PART I : THE INTERNAL BATTLE I thought I was ok. I thought I had gone through the mental acrobatics of trying to process what I witnessed on social media last week: A police officer murdering a Black man named George Floyd. I have seen and...
For the last 6 years of my career I've been a 6’1” linebacker weighing in between 235 and 255 pounds, depending on the year. So when people find out that while playing in the NFL I weighed 315 pounds and played defensive tackle, they don't...
Saying “It's God's plan” is easy when everything is going right and is synced up with your goals and timeline. But on a day like today, when NFL Teams have to trim their roster down to 53 men, guys will see their dreams come to...
Every football player dreams about hearing his name called during the NFL Draft, and I was no different. Growing up in Oakland, CA during the 80’s and 90’s with the Raiders in Los Angeles, I was a huge San Francisco 49ers fan. I used to...
Every year I return to my hometown, Oakland, California, to host a youth football camp through my ACES Foundation. I think it’s important to give back to the community, especially to help the youth realize that they have the ability to achieve their dreams regardless...
Training camp is a unique experience of 90 individuals coming together to form a team. I’ve gone through this process as an undrafted free agent, a core franchise player and a veteran free agent. Although each role brings a different perspective about the on the...
The world we live in is hard enough to navigate in an ideal environment with a safe neighborhood, good schools, and loving parents, but when you start removing instrumental pieces from a child's life, the chances of failure rises significantly. Unfortunately, life isn't ideal, and...
The NFL is very demanding and oftentimes absorbs all of your time, energy and health. This is why guaranteed money is essential when negotiating an NFL contract, and during free agency this year, it seemed like everyone was getting the biggest deal in NFL history. ...