WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:13.193 --> 00:00:17.123 Sam Acho: Welcome everybody to the Sam Acho podcast featuring Cliff Marshall, 00:00:17.123 --> 00:00:21.323 and as we usually do, cliff, we have a very special guest and I'd love for you 00:00:21.323 --> 00:00:23.723 to introduce to the world our guest. 00:00:24.833 --> 00:00:26.903 Clif Marshall: I'm so fired up today guys. 00:00:26.903 --> 00:00:28.973 We have Fatus Bullard on the show. 00:00:29.513 --> 00:00:32.243 Thaddeus is an American professional wrestler. 00:00:32.663 --> 00:00:35.003 He is described by the wwe. 00:00:35.993 --> 00:00:41.063 As one of the most philanthropic superstars in WWE history, he 00:00:41.063 --> 00:00:46.643 was actually the recipient of the WWE Hall of Fame Award in 2021. 00:00:47.213 --> 00:00:51.773 Uh, fatties played college football for the University of Florida and 00:00:51.773 --> 00:00:56.363 thereafter in the Arena Football League, and that led him to a career again 00:00:56.363 --> 00:00:58.103 in the in, in the wrestling world. 00:00:58.553 --> 00:01:01.343 Uh, he went under the ring name as Titus O'Neill. 00:01:01.943 --> 00:01:07.103 A former WWE tag team champion as part of the primetime players. 00:01:07.673 --> 00:01:08.873 He is a father. 00:01:08.873 --> 00:01:13.073 He currently resides in Tampa, Florida, and uh, he is devout in 00:01:13.073 --> 00:01:17.663 his faith and we are super, super fired up to talk to Thaddeus today. 00:01:18.273 --> 00:01:19.698 Sam Acho: Eddie's got a new show coming out. 00:01:19.698 --> 00:01:21.408 We're gonna get, we're gonna get into the new show. 00:01:21.408 --> 00:01:22.443 We got a new show coming out. 00:01:22.868 --> 00:01:25.418 Which, uh, it's gonna be on NBC and on Peacock. 00:01:25.748 --> 00:01:27.338 Uh, it's, it's called King's Court. 00:01:27.338 --> 00:01:29.168 And I'm, I, I don't wanna get too deep into it first. 00:01:29.168 --> 00:01:31.028 Tha so I wanna talk about how we connected 00:01:31.353 --> 00:01:31.653 Thaddeus Bullard: Yeah. 00:01:32.138 --> 00:01:35.648 Sam Acho: So I think it was maybe three, four months ago I, in national 00:01:35.648 --> 00:01:37.088 championship I believe it was. 00:01:37.088 --> 00:01:39.098 And, uh, I'm in the hotel lobby. 00:01:39.278 --> 00:01:44.378 I see this, uh, dapper looking young fellow muscles sticking out everywhere. 00:01:44.798 --> 00:01:46.028 And I recognized him. 00:01:46.028 --> 00:01:48.278 And for me, Thaddeus, it wasn't necessarily from your 00:01:48.278 --> 00:01:50.978 wrestling career, but it's from. 00:01:51.893 --> 00:01:55.523 Your impact, I would say, not just in the community, but also when it 00:01:55.523 --> 00:01:57.443 comes to social media, et cetera. 00:01:57.443 --> 00:02:00.473 I just seen a podcast you had done with a colleague of mine, Ryan Clark, 00:02:00.953 --> 00:02:03.353 and you went deep and I was like, man, there's something about this 00:02:03.353 --> 00:02:05.573 man as a human, as an individual. 00:02:05.573 --> 00:02:08.603 And we connected, talked about some of your, uh, philanthropy and some of your 00:02:08.603 --> 00:02:12.233 work and family, and that's kind of how the podcast conversation came about. 00:02:12.233 --> 00:02:15.803 But what do you remember about that initial kind of, uh, interaction? 00:02:16.463 --> 00:02:19.913 Thaddeus Bullard: Yeah, I, I mean, I, we, we were one of only, uh, very few. 00:02:20.663 --> 00:02:22.283 Black man in the lobby at the time. 00:02:22.643 --> 00:02:27.893 And uh, so I was like, uh, but I've always been a, a huge fan of your work. 00:02:27.923 --> 00:02:30.113 And, uh, just wanted to come up and say that. 00:02:30.113 --> 00:02:31.823 And, and that's exactly what I said to you. 00:02:31.823 --> 00:02:34.283 Hey man, I'm a huge fan of your work and this and that. 00:02:34.283 --> 00:02:36.803 And, um, he was like, thank you so much man. 00:02:36.803 --> 00:02:37.943 And we just literally. 00:02:38.168 --> 00:02:41.978 Started talking like we were brothers from another mother and, 00:02:41.978 --> 00:02:45.578 uh, exchanging pleasantries, talking about family, talking about faith. 00:02:45.698 --> 00:02:47.728 I just want to be a good human being. 00:02:47.788 --> 00:02:49.198 You know, I don't want. 00:02:50.653 --> 00:02:52.483 If I, if I'm wealthy, great. 00:02:52.573 --> 00:02:55.963 You know, if I, if I have nice cars, nice clothes, but if I have all of that 00:02:55.963 --> 00:03:02.568 and I'm a horrible human being, I don't want it, you know, and, uh, my, the, 00:03:02.653 --> 00:03:07.243 the meeting this guy at 13 years old and being able to literally take him, I. 00:03:08.098 --> 00:03:11.968 To church with one of my teammates who at that time his family owned 00:03:11.968 --> 00:03:15.148 one of the largest mobile home manufacturers in the southeast. 00:03:15.598 --> 00:03:16.858 They got him a job. 00:03:17.458 --> 00:03:21.208 He ended up running a place by four years later, got reconnected with 00:03:21.208 --> 00:03:23.878 his ex-wife not to get married, but he hadn't been around him. 00:03:23.878 --> 00:03:27.508 'cause one, it didn't, couple of weeks after I met him and talked to 00:03:27.508 --> 00:03:31.468 him, uh, you know, I asked him, you know, how did you end up in this 00:03:31.468 --> 00:03:33.238 place, if you don't mind me asking? 00:03:34.078 --> 00:03:35.218 And he said, uh. 00:03:36.088 --> 00:03:43.498 You know, uh, if I told you that I was A-A-A-A-C-E-O of a company, I had nice 00:03:43.498 --> 00:03:47.788 cars, a beautiful home, beautiful wife, beautiful daughters, would you believe me? 00:03:48.418 --> 00:03:51.688 And I said, if that's what you say, you know, that's what I have to believe. 00:03:51.748 --> 00:03:54.118 He said, that's exactly what my life used to be. 00:03:54.598 --> 00:04:02.998 Drugs, alcohol, and gambling took me away from my family and to know at that age. 00:04:03.598 --> 00:04:09.208 How I responded to him, you know, when he told me that God's gonna use you, not 00:04:09.208 --> 00:04:14.698 realizing that, you know, I'm going to go to a Catholic church and 'cause at the, 00:04:14.758 --> 00:04:20.518 you know, ask of my teammate who had been asking me all year and um, I went, I. 00:04:21.853 --> 00:04:24.733 I love all religion 'cause I think we can learn from everything. 00:04:24.793 --> 00:04:26.173 It just didn't move me at all. 00:04:26.173 --> 00:04:29.353 It was a bunch of standing up, sitting down, humming, and I didn't 00:04:29.353 --> 00:04:33.643 know what the hell was going on and I had no idea what was going on. 00:04:34.003 --> 00:04:35.383 And I walked out of there like. 00:04:36.973 --> 00:04:41.473 You know, in church most of the time at le, at the minimum I get the music. 00:04:41.473 --> 00:04:42.913 And the music made me feel good. 00:04:42.913 --> 00:04:46.813 You know, sometimes I wasn't getting the message, but this was a time where I 00:04:46.813 --> 00:04:48.553 didn't understand none of it, you know? 00:04:49.093 --> 00:04:55.153 But what it, but what I saw this man experience as a, at me as a kid 00:04:55.153 --> 00:05:00.643 watching this man, just be happy to be in a house of God at all. 00:05:01.423 --> 00:05:02.113 Um. 00:05:03.028 --> 00:05:07.738 Really put in perspective what he was saying to me in regards to 00:05:07.738 --> 00:05:09.868 like, how God is going to use me. 00:05:10.318 --> 00:05:13.258 And I'm not, I'm unapologetic about it to this day. 00:05:13.438 --> 00:05:17.428 You know, like I cuss, I fuss, I blow the houses down. 00:05:17.728 --> 00:05:22.168 Uh, but I know that God chose 12 people in the Bible that were the most in. 00:05:23.158 --> 00:05:26.608 You know, probably the most unqualified folks in the world and made 'em 00:05:26.608 --> 00:05:29.998 disciples, you know, and some of the best work in the Bible or people in the 00:05:29.998 --> 00:05:34.108 Bible were from, from some of the most, quote unquote unqualified by society. 00:05:34.798 --> 00:05:39.328 And so, you know, I, I get to live with a freedom, you know, and, 00:05:39.328 --> 00:05:41.398 uh, we, uh, a freedom that says. 00:05:41.968 --> 00:05:46.048 Regardless of what people think of me, I know who I am, you know? 00:05:46.408 --> 00:05:51.328 Um, and I know that there are way more people that know who I am instead 00:05:51.328 --> 00:05:53.098 of knowing what I do for a living. 00:05:53.428 --> 00:05:56.098 You know, when I was playing football, that's what I did for a living. 00:05:56.098 --> 00:05:58.168 I would constantly tell folks when they'd go, oh, you're that 00:05:58.168 --> 00:05:59.518 football player at such and such. 00:05:59.848 --> 00:06:01.138 No, that's what I do for a living. 00:06:01.138 --> 00:06:02.458 It's not who I am for a living. 00:06:02.788 --> 00:06:03.628 Oh, you're a wrestler. 00:06:03.628 --> 00:06:04.528 You're that pro wrestler. 00:06:04.618 --> 00:06:05.068 Oh yes. 00:06:05.068 --> 00:06:07.258 What I do for a living, that's not who I am for a living. 00:06:07.258 --> 00:06:10.348 Lemme tell you who I am for a living and, uh. 00:06:10.913 --> 00:06:15.233 You know, I didn't grow up with the example that a lot of people grow up 00:06:15.233 --> 00:06:17.303 with, with the positive dad in the home. 00:06:17.303 --> 00:06:21.593 And, uh, you know, being, you know, the superstar athlete in 00:06:21.593 --> 00:06:24.863 high school, and I didn't become all that until later in my, I. 00:06:25.333 --> 00:06:27.913 Uh, high school career, you know, I was the number one 00:06:27.913 --> 00:06:29.443 recruit coming outta high school. 00:06:29.863 --> 00:06:32.743 Uh, I could have chose anywhere and obviously I chose the best school at 00:06:32.743 --> 00:06:37.483 the University of Florida and, um, you know, won a national championship there. 00:06:37.483 --> 00:06:41.173 Graduated from there, uh, two SEC championships. 00:06:41.173 --> 00:06:41.203 I. 00:06:41.698 --> 00:06:43.423 I'm in the University of Florida Hall of Fame. 00:06:43.588 --> 00:06:46.828 I was the vice president of student government and which is 00:06:46.828 --> 00:06:48.448 why I hate politics to this day. 00:06:48.808 --> 00:06:53.278 Um, a lot of the people that, uh, that helped me get elected into office 00:06:53.278 --> 00:06:57.688 are still, er, are now serving as senators and congressmen and women. 00:06:58.198 --> 00:07:03.238 Um, and I have my hats off to 'em if they can, you know, navigate those spaces. 00:07:03.238 --> 00:07:03.898 But I just. 00:07:04.453 --> 00:07:08.773 I, I'm a person that firmly believes that God put me on this earth to connect 00:07:08.773 --> 00:07:15.133 people and to, um, to impact folks in ways in which traditional people cannot do. 00:07:15.433 --> 00:07:18.433 And I think all of us have that in innate, innate ability to do 00:07:18.433 --> 00:07:23.323 that, um, because we're all called, um, but few are, are chosen. 00:07:23.497 --> 00:07:25.777 Sam Acho: Alright, Thaddeus, I heard a lot. 00:07:26.527 --> 00:07:30.607 What you just said about faith, uh, about family, about football, 00:07:30.607 --> 00:07:32.797 about finances, about philanthropy. 00:07:34.237 --> 00:07:38.407 But I have a question about, just circling back to the family piece. 00:07:39.457 --> 00:07:42.247 Before we started the call, we talked about you being a father 00:07:42.247 --> 00:07:44.722 and you know, you have the show coming out, King's Court about being 00:07:44.722 --> 00:07:45.967 a bachelor and all these things. 00:07:45.967 --> 00:07:50.707 But you talked about, man, I have sons from a previous 00:07:50.707 --> 00:07:52.777 marriage, but an adopted daughter. 00:07:55.087 --> 00:07:56.077 Tell me about your daughter. 00:07:56.692 --> 00:07:57.652 Thaddeus Bullard: My daughter Leah. 00:07:57.652 --> 00:07:59.302 She's, uh, she's amazing. 00:07:59.362 --> 00:08:02.422 Uh, I've actually known her since she was seven years old. 00:08:02.992 --> 00:08:06.922 Uh, her mother has been a long time friend of mine, and she, uh, 00:08:07.282 --> 00:08:09.202 had some health complications. 00:08:09.292 --> 00:08:14.032 Um, you know, not to get too far into what it was, but it was a chance 00:08:14.032 --> 00:08:15.472 that she may or may not make it. 00:08:15.652 --> 00:08:19.462 And, uh, she was just hoping that I would just check in on Leah. 00:08:20.007 --> 00:08:24.087 You know, um, in the event that something unfortunate happened, and, 00:08:24.087 --> 00:08:26.127 uh, I said, well, what if I adopted her? 00:08:26.787 --> 00:08:27.717 And she was like, what? 00:08:28.047 --> 00:08:30.327 And I was like, yeah, I've always wanted a daughter. 00:08:30.327 --> 00:08:33.657 And, you know, I'm not having physically having any more kids. 00:08:33.657 --> 00:08:36.777 You know, vasectomy 2012 is my alternate Bible verse. 00:08:37.047 --> 00:08:37.497 And, uh, 00:08:40.282 --> 00:08:45.627 and so I, um, um, so I, uh, you know, I said, well, let me talk to my sons 00:08:45.627 --> 00:08:47.487 about it first and see what they say. 00:08:48.117 --> 00:08:49.347 And, uh. 00:08:49.937 --> 00:08:53.872 But I knew they would be fine with it because about three years prior to that, 00:08:53.932 --> 00:09:00.862 you know, I had met two 7-year-old twin girl, SYA and Skye, and I met 'em at the 00:09:00.862 --> 00:09:03.562 youth ranch and I was like, you know, I. 00:09:03.982 --> 00:09:07.342 Like they were hanging all over me and I was just fell in love with 'em. 00:09:08.122 --> 00:09:11.332 And I said, uh, I went to the counselor and I said, you know, 00:09:11.337 --> 00:09:15.262 I, I want to, I would love to see about like seeing if I can be around 00:09:15.262 --> 00:09:16.612 these kids more and this and that. 00:09:16.612 --> 00:09:20.212 And, you know, I hadn't thought about adoption, but I, I was definitely 00:09:20.212 --> 00:09:21.712 thinking about adoption at that point. 00:09:21.712 --> 00:09:25.942 And so I started the process of seeing how I could become their father. 00:09:26.752 --> 00:09:30.172 And probably two months into the process, uh. 00:09:31.012 --> 00:09:33.592 The social worker came to me and she said, I think this is very 00:09:33.592 --> 00:09:35.212 admirable of what you're doing. 00:09:35.632 --> 00:09:38.932 Um, there's no question These kids will come to a great home. 00:09:38.932 --> 00:09:40.972 You're a great man, yada, yada, yada. 00:09:41.872 --> 00:09:46.342 But I need to tell you this, you know, we're, uh, you could take 00:09:46.342 --> 00:09:49.792 these young ladies and you can put 'em in the best of situation. 00:09:49.822 --> 00:09:53.752 And, you know, two or three years down the road, the mom or the dad can come and 00:09:53.752 --> 00:09:55.462 say, Hey, I'm ready to be a parent now. 00:09:56.092 --> 00:09:59.812 And you would have to, you know, pretty much relinquish the rights 00:09:59.812 --> 00:10:02.542 back over to the parent because they're in a foster care system. 00:10:04.162 --> 00:10:07.582 And I stopped the process because I just didn't want to. 00:10:08.272 --> 00:10:13.912 I couldn't, I couldn't imagine pouring all that time and stuff, uh, into these 00:10:13.912 --> 00:10:18.052 two young ladies and giving them the opportunity to pour their love into me 00:10:18.592 --> 00:10:20.422 only to have their life shifted again. 00:10:20.422 --> 00:10:24.202 They were already in the foster care system, and so they kind of been 00:10:24.202 --> 00:10:28.552 at one place to another place, to a relative here or whatever, and 00:10:28.552 --> 00:10:29.902 I just didn't want to continue. 00:10:29.902 --> 00:10:33.262 I wanted to be the one that broke that cycle and gave them some stability 00:10:33.562 --> 00:10:36.142 and gave them some, uh, normalcy. 00:10:36.447 --> 00:10:42.537 Um, and, uh, I, I knew that I was gonna have a lot of trauma and mental 00:10:42.537 --> 00:10:45.867 health and things like that, that I would have to help them navigate 00:10:45.867 --> 00:10:47.487 through, but I was willing to do that. 00:10:48.267 --> 00:10:53.097 And so cutting that process off, uh, I clearly God had knew that was on my 00:10:53.097 --> 00:10:54.537 heart, that I wanted to have a daughter. 00:10:55.167 --> 00:11:03.237 And, uh, the opportunity came up to, to get Leah and, um, you know, sh once I. 00:11:03.787 --> 00:11:06.397 Talked with my sons, and it was an absolute yes. 00:11:06.397 --> 00:11:07.897 They knew her already. 00:11:08.047 --> 00:11:12.577 Um, uh, jokingly talking about where she long as she notices a 00:11:12.577 --> 00:11:17.437 competitive family and all this, that, um, you know, it was all good. 00:11:17.437 --> 00:11:22.207 And so I, I, um, I end up, you know, FaceTiming her and Carrie 00:11:22.207 --> 00:11:26.137 and, you know, she, uh, Leah said, why are you doing this for me? 00:11:27.667 --> 00:11:31.717 I said, well, you know, I, uh, I've always wanted a daughter and if I had 00:11:31.717 --> 00:11:34.807 a daughter, you'd be everything that I would want, and a daughter or a son. 00:11:35.077 --> 00:11:37.147 And she was like, well, you know, I'm gay, right? 00:11:38.077 --> 00:11:41.737 And I paused and I said, um, Leah, I don't give a damn. 00:11:41.737 --> 00:11:43.927 If you purple with streamers flying outta your ass. 00:11:44.077 --> 00:11:47.767 Like, I'm not here to make you be a certain way. 00:11:47.767 --> 00:11:50.077 I'm here to help you be the best version of yourself. 00:11:50.767 --> 00:11:52.657 And I want you to be a good human being. 00:11:52.657 --> 00:11:56.107 And as long as you're a great human being, you, you are more than welcome to be 00:11:56.257 --> 00:11:58.477 anything and everything you desire to be. 00:11:58.957 --> 00:12:02.317 Um, but part of being a great human being is also understanding that 00:12:02.437 --> 00:12:06.787 that may be your sexual orientation and your choice, but you long as you 00:12:06.787 --> 00:12:08.287 don't try to push that motive much. 00:12:08.287 --> 00:12:11.047 Like I don't want anybody to push Christianity on anyone. 00:12:11.047 --> 00:12:13.417 I don't want anybody to push politics on anyone. 00:12:13.657 --> 00:12:14.647 I want people to be. 00:12:14.962 --> 00:12:17.302 The their ultimate best selves. 00:12:17.872 --> 00:12:22.462 And because diversity is important to me, you know, and, um, and, and 00:12:22.462 --> 00:12:26.872 not only diversity in skin color and religion and politics, but diversity 00:12:26.872 --> 00:12:32.092 in thought because we have a lot of one track thinkers, um, when it comes to 00:12:32.092 --> 00:12:34.492 a lot of things, uh, when in business. 00:12:35.227 --> 00:12:38.857 Uh, you have a lot of guys that just look at the bottom line, the bottom line, the 00:12:38.857 --> 00:12:42.817 bottom line, and they completely take out the human element of that bottom line. 00:12:42.877 --> 00:12:46.777 You know, people do get sick, people do have life, life issues. 00:12:46.777 --> 00:12:48.367 People do have deaths in the family. 00:12:48.967 --> 00:12:53.047 And when you're looking at people's performance and you're rating their 00:12:53.047 --> 00:12:57.487 performance based on just the number and not equating all these other things. 00:12:57.817 --> 00:13:00.697 You're taking out the human element that got you to the position that 00:13:00.697 --> 00:13:02.287 you're in to even have a business. 00:13:02.647 --> 00:13:04.687 And it's the same way I feel about teams. 00:13:04.747 --> 00:13:08.257 You know, everybody says, uh, you know, if you were a coach, you know, 00:13:08.257 --> 00:13:09.907 do you coach every player the same? 00:13:09.907 --> 00:13:10.477 No, I don't. 00:13:10.477 --> 00:13:11.737 Do you treat every player the same? 00:13:11.737 --> 00:13:12.517 Absolutely not. 00:13:12.547 --> 00:13:14.677 'cause every player doesn't come from the same background. 00:13:15.067 --> 00:13:16.867 But every standard is the same. 00:13:16.987 --> 00:13:19.057 You will be on time, basic stuff. 00:13:19.087 --> 00:13:21.097 You will be on time, you will respect the game. 00:13:21.097 --> 00:13:22.387 You will respect one another. 00:13:22.837 --> 00:13:23.617 And, uh. 00:13:24.402 --> 00:13:27.822 Um, my daughter and my kids understand that, you know, we 00:13:27.822 --> 00:13:29.262 have three rules in our house. 00:13:29.322 --> 00:13:31.662 You know, the first rule is love and respect. 00:13:31.662 --> 00:13:35.502 Everybody you come in contact with, you know, you're not gonna like all of them. 00:13:36.012 --> 00:13:38.502 Uh, and you're not gonna agree with all of them, but you love 00:13:38.502 --> 00:13:39.582 them and you respect them. 00:13:40.092 --> 00:13:42.342 Uh, rule number two, don't use the word can't. 00:13:42.732 --> 00:13:46.422 Uh, I was told my entire life, what I can't do, what I won't do, how I'll never 00:13:46.422 --> 00:13:48.852 be, and it was all proven to be a lie. 00:13:48.972 --> 00:13:50.592 And then from a biblical sense. 00:13:51.262 --> 00:13:55.492 Uh, you know, the Bible says that we can do all things through Christ 00:13:55.492 --> 00:13:59.722 who strengthens us, and so I can't tell people that I believe in Christ. 00:14:00.502 --> 00:14:02.332 And then tell them what can't be done. 00:14:02.332 --> 00:14:05.542 It's just a com complete oxymoron to what I believe. 00:14:06.052 --> 00:14:08.662 And, uh, and rule number three, be your best. 00:14:08.722 --> 00:14:13.252 You know, um, some days 70% is your best, 30% is your best. 00:14:13.252 --> 00:14:14.752 But as long as you're doing your best. 00:14:15.262 --> 00:14:17.392 You or anybody else can never be disappointed. 00:14:17.392 --> 00:14:20.362 It's when you didn't study for that test or you didn't prepare 00:14:20.362 --> 00:14:23.212 for that presentation as much as you should have and you lost out 00:14:23.212 --> 00:14:25.702 on that deal or whatever it may be. 00:14:26.062 --> 00:14:28.042 That's when you should be disappointed. 00:14:28.042 --> 00:14:29.872 That's when you're going to be disappointed because 00:14:29.872 --> 00:14:30.922 you didn't do your best. 00:14:31.432 --> 00:14:39.753 And my daughter has given me so much introspective, even 00:14:39.813 --> 00:14:41.523 though she's, you know, gay. 00:14:42.243 --> 00:14:46.773 She's still a woman, you know, and that's a different, women are 00:14:46.773 --> 00:14:47.913 different, you know what I mean? 00:14:47.913 --> 00:14:50.493 I don't get, women are different, you know? 00:14:50.853 --> 00:14:58.983 So, uh, um, you know, as, as much as of a jock she is, she's still very much 00:14:58.983 --> 00:15:02.553 so feminine and very much so sensitive when it comes to certain things. 00:15:02.553 --> 00:15:06.423 And, you know, I have to, I've had to like. 00:15:06.903 --> 00:15:11.613 Check myself on, on, on a lot of occasions because I'm like talking 00:15:11.613 --> 00:15:13.173 to her like I would talk to my sons. 00:15:13.381 --> 00:15:18.901 So my daughter has definitely been an amazing experience of 00:15:19.321 --> 00:15:22.321 fatherhood, but she's been an amazing addition to our family. 00:15:22.321 --> 00:15:25.741 She just, uh, she just, uh, signed, uh. 00:15:26.221 --> 00:15:28.111 She went into the transfer portal. 00:15:28.111 --> 00:15:31.501 She was at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. 00:15:31.831 --> 00:15:34.501 And uh, now she's gonna be at UMass. 00:15:34.621 --> 00:15:37.591 And so, uh, great opportunity for her there. 00:15:38.041 --> 00:15:40.831 Um, she got a little NIL money coming too, so 00:15:41.131 --> 00:15:41.421 Clif Marshall: Okay. 00:15:42.031 --> 00:15:46.321 Thaddeus Bullard: get out of daddy's pockets, you know, get out of dad's 00:15:46.321 --> 00:15:48.241 pockets and do your own thing. 00:15:48.241 --> 00:15:49.621 But, um, yeah. 00:15:49.621 --> 00:15:51.781 And then my oldest son plays at UCF. 00:15:52.096 --> 00:15:55.696 Uh, plays football at UCF and then my daughter, my youngest son 00:15:56.146 --> 00:15:57.886 plays, uh, football at Florida. 00:15:57.946 --> 00:16:00.796 So I'm a very happy and proud empty nester. 00:16:01.276 --> 00:16:06.556 And, uh, so obviously this show coming out, uh, Queens Court, which will be, 00:16:06.616 --> 00:16:12.556 uh, debuting on July 13th, on Bravo, uh, and also streaming on Peacock. 00:16:12.766 --> 00:16:17.566 Um, it's myself, Tyson Beckford and Carlos Boozer, hosted by 00:16:17.566 --> 00:16:19.306 Holly and Rob Holly Robinson. 00:16:19.306 --> 00:16:20.596 P and Rodney p. 00:16:21.136 --> 00:16:26.356 Uh, to of Hollywood's royalty when it comes to married couples kind of steering 00:16:26.356 --> 00:16:31.186 us through this journey and, uh, so it's a, it's a great, I think it's gonna be 00:16:31.186 --> 00:16:35.446 a, a fun experience for people and the front journey for people to go along with 00:16:35.446 --> 00:16:41.566 us on, uh, as we try to discover if who's our who, if, and who will be our queen. 00:16:41.897 --> 00:16:42.197 Sam Acho: I got. 00:16:42.197 --> 00:16:42.347 Okay. 00:16:42.347 --> 00:16:43.427 I know Cliff got a question. 00:16:43.757 --> 00:16:44.837 Can you give us some insight? 00:16:44.837 --> 00:16:45.857 Did you find it Queen? 00:16:45.857 --> 00:16:49.217 Did, I mean, what can you share with us about, about the show? 00:16:49.952 --> 00:16:53.672 Thaddeus Bullard: All I can say it was a great journey and I think, 00:16:54.002 --> 00:17:00.422 uh, the outcome of the show, uh, will really be indicative of. 00:17:01.007 --> 00:17:04.847 Just the journey we're all on, you know, and, uh, in discovering 00:17:04.847 --> 00:17:06.467 who we are as men at this point. 00:17:06.467 --> 00:17:10.817 You know, uh, Carlos formerly divorced, uh, as well, and his, 00:17:10.817 --> 00:17:14.747 his two sons are top basketball players in the country, you know? 00:17:14.807 --> 00:17:15.317 Uh. 00:17:16.242 --> 00:17:20.117 Uh, and they're going to Duke and, uh, tried to get 'em to come to Florida. 00:17:20.117 --> 00:17:22.997 They were very close to coming to Florida, but obviously they had to follow in 00:17:22.997 --> 00:17:26.837 pop's footsteps and go to Duke, which is also an amazing opportunity for them. 00:17:26.987 --> 00:17:30.227 And then obviously Tyson's been a fashion icon for years. 00:17:30.737 --> 00:17:34.847 Uh, been around the world and, and has dated a pe uh, a person or two. 00:17:35.267 --> 00:17:37.937 Uh, so we'll, uh, we'll, we'll. 00:17:38.147 --> 00:17:41.867 We're, we're very excited about what, what is to come on the show and what 00:17:41.867 --> 00:17:45.347 people will be able to see from, from that standpoint and vantage point for us. 00:17:47.577 --> 00:17:50.187 Clif Marshall: Thaddeus, I'm again so fired up Here're on the show 00:17:50.187 --> 00:17:54.177 today, and I told Sam before we got on the uh, podcast with you. 00:17:54.177 --> 00:17:55.287 I said, man, I'm a little nervous. 00:17:55.287 --> 00:17:59.877 I've never really spoke to a WWE superstar, and I grew up in the eighties. 00:17:59.937 --> 00:18:04.827 I grew up watching the WWE with Hulk Hogan, macho man, Randy Savage, and 00:18:04.827 --> 00:18:06.837 I followed it all the way up until. 00:18:07.387 --> 00:18:08.347 Where it's at today. 00:18:08.347 --> 00:18:11.437 As a matter of fact, in, in the spring of this year, I was blessed 00:18:11.437 --> 00:18:13.027 to go down to the Royal Rumble. 00:18:13.027 --> 00:18:14.407 It was in Indianapolis. 00:18:14.827 --> 00:18:17.527 And uh, I had a connection where I was able to get ringside. 00:18:18.637 --> 00:18:23.677 my goodness, man, I just have a new respect for the athletes of wwe. 00:18:23.677 --> 00:18:27.397 So I really just wanted to talk to you about your journey from college 00:18:27.397 --> 00:18:30.637 football to the Arena Football League, and then into wrestling. 00:18:30.967 --> 00:18:32.677 Like did somebody scout you? 00:18:32.737 --> 00:18:35.947 Uh, or how did you get involved, uh, in wrestling? 00:18:36.737 --> 00:18:39.587 Thaddeus Bullard: No, my best friend is, uh, one of my best friends is Dave 00:18:39.587 --> 00:18:46.547 Bautista uh, who was also, uh, in, in wrestling at the time and, and, uh, kind 00:18:46.547 --> 00:18:49.307 of encouraged me to try out for, and I was like, man, I'm not doing that. 00:18:49.307 --> 00:18:50.177 I want to go coach. 00:18:50.207 --> 00:18:50.687 You know. 00:18:51.047 --> 00:18:57.107 And then 2009, I, I was driving by FCW, which is, uh, um, our 00:18:57.107 --> 00:19:00.287 develop was our developmental league, which is now called NXT. 00:19:00.882 --> 00:19:04.962 Uh, and uh, I wanted some jerk chicken, which is a place called 00:19:04.992 --> 00:19:06.342 in Tampa called the Jerk Cut. 00:19:06.402 --> 00:19:08.052 So I was going to get jerk chicken. 00:19:08.052 --> 00:19:11.112 I saw the building on the right hand side that he had been telling me about. 00:19:11.622 --> 00:19:14.742 I picked up the phone, I said, Dave, is this a place you've been telling me about? 00:19:14.742 --> 00:19:18.102 He said, yeah, um, I said, I'm gonna poke my head in the back door 00:19:18.102 --> 00:19:19.632 and see what it's about, you know? 00:19:19.632 --> 00:19:24.632 And he said, uh, yeah, ask for Dusty Rhodes or Steve Keirn And I said, dusty 00:19:24.632 --> 00:19:27.662 Rhodes like atomic elbow, dusty rose. 00:19:27.662 --> 00:19:31.422 And he was like a bionic elbow, dusty Rhodes he's like, yes. 00:19:31.442 --> 00:19:34.772 He's like, he helps the talent with, uh, developing their 00:19:34.772 --> 00:19:36.272 promos and stuff like that. 00:19:36.782 --> 00:19:40.772 And so I poked my head in the back door and, you know, lo and behold, 00:19:40.772 --> 00:19:44.252 two weeks later I was signed and learning how to become a WWE superstar. 00:19:44.972 --> 00:19:46.262 And the rest is history. 00:19:46.322 --> 00:19:48.572 You know, that happened in 2009 and. 00:19:48.932 --> 00:19:53.462 2020, I was put into the WWE Hall of Fame as a Warrior Award recipient. 00:19:53.462 --> 00:19:58.592 So it's, uh, definitely, again, one of those things where if people 00:19:58.592 --> 00:20:02.492 would've told me, you know, and that's why even now, you know, if people 00:20:02.492 --> 00:20:05.702 asked me the question, where do you see yourself five years from now? 00:20:06.062 --> 00:20:09.242 I can honestly say five years ago, I couldn't tell you where I was gonna be. 00:20:09.512 --> 00:20:10.892 You know, I wouldn't have told you that. 00:20:10.892 --> 00:20:14.042 I'm getting ready to be on a, you know. 00:20:14.657 --> 00:20:19.097 Uh, unscripted reality TV series on Bravo of all places. 00:20:19.397 --> 00:20:21.917 Um, I wouldn't have told you that I was gonna be in the 00:20:21.917 --> 00:20:23.567 WWE e when I was in college. 00:20:23.567 --> 00:20:24.647 I wouldn't have told you anyhow. 00:20:24.707 --> 00:20:28.037 I mean, I speared people into the pool during my pool parties, but 00:20:28.037 --> 00:20:32.117 that was, that was just me being, you know, being a fan and being crazy. 00:20:32.537 --> 00:20:36.767 Uh, but yeah, I just, I tell folks all the time and when they ask me, you know, 00:20:36.767 --> 00:20:38.357 what do you see yourself in five years? 00:20:38.412 --> 00:20:42.672 Right now, you know, five years, 10 years, I see wherever God has for 00:20:42.672 --> 00:20:44.352 me to go, that's where I'm gonna go. 00:20:44.712 --> 00:20:48.402 And, um, I haven't controlled my destiny up to this point. 00:20:48.402 --> 00:20:50.982 I didn't control how I got in, came into this world. 00:20:51.402 --> 00:20:55.212 The only thing I can control is my attitude and, uh, and my 00:20:55.212 --> 00:20:58.512 gratitude and, and displaying both of them in a positive way. 00:20:59.057 --> 00:21:02.207 Each and every day, I will never be able to repay the folks that poured 00:21:02.207 --> 00:21:03.797 into the Florida Sheriff's Boys Ranch. 00:21:03.797 --> 00:21:05.447 I'll never, I don't even know a lot of them. 00:21:05.747 --> 00:21:08.537 I don't know the people that wrote checks for the Boys and Girls Club. 00:21:08.927 --> 00:21:13.367 I just remember the moments, the moments at 12 years old when I was 00:21:13.367 --> 00:21:16.397 given an opportunity to stay, even though everybody wanted me to go. 00:21:16.397 --> 00:21:19.517 I remember at 12 years old before I went to the Boys Ranch, a white 00:21:19.517 --> 00:21:23.087 lady from Chi from uh, Boynton Beach, Florida came up and gave me 00:21:23.087 --> 00:21:24.827 a really nice remote control car. 00:21:25.162 --> 00:21:27.742 For Christmas and said, I want you to have this. 00:21:27.982 --> 00:21:30.412 I really, I want, I bought this for you because I wanted you 00:21:30.412 --> 00:21:31.702 to have a really nice gift. 00:21:31.852 --> 00:21:34.312 And that was the only thing that I got for Christmas. 00:21:34.372 --> 00:21:38.782 And I kept that car until my junior year in college and I would still have 00:21:38.782 --> 00:21:42.802 that car to this day if my college roommate, uh, darl Owens, who also 00:21:42.802 --> 00:21:46.462 played football with me at Florida, didn't come home and wanted to wrestle 00:21:46.462 --> 00:21:49.882 at two o'clock in the morning after drinking, having a good night out of town. 00:21:50.447 --> 00:21:52.007 And, uh, he broke our fish tank. 00:21:52.007 --> 00:21:56.927 And, and my, and my, uh, and my car, well, I didn't really care much about 00:21:56.927 --> 00:22:00.827 the fish tank, you know, that could be replaced, but I, I probably beat 00:22:00.827 --> 00:22:04.697 his ass for three days straight, you know, about remote control car. 00:22:04.697 --> 00:22:06.797 And he, to him, man, it's just a car. 00:22:06.797 --> 00:22:07.787 I'll get you another car. 00:22:07.787 --> 00:22:10.367 But to me it is, it wasn't just a car, it was the first time 00:22:10.367 --> 00:22:13.967 somebody treated me with dignity, um, when they gave me a gift. 00:22:14.057 --> 00:22:16.727 We do a lot of very transactional stuff in this world. 00:22:16.727 --> 00:22:18.107 You know, Christmas comes around. 00:22:18.252 --> 00:22:22.542 Everybody's giving and they'll put some gifts in a plastic bag and hand them 00:22:22.632 --> 00:22:24.462 and they'll feel good about themselves. 00:22:24.462 --> 00:22:28.212 But those people that are getting that nice car or whatever, they might not 00:22:28.212 --> 00:22:31.662 have money to get the batteries, or you're giving them food boxes during 00:22:31.662 --> 00:22:35.892 Thanksgiving, but they might even be, not even have a home to warm that food up in 00:22:35.892 --> 00:22:37.782 or to cook that for, prepare that food. 00:22:38.232 --> 00:22:42.912 So while we're all very giving, you know, by nature hurricane hits. 00:22:43.442 --> 00:22:47.102 You know, national disaster, national disaster hits, mass shooting hits. 00:22:47.102 --> 00:22:49.202 Everybody feels like they want to do something. 00:22:49.832 --> 00:22:54.362 In my opinion, I, you know, transactional things didn't get me to where I'm at. 00:22:54.362 --> 00:22:58.502 Transformational things did, and I'm a transformational thinker when it comes 00:22:58.502 --> 00:23:00.597 to how I give, you know, if I can't. 00:23:01.457 --> 00:23:03.887 Do something that's su that's sustainable. 00:23:04.247 --> 00:23:04.967 I won't do it. 00:23:05.597 --> 00:23:09.557 You know, when I invested my time, my talent and my resources into 00:23:09.557 --> 00:23:13.277 turn in one of the lowest performing schools in the entire school district, 00:23:13.907 --> 00:23:18.767 and literally telling the school district let me do what I need to do. 00:23:20.312 --> 00:23:22.112 Don't mess with us, don't screw with us. 00:23:22.202 --> 00:23:27.062 You know, like I will help turn this school into a positive beacon for 00:23:27.062 --> 00:23:32.312 this community and four years later, it's one of the best schools in it is 00:23:32.312 --> 00:23:34.082 definitely the best looking campus. 00:23:34.142 --> 00:23:35.702 We've completely transformed it. 00:23:35.702 --> 00:23:37.682 It's the only middle school with a whole bunch of stuff. 00:23:37.682 --> 00:23:40.412 I got a street hockey rink there in the middle of the hood. 00:23:40.592 --> 00:23:42.482 So brothers and sisters are playing hockey. 00:23:42.872 --> 00:23:42.992 Uh. 00:23:44.097 --> 00:23:45.507 You know, we have a turf field. 00:23:45.507 --> 00:23:48.357 We're the only school in the school, the only middle school in 00:23:48.357 --> 00:23:50.877 the entire school district that's public, that has a turf field. 00:23:50.877 --> 00:23:54.567 We got an academy wing, we got robots, we got all kinds of stuff. 00:23:54.987 --> 00:23:58.437 And so I, because I truly believe that exposure leads to expansion, 00:23:58.527 --> 00:24:03.777 and when you expose people wherever they are from, it expands their mind. 00:24:03.777 --> 00:24:06.807 It expands their thought process and expands their ability to 00:24:06.807 --> 00:24:08.277 think outside of their own. 00:24:08.957 --> 00:24:09.767 Surroundings. 00:24:10.247 --> 00:24:17.207 Um, and so when it comes to being in the WWE e having a platform that I've 00:24:17.207 --> 00:24:23.537 had in the wwe e uh, and, and even now to this day, I still have very close 00:24:23.537 --> 00:24:28.157 connections with a lot of people on the, on the roster, but also former WWE talent. 00:24:28.427 --> 00:24:32.717 It's not because I was world champ 25 times and not, it's not because 00:24:32.717 --> 00:24:37.577 I, uh, was, you know, tag team champion 3,500 times or whatever. 00:24:38.297 --> 00:24:42.287 It's because I was a great human being in that space, and I continue to be the 00:24:42.287 --> 00:24:44.477 same dude that I was walking in the doors. 00:24:44.477 --> 00:24:48.257 It didn't matter how much success I had or didn't have, it was really 00:24:48.257 --> 00:24:51.377 all about, you know, me being grateful for the opportunity. 00:24:51.377 --> 00:24:53.357 And I think that if people, I. 00:24:53.402 --> 00:24:59.732 Looked at that holistically across the board, whether it's, you know, dealing 00:24:59.732 --> 00:25:03.932 with your own kids, like, man, these damn kids, you know, they getting on my nerves. 00:25:04.022 --> 00:25:04.652 Well, guess what? 00:25:04.652 --> 00:25:07.292 It's some people that don't have kids to get on their nerves and they wish 00:25:07.292 --> 00:25:08.702 they could have kids, but they can't. 00:25:09.362 --> 00:25:12.302 Uh, it's some people that had kids that were getting on their nerves 00:25:12.302 --> 00:25:16.292 and they lost them to cancer and some kids that were getting on their 00:25:16.292 --> 00:25:20.882 nerves and um, you know, and they started finally turning the corner and 00:25:20.882 --> 00:25:22.352 getting things right and then boom. 00:25:22.607 --> 00:25:25.607 Life happens, accident, shooting, whatever. 00:25:26.507 --> 00:25:30.767 So I think, you know, for me, uh, I. 00:25:31.742 --> 00:25:34.712 Being in a WWE e gave me a better perspective even of what 00:25:34.712 --> 00:25:38.102 a being American is, you know, especially an African American. 00:25:38.102 --> 00:25:41.882 You know, folks always, I ask the question all the time, do you feel like America's 00:25:41.882 --> 00:25:43.142 the greatest country in the world? 00:25:43.622 --> 00:25:45.692 And you'll get some people to raise their hand proudly. 00:25:45.692 --> 00:25:46.772 Yes, absolutely. 00:25:47.102 --> 00:25:48.962 And for me, ab yeah, it's not. 00:25:49.267 --> 00:25:52.357 Like as a black man in America, like my history in this country 00:25:52.357 --> 00:25:54.517 is not good and still not good. 00:25:54.517 --> 00:25:57.817 You know, it doesn't mean I can't be successful and I haven't been successful. 00:25:57.817 --> 00:26:03.037 But when I go to China, who people talk crap about here, or when I go to Japan 00:26:03.037 --> 00:26:08.172 and it's clean and people are respectful and there's no obese people over there, 00:26:08.527 --> 00:26:10.477 like you gotta wonder like how can. 00:26:10.687 --> 00:26:12.337 We say we're the greatest country in the world. 00:26:12.337 --> 00:26:13.987 We lead the world in mass shootings. 00:26:13.987 --> 00:26:18.217 We lead the world in, in incarcerations, mass incarcerations. 00:26:18.217 --> 00:26:20.887 We lead the world in a whole lot of things that are not good. 00:26:21.547 --> 00:26:28.447 And I always say the only time we're ever collectively in this country, good. 00:26:28.477 --> 00:26:28.987 Really good. 00:26:29.882 --> 00:26:31.952 And United is in times of tragedy. 00:26:32.762 --> 00:26:34.352 And even that is fleeting. 00:26:34.412 --> 00:26:37.622 You know, hurricane hits, you see the best and best of people. 00:26:38.042 --> 00:26:41.642 And then two weeks later they're back to being the divided country that we are. 00:26:42.122 --> 00:26:45.152 And so I always tell people, people come to this country not because it's 00:26:45.152 --> 00:26:46.352 the greatest country in the world. 00:26:46.352 --> 00:26:48.662 They come to this country 'cause it's the country with the 00:26:48.662 --> 00:26:49.952 greatest amount of opportunity. 00:26:50.637 --> 00:26:53.007 People can come here and get an education that they wouldn't be 00:26:53.007 --> 00:26:54.657 able to get at a respective country. 00:26:54.657 --> 00:26:56.427 They'd be able to come here and start a business. 00:26:56.727 --> 00:27:00.477 It is truly the land of opportunity, but even with having that 00:27:00.477 --> 00:27:02.847 opportunity, there are still people. 00:27:03.392 --> 00:27:06.512 Completely negate the fact about the struggles that go 00:27:06.512 --> 00:27:07.892 along with that opportunity. 00:27:08.552 --> 00:27:12.272 And depending on how you look, where you come from, what language barrier you have 00:27:12.272 --> 00:27:15.872 or you don't have, what's your sexual orientation, what the color of your skin 00:27:15.872 --> 00:27:20.492 is, or what your political affiliation is, there is real life situations 00:27:20.492 --> 00:27:22.832 where systemic issues will affect you. 00:27:23.882 --> 00:27:30.182 And so I don't get too caught up in being a proud American. 00:27:30.182 --> 00:27:30.542 I get. 00:27:31.217 --> 00:27:33.467 More caught up in being a great human being. 00:27:33.647 --> 00:27:34.127 You know, 00:27:34.427 --> 00:27:37.817 whether you're American or not, this is supposed, this is a melting pot. 00:27:38.327 --> 00:27:41.147 You know, whether you were born in this country or you were not born in 00:27:41.147 --> 00:27:44.807 this country, you get an opportunity to help this country be better, which 00:27:44.807 --> 00:27:46.457 hopefully will help the world be better. 00:27:46.967 --> 00:27:49.637 And that's well constantly what I preach to my children. 00:27:49.637 --> 00:27:54.317 Like if you go to the league, great, but if you go and you're successful 00:27:54.317 --> 00:27:57.107 in whatever you're successful in and people love you for the human 00:27:57.107 --> 00:28:00.017 being that you are, not just 'cause you're a talent, but because of your. 00:28:00.347 --> 00:28:04.427 Attitude, your character, your integrity, those things matter to me 00:28:04.427 --> 00:28:06.797 because I set the legacy for my family. 00:28:07.217 --> 00:28:11.447 I broke the generational curses for my family and I set a legacy 00:28:11.447 --> 00:28:13.007 for my last name in my family. 00:28:13.007 --> 00:28:19.307 And I truly believe that anytime for a man of any sort, the greatest gifts, 00:28:19.307 --> 00:28:22.877 and I told you this, you know, when we first met Sam, the greatest gift 00:28:22.877 --> 00:28:25.967 that we'll ever give our children and our families is a great last name. 00:28:26.867 --> 00:28:30.317 And it's not the house that you live in, it's not the car that you drive. 00:28:30.317 --> 00:28:33.737 It's a great last name because at the end of the day when you're dead and 00:28:33.737 --> 00:28:36.137 gone, how will people remember you? 00:28:36.137 --> 00:28:40.157 What will they remember you for and will that will how they remember you? 00:28:40.937 --> 00:28:45.767 Open up opportunities for other people you know, as a coach. 00:28:46.247 --> 00:28:52.967 As a CEO, as a president, as a teammate, when people hear your name or they see 00:28:52.967 --> 00:28:57.527 your number come up on the caller ID and they ask you for a favor, or you're 00:28:57.527 --> 00:29:04.067 asking to help somebody or get somebody help, will your last name be the bridge 00:29:04.067 --> 00:29:06.107 that people need to become better? 00:29:07.067 --> 00:29:12.407 And for the most part, up to this point in my life, that's been the case. 00:29:13.157 --> 00:29:15.197 I didn't, I wasn't raised with that though. 00:29:15.842 --> 00:29:20.942 I had to build that for myself and it took a lot of people from a lot 00:29:20.942 --> 00:29:24.842 of different backgrounds to help get me to the space that I'm in now. 00:29:25.382 --> 00:29:28.862 So when people say, how do you make so much time to do everything that you do, I. 00:29:29.417 --> 00:29:31.397 My immediate response is, how can I not? 00:29:31.967 --> 00:29:35.357 People invested in me when they had absolutely nothing to gain in return, 00:29:35.417 --> 00:29:38.387 and I serve a God that truly has. 00:29:38.447 --> 00:29:42.797 Jeremiah 29 11 written all over my life, he knew the thoughts that he had for me. 00:29:43.247 --> 00:29:48.227 He understood that if thoughts of good things and I've had a damn good life, and 00:29:48.227 --> 00:29:49.967 I'll continue to have a damn good life. 00:29:50.357 --> 00:29:53.027 And it's not that it is a life that comes without struggles. 00:29:53.027 --> 00:29:57.197 It's not a life that comes without weapons being formed, but they haven't prospered. 00:29:57.427 --> 00:29:59.767 Because I continue to grow and I continue to go. 00:30:00.127 --> 00:30:04.627 And, um, you know, I I thank you guys for giving me the 00:30:04.627 --> 00:30:06.397 opportunity to come on your podcast. 00:30:06.877 --> 00:30:09.427 Uh, one, because I know that you're a believer. 00:30:09.432 --> 00:30:10.657 I, I mean, it was very evident. 00:30:10.687 --> 00:30:13.807 I'm a believer right out of the gate, you didn't shove it down my throat. 00:30:13.957 --> 00:30:16.267 I just could tell by the way you walked, the way you talked about your 00:30:16.267 --> 00:30:18.907 family, the way you, you carry yourself. 00:30:19.357 --> 00:30:19.987 Um. 00:30:20.792 --> 00:30:24.332 And you know, brother to brother, both of you, even though you're 00:30:24.332 --> 00:30:26.342 a little lighter than I am, uh, 00:30:28.712 --> 00:30:31.802 we still brothers, you know, I'm in this walk. 00:30:32.222 --> 00:30:38.042 Uh, continue to use this platform man to, to, to bring as many voices to 00:30:38.042 --> 00:30:42.062 the table as possibly can that not only will speak to their journey or 00:30:42.062 --> 00:30:45.182 speak to their faith, but speak truth. 00:30:47.012 --> 00:30:49.622 Because that's what I think a lot of folks are scared of 00:30:49.622 --> 00:30:51.542 nowadays, is to hear the truth. 00:30:52.082 --> 00:30:55.382 I ain't running for office, have zero desire to run for office. 00:30:55.412 --> 00:30:59.822 So if I tell somebody to F off, I ain't worried about that coming back and 00:30:59.822 --> 00:31:01.592 bite me in the butt two years from now. 00:31:01.892 --> 00:31:04.797 Somebody worried about, you know, well, you know, you told such and such 00:31:05.282 --> 00:31:06.872 grew off, you know, two years ago. 00:31:06.992 --> 00:31:07.562 Yeah, I did. 00:31:07.562 --> 00:31:09.963 And I'll tell him again and I'll tell you why I told him. 00:31:11.282 --> 00:31:11.972 I'm debt free. 00:31:11.972 --> 00:31:12.722 I'm stress free. 00:31:12.722 --> 00:31:13.592 I'm worry free. 00:31:13.862 --> 00:31:14.822 I'm kids free. 00:31:15.212 --> 00:31:20.342 And so, uh, you know, it just, if it's just me and my French Bulldogs, 00:31:20.342 --> 00:31:22.202 at the end of the day, I'm good. 00:31:22.232 --> 00:31:26.612 You know, as long as my kids are healthy and God is continuing to allow me to 00:31:26.612 --> 00:31:31.532 open doors for folks and do things for people, um, that help facilitate 00:31:32.432 --> 00:31:35.822 the world in which I know we can help. 00:31:36.497 --> 00:31:39.377 Build then so be it. 00:31:39.377 --> 00:31:41.837 You know, they always say if you can just reach one, you 00:31:41.837 --> 00:31:43.067 know you've done a great job. 00:31:43.067 --> 00:31:44.147 I've reached thousands. 00:31:45.047 --> 00:31:45.917 And thousands. 00:31:46.067 --> 00:31:49.877 We've put 370 something kids in college in the last 15 years. 00:31:50.237 --> 00:31:52.517 38 of 'em are in the NFL playing football. 00:31:52.967 --> 00:31:55.337 You know, several of 'em are playing major league baseball. 00:31:55.337 --> 00:31:58.697 Some of 'em are lawyers, some of 'em are doctors, some of 'em are police 00:31:58.697 --> 00:32:00.497 officers, some of 'em are school teachers. 00:32:01.067 --> 00:32:03.437 So, and this is since they were 12 years old. 00:32:03.467 --> 00:32:04.187 I'm 48. 00:32:04.307 --> 00:32:05.777 I'm not even halfway dead yet. 00:32:06.467 --> 00:32:09.737 So just imagine when I get on that other side of 50 when 00:32:09.737 --> 00:32:10.817 I really don't give a damn. 00:32:10.817 --> 00:32:12.737 Because you know, the older you get, you lose all the damn. 00:32:13.367 --> 00:32:17.372 Yeah, you lose all the damns together, you know? 00:32:19.082 --> 00:32:21.722 Sam Acho: Uh, so I got, I got one more and then Cliff, you, we 00:32:21.722 --> 00:32:24.092 always end every episode we end with some cliff notes, right? 00:32:24.092 --> 00:32:26.912 So Cliff has, his cliff notes will have, he'll have his cliff notes 00:32:26.912 --> 00:32:28.592 and maybe a, a question to close us. 00:32:29.042 --> 00:32:29.552 Um, 00:32:32.102 --> 00:32:35.102 and I'm, I usually ask, how do you win without losing it all? 00:32:35.642 --> 00:32:38.822 And, and it seems like you've answered that question, but I, so what I 00:32:38.822 --> 00:32:44.642 want to ask you Thaddeus, is what truth does the world need to hear? 00:32:47.747 --> 00:32:48.767 Thaddeus Bullard: You are enough. 00:32:52.457 --> 00:32:53.027 Simple. 00:32:53.912 --> 00:32:57.842 The world will tell you what you can't do, how you can't be, what you're not 00:32:58.052 --> 00:33:02.432 capable of, what you're not qualified for, and it's a boldfaced lie. 00:33:02.642 --> 00:33:05.612 You, you are truly enough. 00:33:05.972 --> 00:33:11.312 And the enemy will put that doubt and that fear and that that wall up so 00:33:11.312 --> 00:33:12.752 that you won't go through that wall. 00:33:12.752 --> 00:33:14.792 Like, just think about it like people. 00:33:15.302 --> 00:33:18.152 The enemy doesn't go after you for what you have. 00:33:19.112 --> 00:33:21.557 That, that's, that's, uh, that's easy. 00:33:21.797 --> 00:33:22.577 You know what I'm saying? 00:33:22.607 --> 00:33:26.897 Like that's the easy part when you go into a game plan. 00:33:26.897 --> 00:33:27.977 Sam, you played football. 00:33:30.197 --> 00:33:32.357 Uh, who's the best running back you played against? 00:33:32.957 --> 00:33:35.777 Sam Acho: Um, I played against Saquon, so I'd say Saquon. 00:33:36.797 --> 00:33:38.357 Thaddeus Bullard: All right, so Sequan Barkley. 00:33:38.747 --> 00:33:44.537 So prior to you getting on the field with Saquon Barkley, you didn't care how many 00:33:44.537 --> 00:33:46.487 yards he rushed for last yard, last game. 00:33:46.762 --> 00:33:46.982 Sam Acho: No, 00:33:47.792 --> 00:33:50.852 Thaddeus Bullard: You didn't care how many yards people projected him to get 00:33:50.852 --> 00:33:52.472 in the game that you played against. 00:33:53.132 --> 00:33:56.552 What you cared about is stopping him from gaining anything. 00:33:58.712 --> 00:34:00.422 That's how the enemy works. 00:34:01.352 --> 00:34:03.392 It ain't after what you did in the past. 00:34:04.502 --> 00:34:06.632 It ain't after what you got going on in the present. 00:34:07.142 --> 00:34:08.432 They wanna stop your future. 00:34:08.462 --> 00:34:10.472 Hey you, you ain't gonna do that with me. 00:34:10.532 --> 00:34:12.182 You, I'm not gonna allow you to do that. 00:34:13.172 --> 00:34:15.302 You ran for 300 yards against the last team. 00:34:15.362 --> 00:34:16.472 You ain't gonna do that here. 00:34:17.792 --> 00:34:19.232 That's how the enemy works. 00:34:20.372 --> 00:34:24.992 So the devil says, Hey, y'all think I want what you got right now, man. 00:34:24.992 --> 00:34:26.162 What you got right now ain't no. 00:34:26.282 --> 00:34:27.992 It is not even a fraction of what I know. 00:34:27.992 --> 00:34:28.832 Got God got. 00:34:28.832 --> 00:34:32.702 But if I can keep you from getting at what God got for you in the future, 00:34:33.752 --> 00:34:35.282 oh, I can kill your whole family. 00:34:36.392 --> 00:34:37.082 I can stop. 00:34:37.262 --> 00:34:38.882 I can stop your grandkids. 00:34:38.942 --> 00:34:40.592 I can stop your great-grandkids. 00:34:40.742 --> 00:34:46.262 If I can just get you right now because you may be a millionaire. 00:34:47.777 --> 00:34:52.157 But your great gang cri be, are supposed to be multimillionaires because 00:34:52.157 --> 00:34:55.517 they're gonna continue the generational wealth that you've accumulated. 00:34:56.477 --> 00:35:01.217 But if I can stop you in your tracks right here and set you back and set 00:35:01.217 --> 00:35:06.887 your family back, and you be the patriarch of that, all of a sudden 00:35:06.887 --> 00:35:10.787 I'll put you back in a space and your family back in a space in which now 00:35:10.787 --> 00:35:14.447 everybody's got a doubt and wonder, will we ever get back to where we were? 00:35:16.652 --> 00:35:19.382 And you're wondering from a world sense, you're not depending on 00:35:19.382 --> 00:35:22.682 God, you're depending on the fact that you just lost all this stuff. 00:35:24.512 --> 00:35:29.342 So my thing is, you are enough. 00:35:30.932 --> 00:35:35.102 There was a time in my life where I was very insignificant to a lot of people. 00:35:37.142 --> 00:35:38.492 My life up to this point. 00:35:38.522 --> 00:35:42.782 Uh, from this point, moving forward is all about significance 00:35:43.412 --> 00:35:46.112 because success is for ourselves. 00:35:46.232 --> 00:35:47.222 It's very selfish. 00:35:47.342 --> 00:35:49.472 I wanna be this, I wanna make this amount of money. 00:35:49.472 --> 00:35:50.612 I wanna do such and such. 00:35:50.792 --> 00:35:52.052 I want to graduate from high school. 00:35:52.052 --> 00:35:53.102 I want to graduate from college. 00:35:53.102 --> 00:35:54.482 I want to do this, I wanna do that. 00:35:54.812 --> 00:35:55.172 Great. 00:35:55.412 --> 00:35:58.622 Anybody can be successful at anything they wanna do, especially in this country. 00:36:00.002 --> 00:36:02.672 But the question is, what are you gonna do when you get that success? 00:36:03.992 --> 00:36:06.092 How are you gonna impact the people around you? 00:36:07.352 --> 00:36:11.972 Because I believe that the 8-year-old Thaddeus and the 80-year-old 00:36:11.972 --> 00:36:13.622 Thaddeus will never be too far apart. 00:36:13.622 --> 00:36:15.602 I'll never forget where I came from. 00:36:15.602 --> 00:36:18.482 I'll never forget how I felt when I was ho, when I was hungry, when I 00:36:18.482 --> 00:36:21.092 was cold, when I was homeless, when I was told when I'll be molested. 00:36:21.302 --> 00:36:24.062 So therefore, I can look at other people that are in that situation. 00:36:24.062 --> 00:36:25.802 I'm gonna be like, Hey man, you, you are enough. 00:36:26.942 --> 00:36:29.552 I love you and I believe in you, and we gonna get through this. 00:36:31.727 --> 00:36:34.697 The 80-year-old me is sitting up there like, yeah, I've gotten all 00:36:34.697 --> 00:36:39.317 this, this, I've accumulated all these things, and I got all these great 00:36:39.317 --> 00:36:44.537 memories, but I'm still wanting to make sure that other people can do that. 00:36:44.777 --> 00:36:47.327 That's why I love kids and I love elderly. 00:36:48.047 --> 00:36:51.677 They both are that they, they, it is two of the most truthful demographic of 00:36:51.677 --> 00:36:52.997 people you'll ever meet in your life. 00:36:53.837 --> 00:36:57.197 If your breath stink and they're six years old, they're gonna 00:36:57.197 --> 00:36:58.217 tell you your breath stink. 00:36:58.307 --> 00:37:01.187 If your breath stink and they're 85 years old, they're gonna 00:37:01.187 --> 00:37:02.477 tell you they breath stink. 00:37:02.717 --> 00:37:06.107 As a 8-year-old or a 6-year-old or 7-year-old kid, they're gonna tell you 00:37:06.107 --> 00:37:12.887 the same story every day, all day, and, and you going and the 85, 90-year-old 00:37:13.187 --> 00:37:15.647 tell you the same stories a million times. 00:37:15.647 --> 00:37:16.217 You know why? 00:37:16.367 --> 00:37:19.847 Because those were their dreams that they, they see things and 00:37:19.847 --> 00:37:21.167 they experience things, and they. 00:37:21.182 --> 00:37:24.992 Constantly wanna live in those moments because those are great moments for them. 00:37:26.042 --> 00:37:30.422 And as much as you don't want to hear what your 6-year-old, 7-year-old 00:37:30.422 --> 00:37:33.632 saying all the time, over and over and over and over again, man, it's 00:37:33.632 --> 00:37:38.822 gonna be a time that you go when they 85 grandpa or great 85-year-old 00:37:38.822 --> 00:37:41.162 granddad, or 85-year-old dad or mom. 00:37:42.482 --> 00:37:45.002 And you're gonna wish you had those conversations back. 00:37:45.902 --> 00:37:49.262 You're gonna wish that you can talk about the good old days. 00:37:50.297 --> 00:37:54.737 You're gonna wish that you can talk about what they want to be when they grow up. 00:37:55.577 --> 00:37:58.547 Because once they grow up, they're not talking to you about the same 00:37:58.547 --> 00:38:01.127 thing that they were talking to you when they were talking to you at six. 00:38:02.687 --> 00:38:04.637 So you are enough. 00:38:05.837 --> 00:38:09.377 Wherever you are on the spectrum of life, you are enough. 00:38:09.617 --> 00:38:12.887 God, Jesus died for us all for a reason. 00:38:13.742 --> 00:38:13.862 Clif Marshall: Hmm. 00:38:14.132 --> 00:38:16.862 Thaddeus Bullard: And it wasn't because I was the best. 00:38:16.922 --> 00:38:17.942 You was the strongest. 00:38:18.002 --> 00:38:19.922 He was the fastest, she was the richest. 00:38:20.042 --> 00:38:25.172 They was the, this, you know, whatever it was because he loved us. 00:38:26.072 --> 00:38:26.192 Clif Marshall: Hmm. 00:38:27.302 --> 00:38:27.902 Fatties. 00:38:27.902 --> 00:38:32.822 My last, uh, thought, and this has been incredible, I've spent the 00:38:32.822 --> 00:38:36.692 last eight years as the director of strength and conditioning for the 00:38:36.692 --> 00:38:38.762 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team. 00:38:39.572 --> 00:38:42.272 And as Sam mentioned earlier, I've, you know, I've been coaching for 00:38:42.272 --> 00:38:46.052 almost 30 years now in the NFL College football, college basketball. 00:38:46.772 --> 00:38:50.012 But there's one quote that I typically will leave on my 00:38:50.012 --> 00:38:53.492 grease board for the athletes to see, and it's from John Wooden. 00:38:53.522 --> 00:39:00.902 And it says, a great person is more important than being a great athlete. 00:39:01.922 --> 00:39:06.722 And just hearing your story and the impact that you've made with the platform that 00:39:06.722 --> 00:39:09.542 you've been given is incredible to me. 00:39:10.292 --> 00:39:11.672 it's not really a question. 00:39:11.672 --> 00:39:13.262 It's more or less a salute. 00:39:13.352 --> 00:39:14.282 A thank you. 00:39:14.777 --> 00:39:20.267 And a, uh, encouragement man to keep doing what you're doing because 00:39:20.267 --> 00:39:23.957 you have certainly inspired me over the last 45 minutes or so. 00:39:25.262 --> 00:39:25.652 Thaddeus Bullard: Thanks, man. 00:39:26.342 --> 00:39:27.032 Appreciate it. 00:39:27.622 --> 00:39:27.772 Sam Acho: Yeah. 00:39:28.432 --> 00:39:31.972 And, uh, everybody for listening, thank you all so much for checking out 00:39:31.972 --> 00:39:36.352 the Sam Macho Podcast, uh, featuring Cliff Marshall, AKA, cliff Notes, and 00:39:36.352 --> 00:39:38.152 today's special guest, Thaddius Bullard. 00:39:38.512 --> 00:39:40.762 Uh, make sure to check out King's Court. 00:39:40.972 --> 00:39:43.942 It'll be on NBC and on Peacock starting in July. 00:39:43.942 --> 00:39:44.002 I. 00:39:44.002 --> 00:39:46.472 And all this information will be in the show notes. 00:39:46.472 --> 00:39:49.982 We'll have links for you to check out and go to sam macho.com 00:39:49.982 --> 00:39:51.272 to check out all the resources. 00:39:51.602 --> 00:39:52.082 Thank you.