In this episode, we have Former SEC All-Freshman Team, hero of the 1999 LSU game that sent Alabama to the SEC Championship and 1999 SEC Champion, Marvin Constant.

Contributors
Santiago Leon – @sleon
Justin Riley – @JustinRiley7

Show Notes

Marvin Constant:

Intro (Brought to you By Rama Jama’s):

-SEC All-Freshman Team
-Hero of the 1999 LSU game that sent Alabama to the SEC Championship
-1999 SEC Champion

Early Life:

-All-Stare at Tuscaloosa Central High School
-Grew up a Florida fan
-Committed to Alabama very early
-UF offensive coordinator came to his house, Spurrier was scheduled to come next
-Someone dimed him out, word got back to Mike Dubose
-Dubose called him livid, questioned his loyalty

• • If Steve Spurrier had come, would it have changed your mind?
• • What made you choose Alabama?
  -Came in ready: benchpress: 460lbs/squat: 600lbs

Alabama:

• • Came to Alabama during an interesting time. The program was rebuilding, but making progress under Mike Dubose. As a freshman, you were the undisputed leader of the LB corps. You brought an unprecedented physicality to the game. I noticed it the first time I saw you in practice. I watched through a hole in the practice field fence just outside of the Aquatic Center weight room.

-went 110% in practice, in the gym, and as a student of the game

• • How were you able to make that transition from high school to college so easily?
• • Your position is sacred at Alabama. Cornelius Bennett, Derrick Thomas, Keith McCants (who we had on the show two weeks ago), and a host of others behind you played that position. What was your mindset coming in knowing that you were following in their footsteps?

Playing in the SEC:

-The SEC at that time was loaded with talent
-Andrew Zow, Chris Samuels, Shaun Alexander, Freddie Milons, Saleem Rasheed, and you were on a team
-You played against NFL talent like Deuce McAlister, Jamal Lewis, Donte Stallworth, Travis Henry, and a host of others

• • Talk to me about what it meant to play in the SEC at that time. How did the talent of that day stack up against today’s talent?

The Turnaround:

-1999 looked like it was going to be a special year with the talent we had in place
-That came to a halt when Alabama was upset by Louisiana Tech at Legion Field

• • Your team was at a crossroads. People wrote us off. Dubose was on the hot seat. What turned things around at that point? Talk us about the leadership on that team and the process going forward? How did you overcome the distractions?
  -Beat Florida twice that year. Snapped Florida’s 39-game home win streak
• • Can you talk about playing Florida that year and what it meant to you; especially as a former Florida fan?

The LSU Game:

• • The 1999 contest vs LSU was the most pivotal game of the season. If Alabama won, they would represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship. The 1998 game was a classic comeback of the ages. This edition would prove to be yet another classic.
  -Alabama was up by 6 with seconds to play. LSU QB Josh Booty took the snap and ran, but you stopped him short of the goal line. You were the hero of the game.
  -In the process of making the game saving tackle, you sustained what would be a career-ending injury
• • I was there in the student section. Bryant Denny Stadium was silent. You, Canary Knight, and others laid helplessly on the field. It looked like the aftermath of a war. I was beside myself. Can you take us through the process of what happened?

Post Injury:

-Attempted a comeback in 2000, but only played 50 snaps in 5 games
-Officially ended his Alabama comeback bid in 2001
-Participated in the 2004 NFL Combine
-Played briefly in the Arena Football League for Louisville
-Suffered many complications and had several surgeries

• • “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”-James 1:12
• • You faced failed comeback attempts and many trials once you decided that it was over. You went into a dark place. You felt isolated and that there was no one you could talk to. We had Keith McCants on a few weeks ago and he faced a similar situation. He spiraled into depression and addiction. Can you take us through your journey?
• • How did you overcome these trials, depression, etc.?
  -Wrote a book dealing with depression, “The Unravelling of a Man Who Bleeds Crimson”
• • What is the overall message you wish to push with this book?

Personal Life:

-Just became engaged this past February of 5 years of dating
-Has a 15-year old son who is 6’3 or 6’4 255lbs
-Teaches a STEM class
-Business partners with former Alabama and NFL RB Derrick Lassic
-Wrote a new book on fitness: “40 Plus Mental & Physical Fitness”

Q&A:

-Can you tell us the story about how you took down former NFL All-Pro Chris Samuels in practice?
-Who was the hardest hitter on that Alabama team?
-What opponent did you hit the hardest?
-What do you see as a former player when it comes to today’s game?
-What did you see from this past season’s defense that the casual fan didn’t see?
-Who were your mentors when you were at Alabama?

Poll Question

What’s your favorite #Fudge flavor? #NationalFudgeDay
Chocolate- 33.3%, Peanut Butter- 55.6%, Salted Caramel- 0, Red Velvet- 11.1%
Marvin Constant: Chocolate
Justin Riley: Chocolate
https://twitter.com/thesportscast1/status/1272884476838895616?s=21

Transcript

Santiago Leon

dunes. sportscasters 16th 2020 Welcome to the sports cast. If you haven’t yet subscribed on our channels YouTube, Periscope and iTunes and if you’re an iTunes please leave a rating and review. It will help us out tremendously. And visit us on the sports cast dotnet the sports cast dotnet This episode is brought to you by it’s the Bible app you could download the Insta Bible app on the iOS App Store. We got Justin Riley on the line we’ve got another special today another Alabama series Justin all from Mississippi. How you doing?

Justin Riley

Man? I’m doing good. Glad to be here. Glad to be back talking about alabama football.

Santiago Leon

never get tired of that. So you got another special guest Justin you become famous. I think you’ve been hanging out at the Alabama Country Club and you’ve been getting all these interviews. Tell us about this next interview we have tonight.

Justin Riley

I don’t know about the Alabama Country Club. I don’t know if I’m quite in that tax bracket to be hanging around there. But I will say that I have been tremendously blessed to be able to find some great guests from alabama football history has been awesome and today is no different. First of all, want to give a shout out to find folks at ramaa jammas your game day experience is not complete until you stop by there especially having won their famous burgers so alright, without further ado, guy enter. introduce to you a man that was all sec freshmen first team. He was the hero of the 1999 LSU game that sent Alabama to the SEC championship.

Santiago Leon

It was

Justin Riley

a 99 nine sec champion and I had to say is one of the most physical players to ever step foot on. football field ladies and gentlemen the great legendary Marvin constant

Marvin Constant

it’s a pleasure pleasure to be here thank you and

Santiago Leon

old time sir Roll Tide roll Marvin really appreciate you coming on Alabama player tell us what you’ve been up to lately

Unknown

just working out you know this whole corty that much again you know just trying to stay in shape mentally and physically just notice times like this. This is when you know a lot of people tend to fall away and so just trying to maintain my sanity

Santiago Leon

let’s begin in your high school career. How did you Well first of all, how did you begin with football and then we’ll and then we’ll go into high school. Well football was something that I

Marvin Constant

enjoyed for as long as I can remember and you know, just watching my older brother played watching, you know, TV, people on TV plays You know, I used to collect those little knitting football helmets.

Justin Riley

Oh, yeah.

Unknown

She, so it was just something that I always wanted to do. And from the first time I stepped on the field, it was just something that I love. You know, it was never in doubt. Never. Is this what I really want to do? No, this is what we’re doing as long as we can do.

Justin Riley

Absolutely. Ah, now you didn’t always grow up an Alabama fan. So who exactly did you cheer for? And I know there’s a little story behind about about that when it came to recruiting. Can you go into that a little bit?

Marvin Constant

I like the Florida Gators. You know, you know, how could you not like Steve Spurrier, when he was doing it was that Oh, ball coach, you know, you know, when they came to my house, you know, somebody’s dying to be out. In the code because I was already committed to Alabama at the time yeah I got quite the phone call and was demanded to report to the football complex immediately wow yeah that was not pleasant.

Santiago Leon

Will you ever contacted but other teams like was there a close second you’re kind of thinking about or was Alabama always the one a lot of made a good course. But you know when you got 50 scholarship offers so you know it’s pretty much where am I wanting to go? My you know, I had the whole constable powerhouse all in the fishbowl you know, so I couldn’t I wanted to go now can you refresh this house Alabama back then was there like world beaters back then? Or were they kind of like not the best in the country but how was the ambience back then probably

Marvin Constant

I just won the championship in 92. With Florida we won in 96, which was my junior year of high school. So you can see how that would be appealing to a person. Alabama had just went through coaching changes they had just Costanza just retired, and do my glucose was taken over. So you know, a lot of factors that came into play. He was uncertainty. You know, you don’t really know what you’re getting from a first second year coach, the football coach over there. And so you know, he definitely made difficult.

Justin Riley

You came to Alabama at a very interesting time. Like you just said, it was your 300 Mike DuBose. We were in the process of rebuilding. I remember walking out of the aquatic center weight room after a workout one day that fall 1999 walked over to the practice field fence, was able to pick through a little hole. And one thing that stood out to me most was you You look like you’re the unprecedent Then later of that defense, I mean, I thought of veterans there and I’m being I’m serious, you know names like Cornelius Bennett, Derrick Thomas, Keith McCann’s, start popping off my mind and that you won’t be that next dude. Can you go through what your mindset was going into Alabama and then also falling in line with those great

Santiago Leon

linebackers? You know, Alabama has always had a history of great linebackers, you know, so it is a standard, you know, you never want to let the standard drop below what the standard needs. And for me, I wanted to write my own standard. I was always that person that said, Hey, y’all are great. But I want to show you what the level of greatness looks like. So I went into that process, I trained my butt off my senior high school. After the season’s over, I train even harder than some training the heart, my whole mind state. Hey, we’re about to go over here. We’re gonna show these people something they never seen before in life. We got to dominate every individual that lives up in front of us. We can nobody knows slack. Everybody’s gonna get the same level of work across the board. That was my mind state. Which game do you really cannot forget it. Playing with Alabama

Marvin Constant

who one of my favorites was definitely playing against Tennessee fan against Jamal Lewis a travesty. I mean you go back and you watch that tape some of those shots I was putting on those 220 about football you know those are two pretty amazing running backs to first round. So yeah, and that was an amazing and have something like 1718 tackles in the sack or something but I mean just the shots that I was putting on those to win all year all you seen him doing with money people over and over here I am free to heaven.

Justin Riley

I’d definitely appreciate you laying those shots on Tennessee Most of all,

Santiago Leon

just in Tennessee has been been brought up these past two weeks quite interesting other times of change.

Justin Riley

Absolutely one game that I can think of that season. There’s a couple of them actually. But this one was kind of a turning point of the season, nights nine, nine, we had a very special group of talent. I really believe that we had something in the works, maybe even a title run. But that all kind of came to a screeching halt one night and Legion field and Birmingham. We got upset by Louisiana Tech. Which I still remember to this day. So you guys were at a crossroads. P we’re starting to write us off to coach to Bose is on the hot seat again. What turned things around at that point and kind of talk about the leadership on that team and what the process was going forward

Marvin Constant

that day. We lost a lot of tech that definitely was something you know nobody was prepared for. But I will say this I think only played like two or three snaps a game because you know with Tim rotate and that high powered Hoffman’s auto throwing the ball, so I didn’t play mistaken. Um, but I did feel a little bit of time that was, but

Justin Riley

I remember that. Yeah, so

Marvin Constant

we’ll put that game behind us. But I will say this. I think the coaches realized that not having me on the field was definitely a detriment to the to the defense as a whole. So when we actually played Florida a few weeks after that, I pretty much didn’t leave the fields like I can cover guys, this is not rocket science. I’m just as fast as that. So that game, you know, I played a lot more so but honestly, I just say that had I played more than he wouldn’t have lost because again, When you lose the person who pretty much controls the tempo and the attitude of the patient and he’s almost You know, that’s not easy to find a guy to step in and pick up their slack because not everybody has that type of person that’s gonna lead not only do their words but to the actions.

Santiago Leon

You’re a huge star in high school. How did you make that college transition so easily for you how you are still college proof.

Marvin Constant

Well, for 16 hospitals squat 600 pounds so it’s

Justin Riley

kind of helps out a little bit done. I do want to go back to that Florida game. Well, you know, Florida, that was a very special moment for us. We do not once but twice that year, but that game in Gainesville, pretty big deal one, we snap that 39 game home win streak. And then two, you’re able to Go up against a team that you grew up loving, kind of talked about, talk to us about how it made you feel what the atmosphere is like for you. Just everything.

Marvin Constant

I loved playing swamp, you know that whole atmosphere here Christian, it’s amazing, you know, when they do that thing or that whole side, the side rock, you know, it’s a lot of coaching. It’s an amazing place to play, but to be there to end that game home win streak was amazing. He’s just like, I like for one. I liked Alabama as well. But you know, I was more connected to Alabama. So coax in Bryan Beatty at one point I sold programs and so that’s what I did most of my life. In writing, that’s where I got my taste of college football first and foremost before I you know, TV, any of that it was in blind in so to be a part of that TV from Alabama from Tuscaloosa to go to Florida in that winter. reek of this considering the fact that Florida was hot, fresh off the championship in 96. They won several sec championships. So they were truly the team to be

Santiago Leon

which player from Florida that you had like the most respect of for

Marvin Constant

Titan key. Oh my god. So we were watching film that whole week leading up to that game. Right. And you so we watched the film with him in Tennessee, you see Dwayne Goodrich and he and Greg, they both they go the same route to the title the key. When I tell you see Dr. Grant and a good receiver both purposely died out of the way to not tackle. This was a massive man. So we’re planning. I think Tony gets it hasn’t healed up. I ran it from the side I hit him with everything. That man did not move. Not what I’m used to. I’m used to hitting people and it’s just okay it’s over. That man did not move. Yeah, and the funny thing about it if you go to the Brad museum I picture in the bride museum when you search Letterman when I had my policy letter beside the pitcher that the hair is that picture of me tackling him on that plate when I hit it.

Justin Riley

I’m definitely gonna have to revisit that. That’s a great moment brother.

Marvin Constant

He not, I’m like, wow. If this

Santiago Leon

was known by the media or this is like, exclusive stuff. you talking about?

Marvin Constant

This is exclusive. I’ve never even told

Santiago Leon

anybody. Only on the sports guys, Justin.

Marvin Constant

For me. Tony led by me Tony. We always laugh Ready to do some

Justin Riley

I think he still has nightmares What do you think?

Marvin Constant

Yeah, that was a rough day so

Justin Riley

yeah for him. Oh now sticking with sec that day or 99 nah man the conference as a whole was loaded. I mean look at us alone I mean yourself you know Shawn Zander Andrews owl corneas, Griffin for any millon Celine Rashid. Yeah, that’s just us. Then sec. You look at Deuce McAllister Jamal Lewis like you mentioned earlier, Travis Henry, a bunch of other people.

Marvin Constant

All those guys and all burned man. Yeah it was. Every week he was different.

Justin Riley

He taught us about what it meant to play against teams like that and then also have that talent levels stacks up against The talent level today’s teams

Marvin Constant

play against teams like that man it made you want to be better because again, I went into every game just the way I wanted to every practice always told my teammates the same thing I told my brother You will not catch me on SportsCenter in somebody’s like, No, I will not be that guy. So I always wanted to know Okay, let’s do some cows. Tomorrow, Louis. Travis him, you know, Cedric Wilson, Dante Stoller. I mean, the names were across the board, but it didn’t change the fact that I knew I’m not gonna let you get the best of me. I’m gonna get the best of you and I’m gonna smile and I’m tired.

Santiago Leon

Yes, sir. Yeah. Let me piggyback what Justin just mentioned a little bit how would you compare the SEC now compared to back then is it like has the level change? They become better or it’s kind of similar to what you see right now.

Marvin Constant

I’m gonna say this. I’ll say the SEC now you have more of those, you know, handful of teams, they’re good. You roll the SEC back 1520 years. And you could have been beat almost any sad because he talks about players, you know, you were talking about running backs you don’t forget Mississippi State and James Johnson and all those guys back to you know, you had teams across the board. That was just good. You know, Georgia was good for, you know, everybody who’s good with the exception, you know, your county, your Arkansas calls, but you beat us one. So it goes back to that point. Any given Saturday, you couldn’t be beat back. Whereas now it’s almost like okay, we know. It’s just by how much?

Justin Riley

Yeah, absolutely. Right. Now I’d like to move in to probably one of the most empty In games, and of course as the 99, nine LSU game, you know, going into the game that was probably the most pivotal game of the season. If we win, we grabbed that West title, and we’re headed to Atlanta. course the year Previously, we go into an epic battle come from behind victory. We beat them in Baton Rouge, this game will be no different. No, I remember being the student section and when it’s in the whole thing, and then that very last play happened. And it just looked like a war zone. You know, you were on the field, Canary night, few other players and I was just sick man, I was beside myself. Can you go through that process? But tell us a little bit about what happened at that moment?

Marvin Constant

Well, you know, it’s one of those things that actually watch one of my good friends who is still one of my good friends kids. Go down to play before so you know, to see him hurt. You know, you try to put that out of your mind. You have to do a job who knows a school until so you got to stop. So you No the whole time you watch the video man smacked by let’s go do this. So I dropped back to one supposed to be snaps the ball tightly releases out I see him so I kind of go with it. Then I see booty kind of roll, mid roll. Last minute you run. And when I go over to the left I slack and a planet and I jump in when I jump I came down on my one lift my weight is weight, kidneys racing, racing miles where everybody’s waiting on my one lid. So soon as it happened, I knew I was in bad shape. But funny thing about it. I was actually talking to Josh. Last time we talked about it. Josh was like yeah, you know, they told me the whole time to just run the ball. We’ve never done it. I wish I had known that. You know, I just talked to him back. Absolutely, yeah.

Santiago Leon

Yeah, so, yeah, go ahead, Justin, go ahead. No, go ahead. No, no, no.

Justin Riley

Well, I was just going to go and you know, to the 2000 season, we were all pretty optimistic that you’re gonna be able to come back. And you did make a go at it. But you’re only able to play 50 snaps and five games 2001 came rolling around, and you decide to end your combat bid. But 2004 you did have the opportunity to participate in NFL combine? Can you go through those processes and then just kind of tell us why it didn’t exactly come together for you that time?

Marvin Constant

Well, the biggest issue that I had was the problems with my knee. They just weren’t done right. You know, and after about five or six months, I’m like, you know, something’s didn’t feel right. So I ended up one of my hospital team doctor, Dr. Baron, I asked him the scope and he see what I was still wrong with you. My yes disasters like yeah, I can tell, you know, a lot of stuff that you know, steel alone. So he ended up setting me up with Dr. Andrews and Dr. Kane and burn him, you know, that came out on his current team. And he did not say anything. And from the point that he’s ridden everything, I’ve been fine, but it took me stepping away from the team and doing everything on my own, you know, to get to a point to where, Okay, now let’s get to where we got you got to focus solely on you, you know, because as long as I was there, you know, the previous team doctor, he wanted to still see me but you know, wasn’t gonna allow that to happen. So, you know, it’s like, I had to make decisions that were best for me. So for me that was going to Burnham doctors outside of the team and letting them fix and after got the game free to me, oh my god. It is Nothing but amazing. Like my knee. The needle interacts and works better for the mother these days. So yeah, he did a great job, man. And then I went on I played arena football for three days. I never even had eyes, my knee. I never had any problems. So, you know, I can honestly say 1,000% certainty. Hey, he worked on me. For my regional injury. Yeah, I would have been fine. I would have never missed any 10 You know, I’ve been ready to fall asleep. Hands down. Because it mean, I’ve been perfectly fine ever since they have worked on me, man. So, you know, he’s one of the things you look back in hindsight and say, wish, you know, from start, but you know, cater in the hands of time back so you got to take if you’re injured, you’re not confident with your team doctor, man. Don’t do it. Get a second PT go see work. gotta see what makes you come. Don’t let anybody pressure you into that decision.

Santiago Leon

Were you hearing any rumblings from NFL scouts saying a I mean if you’re healthy you could have gone like in like the first round and the first round second round. What are you hearing?

Marvin Constant

Yeah. The first round kick hands down that was even after I was fixed and I played Arena Football, the dolphins. So, you know, I would have been fine, you know, head star.

Santiago Leon

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And how was the opportunity with arena football? Was it a good level of football you thought? I

Marvin Constant

mean, I dominated them as usual, you know. So you know what a real level of competition looks like today. Say, you know, hey, this is a tough one. Because I’ve only seen a handful of guys who are gonna say hey, that guy there he had my number and I can count on one hand and I don’t need to count for that.

Santiago Leon

Yeah cuz he does sports cuz we’re always talking about are there NFL scouts at arena football? Are they at the CFL? Are you seeing a huge presence there? Or was that? I mean were you seeing a huge presence of NFL scouts at the arena football games or?

Marvin Constant

Yeah, yeah. That was one of the things about it. Okay, let’s give him a shot. You know, let’s see we need to really you know, 100% fiscal and everything. You know, I had a great workout a little you know, but they decided decided going in a different direction with another guy with a younger guy. Injuries which I get that I understand, you know, you want to make sure that your investment is a solid investment. So

Justin Riley

Absolutely. Now you talked about how things weren’t quite done right. And you weren’t able to quite make the combat that you, you could have made had things been done right from the onset. And you, you know, decided to call it quits or it was it was done. And when I’ve listened to in various podcasts and I’ve read some articles, you went into a dark place you felt isolated and that you didn’t really feel like you could talk to anyone and no one will quite understand what you’re dealing with. You know, a couple weeks ago, we interview Keith McCann’s. And he had a similar situation, you know, he spiraled into depression and he suffered addiction. Can you take us through that part of your journey, but also how you were able to overcome all that?

Marvin Constant

Yeah, I mean, that was rough. Because again, most people don’t understand what it’s like to be on top of the sports world and to be one of the best in the world at what you do. And to just have a smashing like that. Before you know it. It’s gone. Many people even talk to you about that. And when I was having the issue that I was having my Oh, it’s just part of your engine, it’s natural that you’re still in pain. I’m like, No, this is not natural pain. So, you know, between that and you know, coaches trying to get me to go back to the doctor, and I’m like, No, my duty executives knew something wasn’t right. Between all of that, and just seeing God’s plan that you know, you’re better than He’s like, I gotta watch out why you do what I love to do. When I’m better than y’all and I’m like, this is my dream. This is what I was supposed to be so happy to watch other people that that was like very, very stressful for me, you know, that took me to a dark place because again, that was the thing that I always knew how to do with my life. Because no matter what, feel aligned, I dominate everybody, ladies know, you have a hard time finding me but I’m gonna tell you that they got mixed. Football, that just didn’t happen. So to have it taken from somewhere. And it took me a while to get over the wall. No, it wasn’t until I just really really had to tell myself You better know you have the power and ability to defeat these just like you have the power and ability to do everything else that you do, right. So, you know, I just have to, you know, figure out okay, what is it gonna take me? And once I figured out, okay, that’s fine, something different than motivation that’s going to get that same attention, energy from, you know, that’s poor, all of that energy into something that you love. And that’s what I started to do. And once I, you know, I got out of there, that’s when I decided to put it off, in hopes that you know, maybe just maybe you know, that it would help somebody out at some point in their life, if they were experiencing those things. issue because it’s hard to talk to people about that. Because all people see the big strong football player. They don’t see the human being all they see is the gladiator. You don’t think Gladiator has finished so it’s hard to relay that to people get them to understand Hey, underneath all these guns and everything else is up.

Santiago Leon

As you know that to attack a low I just got drafted by the dolphins and obviously he has an injury woes here and there. What advice would you give them entering this NFL season? Should he get into momentum and start to play as soon as possible or we tell him to take a chill pill and take a year off?

Marvin Constant

I wouldn’t tell him to go with the momentum I wanted to take he would tell me, you know your body. Don’t let anybody pressure you into doing something. You don’t feel like you’re comfortable, dude. If your body isn’t ready yet, don’t do But if your body is ready and you know, go give it the whole 1,000% that you that he knows he loves to give people don’t give them. If he’s truly ready, go down, go do what you do best. But if you have any doubts about it, you don’t feel ready. Take your time. But again, if you made it to be the beast that you are, go do more.

Justin Riley

Yeah, when you were overcoming all that, who, I guess Did you meet with it really invested in you and poured life into you? I guess served as mentors through this rough season in your lives.

Marvin Constant

Honestly, I never really talked to anybody, you know, it was more of me just saying, okay, you’re better than this. You cannot let this the cheating. You know, there’s more of the competitor in you and more of me my desire for greatness that I relied on to say Hey, you guys Freeze out because we’re not going out. We haven’t gone down this road will not be a statistic, we are not going to be that guy. You are better than this. So I just had to again come up with things that I knew promote both within myself that would allow me to step outside of that box that I was in to be the best version of me that I could be given the past that I had gone through.

Santiago Leon

Who was your biggest role model in football that was older than you and play professionally.

Marvin Constant

play professionally. Honestly, Barry Sanders

Justin Riley

yes.

Marvin Constant

I love Barry. So you know, he was always one of my favorite but also got to give a shout out to earrings actually. Somebody definitely inspired In game of football, you know watching them go out and do the things that he did against people that are much bigger than him never showed him fear always holds up to the tack. So I gotta give him credit to definitely inspired me as well. As well as Barry. Yes, the two of them.

Justin Riley

It’s amazing. Barry Sanders has come up in every conversation. Yeah, these past several weeks. What is that?

Marvin Constant

Remember, Justin

Santiago Leon

was a little bit older than iOS. So if you love football,

Justin Riley

that’s a name that you definitely know. And this is a man that did things I still have not seen replicated to this day. I mean, there were like, maybe 567 guys that would pounce on him. And somehow he would just score out of that and he gone.

Marvin Constant

Yes, Barry Sanders

Santiago Leon

Here’s another question. Obviously, a lot of freshmen in Alabama and college football won’t have a regular spring season or regular summer per se. What would you tell that kid that you know, he had a great high school career? And obviously the summer is gonna be so scaled down what would you tell them entering this college football season,

Marvin Constant

I would definitely tell him to make sure that he’s taking advantage of all of his free time worked out as much as you can be in shape. Because that conditioning test on that first day of practice, it’s really it’s gonna be brutal. You got to be ready for the conditioning test. So on top of that, I would also tell them to watch as much endzone copy as you can, because that ends on copy. It just allows you to see the field from a perspective of okay if you were playing I can see the same thing. Okay. What do I do in this situation? What do I do in that situation? So yeah, as much endzone, crabbing as possible and just to work out and run getting better. shape of your life equals to a day’s hurt

Justin Riley

and never changes through the ages. No doubt. You know, there’s one question I had to ask you to deal with today’s game. What is your overall take, you know, from a player of your position, about today’s game, you know, I feel like is gonna turn into glorified flag football and the physicality and what made football is being just stripped away. That’s my opinion, but I really am interested to hear your take on that.

Marvin Constant

I understand the whole design players thing. But at the end of the day, you signed up from football, not you. Not the debate team, not Mac football, which is a very violent sport. I was actually talking to Jeremy Dixon in Frederick, Maryland. The other day you know, the comment that they both wanted to make to me was, I don’t think you have finished your game right now. You’re still playing guitar. I wasn’t that bad. But you know. So for me, it’s all about the big, you know, I think they definitely take a big hit out of football. Because now we watch film. You see how many guys pull up now on receivers? Oh, it’s like, oh, if you go here, if you go hit, you know, a football star.

Santiago Leon

Which, which player in college football that really excites you that you saw last season’s like this guy is gonna be the next big thing.

Marvin Constant

I gotta say JD Oh my god. Ball. It’s like never know what you’re gonna get when he touches the ball. And he’s very, very exciting. To watch, I’m looking forward to seeing what he does he I think he’s I think he’s going to put up some very, very special numbers.

Justin Riley

And speaking of last season, one of the things that really stuck out to me most was the defense wasn’t what were expected, you know, as Alabama fans, you know, seeing and one of the big arguments or maybe even excuses was, well, we were starting five freshmen or more, but if I recall back in 1999, when you and I were both here, there, how many? We had what five freshmen including yourself playing you, Kenny King, Jared Johnson, Kendall, Morehead, slim Rashid. So what exactly is different because y’all were still able to make it go. But for some reason this past season in Tuscaloosa things didn’t exactly work out

Marvin Constant

the majority of our defenses for From the sophomores You know, it goes back to how bad do you want to do something? You know? I get I heard a lot of you this past season saying you guys are young is that you know, that’s never gonna happen. Excuse me? No because he you send a pre out one football you sign up to play with young old critical appraisal, you know what you signed up for? So when you put the ad helmet on, the editors on, there’s a standard to be a paid, whether you’re 18 or 21 there’s no difference, the gap cross, he’s not gonna ask you at all. Okay, I’ll take it easy. No, hang on, ask it in what they give you that same work is if you’re a junior senior. So for me excuses don’t fly. I say. Man up, do your job. So hopefully, you know this year is the year and in because in the standard realm football has always been Defense never has lm football been offense first defense. This past season was the first time I’ve ever seen. So, you know, I’m looking forward to return to what we’re known for defense. What? Do your job and do it well, no matter when you see new freshmen because you put these on the standards you know the standard standards here, you’re gonna do it or you’re not and if you’re not, you might want to go to Arkansas Ole Miss you know somewhere else

Santiago Leon

are you a Mac Jones fan or you think freshman quarterback? Bryce young should start?

Marvin Constant

Well, I haven’t seen Bryson play, you know, seeing some of his highlights, you know, he really, you know, Max got a good job, you know, for us, you know, when tools hurt. Um, I think it’s gonna be one of those things. You just have to figure out You know, my biggest thing is quarterback is not gonna turn the ball

Justin Riley

off to ask

Marvin Constant

you can’t do what they do Don’t turn the ball will be fine.

Santiago Leon

What advice you got for Jalen hertz obviously people are saying he’s not a quarterback but he got surprisingly got selected to the Eagles second round. What are like what’s your advice to Jalen hertz? You know, I couldn’t be happier

Marvin Constant

you know just the whole way the whole story played out from him being replaced by to him coming back here and having to replace tool to win against Georgia being going Oklahoma and taking that team to playoff you know, I couldn’t be happier for that. You know, the advice that I would give you RJ that. Nobody else has said keep them out of here. Don’t ever let them make you second guess yourself or question where you are and why you did it. You therefore reason, do what you’ve done your entire life. And let your work speak through your actions by going I think that is the biggest thing you can do to people who have doubts is prove them wrong, that your talent speaks for itself. Keep working. Keep doing what you do. I love seeing you do what you do. I have all the confidence in the world that he’s gonna go on. And he’ll be successful, you know, because there’s no, there’s no block. It’s not written in stone, he has to do X, Y and Z. He has the ability to do whatever he puts his heart to. So just do what you do best. And we

Santiago Leon

just send in more questions.

Justin Riley

Yeah. I want to go back to you. What you endured is something that you talked about earlier, kind of the it’s not really glorified, or glamorized. You know, the other side of the NFL. The only part that We see and NFL as well as college is, you know all the the big, the big contracts all the glory and like you said gladiators and what gladiators get for being who they are, but was not talked about enough is the things that you face, which are very real and need to be talked about more. And like going through the injuries going through the bad surgeries that didn’t prepare, right? And then overcoming depression and that ultimately led you to write your book, The unraveling of a man who bleeds crimson. Can you talk to us a little bit about that? And just how important it is for guys like yourself who went through all that, to have a voice and for people to hear that story.

Marvin Constant

You know, it’s like anything else in life. If you keep something bottled up alone enough is bound to explode at some point, you know, but you just want to make sure when that explosion happens that it’s a controlled explosion. And not something that’s outside of your norm what you do, because that’s what happens in a lot of cases, you know, people are depressed and all the issues, they don’t talk to people, and it just eats away in, and then one day and it just becomes too much. So, you know, you have to find the appropriate outlet to do that. And again, when you become a football player, nobody really wants to talk to you about your feelings or your emotions. You know, that’s pretty much the method you’re bringing over here. Because you’re the guy that we’re watching on TV, and you’re supposed to be the man. stronger than me. We don’t want to hear about your feelings. All we want to see is you destroy what’s in front of us. Come on.

Santiago Leon

I like that. You got one more before we close.

Justin Riley

I want to hear about your 15 year old son who’s six foot 3642 pounds, man Wanna Hear that? I want to know is you know where he where he’s at and then you know, and how close is he to being as dominant as you were?

Marvin Constant

Honestly he does not play sports. What lately I’ve been trying to get him to play football my mom tried to get into play to bribe him she often TVs PlayStations cash, you name it he’s been offered it to play. He doesn’t want to play so you can’t force him to play and I got a lot of people would kill for to be not using it now. I really should be using these. It hurts to see all that.

Santiago Leon

Wow. Yeah, sometimes you know these kids sometimes don’t go the same path as her dad. Some do but don’t do as well as her dad or vice. versus sometimes they do better than their dad like Steph Curry. What What advice would you tell a high schooler entering into college? You know, what advice do you give them you know when they’re going to enter the Alabama redshirt

Marvin Constant

if you get Richard I would say don’t take it person. Don’t feel like it’s a slight against you. Just look at it as is just more time for you to sharpen your skills before you unveil them to the world. Make sure you take advantage of that time and make that blade as sharp as you can. So that when you do unveil it to the world, it is something next and something they’ll never forget something they remember for the rest of your life. But hey, where did this key come from? And he said, Hey, I was over here last year, just making sure that my toolbox was full of all the tools that I needed to light it up.

Santiago Leon

Wow, what a story what motivation Any closing words? Justin.

Justin Riley

Now I would like to know, you said you could get your son to play football. How come you never could get your cousin Jermaine fundament Johnson to play football?

Marvin Constant

He briefly played Little League football. I think he realized that, you know, he didn’t really want to be out there. Yeah. Because you know, growing up, you know, we would all take our football equipment home from literally practice. And we would have our own games at home in the backdrop. So real quick, leave him alone.

Santiago Leon

Well, there you have it. Marvin constant, former Alabama player one degrades. What a story. You know, I actually got to know you a little bit more this past week. I mean, Alabama fan these past couple years. Thanks to Justin. And I could definitely feel that Alabama vibe that energy that this school provides like the quiet it just you could sense like the spirit of excellence. You know what just happened before Nick Saban? I know that this is way before this goes on from Bear Bryant and that brings a good spirit into the school. Ready for some poll questions.

Justin Riley

I am

Santiago Leon

Justin’s ready. What is your favorite flavor of fudge? Chocolate Peanut butter. Red Velvet or salted caramel. Gotta go with the chocolate. Justin,

Justin Riley

I gotta go with the original chocolate now I don’t think there’s any better.

Santiago Leon

peanut butters winning 55% and chocolate at 33 Red Velvet 11 and salted caramel at zero So peanut butters when I cook peanut butter, I think there’s great. Anyways, Marvin, thanks for coming. What is the best way for you for people to reach you online?

Unknown

You can find me on Instagram at constant 45. I’m on Facebook more than constant. And I’ll say stay tuned. I’m actually in the process of finishing up my new book 14 music mental and physical fitness 40 books is teaching people that you know you can still live a healthy lifestyle. You see a rock good, sir.

Santiago Leon

And he tells about your first book and where they can buy it. And book is actually not

Marvin Constant

it was all over so you can’t find him anymore, but you can definitely find the new book when it’s ready to come out. I’m thinking about having the least on my birthday, almost 2945 first birthday, because you know, I want people to know it 40 keys to desert

Santiago Leon

victory it’s, you know you can play right now, by the way.

Marvin Constant

Like that’s you

Santiago Leon

know, Justin, what is the best way to me to talk to you about alabama football history?

Justin Riley

Hey, you’re not ready to run those 110s again, are you? Not? Oh man. Well, first of all, you know, I was kind of thinking, I won’t be the perfect way. I guess to summarize everything you’ve been through and actually find a Bible verse. It says, Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood that test, that person will will receive the crown of life, Lord, as promised to those who love them. And I can’t think of anyone more perfect that that symbolizes than you. You’ve faced so many tests so many trials and by the grace of God, you’ve over Come all of it. And it’s just amazing the ministry that you have for people who are going through what you went through who think they don’t have a voice that no one gets it. And it’s just amazing to see how what you went through your journey can do to empower them. So I thank you for sharing that story with us today.

Marvin Constant

No problem anytime anybody I can ever help because he when I went through, I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody, because it definitely tests every piece of your mental tenacity BFR beyond any measures you would ever take in life so definitely takes you to a place you couldn’t imagine to pull yourself out of requires his skills.

Unknown

Yeah,

Justin Riley

definitely. I agree. As far as how you mic and reach me I’m on Twitter at Justin rally seven Instagram at Justin rally underscore seven also help contribute To the sports cast Twitter and Instagram account. Reminder next week on Tuesday 23rd Alabama basketball great Erwin Dudley will be on. So stay tuned for that. But I want to thank you so much Marvin for coming on. It’s always great one to have one of the guys from my day. But also having someone with a story is great as yours. And like I said, it gives people the opportunity to just overcome what they’re going through. And that’s just a blessing. So thank you so much for that. Well,

Marvin Constant

anytime.

Santiago Leon

Marvin Costin, thanks so much for coming on. And guys. Yeah, stay tuned on the sports cast dotnet the sports cast net for the latest and greatest. This Friday, we got a special with Ryan crysta. Talk about Liberty University basketball. It’s one of our second teams that we talked about here on the sports cast a lot, but ended a good night. Thank you so much, Marvin. Thank you just did and hopefully you guys have a great night and a great week.

Justin Riley

Thank you Roll tide,

Marvin Constant

Roll Tide.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai