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This file was generated by Descript 

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

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A place where we go first,
we grow, hope we give space.

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And so Cliff, we have a very, very
special guest and I can't wait

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to hear you introduce our guest.

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Clif Marshall: Yes, Sam, I'm
so excited today 'cause we have

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Jalen Hood Sheeno on the show now.

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I call him Feno.

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I'll probably call him Feno
throughout the the show today.

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But Feno just finished his second
year in the NBA and he played his

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college basketball for the Indiana
Hoosiers, where he was named Big

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10 Freshman of the Year in 2023.

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And he went on to become a first round
drafted to the LA Lakers and we will

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certainly get into that later in the show.

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But, um, Jalen, I want to just say
thank you so much for joining us,

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for giving us your time this morning.

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And we talk on this podcast about faith.

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Family, football and finances.

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Now you don't play football, but
you come from a football family.

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Can you explain to us a little bit about,
uh, how football is a part of your blood?

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah, football
is a big part of my blood man.

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And even before I get started, I
just wanna say I appreciate both

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of you guys for having me on.

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Um, obviously I don't know you
like personally, Sam, but you

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know, it's obviously great to meet
you and I can tell you're, you

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know, a good man and everything.

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And for you, coach Cliff, you
already know what it is between us.

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Um, great dude, we always talk
about, you know, great humans.

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You're definitely the example of that.

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So I just wanna say I appreciate
you and give you your flowers.

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Um, but to answer that question,
man, yeah, I grew up in a

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basketball and football family.

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Um, my, uh, my, my uncle Jake
actually played in the NFL.

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He played for the, um, Texas tight Texas.

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Titans or yeah, Texas Titans.

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And then the, uh, Houston, Houston Texans.

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And he would play with
the Patriots as well.

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Um, so in my early days growing up, I
remember being at my, uh, my grandparents'

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house and seeing him going through
like his, his routine in, in the weight

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room downstairs or being in the back
backyard, him teaching me like the

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nine o'clock, like all the catches.

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'cause he played wide
receiver and everything.

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So, um, I had that example.

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My dad played quarterback as well,
so when I was playing up in my

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early days, I played quarterback.

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So I was always outside with
my dad throwing the football.

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He was always, you know, giving me
the ropes, uh, teaching me the ropes.

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Um, who else?

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My, my uncle, my, uh, my cousin
Deandre played football for

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the University of Pittsburgh.

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Um, he's a couple years older than me,
so growing up being younger, I've always,

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you know, had him and my other cousin
Sharon, who played college basketball at

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Point Park, um, had them to always grow
with playing basketball and football.

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So, um.

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Yeah, man, I, I just, I've always had
football and basketball kind of in my

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life since I was a baby, so it was kind
of, I was pretty much born into it.

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Clif Marshall: So part of
our priest, oh, go ahead Sam.

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Sorry.

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Sam Acho: real quick, I know Cliff, but
I'm, but I got a question of, okay, you

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grew up in a football and basketball.

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Why'd you choose basketball over football?

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah, I mean,
honestly, man, like growing it is crazy.

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'cause if you ask any one of my family
members, like if you were to spend a

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day with me as a little kid, I would
be a hundred different things in a day.

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But in terms of basketball, football,
in the morning time, I might wake up,

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be a football player in the middle of
the day, I might be a basketball player,

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then I might, you know what I'm saying?

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I've, I was always switching off.

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But fast forward to when
I was like in sixth grade.

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Um, during that time, me, my mom
and my sister, we actually moved to,

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uh, Charlotte, North Carolina, and.

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I went to a middle school,
Bailey Middle School, um, sixth

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grade you couldn't play sports.

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But my seventh grade year,
that's when you could play.

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You obviously like the, uh, middle school
sports, basketball, football and whatnot.

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So tried out, played
basketball and football.

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Seventh grade actually played with
the quarterback for the Patriots.

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Drake May.

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Me and him played.

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He was, he was a year above me, but me
and him went to the same middle school.

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We played basketball together.

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We played football together.

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That was actually, I didn't
play quarterback that year.

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He played quarterback and I
played, I was good, but he

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was, he, he played quarterback.

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Um, and I played, played wide
receiver, a little bit of running

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back, and I played defense as well.

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But I think after my seventh grade
year, um, I was in Charlotte.

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Charlotte was like a
big city for basketball.

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Um, I was starting to kind of
like get a little bit of buzz

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like in the city with basketball.

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Like people were starting to
recognize me as like, okay, like

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this young kid is up and coming.

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He has potential.

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Like, so once I started to hear
that and I started to just.

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I really wanna perfect one thing, I'm,
I'm the type of person, like I need to

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like die down and focus on like one thing.

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And I've always felt like it was tough
to be in basketball season and like,

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be my best at football and vice versa.

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So for me it was like after my seventh
grade year, I kind of told my mom for

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my eighth grade year, I really want to
like, take this time to just lock in on

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basketball and get ready for high school.

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'cause I feel like I told her like, I
feel like I'm gonna end up making it.

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So yeah, that was, that was
kind of the story with that

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Sam Acho: Eighth grade.

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: like eighth
grade was like the, that was like

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the time I, I decided it was time
to focus on basketball for sure.

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Clif Marshall: Well, Fino,
you've got the body for both.

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Let me tell you, Sam, he came
on his official visit and

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I measured him in, right?

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I get his height at six foot five.

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I get his wingspan at six, 10 and a half,
and then I weigh him in and he is two 15

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and I'm like as a strength coach, right?

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In college basketball, that is
your dream to have a freshman

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point guard walk in at that size.

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But pheno, you had the body.

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You could have played
football as well, no question.

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The other thing I wanna mention
on your official visit, I'll never

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forget, your mom and your sister
came with you, and I knew right away

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that there was a special bond, a
special connection between you guys.

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Can you speak to that and why your mom
and sister are so important to you?

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah, like that's,
I've always went by, I've, I've probably

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said in the media too, in like interviews,
it was always street or hard way, and

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that's not taken away from anyone else.

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Like I have a, a, a huge support system.

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I have a lot of great people who
support me, who poured into me.

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So, um, that's not taken
away from anyone, but.

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Like I said, when I was in sixth
grade, me, my mom and my sister, we

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moved to Charlotte, North Carolina,
and it was just us down there.

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So we did spend a lot of time together.

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Um, early on before I made, made a
transition later in my high school

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career, it was typically just us three.

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So growing up, like growing those
early years where I was like.

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In the process of playing a a u
basketball, um, playing middle

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school sports, like my mom was
pretty much doing everything.

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Like she was the one taking
me to those practices.

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She was the one staying up late.

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She was the one waking up early before
work to take me to, like, just making

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all the sacrifices and doing all the,
all the things that I needed to do

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to pretty much be the man I am now.

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And my little sister, she's, she's 12
right now, but early on during those

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times, obviously she was a baby, so
she, she don't know what's going on.

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She's just always in the gyms, being up
late, falling asleep on the bleachers,

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just pretty much having a, pretty much,
not having a say, just being a baby,

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having to just be in all the gyms,
being, um, around sports, sports, sports.

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Um, so those two definitely
made a lot of sacrifices.

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So for me, it is always
been through the hard way.

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And, you know, now I'm obviously,
I've reached my, my goal and

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my dream of getting to the NBA.

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So now I try to just,
um, repay them and, um.

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Just always sh show my, show my
gratitude towards, towards them for

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everything that they did for me.

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Sam Acho: Fino.

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I want to go back to
moving to North Carolina.

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What caused that move?

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

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So I actually need to
go back a little bit.

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So I'm from Pittsburgh and then when
I was, um, when I was either eight or

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nine, me and my mom and my dad moved to
Charlotte when I was like eight or nine.

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So I was like in the, I was, um, maybe
I was eight, so I was like in second

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grade, first or second grade seven.

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I was seven, actually I was seventh.

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So from my first and second
grade year, I spent two years in

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Charlotte with my mom and dad.

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And then, um, for my third, third grade
year, I ended up going back to Pittsburgh.

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Um, spent third grade, fourth
grade, summer of fifth grade.

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And then, um, during those years,
my mom and my dad had split.

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Um, and then my sister ended
up, you know, being born.

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So my mom just decided, um.

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She wanted to, you know, have a change
and kind of start something new.

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So that's how we made the
return back to Charlotte.

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Clif Marshall: And Feno, obviously
you've moved from Charlotte, right?

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Um, now to, you went to Mount Verde,

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Mm-hmm.

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Clif Marshall: high school.

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You

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

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Clif Marshall: Mount Verde, you came
to Indiana University for one year,

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

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Clif Marshall: boom,
you're off to the MBA.

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So you've certainly made, um, the
most of every opportunity, but I

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really want to talk to you about that
transition from high school to college

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Mm-hmm.

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Clif Marshall: kind of what that was like
for you both mentally and physically.

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Jalen Hood-Schifino: Man,
it was definitely a lot.

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I think any, any transition
is always a lot on anyone.

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And I think the main thing is you gotta
learn how to adapt and find ways for

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you to be successful, for you to thrive.

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And, um, thankfully again, I've been.

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I've crossed paths with so many great
people and so many people who poured

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in so much into me from an early age.

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And starting at high school,
like my first year I went to,

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uh, Northside Christian Academy.

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And then after that year, honestly,
I've, so before even going to

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my freshman year, we kind of had
already set, set a plan out for me.

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'cause once I told my mom in eighth
grade the goal was to get to the

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NBA at that point it was like, all
right, so how can we maximize that?

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And my eighth grade summer, um, I ended
up going to a, this is kind of like

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the start of it all for this, this is
like the start of my journey to where I

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started to, um, go, go on the right path.

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My eighth grade summer, I went to a
CP three Rising Stars camp, and that's

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where all the top in my class 2022,
that's where all the top players was.

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So any of the players from, so it
was a whole bunch of guys I can name.

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Um, I went there.

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I made a name for myself
and end up getting invited

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to the USA basketball camp.

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And once you get that invite,
you kind of know like.

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Okay, I might can do something with it.

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And then they dropped like the
ESPN top 25 rankings and I was on

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there, I was like 22, so five star.

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So at a, so that's when I like, it
kind of like hit me, like that was

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like the start of it where mentally
I'm like, okay, everything that I

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used to dream of and watch on YouTube,
like all the lists and all that

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stuff, like that's, that's reachable.

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And I've always wanted to go
to Mount Verde and go to those

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type of school, Oak Hill.

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So my freshman year, that
was kind of the plan.

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It was like, we're gonna spend
either one or two years at like a

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school in Charlotte and try to go
to a school like a Mount Verde.

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And thankfully I ended up having
like Mount Vern kind of like

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built that connection and had that
rapport like my freshman year.

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So after my freshman year, um, I
was honestly going to go to Mount

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ve but I just think I wasn't ready,
like from a mental standpoint.

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Like again, it was just always me and
my mom and my sister and I was super.

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Just super nervous about that move,
going all the way to Florida, staying

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in a dorm, not being able to be home.

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So that, that in itself was tough and
I dealt with that at an early age.

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And then I ended up going to Coal
Mine Academy where I played with

00:11:20.968 --> 00:11:22.828
Jeff McGinnis, a former NBA player.

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And that was challenging as well 'cause
I known Jeff since I was a little boy.

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Um, when I moved to Charlotte, I started
playing with his a a U organization

00:11:31.288 --> 00:11:34.198
team Charlotte, and pretty much
me and him had that relationship.

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So, um, my mom was like, well, if
you wanna make that move and really

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challenge yourself, you need to either
go to a school like a Mount ve where

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you know you're playing against the
best competition every single day

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and get coached by the best players.

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Or you should go to a school like a
combine where you'll play with Coach

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Jeff, somebody who's played in the NBA
knows the ropes can teach you and you

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can also play like a national schedule.

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So at that time, like I said, I wasn't
ready to go to Mount Verse, so I

00:11:57.898 --> 00:11:59.488
ended up choosing to go to combine.

00:11:59.848 --> 00:12:02.758
Um, did a, did did a year
there, had a good year.

00:12:02.998 --> 00:12:04.948
Um, and honestly, after that year.

00:12:06.028 --> 00:12:09.088
My thing was, alright, I'm, I'm
ready for the next challenge and

00:12:09.088 --> 00:12:12.538
I'm ready to go to a school like a m
ve 'cause that was always the goal.

00:12:12.538 --> 00:12:16.828
So after my sophomore year, I went to
m ve for my junior and senior year.

00:12:16.828 --> 00:12:17.368
My junior year.

00:12:17.368 --> 00:12:19.618
When I went down there,
that was like a, um,

00:12:21.868 --> 00:12:22.558
how do I say it?

00:12:22.558 --> 00:12:26.788
Like, that was like my, that was
like the thing that tested me the

00:12:26.788 --> 00:12:27.988
most in my basketball journey.

00:12:27.988 --> 00:12:31.768
'cause it's like you're, you're
away from home, staying in

00:12:31.768 --> 00:12:36.328
the dorm, um, a strict school.

00:12:36.598 --> 00:12:38.998
Um, and it's just challenging.

00:12:38.998 --> 00:12:41.818
And I think that was during the covid year
too, so it was a whole bunch of rules.

00:12:41.818 --> 00:12:44.908
But that was like the first time I was
able to be in that environment where

00:12:44.908 --> 00:12:48.478
everybody that I'm practicing and playing
against is, is in the same boat as me.

00:12:48.568 --> 00:12:52.528
I'm playing with the top five players,
whatever, playing with, uh, j Jalen

00:12:52.528 --> 00:12:57.568
Duran, Dari Whitehead, Caleb Houston,
uh, Ryan Nihart, Langston Love.

00:12:57.628 --> 00:12:58.168
Um.

00:12:58.678 --> 00:13:01.048
Th those are some of the guys that
were on that team my junior year.

00:13:01.048 --> 00:13:02.848
And I actually, I didn't
even play a lot that year.

00:13:02.878 --> 00:13:06.688
Um, honestly, that was just more like
a development year, a lot of learning.

00:13:06.838 --> 00:13:11.248
Um, and that was more so that, and
then I came back my senior year,

00:13:11.548 --> 00:13:18.028
um, started point guard, played like
30, 32, like 30 minutes a game, um,

00:13:18.028 --> 00:13:19.318
and won a national championship.

00:13:19.318 --> 00:13:22.318
And then I ended up,
decided to come to Indiana.

00:13:22.558 --> 00:13:24.958
Um, and then after that,
man, the rest is history.

00:13:26.348 --> 00:13:29.163
Sam Acho: I wanna, real quick 'cause I
wanna get to the Indiana piece and that,

00:13:29.163 --> 00:13:33.873
but, but going back to the adversity, we
talk a lot on this podcast about adversity

00:13:33.873 --> 00:13:35.493
and how that can build character.

00:13:37.233 --> 00:13:42.573
What did you learn during that junior
year away from family about yourself?

00:13:44.218 --> 00:13:44.578
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Honestly.

00:13:44.578 --> 00:13:45.838
I did learn that.

00:13:47.068 --> 00:13:51.418
I'm like a, I, I, I'm able, anything
I put my mind to, I can do it.

00:13:51.418 --> 00:13:57.163
And that I'm very tough cause Again, I
was, my junior year, I was like, what, 16

00:13:57.163 --> 00:13:58.543
or something around that age, whatever.

00:13:58.783 --> 00:14:02.023
And again, that's, that's not normal
for any like, high school kid to like

00:14:02.023 --> 00:14:05.683
just be away from all their family
and just to be, you know, at a dorm.

00:14:05.683 --> 00:14:09.733
And now it's like, uh, you could tell
like my life is kind of shifting towards

00:14:09.733 --> 00:14:13.283
like, I'm putting all my eggs into
basketball and obviously like Montverde

00:14:13.283 --> 00:14:15.973
is a great school, school as well, not
just for sports, like a great academic

00:14:15.973 --> 00:14:18.703
school and everything, but when you go
to Montverde and you're on the basket,

00:14:18.703 --> 00:14:22.063
like, you know, like, all right, like
basketball is like my, won't be my lane.

00:14:22.063 --> 00:14:25.423
So again, like just being away
from home and then playing like

00:14:25.423 --> 00:14:28.003
seven to eight minutes a game my
junior year, like, it was tough.

00:14:28.003 --> 00:14:32.533
And I used to call my mom all the time
and just be like, mom, like, truthfully,

00:14:32.533 --> 00:14:33.943
like I, I, I don't like it here.

00:14:34.033 --> 00:14:37.873
Like, I would say that to her, but it
would never show up in like my attitude.

00:14:37.873 --> 00:14:39.883
Like if you ask any of my
coaches or teammates, like I

00:14:39.883 --> 00:14:41.173
showed up to work every day.

00:14:41.503 --> 00:14:42.553
I got extra work in.

00:14:42.553 --> 00:14:46.273
I never verbally necessarily complained
at practice or to anyone around.

00:14:46.273 --> 00:14:47.203
But, um, I.

00:14:48.133 --> 00:14:50.533
To answer your question, like whenever
I was going through all of that and

00:14:50.533 --> 00:14:53.863
I still maintained and stay even keel
and just continue to put in the work,

00:14:54.193 --> 00:14:56.053
um, I think that was when I knew.

00:14:56.113 --> 00:14:59.353
And then that summer I had a good summer
with a a u and everything, and then I went

00:14:59.353 --> 00:15:00.973
on to have a good, a good senior year.

00:15:04.583 --> 00:15:07.188
Clif Marshall: Know, I want to
talk about while you're at Indiana,

00:15:07.188 --> 00:15:08.778
right, you're a true freshman.

00:15:08.778 --> 00:15:13.908
You come in, um, you're on a team that
is full of a lot of older players,

00:15:14.293 --> 00:15:14.593
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:15:15.493 --> 00:15:19.453
Clif Marshall: And, you know, you came
in and if somebody was watching from

00:15:19.453 --> 00:15:23.803
afar, it was just how you handled your
day-to-day business that you, you weren't

00:15:23.803 --> 00:15:26.203
your typical 18, 19-year-old freshman.

00:15:26.203 --> 00:15:30.373
I'll never forget the first time you
walked in the gym, was like first week

00:15:30.373 --> 00:15:32.443
of June, everybody's getting to campus.

00:15:32.503 --> 00:15:36.253
Sam, you remember that, that first
week that you were on campus at Texas

00:15:36.253 --> 00:15:38.323
as a, as a Longhorn football player.

00:15:39.073 --> 00:15:41.533
just like to watch the players,
how they carry themselves.

00:15:41.533 --> 00:15:45.043
And I'll never forget, FENO comes
in the gym before they play pickup.

00:15:45.583 --> 00:15:48.193
Most guys will grab a basketball, right?

00:15:48.193 --> 00:15:50.173
And just start getting
up some shots, right?

00:15:50.173 --> 00:15:50.863
Getting loose.

00:15:51.313 --> 00:15:55.423
Feno grabs a mat and he goes to
the corner and he starts going

00:15:55.423 --> 00:15:57.163
through his own dynamic warmup.

00:15:57.973 --> 00:16:00.283
And I'm like, man, this guy's different.

00:16:01.153 --> 00:16:04.783
And um, of course he, he goes
through that fast forward, right?

00:16:04.783 --> 00:16:06.193
He has an incredible year.

00:16:06.403 --> 00:16:08.533
He's the big 10 freshman of the year.

00:16:09.073 --> 00:16:09.643
Um.

00:16:09.688 --> 00:16:12.508
Yeah, but I wanna talk about the mindset.

00:16:12.718 --> 00:16:18.478
Um, we have an optional game day chapel
and, uh, pheno would always show up there

00:16:18.538 --> 00:16:26.248
and pheno, do you remember that I you guys
to choose one word, to focus on during the

00:16:26.248 --> 00:16:30.178
season, and then you would kind of choose
a Bible verse that would go with that.

00:16:30.328 --> 00:16:34.228
Can you tell us what your one
word was and why you chose that?

00:16:34.858 --> 00:16:36.853
Jalen Hood-Schifino: I remember
during that time my word was peace.

00:16:37.228 --> 00:16:38.038
My word was peace.

00:16:38.038 --> 00:16:41.818
And I think I just chose that because
I think that was during a time where,

00:16:43.498 --> 00:16:47.338
to be honest, like at times I'm, I'm
typically a person who's, you, you,

00:16:47.338 --> 00:16:48.658
you kind of know my personality cliff.

00:16:48.658 --> 00:16:50.848
I'm more just reserved
and kind of laid back.

00:16:51.088 --> 00:16:53.278
So I typically don't get
like too high or too low.

00:16:53.578 --> 00:16:58.138
But I think even after my senior year,
like I knew I was going to a great school.

00:16:58.138 --> 00:17:01.588
I was gonna be around a lot of great
people, but I did kind of, that's just

00:17:01.588 --> 00:17:03.178
always been my goal to be a one and done.

00:17:03.178 --> 00:17:06.448
So I'm not gonna say I put a lot of
pressure on myself to do that, but I

00:17:06.448 --> 00:17:08.968
definitely went in with the attention
to like, all right, I'm gonna put

00:17:08.968 --> 00:17:12.388
in the work and I'm gonna maximize
what I can to get to that level.

00:17:12.628 --> 00:17:15.478
And I think early on, honestly, I.

00:17:16.048 --> 00:17:19.588
Before the season I was creating some buzz
'cause we had a good pro day or whatnot.

00:17:19.828 --> 00:17:23.248
So that's definitely in your mental as
a 18, 19-year-old kid, you're, you're,

00:17:23.253 --> 00:17:24.388
you're obviously thinking about that.

00:17:24.388 --> 00:17:27.478
And I think fast forward as the
season was going on, I didn't

00:17:27.478 --> 00:17:28.678
start off the season good.

00:17:28.708 --> 00:17:30.868
Um, wasn't shooting the ball as well.

00:17:30.868 --> 00:17:34.408
Like I was playing well overall, like
being a good play maker, facilitator.

00:17:34.408 --> 00:17:37.228
But in terms of just like my shooting
and everything, my numbers weren't good.

00:17:37.228 --> 00:17:42.148
And um, I think just fast forward as
we started to play through games, I

00:17:42.148 --> 00:17:45.748
think I just started to find myself
settle in and kind of find that peace.

00:17:45.748 --> 00:17:48.328
And that was just kind of
the word I gave Coach Cliff.

00:17:48.358 --> 00:17:51.598
'cause I just felt like, especially
in the college season, you're gonna

00:17:51.598 --> 00:17:53.098
go through many ups and downs.

00:17:53.098 --> 00:17:57.808
You're gonna go through wins, losses,
great games, bad games, but if you can

00:17:57.808 --> 00:18:02.278
have that internal peace and stay even
keel, you'll be able to, you know,

00:18:02.668 --> 00:18:06.268
maximize and get what you want outta
you know, the, the situation and try

00:18:06.268 --> 00:18:08.638
to reach towards that positive outcome.

00:18:08.638 --> 00:18:11.068
So I think peace for me in college
was definitely a big thing, is

00:18:11.068 --> 00:18:12.328
something that I tried to focus on.

00:18:13.153 --> 00:18:15.193
Clif Marshall: Hey, Sam,
real quick, real quick.

00:18:15.193 --> 00:18:16.393
Sam, I just gotta say this.

00:18:17.653 --> 00:18:22.543
If you were to walk in my office right
now at, at my home, uh, FENO, you'll

00:18:22.543 --> 00:18:24.283
see throughout the office, right?

00:18:24.283 --> 00:18:27.613
He's got this picture right here
of me and him on draft night,

00:18:28.033 --> 00:18:29.713
which I'll get to in just a moment.

00:18:30.463 --> 00:18:33.913
that's, uh, that's at
the NBA draft, the green

00:18:34.108 --> 00:18:34.468
Jalen Hood-Schifino: sir.

00:18:34.543 --> 00:18:35.323
Clif Marshall: a part of.

00:18:35.698 --> 00:18:35.998
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yep.

00:18:36.073 --> 00:18:40.073
Clif Marshall: But more than anything
else, man, I have a letter that Fino

00:18:40.093 --> 00:18:46.093
wrote to me, um, as he was departing
his last week in Bloomington, Indiana.

00:18:46.183 --> 00:18:47.983
Now, he didn't just write me a letter.

00:18:48.343 --> 00:18:51.823
He actually wrote it to every
assistant and also the head coach.

00:18:53.083 --> 00:18:58.453
and the letter that he wrote to me
says, he says, coach Clif thank you

00:18:58.453 --> 00:19:02.893
for your time, passion, and dedication
in getting my body prepared to play

00:19:02.893 --> 00:19:07.483
at the highest level that I can play
at Peace That's the one thing I was

00:19:07.483 --> 00:19:09.553
searching for this year, and I got it.

00:19:10.093 --> 00:19:11.593
You're a big reason for that.

00:19:11.953 --> 00:19:15.853
I will cherish the times we spent
outside of basketball, especially

00:19:15.853 --> 00:19:18.823
going fishing and the game day chapels.

00:19:19.513 --> 00:19:24.463
Thank you for always reminding me to do
my best and to trust God with the rest.

00:19:24.613 --> 00:19:25.663
God is faithful.

00:19:25.663 --> 00:19:30.913
Love Fino I share that with you
guys because I want you to know

00:19:31.393 --> 00:19:33.403
that's the heart of Jalen Hood Fino.

00:19:33.403 --> 00:19:37.933
How many other 19-year-old
freshmen would hand write a

00:19:37.933 --> 00:19:40.093
letter and give it to every coach?

00:19:40.093 --> 00:19:41.983
That was a part of his journey at Indiana.

00:19:42.853 --> 00:19:47.113
And then obviously I'm chasing crowns.

00:19:47.833 --> 00:19:49.633
Not rings as a coach.

00:19:51.013 --> 00:19:53.833
in my office I also have some
championship rings that I've won

00:19:53.833 --> 00:19:59.083
over my 25 years as a strength and
conditioning coach, But I would consider

00:19:59.083 --> 00:20:02.563
this letter a crown and not a ring.

00:20:03.373 --> 00:20:06.793
the reason it is is because
this relationship is eternal.

00:20:07.783 --> 00:20:09.493
ring is only temporary.

00:20:10.063 --> 00:20:13.633
So fino, I want to thank you so
much, brother, because this letter

00:20:13.633 --> 00:20:17.143
that you wrote me hangs right up
in my office here at home, and

00:20:17.143 --> 00:20:19.573
it reminds me why I do what I do.

00:20:19.963 --> 00:20:21.373
So I appreciate you for that.

00:20:22.058 --> 00:20:23.203
Jalen Hood-Schifino:
A hundred percent man.

00:20:23.203 --> 00:20:27.283
And I think even going back to like
the word peace, like again, aside from

00:20:27.283 --> 00:20:31.633
basketball, I think like just first
getting to campus, like probably like

00:20:31.633 --> 00:20:35.773
our second day there, like Coach Cliff
had me and the three other freshmen,

00:20:35.773 --> 00:20:38.023
Malik Renew, CJ Gunn and Kayla Banks.

00:20:38.023 --> 00:20:40.153
Like he, he kind of like honestly helped.

00:20:41.053 --> 00:20:42.553
We were all like, we
didn't know each other.

00:20:42.553 --> 00:20:45.253
We all kind of had a group chat
before, like college and everything.

00:20:45.253 --> 00:20:47.593
But when he got down there,
he kind of just made that

00:20:47.593 --> 00:20:48.943
connection with us four smoother.

00:20:48.943 --> 00:20:52.543
And then like, we built a really strong
relationship with Coach Cliff, so he

00:20:52.543 --> 00:20:55.123
kind of just helped us transition,
especially being the young guys.

00:20:55.123 --> 00:20:58.213
Like he was taking us out to fishing,
we were going to chapel every

00:20:58.213 --> 00:20:59.353
Sunday, again, something to eat.

00:20:59.353 --> 00:21:00.553
So that was like the start of it.

00:21:00.553 --> 00:21:04.543
And I mean, I always like to say like,
for me, basketball is like, it's, it's

00:21:04.543 --> 00:21:05.773
definitely deeper than basketball.

00:21:05.773 --> 00:21:08.203
Like you wanna build
connections with great people.

00:21:08.203 --> 00:21:12.043
And truthfully, at Indiana, like that
was like, that was probably one of the

00:21:12.043 --> 00:21:15.313
best, if not like the best experiences
I've I've had in my life just because

00:21:15.313 --> 00:21:16.573
of like the people that was there.

00:21:16.723 --> 00:21:17.323
You know what I mean?

00:21:17.323 --> 00:21:20.803
So again, I appreciate you Coach
Cliff, and man, you know, you

00:21:20.803 --> 00:21:21.853
already know what it is with us.

00:21:22.808 --> 00:21:24.688
Sam Acho: Hmm, coach Cliff,
can I ask you a question?

00:21:24.748 --> 00:21:25.808
I'm gonna change it up a little bit.

00:21:26.788 --> 00:21:27.008
Why?

00:21:29.268 --> 00:21:31.048
Why do you do what you do?

00:21:33.428 --> 00:21:35.553
Clif Marshall: Well, I think,
you know, early in my career

00:21:35.553 --> 00:21:37.203
it was to, it was to win man.

00:21:37.203 --> 00:21:38.553
It was to win championships.

00:21:38.553 --> 00:21:41.733
It was to get guys, you know,
bigger, faster, stronger.

00:21:41.733 --> 00:21:43.683
And there was a a moment in my career.

00:21:44.428 --> 00:21:48.448
2012 where it hit me like, man, God's
not gonna ask you about how many guys you

00:21:48.448 --> 00:21:54.058
had, uh, going the first round of the NBA
draft or the NFL draft, or how many four,

00:21:54.058 --> 00:21:59.128
three forties you trained, or 40 inch
vertical jumps, or pound bench pressors.

00:21:59.128 --> 00:21:59.488
Right?

00:21:59.488 --> 00:22:03.838
He's gonna ask you did you
impact those that you trained?

00:22:04.558 --> 00:22:08.038
And a long story short, I had a
player that I was training for the NFL

00:22:08.038 --> 00:22:12.808
combine had a near death experience
and it really rocked my world.

00:22:13.288 --> 00:22:17.098
Um, in terms of, man, why are
you doing what you're doing?

00:22:17.098 --> 00:22:21.148
Like if you go to this player's funeral,
is it really gonna matter where he

00:22:21.148 --> 00:22:23.398
got drafted or what his 40 time was?

00:22:23.698 --> 00:22:24.058
No.

00:22:24.058 --> 00:22:26.398
What's really gonna matter
is how did you impact him?

00:22:26.398 --> 00:22:29.638
How did you love him and how did
you share the gospel with him?

00:22:30.118 --> 00:22:33.418
And, um, thankfully the
player ended up living.

00:22:33.418 --> 00:22:37.228
We, Sam, you know, the facility that
I was training out of Ignition, we

00:22:37.228 --> 00:22:40.348
were, we were doing an FL combine
prep down in Naples, Florida.

00:22:40.918 --> 00:22:42.988
And uh, one day after a workout.

00:22:43.363 --> 00:22:45.253
He decided to go get on a jet ski.

00:22:46.123 --> 00:22:49.663
when he got on this jet ski,
he, he literally went so far out

00:22:49.663 --> 00:22:53.593
that it, it got outside the GPS
where they couldn't track him.

00:22:54.193 --> 00:22:58.063
And um, he ends up getting stranded
out in the middle of the gulf and

00:22:58.063 --> 00:23:01.393
they have to call in the search
and rescue and basically there's

00:23:01.843 --> 00:23:03.703
three hours of search and rescue.

00:23:03.703 --> 00:23:05.833
They found the jet ski,
but he wasn't on it.

00:23:05.833 --> 00:23:10.243
So, man, it was most one of the most
scariest moments of my life because

00:23:10.243 --> 00:23:12.853
in this moment I'm thinking about,
man, I'm gonna have to call this

00:23:13.213 --> 00:23:15.463
player's family, his agent, right?

00:23:15.943 --> 00:23:18.193
Um, this is gonna be national news.

00:23:19.243 --> 00:23:22.903
um, thankfully they found him
with like 10 minutes left in the

00:23:22.903 --> 00:23:25.783
search and they rushed him to the
hospital and he certainly lived.

00:23:26.233 --> 00:23:28.063
But Sam, that shook me.

00:23:28.483 --> 00:23:30.583
And ever since then, I've
taken a different approach

00:23:30.583 --> 00:23:31.753
to the way I train athletes.

00:23:33.333 --> 00:23:36.848
Sam Acho: And it sounds like,
um, it's like there's a lesson

00:23:36.848 --> 00:23:38.018
pheno I'm hearing from you.

00:23:38.018 --> 00:23:43.568
And Cliff, I'm hearing from you as well
is it's not always about the tangible

00:23:43.568 --> 00:23:45.218
things that you can feel and touch.

00:23:45.218 --> 00:23:48.128
It's almost about sometimes more
the intangible things that you

00:23:48.128 --> 00:23:50.288
maybe cannot feel or touch or see.

00:23:50.918 --> 00:23:50.978
Pheno.

00:23:50.978 --> 00:23:53.648
You talked about how important it
was for you to be around, uh, your

00:23:53.648 --> 00:23:56.138
mom and your sister through the
hard way, but then you talked about

00:23:56.138 --> 00:23:57.758
that adversity that you experienced.

00:23:58.018 --> 00:24:02.038
When you went at 16, 17 years old by
yourself and all of a sudden you realize,

00:24:02.038 --> 00:24:04.138
okay man, I grew and I didn't play a lot.

00:24:04.138 --> 00:24:06.478
Like we all think, man, I want to
be on the field or be on the court.

00:24:06.478 --> 00:24:07.768
I wanna play at least 30 minutes.

00:24:07.978 --> 00:24:11.818
You were barely playing on the outside,
but you were growing on the inside cliff.

00:24:11.818 --> 00:24:14.578
You talk about all the accolades, the
people you've trained, the first rounders,

00:24:14.578 --> 00:24:18.268
N-B-A-M-L-B, uh, NFL, all these things.

00:24:18.268 --> 00:24:21.328
But it's the experience that no
one else knew about, where it's

00:24:21.328 --> 00:24:22.888
like lives are being changed.

00:24:22.888 --> 00:24:27.538
And so it almost, what I'm hearing
is this idea of if we focus more on

00:24:27.538 --> 00:24:31.948
those things that maybe the world
doesn't put as big of a shine on?

00:24:31.948 --> 00:24:33.808
You know, people I talk about
oftentimes like, man, how do

00:24:33.808 --> 00:24:34.918
you win without losing it all?

00:24:34.918 --> 00:24:37.588
Like, everybody's like, man, not get
the contract man, or get, you know,

00:24:37.738 --> 00:24:39.508
get the, get whatever this thing is.

00:24:39.508 --> 00:24:41.878
And it's like, no, actually,
like there's things that are

00:24:41.878 --> 00:24:43.678
more weighty, maybe more eternal.

00:24:43.828 --> 00:24:47.758
There are things that actually
so much more than just on

00:24:47.758 --> 00:24:49.468
field or on court success.

00:24:51.043 --> 00:24:51.583
Jalen Hood-Schifino: A hundred percent.

00:24:51.583 --> 00:24:56.233
I agree with that and I, I think
like, again, like now, 2025, we live

00:24:56.233 --> 00:25:00.853
in a, a world where like social media
and everything is at our fingertips.

00:25:00.853 --> 00:25:03.163
You're able to, it, it's just a lot.

00:25:03.163 --> 00:25:06.343
So I think like sometimes you can
definitely get caught up in the social

00:25:06.343 --> 00:25:10.843
media or getting caught up into like
how it should be or this per whatever.

00:25:10.873 --> 00:25:13.993
So I think like, like you said, just
controlling the things you could control.

00:25:13.993 --> 00:25:16.843
And honestly, like things
aren't always gonna go your way.

00:25:16.843 --> 00:25:19.243
Everyone's gonna go through
good times, bad times.

00:25:19.243 --> 00:25:23.563
But if you could control your mind
and control your everyday approach,

00:25:23.563 --> 00:25:24.613
I think you'll eventually, I.

00:25:25.153 --> 00:25:26.593
End up being in the place you want to.

00:25:26.593 --> 00:25:29.173
And I think for me, in, in my life,
that's kind of how it's been for me.

00:25:29.173 --> 00:25:32.593
Like the times where it's been
the hardest for the times where it

00:25:32.593 --> 00:25:33.643
might not have been going my way.

00:25:33.643 --> 00:25:37.033
When I focus on the things that I can
control, which is my mind, taking care of

00:25:37.033 --> 00:25:42.283
my body, putting in the work, being a good
person, um, all of those things, I felt

00:25:42.283 --> 00:25:46.393
like at some point it might not have been
when I wanted it to, but God's going to,

00:25:46.873 --> 00:25:49.423
um, show, show you the way pretty much.

00:25:49.483 --> 00:25:50.773
So not for sure.

00:25:50.863 --> 00:25:52.003
I, I, I definitely agree with that.

00:25:54.013 --> 00:25:57.108
Clif Marshall: Feno, I wanted to
ask you quickly about the, um.

00:25:58.348 --> 00:26:00.388
The transition from college, all right.

00:26:00.388 --> 00:26:04.258
You become the big 10 freshman of
the year, which was at a great honor.

00:26:04.708 --> 00:26:09.478
You play on a team that becomes, um, you
know, a number four overall seed in the

00:26:09.478 --> 00:26:17.098
NCAA tournament, um, you end up getting
beat out of the, of the tournament, by

00:26:17.098 --> 00:26:21.268
the Miami Hurricanes who ended up going
on to that year, to the Final four.

00:26:22.018 --> 00:26:25.708
one thing that I'll never forget
about that is that when you're in

00:26:25.708 --> 00:26:28.708
that March Madness, Sam, and you're
playing in the tournament, they

00:26:28.708 --> 00:26:30.568
have what they call open interviews.

00:26:31.288 --> 00:26:35.218
so that means win or lose after
the game, the media comes in and

00:26:35.218 --> 00:26:37.273
they interview the players players.

00:26:37.278 --> 00:26:40.948
And so it's kind of like an NFL locker
room, which you're used to that saying.

00:26:41.068 --> 00:26:46.768
But the rule is that you have
to be at your locker you have

00:26:46.768 --> 00:26:49.798
to, be in front of the media.

00:26:50.728 --> 00:26:55.438
And I will never forget, man,
that, that I go in the restroom

00:26:55.438 --> 00:26:56.848
and I hear somebody crying.

00:26:57.568 --> 00:27:02.008
Like just uncontrollably crying
after this game and they're in the

00:27:02.008 --> 00:27:06.688
stall and the door is locked, I
could tell it was pheno so pheno.

00:27:06.688 --> 00:27:09.658
I wanted to ask you about that moment,
because I know you were supposed to be

00:27:09.658 --> 00:27:14.158
out there in front of the media answering
questions, but you were so distraught

00:27:14.158 --> 00:27:18.718
that you couldn't even face them, and
there was pain and there was heartache.

00:27:19.018 --> 00:27:22.048
But I want you to walk me through
what you were feeling in that moment.

00:27:22.858 --> 00:27:22.888
I.

00:27:24.338 --> 00:27:24.558
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Man.

00:27:25.003 --> 00:27:25.423
Yeah.

00:27:25.423 --> 00:27:28.723
Like I, I, I tried to, I wanted
to keep it professional and tried

00:27:28.723 --> 00:27:31.453
to be out there for the media,
regardless of the outcome of the game.

00:27:31.453 --> 00:27:33.583
But truthfully, like, I just
couldn't even get, I couldn't

00:27:33.583 --> 00:27:35.113
like, get my emotions to slow down.

00:27:35.113 --> 00:27:39.253
Like, really, pretty much soon as
the, the horn hit, like, I think

00:27:39.253 --> 00:27:41.323
walking, we was walking off the court.

00:27:41.323 --> 00:27:45.433
Like, I felt like, it just felt like
everything was like, in my mind I did

00:27:45.433 --> 00:27:46.663
kind of know like everything was over.

00:27:46.663 --> 00:27:50.173
Like I did know, like I was probably
going to declare for the draft.

00:27:50.173 --> 00:27:55.033
Like, that was probably gonna be my last
year, my last time playing for Indiana.

00:27:55.033 --> 00:27:58.213
Being around my coaches, you like
everyone playing with those guys.

00:27:58.213 --> 00:28:02.203
So everything really just hit me soon
as the, soon as the buzzer went off.

00:28:02.203 --> 00:28:05.263
So, man, it was, it,
it was tough, you know?

00:28:05.263 --> 00:28:10.603
I was just, even though it was
like a sad moment of a loss, I was

00:28:10.603 --> 00:28:13.603
crying almost because of like all
the joy that I've had at Indiana.

00:28:13.603 --> 00:28:17.203
Like all, like, honestly I was crying
because of like, like, like the joy I had.

00:28:17.203 --> 00:28:20.803
And it was just like, dang, like
I really enjoyed this experience.

00:28:20.803 --> 00:28:22.543
I really met some great people and like.

00:28:22.888 --> 00:28:26.878
All these guys, male, female, like these
would be my brothers and sisters forever.

00:28:26.878 --> 00:28:30.958
So yeah, it, it was honestly me
crying outta like, just like outta

00:28:30.958 --> 00:28:34.918
love and just like not wanting to,
not wanting, not wanting the Indiana

00:28:34.918 --> 00:28:36.298
experience to be over, honestly.

00:28:36.298 --> 00:28:38.098
So, nah, I definitely remember that day.

00:28:39.193 --> 00:28:39.313
I

00:28:39.438 --> 00:28:39.658
Sam Acho: Hmm.

00:28:40.723 --> 00:28:43.453
was it about that experience
that was so special?

00:28:44.938 --> 00:28:48.328
Jalen Hood-Schifino: really just like,
I could get into like the basketball

00:28:48.328 --> 00:28:51.718
part after, but like, really honestly,
like the, the connections and like

00:28:51.718 --> 00:28:55.648
the people, and that's going back to
like the summertime where we were all,

00:28:55.678 --> 00:28:58.048
you know, doing team bonding stuff.

00:28:58.048 --> 00:28:59.128
Coach Cliff was.

00:28:59.488 --> 00:29:04.648
Ma like taking us out to fishing, um,
going to church, like honestly, like

00:29:04.648 --> 00:29:06.208
Coach Cliff, set the tone for that.

00:29:06.208 --> 00:29:10.048
And then obviously like we just had like
a great group of, of guys, honestly.

00:29:10.048 --> 00:29:11.338
And we all had good chemistry.

00:29:11.338 --> 00:29:14.308
We all connected and had
a great co coaching staff.

00:29:14.308 --> 00:29:18.148
And, uh, for me before getting to
college, like I was always just hearing

00:29:18.148 --> 00:29:21.088
stories of like, guys going to schools
and they were like, the coaches were

00:29:21.088 --> 00:29:22.468
like this in the recruiting process.

00:29:22.468 --> 00:29:24.238
And then when you get there,
they're the total opposite.

00:29:24.238 --> 00:29:26.308
And for me, it was just like,
I never experienced that.

00:29:26.308 --> 00:29:30.538
Like everything that they said
in the recruiting process, like

00:29:30.538 --> 00:29:33.508
whenever I got there, I, I felt
like I did my part, but like it was

00:29:33.508 --> 00:29:35.098
all true and it was all authentic.

00:29:35.098 --> 00:29:37.468
So, um, I don't know.

00:29:37.468 --> 00:29:40.228
And I, I just think like really the
people there and then obviously on the

00:29:40.228 --> 00:29:43.858
basketball court, just I think for me,
like just the lessons and the growth

00:29:43.858 --> 00:29:47.338
I made over the course of the year, I
think it was definitely good to see.

00:29:47.338 --> 00:29:51.868
And um, at the point whenever we
had Xavier Johnson and he went down.

00:29:52.243 --> 00:29:55.273
I hated to see that because Xavier
Johnson, like, that's my brother.

00:29:55.273 --> 00:29:57.223
And I wanted to see him do
well and I still want him to,

00:29:57.553 --> 00:29:58.693
I still wanna see him do well.

00:29:58.693 --> 00:30:02.983
But that was honestly like my coming
out party because it allowed me

00:30:02.983 --> 00:30:04.363
to like have the ball in my hands.

00:30:04.363 --> 00:30:10.423
And then from there, I think I pretty
much, you know, took off pretty much so.

00:30:10.498 --> 00:30:11.128
Clif Marshall: I got one.

00:30:11.188 --> 00:30:14.368
I got one for you Sam, because
I want you to speak on this.

00:30:14.848 --> 00:30:18.238
I remember talking to Fino after he
gets drafted and he is out with the

00:30:18.238 --> 00:30:21.298
LA Lakers and I'm like, man, what's
the difference in the locker room?

00:30:21.298 --> 00:30:25.258
What's it like compared to
the NBA with your teammates?

00:30:25.258 --> 00:30:27.598
And he is like, coach Cliff,
man, this is such a business.

00:30:27.628 --> 00:30:30.778
It's like, guys are married
here, they got kids.

00:30:30.778 --> 00:30:33.988
It's like there's not as much
team bonding, not as much

00:30:33.988 --> 00:30:35.398
time outside of basketball.

00:30:35.398 --> 00:30:39.988
It's like, you know, this is more
your job and you're not there

00:30:39.988 --> 00:30:41.848
necessarily to make friends.

00:30:42.298 --> 00:30:46.498
And so Sam, I wanted you to speak to that
because you, you experienced that as well.

00:30:47.578 --> 00:30:50.008
for the Texas Longhorns and
then going on and having a very

00:30:50.008 --> 00:30:51.808
successful career in the NFL.

00:30:52.198 --> 00:30:54.388
What was that transition
like for you, Sam?

00:30:54.478 --> 00:30:56.098
Um, figuring that out.

00:30:58.743 --> 00:31:00.328
Sam Acho: The transition was hard.

00:31:00.448 --> 00:31:04.048
Uh, and the reason why I say it
was hard, I think it was twofold.

00:31:05.128 --> 00:31:06.868
was the speed of the game, right?

00:31:06.868 --> 00:31:07.108
Yes.

00:31:07.108 --> 00:31:08.098
The game is faster.

00:31:08.098 --> 00:31:08.398
Everyone.

00:31:08.398 --> 00:31:11.428
You're not playing against,
uh, average people.

00:31:11.428 --> 00:31:12.928
You're playing against
the best of the best.

00:31:13.948 --> 00:31:18.088
I think the harder part for me about
the transition was the fact that no

00:31:18.088 --> 00:31:21.328
longer did I have all this structure
around me that I had in college.

00:31:21.983 --> 00:31:22.103
Clif Marshall: Hmm.

00:31:22.378 --> 00:31:25.738
Sam Acho: we had, alright, here's when
study hall is, here's when classes are,

00:31:25.858 --> 00:31:29.248
here's when you work out, here's when,
uh, here's where you do, you know, uh,

00:31:29.668 --> 00:31:31.408
pre-game lift, all those kinds of things.

00:31:32.188 --> 00:31:35.878
And there was almost like, okay, if you
do, if you don't do so great, alright,

00:31:35.878 --> 00:31:38.428
there's always next week get to the NFL.

00:31:38.428 --> 00:31:42.268
It was like, hey, we got 90 guys on the
roster and 40 y'all about to get cut

00:31:42.928 --> 00:31:43.218
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:31:43.348 --> 00:31:44.098
Sam Acho: about three weeks.

00:31:44.103 --> 00:31:45.273
So like, wait, what?

00:31:45.438 --> 00:31:45.728
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:31:46.113 --> 00:31:46.233
Clif Marshall: I.

00:31:46.438 --> 00:31:50.158
Sam Acho: it was like, it was just, it
became like, it was, it made more sense

00:31:50.158 --> 00:31:52.078
as to what they mean by it said business.

00:31:52.078 --> 00:31:53.158
There's very little leeway.

00:31:53.338 --> 00:31:56.008
I remember there was a time, it's not
necessarily my early in my career, but

00:31:56.008 --> 00:31:58.798
like halfway through my career, year five
or so, I just signed with the Chicago

00:31:58.798 --> 00:32:03.538
Bears playing outside linebacker and
maybe year six playing outside linebacker.

00:32:03.538 --> 00:32:06.418
And we were in training camp and
I remember, you know, I wasn't

00:32:06.418 --> 00:32:09.448
doing so great early on in training
camp, but I figured, oh man, I got

00:32:09.448 --> 00:32:11.668
a little bit of time trying to get
back into my footing, et cetera.

00:32:12.133 --> 00:32:14.953
Come to find out, one of the coaches
said, my coach was like, Hey, Sam,

00:32:15.223 --> 00:32:17.263
they're thinking about switching
you to a different position.

00:32:18.043 --> 00:32:18.553
I'm like, okay.

00:32:18.553 --> 00:32:22.243
I've only and always ever played defensive
and outside linebacker on the edge.

00:32:22.273 --> 00:32:23.923
They wanted to move me
to inside linebacker.

00:32:23.923 --> 00:32:26.083
And I'm like, Hey, how much time do I got?

00:32:26.083 --> 00:32:26.923
They're like, bro, they probably do.

00:32:26.953 --> 00:32:28.003
They're trying to do it tomorrow.

00:32:28.003 --> 00:32:29.653
I'm like, wait, what?

00:32:29.708 --> 00:32:32.653
So I remember, I remember
getting on my knees and praying

00:32:32.653 --> 00:32:33.853
like, yes, God, I trust you.

00:32:33.853 --> 00:32:34.723
Like whatever you wanna do.

00:32:34.723 --> 00:32:36.583
But like, I didn't want to make that move.

00:32:36.583 --> 00:32:37.453
Am I not good enough?

00:32:37.453 --> 00:32:37.873
What is it?

00:32:38.293 --> 00:32:42.373
And so I remember, like when I
say Cliff and Fino, every single

00:32:42.373 --> 00:32:43.993
rep the next day mattered.

00:32:43.993 --> 00:32:47.683
Like for me, imagine like every
dribble, every cro, like every

00:32:47.683 --> 00:32:49.783
single step, every single rep.

00:32:49.783 --> 00:32:52.363
I was like, I'm gonna give it
everything I got just 'cause this

00:32:52.363 --> 00:32:53.743
might be the last time I ever do it.

00:32:54.523 --> 00:32:56.203
I had a pretty good day
at practice that day.

00:32:56.293 --> 00:32:57.013
Didn't get moved.

00:32:57.733 --> 00:33:00.883
Pretty good day at practice the
next day didn't get moved, Training

00:33:00.883 --> 00:33:03.283
camp ends, I end up cutting other
people and I stay in my position,

00:33:03.283 --> 00:33:04.543
end up starting and all those things.

00:33:04.543 --> 00:33:08.833
So it's just this idea of, man, the,
the margin of error is so small.

00:33:09.658 --> 00:33:12.118
It's so small and so like,
that's been my experience.

00:33:12.118 --> 00:33:17.308
But, but I mean, if pheno, I'd
ask you as well, one and done by

00:33:17.308 --> 00:33:19.708
the Lakers, but you're in the NBA,
you're actually getting minutes.

00:33:19.708 --> 00:33:21.148
Like what, what is that?

00:33:21.148 --> 00:33:25.228
Like, what has, what has this
season been like for you?

00:33:26.548 --> 00:33:29.188
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah, man, so I can,
I, I can talk a lot about this 'cause you

00:33:29.188 --> 00:33:31.108
know, obviously my journey has not been.

00:33:31.708 --> 00:33:35.188
Since getting to the league has been
a smooth, but, um, you know, God,

00:33:35.188 --> 00:33:38.158
God has a plan for everybody and
everybody has their own, their own

00:33:38.158 --> 00:33:39.808
journey and their all their own walk.

00:33:39.808 --> 00:33:45.268
So yeah, I mean, going back to that night,
getting drafted, like huge blessing.

00:33:45.268 --> 00:33:50.758
And, um, I'm still young, but like, it's
crazy looking back at like how much growth

00:33:50.758 --> 00:33:54.208
I've had from a mental standpoint and
how much I mature because I can view,

00:33:55.198 --> 00:33:59.548
you know, my rookie year or like even
this year and just like, kind of just

00:33:59.548 --> 00:34:03.418
look back on and reflect on it, on things
that, you know, you, you just learn.

00:34:03.418 --> 00:34:06.568
But I think overall, like it was,
the transition was very tough

00:34:06.568 --> 00:34:08.068
for me for like many reasons.

00:34:08.098 --> 00:34:12.808
And I think the main thing was just
mental, like the NBA environment or

00:34:12.808 --> 00:34:14.278
just professional sports in general.

00:34:14.338 --> 00:34:18.268
Like you said, it's a business and
when you think about it for, for the

00:34:18.268 --> 00:34:20.908
NBA, it's like a, it's 450 players.

00:34:20.938 --> 00:34:24.778
It's a, it is a big shark tank with
a whole bunch of hungry sharks.

00:34:24.778 --> 00:34:27.838
So you gotta think every day and
everything you're doing like.

00:34:28.558 --> 00:34:30.478
It's your teammates, but like,
to an extent, like you're

00:34:30.478 --> 00:34:32.188
competing like all the time.

00:34:32.188 --> 00:34:34.138
Like you're competing, like you
wanna make sure you're the best.

00:34:34.138 --> 00:34:37.198
And we all, every player
wants to be the whatever.

00:34:37.198 --> 00:34:39.658
So I think there's a lot
you gotta learn there.

00:34:39.658 --> 00:34:42.718
And I think for me, coming in,
like you said, I was a 17th pick,

00:34:42.988 --> 00:34:45.178
um, big 10 freshman of the year.

00:34:45.328 --> 00:34:48.088
I'm coming, coming to the league,
honestly, with a lot of confidence.

00:34:48.088 --> 00:34:52.768
And um, I'll be honest, like it, it was
definitely tough for me because I felt

00:34:52.768 --> 00:34:56.308
like as soon as I got drafted by the
Lakers, like again, it, it, it's not

00:34:56.308 --> 00:34:57.688
like you really gotta go looking for it.

00:34:57.688 --> 00:34:59.248
You could open your phone and just see it.

00:34:59.248 --> 00:35:02.878
Like, I was honestly getting, like, of
course I received a lot of love, but

00:35:02.878 --> 00:35:06.298
for me I was seeing a lot of like, oh,
like we shouldn't have drafted this guy.

00:35:06.298 --> 00:35:06.658
We should have.

00:35:07.408 --> 00:35:09.478
So like, mentally I'm just
like, all right, cool.

00:35:09.478 --> 00:35:10.798
Like y'all saying that I'm gonna show you.

00:35:11.038 --> 00:35:13.618
And then I'm also just like,
damn, like the city's not like,

00:35:13.618 --> 00:35:14.998
not welcoming me to an extent.

00:35:14.998 --> 00:35:17.908
So I was having like a little bit
of that before Summer League and

00:35:17.908 --> 00:35:22.018
then I played in summer league and
I, I had some solid, I had some

00:35:22.318 --> 00:35:24.148
good games and some growing pains.

00:35:24.148 --> 00:35:26.398
Just any young player
going through it, um.

00:35:27.193 --> 00:35:28.063
So I'm just, all right.

00:35:28.063 --> 00:35:30.673
And then mentally, um, I'm in a good spot.

00:35:30.673 --> 00:35:33.013
The Summer league, I'm
excited, ready to get going.

00:35:33.013 --> 00:35:36.133
And then we have training camp,
and obviously that's where all

00:35:36.133 --> 00:35:37.723
the, all the big dogs get there.

00:35:37.723 --> 00:35:39.763
LeBron ad, like all,
all, all the big dogs.

00:35:39.763 --> 00:35:42.853
And I mean, you could go look
at it like training camp.

00:35:42.853 --> 00:35:46.273
Like a lot of the guys I know ad
spoke on it D low, like I was like,

00:35:46.363 --> 00:35:47.593
I was like one of the standouts.

00:35:48.103 --> 00:35:51.223
So after the training camp, in
my head I'm like, okay, like

00:35:51.823 --> 00:35:53.053
I'm playing with the Big Dolls.

00:35:53.053 --> 00:35:55.243
I'm showing that I can compete,
like I know I can play.

00:35:55.603 --> 00:35:59.233
And then we have our first preseason game
against Trey Jackson, Davis, the Warriors.

00:35:59.263 --> 00:36:03.463
And I didn't have, like, I didn't, I
didn't have a great game, honestly.

00:36:03.463 --> 00:36:05.563
And I think from that point,
like mentally it was just kind

00:36:05.563 --> 00:36:07.693
of like, it was tough for sure.

00:36:07.693 --> 00:36:10.573
'cause I'm just like, all right,
like we set goals for ourselves

00:36:10.573 --> 00:36:13.663
sometimes and we set a certain standard
and we want it to be like this.

00:36:13.663 --> 00:36:16.603
But sometimes in reality it just,
it don't always go like that.

00:36:16.603 --> 00:36:20.563
And I think at that time, as a young
guy, again, I was coming off Indiana.

00:36:20.563 --> 00:36:20.623
I.

00:36:20.968 --> 00:36:24.418
Was coming off of like that feeling of
always being, you know what I'm saying?

00:36:24.688 --> 00:36:29.008
And then you kind of go to the league
where you really start from the bottom

00:36:29.008 --> 00:36:33.808
again, you gotta work your way up and on
the court things might not go as well.

00:36:33.838 --> 00:36:37.018
And then in like maybe my third
or fourth preseason game, I

00:36:37.018 --> 00:36:38.638
caught like a, a dumb injury.

00:36:38.638 --> 00:36:39.478
It was a rebound.

00:36:39.478 --> 00:36:42.148
One of my teammates got the rebound
and start pushing it up the floor,

00:36:42.148 --> 00:36:43.798
but he like banged knees with me.

00:36:44.038 --> 00:36:45.748
And then my knee like hyper
extended a little bit.

00:36:45.748 --> 00:36:50.638
So that caused me to end up missing, like
my first, however many games in the NBA.

00:36:50.638 --> 00:36:53.878
So once that happened, it was
like mentally I'm just like, all

00:36:53.878 --> 00:36:57.238
right, we're starting, we starting
off the journey with a injury.

00:36:57.238 --> 00:37:02.308
So like, that was like my first
kind of, you know, adversity.

00:37:02.308 --> 00:37:04.258
I kind of facing the league where
mentally I'm just like, all right,

00:37:04.258 --> 00:37:05.278
I'm going through an injury.

00:37:05.728 --> 00:37:08.368
And then, you know how that is,
you gotta ramp up, get the body

00:37:08.368 --> 00:37:09.808
right for that, so whatever.

00:37:10.168 --> 00:37:12.328
Um, and then here and
there I would get minutes.

00:37:12.478 --> 00:37:15.838
And then I just think mentally I
was just, I was in a tough spot.

00:37:15.898 --> 00:37:16.528
I think mentally.

00:37:16.528 --> 00:37:18.358
I was just, I think it
was a lot of pressure.

00:37:18.778 --> 00:37:21.178
I was just mentally going through
a lot of different things.

00:37:21.178 --> 00:37:24.388
And then obviously you're, you're
starting to recognize a lot of off the

00:37:24.388 --> 00:37:28.528
court stuff that I'm not gonna go too
deep on, but you definitely start to,

00:37:28.828 --> 00:37:32.428
you start to see a lot of like people's
true colors and kind of just get a,

00:37:32.428 --> 00:37:34.558
get a sense of reality around you.

00:37:34.558 --> 00:37:38.518
So for me, that was like super, I'm
not gonna say heartbreaking, but it

00:37:38.518 --> 00:37:42.508
was kind of just like, whoa, like
your whole life has really changed.

00:37:42.508 --> 00:37:45.628
Like, I was getting told that got advice
from different players, but like once it

00:37:45.628 --> 00:37:49.948
started to hit me, I started to really
see like, okay, like, so yeah, I think

00:37:49.948 --> 00:37:54.478
like my first year, um, and a little bit
of even like year or two when I was with

00:37:54.478 --> 00:37:58.468
the Lakers, like I think my whole journey
with, with, with the Lakers, if I could

00:37:58.468 --> 00:38:00.058
go back in time, I wouldn't change it.

00:38:00.748 --> 00:38:01.768
Well, I take that back.

00:38:01.918 --> 00:38:05.188
I wish it could have went differently in
terms of like me being healthy and being

00:38:05.188 --> 00:38:06.538
able to be on the court and produce.

00:38:06.538 --> 00:38:09.838
But in terms of how it played out, I
think it gave me everything I needed

00:38:09.838 --> 00:38:13.498
from a spiritual standpoint and me like
just learning a lot by myself as a man.

00:38:13.558 --> 00:38:15.748
It allowed me to mature to.

00:38:16.663 --> 00:38:21.553
Understand, like the whole NBA
landscape to learn how to really

00:38:21.553 --> 00:38:23.713
be a pro on and off the court.

00:38:23.773 --> 00:38:26.563
Like I, I've always like been
a pro, but like really like

00:38:26.563 --> 00:38:27.883
be a pro in terms of like,

00:38:30.643 --> 00:38:33.733
I don't know, just like schedule wise,
prioritizing, learning how to say

00:38:33.733 --> 00:38:36.493
no, like all those types of things.

00:38:36.493 --> 00:38:40.333
So I think now, um, getting the
opportunity to go to Philly, get a fresh

00:38:40.333 --> 00:38:42.253
start, um, I think that was good for me.

00:38:42.313 --> 00:38:46.573
Um, being able, being able to
get some minutes, um, showcase,

00:38:46.693 --> 00:38:47.653
you know, what I can do.

00:38:47.653 --> 00:38:48.973
I had some good games and everything.

00:38:48.973 --> 00:38:52.123
So for, for me now, I'm definitely
looking forward to going into year three

00:38:52.123 --> 00:38:55.513
and just, uh, trusting God and just
continue to put in the work and, you

00:38:55.513 --> 00:38:57.433
know, let, let him lead the way from me.

00:38:59.943 --> 00:39:03.118
Clif Marshall: Sam, I gotta tell you,
a couple weeks ago I was able to travel

00:39:03.118 --> 00:39:05.608
to Miami, Florida and meet up with Fino.

00:39:06.343 --> 00:39:12.073
The 76 ERs played, uh, Miami Heat, and
we had another player from Indiana that

00:39:12.073 --> 00:39:13.753
was actually a rookie for the Miami Heat.

00:39:13.753 --> 00:39:16.993
So being able to watch those two guys go
head to head was certainly a blessing.

00:39:17.353 --> 00:39:21.553
But I went to see FENO at their
hotel and let me tell you, the

00:39:21.553 --> 00:39:26.263
NBA teams, traveled a little nicer
than the NFL teams where they,

00:39:28.393 --> 00:39:28.963
bro, where they're

00:39:28.968 --> 00:39:29.188
Jalen Hood-Schifino: man.

00:39:29.533 --> 00:39:31.303
Clif Marshall: It's completely five star.

00:39:31.303 --> 00:39:33.823
The way they're eating is unbelievable.

00:39:34.778 --> 00:39:36.038
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Nah,
we definitely got a good,

00:39:36.943 --> 00:39:37.963
Clif Marshall: yes, obviously.

00:39:37.963 --> 00:39:38.263
Got it.

00:39:38.263 --> 00:39:38.773
Really good.

00:39:38.773 --> 00:39:43.963
So Feno in my office, again, my house,
I've got a jersey you sent me, I'm

00:39:43.963 --> 00:39:45.343
gonna show it here on the camera.

00:39:45.758 --> 00:39:46.258
Jalen Hood-Schifino: yes, sir.

00:39:46.873 --> 00:39:49.213
Clif Marshall: that's your
Lakers jersey man, which is,

00:39:49.963 --> 00:39:51.853
which is really cool to see.

00:39:52.298 --> 00:39:52.798
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yes, sir.

00:39:53.203 --> 00:39:57.913
Clif Marshall: you about your first
interaction with LeBron James.

00:39:57.913 --> 00:40:00.193
Obviously this is a player
you've watched growing up,

00:40:00.433 --> 00:40:02.353
you're drafted to the LA Lakers.

00:40:02.593 --> 00:40:05.503
What was your first interaction
like with him when you got to la?

00:40:06.028 --> 00:40:09.268
Jalen Hood-Schifino: It was during the,
um, probably like August or probably

00:40:09.268 --> 00:40:13.918
the end of August in September, um,
when you're a young guy, especially

00:40:13.918 --> 00:40:16.498
when you get drafted or just you're in
those like off season months, you're

00:40:16.498 --> 00:40:19.768
definitely gonna be in the facility,
uh, doing individual workouts, getting

00:40:19.768 --> 00:40:21.148
your lifts in during treatment.

00:40:21.388 --> 00:40:24.508
Um, not nothing too serious, but really
just in there again, where being around

00:40:24.508 --> 00:40:25.858
the facility, working with the coaches.

00:40:25.858 --> 00:40:31.048
So it was like one day, um, LeBron's
typically, like LeBron's probably always

00:40:31.048 --> 00:40:33.598
gonna be the first one in the gym,
like getting his recovery or whatnot,

00:40:33.598 --> 00:40:35.668
but it was one day we were in there.

00:40:35.668 --> 00:40:38.368
I remember I was like going to lift
and like he was on the court shooting

00:40:38.368 --> 00:40:42.028
with Phil Handy and maybe like Rui,
like that was like typically his,

00:40:42.058 --> 00:40:47.788
his, uh, his, uh, workout guy and now
he, he was working out in there and I

00:40:47.788 --> 00:40:50.308
remember we just getting on the court
to work out and he was just like.

00:40:50.773 --> 00:40:52.393
This is my first time seeing
him after getting drafted.

00:40:52.393 --> 00:40:53.833
He just said he introduced himself.

00:40:53.893 --> 00:40:54.703
He said, what up Jay?

00:40:54.763 --> 00:40:57.193
And that was pretty much kind
of like the first interaction.

00:40:57.253 --> 00:41:00.283
Nothing crazy, but just like
a smooth of introduction.

00:41:00.283 --> 00:41:03.673
And then from there we just obviously
got to go through training camp

00:41:03.673 --> 00:41:05.353
and, you know, play together.

00:41:07.148 --> 00:41:09.223
Clif Marshall: And, and you've
told me a little bit about like,

00:41:09.403 --> 00:41:10.993
obviously I, you take care of your

00:41:11.293 --> 00:41:11.413
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Hmm.

00:41:11.473 --> 00:41:13.003
Clif Marshall: the
highest level, I believe.

00:41:13.213 --> 00:41:16.513
Um, tell me a little bit about,
like, one thing you can learn from

00:41:16.513 --> 00:41:19.903
LeBron man is he, he certainly
knows how to take care of his body.

00:41:19.903 --> 00:41:22.453
What did you see like in his
day-to-day approach that way?

00:41:23.353 --> 00:41:24.973
Jalen Hood-Schifino: he's
literally just like a machine.

00:41:24.973 --> 00:41:28.423
Like everything you see on the
internet, you see about him taking,

00:41:28.423 --> 00:41:32.893
like, he really does that like every
day, like his whole day's regimented

00:41:32.893 --> 00:41:36.733
from how he takes care of his body.

00:41:37.093 --> 00:41:38.923
How, like, how he eats like the time.

00:41:38.923 --> 00:41:42.793
Like we can be flying back
after a game from wherever.

00:41:42.793 --> 00:41:45.043
Like he's, he has his sleep mask on.

00:41:45.043 --> 00:41:46.813
He might be getting a
massage on the plane.

00:41:46.813 --> 00:41:48.493
He's gonna make sure he get his nap in.

00:41:48.613 --> 00:41:49.783
Like he's just super.

00:41:50.683 --> 00:41:54.493
He's super like, I don't know, he's
super locked in and it's like cool.

00:41:54.553 --> 00:41:58.243
And to an extent it's almost
just like scary how someone is

00:41:58.243 --> 00:42:00.283
like, especially he's what year?

00:42:00.283 --> 00:42:00.973
21.

00:42:00.973 --> 00:42:02.653
He's 40 years old.

00:42:02.785 --> 00:42:07.440
It was honestly crazy to see like,
just him being, um, obviously at,

00:42:07.445 --> 00:42:10.645
at this point I got, this is year
two for me, so this is pretty fresh.

00:42:10.645 --> 00:42:14.065
So he's obviously at the top of his
game, already got all the accolades,

00:42:14.065 --> 00:42:17.695
has everything in the world, and he's
still like the first one in the gym,

00:42:17.845 --> 00:42:19.675
like super locked in every single day.

00:42:19.675 --> 00:42:24.055
So for me, being a young guy, like that
was a great example to see and definitely

00:42:24.235 --> 00:42:29.215
a huge blessing and just be able to,
um, be around that type of greatness.

00:42:29.275 --> 00:42:32.785
Um, see it on a day-to-day basis
and to be able to get, you know,

00:42:32.785 --> 00:42:36.425
a, a lot of key information for me
to, um, be the best pro I could be,

00:42:38.245 --> 00:42:42.265
Clif Marshall: This is really cool because
pheno, was with you on draft night, like

00:42:42.470 --> 00:42:42.550
Jalen Hood-Schifino: know?

00:42:42.955 --> 00:42:46.735
Clif Marshall: you invited me to be in New
York with you, you were in the green room.

00:42:47.185 --> 00:42:52.015
Like I have trained 400 professional
athletes, uh, but I'd never actually

00:42:52.015 --> 00:42:55.525
got invited to the draft where
somebody was in the green room.

00:42:55.525 --> 00:42:59.935
So being a part of that was like so
surreal and thank you for that invite.

00:42:59.935 --> 00:43:03.715
But I was also with Sam Acho on his draft

00:43:03.970 --> 00:43:04.030
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:43:04.225 --> 00:43:05.905
Clif Marshall: in Dallas,
Texas at his house.

00:43:05.905 --> 00:43:09.295
So the fact that I'm talking to both
of you guys right here, I want to

00:43:09.295 --> 00:43:12.445
talk specifically about draft night,
like the nerves that you feel and

00:43:12.445 --> 00:43:16.675
maybe Sam, let me start with you and
kind of how you felt going into the

00:43:16.675 --> 00:43:18.505
draft and how it played out in Aino.

00:43:18.505 --> 00:43:19.165
You as well,

00:43:20.025 --> 00:43:22.690
Sam Acho: My draft journey
was a little bit different.

00:43:22.690 --> 00:43:26.140
I remember at the end of my senior
year, you know, we don't get a lot

00:43:26.140 --> 00:43:29.110
of one we don not a lot of people
wanted done in, in, in, in NFL in

00:43:29.275 --> 00:43:29.725
Clif Marshall: right?

00:43:29.830 --> 00:43:30.820
Sam Acho: one and done in basketball.

00:43:30.820 --> 00:43:34.450
But we, uh, I finished my, I finished
my senior year and I had a pretty good

00:43:34.450 --> 00:43:38.080
year and so I was told by agents and
scouts and everybody that I was gonna be

00:43:38.080 --> 00:43:39.790
a kind of a mid round selection, right?

00:43:39.790 --> 00:43:40.630
Third, fourth, or fifth.

00:43:40.630 --> 00:43:44.440
But if I did well at the senior Bowl,
then my draft stock would increase, right?

00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:45.340
That's like our all-star game.

00:43:45.340 --> 00:43:47.350
If I do well at the combine,
my draft stock would increase.

00:43:47.350 --> 00:43:49.510
Well, at the pro day, my
draft stock would increase.

00:43:49.510 --> 00:43:50.560
We'll go to the Senior Bowl.

00:43:50.950 --> 00:43:51.850
Vaughn Miller wins.

00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:55.000
Uh, MVPI win most outstanding
performance, so I'm like, boom, check.

00:43:55.315 --> 00:43:57.355
Go to the combine, which cliff
you and I have been training

00:43:57.355 --> 00:43:58.435
together the entire time.

00:43:58.645 --> 00:44:02.455
We go and set a record for the El Cone
drill, still standing all time record

00:44:02.635 --> 00:44:06.535
for the three cone drill, top 10 and 40,
top 10 in the, in the, uh, short shuttle.

00:44:06.715 --> 00:44:10.585
So I'm like, boom, check, combine, go
to my pro day interviewing coaches.

00:44:10.585 --> 00:44:10.855
Boom.

00:44:10.885 --> 00:44:11.095
Short.

00:44:11.095 --> 00:44:16.825
I played linebacker, check at a Mike
Tomlin, a after my pro day was like,

00:44:16.825 --> 00:44:18.235
Hey, Acho, are you ready to be a Steeler?

00:44:18.235 --> 00:44:19.255
I'm like, man, I'm ready, coach.

00:44:19.255 --> 00:44:19.945
Where do I sign up?

00:44:19.945 --> 00:44:21.205
Like, I'm like thinking, okay, boom.

00:44:21.205 --> 00:44:22.585
Like this is it, you know?

00:44:22.590 --> 00:44:25.795
And like, and in N-F-L-N-F-L,
like day one is Thursday, right?

00:44:25.795 --> 00:44:27.295
Round one, excuse me, is Thursday.

00:44:27.565 --> 00:44:30.505
So I had something little set
up for round one, but like round

00:44:30.505 --> 00:44:31.915
two and three is on Friday.

00:44:31.915 --> 00:44:36.475
So all the agents, my agent, the coaches,
uh, teams that brought me in, et cetera,

00:44:36.475 --> 00:44:39.355
they're like, Hey, the, you're gonna be,
you know, second or third round pick.

00:44:39.355 --> 00:44:40.105
You've done all those things.

00:44:40.105 --> 00:44:40.915
So I'm like, all right, cool.

00:44:41.125 --> 00:44:42.355
Round one came, which is Thursday.

00:44:42.355 --> 00:44:44.665
Nobody, nobody, uh, I won the
first round pick, so I'm cool.

00:44:45.055 --> 00:44:49.075
But round, round two and
three was when I was 99.99,

00:44:49.075 --> 00:44:50.815
nine, 9% sure I was gonna get drafted.

00:44:50.845 --> 00:44:54.445
'cause all the teams that told
me and my agent and everyone.

00:44:55.780 --> 00:44:56.770
And Cliff, you were there.

00:44:57.280 --> 00:45:02.080
And round two and three, which is Friday,
comes and goes, and I get one call.

00:45:02.080 --> 00:45:03.190
I don't wanna throw 'em
all the way under the bus.

00:45:03.190 --> 00:45:03.610
I ain't gonna lie.

00:45:03.610 --> 00:45:07.990
My agent called me at the very last, like
when the Patriots were up or Ravens, and

00:45:07.990 --> 00:45:09.310
I'm thinking, I'm gonna go be a Raven.

00:45:09.400 --> 00:45:10.360
And I'm like, Hey, what's the move?

00:45:10.360 --> 00:45:13.060
And he's like, oh, I was,
nobody's called me yet.

00:45:13.060 --> 00:45:14.530
I was calling to see
if you heard anything.

00:45:15.460 --> 00:45:16.180
And I'm like, what?

00:45:16.180 --> 00:45:18.520
Like I, and I should have
fired him right then and there.

00:45:18.520 --> 00:45:19.600
I didn't, but lost.

00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:24.490
And so, uh, but I had nothing
planned for, for Saturday, right?

00:45:24.490 --> 00:45:25.780
Thursday had a draft party.

00:45:25.780 --> 00:45:27.370
Friday, had nothing for Saturday.

00:45:27.820 --> 00:45:29.230
And I remember, cliff, you
probably remember this too.

00:45:29.230 --> 00:45:32.050
I told everybody, I was like,
Hey, y'all, like, I mean, I, I

00:45:32.050 --> 00:45:35.290
didn't expect this to happen, but,
um, I'm gonna be here tomorrow.

00:45:35.290 --> 00:45:36.220
I got nowhere else to go.

00:45:36.220 --> 00:45:41.650
And, and I remember going in my
room, Fino and being in tears, bro,

00:45:42.145 --> 00:45:42.435
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:45:42.520 --> 00:45:43.840
Sam Acho: just devastated.

00:45:43.840 --> 00:45:48.430
And I, and because I had, I, I felt
like I'd been lied to by everybody.

00:45:48.640 --> 00:45:49.540
That was like, part of it.

00:45:50.320 --> 00:45:52.330
of it had been lied to,
part of it, it felt like.

00:45:53.995 --> 00:45:57.505
God, you know, my desire, like,
I'm not in it for the money.

00:45:57.505 --> 00:45:58.585
I'm not in it for the fame.

00:45:58.585 --> 00:45:59.335
I'm not in it for the women.

00:45:59.335 --> 00:46:00.505
I'm not in it for all these things.

00:46:00.505 --> 00:46:03.115
Like you talk about the fake, like I've
seen, like, man, we could go, we could

00:46:03.325 --> 00:46:06.745
have another podcast about like, you
meet your, you know, people you admire,

00:46:07.095 --> 00:46:07.385
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:46:07.615 --> 00:46:09.595
Sam Acho: I said, God, I just
wanna make your name famous.

00:46:09.595 --> 00:46:10.705
Like, I want to give you glory.

00:46:10.705 --> 00:46:11.545
That's why I'm doing it.

00:46:11.545 --> 00:46:14.065
Like, what, what, what,
what, what happened?

00:46:14.565 --> 00:46:14.985
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Mm-hmm.

00:46:15.745 --> 00:46:16.795
Sam Acho: I just remember being in tears.

00:46:16.795 --> 00:46:20.455
My sister actually came up to the room
and was like, Hey, like, God's got you.

00:46:20.455 --> 00:46:21.175
Don't worry about it.

00:46:21.175 --> 00:46:22.915
And I remember just kind
of, she helped console me.

00:46:23.395 --> 00:46:27.715
And um, the next day I remember
it was my mom, my, my, my dad.

00:46:27.865 --> 00:46:29.635
Cliff, you might have showed
up early that day too.

00:46:29.635 --> 00:46:30.805
I think you were there as well.

00:46:31.555 --> 00:46:35.185
And, uh, I think we ordered some food
and we were praying for the food.

00:46:35.185 --> 00:46:37.705
And as soon as we said Amen, the
phone rings and it, we had like

00:46:37.705 --> 00:46:40.975
a little caller ID and it said,
uh, it said Arizona Cardinals.

00:46:41.545 --> 00:46:44.065
And I picked up and they're
like, Hey Sam, you know.

00:46:44.950 --> 00:46:45.760
We're gonna draft you.

00:46:45.970 --> 00:46:49.720
Now, mind you, I don't know how it is
in the NBA, but in the NFL, oftentimes

00:46:49.720 --> 00:46:53.350
teams will call you and we'll say, Hey,
we're gonna pick you with our next pick.

00:46:53.350 --> 00:46:54.490
And they don't actually pick you.

00:46:55.475 --> 00:46:55.765
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:46:56.350 --> 00:46:58.060
Sam Acho: And so they call and
they, Hey, we're gonna pick you.

00:46:58.060 --> 00:46:59.710
And I'm like, okay, thanks so much.

00:46:59.710 --> 00:47:01.570
I said, and they said, okay,
well here's coach, here's coach.

00:47:01.570 --> 00:47:04.240
So I'm talking, they finally, they
say, Hey, we're gonna hang up.

00:47:04.420 --> 00:47:06.850
You know, we're gonna hang up, you know,
but we're excited to pick you soon.

00:47:06.850 --> 00:47:08.770
I said, Hey, instead of hanging
up, can y'all just stay out with me

00:47:08.770 --> 00:47:11.770
to make sure that like, y'all pick
me while I see, they're like, Sam,

00:47:11.770 --> 00:47:14.140
we need to hang up the phone so we
can go call Roger Goodell to put

00:47:14.245 --> 00:47:14.595
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Right.

00:47:14.620 --> 00:47:15.580
Sam Acho: in that you're
gonna get drafted.

00:47:15.580 --> 00:47:15.850
Right?

00:47:15.850 --> 00:47:20.290
So it was an exciting moment
for sure, but there was so much

00:47:20.770 --> 00:47:24.280
fear, there was doubt, there was
frustration, there was confusion,

00:47:24.280 --> 00:47:26.200
there was anger, there was sadness.

00:47:26.410 --> 00:47:29.440
But it all culminated in joy
because I got an opportunity.

00:47:29.440 --> 00:47:32.410
And by God's grace, played nine
years, four years in Arizona,

00:47:32.410 --> 00:47:35.680
four years in Chicago, finished up
with Tampa Bay, um, and finished

00:47:35.680 --> 00:47:37.510
a a about a decade in the NFL.

00:47:37.810 --> 00:47:38.230
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Mm-hmm.

00:47:38.360 --> 00:47:41.830
Clif Marshall: Sam, you knew what Shado
Sanders was feeling a couple of weeks ago.

00:47:42.010 --> 00:47:42.100
Sam Acho: knew

00:47:42.235 --> 00:47:42.955
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:47:43.060 --> 00:47:44.410
Sam Acho: I knew what
should do was feeling.

00:47:44.890 --> 00:47:46.315
I knew what to do was feeling.

00:47:46.555 --> 00:47:47.695
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Already knew, man.

00:47:47.905 --> 00:47:49.825
Um, no, that's a powerful story though.

00:47:49.825 --> 00:47:52.705
And like you said, you, if you look at
like where you started from until like

00:47:52.705 --> 00:47:54.865
you had a successful 10 year career.

00:47:54.865 --> 00:47:56.125
So that's a blessing in itself.

00:47:56.125 --> 00:47:59.545
And I think for me it was my mine
was a little bit different 'cause

00:47:59.545 --> 00:48:00.835
like coming out, I knew like.

00:48:01.780 --> 00:48:04.900
Um, pretty much a lot of the mock
drafts and even talking to my

00:48:04.900 --> 00:48:07.930
agents, like I was like a consensus,
like first round pick for sure.

00:48:08.110 --> 00:48:10.960
Possibly like lottery,
like top, top 20 range.

00:48:10.960 --> 00:48:16.750
So I knew like everything we were doing
in the, in the process was very strategic.

00:48:16.750 --> 00:48:19.000
Like how many workouts I had,
the teams I was working out

00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:20.050
for, all that type of stuff.

00:48:20.050 --> 00:48:27.040
So, um, it was very nerve wracking
though, like the draft really, like

00:48:27.040 --> 00:48:30.490
the night before, well really since
like, whenever I got to New York like

00:48:30.490 --> 00:48:33.130
it, it was, it was all hitting me like,
all right, like it's about to happen.

00:48:33.640 --> 00:48:38.320
I have no clue where I'm
about to go, but trust God.

00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:42.280
And with that, it was still just
a whole bunch of just nerves.

00:48:42.280 --> 00:48:44.320
Super anxious, really couldn't sleep.

00:48:44.380 --> 00:48:45.430
My mom was just racing.

00:48:45.430 --> 00:48:49.180
So fast forward, we get to, um, I.

00:48:49.825 --> 00:48:52.705
To the place on draft night, we're
going through it all, taking pictures

00:48:52.705 --> 00:48:54.265
like you're in the green room.

00:48:54.265 --> 00:48:56.485
Like at this point I'm sure
everyone knows all right, like it's

00:48:56.485 --> 00:48:57.955
really about to happen, it's time.

00:48:58.255 --> 00:49:01.075
So that was really my, that was like
my whole feeling and throughout the

00:49:01.075 --> 00:49:04.585
night just talking to my agent like,
alright, like is this team saying this?

00:49:04.585 --> 00:49:05.755
Like, what's what's going on?

00:49:05.755 --> 00:49:10.465
And for me it was, it was really no
really word on like where I was going.

00:49:10.465 --> 00:49:14.965
So for me, I'm just at the table,
just kind of like just, all right.

00:49:15.175 --> 00:49:16.945
And then I'm just seeing teams go down.

00:49:17.005 --> 00:49:20.665
Honestly, like for me, like when I
started to like pay attention to where

00:49:20.665 --> 00:49:25.525
I feel like I could go, honestly it was
like around probably like Utah at nine.

00:49:26.425 --> 00:49:29.725
Once like Utah was on the clock at nine,
that's where I kind of like felt like,

00:49:29.725 --> 00:49:30.985
all right, let me start paying attention.

00:49:30.985 --> 00:49:33.745
So nine, Utah didn't pick me.

00:49:33.745 --> 00:49:38.905
They chose Taylor Hendricks, um, 10,
I wanna say that was Cason Wallace.

00:49:38.905 --> 00:49:44.065
He got drafted by Dallas and he got
traded to OKC for Derrick Lively at 11 or.

00:49:44.755 --> 00:49:45.505
10 or whatever.

00:49:45.655 --> 00:49:47.365
And then teams was going by.

00:49:47.365 --> 00:49:55.045
So at when it got to like, I wanna say 15
Atlanta, and they chose Buffin, I think

00:49:55.045 --> 00:50:01.015
that's when my agent started to get like
a little, he said, la No, it was once they

00:50:01.015 --> 00:50:05.485
drafted Ke George before me or Utah at
16, like before that pick, he was like,

00:50:05.635 --> 00:50:07.285
the Lakers are gonna take you at 17.

00:50:07.285 --> 00:50:08.545
So I'm just at the table, like,

00:50:11.845 --> 00:50:12.595
I'm just froze.

00:50:12.595 --> 00:50:15.025
I'm just like, whoa, it's about to happen.

00:50:15.445 --> 00:50:16.975
And then on top of that, it's la.

00:50:18.955 --> 00:50:20.185
So I'm just like, whoa.

00:50:20.275 --> 00:50:22.195
And my favorite player
was like Kobe growing up.

00:50:22.195 --> 00:50:24.595
Like I was always just
looking at his workout videos.

00:50:25.105 --> 00:50:27.295
So I'm just like, this is
like a full circle moment.

00:50:27.295 --> 00:50:28.795
So it just all started to hit me.

00:50:29.005 --> 00:50:32.035
And then Rob Pelinka called me
and I'm like, all right, like

00:50:32.185 --> 00:50:33.205
it's about to be that time.

00:50:33.205 --> 00:50:36.265
Then I start seeing the cameras
come over and I'm just like, oh man.

00:50:36.625 --> 00:50:38.635
So I don't know.

00:50:38.635 --> 00:50:39.355
That was like a.

00:50:40.255 --> 00:50:41.635
Something you always dream of.

00:50:41.635 --> 00:50:43.735
And then like, I I, I
tell this every time.

00:50:43.735 --> 00:50:46.675
'cause whenever I was going up to like
I'm saying hey to everybody giving hugs,

00:50:46.675 --> 00:50:50.665
and I'm walking up to the stage like, no
exaggeration, like everything went silent.

00:50:51.235 --> 00:50:55.075
It was like, I'm walking up there to Adam
Silver and like everything I'm thinking

00:50:55.075 --> 00:50:56.695
about is just like, like my whole journey.

00:50:56.695 --> 00:50:58.915
Like everything I went through,
I'm just walking up there just

00:50:58.915 --> 00:51:00.445
like, wow, like I'm finally here.

00:51:01.045 --> 00:51:03.415
But then obviously once you get
drafted it's like, all right, cool.

00:51:03.535 --> 00:51:06.145
Now it's like you gotta really start
to really put the work in and you

00:51:06.145 --> 00:51:07.195
know, you start from the bottom.

00:51:07.195 --> 00:51:09.595
So no, the draft experience
was definitely cool.

00:51:09.625 --> 00:51:12.325
What's crazy is I actually
watched last night, I always

00:51:12.325 --> 00:51:13.495
watched my highlights or whatnot.

00:51:13.555 --> 00:51:16.435
I was watching like me get
drafted last night and it

00:51:16.435 --> 00:51:17.635
still gave me the same feeling,

00:51:18.465 --> 00:51:19.065
Clif Marshall: Wow.

00:51:19.125 --> 00:51:19.965
Amazing.

00:51:20.575 --> 00:51:20.995
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:51:21.165 --> 00:51:23.235
Clif Marshall: Mike Woodson,
your head coach at Indiana,

00:51:23.235 --> 00:51:24.765
was right there to hug you.

00:51:24.765 --> 00:51:27.855
And, um, man, just that
picture was, was beautiful.

00:51:27.855 --> 00:51:30.135
And Sam, I gotta share this story, man.

00:51:30.615 --> 00:51:34.515
One of my, maybe my favorite game
from the eight years I was at Indiana

00:51:34.515 --> 00:51:38.865
University with men's basketball as a
strength coach, was Jaylen's freshman

00:51:38.865 --> 00:51:42.345
year, and it was at Purdue Mackey Arena.

00:51:42.345 --> 00:51:49.420
Sam, like, this is our in, in-state rival,
our You know, and they've had the number

00:51:49.420 --> 00:51:51.340
of Indiana the last few years, right.

00:51:51.340 --> 00:51:55.900
But we had already beaten Purdue once
that year and they were currently

00:51:55.900 --> 00:51:57.430
like number five in the nation.

00:51:57.430 --> 00:51:59.110
We were number 17 in the nation.

00:51:59.470 --> 00:52:04.510
And Indiana hadn't beat Purdue
at Purdue in a very long time.

00:52:05.290 --> 00:52:09.460
Well, fast forward, we're at a shoot
around right game day, shoot around, and

00:52:09.460 --> 00:52:15.460
I'm talking to our team doctor who's been
with the program for like 45 years and I

00:52:15.460 --> 00:52:21.550
asked him, I respect him so much 'cause
he's seen at Indiana since Bobby Knight.

00:52:22.420 --> 00:52:23.530
And I said, Dr.

00:52:23.590 --> 00:52:24.010
Dr.

00:52:24.010 --> 00:52:24.820
Rink was his name.

00:52:24.820 --> 00:52:25.450
I said, Dr.

00:52:25.450 --> 00:52:27.400
Rink, is Feno a pro?

00:52:28.630 --> 00:52:30.550
I said, is Jaylen Hood Shino a pro?

00:52:31.300 --> 00:52:34.630
And he said, coach Cliff,
I'll tell you after tonight.

00:52:38.260 --> 00:52:44.590
So we play right Halftime,
FENOs got like 22.

00:52:44.950 --> 00:52:45.730
He's cooking.

00:52:46.555 --> 00:52:53.305
He ends up, he ends up scoring 35
points on the road at Purdue, and

00:52:53.305 --> 00:52:56.185
we end up sweeping the boilermakers.

00:52:56.665 --> 00:52:58.945
And I'll never forget after the game, Dr.

00:52:58.945 --> 00:53:02.665
Rink coming up to me and saying,
cliff, is certainly a pro.

00:53:04.105 --> 00:53:06.145
man, man, oh man.

00:53:06.265 --> 00:53:09.355
Uh, pheno, what a great performance that
was and what a great memory that was.

00:53:09.355 --> 00:53:13.405
We've actually got a picture after
that game holding a broom because we,

00:53:13.525 --> 00:53:15.385
we swept the boilermakers that year.

00:53:15.385 --> 00:53:18.235
So that was a, a, a great moment for sure.

00:53:18.535 --> 00:53:18.825
Sam Acho: Yeah.

00:53:19.740 --> 00:53:21.235
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Man,
that was a great time.

00:53:21.235 --> 00:53:23.245
I remember that game man,
like it was yesterday.

00:53:24.310 --> 00:53:26.200
Definitely, definitely was a lot of fun.

00:53:26.200 --> 00:53:30.430
I think like even going into that game,
like I knew, like the, obviously like

00:53:30.550 --> 00:53:35.050
Purdue, Indiana, you already know that's
a big, um, something big for the state.

00:53:35.050 --> 00:53:37.180
And I knew we had one in there in a while.

00:53:37.180 --> 00:53:39.550
I know we beat him at our
place, so I'm like, all right,

00:53:39.550 --> 00:53:40.570
let's try to get another one.

00:53:40.570 --> 00:53:41.560
Especially in there.

00:53:41.740 --> 00:53:45.190
And I, you probably got the picture
Coach Cliff, like before the game Trace,

00:53:45.190 --> 00:53:46.600
like got his arm around me or something.

00:53:46.600 --> 00:53:48.280
He's like saying something in my ear.

00:53:48.280 --> 00:53:52.180
I remember him telling me
like, like, be you tonight.

00:53:52.270 --> 00:53:53.230
And I'm like, all right, cool.

00:53:53.320 --> 00:53:57.520
And I remember the game starting and like,
obviously Trace was like probably like

00:53:57.520 --> 00:54:00.820
the best player in college basketball,
like, and like stats, all that stuff.

00:54:00.820 --> 00:54:04.900
Like he, he was doing it all and he was
obviously a big focus every single night.

00:54:04.990 --> 00:54:09.280
And I remember they was just taking take,
trying to take away a lot of his stuff.

00:54:09.280 --> 00:54:12.700
So for me, I'm seeing that I'm just like,
all right, now I gotta be aggressive.

00:54:12.700 --> 00:54:15.700
And I remember I hit like my first couple
shots and I'm just like, all right.

00:54:16.930 --> 00:54:20.080
Then on top of that, it probably helped
that I couldn't really hear, it was so

00:54:20.080 --> 00:54:21.310
loud, I couldn't really hear anything.

00:54:21.310 --> 00:54:24.400
So in terms of like hearing
Coach Woods on the side call, I

00:54:24.400 --> 00:54:25.390
couldn't hear him say anything.

00:54:25.390 --> 00:54:27.910
So I was pretty much just
running everything on my own.

00:54:28.060 --> 00:54:32.500
So it was just like a, it was just a good
layout and it was like a good game, man.

00:54:32.560 --> 00:54:35.410
I was just happy to get the win,
honestly, to beat him two times.

00:54:35.410 --> 00:54:36.730
So that was, it was cool.

00:54:37.330 --> 00:54:37.810
It was cool.

00:54:37.825 --> 00:54:40.195
Clif Marshall: photo of you
and Trace Man, right here.

00:54:40.195 --> 00:54:41.065
If you could see that.

00:54:41.095 --> 00:54:41.605
Man,

00:54:42.190 --> 00:54:42.670
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:54:42.715 --> 00:54:45.385
Clif Marshall: a mo, a
monumental moment, man.

00:54:45.385 --> 00:54:45.865
That was

00:54:46.090 --> 00:54:46.660
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:54:47.185 --> 00:54:48.715
Clif Marshall: game and great experience.

00:54:48.715 --> 00:54:51.625
And Sam, I know you've had those
moments too when you played in

00:54:51.625 --> 00:54:55.525
college at Texas, but when you
talk about getting in the zone.

00:54:56.215 --> 00:55:00.745
Being in that zone, man, Fino was, was
certainly in it that night and it was,

00:55:00.745 --> 00:55:02.305
it was really, really cool to see.

00:55:02.795 --> 00:55:03.215
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Mm-hmm.

00:55:03.880 --> 00:55:07.120
Sam Acho: So Fino, I got one more for
you and then Cliff's going to close

00:55:07.120 --> 00:55:11.260
us off, but I ask every one of our
guests this, and I'm gonna ask you,

00:55:13.300 --> 00:55:14.260
you've seen a lot.

00:55:15.100 --> 00:55:16.720
still young, but you've seen a lot.

00:55:17.665 --> 00:55:20.090
How do you win without losing it all?

00:55:22.670 --> 00:55:24.805
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Well, I
think you win without losing

00:55:24.805 --> 00:55:26.635
it all is it starts with you.

00:55:27.055 --> 00:55:30.685
I think as a whole, we are the
creator of our own reality.

00:55:30.685 --> 00:55:34.525
So like you can wake up every day
and set an attention and just have an

00:55:34.525 --> 00:55:40.465
attitude, or you can set the tone and
trust God, talk to God, be positive.

00:55:40.465 --> 00:55:44.845
So for me, in my life, like again,
the journey hasn't been easy.

00:55:44.845 --> 00:55:46.525
It's been a rollercoaster,
but that's for everyone.

00:55:46.525 --> 00:55:49.795
So for me, I always just
try to stay grounded.

00:55:49.795 --> 00:55:52.195
And for me, I always
use the word gratitude.

00:55:52.195 --> 00:55:55.615
Like for every single thing, every
person I encounter, every experience I

00:55:55.615 --> 00:55:59.575
encounter, like good or bad, like I'm
always just grateful to experience that.

00:55:59.575 --> 00:56:00.710
I'm thankful that God's.

00:56:01.315 --> 00:56:03.535
Presently have me here and
wake me up every single day.

00:56:03.535 --> 00:56:09.865
So like honestly for me, like whatever I'm
going through, I always just stay grounded

00:56:09.865 --> 00:56:11.845
and just stay centered and just trust God.

00:56:11.845 --> 00:56:15.115
Because again, we are gonna go
through so many different things.

00:56:15.115 --> 00:56:16.465
Like that's, that's undeniable.

00:56:16.465 --> 00:56:22.735
Failure is going to be undeniable,
but the, for me, failure is no option.

00:56:22.735 --> 00:56:25.765
It's not that you're never gonna fail,
it's like you're just never gonna give up.

00:56:25.765 --> 00:56:27.535
So, um, I don't know.

00:56:27.535 --> 00:56:32.635
I think if you just trust God and you can
control yourself, control your attitude,

00:56:32.635 --> 00:56:37.885
the way you view things, and just try to
be positive, um, I think you'll be fine.

00:56:40.110 --> 00:56:41.275
Clif Marshall: Really good Fino.

00:56:41.275 --> 00:56:45.115
My last question for you is you talk
about faith a lot, you talk about

00:56:45.115 --> 00:56:47.605
God a lot, even in today's podcast.

00:56:48.205 --> 00:56:48.265
Um.

00:56:49.780 --> 00:56:53.680
I, I just wanna know, you've
got the God strong, uh, tattoo

00:56:53.680 --> 00:56:56.050
across your, your abdomen, right?

00:56:56.050 --> 00:56:59.470
You've got like this faith about you.

00:56:59.470 --> 00:57:03.370
I want to know who has had the
greatest influence on you in your

00:57:03.370 --> 00:57:05.530
life when it does come to your faith.

00:57:07.405 --> 00:57:10.885
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Man,
it's so many different people

00:57:10.885 --> 00:57:12.625
and so many different things.

00:57:12.625 --> 00:57:17.335
Honestly, like I would say, like
my family as a whole, um, I can

00:57:17.335 --> 00:57:18.505
even say you like, I don't know.

00:57:18.505 --> 00:57:21.655
I've, I've had so many different
experiences that's helped me.

00:57:22.585 --> 00:57:26.305
Well, yeah, that's, that's helped
me honestly like, wanna continue

00:57:26.305 --> 00:57:28.885
to strength my relationship with
God and then off, like, truthfully

00:57:28.885 --> 00:57:30.505
just like experience in my life.

00:57:30.505 --> 00:57:33.715
And I think, like I've always
considered myself to be a believer.

00:57:33.715 --> 00:57:36.355
I've always tried to be
righteous in my own way and.

00:57:37.060 --> 00:57:38.320
Um, things like that.

00:57:38.320 --> 00:57:41.920
But honestly, my rookie year, when
I had surgery March 21st, once I had

00:57:41.920 --> 00:57:45.070
like that low back surgery, that was
like the first time I felt like I

00:57:45.070 --> 00:57:48.730
had in a while where I just slowed
down and I had time to just reflect.

00:57:48.790 --> 00:57:49.300
And like,

00:57:49.525 --> 00:57:49.885
Clif Marshall: Hmm.

00:57:50.500 --> 00:57:52.600
Jalen Hood-Schifino: it was a lot
of different, like, things that

00:57:52.600 --> 00:57:55.210
was happening to me from like a
spiritual level and like things

00:57:55.210 --> 00:57:56.680
that I was starting to like realize.

00:57:56.680 --> 00:57:59.500
And I was, I felt like I was just starting
to realize a lot of different things.

00:57:59.500 --> 00:58:02.830
So I think for me, man, I just
view the world and like everything,

00:58:02.830 --> 00:58:04.660
like everything's God for, for me.

00:58:04.660 --> 00:58:10.600
So I just, I just try to be a good
person, do my work while I'm here.

00:58:10.600 --> 00:58:11.710
Like, like do God's work.

00:58:11.710 --> 00:58:12.670
Just be a good person.

00:58:12.970 --> 00:58:17.620
Um, be respectful, be humble,
uh, work hard and just try

00:58:17.620 --> 00:58:18.670
to do all the right things.

00:58:18.670 --> 00:58:22.420
So, um, I know God's, God's,
God's proud of me for sure.

00:58:23.425 --> 00:58:28.195
Clif Marshall: And I also wanna re, I
I want to talk about quickly because

00:58:28.195 --> 00:58:31.375
when I did visit you, uh, in Miami
a couple weeks ago, you were at the

00:58:31.375 --> 00:58:35.215
hotel and I think you told me like,
Hey, go to the arena a little early.

00:58:35.215 --> 00:58:37.855
I do chapel, you know, before every game.

00:58:37.885 --> 00:58:40.165
So in the NBA Sam, it's pretty cool.

00:58:41.245 --> 00:58:45.475
Every team offers a game day
chapel, and that's the home team.

00:58:45.865 --> 00:58:50.095
However, the opposing team is
allowed to join that as well.

00:58:50.095 --> 00:58:51.595
So, Fino, can you talk about that?

00:58:51.595 --> 00:58:55.345
Like what's, what's it like sitting
in a, in a game day chapel with a

00:58:55.345 --> 00:58:59.335
player that you're about to face off
against in a, in probably 60 minutes.

00:58:59.865 --> 00:59:00.155
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yeah.

00:59:00.550 --> 00:59:01.510
Um, chapel.

00:59:01.510 --> 00:59:01.750
Yeah.

00:59:01.750 --> 00:59:05.440
Every, every team has a chapel and it's
every game day at 60 minutes on the clock.

00:59:05.440 --> 00:59:09.490
And I know it's just like a time for
everyone to kind of, obviously you about

00:59:09.490 --> 00:59:13.030
to go head to head compete against these
guys with the opposite team, but it's

00:59:13.030 --> 00:59:19.240
like a second for you to just connect
with, you know, God and kind of take

00:59:19.240 --> 00:59:21.130
that time to make space for each other.

00:59:21.130 --> 00:59:23.560
And honestly, chapel, that's
one of my favorite things about

00:59:23.560 --> 00:59:25.150
my pre-game routine 'cause.

00:59:25.600 --> 00:59:28.480
You know, you're lifting, doing
treatment on the court, but it allows

00:59:28.480 --> 00:59:33.010
you to relax and just remember like
why, why you're in this position.

00:59:33.010 --> 00:59:37.180
Like, God has blessed everyone in
that room to be in their position

00:59:37.180 --> 00:59:38.650
and to be on their own walking life.

00:59:38.650 --> 00:59:43.180
So, um, no, it's definitely cool
to be able to, uh, share that time

00:59:43.180 --> 00:59:47.830
with everyone and to, um, talk,
talk about the gospel and, you

00:59:47.830 --> 00:59:49.510
know, being spirit with each other

00:59:50.275 --> 00:59:50.545
Sam Acho: Yeah.

00:59:50.565 --> 00:59:52.625
Clif Marshall: You're
great and uh, go ahead.

00:59:52.675 --> 00:59:54.090
Sam Acho: if we could
share one more thing.

00:59:54.590 --> 00:59:56.770
Uh, failure is no option

00:59:57.460 --> 00:59:58.330
Jalen Hood-Schifino: so there's no option.

01:00:00.685 --> 01:00:05.905
Sam Acho: where tell us about your brand,
but also why that matters to you so much.

01:00:06.430 --> 01:00:06.850
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yep.

01:00:07.240 --> 01:00:10.990
When I was, um, in ninth
grade or eighth, yeah.

01:00:10.990 --> 01:00:15.670
Ninth grade when I got invited to the USA
basketball camp, in the email they said,

01:00:15.940 --> 01:00:20.050
bring something that's very, um, that
like represents you or something that is.

01:00:20.530 --> 01:00:21.460
Meaningful to you.

01:00:21.520 --> 01:00:25.480
And I was just like trying to
brainstorm and just try to think of

01:00:25.480 --> 01:00:29.560
like, what can I do that's something
that represents me or something

01:00:29.560 --> 01:00:31.240
that I could bring that's valuable.

01:00:31.240 --> 01:00:35.320
And my mom had came up with, um,
I wanna say she had just said,

01:00:35.320 --> 01:00:39.160
why don't you, why don't we get a
T-shirt that says pheno a failure?

01:00:39.160 --> 01:00:39.820
There's no option.

01:00:40.420 --> 01:00:43.750
And I'm just like, oh, wow.

01:00:44.260 --> 01:00:47.770
So I remember like originally, like we
just had, we bought like a regular white

01:00:47.770 --> 01:00:49.540
tea, probably just like a Hanes White tea.

01:00:49.780 --> 01:00:53.590
And I think she had like, I, this
might be extreme, I don't know.

01:00:53.590 --> 01:00:56.680
She either like went and bought
like the letters or whatever.

01:00:56.680 --> 01:00:59.200
She might have either ironed
it on or she got got it put on.

01:00:59.200 --> 01:01:00.250
Like FENO is an option.

01:01:00.250 --> 01:01:01.030
I took it, whatever.

01:01:01.510 --> 01:01:03.580
I think from there, that's
kind of just been our thing.

01:01:03.580 --> 01:01:06.820
And my mom even started,
um, our family thing.

01:01:06.820 --> 01:01:08.800
It's called the, the FENO project.

01:01:08.860 --> 01:01:11.500
And it's something that we're
gonna continue to elevate.

01:01:11.500 --> 01:01:14.440
But we've done camps in
Pittsburgh for the kids.

01:01:14.470 --> 01:01:17.800
Um, did a camp in Hawaii last year.

01:01:18.280 --> 01:01:22.090
Um, it's just like something we
wanna do to try to give back, and

01:01:22.570 --> 01:01:26.830
it's just, uh, it's, it's a mindset
that's going back to like, just life.

01:01:26.890 --> 01:01:28.150
And it doesn't have to be for sports.

01:01:28.150 --> 01:01:31.540
It's like, so you're, everyone's gonna
go through some type of failures.

01:01:31.540 --> 01:01:34.840
Some of the most successful people
in our life has have failed to

01:01:34.840 --> 01:01:35.800
get to the point they're at.

01:01:35.800 --> 01:01:39.160
So it's like, how do they
get there, but keep going.

01:01:39.160 --> 01:01:42.430
So I think it's just, again, it's
about mindset, being positive and

01:01:42.430 --> 01:01:45.160
just always knowing that in this
life, again, you're gonna fail.

01:01:45.670 --> 01:01:48.310
You are gonna go through many ups and
downs, but if you just keep going,

01:01:48.310 --> 01:01:51.160
you keep putting in the work, you keep
trusting God, you'll be able to achieve

01:01:51.160 --> 01:01:51.941
the things that you want to achieve.

01:01:53.380 --> 01:01:53.500
Sam Acho: Hmm.

01:01:53.960 --> 01:01:55.455
So then with that, what's next?

01:01:55.455 --> 01:01:55.755
Right?

01:01:55.755 --> 01:02:00.615
NBA season's over, uh, what, what's
next for, for Jalen Hood-Schifino

01:02:01.375 --> 01:02:04.690
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Man, a lot,
a lot of work, like I'm very low

01:02:04.690 --> 01:02:06.250
maintenance, very out the way.

01:02:06.550 --> 01:02:08.290
Um, a big family guy.

01:02:08.290 --> 01:02:09.670
So for me right now, it's just been.

01:02:10.075 --> 01:02:10.765
A lot of work.

01:02:10.825 --> 01:02:15.595
Um, and seeing my family, like right now
I'm in, in la I'm working out with, um,

01:02:15.625 --> 01:02:17.785
one of my guys, his name is Sean Marshall.

01:02:17.815 --> 01:02:21.835
Um, been working out with him, but I'll
do a little bit of bouncing around.

01:02:21.835 --> 01:02:24.715
I'll go back to Pittsburgh, see my
family for a little bit, work out

01:02:24.715 --> 01:02:27.625
there, go to Charlotte, work out there.

01:02:27.685 --> 01:02:32.245
Um, and then eventually, you know,
Philly or wherever the next, uh,

01:02:32.245 --> 01:02:33.745
destination is for me, I, I'll be there.

01:02:33.745 --> 01:02:36.595
So right now it's just a lot of work
and honestly just spending a, a lot

01:02:36.595 --> 01:02:37.735
of time with family and friends.

01:02:39.780 --> 01:02:45.150
Clif Marshall: Fino, I may, um, have to
bring Sam out to Vegas, man, if you're out

01:02:45.150 --> 01:02:46.590
there for the summer league at all this

01:02:46.940 --> 01:02:47.160
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yep.

01:02:47.850 --> 01:02:51.870
Clif Marshall: we need to take a trip out
there in July, man, and check out these,

01:02:51.870 --> 01:02:56.880
uh, these NBA players that I was blessed
to train, uh, during my time at iu.

01:02:56.910 --> 01:02:57.270
Maybe we'll

01:02:57.505 --> 01:02:57.775
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Yep.

01:02:57.840 --> 01:02:58.320
Clif Marshall: podcasts.

01:02:58.320 --> 01:02:59.880
Maybe we can link up with
you out there if pheno.

01:03:00.540 --> 01:03:01.255
Jalen Hood-Schifino: Law for sure.

01:03:01.255 --> 01:03:01.465
Man.

01:03:01.465 --> 01:03:02.995
I love to, love to make that happen.

01:03:02.995 --> 01:03:06.055
I definitely enjoy my time today just
talking and just, you know, getting a,

01:03:06.055 --> 01:03:07.555
getting a vibe with you guys for sure.

01:03:08.420 --> 01:03:09.055
Sam Acho: No, definitely.

01:03:09.055 --> 01:03:09.775
We appreciate it.

01:03:09.775 --> 01:03:12.715
Well, FENO, thank you so much for
joining the Sam Macho Podcast,

01:03:12.715 --> 01:03:13.885
featuring Cliff Marshall.

01:03:14.125 --> 01:03:15.175
And thank y'all all so much.

01:03:15.175 --> 01:03:17.095
For listening, go to sam macho.com.

01:03:17.095 --> 01:03:19.255
We'll have all the info about the podcast.

01:03:19.255 --> 01:03:22.765
Also, you can find out about what Jaylen's
been up to and also about the brand.

01:03:22.795 --> 01:03:24.535
Feno failure is no option.

01:03:24.805 --> 01:03:25.675
We'll see y'all next time.