WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.340 --> 00:00:03.700 Sam Acho Intro: Yeah. 00:00:18.633 --> 00:00:21.303 Sam Acho: Welcome back to the Sam Acho podcast featuring 00:00:21.303 --> 00:00:23.373 Cliff Marshall, AKA Cliff Notes. 00:00:23.583 --> 00:00:27.183 And today we have a special guest, uh, Devin MCC accordion. 00:00:27.183 --> 00:00:30.453 I'm not gonna do the intro 'cause Cliff actually has a better, and 00:00:30.453 --> 00:00:33.573 maybe let's say a different kind of relationship with Devin and I, 00:00:33.903 --> 00:00:35.553 uh, than a lot of y'all know about. 00:00:35.553 --> 00:00:38.433 And so, cliff, I'm gonna let you introduce our special guest. 00:00:39.513 --> 00:00:41.943 Clif Marshall: Well, Devin McCordy is with us today. 00:00:41.943 --> 00:00:45.393 And Devin, it's a special day because you're actually our first 00:00:45.393 --> 00:00:48.753 guest ever on the Sam Macho podcast. 00:00:48.813 --> 00:00:51.273 And, uh, we can't thank you enough for your time. 00:00:51.663 --> 00:00:54.093 As Sam mentioned, uh, you and I go way back. 00:00:54.093 --> 00:00:57.183 We have a great relationship and we'll get into that in just a moment. 00:00:57.563 --> 00:00:59.783 But really, uh, I want to introduce Devin. 00:00:59.783 --> 00:01:03.083 Devin was a first round draft pick out of Rutgers. 00:01:03.623 --> 00:01:09.383 He was a 13 year NFL player, team captain with the same team all 00:01:09.383 --> 00:01:11.303 13 years in New England Patriots. 00:01:11.753 --> 00:01:14.063 And, uh, he won three Super Bowls with them. 00:01:14.063 --> 00:01:16.403 You see the Lombardi trophies behind him. 00:01:16.763 --> 00:01:21.683 So, uh, man, uh, three Super Bowls was an NFL Pro Bowler. 00:01:22.578 --> 00:01:25.788 But more importantly, we talk on this show a lot about our identity. 00:01:26.148 --> 00:01:28.728 A lot of times our identity gets caught up in football or 00:01:28.728 --> 00:01:30.078 whatever sport you're playing. 00:01:30.828 --> 00:01:34.218 Most important thing to know about Devin is that first and 00:01:34.218 --> 00:01:36.438 foremost, he's a follower of Christ. 00:01:36.768 --> 00:01:41.208 Secondly, he's a great husband and thirties, even a better father. 00:01:41.538 --> 00:01:44.328 So Devin, thank you so much for your time, brother. 00:01:44.328 --> 00:01:45.708 It's a joy to have you on today. 00:01:46.058 --> 00:01:48.728 Devin McCourty: Man, I, I appreciate that intro and, uh, I, I think it's 00:01:48.728 --> 00:01:52.148 awesome to be here because, uh, like you just mentioned, when you talk about 00:01:52.148 --> 00:01:56.138 identity and, and coming outta Rutgers and then going into the draft and all 00:01:56.138 --> 00:02:00.458 of the in between of the training, uh, the thing that always stuck out to me as 00:02:00.458 --> 00:02:03.278 I was pursuing like my lifelong dream. 00:02:03.618 --> 00:02:08.508 Was every Wednesday we had Bible study and that was huge for me in grounding 00:02:08.868 --> 00:02:12.588 the next, you know, part of my life of what I would end up becoming a father 00:02:12.588 --> 00:02:14.988 and a husband and all of those things. 00:02:15.228 --> 00:02:19.278 But it was, and this most important time of my life professionally, of 00:02:19.278 --> 00:02:23.628 chasing something, you still was like, Hey fellas, like it's not mandatory, 00:02:23.628 --> 00:02:27.648 but if you want Wednesday mornings, what's our kind of recovery day? 00:02:27.708 --> 00:02:28.998 We're gonna do a Bible study. 00:02:28.998 --> 00:02:31.518 And I just remember being in that moment of like. 00:02:31.893 --> 00:02:36.633 Only thinking about my L my L drill and only thinking about my five, ten five 00:02:36.633 --> 00:02:41.103 and being like, man, like it was so good to be able to reset and like, all 00:02:41.103 --> 00:02:42.393 right, let's remember what's important. 00:02:42.393 --> 00:02:46.743 Let's remember that it's a blessing to just be here training and doing all of 00:02:46.743 --> 00:02:48.333 these things that we get to do in Naples. 00:02:48.333 --> 00:02:51.813 So, uh, I'm just, I'm very grateful and thankful and that's why 00:02:51.813 --> 00:02:53.073 we've always stayed connected. 00:02:53.073 --> 00:02:56.283 'cause you played a huge part in the man that I became, 00:02:56.553 --> 00:02:58.013 in that stage in life where. 00:02:58.283 --> 00:03:02.433 Sam, you know just like me, that's the kind of stage where you can go 00:03:02.433 --> 00:03:06.333 either direction as you're about to walk into a whole new life that you 00:03:06.333 --> 00:03:09.423 thought it would be one way, but it's a lot of other things involved 00:03:09.603 --> 00:03:11.103 and, very grateful for what you did. 00:03:11.103 --> 00:03:11.503 Clif 00:03:12.293 --> 00:03:12.653 Clif Marshall: Wow. 00:03:12.653 --> 00:03:15.563 Devin means the, world to me for you to say that. 00:03:15.563 --> 00:03:19.793 And there's a Bible verse from First Timothy 4:8 It says, for physical training 00:03:19.793 --> 00:03:24.773 is of some value, but godliness has value for all things holding promise for 00:03:24.773 --> 00:03:27.173 the present life and the life to come. 00:03:27.173 --> 00:03:29.573 And I think in Naples, while we were training there together. 00:03:30.198 --> 00:03:31.158 At Ignition. 00:03:31.878 --> 00:03:35.328 it was more about just training the mind, the body, and the spirit. 00:03:35.808 --> 00:03:41.298 So Dev like 2010, man, we met through your agent, Andy Sims. 00:03:41.628 --> 00:03:45.318 Um, and obviously, you know, I recruited you a little bit. 00:03:45.318 --> 00:03:50.028 There were a ton of facilities you could have chosen just like Sam, right? 00:03:50.088 --> 00:03:54.498 And, uh, I'm so grateful that you came to train with me at Ignition and I was 00:03:54.498 --> 00:03:56.358 reminded this morning in my office. 00:03:56.718 --> 00:03:58.038 I've got a brochure. 00:03:58.443 --> 00:04:01.863 Right here with Devin McCordy on it, right? 00:04:01.863 --> 00:04:05.913 He was the face of ignition after becoming a first round draft pick 00:04:05.913 --> 00:04:07.713 and dominating the NFL combine. 00:04:07.713 --> 00:04:11.553 And what makes that story so cool is the very next year. 00:04:12.093 --> 00:04:15.273 Sam Acho became the face of Ignition. 00:04:15.513 --> 00:04:18.243 And so, Devin, your success, right? 00:04:18.243 --> 00:04:22.803 Training at Ignition helped me to recruit Sam Acho the following year. 00:04:23.193 --> 00:04:27.303 And both you guys obviously did great at the combine, but just wanted to ask 00:04:27.303 --> 00:04:31.383 you kind of what do you remember other than the Bible studies and whatnot, uh, 00:04:31.413 --> 00:04:35.883 kind of about your training process and, and, you know, signing with an agent 00:04:35.883 --> 00:04:38.313 and, and then going into the NFL combine. 00:04:38.643 --> 00:04:41.193 Uh, what do you remember most about that experience? 00:04:41.823 --> 00:04:42.273 Devin McCourty: Yeah, man. 00:04:42.273 --> 00:04:47.103 Starting with the, the kind of agent part of it and you know, Sam, just like 00:04:47.103 --> 00:04:52.203 me brothers and, and having a brother in the NFL and all that, us, I was a twin, 00:04:52.203 --> 00:04:54.543 but Jay came out the year before me, so. 00:04:54.903 --> 00:04:58.473 When Jay comes out, I think the assumption was okay, like Devin 00:04:58.473 --> 00:05:02.313 already has an agent, he's gonna probably sign with his brother's agent. 00:05:02.313 --> 00:05:06.843 But then my brother has, he has some success, uh, as a six round draft pick 00:05:06.843 --> 00:05:11.463 starts three games, uh, was active for all but one game on special teams 00:05:11.463 --> 00:05:12.753 and, and different things like that. 00:05:12.813 --> 00:05:15.093 So my draft grade starts climbing. 00:05:15.093 --> 00:05:16.623 I'm playing well in college and. 00:05:16.953 --> 00:05:20.013 Uh, as I go through the process, you know, I think I might have met with 00:05:20.013 --> 00:05:25.113 one agent or two agents that summer, and then as the season kind of went on, 00:05:25.323 --> 00:05:29.073 more and more agents started reaching out, and then other guys, agents, 00:05:29.313 --> 00:05:30.723 bigger agents, started reaching out. 00:05:30.723 --> 00:05:34.563 So at the end, my mind was like, kind of in a loophole and I, 00:05:34.563 --> 00:05:37.863 I, I threw my financial, uh, advisor right under the bus. 00:05:37.923 --> 00:05:39.453 'cause I mentioned him to every agent. 00:05:39.453 --> 00:05:42.603 Like, I'm about to sit back and spend some time and talk to him. 00:05:42.843 --> 00:05:45.783 And he called me like maybe two hours later, like. 00:05:46.173 --> 00:05:47.973 What did you, what did you say to people? 00:05:47.973 --> 00:05:52.923 I just got, I just got like eight text messages about what I have to 00:05:52.923 --> 00:05:57.633 do with the process, what I'm, and it was just a lot and I'm, I'm very 00:05:57.633 --> 00:06:01.263 fortunate that my brother had went through the process, so he had got to 00:06:01.263 --> 00:06:03.213 know some agents from other players. 00:06:03.363 --> 00:06:07.383 So as we kind of went through it, he was just like, wait, you like that person? 00:06:07.938 --> 00:06:08.398 nah, nah. 00:06:08.403 --> 00:06:08.643 nah. 00:06:08.643 --> 00:06:10.743 I was with that person when he was with this client. 00:06:11.253 --> 00:06:13.293 He's totally different than what you're describing. 00:06:13.293 --> 00:06:17.433 So once we went through that and got to figure that out, and like you said, going 00:06:17.703 --> 00:06:19.893 at that time it was, it was players rep. 00:06:20.073 --> 00:06:23.583 Now it's one of one agency, Andy Sims and, and Wesley Spencer. 00:06:23.883 --> 00:06:28.023 Um, once I got those guys, it kind of started my circle and then, uh, 00:06:28.023 --> 00:06:31.893 they were like, Hey, I want you to meet Cliff And again, my brother had 00:06:31.893 --> 00:06:36.258 trained in Chicago and I'm drawing a blank on the name, but he kind of was. 00:06:37.248 --> 00:06:39.468 Trained a little bit like how we trained in college. 00:06:39.468 --> 00:06:42.438 They were squatting heavy, like they were doing, they weren't 00:06:42.438 --> 00:06:46.038 doing the kind of pretty stuff that we usually see on the films. 00:06:46.038 --> 00:06:48.258 And like he was, he was getting after it. 00:06:48.258 --> 00:06:52.038 And when he came back he was like 1 95. 00:06:52.278 --> 00:06:54.138 He ran like low four threes. 00:06:54.138 --> 00:06:58.338 Like when he walked in the door after training, I was like, damn, you got 00:06:58.338 --> 00:07:00.738 big, like was joked up, no neck. 00:07:01.038 --> 00:07:04.998 And he was just like, and I remember talking to him the first like few weeks. 00:07:04.998 --> 00:07:05.598 He hated it. 00:07:05.598 --> 00:07:06.228 He was like. 00:07:06.543 --> 00:07:08.553 Bro, I didn't think this is what we were gonna be doing. 00:07:08.853 --> 00:07:10.773 And then started seeing the results. 00:07:10.773 --> 00:07:13.893 So obviously being a twin, I'm like, I need to kind of, 00:07:13.953 --> 00:07:15.513 I need to kind of do that too. 00:07:15.753 --> 00:07:18.093 And that was a part of choosing to go. 00:07:18.093 --> 00:07:19.263 I didn't want to go to Chicago though. 00:07:19.263 --> 00:07:20.103 He was freezing. 00:07:20.343 --> 00:07:21.783 I wanted to go somewhere warm. 00:07:21.783 --> 00:07:24.903 And when Cliff was like, Hey, we're based in Cincinnati, but we're 00:07:24.903 --> 00:07:29.493 taking a group of guys to Naples, Florida to to train for the combine. 00:07:29.883 --> 00:07:30.903 I was like, I'm in. 00:07:30.963 --> 00:07:35.433 And I think the coolest thing about being down there was we had our kind 00:07:35.433 --> 00:07:40.143 of Big East reunion down there with so many different guys, sensei Pitt. 00:07:40.293 --> 00:07:42.243 We were all down there getting after it. 00:07:42.243 --> 00:07:46.413 And then the group that we formed, um, kind of were like all underdogs. 00:07:46.413 --> 00:07:49.653 And I know it sounds weird, me saying that 'cause I went in the first round. 00:07:49.653 --> 00:07:52.683 But going down there, like I just, I always felt like I had a 00:07:52.683 --> 00:07:55.443 lot of people that didn't think that I was that type of player. 00:07:55.443 --> 00:07:58.383 Like the only, you know, one, a offer I had was Rutgers. 00:07:58.683 --> 00:08:02.313 So like being there at Rutgers and, and doing that and even getting 00:08:02.313 --> 00:08:06.033 drafted in the first round, the first time I, I did the press conference, 00:08:06.033 --> 00:08:07.593 they said, Hey, are you aware? 00:08:07.593 --> 00:08:11.373 People are pretty angry that Bill drafted a special teams player in the first round. 00:08:11.643 --> 00:08:14.343 So it was like this, you know, whether it was me, it was, whether 00:08:14.343 --> 00:08:15.813 it was Brett Hamlin, prince. 00:08:16.203 --> 00:08:21.963 Quasi, like we just had so many different guys that felt like underdogs, D two guys. 00:08:21.963 --> 00:08:25.023 Like, uh, it was cool for me to be in that environment 'cause 00:08:25.023 --> 00:08:26.523 we all just, we grinded and 00:08:26.763 --> 00:08:30.123 we loved every bit of, every bit of it, giving each other pointers 00:08:30.123 --> 00:08:31.503 when we were doing drills and stuff. 00:08:31.503 --> 00:08:34.053 So, uh, it was a, it was a unbelievable experience. 00:08:34.053 --> 00:08:37.743 I think I went back either two years later to talk to guys, um, that were 00:08:37.743 --> 00:08:39.183 still doing the combine training. 00:08:39.183 --> 00:08:43.083 So, uh, loved, loved it so much that I want to always stay connected to it. 00:08:43.863 --> 00:08:45.033 Clif Marshall: Hmm, man. 00:08:45.033 --> 00:08:48.303 One thing that I can remember, Devin specifically about you is you beat 00:08:48.303 --> 00:08:52.443 me to breakfast every morning, and that says something because I'm 00:08:52.443 --> 00:08:53.913 getting to breakfast 30 minutes early. 00:08:53.913 --> 00:08:54.153 Right? 00:08:54.153 --> 00:08:57.423 And you're already there and you're eating the same things, right. 00:08:57.933 --> 00:09:03.243 Um, and you're, it's all about consistency and for our, you know, our audience. 00:09:03.243 --> 00:09:08.463 I think a lesson, maybe a cliff note today is that I tell the athletes 00:09:08.463 --> 00:09:12.333 that I work with, you have to treat every day as it's a job interview. 00:09:12.333 --> 00:09:12.363 I. 00:09:12.873 --> 00:09:13.323 Right. 00:09:13.833 --> 00:09:16.113 And I also say treat every day. 00:09:16.113 --> 00:09:18.843 Like it's the first day of your freshman year. 00:09:19.323 --> 00:09:21.213 You remember first day freshman year at Rutgers. 00:09:21.213 --> 00:09:24.933 And Sam, you remember first day freshman year at at Texas, right? 00:09:25.053 --> 00:09:27.753 You were on time, your shirt was tucked in. 00:09:27.753 --> 00:09:28.623 You were Yes sir. 00:09:28.623 --> 00:09:29.283 No sir. 00:09:29.463 --> 00:09:31.173 You looked everybody in the eye. 00:09:31.533 --> 00:09:34.593 And what I've seen over 25 years as a strength and conditioning coach is 00:09:34.593 --> 00:09:37.953 that goes away over the course of time because we get comfortable, right? 00:09:38.313 --> 00:09:41.328 And the one thing Devin, I can remember about you is like, I. 00:09:41.328 --> 00:09:43.743 You were the same guy every day, right? 00:09:43.743 --> 00:09:45.363 You showed up with a great attitude. 00:09:45.363 --> 00:09:46.473 You had great energy. 00:09:46.713 --> 00:09:49.833 Humble, hardworking, and that consistency. 00:09:49.833 --> 00:09:50.703 Man, it paid off. 00:09:50.703 --> 00:09:53.103 And I believe that's why you ended up playing 13 years in the 00:09:53.103 --> 00:09:59.673 NFL, became a team captain and won multiple Super Bowls, so yes. 00:09:59.928 --> 00:10:01.878 Sam Acho: Speaking of those Super Bowls, he got three of them, but 00:10:01.878 --> 00:10:02.898 he got some of them behind him. 00:10:02.898 --> 00:10:05.988 Cliff, we, we started to call him like, Hey, what are those things behind? 00:10:06.258 --> 00:10:08.808 Those are in fact Lombardi trophies. 00:10:08.808 --> 00:10:11.778 But I'm gonna ask Cliff, you made the point about the consistency and the, 00:10:12.048 --> 00:10:14.898 and Devin, you talked about essentially this idea of being an underdog. 00:10:15.228 --> 00:10:20.808 The question I have, Devin, is how do you keep that humble or that consistent 00:10:20.808 --> 00:10:23.718 mentality after achieving so much success? 00:10:24.843 --> 00:10:27.933 Devin McCourty: I think it is, it's the realization that I've always 00:10:27.933 --> 00:10:32.463 tried not to put success as a, a thing, a material thing of like. 00:10:32.793 --> 00:10:37.773 Winning a Super Bowl or becoming a pro Bowler because the truth of the matter 00:10:37.773 --> 00:10:39.813 is, like you, I won my first Super Bowl. 00:10:39.813 --> 00:10:41.253 I had lost one the year before. 00:10:41.253 --> 00:10:42.873 Lost in the ASC Championship. 00:10:43.113 --> 00:10:46.953 Two years in, two years in a row after going my second year. 00:10:47.103 --> 00:10:51.063 So it was just like this buildup was, I mean, huge. 00:10:51.063 --> 00:10:53.793 We had coaches on staff players, they would talk about it. 00:10:54.033 --> 00:10:57.963 And I had this conversation with Nate Solder and you win it and 00:10:57.963 --> 00:11:00.993 you're like, oh, like that's it. 00:11:01.653 --> 00:11:02.103 I mean like 00:11:02.103 --> 00:11:02.853 that was great. 00:11:02.853 --> 00:11:04.083 The parade was awesome, man. 00:11:04.383 --> 00:11:08.733 But like as soon as we were at the parade and everybody's like, we want 00:11:08.733 --> 00:11:13.203 five, we want like everyone wants you to win the next Super Bowl, they 00:11:13.203 --> 00:11:14.973 want to talk about the next season. 00:11:15.273 --> 00:11:18.693 And you were here thinking like, wait, we not gonna enjoy this 00:11:18.693 --> 00:11:20.313 for like months on, months. 00:11:20.313 --> 00:11:21.423 Like we're not it. 00:11:21.633 --> 00:11:22.683 It goes fast. 00:11:22.683 --> 00:11:25.443 So I've always tried to, and I even tell my kids like. 00:11:25.728 --> 00:11:27.888 Success or, or whatever you want to call it. 00:11:27.888 --> 00:11:32.448 It's about you being your absolute best in anything you do. 00:11:32.748 --> 00:11:35.368 And I think about that of, you know, In the Bible. 00:11:35.388 --> 00:11:39.108 Paul talks about being content, whether he's been high, whether he's been 00:11:39.108 --> 00:11:41.808 low, of just always being content. 00:11:42.048 --> 00:11:45.678 And I feel like I find contentment when I know I've given it my all. 00:11:45.768 --> 00:11:47.748 I wanted to play 15 years in the NFL. 00:11:48.093 --> 00:11:49.383 Retired after 13. 00:11:49.683 --> 00:11:53.493 I was content at what I, what I was able to accomplish, what I was able to do. 00:11:53.523 --> 00:11:56.943 'cause I knew at the end of the day, I didn't cheat myself. 00:11:56.973 --> 00:11:58.263 I went all in. 00:11:58.503 --> 00:12:03.633 I, when I was coming outta Rutgers or whatever time my second year, I struggled. 00:12:03.783 --> 00:12:05.133 People were like, he should get cut. 00:12:05.133 --> 00:12:06.843 They should, they moved my position. 00:12:07.188 --> 00:12:10.218 All these things happened and I just kind of put my head down and was just 00:12:10.218 --> 00:12:11.358 like, all right, I'll figure it out. 00:12:11.568 --> 00:12:12.228 I'll do this. 00:12:12.228 --> 00:12:14.418 I, whatever I have to do, I'll figure it out. 00:12:14.598 --> 00:12:16.758 And it was the same thing once I retired. 00:12:16.758 --> 00:12:18.948 Like that mentality doesn't leave. 00:12:18.948 --> 00:12:22.218 I'm not somebody that sets like these hard goals of like, I 00:12:22.218 --> 00:12:23.478 have to be here in this point. 00:12:23.478 --> 00:12:27.858 I want, and I learned that because through life when those things happen 00:12:27.858 --> 00:12:31.338 or different things that even for me, like when I want, I wanted to play in 00:12:31.338 --> 00:12:34.578 the NFL I wanted to just get in the NFL I was a first round draft pick. 00:12:34.953 --> 00:12:39.213 I didn't let that impact what I did next because honestly, that surprised me. 00:12:39.333 --> 00:12:41.913 I didn't think I was gonna be a first round draft pick. 00:12:42.633 --> 00:12:46.053 I had University of New Hampshire and Rutgers only offered me 00:12:46.233 --> 00:12:47.463 because they wanted my brother. 00:12:47.673 --> 00:12:51.603 So like I wasn't this guy walking around super confident and I 00:12:51.603 --> 00:12:52.923 had a feeling Rutgers did that. 00:12:52.923 --> 00:12:57.003 And then a year ago, the guy that recruited me, Darren Izzy was 00:12:57.003 --> 00:12:59.703 with the Saints and him and my brother went to dinner and he was 00:12:59.703 --> 00:13:03.933 like, you know when Dev called the Monday after your recruiting visit? 00:13:04.173 --> 00:13:08.763 He was like, cheo called me and he ripped me because we got him and you didn't 00:13:08.763 --> 00:13:09.243 commit. 00:13:09.618 --> 00:13:11.118 And so I didn't have that. 00:13:11.148 --> 00:13:12.888 Like I never thought of myself that way. 00:13:12.888 --> 00:13:17.088 So because I've just been trying to focus on what was next, I didn't let the 00:13:17.088 --> 00:13:18.948 big accomplishments, that shocked me. 00:13:19.188 --> 00:13:22.818 I never let it get to my head and be like, Hey man, I'm good. 00:13:22.818 --> 00:13:26.508 And if I ever did get a little over myself having a twin brother, 00:13:26.658 --> 00:13:29.538 he would bring me right back down to Earth and we would go at it. 00:13:29.538 --> 00:13:33.618 So very fortunate to have him, uh, a part of my success or 00:13:33.618 --> 00:13:34.668 whatever you want to call it. 00:13:36.393 --> 00:13:37.983 Clif Marshall: Uh, Devin, you mentioned your brother. 00:13:37.983 --> 00:13:39.633 I wanna backtrack just a moment. 00:13:39.633 --> 00:13:42.183 Can you explain and kind of talk about like. 00:13:43.368 --> 00:13:47.958 Why your brother answered the phone on draft night, not you. 00:13:48.378 --> 00:13:52.998 When Bill Belichick called your brother, picked the phone up and not you. 00:13:53.433 --> 00:13:55.353 Devin McCourty: Man, it is crazy too because my brother 00:13:55.353 --> 00:13:56.553 gets drafted a year before. 00:13:56.553 --> 00:13:58.893 We're in the same house, living in the same place. 00:13:59.328 --> 00:14:00.468 Nobody comes to the house. 00:14:00.468 --> 00:14:03.438 We had like a few friends that had already planned to come. 00:14:03.618 --> 00:14:07.608 Draft is on, he gets drafted the last day, nobody shows up. 00:14:07.668 --> 00:14:11.268 The next year I get drafted, I get projected, possible 00:14:11.268 --> 00:14:12.858 chance, end of the first round. 00:14:13.128 --> 00:14:16.548 Next thing you know, we got people just ringing the doorbell like, 00:14:16.548 --> 00:14:20.898 hey, and next thing I know, we got like 15, 20 people in the house. 00:14:21.423 --> 00:14:22.623 Did not want that. 00:14:22.623 --> 00:14:25.443 Didn't, but it was like hard to be like, nah, I gotta go. 00:14:25.653 --> 00:14:30.093 So, you know, getting drafted in the first round is awesome, but it is long. 00:14:30.093 --> 00:14:33.093 So I got to the point where I was like, man, I gotta just step outta 00:14:33.093 --> 00:14:36.753 here for a second, go to the bathroom, but spending some extra time. 00:14:36.753 --> 00:14:37.983 And the phone rings. 00:14:38.283 --> 00:14:40.833 So as the phone rings, Jay's like. 00:14:42.348 --> 00:14:43.068 I'm gonna answer it. 00:14:43.068 --> 00:14:46.068 I'm gonna take it to him, but I'm gonna answer it and answers it. 00:14:46.068 --> 00:14:47.598 And is Mr. 00:14:47.598 --> 00:14:51.198 Kraft at first on the phone, Hey, we're drafting you. 00:14:51.198 --> 00:14:53.538 This is Robert Kraft from the New England Patriots. 00:14:53.748 --> 00:14:55.518 He's like, oh man, awesome. 00:14:55.668 --> 00:14:57.288 Oh, hey, I'm gonna put Coach Belichick on. 00:14:57.498 --> 00:14:59.058 Soon as they say him put Coach Belichick on. 00:14:59.628 --> 00:15:01.188 He's like, yo, coach Belichick's on the phone. 00:15:01.188 --> 00:15:02.028 Hands me the phone. 00:15:02.298 --> 00:15:06.888 And it was hilarious because it was a, it was our, it is our relationship, 00:15:06.918 --> 00:15:08.598 always having each other's back of. 00:15:08.928 --> 00:15:09.588 I'm away. 00:15:09.588 --> 00:15:10.098 No fear. 00:15:10.098 --> 00:15:10.308 No. 00:15:10.338 --> 00:15:11.118 Don't worry about it. 00:15:11.118 --> 00:15:12.528 He'll answer, he'll be me. 00:15:12.768 --> 00:15:14.628 Pass me the phone and I'll take over. 00:15:14.628 --> 00:15:16.578 And our lives have been like that. 00:15:16.578 --> 00:15:18.258 Like I played in high school football. 00:15:18.258 --> 00:15:21.528 I played right away as a sophomore starting some games. 00:15:21.528 --> 00:15:23.298 He didn't play much junior year. 00:15:23.298 --> 00:15:26.778 He kind of has a, a run at running back where he's playing more. 00:15:27.108 --> 00:15:29.298 Uh, he played more first in basketball. 00:15:29.598 --> 00:15:31.278 Then we get to college. 00:15:31.488 --> 00:15:35.688 I red shirt, he plays right away he goes, he becomes a six round draft pick. 00:15:35.718 --> 00:15:37.338 I become a first round draft pick. 00:15:37.668 --> 00:15:39.498 I win Super Bowl two Super Bowls. 00:15:39.498 --> 00:15:41.333 Then he comes, he wins a Super Bowl With me, it was just. 00:15:41.763 --> 00:15:43.173 There's always back and forth. 00:15:43.173 --> 00:15:44.013 Even retirement. 00:15:44.013 --> 00:15:46.743 He goes on tv, he does well on tv. 00:15:46.743 --> 00:15:48.693 I come out the next year, I go on tv. 00:15:48.693 --> 00:15:52.383 So, um, we've always helped each other out and just had each other's back. 00:15:52.653 --> 00:15:56.883 Um, and we always tell people, I think, I don't think we have the success. 00:15:56.883 --> 00:15:59.793 We don't make it to the NFL if we don't have each other. 00:15:59.793 --> 00:16:01.503 We've always pushed each other. 00:16:01.743 --> 00:16:05.403 We've always made each other believe in ourselves more by like 00:16:05.403 --> 00:16:07.173 just saying like, nah, keep going. 00:16:07.353 --> 00:16:09.333 Even when I retired, when our season ended. 00:16:09.598 --> 00:16:11.938 He calls me, he goes, nah, nah, nah, don't retire. 00:16:12.208 --> 00:16:13.228 You have four interceptions. 00:16:13.228 --> 00:16:13.978 You should have had six. 00:16:13.978 --> 00:16:14.758 Don't retire. 00:16:14.998 --> 00:16:17.668 There's different, like there's different records you could get. 00:16:17.758 --> 00:16:18.988 And I was like, man, I'm done. 00:16:19.168 --> 00:16:19.708 I'm done. 00:16:19.708 --> 00:16:21.508 But like, we always push each other, man. 00:16:21.508 --> 00:16:21.838 It's, it is 00:16:21.838 --> 00:16:23.098 really special relationship. 00:16:24.093 --> 00:16:25.803 Clif Marshall: Well, I, oh, go ahead, Sam. 00:16:25.803 --> 00:16:29.223 Sam Acho: just to hop in last week, 'cause last week, cliff and I, on episode 00:16:29.223 --> 00:16:33.513 one, we talked about the relationship that we have as far as accountability, 00:16:33.513 --> 00:16:34.353 keeping each other accountable. 00:16:34.353 --> 00:16:35.433 I also have a brother, right? 00:16:35.433 --> 00:16:39.333 That it's like we push each other, but not everybody has a physical brother. 00:16:40.323 --> 00:16:42.933 What do you tell the people who may not have a physical 00:16:42.933 --> 00:16:47.493 brother or a sister if they wanna achieve this version of success? 00:16:48.353 --> 00:16:51.233 Devin McCourty: I think it's a alignment with different people in your life. 00:16:51.393 --> 00:16:51.633 I think. 00:16:52.293 --> 00:16:55.923 Even, you know, outside of, of having my brother, I have friends who are like 00:16:55.923 --> 00:17:00.093 brothers to me that, uh, I can call on when they've gone through great loss. 00:17:00.093 --> 00:17:03.633 Two of my, two of my close friends, they lost their fathers, uh, like 00:17:03.633 --> 00:17:05.613 six months to, to a year apart. 00:17:05.883 --> 00:17:09.753 And I remember one of my guys, he, he works for, he is a federal agent. 00:17:10.008 --> 00:17:13.578 And I FaceTimed him that night and I was just like, man, I had to put eyes on you. 00:17:13.638 --> 00:17:16.908 I was like, I know, I know like how close you and your father are. 00:17:17.178 --> 00:17:20.118 Um, I was like, I just wanted to put eyes on you, not a phone call or a text 00:17:20.118 --> 00:17:22.071 message, but to FaceTime you and see you. 00:17:22.458 --> 00:17:25.368 Um, and I think it, it's finding those people, but it's, it's 00:17:25.368 --> 00:17:27.378 investment and it is investing time. 00:17:27.678 --> 00:17:30.528 It's letting people know exactly how you feel, whether it's good 00:17:30.528 --> 00:17:32.598 or bad, um, of being there. 00:17:32.598 --> 00:17:35.628 And I think when you find that, like I always tell my wife, my close friends. 00:17:36.543 --> 00:17:39.423 I never understand when people are, Hey, we're not, we're just not friends anymore. 00:17:39.423 --> 00:17:42.753 I'm like, my close friends that I've had since college, like it would take 00:17:42.753 --> 00:17:45.903 something that I can't even think of, of why we wouldn't be friends 00:17:45.903 --> 00:17:49.023 because we've invested so much time in each other, whether it's. 00:17:50.043 --> 00:17:52.858 Even now, if they come over and we hang around the house, like 00:17:52.863 --> 00:17:54.003 we don't have to go anywhere. 00:17:54.213 --> 00:17:58.083 We might just sit at the house and be talking or have a drink 00:17:58.083 --> 00:18:00.903 and be talking at three o'clock in the morning just catching up. 00:18:00.903 --> 00:18:02.493 And that's what I would tell people. 00:18:02.493 --> 00:18:05.943 If you have different people in your life that you see like, man, this 00:18:05.943 --> 00:18:07.803 person's like a brother or like a sister. 00:18:08.223 --> 00:18:10.113 Go all in and invest time. 00:18:10.293 --> 00:18:11.523 Like there's no gift. 00:18:11.673 --> 00:18:14.553 There's nothing you can give 'em other than like your time. 00:18:14.763 --> 00:18:17.463 They have kids or they be around their family. 00:18:17.463 --> 00:18:22.413 Be like, have that type of relationship where you are around them, where when 00:18:22.413 --> 00:18:24.063 something's not right, they can feel it. 00:18:24.063 --> 00:18:27.423 They talk to you so much that if you don't check in with 'em or y'all not 00:18:27.423 --> 00:18:30.603 in a group chat and y'all not texting, they're like, Hey man, what's, hey? 00:18:30.913 --> 00:18:31.573 What's going on? 00:18:31.573 --> 00:18:35.833 We good over there or they're coming out to see you so it doesn't have to be blood. 00:18:35.833 --> 00:18:39.913 I mean, I truly believe that I, you know, me and my brother are close, but I don't 00:18:39.913 --> 00:18:43.633 believe in like, just because somebody's not family that you don't have that close 00:18:43.843 --> 00:18:47.833 relationship or just because somebody is family that you just keep diving in. 00:18:47.833 --> 00:18:50.084 I think it's about the relationship, what you said, Sam of. 00:18:50.748 --> 00:18:52.038 How is that relationship? 00:18:52.038 --> 00:18:54.228 How do we equally invest in each other? 00:18:54.228 --> 00:18:58.638 How is this mutual, mutual where we're like, we feel the same about each other? 00:18:58.638 --> 00:19:02.208 I think that's huge and I, I've always tried to find that in my life. 00:19:04.173 --> 00:19:07.293 Clif Marshall: Devin, I think over the course of the last 25 years, I 00:19:07.293 --> 00:19:09.213 have found this truth in coaching. 00:19:09.843 --> 00:19:13.653 Results are temporary, but relationships are eternal. 00:19:14.043 --> 00:19:17.763 And what I mean by that is the result of a 40 yard dash of vertical 00:19:17.763 --> 00:19:19.563 jump winning a Super Bowl even. 00:19:20.178 --> 00:19:24.468 That's all temporary, but the relationship is eternal, and that's 00:19:24.468 --> 00:19:28.248 what makes this show today so special to have both of you guys on here 00:19:28.248 --> 00:19:29.868 as, as I was your former coach. 00:19:30.108 --> 00:19:34.998 But I think, uh, the locker room, right, and Sam can can talk to this as well. 00:19:34.998 --> 00:19:38.868 You guys grew up in a locker room right from high school, college, 00:19:38.868 --> 00:19:43.158 throughout your professional career, and obviously transitioning from that. 00:19:44.218 --> 00:19:46.768 Into the next stage of your life. 00:19:47.458 --> 00:19:49.408 A lot of guys struggle with that, right? 00:19:49.408 --> 00:19:51.928 Because you don't have that comradery, so to speak, each and 00:19:51.928 --> 00:19:53.428 every day when you show up to work. 00:19:53.818 --> 00:19:57.058 So how are you combating that now as you're, you're transitioning 00:19:57.058 --> 00:19:59.818 from the NFL into normal life? 00:20:00.213 --> 00:20:02.043 Devin McCourty: Yeah, it is not easy. 00:20:02.043 --> 00:20:03.903 And Sam, you know, too of. 00:20:04.653 --> 00:20:07.533 As men, a lot of times, because we're in the locker room, we 00:20:07.533 --> 00:20:08.943 don't really call each other. 00:20:09.033 --> 00:20:10.443 We don't text all the time. 00:20:10.443 --> 00:20:13.083 We don't FaceTime because we like, we see each other every day. 00:20:13.083 --> 00:20:15.723 Like me and Matthew Slater are super close. 00:20:15.723 --> 00:20:17.643 Like our wives used to be like, man, they're work 00:20:17.643 --> 00:20:19.173 husbands, they got a bro mess. 00:20:19.173 --> 00:20:22.353 Like we always, if something was going on, we would always be 00:20:22.383 --> 00:20:23.733 talking to each other about it. 00:20:24.003 --> 00:20:28.023 And we got so used to seeing each other every single day that like 00:20:28.023 --> 00:20:30.753 when I would look through my phone, we barely have any text messages 00:20:30.753 --> 00:20:32.193 because we always saw each other. 00:20:32.508 --> 00:20:34.518 And then you kind of step away from that. 00:20:34.518 --> 00:20:35.568 It's hard. 00:20:35.748 --> 00:20:37.098 It's hard to tap back in. 00:20:37.098 --> 00:20:40.728 It's hard to, especially, I retired, certain guys were still playing, so you're 00:20:40.728 --> 00:20:42.258 like, oh, I know they're practicing. 00:20:42.558 --> 00:20:46.368 Then I went into media, so I'm like, man, I don't want them to feel like 00:20:46.368 --> 00:20:50.298 I'm reaching out to get information and all of those different things. 00:20:50.298 --> 00:20:53.328 And then you realize like, man, you gotta like, you gotta check in on my guys. 00:20:53.328 --> 00:20:54.288 You gotta text them. 00:20:54.618 --> 00:20:55.913 But like when I first left. 00:20:56.583 --> 00:20:59.643 Uh, two, I went like two months where I didn't kind of know 00:20:59.643 --> 00:21:01.053 what I want I was gonna do next. 00:21:01.053 --> 00:21:04.893 I knew I wanted to do media, but Sam, you know, like wanting to do media 00:21:04.893 --> 00:21:09.243 and there being an open media job for you are two totally different things. 00:21:09.783 --> 00:21:11.583 So you do all of these things. 00:21:11.583 --> 00:21:15.453 So I'm gearing up, uh, my last year during a bye week. 00:21:15.453 --> 00:21:17.913 I go and I do CBS, I do NFL today. 00:21:18.183 --> 00:21:22.233 Then when the season first ends, NFL today, ask me to come back. 00:21:22.233 --> 00:21:23.283 So I do that again. 00:21:23.313 --> 00:21:25.773 NFL Network asks me to do some playoff coverage. 00:21:26.118 --> 00:21:31.998 Fly to LA and then maybe three weeks later I fly to LA again, an interview for Fox. 00:21:32.178 --> 00:21:37.338 So I'm like, man, I done checked every box, like somebody, anybody. 00:21:37.668 --> 00:21:40.788 And those two months go and just nothing like you get all this 00:21:40.788 --> 00:21:42.498 positive feedback when you go. 00:21:42.768 --> 00:21:46.458 And then finally I got an offer from CBS Sports Network. 00:21:46.758 --> 00:21:50.448 Um, and then I got a call from Fred Gelli at NBC and he was like, hold on. 00:21:50.808 --> 00:21:52.218 Don't do anything yet. 00:21:52.398 --> 00:21:53.028 Let me see. 00:21:53.028 --> 00:21:54.588 I think we might have an opportunity. 00:21:54.588 --> 00:21:59.598 And then football Night in America, NBC comes and that was a blessing all 00:21:59.598 --> 00:22:03.228 in itself because they didn't have an open spot and they opened up a spot 00:22:03.228 --> 00:22:06.918 for me and thought I would go along really well, um, with their crew. 00:22:06.918 --> 00:22:09.228 So, and one sense. 00:22:09.573 --> 00:22:12.453 I hit like, I'm like, man, I got a great job. 00:22:12.723 --> 00:22:16.083 Uh, Chris Sims, who I had a relationship with, he was on the show. 00:22:16.083 --> 00:22:17.793 I'm about to meet all these new people. 00:22:17.793 --> 00:22:19.773 I'm about to get my new locker room. 00:22:19.983 --> 00:22:21.393 This is gonna be great. 00:22:21.453 --> 00:22:26.193 But the truth was like at home was the biggest struggle because you said 00:22:26.193 --> 00:22:28.983 at Cliff 13 years, 12 time captain. 00:22:29.283 --> 00:22:32.913 So like, I'm a captain, I, I, I run things, I do things. 00:22:32.913 --> 00:22:33.543 I'm a captain. 00:22:33.543 --> 00:22:34.653 Guys, listen to me. 00:22:34.893 --> 00:22:35.613 It's awesome. 00:22:36.543 --> 00:22:38.853 Married, going on nine years. 00:22:39.168 --> 00:22:42.468 Been together for like 15, 16 years at home. 00:22:42.528 --> 00:22:43.488 She's the captain. 00:22:43.818 --> 00:22:44.298 Everybody 00:22:44.298 --> 00:22:48.708 listens to her, and now you put both of us in a house where I'm not 00:22:48.708 --> 00:22:51.498 working yet and I'm home all the time. 00:22:51.618 --> 00:22:53.508 She's doing her daily schedule. 00:22:53.718 --> 00:22:56.868 I got ideas and I'm like, eh, why you doing that? 00:22:56.898 --> 00:22:58.008 That doesn't make sense. 00:22:58.128 --> 00:22:58.968 We should be doing this. 00:22:58.968 --> 00:23:00.078 This is more efficient. 00:23:00.288 --> 00:23:02.598 She's like, we don't run off efficiency in this house. 00:23:02.958 --> 00:23:03.798 Where you were at. 00:23:03.798 --> 00:23:05.328 Everything's about being efficient. 00:23:05.508 --> 00:23:09.888 So like truth of the matter is we were just starting to talk to different 00:23:09.888 --> 00:23:13.668 people and you know, different teammates and friends were like, Hey, we are 00:23:13.668 --> 00:23:15.258 going through different things too. 00:23:15.498 --> 00:23:19.098 And we connected with Rod Harriston, the former chaplain for the Ravens. 00:23:19.278 --> 00:23:20.898 He does like a marriage coaching. 00:23:20.958 --> 00:23:24.918 And we signed up and we did that for a six month kind of marriage coaching 00:23:24.918 --> 00:23:27.288 where we were going and meeting on Zoom. 00:23:27.528 --> 00:23:30.978 And we were able to talk about a lot of different things from our childhoods. 00:23:31.278 --> 00:23:34.698 That we had never talked about, and it was a lot of times it was almost like 00:23:34.968 --> 00:23:39.558 doing individual therapy in front of each other where we didn't solve every 00:23:39.558 --> 00:23:45.918 problem, but we got to understand why we reacted and acted in certain situations 00:23:46.128 --> 00:23:49.938 because of how we processed things all the way back from when we were kids, 00:23:50.268 --> 00:23:52.848 and it was eye opening for us and. 00:23:53.223 --> 00:23:56.133 Uh, and I gotta be honest, my wife was like, we need to talk to somebody. 00:23:56.133 --> 00:23:57.183 I was like, ah. 00:23:57.213 --> 00:24:00.393 And I'm like the guy that, you know, I'm in my, I'm in my word. 00:24:00.418 --> 00:24:05.493 I, I was again, the leader the guys looked to and I still was like, ah, I don't know. 00:24:05.493 --> 00:24:11.463 But it was the best thing for our marriage that allowed me to kind of ride 00:24:11.463 --> 00:24:16.083 off and be good off the field and in retirement, in both kind of landscapes, 00:24:16.083 --> 00:24:18.903 not just doing TV and finding a postcard. 00:24:18.903 --> 00:24:20.913 'cause a lot of people were coming up to me like, man. 00:24:21.273 --> 00:24:22.893 You're killing post-career. 00:24:23.073 --> 00:24:25.263 But at home I was like, I'm not killing that. 00:24:25.263 --> 00:24:29.283 And that allowed me to kind of get back on par not to feel, you know, 00:24:29.283 --> 00:24:33.453 sometimes you could feel a little bit like a fraud knowing you're out and, you 00:24:33.453 --> 00:24:35.403 know, doing different things for work. 00:24:35.403 --> 00:24:38.793 And my wife's at home, she's pissed at me, but I'm over here, you know, 00:24:38.793 --> 00:24:40.593 smiling and everything's great. 00:24:40.623 --> 00:24:44.823 So that was a huge, I think, spot for us of being able to do that and, 00:24:45.213 --> 00:24:48.393 and live that and, and go through it and, and it, it made us better. 00:24:48.393 --> 00:24:50.163 And you know, what I've learned in life is. 00:24:50.448 --> 00:24:51.558 Everything's a season. 00:24:51.558 --> 00:24:54.738 Just because you're in one season, that might not be great. 00:24:54.738 --> 00:24:57.768 Doesn't mean that's gonna dictate the rest of your life. 00:24:57.768 --> 00:24:59.568 It's just a season you gotta get through. 00:24:59.808 --> 00:25:03.798 And I think it really taught us to lean on each other even more, uh, when 00:25:03.798 --> 00:25:05.028 we're going through things like that. 00:25:05.028 --> 00:25:06.348 So it was, it was huge for us. 00:25:06.348 --> 00:25:06.378 I. 00:25:07.728 --> 00:25:10.758 Sam Acho: Well, we talk a lot on this podcast about how to 00:25:10.758 --> 00:25:11.928 win without losing at all. 00:25:11.928 --> 00:25:15.828 We talk about faith, family, football, finances. 00:25:15.828 --> 00:25:17.898 I want to just pinpoint on that family piece. 00:25:17.898 --> 00:25:18.528 You've won a lot. 00:25:18.558 --> 00:25:22.038 You've won, you know, 13 year NFL Vet, 12 time captain, 00:25:22.098 --> 00:25:23.598 three time Super Bowl champion. 00:25:23.988 --> 00:25:26.328 You've won a lot and you've talked about the football piece. 00:25:26.328 --> 00:25:28.128 We've, we've dipped in on the faith piece. 00:25:28.458 --> 00:25:29.718 I wanna go to that family piece. 00:25:29.718 --> 00:25:34.608 How do you win at home as a husband and as a father? 00:25:35.538 --> 00:25:38.118 Devin McCourty: I think the first thing is knowing that you want to win, 00:25:38.118 --> 00:25:42.408 not always be right and you know, I, I think anybody that's ever talked 00:25:42.408 --> 00:25:45.108 to someone that's been married a long time, like I remember me and Mr. 00:25:45.108 --> 00:25:45.558 Kraft. 00:25:45.873 --> 00:25:49.923 One time we were walking the tunnel back to the locker room and he was like, 00:25:50.193 --> 00:25:52.083 you know, I was married since I was 21. 00:25:52.083 --> 00:25:53.673 I was with my sweetheart forever. 00:25:53.673 --> 00:25:55.503 He is like, I got married. 00:25:55.683 --> 00:25:58.053 I never lived a life of like out partying. 00:25:58.053 --> 00:25:59.313 I'm married at 21. 00:25:59.583 --> 00:26:01.113 He's like, I'm gonna tell you this one thing. 00:26:01.563 --> 00:26:03.303 Don't always worry about being right. 00:26:03.603 --> 00:26:06.453 Just be happy and keep your marriage going the right way. 00:26:06.813 --> 00:26:08.583 And that's what I've tried to do. 00:26:08.583 --> 00:26:13.083 I've tried to win the day or win win the people in my household. 00:26:13.293 --> 00:26:15.363 Uh, I used to tell my wife all the time, like. 00:26:15.843 --> 00:26:20.073 One of the things I wanted to do most in life was be a husband and father is 00:26:20.073 --> 00:26:22.053 because my father passed when I was three. 00:26:22.413 --> 00:26:28.173 So like my whole life growing up, 'cause I was so young, I never experienced 00:26:28.323 --> 00:26:33.933 knowing like what it meant to have a father, like to have somebody show 00:26:33.933 --> 00:26:38.433 up at a, at a basketball game or a football game or come home and struggle 00:26:38.433 --> 00:26:43.053 with something, uh, at school or a test or a personal relationship. 00:26:43.323 --> 00:26:47.043 I never had somebody to give me like that male perspective of. 00:26:47.313 --> 00:26:51.963 Hey, like I heard what your mom said, but sometimes, and give me another angle, 00:26:51.963 --> 00:26:54.063 like I had my mom, and my mom was awesome. 00:26:54.063 --> 00:26:57.633 She did it all, but to not have that was hard. 00:26:58.773 --> 00:27:02.073 It, it sucked from the standpoint of I never knew what it meant to have it. 00:27:02.103 --> 00:27:06.063 And I sometimes tell people that are going through a tough time, like if they 00:27:06.063 --> 00:27:10.023 lose their father or different things like that of cherish the moments you 00:27:10.023 --> 00:27:14.523 had because you're going to be able to tell stories about your father and 00:27:14.733 --> 00:27:18.483 your kids are gonna get to know the legacy that your father left behind 00:27:18.723 --> 00:27:20.973 through them generation to generation. 00:27:21.378 --> 00:27:24.888 And I sometimes feel like, man, I missed that a little bit because I 00:27:24.888 --> 00:27:29.118 have just very vague memories, but I have stories that other people tell me. 00:27:29.118 --> 00:27:33.168 So I always try to remember that as I'm doing different things. 00:27:33.168 --> 00:27:37.248 I'm on boards and I'm working and I'm like, alright, how can I be back? 00:27:37.248 --> 00:27:40.638 Because my kids and like we just went on vacation and. 00:27:40.938 --> 00:27:43.848 When I'm with my brother, a lot of people, especially like 00:27:43.848 --> 00:27:45.438 now, it's because you do tv. 00:27:45.678 --> 00:27:47.118 They're like, you, you guys are those twins. 00:27:47.118 --> 00:27:49.218 And my kids are like, why are you famous? 00:27:49.218 --> 00:27:50.538 Why do people know you? 00:27:50.778 --> 00:27:52.278 Because like they don't know that. 00:27:52.308 --> 00:27:53.658 Like they don't know that side. 00:27:53.658 --> 00:27:57.318 I'm just dad and I want them to know me as just dad. 00:27:57.318 --> 00:28:00.378 And I think that only comes by being present. 00:28:00.468 --> 00:28:02.508 You know, I take 'em to school most of the days. 00:28:02.828 --> 00:28:05.888 Because, you know, TV stuff, you have that flexibility. 00:28:06.158 --> 00:28:09.098 And people ask me right now, like in the off season, like, how do you 00:28:09.098 --> 00:28:10.388 take up your time in the off season? 00:28:10.388 --> 00:28:11.708 I'm like, I don't do much. 00:28:11.768 --> 00:28:13.958 I want, like, I want this time in the off season. 00:28:13.958 --> 00:28:15.938 I want to be the kickball coach. 00:28:15.938 --> 00:28:19.208 I want to be at the baseball and softball practices and all of that. 00:28:19.208 --> 00:28:23.288 So, um, I, I think being present is how I try to win. 00:28:23.598 --> 00:28:26.898 Because I'm gonna make mistakes, but as long as they know I'm there with 00:28:26.898 --> 00:28:28.878 them, they'll always remember that. 00:28:28.878 --> 00:28:32.568 And I think that's the key part of, of being a dad, is just showing up. 00:28:32.568 --> 00:28:34.248 And I've tried to do that as much as I can. 00:28:34.903 --> 00:28:35.123 Sam Acho: Mm. 00:28:36.518 --> 00:28:40.118 Clif Marshall: Devin, I think, uh, you know, they say that the choices 00:28:40.118 --> 00:28:45.218 we make make us, and I think what you shared just a moment ago about choosing. 00:28:46.293 --> 00:28:50.223 To do six months of marriage counseling helped you guys in your marriage. 00:28:50.253 --> 00:28:50.703 Right? 00:28:51.273 --> 00:28:53.553 And I think that as athletes, right? 00:28:54.033 --> 00:28:59.043 You and Sam both, you work your entire life, right, to become the best version 00:28:59.043 --> 00:29:01.983 of yourself on the football field, right? 00:29:02.223 --> 00:29:07.023 But I think as we grow as men, we also have to understand that. 00:29:07.548 --> 00:29:12.048 The same amount of work that we put into developing our bodies, we 00:29:12.048 --> 00:29:13.998 also have to put into our marriage. 00:29:13.998 --> 00:29:15.948 We have to put that into being a father. 00:29:16.218 --> 00:29:19.608 And especially we have to put that into being, uh, present 00:29:19.608 --> 00:29:20.868 in our faith and growing. 00:29:21.318 --> 00:29:25.518 And obviously that looks different for everybody, but I can respect you 00:29:25.518 --> 00:29:30.348 for choosing right, that marriage counseling, uh, to help strengthen your 00:29:30.348 --> 00:29:32.598 marriage and so much respect to you. 00:29:33.018 --> 00:29:37.548 For that, uh, I did want to ask you a couple more questions about football. 00:29:37.968 --> 00:29:44.058 Uh, first was just talk to me about Tom Brady, uh, playing with him for 00:29:44.058 --> 00:29:48.468 13 years, what you learned from him and, and, and if you still stay in 00:29:48.468 --> 00:29:49.878 touch with him, uh, to this day. 00:29:50.283 --> 00:29:52.953 Devin McCourty: Yeah, I, I shoot him some texts every once in a while and 00:29:52.953 --> 00:29:55.623 then on Instagram and, you know, I think especially because what we're 00:29:55.623 --> 00:30:00.663 all doing in media now, uh, not just him, but like Edelman and Gronkowski, 00:30:00.963 --> 00:30:05.103 uh, so many different guys are, are in this space and ran into a bunch 00:30:05.103 --> 00:30:07.893 of them in New Orleans and like, we're catching up and we're talking. 00:30:08.253 --> 00:30:11.223 But I always tell people of like, the coolest thing about 00:30:11.223 --> 00:30:12.783 Tom is like, Tom's a rockstar. 00:30:13.173 --> 00:30:16.623 And like when you're around him, you wouldn't have any idea. 00:30:16.623 --> 00:30:17.673 Like, that's him. 00:30:17.703 --> 00:30:18.573 You, you travel. 00:30:18.573 --> 00:30:21.453 Like we would travel to games and there were people lined up when our 00:30:21.453 --> 00:30:25.773 buses pulled up, people lined up in the lobby to, to like welcome us. 00:30:25.983 --> 00:30:29.433 And I know it was him because then he left the last three years of my career. 00:30:29.583 --> 00:30:30.543 It won't just same. 00:30:30.543 --> 00:30:33.003 We, we, we ain't had the line though. 00:30:33.003 --> 00:30:34.293 Like we didn't have that. 00:30:34.533 --> 00:30:37.923 Um, but I say that because when I first got in, it was like 00:30:37.923 --> 00:30:39.633 the kind of old off season. 00:30:39.943 --> 00:30:42.733 Where a lot of the veterans weren't there when you first got there. 00:30:42.763 --> 00:30:44.593 'cause they had their little break in between. 00:30:44.923 --> 00:30:49.033 So when he got there, I remember being on the O on the field, we're doing like the 00:30:49.033 --> 00:30:53.683 OTAs and you know, pass each other in the locker room, but didn't get time to talk. 00:30:53.683 --> 00:30:56.323 And he comes up to me in between the smash team spirit. 00:30:56.443 --> 00:30:57.163 Hey man, what's up? 00:30:57.163 --> 00:30:57.853 I'm Tom. 00:30:58.123 --> 00:31:00.643 I'm looking at him like, yeah man, I know who you are. 00:31:00.643 --> 00:31:01.633 I know you Tom. 00:31:01.933 --> 00:31:05.053 And he's like, man, we're so happy to have you here. 00:31:05.593 --> 00:31:06.973 And I'm a rookie. 00:31:07.818 --> 00:31:10.428 First round or whatever you want to call it, but from Rutgers, a 00:31:10.428 --> 00:31:14.388 kid that Tom Brady gonna tell me, I happy to have you here, man. 00:31:14.388 --> 00:31:17.778 I called my mom that night and was like, Brady knew who I was and. 00:31:18.093 --> 00:31:20.373 And like that was how he would treat you. 00:31:20.373 --> 00:31:24.243 And he would do that to different rookies, different offensive linemen that came in. 00:31:24.423 --> 00:31:28.053 But then you had this other side of this guy that I got to sit in captives meetings 00:31:28.053 --> 00:31:33.033 with for 10 years who could break down the game from offense, defense, special 00:31:33.033 --> 00:31:35.343 teams, and tell us how we needed to play. 00:31:35.343 --> 00:31:38.733 And our captives meetings, it would go one by one, everybody giving 00:31:38.913 --> 00:31:42.543 their input and you would give your input kind of relative to. 00:31:42.963 --> 00:31:46.983 For me, secondary defense, Vince Wilford, defensive line, front 00:31:46.983 --> 00:31:49.323 seven Slater, special teams. 00:31:49.593 --> 00:31:52.533 Tom would give the overall of the whole team. 00:31:52.533 --> 00:31:56.343 It would be like having, you know, bill Belichick, your head coach, but like his 00:31:56.343 --> 00:31:58.323 second in command would be like Brady. 00:31:58.563 --> 00:32:01.593 And for me it was so unique sitting there, learning from him. 00:32:01.593 --> 00:32:04.503 Different times we would talk about safeties like Ed 00:32:04.503 --> 00:32:05.853 Reed and then Troy Palama. 00:32:05.853 --> 00:32:08.943 He would tell me why I like Ed Reed would give him trouble with 00:32:08.943 --> 00:32:10.623 some things and how to play things. 00:32:10.983 --> 00:32:15.633 Um, he was just incredible, I think, as a teammate and you wouldn't expect it. 00:32:15.633 --> 00:32:19.293 I think coming in and hearing the story sometimes about like the bigger name 00:32:19.293 --> 00:32:21.663 guys, like he didn't have two lockers. 00:32:21.663 --> 00:32:22.893 He had one locker. 00:32:23.103 --> 00:32:25.773 If you wanted something signed, he said, Hey babe, put in my locker. 00:32:25.773 --> 00:32:26.523 I'll sign it for you. 00:32:26.793 --> 00:32:27.993 Come get it by the end of the day. 00:32:27.993 --> 00:32:31.653 And he was sign it if he, one time he was throwing cleats away and one 00:32:31.653 --> 00:32:34.893 of the guys Marquis Cole, he's like, Hey, what you doing with those cleats? 00:32:35.103 --> 00:32:36.633 He was like, man, I gotta get rid of 'em. 00:32:36.633 --> 00:32:37.173 He's like, no, no, no. 00:32:37.233 --> 00:32:37.953 I signed those. 00:32:37.953 --> 00:32:38.493 I'll take 'em. 00:32:38.763 --> 00:32:42.903 He assign 'em, give them to you like whatever deal or deal he didn't like, 00:32:42.903 --> 00:32:44.403 he didn't care about any of that. 00:32:44.553 --> 00:32:47.253 If you were in that locker room with him, you were family. 00:32:47.253 --> 00:32:50.313 Like we were in a group text before one of our younger players was 00:32:50.313 --> 00:32:52.923 like, is this really Tom Brady? 00:32:53.253 --> 00:32:55.083 He's like, Tom, you mind if I save your number? 00:32:55.083 --> 00:32:57.363 He is like, yeah, man, and hit me up whenever you need something. 00:32:57.543 --> 00:32:58.143 Like he was 00:32:58.143 --> 00:33:02.043 that kind of guy that I think he made a lot of guys better. 00:33:02.343 --> 00:33:04.203 Because for one, he was coachable. 00:33:04.413 --> 00:33:08.133 Bill would dog him out just as much as he would dog anybody else out, 00:33:08.193 --> 00:33:09.783 which put the rest of us in line. 00:33:09.783 --> 00:33:13.083 'cause if you hear Tom Brady getting dogged out, you know, you 00:33:13.083 --> 00:33:14.553 know, that means you'll get cut. 00:33:14.613 --> 00:33:18.603 And he didn't have to be coachable when he hit a certain level in his career. 00:33:18.813 --> 00:33:20.163 He didn't have to do that. 00:33:20.343 --> 00:33:23.463 So I, I have a, a tremendous amount of respect for him. 00:33:23.763 --> 00:33:27.633 Great dude, a friend, a great teammate, always was there. 00:33:27.813 --> 00:33:29.583 Um, people made fun of him. 00:33:29.583 --> 00:33:32.493 He was just one of the guys, and I think that's the coolest thing about him. 00:33:35.463 --> 00:33:39.003 Clif Marshall: My last question regarding football, I have to ask 00:33:39.003 --> 00:33:42.903 you about Coach Belichick, being at North Carolina, being in this 00:33:42.903 --> 00:33:45.453 landscape of NIL and Transfer portal. 00:33:45.453 --> 00:33:51.063 I've lived at the last couple years myself, um, as a college strength 00:33:51.063 --> 00:33:55.233 and conditioning coach, but I just want your thoughts on kind of, you 00:33:55.233 --> 00:33:58.293 know, his job now and how you think he'll do at the college level. 00:33:58.713 --> 00:34:01.323 Devin McCourty: Yeah, I think, I think he's gonna get the guys that love ball. 00:34:01.323 --> 00:34:05.853 I think he's gonna get more mature guys that understand that being 00:34:05.913 --> 00:34:09.603 honest is the best thing that you can hear in this process. 00:34:09.603 --> 00:34:13.413 I think a part of some of the reasons we see so much of 00:34:13.413 --> 00:34:14.823 the portal and everything is. 00:34:15.273 --> 00:34:18.603 Guys like, like you, you come and you have this dream, and you have 00:34:18.603 --> 00:34:22.293 this thought of what it's gonna be like, and then sometimes it's not. 00:34:22.413 --> 00:34:25.113 And then you have some of the guys that are a little more immature 00:34:25.173 --> 00:34:26.613 who want everything their way. 00:34:26.613 --> 00:34:28.443 They want it now, then they leave. 00:34:28.443 --> 00:34:31.713 So I think with Belichick, you're gonna get a guy that's gonna 00:34:31.713 --> 00:34:33.303 tell you exactly what it is. 00:34:33.678 --> 00:34:34.398 Anytime. 00:34:34.398 --> 00:34:38.208 Like I think whenever you talk to former guys who have played with him and now 00:34:38.208 --> 00:34:42.318 they're removed a couple years, they look back and they say, the one thing that I 00:34:42.318 --> 00:34:47.058 loved about Bill and respect is that he was upfront and he was honest at the time. 00:34:47.058 --> 00:34:49.278 I might have been pissed at him and didn't want to talk to him 00:34:49.458 --> 00:34:51.258 'cause I didn't like what he said. 00:34:51.318 --> 00:34:54.078 'cause I didn't want to hear that as a player, as a competitor. 00:34:54.438 --> 00:34:57.528 But now I look back and I'm like, man, he was honest with me. 00:34:57.528 --> 00:35:00.768 Because I think we go through different things and we're like, people aren't 00:35:00.768 --> 00:35:04.968 honest with us and we think one thing, and then you get in a situation and you're 00:35:04.968 --> 00:35:08.448 like, man, I really would've loved for you to just tell me the truth and then 00:35:08.448 --> 00:35:09.858 I could have made a better decision. 00:35:09.858 --> 00:35:14.088 And I think what Bill, you're gonna get that, and I think what I've seen so far 00:35:14.088 --> 00:35:17.478 is he's a, he's adaptable everybody. 00:35:17.478 --> 00:35:19.578 Like his last year in the NFL, they thought he wasn't. 00:35:19.848 --> 00:35:22.068 But I can attest to the guy that I had. 00:35:22.473 --> 00:35:27.333 Early part of my career was not the guy at the end, like a lot of, and it was 00:35:27.333 --> 00:35:30.993 the same way the generation before me, like those guys would come back and I'm 00:35:30.993 --> 00:35:32.763 like, man, bill's kind of soft on y'all. 00:35:33.003 --> 00:35:35.523 Then when I was still playing, we were getting that morning 00:35:35.523 --> 00:35:37.323 meeting and it would be calm. 00:35:37.593 --> 00:35:40.323 It wouldn't be low light saying, I was like, damn, Bill's changed. 00:35:40.323 --> 00:35:42.213 And I think he's gonna be like that in college. 00:35:42.213 --> 00:35:42.813 I can't wait. 00:35:42.813 --> 00:35:45.183 I want to go down there and actually see it. 00:35:45.183 --> 00:35:49.803 But I talked to his son, Steve, uh, a good amount and he even, he even was 00:35:49.803 --> 00:35:51.453 telling me about their first ever meeting. 00:35:51.453 --> 00:35:52.023 He was like. 00:35:52.383 --> 00:35:56.823 Dude, he hit the same meeting from the NFL, like treating these guys like pros. 00:35:56.943 --> 00:35:58.413 And I think that's what guys will love. 00:35:58.413 --> 00:36:01.983 They'll love the opportunity to go and be treated like a pro, a 00:36:01.983 --> 00:36:05.283 pro practice here in meeting rooms and all those different things. 00:36:05.283 --> 00:36:07.293 I think that's what he's gonna give those guys. 00:36:07.293 --> 00:36:07.923 And I get it. 00:36:08.283 --> 00:36:12.573 Everybody won't go into the NFL, but the thing that I learned is. 00:36:12.933 --> 00:36:17.133 The way we did things in New England was like that whole Patriot Way stuff. 00:36:17.283 --> 00:36:19.683 It was about doing the right thing. 00:36:19.833 --> 00:36:21.603 That was the best thing for the team. 00:36:21.603 --> 00:36:25.743 And I think no matter what you do in life, that's going to come up, 00:36:25.743 --> 00:36:27.843 that's gonna come up in your family. 00:36:27.993 --> 00:36:30.213 Whether it's doing the right thing for your wife or your 00:36:30.213 --> 00:36:31.233 kids, that's gonna come up. 00:36:31.233 --> 00:36:34.953 Usually in business, whether you're an employee, whether you own something, 00:36:35.163 --> 00:36:36.453 it's gonna be the same thing. 00:36:36.453 --> 00:36:38.703 So I think those kids that go to UNC. 00:36:39.018 --> 00:36:41.568 They're gonna see, like they're gonna learn life lessons 00:36:41.568 --> 00:36:43.728 through football with Belichick. 00:36:43.728 --> 00:36:46.698 And you know, I think that's gonna be a reward for those guys and. 00:36:47.073 --> 00:36:50.733 Uh, credit to him to even want to still coach and do things because, 00:36:50.733 --> 00:36:53.283 like we were talking about me, like you talking about accomplishments 00:36:53.283 --> 00:36:55.293 like this, like he won't have enough. 00:36:55.293 --> 00:36:58.533 Like this thing is going up with Lombardi's and all those different things. 00:36:58.773 --> 00:37:01.713 He could easily just say, you know what, I'm gonna hang out with my 00:37:01.713 --> 00:37:06.363 grandkids, visit my, my, my two boys and my daughter who are coaching. 00:37:06.603 --> 00:37:09.003 I'll just visit and get that little coaching. 00:37:09.353 --> 00:37:12.113 You know, feeling that I want to get when I go visit. 00:37:12.233 --> 00:37:15.533 He doesn't have to be fully immersed in this, but he loves the game. 00:37:15.533 --> 00:37:17.123 He loves coaching young people. 00:37:17.333 --> 00:37:21.023 Uh, and you know, in fact last year I saw him, you know, me and my brother 00:37:21.023 --> 00:37:22.613 went into the Rutgers Hall of Fame. 00:37:22.883 --> 00:37:24.053 They were playing Washington. 00:37:24.053 --> 00:37:26.573 His son Steve, was a defensive coordinator in Washington. 00:37:27.143 --> 00:37:28.373 We're talking during the game. 00:37:28.373 --> 00:37:30.503 I'm like, coach, you're everywhere. 00:37:30.653 --> 00:37:32.123 Like, how's the media? 00:37:32.123 --> 00:37:35.993 You're doing as much media that I've ever seen you do in one 00:37:35.993 --> 00:37:37.733 year that I saw all 13 years. 00:37:37.733 --> 00:37:38.333 And he was like, man. 00:37:39.213 --> 00:37:40.083 It's okay. 00:37:40.383 --> 00:37:42.333 I'm like, what do you mean you're everywhere? 00:37:42.333 --> 00:37:45.753 He is like, and right then and there I was like, the guy loves coaching. 00:37:46.023 --> 00:37:47.103 Like this isn't for him. 00:37:47.283 --> 00:37:51.033 He could be given all these nuggets of what it's like to be a coach, what 00:37:51.033 --> 00:37:53.373 it's like to be a gm, all that on tv. 00:37:53.613 --> 00:37:57.303 He wants to just coach the guys and that's what he's doing in North Carolina. 00:37:57.303 --> 00:37:58.233 He just loves coaching. 00:37:59.343 --> 00:37:59.463 Clif Marshall: Hmm. 00:37:59.823 --> 00:38:01.713 Sam Acho: We've talked about Coach Belichick and what he 00:38:01.713 --> 00:38:03.453 loves to do in his post career. 00:38:03.453 --> 00:38:07.563 Now getting back into coaching, what are some of the things, Devin, that you love 00:38:07.563 --> 00:38:10.443 now that the football career has ended? 00:38:11.058 --> 00:38:13.128 Devin McCourty: Yeah, I think first and foremost, like we talked about, 00:38:13.128 --> 00:38:16.158 hanging with the fam, coaching my kids in different things. 00:38:16.518 --> 00:38:19.938 Um, but I'm also, I, I think in the off season, a lot of my work 00:38:19.938 --> 00:38:21.138 is on the boards that I'm on. 00:38:21.138 --> 00:38:25.548 So I'm on a board, the New Commonwealth Fund, which was founded during COVID 00:38:25.548 --> 00:38:30.258 and that was really to help different leaders, uh, in Massachusetts. 00:38:30.258 --> 00:38:31.908 A lot of 'em were black and brown. 00:38:32.223 --> 00:38:34.173 Who don't get the resources that they need. 00:38:34.173 --> 00:38:37.293 They lead an organization, but people are, they're a little bit 00:38:37.293 --> 00:38:39.993 like, ah, I don't know if they can know how to handle these funds. 00:38:40.203 --> 00:38:44.223 So they bring them in, they workshop 'em, they give funds out. 00:38:44.343 --> 00:38:45.393 So I'm on the board there. 00:38:45.393 --> 00:38:49.473 I'm on the board of of Unordered, which works is started in Boston, 00:38:49.473 --> 00:38:51.153 works with kids who are in gangs. 00:38:51.723 --> 00:38:53.913 And it really tells 'em like, Hey, we want you to get out of the 00:38:53.913 --> 00:38:57.033 gang and go back to school, but we also want to give you a stipend. 00:38:57.033 --> 00:39:00.243 We want to give you money because we understand a lot of the 00:39:00.243 --> 00:39:02.823 reasons why you're in a gang or you're doing different things. 00:39:03.033 --> 00:39:05.043 You don't have the resources, you don't have the money. 00:39:05.223 --> 00:39:09.003 So we want to give you a stipend because we know you're leaders and we want you 00:39:09.003 --> 00:39:10.743 to lead people in a different direction. 00:39:10.743 --> 00:39:12.363 So that's in Boston. 00:39:12.363 --> 00:39:14.073 They've expanded to Kansas City. 00:39:14.253 --> 00:39:16.323 So I've been in there, I've gone to Kansas City. 00:39:16.533 --> 00:39:19.083 Uh, I'm on the board of, um, Boston Medical Center. 00:39:19.548 --> 00:39:23.808 Which has been big because my family has sickle cell, so they've done a lot 00:39:23.808 --> 00:39:28.638 of work with us in, in sickle cell and we have a 5K walk coming up on May 4th 00:39:28.638 --> 00:39:31.188 in Jersey City, uh, around sickle cell. 00:39:31.188 --> 00:39:34.428 And then the last board I just joined is this, so you can see a little 00:39:34.428 --> 00:39:36.858 bit is PAC Pro athlete community. 00:39:37.068 --> 00:39:39.858 And their focus is exactly what we've talked about. 00:39:40.098 --> 00:39:41.358 How do I transition? 00:39:41.358 --> 00:39:45.648 But instead of transitioning and thinking about it post-care, how do 00:39:45.648 --> 00:39:47.718 I start to plan my exit strategy? 00:39:48.093 --> 00:39:50.613 You know, in every business, all these people who are highly 00:39:50.613 --> 00:39:52.623 successful, they have exit strategy. 00:39:52.623 --> 00:39:56.493 So yeah, they might start a great company, uh, but they're, as soon as they 00:39:56.493 --> 00:40:00.213 start that company, they're thinking, okay, in five years, this is the plan. 00:40:00.363 --> 00:40:01.143 We want to exit. 00:40:01.143 --> 00:40:02.943 We want to sell it here, we want to do this. 00:40:02.943 --> 00:40:03.003 I. 00:40:03.198 --> 00:40:07.998 So the plan is like, how do we get guys in as soon as they get in the NFL to 00:40:07.998 --> 00:40:09.648 start planning their exit strategy? 00:40:09.648 --> 00:40:13.338 And within that they have these business combines where you have people from 00:40:13.338 --> 00:40:17.448 private equity, you have people from real estate, just all these different 00:40:17.448 --> 00:40:22.218 networks come in and they pour into these guys, uh, for three or four days. 00:40:22.218 --> 00:40:23.358 But most importantly. 00:40:23.643 --> 00:40:28.353 They leave with these guys emails all on a app together so you can reach out, 00:40:28.503 --> 00:40:29.913 Hey, I want to get involved in this. 00:40:29.913 --> 00:40:31.773 I want to be, get involved in venture capital. 00:40:31.953 --> 00:40:33.363 You can reach out to these people. 00:40:33.363 --> 00:40:36.333 So, um, that was started with a guy that used to do player 00:40:36.333 --> 00:40:38.643 development, Caleb Thornhill in Miami. 00:40:39.393 --> 00:40:39.423 I. 00:40:39.423 --> 00:40:40.668 He teamed up with this guy, chip. 00:40:40.848 --> 00:40:43.758 They started this and now it just continuing to grow. 00:40:43.758 --> 00:40:45.948 They just had one in in Miami. 00:40:45.948 --> 00:40:49.608 They're gonna have one in Nashville where we invite former and current 00:40:49.608 --> 00:40:53.478 players to come out and just learn about what you might want to do next. 00:40:53.718 --> 00:40:57.528 So this is really cool to be involved in because I'm living proof. 00:40:57.528 --> 00:41:01.308 Sam, you're living proof of, we try to have guys get around 00:41:01.518 --> 00:41:03.288 different guys and just learn. 00:41:03.468 --> 00:41:06.078 We feel like that doesn't happen enough when you get outside of the 00:41:06.078 --> 00:41:07.728 locker room or even in the locker room. 00:41:08.358 --> 00:41:12.288 We don't talk to each other about what we do off the field, enough of 00:41:12.288 --> 00:41:14.298 saying, Hey, let me help you out. 00:41:14.298 --> 00:41:15.828 Let me tell you about this investment. 00:41:16.008 --> 00:41:18.768 Let me tell you about this person who's not a good person. 00:41:19.038 --> 00:41:22.368 'cause you know how many times we hear people get involved with someone and they 00:41:22.368 --> 00:41:25.848 had no idea that somebody else was already working with 'em and they could have 00:41:25.848 --> 00:41:27.678 stopped and told 'em not to get involved. 00:41:27.678 --> 00:41:31.998 So, um, I try to do that in my off time, be involved in those different things, 00:41:32.298 --> 00:41:34.278 and that gives me great balance of. 00:41:34.338 --> 00:41:38.073 Especially nowadays, a lot of 'em are virtual, being able to help out and 00:41:38.073 --> 00:41:41.823 also like we talked about, first and foremost, is being around my family 00:41:41.883 --> 00:41:45.663 as much as I can, but also finding some work purpose and, and some other 00:41:45.663 --> 00:41:49.413 purposeful things that I can do to be impactful in other people's lives. 00:41:50.198 --> 00:41:50.488 Okay. 00:41:50.598 --> 00:41:53.418 Sam Acho: Well, I've heard some about the honesty. 00:41:53.418 --> 00:41:56.538 You talked from Coach Belichick, also the pro athlete community. 00:41:56.538 --> 00:41:58.578 You talked about the honesty there, that vulnerability. 00:41:58.878 --> 00:42:01.788 A lot of people who listen to this podcast are pro athletes. 00:42:02.448 --> 00:42:03.978 Who have had a lot of success. 00:42:04.188 --> 00:42:05.958 We've talked about faith, we've talked about family, we've 00:42:05.958 --> 00:42:07.458 talked a lot about football. 00:42:07.848 --> 00:42:10.848 My last question I want to ask is around the finances. 00:42:11.418 --> 00:42:16.383 What financial wisdom do you have for people who are listening to this podcast? 00:42:17.403 --> 00:42:22.143 Devin McCourty: I think especially as players, don't be 00:42:22.173 --> 00:42:23.883 the smartest guy in the room. 00:42:24.303 --> 00:42:29.058 Be in the room with the smartest people, and I've learned that because. 00:42:30.048 --> 00:42:33.108 I don't feel like if, if you've done well in the NFL and you've had a good 00:42:33.108 --> 00:42:37.278 career, you don't have to sit here and be thinking like, I can't miss out on a deal. 00:42:37.278 --> 00:42:38.148 I can't, no. 00:42:38.148 --> 00:42:40.608 Like you just have to be strategic and you have to be smart. 00:42:40.818 --> 00:42:44.028 And the way to do that is aligning with other people who 00:42:44.028 --> 00:42:46.188 have done great in their fields. 00:42:46.398 --> 00:42:49.638 And I think that's sometimes the hardest thing for us to do as players. 00:42:49.638 --> 00:42:54.468 We've been so successful in playing football that when we walk away or any 00:42:54.468 --> 00:42:56.598 sport, we walk away and we're like. 00:42:57.243 --> 00:42:58.773 I wanna be a pro in that too. 00:42:59.103 --> 00:43:02.613 Meanwhile, we meet somebody and, and we figure out, like even our, the 00:43:02.613 --> 00:43:04.473 NFL owners, we get to be around him. 00:43:04.653 --> 00:43:06.813 I got to be in one place, so I got to be around Mr. 00:43:06.813 --> 00:43:07.233 Crab. 00:43:07.563 --> 00:43:09.903 So I'm seeing how successful he is. 00:43:10.293 --> 00:43:15.363 It's crazy for me to think that I'm gonna be him like this to be him. 00:43:15.423 --> 00:43:18.813 It would take years, just like it took him years to accomplish 00:43:18.813 --> 00:43:19.863 those different things. 00:43:20.073 --> 00:43:22.923 So don't try to do everything in one second. 00:43:23.073 --> 00:43:24.813 Surround yourself with smart people. 00:43:24.813 --> 00:43:25.983 Ask questions. 00:43:26.313 --> 00:43:27.693 We don't know different things. 00:43:27.693 --> 00:43:30.963 We didn't get to go to school, we didn't get to do go to school for certain things. 00:43:30.963 --> 00:43:33.063 We didn't get to do internships in the summer. 00:43:33.273 --> 00:43:36.363 Most of us learning about real estate or banking or all these 00:43:36.363 --> 00:43:38.493 different things, that's okay. 00:43:38.733 --> 00:43:40.353 What you were able to accomplish. 00:43:40.413 --> 00:43:44.223 Open some doors for you that you gotta walk through, but you gotta walk through 00:43:44.223 --> 00:43:48.813 and say, Hey, how can I ask somebody a lot of questions and them guide me? 00:43:48.813 --> 00:43:51.903 How can I seek mentorship from different people? 00:43:51.903 --> 00:43:53.673 So that's what I've always tried to do. 00:43:53.673 --> 00:43:55.023 I tell people all the time, like. 00:43:55.353 --> 00:43:58.773 I'm not gonna sit here and tell you I'm a genius in investing in different things. 00:43:59.043 --> 00:44:00.903 I've gotten advice from different people. 00:44:01.233 --> 00:44:04.083 I've listened to it, I've, I've invested in certain things and 00:44:04.083 --> 00:44:05.223 done different things like that. 00:44:05.223 --> 00:44:09.933 But a lot of my financial successes come from leaning on other people 00:44:09.933 --> 00:44:13.983 that I've built real relationships with that don't need me. 00:44:13.983 --> 00:44:18.813 They're successful all on their own, but we have a genuine friendship that if 00:44:18.813 --> 00:44:23.313 somebody sends me something, I'm like, man, this, this guy's, you know, I, I've 00:44:23.313 --> 00:44:24.633 met some people who are billionaires. 00:44:24.633 --> 00:44:24.963 I'm like. 00:44:25.233 --> 00:44:26.223 This guy's a billionaire. 00:44:26.253 --> 00:44:28.053 He know he sees this all the time. 00:44:28.293 --> 00:44:30.063 Hey, I just got this deal. 00:44:30.063 --> 00:44:31.023 I'll type up the email. 00:44:31.023 --> 00:44:34.563 Hey, we would love for you to look at it and jump on a call to talk about it. 00:44:34.803 --> 00:44:37.983 Hey, man, no problem, dev, because we have a real relationship. 00:44:37.983 --> 00:44:39.453 We've hung out, we've gone to dinner. 00:44:39.453 --> 00:44:43.083 So I always tell guys, man, as soon as you can. 00:44:43.443 --> 00:44:44.643 Lean back in. 00:44:44.883 --> 00:44:48.543 If you play college somewhere, lean back into the, the different alumni. 00:44:48.543 --> 00:44:52.503 When you go to games where, and you're playing city, the city you're from, 00:44:52.503 --> 00:44:56.253 like lean into different people who do some things that you might want to do. 00:44:56.253 --> 00:44:59.073 Just pick their brain, uh, and go to lunch. 00:44:59.073 --> 00:44:59.943 Go to dinner. 00:45:00.033 --> 00:45:03.663 Have real relationships with people because we got to do that in football 00:45:03.663 --> 00:45:05.163 and we never really thought about it. 00:45:05.463 --> 00:45:09.063 But everything we did was, I had a relationship with some 00:45:09.063 --> 00:45:12.213 receivers and I learned about what made them great at Receiver. 00:45:12.213 --> 00:45:13.863 I had a relationship with Tom Brady. 00:45:14.073 --> 00:45:16.773 Learned about what made him great at a court at quarterback, which 00:45:16.773 --> 00:45:18.273 helped make me better at safety. 00:45:18.423 --> 00:45:21.393 Me and Dante Hightower were captains for a long time. 00:45:21.633 --> 00:45:24.843 I understood how he ran the front seven and what he wanted to do. 00:45:25.083 --> 00:45:27.633 I taught him about what I wanted to do at this secondary. 00:45:27.843 --> 00:45:30.813 Like all of those things, we're learning what other people are 00:45:30.813 --> 00:45:33.363 great at, and we're putting it together to make ourselves better. 00:45:33.693 --> 00:45:36.333 Once we leave, we gotta do the same thing. 00:45:36.333 --> 00:45:38.553 We gotta learn about these different fields and put it 00:45:38.553 --> 00:45:40.143 together to make ourselves better. 00:45:40.503 --> 00:45:41.973 It's just we're not used to it. 00:45:41.973 --> 00:45:42.903 And that's okay. 00:45:43.143 --> 00:45:44.373 You gotta go in there. 00:45:44.433 --> 00:45:48.123 Like I always say, uh, coach Oceano says something that, you know, when 00:45:48.123 --> 00:45:51.243 you're in college, you hate every kind of thing that your coach throws out. 00:45:51.243 --> 00:45:55.623 Every kind of acronym or different cliche, but he used to tell us 00:45:55.623 --> 00:45:58.773 like, being a leader means being comfortable, being uncomfortable. 00:45:59.118 --> 00:46:04.218 And I understood what that meant in every situation as I advanced that 00:46:04.218 --> 00:46:07.128 you have to be a little uncomfortable when everybody's doing one thing. 00:46:07.128 --> 00:46:07.398 Cliff. 00:46:07.398 --> 00:46:10.488 You know, when we were training, I would tell God, Hey Cliff, 00:46:10.758 --> 00:46:12.198 I need some Saturday work. 00:46:12.408 --> 00:46:14.178 Like I need, I need to get it in on Saturday. 00:46:14.178 --> 00:46:15.978 I don't feel good about my three cone. 00:46:16.158 --> 00:46:19.218 Let's put in work Friday night guys like, Hey, we're going out. 00:46:19.218 --> 00:46:19.938 Nah fellas. 00:46:20.508 --> 00:46:21.288 Let's stay here. 00:46:21.318 --> 00:46:23.358 Like, we don't need, we don't need to go over there. 00:46:23.358 --> 00:46:24.648 We don't need to do any of that. 00:46:24.708 --> 00:46:26.058 We'll need to go to Fort Myers. 00:46:26.118 --> 00:46:27.078 Let's stay here. 00:46:27.318 --> 00:46:32.028 And you gotta be comfortable saying, even if they all go, I'm gonna stay by myself. 00:46:32.058 --> 00:46:34.218 And all those different things come up. 00:46:34.218 --> 00:46:37.698 And, and that was a great piece of advice I got from him that I, I beat 00:46:37.698 --> 00:46:40.788 into my kids and sometimes my wife like, Hey, you're not coaching me. 00:46:40.788 --> 00:46:42.438 Stop telling me those different things. 00:46:42.678 --> 00:46:44.598 But I just think they're so true for life. 00:46:46.293 --> 00:46:48.603 Clif Marshall: Well, Devin, you gave me a cliff note today, 00:46:48.603 --> 00:46:49.833 and I thank you for that. 00:46:49.833 --> 00:46:51.213 And that cliff note is this. 00:46:51.798 --> 00:46:55.518 If you're the smartest one in the room, you're in the wrong room. 00:46:55.728 --> 00:47:00.858 And we talk very often about Proverbs 27 17, it says, as iron sharpens 00:47:00.858 --> 00:47:03.258 iron, so one man sharpens another. 00:47:03.618 --> 00:47:06.948 And that is certainly what you've done today on this podcast. 00:47:06.948 --> 00:47:11.208 So I am so grateful, brother, for your time and just being able to 00:47:11.208 --> 00:47:12.768 reminisce and really learn from you. 00:47:12.768 --> 00:47:14.358 So thank you for your time today. 00:47:14.673 --> 00:47:15.933 Devin McCourty: No, I appreciate y'all, man. 00:47:15.933 --> 00:47:18.963 Love the space that you guys are in and what you're doing. 00:47:19.248 --> 00:47:22.458 Uh, cliff, obviously I've gotten to know you well, Sam, through PA meetings 00:47:22.458 --> 00:47:23.748 and different things like that. 00:47:24.048 --> 00:47:27.228 Uh, it it is fun to watch you and you know, obviously we ran into each 00:47:27.228 --> 00:47:30.348 other in New Orleans, but to see everything that you and your brother 00:47:30.348 --> 00:47:32.238 are doing, it is awesome to see, man. 00:47:32.238 --> 00:47:34.908 And I love this space that you guys are creating, man. 00:47:34.908 --> 00:47:35.538 Keep it going. 00:47:36.228 --> 00:47:37.848 Sam Acho: Definitely Devin, we appreciate you, man. 00:47:37.848 --> 00:47:42.408 Seeing you not only in New Orleans in person, but seeing you on tv, playing 00:47:42.588 --> 00:47:45.738 against you in different scenarios, but also more than anything, just 00:47:45.738 --> 00:47:50.088 hearing you as a man, as a husband, as a father, as a leader, leaving a legacy. 00:47:50.088 --> 00:47:51.558 All the things that we talk about, right? 00:47:51.558 --> 00:47:53.658 Like you've won, we've seen in the background you've 00:47:53.658 --> 00:47:55.098 won on the football field. 00:47:55.548 --> 00:47:57.198 Now you're showing us what it looks like to win. 00:47:57.198 --> 00:47:57.828 As a father. 00:47:58.038 --> 00:47:58.518 You're showing us 00:47:58.518 --> 00:48:01.698 what it looks like to win as an investor, all the different boards that you're on. 00:48:01.698 --> 00:48:04.728 You're showing us what it looks like to win in your family, to win in your 00:48:04.728 --> 00:48:08.208 faith, to win financially, to win physically, spiritually, emotionally. 00:48:08.208 --> 00:48:10.278 And that's kind of the space that we wanted to provide. 00:48:10.278 --> 00:48:13.518 And so, Devin, we appreciate you, man, uh, so much. 00:48:13.518 --> 00:48:14.628 And Cliff, honestly, I thank you. 00:48:14.628 --> 00:48:17.688 And Clem didn't share this fully, shared it at the beginning, but. 00:48:18.063 --> 00:48:20.043 The reason that Cliff and I have this relationship that we 00:48:20.043 --> 00:48:21.183 have is really because of you. 00:48:21.603 --> 00:48:22.833 You took a risk on Cliff. 00:48:22.833 --> 00:48:23.103 Cliff. 00:48:23.133 --> 00:48:25.233 You took a risk on Devon, if you want to call it that. 00:48:25.503 --> 00:48:29.673 And all of a sudden there was so much success and that success led me to that. 00:48:29.673 --> 00:48:31.023 Proverbs 27 17. 00:48:31.023 --> 00:48:32.643 On the back, I got the brochure right behind me. 00:48:32.883 --> 00:48:34.233 It says It's iron sharpens iron. 00:48:34.233 --> 00:48:34.653 Show this one. 00:48:34.653 --> 00:48:36.243 Share one man sharp in another. 00:48:36.243 --> 00:48:39.813 And I saw y'all at the back of this brochure for NFL Combine. 00:48:39.813 --> 00:48:42.273 Try to make it to the NFL and y'all are holding hands with these 00:48:42.273 --> 00:48:46.413 shirts, all black shirts with the white Proverbs 1717 praying. 00:48:47.463 --> 00:48:48.873 I'm like, dude, I want 00:48:48.873 --> 00:48:49.203 That. 00:48:49.533 --> 00:48:50.793 Like those Wednesday Bible settings. 00:48:50.793 --> 00:48:52.533 I forgot about that until you brought it back up. 00:48:52.533 --> 00:48:53.583 Like that's what I was after. 00:48:53.583 --> 00:48:53.733 Yeah. 00:48:53.733 --> 00:48:54.933 I'm trying to go run as fast as I 00:48:54.933 --> 00:48:55.203 can. 00:48:55.203 --> 00:48:57.963 I'm trying to go and jump as high as I can and be a first round pick. 00:48:57.963 --> 00:49:01.563 I'm trying to play a long career, but I know there's something more, even even 00:49:01.563 --> 00:49:04.263 the point you made about the Super Bowl, we hear, we hear that all the time. 00:49:04.263 --> 00:49:05.193 It's like, dude, we won. 00:49:05.733 --> 00:49:06.333 Then what? 00:49:06.633 --> 00:49:07.143 AJ Brown 00:49:07.143 --> 00:49:09.903 made the point, man, okay, 72 hours later I just won a Super Bowl 00:49:10.023 --> 00:49:11.493 for the Eagles and, and now what? 00:49:12.123 --> 00:49:14.793 And so it's like that's the space that we want to provide. 00:49:14.973 --> 00:49:15.663 It's the now 00:49:15.663 --> 00:49:16.023 what? 00:49:16.233 --> 00:49:16.713 Alright, boom. 00:49:16.713 --> 00:49:18.933 You've won at this football basketball. 00:49:18.933 --> 00:49:21.453 We'll be talking to guys who are in the NBA played successful career. 00:49:21.753 --> 00:49:22.293 Now what? 00:49:22.683 --> 00:49:25.923 And so you've provided us with that now, what you've talked about, what 00:49:25.923 --> 00:49:29.043 it looks like to be a leader in your community, what it means to be a leader 00:49:29.043 --> 00:49:32.403 in your family, what it looks like to build relationships, to be present. 00:49:32.898 --> 00:49:34.878 To not be the smartest person in, in the room. 00:49:34.878 --> 00:49:36.588 That's Cliff, cliff, the cliff note. 00:49:36.858 --> 00:49:37.128 And so 00:49:37.128 --> 00:49:38.058 we appreciate your time. 00:49:38.058 --> 00:49:42.138 And so anybody else who wants to continue to tap in, go to sam macho.com 00:49:42.138 --> 00:49:44.088 to listen to more of the Sam Macho podcast. 00:49:44.418 --> 00:49:47.658 Uh, for me, for Cliff Marshall, for Devin McCordy, we say thank you. 00:49:48.240 --> 00:49:49.620 Dev, we appreciate you, brother. 00:49:49.650 --> 00:49:50.460 Devin McCourty: Alright fellas. 00:49:50.550 --> 00:49:51.360 Good to see y'all, man. 00:49:51.720 --> 00:49:52.440 Sam Acho: Yes, sir. 00:49:53.370 --> 00:49:53.790 Clif Marshall: Buddy. 00:49:53.820 --> 00:49:54.240 Devin McCourty: All right, man. 00:49:54.240 --> 00:49:54.875 Have a good one. 00:49:55.440 --> 00:49:56.100 Sam Acho: All right, you too. 00:49:56.610 --> 00:49:57.000 All right.