:26:08.678
So.

00:26:09.083 --> 00:26:13.583
Um, so, and I, and I use that
now even with, you know, um,

00:26:13.763 --> 00:26:17.753
you know, my time, my resources,
whatever else that you can give.

00:26:18.263 --> 00:26:22.433
Uh, but even on, even before I took
the court, I was always, uh, I wouldn't

00:26:22.433 --> 00:26:26.423
necessarily pray for a, you know, a
double, double or a, a win or a loss.

00:26:26.423 --> 00:26:31.013
It was, I would always just pray that
God would gimme the energy to, that

00:26:31.013 --> 00:26:34.253
somebody out there would notice me as
something more than a basketball player.

00:26:34.673 --> 00:26:36.893
Just the way that I carry
myself, the way that I.

00:26:37.268 --> 00:26:41.858
Treated the rest the way that I dove on
the floor with the way that I, uh, you

00:26:41.858 --> 00:26:43.178
know, cheered around with my teammates.

00:26:43.628 --> 00:26:47.588
Um, just as somebody, whether it
was on social media, watching on TV

00:26:47.588 --> 00:26:52.418
or in the crowd would notice me as
something more than just a basketball

00:26:52.418 --> 00:26:56.078
player, as a man of faith that
there's something different about me.

00:26:56.108 --> 00:26:58.868
And it's, it's that I'm filled
with the Holy Spirit and,

00:26:59.288 --> 00:27:01.238
uh, I'm, I played joyfully.

00:27:01.298 --> 00:27:06.008
You know, I, I hope I live joyfully and,
um, and that's all because of the Lord.

00:27:07.108 --> 00:27:08.873
Sam Acho: Cody, I wanna go back to

00:27:11.213 --> 00:27:11.813
the injuries

00:27:14.903 --> 00:27:16.313
I could not imagine.

00:27:16.883 --> 00:27:21.203
That many injuries that often yet
you still come back and, and play.

00:27:21.203 --> 00:27:29.633
What was going through your mind after,
I don't know, the second or the third

00:27:29.633 --> 00:27:32.903
time your nose broke or the second, I
mean, like what, what was going through

00:27:32.903 --> 00:27:34.313
your mind when it's like another knee?

00:27:34.313 --> 00:27:36.173
Like what, what were you feeling?

00:27:36.173 --> 00:27:38.393
What were you experiencing
during those times?

00:27:38.738 --> 00:27:41.408
Cody Zeller: Yeah, the, uh, I've talked
with a couple other NFL guys, they

00:27:41.408 --> 00:27:43.808
call it the T train, uh, tour it all.

00:27:43.813 --> 00:27:45.453
I know a thing too about the T train

00:27:47.155 --> 00:27:47.725
Clif Marshall: Right.

00:27:48.263 --> 00:27:52.538
Cody Zeller: later on in my career,
but no, I think it's just, uh, you

00:27:52.538 --> 00:27:56.558
know, we also had like, it was just
a new challenge each time and I, you

00:27:56.558 --> 00:27:59.918
know, had an injury and I was fortunate
not to have any big, big, like.

00:28:00.563 --> 00:28:01.823
Uh, knock on wood.

00:28:01.823 --> 00:28:02.003
No.

00:28:02.003 --> 00:28:08.033
ACL or, um, you know, uh, uh, ruptured,
uh, achilles tendon or any of those.

00:28:08.033 --> 00:28:12.923
So a lot of like broken bones, you know,
like plates and screws in my hands, uh,

00:28:13.433 --> 00:28:18.653
my nose, like I was, I was back in, you
know, 10 days after the one broken nose.

00:28:18.683 --> 00:28:19.823
Like I just wear the mask.

00:28:19.823 --> 00:28:23.363
And, um, you know, of the
10 surgeries, people ask me

00:28:23.363 --> 00:28:24.503
like, which one was the worst?

00:28:24.503 --> 00:28:28.073
Honestly, I had, uh, you
know, the 10 surgeries.

00:28:28.073 --> 00:28:29.963
I think the worst was a broken rib.

00:28:30.458 --> 00:28:34.208
I got, uh, it was on a two-on-one break
and I was the one defender her back.

00:28:34.208 --> 00:28:38.498
And, uh, they left it back for Joel
MB and he went up to, to lay it in

00:28:38.498 --> 00:28:40.628
and he kneed me right in the rib.

00:28:41.048 --> 00:28:45.068
And so I had this cracked rib and there's
nothing you can do about a cracked rib.

00:28:45.068 --> 00:28:47.738
So I missed, I missed one game for it.

00:28:47.798 --> 00:28:51.578
And they, they put like a little, it
was like a quarterback flack jacket

00:28:51.578 --> 00:28:54.848
almost on me, uh, just so I could
play through it, which I don't know

00:28:54.848 --> 00:28:58.178
if that's legal to play with that in
a, but I was like, we're gonna ask

00:28:58.178 --> 00:28:59.648
for forgiveness, not permission, but.

00:29:00.233 --> 00:29:03.983
Um, but each one was like, you know, it
was just the next challenge that came

00:29:03.983 --> 00:29:07.853
on, you know, it was like, you know, I, I
wanted to be out there for my teammates.

00:29:07.883 --> 00:29:08.693
I wanted to play.

00:29:09.443 --> 00:29:14.123
So whether that meant, you know, taking
a few weeks off to recover, um, you

00:29:14.123 --> 00:29:18.503
know, or, you know, going, hitting my
recovery hard, uh, I just wanted to

00:29:18.503 --> 00:29:19.763
get back out there for my teammates.

00:29:19.763 --> 00:29:23.783
So, um, yeah, I learned too about
playing through some adversity,

00:29:23.783 --> 00:29:24.863
playing through some pain, but.

00:29:25.238 --> 00:29:28.178
Even now, I'm like, man, I can
get through anything in life now.

00:29:28.238 --> 00:29:28.418
You know?

00:29:28.418 --> 00:29:30.583
Like this is, this is easy now, you know?

00:29:31.243 --> 00:29:31.983
So anyway,

00:29:32.095 --> 00:29:35.005
Clif Marshall: So I got a real
question, maybe even a debate.

00:29:35.695 --> 00:29:40.705
Uh, Cody, you played a decade in the
NBA Sam, you played nearly a decade in

00:29:40.705 --> 00:29:48.415
the NFL, which sport or hard on the body
when it comes to injuries, I'm saying

00:29:49.503 --> 00:29:50.023
Cody Zeller: football for sure.

00:29:50.995 --> 00:29:51.115
Clif Marshall: Well,

00:29:51.418 --> 00:29:54.058
Sam Acho: I was gonna say football too,
but you're interviewing a guy who has 10

00:29:54.175 --> 00:29:54.955
Clif Marshall: that's right.

00:29:55.598 --> 00:29:56.108
Sam Acho: You know what I, mean?

00:29:56.168 --> 00:29:57.788
Like I, we have this argument though.

00:29:57.818 --> 00:30:00.008
We, we have this argument about
like, who are better athletes?

00:30:00.308 --> 00:30:02.138
Like Cody, people ask
who's a better athlete?

00:30:02.138 --> 00:30:04.748
Football, basketball, I dunno
if they wanna throw in baseball

00:30:04.748 --> 00:30:05.858
or golf, but what do you say?

00:30:05.858 --> 00:30:08.978
Who, who are the best
athletes in, in sports?

00:30:09.563 --> 00:30:13.193
Cody Zeller: Uh, you know,
football, football is like, is more

00:30:13.193 --> 00:30:14.753
specific to like your position.

00:30:14.753 --> 00:30:18.353
So like, you guys are good at,
at one thing, your offensive

00:30:18.353 --> 00:30:20.033
lineman, you block, you know, or.

00:30:20.408 --> 00:30:24.158
Uh, you know, quarterback is more
like, you gotta read the game more,

00:30:24.158 --> 00:30:25.898
but the other guys are more specific.

00:30:25.898 --> 00:30:29.498
But in the NBAI think that's the one
thing campaign I would have for the NBA

00:30:29.498 --> 00:30:30.848
is that you gotta be able to do it all.

00:30:30.848 --> 00:30:32.678
You gotta be able to, you gotta be able to

00:30:32.678 --> 00:30:35.408
shoot, you gotta be able to move your
feet, you gotta be able to defend.

00:30:35.888 --> 00:30:39.893
Um, but as far as like, man, you're like,

00:30:39.938 --> 00:30:43.988
the athletic ability, the size
of, of NFL guys, it's like, And

00:30:43.988 --> 00:30:48.008
you don't, you can have a, you can
have a Kevin Durant that's has no.

00:30:48.503 --> 00:30:50.033
No bulk, no muscle.

00:30:50.183 --> 00:30:51.773
Now I think you do have
to have some height.

00:30:51.893 --> 00:30:55.853
You, if you're, if you're
five 10, there's not much room

00:30:55.853 --> 00:30:57.308
for you in the NBA, you know,

00:30:58.288 --> 00:31:01.283
so, so something that You You just
have to be, you know, a little

00:31:01.283 --> 00:31:03.833
God-given ability, God-given, uh, size.

00:31:03.833 --> 00:31:04.103
But I.

00:31:04.538 --> 00:31:08.828
Uh, I enjoy having the same debate of
we, we also have, I have a couple buddies

00:31:08.828 --> 00:31:12.398
that have, that have played in the NFL
as well, and, uh, enjoy the debate of

00:31:12.398 --> 00:31:14.138
which one would be easier to transition.

00:31:14.138 --> 00:31:17.288
Like would there be NBA players
that, would be able to play

00:31:17.288 --> 00:31:18.938
in the NFL or vice versa.

00:31:19.508 --> 00:31:21.543
Um, so anyway, I don't know what you

00:31:21.558 --> 00:31:24.348
Sam Acho: I think it's, I think
it's, I think it's easier for NFL

00:31:24.348 --> 00:31:25.878
guys to go play basketball, right?

00:31:25.878 --> 00:31:27.078
Y'all shoot a little bit.

00:31:27.198 --> 00:31:30.198
Y'all run around, but
imagine the bulk, right?

00:31:30.198 --> 00:31:33.048
The, the, the physical beating
and now I'm kind of going on

00:31:33.048 --> 00:31:34.308
my sub boxing football, right?

00:31:34.488 --> 00:31:35.543
Your physical beating.

00:31:36.218 --> 00:31:40.808
Every single day in practice, and then all
of a sudden like, boom, you're a receiver,

00:31:40.808 --> 00:31:43.088
you're running across the middle,
boom, you're getting hit by safety.

00:31:43.508 --> 00:31:46.568
I would argue it'd be easier
to make the transition.

00:31:46.568 --> 00:31:47.708
Now, skill watch, to your point,

00:31:47.708 --> 00:31:50.888
basketball, there's so much, there's
so much technical skill involved,

00:31:50.888 --> 00:31:55.208
I would argue for basketball, but I
think just there has to be a mentality

00:31:55.208 --> 00:31:56.858
for that physicality of football.

00:31:56.858 --> 00:31:58.388
But what, what, what do, what
do you, what do you think?

00:31:58.598 --> 00:31:59.678
Cody Zeller: I, I'm, I'm with you.

00:31:59.678 --> 00:32:04.658
I think, uh, if it's a specific
player, like a, like an Anthony Edwards

00:32:04.658 --> 00:32:06.848
that already has the bulk or like a.

00:32:07.658 --> 00:32:12.128
Um, I don't know who Westbrook like
in his prime with his explosiveness.

00:32:12.128 --> 00:32:15.818
Like someone like him might be able
to make a transition, but it's still

00:32:15.818 --> 00:32:19.268
gonna take him some minutes to learn
the technique and all that, and you'd

00:32:19.268 --> 00:32:20.498
have to find a position for him.

00:32:20.828 --> 00:32:23.498
The skill in the NBA is very specific.

00:32:23.498 --> 00:32:24.788
If you haven't been doing it your whole.

00:32:25.403 --> 00:32:26.903
Your whole life, your whole career.

00:32:26.963 --> 00:32:28.253
Uh, that's a little different.

00:32:28.253 --> 00:32:32.123
But I, one of the other guys said,
uh, the difference in the NFL is

00:32:32.123 --> 00:32:36.053
whether you can be hit like at the
end of the day, can you be hit?

00:32:36.083 --> 00:32:39.503
Because that's a different mentality
because it's not just the physical side

00:32:39.503 --> 00:32:41.633
of football, but being hit on every play.

00:32:41.633 --> 00:32:43.793
That's, those guys are wired different.

00:32:43.798 --> 00:32:44.128
You're

00:32:44.303 --> 00:32:44.603
Sam Acho: Yeah.

00:32:46.283 --> 00:32:49.493
No, but it, but to your point,
I, for me, it was a joy.

00:32:49.523 --> 00:32:53.243
Like it was a, and it sounds weird, I
know maybe I'm wired different, but I.

00:32:54.023 --> 00:32:57.803
I have a 10-year-old and he plays
football and basketball and you

00:32:57.803 --> 00:32:58.943
know, baseball, things like that.

00:32:59.303 --> 00:33:01.463
And I asked him, Hey,
what's your favorite sport?

00:33:01.463 --> 00:33:02.453
And he said it was football.

00:33:02.453 --> 00:33:03.113
And I said, why?

00:33:03.113 --> 00:33:07.583
He said, he said, because I get a chance
to hit people and like not get in trouble.

00:33:07.583 --> 00:33:08.063
You know what I mean?

00:33:08.063 --> 00:33:11.513
Like, and it's like, that was kind of
my mentality when I played football

00:33:11.933 --> 00:33:13.493
is this idea of the physicality.

00:33:13.493 --> 00:33:17.183
But one thing I've wanted to know, Cody,
is, okay, I understand the physicality

00:33:17.183 --> 00:33:19.343
of football, but the culture, right?

00:33:19.343 --> 00:33:21.023
Like the, what was the culture like?

00:33:22.433 --> 00:33:23.483
82 games.

00:33:23.483 --> 00:33:24.473
Like, like what?

00:33:24.473 --> 00:33:27.008
What is the culture in
in, in the locker room?

00:33:27.923 --> 00:33:31.388
Cody Zeller: Yeah, I mean, obviously
a a lot smaller, uh, locker room

00:33:31.388 --> 00:33:35.048
than the NFL, so you get closer
to your teammates, but, um.

00:33:35.843 --> 00:33:39.083
You know, I'm sure you played
with different teams as well.

00:33:39.083 --> 00:33:42.053
I was a part of some good cultures,
I was part of some bad cultures

00:33:42.113 --> 00:33:46.103
and a lot of times it only takes
one guy to mess up the whole bunch.

00:33:46.193 --> 00:33:53.123
Uh, and, um, but, but even just
like some cool relationships I was

00:33:53.123 --> 00:33:56.273
build, be able to build on the, on
the plane and in the locker room.

00:33:56.273 --> 00:33:59.753
And that's the really fun part of
playing, like, of course playing

00:33:59.753 --> 00:34:03.143
in the games is fun and winning
on the road and like playing in

00:34:03.143 --> 00:34:04.583
the playoffs, that's all fun, but.

00:34:04.973 --> 00:34:07.823
Also like being in the locker
room, being with your guys and,

00:34:08.303 --> 00:34:09.953
uh, doing all that is a lot of fun.

00:34:09.953 --> 00:34:14.483
It's, I will say in, in college, those
guys are still my closest friend.

00:34:14.483 --> 00:34:17.873
Those are the guys that were in my
wedding and still my closest friends.

00:34:17.873 --> 00:34:21.443
And in the NBA, it's a little
more, little more like coworkers.

00:34:21.443 --> 00:34:25.343
Like you're just like, my first year
there was, you know, I'm 20 and there's

00:34:25.343 --> 00:34:27.623
a guy that's, you know, 39 on our team.

00:34:27.623 --> 00:34:31.283
So like the, the range of like different,
just different points of their lives.

00:34:31.283 --> 00:34:34.193
Fam, some guys, you know,
family, men, some guys.

00:34:34.673 --> 00:34:36.713
Going out each night
on the road, you know?

00:34:37.163 --> 00:34:42.683
Um, but, uh, and it is just in general,
sports in general, the locker room.

00:34:42.683 --> 00:34:46.283
Like we'd have the one year we had
like, we had like six different

00:34:46.283 --> 00:34:47.903
languages in our locker room.

00:34:47.903 --> 00:34:50.723
Like different guys from
different countries.

00:34:50.753 --> 00:34:53.273
Uh, different guys grew up
in different backgrounds.

00:34:53.903 --> 00:34:57.113
Uh, some guys grew up rough,
some guys grew up wealthy.

00:34:57.173 --> 00:35:00.833
It's just like, but, but you all
come together and you, for one common

00:35:00.833 --> 00:35:02.153
goal just to play sports.

00:35:02.153 --> 00:35:02.453
You wanna

00:35:02.453 --> 00:35:02.783
win.

00:35:03.278 --> 00:35:05.798
You wanna win the game, you
want the season to go well.

00:35:06.188 --> 00:35:08.918
So I think that's the beautiful thing
about sports, just brings people

00:35:08.918 --> 00:35:10.328
together through different backgrounds.

00:35:11.925 --> 00:35:13.905
Clif Marshall: Cody, I
wanted to talk quickly.

00:35:13.935 --> 00:35:17.865
Uh, last time I saw you, we were
in Seattle, Washington, uh, the

00:35:17.865 --> 00:35:20.715
Indiana Hoosiers were there to
play the Washington Huskies.

00:35:21.105 --> 00:35:22.035
You were there.

00:35:22.095 --> 00:35:23.985
However, on a different occasion.

00:35:24.405 --> 00:35:30.195
Your, uh, bride, your wife was
out there doing a concert and

00:35:30.195 --> 00:35:31.605
you guys were actually on tour.

00:35:31.965 --> 00:35:35.565
So I think first and foremost, can you
talk a little bit about your marriage,

00:35:35.925 --> 00:35:38.805
um, and kind of how you guys got to
the point where you're at now, and

00:35:38.805 --> 00:35:43.455
then also about your, your wife's, uh,
career as a Christian music artist.

00:35:44.663 --> 00:35:51.173
Cody Zeller: Yeah, we met, um, we met
in 20 18, 20 19, and I was there to

00:35:51.173 --> 00:35:52.913
see a friend that was playing a show.

00:35:53.003 --> 00:35:56.363
Uh, he's a musician, and
we just were talking and I

00:35:56.363 --> 00:35:57.443
said, I wasn't dating anyone.

00:35:57.443 --> 00:35:59.633
He said, you should meet the
girl who's opening for me.

00:36:00.263 --> 00:36:03.083
And, uh, so I met Leanna is her name,

00:36:03.083 --> 00:36:05.093
and we kind of went our separate ways.

00:36:05.183 --> 00:36:07.793
She was, I, I joke that she
was dating someone else at the

00:36:07.793 --> 00:36:09.113
time, so I had to get in line.

00:36:11.458 --> 00:36:15.593
uh, but then during Covid, uh,
things were kind of shut down.

00:36:15.593 --> 00:36:19.853
She wasn't playing as many shows and,
uh, there was a, a church in Charlotte

00:36:19.913 --> 00:36:21.563
that hired her to come in for a week.

00:36:22.118 --> 00:36:25.448
Um, so we kind of reconnected when
she came to Charlotte and we started

00:36:25.448 --> 00:36:29.768
dating long distance and we got
married, um, a year and a half ago.

00:36:30.278 --> 00:36:33.398
And like I said, she is a
singer and a songwriter.

00:36:33.488 --> 00:36:38.498
Um, and she signed a label and
she tours, uh, she just last week

00:36:38.498 --> 00:36:41.978
she had the number one song on the
Christian charts, uh, still waters.

00:36:42.548 --> 00:36:44.438
Uh, Psalm 23 is the name of the Psalm.

00:36:44.438 --> 00:36:44.498
So.

00:36:45.368 --> 00:36:49.028
Uh, she's really hit her stride,
especially this most recent album.

00:36:49.028 --> 00:36:52.418
And, um, I'm, I'm calling from Nashville.

00:36:52.418 --> 00:36:56.078
We got a place in Nashville,
uh, maybe six months ago.

00:36:56.498 --> 00:37:00.758
And, um, we're kind of settling in here
to Nashville, but for her music career,

00:37:01.088 --> 00:37:05.318
this is a spot to be for, you know,
writing and touring and doing all that.

00:37:05.318 --> 00:37:10.238
So, um, so yeah, it's, uh, it's
fun to kind of follow her on some

00:37:10.238 --> 00:37:11.408
of her, uh, some of her shows.

00:37:11.408 --> 00:37:12.998
Like you said, we were out in Washington.

00:37:13.403 --> 00:37:14.753
Uh, she played a few shows.

00:37:14.753 --> 00:37:20.663
So, uh, I, I don't quite fit on the bunk,
on the, uh, bus, on the bus as well, so

00:37:20.663 --> 00:37:26.183
I'm not, I'm not hitting every stop, but
I do enjoy going out to see her and, uh,

00:37:26.483 --> 00:37:27.773
you know, supporting her in that way.

00:37:27.773 --> 00:37:29.993
So she's, she's on a busy time right now.

00:37:29.993 --> 00:37:34.493
She's, she's been gone for about a week,
and then she'll be home for, uh, 48

00:37:34.493 --> 00:37:36.383
hours and then back out for another week.

00:37:36.383 --> 00:37:40.583
So it kind of comes in, comes
in ways, but, uh, but yeah,

00:37:40.583 --> 00:37:41.783
marriage has been incredible.

00:37:41.783 --> 00:37:42.443
A year and a half.

00:37:43.133 --> 00:37:46.433
Uh, being married and it's just
fun to, you know, spend every day

00:37:46.433 --> 00:37:50.363
with my best friend and wake up
together and, um, do all that.

00:37:50.363 --> 00:37:52.853
So it's, uh, yeah, she's, she's special.

00:37:52.853 --> 00:37:53.303
I'm lucky.

00:37:53.423 --> 00:37:54.323
I was lucky to find her.

00:37:55.163 --> 00:37:55.883
Sam Acho: It's so good.

00:37:56.003 --> 00:37:58.343
You're talking about the stop,
so I want to like take a quick

00:37:58.343 --> 00:37:59.303
stop 'cause you said okay.

00:37:59.303 --> 00:37:59.513
Yeah.

00:37:59.513 --> 00:38:02.873
I met in 20 18, 20 19 then
Covid, then we got married.

00:38:03.263 --> 00:38:05.813
Look, I gotta, what, what hap
tell, give us the juice man.

00:38:05.813 --> 00:38:08.903
Give like, like how did you propose,
like what was it like, I tell you, I knew

00:38:08.903 --> 00:38:10.463
you had a wait in line, but like Okay.

00:38:10.463 --> 00:38:12.713
Like how'd you, how'd you
get to the front of the line?

00:38:12.713 --> 00:38:15.353
Like how did you and Leanna get connected?

00:38:16.013 --> 00:38:18.263
Cody Zeller: That's a good,
I man, we could talk all day.

00:38:18.263 --> 00:38:20.783
I didn't know how, how in depth
we could, we still got a lot

00:38:20.783 --> 00:38:21.923
to talk about football and

00:38:21.983 --> 00:38:22.613
Sam Acho: talk family.

00:38:22.613 --> 00:38:24.143
we gonna get, we gonna get
the football in Indiana.

00:38:24.173 --> 00:38:26.363
I wanna hear, you know, what you
think about Indiana's future.

00:38:26.573 --> 00:38:28.853
But man, like we, like, we
care a lot about family on this

00:38:28.853 --> 00:38:29.303
podcast.

00:38:29.303 --> 00:38:31.013
Like the whole, that's the whole
point of us putting together

00:38:31.013 --> 00:38:32.753
faith, family, finances.

00:38:32.753 --> 00:38:33.023
Yes.

00:38:33.023 --> 00:38:34.793
Football slash basketball slash sports.

00:38:34.973 --> 00:38:37.283
But man, like you lit up when
you started talking about it.

00:38:37.433 --> 00:38:38.273
Let's take a pit stop.

00:38:38.273 --> 00:38:39.173
Let's hear a little bit more.

00:38:39.428 --> 00:38:43.658
Cody Zeller: Yeah, so we, uh, so like
I said, we met that first kind of

00:38:43.658 --> 00:38:48.008
reconnected that first week that she was
in Charlotte, and it went really well.

00:38:48.008 --> 00:38:51.489
It was like, you know, I saw her the
first day and then I was like, yeah,

00:38:51.494 --> 00:38:53.198
I might go back out the second day.

00:38:53.198 --> 00:38:54.878
And then I was there the whole week.

00:38:54.938 --> 00:38:57.608
But I was kind of, I was a little bit
like, man, I don't know if this is gonna

00:38:57.608 --> 00:39:01.358
work because she's in Nashville, I'm
in Charlotte in the back of my mind.

00:39:01.358 --> 00:39:03.953
And the day before she left,
she said, because of Covid.

00:39:04.733 --> 00:39:07.853
Um, there was a church just
outside of Charlotte that had

00:39:07.853 --> 00:39:09.653
hired her as kind of a consultant.

00:39:10.223 --> 00:39:14.273
Um, they, I think they had bought
a new sound system, but their, uh,

00:39:14.273 --> 00:39:15.743
worship team needed a little help.

00:39:16.043 --> 00:39:20.543
And so they had hired Leanna as like a
consultant, and she said, I'm gonna be

00:39:20.543 --> 00:39:25.733
flying in, uh, twice a month, uh, for
the next, you know, five or six months.

00:39:26.213 --> 00:39:30.023
And so that kind of gave us a chance
to, like, she was flying in, she'd

00:39:30.023 --> 00:39:33.593
fly in, like, you know, she'd have
Sunday Church, so she'd fly in like.

00:39:34.088 --> 00:39:37.868
You know, Sunday night, and then she'd fly
the next week, she'd fly in Friday night,

00:39:37.868 --> 00:39:39.518
and then she'd fly on Thursday night.

00:39:40.088 --> 00:39:44.138
Her stays got a little longer, you
know, as we, as we continued to talk.

00:39:44.138 --> 00:39:47.528
But, uh, that kind of gave us a
chance to get to know each other.

00:39:47.528 --> 00:39:51.218
And then, you know, I was in
Charlotte, she was in, uh, Nashville

00:39:51.218 --> 00:39:54.578
and I was in Portland, and we kind
of did the long distance thing.

00:39:54.578 --> 00:39:58.388
And then, uh, we got married and, uh, the.

00:39:59.453 --> 00:40:02.933
Uh, we, I haven't, I haven't played
with anyone this year, but, uh, being

00:40:02.933 --> 00:40:06.533
in New Orleans last year was fun
because we got married and then was

00:40:06.533 --> 00:40:10.193
able to go to New Orleans and, uh,
live together for the first time.

00:40:10.193 --> 00:40:12.413
And it's a new city for us to explore.

00:40:12.413 --> 00:40:18.413
But, uh, but yeah, as far as her, it
was just, uh, you know, like I, we

00:40:18.413 --> 00:40:22.673
got married when I was 29, uh, 30.

00:40:23.213 --> 00:40:26.483
Um, so I mean, I spent a
lot of my years of like.

00:40:26.888 --> 00:40:28.148
Man, who does God have for me?

00:40:28.148 --> 00:40:32.018
And I, I had dated on and off, but I
was like, man, who does God have for me?

00:40:32.018 --> 00:40:36.428
And I continued to kind of work on
myself and I wanted to, you know, when

00:40:36.428 --> 00:40:40.328
the right girl came along, I wanted
to make sure that I had my stuff in

00:40:40.328 --> 00:40:43.268
line and I was, um, but man, when.

00:40:43.703 --> 00:40:47.543
When, uh, I just continued to
pray for her, whoever it was, my

00:40:47.603 --> 00:40:51.803
continued to pray for my wife and,
uh, for anyone who hasn't found

00:40:51.803 --> 00:40:53.303
their wife, hasn't found that person.

00:40:53.573 --> 00:40:56.753
That was the best advice that I got,
was just to continue to pray for my

00:40:56.753 --> 00:40:58.493
wife, even before I even met her.

00:40:59.063 --> 00:41:04.073
And, uh, when she came into my life, I,
I knew quickly that it, she was, she was

00:41:04.073 --> 00:41:09.173
the one, uh, I get a little slack still
that, you know, we dated for like two and

00:41:09.173 --> 00:41:11.813
a half years and I think, I think I was.

00:41:12.383 --> 00:41:16.703
I think I was like spooked into, 'cause
especially in our, like in the NBA culture

00:41:16.703 --> 00:41:21.143
of like, you see so many divorces and
like the whole deal and it's a lot of

00:41:21.203 --> 00:41:23.033
marriages that aren't healthy, you know?

00:41:23.033 --> 00:41:28.133
And, um, people tell me marriage is
hard and, and yeah, it takes work.

00:41:28.133 --> 00:41:32.003
But I think that, I think that, I
think I knew quickly, but I think

00:41:32.003 --> 00:41:36.053
it took me two and a half years to
propose and, you know, move it along.

00:41:36.053 --> 00:41:38.633
And it's like I said, I hear about
that every once in a while from my

00:41:38.633 --> 00:41:41.723
wife because she was, she was ready
and I was ready, but I was like.

00:41:42.098 --> 00:41:42.308
Man.

00:41:42.313 --> 00:41:44.078
She's, she's, she's too perfect.

00:41:44.078 --> 00:41:47.738
I know this is the one, but man,
everyone's telling me that marriage is

00:41:47.738 --> 00:41:48.938
hard and everyone's telling me that.

00:41:49.388 --> 00:41:52.598
So I think that's, that's my next
piece of advice to, to anyone

00:41:52.598 --> 00:41:54.668
listening is man to go for it.

00:41:54.668 --> 00:42:00.458
It's, it's wonderful when it's, marriage
is so one wonderful and so fun and, uh,

00:42:00.458 --> 00:42:02.498
when it's, it's how God designed it.

00:42:02.528 --> 00:42:06.758
It's, uh, for man and woman to be together
and, uh, lean on each other in tough

00:42:06.758 --> 00:42:08.468
times and celebrate the good times.

00:42:08.468 --> 00:42:08.588
And.

00:42:09.233 --> 00:42:14.663
Um, during our marriage counseling, the,
the guy who married us said, uh, said,

00:42:14.663 --> 00:42:18.443
I'll, I'll give my, we, we had gone
through the whole marriage prep, the

00:42:18.443 --> 00:42:22.793
marriage counseling leading up to the,
to the wedding, and he said, I'll give,

00:42:22.883 --> 00:42:24.293
I'll give the blessing on this marriage.

00:42:24.293 --> 00:42:26.093
You guys will have a happy long marriage.

00:42:26.423 --> 00:42:30.833
He said, my last question is, are you
guys, will the kingdom of the Lord be

00:42:30.833 --> 00:42:34.043
impacted more with you guys individually?

00:42:34.568 --> 00:42:36.038
Or you guys as a couple.

00:42:36.248 --> 00:42:40.778
And if the answer is it should,
the kingdom will be, um, grown

00:42:40.778 --> 00:42:44.618
and impacted bigger with you two
being married, then I absolutely

00:42:44.618 --> 00:42:46.028
give my blessing on this marriage.

00:42:46.538 --> 00:42:48.368
And it's, and that was
a good challenge for us.

00:42:48.368 --> 00:42:53.738
And I think, I think we absolutely
checked that box now 'cause um, you

00:42:53.738 --> 00:42:55.538
know, she continues to energize me.

00:42:55.538 --> 00:43:00.128
And, you know, even for, like, like I
said, she's on tour for the past week and

00:43:00.128 --> 00:43:02.228
hopefully she comes home for 48 hours and.

00:43:02.648 --> 00:43:06.908
I can energize her just for, you
know, what, whatever it is, whether

00:43:06.908 --> 00:43:08.678
I can cook her home, cook meal.

00:43:08.678 --> 00:43:09.668
I'm not very good at cooking.

00:43:09.668 --> 00:43:13.028
I can't promise it's gonna be good,
but even if I can give her something

00:43:13.028 --> 00:43:16.898
to, to kind of give her refreshed and
get her back on her feet so she can go

00:43:16.898 --> 00:43:21.308
out and sing her songs and impact the
Lord through her, through her music.

00:43:21.338 --> 00:43:22.838
'cause, uh, that checks the box.

00:43:22.838 --> 00:43:26.258
So anyway, it's, uh, I can
talk all day about my wife.

00:43:26.288 --> 00:43:30.158
Uh, and uh, like I said, when it's,
when it's done right, when, uh.

00:43:30.713 --> 00:43:32.363
Um, when it's focused on the Lord.

00:43:32.363 --> 00:43:36.353
And, um, I hope our marriage is
that it's a, it's a wonderful thing.

00:43:37.098 --> 00:43:38.783
Sam Acho: I got one more
quick one about your wife.

00:43:38.783 --> 00:43:39.953
A forklift has another one.

00:43:39.953 --> 00:43:41.693
What's the best thing about Leanna?

00:43:43.253 --> 00:43:44.393
Cody Zeller: The best thing about her?

00:43:44.483 --> 00:43:46.193
Well, I think, I think her joy.

00:43:46.613 --> 00:43:47.993
I think she's so joyful.

00:43:47.993 --> 00:43:51.203
Whatever she does, she's,
uh, we laugh a lot together.

00:43:51.203 --> 00:43:56.003
We have a lot of, uh, and she puts
a smile on my face, uh, each day.

00:43:56.003 --> 00:43:58.193
But even just in her,
in her career, I think.

00:43:58.763 --> 00:44:02.453
People, if you guys met her the
first time you guys met her, she just

00:44:02.453 --> 00:44:03.893
lights up a room with just her joy.

00:44:03.893 --> 00:44:04.973
She's got a lot of energy.

00:44:04.973 --> 00:44:09.353
She's got, um, you know, so whether
it's in her career, whether it's first

00:44:09.353 --> 00:44:13.583
time meeting her, whether it's the
stranger at Starbucks, uh, you know,

00:44:13.583 --> 00:44:14.813
she's always got a smile on her face.

00:44:14.813 --> 00:44:18.203
And hopefully she, uh, you know,
she, she has this very joyful.

00:44:19.750 --> 00:44:21.250
Clif Marshall: Cody, That's great stuff.

00:44:21.280 --> 00:44:26.590
Every, uh, podcast I do with Sam, I try
to leave our audience with a cliff note.

00:44:27.240 --> 00:44:31.680
And today's cliff note is this, I, I have

00:44:32.088 --> 00:44:32.578
Cody Zeller: good there.

00:44:32.820 --> 00:44:35.610
Clif Marshall: I have learned
this, that a successful marriage

00:44:35.610 --> 00:44:37.200
doesn't take two people.

00:44:37.260 --> 00:44:43.140
It takes three people, the husband, the
wife, and God at the center of it all.

00:44:43.440 --> 00:44:46.200
And That's what I respect so
much about you and the way

00:44:46.200 --> 00:44:47.250
you're leading your marriage.

00:44:47.250 --> 00:44:49.200
And Sam, the same with you both.

00:44:49.200 --> 00:44:49.770
You guys are.

00:44:50.350 --> 00:44:51.520
Pro athletes, right?

00:44:51.520 --> 00:44:53.020
You have a huge platform.

00:44:53.290 --> 00:44:55.630
There's a lot of temptation,
a lot of things that can pull

00:44:55.630 --> 00:44:57.100
you in different directions.

00:44:57.460 --> 00:45:01.090
But you guys have committed to your
marriage, committed to your wife,

00:45:01.540 --> 00:45:06.730
and, um, obviously that, uh, takes a
lot of courage and a lot of strength.

00:45:07.120 --> 00:45:10.120
And the, the fact that you guys
have done it both in the NFL and

00:45:10.120 --> 00:45:14.410
now, obviously Cody and the NB, a
much respect to both of you guys.

00:45:14.770 --> 00:45:19.120
And, um, man, I hope this message
today about marriage will bless.

00:45:19.480 --> 00:45:20.980
Uh, some of our audience,

00:45:21.863 --> 00:45:22.463
Cody Zeller: That's awesome.

00:45:22.643 --> 00:45:25.373
I think, uh, you guys might have
heard this analogy before, but

00:45:25.883 --> 00:45:28.133
uh, that it's, it's a triangle.

00:45:28.163 --> 00:45:33.623
God is at the top of the triangle
and then I'm at one corner and my

00:45:33.623 --> 00:45:35.123
wife Leanna, is at the other corner.

00:45:35.663 --> 00:45:37.763
And as we get closer to God.

00:45:38.258 --> 00:45:44.378
As me individually, as I worship
and as I read my word and as I

00:45:44.378 --> 00:45:48.848
get closer to God and as Leanna
gets closer to God individually.

00:45:48.878 --> 00:45:52.178
'cause it's an individual
relationship that we should each

00:45:52.178 --> 00:45:56.228
have with the Lord, uh, we, we
get closer to each other as well.

00:45:56.558 --> 00:45:59.948
So as we pursue God, we're, we're
getting closer to each other

00:45:59.948 --> 00:46:01.478
in our marriage and our growth.

00:46:01.838 --> 00:46:04.208
And I think that's, I think
that's really true if.

00:46:04.748 --> 00:46:09.548
If we're busy and we're on the road and
we're individually, if I'm, you know, you

00:46:09.548 --> 00:46:13.628
know, get away from the word and I'm not
in church and I'm not doing this, it's,

00:46:13.718 --> 00:46:15.368
you feel more distance from your wife.

00:46:15.368 --> 00:46:19.388
So I think that's, that was the analogy
that I saw was that it's a triangle

00:46:19.388 --> 00:46:23.648
and like you said, it's three, it's,
it is three and involved in it.

00:46:23.708 --> 00:46:24.338
And hopefully,

00:46:24.848 --> 00:46:26.888
like I said, we, we try to pray.

00:46:27.008 --> 00:46:31.388
We, we pray each night together, but
a lot of times we pray for that our

00:46:31.388 --> 00:46:33.338
marriage is centered on Christ first.

00:46:33.338 --> 00:46:33.548
And.

00:46:34.118 --> 00:46:36.398
Um, that everything else
takes care of itself.

00:46:37.418 --> 00:46:38.498
Sam Acho: That's, that's so good.

00:46:38.498 --> 00:46:38.678
Yeah.

00:46:38.678 --> 00:46:42.098
We talk, you know, cliff, cliff has
this cliff notes, which I love, we

00:46:42.098 --> 00:46:46.283
love, um, but also talk about, man,
how do you win without losing at all.

00:46:47.273 --> 00:46:51.953
And what I've heard is when it comes
to marriage, when it comes to family,

00:46:51.953 --> 00:46:56.813
when it comes to faith, finances,
football, basketball, uh, it's

00:46:56.963 --> 00:47:00.083
sounds like, it's like, okay, how
do I keep my eyes fixed on Christ?

00:47:00.653 --> 00:47:01.613
That's what I've heard.

00:47:01.913 --> 00:47:08.333
But I want to ask you,
Cody, NBA marriage, Mr.

00:47:08.333 --> 00:47:12.623
Indiana basketball, 11
years, 10 surgeries.

00:47:12.653 --> 00:47:15.348
How do you win without losing at all?

00:47:16.808 --> 00:47:17.798
Cody Zeller: That's a good question.

00:47:17.888 --> 00:47:19.358
I'm, I'm unpacking that one.

00:47:19.418 --> 00:47:22.088
How do you win without losing it all?

00:47:22.418 --> 00:47:23.108
Um.

00:47:23.693 --> 00:47:28.133
I think that it's, uh, like you said, I've
been so blessed with a long career and

00:47:28.553 --> 00:47:31.463
a wonderful wife and, uh, life is good.

00:47:31.463 --> 00:47:35.003
And, um, but I think just finding
the little things in life too.

00:47:35.093 --> 00:47:40.133
Um, you know, not to, you know,
continue to talk all about my, my wife

00:47:40.133 --> 00:47:43.103
and, uh, talk about her, her songs.

00:47:43.103 --> 00:47:47.303
But she has a, uh, she has one, you guys
will have to look up her, her music, but,

00:47:47.693 --> 00:47:50.333
um, she has one that she talks about.

00:47:50.363 --> 00:47:52.523
Uh, she was inspired by
like these fireflies.

00:47:53.093 --> 00:47:56.813
And these lightning bugs, and it's
all about, um, how can you not,

00:47:56.813 --> 00:47:58.193
like, how can you not see God?

00:47:58.193 --> 00:48:02.543
And she talks about seeing a,
a, a field full of, of lightning

00:48:02.543 --> 00:48:04.193
bugs and these fireflies light up.

00:48:04.223 --> 00:48:08.993
Uh, and it's just like this little
thing that we might walk right past

00:48:08.993 --> 00:48:14.033
or that might go through your everyday
thing, but to see those lightning bugs

00:48:14.033 --> 00:48:18.593
and there's, who knows what they're
for, but for some reason, like the,

00:48:18.683 --> 00:48:21.863
the littlest thing or the little
lightning bug that just looks cool.

00:48:22.328 --> 00:48:25.958
That how big is our God that he cares
about these little light up bugs?

00:48:26.408 --> 00:48:30.668
And, you know, regardless of what's going
on in our life, good or good or bad,

00:48:31.028 --> 00:48:35.528
just to know that we have a, a faith, we
have a big God and he hears our prayers.

00:48:35.528 --> 00:48:40.658
And, um, so yeah, I think just the little
things in life that, uh, really matter

00:48:40.658 --> 00:48:43.988
kind of, kind of gives you a little
reset that it's like regardless of what's

00:48:43.988 --> 00:48:47.768
going on in life, life is, life is pretty
good when you got the Lord on your side.

00:48:47.975 --> 00:48:48.055
Clif Marshall: Hmm.

00:48:49.555 --> 00:48:50.585
Great word, Cody.

00:48:50.685 --> 00:48:53.080
My last question for you today is this.

00:48:53.710 --> 00:48:56.380
Where is Cody Zeller 10 years from now?

00:48:57.953 --> 00:48:59.093
Cody Zeller: Oh, good question.

00:48:59.693 --> 00:49:00.383
Good question.

00:49:00.803 --> 00:49:02.063
Sam Acho: On a bigger tour bus.

00:49:02.945 --> 00:49:04.295
Clif Marshall: Right, right.

00:49:06.593 --> 00:49:08.273
Cody Zeller: uh, that's a good question.

00:49:08.273 --> 00:49:09.863
That's what I'm asking myself right now.

00:49:09.923 --> 00:49:13.073
'cause it's, you know, my career
is winding down and trying to

00:49:13.073 --> 00:49:14.753
figure out what's next and, uh.

00:49:15.143 --> 00:49:18.083
You know, my wife and I are excited
about starting a family someday,

00:49:18.503 --> 00:49:23.003
uh, probably sooner than later, but,
um, hopefully 10 years from now.

00:49:23.003 --> 00:49:26.663
We got a few kids and, uh, I don't
know where we'll be living or what,

00:49:26.723 --> 00:49:30.593
you know, life will look like with
our career, my career, her career.

00:49:31.043 --> 00:49:32.783
Um, I know we'll have each other.

00:49:32.873 --> 00:49:38.363
Um, and hopefully we have a few kids
and I can just be the, the cool dad.

00:49:39.683 --> 00:49:41.423
And, uh, so I don't know.

00:49:41.423 --> 00:49:44.183
I don't know what's next for me
after my basketball career, but I.

00:49:44.603 --> 00:49:46.073
Um, but we'll see.

00:49:46.193 --> 00:49:47.183
Yeah, we'll see from there.

00:49:47.363 --> 00:49:49.223
Maybe I'll start podcasting like you guys.

00:49:49.283 --> 00:49:49.583
I don't,

00:49:50.260 --> 00:49:50.655
Clif Marshall: There you.

00:49:50.663 --> 00:49:51.323
Cody Zeller: this is fun.

00:49:52.253 --> 00:49:54.683
My brothers, my brothers and I
have talked about doing a little

00:49:54.683 --> 00:49:58.493
podcast together 'cause three NBA
players, but I'm kind of with you.

00:49:58.493 --> 00:50:02.063
I'm like, we've, we've done a couple
tests, ones where we're like, we

00:50:02.063 --> 00:50:05.873
don't even know what it looks like
to, you know, talk or how long or

00:50:06.173 --> 00:50:07.733
what questions to ask anything else.

00:50:07.733 --> 00:50:10.763
But so we're, we're, we're dipping
our toe in the water there.

00:50:10.763 --> 00:50:12.893
So anyway, we're, we're
trying to figure it out.

00:50:14.318 --> 00:50:16.418
Sam Acho: Well, one encouragement
I have for you, well, two things.

00:50:16.418 --> 00:50:18.548
Number one for the podcast,
I know a guy, right?

00:50:18.548 --> 00:50:18.998
I know a guy.

00:50:19.238 --> 00:50:25.418
Uh, but also, um, you've been married for
a year and a half and I remember, uh, by

00:50:25.418 --> 00:50:26.858
the grace of God, I'm going on year 11.

00:50:26.858 --> 00:50:29.348
Clips going on 20 something.

00:50:29.590 --> 00:50:30.970
Clif Marshall: at 20, right at 20

00:50:31.178 --> 00:50:33.608
Sam Acho: right at right at 20, and.

00:50:35.003 --> 00:50:37.163
People told you with
marriage, oh you should wait.

00:50:37.163 --> 00:50:39.833
And all these things, like they told me
the same thing, told me the same thing.

00:50:39.833 --> 00:50:42.593
Even with kids, dude,
there is no greater joy.

00:50:43.343 --> 00:50:44.843
Like there is no greater joy.

00:50:44.843 --> 00:50:46.823
I've been married by the
grace of God, 11 years now.

00:50:46.823 --> 00:50:47.693
We got four kids.

00:50:47.693 --> 00:50:50.153
I remember being in the beginning and
like praying for kids and want to be a

00:50:50.153 --> 00:50:53.303
husband and like, God, who's gonna be
that person for me when I'm looking?

00:50:53.303 --> 00:50:54.803
You know, a similar story

00:50:55.283 --> 00:50:58.253
and like God provided my wife Ghazi
and then all of a sudden, and I

00:50:58.313 --> 00:50:59.933
prayed for her and the whole thing.

00:51:00.578 --> 00:51:03.758
Um, and now like I got, you
know, my 6-year-old was like

00:51:03.758 --> 00:51:05.438
low key almost on this podcast.

00:51:05.438 --> 00:51:07.628
Like, daddy, I can hear him like,
dude, turn the headphones off.

00:51:07.628 --> 00:51:09.758
Like, he's like, you know what I mean?

00:51:09.758 --> 00:51:12.248
And then it's like, and then my, my, I
got a, you know, we have a 10-year-old

00:51:12.248 --> 00:51:13.868
and an 8-year-old and a 2-year-old.

00:51:13.868 --> 00:51:15.728
And dude, there's no greater joy.

00:51:15.728 --> 00:51:18.098
And so if my encouragement
to you is, yeah, if You'all

00:51:18.098 --> 00:51:19.268
are ready, go for it, man.

00:51:19.268 --> 00:51:19.508
Like.

00:51:19.853 --> 00:51:22.313
Don't let people tell you,
well, you know, enjoy your wife.

00:51:22.313 --> 00:51:25.493
And just like, dude, y'all can
enjoy it and be parents as well.

00:51:25.493 --> 00:51:27.083
And so that's my, my quick encouragement.

00:51:27.083 --> 00:51:29.933
I, we love and like we,
we on this podcast, right?

00:51:29.933 --> 00:51:32.003
We talk faith, family, football,
finance, but we go first.

00:51:32.003 --> 00:51:33.443
We give space, we grow hope, right?

00:51:33.443 --> 00:51:35.963
So Cliff has gone first
in so many ways, right?

00:51:35.963 --> 00:51:40.013
He's ma modeled it right in, in, in, in
the sports arena, maybe in this year area.

00:51:40.013 --> 00:51:40.793
I've gone first, right?

00:51:40.793 --> 00:51:43.013
I retired from the NFL maybe
five, four or five years ago.

00:51:43.373 --> 00:51:45.263
And so it's like, and maybe
in the podcasting deal, I'm

00:51:45.263 --> 00:51:46.643
telling you man, three brothers.

00:51:46.988 --> 00:51:48.668
In the NBA, like all that.

00:51:48.668 --> 00:51:52.568
Like, there's so much that you all
have to provide to the world, right?

00:51:52.808 --> 00:51:56.048
And so, um, if I could just encourage
you in that way, like go for it man.

00:51:56.048 --> 00:51:59.198
If you need some connects, cliff and I
got people, we whatever you need, right?

00:51:59.438 --> 00:52:00.008
Um,

00:52:00.458 --> 00:52:01.808
so I appreciate you Cody.

00:52:02.158 --> 00:52:02.753
Cody Zeller: I appreciate it.

00:52:02.753 --> 00:52:02.933
Yeah.

00:52:02.933 --> 00:52:06.683
We're, we're the cool aunt and uncle right
now, which is, we're both looking forward

00:52:06.683 --> 00:52:10.073
to having kids, but we're, we're having
that same conversation like, man, it's

00:52:10.073 --> 00:52:13.703
so fun to be married, just the two of
us, and have the flexibility to travel.

00:52:13.703 --> 00:52:16.553
We want, she, like I said,
she's doing her, her career and

00:52:16.553 --> 00:52:17.723
she's on the road a lot, but.

00:52:18.098 --> 00:52:20.708
At the same time, both of us are
just excited to have kids and,

00:52:21.158 --> 00:52:22.718
uh, take on the next challenge.

00:52:22.718 --> 00:52:26.228
But we, I enjoy, you
know, both of us enjoy.

00:52:26.618 --> 00:52:29.318
Uh, I feel like it's like being
a rookie in the locker room.

00:52:29.348 --> 00:52:30.728
Like you gotta learn from your vet.

00:52:30.728 --> 00:52:35.978
So you two are my vets, you know, learn
on, uh, parenting and, uh, being a dad.

00:52:35.978 --> 00:52:40.088
So we'll have to have a follow up
conversation, uh, you know, continue that.

00:52:40.088 --> 00:52:42.668
So anyway, yeah, it's,
it's, it's exciting.

00:52:42.668 --> 00:52:45.668
But I enjoy, uh, you know, I'm
looking forward to that next chapter.

00:52:46.388 --> 00:52:46.748
Sam Acho: Awesome.

00:52:46.748 --> 00:52:48.788
Then last one, before we let
you go, you said, we said we're

00:52:48.788 --> 00:52:49.808
gonna talk about football.

00:52:49.808 --> 00:52:52.478
So I gotta get your, your
college football or NFL.

00:52:52.718 --> 00:52:57.578
Um, what is your, I don't know what,
what, what, what'd you see this last

00:52:57.578 --> 00:52:59.378
season that impressed you the most?

00:52:59.378 --> 00:53:01.703
Whether it was college or NFL
or, or you know, anything?

00:53:01.703 --> 00:53:03.039
You, you, you're, you thinking of.

00:53:03.863 --> 00:53:07.223
Cody Zeller: Yeah, I enjoyed, obviously
the Hoosiers, uh, had a great year.

00:53:07.283 --> 00:53:09.623
Uh, so that was really
fun to, fun to watch.

00:53:09.623 --> 00:53:12.473
I think that like we, we said
the NIL and the transfer.

00:53:12.938 --> 00:53:17.918
Think just fascinating to see, uh,
you had like the, the UNLV quarterback

00:53:17.918 --> 00:53:21.308
that went forno to start the year and
then just said, Nope, I'm, I'm done.

00:53:21.848 --> 00:53:22.958
I'm gonna cash in.

00:53:23.348 --> 00:53:25.898
Uh, here, like I said, we're
in Nashville, so there's a lot

00:53:25.898 --> 00:53:27.308
of Tennessee fans around here.

00:53:27.308 --> 00:53:32.348
So, um, the quarterback that said, no,
I want, I'm, whatever the number was,

00:53:32.348 --> 00:53:35.828
I don't, there's rumors it was two
and a half million, I want 4 million.

00:53:36.248 --> 00:53:40.718
And coach was like, Nope, this
is not, this is not the NFL.

00:53:40.718 --> 00:53:41.918
There's no contracts, which.

00:53:42.293 --> 00:53:45.263
I think there needs to be a little
more structure to, you know, the

00:53:45.263 --> 00:53:47.033
transfer rule and the contracts.

00:53:47.033 --> 00:53:49.583
You know, like, 'cause right
now it's just like the, everyone

00:53:49.583 --> 00:53:50.903
keeps saying the wild, wild west.

00:53:50.903 --> 00:53:54.173
But, but I actually give a lot
of respect to the Tennessee coach

00:53:54.173 --> 00:53:55.463
for just saying, no, you're done.

00:53:55.463 --> 00:53:56.483
We'll find someone else.

00:53:57.083 --> 00:54:00.773
And because that's, again,
putting the program ahead of one

00:54:00.773 --> 00:54:02.393
player and that sets the culture.

00:54:02.393 --> 00:54:05.723
We talked a little bit about
culture, uh, for the whole program.

00:54:05.723 --> 00:54:09.353
So it just, it is really
fascinating to see how each team is.

00:54:09.848 --> 00:54:14.408
For one, building a roster, but how NIL
and transfer has, has changed things.

00:54:14.408 --> 00:54:19.538
You saw like the Michigan, uh, um,
quarterback Underwood that you just

00:54:19.538 --> 00:54:22.208
get a couple donors that are like,
man, we'll write you a blank check.

00:54:22.208 --> 00:54:24.368
Let's just get the, get the best talent.

00:54:24.878 --> 00:54:29.648
Uh, so anyway, it is just, it's fun to
see, like I said, I enjoy all sports,

00:54:29.648 --> 00:54:34.358
but college football especially, uh,
you know, even in, even, um, like

00:54:34.358 --> 00:54:37.928
I said, I enjoy going to games and
being Texas is on my bucket list.

00:54:38.378 --> 00:54:38.768
Uh.

00:54:38.828 --> 00:54:39.608
To go.

00:54:39.608 --> 00:54:45.068
But I went to Tennessee, uh,
uh, Alabama, at Tennessee, uh,

00:54:45.188 --> 00:54:47.378
um, this past year with my dad.

00:54:47.678 --> 00:54:48.488
It was a blast.

00:54:48.488 --> 00:54:50.498
It was a lot of fun, crazy atmosphere.

00:54:50.888 --> 00:54:52.868
Um, it was perfect weather.

00:54:52.868 --> 00:54:54.158
It was Tennessee one.

00:54:54.158 --> 00:54:55.688
They carried the goalposts out.

00:54:55.688 --> 00:54:57.188
It threw it in the, threw in the river.

00:54:57.188 --> 00:55:00.758
But there was just something special
about like the, the tradition

00:55:00.758 --> 00:55:02.558
of each school, the atmospheres.

00:55:02.558 --> 00:55:06.878
And uh, like I said, basketball
has the same of like, man

00:55:06.878 --> 00:55:08.438
playing in assembly hall is like.

00:55:08.993 --> 00:55:13.433
Uh, is, you know, the crowd noise and
the student section and everything else.

00:55:13.433 --> 00:55:16.223
But, uh, there's something
fun about football as well.

00:55:16.493 --> 00:55:20.753
So I'll have to, I, Texas is definitely
on my list, so we gotta get down there.

00:55:21.213 --> 00:55:22.773
Sam Acho: I'll tell you, man, we
gotta figure out who you know,

00:55:22.773 --> 00:55:25.833
and, and now Texas in the SC too,
so the whole, you know, there's,

00:55:25.893 --> 00:55:26.823
there's opportunities.

00:55:27.183 --> 00:55:29.403
Um, well, Cody, we appreciate you man.

00:55:29.403 --> 00:55:33.153
Thank you so much for coming on the San
Macho Podcast featuring Cliff Marshall.

00:55:33.488 --> 00:55:37.328
And, uh, dude, we're excited for you,
for your marriage, for your future,

00:55:37.328 --> 00:55:41.168
for Cody in 10 years from now, for
your wife and her music still Waters,

00:55:41.168 --> 00:55:44.468
you talked about it, number one on
the charts, which is unbelievable.

00:55:44.678 --> 00:55:47.018
Uh, so thank you so much
for all everyone listening.

00:55:47.048 --> 00:55:49.208
Thank you for tuning into
the Sam Macho Podcast.

00:55:49.478 --> 00:55:50.828
Uh, go to sam macho.com

00:55:50.828 --> 00:55:52.958
to get this episode and
every other episode.

00:55:53.108 --> 00:55:53.798
We'll see you soon.