He Barely Played in College. Then Played 14 NFL Seasons. | Matt Cassel

From Army Airborne to Addiction Recovery | Evan Slaughter

Evan Slaughter grew up in Birmingham, Alabama in a conservative household before addiction changed the course of his life. After battling an early OxyContin addiction and completing rehab, he joined the U.S. Army, earned an Airborne contract, deployed to Afghanistan, and was injured in an IED blast. The pain medication prescribed after that injury pulled him back into addiction. What followed were years of PTSD, arrests, multiple rehabs, and trying to rebuild a life that kept slipping away. Everything changed in 2021. Today, Evan is better known as Fit2Serve, creating comedy videos seen by millions while using humor, honesty, and his own story to help others find hope. His viral skits may make people laugh, but the road that led there was anything but funny. In this conversation, Evan shares his father's addiction, his own battle with OxyContin, Army Airborne school, Afghanistan, PTSD, Veterans Court, recovery, psychedelics, purpose, and why "Fit to Serve" no longer means physical fitness—it means being equipped to serve others. Thank you to our sponsors Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ [https://www.roka.com/] Code “RIDEOUT” Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout [wildroman.com/rideout] Code “RIDEOUT15” Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ [https://www.theothersideofhard.com/] Chapters (00:00) Meet Evan Slaughter (00:40) Growing Up Alabama (01:12) Church Life and Family Upheaval (01:50) Dad’s Addiction and Recovery (05:56) Finding Comedy Early (06:37) Stand-Up Dreams and Fear (12:38) Alpha Dad Skits and Garage Gym (14:30) Sponsor Break Roka (16:11) School Sports and College Detour (19:02) Lifting and Bench Press Talk (31:11) Sponsor Break Wild Roman (32:34) Dropping Out and Training Career (34:17) OxyContin Addiction and Rehab (37:01) Rehab to Enlistment (38:17) Choosing Army Infantry (39:40) Earning 18X Contract (41:41) Airborne School Basics (44:03) First Jump Nerves (46:56) Hard Landings and Mishaps (49:18) Afghanistan IED Blast (53:48) Pain Pills Spiral (56:38) PTSD and Coming Home (58:34) Pharmacy Sting Arrest (01:01:56) Veterans Court and Rehab (01:04:44) TikTok Breakthrough (01:09:03) Staying Sober and Creating (01:10:28) Influencer Advice and Work (01:12:36) Real Jobs Before Social (01:13:53) Time Value Mindset (01:15:28) Psychedelics For Recovery (01:20:28) DMT Lessons And Integration (01:24:10) Money Doesn't Fix Pain (01:26:51) Motorcycle And Simple Joys (01:30:53) Pickleball And Community (01:34:17) Fit To Serve Meaning (01:38:08) Nashville Move And Friends (01:39:00) Brand Deals Strategy (01:44:24) Wrap Up And Where To Find (01:46:16) Podcast Outro And Sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

He Barely Played in College. Then Played 14 NFL Seasons. | Matt Cassel

Matt Cassel's football story shouldn't have happened. He spent his college career at USC backing up two Heisman Trophy winners, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, throwing just a handful of passes while wondering if he'd ever get a real opportunity. Most players would have transferred. Matt stayed ready. That decision changed his life. After being drafted by the New England Patriots, he learned behind Tom Brady until Brady suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of 2008. Overnight, Cassel went from anonymous backup to starting quarterback of one of the most scrutinized teams in sports. He led New England to an 11-5 season, earned a franchise tag, signed a $63 million contract, and went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL. In this conversation, Matt shares what he learned from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, the pressure of replacing the greatest quarterback of all time, overcoming years without playing, navigating trades, injuries, personal loss, and why being ready before your opportunity arrives changed everything. Thank you to our sponsors Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ [https://www.roka.com/] Code “RIDEOUT” AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout [http://amp.ai/rideout]  Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ [https://www.theothersideofhard.com/] Chapters 00:00) Meet Matt Cassel (00:22) Dad Life and Flag Football (02:00) Leaving LA for Nashville (04:01) Growing Up and Playing Both Ways (05:01) Quarterback Jumps in Speed (07:40) NFL Film Study and Prep (08:32) Sponsor Break Roka (10:45) USC Teammates and Practice Wars (12:59) Tom Brady as Mentor (14:03) Stuck Behind Heisman Winners (16:46) Tight End Detour and Baseball Reset (18:24) Owen Hanson and Prison Reality (20:58) Pro Day and Wonderlic Chaos (24:33) Reading Defenses Like Chess (26:27) Randy Moss Freak Talent (27:49) Standing Tall in the Pocket (31:59) Formation Tricks and Counters (34:25) Sponsor Break Amp Training (35:28) Pro Day Lights Out to Draft Buzz (37:55) Selling the Backup Story (39:16) Finding an Agent (42:08) NFL Workouts Breakdown (43:55) Belichick Draft Call (46:23) Draft Day Celebration (49:48) Rookie Arrival in Foxborough (53:21) Patriots Culture Shock (56:22) Rookie Pay and Perks (59:51) Family and Dad’s Struggles (01:02:08) Dad’s Death During Season (01:05:59) Rookie Hazing and Dinner (01:11:53) Learning from Brady (01:13:07) Brady Work Ethic (01:13:56) Quarterback Perfection (01:15:44) Brady Injury Moment (01:17:10) Thrown Into Action (01:18:40) Bomb To Moss (01:19:52) Overnight Spotlight (01:22:29) Media And Sponsors (01:25:31) First Start Vs Jets (01:27:23) Brady Off Field Kindness (01:30:08) Franchise Tag Shock (01:33:30) Trade And Big Deal (01:36:00) New Life In KC (01:38:22) Coordinator Quits Chaos (01:43:38) Pressure And Mindset (01:47:05) Chiefs Turnaround (01:49:02) Appendix Emergency (01:51:21) Playing Post Surgery (01:52:34) Bernard Pollard Stories (01:55:26) Minnesota And London Start (01:58:01) Bridgewater Mentorship (01:59:29) Foot Injury Nightmare (02:04:36) Traded To Dallas Chaos (02:07:50) Cowboys Culture Shock (02:09:15) Facilities And Gear (02:13:12) Game Balls And Deflategate (02:20:28) Life After Football (02:23:24) Final Thanks And Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Olympian Who Nearly Died Making Weight | Danny O'Connor

Danny O'Connor looked like he had everything. A state wrestling champion. An Olympian. One of the top professional boxers in America with a world title shot finally within reach. Behind the scenes, almost nobody knew he had been battling an eating disorder for years. What began as extreme weight cutting in high school wrestling evolved into a life-threatening cycle of starvation, binge eating, dehydration, and dangerous weight cuts that nearly cost him everything. Before the biggest fight of his career, Danny collapsed while trying to make weight, was rushed to the ICU, and watched his dream of becoming world champion disappear. In this conversation, Danny opens up about growing up in Massachusetts, dropping out of school, turning his life around through boxing, making the U.S. Olympic team, the hidden reality of weight-class sports, and the long road to recovering from an eating disorder that almost killed him. This is a conversation about obsession, identity, recovery, and learning that the toughest opponent isn't always standing across the ring. Thank you to our sponsors Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ [https://www.roka.com/] Code “RIDEOUT” Athletic Nicotine: https://athleticnicotine.com/rideout [https://athleticnicotine.com/rideout] Code "RIDEOUT" Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ [https://www.theothersideofhard.com/] Chapters (00:00) Meet Danny O'Connor (00:43) Growing Up in Sports (01:43) Wrestling Found His Calling (04:14) Weight Cutting Obsession (06:14) Laxatives and Hidden Suffering (08:47) Grades Collapse and Dropping Out (10:54) Arrests and Losing Control (21:40) Court Wake Up Call (23:53) Boxing Saves His Life (27:15) Golden Gloves to Olympic Dream (29:59) Defensive Style and Sparring (33:06) Olympic Trials Outsider (34:01) Sponsor Break Athletic Nicotine (34:45) Trials Heartbreak (35:36) Beating Future Gold (37:11) Beijing Team Breakdown (38:33) Turning Pro Decision (39:48) Weight Cutting vs Disorder (43:20) Gym Hops and Undefeated Run (44:29) First Loss and Texas Move (48:31) Binge Eating Reality (53:20) Daily Yo-Yo Chaos (56:11) Missing Weight Fallout (01:03:41) WBC Shot in Fresno (01:05:43) Urges and Survival Hacks (01:09:07) Binge Spiral at Home (01:10:02) Stepping Away for Help (01:12:02) Learning Recovery Tools (01:14:16) Relapse in Training Camp (01:16:23) Weigh In Day Collapse (01:21:37) Aftermath and Perspective Shift (01:26:28) Specialized Treatment Begins (01:30:31) Freedom and Maintenance (01:35:50) Advice and Raising Awareness (01:39:04) Book Plug and Closing (01:41:12) Podcast Outro and Sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Boston, Addiction, The Town, 12 Years Sober | George Carroll “Slaine”

He taught himself to rap at nine years old, co-founded the rap supergroup La Coka Nostra, got discovered by Ben Affleck for Gone Baby Gone, and went on to act in The Town, Killing Them Softly, and Joker. What almost nobody saw was what was happening behind the scenes. For 23 years Slaine battled alcohol and addiction, through cocaine, OxyContin, and heroin, while chasing two careers most people told him were impossible. It cost him his marriage, his home, and nearly his life, until the only thing that finally outweighed the addiction was the fear of losing his son. In this conversation, Slaine opens up about growing up in the chaos of Boston, the drug culture that swallowed his generation, the record deal he was smart enough to turn down, auditioning drunk for Ben Affleck, hitting rock bottom as a father, the phone call outside a bar that saved his life, getting sober on March 3, 2014, and building Charles River Recovery, a treatment center that has helped more than 7,500 people. This is a conversation about identity, addiction, redemption, and giving it away to keep it. Thank you to our sponsors Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com [https://www.roka.com/] Code “RIDEOUT” Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout [http://wildroman.com/rideout] Code “RIDEOUT15” Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ [https://www.theothersideofhard.com/] Chapters (00:00) Meet Slaine (02:00) Boston Neighborhood Chaos (04:10) Childhood Trauma Unpacked (05:00) Fatherhood And Hindsight (08:23) First Drink Relief (09:42) Cocaine The Cheat Code (11:48) Eyewear Ad Break (13:20) Crabs In A Bucket (16:40) OxyContin Epidemic Boston (18:50) Film School Outsider (20:00) Boston Hardens You (24:50) ADHD As A Superpower (28:00) NYC Underground Comeup (31:31) Skincare Ad Break (34:48) The Deal He Refused (39:00) Squatting In A Warehouse (41:30) La Coka Nostra Born (44:00) 13,000 CDs Sold (46:00) Herald Story Affleck Calls (48:00) Drunk Audition For Affleck (51:56) Cleaned Up For Set (53:40) Prime Rib And A Warehouse (56:15) Boston Film Tax Credit (58:00) Vision Board Comes Alive (01:01:00) It All Hits At Once (01:15:45) Losing Everything (01:20:52) Failing As A Father (01:24:10) The Day It Stuck (01:26:57) The News That Should Have Broken Him (01:28:04) The Call Outside The Bar (01:30:00) Learning Humility (01:33:00) Uncle George (01:34:40) The One Belief (01:42:53) Building Charles River Recovery (01:48:20) Don’t Fit In A Box (01:51:15) How To Get Help (01:52:47) Farewell And Subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

He Fought for a World Title with Lyme Disease | Mike Lee

He graduated from Notre Dame, signed with Top Rank, fought at Madison Square Garden and Cowboys Stadium, starred in national Subway commercials, and earned a shot at a world title. What almost nobody saw was what was happening behind the scenes. For years Mike battled chronic pain, autoimmune disease, misdiagnoses, and Lyme disease while trying to keep his career alive. He fought through broken ribs, endless medications, and training camps where his body was telling him to stop long before his mind would listen. In this conversation, Mike opens up about growing up in Chicago, the pressure to make his father proud, becoming one of boxing's top contenders, the relief that came after his only professional loss, finding purpose beyond the ring, and why he now believes health is the greatest fight of all. This is a conversation about identity, resilience, and knowing when enough is enough. Thank you to our sponsors Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout [http://wildroman.com/rideout] Code “RIDEOUT15” Timeline: timeline.com/rideout [http://timeline.com/rideout] Code “RIDEOUT” Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ [https://www.theothersideofhard.com/] Chapters (00:00) Meet Mike Lee (00:24) Subway Sponsorship Story (02:05) Chicago Roots Boxing Start (03:43) Notre Dame Bengal Bouts (04:35) Golden Gloves Breakthrough (06:18) Dad Pressure Motivation (08:18) Broken Rib Hospital Night (10:13) Caleb Plant Fight Setup (11:28) Weight Cut Autoimmune Struggles (14:27) Fight Stoppage Relief (17:29) Skincare Ad Break (18:53) Career Perspective Big Moments (20:49) Cowboys Stadium Jerry Jones (24:11) Why Fighting Captivates (25:07) Turning Pro With Top Rank (26:56) Early Pro Opponents (27:32) Target on My Back (27:59) Grooming vs Real Threats (29:46) UFC Losses vs Boxing (31:16) Money and Corruption (32:27) Why Losses Matter (34:57) Top Rank Lion’s Den (36:25) Spence Crawford Aftermath (38:48) Gym Culture and Identity (45:50) Reading Fighters on the Bag (47:11) Mitochondria Ad Break (49:58) Fatigue and Quiet Quitting (54:46) Life After the Spotlight (57:47) Lyme Misdiagnosis Journey (59:25) Hospital Rock Bottom (59:56) Functional Medicine Pivot (01:00:37) Comeback Fight Hollow Win (01:01:36) Opioids to Cannabinoids (01:02:29) Soul CBD vs THC Brand (01:03:35) Hemp Ban and Lobbying (01:08:15) Alcohol vs Cannabis Shift (01:13:36) Edibles Safety and Dosing (01:17:34) Pivoting Beyond Hemp (01:19:50) Kids Online and AI Future (01:28:40) Farewell and Subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]