Jared Flinn:
Yeah.
Brett Williams:
No. I'm good.
Jared Flinn:
I think Tyler's got that same hoodie that Zack's wearing. Probably. It's kinda like his mini me, man. Just I know.
Brett Williams:
Alright. Here we go.
Jared Flinn:
Brett, thanks for coming on.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. Happy to be here.
Jared Flinn:
Yeah. So, super excited about this podcast for a number of reasons. Maybe our audience says no, but, you're on our bulk insurance side. You work on that team. And actually now, you're working across some of our other entities helping coach and train our salesman, for TMS and bulk loads. But you have a really good story that I wanted to to share. A lot of people don't know you played in the NFL and, played for the Kansas City Chiefs. But let's just back to the very beginning, because I didn't even realize this until talking to Larry that your parents were truck drivers.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. Yeah. So, years ago, they started off their careers. They worked for AT and T for years and we're about to, you know, hit their their pension and all that different stuff. And then AT and T decided they're gonna lay everybody off and so they lost everything that they were working for, and so like, well, what do we do? And so my dad always loved driving. Anyways, going on family trips, he's like, I'm gonna be a truck driver. So he, he started off at first driving for FedEx and started to like it, driving cross country. And then, making decent money doing it at the time and really enjoyed it, and he talked my mom into doing it.
Brett Williams:
So they did team driving for FedEx for, I think, 3 or 4 years and saw the country, got paid to do it. And so they really
Jared Flinn:
So how old were you?
Brett Williams:
So when they got into that, I would have been, I was in college Okay. Coming out of college. And in fact, when I was in Kansas City playing for the Chiefs, if their route had them going through, Kansas City, they'd come up and I'd meet them at a rest stop with the kids. And we'd all get in the the big rig and the kids play around, push all the buttons, so it was fun. You grew up in Florida? Yep. Central Florida. Grew up in Kissimmee. So 3rd generation Kissimmee.
Brett Williams:
We've we're kinda old old family from Kissimmee. We were there when Kissimmee first was founded before Disney moved in, and so kinda swallowed up the place.
Jared Flinn:
But there's still a little bit of agriculture around that area. Right?
Brett Williams:
There is a lot
Jared Flinn:
of well, you I see the name on the load board. I know that on
Brett Williams:
Yeah. There's a lot of construction, lot of, you know, flatbed work there because of all the construction work. Used to be a big citrus area, but not so much. They've a lot of them are converted to blueberries because the frost down there started getting more frost than they used to. So it started killing all the citrus. So a lot of folks have transitioned to blueberries, a lot of cattle, down there in the in the area that's still not developed. But it's all quickly getting swallowed up by just development and the population's booming down there.
Jared Flinn:
But you grew up I mean, you talk about AT and T, FedEx, I mean, pretty humble beginnings. I think And double wide trailer
Brett Williams:
Well, no. We we we lived in like a a 3 2. Okay. We had a swimming pool, but every house in Florida has swimming pool, you know. And so we were probably lower middle class, I would say. And I didn't know any better. We had great childhood. My parents, you know, they they worked their butts off and we're always there for me and my brother, and all of our sporting events, and big football family.
Brett Williams:
So, I want you to elaborate on that because, I mean, big football family.
Jared Flinn:
Did your dad play football?
Brett Williams:
No. My dad just played high school football, and then he went to the navy. He was 4 served 4 years in the navy. Didn't play football in the navy, but, yeah. And then he coached us in youth football and things like that. So and then we were watching NFL and FSU, you know, Florida State where I ended up going to college. We watched them every Saturday. And so we just we loved it.
Brett Williams:
It was just kinda back then, Kissimmee was, you know I always tell people, say, if you ever saw that movie, Varsity Blues, that's kinda what it was. Like, football, high school football was a big deal and a lot of tradition, and it was fun. And just growing up as a kid, you'd go to the high school football games dreaming about the day that you could be out there and be one of the the Osceola cowboys. And so that's what we were, but so, yeah, it was a big part of our life. And my dad was great, you know, through it, and supporting us, and encouraging us. And, yeah. Great father, great coach, and mom was always right there cheering us on too.
Jared Flinn:
Yeah. That's awesome. So talk about I mean, and this is where I always kinda find it fascinating, especially for professional athletes. High school football team, did you guys have a winning record? Or I mean, how did that where was the catalyst that really got you on the scene to be noticed to get, you know, to go to Florida State?
Brett Williams:
Yeah. So our our high school team was always pretty successful. We made it my senior year, we made it to, like, the semi final. So if we would've won more game, we would've been in the state championship. But I got I got noticed first when, my freshman year in high school, I went to a football camp at Florida State. And at my freshman year in high school, I was I think I was 63, 220. Oh, wow. Yeah.
Brett Williams:
And so but I moved I had really good footwork for a big guy and they could tell I still had more growing to do. And so did really well at the camp. And when when we were leaving the camp, their head recruiting coordinator came up to me and he said, hey, if you keep your grades, you know, right, keep working hard, you got a full ride here. And so they were the 1st school to offer me a scholarship. We loved Florida State and Bobby Bowden anyways. And so I think because they were the first, they were kinda they've kinda implanted that vision of that's where I wanted my future to be. And so it kinda lit a fire in me, and I was really committed to the weight room. And didn't like school very much, but I did enough of it to stay eligible, you know.
Brett Williams:
And, but was really committed to growing as a football player, just because of that early kinda vision that they they put in my head that, hey, this is possible. And so that was kinda what what did it for me.
Jared Flinn:
Florida State, because I know you're close to my age, you were there 97, 98?
Brett Williams:
98 to 02. 02? Yep. How was the what kind
Jared Flinn:
of record did you have in those seasons?
Brett Williams:
So we were spoiled. My first 3 years there, we played national championship games. Oh, wow. Yeah. And so my 1st year I was red shirted, so I didn't get on the field. But my my red my basically my red shirt freshman year and my red shirt sophomore year, I I started in 2 national championship games. 1 in 99 versus Virginia when they had Mike, or Michael Vick. Mhmm.
Brett Williams:
We won that game. And so we were we were the first team to ever go wire to wire undefeated. So start at number 1 and never leave number 1 the whole year and won the national championship. And then the next year, we ended up losing the to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the national championship. And I started in that game as well. And so and after that, we made some we made the Sugar Bowl, my junior and senior year Sugar Bowl, Gator Bowl. Made some good bowls, but we didn't get back to the national championship game. But I joked that I was so spoiled when you when you roll into an organization that's already one of the best in the country, and your 1st 3 years are at national you just kinda take it for granted that, hey, this is just how it is.
Brett Williams:
And I think a little bit of why we started to fall off is because you got so many young kids coming out just thinking, hey, I I go to floor state, we go to national championships without realizing the work Oh, yeah. That it took to to get there. You know, you think you just show up and put the helmet on in you're a champion. And it's like, no. No. No. The the helmet was only made what it is by all the work that went into it. And so, that was a good learning lesson for me.
Brett Williams:
What position? I was offensive tackle. Okay. Yep. What were,
Jared Flinn:
who were some of those I know you mentioned Michael Vick, but some of those other well known names that you were that were with Florida State or some of these other teams that you played against.
Brett Williams:
Probably the most one of the most entertaining characters. It was actually a kicker who's on our team, Sebastian Janakowski, played kicker for the Raiders for years, and he was from Poland. His nickname was the Polish powder keg. And his stories of going out partying and showing up to the games and just doing off the wall stuff that he got away with because he was a great kicker. He could kick him from 60 yards out back before that was kinda normal. But, but, yeah, he was a big old guy, and so he was entertaining. You know, I played against, Julius Peppers, who's who's in the pro football hall of fame in college. We we came in the same year, and so and he started as a freshman, and so like I did, and so we played against each other for 4 years.
Brett Williams:
And, you know, so he was a big name. I'm trying to think think other guys. Several guys from University of Florida, a guy named Alex Brown, who played years for the Bears and,
Jared Flinn:
Tebow would have been later on, right?
Brett Williams:
Yeah. We don't like T Bo. T Bo was a Gator and we hate the Gators, but but, yeah, he was 2,009. I was already young.
Jared Flinn:
Oh, that was a long yeah.
Brett Williams:
A lot later.
Jared Flinn:
Yeah. He's a young pup. So So senior year, you get go to the draft. Yep. Talk about that process.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. So it's the the draft is, it's kind of nerve wracking, because you're you know, you're gonna get drafted. So you're going going so soon as the senior football season's done. So we played Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Soon as that was done, I drive to Atlanta. And there's in Atlanta, there's a there was a place that you basically go and all and train for 6 weeks to 2 months and to get ready for the NFL combine. And the NFL combine, you go there and they basic you're like cattle there. You go there, they test you how fast you can run, how flexible you are, how smart you are.
Brett Williams:
They stick your body and all these, you know, MRIs and you name it. If there's anything wrong with you, they're gonna find it.
Jared Flinn:
How many
Brett Williams:
guys? I wanna say they they take somewhere 200 or 300 go to the combine. It's invite only, obviously. And it is grueling. Whenever you're not doing something physical, you're hopping from hotel room to hotel room getting interviewed by the different managements from the different teams and coaches, and they're asking you off the wall questions just to see how you'd react and see if they could throw you off. And you get questions like, if I was to lean across this table right now and punch you, what would you do? You know, and you're like, how am I supposed to answer that? Like, do you want somebody to punch you? And, you know, it's like, I want you to give me 1,000,000 of dollars. I'll ask, you know, whatever I'm gonna say. You know?
Jared Flinn:
Whatever you wanna do. I don't care.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. And so they would they would ask all types of questions like that. And when you when you leave, it's about two and a half days long, but it's I mean, it's 6 in the morning until, you know, 11 o'clock at night between interviews and physical stuff. And so you leave just exhausted. When I say you feel like cattle, they literally put you in a big room, line you up in your underwear, and call you up name by name, and measure your arm length and your height and everything with a room full of 300 NFL scouts just taking notes on you. And I'm like, no. I know how cows feel. You know?
Jared Flinn:
No kidding. You kinda feel like a
Brett Williams:
Yeah.
Jared Flinn:
It's piece of livestock.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. It'll make the most secure person feel a little insecure when you're when you're up there. You're just in your in your skibbies. Were you nervous? Yeah. Nervous. Not I I was nervous meeting all these people that you see on TV. You know, see all these coaches who have been coaching the NFL for years and
Jared Flinn:
Yeah. Because in that era, like, who are some of these big coaches that you were talking with?
Brett Williams:
Oh, Belicheck was there. Oh, what's his name from the Raiders? He's got all the Gruden was there. Those are probably the 2 best biggest famous names, but you meet with every every head coach is there. And you'll you'll sit in a room, the head coach will sit there, the GM will be there, all the position coaches will sit there and they just start asking you questions. And they'll pull off the wall questions just to try to see how you react and, so they try to press you, kinda, you know, see see how you respond to to pressure, you know, in those situations. So you see all these guys that you see on TV, and you're just kinda in awe a little bit, but you gotta snap out of it. Because you know, I know I gotta project confidence and, you know, and all this, you know, confidence and, you know, I gotta be smart. And so you have all these things going through your mind.
Brett Williams:
And at the time, you know, I'm 22 years old and coming I'm still a kid. I thought I was growing up. You're still a kid coming out of college, playing sports your whole life. And so anyways, once you finish the combine, you're pretty you're pretty zapped. And then from there, it's just kinda wait until the draft day. And so, when you go into the draft day, you have an agent typically, and the agent will talk to the teams about what they're thinking about you.
Jared Flinn:
You already had an agent signed by that?
Brett Williams:
I did. As soon as my bowl game was over in college, I signed with an agent.
Jared Flinn:
How did you find that person? Or did they find you? Or
Brett Williams:
Well, at the time, now it's kind of a free for all in college football. But at the time, you had to wait. They had an agent day for all the seniors or people or juniors who may declare for the draft, who were allowed to come to the university and meet in a controlled environment to try to recruit you. And so they had an agent day. So I met with 3 agents, that day. Once the season was over, I I visited a couple agents, went to their offices, and they they do the same thing. They put the recruiting, you know, pitch on you. 1 of the agents that was trying to get me took me because I was in Central Florida at the time.
Brett Williams:
He got rented this room out at down at Disney, and there was a cheerleading competition going down there. So he, like, paid some cheerleaders to do a cheer about me, you know, and all this different. So just went over the top trying to get me to sign with his agency and promising me the moon and all these different stuff. Agents, they can't really I mean, they can get you in a good contract, but the NFL structure in such a way, you're not gonna get more than you deserve based on the film, you know. And so but agents are a good middle guy because when it comes time for negotiations, the team's trying to devalue you. Mhmm. So they say negative things. Every bad thing about you, they're gonna bring it up when it comes to, you know, writing a contract, and your agent has to counter that.
Brett Williams:
And, I think as a player, if you had had those negotiations, and it'd be hard to play hard for an organization after they just I don't think you're good at this and this, and that's why they were only gonna pay you this much. And then so, like, if even if you talk them into the money, it's like, wait. But you think this about me, you know? So it's good to have a middle man to kinda anchor all that. But you have an agent, they communicate with the teams. They kinda tell you, hey, I'm hearing this team really likes you in the 1st round. This team likes you if you're available in the 2nd round, and things like that. And so it's just but the teams lie too, because they want the word to get out that they're interested in different people. So the other teams don't take the guys' names.
Jared Flinn:
It was all big game.
Brett Williams:
So it is just a big game. And so you're sitting there on draft day, unless you're one of the top 5 people picked, you don't know where you're going, you know. So
Jared Flinn:
Where did you wanna go? Like, did you did you have I'm sure you had your top 2 or 3 picks where you Yeah. Were hoping that
Brett Williams:
I was hoping to stay in Florida, just because super cold weather, you know. That's like, I don't know if I could live in Greenland.
Jared Flinn:
So you wanted to be a buccaneer or a
Brett Williams:
Buccaneer, jaguar, you know, maybe somewhere in Georgia. I didn't wanna go to Miami. I never was never a big Dolphins fan. And Miami is like it's a different part of Florida. It's like another country, you know. It's beautiful, but I just it wasn't my my style, but no deer down there to shoot. So, anyways, but yeah. Georgia, you know, I grew up a San Francisco's 40 niners fan just because my dad was, and because they were really good at the time.
Brett Williams:
But I was like, I don't wanna go to California either, that's too far away from home. So I was hoping for a Florida team. And on draft day, so I I got drafted in the 4th round. On draft day, when you live in Florida, you don't see the Chiefs play much, because they show regional games. And so I knew nothing about the Chiefs really. And they and they didn't really talk to me much during the interview process. And so I didn't think it was even on the table for me to go there.
Jared Flinn:
Who was there? Was it Herm Edwards or no?
Brett Williams:
It would have been Vermeil.
Jared Flinn:
Vermeil was there.
Brett Williams:
I lost. Oh, yeah. So he
Jared Flinn:
had just left the Rams.
Brett Williams:
Yep. Yeah. He just left the Rams and come over. And, and so he, they called me on draft day and said, hey. How do you feel being a Kansas City chief? And I was just so thankful to get drafted. I was I was I was told I was gonna get drafted higher, like, my rate my rating was 1st 2nd round. But when I went to the combine, they found a lot of physical things wrong with me through all their testing. And so they gave me a medical red flag, basically, saying, hey, this is a bit of a gamble.
Brett Williams:
And so, that's one of the reasons I fell to the 4th round. And so by the time I didn't get picked in the 1st and second round, I'm really dejected. Like, because that's a big money drop off from 1st and second round to the 4th round. I was still thankful. The 4th round money was really good too, but big jump from 1st Sarah. So I was a little just kinda disheartened. And so when the Chiefs called, you know, Carl Peterson was the general manager at the time. He said, hey.
Brett Williams:
Are you how do you feel about being a Kansas City chief? And I was like, great, I guess. I didn't know much about him. You know? And so he's like, how do you feel you're gonna play with Will Shields and Willie Rolfe and Tony Gonzalez and all these guys? And I'm like, I'm excited, you know, even though I didn't know, you know, much about the team. But ended up yeah. They picked me, and Kansas City is a great place. And so, this the the fans are amazing. Even when we weren't good, the fans would just we'd sell out the stadium. The ownership was great.
Brett Williams:
The coaches were great. And we had an older team, so it wasn't a big partying bunch. It was a bunch of older guys, had families and Who's
Jared Flinn:
the QB during those?
Brett Williams:
Trent Green. Yeah. Yeah. Trent Green and, Tony Gonzalez, his locker was right next to mine. And so, you know, I'm coming out of college and I get my first check. And they just take your checks and they put them in envelopes, and sit them on your bench, at your stool, at your locker. And so I opened it up. In my first check, I was making league minimum.
Brett Williams:
I'll just say it was $13. They pay you over 17 weeks. Yeah. So it was $13, fresh out of college. I'm like, this is money money. You know? I am excited about this. And then Tony comes and picks up his check, and he's a pro bowler, pulls it out, and I glance over and look at it. I won't say what it was, but I'll just say what I made in the whole year, he made in 1 week.
Brett Williams:
And I never went from so, like, happy to so bitter and jealous just like just like that. So perspective is everything. But but, yeah, it was it was a great time. They're a great organization, and it's fun to see how good they're doing now. And, it's fun to root them on.
Jared Flinn:
When Vermeer was there, did he get did they get in the playoffs?
Brett Williams:
We did. So my rookie year, we went 13 and 3.
Jared Flinn:
Because that was 03.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. We had an amazing offense. Nobody could stop us on offense. Had Priest Holmes at running back.
Jared Flinn:
Oh, I remember that. Yeah. Priest.
Brett Williams:
Yep. Tony was doing great. Trent Green was terrible. We had the best offensive line in the in the league. And so, multiple pro bowlers on the offensive line. And so but we we had a bye week going into the playoffs, and we played the Colts with Peyton Manning, and neither team punted the whole game. But we ended up losing because we had one fumble. And so it was like whoever had the ball last is gonna win.
Brett Williams:
And so we we lost in in our 1st round game, after that year. And then the next year, I I think we went like 500 and did get back to the playoffs. But, and then it kinda went down for a few years and then brought old Andy Reid back and got him humming.
Jared Flinn:
I just heard this actually. It was the, this morning on the radio, but, it's Bobby Bones show, but they were talking he was interviewing, I think it was Matt Castleback. But
Brett Williams:
Mhmm.
Jared Flinn:
They talk about how these quarterbacks will give gifts to their offensive line. Yep. And, like, it used to be I mean, back like, recently, I guess there was was it Brock Purdy, like, gave his whole offensive line pickup trucks, brand new and they they turned it into a commercial. I think they all got Toyota trucks or something like that. Yeah. But, like, did you witness any of Yeah. Gifting from the QB or whatever to the
Brett Williams:
Yeah. I think Trent Green got everybody. I think took all the starters out to a real expensive dinner or something like that for Christmas. He may have got them something else, but I think guys are getting paid more now. But, yeah. So but I I've got a really funny story. 1 of my buddies, one of my good friends played for the Cowboys, and he was there when Emmett Smith was there. And he was the start and center after their his name is Clay Shiver, and he was the start and center for the Cowboys the year after they won their last Super Bowl.
Brett Williams:
So it was, like, 95, 96. And Emmitt Smith, you know, Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, they're all on that team. Yeah. And he's the newcomer. Well, for Christmas, Emmitt Smith gets him all a bottle of champagne, although the whole offensive line. Well, my buddy, you for years, held on to this bottle of champagne. He's like, this is a bottle of champagne that Emmitt Smith bought bought his own line. I'm gonna save this for a special occasion.
Brett Williams:
Well, fast forward 15 years later, we're hanging out on New Year's Eve, and my buddy says, hey, I'm gonna break open this bottle of champagne that Emmett Emmett got us. And so we did, and I said, oh, this Emmett Smith got this must be really nice. And so I googled it, the bottle. It was an $8 bottle of champagne. I'm like, come on, Emmett. Like, you have the best offensive line in the NFL at the time. You're breaking all these Russian records. When you get your o line and 8 $8 bottle of champagne, like, oh, it was so hilarious.
Brett Williams:
So gifts range. I mean, some guys give big gifts, and it always helps to to appreciate the big ugly guys up front to keep the the pretty boys safe.
Jared Flinn:
You met a lot of people along the way, though. And, you were kind of talking about a couple stories like Kenny Chesney. You wanna share that one?
Brett Williams:
Yeah. I could share it. It's so, I'm at I'm at Florida State and, in Tallahassee. Well, we're we're in the middle of our season. Got practice go actually, no. It was during spring practice, but we we have football practice going on. Well, Kenny Chesney is going on tour, and so he's coming to Tallahassee to do a concert. He's a huge college football fan, so he asked my coach at the time, Bobby Bowden, if he could come out to practice and practice with us.
Brett Williams:
And so, like, sure. So they gave him a helmet, some shoulder pads, and he just ran routes with the receivers. He wasn't getting hit. That wouldn't go well for him. But no.
Jared Flinn:
Interesting. Yeah.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. So he just said put on a helmet, put on some shoulder pads and a jersey, and they let him basically run the warm up routes with the receivers and threw balls to it, which is cool. It was cool. Every it was before he was huge, but he was still pretty popular at the time. And, so we're like, oh, this is really cool. Kenny Chesney's at practice. And so he practiced with us for 15, 20 minutes, and then just kinda watched the rest of the time. And he had, like, a $1,000,000 tour bus parked right there by our locker room and all this stuff.
Brett Williams:
And so it was really, really cool to see that. Well, after practice is over, we go to take showers. And so I'm in the shower washing my hair like you do when you're and it's open showers. I mean, they're not closed off showers. It was old school showers. Everybody's Yeah. Seeing everything. And so I'm standing there in the open while you know, you wash your hair and you got soap in your face.
Brett Williams:
You're waiting for the soap to clear. Well, as the soap's clearing, I look to my left, and at the shower head next to me is Kenny Chesney taking a shower next to me. And so and I I was just kinda like, what is happening? Like, I'm taking a I'm in the shower with Kenny Chesney. And so
Jared Flinn:
not a very big guy either. He's not He is not big at all.
Brett Williams:
Like, he is tiny, tiny. And then when you put him in a locker room, a bunch of shower full of bunch of d one athletes, he looks even smaller. But so that's a cool story I always tell at parties and stuff. I'm just like, yeah. I took a shower with Kenny Chesney. People look at me like, what? You know? And so so, yeah, that was a that was a really cool experience. Football helped me. I mean, I got to meet a lot of, you know, big name people.
Brett Williams:
I got to meet Bill Clinton. We won the we we won the national championship 99. We got to go to the White House and
Jared Flinn:
Oh, awesome.
Brett Williams:
Got to meet him there. And then when I was with the Chiefs in 2004, George Bush was running for reelection. And so, he came by our practice while he's campaigning and got to, you know, shake his hand and talk with him. And he was really down to earth guy, and I was I shook his hands, like, mister president, praying for you. You know, thank you, you know, for all you do. And he just gave me a big smile. He said, I really appreciate that, son. He had a big chew in and all this stuff.
Brett Williams:
And so it's it's different to see it's different to see him when they're real people and they're not, you know, behind the mic. And, you know, it's like, you could see how even with however you fall politically, you know, Bill Clinton and Bush, when you're around them, you're like, I think I like that guy. You know, they got something about him. Yeah. You know? And so, and then years later, I got to do the opening prayer at a Trump rally down on down in South Florida. And so that was
Jared Flinn:
That's awesome.
Brett Williams:
That was pretty fun too.
Jared Flinn:
So yeah. Some of these, though, you actually, wasn't there a a fight with a celebrity? Well A potential fight.
Brett Williams:
I didn't know what it was I didn't know what it was gonna be, but I was at a restaurant in South Florida hanging out with some buddies, and we were all sitting at one table. And, Dennis Rodman comes in and sits down next to us, and I'm just we're all kinda jaws at the floor, like, you know, what's what's Dennis Rodman doing here? You know, this is crazy. But he just started talking to us and, normal conversation, and then started asking me some questions about what I did. And I told him at the time I was in ministry and also owned a gym down in, South Florida. And, and I don't know if there's something I said or how I said it or something. It seemed like it kinda ticked him off because he jumped up out of his chair and started pacing behind me and talking everybody got in the room, got a little tense, like, what is going on? And I'm like I'm like, oh, something didn't happen. I grew up watching this guy. I I love Dennis Rodman.
Brett Williams:
Like, you know, he was with the Bulls. I grew up every summer. You know? I was like, I'm gonna stay and watch Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman in the finals. You know? And so it it was just a and then and then he just kinda snapped out of it, said, you guys have a good night. Get shook our hands and left, and we all kinda looked at each other like, what just happened? Yeah. Was that really real? Like, did Was that really was that really real? Yeah. It was it was, it was a weird deal. But yeah.
Brett Williams:
So I I'll tell people that story too. But
Jared Flinn:
Talk about your faith through this whole process, because I think that's what's remarkable about your story. And one thing that I've always been attracted to you for is how boldly you profess your faith.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. So I, you know, I I grew up going to church. My mom would take us to church, and Sunday school, and all that stuff. And always looked at God as kinda like, he just wants to ruin my fun, you know. So Yeah. He's a party pooper. Yeah. I made deal I made a deal with God when I was in high school.
Brett Williams:
I was like, God, let me have my fun now. When I'm older, I'll I'll make my kids and wife go to church. That'll be kinda the deal, but let me do what I want now. And so and I I had that attitude, you know, all the way through most of college. And I got to the summer before my senior year in college, and I was an all American in football. Knew I was gonna go to the NFL. Basically, I had achieved everything that I'd worked for to that point. Partying like crazy, doing all the stuff meatheads in college do.
Brett Williams:
And I was completely miserable. And that scared me. So I was like, I've people are patting me on the back, telling me how great I am. And, you know, I remember one time my grandma came to one of our games, and after the game, she she shook she came up and gave me a hug. She said, I'm so proud of you. And when she did that, I was it felt it like, cut me to the heart because I realized, you know, I'm not living the way I'm supposed to be living. You know? Like, it just it was like one of those moments where God was like, come on. Let's quit faking.
Brett Williams:
You know? And so I knew I was living for the wrong things. Stiff arming God, you know. And then so the summer before my senior year, I had a buddy. There was a campus ministry on campus there, and a core group of football guys went to that. They were always inviting me, and I would always pick on them, call them weirdos and all these different stuff. Well, the thing is with these guys is they were the first group of, like, Christian men that I saw that were like real men. And when they were on the football field, they'd rip your head off, like they were great players. And but when they're off the field, man, they they treated their teammates right, they treated women right, they loved God, you know, they they walked they walked the the walk.
Brett Williams:
And so there wasn't a lot of hypocrisy there. And so I was like, there was nothing for me to really poke my holes in. So once I got to that point where I was kinda desperate, like, there's, you know, I'm I've got everything I I thought would make me happy. You know, maybe I should go back and try this God thing. And so I started hanging out with those guys, and they took me to some, ministry events and I went to some, meeting that was just for college athletes in Tennessee. It was like a Christian conference. And a guy got up and preached the gospel and he said, don't let this be like all the other times you made a deal with God. It's like time to surrender your life, and I did.
Brett Williams:
I went down front, had tears in my eyes, like, gave my life to Jesus, and I was instantly different. Mhmm. You know, all the other times you make these moral deals, like Yeah. God will give you this if you give me this. Yeah. Negotiation. Type deal. But this was, like, total surrender.
Brett Williams:
Because I realized what I was going for wasn't working. It's like my plan's not working, so I'm a get on your plan no matter what it cost me. And, you know
Jared Flinn:
That's good.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. And so once I once I made that decision, I was completely different person. Like, I literally felt this huge weight come off of me, a different I I left that conference thinking, you know, instead of I wanna play in the NFL, you know, make 1,000,000 of dollars. I actually left that conferencing. I wanna do ministry at some point. Like, that was god had changed my heart so much. And so so yeah. I go back to Florida State, completely different person.
Brett Williams:
Everybody's like, Brett, what happened to you? Where's the partying, Brett? Like, you used to have all the kegs at the house. Like, why you know, what happened to you? I was like, gave my life to Jesus, and, you know, I was sharing my testimony with guys on the team, and same thing through the NFL. Go to the NFL. And, you know, when you're in a full locker room, you're trying to, you know, live right and, we had a pretty conservative team. Like, guys had families that weren't too wild and everything. But it was a great time for me, young in my faith, being separated, being in the NFL, still living for Jesus, trying to balance being, you know, doing well in my job. You know, it's such a tough job to to keep a place to keep a job in the NFL, and all the temptations that are there to to really see God give me the strength to kinda come through it. And it's funny, the drastic change that happened to me from that point on.
Brett Williams:
I still have teammates to this day who will call me and say, hey, Brad. I don't know what happened to you, but, you know, 20 years later, I need that. What was that? You know, it's Still today. Still today. So you don't ever know the you even if you're just trying your best to live it right, you know, I wouldn't preach it at everybody, but I was very straightforward. It's like, I'm not doing these things anymore because I don't feel like God wants me to do because they're not good for me. So I'm a trust him. I still love you.
Brett Williams:
I just can't get involved in that stuff anymore, you know. And you you you think you get ridiculed for stuff like that, you do. But it it makes a you know, God makes a huge impact on other people when you when you do what he wants you to do despite what the the the pressures of the world. Like, he wins in the end with the impact that that makes. And so, had a lot of stories like that. And then when I got done in the NFL, I went into ministry. And so,
Jared Flinn:
because what year was that when
Brett Williams:
you 2005, 2006.
Jared Flinn:
So you were 3, 4 years The Chiefs.
Brett Williams:
So I got 2 full seasons. I got hurt in my 3rd season.
Jared Flinn:
So I had
Brett Williams:
some time rehabbing and then hung it up and went to ministry. And so I was an associate pastor at a church, and then I did college campus ministry. And we did missions and and things like that. So I was basically on college campuses and telling people about Jesus and, having to raise my own money to do it. You know, you had to raise your own support like a missionary. And so that was a big jump. My my wife thought we were gonna be in the NFL for 10 years. We just got married, you know, recently.
Brett Williams:
And I was like, no. We're not in the NFL. We're gonna go raise support and and and work in ministry. And so
Jared Flinn:
Speaking of, how did yeah. I mean, because your wife, is from Springfield here. Yep. How did you all meet and then eventually decide to be here in 417 land?
Brett Williams:
Yeah. So short long story short is the day I became a Christian at that conference was the first day I met her. And so and I didn't other than notice her, I didn't really, you know, we were we were all there from a group from Florida State. And, after I got saved at that meeting, we all hopped in a bunch of cars and we're going to Waffle House. And she sat right next to me in the car, but I my mind was blown because God had just wrecked me and I was just kinda like, I don't know what just happened to me, but I know my life's gonna be different, you know. And she was sitting next to me, and I remember looking out the window. She was talking to me asking me about where I was from and stuff because we never met before. And, I remember looking out the window and thinking, like, god, you'll never give me a girl like this.
Brett Williams:
Like, I don't deserve that. Well, that was the only interaction I had with her for 2 years. And so never talked to her again. I went off to Kansas City. She was still at Florida State going But you were thinking that at that moment? At that moment. Wow. I remember I was like, I was thinking I don't deserve a girl like that, you know? Mhmm. Or whatever.
Brett Williams:
And so just, but but anyway, so I go off to Kansas City. She's still at school for the state. And so out of nowhere, I get a call from her, because we still had all the same church friends, you know, back in Tallahassee, and I still kept up with everybody. And she asked if she goes, hey, my parents live in Springfield, Missouri, you know, can I get tickets? Could you help me get tickets to a Chiefs game? I'm coming home for Christmas break, and I'd like to take them. And so she came up, got her and her her mom and dad tickets. They and I went out to dinner with them the night before the game. And her parents thought me and her were, like, best friends, but we barely ever talked. And so we got to dinner.
Brett Williams:
I hit it off more with her dad, you know. And her dad said, hey, Brett. I got some hunt property down in Springfield. Do you wanna come down? And I was like, I'm in. And so I joke with my wife. I tell her, I was like, I fell in love with your dad way before I fell over you. You know? And so but yeah. So they're they're from Springfield.
Brett Williams:
We after we left Kansas City, we went to South Florida. We did ministry and had a business there for 7 years. And then we moved back here just about 8 years ago, Springfield. Because I you live in South Florida, and it's like New York on the coast. So crowded. It's beautiful, but it's crowded. It's expensive. And I would come back to the Ozarks every year to deer hunt.
Brett Williams:
And at at about year 7, I just called my wife when I was up here hunting. I said, hey. Let's move. Like, this is how I wanna raise my family.
Jared Flinn:
This is
Brett Williams:
who I am. And so we we put our house on the market and it sold in a day. And so we were we were up here pretty quick. Yeah. It was great. It's been great. It's been great place for our kids to to grow up. And
Jared Flinn:
I wanna talk to, you actually helped the lighthouse charges, which homeschool football team. You're a big part of that, still part of that. Yep. But that one, I mean, you guys I mean, they won several national championships here in Springfield, which a lot of people don't realize.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. Yeah. People don't homeschool football is definitely growing a lot.
Jared Flinn:
Yeah. Especially after COVID. Yeah. Yeah. It's Homeschool's changed a little bit. My my kids homeschool. So
Brett Williams:
Yeah. So when we moved here, there's an organization called the Lighthouse, Christian Chargers, and it's just a homeschool organization, offer sports for just, all different types of home, you know, homeschool sports for for homeschool kids. And so homeschool kids don't have access a lot times to public school. Yeah. In order if you're gonna play high school sports, you have to sit for 2 classes in public schools in Missouri. And so a lot of parents don't wanna do that. And so we we have this organization and it's huge now, but it started with football. Football programs done really well.
Brett Williams:
Every year they have the homeschool, national football tournament down in Panama City Beach, where they talk take the top 20 high school home school teams down there. They play kinda bowl games, and then the top 4 teams play 2 games in a week to determine the national champion. And so I was the head coach of that and, the director of football for 7 years, and now I'm just the director of football. I've stepped away from, coaching for a couple years just because my older kids are getting involved with soccer and some other sports, and I wanted to be there, be able to do those things. But it's been great, yeah, to lead that organization, how much it's growing. And there were there were all they were already had a history of success, you know, before I showed up, so I don't wanna assume it seemed like I turned it all around. But, it was great to be a part of it, kinda use what I learned in the NFL, you know, structurally and put people in place. I we got such a great team now running the whole thing that I barely have to do anything, which is great.
Jared Flinn:
Yeah. I think my my son was involved for a little bit. He he decided that he wasn't his his path. But I was just super impressed with the organization, the professionalism. But kind of that mentality, you talk about these students, they, you can just tell their their faith, they wear that on their sleeves. But, you know, they they play the game hard, but then they have the respect. And there's just a clear difference in those those kids
Brett Williams:
Yeah.
Jared Flinn:
You know, versus,
Brett Williams:
I
Jared Flinn:
hate to say, some of these other teams that you see play and Yeah. And the teamwork, even the character, sportsmanship is just it's a world class.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. It they're great kids. I remember my 1st year coaching with them. I couldn't believe what how good of kids they were. Yeah. They're not perfect kids. They're still yeah. They still got to say, I don't wanna talk like we're all holy and all this stuff.
Brett Williams:
They've got issues like all kids do. But I think too, just in the homeschool, I think the thing that marks them is most of them, they got parents at at home that are really pouring into them, you know. Because you gotta be really committed to if you're gonna homeschool. And so I think that's the piece. And I don't think it matters if you go to public school or homeschool. Yeah. I think it's what's going on at home. Intentionality.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. And I I think that's what it comes down to. And it helps when you have an organization that says, hey, this is our standard. Characters first, no matter what. We don't care if we win every game, lose every game. We're gonna act in a way that glorifies the Lord and grows your character. And so that's it's a great organization. Awesome.
Jared Flinn:
What kind of, what kind of tail off and end this conversation, which has been awesome. But, talk about your thoughts about the Chiefs today. I mean, obviously, they've had tremendous success. Yeah. And is it like when you look at the team today, is there a little bit of, I don't know. Like, man, I wish that was when I that happened when I was there. I wish I would've gone to a championship.
Brett Williams:
Well, yeah. I wish I would've played with Patrick Mahomes. That would've been really fun. You know? Yeah. To be on the Chiefs right now would be a dream. But, it's funny when I got done playing, people always ask me right after I got done playing. They said, are you a Chiefs fan? And I'm like I was like and I always told them, like, well, did you cheer? Do you cheer for your last job? You know? Like, do you because that's what it feels like. Never thought about it like that.
Brett Williams:
Job. You know? And so at the time at the time, it was kinda like, I'm done with football. I'm kinda wore out. I need a break. And so I want the Chiefs to do well, but I'm not watching them unless it's a really big game, and I have nothing else to do. You know? So but as my kids have gotten older, and they've started to they love Patrick Mahomes, and the success started happening. And I've gotten a lot more engaged with it again, and I love it. I don't miss a game.
Brett Williams:
And we all sit in the living room, eat chicken wings, and watch the Chiefs, but they are amazing. I mean, it's I tell the Kansas City fans all the time, you have to enjoy this. Like, remember what it was like before. This will not last forever. Look at the Patriots now. Like, don't get don't complain and get bitter, and don't automatically think that next year's guaranteed. Just enjoy it. Like, you've got one of the greatest runs ever.
Brett Williams:
Just have fun.
Jared Flinn:
I I for some reason, I'm I'm I'm comparing this to, like, when you're talking to truckers, like, when, COVID truck rates, like, these rates are just in 5. I was like, I just remember, it's not gonna be this way forever. These these all these round trip $5 mile rates are they're this this isn't gonna be forever. Yeah.
Brett Williams:
Same way in insurance. Enjoy it. Right? Same way in insurance. Oh, I got this great rate. Well, it won't be that way next year. It's all gonna rotate. So yeah. It's enjoy it while you can get it for sure.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. It's interesting though.
Jared Flinn:
You know, we lived in Kansas City. I moved up there in 05 and, wife, we lived there till 11. But I got to meet Trent Green. It was at a fundraising event. I think he was kind of on his way out because Herm Edwards came in shortly after.
Brett Williams:
Yep.
Jared Flinn:
After that. But, it was cool to be because that town is such a huge has such a great fan base. Yeah. And how loyal they are up and down for the Chiefs. And, but it's something cool here recently because, again, my my whole family, we love watching the game. But again, because it's a fun game to watch right now when you're winning.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. I know. It's it's it's it's a great show. I mean, all the talent they have. And just to the the clutch, I mean, they're in tight situations all the time, and they just always find a way to win. And that is so hard to do. And so it's really impressive. And it's to the point where I don't even get nervous anymore.
Brett Williams:
Like, take it for granted. Right? It's like they're down by 6. There's a minute to go. They're on offense. This game's over. What are we doing after the game? You know, it's like we're gonna win this. And so they've just gotten that good. But I remember when I was playing, talk about the Kansas City fan base.
Brett Williams:
You go to games and you're super nervous because you're going to play in an NFL game, and it's a big deal in front of that many people on national television for all that money. You know, a lot of pressure. So you get there and you got butterflies in your stomach already. And you get out of your car to go walk into the stadium, and you just see everybody parked around you barbecuing, and you smell it, and they're just having a great time. And you think to yourself, man, I can't wait till one day when I can come here and just do that.
Jared Flinn:
Oh, interesting. Yeah.
Brett Williams:
It's like, this is so much more fun, you know. The game's fun once it gets going, but all everything leading up to it, man, you're just a pile of nerves.
Jared Flinn:
I used to just before, but, like, you don't get discounts to tickets right now. I mean No.
Brett Williams:
I wasn't good enough. Because I thought Maybe the the guys who were there longer get discounts, but I don't I never get a discount.
Jared Flinn:
I think I asked you because I've selfishly seen if you could get me good tickets right now. Yeah.
Brett Williams:
No. I'm counting on you, Jerry. You need a bulk loads box, you know.
Jared Flinn:
I'd hate to know how much those are, today. So, well, this has been awesome. You all know, you know, a lot of people we hire at, I should say a lot, but for some reason, we gravitate. We hire a lot of sports players, Buddy Bowman, ex Kansas City, Royals player, which we had on the show. And then, again, it seems like we always have a lot of college baseball, football type players in this organization. I think it kinda speaks for the character that we look at, for this organization. Having someone with a good work ethic, teamwork, character building, all those. But yeah.
Jared Flinn:
I just wanna say thank you Brett for, what you do for this organization and coming on the show. I think, especially right now, I wanted to to have this interview flight the the way the Chiefs are gonna go. When this is gonna air, we'll kinda see where they're where they're pacing then. But it's been a heck of a season.
Brett Williams:
So man Wanna make a prediction and see Yeah. Let's do it. If it's true? Who you got? I mean, Kansas City, obviously. But then, who you got in the NFC?
Jared Flinn:
I don't know. I actually haven't thought that far.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. It doesn't really matter. I'm gonna go Kansas City, Detroit. Kansas Kansas City wins by 6.
Jared Flinn:
I love Jared Goff, and my name is Jared. So they wanna go for the same.
Brett Williams:
Yeah. Yeah.
Jared Flinn:
I I I I I'm gonna Yeah.
Brett Williams:
I love Detroit. They're an underdog, man. They've been fighting clawing back. You know, they were so terrible. And the the transformation they made has been awesome. So I'd like to see them get there and lose to Kansas City.
Jared Flinn:
Cool. Awesome. Well, man, appreciate you coming on. God bless you. Appreciate this.
Brett Williams:
Thanks, Jared. Yep. Cool.
