Hello everyone.

I'm Rebecca Vincent Leary, and welcome to this edition of Connecting the Community.

Get ready for a captivating show with a homespun twist.

Former NFL player Fred Robbins is in the house.

Oh, yes.

We'll take an in-depth look at his career and also learn more about his amazing nonprofit organization, Mr. Robbins neighborhood.

Plus, we'll take you to the coldest elite track and Field Club's inaugural Justin Gatlin, freshman and sophomore invitational.

But first, I'm honored to welcome my friend Steve Nissim.

Now he's the chief storyteller for Studer Community Institute.

He is joining me as a guest co-host.

You may also remember his 28 years as an award winning sportscaster.

And much of that time was spent at WEAR TV right.

Now, three, 21 years there.

But always a pleasure to be here with you.

Listen, he's a great friend and folks, he's a legend.

All right.

So in this segment, we're honored to welcome Michael Etheridge, founder of Golden Elite Track and Field Club.

He's joined by two amazing athletes who are creating quite the buzz.

Andrew Beroset a freshman at Gulf Breeze High School and Isaiah Simpson, a freshman at West Florida Tech High School.

Now, Michael, this is definitely history in the making, my friend.

Yes.

Now I'm looking at those pearly whites and that amazing smile.

I know you could not agree with me more.

What inspired you to start Golden Elite Track and Field Club where.

Go to the league was actually started because of my son.

We call him Little Mike and our first interview on television for sports was with Mr. Steve Nissim back in the days back when he was young, and we wanted to see what he was.

Well, Michael's talent was, took them on a circuit Everybody was telling me about him.

And all of a sudden, from what that was then has grown to what it is now.

Steve is making so many ways, I tell you what.

There's so many great athletes here and above.

But, you know, I remember that and I remember your son and it was an exciting time.

And you had a passion.

And that that's, you know, that's shown over the years.

And we didn't have a track club here in Pensacola.

All right.

And so there was a need and I believe God use me to meet the need.

Yes, you are a vessel, but guess what?

Another vessel.

Justin Gatlin, Olympic gold medalist, has a few words he wants to share with Michael.

And our viewing audience.

Take a listen to.

One reason why I actually wanted to do this And partner with Golden Elite for this Justin Gatlin Invitational is because I want to help the community.

I've been traveling around the world throughout my career, and now I have the opportunity to come back to Pensacola and help out the community.

And Coach Mike from Golden Elite And let's just not keep it here in the community.

Let's help out the state of Florida.

So we invited other other teams from the state of Florida to be able to come up.

So now we have some of the fastest people in the state of Florida to come out here and compete with each other.

And we look to make it an annual thing.

Now, Steve, I know that you and I are both wondering what is Coach Mike have to say to that?

Well, you know, I admire Justin because of who he is and the man that he is and the compassion that he have these for these kids in our community and the state.

And then we'll go ahead and say the entire nation for track and field.

I'm honored to be in a position to say let's work together to keep this moving forward.

Well said.

We got a couple of great athletes here and we're going to talk about all your athletic prowess, but we're going to start talking about academics because both you guys were very well rounded.

As I'll start with you go to West Florida Tech freshman there, 3.57 GPA.

I know you want to study aerospace engineering, which is crazy impressive.

And some of the schools you want to go to, you're aiming high.

So tell me a little bit first about the academics.

What kind of your mindset with that and how you approach it?

So for the academics part of it, it's always first, you know, before track, before anything.

I always take care of academics.

That's the first one.

It's always student athlete.

Before anything goes for the academics, it will more just be you know, just focusing on, you know, what, like the core things I need, I know at the start of this start of this year, I kind of was shaky just just because of the transition into high school.

But I have been, you know, locking down all my grades, you know, seeing what I need to make up or how I need to do it.

And, you know, just just focusing on those grades and where it can get me in life.

I tell you what, I am just sitting in the presence of greatness.

See, this is an honor for us to just speak with them this evening.

Isn't it?

Oh, yeah.

Impressive.

Very impressive young guys.

Now, Andre, let's step into your world.

You live in Gulf Breeze, and so do I.

So we have a similarity there.

So you attend Gulf Breeze High School.

Are you involved in any clubs in organizations?

No, ma'am.

But I did hear that you have really excelled very well in the classroom.

Yes, ma'am.

A lot of times students won't divulge all of these things, but you're taking advanced placement classes.

Apparently, you've made all A's.

That's what Mom tells me.

Yes, ma'am.

Now, how does that make you feel, knowing that you are a well-rounded person, athletics and academics combined.

That's.

It's good.

Like I like he said, academics is always first.

You got to lock down the grades before I can focus on track.

Now, you told me in the green room that you have a desire to someday run track at Alabama.

Why is that?

That's because my dad are in there.

Oh, he did?

Okay.

All in the family.

We love these things that way.

Michael, talk about the.

Well, rowdiness of it, you know.

You obviously are training the athletes, but, you know, your mission is bigger than that to really what's the mission with what you try to focus on the Golden League.

I'm mission I go to the league is to build character and integrity and each and every athlete that comes to our program, we know that each and every athlete won't be a gold medal winner like these two guys.

They won't be elite athletes and being sought after for, you know, their act up, their athleticism.

So we have kids that come through our program.

They are inverted pass.

I heard about our program, too, where I heard a child came here and by the time they were finished, they were going to school every day.

They were taking out the trash at home.

So our program was about building what's on the inside out.

When we tell parents all the time as coaches, we cannot do for your child something that's not already in them.

Our job as coaches is to bring out of them what's in them and character and integrity.

Those are two foundational things that we are still in each and every athlete, whether you win every race, whether you come in last in every race, whether you don't even make it to a race.

But being a part of our program, you're going to learn about that.

That's a great message.

Of course, you're also trying to develop them as athletes.

Yes, in that sense, in the performance sense.

What's kind of your message, your focus as you try to maximize what they can do out there on the track?

Trust the process.

Trust the process.

When babies come out, they're not always running.

They have to crawl.

Some of them have to learn, roll over, focus and certain things.

So when athletes come to us, we let the parents know we get them involved.

We get to pass the ball because this is a community effort where Golden Elite has accomplished this because of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, big brothers, even little sisters, a little brothers, because we all work together for the benefit of that one or two athletes that's in that family.

Yeah.

And then recently, obviously, you've done many great things over the years, but now with this just got in the first year doing this, it was interesting to me that it's freshman and sophomore meet.

So why did you decide to make a move specifically for freshmen and sophomores?

Steve As you know, most freshmen and sophomores don't get the opportunity unless they are an elite athlete to be on a big state that's throughout the country, not just here in Pensacola.

So what Justin and I decided to do, let's open the door for these freshmen and sophomores to showcase their talent on a big stage.

And that's what it was.

It was very successful.

And we had kids coming from Miami, Tallahassee.

We had organizations that wanted to come from us to New York, from New York, Dallas, Houston, Arkansas, team out of California.

So we're looking at expanding it nationwide.

We want it to be inaugural for the state of Florida because this is where Justin's home is and it was such a success.

So to give opportunities for athletes, every one of them are not like we call them be if y'all don't mind.

And son, you know, they don't have all the skills that they have.

These guys are talented.

They're very talented in what they do in track and field and cross country.

And so that athlete that's just on the team, that was her or his time to shine in front of a huge crowd in front of a well known Olympian.

I would imagine, Michael, that you have a lot of people that are interested in the track meet and encouragement is essential, isn't it?

And with that, you more than likely have some partners, so why not talk about them?

Oh, you know, if I do that, I'm probably it's a matter of.

What the importance they're in.

It is.

It is.

People come together.

We have a coaching staff that one of our coaches works as a cook and a lot of folks home, I would call it.

We have a another coach that is a pilot that teaches instructional pilot in the US Navy here in Pensacola area.

We have all type of people.

We have very diverse group.

And so to say thank you to number one, my wife, because if you put up with me what I'm doing, you deserve every award that we can get, every word that comes across our desk and the families that believe in me and the program.

They say he's a coach.

Take my motto.

What can we do to help my child to become better?

So I want to say thank you to all of them.

And we thank you.

And Steve, guess what?

Justin Gatlin has a thing or two.

He would like to say because he appreciates all of that Pensacola support.

Take a listen.

For one thing, sports in a community is such a pillar for kids to be able to be comfortable, to be able to show who they are, their personality, but also just how they could give back to the community as well.

You know, if as a community, we want to be able to back them and then also represent what they are when it comes to their sport and their individual to go out there and just compete at the high level.

And as I was when I was a high schooler, I had this the whole city of Pensacola behind me when I went to State, when I went to nationals, when I went to college and I turned pro.

Kansas City, Pensacola is always been behind me, and I want that to be for the future athletes.

Yeah, that support is always really important and there's such a great tradition of great athletes that come out of the Pensacola area.

And Justin has talked about how those that came beforehand inspired him to reach the greatness that he reached out for you both, you guys, how much does just in order to be some other guys you've seen out there from Pensacola?

How much have they kind of inspired you to to kind of reach for the stars.

When you go first?

There you go.

So so the pro athletes I know I'll speak for Justin.

He has been big there for me.

I've recently done an interview with him, you know, basically explaining like how his life, how his life was structured, you know, how he got into the Olympics, how he got into the pros, how, you know, how incidents happened and seeing seeing that process of what happened just inspires me a lot to to take my own course and take my own path on how to, I guess, shape my own life and shape how others say for others, you know, life can be impacted by me just, you know, just seeing other pro runners, just see how they grew up and seeing their childhood basically, like relating to mine is like a big impact on me.

Just just seeing that they came from little to nothing and they made it so far.

And I think that's just a really big thing for young athletes.

You want to answer that?

Teacher Yeah, yeah.

Even though I'm clearly not a sprinter, he's inspired me a lot.

Like some of the things he's done, amazing and I aspire to be like him.

An Olympian is really cool again and talk to him.

The little time I had to talk to him.

He taught me a lot of valuable lessons and stuff.

Things.

Well, you inspire all of us, and Steve and I are just so amazed by what you've done in this short span.

Impressive.

And Isaiah, I know for you, you've reached all-American status on the AEW level like three years in a row.

And now as a freshman, you already doing really well on the high school level.

Get ready to go to regionals as we speak here.

So what kind of helped you to kind of reach your potential and reach where you're at right now with track?

So what's really helped me is just, you know, God, he's he's been a big he's been a big factor for me.

Just, you know, just having that connection with him is really big.

I know.

I know.

Most people don't believe in him, but I believe in him strongly.

And I believe that he is he has me where he has me to be.

And I just I just thank him for everything.

Um, you know, just talking to him, speaking to him sometimes.

I don't know if he's there listening, but I know that he cares for me.

He cares for everyone here.

And I just.

I all I can say is just thank you.

I mean, there's not enough thank you that I can say to accept my gratitude for him.

And, you know, just this.

Thank you for him.

Well, I do believe he's listening now.

Andrew, over into your world.

Hey, there's so much.

Right?

All these stats.

I was reading an article just the other day, the Santa Rosa County championship running a four 1429.

You are so humble and right there before you, I see all these medals.

Why don't you just talk about maybe one or two of these achievements outside of the track meet things that you've done, the 2023 Foot Locker Southeast region freshman champion.

Let's focus on that.

What was your mindset going into that race?

So I decided not to do the championship race.

I wanted to see if I could win the freshman race and I went to it feeling confident, but trying to stay locked in and they went, Well, I may have a PR, but I ran pretty well and won one.

So.

And the Pensacola News Journal Runner of the Year for 2023, that is a huge accomplishment.

So big.

And Steve, I know you want to cover a few more stats.

Well, yeah, I mean, you're kind of with the numbers.

You're putting up a way beyond your years for what you should be able to do as a freshman.

So what's the key for you?

Obviously, you have a dad, the security before you as well.

But what's got you still locked into you putting up these times at this stage?

Obviously, all my coaches, even him over there, my my coach has been helping me stay focused, not letting it get to my head and just stay focused on what I want to do.

I saw you sitting on a throne.

Let me tell you, go to an elite track and field.

This inaugural event with Justin Gatlin was beyond amazing.

816 meter events.

Listen, I like the way that you operate, Michael.

You picked some amazing awards.

Some of those awards.

I've never seen anything like it.

It's brand new.

No.

When we got to May, they were actually exceptional.

The company called and say, Are you all serious about this?

And so with that, we want to make sure you get one.

This is yours because we know you're a Justin Gatlin fan.

I certainly these are the very first ones ever made of an Olympian on some type of diecast metal.

And so we wanted to make sure that these young athletes, they worked for something that was extraordinary.

Steve, you take the ball for the rest of this because honestly, I'm a little choked up with excitement here.

I'll be able to tell.

But I got before we go, I got to get Isaiah is not just a standout in in track also in diving as a freshman you finish sixth in the state in diving, which is an incredible accomplishment.

How tough is diving and not that many kids do it.

Talk a little about your success there and what you why you enjoy that.

Okay, So I would say diving diving is tough because sometimes you can't fix a mistake until the next day.

Sometimes you walk into diving, think you're going to do good and you flop all your dives.

Some days you walk in that film too.

Great.

You do all your dives well.

So it's more of a mindset.

Instead of, you know, you're big and strong, you can flip, but it's more of you getting to know how your body reacts to, like certain movements.

Like you come off the board this certain way, you come off the board this certain way.

And I would say just, you know, diving.

I like diving because you kind of express yourself just like track.

It's more of mental over.

It was more of mental over physical and it is is definitely tough.

I mean, it's it's hard, but once you get it, it's very enjoyable and very fun.

I also read that you play an instrument or maybe to which instrument do you play?

I play the violin and I used to play the piano.

All right.

Yeah.

What doesn't you do.

Know what does?

Playing is wrong.

Yeah.

Oh, okay.

I clean my room.

Well, okay, we'll circle back in a different direction.

Now, Mike, I want to ask you about, obviously, that a lot of just galas, the biggest name to come out of here, but it's been a lot of good track athletes to come out of here.

What's been what's been impressive to you about the kind of level of not overall athlete, Just what does the track athlete that have come out of here and excelled in college and different places?

I would say the them coming back home and giving back to the community, inspiring other young athletes.

We have athletes that have come through, go to the elite that have went to college, and a lot of them, you know, from the past and they come back and they always ask and coach, are you still in the program?

We heard you were in the program when you all practice and I come out and talk to the kids, can I come work with some of the kids and to see that some of those have started their own families and put their kids into track and field, a sound solid program for them has something positive and constructive to do as they come through.

Michael, I'm going to put you on the spot.

Think of one adjective that you can use to describe both Isaiah and Andrew.

Something exciting, invigorating.

As it would be.

No, I would say I would actually say compassionate.

Oh, I love that for both of them all encompassing.

Listen, I think that says it quite well.

What do you think?

So that's perfect.

Couldn't ask for better guest in this segment and we love you so much.

Continue to shine.

Okay, folks, Steve and I are just getting the conversation started.

As we head to break, we want to share some of the sights and sounds from the inaugural Justin Gatlin freshman and sophomore invitational that was held at Booker T Washington High School.

We'll be back with more right after this.

This is definitely going to be an annual thing that we're having.

This mi right here is for the freshman and the sophomore in high school.

Right.

And the reason why we're doing that is because we understand how it is to feel like a freshman or sophomore in your high school.

You feel like you're unnoticed or you feel nervous.

This is an opportunity for them to compete against each other, take out those jitters, be able to come out here, compete to your best abilities and within your own age class, and then you feel more comfortable to be able to compete against higher classmen and you'll be able to show up in front of your friends and family.

So if the track is just something that you can hopefully help with, you don't have to talk to anybody.

You can just, you know, get in that zone and just, you know, just hammer away with yourself, think about things, talk about being an oversight that every fundamental sport has to do with Some type of running track is good for everyone.

Booker T for one.

I have roots here, Brooke.

It's in Washington.

I win here my freshman and sophomore year in high school, and it's a special place for me.

And also the fact of the facility.

We have a rubberized track here is a little easier for the athlete to have good competition here.

It put out good time, so it gives them a good standing in the nation when they want to go out and run.

Other meets throughout the nation as well.

He is, like I say, he is learning to be a good teammate, is giving him a lot of leadership roles because he's starting to come out more in school.

Honestly, overall, just as I just as a better person overall.

Any young athlete that's willing to pursue their dreams, it takes focus, takes dedication, takes passion, but also takes a foundation.

The foundation has to be give to your family.

You can be your coaches, it can be your community.

Making sure because this can be tough times as an athlete, you're going to win.

You're going to lose.

So go out there, achieve your goals and your dreams, and always realize that your foundation is there to support you.

Hello, everyone.

During this segment, we are shifting to the realm of professional football.

And let me tell you, Steve and I are pinching ourselves because we have the one and only Fred Robbins, former NFL player, joining us right now.

We're going to delve into his life extensively.

And to help us do that, he's invited his childhood friend, Jay Brown, to join the conversation.

Welcome to both of you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, Fred, I'm going to break the ice.

So from the cradle to the present.

So let's talk about your childhood.

You grew up in Pensacola, right?

Yes, Mom.

Raised.

All right.

Now, I know your mom and dad instilled some exceptional values in you.

Want to talk a little bit about that?

You know, just from the get go, both my parents were educators or teachers.

So the education always, you know, was first and growing up, I went to McGrath Elementary, you know, starting out.

My mom taught.

Yeah.

So just around school every day, I couldn't, you know, just learning.

On the way.

You learn on the way, you know, But it was just the, you know, the atmosphere and just instilling those values of just early on about education, the importance of your schoolwork before sports.

And so they knew I was passionate about sports, but they also just want to make sure I started on the right track.

And my dad was kind of an advocate of that.

You know, he played sports as well in college as well, so he just wanted me, I learned early on.

But the whole process of making it, you know, through high school into the collegiate.

Now, speaking of high school, Jim Tate High School in Cantonment, Florida.

Now, not only did you excel in football, you liked the baseball bat, too.

So talk about that, the duality of it all.

You know, it's funny because I've been playing baseball since I was five six tee ball, and it was my favorite sport.

And I never played football until I got to high school and I played my freshman year.

It was okay.

I didn't really like it at that point.

I didn't play at all my 10th grade year, but then I hit a growth spurt after my 10th grade year when I kind of went back out again.

My 11th grade year and played.

And I kept playing baseball for years as well.

But football, one of the things that kind of growing you, you know, and it did for myself and, you know, just started getting like a lot of attention, you know, towards my junior senior year, you know, from schools and scout, but also kind of.

Wanting to.

Do the baseball player.

But, you know, football was was my way of, you know, college.

But, you know.

Right.

Well, hold that thought for just a minute, because I have to have childhood friend Jay chime in here.

When exactly did you cross paths with Fred?

I know that's a that's a long.

And I think I was born in 78.

Okay.

Probably 79 years ago.

Yes.

Yes.

Our parents my parents came out of Pensacola around the same time, around 1978, 77, and grew up right down the street from them.

And my dad's a pastor of Saint Matthew Lutheran Church.

He's retired now.

But we just were neighborhood.

Flying, though, growing up.

Oh, yeah.

So you play the same sports that Fred did?

Yes.

He was always a year older than me.

Okay.

So it was a big deal for me, you know, to get to play with.

I think I got to play with him my freshman year in in baseball.

And that was I never told him.

But I, I was just that was like a dream come true, you know?

You know, both of us bat in back to back for Coach Leonard day it you know, it was pretty cool.

And then life goes on but we know that, hey, you're transitioning from high school, but then there's another door, right?

It became obvious football was the path for you.

And, you know, despite, you know, coming to it kind of late, you got a lot of attention and then go on day one, you know, to Wake Forest.

And there you excelled.

By the time you finished you were second team all.

SCC So what was the development like for you at Wake Forest has really started coming into your own.

And I think that's a good point.

I think me going to college really kind of opened me up.

I was always, you know, quiet.

You know, I wasn't shy, but I was quiet.

But I think when I went to college was the first time I kind of I left home.

And usually, you know, you pretty much go to school with the same people you grow up with from elementary and middle school to high school.

But when I went to wake, you know, I had to learn early on like how to, you know, you know, talk with new people, have had new conversation and kind of start their whole path over again.

I had to come out of my shell a little bit more, being more talkative and and coming out of my comfort zone.

But the staff there, the coaching staff, of course, Caldwell, Terrell Austin, who recruited me, they kind of made a lot smoother transition, you know, just being comfortable.

I think that's one of the main things is, you know, especially for athletes when you go to college is how soon can you get comfortable.

And I think that sets the tone for the rest of your career.

So at what point did you realize that the NFL was a possibility for you?

You know, I started as a redshirt freshman, and I remember I had a good friend of mine, Hal Gray.

He was he was a fifth year senior and he was getting a lot of attention in a field of scouts.

But he'll always call me like emails having dinner with his NFL team, ask me who was nominally playing with, you know what I mean?

So I learned about, you know, like the possibility because I got a lot of attention.

I led ATC and, you know, TFA or tug of war losses and no run stop is And so I knew I had the you know, what it takes to get my work ethic, you know, and kind of get on that path.

You know, at that point there were already some legends coming out of Pensacola with with Hammett and Derrick Brooks.

How much that those guys, what they had done before, you kind of inspire you a little bit.

I mean, idiomatic as we bring up those names.

It kind of put Pensacola on the map.

You know, during that time, a lot of central and south Florida, you know, it was like anybody from Florida always assume you were like from the Belle Glade area, the Miami area.

But, you know, you bring up those names, you kind of put Pensacola, you know, on the map a little bit more there.

The primary careers, you know, some great careers in college and in the field at that point.

But just being missing, that kind of goal we miss in Pensacola now, people start and really put, okay, who's from Pensacola?

And when you bring up those names, it's kind of like, okay, now the what?

The expectations are even higher that you want.

You know, are you going to exceed those expectations or whatnot?

So I think once people got familiar where I'm from and so I put two and two together with other athletes and he and Roy Jones going in Pensacola, every time you knock somebody out, you know, And so once people really understood the this area, you know, that made it much more fun for me.

Yeah.

And then you got drafted a second round by the Minnesota Vikings.

Yeah.

How special was that moment for you?

That was just that was it was surreal, man.

Just one of those things that, you know, you always hard work, you put in for just for the moment.

You know, I think he was really more so for me.

I was excited, but just for my parents, you know, because I realize how much they sacrifice all the years, all the times they had to take me back and forth to practice when they were time, when they didn't have to.

But so it was more so just to see how happy they were, just as well as I am.

But, you know, just all the work and all the effort, all the time, all everything I had to do that the hurdle, you know, to get to that point, it just made it much more exciting.

Now, Fred, you are under the spotlight, so staying grounded with all the limelight.

How did you do it?

It's hard, you know, It really is.

You know, a lot of times people say, oh, I don't see how somebody could do it.

I'm never going to do this.

But it is a lot.

You put yourself your self in a position.

I tell people all the time now, you know, putting on the pads is easy for it's the lifestyle that comes with it.

You know, when you get drafted in the NFL is business is not for love anymore.

Everything is a business and it's a lifestyle that you got to get accustomed to.

Is everything that comes with you playing the NFL and that's where you got to look to some of those old school values, how you were born, how you were raised, how you were brought up.

You know, the importance of understanding the business at hand and not getting any trouble.

But that's the most hard part about it, is just understanding.

Going back to your core values.

Now, I must ask you, when did you meet?

And I'm looking into the camera, your beautiful wife, Tia, that's $1,000,000 question.

Yeah.

It was actually my second year.

You know, the Vikings, you know, she was doing some, you know, PR stuff and, you know, working with, you know, some businesses and and other athletes, you know, getting, you know, foundations, everything going to do a PR for them.

And it's kind of, you know, she saw me and I was in the store.

And.

When I saw their gorgeous wedding photo and other images, just a match made in heaven.

Now.

Right.

I have to this day, I have to segway over to you because in the midst of all of this NFL.

Right.

Did you provide him with any kind of encouragement?

Were you the guy he called at 1:00 in the morning and said, hey, can you help me answer this question?

Yeah, I was.

But his second year, he didn't have to pick up the phone because I was actually there.

Right.

I got to stay with him for a year.

He called me up.

I said, Man, you graduate and you know you want to come up and, you know, kind of hanging out, man.

And I said, Sure.

So I went and I just have a newfound respect.

You know, he he always he always kind of teach me I'm a business major, so he he can teach me the business side.

He said, Jase is none of my business.

And so I just I was just trying to be there for, you know, try to, you know, run errands for him and things, you know, after the games.

You're always hanging.

Out.

Yeah.

Just like you are here right now.

Right?

Right.

Well, yeah, that makes a big difference.

Right?

And you.

You excelled on the field pretty quick.

I mean, you took all of bit to become a starter, but then I think that your last three years in Minnesota, you were started every game.

So what was that like?

As you realize, hey, I'm definitely gonna stick here.

I definitely can do this.

You know, it's kind of frustrating because, you know, you know, early on you never really it was what I played always excelled.

I started it, you know what I mean?

And we have to take the back seat and and the teams want you to learn a little bit more, you know.

But I had a chance to learn from one of the best, though, John Randle, you know.

And so, you know, it's not every day you learn from a Hall of Famer and I'm like I know forget you know the first time like, man, I'd play with you on a video game, you know.

But, you know, he taught me a lot.

He taught me what it is kind of to be a professional.

How do you approach the game?

How it's a lot different from college.

It's not about knowing what you can do, but you got to know what everybody else is doing around you and that'll make you a better player.

Don't be one dimensional, don't know how to play one position.

On to play your position across the defensive line.

You will last a lot going in a field.

And so I really took my studying to another level, really watching field study and take just hours and hours and hours, you know, just picking up anything I can learn how to be a better player.

It is not about talent, not about what you guys like from Nick up is how smart you can be, how much information can you process you, how fast can you process?

So I, I had the pleasure of learning from one of the best ever do it.

And I think that helped me prepare, you know, the next 11 years of my career, just learning taking the back seat to him for a year to learn everything.

I could ask a lot of questions, soak up all the information they helped me.

The next 11 years.

Those are the guys that make it, the guys that take those lessons learned like that.

So you were for years with the Vikings and then 24 you signed with the Giants?

Yes.

And there is where you really start elevating even more.

You're I think your last three years, you averaged five and half sacks, I think every year which for a defensive tackle that's a lot.

Yeah.

Interceptions as well those kind of things.

But what you did you went from being a good player, a starter to being like a leader type player, you know.

What was that transition like as you transition to that type of player?

No, it was it was a great feeling, you know, because like you said when I was in Minnesota, it's pretty much like, okay, you're young at four years, you learn, you take the back seat.

And then when I got to New York, the New York media, and they brought me here for specific purpose to be a leader, you know, and you kind of hit that defensive line along with straight game and just learning from him as well.

That just kind of helped propel my career, just learning, you know, how to work well with all those know the defensive line, especially being in New York where, you know, everything is so under the microscope, you know, so just having to take their role on and just really when it when a teammate voted me captain, you know, I think that really just, you know, was told us the real for something I didn't expect.

You know it would just be one of the defensive captains on the team that really just showed what others think of me, how they believed me.

And it just propelled me to even, you know, take my game to the next level.

And that was just a defense for you to be named captain on a team like that.

It's just it speaks volumes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I tell you what, Fred, Steve is going to delve into the realm, the Super Bowl 42.

Now, I know you were excited with that win.

Yeah.

Let's send 17 to 14 New England Patriots.

We're coming at you.

But you gave it everything.

So, Steve, why not dive into that?

Well, I grew up in New York, but Giants fan I picked out before with Fred all the time talking a lot of giants.

But it was a tremendous you know, obviously the goal is to win a Super Bowl.

That's the ultimate for a football player.

You're on that big stage.

The Patriots were undefeated coming into that game.

So they were the big favorites.

You know what was kind of the mind's eye?

What was the feeling going into that and how things played out?

You know, it was just the mass.

It was we've played them last game of the season and they end up being about three point, I think 37, 34.

But we knew we could play with them, you know, And so going into the Super Bowl with nobody really gave us a shot.

Nobody expected us to win.

We beat the number three seed Tampa, number one Cowboys, number two Packers in playing the to win a Super Bowl.

Nobody gave us a shot and but we knew we could play with them, but we just had to play against teams like that.

You got to play flawless games, minimize the mistakes and really play a field position, battle with them.

No time of possession, you know, offense, run the ball limited amount of times Brady can have it you know defense we knew we just had to hit him you know and I think that's kind of what rallied him was just how early we were able to get to early and often.

And that was kind of the mindset of our defense.

We need to put them on his back as many times we can again, frustrate.

You know, thrilling game and then you guys win.

You know, what?

What were the emotions like?

What did they hit you like when you realize I'm a Super Bowl champion?

Oh, man.

You know, I think this I think when you see all the confetti drop and, you know, all.

Reality was.

Real, all you know, you and your family.

I got my family down on the field.

We all celebrating.

And it was just a real moment.

I think it really hit us, you know, after the fact when we got back in New York, you know, I mean, everything was just a big shock.

And while we were in Arizona, but we got to New York, we flew back as part on a plane.

Part of the tournament.

Seeing all the fans in the stadium when we got back, but really hit out.

And we had the parade, the parade in New York City, it was going down the streets and everybody's just so excited.

And it could have been even more happy that we beat, you know, the Pacers Boston thing, you know.

So I think that's going to really hit us that, you know, we were you know, we were Super Bowl champions.

Yeah that's cool.

Stuff But then transitioning right St Louis Steve, I know that you're thinking of some stats there, Fred, are you ready to play?

Well, you know, obviously after that year you had one more year with the Giants.

We had a little, but you were coming off a surgery after that actually didn't have as productive a year move to the Rams and then you kind of revitalized that your first year with the Rams, which was 2010.

You had a career high, six sacks.

Yeah.

So at that point, maybe where people start to think, okay, maybe he's on the downside.

What was it like to have a year like that?

Well, I left New York, you know, defensive coordinator Spagnuolo, when we won the Super Bowl, he got the head job in Saint Louis.

And so my contract was up.

You know, I was trying to get closer back home.

I want to finish up, you know, somewhere close, closer to home was May as called, was hey, listen, hey, you know, I really need your help over here in Saint Louis.

You know, I can really use you know, you know, your veteran leadership.

You know, I take care of you, you know, And so I was like, all right, So I check it out, you know what I mean?

And just I felt comfortable with him because I know we had a great relationship and I knew exactly what the ask was.

A lot of times, things that have you come here and you don't really know for sure what the ask me is.

But with space, we have more of a deep personal relationship.

So I knew what he needed from me and I knew what I was able to give.

And I told Mosley, Listen, I can give you three years, you know.

And so I signed like the three year deal.

And I knew within a day a point that was going to be my strategy up.

There were going to be it for me at all three years, you know, But I was able to go there and kind of help revitalize them for a year.

But it was energy play a lot of guys and we just never could get a goal.

So but but you had mentally prepared yourself of what?

Still it must have been hard just to call.

Yeah, it was very hard, especially to go from, you know, Super Bowl, you know, and then you go to the team, the Rams, we we had a winning season in years, you know, And so it was kind of like, okay, going from the big house to our house, you know.

And so but I knew that going into I knew was going to be more like a rebuilding stage.

And it was a challenge for me.

Look, I've been on the good Minnesota Vikings team, the great jazz single, the Super Bowl, but I want a different challenge for myself.

Can I help three young guys lead?

Not just guys, peers who get it.

Can I help some young guys who once was you know, 11, ten, 11 years ago?

So that was a challenge for me.

And then, Fred, you retire, you move back here to Pensacola, take a deep breath.

But I know you're a hard worker.

I think you're one of those people.

You just can't sit by and watch things happening.

So that's where we're going to pick up in just a little bit, aren't we, Steve?

Yes, but before that, folks, grab a few snacks and brace yourselves for some more excitement.

And we've move on to the second segment.

We'll hear more from our former NFL player, Fred Robbins.

That's right after this.

Hello, everyone.

Steve and I are continuing our conversation with Pensacola legend Fred Robbins.

He's his friend, Jay Brown, to stick around for another segment, but he'll be wearing a different hat that a program director for Fred Robbins nonprofit organization, Mr. Robbins neighborhood.

All right, Fred, back in the hot seat there in a good way.

So you're back in Pensacola now.

You're retired, focusing on community service, even serving as treasurer for the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce affiliations.

I know with other organizations, but tell us where you were mentally at that time, your mindset.

What was on the horizon for you?

Oh, man.

You know, just making that transition, you know, from the you know, in a field to, you know, you know, retired life and, you know, you say you're going to do all this stuff and you know, the rag on a guy is what my life is.

It was it was different because my life the most years was just sort of playing sports.

And now it's like, okay, you have all this extra time, what are you going to do with?

And one thing is always wanting to do, no matter what was, you know, give back to the community, no matter where it was, you know, T and I decided to make notes, go home.

And, you know, when I was playing with the Giants, you know, we played a lot of community service when I was in my time in New York, even in Saint Louis.

And so just kind of seeing the transition where sports is, right.

Was hearing, you know, and to now with the rise of social media back then and to different the career paths for students, one now that I excelled at a level I realize how hard it was and how hard it was going to get, you know, moving to the NFL.

So I want to give these guys, you know, opportunities to, you know, get better with the education, but also get on the right track.

Sports is making a huge turn around the type of type of elite, you know, schools are starting to recruit.

And so I want to you know, kids at home with the kids will also be parents to be it was coming.

So that was my overall goal when I came back started miserably.

But just really having all those extra plans really.

So it was really the structure When you when you started creating that, what was your thought on how you were going to roll it out?

The kids, How are you going to try to be effective in teaching those lessons?

Well, I knew it'd be hard just to kind of, you know, get kids to say, look, hey, we're going to focus on education type stuff.

And that's the so, you know, I used the sport and I started my own wheelhouse, which is football.

So I use, you know, athletes, you know, youth, middle high school kids, you know, who are playing football, but also teach me about other, you know, career paths.

And we started this J what, 20, 2012 when I retired.

But looking at 2012 to now how things have transpired back then, it was just a simple hey we going career.

Well the career path.

But since then we've had to make additions each and every year because of rise of social media.

Now you look at the email and everything.

So every year it's always been something that we wanted to make sure all these kids were aware of the way with it, you know, on top of and help them navigate themselves through through all distractions in North Korea.

Also staying focused.

And one of the things we did with Jae now we came with a parents program.

Normally we were just the kids involved in the program, but we wanted to pass, you know, be able to receive this information to as well because we know it was hard, you know, getting through the kids.

We don't want to come inside.

Nobody's home.

But we also brought the parents and and taught and gave them a tutorial, you know, famous for going to school.

Hey, this is what we're going to be doing.

Here's how you can help us when you tell us at home.

Right.

And here's some of the things we teach.

And so, you know, nobody no blast Halloween thing.

Well, Fred, that is a good segue because Jay is program director.

You know all about the game plan.

Why don't you tell us what it is?

So I moved here in 2015 from Dallas, and if Fred had approached me, he had been telling me mainly need to come home and have a great program, you know, Mister Rogers neighborhood.

That was really catchy.

I like that.

And so he said, Hey, hey, come in and, you know, help us out.

And he kind of jumped in and we teach the kids, just like I know Fred mentioned, like I missed distractions.

And that's kind of a good a good word for them because, you know, things like social media, of course, you know, the girlfriends and and and even sometimes your own family can be distractions.

You like to your goals and dreams, especially when you're trying to, you know, accomplish going to school because a lot of kids or some of the kids, you know, their parents didn't go, you know, that extra step to college or didn't or didn't pursue, you know, an athletic scholarship, things like that.

But I really we just we really honed in on the grades.

Okay.

I mean, grades is number one.

Everything else was kind of second.

And the years I mean, we've just had great kids as well.

But the one thing that the kids can't do is advocate, you know, like the parents can and kind of kind of hammer and stuff in that we taught them, you know, on the Saturdays that we met with them.

So the game plan, what happens when a person gets there?

Are they immediately outside running the field?

What what, what a day in the life of someone going through the game plan entail.

Okay.

So everyone would meet everyone would meet out there at Exos and Gulf Breeze.

First thing in the morning.

We'd have instruction.

I would have instruction.

We have different types of speakers come in.

I think.

I think we had Alan Strom come in, We had a couple other guys, you know, college players and other guys from the NFL come in and speak with them.

And it was just it was real personal and intimate.

It was an intimate conversation with high school kids.

And until you actually sit down with them, you know, for a day or so, you really don't understand, you know, how things have changed since the nineties when we were in high school.

I mean, yeah, I mean the challenges and things that they're going through, especially as a student athlete, is just is mind blowing.

Yep.

Is mind blowing.

Well, Jay, Steve and I are pretty interested because we know that several young men have gone through the program.

One is George Stetson.

We talked about him earlier in the grade room.

But Fred, tell us more about him and his journey.

You know, George came to us, you know, great kid.

He just, you know, athletic.

He loves sports.

You know, he he knew he probably didn't have the the chance to go pro with it, but it's something he want to want to want to do when he had a chance to, you know, go to college and use those those tools to follow the career paths.

And so one thing George wanted to he wanted to be involved with what you want to be a sports trainer.

And so over the past two years or so, he's been, you know, kind of like my understudy.

Well, I trained guy to go in for NFL Club and show him like the ropes he is, you know, how to schedule things.

I tested appointments up, coming on the field, learning how to do those type position, work with things.

I knew that's what we're interested in.

And so and we had a speaker.

He was a scout for the Rams.

When I play with the Rams now, he was general manager with the Tennessee Tigers when he came in and spoke to our kids a couple years ago.

And that's what the past the doors want to take.

But he had to climb the ladder.

So you kind of got to start, you know, and let me down.

You got to start off, right.

You know, So I wanted to show him like, look how you start from the ground roots, because once you get to that, know, pro Scout college, scout general manager level, you understand how everything works.

And so now he's getting an experience firsthand working with me, training guys, doing this.

Damn.

Okay, look, now I know what to look for when I get this little how to recruit guys and what to look for when I want when I get to that level.

Do you have a lot of the guys who come year after year.

Yes.

All right.

Repeat enrollees.

So you also have Fred Robbins performance and he also work at Exos training.

You know, a lot of the draft ready athletes to get ready.

So.

So what has that been like?

What have you kind of focused on when you train these athletes and try to get them ready?

What's your big messages?

What's your big focus with them?

You know, because I started that in 2012, you know, when I retired, you know, I used to work out and train exhaust and I was playing and so my age and like, hey, I got a couple of gallons and it the Senior Bowl, would you mind showing a few things?

And so I went over there and showed them a couple of things and it just kind of grew and elevate.

I think 2012, I might have had three guys in every year.

I just had more and more and more and more.

And I learned just like, you know, guys, a lot more talent.

And, you know, speed was athleticism wise in I noticed that's kind of like the train you know guys athletic but you know, when I was playing, guys were in the classroom and doing studying, doing books.

You don't have that kind of anymore.

So I'm teaching these young guys like old school values.

I always use the example when I taught the scouts, I say, You know, these guys are like kids who first get a license.

You give them a keys to a Corvette.

It's a lot more speed and power.

You didn't know what to do, but I got to show them in more than like, okay, here's how you drive the Corvette.

Sometimes in the state, you can open it up when you go out the neighborhood, real general area you see is how you tone it down.

So just teaching those guys, you know, like how be professional when they use their power, You know what I mean?

How to use it, you know, And there's been the whole one hiccup this year because guys so AdLib was just using that lyricism to play ball.

But they don't really have the skills and the technique, you know, the things that I did at the time.

So it's kind of like we don't really teach these guys more now.

So how receptive are they to it all?

Because obviously these guys are at a high level.

They think I'm getting drafted, I'm big time, you know, Are they all quick to understand or sometimes it's a process for you to get them understand.

And that's the thing.

It's a process.

Some guys clicks on quick, some guys it takes a little bit, but that's a part of the process because once you make it that process to the NFL, look, I have literally like a month and a half to get you fine tuned to make you look good in front of everybody because once you get to the NFL combine in February, the team's going to know, do you have a right now or you don't.

Right.

And so some guys catch on quick.

Others I got to spend the extra time with, you know, because some guys play at smaller schools.

They might have to play it in Alabama or Clemson.

But I went to a smaller d1wad D2 school, so they didn't have the coach in this.

All these guys have the resources, so I got to spend a little bit more time with them.

But also I do have guys that play the big schools and just freak is athletic, you know, but I guess to be a little bit more time off.

So it's a little bit of give and take.

You know what what these guys.

And you had a 13 guys drafted this just as this draft that you worked with.

I mean that's what how much pride is there that you're turning these guys out like that.

Is probably because I know you know for me I when I see these guys play, I can see a little bit of myself because I taught them.

I would watch TV all year, you know, But I see I see myself and these guys, you know, just seeing like, what they learn.

And that's one thing I do is exposed to meeting with the guys beforehand to what do you want to get accomplished?

And after my three months with you, what did you learn?

Tell me something that you learned, this whole process that you can take with you.

And so they helped me be a better coach, right?

And I had to make the transition for you to coach these guys in the beginning, like I was a players, but now I had to make that transition to how do I be a better coach?

And before it was just technique.

But now I take you guys out to dinner is a mentor.

A lot of these guys have a lot of issues and problem like they mentioned earlier on and off the field.

So I kind of help those guys navigate this whole course.

I mean, some guys, you know, these players, you had some tragic incidents happen in their life, you know, and it was the first time for me.

But being an athlete and dealing with guys who I played and worked with before my previous years, that helped me make these guys better and get through certain things.

J One thing I think about, of course, life skills and in that vein, financial literacy, because a lot of times people will get the millions and not really know how to manage their finances.

Oh yeah, yeah.

We, we touched on that a lot.

You know, one time, you know, we had someone come in and speak to the boys about, about the financial literacy and it kind of gave him a budget and we showed him a check.

Do they say, what is that?

What is that?

And I know Fred admitted to me one time, you know, he said, man, no matter how important it is, he said he said he had a group of guys, you know, pro guys, college guys.

And he said they just really didn't know anything.

But Cash App and Venmo and, you know, PayPal and different ways, you know, transfer money and pay for things.

So he I mean, he's just a great teacher on the fly, you know.

I mean, I mean, what's better than having somebody who's who's done it for 12 years, you know, able to, you know, kind of teach you some stuff.

I mean, nothing.

He does surprise years.

It's just it's just I mean, I'd pay for, you know, but he's a great guy and he he just gives yeah, he just gave so much of himself when to I mean, like that at the Super Bowl.

I mean, not to be sad.

I never forget, you know, the confetti is coming down and I just.

Man, we were all so proud of humanity.

He finally accomplished what he wanted to.

But yet financial literacy is something that we honed in on every single meeting, every single meeting.

We have a portion where we take questions.

We feel questions and and things like that.

And, you know, he always gives an example about how he was in the locker room.

He told me one day, he said, Man, would you if you had $1,000,000, what would you do?

And I said, Well, you know, I still drive a Honda.

And he's like, No, you wouldn't.

He said, you'd get the Rolex or you get the Breitling or or whatever.

But you know, is more guys, you know, is more guys in there, you know, who will make a lot more money than you.

So you kind of had to be knowledgeable of that as well.

So a lot of the guys you train from all over the country, but we still talk about the great legacy of football here in Pensacola area.

There's still we're still churning out an unbelievable amount of guys that are going to the NFL or playing in college.

Those kind of guys you do mentor.

Do you keep an eye on those type of guys as well to kind of keep that legacy going?

Yeah, man, because like, what we have is, you know, it's a brotherhood, you know, and we understand how hard it is to get the little and not just get them stay there.

You know?

And I think, you know, once you get guys who you know, if you look at the history of Pensacola, all guys that played NFL, we got along, guys for a long time.

And part of it, it just kind of you look at the guys before you and see what they've done right.

And you kind of moved with that.

You just added it to yourself.

Right.

And just keep living here.

Right?

Still approach every day.

Every day like it's a business being guys be fine.

But we always, you know, is athletes We've got to give you know that that tough a little tough love you know what I mean?

Anyway, a quick call, a quick text.

Hey, you know, we need to talk, you know, and you kind of keep each other accountable.

And I remember when I won the Super Bowl, when the first call I got wasn't very abrupt.

You know, kind of let me know what to expect, what to do, what not to do.

And he helped me through that process because I was still on cloud nine.

You know what I mean?

That I'm get ready to play the biggest game in my career.

But he told me some things I need to get done so I can stay focused on the game.

And so that's kind of like when I was given that opportunity.

So I'm going to give that opportunity to someone else, you know what I mean?

So there's kind of like the expectations of being able to hear from Pasco.

And you raise a good point because oftentimes we have triumphs and then every now and then we'll face a tragedy.

And we know that some time ago that you lost your home.

So rising up out of the ashes, you are such a resilient person.

What advice would you give to someone who has experienced tragedy by encouraging them to keep on going?

You know, I think one of the things is, you know, it's a blessing and blessing know, and a lot of prayers and family got a lot of support from friends.

But, you know, we're here, you know, life goes on.

And I've never been the type to just sulk.

You know, I've always been a fighter and a go getter.

And you just find ways to make it happen.

And we were surprised when we would learn about outpour of love, of support, not only from your family, friends, people you know, people we didn't know.

But one thing it just goes to show like what people think of us, our character.

That's kind of like the standards are set for myself and even for our own kids is this huge.

We're big on it in our own household, and that's something that I'll pull up with the kids that I train, that each is your character.

Your character speaks highly of you and we rebound.

We rebuild.

And so that's been our whole process.

And we didn't we didn't stop, No.

Do you keep working to get help Businesses?

I had an obligation, you know, to guide the train, but it kept us busy, but also to show your resilience how we can keep pushing, keep moving forward.

And that's how we live.

Inspire people.

You know, life still goes on when they have the tragedy.

You know, this this past year, I had a young man, I was training.

He was getting ready to go to combine on Sunday.

His mom passed away on Wednesday.

Right.

So before he's going to go to combine, his mom passed away.

But that's one thing sports teaches you, right?

Expect the unexpected things are going to happen.

But how do you respond to it?

And you learn you how you respond to things through how you how you brought up in.

You can't as a person.

Well, we cannot thank you enough.

I have learned a lot to read exceptional nuggets, words of wisdom.

Any final thoughts for you?

It's been a pleasure.

But I just love that the atmosphere in Pensacola is you help each other and in sports and in life.

And we get the results from that.

Some new members of you.

And thanks to all of you folks, Stephen, I would like to thank all of our guests for joining us.

I'm Rebecca Vincent Leary.

Remember to keep it locked in right here on us.

Sorry, PBS for the Gulf Coast.