🏈🎙️ Welcome to Another Pod Opinion (#APO), hosted by Lincoln Bradshaw! In this special Part 3 of 3-part Super Bowl edition podcast series, we're exploring the world of football and its impact on society and culture. We'll be discussing everything from the NFL's handling of social justice issues to the experiences of Black fathers and their sons in the sport. With a variety of guests bringing unique perspectives and insights, this promises to be an informative and thought-provoking series. Join the conversation using hashtags #thefutureisBLACK, #superbowl, #nfl, and #blackdads. 🤝💬
So grab your headphones and get ready to tackle some big topics with Another Pod Opinion!
This podcast is hosted by a Black man who shares his perspectives and experiences as a husband, father, son, uncle, and brother. He explores deep and thought-provoking questions that keep him up at night, and also engages in casual conversations with friends and family, discussing topics that go back to his days as a military kid. The podcast is a platform for him to process his thoughts and gain insight, and it offers listeners a unique perspective on the mind and experiences of a Black man.
🏈🎙️ Welcome to Another Pod Opinion (#APO), hosted by Lincoln Bradshaw! In this special Part 3 of 3-part Super Bowl edition podcast series, we're exploring the world of football and its impact on society and culture. We'll be discussing everything from the NFL's handling of social justice issues to the experiences of Black fathers and their sons in the sport. With a variety of guests bringing unique perspectives and insights, this promises to be an informative and thought-provoking series. Join the conversation using hashtags #thefutureisBLACK, #superbowl, #nfl, and #blackdads. 🤝💬
So grab your headphones and get ready to tackle some big topics with Another Pod Opinion!
This podcast is hosted by a Black man who shares his perspectives and experiences as a husband, father, son, uncle, and brother. He explores deep and thought-provoking questions that keep him up at night, and also engages in casual conversations with friends and family, discussing topics that go back to his days as a military kid. The podcast is a platform for him to process his thoughts and gain insight, and it offers listeners a unique perspective on the mind and experiences of a Black man.
Twitter @apopodcast IG @apo_podcast
Lets Talk Instrumental
Lets Talk Instrumental
LIncoln:
All right, that's the 123 recorded recording. I can edit all this stuff. So today on the show, I've got a longtime friend. I got a homie. I mean, I knew me back in the day, right? Derek Shoshu Ray is on the show. I was able to catch up with his brother man just kind of give you a little background this brother and I so we played together. And then arena League. Yes. For all you folks out there it is still considered pro football. Right. And our first season we had a winning we had a winning record. Then we went I think we want like, we want something. First year out the first two years out the gate we will hot. We will. And just so y'all know my boy Derrick, man, we used to roll everywhere together. It was the really the four of us. So as that context just kind of give you a little bit of background. So today's interview is with the Father of eagles. Nickelback. guy who's a little bit of a journeyman Andre. Shush, Ray. I've got the father on the line. Derek, welcome to the show, man.
Derrick Chachare:
I appreciate it, man. Thanks for having me on. Yeah, absolutely.
LIncoln:
Yeah, absolutely. So I have I believe in man, I want to ask you this question before we kind of get into it. Let's say all right, let's say Now I'm not saying this is your this is Andre.
Derrick Chachare:
Oh, no.Be careful. Now. Be careful.
LIncoln:
All right. So. So you've always less so so you don't have any daughters Do you?
Derrick Chachare:
No That's correct.
LIncoln:
Okay. All right. But let's say you did have a daughter, and your daughter calls you and she like Daddy, you know, this, my boyfriend won't stop putting his hands on me. You know, it's a bit of an abusive relationship. Well, what is it? What is your thought going through your head? And what is your next move?
Derrick Chachare:
So let me stop you right there. On the initial date of meeting this guy, or even given up a phone number or any of that she's got to meet. So Andre or Dante or Michel or Derek Jr, or Marcus, that's five of the so whoever it is Dorner if this doretta meets gotta go through those five first. And so very similar, but not the same. All these guys have had girlfriends, of course, Andres Mater. Marcus has been in a long time relationship. Dante is the young guy. They prepped their girlfriends when they had to meet dad. So let's flip the tape. So go and describe them charge well as I don't know if it was still six, three, you know,
LIncoln:
But this. So she's like, Daddy, he put his hands on me. And so you go over there and you want to help her out? And you go to talk to him. He's like, Hey, man, just so you know, I don't really appreciate you putting your hands on my daughter. And he comes down and says, he goes, screw you and your daughter and he whips the both of you. What do you do next?
Derrick Chachare:
So explain to me how some young dudes gonna whip me first and then I could probably give you a little context. But no, the conversation will probably never go through that girl come out that way. Is let's be blunt and be serious about it. If hands are put on my daughter, there's no questions asked. You get to me that's not the same thing coming at you because I known you a long time. So
LIncoln:
give you a little context on that. So I heard that on so good. Might give a shout out to great comedian earthquake. You know, I recently got introduced to his show on on XM. And he has it he has his question. The very first thing I heard him ask on his show was and he asked around a table a roundtable of comedians. He was like he and it was he flipped it on both them and the female the female guests he has he goes hey, you got a son. Your son getting his getting getting whooped by his girlfriend you go over there. And she wants to both y'all what's what's your next move?
Derrick Chachare:
Well, I mean, it's hopefully I mean, and besides patting myself on the back my the young man I raised will probably never put yourself in a position to be able to grow like that. I would hope that but if that situation did happen, I mean, my mom Rest in peace, probably the last one. That worked my and I'm gonna leave it at that. Big Brothers little sister.
LIncoln:
I'm trying. I'm trying I'm really trying not the last but all right. So now, Derrick, man, it's been some years since we've seen each other grow. And then I don't know if I told you, man, I still have the saber cat. Our first year, I still have the program and I had almost all of them cat sign it, and you signed it. And do you talk about when you look back when I look back at that time in San Jose, and seeing where I am now, did it? I mean, how do you put in context one, man Time is moving faster than I anticipated. Yep. And to, to see the fruits of your labor to see your seeds to have a family because when I first when we played together, you only had the one? Yep. Correct. And now you've got four more.
Derrick Chachare:
Yeah, that's, I mean, of course, time flies, man. It seemed like yesterday. You know, we had some conversations, just recently, a couple of buddies passing and stuff like that. And when you look back on when you do reflect with friends, especially the ones you've been in the trenches with, you bring up those memories that when we play like it was yesterday. And then fast forward, you have kids that are now fathers. As you look back on time when you were at that age, it's crazy, man. It's crazy.
LIncoln:
It is man and the one thing and there's one thing that I've been struggling with as just in general, right, you know, you people call it a midlife crisis. They save many different things that give them many different labels. But man, I have literally had to come to come to grips with man like bro, I turned 50 this year. And I'm just thinking like, man, it not only is it going by fast, but man I'm I catch myself trying to catch all of these moments with our families. And you can only catch so many of them and because there's gonna be some that you just miss. You know what I mean? And we just had some people pass away recently and in the biggest thing is Ira. Like that, you know, I mean,
Derrick Chachare:
that was both our day ones, man.
LIncoln:
He, and I'm gonna be honest with you, man. I was I was beyond heartbroken when I found out the news. Because man, I found out I was the last one. Well, I won't know if I'm the last one to know. But I was the last one to know between the three of us. Yeah. And I was like, because I mean, I showed up at text all the Hey man, answer my texts. And then you call me and like, you tell me like, give me the news. And I'm like, wait, and I remember like, bro, like, I was thumbing through the text messages. And it was like maybe a couple months before that. And when he was the last one to respond to our group chat. Right, you know, and then it's, it just puts things in perspective of, bro, we really don't have that much time left. And we got to make sure that we maximize the time that we do have. And when I think about that, bro, it's the kid
Derrick Chachare:
man. Where it's, it's, you know, I make it a point. Now, me and a wife. We've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with the grandkids. I mean, I'm blessed to have for the sport and the passion that I have for football. I got a son that's playing the NFL and one on plays in college. So guess what I get to do every weekend. Watch two games up close and personal for them. Now a couple of times it's hard to go to a college game on Saturday fly out to an NFL game. But man when you're able to do both, I don't care how long it takes for we got to fly they jump in the car to drive and go. Hey, hey, I live for it, man.
LIncoln:
Now let me ask you this. Was it different when you were the player? Like Were you expecting your parents to be like hey man, you know Oh, that's right. Nevada, Reno, Nevada
Derrick Chachare:
Reno don't I live in Fresno? You close it was a little difficult. I mean, because I did come out to the West Coast in a sense be in Reno, Nevada, my parents were down in Texas not able to move as freely as I am now. You know, financial getting flights and all of these little cities that we played in when I was at Nevada, so it's difficult to get into them now. So I can't imagine back in the 80s they could just jump on a plane go here and fly out to Eastern Washington or or you know Idaho or one of the Montana schools or Boise so then then fall them for that they made it to a couple games when I was at the battle man and and I knew how hard they work for every little penny and to get out there. And I like it is now I mean, out Kids don't pay for us to get there. But we say, and we budget, and we live life when we get there because our cancer kids are handling their business out on on the field. And in the classroom, man, we're proud.
LIncoln:
Man, that's what's up. I mean, I can't I couldn't put it any. I mean, you just explain it right there. And you know, as you were talking about that, yeah, I recognized that it was like, it was not even like a topic of conversation. It was more like a mutual understanding, hey, you understand what our financial situation is, you know, we can't make the every one of these games but let me know when the game let me know when this game happens. And let's plan for this game this season. And this game the final season. Exactly.
Derrick Chachare:
Exactly. Exactly. No, that's that, that for growing up. We're in the house of five with my parents, my two siblings, and mom and dad worked, worked their tails off, you know, to provide for us preached education, all of that. And, you know, just their their favorite trips to Louisiana. We weren't playing those schools in Louisiana. Here's some of Louisiana where I was born. But to come out to it made it to a couple. And that's all I can ask for.
LIncoln:
But isn't it great to see on the flip side of that, like you said, now it's different now now a I'm gonna beat them games I'm you know, you've got the capability you've got not the capability but you have the ability, the ability, man, I'm, yep, I can go to this game. And this game, man, you know, this week is gonna be tough. So I need to hit one. Which one do I want to go to?
Derrick Chachare:
I'll tell you how crazy that is. So my son, my youngest son, for example. Just finished his sophomore season first year as a player as a starter. He's a quarterback. last two years, and then you throw the COVID year in, where there wasn't a lot of football. Me and the wife went to every one of his games when he's the backup quarterback knowing he'll probably never play unless something happened to the store. And that's how different that is. By purpose. We're going to know game. I want to know what you feel beyond that.
LIncoln:
I put it to you like this. My son got a little taste of that this year. Right? Like on the freshman football team playing freshman football. Right. And my mom and my mom was like, my mom's like, I'm coming to the game we're at at. And you know, I sent it a schedule every week, right? She showed up at the game. She goes, Why is he not playing? What's the problem? And then she and then after that, she was like, You owe me$10 She's like, you owe me $10 I don't come to games and watch people sit on the bench. I pay for that. Nope. No, you didn't play? No, no, you and I tell you my mom keep asking. I need my$10 Man he
Derrick Chachare:
sent my son over to clean up we've got the back yard take the trash out.
LIncoln:
You ain't getting that$10 anytime so you minimize we'll just come up with something else. Right? Right. Yeah. Let me ask you this when you when you were done what was your last year playing arena football?
Derrick Chachare:
And I was Oh man. So let's see if I could put this thing into just a few words. So what did I think that second year would disabled cats? I think I bought it was beat up remember? I'm I'm about six years old and you I'm turning 56 This year you know I was the old man smart guy. You could probably see potential coach. So I went I retired and I came back to coach in 90 I think it was a I'm trying to think of these years man 99 Yeah 99 I went back I went there as a coach. Coach arbejde same sabercats staff two fullbacks got hurt training camp
LIncoln:
already know it is
Derrick Chachare:
so you know how limit the roster is. You know how quick this game goes. Hey, you and Shay. You notice system. We need the replay.
LIncoln:
All right. So let me how long was that conversation?
Derrick Chachare:
It was I mean, when you retire so I was one year out of the game. Yeah, I could have played if I wanted to buy there was a little bit of I had a couple of minor surgeries clean out some bone spurs and ankles. Healed ready to go strong as I still can move. Alright, I mean, kinda it's kind of Jeet up ready to go. Play that year play well. Hey, we want you to come back next year. All right. Now we got to talk to the money, convince the wife to let me go. Alright, did that so That was so 2000 2001 One of those years. I retired. Good and I'm only going to coach or we want you to play none of that. Nah, man, I'm done. So I had to separate myself from that team that I've known since they came in the league. Because everybody marketplace remember the substitution rules? Well guess what I could play fullback I linebacker tight in D ID. And we got one guy that could play four spots. We can take a look man, I'm too old to do all that. So here's the crazy thing. So I shut down for a year and didn't do anything. Remember Tony Kimbrough. Tony Kimbrough called me in 2002. After they play, he's in Buffalo as the offensive coordinator. And just played just Chicago rush I remember like it was yesterday 12 o'clock midnight west coast. Hey, you sleep and it's 12 o'clock what you doing? I know it's three o'clock or wherever you at. And we just play I need a fullback linebacker. I laughed. This this is two years removed from retirement saving cast the second time because I know you're in shape. What is going to take as the wife Hey, so you guys didn't know you know how to get you. This was probably week seven in the room the league man call me up we run the same system we ran in San Jose. Call me up. Asked me that that night called me the next morning about nine my time. We got a flight for you at 12 Get out there playing that play two more years, retired again. And then the kicker was the AAU team Kurt Warner played for Iowa Barnstormers. And moved to New York, New York dragons. They fired Gregory longtime guy had something to do with the invention of arena Lee. They are taught shell taught shell called me to come and coach five games in to the season they rolling for we came in game five. We went on a nine game winning streak won the Division. And then I started my coaching career on arena and I did another probably another day in New York two years I came out there and Zona the coach. Coach guy the head coach got into some riff went back to San Jose coach to coach did that for two years did some arena to then just recently this last year, the IFF the rattlers are in the ifl indoor football league. It's kind of a version of the arena no nets a little different. Still indoor football.
LIncoln:
Did no did it Alright, so you may have to kind of explain a little give a little background like eight because I can tell you right now I have not been paying attention to anything that has that has a f L in anywhere in a sentence. So bro, I'm just being honest with you. So that what happened to the AFL did it fold did it separate? It did trying to go in a new direction. What's going on with that?
Derrick Chachare:
So you remember how small and for lack of better words intimate the game was small, decent little salaries for a part time jobs for football players? Yeah, but that's that second go round and meet coaching. They awarded NFL teams the right to buy arena teams.
LIncoln:
Okay, do you remember something like that? Remember that
Derrick Chachare:
Elway Bon Jovi all these guys on teams? Dallas Cowboys had a team. And what happened? There was their idea, in my opinion, to try to make this a form League for the NFL guys. For example, NFL tackle, can't play arena football. No, he cannot. And you know why? Yeah, he can pass black. But hey, you got to run out on kickoff, you got to do kickoff return. And you gotta play defense. They didn't want their guys that they wanted to cultivate having to do all of that. So they made it a no substitution rule. So you can just take three pure old linemen, three defensive linemen, right. You don't have to worry about those guys playing both ways. Okay. And so they changed that. And I think that was the demise because the salaries I'll tell you this, and I don't quote me on the exact place probably the minimum salary when they were doing that was probably 60,000
LIncoln:
for the summer row. Yeah. Why?
Derrick Chachare:
Because they didn't want guys to play both ways. So basically, everybody was a specialist.
LIncoln:
So basically, when you started doing that now you don't, you've got to have more guys on the team
Derrick Chachare:
know, kept the same. So you still have to be a little creative for one or two guys. Oh my gosh, if your tackle or guard only got to play offense, they ain't gonna get beat up as much as dude, it's got to run down on kickoff, and you got to do return, then you got to go play defense, then mercy you got to go putting off it was just play offense. So everybody, for example, if I remember correctly, guys would probably sign a guard and three sinners always got fired. You see what I'm saying. And then they got all pass rushers and maybe one nose guard. So a little creativeness there. And then you have some DBS and receivers that can go both ways if you got in the band, a bind. So that takes that the leak money going outrageous, that was part of backs making $200,000 I never believe it, I can't believe it. And you gotta rain is that whole 15,000 You know, a couple of big ones, a lot of those small ones that couldn't keep up with the money. So the league folded, and then it came back with a cap on everything, but it was still the no substitution rule. So guys, I'm still able to hire a couple of guys here and there. And then they lost the TV contract, and they went bankrupt and shut it down. But the rumor is, they're coming back in 24 with the same old substitution rules where you got to have guys that can do both. I think that's an more exciting brand than coaching in the ifl which is similar League. You don't have substitution rules. You don't have a net, which I thought made during the game. So you need scores or not. You know, like we when we play 40 And up against score 40 points, you ain't got a chance to
LIncoln:
win. You might as well just you ain't got no chance. In the AFL
Derrick Chachare:
you win and games 20 to 14 and stuff like that. So a little different, a little different.
LIncoln:
Okay, I guess.
Derrick Chachare:
So I want to say, I know I was turning I was turning 34 I was 33 and return 34 My last year plan.
LIncoln:
And when did you so when when every time you went back? What the What did the wife say?
Derrick Chachare:
How much a man, my wife. My wife is pimping me out dog for the longest. She's a soldier though, man. She's a soldier, man.
LIncoln:
Wow. She's like, Hey, man, if you want to go with it, go ahead. Keep beating up their body. Just find out how much they're gonna pay you first.
Derrick Chachare:
Well, it's funny the night Tony called me and my wife knew Tony's wife and all that their friends, you know, me and Tony. But it was you need this amount to sign you need this amount. The report wife knew more about God's price than I did. Leave your own place because you're gonna bring the kids and this and that when they get out of school. And I was like, I told them all that he said, Okay, I was on the plane. Probably six hours later played in that game that week. Oh, wow. That's crazy.
LIncoln:
That is absolutely crazy. That is absolutely. Okay. So when you look at the stuff that you went through in the arena League, how did you prepare Andre for his career in the NFL?
Derrick Chachare:
Well, it's, it's, it's simple, all boys have taken their own course. And it was never the pressure of football. I made it difficult for them to want to play because you know, the game is difficult. And so me and wife only had one rule, two rules, grades had to be three point or higher, three point or higher. And if you started something you couldn't quit. And so I mean, that's how it should be. You know, you don't like to say it looks you started football because you ain't playing a lot or it's getting the harder you run and you want to quit now. So you know, you can't do that. So in my household, here's how the guys were able to play football. I don't care, you know, 567 or eight, you got to do 20 Push Ups. And it wasn't a matter of doing 20 Push Ups. Here's the deal. So I'll give you an example. I was telling somebody that story a while back. I said like my youngest son. I mean he's he's he's special. Just Just remember the name Dante saturate. All right. He wanted to play he had been the core he's the quarterback. And you know him having hanging out with the brothers trying to do all the stuff they doing because Andre is five years older than him. And he's the closest one to on everybody else's a lot of you are do push ups and you know 567 year old kid to do five maybe get one thing you got to be perfect. Good How am I get there? I can't do it. So look when you're watching SpongeBob every time a commercial come on and try to do 10 Push Ups it's a talent mentally for these guys knowing how hard footballs that can protect you out there, I'm gonna watch over you make sure to coach ain't doing anything crazy, which you guys but you got to have that drive inside of you to want to play. So, if you do that, I can't even hardly do 10 or more. And I'm seeing you jump down there five times already. Almost a day and 50 but I ain't gonna say nothing, you know, you keep driving into your day. So you know, next year that year goes around and he did this for eight months. He reported 20 Push ups like it went. Alright man you read. And that's just what the everyday thing. Our family was so unique, oldest son play, they all play football. But he took the basketball course. Second Son was detachable. We that's the one we had to constantly do the extra work to get the homework and all that done, but he was fine. He's actually doing bank loans over in in the batter. The third son, he was the only guy ever asked about quitting football. And he was he was a quarterback. That's Marcus. Oh, he didn't want to play. He's probably had three games left. And they did so. Funny story with that. I'm sitting in the living room. They're all in the wife office and all the brothers are in there. I'm like what they up to? And Mark is one that tell mom that he didn't want to play football anymore. Is that going to be mad? She goes no you can tell him but you can't quit. So shut that down before got to me. Okay, cause that you know, I think to be done with football. I was like Okay, good. What else we got to do? You don't do anything else or we just don't want to play football. I was our man
