Riccardo Stewart: Hey, what's going on?
I want to welcome you guys back to another episode of the AWM NFL podcast.
My name is Ricardo Stewart, and I have the pleasure of being your host.
And I'm joined as usual with my good friends, Zach Miller,
Sam Acho, and Jeff Locke.
Guys, we were in that point of the season for NFL, where it's the best.
I mean like in the major sports, you think October is the best for baseball because
that's the playoffs of the World Series.
In basketball it's June because you get into the NBA finals and for
football it's really that second to third week of, of January, all the
way through February for for the Super Bowl, which is where we're at.
And so I want to just.
We're going to talk about the playoffs and not even so much
what's happening on the field.
But but some of the things that goes on at the field and so I'm going to start
first just in a playoff experience.
I mean, this is the vantage point I get with talking to you guys is you
guys have all played in the NFL and you have experience and that matters a lot.
So Sam, what did it mean for you going into your first ever playoff game?
Sam Acho: Well, my first ever playoff game was everything.
I remember being a rookie and playing in the preseason and
saying, man, this is awesome.
And a lot of the vets would say, Hey, Sam, just wait until the regular season.
It's different.
I said, okay, great.
I got to the regular season and it was in fact different.
And I remember finishing my first regular season.
We didn't make the playoffs.
And a lot of vets would say, Hey man, just wait until you make the playoffs.
It's different.
And it was in fact different.
I think it was my fourth year in the NFL with Arizona Cardinals.
And I had gone through some injuries, been through life stuff.
Well, all of a sudden we ended up making the playoffs.
end up playing the Carolina Panthers, Panthers and Cam Newton.
And for me, the experience was awesome.
Not only because, uh, we got playoff cheques So that was the whole thing.
But also it was awesome because I got a chance to peek at the right time.
As a younger player, you don't always think about the postseason and your
body and, and how to like really play at your best at the end of the season.
But I had learned after my first year and second year, third year
through veterans, through watching a film, through asking guys questions.
So I had one of my best games towards the end of the season, a season
in which I was recovering from an injury season in which I was.
Had some confidence issues.
I was up and I was down.
Got a chance to have a sack fumble on, uh, on Cam Newton.
Helped change the game for our team.
Ended up losing that game.
I think we're on our third, fourth string quarterback, third
or fourth string quarterback.
But the experience was the experience of a lifetime.
Riccardo Stewart: That's good.
We always hear from defensive guys or in Zach, we're going
to hear from an offensive guy.
Yeah.
I feel like the playoffs so often in these times of the games, it comes down
to one or two plays, and eventually it's a time for the kicker to do some things.
So like, we don't always hear the perspective from a kicker.
So we have one Jeff Locke.
What?
What is the preparation going into a playoff game for kicker?
Is it different than the regular season?
I'm sure you might not try to make it any different, but it has to be.
I'd love to get your thoughts.
Jeff Locke: Yeah, so I only had one playoff game.
Um, and it didn't go so well.
You can all look it up.
Um, one of the top five coldest games in NFL history.
Um, and I didn't prep all for it.
I'll tell you that.
But I've learned a lot since that experience.
And what I should have done was prepare for it just like any other game, even
though it was going to be 20 degrees.
That was my mistake.
So as a kicker punter, the biggest thing you got to do is just
treat it Like it's another game.
Riccardo Stewart: I should have done some history.
Sorry for bringing out that, uh, that,
that moment.
I feel like I did the same, I think I did the same thing with Zach last year
in talking about Super Bowl losses and wins, but, uh, I'm a great host.
Jeff Locke: Let's move to Zach.
His answer is going to be great.
Riccardo Stewart: Okay.
So Zach, I mean, let's go.
I mean, Zach smiling.
Cause he's like, I played in lots of games.
I played in two super bowls.
So Zach, I'd love to hear your perspective as someone who's
played through a lot of games.
Is that, does the preparation change as you get older, as you become more of a vet
where this is not your first playoff game.
This is not your second playoff game.
This is your fourth or fifth, or it's your second super bowl.
Zach Miller: Yeah, I, I would say experience definitely
helps in the playoffs.
Uh, Pete Carroll always preached, like, play every game, like
it's a championship game.
So when we got to playoffs, we tried as best we could, not to let the
hype get to us, but you realize the intensity is different in the playoffs.
You have so many.
Extreme competitors in the NFL.
Everyone wants to win.
There are some dogs out there.
So you have to match that intensity or you'll get, you'll get sent home quick.
And so it took me till year six to make the playoffs.
So when I finally got there, I couldn't have been more jacked up to just try and
go when, and, um, you know, we almost made it to the NFC championship, my
first round in the playoff, my first time in the playoffs, we ended up
going to the Superbowl and winning it the next year in the playoffs and then
lose the Superbowl that third year.
So.
I appreciate it because of what I went through with the Raiders of like,
not making the playoffs and not even having a chance to even be in it.
Week 16, week 17 to truly appreciate how difficult it is to get there and
then take advantage of that opportunity.
Once you're in it,
Riccardo Stewart: That's good.
Well, I appreciate you guys just sharing that experience.
And so clearly that's on the field.
So what our job is as a family office is we try to take care of all the other
things off the field that your agent and your agency team is not doing.
And so I do want to talk about those things.
And so Sam, I'll start with you first.
Again, my question for you is when it comes to compensation, right?
You made the playoffs.
How does that work?
Sam Acho: Well, I alluded to it a little bit earlier.
One thing that you may not realize if you're on a losing team is that when you
make the playoffs, you get paid to play.
So you get checks that other people who are sitting at home don't get.
And those checks increase as you continue to play.
And Zach will tell you about the Super Bowl.
I'm pretty sure the Super Bowl winners.
Get double than what the Superbowl losers get.
And he can get a, I have a play.
It's, I don't have the clarity on that, but that was a benefit.
All of a sudden I'm still playing and I'm not thinking, Oh, there's extra
compensation now, no, it won't be the exact same compensation you get
as far as your regular NFL salary.
This is what we consider someone like a, of a benefit regarding like NFL PA.
So everyone's going to get paid the same when it comes to like that salary,
but it's an extra check, a bonus check that you don't get if you don't make it.
Riccardo Stewart: So we're looking at this year right now, it just became, uh, 2025.
And so most of these guys have played their games in 2024.
And so Zach, my question for you in terms of this money being taxed, is it taxed the
year where you played the majority of your games or this money that you received that
Sam talked about being in the playoffs?
Is it taxed on this current year?
Zach Miller: on the current year.
So for this year, it's going to be 2025 on your taxes.
You don't have to worry about any of that.
It's going to come out.
It's going to come to your check, like another game check.
And it's a different number.
Like Sam said, it's, it's, it's significant.
The further you go in the playoffs, it can start up to a few hundred
thousand dollars that you weren't.
expecting Which is nice.
So the takeaway there is like, Hey, yes, use some of it for fun.
Like when I finally won the super bowl, I actually finally bought like the car
that I had like dreamed about, got a Mercedes S550 and was like, that was my
reward to myself in the, and that was like, because that was money that I didn't
expect to have that we went out and won that super bowl and the rest rest then
the rest of the, you of those playoff games, save that for that future self.
huge takeaway that when that money is that extra money, if you can save some that
that pays off down the line.
Sam Acho: And one thing to think of as well, Zach, I didn't think about this, but
for a player who's thinking about, okay, I'm a free agent and the compensation
is the same on two different teams and maybe taxes, that's something to take
into consideration of, okay, maybe the two states have a similar state tax or
don't have a state tax, maybe something to consider maybe, okay, well, will this
team consistently make the playoffs?
Cause that could be another bonus check that you weren't thinking of.
And so I'm not, I don't want to be specific on teams, but
that's just something that I'd never considered as a player.
That looking back, I would think, okay, this may be something to think about.
There is an extra check that comes when you play in the playoffs.
Riccardo Stewart: Zach, I just got to ask this briefly before I get to you.
Jeff is in that check.
Is it taxed the same in terms of percentages, all other game checks,
or is it considered a bonus?
Is it taxed differently?
Zach Miller: It should be taxed.
It was pretty much taxed the same as your salary.
So, um, the same withholding is going to come out.
Um, it's just like an, you get to keep playing essentially on
the, on, um, get more money.
It's, it's not really changed, uh, in that regard.
Riccardo Stewart: That's super helpful, Zach.
Um, I want to just close with the cleanup hitter himself and the professor and
Jeff, and that is, we've talked about a lot, what players are thinking about
on the field and some things that they need to be thinking about off the field.
But I mean, gosh, is there anything else we missed that a family office
should be taking care of for an NFL player while they're planning
the playoffs for the super bowl?
Jeff Locke: So two things come to mind, Rick.
It's what your team should be doing us and what you should be doing personally.
So for us, Zach touched on it on the tax side, your 2024 tax situation is going to
be different than your 2025 tax situation.
So your CPA.
Should be helping you go in and change how your withholdings are
done with the team now, before your first check comes for 2025.
Or there might be implications down the road with penalties,
interest, stuff like that.
Right, and then off the field, I call it keeping your circle tight, right?
There's going to be a lot of people coming out of nowhere.
You're finally in the playoffs for the playoffs for the first time
for some teams in a long time.
Wanting things from you, wanting these tickets, expecting things.
So.
You got to really decide who's my core group this time of year.
Cause when things go bad, they're going to feel worse than usual.
And when things go good, everyone's gonna be saying you're the best in the world.
So keep it tight.
Riccardo Stewart: That's good.
Well, as you guys know, you guys been listening to our podcast.
We love providing resources for you and the resources we provide for you are free.
And a lot of that comes from the questions you guys have.
So any questions you have regarding today's episode, or maybe some
questions, um, that you had from the previous episode, we'd
love to hear back from you guys.
So please, um, please reach out to us at 6 0 2 9 8 9 5 0 2 2.
I don't know why I'm doing this.