Will Selva and MJ Acosta-Ruiz are back for another episode of El Huddle! This week we're talking first names and what they mean to us , some party chat and we're joined by Fresno State WR prospect Jalen Moreno - Cropper! Don't miss out on this one.
A Huddle is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. Oh like, gal, what is up everybody? This is the l Huddle podcast. I am merely will Salva alongside my Ermana, my prima mi prima Ermanais. You know it's funny. Well, I think if anybody outside of the Latino community is like, m how could she be here? But like we inherently understand what that means. Right, We've got so many and a lot of primas that are not actually my primas, but they are. Yeah, well I've got yeah, oh yeah, for sure. I totally thought of you because I took my son to get his haircut and it's really cash barber shop right where they have a small little fridge. They've got adult beverages there, etc. And so this this nice man, he came in there hanging out with him and come to find out that he's Panamanian and and and he's also Nicaraguan. Okay, that's it right, Well he does he does some form of organizing planning something in the entertainment industry that has to do with one of the award shows I believe. And yeah, so really nice casual vibe. And I was telling him about your trip to Banaman and and how it was like, and you know, was telling him about about you going to the beaches, etc. And what his drink of choice was and he's like, oh, rum and coke. That's that's what we were right, right, that's the drink of choice. Is that the drink of choice there? Or is there a very They sort of catered to whatever you're in the mood for. But I will say this about the adult beverages in Panama. Okay, they are served in like a goblet, a chalice sized pup. Like I was like, I just wanted a cocktail, Honey, I don't want a picture picture of whatever this. But you know, Pina Cola is like wow, I was like, how many did we order? And so at first we thought it was just okay, maybe it's just like this particular restaurant everywhere we went boom goblet. So the moral of the story is in Fanama, they're gonna make sure you have a good time. All right, You're gonna have yeah, you're gonna love it. Well. Well, in in Peru they have pisco sour. I don't know if you've had a pisco sour before. I have, but honestly, like that will literally melt your contact lenses. I mean that you're you're yeah, no it is. And I just remember just kind of casually drinking it and thinking, whoa. It's like literally like it was like I poured motor oils down my gullet. It's like, whoa, I've got one for you. Have you ever had mamahuana from Dominican Republic? No? What is that? What is that? It is made? If all of you, if you're listening, please go google what's in mamahuana and might take you back a little bit because it's in a bottle. There's like bark and like berries and roots and like all of these different herbs and things in it. I mean it smells like rubatsin but worse, it's not to me. It is not an enjoyable experience. But it is very very like feepical of Dominican Republic. Like it's specific to the Dominican Republic. And they call it the baby maker. Oh wow, say yes, No, it is a lot so needless just to have stayed away from it as long as possible in my whole life. But like my parents have a couple of bottles of it in the house. It's like it is only like three in the morning. The party has gone to that level where they're like mamajuana time and everyone's like you're gonna leave or you're gonna lean in, You're gonna lean into the chaos. So it's I feel like every country, right, every Latin American country has that are in. Every country has that one drink like the US. I would I would like in it to like for my all Americans like moonshine, Like it's oh wow, So yeah it's that. That's that's like like that or nostrils flor that's that. Yeah, I mean those are those drinks. I mean, honestly, no joke. Um, So I didn't. I didn't realize that because at first when I heard you say it, I thought you said it was like a mohito and I thought that only Yeah, yeah, that's that's different. Yeah. Well, I feel inebriated right now just talking about it. It's it's intense. I don't understand it. Of course, like g going up, we were like, oh, we can't wait to try it, and then we try it and we're like, uh, why do you drip it? You know, one thing we have not touched upon since we've started this podcast is our names, because that's a that's a big deal about a little bit. But we haven't really really really not not yet, not really a deep dive. We have touched upon it though, where for me, people look at my name and said, will Selva, Well, he's he's Italian, He's got to be Italian, right, yeah, And it's like no, because I think people are so preconditioned, and maybe not all people, but most people seem to be preconditioned because they have to know what the name is. So if it's Pedro, Carlos, Dabid, whatever it is, right, people need to know. Okay, now I know he's Latino, but in my case, they they don't know. And it's been something that is always, to be honest with you, bothered me a little bit. And as a matter of fact, when I was starting off in the business, I'm not going to say where this happened, but I had two bosses who pulled me inside the office and said he so, so, what would you what would you make of the fact if we changed your name or you changed your name to Guillermo? And I said, oh, that's interesting, and I will right right, Well, so so growing up in San Francisco. Growing up in San Francisco, I was called Guillermo, you know, because my brothers were like, no, mi du anton Francisco. Uh so no, that was so no Guierremo. No, it just is William in Spanish, right, So um so they so they just automatically said, there's no way this kid is related to this family and his names will no way. And so my bosses knew that, remember that, And they said, so what do you think. I mean, you know, Guiermo, this is kind of a fresh start for you. What do you think about that? Um? So, you know, I went home, uh and I called up my parents and my brothers are like, no, saw your name, saw your name. It's it's just like we would have called you that, you know. My my mom said, the best looking guy in Nicaragua was named William. So I have to I have to go with that. Yes, yes, So it was just a weird thing for me because that always kind of seemed to bother me because my first name was Spanish, and and I'm very proud of who and what I am, and so the whole name thing, really, I don't know. That kind of just sometimes hits me the wrong way. And it's just like I and we've talked about it, like like just like you don't have to be you don't have to have a name that necessarily screams that you're Latino, right. But it's just like sometimes I think people just think of people putting people in silos or in boxes, you know what I mean. Yeah, Well, that's the thing. I think people want it to be palatable to what they know, what they've been conditioned to expect in the mainstream as what Latino represents. That's what it is. This is what we've seen our whole lives. It's been the Marias and the joss and right, which, of course, yes, they're very much part of the culture. But like, as you know, my full name is Marjorie Right. How my mom found Marjorie in the middle of well, I cannot tell you. I think she said she saw it on either in a movie or on a building, right, And to this day they are family members who cannot pronounce it correctly. I've heard every variation you can imagine with a Latino accent. Well, what were you until that wasn't until I got like well into my twenties, I would say in college. Um, my friend Cindy Winters, who's a phenomenal artists on Broadway. She's a singer on this beautiful creative mind. Very good friend of mine. We danced together and every time we would go sign up for something, and if there's not a sign up sheet, somebody's writing your name in there would always spell my name wrong, always, so it's constantly like, no, it's Marjorie with a J, Marjorie with a J, Marjorie with a J. They'd put a Y in Miami. If it was a Spanish speaker, they put a double L, they put a G like everything, but how my name was spelled. So she was like, well, why don't you just shorten it? Why don't you go by MJ? And I was like, I kind of like that. Sot out Cindy shout out to Cindy Winter's sheet is um the creator of this um altar, not my alter ego, just sort of like and it's sort of like fit me Northens. To my mom, of course, it was horrified that I shortened my name to just too last right, So she did she hate it? Did? She? Did she hate it? She was not pleased? How about your dad? Did did deadly care pass. My dad's like a basketball head, right, So he was like, oh, I'm Jay looked like a Jordan. So he was cool with it. He was good, but it was it was interesting. I felt, um, but now, like if someone calls me by my full name, which like only really my husband does. Now at this point he called you by your full name. Uh huh. This fascinates me because this is like Prince when he was married and he was the symbol. And I remember him sitting down for an interview and I don't know who's doing the interview. It might have been like Barbara Walters or something, and she asked, she asked the wife, ex wife, you know what do you call him? It's like, oh, I don't call him anything. It is very weird. So so so MJ. He doesn't call it, but you were MJ at that point though, when you get yeah, very much, very much though. But he asked me, well, because he had a nickname too when I met him, and I was like, that's not your real name. So he's like, well, I don't think I'm Jay zr. Real name. So we got it sort of became like a fun that's where it came from. I know, I know why he calls you by by your real name, because he didn't want to get in your mom's bad graces. That's you know why. Yeah, But to your point, like the nicknames that we create, even from our So okay, I've told you about my auntie Mikea Susi. Yeah, it's not that's not her name. It's not her name. Susie came from the ascension of how your grace if we're translated what everybody calls her Susie for sure, because who's gonna call her nobody? The Domino of club is very Catholic by the most part, So the the sort of like oh yeah, right, in different countries, it's a different um mother vergect so in dr It' which is my mom. Same wow. Well see if if I if I was born a girl, I would have been Guadalupe. That would have been my name. So you you are to a lot of men named Guadalupe actually too out of Mexico, Like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh well Guadia. Okay, I get that. The but but that's that's my mom said, like, yeah, if you were a girl, you would have been Guadalupe. So it's it's very because I thought I thought it was just really like in Cuba that they have the names like you use Navy. I heard that. It's like yeah, but it's like it was named after the US Navy. I can't have met more than one living in Miami as long as I did, I've met more than one Usmael and US NAVI. And that's not a joke, like for real, these these where they were names. But like you start, you see this in the Caribbean, like Latin American countries a lot. Like I'll give you an an example in my family, my beautiful cousin super unique name because my aunt and uncle made it up. My aunt's name is and my uncle's name is Carlos was born literally so literally right, and it's so cool because it is. But like you find names like that all over gr all over Cuba and Puerto Rico for sure as well. Like it's really interesting. Um where like we were talking earlier, were some folks who comes to the US from Latin American or Hispanic countries and they want to do the opposite, right, like give you US as American of a name as possible, and it's like, Nahmnicans don't do that. We went all the way in all in. You don't get this name in Nicaragua, for example, like Johnny is very common like Johnny yeah, like yeah, yeah see. So so it just those are the sorts of things that that people don't realize, right And hopefully when people listen to this they kind of get what we're talking about because they'll know they will inherently because it's in the family too. Yeah yeah, yeah, so so our producer Randy just said that in certain parts of Latino America that if you've been born on December twelve, Diadalupe, you're named regardless of gender. So I didn't realize that. Yeah, yeah, I love that. I love that. I think that's beautiful. Yeah yeah. Like I said, hopefully we can educate our our listeners if they're not already educated on or they're saying, yeah, I get what you're saying, m J and Will, but you know what, m J, let's just get go over the quick um football headlines. Yeah, let's go over them really quick. Aaron Rodgers still hasn't been traded, Lamar Jackson hasn't signed a contract, and and Tyreek Hill is going to retire in a couple of years. Those are your headlines right there? Did you also hear Tyreek Hill talking smack on a Kansas City radio show. Yeah, and they were almost telling him like, hey, you can take this back, or hey we don't have to include this whatever. Right, Well, yeah, he says it with his whole chest. Whatever he says, he means it entirely. But his point in that in that interview was like I was there for a long time, Like I know the playbook, I know all your signals. I'm going to be your worst enemy that day. We know that these players, they spill all the team when they get to a new team, that all of them do it right. They're like, all right, coach, let's sit down. This is how they run this offense. This is a scheme that they're gonna write. This is what this route is called, this is what this play is called. Like, of course we know. Sometimes I just wish as a Dolphins fan, right, I sometimes wish he would just played a little closer to the best, Right, But that's not it. You never want him to change. Um, it's great. It's crazy that the Chiefs and the Dolphins will be playing this year this coming season, so it's gonna be great. Yeah, Yeah. I can't wait to see when it is and how far along in the in the schedule it is. I hope it's a little deeper in the year, right, like not off the selfishly, um, not off the top. We'll see. Yeah, I love talking that we can talk. I want to thank Tyreek Hill for reminding us of like the matchups, right because I think we get into these off season conversations and we're like, just sign the contractor readier, Oh my god, just give them the trade or whatever, and it's kind of fun to look ahead at a matchup that will be. I mean, once again, nobody called me that day. I made very stress, pocket very that could. I feel like that could be a primetime game, should be a prime time Oh, it's definitely going to be a primetime game. There's no way that's gonna be early window. That's like one pm, right right, Yeah, No, that ain't happening that that's gonna be. That's definitely gonna be Sunday night, Monday night. It's for that one, right right, you kidding me. Alan Michaels is probably saying, yes, let's let's do that. Like Al does not hold back. He gives zero bleachs he just like like this is like, give me a game, give me some good ones. Yeah please, I'm too old for this. It's like, oh a touchdown? What a content? Like the twelve Knights. So sick of it, sick of it. But I'm excited for this coming season for sure. I know it's just April, you guys, but like it's gonna be here in two seconds. Like I feel like after the draft happens, it's like boom, Yeah, we get a little reprieved, like it's like the real, real off season after that, and then training camp starts and we're in it. So yeah, this is the time to sort of take in the little lull personalities because once it's on and popping, we're right back to football content. Content anybody works in TV, producer, executive producer, doesn't matter who you are. The content, the pettiness, the Twitter beefs, we're all about it, and yes we'll be We'll be here for it for sure. Um. Speaking of I was actually here for an interview with our guests. I was missing you. Yes, yes you're back. So interviewed Fresno state wide receiver Jalen Moreno cropper, who has an amazing background who talks so glowingly about his grandfather or his grandmother as well and their influence what he means to them. So we'll stick around for that. This, of course, is the L Huddle Podcast. Chez MJ. I'm will Platal. What's good everybody? You have found podcast Nirvana and this is the L Huddle Podcast. I'm will Selva MJA. Kasa Reese not joining me for this one. She's taking care of some things, but I know that she would be excited about the guests that we have lined up for you. Of course, we are gearing up for the draft that is coming up. We're hearing a lot of names, We're seeing a lot of faces, a lot of workouts. But here on this podcast, we always like to pump up those Latino voices, those Latino players, those ones that we are going to keep an eye on during the draft. And it is a pleasure for me to welcome in a stud wide receiver from Fresno, States. Let's give a warm L huddle. Welcome to Jaylen Moreno Cropper. What's up, Jaylen? How you doing? How are you doing? Hey? A lot better now that you're joining us. Man. So many questions to ask of you, especially with your background. So you have long been known as Jalen Cropper, but you added the Moreno tell us why so Yeah, So this past season, upcoming season was my senior year. UM, I knew that, you know, this was gonna be my last year playing here for you know, the Bulldogs and you know my hometown, the Fresnel area. UM, So I wanted to be remembered as you know a little something different, UM, something that was very special to me. Um knowing to me, but my family, so UM, my late grandpa, his last name was Moreno Um, and I felt like, you know, everything that he did for me growing up. UM, I felt like, you know, I had to lay it all on the line this year for him, um and be able to just be remembered as not only know Jaylen Cropper, but Moreno Cropper. And I felt like, you know, being able to come into this season added a little chip to my shoulder. Um. Definitely, you know, I played you know the game with you know a little bit more a heavy heart thing I did last year. So UM, you know, just being able to come out this year obviously, you know, meant a lot to me, but this year definitely meant a lot more knowing that you know, the name I was playing for all my bad What were the reactions of your teammates and other people that said, whoa, whoa, I don't get it. Now you're doing it? Why didn't you do it before? Like? What were what were some people saying to you after you did the change? You know, it was it was crazy. A lot of people are very excited. Um. I think you know, everybody that knows who I am, knows you know who my grandpa was to me. Um, not only to me, but to my family. So um, you know the staff, you know, Coach Teffer, you know some of my you know, the friend of my teammates. Um, everybody was just you know, very excited. Um. When I first heard that, you know, this is what I was gonna do. Um that it was just kind of like talks and stuff like that. But when they finally seen and I saw them my jersey, um, and they've seen you know, the Marinal Cropper, they were like, yeah, like that fishy. So you know, ever since then, you know, with all the this whole draft process, that's all I've been seeing like Mirano Crovid. So I was like, you know, I might I might just stick with it now, I love it. Well, did you think about doing it, you know, two years ago, three years ago, like now that you see how cool it looks to see on jerseys and how much your grandfather means to you, are you wishing that you would have done it sooner? Uh? Yeah, most definitely. Um, I think that I would have probably done it sooner. Um, But I think you know, the way I did it, the way I went about it, um, knowing that, you know, I want to leave my senior year with that legacy, knowing that you know, they knew who I was. Um, And I feel like, you know, being able to do that was definitely you know, the right way. But if I had to go back, I would I would have definitely you know, been able to change it early on. Sure, sure, I mean it's such an amazing gesture and obviously meant so much to you and your family family. Obviously I didn't get the pleasure to meet him and know him. Tell tell our listeners a little bit about uh, your your grandfather and growing up and being around him, maybe some of the lessons he taught you man, a lot of lessons, Um. Basically, you know, he's he was just saying, we got time baby wet. He was just a funny dude. You know, he got along with everybody. UM, everybody loved him. UM. And I feel like, you know, what I really got from him was that that family environment, UM, that you know he brought to everything, not only you know with art exact family, but you know with friends and anybody that that we bring home. You know, any friends, you know, he always brought them in with open arms, UM, loved them like he was they were one of his own. So I think you know that that was something that definitely stuck with me, UM, even up with to now, UM, everything that I do. You know, my siblings, you know, I look after them like you know, they're my own. UM. And there's you know a lot of things when you know the way he looks at the world, the way he looks at people, UM, you know, the support that he brings to my family, everything that he did, you know, it was just wonderful being able to be a part of that, UM and be able to take that and you know obviously girls man, So I think that was definitely something for me, UM, you know, being able to grow up. UM. I was always young. I spent you know, every day with him he picked me up from practice, drop me off at practice in the mornings, um home, depot trips, load trips, you know, just doing all that stuff when it was his one on one time with my grandmar You know, I'm I'm always stirted with, I'm always tagging along. So, um, you know, being able to go through that with him, I was definitely something that you know, there was a lot of life's lessons. Um. But if you ask anybody who knew who my grandpa was, I mean, they have nothing but good things you say about him. Well, just based on what you've told me, I don't have any doubt that anybody would say anything other than great things about him. Um, were there were there particular things like just from a cultural standpoint where you know, he talked about his background, about being Latino. Didn't like what sorts of things did you you clean from him or did he tell you about maybe customs or or things that he did when he grew up. Yeah, there's there's definitely a lot of things that he did, you know, the stories that he would tell me. But with him and his siblings, how they you know, they walked everywhere they would go in the mornings to go work with with his dad and my great grandpa. UM. They would go out there, work in the fields all day, come home, you know, and it was kind of like the same routine. So I think you're just hearing that stuff. And you know, from a Latino background, you you see that work that they bring UM, and I feel like, you know, everything that they that he did, um, you know, he worked very hard for it. UM to you know, be able to provide food for our family, UM to write you know, shout roof over our heads and everything he did, you know, he did it with his best effort. And you know it wasn't only him. You can tell that, you know, in the Latino culture, UM, this is very very you know, very very similar to how everybody's mindset is and it's always you know, work for everything you have. And I feel like that was definitely something that you know, I took from him because you know, obviously going to a smaller school at Freson State, you know, you gotta work a little bit hard. But everything that you do, you know, you understand the work that you have to put into it to get to the places that you want to do to you know, achieve the goals that you have. Obviously Fresdel has a big Latino community there. What did they think when you did the name change and how did they embrace you even more than they probably did? Yeah, it was It was definitely cool scene. You know, all the little the things that the fans would say. You know, I would really like Twitter posts of people saying, you know, Jayleen Cropper and then and then you'll see like fans, no, it's morntal Cropper. So you know, just seeing little things like that, Seeing things like you know, people going around and actually remember you know, uh talking to me. You know all that's merintal Cropper like things like that. When you hear those things, that's like okay, like they approve of this. You know, they like what, you know, what what's going on? Um? And then you see all you know the things that you know, these kids are you know, making little pictures or you know, edits and stuff like that and it says marenal Cropper. So you know that was that was kind of like one of the cool parts. Um, just knowing that, you know, the vision that I had going into that season, you know, it was coming full circle. Well do you feel like the weight of that in some sense? Because you have the name and then everything that comes with it, do you feel like a little extra pressure or it's not even that. It just feels like it's it's a natural thing and that's just something that's that's guiding me. I would definitely say, you know, it's kind of like a natural thing. Um. I don't think it ever brought, you know, too much pressure upon me. Um. I think it was very you know, everything that I did. You know, I've always moved, you know, knowing that whatever the decisions I make, you know, it's gonna affect my family. So I think, you know, just moving with knowing that now it's not you know, just my my dad's side of the the family. Now it's you know, the rental side of the family. So knowing you know, I'm I'm standing for a lot more now, UM, knowing that you know, I had the last name my grandpa in my bag on his family, UM, and you know, everybody that knows that last name. So there's a there's a lot of there's a lot of people around here with this. You know, I have a lot of family out here, UM, a lot of family Texas that you know, that's where my grandpa grew up. So you know, just knowing that you know this, I have a lot of family everywhere. Um, in the support of everybody. That was definitely something that really helped me a lot. Now, we were talking this podcast a lot m J and I about you know, looks well, so live where Elita or growing up and and taking part in the food, right, that is such a part of our you know culture, right, Yeah, good. So what were some of the dishes that you remember growing up and saying, yeah that that's my goal too. It's my jam my go too, man, there's there's a lot of go to. Um My number one is the number one thing I always asked for m I think when I first got back from Florida, I was training down to Florida. When I first got back home, the first thing I asked my grandma to make was chila veda. And that was the first thing. Um. That has always been something that if I go to a Mexican restaurant, that's the first thing. I'm not ordering nothing else but that. So that'll definitely be high high number one. Um, there's no close second. Well, so, so that's the chila Veda. That's that's your thing. That's that's yeah, that's my thing right there. Okay, okay, And then when you go around to Fresno restaurants, it's Mexican restaurants, Like what do you order there? Is that is that? It same same thing everywhere. That's the same same thing. That's so that's the that's always the thing I get. Even like growing up, we had like little fundraisers for you know, the kids, for sports and stuff like that. Um that we would always make like chilla Veda, like the lunch plates. So you had the rice, you have the beans, you had your you know, your your flower to your tears or quarantin tis you know a dream And it was always, you know, that was something I both. I always had like at least two places every time we went, Hey man, you're you're a growing boy, right yeah, I'll have a couple of plates myself. Uh so, beans and rice? What else do you have in there? Because we've asked our guests before. We had, for example, Malcolm Rodriguez linebacker for for the Lions, and he has a certain particular type of burrito that he eats and they threw out like like in California, especially down in San Diego, southern California, you got fries in the burritos. What do you think fries in there? Um, it depends what kind of fries you put in there. That's really I think that it depends what fries you get in there. There's a place out here. Um they had the solid fries. Um, and they use like the creakle the crenkle cut the fries in the burritos, in the brits in the potos. So that's probably the only fries that I'll eat Man burrito. But but it's it. It's it's not a meal that you would have, say game day, would it? Um? No, if I had to choose game day, definitely, mind you lots you had to have that, right yeah, has if I had to choose something for a game that I had to have that Yeah, yeah, No, That's that's what it's all about. I mean, you just come from such a cool, unique background. Just from talking to you, it's it's just clear you're so proud of who you are, what you came from, and the the Fresno community and how they've embraced you. Um, you know, we we like keeping an eye and all the the players that have you know, Latino heritage in them and and and we always like keeping taps. You know, it's like I grew up my parents were like, oh meta, it's it's it's Latino and they're gonna say the same thing about Jumna yest or then a cropper or yest Uh what what does that mean to you that that's a that's a big deal that that we do on this podcast. But but I know it's like my my parents they were very much like that. My family, you know MJ's family parents are like that. I mean, it's a big deal, man, Yeah, no, it's it's definitely a big deal. Um. I think when it really hit me when that I had went to the swap me with my with my grandma, Um, and it was you know, it was it was it was a couple of little kids with you know, the families and stuff like that, and you know they were asking for pictures and stuff like that, and you know, obviously you know, being able to you know, understand what they're saying with my grandmo and things like that. It was definitely you know, like a kind of like a dream country because you know, obviously you know, growing up, um, you know you were once that that little kid you know, asked you for a picture with somebody or same mom. Look, you know that's that's DeVante so Um. That was definitely something you know for me, that was just like a full circle moment um obviously, you know, definitely, you know, very very blessed to just being this this moment, be able to go through this opportunity, be able to have this opportunity. Um. But you know all those things, all those little things, you know, they definitely add up, and you know, I'm extremely blessed, you know, any bit of Spanish or just so like the bad words and uh, I know quite a few I'm able to understand more than I'm I'm able to you know, speak it. Um. That was definitely something that you know, my mom grew up her first language of Spanish. Um. You know, my grandparents, my grandma, you could tell you can tell my grandma, my grandma. You know it has you know Latino and her just the way you know she she sounds um. But you know she's definitely she definitely helped me out a lot. We're definitely so my little brother, we're trying to teach him Spanish right now. My little brother nice four years old, so hopefully he's able to grow up and you know, do better than me and my other siblings. Hey but listen, Jail, you got time, my friend. And once you're in the league, you know, I mean, who knows? I mean, what would you consider making a trip, say to Mexico and staying there for like a couple of months or doing something like most most deffint I've talked to my grandma about She's she's from Guadalajada. Um, so I have been. You know, I've talked to them about, you know, being able to go out there and you know, be able to just see everything, um, and you know, be able to see where you know, she grew up at, where her families and things like that, just you know, definitely you know, coastal change. Um. But also you know, being able to go out there and and actually see and explore, you know, these different cultures you know, and guard Laha've been there before. The people incredibly nice, very cosmopolitan. It's it's very different, very unlike anything that if somebody has a certain image of Mexico, they go there and they say, oh wow, okay, wow, look at the vibrancy here. Very very different. Uh. What did she tell you about, like the upbringing and what it was like there, she says. She she she enjoyed it. Um, you know that. She said, it was definitely different than you know out here in Fresno area. Um. You know, I'm it's a small town. It's called parler Um, not too big, you know, a huge schools. So that's where I grew up. Um. She said, you know, it's kind of similar, but it's not, um in terms of you know, everything that's around. Um. She said that, you know, growing up, it was kind of like her and her siblings. You know, what they did was all with them, So it was like her. She I believe she has eleven siblings. Wow, so I don't. I don't think all eleven were born at the time when when she was out there, But she said she, you know, she would definitely go back. She loved it out there, Um, and she was she definitely wants to you know, being able to bring us all back over there to see you know, everything out there. How do you think that experience would be like if you were out there to visit and see it through her eyes? I think it definitely definitely be cool. Um. You know, I've always wanted to do that. I always wanted to you know, travel the world. Um, but obviously you know this, you know that you know that experience to experience, you know what she did, um see you know how her upbringing things like that because obviously you know I've seen you know, the way I've had an upbringing. So you know, it's a little bit different out there. So you know, she told me, you know, being able to go out there, you know, she's definitely willing to you know, show me the ropes out there. Yeah. Well m J and I I was telling you it's like we talk about, you know, our grandparents or our parents, and there's there's dech us you know the sayings. What are some of the sayings if you remember off the top of your head that your your grandmother would say anything. Man, she would always show like growing up, she would always because me and my me, my siblings, UM, and my my cousins and everybody, like we were always all crazy. So she would always you know, tell us. She would always tell us like like stories and stuff like that. And that was like the number one story I've always remembered her talking about is the your don And that was she was always trying to scare us with that, and that was the old number one thing. Every time she would like we would do something bad, she would say that, and it was just like everybody would act right, everybody sitting down on the cows, all nice and stuff. So it just took that and then you guys were in la. Everybody we were all terrified of that growing up like that shoes he would just tell the stories. So we were all just terrified of that. So like every time she would bring it up, like we would act right. We would change everything the way we talked and stuff like that, and you know, everybody would just act right. Now. Just you know, she knew how to she knew how to handle us. Yeah. Yeah, that's what it's all about, right, Yeah, she's she's leading things. Um, you know what you've done in your career at Fresno State nothing short of remarkable. You improved every single year. And you had said in a quote that you are like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. Love is that quote? Why did you say that in particular? I just think that, you know, whenever I get the ball in my hands, Um, you know there's always something like you have to have your cameras out because something you know, special, something crazy might happen. You know, I might take a fly sweet for eighty yards, I might take it hits for seven yards. Um. So it's it's always, you know, no matter of one play with me, and I feel like, you know, being able to when I you know, growing up, every single year I played football, Um, that was just something that I lived by and I feel like, you know, it was always just one play, one play way, one play way of seven points. And you know, I felt like, you know, that was definitely something with me. Um, just how you know I practice and things like that. Um, the things that I do for my craft. Um, definitely, you know on Saturdays. You know, That's why I said on Saturdays. You know, you never you never know whenever I'm gonna feel, you know, if the ball goes my way, you never know what's gonna happen. I love that confidence. What what do you get more excited about? And in the jet suite for eighty or catching a bomb for eighty h man. Definitely definitely catching the bomb FA I think you know, we know, just show your speed cast the ball down there and you're already eighty yard down the field by the time you get the fly steady. You know about three yards behind the battlefield. So, um, I think definitely, I would say definitely, you know, catching a long eighty ar bomb form. Yeah, it feels like the deep balls a little sexier, right, Yeah. Yeah, you could sell at the con why everybody was going crazy for the deep ball. So I think that was definite. That would definitely be something that you know, I would definitely like, what did you What did you make of your experience at the combine? Because here you are, you coming from Fresno State. I'm sure you felt like I've got something to prove. You even mentioned it earlier to me about having that chip on your shoulder. What was that experience like? Because you ended up running the forty at four to four I believe, so you showed up and you showed out. You didn't run the forty in your pro day, but still you've really impressed a lot of people from the performance. Yeah, I think that was definitely something where I always, you know, believe in my speed, Um, believe you know what I can do with my with my feet or my legs. I always knew that I was fast, So um, I always I felt like, you know, I heard a lot of things about all you're gonna run the four or five. I'm gonna be in the four or five. Five rain for me at four or five. So I was just definitely something where I was just like, like, there's no way I'm ever gonna run four or five. So, you know, I think during that whole process, Um, it was just definitely something where you know, always trying to get better every day. UM. And obviously you know, when the lights come on, you gotta you gotta show out. Um, you gotta, you know, go out there, do whatever you need to do to get to showcase your challenge. So I feel like, you know that day to combine um, being able to go out there, you know, the lights are on, you know, it's very quiet when I'm on the line about to run my forty. So it was just you know, something that you know, going back to your your your technique, going back to your training, you know, being able to trust in you know, everything that you did, trust in your preparation. UM, And I feel like leading up until that point, you know, I prepare very well for it. Now, if it's the battle of two Fresnel State Bulldogs former Fresnel State Bulldogs, let's just say it's DeVante Adams on the one side, then it's you on the other side. Who's going to be who's going to be the one that's gonna be making that ADR touchdown bond that we were talking about. Man, I think you know, I mean Devant he does that every week, So you really don't know, So I think, you know, just obviously, you know, being able to play on the same team as him, being on the other side of him, that would definitely, you know, be something where it's like, you know, it don't matter who catches the ADR bond, We're all going to celebrate in the zone. Yeah. Well, how much has he been an influence on you, whether he's giving you advice or you just growing up and watching him play. Definitely, you know a lot of you know, growing up, Um, that was definitely, you know, one of the main receivers, main football players that you know, I really idolized. Um. I mean I remember going to the games with my grandpa. Um, you know, Derek Carr and him were out there breaking records. So yeah, that was definitely something you know growing up. You know that was that this is our only you know, this is our professional team on your Freson State Bulldog. So you know, growing up, you know, every Saturday, you don't do nothing now but up to the Freson State game. So that was definitely you know, growing up and being able to you know, watch him play, UM and obviously you know, playing this in the same jersey that he did play in the same state and that he did. UM, was definitely know a dream come true to me. Well, what what would be right now your message to talent evaluators that are out there who maybe they are a listener of hours here, like, what would you say to them that they're getting And I would definitely say, you know, if you know, if you choose to draft me, you're definitely gonna get somebody that comes to work every day, UM, with the mindset, you know, to be the best player on the field. UM. Obviously, you know, going out there and your your rookie year, you know you have a lot to prove. UM. But I always felt like, you know, I've I've had a lot to prove, So that was not really you know really you know, that's not it don't bring a lot of stress to me, UM, but I feel like, you know, just always always trusted in you know, the technique, the preparation that I've had my abilities to play the game in football. UM, and I feel like you know, every year, um, when you get to that next level, um, from high school to college and you know now it's college the NFL. UM. I felt like, you know, I put myself in a position to be able to go out there and just be a winner. Um. You know that's definitely something that you know, I've always been a part of, you know, winning programs. UM. And I definitely you know, want to come to a program that that that wants to win. Hey, sign me up, sign me up. I mean, Jalen, you are a cool customer out there, my friend, you say, really appreciate it. Before before I let you go, any any questions that you have received at all from teams that made you scratch your head a little bit, um, believe it or not, I have not. There's there's been no you know, crazy questions, but are no they're asking anything crazy. Um. It's really been all you know, business questions, you know everything, you know, trying to get to know each other, trying to be able to tell my story, UM in a matter you know, cam five ten fifteen minutes. So speed dating, baby, speed dating, That's what it is, but I haven't. I haven't got any crazy questions where I have to like like, uh yeah, I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about. Hey, Jalen Morino Cropper, it has been an absolute pleasure talking to you, my man. I hope that a team is fortunate enough to select you and everything that comes with you and your background and your heritage. Just know here at the l Huddle Podcast, man, we are rooting for you and happy for you and appreciating taking the time. And make sure don't be a stranger, all right when you when you get when you get that first deal going and you and you get on the team, But don't forget about us little people there all right, never never never can't do that jail and you're the best man. Hey, good luck. Really appreciate it, man, Thank you, Thank you very might have a good day. So see, here's the thing that I love about this podcast. The conversation never ends right Like the second we post a clip to social media, I love seeing all the responses. So if you guys are listening, please share these with your family, with your friends, add in like we want to hear from you and if there's something something you want us to hit on like a topic that we haven't gotten into yet, please let us know immediately, because that's what it's all about. This is for us right as a collective as so we're we're always so to share these these like anecdotal things with you all because we know that you feel it as much as we do, that you can relate and it resonates with all of you guys. So that's been one of my favorite parts of doing this podcast this year will Yeah for me too. And also talking to people like Jalen, who is yet another Latino that we can keep an eye on, root for and and hope he has success, you know, just as really cool. Chill Vibe is his jam. That's what he loves, that's what he orders. He's hardcore. Yeah yeah, no, none that's in around. And then he wants to go to uh Guadalajara. He wants to go there to visit family and he's gonna go likely at some point in time with his grandmother. So, um, it is beautiful and we said, and we've said it at the beginning of this podcast, we all come in different colors, shapes, and sizes, and that's what this podcast is about. Celebrating latinos and really everything, not just in the NFL, but entertainment world, music, world, TV world, whatever it is. We're we're here to celebrate and we're here to bring these voices to you, So please keep listening. We love interacting with you guys. Um if you love what you're hearing, just you know, rate, subscribe, review, and don't forget to share. That's the biggest think of it, as in busting right that your favorite THEA has made. You want everybody to get a little peak right, Well, share and you know what, we're gonna cook. We're gonna cook for an army, so there's going to go around. We will see you next time for well, I'm say and Huddle is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.